#Jeremy Toback

[loverockawaitsyou]

Found @/DailyGossard on Twitter. 

LOL, I never realized that the Buttercup video and 20th Century were filmed in the same day.

[looseygoosey66]

[stxrliasfics]

Two of Cups - Jack Hunter x Eric Matthews Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Blisslessly Asleep

“Riddle me this, Eric,” he started. “Do you believe that you’re in the wrong?”

hope you guys enjoy!! i’ve missed you all sm!

if anyone knows the name of the artists in the first and third pics, pls let me know so that i can credit them. i got these pics from pinterest and i couldn’t find their names.

[metalindex-hu]

Szomorú ünnep – Brad: In The Moment That You’re Born (LP, 2023)

Szomorú ünnep – Brad: In The Moment That You’re Born (LP, 2023) - https://metalindex.hu/2023/12/31/szomoru-unnep-brad-in-the-moment-that-youre-born-lp-2023/ -

Szomorú ünnepre készültek a legendás Brad rajongói július 28-án. A zenekar tragikus hirtelenséggel elhunyt énekese, Shawn Smith minden bizonnyal utolsó felvételei jelentek meg a formáció hetedik nagylemezén. Pintér Miklós merült el mélyebben az In The Moment That You’re Born dalaiban. Shawn Smith váratlan halála az egész seattle-i zenei közösséget megrázta. Az énekes-zongoristát mindenki elismerte és szerette, nem hiába dolgozott vele sok-sok évvel Andy Wood halála után Kevin Wood a Malfunkshunben, mint az egyetlen olyan emberrel, aki a fiókban maradt ötleteket méltóképpen tudja befejezni és színpadra vinni. Smith már a Satchel és a Pigeonhead soraiban is megmutatta képességeit a helyi közösségnek, amikor a csúcson lévő Pearl Jam gitárossal, Stone Gossarddal, valamint a Satchelben doboló, ex-Malfunkshun ütős Regan Hagarrel egyesítették erőiket, és Jeremy Toback basszusgitárossal kiegészülve megalakították Brad nevű formációjukat. Klasszikus történet, hogy a zenekar eredetileg Shame-ként futott volna, de volt már egy másik banda, ami így hívta magát és ragaszkodott is a névhez. Így egy csavarral a Shame a projekt debütalbumának címe lett, a másik zenekar egyik tagja, Brad Wilson után pedig olyan tipikus gossardos szarkazmussal Bradnek nevezték el magukat. Nem túlzás, a zenekar csodásabbnál csodásabb lemezeket adott ki az évek folyamán. A Shame (1993), az Interiors (1997), a Welcome to …

[darklullaby1969]

Interiors ~ Brad

Recorded – December 1996/ January 1997 Released – 24 June 1997 Producer – Brad, Nick DiDia Label – Epic Records Studio – Studio Litho, Seattle – Washington All tracks are written by Stone Gossard, Regan Hagar, Shawn Smith and Jeremy Toback Secret Girl  The Day Brings  Lift  I Don’t Know  Upon My Shoulders  Sweet Al George  Funeral Song  Circle & Line  Some Never Come…

[nehistripesseattle]

Moving outside the norm because the frontman for this band really made a positive impact on our lives, mine included. Shawn Smith who passed away 3 years ago, was a lovable, huggable - powerhouse! UK’s RAW Mag introduced BRAD, PNW’s makings of the next supergroup The band - Stone Gossard (Green River/MLB/PJ), Regan Hagar (Satchel/Malfunkshun), Shawn Smith (Satchel/Pigeonhed) & Jeremy Toback made their debut in 1992 with “Shame”. The name origin - goes something like this; the band originally wanted to go by the name Shame; however, the band found that the name was already taken by a band featuring musician Brad Wilson. Instead, the band took the name Brad and decided to name its debut album Shame😝😜 • • • • • • • Raw Mag article on Brad, July 1993. Article is from my personal collection -CC —————————————————— #nehistripesseattle #bradband #shawnsmith #stonegossard #reganhagar #jeremytoback #seattlesound #pigeonhed #satchel #malfunkshun #motherlovebone #pearljam #1990s #rawmagazine (at Seattle, Washington) https://www.instagram.com/p/CkDTQuWOemG/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[trashduckie]

For @multifandomfix 💖

I'll Fall With Your Knife - Peter Murphy

Word Behind Words - Jeremy Toback

Keep On Loving You - REO Speedwagon

Bubbly - Colbie Caillat

I Do Adore - Mindy Gledhill

Accidentally In Love - Counting Crows

Smile - Uncle Kracker

Do It Again - R5

[kimsonvalon]

Écouter / acheter: Conjuring de Jeremy Toback

[jalan-jalan]

【浦田博信の古今東西音楽ウラ話】

YES-fm 78.1MHz・毎週木曜22時〜23時（日曜19時再放送）

秒殺の作曲家浦田博信です。✌️

今週のプレイリストを公開します！

2022年6月9日のプレイリスト

M1：No Regrets (feat. Krewella) / KSHMR & Yves V

M2：Indian Summer / Jai Wolf

M3：Muerte en Hawaii / Calle 13

M4：たどりついたらいつも雨降り / 平田隆夫とセルスターズ

M5：Perasaan / Anita Sarawak

M6：The Bullfrog Opera / The Okee Dokee Brothers

M7：ចិត្តឥតល្អៀង / Sinn Sisamouth & Ros Serey Sothea

M8：Quente e Colorido / Marina Sena & Illy

M9：Adis Getse / Nina Girma

M10：Glue / Frances England

M11：Everyday People / Renee Stahl & Jeremy Toback

M12：La Canço del Lladre / Ferran Savall

M13：Nowhere Man / Litto Nebbia

M14：LONGO MAÏ / Enchantée Julia & Benjamin Epps

梅雨入りも近い感じですが、インド＋北欧、バングラデシュ系のEDMやシンガポールのBeeGeesカヴァー。

さらにアメリカのチルドレンソングやメキシコ、アルゼンチン、ブラジル。エジプト、フランス＆ガボン、カタルーニャなどなど。

そしてそして、極め付けはマヒナスターズ＆松尾和子の「お座敷小唄」を60年代カンボジアの黄金コンビによるカヴァーで！

今夜もナイスな音楽＆ナイスなジャケ写をワールドワイドに取り揃えてお届けしました。

聴き逃した方は日曜日の再放送をぜひチェックしてみてくださいませ。

来週もどうぞお楽しみに。

#秒殺の作曲家

#浦田博信の古今東西音楽ウラ話

#yesfm

#木曜夜10時

#日曜夜7時再放送

#ニッチな選曲

#深イイ選曲

#ちょっとマニアックな選曲

#ワイドな振れ幅

#ミナミのラジオ

#聴いてね

[verifiedaccount]

Roy Price, the head of Amazon Studios, has been accused of sexual harassment by producer Isa Dick Hackett. He has since resigned.

Andy Signore, creator of Screen Junkies and the popular “Honest Trailers” series, has been accused of sexual harassment by at least five women. He has since been fired by Defy Media.

Ben Affleck, has been accused of groping actress Hilary Burton on the set of MTV’s TRL in the early-2000’s. Affleck has since apologized.

Bob Weinstein, super producer and brother of Harvey, has been accused of sexual harassment by Amanda Segel, an executive producer of the Weinstein Co.-produced TV series The Mist. A Weinstein representative has since denied the charge.

Matt Mondanile, the former guitarist for the band Real Estate, has been accused by several women of sexual misconduct. Mondanile has since denied any wrongdoing.

Oliver Stone, has been accused by actress Carrie Stevens of groping her at a party once. She tweeted this allegation in response to Stone tepidly defending Weinstein in the early aftermath of the charges against him.

James Toback, director of films such as Black and White, has been accused by literally hundreds of women of a range of sexual harassments. He has since vehemently denied the charges, while Beverly Hills police have launched an investigation whose scope includes both Toback and Harvey Weinstein.

Lockhart Steele, the creator of popular websites such as Curbed and Racked, has been accused of sexual harassment by former Vox employee Eden Rohatensky. Vox has since fired Steele.

Mark Halperin, the reporter, author, and media personality, has been accused of sexual harassment by several women going back many years. He has admitted to some misconduct, although his account is in dispute, and he has since been dropped by several of his employers, including NBC News, MSNBC, and HBO.

Andrew Kramer, the Lionsgate executive, has been accused of sexual harassment by a former assistant. He has since been dropped.

Eli Wiesel, the Nobel Prize-winning author and human-rights advocate has been accused of groping a 19-year-old in 1989. Wiesel passed away in 2016 and is thus unable to confirm or deny the account.

Leon Wieseltier, formerly an editor at The New Republic, has been accused by several female colleagues of sexual harassment. Wiseltier has admitted to some “offenses” and funding has since been pulled from the new magazine he had planned to launch.

Twiggy Ramirez a/k/a Jeordie White, the bassist from Marilyn Manson has been accused of rape. He has since been fired from the band.

Tyler Grasham, the Hollywood agent, has been accused of sexual assault and sodomy by actor Tyler Cornell, who has also filed a police report. Grasham has since been fired by his agency, ACA.

Ethan Kath, the producer/performer behind Crystal Castles has been accused by former bandmate Alice Glass of sexual assault. Kath denies the allegations.

Chris Savino, the creator of Nickelodeon’s The Loud House, has been accused by multiple women of sexual harassment. He has since been fired from the show.

Knight Landesman, the Artforum publisher and a power broker in the art world, has been accused of sexual harassment by at least nine women, who have filed a joint lawsuit. Landesman has since resigned from Artforum.

Robert Scoble, the veteran tech blogger, has been accused of sexual assault by multiple women. He has since resigned from the “mixed reality” consulting firm he co-founded earlier in 2017.

George H.W. Bush, the former president, has been accused by several women of groping them while making a bad joke (punchline: “David Cop-a-Feel.”) Rather than denying the charges, Bush has issued a statement through his spokesperson, introducing the world to the concept of a “good-natured” groping.

Kevin Spacey, the star of Netflix’s House of Cards, has been accused by actor Anthony Rapp of making unwanted sexual advances when Rapp was 14 years old. Spacey released a statement claiming he was drunk and did not remember the encounter, and Netflix has since suspended production on the sixth season of House of Cards.

Jeremy Piven, the actor most famous for his role on HBO’s Entourage, has been accused by actress Ariane Bellamar of groping her on multiple accusations during the filming of that show. Piven has denied the allegations.

Hamilton Fish V, the publisher of The New Republic, has been accused by multiple female employees of sexual harassment. He has since taken a leave of absence.

Andy Dick, the famously assault-prone comedic performer, has been accused of sexual harassment by multiple people on the set of the indie film, Raising Buchanan. He has since been fired from the film.

Brett Ratner, the director behind hits such as Rush Hour, has been accused by six women of a number of sexual offenses. Ratner’s lawyer has disputed these accounts.

Dustin Hoffman, the veteran actor from films like The Graduate and Tootsie, has been accused of sexually harassing Anna Graham when she was a 17-year-old production assistant in 1985.

Michael Oreskes, a top editor at NPR, has been accused by multiple women of sexual harassment. He has since resigned.

[loverockawaitsyou]

1997 Brad promo image.

Photographer unknown.

[looseygoosey66]

Everyone ready for the press push for the Brad double release next Friday?

[maryxglz]

The women protesting Hollywood’s culture of sexual harassment at the Golden Globes won’t have to stand alone. Actor Dwayne Johnson and celebrity stylist Ilaria Urbinanti confirmed that at least some of the gents attending the big event will also be donning black in solidarity with their female colleagues.

“Because everyone keeps asking me… YES, the men WILL be standing in solidarity with women on this wearing-all-black movement to protest against gender inequality at this year’s Golden Globes,” Urbinanti wrote in a post to Instagram. “At least ALL MY GUYS will be. Safe to say this may not be the right time to choose to be the odd man out here… just sayin…”

Urbinanti styles such actors as Tom Hiddleston (Kong: Skull Island, Thor: Ragnarok), this year’s best supporting actor nominee Armie Hammer (Call Me By Your Name), Garrett Hedlund (Mudbound), and Johnson (Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, The Fate of the Furious). The Rock commented on Urbinanti’s post to confirm that “yes we will” be among the all-black-wearing attendees

Earlier this month, multiple sources confirmed to PEOPLE that many actresses attending the Globes on Jan. 7 — including presenters and nominees — are planning to wear black.

“All female actresses attending the Globes are protesting by just wearing black gowns,” one source told the magazine.

Since The New York Times broke the story about the decades-spanning sexual harassment and assault claims against now-disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein, many in the industry have come forward to voice new allegations or denounce the accused. (Weinstein has publicly denied any instance of nonconsensual sex.) The weeks that followed uncovered additional claims against Kevin Spacey, Louis C.K., Jeremy Piven, Ed Westwick, Jeffrey Tambor, directors James Toback and Brett Ratner, former TODAY cohost Matt Lauer, former Hollywood agent Adam Venit, and numerous others.

At past awards shows, celebrities have worn pins to support the ACLU, marginalized communities, and similar causes. Like the others, this wearing-black protest has the potential to spill over to other awards shows this year.

[giallofever2]

Happy Birthday/Buon Compleanno to ... The Most Beautiful Girl... in the World! Ornella Muti Born Francesca Romana Rivelli 9 March 1955 in Rome, Italy 🇬🇧Muti modeled as a teenager and made her film debut in 1970 in La Moglie piu bella (aka The Most Beautiful Wife). She has primarily worked in Italian films but she made her English-speaking film debut as Princess Aura in Flash Gordon in 1980. American movies she appeared in include Love and Money (1982), Casanova (1987), Wait Until Spring Bandini (1989), A Season of Giants (1990), Oscar (1991), Once Upon A Crime (1992), Somewhere in the City (1998) and To Rome with Love (2012). She is mostly known to the French for appearing in a television commercial of Giovanni Panzani pasta. She was voted "The Most Beautiful Woman in the World" in 1994 by a worldwide poll of readers of the magazine Class 🇮🇹 Il suo esordio nel cinema avvenne quando aveva 14 anni, nel 1969: fu scelta da Damiano Damiani come protagonista del suo film La moglie più bella, ispirato alla vicenda di Franca Viola, di Alcamo in Sicilia, che nel 1965, appena diciassettenne, fu la prima donna italiana a rifiutare il matrimonio riparatore. Damiani le impose un nome d'arte con reminiscenze dannunziane (Ornella è un personaggio de La figlia di Jorio, Elena Muti è la protagonista de Il piacere), anche perché già esisteva un'attrice con il suo stesso cognome, Luisa Rivelli L'esordio le procurò parti in numerosi film sia in Italia sia all'estero (ad esempio Il sole nella pelle del 1971 e Un posto ideale per uccidere di Umberto Lenzi, mentre in Spagna girò Un solo grande amore, Esperienze prematrimoniali, La segretaria, L'amante adolescente) e in fotoromanzi, nei quali è accreditata come Francesca Rivelli, insieme con la sorella. L'incontro professionalmente più importante avvenne nel 1974, anno in cui girò Romanzo popolare di Mario Monicelli, nel ruolo della bella e giovane Vincenzina (durante le riprese era incinta), con Ugo Tognazzi nei panni dell'operaio milanese Basletti. Il film ebbe un notevole successo e le diede notorietà. Prese parte poi ai film: Come una rosa al naso di Franco Rossi, a fianco di Vittorio Gassman; La stanza del vescovo e Primo amore, entrambi di Dino Risi, nuovamente al fianco di Ugo Tognazzi; I nuovi mostri di Monicelli-Risi-Scola, candidato al Premio Oscar come Miglior film straniero nel 1979 L'ultima donna di Marco Ferreri, nel 1976, con Gérard Depardieu Con Ferreri girò nel 1981 Storie di ordinaria follia, tratto da una sceneggiatura scritta dallo stesso regista e da Sergio Amidei a partire dall'omonimo romanzo di Charles Bukowski. Il film, ambientato a Los Angeles e girato negli stessi luoghi nel 1980, uscì nelle sale l'anno successivo e fu invitato al Festival di Venezia. Il personaggio della Muti è Cass, una giovane prostituta autolesionista e bellissima, vittima di una bellezza che la soverchia e non le consente di essere amata per quello che sente di essere Partecipò al kolossal statunitense Flash Gordon nella versione di Mike Hodges, nella parte della perfida Principessa Aura, e al thriller Per amore e per denaro di James Toback. Girò diversi film di produzione statunitense, rifiutando il ruolo di protagonista, poi affidato a Carole Bouquet), in Agente 007 - Solo per i tuoi occhi perché il suo costumista, Wayne Finkelman, non era stato ingaggiato dalla produzione.Nello stesso periodo, con Adriano Celentano girò Il bisbetico domato e Innamorato pazzo di Castellano e Pipolo; con Renato Pozzetto, Nessuno è perfetto e Un povero ricco, e con Ben Gazzara La ragazza di Trieste, nel ruolo della psicotica Nicole, tutti per la regia di Pasquale Festa Campanile. Nel 1983 è al fianco di Paolo Villaggio nel film Bonnie e Clyde all'italiana, diretto da Steno Al 1984 appartengono Il futuro è donna, di nuovo per la regia di Ferreri, invitato al Festival di Venezia, e soprattutto Un amore di Swann di Volker Schlöndorff, in cui, insieme con Jeremy Irons, Fanny Ardant e Alain Delon, interpretò l'enigmatica Odette, l'amore impossibile di Proust. Famose le sue copertine in tutto il mondo, come quella per Time. Intraprese anche la carriera televisiva: nel 1984 partecipò a Risatissima, insieme con Johnny Dorelli. Al cinema più impegnato appartengono Cronaca di una morte annunciata di Francesco Rosi, Codice privato di Citto Maselli (per il quale ottenne la nomination come migliore attrice agli Oscar Europei), 'o Re di Luigi Magni e Il viaggio di Capitan Fracassa di Ettore Scola, tutti realizzati nella seconda metà degli anni ottanta. Sono produzioni statunitensi Oscar - Un fidanzato per due figlie con Sylvester Stallone e Sette criminali e un bassotto, entrambi del 1991. Molto conosciuta in Francia, apparve spesso alla televisione transalpina sia come attrice di fiction sia come modella per pubblicità. Nel 1992 prese parte a Non chiamarmi Omar, una commedia diretta da Sergio Staino e basata sul racconto Nudi e crudi di un altro vignettista, Francesco Tullio Altan. Nel 1994 fu eletta Donna più bella del mondo dalla rivista statunitense Class. L'anno dopo uscì in Italia, Spagna e Sud America L'amante bilingue, diretto dal prestigioso regista Vicente Aranda. Dopo un periodo di lontananza dal grande schermo tornò nel 1999 con Panni sporchi, di Mario Monicelli. Lavorò poi solo con registe: Francesca Archibugi, Asia Argento e Eleonora Giorgi, che la scelse per il suo esordio registico Uomini & donne, amori & bugie. Nel 2006 recitò nella fiction prodotta dalla RAI Domani è un altro giorno e nel 2007 tornò a lavorare con Citto Maselli in Civico zero. Nel 2012 Ornella Muti prese parte al film di Woody Allen, girato in Italia, To Rome with Love .Nel 2013, insieme con la figlia Naike Rivelli, fu protagonista del videoclip e del brano prodotto da Alexandra Damiani Queen Of The Dancefloor. Del 2017 fu la partecipazione alla serie televisiva italiana Sirene, prodotta dalla Rai Selected filmography La moglie più bella (The Most Beautiful Wife, 1970) Il Sole nella pelle (1971, also known as Summer Affair, Sun on the Skin) Un posto ideale per uccidere (Oasis of Fear, 1971) The House of the Doves (1972) Le Monache di Sant'Arcangelo (1973, also known as Sisters of Satan, The Nuns of Saint Archangel, The Nun and the Devil) Italian Graffiti (1973) Romanzo popolare (1974, also known as Come Home and Meet My Wife) The Sensual Man (1974) Appassionata (1974, also known as Passionate) Leonor (fr) (1975) Pure as a Lily (1976) La Dernière femme (1976, also known as The Last Woman, L'Ultima donna) La stanza del vescovo, (1977, also known as The Bishop’s Room) Mort d'un pourri (1977, also known as Death of a Corrupt Man, The Twisted Detective) I nuovi mostri (1977) Ritratto di borghesia in nero (1978, also known as Nest of Vipers, Portrait of a Bourgeois in Black) Eutanasia di un amore (1978) Primo amore (1978) Neapolitan Mystery (1979) La vita è bella (Life is Beautiful, 1979) Flash Gordon (1980) Il Bisbetico Domato (1980) Storie di ordinaria follia (Tales of Ordinary Madness, 1981) Nessuno è perfetto (1981) Innamorato pazzo (Madly in Love, 1981) Love and Money (1982) La ragazza di Trieste (The Girl from Trieste, 1982) Bonnie e Clyde all'italiana (Bonnie and Clyde Italian Style, 1983) Un povero ricco (Rich and Poor, 1983) Un amour de Swann (1984, also known as Eine Liebe von Swann, Swann in Love) Il futuro è donna (The Future Is Woman, 1984) All the Fault of Paradise (Tutta colpa del paradiso) (1985) Stregati (1986) Grandi magazzini (1986) Io e mia sorella (Me and My Sister, 1987) Casanova (1987) Cronaca di una morte annunciata (Chronicle of a Death Foretold, 1987) Il frullo del passero (The Sparrow's Fluttering, 1988) O Re (The King of Naples) (1989) Codice privato (1989) Wait Until Spring, Bandini (1989) Il Viaggio di Capitan Fracassa (1990, English titles: Captain Fracassa's Journey, The Voyage of Captain Fracassa) Stasera a casa di Alice (1990) A Season of Giants (1990) Oscar (1991) Count Max (1991) La domenica specialmente (Especially on Sunday, 1991) Once Upon a Crime (1992) El Amante Bilingüe (The Bilingual Lover, 1993) Compromesso d'amore (1995, Spanish title: Tatiana, la muñeca rusa, US title: Love Deal) Mi fai un favore (1996, US title: Stella's Favor) Pour rire! (1996) Widows - Erst die Ehe, dann das Vergnügen (1998) Somewhere in the City (1998) The Count of Monte Cristo (1998, miniseries) Esther (1999 film) The Unscarred (1999), co-starred with daughter Naike Rivelli Panni sporchi (Dirty Linen, 1999) Tierra del fuego (2000) Jet Set (2000) Domani (2001, English title: Tomorrow) Il figlio prediletto (2001 Brazil, Portuguese title: Um Crime Nobre) Last Run (2001) as Danny Hotel (2001) as Flamenco Spokesperson Cavale (2002, also known as Trilogy: One, On the Run) as Cécile Costes Un couple épatant (2002, also known as Trilogy: Two, An Amazing Couple) as Cécile Costes Après la vie (2002, also known as Trilogy: Three, After the Life) as Cécile Rivet Uomini & donne, amori & bugie (2003) as Anna The Tulse Luper Suitcases, Part 1: The Moab Story (2003) as Mathilde Figura The Tulse Luper Suitcases, Part 2: Vaux to the Sea (2004) as Mathilde Figura The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things (2004) as Grandmother People (2004) as Aphrodita The Tulse Luper Suitcases, Part 3: From Sark to the Finish (2004) as Mathilde Figura Di que sí (2004) as Francesca, la directora La bambina dalle mani sporche (2005, TV Movie) as Wanda Rosso A Life in Suitcases (2005) as Mathilde Figura Friday or Another Day (2005) as La mère de Philippe Rohan Les Bronzés 3: Amis pour la vie (2006) as Graziella Sparaggi Lespinasse L'Inchiesta (2006) as Mary of Magdalene Peopling the Palaces at Venaria Reale (2007) as Marchesa di Caraglio Civico zero (2007) as Nina Postcards from Rome (2008) as Ornella Io non ci casco (2008) as Professoressa Lamberti Doc West (2009, TV Movie) as Debra Downing To Rome with Love (2012) as Pia Fusari Checkmate (2016) as Penury

[movietvtechgeeks]

Latest story from https://movietvtechgeeks.com/harvey-weinstein-floodgates-open-sexual-misconduct-list/

Harvey Weinstein floodgates open on sexual misconduct list

All it took was for established, well-known actresses (Rose McGowan, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ashley Judd among dozens) in Hollywood to finally step up about Harvey Weinstein for the floodgates to open so women and men all over the country felt safe enough to call out men who had sexually harassed them or sexually assaulted them. Since The New York Times published allegations of sexual harassment and assault against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein in October, multiple men in Hollywood and media have faced allegations ranging from sexual misconduct to rape. A new report from Ronan Farrow in The New Yorker also details Weinstein’s alleged and elaborate efforts to silence journalists and accusers. The former movie executive denies the new accusations and “any allegations of non-consensual sex,” but said in a statement to the Times that, “I appreciate the way I’ve behaved with colleagues in the past has caused a lot of pain, and I sincerely apologize for it.” The Weinstein scandal has sparked a national conversation about sexual misconduct and prompted others to come forward with accusations ranging from groping to rape against prominent men, including former Gossip Girl actor Ed Westwick, House of Cards star Kevin Spacey, actor Ben Affleck and former President George H. W. Bush. Here are some of the men accused, but you can be sure this list will already have grown by tomorrow: — Producer Harvey Weinstein— Accused by dozens of women of sexual harassment or assault. Fired by The Weinstein Co. and expelled from various professional guilds. Under investigation by police departments in New York, London, Beverly Hills and Los Angeles. He denies all allegations of non-consensual sex. — Actor Jeremy Piven — Accused by three women of sexual misconduct. He denies all allegations. — Actor Kevin Spacey — Accused by at least 14 men of sexual misconduct or assault. London police reportedly investigating a sexual assault. Fired from ‘House of Cards’ and replaced in Ridley Scott’s completed film ‘All the Money in the World.’ His former publicist has said he is seeking unspecified treatment. — Filmmaker Brett Ratner — Accused by at least six women of sexual harassment. Playboy shelved projects with Ratner and Ratner stepped away from Warner Bros. related activities. He denies the allegations. — Actor Steven Seagal — Accused by two women of rape. He denies the allegations. — Comedian Louis C.K. — Accused by five women of sexual misconduct. Planned release of film “I Love You, Daddy” halted. Netflix special canceled. He says the allegations are true and has apologized. — Actor Ed Westwick — Accused by two women of sexual assault. The BBC pulled an Agatha Christie adaptation from its television schedule and halted production on a second sitcom starring the “Gossip Girl’ actor. Los Angeles police are investigating. He denies the allegations. — Actor Dustin Hoffman — Accused by woman of sexual harassing when she was 17. He has apologized for his behavior. — ‘Mad Men’ creator Matthew Weiner — Accused by one woman of sexual harassment. He denies the allegation. — Actor Robert Knepper — Accused by one woman of sexual assault. He denies the allegations. — Actor Jeffrey Tambor — One woman alleges sexual misconduct. He denies the allegation. — Writer-director James Toback — Accused by hundreds of women of sexual harassment. Beverly Hills police investigating complaints. He has denied the allegations to the Los Angeles Times. — Director-producer Gary Goddard — Accused by one man of sexually molesting him at age 12. He was unavailable to immediately respond. — Producer Chris Savino— Accused of harassing up to 12 women. Fired from Nickelodeon. He has apologized for his behavior. — Amazon executive Roy Price — Accused by one woman of sexual harassment. He resigned from Amazon. — Journalist Mark Halperin — Accused of harassing about 12 women while at ABC News. Book contract terminated. Fired from job at NBC News. He has denied some of the allegations. — New Republic publisher Hamilton Fish— Multiple sexual harassment allegations. He has resigned from the magazine. — New Republic editor Leon Wieseltier — Accused of sexually harassing numerous women. Removed from the masthead of The Atlantic magazine. He has apologized for his behavior. — NPR news chief Michael Oreskes — Accused of inappropriate behavior or sexual harassment by at least four women while at The New York Times, and NPR. He has been ousted from NPR. — Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner — Accused by one man of sexual harassment. He says he did not intend to make the accuser uncomfortable. — Billboard magazine executive Stephen Blackwell — Accused of sexual harassment by one woman. He has resigned from the magazine. — Artforum publisher Knight Landesman — Accused by multiple women of sexual harassment and sued by one woman. He has resigned from the magazine. — Webster Public Relations CEO Kirt Webster — Accused of sexual assault by one woman. Firm renamed and Webster is “taking time away’” — Celebrity chef John Besh — Accused by 25 women of sexual harassment. He has stepped down from the company he founded.

Movie TV Tech Geeks News

[nigeiadigitalmarketingcompany]

2:00PM Water Cooler 8/2/2019

Digital Elixir 2:00PM Water Cooler 8/2/2019

By Lambert Strether of Corrente

Trade

“5 Smart Reasons to Tax Foreign Capital” [Michael Pettis, Bloomberg]. “Senators Tammy Baldwin and Josh Hawley have introduced a bill that would require the Federal Reserve to manage the foreign-exchange value of the U.S. dollar to achieve balance in the U.S. capital account…. The bill would task the Fed with implementing a variable tax on foreign purchases of U.S. dollar assets whenever foreigners direct substantially more capital into the U.S. than Americans direct abroad, something they have been doing for more than four decades…. Today’s U.S. trade deficits are driven mainly by capital flow imbalances, and so the most effective way to reduce them is with restrictions on capital inflows. Tariffs are much less efficient and only work by distorting the real economy and rearranging bilateral imbalances.” • 

Politics

“But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature?” –James Madison, Federalist 51

“They had one weapon left and both knew it: treachery.” –Frank Herbert, Dune

“2020 Democratic Presidential Nomination” [RealClearPolitics] (average of five polls). As of July 31: Biden dips to 32.0% (32.2), Sanders up to 16.4% (16.2%), Warren up at 14.8% (14.3%), Buttigieg flat at 5.6% (5.5%), Harris up at 11% (10.8%), others Brownian motion. All the bottom-feeders — except O’Rourke! — went down.

* * *

2020

“Detailed Maps of the Donors Powering the 2020 Democratic Campaigns” [New York Times]. “Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont has a huge lead over other Democratic presidential candidates in the number of individual donors they have each accumulated so far.” • This is very good data-driven reporting. Kudos to the Times. Here is a map of individual donors for all the candidates:

And here’s a map of all the candidates but Sanders:

I think the story these maps tell is the strong influence of local oligarchies, not just for “favorite children” like O’Rourke and Klobuchar, but for Biden and Harris as well. Sanders, by this metric, is the only truly national candidate, with Warren reaching for that status, but doing poorly in the South.

* * *

Candidates Answer CFR’s Questions: Joe Biden Council on Foreign Relations

“What role will climate change play in the 2020 presidential elections” [Yale Climate Connections]. “The roughly two dozen Democratic presidential candidates by and large have voiced support for a debate devoted exclusively to climate change and climate policy. The Democratic National Committee has remained reluctant to hold single-topic debates, but outside groups are planning a presidential candidate climate forum on September 23rd…. At that point, both major political parties increasingly see the writing on the wall, and candidates from both sides of the aisle will come to compete for the voting public’s favor on climate change. The heat is rising.”

“Why We’re Challenging the 2020 Democrats to a Climate Summit [Updated]” [Gizmodo]. From last week, still germane: “On September 23, 2019, The New Republic and Gizmodo will host a presidential climate summit in New York City. We’ll be joined by the League of Conservation Voters, giving us a leg up on the candidates’ environmental voting records and 2020 climate plans. We’ve also brought on Columbia University’s Earth Institute, ensuring our questions will be in line with current climate science… We hope all the candidates in the 2020 Democratic field will find a way to take part, because the climate crisis deserves to take center stage in the 2020 primaries. For now, this will be a forum-type event; candidates will appear on stage one by one, to be asked questions by our moderator and others. During that time, they’ll be asked to respond to key policy statements and claims now shaping the emergent Democratic climate agenda. We are, however, prepared to change our summit to a debate if the DNC changes its rules, which bar candidates from participating in non-DNC hosted debates. We are also willing to work with the DNC to make our event the officially sanctioned Democratic climate debate of the 2020 election. Either way, we intend to host a robust discussion with and among the candidates.” • Yet again, the DNC pins the bogometer.

* * *

Gabbard (D)(1): “Tulsi: A Living Reminder of Iraq’s Liars and Apologists” [The American Conservative]. “When Chris Matthews asked Gabbard about Biden’s support for the Iraq war, she said, ‘It was the wrong vote. People like myself, who enlisted after 9/11 because of the terrorist attacks, were lied to. We were betrayed.’ Her moral clarity is rare in the political fog of the presidential circus. She cautions against accepting the ‘guise of humanitarian justification for war,’ and notes that rarely does the American government bomb and invade a country to actually advance freedom or protect human rights. Gabbard’s positions are vastly superior to that of the other young veteran in the race, Pete Buttigieg. The mayor of South Bend recently told New York that one of his favorite novels is The Quiet American, saying that its author, Graham Greene, ‘points out the dangers of well-intentioned interventions.’ Buttigieg’s chances of winning the nomination seem low, and his prospects of becoming a literary critic appear even lower. The Quiet American does much more than raise questions about interventions: it is a merciless condemnation of American exceptionalism and its attendant indifference to Vietnamese suffering.”

Harris (D)(1): “Victims question Kamala Harris’ record on clergy abuse” [Associated Press]. “Survivors of clergy abuse and their attorneys say that Harris’ record on fighting sex abuse within the Catholic Church is relevant as the U.S. senator from California campaigns for the presidency as a tough-on-crime ex-prosecutor who got her start prosecuting child sexual abuse cases. They complain that Harris was consistently silent on the Catholic Church’s abuse scandal — first as district attorney in San Francisco and later as California’s attorney general. In a statement to The Associated Press, the Harris campaign underscored her record of supporting child sex abuse victims but did not address her silence regarding victims abused by Catholic clerics.” • So Gabbard was pretty nice; she didn’t mention Mnuchin, and she didn’t mention sex abuse either.

Harris (D)(2):

Kamala Harris on Tulsi Gabbard’s comments regarding her record as a prosecutor: “I’m obviously a top tier candidate and so I did expect that I would be on the stage and take hits tonight. … I’m prepared to move on” #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/kPNYfBs2rB

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) August 1, 2019

People who get totally owned are always “prepared to move on.”

Sanders (D)(1): Holy moley:

I’m not only going to be Commander in Chief. I am going to be Organizer in Chief. pic.twitter.com/bBWYvN4iyj

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) August 1, 2019

Sanders (D)(2): “What the Left Must Do” [Jeremy Toback, Medium]. “Sanders is building his campaign around a clear commitment to transformative universal policies, which create the solidarity necessary to win them. The others are not. Sanders is using his campaign infrastructure and volunteers to create solidarity on the ground with workers and unions. The others are not. Sanders is coalescing the movement necessary to win the fight against powerful, monied interests. The others are not. None of the DEM candidates allegedly in Sanders’s lane exhibit even the most rudimentary understanding of the scale of this fight or the political power needed to win it. Sanders has made political revolution a mantra.”

Warren (D)(1): “The old Democratic trade paradigm is collapsing. Good riddance.” [The Week]. “Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren is now proposing a bold overhaul of how the U.S. conducts its trade negotiations. It’s only a matter of time before the old trade paradigm dies an ignoble and well-deserved death…. [Warren] would replace the current wildly business-slanted negotiation process with one that is carried out in the open, and prioritizes “labor rights, human rights, environmental protection, combating climate change, heading off international tax avoidance…. Critically, Warren would also include the welfare of other countries as part of the considerations.” • Warren’s plan just got savaged on the WaPo Op-Ed pages, so that’s a good sign.

Yang (D)(1): “Yang campaign slams DNC over poll qualification criteria for September debate” [The Hill]. “Andrew Yang’s presidential campaign accused the Democratic National Committee (DNC) of rejecting one of the two NBC polls that the tech entrepreneur had promoted as having qualified him for the September presidential debate, which left him short of making the stage for the crucial showdown…. ‘A particularly important rule in our debate framework is the requirement that candidates’ initial qualifying poll be conducted by different sponsors, or if by the same sponsor, in different geographies,’ [DNC senior adviser Mary Beth Cahill] wrote [in response]. ‘The intent of this rule is to avoid scenarios in which a single poll sponsor or media outlet is responsible for qualifying a candidate through multiple sets of results in the same geography.’” • Which is fine, but isn’t Cahill’s hidden assumption that the pollsters are independent of the party? MSNBC certainly isn’t!

MI: “Democrats Spend Little Time Courting Union Voters in Debate in Crucial Michigan” [Bloomberg]. “Hillary Clinton lost Michigan by less than 11,000 votes out of almost 4.8 million cast. In doing so she got 75,000 fewer votes in Wayne County, which includes Detroit and nearby towns, and 26,000 fewer in Genesee County, which includes Flint, than Barack Obama did in 2012. There are votes to be had if Democrats can bolster turnout. In a mostly white, working-class county like Macomb — a swing district and much studied as the birthplace of Reagan Democrats — Obama won with less than 52% of the vote. It’s always hotly contested.” • Learned nothing, forgotten nothing.

The Debates

“The Democratic Debates Were Built to Fail” [Frank Rich, New York Magazine]. “In the end, perhaps the most salient fact to be taken away from the debates is the collapse in viewership: 8.7 million viewers tuned in the first night (second-night figures are not yet available as I write this), as opposed to 15.3 million viewers for the first Democratic debate a month ago and 18.1 million for the second. We’re down to the hard-core, highly engaged base of Democratic voters who probably are the least in need of the debates to make up their minds, plus Trump campaign strategists and scattered hate-watchers from the other side. It’s not hard to see why other viewers are staying away. The election is more than a year away. There are too many people onstage. The format is both counterproductive and actively annoying. There is no new face or new story that the broader public is thus far panting to see — and no new one emerged.” • MSNBC ran a far worse debate and got the best ratings. That’s life. Meanwhile, why can’t we put the debates on C-SPAN? Then this won’t happen:

Okay so as YouTubers, we’re used to dealing with a lot of shit. Adpocalypses, random demonetizations for no reason, algorithms redirecting to “safe” establishment media outlets and away from us. But this one really makes me furious (1/4)

— Secular Talk (@KyleKulinski) August 1, 2019

This YouTuber, among others, was deplatformed for using short, fair use-style clips from CNN’s “exclusive” coverage of the debates. That’s ridiculous and anti-democratic. If the debates were on C-SPAN, they’d be in the public domain, and the public wouldn’t be at the mercy of YourTube’s capricious moderation policies.

“Debates Identify Plenty of Democratic Divisions, but Not a Consensus Favorite” [New York Times]. “After nearly 10 hours of nationally televised and often contentious candidate forums, the Democratic hopefuls and their voters are plainly torn over how best to take on Mr. Trump and how aggressive a program they should embrace, particularly on health care and immigration. And far from coalescing around a possible nominee, Democrats are also sharply divided over what kind of standard-bearer would best bridge the larger generational, gender and racial differences shaping the party in the 2020 race.” • Nice erasure of class in that last sentence.

“The Real Winners of the Second Debate Were Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders” [The Nation]. “Granholm sighed after the second group of 10 Democratic presidential candidates finished the second night of the the second round of the exercises that the Democratic National Committee refers to as ‘debates.’ ‘This was a joyless debate,’ said Granholm. She was right. The front-runner, former vice president Joe Biden, took his expected hits on Wednesday night. The other leading contender on the stage, California Senator Kamala Harris, took some unexpected hits. Biden and Harris pushed back, sometimes effectively, sometimes not. But the second night of debating lacked the electricity, the energy, and the clarity of purpose that Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders brought to the first.” • Very true. However, I would like to see, for want of a better word, a little more “joy” from both Sanders and Warren. They’re both at the top of their game in the most important election of their (and our) lives, and I think a little exhiliration is in order. Oh, and Neera Tanden agrees with Frank Rich:

I’ve heard from die hard Dems from all over the country who have volunteered for many elections who told me they shut off the debate or watched in anger. And this last debate lost 50% of its audience from the first one. Politics is about addition; the debates seem to be repelling

— Neera Tanden (@neeratanden) August 2, 2019

Maybe if we rebranded “Medicare for America” to “Medicare Advantage Plus for Americans Who Want It.” Yeah, that’s the ticket…

RussiaGate

It still goes on, presumably funded:

But his emails.

What does Russia have on #LeningradLindsey? Why is he so willing to support Trump’s criminal behavior and aid and abet Putin’s attack on America?https://t.co/IPWSXIIknt

— The Daily Edge (@TheDailyEdge) August 2, 2019

First, #MoscowMitch. Now, #LeningradLindsey. What poor soul is being forced to come up with this reflex action-only nonsense? “Leningrad” was changed back to “Saint Petersburg” in 1991!

Realignment and Legitimacy

DSA National Convention in Atlanta:

Follow along live here:https://t.co/hQUFKy1Sbv#dsacon2019

— NYC-DSA Tech Action

(@NYCDSATechWG) August 2, 2019

Can’t really opine; I don’t know enough! There do seem to be rather a lot of factions. But somebody’s thinking:

Here’s some good info for all travelers, courtesy of @DemSocialists pic.twitter.com/Xo8fEim90m

— Annie Shields (@anastasiakeeley) August 2, 2019

Stats Watch

Employment Situation, July 2019: “How far along the rate-cut path will the Fed go? Maybe a bit further given a middling employment report where an important detail is pointing to big trouble for the next industrial production report” [Econoday]. “But a key detail is a decline in manufacturing hours… Even if wages aren’t rising that much, the availability of labor does show some tightening.”

Factory Orders, June 2019: “Capital goods that surged in last week’s advance data are revised down a bit in the factory orders report, limiting June’s monthly headline increase” which is still in consensus range [Econoday]. “Capital goods orders had been softening and duly raising concern at the Federal Reserve over the health of business investment; June’s jump does not fit into this pattern. If strength continues to appear in this reading, then a central concern for the Fed and its policy shift will be less pressing.”

Consumer Sentiment, July 2019 (Final): “Consumer sentiment did fall noticeably in June but stabilized well in July” [Econoday]. “The consumer, backed by solid job growth, looks to remain in place as the fundamental driver of the economy.”

International Trade, June 2018: “[B]oth imports and exports contracted” [Econoday]. “June’s trade report edges the trade debate deeper on the troubled side, but only slightly. Yet if the pattern continues and both exports and imports contract, the Federal Reserve’s concerns over the effects of slowing global trade, expressed by this week’s rate cut, will look more and more justified.”

Employment Situation: “Has the Jobs Report Become Irrelevant?” [Bloomberg]. “Everyone knows the labor market is the one part of the economy that is in stable shape. But even though unemployment is at a 50-year-low, it hasn’t been strong enough to keep growth from decelerating while Trump ratchets up the trade wars. And while the Fed knows the U.S. has held up better than most other economies, that won’t last forever given how interconnected the world’s economies are today…. The bond market is pricing in two more rate cuts for this year, just like it had before the jobs report. Going forward, the more important data for markets will be those reports that show how the broad economy, especially manufacturing, is responding to the escalating trade wars rather than what is happening with jobs and wages.” • “Everyone knows.”

The Bezzle: “Brixmor and former executives charged with accounting fraud by SEC, Justice Department” [Francine McKenna, MarketWatch]. “MarketWatch reported on Feb 11, 2016, that Brixmor used a non-GAAP metric that triggered incentive bonuses called “cash NOI” that starts with total property revenues and then also subtracts straight-line rent, above- and below-market rent amortization, and Brixmor’s share of cash net operating income from unconsolidated joint ventures. [Brixmore executives] Carroll, Pappagallo and Splain were each awarded bonuses in 2014 for exactly meeting the targeted $2.79 per share on the NOI measure. That non-GAAP metric was one of three quantitative metrics used to determine bonuses for the executives. Carroll received a bonus of $800,000, Pappagallo received $750,000, and Splain got $210,000.” • All in the six figures. Clearly, these pikers didn’t steal enough.

The Bezzle: “How Jaywalking Could Jam Up the Era of Self-Driving Cars” [New York Times]. “In New York, the unwritten rule is plain: Cross the street whenever and wherever — just don’t get hit. It’s a practice that separates New Yorkers from tourists, who innocently wait at the corner for the walk symbol. But if pedestrians know they’ll never be run over, jaywalking could explode, grinding traffic to a halt. One solution, suggested by an automotive industry official, is gates at each corner, which would periodically open to allow pedestrians to cross.” • As I keep saying: If your algo doesn’t work, change the inputs, in this case by. mandating on enormous infrastructure investment that would also destroy the street life of the city. On the bright side, we could sell advertising on the gates. Captive audience!

The Bezzle: “Electric scooters aren’t as green as they seem” [Axios]. “Electric scooters are often worse for climate change when compared to the transportation methods they’re displacing, according to what is likely the first-ever peer-reviewed study on the new trend…. The report’s ‘results show that dockless e-scooters consistently result in higher life cycle global warming impacts relative to the use of a bus with high ridership, an electric bicycle, or a bicycle per passenger-mile traveled. However, choosing an e-scooter over driving a personal automobile with a fuel efficiency of 26 miles per gallon results in a near universal decrease in global warming impacts’… The study finds that the global warming impact of an e-scooter, including how it’s made and during its use, is equal to about half the impact of an average gasoline-powered car per mile traveled.” • As usual, Silicon Valley dumps something into the public space and lets others handle the externalities.

The Bezzle: “Goldman Sachs is spending $100 million to shave milliseconds off stock trades” [CNBC]. • No capital allocation issues in our economy, no sirree.

Honey for the Bears: “Wall Street’s Least-Loved Stock Is Now a Personal Loan Company” [Bloomberg]. “World Acceptance Corp., a company that specializes in small loans to people with limited credit, was already having a rough day after its first-quarter earnings miss. Now, an analyst downgrade has made it the least-loved stock on Wall Street…. World Acceptance is one of the largest small-loan consumer finance companies, operating 1,218 branches in 16 states as of June 30.” • So, we’ve got this great labor market, but…

Today’s Fear & Greed Index: 35 Fear (previous close: 43, Fear) [CNN]. One week ago: 60 (Greed). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Aug 2 at 1:01pm. • Restored at reader request. Note that the index is not updated daily, sadly.

The Biosphere

“These scientists found 2,500 years of economic history frozen in ice” [Grist]. “Lead pollution topped out near the end of the 20th century thanks to the 1970 Clean Air Act, which banned leaded gasoline, among other pollutants. The result: an 80 percent decrease in atmospheric lead levels, according to Chellman’s team’s findings. There’s still 60 times as much lead in the atmosphere as there was during the Middle Ages, but it’s evidence that regulatory measures are working.” • Onward to carbon!

“Warm Weather Brings Major Melting to Greenland” [NASA Earth Observatory]. “In late July 2019, a major melting event spread across the Greenland Ice Sheet. Billions of tons of meltwater streamed into the Atlantic Ocean throughout the month, making a direct and immediate contribution to sea level rise.” • Which, sadly, is not quantified in the article. There was apparently a similar, but less intense, event in 2012.

“Economics of the disintegration of the Greenland ice sheet” [William Nordhaus, PNAS]. That William Nordhaus. From the abstract: “A key finding is that, under a wide range of assumptions, the risk of GIS disintegration makes a small contribution to the optimal stringency of current policy or to the overall social cost of climate change. It finds that the cost of GIS disintegration adds less than 5% to the social cost of carbon (SCC) under alternative discount rates and estimates of the GIS dynamics.” • Here is one comment on the Nordhaus paper. Thread:

This is a good study that can be done within the bounds of the DICE model. But it is a bit ludicrous to treat large-scale changes to the earth system as a stand-alone event. Here’s one example: potential impacts to ocean circulation. https://t.co/rzkg4XbD5d

— Arvind P. Ravikumar (@arvindpawan1) August 2, 2019

Health Care

“When Did You Realize American Health Care Was Broken?” [New York Magazine]. From mid-July, still germane. An aggregation of horror stories, of which there are many: “Much of access has to do with money, but it also has to do with information — who can get it, and how it is (or isn’t) communicated. Below, we share stories from women who’ve experienced devastating (but not uncommon) encounters with the health-care system at every level: insurance companies, debt collectors, emergency rooms, and more.” • Yes, “access” is a red flag, but access to information adds a new wrinkle. More: “‘When I had a terrible stomach bug last year and couldn’t stop vomiting, I took an ambulance to the hospital. They gave me an IV, some strong anti-nausea meds, and a vanilla milkshake (I’d been vomiting for hours, so I was very dehydrated), and a few hours later, I was discharged. They charged me over $4,000 (and I have health insurance!) just for the ambulance ride! It shouldn’t be like this. $4,000 for an ambulance ride is ridiculous!’ — Madeline”

“Cancer patients are being denied drugs, even with doctor prescriptions and good insurance” [Fresno Bee]. “Norma Smith was diagnosed with stage-three cancer in December… Smith, a retired special education teacher in Fresno, and her husband, Rodney, a retired school psychologist and director of special education, consider their ‘very expensive’ health insurance coverage to be ‘the best.’ But that insurance didn’t ensure Smith would get the drugs she needed when facing CVS Specialty Pharmacy – the pharmacy their insurance required them to use. Cancer drugs prescribed by Smith’s oncologist were denied because they didn’t follow the standard protocol sequence of medications that Smith’s pharmacy benefit manager, CVS Caremark, had in their guidelines. That means pharmacy benefit managers have the authority to trump a doctor’s medical judgment without seeing patients or knowing their full medical history, and without accountability for the consequences of what happens to sick people. Smith is among thousands of documented cases of patients who have been denied needed medications in this way. Doctors and other medical professionals say these denials are only expected to get worse as the country’s largest health insurance companies and pharmacies are increasingly joining forces. These elusive middlemen with the authority to deny doctors’ prescriptions based on company policies are sometimes referred to as PBMs for short. ” • PBMs are being run by the Harkonnens, it seems.

Guillotine Watch

“Two Iowa football assistant coaches reach $800,000 in base salary” [Hawk Central]. “Iowa football strength and conditioning coach Chris Doyle and defensive coordinator Phil Parker have reached the $800,000 mark in annual base pay, according to documents obtained by the Des Moines Register through an open-records request.” • You could pay an entire department with that kind of money. And that might even have something to do with the university’s putative educational mission.

Class Warfare

Awesome:

“For more than three days, hundreds of coal miners and their allies have been blocking the tracks refusing to allow a load of coal that they mined from leaving the site.”

by @MikeElk

https://t.co/vRW7YhSkeF

— Heidi N. Moore (@moorehn) August 1, 2019

“Acts of Kindness, and the Underlying Rot – When `Good Stories’ Happen for Bad Reasons” [Portside]. “Sweet stories like these, the critics say, hide an underlying rot. Individual acts of kindness don’t solve systemic problems — in fact, they can do harm by glossing over deeper issues. ‘They reveal the deficiencies of public policy, but the interesting thing is people may not make that connection because a feel-good story has short-circuited that connection,’ said Lessie Branch, an academic with the Scholars Strategy Network and a senior fellow at the DuBois Bunche Center for Public Policy. She added, ‘So the frame, essentially, is individual deficiencies — not systemic issues — for why people need the rescues that we’re seeing.’”

“Review: Unions keep watch on corporations — Steven Greenhouse digs into labor’s battle” [Los Angeles Times]. “If labor’s predicament seems dire, its future may lie in a new approach — organizing low-wage workers whether or not they can be unionized. LAANE’s success is one example. Greenhouse describes others: the Coalition of Immokalee Workers raised pay for 35,000 workers and fought sexual abuse in Florida’s tomato fields with a successful boycott of Taco Bell; the Fight for $15 movement, funded by the Service Employees International Union, mounted a global campaign to raise pay at McDonald’s, and then branched out to support minimum-wage hikes in cities and states across the country, benefiting some 22 million workers. Those efforts may be having an impact. Public approval of unions has risen to 62%, the highest level since 2003. But the path forward for a diminished labor movement is far from clear. ‘In the balance,’ Greenhouse argues, ‘is the future of our economy and our democracy.’”

News of the Wired

“Tinkle, booger, flapjacks, schmuck. What makes a word funny?” [National Geographic]. Handy table:

* * *

Readers, feel free to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, with (a) links, and even better (b) sources I should curate regularly, (c) how to send me a check if you are allergic to PayPal, and (d) to find out how to send me images of plants. Vegetables are fine! Fungi are deemed to be honorary plants! If you want your handle to appear as a credit, please place it at the start of your mail in parentheses: (thus). Otherwise, I will anonymize by using your initials. See the previous Water Cooler (with plant) here. Today’s plant (EW):

EW writes: “I was struck by the intense green in early April, low tide seaweeds.” From Maine.

* * *

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2:00PM Water Cooler 8/2/2019

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