For months we have seen ex-Mayor Giuliani exposing himself repeatedly, no, not to Borat’s daughter in that movie, but to the coronavirus. He’s been on video and in photos in direct, maskless contact with contact with infected people, including Trump while the two of them were preparing for his first debate against President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. in September – even during the recent voter fraud hearings, fiascos and spectacles, he has often been seen maskless.
Indeed, there is even a video of him blowing his nose into a handkerchief and then using it, wrong-side-out to wipe his face and hands. Honestly, it’s a miracle that this has not happened sooner. Hopefully, like Trump, he will get medical attention and recover quickly (and remain in quarantine to protect others)
“@RudyGiuliani, by far the greatest mayor in the history of NYC, and who has been working tirelessly exposing the most corrupt election (by far!) in the history of the USA, has tested positive for the China Virus. Get better soon Rudy, we will carry on!!!”
__Trump in a tweet
.@RudyGiuliani, by far the greatest mayor in the history of NYC, and who has been working tirelessly exposing the most corrupt election (by far!) in the history of the USA, has tested positive for the China Virus. Get better soon Rudy, we will carry on!!!
Why Mr. Trump took to twitter to announce this is anybody’s guess. It is unknown at this point, whether Mr. Giuliani, 76, is symptomatic, although he is clearly in a high risk group for covid-19.
As follows, a list of various other Republican establishment figures that have tested positive as well;
Melania Trump (First Lady)
Ronna McDaniel (Republican National Committee chairwoman)
Hope Hicks (White House communications aide)
Kellyanne Conway (Former White House counselor)
Bill Stepien (Trump campaign manager)
John Jenkins (University of Notre Dame president)
Chris Christie (Former New Jersey Gov.)
Nick Luna (Director of Oval Office operations)
Karoline Leavitt (White house assistant press secretary)
The epic sci-fi with man eating sandworms is coming to a theater or couch near you
The production company Warner Bros. announced its plan to release ALL its 2021 movies in an unprecedented, unique hybrid, consumer-focused, yet very 2020 way. Warner Bros. will release its films theatrically worldwide, while also adding exclusive access to the HBO Max streaming platform on the same day for a one month period (U.S. only).
There will be a wide range of releases on HBO Max throughout 2021 for every type of movie lover. One much anticipated movie on the list is Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s of Dune. The movie will hits both theaters and HBO Max on October 1, 2021.
The star-studded cast includes: Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Stellan Skarsgård, Zendaya, Jason Momoa, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, and Javier Bardem.
Speaking of Zendaya and HBO, the “Euphoria” Rue special is coming this weekend and will air Dec. 6. The series premiered summer 2019 and was supposed to return for a second season this year. Due to COVID-19 the production was shut down but creator Sam Levinson shot two “special episodes” in order to give audience a little something and bridge the gap to Season 2.
In an article by Inverse, Herbert’s son, Brian Herbert spoke about the upcoming film:
“I was very impressed by the trailer, and I was thrilled to actually be on the movie set in Budapest last year, where my wife and I watched the filming of several scenes. This is a really big movie, a major project that will forever be considered THE definitive film adaptation of Frank Herbert’s classic novel. Fans are going to love this movie. Denis Villeneuve is the perfect director to do Dune.”
The mythic and emotionally charged hero’s journey, “Dune” tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence—a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential—only those who can conquer their fear will survive.
Here is a little taste of the titles you’ll be seeing next year
Alongside “Wonder Woman: 1984” for Christmas release 2020, there will be an additional 17 movies to be released over the next 12 months.
Immediate Streaming option set after blockbuster WB / HBO max announcement
In great news for Harley Quinn aficionados, included among the 17 movie titles to be released simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max, is the upcoming sequel, “The Suicide Squad”. HBO Max subscribers will be able to reap the benefits and watch, for no extra charge, Harley and Crew in the DC movie on August 6, 2021.
The star studded cast, will be be reprising their roles from the 2016 version (Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn) and also a huge list of stars to play the DC villains. There are also set to be additional high-profile new additions including Idris Elba, Peter Capaldi and Sylvester Stallone.
Brad Pitt Coupling for Babylon in the works
In other Margot Robbie news, a major development: reports that she will replace Emma Stone in “Babylon” alongside Brad Pitt.
Margot and Pitt have worked together splendidly in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”. Babylon, a Paramount production has a Christmas Day 2021 release date planned.
Because the California Film Commission coughed up a $17.5 million tax credit based on the film qualifying as a “period drama” and California project, and that “Babylon” is expected to generate $83.4 mil. in local economic activity, a.k.a. “qualified spending”, the shooting will need to commence within 180 days (or lose all that cash).
Oh wait, and in addition to director James Gunn’s new take on his version of “The Suicide Squad” to hit theaters and HBO Max on Aug 06, 2021, Gunn is also working on a television series for HBO, a spin-off called “Peacemaker” which is currently in production.
Immediate streaming option set after unprecedented, game-changing announcement
Warner Bros. has announced it will be releasing its 2021 movies in a unique hybrid, consumer-focused, yet very 2020 way. Warner Bros. will release its films theatrically worldwide, while also adding exclusive access to the HBO Max streaming platform on the same day for a one month period (U.S. only).
HBO Max and Warner Bros. are both owned by WarnerMedia, which is owned by AT&T.
This shift and strategic response by WarnerMedia is a game changer and highlights a major shift industry’s are recognizing in how viewers consume entertainment, or at least for the next year.
There will be a wide range of releases on HBO Max throughout 2021 for every all types of movie lovers. Alongside Wonder Woman:1984 for Christmas release 2020, there will be an additional 17 movies to be released over the next 12 months.
The Little Things
Judas and the Black Messiah
Tom & Jerry
Godzilla vs. Kong
Mortal Kombat
Those Who Wish Me Dead
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It
In The Heights
Space Jam: A New Legacy
The Suicide Squad
Reminiscence
Malignant
Dune
The Many Saints of Newark
King Richard
Cry Macho
Matrix 4
The only other studio that is currently set up for dual release besides Warner Bros with HBO Max, is Disney with Disney+, which certainly will help to secure its position in the top tier of the very competitive world of streaming entertainment.
Only time will tell if the pandemic will permanently alter the way we watch movies. Yet if given the option of getting access to blockbuster films at home and on the same exact date as the theatrical release, poses a serious question to how theaters will react.
“No one wants films back on the big screen more than we do. We know new content is the lifeblood of theatrical exhibition, but we have to balance this with the reality that most theaters in the U.S. will likely operate at reduced capacity throughout 2021. With this unique one-year plan, we can support our partners in exhibition with a steady pipeline of world-class films, while also giving moviegoers who may not have access to theaters or aren’t quite ready to go back to the movies the chance to see our amazing 2021 films. We see it as a win-win for film lovers and exhibitors, and we’re extremely grateful to our filmmaking partners for working with us on this innovative response to these circumstances.”
-Ann Sarnoff, Chair and CEO, WarnerMedia Studios
What will come of Theater Chains and the future of the movie viewing experience
he debut for WB’s slate of movies to hit streaming services concurrently with theater releases, will undoubtedly have drastic consequences for the the already hard-pressed and struggling theaters.
Warner Bros. made mention that the hybrid release is strictly due to the pandemic, yet it’s unclear how the studio will navigate with movie releases for 2022 and beyond given the new model they are setting into motion.
Movie theater stock prices fell on the news. AMC shares dropped more than 15 percent, while Cinemark was down 14.5 percent.
Following the announcement, theater chain AMC’s CEO and president, Adam Aron made note they have “already commenced an immediate and urgent dialogue with the leadership of Warner on this subject.” He continued by saying “As for AMC, we will do all in our power to ensure that Warner does not do so at our expense. We will aggressively pursue economic terms that preserve our business.”
Theaters like AMC were agreeable to the one time exception of the Wonder Woman:1984 release to both theaters and streaming, however it appears they are less on board with the decision to upload the entirety of 2021’s schedule of films with that same release model.
Another large theater chain, Cinemark, wasn’t able to comment on how the hybrid model would impact its theaters in the long-term, “In light of the current operating environment, we are making near-term booking decisions on a film-by-film basis,” said a spokesperson.
It’s hard to not to have seen something like this coming. Streaming videos are been on the rise. Earlier this year Disney+ released “Mulan” and Universal released “King of Staten Island” and “Trolls: World Tour” straight to on-demand platforms.
Warner Bros and HBO are doing it a little differently. What has been typical during the pandemic, is the rise of premium video-on- demand (PVOD) where viewers are given access to blockbusters on the same day as theater release but you have to pay a premium price, upwards of $30. Yet in the case of WB’s 2021 movies, if you are already a HBO Max subscriber, you get to watch these movies at no additional charge, other than your monthly fee. Compared to a PVOD price of $30 for one movie, $14.99 a month for the 17 movies for 2021 is a no brainer.
Even though, announcements like those for WB are in a way a form of the studio experimenting to see what works while we are in a pandemic, there’s some major signs that this is the beginning of the end for movie theaters.
It’s unclear whether the dual release model will become the new precedent for how Warner Bro operators in business, as currently only 2021 films are on the table. However, at present, theaters, like Regal Cinema are nearly at the brink of bankruptcy.
A more permanent “new normal” appears to be emerging in effort to adapt to a post-pandemic future
The debut for WB’s slate of movies to hit streaming services concurrently with theater releases, will undoubtedly have drastic consequences for the the already hard-pressed and struggling theaters.
Warner Bros. made mention that the hybrid release is strictly due to the pandemic, yet it’s unclear how the studio will navigate with movie releases for 2022 and beyond given the new model they are setting into motion.
Movie theater stock prices fell on the news. AMC shares dropped more than 15 percent, while Cinemark was down 14.5 percent.
Following the announcement, theater chain AMC’s CEO and president, Adam Aron made note they have “already commenced an immediate and urgent dialogue with the leadership of Warner on this subject.” He continued by saying “As for AMC, we will do all in our power to ensure that Warner does not do so at our expense. We will aggressively pursue economic terms that preserve our business.”
Theaters like AMC were agreeable to the one time exception of the Wonder Woman:1984 release to both theaters and streaming, however it appears they appear less thrilled to be on-board with the decision to upload the entirety of 2021’s schedule of films with that same release model.
Another large theater chain, Cinemark, wasn’t able to comment on how the hybrid model would impact its theaters in the long-term, “In light of the current operating environment, we are making near-term booking decisions on a film-by-film basis,” said a spokesperson.
It’s hard to not to have seen something like this coming. Streaming videos are been on the rise. Earlier this year Disney+ released “Mulan” and Universal released “King of Staten Island” and “Trolls: World Tour” straight to on-demand platforms.
Future evolution of entertainment distribution is a big unknown, like nearly everything else
Warner Bros and HBO are doing it a little differently. What has been typical during the pandemic, is the increased number of options for premium video-on-demand (PVOD) where viewers are given access to blockbusters on the same day as theater release but are required to pay a premium price, in some cases upwards of $30.
Yet in the case of WB’s 2021 movies, provided you are already a HBO Max subscriber, you will be able to watch these movies at no additional charge, other than your monthly fee. Compared to a PVOD price of $30 for one movie, $14.99 a month for the 17 movies for 2021 seems like a no-brainer.
There is a 30-day availability limitation currently set on these special same-day release titles, but that would likely only be an issue if you wanted to sign up for a single month to game the system, so to speak.
It does appear to be the case that this announcement and others that may be soon to come, still represent a form of experimentation by WB / HBO max to see what works during a pandemic. At the same time, there are some major signs that this is the beginning of the end for movie theaters, at least as the primary vehicle for the initial release phase of major feature films.
It’s unclear whether the dual release model will set a permanent new precedent for how Warner Brothers conducts its business, as currently only 2021 films are on the table. Come 2022 it is also possible that the entire entertainment landscape will be unrecognizable, since, for example, theater chains, such as Regal Cinema, are already at the brink of bankruptcy.
Entire WB slate will have simultaneous HBO max availability
Warner Bros. has announced it will be releasing its 2021 movies in a unique hybrid, consumer-focused, yet very 2020 way. Warner Bros. will release its films theatrically worldwide, while also adding exclusive access to the HBO Max streaming platform on the same day for a one month period (U.S. only).
Among the 17 titles now slated to be available on HBO max on the same day of theatrical release are Matrix 4, Mortal Kombat and Godzilla vs. Kong. There will be no “video-on-demand” uncharge as long as you are an HBO max member. There is also a 30 day limitation on the availability of each title from the day of release, with an unknown “dark” period until it would, presumably, become available again as part of the general HBO max offerings.
Strong enticement to subscribe if you tend to enjoy WB films and other HBO exclusives
Although, for example, DreamWorks Animation sequel Trolls World Tour was made available for rental, and Disney’s Mulan was on Disney Plus in September, in both cases there was an up-charge to stream them and considered at the time to be “early” for streaming release and therefore require this extra payment to view. HBO max, due to it’s affiliation to Warner Brothers, will be offering its films for no extra charge as long as you have a membership.
It’s also important to note that HBO Max has discontinued the previously established weeklong free trial. So, for example it you want to see Wonder Woman on December 25th or stream any of the upcoming films, a minimum of one month of the service, which is $15 would have to be paid or, in some cases you might be able to take a regular HBO subscription and use it to snag a free upgrade to HBO max. There may also be specials to sign up that can be found, with a little sleuthing on your part.
“No one wants films back on the big screen more than we do. We know new content is the lifeblood of theatrical exhibition, but we have to balance this with the reality that most theaters in the U.S. will likely operate at reduced capacity throughout 2021.
With this unique one-year plan, we can support our partners in exhibition with a steady pipeline of world-class films, while also giving moviegoers who may not have access to theaters or aren’t quite ready to go back to the movies the chance to see our amazing 2021 films.
We see it as a win-win for film lovers and exhibitors, and we’re extremely grateful to our filmmaking partners for working with us on this innovative response to these circumstances.”
Retired Lt. General Michael Flynn, former national security advisor and newly pardoned admitted liar to the FBI, retweeted a petition by an organization that calls it self WTPC:
“WTPC Calls for President to Invoke Limited Martial Law to Hold New Election and Protect our Vote” and goes on to urge: “temporarily suspend[ing] the Constitution and civilian control of these federal elections.”
The idea is to call in the military to force a new election and, not surprisingly they have already decided who should win:
“Without a fair vote, we fear, with good reason, the threat of a shooting civil war is imminent,”
Imploring unknown armies that are non-existent to rise up and start a “shooting civil war” if Trump is not “installed” as president.
Flynn, known for admitting to lying to the FBI and chanting “Lock her up” at rallies with Trump, is not far off from this kind of treason-talk in the first place, but the timing and his military background makes it more alarming and disgusting.
Fortunately both Republicans and notable military voices have spoken out against this overt endorsement of the lunatic fringe.
“Flynn’s anti-election propaganda is an essential precursor to violent terrorist attacks on legitimate electoral outcomes, when the bombs go off, the blood is on Mike Flynn’s hands.”
—Paul Yingling, a retired Army colonel, quoted in The Daily Beast
“This ad, though protected by the First Amendment, is utterly irresponsible, ahistorical and without precedent or legal rationale,”
This ad, though protected by the First Amendment, is utterly irresponsible, ahistorical and without precedent or legal rationale. https://t.co/P40lfPD7v7
More perfectly normal behavior: Former Trump lawyer amplifying a call for the suspension of the Constitution and the effective imposition of martial law. https://t.co/T3IBmgmp2Ppic.twitter.com/F7QxScLmFI
Attorney Sidney Powell, who was Flynn’s lawyer in his criminal prosecution, is openly advocating a coup, retweeting tweets from individuals that are calling for Trump to invoke the Insurrection Act, suspend the election and establish “military tribunals.” Powell had previously represented Trump directly in court until she was fired after a particularly disastrous press conference went off the rails.
Joseph diGenova — who is a former US attorney for the District of Columbia also an attorney for Trump, while he was appearing on the The Howie Carr Show, called for former director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Chris Krebs, should be drawn and quartered. Taken out at dawn and shot.”
In you are not a medieval history fan, being “drawn and quartered” was a grisly practice commonly consisting of:
First he was drawn, that is, tied to a horse and dragged to the gallows. The remainder of the punishment might include hanging (usually not to the death), usually live disemboweling, burning of the entrails, beheading, and quartering. Also referred to as “disruption” dismemberment could be brought about by chaining four horses to the condemned’s arms and legs, thus making them pull him apart.
Clearly this “lighthearted” “joke” was neither light or funny in any way, shape or form. In a statement released by the Tump campaign, after the furor erupted over his irresponsible, reckless remarks, diGenova stated:
”For anyone listening to the Howie Carr Show, it was obvious that my remarks were sarcastic and made in jest. I, of course, wish Mr. Krebs no harm. This was hyperbole in a political discourse.”
This kind of disingenuous mea culpa is a standard Trump strategy, countless times in the last four years an outrageous, obviously serious and deeply held, Trump statement is followed (generally in 24-36 hours) with a denial that it was “just a joke”, that he was “obviously being sarcastic” and that somehow, the listeners are at fault for not realizing that he should not be held responsible for his comments.
Similar to his now infamous “Stand back and stand by”, code words during the presidential debates that were, unequivocally, understood by the “Proud Boys” as a call to arms, this kind of weak denial without taking any responsibility is unacceptable.
Accordingly, Democrats in congress referred the conduct by diGenova to the DC Bar’s Office of Disciplinary Counsel and recommended them to open an investigation into the matter.
Nixon once asserted: “Well, when the president does it, that means that it is not illegal”. The implication was not lost on Trump who has seemingly flaunted the law throughout his life and then appeared to shift into overdrive once in the White House.
Naturally, as has been evident as well, also even boasted “I don’t pay taxes because I’m smart”, and when money, especially free money gained at the expense of the less fortunate, it seems Trump and his “Jr. partner Jared Kushner might indeed pull out all the stops.
Therefore, it comes as no surprise that, once details on who received pandemic relief loans were revealed by the Small Business Administration, including the PPP or Paycheck Protection Program, multiple businesses linked to both were allegedly present.
NBC news: Over 25 PPP loans worth more than $3.65 million were given to businesses with addresses at Trump and Kushner real estate properties, paying rent to those owners. Fifteen of the properties self-reported that they only kept one job, zero jobs, or did not report a number at all.
While there have been many reports of fraud and abuse related to this and other pandemic relief programs, most stories on these were slanted towards shaming various individuals who had engaged in fraud to obtain the loans.
There were also numerous accounts of, in some cases, public companies with access to billions in capital applying for and receiving $100s of millions of dollars in forgivable loans. Names like Shake Shack, Ruth’s Chris, Potbelly Corp. and others were embroiled in controversy when some information leaked, and in some cases the companies, fearing public boycott or backlash, returned funds. While these examples show no specific wrongdoing on any particular company, the appearance of impropriety is nevertheless in question.
Now with more data the headlines are expanding to include potential impropriety , if not possible criminal action of Trump and Kushner seen as bilking the program at will, as well as massive and tragically-comical mismanagement of the “relief” funds with 100s of examples such as loans payed to companies that did not supply a name and many larger companies using multiple subsidiaries to gang together groups of smaller loans into sums totally tens of millions or more.
According to NBC, All these tricks and potentially more were employed (surprise!) by Trump and Kushner affiliated firms.
NBC: Sweeping [analysis of] data released by the Small Business Administration…found that properties owned by the Trump Organization as well as the Kushner Companies, owned by the family of Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, profited from the program.
The potential abuses, beyond the obvious one that this money was meant to relieve business not connected to government officials, and those who’s business were damaged by the pandemic in general, followed a pattern where the money flowed to those that needed it least (due to massive wealth, such as stories that have circulated about Kanye West) or due to already having existing access to nearly unlimited capital (such as the public companies that lined up to access relief funds rather than use billions they had in reserve).
Other examples of Trump allegedly using and exploiting the presidency are so common as to make it almost redundant to cite these massive, and if true, unethical and potentially criminal abuses. So many have already been noted and cited in the press – from the profits flowing into his properties directly from taxpayer dollars or by diverting foreign officials to them, tax cheating, dirtying money to his daughter and son-in-law, on and on it goes.
The only question that remains is why there appears to be “no-one home” when it comes to holding Trump and his family of abusers accountable. Much has been made of his soon-to-be gone immunity from federal prosecution, but what about the family? Pardons and tra-la-la?
That can’t be the way this ends. Otherwise the rest of us are just as corrupt by letting it happen without a response of appropriate magnitude.
Don’t you know who I think I am? I’m the President of the United States?!
It has been well over three weeks since Trump lost the presidential election to Joe Biden, yet like a broken record, he continuously tries to peddle the still unsubstantiated claim that the election was somehow “rigged”.
Trump has been adamant that he will continue the fight to overturn election results, however, at the same time saying that he would leave on his own accord.
That being, only after Biden has officially been deemed the victor by the Electoral College, which will take place come Dec. 14.
Biden can only enter the White House as President if he can prove that his ridiculous “80,000,000 votes” were not fraudulently or illegally obtained. When you see what happened in Detroit, Atlanta, Philadelphia & Milwaukee, massive voter fraud, he’s got a big unsolvable problem!
On Thanksgiving, Trump held a press conference to answer questions from reporters, a first since Biden was called as the projected winner of the presidential election.
One could easily find humor with just the small desk that Trump sat behind in the Diplomatic Room of the White House.
But wait, there was more, Trump decided to flip out on a reporter, lashing out saying, “Don’t talk to me that way,” ….“You’re just a lightweight…I’m the president of the United States. Don’t ever talk to the president that way.”
Coming just about as close to a concession as we realistically are ever going to get from 45, he says, “It’s going to be a very hard thing to concede because we know there was massive fraud,” while again spouting lies without backing anything up with evidence.
He continued to ramble on, “As to whether or not we can get this apparatus moving quickly — because time isn’t on our side, everything else is on our side, facts are on our side, this was a massive fraud.”
The combination of the tiny desk, which many compared it to a child’s desk and Trump lashing out at a reporter, made for the perfect storm in social media content creativity. Almost immediately #DiaperDon started trending on Twitter and Donald Trump tried to call upon Section 230 for purposes he deemed at levels of National Security. Check out the hilarious video
Twitter is sending out totally false “Trends” that have absolutely nothing to do with what is really trending in the world. They make it up, and only negative “stuff”. Same thing will happen to Twitter as is happening to @FoxNews daytime. Also, big Conservative discrimination!
Wisconsin & Arizona Certified results while Georgia Republican Governor says he won’t break the law for his “hero”. The cards are stacking up against the criminal grifter in the WH and not in any way that was “rigged” by anyone but him.
We are all still waiting for him to recede from the public discourse (haha not discourse in his case) but in the end it is ok to want to congratulate Biden and all of those that helped him win so we can all be rid of the terrorist clown club.
Though there are many who do not look fondly on “never-Trumpers” like The Lincoln Project and plain that they had a self-serving agenda, nonetheless, they were a powerful force in countering the Russian-bot army that would possibly otherwise have made 2020 more like 2016.
And the MeidasTouch, RVAT and others all contributed to the fight with great ads that kept people informed of the dangers of a second term for the maniac, and at the same time used his own words, actions and inactions to prove that he had to go, one way or another.
We’ve compiled some of the greatest hits here and think we should all give ourselves permission, one last time, to revel in the absurdity that this man was ever “leader of the free world” and how glad we are that ads like these will soon be in the history books (internet archives).
As antitrust suits loom, a digital tax appears as additional government option
Related to French “digital tax” hopes, and which may have future repercussions for other tech related regulation attempts, Google, Microsoft, and Facebook have” signs on for the “Tech for Good Call”. Amazon has declined which Apple continues to negotiate, according to reports.
A list was released by the French government with signatures of 75 executives of tech companies who have signed up to the initiative so far. Notably, the list included Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft President Brad Smith. Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and Apple’s Tim Cook were absent, however.
For nearly three years President Emmanuel Macron of France has attempted to convince tech giants to begin collaborating with governments to seek remedies for a list of global challenges. Examples are; fighting hate speech online, preserving privacy or paying a so-called “digital-tax”, presumably to offset negative economic effects of the overwhelming dominance of big tech.
Reuters reports that Macron’s advisers said on Monday that the president had asked tech companies to sign up to a new initiative called “Tech for Good Call” underlining principles for the post-COVID world. This development comes as “anti-big-tech” sentiment is increasing, particularly during the massive profit spike the giants are enjoying due to a devastating world-wide pandemic.
A general publicity based initiative could be leverage for negotiations to rein in tech giants
Also, according to Reuters, the “Tech for Good Call” includes a non-binding pledge to “contribute fairly to the taxes in countries where (they) operate”; refrain & prevent the dissemination of “child sexual abuse material, terrorist or extreme violence online contents”; and “support the ecological transition”, in addition to other things.
Though not legally binding, it is expected that the French will use this tentative agreement to in negotiations during upcoming global forums on regulating Big Tech.
In addition to antitrust suits underway in the US and Europe, the idea of a “digital tax” is being explored and attempted with France and Australia leading the way.
The building chorus for regulation against Google and Facebook stem from the extremely dominant position each holds online, with Google having near total control of search traffic and advertising, while Facebooks monopoly in social media concerns its use of that position to monetize private data through advertising.
Also, according to Reuters, the “Tech for Good Call” includes a non-binding pledge to “contribute fairly to the taxes in countries where (they) operate”; refrain & prevent the dissemination of “child sexual abuse material, terrorist or extreme violence online contents”; and “support the ecological transition”, in addition to other things.
Though not legally binding, it is expected that the French will use this tentative agreement to in negotiations during upcoming global forums on regulating Big Tech.
In addition to antitrust suits underway in the US and Europe, the idea of a “digital tax” is being explored and attempted with France and Australia leading the way.
The building chorus for regulation against Google and Facebook stem from the extremely dominant position each holds online, with Google having near total control of search traffic and advertising, while Facebooks monopoly in social media concerns its use of that position to monetize private data through advertising.
“The supportive chorus of elected officials is giving assurance to [the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)] and the [Federal Trade Commission (FTC)] that they have the political support they need to blunt [the companies’] efforts … to pressure the agencies to back off or water down their cases,” former FTC Chairman William Kovacic told WSJ.
Witnesses of Evil and survivors deserve a decompression phase
For nearly all of 2017 the word “lie” rarely if ever appeared in an article written about the president. The reasons for this are more complex than it would first appear, and relate to the history of political journalism reaching back at least 50 years. The reason why, beginning in 2018 and early 2019, “lie” became a daily and oft used word in connection with this lying-president is a more subtle and interesting story.
As of this writing it is 100% clear that Trump has lost the election (odd to even have to say that, considering how obvious it is to any sane, rational observer) and that, ultimately, we will all benefit from forgetting about this attention-addicted-sociopath. However, with regard to something we all experienced, witnessed and endured over a period of four plus years; before forgetting there must first be a remembering.
And, for the benefit of those of us who have various forms of PTSD as a result of what he perpetrated and what we had to witness, that remembering is a healthy, necessary step.
For nearly all of 2017 the word “lie” rarely if ever appeared in an article written about the president. The reasons for this are more complex than it would first appear, and relate to the history of political journalism reaching back at least 50 years. The reason why, beginning in 2018 and early 2019, “lie” became a daily and oft used word in connection with this lying-president is a more subtle and interesting story.
As of this writing it is 100% clear that Trump has lost the election (odd to even have to say that, considering how obvious it is to any sane, rational observer) and that, ultimately, we will all benefit from forgetting about this attention-addicted-sociopath. However, with regard to something we all experienced, witnessed and endured over a period of four plus years; before forgetting there must first be a remembering.
And, for the benefit of those of us who have various forms of PTSD as a result of what he perpetrated and what we had to witness, that remembering is a healthy, necessary step.
Perhaps rushing forward to “fix” everything he broke, destroyed or tried to destroy must be combined with looking back.
Seeing some of the events that shaped the last four years through the eyes of the media and the press
The public perceptions and reactions to history during significant and extreme events are shaped over time, and meaning are not always clear until we look back. If this article was a typical “2020 Looking Back” year-end recap, and did not run 5000 words or more it’d be about the coronavirus, the election, and a skim through the various events on the periphery. Instead, we must begin on June 16th, 2015 when Donald J. Trump began his assault on America.
And, as we all remember, it started with “Mexicans”:
“When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best, they’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us [sic]. They’re bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime, they’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”
Donald J. Trump, as he descended on his golden escalator
This technique of viciously attacking a particular ethic group, generally, and pandering to negative stereotypes was just getting started.
Also couching broad statements, that often included boldfaced lies, within statements that could have a tiny sliver of truth would also be a propaganda technique he would use, sometimes dozens of times in a day, over the next nearly 4.5 years.
Then came the nicknames. Again, maybe “little Marco” was not the tallest guy and “Low-energy Jeb” was not the most exciting. But Trump’s character traits that would later expand and multiply were not pretty, and were on full display even during the initial phases of the election.
Belittling opponents in an ugly personal way, pushing all dialog away from substance and toward personal attacks of the lowest form was standard operating procedure. All the signs were there of a mental sickness, one that we would all later experience more intimately, but at the time it was all an amusing diversion, since most believed he had “zero chance” of winning the 2016 presidential election.
Phase 2, 3, 4 and beyond: testing the limits of outrage
Just making a laundry list of outrageous and disgusting behavior by this man is easy, but of little value, beyond our mutual sharing of “I was there” recollections publicly. More interesting, it seems, would be an exploration of how “we”, the media, and the public, reacted and adjusted to having such a malignant presence in the White House.
It’s easy to forget that, around the time of the 2016 inauguration, many in the media went on and on about how the outrageous tactics were just a ploy, and a successful one at that, for him to get elected, and now that the election was over, Trump would magically become “Presidential”.
Then the lies began to multiply. All during 2017, however, it was very difficult to find the word “lie” in any article from a mainstream outlet that was about Trump, well, lying. The lengths that journalists went to avoid that word was, in a word, incredible. To look further into the history of not saying the word “lie” when a president lies, this Politco article from 2017 is a great deeper dive.
In the final paragraph summation the overall view at the time was encapsulated:
“Using the word “lie” promiscuously may, in the short term, score a point against a president who has shown a contempt for the facts. But over the long-term, the authority and credibility of aspirationally objective mainstream news organizations like the New York Times are best served by scrupulously trying to report the news in ways that can be trusted by readers of any political viewpoint. And it’s by upholding and reinforcing that authority and credibility that the Fourth Estate will best guide readers to the truth amid the misinformation, propaganda and lies produced by the administration of Donald J. Trump.”
David Greenberg, a professor of history and media studies at Rutgers in Politico Magazine
This viewpoint, ultimately, disintegrated and was abandoned, generally, by the middle of 2018 into the beginning of 2019. Trump literally bashed down that wall of civility with thousands and thousands of lies.
Terms and phrases like “decorum”, “deference”, “non-partisan” and “civilized discourse” became meaningless in the endless assault of lies, hate speech and outrageous acts. At Lynxotic, we made a decision fairly early that this was not a “normal” president and these were not normal times. We seriously had to ask ourselves, if this was an emerging danger to this country and to democracy itself, who would we be serving by mincing words?
And further, the news has always been, to a certain degree, opinion infused facts with a, sometimes, thin veneer of artificial authoritative eminence. And wasn’t the media often guilty of using “impartiality”, similarly to an arms dealer, selling ammunitions to both sides in a civil war?
As time went on, the incredible border “cages” scandals, then the impeachmentdrama came and went and on and on, until Trump’s massive coronavirus failures, and finally the election madness.
In the end all pretense of, and use for civility, any belief that a non-corrupt outcome was possible, revealed a truth that the choices for the nation were, and are, to jail the man famous for chants of “Lock her up” or let him continue until he destroys the democracy and possibly, ultimately the country itself.
The good thing that was bestowed upon all of us by a bad man
Of course, in all of this, he did do one good thing for the media and journalism. Not “ratings” or prosperity through scandal. No, what he did was to help us to remove the hypocrisy of the long standing “deference” to any and all sitting in the White House, just because they are there.
“When he “won” in 2016 it was on the shoulders of Russian hackers and social media “bots” that influenced the thinking of real, living, breathing humans. In 2020 those real humans showed up, 80 million strong, and took back the country.”
D.L.
The blurred lines between observation, opinion, facts and fiction are ones that have, in reality, always been blurred. To face that fact, and to grapple every day with the issues of how to communicate the hard truth, is also a legacy of this evil man.
When he “won” in 2016 it was on the shoulders of Russian hackers and social media “bots” that influenced the thinking of real, living, breathing humans. In 2020 those real humans showed up, 80 million strong, and took back the country.
That is also a lesson we owe to “The Donald”. That, if a pretender rises up, the rest of us have to rise up as well, to put him down.
The favor he did us all was to force us to examine the real facts, and make the real news and not the fake news matter, even if that news is that he is a liar, a grifter, a cheat and a criminal. And if any of his ilk come to power again, or continue to remain in power, they should be treated the same way, as needed.
Above: 80 Million in Washington D.C.? Photo Collage / Lynxotic / Adobe Stock
Pseudo-conciliatory tone vanishes in a haze of Tryptophan
Chalk it up to just another day in Trump-world where nonsense is fact and facts don’t exist. After making another non-concession-consession on Thursday, stating that “of course” he would vacate the White House if Biden has won the electoral college vote by December 14th (which is the deadline for those votes to be certified), on Friday, he had, apparently, re-thought that whole “be a reasonable human” thing.
In two tweets that were both marked “This claim about election fraud is disputed” the current election result “denier in chief” postulated that president-elect Biden “can only enter the White House as President if he can prove that his ridiculous ‘80,000,000 votes’ were not fraudulently or illegally obtained,” and further, that “Biden only did well in the large cities of Detroit, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Milwaukee, which he claimed have “long [been] known as being politically corrupt.”
The latter is, of course, completely false, and the former is an absurd assertion, even from this source.
Also claiming, with as much false bravado as someone in his losing position could muster, that Biden has a “big, unsolvable problem”.
Trump, laughingly, put forth the theory that “Biden only did well in the large cities of Detroit, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Milwaukee”, and added a baseless claim that those cities (that were most assuredly not the “only” ones where Biden did well) have “long [been] known as being politically corrupt.”
Um, Los Angeles ? New York City? We could go down this list all day. “Only did well?”
Which leads to the real question here: who, outside of the thoroughly brainwashed, would even consider such nonsense. Do losing teams in the Super-bowl get to dispute every point on the scoreboard, after the game is over? Does winning by more than 6 million votes count for anything in this wacko universe?
Biden can only enter the White House as President if he can prove that his ridiculous “80,000,000 votes” were not fraudulently or illegally obtained. When you see what happened in Detroit, Atlanta, Philadelphia & Milwaukee, massive voter fraud, he’s got a big unsolvable problem!
Perhaps, to insure absolute certainty, 80 million people should show up at the White House to remind Trump why he must, and will, be moving out on January 20th, if not before (wink).
Biden did poorly in big cities (Politico), except those of Detroit (more votes than people!), Philadelphia, Atlanta and Milwaukee, which he had to win. Not surprisingly, they are all located in the most important swing states, and are long known for being politically corrupt!
“It is my Great Honor to announce that General Michael T. Flynn has been granted a Full Pardon,”
—Trump via Tweet
Michael Flynn Pleaded Guilty To Lying About Russia Contact but will not serve time
Michael Flynn’s convoluted legal travails are now over. With this brazen, political pardon, Trump managed to keep at least one of his cronies out of jail. Attempts were made by the Bill Barr justice department to have the case dropped, which would have made an official pardon unnecessary, but those efforts did not come to fruition.
This pardon follows that of Trump’s friend and self-proclaimed “dirty-trickster” Roger Stone Jr., who had been facing down seven felonies, after the Mueller Inquiry led to charges against the outspoken and ultra-partisan Mr. Stone.
Stone had originally pleaded guilty, twice, to lying about a series of conversations with the ambassador of Russia.
Here are some others that Trump has already pardoned:
Date of Pardon
Name
Sentencing date
August 25, 2017
Joe Arpaio
October 5, 2017
March 9, 2018
Kristian Saucier
August 19, 2016
April 13, 2018
Lewis “Scooter” Libby
June 14, 2007
May 24, 2018
Jack Johnson
September 14, 1920
It is unlikely that he will try pardon himself, but with Trump, as anybody paying attention would know by now, anything is possible. Stay tuned
If you like winning, this is your chance to do it, over and over and over…
Never before has a presidential candidate won his election so many times. Never before has a loser found so many ridiculous ways to avoid conceding to the winner. Of course, it is the very fact that a loser has brazenly lied and fabricated nonsense reasons and accusations to contest at every opportunity that has created the possibility for Biden to win, again and again.
First, Joe Biden won what appeared to be a relatively narrow victory on election day with enough confirmed electoral votes, along with a lead in enough other states to create an impossibility for Trump to get to 270, the margin of votes needed to prevail.
Next Biden was declared winner in states which had held back in declaring a projected winner. Then the re-counts, court challenges and and final tallies commenced.
Pennsylvania gave him a win. That was a big win and he became President-elect. Then the Georgia re-count was another time to celebrate his victory. And Arizona, a state he flipped for the first time since 1996, and before that a Republican won there since 1948.
So, get ready everyone, on December 14th there will be another win for Joe Biden. Tired of winning yet?
In the end Biden will have, barring any absolutely and totally unlikely changes, 306 electoral votes. “A landslide” according to Trump when it was his exact winning number. Of course he did not get more than 80 million popular votes, or vanquish his opponent by more than 6 million. That’s only another unique and first in all history – big big win for Biden.
Trump lost the popular vote by 2.9 million votes in 2016.
So far, 54 of his 306 Electoral College votes and Trump 73 of his 232 votes have been officially certified by a total of 16 states. They have awarded President-elect Joe Biden 54 of his 306 Electoral College votes, and Trump has been awarded 73 of his 232 votes.
Florida is the only one of the four most populous states that has, as of yet, already been certified. Early in December there’s a deadline for the other large ones: California, Texas and New York. None of them are at all in doubt, of course.
Talk of “faithless electors” being put into action by Trump is becoming les and less likely by the day. Not 100% off the table but around 99.9999% not gonna happen.
I wonder if Trump is tired of losing yet? Gas-up the private jet. Moscow’s waiting.
Electoral College meets on Dec. 14, and all states must be certified before that, while any challenges to the results must have been resolved by Dec. 8.
Trump’s continued efforts to overturn election results: …laughable (literally)
Most of us know, that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris won the 2020 election. With the records showing the President-elect reached 80 million popular votes, with still more counting to be done. Yet, even though the electoral college votes, which determines the White House winner have been clearly laid out on Nov. 7 with the resounding 306-223.
Trump has done almost everything in his power to deny the facts. The “red mirage” has yet to fade for 45. He’s been seen tweeting from the rooftops that the election was rigged and riddled with fraud, he’s flat out tried to deny it, he has refused to concede or peacefully transfer power, Trump even begged battleground states for a recount of votes. None of the above was the truth; the simple fact is, he just lost.
Yet, the American people have had to bear witness to just how badly of a sore loser Trump has been. Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, all reconfirmed that Biden is the victor.
On Nov. 23, head of the GSA Emily Murphy formally approved for the transition, pushing reality even that much further, that now, perhaps the 2020 presidential elections can be finalized.
As a result, “Joe Biden winning” memes have been spreading throughout the internet wide and far, showing Biden winning multiple times while highlighting a range of feelings – hilarity, relief, to just plain absurdity of how this presidential election year has gone down.
The inauguration isn’t until Jan 20, 2021 and if you are like the majority of us, that means there, unfortunately, is still two more months of having to deal with Trump’s antics. It’s far past time for Trump to end his delusional battle and come to some sort of acceptance of the obvious election reality.
A spate of new titles are being added to Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime and more
Because of COVID-19, 2020 will go down in history as one of the most unique years for movies. With theaters closed, blockbusters delayed, and dozens of highly anticipated films getting siphoned off to streaming services, there hasn’t been any major box office highs or prestigious content for the big screen. Given the state of the world, this reality will likely continue through December, robbing the holiday season of its traditional major releases.
Thank goodness we have a variety of streaming platforms and many new releases for the month of December and beyond for some much needed holiday entertainment.
Nevertheless, a handful of pictures are still pushing for late 2020 premieres. Not all hope is lost for a Christmas-time movie watching experience. Here are a few anticipated films that plan on coming out before the end of the year…
Happiest Season
Today, a new Christmas romantic comedy has dropped, “Happiness Season” just in time for the long 4 day Thanksgiving holiday. This film is a little unique in that the focus centers around two lesbian women. Kristen Stewart (in real life openly gay) plays Abby and Mackenzie Davis plays Harper, a happy couple, whose relationship is put to the test.
Diego Maradona
A look at the career of celebrated football player Diego Armando Maradona. On 5th July 1984, Diego Maradona arrived in Naples for a world-record fee. The world’s most celebrated football icon and the most passionate but dangerous city in Europe were a perfect match for each other. A documentary “Diego Maradona,” which was directed by Filmmaker Asif Kapadia and released in 2019, tweeted his disbelief that the larger-than-life figure had passed away
https://youtu.be/vDXon6NtO8o
Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions
Taylor Swift delighted fans everywhere with a seemingly out of the blue announcement of her latest project. The concert film will be available exclusively on Disney+ streaming platform. The intimate “Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions” will premiere on Disney+ on Wednesday, Nov. 15 at midnight. The film was shot in September 2020 at the upstate New York studio, ‘The Long Pond’ alongside Swift’s co-producers Aaron Dessner (The National) and Jack Antonoff (Bleachers).
Hillbilly Elegy
Hillbilly Elegy, the movie based on the 2016 book, a memoir written by J.D. Vance that tells his story of the difficulties growing up with his drug-addicted mother in the small working-class town in the Appalachians. As rings true in the book, Vance’s character preserves through hardwork to ultimately take on a better path that leads to his acceptance into Yale.
Wonder Woman: 1984
Patty Jenkins’ sequel to 2017’s “Wonder Woman” was originally slated for a June release, but got perpetually pushed back because of the virus. Now, it is holding onto a Christmas Day theatrical debut. Gal Gadot returns as the titular heroin alongside Chris Pine and Kristen Wiig in this ninth installment to the DC Extended Universe.
Above: Photo “Coming 2 America”
Coming 2 America
After returning to host “Saturday Night Live” and starring in Netflix’s “Dolemite Is My Name,” legendary comedian Eddie Murphy effectively reentered the zeitgeist in 2019. Therefore, hopes were high for his late sequel to the 1988 classic, “Coming To America.” Although made for the theaters, this 2020 film will now be available exclusively on Amazon Prime starting December 18th.
Mank
A film historian’s film if there ever was one, the David Fincher-directed “Mank” stars Gary Oldman as real-life screenwriter, Herman J. Mankiewicz. Shot in black-and-white, the biopic focuses on Mankiewicz’s alcoholism and tumultuous experience writing “Citizen Kane” during Hollywood’s Golden Age. This Oscar-bait movie has already started its limited theatrical run, but will find a home on Netflix come December 4th.
Pixar’s last theatrical release was terribly timed. The critically acclaimed, but commercially underwhelming “Onward” hit theaters the same weekend that the pandemic heated up in America and moviegoers were urged to stay at home. This next Disney-Pixar outing will thus go directly to streaming via Disney+. Available on Christmas Day, “Soul” is the first Pixar feature not to have a big-screen premiere.
Midnight Sky
Netflix went all in for this George Clooney-directed science fiction adaptation. It’s a story about a man (played by Clooney) living on post-apocalyptic Earth and communicating with astronauts as they make their way back to the shambled planet. The film will stream on December 23rd and in this unique case, 2020 might actually add some timely relevance to the plot.
Above: Official Trailer of Free Guy / 20th Century Fox
Free Guy
Riding on the coattails of “Deadpool” and “Detective Pikachu,” Disney’s “Free Guy” is the latest action-comedy to star Ryan Reynolds as a happy-go-lucky protagonist. With a plot involving virtual reality, the movie puts an ordinary guy in extraordinary circumstances for some hilarious thrills. Carried over from 20th Century Fox and not based on any pre-existing IP, “Free Guy” is a bit of a gamble. We’ll find out if it pays off on when it hits theaters on the eleventh.
Another prospective theatrical release for December, Sony’s “Monster Hunter” plans to premiere on the 30th. Based off of the popular video game series of the same title, “Monster Hunter” promises a hybrid of war, science fiction, and fantasy delights. Director Paul W.S. Anderson has missed the mark with his video game adaptations before, but we cannot deny that huge spectacles projected on the big screen are something we’ve been deprived of this year, and therefore deeply crave.
This is going way, way, over the edge, what’s next?
Trump and his supporters continue to follow the rhetoric that the election was rigged, fraught with fraud (despite continued evidence to the contrary) and that Joe Bidenstole the election.
Trump’s retweets of Quaid’s posts come after GSA Emily Murphy informed Biden that the Trump administration is ready to formally allow the presidential transition to begin. Perhaps that set him off…
Trump, as per usual, took to Twitter, and decided to retweeted a total of 5 old tweets from Randy Quaid, who has been very vocal in calling for a total 2020 election recount / do-over.
Producer, director, writer, actor, Quaid does it all in Tweets from hell
Randy Quaid, a fervent Trump supporter, has made headlines not for this acting, but for his bizarre social media posts, two in particular that showcase his political ranting in the most theatrical way possible.
Oddly, since Quaid is an actor (or at least a retired one) it is hard to tell if he is serious or if this is some sort of “long con”. He comes across as far more than deranged, mad, totally off his rocker – almost like it’s scripted.
And, yet, this is what he is known for – one of his most famous roles is in “Independence Day” where he plays an alcoholic, wacko, ex-military, semi-retired pilot who commits hari-kari in an effort to save the planet from aliens.
Could it be that some sort of actor-related (or real?) PTSD is causing his brain to think that he is in some imaginary sequel to his Independence Day role? Or maybe Trump is also thinking he is living an extension of his glory days as the mogul on The Apprentice – well, the answer to that one is obviously, yes, but, it appears that the strangeness and sickness is just mounting up for the third act. what will that be?
Some parts of the video, are literally innocent (?), as he speaks gibberish with green and red strobe lights flashing upon a closeup of his face.
“Is this the way America goes? From George Washington to George Soros? From oceans white with foam to a socialist swamp. Is this the way America goes? Is this really our future? Wake up you sleeping giant, the lilliputians have tied you down with their fantastic dreams of icebergs melting into dinosaurs and train tracks stretching across the Pacific water…”
The nominations for the 2021 Grammy Awards were unveiled on Tuesday, November 24, by the N.A.R.A.S. a.k.a. The Recording Academy .
In keeping with the 2020 tradition of “distanced” productions Dua Lipa, Sharon Osbourne, Imogen Heap, Mickey Guyton and Lauren Daigle announced the nominations for the 2021 Grammys from various remote feed locations with an asset by the academy’s chair and interim president/CEO, Harvey Mason Jr.
BTS, the boy band, has received its first Grammy nomination, making history of becoming the first K-Pop group to break into a major category. The group’s official Twitter account posted a video of some of the members reacting to their historic nomination.
Scroll down to see the full list of nominations as they come in, and tune in to the 2021 Grammy Awards on CBS Sunday, January 31, at 8 p.m. ET.
Here Are The Nominations For The 2021 Grammy Awards
Beyoncé leads with nine nominations, while Megan Thee Stallion nabbed her first Grammy nods ever. The two also shared three nominations for their “Savage” remix.
Record of the Year
“Black Parade,” Beyoncé
“Colors,” Black Pumas
“Rockstar,” DaBaby feat. Roddy Ricch
“Say So,” Doja Cat
“Everything I Wanted,” Billie Eilish
“Don’t Start Now,” Dua Lipa
“Circles,” Post Malone
“Savage,” Megan Thee Stallion feat. Beyoncé
Album of the Year
From left: Este Haim, Danielle Haim, and Alana Haim
Chilombo, Jhené Aiko
Black Pumas (Deluxe Edition), Black Pumas
Everyday Life, Coldplay
Djesse Vol. 3, Jacob Collier
Women in Music Pt. III, Haim
Future Nostalgia, Dua Lipa
Hollywood’s Bleeding, Post Malone
Folklore, Taylor Swift
Song of the Year
“Black Parade,” Beyoncé
“The Box,” Roddy Ricch
“Cardigan,” Taylor Swift
“Circles,” Post Malone
“Don’t Start Now,” Dua Lipa
“Everything I Wanted,” Billie Eilish
“I Can’t Breathe,” H.E.R.
“If the World Was Ending,” JP Saxe feat. Julia Michaels
Best New Artist
Ingrid Andress
Phoebe Bridgers
Chika
Noah Cyrus
D Smoke
Doja Cat
Kaytranada
Megan Thee Stallion
Best Pop Solo Performance
“Yummy,” Justin Bieber
“Say So,” Doja Cat
“Everything I Wanted,” Billie Eilish
“Don’t Start Now,” Dua Lipa
“Watermelon Sugar,” Harry Styles
“Cardigan,” Taylor Swift
Best Pop Vocal Album
Changes, Justin Bieber
Chromatica, Lady Gaga
Future Nostalgia, Dua Lipa
Fine Line, Harry Styles
Folklore, Taylor Swift
Best Rap Album
Black Habits, D Smoke
Alfredo, Freddie Gibbs and the Alchemist
A Written Testimony, Jay Electronica
King’s Disease, Nas
The Allegory, Royce da 5’9″
Best Country Album
Lady Like, Ingrid Andress
Your Life Is a Record, Brandy Clark
Wildcard, Miranda Lambert
Nightfall, Little Big Town
Never Will, Ashley McBryde
Best Country Song
From left: Geoff Sprung, Trevor Rosen, Matthew Ramsey, Brad Tursi, and Whit Sellers of Old Dominion.
“Bluebird,” Miranda Lambert
“The Bones,” Maren Morris
“Crowded Table,” the Highwomen
“More Hearts Than Mine,” Ingrid Andress
“Some People Do,” Old Dominion
Best R&B Performance
“Lightning & Thunder,” Jhené Aiko feat. John Legend
“Black Parade,” Beyoncé
“All I Need,” Jacob Collier feat. Mahalia and Ty Dolla $ign
“Goat Head,” Brittany Howard
“See Me,” Emily King
Best Rap Song
“The Bigger Picture,” Lil Baby
“The Box,” Roddy Ricch
“Laugh Now, Cry Later,” Drake feat. Lil Durk
“Rockstar,” DaBaby feat. Roddy Ricch
“Savage,” Megan Thee Stallion feat. Beyoncé
Best Rock Performance
“Shameika,” Fiona Apple
“Not,” Big Thief
“Kyoto,” Phoebe Bridgers
“The Steps,” Haim
“Stay High,” Brittany Howard
“Daylight,” Grace Potter
Best Progressive R&B Album
Chilombo, Jhené Aiko
Ungodly Hour, Chloe X Halle
Free Nationals, Free Nationals
Fuck Yo Feelings, Robert Glasper
It Is What It Is, Thundercat
Best Alternative Album
Fetch the Bolt Cutters, Fiona Apple
Hyperspace, Beck
Punisher, Phoebe Bridgers
Jaime, Brittany Howard
The Slow Rush, Tame Impala
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
“Un Dia (One Day),” J Balvin, Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny, and Tainy
Above: Video of CBS This Morning – Photo Collage / Lynxotic
Daily Show funny man will bring his many talents to the big show for Music excellence
Trevor Noah, host of “The Daily Show” has been announced as emcee of the 2021 Grammys.
The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards will be broadcast on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021, on the CBS at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT and will be streamed live on GRAMMY.com at 3:00 p.m. ET / 12:00 p.m. PT.
“Despite the fact that I am extremely disappointed that the GRAMMYs ® have refused to have me sing or be nominated for best pop album, I am thrilled to be hosting this auspicious event, I think as a one-time Grammy nominee, I am the best person to provide a shoulder to all the amazing artists who do not win on the night because I too know the pain of not winning the award! (This is a metaphorical shoulder, I’m not trying to catch Corona). See you at the 63rd Grammys!
Trump, at the same time, said he was still not conceding
The first crack in Humpty-Trumpty’s fall is here. After more than two weeks since his victory in the electoral college was known, President-elect Joe Biden has been officially cleared to formally start his transition to the White House.
The General Services Administration, or GSA, has sent a letter and thereby formally acknowledged Biden as the apparent winner of the presidential election. This letter will allow him and his team to begin officially working on all aspects of the transition.
Non-concession concession, in a tweet, of course
“Nevertheless, in the best interest of our Country, I am recommending that Emily and her team do what needs to be done with regard to initial protocols, and have told my team to do the same.”
Trump in Tweet on November 23rd, 2020
Trump, in a somewhat confused tweet, appears to concede, or at least accept that he can not block what is inevitable, and yet still clings to his “I believe we will prevail” line.
However the important part: “Nevertheless, in the best interest of our Country, I am recommending that Emily and her team do what needs to be done with regard to initial protocols, and have told my team to do the same.” Was there for all to see in the second section of the tweet.
The president-elect cannot access federal transition funds or contact federal agencies to plan staffing, as per federal law, until the GSA recognizes him as the electoral winner.
Apparently this was all an off-the-cuff-tweet-scenario, as there were reports that various senior staff in the White House were unaware of this development, until having read the tweet themselves.
Many White House officials have said in confidence, according to reports, that they have been pushing for this next, important step, and only Rudy Giuliani was against moving forward.
“Today’s decision is a needed step to begin tackling the challenges facing our nation, including getting the pandemic under control and our economy back on track”
— Johannes Abraham, transition executive director for Biden / Harris, in a statement Monday
Until now the GSA has remained silent, thus limiting the President-elect from proceeding in some aspects of the transition. Now that the GSA has acknowledged formally via this letter, Biden‘s team will have access to more than $7 million of public funds.
…fight, and I believe we will prevail! Nevertheless, in the best interest of our Country, I am recommending that Emily and her team do what needs to be done with regard to initial protocols, and have told my team to do the same.
