Host NPR's Weekend Edition Saturday Author, SWINGTIME FOR HITLER, fall 2023. Special Contributor CBS Sunday Morning. Husband, father.
@nprweekend
@upfirst
I just want to note the Democratic chair of the committee just gracefully, and with full confidence, turned over the running of tonight’s hearing to the vice-chair, who happens to be of another party, and they spoke with mutual trust and respect. That’s how it’s supposed to go.
In the midst of this loss, just received word that my beloved Uncle Sheldon has died. When my mother had to leave my father because of his drinking, and she was looking for work, my uncle took me into his family for a while, with no hesitation and utter love.
Watching
@JoeBiden
speak, winning laughs and tears at a memorial for his friend,
@SenJohnMcCain
. This is what democracy looks like. This is what civility looks like. On our best days, this is what our country should be.
I’ve been staggered all day from interviewing Guatemalan woman who had her 3 yr old boy taken from her arms at the border while he slept. He awoke in a detention center, thought his mother had given him up. US officials did this. Is this America? She’ll be on our show Saturday.
Our family binging Great British Baking show because it makes us chuckle, learn, and feel good. And we notice: contestants on US food shows are encouraged to bark, "You're going down!" On Great British Baking show, they hug and help each other. We could use more of that, thanks.
I only woke up half a dozen times last night, following dreams of world doom and apocalypse, checked on our sleeping family, and sobbed. Making progress. You?
Did
@POTUS
really have no appearances on Veteran's Day? A 5 minute motorcade ride from Arlington National Cemetery? What is possibly more important than an hour of his time on this day?
I’m very pleased to say we’ll rerun the
@NPRKelly
interview with the Secretary of State on our show tomorrow—and tell the story of the coda, too. Must hear.
17 February 1944 | A Hungarian Jewish girl, Juliska Revesz, was born in Pecs.
In July 1944 she was deported to
#Auschwitz
and murdered in a gas chamber. She was 5 months old.
Ruth and Marty Ginsburg had a marriage that was a joy to be near. One of her best insights. When asked what makes a happy, long-term marriage, she said, “I do find a certain amount of deafness helps.”
Found myself crying on a Saturday night trying to tell our daughters what we owe John McCain. Maybe his death will remind us of courage, conviction, and character. He forgave his captors—and freed his soul to soar.
Years ago, at a DC dinner party w/ RBG. Hung on her every word. She got up to go home early—and read petitions to the court. Someone said, “Even on a Saturday night?” The justice said, “People wait years for us to read them. I can’t sleep unless I do.” Great, great person.
I despair when people say, "I don't listen to
@NPR
to hear..." (fill in with repellent opinion, music, sport, or literature you're sure offends you). NPR exists to bring you the world, challenge, surprise, inform, even outrage, not cosset the audience.
@realDonaldTrump
This is just wrong
@donlemon
, who is my friend, is very smart, and so is
@KingJames
. And doesn't the president have something to read at midnight on, oh, North Korea's renewed nuclear program, Iran's naval exercises, 500 plus children still in detention,
@TSA
cutbacks, etc. etc.?
This will be a tough week at NPR. Much sad news. Great talents and familiar voices will be missed. But all will carry on. I know I say this in a lot of promos. But please let me say it now, too: if the work we do means something to you, please help your local station. Thank you.
I'm depressed to see scores of tweets from people who criticize John McCain's courage because he cast a vote or made a choice they don't like. Do you think you'll reach yr 80's w/out contradictions, mistakes, & regrets? Have you given a scintilla of the service of John McCain?
16 years ago, a baby was born in China, to a mother who loved her but couldn’t keep her. She dared to give her life and put her where she could be found and loved. Elise Sylvie Jia Mei Simon, turns 16 today, a bold, bright light in the world. And boy, is she funny. Thank you.
Just walked in on daughters in kitchen, giggling and making hot chocolate. Taking this memory to my grave, I hope a long time from now. But it will endure.
The words of
@Pontifex
about migrants and refugees pierce your soul: "It is injustice that turns them away from places where they might have hope for a dignified life, but instead find themselves before walls of indifference."
I just can't watch these Olympic Games. Just can't watch without thinking of detention camps, squelched speech, imprisoned dissidents, genocide, and now, we learn, world athletes sequestered and cold. I'm missing some great performances. But I just don't have that off switch.
Sad day. Memories of many good times, shared laughs. America's morning voice and one of the driest, sharpest senses of humor. Thanks for so much that made NPR a fact of American life:
"She worked for me on numerous occasions. She was terrific."
-President Trump on Aretha Franklin.
I'm sorry--he may have paid her to perform at one of his venues. But Aretha Franklin worked for no one. She sang for her family, her art, and history.
Our daughter, born in China, and a linchpin of our French American Chinese Spanish Jewish Catholic family, is working the Easter rush at a delicatessen. And that’s America.
I've never seen anything like this WH press conference. I've done press scrums with Chicago aldermen on their way to prison and foreign tyrants who were more civil. WH staff should not pluck microphones out of the hands of reporters doing their job.
I remember when the man who sent out this tweet below was a source of civility and genuine good humor in politics, and had an appealing human touch. I miss that man. Perhaps the country does, too.
I’m sorry. I’m outraged to keep seeing children run out of schools with their hands over their heads, and scared expressions on their faces. And anxious parents, grieving parents, and police chiefs fighting tears. The recurrence of this crime every few days is a national shame.
Actually, she's an adult film star, which is more than slightly different. She did not want money for their direct encounter. And (I feel funny to admonish a pastor on this) she is a human being whom God loves as much as God loves us all.
BTW: spent time yesterday at hospital ER. I'm fine. But while behind my curtain, heard patient across the way ask a doc, "Is that Scott Simon right across the way?" I stood taller. My symptoms abated. Then I heard doc reply, "Who?" Relapse...
13 years ago today, a little girl was born in China who has grown up to grace the world with her kindness and cleverness and sly smile. I am so proud to be her father. Happy birthday Paulina Luman Simon!
I'm sorry. I believe in God. But I do not believe it's legitimate question to ask people if they believe to somehow attest to their integrity or character. I think it's also against the spirit of the constitution.
I remember the soccer field in Kabul where Taliban held mass executions, torture, and beheadings. I spoke w/ women who tried to take their lives because the Taliban regarded them as chattel. I know US forces shouldn't stay forever. But the prospect of the Taliban at Camp David...
Our oldest daughter's birthday. She had a rough start on our planet. And 19 years later, she is funny, fierce, kind, smart, friendly, caring and so often utterly hilarious. Such a blessing in our lives and in the world.
Didn't see the debate. Back-to-school night. Our 16 year old daughter's English class has 9 students. They're reading In Cold Blood, Their Eyes Were Watching God, The Things They Carried, The Glass Menagerie. I asked, "You got room for a tenth in here?"
"When you travel and when you campaign, people tell you their problems. You see the problems and you become aware of them and you talk about them every day. And so you feel the responsibility for doing something about them." Rosalynn Carter, RIP and thanks.
Apartment life: just called down the hallway to my wife and a daughter as they departed, "I love you guys!" Neighbor down the hallway heard me and called back, "We love you, too, Scott." Not sure how to clear this up...
We happened to tune into
@JoeBiden
on
@CNN
He is much stronger in town hall format than in debates. And I’m not sure the town hall isn’t a better measure of a candidate’s mettle than debates. He’s lucid and moving.
Whatever it takes, let’s just look our for each other right now. Run errands for those who can’t. Check on people. Remind them to be safe. Try to bring a smile.
Did
@nytimes
consider not publishing the op-ed but doing a news story on how a high-ranking gov't official tried to place an op-ed in which they congratulate themselves for not stepping up to tell the public what's really going on in their elected government? Asking for friends.
Thanks so much for listening to our show. For some reason, getting a notable number of anti-Semitic, gay-bashing, and obscene tweets this morning. Some people really know how to kick off a holiday!
I'm writing. I hear my wife bustling. Oldest daughter reading. Youngest daughter reading. Our dog napping. We're all listening to Ramsey Lewis. One of those "nothing" moments you know really mean everything in life.
"Don't be afraid of Covid. Don't let it dominate your life." We have done an awful lot of obituaries of people of all ages and backgrounds who might disagree, if they could. More than 200,000 deaths.
17 years ago today, a baby girl came into this world in China. Today, her humor, kindness, and thoughtfulness (and oh, that humor!) lights up the world. Happy Birthday to our oldest daughter, Elise Sylvie Jia Mei Simon--dancer, rider, artist, and great soul.
I also feel better than I did 20 years ago. I love my wife even more than when we married 20 years ago. We’ve lived through losses, blessings, joys, tragedies, life tests, and millions of laughs—together. Hold on to each other. For those who feel alone, our hearts are with you.
A photo in my NPR office of our now 17 yr old when she was 3 in an Irish pub. I still see that smile. To be a parent is to know a love that surpasses all understanding.
I think this is one of the most extraordinary and important proceedings I have ever seen. Makes you glad to live in a place where it’s possible, but realize how close that came to being overturned by a mob.
My brilliant wife replied to another school parent who was boasting of their child's grades and irrepressible brilliance, "Yes. Our daughter so enjoys helping him with his homework." Bam! Pow! Zing!
My colleague
@lourdesgnavarro
is set to interview George Clooney today, and it's safe to say I could catch fire and burn or be taken aboard a UFO and our staff wouldn't notice until after the Clooney interview is done.
A notice still pops onscreen every August 31 to tell me that it's my mother's birthday. First year she was gone, which was just a few weeks after she died, that alert made me sad. Now it makes me smile. We'll have a white wine on the rocks for you tonight, mi madre!
Just got a signed note from my doctor saying, "Scott is the healthiest person ever to host a weekly news program in the history of broadcasting." Just in case there were any doubts.
20 years ago today, the most funny, kind, stupendous, ravishing, and extraordinary woman in the world got married. I mean, to me! I can't believe it either. It is the blessing of a lifetime (along with our children). I cannot imagine life without them.
This smiling little girl giggling over life on the coast of Brittany grew up to be the amazing Caroline Richard Simon and it’s her birthday today. Thank you life for joining us together, and Caroline for being our family’s smiling center.
We were just telling our daughters we are sorry to sound like broken records when we realized that they’d have no way of knowing what a broken record sounds like.
Got the news about Cokie just before we had our editorial meeting. She would appreciate that we...had our editorial meeting. I had quoted her just this morning to our daughters (on school uniforms, not politics). The biggest compliment ever paid me was, "You work with Cokie?"
Zoom back to school night, and we saw that so many teachers have their own young children at home, trying to learn remotely while they try to teach remotely. It's all imperfect and inspiring. Thanks to our teachers for what they do--and strive to do.
I know I go on about what a chore it is to wake up two teenagers. Back and forth, gentle knocks, sweet greetings that grow more insistent. Yes, it's a chore, and I know that before I can blink my eyes they won't need me and I'll remember this "chore" just to warm my heart.
This is a time to hold
@SenJohnMcCain
in our hearts. To thank him for his service, his courage, his forgiveness to old enemies, his independence, the steel in his soul, the mischief in his smile.
I am getting complaints blaming me--sometimes in graphic terms--for wrong voting information in Minnesota. Elections are the responsibility of the MN Secretary of State,
@MNSteveSimon
, not me. As a Chicagoan, I am responsible only for my vote, and those of my late parents.
Actually, as we learned, "Title 8 U.S. Code Section 1158 gives people the right to seek asylum, whether it's at a designated port of entry or not." US and international law.
We cannot allow all of these people to invade our Country. When somebody comes in, we must immediately, with no Judges or Court Cases, bring them back from where they came. Our system is a mockery to good immigration policy and Law and Order. Most children come without parents...
Today would have been my father's birthday. I give that birthday to protagonists in my novels. He died when I was 16. All these years later, I don't revere him, but something better: he still makes me laugh. I try to live by his motto: "Think Yiddish, dress British."
Going over HS senior portraits with our 17 yr old, and remembering when she was put into our arms at an orphan center in China. Our baby, our love, our lives.
My cellphone trilled while going through airport security in Cleveland. TSA officer said,”Who’s the
@katyperry
fan?” Raised my hand sheepishly. She said, “Hey, buddy, you’re a firework.”
Another Friday night. Another mass shooting. At least 11 sacred souls, gone. I am just sick, sad, tired, depressed, and outraged. This should not be life in America.
I've talked it over with my family, and we'd be pleased to host the G-7 at no cost. Leaders might have to share bedrooms (Angela Merkel gets her own), but all we ask is for Macron to give a French lesson to our daughters and Boris Johnson not to drink all the merlot.