Public service journalism
Upper Nyack, N.Y.: With “All-News Radio 88,” WCBS-AM, signing off Aug. 26 after 57 years as its owner, Audacy, converts to all-sports, the immediacy of news to the people, of the people and for the people will be lost to many, as 1010 WINS, the other all-news station in Gotham, has a weaker signal and a different flavor, however popular to some. Audacy blames the sign-off on “headwinds facing local journalism nationwide.” Baloney. The reason is profit. Greed. Journalism — getting the “who, what, where, when, why and how” of people and events — has often been unprofitable, or barely profitable. Just ask newspapers like the streetwise, still-at-it Daily News. But you know what? There is an obligation beyond money-making in information delivery. Yes, “Democracy Dies in Darkness,” and that is why opinion-oriented podcasts and thin social media wordbites are inadequate in delivering full news with all the facts. Art Gunther
Disaffecting
Brooklyn: The sudden and shocking declaration by The New York Times that they will no longer be endorsing candidates for citywide or statewide offices comes as a severe disappointment and a clear indication of their dereliction of civic duty. It sends a clear message to the electorate that they just don’t care, and maybe people should not bother to vote. It is quite disappointing. I hope they will reverse themselves because although I don’t agree with them all the time, they are an important point of information for voters. Robert Mascali
Local yokels
Brooklyn: I see where The New York Times will no longer endorse candidates in New York races. That, coupled with its refusal to publish box scores of the Yankees and the Mets, means The Times should no longer consider itself a New York newspaper. Ira Cure
Big picture
Bronx: Why is the Daily News showing large pictures of the news while the print is still very small? Mary Caggiano
Haystack
Little Egg Harbor, N.J.: A recent paper had the “Unclaimed Funds” section. Are you aware that the names were not in alphabetical order? Who is going to waste time going through thousands of names? I guess you didn’t! James J. D’Amico
By a hair
Manhattan: Re “Tie for golds, but U.S. grabs most total medals” (Aug. 13): The year Michael Phelps won a gold and Kayla Sanchez lost the bronze in swimming, each by 1/100th of a second, and when Noah Lyles won gold in the 100-meter dash this year by 1/200th of a second, it seems ridiculously infinitesimal! There should be more tolerance for and acceptance of ties. It would help promote sharing, caring and comradery among countries. Secondly, the number of medals won should not alone determine the country’s standing. If we considered gold a three, silver a two and bronze a one, here would be the first five finishers: U.S.A. — 250; China — 198; France — 122; Australia — 108; Japan — 97. This reverses Google’s order of the last three. Furthermore, I’m not sure why the Daily News says Britain’s (by its total medals) evaluation is fifth, whereas Google has them as seventh. Manny Greitzer
Merited shift
Belvidere, N.J.: Voicer Ed Houlihan is identifying the beginning of the end of affirmative action. The phrase “affirmative action” was first used in early 20th-century employment laws. Presidents John F. Kennedy and LBJ ramped it up. But in 2023, the Supreme Court ruled that the (affirmative action) admissions programs at Harvard College and the University of North Carolina are, in fact, racist. We all know that affirmative action is race-based and devoid of meritocracy. In Grutter v. Bollinger (2003), the swing-vote Justice Sandra Day O’Connor warned that race-conscious admissions should not last forever. In 25 years, she suggested, “the use of racial preferences will no longer be necessary to further the interest” in diversity. We’re getting there, finally. Dan Arthur Pryor
Honored guests
Manhattan: It is my fondest hope that somebody brings E. Jean Carroll and Stormy Daniels to the presidential debate! Eugene Rodriguez
Unlivable wage
Carle Place, L.I.: It is disappointing that both major party candidates are pandering to service workers by saying tips should not be taxed. Why not? Income is income. If they want to do something useful, raise the federal minimum wage ($7.25), which hasn’t changed in 15 years. It’s amazing that 20 states are using that as their minimum rate. Rudy Rosenberg