Category Archives: Current Affairs

The UN International Court of Justice will issue its order January 26 on South Africa’s complaint against Israel about genocide in Gaza, Palestine

By Robert Willmann The International Court of Justice (ICJ), part of the United Nations organization, is going to make public a decision and opinion on Friday, 26 January 2024, at 1:00 p.m. Netherlands time (6:00 a.m. central time). The case … Continue reading

Posted in Current Affairs, Israel, Justice, Middle East, Palestine | Tagged , | 116 Comments

HARPER: THE SPEAKER ORDEAL IS OVER… FOR NOW

The House of Representatives finally has a new Speaker after a several week marathon of infighting among Republican factions. It would appear that the principle of exhaustion combined with growing alarm at the public outrage at the dysfunction of the … Continue reading

Posted in Current Affairs, government, Harper, Policy, Politics | 34 Comments

Several Republicans prevented Jim Jordan from becoming Speaker, but the numbers 5 and 33 trillion will not go away

By Robert Willmann Like Mother Nature, mathematics is impartial. Acting like petulant children, several Republican members of the House of Representatives prevented Jim Jordan from becoming Speaker by using the whole number five, or higher, to prevent him from getting … Continue reading

Posted in Current Affairs, government, Policy, Politics | Tagged , , | 21 Comments

A 3-way game of chicken is underway in Congress as Jim Jordan gets 199 votes for Speaker in the second round

By Robert Willmann Sure enough, once again Speaker pro tempore of the U.S. House of Representatives Patrick McHenry put the session in recess on Wednesday, 18 October 2023, without allowing additional rounds of voting, after a second vote for a … Continue reading

Posted in Current Affairs, government, Politics | Tagged , , | 28 Comments

In the first round of voting for Speaker of the House of Representatives, Jim Jordan gets 200 votes but not 217

By Robert Willmann Starting at noon today, the U.S. House of Representatives held a public session to try to elect a new Speaker, after Kevin McCarthy was removed on 3 October 2023 by a vote on a motion to vacate … Continue reading

Posted in Current Affairs, government, Politics | Tagged , , | 26 Comments

US F-16 shoots down Turkish Anka-S drone in Syria

WASHINGTON/ANKARA, Oct 5 (Reuters) – The United States on Thursday shot down an armed Turkish drone that was operating near its troops in Syria, U.S. officials said, the first time Washington has brought down an aircraft of NATO ally Turkey. … Continue reading

Posted in Current Affairs, Syria, TTG, Turkey | 8 Comments

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

CNN — Ethnic Armenian fighters in Nagorno-Karabakh agreed to lay down their arms after Azerbaijan launched a brief but bloody military offensive on Tuesday, handing a boost to Azerbaijan as it seeks to bring the enclave under its control. Whether this … Continue reading

Posted in Current Affairs, Russia, TTG | 19 Comments

Does the U.S. government really not know where an F35 jet is after the pilot ejected?

By Robert Willmann You cannot make this stuff up. Cost estimates vary, but they all amount to millions and millions of dollars per airplane. Since (at least) Sunday, 17 September 2023, a Lockheed Martin F35 military jet is said to … Continue reading

Posted in Current Affairs, government, Media, Policy, Science | Tagged , , | 24 Comments

Officials say 5 prisoners sought by the US in a swap with Iran have flown out of Tehran

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Five prisoners sought by the U.S. in a swap with Iran flew out of Tehran on Monday, officials said, part of a deal that saw nearly $6 billion in Iranian assets unfrozen. Despite the deal, tensions … Continue reading

Posted in Current Affairs, Iran, TTG | 10 Comments

Dog Days of Summer

Let sleeping dogs lie. So the saying goes. And now, in this summer of content, I will do just that. Yet there’s more, that sense of anticipation, of something that needs to Come out! Yes, yes; it is time, long … Continue reading

Posted in Current Affairs, Fred, Gastronomie, Humor, Whatever | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments