NEWS OF THE DAY

So what's happening today?

• Jeopardy will again search for a host, as Mike Richards resigned, still keeping his job as executive producer, but probably only for a short while.  There are signs that he also manipulated the system to optimize his chances.
• Back in 2013-4, on The Randumb Show podcast, he demeaned women, homeless and others.
• You will actually be able to see him host on September 13 when Jeopardy returns.
• 
  What about Mayim Bialik, who was selected to host the prime time specials?  She too is in jeopardy for her statements about vaccine doubt.
• Ken Jennings seems now more likely to replace Trebeck, although Levar Burton's name keeps coming up.

• 
  As of a few hours ago, here is a summary of our Afghanistan debacle:

• 
  5800 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, but all will be out by August 31.  Sure.
• 17,000 people evacuated this past week and 3800 in the last 24 hours, using six C-17 military transports and 32 charter planes.  Previously, 5,000 had already left.
• As Qatar was getting filled-up with Afghans, some are beginning to be shuttled off to Germany, plus a few planes directly flew to Dulles, DC, with processing at Fort Bliss. 
• There remains a crisis for Americans still in Afghanistan, as there is uncertainly about safely getting to the airport.
• 
  Who are the Taliban?
• Formed in 1994 of former Afghan resistance fighters against Soviet forces in the 1980's and known as the Mujahedeen.
• Their aim was to re-impose Islamic law and remove foreign influence.
• When they previously captured Kabul in 1996:
• Women had to wear head-to-toe coverings and were not allowed to study, work or travel alone.
• TV and music were banned.
• 
  Allowed al Qaeda and their leader, Osama bin Laden, to operate inside Afghanistan.
• During the past 20 years they were the ones fighting the U.S. military and Afghan government.

• 
  Current leader is Mawlawi Haibatullah Akhundzada, a religious cleric who helped found the group.  He replaced Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour, who was killed by a U.S. airstrike in Pakistan in 2016.

• 
  Another key Taliban leader is Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, a co-founder, who was once a prisoner, but was released in 2013.  He was the one who recently met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.  Yes, China appears now to be the new Russian and U.S., but in a peaceful way.

• 
  While many question their true intent, the current Taliban has promised a peace process and add some rights for women, including schooling into higher education.  Journalists and non-profits could continue operating in the country.  They want to improve the economy, and China appears ready to be of some assistance.
• About their current campaign to kill friends of America?  Will probably continue.
• 
  How much has the 20-year war in Afghanistan cost the USA?
• $300 million/day.
• $50,000 for each of the 40 million population.
• $2.26 trillion, the current net worths of Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Bill Gates and the 30 richest American billionaires, combined.
• We'll continue to pay after we leave, for just the interest on that sum by 2050 will reach a debt of $6.5 trillion...or $20,000 for each U.S. citizen.
• 
  Remember Olivia Troye, that top aide to then VP Mike Pence?  She was the one who resigned regarding the incompetence of the Trump Administration in handling this current pandemic and went on to support Joe Biden.  Well, it turns out that her dual job was as homeland security / counterterrorism and coronavirus advisor.  She just surfaced again, blaming Stephen Miller of the Trump team for purposefully preventing saving Afghan allies from coming to the U.S., screwing up the process, which continues today

• 
  Another female nemesis of Donald Trump, Mary Trump, just released her second book, The Reckoning--America's Trauma and Finding a Way to Heal.  Her first book, Too Much and Never Enough, sold more than 1.35 copies in its first week, leading to her lawsuit against Trump and his family, an action that remains pending.  Essentially she writes about our current cold civil war, and who is behind this all.

• 
  Then we have Hurricane Henri:
• Residents of Long Island and New England are preparing for their first direct hurricane hit in 30 years, to come on Sunday.  That was Hurricane Gloria.
• It's still uncertain exactly where Henri will make landfall, although the further west to New York City would mean a higher intensity.

• 
  Weather Underground has Henri's track over Long Island, then just east of Brookhaven and New Haven, over Hartford, then almost a right turn towards Concord.
• High winds, lots of rain, power outages, floods, tornadoes, subway closures and cancellation of all sporting events, as the Northern Trust golf tournament final round has already been moved to Monday, and maybe even to Tuesday.
• 
  Many old-timers were unfazed, for their attitude was that they regularly survive nor'easters.
• The WE LOVE NEW YORK CITY once-in-a-generation concert is still on today (Saturday):

• 
  Watch CNN for a pre-show at 4PM EDT with Anderson Cooper, followed by the full program from 5PM EDT.
• 60,000 fans expected, all (ages 0-11 must show recent result of a negative COVID test) showing proof of vaccination.  As the effectiveness of those vaccines have seriously declined, perhaps proof of a negative test should have been required for all.
• I think Paul Simon will be the first to perform.  After all, this is a homecoming, and he had that Concert in the Park on 15 August 1991, thirty years ago.

I end with Smile, by Nat King Cole.

-