Random Thoughts

I haven't watched "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah" for several months, but was still sorry to hear that Jessica Williams left last week. She was the only one of the current crop of TDS correspondents who had any real edge -- the others look like they're worried they'll offend someone and be trolled on Twitter -- and her pieces over the last four years had grown as both comedy and social satire. She's moving on to a new series at Comedy Central that will hopefully give her a solid platform. Considering she's only 26, I hope to see more good things in Williams' future. Meanwhile, there's now no reason to even think about watching TDS.

Meanwhile, Alex Morris at Rolling Stone has written an extended profile of TDS alumna Samantha Bee and her TBS "Full Frontal" show, which has set a new high bar for comedic political commentary in its first year and become must-see TV. Glad to hear Sam's been renewed through next year.

Politifact has been checking statements by the presidential candidates for the last year and found -- shock! -- 78% of Donald Trump's claims have proven to be false, mostly false, or pants on fire. That's almost five times as much as Hillary Clinton.

With just a few weeks before the Olympics, Vanessa Barbara of the NY Times went to Rio and found the city not even close to prepared to hold a global event. For example:
Work on the beach volleyball arena at Copacabana stalled because the organizers failed to get the proper environmental licenses. Then the structure was damaged by waves. Workers erected a six-foot-high sand barrier to protect the site. It also protects thugs; tourists are being mugged behind it. A construction worker told me he’d seen a man stabbed there, and warned me to stay away. The robbers were so comfortable that they had left their backpacks and a beach chair nearby on the sand.
Also from the NY Times, Michael Kaplan reveals how "advantage players" game the casinos. He includes an explanation of how poker pro Phil Ivey got involved, winning millions and ensnarling him in lawsuits with the casinos involved.