Nominees for Best True Crime Documentary at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards

I closed 'Nuisance Bear' leads Best Science/Nature Documentary at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards by telling my readers to "Stay tuned for something shorter tomorrow, like the nominees for Best True Crime Documentary." Here are the nominees.

BEST TRUE CRIME DOCUMENTARY

Baby Doe (Narrative Distribution)
Funny Money: The Dane Cook Story (Dark Star Pictures)
The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare (Netflix)
A Killer Story (HBO Max)
Lost Women of Alaska (Investigation Discovery)V Murder in Glitterball City (HBO Max)

Since each nominee has only this one nomination, I'm embedding them in alphabetical order, beginning with BABY DOE | Official Trailer | Available NOW! | Persimmon.

In 1993, Gail Ritchey, a young woman from a conservative Christian community in rural Ohio, gave birth alone and left her newborn in the woods. Now a devoted mother of three, her quiet suburban life is shattered when DNA evidence links her to the infamous cold case of “Geauga’s Child”, leading to her arrest for murder. Authorities dismiss her claim that the baby was stillborn, and the media swiftly vilify her. Facing a possible life sentence, Gail turns to her husband, Mark, and their adult children, who struggle to reconcile the woman they love with the accusations against her. With her attorney, Steven, she must confront the weight of societal and religious pressures—and her own long-buried shame—to fight for her freedom. Executive Produced by Sarah Paulson and directed by Jessica Earnshaw (Jacinta), Baby Doe cuts through the headlines to uncover the human complexity of Gail’s case. With a compassionate yet unflinching lens, the film examines the intersection of women’s health, justice, and the societal forces that continue to shape stories like hers.

This story impresses me as tragic from start to finish and I'm not sure I want to watch it.

On the other hand, Funny Money: The Dane Cook Story | Official Trailer at least starts off as comedy.

Dane Cook had it all: fame, fortune, and sold-out arenas. Then he discovered his own brother had stolen millions. Funny Money reveals the shocking betrayal that nearly destroyed him and his fight to reclaim his life.

FUNNY MONEY: THE DANE COOK STORY is a true crime documentary exploring one of the most extraordinary stories behind the rise of a stand-up comedy phenomenon. Watch the official trailer for the new Dane Cook documentary.

This looks interesting. I know how money makes family turn on each other so I want to see how the rich and famous handle it.

The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare | Official Trailer | Netflix covers the most recently notorious case.

On November 13, 2022, four University of Idaho students—Madison, Kaylee, Ethan, and Xana—were found murdered in an off-campus home, leaving a tight-knit college town shattered. For weeks, their killer walked free.

From director Skye Borgman (Unknown Number: The High School Catfish) and Academy Award-nominated executive producer Joe Berlinger comes the definitive chronicle of one of the most chilling murder cases in recent memory.

Now, this is the kind of real-life murder mystery I'd find fascinating. That I know how it turns out doesn't change that.

The trailers continue with A Killer Story | Trailer | HBO Max.

A truth more elusive at every turn.

An extraordinary double-murder case that spanned two decades and three trials.

This appears to be much more about the criminal justice system than the crime itself, which makes it stand out.

Now for the only Emmy winner, Lost Women of Alaska | Trailer | ID.

Over the course of three hours, LOST WOMEN OF ALASKA reveals this haunting story and exposes the deeply disturbing mind of a predator who targeted the most vulnerable. But his arrest is only the beginning of unraveling a far deeper horror.

I'm not sure the production values and editing of the trailer does this documentary justice, although it might still get me to watch it. Just the same, it is an Emmy winner for its narration and my choice going in as the favorite.

The final trailer today is Murder in Glitterball City | Official Trailer | HBO.

Love turned lethal.

Directed by award-winning filmmakers Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, #MurderInGlitterballCity is a two-part documentary that explores a dark tale of murder, lies, and deceit.

I was wondering when the paranormal would show up in these nominees and here it is, not that it matters for anything but atmosphere.

I'm less sure about which nominee will win after watching these trailers, although I wouldn't mind if Funny Money gets the trophy. It seems to be the only one where no one dies.

That's a wrap for today. I plan on returning to this series on Wednesday. Stay tuned for a short evergreen educational entry tomorrow.

Previous posts about the 11th Critics Choice Documentary Awards

• 'The Food That Built America,' '30 for 30,' and other nominees at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards for World Food Day and National Sports Day
• 'Nuisance Bear' leads Best Science/Nature Documentary at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards

Silly and serious closer looks at taxpayer-funded campaign ads from Seth Meyers and Leeja Miller

I got a late start today, so I'm sharing just two videos on a common theme, starting with Seth Meyers' Trump Slammed for Taxpayer-Funded Campaign Ads, Ken Paxton Disses Trump as GOP Panics: A Closer Look.

Seth takes a closer look at Donald Trump facing backlash from his own party for using taxpayer dollars to air campaign ads and his handpicked candidate for Senate in Texas bashing him.

I'm recycling a paragraph from Stewart, Meyers, and Kimmel take closer looks at Xi's state visit plus 'The Daily Show's and Kimmel's Emmys for my reaction.

As for Republicans opposing the war and distancing themselves from Pervert Hoover, I think that's as much because of the war's effect on fuel prices as anything else. I lived through the stagflation of the 1970s and today looks a lot like 50 years ago. It reminds me that people get more upset about inflation than unemployment. That's one of the reasons I used to be all over gas prices; they affect people's mood and political choices, as the GOP is figuring out and Pervert Hoover is ignoring. I think he's too focused on the third thing he cares about after self-aggrandizement and self-enrichment, revenge. He can't get over how Iran has frustrated him.

Donald "Pervert Hoover" Trump's solution won't work. First, as Seth pointed out, it will take too long. Second, natural gas has nothing to do with gasoline. Maybe Pervert Hoover thinks people are as confused about natural gas and gasoline as he is. Sigh. That's a small part of why Ken Paxton is upset with Pervert Hoover, who insulted Paxton, then ran a convention in Paxton's home turf that tied Paxton to Pervert Hoover, when (not my) President has record unpopularity. Jailbirds of a feather may flock together, but they might not like the results.

Pervert Hoover calling the taxpayer-funded campaign ads "public service announcements" (PSAs) once again demonstrates that he has the worst case of L'Etat, c'est moi I have ever seen. As far as he's concerned, he is the country, so what's good for him is good for the country. I doubt he realizes that the reverse might not be true.

Seth found plenty to laugh at in the taxpayer-funded campaign ads, but they deserve a serious examination from Leeja Miller, an actual attorney, who stated Your Tax Dollars Just Paid For Trump's Propaganda.

Trump has spent the last week disseminating propaganda paid for by the US Government and claiming they're all "public service announcements." Is the public service in the room with us? How does this compare to past presidential PSAs and propaganda used by authoritarian governments around the world?

Leeja is right; these are bad PSAs and look more like propaganda by authoritarian regimes. Speaking of which, Leeja "reminds me that I never wrote anything for Outstanding Commercial or the winners of Outstanding Promotional Announcement at the News & Doc Emmy Awards. It's on my to-do list." Stay tuned.

'The Daily Show,' Meyers, and Kimmel take closer looks at Schmitt vs. Smith

I open October with another late night closer look at the silly side of the news, beginning with The Daily Show's opening segment, AI Leaders Sign Trump's "Self-Policing" Pact & Eric Schmitt's Ambush Backfires.

Jordan Klepper breaks down the headlines, including an AI summit in Washington that left us with exactly the same amount of federal AI regulation (read: none). Plus, former Trump prosecutor Jack Smith appears before the Senate to answer questions about his “misconduct,” and Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt falls on his proverbial ass on live TV when his ambush of Smith backfires spectacularly. By the way, did anyone see that Atlanta Hawks game? Neither did Jack Smith.

As I wrote in the last closer look, Donald "Pervert Hoover" Trump is interested in three things, self-aggrandisement, self-enrichment, and revenge. Rebranding and empowering A.I. (no, it's not super intelligence; even the best computers have just enough capacity to rival a fly's brain) qualifies as the first two, while going after Jack Smith qualifies as the third. The former will likely succeed. The last failed spectacularly, at least on Tuesday, as Seth Meyers also documented in Sen. Eric Schmitt & GOP Humiliate Themselves at Train Wreck Jack Smith Hearing: A Closer Look.

Seth takes a closer look at Senate Republicans humiliating themselves in a train wreck hearing where they tried and failed to catch former special prosecutor Jack Smith in a gotcha moment.

Trying to make the wheels of (in)justice grind Jack Smith failed, at least this time. Schmitt and the other Senate Republicans were too invested in their narrative to realize that the facts didn't support it. Also, Schmitt only talking about NBA and Men's NCAA games showed that they didn't even consider Women's NCAA. That makes them look sexist as well as stupid. Kudos to Senator and likely future Governor Amy Klobuchar for correcting the record.

Jimmy Kimmel covered both the failed ambush of Jack Smith and the A.I. summit in Trump Falls Asleep on Live TV, Tells the Truth for First Time & Our Favorite Foxtrotter Guillermo!

Aunt Chippy joins us in Brooklyn, the Yankees hosted the Red Sox for Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series, Trump told the truth today for the first time ever, had lunch with Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and other A.I. leaders, Trump is still trying to blame everything on Joe Biden and can’t stop falling asleep, Republicans are investigating Jack Smith’s investigation, and we talk to Guillermo & his partner Witney on the set of Dancing with the Stars.

Pervert Hoover falling asleep after calling Joe Biden "Sleepy" is not my first choice for "every accusation is a confession," but it sure works. And, yes, Senator Schmitt is a Schmitthead.

I could go on about MAHA, but it's time to wrap up. Stay tuned for a longer post tomorrow.

'DTF St. Louis' won six Emmy Awards and could beat 'Beef' for Outstanding Limited Series

 I closed 'The Muppet Show' wins four Emmy Awards by telling my readers, "Stay tuned as I look back at 'Remarkably Bright Creatures' leads Outstanding TV Movie nominees at the Emmys and 'DTF St. Louis' vs 'Beef' at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards and ahead to next Monday's Primetime Emmy Awards." I begin with 78th Emmys Nominations: Limited or Anthology Series from the Television Academy.

The nominees for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series are All Her Fault, The Beast in Me, Beef, DTF St. Louis and Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette.

Before the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, Beef led the Gold Derby odds to win this category. Now, DTF St. Louis leads as the choice of 56.5% of experts, 87.5% of editors, and 61.5% of users, while Beef retains 43.5% of experts, 12.5% of editors, and 36.1% of users. All Her Fault, which I had penciled in as an early favorite for this category, is running far behind with 1.1% of users. The Beast in Me and Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette tie for fourth with 0.6% of users each.

In contrast, Gold Derby still thinks Beef is the favorite in both lead acting categories. First, watch 78th Emmys Nominations: Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.

The nominees for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie are Riz Ahmed, Jason Bateman, Charlie Hunnam, Oscar Isaac and Matthew Rhys.

Oscar Issac is down 3% in the Gold Derby odds, but is still the choice of 69.6% of expers, 50.0% of editors, and 76.7% of users. Matthew Rhys gained 3% and now has the votes of 21.7% of experts, 37.5% of editors, and 18.5% of users. Rhys could win two Emmys next Monday, as he's favored to win Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Widow's Bay, but it's not likely. Riz Ahmed is third as the pick of 8.7% of experts, 12.5% of editors, and 1.7% of users. He's followed by Jason Bateman who has the support of 2.1% of users for his final chance to win an Emmy at these awards and Charlie Hunnam with 1.0% of users.

Next, an update on a category I covered in 'Remarkably Bright Creatures' leads Outstanding TV Movie nominees at the Emmys, 78th Emmy Nominations: Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.

The nominees for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie are Claire Danes, Sally Field, Carey Mulligan, Sarah Pidgeon and Sarah Snook.

...Carey Mulligan leads as the choice of 70% of experts, 50% of editors, and 69.7%, but the professionals and fans differ on the next choice, with 10% of experts, 33.3% of editors, and 7.1% of users picking Sally Fields while 10% of experts and 17.3% of users [are] selecting Sarah Snook. Sarah Pigeon also has the support of 10% of experts along with 16.7% of editors and 4.8% of users. Claire Danes is the choice of the remaining 1% of users.

Mulligan is down 10% but retains the votes of 52.2% of experts, 37.5% of editors, and 58.4% of users. The professionals and fans still disagree on the next choice, as 21.7% of experts, 37.5% of editors, and 9.1% of users have gravitated to Fields to raise her odds 2%, while 18.0% of users, 17.4% of experts and 12.5% of editors are now picking Pigeon, raising her odds 11%. Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette winning Outstanding Limited Series and Movie Casting was going to benefit someone and that's Pigeon. Snook's chances decreased by 4% as despite gaining the votes of 12.5% of editors because she her support among experts and users dropped to 8.7% and 14.1%, respectively. Daines' odds also decreased as she retained the support of 0.5% of users.

Those are the categories still to be awarded. Follow over the jump for the winners this past Sunday. when DTF St. Louis won six Emmys, Beef won three, and The Beast in Me, Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette, and Remarkably Bright Creatures tied at one each.

John Oliver examines 'Trump & the DOJ' for National Presidential Joke Day

Happy National Presidential Joke Day! I have a lot of jokes about Donald "Pervert Hoover" Trump to share in Trump & the DOJ: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO).

John Oliver discusses how the Department of Justice has changed since Trump took office for his second term, how the DOJ seems to be acting on his behalf instead of on behalf of the people, and why we need barbers who use scissors instead of their teeth. You’d think that goes without saying, but we’re afraid it might not.

I've been following the protests against ICE and the follies around the Reflecting Pool, so I'm familiar with DOJ's legal failures involving them. I also read Marcy "Emptywheel" Wheeler, who has a Weaponized DOJ category on her blog, so I've also read about the cases investigating serious crimes that were dropped to concentrate on immigration and Pervert Hoover's political enemies. While I've encountered Harmeet Dhillon's name and office there, I had no idea she and Pervert Hoover had ended the agreement about septic systems in Alabama because of environmental justice and DEI. As an environmentalist who thinks diversity is a strength, I'm offended. Just the same, thanks to Last Week Tonight's researchers for finding the story.

That's a wrap for today's holiday. Tomorrow is World Elephant Day, so stay tuned to see if I blog about it.

'The Boys' and 'Widow's Bay' lead TV winners at the Critics Choice Super Awards

I wrote yesterday that "the Critics Choice Super Awards winners will be announced later today, so I'm going to shift focus to those this weekend." That happened, so I'm quoting Winners Announced For The Critics Choice Association’s 6th Annual “Critics Choice Super Awards”.

“THE BOYS” AND “WIDOW’S BAY” LEAD TELEVISION WINNERS WITH THREE WINS EACH
...
“The Boys” and “Widow’s Bay” were the standouts among this year’s television winners, each taking home three trophies. “The Boys” earned three wins from its five nominations, including Best Superhero Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie. Antony Starr won Best Actor in a Superhero Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie, as well as Best Villain in a Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie. “Widow’s Bay” swept all three categories in which it was nominated, with wins for Best Horror Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie; Matthew Rhys for Best Actor in a Horror Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie; and Kate O’Flynn for Best Actress in a Horror Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie.

I called most of these. In 'The Boys' leads TV nominees at the Critics Choice Super Awards, I wrote "This is a three-way contest among The Boys, Fallout, and Spider-Noir" — The Boys and Spider-Noir tied — and "I think Starr has the best shot at winning [Best Villain in a Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie], as he's the only nominee here who is also nominated for a Best Actor in a genre TV show category" — he won, again. I also called Danielle Brooks winning Best Actress in a Superhero Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie for her role in Peacemaker. On the other hand, I thought Best Actor in a Superhero Series was "between Cage and Abdul-Mateen," but Starr won. I'm O.K. with that, as he's won this award before.

I also called the wins for Widow's Bay. I wrote "Dexter: Resurrection and Widow's Bay are the favorites, which I'm resolving in favor of Widow's Bay... Matthew Rhys...[is] going to win here, [and] I can see Kate O’Flynn winning this award as part of a Widow's Bay sweep..." Widow's Bay swept!

Follow over the jump for the TV winners not mentioned in the lead paragraphs of the press release.

John Oliver examines 'Trump & Crypto' plus Emmy nominations for 'Last Week Tonight with John Oliver'

As I promised yesterday, I'm resuming awards show coverage as the Sunday entertainment feature. I begin with the most recent video from today's featured nominee, Trump & Crypto: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO).

John Oliver discusses how the Trump family’s cryptocurrency ventures have overshadowed their other businesses, how they’ve created massive conflicts of interest for the Trump administration, and what it all has to do with Fartcoin.

Five years ago, Donald "Pervert Hoover" Trump was skeptical, if not downright hostile to cryptocurrency. Three years ago, he was all in. In between, a lot of cryptocurrency money poured into campaigns. I'm sure that helped change a lot of politicians' minds, including Pervert Hoover, but I'm with John; it was mostly what crypto could do for his personal and family fortunes that did the trick. That turned out to be correct. File that under "even a stuck clock is right twice a day."

Purchases of Trump family memecoins are not only making Pervert Hoover, his wife, and sons rich, they're buying access. They're also affecting legal actions, which intersects with Trump's pardons. I'm recycling what I wrote about Bitconned in 'Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy' leads Outstanding Business and Economic Documentary nominees at the News & Doc Emmy Awards.

This reminds me of McMillion$, an examination of an elaborate scam and the scammers behind it. It also shows the fine line between business and the economy on one side and crime and justice on the other. I'm not surprised the two intersected at cryptocurrency.

Or that they intersected the Trump family business, either.

I shouldn't be surprised. As I first remarked in MSNBC examines Project 2025, part 1, "Jailbirds of a feather flock together," especially jailbirds useful to Pervert Hoover.

Follow over the jump for Last Week Tonight with John Oliver's Emmy nominations.

Action TV nominees at the 2026 Critics Choice Super Awards

I'm concluding my series examining the nominees at the Critics Choice Super Awards with the action television shows. Here are the nominated action programs from the press release.

BEST ACTION SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE

9-1-1: Nashville
Boston Blue
Dark Winds
High Potential
Hijack
The Lowdown
Task
Tracker

Boston Blue, Dark Winds, High Potential, Hijack, The Lowdown, and Task each have two nominations while 9-1-1: Nashville and Tracker both have one. Despite my using High Potential in the preview image, because it's the only nominee in this category running a campaign on Twitter, I think this will go to Task, the only nominee here with current Emmy nominations, six to be exact. As I wrote yesterday, "The critics are not the Hollywood creatives, but both still embody elite entertainment opinion, so they are likely to agree on Widow's Bay. As I usually write about awards shows but haven't written before in this series, electorates matter."

Follow over the jump for the acting nominations, which I'm recycling from 'House of the Dragon' vs. 'Paradise' for Best Science Fiction/Fantasy TV nominees at the Critics Choice Super Awards.

'Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller' wins 7 News & Doc Emmy Awards for World Oceans Day

Happy World Oceans Day! I'm returning to the News & Doc Emmy Awards with ABC News reporting National Geographic's 'Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller' Earns 7 News & Documentary Emmy® Award Wins & 25 Nominations.

The Walt Disney Company earned 21 News & Documentary Emmy® Awards across ABC News and National Geographic, with the award-winning content streaming on Disney+ and Hulu. Following another record-breaking year of 51 nominations — the most ever for the brand — National Geographic took home 13 News & Documentary Emmy Awards, breaking its all time record. This included seven awards for "Trafficked with Mariana Van Zeller," which also stood for the third consecutive year as the most-nominated series ever. "Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller" is an original documentary series that explores the complex and dangerous inner-workings of the global underworld, black and informal markets. Each adventure follows Mariana on a mission to follow the chain of custody of trafficked goods, understand how to obtain the contraband, or see the 360-degree view of the trafficking world from the point of view of the smugglers, law enforcement and those caught in the crossfire.

I'm continuing with Trafficked with Mariana Van Zeller Season Five | Official Trailer | National Geographic.

Award-winning journalist Mariana van Zeller explores the inner-workings of the most dangerous black markets on the planet. In each episode, she investigates a different underworld — from fentanyl and illegal street racing to the smuggling of brides and the rise of militias — to meet the players, learn the business, and better understand the world’s multi-trillion dollar shadow economy.

This trailer earned an Emmy nomination of its own for Outstanding Promotional Announcement: News. Also, eight of the ten episodes promoted earned Emmy Award nominations and six won Emmy Awards, including the one that is the reason for featuring the series today, "Shark Hunters."

Outstanding Climate, Environment or Weather Coverage - "Shark Hunters" **WINNER**

Yes, that's an ocean conservation themed episode. It's also one I can recommend to my students. Welcome to blogging as professional development.

Follow over the jump for the other five Emmy-winning episodes.

John Oliver examines Trump's pardons on 'Last Week Tonight'

Happy June! Today's topical post to begin the month features John Oliver examining Trump’s Pardons on Last Week Tonight.

John Oliver discusses who Donald Trump has pardoned since he’s been in office, and what it would be like to have sex with a cartoon character who has your voice. Not a cartoon character OF YOU! Just a cartoon character with your voice.

Let me add one more quality Donald "Pervert Hoover" Trump likes to celebrity and loyalty, wealth. I shouldn't be surprised. As I first remarked in MSNBC examines Project 2025, part 1, "Jailbirds of a feather flock together," especially jailbirds useful to Pervert Hoover.


Oh, look Roger Stone and Paul Manafort, who Oliver listed among those pardoned. Quelle surprise.

I'm not done with Pervert Hoover's view of "law and order." Follow over the jump for a top share of another entry featuring his view of justice during the 15th year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News.

'The Strike' leads Outstanding Crime and Justice Documentary at tonight's News & Doc Emmy Awards for Throwback Thursday

I closed 'Love + War' at the News & Doc Emmy Awards for Wayback Wednesday by telling my readers to "Stay tuned for the final entry about documentary nominees at the News & Doc Emmy Awards" today. I begin with the leading nominee for Outstanding Crime and Justice Documentary, The Stike.

"The Strike" is a feature documentary that tells the story of a generation of California men who endured decades of solitary confinement and, against all odds, launched the largest hunger strike in U.S. history.

Directed and produced by JoeBill Muñoz and Lucas Guilkey.

This is my pick to win this category, as it has the most nominations. The rest of the field has only this one nomination. I'm not embedding their trailers, as I am covering the remaining categories instead.
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Only one nominee for Outstanding Short Documentary has a second nomination, Chasing Time | Official Trailer | ALT EFF 2025.

Over 15 years, Chasing Time follows James Balog’s Extreme Ice Survey, capturing glaciers vanishing and providing visual evidence of climate change. Reuniting with the Emmy-winning Chasing Ice team, it concludes their epic work, reflecting on time, mortality, and intergenerational hope.

I would pick this sequel to Chasing Ice to win just because I'm a fan of the original and would recommend it to my students. So is the first documentary I'm featuring for the next category.


The nominee for Outstanding Business and Economic Documentary I'm recommending to my students is Made in Ethiopia.

When a massive Chinese industrial park transforms rural Ethiopia, three women, a director, a farmer, and a factory worker, find their lives entwined in the promises and costs of progress. Filmed over four years, Made in Ethiopia reveals China’s complex impact on Africa and a nation’s struggle between tradition, modernity, and survival.

This video may not be explicitly environmental, but it is very much about sustainable development, a topic my environmental science course examines. Welcome to blogging as professional development.

I'm not sure it will win. Instead I think it will be one of the next two whose trailers I'm embedding, beginning with BRIBE, INC. (2024) - Official Trailer | JOLT.

BRIBE, INC. is a true story exposing the shady underpinnings that fuel global commerce: corruption and lots of money.

In the shadows of the global oil industry the Ahsani family ran Unaoil with jet-set style and total impunity. Until journalist Nick McKenzie encountered a whistleblower with enough insider intel to take the whole gang down.

In a manhunt spanning the globe Nick untangles the Ahsanis’ web of deceit and corruption exposing them as the grubby crime family they are. As the plot twists and turns will justice be served?

First, it's about oil, so it's also germane to my environmental science and geology students. Second, it looks like fun. Third, this could just as easily have been an investigative or crime nominee. The same is true of the other nominee that caught my eye, CAN'T LOOK AWAY (2025) - Official Trailer | JOLT.

Can't Look Away is a gripping documentary that exposes the dark side of social media and its devastating impact on young users. Directors Matthew O'Neill and Perri Peltz take viewers inside the high-stakes legal battle to hold tech companies accountable for the harm caused by their negligence and dangerous algorithms. Based on investigative reporting by Bloomberg News' Olivia Carville, the film follows the Social Media Victims Law Center fighting for justice for families whose children suffered tragic consequences linked to social media use. As families seek justice, Can't Look Away underscores the urgent need for industry reform and serves as both a wake-up call about the dangers of social media—and a call to action to protect future generations.

I don't have to look at the other two trailers; I think this is the winner.

Just for completeness, I have one last category.


I have no idea which one will win and I've embedded enough trailers for today. Follow over the jump for the most read entries about entertainment from the back catalog during the 15th year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News that I missed in 'Andor' earns a Hugo nomination for Revenge of the Sixth on Wayback Wednesday.

'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.

'SNL' opens with a Hegseth-Patel press briefing about Iran war and FBI

I told my readers to stay tuned for highlights of last night's Saturday Night Live as today's Sunday entertainment feature. As I wrote in March, "SNL has lots of news to laugh at so we and they don't cry..." I begin, like the show, with Hegseth and Patel Iran Press Briefing Cold Open.

Pete Hegseth (Colin Jost) and Kash Patel (Aziz Ansari) answer reporters' questions about the war in Iran.

Colin Jost's Pete Hegseth bullying the press reminds me of Biff Tannen. Coincidentally, older alternative universe Tannen from Back to the Future Part II is based on Donald Trump. No wonder the two of them get along! Also, Aziz Ansari's performance made me glad I already had a Kash Patel label. If I didn't, I'd have had to create it!

Weekend Update: White House Correspondents' Dinner Shooting, Hegseth Says Iran War Costs Reach $25B picked up where the cold open left off.

Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week's biggest news, like King Charles meeting New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani.

I now have Spirit Airlines going bankrupt, again, and shutting down operations on my to-do list. On the other hand, I've already covered the royal visit. I just wish people would stop picking on Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, who was born only a few miles from where I grew up and is my favorite royal. On the other hand, keep picking on the Andrew formerly known as Prince. He deserves it.

Mentioning the opening weekend box office for Michael already earned this entry its status as the Sunday entertainment feature. Good thing, too, as Weekend Update: Sex Offender Named "Cookie Monster" Arrested, Coors Releases Non-Alcoholic Beer had more technology and crime than entertainment.

Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week's biggest news, like a woman damaging a statue in Italy while trying to touch its genitals.

On the other hand, Weekend Update: Kam Patterson on Megan Thee Stallion and Klay Thompson's Breakup used a juicy gossip story involving both entertainment and sports as a MacGuffin.

Kam Patterson stops by Weekend Update to discuss Megan Thee Stallion breaking up with Klay Thompson.

*SNORK!*

Olivia Rodrigo did double duty as host and musical guest, so I'm closing the portion above the fold with her monologue.

First-time host Olivia Rodrigo talks about getting her start as a child actor before performing a new song about a big event in her adult life.

That's quite the comment on Real ID, which makes me glad I didn't have that much trouble getting mine.

Follow over the jump for the top posts about SNL during the 15th year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News.

Meyers, 'The Daily Show,' Kimmel, and the Marsh Family take closer looks at the royal visit

Happy Throwback Thursday! Before I look back at last year's top posts, I'm returning to current events, namely the royal visit of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. Take it away, Seth!

Seth takes a closer look at Trump getting roasted by King Charles III over his $400 million golden ballroom, which Republicans are now insisting should be funded by taxpayers.

I'm repeating what I wrote yesterday.

Donald "Hoover Harding Cleveland" Trump doubling down on his ballroom and going after Kimmel and James Comey is just him persuing his pet projects. It's also an example of "never let a good crisis go to waste." It's just a shame that the projects being pursued are so petty.

Even more of a shame that he's getting so many to go along with him, including shifting its funding from private donors to the taxpayers. Ugh.

By the way, I'm not surprised at the beehive shaped like the White House. Queen Camilla is a beekeeper and I'm sure this was her idea.

Seth didn't mention the new indictment of James Comey, but The Daily Show did in Trump Indicts Comey Over Seashells & King Charles Is King of Congressional Comedy.

King Charles visits Congress for open mic night, and Trump tries to out-tyrant His Majesty with another indictment of former FBI Director James Comey, this time for the "crime" of posting a photo of seashells spelling out "8647." Josh Johnson breaks down MAGA world's feverish accusations against Comey, and Grace Kuhlenschmidt decodes other treasonous hidden messages at the beach.

I'm old enough to retire and in all my years I don't think I've ever written that the King is funny, but he is, and not unintentionally like Joseph II, the Austrian Emperor in Amadeus. Oh, we're getting a remake of that, too.

On the other hand, the second indictment of Comey is both serious and ridiculous. The Daily Show managed to get the right level of comedy out of this personal vendetta disguised as an official act.

Speaking of personal vendettas, I'm returning to Jimmy Kimmel, who both Melania and her husband have called to be canceled, for Trump’s Totally Unhinged Assault Rifle Pic, Big Night with King Charles & James Comey Vendetta.

King Charles and Queen Camilla spent the day in New York, last night they were honored with a lavish dinner at the White House, Charles is here trying to mend the fractured relationship between the U.S. and everyone else, he gave Trump a big shiny golden bell, his MAGA-sty offered some remarks about the royal mess he’s made in Iran, he posted a truly unhinged picture of himself this morning holding an assault rifle, the State Department is planning a limited edition passport with Trump’s face on it, Donald welcomed the astronaunts from Artemis II to the White House, he has an absolutely pigeon-brained vendetta against former FBI Director Jim Comey, and with everything going on it’s very clear that Trump isn’t well, but help is a TrumpRX prescription away!

I need a new passport, but I'm definitely not going to Washington D.C. to get one with Hoover Harding Cleveland's face on it. Yuck!

Stephen Colbert is off this week, so I'm embedding The Marsh Family singing "The British King is Here!" - parody of "The British Grenadiers" about King Charles's US state visit.

King Charles arrived just a few hours ago on a diplomatic mission that has been ludicrously overegged, given the track record of the man he is visiting. So here's our adaptation of a classic British Army marching song (that developed in the seventeenth century and became a staple in the eighteenth - including in the colonies and the Revolutionary War that saw the USA declare its independence). The British Grenadiers is a rousing tune - for many still a regimental quick march - and often a feature of the Trooping the Colour ceremony. Before people wring their hands at adapting it, it's been a recurring theme throughout its history - including notoriously by Joseph Warren (his was called "Free America") in 1774, just before the War of Independence began. We kept to some archaic language to give it the right feel, and had a stab at our own arrangement for who had instruments at home - though a hasty one, on a school night. There are references in there to scrofula, a recent UK ambassador and we removed powwow but kept kowtow after checking about usage and implications - but apologies if any offence caused. We're thinking about recording a few like this in the run-up to the 250th anniversary, so this is a kind of test case :)

Hah! Make more like this!

Follow over the jump for a retrospective of the top posts featuring late-night talk-show hosts during the 15th year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News.

'Songs from the Hole' leads arts and culture documentaries at the News & Doc Emmy Awards

I promised the next installment of my series on the News & Doc Emmy Awards as today's Sunday entertainment feature, so I'm resuming with the nominees for Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary.

Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary
Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story
Amblin Documentaries [Nedland Films | National Geographic]
The Merchants of Joy
Dial Tone Films [Amazon MGM Studios | Dial Tone Films | Artists Equity | Boat Rocker Studios | Matador Content | Epic Magazine]
The New Yorker at 100
Netflix [Netflix | Marshall Curry | Apatow]
Songs From the Hole
Netflix [Cocomotion Pictures | Question Culture | Impact Partners | Artemis Rising Foundation | Netflix]
Sunday Best: The Untold Story of Ed Sullivan
Delirio Films [MPS LEGACY PRODUCTIONS | SOFA Entertainment | Mass Appeal | Diamond Docs | MRC]
Tiler Peck: Suspending Time
Great Performances
Late Autumn Productions, LLC. [THIRTEEN Productions LLC]
WE WANT THE FUNK!
Independent Lens
Firelight Films [ITVS]

Songs From the Hole leads with four nominations, WE WANT THE FUNK! sits in second with two nominations, and the rest have this one nomination. On that basis, I consider Songs From the Hole to be the favorite. I'm also embedding Songs From The Hole | Official Trailer | Netflix first to reflect its number of nominations.

Songs from the Hole is an innovative documentary/visual album composed by JJ’88, a musician incarcerated at 15 and serving a life sentence. Told through first-person narration and lyrical journal entries, the film explores his identity and untangles the complex emotions stemming from his crime and the loss of his brother.

In addition to Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary, Songs from the Hole earned nominations for Outstanding Writing: Documentary, Outstanding Art Direction: Documentary, and Outstanding Music Composition: Documentary. This moving trailer shows why it is competing in all these categories.

On another note, Songs from the Hole reminds me of Art & Krimes by Krimes, which also straddled the line between Arts and Culture and Crime and Justice. It won, so that's another good sign for Songs from the Hole.

Next, the trailer for WE WANT THE FUNK! with two nominations, Soul, Afrofuturism, & Black Empowerment in FUNK Music ?? | Independent Lens | PBS.

“WE WANT THE FUNK!,” a syncopated voyage through the history of funk music, spans from gospel, soul, highlife, and early jazz roots, to its rise and impact on new wave and hip-hop, as funk music has been transcendent for creators and listeners alike. Revolutionary moments in the movement are captured in James Brown's dynamism, the extraterrestrial funk of George Clinton's Parliament Funkadelic, transformed girl group Labelle, Fela Kuti's Afrobeat, and other influential musicians of the genre.

"Gotta have that funk!" This probably won't win either of its nominated categories, the other being Outstanding Sound: Documentary, but it sure looks like fun.

Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story | Official Trailer | National Geographic is the first of the nominees with one nomination in alphabetical order.

JAWS @ 50: THE DEFINITIVE INSIDE STORY is the authorized documentary celebrating the film that redefined Hollywood, 50 years after its premiere. Alongside Steven Spielberg, JAWS @ 50 charts the extraordinary journey from Peter Benchley’s bestselling novel to one of the most iconic films ever made. Featuring rare archival footage and interviews with acclaimed Hollywood directors, top shark scientists, and conservationists, the documentary uncovers the behind-the-scenes chaos and how the film launched the summer blockbuster, inspired a new wave of filmmakers, and paved the way for shark conservation that continues today.

This also looks like lots of fun. I also think it's nominated at the wrong Emmy Awards. I think it would have done better at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards; Hollywood loves a good show about itself!

Of all the trailers for the next film, "The Merchants of Joy" Trailer by majorfilmevents had the best description, which was enough to overcome its less flashy preview image.

In the city that never sleeps, five families hustle each winter to turn sidewalks into holiday outposts. The Merchants of Joy follows these Christmas die-hards as they source, sell, and safeguard a family tradition at risk. It's a warm, grounded portrait of pride, grit, and the joy they bring—one tree, one customer, one season at a time.

This also looks like lots of fun and leans into culture more than art, which is probably why it wasn't nominated for Outstanding Business and Economic Documentary. Those can be fun, too, but they're more about the money. This is more about the joy of the season. Ho! Ho! Ho!

The next trailer stays in the Big Apple, The New Yorker at 100 | Official Trailer | Netflix.

For the first time, The New Yorker opens up its offices to Academy Award-winning director Marshall Curry, allowing unprecedented access to its newsroom at a pivotal moment for all media, offering a rare look at what it took to publish a century of intrepid journalism, generation-defining fiction, and unforgettable cartoons.

In contrast to Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story, this documentary is nominated at the right 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. Also, this trailer has the most views of any nominee in this category, 652,263 to 267,831 for Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story and 119,879 for Songs from the Hole. People are watching, which is a good sign and makes me think that this is the most likely to win in an upset.

I couldn't find a trailer for Sunday Best: The Untold Story of Ed Sullivan, so I'm sharing Inside Edition's segment, New Documentary Examines the Legacy of Talk Show Host Ed Sullivan.

A new Netflix documentary, "Sunday Best," looks back at how Ed Sullivan fought to showcase Black performers at a time when discrimination was rampant on TV. Sullivan featured stars like James Brown, The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, and Dionne Warwick. On December 14, 1969, the Jackson 5 made their network television debut on the Ed Sullivan Show. Andrew Salt and his son Josh are the executive producers of the documentary. They spoke with Inside Edition.

This does show why this is an important documentary, but Inside Edition's reporting replaces the voice of the documentary that would be expressed in the trailer. That written, I can see why Inside Edition is interested; Ed Sullivan was on CBS, which is owned by the same parent company as Inside Edition. It's not just news and entertainment value that's driving this.

The final trailer I'm embedding today is Tiler Peck: Suspending Time | Official Trailer | SFDFF.

A world premiere documentary, Tiler Peck: Suspending Time offers a raw and deeply personal look at one of ballet’s most celebrated artists as she faces a career crossroads.

Following a series of life-altering events — a major injury, a pandemic, a personal loss — New York City Ballet prima ballerina Tiler Peck is forced to reckon with the unknown and reimagine her relationship to dance, to her body, and to herself.

Directed by Alex Ramsey, the film follows Tiler over the course of six years of her life, through rehearsal studios, stages, and quiet moments of reflection, as she fights to return stronger, not just as a prima ballerina, but also as a choreographer and creative force. Featuring original work by Peck alongside choreography from Alonzo King, William Forsythe, George Balanchine, and Christopher Wheeldon, the film blends vulnerability and resilience with artistic brilliance.

This documentary pushes a boundary one might not expect, between arts and culture on one side and science and technology, which covers health, on the other. STEAM in action! Also, I used to live in Bakersfield, so I feel a connection to Tiler Peck, enough of one that I can understand why she'd leave.

Follow over the jump for the other categories in which Songs from the Hole and WE WANT THE FUNK! earned their other nominations plus a retrospective continuing my examination of the most read entries about the Emmy Awards during the 15th year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News.

Hemp regulation and marijuana legalization updates for 420 Day

Happy 420 Day! I'm returning to the theme of marijuana legalization today with a reversal of the trend. PBS NewsHour explains How a small law change could have a huge impact on the U.S. hemp industry.

Tucked into the legislation that ended the longest government shutdown in U.S. history was a provision to change the definition of hemp. It was a small tweak involving minute measurements, but one that could have a huge impact on the booming market for hemp products. Jeffrey Brown reports from Kentucky.

That's a bummer, both for the users and the farmers. I'm going to offer some rare faint praise for Rand Paul, which is that I generally don't agree with his principles, but at least he has some, and this time I actually approve of how he's applying them. May he and others succeed in loosening the regulations on hemp.

Not all developments on legalization are bad. Two states are considering legalizing marijuana, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. I begin with CBS 58 in Milwaukee reporting State Democrats announce new marijuana legalization proposal.

Supporters of legal marijuana in Wisconsin have announced a new effort at the state Capitol.

The racial disparity in enforcement is enough to make me support this bill, although I agree that making medical marijuana legal would be a good first step that might actually pass. Some of the commenters mentioned that the bar and tavern owners opposed legalization. Considering that Wisconsin is the drunkest state in the union and seems proud of it, I'm not surprised.

I close with WJACTV asking When will PA legalize recreational marijuana?

PENNSYLVANIA (WJAC) — Is this the year that Pennsylvania lawmakers legalize the recreational use of marijuana?

Governor Shapiro continues to push for it, but it is still not certain if the legislature will approve it.

State Representative Scott Conklin recently spoke about the fact that all but one of Pennsylvania’s neighboring states have already legalized marijuana. So, will it happen here?

Others in the legislature are not supportive of the idea, for various reasons, including one of the most heard about --- marijuana's possible link to harder drugs.

Raising revenue is one of the most cited reasons by Governor Shapiro and other backers to legalize.

Envisioned as a new cash crop in Pennsylvania, farmers paying a fee, growers’ licenses, tax on sales, all bringing in money, with the Department of Agriculture providing oversight.

I think Pennsylvania is a better bet than Wisconsin, but it's not a sure thing.

That's a wrap for today's sort-of holiday. Stay tuned for a Tuneful Tuesday post featuring the Marsh Family tomorrow, followed by the next episode of my series on the News & Doc Emmy Awards with the nominees for Outstanding Nature Documentary on Wayback Wednesday, which falls on Earth Day.

Vox says 'To fight authoritarianism, America should look to Brazil'

Yesterday, I told my readers to "stay tuned for something educational, evergreen, and SHORT!" I have just the video, Vox saying To fight authoritarianism, America should look to Brazil.

On January 8, 2023, thousands of supporters of Brazil’s right-wing former President Jair Bolsonaro stormed federal buildings in the country’s capital. Their goal? Overthrow the results of an election they claimed was rigged, despite no credible evidence of fraud.

If that sounds familiar, that’s because it is. Brazil’s January 8 looked a lot like the January 6 attack on the US capital, just two years earlier: mob violence, an insurrection, and a defeated leader who refused to concede.

But the aftermath could not be more different. Jair Bolsonaro is now serving a 27-year prison sentence, while Donald Trump is president, again.

So how did two democracies, facing similar threats, end up with such different outcomes? This video explains how Brazil’s democratic system worked to hold “the Trump of the Tropics” accountable and what the US could learn from the aftermath.

Laws and constitutions don't enforce themselves; people have to enforce them. That happened in Brazil. It's not happening, not enough yet, here in the U.S. Time to recycle what I wrote in A meme and a song for Trump's sentencing.

Like Donald Trump's whitewashing and inversion of the attack on the Capitol, the new Big Lie, enough people bought it that Trump got re-elected and he avoided any actual punishment. That jammed "the wheels of justice," dashing my hope that I repeated most recently in Colbert and Kimmel examine Jack Smith's filing: "'The wheels of justice are grinding slowly in this case, but I expect they will indeed grind exceedingly fine.' May they also grind exceedingly fine for Trump and his seditious supporters, if not as slowly." Trump escaped before the wheels finished their work. Sigh.

Unless something extraordinary happens, like the 25th Amendment successfully being invoked, our next opportunity will be the midterm elections in November and a new Congress in January. May we and our democracy survive that long.

SciShow's '7 Of The Weirdest Fossil Forgeries Ever,' an April Fools holiday special for Wayback Wednesday

Happy Wayback Wednesday on April Fools Day! I promised a retrospective about holidays and I'll get to it, no fooling, but first I'm returning to the theme of PBS Eons and SciShow on Piltdown Man for April Fools Day, a Science Saturday holiday special with SciShow discussing 7 Of The Weirdest Fossil Forgeries Ever.

You've heard of fake purses, and fake food, and fake concert tickets. But fake fossils? Turns out forging evidence of life in the ancient past isn't as uncommon as you might think. From another work by the infamous forger of the Piltdown Man to the carved footprints that fueled a conspiracy theory, here are seven of the weirdest fossil forgeries of all time.

Hosted by: Savannah Geary (they/them)

I knew about Piltdown Man, which is why I blogged about it twice, now a third time, but I had forgotten about Charles Dawson's other fossil forgery, the toad in the hole, which seems lazy in comparison. I hadn't heard about some of the others, particularly the augmented cheetah. Too bad — Acinonyx kurteni was a good name that is now invalid.

That completes the celebration of today's holiday. Follow over the jump for some of the most read holiday posts during the 15th year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News.