From 'Sleepy Don' to Jason and His Scorchers

Plus : the Gaetz of Hell, Joni and Neil Young, a great new movie, and our usual cartoons.

Greg Mitchell has authored more than a dozen books (see most of them here) and directed four recent PBS films. Subscribing to this newsletter is still FREE—so if you want to help fund, maybe purchase one of my books, thanks!

Trump Calls Somalis ‘Garbage’ He Doesn’t Want in the Country

President Trump has a history of insulting people from African countries, but the outburst was shocking in its unapologetic bigotry. Vice President JD Vance banged the table in encouragement.

Then, as NY Times has it this morning:

President Trump appeared to be fighting sleep on Tuesday during a cabinet meeting at the White House, closing his eyes and at times seeming to nod off, after he criticized media coverage about him facing the realities of aging in office.

Over the course of two hours and 18 minutes, the president, who is 79, sometimes appeared to struggle to keep his eyes open as cabinet officials went around the room describing their work and heaping praise on him.

Steve Brodner:

Meanwhile, guess who showed up with full credentials yesterday? Yes it was good old Matt Gaetz. Or maybe he thought a teen girls birthday party was happening there. In any case was joined by Lara Loomer. Matt’s no Jeff Gannon.

A “moral victory” (but we need wins), NY Times again:

Matt Van Epps, a Republican former state official and Army veteran, won a special election for the House on Tuesday in Tennessee, holding off a surprisingly stiff Democratic challenge in an overwhelmingly Republican district that drew a flood of national attention and money.

Mr. Van Epps’s victory over Aftyn Behn, a Democratic state representative from Nashville, was called by The Associated Press. With 95 percent of votes counted on Tuesday night, he was leading by nearly nine percentage points.

The result is a boon in the short term for President Trump and his party, which had worried that its narrow House majority would grow even slimmer. But the relatively tight margin in such a deep-red district nonetheless represents a warning shot about the party’s vulnerabilities heading into the 2026 midterm elections. Mr. Trump carried the seat by 22 percentage points a little over a year ago.

Terrific, haunting film now streaming, one of best of year, as undocumented young man from Africa tries to get his papers in Paris: “The Story of Souleymane.” First-time actor named Abou Sangere, after winning a top award at Cannes, won the top prize at the Gothams this week. Story mirrors what he went through. Trailer:

As only Nate Bargatze/George Washington could say it:

Jason Isbell rejoined Drive-By Truckers last night on Colbert to mark a new boxed set for his old group.

There’s a new 50th anniversary release of one of Neil Young’s best albums, “Tonight’s the Night.” Here’s one of my faves, first done on the first, great, Crazy Horse album. That’s group’s Danny Whitten, whose OD would haunt Neil, also sings lead here.

A bonus cut on this, the cult recording of Neil and gang during those sessions backing up Joni Mitchell on her most rocking song ever, “Raised on Robbery.” As expected with Neil then, a little ragged and she re-recorded better version later for her own release.

Just for the hell of it, from R. Crumb, this newsletter’s patron saint:

From Tunes to Toons

Bramhall:

Goris:

Luckovich:

Boris:

Luckovich again:

Photo Finish

From my camera to you, “Young Couple, NYC Subway”