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A - MEDIA
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==gary abernathy======
Gary Abernathy
Gary Abernathy (born 1956) is an American political commentator who writes a nationally syndicated column for The Washington Post and makes frequent appearances on the PBS NewsHour. Abernathy is a prominent conservative columnist and editor whose writing often explores the intersection of Christianity, politics, and culture in America. He frequently contributes to The Washington Post and other outlets. Abernathy has written extensively on why evangelical Christians remained loyal to Donald Trump. He argues that many evangelicals view themselves as fellow sinners who value the "grace of Jesus Christ" and do not expect moral perfection from a political leader, viewing his flaws as secondary to his policy goals. He maintains a personal blog and devotional site called The Oak Tree Devotional, where he writes more personally about his faith. His posts focus on "the basics" of Christianity, such as gratitude, guarding one's heart, and the importance of keeping Christ at the center of marriage and family life. He has reflected on the history of American Christianity, noting that while many believers see "God's hand on America," this belief was traditionally apolitical and a source of comfort rather than a political weapon. His writings often touch on the dangers of self-righteousness. He has explored questions like whether it is better to be an atheist or a "bad Christian," emphasizing the biblical instruction not to judge others. He is occasionally confused with Ralph David Abernathy, a famous civil rights leader and co-founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), but the two are not the same person
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It has long been acknowledged that the United States’ energy infrastructure isn’t particularly secure, a concern exacerbated by the lack of a central planning process for our nation’s piecemeal electric grid. Presidential administrations and Congress have been slow to address the problem, apparently daunted by the mere size and scope of the challenges the needed upgrades would present. That needs to change now. The recent news that China apparently installed hidden “kill switches” in solar equipment sold to the U.S. was the latest in a long list of reasons to be concerned about our electricity infrastructure and the foolhardy rush to replace traditional energy sources with so-called “renewables” using technology that is often sourced from China. As Reuters reported, “Rogue communication devices not listed in product documents have been found in some Chinese solar power inverters by U.S experts who strip down equipment hooked up to grids to check for security issues … Using the rogue communication devices to skirt firewalls and switch off inverters remotely, or change their settings, could destabilize power grids, damage energy infrastructure, and trigger widespread blackouts, experts said.” As one source summarized it, “That effectively means there is a built-in way to physically destroy the grid.” Or, to put it in even simpler terms, the U.S. is purchasing Chinese equipment complete with a “kill switch” that would allow China to disable the U.S. power grid at any moment. Even more concerning, the problem is not relegated to the United States. Britain’s GB News reported, “Chinese companies dominate the market for power inverters, with firms like Huawei and Sungrow controlling more than half the market in 2023, according to Wood Mackenzie research. The European Solar Manufacturing Council estimates that more than 200 gigawatts of European solar power capacity relies on Chinese-made inverters.” (One gigawatt is equal to one billion watts.) --Gary Abernathy We Need a ‘Kill Switch’ on Foreign Powers Tampering With Our Electric Grid 6.4.25 |
August 25, 2023: PBS reported: Washington Post columnist Gary Abernathy and freelance journalist Sarah Smarsh join Geoff Bennett to discuss the week in politics, including the first GOP debate of the election season and the response to Trump's arrest in Georgia.
December 13, 2023: Abernathy in The Hill Op/ed: Early signs offer reason for guarded optimism. Trump’s comparative lack of post-election media visibility and relatively restrained social media posts lend credence to the suggestion that Trump may be taking a different approach. His first major post-election interview with Kristen Welker on “Meet the Press” over the weekend was encouraging. Trump promised that he is “not looking to go back into the past” to seek retribution, indicated support for allowing “Dreamer” immigrants to remain in the U.S., and even said, “I love you,” in response to what message he would send to non-Trump voters. ED NOTE: Trump lied. He has always been all about the retribution. Started on his first day in office. |
MAGA chronicler: 'Trump supporters aren't going away'
You could call him "The MAGA Whisperer." "They should start fathoming," he wrote, observing that Trump’s outsider, anti-establishment approach and "open contempt for all things politically correct" were energizing people who had been disaffected by traditional politics. For the past eight years, Gary Abernathy traced the rise of the Donald Trump base of supporters that became known as the MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement. As editor-publisher of the Hillsboro Times-Gazette in the heart of Ohio’s Trump Country in the southern part of the state, Abernathy, who earlier had spent years in Republican Party politics, wrote in January 2016 that many of his friends in professional GOP politics could not fathom a presidential ticket headed by Trump. (Cincinatti.com 3/21/24) READ MORE>>>>>
You could call him "The MAGA Whisperer." "They should start fathoming," he wrote, observing that Trump’s outsider, anti-establishment approach and "open contempt for all things politically correct" were energizing people who had been disaffected by traditional politics. For the past eight years, Gary Abernathy traced the rise of the Donald Trump base of supporters that became known as the MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement. As editor-publisher of the Hillsboro Times-Gazette in the heart of Ohio’s Trump Country in the southern part of the state, Abernathy, who earlier had spent years in Republican Party politics, wrote in January 2016 that many of his friends in professional GOP politics could not fathom a presidential ticket headed by Trump. (Cincinatti.com 3/21/24) READ MORE>>>>>
==christianne amanpour======
Christiane Amanpour
Christiane Amanpour was raised Roman Catholic and has stated that her faith is an important part of her life. Her personal background and professional work intersect with Christianity in several ways: Born to a British Catholic mother and an Iranian Shia Muslim father, she was raised in Tehran and attended a Catholic church there until the 1979 Islamic Revolution. She attended the Holy Cross Convent School and the New Hall School (a Catholic boarding school) in England. She has described her family as an embodiment of the three Abrahamic faiths, as she is married to a Jewish-American man. Amanpour has frequently explored the role of Christianity in global politics and history through major documentary projects: "Back to the Beginning" (ABC News): A two-part special where she retraces biblical stories from Genesis to Jesus, exploring the roots of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. "God's Warriors" (CNN): A documentary series examining religious fundamentalism. The segment "God's Christian Warriors" focused on the rise of the evangelical movement in American politics. On her PBS program, Amanpour & Company, she continues to interview experts on topics such as the rise of Christian nationalism and its impact on modern democracy. She began her journalism journey at CNN in the early 1980s, starting from the bottom and gradually rising through the ranks. Her breakthrough came during the Gulf War, where her fearless on-ground reporting earned international recognition. Over the years, she covered some of the most dangerous and defining conflicts, including the Bosnian War, the Iraq War, and crises across the Middle East and Africa.
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“There are some situations one simply cannot be neutral about, because when you are neutral you are an accomplice.” --Christiane Amanpour
Traditional journalism often promotes neutrality as a core value, but Amanpour has argued that neutrality should not come at the cost of truth. Amanpour has long advocated for “truthful journalism” rather than “neutral journalism.” This means reporting facts accurately while acknowledging when one side is clearly engaging in wrongdoing. Amanpour’s quote is a powerful reminder that neutrality is not always the right choice. It challenges individuals to rethink their role in moments of injustice and recognize that silence can carry as much weight as action. --Economic Times 3.26.26 CNN’s Christiane Amanpour: ‘We are not impartial…we should be truthful’ “The Amanpour Hour,” a weekly CNN show focused on news from around the world, debuted Nov. 5, 2023, creating a different take on the network’s international anchor’s existing brand name. The Saturday morning hour is hosted by CNN chief international anchor Christiane Amanpour, who has managed to create a brand around her last name — including using the name by itself as a handle on various social media platforms — so it makes sense to leverage that as part of the title, which also has unique alliteration thanks to how “H” is pronounced in the word “hour.” (Press-Gazette 5/17/24) READ MORE>>>>> |
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‘Amanpour Hour’ builds on host’s surname-centric brand
“The Amanpour Hour,” a weekly CNN show focused on news from around the world, debuted Nov. 5, 2023, creating a different take on the network’s international anchor’s existing brand name. The Saturday morning hour is hosted by CNN chief international anchor Christiane Amanpour, who has managed to create a brand around her last name — including using the name by itself as a handle on various social media platforms — so it makes sense to leverage that as part of the title, which also has unique alliteration thanks to how “H” is pronounced in the word “hour.”
(Michael P Hill/Newscast Studio 11/17/23) READ MORE>>>>>
“The Amanpour Hour,” a weekly CNN show focused on news from around the world, debuted Nov. 5, 2023, creating a different take on the network’s international anchor’s existing brand name. The Saturday morning hour is hosted by CNN chief international anchor Christiane Amanpour, who has managed to create a brand around her last name — including using the name by itself as a handle on various social media platforms — so it makes sense to leverage that as part of the title, which also has unique alliteration thanks to how “H” is pronounced in the word “hour.”
(Michael P Hill/Newscast Studio 11/17/23) READ MORE>>>>>
==tom ashbrook======
Thomas E Ashbrook
Thomas E. Ashbrook is an American journalist and radio broadcaster. He was formerly the host of the nationally syndicated, public radio call-in program On Point, from which he was dismissed after an investigation concluded he had created a hostile work environment. Prior to working with On Point, he was a foreign correspondent in Asia, and foreign editor of The Boston Globe. He currently hosts a podcast, Tom Ashbrook—Conversations .
Dan Kennedy
I listened to the podcast of “On Point” host Tom Ashbrook’s recent interview with the poet and author Jay Parini. The subject was Parini’s new book, “Jesus: The Human Face of God” (Icons).
I was fascinated. Here was someone who described himself as a believer — an Episcopalian, the denomination of my youth, no less — who spoke of Jesus and Christianity in terms of myth and metaphor rather than as some sort of rigid, literal reality. I wanted to see how he brought the seeming contradictions of belief and mythology together.
Unfortunately, the book itself does not quite live up to the promise of Parini’s conversation with Ashbrook, mainly because he tries to have it too many ways — starting with what it means to be a believer. “In its Greek and Latin roots,” he writes, “the word ‘believe’ simply means ‘giving one’s deepest self to’ something.” And he quotes St. Anselm: “For I do not seek to understand so that I may believe, but I believe so that I may understand.” To my way of thinking, that is putting the metaphorical cart before the metaphorical horse.
My principal unease with Parini, though, is that he writes about “remythologizing” Jesus without quite doing so. On the one hand, he suggests that the miracles Jesus performed and his resurrection are not meant to be taken literally. On the other, he does not rule out the possibility that they actually did happen. Parini doesn’t seem to think it matters all that much whether Jesus came back from the dead metaphorically or materially. Yet to me that’s the most important question.
I say that in full awareness of my own intellectual limitations. Like most people who were educated in a Western context, my thinking tends to be binary. My attitude toward religion is that it’s either literally true or it isn’t; and since it almost certainly isn’t, then it’s something I needn’t trouble myself with. Mind you, I have no patience for Christopher Hitchens-style atheism, and I’m intrigued enough by the whole notion of spirituality to attend a Unitarian Universalist church. But belief to me is a state of mind, based on provable facts, and not something I would give my “deepest self” to in the absence of such facts.
Still, there is much to recommend in Parini’s short biography. Parini is a warm and humane guide to the life of Jesus and the early roots of Christianity. He is especially valuable in explaining Jesus “the religious genius” who synthesized Jewish, Greek and Eastern ideas, especially in the Sermon on the Mount. Parini’s learned exploration of Jesus’ moral and spiritual teachings transcends the reality-versus-metaphor divide.
If you’re looking for answers, then “Jesus” is not for you. There are none, and Parini doesn’t pretend otherwise. But if you’re interested in a different way of thinking about Christianity, then Parini’s brief guide is a good place to start.
--Dan Kennedy; Media Nation; Myth, reality and Jay Parini’s life of Jesus 1.28.14
I was fascinated. Here was someone who described himself as a believer — an Episcopalian, the denomination of my youth, no less — who spoke of Jesus and Christianity in terms of myth and metaphor rather than as some sort of rigid, literal reality. I wanted to see how he brought the seeming contradictions of belief and mythology together.
Unfortunately, the book itself does not quite live up to the promise of Parini’s conversation with Ashbrook, mainly because he tries to have it too many ways — starting with what it means to be a believer. “In its Greek and Latin roots,” he writes, “the word ‘believe’ simply means ‘giving one’s deepest self to’ something.” And he quotes St. Anselm: “For I do not seek to understand so that I may believe, but I believe so that I may understand.” To my way of thinking, that is putting the metaphorical cart before the metaphorical horse.
My principal unease with Parini, though, is that he writes about “remythologizing” Jesus without quite doing so. On the one hand, he suggests that the miracles Jesus performed and his resurrection are not meant to be taken literally. On the other, he does not rule out the possibility that they actually did happen. Parini doesn’t seem to think it matters all that much whether Jesus came back from the dead metaphorically or materially. Yet to me that’s the most important question.
I say that in full awareness of my own intellectual limitations. Like most people who were educated in a Western context, my thinking tends to be binary. My attitude toward religion is that it’s either literally true or it isn’t; and since it almost certainly isn’t, then it’s something I needn’t trouble myself with. Mind you, I have no patience for Christopher Hitchens-style atheism, and I’m intrigued enough by the whole notion of spirituality to attend a Unitarian Universalist church. But belief to me is a state of mind, based on provable facts, and not something I would give my “deepest self” to in the absence of such facts.
Still, there is much to recommend in Parini’s short biography. Parini is a warm and humane guide to the life of Jesus and the early roots of Christianity. He is especially valuable in explaining Jesus “the religious genius” who synthesized Jewish, Greek and Eastern ideas, especially in the Sermon on the Mount. Parini’s learned exploration of Jesus’ moral and spiritual teachings transcends the reality-versus-metaphor divide.
If you’re looking for answers, then “Jesus” is not for you. There are none, and Parini doesn’t pretend otherwise. But if you’re interested in a different way of thinking about Christianity, then Parini’s brief guide is a good place to start.
--Dan Kennedy; Media Nation; Myth, reality and Jay Parini’s life of Jesus 1.28.14