Anchors Away

   Two major TV news anchors are leaving their networks, each citing the drastic change in news coverage and the loss of neutrality among viewers.

   Brian Williams of MSNBC and Chris Wallace of Fox each announced their plans as the broadcast week drew to a close. Both lamented the changes in viewer demands. Both are known for their journalistic neutrality and their reputation for asking tough questions.

   Williams did not say what his future plans are. Wallace will move to CNN+, the company's non-broadcast news operation. However, it was clear that Wallace's leaving was prompted by the increase in right-wing commentary on the Fox network, with some of its commentators skirting and sometimes crossing the bounds of truth.

   Earlier, news anchor Shepard Smith left the Fox Network for similar reasons. He is now with CNBC. 

The Best W

    The basic tenet of journalism is to deal with the Five Ws of any story -- Who, What, Where, When and Why.

   These days, the final W -- Why -- is more important than ever on the national level.

   Why are the Trumpians delaying and doing their best to avoid questions by the Congressional committee  investigating the January 6 mob attack on the nation's Capitol?

   Equally important, why is the committee not swiftly issuing subpoenas to those who refuse to attend committee hearings?

   The translation of the term "subpoena" is "under penalty." But if there is no penalty for refusing to comply with the committee's order to attend, then there is no penalty, and the committee's work is pointless.

   Again comes the Why question: Why is the committee not enforcing its order to testify?

   The first four Ws are relatively easy, since the entire world has seen video of the assault. But the first -- Who is behind organizing the attack -- is of primary importance. The What, Where and When are easily documented by video and by personal recollections of Congressional members trapped by the assault on that day.

   That leaves the Who and the Why.

   It is nearly a full year since the event. (It was too well organized to be termed a riot.) The people of America deserve and need answers.

Election Begathon

    The election day begathon has begun, and it's nearly a full year until the next voting day. And that voting day is an interim election year, when control of Congress is up for grabs.

   But that's the point for those now in the minority, and those anxious to keep their control. Moreover, it's complicated by the redrawing of election districts to "conform" to the most recent census count.

   Already, lawsuits are being filed over allegations of gerrymandering to ensure one party maintains control.

   Come down to the essence, and that's the principle of politics these days -- control.

   It's not about doing what's right for the nation, but it's about controlling what government does so those in power can do what is financially beneficial for their backers.

   This week, the nation lost one of its better government officials, and his loss only emphasized how politics has changed. And not for the better.

   Bob Dole, a veteran of World War II, the U.S. Senate and a candidate for vice president, died the day before the 80th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack. He was known not only for his sharp humor, but also for his ability to work with the political opposition to achieve measures that would benefit the people -- all the people of the nation, not just those of a single party.

  

Gun Violence

      More than 500 people have died of gunfire in Philadelphia so far this year, up from 400 just a few weeks ago.

   Nationwide, the total is nearly 20,000. That's an increase of some 5,000 gunshot fatalities compared to 2018.

   Yet for all the talk about the soaring death rate, there has been little talk about tighter controls. Instead, there have been efforts to blame the increase on the spread of the corona virus and its mutations, which bring more tension to social relationships.

   That may well be true, but deaths from the virus have increased in other countries worldwide, and it's not clear whether gun deaths have also increased in those countries.

   Meanwhile, the logic is clear: More guns bring more deaths. Therefore, fewer guns will mean fewer deaths.

   One wonders whether Canada, which has strict gun ownership laws, has also seen an increase in gun violence and deaths. A quick check shows that gun homicides in Canada reached a five-year high in 2020 at a total of 277. Or Britain, or Ireland, or Australia, or New Zealand, other nations where the English language is predominant but gun laws are more strict.

   In Britain, gun homicides in 2018 totaled 33. In Australia, there are an estimated 14 firearms per 100 inhabitants. In the United States, that ratio is 120. That means there are more guns in America than there are people.

   That raises the question, why do so many Americans feel they need multiple firearms?

   One reason proposed by the gun lobby is that Americans rely on the Second Amendment to have guns so they can retaliate against invaders. From where, Canada? Apparently these believers do not trust the U.S. military, including the Marine Corps, the Army, Navy, Air Force, Special Forces and other highly trained personnel to defend the nation from invaders on the other side of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

   Meanwhile, the proliferation of guns in America leads to more killings of students and children while they are attending school.

    

Josephine Baker

    France paused this week to honor the American Black woman singer who was instrumental in helping her adopted nation deal with the Nazi invasion during World War II.

   The French international TV operation carried the ceremony live and in full, while the British and German networks available in America devoted extensive coverage to the honors.

   But there were no reports carried on major American TV networks. One wonders why. Was it because they did not know who Josephine Baker was, or did they decide the event was not newsworthy?

   She was born in the U.S., lived in Harlem, moved to France and became the most popular entertainer in the country in the 1930s and 1940s. She stayed in Paris during the occupation and used her position to have contact with German military officers and pass on valued information to the French Resistance.

   After the war, she was given several of the nation's top honors, including one personally by Charles de Gaulle. She later appeared at the side of Rev. Martin Luther King during his "I have a dream" speech.

   Yet despite all this, when the nation of France inducted her into its Pantheon in Paris, to join its most honored citizens, American TV networks had no coverage of the event.

   One wonders why.

 

King of Denial

    The Pharaoh Syndrome is spreading as people refuse to accept the reality of the corona virus.

   Result: The death toll rises as infections soar. This is what happens when people refuse to believe medical professionals and embrace the words of politicians instead.

Whether

   Decisions are based on whether to do one thing or another. A simplistic definition, certainly, but one that has kept me off this page recently. Instead, I have been writing fiction, a very satisfying effort, and the results are posted on the Amazon site.

   It certainly is more satisfying than sending samples to traditional publishers, then waiting months for a rejection note so the text can be sent to another.

   Instead, a book goes worldwide overnight, sales are immediately recorded and royalties paid monthly. It's not enough to finance retirement, but it does encourage more writing.

   My latest effort is titled "The Druid Cat," and deals with a feline effort to help his human partner, a journalist writing on the conflict between a hard-nosed redemptionist and those who want to follow their own spiritual path. It's the latest in a series.

   But my favorite is one titled "The Wolf Who Came Back," and tells of a leader taking his pack to resolve issues that humans destroyed.

   Meanwhile, enjoy the stories while I dig up more commentary on current events.