Extra, Extra
Audities and Curiosities: In the media pool where I swim, the top story this week is the decision by the Morning Joe team to meet with Trump at Mar-a-Lago. According to Brian Stelter, one of the reasons they made the pilgrimage was because “Scarborough and Brzezinski were credibly concerned that they could face governmental and legal harassment from the incoming Trump administration.” (If that concern is driving journalistic behavior, it’s a bad sign for the industry and the country.)
+ The Surly Gaetz: “The computer file is said to contain testimony from the woman who said she had sex with Matt Gaetz, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to be attorney general, when she was 17.” Hacker Is Said to Have Gained Access to File With Damaging Testimony About Gaetz. Gaetz will have a hard time being confirmed. The broader question is how many of the other appointees will get pushback from the Senate. Compared to Gaetz’s track record, the fact that Donald Trump’s pick for energy secretary says ‘there is no climate crisis‘ seems like no big deal.
+ Hong Kong Long: “The activists had all taken part in an informal primary poll in 2020, which Hong Kong’s government said was a violation of Beijing’s broad national security law.” A Hong Kong court has sentenced 45 pro-democracy activists to up to a decade behind bars.
+ Silo and Behold “Ukraine has fired US-supplied longer-range missiles at Russian territory for the first time, the Russian government said, a day after Washington gave its permission for such attacks.”
+ Blue Brawls: “Gone are the pink knit caps and homemade signs from the huge protest that convulsed blue America that year, as exhausted liberals seem more inclined to tune out Mr. Trump than fight … As they face this tough political landscape, Democratic officials, activists and ambitious politicians are seeking to build their second wave of opposition to Mr. Trump from the places that they still control: deep-blue states.” NYT (Gift Article): Democrats Draw Up an Entirely New Anti-Trump Battle Plan.
+ Cupboard Half Empty: More New Yorkers are using food pantries than before 2020, including many with jobs. “About 14% of New York City adults and 18% of families with children visited a food pantry last year.” (The economic divide is the everything story.)
+ Fed’s Ex: “I’m not a very superstitious person, but you took it to the next level. Your whole process. All those rituals … Assembling your water bottles like toy soldiers in formation, fixing your hair, adjusting your underwear… All of it with the highest intensity. Secretly, I kind of loved the whole thing. Because it was so unique—it was so you.” As Rafa Nadal plays his last tourney, Federer sends an emotional note from ‘your fan, Roger.’
+ Blue Wave: “A trickle is becoming a flood for Bluesky, the social media company that has seen spectacular growth since the presidential election. On Tuesday, the microblogging platform hit 20 million users, after averaging one million new users per day over the last five days.” It’s still small compared to the giants, but the growth is pretty crazy.
