The shootings in Kansas

The murder at a Kansas bar, last Wednesday night, of Srinivas Kuchibhotla, an Indian engineer who worked for the Garmin company, is a terrible and tragic story.

Mr. Kuchibhotla was killed, and an Indian friend from work, Alok Madasani, was injured, by a man who, witnesses say, yelled "get out of my country," before opening fire with a shotgun.

Mr. Madasani was released from the hospital on Thursday. Ian Grillot, a bystander who tried to intervene, that night, was also shot; he remains hospitalized.

Here is an editorial, from The New York Times, which appeared online yesterday, and in today's print edition of the paper:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/27/opinion/who-belongs-in-trumps-america.html

And here is a story from yesterday's Washington Post:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/02/27/an-act-of-american-terror-in-trumps-heartland

Cemetery desecration in Philadelphia, and bomb threats

A week after more than 150 gravestones were vandalized at a Jewish cemetery in Missouri, 75-100 gravestones were found toppled, on Sunday, at a Jewish cemetery in Northeast Philadelphia.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/Cops-Report-of-vandalism-at-Jewish-cemetery.html

And, on Monday, there were additional bomb threats directed at Jewish Community Centers--as well as Jewish day schools--in at least twelve states.  As the Anti-Defamation League notes, below, there have been, this year, approximately 90 bomb threats made to JCCs and other Jewish institutions.

http://www.adl.org/.../adl-issues-security-advisory-to..

Fifty years ago: The Red Sox, and The Impossible Dream season

A Boston Globe piece by Dan Shaughnessy, about Carl Yastrzemski, and the 1967 Red Sox:

http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/redsox/2017/02/25/dan-shaughnessy-red-sox-aren-global-brand-today-without-yaz-and-impossible-dream-season/7AJ71L9ebAiKpuXd0YcZRJ/story.html

The Trump administration, and the press

This is very worrisome, though not surprising:

"CNN, New York Times, other media barred from White House briefing"

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/cnn-new-york-times-other-media-barred-from-white-house-briefing/2017/02/24/4c22f542-fad5-11e6-be05-1a3817ac21a5_story.html

President Trump, and the issue of anti-Semitism

At two press conferences, last week, President Trump gave peculiar, and troubling, responses to reporters' questions about anti-Semitism.

In the first instance, last Wednesday, Mr. Trump was asked about the recent rise in anti-Semitic acts in the country. The President discussed, initially (and oddly), his Electoral College victory. The next day, he berated an Orthodox Jewish reporter (for Ami, a Jewish magazine), who asked how Mr. Trump would address the recent anti-Semitic incidents (such as, bomb threats directed at dozens of Jewish Community Centers since the start of the year). Mr. Trump cut the reporter off, and proclaimed, angrily, that he was not an anti-Semite, or a racist--even though the reporter had made no such suggestion. Mr. Trump called the reporter's question "insulting."

Clearly, the President misunderstood the question--or simply didn't bother to listen to it carefully.

Yesterday--following eleven additional bomb threats directed at Jewish Community Centers, and after the vandalizing of a large number of headstones at a Jewish cemetery in Missouri--the President addressed the issue of anti-Semitism directly.

From The Washington Post:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/02/20/scores-of-headstones-vandalized-at-st-louis-jewish-cemetery-jewish-centers-threatened-across-country-as-jewish-centers-receive-threats-across-country/

And this story, from The New York Times:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/21/us/politics/trump-speaks-out-against-anti-semitism.html

New JFK stamp

The stamp was dedicated today, for Presidents Day.  This coming May will mark the 100th anniversary of Kennedy's birth.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/02/20/postal-service-dedicate-jfk-stamp-monday/tbe3EOzg2XKuRJtSieBXhK/story.html

The cleric Omar Abdel-Rahman

A fine and informative piece, on CNN's website, about a very influential--and very bad--man. It is written by Peter Bergen, CNN's National Security Analyst.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/19/opinions/9-11-spiritual-guide-dies-bergen/index.html

President Trump, and the "so-called judge"

A very disturbing tweet, from Mr. Trump:

www.cnn.com/2017/02/04/politics/donald-trump-attacks-federal-judge-travel-ban/index.html

Former Governor Schwarzenegger responds to President Trump

Really enjoyed what former Governor Schwarzenegger said, in his video statement:

"Hey Donald, I have a great idea. Why don't we switch jobs? You take over TV because you're such an expert on ratings, and I take over your job and then people can finally sleep comfortably again."

http://money.cnn.com/2017/02/02/media/arnold--prayer-breakfast-response-donald-trump/index.html

"Trump administration easing travel ban restrictions for green card holders"

Maybe the administration should have taken the time to think about this in the first place--before rushing ahead with the executive order.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/02/politics/donald-trump-immigration-ban/index.html

Washington Post, 1/29/17

"Officials worry that U.S counterterrorism defenses will be weakened by Trump actions"

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/officials-worry-that-us-counterterrorism-defenses-will-be-weakened-by-trump-actions/2017/01/29/1f045074-e644-11e6-b82f-687d6e6a3e7c_story.html