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Thank you to everyone who has been contributing links to articles & other content in the Comments section of each day's "Conversation." If you're missing the comments, you're missing some vital links.

Marie: Sorry, my countdown clock was unreliable; then it became completely unreliable. I can't keep up with it. Maybe I'll try another one later.

 

Public Service Announcement

Zoë Schlanger in the Atlantic: "Throw out your black plastic spatula. In a world of plastic consumer goods, avoiding the material entirely requires the fervor of a religious conversion. But getting rid of black plastic kitchen utensils is a low-stakes move, and worth it. Cooking with any plastic is a dubious enterprise, because heat encourages potentially harmful plastic compounds to migrate out of the polymers and potentially into the food. But, as Andrew Turner, a biochemist at the University of Plymouth recently told me, black plastic is particularly crucial to avoid." This is a gift link from laura h.

Mashable: "Following the 2024 presidential election results and [Elon] Musk's support for ... Donald Trump, users have been deactivating en masse. And this time, it appears most everyone has settled on one particular X alternative: Bluesky.... Bluesky has gained more than 100,000 new sign ups per day since the U.S. election on Nov. 5. It now has over 15 million users. It's enjoyed a prolonged stay on the very top of Apple's App Store charts as well. Ready to join? Here's how to get started on Bluesky[.]"

Washington Post: "Americans can again order free rapid coronavirus tests by mail, the Biden administration announced Thursday. People can request four free at-home tests per household through covidtests.gov. They will begin shipping Monday. The move comes ahead of an expected winter wave of coronavirus cases. The September revival of the free testing program is in line with the Biden administration’s strategy to respond to the coronavirus as part of a broader public health campaign to protect Americans from respiratory viruses, including influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), that surge every fall and winter. But free tests were not mailed during the summer wave, which wastewater surveillance data shows is now receding."

Wherein Michael McIntyre explains how Americans adapted English to their needs. With examples:

Beat the Buzzer. Some amazing young athletes:

     ~~~ Here's the WashPo story (March 23).

Back when the Washington Post had an owner/publisher who dared to stand up to a president:

Prime video is carrying the documentary. If you watch it, I suggest watching the Spielberg film "The Post" afterwards. There is currently a free copy (type "the post full movie" in the YouTube search box) on YouTube (or you can rent it on YouTube, on Prime & [I think] on Hulu). Near the end, Daniel Ellsberg (played by Matthew Rhys), says "I was struck in fact by the way President Johnson's reaction to these revelations was [that they were] 'close to treason,' because it reflected to me the sense that what was damaging to the reputation of a particular administration or a particular individual was in itself treason, which is very close to saying, 'I am the state.'" Sound familiar?

Out with the Black. In with the White. New York Times: “Lester Holt, the veteran NBC newscaster and anchor of the 'NBC Nightly News' over the last decade, announced on Monday that he will step down from the flagship evening newscast in the coming months. Mr. Holt told colleagues that he would remain at NBC, expanding his duties at 'Dateline,' where he serves as the show’s anchor.... He said that he would continue anchoring the evening news until 'the start of summer.' The network did not immediately name a successor.” ~~~

~~~ New York Times: “MSNBC said on Monday that Jen Psaki, the former White House press secretary who has become one of the most prominent hosts at the network, would anchor a nightly weekday show in prime time. Ms. Psaki, 46, will host a show at 9 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, replacing Alex Wagner, a longtime political journalist who has anchored that hour since 2022, according to a memo to staff from Rebecca Kutler, MSNBC’s president. Ms. Wagner will remain at MSNBC as an on-air correspondent. Rachel Maddow, MSNBC’s biggest star, has been anchoring the 9 p.m. hour on weeknights for the early days of ... [Donald] Trump’s administration but will return to hosting one night a week at the end of April.”

New York Times: “Joy Reid’s evening news show on MSNBC is being canceled, part of a far-reaching programming overhaul orchestrated by Rebecca Kutler, the network’s new president, two people familiar with the changes said. The final episode of Ms. Reid’s 7 p.m. show, 'The ReidOut,' is planned for sometime this week, according to the people, who were not authorized to speak publicly. The show, which features in-depth interviews with politicians and other newsmakers, has been a fixture of MSNBC’s lineup for the past five years. MSNBC is planning to replace Ms. Reid’s program with a show led by a trio of anchors: Symone Sanders Townsend, a political commentator and former Democratic strategist; Michael Steele, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee; and Alicia Menendez, the TV journalist, the people said. They currently co-host 'The Weekend,' which airs Saturday and Sunday mornings.” MB: In case you've never seen “The Weekend,” let me assure you it's pretty awful. ~~~

     ~~~ AP Update: "Joy Reid is leaving MSNBC, the network’s new president announced in a memo to staff on Monday, marking an end to the political analyst and anchor’s prime time news show."

Y! Entertainment: "Meanwhile, [Alex] Wagner will also be removed from her 9 pm weeknight slot. Wagner has already been working as a correspondent after Rachel Maddow took over hosting duties during ... Trump’s first 100 days in office. It’s now expected that Wagner will not return as host, but is expected to stay on as a contributor. Jen Psaki, President Biden’s former White House press secretary, is a likely replacement for Wagner, though a decision has not been finalized." MB: In fairness to Psaki, she is really too boring to watch. On the other hand, she is White. ~~~

     ~~~ RAS: "So MSNBC is getting rid of both of their minority evening hosts. Both women of color who are not afraid to call out the truth. Outspoken minorities don't have a long shelf life in the world of our corporate news media."

 

Contact Marie

Email Marie at constantweader@gmail.com

Page Links
Sunday
Nov142010

The Commentariat -- November 15

Candorville by Darrin Bell at Candorville.com. Via my old friend John L. Click on cartoon to see larger image.** "The Establishment President." David Bromwich in the London Review of Books assesses Barack Obama's presidency: "Obama acted on the assumption that the establishment is one and irreplaceable, and must be served in roughly its present form."

Paul Krugman: the odds are not good that the President will find it within himself to take a stand against the GOP, China & other bad actors in the international community.

Jackie Calmes & David Herszenhorn of the New York Times: President Obama returns from Japan to the kabuki theater of the lame duck session. Oh, how will it all end? Not with a bang but a quack.

Ha! Michael Shear of the New York Times: "Virginia Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, is stepping down from the conservative organization she founded last year. Ms. Thomas plans to resign as CEO of Liberty Central, a group designed to be a clearinghouse for conservative activists and the Tea Party movement...." CW: judicial ethics are so annoying.

Kilroy Was Here. Sam Stein: "A coalition of progressive lawmakers, labor unions, and soon-to-be-former members of Congress [like Mary Jo Kilroy {D-Ohio}] are demanding that the Democratic Party hold an up or down vote on a tax cut package that extends rates for the middle class while letting those for the wealthy expire.... Even as the White House is signaling its willingness to cut a deal extending the top brackets for an additional few years, progressive lawmakers and the AFL-CIO have begun imploring the party to partake in a veritable game of chicken. Make Republicans vote against a package that included just tax cuts for the middle class as the deadline for all rates to be reverted closes in."

New York Times: "The Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, a longtime defender of the Congressional authority over federal spending, said on Monday that he would support a proposed ban on earmarks, the lawmaker-directed spending items, in the next Congress." ...

... Jay Newton-Small of Time comments on Mitch McConnell's reversal & capitulation on earmarks. CW I've commented on Newton-Small's post.

Dana Milbank: Eric Cantor walks back his treasonous remarks without walking back his treasonous remarks. You people just got it wrong! (See Milbank's update down the page.)

He Was against It before He Was (Secretly) for It: Lee Fang of Think Progress: though Sen. John Ensign vehemently opposed the Affordable Healthcare Act & has refashioned himself as a teabagger, he wasn't above soliciting (& receiving) a near-$1 million grant under the act for the University of Nevada School of Medicine. CW: wonder if he sent a thank-you note. Plus, how come Fang had to go to the trouble to obtain documentation though an FOIA request? Letters from Senators concerning the expenditure of federal funds should all be on-the-record.

Noam Levey in the Los Angeles Times: "With their eyes on the 2012 election, Republicans are preparing to maximize conflict with Democrats over healthcare in the new Congress and minimize potential compromises, according to GOP strategists, lawmakers and lobbyists.... Republican leaders and strategists think a renewed battle over healthcare will help the party expand its electoral gains and drive President Obama from the White House."

Elizabeth Kolbert of The New Yorker: "House Republicans and their Tea Party allies reject even the idea of concern. Not content merely to ignore the science, they have decided to go after the scientists."

Roxana Tiron of The Hill: "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) may not be able to secure enough votes to pass the [defense authorization] bill because of language repealing the ban on gays in the military.... But abandoning the effort to repeal the 'Don’t ask, don’t tell' policy would be a political disaster for President Obama...." ...

... Here's an update from Joe Sudbay of AmericaBlog. ...

... The Human Rights Campaign urges you to call your Senators & ask them to repeal DADT NOW.

... NEW. Three Amigos Disagree on DADT. Joe Lieberman "strongly" favors repeal.

Secretaries Hillary Clinton & Robert Gates in a Washington Post op-ed: "Before this session of Congress ends, we urge senators to approve an arms control treaty that would again allow U.S. inspectors access to Russian strategic sites and reduce the number of nuclear weapons held by both nations to a level not seen since the 1950s."

The Wall Street Journal identifies the year's ten highest-paid CEOs. The top-paid CEO, Gregory Maffei of Liberty Media Corp. pulled down $87.1 million. CW: Liberty Media owns QVC, Expedia, Starz,  the Discovery Channel & a bunch of other stuff, including large chunks of enterprises like Time Warner Cable & Sirius XM Radio. Remember, Republicans think these CEOs should get a tax break.

James Surowiecki of The New Yorker on "greedy geezers": in the midterm elections, seniors, especially older seniors, voted heavily Republican. mostly apparently because of their opposition to health reform. "There’s a colossal irony here: the very people who currently enjoy the benefits of a subsidized, government-run insurance system are intent on keeping others from getting the same treatment.... In hard times voters get more selfish."

Kevin Drum of Mother Jones debunks the "uncertainty meme" -- the notion popular among pundits that the reason businesses aren't growing is that they don't know what the future holds. BTW, the "PPACA" that Drum refers to is the Affordable Care Act a/k/a the healthcare reform act. ...

... Steve Benen remarks that "uncertainty" is a Republican cover invented because "they can't blame the economy on tax increases, since taxes have gone down not up, and they can't blame the recession on Bush since they still support his economic policies..., so 'uncertainty' becomes a convenient catch-all. But it's still ridiculous. Businesses have been reluctant to hire because they need more customers. It's really not a mystery."

American "Justice" -- Just Another Wall Street Scam. Binyamin Appelbaum of the New York Times: "Large banks, hedge funds and private investors hungry for new and lucrative opportunities are bankrolling other people’s lawsuits, pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into medical malpractice claims, divorce battles and class actions against corporations — all in the hope of sharing in the potential winnings." ...

... The New York Times provides a timeline that describes "the legal path to lawsuit lending," which indeed used to be illegal.

Steven Mufson of the Washington Post profiles my hero, Energy Secretary Steven Chu.

David Kocieniewski of the New York Times: "After two years of investigations and political recriminations, [Rep. Charlie] Rangel [D-NY] is scheduled to appear before a hearing of the House Ethics Committee on Monday to formally rebut charges that his fund-raising and personal finances violated Congressional rules." ...

... Ashley Parker of the New York Times profiles R. Blake Chisam, the staff lawyer who will present the cases against Rangel & Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Cal.).

After learning that George W. Bush plagiarized chunks of Decision Points, Andy Borowitz asked his readers to "come up with the best plagiarized first line[s] for the book." Here are a couple:

They were betterer times, they were worserer times.

My momma always said life was like a jar of fetus.

[Bill] Clinton and I are buddies. -- George W. Bush. Clip & extended transcript are here. If you really want to, you can watch more of Candy Crowley's interview of George W. & Jeb Bush here.

Zaid Jilani of Think Progress: despicable hit man James O'Keefe smears an exemplary teacher this time; Republican Gov. Chris Christie, untroubled by a complete distortion, piles on.

It's Always Something. Michael Grynbaum of the New York Times: "Reports have trickled in about reusable [grocery] bags, mostly made in China, that contained potentially unsafe levels of lead.

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