Mike Johnson, US Speaker of the House
elected speaker Wednesday by the full House on a first vote. Johnson, a relatively unknown, staunchly conservative Republican, succeeds Rep. Kevin McCarthy -- wapo.com
Current Events
News and commentary
Who or what are ‘the Palestinians?’ (article)
"The 'Palestinians' that we know and love today were an invention of the KGB and their puppet Yasser Arafat, an educated, middle-class Arab of Egyptian origin who devoted his life to murderous anti-American mischief" -- thespectator.com
Hamas Attack (October 7, 2023)
The attack began in the early morning with a rocket barrage of at least 3,000 missiles against Israel... Palestinian militants breached the Gaza–Israel barrier, attacking military bases and killing civilians -- wikipedia
Israel's decision to declare war on Hamas
Request: Is it in the highest good?
Kevin McCarthy removed as Speaker of the House
McCarthy was removed from his short-lived speakership by a narrow 216-210 vote on Tuesday, with eight Republicans joining all Democrats in voting in favor of the motion to vacate that was introduced late Monday by U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla.
Percent of school shootings attributable to anti-depressant side-effects
According to multiple sources, there is no evidence of a direct link between school shootings and antidepressants. However, studies suggest that a minority of school shooters were prescribed medication prior to committing their crimes -- usatoday.com
Russell Brand rape accusations
Priority request. "Russell Brand has been accused of rape, sexual assaults and emotional abuse during a seven-year period at the height of his fame" -- thetimes.co.uk
T/F: the Lahaina, Maui fire was intentionally started
“The bottom line of all this is the last nine years are the warmest on record,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said. “And folks, Mother Nature is sending us a message — and that message is we better act now before it's too late to save our planet.” -- cnn
T/F: there was foul play in the death of Barack Obama's chef
Tafari Campbell, known to be a strong swimmer, was reported by a paddle boarding companion to have drowned. His body was recovered 14 hours after the incident was reported to police -- dailymail.co.uk
What of the cocaine found at the White House?
The substance was found near the ground floor entrance to the West Wing... The location is where staff-led tours of the White House pass through on their way into the building -- cnn
Yevgeny Prigozhin (Russian oligarch)
Wagner group mercenary chief, and a close confidant of Russian president Vladimir Putin until launching an alleged coup -- wikipedia
T/F: Jeffrey Epstein was murdered
A Rasmussen Reports poll conducted shortly after his death in August 2019 found that only 29% of U.S. adults believed Epstein actually committed suicide, while 42% thought he was murdered to prevent him from testifying against powerful people with whom he associated -- wikipedia
Bud Light's brand
The brand is not perceived as being worth the money. In fact, they can't even give it away for free.
Mexican drug cartels
Currently, the US is considering legislation to designate Mexican drug cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO). Doing so would authorize US military involvement directly in Mexico, among other repercussions. Is it a good idea?
G7 leadership
Compared with the average calibration of the population for each G7 country.