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The Ledes

Monday, June 30, 2025

It's summer in our hemisphere, and people across Guns America have nothing to do but shoot other people.

New York Times: “A gunman deliberately started a wildfire in a rugged mountain area of Idaho and then shot at the firefighters who responded, killing two and injuring another on Sunday afternoon in what the local sheriff described as a 'total ambush.' Law enforcement officers exchanged fire with the gunman while the wildfire burned, and officials later found the body of the male suspect on the mountain with a firearm nearby, Sheriff Robert Norris of Kootenai County said at a news conference on Sunday night. The authorities said they believed the suspect had acted alone but did not release any information about his identity or motives.” A KHQ-TV (Spokane) report is here.

New York Times: “The New York City police were investigating a shooting in Manhattan on Sunday night that left two people injured steps from the Stonewall Inn, an icon of the L.G.B.T.Q. rights movement. The shooting occurred outside a nearby building in Greenwich Village at 10:15 p.m., Sgt. Matthew Forsythe of the New York Police Department said. The New York City Pride March had been held in Manhattan earlier on Sunday, and Mayor Eric Adams said on social media that the shooting happened as Pride celebrations were ending. One victim who was shot in the head was in critical condition on Monday morning, a spokeswoman for the Police Department said. A second victim was in stable condition after being shot in the leg, she said. No suspect had been identified. The police said it was unclear if the shooting was connected to the Pride march.”

New York Times: “A dangerous heat wave is gripping large swaths of Europe, driving temperatures far above seasonal norms and prompting widespread health and fire alerts. The extreme heat is forecast to persist into next week, with minimal relief expected overnight. France, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece are among the nations experiencing the most severe conditions, as meteorologists warn that Europe can expect more and hotter heat waves in the future because of climate change.”

The Wires

Help!

To keep the Conversation going, please help me by linking news articles, opinion pieces and other political content in today's Comments section.

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OR here's a link generator. The one I had posted died, then Akhilleus found one, but it too bit the dust. He found yet another, which I've linked here, and as of September 23, 2024, it's working.

OR you can always just block, copy and paste to your comment the URL (Web address) of the page you want to link.

Note for Readers. It is not possible for commenters to "throw" their highlighted links to another window. But you can do that yourself. Right-click on the link and a drop-down box will give you choices as to where you want to open the link: in a new tab, new window or new private window.

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.”

Page Links

Sunday

Jan022022

January 3, 2022

Meryl Kornfield of the Washington Post:"President Biden assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday that the United States 'will respond decisively' if Russia invades the Eastern European nation, according to the White House. Days after a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Biden spoke with Zelensky and reaffirmed previous commitments to aid Ukraine amid Russia's military buildup on Ukraine's border that has prompted fears of an invasion, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement after the two leaders spoke by phone. The leaders 'expressed support' for upcoming diplomatic talks, she said, that will commence in the wake of Putin telling Biden that any economic sanctions imposed in response to military action by the Kremlin could result in 'a complete rupture of relations.'"

Jeff Stein of the Washington Post: "The White House on Monday announced it will devote $1 billion to aiding independent meat and poultry producers, aiming to undercut the four powerful meat producers the Biden administration has alleged are responsible for surging consumer prices. Facing immense political pressure over inflation, the White House has responded in recent weeks by criticizing large corporations and arguing that breaking up monopolies will foster competition and drive down prices. In November, President Biden asked the Federal Trade Commission to look into whether oil and gas companies were improperly pushing up energy prices. The stakes are particularly high in the beef industry, where prices in November rose by a staggering 21 percent relative to last year, according to federal data. Food prices have also increased more broadly -- by a significant 6.4 percent -- with the index for meat, poultry, fish and eggs jumping 13 percent." Cheney looks at what's been done to improve the preparedness level -- and what has not. ~~~

~~~ Update: President Biden will meet virtually with small meat producers at 1:30 pm ET today; live here.

Kyle Cheney of Politico: "... the political blight that contributed to the [January 6] attack has only worsened, inside and outside the Capitol. So while leaders feel readier today than they did on Jan. 5, no one is rushing to declare the threat has passed.... Capitol Police officers remain overtaxed and exhausted, logging crushing amounts of overtime as they grapple with a depleted force. Threats against members of Congress are still spiking.... Many of those who fled from or responded to the violence are indelibly scarred.

David Siders of Politico: "Donald Trump has already telegraphed the remarks he plans to give at Mar-a-Lago on Thursday, the anniversary of the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol. If he follows the script laid out in his announcement of the news conference, he will commit a whitewashing of the day, repeating the lie that the 2020 election was rigged and defending his part in fomenting the insurrection -- all while a solemn prayer service is held at the Capitol, in a vivid split-screen moment.... One year after the riot at the Capitol, nearly three-quarters of Republicans still believe Trump's baseless claim that Joe Biden won the presidency due to voter fraud, according to a Monmouth University poll.... And according to a Quinnipiac University survey, nearly 8 in 10 Republicans want Trump to run for president again in 2024." (Also linked yesterday.)

Christina Zhao of NBC News: "The House panel investigating the Jan. 6 riot has testimony that ... Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump asked him to intervene as his supporters ransacked the U.S. Capitol, Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., said Sunday. 'The committee has firsthand testimony now that he was sitting in the dining room next to the Oval Office watching the attack on television.... The briefing room at the White House is just a mere few steps from the Oval Office,' Cheney, the vice chair of the committee, said on ABC News' 'This Week.' She said that at any moment, Trump could have walked to the briefing room and appeared on television. 'We know, as he was sitting there in the dining room next to the Oval Office, members of his staff were pleading with him to go on television, to tell people to stop. We know Leader McCarthy was pleading with him to do that,' she said, referring to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. 'We know members of his family, we know his daughter -- we have firsthand testimony that his daughter Ivanka went in at least twice to ask him to please stop this violence,' she said." ~~~

~~~ David Cohen of Politico: “Rep. Liz Cheney said Sunday she fears that if ... Donald Trump were to become president again, it could be a lethal blow to American democracy. 'He crossed lines no American president has ever crossed before,' the Wyoming Republican told host George Stephanopoulos on ABC's 'This Week,' days before the anniversary of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot." (Also linked yesterday.)

Donie O'Sullivan of CNN: "Twitter has permanently suspended Georgia GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's Twitter account @mtgreenee, the company confirmed to CNN Sunday morning..., 'for repeated violations of our COVID-19 misinformation policy.'Greene most frequently tweeted from the handle @mtgreenee. She still has access to and can tweet from her official congressional account @RepMTG." MB: Greene released a statement re: the ban, in which she said, "Communist Democrats can't stop the truth." O'Sullivan has her full statement. The New York Times' story is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Bob Brigham of the Raw Story: "To shed light on Trump's battle of the National Archives records, The Daily Beast's Jose Pagliery interviewed Don W. Wilson and John W. Carlin, who both served as the U.S. archivist. 'Given how frantic they are... there are things in those records that are going to make real trouble. I'm talking about prison time,' Carlin said. 'It reinforces the fact that they know they're in real trouble if these things are released -- particularly if they're released soon.'... Read the full report [firewalled]."

AP: "The late Sen. Harry Reid, the Nevada Democrat who served as majority leader during a 30-year career in the Senate, will lie in state in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda next week. The leaders of Congress, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, said in a statement Sunday night that ceremonies honoring Reid at the Capitol will take place on Jan. 12." The Washington Post's report is here.

The Pandemic, Ctd.

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Monday are here. The Washington Post's live Covid-19 updates for Monday are here.

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Sunday are here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Barbara Starr of CNN: "Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has tested positive for Covid-19 and is exhibiting 'mild' symptoms, according to a statement from him released by the Defense Department on Sunday. 'I have informed my leadership team of my positive test result, as well as the President. My staff has begun contact tracing and testing of all those with whom I have come into contact over the last week,' Austin said."

Beyond the Beltway

California. Eduardo Medina of the New York Times: "About eight and a half million gallons of untreated sewage have spilled into a flood-control waterway in Los Angeles County since Thursday afternoon, prompting at least five beaches to close, an official with the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts said.... The spill began after a concrete pipe 48 inches in diameter in Carson, Calif., collapsed. The sewage leaked out of a manhole on 212th Street on Thursday evening and much of Friday.... From there, the waste traveled through storm drain pipes and toward the Dominguez Channel, a flood-control waterway that runs more than 15 miles from Hawthorne, Calif., and discharges into Los Angeles Harbor. Water from the channel eventually flows to the Pacific Ocean. Officials are investigating what caused the pipe, which wa built in the 1960s, to collapse."(Also linked yesterday.)

Way Beyond

Sudan. Max Bearak & Miriam Berger of the Washington Post: "Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok resigned in a televised statement Sunday, ending a short-lived political agreement with the country's military, which had temporarily deposed him in an October coup before allowing him to return to power. Hamdok's resignation follows weeks of wrangling between civilian and military leaders over the formation of a new government, but their differences proved insurmountable. Meanwhile, a massive protest movement has repeatedly filled the streets of Sudan's capital, Khartoum, denouncing both the military and Hamdok, whom they saw as compromised for his cooperation with the forces that sought to sideline him." An AP story is here.

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Slipped up. Today is Monday not Sunday but ....this sermon was behind the curtain, in the wings. waiting to be called onto the stage of the local newspaper.

Seems apropos here this AM tho' so am debuting it on RC earlier than I had planned to launch it in the direction of the local public.

"In 2022 we can expect the Republican Magic Show to again feature its inflation sleight-of-hand.

Since inflation neared seven percent in 2021, its highest rate since 1982, we’re already hearing more inflation patter from the political party given to deception and distraction. As always, when a Democrat occupies the White House, inflation hysteria returns to the Republican Magic Show's center stage.

The 2021 inflation was real enough, but Republicans would have us mistake much of its cause. Look over here, they say. It’s government spending. Time to put on the spending brakes. President Biden’s Build Back Better Plan will only make bad things worse.

While predictions about BBB’s possible inflationary effects are mixed (budgetmodel.wharton.upenn.edu), Republicans continue to direct our attention away from one of inflation’s major causes.

Long before Covid’s material and supply chain interruptions and the predictable inflation that ensued as economies reopened, the growth of monopolies in the food and pharmaceutical sectors was already raising consumer prices.

A multitude of brand names gives the impression of a variety of food suppliers, but only a few corporations are behind all those names. Today three or four firms account for one third of typical grocery sales (theguardian.com), and only four corporations supply more than seventy percent of our beef (reuters.com). Such concentration has increased corporate profits, decreased farmers’ and growers’ earnings, and elevated what we pay for food (npr.org).

Over the last thirty years, drug manufacturers have followed the same monopolistic path to higher profits. “Between 2010 and 2015…. nearly one quarter of all generic drugs saw at least one price increase of 100 percent or more…some as much as at least 1,000 percent” (openmarketsinstitute.org).

Magicians employ attractive assistants for a reason. It’s easy to miss what the magician’s hands are doing, when everyone’s eyes are on Miss Direction."

January 3, 2022 |

Ken Winkes

Have been wondering how many federal dollars are funding the unemployment programs in states granting benefits to the anti-vaxxers.

It’s more complicated than I thought.

For unemployment programs," states provide most of the funding and pay for the actual benefits provided to workers; the federal government pays only the administrative costs.” (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities)

So I guess some bean counters in Iowa, Florida, etc. are carefully refunding the administrative costs associated with paying benefits to the anti-vaxxers. Must have a special column or two in their spreadsheets, so they can refund that portion of expenses to you and me.

January 3, 2022 |

Ken Winkes

Why I'm Making Jeff Bezos Richer

Yesterday I thought I might have Covid-19 as I had a few symptoms. I wanted to check my temperature, but it turns out I've misplaced my one and only thermometer. I made a search of all the quasi-sensible places I might have put it & the likely places I could have dropped it, & no luck.

Today my symptoms are a bit worse, so I decided I'd better buy a new thermometer. I didn't want to go into a store & breathe on people even super-masked-up, so I tried seeing what I could get at the local CVS & Walgreen's, both of which have pick-up windows. Nothing. I tried their online mail-order offerings, and though they all did have some digital thermometers, the most popular ones were sold out, and they all charged five or six bucks for delivery.

So, in desperation, I went to Amazon, where I do have Amazon Prime. The thermometer itself -- which looked the same as the ones at CVS, Walgreen's & Walmart -- was $4 cheaper than the cheapest one at the other stores, and I don't have to pay a delivery fee (because of Prime, which I use mostly for the streaming service).

Yes, I'm ashamed of helping out Jeff Bezos, but that SOB is helping me out, too (at least in the short run).

Oh, and the State of New Hampshire is sending me a couple of at-home Covid testing kits. They should arrive in a couple of weeks! Great.

BTW, I definitely don't feel too bad to work, but I feel slightly disoriented today (which I didn't yesterday). Not crazy-disoriented, but new-spectacles-prescription disoriented (and no, I don't have news glasses).

January 3, 2022 |

Marie Burns

@Marie: I know the feeling. Last Wednesday I had to lean on the
kitchen counters to maneuver around the kitchen. I stayed in my nest
and didn't even feel like reading, but by Friday felt well enough to
attend a brunch. Getting old isn't for sissies (said to me by a 103
year old former client." I had no fever, but the oxygen level was low
and pulse was way higher than it has ever been (oximeter readings,)

Here's a bit of old cowboy wisdom for all those red state trump
worshippers and anti-vaxers: When your horse dies, it's time to
get off. I know trump ain't dead yet, but it's still time to get off.

January 3, 2022 |

Forrest Morris

So Trump and his two oldest kids get subpoenas from NY. Another ball to juggle. I can't ee those three cracking, but it's more pressure on their CFO.

January 3, 2022 |

Bobby Lee

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