Greg Mitchell has authored more than a dozen books (see most of them here) and directed four recent PBS films, including the current “The Atomic Bowl.” Subscribing to this newsletter is still FREE—so if you want to help fund, maybe purchase one of those books, thanks. Or recommend this Substack to a friend!
Cabinet meeting cold open:
Weekend Update:
From NJarts.net today:
Introducing his song “The Promised Land” during his unbilled set at the Light of Day WinterFest concert at The Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank, Jan. 17, Bruce Springsteen dedicated it to Renee Nicole Good and criticized ICE’s “Gestapo tactics.” Below are his comments.
This next song is probably one of my greatest songs. And I don’t want to be out of water tonight, but I wrote this song as an ode to American possibility … both to the beautiful but flawed country that we are, and to the country that we could be. Now, right now, we are living through incredibly critical times. The United States, the ideals and the values for which it stood for the past 250 years, is being tested as it has never been in modern times. Those values and those ideals have never been as endangered as they are right now.
So as we gather tonight in this beautiful display of love and care and thoughtfulness and community … if you believe in democracy, in liberty … if you believe that truth still matters, and that it’s worth speaking out, and it’s worth fighting for … if you believe in the power of the law and that no one stands above it … if you stand against heavily armed masked federal troops invading American cities, and using Gestapo tactics against our fellow citizens … if you believe you don’t deserve to be murdered for exercising your American right to protest … then send a message to this President.
And as the Mayor of that city has said, ICE should get the fuck out of Minneapolis. So this one is for you, and the memory of the mother of three and American citizen Renee Good.
‘We’ll Sue’: White House’s Warning to CBS Is Sign of a New Media Status Quo
In previously unreported remarks, the White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told CBS News that Mr. Trump would “sue” the news outlet if it did not air an interview unedited.
Note: They did. And Tony Baloney was humiliated during it, as his ratings plunge.
There are hundreds of these around and you may have seen many of them or are sick of them already but loved the idea and execution below and “Wizard of Oz” reference:
Heather Cox Richardson:
Meanwhile, Reuters reported today that Trump appears to be trying to set up his own organization to rival the United Nations. The administration has sent letters to leaders from several countries inviting them to be part of a “Board of Peace” led by the U.S. The board would first tackle the crisis in Gaza and then go on to take on other crises around the world.
Bloomberg reported today that the draft charter for the proposed organization makes Trump the board’s first chair and gives him the power to choose a successor. He would decide what countries can be members. Each member state would get one vote in the organization, but the chair would have to approve all decisions. The draft says that each member state has a term of no more than three years unless the chair renews it, but that limit doesn’t apply to any member states “that contribute more than USD $1,000,000,000 in cash funds to the Board of Peace within the first year of the Charter’s entry into force.” The draft suggests that Trump himself will control that money.
They had a “homecoming” tribute to Bobby Weir in San Fran yesterday, with speeches and appearances by Joan Baez and John Mayer singing “Ripple” etc. Here is all 90 minutes if you were a fan:
But after another brutal week we all need to “Take Five,” as Dave Brubeck insisted:
From Tunes to Toons
Bramhall:
Sheneman:
Clay Jones:
Goris:
Tom the Dancing Bug:
de Adder:
Goris again:
KAL:
Photo Finish
From my camera to you, “Sheep Dog and His Flock, Stone Barns”
Love the Richard Scarry take off
Take Five! Great selection of cartoons.