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The Ledes

Thursday, March 28, 2024

The Washington Post's liveblog of developments in the Francis Scott Key bridge collapse is here: “Divers recovered the bodies of two construction workers who died when a massive cargo ship struck and collapsed a Baltimore bridge, as investigators revealed Wednesday that hazardous material was leaking from breached containers on the stranded vessel and state and federal lawmakers rushed to begin the recovery from the disaster that crippled the Port of Baltimore. Rescue crews found the victims shortly before 10 a.m. trapped in a red pickup truck in about 25 feet of water in the Patapsco River near the mid-span of the hulking wreck of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, Maryland State Police Secretary Roland L. Butler Jr. said at a news conference. The conditions were treacherous for the divers, so Butler said they were suspending the search for the bodies of four other construction workers who plunged to their deaths when the container ship in distress struck the bridge shortly before 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, causing it to fall.

“The workers are believed to be the only victims in the disaster.... The victims recovered were identified as Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35, of Baltimore, and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, 26, of Dundalk, Md. Other victims identified Wednesday were Maynor Suazo Sandoval, 38, from Honduras, and Miguel Luna, from El Salvador, who was the father of three. The names of the remaining two victims have not been released.” ~~~

~~~ CNN's live updates are here.

The Wires
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The Ledes

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Washington Post: “As a cargo ship the size of a skyscraper drifted dangerously close to a major Baltimore bridge that carried more than 30,000 cars a day, the crew of the Dali issued an urgent 'mayday,' hoping to avert disaster Tuesday. First responders sprang into action, shutting down most traffic on the four-lane Francis Scott Key Bridge just before the 95,000 gross-ton vessel plowed into a bridge piling at about 1:30 a.m., causing multiple sections of the span to bow and snap in a harrowing scene captured on video.... Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) hailed those who carried out the quick work as 'heroes' and said they saved lives, but the scale of the destruction was catastrophic and will probably have far-reaching impacts for the economy and travel on the East Coast for months to come.” ~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times' live updates are here. CNN's live updates are here. ~~~

     ~~~ A Washington Post liveblog of developments is here: “Six people [-- bridge construction workers --] were presumed dead Tuesday evening, authorities announced as they shifted from a search and rescue operation to a recovery effort.... The governor declared a state of emergency, and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott (D) announced that the city has deployed its emergency operations plan. Vessel traffic into and out of the Port of Baltimore was 'suspended until further notice.'”

Public Service Announcement

The Washington Post offers tips on how to keep your EV battery running in frigid temperatures. The link at the end of this graf is supposed to be a "gift link" (from me, Marie Burns, the giftor!), meaning that non-subscribers can read the article. Hope it works: https://wapo.st/3u8Z705

The Hollywood Reporter has the full list of 2024 Oscar winners here.

Ryan Gosling performs "I'm Just Ken" at the Academy Awards: ~~~

Marie: If you don't like birthing stories, don't watch this video. But I thought it was pretty sweet -- and funny:

If you like Larry David, you may find this interview enjoyable:


Tracy Chapman & Luke Combs at the 2024 Grammy Awards. Allison Hope comments in a CNN opinion piece:

~~~ Here's Chapman singing "Fast Car" at the Oakland Coliseum in December 1988. ~~~

~~~ Here's the full 2024 Grammy winner's list, via CBS.

He Shot the Messenger. Washington Post: “The Messenger is shutting down immediately, the news site’s founder told employees in an email Wednesday, marking the abrupt demise of one of the stranger and more expensive recent experiments in digital media. In his email, Jimmy Finkelstein said he was 'personally devastated' to announce that he had failed in a last-ditch effort to raise more money for the site, saying that he had been fundraising as recently as the night before. Finkelstein said the site, which launched last year with outsize ambitions and a mammoth $50 million budget, would close 'effective immediately.' The New York Times first reported the site’s closure late Wednesday afternoon, appearing to catch many staffers off-guard, including editor in chief Dan Wakeford. As employees read the news story, the internal work chat service Slack erupted in what one employee called 'pandemonium.'... Minutes later, as staffers read Finkelstein’s email, its message was underscored as they were forcibly logged out of their Slack accounts. Former Messenger reporter Jim LaPorta posted on social media that employees would not receive health care or severance.”

Washington Post: “The last known location of 'Portrait of Fräulein Lieser' by world-renowned Austrian artist Gustav Klimt was in Vienna in the mid-1920s. The vivid painting featuring a young woman was listed as property of a 'Mrs Lieser' — believed to be Henriette Lieser, who was deported and killed by the Nazis. The only remaining record of the work was a black and white photograph from 1925, around the time it was last exhibited, which was kept in the archives of the Austrian National Library. Now, almost 100 years later, this painting by one of the world’s most famous modernist artists is on display and up for sale — having been rediscovered in what the auction house has hailed as a sensational find.... It is unclear which member of the Lieser family is depicted in the piece[.]”

CNN: “Jon Stewart is heading back to 'The Daily Show.' The comedian, who during his 16-year run as host of the Comedy Central program established it as an entertainment and cultural force, will return to host the show each week on Mondays starting February 12, Showtime and MTV Entertainment Studios announced Wednesday. Stewart, who returns as the 2024 presidential election season heats up, will also executive produce the show and work with a rotating line-up of comedians who will helm the program the rest of the week, Tuesdays through Thursdays.”

~~~ Marie: I don't know if this podcast will update automatically, or if I have to do it manually. In any event, both you and I can find the latest update of the published episodes here. The episodes begin with ads, but you can fast-forward through them.

Contact Marie

Click on this link to e-mail Marie.

Thursday
Nov242016

The Bright Side

... Gail Collins: "Murmurs of the dread term 'Rockefeller Republican' are probably wafting at Paul Ryan’s holiday table. Perhaps liberals can take comfort in the fact that the other side is just as freaked out as they are." ...

... CW: I haven't republished (or prepublished) my Times comments in years, largely because I haven't made any. But these are exceptional times. Here's a comment I made late in the morning, so you won't likely be able to find it in the comments on Collins' column:

Since we're looking for silver linings, here's one: Hillary Clinton will not be president. Sure, I voted for Clinton & am still mired in a tight cocoon of existential dread over the prospect of a Trump presidency. But history suggests that Clinton would have been a lousy president. She is not inspirational. Americans like to hear their leaders deliver inspiring words delivered with something approaching conviction. The soaring speech is part of our political DNA.

Emotional orations aside, Clinton has never been able to market her products. Yes, she's had some good-to-middling policy ideas over the years, but other than sort of favoring Dubya's Iraq War, and devising a secret Republicanish healthcare plan, most don't know what those ideas are.

Add to that the GOP's promise to keep several phony impeachment investigations going for the duration of her presidency, and you've got a foolproof recipe for a stuffed turkey of a presidency, one that could set back the progressive agenda even more than Trump will do on purpose.

More good news: Americans aren't as horrible as the Electoral College results suggest. Hillary won the vote by more than 2 million & counting. We still come down on the better side, if just barely.

MEANWHILE, President Obama pardoned a couple of turkeys yesterday. I was hoping he would pardon Clinton:

Reader Comments (7)

As we travel this morning to our family's Thanksgiving event I will be humming that catchy tune cited above and perhaps add "Everything's Coming Up Roses" as a bonus because I am so looking forward to a Trump presidency and his soaring speeches like the ones I enjoyed from the two Bushes and Nixon's. I will be thinking of the Supreme Court and that all by itself will give me goose pimples. I will also regale my mister with the news that Rick Perry might be picked for the Dept. of Energy and that is so special because it is the one department that he forgot when citing all the departments he would eliminate. Whoops! But the mister and I will chuckle over that as we will about billionaire Betsy who will destroy our educational system. It's all such a gas. But we soldier on singing at the top of our lungs until we get to our destination and hold our grandchildren who remind us what the bright side is really all about.

November 24, 2016 | Unregistered CommenterPD Pepe

Not many comments uploaded on NYTimes re: Gail Collins, et al. Must be a light holiday contingent of moderators on duty while relaxing, enjoying pumpkin eggnog, and casually OK-ing new entries.


@CW: your interesting POV re Hillary...a position that perhaps was part of the reluctance for many of us in the beginning of the campaign cycle—that she was not our preferred candidate—Bernie seemed to speak to our interests! BUT! BUT! underneath it all we realized he was not the likely one to succeed. And, you are right...as the Repubs have been out to 'git' her ever since she proposed that healthcare plan. All these years later, they're still gunning for her. Even had she won via the Electoral College...the stalemate-ing and chauvinistic resistance would only intensify. She certainly improved her "marketable" delivery as the campaign progressed and outshone Donald in every single so-called debate. She showed us she can be good. Would that have been enough for the next four years with roadblocks already announced?

Perhaps, a four-year cryogenic freeze is what liberals need to survive what looks like the scariest time of our lives. At the very least, I'm planning on long naps!

Happy Thanksgiving to one & all!

November 24, 2016 | Unregistered CommenterMAG

If you need a little laugh to calm your nerves so you can pig out today, check out the comments on the MAGA ornament on Amazon. There sure are some witty people out there. Happy Thanksgiving!
https://www.amazon.com/Trump-America-Great-Collectible-Ornament/dp/B01N67D8HO/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?ie=UTF8&ref_=aw_cr_t_toys-and-games

November 24, 2016 | Unregistered CommenterLisa

Hillary's 2 million+ vote lead also gives me hope - we are in fact not the country that I despaired that we were on Nov 9.

Best wishes to all here at RC - I am deeply thankful for your insights and wisdom

November 24, 2016 | Unregistered CommenterRockygirl

Thanks, Lisa. Those Amazon comments were hilarious, especially the one about the internment camps. Good day to you!

November 24, 2016 | Unregistered CommenterNancy

Somewhat puzzled by the solace people find in the fact that HRC has a 2 million-&-growing vote lead. That lead is better described as California liberals voted. The Great American Flyover is still turkey-wattle red, and not likely to change even if Trump starves half of them to death and picks the other half pockets.

November 24, 2016 | Unregistered CommenterJames Singer

There is a line in the original Magnificent Seven movie
delivered by Eli Wallach. "If God did not want them sheared, He would not have made them sheep."
Hillary would not have been able to stop the shearing as she fought the continuing battle with the House and Senate.
Trump has promised to stop the shearing but will not know how and will soon be taken over by those in charge of the shearing.
The continued shearing will create a constituency of sheared and damaged looking for a new champion.
It will take a lot of luck to get an FDR rather than a general.

November 24, 2016 | Unregistered Commentercarlyle
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