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On Friday morning, NBC’s Today acknowledged reality that Thursday night’s CNN presidential debate showcased a “tough night” for President Biden, who was nursing not only a “hoarse and raspy” voice, but showed he’s in serious cognitive decline with “concerns growing” about his fitness for office.  That said, however, the Comcast network shamelessly minimized Biden’s porous night by bemoaning it “overshadow[ed]” a “torrent of lies” and “grievances from former President Trump”.     Co-host Savannah Guthrie started a tease with Biden’s impairment: “Fallout. Concerns growing this morning among Democrats after President Biden’s debate performance against Donald Trump...From the spin room, Biden allies calling it a slow start, but behind the scenes, rising worry, even talks of a change to the ticket”. She threw a bone to her fellow lefties as well: “Donald Trump under fire of unleashing a torrent false and misleading claims. We will break it all down just ahead.” Guthrie and co-host Hoda Kotb gave both equal footing moments later with the former saying “[t]his was not the commanding performance that Team Biden wanted and needed to put to rest concerns about the President’s age and ability” as Biden’s “voice often sound[ed] hoarse and raspy” and the latter fretting “Trump came under fire for repeatedly making false claims.” Senior Washington correspondent Hallie Jackson played Biden spokeswoman by kvetching that “Biden’s struggles in some ways overshadowing the multiple lies an grievances from former President Trump as both candidates now look ahead to rallies today”. “On stage in the presidential debate, missteps from the current president and misleading attacks from the previous one. From President Biden who is battling voter concerns about his age, a shaky start with a raspy voice, seemed to lose his train of thought when asked about the national debt,” she then added. After conceding “First Lady Jill Biden escorting him off stage” once the debate ended, she deployed a classic conservative drinking game word: “Former President Trump pouncing on his rivals slip ups.” She then reiterated the focus of the debate was also “a series of dodges and lies about the 2020 election” from Trump. Jackson’s segment then played out like a typical debate recap with a slew of clips before conceding “multiple Democratic lawmakers [told] NBC News they’re concerned about the President’s performance with some wondering anonymously whether he should remain on the ticket.” Her conclusion was nothing but pure Biden spin a la Kevin Bacon from Animal House: Biden himself stopping at a Waffle House overnight for some food, responding to some of those concerns, telling reporters it’s hard to debate a liar. And his campaign is now pointing to some internal data suggesting that they believe independent voters responded well to President Biden and were turned off to Mr. Trump pointing to what they describe as the biggest grassroots funding day of the campaign so far[.] Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker followed with analysis mostly focused on what she’s heard from liberal sources, emphasizing “you cannot overstate the level of concern” about what “was really a tough night for President Biden” and few options to replace him as, other than the First Lady or former President Obama, no one could have the influence to tell Biden to call it quits. Guthrie and Welker made sure to do some Trump bashing, fretting he “unleash[ed] a torrent of lies, false statements and misleading claims” for “almost every single answer” (click “expand”): GUTHRIE: Because, if it were looking sheerly at performance, [Trump] had a go ahead night. WELKER: Mmhmm. GUTHRIE: But, on sustenance he did, again, unleash a torrent of lies, false statements and misleading claims. WELKER: Torrent the right word for it, right? In almost every single answer. In one case he was talking about abortion. He said some states allow abortion after birth. That’s just not the case. That’s not true. It went un-fact-checked. In part, you could argue because the mics were muted. So, he was allowed to kind of have those torrent of lies. On January 6, he continued to lean into this idea that those who have been convicted have, in some ways, been wronged despite the fact that more than 100 of them have pleaded guilty to their crimes. And he yet again, Savannah refused to unconditionally refuse to commit to accepting the election results. Democrats say that’s going to drive away independent voters. Focus groups showed that voters were turned off by those types of statements. But we will have to see how this all plays out in the coming days and weeks. In the show’s second hour, Guthrie and Jackson rehashed their original talking points, including Jackson’s complaint that “President Biden's struggles in some ways overshadowed the multiple lies and grievances from former President Trump on debate night.” To see the relevant transcript from June 28, click here.

The cacophonous, full-on sensory assault of life in New York City is hard to get used to, even for people who've lived there for years. So pity the poor tourist, as annoying as he is with his inability to observe proper Manhattan sidewalk protocol. Lucky is the traveler who finds lifelong New Yorker Timothy “Speed” Levitch as his guide. Levitch, the subject of the 1998 documentary “The Cruise,” doesn't try to explain the chaos of his hometown as much as he embodies it, treating his captive audience to a poetic, funny, surreal, and sometimes even informative (the height of the Empire State Building varies with his mood) stream-of-consciousness monologue. His description of Central Park is a subtle plea for a less utilitarian way of life and is especially poignant some 25 years later: The men who build and design this park are Transcendentalists; to them Central Park is a place to become one with nature. …No sweating allowed in the original Central Park. … Anyone you see bicycling, rollerblading, jogging, they are not historically accurate. Anyone you see lounging in the sun, having a picnic, or kissing, they are historically accurate. Randall Michelson Archive/Getty Images Although the “star” of the 1999 documentary "American Movie" was hapless yet driven filmmaker Mark Borchardt, something about his partner in crime (and childhood friend) Mike Schank, who died two years ago at 56, struck a chord with many viewers. A soft-spoken, amiable former drug addict, Schank did not seem to share his friend's all-consuming artistic ambition; instead he seemed happy to enjoy sobriety and play guitar. And yet "American Movie" finds him ready, time after time, to do whatever it takes to help Borchardt finish his long-in-the-making horror movie, "Coven." It's a fraught production, low on funding and reliant on volunteers who often don't come through. Even the tenancious, good-natured Borchardt finds himself at wits' end occasionally; fortunately, his childhood friend is always there to offer support. “I didn’t even wanna wake up tomorrow morning. ... I’m thankful that Mike came over and put a smile on my face,” confesses Borchardt after Schank drops by for Thanksgiving dinner. Viewers of "American Movie" usually have the same response. To watch the normally spotlight-eschewing Schank unleash an impressively long, loud, and blood-curdling scream on cue during an ADR session is to witness the loyal support behind many a dreamer who manages to beat the odds.

The phrase "all politics is local" has been a staple in American political discourse for nearly a century. Although people still use this saying today, the reality has shifted. National politics now often drive local politics, and this dynamic is accelerating. House Speaker Thomas “Tip” O’Neill (D-Mass.) popularized the phrase in the 1980s, though it originated in the 1930s when more Americans began living in urban rather than rural settings. At that time, major media outlets, let alone the internet and smartphones, did not exist. In the era of mass media, political parties that effectively frame the national debate often win elections. Today, more than 80% of Americans live in urban settings where mass media is everywhere. In the last 70 years, we have transitioned from radio to television (first network, then cable, then streaming), and then to the internet and smartphones. Rather than remaining isolated, events in New York, Washington, D.C., or even Maine now reach the living rooms and smartphones of Americans everywhere, instantly. This dramatic change in technology has profoundly transformed our lives and radically altered the landscape of politics as we once knew it. The most significant shift occurred with the advent of national television in the 1970s. Before this period, government spending in American history increased gradually, except during the 1930s due to World War II and the Great Depression. However, as network television transitioned from a luxury to a household staple in the 1970s, government spending surged, as illustrated in the chart below. Each new advancement in the transmission of “news,” from the internet to our smartphones, has further accelerated the rate of government spending. For example, during the George W. Bush presidency, Hurricane Katrina struck, and many in the mass media criticized President Bush for his perceived inaction and lack of empathy. In response to these media stories, and amid significant political unrest, billions of dollars were quickly appropriated. Years later, when a hurricane hit Texas during the Trump presidency, the appropriation of billions occurred without a peep. By then, politics were driven nationally, not locally. Today, the issues driving American politics — such as the border, crime, homelessness, “wokeness,” climate issues, foreign policy, inflation, and the trials of political figures — are firmly embedded in our national discourse. National political parties and their politicians are compelled to take positions on these issues, even if they would prefer to focus on local concerns. Another indication of the national nature of politics today can be seen in polling. In 2022, U.S. News and World Report published an essay titled “The United States of Anxiety.” The following year, CBS News reported on rising climate anxiety among youth, citing a poll in which 89% of young Americans ages 16 to 25 expressed varying levels of concern about climate change. Only 9% were not worried, leaving virtually no respondents undecided or unsure. The widespread nature of these opinions shows that these issues are not merely local topics. Instead, they are driven nationally by the media, government, and public schools. Consider the transgender issue, which now permeates American politics and media but was barely present in the national debate seven years ago. States and schools across the country are now addressing this issue. How did it spread so rapidly and become a national issue? In a word, technology. Specifically, the national debate is shaping local responses. Finally, special elections for Congress and state legislatures increasingly draw vast national attention and funding. Local elections have effectively become national events. The societal implications of technology and the nationalization of politics are profound. Just as profound are the changes in society’s morals and traditions, greatly accelerated by technology and the nationalization of issues. Views that were stable for generations, such as those on marriage, now shift within years. For example, Barack Obama and Joe Biden campaigned against gay marriage in 2007. Today, gay marriage is not only legally accepted but is also becoming a cultural norm. As for the consequences, American historian Will Durant warned that tradition is to society what memory is to the individual. If a person’s memory is lost, he loses his sanity. Consistent with Durant’s warning, the speed with which American society is changing is producing anxiety and worse. In the era of mass media, political parties that effectively frame the national debate often win elections. As the nationalization of issues and the size of government continue to grow, it seems that increasingly, politics may become predominantly national rather than local.