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Scott Pelley Of “Sixty Minutes” Issues Warning On Authoritarianism!

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Journalist Scott Pelley of CBS’s “Sixty Minutes”, has many years of reputable work at that news source. He gave a scathing commencement speech at Wake Forest University in North Carolina a week ago, against the authoritarian ideology of Donald Trump, which has provoked wild, vehement accusations from Fox News Channel and its disgraceful talk show hosts.

Pelley, rightfully, warned of the threat to freedom of speech and press represented by the Trump Administration’s attack on journalism, higher education, and law firms.

He also condemned the arrest of foreign students on visas for their use of their right of freedom of speech to criticize the Israel-Gaza War, as well as the attacks on voting rights being perpetrated by the federal government under Donald Trump.

Pelley condemned the fear being promoted by Trump loyalists who are working to undermine the Bill of Rights, and his rhetoric was uncompromising, setting an example for Americans who are terrified at the authoritarian bent of Trump and his supporters.

Pelley has been attacked as being “unhinged”, another of a multitude of examples of “projection”, accusing critics of Trump of what Trump and his supporters do regularly, speak and act in an “unhinged” manner.

Pelley is doing a great service in using his reputation to promote opposition to the dangerous trend that is running amuck around Trump, the movement toward authoritarian Fascism.

If Americans lose the First Amendment, then democracy and the rule of law is lost long term.

Trump Threatens Actions Against NPR, PBS, MSNBC, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, NY Times, Washington Post–Challenge To Accurate News Coverage!

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Donald Trump has been lashing out against a free press, guaranteed under the First Amendment

In his political speech at the Department of Justice last Friday, totally inappropriate, he called for ending the licenses of news stations, including CNN, MSNBC, ABC, NBC, and CBS.

Trump also is calling for the end of government support of PBS and NPR. And he has attacked the two leading newspapers of record–the NY Times and Washington Post.

Trump has pressured changes by the management of cable stations and newspapers to appease his administration, a very alarming development.

He has also called, specifically, for the firing of Nicolle Wallace and Rachel Maddow, and applauded the fact that Joy Reid was removed from MSNBC.

Trump has had past fights with Jim Acosta, who recently left CNN.

He has managed to convince Jeff Bezos, one of the three wealthiest billionaires, and owner of the Washington Post, to interfere with free expression by columnists, leading many to leave that paper, and causing a major drop in online subscriptions.

He is trying to promote an obedient press that will not report anything negative about his Presidency, wishing to promote mistruths rather than truth and facts.

Courageous and principled journalists are refusing to bend to his demands, and he has called them enemies, and many of these people and organizations may face outrageous and illegal prosecutions by the Department of Justice under Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is only too willing to bend to the President’s wishes and whims.

The survival of a free press and news media is urgent to preserve American democracy and the rule of law, so this is an ongoing battle that must be fought without retreat!

Trump Threatens News Media And First Amendment: Alarming Development!

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Donald Trump has been critical of news media for years, due to their reporting of his antics and illegalities and immoralities.

But recently, he has indicated his intention to shut down critical news media if he is returned to the Oval Office.

This threat to the First Amendment and freedom of the press is highly alarming, and no decent person should think that it is acceptable that he could go ahead and try to shut down the press, both print and cable!

Trump has issued threats against such reputable sources as the NEW YORK TIMES, WASHINGTON POST, CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, MSNBC, NPR and PBS among others.

In his world, only right wing media, such as FOX NEWS CHANNEL would exist, and yet even that network has come under attack from him during his Presidential campaign.

If Donald Trump is returned to the White House, the nation will be in the grips of an authoritarian Fascist regime, so it cannot be allowed to occur!

Renowned Journalist Dan Rather Reaches Age 90!

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Renowned journalist Dan Rather, who became one of the “Big Three” Evening News anchors at CBS News, alongside Peter Jennings at ABC News and Tom Brokaw at NBC News from the 1980s to 2005, today reached the age of 90.

Still active, and often interviewed on CNN and MSNBC, Rather first came to notice in covering the aftermath of the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas, where he was a CBS correspondent at the time.

He would cover the White House for CBS News in the later 1960s and 1970s, and was most noticed for his challenges to President Richard Nixon.

Rather was elevated to the anchor position upon the retirement of Walter Cronkite in 1981, and became the center of right wing attacks, which continue even in 2021.

Rather was forced out of his CBS News anchor position in 2005 in a controversy over George W. Bush’s National Guard service, but in his so called “retirement” years, he has remained noticed in hosting radio shows, and commenting regularly on Twitter.

Rather also has won Emmy and Peabody Awards, and is the author of numerous books.

Happy 25th Anniversary For MSNBC: A True Treasure!

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Today marks a quarter century of an exceptional news source, MSNBC, which began on July 15, 1996.

It started as a partnership between Microsoft and NBC (National Broadcasting Corporation).

It is one of the two major cable channels, alongside CNN (Cable News Network) to be committed to promote facts and truth, and the battle for facts and truth is a constantly evolving battle, due to the rivalry of Fox News Channel, which has spent its entire history since October 1996 to promote distortion, lies, and evade the truth.

It is hard to imagine news coverage in 2021 without appreciating the people and the coverage of news that MSNBC offers. It has enriched all viewers and readers, and is an indispensable source alongside CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS, the NY Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and many other online sources listed on this website, all on the right side of the page!

So congratulations to MSNBC in its constant battle against the forces of evil that are out there in the media world!

Dan Rather Reaches Age 89, Still Fully Productive After First Recognition At Time Of JFK Assassination In 1963

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Today marks the 89th birthday of a true journalistic treasure, Dan Rather, who has spent 70 years in the field of journalism, and is best remembered and recalled as the anchor of the CBS Evening News from 1981-2005.

Rather first became noticed when he was reporting in Dallas, Texas, at the time of the John F. Kennedy Assassination on November 22, 1963, and he also served in Vietnam as a war correspondent in the mid to late 1960s.

He had brushes of conflict with President Richard Nixon, when Rather was CBS White House Correspondent in the 1970s, and also with Vice President George H. W. Bush when he was running for President in 1988.

He never backed off from any confrontation, and when he reported on President George W. Bush’s absence from the National Guard when he was supposed to be on duty, during the Presidential campaign of 2004, it led to CBS firing him, but Rather being totally correct in the exposure of the lies of Bush.

Rather continues to be outspoken on Twitter, and on YouTube and he looks hale and hearty and still very young in appearance as he nears 90 next year.

This author and blogger has always admired Rather greatly, and is glad to see he is in the fray on Donald Trump and the Presidential Election of 2020, so let us all hope for many more years of contributions and good health from a great anchor over 24 years, but still active at a ripe old age!

Good Fortune That Many Watergate Scandal Journalists And Investigators Are Still Alive And Able To Assist With Insight Into Trump Scandals

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It has been 45 years since the Watergate Scandal started to erupt, leading to the resignation of Richard Nixon 43 years ago.

Now that we are in the most dangerous constitutional crisis since Watergate, and actually more dangerous than that one was, it is good that many Watergate Scandal journalists and investigators are still alive, and able to assist with their insights and expertise into the Donald Trump scandals.

It is encouraging that Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, who exposed the facts about the Watergate break in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters, are still actively engaged in pursuing the truth.

Also, Dan Rather, formerly the CBS News anchor from 1981-2005, and Ted Koppel of ABC News and “Nightline”, are both still pursuing the facts, and providing their brilliant analysis on what they see as more concerning than even the Nixon scandals.

Several individuals who helped in the prosecution case. led by Archibald Cox and Leon Jaworksi, 35 years ago, also are still alive and well, and able to give their expertise on comparing Watergate to the Trump scandals, with the general conclusion that this present scandal is more dangerous, constitutionally, than what Nixon represented.

Most observers believe that were Nixon alive today, he would be shocked at what Donald Trump has said and done, wondering how he has been able to accomplish so much in his corruption, and how he must be held accountable for his transgressions.

Journalist Dan Rather A True Profile In Courage: From Richard Nixon To The Bushes To Donald Trump!

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Dan Rather, the long time anchor of CBS News from 1981 to 2005, is now 85 years old, but still in the battle for the truth and freedom of the press.

Rather fought against President Richard Nixon during the Watergate Crisis in 1973-1974, confronting him openly at a press conference, and was on Nixon’s enemy’s list.

Rather confronted George H W Bush in 1988 about Ronald Reagan’s Iran Contra Scandal, leading to the two men shouting at each other.

Rather exposed the fact in 2004 that George W. Bush had been reading magazines and avoiding National Guard duty during the Vietnam War, and for that, he was forced out as anchor in 2005.

Now, Rather is already exposing and condemning Donald Trump in his lies and deceit, and pointing out what any intelligent, sane person sees, that Donald Trump is an extremely dangerous man to America’s civil liberties, including freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of assembly.

Dan Rather has devoted his life to journalism, and is a true hero, who should be applauded and supported in the struggle to preserve American democracy!

CBS’s Bob Schieffer Retires After 46 Years Of Journalism: One Of The Greats Who Will Be Missed!

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A legendary journalist, CBS’s Bob Schieffer, who has hosted Face The Nation for many years, is about to retire at age 78.

Schieffer has been in journalism for 46 years, and has been a major figure in the success of CBS over the past four decades.

A total professional, and nice guy, who still had the toughness to ask the right questions in interviews, Schieffer never became the center of controversy as, sadly, other TV and Cable journalists have become in recent years.

Schieffer was the kind of journalist that gave his watchers, listeners, and readers of his several books, a sense of confidence that they were being told the “straight story”, with no holds barred.

He will be missed, and it will not be easy to replace him!

A Massive Loss Of Quality Journalism In Just Two Days: Brian Williams, Jon Stewart, Bob Simon!

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American journalism has suffered a tremendous loss in just two days—the six month suspension of Brian Williams from NBC News; the announcement that Jon Stewart, the brilliant anchor of the Daily Show on Comedy Channel is leaving later this year; and the tragic death of Bob Simon of CBS News and Sixty Minutes in an automobile accident.

In a time when quality journalism is hard to find, and we have so many ignorant, stupid, biased so called “journalists” on Fox News Channel who lie on a regular basis, it is tragic that Brian Williams, a good guy, well liked by many, has been dealt a six month suspension without pay, and yet based on so far only one confirmed blunder.

It is also sad that Jon Stewart, the best comedian in the business, is leaving his path breaking show that was the major way most young people received their news of the day, and Stewart was brilliant in exposing the hypocrisy of politicians on an everyday basis for 16 plus years.

And worst of all is the tragic death of Bob Simon, a true professional, who worked for CBS for nearly 50 years, and was always highly admired for his vast experiences in news gathering. He survived captivity in the Gulf War, the fall of Saigon, and Middle East conflict, to end up dying in an accident on the West Side Highway in New York City.

All three will, of course, be trashed by the right wing, because all three were liberals, who really cared about people and would not be afraid to expose the truth about what was going on in the nation and overseas.

But no attacks by anyone at Fox News Channel in particular, and conservative talk radio as well, will take away from the reality that these are a few of the very small number of quality journalists still working, at a time when propaganda, hate, and deception are the norm much too often!