Today’s edition of quick hits.
Today’s edition of quick hits:
* I think he’s right: “The general who ran the U. S. military relief operation after Hurricane Katrina is among the chorus of critics who now say the delay in getting the U. S. military to Puerto Rico is at the heart of the island’s unfolding humanitarian crisis.”
* This requires some follow-up: “Despite the widespread damage to Puerto Rico’s infrastructure inflicted by Hurricane Maria, the federal government is making no promises to fix it.”
* A bizarre story: “The United States is pulling more than half its diplomatic personnel out of Cuba and warning Americans not to visit in response to mysterious sonic incidents that sickened 21 embassy staffers and their families. ‘Some very bad things happened in Cuba,’ President Donald Trump said after the announcement by the State Department on Friday.”
* Word choice matters: “The mayor of Puerto Rico’s capital sharply criticized a senior Trump administration official Friday for calling the government’s disaster response ‘a good-news story,’ comments that came amid mounting criticism of the federal reaction to the disaster here.”
* A message America needs to hear: “The head of the Air Force Academy gathered 5,500 cadets, faculty, staff and cadet candidates Thursday to deliver a powerful message after racial slurs were found written on message boards at the academy’s preparatory school. ‘If you can’t treat someone with dignity and respect, then get out,’ Lt. Gen. Jay Silveria told the group at the culmination of a forceful five-minute lecture on the ‘power of diversity.’”
* Interesting story out of Illinois, where Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner “signed legislation Thursday allowing state health insurance and Medicaid coverage for abortions, ending months of speculation after the Republican reversed his stance on the issue last spring…. The proposal would allow abortions funded by state employee health insurance and Medicaid.”
* Will anyone take this seriously? “The White House has launched an internal probe of private email use, pulling batches of emails on the White House server to and from private accounts of senior aides, according to four officials familiar with the matter.”
* One of the year’s easiest confirmations: “The U. S. Senate confirmed former Utah governor Jon Huntsman on Thursday to be President Donald Trump’s ambassador to Russia, sending an experienced diplomat to fill the crucial post in Moscow.”
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
