babylonsister
babylonsister's JournalEric Boehlert: Fox News "purge" confirms network shouldn't have White House credentials
Fox News "purge" confirms network shouldn’t have White House credentials
Cut them off
Eric Boehlert
1 hr ago
Moving to eliminate any remaining vestiges of a news operation, Rupert Murdoch's Fox network summarily fired two political newsroom veterans this week. The heavy-handed move was seen as punishment for when the channel angered Trump loyalists on Election Night by correctly calling Arizona for Joe Biden.
Out are senior vice president and D.C. managing editor Bill Sammon, and politics editor Chris Stirewalt. The "purge," as network staffers have called it and included nearly 20 digital staffers, represents yet another confirmation that Fox News no longer pretends to be a journalistic outpost. Instead, facing new competition from the extreme far-right, the network eagerly sinks deeper into partisan, conspiratorial propaganda. And that's why the network doesn't deserve to have White House credentials for the new Democratic administration.
It's simple: Fox News isn't a newsgathering organization, therefore it does not need White House access. Giving them prestigious White House press passes just delays the much-needed Beltway discussion about the crooked network and its place in our political culture.
Today, it’s not possible for anyone in the press to make the argument that Fox News is a legitimate outlet. Dripping in demagoguery, the network doesn't even pretend any more. Last year, Shep Smith left when it became clear his 3 p.m. newscast was no longer welcome there. "I stuck with it for as long as I could and at some point I realized I’d reached a point of diminishing returns and I left," he recently said.
"There is a concerted effort to get rid of real journalists," one departed Fox staffer told the Daily Beast, referring to the recent firings. "They laid capable people off who were actual journalists and not blind followers. It’s essentially the final nail in the coffin for digital journalism at Fox.” The week's purge comes as Sean Hannity's former producer, Porter Berry, takes control of running Fox's digital properties.
more...
https://pressrun.media/p/fox-news-purge-means-it-doesnt-deserve
We Have Our Marching Orders By Connie Schultz
We Have Our Marching Orders
By Connie Schultz
January 21, 2021
Finally, we have a new president.
Many of us are feeling a lot of excitement, buttressed by wave after wave of relief. We are a nation of survivors.
On Inauguration Day, I felt hopeful watching Joe Biden and Kamala Harris take their oaths of office. They appeared to understand what we were asking of them and accepted without reservation.
The night before, they stood at the Lincoln Memorial to pay tribute to the 400,000 who have died of COVID-19. In that moment, as 400 lights illuminated the edges of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, my prayer was for those who grieve.
Oh, America. Look what happened to us.
And now, we get to try again.
snip//
Fauci also gave us our marching orders. At the risk of sounding like a high school civics teacher, I'm here to remind you that each of us has a job to do during this pandemic. As Fauci made clear, this country is not going to heal without our help.
"The best-case scenario ... is we'd get 85% of the people vaccinated by the end of the summer. If we do, then by the time we get to the fall, I think we can approach a degree of normality."
Normality. How might you describe that world? I'm thinking of the return of family dinners. Santa in person, instead of via Zoom. Hugs, so many hugs.
more...
https://www.creators.com/read/connie-schultz/01/21/we-have-our-marching-orders
Texas Republican Congressman Tests Positive for COVID-19 Amid Lung Cancer Battle
https://www.thedailybeast.com/texas-congressman-ron-wright-battling-lung-cancer-tests-positive-for-covid-19?ref=homeTexas Republican Congressman Tests Positive for COVID-19 Amid Lung Cancer Battle
YIKES
Arya Hodjat, Cheat Sheet/Breaking News Intern
Updated Jan. 21, 2021 3:21PM ET /
Published Jan. 21, 2021 3:15PM ET
Professionalism Returns to the White House
This more than anything is something I've missed. Adults are stepping up!
https://politicalwire.com/2021/01/21/professionalism-returns-to-the-white-house/
Professionalism Returns to the White House
January 21, 2021 at 9:42 am EST By Taegan Goddard
“There will be plenty who are new to government, but most of them are (judging from what we’ve seen so far) well-credentialed, with the expertise that their jobs demand.”
Lincoln Project Turns Focus to Ted Cruz
https://politicalwire.com/2021/01/21/lincoln-project-turns-focus-to-ted-cruz/Lincoln Project Turns Focus to Ted Cruz
January 21, 2021 at 10:04 am EST By Taegan Goddard
Said Wilson: “We all know Ted Cruz is sort of a political force of nature. He is what he is. You either hate him or you hate him. And he is a guy who went so far over the edge, not just to appease Donald Trump and Trump’s base, but because he felt like Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) had gotten out ahead of him on it.”
International sighs of relief as Biden settles into White House
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/international-sighs-relief-biden-settles-white-house-n1255138International sighs of relief as Biden settles into White House
There were international sighs of relief when Trump lost in the fall. Those sighs were a little louder yesterday as Joe Biden took the oath of office.
Jan. 21, 2021, 9:20 AM EST
By Steve Benen
snip//
Those sighs of relief were a little louder yesterday.
Spain's prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, was more candid than most, declaring, "Five years ago, we thought Trump was a bad joke, but five years later we realized he jeopardized nothing less than the world's most powerful democracy."
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier acknowledged the extent to which he was "greatly relieved," but added a note of caution.
snip//
Biden took several worthwhile steps yesterday to re-engage the world, including embracing the Paris climate accords, ending Trump's Muslim ban, and renewing ties with the World Health Organization.
It was a heartening foundation upon which to build.
Ant Clemons - Better Days (feat. Justin Timberlake) [Performance from the 2021 Inauguration]
Loved this!
Biden inheriting nonexistent coronavirus vaccine distribution plan and must start 'from scratch'
Shameful.
Biden inheriting nonexistent coronavirus vaccine distribution plan and must start 'from scratch,' sources say
By MJ Lee, CNN
Updated 7:00 AM ET, Thu January 21, 2021
(CNN)Newly sworn in President Joe Biden and his advisers are inheriting no coronavirus vaccine distribution plan to speak of from the Trump administration, sources tell CNN, posing a significant challenge for the new White House.
The Biden administration has promised to try to turn the Covid-19 pandemic around and drastically speed up the pace of vaccinating Americans against the virus. But in the immediate hours following Biden being sworn into office on Wednesday, sources with direct knowledge of the new administration's Covid-related work told CNN one of the biggest shocks that the Biden team had to digest during the transition period was what they saw as a complete lack of a vaccine distribution strategy under former President Donald Trump, even weeks after multiple vaccines were approved for use in the United States.
"There is nothing for us to rework. We are going to have to build everything from scratch," one source said.
Another source described the moment that it became clear the Biden administration would have to essentially start from "square one" because there simply was no plan as: "Wow, just further affirmation of complete incompetence."
more...
https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/21/politics/biden-covid-vaccination-trump/index.html
Democrats to Rebuff McConnell's Filibuster Demands
https://politicalwire.com/2021/01/21/democrats-to-rebuff-mcconnells-filibuster-demands/Democrats to Rebuff McConnell’s Filibuster Demands
January 21, 2021 at 8:36 am EST By Taegan Goddard
“McConnell has publicly and privately pressed Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to work to keep the 60-vote threshold on most legislation as part of their power-sharing agreement. Democrats have no plans to gut the filibuster further, but argue it would be a mistake to take one of their tools off the table just as they’re about to govern.”
“Many Democrats argue that having the threat of targeting the filibuster will be key to forcing compromise with reluctant Republicans. They also believe it would show weakness to accede to McConnell’s demand as he’s relegated to minority leader.”
This inaguration concert is awesome!!
So much talent and heart!! I feel like it's a gift.
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