WEDNESDAY, MAY 8, 2024 In one key respect, we aren't: At the start of this week, we raised a pair of award-winning questions concerning those of us who live in present-day Blue America. Regarding November's election, we raised this awkward question: Have we possibly "earned our w … | Continue reading
TUESDAY, MAY 7, 2024Also, Hannah Dreier's Pulitzer Prize: Yesterday, to its credit if somewhat belatedly, the Washington Post finally began to try to explain.In yesterday afternoon's report, we linked you to David Nakamura's report. Yesterday morning, his report had appeared onli … | Continue reading
TUESDAY, MAY 7, 2024 Also, Hannah Dreier's Pulitzer Prize: Yesterday, to its credit if somewhat belatedly, the Washington Post finally began to try to explain. In yesterday afternoon's report, we linked you to David Nakamura's report. Yesterday morning, his report had appeared on … | Continue reading
TUESDAY, MAY 7, 2024...Agamemnon was the elect: Agamemnon, lord of men, never won an election. As far as we know, there were no elections, as we know them, during the late Bronze Age. Agamemnon, lord of men, never won an election. Clearly, though, Agamemnon was the elect.In the … | Continue reading
TUESDAY, MAY 7, 2024 ...Agamemnon was the elect: Agamemnon, lord of men, never won an election. As far as we know, there were no elections, as we know them, during the late Bronze Age. Agamemnon, lord of men, never won an election. Clearly, though, Agamemnon was the elect. In the … | Continue reading
MONDAY, MAY 6, 2024Also, Welker's repeated question: Kudos to the Washington Post for what it has started to try to do.In a lengthy report by David Nakamura, the paper has now started to try to explain the legal basis on which Donald J. Trump has been charged with a felony—actual … | Continue reading
MONDAY, MAY 6, 2024 Also, Welker's repeated question: Kudos to the Washington Post for what it has started to try to do. In a lengthy report by David Nakamura, the paper has now started to try to explain the legal basis on which Donald J. Trump has been charged with a felony—actu … | Continue reading
MONDAY, MAY 6, 2024...are we all Achaeans now? We start today with a question:What is the total student enrollment at Columbia University?You're asking an excellent question! At this site, we have a close relative who will be a freshman there in the fall. Her exploits as a school … | Continue reading
MONDAY, MAY 6, 2024 ...are we all Achaeans now? We start today with a question: What is the total student enrollment at Columbia University? You're asking an excellent question! At this site, we have a close relative who will be a freshman there in the fall. Her exploits as a sch … | Continue reading
SUNDAY, MAY 5, 2024The New York Times doesn't seem sure: For starters, we strongly agree with Nia Prater concerning one basic point.Last week, Prater began writing for New York magazine about the arrests by the NYPD at Columbia University.On Wednesday, she did an initial post on … | Continue reading
SUNDAY, MAY 5, 2024 The New York Times doesn't seem sure: For starters, we strongly agree with Nia Prater concerning one basic point. Last week, Prater began writing for New York magazine about the arrests by the NYPD at Columbia University. On Wednesday, she did an initial post … | Continue reading
SATURDAY, MAY 4, 2024What viewers were told on Fox: It's the wonderful thing about "cable news." Everybody gets to go to bed happy!Yesterday, starting at 4 p.m., Blue America was reassured about what Hope Hicks had said. Late last night, in the 11 p.m. hour, viewers in Red Americ … | Continue reading
SATURDAY, MAY 4, 2024 What viewers were told on Fox: It's the wonderful thing about "cable news." Everybody gets to go to bed happy! Yesterday, starting at 4 p.m., Blue America was reassured about what Hope Hicks had said. Late last night, in the 11 p.m. hour, viewers in Red Amer … | Continue reading
SATURDAY, MAY 4, 2024It depends on which channel you watch: Do we the people get the national discourse we deserve?We wouldn't recommend such a sour outlook. That said, the question popped into our heads this morning when we reviewed the online Washington Post.Oof! As of 8:30 thi … | Continue reading
SATURDAY, MAY 4, 2024 It depends on which channel you watch: Do we the people get the national discourse we deserve? We wouldn't recommend such a sour outlook. That said, the question popped into our heads this morning when we reviewed the online Washington Post. Oof! As of 8:30 … | Continue reading
FRIDAY, MAY 3, 2024 Except they're totally different: Their concerns are our concerns! Except. of course, for the fact that they're totally different. The two different leadership guilds agree on one basic point. In Red America and in Blue America, those guilds are speaking out, … | Continue reading
FRIDAY, MAY 3, 2024Except they're totally different: Their concerns are our concerns! Except. of course, for the fact that they're totally different.The two different leadership guilds agree on one basic point. In Red America and in Blue America, those guilds are speaking out, on … | Continue reading
WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2024 Please remove their protective gear! Watching cable news was especially painful this morning. On Morning Joe, the message was gloomy. The messages went like this: The barricade brigade at UCLA aren't helping anyone in Gaza. In fact, they have the whole Amer … | Continue reading
WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2024Please remove their protective gear! Watching cable news was especially painful this morning.On Morning Joe, the message was gloomy. The messages went like this:The barricade brigade at UCLA aren't helping anyone in Gaza. In fact, they have the whole America … | Continue reading
THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2024 Joe Scarborough's major concern: For roughly 90 minutes today, the whole (cable news) world was watching. The Fox News Channel had stayed live from L.A. all through the past two nights. For two straight nights, its overnight reruns were kicked to the curb. I … | Continue reading
THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2024Joe Scarborough's major concern: For roughly 90 minutes today, the whole (cable news) world was watching.The Fox News Channel had stayed live from L.A. all through the past two nights. For two straight nights, its overnight reruns were kicked to the curb. In … | Continue reading
WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2024 O'Donnell gets it right: Lawrence O'Donnell remembers. He also broke out of a type of box with some comments he made last night. In this age of "segregation by viewpoint," it's very rare to see someone on cable news do what O'Donnell did. He made a signific … | Continue reading
WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2024O'Donnell gets it right: Lawrence O'Donnell remembers. He also broke out of a type of box with some comments he made last night.In this age of "segregation by viewpoint," it's very rare to see someone on cable news do what O'Donnell did. He made a significan … | Continue reading
WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2024 Agamemnon will have to wait: As it turns out, the rage of Achilles—along with the rage of Agamemnon himself—is going to have to wait. So too for that one overwhelming human concern—the one concern which lay behind their famous bouts of rage. Can we learn to … | Continue reading
WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2024Agamemnon will have to wait: As it turns out, the rage of Achilles—along with the rage of Agamemnon himself—is going to have to wait. So too for that one overwhelming human concern—the one concern which lay behind their famous bouts of rage. Can we learn to … | Continue reading
TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2024 George Conway, One Other Guy: We just saw George Conway on Deadline: White House refer to Donald J. Trump as "a narcissistic sociopath." He also used the term "psychopathy" as he discussed Trump's mental / emotional state. As we've recently noted, Conway h … | Continue reading
TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2024George Conway, One Other Guy: We just saw George Conway on Deadline: White House refer to Donald J. Trump as "a narcissistic sociopath." He also used the term "psychopathy" as he discussed Trump's mental / emotional state. As we've recently noted, Conway ha … | Continue reading
TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2024 Suppressing the doorman's (false) tale: Once again, it's time for us to fess up. We'll start by quoting the first paragraph of the guest essay we discussed in this morning's report. The essay appeared in the New York Times. Headline included, it starts exa … | Continue reading
TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2024Suppressing the doorman's (false) tale: Once again, it's time for us to fess up. We'll start by quoting the first paragraph of the guest essay we discussed in this morning's report. The essay appeared in the New York Times. Headline included, it starts exac … | Continue reading
TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2024 But then, up jumps the Times: As far as we know, President Lincoln never voiced concern about the future of "our democracy." His moral insights and intellectual skills came from the realm of the gods. In one of his two most famous speeches, he used languag … | Continue reading
TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2024But then, up jumps the Times: As far as we know, President Lincoln never voiced concern about the future of "our democracy." His moral insights and intellectual skills came from the realm of the gods. In one of his two most famous speeches, he used language … | Continue reading
MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2024 Straight outta Staten Island: For what it's worth, we disagree with Jason Zinoman's assessment of Colin Jost's performance at Saturday night's TV dinner. (That doesn't mean that Zinowitz's assessment is "wrong.") We thought Colin Jost was good. We'll score … | Continue reading
MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2024Straight outta Staten Island: For what it's worth, we disagree with Jason Zinoman's assessment of Colin Jost's performance at Saturday night's TV dinner.(That doesn't mean that Zinowitz's assessment is "wrong.")We thought Colin Jost was good. We'll score thi … | Continue reading
MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2024 How well do we know ourselves? "Your concerns are my concerns," the Hemingway character said. We refer to the Mariel Hemingway character in the 1979 feature film, Manhattan. According to the leading authority on the topic, "the film received critical acclai … | Continue reading
MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2024How well do we know ourselves? "Your concerns are my concerns," the Hemingway character said.We refer to the Mariel Hemingway character in the 1979 feature film, Manhattan. According to the leading authority on the topic, "the film received critical acclaim, … | Continue reading
SUNDAY, APRIL 28, 2024The novelization of news: Back in August 2018, Michael Cohen was sentenced to three years in federal prison.Cohen had been Donald Trump's "fixer." Among his various duties, he was deeply involved in the "hush money" payment to a certain "porn star."(Phrasing … | Continue reading
SUNDAY, APRIL 28, 2024 The novelization of news: Back in August 2018, Michael Cohen was sentenced to three years in federal prison. Cohen had been Donald Trump's "fixer." Among his various duties, he was deeply involved in the "hush money" payment to a certain "porn star." (Phras … | Continue reading
SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2024Termagant does double duty: It was the termagant's second night back from a well-deserved, week-long vacation. At exactly 10:02 p.m., the termagant struck again. It was the second joke of his opening monologue. The deep discussions followed.The fellow is 5 … | Continue reading
SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2024 Termagant does double duty: It was the termagant's second night back from a well-deserved, week-long vacation. At exactly 10:02 p.m., the termagant struck again. It was the second joke of his opening monologue. The deep discussions came later. The fellow … | Continue reading
FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 2024There he goes again: Why was Michael Cohen sentenced to three years in prison?We'll explore that question over the weekend. We just saw Nicolle Wallace tackle the topic again.For today, we thought we'd show you one of the wonderful jokes with which Greg Gutf … | Continue reading
FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 2024 There he goes again: Why was Michael Cohen sentenced to three years in prison? We'll explore that question over the weekend. We just saw Nicolle Wallace tackle the topic again. For today, we thought we'd show you one of the wonderful jokes with which Greg G … | Continue reading
FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 2024 It's all about Helen of Troy: At the start of last night's show on the Fox News Channel, Laura Ingraham was puzzled. She started with the Gotham "hush money" trial. Her puzzlement took this form: We start in New York where David Pecker testified for the thi … | Continue reading
THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024 As opposed to what you might hear: Actually yes, we know what we said. Yesterday afternoon, we said we'd walk you thrown an appalling pseudo-conversation which took place on that morning's Fox & Friends. During the event in question, Lawrence Jones, on th … | Continue reading
THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024 With what is Donald Trump charged? The future president made the statement back in the early days. Joe and Mika were in the process of flipping on the candidate—a candidate over whom they had fawned all through the previous year. It was January 2016. NPR … | Continue reading
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 2024 But also, Fox & Friends conquers Wisconsin: It's very, very hard to believe the culture change which has been engineered under cover of darkness at the Fox News Channel. We're so old that we can remember when "family values" was the hook for American con … | Continue reading
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 2024 Or is it extremely strong? Incomparably, your Daily Howler keeps churning out results. She appeared today at 6:03 a.m. Her appearance on Morning Joe ended at 6:20. Along the way, she restated her "basic takeaway" from yesterday's Morning Joe. Once again, … | Continue reading
TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 2024 Old ways disappear: Journalistically speaking, we'd call it a moment that was. Yesterday, opening statements were delivered at the Trump hush money / election corruption trial. When we left off this morning, Donald J. Trump had somehow "corrupted the 2016 … | Continue reading
TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 2024 The doorman knocks early and often: Journalistically speaking—and "at long last"—is it time for her to go? Journalistically speaking, we refer to Lisa Rubin. She's either "an MSNBC legal analyst" or "an MSNBC legal correspondent," depending on which part o … | Continue reading