Kent Martin

Storyteller from the heartland with a passion for faith, family, friends, all things media and, yes, life. AKA: News you can use.

[Kent Martin @LKentMartin]

@AnneSerling It’s not hard to image at all what your father would say today, except he might be surprised at the extent of the corruption today. Thank you, Anne.

[Kent Martin @LKentMartin]

Tough to top.

[Cap’tain Bob @BobTharin]

Every chance to listen to Prove It All Night with the ’78 intro is a good one.

On June 10, 1978, in Bloomington, Minnesota, Bruce Springsteen was already on the road with Darkness on the Edge of Town, just days after the album’s release.

[Kent Martin @LKentMartin]

If you have just three minutes right now, this might be good for your soul.

[🎶𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀 ✨ @Old_But_Gold50s]

This video offers an impressive visual experience for the timeless classical masterpiece "Canon in D", composed by the genius Johann Pachelbel.

The music invites us to experience absolute relaxation as we follow each note dancing in rhythmic motion, helping to dissolve stress and restore inner peace.

[Kent Martin @LKentMartin]

@AnneSerling One of my favorite quotes of your father’s. Thank you, Anne. ❤️💙

[Covie @covie_93]

Stephen Colbert had Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen during the final week of his show, trump couldn't even get Milli Vanilli!

[Kent Martin @LKentMartin]

@AnneSerling Loved making model airplanes! And reading? Of course. He was so brilliant and one-of-a-kind. Thank you, Anne.

[Kent Martin @LKentMartin]

@AnneSerling I always come away feeling a little refreshed and rejuvenated after reading one of your father's quotes. Thank you, Anne.

[Kent Martin @LKentMartin]

@TheStingisBack The absolute best time watching a big screen film. Saw it with my father in '77 and have never forgotten the experience.

[Kent Martin @LKentMartin]

Not gonna lie.

This hurts on so may levels.

Fare thee well, CBS News Radio. You've always been there when we needed you.

[PBS News @NewsHour]

CBS News Radio is shutting down tonight after nearly a century on the air.

The storied service started in 1927 and gave rise to such icons as Douglas Edwards, Walter Cronkite and Edward R. Murrow.

Together, they and their colleagues brought history into our homes:

From the liberation of Nazi camps in Germany, to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, to the deadliest attack on American soil, 9/11.

The company announced the closure in March, blaming what it called "challenging economic realities."

To borrow Mr. Murrow's famous phrase, we wish everyone at CBS News Radio one final "Good night, and good luck."

[Kent Martin @LKentMartin]

She totally owned him in this interview.

[Don Winslow @donwinslow]

Do you even remember what JOURNALISM looked and sounded like?

It sounded LIKE THIS.

[The Nobel Prize @NobelPrize]

When awarded the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics, Pierre Curie rejected the prize unless he could share it with his wife Marie. In his response, Pierre was adamant that awarding their research on radioactivity without recognising Marie's essential contribution would be unjust.

[David Axelrod @davidaxelrod]

There is absolutely no occasion @realDonaldTrump won't seize as an opportunity to fulminate & divide. He cheers the death of poltical opponents & seizes on the critical illness of an ally--a friend--to attack his foes.
But not one word of "get well."
Didn't occur to him.

[Isaac Saul @Ike_Saul]

I haven't seen anyone tracking all of the alleged (or open) Trump corruption, self-dealing, and quid pro quos in one place. For the last 15 months, I've been tracking every single tip+story I can find and organizing it. Today, I published a 6,000 word piece with every example.

[Susan Polgar @SusanPolgar]

A Dramatic End to a Legendary and Most Dominant Program!♟️

Imagine the University of Alabama or Ohio State shutting down its powerhouse football 🏈 program, Kentucky or Duke eliminating its storied men’s basketball 🏀 program, or UConn ending its women’s basketball dynasty. Unthinkable!

Yet that is exactly what Webster University did today—abruptly terminating its legendary SPICE Chess Program in St. Louis, the Chess Capital of the United States. Just months ago, in January 2026, the team won the Pan-American Intercollegiate Chess Championship for a record-tying 10th time in a field of 86 university teams.

Since its founding in 2012, SPICE and its student-athletes at Webster University achieved more success than all other collegiate chess programs in the United States combined—despite operating with a significantly smaller budget than most top chess programs:

• 14 consecutive years ranked #1 Division I college chess team in the nation (an all-time Division I record)
• 2 World Championships, more than 100 world, national and major titles, and multiple Olympiad gold medals (an all-time Division I record)
• 10 Pan-American Intercollegiate Championships (tied for the Division I all-time record)
• 7 Final Four Championships (an all-time Division I record)

Originally established as the Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE), the program moved to Webster in 2012 after winning back-to-back national titles at Texas Tech. Under the visionary leadership of former President (later Chancellor) Dr. Beth Stroble and former Provost (later President) Dr. Julian Schuster, SPICE became a national and international model of excellence.

Beyond its unmatched results on the board, SPICE made history off the board as the first university in the United States to offer a minor in chess, while maintaining a team GPA consistently around 3.5.

This is not merely the end of a chess program—it is the loss of one of the most extraordinary success stories in the history of American collegiate athletics.

As the founder of SPICE, its former Director and Head Coach, and Director Emeritus, I was never contacted by the current administration or University President Dr. Tim Keane. I was never asked to assist with fundraising, nor was I even thanked for the tremendous visibility the program brought to the university. I learned of this decision only through my former student and current Head Coach, GM Liem Le, whose last day was today, April 30, 2026. GM Le won four national championships as a Webster student and team captain, and two more as head coach.

The secret to SPICE’s success was simple: we always put the best interests of our students first. Unfortunately, the current administration did not uphold that standard or honor the commitments made to its world-class chess team. Thankfully, I believe our remaining students will have opportunities to transfer to other strong programs.

In my 50+ year career, this is the poorest handling of a major athletic program by a university president that I have ever witnessed. With adequate notice, a national fundraising campaign could have been launched by me to save it. Abruptly ending the nation’s most successful collegiate chess program—built over 14 years and a major source of pride and recognition for Webster University—represents a profound and unnecessary loss.

@websteru @WebsterUNews @AP @FIDE_chess @stltoday @stlmag @stlbizdbarr @stlbizesherberg @STLChessClub @WorldChessHOF @USChess @SInow @espn @chesscom

#Alabama #UConn #Duke #Kentucky #OhioState

[Liem Le @LiemChess]

After many rewarding years, my time at Webster University is coming to a close, as the university has decided to discontinue its chess program.

I am incredibly proud of what we accomplished together. The Webster chess program established itself as one of the most successful collegiate chess programs in history, achieving sustained excellence at both the national and international levels. Over the past 14 years (2012–2026), our students captured 2 World Championships, 3 Olympiad gold medals, and more than 90 national titles.

In collegiate competition, Webster remained the top-ranked program and qualified for the national championship every year. We won or tied for first place in 10 of 14 Pan American Intercollegiate Championships and secured 7 of 13 President’s Cups.

I am deeply grateful to the visionary leaders who supported the program from the beginning, especially former Chancellor Dr. Elizabeth Stroble and former President Dr. Julian Schuster, as well as the dedicated staff, generous donors, and friends who helped build its success.

I also want to sincerely thank the program’s founders and my predecessors, Susan Polgar and Paul Truong, for creating a legacy in collegiate chess that will be very difficult to match.

Above all, I am most proud of our players. Their professionalism, outstanding work ethic, and commitment to excellence defined the program and made everything possible. More than 60 alumni — including many grandmasters from around the world — have graduated from Webster, and I am confident they will continue to thrive both on and off the chessboard.

Although this chapter is ending, I am excited about the future and the new opportunities ahead to keep mentoring, competing, and contributing to the game I love.

Thank you to everyone who has been part of this remarkable journey.

[Kent Martin @LKentMartin]

@AllAmerican202 Hands down, the best version of this immortal classic. Could listen to it on endless repeat. Thank you, AA.

[Kent Martin @LKentMartin]

@hwinkler4real Our children grew up watching "Night Shift" and yes, they turned out just fine, thanks! And hey have the best sense of humor, too.

[Kent Martin @LKentMartin]

@AnneSerling Given the events of the past 12 hours, it's amazing (though not surprising) how prescient you and your father have always been. The apple didn't fall far from the tree. Thank you.

[becks @queenxofpeace]

in a world full of fake performative AI slop girlbosses we have HER

[Kent Martin @LKentMartin]

@AnneSerling Just like great lessons, great writing never ages. Thank you, Anne.