U.S. personnel were evacuated from the U.S. embassy in Kabul, the Afghan capital, as Taliban insurgents broke through the city’s defensive line, Aug. 15, 2021. AP Photo/Rahmat Gul Catesby Holmes, The Conversation Under siege, President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan has departed the country as Taliban insurgents, who had seized most major Afghan cities … [Read more...] about Taliban enters Kabul, Afghan president flees: 4 essential reads
Taliban want full power after return to Afghanistan capital
Published by ReutersKABUL (Reuters) -Afghanistan's Taliban entered the capital Kabul on Sunday and Western-backed President Ashraf Ghani left the country, with the insurgents saying they were seeking complete power. Two officials from the militant Islamist group https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/taliban-key-facts-islamic-militant-group-2021-08-15 told Reuters there … [Read more...] about Taliban want full power after return to Afghanistan capital
Who’s to blame for Afghanistan exit disaster? Biden, Trump, Obama, Bush or all of them?
Afghanistan's President has fled the country as the Tailban quickly move into Kabul. Whether it's totally applicable or not, the images and stories now coming out of Aghanistan do seem like the chaotic images and stories from Vietnam when the United States had to flee the capitol in defeat. A firestorm of comment online and in news stories is trying to answer: who is to blame … [Read more...] about Who’s to blame for Afghanistan exit disaster? Biden, Trump, Obama, Bush or all of them?
Taliban on outskirts of Afghan capital, poised to take power
Published by Al-ArabyThe Taliban was on the brink of total victory in Afghanistan on Sunday, with its fighters ordered to wait on the outskirts of the capital and the government conceding it was preparing for a "transfer of power". The Taliban's militants surrounded Kabul following an astonishing rout of government forces and warlord militias achieved in just 10 days. The fall … [Read more...] about Taliban on outskirts of Afghan capital, poised to take power
Death By Willful Ignorance
Madness is in the news again: One person stabbed as COVID anti-vaxxers and counterdemonstrators clash in front of L.A. City Hall Los Angeles Times An anti-vaccine rally at Los Angeles City Hall turned violent on Saturday, with one person stabbed and a reporter claiming he was assaulted, according to police and protesters on the scene... War of the Worlds 1953 lobby card - … [Read more...] about Death By Willful Ignorance
New research indicates Trump contributed to Americans embracing beliefs that neutralized social distancing norms
Published by PsyPostPeople who endorsed President Donald Trump’s denials of the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic were more likely to adopt justifications for deviant behavior related to social distancing, according to new research conducted during the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak. The study has been published in the scientific journal Deviant Behavior. “There were … [Read more...] about New research indicates Trump contributed to Americans embracing beliefs that neutralized social distancing norms
Biden adds forces for Afghan evacuation, defends withdrawal decision
Published by ReutersBy Idrees Ali and Steve Holland WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden said on Saturday that he had approved additional military forces to go to Kabul to help safely draw down the American embassy and remove personnel from Afghanistan. In a lengthy statement, Biden defended his decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan, arguing that Afghan … [Read more...] about Biden adds forces for Afghan evacuation, defends withdrawal decision
Over 300 killed in magnitude 7.2 quake in Haiti
Published by ReutersBy Andre Paultre and Sarah Marsh PORT-AU-PRINCE/HAVANA (Reuters) -At least 304 people died and hundreds were injured or missing after a major earthquake struck southwestern Haiti on Saturday, authorities said, reducing churches, hotels and homes to rubble in the latest tragedy … [Read more...] about Over 300 killed in magnitude 7.2 quake in Haiti
In Afghanistan, the US again gets to choose how it stops fighting
The U.S. military is handing the keys over to Afghan forces. Joe Marek/U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Thomas Alan Schwartz, Vanderbilt University As headlines proclaim the “end” of “America’s longest war,” President Joe Biden’s withdrawal of the remaining U.S. military personnel from Afghanistan is being covered by some in the news media as though it … [Read more...] about In Afghanistan, the US again gets to choose how it stops fighting
Afghanistan: A Grim Update (Updated)
UPDATE: From Defense One: U.S. Air Force cargo planes and contracted aircraft are headed to Afghanistan to evacuate potentially thousands of Americans and Afghans per day as the Taliban advances on Kabul, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Friday. On Thursday the Taliban took Afghanistan’s second largest city, Kandahar, and advances by Taliban fighters have put … [Read more...] about Afghanistan: A Grim Update (Updated)
Kabul evacuations — echoes of US exit from Saigon?
Published by AFPWashington (AFP) - Thousands of American soldiers being sent to Afghanistan to evacuate embassy staff from Kabul as the Taliban push towards the city has revived painful US memories of the fall of Saigon. A photo that immortalized America's defeat in Vietnam, showing evacuees boarding a helicopter on the roof of a building, spread fast on social networks after … [Read more...] about Kabul evacuations — echoes of US exit from Saigon?
A Memory From 61 Years Ago
(A few days ago, our editor-in-chief posted a great piece about a memory from 47 years ago. Being a few years older, it is no problem to outdo him --in terms of years -- with a memory from 61 years ago. Here it is) When I first met her, she worked as a hairdresser at U.S. Air Force (USAF) Base South Ruislip (in South Ruislip), and it was love at first sight. She lived in … [Read more...] about A Memory From 61 Years Ago
California becomes first state to order teachers to get COVID vaccine or test
Published by ReutersBy Lisa Shumaker and Peter Szekely (Reuters) -California on Wednesday became the first U.S. state to require that its teachers and other school staff be vaccinated or regularly tested for COVID-19, a move Governor Gavin Newsom called "a responsible step" to ensure the safety of children. The move comes as Texas Governor Greg Abbott's statewide ban on mask … [Read more...] about California becomes first state to order teachers to get COVID vaccine or test
Satire: Updating Famous Quotations
By Laurie Baron, Ph.D “Those who forget their history are condemned to ignore race as a factor in it.” George Santayana “The great questions of the day will not be settled by means of speeches and majority decisions but by blocking anything political rivals propose with filibusters.” Otto Von Bismarck “I cannot tell a lie. That’s why I could never run for president … [Read more...] about Satire: Updating Famous Quotations
PLAYING DOCTOR (Cartoon)
DeSantis’ Executive Order Is Misleading About Lack of Scientific Support for Masking in Schools
Published by Kaiser Health NewsThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recent guidance on students and masking “lacks a well-grounded scientific justification.” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in a July 30 executive order On July 30, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order stating that schools couldn’t mandate that their students wear masks, and that it should be … [Read more...] about DeSantis’ Executive Order Is Misleading About Lack of Scientific Support for Masking in Schools
Factbox-Cuomo’s replacement Kathy Hochul to become New York’s first female governor
Published by Reuters(Reuters) - Andrew Cuomo's resignation as governor of New York after a series of sexual misconduct accusations has turned a spotlight on his lieutenant governor, Kathy Hochul, who will become the first woman to lead the state in its 233-year history. Hochul, a former Democratic congresswoman who has served as lieutenant governor since 2015, will take over … [Read more...] about Factbox-Cuomo’s replacement Kathy Hochul to become New York’s first female governor
U.S. Senate passes bipartisan $1 trillion infrastructure bill
Published by ReutersBy Richard Cowan and David Morgan WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Senate on Tuesday passed a $1 trillion infrastructure package that is a top priority for U.S. President Joe Biden, a bipartisan victory for the White House that could provide the nation's biggest investment in decades in roads, bridges, airports and waterways. The vote was 69-30 in the 100-seat … [Read more...] about U.S. Senate passes bipartisan $1 trillion infrastructure bill
New York Governor Cuomo resigns after sexual harassment findings
Published by ReutersBy Jonathan Allen NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York Governor Andrew Cuomo resigned on Tuesday following an inquiry that found he sexually harassed 11 women, mounting legal pressure and demands for his departure by President Joe Biden and others, a startling downfall for a man once seen as a possible U.S. presidential contender. Cuomo, a Democrat who had served … [Read more...] about New York Governor Cuomo resigns after sexual harassment findings
Tulsa 1921 Revisited
During the Jim Crow era in the United States, stretching from the end of Reconstruction through World War II, lynchings were common in the South, analysts believing they averaged about three per week. However, there were also a number of massacres of multiple Blacks by whites occurring for various reasons. Envy of Black entrepreneurs and shopkeepers by poor whites was one of … [Read more...] about Tulsa 1921 Revisited