Evening Roundup, October 15
Featuring Jen Rubin with Neera Tanden, Marvin Kalb, Ryan Clarkson, Jennifer Weiss-Wolf, Carron J. Phillips, Meghan Houser, Austin Sarat, and "The Democracy Movement"
It doesn't have to be this way: Neera Tanden on the harms caused by the lasting shutdown
Today is the 15th day of the Republicans’ government shutdown, and there is seemingly no end in sight. Although Democrats have been pushing to meet with Republicans in D.C., Republicans have been less than willing to meet. VIDEO
Whither CBS News?
Once upon a time, “CBS News” was known as the “Tiffany network,” proud of such remarkable journalists as Edward R. Murrow, Robert Trout, and Walter Cronkite. Like clockwork, millions of Americans tuned into their radio and television broadcasts. “And that’s the way it is,” pronounced “Uncle Walter,” and most people…
Pretending AI Tools Are Doctors Will Harm Millions on Medicare
Health insurers are already using AI to deny care—and are poised to do so at unprecedented scale.
By Ryan Clarkson
The Trump regime's attacks on our rights double as an affront to democracy
It is a headlines round-up kind of week. The pace of the news is so fast, so furious, there are far too many below-the-fold stories likely to escape notice. But, damn, summarizing them in aggregate never fails to crystallize how often attacks on women’s rights double as an affront to democracy—or how imperative it is that we remain vigilant that the two…
The people disrupting Kamala Harris on her book tour would never do this to white men
Past VPs haven’t endured this kind of disrespect.
By Carron J. Phillips
I Am the Brain Worm
Look, I don’t like the limelight, but I have to speak out because at this point it’s about my reputation, too.
Donald Trump’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’ views
President Donald Trump has made a habit of telling anyone who cares to listen how he will exercise his power. A presidency devoted to retribution. Said and done. Acting unilaterally to impose tariffs. Said and done. Appointing loyalists to important government offices, whether they are competent or not. Said and done.
The Contrarian covers the Democracy Movement
Nationwide protests are planned for Saturday. Find a protest near you here. And tune in to Jen and Norm and special guests at 7:30 p.m. Saturday for coverage and analysis.
I love that sign, with the monarch butterfly. The only orange king we will ever have!
The U.S. Department of War Continues to Blow Up Boats on the High Seas.
Trump reported a couple of days ago that our military conducted its 5th deadly strike on boats suspected of transporting drugs off Venezuela and in the Caribbean, increasing the total death toll to 27 from such strikes.
When I posted a reply to the article asking whether our military knew whether or not children were on board, I received 2 MAGA responses: The first response was that it simply didn't matter. And the second response was that drug cartels typically use children as shields, thereby implying: "So what's the problem?"
Apparently our military and its MAGA supporters consider the death of children in such strikes to be mere "collateral damage" the way indiscriminate bombings of cities in Ukraine and Gaza have been deemed "collateral damage"
Are we no better than those committing these barbaric acts?
Perhaps the concept of accepting "collateral damage" has seeped into the psyche of Donald J. Trump and his right-wing cabal of opportunists, an example of which would be the "collateral damage "suffered by our middle and lower classes in the reduction of their Medicaid and other health benefits to offset the tax breaks to billionaires and the $20 billion he just promised the President of Argentina to shore up their economy.