I'm one person who is impressed with what Biden has accomplished. The Washington Post folks didn't ask me, but I just keep wondering how anyone can avoid being impressed that Biden was able to accomplish anything at all, given all the irrational opposition to anything he does. His opponents seem to be grasping at anything they think they can use to take over power. Except for thinking straight, prioritizing a strong democracy, and having any sort of respect for what Biden has been able to accomplish. It's astonishing, really.
'Biden economy keeps defying predictions. Will it last?' (excerpts)
The combination of a hiring boom and ebbing inflation has confounded forecasters, who’ve been warning of a recession, By David J. Lynch
Whether the United States can keep defying the recession odds may depend on what happens in industries such as leisure and hospitality, health care and entertainment. These service businesses are enjoying a boomlet as consumers return to their pre-pandemic lifestyles.
Restaurants can’t find workers because they’ve found better jobs
Hotels, airlines and medical clinics all are hiring like mad. The Las Vegas Sands, a casino and resort company, lists 50 job openings on its website, including for cybersecurity specialists, attorneys and a corporate receptionist. HCA Healthcare, which operates medical facilities in 21 states and the United Kingdom, is hiring doctors in Texas, nurses in Kansas and lab assistants in Colorado.
Goods prices, a major contributor to inflation last year, have started to come down. Other major spending categories are expected to soon follow. Advertised apartment rents, for example, are cooling off. But it takes time for those changes to be reflected in official government data.
White House aides see signs that wages in the services portion of the economy are not rising as quickly as they did last year. If that moderation continues, it would take pressure off prices and allow the Fed to stop hiking rates, according to a senior administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.
“We don’t see it. It’s not happening yet,” Powell told reporters last week, referring to any reversal in services inflation.
The bigger problem is that Friday’s jobs report shows that it’s just not getting any easier to understand the economy. While the worst of the pandemic is in the past, businesses and consumers still bear its scars.
Americans behaved differently during the days of coronavirus restrictions, buying significantly more goods than they normally would and consuming fewer in-person services.
The economy responded. Transportation and warehousing companies bulked up and now employ roughly 1 million more workers than in February 2020, while companies in the leisure and hospitality sector are still 495,000 workers short, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
They are almost 1.5 million short of the workers they would be expected to need now if they had grown over the past three years at their typical pace, according to Daleep Singh, chief global economist for PGIM Fixed Income.
New House panel zeroes in on Chinese-owned app Tik Tok over security fears
Friday’s jobs report provided a glimpse of key hiring trends. Goods-producing companies added 46,000 workers in January, according to seasonally adjusted Labor Department statistics. But services companies added almost nine times as many, or 397,000. Leisure and hospitality along with health care were among the most active industries.
After shedding tens of thousands of workers during the pandemic’s early months, major airlines have been scrambling to hire. American Airlines has added roughly 40,000 workers over the past two years and plans to add more this year, including about 2,000 pilots, executives told investors last month.
Robert Isom, the airline’s chief executive, described the hiring spree as “unprecedented.”
Likewise, United Airlines, which had never hired more than 900 pilots in a year before the pandemic, recruited 2,500 last year, CEO Scott Kirby told investors recently. “Pilots are and will remain a significant constraint on capacity,” he said.
Beneath the surface of the $25 trillion U.S. economy, industries and consumers are gradually establishing a new normal. Many pre-pandemic habits are gone. But the economy remains in the shadow of a once-in-a-century global calamity.
At auto parts maker Clips & Clamps Industries in Plymouth, Mich., Jeff Aznavorian senses the approach of a mild downturn. The firm’s president is hoping this year to hang on to his existing $15 million in annual revenue, before an anticipated surge of business in 2024.
So far, orders are holding up. Last year’s supply chain problems are just a memory. His biggest headache, he said, is uncertainty.
“I can see February and March pretty clearly. Beyond March, I can’t see at all,” he said.
The Fed and Wall Street analysts are having the same problem. Standard economic models that economists use to predict future developments are built on the experience of recent decades.
There is no playbook for navigating the aftermath of a global pandemic that included societal lockdowns, shuttered factories and staggered national reopenings. Standard relationships — such as the link between job gains and wages or between employment and inflation — are breaking down.
“We have a dismal understanding of how this post-pandemic economy works,” Bernard Baumohl, chief global economist for the Economic Outlook Group, wrote in a client note on Friday.
China’s bid to leave covid behind could determine global economy’s fate
The Fed should rethink conventional economic theory that says inflation must inevitably rise as the unemployment rate falls because employers competing for a dwindling pool of workers will bid up wages and, eventually, prices will follow, he said.
That theory doesn’t explain the past year when the annual rate of increase in average hourly earnings dropped from 5.9 percent in March to 4.4 percent last month — even as the job market grew increasingly tight, Baumohl said.
Further clouding the economic outlook: The pandemic’s wake coincides with a host of uncommon forces. Fallout from the war in Europe, unpredictable populist governments and the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy all complicate the Fed’s task, said Singh, a former Biden aide.
Plus, the full effects of the central bank’s rate hikes over the past year have yet to be felt. And an expected fight between the president and House Republicans over raising the debt ceiling could spark further economic turmoil.
“The era of ‘the Great Moderation’ in the global economy is gone for now, and it’s not coming back soon,” Singh said. “We’re in a period of greater volatility. We’re in a period of adjustment.”
The median Fed forecast calls for the economy to barely grow this year, expanding by just 0.5 percent. Many Wall Street analysts call for a shallow recession starting in the spring.
“If we have a recession, it’s likely to be a very mild one by historical standards,” said Eric Winograd, senior economist with AllianceBernstein in New York.
Biden isn’t buying it.
“Here’s where we stand: the strongest job growth in history; the lowest unemployment rate in 54 years; manufacturing rebounding at a faster rate than in the last 40 years; inflation coming down; real wages going up — but moderately going up, not going through the roof; the economy growing at a solid clip,” he said. “Put simply, I would argue the Biden economic plan is working.” (WAPO)
You should set up a news sheet yourself. You're more competent, do proper research, so are better documented than so-called journalists.
In a rush this morning, so no time to read or evaluate what appear to be your practical initiatives to help earthquake victims (in regions of both Turkey and Syria feared and brutally oppressed by the Turkish government...).
But experience with aiding earthquake victims in Italy, a less complicated terrain, told us we must do all we can to get money directly to those in need, skirting round corrupt officials and other scavengers...
Not true, Peter. I learn from journalists and try to meet their standards without success. Listen to what historian Timothy Snyder calls journalists -- our heroes!
Journalists are not the media. The media is the corporate machine that may hire them but they minimize their stories and bury them so that only die hards learn from them. The media likes the chaos, it sells. Of course, it sells because we click and share it. If we could unite behind ignoring them and amplifying the journalism we might be able to change that. But it would take a long converted effort, one that they would try to divert at all levels.
Conflating journalists with the media is like yelling all lives matter. It changes the subject from one we need to focus on to one that protects the status quo
Thanks for the clarification. But the effect's the same.
The USA is a country where politicians and lobbyists can interfere with everything, so judges can't judge, physicians can't freely exercise professional judgment and journalists' reports get buried in sand or ignored.
"You should set up a news sheet yourself. You're more competent, do proper research, so are better documented than so-called journalists." Duh, Fern, say "Thank You, Peter." He IS right, you know. I would never have read the original article(s), and if I had I never would have gleaned these cogent facts. You made Biden economics understandable (and reassuring) to me. Thank You Fern!!!
MaryPat, Peter is a pal as you are. He's patting me on the back and so are you, Okay, thanks, and what I wrote is true. The principles of journalism reach for truth and verify, research, knowledge, judgement, clarity, writing agility...We need more of them and they deserve much more of our respect. Imagine what they are doing here; then imagine them in China, Russia, Somalia, Nigeria, Ukraine...
Yes, we do need more journalists like this, and media organizations that support them. Thank You for directing me to this excellent one, arming me to do battle with my doubtful economics minded friends!
Fern, I really don't think you should include Ukraine in with the others on your list. I have been following the war in Ukraine closely for months and some of the best, most in-depth reporting has come from Ukrainian Journalists themselves. I think it better to add Turkey or Saudi Arabia to that list instead!
journalists are not the media. And most are very good when allowed freedom of speech within media empires. But again, I would never have read this journalist's fine work without your keen synopsis. Thank You. May I share?
Look at Timothy Snyder's last substack. He lists how to change the faults of journalists/media. And celebrates those who adhere to true journalistic rules.
I just read an outstanding article about The Villages in Florida by Ryan Grim who seems to be like Snyder and others writing on Substack or some similar platform. The article is long, but it tells of people trying to deal with corruption and how with the help of the DeSatan administration, they were foiled. It is a classic case of wanton and open corruption complete with threats that one person had a direct line to the governor. One person ended up being arrested. It sounded like living in hell. And it convinced me that Florida is essentially a fascist state and I didn't need very much persuasion.
Agree! I'm just waiting for the multitude of BIPOC Floridians to come forward. DeS speaks to the wealthy whites, but he's a throw-back to the Florida '50s, in which he cannot see the future for what it is...a mixed racial, mixed cultural, vibrant gathering of a community which has survival in common.
It's more than that. Immigrants used to fill a lot of those jobs. Many went back home or elsewhere more welcoming. Others have been blocked from coming.
Agree with both. And additionally, child care needs to be subsidized so it can provide both a livable wage for the providers and yet be affordable enough for all.
During WWII, when Rosie the Riviter was doing her bit for the war effort, it's my understanding affordable child care was provided. I confess, I don't know who subsidized it, but surely it was subsidized.
For decades child care, like family leave, was seen as a 'women's issue', and therefore discounted. Part of our patriarchal and often misogynistic societal history. That has to change.
Sandra, as to the Assembly Line fast welding of Liberty Ship in Richmond California during WWII, that was Henry J. Kaiser & the origin of health care provided by the Employer, now KAISER PERMANENTE, now thriving. Kaiser has super digital medical communications with an in-house Tech Team now. Gave birth to Kaiser Heath Foundation national leader in ACCURATE health data.
Sandra I recall that some child care was available during WWII. I also remember stories of ‘key-latch kids,’ who, at a tender age, would be left to fend for themselves as their moms were working in defense factories.There was a subsequent study of this phenomenon in California.
The folks opposing CC forget that their trickle down economy requires two wage earners to support a family—at least. If costs were comparable to the 50's and 60s, when mom stayed home, it might be more understandable to block this legislation. Alas, a certain political party seems to have arrested development syndrome, with a heavy dose of unrealistic nostalgia thrown in. Or is that sick obstructionism?
Why would corporate America, the true beneficiaries of subsidized childcare, object to that? They could have been providing it as a benefit and writing it off.
I guess for the same stupid reasoning that they object to Medicare For All National Healthcare. Again, think how much money they could save on benefit packages.
Not taking any issue with what you have just said Cathy (affordable for all). I'm just sort of observing that: Had wages, for the value of what was being produced.., increased forty years ago, we'd have stronger households able to care for their kids. Instead, we have grown this crop of politicians with $178,000 plus perks salaries, for whom "daycare" is hardly an issue, other than finding illegals to perform those tasks. Sorry for the run-on sentences and mis-use of commas. Best I can do. Meanwhile, the words "trickle-down" economics reminds me of what's now running down my leg.
Yes, and now there aren't enough young people to take care of us aging Baby Boomers. I know I didn't have enough income to have more than one child, and sometimes I wondered if I could afford to even feed him.
I did laugh at your last sentence. And yes, many of the wealthy have illegals to work for them. They are subject of course, to abuse, among other things, but cannot say anything.
I agree. If I remember my mother's stories right, there were daycare nurseries provided at the workplace. I was reading an article in Bridge Magazine that was done in depth about the labor shortage in Michigan. There was a big help wanted sign in front of a McDonald's in Traverse City on upper Lake Michigan showing that the fast food restaurant was offering $22.00 to start. Another small owner was offering drivers $40 to start. Even at those prices they couldn't staff their businesses. This is craziness!! Meanwhile where Michigan used to get 17,000 new immigrants a year , now we are lucky to get 6 to7 thousand a year. All since Trump took office.
Around here it is clear that people have trouble finding employees and especially competent employees. Our tree service guy pays well and offers perks, but last year we had a crew that was truly awful. This year we had an excellent two person crew, including a woman. Our cleaning service used to send 2-3 people and now it is one...always the same one thankfully. It takes her all of the morning and into the noon hour, but that's fine and she is polite which is a bonus. I think neither of these women have children at this point.
I would add, as long as floods, fires, hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes keep happening, the economy will be just fine. It's all sw florida can do to keep supplies on the shelf in home depot and...good luck finding someone to help rebuild.
Don't forget to add wars to your list. Also, I might make a suggestion. Get out of Florida while you can! Climate Change is real, and Florida with it's topography and location is a slowly sinking disaster. Architects can't build Florida out of the impending doom to all coastal areas. Especially Southern ones.
I would like to add that Michigan is again becoming a good place to teach school. Pay increases and pay for student teaching and pay to upgrade your skills. Tell any teachers that can't take the threatening environment of felony and Fascism to apply in Michigan. Same for anyone laid off in the tech industry. Regional and State authorities are actively recruiting tech people for especially the auto industry and green energy sectors!.
Years ago, when I was a senior at Kalamazoo College, I had an interview with Flint school district. She asked only one question before I was hired and that was, did I mind teaching Negroes. As it was, I went to Sierra Leone in the Peace Corps, but I have never forgotten that interview.
Fern, there is a thread that follows from this well-informed post that argues over the nature of journalism. I’d like to bring that discussion back around to the point of departure, namely, the failure of the American people to recognize what Biden has done for the economy. As I see it, the signal buried in the noise is that more than 40% of the people would refuse to admit Biden’s efforts no matter how good the outcome. So the real measure of cluelessness is probably closer to 20%. Which is still substantial. Yes, journalists continue to report on political conflict over good news, which gives an elevated platform to the trolls. But Biden still seems to think that good works speak for themselves and that people will listen, which appears to be wishful thinking. The Republicans understand that feeding people’s expectations is more powerful than telling the truth. Democrats need to break the back of the supply side myth while the have the opportunity, and that will require better messaging. I hope Biden gives it a boost in his SOTU address.
Reading today of the % of Americans who believe the economy is in the toilet. Many are as myopic as Mr. Magoo. They forget that all he vaccines and booster TO SAVE THEIR LIVES were (and ARE) free. They forgot about the $250 per child they got to get them through the pandemic. It's slipped their minds that health insurance is finally available and affordable to all citizens. What they focus on is eggs are $4 per dozen and "it's all Biden's fault."
I may steal this commentary or yours and take it elsewhere for posting. If you have an issue, please let me know. It is a good one and should have more exposure. Not that we are the big time. Just a small economics blog.
I live in Florida and recently traveled to rural Pennsylvania. In both states I frequently saw bumper stickers, flags and t-shirts that said “F*** Biden and F*** you for voting for him.” Not at political rallies, but at grocery stores and restaurants and on a normal commute on otherwise beautiful, winding country roads.
Wanting to counter this message with Biden pride, I Googled “pro-Biden tshirt.” Every link led me to “Let’s go Brandon” options.
The official options at Biden/Harrison’s own websites lack all style, design, and messaging.
That “the Stop Woke act” has gained traction in Florida horrifies me. Isn’t “wokeness” simply looking out for others, for the marginalized and most vulnerable among us? How can such seething energy and pride exist in standing against THAT?
How can so many business that pride themselves in promoting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) training remain silent as Florida bans DEI training?
Is anyone besides Professor Richardson forcefully countering the Right’s destructive rhetoric?
Every time I see that sort of garb, flag, signage, I counter with "Politicians come and go, some leave horrible after-effects in their wake, but I stand with America and democracy--no swag needed." They are advertising their ignorance and prejudice.
Given the number of voters who have switched from Republican to lndependent, maybe t-shirt wearers have lost some of their their impact on public opinion. Sometimes their behavior is enough to convince others not to vote like them. And I would hesitate to wear a Biden t-shirt anywhere near an irrational gun totting Republican.
And I'm positively gleeful DOJ is going after Murduche.
Murdoch Confirms U.S. Department of Justice Investigation Into News Corporation
This was originally from 11 years ago, last update in 2017. I hit a paywall so didn’t read it but I suspect Murdoch is fine from this investigation. Maybe the dominion lawsuit will result in an impact but considering we the voters allowed the gop to steal our judiciary I wouldn’t hold out too much hope
Sorry to hear Pennsylbama is still at it. You’d think after we took back the state House of Representatives, flipped a state senator seat, elected ANOTHER democratic governor (thrilled with Gov Shapiro, watch him on Jordan Klepper’s podcast) And flipped a Republican Senate seat Democrat, we’d be considered a blue state. But our criminal element in Washington keeps washing up on shore like putrid seaweed. Scott Perry, Mike Kelly, defeated gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano are seditious insurrectionists. Why isn’t the media asking why are Perry and Kelly still seated? Digging into their rolls in 1/6/21? Because media is corrupt, which is why we’re reading Heather and others here! But please don’t compare PA to FL. The whole state of Florida is a crime scene.
Karen, I’ll check out Jordan Klepper’s podcast. Thanks for the recommendation. And as a Floridian (and former Brooklynite) I am happy to report my Obama t-shirts usually illicit a positive vocal response from likeminded fellow grocery shoppers.
I still wear my Biden/Harris pins to the grocery store I had a slight run in with the woman bagging groceries announcing Democrats eat babies. Her son is building a bunker for when Biden comes for his guns. I shop there all the time, great little store. Haven’t seen her since.
I know there’s a lot of Floridians horrified by what’s happening. Good to hear many are keeping the faith. 😊
I have a nos Katherine Harris Tee of her on her horse, just before she was tossed overboard after deciding the Bush-Gore chad mess. Never worn, never out of the packaging. I am not of that party.
This again shows that too large an amount of the American electorate are crass, ignorant, stupid, gullible, obnoxious, uneducated who will be the downfall of the country. They are too worthless to realize they are shooting themselves in the foot and they will suffer from supporting the traitorous Republican party fools.
I’m a retired educator. You said it! I was born, educated and taught in PA. Being a product of great education in the ‘60’s and ‘70’s, it is horrifying to watch what’s happened and still happening around the country. Especially in the southern part of the United States. Education and critical thinking skills are exactly what Republicans (oligarchy) want deeply suppressed.
K-12 schools have been and still are under attack. No money for public education went from “teachers are bad, greedy, lazy communists” to no money for public education that supports facts and scientific research to now no money for public education that doesn’t support fascism. What the hell, people?
Here's some info as to why public education is under attack: The American Executive Council (A.L.E.C.) is one of the sources for those bills to kill public education come from from (and many other things-check the items on the left side of the article for details). Please read: https://www.alecexposed.org/wiki/ALEC_%26_Education
I've seen the F Biden signs in Illinois too. And this coming from people that care so much about what is taught in our schools? They put profanity on their lawns for every child to see every day? I guess they learn how to spell some words very young.
It's racists out to scare poor benighted white pensioners so they can be corralled like sheep. Same game in Britain -- and it works... aided and abetted by natural aberrations like cancel culture, weird propaganda for sexual minorities of half a dozen and silly youngsters jumping on fashionable bandwagons.
After so many centuries of cruel oppression, it is surprising that the awakening of black consciousness should in fact have been so peaceable and not in the least surprising that some statues and some reputations should have suffered. But I can't enthuse about privileged white youngsters forming pseudo-woke sheepflocks. I'm not referring to those who've thought their views and their action through, but to groupthink bleating, especially when it entails yet more pre-pubertal bullying, intolerance and book-burning at an age when people ought to be beginning to think for themselves.
If they don't learn now, they never will... and I'll bet that many will end up resembling their far-right-fodder grandmas and granddads. Thought free from cradle to grave, it's just the expression of thoughtlessness that changes...
More frightening, the brutal awakenings that may well befall both the thought-free and the thoughtful whom they've betrayed. Look at young Russians driven to the slaughter...
All raised in the great traditions of questioning authority and bemoaning the oppression of the haves and the government. Introspection only found at the bottom of a pint and the last drag on a joint t (by Witch I reveal my age and bias).
Fred WI, I always questioned everything, but since I respect genuine authority, my questioning was in that instance to check on whether it was the real thing. I've seen any amount of abuse and imitation, yet I've met more men and women possessing that quality to the full than I could ever have imagined at the outset. But then, introspection came naturally, from the start -- which explains the questioning.
Peter, well said. I omitted, because it sounds derogatory, that too many got stuck on asking questions while not tutored in listening to the answers. From reading your posting, I get the impression you too listen, discern, integrate, and ask new question that inform your views and those of others. Too many stop only to ask the next version of the same question, missing an important purpose of a question, that being to get the other person to elaborate, to think outloud. Questioning is an activity of intelligence, not the character of such.
I've often worked among people who seem to see asking questions as a sign of weakness or incompetence. I see it the opposite way round. There's no harm in asking a very simple question, our mind sometimes needs jogging; and it is healthy to break off work for a moment and talk to another human being... Besides, even the best and the brightest sometimes get stuck, and this can affect a whole group of people. Best solution: take a break, stop for a coffee. After a moment's relaxation the problem will more often than not have disappeared.
As for listening carefully and, when one has either made a statement or asked a question, not pressing the person you're talking to but leaving them time to think things over, that's both considerate and effective. This is paradoxical but there's always an element of relaxation behind the most efficient performance, both at work and in sport.
IMHO It is easier to write and distribute a slogan to tear down, than to offer up ideas to improve or find comity on, least of all praise. The politics of today is to find something to gripe about, regardless whether it is real or just gets the job done: Raise anger against what our government does or can do. The game is to find blame, someone, the opposition, to blame for anything. The disconnect between what is and what people think (a stretch) is fed by paraphernalia and the media and the snook who pararades around flags and hats. I'm with Suzzane
Good point. When did we move from, or did we ever, the identification of a condition or state, understanding how either of them came about or what can be do, to making them something evil or sinful and therefore we must asign blame and punish accordingly? My current examples are inflation and recession. These are neither evil nor someone's fault. They are construct that say where in the balance of things economic, the flow and value of money is at at some certain time. They are actually meqsure 2ith which to decide whether things might not be going well in a freemarket economy or to trigger actions by governments, nations, world economies, individuals. We don't like or like where our personal conditions is at a point in time, but the actions to deal with either are macro (nations or economies) and personal (how we change our behaviors when costs are rising faster then revenue (income, mostly). They are measures that can be useful only if paid attention to, not get into some huddle and bemoan how the sky is falling or the earth is erupting beneath our feet. Paul Krugman's NYT article today made me think about herd thinking and intellectual economists being too often believed for their predictions. The State of the Union response tonight will certainly show how one group huddles to build slogans, hats, and bumper stickers. And the I go doing what you are pointing out we could refrain from, Gayle B.
I sure dunno, Shawn. It's no question, the repubbadubs destructive-ness has gone well beyond "rhetoric". Not easy to combat. However, hats, t-shirts, bumper stickers, and sound-bites which call out stupidity do have some impact. To its credit, the Biden administration has stayed out of the gutter. "Not easy", given the proliferation of the use of the "f" word by women and the porn-star ambiance of DJT.
Jan T. , I am with you. Biden is great because during the many years he has served this country, he has learned to govern. He has chosen Democratic values, he has actually worked at forming relations with everyone.....we are supposed to be the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA...'FOR GOD'S SAKE! I love it when he says that...
People talk about his age, that he is slow of speech....he overcame stuttering and he has encouraged others that they can too....he is a regular guy who grew up in the same home with parents who took in grandparents.....family helping family. He has suffered loss with the death of his first wife and a young daughter. He actually uses his wounds to help: example...more help for our Veterans. He is "Building back better!"
With all these common experiences, with faith and genuine love for this country and all of its people.....WHY NOT VOTE FOR JOE AGAIN! and not only for Joe but also Jill....aren't they a great team!!!
Meanwhile there are some great younger ones in the wing....they are learning and being encouraged and being pushed forward....they need a little more time.
Barbara, "I did not mean, "He has learned to govern" as a slight or a phrase of disrespect. Joe has been involved with "governing" since he was a young man and he has taken knowledge gained through friendships over the years, through being engaged with excellent mentors, through understanding our rules\laws of proper governing which he deeply respects. He truly loves our country and is working with other like minded nations to remain free. I do believe that 'learning to govern" is a fluid concept.and that different times and situations require revisiting.
I was attempting (poorly) to compare him to many who seem to know nothing about governing and care only about their personal agenda and personal power and seem to have no desire to "learn to govern".
Use your own power. If you comment in WaPo then throw down facts instead of culture wars. By now we should all have a ready list of everything Biden has done from Day 1 of his Presidency. For starters 220 million Americans were vaccinated in the first 100 days of the Biden Presidency. trump vaccinated 16 million.
This has become a main goal of mine; to incite people to use facts instead of getting caught in complaining, snarking and the useless habit of outrage.
Democrats need all the help they can get. We're losing the communication war, and the DNC is asleep at the switch. Thanks for that important statistic Barbara. we ned are comparisons like that.
Later today I'll post my list. Right now I have to go to work. Dr. Richardson has a great list in her article. We just need to get the list down to bullet points.
Unemployment Rate Dropped To 54-Year Low Under Biden. “The president’s last-minute remarks were added to his schedule Friday morning after the Labor Department announced the U.S. economy created a whopping 517,000 jobs in January, a shockingly high number that underscores a growing and resilient labor market. The unemployment rate fell to 3.4 percent, the lowest level since 1969.” [Politico]
National
Biden Awarded $800 Million For Road Improvements. “Today, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced a historic $800 million in grant awards for 510 projects through the new Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program, a record amount of funding to improve roads and address traffic fatalities.” [DOT]
Biden Awarded $2.7 Billion To Improve Rural Electric Infrastructure. “U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the Department is investing $2.7 billion to help 64 electric cooperatives and utilities expand and modernize the nation’s rural electric grid and increase grid security.” [USDA]
Biden Ended National COVID-19 Emergency. “President Joe Biden informed Congress today that he would be ending the dual states of emergency that were declared to help address the Covid pandemic, according to multiple sources.” [Deadline]
Immigration
Biden Reunified 600th Child Separated From Family By Trump. “Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas released the following statement regarding the Family Reunification Task Force’s ongoing progress: “Today is the second anniversary of the Family Reunification Task Force that President Biden established soon after he assumed office. Thanks to the tireless work of public servants across the federal government and the critical partnership of non-governmental organizations, the Department of Homeland Security and the Task Force it leads has thus far reunited more than 600 children who were separated from their families under the prior administration’s “zero-tolerance” policy.” [DHS]
Biden Launched Welcome Corps Allowing Families To Sponsor Refugees. “The Biden administration this week announced a groundbreaking initiative that will allow everyday Americans to financially sponsor refugees seeking safety in America. While previous private sponsorship efforts by the Biden administration have been more geographically limited, this new Welcome Corps initiative opens up sponsorship opportunities to refugees from all over the world.” [Daily Kos]
Biden Protected Undocumented Immigrants Who Had Labor Rights Violated. “Under the new policy, DHS will streamline its processes for providing up to two years of protection for undocumented workers who report violations of worker rights, as well as a permit to legally seek work.” [Wonkette]
Health Care
Biden Awarded $11 Million For Cancer Screening Disparities. “Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), awarded nearly $11 million to 22 HRSA-funded health centers to improve access to life-saving cancer screenings and early detection services for underserved communities.” [HHS]
Education
Biden Granted $35 Million To Cradle To Career Program In High Needs Communities. “Today, the U.S. Department of Education (Department) announced new awards totaling more than $35 million for the Promise Neighborhoods and Project Prevent grant programs. Promise Neighborhoods grants provide coordinated support services and programs to students from low-income backgrounds at every stage of their education from early childhood through their careers.” [DOE]
Native American
Biden Allocated $580 Million To Indian Water Rights Settlements. “The Department of the Interior today announced a nearly $580 million allocation to continue fulfilling settlements of Indian water rights claims using funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Reclamation Water Settlements Fund.” [Interior]
National Security
Biden Ordered Chinese Spy Balloon Shot Down. “This afternoon, at the direction of President Biden, U.S. fighter aircraft assigned to U.S. Northern Command successfully brought down the high altitude surveillance balloon launched by and belonging to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) over the water off the coast of South Carolina in U.S. airspace.” [DOD]
Environment
100,000 Green Jobs Added Since IRA Law Passed. “Between last August, when President Joe Biden’s landmark climate bill became law, and the end of January, companies have announced more than 100,000 clean energy jobs in the US, according to an analysis released Monday,” [Bloomberg]
Biden Protected 9.3 Million Acres Of Forest In Tongass National Forest (Alaska). “The Biden administration on Wednesday restored protections for more than half of Alaska’s Tongass National Forest, safeguarding one of the world’s largest intact temperate rainforests from new roads and logging.” [Washington Post]
Biden Banned Mining On 225,000 Acres In Boundary Waters (Minnesota). “The Biden administration imposed a 20-year ban on new mineral development across 225,000 acres of national forest land adjacent to Minnesota’s iconic Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.” [HuffPost]
Biden Launched $50 Million Clean Energy For Communities Program. ” The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today launched a new up to $50 million program to help communities across the country transition to clean energy systems that are reliable, affordable, equitable, and reflective of local priorities.” [DOE]
Biden Granted $42 Million To Develop EV Vehicle Batteries. “The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $42 million in funding for 12 projects to strengthen the domestic supply chain for advanced batteries that power electric vehicles (EVs).” [DOE]
Awesome Barbara. Please point me to bullet point styled layout. I've suggested as much to HRC, but I'm thinking she's already too busy to add on tasks to her days. Might be nice if she proofread, add or subtracted for spot on accuracy and completeness. Whatcha' think Barb ?
Honestly D I thought I would go on and post these lists as I have run out of day. Maybe you could give it a shot.
I haven't noticed Dr. Richardson struggling with much of anything. She is a Nationally recognized historian who did a one on one interview with President Biden last year.
We do what we can. Rest some. Personally, I've been following Dr. HRC ever since she began writing; she stopped for a bit, then resumed her excellent history lessons and modern context. I've been enamored and a pupil ever since.
The disconnect between the reality of the Biden administration's success and the public perception can be explained by several factors colliding:
1. As has already been pointed out, journalism (there are still a lot of good reporters) is overwhelmed with sound byte, ad money generating "breaking news". Which is gobbled up by a public with the attention span of goldfish. And with some exceptions, the media spends too much time with "whataboutism". The glaring example is the "documents" issue. The Trump case and the Biden case are completely different and yet the MSM spoke of one undermining the other. What? In a lame effort to appear non biased, the MSM actually gives liars a platform to chant those lies.
Where is the reporter who halts the GQP nutcase mid-sentence and says, excuse me sir, that is an established lie, why do you keep repeating it? Excuse me sir, but the courts have established that your claim is false, why do you keep repeating it? The MSM is not achieving fairness. By allowing lies to be repeated over and over it becomes the "truth" for the gullible and hateful.
And why is all this happening? Because "news" is no longer about providing information to the public. It is a money making enterprise. When Americans got almost all their news from OTA (over the air) legacy TV broadcasts, ABC, CBS, and NBC all had separate news divisions that lost money. They were expenses for the companies that owned them. Their sole function was to be first and accurate with the news. And if there was commentary, it was provided at the end of the pure news and explained as such. The entertainment division made the money to subsidize what was essentially a public service. The three legacy networks competed to be the most accurate and thorough in news gathering. It was a matter of corporate pride. Imagine that.
2. People are selfish. Despite having restored sanity, fiscal responsibility, international cooperation and installing experts instead of hacks and sycophants in the government....Biden has not put money directly in people's pockets lately. Those Covid checks were nice. I guess we thought they would go on forever.
3. I love Joe Biden for his values and the amazing stuff he has done. I think he will be remembered as one of our most effective and important Presidents...ever. But we live in a youth oriented, perfect body worshiping culture. For those under 50, Joe is a shuffling old grandfather - who sounds like one. His thoughts and his actual words are for the ages. But his performance is for the aged.
4. This is the biggest one. It has been an American tradition to have a loyal opposition - no matter which party was "in charge". It was considered patriotic to have another point of view on legal and social matters. There was debate, negotiation and compromise. But there was also a basic modicum of respect. Joe Biden would have dinner with Lindsay Graham. They called each dear friend and were there for each other during times of personal tragedy.
The GQP has embarked on a war. Lindsay Graham is now a traitor to his friend and former colleague. When your President and all the thousands of hard working people that surround him are attacked when they produce superb results (the stats in today's letter) one has to ask these "opponents" what would make you happier? Disaster? Higher unemployment? More bridges and highways crumbling? What? Politics have always been messy and the facts made murky. But this is an all out WAR on Democrats. It's as if Joe McCarthy was reincarnated as Rush Limbaugh who was reincarnated as Tucker Carlson. The difference is that the first two were anti-Russian. This is a GQP war on patriotism itself.
The Biden administration has been able to rescue a nation from a virtual free fall. The government had been hollowed out of quality personnel. And our new President went to work the very same day he was inaugurated to repair the damage. Where are the ads about that? We have a performance record that should guarantee a blue wave sweep next year. But we are not selling it. The pitch to the goldfish needs to be powerful, punchy and relentless.
Is there anyone at the DNC? Are they awake or on an extended sabbatical? Where are the ads that explain that the members of our GQP House of Representatives DON"T WANT the IRS to collect all the legally required taxes? That could REDUCE their beloved DEFICIT?
"Why are Republicans helping tax CHEATERS?"
We have success after success to talk about. Yet we let the media robber barons control the room. A Democratic Party that has performed SO well has become clumsy and complacent. It is long overdue that we fight fire with fire. And we have something huge on our side. Truth.
"Is there anyone at the DNC? Are they awake or on an extended sabbatical?"Great question and often frustrating to me!
But here is a counterintuitive thought: let the extremist-controlled messaging of the opposition rant, rave and self destruct. Counter messages during a melt- down get sucked into the meltdown vortex and act to inflate the opposition message. The rhetoric from the right is often irrational. It may be better to stay out of the irrational rhetoric, do the job and let the messaging of facts come from outside the partisan bubble.
This isn't our grandfather's politics; it is not even our parents' politics; it is not-amazingly- even our politics of a few years ago.
(Just a thought. Not a defense of the DNC. I may be giving them way too much credit for actually strategizing.)
Good thought! In a world of rational voters who paid attention, who voted logically and not emotionally, the GQP spiral dive of insane positions and lies, lies and more lies would doom them.
Sadly, I think Amercans are impressed by Comic Book heroes and outrageous behavior.
Bill, you've said everything I've ben complaining about, only so much better. The DNC has been asleep at the switch since Tom Perez was head of the org. Let's hope Jamie Harrison does a better job. He has had many opportunities recently to capitalize on some of the flame throwing accusations the rethugs. have thrown out. The balloon fiasco would be a great starter.
Truth ! A bit at a time you're admirably putting it all together. Keep working on this direct dive you're on Bill. You've hit upon numerous accurate points here. For example, "News as an entertainment driven 'product' - accuracy, facts in evidence be damned; it's the bottom line screams the business side drivers. Profit = eyeballs; hot babe delivery, controversy by any means, etc., etc. I saw an interesting interview some time ago between Stephen Colbert and Chris Wallace, who couldn't be further apart in their political leanings - yet, truly like one another, and Chris has been on the show many many times. It may or may not have been a fully genuine feeling, but at one point Chris acknowledged the whole 'news as entertainment' departure as it is, going so far as to put some blame on his Dad Mike Wallace of '60 Minutes' fame, for being somewhat instrumental in that departure. I think about that sometimes, then shows like 'Jerry Springer', 'Judge Judy', and others of that type and their roles in that, unrestrained by some legal focus / liability. Perhaps that's a thing whose time has come: legally binding responsibility that comes with the 'privilege' to call oneself a news service as opposed to sit com or variety show, a genre Faux certainly fits into. Legally binding definitions, responsibilities, and liabilities. I'm certain the time has come for that conversation to saturate the American conscience or what's left of it. Brava Bill - keep the faith !
I don't care where you get your news....they are all so negative about Biden and his accomplishments. Today they are still fussing about that Chinese balloon. I haven't heard one thing about the 3 that were found during the tfg 4 years. I shared this letter early this morning on Facebook....hardly anyone reads and no one response to my posts by HCR that I share...it upsets me so!
It's worthwhile to recall that there were frequent reports / statements made, that while occupying the office of POTUS, _ rump could not even give time to daily cabinet updates, much less the nat'l security briefings. He spent his time watching news about him, tweeting, profiteering, and scheming, and eating hamburders.
Jan, you are not the only one who sees the accomplishments of President Joe Biden and his administration and all the younger Democrats who are being mentored and growing into amazing leaders!!! Joe looks forward! He really believes we can do anything together. He is not going to let a few punches take him down because he believes that even those giving the punches will be positively affected by let's say for example, "Building Back Better". Everyone knows who has encouraged building back our crumbling infrastructure. I don't think Joe cares about the credit so much as he does that it is going to get done for the American people. Internett for those who could not have it and had to go to another location other than their homes to complete assignments or to send out a resume or fill out a medical form, etc. And all of these improvements will provide good paying jobs!
While those who want to destroy continue, nothing seems to stop them....Joe has his eye on the goal. I think his age keeps him pushing on with determination to get the job done for the American people. After all, someone has to be the adult!
We can throw our hands up...or we can look for some good to do for our country and for this world and do it !!! That is what I see Joe doing.
Evil can only paralyze us if we let it. We can have our own ideas about how to accomplish good and progress on infinite levels. Please, each of you is too great and accomplished to allow evil to put your goodness in a box. Do what you can do with who you are and where you are. That is what Joe is doing. He is not going to be paralyzed by negative propaganda.
From what I've read online it appears that Biden will be focusing on the capping of insulin pricing in his State of the Union speech. Regarding his accomplishments, I think part of the issue is that many American's only get their news from Facebook and Twitter so unless their personally lives are dramatically improved or negatively affected their beliefs about the state of the country are driven by what they see other people saying, especially when it is coming from the GOP outlets. As the saying goes... "People's perception is their reality."
03/11/2021 American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, a sweeping $1.9 trillion relief to address the continued impact of COVID-19 on the economy, public health, state and local governments, individuals, and businesses.
11/15/2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, $1.2 trillion investment in “hard infrastructure” including roads and bridges.
03/29/2022, Emmett Till Antilynching Act, 120 years after an anti-lynching bill was first introduced and after failing on nearly 200 prior occasions, Congress passed a bill designating lynching as a hate crime. Only three representatives—one each from Texas, Kentucky, and Georgia—voted against the bill.
06/25/22 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, extended background checks for gun purchasers under 21, funding for state red flag laws and other crisis intervention programs, and partial closure of the “boyfriend” loophole.
07/29/2022 CHIPS and Science Act, the most significant research bill passed in a generation, including a $56 billion investment in American semiconductor production to incentivize companies to move chip production back into the United States.
08/02/2022, Honoring our PACT Act of 2022, provides healthcare and other services related to veterans who were exposed to toxic substances during military service.
08/07/2022, Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, the largest climate investment in US history, lowers prescription drug prices by giving Medicare the power to negotiate the prices of certain prescription drugs and extends expiring health care subsidies for three years.
This doesn't even include the strengthening of ties with our NATO allies and the AsiaPac region, however we also have to realize that whether Biden has objectively done a good job or not, we need to select a Democratic Presidential nominee who will win the 2024 election, full stop. If polling and people don't want to vote for Biden then it doesn't matter objectively how great he was.
Great post. It's quite a list. 45's list was Tax break for the rich. Done. Oops. Forgot negligent homicide of hundreds of thousands...long Covid still crippling millions.
And your last sentence is the truth. 23% of young Democrats want Biden to run.
Well put. Trump and his Republican “leaders “ are not only setting up obstacles now, hamstrung Biden even before he could get into office ie Afghanistan. President Biden and his administration are adults in a room with whining children who have been empowered by “we the people “. And considering balloons, perhaps we could put one over the Republican Party to protect us from their destruction and deceit.
I am frustrated with the republicans and there lack of integrity to do the job they were voted in to do. The saying comes to mind “You can’t fix stupid”. To think they can not see, read and know the truth of the accomplishments of Biden is truly Shame on them! They would rather stick to the trump mentality and and all their petty fighting. And the fact that they don’t see several in their party as a threat to democracy and decency is beyond compressible.
"There are none so blind as those who will not see" was my mother's favorite quote to me after I "came out" as a Democrat. How the tables have turned!
Today the post of HCR is very positive and makes me want to retract my 'trial balloon' comment from the other day. Those who liked it may retract their likes at any time :)
No drum rolls yet for Joe Biden. He needs to resolve the student loan issues which he was instrumental in creating since 1990 while in the House and Senate. We have a major drug problem too in the form of opioids. Opioid abuse is still a raging epidemic in the US. The pharmaceutical distribution companies are still a big part of the problem. They ship whatever.
Not that Joe has been a hindrance. He has put in place many economic influencing actions which has saved the nation from the years of recovery we had experienced after 2007/8.
He just needs to resolve the lingering issues too.
The balloon story also pushed another story of much greater importance out of the news: the story of the FBI agent arrested for working for the Russians. That is a story the GOP is happy to flush down the collective memory hole.
Because I’m tired but want to show my appreciation for President Biden and his administration I am copying and pasting what I wrote on Robert Hubbell’s substack the other night:
I am so proud of President Biden and his administration. They have accomplished more to raise our economy and standard of living than has been done in 40 years. Reaganomics has fueled our economic, healthcare and basic inequalities, and the demise of a prosperous economy for all. President Biden’s agenda has been to build our economy by creating and promoting jobs for everyone that help everyone in our country to prosper. I am extremely disgusted by the Repugnant house with their AR 15 lapel pins, and most of all voting Congresswoman Omar off the Foreign Relations Committee. What a bunch of weasels (although I don’t want to insult weasels), I believe they are intimidated by her grace and power.
You seem well connected. Why is the press so dysfunctional? Why are they letting the MAGA GOP fringe own their coverage? Why aren’t they putting Biden’s accomplishments into perspective repeatedly?
Yes, Sinclair (which was founded by a right wing millionaire), but it's all mass media. It's a big business, conservative, and certainly sexist at least, at its heart. They much prefer trickle down to building from the bottom up. It's important to remember that Trump is a creation of big media (yeah, I'm referring to you, NBC!). Going back a ways, remember the New York Times and WMD? Their failure to accurately report that fiction led to a disastrous, useless, deadly war, helped W. get four more years and helped trigger the worst financial collapse since the Great Depression.
I didn't know the NYT supported the Iraq War. At that time I was reading the WSJ like an obedient little conservative with aspirations of wealth. But i would like to clarify something. The 2008 financial crisis had less to do with the wars we were engaging in and everything do with deregulation of the banking industry. I forgot whose bright idea it was to allow overly-risky home loans to be made without oversight.
But, yea, big media companies suffer from group-think, at least within the editorial boards and executive suite.
Per Ad Fontes Media Chart that maps out where various news sources fall on a two-dimensional plot of bias vs. BS, NYT is less to the left than WSJ is to the right. To get the least biased news, go to Reuter and AP. I like the Economist myself, but with a grain of salt.
Today’s media thrives on ‘outrage of the moment’ stories. Any story that requires more than a soundbite to explain or is a simple, boring tale of competence is spiked in favor of the latest outrage. Our politics has reached reality TV levels of performative outrage.
This is the real threat to America’s standing in the world. Will we squander our leadership role to entertain ourselves?
Because they're over-educated, under-intelligent, otherwise-unemployable Ivy League trust fund babies who didn't get where they are by any independent brain power.
Yes! We need a “Get off of drugs” campaign that points out how much of our current world fits the ‘Drugification’ definition. Addiction takes any forms and rant radio started it all and made a great dealer out of older white men in cars. And the well named Rush was the king of the dealers!
It seems to me that we can immunize ourselves before radicalizing occurs by understanding these tools that TFG, Desantis, Mtg, Bimobert are using. However, their followers once radicalized is a much different and more complex challenge for all leaders.
Love the mixed metaphor…yes, we can vaccinate ourselves against these addictions, with love and truth, and joy and a sense that while imperfect, as are we, the world/nature/spirit are WONDERFUL! And hate can love in caves and see how long the drugs keep them alive. The issues is the commodification of hate, the monetizing, and people who care and feed the haters, advertisers, whole companies (even some so-called Christians pay for this hate as a business model.) and as soon as they bring their bile to the public table they have crossed a line…it’s not ‘free speech.” No more than my neighbor can play 130 decibel music.
In the 70s, the media was owned by like the high hundreds or maybe low thousand of different companies. Today I believe that number is in the single digits.
Reagan yelled about the liberal media, the “L” Word, the liberal bias.. etc so much the media has bent over backwards to disprove it, resulting in carrying the conservatives wager more time than not. Also, Murdoch showed how to get very wealthy and powerful as a media mogul, they are emulating him.
I suppose we should remember that the institutions are filled with people, we are highly divided, of course those institutions are going to have the same issues of division within them
And please remind us of how and why a foreign national got to buy so much media, thanks to you Bill and Newt! One needed change, to recover true local media, is to bring back the rules for ownership of consolidated and cross media companies. And start with Murdock and Sinclair…these have and will continue to hurt us.
Good questions. At every infrastructure improvement site there should be huge sign reading “This project is paid for by President Biden’s Infrastructure Bill.”
One of favorite old timer bumper stickers was “Vote Republican, it’s easier than thinking.” To which we could add, to so-called journalists, “Feed on the slime, it’s easier than research.” The 🫢🤪” if it bleeds it leads” has become “if it smells it sells.” All those trolls and their kin produce a lot of stuff that, as the term seems to be, “writes itself.” And that and the demise of radio broadcasters on local stations, replaced by national hate radio, and the consolidations of all media, but worst by Sinclair, has made this feed even more bizarre. So if you also add that now polo-let get their news from passive feeds whose algorithms feed at the slime bucket, and cat videos, instead of good digital sources, and Apple News, which to can be filtered, the better poll questions would focus on sources and what is “News?”
One other story that will have important, historic impact, is Heather Cox Richardson’s coverage of these times in America. From Alexander Vindman’s whistleblowing of the phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky in July of 2019, through the world-up-ending pandemic and it’s profound, percussive effects on humanity, ecology and the global economy; through the corrupt, power-abusing final months of Trump’s Presidency and the ugly, terrifying insurrection on January 6, 2021; and now through what has become the triumph of the Biden Administration. Reading your Letters from An American has been fortifying for so many of us. And you were part of a shift in journalism, away from mainstream media to Substack, to podcasts, and to Twitter and YouTube. Your Letters are a Primary Source. They will be studied by generations to come. My gratitude for you matches my gratitude for Biden and his team. Ken Burns or his students should start working on the documentary now. Thank you for helping us through this time.
Well said, ScannyDo. This Substack, more than the others (well, except for TAFM which I endjoy the heck out of) has become a foundation of my news consumption. Between the content of the Letters and the quality of the commentary, I feel like I have a more solid foundation of knowledge. I am a free subscriber to other amazing writers, but have tapped out that branch of discretionary spending in my budget. I refuse to give up my local paper (although it costs more than double what a single Substack subscription costs) and am loath to give up on either the WaPo or NYT, although one of them may go in the not to distant future.
I also had to stop paying for other substack letters and did cancel my NYT. I hated to lose the Science Times, Paul Krugman and Nick Kristof, but also feel troubled by the need to pander to the right by engaging nonsense stories. I even let go of National Geographic. 😕
I kept WaPo and HCR. Her Letters are my news foundation, too, Ally!
Why does an outsider historian have to do the American news media's job for them?
Because their business model has made them incompetent, unable to provide reliable information even to themselves. Couldn't tell a hawk from a handsaw...
Pathetic victims of virtual reality, like former guy Goldilocks and his well-fleeced flock.
Read my post, Peter, which is comprised of excerpts from David J. Lynch's article about the economy called, 'Biden economy keeps defying predictions. Will it last?' There are excellent American journalists writing about foreign policy, politics, health, justice....yes, and the economy. Try Paul Krugman in The New York Times, he's one of them. Again, read some of David J. Lynch's piece; I posted a large portion of it. Cheers!
Krugman is excellent but he is an opinion writer. He does it well, but he doesn’t report the news. We have a growing silent majority that know well recognize the MAGA folly, and yet we still have to contend with a GOO controlled house. Jim Jordan makes me want to puke. And McCarthy is useless because rather than create a governing coalition, he sold his soul to the “freedom” caucus. These nuts do not represent the majority of elections. And we have to start looking at these crazy districts that elect MTG and Boebert and Ronny Jackson. We need to donate to their opponents if we can’t vote there. We can hope they screw it up so bad for the next two years that they are resoundingly voted out--but that bad for America. What can we do now to counter the “stop woke” crap. We put economic pressure on businesses that donate money to any Republican that supported the resurrection. We support businesses like Disney that are being attacked for political reasons. And we can talk about it--to every person we know about Biden’s successes and the do nothing but investigate MAGA and their demonstrated inability to govern. And let’s kick the ass of mainstream media demanding they do a better job of contrasting Biden with the DeSantis’ and Trumps out there--and what it really means for the average American.
PAUL KRUGMAN IS AN ECONOMIST. He is a good writer and very funny...and there is more!
'He is distinguished professor in the Graduate Center Economics Ph.D. program and distinguished scholar at the Luxembourg Income Study Center at the City University of New York. In addition, he is professor emeritus at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. In 2008, Krugman was the winner of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his contributions to New Trade Theory and New Economic Geography. The Prize Committee cited Krugman's work explaining the patterns of international trade and the geographic distribution of economic activity, by examining the effects of economies of scale and of consumer preferences for diverse goods and services.'
'He also holds the title of Centennial Professor at the London School of Economics.[10] Krugman was President of the Eastern Economic Association in 2010,[11] and is among the most influential economists in the world. He is known in academia for his work on international economics (including trade theory and international finance, economic geography, liquidity traps, and currency crises.'
'Krugman is the author or editor of 27 books, including scholarly works, textbooks, and books for a more general audience, and has published over 200 scholarly articles in professional journals and edited volumes.' (sources: The New York Times and Wikipedia)
Having only “regular” TV, I’m subjected to commercial network morning news shows which are a joke! Most of their airtime could better be described as a variety show. Their format is so predictable and unoriginal, to boot. The second hour is the worse, with hosts mostly cackling over each other, ruffling each other’s feathers and delivering nothing of substance. Thankful for the evening’s PBS Newshour: a real news program!
I can also recommend the half-hour BBC World News Tonight which on my PBS station runs right before the PBS Newshour. I switched to this because I realized NBC Nightly news was so diminished.
Rose (WNY via OH/OR/MA/FL/CO) - "Having only “regular” TV, I’m subjected to commercial network morning news shows which are a joke! ...Thankful for the evening’s PBS Newshour: a real news program!"
I, too, get my "news" over the air (OTA). However, never in the morning so I can't speak to that. My exposure is during an hour in the evening.
The first half hour consists of Local News (1/3 Breaking or current events -- rarely any commentary), 1/3 Weather, 1/3 Sports. Not much there to be considered "infotainment.)
The second half hour is with the CBS Evening New with Norah McDonald. Last night the segments were:
• The Ukraine War
• The Earthquake in Turkey
• The Train wreck in Ohio
• The China Balloon debris recovery
• The Baltimore Power Grid plot
• The near-miss airplanes in Austin
• The Social Security/Inflation quandary
• AMC Theater Pricing
• Byonce's Grammy record
I don't recall any bias (well, perhaps, other than the choices) But it would be hard for me to pick other topics of general interest that should have been covered instead.
I am sure tonight's broadcast will be mostly about Biden's SotU address.
FWIW, I have yet to watch any news (or anything, for that matter) on a cable network -- FOX News, CNN, MSNBC, etc. Well other than excepts brought to my attention by other sources (normally journalists).
Ron, CBS News’s evening program with Norah O’Donnell is very good. She used to be in their 7-9 am CBS Mornings program; the moment she left for night-time news, the morning show started its decline, in my view. They even stole the t
trumpet theme tune from the Sunday Morning program with Jane Pauley (a gem!), cutting the melody short (in my book, coincidentally conveying how watered down their news content is). Another decent evening news program, although only broadcast on Sundays, is 60 Minutes, also on CBS.
I can’t blame you from staying away from cable news. From what I’ve read about them, they tend to be radical—either to the right or to the left (any form of radicalism brews bias!).
I must confess that during the campaigns of tfg and his horrendous presidency, I relied on late-night comedians for daily news—or better said, for the scandal of the day. It was the only way I could tolerate hearing about him. 😱
Like the balloon, REPUBLICAN'TS are full of hot air. How many of the balloons during the tRUMP debacle did we block and recover?
BTW, the vast majority of that 28 billion that tRUMP gave to "farmers" actually went to agribusiness like Monsanto et al. The average grant to mid-size farmers with say, only 6 or 7000 acres was $10000 and small farmers got nothing. The usual dole to the rich.
I get your drift but was thinking of something less easy to portray as a legit campaign contribution. It's pretty much all the same these days though, for sure, and just depressing for the average voter really.
I had a conversation with a MAGA on the internet yesterday regarding the " calamity Biden caused by withholding info about the Chinese balloon". I told him the balloon followed the path of the jetstream and it was wayward. I told him you have more Chinese spyware in your cellphone, computer, and Smart TV than what was in the disabled balloon. Also, what do you think the Chinese are doing with the intel everytime you make or watch a TicToc video?
Response: "oh shut up".
They need a new shiny object to direct their craziness to.
Biden did the right thing. We all know that even if we don't want to admit it.
Subscriber friends, please consider these people who are going through hell.
'We wrote to you when we first learned about the news of the back–to–back 7.8 and 7.7 magnitude earthquakes on the Turkish–Syrian border. Tragically the death toll from the earthquake that hit southern Turkey and neighboring Syria has exceeded 6,200 people, as rescuers continue to dig through the rubble of collapsed buildings in search of survivors. The massive quake, one of the largest to strike the quake-prone area in the past century, is raising fears of a new humanitarian crisis in a region strained by years of war, displacement and economic hardship. I have 3 important updates about the current situation I need to share with you:'
1. More than 5,000 people have been killed. And initial reports from IRC staff on the ground in Syria indicate that the impact has been devastating in areas that already host a high number of displaced and vulnerable families.'
2. A blizzard struck northern Syria over the weekend, leaving thousands now affected by the earthquake without shelter in freezing conditions. With shelters severely damaged and destroyed, many people don't know where they will sleep tonight as temperatures plummet below freezing. It's a race against the clock to provide lifesaving emergency support.
3. We have more than 1,000 staff inside Syria who work tirelessly to provide life–saving health care, protection and recovery support. We're urgently ramping up our emergency response — and funding is needed now to save lives and support essential services.
'My colleagues in Syria and the surrounding region affected by the earthquake are working to respond to this crisis and provide assistance to those injured and in need.'
'You will be hearing from me and my colleagues in the coming weeks to inform you what we're seeing on the ground, and what assistance is needed.'
'In moments of crisis like these, I'm constantly inspired by supporters like you,, who never fail to step up in an emergency. I am so grateful that you are on our team.'
Thank you, Fern McBride, for the link to Rescue.org. An excellent organization, this is IRC, International Rescue Committee, that has also contributed to the Ukrainian people. It’s important to check out the organizations that are helping in this disaster. If not sure, with other groups, contributors can check Charity Navigator, https://www.charitynavigator.org/search?q=IRC
Doctor Richardson did write about the earthquake yesterday. Our hearts and donations are flowing. Also, expect Jose Andres and his World Central Kitchen will also be there to help survivors.
The organizations I have listed and those by other subscribers on this thread are topnotch with high approval from Charity-Navigator. I am familiar with the ones you listed, which are also good but not better than what has been posted. Thank you for your additions.
Great, but Will Rogers said it clearly in 1932. Money trickles up, not down, Mr. Hoover didn’t know that. (Paraphrase). Republicans have been hoodwinking us all for way before I was born. Even before Rupert. The myth of the honorable “GOP” is, and has been, a cruel joke. Who will tell. Up yours…
"A poll conducted by the Washington Post and ABC News, written up today in the Washington Post, shows that 62% of Americans think Biden has not accomplished much in his two years in office. In fact, his administration ranks as one of the most consequential since the New Deal in the 1930s. Whether you love what he’s done or hate it, to think nothing has happened suggests a terrible disconnect between image and reality. "
The responsibility of news media is to connect citizens' awareness with reality. To have the awareness to think and understand what is happening requires the information to think with. Thinking does not occur in the absence of content.
Today while exercising, I watched a thirty minute video <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nbTlZRin78> of an interview with a very articulate Italian investigative reporter, Stefania Maurizi, who has years of experience in a variety of media, including Wikileaks. Watching her explain the difference between doing investigative reporting and the infotainment that passes today as "journalism" explains much of the disconnect and the absence of awareness of actions that are consequential.
Ask, "Do I see mainstream media educating me about why these actions are so consequential?"
Answering just for me, I do not. I see and hear frequent, consistently pumped affirmations about Biden's lack of popularity, but not these achievements. It's reminiscent of media's recent construction of the narratives that Republicans were going to vanquish Democrats in a red wave in 2022, or the 2016 mainstream narrative that Hillary Clinton had the presidency in the bag. That wasn't substance or news. It was simply created narrative. Leaving out the impact of what has been accomplished under adverse conditions in the recent couple of years is part of the present constructed narrative.
Mainstream media has decayed substantially. Who now believes they can rely on it or trust it? Who knows our government punishes whistleblowers, imprisons those who report war crimes and malfeasance, or allows corporations to do same to those who expose them for what they do? What percentage of citizens really KNOW?
To be even somewhat informed, I have to go to primary research sources and independent journalist sources and a few resources like this site written by scholars who check their sources and their facts. So few of us can do that that I am surprised that a poll showing participants' awareness of these achievements by Joe Biden is as high as 38%.
I am an old school retired journalist. Over my career, predatory investment firms took over media. The really well trained journalists were layed off or bought off with threats of layoffs, if they didn't accept the buyouts. These investors got rid of the fact checkers and copy editors and research departments. The staff that remains is overworked and has neither the backroom resources or the time to properly report the news. In my own career, I sometimes felt I was doing intel for management. More than once, I was praised for a story that never ran in my magazine. Should also say that I was a monthly magazine journalist who newspapers used as a source. Monthly magazine deadlines are different than daily newspapers, so you usually have more time to work on features, however, they lack immediacy. Even among magazines, staffs are thin and workloads heavy. Journalists are expected to research and write deadline stories, video and photograph stories (something that used to be separate jobs for others), and participate in all forms of social media. It's exhausting.
Christina, your story has roots in the newspaper, magazine, radio and tv business going back to the early days. There was an ebb and flow. The disappearance of newspapers and the explosion of social media -- this time is different. Propaganda, disinformation, conspiracy theories and 'alterative facts' so well put by Kellyanne Conway and the undermining of public school education are what the facts, civics, reasoning, respect for others, civil society and democracy are up against.
Sinclair... How do we get American journalism, and thus American democracy, back? I feel like I need to say, "Thank you for your service, Christina." It's an uncivil corporate war.
Indeed, one has to look hard for a news source that isn't simply part of the echo chamber selling ads by spinning events into "news". "Sturm und drang" is what sells, but actual news is something you must search out like a beat reporter. The trouble is, most of us have neither the credentials nor the time to do primary research on everything that crosses their view. Independent journalism isn't on the grocery store rack, major television channels or even on page 1, 2, or 3 of your average internet browser search. You have to sniff out your sources and then hang on to them fiercely because they rarely are backed by big money.
We are indeed deep in do-do. The average American Joe is becoming less educated to use evidence or trained to do the research to find it. Scholars and investigative reporters have something in common; both understand, in their developed area of expertise, how to use evidence and how to find it.
Christina Farnsworth describes how predatory business took those with the ability to do both from the profession and replaced them with those who do neither, but instead dispense information that originates from surprisingly few sources out to the public. Media figures are told to distribute that information but don't fact check it or even know how to evaluate it, very much as Italian investigative reporter, Stefania Mauriz described above. Corporate mainstream media moves in lock-step, which is why all front-pages look alike and all prime time television news sounds alike, as shown in the the recent manipulation to focus all citizens' attention on a spy balloon and into a created narrative about it.
We don't see such lock step in independent journalism because that is largely the product of diverse researchers adept at investigating what is important to them. They all don't carry the same story precisely because they have different interests and do their own research instead of doing rip- and-read presenting from what is essentially a script.
The same transition is occurring in higher education, but it is largely politicians who have engineered that change rather than predatory hedge funds. Politicians do this by pressuring the converting of the majority of college professors' positions into a cheaper temp-agency kind of work in which doing research is written out of their job responsibilities. For the rest who do research, the pressure focuses on removing the protections of tenure, which is the academic equivalent of the First Amendment protections that once protected investigative reporting and publishing that reported party and government malfeasance.
Florida under its Governor DeSantis is the culminating stage of politicians dictating to professors after removing tenure what they can and cannot say, teach, research, or profess and ordering them to follow a script to support political narrative.
Yes, the repubs are flooding the lane with you know what ! And I do think its because of their disarray and malfunction leading up to the debt ceiling showdown. That being said, two things concern me. We've had a history of balloons coming over us from the west. I think in WW2, Japan actually sent explosive balloons over here that killed and injured people on the U.S. mainland. So the second thing is why don't we have the ability stop these things from coming over? But it was an excellent idea to shoot it down over the ocean.
Biden is doing an excellent job and I hope he stays on track with his message and efforts in order to keeping moving us Democracy minded folks forward. Lots of good stuff in your analysis Dr. Richards !
Placed side by side, the lists of significant accomplishments of Joe versus tRUMP would be astonishing. That list should be on media of all kinds every day.
The WaPo/ABC/Monmouth poll is, to use a term of art, “garbage”. It is a vaguely worded poll that asks people to describe their feelings about “elected officials” and “the federal government” and “the direction of the country.” Are the “elected officials” referred to in the poll Democrats? Republicans? Both? Neither? City council members? County sheriffs? School board members? That ambiguity is glossed over by asking respondents about their feelings regarding the “state of the union,” which, by inference, is the speech that Joe Biden will deliver tomorrow.
Like most of the rest of the garbage the over-educated, under-intelligent, otherwise-unemployable Ivy League trust fund babies of the Press Corpse produces, it's just "’m not happy, my kids aren’t happy, and it just doesn’t seem like things are better. Also, I put on a lot of weight during lockdown, and it isn’t going away. No wonder I’m unhappy. So, I’ll blame the government, which I mostly want to do anyway. "
In one sense, maybe it’s us who are guilty. We are expecting MSM and social media to be something they are not with their infotainment / advertising-based business model. We see the advertising clearly each and every time we try to read or listen to the substance of a piece. In fact trying to find the article among all the Vegas-style attention-luring / intentionally-distracting advertising is an exhausting experience. And now it is so normal to have all the trash and flash and siren-calls to divert to a TikTok video, most people don’t even question the mindf*ck they just experienced, and shallow-recall their emotional impression of the click-bait headlines they may have remembered before pivoting their attention pavlovianly. “Has Biden accomplished much in his two years in office?” “Uhhhhhhhhhhhh, no?” The Citizen United architects cheer “Mission Accomplished!”
I'm one person who is impressed with what Biden has accomplished. The Washington Post folks didn't ask me, but I just keep wondering how anyone can avoid being impressed that Biden was able to accomplish anything at all, given all the irrational opposition to anything he does. His opponents seem to be grasping at anything they think they can use to take over power. Except for thinking straight, prioritizing a strong democracy, and having any sort of respect for what Biden has been able to accomplish. It's astonishing, really.
'Biden economy keeps defying predictions. Will it last?' (excerpts)
The combination of a hiring boom and ebbing inflation has confounded forecasters, who’ve been warning of a recession, By David J. Lynch
Whether the United States can keep defying the recession odds may depend on what happens in industries such as leisure and hospitality, health care and entertainment. These service businesses are enjoying a boomlet as consumers return to their pre-pandemic lifestyles.
Restaurants can’t find workers because they’ve found better jobs
Hotels, airlines and medical clinics all are hiring like mad. The Las Vegas Sands, a casino and resort company, lists 50 job openings on its website, including for cybersecurity specialists, attorneys and a corporate receptionist. HCA Healthcare, which operates medical facilities in 21 states and the United Kingdom, is hiring doctors in Texas, nurses in Kansas and lab assistants in Colorado.
Goods prices, a major contributor to inflation last year, have started to come down. Other major spending categories are expected to soon follow. Advertised apartment rents, for example, are cooling off. But it takes time for those changes to be reflected in official government data.
White House aides see signs that wages in the services portion of the economy are not rising as quickly as they did last year. If that moderation continues, it would take pressure off prices and allow the Fed to stop hiking rates, according to a senior administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.
“We don’t see it. It’s not happening yet,” Powell told reporters last week, referring to any reversal in services inflation.
The bigger problem is that Friday’s jobs report shows that it’s just not getting any easier to understand the economy. While the worst of the pandemic is in the past, businesses and consumers still bear its scars.
Americans behaved differently during the days of coronavirus restrictions, buying significantly more goods than they normally would and consuming fewer in-person services.
The economy responded. Transportation and warehousing companies bulked up and now employ roughly 1 million more workers than in February 2020, while companies in the leisure and hospitality sector are still 495,000 workers short, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
They are almost 1.5 million short of the workers they would be expected to need now if they had grown over the past three years at their typical pace, according to Daleep Singh, chief global economist for PGIM Fixed Income.
New House panel zeroes in on Chinese-owned app Tik Tok over security fears
Friday’s jobs report provided a glimpse of key hiring trends. Goods-producing companies added 46,000 workers in January, according to seasonally adjusted Labor Department statistics. But services companies added almost nine times as many, or 397,000. Leisure and hospitality along with health care were among the most active industries.
After shedding tens of thousands of workers during the pandemic’s early months, major airlines have been scrambling to hire. American Airlines has added roughly 40,000 workers over the past two years and plans to add more this year, including about 2,000 pilots, executives told investors last month.
Robert Isom, the airline’s chief executive, described the hiring spree as “unprecedented.”
Likewise, United Airlines, which had never hired more than 900 pilots in a year before the pandemic, recruited 2,500 last year, CEO Scott Kirby told investors recently. “Pilots are and will remain a significant constraint on capacity,” he said.
Beneath the surface of the $25 trillion U.S. economy, industries and consumers are gradually establishing a new normal. Many pre-pandemic habits are gone. But the economy remains in the shadow of a once-in-a-century global calamity.
At auto parts maker Clips & Clamps Industries in Plymouth, Mich., Jeff Aznavorian senses the approach of a mild downturn. The firm’s president is hoping this year to hang on to his existing $15 million in annual revenue, before an anticipated surge of business in 2024.
So far, orders are holding up. Last year’s supply chain problems are just a memory. His biggest headache, he said, is uncertainty.
“I can see February and March pretty clearly. Beyond March, I can’t see at all,” he said.
The Fed and Wall Street analysts are having the same problem. Standard economic models that economists use to predict future developments are built on the experience of recent decades.
There is no playbook for navigating the aftermath of a global pandemic that included societal lockdowns, shuttered factories and staggered national reopenings. Standard relationships — such as the link between job gains and wages or between employment and inflation — are breaking down.
“We have a dismal understanding of how this post-pandemic economy works,” Bernard Baumohl, chief global economist for the Economic Outlook Group, wrote in a client note on Friday.
China’s bid to leave covid behind could determine global economy’s fate
The Fed should rethink conventional economic theory that says inflation must inevitably rise as the unemployment rate falls because employers competing for a dwindling pool of workers will bid up wages and, eventually, prices will follow, he said.
That theory doesn’t explain the past year when the annual rate of increase in average hourly earnings dropped from 5.9 percent in March to 4.4 percent last month — even as the job market grew increasingly tight, Baumohl said.
Further clouding the economic outlook: The pandemic’s wake coincides with a host of uncommon forces. Fallout from the war in Europe, unpredictable populist governments and the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy all complicate the Fed’s task, said Singh, a former Biden aide.
Plus, the full effects of the central bank’s rate hikes over the past year have yet to be felt. And an expected fight between the president and House Republicans over raising the debt ceiling could spark further economic turmoil.
“The era of ‘the Great Moderation’ in the global economy is gone for now, and it’s not coming back soon,” Singh said. “We’re in a period of greater volatility. We’re in a period of adjustment.”
The median Fed forecast calls for the economy to barely grow this year, expanding by just 0.5 percent. Many Wall Street analysts call for a shallow recession starting in the spring.
“If we have a recession, it’s likely to be a very mild one by historical standards,” said Eric Winograd, senior economist with AllianceBernstein in New York.
Biden isn’t buying it.
“Here’s where we stand: the strongest job growth in history; the lowest unemployment rate in 54 years; manufacturing rebounding at a faster rate than in the last 40 years; inflation coming down; real wages going up — but moderately going up, not going through the roof; the economy growing at a solid clip,” he said. “Put simply, I would argue the Biden economic plan is working.” (WAPO)
You should set up a news sheet yourself. You're more competent, do proper research, so are better documented than so-called journalists.
In a rush this morning, so no time to read or evaluate what appear to be your practical initiatives to help earthquake victims (in regions of both Turkey and Syria feared and brutally oppressed by the Turkish government...).
But experience with aiding earthquake victims in Italy, a less complicated terrain, told us we must do all we can to get money directly to those in need, skirting round corrupt officials and other scavengers...
Not true, Peter. I learn from journalists and try to meet their standards without success. Listen to what historian Timothy Snyder calls journalists -- our heroes!
Journalists are not the media. The media is the corporate machine that may hire them but they minimize their stories and bury them so that only die hards learn from them. The media likes the chaos, it sells. Of course, it sells because we click and share it. If we could unite behind ignoring them and amplifying the journalism we might be able to change that. But it would take a long converted effort, one that they would try to divert at all levels.
Conflating journalists with the media is like yelling all lives matter. It changes the subject from one we need to focus on to one that protects the status quo
Thanks for the clarification. But the effect's the same.
The USA is a country where politicians and lobbyists can interfere with everything, so judges can't judge, physicians can't freely exercise professional judgment and journalists' reports get buried in sand or ignored.
Money -- an inhuman abstraction -- rules.
Money and madness.
"You should set up a news sheet yourself. You're more competent, do proper research, so are better documented than so-called journalists." Duh, Fern, say "Thank You, Peter." He IS right, you know. I would never have read the original article(s), and if I had I never would have gleaned these cogent facts. You made Biden economics understandable (and reassuring) to me. Thank You Fern!!!
MaryPat, Peter is a pal as you are. He's patting me on the back and so are you, Okay, thanks, and what I wrote is true. The principles of journalism reach for truth and verify, research, knowledge, judgement, clarity, writing agility...We need more of them and they deserve much more of our respect. Imagine what they are doing here; then imagine them in China, Russia, Somalia, Nigeria, Ukraine...
Yes, we do need more journalists like this, and media organizations that support them. Thank You for directing me to this excellent one, arming me to do battle with my doubtful economics minded friends!
Fern, I really don't think you should include Ukraine in with the others on your list. I have been following the war in Ukraine closely for months and some of the best, most in-depth reporting has come from Ukrainian Journalists themselves. I think it better to add Turkey or Saudi Arabia to that list instead!
P.S. I agree with Melane that
journalists are not the media. And most are very good when allowed freedom of speech within media empires. But again, I would never have read this journalist's fine work without your keen synopsis. Thank You. May I share?
Look at Timothy Snyder's last substack. He lists how to change the faults of journalists/media. And celebrates those who adhere to true journalistic rules.
I just read an outstanding article about The Villages in Florida by Ryan Grim who seems to be like Snyder and others writing on Substack or some similar platform. The article is long, but it tells of people trying to deal with corruption and how with the help of the DeSatan administration, they were foiled. It is a classic case of wanton and open corruption complete with threats that one person had a direct line to the governor. One person ended up being arrested. It sounded like living in hell. And it convinced me that Florida is essentially a fascist state and I didn't need very much persuasion.
Agree! I'm just waiting for the multitude of BIPOC Floridians to come forward. DeS speaks to the wealthy whites, but he's a throw-back to the Florida '50s, in which he cannot see the future for what it is...a mixed racial, mixed cultural, vibrant gathering of a community which has survival in common.
Thank you, Kathy, I subscribe to Thinking about... and try to watch all his lectures and read his essays.
It was Part 2 of his spy story essay. Thank you for all the information you regularly post here.
Funds sent through trustworthy experienced NGO's along with UN are what gets the necessary help to those in need.
It's more than that. Immigrants used to fill a lot of those jobs. Many went back home or elsewhere more welcoming. Others have been blocked from coming.
James Carville posited that the answer to worker shortages is two-pronged:
1) Welcome immigrants—figure out a way to get them in efficiently, and 2) Create a National Childcare plan. Parents cannot afford daycare.
I think Carville is onto something. As are you, Christina.
Agree with both. And additionally, child care needs to be subsidized so it can provide both a livable wage for the providers and yet be affordable enough for all.
During WWII, when Rosie the Riviter was doing her bit for the war effort, it's my understanding affordable child care was provided. I confess, I don't know who subsidized it, but surely it was subsidized.
For decades child care, like family leave, was seen as a 'women's issue', and therefore discounted. Part of our patriarchal and often misogynistic societal history. That has to change.
Sandra, as to the Assembly Line fast welding of Liberty Ship in Richmond California during WWII, that was Henry J. Kaiser & the origin of health care provided by the Employer, now KAISER PERMANENTE, now thriving. Kaiser has super digital medical communications with an in-house Tech Team now. Gave birth to Kaiser Heath Foundation national leader in ACCURATE health data.
Sandra I recall that some child care was available during WWII. I also remember stories of ‘key-latch kids,’ who, at a tender age, would be left to fend for themselves as their moms were working in defense factories.There was a subsequent study of this phenomenon in California.
The folks opposing CC forget that their trickle down economy requires two wage earners to support a family—at least. If costs were comparable to the 50's and 60s, when mom stayed home, it might be more understandable to block this legislation. Alas, a certain political party seems to have arrested development syndrome, with a heavy dose of unrealistic nostalgia thrown in. Or is that sick obstructionism?
Why would corporate America, the true beneficiaries of subsidized childcare, object to that? They could have been providing it as a benefit and writing it off.
I guess for the same stupid reasoning that they object to Medicare For All National Healthcare. Again, think how much money they could save on benefit packages.
Not taking any issue with what you have just said Cathy (affordable for all). I'm just sort of observing that: Had wages, for the value of what was being produced.., increased forty years ago, we'd have stronger households able to care for their kids. Instead, we have grown this crop of politicians with $178,000 plus perks salaries, for whom "daycare" is hardly an issue, other than finding illegals to perform those tasks. Sorry for the run-on sentences and mis-use of commas. Best I can do. Meanwhile, the words "trickle-down" economics reminds me of what's now running down my leg.
Yes, and now there aren't enough young people to take care of us aging Baby Boomers. I know I didn't have enough income to have more than one child, and sometimes I wondered if I could afford to even feed him.
I did laugh at your last sentence. And yes, many of the wealthy have illegals to work for them. They are subject of course, to abuse, among other things, but cannot say anything.
I agree. If I remember my mother's stories right, there were daycare nurseries provided at the workplace. I was reading an article in Bridge Magazine that was done in depth about the labor shortage in Michigan. There was a big help wanted sign in front of a McDonald's in Traverse City on upper Lake Michigan showing that the fast food restaurant was offering $22.00 to start. Another small owner was offering drivers $40 to start. Even at those prices they couldn't staff their businesses. This is craziness!! Meanwhile where Michigan used to get 17,000 new immigrants a year , now we are lucky to get 6 to7 thousand a year. All since Trump took office.
Around here it is clear that people have trouble finding employees and especially competent employees. Our tree service guy pays well and offers perks, but last year we had a crew that was truly awful. This year we had an excellent two person crew, including a woman. Our cleaning service used to send 2-3 people and now it is one...always the same one thankfully. It takes her all of the morning and into the noon hour, but that's fine and she is polite which is a bonus. I think neither of these women have children at this point.
I would add, as long as floods, fires, hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes keep happening, the economy will be just fine. It's all sw florida can do to keep supplies on the shelf in home depot and...good luck finding someone to help rebuild.
Don't forget to add wars to your list. Also, I might make a suggestion. Get out of Florida while you can! Climate Change is real, and Florida with it's topography and location is a slowly sinking disaster. Architects can't build Florida out of the impending doom to all coastal areas. Especially Southern ones.
I agree. Get out of Florida which in addition to having climate change problems is being run by fascists.
I would like to add that Michigan is again becoming a good place to teach school. Pay increases and pay for student teaching and pay to upgrade your skills. Tell any teachers that can't take the threatening environment of felony and Fascism to apply in Michigan. Same for anyone laid off in the tech industry. Regional and State authorities are actively recruiting tech people for especially the auto industry and green energy sectors!.
Years ago, when I was a senior at Kalamazoo College, I had an interview with Flint school district. She asked only one question before I was hired and that was, did I mind teaching Negroes. As it was, I went to Sierra Leone in the Peace Corps, but I have never forgotten that interview.
I bet.
Link to the original article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/02/06/biden-economy-inflation-jobs/
Thank you Dr. Bob. I only have a couple of gifted options left, so provided much of the article. It's a good one.
I get a pay wall.
You might be able to get it through Apple news:
https://apple.news/Ayq8Au7fRS3m4AbaBqXe50g
Fern, there is a thread that follows from this well-informed post that argues over the nature of journalism. I’d like to bring that discussion back around to the point of departure, namely, the failure of the American people to recognize what Biden has done for the economy. As I see it, the signal buried in the noise is that more than 40% of the people would refuse to admit Biden’s efforts no matter how good the outcome. So the real measure of cluelessness is probably closer to 20%. Which is still substantial. Yes, journalists continue to report on political conflict over good news, which gives an elevated platform to the trolls. But Biden still seems to think that good works speak for themselves and that people will listen, which appears to be wishful thinking. The Republicans understand that feeding people’s expectations is more powerful than telling the truth. Democrats need to break the back of the supply side myth while the have the opportunity, and that will require better messaging. I hope Biden gives it a boost in his SOTU address.
Jim
Reading today of the % of Americans who believe the economy is in the toilet. Many are as myopic as Mr. Magoo. They forget that all he vaccines and booster TO SAVE THEIR LIVES were (and ARE) free. They forgot about the $250 per child they got to get them through the pandemic. It's slipped their minds that health insurance is finally available and affordable to all citizens. What they focus on is eggs are $4 per dozen and "it's all Biden's fault."
Thank you
Surprised you didn't mention Charles Koch's latest press release. You can read about it here:
https://popular.info/p/how-koch-manipulates-the-media
It's a good take on the manipulated media (vs journalists that are pursuing truth)
Fern:
I may steal this commentary or yours and take it elsewhere for posting. If you have an issue, please let me know. It is a good one and should have more exposure. Not that we are the big time. Just a small economics blog.
Spreading the facts, of course, Bill. Thank you
Fern:
You are welcome
I live in Florida and recently traveled to rural Pennsylvania. In both states I frequently saw bumper stickers, flags and t-shirts that said “F*** Biden and F*** you for voting for him.” Not at political rallies, but at grocery stores and restaurants and on a normal commute on otherwise beautiful, winding country roads.
Wanting to counter this message with Biden pride, I Googled “pro-Biden tshirt.” Every link led me to “Let’s go Brandon” options.
The official options at Biden/Harrison’s own websites lack all style, design, and messaging.
That “the Stop Woke act” has gained traction in Florida horrifies me. Isn’t “wokeness” simply looking out for others, for the marginalized and most vulnerable among us? How can such seething energy and pride exist in standing against THAT?
How can so many business that pride themselves in promoting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) training remain silent as Florida bans DEI training?
Is anyone besides Professor Richardson forcefully countering the Right’s destructive rhetoric?
Every time I see that sort of garb, flag, signage, I counter with "Politicians come and go, some leave horrible after-effects in their wake, but I stand with America and democracy--no swag needed." They are advertising their ignorance and prejudice.
Given the number of voters who have switched from Republican to lndependent, maybe t-shirt wearers have lost some of their their impact on public opinion. Sometimes their behavior is enough to convince others not to vote like them. And I would hesitate to wear a Biden t-shirt anywhere near an irrational gun totting Republican.
And I'm positively gleeful DOJ is going after Murduche.
Murdoch Confirms U.S. Department of Justice Investigation Into News Corporation
https://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/04/25/murdoch-confirms-u-s-department-of-justice-investigation-into-news-corporation
This was originally from 11 years ago, last update in 2017. I hit a paywall so didn’t read it but I suspect Murdoch is fine from this investigation. Maybe the dominion lawsuit will result in an impact but considering we the voters allowed the gop to steal our judiciary I wouldn’t hold out too much hope
Sorry to hear Pennsylbama is still at it. You’d think after we took back the state House of Representatives, flipped a state senator seat, elected ANOTHER democratic governor (thrilled with Gov Shapiro, watch him on Jordan Klepper’s podcast) And flipped a Republican Senate seat Democrat, we’d be considered a blue state. But our criminal element in Washington keeps washing up on shore like putrid seaweed. Scott Perry, Mike Kelly, defeated gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano are seditious insurrectionists. Why isn’t the media asking why are Perry and Kelly still seated? Digging into their rolls in 1/6/21? Because media is corrupt, which is why we’re reading Heather and others here! But please don’t compare PA to FL. The whole state of Florida is a crime scene.
Karen, I’ll check out Jordan Klepper’s podcast. Thanks for the recommendation. And as a Floridian (and former Brooklynite) I am happy to report my Obama t-shirts usually illicit a positive vocal response from likeminded fellow grocery shoppers.
I still wear my Biden/Harris pins to the grocery store I had a slight run in with the woman bagging groceries announcing Democrats eat babies. Her son is building a bunker for when Biden comes for his guns. I shop there all the time, great little store. Haven’t seen her since.
I know there’s a lot of Floridians horrified by what’s happening. Good to hear many are keeping the faith. 😊
I have a nos Katherine Harris Tee of her on her horse, just before she was tossed overboard after deciding the Bush-Gore chad mess. Never worn, never out of the packaging. I am not of that party.
Too true. Karen! Thanks for your reckoning.
👋 👋 👋 👋 👋 👋 👋
I agree with your last sentence. It is a festering crime scene.
This again shows that too large an amount of the American electorate are crass, ignorant, stupid, gullible, obnoxious, uneducated who will be the downfall of the country. They are too worthless to realize they are shooting themselves in the foot and they will suffer from supporting the traitorous Republican party fools.
I’m a retired educator. You said it! I was born, educated and taught in PA. Being a product of great education in the ‘60’s and ‘70’s, it is horrifying to watch what’s happened and still happening around the country. Especially in the southern part of the United States. Education and critical thinking skills are exactly what Republicans (oligarchy) want deeply suppressed.
K-12 schools have been and still are under attack. No money for public education went from “teachers are bad, greedy, lazy communists” to no money for public education that supports facts and scientific research to now no money for public education that doesn’t support fascism. What the hell, people?
Here's some info as to why public education is under attack: The American Executive Council (A.L.E.C.) is one of the sources for those bills to kill public education come from from (and many other things-check the items on the left side of the article for details). Please read: https://www.alecexposed.org/wiki/ALEC_%26_Education
But we all have to suffer through the Republican BS! It just makes me want to scream.
I've seen the F Biden signs in Illinois too. And this coming from people that care so much about what is taught in our schools? They put profanity on their lawns for every child to see every day? I guess they learn how to spell some words very young.
❗️ ❗️ ❗️
Well said, Shawn.
It's racists out to scare poor benighted white pensioners so they can be corralled like sheep. Same game in Britain -- and it works... aided and abetted by natural aberrations like cancel culture, weird propaganda for sexual minorities of half a dozen and silly youngsters jumping on fashionable bandwagons.
After so many centuries of cruel oppression, it is surprising that the awakening of black consciousness should in fact have been so peaceable and not in the least surprising that some statues and some reputations should have suffered. But I can't enthuse about privileged white youngsters forming pseudo-woke sheepflocks. I'm not referring to those who've thought their views and their action through, but to groupthink bleating, especially when it entails yet more pre-pubertal bullying, intolerance and book-burning at an age when people ought to be beginning to think for themselves.
If they don't learn now, they never will... and I'll bet that many will end up resembling their far-right-fodder grandmas and granddads. Thought free from cradle to grave, it's just the expression of thoughtlessness that changes...
More frightening, the brutal awakenings that may well befall both the thought-free and the thoughtful whom they've betrayed. Look at young Russians driven to the slaughter...
All raised in the great traditions of questioning authority and bemoaning the oppression of the haves and the government. Introspection only found at the bottom of a pint and the last drag on a joint t (by Witch I reveal my age and bias).
Fred WI, I always questioned everything, but since I respect genuine authority, my questioning was in that instance to check on whether it was the real thing. I've seen any amount of abuse and imitation, yet I've met more men and women possessing that quality to the full than I could ever have imagined at the outset. But then, introspection came naturally, from the start -- which explains the questioning.
Peter, well said. I omitted, because it sounds derogatory, that too many got stuck on asking questions while not tutored in listening to the answers. From reading your posting, I get the impression you too listen, discern, integrate, and ask new question that inform your views and those of others. Too many stop only to ask the next version of the same question, missing an important purpose of a question, that being to get the other person to elaborate, to think outloud. Questioning is an activity of intelligence, not the character of such.
I've often worked among people who seem to see asking questions as a sign of weakness or incompetence. I see it the opposite way round. There's no harm in asking a very simple question, our mind sometimes needs jogging; and it is healthy to break off work for a moment and talk to another human being... Besides, even the best and the brightest sometimes get stuck, and this can affect a whole group of people. Best solution: take a break, stop for a coffee. After a moment's relaxation the problem will more often than not have disappeared.
As for listening carefully and, when one has either made a statement or asked a question, not pressing the person you're talking to but leaving them time to think things over, that's both considerate and effective. This is paradoxical but there's always an element of relaxation behind the most efficient performance, both at work and in sport.
IMHO It is easier to write and distribute a slogan to tear down, than to offer up ideas to improve or find comity on, least of all praise. The politics of today is to find something to gripe about, regardless whether it is real or just gets the job done: Raise anger against what our government does or can do. The game is to find blame, someone, the opposition, to blame for anything. The disconnect between what is and what people think (a stretch) is fed by paraphernalia and the media and the snook who pararades around flags and hats. I'm with Suzzane
Good point. When did we move from, or did we ever, the identification of a condition or state, understanding how either of them came about or what can be do, to making them something evil or sinful and therefore we must asign blame and punish accordingly? My current examples are inflation and recession. These are neither evil nor someone's fault. They are construct that say where in the balance of things economic, the flow and value of money is at at some certain time. They are actually meqsure 2ith which to decide whether things might not be going well in a freemarket economy or to trigger actions by governments, nations, world economies, individuals. We don't like or like where our personal conditions is at a point in time, but the actions to deal with either are macro (nations or economies) and personal (how we change our behaviors when costs are rising faster then revenue (income, mostly). They are measures that can be useful only if paid attention to, not get into some huddle and bemoan how the sky is falling or the earth is erupting beneath our feet. Paul Krugman's NYT article today made me think about herd thinking and intellectual economists being too often believed for their predictions. The State of the Union response tonight will certainly show how one group huddles to build slogans, hats, and bumper stickers. And the I go doing what you are pointing out we could refrain from, Gayle B.
I sure dunno, Shawn. It's no question, the repubbadubs destructive-ness has gone well beyond "rhetoric". Not easy to combat. However, hats, t-shirts, bumper stickers, and sound-bites which call out stupidity do have some impact. To its credit, the Biden administration has stayed out of the gutter. "Not easy", given the proliferation of the use of the "f" word by women and the porn-star ambiance of DJT.
Many are countering the right's rhetoric. Fox is countering louder bc they have more money to do so.
Jan T. , I am with you. Biden is great because during the many years he has served this country, he has learned to govern. He has chosen Democratic values, he has actually worked at forming relations with everyone.....we are supposed to be the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA...'FOR GOD'S SAKE! I love it when he says that...
People talk about his age, that he is slow of speech....he overcame stuttering and he has encouraged others that they can too....he is a regular guy who grew up in the same home with parents who took in grandparents.....family helping family. He has suffered loss with the death of his first wife and a young daughter. He actually uses his wounds to help: example...more help for our Veterans. He is "Building back better!"
With all these common experiences, with faith and genuine love for this country and all of its people.....WHY NOT VOTE FOR JOE AGAIN! and not only for Joe but also Jill....aren't they a great team!!!
Meanwhile there are some great younger ones in the wing....they are learning and being encouraged and being pushed forward....they need a little more time.
..."he has learned to govern." Huh? Please review Biden's political resume.
Barbara, "I did not mean, "He has learned to govern" as a slight or a phrase of disrespect. Joe has been involved with "governing" since he was a young man and he has taken knowledge gained through friendships over the years, through being engaged with excellent mentors, through understanding our rules\laws of proper governing which he deeply respects. He truly loves our country and is working with other like minded nations to remain free. I do believe that 'learning to govern" is a fluid concept.and that different times and situations require revisiting.
I was attempting (poorly) to compare him to many who seem to know nothing about governing and care only about their personal agenda and personal power and seem to have no desire to "learn to govern".
Oh ok. Thanks Emily for taking the time to correct my assumption on your meaning.
Two words.
Faux angertainment.
Believe me, I got a six weeks crash course of watching them. It isn't pretty. ,😉
"Angertainment"
Spot on.
Faux Angertainment. Thanks! I’m adding this to my “How-do-we-explain-this-sh*t” lexicon!
Use your own power. If you comment in WaPo then throw down facts instead of culture wars. By now we should all have a ready list of everything Biden has done from Day 1 of his Presidency. For starters 220 million Americans were vaccinated in the first 100 days of the Biden Presidency. trump vaccinated 16 million.
This has become a main goal of mine; to incite people to use facts instead of getting caught in complaining, snarking and the useless habit of outrage.
The media is useless. It is up to us.
Democrats need all the help they can get. We're losing the communication war, and the DNC is asleep at the switch. Thanks for that important statistic Barbara. we ned are comparisons like that.
Excellent points, Barbara. Will do
Later today I'll post my list. Right now I have to go to work. Dr. Richardson has a great list in her article. We just need to get the list down to bullet points.
Have a good day!
Shanti
I'll watch for it - thank you.
Here's more
https://www.forbes.com/sites/richardmcgahey/2022/03/03/the-american-economy-and-the-biden-boom/?sh=29a2319c33e4#:~:text=The%20American%20Economy%20And%20The%20%E2%80%98Biden%20Boom%E2%80%99
Here is one list. It has hyperlinks for the categories. An amazing list by Oliver willis.
https://oliverwillis.com/joe-biden-accomplishments-the-full-list/#:~:text=Mom-,What%20Has%20Joe%20Biden%20Done%20As%20President%3F%20The%20Full%20List%20Of%20His%20Accomplishments,-February%2026%2C%202022
and
by Oliver Willis
2023 Biden accomplishments
Economy
Unemployment Rate Dropped To 54-Year Low Under Biden. “The president’s last-minute remarks were added to his schedule Friday morning after the Labor Department announced the U.S. economy created a whopping 517,000 jobs in January, a shockingly high number that underscores a growing and resilient labor market. The unemployment rate fell to 3.4 percent, the lowest level since 1969.” [Politico]
National
Biden Awarded $800 Million For Road Improvements. “Today, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced a historic $800 million in grant awards for 510 projects through the new Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program, a record amount of funding to improve roads and address traffic fatalities.” [DOT]
Biden Awarded $2.7 Billion To Improve Rural Electric Infrastructure. “U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the Department is investing $2.7 billion to help 64 electric cooperatives and utilities expand and modernize the nation’s rural electric grid and increase grid security.” [USDA]
Biden Ended National COVID-19 Emergency. “President Joe Biden informed Congress today that he would be ending the dual states of emergency that were declared to help address the Covid pandemic, according to multiple sources.” [Deadline]
Immigration
Biden Reunified 600th Child Separated From Family By Trump. “Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas released the following statement regarding the Family Reunification Task Force’s ongoing progress: “Today is the second anniversary of the Family Reunification Task Force that President Biden established soon after he assumed office. Thanks to the tireless work of public servants across the federal government and the critical partnership of non-governmental organizations, the Department of Homeland Security and the Task Force it leads has thus far reunited more than 600 children who were separated from their families under the prior administration’s “zero-tolerance” policy.” [DHS]
Biden Launched Welcome Corps Allowing Families To Sponsor Refugees. “The Biden administration this week announced a groundbreaking initiative that will allow everyday Americans to financially sponsor refugees seeking safety in America. While previous private sponsorship efforts by the Biden administration have been more geographically limited, this new Welcome Corps initiative opens up sponsorship opportunities to refugees from all over the world.” [Daily Kos]
Biden Protected Undocumented Immigrants Who Had Labor Rights Violated. “Under the new policy, DHS will streamline its processes for providing up to two years of protection for undocumented workers who report violations of worker rights, as well as a permit to legally seek work.” [Wonkette]
Health Care
Biden Awarded $11 Million For Cancer Screening Disparities. “Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), awarded nearly $11 million to 22 HRSA-funded health centers to improve access to life-saving cancer screenings and early detection services for underserved communities.” [HHS]
Education
Biden Granted $35 Million To Cradle To Career Program In High Needs Communities. “Today, the U.S. Department of Education (Department) announced new awards totaling more than $35 million for the Promise Neighborhoods and Project Prevent grant programs. Promise Neighborhoods grants provide coordinated support services and programs to students from low-income backgrounds at every stage of their education from early childhood through their careers.” [DOE]
Native American
Biden Allocated $580 Million To Indian Water Rights Settlements. “The Department of the Interior today announced a nearly $580 million allocation to continue fulfilling settlements of Indian water rights claims using funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Reclamation Water Settlements Fund.” [Interior]
National Security
Biden Ordered Chinese Spy Balloon Shot Down. “This afternoon, at the direction of President Biden, U.S. fighter aircraft assigned to U.S. Northern Command successfully brought down the high altitude surveillance balloon launched by and belonging to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) over the water off the coast of South Carolina in U.S. airspace.” [DOD]
Environment
100,000 Green Jobs Added Since IRA Law Passed. “Between last August, when President Joe Biden’s landmark climate bill became law, and the end of January, companies have announced more than 100,000 clean energy jobs in the US, according to an analysis released Monday,” [Bloomberg]
Biden Protected 9.3 Million Acres Of Forest In Tongass National Forest (Alaska). “The Biden administration on Wednesday restored protections for more than half of Alaska’s Tongass National Forest, safeguarding one of the world’s largest intact temperate rainforests from new roads and logging.” [Washington Post]
Biden Banned Mining On 225,000 Acres In Boundary Waters (Minnesota). “The Biden administration imposed a 20-year ban on new mineral development across 225,000 acres of national forest land adjacent to Minnesota’s iconic Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.” [HuffPost]
Biden Launched $50 Million Clean Energy For Communities Program. ” The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today launched a new up to $50 million program to help communities across the country transition to clean energy systems that are reliable, affordable, equitable, and reflective of local priorities.” [DOE]
Biden Granted $42 Million To Develop EV Vehicle Batteries. “The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $42 million in funding for 12 projects to strengthen the domestic supply chain for advanced batteries that power electric vehicles (EVs).” [DOE]
This is tremendous. Thank you! Creating a file . . .
Awesome Barbara. Please point me to bullet point styled layout. I've suggested as much to HRC, but I'm thinking she's already too busy to add on tasks to her days. Might be nice if she proofread, add or subtracted for spot on accuracy and completeness. Whatcha' think Barb ?
Honestly D I thought I would go on and post these lists as I have run out of day. Maybe you could give it a shot.
I haven't noticed Dr. Richardson struggling with much of anything. She is a Nationally recognized historian who did a one on one interview with President Biden last year.
We do what we can. Rest some. Personally, I've been following Dr. HRC ever since she began writing; she stopped for a bit, then resumed her excellent history lessons and modern context. I've been enamored and a pupil ever since.
Jan, it is astonishing.
The disconnect between the reality of the Biden administration's success and the public perception can be explained by several factors colliding:
1. As has already been pointed out, journalism (there are still a lot of good reporters) is overwhelmed with sound byte, ad money generating "breaking news". Which is gobbled up by a public with the attention span of goldfish. And with some exceptions, the media spends too much time with "whataboutism". The glaring example is the "documents" issue. The Trump case and the Biden case are completely different and yet the MSM spoke of one undermining the other. What? In a lame effort to appear non biased, the MSM actually gives liars a platform to chant those lies.
Where is the reporter who halts the GQP nutcase mid-sentence and says, excuse me sir, that is an established lie, why do you keep repeating it? Excuse me sir, but the courts have established that your claim is false, why do you keep repeating it? The MSM is not achieving fairness. By allowing lies to be repeated over and over it becomes the "truth" for the gullible and hateful.
And why is all this happening? Because "news" is no longer about providing information to the public. It is a money making enterprise. When Americans got almost all their news from OTA (over the air) legacy TV broadcasts, ABC, CBS, and NBC all had separate news divisions that lost money. They were expenses for the companies that owned them. Their sole function was to be first and accurate with the news. And if there was commentary, it was provided at the end of the pure news and explained as such. The entertainment division made the money to subsidize what was essentially a public service. The three legacy networks competed to be the most accurate and thorough in news gathering. It was a matter of corporate pride. Imagine that.
2. People are selfish. Despite having restored sanity, fiscal responsibility, international cooperation and installing experts instead of hacks and sycophants in the government....Biden has not put money directly in people's pockets lately. Those Covid checks were nice. I guess we thought they would go on forever.
3. I love Joe Biden for his values and the amazing stuff he has done. I think he will be remembered as one of our most effective and important Presidents...ever. But we live in a youth oriented, perfect body worshiping culture. For those under 50, Joe is a shuffling old grandfather - who sounds like one. His thoughts and his actual words are for the ages. But his performance is for the aged.
4. This is the biggest one. It has been an American tradition to have a loyal opposition - no matter which party was "in charge". It was considered patriotic to have another point of view on legal and social matters. There was debate, negotiation and compromise. But there was also a basic modicum of respect. Joe Biden would have dinner with Lindsay Graham. They called each dear friend and were there for each other during times of personal tragedy.
The GQP has embarked on a war. Lindsay Graham is now a traitor to his friend and former colleague. When your President and all the thousands of hard working people that surround him are attacked when they produce superb results (the stats in today's letter) one has to ask these "opponents" what would make you happier? Disaster? Higher unemployment? More bridges and highways crumbling? What? Politics have always been messy and the facts made murky. But this is an all out WAR on Democrats. It's as if Joe McCarthy was reincarnated as Rush Limbaugh who was reincarnated as Tucker Carlson. The difference is that the first two were anti-Russian. This is a GQP war on patriotism itself.
The Biden administration has been able to rescue a nation from a virtual free fall. The government had been hollowed out of quality personnel. And our new President went to work the very same day he was inaugurated to repair the damage. Where are the ads about that? We have a performance record that should guarantee a blue wave sweep next year. But we are not selling it. The pitch to the goldfish needs to be powerful, punchy and relentless.
Is there anyone at the DNC? Are they awake or on an extended sabbatical? Where are the ads that explain that the members of our GQP House of Representatives DON"T WANT the IRS to collect all the legally required taxes? That could REDUCE their beloved DEFICIT?
"Why are Republicans helping tax CHEATERS?"
We have success after success to talk about. Yet we let the media robber barons control the room. A Democratic Party that has performed SO well has become clumsy and complacent. It is long overdue that we fight fire with fire. And we have something huge on our side. Truth.
"Is there anyone at the DNC? Are they awake or on an extended sabbatical?"Great question and often frustrating to me!
But here is a counterintuitive thought: let the extremist-controlled messaging of the opposition rant, rave and self destruct. Counter messages during a melt- down get sucked into the meltdown vortex and act to inflate the opposition message. The rhetoric from the right is often irrational. It may be better to stay out of the irrational rhetoric, do the job and let the messaging of facts come from outside the partisan bubble.
This isn't our grandfather's politics; it is not even our parents' politics; it is not-amazingly- even our politics of a few years ago.
(Just a thought. Not a defense of the DNC. I may be giving them way too much credit for actually strategizing.)
Good thought! In a world of rational voters who paid attention, who voted logically and not emotionally, the GQP spiral dive of insane positions and lies, lies and more lies would doom them.
Sadly, I think Amercans are impressed by Comic Book heroes and outrageous behavior.
Good point you make though. Faux and Friends are a gigantic troll, and as we know, "feeding the troll" doesn't stop the behavior.
EXCELLENT post, Bill. (And I love "the attention span of goldfish"!)
Bill, you've said everything I've ben complaining about, only so much better. The DNC has been asleep at the switch since Tom Perez was head of the org. Let's hope Jamie Harrison does a better job. He has had many opportunities recently to capitalize on some of the flame throwing accusations the rethugs. have thrown out. The balloon fiasco would be a great starter.
Truth ! A bit at a time you're admirably putting it all together. Keep working on this direct dive you're on Bill. You've hit upon numerous accurate points here. For example, "News as an entertainment driven 'product' - accuracy, facts in evidence be damned; it's the bottom line screams the business side drivers. Profit = eyeballs; hot babe delivery, controversy by any means, etc., etc. I saw an interesting interview some time ago between Stephen Colbert and Chris Wallace, who couldn't be further apart in their political leanings - yet, truly like one another, and Chris has been on the show many many times. It may or may not have been a fully genuine feeling, but at one point Chris acknowledged the whole 'news as entertainment' departure as it is, going so far as to put some blame on his Dad Mike Wallace of '60 Minutes' fame, for being somewhat instrumental in that departure. I think about that sometimes, then shows like 'Jerry Springer', 'Judge Judy', and others of that type and their roles in that, unrestrained by some legal focus / liability. Perhaps that's a thing whose time has come: legally binding responsibility that comes with the 'privilege' to call oneself a news service as opposed to sit com or variety show, a genre Faux certainly fits into. Legally binding definitions, responsibilities, and liabilities. I'm certain the time has come for that conversation to saturate the American conscience or what's left of it. Brava Bill - keep the faith !
I don't care where you get your news....they are all so negative about Biden and his accomplishments. Today they are still fussing about that Chinese balloon. I haven't heard one thing about the 3 that were found during the tfg 4 years. I shared this letter early this morning on Facebook....hardly anyone reads and no one response to my posts by HCR that I share...it upsets me so!
Actually from what I've observed Biden is speaking. The media isn't covering his speeches nor his Administrations' speeches/statements.
It's worthwhile to recall that there were frequent reports / statements made, that while occupying the office of POTUS, _ rump could not even give time to daily cabinet updates, much less the nat'l security briefings. He spent his time watching news about him, tweeting, profiteering, and scheming, and eating hamburders.
I can't even recall the last time I listened or watched any alleged 'general news service,' they are worthless.
So true!
#me too, er also : )
Jan, you are not the only one who sees the accomplishments of President Joe Biden and his administration and all the younger Democrats who are being mentored and growing into amazing leaders!!! Joe looks forward! He really believes we can do anything together. He is not going to let a few punches take him down because he believes that even those giving the punches will be positively affected by let's say for example, "Building Back Better". Everyone knows who has encouraged building back our crumbling infrastructure. I don't think Joe cares about the credit so much as he does that it is going to get done for the American people. Internett for those who could not have it and had to go to another location other than their homes to complete assignments or to send out a resume or fill out a medical form, etc. And all of these improvements will provide good paying jobs!
While those who want to destroy continue, nothing seems to stop them....Joe has his eye on the goal. I think his age keeps him pushing on with determination to get the job done for the American people. After all, someone has to be the adult!
We can throw our hands up...or we can look for some good to do for our country and for this world and do it !!! That is what I see Joe doing.
Evil can only paralyze us if we let it. We can have our own ideas about how to accomplish good and progress on infinite levels. Please, each of you is too great and accomplished to allow evil to put your goodness in a box. Do what you can do with who you are and where you are. That is what Joe is doing. He is not going to be paralyzed by negative propaganda.
From what I've read online it appears that Biden will be focusing on the capping of insulin pricing in his State of the Union speech. Regarding his accomplishments, I think part of the issue is that many American's only get their news from Facebook and Twitter so unless their personally lives are dramatically improved or negatively affected their beliefs about the state of the country are driven by what they see other people saying, especially when it is coming from the GOP outlets. As the saying goes... "People's perception is their reality."
Robert Hubbell did a good write up of Biden's accomplishments here: https://roberthubbell.substack.com/p/keep-this-list
03/11/2021 American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, a sweeping $1.9 trillion relief to address the continued impact of COVID-19 on the economy, public health, state and local governments, individuals, and businesses.
11/15/2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, $1.2 trillion investment in “hard infrastructure” including roads and bridges.
03/29/2022, Emmett Till Antilynching Act, 120 years after an anti-lynching bill was first introduced and after failing on nearly 200 prior occasions, Congress passed a bill designating lynching as a hate crime. Only three representatives—one each from Texas, Kentucky, and Georgia—voted against the bill.
06/25/22 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, extended background checks for gun purchasers under 21, funding for state red flag laws and other crisis intervention programs, and partial closure of the “boyfriend” loophole.
07/29/2022 CHIPS and Science Act, the most significant research bill passed in a generation, including a $56 billion investment in American semiconductor production to incentivize companies to move chip production back into the United States.
08/02/2022, Honoring our PACT Act of 2022, provides healthcare and other services related to veterans who were exposed to toxic substances during military service.
08/07/2022, Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, the largest climate investment in US history, lowers prescription drug prices by giving Medicare the power to negotiate the prices of certain prescription drugs and extends expiring health care subsidies for three years.
This doesn't even include the strengthening of ties with our NATO allies and the AsiaPac region, however we also have to realize that whether Biden has objectively done a good job or not, we need to select a Democratic Presidential nominee who will win the 2024 election, full stop. If polling and people don't want to vote for Biden then it doesn't matter objectively how great he was.
Excellent! Let's use these when commenting in other publications and in conversations.
Great post. It's quite a list. 45's list was Tax break for the rich. Done. Oops. Forgot negligent homicide of hundreds of thousands...long Covid still crippling millions.
And your last sentence is the truth. 23% of young Democrats want Biden to run.
Well put. Trump and his Republican “leaders “ are not only setting up obstacles now, hamstrung Biden even before he could get into office ie Afghanistan. President Biden and his administration are adults in a room with whining children who have been empowered by “we the people “. And considering balloons, perhaps we could put one over the Republican Party to protect us from their destruction and deceit.
I am frustrated with the republicans and there lack of integrity to do the job they were voted in to do. The saying comes to mind “You can’t fix stupid”. To think they can not see, read and know the truth of the accomplishments of Biden is truly Shame on them! They would rather stick to the trump mentality and and all their petty fighting. And the fact that they don’t see several in their party as a threat to democracy and decency is beyond compressible.
"There are none so blind as those who will not see" was my mother's favorite quote to me after I "came out" as a Democrat. How the tables have turned!
Today the post of HCR is very positive and makes me want to retract my 'trial balloon' comment from the other day. Those who liked it may retract their likes at any time :)
Agree 👍👍👍👍
Their choice to remain ignorant astonished me...and frightens me as well....
I suppose that a 24 hour dose of, 'generalized media washing' is as likely an answer as any.
More evidence that democrats are losing the communication war. SAD!
Sad. What's worse is that they (D party 'leaders') won't listen when you tell them. I've been trying for over 11 years off and on. Crickets....
Jan:
No drum rolls yet for Joe Biden. He needs to resolve the student loan issues which he was instrumental in creating since 1990 while in the House and Senate. We have a major drug problem too in the form of opioids. Opioid abuse is still a raging epidemic in the US. The pharmaceutical distribution companies are still a big part of the problem. They ship whatever.
Not that Joe has been a hindrance. He has put in place many economic influencing actions which has saved the nation from the years of recovery we had experienced after 2007/8.
He just needs to resolve the lingering issues too.
Joe can't do it alone!
Sharon:
He made it his mission since 1990. He created the issue almost singlehandedly.
The balloon story also pushed another story of much greater importance out of the news: the story of the FBI agent arrested for working for the Russians. That is a story the GOP is happy to flush down the collective memory hole.
Yes indeed Kevin. Gop flushing is a given. Why the media too ? Any dots to connect there ?
At this point it feels like the MSM is a fully owned subsidiary of Koch Enterprises.
Because I’m tired but want to show my appreciation for President Biden and his administration I am copying and pasting what I wrote on Robert Hubbell’s substack the other night:
I am so proud of President Biden and his administration. They have accomplished more to raise our economy and standard of living than has been done in 40 years. Reaganomics has fueled our economic, healthcare and basic inequalities, and the demise of a prosperous economy for all. President Biden’s agenda has been to build our economy by creating and promoting jobs for everyone that help everyone in our country to prosper. I am extremely disgusted by the Repugnant house with their AR 15 lapel pins, and most of all voting Congresswoman Omar off the Foreign Relations Committee. What a bunch of weasels (although I don’t want to insult weasels), I believe they are intimidated by her grace and power.
Wouldn't it be a good idea for Bidens administration to appoint her to a position that would somehow oversee the Foreign Relations committee?
That would be great!
You seem well connected. Why is the press so dysfunctional? Why are they letting the MAGA GOP fringe own their coverage? Why aren’t they putting Biden’s accomplishments into perspective repeatedly?
Because they let Republicsn antics write the day's news. It's easier to produce a reality show than it is to produce an intelligent newscast.
Plus, haven’t many of the mainstream outlets been purchased by right wing billionaires?
Yes! Sinclair broadcasting!
Yes, Sinclair (which was founded by a right wing millionaire), but it's all mass media. It's a big business, conservative, and certainly sexist at least, at its heart. They much prefer trickle down to building from the bottom up. It's important to remember that Trump is a creation of big media (yeah, I'm referring to you, NBC!). Going back a ways, remember the New York Times and WMD? Their failure to accurately report that fiction led to a disastrous, useless, deadly war, helped W. get four more years and helped trigger the worst financial collapse since the Great Depression.
I didn't know the NYT supported the Iraq War. At that time I was reading the WSJ like an obedient little conservative with aspirations of wealth. But i would like to clarify something. The 2008 financial crisis had less to do with the wars we were engaging in and everything do with deregulation of the banking industry. I forgot whose bright idea it was to allow overly-risky home loans to be made without oversight.
But, yea, big media companies suffer from group-think, at least within the editorial boards and executive suite.
Per Ad Fontes Media Chart that maps out where various news sources fall on a two-dimensional plot of bias vs. BS, NYT is less to the left than WSJ is to the right. To get the least biased news, go to Reuter and AP. I like the Economist myself, but with a grain of salt.
Bingo.
I don't know about "many", but Fox & CNN? Yes.
Today’s media thrives on ‘outrage of the moment’ stories. Any story that requires more than a soundbite to explain or is a simple, boring tale of competence is spiked in favor of the latest outrage. Our politics has reached reality TV levels of performative outrage.
This is the real threat to America’s standing in the world. Will we squander our leadership role to entertain ourselves?
That’s why I read this substack to stay grounded.
Because they're over-educated, under-intelligent, otherwise-unemployable Ivy League trust fund babies who didn't get where they are by any independent brain power.
100%. Capable of following the outrage script, incapable of providing constructive debate and leadership, necessary for compromise.
Which goes back to a previous posters question, who owns the newspapers and pays their salaries?
Rich white men who call themselves "conservative".
Dopamine. Fear, anxiety, anger, are political engagement “tools”, which is fuel to fire discontent. Media provides the heat to keep that fire going.
Yes! We need a “Get off of drugs” campaign that points out how much of our current world fits the ‘Drugification’ definition. Addiction takes any forms and rant radio started it all and made a great dealer out of older white men in cars. And the well named Rush was the king of the dealers!
It seems to me that we can immunize ourselves before radicalizing occurs by understanding these tools that TFG, Desantis, Mtg, Bimobert are using. However, their followers once radicalized is a much different and more complex challenge for all leaders.
Love the mixed metaphor…yes, we can vaccinate ourselves against these addictions, with love and truth, and joy and a sense that while imperfect, as are we, the world/nature/spirit are WONDERFUL! And hate can love in caves and see how long the drugs keep them alive. The issues is the commodification of hate, the monetizing, and people who care and feed the haters, advertisers, whole companies (even some so-called Christians pay for this hate as a business model.) and as soon as they bring their bile to the public table they have crossed a line…it’s not ‘free speech.” No more than my neighbor can play 130 decibel music.
In the 70s, the media was owned by like the high hundreds or maybe low thousand of different companies. Today I believe that number is in the single digits.
Reagan yelled about the liberal media, the “L” Word, the liberal bias.. etc so much the media has bent over backwards to disprove it, resulting in carrying the conservatives wager more time than not. Also, Murdoch showed how to get very wealthy and powerful as a media mogul, they are emulating him.
I suppose we should remember that the institutions are filled with people, we are highly divided, of course those institutions are going to have the same issues of division within them
Why and how the people are divided:
How Koch manipulates the media:
https://substack.com/inbox/post/101312782
How Russian intelligence manipulates the global media and even our highest FBI officials:
https://snyder.substack.com/p/the-trauma-of-2016-spy-scandal-part
They have digitized demagoguery, and learning how to perfect its effect on the people.
And please remind us of how and why a foreign national got to buy so much media, thanks to you Bill and Newt! One needed change, to recover true local media, is to bring back the rules for ownership of consolidated and cross media companies. And start with Murdock and Sinclair…these have and will continue to hurt us.
Good questions. At every infrastructure improvement site there should be huge sign reading “This project is paid for by President Biden’s Infrastructure Bill.”
One of favorite old timer bumper stickers was “Vote Republican, it’s easier than thinking.” To which we could add, to so-called journalists, “Feed on the slime, it’s easier than research.” The 🫢🤪” if it bleeds it leads” has become “if it smells it sells.” All those trolls and their kin produce a lot of stuff that, as the term seems to be, “writes itself.” And that and the demise of radio broadcasters on local stations, replaced by national hate radio, and the consolidations of all media, but worst by Sinclair, has made this feed even more bizarre. So if you also add that now polo-let get their news from passive feeds whose algorithms feed at the slime bucket, and cat videos, instead of good digital sources, and Apple News, which to can be filtered, the better poll questions would focus on sources and what is “News?”
As Darth Vader said to Luke, "Come to the dark side - it's easier."
One other story that will have important, historic impact, is Heather Cox Richardson’s coverage of these times in America. From Alexander Vindman’s whistleblowing of the phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky in July of 2019, through the world-up-ending pandemic and it’s profound, percussive effects on humanity, ecology and the global economy; through the corrupt, power-abusing final months of Trump’s Presidency and the ugly, terrifying insurrection on January 6, 2021; and now through what has become the triumph of the Biden Administration. Reading your Letters from An American has been fortifying for so many of us. And you were part of a shift in journalism, away from mainstream media to Substack, to podcasts, and to Twitter and YouTube. Your Letters are a Primary Source. They will be studied by generations to come. My gratitude for you matches my gratitude for Biden and his team. Ken Burns or his students should start working on the documentary now. Thank you for helping us through this time.
Well said, ScannyDo. This Substack, more than the others (well, except for TAFM which I endjoy the heck out of) has become a foundation of my news consumption. Between the content of the Letters and the quality of the commentary, I feel like I have a more solid foundation of knowledge. I am a free subscriber to other amazing writers, but have tapped out that branch of discretionary spending in my budget. I refuse to give up my local paper (although it costs more than double what a single Substack subscription costs) and am loath to give up on either the WaPo or NYT, although one of them may go in the not to distant future.
I also had to stop paying for other substack letters and did cancel my NYT. I hated to lose the Science Times, Paul Krugman and Nick Kristof, but also feel troubled by the need to pander to the right by engaging nonsense stories. I even let go of National Geographic. 😕
I kept WaPo and HCR. Her Letters are my news foundation, too, Ally!
Why does an outsider historian have to do the American news media's job for them?
Because their business model has made them incompetent, unable to provide reliable information even to themselves. Couldn't tell a hawk from a handsaw...
Pathetic victims of virtual reality, like former guy Goldilocks and his well-fleeced flock.
Read my post, Peter, which is comprised of excerpts from David J. Lynch's article about the economy called, 'Biden economy keeps defying predictions. Will it last?' There are excellent American journalists writing about foreign policy, politics, health, justice....yes, and the economy. Try Paul Krugman in The New York Times, he's one of them. Again, read some of David J. Lynch's piece; I posted a large portion of it. Cheers!
Paul does a great job. Thanks for the reminder
And Robert Reich.
Krugman is excellent but he is an opinion writer. He does it well, but he doesn’t report the news. We have a growing silent majority that know well recognize the MAGA folly, and yet we still have to contend with a GOO controlled house. Jim Jordan makes me want to puke. And McCarthy is useless because rather than create a governing coalition, he sold his soul to the “freedom” caucus. These nuts do not represent the majority of elections. And we have to start looking at these crazy districts that elect MTG and Boebert and Ronny Jackson. We need to donate to their opponents if we can’t vote there. We can hope they screw it up so bad for the next two years that they are resoundingly voted out--but that bad for America. What can we do now to counter the “stop woke” crap. We put economic pressure on businesses that donate money to any Republican that supported the resurrection. We support businesses like Disney that are being attacked for political reasons. And we can talk about it--to every person we know about Biden’s successes and the do nothing but investigate MAGA and their demonstrated inability to govern. And let’s kick the ass of mainstream media demanding they do a better job of contrasting Biden with the DeSantis’ and Trumps out there--and what it really means for the average American.
PAUL KRUGMAN IS AN ECONOMIST. He is a good writer and very funny...and there is more!
'He is distinguished professor in the Graduate Center Economics Ph.D. program and distinguished scholar at the Luxembourg Income Study Center at the City University of New York. In addition, he is professor emeritus at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. In 2008, Krugman was the winner of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his contributions to New Trade Theory and New Economic Geography. The Prize Committee cited Krugman's work explaining the patterns of international trade and the geographic distribution of economic activity, by examining the effects of economies of scale and of consumer preferences for diverse goods and services.'
'He also holds the title of Centennial Professor at the London School of Economics.[10] Krugman was President of the Eastern Economic Association in 2010,[11] and is among the most influential economists in the world. He is known in academia for his work on international economics (including trade theory and international finance, economic geography, liquidity traps, and currency crises.'
'Krugman is the author or editor of 27 books, including scholarly works, textbooks, and books for a more general audience, and has published over 200 scholarly articles in professional journals and edited volumes.' (sources: The New York Times and Wikipedia)
Having only “regular” TV, I’m subjected to commercial network morning news shows which are a joke! Most of their airtime could better be described as a variety show. Their format is so predictable and unoriginal, to boot. The second hour is the worse, with hosts mostly cackling over each other, ruffling each other’s feathers and delivering nothing of substance. Thankful for the evening’s PBS Newshour: a real news program!
“Cackling and ruffling”. Indeed. Can’t abide any of it anymore.
I can also recommend the half-hour BBC World News Tonight which on my PBS station runs right before the PBS Newshour. I switched to this because I realized NBC Nightly news was so diminished.
Yes, MLRGRMI! Actually, I watch PBS from 6 to 8 pm almost daily, so I also catch BBC’s news programs which are excellent.
Rose (WNY via OH/OR/MA/FL/CO) - "Having only “regular” TV, I’m subjected to commercial network morning news shows which are a joke! ...Thankful for the evening’s PBS Newshour: a real news program!"
I, too, get my "news" over the air (OTA). However, never in the morning so I can't speak to that. My exposure is during an hour in the evening.
The first half hour consists of Local News (1/3 Breaking or current events -- rarely any commentary), 1/3 Weather, 1/3 Sports. Not much there to be considered "infotainment.)
The second half hour is with the CBS Evening New with Norah McDonald. Last night the segments were:
• The Ukraine War
• The Earthquake in Turkey
• The Train wreck in Ohio
• The China Balloon debris recovery
• The Baltimore Power Grid plot
• The near-miss airplanes in Austin
• The Social Security/Inflation quandary
• AMC Theater Pricing
• Byonce's Grammy record
I don't recall any bias (well, perhaps, other than the choices) But it would be hard for me to pick other topics of general interest that should have been covered instead.
I am sure tonight's broadcast will be mostly about Biden's SotU address.
FWIW, I have yet to watch any news (or anything, for that matter) on a cable network -- FOX News, CNN, MSNBC, etc. Well other than excepts brought to my attention by other sources (normally journalists).
Ron, CBS News’s evening program with Norah O’Donnell is very good. She used to be in their 7-9 am CBS Mornings program; the moment she left for night-time news, the morning show started its decline, in my view. They even stole the t
trumpet theme tune from the Sunday Morning program with Jane Pauley (a gem!), cutting the melody short (in my book, coincidentally conveying how watered down their news content is). Another decent evening news program, although only broadcast on Sundays, is 60 Minutes, also on CBS.
I can’t blame you from staying away from cable news. From what I’ve read about them, they tend to be radical—either to the right or to the left (any form of radicalism brews bias!).
I must confess that during the campaigns of tfg and his horrendous presidency, I relied on late-night comedians for daily news—or better said, for the scandal of the day. It was the only way I could tolerate hearing about him. 😱
I also recommended NPR News and their emailed NPR daily which includes audio news segments and written news articles: https://www.npr.org/
Rose, I do get their (NPR's) weekly "Best of" recap in my email.
Along those lines, I read the Financial Times and find its coverage of American politics more accurate and insightful.
Ditto.
It occurs to me Peter that the business of the news has lost its financial footing and is casting about for alternatives to stay viable.
News didn’t have to be profitable before Rupert made it “entertainment.’ It was a public service, imagine that.
Like the balloon, REPUBLICAN'TS are full of hot air. How many of the balloons during the tRUMP debacle did we block and recover?
BTW, the vast majority of that 28 billion that tRUMP gave to "farmers" actually went to agribusiness like Monsanto et al. The average grant to mid-size farmers with say, only 6 or 7000 acres was $10000 and small farmers got nothing. The usual dole to the rich.
Yeah, wonder if we should look for kickbacks to T and family.
Well, if you define "campaign contributions" as kickbacks, then yes, we should look.
I get your drift but was thinking of something less easy to portray as a legit campaign contribution. It's pretty much all the same these days though, for sure, and just depressing for the average voter really.
Good point, William❗️ ❗️ ❗️
Cute but I think methane for the GOP balloon, and it would never get off the ground.
Thank you Heather.
I had a conversation with a MAGA on the internet yesterday regarding the " calamity Biden caused by withholding info about the Chinese balloon". I told him the balloon followed the path of the jetstream and it was wayward. I told him you have more Chinese spyware in your cellphone, computer, and Smart TV than what was in the disabled balloon. Also, what do you think the Chinese are doing with the intel everytime you make or watch a TicToc video?
Response: "oh shut up".
They need a new shiny object to direct their craziness to.
Biden did the right thing. We all know that even if we don't want to admit it.
Be safe. Be well.
Maybe the Chinese balloon is linked to the Jewish space lasers... ;)
🤣🤣🤣
'Devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria:'
'Send help now »'
Subscriber friends, please consider these people who are going through hell.
'We wrote to you when we first learned about the news of the back–to–back 7.8 and 7.7 magnitude earthquakes on the Turkish–Syrian border. Tragically the death toll from the earthquake that hit southern Turkey and neighboring Syria has exceeded 6,200 people, as rescuers continue to dig through the rubble of collapsed buildings in search of survivors. The massive quake, one of the largest to strike the quake-prone area in the past century, is raising fears of a new humanitarian crisis in a region strained by years of war, displacement and economic hardship. I have 3 important updates about the current situation I need to share with you:'
1. More than 5,000 people have been killed. And initial reports from IRC staff on the ground in Syria indicate that the impact has been devastating in areas that already host a high number of displaced and vulnerable families.'
2. A blizzard struck northern Syria over the weekend, leaving thousands now affected by the earthquake without shelter in freezing conditions. With shelters severely damaged and destroyed, many people don't know where they will sleep tonight as temperatures plummet below freezing. It's a race against the clock to provide lifesaving emergency support.
3. We have more than 1,000 staff inside Syria who work tirelessly to provide life–saving health care, protection and recovery support. We're urgently ramping up our emergency response — and funding is needed now to save lives and support essential services.
You can use this link to make a donation » https:///help.rescue.org/donate/syria-earthquake
'My colleagues in Syria and the surrounding region affected by the earthquake are working to respond to this crisis and provide assistance to those injured and in need.'
'You will be hearing from me and my colleagues in the coming weeks to inform you what we're seeing on the ground, and what assistance is needed.'
'In moments of crisis like these, I'm constantly inspired by supporters like you,, who never fail to step up in an emergency. I am so grateful that you are on our team.'
— Hank, IRC Emergency Fundraising
You can use this link to make a donation » https:///help.rescue.org/donate/syria-earthquake
THANK YOU.
Thank you, Fern McBride, for the link to Rescue.org. An excellent organization, this is IRC, International Rescue Committee, that has also contributed to the Ukrainian people. It’s important to check out the organizations that are helping in this disaster. If not sure, with other groups, contributors can check Charity Navigator, https://www.charitynavigator.org/search?q=IRC
Doctor Richardson did write about the earthquake yesterday. Our hearts and donations are flowing. Also, expect Jose Andres and his World Central Kitchen will also be there to help survivors.
This editorial in NY Times, a link from Robert Hubbell today, gives several organization links and, most vital, the links to two organizations that rate non-profits! https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/06/world/europe/helping-earthquake-victims-turkey-syria.html?smid=url-share
The organizations I have listed and those by other subscribers on this thread are topnotch with high approval from Charity-Navigator. I am familiar with the ones you listed, which are also good but not better than what has been posted. Thank you for your additions.
This link provides the links to both non-profit ratings organizations.
And this, from Jessica Craven’s Substack: Syrian American Medical Society Foundation
info@sams-usa.net
866-809-9039
Here's a great rescue organization that has shown up before anyone else, time after time:
https://www.americares.org/news/2023-0206-responding-to-earthquakes-in-turkey-and-syria/
Thank you, Fern. Love IRC!
Thank you, Janet!
Why the hyperventilating news coverage of the balloon? Easy + mysterious + irrational, incendiary GOP comments.
Imagine how different the coverage would have been without the third element.
And in this corner...
: )
https://www.gocomics.com/pearlsbeforeswine/2021/01/26
one of my favorite cartoons; pretty much reflects how I feel about Congress and the mainstream media the last month or so...
Great, but Will Rogers said it clearly in 1932. Money trickles up, not down, Mr. Hoover didn’t know that. (Paraphrase). Republicans have been hoodwinking us all for way before I was born. Even before Rupert. The myth of the honorable “GOP” is, and has been, a cruel joke. Who will tell. Up yours…
This is great, Nathan. "Up Yours" should be our new code going forward!
For a very smart laugh, open the link to 'pealsbeforeswine'! in Nathan's post.
Ha! Up, Up, Up…
Ok! We need to find someone to print up the T Shirts and Bumper Stickers Now! And fund an Economics Chair or two at the Ivies.
Love “Pearls Before Swine”!
LOL. One of my favorite comics as well!
"A poll conducted by the Washington Post and ABC News, written up today in the Washington Post, shows that 62% of Americans think Biden has not accomplished much in his two years in office. In fact, his administration ranks as one of the most consequential since the New Deal in the 1930s. Whether you love what he’s done or hate it, to think nothing has happened suggests a terrible disconnect between image and reality. "
The responsibility of news media is to connect citizens' awareness with reality. To have the awareness to think and understand what is happening requires the information to think with. Thinking does not occur in the absence of content.
Today while exercising, I watched a thirty minute video <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nbTlZRin78> of an interview with a very articulate Italian investigative reporter, Stefania Maurizi, who has years of experience in a variety of media, including Wikileaks. Watching her explain the difference between doing investigative reporting and the infotainment that passes today as "journalism" explains much of the disconnect and the absence of awareness of actions that are consequential.
Ask, "Do I see mainstream media educating me about why these actions are so consequential?"
Answering just for me, I do not. I see and hear frequent, consistently pumped affirmations about Biden's lack of popularity, but not these achievements. It's reminiscent of media's recent construction of the narratives that Republicans were going to vanquish Democrats in a red wave in 2022, or the 2016 mainstream narrative that Hillary Clinton had the presidency in the bag. That wasn't substance or news. It was simply created narrative. Leaving out the impact of what has been accomplished under adverse conditions in the recent couple of years is part of the present constructed narrative.
Mainstream media has decayed substantially. Who now believes they can rely on it or trust it? Who knows our government punishes whistleblowers, imprisons those who report war crimes and malfeasance, or allows corporations to do same to those who expose them for what they do? What percentage of citizens really KNOW?
To be even somewhat informed, I have to go to primary research sources and independent journalist sources and a few resources like this site written by scholars who check their sources and their facts. So few of us can do that that I am surprised that a poll showing participants' awareness of these achievements by Joe Biden is as high as 38%.
I am an old school retired journalist. Over my career, predatory investment firms took over media. The really well trained journalists were layed off or bought off with threats of layoffs, if they didn't accept the buyouts. These investors got rid of the fact checkers and copy editors and research departments. The staff that remains is overworked and has neither the backroom resources or the time to properly report the news. In my own career, I sometimes felt I was doing intel for management. More than once, I was praised for a story that never ran in my magazine. Should also say that I was a monthly magazine journalist who newspapers used as a source. Monthly magazine deadlines are different than daily newspapers, so you usually have more time to work on features, however, they lack immediacy. Even among magazines, staffs are thin and workloads heavy. Journalists are expected to research and write deadline stories, video and photograph stories (something that used to be separate jobs for others), and participate in all forms of social media. It's exhausting.
Christina, your story has roots in the newspaper, magazine, radio and tv business going back to the early days. There was an ebb and flow. The disappearance of newspapers and the explosion of social media -- this time is different. Propaganda, disinformation, conspiracy theories and 'alterative facts' so well put by Kellyanne Conway and the undermining of public school education are what the facts, civics, reasoning, respect for others, civil society and democracy are up against.
Sinclair... How do we get American journalism, and thus American democracy, back? I feel like I need to say, "Thank you for your service, Christina." It's an uncivil corporate war.
Thank you. You are one of those people from whom we don't hear enough.
Indeed, one has to look hard for a news source that isn't simply part of the echo chamber selling ads by spinning events into "news". "Sturm und drang" is what sells, but actual news is something you must search out like a beat reporter. The trouble is, most of us have neither the credentials nor the time to do primary research on everything that crosses their view. Independent journalism isn't on the grocery store rack, major television channels or even on page 1, 2, or 3 of your average internet browser search. You have to sniff out your sources and then hang on to them fiercely because they rarely are backed by big money.
And if we are dependent on the average Joe to do that, we are in deep do do
We are indeed deep in do-do. The average American Joe is becoming less educated to use evidence or trained to do the research to find it. Scholars and investigative reporters have something in common; both understand, in their developed area of expertise, how to use evidence and how to find it.
Christina Farnsworth describes how predatory business took those with the ability to do both from the profession and replaced them with those who do neither, but instead dispense information that originates from surprisingly few sources out to the public. Media figures are told to distribute that information but don't fact check it or even know how to evaluate it, very much as Italian investigative reporter, Stefania Mauriz described above. Corporate mainstream media moves in lock-step, which is why all front-pages look alike and all prime time television news sounds alike, as shown in the the recent manipulation to focus all citizens' attention on a spy balloon and into a created narrative about it.
We don't see such lock step in independent journalism because that is largely the product of diverse researchers adept at investigating what is important to them. They all don't carry the same story precisely because they have different interests and do their own research instead of doing rip- and-read presenting from what is essentially a script.
The same transition is occurring in higher education, but it is largely politicians who have engineered that change rather than predatory hedge funds. Politicians do this by pressuring the converting of the majority of college professors' positions into a cheaper temp-agency kind of work in which doing research is written out of their job responsibilities. For the rest who do research, the pressure focuses on removing the protections of tenure, which is the academic equivalent of the First Amendment protections that once protected investigative reporting and publishing that reported party and government malfeasance.
Florida under its Governor DeSantis is the culminating stage of politicians dictating to professors after removing tenure what they can and cannot say, teach, research, or profess and ordering them to follow a script to support political narrative.
Yes, the repubs are flooding the lane with you know what ! And I do think its because of their disarray and malfunction leading up to the debt ceiling showdown. That being said, two things concern me. We've had a history of balloons coming over us from the west. I think in WW2, Japan actually sent explosive balloons over here that killed and injured people on the U.S. mainland. So the second thing is why don't we have the ability stop these things from coming over? But it was an excellent idea to shoot it down over the ocean.
Biden is doing an excellent job and I hope he stays on track with his message and efforts in order to keeping moving us Democracy minded folks forward. Lots of good stuff in your analysis Dr. Richards !
Placed side by side, the lists of significant accomplishments of Joe versus tRUMP would be astonishing. That list should be on media of all kinds every day.
On big billboards!
The WaPo/ABC/Monmouth poll is, to use a term of art, “garbage”. It is a vaguely worded poll that asks people to describe their feelings about “elected officials” and “the federal government” and “the direction of the country.” Are the “elected officials” referred to in the poll Democrats? Republicans? Both? Neither? City council members? County sheriffs? School board members? That ambiguity is glossed over by asking respondents about their feelings regarding the “state of the union,” which, by inference, is the speech that Joe Biden will deliver tomorrow.
Like most of the rest of the garbage the over-educated, under-intelligent, otherwise-unemployable Ivy League trust fund babies of the Press Corpse produces, it's just "’m not happy, my kids aren’t happy, and it just doesn’t seem like things are better. Also, I put on a lot of weight during lockdown, and it isn’t going away. No wonder I’m unhappy. So, I’ll blame the government, which I mostly want to do anyway. "
Our MSM is guilty of malfeasance and misfeasance
In one sense, maybe it’s us who are guilty. We are expecting MSM and social media to be something they are not with their infotainment / advertising-based business model. We see the advertising clearly each and every time we try to read or listen to the substance of a piece. In fact trying to find the article among all the Vegas-style attention-luring / intentionally-distracting advertising is an exhausting experience. And now it is so normal to have all the trash and flash and siren-calls to divert to a TikTok video, most people don’t even question the mindf*ck they just experienced, and shallow-recall their emotional impression of the click-bait headlines they may have remembered before pivoting their attention pavlovianly. “Has Biden accomplished much in his two years in office?” “Uhhhhhhhhhhhh, no?” The Citizen United architects cheer “Mission Accomplished!”
I have to admit that when I see the word “poll” my eyes glaze over.
I heard the balloon contained all the millions of missing ballots cast for trump. Biden had to shoot it down over water so they couldn't be recovered.
No, it contained 'Beau Biden's Laptop'.
🤣