Sam Litzinger

Mostly retired #journalist (ex-CBS News, ex-AP, etc). Master’s degree in #philosophy. Friend to #animals. Usually annoyed about something. Thank you for reading my posts.

My audio obituary of CBS News Radio:
https://on.soundcloud.com/6tMcY2ZIjYbefssAwm

My website:  https://www.samlitzinger.com/  #journalism #philosophy #animals #history  #music

Public Key

npub1l2hcp33a9rdldacwjsvta3ml6lamglwem82pmqfcdr8jk4xqhw6q4hwcr0

NIP-05 Address

samlitzinger_at_journa.host@momostr.pink

Profile Code

nprofile1qqs04tuqcc7j3klk7u8fgx97cala07a50hvan4qasyux3net2nqthdqpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0dsz9ds4d

Publishing to

relay.damus.io

nos.lol

Author Public Key

npub1l2hcp33a9rdldacwjsvta3ml6lamglwem82pmqfcdr8jk4xqhw6q4hwcr0

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Last Notes

2026-07-31 02:43:07 UTC

Idiots.
“US government lists fictional nation Wakanda as trade partner”
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-50849559

2026-05-02 00:38:26 UTC

“Ben Shapiro's Daily Wire hit with layoffs across a 'number of teams,' largely from Nashville HQ”
Gee, you hate to see such a high-quality outfit like this going through tough times…
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/careersandeducation/ben-shapiros-daily-wire-hit-with-layoffs-across-a-number-of-teams-largely-from-nashville-hq/ar-AA22bKMC

2026-04-27 12:41:20 UTC

- reply

Thanks! It seems to have become a memory machine for some radio fans (it’s that great old CBS sounder, I think!).
https://www.networknewsmusic.com/cbs-radio-news-1967-2001-sounder/

2026-04-27 12:25:11 UTC

For anyone interested, I made an audio piece about my former employer CBS News Radio, which is scheduled to close May 22nd after nearly 100 years.
It’s far from a complete history, but has some info about the network’s early days and its amazing WWII reporting.
#history
#radio
#journalism
https://m.soundcloud.com/user-56559296/farewelltocbsnewsradiomixdown

2026-04-22 12:21:14 UTC

https://apnews.com/article/trump-media-truth-social-nunes-ceo-don-jr-f528dc294683c7f132c063b4a21dd68e

2026-04-19 20:56:09 UTC

They’re becoming less frequent the longer I’m out of daily #radio, but I still have the occasional anxiety nightmare.
The latest was typical: I was supposed to anchor a newscast but couldn’t find either my copy or the studio.
Broadcasting PTSD, I guess…

2026-04-19 15:00:40 UTC

“Trump’s fixation on White House ballroom is increasing, Post analysis finds The president has publicly highlighted his ballroom project on roughly a third of the days this year.”
My first campaign contribution will go to the 2028 Democratic presidential candidate who promises to begin tearing down this monstrosity on day one of their term…
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/04/19/trump-ballroom-public-mentions/

2026-04-18 01:56:11 UTC

I’d love to see this lunatic file suit. Discovery would be a hoot.
“Kash Patel's team threatens lawsuit over bombshell report he drinks on the job”
https://www.rawstory.com/kash-patel-2676760572/

2026-04-17 12:39:36 UTC

https://apnews.com/article/ice-background-checks-vetting-immigration-8ae6b7b850f7c0265b3cb8b5060ef8fd

2026-04-14 20:58:39 UTC

“Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Saved From Closure by Nonprofit
The Venetoulis Institute of Local Journalism, which operates The Baltimore Banner, has bought The Post-Gazette. The newspaper was set to shut down next month.”
- NYT
Encouraging news.
And I’m so glad the owners didn’t sell to another bidder, Alden Global Capital, which would have scavenged the paper’s corpse.

2026-04-13 11:50:17 UTC

Hey, what’s the big deal? George Washington posted this kind of thing on social media all the time…
https://assets.journa.host/media_attachments/files/116/397/235/531/082/422/original/cf49620536f78fea.png

2026-04-13 11:23:49 UTC

https://apnews.com/article/orban-hungary-election-trump-republicans-6be613a3ac64c5efdb94b31be4bf18e6

2026-04-12 20:03:58 UTC

Part of Trump’s post on Feb. 5:
“Viktor Orbán is a true friend, fighter, and WINNER, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election as Prime Minister of Hungary — HE WILL NEVER LET THE GREAT PEOPLE OF HUNGARY DOWN! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP”
How do you say, “Go fuck yourself, Donnie” in Hungarian?

2026-04-12 19:47:25 UTC

Trump and JD couldn’t save their fellow authoritarian pal.
Good riddance.
https://www.reuters.com/world/hungary-election-2026-live-viktor-orbans-fidesz-faces-challenge-opposition-peter-2026-04-12/

2026-04-12 13:58:31 UTC

Dear God. This photo in the NYT.
“Someone Has to Be Happy. Why Not Lauren Sánchez Bezos?
As half of an unfathomably powerful couple, Mrs. Sánchez Bezos seems to have influenced the uber-rich to stop apologizing, and start enjoying themselves.”
And when did the uber-rich ever apologize?!
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/11/business/lauren-sanchez-bezos-jeff-bezos.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share
https://assets.journa.host/media_attachments/files/116/392/081/398/593/400/original/8d5207f4017f3c38.png

2026-04-12 01:01:59 UTC

Today in 1945, American forces liberate the Buchenwald concentration camp.
Edward R. Murrow toured the camp soon after and filed perhaps his most moving WWII radio report on April 15th.
He needed the time to process the horror he’d seen.
It was heard on CBS, whose #radio news operation is scheduled to end next month.
https://youtu.be/TkdVDLWo3EY

2026-04-09 00:32:22 UTC

These prediction markets really are a vast criminal conspiracy…
https://apnews.com/article/polymarket-iran-trump-ceasefire-prediction-markets-350d9fe5ffefa74080ff5dd973aef48b

2026-04-07 18:52:20 UTC

Anyone want to give me a million dollars so I can buy and program a #radio station near Washington, DC?
https://dcrtv.com/wjej-is-for-sale/

2026-04-06 00:19:17 UTC

If Trump gives the order for a nuclear strike on Iran, will the military personnel who can actually carry it out obey?

2026-04-05 13:28:43 UTC

I see major media outlets still can’t bring themselves to quote Trump’s insane social media post in full:
“Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah. President DONALD J. TRUMP”
https://assets.journa.host/media_attachments/files/116/352/331/722/013/152/original/7b9f5f7b917c6d75.png

2026-04-04 14:47:42 UTC

The U.S. president is a maniac (who also doesn’t know the difference between “reign” and “rain”).
America may be done for.
https://assets.journa.host/media_attachments/files/116/346/981/343/717/724/original/b3e60fb4b1b59b2e.png

2026-04-03 20:28:07 UTC

“Iranian operatives have been digging out underground missile bunkers and silos struck by American and Israeli bombs, returning them to operation hours after an attack, according to U.S. intelligence reports.”
- NYT
Every military history book I’ve read suggests you can’t really defeat a country without sending in ground forces (or dropping nuclear bombs).
If you aren’t willing to commit ground forces, you shouldn’t start a war.
Is Trump willing to send in ground troops?

2026-04-02 19:04:10 UTC

May this photo haunt you for the rest of your life, Pam…
https://assets.journa.host/media_attachments/files/116/336/663/660/081/444/original/0c86d3d4aed0e1e0.png

2026-04-02 02:33:03 UTC

It stuns me reading and seeing all the mainstream media stories that Trump’s speech is covered as if it were given by a normal president.
It was in fact an incoherent mess of bragging, recriminations, lies, vague promises and general nonsense delivered by a mumbling idiot caked in orange make-up.
Watch it if you don’t believe me.
Until these rants are covered accurately, I don’t have much hope for American media.

2026-04-01 13:19:09 UTC

I’m usually a big space guy, but I can’t seem to muster much enthusiasm for this moon mission.
Maybe I’m too depressed by all the stuff going on down here.
https://apnews.com/article/nasa-artemis-moon-launch-055040ce0579ec238d0ec9fcb0278ed3

2026-03-28 12:23:02 UTC

- reply

“The advantage plans, I was incredulous that they were able to do what they were doing — no premiums, small co-pays, all kinds of rewards,” Mindell said. “I guess it turned out to be too good to be true.”

2026-03-28 12:18:40 UTC

- reply

“In 2026, Medicare advisers estimate that Medicare Advantage will cost taxpayers $76 billion in overpayments, when compared to the cost of covering beneficiaries under traditional Medicare.”

2026-03-28 12:15:31 UTC

- reply

“Seniors on the these plans must deal with cost-containment strategies of private insurance companies; carriers restrict what doctors and hospitals you can see and often require prior authorization before expensive care or drugs are provided. Now odds are increasing that older people also will have to shop for another plan each year.”

2026-03-28 12:11:26 UTC

- reply

“In all, almost 3 million people were forced off Medicare Advantage plans because their carriers pulled out of their counties, according to a recent analysis in the medical journal JAMA.”

2026-03-28 12:06:30 UTC

“The shift highlights one of the risks for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries, especially in rural areas where options tend to be meager: plans are under no obligation to offer coverage year-to-year. When profit margins are threatened, insurance companies can suddenly withdraw coverage. This year the churn reached a peak.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/03/28/insurance-health-care-medicare-seniors/

2026-03-27 20:07:08 UTC

Dow tumbles almost 800 points and enters correction, S&P 500 posts fifth straight losing week
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/26/stock-market-today-live-updates.html?__source=iosappshare%7Ccom.apple.UIKit.activity.CopyToPasteboard

2026-03-27 19:49:52 UTC

The thing is, even a 14-year-old who is at least INTERESTED in politics is a better leader than Trump…
https://apnews.com/article/vermont-teen-runs-governor-first-46d712d6c640b4d938a63ebafbcc06e8

2026-03-25 18:52:37 UTC

“… for the United States this war was an unwise gamble on extremely long odds; the gamble (that the regime would collapse swiftly) has already failed and as a result locked in essentially nothing but negative outcomes… every likely outcome leaves the United States in a meaningfully worse strategic position than when it started.”
https://acoup.blog/2026/03/25/miscellanea-the-war-in-iran/

2026-03-25 14:23:36 UTC

Many #philosophy professors would embrace the Socratic method of oral exams, yes?
https://apnews.com/article/college-oral-exam-ai-chatgpt-77954a19f5304bfc6e76dc92d4bef3ad

2026-03-23 19:45:05 UTC

“Trump administration to pay $1 billion to stop two East Coast wind farms The Interior Department reached a settlement to pay France’s TotalEnergies not to pursue two offshore wind farms but direct the investments toward fossil fuels.”
- WaPo
F*ck Trump et m*rde cette entreprise…

2026-03-23 14:00:32 UTC

“Two Iranian semiofficial news agencies close to the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard claimed that there had been no negotiations — direct or indirect — with Washington as described by Trump. The Fars and Tasnim news agencies instead portrayed the American president as backing down due to Iran’s threats.”
- AP
A sad state of affairs when I put more trust in Iranian news agencies than I do the President of the United States…

2026-03-21 12:48:53 UTC

With the impending death of my former employer CBS News Radio, some of you might be interested in the longest continuously running news broadcast in American history, The World News Roundup, which began in 1938 (and will end May 22nd).
Here’s a story from 2013 (my audio piece is the first cut in it):
https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/cbs-radio-news-world-news-roundup-turns-75/
#radio
#journalism

2026-03-19 16:56:08 UTC

Excellent.
https://assets.journa.host/media_attachments/files/116/256/883/637/634/418/original/f2024dbdefac9d80.png

2026-03-17 12:30:50 UTC

“… the writing-assistance site known as Grammarly used my name and image without permission or notice to offer writing advice to its premium customers. They did the same with many other journalists or academics, including Jay Rosen, Emily Bell and Marty Baron. They’ve discontinued that now, and a class action suit is underway.”
https://margaretsullivan.substack.com/p/its-great-that-the-nyt-is-thriving

2026-03-15 01:28:43 UTC

“FCC chief threatens broadcasters as Trump criticizes coverage of Iran war Brendan Carr warned media outlets to correct course or lose their licenses, as Trump escalated attacks on the media over Iran war coverage.”
Absolute fascism. Real Goebbels-level stuff.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/03/14/trump-carr-fcc-media-iran-war/

2026-03-10 21:27:39 UTC

“Whistleblower claims ex-DOGE member says he took Social Security data to new job The Social Security inspector general’s office is investigating allegations that the former DOGE engineer took sensitive data on a thumb drive in a major potential security breach, said people familiar with the process.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/03/10/social-security-data-breach-doge/

2026-03-10 18:56:51 UTC

Human Rights Watch says that Israel has been illegally using white phosphorus in Lebanon - https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/human-rights-watch-says-that-israel-has-been-illegally-using-white-phosophorus-2026-03-10/

2026-03-06 16:38:05 UTC

Idiot thinks he’s General Grant now…
“Trump calls for Iran’s ‘unconditional surrender’ as Israel strikes Lebanon”
https://apnews.com/live/iran-war-israel-trump-lebanon-03-06-2026

2026-03-03 22:48:53 UTC

“Dorothy Butler Gilliam, the first Black woman reporter hired at the Washington Post donates $10,000 to laid-off reporters”
https://thegrio.com/2026/03/03/dorothy-butler-gilliam-donates-10000-to-laid-off-washington-post-reporters/

2026-03-03 04:56:20 UTC

“A Philosopher ‘Prophet’
Michael Sandel, the Harvard professor, has been predicting this political moment for decades. We called him to discuss where we go from here.”
(Gift article)
#philosophy
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/01/briefing/a-rock-star-philosopher.html?unlocked_article_code=1.QVA.T2U4.jmkVvRl5fppe&smid=nytcore-ios-share

2026-02-27 22:53:46 UTC

https://apnews.com/article/neil-sedaka-dead-c1002e2c903a458380d2078a47ab75b5

2026-02-24 03:18:55 UTC

Excellent.
https://apnews.com/article/trump-state-of-union-womens-hockey-gold-medal-2311fcc12756a72d8733f0f8c12116f8

2026-02-24 00:28:09 UTC

Good riddance.
“Dr. Peter Attia, a medical influencer whose emails with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were revealed in the latest U.S. Justice Department release of files, has resigned a post with CBS News.”
https://apnews.com/article/cbs-news-epstein-files-attia-medical-428aacc5f6ba7dc3f441047e37d351c6

2026-02-20 16:44:46 UTC

“In a 63-page dissent, written by Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh, who was joined by Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito Jr., the dissenters also raised concerns that the decision would lead to chaos, at least in the short term as importers who have already paid the tariffs seek refunds.”
When did these guys suddenly switch from being originalists to being consequentialists?

2026-02-16 21:35:44 UTC

No one knows the difference between “its” and “it’s” anymore do they?
Not even The New York Times.
“What You Have in Common With a Pigeon, and Why Its Causing Problems for You”
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/16/opinion/phone-fixation-dopamine-kids.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

2026-02-14 15:55:30 UTC

I guess Putin didn’t have a window high enough to throw him from…
https://apnews.com/article/russia-navalny-poisoned-europe-4d92cd67f29d37b74b0d4842ea686b03

2026-02-14 13:32:14 UTC

Courts have ruled 4,400 times that ICE jailed people illegally. It hasn’t stopped. - https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/courts-have-ruled-4400-times-that-ice-jailed-people-illegally-it-hasnt-stopped-2026-02-14/

2026-02-13 03:39:15 UTC

How the hell many people was Epstein friends with??
https://apnews.com/article/kathy-ruemmler-resigns-goldman-sachs-epstein-3ba7b9e87cc8e38f563f91917630e484

2026-02-13 00:58:02 UTC

https://apnews.com/article/pride-flag-stonewall-inn-lgbtq-f6a4a93ff1cf12f7462e7fa23b4cb14e

2026-02-12 13:43:25 UTC

I hope this Getty Image photo of Pam Bondi ignoring the Epstein victims is the one that will be run in her obituary.
https://assets.journa.host/media_attachments/files/116/057/950/083/637/610/original/5a6b7602c6b65a99.png

2026-02-11 16:10:20 UTC

The first question from any reporter about this jobs report must be: Why should we believe it?
That’s not standard practice, but these are not standard times.
The Trump administration has turned data into propaganda and has lied repeatedly.
“U.S. payrolls rose by 130,000 in January, more than expected; unemployment down to 4.3%”
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/11/jobs-report-january-2026-.html?__source=iosappshare%7Ccom.apple.UIKit.activity.CopyToPasteboard

2026-02-10 23:37:56 UTC

“Bezos didn’t let the Post die. He chose which part lives. He spent the last two years remaking the opinion section into his ideological megaphone while letting the newsroom bleed out.”
https://www.readtpa.com/p/jeff-bezos-gutted-the-newsroom-he

2026-02-10 20:10:08 UTC

https://apnews.com/article/stonewall-monument-rainbow-flag-removed-e58b12c1c9482e4b2cf02fef55e0f775

2026-02-04 15:47:51 UTC

‘It’s an absolute bloodbath’: Washington Post undergoing significant layoffs as part of ‘strategic reset’
Former Post executive editor blasts owner Jeff Bezos’s ‘sickening efforts to curry favor’ with Trump
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/feb/04/washington-post-layoffs

2026-02-02 11:34:23 UTC

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/clynp40ekrdt

2026-02-02 00:50:46 UTC

So Trump is basically destroying the East Wing of the White House, planning an Albert Speer-like triumphal arch to himself and is now closing The Kennedy Center.
An awful period for culture in Washington, DC and in America.

2026-02-01 20:57:27 UTC

For the record, I’m no longer a CBS News consumer, despite having worked there on and off for about 20 years. It’s now a hopeless place under Bari Weiss.
Individual CBS reporters will still do good work, but overall the rot has set in.
Breaks my heart.
“Bari Weiss’s new CBS hires include ‘germ theory denialist’ doctor
Dr Mark Hyman, who claimed he reduced his biological age by 20 years, brought on as a contributor”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/29/bari-weiss-cbs-mark-hyman

2026-02-01 16:53:32 UTC

“They’ve got to clean up the immigrants, definitely,” said Herb Smith, a 61-year-old generator installer and Trump voter.
Smith, who is Black, said he once lived in Minneapolis and left because of the Somali immigrants who have drawn Trump’s ire: “Trump’s right, these people are poisoning our people.”
https://apnews.com/article/trump-immigration-enforcement-midterms-republicans-congress-54c3c13552d08605bd90a8ac451d9ba1

2026-01-30 20:03:05 UTC

What?
https://apnews.com/article/trump-indycar-race-washington-penske-9df7398879c960722b88fbc92795f86a

2026-01-27 21:12:06 UTC

“Collins asks Noem to pause ICE operations in Maine, Minnesota”
Good God!! Susie must be DEEPLY concerned!

2026-01-26 23:33:02 UTC

Kristi Noem Calls On Minneapolis Residents To Stop Obstructing Murders
https://theonion.com/kristi-noem-calls-on-minneapolis-residents-to-stop-obstructing-murders/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=newsletter&mc_cid=8ad447c423

2026-01-24 20:51:37 UTC

“The officer who shot Pretti is an eight-year Border Patrol veteran, federal officials said.”
What is HIS name??

2026-01-20 13:18:43 UTC

- reply

“Earlier Tuesday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said America’s relations with Europe remain strong and urged trading partners to “take a deep breath” and let tensions driven the new tariff threats over Greenland “play out.”
“I think our relations have never been closer,” he said.”
The Trump administration features the largest collection of dolts in American history.

2026-01-20 13:01:26 UTC

https://apnews.com/article/denmark-greenland-trump-bessent-davos-ab05ebfaae6a413d1f8125cb9726a4c5

2026-01-19 18:59:18 UTC

“At another meeting, Weiss urged staff to up their coverage of the protests unfolding in Iran, mentioning videos she’d seen online that “almost look like a movie scene.” One senior reporter with experience covering the country cautioned that some of what Weiss was citing were videos from protests three years earlier.”
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/let-f-cking-news-yorker-175745961.html

2026-01-17 14:12:26 UTC

Just blatant corruption…
“Trump bought $1M in Netflix, Warner Bros. bonds after merger announcement The president bought the bonds days after saying he’d be “involved” in deciding whether to approve the $83 billion deal.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/01/16/trump-bought-1m-netflix-warner-bros-bonds-after-merger-announcement/

2026-01-15 12:53:44 UTC

https://apnews.com/article/wikipedia-internet-jimmy-wales-50e796d70152d79a2e0708846f84f6d7

2026-01-14 00:05:26 UTC

This Ford worker is my new hero…
“Ford Worker At Dearborn Plant Screams ‘Pedophile Protector’ At President Trump, Who Responds -- ‘F--- You.’”
https://www.deadlinedetroit.com/articles/34097/ford_worker_screams_pedophile_protector_to_president_trump_who_responds_f---_you

2026-01-13 13:57:36 UTC

- reply

For decades, the default position for news organizations has been that data from the government haven’t been manipulated and can be reported at face value.
Given the Trump administration’s official rejection of truth and Trump’s ongoing effort to insert only loyalists into government positions, that’s no longer the case.
The safer journalistic position is to assume government information is incorrect unless proven otherwise independently.

2026-01-13 13:44:02 UTC

Wonder if this report is true?
“December core consumer prices rose at a 2.6% annual rate, less than expected”
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/13/cpi-inflation-report-december-2026.html?__source=iosappshare%7Ccom.apple.UIKit.activity.CopyToPasteboard

2026-01-13 13:40:08 UTC

- reply

“Privately, Ms. Weiss has been deeply frustrated by the negative reaction to her decisions, and has blamed some subordinates for not stanching the criticism, three people familiar with internal discussions said.”

2026-01-13 13:37:22 UTC

- reply

“Mr. Dokoupil’s teleprompter flub last week came about after Ms. Weiss asked to add an on-air analysis of why Mr. Trump had extricated Nicolás Maduro from Venezuela.
In the rush before airtime, the new material was inadvertently added twice into the script, the three people with knowledge of the evening’s events said. Mr. Dokoupil was flummoxed when he encountered the same words twice, asking his producers out loud which segment he was supposed to turn to next.”

2026-01-13 13:29:41 UTC

“Let’s make sure every single night has something with viral potential,” Ms. Weiss, the new editor in chief of CBS News, wrote to top producers as they prepared for the show’s new anchor, Tony Dokoupil, to start his tenure this month with a two-week tour of the country.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/13/business/media/cbs-evening-news-bari-weiss.html?unlocked_article_code=1.EFA.VDJQ.0WgSSItp7vxi&smid=nytcore-ios-share

2026-01-09 19:35:27 UTC

If anyone would like to learn some Tibetan (helpful if you’re doing anything with Tibetan Buddhism or the #history of Tibet), there’s a free 90-minute online talk coming up Saturday, Jan.10.
#Tibetan
#philosophy
https://www.tibetanlanguage.org/free-lecture-series/

2026-01-07 20:17:13 UTC

“Having seen the video myself, I want to tell everybody directly that is bullshit. This was an agent recklessly using power that resulted in somebody dying, getting killed,” Frey said. “There’s little I can say that will make this situation better, but I do have a message for our community and our city and for ICE. To ICE: Get the fuck out of Minneapolis. We do not want you here.”
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/01/07/us/minnesota-shooting-ice?smid=nytcore-ios-share

2026-01-06 13:03:53 UTC

“Opinion | CBS News’ new era begins with press freedom concerns and technical stumbles
Tony Dokoupil’s rushed anchor debut and a Venezuela interview that sidestepped Pentagon press restrictions mark an uneasy start to the Bari Weiss era”
https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2026/tony-dokoupil-cbs-evening-news-new-host/

2026-01-05 22:54:17 UTC

End of an era.
https://apnews.com/article/public-broadcasting-pbs-npr-b68f441c227ec7e076c038821b4a5931

2026-01-05 15:12:44 UTC

Important work by NPR:
https://apps.npr.org/jan-6-archive/

2026-01-03 18:31:07 UTC

- reply

As far as I can tell, Trump’s plan is to somehow put American oil companies in charge of Venezuela.
Sort of like the British East India Company, which at one point had its own private army of 260,000.

2026-01-03 18:21:57 UTC

Trump says the US will run Venezuela until 'safe' transition.
Anyone have any idea how we’re going to do that?
Anyone?

2025-12-31 19:55:12 UTC

The most ignorant, destructive administration in American history…
“NASA’s Largest Library Is Closing Amid Staff and Lab Cuts
Holdings from the library at the Goddard Space Flight Center, which includes unique documents from the early 20th century to the Soviet space race, will be warehoused or thrown out.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/31/climate/nasa-goddard-library-closing.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

2025-12-30 18:13:41 UTC

I hope an independent arts organization or even a top musician (Bruce? Willie? Neil?) will set up a way to channel contributions to those brave souls who are resisting creeping Trumpism at The Kennedy Center.
Those who’ve canceled shows on principle will lose money.
And I hear through mutual friends that some of them are now being harrassed by the MAGA crowd.
I’ve sent a few bucks to individual artists, but something more formal would be great.
Spread the word.
https://apnews.com/article/kennedy-center-new-years-eve-canceled-db4bc44f0d95cb40f794f2cb737562a3

2025-12-30 01:35:35 UTC

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And here’s the website for The Cookers, the jazz group that’s bravely canceling a Kennedy Center gig:
https://www.thecookersmusic.com/about/

2025-12-30 01:05:45 UTC

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Here’s her website if you’d like to offer support:
https://www.kristyleemusic.com/

2025-12-30 00:55:54 UTC

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“The artists who have protested in recent weeks include Kristy Lee, a folk singer from Alabama, who announced she was pulling out from a free concert on Jan. 14. “I won’t lie to you, canceling shows hurts,” she said in a social media post. “This is how I keep the lights on. But losing my integrity would cost me more than any paycheck.””

2025-12-29 23:23:35 UTC

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For anyone inclined and able to help the dance company:
https://dovadance.org/support/

2025-12-29 23:19:24 UTC

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“Doug Varone and Dancers said it was withdrawing from a two-night stand in April that had been intended to celebrate the company’s 40th anniversary. Varone, the head of the company, said it would lose $40,000 by pulling out.
“It is financially devastating but morally exhilarating,” he said in an email.”

2025-12-29 23:05:27 UTC

Bravo!
“More Kennedy Center Performances Are Canceled After Trump’s Renaming
A dance company withdrew from two performances next year, and the arts center’s website says two New Year’s Eve jazz concerts have been canceled.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/29/arts/more-kennedy-center-performances-are-canceled-after-trumps-renaming.html?unlocked_article_code=1.AVA.MXxQ.UP9JfTuogzps&smid=nytcore-ios-share

2025-12-28 13:13:50 UTC

Brigitte Bardot, icon of French cinema, dies at 91 - https://www.reuters.com/world/brigitte-bardot-has-died-her-foundation-has-said-2025-12-28/

2025-12-27 01:32:21 UTC

https://apnews.com/article/dominion-virginia-offshore-wind-trump-energy-interior-f5e4078b55cb1449a80de390153b3ae2

2025-12-25 19:54:15 UTC

(The New Republic)
(Illustration by Michelle Rohn)
https://assets.journa.host/media_attachments/files/115/781/936/543/406/075/original/cdf6248a66294e15.png

2025-12-24 16:44:39 UTC

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“Imagine Murrow getting ready to report from Buchenwald, but being told that the story isn’t ready because there was no one from the SS or Himmler’s staff available.
This is precisely what Bari Weiss just did.”

2025-12-24 16:34:50 UTC

“The collapse of trust in the American media is a result of the business decisions that destroyed Murrow’s ethic by the corporate executives he warned about with tremendous prescience.”
https://steveschmidt.substack.com/p/bari-weiss-killed-cbs-news-in-76?triedRedirect=true

2025-12-24 16:19:32 UTC

The phrase the Post is skirting around is “concentration camps” (sted “holding centers”).
“ICE documents reveal plan to hold 80,000 immigrants in warehouses The Trump administration aims to build seven large-scale holding centers to speed up deportations, internal ICE documents show.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/12/24/ice-immigrants-detention-warehouses-deportation-trump/

2025-12-23 07:26:50 UTC

“Second big batch of Epstein files includes many mentions of Trump”
“The documents were available for several hours Monday afternoon and evening on the Justice Department website but appear to have been taken down around 8 p.m. The Washington Post downloaded the full set of files while they were accessible.”
https://wapo.st/4b3ycG6