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fibula-rasa · 6 years

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August 2018 in Review

I have a weird memory. It’s highly pattern-driven and very visual. This means that my memory of films I’ve watched is based on images and series of images that made an impression instead of plot points. It’s why I rewatch movies so often. Even though I’ve been tracking my movie viewing habits for two and a half years, that doesn’t mean I’ve created strong memories for all those movies. That’s why I’m gonna start doing monthly roundups of the new-to-me films that struck me, one way or the other.

[If you wanna know all the films I’m watching, I keep full lists on letterboxd and imdb.]

The reviews below are essentially transcriptions of the notes I took right after watching the films. Because of Summer Under the Stars and my cosplay challenge, this month was pretty TCM heavy for me.

Full Roundup BELOW THE JUMP!

Teen Titans Go to the Movies (2018)

27 July 2018 | 84 min. | Color

Directed and Written by Aaron Horvath and Peter Rida Michail

Starring Greg Cipes, Scott Menville, Khary Payton, Tara Strong, and Hynden Walch

I’m already a fan of the show and the movie kicks it up a notch with its humor and style. [If you liked the original series, give TTG a chance already.] TTG to the Movies is a great superhero movie for anyone who’s down for superhero stories but is fatigued by the current spate of offerings. Grain-of-Salt warning here because I think Superman III (1983) is great.

Fun that they included some gags here and there for the parents out there who’ve had to hear the Waffles song a few too many times. Also, one of the best ending gags for a kid’s movie ever.

Where to Watch: Still in theaters, but I’d imagine Cartoon Network will be playing it soon.

Doctor X (1932)

27 August 1932 | 76 min. | 2-strip Technicolor

Directed by Michael Curtiz

Written by Earl Baldwin and Robert Tasker

Starring Lionel Atwill, Lee Tracy, and Fay Wray

I made the statement that Darkman (1990) is the most comic-book movie that isn’t adapted from a comic book. I hadn’t seen Doctor X yet though.

The set pieces are phenomenal. Each shot is artfully constructed and the way the shots are strung together makes the most of the production design. If one were to do a comic adaptation, it would take some imaginative work to not just mimic the film. The 2-strip technicolor is particularly effective in the laboratory scenes in creating an eerie aura. Sensational.

Lee Tracy is playing, as usual, a press man and he’s doing so perfectly. Tracy is so underrated.

Where to Watch: Looks like the DVD is out of print, so maybe check your local library or video store. TCM plays it every once and a while and, since Warner Bros has a deal with Filmstruck, I wouldn’t be surprised to see it pop up there eventually.

The Half-Naked Truth (1932)

16 December 1932 | 77 min. | B&W

Directed by Gregory La Cava

Written by Corey Ford and Gregory La Cava

Starring Frank Morgan, Eugene Pallette, Lee Tracy, and Lupe Velez

You might very well think Lee Tracy was a featured TCM star this month. (Maybe next SUTS? Pretty please.)

Lupe Velez is so talented and natural it was nice to see her in a film where her wits were matched. I’ll be honest, I’m a big Lupe fan but, for most of her films, she’s the only good reason to watch them. This wasn’t the case here! There are a lot of wonderful moments with small movements and gestures that make Velez and Tracy’s relationship feel very real, as if they’re actually that caught up in one another. Eugene Pallette, Franklin Pangborn, and Frank Morgan round out the ensemble. The running eunuch joke might not be all that funny, but it’s a masterclass in not saying what you mean. Also, very cute chihuahua.

Where to Watch: The DVD is available from the Warner Archive. (So, once again, local library or video store might have a copy.)

The Cuban Love Song (1931)

5 December 1931 | 86 min. | B&W

Directed by W.S. Van Dyke

Written by John Lynch, Bess Meredith, and C. Gardener Sullivan

Starring Jimmy Durante, Lawrence Tibbett, Ernest Torrance, and Lupe Velez

Lupe is wonderful in this. She plays a Cuban woman who sounds an awful lot like a Mexican woman--which might be something you have to overlook to enjoy the film FYI. Lawrence Tibbett has a shocking dearth of charisma in the lead, but Jimmy Durante, Ernest Torrence, and Louise Fazenda take the heat off him well. It’s a little hard to root for Tibbett’s character and the ending is disappointing. (Spoiler: privileging of the affluent “white” couple.)

The songs are great. I love the habit of placing people in musicals so that they are singing full force directly into each other’s faces. I don’t know why I find it so funny, but it’s not a mood ruiner for Cuban Love Song. The editing is fun and energetic. Until the war breaks out, there’s a lot of solid humor.

After watching so many Lupe films this month, I’d love to sit down with people who do and don’t know Spanish to talk about her films. There seem to be some divisions on social media and across blogs about Lupe’s films that might be attributable to whether or not one understands Spanish. I myself understand Spanish reasonably well and I think knowing what Lupe and others are saying makes almost all of her films funnier. And boy, does Lupe like calling men stupid animals.

Where to Watch: This one seems kinda rare. Looks like there may have been a VHS release, but you may just have to wait for TCM to play it again!

The Night Stalker (1972)

11 January 1972 | 74 min. | Color

Directed by John Llewellyn Moxey

Written by Jeffrey Grant Rice and Richard Matheson

Starring Carol Lynley, Darren McGavin, and Simon Oakland

and

The Night Strangler (1973)

16 January 1973 | 74 min. | Color

Directed by Dan Curtis

Written by Jeffrey Grant Rice and Richard Matheson

Starring Darren McGavin, Simon Oakland, and Jo Ann Pflug

I loved that these films are exactly like the Kolchak TV series. My SO and I have been watching the show weekly as it airs on MeTV and so he surprised me by renting the movies that kicked off the series. Honestly, watching backwards may have made the movies even more entertaining. How is Kolchak still working for Vincenzo in Las Vegas?? The answer is in Seattle.

The TV movies were intended as a trilogy, but after the success of the first two films, it was developed into a series instead. It’s cool to see how every piece of the Kolchak formula was in place immediately and how firmly Darren McGavin had a hold on the character. His chemistry with Simon Oakland (Vincenzo) is spectacular--a great comedy duo TBH. If you like their shouting matches on the show, Night Strangler has a humdinger to offer you.

Night Stalker is a pretty straight-forward vampire story, written by Richard Matheson, one of the great spec-fic writers of the 1960s and 1970s. Matheson also wrote one of the best undead novels of all time, I am Legend. What elevates the film over the basic mythology, aside from the great performances, pacing, and editing, is that the story’s really about how suppression actually goes down--how mundane and frustrating it can be even in the face of the supernatural.

Night Strangler is a little more creative with its monster. They integrate the nature and landmarks of Seattle in fun ways. The stripper characters are delightful. Jo Ann Pflug gives a truly funny performance and feels like a natural contender for Kolchak. Even his romantic relationships should be affectionately combative. The ditzy lesbian, Charisma Beauty (Nina Wayne) is hilarious and Wayne’s timing is impeccable. (BTW: they don’t explicitly call her a lesbian but it’s still made very overt.) There’s also a wonderful cameo by Margaret Hamilton.

As far as I can tell, it’s easier to get access to these films than the series. They’re worth seeing even if you haven’t seen the Kolchak TV show. They’re also a good pick if you’re a fan of X-Files, as Kolchak is the mother of that show. Even though I’m an X-Files fan and grew up watching it, Kolchak is edging it out for me lately. Maybe because if you’re telling a story about fighting for truth against the suppression of information, you undercut yourself by making the protagonist a fed.

Where to Watch: Kino Lorber is releasing restored editions of the films on Blu-ray and DVD in October!

The Mask of Dimitrios (1944)

1 July 1944 | 95 min. | B&W

Directed by Jean Negulesco

Written by Frank Gruber

Starring Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, and Zachary Scott

This was great! I loved Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet together. If you’re looking for a mystery story that flows and escalates well and presents a parade of interesting characters and locales, Dimitrios is for you. It’s also always nice to see Lorre in the lead.

Where to Watch: The DVD is available from the Warner Archive. (So, once again, local library or video store might have copy.)

Strait-Jacket (1964)

19 January 1964 | 93 min. | B&W

Directed by William Castle

Written by Robert Bloch

Starring Diane Baker and Joan Crawford

I mentioned in my Joan Crawford CUTS post that I’d been meaning to see this for years. My enjoyment of the film didn’t suffer a bit from that length of anticipation.

I like William Castle’s movies a lot. I like the campy humor and quirky stories. This one is campy still, but not as heavy on the humor--unless you have a real weird sense of humor. That’s not a strike against Strait-Jacket though. Castle builds so much tension that by the end of the film, you feel like anyone could be axe-murdered at any moment, which becomes absurdly fun. The ending might be a little predictable, but it’s fun to go along for the ride. I didn’t particularly like the tacked on ending but I guess every JC movie needs to end on JC?

Largely unrelated, but if you’re a Castle fan, have you checked out his TV show Ghost Story/Circle of Fear? The first episode, The New House, in particular is top notch.

Where to Watch: It’s on Blu-ray and DVD from Sony (your local library or video store might have a copy) and it’s for rent on Amazon Prime. It’s also still on-demand via TCM for another few days.

One I didn’t write up: Cairo (1942). I brought up in my Jeanette MacDonald post that I was hoping to find a MacDonald film I enjoyed watching on her Summer Under the Stars day and I did!

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theliberaltony · 6 years

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via Politics – FiveThirtyEight

President Trump this week tweeted his intention to order the Department of Justice to investigate whether the FBI had “infiltrated” the Trump campaign for political purposes. He then met with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and FBI Director Christopher Wray to push the investigation of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. The episode, like many before it, set off alarms among legal and political commentators. Throughout the 2016 campaign, the outsider candidate demonstrated that he would not be bound by the usual unwritten rules of the game. Political scientists, in particular, have emphasized the decline of “norms” in their efforts to explain the danger posed by the Trump administration and the president’s possible role in the decline of liberal democracy in the U.S.

But as with any word that has picked up heavy traction in political discussions, “norms” has gotten a bit imprecise. What do we actually mean when we talk about norms? Why do such informal rules exist? And what norm violations should we really care about?

Why we need norms

Informal rules tend to emerge around things that we are anxious or doubtful about. Think about social manners. We have norms against cutting in line or eating all the cake at a birthday party precisely because humans don’t seem to be naturally inclined to be generous. We have to be taught to be considerate of other people and socially sanctioned into doing so.

This principle turns out to be especially applicable to presidential politics. Presidential power is vaguely defined in the Constitution, and the office is designed in a way that allows for very broad use of power. Presidents can make decisions about how to conduct foreign policy, fire executive branch officials who don’t do what they want, and make policy by executive order.

Because the executive branch concentrates substantial power and influence in a single person, there are plenty of opportunities for those powers to become political weapons — if they’re left unchecked. In “How Democracies Die,” Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt describe norms as guarding against just that, as preventing institutions from being used as “political weapons.” We have norms about when and how presidents use their “bully pulpit,” for example, as well as when they should use their power to fire executive branch officials.

Why do we have informal rules (norms) about some things and formal rules (laws and regulations) about other things? One answer that Jennifer Smith and I developed in our research on the topic is that informal rules emerge when there’s some agreement that a rule needs to exist but deep disagreement on the particulars. One example of this is the norm established in the country’s early years that presidents would serve only two terms. There was widespread agreement that there should be limits on how long a single person could hold the presidency. But there were enough objections to any specific time span to make it difficult to put a formal rule in place. Making formal term limits would have forced a difficult conversation about exactly how long presidents should serve and about whether the limits on public accountability were worth it. Adopting an informal rule allowed the country to skip these more difficult conversations and instead just follow George Washington’s lead. (Of course, it took only one violation of this informal rule — FDR’s four terms — to push things over the edge for a more formal change, and that happened only after the country had grown used to the informal two-term convention.)1

When we should actually care about norm violations

OK, we really need norms. But we don’t need all norms equally. In the Trump era, norms are invoked with dizzying frequency, and Trump won the White House while violating all sorts of unwritten rules of campaigning. So which norms should we really try to protect?

In short, some norms are more cosmetic and about tradition and convention, and some norms are really about “democratic values.” We care about the latter.

How can we tell which is which? Three categories of norms about presidential behavior tap into crucial aspects of democracy: respecting the independence of other institutions, acknowledging that political conflict is part of the process, and keeping private profit separate from government operations.

Independence of other institutions — American politics depends on the independence of the three formal branches of the national government. So any action that erodes that independence is worth worrying about. Of course, autonomy across branches has been a tricky subject. Presidents obviously try to influence Congress and even sometimes congressional primaries. Members of Congress try to influence presidential elections. You might remember the Supreme Court getting involved in a presidential election. Because interbranch meddling has such a long history, norms may be a less powerful guideline than thinking about whether the president is trying to do something that will weaken the ability of other branches to challenge him.

Political conflict — Let’s see if we can thread this needle. First, the idea of legitimate opposition — that people can oppose and criticize the government without posing a threat to the nation — is a fundamental tenet of democracy. Trump’s violation of that norm has primarily taken the form of tweets about the media and about his Democratic opponents. Journalists and opposition party members have very different roles to play here, and the implications of presidential criticism is different for each. Efforts to delegitimize criticism of the president by the media are alarming (well, I might have a bit of a vested interest here), as are threats to jail opponents. Attacks on congressional Democrats, however nasty, may violate norms of civility but don’t necessarily threaten core democratic values.

After all, it’s the peaceful resolution of political disagreement — not the absence of dissenting views — that’s central to democracy. Corey Robin points out that sometimes norms are actually quite repressive, such as the informal rules and expectations that allowed American slavery to persist in the 19th century until the abolitionists “polarized society.” It’s the criminalizing of political dissent — either by attacking the opposition or denying its standing — that should be worrying.

Public and private — Since Trump won the 2016 election, there have been numerous examples of his family’s private business interests becoming intertwined with government operations. White House counselor Kellyanne Conway drew criticism for advertising Ivanka Trump’s clothing brand during a televised interview. The real estate dealings of the Trump Organization across the globe have made critics nervous. Trump’s hotels and resorts have become part of official state and government business, making it difficult to separate the president’s private business interests from the work of governing. These potential conflicts of interest have thus far attracted many questions and at least one lawsuit. This kind of behavior is constrained through a mix of formal and informal rules. Thus far, it’s proved difficult to rein in, despite widespread agreement that public officials should not profit from their positions.

Thinking more carefully and precisely about norms might actually lead us to more pessimistic conclusions about the risks to U.S. democracy. We depend a great deal on informal rules to constrain the presidency, both because of the powerful nature of the office and because it’s difficult to find agreement about the kinds of formal rules that would limit presidential power. Much of the time when we’re talking about norm violations, we don’t so much mean a departure from standard practice as a breach in democratic principles. The ability to adopt informal rules has sometimes saved Americans from hard conversations about power and the tradeoffs that democracy requires. Those are exactly the kinds of hard conversations we might need to have now.

#IFTTT #Politics – FiveThirtyEight #politics #538 #Julia Azari

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graemepark · 4 years

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THIS IS GRAEME PARK: LONG LIVE HOUSE RADIO SHOW 02OCT 2020

This week’s Long Live House Radio Show features Louie Vega, Ron Carroll, Horse Meat Disco, DJ Rae, Afrika Bambaataa, Roberta Flack, Soul Central, Tensnake, Patrick Cowley, Kraftwerk and more.

For an exclusive, extended and uninterrupted mix of the first hour that is published every Monday featuring extra tracks not included here from MF Robots, Lady Blackbird, Mark Knight & Rene Amesz, Mason and more, please subscribe to Mixcloud Select.

THIS IS GRAEME PARK: LONG LIVE HOUSE RADIO SHOW 02OCT 2020

Title (Mix), Artist

Can't Fake The Feeling (Original Mix), Geraldine Hunt

Impact (Soulwax Remix), SG Lewis feat. Robyn & Channel Tres

I Hear Music In The Streets (Touch Mix), Louie Vega presents Unlimited Touch

After Midnight (Kraak & Smaak Extended Remix), Adeline

Fever (Original Mix), Ron Carroll

Message To The People (Danny Krivit XL Edit), Horse Meat Disco feat. Amy Douglas & Dames Brown

Jungle's Call, Chris Lowone

On My Mind, Titeknots

The Journey (DJ Spen's Deep Down Dub), DJ Rae

The Word (Original), DJ Spen presents Jaeger & Rynhart

Looking For The Perfect Beat, Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force

Hip Hop, Be Bop, Mann Parrish

I'll Be Waiting (Red Zone Mix), Clive Griffin

Jack The Groove, Raze

Mechanically Replayed (Hot 4 U), Virgo

Uh Uh, Ooh Ooh, Look Out (Here It Comes) (Steve Hurley's House Mix), Roberta Flack

Who Needs A Love Like That? (Graeme Park & John Crossley Groove Remix), Cut The Q

The Destroyer, Soul Central

Automatic (Kraak & Smaak Remix), Tensnake feat. Fiora

Love Train (Full Of Joy Remix), Hard Corey & Wray

Motherland (Freedom Mix), Tribal House

Listen Up (Raw Dance Mix), Listen Up feat. Tevin Campbell, Siedah Garrett, Karen White, Ice-T, Al B. Sure!, The Winans, James Ingram, El DeBarge, Big Daddy Kane, Melle Mel & Ray Charles

(I'm Under) Love Strain (David Morales Lost In Jungle Mix), Clubland feat. Zemya Hamilton

Get A Little, Patrick Cowley

Tour De France, Kraftwerk

Bad Times, Captain Rapp

Beat Jumpin', Chewy Rubs

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ulrichfoester · 4 years

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Now is the Time to Strengthen Your Marriage, Here are 14 Ways

This is a very hard time; our emotional health and physical well-being are being challenged in pandemic life. We are trying to figure out how to be safe, care for our children and for many, assure even basic survival needs are met like income to pay for food and shelter.

Marriage and long term relationships are also taking the brunt of the stress of COVID-19. Some relationships have benefitted from the additional time together but many have been strained, especially if there were unresolved issues between the couple before. Anxiety can strain an already tense relationship. For many holding things together for themselves and their families, the marriage is not being prioritized.

During such difficult and uncertain times, couples need to feel as secure as possible to weather the pandemic storm together. If your relationship feels disconnected or otherwise in jeopardy, find the time to stabilize it as well as possible now for it is the foundation under which your entire family rests. One thing we know is things are uncertain, likely for months to come, with school and other consequences of this situation still unfolding. Emotional and relationship safety between the walls of your home is more important than ever, especially when “home” is where many of us are spending more time than ever.

I’m thrilled to be part of a collaboration with other licensed relationship professionals and marriage sites. The Dating Divas gathered us together and created a bundle of our tools to help you improve your marriage. The bundle includes marriage courses, ebooks and printables to help you create a happier, more connected relationship with your spouse.

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everettwilkinson · 6 years

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POLITICO Playbook: NYT on TRUMP vs. the FBI

GOOD MORNING, MR. PRESIDENT — PALM BEACH POST FRONT PAGE: The president greeting a crowd at Palm Beach International Airport. Featured prominently in the shot: someone holding a sign that says I love President Trump. HEADLINE: “Tax bill signed, Trump returns to Mar-a-Lago … President touts Rep. Ron DeSantis for Florida governor”. A1 PDF http://bit.ly/2tB3DnL

— TRUMP boosted DeSantis — “a brilliant young leader, Yale and then Harvard Law,” he said on Twitter — for the governorship. Remember, a few weeks ago, DeSantis traveled with the president on Air Force One to Florida when he rallied in Pensacola.

Story Continued Below

Happy Saturday morning. Paul Ryan’s family’s Christmas card http://politi.co/2C2HylC … Video of Ryan’s Christmas message to the troops http://bit.ly/2Bq0fff … Joe Biden’s family holiday card, which is of the VP’s 5 grandchildren (and German Shepherd Champ) this Thanksgiving on the beach in Nantucket http://politi.co/2BjO8k5

TARA PALMERI (@tarapalmeri): “Living up to ‘working vacation,’ Trump met with Arizona Senate candidate Kelli Ward [Friday] at Mar-a-Lago. Doubt McConnell would be pleased.”

— CNN’S KEVIN LIPTAK: (@Kevinliptakcnn): “In Palm Beach yesterday, @POTUS and @kelliwardaz exchanged pleasantries but did not meet, I’m told by the White House.”

The most reliable politics newsletter.

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NYT’S MAGGIE HABERMAN and ADAM GOLDMAN on A1: “F.B.I. Director Wants to Move Forward, but the President Is Making His Job Harder”: “When President Trump tapped Christopher A. Wray to be his next F.B.I. director, it signaled a clear break from the tenure of James B. Comey, whom Mr. Trump had grown to distrust and eventually fired.

“It seemed Mr. Trump would let his handpicked F.B.I. director do his work unimpeded, giving Mr. Wray some breathing room. ‘I know that he will again serve his country as a fierce guardian of the law and model of integrity,’ the president said in June.

“But nearly five months since Mr. Wray started the job, Mr. Trump has not made Mr. Wray’s life easier as he seeks to restore the public’s confidence in the country’s premier law enforcement agency — one that the president says is in ‘Tatters.’

“Mr. Trump’s verbal assaults have put Mr. Wray and his leadership team in a difficult position. Mr. Wray is trying to move past his predecessor’s era and make sure there is not a whiff of politics at the F.B.I. He has promised the F.B.I.’s work would be based on the ‘facts, the law and the impartial pursuit of justice — period.’ … In private conversations, Mr. Trump has groused that Mr. Wray has not swiftly removed people whom he perceives as loyal to Mr. Comey.” http://nyti.ms/2l2vS7N

— NOT IN TATTERS, via S.F. Chronicle’s Evan Sernoffsky and Lizzie Johnson: “A 26-year-old tow truck driver from Modesto was accused Friday of planning an Islamic State-inspired terror attack over the holidays on San Francisco’s Pier 39, only to find out that his would-be partners were undercover FBI agents.

“Everitt Aaron Jameson, a onetime high school wrestler who converted to Islam after being discharged from the Marines and losing custody of his two children, was charged at U.S. District Court in Sacramento with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.” http://bit.ly/2l2qrWg

SCOOP – “Trump-supporting singer claims Lewandowski slapped her butt at recent party,” by Annie Karni: “President Donald Trump’s former campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, has been accused of unwanted touching by a singer and longtime Trump supporter whose potential ‘MAGA’-inspired congressional bid in Florida has been endorsed by the president himself. Joy Villa – who drew headlines for wearing a ‘Make America Great Again’ dress to the Grammys earlier this year – was celebrating the president’s first year in office at a holiday party at the Trump International Hotel in Washington in late November when Lewandowski slapped her behind. After she objected, he dismissed her concerns and slapped her behind again, Villa said in an interview Friday. Villa, 31, said she was circulating in the ballroom of the invite-only party with a friend, who brought her over to introduce her to Lewandowski, whom she had never met. …

“‘I’m wearing this silver suit and stretchy pants, and after the photo, he smacks my ass really hard,’ Villa said. ‘It was completely demeaning and shocking.’ In the moment, Villa said, she confronted him. ‘I said, “Watch it.” Half-joking, I said, “I can report you for sexual harassment.”’ Lewandowski’s response, she said, was almost as shocking as the original slap. ‘He said, “Go ahead, I work in the private sector,”’ Villa recalled. ‘Then he smacks my ass again.’ Villa’s recollection of the incident was corroborated by a friend who witnessed the exchange. … Lewandowski did not respond to multiple calls, emails and texts requesting a comment.” http://politi.co/2DCJMWK

PUERTO RICO GETS THE SHORT END OF THE STICK — THE BACKSTORY — “How politics screwed Puerto Rico out of billions in disaster aid,” by John Bresnahan and Heather Caygle: “On Wednesday night, as Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and his top lieutenants struggled to pass the disaster aid package — as well as a funding bill to keep the government open — House Majority Whip Steve Scalise reached out to Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.) with an offer: Would Democrats back the disaster supplemental if Republicans added billions in Medicaid funding for Puerto Rico?

“At that point, Scalise and other GOP leaders were in a bind. They didn’t know if they could pass the disaster aid bill because Texas and Florida lawmakers wanted more money for their states. Members from those delegations were threatening to bring down legislation to keep the government open, triggering a politically embarrassing shutdown for Republicans since they control the Congress and White House.

“In the end, Velazquez, who was born in Puerto Rico and has been working to get more federal funding for the island territory, turned down the offer. That decision has set off fierce partisan finger-pointing, while denying hurricane-wracked Puerto Rico of at least $4.6 billion in extra money to provide Medicaid to poor residents, according to Republicans. Democrats counter that Republicans should have just put the money in the bill in the first place without all the political maneuvering.” http://politi.co/2Bqmh1F

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THE NEW PRESIDENTIAL COIN — “It’s ‘very gold’: The presidential coin undergoes a Trumpian makeover,” by WaPo’s David Nakamura and Lisa Rein: “The presidential seal has been replaced by an eagle bearing President Trump’s signature. The eagle’s head faces right, not left, as on the seal. The 13 arrows representing the original states have disappeared. And the national motto, ‘E pluribus unum’ — a Latin phrase that means ‘Out of many, one’ — is gone. Instead, both sides of the coin feature Trump’s campaign slogan, ‘Make America Great Again.’ The changes don’t stop there. In addition to his signature, Trump’s name appears three times on the coin, which is thicker than those made for past presidents. And forget the traditional subdued silver and copper: Trump’s coin, a White House aide marveled, is ‘very gold.’” With a pic of the coin http://wapo.st/2BYPDYp

ATTN. BILL GATES, RUPERT MURDOCH, ET AL. — “The Price of Freedom for Saudi Arabia’s Richest Man: $6 Billion,” by WSJ’s Margherita Stancati in Riyadh, Summer Said in Dubai and Benoit Faucon in London: “Saudi authorities are demanding at least $6 billion from Saudi Prince al-Waleed bin Talal to free him from detention, people familiar with the matter said, potentially putting the global business empire of one of the world’s richest men at risk. … The prince’s fortune is estimated at $18.7 billion by Forbes, which would make him the Middle East’s wealthiest individual. But Prince al-Waleed has indicated that he believes raising and handing over that much cash would be an admission of guilt and would require him to dismantle the financial empire he has built over 25 years.” http://on.wsj.com/2DC9I4w

RESULTS — “Sessions orders review of abandoned Hezbollah-linked drug prosecutions: Inquiry follows POLITICO report that potential cases languished amid Obama drive for Iran nuclear deal,” by Josh Gerstein: “Attorney General Jeff Sessions has ordered the Justice Department to dig into allegations in a POLITICO report that a series of potential drug prosecutions related to the pro-Iranian militant group Hezbollah were abandoned as the Obama administration pressed to strike a deal with Iran over its nuclear program.

“Sessions indicated that he was troubled by allegations that Project Cassandra — the Drug Enforcement Administration’s drive to target Hezbollah’s foray into drug trafficking — ran into high-level roadblocks that stymied many of the cases agents wanted to bring as well as efforts to get suspects extradited from overseas to the U.S.

“‘Operations designed to investigate and prosecute terrorist organizations that are also fueling that drug crisis must be paramount in this administration,’ Sessions said in a statement released to reporters Friday evening. ‘While I am hopeful that there were no barriers constructed by the last administration to allowing DEA agents to fully bring all appropriate cases under Project Cassandra, this is a significant issue for the protection of Americans. We will review these matters and give full support to investigations of violent drug trafficking organizations.’” http://politi.co/2BVWrnb … Josh Meyer’s original story http://politi.co/2yR68A9

THE INVESTIGATIONS … — JARED WATCH: “Prosecutors Said to Seek Kushner Records From Deutsche Bank,” by NYT’s Ben Protess, Jessica Silver-Greenberg and David Enrich: “Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn have sought bank records about entities associated with the family company of Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, according to four people briefed on the matter. In recent weeks, prosecutors from the United States attorney’s office in the Eastern District of New York subpoenaed records from Deutsche Bank, the giant German financial institution that has lent hundreds of millions of dollars to the Kushner family real estate business. … It is not clear which records were sought by prosecutors, what they are seeking to learn from them or to what degree, if any, they directly involve Mr. Kushner.” http://nyti.ms/2BFotGH

— “Top FBI official linked to reporter who broke Trump dossier story,” by Kyle Cheney and Rachael Bade: “House Republicans are investigating contact between the FBI’s top lawyer and a Mother Jones reporter in the weeks before the left-leaning outlet broke the first news story about the existence of a disputed dossier alleging ties between President Donald Trump and the Kremlin, according to two congressional GOP sources who described documents linking the two men. The GOP sources said the documents — made available recently to lawmakers by the Department of Justice — revealed that James Baker, the FBI’s general counsel, communicated with Mother Jones reporter David Corn in the weeks leading up to the November 2016 election. Corn was the first to report the existence of the dossier on Oct. 31 and that it was compiled by a former high-level western spy. … Corn denied that Baker was a source for his story on the dossier.” http://politi.co/2BV96Xl

ELENA SCHNEIDER: “The next special election that could portend a Democratic wave”: “A March special election in a conservative-leaning stretch of western Pennsylvania that Donald Trump won by 20 points is the next big test of whether a Democratic wave will sweep the party into the House majority for the first time 2010.

“The congressional seat left vacant by ex-Rep. Tim Murphy, an anti-abortion Republican who allegedly encouraged a lover to terminate a pregnancy, has all the makings of the next major special election showdown. It pits Democrat Conor Lamb, a young, telegenic Marine veteran with a political pedigree, against Rick Saccone, a Trump-supporting GOP state representative with a long voting record and doubters among local Republicans.” http://politi.co/2pl0QNN

TRUMP INC. — “With Trump in the White House, the Family Business Takes It Down a Notch,” by NYT’s Steve Eder, Ben Protess and Eric Lipton: “When the president turned over daily operations of the Trump Organization to his eldest sons, Eric and Donald Jr., they spoke excitedly about picking up where their father left off. But the … Trump Organization has taken on a distinctly un-Trump-like feel this year: Its ambition for new development is subdued, and the signature showmanship for announcing deals is largely absent. Six months before his election, President Trump told The New York Times that his business had about 120 deals in the works worldwide. … Today, the pipeline of potential deals sits at about 30, all in the United States, according to the company.” http://nyti.ms/2DCLUh2

WHITE HOUSE ARRIVAL LOUNGE – “White House expected to tap new deputy director of Domestic Policy Council,” by Eliana Johnson and Andrew Restuccia: “Lance Leggitt is poised to replace Paul Winfree as deputy director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, according to two people familiar with the move. Until recently, Leggitt, a veteran of the George W. Bush administration, served as chief of staff to former Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price. In the Bush administration, he served both at HHS and in the White House, where he focused on health policy.” http://politi.co/2pjOKob

PHOTO DU JOUR: President Donald Trump signs $1.5 trillion sweeping tax code overhaul legislation into law in the Oval Office on Dec. 22. | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

THE LATEST ON THE BAN — “Appeals court rules against Trump travel ban 3.0,” by Josh Gerstein: “A federal appeals court ruled that the latest version of President Donald Trump’s controversial travel ban policy should be partially blocked because the president appears to have exceeded his authority in issuing the directive. However, the unanimous decision issued Friday by a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals will have no immediate effect because of a temporary ruling the Supreme Court issued earlier this month allowing the administration to fully implement the ban as it appealed a pair of injunctions issued against the policy.

“The policy Trump issued in September limits issuance of visas to citizens of six majority-Muslim countries and two nations with governments sharply at odds with the U.S., North Korea and Venezuela. 9th Circuit Judges Michael Daly Hawkins, Ronald Gould and Richard Paez issued a 71-page joint opinion saying the president’s order arrogates power that Congress reserved through legislation it passed.” http://politi.co/2BDRX7T

THE ADMINISTRATION — “Democrats Claim Victory After Yet Another Trump Environmental Nomination Derails,” by HuffPost’s Alexander C. Kaufman: “Kathleen Hartnett-White, President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Council on Environmental Quality, was just one Senate vote away from becoming the White House’s top environmental adviser. But late Thursday night, the controversial former Texas regulator returned to square one.

“The Senate sent her nomination back to the White House as part of a deal to close out the legislative session before the holidays. … Trump is now required to re-nominate her, forcing Hartnett-White to start the process over, including a new vote before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. … [She had] a bruising hearing at which she struggled to answer basic science questions and repeatedly contradicted herself. Videos of her stammered responses went viral.” http://bit.ly/2zkKdBH … Video of her hearing http://bit.ly/2BVYaJb

YASHAR ALI in HUFFPOST — “The Miss America Emails: How The Pageant’s CEO Really Talks About The Winners”: “Two Miss America board members served as a virtual rubber stamp for [Sam] Haskell’s behavior: Tammy Haddad, a media consultant and D.C. power connector; and Lynn Weidner, a Las Vegas socialite. And though Friedman was never a board member, he regularly sent offensive and sexist messages to Haskell, which Haskell often responded to by indicating he thought Friedman was funny or endorsed what Friedman was saying. For this story, HuffPost reviewed nearly three years of internal emails provided by two sources.

“They reveal a CEO who regularly wrote and responded to unprofessional, offensive emails about the women who poured their hearts into the pageants and the organization he was leading. (Update: The board suspended Haskell on Friday, hours after an open letter from 49 former Miss Americas called for top-level resignations, adding, ‘The Board will be conducting an in-depth investigation into alleged inappropriate communications and the nature in which they were obtained. In addition, the Board wishes to reaffirm our commitment to the education and empowerment of young women, supporting them in every way possible.’” http://bit.ly/2kZmX6X

ON THE WORLD STAGE — “Russian submarines are prowling around vital undersea cables. It’s making NATO nervous,” by WaPo’s Michael Birnbaum in Brussels: “Russian submarines have dramatically stepped up activity around undersea data cables in the North Atlantic, part of a more aggressive naval posture that has driven NATO to revive a Cold War-era command, according to senior military officials. The apparent Russian focus on the cables, which provide Internet and other communications connections to North America and Europe, could give the Kremlin the power to sever or tap into vital data lines, the officials said. Russian submarine activity has increased to levels unseen since the Cold War, they said, sparking hunts in recent months for the elusive watercraft.” http://wapo.st/2Bob0yH

— “This Venezuelan mogul met Pence. Is he trying to broker an exit strategy for Maduro?” by Antonio Maria Delgado, Kyra Gurney and Franco Ordonez in the Miami Herald: “A Venezuelan millionaire declared persona non grata by the City of Miami for his alleged ties to the Maduro regime is trying to broker an exit strategy with the Trump administration for his beleaguered government, according to various Washington sources.

“Raúl Gorrín, criticized for the controversial purchase in 2013 of the then pro-opposition news channel Globovisión, has paid Ballard Partners — the firm of President Donald Trump’s former Florida lobbyist — $450,000 since June through the U.S. subsidiary of the Venezuelan TV network, ostensibly to help the company expand into U.S. markets. … According to three sources familiar with his lobbying efforts in Washington … the media mogul is trying to establish himself as a broker between Caracas and the Trump administration, peddling the idea that President Nicolás Maduro and other key government leaders might be willing to negotiate a transition in Venezuela in exchange for amnesty.” http://hrld.us/2pgP8DP

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MEDIAWATCH — “James Rosen Out at Fox News,” by TVNewser’s Chris Ariens: “Rosen, a stalwart of Fox News Channel’s Washington D.C. bureau, is leaving the network, TVNewser has learned. ‘James Rosen is exiting the company at the end of the year,’ a Fox News spokesperson confirms … Rosen, 49, has been with Fox News since 1999, 3 years after the channel launched. As the network’s Chief Washington Correspondent, he often reported for Special Report, but was seen throughout FNC’s programming day.” http://bit.ly/2BEKtkU

— “Fox News website beefs up and ‘goes a little Breitbart’,” by Jason Schwartz: “A sleeping media giant may be about to wake up: Fox News’ website — known for its high traffic, but not strong identity —is staffing up and sharpening its voice in hopes of equaling the impact of its increasingly pro-Trump television partner. A website that had been more closely identified with Shepard Smith’s brand of reporting has now moved closer to the mold of Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham, according to former staff members. ‘The approach has gone much more the way the prime-time programming works,’ said one, ‘where it feels more agenda or opinion driven, or combative.’

“According to Noah Kotch, who took over six months ago as Fox News digital editor in chief and vice president, his staff has grown to more than 100 full-time staffers, an increase of about 45 percent in the past year. The ramp-up signals that digital is now a major priority for Rupert Murdoch’s news outlet, Kotch said, adding that there is an increased focus on collaboration with TV.” http://politi.co/2zkIg8c

— ELIZABETH VARGAS is leaving ABC News next May after more than two decades at the network. http://dailym.ai/2D2J046

CLICKER – “The nation’s cartoonists on the week in politics,” edited by Matt Wuerker – 11 keepers http://politi.co/2CWjIEI

GREAT WEEKEND READS, curated by Daniel Lippman, filing from San Miguel de Allende, Mexico (http://nym.ag/2kyR1af):

— “On the Front Lines of the GOP’s Civil War,” by Sam Tanenhaus in Esquire: For Never Trumpers, “Trumpism is more than a freakish blight on the republic. It is a moral test.” http://bit.ly/2BxsYTm (h/t Longform.org)

— “Trump has given North Korea ‘the greatest gift ever’” – Q&A by Vox’s Ezra Klein with Barbara Demick: “‘People are divided up by their loyalty to the regime. You have a core class and a wavering class and a hostile class. If you had an ancestor who was a landlord or a Japanese collaborator you have tainted blood. If you have any relative who’s defected or become some sort of dissident, the entire family is punished down to the third degree of cousins. That is one way they keep control.’” http://bit.ly/2kyLRen (h/t TheBrowser.com)

— “Deliverance From 27,000 Feet,” by NYT’s John Branch – per Longreads.com’s description: “In May 2016, four Bengali mountaineers attempted to achieve a lifelong dream: to summit Mount Everest. After an egregiously late start to their summit attempt, they were abandoned by their guides and left to die on the mountain. Only one survived. John Branch reports on the ill-fated expedition and how a team of sherpas recovered the frozen bodies of Goutam Ghosh and Paresh Nath from 27,000 ft above sea level.” http://nyti.ms/2kUq8gg

— “The Insane True Story Of How ‘Titanic’ Got Made,” by Sarah Marshall in BuzzFeed: “James Cameron’s epic ‘$190 million chick flick’ spawned ‘Leomania’ and presented us with a new kind of wish fulfillment.” http://bzfd.it/2paKNBU

— “Greetings From Palau, The Micronesian Archipelago That Baseball Built,” by David Walter in Deadspin in Koror, Palau: “What would a country run by baseball players look like? Would it be a sabermetrics-driven technocracy? A clutch-obsessed theocracy? A cup-adjusting macho dystopia? This isn’t a thought experiment. It’s happening right now in Palau, a tiny archipelago of some 20,000 souls located in the Western Pacific that is currently playing host to a radical experiment in letting the sluggers run the show.” http://bit.ly/2CQwqoE

— “‘Will They Take Me, Too?’” by Brooke Jarvis in the N.Y. Times Magazine: “More than a thousand children are counting on Nora Sándigo to become their guardian if their undocumented parents are deported. How many of those promises will she now have to keep?” http://nyti.ms/2zcDlWT

— “The Dark Optimism of Paul Thomas Anderson,” by Zach Baron in GQ: “His parables about cruel and powerful men have made him the most admired filmmaker alive, but they’ve had the side effect of making Paul Thomas Anderson seem a little down on the state of humanity. And he is! He definitely is. But, as he told Zach Baron on a sunny afternoon in the San Fernando Valley, his new movie, Phantom Thread—a romance about an uncompromising man who meets his comeuppance—gives away what he really believes: There just might be hope for us yet.” http://bit.ly/2kVvibV

— “Watching a Fall: The allure and shame of watching America’s last public hanging,” by Christine Spillson in Longreads: “It was a story of a woman sheriff and a humane hangman. It was the story of a county that had elected to charge a man with rape rather than with murder, though the prosecutor believed him guilty of both, because in Kentucky one could punish rape by a public hanging in the town where the crime occurred; a murderer would be executed privately by the state with an electric chair.” http://bit.ly/2BY27iX

— “‘Welch’s Grape Jelly with Alcohol’: How Trump’s Horrific Wine Became the Ultimate Metaphor for His Presidency,” by Corby Kummer in February’s Vanity Fair: “After the deadly Charlottesville riots, Donald Trump responded by . . . plugging his family winery in Virginia. Aided by an expert oenophile, the author takes the bait—and tastes the pain.” http://bit.ly/2BW6cEc

— “Cadavers in the ballroom: Doctors practice their craft in America’s favorite hotels,” by Elizabeth Culliford in Reuters as part of its series “The Body Trade”: “Big names in hospitality, from Disney to Hilton and Hyatt, have a little-known sideline: They rent space to physicians who train on cadavers and body parts. There is scant regulation, and some public-health specialists warn of biosafety risks.” http://reut.rs/2kVdJsr

— “China’s Selfie Obsession,” by Jiayang Fan in the New Yorker: “I asked a number of Chinese friends how long it takes them to edit a photo before posting it on social media. The answer for most of them was about forty minutes per face; a selfie taken with a friend would take well over an hour.” http://bit.ly/2zaPhsl

— “What Do You Call a World That Can’t Learn From Itself?” by Umair Haque in Eudaimonia: “There is a myth of exceptionalism in America that prevents Americans from looking outward. It is made up of littler myths about greed being good, the weak deserving nothing, society being an arena for the survival of the fittest — and America is busy recounting those myths, not learning from the world. The swiftest way to learn is to look at what others are doing and copy what works.” http://bit.ly/2DrEn4q

— “Shipwreck Is Everywhere,” by A.E. Stallings in Hudson Review: “If we go by literature, a sailor who has landed in a strange country could end up on an island with monsters or cannibals, could be turned into a pig or a rock or a tree, could become the captive or slave of a witch or a goddess, or, in very rare cases, could end up married to the princess and living happily ever after.” http://bit.ly/2CQvXTl

— “The Death of Shopping,” by Alice Lloyd in American Consequences: “Lavish experiences can be more widely and effectively flaunted via social media than beautiful items, of course, which are best coveted by a discrete audience of first-hand witnesses.” http://bit.ly/2BwEC16

— “The Greatest Leap, Part 3: The triumph and near-tragedy of the first Moon landing,” by Eric Berger in Ars Technica: “Nearly half a century later, the Moon landings still take our breath away. On July 20, 1969, NASA pulled off arguably the greatest technical achievement of the 20th century. Certainly, it has no equal yet this century. Humanity reached so far, so fast in the 1960s that even today we have yet to match their achievements in space. Truthfully, we haven’t even come close.” http://bit.ly/2BujzvR

— “The Art of Conducting,” by Terry Teachout in Commentary Magazine: “The right hand beats time; it sets the tempo or pulse of the music. It can hold a baton. The left hand turns pages, cues instrumentalists with an invitational or pointing gesture, and generally indicates the quality of the notes. Beyond these elements, all bets are off. Boulez and Stokowski conducted with their bare hands. Bernstein and Beecham gestured extravagantly. Furtwängler and von Karajan conducted so unclearly that it is hard to see how the orchestras they led were able to follow them.” http://bit.ly/2p8zRFb (h/t ALDaily.com)

BIRTHDAYS: Steve Thomma, executive director of the White House Correspondents Association, former president of the WHCA, and the pride of Chicago … Chris Peacock, former aide to Lloyd Bentsen and Robert Rubin at Treasury as well as volunteer at the 2016 and 2012 presidential debates (hat tips: David Jackson) … former Gen. Wes Clark is 73 … Fox News’ Shannon Bream … Politico’s Alyssa DiBlasi … Steve Hills … John Russell IV, principal at Dentons … Claire Kennedy, talent operations at Axios … Julio Negron, creative director at WaPo … Adam Milakofsky … Meghan Stabler … Rep. Dave Loebsack (D-Iowa.) is 65 … Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas) is 67 … Patrick Burgwinkle, DCCC deputy comms director … Tom Epstein (h/t Jon Haber) … Kelley Moore, press secretary for Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) … Jared Gilmour … Hoyer alum Dan Shott, now at SC Johnson, is 31 … Natasha Dabrowski …

… Zina Bash of the White House Counsel’s office … EPA’s Brittany Bolen (h/t Jahan Wilcox) … Edelman’s India Goodman … Melissa Ann Merz … Karenna Keane … Lauren Kahn, MBA candidate at Duke, celebrating “in South Africa on a game reserve to spend the day with lions and giraffes” … Audrey Kubetin … Fatima Noor … Jonathan Zucker is 46 … Hilly Novik of the Eurasia Group … Emil Pitkin, CEO of GovPredict … Elizabeth Bingold … Karen Roberts … Brennan Foley … Rasheq Zarif … Allison Dobson … Lauren Corbut … Lee Feinstein is 58 … Eddie Vedder … Rich Tarplin … Todd Boulanger … Carter Snead … Lucinda Guinn … Emperor Akihito of Japan is 84 … former first lady of France, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, is 5-0 … David Smith … Mari Culver … Anna Hudek … Roy Behr … Maya Kumar … Irma Gonzalez … Doug Vilsack … Nicole Vance (h/ts Teresa Vilmain)

THE SHOWS, by @MattMackowiak, filing from Austin:

–ABC’s “This Week”: Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) … Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.) … panel: Cokie Roberts, Rich Lowry, Eugene Scott and Margaret Talev

–CNN’s “State of the Union”: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) … David Axelrod and Mark McKinnon. Panel: Paul Begala, Rick Santorum, Nina Turner and Amanda Carpenter

–“Fox News Sunday”: Marc Short … Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.). Panel: Gillian Turner, Bob Woodward, Chris Stirewalt and Juan Williams … “Power Player of the Week” with Wreaths Across America founder Morrill Worcester

–NBC’s “Meet the Press”: Political panel: Hugh Hewitt, Carol Lee, Eugene Robinson and Amy Walter … media panel: Claire Atkinson, Hal Boedeker, David Folkenflik and Gabe Sherman

–CBS’s “Face the Nation”: Panel: Margaret Brennan, Major Garrett, David Martin, Ed O’Keefe and Jeff Pegues … panel: Dan Balz, CBS News’ Anthony Salvanto and Karen Tumulty … Daniel Pink

–CNN’s “Inside Politics” with John King: Panel: Julie Pace, Michael Shear, Maeve Reston and Sahil Kapur

–CNN’s “Reliable Sources”: Panel: Sally Buzbee, Joanne Lipman and John Avlon … S.E. Cupp … Angie Holan

–Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures”: Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.) … Jason Chaffetz … Gen. Jack Keane (Ret.) … Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss. Panel: Jessica Tarlov and James Freeman (substitute anchor: Fox Business anchor Trish Regan)

–Fox News’ “MediaBuzz”: Mollie Hemingway … Joe Trippi … pollster Frank Luntz … The Washington Examiner’s Susan Ferrechio

–C-SPAN: “The Communicators”: National Association of Broadcasters president and CEO Gordon Smith, questioned by Telecommunications Reports’ Paul Kirby … “Newsmakers”: Roger Stone, questioned by AP’s Tom LoBianco and Yahoo News’ Michael Isikoff … “Q&A”: Author and Heritage Foundation distinguished fellow Lee Edwards)

–Washington Times’ “Mack on Politics” weekly politics podcast with Matt Mackowiak (download on iTunes, Google Play, or Stitcher or listen at MackOnPolitics.com): Former Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.).

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New Post has been published on Mortgage News

New Post has been published on http://bit.ly/2s45j5j

Why a reverse mortgage might be a good idea for some older homeowners

Dear Liz: I recently retired to a small house I bought 30 years ago. I refinanced four times to get the rate down from 11% to 3.5%. This provided me with a low monthly mortgage (just under $450), but my current 30-year loan won’t be paid off until I’m 92. I’ll be 67 in two months, and just received an inheritance of $400,000 following the death of my parents. My only income is $2,000 a month from Social Security and a monthly pension check of $1,100, although I do have an IRA that should be worth roughly $170,000 by July.

I’m thinking about paying off the $90,000 remaining on my mortgage, which would allow it to be passed on to my sister, nephew (or whomever) without any complicated bank or loan issues. It also would free up that mortgage payment for other household expenses. The house needs some work, such as a new carport, double-pane windows, proper insulation, deck repair and maybe termite work, all of which will probably eat up the better part of $100,000. Is it worth keeping the loan just to maintain the tax deduction or does it makes financial sense to pay it off?

Answer: Keeping a mortgage just for the tax deduction doesn’t usually make much sense. Here’s why: If you’re in the 25% federal tax bracket, you’re getting back only about 25 cents for each dollar in interest you pay. Most homeowners get even less back, and many don’t get any tax advantage from their mortgages at all.

It can make sense, though, to keep a mortgage to preserve liquidity. Younger people, especially, should be wary of tying up most of their net worth in a home if that equity would be hard to tap in an emergency. Home equity lines of credit offer one way to access that equity, although lenders can freeze or reduce those lines on a whim.

Because you’re over 62, you could consider paying off the loan and then setting up a reverse mortgage line of credit.

An FHA-insured reverse mortgage line of credit can’t be shut down once it’s established, as long as you abide by the loan rules (such as paying your property taxes and insurance, and keeping the home in good condition). In fact, the amount you can borrow can increase over time with a reverse mortgage credit line. You don’t have to make monthly principal and interest payments on the money you borrow with a reverse mortgage.

Any amount you borrow will grow over time, typically at variable interest rates, and will have to be repaid when you die, sell or permanently move out of the home. That would complicate leaving the house to your heirs, but if the amount you owe is greater than the home’s worth, your heirs aren’t on the hook for the difference with an FHA-insured reverse mortgage, also known as a Home Equity Conversion Mortgage.

In any case, preserving an inheritance probably shouldn’t be your top priority. You should focus instead on preserving your quality of life and your financial flexibility.

Reverse mortgages have gotten safer and less expensive in recent years, but you would need to exercise discipline not to waste the money you borrow on frivolous purchases. You want that equity to be available for you when you need it, such as for nursing home or other long-term care expenses.

You would be required to get counseling before applying for a reverse mortgage, but you also should talk to an independent, fee-only financial planner to make sure this approach makes sense.

Living trusts and tax advantages

Dear Liz: You mentioned recently that there are no tax advantages if your assets are held in a living trust. Aren’t you forgetting the tax exemption feature that allows an exemption of $5.49 million for each person? Hence a married couple can exclude up to about $11 million of their estate through an appropriate living trust. And the unused portion for the first spousal death can be “ported” or used by the successor spouse. Big tax implications that I believe are available only through a living trust.

Answer: That’s a common misconception, but the estate tax exemption is available with or without a living trust. The primary purpose of a living trust is to avoid the court process known as probate that otherwise follows death, not to avoid or reduce estate taxes.

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LA Pride went from party to protest this year. Sikhs are often targeted in hate crimes after being confused for Muslims. The next big boost to California’s tourism industry: pot. And a big day in sports for Rafael Nadal, the Pittsburgh Penguins, the U.S. and Mexico’s men’s soccer teams and the Dodgers’ Corey Seager.

Credits: Getty / Irfan Khan / KTLA / Claire Hannah Collins

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Credits: Getty / Irfan Khan / KTLA / Claire Hannah Collins

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Liz Weston, certified financial planner, is a personal finance columnist for NerdWallet. Questions may be sent to her at 3940 Laurel Canyon, No. 238, Studio City, CA 91604, or by using the “Contact” form at asklizweston.com. Distributed by No More Red Inc.

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