The Ledes

Wednesday, September 25, 2024

The New York Times is live-updating developments in the progress of Hurricane Helene. “Helene continued to power north in the Caribbean Sea, strengthening into a hurricane Wednesday morning, on a path that forecasters expect will bring heavy amounts of rain to Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula and western Cuba before it begins to move toward Florida’s Gulf Coast.” ~~~

~~~ CNN: “Helene rapidly intensified into a hurricane Wednesday as it plows toward a Florida landfall as the strongest hurricane to hit the United States in over a year. The storm will also grow into a massive, sprawling monster as it continues to intensify, one that won’t just slam Florida, but also much of the Southeast.... Thousands of Florida residents have already been forced to evacuate and nearly the entire state is under alerts as the storm threatens to unleash flooding rainfall, damaging winds and life-threatening storm surge.... The hurricane unleashed its fury on parts of Mexico’s Yucátan Peninsula and Cuba Wednesday.“

The Wires
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To keep the Conversation going, please help me by linking news articles, opinion pieces and other political content in today's Comments section.

Link Code:   <a href="URL">text</a>

OR here's a link generator. The one I had posted died, then Akhilleus found one, but it too bit the dust. He found yet another, which I've linked here, and as of September 23, 2024, it's working.

OR you can always just block, copy and paste to your comment the URL (Web address) of the page you want to link.

Note for Readers. It is not possible for commenters to "throw" their highlighted links to another window. But you can do that yourself. Right-click on the link and a drop-down box will give you choices as to where you want to open the link: in a new tab, new window or new private window.

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.

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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The Conversation -- August 1, 2023

United States v. Donald J. Trump ~~~

~~~ ** CNN is reporting on-air that Trump has been indicted in four counts in the election interference case. The key charge is "conspiracy to defraud the United States." Jack Smith is expected to make a public statement within the hour. (It's now 5:40 pm ET). The other charges include "corruptly obstruct an official proceeding," and "conspiracy against the right to vote." This is a 45-page speaking indictment with new info. Six co-conspirators are designated by not named; they are not (yet) indicted.~~~

     ~~~ The judge assigned to the case is U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan. She is an Obama appointee with a background as a public defender.

     ~~~ MB: I'm moving this to the August 2 Conversation page.

~~~~~~~~~~

Here's where you are supposed to carry the load. If you've been checking in for a decade and seldom contributing, get to work. You can use any handle you please -- real, imaginary or deceptive; nobody who has put up with my typos cares about spelling, and colloquial language -- including obscenities -- is fine with me. Two rules: (1) Thou shall not speak ill of other contributors; confront their ideas and assertions, but not them; (2) if you make an assertion of fact that might be questioned, Google around for at least a quasi-reputable source and slap in (i.e., cut and paste) the URL to your source.

~~~~~~~~~~

Afternoon Update:

Joe Brandt of CBS News Philadelphia: "New Jersey's Lieutenant Governor, Sheila Oliver, died at age 71, her family and Gov. Phil Murphy announced Tuesday. Oliver had been filling in as acting governor while Murphy was out of the state on a family vacation in Italy. Then on Monday, she was taken to a hospital for an undisclosed medical issue. Oliver made history in New Jersey. She was the first Black woman to be Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly and only the second Black woman to lead any state legislature. Under the state constitution, Democratic Senate President Nicholas Scutari was set to serve as acting governor when Oliver became indisposed."

In the Red. Jessica Piper & Zach Montellaro of Politico: "Donald Trump's joint fundraising committee reported raising $53.8 million in the first half of the year, a long-teased figure that blows all of his Republican opponents out of the water. But the committee and its two affiliates -- the former president's official campaign and his leadership Save America PAC -- have collectively spent $57 million over the same period, according to a POLITICO analysis of campaign finance filings. The spending rate threatens to put a significant strain on Trump's finances as the election gears up."

For former 20-percent-off shoppers, see Patrick's comments -- and links -- in today's Bed, Bath & Beyond/Overstock news.

Florida. As criticism erupted against Florida's public school curriculum mandates, Ron DeSantis distanced himself from the program he had championed and signed into law. All of a sudden, DeSantis blamed the new school teaching standards on "scholars." Judd Legum & others at Popular Information invite you to meet the "scholars," whom DeSantis chose to develop the black history curriculum. Not surprisingly, the "scholars" are right-wing crackpots.

~~~~~~~~~~

Lolita Baldor & Tara Copp of the AP: "President Joe Biden has decided to keep U.S. Space Command headquarters in Colorado, overturning a last-ditch decision by the Trump administration to move it to Alabama. The choice ended months of thorny deliberations, but an Alabama lawmaker vowed to fight on. U.S. officials told The Associated Press on Monday that Biden was convinced by the head of Space Command, Gen. James Dickinson, who argued that moving his headquarters now would jeopardize military readiness. Dickinson's view, however, was in contrast to Air Force leadership, who studied the issue at length and determined that relocating to Huntsville, Alabama, was the right move."

Yes, Trump Owns "My Kevin." Greg Sargent of the Washington Post: "House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is under intense pressure from the right to do all he can to protect Donald Trump from justice and accountability. The former president's backers want McCarthy (R-Calif.) to direct the House to defund Justice Department prosecutions of Trump and to impeach President Biden, apparently to muddy the waters around Trump's culpability. A new poll from the New York Times and Siena College helps explain why McCarthy might struggle to resist this pressure. Large percentages of likely GOP primary voters appear convinced of Trump's innocence -- and a big reason for this appears to be Fox News and right-wing media." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The most corrupt aspect of this massive House effort to excuse & obscure the crimes of Donald the Dumbest Mob Boss: your tax dollars are paying for his defense.

Maggie Haberman, et al., of the New York Times: "... Donald J. Trump's political action committee, which began last year with $105 million, now has less than $4 million left in its account after paying tens of millions of dollars in legal fees for Mr. Trump and his associates. The dwindling cash reserves in Mr. Trump's PAC, called Save America, have fallen to such levels that the group has made the highly unusual request of a $60 million refund of a donation it had previously sent to a pro-Trump super PAC. This money had been intended for television commercials to help Mr. Trump's candidacy, but as he is the dominant front-runner for the Republican nomination in 2024, his most immediate problems appear to be legal, not political." ~~~

~~~ In fairness to Trump's PAC, it was not just wasting Trumpbots' hard-earned money on legal fees for Trump & Associates Criminal Conspiracy, LLC, it also paid $108,000 to one Hervé Pierre Braillard for "strategy consulting." That might sound reasonable until you find out that Braillard is a fashion designer who has designed gowns for Donald's wife Melanie. MB: The fee looks even less reasonable when you consider that Melanie has been mostly MIA this campaign season; I've seen a couple of "Where's Melania?" stories in the recent press.

Marie: In case you're thinking, "Yeah but, maybe Trump at least kept those classified documents safe from, like, foreign spies: ~~~

Marie: I'm thinking cute cat videos may be the way to go. How about this one? ~~~

In Case You Missed It Yesterday Afternoon:

Another "Star" GOP Witness Reveals ... an "Illusion." Zachary Cohen & Kara Scannell of CNN: "Devon Archer told the House Oversight Committee on Monday that his former business partner, Hunter Biden, was selling the 'illusion' of access to his father, according to a source familiar with the closed-door interview, the latest development in the Republican-led congressional investigations into the president's son. The source also reiterated that Archer provided no evidence connecting President Joe Biden to any of his son's foreign business dealings. Rep. Dan Goldman, a Democrat on the panel who sat through the portion of Archer's interview where he was questioned by Republicans, also said there was a lack of evidence connecting the president to his son's foreign dealings. Goldman said Archer told the panel that Hunter Biden did put his father on speaker phone in the presence of business partners, but that business was never discussed.... Goldman told reporters during a break in the hearing that Archer later said that Hunter Biden putting his father on speaker phone with business associates was 'part of the daily conversations' between father and son, adding, 'The witness was very consistent that none of those conversations ever had to do with any business dealings or transactions." Goldman said that it is 'kind of a preposterous premise to think that a father should not say hello to the people that a son is at dinner with and that is literally all the evidence is.'" Archer is awaiting incarceration on an unrelated fraud case. The New York Times story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Tommy Christopher of Mediaite: "President Joe Biden's White House roasted Republicans over a 'much-hyped witness' they say ended up 'debunking' claims against Biden and his son Hunter Biden. Former Hunter Biden business partner Devon Archer testified for Congress behind closed doors Monday, and while Republicans have not had much to say, Democratic New York Congressman and House Oversight Committee member Rep. Dan Goldman has been outspoken in making the case that the testimony backs up the president." ~~~

     ~~~ Tommy Christopher of Mediaite: "Fox News host Sean Hannity got a less-than-emphatic answer when he flat-out asked House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer if he will be able to prove allegations that President Joe Biden is guilty of participating in a bribery scheme. ~~~

Hannity: '... Do you believe that this is now officially the Joe Biden bribery allegation? And do you believe that you will be able to prove that?...'

Comer: 'I sure hope so.... And I do believe that there's a lot of smoke.'

Holly Bailey of the Washington Post: "... the installation of orange security barriers near the main entrance of the Fulton County Courthouse in downtown Atlanta ... was the most visible sign yet of the looming charging decision in a case that has ensnared not only [Donald] Trump but several high-profile Republicans who could either face charges or stand witness in a potential trial unlike anything seen before in this Southern metropolis.... Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis took the unusual step of publicly telegraphing that she plans to announce a charging decision in the Georgia case during the first three weeks of August, a period that opens Monday. 'The work is accomplished,' Willis (D) told Atlanta's WXIA-TV Saturday. 'We've been working for two-and-a-half years. We're ready to go.'... The county courthouse has already been subject to enhanced security because of ongoing threats to Willis and her staff -- including racist, threatening phone calls related to the election investigation....” ~~~

~~~ Sara Murray & Jason Morris of CNN: "A judge in Fulton County, Georgia, on Monday rejected efforts by Donald Trump's legal team to toss evidence in the criminal investigation into the former president's efforts to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia and to disqualify the district attorney investigating him. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney also rejected efforts by Cathy Latham, who served as one of the GOP fake electors in Georgia, to join Trump's push." The New York Times story is here.

Second Trump Co-conspirator Just Can't Find a Florida Lawyer. Shayna Jacobs & Perry Stein of the Washington Post: "Carlos De Oliveira -- the second person charged alongside Donald Trump in a case involving the alleged hoarding of sensitive government materials at Mar-a-Lago -- made his first court appearance here on Monday morning and was released on a personal surety bond, with an arraignment scheduled for Aug. 10. Chief Magistrate Judge Edwin G. Torres read De Oliveira the charges against him and informed him of his legal rights. De Oliveira did not have an attorney who is accredited to practice in Florida, so he was unable to enter a plea before the judge. His Washington, D.C.-based attorney, John Irving, was in court with him." CNN's report is here.

So Unfa-a-a-air! David Klepper of the AP: "X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, has threatened to sue a group of independent researchers whose research documented an increase in hate speech on the site since it was purchased last year by Elon Musk. An attorney representing the social media site wrote to the Center for Countering Digital Hate on July 20 threatening legal action over the nonprofit's research into hate speech and content moderation. The letter alleged that CCDH's research publications seem intended 'to harm Twitter's business by driving advertisers away from the platform with incendiary claims.' Musk is a self-professed free speech absolutist who has welcomed back white supremacists and election deniers to the platform, which he renamed X earlier this month. But the billionaire has at times proven sensitive about critical speech directed at him or his companies." MB: So free speech for racists & liars but not for anyone who writes about racists & liars. That seems reasonable.

Comments Off

Reader Comments (19)

Hip hip hooray! Thank-you Marie

August 1, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterJulia

I foolishly thought I'd coined the phrase when I wrote my last sermon. "Laboratories of autocracy," I called those red states hell bent on restricting the freedoms of those they don't like. Very clever....until last night on MSNBC I saw referenced a whole book built around that title. So much for patting my own back.

https://www.realclearpublicaffairs.com/articles/2022/02/10/book_review_david_peppers_laboratories_of_autocracy_a_wake-up_call_from_behind_the_lines_816176.html

Probably worth a read, tho it's point is so obvious that even I stumbled on it, and it is much longer than my 300 word LTTE.

August 1, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterKen Winkes

Talking to a friend yesterday who said something I rushed to agree with: The entire Republican appeal is emotional, he said. There is not a single thought behind it.

Nothing new to us here, but apparently new to George Will, who penned an unusually sensible column....until, by way of apology to his conservative audience perhaps, he got to the obligatory Obama-bashing at the end.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/07/31/desantis-campaign-struggles-george-will/

August 1, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterKen Winkes

@Ken Winkes: Yeah, I'm pretty sure I've used "laboratories of autocracy" myself, maybe in a headline. I'm sure many others have, too. It's sort of a natural migration from "laboratories of democracy," knowing what we know about GOP-led state legislatures.

Sometimes we're just monkeys typing.

August 1, 2023 | Registered CommenterMarie Burns

Sometimes we are vindicated, Ken–– for instance: For years it was touted that only male birds sang those sweet melodies. Once women got into the field they discovered that females also sang and sometimes cleverly–- for instance: A female nesting would sing a particular song to her unborn chicks who when out of their shells would chirp the very same tune unlike the chicks from other females who'd dump their eggs in the nest and therefore would be ignored and perish.
Now today I learned that indeed there were female hunters and gatherers–--something that I wondered about for years. A large group of female anthropologists have discovered ( they did a lot of digging) that by, jove, their sex did a whole lot of bringing home the bacon and did it exceedingly well.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/01/science/anthropology-women-hunting.html

So I'm thinking here that maybe in time those lost in their love for a leader who has raped this country to shreds can change their minds–-can get a new perspective, can accept truth even though it hurts their fee-fees. I'm trying hard not to give up.

And so good to see this new format.

August 1, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterP.D.Pepe

Bed Bath and Beyond is back.

I had to read the first paragraphs twice to understand that, no. it's not. What it is, is, Overstock.com bought the BBAB name etc., and Overstock will now do business as BBAB. No brick and mortar, and no 20% off coupons. Just Overstock with a new name.

Why is it worth $21+ million for Overstock to get the name, and the BBAB look and feel on its website? Maybe because the O-S founder is a known a-hole MAGA type? Or what?

August 1, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterPatrick

The Wages of Fear

The Fat Fascist, who is getting loser donors to his PAC to foot the bill for lawyers looking to keep his fat, guilty-as-sin, criminal, traitor ass out of prison, is also forcing states to pay extra because of his continuing battery of lies about his attempts to delegitimize votes cast for Joe Biden, thereby stealing the election for himself.

Has it really become ho-hum, just another day when law enforcement and a DA announce that special precautionary measures are absolutely required because daring to look into Trump’s criminal actions have the very real possibility of triggering violent attacks by his MAGA horde?

In Georgia, DA Fani Willis has been reaching out to local law enforcement to provide protection for herself, her staff, and anyone vaguely connected to the search for the truth about Trump’s efforts. He has made clear that his minions are ready and waiting to go after those he considers his enemy, including judges and prosecutors.

Such extraordinary measures, blocking off streets around the courthouse, putting all law enforcement on standby, and preparing for a possible lethal attack from Trump’s drooling mob, aren’t even necessary when mob bosses go on trial. But because it’s Trump, taxpayers have to foot yet another bill to pay for one guy’s narcissistic crusade to have himself named King of the Maggots.

Just another day in the Trump Era of Fear and Loathing.

August 1, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterAkhilleus

So…wait…some haute couture dressmaker is being paid 108 thousand smackers for…strategy consulting? Making a dress for Melanie is now “strategy”? Yeah, I guess keeping her happy might be considered a good strategy if you’re afraid she might one day say “Enough of this bullshit” and give one ringy-dingy, two ringy-dingies to Jack Smith.

On the other hand this big Bucks expenditure might simply be a strategic way of answering the burning question “Does thus dress make my ass look big?”

Sorry Melanie your ass—Donald—does look big. And fat.

Hey, Hervé. Make your next creation an XXXL in orange.

August 1, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterAkhilleus

Another BBAB/Overstock story, from WaPo.

This is interesting, because it does a real job of reporting what's going on and the history of the two companies. The CNN story I linked earlier did not really convey the facts and meaning of the event, and WaPo did a good job of it. And explained WHY O-S would be willing to pay $21.5 million for the name.

We bash the MSM a lot, but in fact the WaPo and the NYT provide good journalism most of the time. Let's hope they can continue to afford it. If not, maybe they'll get bought by WSJ for the naming rights.

August 1, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterPatrick

Potato Head in Space

Hey, I think Biden should move the Space Cadets to Alabama, and should name Potato Head as Flash Gordon Honorary Leader. He can promise that one day soon, he’ll be promoted to the rank of Spacey General.

Oh..but wait. Some unqualified religious nutjob has put the kibosh on military advancement.

Never mind.

Well then, he should put Potato Head in charge of Space Cadet research. The first experiment will be to see how long humans can survive in space without a suit. And Potato Head should do the honors. “Just hold your breath, Tommy. And if you get cold, just think racist thoughts. That should warm you up.”

Ready for throttle up…

August 1, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterAkhilleus

Under the heading of schadenfreude news, that British twit Boris Johnson is being stymied by a newt. A great crested newt to be specific. Seems BoJo would like to have a pool built on his property (I suppose he has little else to do with his time now that he's been drummed out of politics), but there is evidence of great crested newts living on the grounds. GCNs are a protected species in the UK; disturbing their homes can result in an "unlimited fine" and six months in prison. The extra delight in this bit of schadenfreude is that as PM, Johnson complained that these newts--that is, the saving of them--are a "massive drag" on the economy.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/aug/01/boris-johnson-swimming-pool-newts-oxfordshire

August 1, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterElizabeth

Wonder if the decision to keep space command in Colorado might have had anything to do with Butt-er-Potatohead's antics?

And how much does the Tuber cost Alabama?

August 1, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterKen Winkes

Okay, the old dummy gives up. How do I post as an article and not a comment? I do want to help carry the load.

August 1, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterBobby Lee

@Bobby Lee: Yes, I would also like to know that, however, I still
can't figure out how to do a link, so I probably won't understand
that either.
Born 90 years too soon!

August 1, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterForrestMorris

A version of this was sent in a few years back by another RC contributor (Cowichan? I forget.)

Creating a link

You want to create a hyperlink in the text of your RC comment, which links to an article in a different URL.
So, be in Reality Checks’ Comments section.
Write your comment.
Choose the word or phrase in your comment that you want to use for your link. Choosing one word is easiest.
Position your cursor immediately before the first word of your chosen link.
Open the article to which you want to link, in a new window (e.g. open the article in, say, the Washington Post.)
Select the text of the URL at the top of the screen. Copy it.
Go back to your comment. Make sure the cursor is still just before the initial word of your intended link-word(s).
LEAVING OUT THE ASTERISK type <*a href=” (the * is here only to prevent this current text from being acted upon by my computer right now). There is a space between the a and the href
Just behind the “ , paste the URL you copied earlier.
Then type “>
Then move your cursor to just behind your link word(s) and type <*/a>. AGAIN, LEAVE OUT THE ASTERISK, IT IS HERE NOW JUST TO PREVENT A CURRENT ACTION BY MY COMPUTER.
The end result is <*a href=”URL”>linkwords<*/a> but without asterisks
To check your work, below the Comments box click on “Preview Post.” If you did it right, your linked words will be underlined in your text and when you click that link it will take you to the article you inked to (apologies to Strunk and White).
If not, go back and edit for typos.

August 1, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterPatrick

Another RC contributor (Cowichan? I forget) provided a version of this a few years back. It is simpler than it reads (?)

Creating a link
You want to create a hyperlink in the text of your RC comment, which links to an article in a different URL.
So, be in Reality Checks’ Comments section. Write your comment.
Choose the word or phrase in your comment that you want to use for your link. Choosing one word is easiest.
Position your cursor immediately before the first word of your chosen link.
Open the article to which you want to link, in a new window (e.g. open the article in, say, the Washington Post.)
Select the text of the URL at the top of the screen. Copy it.
Go back to your comment. Make sure the cursor is still just before the initial word of your intended link-word(s).
(The quote marks are just plain old keyboard quote marks, but for some reason the software printed them here as opening and closing quotes. Use the standard quote key on your keyboard.)
LEAVING OUT THE ASTERISK type <*a href=” (the * is here only to prevent this current text from being acted upon by my computer right now). There is a space between the a and the href
Just behind the “ , paste the URL you copied earlier.
Then type “>
Then move your cursor to just behind your link word(s) and type <*/a>. AGAIN, LEAVE OUT THE ASTERISK, IT IS HERE NOW JUST TO PREVENT A CURRENT ACTION BY MY COMPUTER.
The end result is <*a href=”URL”>linkwords<*/a> but without asterisks
To check your work, below the Comments box click on “Preview Post.” If you did it right, your linked words will be underlined in your text and when you click that link it will take you to the article you inked to (apologies to Strunk and White).
If not, go back and edit for typos.

August 1, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterPatrick

I've been having trouble posting, so this is a test to see if this comment shows up.

August 1, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterElizabeth

Elizabeth: It does.

August 1, 2023 | Registered CommenterMarie Burns

This is what I attempted to post before, a bit of schadenfreude (and in light of the Orange One's latest indictment, is perhaps a bit off topic for today's news). Anyhow, former PM Boris Johnson has been stymied in his efforts to build a pool on his property (not, I believe, in order to undertake a serious regimen of exercise, but I won't judge) by the great crested newt. The GCN is a protected species in the UK, and disruption of their habitats can result in fines and jail time. When he was PM, BoJo railed against this little guy, saying that protecting them was a drag on the British economy. Well, the newt is having its revenge.

The newts were here first. Boris Johnson does not need a pool in order to survive. Case closed.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/aug/01/boris-johnson-swimming-pool-newts-oxfordshire

August 1, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterElizabeth
Comments for this entry have been disabled. Additional comments may not be added to this entry at this time.