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MARCH 29,  2018

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:56 P.M. ET: 

HOLLYWOOD SHOWS ITS TRUE COLOR - GREEN - FROM FOX:  The reboot of ABC’s “Roseanne” premiere on Tuesday drew a staggering 18.2 million viewers. Now, another well-known show could be making its way back to television.  According to TMZ, FOX is reportedly considering a reboot of Tim Allen’s “Last Man Standing.” The show was canceled last year following rumors that it had to do with Allen’s conservative-leaning beliefs.  The show ran 130 episodes between 2011 and 2017 and centered on the life of Mike Baxtor, a senior employee at a sporting goods store in Denver, Colorado.  In addition to “Last Man Standing,” the show most likely to be revived is “How I Met Your Dad.”  FOX is also reportedly considering reboots of “That 70’s Show” and “Malcolm in the Middle.”  And watch for The Donald Trump Story, with Jane Fonda as Melania.  In Hollywood, if it pays, it stays.

SOMETHING ELSE TO WORRY ABOUT – FROM ABC LOCAL:   A judge ruled that Starbucks and other coffee sellers in California must provide a cancer warning on their products for customers.  A nonprofit group sued several companies that sell coffee, including Starbucks, coffee distributors and retailers in 2010.  The lawsuit claimed those companies violated state law, which requires them to warn consumers about chemicals in the roasting process that may cause cancer. One of those chemicals is acrylamide, which is a carcinogen.  Attorneys for about 90 companies said the chemical is present in the process, but that it's at harmless levels and is outweighed by the benefits of drinking a cup of coffee.  Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Elihu Berle said in a proposed decision that Starbucks and other coffee companies failed to show the threat from that chemical compound was insignificant.   And coffee also is known to cause global warming.  All those home brewers.  They get hot, they get hot

OH REALLY? – FROM DAILY CALLER:   Former Obama administration attorney general Eric Holder speculated this week on what would incentivize him to run for president.  Holder was asked in an interview with the New York Times about running for the highest office in the land. The reporter asked, “If you were gonna do it, why would you do it. If you didn’t do it, why would you not do it?”  Holder said “If I were gonna do it, I’d do it because I would have concluded that maybe I could unify the country… help unify the country.” Holder said he could also “advance” and “repair” the country as president.  Holder said, “I had something to contribute, that would be the thing that would push me toward considering a run.”  I just hear the wanting of Holder, don't you?  It's a murmur, but it's getting louder.  I hear as many as three people.

March 29, 2018       Permalink

SAME OLD STORY – AT 2:14 P.M. ET:  The Russkies have now retaliated for President Trump's expulsion of 60 Russian diplomats.  Some of our people will be coming home.  I don't know if they get frequent-flyer miles.  From Bloomberg: 

Russia is expelling 60 U.S. diplomats and ordering the closure of the American consulate in St. Petersburg, mirroring the expulsion of Russian diplomats by the U.S., Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

Lavrov announced the retaliatory measures to reporters in Moscow on Thursday. In addition, he signaled a similar response to European countries that are kicking out Russian diplomats over a nerve-agent attack in England.

“As far as the other countries go, it will all be mirrored in terms of the numbers of people who will leave the Russian Federation from the diplomatic missions’ staff,” Lavrov said.

COMMENT:  This will go on for a time, but I suspect that Putin, who's a shrewd tactician, will realize that his antics are producing negative results.  What we may see is a classic, Russian, charm offensive, and increased collaboration with leftist groups in the West.  Even at the height of the Cold War, the Soviet Union had its cadres in the West, many on college campuses.  Expect to see the same thing again.

Russia is playing hardball with an increasingly strong military, but a weak economy.  However, the Soviet Union fought World War II with a third-world economy, and made mincemeat of Nazi forces.  Never underestimate the Russian bear.

March 29, 2018       Permalink

MAJOR STEPS – AT 12:53 P.M. ET:   There is movement in the Korean situation.  This must be attributed to the pressure President Trump has expertly applied to North Korea.  From CNN:

(CNN)  The leaders of North and South Korea will meet on April 27 for the first time since 2007, the two countries announced Thursday after high-level talks.

The landmark meeting between President Moon Jae-in and Kim Jong Un will be held at Freedom House on the southern side of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), according to the joint statement issued after the talks.

Officials from both sides will hold working-level talks on April 4 to prepare for the meeting and agree on security and media arrangements, it added.

The summit will be seen as a victory for Moon, who has long been pushing hard for diplomatic relations with North Korea. He said at his swearing-in ceremony in 2017 "for peace on the Korean Peninsula, I will do everything that I can do."

The last Inter-Korean summit was held in October 2007, when then President Roh Moo-hyun met Kim's father, Kim Jong Il.

The confirmation of the summit is the outcome of weeks of hurried diplomacy, after a surprise thaw in relations on the Korean peninsula earlier this year.

In January, the North Korean government unexpectedly resumed communications with South Korea and agreed to talks, sending a team to South Korea's Winter Olympics.

COMMENT:   President Trump is expected to meet with the North Korean dictator, whom he correctly labeled "Rocket Man," in May.  Obviously, caution is called for.  Mr Trump is taking a gamble that he can negotiate Kim Jong Un into an agreement that will end, or at least freeze, North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.  The problem, of course, is that we've tried that before, without success. 

This time, though, may be different.  Trump is not Obama.  He understands the word "results."  He is not afraid to back away from a bad deal.  To Obama, almost any piece of paper was a good deal. ( I understand he will soon be given the Neville Chamberlain Award for negotiating excellence.)

Dramatic days ahead.  President Reagan liked to quote the Russian proverb, "Trust, but verify."  Good advice.

March 29,  2018     Permalink

SUPERB – AT 11:48 A.M. ET:  The economic signs are getting stronger, especially in employment, something real people, as opposed to liberals, feel every day.  From Bloomberg: 

U.S. filings for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week to the lowest level since January 1973, further evidence that the labor market remains tight, Labor Department figures showed Thursday.

Claims at the lowest level in 45 years underscore a persistent shortage of qualified workers that has made employers reluctant to fire staff. Applications for jobless benefits below the 300,000 tally are typically considered consistent with a healthy labor market.

Other aspects of the job market remain robust, with payrolls continuing to exceed expectations and an unemployment rate near the lowest since late 2000. Steady employment will help to sustain consumer spending, the biggest part of the economy.

The report reflects the annual revision to seasonal adjustment factors for initial and continuing claims from 2013 to present.

COMMENT:  Last week's application number fell to about 230,000.  The employment picture is robust, although the media will now go to work to prove it ain't so. 

This situation, however, does not guarantee a Republican victory in the midterms.  Many factors go into how people vote.  The year 2000, under Clinton, was also a good economic year, but a Republican, George W. Bush, squeezed by to win the presidency.

There is talk in Washington of another tax cut.  Bring it on.

March 29,  2018     Permalink

MARCH 28,  2018

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:56 P.M. ET:

HILARIOUS – FROM DEADLINE.COM:  ‘Roseanne’ Revival’s Huge Debut Stuns Hollywood, Prompts Soul-Searching.  That's the headline.  My reaction:  How can you search something that doesn't exist in Hollywood?

THE WEIRD NEW WORLD – FROM CBS LOCAL:    SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) — A self-driving car was slapped with a ticket after police said it got too close to a pedestrian on a San Francisco street.
The self-driving car owned by San Francisco-based Cruise was pulled over for not yielding to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. Cruise says its data shows the person was far enough away from the vehicle and the car did nothing wrong.  A witness, Kevin O’Connor, snapped a photo after seeing the motorcycle officer pull over the self-driving car as O’Connor drove through the South of Market area last week. “There was another car stopped alongside and he looked a little befuddled,” said O’Connor. “The cop was just writing a regular ticket like they always do.”  How do you pull over a driverless car?  Do you send it a text message?  Do you deploy a robot?  Do you ask for license and registration?

QUALITY – FROM FOX:  If you’re looking for a car that will go 200,000 miles without much trouble, you basically have three choices:  Buy a Toyota.  Buy a Honda.  Buy an F-150.  That’s the gist of the latest survey conducted by the folks at Consumer Reports, who tallied the responses from its members and figured out which models made it that far the most often without needing much in the way of major repairs.  The Toyota Camry topped the list, which was ranked by the percentage of each model that didn’t require any work done in the past year, and doesn’t specify any particular model years, just the full spectrum of cars that hit the mileage mark. The Honda Accord came in second, followed by a variety of cars from the two brands and a lonely Ford F-150 in the tenth spot.  Sad that the great old names of American cars just don't cut it.  But hand it to Honda and Toyota.  Many of their cars are built in the USA, and to very high standards, and by American workers.  Shows it can be done.

March 28, 2018       Permalink

IS THERE A MESSAGE FROM THE AUDIENCE? – AT 12:19 P.M. ET:  Roseanne Barr's new sitcom has just premiered with huge audience ratings – this after it became well known that Roseanne is a Trump fan.  Is the audience sending a message?  From Entertainment Weekly: 

The revival of Roseanne premiered to massive ratings Tuesday night.

The return delivered an incredible 18.2 million viewers along with an equally impressive 5.1 rating among adults 18-49.

According to ABC, this is the highest-rated comedy telecast on any network in nearly four years (since a premiere episode of CBS’ The Big Bang Theory from 2014).

So, yes, even bigger than NBC’s mega-hit This Is Us during any of its regularly scheduled episodes, where the weepy dramedy usually tops out around a 3.0 adult demo rating (the special This Is Us post-Super Bowl episode was bigger, but that’s to be expected).

In the adult demo, it also trumps Sunday’s blockbuster 60 Minutes episode which featured an interview with Stormy Daniels.

Also kinda incredible, given how ratings have declined over the years: Roseanne’s return was actually higher among total viewers than its 1997 finale 21 years ago! 

The Roseanne premiere audience also grew slightly from its first quarter to its second, which is a good sign.

A couple other data points: This is Tuesday’s highest-rated entertainment telecast in six years among young adults and ABC’s best results in the time slot since 2006.

And from Roger L. Simon at PJ Media: 

Yes, there were a fair number of funny lines.  But forget writing, acting, directing, and the rest, it was positively thrilling to see something fictional transpiring on the television screen that reflected the half of America that has been so consistently and deliberately hidden from view or reviled by Hollywood. You almost couldn't believe your eyes.  Was this actually happening?  When were Matt Damon or George Clooney going to walk in to set these people to rights?  It had to be coming after the commercial. But it didn't.

The show reminded me of how much I liked the real "Deplorables" while covering the presidential campaign.  They were the furthest thing from the caricature promulgated by Obama, Hillary, and other elites, but kind and decent people with normal struggles as portrayed in this new Roseanne series.  Not that the producer-star doesn't give the other side their innings.  Her sister Jackie, who comes back as a life coach in a "Nasty Woman" sweatshirt, has her moments and is usually shown sympathetically, if a little goofily, in the show.

COMMENT:  Absolutely fascinating.  We'll be following this show (I didn't see the premiere) and watch what develops.  Will Hollywood get the message?  Well, that depends on what's important.  It's a choice between attracting the largest audience and being invited to A-list liberal Hollywood parties.

The parties will probably win, but ya never know.

March 28, 2018        Permalink

IF TRUE, THIS IS GREAT – AT 11:14 A.M. ET:   China announces that North Korea has agreed to pursue denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, and to meet with the United States.  But is this on the level?  From Reuters: 

BEIJING/SEOUL (Reuters) - China said on Wednesday North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged to denuclearize the Korean peninsula during an historic meeting in Beijing with President Xi Jinping, who promised China would uphold its friendship with its isolated neighbor.

After two days of speculation, China and North Korea both confirmed on Wednesday that Kim had visited Beijing and met Xi during what China’s official Xinhua news agency called an unofficial visit from Sunday to Wednesday.

The trip was Kim’s first known journey abroad since he assumed power in 2011 and is believed by analysts to serve as preparation for upcoming summits with South Korea and the United States.

North Korea’s KCNA news agency made no mention of Kim’s pledge to denuclearize, or his anticipated meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump that is planned for some time in May.

Beijing has traditionally been the closest ally of secretive North Korea, but ties have been frayed by North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear weapons and China’s backing of tough U.N. sanctions in response.

Xinhua cited Kim as telling Xi that the situation on the Korean peninsula is starting to improve because North Korea has taken the initiative to ease tensions and put forward proposals for peace talks.

“It is our consistent stand to be committed to denuclearization on the peninsula, in accordance with the will of late President Kim Il Sung and late General Secretary Kim Jong Il,” Kim Jong Un said, according to Xinhua.

North Korea is willing to talk with the United States and hold a summit between the two countries, he said.

COMMENT:  None of this was happening during the lead-from-weakness Obama administration.  It is happening because President Trump led from strength in confronting the North Koreans and their repeated violations of their promises.

Now, we know that this can all be propaganda.  But it is unlikely that China, which seeks to be accepted as a major world power, would simply be led around by the North Korean chief.  If there is truth in China's announcement, it is a major breakthrough.

Trust, but verify.

March 28, 2018       Permalink

THIS MUST BE FIXED – AT 10:54 A.M. ET:  This is disturbing.  Most Americans report, as determined by this poll that they are not seeing benefits from the recent tax cuts.  From The Hill:

A majority of Americans say they are not yet seeing President Trump's tax cuts reflected in their paychecks, according to a new poll.

A CNBC All-America Economic Survey finds 52 percent of respondents say they haven't seen a change.

Just 32 percent of respondents report taking home more money due to the tax cuts, which Trump signed into law late last year.

Of those saying they are taking home more money, 38 percent say the extra pay they receive helps them a "great deal" or a "fair amount."

Forty percent say the extra pay helps "some" or "just a little," and 22 percent report that the extra pay "does not help much at all."

The poll was conducted from March 17 to 20 among 800 Americans. Its margin of error is 3.5 percentage points.

The Treasury Department and IRS released new guidance earlier this year that adjusted the amounts that companies set aside from their employees' paychecks for federal taxes.

Employers were instructed to adopt the new withholding tables by Feb. 15.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has said that 90 percent of wage earners would see bigger paychecks due to the guidance.

COMMENT:  This has to be addressed vigorously and immediately.  It is hard to believe the numbers are accurate.  If they are, in my view, we would have known it weeks ago.

But they may be, and that's disturbing.  It's disturbing for employees, and certainly for the Republican argument in November. 

The White House and Treasury Department have to get on this immediately.  Maybe there's an explanation.  Maybe many employers didn't make the February 15th deadline.  Maybe the cut will show up in a bulk payment.  I don't know.  But this is major, and the press, what there is of it, should demand a response from the administration.

March 28,  2018     Permalink