Sondland Bombshell!

"At the express direction of the President of the United States... "
- Ambassador Sondland

— Samantha Power (@SamanthaJPower) November 20, 2019

"Was there a quid pro quo? With regard to the requested White House call and White House meeting, the answer was yes." Thoughts and prayer to Republican talking points

— Michelle Goldberg (@michelleinbklyn) November 20, 2019

"Was there a quid pro quo?"

"The answer is yes."

- Ambassador Gordon Sondland#DefendOurDemocracy

— Rep. Val Demings (@RepValDemings) November 20, 2019

LIVE: House Impeachment Inquiry Hearing https://t.co/mf014FkCDE

— CSPAN (@cspan) November 20, 2019

Schiff now methodically getting Sondland to confirm that Trump met the test for bribery: connecting " an official act" to something "of great value" to Trump.

— Jackson Diehl (@JacksonDiehl) November 20, 2019

Yes Indeed! Prime Time closing statement by Rep Adam Schiff

The question is: Are we prepared to accept that a president can leverage official acts to get an investigation of a political rival?

Our Founding Fathers drafted the remedy of impeachment so we would have a mechanism when corruption comes from the highest office in the land. pic.twitter.com/D2OxRRwVPN

— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) November 20, 2019

Powerful closing from @RepAdamSchiff https://t.co/YHtu1yadVe

— Gregg Chadwick (@greggchadwick) November 20, 2019

Because this is America! And here, right matters.

Because this is America! And here, right matters. - #LtColVindman https://t.co/cFsrpJFxPk

— Gregg Chadwick (@greggchadwick) November 19, 2019

quid pro quo, bribe, bribery, extortion, ambiguity

📈Top searches, in order: quid pro quo, bribe, bribery, extortion, ambiguity

— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) November 19, 2019

Key moment. @RepAdamSchiff explains how "bribery" applies here.

I detailed some of this. "Bribery" frame is relevant both to Trump's solicitation of a thing of value from Zelensky *and* to the idea that failure to consummate the scheme isn't a defense:https://t.co/TtnwKCEbCK pic.twitter.com/GBvrZS4zpm

— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) November 19, 2019

UCLA Alumni Association Spreads the Love

Twelve paintings by renowned artist @greggchadwick ’81 bring the @UCLANursing’s history to life, adorning the hallways of the Factor Building. Read the full story here: https://t.co/fPrXpsyaB7. pic.twitter.com/yk4q3CFM2x

— UCLA Alumni (@UCLA_Alumni) November 17, 2019

Thank you Amb. Yovanovitch for your service for the last 33 years, and for your bravery today.

Yovanovitch ends her testimony to applause from the public pic.twitter.com/wBO1xF1Rx7

— Miriam Elder (@MiriamElder) November 15, 2019

Witness Intimidation is a Crime

Here is @RepAdamSchiff reading Trump's real time tweets about Marie Yovanovitch.

Marie Yovanovitch: It's very intimidating.

Schiff: Some us here take witness intimidation very very seriously. #ImpeachmentHearing pic.twitter.com/A4FQH1Vbpe

— Amee Vanderpool (@girlsreallyrule) November 15, 2019

Shame on you @realDonaldTrump! This tweet is witness intimidation and wildly inappropriate. #ImpeachmentHearings #Yovanovitch pic.twitter.com/YdlUyprDhq

— Gregg Chadwick (@greggchadwick) November 15, 2019

Dude! You realize she’s testifying LIVE?! Amb. Yovanovitch will respond to this tweet...yup, there it is. You just made her case of intimidation. Is no one in the room with you? https://t.co/RdKg7VqqVg

— Michael Steele (@MichaelSteele) November 15, 2019

Shame on you @realDonaldTrump! This tweet is witness intimidation and wildly inappropriate. #ImpeachmentHearings #Yovanovitch pic.twitter.com/uMsKsSpP1V

— Gregg Chadwick (@greggchadwick) November 15, 2019

In criminal proceedings, intimidating a witness to prevent or influence testimony is a felony.

In impeachment proceedings, obstruction of justice was an article of impeachment against Nixon.

Both facts are relevant to the President smearing Marie Yovanovitch as she testifies. https://t.co/WTe3QpXRlm

— Rep. Don Beyer (@RepDonBeyer) November 15, 2019

It takes a profound lack of understanding of conflict areas to think an American diplomat is bad at her job because she is assigned to them. Being posted in Somalia and Ukraine is a sign that Yovanovitch is considered the best of the best. POTUS continues to bank on dumb.

— Jonathan Allen (@jonallendc) November 15, 2019

More Mood - Choir! Choir! Choir!'s tribute to Ric Ocasek - The Cars "Drive"

Choir! Choir! Choir! Epic! Nights: David Byrne + NYC sing HEROES

Nndi Rocks!

Artist Dread Scott 'Freedom or death!': bringing America's largest slave revolt back to life

Performance artist Dread Scott recreates the largely untold story of the 1811 slave rebellion in southern Louisiana. Winding through old plantation country, petrochemical plants and the city of New Orleans, the Guardian followed re-enactors along the route

Kick ass new video about ⁦@SlaveRebellion⁩, just went up on the Guardian’s website ‘Freedom or death’: a slave rebellion returns to life – video https://t.co/tB0FOwkT5a

— Dread Scott (@DreadScottArt) November 14, 2019

Exculpatory

.@SpeakerPelosi just threw some shade at Donald Trump: "All this milieu is a seeking of the truth. It's called an inquiry. If the president has something that is exculpatory—Mr. President that means you have anything that shows your innocence—then he should make that known." pic.twitter.com/EwU8l1i6hK

— Mother Jones (@MotherJones) November 14, 2019

Tucson Train (Live) Little Steven · The Disciples Of Soul

Happy Impeachment Day! - Watch Live

WATCH LIVE: @HouseIntel public hearing with Ambassador Bill Taylor and George Kent.

They will testify about Trump's efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate the Bidens, and the effect it had on our national security: https://t.co/GwGcBZMZGC

— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) November 13, 2019

New Podcast on Powerful Women Artists from the Getty Museum

Vital New Podcast on Powerful Women Artists from the Getty Museum

Alice Neel
Viva la Mujer

Lee Krasner
Deal with It

Betye Saar
Your Particular Jellybean

Helen Frankenthaler
Let ’er Rip

Yoko Ono
A Kind of Meeting Point

Eva Hesse
Oh, More Absurdity

From the Getty:

Radical Women

What was it like to be a woman making art during the feminist and civil rights movements? In this season of Recording Artists, host Helen Molesworth delves into the lives and careers of six women artists spanning several generations. Hear them describe, in their own words, their work, relationships, and feelings about the ongoing march of feminism. Contemporary artists and art historians join the conversation, offering their own perspectives on the recordings and exploring what it meant—and still means—to be a woman and an artist. This podcast is based on interviews from the 1960s and ’70s by Cindy Nemser and Barbara Rose, drawn from the archives of the Getty Research Institute.

The NRA is weaker than they’ve ever been,’ says Shannon Watts

‘The NRA is weaker than they’ve ever been,’ says @shannonrwatts founder of gun violence prevention group Moms Demand Action https://t.co/HdZu0xSUXc

— Gregg Chadwick (@greggchadwick) November 10, 2019

30 Years Ago Today - The Berlin Wall Came Down

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier are standing where the Berlin Wall's "death strip" once stood.

They filled in the cracks of the Wall with colorful roses in a tribute to the many who died trying to cross it. #BerlinWall30 #Mauerfall30 pic.twitter.com/762LTlqKkU

— DW Politics (@dw_politics) November 9, 2019

🛠 #BerlinWall30

"We build too many walls and not enough bridges."
~ Isaac Newton pic.twitter.com/Zt7XU7TU0r

— Paul Holdengraber (@holdengraber) November 9, 2019

Checkpoint Charlie

Steven Van Zandt

Checkpoint Charlie
Walls so wide, can't get around it
Walls so high, can't climb over
Gotta come down

Checkpoint Charlie
Brothers and sisters on the other side
Livin' in the shadow of a wall so high
Make me wanna cry

I know that someday we'll be together
If we really want it
Nothin' that hurts gonna last forever
Why do we let it happen
Or is it that we don't mind
Somebody bein' punished for their fathers' crimes

Checkpoint Charlie lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management

Blue Wave

Proud of all the Americans who showed up to vote yesterday, electing a set of hopeful, forward-thinking leaders primed to protect Medicaid, draw fair voting maps, and reduce gun violence. A great night for our country—one that’ll leave a lasting legacy.

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) November 6, 2019

Extortion

'Extortion' has an additional specific meaning: "the act or practice of extorting by a public official acting under color of office." https://t.co/KwIFT4o2IC

— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) November 5, 2019

Now that the extortion plot has been confirmed, it's important to reiterate that Trump and Giuliani above all wanted a *public statement* from Ukraine.

This was key to their disinformation tactics, which Bannon has explained well.@paulwaldman1 and me:https://t.co/KDkgEwonjX

— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) November 5, 2019

📈'Insidious' is seeing an 1800% spike in searches today. https://t.co/9v49cMSdKd

— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) November 5, 2019

Bruce Springsteen & Sheryl Crow - "Redemption Day" - Stand Up for Heroes

Microscopically reweaving a 1907 painting | CONSERVATION STORIES

Must Watch: Why Trump’s attempted extortion of Ukraine is an impeachable offense

If you’re having trouble understanding why Trump’s attempted extortion of Ukraine is an impeachable offense, Chris Murphy explains it in very simple terms.

Note: Trump’s attempted extortion of Ukraine will not be the only Article of Impeachment.pic.twitter.com/6UfNM9sli0

— LiA (@LibsInAmerica) November 1, 2019

Please take some time and watch all of Chris Murphy's clear and concise 
explanation why Trump’s attempted extortion of Ukraine is an impeachable offense.

The Modern Art Notes Podcast by Tyler Green featuring artist Julie Mehretu

This week's The Modern Art Notes Podcast by Tyler Green features artist Julie Mehretu and curator Jane Aspinwall. Tyler's podcast is timed with the new Julie Mehretu mid-career survey that opens at LACMA on November 3, 2019.
More info from LACMA here: https://www.lacma.org/art/exhibition/julie-mehretu

From LACMA:

Co-organized by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and The Whitney Museum of American Art, Julie Mehretu is a mid-career survey that will unite nearly 40 works on paper with 35 paintings dating from 1996 to the present by Julie Mehretu (b. 1970, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia). The first-ever comprehensive retrospective of Mehretu’s career, it covers over two decades of her examination of history, colonialism, capitalism, geopolitics, war, global uprising, diaspora, and displacement through the artistic strategies of abstraction, architecture, landscape, movement, and, most recently, figuration. Mehretu’s play with scale, as evident in her intimate drawings and large canvases and complex techniques in printmaking, will be explored in depth. Mehretu received her MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design, and, among many awards and honors, is a recipient of a MacArthur Foundation “Genius Grant” (2005) and a U.S. State Department National Medal of Arts (2015).

November 3, 2019–March 22, 2020 (BCAM, Level 1)

Tyler writes,  "After closing at LACMA on March 22, 2020, “Mehretu” will travel to the Whitney Museum of American Art, the High Museum of Art, and the Walker Art Center. The exhibition was curated by LACMA’s Christine Y. Kim and the Whitney’s Rujeko Hockley. The handsome exhibition catalogue was published by DelMonico Prestel. Amazon offers it for $65.

An exhibition of six new Mehretu aquatints opens at Los Angeles’s Gemini G.E.L. on November 1. It will remain on view through January 10, 2020."

Choir! Choir! Choir! & Patti Smith sing "PEOPLE HAVE THE POWER" in NYC w...

Bruce Springsteen to Guest on Turner Classic Movies

Bruce Springsteen - A Night with the Jersey Devil (Video Version)

Happy Halloween!

At the #ObamaSummit Michelle Obama discusses what her parents taught her about empathy

At the #ObamaSummit, @MichelleObama and @CraigMalRob share family stories and discuss what their parents taught them about empathy around the kitchen table. pic.twitter.com/dMe8eMJuKI

— The Obama Foundation (@ObamaFoundation) October 29, 2019

“Most social change starts with a story.” —@BarackObama on how tapping into a story can be the most powerful way to change the world. #ObamaSummit pic.twitter.com/Oz10g2PT7j

— The Obama Foundation (@ObamaFoundation) October 29, 2019

“We’re recreating life in cinema. We’re recreating stories that you remember.”

At the #ObamaSummit, @Ava talks about the power of storytelling to nourish and grow audiences. pic.twitter.com/F2EwHaWg9e

— The Obama Foundation (@ObamaFoundation) October 29, 2019

#GettyFire Context - How architects made California’s Getty Museum fireproof

#GettyFire Context - How architects made California’s Getty Museum fireproof. The @GettyMuseum is safe.
Suppressing sparks isn’t easy in wildfire-prone Los Angeles. https://t.co/4oQhYfFkqN

— Gregg Chadwick (@greggchadwick) October 28, 2019

Barack Obama invokes the Parable of the Sower to start his eulogy of Rep. Elijah Cummings

Former Pres. Barack Obama invokes the Parable of the Sower to start his eulogy of Rep. Elijah Cummings.

"The seed on good soil: Elijah Cummings came from good soil, and in this sturdy frame, goodness took root." https://t.co/87H50yox0v pic.twitter.com/d4gWEO1fvi

— ABC News (@ABC) October 25, 2019

.@BarackObama: "I was just noticing 'Honorable Elijah A. Cummings,' & you know this is a title that we confer on all kinds of people who get elected to public office. We're supposed to introduce them as 'honorable.' But #ElijahCummings was honorable before he was elected."💔💔 pic.twitter.com/WOmKPPQbot

— dσxxεd Ъuт หσт σuт (@twmentality1) October 25, 2019

Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton and others remember Elijah Cummings https://t.co/dvxCnvN3gh

— Gregg Chadwick (@greggchadwick) October 25, 2019

Behind the scenes at Bruce Springsteen's New Jersey recording studio

Bruce Springsteen on his relationship with his father, parenting and Trump

Bruce Springsteen: President Trump “doesn’t have a grasp” on what it mea...

Bruce Springsteen on new film, marriage and "trying to repair myself"

Jason Isbell and the 400 UNIT “Because the Night” encore @ RYMAN 10/22/19

Nice to wake up to this awesome version of Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith's "Because the Night" on my birthday!!

The Case for Impressionism

Jimmy Kimmel’s FULL INTERVIEW with Bruce Springsteen

Princeton Professor Eddie Glaude Jr. On Racism in America

Watch Princeton Professor Eddie Glaude Jr. deliver what one person called "the most important breakdown of racism in America." https://t.co/wT9LFMhEt6 via @HuffPostPol

— Gregg Chadwick (@greggchadwick) October 22, 2019

Only in Lebanon would a song like “Baby Shark" become the anthem of a revolution

Protesters were blocking the road a mum told them she wanted to pass because her baby was afraid.
This is what they did 😂
Our people are the best!#Lebanon #ThatsHowWeProtest pic.twitter.com/CI7NX545dq

— Rachel R. (@RachelleRashid) October 19, 2019

From the New York Times:

Only in Lebanon would a song like “Baby Shark" become the anthem of a revolution. But the catchy tune has now become symbolic of how the Lebanese, when united, lead demonstrations, writes

@rabihalameddine

More at: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/22/opinion/baby-shark-and-the-sounds-of-protest-in-lebanon.html?smid=tw-nytopinion&smtyp=cur

Final Star Wars #TheRiseofSkywalker trailer

The saga will end. The story lives forever. Check out the final Star Wars #TheRiseofSkywalker trailer and get your tickets now. pic.twitter.com/E6Ozp99sTv

— Star Wars UK (@StarWarsUK) October 22, 2019

Final Star Wars #TheRiseofSkywalker trailer 

Brittany Howard's Tiny Desk concert

Alabama Shake's Brittany Howard's gritty storytelling is in full force in her Tiny Desk concert.

SET LIST "Stay High" "Georgia" "Baby" "Goat Head"
MUSICIANS Brittany Howard: vocals, guitar; Nate Smith: drums; Alex Chakour: guitar; Brad Allen Williams: guitar; Zac Cockrell: bass; Lloyd Buchanan: keys; Paul Horton: keys; Shanay Johnson: vocals; Karita Law: vocals CREDITS Producers: Bob Boilen, Morgan Noelle Smith; Creative Director: Bob Boilen; Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin; Videographers: Morgan Noelle Smith, Kara Frame, Beck Harlan, CJ Riculan; Associate Producer: Bobby Carter; Executive Producer: Lauren Onkey; VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann; Photo: Laura Beltran Villamizar/NPR

Tyler Green's Modern Art Notes Podcast features artist Lari Pittman

Wonderful podcast by Tyler Green featuring artist Lari Pittman.
The Hammer Museum at UCLA is featuring the exhibition “Lari Pittman: Declaration of Independence,” a retrospective of Pittman’s nearly forty-year career. 

Tyler writes:

The exhibition reveals Pittman’s engagements with America’s history and with issues and subjects that have been core to our history and identity, including landscape, violence, citizenship, belonging and more. The exhibition was curated by Hammer chief curator Connie Butler. It is on view through January 5, 2020. The excellent exhibition catalogue was published by DelMonico Prestel. Amazon offers it for $51.

We Need LGBTQ Voices! Please Register to Vote

A recent @WilliamsPolicy study found 21% of the LGBTQ population in the United States is not registered to vote.

Please join us in raising awareness of the vital importance of voting, which begins with registering to vote: https://t.co/Lm6002WdSS

— Matthew Shepard Foundation (@MattShepardFDN) October 18, 2019

Bruce Springsteen discusses the films that had a big influence on his music

John Mayer covers ‘Tougher than the rest’ - Bruce Springsteen

Rest In Power Elijah Cummings

WATCH: Elijah Cummings in June:

"200 to 300 years from now, people will look back on this moment and they will ask the question, what did you do? ... I may be dancing with the angels when all of this is corrected, but I've got to tell you, we must fight for our democracy." pic.twitter.com/6Mk1OWnbni

— MSNBC (@MSNBC) October 17, 2019

Please read Barack Obama's thoughts on the passing of Elijah Cummings:

This speech gave me goosebumps. The last words from Elijah Cummings' 92-year-old mother were, “Do not let them take the vote away from us.”

“There are efforts to stop people from voting. That's not right! This is not Russia. This is the United States of America!” #RIPElijah pic.twitter.com/CBrAVLzt4j

— Mother Jones (@MotherJones) October 17, 2019

\

Happy International Pronouns Day!

Happy International Pronouns Day!

She/Her/Hers.

He/Him/His.

They/Them/Theirs.

Calling people by the correct pronouns matters. #PronounsDay pic.twitter.com/2sDmNBWGHP

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) October 16, 2019

It's really quite simple:

Pronouns are important to everyone, not just LGBTQ people.

If you were a cisgender male (assigned male at birth and identifying as male) but referred to as she/her, you'd be uncomfortable, right?

Now, turn that into empathy for us.#PronounsDay

— Charlotte Clymer🏳️‍🌈 (@cmclymer) October 16, 2019

In honor of International #PronounsDay...

Purposefully misgendering trans people:
❌ Extremely not nice
❌ Rude rude rude
❌ Something Voldemort would do

Respecting trans people:
✔️ 100% free
✔️ Is the right thing to do
✔️ Proves you can be in a society
✔️ Did we mention free pic.twitter.com/0hrjkyyTtt

— National Center for Transgender Equality (@TransEquality) October 16, 2019

NursingNow Nightingale Challenge

Kamala Harris on Love

@kamalaharris at her best. (Which is very, very good.) https://t.co/gP9f5mNrXk

— David Rothkopf (@djrothkopf) October 11, 2019

Love Is Love!

Happy National #ComingOutDay! Be Loud, Be Proud, Be You!

Happy National #ComingOutDay

! Be Loud, Be Proud, Be You! #NCOD

#NOH8

Robert De Niro Compares Donald Trump To A Gangster | The Graham Norton Show

Bruce Springsteen Broke Into Graceland To Meet Elvis Presley | The Graha...

Trans People Belong

Today, for the first time in history, the Supreme Court will hear a trans civil rights case.

Let's do this. #RiseUpOct8 pic.twitter.com/jEN8HuErXK

— ACLU (@ACLU) October 8, 2019

Bruce Springsteen - Sundown (Film Version)

On my recent road trip across the American West, I often listened to Springsteen's haunting Americana soaked "Western Stars". 2500 miles from where I want to be indeed. Enjoy.

Ghost Rider

Memory coats the American West like photographic silver. It only takes a bit of light to bring out the past hiding in the shadows. Driving across the vast landscape, I am conscious of the countless Native American souls that inhabit the land. Many are living and many have passed on.  
There is a presence in the red dust and auburn rocks that speaks beyond time. I am humbled. My painting "Ghost Rider" is inspired by these shadows of memory. In my work a modern, hat wearing person seems to nod to the ghostly apparition of a Native American rider in the middle ground. I can hear Robbie Robertson's plaintive voice in the distance:

Crow has brought the message
to the children of the sun
for the return of the buffalo
and for a better day to come
You can kill my body
You can damn my soul
for not believing in your god
and some world down below
You don't stand a chance
against my prayers
You don't stand a chance
against my love
They outlawed the Ghost Dance
but we shall live again,
we shall live again
My sister above
She has red paint
She died at Wounded Knee
like a later day saint
You got the big drum in the distance
blackbird in the sky
That's the sound that you hear
when the buffalo cry
You don't stand a chance
against my prayers
You don't stand a chance
against my love
They outlawed the Ghost Dance
but we shall live again,
we shall live again
Crazy Horse was a mystic
He knew the secret of the trance
And Sitting Bull the great apostle
of the Ghost Dance
Come on Comanche
Come on Blackfoot
Come on Shoshone
Come on Cheyenne
We shall live again
Come on Arapaho
Come on Cherokee
Come on Paiute
Come on Sioux
We shall live again

Ghost Dance
Robbie Robertson, Robbie Robertson & The Red Road Ensemble
Songwriters: Robbie Robertson / William James Wilson
Ghost Dance lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc

Ghosteen – Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds (Global Premiere)

Lana Del Rey - For Free (Joni Mitchell Cover) (Full Performance)