The Cartoon that Got a Canadian Artist Fired

Trump Bows to China's Demands in Trade War

The United States will resume sales of products to Huawei Technologies, the Chinese telecom equipment manufacturer, President Donald Trump said in his post-G20 press conference Saturday in Osaka.  The action appears to be a surrender to publicly issued Chinese demands.

In May, Trump's Commerce Department added Huawei, the world’s largest telecom-equipment manufacturer, to its Entity List, which meant that no American company could sell products or technology to Huawei.  

China has been demanding three things as part of a new trade deal:  1) that Huawei be removed from the Entity List; 2) that Trump lift the recently-imposed tariffs; and 3) and end to Washington’s efforts to get China to buy U.S. goods in excess of what was agreed in December 2018.

Even though American companies have been complying with the Entity List prohibition, Intel, Qualcomm, and other chip suppliers have also been lobbying the Trump administration to ease the ban on Huawei.  Trump has claimed that Huawei poses a threat to American national security and has been trying to persuade American allies to not install Huawei equipment  on 5G networks.

In response to a reporter's question at the G-20 conference, Trump's words made it clear that his administration would resume the flow of high-tech American products to the embattled Chinese company.

Trump’s just-announced concession on Huawei mirrors his reprieve of ZTE, another large Chinese telecom-equipment maker. Trump, in what he described as a “personal favor” to Chinese ruler Xi Jinping, removed ZTE from the Entity List back in May.

Trump also admitted at the press conference that he would not be imposing any additional tariffs on Chinese goods. Previously, he had threatened to tariff an additional $325 billion of such products.

These two major concessions represent a major walk-back of threats Trump has been making of late-- and shows the world that China truly has the upper hand in Trump's trade war.

Civil War Redux? Biden Defends "States Rights"

Russian Man Rescued After Being Kept as Food in a Bear Den

A Russian man looking like a living corpse has been rescued from a bear den after he claims the animal broke his back and left him there for a month.

The man, who identified himself only as Alexander, was discovered by hunting dogs in Russia's remote Tuva region, close to the border with Mongolia.

Initially the hunters thought the body had been mummified by the dry air but were stunned to discover that the man was still alive.

 

Shocking photos show how Alexander's face and body were encrusted with dried blood and dirt, his was skin a deathly white color, and his dull eyes were barely able to open. 

t is not clear exactly when Alexander was found, but he has told doctors the attack happened roughly a month ago.

Brown bears have been known to partially or completely bury animals they kill or carrion they find, sometimes waiting for days or weeks before returning to it.
 

Trump's Migrant Horror at the Border Continues

A photo of a dead migrant and his daughter is going viral-- and drawing new attention to the shocking conditions suffered by migrant children at the hands of the Trump administration.

Oscar Martinez who was making $10 a day in El Salvador, dreamt of a better life for his wife Tania and daughter Valerie.  When they reached the U.S. border, Oscar swam with his daughter across the Rio Grande.  They reach the shore safely-- but when he turned to make the trip back to get his wife the little girl panicked, jumping back in the water to stay with her daddy.  Tania Vanessa Ávalos, 21, watched from the shore in horror as Oscar and her 23-month-old baby were swept away by the current.  Their bodies were later found by U.S. authorities.

The shocking photo brings new scrutiny to the cruel and inhuman conditions at Trump's migrant centers, where children and their families held in the Rio Valley face dangerous and overcrowded cells with 'no access to showers or hot food and standing room only.

Department of Homeland Security inspectors are said to have found those detained are using wipes to clean themselves with bologna sandwiches the only food being served to many adults.

Others are said to have banged on windows as officials walked past, trying to show them notes and the length of their beards to prove their time in custody.  According to the report, children have a limited change of clothes while other detainees blocked toilets in order to be released from their cells,.

Conditions at the station in Clint, Texas included inadequate food, lack of medical care, and older children trying to care for toddlers.  In one case, attorneys said a two-year-old boy without a diaper was being watched by older kids. Several had the flu.

Senior Homeland Security managers were quoted as saying the situation is a "ticking time bomb," and another said there was "fear of a revolt."  

The head of U.S. Customs and Border Protection has already said he is stepping down as his agency is under siege over the discovery of dozens of children in filthy conditions at one of its stations in Texas.

Acting Customs and Border Protection Commissioner John Sanders said in a message to employees that he would resign on July 5. He did not give a reason for leaving his job. 

Donald Trump opposes the bill for $4.5 billion in humanitarian aid for the migrant centers, because it doesn't allot any new funding for border agents.

Trump is Accused (Yet Again) of Sexual Assault

Donald Trump has again denied allegations he sexually assaulted a columnist in the 1990s, saying "she's not my type". 

Trump said E. Jean Carroll was "totally lying" about the alleged attack in a New York department store.  "I'll say it with great respect: Number one, she's not my type. Number two, it never happened. It never happened, OK?" Trump said.

The 75-year-old writer made the allegations in the New York magazine.  In a follow-up interview with CNN, the Elle columnist said she would consider pressing charges against Trump.  Carroll is the 16th woman to accuse Trump of sexual misconduct.  Trump has denied all allegations against him.

Carroll says the attack happened at a Bergdorf Goodman store in Manhattan in late 1995 or early 1996, when the pair bumped into each other while shopping.  Trump is said to have asked her for advice when buying lingerie for another woman and jokingly asked her to model it for him.  In the changing rooms, she said Trump lunged at her, pinned her against a wall and forced himself on her.

Carroll, whose "Ask E. Jean" advice column has appeared in Elle magazine since 1993, claims she managed to push him off after a "colossal struggle".

Trump initially tried to deny the charges by saying that he didn't even know Carroll-- a claim later refuted when pictures of the two together appeared in New York magazine.   Trump later accused Carroll of "trying to sell a new book" and "peddling fake news".

Trump made similar denials about another accuser, Jessica Leeds in 2016, when she alleged he groped her on an airplane in the 1980s.

Trump Tarriffs to Hurt Consumers, Not Just Farmers

It’s not just the nation’s farmers who are feeling the negative effects of the tariffs that Donald Trump has imposed on imports from China. The resulting trade war between the two countries cut off one of farmers’ biggest customers. There already have been a record number of bankruptcies for Midwest farmers. Soybean futures have hit the lowest price levels in a decade. Commodity prices for pork and cotton also are spiraling down. But more than just farmers are feeling the pain.

If Trump imposes even more tariffs, as he’s threatened, those added costs will be borne not by China but by U.S. companies and U.S. consumers. Those consumers may be forced to pay higher prices for shoes and clothing at stores like Walmart and Target. Walmart imports 26% of its products from China, while Target imports 34% of its merchandise from China. Others already feeling the pinch are people buying new appliances from manufacturers that rely on imported materials and parts—prices for washing machines already are up 12% because of the tariffs.


When Trump regularly threatens to impose more tariffs on Chinese goods, raise existing tariffs, or impose tariffs on other countries, such as India and Mexico, U.S. businesses can’t plan on future manufacturing with any certainty, so they order fewer supplies. Already, steel production is down, and plants are closing.

The total tariffs would mean that the average family could expect to pay $2,294 more annually for goods, according to a report from Tariffs Hurt the Homeland, a bipartisan campaign against the levies. CNBC compiled a list of common items that are expected to cost consumers more if all of the Trump tariffs go into effect.

Renegade Ethiopian General Fails at a Second Coup Attempt

Ethiopia’s army chief of staff and the regional president of the northern state of Amhara were killed in two related attacks when a Brigadier General Asaminew Tsige tried to seize control of Amhara in an attempted coup, according to the prime minister’s office.

Amhara state president Ambachew Mekonnen and his advisor were shot dead and the state’s attorney general was wounded in Amhara’s capital of Bahir Dar on Saturday evening, according to a statement from the office of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

In a separate attack the same night, Ethiopia’s army Chief of Staff Seare Mekonnen and another retired general were shot dead in Seare’s home in Addis Ababa by his bodyguard. The two attacks were linked, the statement said, without giving details.

Abiy’s office named Amhara state security head General Asaminew Tsige as responsible for the foiled coup.   Asaminew, who is still at large, was released from prison after having served a term for his role in leading a coup attempt in 2009.  More details can be found here.

You Said It!

Freddie Mercury - Time Waits For No One

Cell Phones Can Cause Head Horns??!

A bizarre finding by researchers that sounds like something out of a science fiction plot — people growing horn-like structures on their skulls due to smartphone use — may in fact have a simple explanation: bone spurs.

The study, which was published last year in the journal Scientific Reports, indeed found bony growths on the bases on skulls of around 400 adults, ages 18 to 86. And younger people were found to have larger growths.

The researchers referred to these growths as a “prominent exostosis ... emanating from the external occipital proturbance.” Or, in layman's terms, a bone spur, located at the base of the skull.

The bone spurs identified in the study ranged in size from 10 to 31 millimeters. Some were so big that they could be felt as a lump on the back of the head.

The development of these growths may be attributed to, and explained by, extensive screen-time, the researchers said. Sustained “forward head flexion,” or bending the head down, and poor posture could be the reasons for these physiological changes, they hypothesized.

TThe number of cases of ailments such as “text neck”, “texting thumb”, Dowager’s hump and neck, shoulder and lower back pain resulting from cellphone and computer use in young people has been increasing since the early 2000s.
 

But that doesn't mean these issues are unavoidable. “If people are worried that this is starting to happen, you can work with a physical therapist to learn exercises to strengthen the muscles that help with their posture,” said Dr. David Geier, an orthopedic surgeon.

The study “isn’t going to convince people not to use their phone. But small changes like putting pillows under our laptops and holding the phone or tablet higher up and away from our laps can promote better posture,” Geier added.

“We need to get up and moving. We have got to get people more active for a number of reasons. The sedentary aspect of this is huge and these devices are killing us in that respect.”
 

Now That's An Idea

Land Grabs In South Africa Fuel Viiolence Against Landowners

A South African wine merchant who spoke out against attacks on white farmers was found dead after being shot while dining with family and friends.

Stefan Smit, 62, had been openly critical of the threat of land grabs on his property - a large estate in Stellenbosch, Western Cape - South Africa's most famous wine region.   It was a murder seemingly fueled by a land dispute created when a squat straddling Smit's Louisenhof Estate was set up, expanding into a vast settlement.

The farmer had previously complained about how citizens from a nearby township had begun erecting shacks at the back of his farm, culminating in him getting an injunction to prevent people from encroaching on his space.

Smit was killed when four men entered his vineyard through an unlocked back door and shot him dead. His wife and a family friend managed to survive the attack. 

The same dispute saw the murder of Annette Kennealy, 51, a farmer activist from Limpopo province who was beaten to death with a hammer and iron rod in late May.

South Africa's ruling party, the African National Congress, has denounced the violence against farmers, but farming groups still accuse the party of not doing enough to stop it.  Kennealy's and Smit's murders comes as the government, led by Cyril Ramaphosa, pushes ahead with plans to alter South Africa's constitution to allow land to be seized from farmers without having to compensate them.

Bitterweet Treats

Catholic Church Thinks It Knows Best How to Protect Children

A Rhode Island priest implored his LGBTQ congregants not to leave his church after a bishop's controversial tweet calling for Catholics not to attend or support Pride Month events.

An earlier tweet rom Providence Bishop Thomas J. Tobin warned Catholics that Pride Month events "promote a culture and encourage activities that are contrary to Catholic faith and morals" and added, "They are especially harmful to children."

Celebrities, including actress Mia Farrow, reacted to the tweet, calling Tobin a "hate-filled hypocrite" and tweeting "kids are in far more danger at a catholic church than at a gay pride gathering."

If you ask me, the Catholic Church has a hell of a lot of nerve talking about what's harmful to children.

Bishop Tobin has declined to comment through a church diocese spokesperson, but released a written statement, backtracking from his original tweet..  "I regret that my comments yesterday about Pride Month have turned out to be so controversial in our community, and offensive to some, especially the gay community. That certainly was not my intention, but I understand why a good number of individuals have taken offense."

Joe Lazzerini, the President of Rhode Island Pride, wasn't surprised by the Catholic bishop's lack of support.  "To call us harmful to children was unwelcome and unnecessary and attacks us in a month where we should be celebrating our progress as a community."

Keeping It Real

Bruce Springsteen - Tucson Train

Jessica Biel Joins the Ranks of Anti-Vaxxers

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an environmental activist whose recent work has focused increasingly on baseless allegations that vaccines are unsafe, unexpectedly appeared at the California State Assembly with actress Jessica Biel.  The duo had come to lobby against SB 276, a California state bill that would limit medical exemptions from vaccinations without approval from a state public health officer.

Although rumors circulated in 2015 that Biel and her husband, Justin Timberlake, did not plan to vaccinate their kids, Biel had never publicly commented on the vaccination debate. But Kennedy confirmed that the actress (whose past controversial opinions include insisting it is a “struggle” to get roles because she is too sexy) was “upset about [the vaccination bill] because of its particular cruelty.”

By coming out as an anti-vaxxer, Biel joins the dubious ranks of nut-job celebrities such as Jenny McCarthy, Jenna Elfman, Jim Carrey, Alicia Silverstone, Charlie Sheen, Kirstie Alley, Selma Blair, Rob Schneider, Danny Masterson, Esai Morales, and Juliette Lewis. 

Biel and Kennedy’s primary concern with the bill stems from what they deem bureaucratic “red tape,” which they believe would force kids to receive vaccinations.   But vaccination advocates say that the bill will have minimal impact on those with valid reasons for exemption, citing medical authorities like the bill’s prominent co-sponsors: the California Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, California.

“The children who need medical exemptions will not have a problem getting them if SB 276 becomes law,” said Leah Russin, executive director of Vaccinate California, another co-sponsor of the bill. “People who are on immuno-suppressant drugs will not have a problem getting a medical exemption—and in fact, the people who truly need medical exemptions desperately need everyone else to be vaccinated. That’s why they support this bill. Medical advice should be coming from medical professionals.”

“A Hollywood celebrity and the head of an environmental organization should not have credibility on an issue about how to regulate the medical profession, when an overwhelming number of medical professionals support this bill,” Russin said. “It’s the Jenny McCarthy show all over again.”

China's Latest Attempt to Stifle Free Speech in Hong Kong

Up to a million people marched in Hong Kong earlier this week against a law critics fear could let China target political opponents in the territory.   The controversial extradition bill would allow suspected criminals to be sent to mainland China for trial.

The protest was the largest demonstration in Hong Kong since the territory was handed to China in 1997.  After it ended, clashes erupted between hundreds of demonstrators and police.  Protesters, some wearing surgical masks, tried to break into the Legislative Council complex, throwing crowd control barriers around, and police in riot gear used batons and pepper spray.

Martin Lee QC, a pro-democracy figure and former legislator who helped organize the protests, told reporters, “If we lose this one, Hong Kong is not Hong Kong any more, it’s just another Chinese city.”  Lee went on to say that the government was “saying no to democracy and suppressing human rights and the rule of law”, and that if it did not listen he expected further, perhaps bigger protests.

The march was seen as a major rebuke of Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam, who has pushed for the law to be passed before July.  James To, a veteran Democratic party politician, told the crowd: “[Lam] has to withdraw the bill and resign. The whole of Hong Kong is against her.”

Critics to the bill say those in the former British colony would be exposed to China's deeply flawed justice system, and it would lead to further erosion of the city's judicial independence.   Even though Hong Kong was guaranteed some degree of independence for 50 years after it was returned in 1997, critics see this latest measure as yet another way for mainland China to tighten its grip on the territory.

Critics say that the law will be used to silence Christians and political dissenters-- and that people would be subject to arbitrary detention, unfair trial and torture under China's judicial system.   Hong Kong officials have said  suspects accused of political and religious crimes will not be extradited, but that guarantee is not enshrined in the law itself.

"This is the end game for Hong Kong, it is a matter of life or death. That's why I come," said Rocky Chang, a 59-year-old professor.

"The people's voices are not being heard," 18-year-old student Ivan Wong told reporters. "This bill will not just affect Hong Kong's reputation as an international finance centre, but also our judicial system. That has an impact on my future."

What We Learned from Trump's U.K. Visit

Crimson Tide Returns Endowment In Spite After Alum Speaks His Mind

Hugh Culverhouse is a Miami-based investor who grew up in Alabama. In 2018, he donated $26.5 million to the University of Alabama’s law school—the largest gift in the history of the university. Over the course of a decade, Culverhouse donated an additional $40 million, making him by far the University of Alabama’s greatest patron. In recognition of his generosity, the president of the university renamed the law school after Culverhouse last year and issued a statement of praise for his gifts. My, how things have changed.

On Friday, the University of Alabama’s board of trustees voted to return Culverhouse’s gift and remove his name from the law school after he spoke out against the state’s new constitution-violating abortion law.  The real estate developer had also encouraged businesses to join in a boycott of Alabama over the law that was passed with the explicit intent of attempting to overturn Roe v. Wade. 

Culverhouse responded with a statement that the action by the UA trustees was not unexpected, and he encouraged students to "reconsider their educational options in Alabama."

In a Washington Post editorial, Culverhouse said, “My love for Alabama is exactly why I was so horrified to watch its lawmakers trample over the Constitution last month. The ban on abortion they passed wasn’t just an attack against women, it was an affront to the rule of law itself. Part of being an American is engaging in public debate, and we can disagree over this issue. But the courts settled this matter a long time ago: Abortion is legal. So it was shocking to see legislators ignore this and pass a bill that turned women and health professionals into criminals, and it felt important to say so publicly.”

But the punishment that Culverhouse is getting for this is … no punishment at all. He’s getting his money back. The people being punished are the University of Alabama students who are being deprived of the facilities and staff that money would have supported; the students who will now have to open their own wallets, or take out more loans, to make up the difference.

And those law school students are also getting an explicit lesson—in Alabama, the First Amendment is less important than the war to take away rights from women.

Deal on Mexico Tariffs: Trump Lies to Make Phony Issue Go Away

Donald Trump crowed on Twitter Saturday that the new deal with Mexico involves an agreement to “immediately” begin buying “large quantities” of U.S. farm products.  Trump’s tweet stumped most folks, who were confused that the deal suddenly seemed to revolve around farm products instead of efforts to stem immigration to the U.S.

But the problem is that there’s nothing about purchase of farm products in the “joint declaration” on the agreement issued by the State Department and Mexico. Three Mexican officials with knowledge of the deliberations also said that they’re unaware of any such agreement--  going so far to say that the issue was not even raised during negotiations.

Furthermore, Mexico has no “state-owned” conglomerate that could quickly buy up vast new stores of U.S. agricultural products-- which seems to be the scenario that Trump was envisioning.  Mexico's purchases of U.S. agricultural products would depend on buyer demand, just as they have all along.

In addition, tariffs imposed on another countries products by the U.S. are not paid to the U.S. by that country. They are paid by importers and the costs are absorbed by America companies and consumers. Trump has often repeated his lie about how tariffs work, despite corrections by the media and his own officials.

So a final word about what was in the agreement.  The New York Times reported that much of what was outlined in the joint declaration concerning Mexico’s efforts to stem the number of immigrants heading to the U.S. border was already promised by Mexico over the past several months-- and was not in response to Trump’s threat to impost tariffs on Mexican products.

So basically, another lie from Trump in order to make a manufactured issue disappear.  Nothing going on-- time for everyone to move along.

Calling the Pope a Liar

Email correspondence shows disgraced ex-Cardinal Theoore McCarrick was place under Vatican restrictions in 2008 for having sex with seminarians, but he regularly flouted those sanctions with the apparent knowledge of Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. 

The emails, released last week by a former aide, make it clear that retired Washington Cardinal Donald Wuerl knew about the restrictions, despite claims of ignorance after the McCarrick scandal exploded last year.  Pope Francis defrocked McCarrick earlier this year after a church investigation confirmed that McCarrick sexually abused minors and adults.

The existence of prior Vatican sanctions on McCarrick has been the subject of debate ever since a retired Vatican diplomat accused Pope Francis of rehabilitating McCarrick from the restrictions in 2013 despite knowing of his behavior.

Pope Francis initially denied knowing anything about McCarrick's prior history of sexual abuse.  But as the secret emails were being made public, the Vatican communications office updated Vatican records-- which (in the new version) say that Francis did not remember having been told of McCarrick's past behavior in 2013.  Pope Francis' critics accused the Vatican of trying to re-write the official version of the events in order to deflect criticism away from the Pope.  

Most vocal among those critics is retired Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, who claims that Pope Francis removed the sanctions against McCarrick and made McCarrick "his trusted counselor," even though Francis knew from 2013 that McCarrick was a serial predator. "He knew that he was a corrupt man, he covered for him to the bitter end," said  Viganò.

In a letter containing these allegations, Viganò called on Francis and all others who covered up McCarrick's conduct to resign.  Viganò stated, "In this extremely dramatic moment for the universal church, he [Pope Francis] must acknowledge his mistakes and, in keeping with the proclaimed principle of zero tolerance, Pope Francis must be the first to set a good example to cardinals and bishops who covered up McCarrick’s abuses and resign along with all of them... We must tear down the conspiracy of silence with which bishops and priests have protected themselves at the expense of their faithful, a conspiracy of silence that in the eyes of the world risks making the church look like a sect, a conspiracy of silence not so dissimilar from the one that prevails in the mafia."

Chainsmokers feat Bebe Rexha - Call You Mine

Young British Royals Deny Trump What He Wants the Most

As Donald Trump appeared at a news conference this week where he (yet again) was exposed for being uninformed on most topics (including Brexit), there now comes reports that Trump is most obsessed  with his reputation among the British royal family.

Prince Harry and his brother Prince William have successfully denied Donald Trump the opportunity of appearing in a photo with either of them or their glamorous and popular wives during his state visit to the UK, which would have been invaluable PR for Trump's 2020 re-election campaign, after the president used the word “nasty” while discussing Harry’s wife, Meghan Markle.  Trump subsequently attempted to deny having said Meghan herself was “nasty,” despite being clearly heard using the word on a audio recording.

Prince Harry is thought to have been angered by the undiplomatic remarks, and although he did not pull out of a scheduled private luncheon with Trump and his family, he had a face like thunder when he was pictured shortly afterward arriving at an exhibition of American artifacts in the Royal Collection.   Harry is seen to be escorting Trump’s daughter Ivanka-- however, when the prince appeared to realize the walkthrough of the exhibit was being filmed, he quickly ducked out of the event.

Much to his chagrin, Trump has been left unable to complain or demand a photo call with Harry or William, as Trjump has been given several moments with the queen and Prince Charles, who significantly outrank Harry (who is therefore not obligated to take part in state occasions).

More pointedly, Trump’s cold-shouldering by William and Kate is arguably a more provocative move on the part of the young royals.  As second in line to the throne, it could be argued that William (along with his wife) do have a responsibility to greet Trump one-on-one in front of the cameras, but so far they have studiously avoided doing so.

At the Queen's state banquet, they were both seated several places away from Trump, in what was clearly a deliberate (and successful) attempt to restrict the president’s ability to harness the popularity of the young royals.  Harry was never scheduled to attend the state banquet, but his absence was still (correctly) interpreted as a snub to Trump.  Meghan is on maternity leave and therefore has a completely plausible and diplomatically watertight excuse not to attend any functions this week at all.

It was also noticeable that when Trump visited Westminster Abbey to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior, he was not accompanied by William (as might have been expected) but by Prince Andrew, the queen’s second son.  Andrew’s name-recognition in the U.S. is minimal, meaning the trip will have little PR value for Trump's 2020 campaign.  Instead, Trump will have to be content with images of him greeting the queen and Prince Charles.

And yet, President Trump has made it clear to those close to him that he actually does care about his reputation among the British royals. According to several former and current White House officials, Trump will grow visibly more animated or excited when the topic of meeting prominent members of royal families comes up, including the British royals. He makes a point of repeatedly asking aides about what he and others should wear during state visits and high-profile events with foreign royalty, the sources said, and enthusiastically asks advisers about what kind of pomp and pageantry he should expect.

“He is sensitive about the perceptions that he offended the Queen,” a former White House official said, referencing a moment last year when the U.S. president violated royal protocol and walked in front of the 92-year-old Queen Elizabeth II. “He really just wants the [British] royal family to like him.”

Despite his faux pas, it was Trump’s yearning for approval and rapport with the British royal family that largely fueled his response to U.S. media reactions to his “nasty” remark.  Two people close to the president said that on multiple occasions he’s complained privately about a media narrative that he believes portrays the British royal family as hating Trump and not wanting to spend time with him while he’s in town. “The president thinks that it’s ‘fake news’ trying to make it look like they don’t like him personally, when really [he feels that] they do love Trump,” one of these sources said.

For instance, the Times reported last year that “Prince Charles and Prince William were unwilling to meet Donald Trump on his visit to Britain, leaving the Queen to greet the U.S. president alone.”  Further, a Whitehall official told The Times that the queen’s meeting last year with President Trump was “kept to the bare minimum. The Queen will do her duty, but among the wider family, they were not as enthusiastic as they were when [President Barack] Obama came over.”

30 Years On: the Image China is Trying to Erase

Looks Llike Downton Abbey Theme at a Jersey Shore Prom

Ted Cruz Openly Mocked on Twitter

Senator Ted Cruz has been roundly mocked on Twitter for recently arguing that the military needs a Space Force branch to defend against pirates.  Cruz was apparently trying to suck up to Donald Trump, who had previously called for the establishment of a sixth branch of the US military, named the Space Force.

 

"Pirates threaten the open seas, and the same is possible in space," the Texas Republican said during a congressional hearing a few weeks ago.  Soon thereafter, "Space Pirates" began trending on Twitter.  Instead of letting the jokes fade away, Cruz only made the ridicule worse by trying to hit back at his critics.

 

Cruz took to Twitter, saying that he needed to swipe back at "snarky leftists" making fun of his comments.  "May Space Pirates devour your liver," he tweeted to one MSNBC journalist.

If his rebuttal was an attempt at humor, it fell flat.  The mockery and space pirates memes took off into space.

Trump Caught Yet Again in a Blatant Lie

Donald Trump denied calling the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, "nasty" despite the comments being recorded on audiotape.  Trump made his remarks about the duchess in a Sun newspaper interview ahead of his state visit to the UK.

"I never called Meghan Markle 'nasty'," he claimed, adding: "Made up by the Fake News Media, and they got caught cold!"

During the 2016 election, Markle supported Hillary Clinton, and at the time referred to Trump as "divisive" and a "misogynist".  When told of her comments during his interview with the Sun, President Trump said it was the first time he had heard them.  "I didn't know that. What can I say? I didn't know that she was nasty," he said.  The Sun posted an audio recording of the interview on its website.

Following Trump's denial the day after the interview was published, several commentators pointed out that the remarks were on tape.  Not that it would matter to someone as narcissistic and uninformed as Trump.

No Question About It