Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Henry Rollins: Thanks to Trump, the U.S. Is Sitting Out the 21st Century (LA Weekly)
Putin's favorite chew toy, comrade Trump, might have finally bitten off a chunk of prime Americana that even he is incapable of swallowing.
Dan Hopper: How The Actual 'Spoiled Elite' Try To Silence Helpful Celebs (Cracked)
But Rex Tillerson, our secretary of State, was an ExxonMobil CEO who received a $180 million severance package. Betsy DeVos, our Education secretary, has a father-in-law worth $5.4 billion, and who is the 88th-richest person in the entire country. These people are orders of magnitude more "elite" than professional athletes and talk show hosts, and we've appointed them to positions of far greater influence. Should we all pile on these two anytime they open their mouths to offer any opinion other than "I am so gracious for being wealthy"?
Daniel Politi: Lin-Manuel Miranda Slams Trump Over Puerto Rico: "You're Going Straight to Hell" (Slate)
President Donald Trump was on the receiving end of lots of criticism on Saturday after he went on a Twitter rant against Carmen Yulín Cruz, the mayor of Puerto Rico's capital of San Juan. Trump said the mayor had been told by Democrats "that you must be nasty to Trump" and then criticized leaders in Puerto Rico who "want everything to be done for them." Many were flabbergasted and did not hide their feelings.
Daniel Politi: "The Most Powerful … Signs From Saturday's Marches Against Racial Injustice" (Slate)
"We're not trying to start a race war. We're trying to end one." "I need Democrats and Republicans to love my black life as much as they love my vote." "I don't want to be another hashtag."
Mark Joseph Stern: Neil Gorsuch just showed his commitment to racial equality is about as strong as Trump's (Slate)
On Tuesday night, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked Georgia's execution of Keith Tharpe, a black man who was sentenced to death by a jury that was tainted by egregious racism. One juror referred to Tharpe as a "nigger" and questioned "if black people even have souls," raising grave doubts about the constitutionality of Tharpe's sentence. While six justices voted to halt the execution, Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Neil Gorsuch voted to let Georgia proceed. Gorsuch's vote provides the clearest evidence yet that the justice's professed belief in racial equality is no more sincere than that of the president who appointed him.
Johnny Smith: Vince Lombardi Would Be Proud (Slate)
The legendary Green Bay Packers coach disliked protests, but he was a champion for racial justice.
Willa Paskin: Will & Grace Is Still a Show America Needs (Slate)
Because now it's a sharp comedy about white, moneyed, liberal hypocrisy.
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Presenting
Michael Egan
took the day off.
has returned to semi-retired status.
In memory.
Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
Bonus Links
Jeannie the Teed-Off Temp
from Marc Perkel
Patriot Act
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
REPUBLICANS LIE LIKE A RUG.
'GET TO WORK'
DONALD TRUMP IS NO LONGER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!
'THE SPANISH STATE HAS LOST.'
'WE ARE BEING HELD HOSTAGE...'
"THE GLORY OF ROY."
"WE'LL DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE!"
"A CHEAP CRACKER"
BUSTED!
Visit JD's site - Kitty Litter Music
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Currently, I can do a pretty mean impersonation of a barking seal.
'SNL' Season Premiere
Michael Che
The season premiere of Saturday Night Live occurred on an ordinary weekend, which is to say, a weekend during which President Trump tweeted something embarrassing for America. Trump emitted an awful attack on San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz, saying that she'd been "told by the Democrats that you must be nasty to Trump" - this, in the midst of Puerto Rico's ongoing posthurricane crisis and his own golf weekend. On SNL, during the "Weekend Update" segment, Michael Che pared his response to the bare minimum of contempt to achieve the maximum effect.
Addressing Trump, Che used language the president could understand, saying sarcastically, "Oh, really, Donald, you bitch? Was she nasty to you?" (Trump opened that door when he called Colin Kaepernick a "son of a bitch" in his Alabama rally.) Che elaborated further: "Write [Puerto Rico] a check with our money, you cheap cracker. … In one month, you've mishandled Puerto Rico, DACA, and the NFL. It's like whenever anybody darker than your golf pants has a problem, you're thinking, 'How can I make this worse?'"
We've arrived at a time when humor or satire is almost pointless in the face of what comes out of the president. SNL recently won multiple Emmy awards that might seem to deny what I just said - doesn't Alec Baldwin's success in this arena prove the country "needs" amusement in this time of governmental emergency? No, not really. This week's opening sketch found Baldwin doing the same old Trump pucker-face, with Kate McKinnon doing her winsome Jeff Sessions. Aidy Bryant tried out her Sarah Sanders impression. As usual, the sketch wasn't written so much as it merely transcribed many of the things the people being impersonated have actually said. Because in reaction to what this administration tells us, jokes are superfluous. Anger and gestures are a couple of the only possible effective responses.
Thus, music guest Jay-Z, during his performance of "Bam," wore a jersey that read "COLIN K" on one side. Jay-Z and Che were the only performers on SNL this night who embodied the terrible fix in which President Trump has placed public American figures - entertainers and athletes - who now must sometimes forsake entertainment simply to communicate disgust and alarm.
Michael Che
Photo In Waist-Deep Water
Carmen Yulín Cruz
A picture emerged on the internet Saturday of Carmen Yulín Cruz, the mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico, searching for Hurricane Maria victims. Cruz is depicted holding a megaphone in her left hand as she stands in waist-deep flood water. She held in her right hand the hand of a civilian in a canoe.
"I know there are Trump voters who are not okay with him treating Puerto Rico this way (here's the mayor he's attacking)," Journalist Mark Harris wrote of Cruz's actions in a tweet Saturday. "Please speak up."
The image comes on the heels of remarks President-for-now Donald Trump (R-Corrupt) made on Twitter over Cruz's "poor" leadership skills. Trump claimed that the Puerto Rican officials want "everything to be done for them," but alleged that federal workers on-site are doing a "fantastic job."
Trump's administration actively worked with Puerto Rican officials ahead of Hurrican Maria's devastation, at first. The U.S. president's trip to a New Jersey golf course is said to have delayed the island's intended aid, according to reports. This elicited a response from "Hamilton" playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda on Twitter Saturday, saying, "[Cruz] has been working 24/7. You have been GOLFING."
Puerto Ricans have been left to fend for themselves. Many residents are without food and water. Power is unlikely to be restored for up to six months because time is needed to repair the electric grid.
Carmen Yulín Cruz
25th Anniversary
Cartoon Network
Sunday marks a quarter century since the Cartoon Network burst upon the pastel-colored landscape of American television animation, redefining the way kids' entertainment was beamed into homes.
Launched when ratings for morning cartoons were dropping and "The Simpsons" was starting to dominate primetime, many thought Turner Broadcasting Systems's $320 million purchase of the Hanna-Barbera library was lunacy.
But Ted Turner, whose company already owned extensive back catalogues from MGM and Warner Bros., believed there was a gap in the market for a round-the-clock, seven-day channel showing cartoons that young and old could enjoy.
His vision has been spectacularly vindicated, with CN growing from a modest start-up to one of cable TV's most popular programmers, seen in around 100 million American homes and in more than 170 other countries.
Cartoon Network
Dunkirk-Style Evacuation
Vanuatu
Vanuatu has launched a Dunkirk-style evacuation on the northern island of Ambae as a flotilla of boats rescues islanders from an erupting volcano.
The eruption has polluted many of the island's water sources leaving thousands of people in need of safe drinking water, Red Cross delegate Joe Cropp told Reuters by phone on Sunday.
The Manaro Voui volcano, the nation's largest, was seen hurling steam and rocks into the air by New Zealand vulcanologist Brad Scott who flew over the volcano on Saturday.
Crowds of islanders from at least three evacuation points on the island have begun boarding a flotilla of ships including ferries, canoes and commercial vessels for the safety of surrounding islands Maewo, Pentecost and Santo.
The Vanuatu Government wants all 11,000 islanders evacuated by Oct. 6.
Vanuatu
U.S. Quietly Announces Plan To Monitor
Immigrants
The Department of Homeland Security intends to monitor the social media accounts and internet search history of legal immigrants as part of a new tracking system set to roll out next month.
The policy applies to not just immigration applicants, but also to naturalized U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents. It goes into effect on Oct. 18, the same day that the latest iteration of President-for-now Donald Trump's (R-Odious) travel ban is set begin.
First reported by BuzzFeed, the new rule was quietly published in the Federal Register last week. It's an update to the Alien File, also known as an A-File, which is the official record-keeping system for an individual going through the immigration system. Until now, A-Files could be kept in either paper or electronic form. Now, the rule says, these records can be kept on paper, electronically or through some paper-electronic combination.
And the information that's now going to be kept in A-Files includes the country of nationality, country of residence, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service online account number, social media handles, aliases, associated identifiable information and search results.
It's unclear how DHS plans to collect social media handles and search results from people, although the rule does say it plans to "expand data elements used to retrieve records."
Immigrants
War Against The Media
T-rump
While residents of Puerto Rico struggle to get access to basic necessities like potable water and food, President-for-now Donald Trump (R-Crooked) has launched a full-fledged attack on the news media and, even more concerning, San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz.
Cruz, the mayor of Puerto Rico's largest city, made several emotional pleas this week to the media, tearfully begging for the government to provide more aid to the islands residents and for private citizens to make calls to Congress or to donate money or time.
Trump responded to Cruz's cries for help in the way he typically does when he reads something that makes his administration look bad: He launched a Twitter rant against Cruz and then blamed "fake news."
But instead of focusing on providing aid to the U.S. territory, Trump is trying to peddle Puerto Rico's devastation and dire need for help as a direct attack from all of the groups that he's deemed the opposition, from "fake news" to the Democrats and, now, the "poor leadership ability by the Mayor of San Juan."
This isn't the first time that Trump has used a national crisis to attack the news media.
T-rump
Puerto Rico
T-rump
President-for-now Trump (R-Loathsome) continues to praise his administration's response to the humanitarian crisis in hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico - and dismiss his critics as ungrateful.
"We have done a great job with the almost impossible situation in Puerto Rico," Trump wrote in a series of tweets early Sunday. "Outside of the Fake News or politically motivated ingrates, people are now starting to recognize the amazing work that has been done by FEMA and our great Military. All buildings now inspected for safety."
Trump added: "Thank you to the Governor of P.R. and to all of those who are working so closely with our First Responders. Fantastic job!"
The tweets came a day after the president attacked San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruzover what he implied was insufficient gratitude for the federal help in the wake of Hurricane Maria, which tore across the U.S. island territory on Sept. 20, killing at least 16 people and leaving millions without power, food and water.
It's not clear what, exactly, caused Trump to lash out against Cruz. During a CNN interview the day before, Cruz was asked to react to acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke's assertion that the White House's response to the storm was a "good-news story" because of the "limited number of deaths that have taken place in such a devastating hurricane."
T-rump
'Burqa Ban' Law Comes Into Force
Austria
A law that forbids any kind of full-face covering, including Islamic veils such as the niqab or burqa, has come into force in Austria.
Starting Sunday, wearing a ski mask off the slopes, a surgical mask outside hospitals and party masks in public is prohibited.
The law, popularly known as the "Burqa Ban," is mostly seen as a directed at the dress worn by some ultra-conservative Muslim women.
Violations carry a possible fine of 150 euros (nearly $180.) Police are authorized to use force if people resist showing their faces.
Only a small number of Muslim women in Austria wear full-face veils, but they have become a target for right-wing groups and political parties.
Austria's
Weekend Box Office
'It'
After dipping to No. 2 last weekend, "It" has regained control of the North American box office in its fourth weekend in theaters.
The movie beat out the new Tom Cruise film "American Made" and "Kingsman: The Golden Circle." But it was a close race that could shift when studios report actual weekend totals on Monday.
"The Lego Ninjago Movie" took fourth place with $12 million, while the "Flatliners" remake opened to a cold $6.7 million for a fifth place start.
The weekend closes out what is looking to be a record-breaking September at the box office, although the year is still down about 4.7 percent from 2016.
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.
1. "It," $17.3 million ($35.6 million international).
2."American Made," $17 million ($3.8 million international).
3."Kingsman: The Golden Circle," $17 million ($50.5 million international).
4."The Lego Ninjago Movie," $12 million ($10.6 million international).
5."Flatliners," $6.7 million ($3.1 million international).
6."Battle of the Sexes," $3.4 million.
7."American Assassin," $3.3 million ($2.2 million international)
8."Home Again," $1.8 million ($870,000 international).
9."Til Death Do Us Part," $1.5 million.
10."mother!" $1.5 million ($4 million international).
'It'
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