…According to the G, the new boss, Haibatullah Akhundzada, is a religious guy who is “repeatedly exhorting low-level Taliban fighters and officials to seek to win over communities through good governance and discipline.”…

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I am deeply concerned about the brave women of Afghanistan who have had the courage to stand up for their rights. As you well know, the Taliban are known for their brutality. Women all over the country are living in fear…

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…“These are the times that try men's souls” as Thomas Paine wrote in 1776. That’s what came to mind while I sat on my Zoom call with Yangon Friends. ... We pondered the reactions of the younger & older generations to the upheavals in Afghanistan & Myanmar…

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…How’s Major? Does he miss Champ or is he happy to be the only dog in the house? Has he bitten anyone lately?…

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…The Afghans have been resisting foreigners who have tried to boss them around for the last 40 years. I knew that the Taliban was profoundly confused when I heard that they destroyed their giant Buddhas in Bamiyan. I…While I support your decision to pull out our troops, I’m worried about the Afghani women & girls who may have to go into hiding….

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…If you want a bit of inspiration, you might watch Nightbride’s performance on America’s Got Talent. She’s a cancer survivor who sings about her struggles in a song she wrote. She tells Simon Cowell, “You can’t wait to be happy until life isn’t hard anymore.” I think you learned that lesson long ago, but some of us are just learning it now….

…Vote-a-rama (VAR)? Today is the first I’d heard of it, but, apparently, the Senate has been having them for a while. They had one last night before finally passing the $3.5 trillion budget blueprint. … Last night’s must have been a doozy since the final vote didn’t happen until 4AM…

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…So, my Friend, it’s time that you become a math teacher & educate our citizens about the IPAT equation, specifically “Impact = Population x Affluence x Technology”. According to Princeton University environmental engineer Anu Ramaswami, “stabilizing the climate depends on addressing the affluence and technology aspects of the IPAT equation.”…

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…It’s the 76th anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki. Given the utter destruction caused on that time, I am wondering how it can be that we still have 13,130 nuclear warheads in the world today. Even worse, we keep designing new ones….

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…What do you know about cryptocurrency? ….I hope that efforts to regulate it don’t scuttle the whole (Infrastructure) bill. AMM seems to be in compromise mode, so I hope the effort can keep moving forward….

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…I was relieved to read in the CSM this morning about the Bipartisan Wildfire Caucus which is making sure that wildfire prevention is included in the Infrastructure Bill. Speaking of which, the AP says that the Senate is “edging” toward passing it….

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…Please read the WP front page article, “Unpaid caregivers: How America Treats Women Caring for Paralyzed Partners.” In it one of the paralyzed partners says that they are “being punished for pursuing love.”…We need to do more to compensate partners who are taking care of folks at home. It’s demanding work & better for all of us when done by someone who cares!…

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…The vocab word for the day is “pyrocummulus.” It’s a new word for clouds that happen when the hot air & ash from a fire meet with water particles. Some call it “flammagenitus.” These clouds can create thunderstorms which can ignite new fires….

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…I’m sure you are relieved that Shontel Brown (SMB) won the Dem. primary in OH11. Politico says that the election “brings an end to a contentious summer of internecine squabbling for Democrats over the direction of their party.”…

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Please express my condolences when you meet with the Latino leaders today to mark the 2nd Anniversary of the Cielo Vista Walmart shooting in El Paso. It’s so discouraging that even after that incident, the TX legislature passed HB 1927 which allows anyone over 21 to carry a gun without a permit or training….

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