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The New York Times lists Emmy winners. The AP has an overview story here.

New York Times: “Hvaldimir, a beluga whale who had captured the public’s imagination since 2019 after he was spotted wearing a harness seemingly designed for a camera, was found dead on Saturday in Norway, according to a nonprofit that worked to protect the whale.... [Hvaldimir] was wearing a harness that identified it as “equipment” from St. Petersburg. There also appeared to be a camera mount. Some wondered if the whale was on a Russian reconnaissance mission. Russia has never claimed ownership of the whale. If Hvaldimir was a spy, he was an exceptionally friendly one. The whale showed signs of domestication, and was comfortable around people. He remained in busier waters than are typical for belugas....” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Oh, Lord, do not let Bobby Kennedy, Jr., near that carcass. ~~~

     ~~~ AP Update: “There’s no evidence that a well-known beluga whale that lived off Norway’s coast and whose harness ignited speculation it was a Russian spy was shot to death last month as claimed by animal rights groups, Norwegian police said Monday.... Police said that the Norwegian Veterinary Institute conducted a preliminary autopsy on the animal, which was become known as 'Hvaldimir,' combining the Norwegian word for whale — hval — and the first name of Russian President Vladimir Putin. 'There are no findings from the autopsy that indicate that Hvaldimir has been shot,' police said in a statement.”

New York Times: Botswana's “President Mokgweetsi Masisi grinned as he lifted the diamond, a 2,492-carat stone that is the biggest diamond unearthed in more than a century and the second-largest ever found, according to the Vancouver-based mining operator Lucara, which owns the mine where it was found. This exceptional discovery could bring back the luster of the natural diamond mining industry, mining companies and experts say. The diamond was discovered in the same relatively small mine in northeastern Botswana that has produced several of the largest such stones in living memory. Such gemstones typically surface as a result of volcanic activity.... The diamond will likely sell in the range of tens of millions of dollars....”

Click on photo to enlarge.

~~~ Guardian: "On a distant reef 16,000km from Paris, surfer Gabriel Medina has given Olympic viewers one of the most memorable images of the Games yet, with an airborne celebration so well poised it looked too good to be true. The Brazilian took off a thundering wave at Teahupo’o in Tahiti on Monday, emerging from a barrelling section before soaring into the air and appearing to settle on a Pacific cloud, pointing to the sky with biblical serenity, his movements mirrored precisely by his surfboard. The shot was taken by Agence France-Presse photographer Jérôme Brouillet, who said “the conditions were perfect, the waves were taller than we expected”. He took the photo while aboard a boat nearby, capturing the surreal image with such accuracy that at first some suspected Photoshop or AI." 

Washington Post: “'Mary Cassatt at Work' is a large and mostly satisfying exhibition devoted to the career of the great American artist beloved for her sensitive and often sentimental views of family life. The 'at work' in the title of the Philadelphia Museum of Art show references the curators’ interest in Cassatt’s pioneering effort to establish herself as a professional artist within a male-dominated field. Throughout the show, which includes some 130 paintings, pastels, prints and drawings, the wall text and the art on view stresses Cassatt’s fixation on art as a career rather than a pastime.... Mary Cassatt at Work is on view at the Philadelphia Museum of Art through Sept. 8. philamuseum.org”

New York Times: “Bob Newhart, who died on Thursday at the age of 94, has been such a beloved giant of popular culture for so long that it’s easy to forget how unlikely it was that he became one of the founding fathers of stand-up comedy. Before basically inventing the hit stand-up special, with the 1960 Grammy-winning album 'The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart' — that doesn’t even count his pay-per-view event broadcast on Canadian television that some cite as the first filmed special — he was a soft-spoken accountant who had never done a set in a nightclub. That he made a classic with so little preparation is one of the great miracles in the history of comedy.... Bob Newhart holds up. In fact, it’s hard to think of a stand-up from that era who is a better argument against the commonplace idea that comedy does not age well.”

Washington Post: “An early Titian masterpiece — once looted by Napolean’s troops and a part of royal collections for centuries — caused a stir when it was stolen from the home of a British marquess in 1995. Seven years later, it was found inside an unassuming white and blue plastic bag at a bus stop in southwest London by an art detective, and returned. This week, the oil painting 'The Rest on the Flight into Egypt' sold for more than $22 million at Christie’s. It was a record for the Renaissance artist, whom museums describe as the greatest painter of 16th-century Venice. Ahead of the sale in April, the auction house billed it as 'the most important work by Titian to come to the auction market in more than a generation.'”

Washington Post: The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., which houses the world's largest collection of Shakespeare material, has undergone a major renovation. "The change to the building is pervasive, both subtle and transformational."

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Monday
Mar212011

The Commentariat -- March 22

** Do You Know What Your Congress Is Doing? CW: while we're arguing about Libya, Republicans are planning the deaths of American children. Suzy Khimm of Mother Jones: "Republicans in Congress have proposed slashing millions in federal funding for immunization programs. Public health advocates warn that these cuts threaten efforts across the country to prevent and contain infectious and sometimes fatal diseases. And they add that lower vaccination rates could eventually result in more outbreaks that endanger public health at a major cost to taxpayers." ...

... Tim Fernholtz of the National Journal: "The House Agriculture Committee endorsed a letter this week to Budget Chairman Paul Ryan arguing that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which helps low-income Americans purchase food, would make a better target for cuts than automatic subsidies to farms.... The Agriculture Committee is dominated by members of Congress from farm states; Chairman Frank Lucas, R-Okla., has reported $445,714 in political contributions from the agricultural industry during the course of his career, and ranking Democrat Collin Peterson of Minnesota reports $809,097 in career donations. The budget letter, endorsed by both Lucas and Peterson, argues that subsidies need to be in place for when record-high prices 'inevitably' fall." CW: I forget how many members of Congress get farm subsidies, but it's a bunch; some of the welfare recipients -- Michele Bachmann, Chuck Grassley & Max Baucus. Who cares about hungry people?

This I Did Not Know. Damien Paletta of the Wall Street Journal: the Social Security Disability Insurance fund "is set to soon become the first big federal benefit program to run out of cash — and one of the main reasons is U.S. states and territories have a large say in who qualifies for the federally funded program. Without changes, the Social Security retirement fund can survive intact through about 2040 and Medicare through 2029. The disability fund, however, will run dry in four to seven years without federal intervention, government auditors say." CW: this article is firewalled & I can't link through. However, you can read it via Google.

The New York Times Editors endorse the enforcement of the no-flight zone over Libya, but they add a lot of "yeah-buts." ...

... What's the Rebels' Goal? Democracy or Tribal Ascendancy? David Kirkpatrick of the New York Times: "The behavior of the fledgling rebel government in Benghazi so far offers few clues to the rebels’ true nature. Their governing council is composed of secular-minded professionals — lawyers, academics, businesspeople — who talk about democracy, transparency, human rights and the rule of law. But their commitment to those principles is just now being tested as they confront the specter of potential Qaddafi spies in their midst, either with rough tribal justice or a more measured legal process." ...

Philip Ewing of Politico: "Even as [President] Obama wants to protect Libyan rebels from forces loyal to Libyan strongman Muammar Qadhafi, the president also wants to avoid putting the United States into another situation – the third in a decade – in which America would be responsible for rebuilding a Muslim nation it has attacked and decapitated. So even though Obama reiterated his call Monday that Qadhafi 'needs to go,' he said America is not authorized to target him under the conditions of the international agreement under which it’s operating."

** Stephen Walt of Foreign Policy: "The only important intellectual difference between neoconservatives and liberal interventionists is that the former have disdain for international institutions (which they see as constraints on U.S. power), and the latter see them as a useful way to legitimate American dominance." CW: a very interesting read.

... Dave Weigel argues in Slate that President Obama didn't consult Congress on the strike against Libya because most of the Congress didn't want him to. See Monday, March 21 News Ledes for links to the President's belated notification to Congress. ...

... Although the White House claims the President had the authority to commit to the Libyan effort, John Nichols of The Nation, for one, disagrees: "Anyone who takes the Constitution seriously should have a problem with the fact that, once again, the United States is involved in a war that has neither been debated nor declared by the Congress of the United States." ...

... BUT, as Thom Hartman points out, the Congress was busy. "John Boehner instead chose to debate defunding NPR and Planned Parenthood, leaving the decision to President Obama." ...

... Laura Rozen of Yahoo News: "President Barack Obama, speaking in Santiago, Chile on Monday, defended his decision to order U.S. strikes against Libyan military targets, and insisted that the mission is clear.... Obama insisted that the United States' lead military role will be turned over — "in days, not weeks" — to an international command of which the United States will be just one part. The only problem: None of the countries in the international coalition can yet agree on to whom or how the United States should hand off responsibilities."

Hiroko Tabuchi, et al., of the New York Times: "Just a month before a powerful earthquake and tsunami crippled the Fukushima Daiichi plant at the center of Japan’s nuclear crisis, government regulators approved a 10-year extension for the oldest of the six reactors at the power station despite warnings about its safety."

Prof. Michael Niman, writing in Buffalo's ArtVoice wonders, "why are we vilifying union members for successfully defending a right we should all enjoy?" -- i.e., a decent healthcare plan. "Why don’t we all fight to have the same healthcare as Teamsters have? ... Rather than being duped into vilifying those of us who are still holding on to the American dream, join us. Rather than being tricked into organizing against us, organize with us. We are you. Unionize everybody! Thanks to reader Peter S. for the link. ...

... Why, even conservative Stanley Fish has come around to supporting unions in the academic wing of the world.

Ben Bernanke now must finally understand that this money doesn’t belong to the Federal Reserve, it belongs to the American people and the American people have a right to know how their taxpayer dollars are being put at risk. -- Sen. Bernie Sanders ...

... Neil Irwin of Bloomberg News: "A Supreme Court order that forces unprecedented disclosures from the Federal Reserve ended a two- year legal battle that helped shape the public’s perceptions of the U.S. central bank. The high court yesterday let stand a lower-court ruling compelling the Fed to reveal the names of banks that borrowed money at the so-called discount window during the credit crisis. The records were requested by Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News. In July, Congress passed the Dodd-Frank law, which mandated the release of other Fed bailout details." ...

... Matt Yglesias in Democracy on the Fed: "The idea of a central bank that’s 'independent' of day-to-day politics is a good one, but too often that’s come to mean a central bank that’s immune from criticism or meaningful supervision. The Federal Reserve System’s current vague mandate needs to be replaced with a specific target, defined in law.... Progressives need to start caring about the Fed and engaging in the debate over what it does."

If you hear the latest story coming from the right -- that, really, our tax structure is more progressive than are those of European countries, you'll want to read Kevin Drum's brief analysis.

Andrew Romano of Newsweek on the consequences of Americans' ignorance about our system of government. Thirty-eight percent of us can't pass the citizenship test. The article links to a test which allows you to check your own knowledge. CW: fair warnings -- (a) this is one of those annoying click-thru tests that takes forever, which is why I didn't link it directly; (b) the people who wrote the test may not be as smart as you are. Several answers, according to scholars, are wrong. (I found another wrong answer the linked article doesn't mention; there are probably more.) ...

... Steve Benen: "... uninformed and easily-fooled voters have a severely limited working understanding of current events, but at the same time, have enormous power over the nation's future.... When voters are ignorant, candidates are more likely to lie, confident in their ability to get away with it. When the electorate is disengaged, policymakers feel less pressure to exercise good judgment, knowing they can just pull the wool over the public's eyes later.... Our political system -- and the country overall -- relies on a certain level of sophistication among the public, and there's ample evidence that we're just not at that level. In human history, it's never been easier to get -- and stay -- well informed. Folks just have to take some responsibility."

... Matt Yglesias: "What doesn’t seem sustainable to me is the system we’ve been evolving toward in which a legislative minority is able to block action and then reap the rewards of any policy failure that results. This feature of our institutional set-up, much more than public ignorance, threatens to wreck the “market” for sound public policy."

"Claire Air." David Catanese of Politico: "Sen. Claire McCaskill is selling the personal plane that has caused her turbulence in recent weeks after Politico revealed she used taxpayer money to cover the cost of political travel. The first-term Democrat said she was very happy she was able to convince her husband to 'sell the damn plane.' In a conference call Monday afternoon, McCaskill revealed that after her own review of the plane's records, she had not paid personal property taxes on the aircraft over the past four years." The Republican Senatorial Committee cut a pretty damning video:

... Michael Shear of the New York Times: "... Senate Democrats can’t afford to make any mistakes. Which makes the scandal in Missouri over Senator Claire McCaskill’s private plane the kind of unforced error that could come back to haunt the national party in the days after the 2012 election."

Jeff Zeleny of the New York Times profiles Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour who is considering a run for president. CW: I'm linking this story because I feel I must -- it's one of the most popular articles on the Times site.

Ain't It Always the Way. Jenna Wortham of the New York Times: "The $39 billion proposed merger of AT&T and T-Mobile could save the companies a lot of money. For everyone else, it could cost a lot of money. No sooner did the two companies announce a $39 billion merger on Sunday than industry analysts began assessing the impact on the biggest potential losers in the deal: consumers."

Right Wing World

Ginni Gets A(nother) Job. Brian Beutler of TPM: "Ginni Thomas, the tea party leader, health care reform foe, and controversial wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, will join The Daily Caller as a reporter." CW: in case you're not familiar with the Daily Caller -- and why would you be? -- it's Tucker Carlson's smarmy site, which most recently has been happy to promote James O'Keefe's video-editing adventures. Thanks to Jeanne B. for the heads-up.

Arizona State Senate President Russell Pearce, the prime mover of the state's draconian anti-illegal-immigration laws, has taken "Tentherism" -- a right-wing premise that the Tenth Amendment makes most federal laws unconstitutional -- to a new level. Zaid Jilani of Think Progress reports that Pearce said in a speech to enthusiastic teabaggers:

Do you know, you’re not a citizen of the United States. You’re a citizen of a sovereign state. The fifty sovereign states makes up United States of America, we’re citizens of those sovereign states. It is not a delegated authority. It’s an inherent authority that states have over the federal government.It’s about time somebody gets it right!

     ... Jilani suggests Pearce actually read the Constitution -- like the Fourteenth Amendment (which Pearce really, really hates) that reads, "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside." Or he could read Article VI, which states, "This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof ... shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby...."

"Stuff Happens." I hate Keyboard Cat, but I'll have to admit this iteration of KC playing off Dick Cheney -- sent to me by reader Doug R. -- is pretty good from start to finish. And it's kinda amazing, isn't it, to see sycophant John King actually question Cheney. I can only surmise King accepted Cheney's two-word "explanation":

News Ledes

AP: "South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard signed a law Tuesday requiring women to wait three days after meeting with a doctor to have an abortion, the longest waiting period in the nation. Abortion rights groups immediately said they plan to file a lawsuit challenging the measure, which also requires women to undergo counseling at pregnancy help centers that discourage abortions."

Politico: "President Barack Obama acknowledged Tuesday that the joint military operation under way in Libya to protect civilians could continue as long Col. Muammar Qadhafi remains in control in Tripoli, but the president also insisted that the U.S. contribution to keep the Libyan dictator’s regime in check would be limited." Video here. ...

... The audio sucks & the embed code is defective, but Jay Carney & Ben Rhodes' pushback against criticism that the Obama Administration didn't consult Congress on the Libyan action is worth hearing. Here's the link to the video. ...

... New York Times: "An American F-15E fighter jet crashed in Libya overnight and one crew member has been recovered while the other is “in the process of recovery,” according to a spokesman for the American military’s Africa Command and a British reporter who saw the wreckage. The crash was likely caused by mechanical failure and not hostile fire, the spokesman, Vince Crawley, told Reuters. Details of the incident remained sparse. The crash was the first known setback for the international coalition...." ...

     ... AP Update: "A U.S. official says both the crew of an F-15 fighter jet that crashed in Libya are safe and back in American hands."

New York Times: "President Ali Abdullah Saleh indicated that he would accept an opposition proposal to plan his early departure from office, a government official said, as the Yemeni leader and opposition figures that now include one of the country’s senior military commanders.... Mr. Saleh appeared willing to shift ground after a wave of high-level officials, including the senior commander, Maj. Gen. Ali Mohsin al-Ahmar, an important tribal leader and a half-dozen ambassadors abandoned him and threw their support behind protesters calling for his ouster. Previously he had offered only to leave by 2013."

AP: "Workers reconnected power lines to all six reactor units at Japan's radiation-leaking nuclear plant Tuesday, its operator said, marking a significant step in bringing the overheated complex under control."

Supremes Blink. Washington Post: "The Supreme Court on Monday turned down the Republican National Committee’s latest attempt to knock out long-standing campaign finance restrictions. Without comment, the justices rejected a challenge from the RNC and former Louisiana congressman Anh 'Joseph' Cao that sought to end federal restrictions on how much a political party can spend in direct coordination with a candidate. Cao lost a reelection bid in 2010. The RNC said the restrictions violate the party’s First Amendment rights, a claim that was turned aside by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit."

Washington Post: "A day after AT&T announced it would buy T-Mobile USA to create the biggest wireless carrier in the country, consumer advocates and some members of Congress blasted the deal, arguing the $39 billion merger would lead to higher prices and fewer choices for cellphone users."

Haaretz: "Former President of the State of Israel Moshe Katsav was sentenced to seven years in jail Tuesday, for after he had previously been found guilty of rape and other sexual offenses. The court also ruled that Katsav must also serve two years of probation and pay NIS 100,000 to his rape victim, a former employee of the Tourism Ministry known as A., and to pay NIS 25,000 to L., a former employee of the President's Residence, whom he had sexually harrased and abused."

AP: "The leader of Portugal's main opposition party says the minority government's downfall is 'inevitable' after it failed to win political support for its latest plan to cut the country's huge debt burden. Portugal is trying to avoid becoming the latest of the 17 eurozone countries to need a bailout.... But all opposition parties have balked at the Socialist government's new austerity measures, which are expected to be rejected by Parliament even though European leaders praised them."

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