Friday, July 27, 2018
Headlines for July 27, 2018
Headlines with an * are the ones we managed to fit in in our allotted 11 minutes.
Worst and Most Misleading Headlines (WAMMH) -- July 27, 2018
CANDIDATES FOR “WORST”/”MOST DISGUSTING”:
*MSNBC has done 455 Stormy Daniels segments in the last year — but none on U.S. war in Yemen
https://www.salon.com/2018/07/25/msnbc-has-done-455-stormy-daniels-segments-in-the-last-year-but-none-on-the-war-in-yemen/ (reprinted from FAIR)
A perfect example of “Fake News by Omission” or "Headlines you didn't see". And, to be clear, while other networks may not have had ZERO segments, they certainly had few and far between.
*Another example this week: 215 people killed in Syria by ISIS suicide bombers on Wednesday of this week. Neither BBC World News or ABC Nightly News mentioned it on air.
Before her arrest as an alleged Russian agent, Maria Butina’s proud defense of her homeland drew notice at American University
Accused Russian spy had shirtless Putin photo on phone, college friends say
Because it’s so rare that students or people in general from another country are proud of their home country.
“It wasn’t just the outspoken conservative politics of the auburn-haired Russian woman that drew the attention of other graduate students at American University. There was also her almost zealous embrace of her homeland. Butina’s cellphone case was emblazoned with a famous photograph of Russian President Vladimir Putin riding shirtless on a horse. She would buy friends rounds of vodka at Russia House”
Note that while the Washington Post article correctly identifies Butina as an alleged Russian "agent", many others, like the CBS News headline, refer to her as an accused "spy", which is false (the only charge against her, at least for now, is failure to register under the FARA act).
Note that while the Washington Post article correctly identifies Butina as an alleged Russian "agent", many others, like the CBS News headline, refer to her as an accused "spy", which is false (the only charge against her, at least for now, is failure to register under the FARA act).
Iran has laid groundwork for extensive cyberattacks on U.S., say officials
“Iran has positioned cyber weapons to hit private firms and infrastructure…U.S. officials said Iran is making preparations that would enable denial-of-service attacks against thousands of electric grids, water plants, and health care and technology companies in the U.S., Germany, the U.K. and other countries in Europe and the Middle East.” Denial-of-service attacks prevent people from accessing websites; they don’t affect electrical grids.
Stuxnet is finally mentioned…in paragraph 33, after 32 paragraphs of almost entirely speculative accusations against Iran.
Pompeo to Defend Trump With ‘Proof’ of Administration’s Actions vs. Russia
The Times puts “proof” in quotes although it refers entirely to simple observable facts, all of which have been reported in the Times, e.g., military buildup, demanding NATO military buildup, expulsion of 60 diplomats, sending arms to Ukraine.
U.S. government plays games with top Venezuelan officials
“Games”? They’re trying to overthrow the government. The “game” consisted of trying to put a “snitch jacket” on one of the officials by sanctioning a bunch of top officials EXCEPT him, in order to split the leadership by making them think that one of them is a CIA asset. In other words the same “games” the FBI played with the Black Panthers (just to name one parallel).
CANDIDATES FOR “MOST MISLEADING”:
Democratic Sen. McCaskill confirms Russian hacking attempt
She got a phishing email, which the Daily Beast [!!!] forensically analyzed and determined it came from Russia. Well, that’s what the WaPo says. Read the actual Daily Beast article: https://www.thedailybeast.com/russian-hackers-new-target-a-vulnerable-democratic-senator?ref=home
There is ZERO evidence these phishing emails came from Russia.
CANDIDATES FOR “FUNNIEST”:
*Facebook's Stock In Free Fall Because Everyone Already Uses It
Capitalism 101: expand or die (or at least see your stock decline). FB (& related sites) have 2.5B users out of 4B online.
*Putin gave Trump a soccer ball that may have a transmitter chip
(Also definitely misleading)
OH MY GOD HE’S TAPING THE PRESIDENT
Here’s what it actually is, by the way: https://www.soccerbible.com/performance/football-equipment/2017/how-does-the-2018-adidas-telstar-nfc-ball-work/
What the chip (which is in every Adidas World Cup ball) is is an NFC (Near Field Communications) chip, just like in newer model cellphones which let you use ApplePay or GooglePay and touch your cell phone against something on the counter to pay for your meal. The range of this transmitter (which cannot transmit anything until it is nearby another one) is about two inches! Also it doesn't COLLECT any data at all, it's entirely passive and transmits only what is already inside it (information about Adidas, basically).
*Betsy DeVos’ $40 million family yacht untied, causing $10,000 in damages
Someone untied it! I love them so much!
But don’t worry… “The SeaQuest is one of at least 10 boats owned by the DeVos family, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of the family's wealth. It can accommodate 12 guests and 12 crew members, according to the SuperYachtFan website. The DeVos clan also owns at least four planes and two helicopters, the Journal reports.”
Roseanne Barr on her Valerie Jarrett tweet: ‘I was so sad that people thought it was racist’
“muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj”. Her defense: she didn’t know Jarrett was Black, she thought she was Middle Eastern.
Friday, July 20, 2018
Headlines for July 20, 2018
Headlines with an * are the ones we managed to fit in in our allotted 11 minutes.
Worst and Most Misleading Headlines (WAMMH) -- July 20, 2018
CANDIDATES FOR “WORST”/”MOST DISGUSTING”:
*U.S.-Led Coalition or Partners May Have Hit Syrian Area: Spokesman
US admits it "may have" conducted strikes in an area (Al Soussa) where, as the article puts it, dozens of "people" were killed in Syria. Note the headline doesn't even mention dead, just a Syrian "area". Meanwhile Newsweek was the only US media outlet to report the FULL story (BBC also did, but not CNN), which comes from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the major source for all Syrian casualty news, but apparently only when it comes to reporting those killed by the Syrian government. They report at least 54 killed including 28 civilians (more than half of the dead, even assuming the rest were indeed ISIS as alleged).
Checked back later in the week, nothing further in the Times and nothing whatsoever, in the Washington Post or CNN. #FakeNewsByOmission
Checked back later in the week, nothing further in the Times and nothing whatsoever, in the Washington Post or CNN. #FakeNewsByOmission
Burberry burns bags, clothes and perfume worth millions
#ThisIsCapitalism Burberry, the upmarket British fashion label, destroyed unsold clothes, accessories and perfume worth £28.6m last year to protect its brand. It takes the total value of goods it has destroyed over the past five years to more than £90m.
CANDIDATES FOR “MOST MISLEADING”:
*Senate votes unanimously against turning US officials over to Russia
*Former diplomat offered as barter
Establishment losing their minds over Michael Faul, talking about "turning him over to Russia" when the proposal is to have him (and Browder) questioned IN THE US by US officials with Russians present.
Officials: Russian firm used in Maryland voting systems
This is insane. ByteGrid is a thoroughly American company; there isn’t a single Russian involved in its operation. “A vendor that provides key services for Maryland elections has been acquired by a parent company with links to a Russian oligarch.” Or “The vendor, ByteGrid LLC, was purchased by a Russian investor in 2015 without knowledge of Maryland state officials.” Which is it?
Russian bots are using #WalkAway to try to wound Dems in midterms
But even Hamilton 68 says "The #walkaway movement, a campaign highlighting alleged discord among the left, got a boost this week from accounts linked to Russian influence operations." Not Russian "bots", but "accounts linked to Russian influence operations", accounts which are never disclosed.
And the data. #Walkaway was indeed the second most common hashtag they tracked, after #Brexit. Quantity? 114 in 48 hours, or 57 times a day. Among 600 accounts. So 1/10th of the accounts they are tracking used that hashtag once a day for the last two days. Wow, that’s some powerful “influence operation”. By the way two days prior, the second most “trending hashtag” among these same 600 accounts was #TreasonSummit. Is that really a hashtag “Russian bots” wanted to spread?
And the data. #Walkaway was indeed the second most common hashtag they tracked, after #Brexit. Quantity? 114 in 48 hours, or 57 times a day. Among 600 accounts. So 1/10th of the accounts they are tracking used that hashtag once a day for the last two days. Wow, that’s some powerful “influence operation”. By the way two days prior, the second most “trending hashtag” among these same 600 accounts was #TreasonSummit. Is that really a hashtag “Russian bots” wanted to spread?
Israel in turmoil over bill allowing Jews and Arabs to be segregated
The “turmoil” seems to be not the segregation itself, but that some people are worried that this reveal the true face of Israel a little too openly. The idea that segregation doesn’t already exist in abundance is simply preposterous, and not just the West Bank settlements either. Hebron, for example, is a perfect example, but there are hundreds of others.
Russia not attacking midterms on same 'scale or scope' as in 2016, Nielsen says
By that she means, not at all. There isn’t a shred of evidence for something she and many others have either been predicting or claiming was already (E.g., Dan Coats) happening for months now. Not a shred.
CANDIDATES FOR “FUNNIEST”:
*People are donating money to Kylie Jenner to help her become the world's youngest female billionaire
GoFundMe description: “This is heartbreaking. I don't want to live in a world where Kylie Jenner doesn't have a billion dollars. We must raise 100 million dollars to help her get to a billion, please spread the word, this is extremely important."
This is a spoof (although real) (or a scam, no indication of where the money goes) but some are donating $ (not including “Fat Jew” who started the campaign!) Total raised so far? $2271! A little bit short of the $100 million she needs.
Actually a classic capitalist story worth telling: “Jenner, 20, the youngest member of the Kardashian-Jenner American reality TV family, is the founder and sole owner of Kylie Cosmetics, the makeup company she runs largely from her black iPhone X, with the help of her mother Kris. Employing just seven full-time staff.
The business is almost totally outsourced. Jenner does not directly make her products, nor does she sell them. Jenner also does not have to worry much about the business’s finances or the day-to-day management of her 12 staff (seven full-time, five part-time). Those matters are outsourced to her mom or “momager” Kris Jenner, who manages all her children’s financial operations – in return for a 10% cut.
*Employers will do almost anything to find workers to fill jobs — except pay them more
From a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter with a regular column in the LA Times: “Of all the addictions that undermine stability in communities and society at large, surely one of the worst and most persistent is the addiction of corporate managements to pleasing their shareholders.
Billions of dollars are funneled to owners of capital in the form of dividends and stock buybacks, while laborers go begging for even the measliest wage increases.”
Billions of dollars are funneled to owners of capital in the form of dividends and stock buybacks, while laborers go begging for even the measliest wage increases.”
Friday, July 13, 2018
Headlines for July 13, 2018
Headlines with an * are the ones we managed to fit in in our allotted 11 minutes.
Worst and Most Misleading Headlines (WAMMH) -- July 13, 2018
CANDIDATES FOR “WORST”/”MOST DISGUSTING”:
*Germany Imports Gas From Russia. But Is It a ‘Captive’?
Really, NYT? You’re going to treat this absurd statement by Trump seriously?
Senators criticized for spending July 4 in Russia
Another case of “oh no, peace might break out”. It is, of course, ironic that it is now Republicans working for peace with Russia, even if it is undoubtedly partisan and not principled.
*Mexico's AMLO Ditches Bodyguards to Foster Man-of-People Image
Maybe it’s not an “image”, maybe it’s actually reality. Media is so used to politicians cultivating an “image” they can’t conceive of anything else.
Madeleine Albright: ‘The things that are happening are genuinely, seriously bad’
Says the woman who said the deaths of 500,000 children was “worth it”.
‘It’s a Terrible Vote’: Red-State Democrats Face an Agonizing Supreme Court Choice
Why? “if their votes put the president’s choice on the court, it could hasten the move to the left by the party’s aggressive activist core”
CANDIDATES FOR “MOST MISLEADING”:
*What might a socialist American government do?
And who’s going to tell us? An actual socialist? No, Conservative George Will, who seems to think socialism is a combination of social democracy with all the worst features of American government. He doesn’t seem to understand that a government free of corporate influence on its decisions will make very different decisions.
From drag artists to dreamers, meet UK’s coalition of anti-Trump protest
Decent article, but the headline is clearly written to sensationalize and trivialize. Zero mention of groups like labor unions, Momentum or SWP who will undoubtedly be organizing the vast majority of the 50,000 expected, just Vegans against Trump and Trumpeters against Trump.
CANDIDATES FOR “FUNNIEST”:
*U.S. State Department calls out Russia on "eroding press freedoms"
Why? Because Russia fined RFE/RL for not registering under its FARA act!
*I don’t know Kavanaugh the judge. But Kavanaugh the carpool dad is one great guy.
Well, I’m sold.
*Pompeo Sharpens Tone on North Korea: ‘The World Is a Gangster’
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo shot back at North Korean officials for characterizing American diplomatic behavior as gangster-like, saying on Sunday that if that were true, then “the world is a gangster”. Actually he's correct, if he's using "world" in the same sense that American media and politicians use the phrase "world opinion", which actually means "the opinion of the governments of the imperialist countries". So yes, that world is a "gangster", no question.
Friday, July 06, 2018
Headlines for July 6, 2018
Worst and Most Misleading Headlines (WAMMH) -- July 6, 2018
CANDIDATES FOR “WORST”/”MOST DISGUSTING”:
We already gave Syria to Putin, so what’s left for Trump to say?
A Dennis Ross op-ed, the latest chapter that started with the “Who lost China” saga 70 years ago. Doesn’t get any grosser. Syria is not “ours” to give, and, in addition, we gave it not to “Russia” but to “Putin”. Really? It’s now his personal property? And interestingly, the original headline read “Both Obama and Trump let Putin have his way in Syria. Now what?” Did some editor change it to avoid blaming Obama and focus only on Trump?
Bay Area residents arrested while bringing toys to migrant children
Not the worst headline, but definitely in the running for most disgusting story
CANDIDATES FOR “MOST MISLEADING”:
Theories Abound in New Novichok Poisoning in U.K.
Except any theory that doesn’t blame Russia is dismissed as “Russian propaganda”.
North Korea working to conceal key aspects of its nuclear program, U.S. officials say
But in my local paper, the San José Mercury News, it becomes a simple statement of fact:
North Korea plotting to keep arsenal
North Korea reportedly ramps up nuke production at secret sites
To begin with, the claim is of ramped up enriched uranium production, not “nuke” production. And of course the entire article is based on claims by anonymous “officials” and alleged “assessments” by US intelligence agencies (more than one?). The Deep State strikes back.
As Bolton Says North Korea Could Disarm in a Year, Reality Lags Promises
There were no “promises” made by the DPRK in Singapore. There was a commitment to a process that would lead to concrete steps on BOTH sides. The US press acts as if the DPRK agreed to unilaterally denuclearize or even “disarm”. They didn’t.
The many problems with Trump’s reported idea of invading Venezuela
Guess what problem ISN’T included? Violating international law and being charged with a war crime.
Trump and Mexico’s New Leader, Both Headstrong, Begin With a ‘Good Conversation’
Who says so? Trump. But the Times will put the claim in a headline without proof, despite Trump’s record for bullshit. Also again we have the “Lopez Obrador is similar to Trump” meme which has been widely repeated in the media, rather than the more accurate AMLO is like Sanders or Corbyn.
Is This the Year Women Break the Rules and Win?
Subhead: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s victory may be more one-off than wave, but her stunning win has raised hopes for other female candidates.
Subhead: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s victory may be more one-off than wave, but her stunning win has raised hopes for other female candidates.
So what the Times got out of her win wasn’t that she was a Democratic Socialist, but that she’s a woman.
CANDIDATES FOR “FUNNIEST”:
Elon Musk Is Involved in a Copyright Argument Over a Farting Unicorn
Do I need to say anything more? Well, yes…
Trump Has a Bill That Would Blow Up the WTO. It’s Called the U.S. FART Act.
Even “the Mooch” thinks it stinks!
Trump compares border enforcement to keeping people off 'your front lawn'
Trump has now turned into Clint Eastwood as Walt Kowalski in Gran Torino. “You kids get off my lawn”
College grads less likely to be proud to be American
The Washington Examiner definitely doesn't think this is funny, but it definitely brings a smile to our face.
Stamp-Sized Mistake Costs Postal Service $3.5 Million
For years, a U.S. Postal Service stamp mistakenly bore the image of a Lady Liberty replica. That statue welcomes visitors to the New York-New York Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, and between 2010 and 2014, it earned the postal service over $70 million in profits. Last week, Las Vegas sculptor Robert Davidson was awarded $3.5 million from the postal service in a lawsuit.
Trump wants to Finlandize the United States
Start of the article (a Max Boot column): “Finlandization. Noun. The process whereby a country is induced to favor, or refrain from opposing, the interests of a more powerful country, despite not being politically allied to it.” Soooo…huh?
Al Shabaab bans single use plastic bags because of 'threat to people and livestock'
#NotTheOnion
So Al Shabaab is now officially more environmentally friendly than the US government.
