About Editing and Writing

The Free Speech Fallout From the Israel-Hamas War

December 6, 2023

From a story on politico.com by Biamca Quilantan headlined “The Free Speech Fallout from the Israel-Hamas War Could Be Dire”:

The First Amendment is imperiled at college campuses across the country.

That’s according to Eugene Volokh, a free speech expert and law professor at the University of California at Los Angeles, who is deeply concerned about the fallout over demonstrations on the Israel-Hamas war.

“I’m worried that there is pro-Palestinian speech being suppressed. I’m worried that there’s some pro-Israeli speech being suppressed,” he said in an interview. “I also think that there are some things that are being too much tolerated.”

Kevin McCarthy to Quit Congress After Being Ousted as House Speaker

December 6, 2023

From a Wall Street Journal story by Kristina Peterson headlined “Kevin McCarthy to Quit Congress, Months After Being Ousted as House Speaker”:

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said he won’t run for re-election and would exit Congress at the end of the year, closing the California Republican’s tumultuous political career.

McCarthy, 58 years old, said he wouldn’t seek a 10th term, ending a career in the House that began in 2007 and spanned nearly every level of House leadership.

Washington Post Staffers Will Go on Strike Thursday

December 6, 2023

From a story on washingtonian.com by Andrew Beaujon headlined “Washington Post Staffers Will Go on Strike Thursday”:

More than 700 Washington Post employees plan to walk off the job Thursday for a 24-hour strike. Post Guild, the union that represents most of the company’s journalists, production specialists, and drivers expressed frustration over its ongoing contract negotiations with Post management in a letter to readers Tuesday:

I Won the National Spelling Bee—Let Me Spell Out My Secrets

December 6, 2023

From a Washington Post story by Dev Shah headlined “I won the National Spelling Bee. Let me spell out my secrets.”:

Dev Shah is a ninth-grader living in Largo, Fla. He won the Scripps National Spelling Bee in June.

I never expected to win. I had lost more than two dozen spelling bees since I started competing in the fourth grade, and last year, I didn’t even qualify for the national competition. If that wasn’t enough pressure, this was my final year of eligibility. This spelling bee was my last shot.

Nuns Sue Smith & Wesson Over AR-I5 Rifles

December 6, 2023

From a Wall Street Journal story by Cameron McWhirter and Zusha Elinson headlined “Nuns Sue Smith & Wesson Over AR-I5 Rifles”:

A group of activist nuns filed an unusual shareholder lawsuit to pressure gun maker Smith & Wesson to drastically change the way it markets, makes and sells its popular version of the AR-15 rifle.

The so-called shareholder derivative action, which the nuns filed in Nevada state court Tuesday against publicly traded Smith & Wesson, alleges that company leaders are putting shareholders at risk. They argue the leaders are exposing the company to liability by the way they have made and sold the rifle, which has been used in several mass shootings in recent years.

Norman Lear: His Comedies Changed the Face of TV

December 6, 2023

From a New York Times obit by Richard Severo and Peter Keepnews headlined “Norman Lear, Whose Comedies Changed the Face of TV, Is Dead at IOI”:

Norman Lear, the television writer and producer who introduced political and social commentary into situation comedy with “All in the Family” and other shows, proving that it was possible to be topical as well as funny while attracting millions of viewers, died at his home in Los Angeles.

Mr. Lear reigned at the top of the television world through the 1970s and into the early ’80s, leaving a lasting mark with shows that brought the sitcom into the real world.

Norman Lear: Television Writer and Producer Who Brought Social Commentary to the Sitcom

December 6, 2023

From a Washington Post obit by Louis Bayard headlined “Norman Lear, who brought social commentary to the sitcom, dies at IOI”:

Norman Lear, the TV writer and producer who transformed the bland porridge of situation comedy into a zesty stew of sociopolitical strife and brutally funny speech and who gave the world such embattled comic archetypes as Archie Bunker, Fred Sanford, Maude Findlay and George Jefferson, died at his home in Los Angeles.

Actors Approve Deal That Ends Hollywood Strike

December 6, 2023

From an AP story by Andrew Dalton headlined “Actors vote to approve deal that ended strike, bringing relief to union leaders and Hollywood”:

Hollywood’s actors have voted to ratify the deal with studios that ended their strike after nearly four months.

The approval of the three-year contract from the members of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists was no certainty, with some prominent members voicing dissent on the deal for which the union leaders bargained.

The 78% yes result in voting that began Nov. 13 was a far cry from the near-unanimous approval and widespread enthusiasm members of the writers guild gave to the deal that ended their strike in September.

Biden Says He Might Not Be Running Again If Trump Wasn’t Trying to Recapture the White House

December 6, 2023

From a New York Times story by Peter Baker headlined “Biden Says ‘I’m Not Sure I’d Be Running’ if Not for Trump”:

President Biden suggested on Tuesday that he might have been content to serve only a single term if his predecessor, former President Donald J. Trump, were not attempting to recapture the White House.

At a campaign fund-raiser in the Boston area, Mr. Biden presented his decision to run for re-election as driven largely by his determination to defeat Mr. Trump a second time and prevent him from returning to power. Mr. Biden has at times portrayed a second term for Mr. Trump as an existential threat to American democracy.

Gazing at the Night Sky

December 5, 2023

From a story on axios.com by Mike Allen, Erica Pandey, and Jim VandeHei headlined “Gazing at the night sky”:

When was the last time you looked up?

99% of people in the continental U.S. live in places that are polluted by light to the extent that they can’t see the Milky Way, The Atlantic reports.

What’s happening: That’s giving rise to dark-sky tourism, where people are seeking out remote places to soak up the starry night, per The Wall Street Journal.

About Editing and Writing

The Free Speech Fallout From the Israel-Hamas War

Kevin McCarthy to Quit Congress After Being Ousted as House Speaker

Washington Post Staffers Will Go on Strike Thursday

I Won the National Spelling Bee—Let Me Spell Out My Secrets

Nuns Sue Smith & Wesson Over AR-I5 Rifles

Norman Lear: His Comedies Changed the Face of TV

Norman Lear: Television Writer and Producer Who Brought Social Commentary to the Sitcom

Actors Approve Deal That Ends Hollywood Strike

Biden Says He Might Not Be Running Again If Trump Wasn’t Trying to Recapture the White House

Gazing at the Night Sky

About Editing

What Editors Should Look for in Writers

About Writing

Writing That Is of Marginal Interest