Charles Krauthammer, the beloved and brilliant Fox News Channel personality who gave up a pioneering career in psychiatry to become a Pulitzer Prize-winning political analyst, on Friday revealed the heartbreaking news that he is in the final stages of a losing battle with cancer.
The 68-year-old's incisive takes on politics of the day have been missing from Fox News Channel's "Special Report" for nearly a year as he battled an abdominal tumor and subsequent complications, but colleagues and viewers alike had held out hope that he would return to the evening show he helped establish as must-viewing. But in an eloquent, yet unblinking letter to co-workers, friends and Fox News Channel viewers, Krauthammer disclosed that he has just weeks to live.
"I have been uncharacteristically silent these past ten months," the letter began. "I had thought that silence would soon be coming to an end, but I'm afraid I must tell you now that fate has decided on a different course for me." Letter at the link
[Dhaka Tribune] Dangerous flows of lava, ash and toxic gases poured down several canyons below the crater of Guatemala's Fuego volcano on Friday, prompting a new round of evacuations of rescue workers and nearby villages.
At least 109 people have already died in a series of eruptions that began with a massive blast on Sunday and since then have showered ash over a vast area, spewing deadly, fast-moving pyroclastic flows.
In two of the canyons where flows have accumulated, columns of ash rose as high as 19,700 feet (6,000 meters), according to a Friday morning statement from Guatemala's volcanic institute.
"The (flows) carry hot vapor, including fine particles similar to cement, two- to three-meter diameter rocks and tree trunks dragged out by the current," the statement added.
The flows sparked panic among rescue workers still in the area, as well as volunteers and police.
Search and rescue efforts were formally suspended on Thursday due to hazardous conditions, though authorities said they could resume if the situation improves.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/09/2018 00:00 ||
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[SWAZIMEDIA.BLOGSPOT] In the week that King Mswati III the absolute monarch of Swaziland / Eswatini received dining room and lounge furniture made of gold as birthday gifts it is reported that children collapsed with hunger in their school because the government had not paid for food for them.
The kingdom had previously been warned to expect children to starve because the Swazi Government had not paid its suppliers for the food that is distributed free of charge at schools. The shortage is reported to be widespread across the kingdom.
The Times of Swaziland, reported on Thursday (7 June 2018) that at least eight children had collapsed through hunger at of KaKholwane Primary School.
It reported the school’s headteacher Smangele Mtsefwa, saying it was because of a lack of food at the school.
The Times reported, ’Yesterday morning, she said a Grade II pupil soiled herself after she experienced severe stomach cramps due to hunger, while others bled through their nostrils.’
The newspaper added, ’In most cases, she said pupils complained of hunger, adding that they had gone without a meal for two days.’
The Times reported, ’Mtsefwa said those in lower grades were more prone to falling ill, while pupils in the senior classes slept on their desks.’
’She said the school kitchen had been locked since the beginning of the term and they were not preparing any meals for the pupils.’
On Monday King Mswati received gifts of furniture made of gold and at lest E15 million (US$1.2 million) in cheques to mark his 50th birthday that fell on 19 April 2018. On that day he wore a watch worth US$1.6 million and a suit weighing 6 kg studded with diamonds. Days earlier he had taken delivery of his second private jet. This one, an Airbus A340, cost US$13.2 to purchase but with VIP upgrades was estimated to have cost US$30 million.
Meanwhile, ...back at the precinct house, Don Calamari's lawyer was getting even redder in the face... seven in ten of the 1.1 million population live in abject poverty with incomes less than the equivalent of US$2 per day. The global charity Oxfam named Swaziland as the most unequal country in the world in a report that detailed the differences in countries between the top most earners and those at the bottom.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/09/2018 00:00 ||
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#1
Paul Kruger ate from blue and white table settings and sometimes from tins. He however has long since been replaced by the Albion masters of regime change.
[All Africa] Former President Mugabe's son-in-law Simba Chikore was yesterday picked up for questioning by police on allegations of kidnapping his lawyer following an argument over a labour dispute. Police yesterday said they recorded a warned and cautioned statement from Chikore at Highlands Police Station.
"He was picked up today (yesterday) and a warned and cautioned statement was recorded following a report by his lawyer for kidnapping," she said.
She said by last night Chikore was still assisting police with investigations at Highlands Police Station who were still gathering details of the case.
Snr Asst Comm Charamba said information they had gathered so far was that Chikore was having labour disputes with his lawyer.
Details were by last night still sketchy and police said they would only be able to issue a comprehensive statement on the case today.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/09/2018 00:00 ||
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[PUNCHNG] Ibrahim Abiriga, a leading politician from Uganda’s ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party, was rubbed out Friday along with his bodyguard, police said.
Abiriga, known for wearing all-yellow suits and driving around in a yellow VW Beetle ‐ the colour of President Yoweri Museveni ...President-for-Life of Uganda. He assumed office in 1985. His primary virtue is being prefereable to both his predecessors, Idi Amin and Milton Obote... ’s NRM party ‐ was "assassinated this evening near his home in Kawanda," north of the capital, Kampala, by "unknown assailants," police chief Okoth Ochola tweeted.
Abiriga, 62, was MP for the Arua municipality in the north west of the country. He was a also a key supporter of a reform bill adopted last December to scrap the presidential age limit of 75 years.
The move was seen as a bid to pave the way for Museveni ‐ who has been president since 1986 and is currently 73 ‐ to seek a sixth term in power.
As part of the mooted reform, the number of terms a president can serve would be limited to just two. But that part of the reform would only come into effect after the next election, meaning Museveni could run for two more terms.
Museveni responded to the news of Abiriga’s murder on Twitter, saying: "I have received news about the senseless killing of Arua Municipality MP, Hon Ibrahim Abiriga, and his bodyguard on the city’s outskirts.
"I have tasked security agencies to expeditiously find these killers and the nation will be updated soon. May Hon Abiriga’s soul rest in peace."
Museveni, a veteran former rebel leader who seized power in 1986, ending years of brutal and murderous rule under Idi Amin and Milton Obote, once said leaders who "overstayed" in power were the root of Africa’s problems.
However, a woman is only as old as she admits... he successfully changed the constitution in 2005 abolishing a two-term limit, and has since gone back and forth on the age requirement.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/09/2018 00:00 ||
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#1
Abiriga, 62, was MP for the Arua municipality in the north west of the country
He's term-limited now
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/09/2018 9:55 Comments ||
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Posted by: Matt ||
06/09/2018 12:41 Comments ||
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#3
I am NOT going to unblock ads for WAPO. It is, however, astonishing that some of these contractors could be so stupid. Anybody who knows anything at all about IT knows the Chinese are out to hack any unprotected server. Ineffective countermeasures, or no countermeasures at all, are not acceptable. And why do we continue to kid ourselves about the Chinese? They are not our friends.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
06/09/2018 12:56 Comments ||
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[AnNahar] The US State Department has evacuated more staff from China over fears they may have been hit by a mysterious illness that has struck other colleagues in the Asian country and Cuba.
The department said Wednesday that "a number of individuals" were sent to the United States for further evaluation following initial medical screenings.
A medical team was sent to the southern city of Guangzhou after an American employee who had experienced strange sounds was diagnosed with brain trauma last month, reviving fears that US rival has developed some kind of acoustic or microwave device.
US officials have said that the employee's symptoms were consistent with the ailments that US diplomats experienced in Cuba last year.
After the first incident in Guangzhou, medical tests were offered to US babus government employees and family members who requested them, the State Department said.
"The medical screenings are ongoing for any personnel who have noted concerning symptoms or wanted baseline screening," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement.
"US medical professionals will continue to conduct full evaluations to determine the cause of the reported symptoms and whether the findings are consistent with those noted in previously affected government personnel or possibly completely unrelated."
Last year, 24 US diplomats and their family members in Cuba fell victim to mysterious "attacks" that left them with injuries resembling brain trauma. Ten Canadian diplomats and their relatives also suffered a strange illness.
Washington has said in the past that Cuban authorities must take responsibility for the safety of US diplomats on their soil, but the Havana government denies any knowledge of an attack.
The US has set up a task force to oversee the response to the mystery ailments among diplomats in China and Cuba, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday.
The State Department has warned that US diplomats should alert their mission's medical staff "if they note new onset of symptoms that may have begun in association with experiencing unidentified auditory sensations."
"Reported symptoms have included dizziness, headaches, tinnitus, fatigue, cognitive issues, visual problems, ear complaints and hearing loss, and difficulty sleeping," the statement said.
The cases come at a sensitive time in relations between the United States and China, with the two nations mired in negotiations aimed at prevening a trade war and exchanging heated rhetoric over Beijing's claims to the South China Sea.
The Chinese foreign ministry said Thursday that its investigation into the first case has not yielded any clues as to the cause of the incident.
"As for the latest incident, my understanding is that the US side hasn't had any formal communication with the Chinese side about it," foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a regular press briefing.
Hua said Beijing learned about the latest cases through a report in The New York Times
...which still proudly displays Walter Duranty's Pulitzer prize... "I think that if there is any problem, the US can communicate with the Chinese side, and China will continue to adopt a responsible attitude and conduct a serious investigation," she said.
#5
Not exactly new: In the nineteen eighties there were reports that US diplomats in the embassy-Moscow were bombarded. Some dips became sick, and I believe the USSR was threatened with reprisals.
[Breitbart] Spenser Rapone — the Army soldier who became notorious after a picture of him in his West Point uniform holding a “Communism Will Win” sign went viral — was discharged from the Army this month, according to social media postings.
This article starring:
Spenser Rapone
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
06/09/2018 00:00 ||
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#1
Wonder if they're going to put a collection on his future earnings for failure to complete the contract? Well, he'll be a 'military' expert for CNN. It's a shoe in. He has an infinite amount of experience than any journalism grad.
#6
Search the archives and ye shall find the answer — I added the archive link to Mr. Rapone’s name in the article, above. A comment to one of the articles, about Mr. Rapone’s West Point mentor being suspended, had a link to this:
Many thanks, Victor Emmanuel Ebbaise1246, for having added your bit to our collective knowledge.
There was also a post last October which pointed out that West Point had been officially informed about our merry miscreant’s attitudes, to whit (can’t have too many links in a comment or Fred’s spam filters won’t let it post):
Army Lieutenant Colonel Robert Heffington, an Academy history professor in 2015, had issued a sworn affidavit alerting senior USMA command about Rapone.
And thank goodness we now have a president who is the opposite of his Long-March-requiring predecessor in every way.
#7
I commend young Rapone's initiative on his totally genius one-man plan to infiltrate the Army, but taking selfies saying "Communism is going to win" is bad OPSEC. Also, Communism is stupid.
Posted by: Tom ||
06/09/2018 13:30 Comments ||
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#9
...the Chinese seemed to have figured that one out. Keep the pomp and circumstance, but make a dollar yen! Clowns like him have no problem with "Make China Great Again!".
[IsraelTimes] The Jewish community of The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire.... hosted an iftar dinner marking the end of the day’s Ramadan fast in northwestern Turkey.
About 1,100 people attended the dinner, the Daily Sabah reported. The dinner sponsored by members of the Jewish community of Turkey and the Chief Rabbi Foundation was held Monday night in the Edirne province near the landmark Selimiye Mosque, according to the report.
Edirne Governor Gunay Özdemir called the dinner an example of how people from different faiths can live together in peace.
It is the fourth year that a Jewish-sponsored interfaith iftar dinner has taken place in the province.
[DAWN] There’s a new BlackBerry smartphone, the latest effort to revive the once-dominant brand.
The BlackBerry Key2 was unveiled on Thursday in New York by TCL Communication, the Chinese manufacturer which took over the rights to the smartphone brand from the Canadian tech firm in 2016.
The new device, which includes a physical keyboard under a 4.5 inch screen and runs the Android operating system updates the first BlackBerry Key released last year.
It will be sold this month starting at $649 or 649 euros, according to the company.
"Although there are many different smartphones for consumers to choose from today, most tend to offer very similar experiences without much distinction from one to the next," said Alain Lejeune, head of TCL’s BlackBerry Mobile division.
"With the introduction of BlackBerry Key2, we’ve created a distinct smartphone that captures all the traits that have made BlackBerry smartphones iconic, while introducing new innovations and experiences that not only make this one of the best devices for security and privacy, but also the most advanced BlackBerry smartphone ever."
Posted by: Fred ||
06/09/2018 00:00 ||
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[Legal Insurrection]"Performance Issues"
One of the plaintiffs in the President Trump Twitter "block" case has been let go from his gig at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Eugene Gu had been on paid leave since posting a picture on Twitter of himself kneeling with a raised fist ‐ in protest against "white supremacy" ‐ and the mother of a patient under his care had complained.
According to The (Duke) Chronicle, the VUMC cited "performance issues" in its decision not renew Gu's contract.
A letter to Gu from VUMC General Counsel Michael Regier cites his "lack of sufficient improvement in performance and conduct in key areas" and notes "the most ‘significant areas of concern were ‘patient care, communication, and medical knowledge.'"
Gu alleges he dealt with a hostile work environment after VUMC "pinned" a tweet of its response to The Chronicle's investigation into the kneeling incident. Get woke, go broke
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/09/2018 11:25 ||
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#1
Trump blocks trolls fro his Tritter account. Judge decides Twitter is a public forum and must allow everyone.
Tritter blocks conservatives. Judges decide Twitter is a private company that can do what it likes.
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
06/09/2018 21:48 Comments ||
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#3
The technology is a step up. It gives trillions of people a public soap box to stand on.
Unfortunately, these companies get bought out by control freaks or are owned by over the night success people who suddenly find themselves in the spot light of those who want to control info to trillions of users. Then they become noodle spined and cave to the left.
Actor Robert De Niro used a recent high school awards ceremony to warn students that President Donald Trump is "spreading bullshit."
"The one characteristic that comes through all of your work that I read, and that is the same quality of everything that Jimmy Breslin wrote, is the truth," De Niro said this week during an awards ceremony for student recipients of the Rosemary Breslin ’American Writer Award’ in New York.
"Our country is led by a president who believes he can make up his own truth. And we have a word for that ‐ bullshit," he continued. "So what about the truth? What does the truth even mean today? I mean, if you’re Donald Trump it doesn’t mean anything."
According to Page Six, De Niro’s comments were received with a loud round of applause.
#6
Good at reading words somebody else wrote for him - at least he used to be in the 1980's
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/09/2018 9:09 Comments ||
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#7
warn students that President Donald Trump is "spreading bullshit."
A compelling argument, and so eloquently reasoned. But more convincing if it didn't come from someone whose main talent seems to be playing dress-up and pretending to be someone else.
#2
...I'm not sure if I have confidence that the Army is investigating the living daylights out of everybody who ever so much as said 'Good Morning' to him. He wasn't alone in this, and I fear it's not the last.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
06/09/2018 6:52 Comments ||
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#3
Well, the army never 'investigated' MAJ Nidal Hasan until it was much too late.
#6
As he was at West Point under 'less than honorable' circumstances (couldn't possibly be planning to defend the Constitution) then it's fitting. I am curious as to who his sponsor was...
Posted by: ed in texas ||
06/09/2018 9:12 Comments ||
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#7
A failure of the Honor System if this wasn't sniffed out earlier. It seems odd that his roommates, classmates, or teachers were all totally unaware of his antics.
#11
The former Democratic congressman who nominated communist 2nd Lt. Spenser Rapone to West Point is now disavowing Rapone’s recent comments, which range from attacks on Secretary of Defense James Mattis to calls for political violence.
Former Democratic Rep. Jason Altmire of Pennsylvania told The Daily Caller News Foundation that Rapone’s long history of extremist tweets, which include calling Mattis an “evil, vile f****,” is shocking, disappointing and abhorrent.
“Several years ago, I met Spenser Rapone when he was a high school student seeking an appointment to West Point,” Altmire said. “At the time, he was an outstanding, well-rounded student who came from a good family. I have not been in touch with him in the years since the appointment, and I was shocked and extremely disappointed in the recent reports of his indefensible actions.”
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/09/2018 10:21 Comments ||
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#12
who his sponsor was...
My recollection is - one or two of his West Point instructors
Another old-money spoiled brat. Lucky for him he got booted out. In combat, things happen, ya know. Likely he was an up and coming recipient of a "friendly fire" incident.
Posted by: Albert Gray3362 ||
06/09/2018 12:48 Comments ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
President-for-Life of Uganda. He assumed office in 1985. His primary virtue is being prefereable to both his predecessors, Idi Amin and Milton Obote...
[DAWN] There’s a new BlackBerry smartphone, the latest effort to revive the once-dominant brand.
