The Wires
powered by Surfing Waves
Help!

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."

Contact Marie

Click on this link to e-mail Marie.

Page Links
Saturday
Oct282023

The Conversation -- October 29, 2023

Alan Feuer of the New York Times: "A federal judge reinstated a gag order on ... Donald J. Trump on Sunday that had been temporarily placed on hold nine days earlier, reimposing restrictions on what Mr. Trump can say about witnesses and prosecutors in the case in which he stands accused of seeking to overturn the 2020 election. In making her decision, the judge, Tanya S. Chutkan, also denied a request by Mr. Trump's lawyers to freeze the gag order for what could have been a considerably longer period, saying it can remain in effect as a federal appeals court in Washington reviews it.... Prosecutors working for Mr. Smith argued that the gag order needed to be put back in place at once because while it was on hold, Mr. Trump had violated it by attacking Mr. Smith at least three times by name. The former president, the prosecutors noted, had also violated the frozen order by twice making public comments about Mark Meadows, his former chief of staff, who could appear as a witness in the case." The ABC News story is here.

Adam Nagourney of the New York Times: "The decision by Mike Pence to end his presidential campaign on Saturday was a bow to what had finally become inevitable.... The root of his campaign's collapse -- and, very possibly, his political career -- goes back to 2016, when Mr. Pence accepted [Donald] Trump's offer to be his running mate.... He had never learned to manage his relationship with Mr. Trump, to navigate the deep cultural and personal differences between a taciturn Midwestern governor and a flashy New Yorker who never played by the rules of politics that had governed Mr. Pence's career." ~~~

~~~ Ken Meyer of Mediaite: "...Donald Trump made it clear he expects Mike Pence to endorse his 2024 campaign.... [Trump said in Las Vegas,] 'People are leaving now and they're all endorsing me. I don't know about Mike Pence. He should endorse me. You know why? Because I had a great, successful presidency and he was the vice president. He should endorse me. I chose him, made him vice president. But people in politics can be very disloyal. I've never seen anything like it.'... In the past, Trump has repeatedly defended his supporters who besieged the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, including those who wanted to 'Hang Mike Pence.' Trump's former aides have testified under oath that the former president thought Pence 'deserved' to be hanged by the riotous mob."

Michael Tov of Haaretz: "Facing a barrage of criticism, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu deleted a controversial social media post on Sunday in which he blamed the defense and intelligence establishment for giving him faulty assessments before the deadly Hamas attack on October 7. The prime minister then published a new tweet. 'I was wrong,' he wrote, adding that 'the things I said following the press conference should not have been said, and I apologize for that. I fully support the heads of [Israel's] security services.' In a post overnight Saturday, Netanyahu asserted that he had never received any warning about Hamas' intentions to start a war against Israel and blamed the defense establishment -- citing Aharon Haliva and Ronen Bar, the heads of Military Intelligence and the Shin Bet security service -- for Israel's failure to anticipate the attack on October 7."

~~~~~~~~~~

Mohar Chatterjee & Rebecca Kern of Politico: "President Joe Biden will deploy numerous federal agencies to monitor the risks of artificial intelligence and develop new uses for the technology while attempting to protect workers, according to a draft executive order.... The order, expected to be issued as soon as Monday, would streamline high-skilled immigration, create a raft of new government offices and task forces and pave the way for the use of more AI in nearly every facet of life touched by the federal government, from health care to education, trade to housing, and more." (Also linked yesterday.)

David Corn of Mother Jones: "Rep. Mike Johnson, the newly elected Republican House speaker, used to conduct a seminar in churches premised on the idea that the United States is a 'Christian nation.'... The seminar ... was organized by Onward Christian Education Services, Inc., a company owned by his wife, Kelly Johnson, a Christian counselor and anti-abortion activist.... After one such presentation on February 24, 2019, at the First Baptist Church in Bossier City, Louisiana, where they are members -- an event that also featured Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council -- a local television news show reported that the seminar's goal was to 'keep God in Government.' Johnson posted the article on his congressional website.... [At a seminar held in April 2019,] Mike Johnson referred to the Bible as the 'owner's manual' for 'how things are supposed to operate' and called for Biblically-sanctioned government.'"

The GOP Detente That Wasn't. Jordain Carney of Politico: "Republicans hoped Mike Johnson's ascension marked a detente from the personal vitriol of a three-week speaker fight. That ceasefire appears to be over already. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), the architect of ousting Kevin McCarthy from the speakership, is openly sparring with multiple members, including taking aim at a key committee chair. New York Republicans want to expel Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) from the House, a vote with consequences for their thin majority. Former acting Speaker Patrick McHenry is venting to reporters about his 'pure anger' when McCarthy was booted.... A handful of conservatives are already signaling that they're going to spur part two of a centrist vs. hardliner shutdown fight.... Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), a member of the Freedom Caucus, said there are likely at least five Republicans who couldn't support a short-term spending bill into January[, which Johnson advocates]. With Republicans' four-seat majority, that would be enough to require Johnson to get support from Democrats -- a complaint that doomed McCarthy."

Presidential Race 2024. God Trips Up This Mike. Alex Isenstadt & Myah Ward of Politico: "Former Vice President Mike Pence announced on Saturday that he was suspending his presidential campaign in a speech before the Republican Jewish Coalition conference. 'The Bible tells us that there's a time for every purpose under heaven. Traveling across the country over the past six months, I came here to say it's become clear to me that this is not my time. So after much prayer and deliberation, I have decided to suspend my campaign for president effective today,' Pence said, to audible gasps from the audience gathered at the Venetian resort on the Las Vegas strip. Attendees gave Pence a standing ovation. One person yelled, 'Thank you Mike!' At the conclusion of the speech, Pence invited his wife, Karen, onstage. 'We thank God for his amazing grace. He gave us the courage to step forward so many years ago. And the wisdom to step aside,' Pence said." (Also linked yesterday.) The New York Times story is here.

Neal Boudette of the New York Times: "The United Automobile Workers union announced on Saturday that it had reached a tentative agreement on a new labor contract with Stellantis, the parent company of Chrysler, Jeep and Ram. The agreement came three days after the union and Ford Motor announced a tentative agreement on a new contract. The two deals contain many of the same or similar terms, including a 25 percent general wage increase for U.A.W. members as well as the possibility for cost-of-living wage adjustments if inflation flares.... Shortly after announcing the tentative agreement with Stellantis, the union expanded its strike against General Motors, calling on workers to walk off the job at the company's plant in Spring Hill, Tenn. The plant makes sport utility vehicles for G.M.'s Cadillac and GMC divisions."

~~~~~~~~~~

Maine. Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs & Chelsia Marcius of the New York Times: "A sheriff in Maine says he sent an alert to all law enforcement agencies in the state last month after learning that an Army reservist had made threats against his base, a notification that came weeks before the reservist fatally shot 18 people in America's deadliest mass shooting this year. Sagadahoc County Sheriff Joel Merry said he sent the alert sometime in September in an effort to find the reservist, Robert R. Card II, 40, who was said to have made threats regarding the Army Reserve center in Saco, Maine. He said he sent a deputy to Mr. Card's home but that the deputy did not find him there, prompting the sheriff to send out the notice. The revelation is the strongest sign yet that law enforcement was aware that Mr. Card was a potential danger before he carried out a rampage at a bowling alley and bar in Lewiston on Wednesday night." ~~~

     ~~~ Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs & Amelia Nierenberg of the New York Times: "The man who killed 18 people and wounded 13 more in Lewiston, Maine, the deadliest mass shooting in America this year, had paranoid beliefs that people were talking about him, and he may have been hearing voices, the authorities said on Saturday. The man, Robert R. Card II, 40, had legally purchased several guns, some as recently as several days before the attack, officials said, and may have previously visited the two businesses -- a bar and bowling alley -- that he attacked on Wednesday evening."

Michigan. Ken Kolker of 8 News (Grand Rapids): "A West Michigan state legislator paid tribute Friday to two men acquitted in the failed plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, with Rep. Rachelle Smit saying she was doing so on behalf of the state.... 'This goes beyond the pale,' [Whitemer's] press secretary Stacey LaRouche wrote in an email to News 8. 'These types of actions normalize and incite violence against our political figures, and only serve to shake our faith in our values and our institutions. This tribute will further encourage and embolden radical extremists trying to sow discord and harm public officials or law enforcement.' Smit gave William and Michael Null, of Allegan County, the hometown hero treatment on the steps of the Allegan County courthouse, along with their defense attorneys." MB: This is like lionizing Al Capone & O.J. Simpson for beating murder charges. (Also linked yesterday.)

~~~~~~~~~~

Israel/Palestine

The New York Times' live updates of developments Sunday in the Israel/Hamas war are here: "The Israeli military on Sunday signaled a heavier assault on the Gaza Strip, saying it was 'expanding its operations' and increasing the 'urgency' of its warning for civilians to move south from Hamas strongholds.... [Telecommunications] connectivity was being restored [according to Netblocks] on Sunday. And, the Israeli military said, without giving details, that humanitarian efforts to send more aid to Gaza -- led by Egypt and the United States -- would be expanded on Monday." ~~~

     ~~~ CNN's live updates are here.

Ukraine, et al. Perhaps Not the Best-laid Plans. But They Do Gang aft a-gley." Marc Santora of the New York Times: "A Ukrainian former lawmaker whom the Kremlin had handpicked to lead a puppet administration in Kyiv, Ukraine, was shot and wounded in occupied Crimea in an apparent assassination attempt, Ukrainian and Russian officials said on Saturday. The former lawmaker, Oleg Tsaryov, 53, a pro-Russian business executive, who participated in Moscow's invasion, was shot as part of a 'special operation' carried out this week by Ukraine's domestic security agency, according to a senior Ukrainian intelligence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations. According to Western intelligence agencies, had the Russian invasion succeeded, the Kremlin would have installed Mr. Tsaryov as Ukraine&'s leader." (Also linked yesterday.)

Vatican. Where "Urgent" Matters Are Postponed. Jason Horowitz & Elisabetta Povoledo of the New York Times: "A monthlong meeting convened by Pope Francis to determine the future of the Roman Catholic Church ended Saturday night with a document that said it was 'urgent' that women have a larger role but postponed discussion of major issues such as ordaining women as deacons and failed to address outreach to L.G.B.T.Q.+ Catholics. Vatican officials instead sought to emphasize common ground during the meeting, which was characterized by liberals and conservatives alike as a potential culmination of Francis' 10-year pontificate and the vehicle through which he might make changes. Instead, it echoed another characteristic of Francis' tenure: kicking the can on major issues as he sought to build deeper support through the global church."

Comments Off

Reader Comments (12)

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/29/opinion/biden-israel-gaza-2024.html

And my comment:

Well said, Mr. French.

I only hope the nation agrees come a year from now.

One quibble, if quibble is ever appropriate when discussing moral failure. While the Hamas attack was horrific and Israel and the world have every right to respond, Israel has moral failures of its own. Its continued push to settle what has been euphemistically called "disputed territory" is but one.

As the writer observes there are no untarnished knights here...

And this: You supported a vulture capitalist for president? Really? I can't make that admission fit with the good sense you most often show in your writing....

Puzzles abound.

October 29, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterKen Winkes

An open letter to former President Bush:

Hi George,

I saw you throw out the first pitch in the World Series, and thought of something I have long wanted to ask you:

You often describe yourself as a “gut player”. How does your “gut” communicate to your consciousness? What is the mechanism? Do you hear voices? Consult a Ouija board, or Magic Eight Ball? Is it a feeling? What does it feel like? Is it anything like indigestion? Did we invade Afghanistan and Iraq because you ate an extra bean burrito at bedtime?

Just curious,

October 29, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterD in MD

D,

That bedtime burrito was spoon fed by Darth Cheney who told the Decider a bedtime fairy tale about how they had to start killing mooslims so’s they could look tough.

So first, invade Afghanistan, pretend to look for Osama bin Laden, but even better, tell everyone that it’s really Saddam Hussein we have to git. He’s got, um, I dunno…nukes or something, yeah nukes. We’ll call ‘em Weapons of Mass Destruction. The press and the stupid public love snappy war names.

We’ll use…let’s see…Shock and Awe—oh, that’s a good one—blow up Baghdad, kill Saddam—remember, he threatened your daddy, and your daddy weenied out of taking over those oil fields back then. It’ll all be over in a month.

The stupid Iraqis will throw bouquets of flowers at us and you’ll be a great hero, not some incurious, coke snorting AWOL loser who stole the election.

And everyone will forget about how we dropped the ball on 9/11….something, something, something, happily ever after.

Now go to sleep and let Uncle Dick take care of everything.

October 29, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterAkhilleus

Consumer sentiment

October 29, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterRAS

Emboldened by their success in getting Donaldovich Trumpskyev elected President, and then helping spread his lies about election fraud after he lost the 2020 contest, Putin and his army of Russian hackers are at it again.

“Russia has long advocated overtly and covertly for candidates it backs to win elections [see Trump, Donald] in other countries, but intelligence officials say they have recently identified a new tactic — sowing doubts about the reliability of democracy itself.”

And the Russian authoritarians have found a fellow traveler and useful idiot in that would be destroyer of American democracy, the Orange Monster.

“Russia appears encouraged by its success in amplifying the lies by former President Donald Trump and his supporters during and after the 2020 presidential election falsely blaming widespread fraud for his loss. Those lies helped spark the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and continue to resonate to this day, contributing to the paralysis in the House of Representatives, where the Republican majority had been considering placing one of the lie's loudest congressional proponents, Rep. Jim Jordan, in charge.”

Just think of all the drunken toasting going on in those hacker factories as the biggest proponent of the Big Lie, which they helped spread, was trying to muscle his way into a position second in line for the presidency.

And don’t think for a moment that they aren’t hard at work spreading disinformation about how poor Donald is being attacked by Joe Biden in these “fake” trials, “Hey! We call up Comrade Musk! He help us spread bool-shit! Hahaha!”

October 29, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterAkhilleus

Here's a correction to RAS's link on consumer sentiment.

October 29, 2023 | Registered CommenterMarie Burns

Another Ron DeSantis program, an attack on public schools which is underway here in Florida, and possibly nation wide if the voters go for Trump 2,0. https://floridapolitics.com/archives/641755-school-choice-desantis/

Down here the majority of the grants are going to the well to do.

October 29, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterBonny Lee

But Bonny,

Ron says that Florida is the freest state in the US.

You are absolutely free to do anything and everything that Ron approves of (and nothing else).

October 29, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterD in MD

I just watched three political ads screaming about how Party of Traitor candidates are “Tough on Crime”!!!!

What part of treason says “tough on crime”?

What part of support for the four times indicted, convicted rapist, serial criminal indicates “tough on crime”?

I can’t figure it out. It’s like illiterates touting their reading ability, or innumerate imbeciles proclaiming their math prowess.

Or Christian nationalist haters and bigots demanding that everyone acknowledge their kindness, decency, and support for democracy.

“Tough on crime” to these people, means “We’ll jail those you hate”.

October 29, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterAkhilleus

In case you didn’t get a chance to check out Bobby Lee’s link, here’s a taste of DeSsntolini’s “school choice” scheme:

“New additions include children currently enrolled in public school whose parents earn more than 400% of the federal poverty level, children currently attending private school whose families make too much for the current scholarship, called the Family Empowerment Scholarship, and even homeschooled students who agree to a certain level of state oversight.”

And to top it off, Ronito announced his latest sop to wealthy supporters of treason an a casino in Las Vegas, at a wing-ding sponsored by something called the “Never back down” assholes, which translates to “Never consider any other points of view”.

“Ronnie needs a new pair of go-go boots…c’mon…seven!”

October 29, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterAkhilleus

Akhilleus: the VA election is a struggle for the majority in the legislature, and we in Maryland are blessed with the barrage of VA candidate ads. Lots of airtime aimed at those who watch network news, any channel, between 6 pm and 8.

Anyway ... to your point ... here the message for ALL VA candidates has ben simplified down to:

-- R's : my opponent is soft on crime, but I will ensure your safety by putting away criminals -- who are worse than ever (no mention of how a legislator sweeps the streets of crime); lots of actors acting like criminals in the visuals
-- D's my opponent will abolish your right to abortion; I'll ensure that they'll never take that way from you.

That's about it. Over and over and over. Virtually NOTHING about any other issue. Soft on crime boogedy boogedy, v. abortion denial boogedy boogedy.

The "good" news is that the R candidates are pretty weak ... but you don't know that from the ads, you have to go looking.

October 29, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterPatrick

I fail to see how anyone who opposes an assault-weapons ban is "tough on crime."

October 29, 2023 | Registered CommenterMarie Burns
Comments for this entry have been disabled. Additional comments may not be added to this entry at this time.