My latest film, “The Atomic Bowl: Football at Ground Zero—and Nuclear Peril Today” has been airing over PBS stations this past month and streaming for free (key links to watch now and more here). A companion book is now available, and you can read more or order here.
The New Yorker magazine this week has a piece about me and my new PBS film, which you can read here. And subscribing to this newsletter is still somehow FREE.
Well there’s hope: An Economist poll out yesterday revealed Trump's net approval rating is now -17%, down 2.6 points since last week. 39% approve, 56% disapprove—the same plunging numbers in the new AP-NORC poll which now match several polls from earlier this month.
Fascinating story at Rolling Stone, though now behind pay wall, and perhaps you have noticed this week: a slew of fake A.I. posts and images claiming various rock stars (including Springsteen) and sports stars (such as Mookie Betts and Brock Purdy) all criticizing or dedicating songs or waving flags for Charlie Kirk. This follows, as you may have noticed, all sorts of fake scenes from concerts and other events in recent weeks. But an explosion of this now. You literally cannot believe your eyes and ears anymore. Bemoan and beware.
Farm Aid turns 40 today and the entire concert, from Minneapolis, with the regulars (Willie, Neil, Mellencamp, Dylan etc.) will be streaming. Here are three performances from the original in 1985.
Bonnie Raitt with one my favorite (if forgotten) rock songs from her, “I Can’t Help Myself.”
Forever Neil Young with acoustic “My, My, Hey, Hey.”
Tom Petty with a rocking “Refugee.”
Johnny Cash w/ Waylon for “Folsom Prison.”
And my old hero, Roy Orbison, with “Pretty Woman.’
From Tunes to Toons
Another veto by USA re: Gaza at the U.N.
The music was fabulous today, and the toons right on target, as usual! I wonder, though, how many of the younger generation will understand the toon with Trump on the TV test pattern? We oldsters certainly remember when all the TV channels ended the daily programming, usually by playing the National Anthem, then going to the test pattern until early the next morning. If you were getting to stay up late for some special reason, you were so disappointed when that pattern appeared because there would be nothing else to watch for the rest of the night. Oh, well, might as well go to bed.
Great choice of music today. I love Bonnie Raitt! I remember when there was a test pattern of a Native American with feathers (like Hope! The thing with feathers…) At least, I think that’s right. Havent seen much of the Kirk propaganda today, but I’m mostly on Substack and not social media these days. Oh! I did see the one with Charlie and the rock band in heaven, incl Jesus. 🙄