'California Governor Gavin Newsom, who seems to have supported the deal (and was praised by Ellison!), now will face a huge challenge to a possible presidential run. '
This is just Newsom's latest display of his dedication to the billionaire class and the most recent affirmation of his status as a corporate Democrat, through and through.
Hopefully he will not only 'face a huge challenge to a possible presidential run' - he should not even be considered. He is exactly the wrong kind of Democrat the party and the country need right now.
Back in August he tried to force the Board of Supervisors of Solano County to vote in support of a bill that would give his billionaire friends of California Forever a workaround to local growth ordinances. Unlike Bonta, the board stood up for their constituents and said no. Newsom has cooked himself.
I agree with all you state. To be fair, however, Newsom is being a pragmatic politician. He doesn't want Ellison pouring millions into his defeat if he chooses to run for the presidency. All this gamesmanship is about money in politics. Until Citizens' United is neutered, both parties will be courting the wealthy donors. Criticism of both parties on this count is richly deserved.
You may be right, but the idea that 'he doesn't want Ellison pouring millions into his defeat if he chooses to run for the presidency' is pretty much what I am saying too.
If he is so scared of the billionaire class he is willing to sell out the fundamental notion of free speech and help foster an extreme right-wing controlled monopoly to save his own skin, he is not the leader we need to fight the complete oligarchy takeover of this country.
Besides that, it is entirely possible the Ellisons will fund an opponent to Newsom anyway, if they find a candidate that is even more subservient to their wishes...and, Newsom not only will need money, he'll need votes and popular support, of which he just lost a whole big bunch.
You're so right, Jason. Newsom should NEVER have been mentioned as a serious candidate. Another preening pretty-boy with a popularity cult behind him. Superficial charm (possibly) and no depth. We need serious candidates with credible records of public service. Oh, and integrity.
He really is awful. We let go of Paramount Streaming and with it of course South Park, The Daily Show and much more. So we can skip Paramount movies and every drop of "news" they put out. I can stand it longer than Paramount can.
Ugh and there is so much that could get gutted after this deal -- John Oliver? forget it..although of course Bill Maher will be safe and sound... how long before they start pushing 100% Ai made movies..this potentially will make the CBS news overhaul seem tame.
Even more than the gutting, what kind of political messaging will we start to see (or not see) in film and TV shows?
What is always noticed about Newsom is that he was always willing to throw the lower classes under the bus first. Wealthy liberals are always happy until they’re asked to pay more taxes, esp. in CA, and they usually get preferential treatment under Newsom.
And it is followed by "The appetite for hard-hitting, truly independent journalism remains — and will continue to fuel the appetite for new independent journalism, nonprofit outlets, and those few legacy media operations that reject false equivalence and access journalism." Democracy has the life line of We the People that never die.
That is all good stuff of course, but the fact remains the Ellisons and their ilk will have just massive, really unprecedented, influence on the narratives given by the media, and entertainment too, which is even more insidious.
If/when Dems take control, there must be consequences for the law-breakers in the Trump administration. Congress must make clear that supporting future Trump lawbreaking will result in jail time. First priority, however, must remain setting the stage for continued wins by addressing the issues voters care about most. But a 545 member Congress certainly has enough members to address the full range of things that need doing. That is, if they can stop spending so much time fund raising and traveling home. We need a level of commitment from the people we elect that hasn't been in evidence in quite a while. If they won't do that, throw them out and try again.
It seems pretty obvious to me that we are going to have to take a page from Teddy Roosevelt's playbook and bust up the monopolies when we regain control of the government. We are going to have to exert the power of We The People and impose 1950's level taxation on corporations and wealthy individuals including Wealth Taxes.. Eliminate loopholes across the board. Make Private Equity Companies essentially illegal. A Constitutional Amendment to override Citizens United will be essential along with Court Reform.
For a chance for any of that to happen, Democrats (or Republicans, for that matter - the corporate party is bipartisan) like Gavin Newsom can never be POTUS or anywhere near the White House.
If Newsom ends up our Pres, or many others like him from either party, we can instead look forward to UNICORP, one single company that controls all film and television, owned by the Ellisons, with Bari Weiss as the editor-in-chief of everything.
But don't worry, Newsom will insure there is a 'freedom of press board' of appointees picked by Ellison, to insure fair and balanced media practices.
While at it, enact some real campaign finance reform and put the corporate donors and their lobbyists on the back burner where they belong. Too much favorable influence for too long has made government by and for the corporation closer to a reality than is good for us.
A good idea, but with the makeup of so many of the state legislatures (3/4 of them are needed for approval) it's questionable that we could have a working amendment in place in the near future. It also doesn't mean that we shouldn't try.
Several years ago, someone I know well who has a graduate degree in psychology, told me in all seriousness that Biden was ordering busloads of undocumented Mexicans from across the border into California to vote in our elections. I was surprised but should not have been since they have Fox propoganda playing from morning til night.
This just goes to show that even the educated aren't immune to indoctrination by propaganda and can be ruled by fear rather than fact. The facts are that Biden never did this, and the undocumented are not eligible to vote in U.S. elections. Turn off FauxNoise and go back to school. Take a course in Civics & Government.
Virginia is requesting that the feds stop their illegal activities. Too late. The damage has already been done. The Virginia AG must immediately open cases and arrest those who have already violated state laws.
Noncitizen voters are an illusion in a delusional Donald Trump mind. It’s all about cheating and voter suppression using any means possible. The SAVE Act would disenfranchise women from voting, even conservative women that would vote for Republicans. The idea should be to get as many eligible people voting as possible. The pro-democracy forces will have to work especially hard this election cycle to watch for any and all shenanigans by Trump-appointed officials.
The merger is definitely not good for independent media and for truthful coverage from CBS and CNN, however, as has been seen with CBS news being in a ratings freefall, the viewers will have the final vote on this merger. Ellison seems to be intent on turning these properties into Fox News light and producing "news stories" that have a large dose of conservative fiction. It will ultimately burn these companies down and they will either end up in bankruptcy or sold off to another buyer. It will be a loss for the public and the Ellison's, and conservatives can crow all they want about taking down liberal biased companies as they count the billions they have burnt.
In nearly every case of voter fraud or illegal voting that has been documented it is nearly always for the Republican candidates and so very rarely for the Democrat and yet that never seems to be pointed out to the orange moron and the GOP puppets. As it has never changed the outcome, it clearly isn't anything to worry about unlike the constant lawlessness coming from the Trump administration. The state AGs need to open cases and if enough evidence is found to prosecute the federal agents, then they should be charged and hauled into state courts. It is time that those people pushing this conservative delusion of illegal voting are held responsible for any illegal acts on their part.
I cancelled my CNN subscription back when this merger came to light. Won't be renewing.
In addition to substack subscriptions I support journalism here:
"AP Fund for Journalism is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2024 by The Associated Press to support and sustain public service, state, and local news across the United States."
" It will ultimately burn these companies down and they will either end up in bankruptcy or sold off to another buyer."
FOX has been operating this way for decades and is still under the same family ownership and in spite of judgements of fines against them is still (unfortunately) rolling along and apparently doing well. In other words, to the statement above, don't hold your breath unless a change in Congress can start busting monopolies again.
Yes, that is the case with Fox News, but the entertainment unit was sold to Disney. The audience of CBS and CNN are not interested in what Fox News has to offer nor do they want some cloned version of it. Also, the Fox News audience isn't going to rush over to CBS and CNN as evidenced by CBS News ratings falling off a cliff. The goal seems to have been to kill CBS News and likely to do the same to CNN. If they meddle with the formula that works with the entertainment side to turn it into some version for The Great American Family or less "liberal" Hallmark it is likely to have the same effect as happened with CBS news. The main flaw for all this is the know-it-all with too much money to burn thinking they can "fix" something that they believe is broken. Much like the GOP always proposing solutions in search of a problem. I don't expect this merged company to fall on hard times overnight, but by the time Trump 2.0 ends they could very well be on the ropes. The Dems seem intent on investigating these mergers and forcing the antitrust laws to be enforced so 2029 might see an unraveling. I learned over 60 years ago not to hold my breath for anything, it makes you a little dizzy and likely to fall over!
Right. Now is not the time to hold one's breath and fall over. It's time to stand up, abandon these formats and watch their ratings plummet. We can have an effect here. There was no problem here until they created one, and it's a big one.
I was under the impression that there were several AG's from other states who were part of this lawsuit. Am I wrong? How does Bonta get to decide to settle? I'm guessing he won't be interviewed again any time soon by our Contrarians!
They were, and some were resistant to the deal, but ultimately they caved too.
This is a colossal failure. A group of leading Democrats have shown they can be bullied by billionaires. The supposed concessions of the agreement are laughable. The “editorial independence board” of appointees hand picked by Ellison and his cronies is particularly galling.
I've been saying for years that Newsom is not going to be the next President, no matter what the chattering class says about him as the front-runner. First thing, he shot himself in the foot with the French Laundry episode. The GQP will have a field day with that one. And second, he comes across as an archetypical Californian who's just a little too slick (and I used that word before Jenn did) for his own good. If he makes it through the primaries, he'll fly like a lead brick in November.
I hope people understand now that Newsom is not the man who is going to “change the world” for the better. He’s as corporate as they come. This should be a career ender for him and Bonta. This is America now: no one gave a single damn what the people wanted as long as they themselves got paid.
This merger is another blow to 'independent and nonpartisan reporting'. We now have two father-and-son pairs corrupting the free press. Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch, and Larry and David Ellison. Not only is objective editorial policy on the line, so is the reporting of the news. Both are ill winds that blow no good for the enlightenment of the public. At this rate, 'news' will become indoctrination. California politicians have sold out - to the detriment of the nation.
'Tis a puzzlement, I guess. Except that we all know how it happened: money becoming the be all and end all of public life. Even now, people are more worried about the price of gas and eggs (and that is important) but hardly mention the scourges of war and bigotry that are destroying populations and habitats, as well as climate change.
Too many years of immersion in propaganda for some, indifference and complacency for others, and in general, just not paying attention. It's hard when our biggest concern has become how to keep scraping up a living to look up and see the bigger picture. This is not an excuse, but it could be an explanation.
Thanks Contrarians 9/22: Trump lawlessness — not ‘Noncitizen voting’ — is the problem: "What we are seeing, however, is the rampant lawlessness of a rogue regime out to manufacture evidence, intimidate voters and sow confusion."
Trump & Co attempts at voter fraud & insurrection are without precedent. Resist Trump & Co corruption.
One of the problems is being able to assess weather a candidate can actually be in a room with the powerful business oligarchy and actually stand up for me and my rights. Sure gavin can play silly games with trump, but when push came to shove he folded. Along with checking out who their doners and listening to their messaging we need to know where candidates get their advice from and what support they need to carry the country forward and away from the dominance of a monied ruling class.
Amen, Ms. Rubin. How can the State of California possibly enforce the "agreement" to spend a certain amount of money on production and to release a minimum of 30 films a year? As for voter registration, perhaps states could do themselves a favor and make updating their rolls easier. After her husband passed away last year, my mother-in-law moved from Maine to Maryland. Obviously neither of them will vote in Maine this year, but even though my husband has her power of attorney, he can't file to remove her from the Maine database - she has to do that herself by signing a form, which is challenging because of medical issues.
The 'the “editorial independence board” of appointees choses by David Ellison and his cronies couldn't be more ridiculous. This 'agreement' is shameful.
Yes, but it's even worse I'd say - I know its a cliche but it's really Orwellian.
I can't believe all the AGs who got behind this can't see the dagger they just shoved into the heart of the concept of a free, adversarial press in the US.
Did you consider contacting the election board in Maryland where her new residence is to see if they can assist her In in that regard? Depending on which county she is in they might be able to help. Especially if she intends to vote.
...the first part of Rubin's piece shows clearly that just voting Blue isn't enough. when it comes to fighting the billionaire class.
Here we have a dozen Democratic AGs, the Dem governor of the country's largest state, and the Dem mayor of one of the country's largest cities all caving in to the Ellisons and giving into this this horrible merger. The 'concessions' in the deal range from unenforceable and functionally meaningless to outright authoritarian whitewashing (the 'editorial independence board').
The leaders we elect cannot only be Democrats. They must also have proven track records of fighting for a free press, real affordability, and civil protections, and against the oligarchy or tech and media moguls that are running the country.
Well those laws were proven toothless by this likely merger. A whole group of elected Democrats caved in and chose the billionaires over those laws.
Again though, my point was not that we shouldn't elect Democrats..its that we need to elect the right kind of Democrats, especially in solid blue areas...Newsom is definitely not it.
Whenever I write comments here, its always with assumption that the GOP is entirely beyond redemption, I don't even bother commenting on it for the most part.
However, we are seeing some really problematic movement with AI and data centers in particular, which everyone hates, right and left....some of these same corporate Democrats that have actually supported data center construction are getting end-arounded by the GOP on this really important issue (see Wisconsin governor race) ..the Democratic Party as a whole needs to address that in a much stronger fashion that it has so far...it can't change course if so many party leaders remain in thrall to the billionaire class.
Agreed 100%. Democracy is “for the people”. Oligarchy is “for the people with money”. Sadly…..that’s what we’ve become. I hope we will have enough warriors in our gov’t to move us back to….or towards…..democracy. I agree that the odds of that happening look slim. All we can do is Try!🙏
'California Governor Gavin Newsom, who seems to have supported the deal (and was praised by Ellison!), now will face a huge challenge to a possible presidential run. '
This is just Newsom's latest display of his dedication to the billionaire class and the most recent affirmation of his status as a corporate Democrat, through and through.
Hopefully he will not only 'face a huge challenge to a possible presidential run' - he should not even be considered. He is exactly the wrong kind of Democrat the party and the country need right now.
Back in August he tried to force the Board of Supervisors of Solano County to vote in support of a bill that would give his billionaire friends of California Forever a workaround to local growth ordinances. Unlike Bonta, the board stood up for their constituents and said no. Newsom has cooked himself.
I hope you're right (about the self-cooking), he has been awful for a long time, and not just in his unwavering support for the billionaire class.
I agree with all you state. To be fair, however, Newsom is being a pragmatic politician. He doesn't want Ellison pouring millions into his defeat if he chooses to run for the presidency. All this gamesmanship is about money in politics. Until Citizens' United is neutered, both parties will be courting the wealthy donors. Criticism of both parties on this count is richly deserved.
You may be right, but the idea that 'he doesn't want Ellison pouring millions into his defeat if he chooses to run for the presidency' is pretty much what I am saying too.
If he is so scared of the billionaire class he is willing to sell out the fundamental notion of free speech and help foster an extreme right-wing controlled monopoly to save his own skin, he is not the leader we need to fight the complete oligarchy takeover of this country.
Besides that, it is entirely possible the Ellisons will fund an opponent to Newsom anyway, if they find a candidate that is even more subservient to their wishes...and, Newsom not only will need money, he'll need votes and popular support, of which he just lost a whole big bunch.
You're so right, Jason. Newsom should NEVER have been mentioned as a serious candidate. Another preening pretty-boy with a popularity cult behind him. Superficial charm (possibly) and no depth. We need serious candidates with credible records of public service. Oh, and integrity.
He really is awful. We let go of Paramount Streaming and with it of course South Park, The Daily Show and much more. So we can skip Paramount movies and every drop of "news" they put out. I can stand it longer than Paramount can.
Ugh and there is so much that could get gutted after this deal -- John Oliver? forget it..although of course Bill Maher will be safe and sound... how long before they start pushing 100% Ai made movies..this potentially will make the CBS news overhaul seem tame.
Even more than the gutting, what kind of political messaging will we start to see (or not see) in film and TV shows?
Losing John Oliver will be tough. The world is chock full of these filthy Kabillionaires.
What is always noticed about Newsom is that he was always willing to throw the lower classes under the bus first. Wealthy liberals are always happy until they’re asked to pay more taxes, esp. in CA, and they usually get preferential treatment under Newsom.
And it is followed by "The appetite for hard-hitting, truly independent journalism remains — and will continue to fuel the appetite for new independent journalism, nonprofit outlets, and those few legacy media operations that reject false equivalence and access journalism." Democracy has the life line of We the People that never die.
That is all good stuff of course, but the fact remains the Ellisons and their ilk will have just massive, really unprecedented, influence on the narratives given by the media, and entertainment too, which is even more insidious.
Although with prices going up, a lot of ordinary people will be unable to afford their media product.
If/when Dems take control, there must be consequences for the law-breakers in the Trump administration. Congress must make clear that supporting future Trump lawbreaking will result in jail time. First priority, however, must remain setting the stage for continued wins by addressing the issues voters care about most. But a 545 member Congress certainly has enough members to address the full range of things that need doing. That is, if they can stop spending so much time fund raising and traveling home. We need a level of commitment from the people we elect that hasn't been in evidence in quite a while. If they won't do that, throw them out and try again.
It seems pretty obvious to me that we are going to have to take a page from Teddy Roosevelt's playbook and bust up the monopolies when we regain control of the government. We are going to have to exert the power of We The People and impose 1950's level taxation on corporations and wealthy individuals including Wealth Taxes.. Eliminate loopholes across the board. Make Private Equity Companies essentially illegal. A Constitutional Amendment to override Citizens United will be essential along with Court Reform.
For a chance for any of that to happen, Democrats (or Republicans, for that matter - the corporate party is bipartisan) like Gavin Newsom can never be POTUS or anywhere near the White House.
If Newsom ends up our Pres, or many others like him from either party, we can instead look forward to UNICORP, one single company that controls all film and television, owned by the Ellisons, with Bari Weiss as the editor-in-chief of everything.
But don't worry, Newsom will insure there is a 'freedom of press board' of appointees picked by Ellison, to insure fair and balanced media practices.
He has been good at goading tRump, but I don't think he belongs in the WhiteHouse.
Tweets do not a leader make. Yoda said that.
While at it, enact some real campaign finance reform and put the corporate donors and their lobbyists on the back burner where they belong. Too much favorable influence for too long has made government by and for the corporation closer to a reality than is good for us.
Hence the Constitutional Amendment to override Citizens United.
A good idea, but with the makeup of so many of the state legislatures (3/4 of them are needed for approval) it's questionable that we could have a working amendment in place in the near future. It also doesn't mean that we shouldn't try.
I think we will have a unique opportunity after 2 more years of tRump's depredations.
Several years ago, someone I know well who has a graduate degree in psychology, told me in all seriousness that Biden was ordering busloads of undocumented Mexicans from across the border into California to vote in our elections. I was surprised but should not have been since they have Fox propoganda playing from morning til night.
Fox poisoning is a large part of the explanation of how a third of American voters can still approve of Trump.
This just goes to show that even the educated aren't immune to indoctrination by propaganda and can be ruled by fear rather than fact. The facts are that Biden never did this, and the undocumented are not eligible to vote in U.S. elections. Turn off FauxNoise and go back to school. Take a course in Civics & Government.
Virginia is requesting that the feds stop their illegal activities. Too late. The damage has already been done. The Virginia AG must immediately open cases and arrest those who have already violated state laws.
Noncitizen voters are an illusion in a delusional Donald Trump mind. It’s all about cheating and voter suppression using any means possible. The SAVE Act would disenfranchise women from voting, even conservative women that would vote for Republicans. The idea should be to get as many eligible people voting as possible. The pro-democracy forces will have to work especially hard this election cycle to watch for any and all shenanigans by Trump-appointed officials.
The merger is definitely not good for independent media and for truthful coverage from CBS and CNN, however, as has been seen with CBS news being in a ratings freefall, the viewers will have the final vote on this merger. Ellison seems to be intent on turning these properties into Fox News light and producing "news stories" that have a large dose of conservative fiction. It will ultimately burn these companies down and they will either end up in bankruptcy or sold off to another buyer. It will be a loss for the public and the Ellison's, and conservatives can crow all they want about taking down liberal biased companies as they count the billions they have burnt.
In nearly every case of voter fraud or illegal voting that has been documented it is nearly always for the Republican candidates and so very rarely for the Democrat and yet that never seems to be pointed out to the orange moron and the GOP puppets. As it has never changed the outcome, it clearly isn't anything to worry about unlike the constant lawlessness coming from the Trump administration. The state AGs need to open cases and if enough evidence is found to prosecute the federal agents, then they should be charged and hauled into state courts. It is time that those people pushing this conservative delusion of illegal voting are held responsible for any illegal acts on their part.
I cancelled my CNN subscription back when this merger came to light. Won't be renewing.
In addition to substack subscriptions I support journalism here:
"AP Fund for Journalism is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2024 by The Associated Press to support and sustain public service, state, and local news across the United States."
" It will ultimately burn these companies down and they will either end up in bankruptcy or sold off to another buyer."
FOX has been operating this way for decades and is still under the same family ownership and in spite of judgements of fines against them is still (unfortunately) rolling along and apparently doing well. In other words, to the statement above, don't hold your breath unless a change in Congress can start busting monopolies again.
Yes, that is the case with Fox News, but the entertainment unit was sold to Disney. The audience of CBS and CNN are not interested in what Fox News has to offer nor do they want some cloned version of it. Also, the Fox News audience isn't going to rush over to CBS and CNN as evidenced by CBS News ratings falling off a cliff. The goal seems to have been to kill CBS News and likely to do the same to CNN. If they meddle with the formula that works with the entertainment side to turn it into some version for The Great American Family or less "liberal" Hallmark it is likely to have the same effect as happened with CBS news. The main flaw for all this is the know-it-all with too much money to burn thinking they can "fix" something that they believe is broken. Much like the GOP always proposing solutions in search of a problem. I don't expect this merged company to fall on hard times overnight, but by the time Trump 2.0 ends they could very well be on the ropes. The Dems seem intent on investigating these mergers and forcing the antitrust laws to be enforced so 2029 might see an unraveling. I learned over 60 years ago not to hold my breath for anything, it makes you a little dizzy and likely to fall over!
Right. Now is not the time to hold one's breath and fall over. It's time to stand up, abandon these formats and watch their ratings plummet. We can have an effect here. There was no problem here until they created one, and it's a big one.
I was under the impression that there were several AG's from other states who were part of this lawsuit. Am I wrong? How does Bonta get to decide to settle? I'm guessing he won't be interviewed again any time soon by our Contrarians!
They were, and some were resistant to the deal, but ultimately they caved too.
This is a colossal failure. A group of leading Democrats have shown they can be bullied by billionaires. The supposed concessions of the agreement are laughable. The “editorial independence board” of appointees hand picked by Ellison and his cronies is particularly galling.
I've been saying for years that Newsom is not going to be the next President, no matter what the chattering class says about him as the front-runner. First thing, he shot himself in the foot with the French Laundry episode. The GQP will have a field day with that one. And second, he comes across as an archetypical Californian who's just a little too slick (and I used that word before Jenn did) for his own good. If he makes it through the primaries, he'll fly like a lead brick in November.
I hope people understand now that Newsom is not the man who is going to “change the world” for the better. He’s as corporate as they come. This should be a career ender for him and Bonta. This is America now: no one gave a single damn what the people wanted as long as they themselves got paid.
Americans wanting to get paid?
I think we had all better sit down and discuss that.
Where should we start?!
This merger is another blow to 'independent and nonpartisan reporting'. We now have two father-and-son pairs corrupting the free press. Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch, and Larry and David Ellison. Not only is objective editorial policy on the line, so is the reporting of the news. Both are ill winds that blow no good for the enlightenment of the public. At this rate, 'news' will become indoctrination. California politicians have sold out - to the detriment of the nation.
'Succession' was a light touch compared to reality.
"Ill winds that blow no good" and "have sold out - to the detriment of the nation"?
How could that have possibly happened in America?
'Tis a puzzlement, I guess. Except that we all know how it happened: money becoming the be all and end all of public life. Even now, people are more worried about the price of gas and eggs (and that is important) but hardly mention the scourges of war and bigotry that are destroying populations and habitats, as well as climate change.
Too many years of immersion in propaganda for some, indifference and complacency for others, and in general, just not paying attention. It's hard when our biggest concern has become how to keep scraping up a living to look up and see the bigger picture. This is not an excuse, but it could be an explanation.
Newsom has no shot. Even California Dems don’t like the guy anymore. He’s got all the authenticity of a game show host.
The dude is too slick. He’s like a failed actor who became a politician instead. Hmm. Sounds like Drumpf.
Or, possibly a failed politician who became an actor (and a bad actor, at that).
..sounds like a previous California governor too.
Thanks Contrarians 9/22: Trump lawlessness — not ‘Noncitizen voting’ — is the problem: "What we are seeing, however, is the rampant lawlessness of a rogue regime out to manufacture evidence, intimidate voters and sow confusion."
Trump & Co attempts at voter fraud & insurrection are without precedent. Resist Trump & Co corruption.
Bring on a Blue Tsunami. #VoteBlue!
One of the problems is being able to assess weather a candidate can actually be in a room with the powerful business oligarchy and actually stand up for me and my rights. Sure gavin can play silly games with trump, but when push came to shove he folded. Along with checking out who their doners and listening to their messaging we need to know where candidates get their advice from and what support they need to carry the country forward and away from the dominance of a monied ruling class.
Amen, Ms. Rubin. How can the State of California possibly enforce the "agreement" to spend a certain amount of money on production and to release a minimum of 30 films a year? As for voter registration, perhaps states could do themselves a favor and make updating their rolls easier. After her husband passed away last year, my mother-in-law moved from Maine to Maryland. Obviously neither of them will vote in Maine this year, but even though my husband has her power of attorney, he can't file to remove her from the Maine database - she has to do that herself by signing a form, which is challenging because of medical issues.
The 'the “editorial independence board” of appointees choses by David Ellison and his cronies couldn't be more ridiculous. This 'agreement' is shameful.
A total oxymoron.
Yes, but it's even worse I'd say - I know its a cliche but it's really Orwellian.
I can't believe all the AGs who got behind this can't see the dagger they just shoved into the heart of the concept of a free, adversarial press in the US.
They must have been taking lessons from the partisan six on the supreme court.
Did you consider contacting the election board in Maryland where her new residence is to see if they can assist her In in that regard? Depending on which county she is in they might be able to help. Especially if she intends to vote.
That is a thought, thank you, but she is not intending to vote.
That's too bad. She could probably register in MD, regardless, as long as she doesn't vote in both states.
“We have an anti-democratic election suppression problem….”
We have an anti-Democratic Trump administration! OUT with them!
Vote Blue!
...the first part of Rubin's piece shows clearly that just voting Blue isn't enough. when it comes to fighting the billionaire class.
Here we have a dozen Democratic AGs, the Dem governor of the country's largest state, and the Dem mayor of one of the country's largest cities all caving in to the Ellisons and giving into this this horrible merger. The 'concessions' in the deal range from unenforceable and functionally meaningless to outright authoritarian whitewashing (the 'editorial independence board').
The leaders we elect cannot only be Democrats. They must also have proven track records of fighting for a free press, real affordability, and civil protections, and against the oligarchy or tech and media moguls that are running the country.
I, personally, am looking for someone with some semblance of honesty who gives a damn about America and its people.
Can’t deny the reality of what you say. But….we have anti-monopoly laws. Our only chance at enforcement are……”righteous”(as you say)…..Democrats.
Well those laws were proven toothless by this likely merger. A whole group of elected Democrats caved in and chose the billionaires over those laws.
Again though, my point was not that we shouldn't elect Democrats..its that we need to elect the right kind of Democrats, especially in solid blue areas...Newsom is definitely not it.
Whenever I write comments here, its always with assumption that the GOP is entirely beyond redemption, I don't even bother commenting on it for the most part.
However, we are seeing some really problematic movement with AI and data centers in particular, which everyone hates, right and left....some of these same corporate Democrats that have actually supported data center construction are getting end-arounded by the GOP on this really important issue (see Wisconsin governor race) ..the Democratic Party as a whole needs to address that in a much stronger fashion that it has so far...it can't change course if so many party leaders remain in thrall to the billionaire class.
Agreed 100%. Democracy is “for the people”. Oligarchy is “for the people with money”. Sadly…..that’s what we’ve become. I hope we will have enough warriors in our gov’t to move us back to….or towards…..democracy. I agree that the odds of that happening look slim. All we can do is Try!🙏