Wasted and Rolling

Covid and QAnon are far from through. Geraldo and McConaughey to the rescue? That new Tina Turner film. Plus: Music from Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Amanda Shires with Jason Isbell, and Sam Cooke.

Since you asked, I will be posting this weekend the third in my series of career-spanning profiles in music and videos, with about fifteen selections for each artist. So far we’ve met Leonard Cohen and Sam Cooke and #3 this coming weekend will be—drumroll, please—Joni Mitchell (no relation, damn it, though I grew up just across the river from Canada). So to whet your appetite, here is an ultra-early Joni tune she chose not to release but here covered magnificently by Sandy Denny and Fairport Convention (with a searing guitar solo by young Richard Thompson). Enjoy, then maybe subscribe—it’s free!

News & Politics

That sound you hear is Mario Cuomo rolling over in his grave.

Shocking CDC report coming: Overall deaths in USA, thanks to Covid, jumped 15% last year, after declining 1.2% the year before. Pandemic now the third highest killer beyond cancer and heart disease, displacing accidents. President Biden to address nation tonight on Covid at 8 pm ET. Meanwhile, 60 Minutes preparing report on mental health of pandemic-related health workers. And breaking this morning: Denmark suspends use of AstraZeneca vaccine over blood clot fears.

The Onion claims: “New CDC Guidelines Call On Fully Vaccinated People To Gather Indoors With Curtains Drawn To Reduce Spread Of Jealousy.”

Seth Meyers: “The House passed the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill today. Democrats are calling it a landmark bill that will give Americans desperately needed financial assistance during a pandemic, while Republicans are calling it ‘not what Dr. Seuss would have wanted.’” Stephen Colbert: “Something historic happened on Capitol Hill and it wasn’t punching a cop or pooping on the floor.”

Geraldo Rivera tweeted on Wednesday that he is "pondering a run" for Rob Portman's Senate seat in Ohio. Rivera, who lives in Ohio, hosts a radio show in Cleveland. His hashtag: “Geraldo4Ohio.” And all right all right all right or alt-left? Matthew McConaughey considering run for Texas governorship.

CNN reports: Between last May 27 and September 5, there were 104 incidents of cars ramming BLM protesters. At least that Iowa reporter arrested while covering a BLM protest who went on trial this week has been found not guilty.

Thank god, Rep. Jamila Jayapal is not giving up. On Wednesday she requested that the House Committee on Ethics and the Office of Congressional Ethics investigate three House Republicans for “instigating and aiding” the Capitol insurrection earlier this year. Jayapal demands that it “thoroughly investigate” the actions of Reps. Lauren Boebert, Mo Brooks and Paul Gosar in the weeks and days leading up to the Capitol attack, and to refer any appropriate findings to the Justice Department.

Samantha Bee last night with a headline reminiscent of the glory days of Playboy: “The Women of QAnon.” Some are “QAMoms” even.

Two more headlines from The Onion today: ‘Secret Service Worry Major Biden’s Behavior Influenced By Time Spent On Far-Right Dog Forums.” And: “Don Jr. Sends Letter To RNC Begging To Have Likeness Used For Fundraising.”

Five Oklahoma City police officers were charged with first-degree manslaughter on Wednesday after they shot and killed a 15-year-old boy who had dropped his gun on the ground, the authorities said. Meanwhile, “Georgia Sheriff Reopens 2013 Case Into Teenager Found Dead in a Gym Mat.” And: “Murder Warrant Issued for Austin Police Officer Who Fatally Shot Unarmed Man.”

Remember when Newsmax was nipping at Fox’s heels? Those heady loony-right days are now over. Brian Stelter at CNN probed their ratings plunge and explains why: “Newsmax is no longer getting a pro-Trump Big Lie ratings boost. Biden is a comparatively tame story. Trump is not tweeting or otherwise touting Newsmax's brand. And some Fox fans have ‘come home’ to Fox, as a network exec predicted they would.”

Politico: “A slate of uber-progressive Sanders allies, endorsed by the tightly organized Democratic Socialists of America’s local chapter, won control of the Nevada Democratic Party in leadership elections on Saturday. On the losing side was one of the most powerful forces in Democratic politics: the well-oiled operation run by former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid….It’s a development that could have effects that stretch well beyond state borders — and a sign that Sanders himself is playing a long game in the battle for control of the Democratic Party.”

Major project At GQ: “American Battlefield,” Kenosha: “This story draws on dozens of hours of video footage, including a comprehensive timeline of crucial events created by syncing 11 livestreams; countless photos; dozens of interviews, including some with participants speaking for the first time; previous reportage; and extensive police and court records. It is the most complete investigation and reconstruction yet of how American order imploded for three nights in Kenosha, until citizens were warring in the streets, and what that breakdown might tell us about the United States’ deepening divisions.”

Robert Reich: “There is no excuse for two Democratic senators to allow Republicans to stomp on our democracy and entrench their minority rule for generations. Biden must force Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema to fall in line. Period.”

The New Yorker suggests you “roll the dice” and play below, if you dare—but even if the GOP allows, odds are stacked against you!

Music

On this date in 1970, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young released their first album (as a foursome), Deja Vu, which became a smash hit. The single “Ohio,” not on the lp, was released later. The whole album famously required an almost record amount of studio time. Young, never quite at home in the “supergroup” concept (though he made a fortune off it), appears on only half of the tracks. Nash explained that Neil "generally recorded his tracks alone in Los Angeles then brought them back to the recording studio to put our voices on, then took it away to mix it." Crosby was often in tears due to the recent death of his girlfriend Christine Hinton, telling Cameron Crowe for us at Crawdaddy four years later that "he couldn't function." It was Stills who brought in Joni Mitchell’s “Woodstock,” soon to be a hit. Here they are, in 1970, doing Neil’s “Down By the River” in abridged five-minute form.

Lou Ottens, inventor of the audio cassette—remember those?—has died at 94. My man Jason Isbell comments, “Ok, I’m not saying they should do this, but if it was me I’d put in the will that the pallbearers had to flip me over halfway through the funeral.”

Sam Cooke could have made Hall of Fame for just the first ten second here…

Film

First full trailer for Tina Turner doc just dropped (we posted the brief teaser last month). Coming to HBO on March 27.

UPDATE: My first film, Atomic Cover-up, has been selected by the major Cinequest Film Festival for its U.S. premiere. The festival page for film now has the trailer and link for tickets at just $3.99 for viewing any time between March 20-30, so you can buy now.

Nixon “plumbers” finally getting their day, as HBO set to start filming in my neck of the woods (Hudson Valley) for a five-part series, starring Woody Harrelson (as E. Howard Hunt) and Justin Theroux (as G. Gordon Liddy). It’s based on Egil “Bud” Krogh’s book and public records, and titled The White House Plumbers—from producers of Veep and Succession. A call for extras has gone out locally here. Have to chuckle over Woody playing Hunt who, along with Harrelson’s hit man father, was once linked in wild conspiracy theories—far, far, from proven—to Dealey Plaza and the JFK assassination.

Song Pick of the Day

We’ve featured Jason Isbell a couple of times here already, sometimes with wife Amanda Shires in support, but here she steps out with her own song and lead vocal, with Jason adding guitar and voice, on maybe her best tune, “Wasted and Rollin’,” on Austin City Limits.

Greg Mitchell is the author of a dozen books, including the bestseller The Tunnels (on escapes under the Berlin Wall), the current The Beginning or the End (on MGM’s wild atomic bomb movie), and The Campaign of the Century (on Upton Sinclair’s left-wing race for governor of California), which was recently picked by the Wall St. Journal as one of five greatest books ever about an election. For nearly all of the 1970s he was the #2 editor at the legendary Crawdaddy. Later he served as longtime editor of Editor & Publisher magazine. He recently co-produced a film about Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and now has written and directed his first feature, Atomic Cover-up, which will have its American premiere at a festival this spring.