Crazy Eddie's Motie News: social justice

Showing posts with label social justice. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 26, 2026

'2000 Meters to Andriivka' leads Outstanding Current Affairs Documentary and Best Documentary at the News & Doc Emmy Awards

I decided I had enough in me to continue my series on the nominees at the News & Doc Emmy Awards today, so I'm going right after the category with the most nominated documentary.

Outstanding Current Affairs Documentary
Antidote
FRONTLINE FEATURES | PBS [Passion Pictures | Bellingcat | Impact Partners | Channel 4 | M4 Studios]
Life After
Independent Lens
Multitude Films | PBS [ITVS | Straw House Production]
Lost in the Jungle
Little Monster Films [National Geographic]
2000 Meters to Andriivka
FRONTLINE FEATURES | PBS [Associated Press]
Thoughts & Prayers
HBO Documentary Films [Tony Tina]

2000 Meters to Andriivka leads all documentaries with six nominations, including Best Documentary. Life After follows with four, also including Best Documentary. Antidote, Lost in the Jungle, and Thoughts & Prayers tie at two to round out the category. I think this is the first category where every nominee has at least one other nomination — such quality! Not even Best Documentary can claim that distinction for its nominees. This will mean 2000 Meters to Andriivka winning, which I expect, will mean that much more.

As per usual, I am embedding the trailers in the above order, beginning with 2000 Meters to Andriivka (official trailer) | FRONTLINE.

From the Oscar®-winning team behind 20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL, 2000 METERS TO ANDRIIVKA documents the toll of the Russia-Ukraine war from a personal and devastating vantage point.

Following his historic account of the civilian toll in Mariupol, Mstyslav Chernov turns his lens towards Ukrainian soldiers — who they are, where they came from, and the impossible decisions they face in the trenches as they fight for every inch of their land.

Amid a failing counteroffensive in 2023, Chernov and his AP colleague Alex Babenko follow a Ukrainian brigade battling through approximately one mile of a heavily fortified forest on their mission to liberate the Russian-occupied village of Andriivka. Weaving together original footage, intensive Ukrainian Army bodycam video and powerful moments of reflection, 2000 METERS TO ANDRIIVKA reveals with haunting intimacy, the farther the soldiers advance through their destroyed homeland, the more they realize that, for them, this war may never end.

That's every bit as gripping as I thought it would be.

Now for the other Best Documentary nominee, Life After Official Trailer.

LIFE AFTER is a gripping investigative documentary that exposes the tangled web of moral dilemmas and profit motives surrounding assisted dying. Disabled filmmaker Reid Davenport uncovers shocking abuses of power while amplifying the voices of the disability community fighting for justice and dignity in an unfolding matter of life and death.

I still expect 2000 Meters to Andriivka will win, but I would not be surprised if this upsets it. If so, it might upset 2000 Meters to Andriivka in every category in which it's nominated, because it's competing against my pick to win in all four. Otherwise, it will likely come home empty-handed, because I expect 2000 Meters to Andriivka to sweep.

Moving on to the other FRONTLINE nominee, Antidote | Trailer | Laemmle [Theatres].

What is the cost of speaking truth to power? In Putin’s Russia, it could mean your life. An immersive and chilling documentary, Antidote follows in real time a whistleblower, Vladimir Kara-Murza, from inside Russia's poison program as he attempts to escape. He is a prominent political activist who is poisoned twice and now stands trial for treason. Also profiled is his wife Evgenia and Christo Grozev, the journalist exposing Putin's murder machine. He too is under threat and is forced to flee.

Antidote's other nomination is for Outstanding Graphic Design: Documentary, and it shows in the trailer.

Next, Lost in the Jungle | Official Trailer | National Geographic Documentary Film.

After a deadly plane crash strands four young siblings deep within the Colombian rainforest, a dramatic rescue mission unfolds, uniting Indigenous trackers and the military in a race against time. For the first time ever, LOST IN THE JUNGLE offers the exclusive account of this incredible true story directly from the children themselves and the rescuers who scoured the Amazon rainforest for a grueling 40 days and nights to find them. From National Geographic Documentary Films and Academy Award®-winning filmmakers Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, along with Emmy® Award-winning director Juan Camilo Cruz, LOST IN THE JUNGLE is a gripping tale of survival, courage and hope.

Lost in the Jungle's second nomination is for Outstanding Sound: Documentary and I can hear it in the trailer.

Thoughts and Prayers | Official Trailer | HBO is the final trailer for today.

How to survive an active shooter in America.

The HBO Original Documentary #ThoughtsAndPrayers captures the current landscape of safety rituals in schools and communities across America.

I first cited the statistic that "gun violence was the number one cause of death among U.S. children and teens in 2020, passing auto accidents" in 'Teenage Dream' and 'The Lost Class' — two PSAs about gun violence nominated for Outstanding Commercial at the 2022 Emmy Awards. It's depressing that it's still true.

I'm not going to recycle all the other categories in which these documentaries earned nominations; my readers can go through the posts below and read my opinions, which haven't changed. In the meantime, stay tuned for the nominees for Best Documentary whose trailers I haven't yet embedded tomorrow.

Previous posts about the 57th News & Doc Emmy Awards

Saturday, May 2, 2026

Vox and MS NOW explain 'The voting rights case that could set us back 60 years'

I'm returning to current events by embedding Vox explaining The voting rights case that could set us back 60 years.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a very big deal. It transformed America, marking the end of the Jim Crow era and effectively banning racial discrimination in elections. Finally fulfilling the promise of a multiracial democracy, Black voter registration increased, and political representation across the nation better reflected America’s diverse population.

60 years later, a key pillar of the Voting Rights Act is at risk of being erased. In a 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court has sided with the plaintiffs in a redistricting case out of Louisiana called Louisiana v. Callais. The case focused on Louisiana’s legislative maps, which were amended after a 2022 lawsuit in which civil rights groups and community members sued the state of Louisiana, claiming the maps drawn after the 2020 census didn’t properly reflect Louisiana’s Black population.

Once the new map with two majority-Black districts passed in the Louisiana state legislature in 2024, a group of “non African-American voters” filed a lawsuit that alleged the new map was unconstitutional and racially gerrymandered, intended to cut white voters out of power. Following the Supreme Court ruling, Louisiana must redraw that map.

What happens next could ignite a widespread gerrymandering effort that would alter electoral maps across red states and have major effects on minority political representation in the United States at every level of government.

I haven't blogged about the Voting Rights Act since 2023's FiveThirtyEight asks 'How Impactful Was This Supreme Court Term?'* Then, I wrote, "I think America dodged two bullets to democracy in the decisions about the Voting Rights Act and the 'Independent State Legislature Theory.'" I can't write that today; the conservative majority of the Supreme Court shot multiracial democracy in America in the leg, if not an even more vital part of the body. The bullet is still traveling, injuring tissues and organs on its way. MS NOW documents the damage in ‘They’re fighting hard because we were winning’: Stacey Abrams on GOP gerrymandering surge.

“They want our weariness to turn into paralysis.” This week, The Supreme Court delivered a massive new blow to the Voting Rights Act that greenlights GOP gerrymandering efforts. Stacey Abrams joins The Weekend to break down what comes next, where we have seen these actions before in authoritarian regimes throughout history, and how to use people power to brace against fascism.

In response to Jonathan Capehart, Jacqueline Alemany, and Eugene Daniels, the hosts of The Weekend, outlining Louisiana suspending its primary election and the legislatures of Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee going into special sessions to redistrict their states, Stacey Abrams outlined an ambitious pro-democracy agenda. I'm here for all of it.

The Weekend on MS NOW continued on the topic in ‘You are no longer in the democracy that was promised’: South redistricts ahead of midterms.

For decades, Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act acted as a guardrail, preventing Republican-led state legislatures from carving Black voters out of political power. But, in the words of Justice Elena Kagan, the Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais has weakened the provision to “all but a dead letter.” MS NOW legal analyst Melissa Murray and President & CEO of Democracy Forward, Skye Perryman join “The Weekend” to discuss.

I agree with Skye Perryman; people in favor of multiracial democracy are going to have to vote in large enough numbers this fall and in 2028 to overwhelm the forces trying to send the U.S. back 60 years or more. May we succeed.

That's a wrap for today's topical post. Stay tuned for highlights of tonight's Saturday Night Live as today's Sunday entertainment feature.

*The video in that entry has been made private, just like every video I've embedded from FiveThirtyEight. Disney/ABC didn't just disband the unit, it hid its history. That's a great loss that makes me sad, angry, and powerless. I don't know what news consumers can do to get it back. Sigh.

Monday, March 23, 2026

The United Nations on Water for All People for a late World Water Day

I closed Drink to the Marche du Nain Rouge by telling my readers "I might observe World Water Day late, or skip it until next year. Stay tuned to find out." I decided celebrating World Water Day was the path of least resistance, so I'm sharing three videos from the United Nations beginning with The UN World Water Development Report 2026 - Water for All People: Equal Rights and Opportunities from the UNESCO World Water Assessment Programme.

We are experiencing a global water crisis: 2.1 billion people still lack access to safely managed drinking water. Despite decades of progress, girls and women are still the hardest hit.

Gender-based inequalities related to the access, use, management and governance of water resources have hindered progress towards fulfilling the human right to water and most Goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Titled Water for All People: Equal Rights and Opportunities, the 2026 edition of the United Nations World Water Development Report offers a comprehensive, evidence-based examination of the linkages between, and progress towards, water and gender equality.

That's the long version. Here's the teaser.

Although tangible progress in the provision of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services has been made, significant disparities persist. The poorest and most vulnerable of the world’s population remain the most affected, where women and girls still bear most of the responsibility for securing water to households. This leads to physical and mental stress, limiting their time and opportunities for education, productive work, and social activities.

The UN World Water Development Report 2026, Water for all people: Equal rights and opportunities, emphasizes available data and actionable solutions to promote gender equality throughout the water sector.

I close with Director General Message on World Water Day 2026 [EN] from IOM - UN Migration.

I think it's a good idea to combine World Water Day with Women's History Month, even if that wasn't the United Nations' intention. It's a good example of one of Commoner's Laws, "Everything is connected to everything else." The opportunity cost to women and girls who have to spend time fetching water and other water-related tasks also serves as an example of another of Commoner's Laws, "There is no free lunch." This may be the last year I teach environmental science, but it's never too late to learn new facts and ideas I can pass along to students. Welcome to blogging as professional development.

That's a wrap for today. Stay tuned for a brief educational entry tomorrow I can share next month.

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

'Blink,' 'Brats,' and 'Patrice,' nominees for Outstanding Promotional Announcement Documentary at the News & Doc Emmy Awards

I told my readers to "Stay tuned for the remaining nominees in Outstanding Promotional Announcement - Documentary" at the end of 'Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy' leads Outstanding Business and Economic Documentary nominees at the News & Doc Emmy Awards, but I forecast today's post in 'The Grab' leads both Outstanding Investigative Documentary and Best Documentary at the News & Doc Emmy Awards.

Tsunami: Race Against Time is up against very stiff competition in this category, particularly Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story with six nominations, The Grab with four including Best Documentary, and Blink with two. The rest have just this one nomination. I plan on examining this category at least three more times, so I'm holding off on handicapping the nominees until I see all of them.
I think Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story has an edge over Tsunami: Race Against Time, but that's not enough. I'll pick my favorite when I look at all the nominees.
I found the trailer for The Grab gripping, but I don't know if it's more urgent than Tsunami: Race Against Time's trailer. That doesn't put it ahead of Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story in my book. I expect I'll write a post featuring Blink, Brats, and Patrice: The Movie treating this and its news equivalent as show categories.

I'm passing on the news equivalent today, and beginning the trailers with Blink - Official Trailer (2024) Edith Lemay, Sébastien Pelletier, Mia Pelletier.

Blink is a documentary film distributed by National Geographic Documentary Films in partnership with The Walt Disney Studios.

The documentary follows the Pelletier family, who set out on an epic journey to see the beauty of the world when three of their four children are diagnosed with an incurable eye condition. The film follows the family over the course of a year as they traverse 24 countries, filling their visual memories with breathtaking locations and once-in-a-lifetime encounters. Their destinations included Botswana, Cambodia, Canada (Montreal and Kuujjuaq), China, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Laos, Namibia, Malawi, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Oman, South Korea, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United States (New York City), Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Blink stars Edith Lemay, Sébastien Pelletier, Mia Pelletier, Léo Pelletier, Colin Pelletier, Laurent Pelletier, François Lemay and Pauline Sirois. The film is directed by Edmund Stenson and Daniel Roher and produced by Melanie Miller (p.g.a) and Diane Becker (p.g.a).

This beats Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story for being moving, and that's saying something.

Next in alphabetical order is ‘BRATS’ | Official Trailer | June 13 on Hulu.

In the 1980s, everybody wanted to be in the Brat Pack. Except them. Director Andrew McCarthy reunites with Demi Moore, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, and more for the original documentary “BRATS” streaming June 13, only on Hulu.

Oh, that's funny! It also makes me want to watch it, which means it's effective, too. Is it good enough to win? Not with this electorate. Speaking of which, I think the documentary itself would work better at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards; it looks like their kind of show. My readers and I will see if it's eligible and earns nominations next month.

I close the trailers for this category with Official Trailer | ‘Patrice: The Movie’ | Hulu.

‘Patrice: The Movie’ – a documentary rom-com about the next phase of marriage equality – disability. Streaming Sept 30th only on Hulu.

This is right up there with Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story for being moving, and it's about an issue that affects my family, so I care a bit more. Is it enough to beat Blink? I don't know, but this trailer has 3,153,880 views! People are watching and they care! Speaking of which, if the U.S. is "pro-family," should we support disabled Americans in marriage through maintaining their benefits the way we support able-bodied married Americans through the tax code? I say yes.

I'm returning to Outstanding Editing - Documentary, the other category in which Blink earned a nomination, which I last examined in 'We Will Dance Again' leads Outstanding Current Affairs Documentary nominees at the News & Doc Emmy Awards.

Apollo 13: Survival has the most nominations for Outstanding Editing - Documentary with four, followed by Death without Mercy, Blink, and We Will Dance Again, all with two, and Citizen Nation with just this one. It also has an editing nomination at the BAFTA Film Awards, so it definitely has a strong case to win. Besides, it's an archival documentary, so editing is going to be its strong suit.
I expect to return to this category twice before I make a call, once for We Will Dance Again and the other Outstanding Current Affairs Documentary and again for Blink and Citizen Nation when I finish this category and Outstanding Promotional Announcement - Documentary.
I can see how editing of all the survivors' videos made We Will Dance Again what it is. That written, I suspect Blink's editing might be even stronger.

Blink's editing is indeed strong and it's of original photography by the directors instead of "found footage," but I'm watching Citizen Nation (Trailer) | Retro Report before making a call.

Our new series for PBS, "Citizen Nation," is an inspiring coming-of-age story that follows teens from across the U.S. as they compete in the nation’s premier civics competition, “We the People.”

I'm getting strong Boys State, Girls State, and Science Fair vibes from this trailer. That's a good thing, but I don't know if it's enough to beat Blink, which is my choice to win this category.

I plan on resuming this series with the4for the next Sunday entertainment feature. In the meantime, stay tuned for five holidays over three days, Juneteenth, American Eagle Day and Seashell Day on the Summer Solstice, and World Giraffe Day. I have my blogging cut out for me!

Previous posts about the 46th News & Doc Emmy Awards

Sunday, February 16, 2025

Silly and serious closer looks at Trump taking over the Kennedy Center

I changed my mind since I asked "Awards season, anyone?" Instead, I have a story about Hoover Cleveland messing with Americans' entertainment. Watch Seth Meyers in Musk Slammed by Warren at Protest Over DOGE Cuts; Trump's Kennedy Center Takeover: A Closer Look.

Seth takes a closer look at Trump shifting his focus from bringing down consumer prices to more pressing issues like arts programming at the Kennedy Center and banning media outlets who won't go along with his geographical name changes.

I'm repeating what I wrote in Stewart, Oliver, Meyers, and Kimmel take closer looks at 'Gulf of America Day' and Musk on the cover of Time: "'Gulf of America Day' — *snort* I don't think it will ever be bigger than National Pizza Day, let alone the Super Bowl!" I followed the AP style manual when I wrote for Examiner.com and sort-of follow it here, so when I refer to the actual body of water, and not Hoover Cleveland making a fuss over the name change, I'm calling it the Gulf of Mexico — no scare quotes around the real name!

Moving from bad geography to bad engineering and science, it seems Hoover Cleveland has something against magnets. People already ridicule his aversion to electric vehicles, sharks, and "windmills" (really wind turbines). Maybe they should make more fun of his feelings about magnets, too.

Seth found the comedy in Hoover Cleveland's takeover of the Kennedy Center board. It's time for some serious news about it, beginning with NBC 4 Washington reporting on Fallout as President Trump takes over Kennedy Center.

President Trump is officially the new chair of the Kennedy Center. News4 has reaction from audience members, performers and the Kennedy family.

As I wrote most recently in 'SNL' recaps the first week of Trump's second term plus Timothée Chalamet, "the surest way to get Americans to act is to mess with their entertainment. As I first wrote in 2011, 'America is quite clear about its screwed up priorities.'" This story is no exception. Watch Tara Hoot reappear in WUSA9's Protests rise over Kennedy Center leadership changes.

Members of the LGBTQ community march from Washington Circle to Kennedy Center in protest of President Trump's new decision.

I doubt Hoover Cleveland will listen to them; he has become even more homophobic thanks in part to following his base. Just the same, I'm glad they're demonstrating and making their voices heard.

I might have more to say about Hoover Cleveland tomorrow for (Not My) Presidents Day. Stay tuned.

Friday, July 5, 2024

MSNBC examines Project 2025, part 4

I closed Drink to the 4th of July with Defunctland on Disney's America and 'The Stars and Stripes Forever' by telling my readers, "Stay tuned as I share my 'catastrophic imagination' tomorrow with the part 4 that I promised in MSNBC examines Project 2025, part 3." That promise was "I'm an environmentalist who not only recycles and reuses ideas, I also conserve resources, so I'm saving two videos about Project 2025 and climate change for part 4." I'm postponing that to a possible part 5 because MSNBC has been very busy covering Project 2025 the first half of this week and I'm sharing those reports today, beginning with Chris Hayes talking about Project 2025’s ‘unhinged’ wish list: Criminalize porn, ban birth control.

Project 2025 is a “wish list of a bunch of fringe, far-right policy proposals that I think many voters would be really horrified to learn about,” says Chris Hayes. For example, the agenda says, "Pornography should be outlawed,” and “the people who produce and distribute it should be imprisoned."

I think Hayes is taking Kevin Roberts' saying "the reason that so many anchors on MSNBC, for example, are losing their minds daily is because our side is winning" and "we're in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be" personally. That's an insult followed by a threat, which Hayes should take personally. I do and I think my readers should, too. The threat also forms part of DARVO, "Deny, Attack, and Reverse Victim and Offender," which I described in Projection is the Right's favorite defense mechanism. That's a tactic of abusers, which means Roberts and the Heritage Foundation are telling on themselves.

Katie Phang sitting in for Ari Melber and her guests covered Roberts' remarks a couple of hours before Hayes in Alert: MAGA ringleader says quiet part out loud in chilling 'accidental confession' on Project 2025.

MSNBC’s Katie Phang reports on the fallout from The Supreme Court’s decision to vastly expand the powers of the president. MSNBC’s Jason Johnson and NYU’s Ruth Ben-Ghiat join.

I'm being a good environmentalist by reusing what I last wrote in MSNBC examines Project 2025, part 1 to begin my reaction to Ruth Ben-Ghiat.

Speaking of zombie laws and the Heritage Foundation, listening to Olivia Troye's horrified reaction to what it has become reminded me of what I wrote yesterday about the GOP being undead.
I'm recycling what I wrote in National Review ironically reveals another deep truth about the current GOP to begin my reaction.
As I tell my liberal friends who keep thinking that the GOP should be dead by now, the GOP as a traditional party engaged in electoral politics is already dead. What it is now, as described by "EscapefromWisconsin" over at the Hipcrime Vocab, is an authoritarian movement. That makes it an undead party in a democratic system. As Bela Lugosi's Dracula said in the eponymous movie, "There are far worse things awaiting Man than Death." Yeah, and one of them has happened to the GOP.
That was a dozen years ago. Back then, Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan weren't the candidates to realize that movement's ambitions; they were still conventional conservative candidates contesting for power in a democracy. The condition of the GOP has become even more obvious since then with the rise of Hoover Cleveland, who is the right candidate to fulfill the current party's dictatorial desires. As I wrote nearly three years ago, "I had no idea how right I was then and now I wish I hadn't been. Break out the garlic."
They're no longer hiding it. Also, Molly Jong-Fast's comments about how these are now mainstream GOP views demonstrates that the far right realized what a missed opportunity Trump's first term was and now they aren't going to miss their second chance. Yikes!

Now Ben-Ghiat's Tweet, which Phang mentioned but didn't have to display when she said the words onscreen.

Situational awareness: Heritage does not have an in-house paramilitary or security apparatus sufficient to carry out a revolution on a national scale. Using "we," Roberts is suggesting that Heritage is aligned with armed entities that could be activated if there is resistance to [their coup. Classic intimidation tactic: submit or else.] https://t.co/3WZVlkCG5a
— Ruth Ben-Ghiat (@ruthbenghiat) July 3, 2024

The words behind "Show More" are "their coup. Classic intimidation tactic: submit or else." Don't submit.

That threat is made worse by the Supreme Court's immunity ruling, which gives convicted criminal Hoover Cleveland the ability to commit crimes in an official capacity with impunity. That's what alarms Jason Johnson and me, too.

It also alarms Joy Reid and her guest Sherrilyn Ifill, who said ‘Our country will suffer’: ‘King Trump' and Project 2025’s promise of violence.

The fallout from the Supreme Court’s decision on Donald Trump’s presidential immunity continues to unfold as the future of democracy remains uncertain. Sherrilyn Ifill, Endowed Chair in Civil Rights at Howard University, joins Joy Reid to warn voters.

As a reminder to my readers of how the U.S. will suffer, here is the graphic listing Project 2025's goals.

Again, yikes!

I might return with Part 5 tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Wednesday, June 19, 2024

Reuters, USA Today, and Vox explain Juneteenth

A joyous Juneteenth! I'm celebrating the newest federal holiday with three videos beginning with Reuters asking and answering What is Juneteenth, America's newest federal holiday?

Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day, is observed on June 19 each year. It became a U.S. federal holiday in 2021, following the signing of a bill by President Joe Biden[.]

This video serves as an update to USA Today asking and answering What is Juneteenth? The holiday's history and significance, explained.

President Joe Biden signed legislation marking Juneteenth, a day commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, as a federal holiday.

The president signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act at 3:30 p.m. on June 17 in the East Room of the White House. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris also gave remarks on the passage of the bill and the significance of the holiday.

That's a good overview of the holiday as of 2021 with an even better preview image, one so colorful that I originally placed it first.

For more depth, I'm sharing Vox explaining Why all Americans should honor Juneteenth.

An historian explains the history and significance of the holiday.
...
Note: This video was previously titled, "Juneteenth, explained." The title has been changed to better reflect the video's content.

When American schoolchildren learn about chattel slavery in the US, we’re often told it ended with Abraham Lincoln’s signature on the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863.

But, as late as June 19, 1865, enslaved people in Texas were still held in bondage. On that date, the Federal troops entered the state and began to punish slave holders and former confederates who refused to obey the law.

“Juneteenth is a deeply emotional moment for enslaved people,” says historian Karlos K. Hill, of the University of Oklahoma.

In Texas and across the country, emancipated African Americans began celebrating annually, with parades, concerts, and picnics. “Being able to go wherever they want and being able to wander about; for enslaved people, it was an expression of their freedom,” says Hill. “Formerly enslaved people celebrating, in public, their newfound freedom, was an act of resistance.”

However, by 1877, the Federal government had largely abandoned the South. The lynching era— when hundreds of African Americans were killed by white mobs each year across the North and the South— began soon after.

Today, Dr. Hill says, commemorating Juneteenth is important for all Americans because it helps us see all the ways that slavery still shapes this country, including, as he says, “the desire to master and dominate black bodies.”

As much as I like Vox's videos, I'm surprised I haven't embedded this one in one of my previous posts. It was about time I did.

That's a wrap for today's holiday. Stay tuned for more celebrations of American Eagle Day, National Seashell Day, the Summer Solstice, World Giraffe Day, World Rainforest Day, Detroit-Style Pizza Day, and Souther. As I wrote yesterday, I have the rest of my blogging week already cut out for me!

Saturday, January 20, 2024

Barack Obama among diverse winners in front of the camera and microphone at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards

I told my readers "I'm not done with diversity among winners at the Emmy Awards. I'm planning on examining diversity in acting, hosting, and voice acting at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards next in the series." That didn't quite happen, as Colbert, Meyers, and Kimmel return from the Emmys to take closer looks at the Iowa Caucus was the next in the series, but I'm making up for it today by revisiting the entries examining the categories producing diverse winners beginning with Barack Obama defends his Emmy against Hollywood all-stars narrating nature and science documentaries.

Obama won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Narrator last year, so when he's defending it now that he's been nominated again for this category. Like last year, he's contending against stiff competition in Mahershala Ali for "Chimp Empire," Angela Bassett for "Good Night Oppy," Morgan Freeman for "Our Universe," and Pedro Pascal for "Patagonia"...

That written, the experts at Gold Derby currently have Obama as the favorite, followed by Bassett, Freeman, Ali, and Pascal. That's about the order I see and the order in which I'd root for the nominees. Besides, who am I to argue against the experts?

And Obama repeated as Outstanding Narrator. Congratulations! To celebrate, I'm sharing The Seeker's Barack Obama's Journey from U.S. President to Emmy-Winning Hollywood Star.

I found this surprisingly well-written and the only sign that an actual human likely didn't narrate it was the pause after the D in "Dwight D. Eisenhower." A person would have realized that was not the end of a sentence, while the program read it as such.

Follow over the jump for the other diverse winners in front of the camera and microphone.

The '2023 Emmys Celebrates Diversity With Most Winning Actors of Color' for the week of MLK Day

I celebrated diversity in acting winners at the Golden Globes on Sunday, so it's time to do the same for the Emmy Awards winners, as I promised thrice. The Hollywood Reporter made it easy for me by uploading 2023 Emmys Celebrates Diversity With Most Winning Actors of Color.

The 2023 Emmy Awards were its most diverse yet! The Emmys celebrated its 75th anniversary on Monday night after being pushed 4 months due to the dual writers and actors strikes. Appropriately falling on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the show handed out five of the 12 acting Emmys during the telecast to performers of color.

In addition to Quinta Brunson, Ayo Edebiri, Niecy Nash-Betts, Ali Wong, and Steven Yeun winning as actors, Lee Sung Jin won three Emmys for producing, writing, and directing Beef, the last of which he shared with Wong and Yeun, who IMDB lists as executive producers of the limited series, for five Primetime Emmys for the show. Added to the three Creative Arts Emmy Awards the show won, that's a total of eight, tying it with The Last of Us and only surpassed by The Bear with ten total Emmy Awards.

The Hollywood Reporter also noted that RuPaul won a 15th Emmy for RuPaul's Drag Race and Trevor Noah won for The Daily Show. IMDB shows the former is warranted, as it lists RuPaul as a producer. On the other hand, I'm not seeing Noah listed as a producer of The Daily Show, so he may have accepted the award, but I don't know if he gets to keep it. That may be an omission on the part of IMDB, not a mistake by The Hollywood Reporter. I found two errors in the IMDB page for the 51st Saturn Awards and the IMDB pages for the Environmental Media Association (EMA) Awards are complete messes. It's enough to make me want to volunteer for the EMA to fix them as a retirement project.

Follow over the jump for The Hollywood Reporter mentioning other dimensions of diversity recognized at Monday night's ceremony.

Creators of COVID-19 mRNA vaccine and other Nobel Prize winners for an early Nobel Prize Day

A happy early celebration of Nobel Prize Day! I begin the observance with NBC News reporting Two scientists receive Nobel Prize in medicine for work on Covid-19 mRNA vaccine this past October.

Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman received the Nobel Prize in medicine for their work on the Covid-19 mRNA vaccine. The two found a way to create a vaccine that would get past the body’s defenses but still prompt the immune system to make antibodies to fight the disease. NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell shares more.

Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman won the Nobel Prize just days after How to Survive a Pandemic about the development of the COVID-19 vaccine won Outstanding Science and Technology Documentary. That's two expert recognitions of COVID-19 vaccines, which came from HIV research and can still result in an HIV vaccine — a technology going full-circle! It's also an early fulfillment of a prediction I made three years ago — "work on coronavirus is likely to win Nobel Prizes, whether in Chemistry or Medicine, about a decade from now. May we all live long enough to see it." It only took three years!

Follow over the jump for the rest of this year's Nobel Prize winners.

A late celebration of RuPaul's birthday with the Emmy nominations for 'Drag Race'

In addition to yesterday being Life Day, it was also RuPaul Charles' birthday, which I learned when my wife told me about all the celebrities she shared her birthday with.* Because it was her birthday, I had better things to do than use the day to write a tribute post, opting instead for George Santos not running for re-election after ethics report, closer looks from Colbert, Meyers, and Kimmel, which was much quicker. However, I still want to celebrate by picking up where I left off in Pete Davidson hosts as 'Saturday Night Live' returns, which I ended by telling my readers to "stay tuned" as "The next installment will be about the competition shows, but that might be a while." Now that the actors strike is over, it's time.

I begin with RuPaul's Drag Race's sole nomination at the Primetime Emmy Awards.

Outstanding Reality Competition Program
The Amazing Race (CBS)
RuPaul's Drag Race (MTV)
Survivor (CBS)
Top Chef (Bravo)
The Voice (NBC)

With last year's winner Lizzo's Watch Out for the Big Grrrls not competing, I expect RuPaul's Drag Race will win easily. So do the experts at Gold Derby, eight of whom have picked it to win. Only one disagrees, choosing Top Chef instead. The site's fans agree, voting RuPaul's Drag Race the winner for Competition Program at the Gold Derby Awards. I'm in good company.

Speaking of Gold Derby, the site hosted Making of ‘RuPaul's Drag Race’: Fun roundtable with producer and 3 crafts artisans in June.

Making of ‘RuPaul's Drag Race’: Fun roundtable with producer and 3 crafts artisans. Guests are executive producer Tom Campbell, production designer Gianna Costa, composer Leland and choreographer Miguel Zarate. Gold Derby editor Rob Licuria hosts this special behind-the-scenes panel for 2023 Emmy contenders.

Tom Campbell repeated what I quoted last year: "I make a political statement every time I bat my false eyelashes" — well-said and a perfect quote to explain why I cover this show.

Follow over the jump for the categories nominated at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards.

'PRIDE: To Be Seen' leads nominees for Outstanding Arts, Culture or Entertainment Coverage at the News & Doc Emmy Awards

I closed 'VICE News Tonight' leads nominations for Outstanding Business, Consumer or Economic Coverage at the News & Doc Emmy Awards on the Autumnal Equinox by writing "I think I'll shift to Outstanding Arts, Culture or Entertainment Coverage tomorrow to make it a proper Sunday entertainment feature." Here are the nominees for that category.

Outstanding Arts, Culture or Entertainment Coverage
20/20 Cinderella: The Reunion ABC
ABC News Soul of a Nation Presents PRIDE: To Be Seen ABC
CNN FlashDocs Taking on Taylor Swift CNN
Nightline What America Owes: The Stolen Generation ABC
VICE News Tonight The Dark Side of Manga Vice

The "PRIDE: To Be Seen" episode of ABC News' Soul of a Nation Presents is the only nominee for this award that also has a nomination in another category, Outstanding Direction: News. All the rest have just this one nomination. On that basis, I'm considering "PRIDE: To Be Seen" to be the favorite. Last year's winner, The New York Times Presents: "Malfunction: The Dressing Down of Janet Jackson" provides very little guidance, weakly supporting the possibility of CNN FlashDocs's "Taking on Taylor Swift" being the main competition for "PRIDE: To Be Seen." That last year's most nominated entry for Outstanding Arts, Culture or Entertainment Coverage, Soul of a Nation: "Tulsa's Buried Truth," didn't win either of its nominated categories supports this possibility as well.

Outstanding Direction: News
ABC News Election Night 2022 ABC
ABC News Soul of a Nation Presents PRIDE: To Be Seen ABC
CBS Saturday MorningDavid Byrne’s American Utopia CBS
Live from the Capitol: January 6th, One Year Later CNN
Soul of a Nation Presents X / o n e r a t e d – The Murder of Malcolm X and 55 Years to Justice ABC

On the other hand, last year's winner of this category, Soul of a Nation: "Juneteenth: Together We Triumph," supports one of the two nominees from Soul of a Nation being the winner. That could just as easily be "X / o n e r a t e d – The Murder of Malcolm X and 55 Years to Justice," which also has two nominations, the other for Outstanding Crime and Justice Coverage. However, I suspect the nominee with the most total nominations, CNN's Live from the Capitol: January 6th, One Year Later, will be the one that actually wins. It earned nominations for Outstanding Live News Special and Technical Excellence: News for three nominations overall. I have a graphic for Outstanding Live News Special and I might use it in one final post about the nominees before the News ceremony on Wednesday, September 27th.

Before I close, I can't help mentioning that American Utopia, which won two Creative Arts Emmy Awards, is getting another bite at the Emmys apple by proxy as CBS Saturday Morning's only nomination. One last hurrah!

I plan on taking a break from News & Documentary Emmy Awards coverage tomorrow by returning to strike coverage. There have been developments in both the UAW strike and WGA strike and I'm thinking of covering one or both. Stay tuned.

Previous posts about the 2023 News & Documentary Emmy Awards

Wednesday, July 5, 2023

FiveThirtyEight asks 'How Impactful Was This Supreme Court Term?'

This year's Supreme Court term was about as eventful as last year's, which I summarized in CNBC examines 'How The Supreme Court May Threaten Democracy', so it deserves its own examination. I'm turning to the FiveThirtyEight Politics Podcast, which asked How Impactful Was This Supreme Court Term?

The Supreme Court wrapped up its business for the term last week, closing out a docket that touched on the Voting Rights Act, affirmative action in university admissions, student loan forgiveness, business services to LGBTQ people, religious liberty and the power of state legislatures.

It was another term with high-profile cases, coursing through the heart of some of America’s cultural debates. In this installment of the FiveThirtyEight Politics podcast, the crew discusses whether this year’s decision could ricochet through the political environment, as last year's decisions did. They also take stock of what more we've learned about a still quite new 6-3 conservative majority.

On the one hand, I think America dodged two bullets to democracy in the decisions about the Voting Rights Act and the "Independent State Legislature Theory." On the other, the court damaged access to opportunity in its decisions on affirmative action and business services to LGBTQ people. It also harmed a generation of Americans when it decided against forgiving (some) student loan debt. FiveThirtyEight's panel thought that last would have the biggest immediate political effect, since it hits people in their pocketbooks. They just weren't sure who would get blamed, the Supreme Court and through them the Republican Party, or Joe Biden, because he was unable to keep a promise through no fault of his own. He at least did something about it instead of merely promising and not following through.

Each of the cases FiveThirtyEight mentioned deserves a post of its own, like I did when I wrote Supreme Court weakens EPA authority to enforce Clean Water Act in May. Stay tuned to see if I do.

Sunday, May 28, 2023

Examinations of Disney v. DeSantis from CNBC, Wall Street Journal, and Yahoo! Finance

I told my readers to "stay tuned" yesterday, "as I plan on updating the Disney-DeSantis feud as tomorrow's Sunday entertainment feature." It's tomorrow, so I'm following through on my program note with the financial channels' examination of the conflict, beginning with CNBC's Disney V. DeSantis: Why Florida’s Governor Took On America’s Media Giant.

The political feud between Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Disney has been heating up for the last few months. In April 2023, Disney filed a First Amendment lawsuit against DeSantis, accusing the governor of waging a ‘targeted campaign of government retaliation.” DeSantis, who’s preparing for a 2024 presidential campaign on the GOP ticket, says he isn’t backing down. So how did this all begin? And who will come out on top, once it’s all done?

I'm being a good environmentalist by recycling my reaction from last week.

[DeSantis is] "making himself look even worse while getting liberals to side with a big corporation. Nice trick, but not the one he's trying to pull."

Another trick he's pulling is continuing the trend that I saw developing more than a decade ago and summarized in DeSantis to sign replacement for Reedy Creek Improvement District, Disney World's own government.
Aren't Republicans supposed to be the business-friendly party? Well, they were, but this split has been building for a decade since I wrote about how Newt Gingrich threw big business under the bus while campaigning against Mitt Romney. Ten years later, the rift between Republicans and big business has opened up wide enough for everyone to see. Who knows? Maybe the Republican Party or at least DeSantis will fall into it. Break out the popcorn.
At the time, I thought DeSantis and the Florida Republican Party hadn't fallen into the rift between them and big business. Now, I think they haven't just fallen, but jumped into the widening and deepening chasm. That calls for more popcorn.
...
[The] observation that Republican primary voters are more interested in cultural issues than economic issues fits the shift in “the Republican Party’s base moving from country club to country” as CNN quoted Tom Davis, a former Republican representative from northern Virginia, in 2017. That's what I've been seeing since 2012.
[M]ajor U.S. political parties don't have consistent ideologies. They do, however, have consistent core interest groups and Gingrich is throwing one of them, the northeastern business interests, which have been with the GOP since it formed out of the remains of the Whigs in the 1850s, under the bus. That ended up being smart in the short run, given that he was angling for the votes of Southern populists, who don't care much for the northeastern business interests and haven't since before the founding of the republic.
DeSantis is hoping that will work in his favor.

Based on the polling data CNBC showed and the interviews with DeSantis supporters in Florida, it has so far. It remains to be seen how well it will continue to work now that Ron DeSantis is officially running for President against Donald Trump for the Republican nomination, and, should he actually get the nomination, in the general election.

Follow over the jump for videos by The Wall Street Journal and Yahoo! Finance on the subject.

Disney sues DeSantis

It's time to follow through on a footnote.

I need to follow up on DeSantis's reaction to Disney subverting DeSantis's replacement for the Reedy Creek Improvement District, Disney World's own government; he's making himself look even worse while getting liberals to side with a big corporation. Nice trick, but not the one he's trying to pull.

The situation developed into a legal case yesterday, as 10 Tampa Bay reported Disney sues Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis yesterday.

The legal filing is the latest salvo in a more than year-old feud between Disney and DeSantis that has engulfed the governor in criticism as he prepares to launch an expected presidential bid in the coming months.

DeSantis, who has framed himself as a Republican firebrand able to deftly implement his conservative agenda without drama, has dived headlong into the fray with the beloved company and major tourism driver, as business leaders and White House rivals bash his stance as a rejection of the small-government tenets of conservatism.

“We are unaware of any legal right that a company has to operate its own government or maintain special privileges not held by other businesses in the state,” said DeSantis spokeswoman Taryn Fenske. “This lawsuit is yet another unfortunate example of their hope to undermine the will of the Florida voters and operate outside the bounds of the law.”

10 Tampa Bay followed up this morning in Disney vs DeSantis: The latest with the lawsuit.

The suit was filed minutes after a Disney World oversight board appointed by DeSantis voted to void a deal that placed theme park decisions in the company's hands.

10 Tampa Bay reported on Disney's claims as well as DeSantis's response. Yahoo Finance emphasized the relief that Disney asked for in Disney files lawsuit against Florida Governor DeSantis.

Yahoo Finance legal reporter Alexis Keenan joins Yahoo Finance Live anchors to discuss the ongoing feud between Disney and Governor DeSantis, with the latest details surrounding Disney's lawsuit filing.

I hope that Disney gets its relief, but be patient, because the wheels of justice grind slowly, but they grind exceedingly fine.

Follow over the jump for reactions that put the conflict in context.

Classified documents leak headlines 'Weekend Update' on 'SNL'

Happy Sunday! I begin the highlights of last night's "Saturday Night Live" episode with Weekend Update: Trump Claims Police Cried at His Arrest, Biden Downplays Pentagon Documents Leak.

Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week's biggest news, like the suspect in the Pentagon classified document leak getting arrested.

I begin my reaction by being a good environmentalist and recycling one of my comments from Colbert's monologue examined security leaks, Justice Thomas, and Tennessee expelling two legislators.

[T]his is the kind of bad behavior that might have induced [Discord] to change its privacy policy (H/T Infidel753). The participants in 2017's Weimar moment in Charlottesville used Discord to organize as well. I should research this change, but I wouldn't be surprised if I found out that Discord made it either at the behest of law enforcement or to discourage people from using its service for criminal activity — maybe both.

This story reminds me that I run a Discord server for this blog and one of my New Year's resolutions was to get more users. I have to do some more work with roles and channels first. Still, if you're interested, leave a comment below or send me a message on Facebook through the Crazy Eddie's Motie News page.

Readers interested in my Discord can also follow the Crazy Eddie's Motie News account on Twitter and send me a message for an invite. I'm not opening up my messages to just anyone!

I observed that "MSNBC has been all over...a ruling reversing the FDA's approval of mifepristone, which I don't recall 'Saturday Night Live' mentioning in the clips I shared yesterday. Huh..." in James Austin Johnson's 'Trump' hijacks the Last Supper on 'SNL' for Easter. I'm glad they finally got around to making a joke about it, even if the situation isn't all that funny. I also wrote "I'll get to that story later." I will, but it's still developing.

As for The Former Guy including the detail about people, particularly, "big, strong men," crying, I consider it a tell that he's BSing or lying (there is a difference, but both involve not telling the truth) right up with with them addressing him as "Sir." Not only that, but both also mark this as a story in service to his ego and image. Don't believe any story that contains either.

Weekend Update continued with NYC Hires First-Ever "Rat Czar," Rescuers Save Lost Hikers on Mushrooms.

Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week's biggest news, like the New York City Department of Sanitation releasing a new campaign.

All those stories were hilarious and nearly all the punch lines were in bad taste. SNL's writers would probably take that as a compliment.

Follow over the jump for the rest of Weekend Update, the host's monologue, and the cold open.

Seth Meyers takes closer looks at Silicon Valley Bank

While I've been busy celebrating minor holidays, the federal government has been rescuing Silicon Valley Bank, which failed late last week because of an old-fashioned bank run. I don't think I've blogged about one of those since I posted Ten years ago, we were partying like it was 1929. Are we about to do it again? That was five years ago and was a call back to Four years ago, we were partying like 1929--what a difference today! Both of those were actually about 2008, fifteen years ago. Wow, it's been a while!

Since it's easier for me to approach a topic through comedy (and my readers seem to like it better, too), I'm sharing two closer look segments from Seth Meyers, beginning with last night's DeSantis and GOP Blame "Wokeness" for Bank Crisis After Gutting Dodd-Frank: A Closer Look.

Seth takes a closer look at the Republican Party going all in on the pathetic claim that Silicon Valley Bank collapsed because it was "woke," while they also desperately try to prop up Ron DeSantis with glowing profiles and easy interviews on Fox News.

I'm repurposing my reaction from Seth Meyers takes a closer look at Republicans reacting to the Ohio train derailment so I can recycle it here.

[B]laming [economic] problems on liberal social policy looks like changing the rationale for attacking the same targets the GOP is aiming at already. They're more interested in beating up on the recipients of their ire than actually solving the problems.

All I had to do was change environmental to economic. I continued by writing that "It also comes off as hypocrisy and projection." That ties into Monday night's segment on Silicon Valley Bank's failure, Trump Blamed for Gutting Financial Rules After Silicon Valley Bank Collapse: A Closer Look.

Seth takes a closer look at the Biden administration trying to stem the fallout from the sudden collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, which has put a spotlight on efforts by the Trump administration to weaken financial rules that could have prevented the crisis.

"Oh, no, our economic policies couldn't have caused an economic crisis. Our opponents' social policies had to." When all a party has is culture war, then every issue becomes part of the culture war, even when social policy has nothing to do with it. It's enough to drive one to drink, but I usually save that for St. Patrick's Day. Stay tuned.

Monday, February 13, 2023

DeSantis to sign replacement for Reedy Creek Improvement District, Disney World's own government

Happy Monday the 13th! Since I blogged about the effects of the pandemic on Disney parks on 2020's Monday the 13th, it's only appropriate that I cover the effects of another plague on "The Most Magical Place on Earth," Ron DeSantis. The Florida Legislature following up on the repeal of the legislation authorizing the Reedy Creek Improvement District, Disney World's own government is the reason the story is back in the news, which I mentioned .yesterday. Watch WESH 2 in Orlando reporting Florida Senate passes bill to appoint new Reedy Creek governing board.

I'm glad WESH included Florida State Senators Linda Stewart and Geraldine Thompson pointing out how this bill meddled in the affairs of a private company and how it was retaliation for Disney standing up for its LGBT employees and customers.

WESH added more analysis in its next report, Bill to appoint new Reedy Creek governing board heads to Gov. Ron DeSantis' desk.

I weighed in on the reasons DeSantis's action against Disney mattered last year.

As I first wrote in 2011, "America is quite clear about its screwed up priorities. My experience has convinced me that the surest way to get Americans to act is to mess with their entertainment." Retaliating against Disney in ways that might affect its ability to provide services for its guests has at least the appearance and maybe even the reality of messing with Americans' entertainment. This might not end well for DeSantis.

Another reason for the attention this story has attracted is its "man bites dog" aspect. Aren't Republicans supposed to be the business-friendly party? Well, they were, but this split has been building for a decade since I wrote about how Newt Gingrich threw big business under the bus while campaigning against Mitt Romney. Ten years later, the rift between Republicans and big business has opened up wide enough for everyone to see. Who knows? Maybe the Republican Party or at least DeSantis will fall into it. Break out the popcorn.

So, how did this end up turning out. The answer can be seen in the question Disney YouTuber Fresh Baked asked: Did Bob Iger just defeat DeSantis in the fight over Reedy Creek?

The era of Reedy Creek as we know it may be over, as the state of Florida approved a bill on Friday that would replace it. But is this still a win for Disney? I think so and I'll explain why.

His answer is mostly yes. DeSantis gets to say that he renamed the district to one that sounds like government is in charge of business and not the other way around and removed Disney's control of the board. On the other hand, the district still has most of the powers it had before, which helps Disney. The result salvages a win-win scenario for both Disney and DeSantis. This is as good an outcome as I could imagine given how it began as a surreal right-wing attack on the company, as I mentioned in 'SNL' satirizes 'Fox & Friends' in its Supreme Court cold open. Consequently, DeSantis and the Florida Republican Party didn't fall into the rift between them and big business.

By the way, this development has an unexpected silver lining, as the tweet quoting the Orlando Sentinel below mentions.

This is intriguing: “Disney could be more willing to develop its property for residential use now that it no longer needs to limit who lives in the district to keep control of its government.” https://t.co/eqWUf3Etst
— Sammy Roth (@Sammy_Roth) February 11, 2023

That might just solve the housing affordability crisis facing cast members!

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