Imagine being the worst Senator from Missouri when your only competition is Josh Hawley…
Charles McNulty
@charlesmcnulty.bsky.social
LA Times theater critic, CalArts theater faculty, Village Voice alum. https://www.latimes.com/people/charles-mcnulty
When I say we desperately need a Democratic doctor in the US Senate I mean it.
FactPost@factpostnews.bsky.social · 4d agoAt least 6 babies in Pennsylvania have been born infected with measles.
That cocky, misplaced look of smug success on Senator Eric Schmitt’s face—moments before everything came crashing down around him because he’s so carelessly incompetent.
This is barbaric — and shocking to me, despite everything we’ve lived through.
CNN@cnn.com · 9h agoThe Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to restart its program of removing migrants to countries other than their homeland without giving them an opportunity to raise human rights concerns. The court said it would hear arguments in the case later this year. https://cnn.it/4AFFz0M
Jack Smith made it crystal clear that his investigation was sound and lawful, that the president had committed crimes and that the GOP attacks on him were the actual weaponization of our justice system. He showed courage and moral clarity and continues to be one of the heroes of this moment.
Tom Cruise has dangled from cliffs, skyscrapers and planes, but oil magnate Digger Rockwell is his riskiest role in eons. He opens DIGGER lounging in a bed soaked with cat pee, tempting an elderly feline named Maggie to lick wet chow from his gnarled pinkie nail. www.latimes.com/entertainmen...
Review: Tom Cruise destroys Earth in 'Digger,' a messy climate satire that occasionally strikes gold
Director Alejandro González Iñárritu teams up with a prosthetics-swaddled Cruise for a bleak comedy about a Texan oil driller who triggers the end of the world.
latimes.com
Jack Smith: "History teaches that the rule of law is rarely destroyed all at once. It is often weakened by attacks on the institutions in the public servants sworn to uphold it. Since January of 2025, we have witnessed precisely such an effort."
You wouldn't know it from reading the headlines, but the president's downward mental health spiral is the biggest story in America right now We won't salvage democracy unless the media and pols start speaking the truth about Trump's damaged mind My new column www.inquirer.com/opinion/trum...
We need to find the words for Trump’s madness before things blow up | Will Bunch
The media and politicians haven’t pinned down anything resembling a suitable description for a president’s downward spiral or the looming battle for U.S. democracy.
inquirer.com
Here's an excerpt -- read the whole column and tell me what you think
Yeah, it doesn’t seem like the NYT has given any coverage to the frat gang rape scandal at Cornell. Not as important as Oberlin’s banh mi or Harvard’s eating clubs I guess
Liz Tamny@etamny.bsky.social · 3d agoas of right now I'm not seeing a story at the New York Times about this, am I missing it?
Today I saw the new 4 hour documentary Musk, directed by Alex Gibney. There were too many times to count that a sold out theater burst out laughing at Elon Musk, something he said or did, even sometimes just how he looked. I believe that is his worst nightmare come to life.
In response to our reporting, Susan Collins has mustered a defense that is full of incorrect and misleading claims. We’ve reviewed FBI evidence, examined thousands of pages of records and interviewed dozens of people. Here are the receipts.
ProPublica Debunks Susan Collins’ Claims About FBI Anti-Corruption Probe
ProPublica revealed that the FBI was circling Sen. Collins over a defense contractor’s donations — until President Trump gutted the unit in charge. Collins has since mustered a defense with a series o...
propublica.org
I’ve been reporting on the CDC for years, and have written about many of its troubles over the past year. I was still shocked by the extent of the staff losses and political interference I found when reporting this one. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/26/h...
‘Zombified’ C.D.C., Hobbled by Cuts, Struggles to Fulfill Scientific Mission (Gift Article)
The agency has lost its independence and nearly a third of its staff, as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and associates have tightened control.
nytimes.com
“… writing about discovery is an ancient pleasure …” Mark Swed’s final regular column as classical music critic at the Los Angeles Times is “echt Swed,” meaning essential, informed, witty and surprising reading. It was a pleasure being Mark’s colleague for decades. www.latimes.com/entertainmen...
A 30-year love letter to L.A. with a final revelation
How an ancient church in a small German town and a new concert hall in DTLA bookend my 30 years as classical music critic of the L.A. Times.
latimes.com
Breaking News: The Kennedy Center had delayed a plan to repair leaks that officials now cite as a serious safety risk, whistle-blowers say.
Kennedy Center Shelved Repairs Now Cited for Closure, Whistle-Blowers Say
In a letter to Congress, former employees say the center delayed a plan to address the leaks that its officials now cite as a serious safety risk.
nyti.ms
In Another Instalment of: “Didn’t Age Well” 🤭
Not ready for prime-time: "The Peterson Show" at the Echo Theater Co. What a disaster! www.latimes.com/entertainmen...
Review: The fallout of a disgraced TV dad not named Bill Cosby lands with a thud in 'The Peterson Show'
The Echo Theater Company presents the world premiere of 'The Peterson Show' by Janine Nabers, a play that reunites the cast of a beloved Black sitcom after the TV dad has gone to jail.
latimes.com
NYT has now independently corroborated all the major allegations against Susan Collins in the ProPublica report, including that investigators were prepared to move against her and then Trump intervened to shut it down. This put Trump in a position of exceptional and extortionate leverage over her.
F.B.I. Shut Down Inquiry Into Top Ally of Senator Susan Collins
The inquiry was closed last year because senior bureau officials questioned the veracity of a campaign donor’s account, according to current and former officials.
nytimes.com
Trump’s now stated view that media criticism of him is a threat to national security is not only authoritarian to the core, it’s also the opposite of the truth.
'Begin Again,' John Carney's 2013 film about music industry rebels, gets second crack as a musical
Review: 'Begin Again,' John Carney's 2013 film about music industry rebels, gets second crack as a musical
San Diego's Old Globe presents the world premiere musical 'Begin Again,' based on the 2013 film by John Carney, with a book by Jenna Clark Embrey and Molly Beach Murphy and music and lyrics by Pat Monahan and the band Train (Jerry Becker and Matt Musty).
latimes.com
Sen. Susan Collins helped steer millions in federal defense contracts to Navatek, whose CEO illegally funneled thousands of dollars to her campaign. The FBI sought to launch a probe and was eyeing Collins and other lawmakers. Then Trump gutted the unit in charge. THREAD 🧵
Hitler and other top Nazis inspect a scale model of a planned triumphal arch in Berlin, circa 1939.
Mr. President, Ukraine is trying to win a war. Why do you insist on hampering its efforts at every turn to defend its country and preserve its sovereignty? Your actions are helping Russia. www.cnbc.com/2026/09/14/t...
Trump urges Ukraine to stop ‘knocking out’ Russian oil refineries as U.S. diesel hits record
U.S. diesel prices have surpassed $6 a gallon for the first time ever as the Ukraine and Iran wars drive broader energy supply concerns.
cnbc.com
The Trump media ban is revelatory. Of course what Trump has done violates the constitution. But note that no official refused to implement it- violating their oaths of office to us. Tells you everything you need to know - and worry about in the administration’s response to the midterm elections.
“The No. 1 problem the Kennedy Center has had is President Trump.” www.nytimes.com/2026/09/20/u...
How President Trump Broke the Kennedy Center (Gift Article)
Internal emails and documents demonstrate the political capture of the institution, including how officials once pursued a plan to unload much of the art collection.
nytimes.com
