Yes, it’s still somehow free to subscribe to this nearly daily newsletter! Greg Mitchell is the author of fourteen books and director of four films for PBS since 2022. In a previous life, he was a longtime editor at the legendary Crawdaddy.
Stephen, of course, is all over Donald H. Christ:
And Jimmy joins.
One Twitter wag had to say it: “The Vatican is two weeks away from developing a nuclear weapon.”
And John Fugelsang: “Being mad that the Pope won’t endorse your war is like being mad that your doctor won’t endorse your cocaine habit.”
Prosecutors are investigating ICE agents who in January arrested a Minnesota man in his underwear. (Images of the arrest went viral on social media.)
A federal judge dismissed Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal over its report of his lewd birthday greeting to Jeffrey Epstein. Trump has said the message was not his.
Film Pick
Trailer for new doc on rock ‘n roll formative force (just ask Elvis, if you see him), Big Mama Thornton.
Music Pick
Colbert’s folks described last night’s musical guests this way: “Paramore's Hayley Williams joins Wilco's Jeff Tweedy for a special collaboration, putting their own spin on Unknown Mortal Orchestra's ‘Ffunny Ffrends’ in honor of all of the funny friends who work at The Late Show.”
Meanwhile, it was announced that Oasis, Phil Collins and Sade will enter the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year, alongside Billy Idol, Iron Maiden and Wu-Tang Clan. Wake me when it’s over. Who failed to make the cut? Among others: Jeff Buckley, Mariah Carey and Melissa Etheridge.
When it’s apparent that a notable artist will never make the “cut,” the Rock Hall bigwigs sneak them in as an “influencer.” Such is the case this year with my old favorite Gram Parsons. (Hey, Ed Sullivan is also getting in.) More on Gram tomorrow, but for now, an alternate version of his classic “Hickory Wind.”
From Tunes to Toons
Kumar:
Ohman
There were dozens of fun A.I. memes posted yesterday re: Trump’s A.I. self-depiction as Jesus—which he later claimed was meant to be him as a….doctor. Slightly different robe, as many pointed out. Anyway, without doing a massive search and choosing the greatest hits, just a couple here;
Many pictured the person being healed as Epstein…
Photo Finish
"Sedona Sundown”
Also passed over AGAIN by the rock hall the great Richard Thompson and Fairport Convention.
Great set of ‘toons today, and Gram is one of my old favorites, as well. He was gone before I knew that he had existed. Such a gift, and such a loss.