James Sims
@simsjames.bsky.social
Associate Vice President for Communications, Wesleyan University | Prior: Center Theatre Group, Lincoln Center, AMNH | Columbia Journalism Alum | Air Force Veteran 🇺🇸✈️ | Arts & Theatre Geek 🎭 Film/TV, Media, HigherEd & Democracy ✡️
Reposted by James Sims
The condescension and moral preening are getting all the glory in this email, but don’t sleep on the new head of CBS News declaring that the last 7 days were a “slow news week.”
New Bari Weiss & CBS leadership note to staff—
“…Americans say they do not trust the press…To win back their trust, we have to work hard.”
“Sometimes it means telling unexpected stories…sometimes it means holding a piece about an important subject to make sure it is comprehensive and fair.”
“…Americans say they do not trust the press…To win back their trust, we have to work hard.”
“Sometimes it means telling unexpected stories…sometimes it means holding a piece about an important subject to make sure it is comprehensive and fair.”
December 24, 2025 at 11:42 PM
The condescension and moral preening are getting all the glory in this email, but don’t sleep on the new head of CBS News declaring that the last 7 days were a “slow news week.”
Great cause. Great tunes. An annual Dublin tradition welcoming in Christmas, this year including Bono busking with Imelda May on “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).”
Bono & Imelda May | Baby please come home @ The Gaiety Theatre, Dublin, 24.12.2025
YouTube video by dea.macedo
youtu.be
December 24, 2025 at 11:24 PM
Great cause. Great tunes. An annual Dublin tradition welcoming in Christmas, this year including Bono busking with Imelda May on “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).”
Reposted by James Sims
NEWS: The Trump admin has quietly implemented a near-total BAN on abortion care at VA, even in cases of rape or incest.
This is yet another attack on reproductive freedom and a profound betrayal of veterans who put their lives on the line for our country. Shameful.
This is yet another attack on reproductive freedom and a profound betrayal of veterans who put their lives on the line for our country. Shameful.
Department of Veterans Affairs quietly implements abortion ban
A VA spokesperson confirmed to MS NOW that the ban was in place following a Department of Justice memo issued last week.
www.ms.now
December 23, 2025 at 9:56 PM
NEWS: The Trump admin has quietly implemented a near-total BAN on abortion care at VA, even in cases of rape or incest.
This is yet another attack on reproductive freedom and a profound betrayal of veterans who put their lives on the line for our country. Shameful.
This is yet another attack on reproductive freedom and a profound betrayal of veterans who put their lives on the line for our country. Shameful.
Reposted by James Sims
Political and corporate spokespeople now regularly treat a request for comment from the mainstream media as an opportunity to drop a free ad into the middle of the story. Bad faith non-responses should just be discarded, with a note that they declined to respond to the substance of the question.
WH spokesperson Abigail Jackson said "60 Minutes should spend their time and energy amplifying the stories of Angel Parents, whose innocent American children have tragically been murdered by vicious illegal aliens that President Trump are removing from the country."
December 23, 2025 at 8:20 PM
Political and corporate spokespeople now regularly treat a request for comment from the mainstream media as an opportunity to drop a free ad into the middle of the story. Bad faith non-responses should just be discarded, with a note that they declined to respond to the substance of the question.
Amateur hour at the highest level.
NYT shows how Bari Weiss really screwed this up.
She didn't attend any of the 5 screenings of the story, which began on Dec. 12.
She only first weighed in on Thursday, and the show incorporated her suggestions.
She then waited until weekend to ask for more edits.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/22/b...
She didn't attend any of the 5 screenings of the story, which began on Dec. 12.
She only first weighed in on Thursday, and the show incorporated her suggestions.
She then waited until weekend to ask for more edits.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/22/b...
Turmoil at CBS News After Bari Weiss Pulls a ‘60 Minutes’ Segment
www.nytimes.com
December 23, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Amateur hour at the highest level.
Reposted by James Sims
This antisemitic and homophobic administration will eventually come for Weiss. This is the way of Christian Nationalism. They don't get to some point of white supremacy and then are like, "Ok, we're good now."
Setting herself up to roast in hell for people who at best think she’s a “useful idiot”
December 23, 2025 at 1:23 PM
This antisemitic and homophobic administration will eventually come for Weiss. This is the way of Christian Nationalism. They don't get to some point of white supremacy and then are like, "Ok, we're good now."
The plight of the dictionary: “Merriam-Webster was a touchstone of stability. We’ve lost that. Does it matter?” @newyorker.com
Is the Dictionary Done For?
The print edition of Merriam-Webster was once a touchstone of authority and stability. Then the internet brought about a revolution.
www.newyorker.com
December 23, 2025 at 1:17 PM
The plight of the dictionary: “Merriam-Webster was a touchstone of stability. We’ve lost that. Does it matter?” @newyorker.com
Reposted by James Sims
Bari Weiss wanted to cover up torture because she thought Stephen Miller's perspective was needed first.
That's the headline.
That's the headline.
December 23, 2025 at 12:09 AM
Bari Weiss wanted to cover up torture because she thought Stephen Miller's perspective was needed first.
That's the headline.
That's the headline.
Reposted by James Sims
Now seems like a swell time to point out that Frontline just released this excellent 11-minute mini-documentary about what happened inside CECOT.
Surviving CECOT (full documentary) | Deported to a Maximum-Security Prison | FRONTLINE + ProPublica
YouTube video by FRONTLINE PBS | Official
m.youtube.com
December 21, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Now seems like a swell time to point out that Frontline just released this excellent 11-minute mini-documentary about what happened inside CECOT.
Reposted by James Sims
A CBS News source tells me this tonight about 60 Minutes abruptly yanking the CECOT story:
"It’s definitely fishy. I don’t think this happens very often. I’m theorizing that perhaps Bari wanted it held, but I don’t know that for certain."
"It’s definitely fishy. I don’t think this happens very often. I’m theorizing that perhaps Bari wanted it held, but I don’t know that for certain."
December 22, 2025 at 1:52 AM
A CBS News source tells me this tonight about 60 Minutes abruptly yanking the CECOT story:
"It’s definitely fishy. I don’t think this happens very often. I’m theorizing that perhaps Bari wanted it held, but I don’t know that for certain."
"It’s definitely fishy. I don’t think this happens very often. I’m theorizing that perhaps Bari wanted it held, but I don’t know that for certain."
“Even in darkness it is possible to create light.“ 🕎
December 21, 2025 at 11:51 PM
“Even in darkness it is possible to create light.“ 🕎
Reposted by James Sims
The Epstein file is the only thing Trump has ever taken his name off of
🚨 "The Justice Department redacted the names and identifiers of victims. Fox News Digital has learned that the same redaction standards were applied to politically exposed individuals and government officials. "
h/t @kleinmatic.bsky.social
h/t @kleinmatic.bsky.social
Epstein files explode open as DOJ details discovery of powerful figures and more than 1,200 victims
EXCLUSIVE: More than a dozen people and government officials' names appear in the hundreds of thousands of pages of Jeffrey Epstein files made public Friday, sources said.
www.foxnews.com
December 19, 2025 at 11:20 PM
The Epstein file is the only thing Trump has ever taken his name off of
Reposted by James Sims
The Kennedy Center is named in honor of a man that gave his life for this country. Trump has done nothing but grift from this country. May the Kennedy Center one day return to delivering on its national promise.
December 19, 2025 at 3:29 PM
The Kennedy Center is named in honor of a man that gave his life for this country. Trump has done nothing but grift from this country. May the Kennedy Center one day return to delivering on its national promise.
Reposted by James Sims
Kerry Kennedy — Robert and Ethel Kennedy’s daughter and RFK Jr.’s sister — says she’s going to grab a pickax as soon as Trump’s term is over and take his name off the Kennedy Center.
December 19, 2025 at 11:25 PM
Kerry Kennedy — Robert and Ethel Kennedy’s daughter and RFK Jr.’s sister — says she’s going to grab a pickax as soon as Trump’s term is over and take his name off the Kennedy Center.
Reposted by James Sims
“Silence in the face of authoritarianism is complicity. Speaking out is a patriotic act. Democracy doesn’t defend itself. It requires participation, vigilance, and courage from ordinary people.” – Rob Reiner
December 19, 2025 at 3:24 PM
“Silence in the face of authoritarianism is complicity. Speaking out is a patriotic act. Democracy doesn’t defend itself. It requires participation, vigilance, and courage from ordinary people.” – Rob Reiner
Reposted by James Sims
Again: none of this is legal, and the rush to commit crimes just because a guy in a tie said so — and journalists’ refusal to describe it as a crime — is just incomprehensible to me. You can say no!
NEWS: They're adding Trump's name to the Kennedy Center building right now. www.washingtonpost.com/entertainmen...
Kennedy Center adds Trump’s name to building
The signage change follows a vote by the board of trustees to rename the performing arts complex the Trump Kennedy Center.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 19, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Again: none of this is legal, and the rush to commit crimes just because a guy in a tie said so — and journalists’ refusal to describe it as a crime — is just incomprehensible to me. You can say no!
Reposted by James Sims
Please also note this is obviously the spread-bigotry-against-trans-people games.
Fuck all of this, forever.
Fuck all of this, forever.
December 19, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Please also note this is obviously the spread-bigotry-against-trans-people games.
Fuck all of this, forever.
Fuck all of this, forever.
Working at Center Theatre Group in L.A. for many years and growing up experiencing theatre through the curatorial lens of its founding artistic director, Gordon Davidson, was life changing. Knowing that Bernstein tapped Gordon to direct “Mass” to inaugurate the Kennedy Center always seemed perfect.
‘Unprecedented’ Challenge: Staging a Bernstein Mass (Published 1971)
www.nytimes.com
December 19, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Working at Center Theatre Group in L.A. for many years and growing up experiencing theatre through the curatorial lens of its founding artistic director, Gordon Davidson, was life changing. Knowing that Bernstein tapped Gordon to direct “Mass” to inaugurate the Kennedy Center always seemed perfect.
Reposted by James Sims
There will come a time when people of good faith are empowered to uphold the law.
When that time comes, Illinois will have the testimony and records needed to pursue justice to its fullest extent.
The truth of what Trump and his masked agents are doing in Chicago will be told.
When that time comes, Illinois will have the testimony and records needed to pursue justice to its fullest extent.
The truth of what Trump and his masked agents are doing in Chicago will be told.
"They had done nothing wrong. They were not protesting. They were not chasing ICE vehicles. They were simply shopping."
Matt DeMateo recounts how three U.S. citizens, including a toddler, were tear gassed in Cicero by federal agents.
Matt DeMateo recounts how three U.S. citizens, including a toddler, were tear gassed in Cicero by federal agents.
December 18, 2025 at 11:34 PM
There will come a time when people of good faith are empowered to uphold the law.
When that time comes, Illinois will have the testimony and records needed to pursue justice to its fullest extent.
The truth of what Trump and his masked agents are doing in Chicago will be told.
When that time comes, Illinois will have the testimony and records needed to pursue justice to its fullest extent.
The truth of what Trump and his masked agents are doing in Chicago will be told.
Reposted by James Sims
"We are going to reverse every renaming, pull down the gold leaf, and rebuild the East Wing" should not be the Democrats' main 2028 plank, but there are worse things to run on. It's one of those visuals you can actually start executing in Week One. Do it, put it on TV, rub it in, hurt some feelings.
Trump on getting his name added to the Kennedy Center: "Well, I was honored by this. The board is a very distinguished board, most distinguished people in the country. And I was surprised by it. I was honored by it."
That board includes Laura Ingraham and Maria Bartiromo.
That board includes Laura Ingraham and Maria Bartiromo.
December 18, 2025 at 7:30 PM
"We are going to reverse every renaming, pull down the gold leaf, and rebuild the East Wing" should not be the Democrats' main 2028 plank, but there are worse things to run on. It's one of those visuals you can actually start executing in Week One. Do it, put it on TV, rub it in, hurt some feelings.
Reposted by James Sims
December 18, 2025 at 7:21 PM
A stain on our nation.
Kennedy Center board votes to rename to ‘Trump-Kennedy Center’
Kennedy Center trustees, installed this year by President Trump, have voted to rename the center after him, said press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 18, 2025 at 8:27 PM
A stain on our nation.
Wesleyan University’s College of Design and Engineering Studies (CoDES) staff and University Communications captured the magic of the season as only Wesleyan could—with some campus inspiration, CoDES ingenuity, and a ton of makerspace fun.
A Very CoDES Winter Greeting
www.wesleyan.edu
December 16, 2025 at 3:13 AM
Wesleyan University’s College of Design and Engineering Studies (CoDES) staff and University Communications captured the magic of the season as only Wesleyan could—with some campus inspiration, CoDES ingenuity, and a ton of makerspace fun.
Reposted by James Sims
Rob Reiner was a mensch. In death, he showed us Trump’s a schmuck.
Rob Reiner was a mensch. In death, he showed us Trump’s a schmuck.
The president's remarks about the murder of the filmmaker and his wife cast Trump as petty and callous.
www.motherjones.com
December 16, 2025 at 12:54 AM
Rob Reiner was a mensch. In death, he showed us Trump’s a schmuck.