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Another travel day today but here we go:
We covered yesterday the current CBS scandal, after Bari Weiss pulled a “6o Minutes” segment on CECOT torture etc. at the last minute largely because there wasn’t enough appearances by Stephen Miller and Kristi Noem. But, big whoopsie, it turns out the program had already been sent to some outlets in Canada, which aired it, and some eagle-eyed viewers taped it off the TV. A full and clear version here at the Internet Archive.
Heather Cox Richardson:
Legal analyst Asha Rangappa watched it and explained that it “debunks the fundamental claim used by [the] Trump admin[istration] that the detainees it sent there are ‘terrorists’ and corroborates torture using clips from El Salvadorean influencers Bukele uses internally. Would be a shock to low information voters, probably.” Journalist Parker Molloy, who covers the media and culture, observed: “People are going to get to see a totally normal news piece that clearly isn’t biased against Trump and think, ‘She was afraid that THIS would upset the administration??’”
Some quips online:
George Conway: “This could wind up being the most-watched newsmagazine segment in television history!! Congratulations to the Ellisons and Bari Weiss!!!”
Lucian Truscott IV: “Bari Weiss is the Pete Hegseth of journalism.”
Dennis Goris:
Steve Brodner:
Not sure if this will hold up, but you will no doubt see this today as it is being widely posted (and covered by CNN and so on) that the DOJ released then retracted an alleged letter allegedly written by Jeffrey Epstein in prison to fellow notorious sex beast Larry Nassar which includes this sickening, maybe not real, but quite believable (which says something right there) passage:
Our president shares our love of young, nubile girls. When a young beauty walked by he loved to "grab snatch," whereas we ended up snatching grub in the mess halls of the system. Life is unfair.
In any case, the NY Times reports this morning on the many docs the DOJ squeezed out last night: “The documents contained hundreds of references to President Trump, who was a friend of Mr. Epstein’s before they had a falling out, a New York Times search found.”
Meanwhile, Trumpy’s approval rating in new Gallup still plunging:
Christmas Songs #3More picks from our readers’ selections of favorite holiday tunes. Several folks picked The Pogues’ classic “Fairytale of New York,” but there are many fun versions. On her live stream this past Sunday, Brandi Carlile produced a lively one at home with longtime band members and guests:
One of my favorite versions, oddly, comes from The Pogues’ Shane MacGowan’s funeral, with Glen Hansard and members of The Chieftains leading the way, and I believe Shane’s widow dancing at the end.
A couple of readers picked Chris Rea’s “Driving Home for Christmas,” also from awhile back, and now comes word that Chris has died at 74 this week.
Of course, it can’t be Christmas without Robert Earl Keen.
From Tunes to ToonsAnn Telnaes:
Matt Wuerker:
Bramhall:
Photo Finish“After the Late Autumn Snow”
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