Investigative Reporter Michael Hastings Dies In Spectacular LA Car Crash

Michael Hastings
(photo: motherjones.com)

In 2010, reporter Michael Hastings wrote a piece for Rolling Stone about General Stanley McChrystal, who led American forces in Afghanistan at the time. The profile included some of the general's unflattering opinions about President Obama and some of the administration's key staff members. Needless to say, the U.S. commander-in-chief was displeased and General McChrystal quickly became the former leader of American forces in Afghanistan.

Hastings, as investigative reporters know only too well, worked in a rough neighborhood. I'm not referring to the Taliban. The forces Hastings' Rolling Stone article pissed off were formidable ones, with long personal and institutional memories. Payback in some form seemed possible.

It cannot be proven, at least not today, that Hastings' passing earlier this week at age 33 had some connection to the elements the reporter was willing to bring to light. However, his death, the result of a dreadfully fiery, one-car accident in Los Angeles' upscale Hancock Park neighborhood, remains a deeply disturbing, very suspicious incident.

The Los Angeles Times reported that Hastings was recently on the trail of another hot story. This one involved Jill Kelley's lawsuit against the Department of Defense and the FBI. Ms. Kelley was mixed up in the sex scandal that brought down then-CIA director David Petraeus. Ironically, President Obama had designated Petraeus as McChrystal's replacement as the leader of America's legions in Afghanistan.

PS. The New York Times' obituary of Hastings includes what his wife viewed as the newspaper's significant mischaracterizations of his work. The story, as relayed in mediate.com, is an interesting one, and begins to shed light where some prefer shadows and darkness.

Dionne Warwick Sings Bankruptcy Song to IRS

Dionne Warwick, whose music has consistently sold since her debut in the 1960s, filed for Chapter Seven bankruptcy this week. It turns out the singer owed the IRS over a million dollars in back taxes. According to an article in Rolling Stone, Warwick tried to pay what the feds were due. However, penalties and interest foiled her efforts to set the books straight with Uncle Sam and, presumably, state government tax authorities.

The 72-year-old Warwick can now move forward financially, although her credit score is probably shattered for the remainder of her days. Don't be surprised if Dionne makes a lot of personal appearances, so that she can make her reported $20,000 per month "living expenses."

Rolling Stone's Jann Wenner on Print vs. Web

In a recent Advertising Age interview, Rolling Stone poobah Jann Wenner (shown in photo) discussed the virtues of print publications versus the downside of web-based publishing. (I found a link to the article in today's LA Times.) He makes some interesting points that merit consideration. I'm not in full agreement with his outlook: for example, he underestimates the public's lust for new gadgetry. He does, however, have his finger on the pulse of the print world's zeitgeist, notably when he cites "jittery" magazine publishers for whom the Internet is one long horror movie.

Ironically, blogs such as mine are excellent venues to contemplate and argue points raised in places such as Wenner's magazines. One can't do that in print. However, I've never, ever seen anyone at my local YMCA use a dedicated reader such as a Kindle while they're exercising. Magazines still rule the roost in the sweat boxes where the gym-fit set do some of their most profound thinking.