Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Jonathan Chait: Mueller Is Investigating Trump as a Russian Asset (NY Mag)
On Friday night, the New York Times published a bombshell report that the FBI has been investigating whether President Trump "had been working on behalf of Russia against American interests." The story reframes the focus and purpose of the investigation now headed by Robert Mueller. The probe is not just about Russian election interference, or about Trump's obstruction of the probe - it is about the secret relationship between Trump and Russia that appears to be causing both these things to happen.
Paul Waldman: The shutdown is reminding everyone of the good things government does (Washington Post)
• The Food and Drug Administration has halted food safety inspections.
• Environmental Protection Agency inspectors are no longer monitoring compliance with environmental laws.
• Air traffic controllers, who make sure the 43,000 daily flights in the United States don't slam into one another and send some of the 2.6 million passengers plunging to a fiery death, are working without pay.
• Aid programs like food stamps and the Women, Infants, and Children program (WIC), which provides formula, food, and other kinds of assistance to poor mothers and their children, could soon run out of money and have to curtail benefits.
• Federal contractors are losing $200 million a day, according to Bloomberg News . …
Alexandra Petri: Further compassionate suggestions for government employees struggling during the shutdown (Washington Post)
"Have a garage sale. Turn your hobby into income. Become a mystery shopper. Tutor students, give music or sports lessons. Bankruptcy is a last option." - Actual suggestions from a tip sheet for making ends meet during the furlough for Coast Guard employees, since removed.
Lucy Mangan: Sex Education review - a horny teen comedy … and so much more (The Guardian)
This Netflix show about life for the son of a sex therapist could so easily have been embarrassing. Instead, it is a glorious, heartfelt, eye-wateringly funny creation.
Lucy Mangan on the 9 things we should all feel grateful for in 2019 (Stylist)
7. All pro-life men getting vasectomies so that they can be assured with one simple operation that they cannot create any unwanted pregnancies. I have been waiting so long for this very obvious move that I'm assuming 2019 must be the year it happens. See also assorted Tories swallowing their own tongues in shame.
Oliver Burkeman: Want to transform your life? Stop chasing perfection (The Guardian)
Give up the rat race, accept reality and have the courage to be disliked - the latest self-help trend is not about self-reinvention but finding contentment in the life you have.
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Presenting
Michael Egan
wrote:
took the day off.
In memory.
Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
from Bruce
Anecdotes
• On Saturday, January 2, 2010, a golden retriever named Angel lived up to her name by saving Austin Forman, her 11-year-old owner, from a cougar attack in Boston Bar, British Columbia, Canada. Austin said, "I'm pretty sure that if my dog wasn't there I wouldn't be here right now. Thank goodness we are both alive and she protected me." Austin was hauling firewood to his family's home when the cougar appeared. He said, "It was coming after me, and Angel intercepted. The cougar grabbed Angel." The two animals fought as Austin ran screaming into his home. His mother, Sherri Forman, call 911, and the dispatcher told Boston Bar RCMP Const. Chad Gravelle, who immediately jumped in his car and drove to the Formans' home. He said, "I could see the cougar had the dog in its mouth, around the dog's neck. It was chewing on its neck." Const. Gravelle shot the cougar twice, killing it. He thought that Angel was dead, but she took a noisy breath. Despite numerous wounds, Angel was expected to fully recover from the cougar attack. Sherri, Austin's mother, said, "It could have turned out a lot different if it wasn't for Angel. She's our guardian angel."
• In February 1985, Priscilla, a three-month-old pet pig, became the first animal to be inducted into the Texas Animal Hall of Fame. Owned by Victoria Herberta, Priscilla wore a harness and a leash similar to those worn by dogs. During a trip to a lake in the Houston area, Priscilla began swimming. Wading in the water was 11-year-old Anthony Melton, who could not swim. Anthony reached a drop-off ledge in the water and found himself in water over his head. Priscilla swam close to the thrashing boy, who grabbed her harness. Priscilla then swam to shore, towing the boy behind her. Although Priscilla weighed only 45 pounds and the boy weighed much more, Priscilla saved the boy's life.
• One of the best things that Johanna and Roger Tanner ever did was to get a cat named Grover. One night in the late 1970s, their house filled with smoke after a defective intercom started a fire. Although Grover could have gotten out of the house, he stayed. First he went into the bathroom and started knocking bottles and other items on the floor. No one woke up. So Grover went into the bedroom of the Tanners' daughter, four-year-old Lynn, and bit and scratched her, making her cry. Her crying woke up her parents, who got Lynn, Grover, and the family dog out of the house. As a smoke detector, Grover has one advantage over other smoke detectors-no batteries are required.
• "A dog is the only thing on earth that will love you more than you love yourself." - Josh Billings
• "Old age means realizing you will never own all the dogs you wanted to." - Joe Gores
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Last Night
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Nashville Tribute
Willie Nelson
TV tapings can be a drag. But amid the set changes and staged introductions from host Ed Helms at Saturday night's all-star tribute to Willie Nelson in Nashville, there were some true moments of musical spontaneity - particularly from the guest of honor.
Titled Willie: Life & Songs of an American Outlaw and produced by Blackbird Presents, the concert, which will air sometime this year on A&E, assembled a powerful cast of guest artists to pay tribute to the 85-year-old. George Strait, Kris Kristofferson, Emmylou Harris, Jimmy Buffett, Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson and Eric Church all performed songs from, about or popularized by Nelson, often in collaboration with the Country Music Hall of Fame member himself.
Chris Stapleton opened the evening - like Nelson has been doing since the Seventies - with Johnny Bush's "Whiskey River," adding extra muscle to the song with his patented growl and establishing the tone of the tribute: these wouldn't be paint-by-number re-creations. Rather, the Nelson catalog had room to breathe, thanks to bandleader Don Was's versatile A-list house band, which included Amanda Shires, Jamey Johnson, Audley Freed, Paul Franklin and Nelson's longtime harmonica player Mickey Raphael.
Margo Price, with an assist from Bobby Bare, offered a rowdy "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys," Steve Earle, with Price, cow-punked "Sister's Coming Home" and Lee Ann Womack added a hint of Countrypolitan to "Three Days." Following a sublime reading of "My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys," Lyle Lovett even picked up the tempo, joining Asleep at the Wheel's Ray Benson for a full and funky "Shotgun Willie."
Willie Nelson
Hosts Benefit
Michael Che
"Saturday Night Live" funnyman Michael Che hosted a fundraiser for a cause close to home: New York City public housing.
Che's "Weekend Update" co-host Colin Jost and fellow comedians Amy Schumer and Michelle Wolf joined Che Friday at the sold-out benefit for the nonprofit Fund for Public Housing.
Che grew up in a public housing complex on the Lower East Side.
He announced his plan for the benefit last month. He said on Instagram that many public housing residents have gone without heat this winter and "this money could really help."
Che said the event raised nearly $110,000 before the doors opened.
Michael Che
Broadway Bio
Carole King
Anything can happen in live theater, and audience members seeing "Beautiful," the life story of Carole King, got a surprise when King appeared in the role of herself to celebrate the show's fifth anniversary on Broadway.
The packed house at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre erupted into thunderous cheers and applause as King appeared Saturday night, sitting at a baby grand piano and showing all the love in her heart as she sang "Beautiful," the final song.
"It's kind of miraculous that this show has lasted for five years because not many do. And it's a testament to, I think, people say the music ... but the book is so good and the direction and the lighting and the sets. It's really a well put together production," King said in an interview with The Associated Press after the show.
She has sung onstage during curtain calls during the show's long run but has never appeared in the show itself.
The show features a collection of famous pop music, written by King and her ex-husband Gerry Goffin, as well as Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, including the classics "You've Got a Friend," ''One Fine Day," ''Up on the Roof," ''You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" and "Natural Woman."
Carole King
Season 2
'Big Brother: Celebrity Edition'
The Season 2 cast of "Big Brother: Celebrity Edition" includes a comedian, a former White House staffer, a couple of Olympic athletes and one of O.J. Simpson's old pals, CBS announced Sunday.
Julie Chen Moonves returns as the host, welcoming the 12 celebrity houseguests who will compete for $250,000.
And the houseguests are actor/host Jonathan Bennett, singer Tamar Braxton, singer Kandi Burruss, comedian Tom Green, Olympic track and bobsledder Lolo Jones, TV personality Kato Kaelin, actor Joey Lawrence, 12-time Olympic medalist Ryan Lochte, mom-ager Dina Lohan, former WWE wrestler Natalie Eva Marie, former White House director of communications Anthony Scaramucci and former NFL star Ricky Williams.
The show will continue for three weeks, before concluding with a two-hour finale on Feb. 13.
'Big Brother: Celebrity Edition'
Added Strains
Shutdown
Fallout from the federal government shutdown is hurting Native Americans as dwindling funds hamper access to health care and other services. The pain is especially deep in tribal communities with high rates of poverty and unemployment, where one person often supports an extended family.
In New Mexico, a lone police officer patrolled a Native American reservation larger in size than Houston on a shift that normally has three people, responding to multiple car wrecks during a snow storm, emergency calls and requests for welfare checks.
Elsewhere, federally funded road maintenance programs are operating with skeleton crews and struggling to keep roads clear on remote reservations. Tribal members said they can't get referrals for specialty care from the Indian Health Service if their conditions aren't life-threatening.
Native American tribes rely heavily on funding guaranteed by treaties with the U.S., acts of Congress and other agreements for public safety, social services, education and health care for their members. Because of the shutdown, tribal officials say some programs are on the brink of collapse and others are surviving with tribes filling funding gaps.
About 9,000 Indian Health Service employees, or 60 percent, are working without pay and 35 percent are working with funding streams not affected by the shutdown, according to the Health and Human Services department's shutdown plan. That includes staff providing direct care to patients. The agency delivers health care to about 2.2 million Native Americans and Alaska Natives.
Shutdown
Emergency Update
Magnetic Field
Earth's magnetic north pole is veering towards Siberia at an incredibly fast rate, and experts are not sure why.
The erratic movement has forced the scientists tasked with monitoring the planet's magnetic field to update their system that underlies global navigation, from Google Maps to shipping.
Scientists must periodically update the World Magnetic Model to map this process, and the most recent version - produced in 2015 - was intended to last until 2020.
However, the magnetic field has been changing so quickly and erratically that while conducting a routine check in early 2018 British and US researchers realised drastic steps were needed.
The shift they observed was so large it was on the verge of exceeding the acceptable limit for navigation errors.
Magnetic Field
Industry Tries To Protect A Word
Meat
More than four months after Missouri became the first U.S. state to regulate the term "meat" on product labels, Nebraska's powerful farm groups are pushing for similar protection from veggie burgers, tofu dogs and other items that look and taste like real meat.
Nebraska lawmakers will consider a bill this year defining meat as "any edible portion of any livestock or poultry, carcass, or part thereof" and excluding "lab-grown or insect or plant-based food products." It would make it a crime to advertise or sell something "as meat that is not derived from poultry or livestock."
Similar measures aimed at meat alternatives are pending in Tennessee, Virginia and Wyoming. They come amid a debate over what to call products that are being developed using the emerging science of meat grown by culturing cells in a lab. Supporters of the science are embracing the term "clean meat" - language the conventional meat industry strongly opposes.
The issue strikes a particularly strong chord in Nebraska, one of the nation's top states for livestock production, where cars roll down the interstate with "Beef State" license plates and the governor each year proclaims May as "Beef Month."
Farm groups have found an unusual ally in state Sen. Carol Blood, a city-dwelling vegetarian from the Omaha suburb of Bellevue. Blood, who grew up on a farm, said she introduced the measure because agriculture is Nebraska's largest industry and needs to be protected for the good of the whole state.
Meat
Alaska Coast Guard
"Kushtaka"
After wrapping up a month-long shoot, a budding filmmaker is putting the finishing touches on a movie short produced on the Emerald Isle.
Cameron Currin, a Coast Guard member by day and film director in his free time, said his film "Kushtaka" is inspired by a Tlingit legendary creature of the same name, which translates as Land-Otter Man. The film is also adapted from "The Strangest Story Ever Told," a story written by Harry Colp.
"I wanted to make a film related to where I've lived for a while," Currin said. "I did a lot of research about Alaskan myths and came across the otter man."
Currin said the myth stood out, so he did more research on it, which led him to "The Strangest Story Ever Told." Colp's story recounts how one of his prospecting friends, named Charlie, encountered a swarm of the creatures in Thomas Bay.
The film is about 15 minutes long, has no dialogue and is shot in black and white in a tribute to the films of the early 1900s. An official one-minute trailer, which can be found at kushtakafilm.com, provides a foreboding musical track and plenty of up-close detail shots foreshadowing a less-than-desirable outcome.
"Kushtaka"
Weekend Box Office
'The Upside'
Kevin Hart isn't hosting the Oscars, but he's got a number one movie. "The Upside," starring Hart and Bryan Cranston, surpassed expectations to open with $19.6 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.
The strong performance of "The Upside" pushed "Aquaman" to second after the aquatic superhero's three-week reign atop the North American box office. Warner Bros.' "Aquaman" still passed $1 billion worldwide over the weekend, becoming the first DC Comics release to reach that mark since 2012's "The Dark Knight Rises."
Neil Burger's film, which cost about $35 million to make, stars Hart as an ex-con who becomes a caretaker for a physically disabled author (Cranston). It was originally to be distributed by the Weinstein Co. Harvey Weinstein premiered the film at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival just weeks before the many allegations of sexual harassment surfaced against the movie mogul.
Early January is often a dumping ground in movie theaters and the weekend featured a number of duds. Keanu Reeves' sci-fi thriller "Replicas" debuted with just $2.5 million for Entertainment Studios - a career low for Reeves. Opening more solidly, in third place, was Sony's canine adventure "A Dog's Way Home" with $11.3 million.
The two biggest winners at last Sunday's Golden Globe Awards - "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "Green Book" - both saw a bump. Fox's Freddie Mercury biopic, which increased its theater count with hundreds of sing-along screenings, was up 35 percent with $3.2 million. The best comedy/musical winner "Green Book" went up 16 percent with $2 million in its ninth week of release.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
2. "Aquaman," $17.3 million ($27.9 million international).
3. "A Dog's Way Home," $11.3 million.
4. "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," $9 million ($9.4 million international).
5. "Escape Room," $8.9 million ($1.5 million international).
6. "Mary Poppins Returns," $7.2 million ($10.6 million international).
7. "Bumblebee," $6.8 million ($35.6 million international).
8. "On the Basis of Sex," $6.2 million.
9. "The Mule," $5.5 million ($2.1 million international).
10. "Vice," $3.3 million ($1.5 million international).
'The Upside'
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