The passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a tragic loss for all of us who believe in equal rights. She led an amazing life and was directly responsible for making this world a better place for all women, including my daughters and granddaughters.
Her death unleashes a dangerous political battle over the almost unthinkable scenario that a lame-duck Republican Senate majority could approve her replacement before ceding control to the Democrats. If that should occur, the landmark ruling Roe v. Wade, giving women control of their bodies may be at serious risk.
In order to assess tall of his, we'll need a press that does its job wisely and calmly.
Yesterday I railed against the national television networks, especially CNN, for blatant displays of bias in the coverage of the upcoming election.
This isn't something I do lightly; my hope is to somehow get through to the executives at Fox, msnbc and CNN and urge them to clean up their act.
When you have an anchor deliver a piece of news and then make a statement by rolling his eyes like a valley girl, you have left the world of journalism in your rear-view mirror. In the process, you have lost the respect of people like me, because we don't need that kind of condescending attitude from your employees.
No one would dispute that a main theme of this year's election is the outrageous rhetoric of the incumbent president as he seeks re-election. Everybody sees it but not everybody responds to it in the same way.
Often, it seems like the liberal commentators lump the supporters of the president into one group -- the white supremacist, racist militia-types who move in the shadows of our society. But there is another way to understand Trump supporters. They include millions of people who feel alienated and left behind by the pace of social and technological change that has swept our society.
Of course, they see that Trump is a hopeless jerk who does things they would never do themselves, like sexually abuse women and cheat contractors. But voting for him, in their eyes, is not endorsing that behavior. Instead, they support him for political reasons in spite of his behavior.
Now more than ever it is a time for journalists to adhere to our highest standards and ethics and to fulfill our essential responsibility under the First Amendment, which is to inform our fellow citizens, free from bias. The looming Supreme Court crisis represents a huge challenge in this regard.
After all, the news is bad enough, so let's dispense with the adolescent eye-rolling and smirking.
* Following Ginsburg's death, McConnell says Trump's nominee will get a vote on the Senate floor (CNN)
* The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reversed a guidance it issued last month about who should be tested. The agency updated its recommendation to call for testing anyone — including people without symptoms — who has been in close contact with someone diagnosed with covid-19, the disease caused by the virus. (WashPo)
* Judge issues temporary injunction against USPS changes amid concerns about mail slowdowns (WashPo)
* Trump’s ‘terrific’ health-care plan is so secret his own health advisers don’t know it exists (WashPo)
* One America News Network is ostensibly a news network, with 24-hour coverage and a multimillion-dollar budget. As the election approaches, it is effectively a media arm of the Trump campaign. Binge-watching shows how it mixes baseless conspiracies with legitimate news to warp viewers' realities. [HuffPost]
* A former model has accused Trump of sexually assaulting her at the U.S. Open tennis tournament in 1997, adding to the list of more than two dozen women who have publicly accused the president of sexual misconduct or rape. [HuffPost]
* The United States Postal Service drafted an ambitious proposal in April to send a pack of five face masks to every residential address in the U.S. before top White House officials killed the idea. “There was concern from some in the White House Domestic Policy Council and the office of the vice president that households receiving masks might create concern or panic,” an official told The Washington Post. [HuffPost]
* The former chief of staff to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos joined an anti-Donald Trump group being led by former White House officials. Josh Venable, who worked for DeVos from 2017 to 2018, joined the Republican Political Alliance for Integrity and Reform as an adviser. [HuffPost]
* Trump on Thursday ramped up his most forceful campaign message: That the coming election is illegitimate unless he wins. (HuffPost)
* TRUMP'S 'PATRIOTIC' EDUCATION PLAN SOUNDS A LOT LIKE FASCISM, SAYS TWITTER (Twitter)
* Trump slams Biden for using a teleprompter while using one himself at Wisconsin rally (MailOnline)
* Democrats are slightly favored to win the U.S. Senate (538)
***
When the blue skies returned to the Bay Area on Thursday, it was the first time after four weeks of day-in-day-out "spare the air" warnings. The virus may have been keeping us inside, but the unnatural heatwave and unrelenting smoke from fires oppressed us even more, leaving us nowhere to run, and nowhere to hide.
It's not love, I'm a running from
It's the heartbreak I know will come
'Cause I know you're no good for me, but you've become a part of me
Ev'rywhere I go, your face I see, ev'ry step I take, you take with me yeah
Nowhere to run to, baby, nowhere to hide
Got nowhere to run to, baby, nowhere to hide
I know you're not good for me, but free of you I'll never be, no
Each night as I sleep, into my heart you creep
I wake up feelin' sorry I met you, hoping soon that I'll forget you
When I look in the mirror to comb my hair
I see your face just a smiling there
Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide from you baby
Got nowhere to run to, baby, nowhere to hide
-30-
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