Suicidal, leftist newspapers die by their own hand

McClatchy news conglomerate files bankruptcy to shed costs of print and speed shift to digital

We’ve all heard of the term, “death by a thousand cuts,” which describes a series of miscalculations culminating in a slow and painful demise. The newspaper industry is stunningly illustrative of that idiom. Bonded to delivering a leftist perspective and delivering daily insults to readers, many have not only fallen victim to the digital age, but also to their own venomous spews aimed at President Trump.

The “Letter from Leadership,” signed by Chief Executive Officer Craig Forman informing that McClatchy newspaper publishing company has filed for bankruptcy begins with these ominous words:

On February 13, 2020, we announced that we are commencing a restructuring under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code to provide McClatchy with immediate protection while we pursue approval of our proposed restructuring plan and work to definitively address the Company’s funded debt, strengthen our balance sheet, and address our pension obligations moving forward.”

While this is obviously a sad milestone after 163 years of family control, McClatchy remains a strong operating company and committed to essential local news and information,” said Kevin McClatchy, chairman of the company that has carried his family name since the days of the California Gold Rush. “While we tried hard to avoid this step, there’s no question that the scale of our 75-year-old pension plan – with 10 pensioners for every single active employee – is a reflection of another economic era.” Read more here.

This dismal admission is accompanied by a YouTube video, titled, “McClatchy Transformation,” in case its employees and debtors have difficulty grasping the words. A notice accompanying the video notes “comments are turned off.”

A separate Bloomberg Report foretells the coming death of newspapers. Charles Munger, a newspaper company executive as well as a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. vice chairman, said U.S. newspapers have no future.

“Technological change is destroying the daily newspapers in America,” Munger said Wednesday in Los Angeles at the annual meeting of Daily Journal Corp., the publishing company where the billionaire businessman is chairman. “The revenue goes away and the expenses remain and they’re all dying.”

Berkshire, the conglomerate controlled by Warren Buffett, announced last month that it would sell off its newspaper holdings.

Seeing Red AZ has frequently written about the death spiral in which the Hillary-endorsing, open borders promoting Arizona Republic newspaper has placed itself. Most recently the local Gannett publication made the news as an albatross with this Phoenix Business Journal headline, “Analysis: Arizona Republic’s circulation decline among steepest for Gannett papers.” A success-based business model takes root in not routinely lobbing insult-laden spit wads at paying customers. This strategic concept is foreign to the failing newspaper that was originally known as the Arizona Republican, when it was founded in 1890. Today’s edition buries two pro-Trump articles on Page 6 of the USA Today insert. ($60M+ raised for Trump in January) and (Poll: 6 in 10 doing better, credit Trump).

Gannett has its own headaches as detailed in this Forbes Business report, Reasons Why Gannett Stock Has Yet To Find A Bottom.”

Trump’s winning policies analyzed by Victor Davis Hanson

This morning we bring our readers the gift of intelligence. Hoover Institute scholar and prolific conservative author, Victor Davis Hanson, recently wrote, “Is Trump’s Unorthodoxy Becoming Orthodox?” printed in National Review.

President Donald Trump is returning to Phoenix, Wednesday, February 19, 2020, appearing at a “Keep America Great” rally at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum at 7:00 pm. Order your free tickets here.

Rush Limbaugh announces “advanced lung cancer”diagnosis

Republicans became conservatives under the guidance of talk radio host Rush Limbaugh. He taught us to articulate what we felt but previously had no name for. Rush, 69, has been the masterful instruction manual we tuned on each weekday for over three decades, hearing news presented and analyzed in a way we had never before heard, but eagerly grasped. We bought, read and re-read his best-selling books.

The sadness at hearing of his diagnosis has shaken many of us to our core. Our prayers are with him and his family, as we ask God’s blessings on his doctors.

This is Rush’s personal statement to his loyal audience.

J.D. debuts new Atlanta talk station 8am Monday

You’re invited to join J.D. Hayworth February 3-14 as he gets behind the mic for something new: “THE Talk of Atlanta!” 

WTZA…1010AM/102.1FM premieres Monday, Feb, 3, 2020…and “auditions” Arizona’s former congressman for the midday conservative talk gig over the next two weeks! Arizonans can catch him mornings.

Airtime: 8-11am AZ time — (10am-1pm, Eastern.) Listen LIVE.

Nefarious ballot harvesting OK’d by 9th Circus Court

This reasonable law §16-1005 maintaining the integrity of voter’s ballots was passed by the Arizona legislature in 2016 and signed by Gov. Doug Ducey. The law, protecting against voter fraud, makes the practice of knowingly collecting voted or unvoted ballots from another person a Class 6 Felony.

Specific exemptions are written into the law, allowing family members, a person residing in the same household as the voter, caregivers, postal workers or elections officials to collect early ballots from a voter.

Calling voting “a key pillar of our democracy,” the governor noted this law will ensure a chain of custody between the voter and the ballot box. “We join 18 other states in this common sense approach to maintaining the integrity of our elections.” SRAZ has written about ballot harvesting previously, beginning in 2012.

Arizona’s law ensuring election integrity has now been reversed by the far-left, overly large and frequently overturned Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on the flimsiest and most insulting of reasons: That it negatively and disproportionately impacted minority or impoverished voters.

“Arizona’s policy of wholly discarding, rather than counting or partially counting, out-of-precinct ballots, and criminalization of the collection of another person’s ballot, have a discriminatory impact on American Indian, Hispanic, and African American voters in Arizona,” Judge William Fletcher, a Bill Clinton appointee, wrote.

The decision was reported in the Arizona Republic, which makes no attempt to impartially deliver the news, using these inflammatory words: “Republicans who control the legislature enacted the policy with the intent of suppressing turnout from voters of minority groups.”

The state will appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, said Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, a defendant in the lawsuit along with the Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs.

“It’s surprising the Ninth Circuit took the unusual step of overruling its own decision from 2018,” Brnovich said. “I have a duty to defend the law. Our office will appeal to the Supreme Court and continue to protect the integrity of our elections.”

The court’s ruling can be read here.

The judges on the en banc panel are:

Sidney R. Thomas, Chief Judge (appointed by Bill Clinton)

Diarmuid F.O’Scannlain (appointed by Ronald Reagan)

William A. Fletcher (appointed by Bill Clinton)

Marsha S. Berzon (appointed by Bill Clinton)

Johnnie B. Rawlinson (appointed by Bill Clinton)

Richard R. Clifton (appointed by George W. Bush)

Jay S. Bybee (appointed by George W. Bush)

Consuelo M. Callahan (appointed by George W. Bush)

Mary H. Murguia (appointed by Barack Obama)

Paul J. Watford (appointed by Barack Obama)

John B. Owens (appointed by Barack Obama)

Dissent by Judge O’Scannlain; Dissent by Judge Bybee

Dems contrived impeachment farce begins today

These bogus, partisan, Articles of Impeachment are the basis for what has topped the leftist agenda since before Republican President Donald Trump was sworn into office January 20, 2017. Watch U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) openly rallying for his impeachment soon after the president assumed office. This was not an isolated incident.

Despite record-breaking economic prosperity, tax cuts, our energy independence and unparalleled international successes, this is his payback for walloping Hillary during the 2016 election. Acquaint yourself with this summary of President Trump’s accomplishments during his first two years in office.

Fox News will live stream the proceedings, presided over by Chief Justice John Roberts. They are scheduled to begin at 1 pm (ET).

In preparation, we urge you to read, “Government in the Shadows,” by Victor Davis Hanson.

AZ Sen. McSally loses primary challenger…one more to go

Blake Masters out…Daniel McCarthy clearly not ready for prime time

For the better part of the past year, Tucson businessman Blake Masters has been mulling mounting a primary challenge to Republican incumbent AZ Sen. Martha McSally.

Following reported meetings with politicos and donors — Masters, chief operations officer with Thiel Capital investment firm — has had second thoughts about the wisdom of taking on Arizona’s lone GOP senate incumbent in a primary battle. Voters were not flies on the wall during the earnest conversations, but they were sure to include references to aiding and abetting far leftist gun confiscator Mark Kelly, who is funded by open borders Socialist George Soros.

Accolades are in order for Blake Masters’ integrity in this most watched among national senate races. He’s putting party unity — President Trump has unequivocally endorsed Sen. McSally — over his own desires and ego, saying he will work within the party to get Republicans elected and President Trump reelected. Masters is in his mid-thirties. He has plenty of time to explore future elections. With the wisdom he has already exhibited, indications are he would be an excellent future candidate.

Martha McSally is an extraordinary woman. She was a very talented fighter jet pilot and is now a highly respected member of Congress. She is Strong on Crime, the Border and our under siege 2nd Amendment. Loves our Military and our Vets. Has my total and complete Endorsement!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 29, 2018

Daniel McCarthy doesn’t have that maturity level, (revealing videos) though the few votes he will siphon away have the potential to give Arizona two Dem senators.

The presence of Vice President Mike Pence, making three trips to our state in a year, escorting Sen. McSally to Arizona fundraisers and other events reflects the importance of this U.S. Senate seat.

SRAZ has written about McCarthy numerous times. Here is a sampling:

Sept. 24, 2019: Facts expose Daniel McCarthy’s distortions of Sen. Martha McSally

Sept. 13, 2019: Daniel McCarthy: Exodus’ golden calf revisited

Aug. 30, 2018: Daniel McCarthy’s challenge to Sen. McSally fulfills Kelly’s dream