Willie Nelson is 91 today. Happy birthday, Willie!

He has made America happy with his voice and tunes. My favorite…..On the Road Again!

May he continue to perform and make another generation of Americans happy!

From happiness to sadness. On this day in 1975, the Vietnam War ended as the South Vietnam capitol in Saigon fell to Communist forces.

It was a disgraceful day for American Army and Marine troops. They gallantly fought to protect the capitol and persons inside seeking to escape. Escape was helicopters from the roof while Communists were shooting from the ground and fighting to enter the building. The disgracefulness was we had been beaten and required to escape in an embarrassing fashion.

My feeling at the time was how could this happen to American forces?

We were shamed.

Campus protests must end. Universities have gone far enough in “negotiating” a solution. Time to call MORE police in.

My opinion. Many will disagree. Such is life. Time for “education” to take back university grounds.

Trump does not like his attorney in the Stormy Daniels hush money case. His attorney is Todd Blanche. A professional with experience and a reputation to back it up. Trump would not have retained him in the first instance if such were not the case.

Trump feels his attorney is not “aggressive enough.”

Representing Trump can be no bargain. No matter how much he pays his attorney. If he pays him.

Donald, you picked him. You’re stuck with him. Shut your mouth and let him do his job. He is a responsible capable attorney. Let him do what he does best. Lawyering.

Stop being an asshole! You are only hurting yourself.

Not all attorneys are Roy Cohens. Nor do they want to be. Recall he was repeatedly indicted and ultimately disbarred. Your kind of attorney, Donald?

Enjoy your day!

The musical Hair premiered on Broadway this day in 1968.

I was fortunate to view one of the opening performances. Not on Broadway, however.

Hair opened 40 blocks to the south in the East Village where it had a six week run before moving to Broadway.

The show received instantaneous dynamic reviews when it opened off Broadway. Dealt with issues involving the generation gap, Vietnam War, drug culture, and sexual revolution.

I had to see it. My policeman friend Bob Mazza joined me. We drove to New York City to view the off Broadway presentation. I thought Hair was right on. Bob was more conservative. A typical police officer. He thought the show stunk, was disgusting.

April 28 involved another significance. The year 1945. It was the evening of April 28-29. Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun were married. Not the typical exciting wedding. They both died within hours by suicide.

Adolf, deservedly so. Allied troops were nearby. He died not wanting to face his prospective captors alive.

Eva had loved Adolf for years. She was happy to finally marry him and soon thereafter die with him.

TB has increased every year since 2020 in the U.S. following a steady decline.

The increase follows a 27 year decrease. Last year alone, 9,615 cases were recorded in the U.S. Nevertheless, the incidence of TB in the U.S. continues to be “among the lowest in the world.”

Tik Tok could experience a nationwide U.S. ban in one year unless the China banned parent ByteDance divests. The U.S. would not be the first to partially or totally ban.

Countries that have partially or totally banned Tik Tok are Afghanistan, Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, European Union, France, India, Indonesia, Latvia, Netherlands, Nepal, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Somalia, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom.

The U.S. has already partially banned. U.S. authorities had already ordered government agencies prior to Congress’ recent vote as part of the money package to delete Tik Tok from its data bases and systems over data security concerns. More than one half of the 50 U.S. states also have banned the app from official devices as have Congress and U.S. armed forces.

MAGAs do not hesitate throwing blows. Get even ones. Trump now slamming RFK Jr.’s family. Speaker Johnson soon to walk the gangplank.

Mark Twain words of wisdom: “Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.”

Enjoy your day!

Food for thought.

There was a time when we blamed Russia and/or China for American unrest. No more. Today, it’s home grown.

An example is present day college campus unrest.

David French is an attorney who specializes in campus protests. He generally represents the protesters.

Following is a small portion of his Opinion piece which appears in today’s New York Times titled “Colleges Have Gone Off the Deep End. There Is A Way Out.” The portion reads: “What we’re seeing on a number of campuses isn’t free expression, nor is it civil disobedience. It’s outright lawlessness. No matter the frustration of campus activists or their desire to be heard, true civil disobedience shouldn’t violate the rights of others. Indefinitely occupying a quad violates the rights of other speakers to use the same space. Relentless, loud protest violates the rights of students to sleep or study in peace. And where protesters become truly threatening or intimidating, they can violate the civil rights of other students, especially if those students are targeted on the basis of their race, sex, color or national origin. The end result of lawlessness is chaos and injustice. Other students can’t speak. Other students can’t learn. Teachers and administrators can’t do their jobs.”

Biden provided his usual competent performance last night at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. One of his best lines was that he was “running against a 6 year old.”

Two thousand six hundred attended the event. They had to enter through a large crowd of Gaza protesters.

Today is April 28. Its significance historically.

On this day in 1789, a mutiny on the HMS Bounty actually occurred. Not just a movie script. The Bounty story involves Fletcher Christian and Captain William Bligh.

Three movies have been produced based on the factual happening. The first in 1935 starring Clark Gable and Charles Laughton. The next in 1962 starring Marlon Brando and Trevor Howard. The last in 1984 starring Mel Gibson and Anthony Hopkins.

On this day in 1945, Benito Mussolini was executed. Il Duce and his mistress were shot by Italian partisans as they attempted to flee to Switzerland. Their bodies were transported by truck to Milan where they were hung upside down on a gas station pole where they were reviled by the masses. Disgustingly.

Some 20 years ago on one of my Milan trips, Anna took me to view the gas station pole. It had become a tourist attraction.

April 28 also has Key West significance.

On this day in 1968, National Airlines made the first jet landing at Key West International Airport. 

April 28 also a day of concern re Fantasy Fest nudity in 1994. A never ending issue.

The Key West Chamber of Commerce met to figure out how to make Fantasy Fest fun again. In the previous year 1993, Key West had crashed on nudity. Kept it down. As a result, the 1993 Fantasy Fest proved to be a “bummer.”

Vaccine opposition is an issue of concern.

Those that are anti-vaccine are endangering themselves and their children. You do not have to be an authority to understand it.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a statement which clearly establishes that in the 50 years since 1974, vaccines have prevented 154 million deaths. The number represents a 40 percent decline in infant mortality since 1974.

I take the time to report WHO’s findings since two “prominent” political figures are anti-vaccine. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Ronald DeSantis.

DeSantis has already clearly established his lack intelligence. Kennedy is moving in that direction.

Makes me wonder if people like DeSantis and Kennedy are so arbitrary and off base merely to attract the political support of the small group who are anti-vaccine.

I was leafing through the internet yesterday and came upon a lengthy interesting article re MASH. The U.S. Army medical unit functioning in Korea during the Korean War. Alan Alda starred.

MASH was and still is one of TV’s finest moments. Seventy percent of TV viewers watched MASH’s last show. Says it all.

Whereas the Korean War lasted 3 years, MASH ran for 11. Bespeaks the quality of the show and its popularity.

Enjoy your Sunday!

The U.S. is in turmoil. Again. It happens every few years. One of the last times I recall when things were this bad was the late 1960’s into the early 1970’s. College campuses were in an uproar. The Vietnam War was at the heart of most problems. Court decisions were becoming questionable,

One of the three main problems today involve the U.S. Court System. Especially the Supreme Court. Two others involve the many college campuses that are in an uproar and women’s rights which are being stomped upon.

Each unhealthy.

Troublesome times come and go. Fortunately the go part. They pass in due course. May today’s move on as historically others have in the past.

The Supreme Court. Certain of the Justices are the problem. The conservative ones. They have to go.

Justice Alito no longer warrants his seat. He lost it long ago. His attitude changed way back when Chief Justice Rehnquist died and Alito was overlooked for the Chief Justice seat. Roberts was appointed instead by Bush.

Alito has “lost it.” His mental leaning exhibited such when during the immunity argument he argued that Presidents should be allowed to commit crimes without fear of prosecution in order to “save” democracy. What Alito said in effect is that Presidents need to know they will never be prosecuted for any crimes they might commit while in office, or democracy will collapse because office holders might try to overturn a free and fair election in order to stay in power and avoid criminal charges. 

Crazy?

Absurd?

Counsel came right back at Alito with “I’d think it’s exactly the opposite, Justice Alito.”

Alito has to go. Together with Thomas and perhaps Gorsuch and Kavanaugh. These guys are all nuts or tending to rapidly be so.

Chris Hayes commented following the immunity argument re the certain of the Justices: “All the king’s men sat openly colluding” with Trump on immunity. It appeared they had an ax to grind.

 Gorsuch’s statement re the importance of the immunity decision was described as “pompous.”

Thomas should not even have sat on the case. His wife has openly contributed to Trump/Republican causes. Nevertheless, he remained. His attitude basically don’t screw with me.

Freedom of speech is to be respected. College students are relying on it. However they forget that all rights are not absolute. Everything has a limit or exception. Shouting fire where there is none in a crowded theater is a no no. Free speech, yes. Wrong, however. Does not fly. The same with much being expressed on college campuses. I can buy the college students supporting Palestine. I cannot support their demands. Things like divesting investments, etc. Their wisdom and experience lacking to support their positions. They are not qualified to speak to the issues they raise.

Clear the campuses! Preferably without national guard. Kent State in 1970 still sticks in my gut. Local police are sufficient. 

Something must be done. The campus takeovers must end. Anti-Judaism must cease.

Insanity follows. Recall this week a student’s cry during and after a disciplinary hearing. He recorded his comments and ran them on Instagram also. His name Khymani James. His comment: “Zionists don’t deserve to live.”

He later apologized for the statement.

Ronald Reagan was confronted with similar campus problems in 1967 when he was California governor. He handled the problem well. As he later did when President with the airline controllers. Ordered the problems “cleaned up.” He viewed the campus problems as anarchy having nothing to do with academic freedom.

Pregnant women are being tuned away from emergency rooms all over the U.S. 

GOP anti-abortion laws have placed women’s lives at risk. One woman was left to miscarry in a lobby rest room after the emergency front desk refused to check her in.

Similar problems becoming commonplace. Things have gotten worse since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. Hospitals and doctors are confused as to the treatment they can provide. Less care has become the option.

Criticism is easy. Solutions difficult. I am old school. Authority must be respected. If it fails, get rid of it. Change it. Get rid of the Supreme Court Justices who are not functioning as they should. The Alito’s and Thomas’s definitely must go. Throw the students who are causing problems way off base out of school. They do not deserve educations. Straighten out our laws so women’s rights return and continue to be protected. I sometimes think state legislatures composed primarily of women would solve the problem. Especially if the ladies pass some laws that physically affect, abuse and endanger the lives of men.

So much for today. Enjoy your weekend!

This is the day! The Reenactment of the Great Sea Battle. The Conch Republic vs. U.S. Forces. Best viewing from Schooner Wharf, Ocean Key Wharf and Mallory Square.

Conch Republic pirate ships and air force planes will engage the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy.

Conch Republic’s bi-planes will drop toilet paper rolls representing bombs on Coast Guard vessels. Fluttering toilet paper! The bi-planes will also engage U.S. Navy jets.

Vessels of the Conch Republic  and U.S. Coast Guard will exchange water hose cannon fire and cabbage, eggs and tomato bombs on each other.

One of Keys West’s most fun filled events. Don’t miss it! Begins at 7 pm. Arrive early to get a great spot from which to watch.

The U.S. Supreme Court continues to function disgracefully. It bends over to accommodate Trump. Especially, the conservative appointees. The indications from yesterday’s argument of the immunity case reflect the trend.

What should have and could have been a simple decision will technically be a loser for Trump. In reality, however, a victory. The Court may return immunity cases to the lower courts to first decide the “type” of immunity involved. Such will add additional laborious time onto the handling of such cases. Providing Trump with the “time” he seeks to delay. Ergo, Trump coms out the winner.

The Court continues to be political without any shame.

The comments of two of the conservative/Trump appointed Justices reflect the bullshit they may attach to their decision in their effort to assist Trump. Justice Gorsuch said, “We are writing a rule for the ages.” Justice Kavanaugh, “This case has huge implications for the presidency, for the future of the presidency, for the future of the country.”

Flowery crap.

The Trump campaign has been accused of breaking federal law by hiding millions in legal payments. The Campaign Legal Center watchdog has asked the Federal Elections Commission to investigate the payments immediately.

Boeing’s problems affect others. Not passengers alone. Carriers, also. Certain carriers badly.

One is Southwest Airlines who announced yesterday it was closing its terminals at four airports. Syracuse, Houston, Washington State, and Mexico. Southwest further announced it was laying off 2,000 employees. The reason involves increased loses in the first quarter of this year. Primarily caused by delays in promised jets from Boeing. Southwest began this year expecting delivery of 79 new planes from Boeing. The number then dropped to 46. Another drop has brought it down to 20.

Victoria Spartz is Ukraine born and now a U.S. Congresswoman. An Indiana Congressperson. She voted NO on the financial aid $61 billion package for Ukraine.

Her Ukraine brethren’s pride in her U.S. success has turned to anger and a sense of betrayal. Especially since her “no” vote came days after her Ukrainian native city Chernihiv was bombed killing 18 people.

Politics over honor! Her former Ukrainian friends and teachers pride in her U.S. success is gone. She has become an American political hack in their eyes.

Enjoy your day!

Some people don’t know enough to quit while they are ahead. Speaker Johnson is one.

He came out looking good by permitting the money bill affecting Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan to go to the floor to be voted on.

Yesterday, he blew it. The man from Louisiana went to the Columbia campus to express his thoughts. He was not well received. How could he be. A Southerner whose State has a poor black record and one concerning women’s rights re abortions is preaching to students at a northern university.

Among other things, he said Columbia’s President Nemat Shafik should resign if she could not “immediately” get the situation under control. Claimed she was failing to guarantee the safety of Jewish students. Also said the National Guard should be called in and Congress should revoke funding if the protesters could not be kept under control.

Johnson was booed.

Shouts of “Get off our campus…..Go back to Louisiana, Mike!…..and Mike, you suck” were thrown at him.

It was obvious he was making a play for Jewish votes, among other things. Democratic New York City Congressmen also appeared. They belonged there. Columbia is part of New York City. Unlike Louisiana which is the opposite end of the country.

The Gaza campus protests across the country must stop. How, I do not know. A difficult situation.

I continue to believe many of the students are serious about the issue. However, I also maintain as I have from the earliest days of the protests that “outsiders” are involved and motivating/rabble rousing the students.

I laughed when I read he thought the National Guard should be called in. New York City has one of the largest and most effective Police Departments in the nation. Perhaps, the finest. If and when required, they will be called in. The last thing we want is another Kent State.

Trump poops his pants?

CNN says so, Doesn’t make it so, however.

All of a sudden a history of “pooping” events are hitting the news. Some claim Trump wears Depends. If he does, so what? Many Americans do. A way of life for some.

The pooping should not be reported unless true. Further reports may reveal its accuracy. It is an important fact if so. It goes to Trump’s health which he and his doctors have always maintained was impeccable.

Keys History…..

On this day in 1975, Conch Train Depot at the corner of Duval and Front Streets was dedicated.

On this day in 1926, Confederate Memorial Day was observed by the Stephen R. Mallory Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy at the Bayview Park. Hymns and readings preceded a memorial address by Reverend W.K.E. James. Decoration of Confederate graves in the Key West Cemetery followed.

WOULD NOT HAPPEN TODAY.

The event occurred during a time frame when Key West was active in the Ku Klux Klan, also. I am not suggesting the two are related. Merely pointing out the mental thrust of Key West society during the 1920s. In that time period, the KKK’s State President was a Key West resident and the headquarters of Florida’s KKK was located in Key West.

A busy morning ahead. A smoothie at Date & Thyme followed by a haircut and manicure.

Enjoy your day!

Disorganization is the key to American life today. The Supreme Court, Congress and college campuses say it all.

New Hampshire legislative Republicans insane. Similar to Florida’s.

Going anti-vaccine crazy. New Hampshire’s body passed a bill that would end the requirement for parents enrolling kids in child care to provide documentation of polio and measles vaccinations.

I am 88. I have viewed polio first hand. The vaccine was first offered in 1955 when I was 20 years old. I saw classmates and people I knew become afflicted with polio. I have a cousin who got measles at 3 and was rendered totally deaf as a result.

Where the hell is this anti-vaccine sentiment coming from? If New Hampshire bars the vaccine in child care today and as part of school admissions tomorrow, parents and grandparents will rue the day. They will have been responsible for inflicting the worst on their own young ones.

One year ago in Tennessee, a mass shooting at a Nashville school where six were killed has motivated Tennessee’s Republican Legislature to pass a bill allowing teachers and school staffers to carry concealed handguns in schools.

Right or wrong? I don’t know. The solution/cure to the school gun shooting problem?

Citizens’ Voice today: “So, we know know that a member of the city commission has appointed himself as head of a task force to examine the upcoming hospital lease, an issue that affects all of us in the Lower Keys. Who are the members of the task force? Who selected them? What are their qualifications? Concerned want to know.”

I want to know. You should want to know, also.

Nelly Korda has won 5 consecutive professional women’s golf tournaments. One a major. Five tournaments in five weeks.

She announced yesterday she was skipping this week’s tournament. Her reason: She’s tired. Makes sense.

I’m upset most gas prices are around $3.60 a gallon in Key West. One seems to be lower. It advertises on its high sign outside something like $3.39.

I can’t believe the pump amount is $3.39.

Anyhow, I shall complain not. Read on the internet this morning that California gas prices hit $7.79 per gallon.

Insanity hitting another area: Sex after marriage. Less to none.

Yes, read an article to that affect on the internet this morning. 

I appreciate sex volume/frequency diminishes over the years. From several times a day to once a week. month or year. I’m joking, of course. Or, am I?

Enjoy your day!

A rarely heard event. The plot to assassinate George Washington.

The plot occurred during the very early stages of the Revolution. Tea dumped in Boston harbor, Jefferson finalizing the Declaration of Independence and Washington bringing the ragtag Continental Army to New York where a British invasion was expected at any moment. 

The plot was revealed in a recent non-fiction book “The First Conspiracy” by Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch.

New York’s royal governor was William Tryon. He was forced to live on a British ship in New York harbor while waiting for the British invasion. The loyalist Mayor of New York City was David Matthews. They visited on the British vessel several times.  One of their plans to assist the British was to kill George Washington. To kidnap and then hang him.

A lowly conspirator on their team was Thomas Hickey. He was caught by the Colonists, tried and found guilty of mutiny, sedition and treachery. Sentenced to death. Hung June 28, 1776 in what is now Manhattan Bowery before a crowd of 20,000 persons. The largest “public hanging” up to that time.

Washington required his men to attend the execution. In a letter to John Hancock, Washington wrote: “I am hopeful this example will produce many salutary consequences and deter others  from entering into like traitorous practices.” 

Notice how swiftly the matter was adjudicated. No screwing around and long delays as are experienced today.

The opening of Trump’s New York City criminal hush money trial began yesterday. Scheduled to end at 2 pm because of the Passover holiday. Ended at 12:30 pm because one of the alternate jurors had a toothache and dental appointment. The case will continue this morning.

Trump has argued publicly this past week that New York Attorney General James was wrong to question certain aspects of the $175 million cash bond Trump was able to obtain. Trump said, “It was his money” and James had no right to question whether the bonding company was able to control the funds. 

James raised the issue friday. Yesterday morning, agreement was reached which would keep the $175 million bond viable.

Initially, Trump was to maintain control of the bank account holding the $175 million. Such is what James objected to. Apparently she did not trust Trump not to screw around with the funds.

Yesterday, Trump’s people agreed to 5 concessions. One is that the insurance company would have “sole control” of the funds. Thusly preventing Trump from invading or swapping out the funds for more volatile collateral.

Both sides have till thursday to finalize the paper work. 

Pro-Palestinian protesters at major universities are conducting themselves in what can only be described as a “too much fashion.” Out of hand. Yesterday dozens were arrested at Yale and NYU. Demonstrations continued last week and over the weekend in addition at Columbia, MIT, and Boston University. All out of control.

Many in the U.S. are upset with the Palestinian situation. Israel has  gone steps too far in seeking retribution. However, student protests similarly go too far. To the extent that their right to an education may be waning. Non deserving.

I addressed this issue several weeks ago. Mentioned that I thought “outsiders” were encouraging the demonstrations and rabble rousing the students in many instances. 

NYU authorities believe many of the demonstrators “were not affiliated with NYU.” Referred to them as “trespassers. Yale referred to many as “outsiders.” 

Columbia claims students are not making any efforts to engage “respectfully.” They are avoiding suggestions to let’s sit down and talk.

Key West Mayor Teri Johnston and the Key West City Commission have proclaimed April Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Sexual assault a national/world wide problem. I was not aware it was an acute Key West one requiring special comment by Key West’s political leaders. It is another example of Key West officials spending time dealing with extraneous matters and letting more immediate constant problems continue to fester. To go unattended. Like cheap housing, rents and street conditions.

Citizens’ Voice today: “How come more than 130,000 Cubans who illegally came to Key West in 1980 are called refugees, while men, women and children coming from Venezuela and Central American countries who are escaping similar economic and political conditions are called “illegals” who are “criminals, murderers and rapists?”

Enjoy your day!

In 1990, the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration opened. To honor and tell the story of the 12 million immigrants that passed through Ellis Island to start a new life in the United States.

My family came through Ellis Island. Included were my mother, grandparents on both sides of my family and numerous other relatives.

Now more than 30 years after its first makeover, the Museum is getting a second. A $100 million project.

Data bases will be preserved and expanded. Added to the original 12 million will be 90 million records from other ports of entry nationwide.

An interesting factor. At its peak, Ellis Island processed 5,000 immigrants per day. So many passed through Ellis Island that it is estimated 40 percent of individuals living in the U.S. today are related to someone who arrived via the Island.

Ellis Island “vibrates” with history.

Trump is running out of campaign funds. He is spending money on attorney fees and other matters that were previously intended to help him get elected in November.

Biden’s war chest keeps growing. Contributions continue to increase. Even with Biden’s large spending in March, he still had  $85.5 million on hand at the end of March. Whereas, Trump had only $45 million salted away at the end of March.

The movie Civil War is stretching real political anxieties the more it is viewed. Could the movies’ contents really happen?

Enjoy your day!

Congress continues spiraling out of control.

Marjorie Taylor Greene continues to be out of control. She introduced an amendment yesterday requiring members to “conscript in the Ukrainian military” if they vote for the Ukraine supplemental bill.

Florida Democrat Jared Moskowitz thereafter proposed a further amendment appointing Marjorie Taylor Greene as “Putin’s Special Envoy to the United States Congress.”

A Catholic Bishop says Biden “doesn’t understand the Catholic faith…..I’m not angry at him, he’s just stupid.”

Does Bishop Robert Gruss of the Diocese of Saginaw believe Trump’s Christian/Evangelical faith outweighs Biden’s when it comes to propriety? The Bishop’s words re Biden are another clear example that religion and politics don’t mix.

Another example that some part of of our Nation has gone whacky involves certain prominent political figures. Generally, Republicans.

Rudy Giuliani has described legal actions against himself and Donald Trump as “like the trials you would have during Hitler’s era or Stalin’s era.”

His words speak for themselves.

Trump’s bubble deflated when Speaker Johnson worked a successful vote through the House re aid to Ukraine. Trump had made it clear he opposed aid to Ukraine recently and Republicans danced to his tune. Johnson finally decided to do the correct thing and he was able to maneuver passage in the House.

Canary Islands has “the balls” Key West does not.

Too much tourism, higher rents and home prices contaminate both vacation spots.

Two million people live in the Canary Islands. It hosted 16.2 million tourists in 2023.

Canary Island residents are fed up. As many Key West residents are. The Canary Islands protested Saturday by taking to the streets of Tenerife to demand action on tourism. The protesters are said to have totaled around 10,000.

This was not the first adverse reaction in Tenerife. Yesterday marked the tenth day of a hunger strike by residents to evidence their disagreement with excessive tourism.

Does Key West need to express its tourism displeasure in a similar fashion? Does it have the guts to go to such extremes?

Some things your parents had in their homes that you never see today: Shag carpeting, answering machines, retro TVs, sunken living rooms, hand mixers, fax machines, striped wallpaper, floral sofas, rotary phones, toilet rugs, teapots, ash trays, rolodexes, typewriters, record players, and rabbit ears.

Hillary Clinton appeared on Marc Elias’ Democracy Docket Friday night. She suggested Trump would be happy to “kill his opposition” if he’s reelected President. Clinton said Trump models himself after Putin and other dictators, calling the prospect of his return to the White House as “very scary.”

PNC Bank is closing 19 branches across the U.S. in February, including locations in Illinois, Texas, Alabama, New Jersey, Ohio, Florida and Indiana.

The bank plans to help clients “transition” to nearby branches.

A banking crisis in the making?

Some are blaming interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve.

I don’t know. This is big stuff and beyond me.

The opening of the Paris Olympics is July 26. Long standing Olympic traditions began his week. The Olympic flame was lit in a ceremony in Olympia, Greece. The torch is now making its way to Paris.

The history of the tradition is a bit complicated. While inspired by ancient Greek practices, the relay was first held in Germany, where the Nazis employed it as a propaganda tool.

Today, these dark roots are no longer associated with the event. The connection to ancient Greek traditions remains.

Enjoy your Sunday!