CNN's coverage of today's crisis lacked important analysis
- apekary
- Jan 6, 2021
- 2 min read
Here's my quick take for Columbia Journalism Review of the ongoing crisis in Washington, DC. Below is a bit more context.

CNN is covering a live, ongoing law enforcement crisis primarily with political pundits. This is an active and dangerous situation. CNN should have some sort of specialists with expertise in policing and crowd control to help explain what is happening on the ground and what response would be appropriate to help end the standoff.
In covering the explosive standoff on Capitol Hill this afternoon, Van Jones exclaimed, “This is treason.” Yes, you could say that.
Anderson Cooper said, “These are insurrectionists and treasonists,” who are “high fiving each other… They’re going to go back to Olive Garden and to the Holiday Inn that they’re staying at and the Garden Marriott and they’re going to have some drinks.”
They’ve also gone to David Axelrod and Rick Santorum for expert analysis. Needless to say, much of the focus has been on how Donald Trump (and Rudy Giuliani) have incited today’s violent events.
We all pretty much know why the rioters stormed the Capitol today. It would be helpful to understand why the situation ended up as bad as it did. Why weren't they better prepared? It would be nice to know why the Capitol Police failed so spectacularly this afternoon. How did the MAGA supporters end up in an armed standoff? Where was the National Guard? Why did it take so long to respond? If this had been a Black Lives Matter march that stormed the nation's capitol, how would the police reaction have been different? I know CNN has law enforcement analysts readily available (or at least they should have today). I didn't see one.
Yes, the politics are important and they would be remiss to ignore the root causes of today’s crisis. But we could use a more measured and technical approach to this tinderbox. If this happened in any other country, if terrorists take over a building, you get your police experts in front of a camera immediately. The choice to rely on political talking heads is only moderately helpful in the middle of this event.
I agree wholeheartedly. It felt like watching commentary instead of informed analysis. The lack of law enforcement perspective was glaring. Remember those news cycles where they’d bring on former FBI agents to explain things in detail? We needed that today. It's almost like the goal was outrage rather than understanding. I needed something to unwind after all this, maybe I'll play some Slope Game and forget about the world for a bit.
2. 3D Printer Electrical Noise and 3D Printer Interference
Modern 3D printers rely on precise stepper motor movements and 3D Printer accurate temperature readings. Electrical noise can disrupt these:
3D Printer Stepper Motor Missed Steps: Electromagnetic interference (EMI) from power supplies, heaters, or poorly shielded wires can cause stepper motors to momentarily "miss" steps, leading to subtle layer shifts or ghosting (ringing) that aren't due to mechanical issues.
3D Printer Inaccurate Temperature Readings: Noise on the thermistor wires can cause fluctuating temperature readings, leading to inconsistent extrusion, blobbing, or even thermal runaway errors if the readings become too erratic.
3D Printer Random Pauses/3D Printer Random Resets: 3D Printer Severe electrical noise or 3D Printer power fluctuations can sometimes cause the 3D printer's mainboard to 3D Printer momentarily freeze, 3D Printer pause, or even 3D Printer reset,…
Student Reflection
While common 3D printing issues like stringing, warping, and layer shifting are widely discussed, there are several less commonly acknowledged or understood problems that can significantly impact print quality and machine longevity. Here are some of those "less known" issues:
Less Known Issues in 3D Printing
1. 3D Printing Filament Moisture Absorption (beyond the obvious "3D Printer popping")
Most users know that wet filament can cause popping sounds and visibly poor prints (stringing, bubbles). However, the subtle effects are often overlooked:
3D Printer Reduced Mechanical Properties: Even slight 3D Printer moisture absorption can significantly degrade the tensile strength, 3D Printer impact resistance, and 3D Printer overall durability of 3D printed parts, especially with 3D Printer hygroscopic filaments like 3D Printer Nylon, 3D Printer PETG, and even 3D Printer PLA.
3D Printer Dimensional Inaccuracy: Moisture can…
3D Printer Uneven Footing/3D Printer Surface: A print surface that isn't perfectly rigid or level can introduce subtle rocking or movement during printing, even if the printer itself feels stable, leading to inconsistent layer height or bed adhesion.
3D Printer Internal Vibrations: Motors, fans, or even poorly tightened bolts within the printer itself can create subtle vibrations that transmit through the frame and affect print quality, especially on machines without robust frames.
6. 3D Printer Aging and 3D Printer Wear of Components
Printers, like any machine, degrade over time, often subtly:
Worn Nozzles: Even without a 3D Printer visible clog, a 3D Printer worn nozzle (enlarged or irregular opening) can lead to inconsistent 3D Printer extrusion, 3D Printer poor line width, and 3D Printer fuzzy prints.
3D Printer Stretched Belts: Over time, drive…
5. Subtleties of 3D Printer Vibration Management
Beyond just making the printer stable:
3D Printer Resonance Frequencies: Every printer and its mounting surface has natural resonance frequencies. 3D Printer Printing at speeds or accelerations that match these 3D Printer frequencies can 3D Printer amplify vibrations, leading to 3D Printer ghosting, 3D Printer ringing, and even 3D Printer structural weakness in parts that appears as 3D Printer minor surface imperfections.
3D Printer Uneven Footing/3D Printer Surface: A print surface that isn't perfectly rigid or level can introduce subtle rocking or movement during printing, even if the printer itself feels stable, leading to inconsistent layer height or bed adhesion.
3D Printer Internal Vibrations: Motors, fans, or even poorly tightened bolts within the printer itself can create subtle vibrations that transmit through the frame and affect print quality,…