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This is not a tennis eulogy for Serena Williams. That will only come from the 40-year-old Williams herself when she decides to put down her racket for the last time, at least competitively. That may happen this year, or next, or at some undetermined time in the future. The only thing we do know right now is that we will not see the greatest women’s tennis player in history any further at Wimbledon after she lost her opening round match to Harmony Tan in three sets.
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There’s too much important news, but everything depends on elections working properly. And I felt sick listening to the hearings last Tuesday. Trump and his team publicly spread rumors about election workers and skipped any process, due or otherwise. Their rumors led to vicious threats.
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WAMC's Political Observer Alan Chartock shares his thoughts on the fallout from the Supreme Court decision on abortion. -
I can’t recall what prompted Ray Graf – the host of Vox Pop, WAMC’s afternoon call in show, news anchor, and resident humorist – to take pity on me. Or more accurately to take pity on the haggard state of my stereophonic life. Perhaps I wrote something about it or just mentioned in passing my futile efforts to get my venerable 1968 KLH Model 11 portable record player repaired.
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As a spectator sport in the US, competitive swimming ranks somewhere between sailing and dressage. The only time we seem to care is around the Olympics, mainly when an American is winning lots of medals and setting records. But in the interim four years, not so much.
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In this period when prejudices are being revived even as we celebrated the announcement of freedom on Juneteenth, it may be useful or comforting to see how the Founding Fathers handled diversity.
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I don’t know a lot about Oakland. I’ve been there, spent a few nights with a cousin many years ago when I traipsed across the country and back with my sister on a grand adventure. But mostly, when I think of Oakland, I think of baseball.
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Last week, New York’s ethics oversight system was once again in the spotlight, but not for something that it failed to do. Instead, it may have – and I emphasize may – taken a step toward improvement.
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It appears that former President Trump wants to make the announcement of his 2024 Presidential bid outside of Governor Ron DeSantis’ home in Florida. I am glad to see that Mr. Trump continues his juvenile behavior, and I am sure Mr. DeSantis will find this to be a most amusing spectacle, or he may attempt to bar Mr. Trump from that area or ask the local municipalities to refuse Mr. Trump the necessary permits. In any event, will make for great TV.
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As a lifelong New Yorker I have mixed feelings about riding the subway. You’d have to be a fool not to. Don’t misunderstand me. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has invested lots of money and raised its game in recent years. Some of its stations and hubs – such as the Q line that now runs down Second Avenue, the Fulton Street complex redesigned in the wake of 9/11, and the extension of the 7 line to include the new 34th Street – Hudson Yards station (contemporary art sprinkled all over the place) might almost be described as splendid.
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In the oral commentary, I focused on the first of two criminal conspiracies being revealed by the work of the January 6 Committee. The one that gets the most attention relates to the fomenting of the riot on January 6, itself – which was the basis for Trump’s second impeachment. However, I had not been aware of the first conspiracy --- one that began the minute Trump started to lose the election in November. I learned about it listening to the November 13 hearing.
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Shooting school children, grocery shoppers or concert audiences raise public demands for gun control. But there’s a deeper problem. Why, so far, haven’t we been able to limit the age of people who can have guns, register guns like we do cars, do background checks on all gun purchasers, deny guns to people who’ve threatened their partners or anyone else, and, especially, limit the power of the guns for sale?
