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Ink Stained Wretches — News
Ink Stained Wretches

Eliana Johnson and Chris Stirewalt love the news business but they hate a lot of what’s happening to it these days. Using their decades of experience in print, digital and TV news they tell the story behind the stories, always on the lookout for bias, sloppy reporting and, well, just plain wretched journalism. Every week they help you to be a better, smarter news consumer.

Copyright: © Nebulous Media LLC

Latest Episodes:

CBS Mournings Oct 11, 2024

Show notes

If you’re not caught up on the CBS controversy, we’ve got you covered in today’s episode. We break down the interview with Ta-Nehisi Coates and its aftermath. We also discuss the 2024 media blitz, Trump’s decision to decline a Fox debate, and climate change. Wretch on!

Time Stamps:

2:04 Front Page

44:29 Obsessions

52:14 Reader Mail

55:20 Favorite Items

If you have a story you want us to talk about, e-mail us at wretches@nebulouspodcasts.com. Sign Up for the Newsletter: https://wretches.substack.com

Follow us on Instagram @InkStainedWretches

Show Notes:

Puck News:The Tony–Ta-Nehisi Affair

The Free Press: How Is CBS Marking October 7? By Admonishing Tony Dokoupil

The Wall Street Journal: CBS Interview on Israel Triggers Fight at Network; Shari Redstone Weighs In

The New York Times: CBS Rebukes Anchor Over Tense Interview With Ta-Nehisi Coates

The New York Times: Inside the Turmoil at CBS News After a Tense Ta-Nehisi Coates Interview

The Free Press: Does CBS News Know Where Jerusalem Is?

Reuters: Trump rejects Fox News invite to debate Harris in late October

Mediaite: James Carville ‘Scared To Death’ About Election Day: Kamala Harris Needs To Get ‘Aggressive’

Wired: Tim Walz Rally Goes Live on World of Warcraft Twitch Stream

The Daily Beast: Host Laughs in Trump’s Face After He Calls Himself ‘Basically a Truthful Person’

Axios: Potential Trump loss threatens destruction of modern GOP

Yahoo News: New York Sun owner Dovid Efune nearing deal to buy the Telegraph

The New York Times: Introducing the Dachshund Bag

The Honest Broker on Substack: Weather Attribution Alchemy

Slow Boring on Substack: Media organizations are blowing their endorsements

The Washington Post: Mossad’s pager operation: Inside Israel’s penetration of Hezbollah

Apolitical Campaigning Oct 05, 2024

Show notes

How has Hurricane Helene impacted the election? Will the VP debate sway voters? Why did Melania release a pro-abortion memoir and request $250,000 from CNN? All of this and more will be discussed on today’s episode. Wretch on!

Time Stamps:

4:06 Front Page

56:29 Obsessions

1:03:09 Reader Mail

1:07:16 Favorite Items

Show Notes:

Politico: Trump and Kemp to appear together for first time since 2020

Politico: Harris consoles those devastated by Helene in Georgia — a contrast with Trump's visit

Wall Street Journal: The Profane 78-Year-Old Leading the Dockworkers Strike

The Washington Post: Vance peddles Trump agenda in softer tones, misleading ways during debate

The Wall Street Journal: JD Vance’s Version of Trump Is Better Than the Real Thing

Politico: 8 Body Language Tells From the Vice Presidential Debate

Reason: Tim Walz's Very Bad Answer on Social Media Censorship

The Atlantic: Tim Walz Is Too Good at This

The Guardian: Melania Trump passionately defends abortion rights in upcoming memoir

CNN: CNN requested an interview with Melania Trump. Her book publisher asked for $250,000 in exchange

The New York Times: Photos Show Rep. Mike Lawler in Blackface as Michael Jackson

CNN: Olivia Nuzzi accuses ex-fiance of orchestrating blackmail campaign amid RFK relationship

Hollywood Reporter: Taylor Lorenz Exits Washington Post to Launch ‘User Mag’ on Substack (Exclusive)

The Washington Post: No one loved baseball, or damaged it, as much as Pete Rose

The Wall Street Journal: Too Timid to Tell the Boss You’re Quitting? There’s a Service for That.

The New York Times: How Chicken Tenders Conquered America

CNN: McDonald’s is finally selling the Chicken Big Mac in the US

The Washington Post: How a 14-year-old became the alleged school shooter at Georgia’s Apalachee High

The Federalist: Trump: Liz Cheney Is A Stupid Warhawk

Politico: Trump and Kemp to appear together for first time since 2020

The Financial Times: We may have passed peak obesity

The New York Times: Whole Foods Tried to Change the Berry Chantilly Cake Recipe. Customers Lost It.

Kamala’s Holistic Interview Sep 28, 2024

Show notes

Today we are discussing Kamala Harris’s holistic approach to interviews, her contested time as a Mcdonald’s employee and the indictment of NYC mayor Eric Adams. Tune in!

Time Stamps:

3:06 Front Page

52:36 Obsessions

59:50 Reader Mail

1:03:40 Favorite Items

Show Notes:

Free Beacon: Word Salad Sandwich: Harris Dodges Softballs in Friendly Chat With MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle

The New York Times: 3 Takeaways From Kamala Harris’s Interview on MSNBC

The New York Times: Harris Has a Lot of Strengths. Giving Interviews Isn’t One of Them.

The New York Times: Behind Harris’s Rise: Laurene Powell Jobs, Silicon Valley’s Wealthiest Woman

The New York Times: The Long, Strange Saga of Kamala Harris and Kimberly Guilfoyle

AP News: Iranian operatives charged in the US with hacking Donald Trump's presidential campaign

Semafor: Trump hack continued into last week

Politico: Trump calls DOJ ‘dirty players’ over Adams indictment

New York Magazine: The Return of Ta-Nehisi Coates

Jewish Insider: Paul Coates, father of journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates, republishing antisemitic screed 'The Jewish Onslaught'

The Dispatch: The Junket Intellectual

The Atlantic: Legalizing Sports Gambling Was a Huge Mistake

The New York Times: How Does a Baseball Team Lose 120 Games? Every Way You Can Think Of.

Obsessions:

AP News: Their churches no longer feel safe. Now Nicaraguans are taking their worship

Favorite Items

The New York Times: Israel’s New Campaign Against Hezbollah Started With Raid in Syria

Meatfluencers Draw the Line at Pets Sep 21, 2024

Show notes

From Israel’s pager attacks on Hezbollah terrorists to the cost of your favorite steak, we’ve got it all in today’s episode. Oh, and did we mention the second assassination attempt on Donald Trump? Buckle up—it’s a wild one. Wretch on!

Time Stamps:

02:17 Front Page

55:07 Obsessions

1:00:06 Reader Mail

1:04:47 Favorite Items

Show Notes:

New York Times: How Israel Built a Modern-Day Trojan Horse: Exploding Pagers

Politico: Republicans outraged over possible assassination attempt: ‘They are going to keep trying to kill Trump’

NBC News: Man in custody after Trump golf club incident was once convicted of possessing a machine gun

Commentary: UPDATED: The Assassination Wish Fulfillment

Wall Street Journal: How the Trump Campaign Ran With Rumors About Pet-Eating Migrants—After Being Told They Weren’t True

Wall Street Journal: How the Trump Campaign Ran With Rumors About Pet-Eating Migrants—After Being Told They Weren’t True

Scientific American: Vote for Kamala Harris to Support Science, Health and the Environment

The New York Times: Former N.Y.C. Covid Czar Partied While Preaching Social Distancing

New York Post: Star political reporter Olivia Nuzzi on leave from New York magazine over alleged 'sexting' relationship with RFK Jr.

New York Times: These American Voters Are Leaving the Country Because of U.S.

New York Times: Politics The Hidden Environmental Costs of Food

New York Times: Inside the Funeral Home for New York’s Elite

Bloomberg News: Has It Gotten Too Hard to Buy a Birkin or Kelly?

Washingtonian: Meet the Cast of “Love Is Blind DC”

@KthomasDC on X: White House: First Lady Jill Biden will host an event Friday at the White House to mark the 25th anniversary of the television series "The West Wing."

Washington Post: A 12-year-old girl was hit by a car. It had $19,770 in unpaid tickets

Wall Street Journal: The Kids Who Didn’t Know Their Parents Were Russian Spies

The A-B-C’s of Losing a Debate Sep 13, 2024

Show notes

Watch this episode on YouTube. From missed opportunities to lack of preparation, we break down this week’s debate in today’s episode. We also delve into a new profile of Senator Mike Lee, Prince's lost documentary, and explore the stoicism of George W. Bush. Wretch on!

Time Stamps:

01:38 Front Page

46:00 Obsessions

53:33 Reader Mail

1:01:00 Favorite Items

Show Notes:

New York Times: 67.1 Million People Watched Harris and Trump, Outdrawing Last Debate

The Daily Beast: Trump Demands ABC Be Shut Down for Daring to Fact Check Debate

The Wall Street Journal: Trump Debate Performance Frustrates Republicans

The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus man regrets taking goose photo he says is being weaponized against immigrants

Semafor: Q&A: David Rubenstein on the presidents, and George W. Bush’s theory of populism

The Atlantic: Why Mike Lee Folded

The Free Press: Matti Friedman: When We Started to Lie

The New York Times: Hamas Documents Reveal Tunnel Battle Strategy

The New York Times: N.Y.P.D. Ousts 2 Reporters From Headquarters in Escalation of Tensions

The Atlantic: How Snacks Took Over American Life

The New Yorker: The Longest Yard Sale

The New York Times: The Prince We Never Knew

Fox News: Polling guru Nate Silver predicts Trump has 64% chance of winning the Electoral College in latest forecast

AP News: New Hampshire governor helps save man choking on lobster roll at eating contest

The Wall Street Journal: The 35-Year-Old CEO Plotting Red Lobster’s Comeback

Mandatory Joy Sep 06, 2024

Show notes

If you work at NPR, be ready to spread joy as far as possible. And if you work at another news outlet, don’t be too objective, or Morning Joe will come after you. This week, we’re covering the best, worst, and weirdest happenings in the news media with our friend Christine Rosen, who has a new book coming out called The Extinction of Experience: Being Human in a Disembodied World. You can find it on Amazon. And as always, Wretch on!

Time Stamps:

7:00 Front Page

1:08:17 Obsessions

1:18:26 Favorite Items

If you have a story you want us to talk about, e-mail us at wretches@nebulouspodcasts.com. Sign Up for the Newsletter: https://wretches.substack.com

Follow us on Instagram @InkStainedWretches

Show Notes:

Christine Rosen:The Extinction of Experience: Being Human in a Disembodied World

NBC News: Trump and Harris campaigns agree to rules for ABC debate

New York Times: Trump Campaign Uses Statements From Gold Star Families to Attack Harris

Politico: ‘Next Question’: Harris evades questions about her identity

The Nation: The Dark Side of the Democratic Party’s Embrace of Football

The New York Times: The Political Rage of Left-Behind Regions

National Review: People Who Care About Winning Don't Shoot the Messenger

Mediaite: Morning Joe Crew Accuses Media of Pro-Trump Bias: 'So Concerned With Being Objective' They Give Trump an 'Advantage'

Bloomberg: National Public Radio Confronts Election Season With a ‘Joy Czar’

The New York Times: U.S. Announces Plan to Counter Russian Influence Ahead of 2024 Election

CNN: Reliable Sources

Commentary Magazine: Helter Stelter

The New York Times: I Swore Off Air-Conditioning, and You Can, Too

The Washington Post: The Marshmallow Test and other predictors of success have bias built in, researchers say

The Washington Post: These are the asteroids that scare scientists. Are we prepared for them?

Obsessions:

The Free Press: Pseudo-Scholars and the Rise of the Barbarian Right

The Dispatch: A Nonbinary Choice

Kicker: Favorite Items of the Week:

The New York Times: The Best Books About Politics

The Wall Street Journal: The Soap Bubble of Kamala Harris’s Campaign

Fact Check: Hypocrisy is Good Aug 28, 2024

Show notes

Is fact-checking the key to a healthy democracy? Probably not. This week, we’re coming to you early with David Drucker of The Dispatch filling in for Eliana. We cover the latest controversies from the Presidential debate, RFK Jr.’s endorsement, and Vice President Harris’s cold shoulder to the press. Wretch on!

If you have a story you want us to talk about, e-mail us at wretches@nebulouspodcasts.com. Sign Up for the Newsletter: https://wretches.substack.com

Time Stamps:

03:19 Front Page

1:06:00 Obsessions

1:13:43 Reader Mail

1:17:46 Favorite Items

Show Notes:

Politico: Playbook: Scoop: The secret debate about the Trump-Harris debate

Yahoo: Trump threatens to pull out of Harris debate, hot mics an issue

Poynter: The wild and wacky media reaction to RFK Jr.’s endorsement of Donald Trump

The New York Times: H.R. McMaster Doesn’t Think Donald Trump Is Very Good at Making Deals

Mediaite: Morning Joe 'Stunned' By HR McMaster's 'Tightrope' Framing Of Trump – Despite 'Frightening' Scenes In New Book

The New York Times: The Morning: 21 Questions for Harris

AP News: Walz's exit from Minnesota National Guard left openings for critics to pounce on his military record

Axios: Harris flip-flops on building the border wall

Press Watch: 'Fact-checking' does a (hopefully fatal) face plant

Washington Post: Opinion | Kamala Harris’s price gouging proposal is a terrible idea

The Verge: Gannett is shuttering site accused of publishing AI product reviews

The Wall Street Journal: Gen Z-ers Are Computer Whizzes. Just Don’t Ask Them to Type.

NBC News: The Democratic convention's surprise guest: Covid

Obsessions:

Semafor: New model army

The Dispatch: The Imaginary Undecided Voter News Junkies

Favorite Items:

The Dispatch: Josh Shapiro Plots a Course for His Political Future

LA Times: 'It's like you're starting from scratch': Hollywood's below-the-line artists pivot to other gigs

The Lee Greenwood Democrats Aug 23, 2024

Show notes

Do you feel it? A sudden sense of patriotism? If the answer is yes, you may be a Democrat attending the DNC this week in Chicago. If the answer is no, Chris and Eliana are here to break down the first three nights, RFK’s potential next move, and sneaker stilettos. Wretch on!

If you have a story you want us to talk about, e-mail us at wretches@nebulouspodcasts.com. Sign Up for the Newsletter: https://wretches.substack.com

Follow us on Instagram @InkStainedWretches

Time Stamps:

01:26 Front Page

1:01:25 Obsessions

1:09:25 Reader Mail

1:11:50 Favorite Items

Show Notes:

Politico: The Obamas brought the crowd to new heights

Politico: Hillary Clinton gets her Trump revenge moment

Mediaite: ‘F**k You!’: Morning Joe’s Mike Barnicle Shouts Down Ex-Obama Aide Criticizing Biden, Per Axios Report

The Washington Post: At convention, Democrats claim patriotism, American flag as their own

NPR: Parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin call for Oct. 7 hostages to return home in remarks at the DNC

Axios: Netanyahu’s office denies call with Trump about the Gaza hostage-ceasefire deal.

Politico: PBS’ Judy Woodruff apologizes for remark about Trump and peace talks in Israel

The Hill: Trump jabs 'highly overrated Jewish Governor' Josh Shapiro

The Hill: Trump hits back at Obamas: 'Do I still have to stick to policy?'

ABC News: RFK Jr. expected to drop out of race by end of week, plans to endorse Trump: Sources

Star Telegram: Did Democrats register immigrants to vote in Weatherford TX?

The New York Times: U.S. Investigating Americans Who Worked With Russian State Television

Politico: Google agrees to America’s first newsroom funding deal. It’s already unpopular.

NPR: ‘Washington Post’ reviews Taylor Lorenz's 'war criminal' jab at Biden : NPR

Deadline: Chick-Fil-A Hatches Plans For Streaming Service As Reality TV Comes Home To Roost

CBS News: Spanx founder unveils new line of stiletto-heeled sneakers called Sneex

AP News: Tim Walz has described his family's IVF experience. But they used a different procedure

CNN: Gwen Walz reveals she underwent a different treatment, not IVF, in new details about fertility struggles

New York Times: Walz Family Fertility Journey Ran Not Through I.V.F. but Another Common Treatment

The Daily Beast: Inside Story of Missing Billionaire Whose Luck Ran Out on Superyacht

The Wall Street Journal: Lawyer in Yacht Tragedy Built Star Career With Unassuming Style

New York Post: 'Pommel Horse Guy' Stephen Nedoroscik joins 'DWTS' Season 33 after Paris Olympics

KTLA: Southern California woman sends herself Apple AirTag to catch mail thieves

Sparking Joy Aug 15, 2024

Show notes

If you haven’t heard, Kamala has officially brought joy back to politics—though we never asked for it in the first place. Meanwhile, unlike with Russiagate, the media has missed Iran’s actual meddling in this year’s election. We discuss all this and more with Matthew Continetti of the Commentary Magazine Podcast, who steps in for Chris this week. Wretch on!

Time Stamps:

01:15 Front Page

44:12 Obsessions

Show Notes:

The Washington Beacon: Speaking Truth to Vibes: Inside the Mainstream Media Echo Chamber on 'Joyful Warrior' Kamala Harris

The New York Times: Harris Used to Worry About Laughing. Now Joy Is Fueling Her Campaign.

The Washington Post: Harris and Walz seize on joyful message in contrast to darker Trump themes

AP News: Harris is pushing joy. Trump paints a darker picture. Will mismatched moods matter?

NPR: Harris and Walz reintroduce joy to Democrats their first week on the campaign trail

TIME: The Reintroduction of Kamala Harris

The New York Times: Gwen Walz, the Coolheaded, Ultracompetent Political Spouse

AP News: News outlets were leaked insider material from the Trump campaign. They chose not to print it

The New York Times: Pete Wells Reviewed Restaurants for 12 Years. How Have They Changed?

The Wall Street Journal: Yes, Guys, You Can Look Polished in Sweatpants. Here’s How.

The New York Times: How an Instagram-Perfect Life in the Hamptons Ended in Tragedy

The New Yorker: The Biggest Ponzi Scheme in Hollywood History

Kamala's Vow of Silence Aug 09, 2024

Show notes

Watch this episode on YouTube!

Will Kamala Harris wait until after the convention for an interview with the press? Is Tim Walz “folksy”? We answer all of this and more on today’s episode. Join us to hear about Politico’s Hamas update, embargo trouble and more. Wretch on!

Time Stamps:

1:48 Front Page

47:05 Obsessions

59:26 Reader Mail

1:02:23 Favorite Items

If you have a story you want us to talk about, e-mail us at wretches@nebulouspodcasts.com. Sign Up for the Newsletter: https://nebulouspodcasts.com/shows/ink-stained-wretches

Politico: Why Harris isn’t taking questions

NY Post: JD Vance approaches Air Force Two after Kamala Harris, Walz land in Wisconsin — says it will be 'my plane' soon

Finding Gravity: BREAKING: The New York Times helps JD Vance Swiftboat Tim Walz

Wall Street Journal: Tim Walz Brings Folksy Demeanor, Liberal Record to Harris VP Shortlist

The New Yorker: Nancy Pelosi’s Art of Power

WaPo: Pelosi on Biden: ‘We did not have a campaign that was on the path to victory’

USA Today: 'If you want Donald Trump to win, then say that': Harris fires back at Gaza protesters at rally

Semafor: Journal still can't confirm January story about UN agency for Palestinians

WSJ: Nine U.N. Workers Fired After Investigation Found Possible Involvement in Oct. 7 Attack on Israel

NYT: Bloomberg Disciplines Journalists Over Russia Prisoner Swap Article

NYT: CNN's Media Chronicler Strikes Out on His Own

Vox: Discrimination against trans Olympians has roots in Nazi Germany

Revisionist History: Hitler’s Olympics Part 1: The Blue-Eyed Tornado

WSJ: Luxury Brands Are Betting on Ties (Again). Here’s Why Neckwear Means Money.

NYT: Trump Campaign Criticizes Walz for State Law Providing Tampons in Schools

NYT: Doug Emhoff, Husband of Kamala Harris, Acknowledges Long-Ago Affair

Axios: Exclusive: AI startup raises $25M, inks deals with major media companies

Kicker: Favorite Items of the Week:

NYTimes: Golf Cart Politics: Florida Retirees Flaunt Loyalties to Trump and Harris

Jewish Chronicle: The full inside story of how Israel assassinated Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran – minute by minute

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