The Ledes

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

New York Times: “The Rev. Jimmy Swaggart, who emerged from the backwoods of Louisiana to become a television evangelist with global reach, preaching about an eternal struggle between good and evil and warning of the temptations of the flesh, a theme that played out in his own life in a sex scandal, died on July 1. He was 90.” ~~~

     ~~~ For another sort of obituary, see Akhilleus' commentary near the end of yesterday's thread.

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Thank you to everyone who has been contributing links to articles & other content in the Comments section of each day's "Conversation." If you're missing the comments, you're missing some vital links.

Marie: Sorry, my countdown clock was unreliable; then it became completely unreliable. I can't keep up with it. Maybe I'll try another one later.

 

Commencement ceremonies are joyous occasions, and Steve Carell made sure that was true this past weekend (mid-June) at Northwestern's commencement:

~~~ Carell's entire commencement speech was hilarious. The audio and video here isn't great, but I laughed till I cried.

CNN did a live telecast Saturday night (June 7) of the Broadway play "Good Night, and Good Luck," written by George Clooney and Grant Heslov, about legendary newsman Edward R. Murrow's effort to hold to account Sen. Joe McCarthy, "the junior senator from Wisconsin." Clooney plays Murrow. Here's Murrow himself with his famous take on McCarthy & McCarthyism, brief remarks that especially resonate today: ~~~

     ~~~ This article lists ways you still can watch the play. 

New York Times: “The New York Times Company has agreed to license its editorial content to Amazon for use in the tech giant’s artificial intelligence platforms, the company said on Thursday. The multiyear agreement 'will bring Times editorial content to a variety of Amazon customer experiences,' the news organization said in a statement. Besides news articles, the agreement encompasses material from NYT Cooking, The Times’s food and recipe site, and The Athletic, which focuses on sports. This is The Times’s first licensing arrangement with a focus on generative A.I. technology. In 2023, The Times sued OpenAI and its partner, Microsoft, for copyright infringement, accusing the tech companies of using millions of articles published by The Times to train automated chatbots without any kind of compensation. OpenAI and Microsoft have rejected those accusations.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I have no idea what this means for "the Amazon customer experience." Does it mean that if I don't have a NYT subscription but do have Amazon Prime I can read NYT content? And where, exactly, would I find that content? I don't know. I don't know.

Washington Post reporters asked three AI image generators what a beautiful woman looks like. "The Post found that they steer users toward a startlingly narrow vision of attractiveness. Prompted to show a 'beautiful woman,' all three tools generated thin women, without exception.... Her body looks like Barbie — slim hips, impossible waist, round breasts.... Just 2 percent of the images showed visible signs of aging. More than a third of the images had medium skin tones. But only nine percent had dark skin tones. Asked to show 'normal women,' the tools produced images that remained overwhelmingly thin.... However bias originates, The Post’s analysis found that popular image tools struggle to render realistic images of women outside the Western ideal." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The reporters seem to think they are calling out the AI programs for being unrealistic. But there's a lot about the "beautiful women" images they miss. I find these omissions remarkably sexist. For one thing, the reporters seem to think AI is a magical "thing" that self-generates. It isn't. It's programmed. It's programmed by boys, many of them incels who have little or no experience or insights beyond comic books and Internet porn of how to gauge female "beauty." As a result, the AI-generated women look like cartoons; that is, a lot like an air-brushed photo of Kristi Noem: globs of every kind of dark eye makeup, Scandinavian nose, Botox lips, slathered-on skin concealer/toner/etc. makeup, long dark hair and the aforementioned impossible Barbie body shape, including huge, round plastic breasts. 

New York Times: “George Clooney’s Broadway debut, 'Good Night, and Good Luck,' has been one of the sensations of the 2024-25 theater season, breaking box office records and drawing packed houses of audiences eager to see the popular movie star in a timely drama about the importance of an independent press. Now the play will become much more widely available: CNN is planning a live broadcast of the penultimate performance, on June 7 at 7 p.m. Eastern. The performance will be preceded and followed by coverage of, and discussion about, the show and the state of journalism.”

No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled, or deprived of his standing in any other way, nor will we proceed with force against him, or send others to do so, except by the lawful judgment of his equals or by the law of the land. -- Magna Carta ~~~

~~~ New York Times: “Bought for $27.50 after World War II, the faint, water stained manuscript in the library of Harvard Law School had attracted relatively little attention since it arrived there in 1946. That is about to change. Two British academics, one of whom happened on the manuscript by chance, have discovered that it is an original 1300 version — not a copy, as long thought — of Magna Carta, the medieval document that helped establish some of the world’s most cherished liberties. It is one of just seven such documents from that date still in existence.... A 710-year-old version of Magna Carta was sold in 2007 for $21.3 million.... First issued in 1215, it put into writing a set of concessions won by rebellious barons from a recalcitrant King John of England — or Bad King John, as he became known in folklore. He later revoked the charter, but his son, Henry III, issued amended versions, the last one in 1225, and Henry’s son, Edward I, in turn confirmed the 1225 version in 1297 and again in 1300.”

NPR lists all of the 2025 Pulitzer Prize winners. Poynter lists the prizes awarded in journalism as well as the finalists in these categories.

 

Contact Marie

Email Marie at constantweader@gmail.com

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Friday
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Ides of March 2014

Internal links removed.

Craig Timberg of the Washington Post: "U.S. officials announced plans Friday to relinquish federal government control over the administration of the Internet, a move that pleased international critics but alarmed some business leaders and others who rely on the smooth functioning of the Web.... The change would end the long-running contract between the Commerce Department and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), a California-based nonprofit group."

** Joan Walsh of Salon: "The backlash to the president's overtime-pay expansion just makes clear what we've known for a long time: [Republicans] oppose every attempt by government to reward hard work and protect the rights of workers -- unless it applies to the very wealthy."

Michael Lind, in Salon, on how to reduce U.S. poverty right now. Hey, it's simple.

Anne Gearan & Kathy Lally of the Washington Post: "An eleventh-hour U.S. effort to resolve the growing confrontation with Russia over Ukraine failed Friday, and Moscow shipped more troops and armor into the flash-point Crimea region ahead of a planned vote on breaking away from Ukraine and rejoining Russia. Secretary of State John F. Kerry warned against a 'backdoor annexation' by Russia of the strategic Black Sea peninsula." ...

... The Guardian story, by Ewen MacAskill & Alec Luhn, is here. ...

... ** C. J. Chivers & Patrick Revell of the New York Times: "With a mix of targeted intimidation, an expansive military occupation by unmistakably elite Russian units and many of the trappings of the election-season carnivals that have long accompanied rigged ballots across the old Soviet world, Crimea has been swept almost instantaneously into the Kremlin's fold."

** Charles Pierce: "Either CIA director John Brennan gets to the bottom of what his people were doing and publicly fires everyone involved, or John Brennan becomes the ex-director of the CIA. By the Constitution, this isn't even a hard call. The Senate has every legal right to investigate what was done in the name of the American people during the previous decade.... That the president has not [given Brennan this ultimatum] yet -- indeed, that he seems to have thrown his support behind Brennan -- is not merely a mistake, it is a demonstration of the practical limits of the political appeal that got him elected in the first place."

Stupid Democratic Tricks. Jeremy Peters of the New York Times: "Facing a possible defeat in the Senate, the White House is considering delaying a vote on President Obama's choice for surgeon general or withdrawing the nomination altogether, an acknowledgment of its fraying relationship with Senate Democrats. The nominee, Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, an internist and political ally of the president's, has come under criticism from the National Rifle Association, and opposition from the gun-rights group has grown so intense that it has placed Democrats from conservative states, several of whom are up for re-election this year, in a difficult spot. Senate aides said Friday that as many as 10 Democrats are believed to be considering a vote against Dr. Murthy, who has voiced support for stricter gun-control laws."

The President's Weekly Address:

New York Times Editors: "An escalating campaign by immigration advocates against President Obama's get-tough policies (nearly two million deportations and counting) is having an effect on the deporter in chief."

Sierra Marquina of Ryan Seacrest's show: "Barack Obama phoned in to "On Air with Ryan Seacrest" on Friday to encourage young people to sign up for the Affordable Care Act and revealed how he was able to keep a straight face during his comical appearance on Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis." A fairly enjoyable interview:

... Dana Milbank on why young people have abandoned President Obama -- and how their abandonment is hurting the implementation of ObamaCare. ...

... Rick Hertzberg & Ryan Lizza of the New Yorker talk with Dorothy Wickenden about the ACA & its political implications:

Ethan Skolnick of Bleacher Report: At the request of President Obama, Miami Heat star LeBron James will cut "a 30-second public service announcement, released in time for March Madness, in which the four-time MVP speaks about the importance of health care coverage."

CW: I am ashamed to say that I missed David Brooks' best column evah: the one where he explains love & sex to shut-ins. I'll admit I didn't really read it, but there something about "dopamine" & "naked women" & Paul Tillich. I know I should feel sorry for him. ...

... I am not ashamed to say I didn't read this from the New York Times op-ed page: John McCain: Obama has made America look weak." No link.

Aaron Blake & Philip Rucker of the Washington Post: "The documents released Friday [by the Clinton Library] shed light on White House strategy and decisions in areas ranging from health-care policy to national security to the official state visits of foreign dignitaries." Blake & Rucker run down some of the highlights.

Beyond the Beltway

At this point, all signs indicate that, in the eyes of the United States Constitution, the plaintiffs' marriages will be placed on an equal footing with those of heterosexual couples and that proscriptions against same-sex marriage will soon become a footnote in the annals of American history. -- U.S. District Judge Aleta Trauger ...

... Chris Geider of BuzzFeed: "A federal judge [Aleta Trauger] in Tennessee Friday ordered state officials to recognize the marriages of three same-sex couples during the consideration of their lawsuit challenging the validity of the state's ban on recognizing such marriages."

Gretchen Morgenson of the New York Times: "Three nonprofit groups offering homeowner counseling sued Gov. Jerry Brown of California on Friday, demanding the state replace $369 million that had been earmarked to help troubled borrowers but was used instead to pay down the state's debt. As part of the $25 billion national mortgage servicing settlement two years ago, California and other states won a portion for home loan counseling and other educational services to help troubled homeowners avoid foreclosure. Kamala Harris, the state's attorney general, secured the funds after long and tense negotiations with the banks."

Senate Race

It's about time that South Carolina (says) hey, we're tired of the ambiguously gay senator from South Carolina. We're ready for a new leader to merge the Republican Party. We're done with this. -- GOP Senate candidate Dave Feliciano, on Sen. Lindsey Graham (R)

Might be a good time for Graham to come out as less ambiguously gay. -- Constant Weader

News Ledes

Washington Post: "Russia's military staged a provocative new act of aggression on Saturday, occupying a natural gas distribution center and village on a strip of Ukrainian land near the Crimean Peninsula and prompting Kiev's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to denounce 'a military invasion by Russia.' The incident marked the first face-to-face standoff between the Ukrainian and Russian militaries outside the Crimean Peninsula, suggesting that Moscow is testing the will of Kiev amid fears of further Russian incursions in eastern and southern Ukraine."...

... Washington Post: "Opposition to Russia's intervention in Ukraine sparked an unexpectedly large protest march [in Moscow] Saturday, as tens of thousands of demonstrators waving Ukrainian, Russian and European Union flags chanted 'No war!' and 'Russia without Putin.' They wore armbands and ribbons in the Ukrainian colors of blue and yellow, ribbons in Russia's white, blue and red, and the plain white ribbons that were a hallmark of the large rallies against President Vladimir Putin that blossomed and then faltered in 2012."

New York Times: "Russia on Saturday registered the sole veto against a United Nations Security Council resolution that declared a planned Sunday referendum on secession in Crimea illegal. China, Russia's traditional ally on the Council, abstained. As a permanent member of the Security Council, Russia has the right to reject any measure proposed in the body. The Russian ambassador, Vitaly I. Churkin, preceded his no vote by saying that Russia would respect the results of Sunday's referendum, without saying anything about exactly what it would do afterward."

New York Times: "Prime Minister Najib Razak of Malaysia announced on Saturday afternoon that Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 left its planned route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing as the result of 'deliberate action' by someone aboard. Mr. Najib also said that search efforts in the South China Sea had been ended, and that technical experts now believed that the aircraft could have ended up anywhere in one of two zones -- one as far north as Kazakhstan in Central Asia, and the other crossing the southern Indian Ocean."

Comments Off

Reader Comments (5)

Okey Dokey-

I have HAD IT with the 24/7 news coverage of the Malaysian airplane disappearance--probably hi-jacked by a misguided Muslim. Who the fuck cares at this point? Just another terrorist attack, by an idiot without bombs in his shoes! Who, like the 9/11 terrorists, never learned how to land an airplane. (Where are you now that we need you, Coleen Rowley?)

It will be some while until I can again watch Chris Hayes and Rachel Maddow with respect. I think they unwisely have bitten the "corporate cracker." ENUF already.

Andy Borowitz says it best:

http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/276-74/22571-total-absence-of-information-about-malaysia-flight-not-hindering-twenty-four-hour-coverage-cable-networks-say

March 15, 2014 | Unregistered CommenterKate Madison

In my opinion, no one should be embarrassed for skipping the opinion of foreign policy dead-ender John McCain, so bluntly titled by the New York Times, "Obama Has Made America Look Weak." The real question is why the Times not only gave valuable space to this predictable drivel, but why they chose such an incendiary headline. Maybe Rush Limbaugh is now in charge of writing headers? As to the first question, going to McCain's cred in the area of foreign policy, here is what David Remnick said in the New Yorker this week about McCain's junket into Ukraine three months ago:
"In December, when John McCain spoke to demonstrators in Kiev’s Independence Square, he stood side by side with Oleh Tyahnybok, who was once expelled from his parliamentary faction after demanding battle with “the Muscovite-Jewish mafia.” Perhaps this was bad advance work from team McCain—much like the advance work on the Sarah Palin nomination—but it did manage to fuel Moscow’s bonfire of suspicion."
http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2014/03/17/140317taco_talk_remnick
In other words (and per usual) McCain is more part of the problem than part of the solution. He should just shut up.

March 15, 2014 | Unregistered CommenterVictoria D.

@Victoria D. Excellent point. Besides being a prominent Senator, McCain was the GOP's presidential nominee & is on the network Sunday shows practically every week. Putin would be reasonable to assume that John "We-Are-All-Georgians/Ukrainians-Now" McCain is a highly influential foreign-policy "decider."

Part of the problem? Youbetcha.

Marie

March 15, 2014 | Registered CommenterMarie Burns

I have to hand it to the wingnuts. They never sleep. And they never miss a chance to degrade, in the most egregious manner, social and political intercourse in this country.

I offer as evidence one Austin Ruse, a "columnist" for Breitbart and the president for life, it appears, of the Catholic Family Human Rights Institute, which, if you read their stuff translates to "Rights for us and fuck everyone else....no, scratch that. KILL everyone else."

Ruse, appearing on American Family Radio, as pretty much the Axis Sally of human rights, declared, in no uncertain terms, that university teachers who don't subscribe to his kind of thinking, ie, anyone NOT far down the conservative end of the spectrum, "liberal" professors and teachers, should be "taken out and shot". That's right. SHOT.

And, of course, like most wingnuts caught saying what they really believe, he is now screaming that no one should pay attention to what he really said because it was, you know, just a joke. Or something. Except that it isn't.

This is the guy who, on Breitbart, excoriated those who ran this year's ridiculously wingnutty CPAC for not being crazy enough. Who reports that the Southern Poverty Law Center is bribing elementary school teachers to embrace hateful anti-Christian curricula. Why? Because some of them teach---holy shit!!--TOLERANCE!!

But hey, this guy is a member of Sons of the Revolution, and a third order of the something, something, something Holy Sepulchre, and a Knight of Kill Everyone Malta something, something.

I know that you can find cuckoo shit like this every day, but you can also, every day, find cuckoo shit spouted by people who are considered right-wing heroes. This guy is one. He spouts his hatred and off the chain bullshit on a regular basis on a site like breitfart that millions of imbeciles ingest daily. It's one thing when some drunken redneck wearing a beer and barbecue stained t-shirt with "Kill Obama" on it says this shit. It's another when a "respected" member of the disloyal opposition goes on the air and screams "KILL THOSE WHO DON'T AGREE WITH US." Because these are the people who also listen to Cruz and McCain and Palin and Bachmann and Coulter (who routinely exhorts true believers to murder liberals).

Nice.

Kill, kill, kill!! The Conservative Way!!! Aiiieeeee!!

March 15, 2014 | Unregistered CommenterAkhilleus

The comments to MoDo's column are something else this morning. The Reader Pick's favorite by Gemli has around 371 Recommends.

But, read the replies added to his and something is off. Gemli's clever comment is riff with irony, but as interpreted by the anti-Obama crowd's comments—they missed his point(s)! I would be intrigued by a breakdown of the 371 Recommends. How many 'appreciated the sarcasm' and got Gemli—versus how many of the ultra-right crowd thought he was channeling their far-right-of center criticisms?

In fact, her column brought out numerous early comments from much of the latter group, while many of the more progressive voices that one usually reads seemed to appear further along. Coincidence?

March 16, 2014 | Unregistered CommenterMAG
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