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The Weekend Desk Report
This is everything right here, isn't it?
RINKEBY, Sweden - Johnny Castillo, a Peruvian-born neighborhood watchman in this district of Stockholm, still puzzles over the strange events that two years ago turned the central square of this predominantly immigrant community into a symbol of multiculturalism run amok.First came a now-infamous comment by President Trump, suggesting that Sweden's history of welcoming refugees was at the root of a violent attack in Rinkeby the previous evening, even though nothing had actually happened.
"You look at what's happening last night in Sweden. Sweden! Who would believe this? Sweden!" Mr. Trump told supporters at a rally on Feb. 18, 2017. "They took in large numbers. They're having problems like they never thought possible."
The president's source: Fox News, which had excerpted a short film promoting a dystopian view of Sweden as a victim of its asylum policies, with immigrant neighborhoods crime-ridden "no-go zones."
But two days later, as Swedish officials were heaping bemused derision on Mr. Trump, something did in fact happen in Rinkeby: Several dozen masked men attacked police officers making a drug arrest, throwing rocks and setting cars ablaze.
And it was right around that time, according to Mr. Castillo and four other witnesses, that Russian television crews showed up, offering to pay immigrant youths "to make trouble" in front of the cameras.
"They wanted to show that President Trump is right about Sweden," Mr. Castillo said, "that people coming to Europe are terrorists and want to disturb society."
Looks like Trump and Fox News misread the dates on the memo and got ahead of Putin, so Putin had to send over some henchmen to retrofit the racist fake news.
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Who's Zoomin' Who?
As a follow-up to Friday's column about journalese - the obscuring, misframing and cliched language of the media - here is George Carlin appearing before the National Press Club, ostensibly roasting the way politicians talk. But guess what? Replace "politicians" with "media" and you get a highly accurate depiction of journalese, which in part is due to journalists' adoption of the language used by those they cover. And yet, they laugh as if the joke isn't also on them.
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Reminder: The Tribune has no intention of correcting its March editorial when it built an entire editorial around a George Carlin bit - and got the bit exactly, oppositionally wrong. But then, they've never been big on accountability for themselves, just everyone else.
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Blinded By The Slight
Not hard to see at all. First, Trump loves the power to pardon; simple as that. Second, Jared told him, laughably, that this will help him get Democratic crossover votes in the 2020 election; they're both dumb enough to believe it. Third, it's revenge against the Obama DOJ, the Mueller FBI, and James Comey via his close friend Patrick Fitzgerald, who was the U.S. Attorney here who prosecuted Blagojevich. Fourth, Patti Blagojevich is now at least an ostensibly Trump-supporting voice on right-wing media, including Fox News. This would be both a reward and an appeal to keep it up. The real question is: What is the downside to Trump? One, it's swampy, though that's never stopped him before. Two, Republicans don't like it, though that's never stopped him before. Any others?
Hard to see what's in it for #Trump for him to let #Blagojevich out of prison early & as we know there's almost always got to be some benefit for him before he acts. https://t.co/Fue5Csdg9p
— Bill Cameron (@billjcameron) August 10, 2019
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Patti Blago
Let's not forget what a miserable creature Patti Blagojevich is - as if her pleading to Trump through bullshit right-wing narratives could ever let us do that. Here is just one tiny reminder, I didn't have time to more thoroughly catalog her inner corruptness:
Fundraiser Gave Blagojevich's Wife Thousands https://t.co/cIox04GUW9 via @CBSNews
— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) August 11, 2019
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Oh, okay, one more:
Blagojevich's wife had her own scheme, affidavit says https://t.co/9W6oewAKNv
— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) August 11, 2019
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Plus, this classic:
Rod Spent $400,000 on Clothes https://t.co/6g8B8oNsTw via @ward_room
— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) August 11, 2019
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Finally:
Don't let the Jackson family, perhaps guilt-ridden for their part in Obama senate seat scheme, fool you - Blagojevich was a disastrous governor even without the corruption, which is impossible to separate out from his performance anyway.
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Fact Check, Please
Tribune Publishing Co. CEO Tim Knight on his Q2 earnings call last week: "We continue to hire top talent in all of our newsrooms, with focus on enhancing the diversity of our staff to better represent the communities we have the privilege to serve."
— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) August 11, 2019
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Hero Herc
Such a momentous day in history.
OTD in Music History via Songfacts: pic.twitter.com/LaGKP4LV7Y
— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) August 11, 2019
Kool Herc also contributed to developing the rhyming style of hip hop by punctuating the recorded music with slang phrases, announcing: "B-boys, b-girls, are you ready? Keep on rock steady" "This is the joint! Herc beat on the point" https://t.co/5i52isfFja
— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) August 11, 2019
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The Beachwood Radio Sports Hour
My co-host Jim "Coach" Coffman is out of town this weekend, so I'm planning to record a solo episode late Sunday afternoon after the Cubs-Reds series concludes.
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Weekend ChicagoReddit
Have always wondered what these slots in the alleys are for. Does anyone know? from r/chicago
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Weekend ChicagoGram
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Weekend ChicagoTube
Gloria Gaynor Performing "Killing Me Softly" At City Winery on Friday night.
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Weekend TweetWood
A sampling of the delights and disgust you will find @BeachwoodReport.
The 25 wealthiest families on the planet control $1.4 trillion https://t.co/QT1Eycj4Qq via @business
— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) August 11, 2019
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After the hospitalized patients refused to meet with Trump, UMC officials scrambled to find discharged patients to come back to the hospital. Most also said no; 2 came back, including the 2-month-old baby he and @FLOTUS took the picture with.
— Bob Moore (@BobMooreNews) August 10, 2019
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The President Of The United States.
Toldja https://t.co/vkXudOHgCm
— Allahpundit (@allahpundit) August 10, 2019
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The Combine did it. https://t.co/MiUmISF9Tz
— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) August 10, 2019
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It's the Onion, but probably not far off: "Rod Blagojevich Trying To Sell Presidential Commutation To Cellmate For $2.8 Million" https://t.co/LjCLyKDLiH
— Rich Miller (@capitolfax) August 9, 2019
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Okay you white people that keep saying immigrants are taking your jobs, there is now 600 new jobs in Mississippi. Now get your ass to that chicken plant and apply for a job.
— ๐ Beyond Blonde ๐ (@BeyondBlonde3) August 8, 2019
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Thought for tonight: if I'm going to die in a mass shooting, please don't let it be at this Hootie and The Blowfish concert ๐
— Angela Benander (@ABenander) August 9, 2019
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Karl Marx having a seizure as I try and explain the gig economy to him
— Woke Teenage Son (@Woketeenageson) August 10, 2019
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The Weekend Desk McRibTipLine: Seize the day.
Posted on August 11, 2019
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