'The Stringer' leads nominees for Outstanding Investigative Documentary at the News & Doc Emmy Awards for Flashback Friday

Happy Flashback Friday! I'm returning to the News & Doc Emmy Awards with the nominees for Outstanding Investigative Documentary, which The Stringer leads with four nominations, followed by Cover-Up and Syria's Detainee Files tied at two nominations, then Critical Incident: A Death at the Border and Predators tied at one nomination. I'm linking to the trailers in this order, beginning with The Stringer: The Man Who Took The Photo | Official Trailer | Netflix.

A former Saigon photo editor reveals a secret he’s been plagued with for 52 years, setting off a gripping two-year investigation into the truth behind one of the Vietnam War’s most iconic photographs. Acclaimed conflict photographer Gary Knight and a small team of journalists embark on a relentless search to locate and seek justice for a man known only as “the stringer.”

Unfortunately, this trailer is age-restricted and has to be viewed on YouTube or Netflix itself because of nudity — yes, it's that photo!

The Stringer's other nominations are in Outstanding Writing: Documentary, Outstanding Research: Documentary, and Outstanding Direction: Documentary. The number of nominations along with its Vietnam War and journalism subject matter would normally make this my favorite for this category, but this is a tougher category than the numbers alone suggest.

Next, Cover-Up | Official Trailer | Netflix.

Cover-Up is a political thriller that traces the explosive career of Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter Seymour Hersh. Urgent and deeply reported, Cover-Up is both a portrait of a relentless journalist and an indictment of institutional violence — revealing a cycle of impunity in the U.S. military and intelligence agencies. Drawing on exclusive access to Hersh’s notes, and interweaving primary documents and archival footage, Cover-Up captures the power and process of investigative journalism.

I'm repeating what I wrote about in 'Songs from the Hole' leads arts and culture documentaries at the News & Doc Emmy Awards.

The voters here are mostly journalists and this is a story about journalism. A lot of them are also based in New York. As I'm fond of writing about awards shows, electorates matter.

Both Cover-Up and The Stinger are documentaries about journalism, so this statement applies to both of them. Also lot of the voters not in New York are based in Washington, D.C. Cover-Up would appeal to them.

In case Cover-Up looks familiar, it was a nominee for Best Documentary at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards where its other nomination was for Best Historical Documentary. Here, its other nomination is for Outstanding Editing: Documentary.

In lieu of an actual trailer for Syria's Detainee Files, I'm embedding 'I’d Scream Louder': After Assad’s Fall, Brothers Return to Saydnaya Prison | FRONTLINE (PBS).

Bashar al-Assad’s regime detained over a million people during the Syrian war. Saydnaya was the regime’s most notorious prison. In this video drawn from the documentary "Syria’s Detainee Files," brothers who were held at Saydnaya describe their experience – and so does a former guard who admits to torturing people there.

Harrowing. Its second nomination is for Outstanding Research: Documentary, where it's competing against The Stringer.

Now for the documentaries with just this one nomination. Watch Critical Incident: Death at the Border | Official Trailer | HBO.

HBO Original Documentary #CriticalIncident: Death At The Border revisits a 2010 case that still resonates today. Premieres December 29 on @hbomax.

This barely made the eligibility deadline. Didn't seem to hurt its chances. Of course, it's another nominee that features a journalist, so it appeals to the News & Doc electorate. It's also timely again because of Trump's immigration crackdown.

The final trailer is ‘Predators' – Trailer (MTV Documentary Films).

To Catch a Predator lured sex offenders to a film set where they were interviewed and arrested while cameras rolled. PREDATORS is a chilling, surprising exploration of the show, and the world it helped create.

This could just as easily have been a nominee for crime and justice or arts and culture as it explores the boundaries among journalism, activism, and sensationalist entertainment. In any event, it's another product of MTV Documentary Films, which I've praised in the past. I can't count it out.

Now for the other categories where The Stringer, Cover-Up, and Syria's Detainee Files earned nominations.

Outstanding Research: Documentary
The American Revolution
Florentine Films | PBS [WETA-TV]
Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time
Lightbox [Proximity Media | National Geographic]
Oklahoma City Bombing: One Day in America
72 Films [National Geographic]
The Strike
UPHSF LLC
The Stringer
Netflix [LinLay Productions | Netflix | VII Foundation | XRM Media]
Syria’s Detainee Files
FRONTLINE | PBS [BBC]
Turning Point: The Vietnam War
Netflix [Luminant Media | Netflix]
The White House Effect
Actual Films | Netflix [Netflix | The Department of Motion Pictures]

Turning Point: The Vietnam War leads this category with five nominations, followed by Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time and The Stringer tied at four, then The Strike with three, Syria's Detainee Files and The White House Effect tied with two, then The American Revolution tied with Oklahoma City Bombing: One Day in America at just this one. That there are so many nominees indicates that this is a very competitive category, so I won't designate a favorite right now. Just the same, I'm noting that The American Revolution earning just this one nomination here suggests to me that it's eligible for the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, so I expect it to be nominated there, too. That happened for The U.S. and the Holocaust, so I've seen it happen before.

Next, two categories I covered in 'Katrina: Come Hell and High Water' leads social issue documentaries at the News & Doc Emmy Awards for Flashback Friday, beginning with another of The Stringer's nominations.

I return to 'Sally' leads Science and Technology Documentaries at the News & Doc Emmy Awards for Katrina: Come Hell and High Water's third nomination.

Sally should just be happy to be nominated in this category. 2000 Meters to Andriivka has six nominations, including Best Documentary. Life After has four, also including Best Documentary, as does The Stringer. Katrina: Come Hell and High Water and Vietnam: The War That Changed America both tied Sally with three. Apocalypse in the Tropics and Music Box: It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley have just this one. Out of this field, 2000 Meters to Andriivka is my provisional favorite.

I still think so.

Seeing Music Box: It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley reminds me that it was nominated for Best Music Documentary at the 2025 Critics Choice Documentary Awards. I was disappointed that it failed to earn either an Oscar or GRAMMY nomination, so I'm glad it earned an Emmy nomination, even if I'm very sure it won't win.

Now for Cover-Up's second nomination.

Outstanding Editing: Documentary
Cover-Up
Netflix [Plan B | Netflix | Praxis Films]
Folktales
Loki Films [Fifth Season | Impact Partners | Topic Studios]
Katrina: Come Hell and High Water
Netflix [Netflix | Message Pictures]
Life After
Multitude Films | PBS [ITVS]
Love + War
Little Monster Films [National Geographic]
2000 Meters to Andriivka
FRONTLINE FEATURES | PBS [Associated Press]
Thoughts & Prayers
HBO Documentary Films [Tony Tina]
The White House Effect
Actual Films | Netflix [Netflix | The Department of Motion Pictures]

I think 2000 Meters to Andriivka is the favorite, if only because it's the only nominee also nominated for Best Editing at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards and I suspect 2000 Meters to Andriivka might sweep its categories.

I'm returning to 'Songs from the Hole' leads arts and culture documentaries at the News & Doc Emmy Awards, itself recycled from 'Underdogs' earns four News & Doc Emmy Award nominations, for The Stringer's final nomination.

Outstanding Writing: Documentary
Bring Them Home / Aiskótáhkapiyaaya
Thunderheart Films [WETA-TV]
2000 Meters to Andriivka
FRONTLINE FEATURES | PBS [Associated Press]
Songs From the Hole
Netflix [Cocomotion Pictures | Question Culture | Impact Partners | Artemis Rising Foundation | Netflix]
The Stringer
Netflix [A Netflix Documentary | An XRM MEDIA | VII FOUNDATION Production | LinLay Productions]
Underdogs
Wildstar Films [Maximum Effort | National Geographic]

The trailer alone demonstrated that Underdogs deserved this nomination. Unfortunately, I doubt it will win this award. It's competing against 2000 Meters to Andriivka with six nominations including Best Documentary, Songs from the Hole with four nominations including Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary, and The Stringer, also with four nominations including Outstanding Investigative Documentary. I expect grit will win over wit.

Songs from the Hole has plenty of grit, but it is facing stiff competition from 2000 Meters to Andriivka, The Stringer, and Underdogs. It might lose to one of the first two.

I still think so.

Follow over the jump for the last three most read posts about the Emmy Awards during the 15th year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News.

'Russia’s private military force, explained' by Vox for the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine

I closed Biden visits Ukraine on Presidents Day with "The first anniversary of Putin's war on Ukraine beginning is this Friday and I might have more to say about it then." Vox did the work for me by uploading Russia’s private military force, explained last week.

Inside the Wagner Group’s playbook.
...
On January 10, 2023, the Ukrainian town of Soledar was reportedly captured. But it wasn’t captured by the Russian army under Vladimir Putin’s command. The announcement came from a relatively unknown man, Yevgeny Prigozhin, who said his troops now controlled the town. The troops are part of the Wagner Group, a private army that has become a prominent force alongside Russian troops in the war against Ukraine.

But they aren’t new. They've been secretly fighting for Russia around the world since 2014. In this video, we take a look at their playbook and examine the three main steps they use to spread Russian influence around the world in brutal ways. We also look at how they’ve transformed from a ghost army to a recognizable private military group with insignias and an online brand, changing the nature of this secret group and its role in the world.

Wagner Group's "Little Green Men" aren't just fighting for Russian interests in Ukraine. They're also in Syria, Mali, and Sudan, a Russian proxy presence on three continents. Wagner Group's mining operations are also all over Africa. Now I'm wondering what the Chinese think of this.

I'm sure I'll be writing more about the war in Ukraine. Stay tuned.

Tyler Perry accepts the Governors Award at the 2020 Emmy Awards for Black History Month

I finished Celebrate Dave Chappelle's 3 Emmy Awards for 'Sticks & Stones' by telling my readers to "stay tuned for at least one more entry in this series." For the final installment recognizing Emmy winners of color for Black History Month, I'm sharing 72nd Emmy Awards: Governors Award from the Television Academy.



Tyler Perry wins the 2020 Governors Award.
Congratulations to Tyler Perry for all his accomplishments. I found both his introductions and his acceptance speech inspiring and the perfect video to close out this series. That written, I recognized Emmy winners of color last year, beginning with 'The Last Dance' and 'The Apollo' showcase diversity in documentaries at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards. Follow over the jump to read my being a good environmentalist and recycling my comments about "The Apollo."

'The Cave,' 'Apollo 11,' and 'American Factory' — winning documentaries at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards examined politics and government

After writing about Sandy Hook Promise and Discovery Channel's Shark Week winning Emmy Awards for commercials, it's time to move on to winners for more substantial efforts, documentary features. To that end, it's time to look at the winners out of the films and categories I covered last month in 'The Cave' vs. 'American Factory' — Oscar nominees and other documentaries at the Emmy Awards.

While I featured "The Cave" and "American Factory" in the title of the nominees post because the first was nominated for an Oscar and the second won one, it was one of the other documentaries, "Apollo 11," that won the most Emmy Awards of the nominated documentaries, three, while "The Cave" earned two and "American Factory" took home only one. That written, I begin with "The Cave" because it won the most prestigious category for a documentary at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking.

Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking

The Cave (National Geographic Channel)
Chasing the Moon (American Experience) (PBS)
Moonlight Sonata: Deafness in Three Movements (HBO)
One Child Nation (PBS)

If I handicapped this category purely on the number of nominations, I'd pick "The Cave" with its four nominations while all the others only have one. In addition, it's the only Oscar nominee in the category. However, electorates matter and the Emmy electorate is not the Oscar electorate. "Icarus" won the Academy Award but did not win any of its categories at the Emmys two years ago and Oscar winner "American Factory" did not even earn a nomination in this category. As for the film that could upset "The Cave," I'd pick "One Child Nation," which was the most nominated documentary at the Critics' Choice Awards, even though it didn't win a single category. After all, I did write "I think it will have better luck at the Emmy Awards next year." This is its one chance to prove me right.

Now the announcement of the winner for Merit in Documentary Filmmaking from the Television Academy.

The team from The Cave wins the Emmy for Outstanding Merit in Documentary Filmmaking.

Handicapping on the numbers worked, as "The Cave" won. It also won the next award.

Outstanding Cinematography for Nonfiction Programming

American Factory - Aubrey Keith, Erick Stoll (Netflix)
Apollo 11 - Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins (CNN)
Becoming - Nadia Hallgren (Netflix)
The Cave - Muhammed Khair Al Shami, Ammar Sulaiman, Mohammad Eyad (National Geographic)
Sea of Shadows - Richard Ladkani (National Geographic)
Serengeti - Richard Jones, Michael W. Richards, Warren Samuels, Matthew Goodman (Episode: "Rebirth") (Discovery Channel)

This is one of two categories that have three of the top documentaries, four if one counts "Becoming," competing against each other, so the competition is stiff. On the basis of number of nominations, I'd pick "Apollo 11," but it's up against "The Cave" and "American Factory," which are shot by professionals, while Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, while legendary astronauts and American heroes, are essentially amateur cameramen. The Emmy electorate might prefer the professionals, which give nature documentaries "Sea of Shadows" and "Serengeti" a chance.

And now, the video of the announcement, 2020 Creative Arts Emmys: Cinematography for a Non-Fiction Program.

The team from The Cave wins the Emmy for Outstanding Cinematography for a Non-Fiction Program.

I was right that it went to professionals instead of amateurs. Congratulations to the crew of "The Cave" for winning two Emmy Awards. You deserve it, especially after beating Oscar winner "American Factory."

"American Factory" did not leave empty-handed, as it won the next award.

Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program

Steven Bognar & Julia Reichert, American Factory (Netflix)
Todd Douglas Miller, Apollo 11 (CNN)
Nadia Hallgren, Becoming (Netflix)
Feras Fayyad, The Cave (National Geographic Channel)
Jason Hehir, The Last Dance (Episode: "Episode 7") (ESPN)
Eric Goode & Rebecca Chaiklin, Tiger King (Episode: "Cult of Personality") (Netflix)

This is one tough category for "Tiger King" and "The Last Dance," as both series are up against not only the Oscar nominated "The Cave," but also Critics' Choice Documentary Award and Golden Coffee Cup Movie winner "Apollo 11" and Oscar winner "American Factory." Even "Becoming" about former First Lady Michelle Obama is a serious contender, as it earned a total of four nominations including Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special, directing, and two others. No wonder "McMillion$" didn't make the cut! As for which show will win, I would bet on "American Factory," the Oscar recipient.

I was right! "American Factory" won this category! Unfortunately, the Television Academy did not upload a video. To make up for it, here is "American Factory" wins Best Documentary Feature at the Academy Awards.

Mark Ruffalo presents Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert and Jeff Reichert with the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature for "American Factory" at the 92nd Oscars in 2020.

Better late than never, as I never did recap the Oscar winners, just the nominees. Tsk, tsk, shame on me. Here's to a belated congratulations to "American Factory" for both the Oscar and the Emmy.

Follow over the jump for the three Emmy Awards won by "Apollo 11."

'Cries from Syria' versus 'The Wounds of War' plus other News and Documentary Emmy nominees about the Syrian Civil War

I observed that "Mass shootings, hurricanes, and Syria dominated the news last year, so it's no surprise they dominate the nominations and I plan on writing about all the nominees about them."   I've written about nominees covering hurricanes and mass shootings, so after taking a break from the News and Documentary Emmy nominees, to celebrate National Coffee Day and Wester, it's time to return to the News and Documentary Emmy Awards and examine the 11 nominees with 17 nominations among them that reported on the Syrian Civil War.*

Syria has been such a dominant story that I have mentioned at least one nominee covering it in every entry about the News and Documentary Emmy Award nominees so far, beginning with Putin and Trump-Russia at the Emmy Awards.  There, I noted that "'The Wounds of War' and 'Cries from Syria' are probably the toughest competition, as both have four nominations each, tied for the most nominations for any single entry with 'Charlottesville: Race and Terror' by Vice News Tonight."  Since my preference is to work my way down from the nominees with the most nominations, I am beginning today's examination with "Cries from Syria," breaking the tie because the list of nominees mentions it first.

I'm an environmentalist, so I begin by recycling what I already wrote about "Cries from Syria," starting with this passage from a review in  The Hollywood Reporter that I quoted in The most honored political documentaries of 2017 examine crime, injustice, and the Syrian Civil War.

No less than three documentaries about Syria premiered in Sundance this year. Director Matthew Heineman’s City of Ghosts looked at the citizen journalists reporting from Raqqa, the de facto capital of ISIS in Syria. Last Men in Aleppo, from Feras Fayyad, looked at the so-called White Helmets in Aleppo, a group that goes in after every air raid in the Syrian city under siege to help save victims from the rubble. Both documentaries had a rather narrow focus that allowed them to explore the human impact and dimensions of a small part of the conflict.

Evgeny Afineevsky, who directed Cries From Syria, does the opposite, packing an overview of the entire six years of the complex conflict into a film of just under two hours in an approach that’s strongly reminiscent of his Oscar- and Emmy-nominated film Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom. Essentially a primer for those who haven’t watched or read the news from a reputable source since 2011, this compact and more than occasionally gruesome item is especially strong for its first three chapters, before it tackles the Syrian refugee crisis in too superficial and sentimental a manner.

That review calls for the movie's trailer from HBO Documentary Films.


I can see why it was the fourth most honored documentary of 2017 as of the end of last year, tied with "Chasing Coral."  The trailer alone shows a well-made and gripping film.

I already looked at its competition for Outstanding Current Affairs Documentary in 'Abacus,' 'Edith and Eddie,' 'Heroin(e),' and 'Last Men in Aleppo' — Oscar nominees at the 2018 News and Documentary Emmy Awards.

Joining "Last Men in Aleppo" as nominees for Outstanding Current Affairs Documentary are "Beware the Slenderman" and "Cries From Syria" from HBO, "National Bird" from "Independent Lens" on PBS, and fellow "POV" on PBS candidate "Almost Sunrise."  "Cries from Syria" also earned nominations for Outstanding Writing, Outstanding Research, and Outstanding Music & Sound, so it has a better chance of winning a statuette than "Last Men in Aleppo."

Four of the five nominees in this category have a direct or indirect relationship to the Syrian Civil War, with both "Cries from Syria" and "Last Men in Aleppo" being about the conflict itself, while "National Bird" examines U.S. drone warfare, some of which takes place in Syria as part of the fight against ISIS/Daesh, and the effect it has had on the veterans who have waged it.  "Almost Sunrise" looks at the issue even more indirectly, as described in IMDB.

The epic journey of two friends, ex-soldiers, who battle the moral injuries of war, and the temptation to escape through suicide, as they walk across America. Step by step, Tom Voss and Anthony Anderson confront the demons that haunt them, while discovering the power of community and spirituality to heal them.

"Almost Sunrise" even more directly examines the suffering of veterans.

The odd film out is "Beware the Slenderman," which is about the horror figure from urban legend.  I might look at that for Halloween.  Right now, there is enough real-life horror to write about.

Speaking of which, it's time to continue being a good environmentalist and recycle what I wrote about the nominees for Outstanding Writing: "'Putin's Revenge' faces a less tough field for Outstanding Writing, 'Alma' and 'The Wounds of War' from 60 Minutes, fellow 'Frontline' episode 'The Divided States of America,' and 'Cries from Syria'..."  Outstanding Writing may be a less tough field than Best Documentary, for which "Putin's Revenge" is also nominated, but both "Cries from Syria" and "The Wounds of War" have four nominations at these awards and I think one of them may have a better chance than "Putin's Revenge."

"Cries from Syria" and "The Wounds of War" are also in direct competition for Outstanding Research along with "Let It Fall: Los Angeles: 1982-1992," also nominated for Outstanding Historical Documentary, "Frontline" episode "Iraq Uncovered," also nominated for Outstanding Investigative Documentary, and "The Vietnam War: A Film by Ken Burns & Lynn Novick," also nominated for Outstanding Promotional Announcement as well as being a four-time nominee at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, making it the only program nominated at both editions of the Emmy Awards for which it was eligible.  My intuition tells me that "The Vietnam War" has the inside track for this award simply because of Ken Burns' history, pun intended.

The final category for which "Cries from Syria" earned a nomination is Outstanding Music & Sound, which I already wrote about in 'Chasing Coral' versus 'Yosemite' — two nominees for Outstanding Nature Documentary both examine climate change.  Time to recycle!

For their third nominated category, both "Chasing Coral" and "Yosemite" are competing for Outstanding Music & Sound along with the HBO Documentary Films "Cries From Syria" and "The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble" and the "Independent Lens" episode "Tower."  The most formidable overall are "Cries from Syria," which also has nominations for Outstanding Current Affairs Documentary, Outstanding Writing, and Outstanding Research, and "Tower," about the first mass school shooting in U.S. history at the University of Texas, which earned a nomination for Outstanding Historical Documentary as well...However, I suspect "The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble" might be the fiercest competitor for Outstanding Music & Sound; it also earned nominations for Outstanding Arts & Culture Documentary and Outstanding Editing: Documentary.

Since I've already examined two of the categories in which "60 Minutes" has been nominated for "The Wounds of War," it's time to look at the rest, beginning with Outstanding Video Journalism: News, which I covered in 'Charlottesville: Race and Terror' tied for most nominations at the News and Documentary Emmy Awards.

"Charlottesville: Race and Terror" finally runs into one of the other entries with four nominations in the field for Outstanding Video Journalism: News, where it is competing against "60 Minutes: The Wounds of War," which is about the Syrian Civil War.  That makes for an intriguing match-up.  The other nominees in this category include "BBC World News America: Fight For Raqqa – Darren Conway," CNN's "Global Warning: Arctic Melt," and "Vox Borders," none of which have other nominations.  Yeah, I think this contest is between Charlottesville and Syria.

"BBC World News America: Fight For Raqqa – Darren Conway" is the other nominee about the Syrian Civil War, but I would be surprised if it won.

The final category for which "The Wounds of War" earned a nomination is Best Story in a Newsmagazine, where it is competing against fellow "60 Minutes" segment "Investigating the Opioid Epidemic: The Whistleblower and Too Big to Prosecute" produced in cooperation with The Washington Post, the "Fault Lines" report "Heroin's Children" from Al Jazeera International USA, another nominee about the opioid epidemic with two other nominations for Outstanding Science, Medical and Environmental Report and Outstanding Editing: News, and two episodes of "Frontline," "Battle for Iraq" and "Inside Yemen."  The former also has a nomination for Outstanding Continuing Coverage of a News Story, while this is the only nomination for the latter.  Based on its total number of nominations, I think "The Wounds of War" is the favorite, but it is facing stiff competition for the trophy, particularly from "Heroin's Children."

Follow over the jump for the rest of the nominees covering the Syrian Civil War.

'Abacus,' 'Edith and Eddie,' 'Heroin(e),' and 'Last Men in Aleppo' — Oscar nominees at the 2018 News and Documentary Emmy Awards

Last March, I predicted that "both 'Jane' and 'Abacus' will be eligible for News and Documentary Emmy Awards this fall, where they will be favored in their categories."  I was right about "Jane," which earned seven nominations two awards at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards.  Now it's time to observe that I was right about "Abacus" earning a nomination for Outstanding Business and Economic Documentary at the News and Documentary Emmy Awards.  Joining it are three other Oscar nominees for Best Documentary Feature or Best Documentary Short Subject, "Edith and Eddie," "Heroin(e)," and "Last Men in Aleppo," all of which I have written about before.  Along with "Icarus" and "Strong Island," that means that four of the five nominees for Best Documentary Feature and two of the five nominees for Best Documentary Short Subject have also been nominated for an Emmy.  Both the films and their fellow nominees should be impressed.

I begin my review of the nominees with what I wrote about "Abacus" late last year.

"Abacus: Small Enough to Jail," has won four awards from the shows and programs I am using, including Best Political Documentary from the Critics' Choice Documentary Awards.  The Guardian review explains why it belongs here.

Veteran documentary-maker Steve James (Hoop Dreams) is back with an engrossing story: the extraordinary fiasco of the Abacus bank prosecution. It is a tale of hypocrisy, judicial bullying and racism. Abacus was a small neighbourhood bank serving New York’s Chinese community, which discovered a crooked employee falsifying mortgage documents, duly reported the matter to the authorities, but then found itself prosecuted by a district attorney who had sniffed a post-2008 PR opportunity to collar some real live bankers.

"Model minority" or not, Asian-Americans experience systemic racism, too.

Watch Abacus: Small Enough to Jail - Trailer for a preview.

From acclaimed director Steve James (Hoop Dreams, The Interrupters, Life Itself), Academy Award® Nominee Abacus: Small Enough to Jail tells the incredible saga of the Chinese immigrant Sung family, owners of Abacus Federal Savings of Chinatown, New York. Accused of mortgage fraud by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., Abacus becomes the only U.S. bank to face criminal charges in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. The indictment and subsequent trial forces the Sung family to defend themselves – and their bank's legacy in the Chinatown community – over the course of a five-year legal battle.

Competing against "Abacus" for Outstanding Business and Economic Documentary are "Farewell Ferris Wheel" and "Vegas Baby" from "America Reframed" on World, "The Bad Kids" from "Independent Lens" on PBS and "Saving Capitalism" on Netflix.  Of all of them, I think "Saving Capitalism" is the strongest competition for "Abacus," as it won Best Political Documentary at the Coffee Party Entertainment Awards for movies.  Looks like my fellow directors and volunteers at Coffee Party USA were on to something when they voted for Robert Reich's film, giving it its first nomination and award.

Follow over the jump for the rest of the double nominees.

The most honored political documentaries of 2017 examine crime, injustice, and the Syrian Civil War

I have twice told my readers to "Stay tuned for an entry about the top political documentaries of 2017" today, so it's time for me to follow through.

Since it's awards season, I am ranking documentaries about politics, government, social issues, and the environment by counting up how many nominations and wins each film has earned at what I'm counting as the major awards shows and programs that recognize documentaries.  I'm counting films recognized by the Black Reel Awards, Cinema Eye Honors Awards, US, Critics' Choice Documentary Awards, Environmental Media Awards, USA, Film Independent Spirit Awards, Gotham Awards, International Documentary Association (IDA) Awards, National Board of Review, Online Film Critics Society Awards, Producers Guild Documentary Awards, and Satellite Awards.  I also included two points for the Emmy Award that went to LA 92.  For every nomination, the film earns one point and every win, the film earns another point for a total of two.  Only movies that earned two or more points made the list, as they either won an award or were nominated for at least two awards; movies with only one nomination got left off.

After adding up all the points, I've ranked the qualifying films as follows with films having the same score arranged alphabetically.  To see the awards and nominations, click on the link in the title to read the relevant IMDB page.

Strong Island 12
City of Ghosts 11
Abacus: Small Enough to Jail 10
Chasing Coral 9
Cries from Syria 9
Ex Libris: New York Public Library 9
Quest 8
An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power 7
Icarus 7
Whose Streets? 7
The Work 6
Dolores 5
LA 92 5
Last Men in Aleppo 5
Rat Film 4
Hell on Earth: The Fall of Syria and the Rise of ISIS 3
Human Flow 3
Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982-1992 3
Eagles of Death Metal: Nos Amis (Our Friends) 2

That's an impressive list of worthy films.  I don't envy the documentary branch of the Motion Picture Academy; they had their work cut out for them, as there were 170 eligible documentaries this year.  The top five from my list alone would make for a good Oscar field, but that won't happen, if for no other reason than the fifteen film short list has already been released and  "Cries from Syria" did not make it.  In addition, "Faces, Places," "Jane," "Long Strange Trip," "One of Us," and "Unrest," which are not on my list, have made the Oscar shortlist and are as good as any of the my top five.  On top of which, "An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power" also made the Oscar shortlist and could make the final five based on it's being a sequel to a previous winner and as a response to the current political climate.  If so, it would probably replace "Chasing Coral," which would be a shame, if understandable.  As I have found out by examining awards shows, not every electorate is the same and the pool of voters matters.

Follow over the jump for the films arranged by general subject along with their plot summaries and my commentary.

Fear premium returns with Syria missile strike

I haven't posted an update on oil prices since Supply and demand still work for oil last October.  My last gas price report here came even longer ago than that in June's Oil falls after Brexit vote, pushing prices even lower.  That's because local gas prices have been relatively stable, world oil prices have been rising so slowly as to be boring, and the election and subsequent transition have been much better shiny objects.  That changed Thursday night, when Trump ordered a cruise missile strike on Syria.  That event has had predictable effects on oil markets, as CNN reported yesterday morning in Oil prices leap after US missile strike.

Crude oil prices spiked after the US launched missile strikes against Syria. CNN's Paula Hancocks reports.

CNN's report was based on oil futures.  Reuters showed those increases lasted until closing in Oil rises after U.S. missile strike in Syria, weekly gain 3 percent.

Oil prices rose on Friday, trading near a one-month high and closing the week up 3 percent after the United States fired missiles at a Syrian government air base, raising concern that the conflict could spread in the oil-rich region.
...
Brent crude futures settled up 35 cents at $55.24. Brent reached a session high of $56.08, the highest since March 7, shortly after the U.S. missile strike was announced. For the week, Brent was up 4.4 percent.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were up 54 cents at $52.24 a barrel, off the session high of $52.94.

The wholesale price spike has already had an effect on retail gas prices, as Fox 4 in Ft. Myers, Florida, reported in Gas Prices Rise after Syrian Airstrike.

Overnight, U.S. gas prices went up 3 cents.

I saw the effects of the price spike when I drove through my old neighborhood yesterday to buy gas.  The two stations down the street (the third has been demolished) were selling regular at $2.49, while the one at the corner near my old house was offering the same grade at $2.29.  After using my rewards card, I was able to buy it as $2.26.  Of course I filled up, since I expected prices to rise.  That may have been premature.  Three hours later, the two stations down the street dropped their prices 14 cents to $2.35.  Given my four years of close observation of the three stations' interactions, that was very unusual; normally, the corner station with the high price lowered it to remain competitive.  That behavior, which has all three stations selling well below the Detroit average of $2.53, suggests that the spike may be just that, a temporary panic-driven rise.

I'll keep watching the situation.  If both Syria and the oil markets remain volatile, I'll report on them.  Until then, stay tuned for Sunday's entertainment feature, when I plan on writing about the Hugo Awards.

Sith Jihad's use of social media a double-edged sword

In the footnote to National Donut Day 2015, I told my readers to stay tuned for "my weekly gas price post with bonus coverage of the OPEC meeting, a special cyberwar report covering China, Russia, and The Sith Jihad, and the monthly meta."  While I took care of the first with Gas up in some neighborhoods as OPEC decides to keep pumping, I have so much material for the second that I decided to split it up into three parts, beginning with the online operations of ISIS AKA The Sith Jihad.  I begin with a 21st Century example of "loose lips sink ships" as CNN reports 'Moron' posts selfie, gives away ISIS location.

Social media revealed the location of an ISIS compound. Gen. Hawk Carlisle explains what happened next.

As Rick Perry would say, "Oops."

Follow over the jump for two more videos from CNN on The Sith Jihad's use of social media.

Food prices and unrest, a story I tell my students

Yesterday, I showed my students the most important graphic from Vice's The Math That Predicted the Revolutions Sweeping the Globe Right Now, which I linked to in Third American doctor infected and other Ebola news.

It's happening in Ukraine, Venezuela, Thailand, Bosnia, Syria, and beyond. Revolutions, unrest, and riots are sweeping the globe. The near-simultaneous eruption of violent protest can seem random and chaotic; inevitable symptoms of an unstable world. But there's at least one common thread between the disparate nations, cultures, and people in conflict, one element that has demonstrably proven to make these uprisings more likely: high global food prices.

Just over a year ago, complex systems theorists at the New England Complex Systems Institute warned us that if food prices continued to climb, so too would the likelihood that there would be riots across the globe. Sure enough, we're seeing them now. The paper's author, Yaneer Bar-Yam, charted the rise in the FAO food price index—a measure the UN uses to map the cost of food over time—and found that whenever it rose above 210, riots broke out worldwide. It happened in 2008 after the economic collapse, and again in 2011, when a Tunisian street vendor who could no longer feed his family set himself on fire in protest.

Bar-Yam built a model with the data, which then predicted that something like the Arab Spring would ensue just weeks before it did. Four days before Mohammed Bouazizi's self-immolation helped ignite the revolution that would spread across the region, NECSI submitted a government report that highlighted the risk that rising food prices posed to global stability. Now, the model has once again proven prescient—2013 saw the third-highest food prices on record, and that's when the seeds for the conflicts across the world were sown.

"I have a long list of the countries that have had major social unrest in the past 18 months consistent with our projections," Bar-Yam tells me. "The food prices are surely a major contributor---our analysis says that 210 on the FAO index is the boiling point and we have been hovering there for the past 18 months."

None of this should be news.  Food riots have been the start of revolutions in the modern world going at least as far back as the French Revolution, as I pointed out in Today is the anniversary of the Women's March on Versailles.  Still, it's a lesson that bears repeating--starving poor people under a repressive regime is a recipe for disaster.

Follow over the jump for more, including an update on the graphs.

Gas prices in Michigan bouncing off a bottom

I have been loath to break out Professor Farnsworth this year for low gas prices and what's transpired since I posted Good news on gas prices from Professor Farnsworth supports my usual reluctance.  The next day, the corner station raised its price to $3.65.  The three stations down the block held at $3.45.  Yesterday morning, the corner station undercut their price, selling regular at $3.44.  That's lower than before the Syria fear premium took effect.  Yesterday afternoon, the price went up again, this time to $3.59.  I didn't see what the three stations down the block were charging for gas, but I suspect they went up, too.  Why?  Econobrowser has an answer.

It turns out that prices all over metro Detroit and Michigan have risen in the past few days.  The day I posted Professor Farnsworth, the average prices in the state and metro area bottomed out at $3.46 and $3.48, respectively.  Prices in both areas immediately shot up, peaking in Michigan yesterday at $3.59.  In Detroit, they're currently plateauing at $3.53.  In that kind of environment, I expect all the neighborhood stations will follow suit, not just the corner station.

As for what's causing this, it's something happening in the region, but not nationally.  Average gas prices have also gone up this week in Indiana and Ohio, but not in Illinois or Wisconsin.  In fact, the latter two states are following the national trend of steadily decreasing gas prices with the current national average declining to $3.50 from Wednesday's $3.51 to $3.52.  The national prices are following the generally declining price of Brent Crude, which closed yesterday at $109.22.  That's more than three dollars below last Monday's $112.32.  The Syria fear premium is like Francisco Franco, still dead.  So, I know what it's not.  As for what it is, I suspect it's a refinery issue or other regional shortage, but I've found no coverage of it in the local media so far.  If I find out, I'll post the news.

ETA: I found a story in the Grand Haven Tribune that confirms my hypothesis.

There are several reasons for the uptick, according to Gas Buddy and AAA analysts. Among them, particularly for our region, are two Midwest refineries undergoing upgrades so they can refine sandy crude oil from Canada.

In Detroit, the Marathon Co. has shut down for more than two months to connect its newer multi-billion-dollar refinery equipment to its older facility. BP is also working to expand its refinery in Indiana, which will also require a brief shutdown later in the year.

The annual switch-over to the winter gasoline blends also creates a short-term problem with partial refinery shutdowns as the change is made.

I was right--refinery issues in the Michigan-Indiana-Ohio area.

Good news on gas prices from Professor Farnsworth

I concluded Syria fear premium almost invisible two days ago with my final criterion for recognizing an end to the current crisis at the pump.

As I remarked on Friday, the national, state, and metro area prices are all below where they were before the latest price spike and the neighborhood prices are only four cents above where they were before the latest price spike began.  Those four cents are the only reason I haven't declared the current gas price spike over.

Those four cents disappeared today as all four neighborhood stations resumed selling regular at $3.45.  The Syria fear premium is no more.  Time to break out Professor Farnsworth for the first time since Meijer opened in Detroit this July.


MLive has even more good news about gas prices today, announcing Michigan sees nation's largest annual drop in average gas price, analyst predicts further decrease.

The statewide average price is $3.47 per gallon, but it was selling for less than $3.25 in some areas on Wednesday morning, according to Tom Kloza, GasBuddy.com's chief oil analyst.

Michigan's average price is down about 50 cents compared to one year ago, the largest year-over-year drop nationwide, Kloza said, adding that the gap may widen this month.
...
AAA pegs Michigan's average gas price at $3.50 on Wednesday, which makes it the 23rd lowest in the country. Hawaii has the highest average price of $4.32 while South Carolina has the lowest average of $3.18 per gallon.

The national average is $3.51 per gallon, down from $3.86 the same time last year.

The best news?

Michigan gas prices could continue to drop, according to analysts with GasBuddy.com.

That's because of the end of summer driving season, the replacement of summer blends with cheaper winter blends, and, of course, the end of the Syria fear premium.  Yes, this really is "good news, everyone!"

Syria fear premium almost invisible

In Syria fear premium almost gone, I included my closing thought from Syria fear premium fades some more.

Here's to hoping the fear premium fades away and prices return to where they were at the start of the last week of August.

Yeah, right.  We should be so lucky.

We're not that lucky, but we're getting there.

We're still getting there, even if we haven't quite arrived.  Yesterday, I saw the the corner station had dropped from $3.55 to $3.49.  This morning, as I expected, I saw that the three stations were selling gas at the same price.  I suppose they were probably there first, but I wasn't up to walking the three long blocks to find out, as I was coming down with a cold yesterday.  Just the same, I don't regret filling up my tank on Friday.  I really didn't expect the price to keep falling, as there was--and is--still a chance that the Syria Fear Premium can come roaring back.

Just the same, I still have no reason to complain about the price.  According to Econobrowser, the local price continues to be below the national average of $3.545, the Michigan average of $3.50, and the Detroit average of $3.54.  It's also sixteen cents below the expected national average of $3.65 given the current Brent crude price of $112.32, thirty-one cents below Friday's $112.63.

As I remarked on Friday, the national, state, and metro area prices are all below where they were before the latest price spike and the neighborhood prices are only four cents above where they were before the latest price spike began.  Those four cents are the only reason I haven't declared the current gas price spike over.

Syria fear premium almost gone

Prices dropped once again since I wrote Syria fear premium fades some more.

Today, I saw that all four stations matched each other at $3.59, a six cent drop since last Friday.  According to Econobrowser, that matched the national average and was below the average price for both Michigan and Detroit of just over $3.61.  What's driving the decline in retail gas prices is the moderating price of Brent Crude of $113.72, three dollars below the peak price of  $116.71 at the end of August.  That translates to an expected national average of $3.68.  Gas is at the national average and below the averages for the state and metro area, as well as below the expected price.  I can't complain that gas isn't fairly priced.  Here's to hoping the fear premium fades away and prices return to where they were at the start of the last week of August.

Yeah, right.  We should be so lucky.

We're not that lucky, but we're getting there.

Early this afternoon, the corner station was still selling gas at $3.59, but the three stations down the block had lowered their price another step to $3.55.  By this evening, the corner station had joined them.  Since my tank was almost empty and I didn't expect prices to drop until another week has passed, I filled up.

As for how the local price compares, it's below the national and Detroit averages of $3.57 and right at the Michigan average of $3.55.  It's also a dime below the expected national average of $3.65 given the current Brent crude price of $112.63.  Again, I have nothing to complain about given the price of crude.

By the way, while the neighborhood prices haven't returned to where they were before the latest price spike began, the national, state, and metro area prices all have.  In fact they're all below where they were on August 27, when the price spike occurred.  On that date, the national and Detroit averages were $3.58 and the Michigan average was $3.59.  The Syria fear premium has almost completely faded away.

Syria fear premium fades some more

Here's where things stood when I wrote The Syria fear premium continues slowly subsiding.

That's where prices remained until today, when all four stations were selling regular at $3.65.  As usual, gas shot up like a rocket but is coming down like a parachute.

Econobrowser shows that's happening at all levels from the nation to the metropolitan area.  Since last Friday, when the national average was $3.62, the Michigan average was $3.74, and the Detroit average was $3.69, the prices have slid slowly down to $3.61 for the U.S., $3.66 for Michigan, and $3.65 for Detroit. All of those prices are below the expected national average for the current price of Brent Crude, $3.72 for gas refined from oil costing $115.26.  Gas is fairly priced, given the inflated cost of oil from the Syrian fear premium.

Today, I saw that all four stations matched each other at $3.59, a six cent drop since last Friday.  According to Econobrowser, that matched the national average and was below the average price for both Michigan and Detroit of just over $3.61.  What's driving the decline in retail gas prices is the moderating price of Brent Crude of $113.72, three dollars below the peak price of $116.71 at the end of August.  That translates to an expected national average of $3.68.  Gas is at the national average and below the averages for the state and metro area, as well as below the expected price.  I can't complain that gas isn't fairly priced.  Here's to hoping the fear premium fades away and prices return to where they were at the start of the last week of August.

Yeah, right.  We should be so lucky.

The science of sarin gas from Discovery News

The politics and economics of intervening in Syria aside, what is the science of the issue?  Discovery News explains in How Sarin Gas Works.

In Damascus last month, more than 1,400 people died in a sarin gas attack believed to be carried out by the Syrian goverment. Laci explains what this deadly nerve agent is and how it works.

I included this video in Overnight News Digest: Science Saturday (LADEE launched) on Daily Kos last night.  In comments, Lenny Flank praised it and summarized the point succinctly.

[T]hat Discovery News piece on Sarin nerve gas is very good.  Explains the basics in a clear understandable manner.

Nerve gas is, basically, insecticide for humans.

That last sentence is so good, I'm going to use it from now on.

The Syria fear premium continues slowly subsiding

In Corner station consolidates position in Syria fear premium battle, I described how all the local stations consolidated their positions in the price war.

Yesterday, the three stations down the block dropped their prices to $3.69 pulling the corner station down to $3.75.  Today, the corner station joined them at $3.69.  It turns out that the local stations were merely reflecting the price of Brent crude, which fell to $115.16 from its peak yesterday of $116.71, a drop of $1.45 and 1.26%.  According to Econobrowser, that translates to a national average price at the pump of $3.72.  The local price has merely adjusted to that level.

That's where prices remained until today, when all four stations were selling regular at $3.65.  As usual, gas shot up like a rocket but is coming down like a parachute.

Econobrowser shows that's happening at all levels from the nation to the metropolitan area.  Since last Friday, when the national average was $3.62, the Michigan average was $3.74, and the Detroit average was $3.69, the prices have slid slowly down to $3.61 for the U.S., $3.66 for Michigan, and $3.65 for Detroit. All of those prices are below the expected national average for the current price of Brent Crude, $3.72 for gas refined from oil costing $115.26.  Gas is fairly priced, given the inflated cost of oil from the Syrian fear premium.

Speaking of the Syrian fear premium, WNWO had David Seeger, President of Great Lakes Credit Union on to explain it and its effect in Gas prices flux during Syrian conflict.*

Money Monday's report reviews market speculation on oil availability.

$8/tank is the average increase in price due to the fear premium.  That's a useful statistic.

*Seeger should look familiar. He was featured in two videos I embedded in WNWO examines the shrinking middle class.

Corner station consolidates position in Syria fear premium battle

I described the price action and made a prediction in The fear premium strikes again over Syria.

Yesterday morning, the corner station jacked up its price to $3.79, while the three stations down the street were still selling regular at $3.45.  This evening, they followed the corner station with prices of $3.78.  The corner station took them with it.  I was right not only to fill up my car, but to fuel up my wife's.  Of course, the saber rattling over Syria's use of chemical weapons helped push things along.  The fear premium strikes again.

Speaking of the fear premium, Econobrower lists the closing price of Brent crude yesterday at $116.61, a jump of $2.25 and 1.93% from the day before.  That translates to a national average price of $3.75.  That's well above the national average price of $3.59, the Detroit average of $3.62, and even the Michigan average of $3.67.  Expect prices to keep rising, although I think the local gas is fairly priced given the current price of oil.  That written, the fear premium can continue to go up if tensions increase and more countries get involved in Syria's civil war.  Stay tuned.

Instead of prices continuing to increase, they actually declined.  Yesterday, the three stations down the block dropped their prices to $3.69 pulling the corner station down to $3.75.  Today, the corner station joined them at $3.69.  It turns out that the local stations were merely reflecting the price of Brent crude, which fell to $115.16 from its peak yesterday of $116.71, a drop of $1.45 and 1.26%.  According to Econobrowser, that translates to a national average price at the pump of $3.72.  The local price has merely adjusted to that level.

While the neighborhood stations are well above the current national average of $3.62, they are right at the Detroit average of $3.69 and below the Michigan average of $3.74, which appears to already be declining.  While I'm confident that the national average will continue to rise for at least the next week, whatever happens locally depends on the price of oil, and that depends on what happens with Syria.  Stay tuned.

The fear premium strikes again over Syria

I made a prediction in The corner station finished its retreat.

I expect the price to hold through Tuesday, when the corner station charges into No Man's Land again.  It might take the nearby stations with it, as Econobrowser shows the closing price of Brent crude to be $111.04, which translates to an expect price at the pump of $3.61.  That's slightly above the national average of $3.57 and the Detroit average of $3.59, which has risen 10 cents in one week and 15 cents in two weeks.  At 14 cents below the regional average, it might be a good idea to fill up while the price lasts.

I was wrong about the price rise happening Tuesday, but that's all.  Yesterday morning, the corner station jacked up its price to $3.79, while the three stations down the street were still selling regular at $3.45.  This evening, they followed the corner station with prices of $3.78.  The corner station took them with it.  I was right not only to fill up my car, but to fuel up my wife's.  Of course, the saber rattling over Syria's use of chemical weapons helped push things along.  The fear premium strikes again.

Speaking of the fear premium, Econobrower lists the closing price of Brent crude yesterday at $116.61, a jump of $2.25 and 1.93% from the day before.  That translates to a national average price of $3.75.  That's well above the national average price of $3.59, the Detroit average of $3.62, and even the Michigan average of $3.67.  Expect prices to keep rising, although I think the local gas is fairly priced given the current price of oil.  That written, the fear premium can continue to go up if tensions increase and more countries get involved in Syria's civil war.  Stay tuned.

Syria's business from Reuters on Manic Monday

Here are the stories from Reuters about the hot topic of Syria that I've included in Overnight News Digest on Daily Kos for tonight.

The headline story, taken from International News, is Washington warns Assad over 'undeniable' chemical weapons attack by Lesley Wroughton and Erika Solomon.

WASHINGTON/BEIRUT | Mon Aug 26, 2013 5:57pm EDT - The United States put Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on notice on Monday that it believes he was responsible for using chemical weapons against civilians last week in what Secretary of State John Kerry called a "moral obscenity."

"President (Barack) Obama believes there must be accountability for those who would use the world's most heinous weapons against the world's most vulnerable people," Kerry said in the most forceful U.S. reaction yet to the August 21 attack.

Speaking after U.N. chemical weapons experts came under sniper fire on their way to investigate the scene of the attack, White House spokesman Jay Carney said the use of chemical weapons was undeniable and "there is very little doubt in our mind that the Syrian regime is culpable."

The domestic story is U.S. lawmakers call on Obama to consult them on Syria by Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON | Mon Aug 26, 2013 6:43pm EDT - U.S. lawmakers urged President Barack Obama on Monday to consult them as he decides how to respond to last week's apparent poison gas attack in the Damascus suburbs, with some complaining that they have not been fully informed.

Secretary of State John Kerry issued a tough statement on Monday, saying that the suspected chemical weapons attack was a "moral obscenity" and accused Syria's government of covering it up.

He added that the Obama administration was consulting with allies and members of Congress and would decide soon how to respond.

There is even a Syria angle to a business story: Wall Street ends lower after Kerry blasts Syria on chemical weapons by Angela Moon.

NEW YORK | Mon Aug 26, 2013 5:05pm EDT - U.S. stocks fell in light volume on Monday after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called Syria's use of chemical weapons "undeniable."

In a kneejerk reaction to Kerry's strong words against Syria, major U.S. stock indexes gave up their gains and turned negative in the last hour of trading. Stocks had traded higher for most of the session, as sharply weaker orders for long-lasting manufactured goods eased investors' worries of a cutback in the Federal Reserve's economic stimulus.

"The turnaround (in stocks) is probably a reaction to Secretary of State Kerry's comments. We are seeing signs of escalation here and geopolitical concerns are trumping," said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Rockwell Global Capital in New York.

Syria's business, indeed.