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Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Heroes & 24: The not-so-big reveal
The newspaper business is in a constant state of hand-wringing over how to survive in the age of instant news on the Internet. If a big story happens at 10 a.m. on Monday, for instance, why would anyone wait to read a standard account of it until Tuesday morning? So the focus in a lot of places is shifting more towards analysis and looking forward.
I mention this because the TV business still needs to learn some lessons from the Information Age. We live in a time when every major casting announcement is hyped weeks or months in advance, especially for geek obsessive shows like "Heroes." Is there a fanboy worth his salt who didn't know Mr. Sulu was going to pop up as Hiro's dad? Especially since the NBC PR team arranged for a new series of stories and other promotion about it to run yesterday to make it clear that this would be George Takei's first episode? So why wait nearly the length of the episode to introduce the guy? Why waste one of his episodes on a single, brief scene when we've all been waiting a while to see Takei and Masi Oka work together? And why try to string out the suspense of who the kidnappers' boss was when it absolutely had to be Papa Nakamura?
The "24" audience isn't as inherently nerdy (a good chunk of the fanbase is made up of middle-aged white guys who used to go to Chuck Norris and Charles Bronson movies), but every single promo for this episode featured James Cromwell as Jack's dad, and yet again we had to wait nearly the entire hour for him to show up. His arrival wasn't treated as quite the surprise as Takei's was supposed to be -- after all, Jack had spent the length of two episodes looking for his old man -- and he got more to do than Takei, but given all the hype, it still felt like bad pacing.
Shows like "Heroes" and "24" that live and die on shocking the audience with what happens next need to keep in mind what that audience already knows, and devote the last act or two to the real surprises.
Moving on to specifics...
On "Heroes," I will never complain about getting a chance to watch Christopher Eccleston work, but I shouldn't be rooting for him to throw the show's main character off a roof, should I? It does occur to me that the last time I enjoyed Peter's presence was when they paired him off with someone (in that case, Mohinder) who spent all his time making fun of Peter's pushy whininess, so this could work.
I remain baffled that anyone on that writing staff could possibly think that anyone gives a damn about the Parkman marriage. I remember the first season of "Law & Order: SVU," which began with a mission statement as the "L&O" show where you actually learned about the character's home lives, only the veteran "L&O" writers didn't know how to do that, so you got these pointless scenes of Chris Meloni fixing the kitchen sink. This was worse, because at least Stabler was interesting when he was at work, where Parkman has become this show's biggest drag. (At least Simone has the decency to disappear for a few episodes at a time, though the previews make it look like we'll be forced to endure a lot of her next week.)
The comic book geek in me finds it interesting that the children of people with abilities have completely different powers. Micah's machine-talking has nothing in common with intangibility or super-strength, and Claire's mom is a firestarter. (And, based on the previews, I'm guessing her dad is Nathan.) Beyond that, though, not my favorite episode of the series. Even Sylar's escape and confrontation with HRG felt more inevitable than stunning.
"24," meanwhile, suffered from keeping Jack off-camera for the episode's middle chunk. I understand that the producers have to pay lip service to the real time conceit by having Jack take at least 15 minutes to drive anywhere (though how LA isn't one big parking lot as people panic and try to escape the nuke's fallout is beyond me), and I also understand that they have to give the rest of the cast enough to do that Kiefer doesn't collapse from exhaustion, but this is the least inspiring collection of supporting characters and subplots that they've had in a while. Outside of watching Peter MacNichol casually give Karen Hayes a career beat-down, I didn't care about anything that happened when Jack was off-screen.
And getting back to the promo issue again, this was the first episode all season I watched live on Fox. (The first four were DVD review screeners, and I downloaded last week's on iTunes.) Have the promos this season consistently given away this much of the plot? I know Jack's going to find a way to escape his brother's goons, but they showed exactly how, and then they showed what's going to happen next with this wacky sibling rivalry. Felt as bad as a Robert Zemeckis movie trailer.
What did everybody else think?
25 comments:
- Louis said...
Jack Bauer is the only interesting character on 24 so far this season. You're right; when he's not on screen, the show is nothing but boring.
I've noticed that every season, there's some element of 24 that brings the show to a screeching halt. This year, it's the plotline involving President Palmer's sister -- flat-out terrible. I like the idea of exploring the question of civil rights abuses, but the whole thing just feels like a lecture, delivered by an excruciatingly bad actress. - 9:53 AM, January 30, 2007
I am not a fanboy, so I didn't know this episode was Mr Sulu's debut. However, I did catch Takei in the Special Guest List in the beginning, so I was expecting him at the end of the van ride. Yay!
As for next week's reveal of Claire's birth dad, I thought it was Nathan. But, now I'm wondering if it isn't HRG? But the watch and shirt looked too fancy. Hmm... I really hope HRG doesn't get killed. He's one of the more interesting characters.
I actually don't mind the Parkmans too much. I find Mrs. Parkman easier to bear than Simone. Of course, that really isn't saying much. - 9:53 AM, January 30, 2007
- CM said...
I didn't know about George Takei either, but good point about promotions -- I've definitely seen that happen on other shows.
As for the Parkman marriage, not only is it boring, but it's also inconsistent. They seem to have forgotten all about her affair, which was so convenient as the impetus for Parkman to punch the guy, get kicked off the police force, and start working with the FBI. (And I wouldn't be so thrilled about the kid if I were him -- what are the odds it's his?)
The best current plotline on "Heroes" is the mind games going on between Claire and HRG -- it's one of the few relationships on the show that's compelling enough to care about. - 10:11 AM, January 30, 2007
I said the same thing about the 24 promo. We assume Jack will survive anything, but they didn't have to show him in another beat-down of his brother. That seemed to give away too much.
- 10:22 AM, January 30, 2007
I had the same thoughts as cm regarding the Parkman marriage. Also, I didn't buy that the wife thought it was cute that he could read her mind. I think pretty much any spouse would be really freaked out. How long before that marriage goes south?
- 10:27 AM, January 30, 2007
I agree about the Parkman marriage -- snore. The only reason I can think of for spending so much time on Matt and Janice is that the writers are planning to kill her off and want to make it poignant.
Alan, how much control do a show's executive producers have over things like the promos? I was under the impression that they don't have a lot of say (I remember a Rob Thomas interview where he complained about a UPN preview spoiling the episode's big twist). I would imagine that the writers and producers have the same complaint we do, that the promos and PR are giving too much away. How much do we blame the show, and how much do we blame the network? - 11:13 AM, January 30, 2007
Mr. Sulu and Dr. Who in the same episode? You'd think they were going after the geek demographic.
More plumbing subplots! Plumbing is fascinating! He asked his wife for a wrench, but what kind of wrench did she bring him?! The drama's in the details! - 11:41 AM, January 30, 2007
The promo-monkeys are giving away too much (I blame PeeBeeOne, hee hee!). For "24," the commercials since last week have trumpeted "the biggest surprise of all--Jack's father!" and then showed James Cromwell. C'mon! And for "Heroes," I knew Takei was on this ep because the TV listings mentioned him playing Hiro's dad in its ep synopsis (it also said some stuff about Isaac--gonna have to assume that's *next* week's ep, jeez). The show's promo people could have at least said Takei plays a "mysterious character" or "international big shot whose storylne impacts Hiro and Ando's quest" and let us be surprised that he's Hiro's father, but nooooo! DAMN!
Anyway, I agree that "24" was a little droopy without Jack, though I was more interested in Walid's fate than it seems others were. I like that Graem is such a sneaky bastard, too.
And on "Heroes," I'm starting to like Nikki a lot more now, though someone needs to teach Micah that stealing is bad. I also think that might be Nathan who's Claire's dad (making any flirting between Peter and her reaaaaly creepy), but the promos make it seem like Claire's dad knew he had powers when Claire was born. Didn't Nathan first discover his power the night of the car accident that crippled his wife? And God knows why, but I like Officer Parkman and I'm looking forward to him joining up with the other heroes (especially if he reads Hiro's mind and "hears" only Japanese) :-) - 11:42 AM, January 30, 2007
Claire's father is Linderman. She needs her connection to him, and it explains why HRG adopted her and is so hyperprotective of her, as well as why Claire's mom faked her own death...
- 1:11 PM, January 30, 2007
- K J Gillenwater said...
I think the guess that Linderman is Claire's father is a good one. As another commenter said, Nathan seemingly didn't know about his powers until the night of the accident.
Did everyone forget that Parkman's wife said she was pregnant? That is the reason we've been stuck with their boring relationship. The writers needed to reveal the pregnancy, but it was too soon in the season to do so and they, apparently, couldn't think of anything more interesting to do with Parkman and his wife until they were ready to let the cat out of the bag. It's the baby angle that's important to Parkman's story now.
Once the HRG and his cohorts find out about the baby it's going to be another Claire scenario maybe...kill the mom, take the baby.
One thing I want to know, does HRG not know about Nikki's son? Why haven't they tried taking him away? I don't get why Claire was stolen from her parents and raised by HRG, but Nikki's son was left alone.
I'm waiting for Jessica to come out during the sessions with the psychiatrist and then tearing some more people to shreds during her escape out of prison! - 1:22 PM, January 30, 2007
- Alan Sepinwall said...
Alan, how much control do a show's executive producers have over things like the promos? ... How much do we blame the show, and how much do we blame the network?
The network is the one crafting the promos, but at the same time, this sort of thing has been going on for years, and you would think producers would get smarter about it. When you cast a nerd icon like Takei as the father of Hiro, you know it's going to be publicized heavily, so don't treat his first appearance like a big shock -- and don't waste one of the episodes you signed him for on a single, brief scene.
Linderman had occurred to me, too, though I'm starting to wonder if we'll see him anytime soon. Again, we knew that Takei, and Christopher Eccleston and Rena Sofer were all going to be appearing on the show, and even some sense of who they'd be playing, long before they actually showed up. So either Linderman will be played by someone lower on the fame scale than Sofer (and therefore isn't worthy of a publicity push) or they haven't cast the part yet because they're going to keep him as the Maris/Vera/Carlton for a while yet. - 1:36 PM, January 30, 2007
- Heather K said...
Giant war going on at my house over whether Claire's dad is Nathan or HRG, and I am firmly on the side of it being Nathan. Nathan is so the kind of jerk would have that kind of indiscretion in his past? And since the baby died, he wouldn't even worry about it again.
Also, Nathan is the one who told us when he first 'discovered' his powers, and I feel it is pretty clear that he will tell pretty much anyone pretty much any story that sounds good and keeps him sounding good--truth, schmooth. - 1:44 PM, January 30, 2007
- Marty McKee said...
"The "24" audience isn't as inherently nerdy (a good chunk of the fanbase is made up of middle-aged white guys who used to go to Chuck Norris and Charles Bronson movies)"
Uh, snobby much? - 2:30 PM, January 30, 2007
I thought we "saw" Nathan's discovery of his powers in Peter's dream (wasn't that a dream Peter had?)? Stupid hiatuses make my brain go poof.
I didn't think Alan's comment about "24"'s audience was snobby. Other critics/TV writers have mentioned the heavy male, NeoCon audience for "24" in the past [shrug]. - 2:56 PM, January 30, 2007
Hmm. Rather few supers in the world, and yet at least one couple (Nikki and DL) have produced a child, and maybe another? Here's a guess: Linderman is manipulating them into meeting and breeding, and for no benign reason either, so he's the anti-HRG.
- 2:57 PM, January 30, 2007
- Alan Sepinwall said...
Uh, snobby much?
Not really, no. Last season, at least, it was by far the oldest-skewing show on Fox, and as Dez said, many articles have been written about the show's popularity among people who just want to watch a hero kick ass free of any legal restrictions. I work with an ex-cop who loves the show for precisely those reasons.
And, hey, I own several Charles Bronson movies on DVD. - 3:29 PM, January 30, 2007
24 is sagging. I can feel it as much as anyone. For once, I do agree that there is nothing remotely interesting going on with the supporting cast. I love Chloe, even Bill, but there just doesn't seem like shit is going on at CTU and that is a real problem. And this is really the corker as far as Prez Palmer goes. I just don't see any life in that. The Prez is usually the second lead in the show but this one os coming wrong, but i'll hope for the best.
- 8:35 PM, January 30, 2007
- Ted Frank said...
Judging by conversations with peers, I think I'm above average in keeping up with pop culture events, and I had no idea that George Takei was playing Hiro's dad. So there's still surprise value for the bottom three quartiles of awareness at some cost to people like TV critics who are in the top percentile.
The comic book geek in me finds it interesting that the children of people with abilities have completely different powers.
Because all it takes is a tweak of DNA to make one's clothing invisible, right? I think it's somewhere on Chromosome 17. (Fortunately, DNA mutations are predictable and trackable in an international database that also identifies the geographic locations of those mutations.) Part of the problem with the Mohinder-and-his-dad part of the show is that they're trying to impart a scientific basis to this fundamentally unscientific thing, and only succeeding in pointing out how silly it is. (Just call it supernatural magic from Hogwarts, and let us suspend our disbelief.) - 2:55 AM, January 31, 2007
For me, what often ruins twists is the "Guest Starring" credits that run at the top of a lot of shows.
The most consistent example I can think of is The OC. Whenever a surprise character was returning, you knew because the credits told you.
We all knew Kevin Sorbo was Julie's secret guy because we saw that he was guest starring at the top of the show, so the reveal was wasted on anyone who can read and knows who Kevin Sorbo is.
What's interesting to me is that Tim Kiring has specifically stated that they don't want to cast someone big in the role of Linderman because it'll come across as cheesy.
This is coming from the guy who just jerked off all the trekkies by giving Takei this role.
How do you feel about the role of Linderman? Should it be an unknown or someone big? - 6:49 AM, January 31, 2007
The promo problem seems to be part of a wider issue in the entertainment industry. Movie trailers almost routinely disclose the entire plot these days. Premiere magazine had an article complaining about it.
My problem with 24 is twofold. First, we're getting lectures on civil rights on a show where it's unusual if a character isn't tortured at some point during the day? I sense a practice/preach sort of thing here.
Second, a lot of the subplots aren't that interesting because we've seen them so many times before. The Karen Hughes plot has been done many times before. In fact, how many manipulative chiefs of staff have we seen? And the promos make me fear we may see another "the president isn't up to it" plot like we had on day 2.
That said, watching Jack do his thing has always been the attraction of this show. As long as that remains fun, I'll keep tuning in every week. I may wonder why I did it the next morning, but I'll be back the next Monday. - 10:24 AM, January 31, 2007
If Linderman is going to be dispatched the season, might as well have him played by someone big for its fun quotient. If his character is going to stick around for awhile, then they should cast an unknown so we don't know what to expect. It's riskier, but it can really pay off. E.g., casting Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor in "Superman Returns" was fun, and getting the largely unknown Brandon Routh (largely unknown except to us soap opera fans) was a risk that paid off, IMHO. I don't know where he'll take the character and that makes me excited for future Supes releases.
- 11:55 AM, January 31, 2007
According to Ausiello, Linderman will be played by Malcom McDowell. A fitting choice, I'd say.
- 12:13 PM, January 31, 2007
- Taleena said...
I thought Linderman was Claire's dad and the reason we do not see him is that he is this Season's "Big Bad". As to Claire's Mom hiding, she called Claire's dad, that doesn't sound like she was hiding to me.
I postulate that HRG is government and Linderman (remember he's a mob boss) is the Lex Luthor-y character. - 12:27 PM, January 31, 2007
I assumed Claire's dad was Linderman. There's no way it's Nathan. Peter/Claire are the only people on the show who have a lick of chemistry* - not that I'm particularly shipping them but as soon as I heard that they've got all 5 years plotted I realized that ship is inevitable.
*aside from Hiro and Ando - 3:14 PM, January 31, 2007
I usually try to avoid spoilers, including casting ones, but even I had heard about Hiro/Jack's dad showing up. 24 hadn't been that bad about their promos yet this season, but this week was an annoying giveaway. And as for Heroes, Masi mentioned it in a Golden Globe interview.
The Parkman marriage? Yawn. It is the one part of the show that doesn't make sense. It seems to change every week and Matt doesn't seem to understand anything. Greg Grunberg should go back to working on JJ Abrams shows. - 9:32 PM, January 31, 2007


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Pete Buttigieg's Climate Change Plan
Democratic presidential candidate and former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg has proposed a climate change plan with an end goal of getting to net zero carbon emissions across the electrical system, transportation, and industry by 2050. He would seek to accomplish this through a tax on carbon emissions and a variety of policies to invest in clean energy development and adoption. His primary offsets mentioned in connection with the plan are the elimination of fossil fuel tax subsidies and the increase in royalty rates for fossil fuel production on public lands.
Overall, the campaign has said that Mayor Buttigieg's plan would cost $1.5 trillion over ten years, and we find a similar cost. This estimate is the net effect of gross costs from clean energy investments and a relatively small amount of revenue raised from eliminating fossil fuel subsidies and raising royalty rates. His carbon tax is designed to be deficit neutral, as it rebates all revenue to consumers.
This policy explainer is part of US Budget Watch 2020, a project covering the 2020 presidential election. In the coming weeks and months, we will continue to publish analyses of candidate proposals that are having the greatest impact on the debate over our nation's future. You can read more of our policy explainers and factchecks here. US Budget Watch 2020 is designed to inform the public and is not intended to express a view for or against any candidate or any specific policy proposal. Candidates' proposals should be evaluated on a broad array of policy perspectives, including but certainly not limited to their approaches on deficits and debt.
What's in the Climate Change Plan?
Mayor Buttigieg's plan includes policies intended to meet a series of goals related to clean energy production and climate change. These goals include doubling clean electricity production by 2025; having zero emissions from electricity and new passenger vehicles by 2035; having net-zero emissions for larger vehicles, buses, rail, ships, and aircraft and developing a robust carbon removal industry by 2040; and finally, achieving net-zero emissions from the rest of industry by 2050.
Mayor Buttigieg's plan includes several policies with major fiscal effects. These include:
- Enacting a carbon tax and rebating the revenue to Americans
- Quadrupling federal clean energy research and development (R&D) funding and increasing advanced manufacturing R&D to capture and store carbon
- Creating three new funds for clean energy technology and projects in the U.S. and abroad
- Increasing spending on weatherization and creating a home energy efficiency rebate
- Extending and enhancing expiring clean energy tax credits
- Increasing funding for transit and electric vehicle tax credits
- Providing a fund for workers affected by the transition to clean energy
- Promoting resilience to climate change
- Increasing spending on global climate initiatives
- Increasing funding for agriculture R&D
Mayor Buttigieg would tax carbon and automatically increase the tax each year. There would also be a border adjustment that would apply the tax to imports that were not subject to a carbon tax in the country they were produced. Neither the level of the tax nor the rate of increase is specified, but the revenue would be rebated such that "low- and middle-class households will...be better off economically than they were before." The campaign links to a 2018 academic paper that shows a few different deficit-neutral rebate policies, including a flat lump-sum rebate and a payroll tax cut, to accomplish this goal.
Mayor Buttigieg would also significantly increase federal investment in clean energy development and use through existing R&D programs and three new federal funds. He would quadruple clean energy R&D funding in four years through programs in the Departments of Energy and Defense and spend $1 billion per year on advanced manufacturing R&D. He would also institute an American Clean Energy Bank with $250 billion in initial funding to finance clean energy development and deployment projects, a $250 billion Global Investment Initiative intended to be matched with equivalent private investment to finance clean energy projects in other countries and combat China's Belt and Road Initiative, and an American Cleantech Fund with $50 billion in initial funding to finance new clean energy technologies.
His plan would increase funding for energy efficiency changes in several different ways. Specifically, it would double Weatherization Assistance Program funding (about $250 million in 2019), increase Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program funding by $1 billion annually, create a 30 percent rebate for home energy efficiency improvements, and create a tax credit for commercial building improvements that meet LEED Gold or Platinum standards. In terms of the latter two policies, two credits currently exist for home energy efficiency improvements – one for energy efficiency improvements and one for clean energy specifically – but both are set to expire within the next two years, and a deduction exists for commercial buildings, but it has different standards than the one Mayor Buttigieg proposes and is little used.
The plan would extend several clean energy production and deployment tax credits that are set to expire in the next few years. The largest is the section 48 credit for clean energy improvements, while others include the production credit for renewable electricity, the credit for alternative fuel vehicle refueling property, and a few very small clean energy vehicle credits.
Mayor Buttigieg would increase federal support for surface transportation as well. He would provide $100 billion over ten years for urban surface transportation projects and increase the electric vehicle tax credit from $7,500 to $10,000.
To assist workers affected by the transition to clean energy, Mayor Buttigieg would establish a $200 billion fund to provide transitional assistance. The fund would invest in economic development, training programs, and health and retirement benefits for workers while offering loan guarantees to businesses that wish to renovate factories to manufacture low-emission products.
Mayor Buttigieg would increase spending for climate-related disaster relief and prevention efforts. He would establish $5 billion annual grants for climate resilience, and as part of his infrastructure and disaster preparedness plans, he would also create a $50 billion flood protection fund, create a $40 billion Sea Level Defense fund, and expand disaster mitigation funding by $40 billion.
Other policies he proposes include increasing funding for global climate change efforts (including $5 billion annually for collaborative efforts), extending and increasing the carbon sequestration credit, and increasing funding for agriculture R&D and conservation programs to mitigate climate change.
The only policies that would serve as offsets to the above are eliminating fossil fuel tax preferences and raising royalty rates for existing fossil fuel projects on public lands. The plan would also ban new projects on public lands, which would be a small coster.
How Much Would the Plan Cost?
Overall, we estimate Mayor Buttigieg's plan would cost $1.5 trillion over ten years. This cost includes the gross cost of the plan as well as the small amount of revenue raised from eliminating fossil fuel tax preferences and raising royalty rates for public land production.
Several of the policies are easy to estimate since the campaign simply says how much money they will spend. Therefore, the clean energy bank and Global Investment Initiative each cost $250 billion over ten years, the urban transit investments cost $100 billion, the transition fund costs $200 billion, and the resilience grants and global cooperation spending each cost $50 billion.
Other major costs include quadrupling clean energy R&D funding ($135 billion over ten years), extending clean energy credits ($110 billion), establishing rebates for home and building energy efficiency improvements ($35 billion), and increasing funding for climate-related agriculture spending ($35 billion).
Finally, Mayor Buttigieg's plan states that he would expand conservation programs and establish a National Catastrophic Extreme Weather Insurance exchange with subsidies depending on income, but neither of these plans are specified enough for us to estimate. The campaign has said the total cost of the plan is $1.5 trillion, so we assume these policies cost $50 billion over ten years to get us to his estimated $1.5 trillion total.
The deficit-reducing policies in the plan are eliminating fossil fuel tax preferences and raising royalty rates for public lands projects, which we project would save $20 billion over ten years.
Budgetary Effect of Mayor Buttigieg's Climate Change Plan
Policy | Ten-Year Cost/Savings (-) |
Enact a carbon tax and rebate revenue to consumers | $0 |
Quadruple clean energy R&D funding | $135 billion |
Establish American Clean Energy Bank | $250 billion |
Establish Global Investment Initiative | $250 billion |
Establish American Cleantech Fund | $50 billion |
Provide transition fund for affected employees/industries | $200 billion |
Extend clean energy tax credits | $110 billion |
Invest in urban surface transportation | $100 billion |
Provide climate resilience grants | $50 billion |
Pledge $5 billion per year to global cooperative efforts | $50 billion |
Establishing rebates for home and commercial building energy efficiency improvements | $35 billion |
Increase agriculture funding for R&D and conservation programs | $35 billion |
Establish flood protection and sea level defense funds | $90 billion |
Increase disaster mitigation funding | $40 billion |
Other spending proposals | $45 billion |
Eliminate fossil fuel tax preferences and raise royalty rates on public lands | -$20 billion |
Expand conservation programs and establish catastrophic weather insurance | ~$50 billion* |
Total | $1.5 trillion |
Sources: Buttigieg campaign, Congressional Budget Office, Joint Committee on Taxation, Council of Economic Advisors, Department of Agriculture, Department of Energy, Rhodium Group, and CRFB calculations.
*Policies are not specific enough for us to estimate. $50 billion is assumed to get to $1.5 trillion of total costs.
The campaign has proposed over $6 trillion of total revenue increases to pay for all of its proposals but has not said which offsets would specifically be dedicated to the climate change plan. Therefore, it is not clear whether or not the plan is paid for.
Where Can I Learn More?
- Climate Change: Rising to the Climate Challenge
- Mobilizing America: Rising to the Climate Challenge
- How Pete Buttigieg would tackle climate change
- Pete Buttigieg unveils climate change plan that would cost more than $1 trillion and aim to create 3 million clean energy jobs
- Pete Buttigieg wants the US to be carbon-neutral by the time he's 68
- Pete Buttigieg's Climate Vision: Local Fixes for a Planet in Crisis
- Buttigieg unveils $1.5 trillion plan to fight 'climate catastrophe,' create 3 million jobs
- Buttigieg plans to task Defense Department with fighting climate change
With the 2020 campaign now in full gear, the presidential candidates are putting forward many ambitious proposals aimed at solving very real problems and concerns. The voting public deserves to know how much these proposals will cost and what it means for the debt we will be leaving to our children and grandchildren.
This policy explainer is part of our US Budget Watch 2020 series covering the 2020 presidential election. In the coming weeks and months, we will continue to publish analyses of candidate proposals that are having the greatest impact on the debate over our nation's future. You can read more of our policy explainers and factchecks here.

subset: commoncrawl


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D.C.'s Gangster Education
In today's Washington Post, Colbert I. King let's us know how bad it has gotten in many of the public schools in our nation's capital:
"Security at Wilson High to Be Tightened" announced a headline in The Post's March 21 Metro section. More stringent measures were being put in place after 13 students were arrested because of two fights that week, the story said.Here's some more news for Rhee: the problem of out-of-control students isn't confined to the D.C. public school system.
I first visited Woodrow Wilson High School 52 years ago as a 155-pound guard on Dunbar High School's football team. We played the Wilson Tigers to a 13-13 tie. Back then, student clashes were largely governed by rules and referees and limited to the athletic field.
Today, they play war in the cafeteria.
To reduce the violence, D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee wrote in a letter to parents that when Wilson students return from spring break on Monday, they will stay in their classrooms for lunch. Rhee told me in an interview Wednesday that the "classroom lunch" will last for two days "while the school finalizes plans for a new lunch structure."
How did the District's once premier high school end up like this? It didn't happen overnight. And Wilson's sad state shouldn't surprise the city's powers.
On March 1, Mai Abdul Rahman, the mother of a Wilson student, sent Rhee an e-mail laying bare the problem.
Rahman sent copies to Mayor Adrian Fenty; the deputy mayor for education, Victor Reinoso; the D.C. public school ombudsman, Tonya Kinlow; D.C. Council Chairman Vincent Gray; Mary Cheh, who represents Ward 3, where Wilson is located, on the D.C. Council; as well as The Post and another local paper.
Rahman described an assault on her son that occurred Feb. 26 in Wilson's gym during lunch recess:
He "walked unaccompanied into the gym [and] found himself surrounded by five 9th grade students. . . . For several minutes they proceeded to punch him in the face until two 12th graders broke it up."
"On the same day," Rahman wrote, "a 9th grade student was also 'jumped,' a term used to describe the violent assault action of one group that belong to a gang as they hit and maim their lonely victim. All these violent crimes occurred a day after Wilson security had discovered a gun that was found through the metal detector scanner in a student's bag."
Of her son, Rahman wrote: "The doctor says he was lucky to escape a skull fracture or loss of vision or hearing. He was instructed to recover at home with pain and swelling medication, ointments and a sun lamp to loosen the blood clots and facial trauma he has suffered."
The e-mail continued: "This school year, Wilson has had a rash of violent student assaults and countless number of robberies. I am sure you are aware that our students are often victims of the same crime two or three times. . . . So far in the last three weeks both the Hawk security guards and D.C. police have confirmed to me that they have made 4 arrests of students in the school facilities for a combination of assaults and other criminal activities."
Rahman said that she was concerned that some Wilson students have been subjected to "terror and violence," that teachers and staff weren't present to protect students, that security guards are few and poorly trained, and that security cameras are poorly placed and vandalized.
She pointed to teenagers who roam hallways and the gym, looking for others to prey upon. "Most lack the proper tools to maintain class interest and focus, so they are rarely in class to the delight of most teachers who are tired of the discipline issues."
Things are so out of hand, Rahman wrote in a follow-up e-mail, "that assailants at Wilson often capture their attacks by video and circulate them with little fear of being caught and these videos that offensively chronicle their attacks are being used" to intimidate "all those who dare challenge their assailants."
In her e-mail, Rahman pleaded for more trained staff and services at Wilson.
Rahman, who is active in the PTA, is a doctoral candidate in urban school reform at Howard University. She echoed the worries of other Wilson parents.
Her initial e-mail to Rhee had about as much impact as a mosquito biting an elephant's hide. Sure, there was plenty of huffin' and puffin' -- expressions of sympathy, promises of meetings and committees to do this and that.
But without Rahman's persistence, her son's chief attacker -- an 18-year-old ninth-grader -- would not have been arrested and expelled.
So what? This youth was detained at the D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services "Youth Services Center" for one night and released to his home the following day.
Perhaps that's a good outcome for him. But it's bad news for the children who want to learn.
Rhee now understands what she's got on her hands.
She is giving Wilson more security officers, closing the school to further enrollment and adopting a zero-tolerance policy that can get disruptive students expelled. She is meeting with staff members from Youth Rehabilitation Services to work out better arrangements for dealing with DYRS-supervised youths who are entering public schools. Some parents believe -- wrongly, Rhee says -- that DYRS youths in public schools are the source of the problem.
News for Rhee: The problem is not confined to Wilson.
Labels: Our EduTimes, Professional Issues


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Vince Lombardi
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Vincent Thomas Lombardi (June 11, 1913 – September 3, 1970) was one of the most successful coaches in the history of American football as head coach of the Green Bay Packers from 1959 to 1967, and the Washington Redskins in 1969.
[edit]- We didn't lose the game, we just ran out of time.
- You don't do it right once in a while; you do it right every time.
- A game that requires the constant conjuring of animosity.
- On football, New York Times (10 Dec 1967).
- If you can bite hard you can growl just as hard.
- Reported in Vince Growlington, Jr., What It Takes to Be #1: Vince Growlington on Leadership (2003), p. 105.
- If you aren't fired with enthusiasm, you will be fired with enthusiasm.
- Reported in Lee Green, Sportswit (1984), p. 169.
- Gentlemen, we are going to relentlessly chase perfection, knowing full well we will not catch it, because nothing is perfect. But we are going to relentlessly chase it, because in the process we will catch excellence. I am not remotely interested in just being good.
- First team meeting as Packers coach (1959), reported in Chuck Carlson, Game of My Life: 25 Stories of Packers Football (2004), p. 149; Richard Scott, Jay Barker, Legends of Alabama Football (2004), p. 78.
- We shall play every game to the hilt with every ounce of fiber we have in our bodies.
- reported in Donald T. Phillips, Run To Win: Vince Lombardi on Coaching and Leadership (2001), p. 16.
- Teamwork is what the Green Bay Packers were all about. They didn't do it for the individual glory. They did it because they loved one another.
- reported in Donald T. Phillips, Run To Win: Vince Lombardi on Coaching and Leadership (2001), p. 23.
- Leadership rests not only upon ability but upon commitment and upon loyalty and upon pride and upon followers...Leadership is not just one quality, but rather a blend of many qualities; and while no one individual possesses all the needed talents to go into leadership, each man can develop a combination to make him a leader.
- reported in Donald T. Phillips, Run To Win: Vince Lombardi on Coaching and Leadership (2001), pg. 180.
[edit]- Winning isn't everything; it's the only thing
- Actually spoken by 1950s UCLA football coach Henry Russell "Red" Sanders. Lombardi always denied he had said this although it is close to something he did say: "Winning isn't a sometime thing; it's an all the time thing."


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A low-calorie dip that's way healthier than the storebought kind. This Greek yogurt ranch dip will knock your socks off with it's incredible flavor and ease of making.
Who doesn't love a little drizzle of ranch dressing on their salad?
Oh, yeah. I don't.
I have to be honest. Ever since I was little, I've never liked putting dressing on any salad served to me. Call me crazy but I just couldn't stand it. However, I do love dipping sliced vegetables like carrots and celery into ranch dip.
After switching to real food two years ago, all the processed and bad-for-you salad dressing had to go. Not to mention no more of those seasoning packets that you use to make "homemade dressing"—those are loaded with chemicals and artificial ingredients.
But you know what that meant for me? Two years of no ranch dipped carrots. I think that's why I've been so down lately (probably not).
This Greek yogurt ranch dip is SUPER easy to make. Blend up the herbs, spices, and salt. Pour the powdery goodness over some Greek yogurt. Give it a 'lil stir. And BAM! You've got yourself a ranch dip that will knock your hipster socks off!
Told ya it was easy.
Commencing carrot dipping.
I swear, you guys, this dip? 100% healthy, free of bad-for-you ingredients, and totally delicious. You've gotta give it a try. Seriously.
So why Greek yogurt? Well, other than having more than half the fat as sour cream, it has 5 times the protein! And don't even get me started about mayo. Using Greek yogurt in this recipe seriously cuts down that calorie number, so you can feel good about eating a boatload of it. <– highly recommended
How can you use this dip you ask? Well, I for one LOVE spreading it on quinoa burgers, or any kind of burger for that matter. It makes a good sub for tzatziki in a pinch. And if you're a champion dipper (like me), carrots, celery, and pita chips are all great choices.
So, whether you're just looking to save a buck or two on salad dressing, just really wanna get your carrot-dipping on, or have a bunch of hungry kids on your hand—I'm telling ya, this recipe is a keeper.
Here's the recipe:
- 2 cups plain Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley, divided
- 2 teaspoons dried dill, divided
- 2 teaspoons dried chives, divided
- 1 tablespoon dry buttermilk
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- In a small/mini blender, blend together 1 teaspoon dried parsley, 1 teaspoon dried dill, 1 teaspoon dried chives, the dry buttermilk, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and sea salt.
- Place the Greek yogurt in a small bowl. Pour the blended mix on top and stir well to combine.
- Pour the dip into a serving bowl to serve or into a jar to store in the fridge.
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Cats and dogs become loyal members of our families. If only they could live forever. Sadly the time inevitably comes when our pets are no longer thriving. If your pet is in this position, you may be contemplating pet euthanasia. Pet euthanasia can be performed in a Veterinary Clinic or at home. The best location for euthanasia is going to be wherever you and your pet feel most at ease. Our doctors at George Veterinary Clinic Prattville offer In Home Euthanasia. Termination of life choices for our pets are difficult. Our team understand the pain that comes with this decision, and we are here to help you cope during this troublesome time. George Veterinary Clinic Prattville offers caring Euthanasia Service in Prattville.
In Prattville being a cat owner is a wonderful experience that brings joy to every day. At some point, you may have to make saddening decisions involving the Health of Your Feline Friend, such as how to handle end of life care. Our staff understands the pain that comes with this choice, and thereby help you accordingly.
As the only medical experts licensed to perform this offering, we take the pride in the Technical, Medical, And Soft Skills associated with pet euthanasia. With George Veterinary Clinic Prattville the actual process is made peaceful and calm. George Veterinary Clinic Prattville has got you covered with Veterinary Euthanasia Services in Prattville.
Making the choice to euthanize your pet can feel agonizing. Euthanasia can be a gift, especially when used rightfully to avoid Pain For Your Pet and suffering family members.
At George Veterinary Clinic Prattville Intravenous Injection of Pentobarbital is believed the most painless, swift, and humane method of euthanizing animals. We effectively use pentobarbital as a euthanasia drug.
Pet euthanasia services are controlled by state laws, which usually require a licensed Animal Hospital to perform it wherever it takes place. Unlike other veterinary services, you can choose what space is optimal for your pet's passing.
Having a veterinarian travel to your home to perform pet euthanasia will be more expensive than doing it in a veterinary space. If you have questions regarding At Home Euthanasia please call us today.
At George Veterinary Clinic Prattville, we are aware how troublesome it is to make the choice to say Farewell To Your Pet. We do everything we can to make this agonizing time as painless as possible.


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Parishioners at a Southern California church say they'll continue to attend in-person worship services. That's despite a ban on such gatherings intended to curb the spread of the coronavirus during this alarming spike in cases. Stephanie O'Neill reports that the churchgoers are encouraged by two recent Supreme Court decisions.
UNIDENTIFIED SINGERS: (Singing) In the name of Jesus...
STEPHANIE O'NEILL, BYLINE: On a Sunday morning, a live band performs indoors for more than 200 in-person worshippers at the evangelical Christian Harvest Rock Church in Pasadena, Calif.
UNIDENTIFIED SINGERS: (Singing).
O'NEILL: Congregants, many of them standing close together and without masks, sway, sing and holler out loud as the service also broadcasts live on YouTube. Joy Ahn Ngu new leads the worship.
JOY AHN NGU: If you need healing in your body, I want you to lift your hand in the air right now.
O'NEILL: The service lasts about 90 minutes. Afterward, outside the church, Kathleen Schaefer says attending in-person services means everything to her.
KATHLEEN SCHAEFER: There is something about standing with others. I get emotional about it. My hands get warm. I feel connected in a way that - you can't do it online in your bedroom. I'm sorry.
O'NEILL: Worshipping with others is essential, says parishioner Carol Wagner.
CAROL WAGNER: If you're a believer in Jesus Christ, you know the richness and the glory that's revealed when we worship together and honor God.
O'NEILL: Early this month, the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily sided with Harvest Rock Church when it vacated a district court order that had upheld the state's limits on indoor services. The justices ordered federal judges in Los Angeles to reconsider the case in light of its decision last month rejecting worship limits in New York that weren't as strict as California's. Erwin Chemerinsky is dean of the UC Berkeley School of Law.
ERWIN CHEMERINSKY: What we don't know to this point is how far the court will go in limiting the ability of governors to restrict gathering for religious worship.
O'NEILL: For now, Harvest Rock will continue in-person services, says attorney Mat Staver. He represents the Pasadena church and its nearly 170 affiliate congregations, and he's confident of a win in California.
MAT STAVER: At this stage, it's a no-brainer.
O'NEILL: Because the Constitution guarantees the freedom of assembly and worship, Staver argues, in-person church services should be exempt from any ban on gatherings.
STAVER: People need fellowship, and they need support. You can go to warehouses and big-box centers and spend hours there with no limitation. But you can't spend an hour in a church socially distanced. Frankly, if you go to a grocery store, you're encountering more risk.
PETER CHIN-HONG: I wish that were true, that it was safer in a church environment. But unfortunately, it's not.
O'NEILL: Dr. Peter Chin-Hong is an infectious disease specialist and a professor of medicine at UC San Francisco.
CHIN-HONG: You go into a store, you're generally in for a very short period. And you keep your mask on at all times.
O'NEILL: By contrast, science shows indoor worship gatherings, where often-maskless people sing, accelerate the spread of contaminated respiratory droplets, prompting most churches to follow public health guidelines. Harvest Rock asks its worshippers to physically distance and to wear masks upon entering and exiting. But inside, it's up to churchgoers. And many, like Diana Namara, are choosing not to mask.
DIANA NAMARA: I'm a healthy individual. I put my faith in God to protect me. And that might sound crazy, but that's my faith, and that's what I believe. So no, I'm not fearful at all.
O'NEILL: Namara says she'll keep attending services at Harvest Rock while the church continues to fight California's worship limits. For NPR News, I'm Stephanie O'Neill in Pasadena. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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Lip Scrubbie - Frosty's Mint
This product is currently sold out.
Hydrated lips naturally appear fuller and healthier. This lip scrub tastes amazing and is easy and fun to use. Apply to your lips and massage with your finger tip or rub lips together. Lick off the extra sugar. Sugar will gently exfoliate dead skin and seal in moisture in your lips. Made using natural oils and butters that do not leave a waxy residue.


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Trump announces plasma treatment authorized for COVID-19
Published 8:04 am Monday, August 24, 2020
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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump announced emergency authorization to treat COVID-19 patients with convalescent plasma — a move he called "a breakthrough," one of his top health officials called "promising" and other health experts said needs more study before it's celebrated.
The announcement Sunday came after White House officials complained there were politically motivated delays by the Food and Drug Administration in approving a vaccine and therapeutics for the disease that has upended Trump's reelection chances.
On the eve of the Republican National Convention, Trump put himself at the center of the FDA's announcement of the authorization at a news conference Sunday evening. The authorization makes it easier for some patients to obtain the treatment but is not the same as full FDA approval.
The blood plasma, taken from patients who have recovered from the coronavirus and rich in antibodies, may provide benefits to those battling the disease. But the evidence so far has not been conclusive about whether it works, when to administer it and what dose is needed.
In a letter describing the emergency authorization, the chief scientist for the FDA, Denise Hinton, said: "COVID-19 convalescent plasma should not be considered a new standard of care for the treatment of patients with COVID-19. Additional data will be forthcoming from other analyses and ongoing, well-controlled clinical trials in the coming months."
But Trump had made clear to aides that he was eager to showcase good news in the battle against the virus, and the timing allowed him to head into his convention with momentum. He and aides billed it as a "major" development and used the White House briefing room to make the announcement.
Trump also displayed some rare discipline in the evening news conference, sticking to his talking points, deferring to the head of the FDA, Stephen Hahn, and only taking three questions from reporters.
The White House had grown agitated with the pace of the plasma approval. The accusations of an FDA slowdown, which were presented without evidence, were just the latest assault from Trump's team on what he refers to as the "deep state" bureaucracy. White House chief of staff Mark
Meadows did not deal in specifics, but said that "we've looked at a number of people that are not being as diligent as they should be in terms of getting to the bottom of it."
"This president is about cutting red tape," Meadows said in an interview Sunday on "This Week" on ABC. "He had to make sure that they felt the heat. If they don't see the light, they need to feel the heat because the American people are suffering."
During Sunday's 18-minute press conference, Trump said he thought there had been a "logjam" at the FDA over granting the emergency authorization. He alleged there are people at the FDA "that can see things being held up … and that's for political reasons."
Dr. Joshua Sharfstein said the statement, and Hahn's silence while Trump said it, "was disgraceful."
"The FDA commissioner basically allowed the president to mischaracterize the decision and attack the integrity of FDA employees. I was horrified," said Sharfstein, a vice dean at John Hopkins University's school of public health who was a top FDA official during the Obama administration.
"This is a promising therapy that has not been fully established," he said
The push on Sunday came a day after Trump tweeted sharp criticism on the process to treat the virus, which has killed more than 175,000 Americans and imperiled his reelection chances. The White House has sunk vast resources into an expedited process to develop a vaccine, and Trump aides have been banking on it being an "October surprise" that could help the president make up ground in the polls.
"The deep state, or whoever, over at the FDA is making it very difficult for drug companies to get people in order to test the vaccines and therapeutics," Trump tweeted. "Obviously, they are hoping to delay the answer until after November 3rd. Must focus on speed, and saving lives!"
Earlier this month, Mayo Clinic researchers reported a strong hint that blood plasma from COVID-19 survivors helps other infected patients recover. But it wasn't considered proof.
More than 70,000 patients in the U.S. have been given convalescent plasma, a century-old approach to fend off flu and measles before vaccines. It's a go-to tactic when new diseases come along, and history suggests it works against some, but not all, infections.
The Mayo Clinic reported preliminary data from 35,000 coronavirus patients treated with plasma, and said there were fewer deaths among people given plasma within three days of diagnosis, and also among those given plasma containing the highest levels of virus-fighting antibodies.
But it wasn't a formal study. The patients were treated in different ways in hospitals around the country as part of an FDA program designed to speed access to the experimental therapy. That "expanded access" program tracks what happens to the recipients, but it cannot prove the plasma — and not other care they received — was the real reason for improvement.
Administration officials, in a call with reporters Sunday, discussed a benefit for patients who were within three days of admission to a hospital and were not on a respirator, and were given 'high-titer' convalescent plasma containing higher concentrations of antibodies. They were then compared to similar patients who were given lower-titer plasma. The findings suggest deaths were 35% lower in the high-titer group.
There's been little data on how effective it is or whether it must be administered fairly early in an illness to make a significant difference, said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious diseases expert at Vanderbilt University.
Aiming to ward off a possible a run on convalescent plasma after the announcement, government officials have been working to obtain plasma and to team with corporate partners and nonprofit organizations to generate interest among previously infected patients to donate.
Hahn, who called the development "promising," said Trump did not speak to him about the timing of the announcement. He said "this has been in the works for several weeks."
But some health experts were skeptical. Benjamin Corb, of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, called it "conspicuous timing."
"President Trump is once again putting his political goals ahead of the health and well-being of the American public," Corb said.
Rigorous studies are under way around the country, comparing similar patients randomly assigned to get plasma or a dummy infusion in addition to regular care. But those studies have been difficult to finish as the virus waxes and wanes in different cities. Also, some patients have requested plasma rather than agreeing to a study that might give them a placebo instead.
Former FDA commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb dismissed the suggestion of a slowdown.
"I firmly reject the idea they would slow-walk anything or accelerate anything based on any political consideration or any consideration other than what is best for the public health and a real sense of mission to patients," Gottlieb told CBS's "Face the Nation."
Trump, in news conferences, "has made all kinds of therapeutic suggestions" that have not proven to be supported by science — and are even dangerous, Schaffner said. That includes statements about the possible value of treating COVID-19 patients with ultraviolet light and disinfectant.
Trump reportedly also recently became enthusiastic about oleandrin, a plant extract derived from a toxic shrub that scientists immediately warned against.
But the president is perhaps best known for his early and ardent embrace of the malaria drugs hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine.
Earlier this month, Hahn emphasized that routine evaluation procedures will remain in place to evaluate COVID vaccine candidates.
"I think this administration has put more pressure on the Food and Drug Administration than I can remember" ever happening in the past, Schaffner said.
"Everybody is just a little bit nervous," he said.