It is sad, of course, that news personality Savannah Guthrie's elderly mom has apparently been abducted and probably killed. But it is also really weird that this story – about one woman who has apparently been the victim of a heinous crime – is getting constant media attention while far less attention is being paid to all the women (and underage girls, at the time) who have been victimized by an array of very powerful men.

Not to mention all the other relevant news – such as the impending war with Iran and the still-increasing cost of everyday items such as coffee (which appears to have increased in cost by 30-plus percent in just two weeks' time). It says something about priorities that says something about who is being paid to prioritize them.

The Guthrie Thing is – again – tragic. But it is also a case of ordinary criminality – as opposed to politically consequential criminality. Whoever snatched Guthrie's mom is not exercising control over high-placed government officials. Savannah Guthrie may hand over money to the thugs who snatched her mom, hoping they'll release her. But it has no bearing on whether Americans will pay taxes that will be used to fund foreign slaughter or line the already bulging pockets of "defense" contractors.

The Epstein Thing is, in other words, the much more important story. Not – obviously – to Guthrie and her family, of course. But to the country – which ought to be more important to the media.

Why isn't it?

Well, obviously, because the media isn't as interested in the Epstein Thing. More finely, it does not want you to be as interested in it. More finely even than that, it is paid to divert your interest away from it – by focusing it (so they hope) on this Guthrie Thing, which ultimately matters not in the least as far as the political situation. The Epstein Thing, on the other hand, matters more perhaps than anything – not because women (and it looks like underage girls) were serially abused by unimaginably despicable men but rather on account of the blackmail these men opened themselves up to – very possibly by interests associated with a foreign power.