I don’t think any media should give TFG “front page” / major headline / top story space. Relegate the stuff deep in the bottom of the feed so he loses his platform. Let’s not give him any oxygen to take. PLEASE.
I don’t think any media should give TFG “front page” / major headline / top story space. Relegate the stuff deep in the bottom of the feed so he loses his platform. Let’s not give him any oxygen to take. PLEASE.
How can these false narratives presented by Trump and his enablers be exposed when our own so-called “mainstream media” won’t treat it objectively? Everything is sensationalized. Elections are “horse races”, the closer the better, because a narrow win will be controversial and generate more drama. Even venerable and respected publications like The New York Times and Washington Post have devolved into this tabloid format. To be fair, there are still a few good journalists working for these papers and news organizations, but even PBS has lost its legendary sheen with the disappearance of great investigative journalists like Bill Moyers and its coverage of important issues is tepid at best. It seems that the only decent mainstream sources to be found are based off shore; the Guardian comes to mind. And How many Americans are willing to go to the trouble to find decent journalism like Letters From an American? I’m not talking about the Fox News zombies here, I’m talking about the rest of us. Seems we have let our huge media corporations shape the narrative and most people are either unaware, don’t care or have burned out and tuned out. Once again,“we have met the enemy, and it is us”.
This week I listened to Tamara Keith on PBS bemoaning the fact that President Biden's accomplishments are not being covered adequately by the media. Yet PBS isn't doing it, either, nor is she.
Ann W, yes we don’t hear enough about Biden’s accomplishments. When I followed my former city’s paper, the Houston Chronicle, any story or editorial that featured Biden’s work in a positive way was harshly criticized as being biased. The negative comments were relentless. What I am waiting to see are ads featuring Americans who have actually gotten some of these new jobs and new or expanded companies that have been created from Biden’s bills. Having some voice talking about the bills isn’t convincing enough. Put faces on the screen telling personal stories. In my opinion, that approach has a better chance of catching Republicans’ and undecideds’ attention.
You are absolutely right. Please apply for a marketing job with the administration! (Though given the current political climate and right-wing harassment, people may be reluctant to go public with their stories; I don't know how to solve that problem.)
Thanks David, Last night I was the 'victim' of a poll by phone. It was so obviously skewed to Republican values that I tried 3 times to quit, but the guy droned on...more police or less? Crime in your neighborhood? Drug abuse? Migrants as criminals? Finally I interrupted him and said, "You know, the world is on fire or flooded, there are in excess of 65 million refugees world wide, and 1/3 of Americans can't afford shelter. Those are the things that worry me."
Powerful point made in this piece:"This means that almost any time the media writes about demographic trends in partisanship, it’s not offering us important new information; it’s just narrating noise – conflating inevitable statistical and methodological variation with changes in voters’ preferences. The media’s amplification of this noise drowns out any possibility of discussion or analysis that would help Americans understand the actual dynamics of elections or the real stakes."
My wife and I are 71 years old and have both been registered and voted in every election since the age of 18 years. Neither one of us have ever been polled...what are the odds? Obviously nobody gives a rat's behind about our opinion.
You haven't missed much. I swear, some polls seem more like a means to persuade us to a diferent POV. They are so persistant and vacuous at the same time. BTW, I'v been called to jury duty no less than 6 times. Every time I get there, it's been settled out of court!
I never listen to the polls. Too much can change. Never listen to early presidential wins-votes take a long time to be counted. Don't be trump and declare victory when there is none.
Republican voters only listen to Trump, Fox "News", Breitbart and similar neo-fascist propaganda. PBS/NPR can air all the facts they want about Biden's many accomplishments - Trump voters will never see/hear it.
Most people, when they form an opinion usually stick with it. Most of us are uncomfortable with uncertainty so forming an overly simplistic opinion helps ward that feeling off. Once decided, people usually continue to believe that conclusion so as to avoid wading back into the uncertainty, regardless of the evidence presented. Human beings feel better when they believe they know what's going on, despite the reality that life is very much uncertain and random.
I watched some trump rally interviews. Two girls had never heard of Jan 6th. Was it election Day?," they asked. No one watched any of the investigation. "Two hours was too much time." The interviewer pointed out that the guy just spent 10 hours waiting to see trump.
'...the decision of ORDINARY AMERICANS on grand juries to indict the former president and his co-conspirators...' THIS STATEMENT NEEDS TO BE SHOUTED FROM MSM REPEATEDLY...and yet it isn't. Prosecutors present the evidence...ordinary Americans decide whether to indict. So according to the trumpicans it's ordinary Americans that are weaponizing the system.
Don't be surprised if trump's big reveal Monday is the same old BS and fabrications from the delusional mind of a 'Q-ist'. As Kemp said...he has had three years to provide legitimate proof...yet there is none. If trump was not so dangerous he would have put the world to sleep by now.
We stopped watching PBS Newshour except for the occasional Friday night because we already knew everything they were presenting. And they are wussy. I suspect you are right about their funding. Unfortunately, they don't get enough "public money" and must rely on the rich. I guess MSNBC would be more satisfying. But we cut the cable cord.
I read LFAA, Hubble, Reich, Hartmann, Rosenberg, Craven, Beschloss, Rather, Moore, Mary Trump, Vance, Francis and a few other fine substackers. All set for the day.
As more the MSM, I just want to scream: "Don't you realize there is a rolling coup going on? Don't you get that they are indeed flooding your zone with shit?"
I'd like to see a few famous TV news anchors turn away from their teleprompters and tell the public the truth. There is no legitimacy in the MAGA movement. It is just one continuous lie and they are offloading bags and bags of BS on you. Walter Cronkite is spinning in his grave.
Maybe on Monday, Trump will say the stuff that will bring him to jail. Maybe Judge Chutkan will have had enough. We certainly have.
People are paying attention. There is now a petition in Florida to put the right to an abortion into the FL Constitution. It is on its way to gaining enough signatures. DeSantis is becoming an embarrassment.
Oldandandintheway, ...”BECOMING an embarrassment”? I’d say he’s been one for a long, long time. (I only used capital letters because I can’t use bold or italics here. Sorry.)
I am advocating that we stay on message, and drive our vision and values. I have not heard a PEEP about the Ohio vote from any leading progressive or liberal or Democrat --- because we do not understand framing. Not even here on this board, or any other. Ohio is all about the threat to democracy ...
The GA case is ALL about the threat to Democracy, but we do not frame it in this way ...
We are continually whining about the media, as does the right, but we have NO clue as to how to use the media. on a daily and ongoing basis. Repeat the vision, again and again.
I hate what the MAGAs are up to by destruction of our democratic norms. How is it that so many people are so gullible and believe the lies? My theory is that they all drank Trump’s cool-aid!
Regarding Judge Chutkan, the indicted former president has already called her bluff. Her credibility is at stake. She need not wait for a motion from the prosecution to act on the conditions she imposed on the defendant. At a minimum, he should now be confined to house arrest (which might accommodate the presence of the Secret Service) and a gag rule. As she made clear, 'his free speech rights, even as a political candidate, would have to give way to the rules of the court.' It is now the judge's move. As Tom Snyder said, we have a choice: 'Trump or the Constitution.' If he is destined to go unpunished, the media should stop wasting resources on this failure of democracy being perpetrated before our eyes. .... And, while I'm typing, in regard to the dozen or so sources you mention, where do you find time to eat and sleep?
That's what you do with a five year old. I recall my father started to remove his belt at that point. He never went further, but I quickly got the idea.
Wow Bill! I'm much the same as you. It is so good to find company here. I tip my hat to you, though. I read most of the same sub stacks, but if I read all you do it would take my entire day! P.S. Diane Francis is amazing in her pursuit of authoritarians.
I think there will be almost no alternative to jailing Trump the Mouth. I think he is trying to martyr himself and will force the hand of justice. All hell will probably break lose, but it must be done.
The issue that bothers me the most is that many people have "cut the cable". Most young folks do not watch any form of news. My daughters and their circle of friends tell me that they get their news online; some from NYT and some from Instagram. Facebook isn't a factor with the younger generation. So, it's no wonder that only 1/3 of Americans know anything about the Inflation Reduction Act as a recent NPR show reported. The mainstream media that my husband and I watch (CBS evening news, CNN) are really preaching to the choir.
My apologies for the cut/paste of what I just posted above. I want to make sure you see this information, as I agree with you!
Miselle
just now
I suggest that you check out these two YouTube channels daily. Subscribe (free) and you will get notifications when they post clips.
Beau of the Fifth Column (several posts a day, generally <5 min long)
Brian Tyler Cohen (generally <15 min long. He posts under a channel called "No Lie" and also does some with other people)
Glen Kirshner ("Justice Matters" his also about <10 min long and he explains all the legal aspects)
By SUBSCRIBING and watching them, you help the algorithms which help these messages get out. I have given up relying upon mainstream media. The young generations don't watch them anyhow, and those are the voters we need to get involved and engaged.
Amen. About the only thing comfortable about reading these pieces are discovering in the comments that so many others grapple with the same issues that I do. Thanks for that.
I think the NYT is fine. Its investigative reports, as are the WP's, are regularly covered on MSNBC 's Morning Joe and others. The trouble is that the nation's media sources are fragmented and not enough people are getting relevant and realistic news because they can choose entertainment.
I've read the NYTimes for most of my adult life (the Washington Post as well), but I can no longer read all of it every day, and I don't try to The joy of a large newspaper, for me, is that the difference between fact and opinion is delineated by design most of the time. A news story might cover an event, and an editorial might interpret it differently than I would (or maybe even the reporter), but it's clear. I don't get snatched away from a topic midstream by an advertisement or fund raising. Large as it is, the Times staff doesn't cover everything, and it's annoying when the paper is late to a topic that interests me. Maybe an editor decided the story wasn't good to go, or a lawyer opined that it stepped over a line. The management is somewhat conservative in the old-fashioned way, but no one steps into management and announces that "news has to pay its own way," as it did at ABC years ago. News is what they sell, not even sports scores these days, it appears. I worry a little more about the WaPo, which I used to love for its opinion and photography as well as its reporting. Jeff Bezos owns far too much of our economy already. But that's another story. The Times isn't perfect, but I don't believe it has lost its way.
Yes, I read about Mika Westwolf 's killing here first, and the next week it showed up in several sources, but without some of the details Judd Legnum delivered. Spending time near a reservation had alerted me to the news that Native women are frequent targets of violence and mayhem. And the lines of law enforcement are much more blurry. I remember after 9/11, there was less enforcement on reservations, because many of those enforcing the law were called up for military duty.
I don’t know about that, Ann, but PBS and all media needs to read the above comment from Charlotte and notice that over 400 of us agree...it’s high time that trump’s 24/7 coverage cease and desist. The ridiculous helicopter/breathless coverage of his trips to court? Shut them off...and read a good book. I can recommend, anything by Tolstoy or Hemingway; love their writing.
Enjoy your summer everyone, the adults are firmly in charge again, and everything is going to be alright.
LeMoine, you complain that elections are horse races? And you blame the media? Look again. Elections ARE horse races! And that's the problem. As Rachel Maddow recently said, history will look back and ask not how a president like Trump got away with such criminality, but how could he have been elected in the first place. That's what you should be complaining about. Millions of us knew exactly what a Trump presidency would look like back in 2015, but no one listened. No amount of journalism, whether de-sensationalized or energized (Lawrence O'Donnell, for example) can penetrate the sickening ignorance, ambivalence, and stupidity of the American electorate, which, luckily, somehow manages to eek out that slim majority to expel the bad guys from time to time (Joseph McCarthy, Donald Trump) long after the damage has been done. Stick to Maddow, O'Donnell, Keith Olbermann, Thom Hartmann, Robert Reich, Heather Cox Richardson, or whomever you wish. It still boils down, regrettably, to eeking out that slim majority, no matter how much good reporting is out there, and there's a lot of it. How I wish it weren't so.
A lot of our energy at that time went to trying to persuade the far left that they should support Hilary once she was the candidate. Not only was there Bernie, but also Jill not green Stein. Even after four years of death star, a lot of the same people are unrepentant and it's been difficult to get them past the corporate or establishment D mantra they spew. If you disagree with them, your are "toxic". We also warned them at the time that a lot of the hard won progress would be out the window (Supreme Court, people) and gosh, here we are. I do think the abortion decision woke up a lot of people, but at the cost to many women who now cannot get the healthcare they need.
I agree with you. In 2016, I would post a totally apolitical comment on news reports. I'd say that voters should educate themselves by going to the official websites of candidates and read their platforms. They should decide what are the top issues that matter to them and find the candidate that best exemplifies what they want to see done. I said that there is never a candidate that will 100% fit the bill for a voter, so choose the best one. I didn't mention a party or candidate.
You should have seen the NASTY replies that I got!!
That is the biggest part of how we got stuck with that creep - voters whose "choice" wasnt nominated! So they either refused to vote (and how stupid is that) or went with the 3rd party - same result.
Boy, am I with you...somewhere in the Bible the Antichrist is depicted as a beast representing a charismatic man of lawlessness with political powers who is evil personified and, armed with lies, will not only mesmerize the masses against God, but will declare himself as God in the temple. As I recall (thank God) God will ultimately triumph. I had heard the term applied to Obama over and over again by the Republicans, yet there is no better definition to describe the orange man....
Unfortunately the years of brainwashing from right wing media, radio and TV have made it close to impossible to penetrate the belief in the lies. One of the reasons why so many Hispanics are turning from the Democrats is the constant disinformation from right wing radio. They equate the Democrats with the type of socialism that Chavez in Venezuela brought. How to change this, I am not sure.
The maga voters are beholden to their news sources and that's where the lies begin. If they're too lazy to seek out the truth on their own, they will absorb whatever is told to them by their trusted source as true. It's easier to make one decision (what news will I trust) and remain loyal to it than to think critically. It is the lies that begin in the media that should be addressed. Lazy voters have always existed. Outrageous lies from media have not. That's the change.
This is true. I never said otherwise. My point is that no matter what the level of propaganda, the ability of the electorate to discern the difference rarely improves. Instead, it's the quality of the propaganda that wins the votes. The media as a whole (so long as we have a free press here) is not the source of the lies. The source of the lies is the fascist core of the oligarchy which owns its political operatives and its media networks. The lies, and the lying liars who tell them, are the problem, not an absence of a media that exposes the lies.
I would only add that it’s not just the “quality” of the propaganda but also the frequency - the big lies must be repeated ad nauseum. I’m never sure whether to laugh, scream or cry when I hear the Repugnants on news shows repeat the exact wording of the latest propaganda, word-for-word, over and over.
Years ago I remember something about subliminal(?) messages in tv ads - maybe its been perfected by faux etc!! Those of us who dont watch it just arent being inundated by it. Sort of makes sense, doesnt it?
I think they do a terrible job, they have definitely shifted to a both sides ism in their coverage, and have been giving liars a lot of time to spew lies. I still watch some of the NH but way less so. I’m no fan of Judy Woodruff, she should have retired a long time ago, but on Monday she had probably the best interview of her entire career, with Judge Luttig(sp), who spoke the unvarnished truth about those who hold power in this country, if you thought he was impressive when he spoke to the January 6 committee, you are in for a treat, MSNBC even used some of it yesterday afternoon.
If you consider the quality of what we get from Professor Richardson, who does it after hours and without a staff of researchers with the quality of the Newshour which has whole teams of staff working all the time and highly paid broadcasters, I think the Professor wins hands down. Too often the Newshour does both side-ism and leaves me confused. Professor helps me feel grounded in reality and not confused.
I am still hanging in with Newshour too. I had hoped when Judy Woodruff stepped aside, I love her reporting, the new crew would add a spark. Not so much.
Re: PBS, they are complicit with the narrative that the 2024 election will be close. Every Monday, their analysts, Tamara Keith of NPR and Amy Walter of Cook Political Report, repeat this trope. Despite the recent six special elections on abortion and choice all were won by liberals, who voted overwhelmingly for reproductive freedom. THIS demand for democracy, or "liberty and justice for all" trumped the 2020-22 election as liberals maintained our majority base ... and won ALL Senate races in AZ and GA, and the presidential vote in both states, as well.
Liberals have no narrative (overriding vision), so the oxygen is sucked by the fantasies of the right.
"We are the movement to save Democracy!" should be the refrain, every day. But my Sen Angus King and Rep Chellie Pingree remain asleep, as does every other member of our leadership
For a taste of sloppy poll taking and crystal ball gazing be sure not to miss Keith and Walter on Mondays. How this duo has lasted so long on PBS is truly mystifying. Come on PBS, you can do better!
Bidenomics is all about funding a more fair, "democratic capitalism." There is plenty more private investment money going into green tech, than the govt spending money from the
Biden administration.
The left has the money, now. But we do not have a clue how to leverage this into mainstream media. "Bidenomics is assuring a more just and fair economics and democracy!"
Ted Koppel, an author, award winning journalist, eight George Peabody awards, 11 duPont-Columbia Awards, and 42 Emmys warned the country years ago that journalism and the news would suffer, because of technology. One only need a laptop and anyone with or without experience can now spread harebrained nonsense that can go viral. There's no filter. Years ago, we had the Fairness Doctrine that at least eliminated blatant lies and alternative facts. People today are left only their personal filter, and we know how well that has worked out.
Yes, Eadie, I remember Ted. One of the great commentators. Well, lets hope that this laptop era spins off something good in the long run, if only because we are all communing.
Professor Richardson speaks fluent history, moving from today to August 15, 2017, and the "fine people" nightmare. Then she points out that the fantasy of "supply-side economics" DOES NOT WORK. Thank God for LFAA. REALITY "bids fair."
If he truly believes this is evidence to exonerate him, he should be appearing in court, under oath... you can say anything in the media. They’ll publish anything, lies and all.
I think that we have several good journalists. There is alway a mixture. Of the good and the better. Like you said you have to be willing to do the research!
Thank you, LeMoine. This is beautifully stated and I completely agree. “Yellow press” sells; apparently clear truth doesn’t. If only more Americans could be more discerning and think on their own.
Charlotte, I would underscore, regardless of media coverage, that were we excessively to follow the blow-by-blow unfolding of the indictments, we would do so at our peril. I say this because, in my view, there’s no way forward except by winning enough races to retake the U.S. House, defend every Democratic Senate seat, despite an unfriendly map, pick up an additional seat in the Senate to render Manchin and Sinema irrelevant should either remain in the Senate, and, of course, hold the White House. Note I haven’t even covered how we will have to defend democracy at the state and local levels, nor have I spoken of the threat posed by “No Labels,” whom I expect will run a candidate.
We can follow the news of the insurrection indictments AND organize to get out the vote for Democratic candidates. It is not either/or. One energizes the other.
lin, First, speaking for myself, the work always has entailed more than getting out the vote. Second, I would note my use of the modifier “excessively.”
That is true, but people could still be taken in by that ploy...and then there are always the protest voters. Wish Dems could be herded, but then we wouldn't be Dems, would we?.
We are in a big tent; covering the range of Dems from rightish-centrists to far left progressives--very difficult to keep everyone satisfied with platforms and policies.
That is exactly the subject of a YouTube clip from "Beau of the Fifth Column" a few months ago. It is his theory why Dems are bad at messaging. HIs take is that the Dems should not try to have blanket messages to the nation, that they should instead tailor them to each voting area.
Frankom, While we have every reason to be concerned about a third party, were it, for example, the purported bipartisan, centrist “No Labels,” considering Biden is a centrist, whose policies, both proposed and passed, are broadly favored, we would need to press the “No Labels” candidate explicitly to explain, policy by policy, the basis for his or her opposition.
I agree...we cannot count on the courts to save us by convicting the defendant before the November 2024 election--it simply isn't going to happen. Justice is slow--I truly believe our cause will win in the end, but in the meantime we have a movement to fight to a standstill. Should the defendant be convicted he could still run and even win.
It is up to US; we must save ourselves (and the country) by hard work to promote democracy and justice; educate ourselves and others about the policies of the county and state-level candidates; vote, vote, vote in local and state elections...run for the school boards or other local civil elective offices; register new voters; encourage people to check their voting registration status; donate to candidates if possible; write postcards, spread the word. None of this is nor will be easy, but we must be fierce in our defense of democracy.
I agree, Charlotte. All thus major news networks spending hours and hours a day on nothing but Frumpy. The newspapers, all on the front page of every one of them, Frumpy. Radio can’t quit talking about him.
It’s sickening. There’s other stuff happening in this world, this country, than having to listen and hear Frumpy and his band of lying fools.
Frumoy and his conspirators all should be delegated to the last page, maybe a 1inch column in the lower corner. Maybe a couple paragraphs at the most, maybe once a week.
Now, when he’s found guilty of these crimes and jailed, I want that on the front page with him in his striped jumpsuit behind bars!
BBC is very good to follow. Get a lot of world news which rarely makes it to American screens. US exceptionalism has made things to be "all about us" for far too long.
I agree with k.paschal and Frank It’s is now critical to continue to focus on community building at the grass roots level Hillary Clinton's article above -The Weaponization of Loneliness in Aug 7th Atlantic is so wise and clear. Lets divert our eyes from the trump sh*t show and roll up our sleeves.
Yesterday BBC America had a Trumper as the only source on its program to discuss the GA indictments, for an extended defense of the case. I got disgusted and turned it off.
MSM covers almost nothing but trump with all his blustering whining lies. There is so much other news to be covered that is important to an educated public. I am not talking celebrities or sports either. Who cares who is wearing what? I agree trump doesn’t warrant headlines day after day, all day long! I saw an article about him
Looking “grumpy” while playing golf. Really? I do think his absolute nastiness and vitriol should be called out to speak to his character and emphasize the damage it inflicts on the perception that people have for our systems and processes. He might have the right to say these things but the media needs to call them out when they are unfounded. They are presented without rebuttal which leads people to think he speaks the truth. All the coverage of trump is mostly blather and doesn’t do a thing to actually inform.
Daniel, we have to realize that the MSM no longer adheres to the standards of professional journalism but it too has become captive of the attention economy business model. It’s the business model that drives what’s published and since DJT sucks up all the attention it’s what the publishers focus on rather than such important information as what legislation is being passed that affects us, the citizens, on a daily basis.
Lahaina, Maui should be front page right now. The federal gov should be expanding recovery, rescue, humanitarian aid, explain rebuilding aid, so the local people are not run off their land by big developers in a time of tragedy and crisis. Show the country how only the Fed Gov can solve crisis problems fast. Taking care of the people affected is job #1.
Ted, you are spot on. I read an article yesterday where that very danger was expressed. If you want to rebuild in Lahaina, then DO NOT sell to some developer. The government must help the locals resist the influx of those who would turn Lahaina into Waikiki.
The newspapers, magazines, tv networks, etc., that I read and follow are all over the story of Maui's wildfires.
'As the Maui wildfires’ death toll approaches 100—and is expected to increase—Hawaii’s governor ordered an official review amid criticism that government officials didn’t do enough to save lives.'
'Maui County officials have been criticized for failing to activate sirens to warn the population about the flames last week despite the state’s comprehensive emergency warning system for natural disasters. The New York Times confirmed that the island did not activate any of the 80 warning sirens.'
'On Friday, Hawaii’s attorney general announced an investigation into the decision-making related to the Maui fires, including the choice to not sound the alarms. The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency spokesman confirmed last week that they were not activated and added that sirens alone—without additional information—would not have been enough information for residents to evacuate. There are roughly 1,600 people in evacuation shelters on the island, the governor said on Aug. 13. Airlines have evacuated more than 32,000 people, per NBC News.'
'The wildfires, which destroyed most of the historic town of Lahaina, have been the deadliest in the U.S. in more than a century. County officials had previously been warned by wildlife researchers that dangerous blazes could occur.'
'In an interview with CBS on Monday, Hawaii Governor Josh Green suggested researchers will probably take about 10 more days to search for casualties and expect to find the remains of 10 to 20 people per day until they finish. Green said about 1,300 people were still considered missing and that most of the more than 2,200 structures destroyed by fires were residential. He expressed frustration that there was not a better system to alert residents to leave. The governor said displaced locals had been moved into hotels on Monday and that 500 rooms were available for them and another 500 for workers from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).'
'The federal government has also been involved in relief efforts. FEMA has said that more than 3,000 people have registered for federal assistance and that it has provided $700 to displaced residents for short-term costs such as food, water, and medical supplies. FEMA is also providing temporary housing. Almost 500 federal personnel are on the ground, according to a statement on Tuesday from the Biden Administration.'
'The Small Business Administration says low-interest disaster loans are available for homeowners, businesses, renters, and non-profits. The Department of Defense said on Aug. 10 it had activated 134 National Guard troops to help state and local officials with wildfire response and search and recovery efforts. The Department of Transportation has said it is evacuating tourists by coordinating with commercial airlines. The U.S. Coast Guard says it has helped saved 17 lives and assisted 40 survivors in getting to shore.'
'The Biden Administration issued a federal disaster declaration last week and is asking Congress for $12 billion more for the disaster relief fund. President Joe Biden does not currently have plans to visit Hawaii, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday.'
'Maui County officials have advised survivors to use bottled water to drink, brush teeth, make ice, and prepare food, because surrounding municipal water systems were destroyed by the fire and may have contaminated the local water supply. “Residents are unable to treat the water in any way to make it safe,” they said. Local officials are also are taking donations, running six emergency shelters, and providing health care services.'
'FEMA Outlines Maui Wildfire Support as Victims Critique Government Response'
'FEMA is typically the first agency to face scrutiny after disasters. But while the federal agency plays a critical role in disaster response, it is not meant to be the first on the scene.'
The Federal Emergency Management Agency encouraged survivors of the Maui wildfires on Monday to register with the government as soon as possible to receive a range of assistance, including an immediate payment of $700 to cover food and water.
The agency also said it is providing temporary housing in hotels and motels for survivors. And the Small Business Administration said it can provide a low-interest loan of up to $500,000 to homeowners for repairs and up to $2 million to businesses that suffered damage.
For survivors to get those resources, they need to register with FEMA through its smartphone app, on its website, by calling or in person with one of the agency’s disaster assistance personnel on the ground, officials said.
But for the survivors stranded in West Maui without power or internet and little sign of government assistance — local, state or federal — this help seems far out of reach.
“We understand that connectivity is still scarce in some areas,” Deanne Criswell, the FEMA administrator and one of about 300 agency employees on the ground in Hawaii, told reporters on Monday. “The response and recovery efforts, I just want to note, in Hawaii, are going to be a whole-of-government approach.”
'Residents in Lahaina, the town destroyed by the wildfires, have complained that the government response has been lacking and that survivors’ crucial needs are going unmet. There are questions about whether wildfire warnings were loud enough and early enough and whether government officials were adequately prepared to deal with the fires.'
'FEMA is typically the first agency to face intense scrutiny after disasters. It is most often associated with its role responding to hurricanes, particularly because of its history of bungled reactions to previous disasters. Of note are Hurricane Andrew, which slammed Florida in 1992; Hurricane Katrina, which led to catastrophic flooding New Orleans in 2005; and Hurricane Maria in 2017, which wrought destruction across the entire island of Puerto Rico.' (NYTimes) See gifted article below.
You prompted me to post those, Ally. Sometimes I wonder if subscribers who complain relentlessly about the news media read The New York Times and Washington Post. I learn a good deal from them about a wide variety of subjects from breaking news, federal, regional and local stories, the world, climate change, nature, art and book reviews to sports, entertainment, etc., with keen reporting and analysis.
Ted "Lahaina, Maui should be front page right now."
Since the fire (week+?), the CBS Nightly News with Norah O'Donnell has led with the Maui story and Trump items have come later in the broadcast... even the latest Indictment announcement.
Ron, I'd like to see more time devoted covering the people doing good as they respond to their local tragedy. Dont just lead with it with generalities for a minute or two. I think am disapointed with MSNBC the most. We need to hear more local voices and stories about what and how the regular people are helping in Lahaina. Immediately the community leaders began self organizing before any outside relief arrived, setting up supplies at relief hubs on their own. These folks have not stopped to grieve or process the losses of loved ones, homes, businesses at all. There are stories of tragedy, loss, selflessness, and heroism. Cover the locals and how they are getting after it and how we can support those efforts. I'm following the local news reporters in Maui for what is going on, and talking to some friends there. The mass media could take the opportunity to follow up with Global Warming metrics and how these diasters are repeating, getting stronger, and increasing in frequency all over the world. Islands and coastal communites t is real and getting worse first. It is the pressing issue of our time. We need to be taking away oxygen from tfg's ( not that that is unimprotant. It is also important but not at the expense of regular Americans in a real crisis). Any criticism by R's about FEMA and WH not doing enough are just cheap shots. Outlets should put Ted Cruz criticism on the backburner, these R's are just salting wounds with consisent false narative. Repulicans consistenly seek to defund and shutter the very agencies who's work R's consistenly obstruct for cheap political wins, and continue to deny the facts of global warming.
Lahaina community organizing private donations and community support before any help arrived. ( this is not a criticism of the federal response, just a PSA about a Native American community organizing themselves immediately after the fire.
How much does lying or telling the truth and knowing the difference between the two spell the divide in American society?
Washington Post counts 30,573 false or misleading claims in four years by Trump
That was on - 01/20/21
‘The biggest way in which this indictment isn’t like the others? The Trump allies it ensnared.’
‘The indictment focuses on false statements, oaths’
‘A core Trump defense in the federal Jan. 6 case is the idea that he was merely exercising free speech.’
‘But that defense won’t work as easily in Georgia, which has a broad prohibition against making “a false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation … in any matter within the jurisdiction of any department or agency of state government.”
‘That law figures heavily in the indictment, with the phrase “false statement” appearing more than 100 times, including as individual counts and as part of the alleged racketeering. (The indictment lists 161 overt acts as part of the latter.) Defendants like Trump and Giuliani are accused of making false statements about voter fraud publicly, in legal filings, in hearings in Georgia and elsewhere.’ (WAPO) See link below, sorry for it not being gifted.
A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.
PBS NewsHour does a pretty good job debunking Trump lies. They also do a pretty good job covering Biden Harris infrastructure tours and highlighting their accomplishments. The problem is that people get their news from social media. Main stream media: legacy networks and remaining newspapers should do exactly as, Charlotte suggests Dash relegate trumps lies to the back page
What is Helen referring to about Trump deleting security camera footage that has flown under the American people’s radar? Anybody? I’m an avid follower of every piece of news about this fraudulent guy but I don’t recall a story about that? Thanks!
WASHINGTON, July 27 (Reuters) - Donald Trump ordered employees at his Florida resort to delete security videos as he was under investigation for retaining classified documents, U.S. prosecutors said on Thursday as they broadened the case against the former president and charged a second member of his staff with helping to hide documents.
Oh that; I don’t think it wasn’t recognized by the American people? BYW whoever runs this Substack just refused me permission to post my reply saying they had no record of me so I went through creating a new password etc etc— hope you and others haven’t been snared by this annoyance?
I think I've subscribed at least 3 years now, and every 6 months or so there will be a snafu. I had it again about 2 weeks ago. It can be VERY ANNOYING, and I have never had any explanation as to why this happens.
Charlotte I suggest that TFG stuff be published on the business pages (which are unknown to most MAGATS,) or the funny pages, for those with a bizarre sense of humor.
The point is well taken. But I believe there is massive longing in the country to ride this story to its conclusion. And as the late Noam Chomsky said, famously and often, “In a capitalist society the interests of capital will always be served”.
I am among those who are keenly interested in hearing Trump’s, “A Large, Complex, Detailed but ( note ‘but’ instead of ‘and’ - a reflection on Trump’s famously short attention span) irrefutable REPORT on the Presidential Election Fraud...)
Trump is beginning to flail, thrashing in an ever-growing series of legal nets. This process will be worth watching in itself. He is miles away from power and deeply fearful. This has the potential to be a turning point for democracy.
We need the NYT to be there every step of the way, reporting exhaustively on it. We need the Onion all over it, providing deeply comic perspective. We need legal theory - just today Ty Cobb postulated that the press conference by Trump on Monday might result in another charge against him. We need political experts to assess the how the Republican Party manœuvres as this most massive storm rains down on them. We need serious legal minds to keep reminding us of the pitfalls ahead in this incredibly complex story.
Media outlets which strive for genuine excellence must be on this relentlessly. We won’t always like what they have to say but we need to hear it.
The other side will rain down bald-faced lies and I want to hear those as well to watch if and how their tone changes.
The next 18 months will cast long, long shadows on American history. We *must* have scrupulous attention and subsequent front page reporting from the media.
As an aside, the Hunter Biden story is deeply worrisome. Unless it is categorically proven to be nonsense, it is going to be a severe drag on Biden’s candidacy. It may affect his health.
I have always maintained that there is a significantly greater than non-zero chance that Trump will not be the candidate in 2024. I now believe the same of Biden, although I would not use the qualifying adjective “significantly” in his case. After all Seward was a virtual lock to win the 1860 Republican nomination until a singular combination of events propelled somebody called Abraham Lincoln ahead of him.
We all know when the opera ends.
In the meantime give me plenty of media. I will slog through the Augean stables to get to the core truthful information and reliable prognoses.
Do you think if everyone on this platform began a daily google searched “Biden, Joe Biden, Harris, or Kamala Harris” that would/could somehow help? I dont know how these algorithms work......
The networks should give him no time for his own private "debate/interview" to take away from all the other candidates. he has never played by the rules and he will only get worse.
Charlotte, in general I agree with that as do so many others with profound “Trump Fatigue”. However, there is one thing we know for certain, the more worried he gets, the more he will spout all kinds of nonsense, and the more he rants, the more he incriminates himself and will agitate a judge or four who will restrain him to protect the public and themselves and we will likewise benefit. I say let him roll right into a holding cell awaiting his trials!
He is sucking up all the oxygen in the world! What a horrible person. We need to do everything we can to highlight all the good things President Biden is doing for our country so perhaps we can breath good air again!
I don’t think any media should give TFG “front page” / major headline / top story space. Relegate the stuff deep in the bottom of the feed so he loses his platform. Let’s not give him any oxygen to take. PLEASE.
How can these false narratives presented by Trump and his enablers be exposed when our own so-called “mainstream media” won’t treat it objectively? Everything is sensationalized. Elections are “horse races”, the closer the better, because a narrow win will be controversial and generate more drama. Even venerable and respected publications like The New York Times and Washington Post have devolved into this tabloid format. To be fair, there are still a few good journalists working for these papers and news organizations, but even PBS has lost its legendary sheen with the disappearance of great investigative journalists like Bill Moyers and its coverage of important issues is tepid at best. It seems that the only decent mainstream sources to be found are based off shore; the Guardian comes to mind. And How many Americans are willing to go to the trouble to find decent journalism like Letters From an American? I’m not talking about the Fox News zombies here, I’m talking about the rest of us. Seems we have let our huge media corporations shape the narrative and most people are either unaware, don’t care or have burned out and tuned out. Once again,“we have met the enemy, and it is us”.
This week I listened to Tamara Keith on PBS bemoaning the fact that President Biden's accomplishments are not being covered adequately by the media. Yet PBS isn't doing it, either, nor is she.
Did you write to her, or to NPR, to point that out? One letter or email won’t do much, but a few dozen will seem like an avalanche.
Good point. They need to hear it from the readers and listeners what we think. Many people don’t want the detailed truth.
A good idea Jon
Ann W, yes we don’t hear enough about Biden’s accomplishments. When I followed my former city’s paper, the Houston Chronicle, any story or editorial that featured Biden’s work in a positive way was harshly criticized as being biased. The negative comments were relentless. What I am waiting to see are ads featuring Americans who have actually gotten some of these new jobs and new or expanded companies that have been created from Biden’s bills. Having some voice talking about the bills isn’t convincing enough. Put faces on the screen telling personal stories. In my opinion, that approach has a better chance of catching Republicans’ and undecideds’ attention.
You are absolutely right. Please apply for a marketing job with the administration! (Though given the current political climate and right-wing harassment, people may be reluctant to go public with their stories; I don't know how to solve that problem.)
Politicians like the infrastructure bill even though they voted against it. "Look what I have for our state."
Agree! And don't get me started on Amy Walter's pathetic polls. So skewed to the right and dismissive of the rest!
A good explanation of what's wrong with polling
https://michaelpodhorzer.substack.com/p/terrible-food-and-such-small-portions
Thanks David, Last night I was the 'victim' of a poll by phone. It was so obviously skewed to Republican values that I tried 3 times to quit, but the guy droned on...more police or less? Crime in your neighborhood? Drug abuse? Migrants as criminals? Finally I interrupted him and said, "You know, the world is on fire or flooded, there are in excess of 65 million refugees world wide, and 1/3 of Americans can't afford shelter. Those are the things that worry me."
Well done!
Powerful point made in this piece:"This means that almost any time the media writes about demographic trends in partisanship, it’s not offering us important new information; it’s just narrating noise – conflating inevitable statistical and methodological variation with changes in voters’ preferences. The media’s amplification of this noise drowns out any possibility of discussion or analysis that would help Americans understand the actual dynamics of elections or the real stakes."
Exactly!
Polls are generally written to produce a certain outcome. I only respond to polls that sound truly objective and I haven't heard many of those.
My wife and I are 71 years old and have both been registered and voted in every election since the age of 18 years. Neither one of us have ever been polled...what are the odds? Obviously nobody gives a rat's behind about our opinion.
You haven't missed much. I swear, some polls seem more like a means to persuade us to a diferent POV. They are so persistant and vacuous at the same time. BTW, I'v been called to jury duty no less than 6 times. Every time I get there, it's been settled out of court!
The same happened to me-cases settled out of court. Good thing. I would have found them guilty or stupid. You have to know the cases I almost sat on.
I did agree to answer a poll (who would you vote for?) It was a republican poll and they wanted money for my poll to count. Big mistake.
I never listen to the polls. Too much can change. Never listen to early presidential wins-votes take a long time to be counted. Don't be trump and declare victory when there is none.
there both sides covering is weak and bland with no serious debate, just pro forma and without real substance. Would not be allowed in debate teams
Republican voters only listen to Trump, Fox "News", Breitbart and similar neo-fascist propaganda. PBS/NPR can air all the facts they want about Biden's many accomplishments - Trump voters will never see/hear it.
Most people, when they form an opinion usually stick with it. Most of us are uncomfortable with uncertainty so forming an overly simplistic opinion helps ward that feeling off. Once decided, people usually continue to believe that conclusion so as to avoid wading back into the uncertainty, regardless of the evidence presented. Human beings feel better when they believe they know what's going on, despite the reality that life is very much uncertain and random.
I watched some trump rally interviews. Two girls had never heard of Jan 6th. Was it election Day?," they asked. No one watched any of the investigation. "Two hours was too much time." The interviewer pointed out that the guy just spent 10 hours waiting to see trump.
'...the decision of ORDINARY AMERICANS on grand juries to indict the former president and his co-conspirators...' THIS STATEMENT NEEDS TO BE SHOUTED FROM MSM REPEATEDLY...and yet it isn't. Prosecutors present the evidence...ordinary Americans decide whether to indict. So according to the trumpicans it's ordinary Americans that are weaponizing the system.
Don't be surprised if trump's big reveal Monday is the same old BS and fabrications from the delusional mind of a 'Q-ist'. As Kemp said...he has had three years to provide legitimate proof...yet there is none. If trump was not so dangerous he would have put the world to sleep by now.
Yes, PBS is the biggest disappointment to me, but like our politics, it is dependent upon the "generosity" of the wealthy.
We stopped watching PBS Newshour except for the occasional Friday night because we already knew everything they were presenting. And they are wussy. I suspect you are right about their funding. Unfortunately, they don't get enough "public money" and must rely on the rich. I guess MSNBC would be more satisfying. But we cut the cable cord.
I read LFAA, Hubble, Reich, Hartmann, Rosenberg, Craven, Beschloss, Rather, Moore, Mary Trump, Vance, Francis and a few other fine substackers. All set for the day.
As more the MSM, I just want to scream: "Don't you realize there is a rolling coup going on? Don't you get that they are indeed flooding your zone with shit?"
I'd like to see a few famous TV news anchors turn away from their teleprompters and tell the public the truth. There is no legitimacy in the MAGA movement. It is just one continuous lie and they are offloading bags and bags of BS on you. Walter Cronkite is spinning in his grave.
Maybe on Monday, Trump will say the stuff that will bring him to jail. Maybe Judge Chutkan will have had enough. We certainly have.
Liberals are not "making" the news! WHERE is our leadership behind our VISION? We have no vision - and so no leadership.
Last week's vote in Ohio is not old news, it is the pulse of America. We MUST stay on point, and repeat and repeat and ....
People are paying attention. There is now a petition in Florida to put the right to an abortion into the FL Constitution. It is on its way to gaining enough signatures. DeSantis is becoming an embarrassment.
Oldandandintheway, ...”BECOMING an embarrassment”? I’d say he’s been one for a long, long time. (I only used capital letters because I can’t use bold or italics here. Sorry.)
THIS can drive our narrative, IF the organizers know how to .... drive
🤣
Becoming????
Repeated truth just doesn't seem to have the believability of repeated lies.
I am advocating that we stay on message, and drive our vision and values. I have not heard a PEEP about the Ohio vote from any leading progressive or liberal or Democrat --- because we do not understand framing. Not even here on this board, or any other. Ohio is all about the threat to democracy ...
The GA case is ALL about the threat to Democracy, but we do not frame it in this way ...
We are continually whining about the media, as does the right, but we have NO clue as to how to use the media. on a daily and ongoing basis. Repeat the vision, again and again.
I hate what the MAGAs are up to by destruction of our democratic norms. How is it that so many people are so gullible and believe the lies? My theory is that they all drank Trump’s cool-aid!
Yikes. But it is true. tRump proves this all too often😬
The liberals are not outrageous enough for the MSM to carry their news.
No outrage necessary.
Merely stories from new business developments, due to Bidenomics. Simply put a microphone or camera in front of the new business owner
Regarding Judge Chutkan, the indicted former president has already called her bluff. Her credibility is at stake. She need not wait for a motion from the prosecution to act on the conditions she imposed on the defendant. At a minimum, he should now be confined to house arrest (which might accommodate the presence of the Secret Service) and a gag rule. As she made clear, 'his free speech rights, even as a political candidate, would have to give way to the rules of the court.' It is now the judge's move. As Tom Snyder said, we have a choice: 'Trump or the Constitution.' If he is destined to go unpunished, the media should stop wasting resources on this failure of democracy being perpetrated before our eyes. .... And, while I'm typing, in regard to the dozen or so sources you mention, where do you find time to eat and sleep?
She will just warn him again.
That's what you do with a five year old. I recall my father started to remove his belt at that point. He never went further, but I quickly got the idea.
Wow Bill! I'm much the same as you. It is so good to find company here. I tip my hat to you, though. I read most of the same sub stacks, but if I read all you do it would take my entire day! P.S. Diane Francis is amazing in her pursuit of authoritarians.
I think there will be almost no alternative to jailing Trump the Mouth. I think he is trying to martyr himself and will force the hand of justice. All hell will probably break lose, but it must be done.
It must be done no matter how much they whine and whimper.
He sure seems to like the idea of martyrdom, doesn't he? But I think the reality of being jailed will be a BIG shock to him.
You can still get msnbc on YouTube. It's worth adding to your list of Substacks. I hope Ruth Ben-Ghiat's fine substack, Lucid, is on your list too. 😊
Yes, it is. And Emily's Heated. I do watch ODonnell on YouTube sometimes. He speaks truth so well.
and yet we will see headlines treating his shite as serious and worthy
Great stuff, Bill. John Adams is also spinning in his grave as our democracy commits "self-suicide," which he warned about.
The issue that bothers me the most is that many people have "cut the cable". Most young folks do not watch any form of news. My daughters and their circle of friends tell me that they get their news online; some from NYT and some from Instagram. Facebook isn't a factor with the younger generation. So, it's no wonder that only 1/3 of Americans know anything about the Inflation Reduction Act as a recent NPR show reported. The mainstream media that my husband and I watch (CBS evening news, CNN) are really preaching to the choir.
My apologies for the cut/paste of what I just posted above. I want to make sure you see this information, as I agree with you!
Miselle
just now
I suggest that you check out these two YouTube channels daily. Subscribe (free) and you will get notifications when they post clips.
Beau of the Fifth Column (several posts a day, generally <5 min long)
Brian Tyler Cohen (generally <15 min long. He posts under a channel called "No Lie" and also does some with other people)
Glen Kirshner ("Justice Matters" his also about <10 min long and he explains all the legal aspects)
By SUBSCRIBING and watching them, you help the algorithms which help these messages get out. I have given up relying upon mainstream media. The young generations don't watch them anyhow, and those are the voters we need to get involved and engaged.
Where's Walter Cronkite or Huntley or Brinkley?
Amen. About the only thing comfortable about reading these pieces are discovering in the comments that so many others grapple with the same issues that I do. Thanks for that.
I don't understand. Some of the "fine substackers" you read about are on the air telling the truth....
When they caved, it was like the end of sanity
How do you feel about NYT? I feel NYT is even more lopsided.
I think the NYT is fine. Its investigative reports, as are the WP's, are regularly covered on MSNBC 's Morning Joe and others. The trouble is that the nation's media sources are fragmented and not enough people are getting relevant and realistic news because they can choose entertainment.
I've read the NYTimes for most of my adult life (the Washington Post as well), but I can no longer read all of it every day, and I don't try to The joy of a large newspaper, for me, is that the difference between fact and opinion is delineated by design most of the time. A news story might cover an event, and an editorial might interpret it differently than I would (or maybe even the reporter), but it's clear. I don't get snatched away from a topic midstream by an advertisement or fund raising. Large as it is, the Times staff doesn't cover everything, and it's annoying when the paper is late to a topic that interests me. Maybe an editor decided the story wasn't good to go, or a lawyer opined that it stepped over a line. The management is somewhat conservative in the old-fashioned way, but no one steps into management and announces that "news has to pay its own way," as it did at ABC years ago. News is what they sell, not even sports scores these days, it appears. I worry a little more about the WaPo, which I used to love for its opinion and photography as well as its reporting. Jeff Bezos owns far too much of our economy already. But that's another story. The Times isn't perfect, but I don't believe it has lost its way.
I've found in many instances this source comes up with news BEFORE it gets to cable etc! Interesting.
https://popular.info/p/your-turn-590/comments?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
Yes, I read about Mika Westwolf 's killing here first, and the next week it showed up in several sources, but without some of the details Judd Legnum delivered. Spending time near a reservation had alerted me to the news that Native women are frequent targets of violence and mayhem. And the lines of law enforcement are much more blurry. I remember after 9/11, there was less enforcement on reservations, because many of those enforcing the law were called up for military duty.
I don’t know about that, Ann, but PBS and all media needs to read the above comment from Charlotte and notice that over 400 of us agree...it’s high time that trump’s 24/7 coverage cease and desist. The ridiculous helicopter/breathless coverage of his trips to court? Shut them off...and read a good book. I can recommend, anything by Tolstoy or Hemingway; love their writing.
Enjoy your summer everyone, the adults are firmly in charge again, and everything is going to be alright.
Ditto!
So true!
LeMoine, you complain that elections are horse races? And you blame the media? Look again. Elections ARE horse races! And that's the problem. As Rachel Maddow recently said, history will look back and ask not how a president like Trump got away with such criminality, but how could he have been elected in the first place. That's what you should be complaining about. Millions of us knew exactly what a Trump presidency would look like back in 2015, but no one listened. No amount of journalism, whether de-sensationalized or energized (Lawrence O'Donnell, for example) can penetrate the sickening ignorance, ambivalence, and stupidity of the American electorate, which, luckily, somehow manages to eek out that slim majority to expel the bad guys from time to time (Joseph McCarthy, Donald Trump) long after the damage has been done. Stick to Maddow, O'Donnell, Keith Olbermann, Thom Hartmann, Robert Reich, Heather Cox Richardson, or whomever you wish. It still boils down, regrettably, to eeking out that slim majority, no matter how much good reporting is out there, and there's a lot of it. How I wish it weren't so.
A lot of our energy at that time went to trying to persuade the far left that they should support Hilary once she was the candidate. Not only was there Bernie, but also Jill not green Stein. Even after four years of death star, a lot of the same people are unrepentant and it's been difficult to get them past the corporate or establishment D mantra they spew. If you disagree with them, your are "toxic". We also warned them at the time that a lot of the hard won progress would be out the window (Supreme Court, people) and gosh, here we are. I do think the abortion decision woke up a lot of people, but at the cost to many women who now cannot get the healthcare they need.
So true, Michele. People still want sparkles and unicorns in a non-magical world.
Yes, work for the things that are most important. Don't throw your vote away when you don't get everything you want.
Good morning, Ally
I agree with you. In 2016, I would post a totally apolitical comment on news reports. I'd say that voters should educate themselves by going to the official websites of candidates and read their platforms. They should decide what are the top issues that matter to them and find the candidate that best exemplifies what they want to see done. I said that there is never a candidate that will 100% fit the bill for a voter, so choose the best one. I didn't mention a party or candidate.
You should have seen the NASTY replies that I got!!
I don't need to imagine; I've received a bunch of those myself.
I can well imagine. i had to block several so-called progressives.
That is the biggest part of how we got stuck with that creep - voters whose "choice" wasnt nominated! So they either refused to vote (and how stupid is that) or went with the 3rd party - same result.
Boy, am I with you...somewhere in the Bible the Antichrist is depicted as a beast representing a charismatic man of lawlessness with political powers who is evil personified and, armed with lies, will not only mesmerize the masses against God, but will declare himself as God in the temple. As I recall (thank God) God will ultimately triumph. I had heard the term applied to Obama over and over again by the Republicans, yet there is no better definition to describe the orange man....
OMG to think the world is coming to an end because TFG is the Antichrist. What a waste!
Unfortunately the years of brainwashing from right wing media, radio and TV have made it close to impossible to penetrate the belief in the lies. One of the reasons why so many Hispanics are turning from the Democrats is the constant disinformation from right wing radio. They equate the Democrats with the type of socialism that Chavez in Venezuela brought. How to change this, I am not sure.
The maga voters are beholden to their news sources and that's where the lies begin. If they're too lazy to seek out the truth on their own, they will absorb whatever is told to them by their trusted source as true. It's easier to make one decision (what news will I trust) and remain loyal to it than to think critically. It is the lies that begin in the media that should be addressed. Lazy voters have always existed. Outrageous lies from media have not. That's the change.
This is true. I never said otherwise. My point is that no matter what the level of propaganda, the ability of the electorate to discern the difference rarely improves. Instead, it's the quality of the propaganda that wins the votes. The media as a whole (so long as we have a free press here) is not the source of the lies. The source of the lies is the fascist core of the oligarchy which owns its political operatives and its media networks. The lies, and the lying liars who tell them, are the problem, not an absence of a media that exposes the lies.
I would only add that it’s not just the “quality” of the propaganda but also the frequency - the big lies must be repeated ad nauseum. I’m never sure whether to laugh, scream or cry when I hear the Repugnants on news shows repeat the exact wording of the latest propaganda, word-for-word, over and over.
Keep telling the lie until it becomes the truth---Joseph Goebbels
Years ago I remember something about subliminal(?) messages in tv ads - maybe its been perfected by faux etc!! Those of us who dont watch it just arent being inundated by it. Sort of makes sense, doesnt it?
I disagree with your point about PBS. That’s where I get most of my media news. They do a pretty good job.
I think they do a terrible job, they have definitely shifted to a both sides ism in their coverage, and have been giving liars a lot of time to spew lies. I still watch some of the NH but way less so. I’m no fan of Judy Woodruff, she should have retired a long time ago, but on Monday she had probably the best interview of her entire career, with Judge Luttig(sp), who spoke the unvarnished truth about those who hold power in this country, if you thought he was impressive when he spoke to the January 6 committee, you are in for a treat, MSNBC even used some of it yesterday afternoon.
If you consider the quality of what we get from Professor Richardson, who does it after hours and without a staff of researchers with the quality of the Newshour which has whole teams of staff working all the time and highly paid broadcasters, I think the Professor wins hands down. Too often the Newshour does both side-ism and leaves me confused. Professor helps me feel grounded in reality and not confused.
I am still hanging in with Newshour too. I had hoped when Judy Woodruff stepped aside, I love her reporting, the new crew would add a spark. Not so much.
Re: PBS, they are complicit with the narrative that the 2024 election will be close. Every Monday, their analysts, Tamara Keith of NPR and Amy Walter of Cook Political Report, repeat this trope. Despite the recent six special elections on abortion and choice all were won by liberals, who voted overwhelmingly for reproductive freedom. THIS demand for democracy, or "liberty and justice for all" trumped the 2020-22 election as liberals maintained our majority base ... and won ALL Senate races in AZ and GA, and the presidential vote in both states, as well.
Liberals have no narrative (overriding vision), so the oxygen is sucked by the fantasies of the right.
"We are the movement to save Democracy!" should be the refrain, every day. But my Sen Angus King and Rep Chellie Pingree remain asleep, as does every other member of our leadership
For a taste of sloppy poll taking and crystal ball gazing be sure not to miss Keith and Walter on Mondays. How this duo has lasted so long on PBS is truly mystifying. Come on PBS, you can do better!
Hey, hand this man a cigar, or a glass of your choice!!
Follow the money. It takes money to fight money.
Bidenomics is all about funding a more fair, "democratic capitalism." There is plenty more private investment money going into green tech, than the govt spending money from the
Biden administration.
The left has the money, now. But we do not have a clue how to leverage this into mainstream media. "Bidenomics is assuring a more just and fair economics and democracy!"
The left has no money. The Republican-Fascist Oligarchy has the money. And it is unlimited.
Or money turns the left to the right.
it seems that Media malpractice and click bait is the first thought for several of us.
Ted Koppel, an author, award winning journalist, eight George Peabody awards, 11 duPont-Columbia Awards, and 42 Emmys warned the country years ago that journalism and the news would suffer, because of technology. One only need a laptop and anyone with or without experience can now spread harebrained nonsense that can go viral. There's no filter. Years ago, we had the Fairness Doctrine that at least eliminated blatant lies and alternative facts. People today are left only their personal filter, and we know how well that has worked out.
I don't recall the Fairness Doctrine eliminating trickle-down propaganda.
The Fairness Doctrine was about both-siding, point/counterpoint. Back then we assumed both were based in truth.
Yes, Eadie, I remember Ted. One of the great commentators. Well, lets hope that this laptop era spins off something good in the long run, if only because we are all communing.
Professor Richardson speaks fluent history, moving from today to August 15, 2017, and the "fine people" nightmare. Then she points out that the fantasy of "supply-side economics" DOES NOT WORK. Thank God for LFAA. REALITY "bids fair."
If he truly believes this is evidence to exonerate him, he should be appearing in court, under oath... you can say anything in the media. They’ll publish anything, lies and all.
Totally 💯 agree!
Indeed, it is time to call a spade a spade.
LeMoine- well said. And I share your pain and your anger!
I completely agree. Sensationalism isn’t newsworthy.
Spot on!!
I think that we have several good journalists. There is alway a mixture. Of the good and the better. Like you said you have to be willing to do the research!
Thank you, LeMoine. This is beautifully stated and I completely agree. “Yellow press” sells; apparently clear truth doesn’t. If only more Americans could be more discerning and think on their own.
Charlotte, I would underscore, regardless of media coverage, that were we excessively to follow the blow-by-blow unfolding of the indictments, we would do so at our peril. I say this because, in my view, there’s no way forward except by winning enough races to retake the U.S. House, defend every Democratic Senate seat, despite an unfriendly map, pick up an additional seat in the Senate to render Manchin and Sinema irrelevant should either remain in the Senate, and, of course, hold the White House. Note I haven’t even covered how we will have to defend democracy at the state and local levels, nor have I spoken of the threat posed by “No Labels,” whom I expect will run a candidate.
We can follow the news of the insurrection indictments AND organize to get out the vote for Democratic candidates. It is not either/or. One energizes the other.
lin, First, speaking for myself, the work always has entailed more than getting out the vote. Second, I would note my use of the modifier “excessively.”
I agree.
The third party threat is most feared. The snake has more than one head.
I do not see the newest 3rd party option as anything but a political ploy to weaken Biden.
That is true, but people could still be taken in by that ploy...and then there are always the protest voters. Wish Dems could be herded, but then we wouldn't be Dems, would we?.
We are in a big tent; covering the range of Dems from rightish-centrists to far left progressives--very difficult to keep everyone satisfied with platforms and policies.
That is exactly the subject of a YouTube clip from "Beau of the Fifth Column" a few months ago. It is his theory why Dems are bad at messaging. HIs take is that the Dems should not try to have blanket messages to the nation, that they should instead tailor them to each voting area.
Well said, TL.
Frankom, While we have every reason to be concerned about a third party, were it, for example, the purported bipartisan, centrist “No Labels,” considering Biden is a centrist, whose policies, both proposed and passed, are broadly favored, we would need to press the “No Labels” candidate explicitly to explain, policy by policy, the basis for his or her opposition.
You are always spot on!
Frankom, Thank you for such kind words.
Republican snake
I agree...we cannot count on the courts to save us by convicting the defendant before the November 2024 election--it simply isn't going to happen. Justice is slow--I truly believe our cause will win in the end, but in the meantime we have a movement to fight to a standstill. Should the defendant be convicted he could still run and even win.
It is up to US; we must save ourselves (and the country) by hard work to promote democracy and justice; educate ourselves and others about the policies of the county and state-level candidates; vote, vote, vote in local and state elections...run for the school boards or other local civil elective offices; register new voters; encourage people to check their voting registration status; donate to candidates if possible; write postcards, spread the word. None of this is nor will be easy, but we must be fierce in our defense of democracy.
I agree, Charlotte. All thus major news networks spending hours and hours a day on nothing but Frumpy. The newspapers, all on the front page of every one of them, Frumpy. Radio can’t quit talking about him.
It’s sickening. There’s other stuff happening in this world, this country, than having to listen and hear Frumpy and his band of lying fools.
Frumoy and his conspirators all should be delegated to the last page, maybe a 1inch column in the lower corner. Maybe a couple paragraphs at the most, maybe once a week.
Now, when he’s found guilty of these crimes and jailed, I want that on the front page with him in his striped jumpsuit behind bars!
I have to read Guardian and tune in to BBC World to know what is going on. I too am sick to death of 24/7 Trump.
BBC is very good to follow. Get a lot of world news which rarely makes it to American screens. US exceptionalism has made things to be "all about us" for far too long.
https://www.theatlantic.com/author/hillary-clinton/
I agree with k.paschal and Frank It’s is now critical to continue to focus on community building at the grass roots level Hillary Clinton's article above -The Weaponization of Loneliness in Aug 7th Atlantic is so wise and clear. Lets divert our eyes from the trump sh*t show and roll up our sleeves.
Yesterday BBC America had a Trumper as the only source on its program to discuss the GA indictments, for an extended defense of the case. I got disgusted and turned it off.
Construction of "virtual political reality" has a lot of adherents in prisons, where nearly everyone considers themselves innocent.
MSM covers almost nothing but trump with all his blustering whining lies. There is so much other news to be covered that is important to an educated public. I am not talking celebrities or sports either. Who cares who is wearing what? I agree trump doesn’t warrant headlines day after day, all day long! I saw an article about him
Looking “grumpy” while playing golf. Really? I do think his absolute nastiness and vitriol should be called out to speak to his character and emphasize the damage it inflicts on the perception that people have for our systems and processes. He might have the right to say these things but the media needs to call them out when they are unfounded. They are presented without rebuttal which leads people to think he speaks the truth. All the coverage of trump is mostly blather and doesn’t do a thing to actually inform.
Daniel, we have to realize that the MSM no longer adheres to the standards of professional journalism but it too has become captive of the attention economy business model. It’s the business model that drives what’s published and since DJT sucks up all the attention it’s what the publishers focus on rather than such important information as what legislation is being passed that affects us, the citizens, on a daily basis.
Wouldn’t that be a huge relief ?
A lot a celebrity "news" is junk, but an attempted American coup d'etat is real news, as is the effort to apprehend the perpetrators, so yes and no.
And Trump's some of Trump's recent bather strengthens the prosecution's case.
Lahaina, Maui should be front page right now. The federal gov should be expanding recovery, rescue, humanitarian aid, explain rebuilding aid, so the local people are not run off their land by big developers in a time of tragedy and crisis. Show the country how only the Fed Gov can solve crisis problems fast. Taking care of the people affected is job #1.
Ted, you are spot on. I read an article yesterday where that very danger was expressed. If you want to rebuild in Lahaina, then DO NOT sell to some developer. The government must help the locals resist the influx of those who would turn Lahaina into Waikiki.
The newspapers, magazines, tv networks, etc., that I read and follow are all over the story of Maui's wildfires.
'As the Maui wildfires’ death toll approaches 100—and is expected to increase—Hawaii’s governor ordered an official review amid criticism that government officials didn’t do enough to save lives.'
'Maui County officials have been criticized for failing to activate sirens to warn the population about the flames last week despite the state’s comprehensive emergency warning system for natural disasters. The New York Times confirmed that the island did not activate any of the 80 warning sirens.'
'On Friday, Hawaii’s attorney general announced an investigation into the decision-making related to the Maui fires, including the choice to not sound the alarms. The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency spokesman confirmed last week that they were not activated and added that sirens alone—without additional information—would not have been enough information for residents to evacuate. There are roughly 1,600 people in evacuation shelters on the island, the governor said on Aug. 13. Airlines have evacuated more than 32,000 people, per NBC News.'
'The wildfires, which destroyed most of the historic town of Lahaina, have been the deadliest in the U.S. in more than a century. County officials had previously been warned by wildlife researchers that dangerous blazes could occur.'
'In an interview with CBS on Monday, Hawaii Governor Josh Green suggested researchers will probably take about 10 more days to search for casualties and expect to find the remains of 10 to 20 people per day until they finish. Green said about 1,300 people were still considered missing and that most of the more than 2,200 structures destroyed by fires were residential. He expressed frustration that there was not a better system to alert residents to leave. The governor said displaced locals had been moved into hotels on Monday and that 500 rooms were available for them and another 500 for workers from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).'
'The federal government has also been involved in relief efforts. FEMA has said that more than 3,000 people have registered for federal assistance and that it has provided $700 to displaced residents for short-term costs such as food, water, and medical supplies. FEMA is also providing temporary housing. Almost 500 federal personnel are on the ground, according to a statement on Tuesday from the Biden Administration.'
'The Small Business Administration says low-interest disaster loans are available for homeowners, businesses, renters, and non-profits. The Department of Defense said on Aug. 10 it had activated 134 National Guard troops to help state and local officials with wildfire response and search and recovery efforts. The Department of Transportation has said it is evacuating tourists by coordinating with commercial airlines. The U.S. Coast Guard says it has helped saved 17 lives and assisted 40 survivors in getting to shore.'
'The Biden Administration issued a federal disaster declaration last week and is asking Congress for $12 billion more for the disaster relief fund. President Joe Biden does not currently have plans to visit Hawaii, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday.'
'Maui County officials have advised survivors to use bottled water to drink, brush teeth, make ice, and prepare food, because surrounding municipal water systems were destroyed by the fire and may have contaminated the local water supply. “Residents are unable to treat the water in any way to make it safe,” they said. Local officials are also are taking donations, running six emergency shelters, and providing health care services.'
https://time.com/6305152/maui-wildfires-government-response-fema/
'FEMA Outlines Maui Wildfire Support as Victims Critique Government Response'
'FEMA is typically the first agency to face scrutiny after disasters. But while the federal agency plays a critical role in disaster response, it is not meant to be the first on the scene.'
The Federal Emergency Management Agency encouraged survivors of the Maui wildfires on Monday to register with the government as soon as possible to receive a range of assistance, including an immediate payment of $700 to cover food and water.
The agency also said it is providing temporary housing in hotels and motels for survivors. And the Small Business Administration said it can provide a low-interest loan of up to $500,000 to homeowners for repairs and up to $2 million to businesses that suffered damage.
For survivors to get those resources, they need to register with FEMA through its smartphone app, on its website, by calling or in person with one of the agency’s disaster assistance personnel on the ground, officials said.
But for the survivors stranded in West Maui without power or internet and little sign of government assistance — local, state or federal — this help seems far out of reach.
“We understand that connectivity is still scarce in some areas,” Deanne Criswell, the FEMA administrator and one of about 300 agency employees on the ground in Hawaii, told reporters on Monday. “The response and recovery efforts, I just want to note, in Hawaii, are going to be a whole-of-government approach.”
'Residents in Lahaina, the town destroyed by the wildfires, have complained that the government response has been lacking and that survivors’ crucial needs are going unmet. There are questions about whether wildfire warnings were loud enough and early enough and whether government officials were adequately prepared to deal with the fires.'
'FEMA is typically the first agency to face intense scrutiny after disasters. It is most often associated with its role responding to hurricanes, particularly because of its history of bungled reactions to previous disasters. Of note are Hurricane Andrew, which slammed Florida in 1992; Hurricane Katrina, which led to catastrophic flooding New Orleans in 2005; and Hurricane Maria in 2017, which wrought destruction across the entire island of Puerto Rico.' (NYTimes) See gifted article below.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/14/us/politics/fema-maui-hawaii-wildfires.html?unlocked_article_code=M-snWZgZY_zS50pReIF1o0ECvfp6-jitNWJtz607W5hb2dDh3SIt_fBav_0pdDQsz3urKoMAh1y35LGOtvQRN385JaU51AgE8xIt9pSakoJzvgG0cRf29Z2DwKgmLduKyqvTXdEqga7Lv5R4vj1Lt8QWl0mo6buZw65qttqP9MeMIIKzVYKZBlCDEqKZh_bpm_Ru5k64-HRikx-NHwE1e9AkWxKUmM89iJ8BNvUqlsoi3qlABi3eFMZffr-NWTmHiki050XKRl5F019sSYh4s8ORWfH_8NXPK99GfgS3QyvvP7MxK3X6NCVHV0a3rYVqaSCy7-xlFErgD6bJEc9QpDGo-GcE7FDS&smid=url-share
Thank you twice, Fern.
You prompted me to post those, Ally. Sometimes I wonder if subscribers who complain relentlessly about the news media read The New York Times and Washington Post. I learn a good deal from them about a wide variety of subjects from breaking news, federal, regional and local stories, the world, climate change, nature, art and book reviews to sports, entertainment, etc., with keen reporting and analysis.
Ditto
Ted "Lahaina, Maui should be front page right now."
Since the fire (week+?), the CBS Nightly News with Norah O'Donnell has led with the Maui story and Trump items have come later in the broadcast... even the latest Indictment announcement.
What would you want other than that?
Ron, I'd like to see more time devoted covering the people doing good as they respond to their local tragedy. Dont just lead with it with generalities for a minute or two. I think am disapointed with MSNBC the most. We need to hear more local voices and stories about what and how the regular people are helping in Lahaina. Immediately the community leaders began self organizing before any outside relief arrived, setting up supplies at relief hubs on their own. These folks have not stopped to grieve or process the losses of loved ones, homes, businesses at all. There are stories of tragedy, loss, selflessness, and heroism. Cover the locals and how they are getting after it and how we can support those efforts. I'm following the local news reporters in Maui for what is going on, and talking to some friends there. The mass media could take the opportunity to follow up with Global Warming metrics and how these diasters are repeating, getting stronger, and increasing in frequency all over the world. Islands and coastal communites t is real and getting worse first. It is the pressing issue of our time. We need to be taking away oxygen from tfg's ( not that that is unimprotant. It is also important but not at the expense of regular Americans in a real crisis). Any criticism by R's about FEMA and WH not doing enough are just cheap shots. Outlets should put Ted Cruz criticism on the backburner, these R's are just salting wounds with consisent false narative. Repulicans consistenly seek to defund and shutter the very agencies who's work R's consistenly obstruct for cheap political wins, and continue to deny the facts of global warming.
President Biden talking about Lahaina, Maui
https://www.c-span.org/video/?c5081511/president-biden-speaks-maui-wildfires-federal-response
500 FEMA Agents
140 rescue/recovery agents deployed while fires are still going on
Coast Guard, Navy, Army resources deployed
Do not upset the local self organised rescue/recovery/assitance work already going on at the community level
Emergency homes and condos supplied to those in need
"every asset they need will be there for them, and as long as it takes" -President Biden
Lahaina community organizing private donations and community support before any help arrived. ( this is not a criticism of the federal response, just a PSA about a Native American community organizing themselves immediately after the fire.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CwAwiKCRZUv/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Thanks Ted.
How much does lying or telling the truth and knowing the difference between the two spell the divide in American society?
Washington Post counts 30,573 false or misleading claims in four years by Trump
That was on - 01/20/21
‘The biggest way in which this indictment isn’t like the others? The Trump allies it ensnared.’
‘The indictment focuses on false statements, oaths’
‘A core Trump defense in the federal Jan. 6 case is the idea that he was merely exercising free speech.’
‘But that defense won’t work as easily in Georgia, which has a broad prohibition against making “a false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation … in any matter within the jurisdiction of any department or agency of state government.”
‘That law figures heavily in the indictment, with the phrase “false statement” appearing more than 100 times, including as individual counts and as part of the alleged racketeering. (The indictment lists 161 overt acts as part of the latter.) Defendants like Trump and Giuliani are accused of making false statements about voter fraud publicly, in legal filings, in hearings in Georgia and elsewhere.’ (WAPO) See link below, sorry for it not being gifted.
A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.
— Mark Twain, 1835-1910
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/08/15/takeaways-trump-georgia-indictment/
PBS NewsHour does a pretty good job debunking Trump lies. They also do a pretty good job covering Biden Harris infrastructure tours and highlighting their accomplishments. The problem is that people get their news from social media. Main stream media: legacy networks and remaining newspapers should do exactly as, Charlotte suggests Dash relegate trumps lies to the back page
I for one won't be tuning in to listen to the creep.
We get our facts from the investigative reporting of media - exampled by HCR and demonstrated by the sources she cites.
What is Helen referring to about Trump deleting security camera footage that has flown under the American people’s radar? Anybody? I’m an avid follower of every piece of news about this fraudulent guy but I don’t recall a story about that? Thanks!
Here you go, Ira.
WASHINGTON, July 27 (Reuters) - Donald Trump ordered employees at his Florida resort to delete security videos as he was under investigation for retaining classified documents, U.S. prosecutors said on Thursday as they broadened the case against the former president and charged a second member of his staff with helping to hide documents.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/new-defendant-added-trump-classified-documents-case-court-papers-2023-07-27/
https://www.npr.org/2023/07/28/1190787038/trump-ordered-security-footage-deleted-doj-alleges-in-new-charges#:~:text=via%20Getty%20Images-,Donald%20Trump%20and%20two%20aides%20face%20new%20obstruction%20counts%20based,to%20a%20federal%20grand%20jury.%22
Oh that; I don’t think it wasn’t recognized by the American people? BYW whoever runs this Substack just refused me permission to post my reply saying they had no record of me so I went through creating a new password etc etc— hope you and others haven’t been snared by this annoyance?
And thanks Alexandra!
I think I've subscribed at least 3 years now, and every 6 months or so there will be a snafu. I had it again about 2 weeks ago. It can be VERY ANNOYING, and I have never had any explanation as to why this happens.
It’s the recent superseding indictment that also charged in his Mar-a-Lago property manager as a co-defendant.
Ira; Whoa!!! And there it is
Charlotte I suggest that TFG stuff be published on the business pages (which are unknown to most MAGATS,) or the funny pages, for those with a bizarre sense of humor.
The point is well taken. But I believe there is massive longing in the country to ride this story to its conclusion. And as the late Noam Chomsky said, famously and often, “In a capitalist society the interests of capital will always be served”.
I am among those who are keenly interested in hearing Trump’s, “A Large, Complex, Detailed but ( note ‘but’ instead of ‘and’ - a reflection on Trump’s famously short attention span) irrefutable REPORT on the Presidential Election Fraud...)
Trump is beginning to flail, thrashing in an ever-growing series of legal nets. This process will be worth watching in itself. He is miles away from power and deeply fearful. This has the potential to be a turning point for democracy.
We need the NYT to be there every step of the way, reporting exhaustively on it. We need the Onion all over it, providing deeply comic perspective. We need legal theory - just today Ty Cobb postulated that the press conference by Trump on Monday might result in another charge against him. We need political experts to assess the how the Republican Party manœuvres as this most massive storm rains down on them. We need serious legal minds to keep reminding us of the pitfalls ahead in this incredibly complex story.
Media outlets which strive for genuine excellence must be on this relentlessly. We won’t always like what they have to say but we need to hear it.
The other side will rain down bald-faced lies and I want to hear those as well to watch if and how their tone changes.
The next 18 months will cast long, long shadows on American history. We *must* have scrupulous attention and subsequent front page reporting from the media.
As an aside, the Hunter Biden story is deeply worrisome. Unless it is categorically proven to be nonsense, it is going to be a severe drag on Biden’s candidacy. It may affect his health.
I have always maintained that there is a significantly greater than non-zero chance that Trump will not be the candidate in 2024. I now believe the same of Biden, although I would not use the qualifying adjective “significantly” in his case. After all Seward was a virtual lock to win the 1860 Republican nomination until a singular combination of events propelled somebody called Abraham Lincoln ahead of him.
We all know when the opera ends.
In the meantime give me plenty of media. I will slog through the Augean stables to get to the core truthful information and reliable prognoses.
According to a Google search Noam Chomsky is still alive and is 94 years old.
To me should be directed, “The news of my demise is greatly exaggerated.”
Thank you for correcting an asinine blunder. 🙄
Chomsky did not die. His wife died in 2008.
My brain froze when I wrote that. I’m glad I was wrong. He is a national treasure.
Thank you.
Do you think if everyone on this platform began a daily google searched “Biden, Joe Biden, Harris, or Kamala Harris” that would/could somehow help? I dont know how these algorithms work......
The networks should give him no time for his own private "debate/interview" to take away from all the other candidates. he has never played by the rules and he will only get worse.
Charlotte, in general I agree with that as do so many others with profound “Trump Fatigue”. However, there is one thing we know for certain, the more worried he gets, the more he will spout all kinds of nonsense, and the more he rants, the more he incriminates himself and will agitate a judge or four who will restrain him to protect the public and themselves and we will likewise benefit. I say let him roll right into a holding cell awaiting his trials!
He is sucking up all the oxygen in the world! What a horrible person. We need to do everything we can to highlight all the good things President Biden is doing for our country so perhaps we can breath good air again!