Jul 29
2024
Trump vs. Harris: The heavyweight battle begins
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I like to lead my Monday Morning Read with something local, but how can you ignore the presidential election?
Maybe it’s just me, but it seems every time Donald Trump or J.D. Vance open their mouths, they alienate non-MAGA voters and turbo-charge supporters of Kamala Harris.
Take, for example, Trump’s pronouncement the other day that there will be no need for elections in four years should he win the White House in November. Here’s a story and, better yet, the video.
Then there’s the proposal floated by Vance in 2021 to give voters with children more clout at the polls than those without. Again, story and video. (It’s little wonder that Politico is reporting some Republicans are turned off by Vance.)
Pew Research offers insights into childless adults. Suffice to say, Vance has targeted a large chunk of the population.
Harris is running in part on her background as a prosecutor. The Marshall Project assesses where she stands on criminal justice issues.
Finally, the latest polls show the race is a dead heat, with Harris gaining momentum.
This is going to be an entertaining 98 days.
The Buffalo Newspaper Guild, which represents newsroom employees of The Buffalo News, among others, has settled a new three-year contract with Lee Enterprises, the paper’s chain owner. Some of the terms seem decent, including 3 percent annual raises, but also includes a major concession, termination of the pension plan. Meanwhile, an analyst writing for Seeking Alpha, notes that revenue has declined for Lee Enterprises and said “the company’s financial situation is concerning, with a high debt load and potential for significant stock dilution.”
Schools in New York State spend about double the national average per student. For that largess, New York ranks 22nd in the nation for reading test scores, 24th for drop-out rates and 27th for the percent of certified teachers. On balance, New York schools rank 8th of the 50 states and District of Columbia. Not an impressive bang for the buck. Meanwhile, the Citizens Budget Commission has recommended reforms to New York State’s aid to education.
Margaret Sullivan spoke last week at the Chautauqua Institute on the state of local journalism. Among her comments:
“I think one of the things that worries me the most is that when local journalism dries up, we lose a common basis of truth and reality. You could disagree with your neighbor about issues or about politicians or about what was happening, but you kind of shared the fact that things were based on some facts. I think we’ve really, really lost that.”
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Rupert Murdoch is working behind the scenes to ensure his media empire remains a force for disinformation after he dies.
The Marshall Project assesses the growing trend of police departments to deploy unarmed response teams to handle certain types of situations.
Out-of-control forest fires have returned, with devastating results. Take a look at this video from what remains of Jasper, Alberta. Gripping.
Last week planet Earth experienced the four hottest days ever recorded. Yet there are those who claim climate change is a hoax.
You may or may not know the name John Mayall, the godfather of British Blues. But you’re familiar with the legion of great guitarists he nurtured, starting with Eric Clapton, seen playing here with Mayall in 2003. I saw Mayall play twice at the Tralf. RIP.
