Barack Obama of the U.S. (1961-) U.S. Pres. Donald John Trump (1946-) Gordon Brown of Britain (1951-) Vladimir Putin of Russia (1952-) Nicolas Sarkozy of France (1955-) Angel Merkel of Germany (1954-) Xi Jinping of China (1953-) Kim Jong-un of North Korea (1983-) Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey (1954-)

Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel (1949-) Mahmoud Abbas (1935-) Mark Zuckerberg (1984-) Gabrielle Giffords of the U.S. (1970-) Nidal Malik Hassan of the U.S. (1970-) Pamela Geller (1959-) Geert Wilders of Netherlands (1963-) James Wright Foley (1974-2014) Anders Behring Breivik (1979-)

T.L. Winslow's Twenty-Teens Historyscope 2010-2019 C.E.

© Copyright by T.L. Winslow. All Rights Reserved.

Pope Francis (1936-) Hillary Rodham Clinton of the U.S. (1947-) Charlie Hebdo Attack, Jan. 7, 2015 July 14, 2016 Nice Attack Seven Gay U.S. Ambassadors, 2015 Narendra Modi of India (1950-) Rodrigo Duterte of Philippines (1945-) Felipe VI of Spain (1968-) 'American Sniper', 2014

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

TLW's 2010 C.E. Historyscope, by T.L. Winslow (TLW), "The Historyscoper"™

T.L. Winslow's 2010 C.E. Historyscope

© Copyright by T.L. Winslow. All Rights Reserved.



The 2010s (2010-2019)



The ??•*¨*•¸¸? .•*¨*•?? Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Jihad Has Come Decade in the West? The Robots Stole Our Jobs Decade? The Aughties? The Higgs Boson, CRISPR, Graviational Waves, Exoplanet Boom, Climate Crisis Decade in Science? A decade of low unemployment, low inflation, and low interest rates? The Allah Akbar Decade as years of Muslim immigration to the West begin to be felt with talk of the Great Replacement? Haiti's big show really moves people?

Country Leader From To
United States of America Barack Hussein Obama II (1961-) Jan. 20, 2009 Jan. 20, 2017 Barack Hussein Obama II of the U.S. (1961-)
United Kingdom Gordon Brown (1951-) June 27, 2007 May 11, 2010 Gordon Brown of the United Kingdom (1951-)
Russia Dmitri Medvedev (1965-) May 7, 2008 May 7, 2012 Dmitry Medvedev of Russia (1965-)
People's Republic of China Hu Jintao (1942-) Nov. 15, 2002 Mar. 14, 2013 Hu Jintao of China (1942-)
Canada Stephen Harper (1959-) Feb. 6, 2006 Nov. 4, 2015 Stephen Harper of Canada (1959-)
France Nicolas Sarkozy (1955-) May 16, 2007 May 15, 2012 Nicolas Sarkozy of France (1955-)
Germany Angela Dorothea Merkel (nee Kasner) (1954-) Nov. 2, 2005 Angela Merkel of Germany (1954-)
Spain Juan Carlos I (1938-) Nov. 22, 1975 June 19, 2014 Juan Carlos I of Spain (1938-)
Mexico Felipe Calderón (1962-) Dec. 1, 2006 Nov. 30, 2012 Felipe Calderón of Mexico (1962-)
Papacy Pope Benedict XVI (1927-) Apr. 19, 2005 Feb. 28, 2013 Pope Benedict XVI (1927-)
U.N. Ban Ki-moon of South Korea (1944-) Jan. 1, 2007 Dec. 31, 2016 Ban Ki-moon of South Korea (1944-)

2010 - The Facebook WikiLeaks Junk-Touching Iran Is A Nuclear Nuisance Jasmine Revolution Year? A century after the Titanic disaster, Russia becomes a world power again, and allies with Iran against the U.S. and Israel, only this time they have the winner's hand, although it doesn't matter, since China comes in from the sidelines? The Year of 3D TV and a Gay U.S. Military? The Year of Idiotic American Men? A good year for people named Cameron and a not so good year for people named Blair? History is coming to an end in 1912 + 100 = 2012? Stay tuned?

David Cameron of Britain (1966-) Nick Clegg of Britain (1967-) Ivo Josipovic of Croatia (1957-) Iris Robinson (1949-) and Peter Robinson (1948-) of Northern Ireland Carmen Milagros Ortiz of the U.S. John Owen Brennan of the U.S. (1955-) M. R. Sebastián Piñera of Chile (1949-) Porfirio Lobo of Honduras (1947-) Alexei Dymovsky of Russia Sheikh Abdul Majeed al-Zindani of Yemen (1942-) Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (1971-) Viktor Yanukovich of Ukraine (1950- Yulia Tymoshenko of Ukraine (1960-) Viktor Orban of Hungary (1963-) Cardinal Miloslav Vlk (1932-) Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia (1951-) Scott Philip Brown of the U.S. (1959-) Scott Philp Brown (1959-), June 1982 Cosmopolitan spread Mitch Landrieu of the U.S. (1960-) Eric J.J. Massa of the U.S. (1959-) U.S. Gen. David H. Petraeus (1952-) Dr. Donald M. Berwick of the U.S. (1946-) Gordon D. Fox of the U.S. (1961-) Jan Brewer of the U.S. (1944-) Charles Frank Bolden Jr. of the U.S. (1946-) George Osborne of Britain (1971-) Sayeeda Warsi of Britain (1971-) Shabana Mahmood of Britain Rushanara Ali of Britain (1975-) Yasmin Qureshi of Britain (1963-) Geert Wilders of Netherlands (1963-) Ben Rhodes of the U.S. (1977-) Bashar al-Assad of Syria (1965-) Bashar al-Assad of Syria (1965-) and Imadinajacket of Iran Turkish Gen. Isik Kosaner (1945-) William J. Burns of the U.S. U.S. Gen. James R. Clapper (1941-) Thomas E. Donilon of the U.S. (1955-) U.S. Judge Vicki Miles-LaGrange (1953-) Elena Kagan of the U.S. (1960-) Naoto Kan of Japan (1946-) Pastor Terry Jones (1951-) Father Marcial Maciel (1920-2008) Zachary Adam Chesser (1989- Jihad Jane (1963-) Rashad Hussain of the U.S. Adis Medunjanin (1984-) Ali Dizaei of Scotland (1962-) Goodluck Ebele Jonathan of Nigeria (1957-) Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed 'Farmajo' of Somalia (1962-) Mahmoud al-Mabhouh (1960-2010) Qasim al-Raymi (1979-2010) Abdolmalek Rigi Muhammad Tahir al-Qadri (1951-) Caressa Cameron (1987-) Aafia Siddiqui (1973-) Raja Lahrasib Khan (1954-) Steven Adams (-2010) and Kevin Powell (-2010) Peter Avsenew (1984-) Franklin Graham (1952-) Bishop Eddie Lee Long (1953-) U.S. Gen. James Logan Jones Jr. (1943-) Linda Lingle of the U.S. (1953-) Julia Gillard of Australia (1961-) Mark Rutte of Netherlands (1967-) Faisal Shahzad (1979-) Mohamed Osman Mohamud (1991-) T.J. Joseph, 2010 Zeituni Onyango (1953-) Sergei Martynov (1962-) USAF Maj. Margaret Witt Amy Bishop, 2010 Sandra Bullock (1964-) and Jesse James (1969-) Rima Fakih (1986-) Michelle McGee Jamie McMurray (1976-) Dario Franchitti (1973-) Sebastian Vettel (1987-) Manny Pacquiao (1978-) Drew Brees (1979-) Dallas Braden (1983-) Roy Halladay (1977-) Stephen Strasburg (1988-) Tim Lincecum (1984-) Edgar Herazo (1975-) Kelly Kulick (1977-) Koman Coulibaly of Mali (1970-) Mo Edu (1986-) Ximena Navarrete (1988-) Francesca Schiavone (1980-) Nodar Kumaritashvili of Georgia (1988-2010) Apolo Anton Ohno of the U.S. (1982-) Lee Jung-Su of South Korea (1989-) Kim Yu-Na of South Korea (1990-) Roza Isakovna Otunbayeva of Kyrgyzstan (1950-) Dési Bouterse of Suriname (1945-) Artur Davis of the U.S. (1967-) Susan Elizabeth Birnbaum of the U.S. Edgar Renteria (1975-) Tony Hayward (1957-) Kenneth Feinberg of the U.S. (1945-) Ray Mabus of the U.S. (1948-) Joe Barton of the U.S. (1949-) Austan Goolsbee of the U.S. (1969-) Peter Mikami Rouse of the U.S. (1946-) Meg Whitman of the U.S. (1956-) Jerry Brown of the U.S. (1938-) Joe Manchin of the U.S. (1947-) Nikki Haley of the U.S. (1972-) Rand Paul of the U.S. (1963-) Marco Rubio of the U.S. (1971-) Mark Steven Kirk of the U.S. (1959-) Ron Johnson of the U.S. (1955-) Linda McMahon of the U.S. (1948-) Richard M. Blumenthal of the U.S. (1946-) Christopher George Kennedy of the U.S. (1963-) Louis Farrakhan Sr. (1933-) Iranian Ayatollah Mohammad Bagher Kharrazi Abdullah Antepli Elias Abuelazam (1976-) Julian Paul Assange (1971-) Andrew J. Bacevich (1947-) Helene Hegemann (1992-) Ronnie Lee Gardner Liu Xiaobo of China (1955-) Jose Mario Pedro Vargas Llosa (1936-) U.S. Pfc. Naser Jason Abdo (1990-) Cpl. Eleanor Joseph of Israel Richard F. Heck (1931-) Ei-ichi Negishi (1935-) Akira Suzuki (1930-) Andre Geim (1958-) Konstantin Novoselov (1974-) Adam D'Angelo (1984-) and Charlie Cheever (1981-) Robert Geoffrey Edwards (1925-) Peter Diamond (1940-) Paul Driessen (1948-) Piper Kerman (1969-) Dale T. Mortensen (1939-) Sir Roger Penrose (1931-) Vahe Guzadyan (1955-) Christopher A. Pissarides (1948-) Nikodem Janusz Poplawski (1975-) Fehmi Bülent Yildirim of Turkey (1966-) Sheikh Mohamed Ahmed el-Tayeb of Egypt (1946-) Saud Bin Saqr al Qasimi (1956-) Lauren Booth (1967-) Renaud Camus (1946-) Ron Chernow (1949-) Sam Harris (1967-) David Limbaugh (1952-) Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jetha G. Willow Wilson (1982-) Mosab Hassan Yousef (1978-) Ayad Allawi of Iraq (1945-) LeBron James (1984-) Jonathan Bryan Toews (1988-) James A. Larry (1978-) Justin Bieber (1994-) Rodney Alcala (1943-) The New Jersey Jihadists The Irvine 11 Muhammad Hussain (Antonio Martinez) (1989-) Rima Fakih (1985-) Tucker Carlson (1969-) Michael Bastach Erik Peter Verlinde (1962-) Colton Harris-Moore (1991-) James Jay Lee (1967-) ''Blue Bloods', 2010- 'Justified', 2010-2015 'MasterChef Junior', 2013- ''Mike & Molly', 2010- ''Parenthood', 2010-15 'Rizzoli & Isles', 2010- ''The Walking Dead', 2010- 'Basketball Wives', 2010-13 'Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles', 2010 'Country Strong', 2010 'Dont Be Afraid of the Dark', 2010 'Eat Pray Love', 2010 'The Frankenstein Syndrome', 2010 'How to Train Your Dragon', 2010 'Insidious', 2010 'The Kings Speech', 2010 'Knight and Day', 2010 'The Last Exorcism', 2010 'Legion', 2010 'Potiche', 2010 'Pure Country 2: The Gift', 2010 'Red', 2010 'Repo Men', 2010 'Robin Hood', 2010 'A Serbian Film', 2010 'Skyline', 2010 'Tamara Drewe', 2010 'Tangled', 2010 Russell A. Baze (1958-) Justin Cronin Cults Disturbed Eve 6 Jessie J (1988-) Ke$ha (1987-) Dev (1989-) Nicki Minaj (1982-) The New Pornographers Skrillex (1988-) Stornoway Tinie Tempah (1988-) KT Tunstall (1975-) Chely Wright (1970-) Tyler Clementi (1991-2010) USAF Maj. Margaret Witt Katy Perry (1984-) and Russell Brand (1975-) Project Constellation Statue of Responsibility, 2010 Burj Tower, 2010 Barclays Center, 2010 Guangzhou Opera House, 2010 NASCAR Hall of Fame, 2010 Akatsuki Venus Climate Orbiter, 2010 Sukhoi PAK FA T-50

2010 Doomsday Clock: 6 min. to midnight (+1 since 2007). Chinese Year: Tiger (Feb. 14) - as in Woods? In the 2010s the Woke Movement begins in the U.S., appropriating an African-Am. word and ramping it up to becoming super-sensitive to race issues bordering on Negrophilia, capturing corporate boardrooms and leading by 2019 to virtually every Madison Ave. TV ad featuring at least 50% black actors even though they're only 12%-13% of the U.S. pop., preferably black-white racemixed couples with children, while leaving Hispanics, Asians and other entitlement groups in the lurch? This is the U.N. Internat. Year of Biodiversity and U.N. Internat. Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures. Generation A (Alpha) consists of people born in 2010-25, the first generation born exclusively in the 21st cent. Time Mag. Person of the Year: Mark Zuckerberg (1984-). World pop.: 6.8B, incl. 1.57B Muslims, 1.647M in Britain (2.7%), vs. 2.4% for Europe; U.S. pop.: 308,745,538 (9.7% increase since 2000); Tex. passes the 25M mark (25,145,561) (20.6% increase since 2000). Number of people fed by one U.S. farmer: 155 (v. 16 in 1950, 26 in 1960, 47 in 1970, 76 in 1980, and 100 in 1990). Americans have 4.4M births this year, exceeding the record 4.3M in 1957 at the peak of the 1946-64 Baby Boom (U.S. Census Bureau); for the first time non-white new births outnumber white (37% in 1990, 48% in 2008). The Twenty-Third (23rd) U.S. Census gives the U.S. pop. as 308.7M, a 9.7% increase since the 2000 census; the Hispanic pop. grew by 43%, from 35.3M (13%) in 2000 to 50.5M, an increase of 15.2M; Mexicans make up 63% of U.S. Hispanics (vs. 58% in 2000), vs. 9% Puerto Rican, and 4% Cuban; 75% of all Hispanics in the U.S. come from Mexico, Puerto Rico, or Cuba; the number reporting that they're both black and white grows to 1.8M from 785K in 2000; the U.S. immigrant pop. is 40M (highest ever), with 13.9 new immigrants since 2000; in 1970 it was 9.7M. Declining birthrates cause deaths to exceed births in the European Union, pop. growth becomes dependent entirely on immigration (EU); Sweden has 1.6M foreigners out of a total pop. of 9.3M (17%). This is the last year that Baby Boomers (born 1947-65) are the most represented age group in the U.S. pop.; in 2013 it is 22-year-olds. China replaces Japan as the #2 world economy after Japan's GDP falls 0.3% in Oct.-Dec. Hispanics outnumber African-Ams. in 191 of 366 large U.S. metro areas; a record 83.7% of the U.S. pop. lives in large metro areas. JPMorgan Chase reports record profits of $17.4B this year. This year and 2010 humans add about 100 billion tonnes of carbon to the atmosphere, which is about 25% of all the CO2 put there by humanity since 1750. The total number of Internet users exceeds 2B this year, with 226M new users, 162M from developing countries; the total amount of new digital data generated per year reaches 1 zettabyte (1 billion trillion bytes); Internet usage catches up with TV in the U.S., and next year U.S. TV ownership declines for the first time since 1970; too bad, many suffer from govt. censorship. The S China Drought (ends 2011) affects 35M and causes billions in financial losses. The Mexican Drug War begun 2008 reaches a death toll of 22K by Apr. According to a study by Brandeis U., over the past 23 years, the white-black income gap rose from a median of $22K per family to $100K; black household wealth rose only from $2K to $5K; banks repossess 1M U.S. homes this year. Communist China makes its move to control the Western Pacific this year, despite expert predictions that it would take until 2025? Sudan punishes 40K women a year with a total of 600K lashes. Honor attacks in Britain reach 3K thanks to years of Muslim immigration. The Winter of 2010 (Dec. 2009 - Mar. 2010) is the coldest since 1963; on Jan. 5 Norway records a temp of -45.6C as hundreds die in Europe. This is the Mexican Double Anniv. Year, the 200th anniv. of independence and 100th anniv. of its rev. This year a record 25 of the 182 accredited ambassadors in Washington, D.C. are female, incl. Hunaina Sultan Al-Mughairy from Oman, the first female ambassador from an Arab country, and Meera Shankar, first female ambassador from India in over 50 years. Pop. of Mexico: 112.3M in June (vs. 97.4M in 2000), #11 in the world. Number of mosques in the U.S: 1,897 (vs. 1,209 in 2000). Number of Muslims in Germany tied to Islamist extremist groups: 37,470 (vs. 36,270 in 2009). The U.S. hurricane season is the first in 110 years with at least 10 hurricanes and none hitting the U.S. This is the Year of Islamist Infiltration in the U.S. according to Patrick Poole. This year Hamas arrests 150 witches in Gaza. Number of civilians murdered in Juarez, Mexico: 3,111 (vs. 2,421 in Afghanistan). This year 39 Muslims are tortured to death in Uzbekistan by the govt. (vs. 20 in 2008). World CO2 emissions reach a record 30.6 gigatonnes, up 5% from 2008; they had dipped to 29 gigatonnes in 2009. Total number of people allowed to leave Islam by the govt. of Indonesia since 2000: 135. Since 1999 2.8% (33K sq. mi.) of the Amazon Rainforest has been burned. Between this year and 2010 U.S. suicide rates for ages 35-64 rise by almost 30%. The 2010-12 Southern U.S. Drought. On Jan. 1 (Fri.) the 2010 Rose Bowl sees the 10-2 Ohio State Buckeyes defeat the 10-2 Oregon Ducks by 26-17. On Jan. 1 the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership goes into effect, seeking to expand the EU to North Africa, despite fears of Islamic immigration to and Islamization of Europe; meanwhile al-Qaida's #2 man Al-Zawahiri posts a video on the Internet praising members for kidnapping three Spanish volunteers and a French national and calling on them to reconquer Al-Andalus (Spain) after first "disinfecting" the Maghreb of all infidels. This year 663 illegal aliens from countries designated as "special interest" for ties with terrorism are arrested along the U.S.-Mexico border. On Jan. 1 Israeli officials announce support of Pres. Obama's decision to impose sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, but criticize the measures being considered as too narrow, calling for "crippling" restrictions. On Jan. 1 North Korea issues a New Year Message calling for an end to hostility with the U.S. and a nuke-free peninsula, just week after sending signals that it wants to end its year-long boycott of nuclear disarmament talks - hold that tiger? On Jan. 1 a U.S. drone aircraft fires a missile that kills at least three militants in a car in Pakistan's North Waziristan region on the Afghan border; meanwhile a Taliban suicide car bomber in Shah Hasan Khel in NW Pakistan targeted at an anti-Taliban militia kills almost 100, pissing-off tribal elders; meanwhile on Jan. 1 a suicide bomber at a volleyball tournament near Lakki Marwat, Pakistan (in NW Pakistan near Waziristan) kills 75. On Jan. 1 the U.S. military celebrates their first month without a combat death in Iraq since the start of the war in 2003. On Jan. 1 China announces that it arrested 5,394 in 2009 for Internet porn, vowing to increase the crackdown. On Jan. 1 thousands march in Hong Kong to demand that Beijing grant full democracy. On Jan. 1 a new Irish Anti-Blasphemy Law passed last July comes into effect, causing Atheist Ireland to vow to fight it by publishing anti-religious quotes on its Web site. On Jan. 1 Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard (nee Vestergaard) (1935-), known for his Muhammad cartoons is attacked in his home by a mad 27-y.-o. Somalian Muslim Al-Shabaab terrorist wielding a knife and axe, who smashes his way through the glass door Jack-Nicholson-in-The-Shining-style but escapes by hiding in his panic room, after which the police shoot the intruder; meanwhile Muslim youths carbecue 1,137 cars across France as New Year's Eve celebrations turn violent, causing 549 to be detained overnight; 1,147 cars were burned in France last year, and 288 detained; 40K are burnt this year, and next the figures for next year are suppressed by the French authorities; meanwhile on Jan. 1 (night) French-Moroccan father Caude Sturni kills his three daughters ages 5, 11, 13 in Haguenau, then burns his house down with himself inside, all because of a separation; on Jan. 3 the Org. of the Islamic Conference (OIC) issues a statement in English condemning the attack on Westergaard; on Jan. 8 the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten repub. six of the original 12 Muhammad cartoons, causing the OIC to condemn the paper on Jan. 10 in a statement in English, French and Arabic - the first one condemning the violence was meant for infidel consumption only? On Jan. 1 Pres. Barack Obama signs an executive order directing govt. agencies, local law enforcement and the U.S. Post Office to work on a plan for distributing medical countermeasures in the event of a biological attack. On Jan. 1 Iranian foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki issues an ultimatum to the West to accept Iran's low-enriched uranium for higher-enriched uranium for their U.S.-built reactor, or they will begin enriching theirs from 3.5% to 20%. On Jan. 1 the Y2.01K Crisis is smallish, with some ATM users getting locked out when the machines can't read the year 2010 properly. On Jan. 2 there is a rare palindromic day: 01022010. On Jan. 2 Pres. Obama gives a speech on Yemen, saying that Xmas Underwear Bomber was trained there, and vowing to hold those responsible "to account", answering former vice-pres. Dick Cheney's criticism that he doesn't recognize the struggle with terrorists to be a war with "Our nation is at war against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred", and sending a message to Yemeni pres. (since 1978) Field Marshal (Fiver Shiite) Ali Abdullah Saleh (1942-) via U.S. Gen. David H. Petraeus congratulating him on his counterterrorism efforts and promising close cooperation; on Jan. 3 the U.S. and U.K. close their embassies in Yemen, signaling that they consider it a terrorist haven, and agree to fund a counterterrorism police unit for that country as well as fund Yemen's coast guard to fight Somalian pirates; U.S. military aid to Yemen will double from $70M to $150M; too bad, on Jan. 4 six trucks filled with explosives give security forces the slip and disappear into Sana'a. On Jan. 2 the Afghan parliament rejects 14 of 24 cabinet nominees by pres. Hamid Karzai as being cronies or under the influence of warlords, telling him to submit new acceptable ones. On Jan. 2 Mexican police capture Carlos Beltran Leyva, brother of drug lord Arturo Beltra Leyva in Culiacan, Sinaloa. On Jan. 2 four trains collide in two separate incidents in fog in India, killing 10 and injuring 47. On Jan. 3 (Sun.) the worst snowstorm since 1951 hits Beijing, China, dumping 8 in.; meanwhile a cold wave in N India kills 40, incl. 30 in the last 24 hours, and on Jan. 4 the worst snowstorm since 1937 hits South Korea. On Jan. 3 the Obama admin. still refusing to implement Muslim Ideological Profiling (MIP) as proposed by TLW et al., the Transportation Security Admin. instead issues orders that all travellers flying into the U.S. be given tightened random screening, and 100% from seven terrorism-prone countries (Afghanistan, Algeria, Iran, Mali, Pakistan, Syria, and Yemen) to be patted down and have carry-ons searched; the list is later increased to 14, incl. Cuba, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen; no surprise, Euro airports are slow to respond, Cuba and Sudan formally protest, and France wants to add 23 more countries to the risk list; meanwhile a 2008 report by the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security about a rogue aviation network run by al-Qaida across the Atlantic Ocean that was buried resurfaces. On Jan. 3 human rights activist Josefina Reyes is killed in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico; on Jan. 9 police find two severed heads and the bullet-ridden bodies of two women and a man in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, the victims of drug cartels. On Jan. 3 a security scare at Newark, N.J. Airport shuts it down for hours and delays thousands of passengers after a man slips into a secure area to give a woman a goodbye kiss when a federal officer momentarily leaves his post. On Jan. 3 Brit Hume tells Fox News Sunday that Tiger Woods could make over his personal life by switching from Buddhism to Christianity, causing the PC police to come out. On Jan. 4 after a series of earthquake (up to 7.2) in the South Pacific since Jan. 3, a tsunami hits the Solomon Islands, but no injuries are reported. On Jan. 4 Yemeni security forces kill two suspected al-Qaida militants in Sa'ana, while the French, Czech, and Japanese embassies close like their U.S. and British counterparts; on Jan. 5 the Obama admin. announces that the U.S. govt. is suspending transfer of Guantanamo Bay detainees to Yemen, but continuing plans to close it, despite a new faulty report that one in five Gitmo prisoners released returns to terrorism. On Jan. 4 the U.S. Secret Service reports the discovery of a 3rd gate crasher at the Nov. 24, 2009 state dinner for Indian PM Manmohan Singh. On Jan. 4 the U.S. House Judiciary Committee holds hearings on NFL brain injuries; former NFL brain injury committee chmn. Ira Casson testifies that he sees no evidence that prof. football is linked to dementia. On Jan. 4 Bangladesh orders dozens of Islamic political parties to drop Islam from their name and stop using religion on the campaign trail per the constitution. On Jan. 4 after getting pissed of at the Social Security admin., black-clad gunman Johnny L. Wicks (1943-) hoots up the federal courthouse lobby in Las Vegas, Nev., then flees and is shot and killed by federal officers. On Jan. 5 Pres. Obama gives a press conference where he repeatedly admits that U.S. intel agencies failed with Xmas Condom Bomber and could have prevented it, and orders them to shape up, saying "This was not a failure to collect intelligence, it was a failure to integrate and understand the intelligence that we already had... That's not acceptable, and I will not tolerate it." On Jan. 5 China warns the U.S. not to sell more arms to pesky Taiwan, which doesn't stop it from announcing $6B in arms sales on Jan. 29. On Jan. 5 a U.S. federal appeals court upholds a lower's court's 2008 decision that the govt. has sweeping authority to detain terrorism suspects linked to al-Qaida, the Taliban or affiliated groups. On Jan. 5 (night) 14 suspected Muslim terrorists die after their explosives-rigged bus blows up prematurely in Kunduz Province, Afghanistan. On Jan. 5 ESPN 3D debuts; on June 11 it broadcasts the Mexico-South Africa World Cup match in 3D; meanwhile Discovery, Imax and Sony announce a joint venture to create a 3-D TV channel next year. On Jan. 6 a U.S. military convoy travelling in the wrong lane hits a passenger van in Hillah, Iraq S of Baghdad, killing five Iraqis and injuring seven Iraqis and three U.S. soldiers. On Jan. 6 armed Nuer tribesmen kills 139 members of a rival tribe in a remote area of S Sudan. On Jan. 6 two U.S. drone strikes kill 12 in NW Pakistan. On Jan. 6 Calif. gov. Arnold Schwazenegger addresses the state assembly, asking the U.S. govt. to give Calif. $8B to help with its $20B deficit; he also shocks the Obama admin. by distancing himself from support of his health care reform bill, saying Calif. can't afford it. On Jan. 6 Xhosa tribal king Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo threatens to secede his 10M pop. Thembu tribal subgroup and take 60% of the land of South Africa with him if criminal charges against him aren't dropped. On Jan. 6 a Muslim suicide car bomber near Makhachkala, Dagestan in S Russia kills six police and injures 10 others. On Jan. 6 U.S. secy. of state Hillary Clinton says that troubled countries like Yemen need development aid along with diplomacy and air strikes to fulfill U.S. security interests; on Jan. 6 Yemeni foreign minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi chimes in and says that Yemen doesn't welcome U.S. and foreign troops, even for training and logistical support. On Jan. 6 retiring Prague archbishop cardinal Miloslav Vlk (1932-) warns that Europe is letting itself be Islamized without a fight, adding "Today, when the fighting is done with spiritual weapons which Europe lacks while Muslims are perfectly armed, the fall of Europe is looming." On Jan. 6-7 a 20-hour gun battle in Srinagar, Kashmir, India between police and militants at a police outpost kills four. On Jan. 7 (midnight) Muslin gunmen stage a drive-by shooting outside a church in Nag Hamadi in Qena Province in S Egypt (40 mi. from the ruins of Luxor), killing six. On Jan. 7 an attempt to oust British PM (since 2009) Gordon Brown fails, but shakes his authority. On Jan. 7 a series of five bomb attacks on police in Hit, Iraq 120 mi. W of Baghdad kill eight and injure 10. On Jan. 7 in response to the Nov. 23 massacre of 57 in S Philippines, the Philippine govt. begins disbanding 132 militias used by politicians to intimidate rivals. On Jan. 7 the French govt. announces the deportation of radical Egyptian imam Ali Ibrahim El Soudany for issuing calls to violence - but not his followers? On Jan. 7 assembly line worker Timothy Hendron. (b. 1958), who has a pending lawsuit against them brings a rifle to electrical products co. ABB Power, killing three and wounding five workers before killing himself. On Jan. 7 after a 2-day trip to Turkey, German foreign minister Guido Westerwelle tells Turkey to press ahead with reforms to bring it closer to the EU, denying that Germany is blocking its bid to join. On Jan. 7 Iranian opposition leader Mahdi Karroubi is fired on by pro-govt. demonstrators in Qazvin (90 mi. W of Tehran). On Jan. 7 former archbishop of Canterbury (1991-2002) Baron George Carey (1935-) pub. a letter in the London Times warning that uncontrolled Islamic immigration will threaten the "very ethos or DNA" of Britain. On Jan. 7 suspected al-Qaida member Adis Medunjanin (1984-) of Queens, N.Y. crashes his car into the back of another at the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge after leading U.S. federal agents on a high-speed chase through Queens, N.Y. and uttering the soundbyte "We love death more than you love life." On Jan. 7 (eve.) the Nag Hammadi Massacre see Muslim jihadists kill seven Coptic Christians and a Muslim guard outside a church in Nag Hammadi, Egypt; on Jan. 17, 2011 Mohamed El-Kamouny is sentenced to death for it. On Jan. 7-8 race riots by underpaid African workers in Rosarno, Italy in Calabria (toe of the boot) cause more than 1K to be shipped to immigrant detention centers, after which Pope Benedict XVI urges Italians to respect their rights, with the soundbyte "An immigrant is a human being, different only in where he comes from, his culture and tradition"; on Jan. 11 the pope denounces the failure at the Dec. 2009 Hopenhagen Conference, saying that world peace depends on safeguarding God's creation. On Jan. 8 Afghan Pres. Hamid Karzai defends his record on corruption, calling it "blown out of proportion". On Jan. 8 Georgian Airways resumes direct flights to Russia for the first time since the 2008 war. On Jan. 8 only a handful of the promised thousands of "good" Muslims march in Dearborn, Mich. to protest Islamic terrorists, saying that they don't represent Islam; meanwhile the FBI arrests Adis Medunjanin (1984-) and Zarein Ahmedzay (1985-) in connection with the Najibullah Zazi domestic Muslim terrorism case; on Apr. 24 Ahmedzay pleads guilty. On Jan. 8 Portugal legalizes same-sex marriages, but still won't allow gay couples to adopt. On Jan. 8 Obama admin. spokesmen Hillary Clinton and George Mitchell change the U.S. Mideast peace approach, stepping up pressure on Israel and the Palestinians to resume stalled talks by moving straight to negotiations on the toughest issues, incl. borders of a Palestinian state and the status of Jerusalem; on Mar. 12 Hillary rebukes Israel for building new settlements in E Jerusalem, causing the Zionist Org. of Am. to send her a letter on Mar. 28 asking her to apologize to her former constituents in New York for promising to support an undivided Jerusalem as Israel's capital, and former New York mayor Ed Koch to say that he is "close" to "getting off the Obama train". On Jan. 8 police in Acapulco, Mexico discover a record 15 decapitated bodies outside a shopping mall; another 12 are killed by drug gangs around Mexico. On Jan. 9 (4:27 p.m. local time) a 6.5 earthquake strikes off the coast of N Calif., leaving 25K households without power. On Jan. 9 after his 2008 comment is pub. in the new book "Game Change", by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann, U.S. Sen. majority leader (D-Nev.) Harry Reid personally apologizes for once predicting that Barack Obama would become the first black U.S. pres. because he is "light-skinned" and has "no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one"; Obama accepts the apology, saying "I know what's in his heart". On Jan. 9 a bus is attacked in Angola about 6 mi. from the Congo border, killing six and wounding Togo's nat. soccer team asst. coach , spokesman and eight players, causing the team to withdraw from the African Cup of Nations. On Jan. 10 Social Dem. Ivo Josipovic (1957-) is elected pres. of Croatia, taking office on Feb. 18 (until ?). On Jan. 10 250K protest in Madrid and 100K in Barcelona against the Israeli invasion of Gaza, followed on Jan. 11 by 25K in Paris and 100K in London, all orchestrated by the Egyptian-based Muslim Brotherhood. On Jan. 11 an explosion outside the village of Nawa, Helmand in S Afghanistan kills a U.S. Marine, plus Rupert Hamer (b. 1960) of the Sunday Mirror, who becomes the first British journalist killed in the Afghan War. On Jan. 11 tearful retired ML baseball star Mark McGwire finally admits that he used steroids during his record-setting years, saying he needs to make the admission before becoming the hitting coach of the St. Louis Cardinals, and that he already apologized to Roger Maris' widow Pat; former ML commissioner Bud Selig proclaims the end of the steroid era. On Jan. 11 after 60-y.-o. born-again anti-gay-rights grandmother Iris Robinson (1949-) ' is exposed as having a 2008 affair with 19-y.-o. Kirk McCambley and helping him raise $81K to open a cafe, her hubby Peter David Robinson (1948-) temporarily steps down as first minister of the North Ireland assembly (until ?); on Jan. 13 she resigns as MP for Strangford; meanwhile the Simon and Garfunkel song "Mrs. Robinson" gets downloaded heavily in Northern Ireland. On Jan. 11 Pres. Obama signs an Executive Order Establishing a Council of Governors "to strengthen further the partnership between the federal government and state governments to protect our nation against all types of hazards... reviewing such matters as involving the National Guard of the various States; homeland defense; civil support; synchronization and integration of State and Federal military activities in the United States; and other matters of mutual interest pertaining to National Guard, homeland defense, and civil support activities"; the news stirs fears of coming martial law in the U.S. On Jan. 11 N.J. passes a law legalizing medical marijuana, becoming the 14th state; on Jan. 12 Calif. begins efforts to legalize, tax and regulate it. On Jan. 11 a poll by ABC News, the BBC, and ARD German TV is released claiming that almost 70% of Afghans support the presence of U.S. military forces in Afghanistan, and 61% favor the troop buildup; 42% blame the Taliban for the violence. On Jan. 11 Osama bin Laden's former driver Salim Hamdan has a new boy son in Sana'a, Yemen 14 mo. after returning from Guantanamo Bay, where he was convicted of war crimes in Aug. 2008; the birth falls on the 8th anniv. of the prison camp's opening. On Jan. 11 Dutch brewing giant Heineken Internat. announces the purchase of Mexican Economic Development Inc. (FEMSA) in Mexico, the beer giant that produces Tecate, Dos Equis, Carta Blanca and other brands. On Jan. 12 (4:53 a.m.) the 7.0 Great 2010 Haiti Earthquake centered 10 mi. from Port-au-Prince kills 100K-316K and leaves most of the 3M city pop. homeless, becoming the worst earthquake in the area in 200+ years; the nat. penitentiary collapses, allowing inmates to escape; the H.Q. of the U.N. Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) (9K troops) in Port-au-Prince collapses, causing many personnel to be unaccounted for; the pres. palace collapses, along with the parliament bldg., causing Haitian pres. Rene Preval to flee to the Port-au-Prince airport and live there; the U.S. suspends deportations of illegal Haitian immigrants, and Pres. Obama promises "unwavering support" to rebuild the country, pledging $100M in immediate aid and sending thousands of troops; $5M in aid is donated in the first 48 hours via texting in $10 increments, and $22M within a week; U.S. televangelist Pat Robertson stinks himself up by calling the earthquake God's revenge because Haiti had made a "pact with the Devil" to throw out the French in 1791, followed by Rev. Bill Shuler, who claims that the "practice of witchcraft" caused God's wrath; a group of 10 U.S. Baptists are arrested for child trafficking and kidnapping for trying to cross the border to the Dominican Repub. with 33 Haitian orphans, some of whom turn out not to be orphans, and on Feb. 17 they are finally allowed to leave the country; by Oct. 1 not one cent of the $1.1B pledged by the U.S. for rebuilding arrives as 1M+ Haitians still live on the streets; after South Korean textile co. Sae-A Trading Co. donates $50K-$100K to the Clinton Foundation, several hundred farmers are evicted to make way for the 600-acre $300M Caracol Industrial Park in 2012, creating 8K jobs, although Bill Clinton claimed it would be 100K; conspiracy theorists claim that big oil caused the quake by secret drilling, but in Oct. scientists announce that a previously unmapped fault caused it, and that the originally blamed fault is ready to trigger another one; in 2012 Hillary Clinton's youngest brother Anthony Dean "Tony" Rodham (1954-) sits on the board of N.C.-based VCS Mining as it receives one of two "gold exploitation permits" from the Haitian govt. (the first issued in over five decades) for Morne Bossa, with options to renew for up to 25 years. On Jan. 12 NATO and Afghan security forces open fire during a demonstration in Garmsir in Helmand Province S Afghanistan, a former Taliban stronghold. On Jan. 12 Yemen begins negotiations with kidnappers holding a German family and a Briton hostage; on Jan. 11 German foreign minister Guido Westerwelle visit Sa'ana. On Jan. 12 China successfully tests an anti-missile system; meanwhile the People's Bank of China surprises investors by raising the required reserves of banks to tighten its monetary policy. On Jan. 12 Iranian nuclear physicist Massoud Ali-Mohammadi, who is linked to opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi is assassinated by a remote-controlled bomb; Iran blames Israel and the U.S. On Jan. 12 Iraqi forces bring parts of Baghdad to a standstill with a crackdown on insurgents, arresting 25 and seizing 880 lb. of explosives, claiming to stop a terrorist plot. On Jan. 12 protests in Kabul, Afghanistan triggered by rumors that internat. troops destroyed copies of the Quran kill six. On Jan. 12 French feminist Rayhana is doused with gasoline on the streets of Paris by two Arabic-speaking men after appearing in a show on the oppression of Algerian women, but oops, they fail to set her ablaze with a cigarette. On Jan. 12 Carmen Milagros Ortiz becomes the first woman and first Latina U.S. atty. in Mass. On Jan. 12 the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg rules U.K.'s stop and search powers under Sect. 44 of the 2000 Terrorism Act are illegal because they violate the Convention on Human Rights. On Jan. 12 the Mexican govt. arrests drug lord Teodoro Garcia Simental AKA El Tedo in S Baja Calif., known for ordering massacres, beheadings, and dissolving bodies in acid. On Jan. 12 the Am. Israel Action Coalition calls for the firing of Obama's anti-Semitism czar Hannah Rosenthal for supporting the supposedly Jewish-run J Street lobbying org., saying that it's really funded by Arabs and is a fake Jewish front. On Jan. 12 TLW pub. his Winslow Plan to Defeat Islam, calling for all non-Muslim nations to unite, occupy, and disarm Muslim nations, then take the children away and raise them without seeing a Quran or a mosque before releasing them back into society on probation - nobody listens until ? On Jan. 13 (7:47 a.m. EST) a 33-to-50-ft.-wide mystery object whizzes by Earth, coming within 80K mi. On Jan. 13 Google Inc. announces that it discovered a massive attempt to hack into its email accounts of Chinese dissidents, and is responding by stopping its censoring of search results in China; China censors the news of it, after which on Jan. 14 its official spokesperson Jiang Yu claims that "China's Internet is open", and that the govt. prohibits e-mail hacking; on Jan. 21 U.S. secy. of state Hillary Clinton gives a Speech on Internet Freedom, singling out China, drew analogies between the Iron Curtain and the free and unfree Internet, pissing them off and causing them on Jan. 22 to tell the U.S. govt. "to respect the truth and to stop using the co-called Internet freedom question to level baseless accusations", then on Jan. 24 they pub. an article in People's Daily accusing the U.S. of controlling the Internet in the name of Internet freedom and mounting a "hacker brigade" to foment unrest in Iran; on Mar. 22 after a Chinese official Googles himself and finds material critical of himself, ordering a crackdown, another official claims China can live without Google, and they get into a mini-war for 2 mo., Google announces that it's closing its China-based Web site and redirecting traffic to an uncensored site in Hong Kong, which the Chinese will censor; on July 9 China gives Google a green light to keep its search page. On Jan. 13 Yemeni forces announce the killing of al-Qaida leader Abdullah Mihzar in the mountainous region of Maysaa (230 mi. SE of Sana'a); on Jan. 14 Yemen declares war on al-Qaida, warning its citizens against aiding it and calling for help; meanwhile Islamic clerics threaten jihad if foreign military forces intervene. On Jan. 13 Israeli deputy foreign minister Daniel Ayalon formally apologizes to Turkish ambassador Ahmet Oguz Celikkol for humiliating him earlier in the week by making him sit on a low chair while Israelis towered over him in order to express anger at a Turkish TV series claiming that Israelis try to kidnap and convert Muslim children. On Jan. 13 veteran civil rights activist Larry Platt (1948-) appears on American Idol and performs his cool song "Pants on the Ground", about the silliness of low-rider pants. On Jan. 13 Dubai launches the OneWorld 2011 project to defeat stereotypes and misunderstandings between Islam and the West, despite there being no misunderstanding by TLW and other history students that Islam's values are totally opposed to those of the West?; meanwhile on Jan. 14 a group of 15 top Muslim clerics in Yemen incl. Sheikh Abdul Majeed al-Zindani (1942-) warn the U.S. of jihad if it sends troops - misunderstanders of Islam? On Jan. 14 Pres. Obama proposes a sharp increases in taxes paid by the largest financial institutions in the U.S. to raise $90B over the next decade and rein it in from taking large risks and giving out "obscene bonuses" - first they bail you out, then they tax you to death and tell you what to do? On Jan. 14 the Iraq govt. bans 570+ candidates from the Mar. 7 election, 400 of whom are discovered to be Sunnis, pissing-off Sunni politicians, who blame Shiite-run Iran, and causing U.S. vice-pres. Joseph Biden to rush to Baghdad to try to make them reconsider, telling them there will be no Baathist coup attempt following U.S. withdrawal, after which on Feb. 3 they flop and allow them to run, but they drop out anyway on Feb. 20, blaming Iranian influence on the vetting panel that blacklisted hundreds of candidates. On Jan. 14 the U.K. bans the Islamic group Islam4UK as a terrorist group after it tries to stage a march through Wootton Bassett (where the remains of British troops are received) and draws thousands of protests. On Jan. 14 500K celebrate the Kumbh Mela (Pitcher) Festival in India by bathing in the filthy Ganges River in Haridwar, with at least seven killed (incl. six women) in a stampede in West Bengal; 50M are expected to visit Haridwar over the next 4 mo. On Jan. 14 a suicide bomber at a market in Dihrawud in the ethnic Pashtun Uruzgan Province of Afghanistan 250 mi. SW of Kabul kills 20 incl. three children. On Jan. 14 (5:30 p.m.) three explosions rock the Shiite holy city of Najaf, Iraq 90 mi. S of Baghdad, becoming the first in the city since 2006; remnants of the Baath Party are blamed, causing provincial council member Jawad al-Garawi to vow to purge them from police and govt. positions. On Jan. 14 (5 p.m.) a roadside bomb explodes near a vehicle convoy carrying Israeli diplomats near the village of Naour, Jordan, 30 mi. W of Amman. On Jan. 15 hundreds of Muslims riot in Nairobi, Kenya after Jamaican cleric Sheikh Abdullah al-Faisal is jailed. On Jan. 15 a 5.6 earthquake hits Sucre, Venezuela 235 mi. E of Caracas. On Jan. 15 the FBI unveils a Times Square Digital Billboard to display suspects' mugs and other "security messages", stirring fears of George Orwell's Big Brother and the 1987 Arnold Schwarnegger film "The Running Man". On Jan. 15 al-Qaida leader Qasim al-Raymi (b. 1979), who orchestrated the Xmas Panty Bomber last year is killed in Yatama, Yemen by a Yemeni air strike; a statement by him later appears on the Internet, saying "We will blow up the earth from below your feet." On Jan. 17 U.S. drones fire four missles into a suspected Uzbek militant house in the Shaktoi area of South Waziristan, killing 20+. On Jan. 17 Afghan Pres. Hamid Karzi announces a new peace plan featuring "economic incentives" to lure the Taliban to join his govt. ranks, saying that many Taliban fighters "have no ideological commitment to the principles, values or political movement led by Mullah Omar" and are "not supporters of the ideology of al-Qaida"; Pakistani army chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani announces that Pakistan wants a role in the negotiations. On Jan. 17 the Saudi-based Islamic Solidarity Games Federation cancels the Islamic Solidarity Games after Persia refuses to call the Persian Gulf the Arabian Gulf. On Jan. 17 Spanish Communist politician Gaspar Llamazares threatens to sue the FBI for using his photo as the basis of a hypothetical image of Osama bin Laden as he would look now. On Jan. 17 Harvard-educated billionaire M.R. Sebastian Pinera Echenique (M.R. Sebastián Piñera Echenique) (1949-) is elected pres. of Chile, taking office on Mar. 11 (until ?), ending 20 years of leftist rule since the fall of Gen Augusto Pinochet in 1990; he promises to boost economic growth to 6% a year and create 1M jobs; Chile's economy shrank last year for the first time in a decade. On Jan. 17 Haitian-born Brooklyn resident Jules Paul Bouloute (1952-) is arrested at JFK Internat. Airport in connection with a security breach that caused an Am. Airlines terminal to be evacuated. On Jan. 17 U.S. atty. Preet Bharara announces the merging of drug and terrorism units to go after extremist Islamic groups. On Jan. 17 after they protest construction of a mosque, angry Muslim youths set a Christian church filled with worshippers on fire, starting a riot that kills 27 and wounds 300+ in Jos, Nigeria. On Jan. 17 (5:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. PST) the 2010 (67th) Golden Globe Awards, presented at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. and hosted by Ricky Gervais (first live broadcast) award best picture to "Avatar" and "The Hangover", best dir. to James Cameron for "Avatar", best actor to Jeff Bridges for "Crazy Heart" and Robert Downey Jr. for "Sherlock Holmes", best actress to Sandra Bullock for "The Blind Side" and Meryl Streep for "Julie and Julia", best supporting actor to Christoph Waltz for "Inglourious Basterds", best supporting actress to Mo'Nique for "Precious", best foreign language film to "The White Ribbon", and best screenplay to "Up in the Air". On Jan. 18 the Taliban stages a brazen attack in C Kabul, Afghanistan, with suicide bombers at several locations along with a gun battle inside a shopping center. On Jan. 18 Somalian Muslim pirates free Greek-flagged tanker Maran Centaurus, seized Nov. 29 carrying 2M barrels of oil after they receive the biggest ransom yet paid, $5.5M-$7M. On Jan. 19 a U.S. drone fires two missiles at a house in the Datta Khel district 20 mi. W of Miranshah in Pakistan's North Waziristan region, killing six militants. On Jan. 19 Iran rejects an internat. plan to ship its low-enriched uranium abroad for further enrichment. On Jan. 19 Sheikh Ahmed Hassoun, Syria's top Muslim leader says that Islam commands its followers to protect Judaism, adding "If the Prophet Mohammed had asked me to deem Christians or Jews heretics, I would have deemed Mohammed himself a heretic", and "If Mohammed had commanded us to kill people, I would have told him he was not a prophet." On Jan. 19 Christopher Bryan Speight (1970-) fatally shoots eight people in Appomattox, Va., then hides in the woods overnight before surrendering. On Jan. 19 53 Haitian orphans land in Pittsburgh, Penn. to be placed in group homes until their adoptions are finalized. On Jan. 19 Repub. state sen. and former June 1982 Cosmopolitan model Scott Philip Brown (1959-) narrowly defeats Dem. Mass. atty.-gen. Martha Coakley (known for prosecuting British au pair Louise Woodward) for Ted Kennedy's U.S. Senate seat, ending the 60-seat Dem. majority and throwing Obama's health care reform into trouble; he goes on to loses the Nov. 2012 election. On Jan. 19 the Washington Post reports that the FBI collected more than 2K records on U.S. telephone calls illegally by falsely invoking terrorism or strong-arming telephone cos. On Jan. 20 an 11-member Israeli squad with Euro passports kills senior Hamas cmdr. Mahmoud Abdel Rauf al-Mabhouh (b. 1960) in his hotel room in Dubai; on Feb. 1 the Palestinian Popular Resistance Committees places bombs in barrels and sends them into the Mediterranean Sea from the Gaza coast, and three wash ashore in Israeli cities but are detonated on Feb. 19 Dubai police chief Lt. Gen. Dahi Khalfan calls for Interpol to issue a "red notice" to approve the arrest of Meir Dagan, head of the Israeli Mossad.; on Feb. 21 the UAE seeks U.S. govt. help in tracing prepaid credit cards used by the assassins; on Apr. 22 the EU condemns the Dubai killing and the use of fraudulent EU passports, but doesn't refer to Israel directly; on Feb. 24 Israeli opposition leader Tzipi Livni calls on the internat. community to stop criticizing them, saying "I don't expect the world to welcome the killing of terrorists, but I do expect the world to not criticize it"; the hit was actually a botched kidnapping attempt in order to use him as a bargaining chip to get Hamas to return captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit? On Jan. 20 Pres. Barack Obama has been in office one full year and the world is still here and he still hasn't held precondition-free talks with Iran. On Jan. 20 the 6.1 2nd 2010 Haitian Earthquake rocks Port au Prince, causing the 12K U.S. troops to step up aid efforts, while Hugo Chavez of Venezuela et al. loudly complain that the U.S. is "occupying" Haiti. On Jan. 20 U.S. defense secy. Robert Gates tells the press that al-Qaida and its affiliates might be trying to start a war between India and Pakistan and spread it to all of South Asia; meanwhile U.S. Sen. (R-Ala.) Jeff Sessions, raking Repub. on the Senate Judiciary Committee "calls out" the Obama admin. for its lax approach to fighting the war with Islamic terrorists, incl. reading Miranda rights to terrorists, closing the Guantanamo Bay prison, and trying to rehabiliate and release them only to fight us again, with the soundbyte "On Christmas Day we narrowly escaped disaster. It was a harrowing reminder that we are faced with a ruthless enemy - one that will stop at nothing in its quest to kill American civilians." On Jan. 21 the govt. of South Korea turns off the lights at 7:00 p.m. and tells its workers to go home and make babies to help reverse the pop. decline. On Jan. 21 the U.S. Supreme Court rules 5-4 in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission that corps. can spend freely on political campaigns, and don't have to go through PACs; justice John Paul Stevens writes the dissenting opinion, dissing the court for stretching its jurisdiction over the film "Hillary: The Movie" in order to create a broad sweeping opinion; the Obama admin. responds with the U.S. Disclosure Act to get around it, which Repubs. unite to stop from passing with a filibuster; in Mar. the IRS begins closely scrutinizing orgs. with certain words in their names that are applying for tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(4), developing the "Be on the Look Out List" in Aug.; too bad, it flags the words "Tea Party", "patriots", "Israel", "occupy", "progressive", and "9/12 Project", leading to the 2013 IRS Scandal. On Jan. 21 Pres. Obama takes on Wall Street, proposing rules to prevent any bank from becoming "too big to fail", and barring them from making "reckless" investments that are little more than gambling, incl. hedge funds and private equity funds; his plan was proposed by Paul Volcker; Euro govts cautiously back his plan. On Jan. 21 Afghan CIC U.S. Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal announces that he plans on tightening the rules on night raids in Afghanistan to avoid pissing-off the pop. and throwing them into the arms of the Taliban. On Jan. 21 after weeks of rumors, public jokes and negotiations, NBC-TV officially boots Conan O'Brien out, with a $32.5M buyout, and moves Jay Leno back to the Tonight Show. On Jan. 21 India puts its airports on high alert after getting info. that an al-Qaida attack is in the works; on Jan. 22 Britain raises its terror threat level to its 2nd highest possible level. On Jan. 21 a report by the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee says that the U.S. should be put on heightened alert for attacks from Americans in Yemen, incl. ex-prisoners who converted to Islam in priz. On Jan. 22 the new Bolivia parliament meets, with a record 28% of seats occupied by women, incl. the pres. of the Senate, Ana Maria Romero; pres. Evo Morales is sworn-in for a 2nd term (until ?). On Jan. 22 U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Ryan T. Mathison steps on an IED and it fails to go off; on Jan. 23 a roadside bomb kills two U.S. soldiers in S Afghanistan, bringing the year's total to 22. On Jan. 22 Russian police officer Alexei Dymovsky from Novorossisk, who accused his bosses of corruption and abuse of office, and whose YouTube video got over 1M hits is arrested and charged with ditto to silence him, with a 10-year sentence hanging over his head for allegedly stealing $800. On Jan. 22 Guantanamo Bay Prison stays open despite Obama's campaign promise to close it by this date; it finally closes on ? On Jan. 23 tens of thousands demonstrate in Caracas, Venezuela against the regime of Pres. Hugo Chavez, blaming him for power blackouts, water rationing, and high crime. On Jan. 23 12-y.-o. Shazia Bashir (b. 1997) is murdered by her wealthy Muslim lawyer employer Chaudhry Mohammad Naeem, former pres. of the Lahore High Court Bar Assoc., which threatens to "burn alive" any lawyer who prosecutes her; meanwhile two Christian women are freed after their employer Muhammad Ikram kidnaps and tortures them for months to try to convert them to Islam. On Jan. 23 prof. and amateurs protest in Trafalgar Square in London over being intimidated into not taking pictures of public bldgs. On Jan. 24 torrential rains in Peru strand thousands of tourists in Machu Picchu. On Jan. 25 (3:10 a.m.) Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET409 (Boeing 737) catches fire and crashes into the Mediterranean Sea min. after takeoff from Beirut, killing all 90 aboard. On Jan. 25 Saddam Hussein's cousin Chemical Ali (Ali Hassan al-Majid) (b. 1941) is hung; meanwhile three big car bombs rock Baghdad hotels, killing 36 and ending a 6-week lull; on Jan. 26 another suicide bomber detonates in a police crime lab outside the Interior Ministry, killing 21 and injuring 80. . On Jan. 25 Afghan Pres. Hamid Karzai announces that Western allies back his plans to reconcile with Taliban fighters. On Jan. 25 Daniel Kerrigan (1939-), father of Olmpic skater Nancy Kerrigan dies of a heart attack after a fight with his hothead jailbird son who thought he was faking when he collapsed in their Stoneham, Mass. home. On Jan. 25 the worst Tex. oil spill since 1995 sees an 800-ft. tanker headed for an Exxon Mobil refinery in Beaumont, Tex. collide with another vessel, spilling 220K gal. of oil. On Jan. 26 elections in Sri Lanka for the first time since the end of the civil war reelect pres. Mahinda Rajapaksa with 57.8% of 10.4M votes cast; too bad, soldiers surround his chief rival Gen. Sarath Fonseka in a luxury hotel, causing him to call for the results to be nullified. On Jan. 26 the U.S. Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation issues a report saying that the U.S. isn't prepared for a bioterrorist attack. On Jan. 26 a French parliamentary committee pub. a 200-page report recommending a partial ban on women wearing Islamic face veils, calling the burqa "contrary to the values of the republic"; on Mar. 7 EU chief Thomas Hammarberg says that a ban on the full Islamic veil would be an invasion of privacy and would alienate Muslim women from French society; in Mar. a 31-y.-o. French Muslim woman is fined for wearing a full veil while driving; on Apr. 21 French pres. Nicolas Sarkozy approves a ban; of 4M-6M French Muslims, only 1.9K women wear full burqas; on May 19 the French parliament imposes a $185 fine on women wearing a full-face Islamic veil in public; on Sept. 14 the French Senate overwhelmingly (246-1) votes to ban the full Islamic veil in public, and on Oct. 7 the French Constitutional Council approves it except in places of worship; a legal challenge in the European Court of Justice is planned. On Jan. 26 Mohamed Ali Harrath, head of Britain's Islam Channel is arrested in South Africa on terrorism charges, and faces deportation to Tunisia. On Jan. 26 Toyota suspends the manufacture and sale of eight of its most popular models after a flaw that causes sudden potentially fatal acceleration remains unsolved; on Feb. 5 after allegations of coverups, Toyota's pres. (since June, 2009) Akio Toyoda, grandson of the founder publicly apologizes; on Feb. 9 it recalls 400K hybrid Toyota Priuses, on top of the 8M vehicles in line for fixes, all causing U.S. automakers to dance with glee that they have their chance; on Feb. 24 Toyoda appears before a U.S. House oversight committee to offer a tearful apology; on Apr. 5 the U.S. Transportation Dept. announces a maximum allowable $16.4M fine for failing to promptly notify them about problems with accelerator pedals. On Jan. 27 Porfirio Lobo "Pepe" Sosa (1947-) of the center-right Nat. Party is sworn-in as pres. of Honduras (until ?). On Jan. 27 (9 p.m. ET) Pres. Obama delivers his 2010 State of the Union Address, saying "Jobs must be our number one focus in 2010", calling on Congress to send him a new jobs bill; he also announces plans to take $30B in repaid Wall St. bailout funds to create small business loans, and calls for a small business jobs credit to help 1M cos. to create jobs or raise wages; Obama asks Congress to abolish the "don't ask don't tell policy" for gays in the military, and bashes the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision permitting corps. to pay for political ads, causing justice Samuel Alito Jr. to mutter "Not true" from the audience at Obama's insistence that the ruling allows foreign corps. to influence U.S. campaigns, after which on Mar. 9 chief justice John Roberts calls it "very troubling", that the address has "degenerated to a political pep rally", and openly wonders whether the justices should attend in the future; a 2005 soundbyte by Sen. Barack Obama the week before Roberts' confirmation hearing is dug up by the press: "A political philosophy that typically errs on the side of the powerful rather than the powerless, that's a judicial philosophy that can make worse, can exacerbate some of the problems that we have in this country"; Obama also claims that there is "overwhelming scientific evidence on climate change", and that it "is not an intellectual luxury but an actual fact". On Jan. 27 German-born socialite Frederic Prinz von Anhalt (9th hubby of Zsa Zsa Gabor) announces his candidacy for gov. of Calif. On Jan. 27 Hany Mawla (1973-) becomes the first Muslim to be appointed to the N.J. superior court, and also the youngest. On Jan. 28 (8 a.m.) a U.S. soldier kills Islamic cleric imam Mohammad Yunis in E Kabul, pissing-off the local Muslim pop. and causing a U.S. military investigation. On Jan. 28 the U.S. Senate raises the U.S. debt ceiling by $1.9T to $14.3T, about $45K per capita, and confirms Ben Benanke for a 2nd term as head of the Federal Reserve by 70-30. On Jan. 28 world leaders meet in London, England to discuss the allied war effort in Afghanistan and discuss how to combat Islamic radicalization in Yemen. On Jan. 28 Iran hangs two anti-govt. activists for the crime of "waging war against Allah"; meanwhile on Jan. 27 Pres. Obama warns Iran that it faces "growing consequences" over its nuclear activities, and on Jan. 29 the U.S. Senate votes to cut off Iranian oil imports after the House voted a similar bill 6 weeks earlier. On Jan. 28 Ojore Nuru Lutalo (1945-) of Elizabeth, N.J. is arrested on an Amtrak passenger train in Colo. en route from L.A. to Chicago after passengers hear him talking about al-Qaida and making threats on his cell phone. On Jan. 29 former British PM Tony Blair defends the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, saying that after 9/11 the game rules changed, and Saddam Hussein had to be disarmed or removed, saying "This isn't about a lie, or a conspiracy, or a deceit, or a deception, this is a decision, and the decision I had to take was, given Saddam's history, given his use of chemical weapons, given the over 1 million people whose deaths he caused, given 10 years of breaking U.N. resolutions, could we take the risk of this man reconstituting his weapons program? I believed... that we were right not to run that risk", adding that he was convinced that Sodamn Insane had WMDs at the time. On Jan. 29 another audio tape by Osama bin Laden is aired on Al Jazeera, and this time he urges the world to drop reliance on the U.S. dollar and blames industrialized countries for global warming. On Jan. 29 Bill Gates pledges $10B to fund research for a "Decade of New Vaccines" for the world's poorest countries, becoming the biggest charitable donation in history (until ?). On Jan. 29 Hillary Clinton warns China that it risks diplomatic isolation and disruption to its energy supplies unless it helps stop Iran from developing nukes. On Jan. 29 the U.S. Nat. Counterterrorism Center announces that it's creating new teams of specialists to connect the dots of emerging terrorist plots in an effort to prevent a repeat of the 2009 Xmas Underwear Bomber; meanwhile Obama admin. officials leak the news that they might not try 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed in New York City after all, and are are considering Guantanamo Bay; in Mar. after White House input, the Pentagon appoints retired Navy vice adm. Bruce MacDonald as the war crimes convening authority to bring criminal charges, select jury pools, etc., causing speculation that KSM will be tried by a war crimes tribunal. On Jan. 29 Pres. Obama stages an unusual meeting with House Repub. members in Baltimore, Md., saying that they're painting his health care program as a "Bolshevik plot". On Jan. 29 Islamic extremists set off a bomb in a mosque compound in S Thailand, then start a firefight with Thai soldiers, killing one and wounding two. On Jan. 30 (dawn) a joint U.S.-U.N. airstrike in Wardak Province SW of Kabul mistakenly targets an Afghan army post, killing four Afghan soldiers, pissing-off the Afghan govt.; meanwhile a U.S. drone strike in the Mohammad Khel area of North Waziristan kills five; meanwhile a suicide car bomber in Bajaur in NW Pakistan kills 14; meanwhile a suicide bomber at a falafel restaurant near a Shiite shrine in Sunni-dominated Samarra (60 mi. N of Baghdad) kills two; meanwhile critics diss the Obama admin. for never admitting to the strikes. On Jan. 30 Yemeni forces capture al-Qaida militant Saleh Abdul-Habib Saleh Shawash, who is wearing a bomb belt and planning suicide attack on "economic facilities. On Jan. 30 16 children are massacred in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico by gunmen in two trucks, who block off a dead-end street in the Villas de Salvarcar neighborhood and open fire on three houses; the mayor calls it a "random criminal act". On Jan. 30 former Iranian pres. (1989-97) Ali Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani tells a meeting of the Iranian Expediency Council that Iran's nuclear program is "irreversible", a "symbol of national resolve", and that Iran will not be stopped by new sanctions. On Jan. 30 the 2010 Miss Am. Pageant is won by Caressa Cameron (1987-) of Va.; conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh is a judge. On Jan. 31 "unauthorized" anti-Kremlim protests in Moscow and St. Petersburg result in 100+ arrests incl. several opposition leaders. On Jan. 31 a test of a U.S. anti-ballistic missile system managed by Boeing fails; on Dec. 15 a 2nd test fails. On Jan. 31 U.S. and Pakistani officials announce that they believe that their strikes have killed Pakistan Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud; on May 3 two new videos by him surface, in which he utters the soundbyte "The time is very near when our fedayeen will attack the American states in the major cities", pointing to the Times Square bombing attempt. On Jan. 31 the U.S. announces that it is deploying a Patriot Missile Shield in the Persian Gulf to protect its allies incl. Qatar, UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait. On Jan. 31 (Sun.) the NFL Pro Bowl is held for the 1st time in the continental U.S. at Dolphin Stadium in Miami, Fla., becoming the first Pro Bowl held before a Super Bowl. On Jan. 31 the 52nd Grammy Awards at Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif. are a big V for Beyonce (Beyoncé Giselle Knowles) (1981-), who wins a female artist record six awards; country singer Taylor Swift (1989-) wins four. In Jan. U.S. unemployment falls from 10% to 9.7%, losing only 20K jobs. In Jan. UCLA prof. Raul Hinojosa-Ojeda pub. a study suggesting that legalizing immigrants would produce a $1.5T increase in U.S. GDP over 10 years. In Jan. Prosy Katura of the U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR) announces that the U.S. is allowing 5.8K Muslim Ugandan refugees to immigrate, the reason given being that they don't get along with other refugee camps. In Jan. in accordance with Pres. Obama's June 4, 2009 speech at Cairo U., the Science Envoy Program is launched to send U.S. scientists to Muslim-majority countries from N Africa to SE Asia. In Jan. cyber criminals hack 75K computer systems at 2.5K cos. in 196 countries; the attack isn't discovered until mid-Feb. In Jan. U.S. defense secy. Robert M. Gates sends a secret memorandum to the White House warning that the U.S. has no effective long-range policy for dealing with Iran's nukes; it is leaked in Apr. In Jan. Italy opens the first prison for transgender inmates. In Jan. veterinarian Erhan Elibol delivers a human-faced lamb in Izmir, Turkey, saying that it must have been the result of sex with a man. In Jan. radical Islamic cleric Sheikh Abdullah el-Faisal, who was convicted of inciting racial hatred in Britain returns from exile to Jamaica, causing U.S. concerns that he could turn Jamaica into an incubator for Islamic extremism. In Jan. China debates a law banning the eating of cat and dog meat despite their popularity. In Jan.-Feb. the U.S. experiences its coldest winter in 25 years, while Canada experiences its warmest winter on record. On Feb. 1 Pres. Obama unveils a blueprint for the $3.8T 2010 U.S. Budget, which incl. a record $708B in defense spending, and cuts out the planned $100B NASA 2020 Constellation Moon trip and the Ares 1 rocket, successor to the Space Shuttle; meanwhile he asks NASA head Charlie Bolden to "find ways [for NASA] to reach out to dominantly Muslim countries", incl. partnering with them in science missions. On Feb. 1 the U.S. Defense Dept. releases its 128-page 2010 Auadrennial Defense Review, which spends eight pages on climate change but doesn't even mention the threat of radical Islam. On Feb. 1 a female suicide bomber in Baghdad, Iraq in the middle of a procession of pilgrims in the well-named Shiite Boob al-Sham area kills 41 and wounds 106. On Feb. 1 Kazakhstan foreign minister Kanat Saudabayev begins a 5-day visit to the U.S., calling for a summit meeting of the Org. for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and warning the U.S. against quitting Afghanistan "without creating the conditions for the Afghans to turn away from arms and to move to plowshares". On Feb. 1 Pope Benedict XVI makes comments on the British Labour Party's proposed Equality Bill, saying it will limit religious freedom by forcing them to accept gays into Church ranks, saying "The effect of some of the legislation designed to achieve this goal has been to impose unjust limitations on the freedom of religious communities to act in accordance with their beliefs." On Feb. 2 a bomb explodes on the railroad tracks in St. Petersburg, Fla., injuring one; the govt. calls it a terrorist attack. On Feb. 2 Afghan Pres. Hamid Karzai leads a delegation to Mecca, then on Feb. 3 holds talks with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia to ask for spiritual and financial help against the Taliban, while Abdullah says that the Taliban must deny sanctuary to Osama bin Laden before they will agree to mediate in any peace deal. On Feb. 2 top Pentagon officials tell the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee that they are scaling back the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy, no longer aggressively pursuing disciplinary action against gay service members who are outed by 3rd parties, with JCS chmn. Adm. Mike Mullen saying that lifting the ban is "the right thing to do"; Ariz. Sen. John McCain comes out against the idea, telling them to "Keep the impact it will have on our forces firmly in mind"; Mullen also tells the committee that the next 12-18 mo. will be critical in reversing the momentum gained by the Taliban in Afghanistan, adding "Our future security is greatly imperiled if we do not win the wars we are in", asking for $192B for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for the next 18 mo., $33B to be used to send 30K more troops to Afghanistan by fall. On Feb. 2 CIA dir. #3 (since Feb. 13, 2009) Leon Panetta tells Congress that the U.S. an expect an al-Qaida attack in the next 3-6 mo.; on Feb. 3 White House counterintel chief John Owen Brennan (1955-) claims that none of the 48 Guantanamo Bay detainees released or transferred by the Obama admin. have turned back into jihadists, vs. 20% of the 540 detainees released by the Bush admin.; meanwhile on Jan. 28 the new High-Value Detainee Group is authorized under a classified charter that allows interagency interrogation teams to question key terrorism suspects. On Feb. 2 (night) the U.S. carries out its largest drone missile attack so far, launching 16-8 and killing 10+ in North Waziristan. On Feb. 2 Protestant clergyman Rev. Issavi (1944-) is arrested in Isfahan, Iran for converting Muslims, then tortured and threatened with execution. On Feb. 3 a bomb outside a girls school in Timergara, Pakistan kills three U.S. soldiers; the Taliban claims responsibility and threatens more attacks on Americans; another motorcycle bomb in Kerbala, Iraq kills 20+ Shiite pilgrims. On Feb. 3 Iranian pres. Mahmoud Imadinnajacket flip-flops and says that Iran is willing to ship enriched uranium abroad "for 4-5 months" in exchange for fuel for a Tehran medical reactor. On Feb. 3 Iran announces the launch of a Kavoshgar-3 rocket capable of carrying a satellite, bragging about breaking "the global domineering system". On Feb. 3 (6 p.m. local time) a U.S. UH-60 Black Hawk heli crashes in a wooded area near a highway near Heidelberg in SW Germany, killing three. On Feb. 3 a roadside bomb in Lower Dir, Pakistan destroys a girls' school and kills three U.S. soldiers, a Pakistani soldier, and three schoolgirls, and wounds 100+ incl. two U.S. soldiers. On Feb. 3 U.S. nat. intel dir. retired adm. Dennis C. Blair tells Congress that the intel community must first obtain high-level govt. approval before killing U.S. citizens who have joined al-Qaida. On Feb. 3 veiled U.S.-educated Pakistani female neuroscientist Aafia Siddiqui (1972-) is convicted by a jury in New York City of shooting at U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan in 2008, raising her arm after the verdict and uttering the soundbyte "Your anger should be directed where it belongs", referring to Israel, sparking angry protests in cities in Pakistan. On Feb. 4 Pres. Obama holds a Nat. Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., bemoaning the "erosion of civility" and saying there's a growing sense that "something is broken" in Washington, D.C.; he also takes a rare shot at the Birthers who question his U.S. citizenship, saying "Surely you can question my policies without questioning my faith, or for that matter, my citizenship." On Feb. 4 Romania approves a U.S. proposal to position anti-ballistic missile interceptors on its soil as part of a revamped U.S. missile shield, set to become operational in 2015. On Feb. 4 the White House announces that it will welcome the Dalai Lama later in Feb. despite Chinese pressure. On Feb. 5 the $550-a-seat 1.1K-delegate Tea Party Convention in Nashville, Tenn. features speaker Tom Tancredo, who claims that Obama's voters couldn't even spell the word vote, or say it in English, and that Obama is a "committed Socialist idealogue"; on Feb. 6 Sarah Palin speaks, saying "America is ready for another revolution", and mocking Pres. Obama with "How's that hopey-changey thing workin' out for you", and "To win that war [against terrorism] we need a commander in chief, not a professor of law", using crib notes scribbled on her hand despite criticizing Pres. Obama for using a teleprompter, causing White House press secy. Robert Gibbs to mock her on Feb. 9 with his own hand notes; she responds by quoting the Bible, Isaiah 49:16: "I have engraved you on the palms of my hands". On Feb. 5 a twin car bombing targeting Shiite pilgrims in Karbala, Iraq S of Baghdad kills 32 and wounds 154; two bombs more targeting Shiites in Karachi, Pakistan kill 22 and wound 50. On Feb. 5 Pres. Obama attends a funeral in Washington, D.C. for the seven CIA employees killed in Afghanistan on Dec. 30, telling the CIA to "carry on their work, to complete this mission, to win this war and to keep our country safe"; on Feb. 5 the Obama admin. sends a cable to the U.S. embassy in Britain, ordering them to conduct outreach to "empower" the British Muslim community. On Feb. 5 Danish special forces storm the ship Ariella captured by Somalian pirates and free the 25 crew, becoming the first warship to intervene during a hijacking. On Feb. 5-6 and Feb. 9-10 the Snowpocalypse (Snowmageddon) buries the Washington, D.C. area in 30 in. of snow, causing govt. workers to be told to stay home on Feb. 8-10; a 3rd blizzard hits on Feb. 25-26. On Feb. 7 (11:37 a.m.) an explosion at a 620MW natural gas power plant in Middleton, Conn. kills two and injures several. On Feb. 7 Super Bowl XLIV ("the Who Bowl", with the Who Dat Saints vs. the Colts from the Hoosier State, and the Who playing the halftime show) is held in Dolphins Stadium in Miami, Fla.; the New Orleans Saints (NFL) defeat the Indianapolis Colts (AFC) by 31-17 (1st ever SB win); New Orleans QB Andrew Christopher "Drew" Brees (1979-) is MVP; a TV ad featuring Bible-thumping Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow and his mother, who tells how she's glad she didn't abort him as a fetus pisses-off the pro-abortion crowd; meanwhile on Feb. 6 Dem. La. lt. gov. Mitchell Joseph "Mitch" Landrieu (1960-) is elected by a landslide as the first majority-black white mayor of New Orleans since 1978, when his daddy Maurice Edwin "Moon" Landrieu left office. On Feb. 7 Iranian supreme leader and CIC Ayatollah Ali Khameini utters the soundbyte "Israel is going downhill toward decline and fall and God willing its obliteration is certain" in a meeting with Islamic Jihad leader Ramadan Abdullah Shallah, adding that Iran will deliver a "punch" to its enemies on or before the Feb. 11 anniv. of the 1979 Islamic Rev.; meanwhile on Feb. 7 Iranian pres. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announces that Iran will raise its uranium enrichment level to 20%, taking it weeks away from weapons-grade uranium (90%), which White House spokesman Robert Gibbs discounts as unbelievable; on Feb. 11 Imadinnajacket announces that the first batch of enriched uranium has been produced, but denies any intention of building nuclear weapons. On Feb. 7 elections in Ukraine give a V to pro-Russian opposition leader Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovich (1950-); his opponent, PM (since Dec. 18, 2007) Yulia Volodymyrivna Tymoshenko (1960-) claims election fraud, but he is sworn-in as pres. of Ukraine on Feb. 25 (until ?); on Apr. 25 he allows the Russian naval fleet to remain in Ukraine for another 25 years. On Feb. 7 U.S. secy. of state Hillary Clinton gives an nterview to CNN, stating that she considers WMDs in the hands of Islamic terrorists to be the #1 security threat of the U.S., not a nuclear-armed Iran, calling al-Qaida "a very committed, clever, diabolical group of terrorists who are always looking for weaknesses and openings". On Feb. 7-8 Muslim taxi drivers in Oslo, Norway park their cars to protest some Prophet Muhammad cartoons that were pub. on Feb. 3 by the Norwegian "Dagbladet"; on Feb. 12 2.5K march in protest. On Feb. 8 the Obama admin. proposes the U.S. Climate Service, a new global warming agency to study and report on the climate. On Feb. 8 the Am. Bar Assoc. (ABA) calls on the U.S. Congress to create new independent immigration courts to handle the giant backlog. On Feb. 8 Tijuana, Mexico drug lords Raydel Lopez "El Muletas" Uriarte and Manuel Garcia "El Chiquillin" Simental are arrested in La Paz, Baja Calif., wiping out the leaders of the cartel headed by Teodoro Garcia Simental, who was arrested in Jan. On Feb. 8 six suspected Taliban militants carrying a suicide vest and grenades are arrested while allegedly on their way to attack the 5-star Pearl Continental Hotel in Lahore, Pakistan. On Feb. 8 British Christian teacher Nicholas Kafouris is fired after complaining about Muslim students who were praising the 9/11 hijackers as "heroes" and "martyrs" and claiming that when they grow up they want to be suicide bombers. On Feb. 8 Iranian-born Muslim Scotland Yard cmdr. (former pres. of the Nat. Black Police Assoc.) Ali Dizaei (1962-) is convicted of criminal misconduct and perversion of the course of justice, ending his reign of terror, becoming the highest official convicted since the 1970s. On Feb. 8 a group of Muslim students disrupt a speech given by Israeli ambassador Michael B. Oren at the U. of Calif. in Irvine; on Sept. 23 the Irvine 11 are convicted of conspiracy despite efforts of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) et al. On Feb. 9 Pres. Obama vows to impose "significant" new sanctions on Iran fairly quickly for stepping up its uranium enrichment activities, and wants to concentrate on the Islamic Rev. Guards. On Feb. 9 Pres. Obama meets with Repubs. for two hours to try to end the impasse on health care and other programs, accusing Repubs. of obstructionism while calling Dems. to "put aside matters of party for the good of the country". On Feb. 9 Russian Gen. Nikolai Makarov says that the revised U.S. plan to place Patriot missiles in Europe threatens Russia's security despite assurances that they're not directed at it. On Feb. 10 Israeli soldier Sgt. Maj. Ihab Khatib is killed by a Palestinian Muslim jihadist with a knife while sitting in his jeep stuck in a traffic jam. On Feb. 10 a British court decides to discover a U.S. confirmation that the CIA tortured Ethiopian terrorist suspect Binyam Mohamed, pissing-off the White House, which says this will "complicate" their intel relationship. On Feb. 10-? Operation Moshtarak by 15K U.S., British and Afghan troops targets Marjah, Afghanistan in Helmand Province, becoming the first major offensive of the Obama admin.; on Feb. 25 after heavy fighting the U.S. installs a new Afghan govt. in Marjah. On Feb. 11 Saudi religious (Sharia) police launch a nationwide crackdown on stores selling items related to Valentine's Day On Feb. 11 (11:44 EST) the Airborne Laser Testbed of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency successfully shoots down a boosting ballistic missile using a laser at the Naval Air Warfare Center at Point Mugu, Calif. On Feb. 11 the 31st Anniv. of the Iranian Islamic Rev. is marked by opposition protests, with Pres. Imadinnajacket telling a large trucked-in crowd in Tehran that Iran is now a nuclear nation. On Feb. 11 the U.S. and EU express dismay at the upholding of an 11-year prison sentence (2009-2020) for anti-Communist Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo (1955-); on Oct. 8 he is awarded the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize for using nonviolence to fight for fundamental human rights and multiparty democracy, pissing off the Chinese govt., who call him a criminal, and declare that relations with Norway will be harmed, which they call a petty thing to do; last year's winner Pres. Obama calls for his release, which they respond to by placing Liu's wife under house arrest in Beijing; meanwhile almost to dozen elders in the Chinese Communist Party sign a petition demanding an end to govt. censorship. On Feb. 11 EU leaders hold a summit and express sympathy over the economic plight of Greece, which needs 53B euros, but fall short of offering them a financial bailout; meanwhile Germany talks about building a "firewall" to contain the crisis and keep it from dragging down other countries using the euro; on Mar. 26 all 16 Eurozone countries back a 20B euro plan to help them, incl. IMF funds. On Feb. 11 Pres. Obama warns that the U.S. economy recovery he's taking credit for won't be complete until citizens find work and the U.S. borrows less money from other countries, and calls on Congress to pass new measures to boost hiring. On Feb. 11 a suicide bomber in a border policeman's uniform in Paktia Province 35 mi. E of Gardez in Afghanistan wounds five Americans. On Feb. 11 the govt. of Yemen and its N Shiite rebels agree to end their war. On Feb. 11 Gordon D. Fox (1961-) (D-R.I.) becomes the first openly gay house speaker in the U.S. On Feb. 12 Iraqi security forces backed by U.S. troops raid suspected members of an Iranian-backed terrorist group, killing five. On Feb. 12 Obama admin. officials announce that Pres. Obama will step up his role in the debate over where to try Khalid Sheik Mohammed in order to thwart Congress from blocking funding for the trial, taking over the decision-making from atty.-gen. Eric Holder. On Feb. 12 (4:15 p.m.) after being denied tenure, Harvard-educated biology prof. Amy Bishop kills three and wounds three in Shelby Hall at the U. of Ala. in Huntsville. On Feb. 12 a Muslim bomb attack on a popular German bakery near a Jewish prayer house in Pune, India kills 9 and injures 45; al-Qaida 313 Brigade cmdr. Ilyas Kashmiri (-2011) claims responsibility, saying they warned the world to give self-determination to Kashmir, and warning against attending the 2010 World Cup of Cricket in Delhi or even visiting India; on July 7, 2011 Kashmiri is confirmed killed by a U.S. drone in NW Pakistan. On Feb. 12-28 the XXI (21st) Winter Olympic Games are held in Vancouver, B.C. Canada; too bad, before it begins Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili (b. 1988) is killed in a test run at too-fast Whistler Sliding Center, throwing a pall over the opening ceremony; the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security announces that it is monitoring social networking Web sites incl. Twitter and Facebook to gather info. on possible terror threats; on Feb. 20 Apolo Anton Ono (1982-) wins a record 7th medal, surpassing the record of Bonnie Blair; Lee Jung-Su (1989-) of South Korea wins his 2nd straight gold in short track skating, with Ohno winning silver; Kim Yu-Na (1990-) of South Korea wins gold in figure skating; too bad, 1 in 10 athletes are injured during the Winter Olympics, and 1 in 14 fall ill. On Feb. 13 Pres. Obama appoints Detroit-connected White House deputy counsel Rashad Hussain as his rep. to the Muslim World and special envoy to the 57-member Org. of the Islamic Conference (OIC), the Muslim U.N.; he replaces Bush's appointee Sada Cumber. On Feb. 13 a Tex. highway is shut down for five hours overnight after two Muslims, Kimberly Suzanna (Asma) Al-Homsi (1964-) and Yasinul Alan Ansari (1991-) are arrested with a bomb in their truck; they are sentenced to 10 years in prison. On Feb. 14 an errant U.S. rocket strike in Helmand Province in Afghanistan hits a civilian compound, killing 10 incl. five children. On Feb. 14 U.S. secy. of state Hillary Clinton visits Doha, Qatar as part of a 3-day regional visit, and calls for Iran's religious and political leaders to rise up against the Rev. Guards, saying that they're moving it toward a military dictatorship; on Feb. 15 she visits Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and suggests that evidence points to Iran seeking nuclear weapons, saying it would create "quite dangerous" problems if they get them; meanwhile Iranian pres. Imadinnajacket says that Iran will suspend its uranium enrichment in exchange for processed fuel rods from abroad, but says that the swap must be "simultaneous"; at a town hall meeting in the all-women's Dar Al Hekma College, Hillary Clinton is asked if she'd leave the U.S. if Sarah Palin becomes U.S. pres., and she says no, but "I will be visiting as often as I can"; on Feb. 17 Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accuses the U.S. of warmongering and of turning the Persian Gulf into an "arms depot". On Feb. 15 two suicide bombers in Bannu, Pakistan kill 15 incl. 7 policemen, and wound 25; one bomber hides in a mosque before emerging to attack the police. On Feb. 15 two commuter trains crash head-on near Brussels, Belgium, killing 10. On Feb. 15 a U.S. drone strike in the village of Tapi in North Waziristan, Pakistan kills three militants. On Feb. 15 Irish bishops meet in Rome with Pope Benedict XVI to discuss the huge Irish clergy pedophilia scandal. On Feb. 15 five Australian Muslim men convicted of plotting to go on a violent jihad are sentenced to 23-28 years each, with the court saying that they were "motivated by intolerant, inflexible religious conviction". On Feb. 15 the U.S. govt. announces the capture of top Taliban military cmdr. Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, #2 after Mullah Muhammad Omar; on Feb. 18 the Pakistan govt. announces the capture of more Taliban chiefs. On Feb. 15 Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu meets in Moscow with Russian pres. Dmitry Medvedev, and presses for "severe sanctions" against Iran over its nuclear program. On Feb. 15 the U.N. Human Rights Council reviews Iran's human rights record, incl. mass arrests, torture, and executions, causing Western nations to line up on one side and Iran's Islamic and leftist allies incl. Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Cuba to line up on the other as Iran tries to win a seat on the council in May elections. On Feb. 15 Scottish reporter Robert Green is arrested in Aberdeen for reporting on a ring of pedophiles in the Scottish and British govts. involving Dunblane mass child killer Thomas Hamilton. On Feb. 15 Libyan nutjob Muammar Gaddafi bans most Euros from Libya. On Feb. 15 Saudi prince Saud Abdulaziz bin Nasser al Saud (1976-) (grandson of King Fahd) murders his servant Bandar Abdulaziz in the Landmark Hotel in London; he is convicted on Oct. 19 using a video of him attacking him in an elevator at the same hotel on Jan. 22; the prosecution alleges a sexual element, despite homosexuality being punishable by death in his home country; on Oct. 20 he is sentenced to 20 years. On Feb. 16 Pres. Obama announces a loan guarantee to allow construction of two nuclear reactors in Ga., becoming the first new construction since the 1970s. On Feb. 16 the Convention on Cluster Munitions is ratified by Burkina Faso and Moldavia, reaching 30 ratifications and making it internat. law effective Aug. 1. On Feb. 16 Pres. nominates William J. Burns as the first U.S. ambassador to Syria since 2005; on Feb. 17 he meets with Syrian pres. Bashar Assad in Damascus, ending a 5-year rift with the former state sponsor of terrorism. On Feb. 16 a 3-y.-o. baby girl is thrown from the Driscoll Bridge on the Garden State Parkway in N.J. by her Muslim immigrant father Abdur-Raheem (1988), who is arrested after visiting two mosques; he had been denied custody rights, and attack the child's grandmother before stealing the baby; the mother says "She is a very bubbly baby." On Feb. 17 Obama's Muslim-friendly nat. security deputy John O. Brennan (1954-) speaks at an Islamic student event at New York U., claiming that Islamic extremists twist real Islam, with the soundbyte: "They are not jihadists, for jihad is a holy struggle, an effort to purify for a legitimate purpose, and there is nothing, absolutely nothing, holy or pure or legitimate or Islamic about murdering innocent men, women and children"; also "We are not waging a war against terrorism because terrorism is but a tactic that will never be defeated, any more than a tactics of war will. Rather, such thinking is a recipe for endless conflict... We are at war with al-Qaida and its extremist allies, and any comment to the contrary is just inaccurate. We will destroy that organization"; he then goes on to praise the Obama admin. for using hate crime laws to prosecute anybody doing anything against Am. Muslims; he also fields a question from Sheikh Omar Shahin, leader of the flying imams of 2006. On Feb. 18 tax protester computer engineer Joseph Andrew Stack III (b. 1956) crashes his private plane into an IRS bldg. in Austin, Tex., killing two, while leaving an online manifesto explaining his reasons. On Feb. 18 Maoist rebels attack the village of Kasari in E India 125 mi. SE of Patna in Bihar state, killing 12 in revenge for police capture of their brothers. On Feb. 18 a U.S. missile strike on a militant compound near Miranshah in North Waziristan, Pakistan, kills three militants; meanwhile a bomb explodes in a mosque in the Aka Khel area of the Khyber tribal region of NW Pakistan, killing 29 (incl. some militants) and wounding 50, while U.S. special envoy Richard Holbrooke meets with Pakistani leaders in Islamabad to discuss the recent revelation that they have been arresting Afghan Taliban leaders on their soil. On Feb. 18 U.N. nuclear inspectors declare for the first time that they have extensive evidence of "past or current activities" by Iran to develop a nuclear warhead that continued "beyond 2004"; on Feb. 19 Russia issues the soundbyte that it is very alarmed that Iran might be working to develop nukes; Iranian supreme assaholla Ali Khamenei quickly trots out with his claims that Islam "is opposed to nuclear weapons" - what is this prisoner doing out of his cell? On Feb. 18 a coup in Niger by renegade soldiers results in pres. Mamadou Tandja being kidnapped and then appearing on state TV to declare the coup successful, afteer which Salou Djibo becomes head of the Supreme Council for the Restoration of Dem., saying they want to turn Niger into "an example of democracy and of good governance". On Feb. 18 Pres. Obama quietly meets off-camera with the Dalai Lama while trying to avoid offending pissed-off China more. On Feb. 18 the Obama admin. announces a $1.25B settlement with black farmers over past discrimination in USDA loan programs. On Feb. 18 U.S. vice-pres. Joseph Biden utters the soundbyte that the Obama admin. is moving ahead with Senate ratification of a treaty banning nuclear tests, and that its goal is the elimination of all U.S. nuclear arms, although it is spending $7B next year to repair its aging arsenal. On Feb. 18 ex-U.S. vice-pres. Dick Cheney appears at the Conservative Political Action Conference and utters the soundbyte "I think 2010 will be a phenomenal year for the conservative cause and I think Barack Obama is a 1-term president." On Feb. 18 Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) posts an online message claiming that it has prepared "dozens" more bombs like the one used by Xmas Panty Bomber. On Feb. 18 Moroccan Muslim Said Namou (1972-) is sentenced to life in prison in Montreal, Canada for plotting attacks in Germany and Austria while touting Islamic terrorism online from his basement apt. On Feb. 18 Miami businessmen Khaled T. Safadi, Ulises Talavera, and Emilio Gonzalez-Neira are arrested for conspiring to smuggle video game consoles to a shopping center in Paraguay that funds the Islamic terrorist group Hezbollah. On Feb. 18 the Iranian Web site Asr-e Iran posts an editorial stating that since Israel's raison d'etre is the illusion that it can provide absolute security for the Jewish people, once Iran has nukes it will result in the end of Israeli society even if they are never used. On Feb. 19 the Obama admin. announces that it's giving the Iraq War the new name Operation New Dawn to reflect the reduced U.S. role. On Feb. 19 the U.S. Justice Dept. releases a report on Bush admin. interrogation tactics for terrorism suspects, saying they used flawed legal reasoning but weren't guilty of prof. misconduct. On Feb. 19 golf champ Tiger Woods emerges from sex therapy and gives a public apology to the press; on Aug. 23 he divorces his wife Elin Nodegren - can I go back to making billions now? On Feb. 20 the Dutch govt. collapses over military deployment in Afghanistan; on Sept. 21 Dutch PM Jan Peter Balkenende announces that Dutch troops will begin leaving S Afghanistan in Aug. for lack of authority of his caretaker govt. to accept a NATO request to stay. On Feb. 20 U.S. envoy Richard Holbrooke declares that al-Qaida is moving into C Asian countries Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan. On Feb. 20-21 flash flooding and mudslides in Madeira Island kill 40 and injure 120. On Feb. 21 Iran's first Iranian-made destroyer the 1.5K-ton Jamaran makes its maiden voyage. On Feb. 21 Abu Sayyaf leader Albader Parad is killed along with five others in Barangay Karawan in Maimbung, Sulu, Philippines. On Feb. 21 Israel announces a new fleet of huge Boeing 737-sized drones that can fly as far as the Persian Gulf. On Feb. 21 after Muslim police kill a Muslim tractor driver, a Muslim mob burns down eight Christian churches in Kazaure in N Nigeria, along with several Christian shops, all of which had nothing to do with it. On Feb. 22 52 Turkish military cmdrs., incl. 21 gens. and adms. are arrested for allegedly planning to blow up mosques to precede a military overthrow of the Islamic-oriented govt., signalling a V against the secularist govt. founded by Kemal Ataturk in the 1920s, and which has ousted four govts. since 1960; 400 have been jailed since the July 2007 reelection of PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan, although nobody has been convicted. On Feb. 22 a suicide bomber in a busy market in the district capital of Minora in the Swat Valley of NW Pakistan kills eight and wounds dozens, incl. British convert Belinda Khan (b. 1965). On Feb. 22 eight members of a Shiite family are killed in the Sunni-Shiite village of Wahda 20 mi. S of Baghdad; some are beheaded, raising fears of a resurgence of Sunni insurgents. On Feb. 22 a NATO airstrike in Day Kundi Province near the border with Uruzgan on a 3-vehicle convoy mistakenly kills 27 Afghan civilians, pissing-off the Hamid Karzai govt. off; meanwhile a suicide bomber in E Afghanistan kills 15, incl. tribal leader Haji Zaman (Mohammad Zaman Ghamshaik), who led the failed capture of Osama bin Laden in the mountains of Nangarhar Province in Tora Bora in 2001; meanwhile the U.S. govt. announces that NATO neglect has allowed the Taliban to build up its forces by 35% in the last two years. On Feb. 22 Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu calls for an immediate embargo on Iran's energy sector, saying that the U.N. Security Council should be sidestepped if necessary. On Feb. 22 the U.S. Navy announces that it will end the exclusion of women on submarines, giving Congress 30 working days to bar it. On Feb. 22-24 shootouts in Oaxaca, Mexico kill 13, while more shootouts in Tamaulipas state kill 19, incl. a soldier and police officer, and on Feb. 23 gunman attack the police HQ in Miguel Aleman, kidnapping six police officers, causing the U.S. govt. to warn against traveling to Mexico. On Feb. 23 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 7-2 in Fla. v. Powell that police don't have to quote an official script but can ad-lib Miranda warnings - you have the right, to, you know? On Feb. 23 (3:15 p.m.) 32-y.-o. convicted felon Bruco Strongeagle Eastwood (1977-) arrives with a high-powered rifle and shoots students Reagan Weber and Matt Thieu at Deer Creek Middle School in Lakewood, Colo. on Columbine Dr. 3 mi. from infamous Columbine H.S. before he is tackled by 7th grade math teacher David Benke. On Feb. 24 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules unanimously in Md. vs. Shatzer that the its 1981 Edwards v. Ariz. Rule barring police from questioning a suspect once he asks to remain silent and speak with an atty. lapses after 14 days if he is on bail, and if he freely agrees to talk at that point, his statements can still be used against him. On Feb. 23 CIA-financed Sunni Jundullah (Arab. "Soldiers of Allah") rebel org. leader Abdolmalek Rigi, is captured in SE Iran in Sistan-Balochistan province by Iran (with Pakistani help?); on Feb. 26 he claims on Iranian TV that the U.S. promised him financial and military aid to overthrow the Iranian govt.; the real reason the U.S. Marjah offensive was announced in advance was to drive the Taliban into Pakistani Balochistan and wrest Chinese control of the port of Gwadar to seize it for themselves for a new supply line avoiding the Khyber Pass, and the capture of Rigi throws a monkey wrench into their plans? On Feb. 24 after the Obama admin. rules out an aerial bombing campaign in Iran in favor of measures to isolate it from the internat. financial system, Russia warns the U.S. against "crippling" sanctions on Iran, they will support only "Those that are directed at resolving non-proliferation questions linked to Iran's nuclear program"; meanwhile on Feb. 23 Imadinnajacket issues the soundbyte that "The Islamic revolution's final objective is global revolution", and that Iran will "cut the hands off" of any enemies who attack it, especially pesky Israel, whom Iran will go to war with it if it tries to do a repeat of its 1981 air raid on Iraq's Osriaq Nuclear Reactor on them, causing U.N. dir.-gen. Sergei Ordzhonikidze on Feb. 26 to say that calls for jihad by a head of state are unacceptable, and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov on Mar. 2 to say that there is still room for diplomacy rather than sanctions on Iran. On Feb. 24 a $15B jobs program is passed by the U.S. Senate by 70-28 incl. 13 Repubs. On Feb. 24 a court in Milan, Italy convicts three Google execs for violating the privacy of an Italian boy with autism by letting a video of him being be bullied be posted in 2006. On Feb. 24 2M Greek workers hold a gen. strike in response to govt. austerity measures. On Feb. 24 trainer Dawn Brancheau (b. 1969) is pulled underwater and killed by 30-y.-o. 6 ton killer whale (orca) Tilikum, who already a criminal record with humans but was allowed to slide because after all he's a killer whale and brings in big tourist bucks. On Feb. 24 Cuban pres. Raul Castro issues an unprecedented statement of regret over the starvation death of imprisoned dissident Orlando Zapata Tayamao, but blames the U.S. On Feb. 24 Iranian pres. Imadinnajacket visits Damascus, Syria to visit his pal Bashar al-Assad, and says that Arab nations will establish a Middle East "without Zionists and without colonialists", and that Iran, Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon will stand against Israel, causing U.S. secy. of state Hillary Clinton to tell the U.S. Senate that the Obama admin. is urging Syria to back off from its "deeply troubling" relationship with Iran, but will go through with its appointment of an ambassador to Syria for the first time since the 2005 assassination of Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri; al-Assad shrugs her off - I smell a coup? On Feb. 24 a Gallup poll shows support for Israel in the U.S. to be at a near record high of 63%; 15% side with the Palestinians. On Feb. 25 India and Pakistan hold their first talks in 15 mo. since the Nov. 26-29 2008 Mumbai Attacks. On Feb. 25 Pres. Obama hosts a televised Summit on Health Care Reform in a last-ditch attempt to save his stalled health care overhaul program; when it doesn't work, he reverts to bulldogging the program through on straight-party ticket votes. On Feb. 25 the Dem. leadership of the U.S. House stops a vote on a $50B classified intel budget after Repubs. and moderate Dems. balk at provisions banning degrading treatment of Islamic detainees and imposing fines and prison terms on intel officers. On Feb. 25 (Muhammad's birthday) Libyan dictator Moammar Gaddafi declares jihad against Switzerland over the minaret ban, leaving Western leaders puzzling over whether he's serious or just staging a publicity stunt - proof of the folly of permitting mass Muslim immigration to the West? On Feb. 25 a decision by the Israeli govt. to incl. the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron on the occupied West Bank (2nd holiest site in Judaism after the Temple Mount in Jerusalem), along with the burial site of Jacob's wife Rachel in Bethlehem on a list of 150 nat. heritage sites pisses-off Muslims and draws disapproval by the Muslim-friendly Obama admin., which calls the move "provocative", with PA chmn. Mahmoud Abbas warning that it could spark a "religious war"; on Apr. 29, 2015 UNESCO adopts two resolutions condemning Israel and siding with the PA; the U.S., Germany, and Czech. are the only countries to vote against one, and the U.S. alone against the other. On Feb. 25 English Muslim Rajib Karim (1979-) is arrested for planning suicide bombings by taking advantage of a strike by airline staff to become a temporary cabin crewmember. On Feb. 25 SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau (b. 1969) is grabbed by her long pony tail and dragged underwater to her death by Tillukum, largest Orca whale in captivity, his 3rd human kill; he is allowed back into the arena on Mar. 30, 2011, with new no-pony-tail rules for trainers. On Feb. 26 a 7.0 earthquake hits Okinawa, Japan, but only does minor damage. On Feb. 26 at a conference in Tallinn, Estonia, U.S. undersecy. for defense policy (since Feb. 9, 2009) Michele Flournay warns Russia against asserting its power in the Baltic. On Feb. 26 an insurgent suicide attack in Kabul kills 17, half of them foreigners. On Feb. 26 a group of three Indian Humanists are arrested in Pakistan for distributing a book critical of Islam titled "Crescent Over the World" after massive protests in Khammam. On Feb. 26 three Am. Muslims Mohammad Habibzada, Shafiq Hasheme, and Sayed Bassam (all b. in 1985) allegedly fire a BB rifle at the face of a man for being gay in San Francisco on 16th & Guerrero Sts., and are arrested, released on bail, then rearrested after police find a video in their car showing them attacking 11 other men and laughing as they fire. On Feb. 27 (3 a.m. local time) the 8.8 2010 Chile Earthquake (64x stronger than the Haiti earthquake), with epicenter 100 mi. N of the SW coastal city of Conception causes damage as far away as Santiage 200 mi. away, killing 551 destroying 220K homes, and causing tsunami warnings as far away as Hawaii, causing 100K to be evacuated, but turns out to be a false alarm; unlike Haiti, Chile was ready for an earthquake; on Feb. 28 Am. Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan claims that the earthquake is a warning of "what's coming to America", adding "You will not escape"; the earthquake lengthens the day by 0.3 microsec. and moves the Earth's axis by 3 in. On Feb. 27 Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi says that a dictatorial cult is ruling Iran in the name of Islam, becoming his strongest statement to date. On Feb. 27 the U.S. Congress votes to extend the U.S. Patriot Act, incl. the civil rights-threatening provisions criticized by Dems. over the years. On Feb. 27 British environment minister Jim Fitzpatrick told the Sunday Telegraph that his Labour Party has been infiltrated by the fundamentalist Muslim group called the Islamic Forum of Europe, which wants to turn Britain and Europe into an Islamic state with Sharia. On Feb. 27-28 storms seep through W Europe, killing up to 50 in France. In Feb. Iran moves its nuclear fuel to an above-ground facility, surprising Western observers because of the ease with which it could be bombed. In Feb. Sri Lanka releases the last 136K of 300K Tamil refugees held in squalid crowded govt.-run camps. In Feb. French pres. Nicolas Sarkozy visits Rwanda for the first time since the 1994 genocide. In Feb. the Pentagon spends $6.7B on Afghanistan, compared with $5.5B on Iraq, putting Afghanistan on top for the first time; the cumulative cost for both wars is greater than $1T. In Feb. several top members of the Taliban Quetta Shura (leadership council) are detained by Pakistani intel, who agrees to repatriate them if they didn't commit any crimes in Pakistan. In Feb. videos taken by the Taliban Islamist Haqqani network showing them raping young women surface, with 2nd in command Sirajuddin "Siraj" Haqqani, his cousin Ishak, and uncle Ibraham photographing their rapes as they go from village to village to seek Taliban recruits, becoming known as the "Taliban Abu Ghraib". In Feb. the U.S. Defense Dept. pub. FM 3-39.40 Internment and Resettlement Operations, which is later leaked, detailing plans on rounding up political activists and putting them in reeducation camps Soviet-style, causing a firestorm of controversy. In Feb. Scott (Jessica) Moore (1979-) of Calif. becomes the 2nd woman-turned-man to give birth and still claim not to be a woman; his woman-turned-man wife Laura (1979-) is overjoyed. On Mar. 1 the govt. of Afghanistan announces a ban on news coverage of Taliban strikes, claiming they embolden them. On Mar. 1 Islamic militants blow up a fuel tanker near Peshawar carrying fuel for NATO troops; meanwhile Pakistani PM Yousuf Raza Gilani says that Islam has no room for terrorism - no, it has a million rooms? On Mar. 1 the govt. of Mexico begins requiring U.S. and Canadian visitors to present passports when entering Mexico except when visiting border regions and staying for less than 72 hours; U.S. citizens already have to have a passport to reenter the U.S. On Mar. 1 rain-caused mudslides in E Uganda kill 83+. On Mar. 1 a Pew Research Center poll shows that online news has become more popular than print newspapers. On Mar. 1 ex-Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic gives a 4-hour opening statement at the U.N. War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague, saying that Muslim attacks are to blame for Serbian atrocities against them. On Mar. 1 six NATO service members are killed in separate attacks in Afghanistan, incl. near Kandahar City, and nine Afghan civilians die in four bombings in the S. On Mar. 2 Pakistani Sunni Sufi scholar Muhammad Tahir ul-Qadri (1951-) pub. a 600-page Fatwa Against Terrorism incl. suicide bombing in the name of Islam; too bad, he's a Sufi, and why would non-Sufis listen to him?; on Mar. 3 Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan backs him up, calling Islamic terrorism "the outcome of an ugly propaganda"; meanwhile real Muslims celebrate Muhammad's birthday by looting and burning shops and houses owned by Hindus and Sikhs in Bareili, India - terrorism isn't Islamic, jihad is? On Mar. 2 the U.S. Senate votes 78-19 to end a filibuster by Repub. Sen. Jim Bunning and restore highway money and jobless funds despite the giant budget deficit. On Mar. 2 Pakistan seizes a Taliban and al-Qaida network in the Bajaur tribal area in NW Pakistan along the Afghan border; during the night Taliban militants blow up a boys school in the Spin Qabar area of Kyber Agency, while others throw grenades at a univ. music concert, killing one student. On Mar. 2 the drama series Parenthood, based on the 1989 film debuts on NBC-TV for 103 episodes (until Jan. 29, 2015), set in Berkeley, Calif., starring Craig Theodore Nelson (1944-) as patriarch Zeke Braverman, Bonnie Bedelia (1948-) as matriarch Camille Braverman, Peter William Krause (1965-) as son Adam Braverman, Lauren Helen Graham (1967-) as daughter Sarah Braverman, Dax Randall Shepard (1975-) as son Crosby Braverman, and Erika Jane Christensen (1982-) as daughter Julia Braverman-Graham. On Mar. 3 Turkish-born imam Abdullah Antepli, Muslim chaplain since 2008 of Duke U. delivers the opening prayer for the U.S. House of Reps. On Mar. 3 triple suicide bombers in Baqouba, Iraq kill 32 in advance of the Mar. 7 elections, incl. police and at a hospital. On Mar. 3 same-sex marriage becomes legal in Washington, D.C., becoming #6 after Conn., Iowa, Mass., N.H., and Vt. On Mar. 3 Islamic separatist militants in Narathiwat in S Thailand shoot and kill a father and his young daughter; meanwhile a roadside bomb wounds five soldiers. On Mar. 4 a 6.4 earthquake in S Taiwan injures 64. On Mar. 4 a court in Punjab sentences Christian couple Munir Masih and Ruqqiya Bibi to 25 years in prison for blasphemy for touching a Quran without washing their hands first; after the court diddles on the issue, sparking massive pro-blasphemy riots, next Jan. 4 anti-blasphemy Punjab gov. Salman Taseer (1944-) is assassinated by his bodyguards in Islamabad, after which 500 Pakistani clerics and scholars praise him as a ghazi or Islamic warrior and warn against expressing sympathy for the dead infidel. On Mar. 4 John Patrick Bedell (b. 1973) shoots at and wounds two police officers at the entrance to the Pentagon before they shoot and kill him. On Mar. 4 the Vatican is rocked by a sex scandal reaching into Pope Benedict XVI's household after chorister Angelo Balducci is sacked for allegedly procuring male hos for a papal gentleman-in-waiting; meanwhile after archibishop Robert Zollitsch, head of the German Bishops Conference apologized in Feb. for 100+ cases of sexual abuse of children by priests in elite Jesuit boarding schools, the pope's brother Rev. George Ratzinger is discovered to have led the cathedral choir in Regensburg in 1964-94, where some of the abuse occurred, but denies knowledge; on May 1 the pope takes over the scandal-plagued Legionaries of Christ after revelations that its Mexican-born founder Father Marcial Maciel Degollado (1920-2008) sexually abused young seminarians and fathered a child. On Mar. 5 the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee votes 23-22 to declare the 1915 WWI murder of 1.5M Armenians by the Turks as genocide, pissing Turkey off and causing it to recall its ambassador Namik Tan, and make diplomatic overtures towards Iran. On Mar. 5 the atheist Secular Coalition of Am. meets with Obama reps in the White House, becoming a first. On Mar. 6 Afghan Pres. Hamid Karzai calls on the Taliban to stop attacking schools so that the 5M Afghan children can reach their potential; meanwhile at 8:30 a.m. a car bomb in Najaf kills three and wounds 54. On Mar. 7 (Sun.) elections in Iraq see 55% turnout, despite violence, incl. 136 attacks and 100 projectiles and 13 bombs in Baghdad that kill 37 and injure 89; secular candidate Ayad Allawi (1945-) wins by two seats, signaling a V for secularism, although in 2004 he was PM of the interim govt. and viewed as a puppet of the U.S.; Shiite PM Nouri al-Maliki demands a recount; Allawi is alleged to have murdered six restrained men in 2004 while U.S. and Iraqi guards watched in shock. On Mar. 7 Pakistan announces the arrest of Am.-born Muslim terrorist Adam Yahiye Gadahn (1978-) in Karachi; the first Am. to be charged with treason since WWII, he has a $1M U.S. bounty on his head; they later admit it isn't him; a video by him is posted on the Web, calling for U.S. Muslims to follow the example of Maj. Nidal Malik Hasson and attack U.S. troops; he was the one producing fake videos of Osama bin Laden, and they couldn't retire him yet?; meanwhile the Taliban threatens to release 3K suicide bombers in Pakistan. On Mar. 7 Iran unveils the new short-range Nasr-1 Cruise Missile, which can destroy warships. On Mar. 7 Muslim herders attack three predominantly Christian settlements near Jos, Nigeria, killing several hundred; on Mar. 29 Muammar Gaddafi of Libya utters the soundbyte that Nigeria should be divided into separate Christian and Muslim states, causing Nigeria to recall its ambassador to Tripoli. On Mar. 7 an al-Qaida suspect tries to shoot his way out of a hospital in Sa'ana, Yemen, killing one intel agent and wounding another; meanwhile separatists battle security forces in S Yemen, wounding five. On Mar. 7 the 82nd Academy Awards are held at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Calif.; The Hurt Locker wins best picture of 2009, and dir. Kathryn Bigelow wins best dir. (first female); the song "I Am Woman" is played as she exits the stage; Geoffrey Fletcher becomes the first African-Am. to win for best screenplay for Precious; Jeff Bridges wins best actor for Crazy Heart, and Sandra Bullock best actress for The Blind Side; Christoph Waltz wins best supporting actor for Inglourious Basterds, and Mo'Nique best supporting actress for Precious; meanwhile activist actor Sean Penn stinks himself up with statements that journalists who call his hero Hugo Chavez of Venezuela a dictator should be jailed; a week after the awards, Sandra Bullock's husband (since July 16, 2005) Jesse Gregory James (1969-) is caught cheating on her during the filming of "The Blind Side" with white supremacist ex-Amish tattoo artist Michelle "Bombshell" McGee, causing him to publicly apologize but ruining their relationship, becoming another example of the Oscar Curse. On Mar. 8 U.S. vice-pres. Joe Biden visits Israel, pledging support against a nuclear-armed Iran. On Mar. 8 a Taliban suicide car bomber on a police intel unit in rush hour in Lahore, Pakistan kills 13. On Mar. 8 a 6.0 earthquake in E Turkey kills 51. On Mar. 8 N.Y. Dem. rep. Eric J.J. Massa (1959-) resigns, citing a pending investigation by the House Ethics Committee plus cancer, and claiming it to be a conspiracy by White House chief of staff Rahm "Rahmbo" Emanuel because he voted against an earlier House version of the health care reform bill, calling him "the son of the Devil's spawn"; too bad, on Mar. 9 he interviews Glenn Beck on Fox News Channel, and utters the soundbyte: "Now they're saying him until he couldn't breathe and then four guys jumped on top of me. It was my 50th birthday." On Mar. 8 seven Muslims are arrested in the Irish Repub. over an alleged plot to assassinate Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks for drawing a doodle Muhammad with the body of a dog, causing Swedish newspapers to repub. it in protest; one of them is pregnant Am. Muslim convert Jamie Paulin-Ramirez (1978-) from Colo., who becomes known as Jihad Jamie, and who along with two other of the seven suspects are released after questioning, after which she is arrested on arrival in Philly, and charged on Apr. 2 with terrorism; since 2007 there has been a $100K bounty on Vilks by an al-Qaida-linked group; on May 11 angry Muslims attack Vilks again at Uppsala U. for showing a scene from an Iranian film depicting Muhammad entering a gay bar. On Mar. 8 Barre Ali Barre, cmdr. of the Hizbul Islamic group is murdered in Mogadishu by members of the rival al-Shabaab Islamic group; on Mar. 26 200 protest outside the Swedish embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia over the cartoon. On Mar. 9 4'11" Mich.-born blonde-blue Colleen Renee "Fatima" LaRose (1963-) from Philly, who has been under custody since Oct. 16 when she landed in Philly on a flight from the Netherlands is identified as Muslim terrorist Jihad Jane, who used the Internet to plan terrorist attacks, and charged with providing material support to terrorists; on Mar. 18 she pleads not guilty to four terrorist conspiracy charges, then on Jan. 28, 2011 announces that she will change her plea to guilty, which she does on Feb. 1, with the soundbyte that she still wants to murder Vilks, and "will make this my goal till I achieve it or die trying"; on Jan. 6, 2014 she is convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison. On Mar. 9 after years of enjoying a rape-murder spree and flouting the legal system, then being convicted in Feb., 1978 "Dating Game" contestant Rodney James Alcala (1943-) is sentenced to death in Calif. on five counts of murder incl. four women and a 12-y.-o. girl; on Jan. 27, 2011 he is indicted for two more murders in N.Y. during the 1970s. On Mar. 10 Islamic militants attack the office of the British World Vision Aid Agency in the Mansehra district of Pakistan 40 mi. N of Islamabad, killing five. On Mar. 10 U.S. officials announce that the no-fly list has doubled in size since Xmas Panty Bomber to 6K names. On Mar. 10 the Inter-Am. Press Assoc. announces the kidnapping of eight journalists in Mexico, which they claim is the biggest wave of abductions in recent Western Hemisphere history. On Mar. 10 the U.S. House Appropriations Committee votes to limit the ability of lawmakers to add earmarks into spending bills to fund pet projects. On Mar. 11 a 7.2 earthquake hits guess where Chile during the inauguration of new pres. Sebastian Pinera. On Mar. 11 the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejects challenges by Sacramento, Calif. atheist Michael Newdow that the use of the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance, and "In God We Trust" on U.S. currency are unconstitutional. On Mar. 11 six same-sex couples (4 women, 8 men) marry in Mexico City under the first law in Latin Am. allowing it; the thousandth same-sex marriage is performed on Aug. 15, 2011, 548 male, 452 women, 6% foreigners, 85% between partners age 31+. On Mar. 11-12 U.S. vice-pres. Joseph Biden visits Jordan, and meets with four Jordanian civil activists in the U.S. embassy in Amman, causing the Jordanian press to accuse him of interfering in Jordan's internal affairs and claim that he is exploring the resettlement of Palestinian refugees in Jordan, wiping out the good impressions made by Pres. Obama's 2009 Cairo Speech; on Dec. 12 the Islamic Action Front of the Muslim Brotherhood accuses the govt. of Jordan of apostasy for assisting the U.S. in Afghanistan to fight against fellow Muslims. On Mar. 12 Israel seals off the West Bank amid tensions in Jerusalem over plans to build new homes for Jews, which U.S. vice-pres. Joe Biden criticized during his recent visit; Hillary Clinton gives PM Benjamin Netanyahu a 43-min. telephone harangue, telling them that the Israeli govt. "needed to demonstrate not just through words but through specific actions that they are committed to this [bilateral] relationship and to the peace process." On Mar. 12 twin suicide bomb attacks in Lahore, Pakistan kill 45, becoming the 2nd attack of the week, proving that the Taliban is still going strong. On Mar. 12 after an imam tells them that they are planning to build a new church, a crowd of 3K Muslims attack a Coptic Christian community in Mersa Matrouh, Egypt, injuring 25 incl. women and children. On Mar. 12 British couple Charlotte Lewis (1984-) and Ayman Najafi (1985-) are arrested in Dubai for publicly kissing in a restaurant - they got a taste of Sharia? On Mar. 12 Natalie Randolph (1980-) becomes the only full-time h.s. varsity football coach in the U.S. (until ?). On Mar. 12 China pub. The Human Rights Record of the U.S. in 2009, attempting to reverse the charges - duh, where would China's people rather live if given the choice? On Mar. 13 another suicide attacker in Saidu Sharif in the Swat Valley in NW Paksitan kills 13+ and wounds 50+. On Mar. 13 Pakistani minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain addresses a conference in Peshawar, claiming that Islam is a religion of peace, brotherhood, and tolerance, and that there is no place in it for extremism and terrorism. On Mar. 14 a Taliban assault in Kandahar, Afghanistan described as a preemptive response to Western plans to eradicate them kills 35. On Mar. 14 Mexican authorities announce the murder by drug traffickers of a pregnant U.S. consulate worker and her hubby in Ciudad Juarez; during the weekend nearly 50 are killed in Mexico in drug-related violence, incl. Acapulco as U.S. college students arrive for spring break; on Nov. 27 suspected Aztecas gang leader Arturo Gallegos Castrellon, AKA El Farmero is arrested in Juarez. On Mar. 14 Indian police arrest two men for plotting a series of terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India. On Mar. 14-? anti-govt. Red Shirt protesters in Bangkok, Thailand, who are pissed-off by the 2006 military coup that ousted PM Thaksin Shinawatra cap it off on Mar. 16 by dumping their own blood at the gates of Govt. House. On Mar. 15 Israeli ambassador Michael B. Oren utters the soundbyte: "Israel's ties with the United States are in their worst crisis since 1975... a crisis of historic proportions." On Mar. 16 Islamic Mayalsian religion minister Jamil Khir Baharom defends Islamic laws allowing girls under age 16 to marry, saying "Maturity is a subjective question". On Mar. 16 U.S. atty.-gen. Eric Holder tells Congress that Osama bin Laden will never be captured alive, saying "The possibility of capturing him alive is infinitesimal"; he also claims that Islamic terrorists should be prosecuted in civil courts as "common criminals", comparing them to mass murderer Charles Manson; meanwhile U.S. Middle East cmdr. David Howell Petraeus (1952-) tells Congress that Iran is assisting al-Qaida by facilitating links between senior terrorist leaders and affiliate groups, and that al-Qaida has a safe haven in Iran "and the Iranian government knows it" - they look like you, they sound like you, they're not like you? On Mar. 16 the crime drama TV series Justified, based on the Elmore Leonard short story "Fire in the Hole" debuts on FX Network for 78 episodes (until Apr. 15, 2015), starring Timothy Olyphant as deputy U.S. marshal Raylan Givens, who turns to his home town of Harlan, Ky. to work for Marshal Art Mullen (Nick Searcy) to fight career criminal Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins). On Mar. 17 a U.S. missile strike in Mazoni in North Waziristan, followed by another in Datta Kheil kill 9+ militants. On Mar. 18 the U.S. Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act comes into effect, requiring all U.S. citizens to report their offshore financial accounts, and requiring foreign financial institutions to do ditto. On Mar. 18 the number of deadly Muslim terrorist attacks since 9/11 tops 15K. On Mar. 18 Iranian-Am. businessman Hassan Nemazee, who raised campaign money for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama pleads guilty to defrauding Bank of Am. Corp., Citigroup Inc., and HSBC Holdings Plc of $292M by obtaining huge loans based on fake collateral documents; on July 15 he is sentenced to 12 years in prison. On Mar. 19 Kai Eide, former top U.N. official in Afghanistan complains that recent arrests by Pakistan of high-ranking Taliban figures have torpedoed secret talks with the West. On Mar. 19 Arshed Mashih is mrudered in Rawalindi, Pakistan for refusing to convert from Christianity to Islam; on Mar. 25 Pakistani potato trader Rasheed Masih (1974-) is murdered by Muslims in Khanewal, Punjab ditto. On Mar. 21 200K march for immigration reform in the Nat. Mall in Washington, D.C. On Mar. 21 Dallas, Tex. Muslim Javid Kamal sends emails to Kansas legislators with a "call to Islam", a traditional prelude to jihad, causing him to later be arrested, discovered to be an illegal alien, and deported. On Mar. 21 (night) the U.S. House of Reps passes the Senate version of Obama's health reform program by a straight party ticket vote of 219-212, with zero Repubs. voting for it, and 34 Dems. voting against it; Obama utters the soundbyte "This is what change looks like", adding "This isn't radical reform, but it is major reform"; he signs it on Mar. 23, AKA Obama Care Sunday. On Mar. 22 British security minister Lord West announces that al-Qaida bomb makers from Afghanistan may already have the ability to produce a dirty bomb, and might plant it on a small craft and float it up the Thames River to London, causing him to set up a command center to track suspicious boats. On Mar. 22 the EU Times carries an article titled "World Mourns as Communist Darkness Falls Upon America", saying that Obama's power grab now incl. nationalization of the health care industry and student loan program, and takeover of the automobile, mortgage, and banking industries, claiming that the Internet is next in his sights. On Mar. 22 Christian Pakistani Arshed Mashih is burned to death by Muslims for refusing to convert to Islam, while a Muslim policeman rapes his wife Martha. On Mar. 23 Maoists derail the Rajdhani Express in E India, injuring dozens. On Mar. 23 Saudi king Abdullah II orders his senior clerics council to issue a Fatwa Against Funding Terrorism, which they dutifully issue in early May. On Mar. 23 the U.S. announces that Iran is helping train Taliban fighters within its borders. On Mar. 24 as part of Obama efforts to "restart" their relationship, the U.S. and Russia reach a deal on a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) to replace the 1991 pact that expired in Dec., the most extensive in two decades, with reductions of long-range nukes from 2.2K to 1.5K-1.675K, along with platforms; Obama and Medvedev sign it in Prague on Apr. 8; James R. Schlesinger et al. of the Nixon Center claim that Russia bested the U.S. in it by avoiding cuts in short-range tactical nukes; Obama signs it on Feb. 2, 2011. On Mar. 24 the govt. of Saudi Arabia arrests 113 Islamic militants with tis to al-Qaida planning attacks against oil and security facilities in E Saudi Arabia. On Mar. 24 leftist guerrillas set off a car bomb in the port city of Buenaventura, Columbia, killing six and wounding 30+. On Mar. 24 Pakistani foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi says that he feels that the longtime suspicion and mistrust of Pakistan and its commitment to fighting Islamic extremists has vanished, as proved by fast-tracking of requests for military equipment. On Mar. 24 the U.N. Human Rights Council votes 45-1 in favor of Palestinian self-determination, with only the U.S. voting against; a resolution to urge Israel to pay reparations to the Palestinian people for the 2009-10 invasion of Gaza is tabled by Pakistan; on Mar. 25 the Saudi-greased council passes another non-binding OIC-backed Resolution on Religious Defamation (really an attempt to foist Islamic Sharia on the world, which makes insulting Islam a capital offense), with 20 countries voting in favor, 17 against, and 8 abstaining, becoming the 11th time in 12 years (first in 2005), with the lowest victory margin yet; Zambia becomes the first African country to vote against it, and Cameroon, Burkina Faso, and Benin abstain; U.S. ambassador Eileen Donahoe calls it an "ineffective way to address" the issue, saying "We cannot agree that prohibiting speech is the way to promote tolerance, because we continue to see the defamations of religions concept used to justify censorship, criminalisation, and in some cases violent assaults and deaths for political, racial, and religious minorities around the world", adding "Contrary to the intentions of most member states, governments are likely to abuse the rights of individuals in the name of this resolution, and in the name of the Human Rights Council." On Mar. 24 Abdullah Mohammed Muslim (1972-), a white Am. convert to Islam formerly known as Johnnie Clagg pleads guilty to firearm and destructive device possession along with attempted identity theft and passport fraud; despite traveling to North Wazaristan he claims no terrorist connections. On Mar. 25 U.S. defense secy. Robert M. Gates takes the first steps to soften the military ban on openly gay service members, restricting the evidence that can be used against them while retaining the possibility of discharge. On Mar. 25 the top U.N. official in Afghanistan holds the first reconciliation talks with reps. of Taliban warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. On Mar. 25 a member of the Kenyan Parliament claims that Pres. Obama was born in Kenya. On Mar. 26 Chicago, Ill. Pakistani-born Muslim taxi driver Raja Lahrasib "Kojak" Khan (1954-) is arrested for attempting to send money to al-Qaida. On Mar. 26 the Islamic org. Hizb ut-Tahrir holds a meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia that brings together Islamists and secular nationalists, calling for China to defy the U.S. and its "neo-liberal" economic creed, despite Pres. Obama's Indonesian roots and praise of Islam, signalling a sea change in Indonesia, which has been anti-Chinese ever since China armed and financed Indonesian Communists in an attempted coup in 1965. On Mar. 26 the 1.2K-ton South Korean naval ship Cheonan sinks off Baengnyeong Island in South Korea, killing 26 marines; on May 21 U.S. secy. of state Hillary Clinton condemns North Korea for the torpedo attack, promising to marshal an internat. response with Japan, China, and other countries, with the soundbyte that "provocative actions have consequences"; North Korea warns of war if punished. On Mar. 27 the FBI raids the Hutaree ("Christian warrior") militia group in Mich., Ohio, and Ind. for plotting to kill police officers and war on the U.S. govt., which it considers the Antichrist, and arrests eight men and one woman. On Mar. 27 Facebook summarily deletes TLW's account, destroying his social network, without an explanation or warning, most probably pressure by Muslim fanatics, causing TLW to launch a Boycott Facebook campaign; meanwhile Facebook began showing its true colors, an outrageous attempt to foist a monopoly in social networking, pissing-off many orgs., U.S. state govts., and the EU; on May 20 a poll by IT security firm Sophos shows tht 60% of Facebook users are thinking of quitting over privacy concerns; TLW launches a Boycott Facebook movement; on May 29 Bangladesh blocks Facebook over Muhammad cartoons, then allows it again after Facebook's geek ruler Mark Zuckerberg takes all offensive cartoon off to please them; after a threatened mass exit fails to materialize, Facebook gains its 500 millionth user on July 21. On Mar. 28 (Sun.) Pres. Obama makes a surprise visit to Kabul, Afghanistan, his first since taking office, meeting with pres. Hamid Karzai and dining with him and Taliban warlords; meanwhile U.S. gen. Stanley A. McChrystal (senior NATO cmdr. in Afghanistan) utters the soundbyte: "We have shot an amazing number of people, but to my knowledge, none has ever proven to be a threat", which is jumped on by war critics, who call for war crimes prosecutions. On Mar. 28 after two Israeli soldiers are killed there, Israeli finance minister Yuval Steinitz says that Israel will "sooner or later" have to destroy the Islamic Hamas regime that controls the Gaza Strip. On Mar. 28 former U.S. U.N. ambassador John Bolton says on Army Radio that the Obama admin. is willing to accept a nuclear Iran, which explains their "extraordinary pressure on Israel not to attack Iran"; on Jan. 12 he warns Israel that it "has to move in the next eight days" before Iran brings its first nuclear reactor online on Aug. 21 to avoid release of radiation, saying that otherwise Iran "will achieve something that no other opponent of Israel, no other enemy of the United States in the Middle East really has, and that is a functioning nuclear reactor." On Mar. 28 (7 a.m.) several bombs explode in Qaim, Iraq (200 mi. W of Baghdad) near a house linked to Sunni politician Sheik Murdi Muhammad al-Mahalawi (supporter of Ayad Allawi), killing five and wounding 26. On Mar. 28 several Islamic groups raid a hotel occupied by a number of gay and lesbian advocates in Surabaya, Indonesia attending an internat. conference on gay/lez issues, after which they call for police to arrest the Islamists. On Mar. 28 Israeli minister Uzi Landau outlines a new vision of a world no longer dependent on oil, calling it the best way to defeat "Islamic terror", saying "Whoever wants to fight radical Islam and terrorist organizations should know that by purchasing gasoline, he's giving terrorists increased motivation"; meanwhile Sheikh Tayseer Rajab Al-Tamimi, chief justice of Palestine calls on Palestinians to fight to protect the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. On Mar. 28 33-y.-o. Am. Muslim Norman Leboon (1976-) of Philly is arrested for threatening to kill Jewish Va. Repub. House Whip Eric Cantor in a YouTube video. On Mar. 29 (Mon.) (7:56 a.m. local time) two female suicide bombers, Dzhennet Abdurakhmanova from Dagestan and Markha Ustarkhanova from Chechnya detonate during rush hour in the Moscow Metro, killing 40 and injuring 102, becoming the deadliest attack in Moscow since 2004; Muslim Chechen warlord Doku Umarov claims responsibility, causing Russian PM (2008-) Vladimir Putin (1952-) to order the bombers "scraped from the sewers" and exposed; in 1999 he uttered the soundbyte about Chechen separatists that we wants to "rub them out in the outhouse"; the nearness of these Islamic militants to Sochi, site of the 2014 Winter Olympics makes their control more urgent; Alexander Tikhomirov is suspected of being the militant known as Sayid Buryatsky who trained the bombers; on Aug. 21 Russian forces kill Magomedali Vagabov, self-proclaimed emir of Dagestan, whom they claim was the mastermind. On Mar. 30 the 2010 CIA WINPAC Report says that Iran is poised to begin producing a nuke with a yield of a couple of kilotons of TNT despite problems with uraniuum centrifuges. On Mar. 30 U.S. district judge Robert Sweet strikes down a patent on two genes linked to breast and ovarian cancer, saying that genes can't be patented even in an isolated form. On Mar. 30 the U.S. announces the Iranian nuclear scientist Shahram Amiri, who has been missing since June has defected to the U.S. and is helping the CIA assess Iran's nuclear program with $5M paid to him; on July 12 after claiming to be kidnapped in Saudi Arabia last summer by U.S. intel agents to question him about Iran's nuclear program, he appear appears in front of Iran's diplomatic mission in Washington, D.C. hopping mad and asking for a ticket back to Iran; he leaves on July 14, after which he is suspected of being an Iranian double agent trying to snow the U.S. about how far along the Iranian nuclear program is. The worst environmental disaster in U.S. history happens on Obama's watch? On Mar. 30 after saying that he was assured "that it would be absolutely safe", Pres. Obama announces that he is planning to open offshore areas along the Atlantic, E Gulf of Mexico, and N coast of Alaska to oil and natural gas drilling, much of it for the first time; Pres. Obama officially announces it on Mar. 31; too bad, on Apr. 20 (anniv. of Hilter's birthday and the 1999 Columbine School Massacre) the mile-deep BP (formerly British Petroleum until 1998) Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig in the Gulf of Mexico 42 mi. S of the La.-Miss. coast explodes and begins spewing 35K-60K (100K?) barrels of petroleum a day (which is originally announced by BP as 1K a day, then increased on May 14 by the U.S. govt. over BP's objections to 5K a day, causing a mini-scandal) plus natural gas from the ocean floor, getting so bad that on Apr. 29 the U.S. Defense Dept. intervenes to control the 120-mi. oil slick, causing the Obama admin. to halt new offshore drilling until a study can be made; on May 8 an attempt to cap it with a 98-ton steel dome fails after becoming clogged with gas hydrates; on May 17 a small pipe (undersea straw) is inserted in the big broken pipe, siphoning off 20% of the oil, about 1K barrels a day; on May 26 drilling mud is poured into the leak in an attempt to end it; on May 27 the U.S. govt. admits it's the worst oil spill in history, and fires Susan Elizabeth "Liz" Birnbaum, dir. (since July 15, 2009) of the Minerals Mgt. Service Agency that oversees drilling operations, and announces a stop to all 33 offshore drilling operations in the Gulf of Mexico along with an extension of the moratorium on new permits for 6 mo. (Oct. 12) until a commission can investigate, causing billionare George Soros to be singled out for benefiting from this because he's heavily invested in the Brazilian oil co. Petrobras, and got the Obama admin. to loan them $2M for offshore drilling, and can now use the idle U.S. drilling rigs and crew; on June 22 after loud complaints that it will hurt the U.S., the 6-mo. deepwater oil drilling moratorium is overturned by federal judge (since 1983) Martin Feldman in New Orleans, La., who is later found to have extensive investments in the oil and gas industry; on June 8 eight of 15 experts who where consulted by the Interior Dept. write a letter complaining that they weren't informed of the moratorium; on May 29 an attempted top kill with junk shot fails, causing Obama to call the ongoing oil leak (18M-40M gal.) "enraging"; Chicago-based NALCO makes a fortune selling the U.S. oil dispersants; on June 1 U.S. atty.-gen. Eric Holder announces a criminal investigation into the oil spill, causing BP's stock to go down 50% by June 9; Obama's slowness in taking on BP causes Sarah Palin et al. to point to the fact that Obama was the top recipient of money from it in the 2008 pres. race, collecting $71K; on June 4 an oil cap partially seals the leak, collecting 42K gal. a day; meanwhile on June 2 up to 34M gal. of oil has hit a 127-mi. stretch of La. coastline, and reaches the shores of Dauphin Island 35 mi. S of Mobile, Ala., threatening the Fla. Keys; on June 7 Pres. Obama disses BP CEO Tony Hayward (1957-), saying that he would have fired him by now, while refusing to speak with him personally; on June 8 Obama ramps up his rhetoric, saying that his talks with Gulf fishermen and oil spill experts were not an academic exercise but "so I know whose ass to kick", splitting opinion on whether he's finally showing a macho side or whether he's showing his badass street black side like Samuel L. Jackson in "Pulp Fiction" (1994); on June 15 after a 2-day visit to the Gulf, Pres. Obama gives a Speech on the BP Oil Spill from the Oval Office (his first), channeling FDR and promising to mobilize all available resources military-style to fight the oil spill, with the soundbyte "We will fight this spill with everything we've got for as long as it takes", and calling BP "irresponsible" and promising to make them pay for all the damages via an escrow account administered by an independent 3rd party, appointing former Miss. gov. #60 (1988-92) and U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia (1994-6) Raymond Edwin "Ray" Mabus Jr. (1948-) (current U.S. Navy secy. #75 since June 18, 2009) as the Gulf cleanup tsar, with the task of developing a long-term Gulf Coast Restoration Plan (to be funded by BP), along with Michael Bromwich as new dir. of the Minerals Mgt. Service, then using the spill as an excuse to push clean energy, saying it is "the most painful and powerful reminder yet that the time to embrace a clean energy future is now", and that the U.S. needs to end its "addiction to fossil fuels", because "we're running out of places to drill on land and in shallow water", pooh-poohing the costs by adding "I say we can't afford not to change how we produce and use energy, because the long-term costs to our economy, our national security and our environment are far greater"; all this despite Repub. leaders warning him not to use the disaster to further his political agenda; while touring the Gulf, his motorcade passed a billboard reading "Where's the birth certificate?"; the Repub. response to the speech is that Obama's decision to shut down offshore drilling makes it "a tragedy on top of a tragedy"; on June 16 Obama meets with BP execs, and they agree to cough up $20B for the escrow account, managed by 9/11 victim payout atty. Kenneth Feinberg (1945-); on June 16 BP chmn. Carl-Henric Svanberg apologizes for the spill and announces that BP won't pay any futher dividends this year, but uses the term "small people" for those hurt by the spill, causing him to later apologize; on June 17 BP exec Tony Hayward is grilled by the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce, after which he is relieved of his job of managing the spill and cleanup, leaving him free to enter a yacht race on the Isle of Wight on June 19, drawing criticism by Rahm Emanuel until it is found out that Obama went golfing that day, causing deputy White House press secy. Bill Burton to respond that it "does us all good as American citizens"; meanwhile Tex. Repub. rep. (since 1985) Joe Linus "Joe" Barton (1949-) lambastes Pres. Obama for his "$20 billion shakedown", causing Repub. leaders to force him to apologize under threat of taking away his head ranking of the committee; on June 18 BP captures a record 25,290 barrels of oil from the well; BP continues its $58M sponsorship of the 2012 London Olympics; on June 23 the BP well begins spewing oil full force again after a robot sub accident; on June 23 an oil slick hits the beaches in Pensacola, Fla.; on July 6 La. the oil hits Lake Pontchartrain in La., while the BP oil spill cleanup effort hits the $3B mark, and the A-Whale is deployed to skim 25M gal. of oil a day; the leak is finally stopped on July 15, and declared officially dead on Sept. 19, the oil is cleaned up by ?; on July 26 BP posts a record $17B 2nd quarter loss, and announces the replacement of Hayward with American Robert "Bob" Dudley (1956-); the drilling moratorium is lifted on Oct. 12. On Mar. 30 pro-immigrant groups demand the ouster of John T. Morton, head of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after one of his underlings laments in a Feb. 22 memo that the pace of deportations is falling behind the goal of 400K per year; meanwhile U.S. Sen. (R-Ariz.) John McCain calls on homeland security secy. Janet Napolitano to send Nat. Guard troops to the "southern border region" to stop "the continued and apparently growing violence". On Mar. 30 the iFreedom Plus Mastercard is announced for Muslims, featuring no bills, no interest, and no credit card debt, financed by upfront deposits of up to $6K. On Mar. 30 Detroit, Mich. public schools official Robert Bobb meets with Arab-Am. spokesmen to discuss how to get more Arab-Am. children to stay in school by accomodating their Muslim faith, causing concerns of bowing to Islam. On Mar. 30 an Egyptian court dismisses a lawsuit filed by Christian Coptic mother Camilia Lutfi for refusing to remove the designation of Muslim from their birth certificates after their father converted; she utters the soundbyte "We refuse to be Muslims by force". On Mar. 31 suspected Islamic suicide bombers kill 12+ in Kizlyar, Dagestan, next door to Chechnya. On Mar. 31 a bicycle bomb near a crowd gathering to receive free vegetable seeds from the British govt. in return for giving up opium poppy growing near Lashkar Gah, Afghanistan, capital of Helmand Province in Afghanistan kills 13 and wounds 45. On Mar. 31 the Belgian parliament unanimously votes against wearing face-covering veils in public, becoming the first Euro country. On Mar. 31 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 7-2 in Padilla v. Ky. that lawyers for people thinking of pleading guilty to a crime must advise their clients who are not citizens "that pending criminal charges may carry a risk of adverse immigration consequences" such as deportation. On Mar. 31 a U.S. district court judge in San Francisco, Calif. rules that the Nat. Security Agency illegally wiretapped the phones of the Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation without a search warrant, becoming a rare V for Islamic groups. On Mar. 31 Sarah Palin posts on her Facebook page that a nuclear-armed Iran would result in a "Second Holocaust" against Israel, and that "The Obama admin. has their priorities exactly backwards; we should be working with our friend and democratic ally to stop stop Iran's nuclear program, not throwing in the towel on sanctions while treating Israel like an enemy." On Mar. 31 the German ARD TV network broadcasts Until Nothing Remains, an expose of Scientology, pissing-off Scientologists. On Mar. 31 a U.S. federal judge rules that the U.S. Marine Corps can't ban car decals saying "Islam = terrorism" while allowing others that say "Islam is peace". On Mar. 31 former Israeli deputy defense minister Brig. Gen. Ephraim Sneh says that unless the U.S. and its allies enact "crippling sanctions that will undermine the regime in Tehran", Israel will be compelled to attack Iran's nuclear weapons facilities by Nov., adding that Iran will probably have "a nuclear bomb or two" by 2011, and that "An Israeli military campaign against Iran's nuclear installations is likely to cripple that country's nuclear probject for a number of years. The retaliation against Israel would be painful, but bearable"; he admits that "acquisition of nuclear weapons by Iran during Obama's term would do him a great deal of political damage" in the Nov. elections, but that the damage to him resulting from an Israeli strike on Iran "would be devastating"; Anthony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and Internat. Studies has already concluded that Israel would have to use small nukes (20KT) to destroy Iran's nuclear sites. On Mar. 31 a group of 100 Muslims try to pray in Cordoba Cathedral in Spain (a former mosque), and are ordered to stop by security guards, but they attack the guards, injuring two, after which police arrest two. In Mar. the U.S. unemployment rate stays at 9.7% for the 3rd straight mo. In Mar. Kuveyt Turk Bank of Turkey (based in Istanbul and Kuwait) opens the first Islamic bank in Germany in Mannheim, forbidding interest on loans or loans to enterprises flouting Sharia; borrowers must offer collateral and lenders receive a share of business profits. In Mar. a survey by Harris Interactive reveals that 57% of Americans who chose the Republican Party believe that Obama is a Muslim. In Mar. the Obama admin. requests $30.7M for the Dept. of Homeland Security's Visa Security Program, the same amount approved by Congress for 2009, causing Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Tex.) to introduce the U.S. Secure Visas Act, allocating $60M for the program to put VSP units in the 15 "highest risk" consulates on top of 14 already in place. In Mar. Wachovia admits to laundering Mexican drug cartel money for the last four years to the tune of $300B, causing it to be charged with violation of the U.S. Bank Secrecy Act. In Mar. Indonesian Muslims are ordered to pray in the wrong direction, W toward Africa instead of NW toward Mecca; they fix it on July 19. In Mar. Israel ambassador to London Ron Prosor meets with exiled croen prince Sheikh Khalid bin Saqr al-Thani of Ras al-Khaimeh (RAK), the northernmost member of the UAE 40 mi. from Iran to help him stage a coup; Israel accuses RAK of "aiding trafficking in nuclear parts" to Iran. In Mar. climate scientists report the most sea ice covering the Arctic since 2001 after cold weather over the Bering Sea, surprising them, although they won't drop their belief in global warming. In spring Garland, Tex.-born Am. Muslim convert U.S. Pfc. Naser Jason Abdo (1990-) (Am. Christian mother, Jordanian Muslim father) makes news for refusing to fight in Afghanistan, applying for conscientious objector status before deployment to Afghanistan, saying "I don't believe I can involve myself in an army that wages war against Muslims. I don't believe I could sleep at night if I take part, in any way, in the the killing of a Muslim", and "Islam is much more peaceful and tolerant religion than it is an aggressive religion. I don't believe that Islam allows me to operate in any kind of warfare"; too bad, in June child porno and bombmaking components are found in his belongings, causing him to go AWOL from Ft. Campbell, Ky. during the July 4 weekend; on July 28, 2011 he is caught trying to purchase guns in Killeen, Tex. near Ft. Hood, and is arrested for planning a jihadist attack on a restaurant near the base, being found with explosives; on May 24, 2012 he is convicted, and on July 29, 2012 as he is leaving the courtroom where he freely admits his guilt, he shouts "Nidal Hasan Ft. Hood 2009"; on Aug. 10, 2012 he is sentenced to two life terms plus 60 years. In Apr. U.S. home prices fall to a new recession low. On Apr. 1 U.S. Census Day sees thousands of census workers knocking on doors, with historic plans to photograph and fingerprint every citizen over age 15 and issue nat. ID cards; 2.5M census takers begin visiting 630K villages and 5K cities. On Apr. 1 dozens of drug cartel gunmen assault two army garrisons in Tamaulipas and Nuevo Leon border states in N Mexico, losing 18 attackers while wounding only one soldier, signaling an escalation of the Mexican Drug War. On Apr. 1 San Francisco, Calif. police chief George Gascon apologizes for remarks made on Mar. 25 that the U.S. faces the threat of domestic terrorism from Yemen and Afghanistan, and that significant numbers of people from those countries reside in the Bay Area, pissing-off the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) et al. On Apr. 1 Afghan Pres. Hamid Karzi delivers a scathing sour grapes attack on the West, accusing the U.N. and the West of perpetrating a "vast fraud" in the 2009 pres. election in order to deny him reelection and/or make him "an ineffective president", drawing criticism from Afghan politicans and the White House. On Apr. 1 the conference Terrorism: Between Extremist Ideology and the Ideology of Extremism is held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to create a unified definition of terrorism that will "prevent the term being used as a cover to target Islam and portray Muslims wrongly, prevent foreign interference in Islamic countries' affairs, and prevent humanitarian aid to Muslim organizations being held up for terror-related reasons." On Apr. 1 after it successfully begins colliding particles, a self-described Man from the Future is arrested at CERN's Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland, wearing a fluorescent bow tie and claiming his name is Eloi Cole and that he traveled back in time to prevent the LHC from destroying the world; his real name turns out to be Arthur Dent :). On Apr. 2 the U.S. govt. announces that travelers from 14 countries known as terrorist homes will no longer face automatic extra screening when trying to fly to the U.S., and will only undergo extra screening if they match descriptions provided by intel officials. On Apr. 2 Islamic gunmen dressed as soldiers execute 24 in Hawr Rijab, Iraq in a Sunni area - the religion of peace is baack? On Apr. 2 German soldiers in Afghanistan accidentally kill six Afghan soldiers in a firefight with the Taliban near Kunduz, Afghanistan, while losing three KIA. On Apr. 2 (Good Friday), Roman Catholic Rev. Raniero Cantalamessa gives a Good Friday sermon in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome attended by Pope Benedict XVI, saying that recent accusations about sexual abuse of priests reminds him of the "more shameful aspects of anti-Semitism", pissing-off Jewish and victims groups; meanwhile Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone claims that homosexuality not celibacy is behind clergy child sex abuse, drawing criticism from gay rights activists, and Mass. priest James Scahill calls for the pope to resign over the sexual abuse scandal. On Apr. 2 landslides caused by heavy rains hit two towns in NE Peru, killing 28, injuring 54, and leaving 25 missing. On Apr. 2 veiled Saudi babe Hissa Hilal becomes a celeb for reading anti-Islamic poetry on the Saudi TV show "The Millionaire Poet", causing death threat fatwas to be issued against her; she places 3rd; "I have seen evil in the eyes of the fatwas at a time when the lawful is condemned as unlawful; when I unveil the truth a savage monster comes out of its hiding place; barbaric in thought and action, angry and blind; wearing death as a robe with a belt over it. When I unveil the truth a savage monster comes out of his hiding place; barbaric in thought and action, angry and blind; wearing death as a robe with a belt over it." On Apr. 3 U.S. House Reps. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) and Jim Moran (D-Va.) attend a fundraising dinner for the radical Saudi-funded Dar al-Hijrah Islamic Center in falls Church, Va., which is tied to the 9/11 hijackers and Ft. Hood Massacre, causing outcries from watchdog groups; meanwhile in the U.K. the Islamic charity Muslim Aid, which was praised by British PM Gordon Brown and Prince Charles is investigated for paying hundreds of thousands of pounds to groups linked to Islamic terrorists. On Apr. 3 two German-born British women are arrested at John Lennon Airport in Liverpool for trying to smuggle their dead German relative onto a flight to Berlin without paying the extra costs. On Apr. 3 the 2010 Sahel Famine starts with drought in the Senegal River area in Feb.-Aug., killing 9-62 by Sept. 18. On Apr. 4 (Easter Sun.) Pope Benedict XVI delivers his 2010 Easter Sermon; meanwhile on Apr. 2 Cardinal William Levada, head of the Vatican Congregation for the Dictrine of the Faith denies that the pope declined to punish pedophile priest Lawrence C. Murphy of Wisc., who is accused of abusing up to 200 deaf boys in the 1950s-1970s. On Apr. 4 three embassies in Iraq are bombed by suicide bombers, incl. the Iranian and German embassies and Egyptian consultate, killing 41 and wounding 237. On Apr. 4 despite appeals by the home minister to hold peace talks, a landmine attack by Maoist rebels in Orissa in E India kills 10 Indian policemen and injures another 10, making over 6K deaths since the rebels began fighting 20 years earlier. On Apr. 4 the 7.2 2010 Mexico Baja Earthquake with epicenter 20 mi. SE of Mexicali, Mexico kills two and is felt in Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Las Vegas. On Apr. 4 Jewish-Am. Conn. independent Sen. Joseph "Joe" Lieberman appears on "Meet the Press", and says that the world is "at a turning point in history" because of Iran's drive to get nukes, and that the Obama admin. is "not going to do enough to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons quickly enough". On Apr. 4 a jailbreak in Reynosa, Mexico near the U.S. border sees 13 inmates escape, becoming the 2nd mass jailbreak in Tamaulipas state in less than two weeks; meanwhile Mexican drug lord Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, says that the Mexican govt. cannot win the drug war because millions of people are involved in the drug business. On Apr. 4 al-Qaida urges Islamic jihadists in the U.S. to build their own cruise missles and attack passenger jets. On Apr. 4 Iraqi police arrest three doctors and others in Mosul on charges of plundering body organs incl. kidneys. On Apr. 4 (Sun.) Pres. and Mrs. Obama attend Easter service at the black methodist Allen Chapel AME Church in SE Washington, D.C. On Apr. 5 Pres. Obama announces a new 5-10-year Nuclear Posture Review, substantially narrowing the conditions under which the U.S. will use nukes, even in self-defense, committing not to use them against non-nuclear states that are in compliance with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, even if they attack the U.S. with non-nuclear WMDs, with an exception for "outliers like Iran and North Korea"; it contains no mention of Islamic terrorism or jihad, and reverses the 2008 Bush policy document that says "The struggle against militant Islamic radicalism is the great ideological conflict of the early years of the 21st century", causing Conn. Sen. Joe Lieberman to call the move dishonest, wrong-headed, and disrespectful to the majority of non-terrorist Muslims; former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani calls nuclear disarmament a "left-wing dream", and Obama an "inept" leader; conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh says that Obama wants to blame the U.S. instead of its enemies, and that his plan to build Muslim hospitals and spend $200M for security for the 9/11 terrorists awaiting trial should outrage 9/11 victims; Sarah Palin compares Obama's plan to a kid asking to be punched in the face in the playground and vowing not to hit back, causing Obama on Apr. 8 to comment "Last time I checked, Palin's not an expert on nukes. If the secretary of defense and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are comfortable, I'll take my advice from them and not Sarah Palin"; on Apr. 7 Iranian pres. Imadinnajacket calls Obama an "inexperienced amateur" who is quick to threaten to use nukes on U.S. enemies, adding "American politicians are like cowboys. Whenever they have legal shortcomings, their hands go to their guns"; on Apr. 8 Imadinnajacket adds that he won't plead with opponents of Tehran's nuclear program to avoid sanctions; instead of planning on retaliating with nukes, the Obama admin. pumps up a program to create Prompt Global Strike weapons, non-nuclear IBMs that can hit any place in the world in less than an hour; on Apr. 20 Saudi Arabia announces the building of the first nuclear power plant in the Gulf states in Riyadh; while Obama shows signs of accepting a nuclear Iran, Israel will never accept it; Obama's unilateral disarmament approach will only provoke another nuclear arms race? On Apr. 5 a Pakistani Taliban bomb attack on the U.S. consulate in Peshawar, Pakistan, kills six, incl. two militants, but no Yankees. On Apr. 5 an Islamic attack in Karabulak, Ingushetia kills two police officers, spreading the Islamic war on Russia. On Apr. 5 100+ Chinese miners in Xiangning, China are rescued after being trapped in a flooded mine for over a week; meanwhile on Apr. 5 an explosion in the Upper Big Branch Mine owned by Massey Energy Co. in Montcoal (30 mi. S of Charleston), W. Va. kills 29, becoming the worst U.S. mine disaster since 1984. On Apr. 5 a U.S. appeal court rules that the FCC doesn't have the right to enforce Net Neutrality, effectively killing the movement without federal legislation. On Apr. 5 ABC News airs a segment about the Fishing and Hunting Tour Sex Trade that hooks up Yankees with hos in Brazil incl. preteen girls. On Apr. 6 the U.S. govt. announces that the Obama admin. has authorized operations to capture or kill U.S.-born Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who is holing up in Yemen with al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, calling him a "proven threat"; on Apr. 9 former U.S. atty.-gen. Michael Mukasey backs the decision. On Apr. 5 the heaviest rains in more than four decades cause floods and landslides in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, killing 110. On Apr. 6 British PM Harold Brown calls for new elections on May 6 against David Cameron (1966-) of the Conservatives and Nick Clegg of the Liberal Dems., which will feature a U.S.-style 3-part TV debate; actor Michael Caine wades into the political arena to support the Conservatives. On Apr. 6 (5:15 a.m.) the 7.7 2010 Sumatran Earthquake in Indonesia causes a brief tsunami warning. On Apr. 6 a series of seven bomb blasts markets and apts. in Shiite areas of Baghdad, Iraq kills 35+ and wounds 140+. On Apr. 7 after years of graft and corruption of pres. Kurmanbek Bakiyev, police fire on thousands of mainly pro-Russian protesters in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan as the govt. is on the verge of toppling and Bakiyev goes into hiding, and on Apr. 15 resigns and leaves the country; on Apr. 20 riots in Bishkek against the interim govt. kill several and injure scores; meanwhile the U.S. Manas military base near Bishkek is threatened. On Apr. 7 after anti-govt. protesters break into parliament and force lawmakers to flee by heli, Thai PM Abhisit Vejjajiva declares a state of emergency in Bangkok. On Apr. 7 Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb threatens to attack the World Cup games in South Africa this summer, with the soundbyte "How amazing could the match United States vs. Britain be when broadcasted live on air at a stadium packed with spectatorswhen the sound of an explosion rumbles through the stands, the whole stadium is turned upside down and the number of dead bodies are in their dozens and hundreds, Allah willing" - it's Lobsterfest? On Apr. 7 attempted shoe bomber Mohammed al-Modadi is subdued by federal air marshals on United Airlines Flight 663 en route from Washington, D.C. to Denver, Colo. with 157 passengers and six crew; he turns out to be a diplomat in the Qatar embassy with full diplomatic immunity, and isn't charged. On Apr. 7 Saudi Sunni cleric Sheik Mohammed al-Areefi cancels a historic visit to Jerusalem to support Muslim claims to the city after pressure from his kingdom. On Apr. 8 the New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty is signed in Prague, Czech. by U.S. Pres. Obama and Russian Pres. Dmitry Medvedev, to take effect on Feb. 5, 2011 and last until at least 2021, reducing the number of strategic missile launches by half, but not limiting the number of stockpiled nuclear warheads. On Apr. 8 the Equality Act of 2010 is enacted in the U.K., protecting people from "discrimination because of religion or religious or philosophical belief. To be protected, a person must belong to a religion that has a clear structure and belief system"; Britain opens itself up to takeover by the Muslim World without breaking into a sweat? On Apr. 8 a 24-y.-o. Muslim woman dies after her burka gets caught in a go-kart she is driving near Port Stephens, Australia (N of Sydney). On Apr. 8 13-y.-o. Yemeni girl Ilham Mahdi al Assi (b. 1996) dies five days after her wedding after her sex organs rupture and hemorrhage; she was used in a swap marriage, with her brother marrying the groom's sister. On Apr. 8 80+ gunmen in 15 pickup trucks attack the town of Maycoba in N Mexico, killing 4+. On Apr. 8 the British Muslim group Bradford Council of Mosques makes a publicity play by demanding the ministry of defense to apologize because its firing range in N England uses green-domed structures that they claim look like mosques; meanwhile after the Palestinian Authority announces the building of a pres. compound on a street in Ramallah named after Palestinian suicide bombmaker Yihye "the Engineer" Ayyash, Israel urges the U.N. to condemn them; meanwhile on Apr. 8 a poll by the IMAS Inst. shows that 54% of Austrians consider Islam "a threat to the West and our way of life", while 72% believe "Muslims don't adapt to the rules of community life", and 71% believe that Islam isn't compatible with Western concepts of democracy. On Apr. 9 U.S. Supreme Court justice John Paul Stevens announces his retirement at the end of the session in June, leaving the court with no Protestants for the first time ever (until ?); he turns 90 on Apr. 20. On Apr. 9 Iran unveils a 3rd generation of domestically-built uranium centrifuges that do it faster. On Apr. 9 the high court of Bangladesh rules that women cannot be forced to wear a veil or hijab against their will, calling it a "flagrant violation of human rights enshrined in the Constitution". On Apr. 9 the U.S. removes Syria, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and other Muslim nations from its airport watch list for augmented airport security imposed on Jan. 3, adding "This is not a system that can be called profiling in the traditional sense - it is intelligence-based"; meanwhile French pres. Nicolas Sarkozy warns that Pres. Obama is a "mad lunatic" for his systematic appeasement of Islam. On Apr. 9 after a coverup fails, U.S. Special Forces cmdr. vice-adm. William H. McRaven goes personally to Paktia in E Afghanistan to offer family head Haji Sharabuddin two sheep and $3K for the deaths of his two sons, who were accidentally killed along with two pregnant women and a teen girl by U.S. forces on Feb. 12; he follows ancient Pashtun tribal ritual for paying blood money. On Apr. 9 the Good Friday ed. of the German satire mag. Titanic pub. a cartoon of a Roman Catholic priest giving Jesus Christ a beejay while hanging on the cross, outraging the Church. On Apr. 9 (11:30 p.m.) the U.S. consulate in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico is bombed, breaking windows but causing no injuries. On Apr. 10 a Pakistani govt. airstrike in Tirah, Pakistan in NW Pakistan during a meeting of Lashkar-e-Islam kills 48 militants. On Apr. 10 the conference Islam in Italy: Fulfilling the Prophecy is held in London, England to celebrate the coming fulfillment of Prophet Muhammad that Islam will conquer first Constantinople then Rome. On Apr. 10 a Soviet-era Tupolev jet carrying an elite Polish delegation incl. Polish pres. (since 2005) Lech Kaczynski (b. 1949) and his wife Maria Kaczkynska crashes during landing in fog in Smolensk, Russia, killing all 95 aboard; they were scheduled to commemorate the 70th anniv. of the Katyn Massacre of 22K Polish officers by the Soviets; the cmdrs. of all four branches of the Polish military are lost, along with the head of the central bank and many of Kaczynski's top advisers, the cream of Poland's elite; a conspiracy by PM Vladimir Putin to humble Poland for trying to host U.S. missile defense systems is suspected. On Apr. 10 U.S. Senate majority leader Harry Reid tells a crowd in Las Vegas, Nev. that Congress will begin working on immigration overhaul after returning from recess this week. On Apr. 10-11 the govt. of Mexico disconnects 25.9M of 83.5M cell phone lines for not being registered as part of a plan to fight drug cartels. On Apr. 10-May 23 the Shroud of Turin is publicly exhibited, and Pope Benedict XVI visits it on May 2, all-but endorsing its authenticity, with the soundbyte "This is a burial cloth that wrapped the remains of a crucified man in full correspondence with what the Gospels tell us of Jesus." On Apr. 11 the TV reality series Basketball Wives debuts on VH1-TV for 61 episodes (until Oct. 21, 2013), filmed in Miami, Fla. and New York City, spawning Basketball Wives LA for 41 episodes on Aug. 29, 2011-Aug. 2012. On Apr. 11-16 elections in Sudan are the first since the 1989 Omar El-Bashir coup give him 88%+ of the vote; former U.S. pres. Jimmy Carter stinks himself up by calling them fair. On Apr. 12-13 Pres. Obama meets with 46 world leaders in Washington, D.C. (largest gathering of world leaders since the U.N. organizing meeting in San Francisco in 1945) at the 2010 Nuclear Security Summit; after hearing that Middle Eastern nations are waiting to task him for not signing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Benjamin Netanyahu of #47 Israel bugs out; on Apr. 11 Obama, who has already called a nuclear attack by terrorists "the single biggest threat to U.S. security" admits that if al-Qaida acquired nukes, it "would have no compunction at using them", and says that it "could change the security landscape in this country and around the world for years to come", but doesn't incl. Iran in that assessment; on Apr. 13 Obama presses for tightened sanctions on Iran, but Russia balks at gasoline restrictions, and obtains a voluntary agreement to secure vulnerable nuclear materials within four years; Chile becomes the first nation to agree to surrender all its highly enriched uranium, 40 lbs. obtained from Britain and France for two research reactors; meanwhile an Apr. 11 report by Jane's Defense Weekly says that Israel has 100-300 nuclear warheads; on Apr. 12 Russian pres. (since 2008) Dmitry Medvedev (1965-) warns Israel that if they attack Iran it might lead to a nuclear war; on Apr. 13 China says that any sanctions must promote a diplomatic way out of the nuclear standoff, while continuing its transfer of nuclear technology ot Pakistan and Iran; on Apr. 14 U.S. Ariz. Rino Sen. John McCain says that the U.S. keeps pointing a loaded gun at Iran, which is going to get nukes unless the U.S. hurries up and "pulls the trigger", meaning on sanctions not guns; at the close of the summit, Obama utters the soundbyte "Whether we like it or not, we remain a dominant military superpower, and when conflicts break out, one way or another we get pulled into them", pissing-off McCain, who calls the remark a "direct contradiction to everything America believes in"; on Apr. 17-18 Iran holds its own nuclear disarmament conference in Tehran, attended by Russia; Ayatollah Ali Khameini calls the U.S. the world's "only nuclear scofflaw"; on Apr. 27 Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi calls the U.S. decision to not invite Libya a "political blunder" that will discourage Iran and North Korea from giving up their nuclear ambitions. On Apr. 12 a splinter group of the IRA detonates a car bomb outside British MI5 HQ in Belfast just minutes after the official transfer of police and justice powers from Britain to Northern Ireland. On Apr. 12 Indonesian pres. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono gives a speech at the Sixth Assembly of the World Movement for Democracy, claiming that "Islam, democracy, and modernization grow together". On Apr. 12 British atheists Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens announce that when Pope Benedict XVI enters Britain that they will attempt to arrest him for "crimes against humanity" a la Augusto Pinochet in 1998. On Apr. 12 a massive human smuggling ring in Ariz. that stretches the length of the U.S. is busted by ICE officials. On Apr. 13 the 6.9 2010 Tibetan Earthquake kills 1.1K and injures 8K. On Apr. 13 Israeli pres. Shimon Peres accuses Syria of giving 430-mi.-range Scud missiles to Hezbollah, shifting the balance of power in the region as the missiles could reach Tel Aviv and Jerusalem instead of only targets in N Israel like in the 2006 war; Syria denies it; on Apr. 14 Jordanian king Abdullah III tells U.S. congressmen that war is imminent between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, and that it could spread across the Middle East. On Apr. 13 nonprofit online newsroom ProPublica becomes the first online org. to win a Pulitzer Prize, along with its reporter Sheri Fink, for a story about a hospital after Hurricane Katrina. On Apr. 13 James Carafano of the Heritage Foundation criticizes Pres. Obama, saying that his cutting of conventional military capabilities and talk of pullouts from Iraq and Afghanistan is creating a dangerous environment vis a vis Iran. On Apr. 13 Ariz. passes SB 1070, the toughest state immigration law in the U.S., making all illegal aliens guilty of trespassing and requiring state and local police to arrest them, along with encouraging them to enter the state, causing outcries from pro-immigrant groups; John McCain drops opposition hours before its passage, saying "I think it is a good tool"; U.S. judge Andrew Napolitano says that the law will "bankrupt the Republican Party"; on Apr. 23 blonde-blue Ariz. gov. #22 (since Jan. 21, 2009) Janice Kay "Jan" Brewer (1944-) signs it, triggering protests, calls for boycotts of Ariz., lawsuits, etc.; it is set to goe into effect on July 29; on Apr. 27 Pima County sheriff Clarence Dupnik says that he has "no intention" of complying with the law, calling it "abominable" and a "national embarrassment"; on Apr. 26 Mexican pres. Felipe Calderon condemns the law as discriminatory, and warns that relations will suffer; on Apr. 30 Brewer signs a revised version that attempts to stop racial profiling; on May 1 Roman Catholic Cardinal Roger M. Mahoney, archbishop of Los Angeles leads a march in downtown Los Angeles, Calif. by 50K, comparing the law to "German Nazi and Russian Communist techniques whereby people are required to turn one another in to the authorities on any suspicion of documentation"; other anti-Ariz. rallies are held throughout the U.S., incl. 25K in Dallas, Tex. and 10K in Chicago, Ill.; on May 4 NBA Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver issues a statement that his team will wear "Los Suns" on their uniforms on May 5 to "honor our Latino community and the diversity of our league, the state of Arizona, and our nation"; on May 6 N.Y. Dem. Sen. Chuck Schumer calls for a 1-year delay on implementation of the law to give Congress time for federal-level immigration reform; on July 6 the Obama admin. Justice Dept. files a lawsuit challenging it in federal court on preemption grounds, claiming it steps on federal prerogratives; on July 11 U.S. atty.-gen. Eric Holder announces that politics aren't behind the decision to sue, but "The basis for this was a legal determination by those of us at the Justice Dept. that the new law was inconsistent with the Constitution", holding out the possiblity of a racial profiling suit later; on July 28 a federal district judge Susan Bolton blocks the key parts of SB 1170 that angered opponents, with the soundbyte "Requiring Arizona law enforcement officials and agencies to determine the immigration status of every person who is arrested burdens lawfully-present aliens because their liberty will be restricted while their status is checked"; Mexico and 10 other Latin Am. countries ask the 9th U.S. Circuit Court fo Appeals for permission to file friend-of-the-court briefs in Brewer's appeal of the ruling. On Apr. 13 Christian barber Marwat Masih (1981-) is beaten and sodimized by eight Muslims in Pakistan for trimming a Muslim's beard. On Apr. 14 hundreds of protesters armed with machetes battle security forces in Jakarta, Indonesia after hearing news that the govt. is going to remove the tomb of Islamic scholar Habib Hasan; they were only going to renovate it. On Apr. 14 U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama visits Mexico, where she meets with Mexican first lady Margarita Zavala and minimizes the danger of drug cartels and discusses drug treatment programs. On Apr. 14 U.S. undersecy. of state Judith A. McHale says that the Obama admin. is shifting focus of public diplomacy efforts to downplay the Bush admin. emphasis on countering violent extremists in order to avoid offending foreign audiences, which they believe only a tiny percentage of are at risk for becoming extremists; on Apr. 26 Roger L. Simon, CEO of Pajamas Media TV calls upon the U.S. Senate to launch an investigation into censorship by the Obama admin. of terminology about Islam, incl. the words "Islamic extremism", "jihad", "Sharia", "Hamas", and "Hizbollah". On Apr. 14 Kosovo bans headscarves (hijabs) in public schools, joining Tunisia and France. On Apr. 14 Quran-thumping Am. Muslim convert James A. Larry (1978-) of Madison, Wisc. shoots to death his pregnant wife, three children, and an adult in Chicago, Ill., then claims that "Allah told him to do it"; many news services incl. the AP sanitize the story to remove all mention of Islam. On Apr. 14 the British Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) criticizes Israel for incl. photos of the Western Wall in a tourism ad, saying that the site isn't within Israel's borders. On Apr. 14 Britain announces a secret deal to permit a small number of Yemeni Jews to immigrate to escape severe Islamic persecution. On Apr. 14-16 the members of BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) meet in Brasilia to draw up a plan for a "new internat. order" for presentation at the G20 meeting in June; BRIC has 42% of the world pop. but only 15% of the GDP; the parallel BASIC (Brazil, South Africa, India, China) coalition is becoming increasingly alienated by U.S. efforts to limit their greenhouse gas emissions. On Apr. 15 after a U.S. woman summarily sent her violent troublesome 7-y.-o. adopted son back to Russia on a plane alone, the Russian foreign ministry suspends all adoptions by U.S. families. On Apr. 15 after erupting for the 2nd time in a mo. on Apr. 14, a giant volcanic ash cloud from the Eyjafjallajokull (Eyjafjallajökull) Volcano (pr. EYA-fyatla-yokl) (AKA E15) in Iceland causes Britain to suspend all air traffic for the first time ever, reopening it on Apr. 20 at 10 p.m. after it costs $1.7B; too bad, by May 8 the volcanic ash cloud drifts over Africa, closing airports there. On Apr. 15 another suicide bombing in Kandahar, Afghanistan kills three foreigners and three Afghan soldiers. On Apr. 15 Pres. Obama gives a speech at the Kennedy Space Center in Fla., calling another Moon mission redundant, and instead calling for missions to asteroids and Mars. On Apr. 15 Pres. Obama signs an executive order to the Dept. of Health ending discrimination in hospital visitation and power of atty. against same-sex partners. On Apr. 15 U.S. federal district court Barbara B. Crabb in Madison, Wisc. rules the U.S. Nat. Day of Prayer unconstitutional, along with a 1988 law giving the U.S. pres. authority to designate the first Thur. in May as one, causing Sarah Palin on Apr. 16 to call it "mind-boggling" to suggest that the U.S. isn't a Christian nation. On Apr. 15-16 Islamic jihadists murder four Russian officers in Chechnya. On Apr. 16 Roman Catholic bishop Richard Williamson is fined 10K euros by a German court for denying the magical 6M Holocaust victim figure and claiming it was really only 200K-300K; judge Karin Frahm declares "The statements by the accused represent a denial of the actions taken under the National Socialist regime" - was there a minimum number of victims that gave him a defense? On Apr. 16 the SEC accuses Goldman Sachs of civil fraud by failing to disclose conflicts of interest in mortgage investments during the housing market collapse, causing its stock to drop 15%. On Apr. 16 a suicide bomb attack outside a hospital emergency ward in Quetta, Pakistan kills nine, incl. two police officers and a TV cameraman. On Apr. 16 (Fri.) senior Iranian cleric Hojatoleslam Kazem Sedighi gives a Fri. mosque sermon claiming that women who dress immodestly cause sexual immortality that leads to earthquakes, and is backed up by Guardian Council head Ahmad Jannati, causing worldwide scorn incl. a campaign to trigger a "Boobquake" by U.S. student Jennifer "Jen" McCreight AKA the Blag Hag. On Apr. 17 Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi praises Pres. Obama, saying "He is someone I consider a friend. He knows he is a son of Africa. Regardless of his African belonging, he is of Arab Sudanese descent, or of Muslim descent. He is a man whose policy should be supported, and he should be assisted in implementing it in any way possible, since he is now leaning towards peace." On Apr. 17 two suicide bombers dressed in burqas detonate in a refugee camp in Kacha Pukka, Kohat in NW Pakistan, killing 41 and wounding 62. On Apr. 17 snow falls in Tokyo, Japan, becoming the latest in the season since Apr. 17, 1969. On Apr. 18 U.S. Adm. Mike Mullen, chmn. of the Joint Chiefs of Staff says that a U.S. strike against Iran would go a "long way" to delaying its nuclear weapons program, but that he considers it his "last option" right now; meanwhile Iranian pres. Madman Inastraightjacket boasts of Iran's military might and says that no country would dare attack it; he also orders the U.S. and its allies to leave Afghanistan. On Apr. 18 (night) al-Qaida in Iraq AKA ISI (Islamic State in Iraq) leaders Abu Ayyub al-Masri and Abu Omar al-Bahgadi are killed by U.S. forces in their safe house near Tikrit, allowing Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi (Ibrahim Awad Ibrahim al-Badri) (1971-) to claim leadership of ISI as emir #2, later claiming to be caliph because of alleged descent from Muhammad's Quraysh tribe. On Apr. 19 the U.S. Defense Dept. submits a Report to Congress on Iran, claiming that it could develop and test an ICBM capable of hitting the U.S. by 2015. On Apr. 19 the 15th anniv. of the Oklahoma City Bombing is marked by gun-toting protesters on federal land in N Va. On Apr. 19 the high court of Indonesia rules 8-1 that the 45-y.-o. law banning blasphemy against Islam and five other recognized religions is valid. On Apr. 19 the Islamic Web site RevolutionMuslim.com issues pseudo-threats against Trey Parker and Matt Stone, creators of the TV cartoon series South Park for airing an episode showing Muhammad in a bear suit, with the soundbyte: "We have to warn Matt and Trey that what they are doing is stupid and they will probably wind up like Theo Van Gogh for airing this show. This is not a threat, but a warning of the reality of what will likely happen to them"; on Apr. 22 the threat causes the show to remove all references to Big M, which doesn't stop Malaysia from demanding a worldwide apology to show that they are submitting to Islamic superiority; the poster turns out to be 20-y.-o. Zachary Adam Chesser (1989-), AKA Abu Talhah Al-Amrikee from Centreville, Va., who tells FoxNews.com "It's not a threat, but it really is a likely outcome"; in June he is arrested for trying to go to Somalia to join al-Shabaab; on Apr. 24 the RevolutionMuslim.com Web site is hacked; Seattle, Wash. artist Molly Norris declares an Everybody Draw Muhammad Day for May 20, then gets scared and drops it, then picks it back up, then drops it again and apologizes to Muslims; on May 19 the govt. of Pakistan blocks Facebook for hosting her group, followed by YouTube, dropping the blocking on the latter after it buckles under and removes offensive videos; on May 23 Muslims in India ask the govt. to ban Facebook; on May 30 Bangladesh bans Facebook; on May 31 a Pakistani court removes the Facebook ban; in Sept. after the FBI warns her of Muslim death threats, she goes into hiding; on Feb. 26, 2011 Chesser is sentenced to 25 years in prison. On Apr. 20 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 8-1 in U.S. v. Stevens strikes down a 1999 federal law banning "crush videos" depicting graphic violence against animals (incl. crushing them to death by women with stiletto heels) as a violation of free speech for being overbroad, leaving open the possibility of a law limited to crush videos. On Apr. 20 New York City businessman Abdul Tawala Ibn Ali Alishtari (AKA Michael Mixon) (1953-) is sentenced to 10 years in prison for attempting to funnel money to an Islamic terrorist training camp in Afghanistan. On Apr. 20 the Pentagon delivers its first Report to Congress on Iran's Military, saying that Iran is increasing its paramilitary Qods force in Venezuela (first official warning of Iranian paramilitary activities in the Western Hemisphere) while covertly supplying munitions to Taliban and other Islamic insurgents in Afghanistan and Iraq. On Apr. 20 the head of Saudi Arabia's religious police fires Ahmed bin Qassim al-Ghamidi, chief of the Mecca branch for suggesting the mixing of the sexes in an interview, saying that it "is just natural and there is no good reason to ban it". On Apr. 20 a Europol Report on Third World Immigration to the EU reveals that at least 900K illegal immigrants enter the EU each year, and 350K legal visitors overstay their visas, adding that Europe faces major criminal threats from them. On Apr. 20 a Report on Salt Intake by the Inst. of Medicine calls on the U.S. FDA to begin regulating salt levels in food to save 100K lives a year. On Apr. 21 Iraqi and U.S. officials announce that an Iraqi security force under PM Nuri Kamal al-Maliki's command held hundreds from N Iraq in a secret prison in Baghdad and tortured dozens until the U.S. intervened in Mar. and al-Maliki played dumb and closed it. On Apr. 21 white supremacist Richard Barrett (b. 1943) is stabbed and beaten to death and his house set on fire to cover it up by ex-con black neighbor Vincent McGee (1988-). On Apr. 21 nat. security adviser #22 (2009-) USMC Gen. James Logan Jones Jr. (1943-) stinks himself up with a Jewish stereotype joke at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy in front of a crowd of mainly Jews. On Apr. 22 it is announced that Gita Sahgal has resigned from Amnesty Internat. after it refused to cut loose its ties with former Guantanamo Bay detainee Moazzam Begg and his group which supports "jihad in self-defense". On Apr. 22 worldwide Earth Day celebrations are marred by an announcement by Brazil of the $10B Belo Monte Hydroelectric Dam (world's 3rd largest) on the Xingu River, which will flood a part of the Amazon River basin despite protests by Indians. On Apr. 22 Iran's Rev. Guards hold war games in the Hormuz Strait to flex their muscles. On Apr. 22 U.S. secy. of state Hillary Clinton addresses a meeting of NATO foreign ministers, resisting their pressure to remove U.S. battlefield weapons from Europe unless Russia cuts its arsenal first, since it's 10x larger. On Apr. 22 the U.S. test launches two unmanned space vehicles, incl. the secret 30-ft. X-37B space plane, signaling a new era of space warfare. On Apr. 22 Lily-May Woods becomes Britain's first baby with two women parents on her birth certificate. On Apr. 22 Am. Christian evangelist Franklin Graham (1952-), son of Billy Graham is disinvited to speak at a May 6 Pentagon prayer service by the U.S. Army for remarks he made in 2001 describing Islam as evil, with spokesman Col. Tom Collins callins his remarks "not appropriate", adding "We're an all-inclusive military, we honor all faiths"; Graham replies that Obama is "giving Islam a pass", adding "Look at the violence that they have portrayed against women, it's just horrific"; on Mar. 1-9 a survey by LifeWay Research reveals that 4 in 10 U.S. Protestant pastors believe that Islam is dangerous and promotes violence; his affiliation with Shirley Dobson's Nat. Day of Prayer Task Force is in violation of govt. regs anyway?; on Apr. 27 the Council on Am.-Islamic Relations (CAIR) calls on Congress to ban Franklin also, after which on May 5 35 Repub. congressmen call on the U.S. Defense Dept. to reinvite him, and on May 6 he takes the podium at the Nat. Day of Prayer on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C On Apr. 22 the U.S. Office of Public Engagement meets with Arab-Am. leaders, incl. Hatem Abudayyeh, whose Chicago home is searched in late Sept. as part of an anti-terrorism probe after he is connected with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and Rev. Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). On Apr. 22 the stream of data sent back to Earth by NASA's Voyager 2 suddenly changes, causing German academic Hartwig Hausdorf to claim that it has been taken over by ETs. On Apr. 23 a series of bombs in Shiite mosque areas of Baghdad, Iraq, incl. Sadr City kill 72; bombs in W Iraq in Sunni areas kill eight; on Apr. 25 Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr (1974-) calls on believers to join the Iraqi authorities to "defend their shrines, mosques, prayers, markets, houses and their towns", but not give the U.S. an excuse to postpone their withdrawal. On Apr. 23 the 57-member Org. of the Islamic Conference (OIC) announces the creation of a human rights div., despite its idea of human rights being the Cairo Declaration of Human Rights, which enshrines horrible Sharia as the norm. On Apr. 23 Swiss bank UBS AG client Jack Barouh (1945-) is sentenced to 10 mo. in U.S. federal prison for hiding his assets, despite his defense that his experience in fleeing the Nazi Holocaust caused him to become a compulsive hoarder. On Apr. 24 the worst tornado in decades in Miss. kills 10. On Apr. 24 gunmen ambush two police vehicles in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, killing seven officers plus a 17-y.o. passerby. On Apr. 24 Aygul Ozkan, Germany's first female Muslim state minister calls for crucifixes to be removed from state schools, citing headscarves to justify it. On Apr. 25 the 95th Anniv. of the Armenian Genocide sees Muslim-appeasing Pres. Obama renege again on his campaign promise to label the Christian Armenian Genocide of 1915 by Muslim Turkey a genocide, calling it "one of the worst atrocities" of the 20th cent. and a "devastating chapter" in history. On Apr. 25 seeing his chance with Pres. Obama's freezing relations with Israel, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas urges Pres. Obama to impose a Mideast peace deal. On Apr. 25 elections in Hungary give a V to the center-right opposition Fidesz Party of ex-PM (1998-2002) Viktor Orban (1963-), who on ? becomes Hungarian PM (until ?). On Apr. 25 Joseph McVey (1987-) of Ohio is arrested and charged with impersonating a police officer at Asheville, N.C. airport as Pres. Obama departs on Air Force One. On Apr. 25 Afghan troops kill three civilians in their home overnight, causing protesters to torch NATO trucks in Logar Province in E Afghanistan. On Apr. 25 English physicist Stephen Hawking says that we shouldn't try to contact extraterrrestrials because they might be looking to take us over like Christopher Columbus did the New World, pissing-off self-appointed E.T. Messiah Rael, who issues the soundbyte "With these views, Hawking demonstrates that he's not only physically handicapped but mentally handicapped by the degenerative disease of 'evolutionism' or 'Darwinism'. His fears about murderous, invading aliens are based on the theory of evolution – the myth of evolution, to be more precise. He's afraid humans are inferior to aliens who might invade. That's logical, but only if you accept the myth of evolution." On Apr. 25 over 1K Jewish protesters in Manhattan demonstrate against the Obama admin.'s call for a freeze on construction in occupied East Jerusalem, demanding unlimited rights to colonize the West Bank. On Apr. 25 a Chinese-Turkish team announces the discovery of Noah's Ark in E Turkey, with pieces of wood found at 12K ft. elev. that were dated to 4.8K years old. On Apr. 25-26 the White House convenes a World Summit on Entrepreneurship, with 250 participants from 60 mainly Muslim countries. On Apr. 26 accusing them of rushing the process Repubs. block Dem. legislation in the U.S. Senate to regulate the financial system, with the vote coming out at 57-41, three votes short of that needed to end a filibuster. On Apr. 26 a suicide bomber in Yemen targets the British ambassador, killing himself and three othrs, but missing the ambassador. On Apr. 26 the U.S. military cancels a major field exercise to test its reponse to a nuclear attack after the planned site Las Vegas, Nev. pulls out. On Apr. 26 Yemeni cleric Sheikh Abdul-Majid al-Zindani vows to gather a million signatures to protest a draft law banning child brides, saying that such a ban "threatens our culture and society and spreads immorality". On Apr. 26 a group of Islamic clerics in NE Kenya crack down on public broadcasts of soccer and films as un-Islamic. On Apr. 26 the documentary film Feathered Cocaine debuts at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City, claiming that Osama bin Laden is hiding in Iran with help of the Iranian govt. On Apr. 26 British Labour candidate John Cowan is suspended after posting on the Internet that he wouldn't want his children to marry a Muslim - he means the same Muslim? On Apr. 27 former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega is extradited by the U.S. to France, where he is accused of laundering $7M in drug profits by purchasing luxury apts. with his wife in Paris; he was previously convicted in absentia, but is being given a new trial. On Apr. 27 Iranian Sharia police announce a crackdown on women who dare to display suntans in public. On Apr. 27 two human rights activists are ambushed and murdered in San Juan Copala, Oaxaca, Mexico by the Union de Bienestar de la Region Triqui; on May 16 12 women and children are kidnapped, then released. On Apr. 28 British PM Gordon Brown commits a political gaffe, calling a loyal Labour voter a "bigoted woman" in his limo over a live mike for expressing concerns over high taxation and immigration; despite apologizing, his chances for reelection fizzle to zero?; Brexit is born? On Apr. 28 thousands of enraged Muslims attack a Christian educational center in Bogor Regency, West Java Province, Indonesia after hearing rumors that they are going to build a church, Sharia forbidding even repairing one. On Apr. 28 Hollywood star Sandra Bullock reveals that she is divorcing her cheating hubby Jesse James, and is in the process of adopting 3.5-mo.-old black New Orleans child Louis Bardo Bullock. On Apr. 28 10 Israeli Prize winners send a letter to Israeli defense minister Ehud Barak asking him to lift the prohibition on students from Gaza Strip studying in West Bank univs. On Apr. 28 a McLaughlin & Assocs. Poll finds that only 42% of Jewish voters would vote to reelect Pres. Obama, vs. 78% who elected him. On Apr. 29 Moroccan terrorist suspects Mohammed Hlal and Errahmouni Ahmed are deported from Italy for allegedly plotting to kill Pope Benedict XVI. On Apr. 30 the U.S. House of Reps passes a bill allowing Puerto Ricans to vote on Puerto Rican statehood. On Apr. 30 a 26-y.-o. Tunisian woman is arrested and fined $650 for wearing a niqab (face veil) while walking to a mosque in Novara, Italy, home of the anti-immigration Northern League, stirring controversy. On Apr. 30 (night) Ariz. Pinal County sheriff's deputy Louie Puroll (1957-) is shot by a Mexican drug smuggler with an AK-7, inflaming anti-Mexican passions. In Apr. the U.S. adds 290K new jobs, leaving the unemployment rate at 9.9%. In Apr. the Islamic Solidarity Games (Muslim Olympics) are called off by Arab states because Iran inscribed "Persian Gulf" on the official logo and medals, and they want it called the Arab Gulf. In Apr. Iraqi police and veterinarians begin killing stray dogs in and around Baghdad, killing 58K by mid-July. In Apr. 15% of world Internet traffic is routed through servers in China, incl. from govt. and military sites; it is not made public until Nov. In Apr. USAF flight surgeon Lt. Col. Terrence Lakin of Colo. refuses to board his plane until he sees proof that Pres. Obama was born in the U.S., causing him to be court-martialed; on Dec. 15 a federal jury convicts him of disobeying orders to deploy to Afghanistan, and he is sentenced to 6 mo. in military prison and dismissal from the Army. In Apr.-Oct. the June 2009-May 2010 El Nino launches the 2010 Northern Hemisphere heat waves, which affects the U.S., China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Hong Kong, N Africa, and Europe incl. parts of E Australia, Canada, Russia, Indochina, South Korea, and Japan, receiving a boost from the 2010-11 La Nina, causing $500B damage, causing climate scientists to claim a V for their CO2-boosted climate models. On May 1 thousands protest Neo-Nazi marches across Germany. On May 1 it is announced that Islamic successionists in S Yemen have captured two U.S. soldiers and demand the release of two of their leaders in exchange for their release. On May 1 Islamic separatists bomb a horse race at the hippodrome in Nalchik in Kabardino-Balkaria, North Caucasus, killing one and wounding 29. On May 1 a tricycle bomb in Saryab, Quetta in SW Pakistan injures six. On May 1 a 3-vehicle convoy of drug cartel with 40 commandos ambushes the police in Morelia, Mexico, but they escape unharmed. On May 1 two explosions in the Abdala Shideya Mosque in the biggest market in Mogadishu, Somalia kill 30+ and injure dozens, becoming the first terrorist attack in a Somalian mosque; it is a gathering place for members of Al-Shabaab. On May 1 Pres. Obama gives a commencement speech at the U. of Mich., saying that partisan rants and name-calling pose a serious danger to Am. democracy that could incite "extreme elements" to violence, with the soundbyte "What troubles me is when I hear people say that all of government is inherently bad. When our government is spoken of as some menacing, threatening foreign entity, it ignores the fact that in our democracy, government is us." On May 1 two bombs near buses carrying Christian students in Mosul, Iraq planted by Sunni insurgents kill one bystander and injure 100. On May 1 (eve.) after Sengalese Muslim vendor Alioune Niass alerts them, police find a smoking defective fertilizer-propane car bomb in a Nissan Pathfinder in Times Square set by the Times Square Bomber in New York City near Comedy Central, causing them to evacuate thousands; the Pakistani Taliban claims responsibility on the Internet as revenge for the killing of leaders al-Baghdadi and al-Mahajer "and Muslim martyrs"; the feds investigate possibile connections to the South Park case, then on May 3 night arrest Pakistani-born Am. Muslim Faisal Shahzad 1979-) of Shelton, Conn. at JFK Airport after tracing a discarded disposable cell phone, causing U.S. atty-gen. Eric Holder to announce "It was clear that the intent behind this terrorist act was to kill Americans"; he had just returned from a trip to Pakistan; U.S. Customs officer Daniel Donohue becomes a hero for finding Shahzad's name in time to stop his flight; an FBI test finds that the bomb would have killed thousands; on May 4 (morning) Pres. Obama gives a news conference, calling the incident a "sobering reminder of the times in which we live" and vowing that Americans "will not cower in fear"; the fact that he just spent 5 mo. in Pakistan causes the investigation to be expanded there, followed by several arrests, incl. former army maj. Adnan Ahmad, who is released on May 31; Shahzad is Mirandized, renewing the debate on Mirandizing terrorism suspects; despite attempts by the PC media to downplay his Muslim religion, claiming that a home repossession triggered the jihad, etc., Conn. Sen. Joe Lieberman calls for a new law stripping Americans found to be involved in a foreign terrorist org. of their citizenship rights and shipping them to Guantanamo Bay; on May 7 U.S. Gen. David Howell Petraeus (1952-) says that Shahzad was a "lone wolf" with no connection to other terrorists despite his claiming to have attended a terrorist training camp; on May 9 Holder finally announces that the Pakistan Taliban is behind the bombing attempt, and "probably helped finance it"; on May 13 federal agents arrest two people involved in funneling money into the U.S. to pay for the truck and bomb materials; on June 21 Shahzad pleads guilty and brags about receiving 6 mo. of training in Pakistan, saying that he is a "Muslim soldier", and would plead guilty "100 times over" until the U.S. pulls its troops out of Afghanistan and Iraq and stops drone attacks that are "terrorizing the Muslim nations and the Muslim people"; on Oct. 5 he is sentenced to life without parole, telling the judge "Brace yourself because the war with the Muslims has only just begun - we will keep terrorizing you - the defeat of the U.S. is imminent and will happen in the near future", and shouting Allahu Akbar, to which the judge responds that he should consider "carefully about whether the Quran wants you to kill lots of people" - Shahzad stamps the word dumbass on Obama's forehead? On May 1 the 2010 U.S. Commission on Internat. Religious Freedom Report concludes that Pres. Obama is failing to talk about or fight for religious freedom around the world incl. Nigeria, and expresses alarm at Pres. Obama and Hillary Clinton phasing-out the term "freedom of religion" for the Muslim superiority version "freedom of worship" in public pronouncements, despite the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment's wording about free exercise of religion - not Muslim salami baloneys in public with hog callers and prayer towers? On May 1 the Antarctic Volcanoes Project Blog is launched by TLW, who claims that global warming is good not bad, and more not less CO2 and H2O need to be pumped into the atmosphere to create more living space and food supplies, calling for a global scientific effort that starts with an evaluation of the potential of reactivating volcanoes in the Antarctic. On May 1-2 a Gallup Poll reveals that 9 out of 10 Americans want the U.S. govt. to secure the U.S.-Mexico border this year. On May 1-Oct. 31 the 2010 World Expo is held in Shanghai, China, receiving 70M visitors while featuring an online version called Expo Shanghai Online. On May 2 drug-related violence kills 25 in the state of Chihuahua near the U.S.-Mexico border; on May 4 the Mexican govt. says that the drug war that has already killed 23K could rage until 2014; meanwhile on May 4 U.S. homeland security secy. Janet Napolitano admits that the U.S.-Mexico border is not as secure as it could be, but praises the Obama admin. for an "absolute laserlike focus on that border". On May 2 Jewish-Am. Repub. Hawaii gov. (2002-) Linda Lingle (1953-) states that Pres. Obama was born in Kapi'olani Hospital in Honolulu. On May 2 Afghan cleric Mullah Adahdad is killed by a U.S. Army platoon from the 5th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Div., after which it is revealed that he was unarmed and that they had a conspiracy to kill unarmed Afghan men, dismember the corpses, and pose for photo ops, becoming a war crimes scandal. On May 3 the U.S. govt. releases its classified statistics about the total size of the U.S. nuclear arsenal for the first time: 5,113 warheads. On May 3-28 the 189 signatories to the 1970 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty meet at the U.N. in New York City; on May 3 Iranian pres. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad attends, claiming that the U.S. has failed its obligations, started a global nuclear arms race, and dismissing the prospect of "nuclear terrorism", causing the U.S., Britain, and France to walk out; later U.S. state secy. Hillary Clinton gives a speech, dissing Iran for disregarding the treaty; U.N. secy.-gen. Ban Ki-moon utters the soundbyte that "the onus is on Iran" to prove it's not building nukes; Egypt calls for a Middle East nuclear-free zone that incl. Israel; meanwhile David Hale, deputy of U.S. Middle Envoy envoy George Mitchell tells Palestinian pres. Mahmoud Abbas that if there is "significantly provocative settlement activity" in E Jerusalem et al., the U.S. might allow U.N. Security Council resolutions condemning Israel to pass for the first time ever. On May 3 the U.S. Supreme Court announces that it will close the 44 marble steps and bronze doors to its great hall for the first time due to security concerns. On May 3 former CIA dir. James R. Woolsey says that the likelihood that Iran will have a nuke in a year or less is "extremely high". On May 3 Pres. Obama sends a letter to Congress calling Syrian support for terrorist orgs. "a continuing unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy and economy of the United States", renewing the economic sanctions begun in 2003. On May 4 protests are held in Paris against Islamic persecution of women working in the oil city of Hassi Messaoud, where the imams incite violence against them as hos just for being independent, cuasing them to be robbed, beaten, raped and tortured. On May 3 Venezuelan foreign minister Nicolas Naduro addresses the 12-member Union of South Am. Nations in Buenos Aires, dissing the Ariz. "papers please" law, saying that it should be repealed and that the U.S. should give up its "old habits of racism". On May 4-5 North Korean leader Kim Jong-il visits Beijing, China; neither country admits to the visit. On May 5 Christian zoologist Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (1957-) becomes pres. #14 of Nigeria (until May 29, 2015). On May 5 Pres. Obama attends a Cinco de Mayo celebration, calling for immigration reform work to begin this year, incl. holding employers responsible for hiring illegals and making them pay for citizenship; meanwhile at Live Oak H.S. in Calif., asst. principal Miguel Rodriguez makes two students remove U.S. flag bandanas and turn t-shirts with U.S. flags on them inside-out, calling them "incendiary", while allowing other students to wear Mexican flags. On May 6 the news of the Greek crisis causes the Dow Jones Industrial Avg. to plummet 998 points before rebounding by nearly 400 points, closing at 10,520.32. On May 6 elections in Britain result in a hung Parliament although Conservatives make some gains; Labour comes in 2nd, and the Liberal Dems. 3rd; Labour candidates Shabana Mahmood (1980-), Rushanara Ali (1975-), and Yasmin Qureshi (1963-) become the first British female Muslim and Asian MPs; on May 10 Gordon Brown announces his intentions of resigning as MP in favor of Conservative David William Donald Cameron (1966-) (direct descendant of William IV and his mistress Dorothea Jordan) (5th cousin twice removed of Elizabeth II), who becomes British PM on May 11 (until July 13, 2016) (youngest British MP since the 1810s), heading a coalition govt. with the Liberal Dems. headed by Nicholas William Peter "Nick" Clegg (1967-); on May 13 George Gideon Oliver Osborne (1971-) becomes chancellor (until ?); English Muslim baroness Sayeeda Hussain Warsi (1971-) is promoted to chmn. of the Conservative Party, and on May 12 she is appointed to Cameron's cabinet as minister without portfolio (first Muslim woman), causing radical Islamist Anjem Choudary (1967-) (leader of the banned group Islam4UK) to comment "She may look like a Muslim and have a Muslim-sounding name but she does not represent Islam or anyone in this country who is a Muslim... She is a coconut, brown on the outside but white on the inside. In fact, she is whiter than most of the other white people in government. How can she be a Muslim and support the military involvement of the British Army in Islamic countries?"; on May 13 Pres. Obama announces that Cameron is committed to continuing British assistance in the battle against terrorism in Afghanistan for the long term. On May 6 U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tells the Catholic Community Conference on Capitol Hill to speak from the pulpit for immigration reform and tell the faithful that reform "is a manifestation of our living the gospels", adding "We can't say to people, 12 million of you, go back to whever you came from or go to jail"; on May 13 she calls for a "path to legalization" for illegal aliens now in the U.S. On May 7 Turkey passes a series of constitutional amendments giving the Islamic part of the govt. more power over the mainly secular judiciary. On May 7 the PLO announces that it accepts indirect peace talks with Israel, with U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell acting as broker, becoming the first time since talks were broken off after the offensive against Hamas in Gaza in 2008. On May 7 foreign domain names are launched on the Internet, incl. Arabic. On May 7 stone-throwing Palestinians attack Israel soldiers in Nabi Saleh near Ramallah in the West Bank, setting fire to a historic Jewish cemetery. On May 7 due to the Times Square Bomber, U.S. Afghan military cmdr. Stanley A. McChrystal meets with Pakistani military chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and urges him to speed up their offensive against the Pakistani Taliban and al-Qaida in North Wazaristan; meanwhile on May 8 Pakistan announces the test-firing of two nuclear-capable ballistic missiles, the Shaheen-1 (range 400 mi.), and the Ghazvani (range 180 mi.). On May 7 Islamic terrorists explode a bomb on a train station platform in Derbent, Dagestan, S Russia, killing one and injuring five. On May 8 two explosing rip through Russia's largest underground coal mine in Kemerovo, killing 12, injuring 58, and trapping 83. On May 8 Mexico extradites Mario Villanueva, former gov. (1993-9) of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo to the U.S. to face charges of helping a cartel smuggle cocaine through Cancun, becoming the first former Mexican state govt. to be extradited to the U.S. on drug charges. On May 8 the secret Trilateral Commission meets in Dublin, Ireland, causing enemies of a 1-world govt. to go nonlinear again. On May 9 a massive Red Square Military Parade (biggest since the collapse of the Soviet Union) marks the 65th anniv. of the defeat of Nazi Germany after losing 27M people, becoming the first time that soldiers from four NATO countries incl. China and the U.S. are allowed to take part, joining 10K Russian troops; the new Russian Mi-28 Havoc attack heli (test-flown in Jan. 1988), their answer to the U.S. Apache is rolled out, along with the Ka-52 Alligator gunship; meanwhile on May 9 U.S. defense secy. Robert Gates complains that increasing health care costs, big-ticket weapons system, and a top-heavy mgt. force require the Pentagon to make tough choices to hold down spending despite angering "powerful people", and has ordered the Pentagon to shave off 2%-3% from their $550B budget. On May 9 Pres. Obama speaks at historically black Hampton U. in Va. (founded 1868), saying that giving all Americans access to education is the responsibility of all Americans, "to offer every single child in this country an education that will make them competitive in our knowledge economy"; he then disses modern info technology, incl. iPods, iPas, Xboxes and PlayStations as "a distraction, a diversion, a form of entertainment rather than a tool of empowerment, rather than the means of emancipation". On May 9 Iran hangs five members of the "anti-revolutionary" Kurdish Party of Free Life for Kurdistan (PJAK) on charges incl. "waging war against God" (moharebe). On May 10 Pres. Obama nominates New York City-born U.S. solicitor gen. #45 (since Mar. 19, 2009) (dean #11 of Harvard Law School since July 1, 2003, the first female) (never been a judge) (Jewish) (closet lesbian?) Elena Kagan (1960-) for the U.S. Supreme Court, calling her a "trailblazing lady" who was admired "across the ideological spectrum", and is known for a "habit of understanding before disagreeing"; she is known for the soundbyte "Someone suspected of helping finance al-Qaida should be subject to battlefield law - indefinite detention without a trial - even if he were captured in a place like the Philippines rather than a physical battle zone"; at Harvard she accepted a $20M gift from the Saudi royal family to establish a center for Islamic studies, incl. horrible Sharia law; the 850-member Rabbinical Alliance of Am. says that she is "not kosher" and "not fit to sit on this court or any court" because "she will function as a flame-throwing radical, hastening society's already steep decline into Sodom and Gomorrah"; on Aug. 5 she is confirmed by the Senate by 63-37, with five Repubs. for and one Dem. against; on Aug. 7 she is sworn-in as U.S. Supreme Court justice #112 (until ?), becoming the first Hispanic and Latina U.S. Supreme Court justice, 4th woman, and 12th Roman Catholic (until ?), also the youngest (until ?), giving the court a record three women members (one-third); she recuses herself from nearly half of the 51 cases before the Oct. 4 term because of potential conflicts of interest. On May 10 the G20 unleashes its $957B Shock and Awe Rescue Plan, causing a spectacular rally in Euro stocks and bonds, the biggest 1-day rise in 17 mo., reversing panic selling the week before. On May 10 Benigno Aquino III is elected pres. of the Philippines (until ?). On May 10 the Obama admin. changes a 76-y.-o. rule on union elections, making it easier for them organize workers at U.S. airlines and railroads. On May 10 insurgent attacks across Iraq kill 84+. On May 10 Fahim Ahmad, ringleader of the Toronto 18 suddenly reverses his plea to gilty in the first terrorism case in Canada to be decided by a jury. On May 10 British man Paul Chambers (1984-) is convicted of sending a menacing message over Twitter for texting that if his flight was delayed by snow he would blow up an airport; that he was joking didn't matter to mean judge Jonathan Bennett. On May 10 Bangladeshi-born Muslim Mohammed Miah (1981-) allegedly kills a swan for food on the Great Ouse River in Bedford, England, breaking an ancient English law that all of Britain's 30K wild swans belong to the monarch, and is charged. On May 11 a U.S. drone strike against the Tehrik-e-Taliban in North Waziristan (linked to Times Square Bomber Faisal Shahzad) kills 14 militants. On May 11 a bug on Twitter.com allows users to force other users to follow them, especially celebs like Oprah, Lady Gaga, Conan O'Brien, Perez Hilton, Justin Bieber, Barack Obama, and Britney Spears. On May 11 First Lady Michelle Obama unveils a 120-page White House Task Force Report on Solving Childhood Obesity, with the goal of returning the childhood obsesity rate to 5% by 2030, same as in the 1970s. On May 12 (8:20 a.m.) Wu Huanming (b. 1962) charges into Shengshui Temple Kindergarten in Hanzhong, C China with a cleaver and hacks seven children and two adults to death, then goes home and kills himself; the 5th school rampage in less than 2 mo. On May 12 a Libyan Afriqiyah Airways (Airbus A330-200) en route from Johannesburg crashes while trying to land at Tripoli airport, killing 103, incl. Dutch passengers; an 8-y.-o. Dutch boy is the only survivor; the aircraft is the same type as Air France Flight 447, which crashed in the Atlantic on June 1, 2009. On May 12 a NATO tanker carrying fuel for troops in Spin Boldak in S Afghanistan is blown up by a planted bomb. On May 12 the govt. of Yemen announces that it refuses to extradite U.S.-born jihadist cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, saying he will be tried in the Arabian Peninsula when captured. On May 12 Pres. Obama and Afghan Pres. Hamid Karzai make a joint appearance at the White House, and Obama says that U.S. military action in Afghanistan and the surrounding region is "in our national security interests" because of recent terrorist plots in the U.S. that have ties to the region, while seeming open to the idea of negotiating and reconciling with elements of the Taliban; on May 13 U.S. secy. of state Hillary Clinton vows that despite Karzai's plan to reintroduce Taliban extremists into society, the U.S. will not abandon the women of Afghanistan to Sharia. On May 12 U.N. officials reveal that up to one-third of the Afghanistan poppy harvest has been destroyed by a mysterious disease, implicating the U.S. and NATO summer offensives. On May 13 renegade Thai Gen. Khattiya Sawatdiphol (Seh Daeng) (b. 1951) is shot in Bangkok during an anti-govt. demonstration; the govt. calls him the main obstacle to a compromise plan to end a 2-mo. sit-in in exchange for a Nov. election. On May 13 Afghan and NATO forces kill 18 militants in Helmand Province in S Afghanistan. On May 13 the Obama admin. announces that the U.S. will join the U.N.-backed Alliance of Civilizations (founded 2005) to ease strains between the West and Islam; the Bush admin. boycotted it for its anti-Israel and anti-West positions, and connections with the Org. of the Islamic Conference (OIC). On May 13 China announces a deal to sell nuclear reactors to Pakistan to compensate for a U.S.-India nuclear deal, despite Pakistan never signing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, leaving the U.S. with the decision whether to come out against it or keep trying to gain Chinese help against Iran's nuclear program. On May 13 U.S. atty.-gen. Eric Holder testifies before the House Judiciary Committee, waffling about an answer as to whether radical Islam was a motivating factor for the recent radical Islamic attacks on U.S. soil, incl. the Xmas Condom Bomber and the Times Square Bomber. On May 13 Emirates Palace in UAE installs a gold-covered vending machine that dispenses gold bars up to 10g each. On May 14 Russia announces deals with Syria to sell them warplanes, anti-tank weapons, and air defense systems; at least their 2nd rate compared to U.S. models which they are prohibited from buying? On May 14 three suicide bombers at a sports field during a soccer game in the Shiite town of Tal Afar, Iraq in N Iraq kills 10+ and wounds 120. On May 14 after leaders Abu Ayyub al-Masri (Abu Hamza al-Muhajir) and Abu Omar al-Baghdadi are killed, an al-Qaida group in Iraq names new war minister al-Nasser Lideen Allah Abu Suleiman, and threatens Shiites with "dark days covered in blood"; meanwhile the Pakistani Taliban repeats their claim of responsibility for the Times Square Bombing, and warns the U.S. that it will soon "burn", while calling for the overthrow of the govt. of Pakistan for following "America's agenda". On May 14 Sarah Palin keynotes the Celebration of Life Breakfast of the Susan B. Anthony List in Washington, D.C., saying that an "emerging feminist coalition" will produce a "better America in this exceptional country" after the Nov. elections, harkening back to the feminism of the Am. West frontier days. On May 14 British MP Stephen Timms is stabbed by British Muslim Roshanara Choudhary (1989-) for supporting the U.S. war in Iraq; she had been watching videos by Am. radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. On May 15 a spokesman for radical anti-U.S. cleric Moqtada al-Sadr announces that he won't stop Iraqi PM Nuri al-Maliki from keeping his job despite his not meeting a demand to release 2K of his followers; meanwhile former PM Iyad Allawi says that if violence continues in Iraq, civil war looms. On May 15 the Sudanese army seizes control of a key Justice and Equality Movement base in Jebel Moun in W Darfur, Sudan after killing 100+ and capturing 61. On May 15 former Mexican pres. candidate Diego Fernandez de Cevallos is reported missing after his car is found near his ranch in Queretaro state along with "signs of violence"; he is freed in Dec. after paying $30M of the $100M ransom demanded. On May 15 Iranian Ayatollah Mohammad Bagher Kharrazi (known for the Mar. 16, 2009 soundbyte "Whenever we develop the bomb then we will establish a relationship with the U.S. - if we shouldn't develop the bomb we shouldn't have a relationship, and if we can have a relationship we should make the bomb too") (also the soundbyte that the Quran was revealed in Arabic so that the Arabs, "the greatest infidels and hypocrites" could be reached "in the poorest of the world's languages", instead of Persian, "the most superior language of the dwellers of Paradise") calls for the creation of a Persian-speaking Greater Iran that he calls the Islamic United States, ruling the Middle East and C Asia from Afghanistan to Israel after destroying the Jewish state of Israel along with the pesky Sunni heretics incl. the Baathists in Iraq and Wahhabis in Saudi Arabia before or after the appearance of the Mahdi. On May 16 Arab-Am. Shiite Muslim Rima Fakih (1986-) of Dearborn, Mich. wins the Miss USA pageant in Las Vegas, becoming the 1st Arab and 2nd Muslim winner (first in 1983); judge Oscar Nunez tries to sink blonde-blue Miss Oklahoma Morgan Elizabeth Woolard with a question about the new Ariz. immigration law, causing the crowd to boo her, and causing many to think it prejudiced him against her and that she would have won otherwise; criticism of the winner as "Miss Hezbollah" are soon shot down when the real one disses her for her immodest dress etc.; Fakih gets into several scandals, incl. pole dancing photos from 2007 - oh how Donald Trump loves that Saudi oil money? On May 16 the Israeli govt. denies entry to leftist Jewish-Am. brain man Noam Chomsky (1928-) at the Allenby Bridge border crossing in the Jordan Valley, then claims it made a mistake - after checking on his background which incl. denial of the 6 million Holocaust figure and support for a 2-state solution? On May 16 Mary Glasspool (1954-) of Baltimore, Md. is ordained in Long Beach, Calif. as the Episcopal Church's 2nd openly gay bishop, following Gene Robinson of N.H. in 2003. On May 16 5'9" Lebanese Shiite Muslim (Miss Mich. USA) Rima Fakih (1985-) wins Miss USA 2010, becoming the first Muslim, first Mich. USA winner since 1993, and the first not from a Southern U.S. state since 2004; after numerous criticisms of her loose take on Islam, in Apr. 2016 she converts to Marionite Christianity for her wealthy Arab music producer fiance Wassim Salibi. On May 16-18 the 4th Internat. Conference on Climate Change in Chicago, Ill. questions the extend of manmade global warming. On May 17 Iran signs a surprise nuclear fuel swap deal with Western nations, brokered by Brazil and Turkey (who secretly want to go nuclear along with them?), the first since 2004, alleviating concerns that they're secretly building nukes, but not really, since the deal involves only 50% of their enriched uranium stockpile, while they continue to run the centrifuges; on May 18 the U.S. submits a draft Iranian sanctions resolution to the U.N. Security Council, targeting the Rev. Guards, causing Iranian foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki to tell the press "There is no chance for a new resolution", adding "A couple of the members of the Security Council have come up with a new recipe in the kitchen. It seems that this new dish they have prepared is not being given to the guests in a timely manner, and the guests have already had their lunch"; on June 21 Brazil announces that it is partially backing out of the Iran deal; meanwhile Congress pushes for unilateral gasoline sanctions. On May 17 a Pamir Airways local plane with 38 passengers and five crew crashes in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan near Kabul, Afghanistan, killing all aboard. On May 17 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 5-4 in Terrance Jamar Graham vs. Fla. that juveniles younger than 18 may not be sentenced to life without parole unless guilty of homicide, expanding on their 2005 decision that they can't be executed, saying that these practices have been "rejected the world over" (except in Sharia countries?); the court cites the 1959 U.N. Child's Rights Treaty, which was never adopted by the U.S. as relevant to its decision on a case, becoming a new low? On May 17 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 7-2 in U.S. v. Comstock that federal officials can indefinitely hold mentally-ill federal inmates labeled "sexually dangerous" even after their prison terms are served. On May 17 Pres. Obama's aunt (Barack Sr.'s half-sister) Zeituni Onyango (1953-), who ended up in rundown public housing in South Boston, applied for asylum in 2002, was rejected in 2004 and ordered to leave the U.S., but stayed illegally, until Obama's election changed things in her favor enormously, while he kept her at arms length and disavowed intervening in her situation, is granted asylum by an immigration judge, with the possibility of citizenship in six years. On May 17 most of the police force of La Union, Guerrero, Mexico quit after armed gunmen ambush and wound two officers. On May 18 a suicide bomber in a Toyota minivan explodes in a Nato convoy in Kabul, Afghanistan, killing 18 incl. five U.S. soldiers and one Canadian soldier, and wounding 47, mostly civilians in rush-hour traffic; on May 18 a brazen pre-dawn attack on Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan N of Kabul kill seven Islamic guerrillas and wounds six foreign troops; the U.S. death toll in Operation Infinite Justice, er, Enduring Freedom tops the 1K mark. On May 18 Pres. Obama visits steel tubular goods manufacturer V&M Star in C Ohio, telling them that without his economic stimulus package the U.S. would be in a "deeper world of hurt", claiming the U.S. economy has begun generating jobs again despite "unified, determined opposition of one party". On May 18 a Pakistani Taliban attack in the NW town of Dera Ismail Khan kills 12, incl. a senior police officer they targeted. On May 18 authorities in Baghdad, Iraq announce that they will enclose the city with a 15-ft. wall to keep suicide bombers out, and are already constructing eight gateways. On May 18 a new U.S. Senate Report on the Christmas Condom Bomber blames nearly every facet of the U.S. intel community for failing to connect the dots and stop him, causing nat. intel dir. Dennis C. Blair to resign on May 20, which House intel committee ranking Repub. Pete Hoekstra of Mich. calls "the result of the Obama admin.'s rampant politicization of national security and outright disregard for congressional intelligence oversight." On May 18 (night) Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York (1960-) is filmed taking a £27K ($40K) downpayment on a £500K bribe from an undercover News of the World reporter to grant access to her trade envoy ex-hubby Prince Andrew. On May 19 the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee releases the proposed U.S. Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act, aimed at regulating Internet sites that sell products or services with recurring charges. On May 19 200+ Pakistani Taliban fighters attack a security post in Orakzai in NW Pakistan, killing 40 militants and two Pakistani soldiers; meanwhile Pres. Obama sends his top nat. security advisers to Pakistan to reiterate the importance of cracking down on terrorists after the Times Square Bomber incident. On May 19 Dutch officials announce that terrorism suspect Abdullah Azam Saleh al-Qahtani, who was arrested in Iraq made comments leading them to believe that Islamic terrorists are planning an attack on Dutch or Danish fans at the World Cup in South Africa. On May 19 after a 6-week occupation of downtown Bangkok, the Royal Thai Army crushes the barricades of Red Shirt protesters, causing them to retreat and set fire to the stock exchange and other bldgs., all causing exiled former PM Thaksin Shinawatra to say that this could lead to guerrilla warfare, which causes a Thai court to order his arrest on terrorism charges on May 25. On May 19 Moroccan-born Muslim Kansas City auto parts dealer Khalid Ouazzani (1978-) pleads guilty to sending al-Qaida $23.5K in 2007-8; meanwhile popular Raleigh, N.C. Muslim leader Mohammed "Moe" El-Gamal, pres. of the Muslim-Am. Public Affairs Council is arrested on trrorism charges for exporting computer equipment to Libya. On May 19 Cyclone Laila hits Andhra Pradesh, India, killing 23 by May 21. On May 19-20 U.S. Pres. Obama and Mexican pres. Felipe Calderon stage a U.S.-Mexico Summit in Washington, D.C. to join in a push for a major overhaul of U.S. immigration rules, with Obama uttering the soundbyte that they have agreed to work toward a U.S.-Mexico border that is "modern, secure and efficient" and stops the flow of "drugs, weapons and cash" (not people?); after saying "In the 21st century, we are defined not by our borders but by our bonds" and calling the Ariz. law "a misdirected expression of frustration over our broken immigration system", and mentioning that his admin. is taking a close look at its civil rights implications, Obama calls for comprehensive immigration reform but admits that he needs Repub. support to pass it; on May 20 a partisan Congress greets Calderon, who calls for more money to control the gun flow over the border and a ban on assault rifles, and calling the Arizona Senate Bill 1070 "a law that not only ignores a reality but also introduces a terrible idea of racial profiling as the basis for law enforcement", becoming a first as a foreign leaders slaps Congress in the face and they clap and cheer; on May 20 7-y.o. 2nd grader Daisy (of Peruvian descent) makes nat. news by telling First Lady Michelle Obama that her hubby is "taking everybody away that doesn't have papers", and that her mother doesn't have any, after which the govt. says it won't deport them, and she asks to visit the White House; on May 25 Pres. Obama announces that he's requesting $500M to send 1.2K Nat. Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border,giving a total of 18K, or about 9/mi. On May 20 the U.S. Senate passes a sweeping U.S. Wall St. Reform Bill by 59-39, requiring it to be reconciled with the House version. On May 20 Iranian pres. Imadinnajacket's chief of staff Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei utters the soundbyte "If the Zionist regime attacks Iran, the Zionists will have no longer than a week to live." On May 20 German foreign minister Guido Westerwell meets with Google co-founder Larry Page over its Street View service and its threat to data privacy; meanwhile Google announces its new Google TV platform to bring "the Web to your TV and your TV to the Web". On May 20 (eve.) two Taliban militants blow themselves up in North Waziristan to kill two men they believe are U.S. spies. On May 21 after mo. of controversy the Texas State Board of Education by 9-5 approves new U.S. history curriculum standards with a conservative Christian emphasis, which will end up being taught in other states because nat. textbook publishers tailor their materials to big purchaser Texas. On May 21 a U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security document is pub. saying that "the number and pace of attempted attacks against the United States over the past nine months have surpassed the number of attempts during any other previous one-year period." On May 21 (eve.) an al-Qaida in Iraq suicide bomber in a pickup truck explodes in a commercial strip in the Shiite town of Khalis, Iraq in Diyala Province N of Baghdad, killing 21+ and wounding 50+ after the roof of a cafe collapses and other catch fire, burning victims. On May 21 Spanish matador Julio Aparicio slips while doing the faena (series of passes with cape and sword prior to the estocada or death blow) on 1.1K-lb. bull Opiparo at the Feria de San Isidor bullfighting event in Las Ventanas, Spain, and the bull sticks his horn through his jaw, tongue and roof of his mouth, leaving him in critical condition. On May 22 (dawn) an Air India Express (Boeing 737) arriving from Dubai overshoots the runway and crashes while trying to land in the rain at a tricky hilltop airport in Mangalore in S India, killing 159 of 166. On May 22 Pres. Obama delivers a commencement address at West Point Academy, pledging to shape a "new international order" based on diplomacy and engagement rather than Pres. Bush's policy of preemptive war. On May 22 (8 p.m.) Taliban fighters launch a ground assault against Kandahar Air Field 300 mi. SW of Kabul in S Afghanistan, wounding several coalition troops and civilian employees, becoming the 2nd attack on a major military installation this week. On May 22 Charles Djou becomes the first Repub. member of Congress from Hawaii in 20 years. On May 23 Sicilian Maria Vittoria Longhitano (1975-) becomes the first Roman Catholic woman to be ordained in Italy, by the breakaway Old Catholic Church, which broke with the RCC in the 19th cent. over papal infallibility, and is in full communion with the Anglicans. On May 24 Pres. Obama orders the U.S. military to coordinate with South Korea to "ensure readiness" for possible aggression by North Korea; on May 25 North Korea severs all ties with South Korea as tensions soar; on May 26 U.S. secy. of state Hillary Clinton leaves Beijing after two days and arrives in Seoul in a show of support. On May 24 Pres. Obama asks Congress for a new version of the line-item veto so he can slice pork projects from spending bills. On May 24 Iran hangs Abdolhamid Rigi, brother of Pakistan-based terrorist group Jundallah's chief Abdolmalek Rigi, who is hanged on June 20. On May 25 Pres. Obama meets with small business owners in the White House, calling himself a "fierce advocate" for them, and calls on Congress to approve incentives for them. On May 25 gunmen rob a row of goldsmiths in Baghdad, Iraq in broad daylight, making off with gold and cash after killing 14. On May 25 Kamla Persad-Bissessar is elected as the first female PM of Trinidad and Tobago (until ?), leading a 5-party coalition. On May 25 Cancun mayor Gregorio Sanchez is arrested by Mexican federal police on drug and organized crime charges while on a leave of absence to run for gov. of Quintana Roo state. On May 26 Iran clashes with Russia over its support of draft U.N. sanctions against it, becoming one of their worst clashes since the Cold War. On May 26 the Red Cross admits to giving first aid kits and basic training to the Taliban. On May 26 after support by Mayor Bloomberg, New York City approves the controversial Ground Zero Mosque despite it being what amounts to a victory flag and come-follow signal for Sharia-loving Islamic jihadists; meanwhile the Greek Orthodox St. Nicholas Church near Ground Zero languishes as city officials refuse to approve reconstruction. On May 26 Pres. Obama's deputy nat. homeland security advisor John O. Brennan gives a speech at the Center for Strategic and Internat. Studies in Washington, D.C., praising his master Pres. Obama to the skies, and attempting to justify Obama's Cairo speech of June 2009, with the soundbytes: "Our enemy is not terrorism, because terrorism is a tactic. Our enemy is not terror because terror is a state of mind, and as Americans we refuse to live in fear. Nor do we describe our enemy as 'jihadists' or 'Islamists' because jihad is a holy struggle, a legitimate tenet of Islam, meaning to purify oneself or one's community, and there is nothing holy or legitimate or Islamic about murdering innocent men, women, and children"; "Moreover, describing our enemy in religious terms would lend credence to the lie - propagated by al-Qaeda and its affiliates to justify terrorism - that the United States is somehow at war against Islam. The reality, of course, is that we never have been and will never be at war with Islam. After all, Islam, like so many faiths, is part of America. Instead, the President's strategy is clear and precise. Our enemy is al-Qaeda and its terrorist affiliates. For it was al-Qaeda who attacked us so viciously on 9/11 and whose desire to attack the United States, our allies, and our partners remains undiminished. And it is its affiliates who have taken up al-Qaeda's call to arms against the United States in other parts of the world." On May 26 the Dow Jones Industrial Avg. closes under 1K for the first time since Feb. 8, falling 69 (0.7%) to 9,974. On May 27 the Obama admin. pub. its first formal Declaration of Nat. Security Goals, which break with the Bush policy and formalize Obama's new folly, er, approach that the U.S. is not at war with Islam, only al-Qaida and affiliates, and incl. the soundbyte "The burdens of a young century cannot fall on American shoulders alone. Indeed, our adversaries would like to see America sap our strength by overextending our power"; for the first time homegrown terrorists will be targeted; the report's main author is deputy nat. security adviser Benjamin J. "Ben Rhodes (1977-). On May 27 Apple passes Microsoft as the world's largest tech co. by market capitalization. Tell me, friend, when did Saruman the Wise abandon reason for madness? On May 27 the misnamed Gaza Freedom Flotilla of six cargo ships (three flying Turkish flags, incl. Mavi Marmara, carrying 400 Turks who are members of the Islamic terrorist Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) (Insani Yardim Vakfi), headed by Fehmi Bülent Yildirim (1966-), carrying 10 tons of humanitarian aid incl. bldg. materials and medical supplies sets sail from Cyprus for the Gaza Strip in a symbolic attempt by 680 Muslim and non-Muslim activists from 50 countries to break the 3-year Israeli blockade by refusing to stop at an Israel port for inspection and trucking of supplies by Israel into Gaza like is done every week with 10K tons of food and other supplies; Pres. Obama's associates Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn are closely associated with the Free Gaza Movement; Turkish activist Erdinc Tekir, who is wounded in the fighting is later found to have participated in an Islamic terrorist attack on a Russian ferry in the Black Sea in 1996; some activists chant Intifada songs; others chant the Islamic battle cry "Khaibar, Khaibar, oh Jews, the army of Muhammad will return", and praise martyrdom before departure; on May 31 (U.S. Memorial Day) (pre-dawn hours of June 1 in Israel) the Israeli military boards the flotilla 75 mi. from the coast, initially carrying only paintball guns, then meeting violent resistance, the Turkish jihadists taking four Israeli marines hostage before other armed commandos storm aboard, killing nine activists and wounding 53 (incl. 37 members of the IHH or other Turkish Islamic orgs.), all on the Mavi Marmara, while getting two Israeli commandos wounded while trying to board, then tows it to Ashdod, later releasing the activists accused of attacking Israeli troops after an internat. outcry; causing Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu to apologize, expressing regret and cancelling a planned trip to the White House, later uttering the soundbyte: "The state of Israel faces an attack of international hypocrisy... it is our right and obligation to prevent arms from reaching Gaza. This was not a Love Boat, it was a Hate Boat"; Obama calls the raid "a tragic situation", adding "You've got a loss of life that was unnecessary", calling for an "effective investigation"; on May 31 10K march in Istanbul, Turkey to denounce Israel, along with other demonstrations in London, Athens, etc.; in London 800 protesters attempt to storm BBC Manchester; a women's rally near the Qalandiya Checkpoint between Rammalah and Jerusalem sees Am. journalist Emily Henochowicz loses an eye after being shot with a tear gas canister by Israeli border guards; Turkey threatens action against Israel, putting it on alert; meanwhile on May 31 the U.N. Security Council holds an emergency meeting to discuss the Israeli raid, while Israeli foreign minister Avigdor Liberman claims that the flotilla organizers wanted blood to be shed, saying "Everything proves that it was a group of terrorists who want to promote terror and cooperate with terror"; Arab-Israeli Knesset member Hanib Zoabi, who is aboard the Mavi Marmara calls the IDF operation "criminal"; meanwhile Hillary Clinton is emailed by anti-Israeli advisor Sidney Blumenthal, who compares the raid on the flotilla to the 1976 Entebbe raid, suggesting ways for the U.S. to respond to the incident, with the soundbyte: "Somebody in authority needs to read Israel the riot act"; on June 2 Israeli forces find 1M Euros on one of the ships, intended for use by Hamas, along with a weapons cache; on June 2 pro-Palestinian activists send another boat, the Irish-flagged Rachel Corrie to challenge the Israeli blockade, while Egypt opens a temporary crossing into Palestinian territory, causing thousands of Gazans to flock to it hoping to escape; on June 2 Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei calls for Israel's PM and defense minister to face trial for the raid; on June 2 two rockets are fired from Gaza Strip by the Islamic Jihad, causing a retaliatory Israeli air strike that kills five; on June 2 after warning Israel not to cause an incident, the Obama admin. sides with the flotilla, and announces that it considers the Israeli blockade of Gaza to be "untenable"; Turkish-born Furkan Dogan (b. 1990) is found among the dead activists, with four bullets in his head and one in his chest, all at close range, causing the Israelis to backpeddle; on June 5 after Irish Nobel Peace Prize winner Mairead McGuire says that the activsts are prepared to be arrested, the IDF intercept the Rachel Corrie 35 mi. W of Gaza and escort it to Ashdod without incident; this time the U.S. warns the flotilla not to cause an incident; on June 5 Arab foreign ministers meet in Cairo go discuss the flotillas, and decide to "break the Israeli siege imposed on Gaza", "in any legitimate way", incl. "resistance" (violence); on June 6 Iranian supreme assashollah Ali Khamenei offers the Iranian Rev. Guards to escort future cargo ships to break the blockade; on June 7 the Israeli Navy kills six Palestinian divers, claiming they are terrorists; meanwhle on June 7 Global Muslim Brotherhood leader Youssef Qaradawi warns Israel of Allah's impending warath for having "killed God's prophets"; on June 9 48 trucks with the cargo of the Freedom Flotilla is still waiting at Kerem Shalom crossing after Hamas refuses to accept it, and on June 17 the U.N. agrees to oversee the transfer; on June 11 Turkish pres. Abdullah Gul says that Israel must apologize and compensate the Turkish victims or it might sever diplomatic relations; on June 14 Israel assembles a investigative commission, which on July 12 finds no wrongdoing; on June 15 the Internat. Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) calls Israel's Gaza Strip blockade "collective punishment" and a violation of the Geneva Conventions; on June 17 Syrian pres. Bashar al-Assad says that the Israeli attack on the flotilla has increased the chances of war in the Middle East, and that the current Israeli admin. is a "pyromaniac" govt; on June 19 the Israeli cabinet bows to pressure and eases restrictions on Gaza Strip, reserving the right to inspect for military items; on June 20 Israel gives preliminary plans for razing Palestinian homes in E Jerusalem as a prelude to building Israeli homes, pissing-off the Obama admin. again; on Jan. 23, 2011 the Turkel Commission (Public Commission to Examine the Maritime Incident of 31 May 2010) finds that the blockade "was lawful and complied with the rules of international law, in view of the security circumstances and Israel's efforts to fulfill its humanitarian obligations." On May 27 the U.S. House by 234-194 (incl. 5 Repubs.) votes to let the Defense Dept. repeal their 1993 "don't ask don't tell" policy. On May 27 Pres. Obama signs the U.S. Daniel Pearl Act of 2009, an amendment to the 1961 Foreign Assistance Act requiring the U.S. State Dept. to expand its scrutiny of news media restrictions and intimidation as part of its annual human rights review in each country. On May 27 Pres. Obama hosts the first-ever White House (East Room) reception to mark Jewish Heritage Month; after being outed a videocam by Rabbi David Nesenoff, Lebanese-descent Arab-Am. veteran White House reporter Helen Thomas (1920-2013) (AKA the Sitting Buddha, who covered every U.S. pres. since JFK and has her own reserved seat in the White House press room) stinks herself up with remarks that the Jews should "get the hell out of Palestine" and return to Europe, causing the Repubs. to try to get her fired from Hearst Newspapers; on June 5 she apologizes, which doesn't stop her agency Nine Speaker Inc. from dumping her; on June 7 after the White blasts her remarks as "offensive and reprehensible" she announces her retirement; on Dec. 2 she retracts her apology, and adds that "Congress, the White House, and Hollywood, Wall Street are owned by the Zionists", causing Abraham Foxman, dir. of the Anti-Defamation League to call her a "vulgar anit-Semite", and call on all journalism schools and prof. orgs. to rescind all honors they granted her, causing her alma mater Wayne State U. to pull its Helen Thomas Spirit of Diversity Award; in Feb. 2011 she utters the soundbyte that after WWII the Jews "didn't have to go anywhere, really, because they weren't being persecuted anymore, but they were taking other people's land." On May 28 two minority Ahmadiyya Muslim sect mosques in Lahore, Pakistan are hit by Muslim suicide bombers, killing 80 and wounding 110+. On May 28 10K-20K from around the U.S. march in Phoenix, Ariz. for and against the Ariz. immigration law. On May 28 Zakir Naik gives a public speech in Maldives renouncing Islam; too bad, after being arrested and threatened with death he claims to revert to Islam. On May 28 Hawaii becomes the first U.S. state to ban possession or sale of shark fins. On May 29 a grand council (jirga) of Afghans meets in Kabul, where the Afghan govt. offers Taliban leaders exile overseas if they agree to stop fighting, along with "de-radicalization" classes and thousands of new jobs for militants who renounce violence. On May 29 (4:00 p.m.) after snubbing Arlington Cemetery Memorial Day ceremonies for his hometown of Chicago, Pres. Obama visits the home of friend Marty Nesbitt for a backyard cookout, but since his house is across the street from Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, there is a confrontation between the Secret Service and Farrakhan's guard called the Fruit of Islam. On May 29-June 1 Tropical Storm Agatha in Central Am. kills 204 in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, and causes $1.1B dmage; Guatemala evacuates 112K and puts 29K into temp shelters; a giant sinkhole opens up in Guatemala City after a landslide. On May 30 Israel announces that it is deploying three German-built subs in the Persian Gulf near the Iranian coastline to intercept missiles. On May 30 Turkish PM Recept Tayyip Erodgan cancels the Argentina leg of his Latin Am. tour after officials in Buenos Aires call off an event inaugurating a monument to Turkish secular hero Kemal Ataturk, blaming it on Armenian pressure over the 1915 genocide thang. On May 30 U.S. Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal says that Afghan insurgents are being trained and equipped inside Iran. On May 31 Pres. Obama's 2010 Memorial Day Address is rained out; vice-pres. Biden delivers his address at Arlington Nat. Cemetery in sunny weather. On May 31 World No Tobacco Day is sponsored by the Am. Lung Assoc. and WHO. On May 31 German pres. Horst Kohler announces his surprise resignation after suggesting that the country's mission in Afghanistan is partly motivated by commercial concerns. On May 31 the Mexican govt. removes the skulls and bones of a dozen historical figures incl. Father Miguel Hidalgo from the Angel of Independence monument in Mexico City as part of Mexico's bicentennial celebration. On May 31 the Internat. Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) pub. a report claiming that Iran has enough nuclear fuel to turn into two nuclear bombs after more refining. On May 31 #3 al-Qaida leader Mustafa Abu al-Yazid (Osama bin Laden's brother-in-law) (an Egyptian) is reported to have been killed in Pakistan by a U.S. missile strike. On May 31 a judge in Mexico charges former "Survivor" producer Bruce Beresford-Redman with the murder of his wife during a vacation in Cancun. On May 31 Pope Benedict XVI appoints a high profile team of bishops incl. the archbishop of New York to investigate sexual abuse in Irish dioceses and seminaries. On May 31 Afghan Red Cross worker Sayed Mossa is arrested for converting from Islam to Christianity; the Red Cross stinks themselves up by cutting him loose? On May 31 the cable TV Cooking Channel, owned by Scripps Networks Interactive debuts, based in Knoxville, Tenn. In May Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei announces that he wants Iran to double its pop. to 150M, therefore families should have more then two children. In May 6'5" 280 lb. Israeli-born Arab Elias Abuelazam (Abullazam) (1976-) begins a murder spree on small-framed mostly black men in and around Flint, Gennesee County, Mich., followed by 16 more that kill four ending with 49-y.-o. Arnold Minor on Aug. 2 until his arrest on Aug. 11 while trying to board a plane in Atlanta for Tel Aviv, becoming known as "the Flint Serial Slasher/Stabber", getting convicted of Minor murder and receiving a life sentence without parole, after which prosecutors refuse to press any more charges. In May Ireland establishes the Laureate na nOg (Laureate na nÓg) position for best children's writer or illustrator; the first award goes to Niamh Sharkey. On June 1 the U.S. debt reaches $13T. On June 1 three gunmen attack a hospital in Lahore, Pakistan, killing eight then taking several hostages. On June 1 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 5-4 in Berghuis v. Thompkins that criminal suspects must explicitly invoke their right to remain silent to force police to stop questioning; new justice Sonia Sotomayor dissents, with the soundbyte: "Today's decision turns Miranda upside down. Criminal suspects must now unambiguously invoke their right to remain silent - which, counterintuitively, requires them to speak." On June 1 Al Gore announces that he will separate from his wife of 40 years Tipper Gore. On June 1 a WWII bomb explodes in Goettingen, Germany while being defused, killing three. On June 1 Shamma al Qassim (1991-) becomes the first Emirati woman to become a NASA intern, followed on Sept. 1 by Reem Ketait (1987-). On June 1-Dec. 29 the 2010 West African (Nigerian) Floods leave 110K homeless in Niger after the Niger River reaches its highest level in 80 years and spreads into Ghana, Burkina Faso, Togo, and Benin. On June 2 Ala. U.S. Dem. Rep. (since 2003) Artur Genestre Davis (1967-) loses his bid to become the first African-Am. Ala. gov., losing a primary to agriculture commissioner Ron Sparks by 62-38 after alienating black voters by opposing Obama's health care reform package. On June 2 Joran van der Sloot (1989-), prime suspect in the June 2, 2005 disappearance in Aruba of Ala. teenie Natalee Holloway is named as the main suspect in the May 30 slaying of 21-y.-o. Stephany Flores in a hotel in Lima, Peru; on June 7 he confesses to killing Flores after he caught her looking up info. on his Aruba case on his laptop. On June 2 English taxi driver Derrick Bird (b. 1958) shoots 12 random victims at point blank range during a 3.5-hour spree in Cumbria, then kills himself. On June 2 ex-Beatle Sir Paul McCartney (1942-) receives the Gershwin Prize from the Library of Congress, singing "Michelle" to First Lady Michelle Obama, and dissing the intelligence of ex-pres. George W. Bush, with the soundbyte "It's great to have a president who knows what a library is", drawing jeers from Repubs. On June 2 weather forecasters predict that the 2010 Atlantic Hurricane Season will be more active than in 2009, with 10 hurricanes, five of them major, and a 76% change that a major hurricane will hit the U.S. coastline, bringing in all that oil. On June 3 Japanese PM Yukio Hatoyama resigns over his broken campaign promise to move a U.S. Marine base off the southern island of Okinawa; his resignation was due to pressure by Pres. Obama; on June 8 Naoto Kan (1946-) becomes Japanese PM #61 (until Sept. 2, 2011). On June 3 ministers from the U.S. and the EU promise to protect the rights of all religions, esp., er, incl. Islam in the fight against internat. terrorism - dooming the fight from the start? On June 3 Pres. Obama meets for a half hour with Ariz. gov. Jan Brewer over their controversial immigration law, and ease tensions. On June 3 U.S. Sen. Jim Webb cancels a visit to Burma after reports by a high-level defector that the Burmese military junta is mining uranium and working with North Korea to develop nukes. On June 3 Roman Catholic bishop (the pope's apostolic vicar in Anatolia) Luigi Padovese is stabbed to death in S Turkey in his house then beheaded a day before he is scheduled to leave for Cyprus to meet with the pope by Allah Akbar-shouting Islamic nutcase Murat Altun, who claims to have killed him for being homosexual and/or a "command from Allah"; the govt. tries to coverup by claiming he has psychological problems and that it wasn't about Islam. On June 3 Ohio residents Hor I. Akl (1973-) and Amera A. Akl (1973-) (dual citizens of the U.S. and Lebanon) are arrested on charges of conspiracy to provide money to Hezbollah. On June 3 Japan deploys the 200 sq. m (2.1K sq. ft.) solar sail Ikaros as part of an experiment to test its potential for space propulsion. On June 3 New Zealand bans the kosher slaughter of animals, pissing-off the Jewish community. On June 4 the U.S. govt. announces that 431K new jobs were created in May, dropping the unemployment rate to 9.7%; too bad, all but 20K of the jobs were temporary Census jobs. On June 4 African Union peacekeepers and Somalian govt. forces launch attacks against Islamic insurgent strongholds in N Mogadishu, Somalia, killing 17+ and wounding 61+ civilians. On June 4 Pres. Obama postpones a planned trip to Australia and Indonesia to concentrate on the Gulf oil spill. On June 4 U.S. atty. Eric Holder marks the first anniv. of Pres. Obama's Cairo Speech by vowing to prosecute horrible Islamic, er, hate crimes aimed at Muslims, Arabs, and Sikhs in the U.S. On June 4 U.S. defense secy. Robert M. Gates has a combative exchange with a Chinese gen. over arms sales to Taiwan, which caused China to cancel its military-exchange program with the U.S. earlier in the year, saying that the U.S. is turning China into an enemy. On June 5 after meeting with Orthodox archbishop Chrysostomos II the day before, Pope Benedict XVI meets with N Cyprus Muslim Sufi leader Sheik Mehmet Nazim Adil (1922-) outside the Vatican embassy in Cyprus to discuss the Turkish occupation since 1974, becoming the first pope to visit Cyprus, and uttering the soundbyte that the plight of Christians in the Middle East should be "a source of concern to all of Christ's followers"; meanwhile on June 6 the Vatican pub. The Catholic Church in the Middle East: Communion and Witness, which criticizes Israel, Egypt, Islam, and even Christian fundamentalists for using the Bible to justify Israeli occupation of Palestine. On June 5 Muslim "New Jersey Jihadists" Mohamed Mahmood Alessa (1990-) and Carlos Eduardo "Omar" Almonte (1986-) are arrested at JFK Internat. Airport in New York City en route to Somalia to "wage violent jihad" and commit violent acts in the U.S. by the U.S. anti-terrorism Operation Arabian Knight. On June 5 a riot in Srinagar, Kashmar begins after somebody is spotted with an undergarment allegedly containing a blasphemous image of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. On June 6 a car bomb explodes outside a police station in Al-Amil, Iraq near Baghdad, killing six. On June 6 JCS chmn. Adm. Mike Mullen says that al-Qaida in Iraq has been "devastated" by its string of recent setbacks. On June 6 Pamela Geller's and Robert Spencer's new org. Stop Islamization of America stages a 10K-person protest against the proposed Ground Zero Cordoba Mosque (AKA Park51 because it's going to be the first "green mosque" in the U.S.) which the Islam history ignoramus PC media ignores, pans, and/or smears, falsely claiming that Joseph Nassrallah, a Coptic Christian and SIOA supporter was beaten up by the crowd after being mistaken for a Muslim in order to paint the whole group as racist and Islamophobic. On June 16 blogger Khaled Saeed (Said) (1982-) is arrested and beaten to death in Alexandria, Egypt by two policemen who believe he has videotape evidence of their involvement in drug dealing; after lying that he died from swallowing a marijuana joint, they are sentenced to four days in prison, causing a protest, and on Mar. 3, 2014 they are sentenced to 10 years in jail each; on Jan. 27, 2010 after founding a Facebook page "We Are All Khaled Saeed", Google exec ("the Google Gandhi") Wael Ghonim is arrested, then after an outcry released on Feb. 7. On June 7 (2 a.m.) a 3.6 earthquake hits coastal waters W of downtown Los Angeles, Calif. On June 7 Afghan Pres. Hamid Karzai removes two top security officials, the interior minister and intel chief for failing to stop an attack on a major peace conference. On June 7 the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Siyassa reports the Osama bin Laden and six of his lts. have been hiding out for the past five years in the mountains of Sabzevar in Khorasan Province in NE Iran, guarded by Iranian troops. On June 7 10 NATO soldiers are killed in Afghanistan, becoming their deadliest day in months, incl. five U.S. soldiers killed in an IED blast in E Afghanistan; meanwhle the war in Afghanistan official becomes the longest war in U.S. history, 104 mo. On June 7 Yukiya Amano, head of the Internat. Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) singles out Iran as a "special case" for monitoring teams because of suspicions that it's secretly building nukes. On June 7 a former maj. in its army claims that Myanmar (Burma) is attempting to build a nuclear weapon; analysts claim their program is primitive and poorly planned. On June 7 the first lesbian couple weds in Portugal, Teresa Pires and Helena Paixao, 30-something divorcees, becoming the first gay marrieds there. On June 7 the Pew Research Center pub. a Study on Interracial Marriages, finding that one in seven U.S. marriages are interracial or interethnic, incl. 26% of Hispanics, 16% of blacks, and 9% of whites. On June 7 a Gallup Poll shows that 6.2M Mexicans say that they want to come to the U.S. permanently. On June 8 (Super Tues.) primary elections in the U.S. give a V to three candidates endorsed by Sarah Palin: Nikki Haley in S.C., Sharron Angle in Nev., and Carly Fiorina in Calif. On June 8 Iran opens its first women-only bank branch in Mashhad. On June 8 Egypt begins allowing Muslim Brotherhood MPs into Gaza as part of an indefinite opening of the Rafah crossing. On June 9 after Turkey and Brazil try an end-run that is rejected, the U.N. Security Council votes 12-2-1 (Brazil, Turkey, Lebanon abstaining) for Resolution 1929, imposing a 4th round of sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program; Iranian pres. Madman Inadinnajacket ridicules the new sanctions, calling them a "used tissue", and on June 11 saying that Israel is "doomed"; on July 7 opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi criticizes Imadinnajacket, saying "To say that this resolution is like a used hankie won't erase the hardships arising from demagogic policies, as it is clear to me that this resolution will affect our nation's security and economy"; the new sanctions incl. the power to inspect Iranian cargo, making war with Iran inevitable? On June 9 Pres. Obama announces a $400M aid package for Gaza, and tells Palestinian pres. Mahmoud Abbas in the Oval Office "The current situation in Gaza is unsustainable", this despite Abbas having supported the blockade since he's anti-Hamas; on June 10 Abbas tells the Brookings Inst. that the prospects for a peaceful 2-state solution "I fear is beginning to erode". On June 9 Cairo-based Saudi prince Turki bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud warns his country's royal family to flee before a military coup or uprising overthrows them a la the shah of Iran. On June 9 a suicide bomber at a wedding ceremony in Nagaan in Afghanistan's Kandahar Province kills 39 and wounds 73. On June 9 France bans Al-Aqsa TV. On June 10 Sen. Dems. by 53-47 defeat a Repub.-led effort to strip the EPA of authority to regulate greenhouse gases; sponsor Lisa Murkowski of Alaska issues the soundbyte "We need to be growing our economy, not paralyzing it". On June 10 Am. Muslim Gregory Houston Holt, who was once imprisoned for threatening pres. George W. Bush's daughters is sentenced to life in prison for cutting his girlfriend's threat; he wrote letters describing himself as the "American Taliban" and calling for death to America. On June 10 U.S. gen. Stanley A. McChrystal says that the planned Kandahar offensive in Taliban land in Afghanistan will take months longer than planned; meanwhile new British PM David Cameron visits Kabul, reaffirming British support for the effort. On June 10 the U.S. govt. announces the arrest of 2.2K in 19 states as part of Project Deliverance targeting violent Mexican drug cartels. On June 10 a bipartisan group in the U.S. House offers a resolution calling for the govt. of Iran to cease oppression of its people and political dissidents, with Calif. Repub. rep. Dana Rohrbacher uttering the soundbyte "Any enemy of the mullah is a friend of ours." On June 10-14 the Shah Wali Kot Offensive in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan is conducted by U.S., Afghan, and Australian forces. On June 11 16-y.-o. Abby Sutherland (1994-), who attempted a solo around-the-world voyage in a 40-ft. boat is rescued in the Indian Ocean after becoming stranded. On June 11 Pope Bendedict XVI begs forgiveness from God and victims for child sexual abuse by priests, and vows that the Church will do everything in its power to ensure that it never happens again - cancel the orders for the minidresses? On June 11 a suicide car bomb in Jalawla, Iraq 70 mi. NE of Baghdad hits a joint U.S.-Iraqi patrol, killing two U.S. and three Iraqi soldiers. On June 11-15 riots in Osh, Kyrgyzstan kill 223 (official story) or 2K and injure 1.8K; on June 14 400K minority Uzbeks fleeing mobs in Kyrgyzstan mass at the border; by June 15 31 Americans and 40 Europeans are evacuated to Bishkek. On June 12 Iran marks the 1st anniv. of Imadinnajacket's reelection with a heavy police presence to scare potential protesters, who scrapped plans to protest on June 10; 900+ are arrested in Tehran. On June 12 Pres. Obama urges Congress to approve $50B in emergency aid to state and local govts. to prevent "massive layoffs of teachers, police, and firefighters". On June 12 the London Times reports that Saudi Arabia is preparing to stand down its air defenses to allow Israeli jets to make a bombing raid on its enemy Iran's nuclear facilities. On June 12 Mexico has a record 85 deaths related to organize crime, the highest since pres. Felipe Calderon took office in Dec. 2006; on June 12-16 an explosion of Mexican drug violence kills hundreds, causing pres. Felipe Calderon to issue a 5K-word manifesto saying that the fight against organized crime must continue "or we will always live in fear"; on June 14 drug cartel hitmen in the Mexican state of Michoacan (home state of pres. Felipe Calderon) kill 12 police officers in a prison gun battle, along with 38+ inmates. On June 13 attackers in military uniforms storm the Central Bank of Iraq, causing a standoff that kills 15 and wounds 50. On June 13 a blast at a rally in Uhuru Park in Nairobi, Kenya kills three and injures 75. On June 13 Arab League chief Amr Moussa visits the Gaza Strip, becoming the first senior Arab official to do so since Hamas took over in 2007. On June 13 the U.S. announces the finding of vast mineral riches in Afghanistan, incl. iron, copper, cobalt, gold, and lithium, worth $1T-$3T, turning the country into the new El Dorado. On June 13 52-y.-o. Colo. Christian construction worker Gary Brooks Faulkner (1958-) is arrested in N Pakistan en route to Afghanistan carrying a pistol and 40-in. sword plus Bible materials, telling investigators that he is on a solo mission to kill Osama bin Laden; he is released on June 24 and arrives in Denver around midnight, being hailed as the Rocky Mt. Rambo - they should have helped him? On June 13 Rubicon debuts on AMC-TV for 13 episodes (until Oct. 17), about the Am. Policy Inst. in New York City and its war with a secret OWG society; the Aug. 1 2-hour debut draws 2M viewers; too bad, it soon tanks and is cancelled. On June 14 the U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear the case of Maher Arar, a Canadian citizen who claims that U.S. officials deported him to Syria in 2002 knowing that he would be tortured. On June 14 the EU Foreign Affairs Council calls on Israel to open crossings into Gaza immediately to transfer humanitarian aid, but allows them the right to inspect for weapons. On June 14 a video showing N.C. Dem. congressman Bob Etheridge repeatedly asking "Who are you?" then assaulting a college student with a Webcam asking him "Do you support Obama's policies?" outside a fundraiser headlined by Speaker Nancy Pelosi surfaces, causing him to apologize, while the pro-Obama PC press buries the story. On June 14 the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously rules that immigrants convicted of minor drug offense shouldn't face automatic deportation. On June 14 Barcelona, Spain announces a ban on Islamic face veils, becoming the first large city in Spain to do it. On June 14 Fox News reveals that the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has been accepting bids for mgt. of the proposed 1,776-ft. One World Trade Center Freedom Tower by the Arab-owned Related Companies. On June 14 U.S. ambassador Luis C. deBaca says that African-Am. citizens have been enslaved in agricultural work in Fla. during the last six years. On June 14 Hamas ambushes a police van and kills Israeli policeman Yehoshua "Shuki" Sofer (b. 1971) and injures two more; Sofer was scheduled to be married on Sept. 20; in July the Israeli army announces the arrest of the Hamas cell on June 22, incl. some who had been arrested before but were not deported to Lebanon because of an internat. outcry. On June 15 U.S. gen. (prostate cancer survivor) David Petraeus collapses at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, blaming dehydration and a skipped breakfast; he calls the conflict a "roller coaster", and warns that the Afghan campaign could be heading toward a crisis". On June 15 the U.S. claims success after 56 countries on the U.N. Human Rights Council (less than a third) support a statement critical of Iran's human rights record. On June 15 Elton John shocks his gay fans by singing at the wedding of conservative anti-gay pundit Rush Limbaugh, for $1M. On June 16 two successive earthquakes (one 7.0) hit E Indonesia off the N coast of Papua province, killing two. On June 16 the U.S. House of Reps. by 233-169 passes the Puerto Rico Dem. Act, then by a 198-194 vote defeats an amendment requiring English as the sole official language as a condition for Puerto Rican statehood. On June 16 flash floods in the French Riviera kill over a dozen. On June 16 Iranian pres. Imadinnajacket gives a Speech on the Jews in Shahre-Kord (near Isfahan), calling Jews "the filthiest and greatest of criminals, who only appear to be human", then adding "I hereby announce that from this point forward, one of the Iranian nation's main aspirations will be to deliver the American people from its undemocratic and bullying government." On June 16 despite his big speech on the oil spill the night before, a Rasmussen Poll finds Pres. Obama's approval rating dipping to an all-time low of 42%, with 44% strongly disapproving and 24% strongly approving, giving him a pres. approval index of -20; a Gallup Poll for June 7-13 gives him an all-time low 46% approval rating, with 46% disapproving, esp. those 65 and older, the married, and churchgoers; the middle class seems to be abandoning him, with a majority approval rating only from those making less than $24K a year. On June 17 plans to sell a Roman Catholic convent Staten Island, N.Y. for use as a mosque are scrapped after community opposition. On June 17 a nationwide alert is issued for 17 Afghan pilots who went AWOL from Lackland Air Force Base in Tex.; seven turn themselves in; on July 7 the number is increased to 46; they are being used for a false flag op by the U.S. in order to start another war? On June 17 a mine blast in Amaga, Colombia kills 16 miners and traps dozens. On June 17 the EU adopts new sanctions against Iran, causing it to threaten retaliation. On June 18 convicted murderer Ronnie Lee Gardner is executed by firing squad in Utah, becoming the first execution by that method in the U.S. in 14 years; the firing squad option was eliminated by Utah in 2004, but he was sentenced to death before that and chose it over lethal injection. On June 18 5-y.-o. Viktor Shmyakin (2005) is slaughtered by a knife-wielding Muslim fanatic shouting "Allahu Akbar" in Dneprovka, Ukraine on the Crimea. On June 18 Orlando, Fla. becomes the first city to name a road after Pres. Obama; it is paid for by an Obama stimulus. On June 18 four Christian evangelists are arrested for proselytizing Muslims at the Arab Internat. Festival in Dearborn, Mich., bringing cries of Sharia creeping into the U.S.; on Sept. 24 after the Muslim-friendly DA of Dearbornistan prosecutes, their trial results in acquittal. On June 19 Swedish Crown Princess Victoria weds commoner gym trainer Daniel Westling in a fancy $2.6M wedding attended by Europe's royalty, becoming the biggest royal wedding since the 1981 marriage of Prince Charles and Diana. On June 19 Turkish warplanes attack Kurdish rebels in N Iraq, killing 12. On June 19 al-Qaida gunmen shoot their way into intel HQ in Yemen, killing 11 and freeing several members. On June 19 Egypt announces that a naval flotilla of 11 U.S. and one Israeli warships passed thrugh the Suez Canal, while an Iranian flotilla approaches Gaza; on June 24 Iran sends a letter to the U.N. saying that the presence of Iranian and Lebanese ships in the Gaza area would be considered a declaration of war on Israel, and is backing down. On June 20 (11 a.m.) twin car bombs explode outside the state-run Trade Bank of Iraq in Baghdad, killing 27 and wounding 55. On June 20 two bombs in push carts explode in Lashkar Gah in Helmand Province, killing two and wounding 14 in the first blast, and injuring five in the 2nd blast, incl. an Afghan soldier. On June 20 former minister of trade, finance, and defense Juan Manuel Santos Calderon (Calderón) (1951-) is elected pres. #50 (#32) of Colombia with 69%, vowing to continue the fight against the FARC leftist guerrilla group; he is sworn-in on Aug. 7 (until ?), going on to successfully negotiate a peace treaty and win the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize anyway. On June 20 the British govt. announces the foiling of a Taliban plot to kill Afghan schoolchildren on their first day of school by planting bombs in the school. On June 20 Hamas official Mahmoud Zahar announces that Palestinians should begin firing rockets at Israel from the West Bank, not just Gaza. On June 20 ex-Mossad chief (1989-96) Shabtai Shavit tells a conference in Tel Aviv that Israel should launch a preemptive strike against Iran now to prevent it from getting nukes. On June 20 German development minister Dirk Niebel is denied entrance to Gaza Strip by Israel, who claims the visit is a publicity ploy by Hamas, causing an internat. flap. On June 21 voters in Fremont, Neb. pass a law prohibiting businesses and landlords from hiring or renting to illegal immigrants. On June 21 a train crash in Congo-Brazzaville kills 76. On June 21 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 6-3 in Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project to uphold the Oct. 26, 2001 Bush era USA Patriot Act barring Americans from providing "material support" to foreign terrorist groups, incl. the help given to the Kurdistan Workers' Party in Turkey and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka by the Humanitarian Law Project, rejecting free speech and free association arguments; dissenter Stephen Breyer reads his dissent aloud in the courtroom: "Not even the serious and deadly problem of international terrorism can require automatic forfeiture of First Amendment rights"; the court ruling outlaws peaceful efforts, worrying ex-pres. Jimmy Carter that his Carter Center may be prosecuted for monitoring fair elections in Lebanon et al. A rolling stone finally gathers some moss? On June 22 U.S. gen. Stanley A. McChrystal is called to Washington to try to save his job after remarks dissing Obama and Biden to Rolling Stone mag. are publicized, incl. an aide calling vice-pres. Joe Biden "Joe Bite Me", tendering his resignation in advance of his June 23 meeting with Obama, who says that he "exercised poor judgment", while White House press secy. Robert Gibbs says that he made "an enormous mistake", adding "I think the magnitude and graveness of the mistake here are profound" but wants to talk to him before making a decision, "to see what in the world he was thinking", adding that Obama is questioning whether he is capable and mature enough for his job; on June 23 after the meeting with him Obama announces that McChrystal has resigned and is being replaced as CIC of Afghanistan by his boss David Betrayus, er, Petraeus, with the soundbyte "The conduct represented in the recently published article does not meet the standard that should be set by a commanding general. It undermines the civilian control of the military that is at the core of our democratic system, and it erodes the trust that's necessary for our team to work together to achieve our objectives in Afghanistan"; Petraeus takes command on July 4, while McChrystal retires with 4 stars; Obama fires McChrystal despite Afghan leaders lobbying for him, saying that it could disrupt progress in the war and jeopardize the offensive against the Taliban in S Afghanistan; the article The Runaway General by Michael Hastings is officially pub. on June 25, but online articles are made available on June 22; on June 24 Obama disavows the July 2011 Afghan drawdown date, with the soundbyte "We didn't say we'd be switching off the lights, we said we'd begin a transition phase that would allow the Afghan government to take more and more responsibility" (before the Taliban takes it over along with all them billions of infrastructure?); the Taliban in Afghanistan says that the dismissal is aimed at hiding U.S. failure in Afghanistan, and that Petraeus is "no smarter"; on July 2 Robert Gates quietly changes the rules to require Pentagon approval before journalists can interview sensitive military or civilian officials, and on July 8 nominates USMC gen. James N. Mattis as Petraeus' replacement; meanwhile publisher Mort Zuckerman says that Obama is being increasingly viewed as incompetent by the rest of the world when it comes to foreign policy, especially with his ingenue view that the U.S. is not at war with the Muslim World, and the 25 Euro countries that have a combined 30K troops in Afghanistan see the firing as an indicating that Obama is losing the war and it's time to pull their troops out - never has a leftist antiwar rag got the chance to influence the war machine like this? On June 22 a bomb attack on a bus in Istanbul, Turkey kills four, one day after the Turkish military stepped up operations against Kurdish PKK rebels. On June 22 a female suicide bomber hiding the bomb beneath her burqa kills two U.S. soldiers in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, becoming Afghanistan's first female suicide bomber. On June 22 the U.S. Congress finalizes an Iran sanctions bill, and on June 24 votes 99-0 in the Senate and 408-8 in the House to approve them, with Dem. Mass. Sen. John Kerry uttering the soundbyte "A nuclear-armed Iran would pose an intolerable threat to our ally Israel, risk igniting an arms race in what is already one of the world's most dangerous regions, and undermine our global effort to halt the spread of nuclear weapons." On June 22 Sarah Palin-endorsed Nikki Haley (daughter of Indian immigrants) becomes the first Repub. woman nominated to run for gov. in S.C.; African-Am. Tim Scott defeats Paul Thurmond, son of late Sen. Strom Thurmond. On June 22 U.S. secy. of state Hillary Clinton attends a Gay Pride Month celebration, and encourages U.S. State Dept. employees to let their teenie kids know that it's okay to be gay. On June 22 a Pew Research Center Poll finds that 40% of Americans believe that Jesus Christ will return by 2050, while 71% believe that cancer will be bured, 66% think that artificial limbs will work better than real ones, and 81% believe that computers will be able to converse with humans; 58% believe that WWII will happen by then, and 53% think there will be a nuclear terrorist attack on U.S. soil; only 64% are optimistic about life, vs. 81% in 1999. On June 23 Iran announces that it will send a ship carrying pro-Palestinian activists to break the Gaza blockade; Iran claims that the Israeli Air Force unloaded military equipment at a Saudi Arabian base, while a large U.S. forced is massed in Azerbaijan on the NW Iranian border. On June 23 the senate of Spain votes 131-129 to ban the burqa despite opposition by PM Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. On June 23 U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick says that a senior Mexican military officer told her that Hezbollah is teaching Mexican drug cartels how to make car bombs. On June 23 a federal judge sides with Google in the $1 Viacom Video Copyright Infringement Suit. On June 23 documents are released linking the govt. of Pakistan's Punjab province to $1M in donations to Jamaat ud Dawa, an Islamic charity on the U.N. terrorist list that is affiliated with the 2008 Mumbai attack. On June 23 a 5.0 earthquake strikes the Ontario-Quebec border of Canada. On June 24 Welsh-born atheist Julia Eileen Gillard (1961-) of the Labor Party becomes the PM #27 (first female) of Australia (until ?). On June 24 a new report by the U.S. Govt. Accountability Office (GAO) says that federal agencies are still failing to "connect the dots" on security threats to the U.S. On June 24 Pres. Obama meets with Russian pres. Dmitry Medveded in Washington, taking him to his favorite hamburger joint, Ray's Hell Burger for cheddar cheeseburgers with jalapeno peppers, mushrooms, and Coke, sharing french fries with him; Obama issues a 10-page factsheet claiming to have "reset" the relationship with Russia, and endorsing Russian membership in the World Trade Org. (WTO). On June 24 at the annual meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) in New Zealand, China announces that it will provide Pakistan with more nuclear reactors, with the U.S. not opposing it because it wants China to help it impose harsher sanctions on Iran; this will give Pakistan reactors Chasma I through IV. On June 24 a high-speed train passing through a station hits a group of partiers in Castelldefels, Spain, killing 12 and injuring 14. On June 24 U.S. deputy White House nat. security adviser John O. Brennan says that dozens of Americans have joined terrorist groups and are posing a threat to the U.S. and its interests abroad. On June 24 a senior U.S. official is quotes as saying that a high level U.S. envoy will arrive in an Arab country this week to hold meetings with the leaders of Hamas and deliver a message from the Obama admin., which asks Hamas not to comment on it. On June 24 police raid a Roman Catholic Church HQ in Mechelen, Belgium during a child abuse investigation; on June 27 Pope Benedict XVI calls the raid "deplorable". On June 25 U.S. Congressional leaders agree on the most sweeping reform of financial regulations since the Great Depression of the 1930s, causing Pres. Obama to praise them for strengthening his hand at the upcoming G20 meeting; on June 30 the House passes them by 237-192; Obama signs it on July 21, calling it "the strongest consumer financial protections in history". On June 25 the first U.S. predator drone makes its first flights over the U.S.-Mexico border in W Tex. on an intel-gathering mission. On June 25 Hurricane Alex forms in the Caribbean, dumpingdumps heavy rain in Central Am. and Yucatan Peninsula, killing four, then moves into the Gulf of Mexico, attaining hurricane status on June 30 as it approaches NE Mexico, becoming the first hurricane of the season and first June hurricane in the Atlantic basin since Allison in 1995. On June 25-26 (night) the Israeli military bombs a weapons smuggling tunnel on the Gaza-Egypt border, killing two Palestinians. On June 25-27 the 36th G8 Summit in Huntsville, Ont., Canada; meanwhile on June 26-27 the 4th G20 Summit is held in Toronto, Ont., Canada; over 400 protesters are arrested; despite opposition by Pres. Obama, the G-20 nations reach a compromise and agree to cut budget deficits in half by 2013, with each country setting its own pace; Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi says that world leaders "believe absolutely" that Israel may take military action against Iran to prevent it from getting nukes, and urges Iran to "respect rule of law" and "hold a transparent dialog" over its nuclear program. On June 26 an armed mob attacks a political rally in Chiapas, Mexico, killing three and wounding six. On June 26 Venezuelan pres. Hugo Chavez calls Israel (which he turned against after the 2009 Gaza Strip offensive) "genocidal", and predicts that one day it will be "put in its place", adding "It has become the assassin arm of the United States... it is a threat to all of us" and that "the territory will one day return to Syrian hands" - how much money did that cost the Arabs? On June 27 a bomb blast in Bugojno, Bosnia (47 mi. SW of Sarajevo) kills a policeman and injures five others. On June 27 CIA dir. Leon Panetta says that the last time the CIA had good intel on the location of Osama bin Laden was in "the early 2000s", and that there are less than 100 al-Qaida still in Afghanistan after they moved to the tribal areas of Pakistan; he also admits that sanctions won't dissuade Iran from trying to get nukes. On June 27 Czech Repub. pres. Vaclav Klaus appoints center-right leader Petr Necas as PM, making the govt. pro-U.S. and focused on fiscal austerity. On June 27 after Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat approves the demotion of 22 illegally-built Arab homes, 150 stone-throwing Palestinian protesters in East Jerusalem in the Silwan neighborhood wound six border police officers, who respond with tear gas. On June 27 the Raelians declare World Swastika Rehabiliation Day, seeking to end Nazi ties and promote the ancient Indian symbol as good. On June 28 Pres. Obama signs a memorandum to nearly double the amount of federal and commercial spectrum available for smartphones and wireless Internet devices. On June 28 the U.S. Supreme Court by 5-4 in McDonald vs. Chicago strikes down the 28-y.-o. handgun ban in Chicago, Ill., extending rights to own guns to every state and city in the U.S., declaring that the right to self-defense with them as espoused in "District of Columbia v. Heller" (2008) is fundamental, becoming a giant V for pro-gun forces; Obama's appointee Sonia Sotomayor sides with the minority, as does retiring justice John Paul Stevens; the plaintiffs are represented by Israel-born DC v. Heller atty. Alan Gura. On June 28 the U.S. Supreme Court rules 5-4 in Christian Legal Society v. Martinez that a public law school (U. of Calif. Hastings) did not violate the First Amendment by withdrawing recognition from a Christian student group that discriminated against gay/lez students; dissenter Samuel A. Alito Jr. calls it "a serious setback for freedom of expression in this country." On June 28 after Pres. Obama urges the Chinese to take a stronger stance on the Mar. 26 warship sinking, North Korea accuses the U.S. of bringing weapons into the Panmunjom truce village in the DMZ, and threatens a "new" nuclear deterrent. On June 28 a group of 25 armed masked men attack and set fire to a U.N.-sponsored summer camp in Gaza. On June 28 the FBI announces the arrest of 10 alleged Russian spies in the 10-year Operation Ghost Stories, eight of them on deep-cover assignments in the Acela Corridor (Boston-New York City-Washington, D.C.), incl. redheaded femme fatale Anna Chapman (1982-); on June 29 Bill Clinton gives a speech in Moscow at the Kremlin-front Investment Bank for $500K for 1 hour to set up the uranium deal selling 20% of U.S. uranium to Russian control; after all 10 spies plead guilty on July 8, and Hillary Clinton makes a quick dirty deal with Vladimir Putin, they are deported to Russia, which promises to release four U.S. prisoners in exchange. On June 28 Rodolfo Torre of the PRI, the front-running candidate for gov. of the Mexican border state of Tamaulipas is assassinated by drug cartels; on June 26 anti-drug-war Mexican musician Sergio Vega is shot dead in Sinaloa hours after denying reports of his death; Torre's older brother Egidio Torre Cantu (1957-) is chosen to run in his place, and is elected on July 4. On June 28 French PM Francois Fillon urges French Muslims to reject full face veils, with the soundbyte: "The Islam of France, the Islam you practice daily, has nothing to do with this caricature that dims the lights of your faith. You should stand in the front line against this hijacking of the religious message... It's up to you to make intelligence triumph over obscurantism and tolerance over intolerance." On June 28 Hillary Clinton releases a video praising her "friend and mentor" Robert C. Byrd, a former KKK member, which is later trotted out by her enemies. On June 29 Pres. Obama meets in the White House with Saudi King Abdullah. On June 29 a U.S. Senate panel unanimously approves Gen. David H. Petraeus as new Afghan war cmdr., vowing to continue Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal's strategy of trying to avoid civilian deaths; the full Senate confirms him 99-0 on June 30. On June 29 (Tue.) a Conference Board report that consumer confidence fell more than expected in June causes the Dow Jones to fall 268 points despite a press briefing by Pres. Obama and Federal Reserve chmn. Ben Bernanke in which Obama claimed that the economy is strengthening but much remains to be done to put Americans back to work. On June 29 a series of bombings and shootings in Iraq kill 13, incl. an Iraqi army gen., four policemen in Beiji, Iraq 155 mi. N of Baghdad, and a 9-y.-o. girl. On June 29 protests on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan over a reported U.S. attack on a madrassa that disrespected its sanctity by bringing in dogs and detaining people result in clashes with police that injure 20, incl. 15 police; Afghan authorities claim that only Afghan police were involved in the madrassa operation - what's your flavor? On June 29 a U.S. drones kills 6+ in Karikot village in Pakistan's NW tribal belt. On June 29 Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan sends a letter to Jewish leaders asking them to repair the damage they have caused blacks for cents., with the soundbyte "We could charge you with being the most deceitful so-called friend, while your history with us shows you have been our worst enemy." On June 29 Pres. Obama holds his 2nd meeting with Saudi King Abdullah in the Oval Office, assuring him that he intends to close the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, where almost 20 Saudis remain; Saudi Arab has refused to accept Yemeni prisoners for its militant rehab program; they also discuss "efforts to prevent violent extremism", avoiding the term "radical Islam". On June 29 Maoist rebels in Chattisgarh, India kill 26 Indian security personnel in an ambush. On June 29 N.C. Repub. rep. Sue Myrick warns that Hezbollah terrorists might be hooking up with Mexican drug cartels to stage "Israel-like bombings" against customs officials or Nat. Guard units on the U.S.-Mexico border. On June 30 the U.S. Nat. Debt reaches a record 90.5% of GDP (vs. 74.1 under Bush on Dec. 31, 2008). On June 30 a 6.2 earthquake near Pinotepa Nacional (80 mi. SW of Oaxaca) in S Mexico shakes bldgs. as far away as Mexico City but does no serious damage. On June 30 Jalalabad Airfield, one of the biggest NATO bases in Afghanistan is attacked by the Taliban. On June 30 British defense secy. Liam Fox warns the U.S. and NATO against "premature" withdrawal from Afghanistan, saying "To leave before the job is finished would leave us less safe and less secure." On June 30 the French daily Le Figaro reports that Saudi King Abdallah told French defense minister Herve Morin: "There are two countries in the world that do not deserve to exist: Iran and Israel", which the Saudis deny; on July 3 the online daily Elaph reports that King Abdallah has postponed a scheduled July 11 visit to Paris to meet with pres. Nicolas Sarkozy to plan a Saudi exhibition at the Louvre, which had been planned during a 2006 Saudi visit by former French pres. Jacques Chirac. On June 30 Paul Ceglia of Westbrook, N.Y. files suit, caliming he owns 84% of Facebook under a 2003 work for hire contract with Mark Zuckerberg when he was a college freshman; he claims to have waited so long because he only dug up the paperwork while being investigated for fraud for his wood pellet startup. In June the 2010 E European/Russian Heatwave begins, hitting Russia especially hard, with daytime temps of 38.2C and devastating fires covering 1M hectares that cause crop failures of 25% ($15B). In June the Dancing Boys Scandal sees employees of U.S.-based DynCorp hired to train Afghan policemen exposed for paying young dancing boys to entertain them in N Afghanistan. In June the Stuxnet cyberworm is detected, becoming the first known cyber superweapon designed to destroy a real-world target incl. factory or nuclear power plant, causing speculation that it is aimed at Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant; top German computer expert Ralf Langer claims that it set Iran's nuclear program back two years, making it nearly as effective as a military strike. By the end of June 422 are killed and 1.1K+ are wounded in the N province Nineveh, Iraq, 3x the death doll in the Sunni Anbar Province. On July 1 Pres. Obama gives a Speech on Comprehensive Immigration Reform, calling for a "clear national standard" and "accountability", with the soundbyte "The system is broken and everybody knows it", adding "Unfortunately, reform has been held hostage to political posturing and special interest wrangling, to the pervasive sentiment in Washington that tackling such a thorny and emotional issue is inherently bad politics"; also "Our task now is to make our national laws actually work, to shape the system that reflects our values as a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants. That means being honest about the problem and getting past the false debates that divide the country rather than bring it together"; also "Americans are skeptical of amnesty but they're also skeptical of rounding up and deporting all these people" because that "would tear at the fabric of this nation because immigrants who are here illegally are already woven into that fabric"; Repubs. respond by demanding that Obama visit the U.S.-Mexico border to see for himself how bad it is and why it must be sealed - no mention of TLW's Megamerge Dissolution Solution? On July 1 Pres. Obama signs tough new U.S. sanctions on Iran, saying "With these sanctions, along with others, we are striking at the heart of the Iranian government's ability to fund and develop its nuclear programs"; "We are showing the Iranian government that its actions have consequences, and if it persists, the pressure will continue to mount, and its isolation will continue to deepen"; "There should be no doubt, the United States and the international community are determined to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons"; too bad, China and Turkey soon take up the slack with fuel supplies to Iran. On July 1 al-Qaida in Yemen begins promoting its first online propaganda newspaper called Inspire to recruit new Xmas Condom and Ft. Hood Massacre jihadists. On July 1 Finland becomes the first country to make broadband Internet a legal right for every citizen. On July 1 a triple suicide attack on the Sufi Data Darbar Shrine in Lahore, Pakistan kills 35 and injures 175 of thousands visiting to see the remains of Sufi saint Abul Hassan Ali Hajvery. On July 1 Saudi mother Heila al-Qusayyer, known as "the First Lady of al-Qaeda" is arrested for running a cell of 60 Saudi militants incl. young women. On July 1 a Pew Research Center survey reveals that the U.S. recession that began 30 mo. earlier has caused 55% of all adults in the workforce to become unemployed, take a pay cut, have their work hours reduced, or reduced to involuntary part-time workers. On July 1 the town of Teaneck, N.J. makes history by appointing Muslim Mohammed Hameeduddin for mayor, and Orthodox Jew Adam Gussen as his deputy. On July 2 the number of combat-related U.S. casualties in Afghanistan during the Obama admin. (452) passes the total during the Bush admin. (448). On July 2 (3:30 a.m.) six suicide bombers storm a U.S. Agency for Internat. Aid (USAID) in Kunduz, Afghanistan, killing four and wounding several. On July 2 a massive gun battle near Nogales, Mexico near the U.S.-Mexico border kills 21 and wounds six. On July 2 Pres. Obama announces that $795M of the economic stimulus will go toward expanding broadband Internet access across the U.S. On July 2 the U.N. creates U.N. Women, a billion dollar agency for radical feminism devoted to gender equality. On July 2 Rush Limbaugh says that Pres. Obama destroyed the economy on purpose as a "payback" for 230 years of white supremacy racism, and because he doesn't like America - do you want heartburn pain now or later? On July 3 Communist atheist Roza Isakovna Otunbayeva (1950-) becomes pres. of Kyrgyzstan (until ?), becoming the first female head of state in C Asia. On July 3 a fuel tanker flips and explodes in Sange, E Congo, killing 220+ and wounding 100+ villagers after they rush to siphon the vehicle illegally. On July 3 U.S. secy. of state Hillary Clinton utters the soundbyte that intolerant govts. across the world are "slowly crushing" activist and advocacy groups, singling out Cuba, Iran, Venezuela, Russia, China, Egypt, Ethopia, Zimbabwe, and Congo. On July 3 Saudi King Abdullah orders a halt to exploration for new oil fields, saying he wants to preserve the wealth for future generations. On July 3 the Presbyterian Church USA holds its annual meeting in Minneapolis, Minn., promoting the Kairos Palestine Document dissing Israel and cheering on the Palestinians. On July 3-4 U.S. vice-pres. Joe Biden visits Iraq to try talking them into picking a new PM; too bad, his visit is marred by nearby explosions, along with suicide bombers in Mosul and Ramadi who kill four and injure 25. On July 4 elections in Mexico are held amid fears of drug cartel violence, causing low voter turnout; pres. Felipe's Calderon holds on to governorships despite hopes by the PRI. On July 4 Christian teacher T.J. Joseph is kidnapped by the Muslim Popular Front of India in Muvattupuzha, Kerala, India, and his right hand amputated and his left hand nearly amputated for alleged blasphemy in questions on a test, after which his college fires him; the police side with the Muslims and arrest Joseph, then after pressure they reluctantly investigate the Muslims and make arrests; Joseph is acquitted on Nov. 15, 2013, and offered his job back. On July 4 the annual July Fourth Hot Dog-Eating Contest in New York sees prior champ Takeru Kobayashi jump up on the stage and get arrested Gestapo-style by the pigs, who charge him with a trainload of nothing while the sheeplike public doesn't get alarmed? On July 4 Taliban militants behead school headmaster Sakandar Shah Mohammadi, head of Berooni School in Qara Bagh district, Ghazni Province in S Afghanistan, and torch two schools - stop the symptoms of thought before they stop you? On July 4 after escaping a juvenile detention center for the 4th time in early 2008, 6'5 Wash.-born "Catch Me if You Can" wannabe Colton A. "Colt" Harris-More (1991-), known as the Barefoot Bandit for his modus operandi while stealing small aircraft, boats and cars and doing burglaries in the Pacific NW steals an airplane in Ind. and flees to the Bahamas, thumbing his nose at the authories by racking up 50K fans on three Facebook accounts, along with a tribute song on YouTube and more accounts on Twitter; too bad, they arrest him on July 11 in Harbor Town, Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas after a high-speed boat chase. On July 4 26-y.-o. Elnaz Babazadeh (b. 1984) is raped and murdered by Basij forces in Tabriz, Iran for not following the Sharia dress code - she asked for it? On July 5 Iran complains that Britain, Germany, and UAE are refusing to fuel its passenger planes as per the sanctions they said would be nothing. On July 5 Israeli defense minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian PM Salam Fayyad hold their first high-level talks in the King David Hotel in Jerusalem; meanwhile Israel rejects a demand by Turkey to apologize over the Gaza Freedom Flotilla under threat of cutting ties. On July 5 Lady Gaga reaches a record 10M friends on Facebook, incl. 14K new ones a day. On July 5 a Report on Terrorist De-Radicalization by the Nat. Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) at the U. of Md. et al. shows that prison-based programs show promise if well-run. On July 5 NASA chief (2009-) (first African-American) Charles Frank "Charlie" Bolden Jr. (1946-) utters the soundbyte to the Al-Jazeera network that Obama told him to reach out to the Muslim World and engage much more with dominantly Muslim nations to help them feel good about their "historic contribution to science and engineering", which after a brouhaha White House press secy. Robert Gibbs denies, even though he said the same thing on Feb. 16, but only mentioned Indonesia. On July 6 (Tue.) during a 3-digit heat wave in the E U.S., Queen Elizabeth II of Britain makes her first address to the U.N. Gen. Assembly since 1957, when "Leave It to Beaver" was debuting, telling them "In my lifetime, the United Nations has moved from being a high-minded aspiration to being a real force for common good"; she also visits Ground Zero for the first time; on July 5 a fire at a transformer station in Toronto, Canada causes blackouts affecting 250K and disrupts a royal dinner. On July 6 after the U.S. State Dept. vetoes former Pres. Bill Clinton's request to meet with him, Pres. Obama meets with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu in the White House, and they pledge to work toward a new round of Mideast peace talks, with Obama uttering the sondundbyte: "Those are goals that have obviously escaped our grasp for decades now", adding "It's going to be difficult, it's going to be hard", affirming the "special relationship" between the U.S. and Israel; Netanyahu says that reports of a growing rift are "flat wrong"; in their first meeting, Obama left Netanyahu with his aides for hours in the West Wing to snub him over the East Jerusalem issue; right-wing Israelis incl. Druze deputy minister Ayoub Kara say that they still consider Obama "evil"; meanwhile Israel announces the first prosecutions of soldiers for killing civilians during the Dec. 2008-Jan. 2009 Gaza war, although it dismisses dozens of other cases. On July 7 Pres. Obama takes advantage of Congress being in a 2-week recess to appoint "Dr. Death Panel" Donald M. Berwick (1946-), a supporter of British socialized medicine, single-payer system, and death panels as admin. of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid; Congress had been considering his appointment and giving him questionnaires to fill out when they were sandbagged. On July 7 UAE ambassador to the U.S. Yousef al-Otaiba states that he endorses a military attacks on Iran's nuclear sites as preferable to the long-term risks, calling it a "cost-benefit analysis". On July 7 NATO troops mistakenly kill five Afghan army allies in an airstrike against insurgents in E Afghanistan incl. three U.S. soldiers. On July 7 a Sunni suicide bomber at a police checkpoint in a crowd of Shiite pilgrims to the gold-dome shrine of Kadhimiya in Bagdhad, Iraq kills 28+ and wounds 81; on July 7 another bomb targeting Shiite pilgrims in Baghdad kill seven, and a returning pilgram is shot dead outside Kirkuk. On July 7 the Turkish supreme court strikes down parts of a proposed govt. package aimed at restructuring the Turkish constitution to make it more like Western European democracies, clearing the way for a referendum in Sept. backed by the anti-Islamist Repub. People's Party, which claims that the changes are phony and an attempt to give the increasingly Islamist state more control over military and legal appointments. On July 7 Pres. Obama gives an interview to Israeli TV, and utters the soundbyte that Israel is suspicious of him because his middle name is Hussein; he finally reveals the truth about his reaching-out to the Muslims, saying that it is designed to reduce hostility toward Israel and the West, adding "The United States under my administration has provided more security assistance to Israel than any administration in history. And we've got greater security cooperation between our two countries than at any time in our history. And the single most important threat to Israel, Iran and its potential possession of a nuclear weapon has been my number one foreign policy priority over the course of the last 18 months"; he also mentions that his middle name Hussein "creates suspicion" among Israelis, countering that Rahm Emanuel's middle name is Israel, and adding "My closeness to the Jewish American community was probably what propelled me to the U.S. Senate." On July 7 Bangladeshi publisher Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury, pub. of the anti-Islamist newspaper Weekly Blitz is hauled into court for the 150th time for being pro-American and pro-Israel. On July 8 Norway and Germany arrest three suspected al-Qaida members suspected of plotting to clone terrorist attacks in N.Y. and England. On July 8 Malaysia appoints the first two women Sharia judges; too bad, they are barred from hearing criminal cases. On July 8 Pres. Obama finally explains why he has been reaching out to Muslims, namely, to reduce hostility toward Israel and the West, saying that the fact that Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is perceived as a hawk "can be helpful in the sense tha any successful peace will have to incl. the hawks and the doves, on both sides, and in the same way that Richard Nixon here in the United States was able to go to China because he had very strong anti-Communist credentials", adding "The United States under my administration has provided more security assistance to Israel than any administration in history. And we've got greater security cooperation between our two countries than at any time in our history. And the single most important threat to Israel, Iran, and its potential possession of a nuclear weapon has been my number one foreign policy priority over the course of the last 18 months." On July 8 white former Oakland, Calif. transit police officer Johannes Mehserle (1982-) is found guilty of involuntary manslaughter of handicapped suspect Oscar Grant (b. 1988) on Jan. 1, 2009 despite a videotape showing him pulling out his gun and shooting him in the back on the ground, causing neighborhood outrage and protests which turn violent, causing 50 arrests. On July 8 a federal judge in Mass. strikes down as unconstitutional the 1996 U.S. Defense of Marriage Act that blocks the federal govt. from recognizing same-sex marriage. On July 9 (7:05 a.m. PT) the U.S. military scrambles two F-16 jets after Obama's air space is violated during his visit to Las Vegas, Nev. On July 9 two suicide bombers explode outside a govt. office in Khar, Pakistan, killing 62 and wounding 111. On July 9, 2010 Obama meets with Palestinian Nat. Authority pres. (2005-) Mahmoud Abbas (1935-), expressing strong support for his "leadership on behalf of the Palestinian people and his commitment to peace", days after Abbas told the Arab League Summit "If you want war, and if all of you will fight Israel, we are in favor. But the Palestinians will not fight alone because they don't have the ability to do it." On July 9 four men are arrested at a gas station in Pretoria, South Africa while trying to sell a nuclear device for $9M. On July 9 Iranian woman Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashtiani is temporarily spared death by stoning for alleged adultery via an announcement by the Iranian embassy in London, but the option of executing her remains on the table in the horrible Islamic Repub. of Iran as Iranian human rights judge Mohammad Javad Larijani, says that Iran's Sharia judicial system and the "sacred sentences of Islam" won't change under "Western attacks" and "media pressure"; on July 30 she is sentenced to hanging, and Brazilian pres. Lula offers her asylum; on Aug. 8 her Iranian atty. Mohammad Mostafaei seeks asylum in Norway; on Aug. 30 a state-run newspaper in Iran calls French First Lady Carla Bruni a prostitute for speaking out and signing a petition for Sakineh's release, and also calls for her death; on Sept. 5 the Vatican calls stoning "brutal" and raises the possibility of secret diplomacy; meanwhile on Sept. 5 she is sentenced to 90 lashes for posing in a photo without a headscarf - send in James Bond 007? On July 9 a bomb in a box of chocolates left at the home of a Tex. oil exec in Houston, Tex. explodes, injuring no one - the start of a new trend? On July 10 the Obama admin. opens up 1.8M acres of the Alaskan Nat. Petroleum Reserve, an important area for bird migration, pissing-off environmentalists. On July 10 Pres. Obama makes it easier for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to receive federal benefits. On July 10 ear-chewing Am. boxer (Muslim convert) Mike Tyson visits Mecca, posting a photo of himself in front of the Kaaba on the Internet. On July 10 five U.S. troops and a dozen civilians are killed in battles in E and S Afghanistan. On July 10-11 a surprise raid by Colombian forces on the camp of FARC leader Guillermo Seanze kills twelve bodyguards and their top female cmdr. Magaly Grannobles. On July 11 a total solar eclipse is visible in an 11km arc over the Pacific. On July 11 Pres. Obama reaches 537 days in office without issuing a pardon or commuting a sentence, passing John Adams; on Nov. 24 he will reach Clinton's record of 672 days; the avg. is 133 days. On July 11 Bangladesh jails 11 policeman on suspicion of carrying out an extrajudicial killing two years ago, becoming a first. On July 11 Al-Shabaab sets off two bombs among fans watching the World Cup final in Kampala, Uganda, killing 64. On July 11 a taped conversion is aired between often-drunk Hollywood star Mel Gibson (1956-) and his babe Oksana Grigorieva, admitting to hitting her while carrying her 8-mo.-o. daughter Lucia, making threats, and uttering the N-word, all of which causes the PC police to call for his career to end pronto; later L.A. detectives investigate allegations of extortion by Grigorieva. On July 11 Alan Simpson (Repub.) and Erskine Bowles (Dem.), head of Obama's nat. debt commission tell the Nat. Governors Assoc. that the federal debt next year is expected to exceed $14T ($47K per capita), and "is like a cancer", requiring new measures incl. curtailing of popular tax breaks like the home mortgage deduction and instituting a financial trigger mechanism for gaining Medicare coverage. On July 12 Russian pres. Dmitry Medvedev says that "Iran is nearing the possession of the potential which in principle could be used for the creation of a nuclear weapon"; on June 11 Iranian atomic chief Ali Akbar Salehi announces that Iran has produced 20kg of 20% enriched uranium. On July 12 the 1.3K-member Shinnecock Nation wins a 32-y.-o. lawsuit giving them ownership of 750 acres of land in the rizty Hamptons of Long Island, N.Y., allowing them to set up a reservation. On July 12 Israel's Labor Party threatens to leave Benjamin Netanyahu's govt. coalition if he doesn't make serious progress toward a final-status agreement with the Palestinians on a 2-state solution in the upcoming months. On July 12 the Internat. Criminal Court issues a 2nd arrest warrant for Sudanese pres. Omar Bashir, charging him with three counts of genocide in Darfur. On July 12 Ustad Ahmad Farooq, al-Qaida official in charge of the Da'wah and Media Dept. for Pakistan releases an interview claiming that their war in Afghanistan and Pakistan is a bona fide jihad per Islamic Sharia law, with the soundbyte: "The battle which is being fought here in Pakistan... cannot be described as khurooj [rebellion against an Islamic state] - it is jihad. The way we are confronting America in Afghanistan and any army that is siding with America, whether it be the Afghan National Army or different tribal chieftains, is the same way we are confronting America in Pakistan and the Pakistani Army that is aiding America. That is jihad, and this too is jihad. It is a duty incumbent upon every individual." On July 12 London, England religious studies teacher Gary Smith is brutally beaten with an iron rod and brick by four Muslims for "mocking Islam". On July 12 the police procedural crime drama series Rizzoli & Isles, based on the novels by Tess Gerritsen debuts on TNT for ? episodes (until ?), starring Angela Michelle "Angie" Harmon (1972-) as Boston, Mass. police detective Jane Rizzoli, and Sasha Alexander (Suzana S. Drobnjakovic Ponti) (1973-) as medical examiner Maura Isles. On July 13 (eve of Bastille Day) France's lower house of parliament by 335-1 finally approves a ban on face veils (niqabs) in public, subject to a 150 euro fine, with men who force a woman to wear them subject to a 30K euro fine and a year in jail; the law never mentions any religion; the senate will vote on it in Sept.; leading Saudi cleric Sheikh Aed al-Qarni condemns France for their face veil ban, but approves of Muslim women going without them if they're illegal because "We must not confront people in their own country or other countries, or bring hardship on ourselves". On July 13 news surfaces from Iraqi civilians that Iranian trucks filled with missiles have recently passed through Iraq en route to Syria. On July 13 the NAACP passes a resolution condemning the Tea Party for not expelling "racists from the ranks", causing Sarah Palin to respond that it doesn't allow them in the first place. On July 13 U.S. Army Gen. Ray Odierno warns reporters that Iranian-supported militants might try to attack U.S. soldiers as they try to leave Iraq this summer. On July 13-14 Taliban attacks in S Afghanistan kill 8+ members of the U.S.-led NATO forces, incl. three who are killed in a night assault on a police post in Kandahar. On July 14 the U.S. hands over Tariq Aziz and 28 other officials of Saddam Hussein's regime to the Iraq govt. On July 14 90 mph Typhoon Conson hits the Philippines, killing 26, with 38 missing. On July 14 (9:30 a.m.) a fire at the Clairton Cook Works of U.S. Steel in Allegeny Cpunty, Penn. injures 15. On July 14 a quarterly report shows that Pres. Obama's Recovery Act created between 2.5M-3.6M jobs, more than expected, even though the U.S. is lagging far behind other major economies in restoring lost jobs; Obama meets with Warren Buffett to discuss the economy. On July 15 Sunni Baluchi Jundullah insurgents stage a double suicide bombing in a Shiite mosque in Zahedan in SE Iran to avenge the execution of their leader, killing 27, incl. members of the Rev. Guard, and wounding 169; Iranian cleric Hujjat al-Islam Kazem Sadiqi charges the U.S. with putting them up to it. On July 15 (8 p.m.) a Ford Focus owned by the La Linea drug gang rams two federal police vehicles in Juarez, Mexico, then explodes, killing two police officers and a paramedic, becoming the first car bomb attack by Mexican drug trafficers; 4K have been killed in Ciudad Juarez since Jan. 1, 2009; the explosive used was Tovex. used in mining. On July 15 Venezuela charges Luis Enrique Acosta Oxford (1969-) and Carmen Cecilia Nares Castro (1975-) with "disseminating false rumors" to "destabilize the banking system" via Twitter. On July 15 a Jordanian Gaza Aid Convoy of 25 trucks and 150 activists leaves Amman; on July 18 it is turned back by Egypt at the port of Nuweibeh; unlike when Israel turns back a convoy, there is no internat. outcry; meanwhile Olympia Food Co-op in Wash. becomes the first U.S. store to boycott Israeli goods. On July 15 Muslim-Am. Yahya Wehelie (1984-) is allowed to fly back to Va. from Yemen on a waiver, but remains on the no-fly list. On July 15 Pres. Bush's top political adviser Karl Rove says that his biggest mistake was not fighting back against the Dems. who accused Bush of lying to support the Iraqi invasion. On July 16 Pres. Obama's approval rating for handling the Afghanistan War hits a record low of 43%, down from 52% in Dec.; former Carter nat. security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski tells MSNBC's Morning Joe: "I think we're now going through a phase in which there is a sense of pervasive malaise which affects different groups in society in different ways... There's no grand mobilizing idea. And I have a sense that Obama, who started so well, and who really captivated people - he captivated me - has not been able to generate yet some sort of organizing idea for an age which combines a malaise that's pervasive and percolating." On July 16 a fire in the 5-story Soma Hotel in Sulaimaniyah in N Iraq kills 29, nearly half foreigners. On July 16 U.S. federal authorities arrest dozens in the largest Medicare Fraud Bust in history, with a total of $251M allegedly scammed. On July 16 the Federal Election Commission finances the 2008 pres. campaign of Joe Biden $219K for violations. On July 16 Russia and Iran sign a "roadmap" to future economic cooperation in oil, gas, and petrochemicals. On July 16 a Jerusalem Post poll reveals that only 10% of Jewish Israelis believe that the Obama admin. is more pro-Israel than pro-Palestinian. On July 17 the U.S. Treasury Dept. places Las Cruces, N.M.-born Anwar al-Awlaki (1971-2011) on its global terrorist list, prohibiting Americans from doing business with him et al.; on July 20 a message from him appears on Islamic Web sites, warning that Pres. Obama will get U.S. forces stuck in Yemen the same as Pres. Bush in Afghanistan. On July 17 Muslims in Grenoble, France riot after armed Muslim casino robber Karim Boudouda (b. 1983) is killed by police while fleeing and shooting at them; the rioters also shoot at police - great idea Muslim immigration, eh? On July 17 Muslim jihadists murder seven Christians in Maza village near Kos, Nigeria. On July 17 a gay pride parade by 8K in Warsaw, Poland is the first held in a former Communist bloc country; it is met with jeers from some in the crowd. On July 17 a luxurious new shopping mall operated by Hamas opens in Gaza, selling mainly cheap Chinese goods, and a supermarket filled with Israeli goods. On July 17-23Tropical Storm Caloy (Typhoon Chanthu) causes floods and landslides killing 700+ in S China. On July 18 a predawn attack on partygoers by drug dealers in Torreon, Mexico kills 17 and injures 10; they are later revealed to be prisoners in Gomez Palacio the guards let out and armed for the mission; on July 26 prison guard Ofelia Veronica Lares Rodriguez (1965-) is stabbed to death by inmates during a demonstration; on July 28 four journalists covering the prison protests are reported missing. On July 18 militants armed with assault rifles ambush a civilian convoy in Char Khel village in the tribal region of Kurran in NW Pakistan, killing 16. On July 18 yet another suicide bombing in Radwaniya, Iraq SW of Baghdad kills 48+, most of them members of the formerly (until 2006) pro-al-Qaida Sunni Awakening militia who are waiting in line for their paychecks. On July 18 a suicide bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan kills three civilians three days before the 60-nation Kabul Conference on July 21, where Hamid Karzai calls for all foreign troops to pull out by 2014. On July 18 the 6.7 2010 Alaska Earthquake is centered 27 mi. W of Nikolski in the Aleutian Islands; no tsunami results. On July 18 after U.S. special envoy George Mitchell brokers it, a Cairo Summit is held by Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian Authority pres. Mahmoud Abbas, and Egyptian pres. Hosni Mubarak; too bad, Netanyahu and Abbas won't meet together, and see Mubarak separately. On July 18 to maintain its secular lifestyle Syria bans the face veil (niqab) in public univs. On July 18 Sarah Palin coins a new word and asks Muslims to "refudiate" the proposed Ground Zero Mosque in New York City on Twitter.com, tweeting "Doesn't it stab you in the heart, as it does ours throughout the heartland? Peaceful Muslims, pls refudiate"; she later re-tweets "Peaceful New Yorkers, pls refute the Ground Zero mosque plan if you believe catastrophic pain caused". On July 19 (2 a.m.) the Uttarbanga Express and Vanachal Express collide in Kolkata, India, killing 49 and injuring 150+. On July 19 Hina Rabbani Khar (1977-) becomes the first female and the youngest person to head the Pakistani ministry of foreign affairs (until ?). On July 19 Pres. Obama tasks Repub. lawmakers for blocking a $34B extended unemployment benefits package for millions of Americans because of insistence of commensurate spending cuts, after which on July 20 after Carte Patrick Goodwin (1974-) is sworn-in as the replacement for Robert Byrd, the filibuster is broken and it passes the Senate 59-39 on July 21. On July 19 Hillary Clinton announces $500M in new development projects for Pakistan to help it fight the Taliban and al-Qaida - or to finance them? On July 19 longtime dictator (since 1980) Desire (Desiré) "Desi" (Dési) Delano Bouterse (1945-) is elected pres. of Suriname; he is sworn-in on Aug. 3 (until ?). On July 19 Christian brothers Rashid Emmanuel (b. 1978) (a pastor) and Sajid Emmanuel (b. 1986), charged with capital blasphemy for writing a pamphlet containing statements against Muhammad are shot dead outside court after being acquitted, causing clashes in their Christian community and police refinforcments to be called in. On July 19 Germany launches the HATIF (Arabic for phone) Program for Islamic extremist radicals who want to quit; there are 36K+ in Germany out of a Muslim pop. of 3.8M-4.3M (4.6%-5.2% of the pop.). On July 19 Israel's outgoing U.N. ambassador Gabriela Shalev tells the press that the #1 threat to Israel is not Iran but efforts by EU courts and U.N. committees to delegitimize the Jewish state, which she calls "the most isolated, lonely country in the world". On July 19 a video clip of African-Am. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture official (first black head of the Ga. office) Shirley Sherrod on the Web site of Andrew J. Breitbart (1969-) (former associate of Arianna Huffington) talking about wittholding help to a white farmer in Douglas, Ga. on Mar. 27 causes her to resign; it incl. the soundbyte: "I was trying to decide just how much help I was going to give him. I was struggling with the fact that so many black people had lost their farmland, and here I was faced with having to help a white person save their land. So I didn't give him the full force of what I could do. I did enough"; too bad, it dates back to 1986 when she was working for a private firm, and she was using it to illustrate how she changed and gave up racism, the video having been edited to sucker-punch her; the NAACP initially supports her firing, but then flops, claiming to have been "snookered"; on July 21 White House press secy. Robert Gibbs apologizes to her, and agriculture secy. Tom Vilsack reinstates her; she claims to have been directly pressured by the White House to resign before Glenn Beck's Fox News show comes on at 5 p.m. ET via phones to her in her car before she can leave Ga.; on July 22 Pres. Obama apologizes to her; on July 28 she announces that she plans to sue Breitbart. On July 19 the U.S. Senate unanimously passes the U.S. SPEECH Act, stopping the Muslim jihad practice of "libel tourism, such as in the case of Dr. Rachel Ehrenfield, who was sued by a Saudi financier in England over 23 copies of her book on Islamic terror financing sold in the U.K.; the act bars enforcement of foreign libel judgements against U.S. persons if they would not have been found liable in a U.S. court applying First Amendment protections. On June 19 the U.K. introduces an immigration cap; on Dec. 17 the high court rules the cap unlawful for lack of following proper parliamentary procedures. On July 19 Amazon.com announces that ebooks have outsold hardcover books 143-100 for the past 3 mo., signalling the end of the paper-based book?; paperbacks are still #1. On July 20 Russia announces that it won't sell "large missile systems" to Iran. On July 20 an explosion in a 3-story bldg. near Sana'a, Yemen kills two and injures four; 500 detonators are found in the site. On July 20 a record heat wave in Russia sees 71 drown in a single day in reservoirs and ponds, with over 90 injured. On July 20 a new Israeli Report on the 2008-9 Gaza War says that the Israeli army is taking steps to reduce the number of civilian casualties in future wars incl. restricting the use of white phosphorus. On July 21 Kurdish PKK rebels blow up an Iranian-Turkish natural gas pipeline in N Kurdistan. On July 21 the U.S. announces new sanctions on North Korea, warning it of serious consequences if it attacks South Korea. On July 21 Sudanese Jem rebels in Darfur sign an agreement to stop using child soldiers. On July 21 an al-Qaida in Mesopotamia car bomb in crowds near a Shiite mosque in Abe Sayeda, Iraq kills 13 and wounds 24. On July 21 Exxon Mobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, and Royal Dutch Shell commit $1B to create a rapid-response system to deal with future deepwater oil spill a la BP's. On July 21 Am. Muslim converts Paul Rockwood and his wife Nadia are charged with lying to federal officials about compiling a hit list of 15 people they believed had harmed Muslims and deserve to die. On July 21 after proposing it in June 2009, Pres. Obama signs the U.S. Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, a response to the Great Recession, becoming the greatest change in U.S. financial regs since the Great Depression, restricting financial institutions, consolidating regulatory agencies and creating a new oversight council, bringing derivates onto exchanges to make them more transparent, implementing a resolution regime to complement the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) in handling bankrupt firms, requiring the Federal Reserve to obtain authorization from the U.S. Treasury Dept. for extensions of credit in "unusual or exigent circumstances", and tightening regulation of credit rating agencies; in Jan. the Volcker Rule was added, restricting U.S. banks from making certain kinds of speculative investments that don't benefit customers, incl. proprietary trading by commercial banks. On July 22 the Internat. Court of Justice rules 10-4 that the declaration of independence from Serbia of Kosovo was legal according to internat. law. On July 22 a rocket attack at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad in the Green Zone kills three guards and wounds 15 incl. two Americans; meanwhile Iraqi officials disclose that four al-Qaida suspects escape from a prison that the U.S. handed over to their control a week earlier; on July 23 al-Qaida in Iraq claims responsibility for suicide recent suicide bombings in Qom and elsewhere, saying it hopes they will inspire others to martyrdom. On July 22 Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah makes a surprise announcement that his party is likely to be implicated in the Feb. 14, 2005 assassination of Lebanese PM Rafiq Hariri. On July 22 a House investigative committee charges former House Ways and Means Committee chmn. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) with 13 counts of ethics violations; on Nov. 16 after walking out of the House ethics subcommittee a day earlier, U.S. Rep. (D-N.Y.) Rangel is found guilty of 11 of the 13 counts relating to personal finances and fundraising efforts for a New York college; on Nov. 18 the subcommittee votes 9-1 to censure him, followed by the entire House by 337-79 on Dec. 2, the first time in 29 years. On July 22 U.S. Sen. Dems. pull the plug on Cap and Trade legislation until after the midterm elections in Nov., preferring a limited bill targeted at electric utilities and responding to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. On July 22 the U.S. freezes the assets of Gul Agha Iskakzai, head of the Taliban's financial commission, along with two others who raised money for the Taliban and its Pakistan-affilate the Haqqani Network, and calls on Pakistan to follow suit. On July 22 a Gallup Poll indicates that Bill Clinton is more popular than Barack Obama by 61%-52%; George W. Bush comes in at 45%. On July 23 Mauritanian commandos backed by French troops raid a terrorist camp at night in the Sahara Desert, killing six members of al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb; four members escape. On July 23 North Korea threatens the U.S. and South Korea with "nuclear deterrence" if they go ahead with naval maneuvers on July 26 in the Sea of Japan. On July 23 the U.S. State Dept. announces to the Palestinian Nat. Authority that it is upgrading its status from bureau to gen. delegation, allowing its office to fly their flag. On July 23 a NATO rocket in Sangin District in Helmand Province, Afghanistan kills 52 civilians, incl. women and children, causing Afghan Pres. Hamid Karzai on July 26 to condemn the strike and call on NATO to make avoiding civilian casualties their top priority. On July 23-25 the United Nat. Antiwar Conference in Albany, N.Y. sees 850 turn against Israel, demanding an end to all U.S. aid, and backing the Palestinian cause - Arab oil money gets results? On July 24 a bombing in S Afghanistan kills five U.S. service members; meanwhile two U.S. troops are abducted by the Taliban after leaving Kabul. On July 24 a panic among partygoers in an overcrowded tunnel in Duisburg, Germany after the Love Parade ("world's largest techno music party") kills 19 and injures 342. On July 25 a cache of 90K secret records of U.S. screwups in the Afghan War from Jan. 2004 to Dec. 2009 from WikiLeaks is announced after they gave them to several major newspapers incl. the New York Times, the U.K. Guardian, and Der Spiegel; the records reveal that the Pakistani govt. helps the Taliban, that an incident in 2007 shows they might have acquired SAMs, that the U.S. set up a secret black unit to hunt down and "kill or capture" sans trial Taliban leaders, and that Iran helps smuggle arms to the Taliban; on July 26 White House press secy. Robert Gibbs says that the leaked documents pose a security threat to the U.S.; despite the fallout; on July 29 Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid says that his men are studying the leaked reports so they can hunt down informants; on July 27 Jon Stewart expresses outrage that the U.S. gave Pakistan $6.6B in aid in 2002-8, and pledged another $7.5B over the next five years, even as it financed, trained, and colluded with the Taliban against the U.S. On July 25 radical Israeli Arab Islamic movement leader Raed Salah receives a 5-mo. jail sentence for spitting at a border policeman during a protest in East Jerualem in 2007; his 9-mo. sentence was shortened. On July 25 a suicide bomber in a white minibus detonates in front of the office of Al Arabiya in Baghdad, killing six and wounding 16. On July 25 a bus explodes at a bus stop in Bangkok, Thailand, killing one and wounding 10. On July 25 the 2010 African Union Summit convenes in Kampala, Uganda, becoming dominated by discussion of attacks by the Islamic group Al-Shabaab. On July 26 the EU tightens its sanctions on Iran, with new steps to block oil and gas investment and curtail its refining and natural gas capability. On July 26 the road used by Shia pilgrims to Najaf in Karbala, Iraq is hit by twin car bombs, killing 19. On July 26 Cuban Rev. Day celebrations in Santa Clara are held sans Fidel Castro, while his brother Raul doesn't speak, and Hugo Chavez cancels his trip to Cuba, becoming the first in which neither Castro speaks. On July 26 a U.N.-backed tribunal sentences Khmer Rouge chief jailer Kaing Guek Eav (Duch) (pr. doik) to 35 years for overseeing 16K deaths, of which he will only serve 19, becoming the first senior KR member to be convicted - 1 year in priz per 1K deaths? On July 26 an epidemiological study pub. by the Internat. Journal of Environmental Studies and Public Health reports higher rates of cancer in Fallujah than those in the survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, pointing to the use of depleted uranium by U.S. forces. On July 26 Hollywood dir. Oliver Stone gives an interview, claiming that Jews are "the most powerful lobby in Washington, D.C., and dominate the media, also defending Hitler and Stalin, saying "Hitler was a Frankenstein but there was also a Dr. Frankenstein, German industrialists, the Americans and the British. He had a lot of support", also "Hitler did far more damage to the Russians than the Jewish people - 25 or 30 [million killed]"; he adds that Stalin "fought the German war machine more than any person"; in actual fact, Jews do control Jewywood? On July 26 the U.S. Defense Dept. announces that it can't account for $8.7M of $9.1B in Iraqi oil revenue entrusted to it from 2004-7. On July 26 Iranian pres. Madmaninastraightjacket announces that he expects the Great Satan U.S. to launch a military strike in the next 3 mo. on "at least two countries" in the Middle East, without specifying which; meanwhile Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu calls Iran "the ultimate terrorist threat". On July 26 the 101st Airbone 4th Brigade Combat Team, the last brigade of Pres. Obama's Afghan surge prepares to head for Afghanistan. On July 26 anti-Mexican-immigrant former Colo. rep. Tom Tancredo leaves the Repub. Party to run for Colo. gov. on the ticket of the Am. Constitution Party to run against Dem. John Hickenlooper, mayor of Denver, insuring the latter's big V? On July 26 an Israeli AF heli (Sikorsky Yasour CH-53) crashes over the Carpathian Mts. in Romania, killing six; it had been doing high-risk drill attacks on mountain tunnels like are found with Iran's nuclear facilities. On July 27 the House passes a $59B war funding bill by a 308-114 vote, with 102 Dems. voting against, revealing a split with Pres. Obama. On July 27 British PM David Cameron visits Turkey, and calls Gaza a "prison camp", saying "the situation in Gaza has to change", calling for Israel (but not Egypt?) to lift its blockade; this despite a new luxury mall opening in Gaza earlier in July; Cameron also also calls for new special relationship with its former colony India - a family that saves together stays together? On July 27 (a.m.) a boat strikes an oil well, causing a new oil-gas leak in Bayo St. Dennis, La. On July 27 U.S. vice-pres. Joe Biden releases a video in which he claims that $600B in stimulus funds have already been spent, adding "Americans deserve a government that actually works" and "We're building a government that delivers more bang for the buck than ever before." On July 27 U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson launches a campaign to renew the Bush tax cuts, saying that it would be "devastating" and "castrophic" not to; Donald Trump chimes in about Obama that "He's taking away a lot of incentives from a lot of people that produce a lot of taxes". On July 27 French PM Francois Fillon says in a radio broadcast that France is "at war against al-Qaida" after Aqmi (al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb) claimed to have executed a French humanitarian worker, adding "These people are indescribably cruel", and "France does not practice revenge, however, we have agreements with regional governments, especially Mauritania to track these terrorists and bring them to court." On July 27 Master Chef debuts on Fox-TV, starring chef-judges Gordon Ramsay (1966-), Joe Bastianich (1968-), and Chicago, Ill.-based Graham Elliot (Bowles) (1977-), who loves to wear square white eyeglasses; in season 6 Christina Tosi replaces Joe Bastianich; on Sept. 27, 2013 MasterChef Junior debuts on Fox-TV (until ?), starring the same three original chef-judges. On July 28 47 (nearly one-third) of House Repubs. led by Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.) introduce a resolution backing an Israeli strike on Iran. On July 28 Pres. Obama snubs the 100th anniv. of the Boy Scouts of Am. to appear on July 29 on the ABC-TV daytime show The View (first U.S. pres. to visit a daytime talk show), which helped him get elected with its daily pro-Obama propaganda to a mainly woman audience, where he admits that the wasn't invited to Chelsea Clinton's wdding, and never heard of Snooki (Nicole Polizzi), star of the MTV reality show "The Jersey Shore", and calls Am. blacks as a race "mixed up", saying "We are sort of a mongrel people. I mean, we're all kinds of mixed up. That's actually true of white people as well, but we just know more about it." On July 28 the U.S. House votes to reduce the 1986 disparity in sentencing between crack and powder cocaine that make 5g of crack equal to 500g of powder, raising it to 28g of crack. On July 28 a passenger jet crashes into the hills overlooking Islamabad, Pakistan in poor weather, killing all 152 aboard. On July 28 #2 al-Qaida man Ayman al-Zawahri releases a recording slamming France's face veil ban, calling Muslim women who defy it "holy warriors" against the "secular Western crusade", and urging all Muslims to continue their jihad against the West. On July 28 24-y.-o. Latvian-born Jewish Tex. beautician Anna Fermanova is arrested for allegedly spying for the Kremlin by smuggling night vision weapons. On July 28 the Japanese Mitsui O.S.K. Lines oil tanker M. Star is rocked by an explosion near the mouth of the Persian Gulf, causing a "huge wave" to be blamed, after which Islamic terrorists are blamed. On July 28 the Slovenian malware writer whose code infected 12M computers worldwide is arrested. On July 28 retired Pakistani gen. Hamid Gul denies allegations that he was a key link between the Taliban in Afghanistan and their backers in Islamabad. On July 28-Aug. ? floods in Pakistan affect 20% of the country (62K sq. mi.), kill 2K, and maroon 4M in three of five provinces plus 8M in the Punjab; U.N. secy.-gen. Ban Ki Moon calls it a "slow motion tsunami"; the internat. community pledges $800M in assistance, incl. $100M from the U.S., which sends in the military to help bring food and medicine; the floods are caused by a rogue weather system that wandered hundreds of mi. too far W? On July 29 Moscow, Russia suffers a record 37.7C (99.86F) temp, 0.2C higher than on July 26, and the hottest in 130 years. On July 29 the former supt. of Arlington Nat. Cemetery admits that as many as 6.6K graves might have been mixed-up with the wrong bodies or names. On July 29 Mexican Sinaloa drug cartel lord Ignacio "Nacho" Coronel (b. 1954) is killed by the Mexican army. On July 29 Catalonia, Spain votes 68-55 to end bullfighting, the first time it has been outlawed in Spain. On July 29 two Armenians file a class action suit against Turkey over the Armenian genocide, seeking hundreds of millions in damages. On July 29 Pres. Obama appears on The View daytime TV show, saying that African-Ams. are "sort of a mongrel people". On July 29 Repub. leader Newt Gingrich (1943-) gives a Speech on Banning Sharia in the U.S. at the Am. Enterprist Inst., becoming the first U.S. politician to wake up to the threat of Islam and its horrible Muslim-supremacy Sharia and its threat to the U.S. Constitution. On July 30 the Iranian resistance Mujahedeen Org. of Iran (PMOI) is taken off the U.S. State Dept. list of foreign terrorist groups after a long court battle. On July 30 Pres. Obama visits Detroit, Mich. to tout the revival of the U.S. auto industry and his bailout of GM and Chrysler, uttering the soundbyte "If some folks [the GOP] had their way... your jobs might not exist." On July 30 Gaza militants fire a rocket into the Israeli city of Ashkelon N of Gaza City, causing damage but no injuries, causing Israel to retaliate with air strikes in Gaza City on three rocket manufacturing sites, injuring eight in a Hamas-run police training center, and killing senior Hamas member Saed Al Bitran; an explosion at the home of bomb-maker Abu Anas el-Danaf in C Gaza is caused by an accidental detonation according to the Israelis; meanwhile the Arab League endorses direct Palestinian talks with the Israelis, but leaves the timing to the former, causing Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal to diss the Arabs, after which on Aug. 1 Pres. Obama warns Mahmoud Abbas that unless the Palestinian Nat. Authority agrees to joint direct peace talks with Israel within weeks it might downgrade its relationship. On July 30 Afghan protesters shout "Death to America" and set fire to vehicles in Kabul after a SUV accident kills four Afghans. On July 30 the U.S. House by 209-193 passes offshore oil drilling reforms On July 30 King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and Syrian pres. Bashar al-Assad meet in Beirut to calm tensions over the Lebanese PM assassination scandal; Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and King Abdullah II of Jordan reiterate their support for a Palestinian state in Judea and Samaria; meanwhile on July 30 a Gallup poll shows U.S. support of Israel at a near all-time high of 67%, and support for the Palestinian Nat. Authority at only 20%. On July 30 a 5.6 earthquake in NE Iran S of Neyshabur 445 mi. E of Tehran injures 110+. On July 30 senior U.N. official Jean-Paul Laborde says that terrorism in Africa is increasingly linked to organized crime, and calls for stronger steps to break the connection. On July 30 Mexican Roman Catholic priest Carlos Salvador Wotto (b. 1927) is found dead in Oaxaca with signs of torture on his body, incl. cigarette burns; meanwhile Mexico's biggest TV network Televisa cancels its popular news show after four reporters are kidnapped by drug gangs. On July 30 German foreign minister Guido Westerwelle angers conservatives by leaving the possibility of EU membership for pesky Turkey, calling them to have a "privileged partner" rather than full member status. On July 30 "The Vampire Chronicles" author Anne Rice (who shocked fans in 1998 by returning to Roman Catholicism) announces that "Today I quit being a Christian -I'm out", adding "I remain committed to Christ as always, but not to being 'Christian' or to being part of Christianity. It's simply impossible for me to 'belong' to this quarrelsome, hostile, disputatious, and deservedly infamous group. For ten years, I've tried. I've failed. I'm an outsider. My conscience will allow nothing else." On July 31 the $5M wedding of Chelsea Clinton (1980-) and Marc Mezvinsky (1977-) (a Jew) in the 50-acre Astor Courts estate in Rhinebeck, N.Y. is the affair of the year; Pres. Obama isn't invited. In July the U.S. Agency for Internat. Development (USAID) secretly creates ZunZuneo, a "Cuban Twitter" social network that they try to use to organize "smart mobs" to trigger a Cuban spring; it peaks at 40K users; when its cover is blown, USAid won't say who approved the program or whether the White House had knowledge, becoming a potential scandal for U.S. secy. of state Hillary Clinton. In July at least 66 U.S. troops are killed in Afghanistan, the deadliest mo. in the 9-year Afghanistan War; 270 Afghan civilians are killed. In July the U.S. loses 131K jobs, incl. 143K census jobs; private employment only rises 71K (vs. 31K in June). In July U.S. home sales fall 27%, the weakest showing in 15 years. In July the U.S. govt. begins shutting down Web sites TVShack.net, Movies-Links.TV, FilesPump.com et al. for streaming copyright-protected videos, and announces a gen. crackdown in the works. In July a total of 34 U.S. citizens or residents have been charged with ties to internat. Islamic jihadists in the past 18 mo. In July the U.S. reestablishes the U.S. Navy's 10th Fleet, and stations four upgraded Ticonderoga class cruisers equipped with Aegis ballistic missile systems in the Persian Gulf? In July the state of Israel stinks itself up with a conviction of "rape by deception" of Palestinian man Saber Kushour for having consensual sex with a Jewish Israeli woman after passing himself off as a Jew. In July 24-y.-o. Augusta State U. grad student Jennifer Keeton (1986-) sues her univ. after being told she must undergo a remediation program due to her Christian beliefs on homosexuality and transgenered persons. In July the Tucker Carlson Web site Daily Caller reveals emails from the private e-mail list JornoList, showing how liberal-leftist journalists conspired to get Obama elected by refusing to cover Rev. Jeremiah Wright et al. In July a record 41.5M Americans receive food stamps, up 18% from a year earlier. In July U.S. homeland security secy. Janet Napolitano launches a See Something, Say Something campaign to encourage commuters in Washington, D.C. subway stations to report behavior suspicious of terrorism; in Dec. it's expanded nationwide. In July Syrian pres. Bashar Assad bans the full head-covering niqab in univs.; next June he transfers hundres of niqat-wearing school primary school teachers in govt. schools to admin. posts., pissing-off conservative Muslims, and causing the govt. to let them return. On Aug. 1 1.2K Nat. Guard troops begin arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border; the buildup takes several weeks; they aren't used for law enforcement against border-crossers, pissing-off anti-immigration forces. On Aug. 1 Pres. Obama says that his goal for the Afghanistan War is not to turn it into a "model of Jeffersonian democracy" but to keep it from returning to being a terrorist haven, calling it "difficult, very difficult, but it's a fairly modest goal"; meanwhile Netherlands becomes the first NATO to country pull its troops out of Afghanistan; U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff adm. Mike Mullen says that the U.S. has a plan to attack Iran, but thinks it's a bad idea, although their getting nukes is unacceptable, causing Rev. Guard deputy chief Yadollah Javani to say that "if Americans commit the slightest mistake" security in the Persian Gulf will be jeopardized, not mentioning prior threats to target Tel Aviv. On Aug. 1 the Islamic Jihad announces that is resuming suicide attacks on Israel from the West Bank. On Aug. 1 an entire hemisphere of the Sun erupts, the first time ever observed. On Aug. 2 Iranian pres. Imadinnajacket calls on Pres. Obama for a televised debate to see who's got the best solution to the world's problems. On Aug. 2 struggling Newsweek mag. is sold for $1 to Jewish-Am. billionaire Sidney Harman (1919-) and his wife Jane. On Aug. 3 Israeli and Lebanese forces exchange fire near the Lebanese border, injuring two on the Israeli side and one on the Lebanese side, becoming the first border clash since the 2006 war. On Aug. 3 the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Service stinks itself up by announcing that undocumented immigrants trying to leave the U.S. could face arrest at the border. On Aug. 3 five rockets fired from the Sinai Peninsula are fired at Eilat, Israel, and miss, killing a taxi driver in Aqaba, Jordan. On Aug. 3 Pakistani official Raza Haider is murdered while attending a funeral at a mosque in Karachi, causing street violence that kills 45, injures 93, and torches dozens of stores and vehicles. On Aug. 3 after being caught stealing beer from a warehouse where he worked as a driver, Am. Muslim Omar Thornton (b. 1976) goes on a shooting spree, killing eight and wounding two before committing suicide. On Aug. 3 Am.Muslim Shaker Masri (1984-) is arrested for trying travel to Somalia to become a suicide bomber for al-Qaida. On Aug. 4 an explosion near the convoy of Iranian pres. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Hamadan (280km SW of Tehran) is later claimed to be a firecracker. On Aug. 4 a controversial new 2010 Kenyan Constitution enacting Islamic Sharia is passed, and signed into law on Aug. 27; despite supposedly not being a citizen of Kenya, Obama personally campaigned for it as far back as 2006; outlaw Sudanese pres. Omar al-Bashir is present at the signing. On Aug. 4 federal judge Vaughn Walker rules that Calif.'s 2008 Proposition 8 banning gay marriage is unconstitutional because he says so, despite the will of millions of voters, pissing many off, and causing Pres. Obama to finally state that he's against gay marriage but in favor of civil unions. On Aug. 4 Pres. Obama celebrates his 49th birthday; it later comes out that he dialed three Christian pastors to pray with him as he flew on Air Force One to Chicago. On Aug. 5 retired USAF lt. gen. James R. Clapper Jr. (1941-) becomes U.S. nat. intel dir. #4 (until ?). On Aug. 5 Russian PM Vladimir Putin bans wheat exports after a summer drought causes millions of acres to wither, pushing world wheat prices up; in Aug. Russian wildfires spread across six provinces contaminated by the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, bringing poisonous smog to Moscow. On Aug. 5 the U.S. Dept. of Justice announces four separate indictments charging 14 with terrorism for providing aid to Al-Shabaab (al-Shebaab) in Somalia. On Aug. 5 the U.S. Senate approves $600M for border security, incl. 1.5K new agents; Pres. Obama signs in on Aug. 13. On Aug. 5 Tariq Aziz, leading lt. of Saddam Hussein accuses the U.S. of "leaving Iraq to the wolves", calling Pres. Obama a hypocrite who promised "to correct some of the mistakes of Bush" and is about to "leave Iraq to its death". On Aug. 5 Harvard senior Caroline Giuliani (1990-), daughter of former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani is arrested for shoplifting $100 worth of makeup at Sephora on E. 86th St. in Manhattan; after they find out who she is, the store owners drop the charges. On Aug. 5 the San Jose Mine in the Atacama Desert in Chile collapses, trapping 33 miners 2K ft. underground for 68 days (until Oct. 13) until they can be rescued with U.S. aid and equipment, during which time they become reality TV stars and end up showered with money and honors as South Am. heroes; they still celebrate the Sept. 18 Chile Bicentennial. On Aug. 5-9 First Lady Michelle Obama goes on a controversial trip to Spain, causing critics to compare her to Marie Antoinette; on Aug. 7 she visits Ronda in S Spain, favorite haunt of Orson Welles and Ernest Hemingway; on Aug. 8 she meets with King Juan Carlos I in Mallorca; meanwhile on Aug. 8 Pres. Obama plays pick-up basketball with some NFL pros at a birthday-weekend White House BBQ. On Aug. 6 rapper Wyclef Jean announces his candidacy for pres. of Haiti on Larry King Live; on Aug. 20 Haiti's electoral council rules him ineligible because he didn't live in Haiti for five years before the elction. On Aug. 6 the U.S. sends its first delegation led by ambassador John Roos to Hiroshima, Japan to observe the anniv. of the U.S. atomic bomb attack, causing an outcry that Pres. Obama is about to apologize for it; U.N. secy.-gen. Ban K-Moon also attends, calling for Obama to attend personally. On Aug. 6 mudslides in Kashmir, India kill 125+. On Aug. 6 a new poll of Arab opinion finds that a majority now believe that a nuclear-armed Iran would be a positive development in the Middle East. On Aug. 7 the Taliban announces the murder of eight "Christian missionary" medical doctors in Afghanistan, who were found shot dead on Aug. 6, incl. British surgeon Karen Woo, who was set to get married in two weeks, and Colo. dentist Thomas Grams (b. 1959-); the internat. Christian aid group Internat. Assistance Mission denies that the medics were proselytizing. On Aug. 7 Saudi Arabia reaches a deal with BlackBerry on granting access to user data so they can monitor messages to stop them from banning it in their country as a security risk. On Aug. 7 Fidel Castro makes his first official govt. appearance since his emergency surgery in 2006, calling on Pres. Obama to prevent a global nuclear war. On Aug. 7 a power generator explosion in Basra, Iraq kills 25+. On Aug. 7 politicians in Lebanon get pissed-off at calls from Israel to restrict U.S.sale of advanced weapons to their army after the recent border incident. On Aug. 7 Pakistani pres. Asif Ali Zardari visits Birmingham, England and addresses a political rally, where protesters incl. one shoe-thrower criticize him for touring overseas while floods are devasting his country; meanwhile Carl Moeller, pres. of Open Doors USA claims that some Pakistani Christian families are being denied flood aid unless they convert to Islam. On Aug. 8 Sky News reports that British couple Gul and Bagum Wazir of Birmingham, England have been murdered in a suspected "honor killing". On Aug. 8 Gen. Sebhattin Isik Kosaner (1945-) becomes CIC of the Turkish army (until July 29, 2011). On Aug. 9 the U.S. announces a 10-year $30B deal to sell F-15 aircraft to the Saudis, minus advanced long-range weapons systems opposed by Israel. On Aug. 9 the Masjid Taiba Mosque in Hamburg Germany, once frequented by the 9/11 attackers Mohammed Atta et al. is shut down by the govt. for being involved in violent extremism again. On Aug. 9 radical Indonesian Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir (Baasyir) (1939-), who was sentenced to 30 mo. for the 2002 Bali bombs and served 26 mo. is arrested for supporting a terrorist group that runs a training camp in Aceh, and next June 16 is sentenced to 15 years, blaming it on the U.S., and saying "This verdict is contrary to Sharia, and I cannot accept it because to me it is against the law." On Aug. 9 Ed Stafford (1976-) becomes the first to walk the length of the 4K-mi. Amazon River after 859 days, starting on Apr. 2, 2008. On Aug. 10 Pres. Obama signs the U.S. Securing the Protection of our Ending and Established Constitutional Heritage (SPEECH) Act, preventing Americans from being sued for libel by individuals from other countries with inadequate First Amendment rights, protecting those speaking out against Islam et al. On Aug. 10 the U.S. House adjourns after passing by 247-161 a $26B state aid bill to prevent layoffs of 160K teachers and cuts to Medicaid. On Aug. 10 white radio personality Dr. Laura Schlesinger draws the PC police for saying the n-word 5x on the air during a call with an African-Am., after which she is forced to resign. On Aug. 11 Sudanese-born Ibrahim al-Qosi, former cook and driver for Osama bin Laden is sentenced to 14 years in prison by a Guantanamo Bay tribunal. On Aug. 11 Iran and Russia issue a surprise joint announcement that Russia will load the nuclear fuel to activate Iran's first nuclear reactor on Aug. 21, causing speculation of an Israeli airstrike; meanwhile AP reports that Arab nations are urging the U.S. to end its support of Israel's nuclear secrecy and push for an internat. inspection program. On Aug. 11 White House press secy. Robert Gibbs sticks his foot in his mouth, complaining about the "professional left" and claiming "those people ought to be drug tested." On Aug. 12 shocking photos surface of Turkish chemical weapon attacks on Kurdish PKK rebels. On Aug. 13 (Fri. the 13th) Pres. Obama gives his 2010 Iftar Speech to commemorate the Muslim holy day of Ramadan, defending the super-controversial Ground Zero Mosque, with the soundbyte "This is America, and our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakeable", and full of history ignoramus remarks, incl. "Islam has always been part of America and American Muslims have made extraordinary contributions to our country", and has been a major force in "advancing justice, progress, tolerance and the dignity of all human beings", causing an outcry, after which on Aug. 14 he backs down a bit, saying that he upholds the principle that govt. should treat everyone equal, regardless of religion, but wasn't commenting on this particular project, with the soundbyte "I was not commenting and I will not comment on the wisdom of making the decision to put a mosque there. I was commenting very specifically on the right people have that dates back to our founding"; on Aug. 18 a Gallup Poll finds that 37% of Ams. disapprove of Obama's comments and only 20% approve; on Aug. 16 Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) comes out against the mosque, saying to build it elsewhere; meanwhile Ground Zero Mosque (soon renamed Park51 to diffuse opposition) imam Feisal Abdul Rauf (a Kuwaiti-born Egyptian Sufi), who claims it is "about promoting integration, toleration of differences, and community cohesion through arts and culture" (like in Saudi Arabia?) and later claims that it's only a community center with a small mosque inside, until an ad they placed for it says it must accomodate 1K at one time, and who claims that the U.S. Constitution is based on Sharia principles is exposed as having attended a 2007 conference in Indonesia of the terrorist group Hizb-ut Tahrir al Islami (Islamic Party of Liberation), which seeks a global caliphate and is banned in several countries; Rauf also uttered the soundbyte "In a true peace it is impossible that a purely Jewish state of Palestine can endure... In a true peace, Israel will, in our lifetimes, become one more Arab country, with a Jewish minority"; on Dec. 8, 2009 the NYT ran a pro-mosque article quoting Rauf as saying "New York is the capital of the world, and this location close to 9/11 is iconic"; apparently choosing to ignore this, on Aug. 19 Assoc. Press (AP) tells its staff to quit using the term "Ground Zero Mosque" because it's two whole blocks (600 ft.) away; on Aug. 19 N.Y. Roman Catholic archbishop Timothy Dolan says that he prays for compromise, offering to help relocate the mosque; Manhattan developer Sharif el-Gamal (1973-), whose co. Soho Properties owns the former site at 45 Park Place where there was an old Burlington Coat Factory for $4.8M in 2009 used to be a Manhattan waiter at Serafina on the Upper East Side; on Sept. 12 Imam Rauf appears on ABC's "This Week", calling Sarah Palin's opposition to the GZ Mosque "disengenuous", saying that he had known it would cause such controversy he would never have started it, denying that the site is on hallowed ground, and adding "My major concern with moving it is that the headline in the Muslim World will be 'Islam is under attack in America'. This will strengthen the radicals in the Muslim World, help their recruitment, this will put our people, our soldiers, our troops, our embassies, our citizens under attack in the Muslim World and we [would] have expanded and fueled terrorism"; on Sept. 26 60 Minutes airs a segment on the Ground Zero Mosque, and reveals that a mosque has already been functioning there for over a year; in Sept. the bldg. design is released, appearing to be a giant crushed Star of David - has closet Muslim Pres. Obama finally succeeded in turning a critical mass of the American people against him with his submission to every Islamic demand? On Aug. 13 25-y.-o. Libyan imam Abrahim Ghait (1985-) allegedly exposes himself to a 28-y.-o. woman in Castle Park in Bristol, England, followed on Aug. 16 by a 12-y.-o. girl, saying his genitals are named "Lexie". On Aug. 14 Fatah al-Islam terrorist group leader Abed al-Rahman Awad is killed in Lebanon in a shootout with Lebanese troops. On Aug. 14 three incl. a policeman are killed in Yala, Thailand by Muslim separatists, who have killed 4K+ in the rubber-rich region bordering Malaysia, which was a Muslim sultanate until its annexation in 1909 by Buddhist Thailand. On Aug. 15 al-Qaida #2 man Ayman al-Zawahiri releases an audio tape calling for Turkey to cut all ties with Israel and withdraw their NATO forces from Afghanistan. On Aug. 15 a Rasmussen Poll reveals that 76% of Americans believe it likely that a terrorist group will detonate a nuke on Am. soil in the next 25 years, with 45% believing it very likely. On Aug. 15 Israel begins dismanting a barrier wall in Jerusalem that had been erected to protect residents from Palestinian sniper fire from the West Bank. On Aug. 15 Turkey allows Orthodox Christians to worship at Sumela Monastery after 88 years of closure. On Aug. 15 the Taliban orders the stoning for adultery of a young couple in the NE province of Kunduz, Afghanistan, sparking outrage incl. Pres. Hamid Karzai. On Aug. 16 5 mo. after an inconclusive vote the party that won the most seats in Iraq's Mar. election suspends talks on forming a coalition. On Aug. 16 Iran announces that it will build 10 new uranium enrichment plants inside mountain strongholds starting in Mar. - I can give you what you want? On Aug. 16 Mexico's supreme court upholds a law permitting gay adoption on Aug. 9 it upheld gay marriage; meanwhile gunmen kidnap and murder Edelmiro Cavazos, mayor of Santiago in N Mexico, after which six police offers are arrested for involvement. On Aug. 16 Pres. Obama holds a Hollywood fundraiser, saying that he and Congressional Dems. have passed the most progressive legislation in decades - the beautiful people? On Aug. 17 U.S. treasury secy. Timothy Geithner raises basic questions about the govt.'s long-standing role in subsidizing the $10.7T housing market, saying "It is not tenable to leave in place the system we have today." On Aug. 17 a suicide bombing among Iraqi army recruits outside the army's 11th div. HQ in downtown Baghdad, Iraq kills 51 and wounds 119. On Aug. 17 (eve.) a Palestinian Arab man enters the Turkish embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel and begins firing before he is shot by staff; he had earlier tried to take hostages at the British embassy using a fake gun; the Turkish govt. complains to Israel to increase the security at the embassy. On Aug. 17 France rejects a petition calling for it to pay $17B in reparations to Haiti for its oppression 2 cents. earlier. On Aug. 17 former Israeli soldier Eden Aberjil (1984-) stirs up a firestorm of controversy after posting photos of herself in uniform smiling among blinded Palestinian prisoners on Facebook. On Aug. 17 two Muslim suicide bombings target vacationers in Pyatigorsk in the Caucasus region of Russia. On Aug. 17 Amin Al-Hindi, last surviving planner of 1972 Munich Massacre dies in Jordan, and Palestinian Authority chmn. Mahmoud Abbas stinks himself up by giving him a military funeral and calling him a "patriotic leader" and "martyr". On Aug. 17 an Open Letter to Republican Leaders by Arab-Am. and Muslim-Am. leaders expresses concern about Repub. opposition to the Manhattan Ground Zero Mosque. On Aug. 18 Pres. Obama promises that he won't privatize Social Security while he's in office. On Aug. 18 business leaders of Monterrey, Mexico, the country's wealthiest, most modern and safe city take out a newspaper ad begging pres. Felipe Calderon to send in more soldiers to stem the increasing drug violence. On Aug. 18 Newsweek pub. a list of the world's most respected leaders, which incl. Saudi king Abdullah, causing Iranian Rev. Guards pub. Sobh-e Sadeq on Aug. 30 to call it a joke, since the Saudi regime is the most tyrannical in the world. On Aug. 19 the U.S. troop death count in Afghanistan reaches 575, the same as during the Bush years, making it Obama's war? On Aug. 19 the Obama admin. convinces ' Israel that Iran's ability to make a "dash" for a nuke will take at least another year. On Aug. 19 ML baseball star pitcher Roger Clemens is indicted by a federal grand jury for lying to Congress about steroid use; he continues to deny it and vows to fight the charges. On Aug. 19 Pew Poll finds that 18% of Americans believe that Pres. Obama is a Muslim (incl. 31% of Repubs.); on Aug. 19 a Time mag. poll raises the figure to 24% (incl. 46% of Repubs.); on Aug. 27 a new Gallup Poll shows Muslims giving Obama the highest rating of any religious group (78%), with Mormons the lowest (24%); Jews slide from 77% in early 2009 to 61%; on Aug. 29 to silence all objections, Obama appears on "NBC Nightly News", and claims that he isn't worried about the polls, saying "the facts are the facts" and still claiming to be Christian, adding that he can't go around with his "birth certificate plastered on his forehead", and that he has faith in "the American people's capacity to get beyond all this nonsense"; on Aug. 29 Obama's former pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright gives a Sun. sermon claiming that anybody who believes that Obama is a Muslim is a "psychopath". On Aug. 20 Hillary Clinton announces new Israeli-Palestinian talks, with Benjamin Netanyahu and Mahmoud Abbas promising a 1-year time limit, and Pres. Obama to invite them to Washington on Sept. 2; too bad, on Aug. 24 leftist Palestinian factions meet in Ramallah to protest Mahmoud Abbas' decision to accept the U.S. invitation, causing a security crackdown; on Aug. 27 Mahmoud Al-Habbash gives a Fri. sermon with Abbas in the audience, with the soundbyte "Jerusalem can ignite a thousand and one wars", and that there will never be peace until Jerusalem becomes the capital of the Palestinian people; on Sept. 1 Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu utters the soundbyte "President Abbas, you are my partner in peace"; too bad, on Sept. 7 Mahmoud Abbas tells the press that he will not recognize a Jewish state, adding that his position is no different from Yasser Arafat's, and his staff is the same; on Oct. 13 the Palestinians demand that the U.S. and Israel provide a map of the borders of the proposed state of Israel that they want them to recognize, knowing they won't since it might cause a Jewish civil war? On Aug. 20 Pakistan announces that it will clamp down on charities linked to Islamic militants who are seeking to exploit flood relief. On Aug. 20 a Saudi judge stirs internat. outrage by asking several hospitals to damage a man's spinal chord as punishment for paralyzing another man with a cleaver; on Aug. 23 the high court in Tabruk reverses him, saying the victim should accept monetary compensation. On Aug. 21 Russia helps fuel-up the Bushehr Reactor, Iran's first nuclear reactor, promising to monitor and remove spent fuel that could be used to build nukes; meanwhile Israel announces that reactor is "totally unacceptable", and that a country that "so blatantly violates U.N. resolutions, IAEA decisions should not enjoy the fruits of using nuclear energy"; meanwhile former top U.N. nuclear official Olli Heinonen admits that Iran has enough uranium for 1-2 bombs, but claims that they wouldn't try it with only this amount. On Aug. 21 Sweden revokes an arrest warrant for Australian-born WikiLeaks founder Julian Paul Assange (1971-) for rape, but keep him under suspicion of a lesser charge of molestation, which turns into a real stretch charge of having sex with a feminist without a condom; after Interpol places him on its red notice list on Nov. 30 (dating police?), he is finally arrested on Dec. 7 in London, and released on $316K bail after Am. leftist filmmaker Michael Moore poneys up some of the dough, saying that the Am. Founding Fathers would have been Wikileakers. On Aug. 21 a stray bullet hits El Paso, Tex. from the Mexican side of the border, causing a furor. On Aug. 21 the Third Annual Topless Sat., founded by Rael is held in nine U.S. cities incl. Denver, Chicago, and Miami to fight for equal rights for women. On Aug. 21 a 19-y.-o. migrant farm worker from Mexico who was bitten in Michoacan, Mexico on July 15 dies in La., becoming the first death from a bite from a vampire bat in the U.S. On Aug. 22 Iranian pres. Myishouldbe Inastraightjacket inaugurates Iran's first domestically-built unmanned drone aircraft bomber, calling it an "ambassador of death for the enemies of humanity", with "a main message of peace and friendship"; it can carry four cruise missiles and has a 1K km (600 mi.) range; on Aug. 23 Iran announces that it will also step up production of the new Zolfaghar and Seraj (Light) assault boats carrying cruise missles. On Aug. 22 Bangladesh bans all enforced Islamic dress codes, incl. veils and skull caps in public places. On Aug. 22 retired Calif. engineer Gregory Luke (1946-) barges into a mosque in Lombok Island, Indonesia to tell t hat their nightly Ramadan prayer reading is too loud, causing a mob to attack his home; he is then arrested for blaspheming Islam, and given 7 mo. in jail. On Aug. 23 the Pentagon refutes the Taliban claim that Pvt. Bowe Bergdahl has converted to Islam and joined their cause. On Aug. 23 Iraq announces that it is tightening security around oil installations after news that al-Qaida plans to attack them when U.S. forces leave. On Aug. 23 U.S. Gen. David Petraeus claims that the Taliban's momentum has been reversed in S Afghanistan. On Aug. 23 the ever-less-sovereign U.S. makes its First Report to the U.N. Human Rights Council on internal conditions, saying that the U.S. doesn't have a perfect record esp. with minorities and women, and that "Although we have made great strides, work remains to meet our goals of ensuring equality before the law for all"; it also claims that the U.S. is committed to closing Gitmo and "fixing our broken immigration system" - what should we do next, masters? On Aug. 23 U.S. vice-pres. Joe Biden addresses the Ind. VFW, uttering the soundbyte: "Many people point to the Iranian influence in Iraq but I believe this to be exaggerated. The Iranian government spent over $100 million dollars to try to sway the national elections but Iran failed. The Iraqi people voted for their desired candidate, not who the Iranians wanted them to vote for." On Aug. 23 white New York City college student Michael Enright asks a cab driver if he's a Muslim, then after receiving an affirmative answer stabs him; after leftists try to use it as ammo in favor of the Ground Zero Mosque, it is revealed the he supports it too, and the cabbie didn't - and that's why he stabbed him? On Aug. 23 Frank Johansson, head of the Finnish branch of Amnesty Internat. calls Israel a "scum state", stirring controversy, after which under pressure he (insincerely?) apologizes; on Aug. 24 British former PM Tony Blair utters the soundbyte that any attempt to delegitimize Israel is an affront to people "everywhere, in every part of humanity who share the values of a free and independent spirit". On Aug. 23 Miss Mexico Jimena "Ximena" Navarrete Rosete (1988-) of Guadalajara wins the Miss Universe contest in Las Vegas Nev.; Miss USA Rima Faikh (first Muslim-Am. winner) doesn't make it to the final round; it was rigged because this is the centennial of Mexico's independence? On Aug. 24 the Mexican military discovers 72 massacred bodies of migrants from Central and South Am. in a ranch in ever-violent Tamaulipas,Mexico, and get into a gunfight with Zeta drug cartel members, who flee after one Mexican marine and three gunmen are killed; on Aug. 27 a car bomb explodes in San Fernando, Mexico in front of a major TV station in the same N Mexican state, and a prosecutor investigating the massacre disappears,while a string of four bombings in 24 hours injures 17. On Aug. 24 (13th day of Ramadan) a suicide attack in a hotel in Mogadishu, Somalia by Al-Shabaab kills 32 incl. six parliamentarians; U.S. State Dept. spokesman Phillip Crowley utters the soundbyte: "The attack occurring during Ramadan highlights al-Shabaab's complete disregard for human life, Somalian culture, and Islamic values". On Aug. 24 a Henan Airlines ERJ-190) en route from Harbin to Yichin, China overruns the runway after landing in fog, breaking up and catching fire, killing 43 of 91 passengers and all but one crew. On Aug. 25 a string of attacks against the Iraqi govt. kills 43. On Aug. 25 an attempted suicide attack against an army barracks near Nouakchott, Mauritania is foiled when soldiers shoot the driver of the truck. On Aug. 25 former U.S. pres. Jimmy Carter arrives in Pyongyang, North Korean on a private mission to free imprisoned African-Am. Aijalon Gomes (1979-) of Boston, Mass., who is serving eight years for illegal entry via China; he arrives in Boston with Carter on Aug. 27. On Aug. 25 a day after Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah asks Lebanon to seek their assistance, Iran announces that it's ready to sell arms to Lebanon. On Aug. 25 Egyptian pres. Hosni Mubarak announces that Egypt's first nuclear power plant will be built at El Dabaa on the Mediterranean coast - there goes the neighborhood? On Aug. 25 Canadian police arrest three Islamic terror suspects, Hiva Alizadeh, Misbahuddin Ahmed, and Khurram Syed Sher, who appeared on Canada's version of "American Idol". On Aug. 26 EU foreign policy chief Lady Catherine Ashton rebukes Israel for convicting Palestinian protester on Aug. 23 of inciting protests in the West Bank village of Bilin plus not having a permit. On Aug. 26 Mexican pres. Felipe Calderon proposes legislation to stop money laundering by organized crime. On Aug. 26 aging demented Cuban dictator Fidel Castro pontificates that documents posted on WikiLeaks.org prove that Osama bin Laden is a paid CIA agent that Pres. Bush made pop-up when needed to scare the world, saying "Bush never lacked for bin Laden's support. He was a subordinate." On Aug. 28 conservative Mormon talk show host Glenn Beck holds his Restoring Honor to America rally at the Lincoln Memorial on the 47th anniv. of MLK Jr.'s "I Have a Dream Speech", which he claims is accidental; 87K-500K attend to hear about how the U.S. needs to return to God; the crowd is not all-white but racially diverse; MLK Jr.'s niece Alveda King speaks at the rally, along with Sarah Palin; the rally raises $5.5M for wounded soldiers; on Aug. 29 after murmurs about his Mormonism, Beck appears on Fox News Sunday, and utters the soundbyte that despite his claim to be a Christian, the American people don't recognize "Obama's version of Christianity". On Aug. 28 the Iraq govt. goes on high alert against terrorist attacks as the U.S. combat mission winds down. On Aug. 28 Islamic jihadists in U.S. Army uniforms launch pre-dawn attacks at Forward Operating Base Salerno, a major NATO base in Khost province in E Afghanistan 60 mi. SE of Kabul near the Pakistan border and the nearby camp where seven CIA employees were killed last year in a suicide attack; this time they are repelled with no casualties. On Aug. 28 Israel places its largest-ever order for military fuel with the U.S., increasing speculation of a planned attack on Iran; on Oct. 7 it signs a $2.75B deal with the U.S. for 20 Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets. On Aug. 28 Israeli rabbi Ovadia Yosef, head of the ultra-Orthodox Shas Party gives a Sat. evening sermon with the soundbyte "May God strike them [Palestinians] down with the plague along with all the nasty Palestinians who persecute Israel", causing an outcry and the U.S. State Dept. to condemn his remarks. On Aug. 28 after they dismantle 100+ illegal camps and send hundreds back to E Europe, the U.N. tells France to stop the forced expulsion of Roma (Gypsies). On Aug. 28 Belgian cardinal Godfried Danneels is revealed to have tried to stop a sex abuse victim from going public, causing an outcry. On Aug. 29 a bus runs off a highway and overturns 55 mi. S of Quito, Ecuador, killing 36 and injuring 12. On Aug. 29 a 50-y.-o. gunman opens fire in Bratislava, Slovakia, killing six and injuring 14 before committing suicide. On Aug. 29 Mt. Sinabung on Sumatra Island in Indonesia erupts for the first time in 400 years. On Aug. 29 Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi calls for Europe to convert to Islam, saying that "Islam should become the religion of all of Europe", causing the Vatican to call that disrespectful to the pope and Catholic Italy. On Aug. 29 the U.S. birth rate for 2009 is announced at 13.5 per 1K, down from 14.3 in 2007, and the lowest in U.S. history; in 1820 it was 55.2. On Aug. 30 prosecutors in Clark County, Nev. file felony cocaine possession charges on Paris Hilton after a weekend arrest. On Aug. 30 Mexico fires 3.2K federal police officers, 10% of the force for suspected corruption. On Aug. 30 "Pepto-Bismol terrorist" Muslims Ahmed Mohamed Nasser al Soofi and Hezem al Murisi arriving in Amsterdam from Chicago are arrested at the airport for a "dry-run" terrorist attack, complete with "mock bombs" in their luggage, incl. box cutters, a wad of cash, and a Blackberry duct-taped to a bottle of Pepto-Bismol; al Soofi is from Detroit, Mich., and al Murisi is an illegal immigrant from Yemen; after the authorities can't prove anything they are released - did they put them on the watch list? On Aug. 30 the German Social Dem. party (SPD) begins expulsion proceedings for central bank officer Thilo Sarrazin over comments in his new book "Deutschland Schaaft Sich Ab" (Germany Does Away With Itself", claiming that Muslim Arabs and Turks are ruining the country by swamping it then having lower IQs combined with higher birthrates; a remark that Jews have a common gene is distorting to make him look anti-Semitic, when he also said that he would prefer immigration "if it was by Eastern European Jews with a 15% higher IQ than the German population". On Aug. 30 Pres. Obama broadens U.S. financial sanctions on North Korea, and freezes the assets of four North Korean citizens and eight firms to punish it for the sinking of the South Korean warship. On Aug. 30 four Ugandan peacekeepers are killed in Mogadishu, Somalia by Islamist rebels firing mortars at the pres. palace. On Aug. 30 the ACLU et al. sue the Obama admin. over its program they claim illegally tries to kill U.S. citizens believed to be terrorists living abroad, incl. Anwar al-Awalaki; the suit is brought in the name of his father Nasser al-Awlaki, claiming violation of the U.S. Constitution and internat. law. On Aug. 30 the U.S. Justice Dept. files a 2nd lawsuit against Arizona for its community colleges requirements that non-citizens provide green cards to be hired for jobs. On Aug. 30 after returning from his vacation, Pres. Obama arranges a hasty media event at the White House on the economic crisis, pushing a $30B small business package; too bad, his microphone doesn't work, becoming a magic moment for the public that he's clueless and out of control?; meanwhile the Oval Office gets a makeover incl. new carpet, furniture, and wallpaper, some of which bears a striking resemblance to furniture seen in TV series The Jeffersons, making Obama seem smaller? On Aug. 30 Mexican drug lord Edgar "La Barbie" Valdez (1973-) is captured by Mexican authorities. On Aug. 30 a Gallup Poll reveals that 51% of registered voters say they will vote for the Repub. candidate in their district if the election were held now, vs. 41% for the Dem. candidate, the biggest Repub. lead since 1942 and the 4th straight weak that the Repubs. have the edge on the Dems. On Aug. 30 Repub. Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisc. warns that the U.S. economy faces a "lost decade" like Japan had in the 1990s if it continues to spend. On Aug. 30 insurgents attack Afghan civilians praying at a mosque in Marjah in Helmand Province, killing two and wounding one. On Aug. 31 (10:45 a.m.) Pres. Obama gives a Speech to the Troops at Ft. Bliss Army Base in El Paso, Tex., thanking them for making the U.S. safer, and uttering the soundbyte that his coming evening speech won't be a "victory lap, it's not going to be self-congratulatory"; it contains the soundbytes "As we wind down the war in Iraq, we must tackle those challenges at home with as much energy, and grit, and sense of common purpose as our men and women in uniform who have served abroad", "They have met every test that they faced. Now, it's our turn"; he also announces new loosened rules on export of sensitive military and other technology; at ? p.m. Pres. Obama gives his End of the U.S. Mission in Iraq Speech, with the soundbyte "Tonight I am announcing that the American combat mission in Iraq has ended", announcing the End of Operation Iraqi Freedom, which began 89 mo. earlier on Mar. 20, 2003 and totalled 4,421 killed (incl. 3,492 in combat and nine civilian DOD employees), one every 15 hours; the deadliest mo. was Nov. 2004 (139 troops killed); the deadliest period was Oct. 2006-June 2007 (805 troops killed); only 18 killed this year; the last brigade team, the 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Div. left on Aug. 18, after which the troop level fell below 50K on Aug. 24, down from a max of 165K in 2007; meanwhile a Gallup Poll reveals that more Iraqis approved of U.S. leadership under Bush than Obama, by 35% to 33%, and another Iraqi poll shows that almost 60% don't want U.S. soldiers to leave now, and 53% oppose Obama ending the combat mission; meanwhile a CBS Poll shows that 70% of Americans approve of Obama's decision. On Aug. 31 the Coordinating Council of Muslim Orgs. (CCMO) sends 25 leaders of 20 nat. Muslim groups to a special workshop presented by the White House and U.S. govt. agencies to provide them with "funding, government assistance, and resources" and "cut through red tape"; this despite the CCMO having ties to the Muslim Brotherhood whose explicit goals incl. subversion and takeover of the U.S. by Islam? On Aug. 31 a Palestinian gunman opens fire on an Israeli vehicle near Hebron in the West Bank, killing four Jewish settlers, incl. a pregnant woman; Hamas praises the shooter but doesn't claim responsibility until Sept. 1; Hebron has 500 Jewish settlers living among 100K Palestinians, causing PM Benjamin Netanyahu to utter the soundbyte: "Terrorism will not determine the fate of Judea and Samaria residents or borders - these issues and others will be determined during negotiations"; meanwhile on Aug. 31 10 settlers fire at and chase three Palestinian farmers in Deir Istiya village in Nablus, and on Sept. 1 3K Palestinians celebrate the Hebron murders in Gaza, with Hamas spokesman Abu Obeida saying "The Qassam Brigades announces its full responsibility for the heroic operation in Hebron"; meanwhile on Aug. 31 former Israeli foreign minister and ambassador to the U.S. Moshe Arens pub. an article in Ha'aretz, saying that Mahmoud Abbas "does not have the backing of all Palestinians, not even of most of them. As far as Hamas is concerned, he has no right to represent the Palestinians in the upcoming negotations.... But most important, he does not have the authority to carry out any agreement he might arrive at with Netanyahu... Abbas may or might not want to conclude a peace with Israel, but he cannot." On Aug. 31 North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il returns from a trip to China, where he met with pres. Hu Jintao, leaving observers clueless about who his successor will be - a rocket man? On Aug. 31 a drug cartel attack in the Castillo del Mar Bar in Cancun, Mexico kills eight Mexicans. On Aug. 31 the U.S. Dept. of Justice Web site takes down its red-white-blue banner and replaces it with a plain black-white one, along with the quote "The common law is the will of mankind, issuing from the life of the people" by 1930s globalist lawyer C. Wilfred Jenks. On Aug. 31 Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Christian leader Pope Shenouda III (1923-2012) is charged with detaining Camillia Shehata, wife of a Coptic cleric after she converted to Islam; he claims the conversion was forced. On Aug. 31 a new Newsweek poll reveals that 52% of Repubs. believe that Pres. Obama sympathizes with Islamic fundamentalists and wants to impose Islamic Sharia worldwide. On Aug. 31 after Hurricane Danielle fizzles, My Name is Hurricane Earl reaches category 4, threatening the U.S. E coast. On Aug. 31 Pres. Obama signs Executive Order No. ?, amending the rules for court martials. In Aug. after minister Tony Muhammad is beaten by LAPD police for holding a prayer vigil for a young man killed in a drive-by shooting, and claims that Scientology saves his life, turning on white-hating Jew-hating leader Louis Farrakhan Sr. (Louis Eugene Walcott) (1933-) (AKA Louis X), who finds similarities between Xenu and mad scientist Yakub, who allegedly created the devil white race, the Nation of Islam sends hundreds of members to a seminar on Dianetics in Rosemont, Ill., after which Farrakhan tells everyone to become a certified auditor. In Aug. U.S. unemployment rises to 9.6%, a net job loss of 54K, although private employment increased by 67K jobs. In Aug. the Big Am. Egg Recall sees 500M eggs sold under 24 brands recalled for salmonella infestation, after which federal inspectors uncover unspeakably filthy conditions, causing an outcry. In Aug. Pres. Obama's Summer of Recovery proves a bust as a Reuters poll shows that 75% of Americans are very worried about joblessness, and 67% are very concerned about massive govt. spending; unemployment remains hovering near 10%. In Aug. 2010 aging Fidel Castro gives an interview to Jeffrey Goldberg, in which he criticizes Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran for always slamming the Jews, with the soundbyte that the Iranian government should understand the consequences of theological anti-Semitism, saying "This went on for maybe two thousand years. I don't think anyone has been slandered more than the Jews. I would say much more than the Muslims. They have been slandered much more than the Muslims because they are blamed and slandered for everything. No one blames the Muslims for anything." He adds that the Iranian govt. should understand that the Jews "were expelled from their land, persecuted and mistreated all over the world", adding "The Jews have lived an existence that is much harder than ours. There is nothing that compares to the Holocaust." In Aug. Ethiopian Christian Tamirat Woldegorgis is arrested after his Muslim co-worker accusing him of writing "Jesus is Lord" in a copy of the Quran; he is jailed until ? On Sept. 1 the U.S. draws down to 50K troops in Iraq. On Sept. 1 three bombs explode in a Shiite religious procession in Lahore, Pakistan, killing 18 and wounding 150. On Sept. 1 Hamid Karzai's brother Mahmoud Karzai calls for the U.S. to intervene to head off a meltdown of Kabul Bank, Afghanistan's biggest bank, which he is a major shareholder in, after which depositors throng its branches, causing Hamid on Sept. 2 to tell Afghans not to panic; on Sept. 7 Mahmoud Karzai's Kabul Bank assets are frozen. On Sept. 1 a poll by the Arab World for R&D shows that most Palestinians don't want a state next to Israel, with 78.2% wanting Israel to be gone, only 17.7% accepting a 2-state solution, and a tiny 9.6% accepting a joint state. On Sept. 1 former U.S. Sen. (R-Wyo.) (1979-97) Alan Kooi Simpson (1931-), co-chair of Pres. Obama's fiscal commission apologizes for an Aug. 24 e-mail to Nat. Older Women's League exec dir. Ashley Carlson calling Social Security "a milk cow with 310 million tits". On Sept. 1 former British Labour PM (1997-2007) Tony Blair (1953-) releases his new memoir "A Journey"; on Sept. 3 he gives an interview on it, calling radical Islam the greatest threat facing the world, saying that after 9/11 he didn't understand it yet, but that its roots go far deeper than he thought, and "If they could, they would use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons" and kill 300K not just 3K, saying "This is actually more like the phenomenon of revolutionary Communism", and "It's the religious or cultural equivalent of it, and its roots are deep, its tentacles are long, and its narrative about Islam stretches far further than we think into even parts of mainstream opinion who abhor the extremism, but sort of buy some of the rhetoric that goes with it"; on Sept. 4 he holds the first public signing of his memoir in Dublin, Ireland, where protesters hurl shoes and eggs at him; on Sept. 5 he warns that Iran's nuclear program must be stopped by tougher sanctions followed by a military action. On Sept. 1 Iranian consul Hossein Alizadeh resigns in Oslo, and requests asylum in Finland. On Sept. 1 the Pentecostal Dove World Outreach Center in Gainsville, Fla., led by pastor Terry Jones (1951-) (who posted a sign outside his church in 2009 reading "Islam is of the Devil") gains mass media attention for his July announcement of a public burning of 200 Qurans on 9/11, calling it Internat. Burn a Koran Day, complete with a Facebook page, causing Pope Benedict VI, Hillary Clinton, U.S. atty.-gen. Eric Holder, U.S. Gen. David Petraeus, Sarah Palin, Franklin Graham, and Pat Robertson, along with Pres. Obama (who calls it a "stunt" that is "contrary to American values") to ask them not to do it; on Sept. 6 hundreds of Afghans protest the planned action outside Kabul, shouting "Death to America"; the FBI announces that an Islamic extremist relatiatory attack is likely; Terry Jones is revealed to have led a 1K-member congregation in Cologne, Germany, where he preached hatred of Islam, and got a 3K Euro fine in 2002 for claiming a fake doctorate before he was kicked out by the church in 2008 for financial irregularities; Sept. 9 after FBI agents visit him and tells him about a blizzard of death threats, Terry Jones cancels the planned Quran BBQ after being told that the Ground Zero Mosque will moved, calling it "a sign from God", which Imam Rauf denies, saying "We're not here to barter", after which Fla. imam Muhammad Musri claims he only told him he'd go to New York with him and discuss moving it, pissing Jones off, causing him to say "I've been lied to", and that the event is only suspended not cancelled; meanwhile Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan. vows to hold a Quran BBQ if they don't, then flops and vows never to do it; on Sept. 12 two Iranian grand ayatollahs issue fatwas calling for death for all who insult the Quran or burn it; on Sept. 9 the Council on Am.-Islamic Relations (CAIR) announces it will distribute 200K Korans, and on Sept. 10 Iraqi Muslim al-Qaida leader Abu Suleiman Al-Naser (al-Nassir) posts a call on the Web for Am. Muslims to murder Terry Jones; Jones' 225 Qurans are given to the Christian Defense Coalition, who distributes them to Christian churches as a reminder to pray for Muslims and share the love of Christ with them; meanwhile reports that authorities in Iran have have intercepted and burned hundreds of Bibles are ignored by the PC media; in Oct. it is announced that Jones received a free $13K 2011 Hyundai for calling the Quranicue off; on Jan. 20, 2011 Jones is banned from Britain by babyproof home secy. Theresa May; on Mar. 21, 2011 Jones burns a Quran anyway, by which time his 15 min. of fame is up and nobody cares, which doesn't stop irate Muslims from issuing a $2.3M fatwa on his head. On Sept. 2 a shootout between soldiers and drug cartel members in Ciud Mier in Tamaulipas, Mexico kills 25 cartel gunmen. On Sept. 2 EU trade commissioner Karel De Gucht warns on a Flemish radio show that the Jewish lobby has a grip on U.S. politics so there is no point in more Middle East peace talks; on Sept. 3 she is forced to issue a clarification that her views are personal. On Sept. 2 the shallow water Mariner Energy facility S of Vermillion Bay in La. explodes; there are no injuries; some report seeing an oil slick. On Sept. 2 Middle East expert Arnaud de Borgegrave tells Newsmax.TV that the odds of an Israeli strike on Iran is "a 50-50 proposition", adding "It seems to be moving up the ladder." On Sept. 2 (1 p.m.) leftist eco-terrorist James Jay Lee (b. 1967) takes three hostages at the Md. HQ of Discovery Channel, saying that he has been inspired by Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" and is pissed-off at their rejection of his ideas for a new show; he is shot dead by police. On Sept. 2 Pakistan state minister for industries Ayatullah Durrani publicly asks Pres. Obama to offer Eid prayers at the Sept. 11 Eid-ul-Fitr festival and declare himself the leader (caliph) (Amur-ul-Momineen) of all Muslims, saying "This is a golden opporunity, Muslims badly need it", and that Obama's elevation to the caliphate would be the "key to success". On Sept. 3 Iranian armed forces chief of staff Hassan Firouzabadi announces that if Israel attacks its nuclear facilities it will retaliate by attacking theirs. On Sept. 3 Turkey grants limited military concessions to the U.S. to use its territory, allowing them to move technical and logistical military equipment while withdrawing from Iraq; in 2003 it refused to allow U.S. troops to invade Iraq via its SE border. On Sept. 3 World Qods (Jerusalem) Day sees massive rallies in Iran calling for the "ignominious annihilation" of the "usurper Zionist regime" in Israel; meanwhile on Aug. 29 Arab League head Amr Moussa, who earlier had doubted that the Israeli-Palestinian talks would be successful says that they will be the last round of negotiations because Arabs are ready for full peace with Israel in exchange for a pullout of the lands occupied in 1967 incl. East Jerusalem; on Sept. 5 foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman warns Israelis to remember what happened after the Oslo peace talks with the 2nd Intifada, and says that there will be no peace in our time; meanwhile U.S. envoy Michael B. Oren warns that Hezbolllah has 15K rockets on the Lebanese border hidden under homes, hospitals and schools with enough range to hit Eilat, Israel. On Sept. 3 after Arab pressure, Internat. Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) head Yukiya Amano invites Israel "to consider to accede" to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, causing foreign minister Avigdor Liberman to call it a political ploy to divert attention from the "real proliferation challenges" of Iran and Syria. On Sept. 3 a car bomber in Tajikistan kills two police and wounds 25, becoming the first Islamic suicide bombing in the country since 2005. On Sept. 3 an explosion in a Shiite procession in Quetta, Pakistan kills 65 and wounds 150. On Sept. 3 a mudslide buries a bus in Guatemala, killing 28 and injures 30, with 40 missing. On Sept. 3 U.S. district judge Richard Kopf overturns a Neb. law banning flag mutilation, clearing the way for protesters from the Westboro Baptist Church of Kan. to trample U.S. flags at religiously-motivated military funeral protests; the members also announce that they burn Korans - nyaa? On Sept. 4 (4:35 a.m.) a 7.1 earthquake hits 19 mi. W of Christchurch, New Zealand, causing $1.4B damage and injuring two. On Sept. 4 Christians announce their concern about Muslim plans to pour tons of concrete on top of a wall above Jesus' Garden Tomb in Jerusalem for a Muslim cemetery. On Sept. 4 top Iranian grand ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi calls the Holocaust a "superstition", and says that "Zionists say that people of the world should be forced to accept this." On Sept. 4 Afghan Pres. Hamid Karazi announces the formation of a High Council for Peace to hold talks with the Taliban. On Sept. 5 an early morning car bomb at a military HQ in Baghdad, Iraq kills 12 and wounds 20, and is followed by a 2.5 hour gun battle as two men in explosive vests slip into the old defense ministry bldg. and throw grenades at Iraqi soldiers until they are killed. On Sept. 5 an Islamic suicide bomber on a Russian military base in Dagestan kills five soldiers and wounds 36. On Sept. 5 Iranian pres. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visits Qatar, and utters the soundbyte "The U.S. and the Zionist entity will not be able to hit Iran right now. This is a wish... Any Israeli attack against Iran means the elimination of the Zionist entity from the world map"; meanwhile it is revealed that at least five Iranian cos. in Afghanistan have a $1K bounty on the head of any U.S. soldier killed by a Taliban member, also paying them monthly salaries of $233 and offering them $6K to blow up a U.S. military vehicle, and that Hezbollah is hitting U.S. targets in Iraq as a subcontractor for Iran and Syria. On Sept. 6 (Labor Day) Pres. Obama announces a 6-year $50B Infrastructure Plan to revamp aging roads, railways, and runways. On Sept. 6 a Taliban suicide bomber rams his car into a police station in Lakki Marwat in NW Pakistan, killing 19; meanwhile the Taliban threatens violent attacks on polling places in the Sept. 18 Afghanistan parliamentary elections. On Sept. 6 the Palestinian Nat. Authority objects to holding internat. meetings in Jerusalem, calling it a "provocation" because most of the world doesn't recognize it as Israel's capital. On Sept. 6 the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency IAEA releases a report saying that Iran is "hampering" their work, and possesses 2.8 tons of enriched uranium; the White House calls it "troubling". On Sept. 6 Pres. Obama gives a speech in Milwaukee, Wisc., where he utters the immortal soundbyte "Some powerful interests who had been dominating the agenda in Washington for a very long time and they're not always happy with me, they talk about me like a dog. That's not in my prepared remarks, but it's true." On Sept. 6 French pres. Nicolas Sarkozy vows to go ahead with plans to strip French citizenship from Muslim immigrants who attack police, but rules it out for those who only practice polygamy or promote female circumcision. On Sept. 6 a fire at a private stable near Charles Town Races in W. Va. kills 27 thoroughbred racehorses. On Sept. 6-13 a wildfire burns 6.4K acres in Four Mile (Fourmile) Canyon near Boulder, Colo., burning 159 homes incl. the homes of four firefighters, becoming the worst fire in Colo. history.; it starts in a fire pit of a volunteer fireman. On Sept. 7 U.S. secy. of state Hillary Clinton hosts a Ramadan dinner with Muslims on Capitol Hill - does she wear a burqa? On Sept. 7 former Obama Office of Mgt. and Budget (OMB) dir. Peter Orszag breaks with Obama and recommends extending the expiring Bush tax cuts for two years. On Sept. 7 Pres. Obama issues a Rosh Hashana Message to the Jewish community, urging them and Arabs to "seize peace", adding "We had an opportunity to move forward, toward the goal we share — two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security." On Sept. 7 prominent Christian, Jewish, and Muslim leaders hold an "emergency summit" in Washington, D.C. to denounce "the derision, misinformationa and outright bigotry" over Am. Muslims, esp. in the Ground Zero Mosque debate - they never denounce the intolerance, bigotry, supremacy, anti-Semitism etc. of Muslims worldwide? On Sept. 7 a bomb in a residential compound for police in Islamabad,Pakistan kills 18, incl. children, and injures 50. On Sept. 7 the govt. of Iraq announces the return of hundreds of Iraqi antiquities from the U.S.; meanwhile 632 pieces repatriated last year are announced as missing. On Sept. 7 transit strikes cripple London and France. On Sept. 7 Chicago mayor Richard M. Daley announces that he won't run again; Pres. Obama okays Rahm Emanuel to go for it, and he resigns on Oct. 1. On Sept. 7 (7 p.m.) 300 Egyptian security forces attack the St. Macarius of Alexandria Monastery in Wadi Rayan, Fayoun Province 90 mi. S of Cairo to stop them from building new limestone brick cells for the monks. On Sept. 8 Sri Lanka removes term limits for the pres., causing critics to say this could lead to a dictatorship. On Sept. 8 Italian Roman Catholic priest Piero Gheddo says that the low birth rate in Europe coupled with mass Muslim immigration will lead to Islam "sooner rather than later conquering the majority in Europe". On Sept. 8 it is announced that the Obama. admin. increased the federal debt by $2.526T, more than the cumulative total of all U.S. presidents from Washington to Reagan combined. On Sept. 8 Danish 2005 Muslim-offending Muhammad cartoonist Kurt Westergaard is awarded the M100 Media Prize in Berlin, Germany by chancellor Angela Merkel. On Sept. 8 Gaza terrorists launch a mortar attack on children and parents in S Israel hours before the start of the Jewish New Year Rosh Hashanah. On Sept. 8 the U.S. blacklists the German-based European-Iranian Trade Bank AG, claiming that it finances weapons proliferation. On Sept. 8 the city council of Hartford, Conn. begins kicking-off meetings with Islamic prayers from the Quran to show solidarity with Muslims, sparking outrage. On Sept. 8 the Obama admin. wins a major victory from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, allowing it to shield Bush-era crimes from judicial review as "state secrets". On Sept. 8 a survey carried out by the Palestinian Authority claims that 63.1% of 1.5M Palestinians in Gaza live below the poverty line, a higher percentage than the same size pop. in Rwanda. On Sept. 9 Calif. U.S. district judge Virginia A. Phillips overturns the U.S. military ban on openly gay service members. On Sept. 9 an Islamic suicide car bomber in Rostov-on-Don, Russia kills 17 and wounds 130+. On Sept. 9 a federal jury convicts Peter Seda, co-founder of the Islamic charity Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation in Ashland, Ore. for helping smuggle $150K to Islamic terrorists in Chechnya. On Sept. 9 an Iranian dissent group claims that Iran is developing a secret nuclear site called Behjatad-Abyek (Code Name 311) near Qazvin, 120 mi. W of Tehran. On Sept. 9 a natural gas line ruptures in San Francisco, Calif., causing a massive fireball and destroying 50+ homes. On Sept. 9 Muslim-Am. Yvonne Hiller shoots and kills two co-workers and injures a 3rd at a Kraft plant in NE Philly using a .357 Magnum. On Sept. 9 Forbes mag. pub. a cover story article from Dinesh D'Souza titled How Obama Thinks, containing the soundbytes "Barack Obama is the most antibusiness president in a generation, perhaps in American history. Thanks to him the era of big government is back", and claiming that he adopted "the cause of anti-colonialism" from his dead Kenyan father, which is praised by Newt Gingrich, causing White House Press secy. Robert Gibbs and call it a "publication you would see in a dentist's office, so lacking in truth and fact. I think it represents a new low." On Sept. 9-11 the Muslim Eid al-Fitr date falls near 9/11 for the first time since 2001, causing Am. Muslims to tone down festivities. On Sept. 10 Pres. Obama holds a news conference (first since May), fielding questions on the dismal chances for Dems. in the Nov. election, dissing Repubs. for "holding middle class tax relief hostage because they're insisting we've got to give tax relief to millionaires and billionaires, which would cost, over the course of 10 years, $700 billion and economists say is probably the worst way to stimulate the economy. That's an example of what this election is all about"; he also pontificates about Pastor Terry Jones' "stunt" and how it threatens American lives abroad, reminding us that he's commander in chief and seeming to regret not ordering U.S. marshals to arrest him for endangering troops, saying "You don't play games with that", and repeating his support of Muslims' right to build a mosque anywhere they can get away with, esp. Ground Zero, never mentioning that he could work with the Muslims to move it in a compromise, cautioning Americans not to "turn on each other", and uttering the soundbyte: "We are not at war against Islam, we're at war against terrorist organizations that have distorted Islam or falsely used the banner of Islam to engage in their destructive acts - we've got to be clear about that"; he also announces the appointment of Austan Dean Goolsbee (1969-) chmn. of the Council of Economic Advisers (until ?); meanwhile thousands protest the Pastor Terry Jones Koran Burning media stunt in Afghanistan, burning effigies of Terry Jones, and resulting in at least one death as German troops shoot a protester outside a NATO base; meanwhile Iranian pres. Imanutjob says that Quran burning is a "Zionist plot" that will hasten Israel's annhilation, and Newt Gingrich calls on Obama to come out against the Ground Zero Mosque to show the Am. people some "even-handedness"; meanwhile CIA dir. Leon Panetta tells his employees in a 9/11 memorial message that "The enemy is defined not by any religion, but by their actions, their atrocities", saying "We are united by our shared belief in liberty, equality, tolerance, fairness, and better lives for our children" (so we are at war with Islam?); meanwhile a new U.S. Terror Report from the former heads of the 9/11 Commission says that the U.S. has been slow to take seriously threats posed by homegrown Islamic radicals and failed to put systems into place - duh, no brainer with a president like Obama? On Sept. 10 former Osama bin Laden comrade Norman Benotman calls for al-Qaida to stop its U.S. campaign, saying that the 9/11 attacks only brought sufferings to ordinary Muslims. On Sept. 10 a record 25 are killed by drug gangs in Juarez, Mexico; meanwhile 85 inmates scale the walls of Reynosa Prison and escape, while Pres. Felipe Calderon denies a statement by Hillary Clinton that Mexico resembles Colombia in the 1990s, saying "We face an increasing threat from a well-organized network, drug-trafficking threat that is, in some cases, morphing into, or making common cause with, what we would consider an insurgency." On Sept. 11 Pres. Obama marks the 9th Anniv. of 9/11 at the Pentagon, giving a speech with the soundbyte "We define the character of our country", continuing his act of pretending Islamic jihad doesn't exist by calling al-Qaida "some small band of murderers", while vice-pres. Joe Biden attends services at Ground Zero which begin with a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m when the first plane hit the North Tower of the WTC, and First Ladies Michelle Obama and Laura Bush mark it at the Shanksville, Penn. Flight 93 Memorial Site; New York anti-mosque activists Robert Spencer and Pamela Geller of Stop the Islamization of Am. and the Freedom Defense Initiative lead 40K in a protest against the Ground Zero Mosque (Cordoba House) (Park51) in New York City, where Dutch politician Geert Wilders delivers his No Mosque Here Speech, with the soundbytes "A tolerant society is not a suicidal society", "We must draw the line so that New York, rooted in Dutch tolerance will never become New Mecca", and "We must not give a free hand to those who want to subjugate us"; too bad, the already-subjugated major media skunk it despite giving unlimited publicity to the 1-man band Pastor Terry Jones; N.J. Transit worker Derek Fenton bravely burns pages from his Quran at Ground Zero, and is taken away by the pigs for questioning, then released, two days later getting fired, after which the ACLU takes up his cause, getting his job back with damages and lost wages by Apr. 2011; six men from Gateshead, Tyneside, England are later arrested for filming themselves burning Qurans on 9/11. On Sept. 11 Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu demands that Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state, saying "That is the real basis of the end of demands from the state of Israel and the end of the conflict between the two peoples", but adds that he will not make it a precondition of talks; he also says that Israel won't continue the freeze on Jewish construction in Judea and Samaria beyond Sept. 26; on Sept. 15 the 2nd round of talks in Sharm e-Sheikh ends with no movement on the construction moratorium issue. On Sept. 11 Saudi diplomat Ali Ahmad Asseri asks the U.S. govt. for asylum because the Saudi govt. refused to renew his diplomatic passpart and fired him discovering he has a Jewish woman friend and is gay, saying he fears for his life and that if he returns "they will kill me openly in broad daylight". On Sept. 12 Pres. Obama extends the 9/11 state of emergency for another year. On Sept. 12 Turkish voters by 58-41 pass a sweeping constitutional reform package, veering it toward Sharia and away from secularism by reining in the possibility of secular military coups while protecting individual and women's rights on paper, but with no teeth for enforcement, allowing Islamist officers expelled from the military to appeal to the courts, which are controlled by Islamists; no surprise, Pres. Obama praises Turkey for this move, while Israeli defense minister Amos Gilad says that "If there is not a change in personality, then Turkey will become Iran number two". On Sept. 12 in an effort to save midterm elections for the Dems., Pres. Obama flops and backs extending the Bush-era tax cuts, but only for the 98% of Ams. making less than $250K a year. On Sept. 12 Repub. leader Newt Gingrich says that Pres. Obama harbors a deep-seated animosity toward the West coming from his daddy's rebellion against British rule in Kenya, calling him "factually insane", and his worldview "outside the comprehension" of most Americans. On Sept. 13 the Obama admin. closes a $60B arms deal with retro Sharia country Saudi Arabia, the biggest U.S. arms deal in history, incl. 84 F-15 Strike Eagles, 70 Apache helis, 72 Black Hawk helis, and 36 Little Bird helis; Pres. Obama's Nobel Peace Prize isn't even 1 year old; a plan to train Saudi pilots at Mountain Force AFB in Idaho in 2014-19 pisses-off the locals; meanwhile a U.S. envoy to the IAEA Glyn Davies urges Arab states to withdraw a resolution calling on Israel to sign the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, saying it would give a negative signal to peace talks. On Sept. 13 deadly riots in Kashmir kill 16 after Iranian TV broadcasts images of Ams. desecrating the Quran, causing U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer to jump and claim that Quran-burning is like "shouting fire in a crowded theater" and hence can be banned, not mentioning that it should be the press that is punished not the individual for broadcasting the event worldwide and creating the crowded theater; the next day he flops and says that the Constitution does protect book burning, with the soundbyte "We protect expression that we hate" - so he loves the holy Quran and wants everybody to imbibe its evil ideology? On Sept. 13 Cuba announces that its bad economy is forcing it to fire 1M state by employees by next Mar. On Sept. 13 the FBI bans 16-y.-o. English teenie Luke Angel (1993-) from the U.S. for life for sending a drunken email to Pres. Obama that calls him a "punk". On Sept. 13 Italy announces that it's presenting a resolution to the U.N. to protect the rights of religious minorities in Pakistan from Muslims. On Sept. 13 the decision of the city council of Hartford, Conn. to reverse its decision to host an Islamic prayer in favor of an interfaith moment of silence pisses-off area Muslims, who demand Islamic prayer sessions. On Sept. 13 an Australian jury hears testimony about a planned attack by five Muslim men on Holsworth Army Base. On Sept. 13 blonde Mexican reporter Ines Sainz receives catcalls in the New York Jets locker room, causing the PC police to come out. On Sept. 13 the Royal Canadian Mounted Police pub. their annual report for 2010-1, containing the first mention of a possible coup d'etat. On Sept. 14 Sarah Shourd of the U.S. is released after 400 days in solitary confinement in Iran (July 2009) for alleged spying after paying £500K bail. On Sept. 14 Mexican immigration minister (since 2006) Cecilia Romero Castillo resigns three weeks after the massacre of 72 Central and South Am. migrants. On Sept. 14 (9 p.m.) a bomb alert at the Eiffel Tower in Paris causes 25K to be evacuated. On Sept. 14 a panel of U.S. nat. security experts releases a report saying that Pres. Obama is abandoning the U.S. to Muslim Sharia by his policy of delinking Islam to terrorism et al., threatening subversion of the U.S. Constitutional govt. On Sept. 14-18 Category 3 Hurricane Karl forms off the coast of Venezuela then hits the Yucatan Peninsula, killing three. On Sept. 15 Western govts. accuse Iran of trying to intimidate the IAEA by barring some nuclear inspectors; the U.S. warns them of possible diplomatic consequences. On Sept. 15 U.S. homeland security secy. Janet Napolitano tells the Congressional Hispanic Caucus that the U.S.-Mexico border is largely secured, and asks lawmakers to quit "moving the goalposts". On Sept. 15 Gaza militants fire mortars and rockets at S Israel to stop peace talks, causing Israeli aircraft to bomb a smuggling tunnel at the Egyptian border, killing a Palestinian. On Sept. 15 Iranian pres. Madmaninastraightjacket interviews head-covered Andrea Mitchel on NBC Nightly News, saying that "Muslims do not hate America" - just the non-Muslims in it? On Sept. 15 Pres. Obama addresses the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Inst. 33rd Annual Award Gala in Washington, D.C., and omits the word "Creator" from the Declaration of Independence. On Sept. 15 Austrian diplomat's daughter Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff is charged with "hate speech" and "denigration of religious teaching" by the Islam ignoramus Austrian govt. for speaking against Islamic Sharia, with the soundbyte "Sharia is a definite no-no. We want no gender apartheid, no ghettoes, no social and cultural discrimination, no polygamy, no theocracy, no hate." On Sept. 16 ailing Mexico celebrates its bicentennial, complete with a $40M celebration - how long till the Megamerge Dissolution Solution? On Sept. 16 South Korean pres. Lee Myung-bak names Kim Hwang-sik as PM of South Korea (until ?). On Sept. 16 U.S. secy. of state Hillary Clinton leaves the Middle East with no sign of breakthrough in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks after three days. On Sept. 16 (5:20 p.m.) a 100 mph tornado-like storm hits Brooklyn, N.Y., killing one and leaving 25K without power. On Sept. 16-19 Pope Benedict XVI visits Britain (at a cost of 10M pounds to the British govt.), offering to "extend the hand of friendship", and urging it to resist "more aggressive forms of secularism" after the queen welcomes him at Holyroodhouse in Edinbugh, praising Britain for fighting Hitler's "atheist extremism", and saying that though it had a "great history of anti-Catholicism" it also had a "great history of tolerance"; he also expresses a "great sadness" for the pedophile priest scandal, saying "It is difficult to understand how this perversion of the priestly ministry was possible", and why the "authority of the Church" was not "sufficiently vigilant"; the Vatican is shocked at the hostile British reaction to him; on Sept. 15 six Algerian Muslims are arrested for a plot to kill him, then released after the police decide there's "no credible threat"; during his flight from Rome, he said the child sex abuse scandal by the clergy was a great personal shock to him; the pope meets with the secy.-gen. of the Muslim Council of Britain; on Sept. 18 the Raelians file suit against the pope, claiming that he violated human rights by claiming that condoms don't stop the spread of AIDS. On Sept. 17 Pres. Obama announces the appointment of Harvard law prof. (consumer advocate) Elizabeth Warren as the head of a new consumer financial protection bureau. On Sept. 17 Ark. Repub. leader Mike Huckabee says that Pres. Obama treats Muslims better than Jews or Christians, adding "it certainly would be helpful if he would show a little love to the people that are unapologetically Christian." On Sept. 18 Chile celebrates its bicentennial. On Sept. 18 elections in Afghanistan are attacked by the Taliban with 739 attacks as 2.5K candidates incl. 400 women run for the 249 seats of the lower house; the results are announced on Oct. 8. On Sept. 19 Pres. Obama makes his first appearance in a church since Easter Sun. at St. John's Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C.; it later is revealed that the church also invited Jerusalem-born Muslim guest speaker Dr. Ziad J. Asali (1942-), 2003 founder of the Am. Task Force on Palestine, which promotes a 2-state solution, with Asali known as the official U.S. delegate to the funeral of Yasser Arafat; ask the PC media why they tried to cover it up, although Obama left before he spoke; meanwhile his moderate Repub. point man Colin Powell appears on NBC's "Meet the Press", calling all the talk of his secret Muslim leanings and foreign birth "nonsense", saying "Let's not go down low... Let's attack him on policy, not nonsense." On Sept. 19 Islamist gunmen kill 23 in Racht Valley in Tajikistan 150 mi. E of Dushanbe. On Sept. 19 a Somali-descent Muslim British citizen from Liverpool is arrested on a plan en route to Entebbe, Uganda for suspected terrorism. On Sept. 20 after the worst U.S. recession since the 1930s is officially declared to be over last June (begun Dec. 2007) by the Nat. Bureau of Economic Research, Pres. Obama holds a town hall meeting hosted by CNBC, and commiserates with his mainly disappointed supporters, saying "Even though economists may say the recession officially ended last year, obviously for the millions of people who are still out of work... It is still very real for them"; he adds "I am confident that the American dream will continue. There is not a country in the world that would not want to change places with us." On Sept. 20 France announces that it is stepping up vigilance against terror threats, incl. one against the Paris transport network. On Sept. 20 Turkish pres. Abdullah Gul abruptly cancels a planned meeting with Israeli pres. Shimon Peres at Bill Clinton's Millennium Challenge after Peres won't apologize for the Gaza Flotilla incident, but meets with Israel-hating Iranian pres. Imadinnajacket, who on Sept. 21 addresses the U.N. Gen. Assembly, saying that Capitalism is failing, and that a "pure, righteous and glorious" NWO should be created, and warning the U.S. that if its nuclear facilities are attacked, it will start a war "without boundaries", and that "war is not just bombs", also calling Hillary Clinton "an enemy of Iran", and saying that "the Zionist regime is finished" and can't attack Iran, so they're not even planning for an attack; meanwhile French pres. Nicolas Sarkozy vows a fight on world poverty, pledging to boost aid to the world's poorest by 20% over three years and inviting other nations to join. On Sept. 20 three U.S. drone attacks in South Waziristan,Pakistan kill 25+. On Sept. 20 Lebanese Muslim Sami Samir Hassoun of Chicago, Ill. is charged in federal court with trying to blow up a bomb in Wrigley Field after the FBI targeted him and set him up. On Sept. 20 a report by the U.N. World Meteorological Org. (WMO) says that the ozone level is recovering and will return to pre-1980 levels by 2048, while the annual springtime ozone hole over the Antarctic will recover by 2073. On Sept. 20 (Mon.) Mark Roberts' sitcom Mike & Molly debuts on CBS-TV for 127 episodes (until May 16, 2016), starring William "Billy" Gardell (1969-) and Melissa Ann McCarthy (1970-) as fat couple Mike Biggs and Molly Flynn, who met in a Chicago Overeaters Anonymous group. On Sept. 20-21 the Earth is at its closest approach to Jupiter in a decade, and brighter than any night sky object other than the Moon. On Sept. 21 a U.S. Army Black Hawk heli crashes in Zhari District in Zabul Province in S Afghanistan, killing nine coalition service members, becoming the deadliest coalition heli crash since 2006, and bringing the yearly death total to 529 (2.1K since the start of the war), making it the deadliest year of the war. On Sept. 21 U.S. Sen. Dems. fail to break a Repub. filibuster of a defense authorization bill that also would have allowed the repeal of the DREAM ACT that would give citizenship to illegals who go to college, and the military's 17-y.-o. Don't Ask Don't Tell policy prohibiting openly gay men and women from serving in the armed forces; the bill is defeated in a largely party-line vote of 56-43, with no Repubs. voting for it, and three Dems. voting against it. On Sept. 21 German chancellor Angela Markel admits that Muslim immigration is transforming Germany, and that Germans should get used to more mosques than churches. On Sept. 21 Italian authorities seize 23M euros of Vatican bank assets from the Rome branch of the Credito Artigiano Spa bank as part of an investigation into money laundering. On Sept. 21 Palestinian Authority PM Salam Fayyad walks out of a U.N. meeting after refusing to acknowledge to the Israeli rep that the "2-state solution" he claims to accept is "two states for two peoples", i.e., a Jewish and a Muslim state. On Sept. 21 U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy introduces the Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act (COICA) that would allow the U.S. govt. to order Internet domains shut down, with the U.S. Dept. of Justice being able to get around judicial review, disturbing civil libertarians. On Sept. 21 (well-named?) well-built black Lithonia, Ga. New Birth Missionary Baptist Church (25K members) anti-gay bishop Eddie Lee Long (1953-) (who once called homosexuality a "spiritual abortion") is sued for preying sexually on teenie boys, exposing him as a closet gay even though he is a prominent spokesman against homosexuality; he is caught sending photos of himself in a muscle shirt to 16-y.-o. congregation boys to entice them; his congregation covers for him for years? On Sept. 21 Chinese PM Wen Jiabao threatens retaliation against Japan unless it releases a trawler capt. accused of ramming two Japanese coast guard ships near disputed islands; on Sept. 23 it blocks export of rare earth metals to Japan. On Sept. 21 a bomb explodes in a crowd watching a military parade in Mahabad in NW Iran in a Kurdish area near the Iraq-Turkey border, killing 12 and injuring dozens. On Sept. 21 Russia officially bans the sale of S-300 missile systems to Iran 3 mo. after U.N. sanctions were imposed. On Sept. 21 al-Qaida in North Africa claims responsibility for abducting five French nationals in Niger the week before. On Sept. 22 (early a.m.) a bomb explodes 100M from the U.S. embassy in Tbilisi, Georgia; next July it is is traced to Russian GRU officer Maj. Yevgeny Borisov of Abkhazia. On Sept. 22 U.S. secy. of state Hillary Clinton congratulates Saudi King Abdullah on Saudi Arabia's nat. day, praising him for his Arab Peace Initiative calling for Israeli withdrawal to pre-1967 boundaries, with East Jerusalem as capital of a Palestinian state. On Sept. 22 a 56-page report by the 3-member U.N. Human Rights Council fact-finding mission concludes that Israel's naval blockade Gaza is unlawful because of the humanitarian crisis there, and calls the IDF raid on the flotilla brutal and disproportionate, accusing the IDF of murder of two, incl. 19-y.-o. Turkish-Am. citizen Furkan Dogan (1991-2010); causing the Israeli Foreign Ministry to respond that the council has a "biased, politicized and extremist approach." On Sept. 22 Iranian pres. Madmaninastraightjacket gives an interview with CNN's Lary King, calling Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu "a skilled killer" who "should be put on trial for killing women and children", and saying that Iran has "no interest" in nukes and that nobody is concerned about the issue other than "the Zionist regime and some American authorities"; he gives another interview to Christane Amanpour, saying that he's open to working with the U.S. against the Taliban. On Sept. 22 an appeals court in Miami, Fla. rules 3-0 that the 33-y.-o. Fla. law banning adoption by gays and lesbians is unconstitutional; the Fla. supreme court will rule next. On Sept. 22 18-y.-o. Rutgers U. student Tyler Clementi (b. 1991) commits suicide by jumping off the George Washington Bridge in New York City after a video of him having sex with a dude is put on the Internet by roommate Dharun Ravi. On Sept. 22 U.S. homeland secy. Janet Napolitano releases the DHS Official Statement on Terrorism in America, cataloging one example of Islamic terrorists bent on destroying the U.S. after another then denying that Islam has anything to do with it, as per her boss Obama's orders; meanwhile FBI dir. Robert S. Mueller III tells Congress that the spike in recent homegrown terrorist cases is evidence of an evolving threat as "Groups affiliated with al-Qaida are now actively targeting the United States and looking to use Americans or Westerners who are able to remain undetected by heightened security measures." On Sept. 22 Euro airports are put on high alert amid report of planned attacks by female Algerian suicide bombers, according to Israeli Web site Debka. On Sept. 22 an Israeli contractor kills two Palestinians in East Jerusalem, causing mass protests. On Sept. 23 Teresa Lewis (b. 1970) is executed in Va. after being convicted of hiring two men to kill her husband, becoming the first execution of a female in Va. since 1912. On Sept. 23 U.S. House Repubs. announce their conservative 21-page Pledge to America, promising to reverse Obama's programs and shrink the size of govt.; Pres. Obama calls it "irresponsible". On Sept. 23 one week after the Senate passes it,the U.S. House by 237-187 passes a $42B small jobs bill. On Sept. 23 Pres. Obama gives an address to the U.N. Gen. Assembly, promoting human rights and democracy, with the soundbyte: "Part of the price of our own freedom is standing up for the freedom of others - that belief will guide America's leadership in this 21st century", and challenging delegates to support an Israeli-Palestinian peace and accept the Jewish state of Israel, saying "Israel's existence must not be a subject for debate. Israel is a sovereign state, and the historic homeland of the Jewish people. It should be clear to all that efforts to chip away at Israel's legitimacy will only be met by the unshakeable opposition of the United States"; he also calls for the Israeli building moratorium to be extended, and adds that Israel "must understand that true security for the Jewish state requires an independent Palestine – one that allows the Palestinian people to live with dignity and opportunity"; "If an agreement is not reached, Palestinians will never know the pride and dignity that comes with their own state. Israelis will never know the certainty and security that comes with sovereign and stable neighbors who are committed to co-existence. The hard realities of demography will take hold. More blood will be shed. This Holy Land will remain a symbol of our differences instead of our common humanity." On Sept. 23 Iranian pres. Madman Inadinnajacket gives a speech at the U.N., where he backs the 911 Truther Movement that claims that the U.S. not Islam did 9/11 in order "to reverse the declining American economy and its grip on the Middle East, and in order to save the Zionist regime" (he won't admit the existence of Israel), causing the U.S. and 31 other nations to walk out, incl. all 27 EU nations, Australia, New Zealand, and Costa Rica, while the rest of the 192 nations applaud, after which Pres. Obama calls his claims about 9/11 ""offensive" and "hateful", adding "Particularly for him to make the statement here in Manhattan,just a little north of Ground Zero, where families lost theirloved ones, people of all faiths, all ethnicities who see this as the seminal tragedy of this generation, for him to make a statement like that was inexcusable"; Ahmadinejad asks the U.N. to proclaim 2011 as the Year of Nuclear Disarmament, with the slogan "Nuclear energy for all, nuclear weapons for none"; too bad, Obama also says "We can absorb a terrorist attack. We'll do everything we can to prevent it, but even a 9/11, even the biggest attack ever... we absorbed it and we are stronger", causing some to claim that not only did the U.S. govt. do 9/11 but that it's planning a nuclear followup; the U.S. org. Muslims of the Americas supports Dinnerjacket's speech. On Sept. 23 the children's TV show Sesame Street pulls an episode featuring singer Katy Perry in a dress that some claim shows too much cleavage. On Sept. 23 to counter his bad image in the new movie "The Social Network", new billionaire Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg donates $100M to the schools of Newark, N.J. - should be 20 times that? On Sept. 23 the U. of Ill. unanimously denies emeritus status to Obama's friend-acquaintance Bill Ayers after board chmn. Christopher George Kennedy (1963-) (son of RFK) gave a speech containing the soundbyte "I intend to vote against conferring the honorific title of our university to a man whose body of work includes a book dedicated in part to the man who murdered my father, Robert F. Kennedy." On Sept. 23 the Taliban blows up two more girls schools in Peshawark, Pakistan, bring the total to 1K+ over the last five years. On Sept. 23 the world's northernmost mosque arrives by barge in Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada. On Sept. 24 Turkish interior minister Besir Atalay calls on Germany to stop harboring separatist Kurdish rebels. On Sept. 24 comedian Stephen T. Colbert testifies in full character on immigration reform for 5 min. in front of a U.S. House subcommittee, which Dem. House majority leader Steny H. Hoyer calls "not appropriate - I think it was an embarrassment for Mr. Colbert more than the House." On Sept. 24 an Arab-backed measure to force Israel to accede to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty is narrowly defeated at the annual meeting of the IAEA in Vienna. On Sept. 24 concerned about textbooks that contain glowing descriptions of Islam while ignoring or dissing Christianity, the Texas State Board of Education by 7-5 adopts a resolution urging textbook publishers to limit what they print about Islam in world history books. On Sept. 24 two Mexican mayors, Prisciliano Rodriguez of Doctor Gonzalez, and Ricardo Solis of Gran Morelos are murdered, bringing the yearly total to four; on Sept. 27 Gustavo Sanchez (b. 1981), mayor of Tancitaro is stoned to death along with an aide; on Sept. 25 U.S. border inspector Oscar Obaldo Ortiz Martinez is charged with taking $50K to wave-in drug-laden vehicles; meanwhile on Sept. 22 Mexican pres. Felipe Calderone announces a new plan to protect journalists, who say it won't be enough to protect press freedom. On Sept. 24 Hamas PM Ismail Haniya appears on Al-Jazeera TV and reaffirms support for the "Iraqi resistance", with the soundbyte: "The Quran is our constitution, Allah is our destination, the Prophet Muhammad is our leader, Jihad is our path, and death for the sake of Allah is our most supreme desire." On Sept. 24 lesbian USAF flight nurse Maj. Margaret Witt is ordered reinstated by a federal judge, making her the first openly gay U.S. military member and challenging the Don't Ask Don't Tell Policy; on Oct. 12 U.S. District Court Judge Virginia Phillips of Riverside, Calif. suspends enforcement of the DADT policy after a lawsuit by gay GOP grop Log Cabin Repubs., requiring the govt. to appeal to reinstate it; meanwhile on Oct. 19 they announce that they will begin admitting openly gay recruits, subject to a court reversal. On Sept. 24 the Washington Times reveals that despite denials, the J Street lobby org. was heavily funded by George Soros; on Sept. 30 it reveals that it facilitated meetings been members of Congress and South African judge Robert Goldstone, author of the U.N.-sponsored Goldstone Report slamming Israel. On Sept. 24 the police procedural drama Blue Bloods debuts on CBS-TV for ? episodes (until ?), about the Irish-Am. Reagan family of NYPD police officers, led by former USMC officer and Vietnam vet Francis X. "Frank" Reagan, played by Thomas William "Tom" Selleck (1945-). On Sept. 25 Jordanian king Abdullah II appears on "The Daily Show" and says that if Israel restarts settlement construction there could be a war by the end of the year. On Sept. 25 a shipment of 8,080 computers worth $1.8M for schoolchildren in Babil (Babylon), Iraq that arrived at the main seaport in Feb. officially disappears. On Sept. 25 Egyptian grand imam Ahmed al-Tayyeb leads an extraordinary meeting of the Islamic Research Center to express shock and dismay at comments by Coptic bishop Bishoy criticizing the Quran, saying it "threatens national security", causing Coptic Pope Shenouda III to apologize. On Sept. 25 the Org. of the Islamic Conference (OIC) uses the coverstory of "Islamophobia" to call for the U.N. to develop a "legally binding institutional instrument" to muzzle free speech about Islam; meanwhile U.S. officials announce that they want sweeping new regulations allowing them to wiretap the Internet. On Sept. 26 former Mass. Repub. gov. Mitt Romney calls the first two years of Pres. Obama's admin. "an abject failure"; meanwhile on Sept. 22 Obama is heckled by gay activists at a fundraiser in New York City for not getting the military's Don't Ask Don't Tell Policy overturned and fornot getting for funding for AIDS programs, causing him to tell them to blame the Repubs. not him. On Sept. 26 a Jewish Freedom Flotilla consisting of the British-flagged Irene sets sail from Turkish-occupied Famagusta, Cyprus to Gaza carrying nine, incl. members of the U.K. group Jews for Justice for Palestinians; it is intercepted by the IDF and steered to Ashkelon without incident. On Sept. 26 (midnight) the 10-mo. new housing moratorium in the West Bank ends, and Mahmoud Abbas reneges on his threat to quit peace negotiations, causing the U.S. State Dept. to say that it is disappointed, and offer security guarantees to Israel in exchange for a 60-day freeze renewal. On Sept. 27 (11:22 GMT) a 6.1 earthquake in Konar Takhteh, W of Shiraz, Iran kills one and injures three. On Sept. 27 rumors circulate that the U.N. is appointing Malaysian astrophysicist Mazlan Othman of the U.N. Office for Outer Space Affairs as its official extraterrestrial greeter. On Sept. 27 the 35-member U.N. Internat. Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) votes for Pakistan to chair its governing board despite its widely-condemned nuclear bomb tests in 1998. On Sept. 27 ICANN (Internet Corp. for Assigned Names and Numbers) drops their policy of doing background cheps for new Top Level Domain applicants after Muslims complain and demand submission. On Sept. 27 Venezuelan pres. Hugo Chavez announces that Venezuela is thinking about starting a nuclear energy program. On Sept. 27 Disney Corp. caves into a Chicago Muslim woman who demands to be allowed to wear an Islamic hijab head scarf to work, but she agrees to wear a beret over it. On Sept. 27 WikiLeaks suffers a mass defection after founder Julian Paul Assange (1971-) refuses to cancel an Oct. release of 392K more classified U.S. documents from the Iraq War. On Sept. 27 a plan to build a mosque in Tekstilshchiki, Moscow causes mass protests. On Sept. 27 a Politico/George Washington U. Battleground Poll reveals that only 38% of U.S. voters would vote to reelect him, and 44% have already decided to vote for someone else; meanwhile Sen. Dems. quietly agree to block recess appointments by Obama. On Sept. 27 gold hits a record high of $1308.50 an oz., while silver hits its highest price in 30 years of $21.70 an oz. On Sept. 28 former U.S. U.N. ambassador John Bolton blasts Pres. Obama in the Washington Times, saying that his appeasement of Islamists in Sudan may rekindle genocide; meanwhile Obama gives a backyard chat in Albuquerque, N.M., dissing the Repubs. for not having "good answers" on how to pay for their economic plans, incl. cutting education spending by 20%, and asking questions about his faith with the soundbyte "I'm Christian by choice", admitting that his mother "didn't raise me in the church" and that his family doesn't attend church every week, adding "I came to my Christian faith later in life", and that his "understanding that... Jesus Christ dying for my sins spoke to the humility we all have to have as human beings, that we're sinful and we're flawed and we make mistakes, and that... we achieve salvation through the grace of God. But what we can do, as flawed as we are, is still see God in other people and do our best to help them find... their own grace. And so that's what I strive to do. That's what I pray to do every day. I think my public service is part of that effort to express my Christian faith"; too bad, at a campaign stop in 2007 he said the opposite, namely, that he became a Christian through his mother, with the soundbyte "My mother was a Christian from Kansas... I was raised by my mother, so I've always been a Christian"; he also takes pains to point out that the U.S. "is still predominantly Christian. We have Jews, Muslims, Hindus, atheists, agnostics, Buddhists, and... their own path to grace is one that we have to revere and respect as much as our own"; meanwhile on Sept. 2 conservative Christian pundit Ann Hart Coulter (1961-) says that maybe he's really an atheist playing the crowd. On Sept. 28 mudslides in Oaxaca, Mexico bury a village, trapping hundreds while they sleep. On Sept. 28 Kim Jong-il's son Kim Jong-un (1983-) officially becomes 2nd in command in nuke-powered North Korea. On Sept. 28 a plot by eight German and two British Muslims to launch Mumbai-style terrorist attacks on Britain and other Euro countries is exposed and stopped by intel agencies, causing the U.S. to step-up drone attacks in Pakistan per Pres. Obama's doctrine that "the cancer is in Pakistan"; Osama bin Laden personally directed the plot?; on Oct. 5 French police arrest 12 suspected terrorists. On Sept. 28 Octavio Garcia Von Borstel (1981-), mayor of Nogales, Mexico is arrested on bribery and corruption charges. On Sept. 28 the govt. of Kenya announces its intention of going nuclear by 2017, with the U.S. giving them $25M to get started. On Sept. 28 Colton J. Tooley (1991-) runs through the U. of Tex. campus in Austin firing an AK-47, then killing himself. On Sept. 28 non-practising Muslim Ed Husic becomes the first Muslim Australian MP; his parents are Bosnian immigrants. On Sept. 28 Sacred Heart Primary School in Blackburn, England becomes the first to go Muslim as the Catholic students plunge from 91% to 3% in 10 years. On Sept. 28 the German Gothaer Insurance Co. apologizes for trying to avoid paying a male Muslim accident victim for a maid while recovering by citing the Quran. On Sept. 28 Eric Lewis, atty. for a rival Saudi family tells the U.S. House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversights and Investigations that the leading Saudi Al Sanea family has laundered up to $1T through U.S. banks. On Sept. 28 the first snow falls in Britain, becoming the earliest cold snap since 2003. On Sept. 28 Claude Heller of Mexico urges the U.N. Gen. Assembly to ratify an internat. convention protecting the rights of migrant workers and their families. On Sept. 28 as part of a midwest tour, Pres. Obama addresses students at the U. of Wisc., telling them "We can't sit this one out", referring to the upcoming nat. elections. On Sept. 28 the Viva Palestina convoy of 150 vehicles headed by U.K. lawmaker George Galloway departs from Istanbul, Turkey for Gaza with 5 tons of supplies; it arrives on Rafa on Oct. 21 after the Egyptians pass them through. On Sept. 28-30 the Conference on Islam and Muslims in America is held in Chicago, Ill., with the goal of establishing a new caliphate along with Sharia in the U.S.; the White House sends special envoy Rashad Hussein and Dalia Mogahed. On Sept. 29 Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak addresses the U.N. Gen. Assembly and calls for a "global movement of the moderates" in the Islamic world who will openly take a stand against Islamic extremism. On Sept. 29 U.S. citizen (of Algerian descent) Mohamed Omar Debhi (1967-) is arrested in Spain for sending 60K euros to al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb. On Sept. 29 the Obama admin. slaps financial and travel sanctions on eight Iranian officials accused of human rights abuses. On Sept. 29 Hossein Derakhshan, "the Father of Blogging in Iran" is sentenced to 19 years in jail. On Sept. 30 the Dutch Liberal Party and Christian Dems. join with the anti-Islam Freedom Party of Geert Wilders to form the first minority govt. in the Netherlands since WWII (until ?); a Taliban spokesman threatens an attack by a "jihadist group" if Wilders keeps influencing Dutch policies; meanwhile a poll in Germany reveals that a majority believe that the country's 4M Muslims are an economic burden. On Sept. 30 a 7.2 earthquake hits E Indonesia off Papua Province underneath the ocean floor. On Sept. 30 Ecuadoran pres. Rafael Correa is assaulted and kidnapped by rebel police and held in a police hospital in Quito until he is rescued by soldiers, after which the police chief resigns for failing to stop it. On Sept. 30 Muslims and Hindus agree to divide the holy site of Ayodhya. On Sept. 30 Pakistan cuts a key NATO supply route for its forces in Afghanistan after a NATO aircraft crosses into Pakistani airspace to fight Afghan rebels, and kills three Pakistani troops; despite a U.S. apology, they refuse to reopen it; on Oct. 1 militants attack NATO fuel convoys in Pakistan, burning 27 tankers - Obama's foreign policy is coming apart? On Sept. 30 Repub. Calif. gov. candidate Meg Whitman claims that she didn't know that her longtime housekeeper Nicandra Diaz Santillan was an illegal immigrant until June 2009, when she promptly fired her, causing her to say that Whitman "treated her like a dog". On Sept. 30 Czech Repub. pres. Vaclas Klaus says that the EU is "weakening" free markets and democracy with massive regulations, comparing it to the "authoritative, oppressive, and nonfunctioning" Commie regime in Czech's past. On Sept. 30 Calif. gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signs a Calif. law partly decriminalizing marijuana, making possession of up to 1 oz. an infraction with a max fine of $100. On Sept. 30 the Washington Times reports that the allegedly Jewish lobbying org. J Street facilitated meetings with South African judge Richard Goldstone and members of the U.S.Congress in Nov. 2009, causing pres. Jeremy Ben-Ami to downplay it; meanwhile the Obama admin. begins distancing itself from the org. On Sept. 30 Calif. gov. Ahnuld Terminator signs SB 1317, a statewide anti-truancy law designed to curb absenteeism, allowing state officials to prosecute parents when their kids don't show up for school, to go into effect next Jan. 1; the law was created by "female Obama" Kamala Harris; too bad, it makes a misdemeanor of missing just three days of school in a year, with up to a $2.5K fine and a year in jail for the parents, who will most likely be disproprionately black and Hispanic, breeding disrespect for the law? On Sept. 30 the new Chinese Shanghai-Hangzhou High-Speed Train sets a world record of 259 mph (416.6 km/h). On Sept. 30 the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture announces a plan to rid Guam of brown tree snakes by dropping frozen mice laced with acetaminophen. On Sept. 30 Colo. residents David Hartley (1980-) and Tiffany Hartley (1981-) are ambushed by Mexican pirates while jet-skiing on Falcon Lake in Tex. near the Mexican border, and David is shot in the head and killed, after which an investigator is beheaded and his head delivered in a suitcase. In Sept. the magnificent $578M 24-acre ($140K per student) Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools Complex in Wilshire, Los Angeles, Calif. opens, the most expensive public school in U.S. history, becoming a monument to Ahnuld's debt to the Kennedy family at the expense of education and the ailing Calif. economy?; the Los Angeles Staples Sports and Entertainment Center cost $375M. In Sept. the U.S. Agency for Internat. Development (AID) gives a $250K grant to the H.L. Education for Peace (Geneva Initiative) to pay for an ad campaign in Israel with the slogan "We are partners - what about you?" In Sept. the U.S. loses a net 95K jobs, leaving the unemployment rate at 9.6%. In Sept. after pressure by LGBT orgs. on health minister David Chiriboga Allnutt, 200 illegal "reparative therapy clinics" designed to cure homosexuality are shut down by the govt. of Ecuador. In Sept. U.S. home foreclosures exceed 100K for the first time, with 930,437 since July. In Sept. an AP-MTV Poll finds that college students are cooling to Pres. Obama, with 44% approving of the job he's doing, and 27% unhappy, compared to 60% and 15% in May 2009. On Oct. 1 Rahm "Rahmbo" Emanuel tearfully resigns to run for mayor of Chicago, and Peter Mikami "Pete" Rouse (1946-) becomes interim White House chief of staff, the first of Asian descent (his mother is a 2nd gen. Japanese-Am.), who negotiated the terms of Pres. Clinton's impeachment to make sure that no evidence against him would be entered in the Sen. trial, and convinced Obama to vote against John Roberts in his U.S. Supreme Court confirmation hearing; Emanuel is presented a gift of a dead Asian carp by new Council of Economic Advisers chmn. Austan Goolsbee, alluding to the legend that he sent a dead fish to a pollster he didn't like a la "The Godfather". On Oct. 1 two car bombs explode in Abuja, Nigeria on its 50th independence anniv., killing seven. On Oct. 1 three grenades explode near the U.S. consulate in Monterrey, Mexico; meanwhile the Mexican govt. prepares to put all local police under a "unified command" to restore public trust, closing 2.2K local police depts. On Oct. 1 the Pentagon's new Cyber Command becomes operational. On Oct. 1 an independent, er, the White House releases a Report on the Economic Stimulus Package, claiming that it is coming in on time and under budget, with strikingly few claims of fraud or abuse. On Oct. 1 the Security Policy Inst. of George Washington U. and the Center for Assymetric Threat Studies of the Swedish Nat. Defense College release a report saying that the U.S. and EU need to work together to stop homegrown terrorists. On Oct. 1 former Pakistani leader Pervez Musharraf announces that he's returning to politics to battle corruption, revive the economy, and fight Islamist militants; meanwhile a new tape allegedly by Osama bin Laden criticizes Pakistan relief efforts and calls for action against climate change, claiming that it caused the Pakistani floods - finally giving away that he's a CIA plant? On Oct. 1 the U.S. govt. admits to infecting hundreds of Guatemalans with syphilis in 1946-8. On Oct. 1 Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr publicly backs struggling Iraqi PM Nouri al-Maliki in a bid to give his own anti-U.S. bloc political legitimacy. On Oct. 1 the U.S. Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2010 is introduced by U.S. Sens. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.). On Oct. 1 a protest against the Stuttgart 21 project in Stuttgart, Germany injures 116. On Oct. 1 (11:00 GMT) China launches the Chang'e-2 Moon probe. On Oct. 2 a double train crash in C Indonesia kills 36 and injures 26. On Oct. 2 Britain finally recognizes it ancient religion of Druidry as a religion and gives it charitable status. On Oct. 2 Calif. gov. Ahnuld signs a law decriminalizing possession of up to 1 oz. of marijuana. On Oct. 3 Iranian pres. Madman Inastraightjacket calls for U.S. leaders to be "buried" for threatening its nuke program militarily, with the classic Iranian insult "May the undertaker bury you, your table and your body, which has soiled the world." On Oct. 3 the labor union and NAACP-led One Nation Rally on the Mall in Washington, D.C., meant to counter Glenn Beck's Restoring Honor Rally slams the Repubs. and conservatives for racism and bigotry; too bad, the crowd is tiny, and the Communist Party USA openly endorses it. On Oct. 3 Germany finally makes its last payment on its WWI reparation debt; meanwhile German pres. Christian Wulff gives a speech celebrating two decades of reunification, weighing in on the immigration debate and the 4M Muslim in Germany, saying that "Islam also has a place in Germany" (belongs to Germany) along with Christianity and Judaism, pissing-off conservatives incl. fellow Christian Dems.; on Oct. 6 chancellor Angela Merkel (who praised the German soccer team this year for its multiethnicity) says that multiculturalim has "utterly failed", and that Muslims must obey the German constitution and not Sharia law if they want to live in Germany, and "must not only obey our laws, they must also master our language', adding "Our culture is based on Christian and Jewish values and has been for hundreds of years, not to say thousands", adding that after inviting foreign workers in, they made them mistake of thinking they wouldn't stay; on Oct. 27 Merkel disses Geert Wilders for praising her, saying she in no way wants to express "criticism of Islam"; on Oct. 18-22 Wulff visits Turkey, becoming the first official visit by a German pres. in 10 years, and tells the Turkish parliament "Christianity too undoubtedly belongs to Turkey", to stony silence - at least they're anti-Semites like us? On Oct. 3 the Indian Mujahideen of Assam threaten to launch a biological war in Assam if their supporters aren't released from jail within 24 hours. On Oct. 3 two Israeli Givati soldiers (unidentified) are convicted of using a 9-y.-o. Palestinian boy as a human shield in the 22-day 2008-9 Gaza War; on Nov. 21 they are given suspended sentences of 3mo. and demotions from staff sgt. to sgt. On Oct. 3 a Non Sequitur comic strip by Wiley Miller satirizing U.S. media hesitancy to offend Islam is pulled by many newspapers for fear of you know what. On Oct. 4 a Hungarian Toxic Sludge Spill of iron, silicon and aluminum oxide begins in Kolontar, Hungary 45 mi. S of the Danube River, spreading deadly ochre red sludge there on Oct. 7, becoming as big as the Gulf Oil Spill. On Oct. 4 Iraq raises its proven oil reserves figure by 25% to convince OPEC to grant it a higher output quota in an effort to match the clout of #1 producer Saudi Arabia. On Oct. 4 Pakistani intel officials announce a successful drone strike that killed eight German nationals in Waziristan; meanwhile Europe stiffens security with high expectation of an al-Qaida attack. On Oct. 4 a Gallup Poll reveals that 57% of 18-to-29-year-olds still support Pres. Obama, along with 91% of African-Ams., 79% of Dems., and 75% of liberals, which doesn't stop 56% of likely voters from supporting the Repubs., vs. 38% for Dems., giving Repubs. an "enthusiasm advantage"; on Oct. 5 a ABC News/Washington Post Poll shows 49% for the Repubs. vs. 43% for the Dems. (vs. 53-40 in Sept.), the lartest GOP lead over the Dems. since their first poll in 1982; 71% are dissatisfied with the federal govt. On Oct. 4 the Am. Sociological Review pub. a study claiming that predatory lending aimed at racially-segregated minority neighborhoods led to the mass foreclosures that fueled the U.S. housing crisis. On Oct. 4 former senior U.N. official Antonio Maria Costa claims that Taliban sleeper cells have been set up inside Afghan police and army forces, and are waiting for orders to strike. On Oct. 4 the U.S. State Dept. issues a travel alert warning of Islamic terrorist attacks in Europe, incl. the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, and Hotel Adlon near the Brandenburg Gate in Germany, causing German interior minister Thomas de Maiziere to dismiss them as "alarmist", claiming that they help the terrorists spread fear. On Oct. 4 the U.S. Justice Dept. sues Am. Express, Visa, and MasterCard for violating antitrust laws for trying to prevent customers from getting a discount for not using a credit card. On Oct. 4 former U.S. vice-pres. Walter Mondale says that Pres. Obama relies too much on teleprompters, calling them "idiot boards" tht keep him from connecting with audiences; meanwhile on Oct. 5 a poll for the Arab Am. Inst. by Zogby Internat. reveals that Arab-Ams. will vote Dem. by 2-1, and are pro-Ground Zero Mosque, the controversy reinforcing their Dem. leanings. On Oct. 4 In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) pioneer Robert Geoffrey "Bob" Edwards (1925-) is awarded the Nobel Med. Prize, causing the Vatican to diss it. On Oct. 4 the hate speech circus trial begins for Danish anti-Islamization leader-hero Geert Wilders (1963-), who gives a speech with the soundbyte "We will not accept Islamization"; British EU MP Gerard Batten braves the PC police to stand up for him, saying "He's standing up for Western liberal democracy in the face of an ideology that wants to destroy it"; on Oct. 15 after the farce continues as far as they can get away with, all of the weapon-like Sharia-compliant charges are recommended by prosecutors to be dropped, which doesn't stop the court, which allows the ridiculous Dutch-hating Muslim "aggrieved parties" to take them over on Oct. 19; on Oct. 22 after a motion by Wilders claiming that judge Tom Schalken tried to influence Arabist Hans Jansen during a dinner, a retrial is ordered; on June 22, 2011 he is finally acquitted, which doesn't stop them from plotting against him. On Oct. 5 despite opposition from Islamic states, the U.N. Human Rights Council passes a resolution on women's rights, establishing a 5-person working group to advise govts. on eliminating laws and practices discriminating against women. On Oct. 5 the Obama admin. announces plans for solar panels on the White House by next spring, despite the fact that 1-term Dem. pres. Jimmy Carter did it first. On Oct. 5 Gavriel Avital was fired as Israel's education ministery chief scientist for his views favoring creationism and denying global warming - you can't believe in Jehovah and be a top scientist in Israel? On Oct. 5 Islamic terrorist Istaq Ahmed in Maoist-dominated Purulia in West Bengal, India carrying 1kg of uranium with a market value of $7M. On Oct. 5 former Pakistani military ruler Pervez Musharraf admits that Pakistan trained underground militant groups to fight in Kashmir, the first such admission by a top leader. On Oct. 6 the Nat. Commission on the DP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling releases a report revealing that govt. scientists who wanted to tell the public early on how bad the spill could be were muzzled by the White House. On Oct. 6 Germany announces that it is bowing out of its nuclear sharing agreement with the U.S., under which its fighter jets could be used to drop U.S. nukes, as soon as it decommissions its Tornado fighter jets in 2013 or sooner; the Tornado base in Buchel houses 22 U.S. nuclear bombs, guarded by U.S. soldiers. On Oct. 6-10 the 62nd Annual Frankfurt Book Fair is attended by 7,533 exhibitors from 111 countries, stubbornly holding out on ebooks, and featuring a $100K 6'x9' 128-page Atlas by Australian publisher Gordon Cheers (world's largest atlas, beating the record set by the 1660 Klencke Atlas), who utters the soundbyte "This will still be around in 500 years." On Oct. 7 the Abdullah Shah Ghazi Shrine Sufi mosque in Karachi, Pakistan is blown up, killing seven and injuring dozens; the Taliban claim responsibility. On Oct. 7 Israeli police arrest a 17-y.-o. resident of Hebron, Israel for uploading a video to YouTube exposing a top Shin Bet agent. On Oct. 7 Pres. Obama says he will pocket-veto the Interstate Recognition of Notarizations Act, saying it will make it easier for banks to foreclose on homeowners. On Oct. 7 a group of Nobel scientists warn the British govt. that its permanent cap on immigration slated for next Apr. would threaten the country's future as a center of scientific excellence. On Oct. 7 at a rally in Md., Pres. Obama brings up the Chamber of Commerce, complaining that their donors are secret and waxing lyrical about foreign monies used by them to push domestic political activism; too bad, when challenged the White House can't prove it; meanwhile Obama conveniently sidesteps his own foreign donations received in his 2008 campaign, incl. from Hamas-controlled sections of Gaza. On Oct. 7 Forbes mag. pub. its annual list of the world's most powerful women, sliding Michelle Obama past Angela Merkel to the #1 spot; #1 for four years, Merkel slides to #4 past Kraft Foods CEO Irene Rosenfeld and Oprah Winfrey. On Oct. 7 the Vatican calls for a special conference of 172 bishops from Islamic countries to discuss the rise of radical Islam, causing Syed Munawar Hasan, head of the Jamaat e Islami Islamic org. in Pakistan to call the entire talk of interfaith dialog and tolerance a farce, claiming that Pastor Terry Jones was part of a Vatican plot, and explaining that Islam had its own political system, its own culture and civilization, besides also delivering an economic system based on equity and service to the humanity; meanwhile U.S. asst. secy. of state Philip Crowley meets with 30 Muslim reps from Indianapolis, Ind. at the HQ of the Islamic Society of North Am. (ISNA) to discuss U.S. foreign policy, despite it being suspected of being part of the Muslim Brotherood, whose agenda is to "eliminate and destroy Western Civilization". On Oct. 8 deputy nat. security adviser Thomas E. "Tom" Donilon (1955-) replaces Gen. James L. Jones as U.S. nat. security adviser #23 (until June 30, 2013). On Oct. 8 Israeli troops kill two senior Hamas militants in an early morning raid in Hebron in the West Bank. On Oct. 8 Pres. Obama signs Rosa's Law requiring the terms "mentally retarded" and "mental retardation" to be removed from all U.S. laws. On Oct. 9 French pres. Nicolas Sarkozy meets with Pope Benedict XVI over recent French actions against the Roma (Gypsy) pop. of clearing several illegal camps in Aug. and forcing repatriation. On Oct. 9 Iran acknowledges espionage for the West occurred at their nuclear facilities. On Oct. 10 (10/10/10) the Netherlands Antilles is dissolved. On Oct. 10 the World Day Against the Death Penalty is sponsored by Amnesty Internat., who claims there are 137 countries with capital punishment, and only 60 of them implement the sentence; the top bad guys are China and Iran. On Oct. 10 U.K. aid worker Linda Norgrove (b. 1974) is killed by the Taliban in Afghanistan during a rescue attempt by U.S. forces after being held hostage since Sept. 26. On Oct. 10 a book is thrown at Pres. Obama during a campaign rally in Philly, narrowly missing his head. On Oct. 10 leftist Green Party leader Femke Halsema shocks the PC police with a statement that leftist and progressive thinkers should start criticizing Islam and not succomb to radical Muslim pressure, concentrating on the position of women and gays within Islamic communities just as much as they do within Christian ones. On Oct. 10 Catholic archbishop of Khartoum Cardinal Gabriel Zubeir Wako narrowly escapes an assassination attempt by Islamists. On Oct. 10 double arm amputee piano player Liu Wei (1987-) wins "China's Got Talent". On Oct. 10 Martin Alejandro Cota-Monroy is found beheaded in his apt. in Chandler (near Phoenix), Ariz., causing fears of Mexican drug cartel violence crossing the border. On Oct. 11 Pres. Obama signs the $58B NASA Authorization Act of 2010, defining a long-term goal for a permanent human presence beyond low Earth orbit incl. full use of the Internat. Space Station (ISS) in fiscal years 2011-13. On Oct. 11 Chinese energy giant CNOOC announces that it's buying 600K acres of S Texas oil and gas fields for $2.2B. On Oct. 11 the Israeli cabinet okays a loyalty oath for non-Jews to require them to swear loyalty to Israel as a Jewish state; after an internat. uproar, it is amended to incl. non-Jews. On Oct. 11 Bavarian PM Horst Seehofer says that Turkish and Arab migrants who can't assimilate are no longer needed in Germany, causing the Angela Merkel admin. and German Turkish community to diss him. On Oct. 11 a dozen genetics experts release their DNA to the public to challenge the view that such info. should be kept private. On Oct. 11 (night) a Muslim jumps up and dances on the altar of Florence Cathedral in Italy. On Oct. 12 drug cartel hitmen ambush a police convoy in you-guessed-it Sinaloa, Mexico, killing eight officers. On Oct. 12 a Nat. Air Cargo cargo plane crashes outside Kabul, Afghanistan, killing six Filipinos, one Indian, and a Kenyan. On Oct. 12 Hollywood actor George Clooney meets with Pres. Obama in the White House to discuss the plight of S Sudan. On Oct. 12 250 Lebanese politicans and others issue an Open Letter to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, asking him not to meddle in Lebanese affairs. On Oct. 12 after Repub. U.S. Senate candidate in Nev. Sharron Angle pisses-off the PC police with observations that Dearborn, Mich. ("Dearbornistan") is now ruled by Muslim Sharia law, Muslim activist Tarek Beydoun of guess where pays for 250K robo-calls to Nev. voters to oppose her. On Oct. 12 the Union for a Popular Movement Party of French pres. Nicolas Sarkozy cancels a planned debate on "Immigration, Islamism: Is France Threatened?" for fear of you know what; meanwhile on Oct. 12 the al-Qaida mag. Inspire pub. an article urging Islamic terrorists to target crowded restaurants in Washington, D.C. in order to massacre U.S. govt. workers; another article suggests using a pickup truck as "the ultimate mowing machine" to mow down the enemies of Allah; another calls on Muslims to emulate the Ft. Hood treason jihadist; meanwhile on Oct. 1 clueless dhimmi Diane Sawyer of clueless ABC-TV's "20/20" hosts a segment on Islam portraying it as peaceful and misunderstood, hoping for a "reconciliation" between Americans and American Muslims, and on Oct. 3 CNN internat. correspondent Christiane Amanpour (1958-) (Persian Muslim father, British mother) hosts Town Hall Debate: Should Americans Fear Islam?, both of which whitewash Islam and portray those who are warning of its dangers incl. Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer as intolerant "Islamophobes" - my pickup truck or yours? On Oct. 13 the legislature of Ga. votes to ban illegal immigrants from the U. of Ga., Ga. Inst. of Tech, and three other top public colleges, making it the 2nd state after S.C. On Oct. 13 an explosion at an Iranian Rev. Guard base in Lorestan kills 18 and injures 14 - Bond, James Bond? On Oct. 13 Canada becomes the first country to declare Bisphenol A (used to make polycarbonate baby bottles and epoxy resins) to be a toxic substance and environmental hazard. On Oct. 13 a study released by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, associated with the Social Dem. Party finds that one third of Germans feel that Germany is "overrun by foreigners", 60% would "restrict the practice of Islam", 17% think Jews have "too much influence", and 13% would welcome another Fuehrer. On Oct. 14 Mark Rutte (1967-) of the conservative Liberal People's Party for Freedom and Dem. (VVD) becomes PM of the Netherlands (until ?). On Oct. 14 Iranian pres. Madman Inastraightjacket visits S Lebanon, calling the village of Bint Jbeil the "capital of freedom, resistance and victory", and saying "The Zionists will not last long", calling for Palestine to be "forcefully freed" and the Zionists to "go back where they came from", adding "Lebanon is an example... for the unwavering resistance to the world's tyrants and a university for jihad", and "Our world today stands on the verge of change, a change that is starting from our region", and predicting that "the Mahdi will come here, accompanied by Jesus Christ" to help his side; he receives a warm reception from Lebanese pres. Michel Suleiman and other Lebanese leaders; on Oct. 17 Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu says that Lebanon is increasingly becoming a satellite of Iran, with the soundbyte "This is a tragedy for Lebanon, but we in Israel will know how to defend ourselves and continue to build our country"; meanwhile the European Jewish Congress warns that some Jewish communities in Europe are "teetering on the brink" due to nat. endorsement and/or neglect of anti-Semitism, with pres. Moshe Kantor uttering the soundbyte "We are entering a very dark period for Jews in Europe." On Oct. 14 a new U.S. military tally claims that 77K Iraqis were killed from Jan. 2004 to Aug. 2008, disputing the Iraq govt. tally of 85,694. On Oct. 14 Turkish attys. representing pro-Palestinian activists file a criminal complaint with the Internat. Criminal Court in The Hague claiming that Israeli troops committed war crimes against the Fake Freedom Flotilla. On Oct. 14 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Ga. pub. a study showing that Latinos outlive whites by two years and blacks by almost eight years, with a Hispanic born in 2006 having a life expectancy of 80 years 7 mo. On Oct. 15 a 3.1 earthquake in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in Calif. puzzles scientists since it's not on a known fault line. On Oct. 15 Russian signs a deal with Venezuela to build its first nuclear power plant and buy $1.6B of oil assets in a move to end U.S. global dominance; on Oct. 19 Pres. Obama says he has no objection to them developing nuclear power for civilian energy purposes. On Oct. 15 Israel ends its unofficial construction freeze in East Jerusalem, with plans to build 238 housing units. On Oct. 15 a gold mine collapses in S Ecuador, trapping four miners 490 ft. underground. On Oct. 15 Am. Muslims hold a Jummah Prayer on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., with the slogan "Jesus: The Messiah of Jerusalem"; despite being billed as a meeting for 100K, only a few hundred show up. On Oct. 17 the Arab League calls on countries belonging to the Org. for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to boycott a tourism confrence in Jerusalem to protest the existence of, er, policies of Israel. On Oct. 17 a jewel heist in Baghdad, Iraq sees three shop owners, two robbers, and three security personnel killed. On Oct. 17 unemployed Staten Island, N.Y. house painter Juan Rodriguez (1986-) receives $100K of a $1M reward offered by media mogul Alki David Thursday for streaking past Pres. Obama at a rally in Philly after failing to fulfill all the requirements. On Oct. 17-20 violence in Karachi, Pakistan kills 52; meanwhile on Oct. 20 the Obama admin. announces that Pres. Obama will visit Pakistan next year to shore up the relationship. On Oct. 18 a NATO official claims that Osama bin Laden is hiding in NW Pakistan under protection of the govt., and lives in a house not a cave. On Oct. 18 U.S. defense secy. Robert Gates says that the U.S.-Turkey alliance is still strong despite tensions. On Oct. 18 the Obama admin. files a brief in support of the construction of a mosque in Murfreesboro, Tenn., saying that it is a recognized religion covered by the First Amendment, and not saying that despite Sharia making it a govt. system and potential enemy of the Constitution, Obama wants to use federal power to open the gates of America to it and its mosques because Congress hasn't officially passed a law yet? - Daniel Boone rolls over in his grave? On Oct. 18 Greece signs a civil aviation agreement with Israel, their first bilateral pact since 1950. On Oct. 18 Hamas PM Isma'il Haniyah reaffirms that Hamas will not recognize Israel. On Oct. 18 the Obama admin. announces that it has asked China to quit helping Iran improve its missile technology and develop nukes. On Oct. 18 Mexican authorities seize 105 tons of marijuana in Tijuana, becoming the biggest bust in Baja Calif. history; on Oct. 20 the U.S. Coast Guard seizes a ton of marijuana tossed from a boat 40 mi. from San Diego, Calif. On Oct. 18 The Talk daytime talk show debuts on CBS (until ?), produced by Sara Gilbert, sister of "Little House on the Prairie" star Melissa Gilbert. On Oct. 18-22 Super Typhoon Megi kills three in the Philippines, followed by seven in Taiwan. On Oct. 18 Hassan Karami, police chief of Esfahan, Iran announces that it is a crime for women to cycle or roller-skate in public. On Oct. 18 Chinese vice-pres. Xi Jinping is named to a top military command post, positioning him as heir apparent. On Oct. 18 Yemeni blogger Nashwan Ghanem allegedly commits suicide after posting that the Yemeni military was complicit in the Sept. 2008 attack on the U.S. embassy. On Oct. 18 Israel announces that Hamas now has anti-aircraft missiles, threatening the Israeli air force. On Oct. 18 20-y.-o. mother and college student Marisol Valles Garcia (1990-) becomes the police chief of Guadalupe Distrito Bravo in Chihuahua after nobody else will take the dangerous job in N Mexico; in Oct. Hermila Garcia becomes police chief of Meoqui (43 mi. from Chihuahua), and on Nov. 30 is killed while driving to work; in Mar. 2011 Marisol quits and flees across the border after receiving death threats. On Oct. 19 (5 a.m.) multiple shots hit the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., doing no damage to bulletproof windows; meanwhil more shots are fired at the Nat. Marine Corps Museum in Triangle, Va. (36 mi. S of Washington, D.C.). On Oct. 19 an Islamic suicide attack on parliament bldgs. in Grozny, Chechnya kills six. On Oct. 19 Iranian pres. Madman Inadinnajacket greets Iraqi PM Nouri al-Maliki in Tehran, congratulating him on his 2nd term, and telling him to "get rid of America". On Oct. 19 over 1M begin daily protests in France to protest a change of the retirement age from 60 to 62, which is approved by the French Senate on Oct. 22 by a 177-153 vote, which doesn't stop the strikes that cost the economy up to 400M euros ($557M) a day; on Oct. 29 the unions end their strikes at oil refineries and major ports - it's about joie de vivre not Yankee capitalism? On Oct. 19 the German govt. charges eight German Muslim members of the Global Islamic Media Front with supporting Islamic terrorist orgs. incl. al-Qaida by spreading propaganda on the Internet; on Oct. 20 the German Federal Crime Office announces that Germany has over 1K potentially violent Islamists; in Oct. the U. of Osnabrueck in Germany begins a program to train German Muslim imams in an attempt to create a pro-democratic tolerant brand of German Islam - not likely? On Oct. 19 20+ violent Muslims occupy a Christian chapel at Gordon College in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, claiming ownership. On Oct. 19 a ABC News/Yahoo! News Poll finds that 63% of Americans think that the media is to blame for the widening nat. political divide instead of Pres. Obama. On Oct. 19 Mary Bale (1965-) of Coventry, England pleads guilty to animal cruelty for a summer incident where she grabbed 4-y.-o. cat Lola and threw into a trash bin then shut the cover and walked off, which was videotaped and went viral on the Internet, outraging animal lovers, some of whom threaten her. On Oct. 19 ground is broken for the first mosque in Alaska by the nat. dir. of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) - you betcha? On Oct. 20 Britain announces the biggest spending cuts since WWII. On Oct. 20 the Turkish parliament defeats a motion to lift a ban on wearing Islamic head scarves at univs. On Oct. 20 White House Press Secy. Robert Gibbs tries to explain why Pres. Obama has omitted the word "Creator" when reciting the Declaration of Independence at least three times, saying that "he believes in the Declaration of Independence" - how about a Creator, and which one? On Oct. 20 U.N. secy.-gen. Ban Ki-moon (1944-) warns against "a dangerous trend" of polarizing Europe over Muslim immigrants by accusing them "of violating European values", saying "Too often it is the accusers who subvert these values and thus the very idea of what it means to be a citizen of the European Union"; meanwhile 250 Roman Catholic bishops meet at the Vatican in the 2-week Special Assembly for the Middle East for the Synod of Bishops, and discuss Muslim aggression and murder and how it is driving Christians out of the Middle East, with Antioch patriarch archbishop Raboula Beylouni uttering the soundbyte "The Koran gives Muslims the right to judge Christians and kill them with Jihad. It gives orders to impose religion with force, with the sword. For this reason, Muslims don't recognise the freedom of religion among themselves or others"; after trying to draw a sharp distinction between extremist and moderate Muslims, the synod adds "but for Christians on the ground in Muslim-run countries, such distinctions are often hard to maintain"; on Oct. 23 the bishops close the meeting with a statement that Israel shouldn't try to use the Bible to justify "injustices" against the Palestinians, with Pope Benedict XVI on Oct. 24 uttering the soundbyte "Peace is possible. Peace is urgent. Peace is the precondition for a life worthy of human beings and society"; meanwhile a report by the Christian group the Gift Foundation claims Christian asylum seekers fleeing Muslim countries to the Netherlands are often threatened or physically abused by fellow refugees who are Muslims, and a proposed giant mosque near the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, England is canceled after local opposition. On Oct. 20 after a call by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), African-Am. Nat. Public Radio (NPR) commentator, er, news analyst Juan Williams is fired for agreeing with Bill O'Reilly about Muslims, with O'Reilly stating "The cold truth is that in the world today jihad, aided and abetted by some Muslim nations is the biggest threat on the planet", to which Williams replies "I mean, look, Bill, I'm not a bigot. You know the kind of books I've written about the civil rights movement in this country. But when I get on the plane, I got to tell you, if I see people who are in Muslim garb and I think, you know, they are identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims, I get worried. I get nervous"; NPR CEO Vivian Schiller stinks herself up with varying reasons for summarily firing him, incl. that his comments should have been "between him and his psychiatrist or his publicist", which Williams calls "low", after which a backlash by Whoopi Goldberg., Sarah Palin et al. results in Fox News signing him to a $2M deal along with calls of ending NPR's federal funding by U.S. Sen. (R-S.C.) Jim DeMint et al.; the first major Am. leftist attack on a fellow leftist over Islam?; Williams claims they fired him for telling the truth; on Jan. 6 after the dust settles, NPR dumps senior VP Ellen Weiss, who engineered Williams' firing. On Oct. 20 the Obama admin. agrees to pay up to $680M to Am. Indian farmers to settle a 11-y.-o. discrimination suit. On Oct. 20 NATO officials announce that U.S. and Afghan forces have been routing the Taliban in Kandahar Province in recent weeks. On Oct. 20 Egyptian Copts rally at the U.N. to protest Egyptian Muslim persecution. On Oct. 20 Hollyweird star Mel Gibson is fired from "The Hangover 2" after dir. Todd Phillips and co-star Zach Galifianakis complain about his history of un-PC remarks. On Oct. 21 U.S. agriculture secy. Tom Vilsack says that in order for the Obama admin. to reach its goal of 36B gal. of renewable fuel by 2012, it may blend algae and grass with gasoline. On Oct. 22 UNESCO passes a series of resolutions regarding archeological excavations of Jewish holy sites in Bethlehem, Hebron, and Jerusalem, which the Anti-Defamation League calls "politicized and one-sided", favoring the Palestinians. On Oct. 21 a Gallup Poll shows Pres. Obama's approval falling to a new low of 44.7%; it has been declining each quarter since he took office, when it was at 63%. On Oct. 22 WikiLeaks releases 400K U.S. intel reports on the Iraq War, becoming the largest intel leak in U.S. history, with Daniel Ellsberg uttering the soundbyte "I've waited 40 years for this"; the reports expose a longstanding Iranian war on the U.S., and that Iraqi PM Nouri al-Maliki ran his own private army. On Oct. 22 after the Obama admin. told him what to do, U.S. Appeals Court judge Jorge Solis removes the unindicted co-conspirator status of CAIR along with the Islamic Society of North Am., Northern Am. Islamic Trust, and 243 other orgs. and individuals, all on the technicality that the govt. forgot to seal the list. On Oct. 22 Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu addresses world Jewish leaders at the Israeli Museum in Jerusalem, saying "Israel must do all in its power to ward off the goals of radical Islam while doing all it can to reach true peace. Iran continues to deny the Holocaust and call for Israel's destruction. Today, its influence is apparent in Gaza, Lebanon, Afghanistan, South America and Africa. This is what they are doing without a nuclear weapon – imagine what they would do with a nuclear weapon." On Oct. 22 Haitian authorities announce a cholera outbreak has killed 150+. On Oct. 22-23 finance officials from the G20 meet to issue a statement setting a target of 4% of GDP for account surpluses and deficits, aimed at China, which balks, causing conspiracy theorists to call it the beginning of the end of the cent.-old Anglo-Am. conspiracy to create a OWG. On Oct. 22 gunmen massacre 13 young partygoers in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. On Oct. 22 Hollywood actor Randy Quaid appears in a Canadian court seeking refugee asylum along with his wife Evi Quaid, claiming that he's fearful of being murdered in Hollywood like Heath Ledger, Chris Penn, and David Carradine. On Oct. 22 outgoing New York office dir. of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) Andrew Whitely utters the soundbyte "The right of return is unlikely to be exercised to the territory of Israel to any significant or meaningful extent", suggesting that UNRWA help resettle them in Arab territories, pissing-off the Arabs and causing him to flip-flop, with the soundbyte "It is definitely not my belief that the refugees should give up on their basic rights, incl. the right of return." On Oct. 23 Staten Island, N.Y. Muslim Abdel Hameed Shehaden is arrested after trying to join the Taliban then join the U.S. Army so he could defect in Iraq and kill U.S. soldiers. On Oct. 23 the New York Times reveals that Afghan Pres. Hamid Karzai has been receiving bagfuls of cash from Iranian ambassador Feda Hussein Maliki via Karzai's chief of staff Umar Daudzai. On Oct. 23 four Taliban suicide bombers dressed in burqas attack the main U.N. compound in Herat in W Afghanistan, but score no casualties before they are killed. On Oct. 23 11 people jump out of a 2nd story window in La Verriere W of Paris after claiming to see the Devil, who turned out to be a naked man tending his crying baby. On Oct. 23 a Newsweek Poll shows that 48% of registered voters will more likely vote for Dems., vs. 42% for Repubs.; Obama's approval ratings jump to 54% (vs. 48% in Sept.), and those who disapprove of him drop to 40%, lowest since Feb. On Oct. 23 "I Kissed a Girl" Am. singer Katy Perry (1984-) marries British playboy comedian Russell Edward Brand (1975-) in a Hindu ceremony in Rajasthan, India (until ?). On Oct. 24 Afghanistan announces its first TV soap opera The Secrets of This House. On Oct. 24 Calif.-born Muslim terrorist Adam Gadhan urges Muslims living in "the miserable suburbs of Paris, London, and Detroit" to begin a jihad in defense of Islam, causing Dawud Walid, head of the Mich. branch of CAIR to say "He obviously doesn't know Muslims in Detroit". On Oct. 24 Britain has its coldest Oct. night in 17 years as it reaches -6C. On Oct. 24 Tony Blair's journalist sister-in-law Lauren Booth (1967-) announces her conversion to Islam six weeks earlier after after a "spiritual experience" in the Fatima a-Masumeh Shrine in Qom, Iran, saying that she's all the way up to page 60 in the Quran; meanwhile Iranian authorities publicly cut the hand off a thief to signal a new era of Islamic law and order. On Oct. 25 EU ministers decide to open the path to EU membership to Serbia despite it refusing to help arrest former Bosnian Serb gen. Ratko Mladic. On Oct. 25 the EU for the first time begins sending border guards to Greece to stop Muslim illegal immigrants from Turkey, many of whom claim to be Afghanis; meanwhile ever-backsliding Turkey begins action to ban BlackBerry smartphones. On Oct. 25 Pres. Obama announces to Congress his plans of allowing 80K immigrants, most from Islamic countries to immigrate to the U.S. during fiscal year 2011, calling it "justified by humanitarian concerns or otherwise in the national interest", despite record deporations to Mexico, high unemployment, etc. - Saudi oil money at work to fill up all the new mega-mosques? On Oct. 25 the East London borough of Tower Hamlets elects its first Islamic mayor, Lutfur Rahman, who is linked with the Islamic Forum of Europe. On Oct. 25 a bomb planted on a motorcycle explodes at the gate of the Sufi Farid Shakar Ganj Shrine in Pak Pattan, Pakistan (125 mi. W of Lahore), killing five. On Oct. 25 a 7.7 earthquake earthquake hits Indonesia 13 mi. off the coast of Sumatra, causing a tsunami that kills 113, which is combined with a volcano on Mt. Merapi in C Java that erupts 3x and kills 430. On Oct. 25 Naheed Nenshi (1972-) becomes mayor of Calgary, becoming Canada's first Muslim mayor; he likes to wear a Stetson cowboy hat. On Oct. 25 it is announced that Aleida Guevara, daughter of Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara visited Lebanon and voiced support for Hezbollah, embracing them in a common struggle with Communism, with the soundbyte "If we do not conduct resistance, we will disappear from the face of the Earth." On Oct. 26 Robert Serry, U.N. special coordinator for the Middle East peace process says that if Israel doesn't renew its new settlement construction freeze, the Obama-backed U.N. Security Council could approve the Palestinians' unilateral bid for statehood, making the first rocket they fire at Israel be an official act of war? On Oct. 26 Pope Benedict VI delivers his Message for the Church's World Day of Migrants and Refugees, saying that all states have the right to regulate immigration and defend their borders as long as they treat immigrants with dignity. On Oct. 26 Iraq War protester Paeter Gray throws his shoes at former Australian PM John Howard on Australian TV. On Oct. 26 Va. Muslim Farooque Ahmed (1976-) is arrested for helping al-Qaida plan terrorist attacks around the Washington, D.C. area, incl. the DC Metro; the tip leading to his arrest came from the Muslim community. On Oct. 26 the entire police force of Los Ramones in N Mexico resign after their HQ is attacked by drug cartel gunmen; meanwhile on Oct. 25 a group of non-govt. orgs. (NGOs) announce that drug violence in Mexico has killed 1.2K children since Dec. 2006. On Oct. 26 the Berlin-based TI Annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) moves the U.S. down from 19th to 22nd least corrupt of 178 nations. On Oct. 26 (1:33 a.m.) Hollyweird actor Charlie Sheen goes on a naked cocaine-fuled frenzy in a New York City Plaza hotel, causing his date, porno actress Christina Walsh (AKA Capri Anderson AKA Alexis Capri) (1988-) to lock herself in the bathroom; meanwhile Sheen's ex-wife Denise Richards and their two young daughters sleep across the hall; Sheen is hospitalized, is not charged, and pays the hotel $7K for damages. On Oct. 27 South Africa's Cape Town Opera turns down an appeal from Bishop Desmond Tutu to cancel a planned tour of Israel on his theory that it's an apartheid state. On Oct. 27 Germany makes forced marriages (mainly an Islamic practice) illegal, with up to five years in prison; meanwhile a survey by SingleMuslim.com of London reveals that 26.2% believe that polygamy is legal within Islam; meanwhile it is revealed that Muhammad is now the most popular infant boy name in England, ahead of Jack and Harry. On Oct. 27 Asma Jahangir becomes the first woman pres. of the Supreme Court Bar Assoc. in Pakistan. On Oct. 27 an online report by the U.S. Inspector Gen. admits that the U.S. Dept. of Defense got $9B+ from the sale of Iraqi oil to be used for reconstruction, but has lost the documentation for $8.7B of those funds. On Oct. 27 Sheikh Saqr bin Mohammad al-Qassimi (b. 1918) dies,and his 4th son Sheikh Saud bin Saqr al Qasimi (1956-) becomes emir of Ras al-Khaimah in the UAE (until ?). On Oct. 27 Hampshire College in Mass. announces a new center for the study of science in Muslim societies. On Oct. 27 the Somalian Islamist Shabaab executes two teen girls in Beledweyne after deciding that they're spies. On Oct. 27 a poll by Doug Schoen shows that 56% of likely voters want to see Pres. Obama fired, with only 42% approving of his job performance, while 48% think he's a nice guy. On Oct. 27-Nov. 1 the 106th World Series sees the New York Giants (NL) defeat the Texas Rangers (AL) 4-1, the first Giants win since 1954, and first since relocating from New York City in 1958; Giants pitcher Timothy "Tim" Lincecum (1964-) is the key to the big V, but Giants SS ("the Barranquilla Baby") Edgar Enrique Renteria Herazo (1975-) becomes MVP after game-hitting homers in Games 2 and 5. On Oct. 28 Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) chief John Sawers delivers the first public speech by a U.K. espionage chief, saying that terrorists might hit the West again "at huge human cost", but that nuclear proliferation is a more far-reaching danger, singling-out Iran. On Oct. 28 Muslim students at a Roman Catholic primary school in Malawi tear up New Testaments being distributed by Gideons Internat., and begin howling at their teachers; 13% of Malawis are Muslim, vs.28% Catholic and 52% Protestant. On Oct. 28 Jordan orders all Israelis entering the country to take off their yarmulkes for "security reasons". On Oct. 28 Pres. Obama announces that in his upcoming visit to Indonesia he'll visit Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, largest mosque in SE Asia and 3rd largest in the world - I'm home? On Oct. 28 gunmen in three vehicles fire on a car wash in Tepic, Mexico, killing 15 and injuring three. On Oct. 28 the Dutch parliament passes a motion to "proclaim in word and deed that fighting Islamization is not a goal of the policy [of the govt.]"; parties in opposition incl. the PVV and Christian SGP; meanwhile Hamas spokesman Mahmoud Al-Zahar tells the West that it should be ashamed to support Israel, because "You do not live like human beings. You do not live like animals. You accept homosexuality, and now you critize us?"; he adds "We have the right to control our life according to our religion, not according to your religion. You have no religion, you are secular." On Oct. 28 former U.S. pres. Jimmy Carter vows to push for U.S. and internat. sanctions against Israel and for the Obama admin. to open dialog with Hamas. On Oct. 28 drug cartel gunmen ambush a police convoy in Jalisco, Mexico, killing nine of 20 policemen; earlier buses taking people home from work are ambushed in Ciudad Juarez, killing five women and wounding 14, and six youths are killed in a gang feud in Mexico City. On Oct. 28 Rene Stadtekewitz, ex-member of German chancellor Angela Markel's Christian Dem. Union forms Die Freiheit (Freedom Party) to "combat political Islam". On Oct. 28 Hezbollah conducts a military exertise to test its ability to take over Lebanon and "corner" PM Saad Hariri in the event that the internat. tribunal on the assassination of former PM Rafiq Al-Hariri indicts them; meanwhile leader Hassan Nasrallah gives a speech that's tantamount to a declaration of war. On Oct. 28 UNWRA official Andrew Whitley says that Palestinian refugees should be resettled in Arab countries such as Jordan, causing Jordanian official Wajih Azaizeh to criticize him. On Oct. 28 Australian Islamic school dir. Anwar Sayed (1960-) of Perth is found guilty of massive fraud with govt. grants; earlier the case made news when judge Shauna Deane ruled that a Muslim woman giving evidence had to remove her burqa. On Oct. 28 Israel-hating Iran bans weightlifter Hossein Khodadadi for life for daring to stand next to an Israeli weightlifter on the platform in Poland. On Oct. 29 the women's rights group Sisters of Islam in Malaysia, known for speaking out against caning of women wins the right to use their name after a challenge by Muslim activists. On Oct. 29 the U.S. govt. releases the total cost of U.S. intel for the first time: $80B for 2010, incl. $27B for military intel and $53B for the CIA and 16 other intel agencies; only $51B is spent on foreign aid. On Oct. 29 Pakistani lt. gen. Khalid AhmedKidwai says that Pakistan has the right to use its nukes should the need arise. On Oct. 29 Chinese PM Wen Jiabao tells Indian PM Manmohan Singh that the world is big enough for both countries to develop and cooperate. On Oct. 29 Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf refuses a call by Saudi prince Alwaleed bin Taleed to move the Ground Zero Mosque. On Oct. 29 the Muslim, er, Obama admin. exempts, Yemen, Sudan, Chad, and DRC from U.S. penalties under the 2008 Child Soldiers Accountability Act, allowing those involved in their recruitment or use to become admissible aliens and/or avoid deportation. On Oct. 29 a tip that al-Qaida in Yemen placed explosive devices in packages on a cargo plane causes Emirates Flight 201 to be escorted by fighter jets into JFK Airport; the packages are addressed to synagogues in Chicago, Ill., and contain PETN like the Christmas Underwear Bomber inside HP printers, with Nokia cell phones as detonators; Pres. Obama calls them a "credible terrorist threat", and says they are powerful enough to bring down a plane; a medical student and her petroleum engineer's wife mother are arrested in Yemen in connection with the plot, which is traced to language schools; Saudi intel provided U.S. intel with their initial tip; they bombs are later found to have been designed to detonate in flight 17 min. after being defused, and are traced to Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri (1982-) (AKA Abu Saleh), the same person who made the Christmas Underwear Bomber's PETN bomb, who planted a bomb on his brother in Aug. 2009 to kill a Saudi prince, which blew up prematurely; a dry run of the cargo plane bomb was intercepted in Sept.; on Nov. 1 British PM David Cameron utters the soundbyte "It's clear that we must take every possible step to work with our partners in the Arab world to cut out the terrorist cancer that lurks in the Arabian Peninsula"; on Nov. 20 the al-Qaida mag. Inspire pub. an article bragging that it was their work and only cost $4.2K, promising the U.S. "death by a thousand cuts". On Oct. 29 North Korean troops fire two rounds toward South Korea at the border, who immediately fire back; a repeat happens on Nov. 3. On Oct. 29 Britain issues a 5-pound John Lennon Coin. On Oct. 29 25-y.-o. Pakistani Christian Fayaz Masih (1985-) is jailed after his Muslim boss Zafar Iqbal Ghuman calls on villagers to torture him for refusing to work in the fields for him for free, then frames him on having sex with his own niece; Ghuman allegedly regularly subjects Christians to slavery. On Oct. 29 eight members of a Muslim-dominated drug-smuggling operation in Oldham, England are sentenced to a total of 46 years in prison. On Oct. 29 the Fake Old White Man becomes a celeb for boarding Air Canada Flight AC018 in Hong Kong en route to Vancouver, then going to the restroom and emerging as a young Asian male, making a joke out of all the elaborate airline security. On Oct. 30 army chiefs in Turkey boycott an official ceremony at the pres. palace celebrating the creation of modern secular Turkey in 1923 because pres. Abdullah Gul's wife wears an Islamic headscarf (hijab) in the non-secular fashion, covering the neck to indicate adherence to Islamic Sharia. On Oct. 30 the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear in the Nat. Mall in Washington, D.C. is hosted by comedians Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert (in character), and attended by 215K, becoming a spoof of Glenn Beck's Restoring Honor Rally and Al Sharpton's Reclaim the Dream Rally; it features surprise guests Yusuf Islam AKA Cat Stevens and Ozzy Osbourne; Ariana Huffington leases 200 buses from Manhattan to bring in supporters, but there are far less than at Glenn Beck's rally. On Oct. 30 50 members of the English Defence League demonstrate in Amsterdam in support of Geert Wilders; the police arrest 34, incl. five English. On Oct. 30-31 four U.S. citizens are killed in El Paso, Tex. near the Mexico border, indicating that the violence is spilling over. On Oct. 31 a final USA Today/Gallup Poll finds that 52%-55% of likely voters prefer a Repub. candidate, vs. 40%-42% who prefer a Dem. candidate. On Oct. 31 leftist Dilma Rousseff (1978-) is elected pres. of Brazil (first woman) with 56% of the vote to succeed Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and is sworn-in on Jan. 1 (until ?). On Oct. 31 Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed "Farmajo" (1962-) becomes PM of Somalia (until June 19, 2011). On Oct. 31 Islamic gunmen take dozens of hostage in a Christian infidel church in Baghdad, Iraq, threatening to kill them unless al-Qaida POWs are released, after which police storm it, and two attackers set off explosive vests, resulting in 36 hostages and 17 security officers along with five gunmen killed and 75 wounded, who killed the two priests the moment the police stormed the bldg; the Islamic State of Iraq (al-Qaida in Iraq) claims responsibility, posting on their Web site that: "The Mujahedeens raided a filthy nest of the nests of polytheism, which has been long taken by the Christians of Iraq as a headquarters for a war against the religion of Islam", tying the attack to claims that the Coptic Church in Egypt is holding women who have converted to Islam, causing the Egyptian govt. to beef up security for them; Iraqi Christian archbishop Athanasios Dawood calls on Iraqi Christians to leave the country. On Oct. 31 Saudi King Abdullah calls on the leaders of Iraq to meet in Riyadh, and is overwhelmingly rejected. On Oct. 31 the terrorist group Islamic Jihad holds a rally in Gaza City attended by 100K out of 2M pop., with chants of death to America and Israel; meanwhile British foreign secy. William Hague signs the first treaty with the non-existent country of Palestine. On Oct. 31 Palestinian atheist blogger Walid Husayin (1984-) is arrested amid calls his death for calling Allah a "primitive Bedouin" and Islam a religion of "irrationality and ignorance"; on Nov. 29 he posts an apology from jail, but despite an internat. outcry isn't released until ?. On Oct. 31 the horror drama series The Walking Dead, based on the comic books by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard debuts on AMC-TV for ? episodes (until ?), featuring phony zombies being massacred en mass, becoming super-popular the more bloody and stupid it gets until audiences begin to tire?; stars Andrew Lincoln (Andrew James Clutterbuck) (1973-) as former sheriff's deputy Rick Grimes, leader of Alexandria, a group of survivors. In Oct. the U.S. adds 151K jobs but the unemployment rates stays at 9.6%; the news isn't announced until after the elections. In Oct. 34M sockeye salmon return to spawning grounds in the Fraser River in British Columbia, Canada despite only 1M last year. In Oct. Nigerian authorities discover weapons hidden in shipping contains, and trace them to the Iranian Rev. Guards; next Feb. 16 they begin prosecuting guard member Azim Aghajani and his Nigerian associate Usman Abbas Jega. In Oct. Moslim Vandaag (Muslim Today) begins pub. as the first Muslim newspaper in the Netherlands. On Nov. 1 Islamist insurgents set three Christian churches on fire in Karachayevo-Cherkessia, North Caucasus. On Nov. 1 shots are fired into a Coast Guard recruiting center in Woodbridge, Va. On Nov. 2 Yemen puts U.S.-born Islamist cleric Anwar al-Awlaki on trial in absentia along with two others for membership in al-Qaida and plotting to kill foreigners, becoming their first formal legal action against him. On Nov. 2 (Tues.) a wave of Islamic terror hits Iraq, Greece, and Germany, incl. a parcel bomb delivered to German chancellor Angela Merkel, 10 bomb blasts in Shiite public places in Iraq that kill 64 and wound 360, and more bomb blasts at embassies in Athens. On Nov. 2 an Ipsos MORI Survey in eight countries finds that people in the U.S., U.K., and India see war and terrorism as the top global challenges, while those in China are more worried about climate change. On Nov. 2 Calif. gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger bans the use of state-issued debit cards at businesses "inconsistent with the intent" of the welfare program, incl. medical marijuana shops and mediums. On Nov. 2 (Tue.) U.S. nat. elections are a big V for Repubs., who take control of the U.S. House in the biggest turnover of seats (63) since 1948, and retain control of the Senate after the Repubs. gain six seats; a record nine new Repub. women gain seats in the House; the fewest seats held by Dems. in the House since 1947; despite spending $100M of her own fortune, former eBay CEO (1998-2008) Margaret Cushing "Meg" Whitman(1956-) loses to former gov. (1975-83) Edmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown Jr. (1938-) (Dem.) for Calif. gov. to succeed Arnold Schwarzenegger (Repub.); House Armed Services Committee chmn. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) is defeated, along with House Transportation Committee chmn. James Oberstar (D-Minn.); 18-year veteran Wisc. Dem. Sen. Russ Feingold is defeated by Ron Johnson (1955-); World Wrestling Entertainment CEO Linda Edwards McMahon (1948-) is defeated by Dem. atty.-gen. Richard M. Blumenthal (1946-) for retiring Chris Dodd's Sen. seat; Dem. gov. Joseph "Joe" Manchin III (1947-) wins late Sen. Robert C. Byrd's Sen. seat in S.C.; after Latinos go for him by 90% to 8%, Senate majority leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) survives a challenge from Sharron Angle, allowing the Dems. to retain control of the House; Nimrata Randhawa "Nikki" Haley (1972-) (daughter of Indian Sikh immigrants) becomes the first woman gov. of S.C.; Tea Party Sen. candidates Randal Howard "Rand" Paul (1963-) (Tenn.) and Marco Antonio Rubio (1971-) (Fla.) (son of Cuban immigrants) win, while Tom Tancredo (Colo.) loses; Mark Steven Kirk (1959-) defeats Dem. state treasurer Alexi Giannolias to take Pres. Obama's former Senate seat, handing him his lunch, and completing the Rust Belt Massacre, which incl. Pat Toomey defeating Joe Sestak in Penn., John Kasich becoming Ohio govt.; on Nov. 17 in Alaska, despite opposition from Sarah Palin-backed Tea Party candidate Joe Miller (who beat her in the primary), Repub. Sen. (since 2002) Lisa Ann Murkowski (1957-) becomes the first Sen. candidate in 50+ years to win a write-in campaign; Calif. voters reject Proposition 19, a measure to legalize marijuana that was opposed by Obama; Okla. becomes the first state to pass a law (State Question 755) banning judges from using Sharia or internat. law in their decisions, causing the Muslim Brotherhood front CAIR to file a lawsuit, after which on Nov. 8 Clinton-apointee U.S. district judge Vicki Miles-LaGrange (1953-) issues a temporary restraining order against the amendment, with the non-sequitur soundbyte "We are humbled by this opportunity to show our fellow Oklahomans that Muslims are their neighbors and that we are committed to upholding the U.S. Constitution and promoting the benefits of a pluralistic society"; on Nov. 29 she makes it permanent; Pres. Obama never speaks out on the constitutional issues involved, particularly that any attempt to enact Sharia is sedition?; on Nov. 5 Forbes mag. pub. its list of the most powerful people on Earth, demoting Obama from #1 to #2 after Chinese pres. Hu Jintao; Facebook mogul Mark Zuckerberg comes in #40. On Nov. 3 stupified Pres. Obama holds a news conference, taking responsibility for the election disaster, admitting that "it feels bad", calling it a "shellacking" that "every president needs to go through", referring to Reagan and Clinton, appealing for "common ground" with Repubs., and saying "I've got to do a better job" - he's totally clueless? On Nov. 3 after secret pre-prepared orders of Obama on event of losing the election?, the Federal Reserve decides to pump $600B into the banking system because the recovery is "disappointingly slow", causing concerns of hyperinflation bringing the U.S. to its knees, to which Obama replies that the Fed "doesn't take orders from the White House". On Nov. 3 Army of Islam senior field cmdr. Mohammed al-Nemnem (al-Namnam) (b. 1983) is killed when his car explodes near a Hamas police station in Gaza City after direct hit by a missile fired by a U.S. warship in the Mediterranean, becoming the first target assassination in Gaza by the U.S., who claims he worked for al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula to plan terrorist attacks on U.S. targets after a tip by Egyptian intel. On Nov. 3 fear of more bombings empties Baghdad streets. On Nov. 3 Mexican authorities find a massive 1.8K-ft.-long smugglers tunnel in Tijuana, Mexico that links with warehouses in Otay Mesa, Calif.; it incl. its own rail system. On Nov. 3 after the RIAA and major music labels bring suit, a jury orders single Minn. mother Jammie Thomas-Rasset to pay $1.5M in damages for downloading 24 copyrighted songs, $62.5K each - should be more like $1 each? On Nov. 3 the Palestinian Authority arrests a Palestinian from Bethlehem for purchasing wood products from Israeli Jews located beyond the 1949 armistice line, continuing their ban on all economic contact between Palestinians and Jews living and working beyond the line, incl. Judea and Samaria; by the end of the year thousands are arrested. On Nov. 4 police invade a private home in Muslim-run Qusar, Azerbaijan and arrest four Baptists for the crime of praying together. On Nov. 5 West Vancouver, Canada Muslim convert Khadija Abdul Qahaar (Beverly Giesbrecht) dies in Taliban captivity after being captured and held for ransom despite her conversion. On Nov. 5 Yves Rossy becomes the first human to fly with a jet-fitted wing above Lake Geneva near Bercher, W Switzerland. On Nov. 5 yet another Islamic suicide bomber explodes in a mosque in Darra Adam Khel, Pakistan, killing 66 worshippers, and injuring 200. On Nov. 5 Somalian national Basaaly Saeed Moalin and two others living in San Diego, Calif., along with three others in the U.S. are indicted by federal authorities for funneling funds to al-Shabaab. On Nov. 5 bankrupt Norfolk Island in the Pacific, home of descendants of the HMS Bounty mutineers gives up independence in return for financial aid. On Nov. 5 Mexican drug lord Antonio Ezequiel Cardenas Guillen is killed by Mexican marines. On Nov. 5 Am. non-Muslim Ilya Sobolevskiy (1985-) of Md. is sentenced to 12 mo. in prison and fined $3K for "violating the civil rights" of sacred cow Muslim members of the central Ill. Mosque and Islamic Center of Urbana, Ill. merely for sending them an email promising to "do whatever it takes to eradicate Islam"; the prosecutor proposed probation with electronic monitoring but judge David G. Bernthal was harsh, claiming that prior emails probing into the mosque's connections with CAIR "escalated" the crime into "an act of terror", giving him the max; Obama shows his true colors by enforcing Sharia in the U.S.?; all patriotic Americans should declare their intentions of doing whatever it takes to eliminate Islam, starting by ousting these officials? On Nov. 5 a combined Afghan-coalition forces captures the Haqqani terrorist network's shadow gov. for the Spera district of Khost Province in Afghanistan. On Nov. 5-14 Pres. Obama makes an Asian Tour, featuring stops by a president from the country with the most Christians in countries with the most Hindus (India) and most Muslims (Indonesia), fending off possible Islamic foul play with an unprecedented escort of 34 war ships, 400 cars, 3 helis, 3 luxury jets, 800-person entourage, etc., costing $200M a day; a military sniffer dog pisses-off Indian Muslims with its name of Khan, which they claim is a Muslim name and hence a deliberate provocation; on Nov. 7 Obama talks with students at St. Xavier's College in Mumbai, saying that India has assumed a greater role on the world stage, saying that it is a job creator for the U.S. not a job vacuum, invoking Gandhi, saying that his ideal eludes modern India, and answering a student question about Pakistan (which he snubs) and why he doesn't put it on the terrorist nation list with "We want nothing more than a stable, prosperous and peaceful Pakistan... But I'm also going to say something that may surprise you. The country that has the biggest stake in Pakistan's success is India"; he answers a student question about his opinion on Islamic jihad with the soundbyte: "The phrase jihad has a lot of meanings within Islam and is subject to different interpretations. Islam is one of the world's great religions. More than a billion people who practise Islam, the overwhelming majority view their obligations to their religion as ones that reaffirm peace, fairness, tolerance. All of us recognize that this great religion in the hands of a few extremists has been distorted to violence, which is never justified. One of the challenges we face is how do we isolate those who have these distorted notions of religious war. We can all treat each other with respect and mutual dignity. We should try to live up to universal principles and ideals that Gandhi so fought for. We live in nations of diverse religious beliefs. It's a major challenge in India and around the world. Young people can make a huge impact in reaffirming that you can be a strong observer of your faith, without putting somebody else down or visiting violence on somebody else. I think a lot of these ideas are formed very early and how you respond to each other is going to be as important as any speech that a president makes in encouraging the kind of religious tolerance that is so important, in a world that is getting smaller and smaller. More and more people of different background and different territories and ethnicities are interacting and learning from each other. All of us have to fundamentally reject the notion that violence is the way to mediate our differences"; on Nov. 6 Obama and his family visit the 16th cent. Muslim Tomb of Humayun, while snubbing Buddhist and Hindu tombs and shrines; on Nov. 8 Obama announces his support of a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council for India, and says that he's ready to play "any role" requested by India and Pakistan to foster peace between them; on Nov. 9 Obama stops in Indonesia, where he tells them that his efforts to improve relations with the Muslim World are an "incomplete project", but never mentions the horrible Muslim atrocities against Christians in East Timor; he also says that the Israeli announcement of 1K new housing units for East Jerusalem "is never helpful when it comes to peace negotiations", causing Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu to reply that "Jerusalem is not a settlement. Jerusalem is the capital of the state of Israel", which has "never agreed to limit its construction in any way in Jerusalem where 800,000 inhabitants live"; Obama becomes the first to use a teleprompter inside the Indian parliament; Muslim Hizbut Tahrir protesters take the streets in Jakarta; Indonesian pres. Yudhoyono presents Obama with a gold model on behalf of his late mother Ann Dunham; Michelle Obama raises eyebrows for shaking hands with info. minister Tifatul Sembiring, exposing Obama as clueless when he claims Indonesia as a role model for moderate and progressive Islam; on Nov. 10 Obama visits the Istiqial Mosque in Jakarta, where Iranian pres. Imadinnajacket was greeted as a rock star in 2006, and later gives a Speech on Islam, repeating the soundbyte "America is not and never will be at war with Islam"; Michelle wears an animal print scarf into the mosque; before the Obamas arrive, on Nov. 8 China announces a $6.6 investment in Indonesia's infrastructure. On Nov. 6 leading U.S. Senate Repub. Lindsey Graham of S.C. says that the U.S. should consider "neutering" Iran's navy and air force if it doesn't stop trying to get nukes, adding that a surgical strike on nuclear facilities would bring military retaliation on U.S. forces in Afghanistan, and is probably already too late anyway. On Nov. 6 the Sunday Telegraph in Britain pub. an Andrew Gilligan exposing the British govt. as whitewashing reports on Muslim schools to censor that they "oppose the lifestyle of the West". On Nov. 7 (Sun.) the 41st 2010 New York City Marathon features rescued Chilean miner Edison Pena. On Nov. 7 the first elections in 20 years in Burma (Myanmar) are rigged by the military rulers. On Nov. 7 Islamists murder two more Christians in Iraq, incl. Louay Daniel Yacoub (b. 1961). On Nov. 7 the U.S. carries out two airstrikes in North Waziristan, killing 14 terrorists, five of them "foreigners". On Nov. 7 Israel charges Imam Nazim Mahmoud Salim of Nazareth with inciting violence against Pope Benedict XVI and supporting al-Qaida and global jihad. On Nov. 7-8 minority ethnic Karen Buddhist guerrillas attack Burmese troops, causing 15K to flee E Burma. On Nov. 8 mayor-elect Gregorio Barradas Miravete of Juan Rodriguez Clara in Veracruz, Mexico is kidnapped and murdered along with two companions by drug gunmen. On Nov. 8 U.S.-born radical Yemeni Islamic cleric Anwar al-Awlaki issues a video, telling mujahideen that their best option is an all-out war against the corrupt West, saying that there is no need for a fatwa to be issued because "killing Satan does not require any fatwa". On Nov. 9 a Somalian sex-trafficking ring operating in Minn., Tenn., and Ohio is indicted. On Nov. 9 a district court in Pakistan sentences Christian woman Asia Bibi (Aasiya Noreen) (1971-) to death by hanging for blasphemy, causing a world outcry; meanwhile Pakistani cleric Maulana Yousef Qureshi offers a reward on her head of 3.7K pounds ($5.8K), and religious minorities minister Clement Shabhaz Bhatti (198-2011) (a Roman Catholic) has another fatwa put on his head for speaking out against the death sentence, and is assassinated on Mar. 2, 2011 in Islamaad by Tehrik-i-Taliban; meanwhile on Jan. 4, 2011 liberal gov. #26 of Punjab (since 2008) Salmaan Taseer (1944-2011) is assassinated in the Kohsar Market in Islamabad by his bodyguard Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri (1985-2016), who is hanged on Feb. 29, 2016 in Rawalpindi, after which Taseer's son Shahbaz Taseer, who was kidnapped in Aug. 2011 in Lahore by the Pakistani Taliban is released in Kuchlak, Balochistan on Mar. 8, 2016. On Nov. 8 a mystery missile takes off near the coast of Southern Calif.; the govt. can't or won't explain it for days, then claims it is a jet airplane, and clams up completely after it is revealed that the Nat. Geo-Spatial Intel Agency warned about missiles fired in that area; it's really a Chinese missile? On Nov. 9 the curator of a French parish in Avignon, France complains to the police that a Muslim youth entered his church during a Mass On Nov. 10 after fierce opposition from the U.S. and human rights groups, the U.N. rejects a bid by misogynistic Iran for a seat on the new U.N. Women's Rights Panel, but accepts far worse Saudi Arabia - how much did that cost them? On Nov. 10 the first Global Indian Music Awards (GIMA) are held in Mumbai. On Nov. 11 the Sunnis walk out of the Iraqi parliament after the pres. gives Shiite PM Nouri al-Maliki the nod to form a new govt. On Nov. 11 Osama bin Laden appoints Saif el-Adel (Arab. "Sword of the Just") as new chief of internat. ops to lead the attack on the West. On Nov. 11 an Armistice Day silence in London is disrupted by three 2nd-gen. radical Muslim protesters Asad Ullah, Abu Yahya, and Abu Hifzudeen of Muslims Against Crusades, who burn a giant poppy and demand Sharia law implementation in the U.K., causing nationwide revulsion. On Nov. 12 the G20 Summit strikes an agreement that major economics will abide by common standards; weakened by the midterm elections Obama fails to secure a $10B annual free-trade agreement that would have supported 70K U.S. jobs. On Nov. 12 after "Gate Rape" AKA "enhanced pat down" is quietly put into effect by the TSA in Oct., CAIR issues a travel warning to Muslim passengers in U.S. aircraft, telling women in hijad to insist that they only be searched around the head and neck etc.; on Nov. 13 non-Muslim computer programmer ("Junk Man") John Tyner (1979-) refuses a full-body scan in San Diego, and tells the TSA agent trying to search him, "Don't touch my junk or I'll sue you", causing a firestorm of support, after which he faces a $11K fine for refusing the "enhanced patdown" (as if American non-Muslims are now true dhimmis with no rights compared to Muslims?); on Nov. 19 (12:00 p.m.) the TSA stinks itself up by strip-searching a young non-Muslim boy; on Nov. 24 it stinks itself up again by fondling a menstruating woman's vulva after her panty liner obscures the X-ray; on Nov. 22 TSA Chief John Pistole tells the press that no immediate changes are planned, although "there is a continual process of refinement and adjustment to ensure that best practices are followed", and that the groping is "as minimally invasive as possible"; on Nov. 22 a Washington Post-ABC News Poll shows that nearly two-thirds of Americans support the 400 new full-body security screening machines in use at 70 of 450 U.S. airports since Oct., but less than half support the new groping procedures; on Nov. 15 U.S. Homeland Security Dept. head Janet Napolitano lamely defends heightened airport security screening measures for non-Muslims incl. revealing full-body scans on "porno-scanners" and junk-touching pat-downs; on Nov. 16 a lawsuit is filed against Napolitano and the Transportation Security Adm. by John Whitehead of the Rutherford Inst. alleging that the invasive airport security procedures are "profane, degrading, intrusive and indecent", and violate the Fourth Amendment. On Nov. 12 Prince George County, Md. exec Jack B. Johnson is arrested by the feds on corruption and obstruction charges. On Nov. 12 ABC News air a segment revealing a sting on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) that shows them giving better grades for pay, incl. giving an "A" to Hamas, bringing a call from the U.S. atty.-gen. to end the "deceptive practice". On Nov. 12 the leftist Talking Points Memo (TPM) org. is founded by journalist Josh Micah Marshall (1969-). On Nov. 13 a huge suicide bomb blast in the HQ of the main anti-terrorist agency in Karachi, Pakistan kills 18 and wounds 130, showing that the Taliban is gaining ground. On Nov. 13 the Burmese military dictatorship releases reformer Aung San Suu Kyi. On Nov. 13 a mob of 2K+ Muslims attack a police outpost in Hazaribagh, Jharkand, India during Chhath celebrations after police fail to turn down a loudspeaker during Fri. prayers. On Nov. 13 300+ residents of the colonial ranching town of Ciudad Mier flee drug gang violence between the rival Zetas and Gulf Cartel. On Nov. 14 a huge blast at the 676-room Grand Riviera Princess Hotel in Playa del Carman (S of Cancun), Mexico caused by a leaking gas line kills five Canadians and two Mexican workers; security guards keep ambulances from entering, causing criminal charges to be considered. On Nov. 14 radical Muslim cleric Omar Bakri Mohammed, AKA the Tottenham Ayatollah is captured in his home in Tripoli, Lebanon after he being convicted on Nov. 12 of working with al-Qaida and vowing never to be captured. On Nov. 14 French embassy in Tehran is blocked, causing France to accuse Iran of "unacceptable acts of violence". On Nov. 14-16 3M Muslims attend the 2010 Hajj in Mecca, which culminates by throwing pebbles at three stone walls representing Satan; during a ceremy in the Arafat Desert 12 mi. from Mecca, pilgrims chant "Death to Israel" and "Death to America"; Saudi King Abdullah is a no-show for the start of the hajj, causing speculation that he's about to kick off and there will be a succession struggle. On Nov. 15 the Mexican navy rescues 10 migrants (incl. a baby) who had been kidnapped by a drug gang in Tamaulipas state. On Nov. 15 a fire in a high-rise apt. bldg. in Shanghai, China kills eight and injures 90+. On Nov. 15 U.S. citizens Arquimedes Bautista (1990-) and Rosalba Artimas (1964-) of Colo. file a lawsuit against ICE for an incident in Apr. when they were taking a bus to an Amway convention and were arrested for speaking Spanish; ICE later explains they suspected human trafficking. On Nov. 16 Walid al-Bustani of the radical Sunni group Fatah al-Islam escapes from prison in Rumieh, Lebanon; 2nd inmate Munjid al-Fahham fails to escape. On Nov. 16 a Muslim mob sets fire to 10 Coptic Christian-owned homes in S Egypt. On Nov. 16 U.S. defense secy. Robert M. Gates says that the internat. sanctions on Iran has caused a rift between Pres. Imadinnajacket and Supreme Leader Assahola Khameini. On Nov. 16 Pres. Obama awards U.S. Army SSgt. Salvatore Giunta the Medal of Honor, becoming the first for the Afghanistan War, and the first awarded since the Vietnam War. On Nov. 16 after years of lawsuits, Apple finally begins selling Beatles music downloads. On Nov. 16 2K+ aborted fetuses are discovered at a Buddhist temple in Bangkok, Thailand, causing the govt. to crackdown on illegal abortion clinics. On Nov. 16 an Iraqi Christian and his 6-y.-o. daughter are killed in a bombing in Mosul, Iraq; on Nov. 15 two Christian men are killed in their homes by intruders; on Nov. 17 Iraqi pres. Jalal Talabini advises Christians to seek refuge in Kurdistan in N Iraq until the govt. can guarantee their security; on Nov. 22 two more are murdered in the Sina'a neighborhood of Baghdad; on Nov. 25 the Vatican holds a mass in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome to commemorate the 58 killed in Baghdad in Oct.; in the Obama era of covering-up everything bad about Islam, the world doesn't seem to notice the systematic Muslim jihad on Iraqi Christians? On Nov. 17 U.S. Chamber of Commerce head Thomas J. Donahue scolds the Obama admin. for its "regulatory tsunami", calling it "the biggest single threat to job creation" in the country. On Nov. 17 a shootout in a mosque between rival Muslim factions over who should lead prayers during Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) in Khuzdar, Pakistan injures 18. On Nov. 17 Israel agrees to withdraw troops from part of the disputed Lebanese border village of Ghajar and hand control to a U.N. peacekeeping force. On Nov. 17 a federal grand jury returns a 14-count indictment against the Muslim owners of Sunrise Equities in Chicago, Ill., which allegedly cheated investors out of $43M while claiming to be compliant with Sharia law. On Nov. 17 1998 U.S. embassy bombing suspect Ahmed Ghailani (1974-) (first Gitmo POW to be tried) is acquitted on 284 of 285 charges in a civil trial, causing Sen. Repub. leader Mitch McConnell to rally critics of the Obama admin. for their "deeply misguided" and "potentially harmful" approach to prosecuting Islamic terrorists; on Nov. 19 Obama says that he still wants to close the Gitmo terrorist prison because it's a recruiting tool for al-Qaida. On Nov. 18 after buckling to pressure by the recording industry and Hollywood, and ignoring all the concerns of civil libertarians, the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approves the U.S. Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act (COICA), which would give the U.S. Atty. Gen. the right to shut down Web sites via court order if copyright infringement is deemed "central to the activity" of the site. On Nov. 18 a survey shows that 81% of Kosovo Albanians favor unification with Albania, where support for unification fell from 68% to 62.8%. On Nov. 18 the Egyptian govt. denies Israeli reports of a joint effort to eliminate leaders of the al-Qaida-affiliated Army of Islam in Gaza and Sinai. On Nov. 18 hundreds of Muslims march in Athens, Greece, damaging shops and cars to protest an alleged desecration of a Koran by a Greek policeman. On Nov. 18 Russian serial murderer Sergei Kashfulgayanovich Martynov (1962-) AKA the Torso Killer is arrested without resisting after a crime spree that began with his release from prison in 2005 for a 1992 murder, for a total of nine known victims W and C Russia, incl. seven women (two minor girls) and one man, often mutilating the females by removing their genitalia and breasts, leaving letters at crime scenes and making no effort to conceal evidence, later claiming his motivation was "cleaning of society"; after being convicted of eight murders, he receives a life sentence. On Nov. 19 an explosion at the Pike River Coal Mine in New Zealand traps 29 miners, who are all killed; on Nov. 24 there is a 2nd explosion. On Nov. 19 Palestinians fire three mortars and four phosphorous shells at Negev, causing the Israeli air force to bomb targets in Gaza Strip. On Nov. 19 the German govt. announces a nationwide alert against a Mumbai-style Islamic attack. On Nov. 19 U.S. officials announce that the military is sending its first contingent of heavily-armored battle tanks to Afghanistan. On Nov. 19 Pres. Obama visits Lisbon, Portugal for a NATO summit, where he discusses Portugal's economic problems with pres. Anibal Cavaco Silva. On Nov. 19 46-y.-o. Muslim Carnita Matthews (1964-) is sentenced to 6 mo. in jail for falsely accusing a police officer of forcibly removing her veil, the magistrate calling her crime "deliberate, malicious, and ruthless". On Nov. 19 the number of cartel-related murders in Mexico's drug war for the year passes the 10K mark (10,514), with 230 more each week, headed for 12K by the end of the year. On Nov. 20 a NATO-Russia Summit on missile defense reaches an agreement sans details; on Dec. 1 Russian pres. Dmitri Medvedev warns that if its proposals for a joint defense aren't followed, "Russia will have to ensure its own security", and refers to the WikiLeaks revelations, warning the U.S. to stay out of Russian internal affairs. On Nov. 20 a poll by the Israeli Project finds that 55% of Palestinians want a 2-state solution only as a stepping-stone to a 1-state solution under Islamic Sharia; meanwhile Hezbollah announces that Iran has provided them with Fatah-110 rockets, which have a range of 300km and come with guidance systems, turning Hezbollah into a military not just terrorist threat. On Nov. 20 Taliban suicide bombers in bicycles kill four and wound 31 in Mehtar Lam, E Afghanistan. On Nov. 20 Pope Benedict XVI elevates 24 new cardinals in a ceremony in St. Peter's Basilica, and unwraps, er, opens up the subject of condoms, saying they are the "first step" of assuming morality for male hos in order to reduce the risk of infection, even though they are not a moral solution to stopping AIDS; he wades into the debate on Islam on Europe with "Christians are tolerant, and in that respectthey also allow others to have their self-image", and "As for the burqa, I can see no reason for a general ban" - or else they'll ban nuns' habits? On Nov. 20 Tex. Muslim businessman Samir Mahmoud Itani of Am. Grocers Ltd. agrees to pay $15M to settle federal allegations of relabelling old food and selling it to the U.S. military. On Nov. 21 U.S. scientist Siegfried Heckler claims that North Korea showed him a covert uranium enrichment facility. On Nov. 21 Ireland becomes the 2nd EU country after Greece to ask for a multibillion-euro emergency loan; in Nov. 28 the EU agrees to give $89.4B in bailout loans to struggling Ireland. On Nov. 21 a 20-something Saudi woman defying the ban on female driving is killed along with three female friends in a driving accident. On Nov. 21 N.Y. joins Mich., Wash., Utah and Okla. in banning Four Loko, a potent drink that combines alcohol and caffeine. On Nov. 21 the World Mayors Council on Climate in Mexico City sees reps from 135 cities around the world sign the Mexico City Pact, establishing a monitoring and verification mechanism for cities to address climate change; on Nov. 20 Mexican marines bust a gang of suspected kidnappers with detailed plans of security arrangements for the U.N. climate change talks in Cancun on Nov. 29. On Nov. 21 after a march against Muslim extremism, masked men throw taboo beer and bacon at the Kingston Mosque in England, pissing-off the PC establishment, after which top political and police leaders address the 1K congregation on Dec. 6 to reassure them. On Nov. 22 a stampede at a festival near the royal palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia kills 339 and injures hundreds. On Nov. 22 admit fears of new Islamic terrorist attacks, Germany closes the famous glass dome at the Reichstag in Berlin. On Nov. 22 an arms convention is signed in Brazzaville in an attempt to stem the flow of small arms in C Africa. On Nov. 22 the BBC-TV program Panorama exposes a network of 40+ unregulated weekend Islamic schools in Britain that teach anti-Semitism along with draconian forms of Sharia, incl. execution for homosexuality. On Nov. 22 Israel passes the Referendum Law, requiring either a two-thirds Knesset majority or a nat. referendum to approve any peace deal involving the ceding of land from sovereign Israel. On Nov. 22 it is revealed that talks being held for months by the Afghan govt. with Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansour were actually being held with an imposter. On Nov. 22 Melanie and Aaron Richman en route from Colo. to Mo. see their car hijacked at a gasoline station in Kansas City, Mo. with their 6-mo.-old baby in the back seat, turning them into heroes who doggedly pursue and board the car until he crashes and flees, leaving the baby unharmed. On Nov. 22 a man in a burqa robs Jadee Jewellers in Manchester, England. On Nov. 23 North Korea fires artillery shells at Yeonpyeong Island, causing South Korea to respond with its own artillery fire; White House deputy press secy. Bill Burton says that Pres. Obama "is outraged by this action" and that "We stand shoulder to shoulder with South Korea"; on Nov. 24 a U.S. aircraft carrier group takes off for Korean waters; on Nov. 25 South Korea sends troops to fortify the island and border, while South Korean defense minister Kim Tae-young resigns after criticism that the response was too slow. On Nov. 23 China admits that it's the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases. On Nov. 23 China and Russia announce that they are renouncing the U.S. dollar in favor of their own countries for bilateral trade. On Nov. 23 the annual OIC-sponsored draft Resolution Against Religious Defamation passes by 12 votes, 76-64 with 42 abstentions, the smallest margin ever, showing that it's losing steam. On Nov. 23 the Dalai Lama receives an honorary degree from Jamia Millia Ilamia U. in Delhi, calling Islam "one of the great religions of the world", and claiming that true jihad is "a struggle within ourselves against all negative emotions like anger, hatred, attachment, that creates problems in society", adding "I defend Islam. We should not generalize Islam due to a few mischievous people. Such mischievous people are there among Hindus, Jews, Christians, Buddhists, and all religions"; "Islam is one of the very important religions for many centuries, in the past, present and future it is the hope of millions of people." On Nov. 23 Pres. Obama visits an Chrysler Plant in Kokomo, Ind. to announce a new $800M investment in the facility by Chrysler, and tells auto workers "Don't bet against America". On Nov. 23 former Russian counterterrorism agent Col. Sergey Ignatchenko testifies that the Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation charity once headquartered in Ore. was financing Islamic jihadists in Chechnya. On Nov. 23 the U.S. DEA decides to use its emergency powers to ban the herbal product K2 AKA "fake marijuana" for one year while Congress considers making it permanent. On Nov. 23 U.S. secy. of state Hillary Clinton suggests at a State Dept. meeting that WikiLeaks man Julian Assange be killed with a drone, calling him a "soft target", after which aides settle on a $10M reward for his capture and extradition to the U.S. On Nov. 23-27 the first-ever Arab-European Young Leaders Forum is held in Vienna, Austria. On Nov. 24 Pakistani federal minister Maulana Attaur Rehman calls the Taliban "true followers" of Islam, sparking controversy. On Nov. 24 in a major shift toward Islamism, Coptic Christian demonstrators in Cairo,Egypt are tear-gassed after authorities refuse a permit for a new church; four are killed, 78 wounded, and hundreds are arrested, with 170 charged with 10-15-year felonies. On Nov. 24 a Sunni car bomb explodes in a Shiite religious procession in Al-Jawf Province in N Yemen, killing 47; on Nov. 25 officials announce that escalating fighting between Houthi-led Shia rebels and pro-govt. militia in Yemen has caused dozens of families to cross the border into Saudi Arabia. On Nov. 24 Mexican police arrest La Barbie's successor Carlos Montemayor in Mexico City. On Nov. 24 Jordanian-born Muslim Mohammad Alkaramla (1985-) of Chicago, Ill. is sentenced to 25 mo. in prison for mailing a letter threatening to blow up a Jewish high school. On Nov. 24 al-Qaida explodes a car bomb in N Yemen against Houthi Shiites in Al-Jawf, killing 23 and wounding dozens; on Nov. 26 another bomb kills two and injures 14; a gen. war on Shiites begins (ends ?). On Nov. 24 Sarah Palin responds to a statement by former First Lady Barbara Bush that "She's beautiful. She's very happy in Alaska, and I hope she'll stay there", calling them "bluebloods" who are trying to thwart the "will of the people". On Nov. 25 (Thur.) (Thanksgiving) the London-based Arabic newspaper Al-Hayat claims that WikiLeaks documents show that NATO member Turkey allowed weapons to be smuggled to al-Qaida forces in Iraq. On Nov. 25 Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatens Israel in the event it goes to war with Lebanon or Hamas, saying that Turkey will not "remain silent"; on Nov. 26 hundreds of Lebanese of Armenian descent protest his visit to Beirut, clashing with army troops. On Nov. 25 three teenage boys Edward Nasau (1996-), Samu Perez (1995-), and Filo Filo (1995-), who had been presumed dead after 50 days of sea are rescued NE of Fiji. On Nov. 25 Canada withdraws from the planned Sept. 2001 U.N. Conference on the Escalation of Islamophobia, saying that it will spend much of its time condemning Israel as racist and criminal. On Nov. 25 former Israeli PM Ehud Olmert says that Israel should agree to the U.S. demand to halt settlement construction on the West Bank in order to restart peace talks. On Nov. 26 the British Muslim group Engage (iEngage) announces that it will be acting as the secretariat to a new All-Party Parliamentary Group on Islamophobia. On Nov. 26 Pres. Obama gets inadvertently elbowed in the upper lip by Rey Decerega during a friendly basketball game at Ft. McNair in Washington, D.C., requiring 12 stitches. On Nov. 26 world-renowned rabbi David Rosen of the Am. Jewish Congress warns that Europe risks being "overrun" by Islam unless it returns to its Christian roots. Merry Christmas Infidels, Boom? On Nov. 26 the FBI arrests Muslim Somali-Am. student Mohamed Osman Mohamud (1991-) for trying to set off a car bomb at a Christmas tree lighting in Portland, Ore.; he is found guilty on Jan. 13, 2013. On Nov. 27 U.S. forces have been in Afghanistan one day longer than the Soviet Union when it completed its 1989 withdrawal. On Nov. 27 the 5K-strong English Defence League stages three demonstrations against Sharia in England. On Nov. 27 (5:40 p.m.) after leaving an Osama-style pre-attack video railing against his parents for "holding me back from jihad in the cause of Allah", former Ore. State U. student Mohamed Osman "Mo Mo" Mohamud (1991-) AKA the Christmas Tree Bomber is arrested by the FBI after trying to use a cell phone to set off a van full of explosives in a crowd of 25K in Pioneer Courthouse Square in Corvallis, Ore. during a Christmas tree lighting ceremony while shouting "Allahu Akbar"; the FBI was tipped off by his father, and strung him along and put fake explosives in the van, allowing Muslim disinfo. artists to claim he was framed, despite many statements he left along the way that he hates America and wants to kill Americans for Allah; in 2005 city officials voted to now allow local law enforcement to participate in the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, which foiled the plot; on Nov. 28 angry arsonists set fire to the Salman Al-Farisi Islamic Center that he frequented, his imam issuing the soundbyte: "There wasn't anything that would prompt me to think he would plan this. It's completely, clearly, textually denounced in the Islamic religion" - and the stupid PC press focuses on that instead of the jihadist, the violent intolerant supremacist passages in the Quran, and the stupidity of mass Muslim immigration? On Nov. 27 Amir Hossein Shirana, an abducted employee from a secret Iranian nuclear plant claims they were enriching uranium to build a nuclear weapon. There are no bathrooms out there, you know? On Nov. 28 250K embassy cables, some as recently as this Feb. are released by Julian Assange's WikiLeaks revealing a long list of U.S. foreign strategies and secrets, incl. spying on allies, messages from Saudi King Abdullah calling on the U.S. to "cut off the head of the snake" with an air strike on Iran, and warnings from Israel that Iran is close to getting nukes; it also reveals that Iran had used Red Crescent to smuggle weapons and agents into Lebanon, and reveals that "Saudi donors remains the chief financiers of Sunni militant groups like al-Qaida"; Iranian officials lied to the IAEA about their nuclear plants; the Saudi king urged the U.S. to implant chips in Gitmo inmates to track them "like horses, falcons"; Arab leaders called Iranian pres. Madmaninastraightjacket "evil" and an "existential threat"; Afghan Pres. Hamid Karzai pardoned cops caught dealing drugs incl. heroin, repeatedly threatened to join the Taliban; Armenia sent arms to Iran that were used to kill U.S. troops; future pope Benedict XVI wanted Muslim Turkey kept out of the EU; the U.S. set up an intel unit in Barcelona, Spain after calling Catalonia "the greatest center of radical Islamist activity in the Mediterranean"; U.S. diplomats conclude that Britain made "little progress" in fighting Islamists after the 7/7/2005 London Bombings despite investing considerable time and resources; Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi told U.S. defense secy. Robert Gates in Feb. that no one could stop Israel from attacking Iran if it feels an existential threat; Sudanese pres. Omar al-Bashir has stuffed up to $9B in U.K. banks; a survey of 30 univs. in Britain found that 32% of Muslim students support killing for Islam, and 40% want Sharia law; Israeli Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi told a U.S. Congressional delegation in late 2009 that Israel was preparing for a large war against Hamas or Hezbollah; the U.S. fears that Saudi Arabia has overstated its oil reserves by 40% (300B barrels); Turkey allowed the U.S. to use its Incirlik airbase as a refueling stop despite official denials; U.S. atty.-gen. Eric Holder promises to prosecute anybody who broke U.S. law by leaking secret diplomatic cases, and U.S. Rep. Peter King (in line to be the next House Homeland Security Committee chmn.) calls for Assange to be prosecuted under the U.S. Espionage Act and for WikiLeaks to be designed as a foreign terrorist org.; Sarah Palin disses the Obama admin.'s handling of the documents release as "incompetent"; Watergate figure G. Gordon Liddy calls for Assange to be put on the U.S. kill list like Anwar al-Awlaki; after Amazon shuts down their site, they get new hosting from Banhof, which is located inside a Cold War bunker in a Swedish mountain; on Dec. 9 Russia chimes in, suggesting that Assange be awarded a Nobel Peace Prize; the leaked cables spark the revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen? On Nov. 28 after Egyptian pres. Hosni Mubarak rejects U.S. demands for monitors to observe them on Nov. 25, parliamentary elections in Egypt are marked by massive fraud in favor of Mubarak's Nat. Dem. Party, causing protests by the Muslim Brotherhood - little does he know about next Jan. 25? On Nov. 28 pres. elections in Ivory Coast. On Nov. 28 voters in Switzerland approve harsher laws for immigrants, incl. automatic deportation for those convicted of serious crimes. On Nov. 28 U.S. authorities announce that Mexico has become the #1 source for all meth sold in the U.S. On Nov. 28 suspected Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels shoot and kill Bejunson Basnillo, a driver for the U.N. World Food Program in Marantao in S Philippines. On Nov. 28 clashes between Islamic al-Shabab fights and the Somalian govt. in Mogadishu begin (until ?). On Nov. 29 Pres. Obama proposes a freeze on civilian pay for federal employees for 2011-12 to save $28B over five years. On Nov. 29 an Afghan border policeman kills six U.S. servicemen during a training mission near the Pakistani border. On Nov. 29 four Islamist militants clash with govt. forces in Osh, Kyrgyzstan; at least four are killed. On Nov. 29 secy.-gen. of the Org. of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu warns that the West has hatched plots to spread Islamophobia in order to block conversions to Islam, and calls on member nations to work to defuse them - kafirophobia? On Nov. 29 15-y.-o. Wisc. h.s. student Samuel Hengel (1995-) takes his teacher and 23 classmates hostage for six hours, then commits suicide. On Nov. 29 the annual U.N. Gen. Assembly discussion on the Middle East sees Libyan nutcase Moammar Gaddafi propose a new binat. state called Isratine. On Nov. 29-Dec. 10 the 2010 U.N. Climate Change Conference in Mexico, attended by 15K is dominated by global warming proponents, who call for an end to the developed world's growth for the next 20 years - the U.N. is a criminal enterprise of haters of the developed world? On Nov. 30 the U.S. Senate by 73-25 passes the U.S. Food Safety Modernization Act, SB-510, the biggest overhaul to U.S. food safety laws since the 1950s, giving vast new power to the FDA, placing new responsibilities on farmers and food cos. to prevent contamination, and setting safety stds. for imported foods; it makes it illegal to grow, share, or sell homegrown food? On Nov. 30 the U.S. House votes 256-152 to approve the $4.6B Pigford II and Cobell settlement of class-action suits from Indians and 70K African-Am. farmers, the latter getting $1.25B of it, and Alaska Natives getting $3.4B; in 1999 15,640 black farmers received $1B under Pigford I. On Nov. 30 the U.S. Senate votes 39-56 against a proposal from Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) to ban congressional earmarks. On Nov. 30 Pres. Obama meets with Repub. and Dem. leaders in a White House bipartisan summit to discuss extending the Bush tax cuts, ratifying the new START treaty etc. On Nov. 30 Iraqi security forces foil a plot to bomb the French embassy in Baghdad, arresting 12 suspected al-Qaia members connected with the Oct. 31 church assault. On Nov. 30 al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb denies Mauritanian military reports that 30 members defected - it was 29? On Nov. 30 the Turkish military suspends its longstanding practice of dismissing Islamists. On Nov. 30 the Pentagon releases a Review of the Proposed Repeal of the Don't Ask Don't Tell Repeal, which concludes that it is unlikely to hurt the effectiveness of U.S. troops, with a low risk after a short term "limited and isolated disruption to unit cohesion and retention". On Nov. 30 the U.S. and Mexico announce a frequent flyer program with streamlined procedures through immigration and customs for pre-screened flyers. On Nov. 30 Egyptian police use live ammo on unarmed Christian Coptic protesters in Cairo, killing four. On Nov. 30 Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi demands £4B from the EU to fight illegal immigration, claiming that otherwise Europe will "turn black" and be swamped by Muslims. On Nov. 30 after an outcry, the Nat. Portrait Gallery of the Smithsonian Inst. announces that it will remove a video exhibition showing Jesus Christ on a cross being eaten alive by ants, but will keep other homoerotic artworks. In Nov. Peru launches its first nanosatellite from Russia. In Nov. Sweden decides to send Kurdish lesbian couple Pari and Dilsa back to Iraq, despite facing execution for homosexuality. In Nov. the U.S. unemployment rate increases to 9.8%, although the economy adds 39K jobs, setting a record of unemployment above 9% for 19 straight mo. In Nov. the U.S. loses 45 troops killed in Afghanistan, the deadliest Nov.in the 9-year Afghanistan War. In Nov. Norway suffers its coldest Nov. since 1919. In Nov. Colombia, Peru, and Chile agree to merge their stock exchanges, with a total of 600 stocks and a combined GDP of $500B. In Nov. the $40B Indian Telecom Scandal sees the govt. get into a faulty cell phone licensing deal. On Dec. 1 a cold spell in N Europe sees Moscow ' have its coldest day since 1931, -23.6C (-10.5F); on Nov. 30 Trondheim, Norway has its coldest temp since 1788; meanwhile Italy suffers from floods and high tides; on Dec. 3 12 freeze to death in Poland. On Dec. 1 Spanish police arrest seven men in Barcelona for stealing passports for radical Islamic cells in Thailand and Pakistan. On Dec. 1 residents of the village of Fureidis near Haifa, Israel are indicted for spying for Hamas and planning to create a terror cell made up of Arab-Israelis. On Dec. 1 Palestinian Authority chmn. Mahmoud Abbas finally calls for the unconditional release of 24-y.-o. Israeli hostage Gilad Shalit (1986-), who was captured by Hamas in 2006 and held on the demand of the release of 1K terrorists, with Abbas backing them up until now. On Dec. 1 the U.S. Treasury Dept. cites five Iranian corporate officials and 10 businesses serving as fronts for Iran's shipping co. Iran Shipping Lines. On Dec. 1 Pres. Obama's fiscal commission releases a final report recommending sharp cuts in military spending, a higher retirement age, and reforms costing taxpayers an avg. of $1.7K a year; on Dec. 2 the U.S. House votes on partisan lines 234-188 to extend the Bush tax cuts for low and middle income taxpayers only (less than $250K per year); on Dec. 4 the Senate votes 53-36 to reject further debate on that plan; on Dec. 3 it falls three votes short of 14 votes needed to pressure Congress to quickly vote it in; on Dec. 15 the Senate by 81-19 passes a $858B package preserving the Bush era tax breaks for all income levels for two years, and extending emergency unemployment for more than a year; on Dec. 16 despite liberal opposition the Houses passes it by 277-148. On Dec. 1 the cases of Maj. Nidal Hasan and others cause former U.S. Defense Dept. inspector gen. Gen. Joseph Schmitz calls on Congress to oversee and vet the process for Muslim clerics nominated to serve as U.S. miitary chaplains. On Dec. 1 Turkish foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu denies reports that Turkey listed Israel as a threat in a key policy paper and that he had questioned Israel's long-term viability; meanwhile ex-PM Necmettin Erbakan (1926-2011) claims that PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his AKP (Justice and Development Party) are stooges of the Zionists. On Dec. 2 Abdel Hamid Shaari, head of the Mosque of Viala Jenner becomes the first Muslim mayoral candidate of a major Italian city, Milan. On Dec. 2 a 3.7K-acre fire in Carmel Forest near Haifa, Israel (worst in Israeli history until ?) kills 40 cadets and the driver on a bus en route to Damon Prison to rescue prisoners; after the Lions of the Mujahideen in Palestine claim responsibility, two teen brothers from Usfiya admit doing it through negligence. On Dec. 2 Al-Shabaab takes over the Burhakaba District in Somalia from Huzbil-Islam, the last they control in the Bay region. On Dec. 2 U.S. homeland security secy. Janet Napolitano calls on the lame duck Congress to pass the U.S. DREAM (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) Act that grants legal status to 2.1M illegal immigrant students at a cost of up to $20B; on Dec. 8 it passes the House by 216-198 incl. 8 Repubs; on Dec. 18 the Senate kills it after a 55-41 vote fails to achieve the necessary 60 votes. On Dec. 2 Pres. Obama celebrates Hanukkah at the White House. On Dec. 2 Hamas PM Ismail Haniyeh insists that there is no al-Qaida presence in Gaza. On Dec. 2 the U.S. House passes a bill that would force the FCC to set new lower volume stds. for pesky TV ads. On Dec. 2 a Pew Research Center Poll of six Muslim countries shows that only a minority of world Muslims support al-Qaida; too bad, the total comes to 130M of 1.5B. On Dec. 3 amid growing tensions in the Korean Peninsula, the U.S. and Japan launch their biggest-ever joint military exercises off Japan's S islands near South Korea. On Dec. 3 Pres. Obama makes a surprise holiday visit to Afghanistan to join the Taliban, er, to visit the troops at Bagram Air Base, telling them that we're "tired of playing defense"; he talks with Hamid Karzai only by phone. On Dec. 3 U.S. Marine commandant Gen. Jim Amos and USAF chief of staff Gen. Norton Schwartz tell the Senate that they don't recommend that Congress allow gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military. On Dec. 3 Turkish pres. Abdullah Gul says that Israel and Turkey are no longer friends, and any cooperation between NATO and Israel is out of the question. On Dec. 3 U.S. Gen. David Petraeus addresses his troops at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, and pisses-off Afghans with a statement that corruption has been a part of their history and culture for "however long this country has probably been in existence". On Dec. 3 Pres. Obama issues his first pardons since taking office, all involving minor offenses. On Dec. 3 Mexican police arrest 14-y.-o. U.S.-born hitman Edgar Jimenez Lugo (1996-) AKA El Ponchis (The Clock), who confesses to doing at least four decapitations; on July 27, 2011 he is given the max minor sentence of three years. On Dec. 3 the lit. elite of Baghdad protest a govt. order banning liquor in restaurants and hotels under Islamic influence. On Dec. 3 Am. Muslim convert Maria Hardman, a student at the U. of Colo. refuses to remove her headscarf for a mugshot, causing judge Noel Blum to come down on her, but after Muslim pressure he folds on Dec. 15 and allows her to wear the scarf provided she exposes her hairline and ears. On Dec. 4 Brazilian pres. Lula da Silva recognizes a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, causing Israel to say they are "saddened"; on Dec. 6 Argentina follows suit, joining 100+ other nations incl. Cuba, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. On Dec. 4 Palestinian pres.Mahmoud Abbas warns that if peace talks fail he might ask Israel to resume full control of the West Bank. On Dec. 4 Anaheim, Calif. Muslim Ahmed Nasir Taalil Mohamud (1975-) is indicted for conspiracy to provide material support to al-Shabaab. On Dec. 4 Qatar is selected over the U.S. for the 2022 World Cup, which Pres. Obama calls a "mistake", causing Egyptian scholar Shikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi to call it a V for Muslims worldwide over the U.S. On Dec. 4 gunmen kill 10 in two attacks in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, incl. four police officers in an ambushed police car. On Dec. 4 the Brazilian govt. announces that it has been "closely monitoring" about 20 people linked to Hezbollah and the Islamic Jihad. On Dec. 4 the marriage of 23-y.-o. Muslim schoolteacher Abdul Manan Othman to a 14-y.-o. girl in Malaysia stirs calls for reform. On Dec. 4 Egyptian minister of family and pop. Moushira Khattab says that Egypt is seeking internat. support to urge the U.N. Gen. Assembly to issue a resolution against female genital mutilation (FGM). On Dec. 5 the govt. of Albania announces that floods the past week have caused 11K to be evacuated and 7.8K houses damaged. On Dec. 5 Iran announces that it can produce yellow cake, allowing it to freely convert local or African uranium ore into nuclear fuel. On Dec. 5 Muslims murder yet two more Christians in Iraq, an elderly coupe in Baladiyat, Iraq in E Baghdad. On Dec. 5 a 22-y.-o. N African is arrested in Italy on suspicion of the kidnapping-murder of 13-y.-o. Yara Gambirasio in Brembata Sopra (near Bergamo); the same day a 21-y.-o. Moroccan DUI driver kills seven cyclists and injures three in Lamezia Terme in S Calabria; the incidents cause outcries over the stupidity of mass Muslim immigration. On Dec. 5 WikiLeaks reveals that Obama admin. officials admit that they have failed to shut down the money pipeline to Islamic terrorists after nine years of trying, with Hillary Clinton sending a classified memo saying: "It has been an ongoing challenge to persuade Saudi officials to treat terrorist financing emanating from Saudi Arabia as a strategic priority. Donors in Saudi Arabia constitute the most significant source of funding to Sunni terrorist groups worldwide." On Dec. 6 two Islamic suicide bombers in the Mohmand Agency in NW Pakistan near the Afghan border kill 50 and wound 100. On Dec. 6 Pres. Obama makes a deal with Repubs. to extend the Bush-era tax cuts for rich, er, all Americans for two years at a cost of $620B in tax revenues in return for a $120B 2011 tax cut and $56B renewal of jobless benefits for 13 mo.; he holds a surprise press conference to defend the deal amid criticism from Dems. that he caved in too quickly, saying that tax cuts for the wealthy are the Repubs.' "Holy Grail" and that he couldn't get them to budge, dissing Dems. for being "sanctimonious" and reminding them that "this country was founded on compromise"; on Dec. 9 House Dems. vote not to accept his deal as-is; on Dec. 10 Bill Clinton tries to get Dems. to support Obama, who bails out of the White House press conference as if Clinton is back as the boss? On Dec. 6 a survey is released revealing that George W. Bush is the most unpopular living U.S. pres. On Dec. 6 Awais Younis (AKA Sundullah "Sunny" Ghilzai and Mokhammed Khan) is charged with posting threats on Facebook to bomb the Washington, D.C. Metro Subway. On Dec. 6 (11 p.m.) Karen Leuders (1953-) kisses her hubby Willard and bites off half his tongue; her hubby doesn't want to press charges - maybe his tongue had been bad? On Dec. 6-7 the U.S. and Iran hold their first direct talks on Iran's nuclear program in over a year in Geneva, and they agree to meet again next Jan. after no substantive progress - did they serve yellow cake? On Dec. 7 the 2010 PISA (Program for Internat. Student Assessment) scores put Shanghai at the top of 65 countries in math, reading, and science, and the U.S. way down at #23 or #24 in most subjects and #31 in math. On Dec. 7 (6:30 p.m.) an Islamic terrorist explosion in Varanasi, India in retaliation for the Babri Masjid demolition 18 years earlier kills a 1-y.-o. child and injures 20+. On Dec. 7 Pres. Obama abandons his 2-year policy of trying to persuade Israel to stop settlement construction; on Dec. 8 Palestinian Authority official Yasser Abed Rabbo says that "Israeli obstinacy" made Washington give up on efforts to freeze Jewish settlements, and questions whether the U.S. can help them attain independence. On Dec. 7 an Indian Muhamideen bomb explodes during a Hindu ceremony at the Ganges River in Lucknow, India, killing a 2-y.-o. infant and causing a stampede that injures 19. On Dec. 7 the U.S. dir. of nat. intel releases an intel assessment revealing that 150 of 598 (25%) former Gitmo detainees are either "confirmed or suspected of reengaging in terrorist or insurgent activities". On Dec. 7 Amnesty Internat. condemns a religious ruling by Israeli ultra-orthodox rabbis banning rental or sale of homes to non-Jews; on Dec. 10 top ultra-orthodox rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv slams the ruling, saying that the other rabbis should "have their pens taken away". On Dec. 7 a new meningitis A vaccine is released in Burkina Faso. On Dec. 7 the U.S. Surgeon gen. releases the 30th Report on Tobacco, which claims that even one puff of tobacco smoke is harmful. On Dec. 8 (5:30 a.m.) a fire in the overcrowded San Miguel Prison S of Santiago, Chile kills 81 inmates and injures 14. On Dec. 8 the U.S. Senate votes unanimously to convict U.S. district judge G. Thomas Porteous (9147-) of La. of four impeachment charges, removing him from the bench, the 8th in U.S. history. On Dec. 8 the $600M private Dragon space capsule is launched on a Falcon 9 rocket by SpaceX (Space Exploration Technologies Corp.), founded by PayPal co-founder Elon Musk. On Dec. 8 Baltimore, Md. Muslim convert Muhammad Hussain (Antonio Martinez) (1989-) is arrested for a plot to blow up an Armed Forces recruiting center in Cantonsville (near Baltimore), Md. with a car bomb; he was allegedly "grinning from ear to ear" and shouting "Allahu Akbar" while trying to detonate a fake bomb; on Jan. 26 he pleads guilty, saying he was motivated by his belief that the U.S. is at war with Islam. On Dec. 8 Britain okays the sale of meat and milk from offspring of cloned animals sans special labelling. On Dec. 8 WikiLeaks reveals that U.S. TV shows and movies incl. "Desperate Housewives" are doing more to diffuse Islamic extremism in Saudi Arabia than official U.S. efforts. On Dec. 8 New York transportation police officer Eddie Crespo (1982-) breaks up an altercation involving a Muslim and non-Muslim Albert Melendez in lower Manhattan, the latter uttering anti-Muslim statements, causing CAIR to get them both charged with trumped-up charges; on Dec. 16 prosecutors drop the charges against Crespo, while Melendez is indicted by a grand jury on a misdemeanor. On Dec. 8 (night) vandals cut down the Glastonbury Holy Thorn Tree in England shortly after a sprig was cut to put on Queen Elizabeth II's Christmas table. On Dec. 9 a U.N. report urges Afghanistan to protect women's rights and give up child marriage, honor killings, and the giving away of girls to settle disputes. On Dec. 9 a defense bill containing a repeal of "Don't Ask Don't Tell" is blocked from the Senate floor after a 57-40 vote falls three votes of the 60 votes needed to overcome a Repub. filibuster. On Dec. 9 students stage mass demonstrations in C London against increased tuition fees, assaulting the car of Prince Charles and Camilla. On Dec. 9 U.S. atty.-gen. Eric Holder finally stands up to the Muslim-Am. community who are pissed-off at the FBI's use of informants, saying that sting operations are an "essential law enforcement tool in uncovering and preventing terror attacks", and not entrapment as they claim; his speaking at a Muslim event is a first, the annual dinner of Muslim Advocates in Millbrae (near San Francisco), Calif.; too bad, he takes the Obama line that the main concern of the Justice Dept. is not to protect non-Muslims but to protect Muslims from "violence, threats, vandalism and arson", "to ensure that members of every religious community enjoy the ability to worship and to practice their faith in peace, free from intimidation, violence or suspicion". On Dec. 9 a woman in Sudan receives 40 lashes from a police officer for the crime of wearing pants inside her long dress; a male audience laughs at her pain and suffering. On Dec. 9 Bahama Buck's in Lubbuck, er, Lubbock, Tex. makes the world's largest snow cone, 15 ft. tall and weighing 25,095 lbs. On Dec. 10 Venezuelan pres. Hugo Chavez announces that he's moving into a Bedouin tent given to him by Muammar Gaddafi to show solidarity with the homeless from the recent floods. On Dec. 10 a gun battle between rival drug gangs in Tacalitlan, W Mexico kills 11 during a Virgin of Guadalupe celebration. On Dec. 10 Monica Marquez becomes the first Colo. Supreme Court justice who is openly gay, and the first who is Latina. On Dec. 10 Bolivia passes a law lowering the retirement age to 5 and nationalizes the pension system to extend coverage to the 60% of the pop. who work in the informal economy. On Dec. 10 the Rolls Royce carrying Prince Charles and Camilla is attacked by a street mob in London during a protest over tuition hikes, smashing windows and splattering it with paintballs; since 1997 tuition had been free. On Dec. 11 a roadside bomb planted by the Taliban in Khan Neshin District of Helmand Province, Afghanistan kills 15 civilians; meanwhile a shootout with NATO troops kills seven, causing 500 to gather in Paktia to shout "Death to Americans". On Dec. 11 N Sudanese army troops drop bombs on Kiir Adem in S Sudan to hinder upcoming elections, then deny it. On Dec. 11 Jordanian-born Allah Akbar-shouting Islamic suicide bomber Timur Abd Al-Wahab al-Abdaly (b. 1981) sets his car on fire, walks 200m, then detonates prematurely amid sparse Xmas shoppers in Stockholm, Sweden (first terrorist attack in three decades), killing one along with himself, and injuring two; he pre-sent an email to the Swedish news agency TT with the soundbyte "Now your children, daughters and sisters die like our brothers' and sisters' children die... as long as you don't stop your war against Islam and degrading the prophet and your stupid support of that pig Vilks", exhorting fellow Muslims to "stop sucking up to and degrading", and calling on "all the mujahedeen in Europe and Sweden"; three years earlier he was thrown out of a mosque in Luton, England for trying to recruit extremists, and named his son Osama; on Dec. 13 senior al-Qaida in Iraq leader Abu Suleiman al-Nasser warns that this attack is "only the beginning of a new era in jihad"; on Dec. 13 Finnish pres. Tarja Halonen says that it's only a matter of time before there is an Islamist terror attack in Finland; Muslim groups in Luton had been handed £550K since 2008 to combat extremist but failed to supply a single tipoff to police. On Dec. 12 a suicide bomber outside govt. offices in Ramadi, Iraq, kills 17 incl. women and elderly waiting to collect welfare checks. On Dec. 12 Raed Salah, leader of the Islamic Movement in Israel is released from prison after serving a 5-mo. sentence for spitting at an Israeli police officer during a 2007 demonstration at Al-Aqsa Mosque; on Dec. 12 Iranian Muslims demonstrate at the tomb of Jewish Biblical queen Esther in W Iran and threaten to destroy it if Israel damages Al-Aqsa. On Dec. 12 Pakistani authorities announce the arrest of Muslim physician Nausahad Valiyani in Hyderabad for throwing away a business card of a man named Muhammad - Islam stinks? On Dec. 13 Iranian pres. Imadinnacket fires foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki after five years. On Dec. 13 Va. federal judge Henry E. Hudson strikes down the part of the Obama health care program that forces Americans to buy health insurance; Congress doesn't have the power to force people to buy something from a private co. On Dec. 13 Yale Law School librarian Fred Shapiro picks the soundbyte "I am not a witch" by Christine O'Donnell as best quote of 2010. On Dec. 13 a cold wave in the E U.S. causes the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minn. to collapse from snow. On Dec. 13 Marie Le Pen utters the soundbyte that the Muslim crowds who take over the streets of Paris for daily prayers are like the Nazi occupation; a poll on Dec. 13-14 finds that 39% agree. On Dec. 13 a South Korean fishing boat sinks in the Antarctic Ocean, with 22 killed and 20 rescued. On Dec. 13 Muslim airport shuttle driver Muhammad Teshale (1985-) drives his SuperShuttle up to 95 mph, striking at least six vehicles; he claims he did it "to be famous". On Dec. 14 a 20-something Saudi woman is arrested after fleeing her husband in Al-Qunfudha and living for 2 mo. disguised as a man. On Dec. 14 Ayad Allawi, head of a Sunni-backed political party joins the Shiite-led govt. of Iraq, ending months of near-anarchy. On Dec. 14 German authorities raid two Salafist Islamist groups in three cities and charge them with sedition for seeking to overthrow the govt. and establish an Islamic state. On Dec. 14 Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi narrowly wins a vote of confidence, causing violent riots in Rome. On Dec. 14 a fire in a garment factory in Ashulia, Bangladesh 16 mi. N of Dhaka kills 25 and injures 100+. On Dec. 14 right-wing Danish MP Jesper Langballe pleads guilty to defamation for accusing Muslim families of rape and honor killings; in Denmark the truth is no longer a defense? On Dec. 14 USMC top gen. James E. Amos says that allowing gays in the military could result in more casualties because they will create a "distraction"; on Dec. 15 the House by 250-175 passes an end to the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy; meanwhile on Dec. 15 ex-U.S. pres. Jimmy Carter says that the U.S. is ready for a gay pres., mentioning a black female (Condoleezza Rice?). On Dec. 14 Senate Repubs. announce their intention of forcing a reading of all 1,924 pages of a $1.1% omnibus spending bill ($575M per page) that has 6K "shameful" and "outrageous" earmarks - ho ho ho, Merry Christmas? On Dec. 14 the Venezuelan parliament approves 1-year decree powers for pres. Hugo Chavez, pissing-offthe opposition, who call it an "ambush" on democracy; meanwhile banks and landowners brace for nationalization. On Dec. 14 Clay Duke (1954-) pulls a gun on a school board in Fla., causing board member Ginger Littleton to attack him with her purse; after repelling her, he fires at the panel and misses, then is hit by a bullet from security guard Mike Jones and kills himself. On Dec. 14 after being arrested and jailed for refusing to remove her hijab before entering a courthouse in Douglasville, Ga., Muslim-Am. woman Lisa Valentine files a federal lawsuit against the city. On Dec. 14 after complaints from a prominent Muslim family that they don't want to pray next to a Christian grave, the remains of Canadian diplomat Hans-Joachim Himmselsbach (1945-2010) are removed from a cemetery in Turkey. On Dec. 14 Dubai's grand mufi Ahmad 'Abd-al-'Aziz al-Haddid releases a fatwa saying that it's okay for men to use makeup as long as "they don't look like women". On Dec. 15 the U.S. House passes a Resolution Opposing the Unilateral Declaration of a Palestinian State, introduced by Dem. Howard Berman, reaffirming "strong support for a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict resulting in two states, a democratic, Jewish state of Israel and a viable, democratic Palestinian state." On Dec. 15 foreign ministers of the Arab League say that they will resume failed U.S.-brokered Israel-Palestine negotiations only after a guarantee of progress. On Dec. 15 a Joint U.S.-Mexico Committee meets for the first time to address border violence. On Dec. 15 two Sunni suicide bombers outside the Imam Hussein Mosque in Chabahar, Iran kill 39+, incl. a newborn baby during a Shiite mourning ceremony; an Iranian parliamentarian blames Zionists and the U.S.; on Dec. 20 11 members of the Sunni Jundallah (Arab. "soldiers of Allah") group are hanged. On Dec. 15 two white British men, Gerry Smith (b. 1985) and Abu Bakar (Stephen) (1962-) are killed fighting alongside al-Qaida in Pakistan, becoming the first. On Dec. 15 incoming House Foreign Affairs Committee chmn. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen blasts the Obama admin. for giving the Palestinian Authority a "blank check" while pressuring Israel. On Dec. 15 NASA's Mars Odyssey (launched 2001) breaks the record for longest-serving spacecraft on Mars, beginning day #3,340 at 5:55 p.m. PST. On Dec. 16 a White House Review of Pres. Obama's Afghan War Strategy is released, which concludes that it is "showing progress", but that "the challenge remains to make our gains durable and sustainable". On Dec. 16 Pres. Obama meets with leaders of 500 Native Am. tribes, and tells them that efforts to strengthen their communities and improve relationships with the federal govt. have already borne fruit; he also gives belated U.S. endorsement to the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. On Dec. 16 the Obama admin. calls for an Online Privacy Bill of Rights. On Dec. 16 a Gallup Poll shows Pres. Obama's support among liberals dipping below 80% for the first time, to 79%. On Dec. 16 some of the last sanctions on Iraq from the Sodamn Insane era are lifted. On Dec. 16 U.S. Predator drones strike the Khyber Agency in Pakistan for the first time in almost six years, killing seven Taliban members. On Dec. 16 Marisela Escobedo Ortiz is gunned down in front of a governor's office in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico while demanding justice for her slain daughter Rubi Frayre Escobedo, who was found burned and dismembered in a trash bin on June 18 after going missing for a year. On Dec. 16 Sunni-run Malaysia arrests 200 Shiites for the crime of deviating from true Sunni Islam, blowing its cover story of religious tolerance. On Dec. 16 supporters of opposition leader Alassane Quattara clash with security forces in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, killing 18 and causing talk of another civil war. On Dec. 16 ABC News reports that Houston-based Iranian-Am. Muslim businessman Farid Seif left a loaded Glock pistol in his computer case and it sailed through security untouched. On Dec. 16 British MP Bob Ainsworth tells Parliament that it's time to legalize all drugs in order to take them away from criminals and hand them to doctors and pharmacists. On Dec. 16 after pressure from law enforcement and lawmakers over the slaying of a U.S. Border Patrol agent, Janet Napolitano visits the Ariz.-Mexico border. On Dec. 16 a fight in the Ukrainian Parliament sends six to the hospital. On Dec. 17 (3:00 a.m.) TLW's Mo.-born angelic mother Wilma Louise Winslow (b. 1925) dies peacefully in her sleep in her home in Denver, Colo. On Dec. 17 Pres. Obama signs the U.S. Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act, extending the Bush-era tax rates for high-income taxpayers, and ending the Making Work Pay Credit. On Dec. 17 Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah addresses large crowds in Lebanon during the Shiite holy day of Ashura, and predicts that the U.N. court on how they, er, on who murdered Rafiq Haria would "disappear with the wind". On Dec. 17 191+ prisoners walk out of a prison in Nueva Laredo, Mexico across the border from Laredo, Tex.; staff help is suspected. On Dec. 17 after much opposition, the Dubai-funded Essalam Mosque in Rotterdam opens, becoming the largest mosque in the Netherlands. On Dec. 17 a French court convicts 13 former officials of Chilean dicator Augusto Pinochet for roles in the disappearance of four French nationals; one defendant is acquitted; all 14 are tried in absentia, two receiving life sentences. On Dec. 17 the Jasmine Rev. in Tunisia begins when univ. graduate street peddler Mohamed Bouazizi sets himself on fire in Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia to protest police confiscating his fruits and vegetables, and a policewoman slapping him, triggering demonstrations; he dies on Jan. 4; on Jan. 7 the U.S. summons its ambassador to express concerns about continuing protexts. On Dec. 18 the U.S. Senate by 65-31 repeals the 17-y.-o. Don't Ask Don't Tell policy for the military - kisses for Christmas? On Dec. 18 Saudi police arrest 38 in Medina after Sunni-Shiite fighting erupts near the Al-Quba Mosque on the Shiite holiday of Ashura. On Dec. 18 the Iraqi parliament lifts a ban on three Sunni politicians, clearing the way for a unity govt. On Dec. 18 the top CIA spy in Pakistan is pulled after U.S. officials claim that Pakistan's intel service deliberately exposed him/her; meanwhile Pres. Obama gives a speech warning Pakistan's leaders that "terrorist safe havens within their borders must be dealt with". On Dec. 18 40-y.-o. U.S. tourist Kristine Luken, member of the Church's Ministry Among Jewish People (CMJ) (a Christian evangelist org. founded in 1809 specializing in converting Jews) is kidnapped while hiking with friend Kaye Susan Wilson, and found bound and suffering from knife wounds near Beit-shemesh, Israel; authorities say she was attacked by two Arabs. On Dec. 18 anti-Muslim groups from left to right gather in Paris to protest the Islamization of Europe. On Dec. 18 a 35-y.-o. veiled Muslim convert woman Shayna Bharuchi (1975-) in Clapton, East London is arrested for cutting out the heart of her 4-y.-o. daughter Nusayba while listening to a recorded chanting of the Quran. On Dec. 19 an explosion at an oil pipeline in Texmelucan in C Mexico kills 10 and injures 12. On Dec. 19 the Iranian parliament cuts ties with Britain after statements by British ambassador Simon Grass criticizing Iran's human rights record. On Dec. 19 the U.N. high commissioner on human rights announces that post-election violence in Ivory Coast has killed 50+ and injured 200+; the EU gives Laurent Gbagbo until Dec. 20 to concede defeat or face sanction. On Dec. 19 chief magistrate Howard Riddle becomes the first judge in British history to permit live updates to be sent from his court via Twitter during the trial of Julian Assange. On Dec. 20 Alexander Lukashenko is reelected to a 4th term as pres. of Belarus, causing hundreds of opposition supporters to protest election fraud, and seven opposition pres. candidates to face up to 15 years in prison. On Dec. 20 Palestinian leaders tell the Obama admin. that they are ready to accept nearly any security arrangements for a Palestinian state demanded by Israel short of Israeli troops on their soil. On Dec. 20 Benzion Evers, son of prominent Dutch rabbi Raphael Evers announces plans to leave Amsterdam for Isrel over increased anti-Jewish sentiment; meanwhile Coptic Egyptian priest Rafic Greische tells Vatican Radio that radical Muslims are trying to rid the Middle East entirely of Christians. On Dec. 20 British police arrest 12 Muslims with links to Bangladesh and Pakistan in the biggest anti-terrorist sweep in nearly two years, accusing them of plotting large-scale attacks inside the U.K.; on Dec. 21 Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina announces that the govt. will show zero tolerance to those who are smearing the name of Islam, the religion of peace. On Dec. 20 Pres. Obama issues a memo asking federal officials to draft "appropriate workplace" accomodations for federal employees who are doing breastfeeding. On Dec. 21 (winter solstice) there is a total lunar eclipse. On Dec. 21 China urges North Korea to allow U.N. nuclear monitors to alleviate internat. tensions. On Dec. 21 Israeli defense forces chief of staff Gabi Ashkenazi admits that a massive Kornet anti-tank missile has been fired at an Israeli tank earlier in Dec. by Hezbollah in Lebanon, penetrating its outer shell, becoming a quantum leap in their military power. On Dec. 21 gay Muslim man Azwan Ismail comes out to the AP, telling them that he fears for his safety after coming out on the Internet and receiving death threats and condemnations by Muslim religious authorities. On Dec. 22 Pres. Obama signs the 2010 U.S. Don't Ask Don't Tell Repeal Act. On Dec. 22 the U.S. Senate by 71-26 ratifies the new START treaty with Russia. On Dec. 22 explosions rock the Swiss and Chilean missions in Rome, Italy, wounding two. On Dec. 22 (100th anniv. of the Chicago Union Stockyards fire) two firefighters in Chicago, Ill. are killed and 12+ are injured at an abandoned warheouse blaze after the roof collapses. On Dec. 22 after a 12-year lobbying effort wins unanimous approval from the House, the Senate kills a bill to empower whistleblowers. On Dec. 22 former Argentine dictator Jorge Videla is sentenced to life in prison for the torture-murder of 31 prisoners in 1976. On Dec. 22 Roman Catholic bishop Thomas Olmsted tells St. Joseph Hospital in Phoenix, Ariz. that it can no longer call itself a Catholic hospital because it permitted an abortion. On Dec. 23 protester Adrian Sobaru jumps from a 22-ft. balcony of the Romanian parliament during a speech by PM Emil Boc. On Dec. 23 after repeated Muslim attacks, hundreds of Iraqi Christians flee N to the semi-autonomous Kurdish town of Ankawa. On Dec. 24 Iran bans opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mahdi Karroubi, and Mohammad Khatami from leaving the country. On Dec. 24 Dutch police arrest 12 Somalis in Rotterdam for planning a terrorist attack in the Netherlands. On Dec. 24 the Jama'atu ahlus-Sunnah Lidda'awati wal Jihad stages Xmas Eve bomb blasts in Jos, Nigeria and Borno State that kill 32. On Dec. 24 Taliban insurgents launch coordinated assaults in NW Pakistan, killing 11 soldiers and 24 militants; on Dec. 25 a woman throws a hand grenade at a crowd and then blows up in their midst at a U.N. food distribution center in Bajaur Agency (near Khar in NW Pakistan near the Afghan border), killing 45 and injuring 70, becoming the first female suicide bomber in Pakistan; Pres. Obama calls it "outrageous" and "an affront to the people of Pakistan". On Dec. 24 illegal Mexican immigrant Quelino Ojeda Jimenez, who fell from a roof and became a quadriplegic is shipped back by Oak Lawn Hospital in Ill. to Oaxcaca without his consent, causing an uproar. On Dec. 24 Indian police search Mumbai for four men believed to be planning a terrorist attack. On Dec. 25 (7:15 a.m.) Abu Sayyaf Islamics set off a bomb in a church during Chritmas Mass in Jolo Island in S Philippines, injuring six. On Dec. 25 Dutch queen Beatrix delivers a Christmas speech calling for her people to be more understanding and tolerant towards Muslim immigrants; too bad, a plot by 12 Somalis to shoot down an Apache attack heli at Gilze-Rijen AFB is exposed, causing her to feel foolish. On Dec. 25 52-y.-o. Iraqi farmer Al-Najem Ambagui (1958-) hands his 19-y.-o. daughter Shakhla in Mandali in Diyala Province after discovering that she had joined al-Qaida and was planning a suicide bombing. On Dec. 25 an Indian rocket carrying the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) explodes after lift-off, becoming the 2nd launch failure for India this year. On Dec. 25 white gay couple Steven Adams and Kevin Powell are murdered in their home Wilton Manors, Fla. by white convicted felon Peter Avsenew (1984-), who is turned in by his mother, writes the soundbyte: "It is my duty as a white man to cull the weak and timid from existence. I will always stand up for what I believe in and eradicate anything in my way. Homosexuals are a disgrace to mankind and must be put down. These weren't the first and won't be the last. I must secure an existance (sic) for white people and a future for white children. I regret nothing and am proud of every choice I've made in my life... I will not ask for mercy and am not sorry"; in June 2018 he utters the soundbyte: "I have no consequences for my actions. I plan on hurting people... I wholeheartedly have nothing to lose, and I’m going to take it out on everybody I can"; on Aug. 28, 2018 he is sentenced to death, and gives the victims' family the middle finger. On Dec. 26 a bus collides head-on with a van carrying mourners from a funeral near Badaun in Uttar Pradesh state in N India, killing 35 and injuring 14. On Dec. 26 a tour bus en route from Asway to Abu Simbel collides with a truck in S Egypt killing eight U.S. tourists and injuring 21 other. On Dec. 27 Philippine citizen Madhatta Asagal Haipe, founding member of the Abu Sayyaf Group is sentenced to 23 years. On Dec. 27 the Fox Network game show Million Dollar Money Drop stinks itself up when it refuses to give Gabe Okoye and Brittany Mayti the $800K they won after they wrongly dropped their money then admitted they made a mistake, and only offered them a do-over. On Dec. 28 Jesse Quinn Harrison (1977-) of Tulsa, Okla. is arrested and charged for sending a letter dissing Islam to a local mosque, then held in a mental health facility while the Obama-owned prosecutors try to make the charges sound real instead of like oppression and de facto Sharia in Okla. On Dec. 30 Russia exonerates the Jehovah's Witnesses of extremism, saying that its pubs. "do not contain any statements in the form of a call or incitement against any social, racial, national, ethnic or religious group or its representatives". On Dec. 31 an Islamic bomb attack in a popular market inside an army barracks in Abuja, Nigeria kills 30 celebrating New Year's Eve. On Dec. 31 the Black Widow Islamic suicide bomber is foiled in an attempted attack near Red Square in Moscow when a text message sets her suicide belt bomb off early. On Dec. 31 the U.S. nat. debt tops $14T. In Dec. the U.S. unemployment rate falls to 9.4% and adds 103K jobs, although 150K were expected. In Dec. the Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) council of the Muslim World League reiterates its demand that religious films worldwide ban images of Muhammad and his companions. In Dec. Syrian blogger Tal al-Mallouhi (1992-) is arrested and put on a secret trial, causing internat. outcries. In Dec. Israel announces the discovery of an immense natural gase field in its territorial waters. The U.S. Justice Dept. begins the Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative to try to spot potential terrorists, collecting reports from citizens and law enforcement agencies at "fusion centers" in several U.S. cities incl. Boston, Chicago, and Houston. Pres. Obama issues Pres. Study Directive 11 (PSD-11), ordering an assessment of the Muslim Brotherhood and other "political Islamist" movements, ultimately concluding that they should be courted in preference to propping up "stable regimes" like Egypt; the govt. keeps it classified until ? Hesham Aborea becomes the first Muslim Arab officer in the Israeli military; Christian Cpl. Eleanor Joseph becomes the first female Arab combat soldier in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). According to the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, this is the final year. Israel completes its Security Barrier. Nevada's Yucca Mountain nuclear waste storage site opens. NFL football legend Jim Brown gives an interview to Graham Bensinger, saying that there is more racism in the U.S. now than at any time in history. The privacy-conscious open source social networking site Diaspora is launched by Ilya Zhitomirskiy, Daniel Grippi, Maxwell Salzberg, and Raphael Sofaer of NYU's Courant Inst. of Mathematical Science to take on Facebook; too bad, Zhitomirskiy dies prematurely on Nov. 14, 2011 at age 22. The Wikistrat geostrategic analysis site is founded in New York City by by Joel Zamel and Daniel Green to become a combination of Facebook and Wikipedia. The U.K. phases out analog TV broadcasts; Australia phases out analog TV broadcasts and the incandescent light bulb. French thinker Renaud Camus (1946-) warns about the Great Replacement (Grand Remplacement) of native French by Muslim immigrants from North Africa and the Middle East, giving a speech on Nov. 13, 2012, causing the leftist overlords who run the French govt. to convict him in 2014 of telling the truth, er, inciting racial hatred. The 2010-11 U.S. TV season features a record 3.9% of gay characters. 281-ft. $82M Cakewalk is launched in Oct., becoming the largest yacht built since the 1930s, owned by Denver, Colo. investor Charles Gallagher. In June Uber (originally UberCab) is founded in San Francisco, Calif. by Travis Cordell Kalanick (1976-) and Garrett M. Camp (1978-) to allow people to become taxi drivers after customers use a smartphone (iPhone) app to issue ride requests, growing to 300 cities in 58 countries and doing $10B a year by 2015. Revenge Porn gets popularized by the Web site Is Anyone Up?, which pub. explicit photos of girlfriends taken by spurned beaus. The word refudiate is accepted by the New Oxford Am. Dictionary after Sarah Palin uses it in a Tweet in July and her critics pan her; "From a strictly lexical interpretation of the different contexts in which Palin has used 'refudiate', we have concluded that neither 'refute' nor 'repudiate' seems consistently precise, and that 'refudiate' more or less stands on its own, suggesting a general sense of 'reject'." Sports: On Jan. 21 Kobe Bryant of the LA Lakers becomes the youngest NBA player to reach 25K points. On Jan. 24 Union Township, N.J.-born Kelly Kulick (1977-) defeats Chris Barnes 265-195 in the PBA Tournament of Champions in Las Vegas, Nev., becoming the first female winner of a nat. PBA Tour event. On Feb. 14 the 2010 (52nd) Daytona 500 is won by James Christopher "Jamie" McMurray (1976-), who goes on to win the 2014 Brickyard 400. On May 1 Super Saver (jockey Calvin Borel) wins the 136th Kentucky Derby by 2-1/2 lengths over Ice Box, becoming the first win for trainer Todd Pletcher after a record 24 failures. On May 9 lefty Dallas Lee Braden (1983-) of the Oakland Athletics becomes the 19th ML pitcher to pitch a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays, winning by 4-0; on May 29 Harry Leroy "Roy" "Doc" Halladay III (1977-) of the Philadelphia Phillies becomes the 20th to you know what against the Florida Marlins, winning by 1-0; on Oct. 6 he pitches a no-hitter in a 4-0 win over Cincinnati in game 1 of their MLB playoff series, the 2nd ever (first in ?); too bad, on June 2 Armando Galarraga of the Detroit Tigers is robbed of a perfect game by a bad call by umpire Jim Joyce, who calls Jason Donald of the Cleveland Indians safe, then later apologizes; the Tigers win 3-0. On May 29-June 9 the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals see the Chicago Blackhawks defeat the Philadelphia Players 4-2, becoming their 4th title and first since 1961; MVP is 6'2" Blackhawks center Jonathan Bryan Toews (1988-), who passes Peter Forsberg to becoming the youngest player to join the Triple Gold Club. On May 30 (Sun.) the 2010 (94th) Indianapolis 500 is won by George Dario Marino Franchitti (1973-) (2nd win), with Dan Wheldon coming in 2nd, and Marco Andretti coming in 3rd; Tony Kanaan starts in the final position but runs as high as 2nd before finishing 11th; the first Indy 500 with four female drivers. On June 3-17 the 2010 NBA Finals sees the Los Angeles Lakers (coach Phil Jackson) defeat the Boston Celtics (coach Doc Rivers) by 4-3; Kobe Bryant of the Lakers is MVP. On June 6 Francesca "the Lioness" Schiavone (1980-) defeats Samantha Stosur to win the French Open, becoming the first Italian woman to win a Grand Slam tennis title. On June 8 super-hyped pitcher Stephen James Strasburg (1988-) (#1 draft selection in June 2009, who signed a record $15.1M contract) debuts with the Washington Nationals against the Pittsburgh Pirates, striking out a record 14 batters in 7 innings for a 5-2 win; luckily he starts the ML season too late to be selected for the All-Star Game, which was a jinx to Mark Fidrych in 1976, Fernando Valenzuela in 1981, and Hideo Nomo in 1995; too bad, on Aug. 26 he tears an elbow ligament, causing him to miss 12-18 mo. after Tommy John surgery. On June 11-July 11, 2010 19th FIFA World Cup of Soccer is hosted by the South African Bafana ("boys") Nat. Football Team, becoming the first African country to host it; the crowds blow noisy vuvuzelas, causing team confusion and ear damage, but are allowed by the officials, although the UAE issues a fatwa against their use; on June 18 the U.S. ties Slovenia 2-2 after U.S.-hating referee Koman Coulibaly (1970-) of Mali (known as Sleepy Eyes for his heavy eyelids) denies U.S. midfielder Maurice "Mo" Edu (1986-) a tie-breaking goal in the 84th min. with an unsupportable call that he never tries to explain, and FIFA later orders him not to explain, making him wildly unpopular in the U.S.; on June 22 South Africa becomes the first host team not to survive the initial round, although it knocks France out in its last match; on June 26 Ghana knocks the U.S out of the match for the 2nd straight time; on July 11 Spain defeats Netherlands 1-0 in OT to win; on July 11 Al-Shabaab sets off two bombs among fans watching the World Cup final in Kampala, Uganda, killing 64; Iranian pres. Imadinnajacket dumps on Paul the Octopus (2008-10) of the Sea Life Aquarium in Oberhausen, Germany (who predicted the outcome) as a symbol of "Western propaganda and superstition"; Paul dies on Oct. 26. On June 17 the Los Angeles Lakers defeat the Boston Celtics 83-79 at home in Game 7 to win the NBA title. On June 18 Tiger Woods begins sobbing uncontrollably on the 5th hole of the U.S. Open, saying "What the hell is going on with my life" and "Oh God", also "What are you all staring at?"; four min. later his playing partner Ernie Els also begins sobbing. On June 21 Jenny Higgs (1947-) becomes the first woman chief ump at Wimbledon, in charge of 310 umps; on June 22-23 Nicolas Mahut (1982-) of France and John Robert Isner (1985-) of the U.S. play the longest match in Assoc. of Tennis Profs. (ATP) history; after being suspended at 59-59 for darkness, Isner defeats Mahut 70-68 in the 5th set after 11 hours of play; on June 24 Queen Elizabeth II makes her first Wimbledon appearance since 1977; on June 29, 2009 winner (6-time winner) Roger Federer is stopped in four sets by 12th seed Tomas Berdych of Czech. Repub., who becomes the first Czech man to reach the final four since Ivan Lendl in 1990; on July 3 Serena Williams of the U.S. wins the women's singles title, and on July 4 Rafael Nadal of Spain wins the men's singles title. On July 3-25 the 2010 Tour de France is won by Alberto Contador Velasco (1982-) of Spain (3rd win), who is later found to have 8x the allowable amount of a chemical indicating doping in his system. On July 13 the 2010 ML All-Star Game is the first win for the NL since 1996, with Ubaldo Jimenez of the Colo. Rockies pitching two scoreless innings, and Brian McCann of the NL Atlanta Braves hitting a 3-run double in the 7th inning to win 3-1. On July 8 after seven seasons, two NBA MVPs, and six All-Star picks, superstar 6'8" forward (#23) LeBron Raymone "King" James (1984-) leaves the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Miami Heat (#6) (until 2014), as announced in the ESPN special The Decision. On Aug. 4 Alex Rodriguez hits his 600th homer. On Aug. 10 Am. jockey Russell A. Baze (1958-) becomes the first to reach 11K wins at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rose, Calif. on first-time starter Separate Forest. On Aug. 14-26 the 2010 Summer Youth Olympic Games in Singapore are held; FIFA bans headscarves for women, drawing protests from Iran and other Muslim Sharia countries, and causing it on May 1 to flop and permit them. On Aug. 22 a horse race at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J. features a hilarious finish between My Wife Knows Everything and The Wife Doesn't Know. On Sept. 24 Ardolis Chapman of the Cincinnati Reds throws a record 105 mph fastball against the San Diego Padres. In Oct. Cigar Guy steals the show from golfer Tiger Woods, standing in the crowd near him wearing a mustache and wig; he turns out to be 30-y.-o. investment analyst Rupesh Shingadia of S London, who claims he's paying tribute to Spanish golfer Miguel Angel Jimenez. On Nov. 13 5'-6-1/2" southpaw Filipino boxer Emmanuel Dapidran "Manny" "Pac-Man" Pacquiao (1978-) defeats Antonio Margarito to clinch the WBS super welterweight title at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium, becoming the first 8-div. boxing champion (until ?). On Dec. 4 Oklahoma U. defeats Nebraska U. 23-20 in their last football game until Sept. 18, 2021, with a series lead of 45-38-3. China holds the first Internat. Robot (Humanoid) Olympics in Harbin. Architecture: On Jan. 4 the $1.5B 160-story 2,717K-ft. (800m) (1/2 mi.) Burj Khalifa Tower in Dubai (renamed after the leader of neighboring Abu Dhabi, which saved it from a financial meltdown) opens, becoming the world's tallest bldg. (until ?), along with a $20B new shopping district incl. 1.2K-shop Dubai Mall and 30K apts.; meanwhile the Dubai economy is in the pits. On Mar. 11 Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. is begun as the home of the NBA New Jersey Nets. On Apr. 22 worldwide Earth Day celebrations are marred by an announcement by Brazil of the $10B Belo Monte Hydroelectric Dam (world's 3rd largest) on the Xingu River, which will flood a part of the Amazon River basin despite protests by Indians. On May 9 the Guangzhou Opera House in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China opens, designed by Iraqi-born British architect Zaha Hadid. On May 11 the $160M NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C. opens. On July 4 the 100K sq. ft. 6-story Nat. Museum of Am. Jewish History in Philadelphia, Penn., directly across from the Liberty Bell opens, tracing Am. Jewish history from 1654. Mainz Synagogue in Germany is guilt er, built on the site of the one destroyed by the Nazis. The Russia-China Oil Pipeline is completed. The 185m (610 ft.) Great Berlin Wheel is finished. The $300M 300-ft. stainless steel Statue of Responsibility is unveiled on the W coast of the U.S., as proposed by Jewish concentration camp survivor pshrink Dr. Viktor Frankl (1905-97) in 1970, creating a bookend effect with the Statue of Liberty in New York City (liberty + responsibility = freedom). The $1.3B New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. opens in Aug. as the new home of the NFL New York Jets and New York Giants. Israel builds the world's largest emergency underground hospital under Rambamn Health Care Campus in Haifa. Nobel Prizes: Peace: Liu Xiaobo (1955-) (China); Lit.: Jose Mario Pedro Vargas Llosa (1936-) (Peru); Chem.: Richard Fred Heck (1931-) (U.S.), Ei-ichi Negishi (1935-) (Japan), and Akira Suzuki (1930-) (Japan) [new ways of linking carbon atoms together]; Physics: Sir Andre Konstantin Geim (1958-) (U.K.) and Sir Konstantin Sergeevich "Kostya" Novoselov (1974-) (U.K.) (graphene); Med.: Robert Geoffrey "Bob" Edwards (1925-) (U.S.) (IVF); Econ.: Peter Arthur Diamond (1940-) (U.S.), Dale Thomas Mortensen (1939-) (U.S.), and Christopher Antoniou Pissarides (1948-) (Cyprus) [theory of search frictions in unemployment]. Inventions: A feminine hygiene product for robots? On Jan. 27 (13:00 ET) Apple unveils the $499 iPad tablet computer, releasing the first one on Apr. 3 for $629 with AT&T data; on June 10 the FBI opens a probe into a security breach of Apple's iPad that exposed personal info. of AT&T customers incl. several high-ranking govt. officials. On Jan. 29 the Russian single-seat twin-jet Sukhoi PAK FA (T-50) 5th-gen. stealth fighter makes its first flight, becoming the first Russian stealth aircraft, intended as the successor to the MiG-29 and Su-27; it goes into service in 2018. On Feb. 8 (4:14 EST) NASA launches Space Shuttle Endeavour, carrying six astronauts to install the lat two main pieces of the Internat. Space Station (ISS); meanwhile a U.S. judge in Calif. sentences Chinese-born ex-Boeing engineer Dongfan Chung to 15+ years for economic espionage, telling China to "stop sending your spies here". On Feb. 21 the Bloom Box is unveiled on 60 Minutes, which can power a corp. for $700K-$800K by transforming a flow of methane and oxygen into electricity after being heated to 100C; inventor K.R. Sridhar claims that the unit will be in every home one day. On Apr. 1 Space Shuttle Discovery takes off from Kennedy Space Center in its final flight, STS-13, after which the U.S. Space Shuttle fleet is retired and replaced by Project Constellation, with new space vehicles Orion and Ares, capable of eventually traveling to Mars. On Apr. 2 George Wills (b. 1942) of San Pedro, Calif. is sentenced to 6 mo. in federal court for selling the Whizzinator, a prosthetic penis designed to help men beat urinalysis drug tests. On Apr. 20 a test-flight of the $308M Falcon HTV-2 burns up in the atmosphere after 9 min. of flight, bringing into question the Obama admin. plan to develop a non-nuclear weapon that can strike anywhere on Earth in 1 hour. On May 26 the NASA Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) makes its first flight. On June 21 the free Quora site is founded by former Facebook employees Adam D'Angelo (1984-) and Charlie Cheever (1981-), allowing users to pub. their own articles under the guise of answering questions from other users, along with commenting on the answers of others, reaching 300M users per mo. by 2020. In June the European aerospace firm EADS launches its first algae-powered airplane. On July 13 Apple debuts the iPhone4; on July 16 Steve Jobs holds a surprise conference to admit problems with the antenna; meanwhile rival Microsoft all-but drops out of the mobile phone biz, while its stock is valued less than Apple's. On July 29 STS-134, the final mission of Space Shuttle Endeavour launches; NASA replaces it with Project Consellation, incl. space vehicles Ares I and Ares V, and the Orion. In July the govt. of India releases a prototype $35 touchscreen tablet computer. On Aug. 24 Niek van Hulst of the Inst. of Photonic Sciences in Barcelona announces the development of a new nano-antenna that can transmight light in a single direction and resembles a tiny directional TV antenna. On Aug. 27 engineers at Tel Aviv U. announce the development of an organic LED light source. On Sept. 9 the Here You Have E-Mail Virus attacks major corps. and govt. orgs. incl. Comcast and NASA. On Sept. 15 NASA launches ARTEMIS-P1, the first spacecraft to achieve a kidney-shaped Earth-Moon libation orbit around the L1 and L2 Lagrangian points. On Sept. 27 Research In Motion (maker of the BlackBerry) introduces the BlackBerry PlayBook, its first tablet computer. In Sept. the FDA approves the Zerona low energy cold laser light (658 nm) device that shrinks fat cells. On Oct. 1 Instagram mobile photo and video sharing social networking service is launched, gaining 300M users by Dec. 2014; in Apr. 2012 Facebook acquires it for $1B even though it has no revenue and only a dozen employees. On Oct. 13 scientists at Berlin's Free U. unveil a self-driving car, with Prof. Paul Rojas predicting "In the future it will be forbidden for safety reasons for people to drive cars." On Oct. 26 China unveils its Hongqiao-Hangzhou High-Speed Rail Line that sets a new record of 260 mph. On Oct. 28 China passes the U.S. in supercomputers, with its Tianhe-1A beating the top U.S. computer in speed by 1.4x; the U. of Fla. Novo-G reconfigurable supercomputer is faster for some important science applications? In Oct. the LCD 20 in. Toshiba Regza GL1 3-D TV is introduced, becoming the first that doesn't require glasses by using a double convex sheet and parallax, requiring the viewer to be close to the screen. In Dec. the Nissan Leaf debuts as the first all-electric car from a major auto co.; the U.S. govt. offers a $7.5K federal tax credit for purchasers, along with a free $3K home-charging unit from the U.S. Dept. of Energy; Tenn. offers a $2.5K cash rebate. Microsoft releases Windows 7 client operating system. The EU Sartre (Safe Road Trains for the Environment) project is launched to create the technology for 6-8 cars to create a road train that automatically drives them to their common destination, all within 10 years. The U. of Ariz. develops the first Skinput, which allows the arm to be used as a touchscreen. Hewlett Packard scientists create the first real-time holographic telepresence that can project a 3-D moving image without the need for special eyewear. memristors as first proposed in 1971 by Leon Ong Chua, making fast more efficient computers a possibility. The U. of Tuebingen in Germany develops a retinal implant that allows blind people to see shapes and objects within three days of installation. Engineers from Southeast U. in Nanjing, China invent an Illusion Media, which can act as an invisibility cloak plus generate virtual images on top of the background. The European robot Nao becomes the first robot that can allegedly detect and express emotions. An MIT computer program that translates ancient languages cracks ancient Ugaritic in a few hours by comparing it with Hebrew. Researchers at Stanford U. develop glass wall-climbing robots. The Neuneu Project funded by the EU's Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) Proactive Initiative builds a massive parallel computer out of lipid BZ (Belousov-Zhabotinskii) Bubbles. Zhong Lin Wang et al. of Georgia Inst. of Tech. in the U.S. develop paper clip-sized plastic-encased nanogenerators that put out as much voltage as a AA battery when squeezed, bent, or shaken. Science: On Jan. 4 the Journal of Sexual Medicine pub. a study of 1.8K women that concludes that the female G-spot doesn't really exist but is subjective. On Jan. 4 the Proceedings of the Nat. Academy of Science pub. an article describing a computer method to spot art fakes by "sparse coding", which builds a virtual library of an artist's works and breaks them down into the simplest possible visual elements. On Jan. 6 Dutch physicist Erik Peter Verlinde (1962-) pub. the article "On the Origin of Gravity and the Laws of Newton", claiming that the force of gravity doesn't exist and is just a result of entropy, "an entropic force caused by changes in the information associated with the positions of material bodies", i.e., an emergent force like temperature, announcing the theory of Entropic Gravity. On Jan. 8 Radu Colea et al. of Oxford U. and Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin fur Materialien und Energie in Germany pub. an article in Nature claiming to have seen signs of the Golden Ratio at the quantum level, becoming the first observation of hidden symmetry in a material. On Jan. 8 the Proceedings of the Nat. Academy of Sciences pub. a study by Mauro Santos of the U. of Barcelona rejecting the "metabolism first" theory that life originated from a system of self-catalytic molecules capable of Darwinian evolution sans the need for RNA or DNA. On Jan. 10 Reuben Harris et al. of the U. of Minn. pub. an article in Nature Structural and Molecular Biology announcing the discovery of the human immune cell enzyme APOBEC3A that deactivates and degrades foreign DNA. On Jan. 10 Astrophysical Journal Letters pub. an article explaining the mysterious Space Ribbon at the outer boundary of the Solar System as a reflection of solar wind particles by a galactic magnetic field. On Jan. 14 William Peterson of the U. of Iowa et al. pub. an article in Nature reporting the detection of the first magnetic field from a star other than the Sun, a giant magnetic loop sweeping out from the Algol binary pair 93 l.y. from Earth. On Jan. 20 Nature pub. an article announcing that scientists have made a "microbial clock" consisting of bacteria that count time together. On Jan. 25 Martin Dominik of the U. of St. Andrews leads a conference at the Royal Society in London to develop a framework for responding to a possible discovery of extraterrestrial intelligence. On Jan. 27 scientists at Stanford U. announce that they have turned skin into nerve cells without intermediate steps. In Jan. A. Welfore Castleman Jr. et al. of Penn State U. announce the creation of superatoms with electronic signatures of more expensive or exotic atoms. In Jan. AraNet is announced, a new computational model to predict gene function of uncharacterized plant genes, with over 19.6K genes and 1M links. In Jan. Anna Tampiere et al. of Istec Lab of Faenza (near Bologna), Italy announce a new process for turning rattan wood into bone-like material. On Feb. 2 Thomas Nystrom of the U. of Gothenburg et al. pub. research poving that old and damaged mother cells produce health daughter cells by using a conveyor belt machanism to offload damaged proteins. On Feb. 3 Nature pub. an article by Gregory Scholes of the U. of Toronto et al., that algae and bacteria can perform quantum calculations. On Feb. 4 the Hubble Space Telescope reveals a weird bright spot on Pluto near the equator, perhaps caused by carbon monoxide frost. On Feb. 11 NASA launches the Solar Dynamics Laboratory to observe the Sun for 5+ years, producing new high-detail images incl. extreme closeups of surface activity. On Feb. 11 Neuron pub. an article by Cosimo Urgesi et al. of the U. of Udine in Italy linking a specific area of the human brain with the personality trait of self-transcendence. On Feb. 14 Nature Photonics pub. research by Andrew MacRae et al. of the U. of Calgary on constructing 2-story "quantum toy houses" using photons. On Feb. 19 Cell pub. research by Susan Golden of UC San Diego et al. describing how the cell's biological clock works. On Feb. 21 U. of Colo. researchers Margaret Murnane and Henry Kapteyn announce the creation of a tabletop X-ray laser, which can be used for super hi-res imaging. In Feb. Lori Marino et al. of Emory U. pub. their research on dolphins, claiming they are the 2nd most intelligent species next to humans and that they should be treated as "non-human persons" and not kept in zoos. In Feb. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention pub. a study by Noel Mueller et al. indicating that drinking two or more soft drinks a week doubles the risk of pancreatic cancer. On Mar. 1 the Journal of Animal Behavior pub. a study by Markus Knaden et al. of the Max Planck Inst. for Chem. Ecology in Jena, Germany, proving that some ants navigate by stereo smell. On Mar. 4 a panel of 41 world scientists announces that the theory of extinction of the dinosaurs by an asteroid has been proven, and the volcano extinction theory disproven. On Mar. 9 researchers at the City of Paris Industrial Physics and Chemistry Higher Educational Inst. (ESPCI) pub. an article in Physical Review Letters announcing research showing that it's possible to focus light through opaque materials and detect objects behind them using the material's transmission matrix. On Mar. 24 Michael West pub. research showing how to turn any adult cell into a completely rejuvenated stem cell; the same week, the Internat. Stem Cell Corp. announces a breakthrough with parthenogenic stem cells. On Mar. 27 Universe Today pub. an article by Matthew Hayes announcing that observations with the HAWK-I telescope camera show that 90% of galaxies have gone undetected. On Mar. 29 Nature pub. research by the U. of Tex. MD. Anderson Cancer Center that a 2-drug combo can destroy precancerous colon polyps. In Mar. Eleanor Maguire et al. at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuromaging at the Univ. College London announce the creation of a computer algorithm that can predict which of three short films a person is thinking about by analyzing brain activity. On Apr. 6 Theodor W. Hansch et al. of the Max Planck Inst. announce in Nature the first multi-particle entanglement in a Bose-Einstein Condensate on a microchip. On Apr. 7 Thomas Werner et al. of the U. of Wisc.-Madison announce in Nature that the protein called Wingless helps fruit flies produce 16 colored spots in their wings, leading to theorizing that it controls all complex animal color patterns. On Apr. 8 Robert Danovaro et al. of Marche Polytechnic U. in Ancona, Italy announce the Spinoloricus Cinzia and two other new species of the Loriciferans group, the first animals that can survive and reproduce entirely without oxygen, who live on the floor of the Mediterranean Sea. On Apr. 8 Am. paleoanthropologist Lee R. Berger pub. a report in Science on the new hominid species Australopithecus sediba (Sotho for fountain or wellspring) that lived in South Africa 1.78M to 1.95M years ago and might be the missing link. On Apr. 11 Howard Kaufman et al. of Rush U. in Chicago, Ill. announce a new cure for melanoma (skin cancer) using a vaccine treatment. On Apr. 13 the first direct recording of mirror neurons in the human brain is announced by Itzhak Fried et al. of UCLA in Current Biology. On Apr. 13 the RAS Nat. Astronomy Meeting in Scotland announces that a new group of 27 exoplanets contains six with retrograde orbits; 452 exoplanets have been identified. On Apr. 14 scientists at Newcastle U. in Britain announce in Nature the first three-parent IVF to prevent inherited disease by preventing damaged DNA in mitochrondria from being passed on by the mother. On Apr. 19 scientists at the NIST in Boulder, Colo. set a record for measuring the smallest force ever, 174 yoctonewtons (10^-24 newtons); the old record was in the attonewton (10^-18) range. On Apr. 22 scientists at Columbia U. announce the first lab-grown human jawbone using human stem cells. On Apr. 22 Scripts Research Inst. and the Genomics Inst. of the Novartis Research Foundation (GNF) pub. an article in Nature Neuroscience identifying a region of the protein TRPV1 that enables temperature sensitivity. On Apr. 22 the USAF launches the Boeing X-37B Space Drone into orbit from Cape Canaveral, which can loiter in space for 270 days. On Apr. 23 IBM scientists announce the world's smallest 3D map, with 1K able to fit on a grain of salt. On Apr. 23 the first full face transplant is announced by a team of 30 Spanish doctors at Vall d'Hebron U. Hospital in Barcelona. On Apr. 30 Cell announces that researchers at UCLA led by Hong Zhou have used a new type of cryo-electron (cryo-EM) microscope to see atoms for the first time in a virus with 3.3 angstrom resolution. In Apr. Stephen R. Quake (1969-) becomes the first scientist in history to decode his own genome with a machine he invented. In Apr. Wake Forest U. School of Medicine in N.C. announces a bioprinter that sprays skin cells onto burn wounds to speed healing. In Apr. NASA unveils SOLO-TREC, a wax-filled buoy that is powered by temp differences in the ocean water. On May 2 Nature Genetics reports the cloning of the hemoglobin protein from mammoth blood, and that it oxygenates blood at lower temperatures than modern elephants. On May 18 the Fermi Nat. Accelerator Lab in Batavia, Ill. announces that 1% more muons than antimuons arise from the decay of B mesons, allegedly explaining why the Universe exists. On May 20 scientists at the J. Craig Venter Inst. announce the first organism controlled by completely manmade DNA, the first synthetic cell, a Mycoplasma bacterium with DNA made with four bottles of chemicals in a chemical synthesizer using computerized info., causing the word "Frankenstein" to be mentioned. On May 20 the Japanese Akatsuki (Jap. "dawn") (Venus Climate Orbiter) (Planet-C) space probe is launched; too bad, on Dec. 6 it fails to enter Venus orbit, and goes into orbit around the Sun until Dec. 7, 2015, when engineers place it into an alternative elliptical Venusian orbit using its attitude control thrusters. On May 26 scientists at UC Irving announce the creation of a retina from human embryonic stem cells. On June 7 Steve Squyres et al. of Cornell U. announce that the rock outcrop Comanche on Husband Hill near Home Plate Plateau on Mars show evidence of a past wet non-acidic environment that may have been favorable for life. On June 14 scientists at the Geophysical Lab of Carnegie U. announce that the water content of the Moon may be up to 5 parts per million, two orders of magnitude higher than previously thought. On June 18 Science pub. an article by Christopher Bronk Ramsey et al. of Oxford U. and Cranfield U., reporting that radiocarbon measurements from 211 different plants have given a more accurate dating of ancient Egyptian kings, making Pharaoh Djoser's reign 50-100 years earlier than before. On June 23 Ivan Schwab et al. of UCD announce a new stem cell treatment for blindness, with a 75% cure rate. On June 24 Laura Niklason et al. of Yale U. announce the building of the first functioning lung in a lab animal (rat) by growing cells on the skeleton of a donor lung. On July 9 Anthony S. Fauci of the Nat. Inst. of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the Nat. Insts. of Health announces the discovery of two antibodies that can prevent 90% of known HIV strains from infecting human cells in the lab. On July 9 Geophysical Research Letters pub. an article by Noath Diffenbaugh of Stanford U., predicting that by 2039 most of the U.S. will experience four seasons as exceptionally long heat waves become commonplace. On July 22 astrophysicist Paul Crowther et al. discover R136a1, the most massive star yet discovered, which may once have weighted 320 solar masses. On July 23 Gregor Weihs et al. from the U. of Innsbruck and U. of Waterloo experimentally confirm the 1926 Born's Rule that quantum interference only occurs in pairs of probabilities, not higher order. On July 23 Buckyballs are detected by Jan Cami of the U. of West Ontario 6.5K l.y. from Earth in the cosmic dust of Tc 1. On July 23 it is announced that 100+ Earth-like planets have been discovered in the past few weeks via the Kepler space telescope; scientists believe there might be 100M such planets in the Milky Way. On Aug. 9 researchers at UCI, UCSD, and Harvard announce the regeneration of nerve connections that control voluntary movement after spinal cord injury in rodents. On Aug. 19 scientists at the Nat. Insts. of Health announce thediscovery of three antibodies that neutralize a broad range of HIV strains, making an HIV vaccine closer to reality. On Aug. 19 Abraham Loyter et al. of Hebrew U. announces the development of a new technique to eliminate HIV by targeting killing of only HIV-infected cells, becoming the first treatment that doesn't merely inhibit replication and delay onset. On Aug. 20 researchers at Loyola U. announce the discovery of a protein called TRIM5a that destroys HIV in rhesus monkeys; meanwhile other researchers isolate the protein BRCA2 that is involved in inherited cases of breast and ovarian cancer. On Aug. 23 Am. Chem. Society scientists report the first evidence that eating blueberries, strawberries, acai berries, and possibly walnuts may help the aging brain stay healthy by activating its "housekeeper" mechanism that cleans up and recycles toxic proteins related to age-related memory loss et al. On Aug. 23 Genome Research pub. a new study of Vitamin D that finds that it influences over 200 genes. On Aug. 23 researchers in the U.K. announce the successful use of drugs to restart the natural 24-hour body clock in lab mice. On Aug. 24 researchers at the European Science Observatory announce the discovery of the "richest" system of exoplanets yet found, five planets orbiting star HD 10180, 127 l.y. away in the southern constellation Hydrus. On Aug. 25 the first artificial corneas are announced by May Griffiths et al. of Linkoping U. in Sweden. In Aug. 26 Angewandte Chemie pub. work by MIT prof. Christopher Cummings et al. that instead of using chlorine, phosophorus can be attached to organic compounds using UV light. On Aug. 27 Nature announces the creation of the first 3-D atomic views of genetic processes by Song Tan et al. of Penn State U. On Aug. 27 British scientists announce the cracking, er, of the genetic code for wheat, and release it for free to help growers develop new better strains. On Aug. 30 the Proceedings of the Nat. Academy of Sciences announces the discovery in Romania of Balaur bondoc (stocky dragon), a kick-boxing cousin of Velociraptor that was unearthed in 2019 by Transylvanian geologist Mtys Vremir. In Aug. scientists find a treatment for the rare birth disorder congenital adrenal hyperplasia, which causes girls to develop ambiguous genitals and facial hair and fail to menstruate, causing an outcry from lesbians that this could lead to engineering in the womb to control sexual orientation. On Sept. 1 scientists in Utah announce that they can read words inside a human mind. On Sept. 5 Proceedings of the Nat. Academy of Sciences pub. an article by the U. of Ore. that determined the fine-scale genetic structure of the first animal to show an evolutionary response to rapid climate change, the pitcher plant mosquito Wyoeomyia smithii. On Sept. 7 BioMed Central's Genome Biology reports the first sequencing of the entire genome of an Irish person; meanwhile PLoS Biology reports the 90%-sequencing of the genome of the turkey. On Sept. 17 David Grennan of Dublin, Ireland becomes the first amateur astronomer to discover a supernova. On Sept. 22 a team led by Daniel Meulemans Medeiros of the U. of Colo. pub. an article in Proceedings of the Nat. Academy of Science tracing the genes for jaw development to lampreys. On Sept. 30 Bruce Kane of the U. of Md. announces the fastest-spinning object ever created, a speck of levitating graphene spinning at 60M rpm. On Sept. 30 Nature announces the first 3-qubit entanglement by a team at Yale U. On Sept. 30 Nature pub. an article by Peter B. McIntyre of the U. of Wisc. revealing that the world's rivers are in a crisis state. In Sept. astronomers announce the discovery of Gliese 581g (20 l.y. from Earth), the first exoplanet that can support liquid water and hence potentially life. In Sept. Global Rainmakers Inc. signs a contract with the city of Leon, Mexico to become the first city secured through biometric identification, via iris-scanning technology. Beatrice H. Hahn completes an analysis of great ape dung samples and discovers that the most dangerous form of malaria originated in gorillas not chimps. On Oct. 1 a study on breast cancer screening on women aged 40-49 in Cancer finds that annual mammography screening reduces the death rate by nearly 30%. On Oct. 3 Nature pub. an article by scientists Brandt Eichman of Vanderbilt U. et al. announcing discovery of a new way that DNA-repair enzymes detect and repair damageto the chemical bases that form the letters of the genetic code. On Oct. 4 the Proceedings of the Nat. Academy of Sciences pub. a study showing that storing fat in the thighs lowers the risk of metabolic disease, while storing it in the abdomen raises it. On Oct. 5 Lan Zhou et al. of the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio pub. research showing that inflammation helps heal wounds by producing insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), increasing the rate of muscle regeneration, revolutionizing treatment of sports injuries. On Oct. 11 Yuk Ting Ma et al. from the Inst. of Cancer Studies in Britain report the first link proved between smoking and epigentic changes associated with the development of cancer. On Oct. 14 Mark Brodwin of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics pub. a paper in Astrophysical Journal announcing the discovery of a record galaxy cluster with 800T Suns and hundreds of galaxies 7B l.y. from Earth. On Oct. 15 a study of Egyptian mummies by Michael Zimmerman of Manchester U. finds no trace of cancer, suggesting that it is a manmade modern disease. On Oct. 18 the 2010 Living Planet Report of the World Wildlife Federation is pub., showing "an alarming rate of biodiversity loss in low-income, often tropical countries while the developed world is living in a false paradise, fuelled by excessive consumption and high carbon emissions", and claiming that humanity's demands on natural resources are skyrocketing to 50% more than the Earth can sustain. On Oct. 21 NASA reports vastly more water on the Moon than previously believed, along with mercury, gold, and silver. On Oct. 21 Science pub. an article by scientists from Imperial College London et al., revealing that two strains of the Anopheles gambiae mosquito appear to be becoming different species. On Oct. 25 a report by investigators at the U. of Mich. indicates that statin use is associated with a statistically significant reduction in colorectal cancer. On Oct. 25 Kevin Choe et al. of the U. of Tex. report that men with prostate cancer who take aspirin plus radiation therapy or surgery may cut their risk of dying by more than half. On Oct. 25 Susanne Dams of Eindhoven U. of Tech. reports that laser heat shocks of 45C on wrinkled skin causes the cells to produce more collagen, restoring firmness and elasticity. On Oct. 26 the Lawrence Berkeley Nat. Lab announces the discovery of six new isotopes of the superheavy elements. On Oct. 29 the U.S. Dept. of Justice files a brief saying that human and other genes should not be patentable because they are part of Nature and aren't manmade. On Oct. 31 Douglas Keszler et al. of Oregon State U. announce the creation of the first metal-insulator-metal diode, which could spawn a new industry. In Oct. Gary Miller et al. of Carnegie Mellon U. announce a breakthrough algorithm for solving systems of linear equations that promises a revolution in image processing, logistics and scheduling problems et al. On Nov. 10 the VIRUS-W spectograph sees "first light" at the Harlan J. Smith Telescope in Tex. with images of a spiral galaxy 30M l.y. from Earth. On Nov. 17 scientists from Lawrence Berkeley Nat. Lab and UCB announce the first successful trapping and storing of antimatter atoms. On Nov. 18 Rainer Klement of the Max Planck Inst. announces the discovery of the first planet of extragalactic origin in the Milky Way galaxy; still no planets outside it. On Nov. 24 scientists at the U. of Nottingham announce a breakthrough allowing them to build 3-D nanomolecular structures on a 2-D surface. On Nov. 24 NASA's JPL pub. a study claiming that the Earth's largest lakes have warmed over the last 25 years due to climate change. On Nov. 25 NASA's Cassini probe discovers oxygen on Saturn's moon Rhea, becoming the first outside Earth. On Nov. 25 Christina Smolke of Stanford U. et al. announce the creation of a programmable genetic "circuit" that can make cells respond to signals to transform to different cells or die. On Dec. 2 Ed Weiler of NASA announces the discovery of the first known microorganism on Earth that can thrive and reproduce using the toxic chemical arsenic, located in Mono Lake in Calif. On Dec. 2 Calestous Juma of Harvard U. pub. an article claiming that Africa can feed itself in a generation. On Dec. 3 Cell Stem Cell pub. an article by Shen Ding of Scripps Research Inst. that a new cocktail of small drug-like molecules assisted by gene Oct4 enables reprogramming of human skin cells into stem cells. On Dec. 6 Vaccine pub. a study showing that flu vaccine can be grown in bacteria instead of eggs, allowing those allergic to eggs to take it. On Dec. 6 NASA ejects NanoSail-D from the Fast, Affordable, Science and Technology Satellite (FASTSAT), becoming the first nanosatellite (cubesat) successfully ejected from a free-flying microsatellite. On Dec. 7 Charite Hospital in Berlin announces the first machine that can create MRI images of a baby being born. On Dec. 8 a team led by MIT verifies the discovery of the first planet with a carbon-enriched atmosphere, WASP-12b, 1.2K l.y. from Earth. On Dec. 8 Slovenian scientists Matjaz Humar and Igor Musevic announce the first practical 3-D laser, which uses spherical drops holding dye molecules. On Dec. 12 James Wells et al. of Cinainnati Children's Hospital in Ohio announce the first time that human intestinal tissue has been created in the lab from stem cells. On Dec. 17 the first Quantum Machine is announced, the first to move according to the laws of quantum mechanics not classical mechanics. On Dec. 18 the IceCube, the world's largest neutrino observatory located at the South Pole is completed. Transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALEN) is developed for use in genome editing with engineered nucleases to cut specific sequences of DNA, taking its place alongside CRISPR/Cas9 and zinc finger nucleases. Complete Genomics Inc. begins offering low-cost human genomes, sequencing thousands this year and promising 1M over the next five years. Polish-born Am. physicist Nikodem Janusz Poplawski (1975-) of Indiana U. proposes that the Universe came from a wormhole in another Universe. Two Fermi Bubbles each 25K l.y. tall above and below the disk of the Milky Way are first detected by NASA's Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope. The first Quark Soup (quark-gluon plasma) is created at Brookhaven Nat. Lab, becoming the densest matter ever seen on Earth. Francesco Belgiorno et al. of the U. of Milan make the first desktop black hole, and claim that it has produced Hawking radiation; other physicists question the whole thing. The Joint Inst. for Nuclear Research (JINR) in Dubna, Russia discovers the synthetic radioactive element Ununseptium (Uus) (#117). Nonfiction: Anon., U.S. Special Forces Unconventional Warfare Manual; methods for the takedown of Col. Daffy's regime in Libya; later used by U.S. leftists to topple the U.S.? Youssef H. Aboul-Enein, Militant Islamist Ideology: Understanding the Global Threat; claims that only the militant Islamists are a threat to the U.S. - the rest only want blasphemers beheaded? Gilbert Achcar, The Arabs and the Holocaust: The Arab-Israeli War of Narratives; how 20th cent. Arabs split into liberal Westernizers, Marxists, nationalists, and pan-Islamists. Talmiz Ahmad, Children of Abraham at War: The Clash of Messianic Militarisms (Sept. 20); a refutation of Samuel Huntington's "The Clash of Civilizations". Michelle Alexander, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness (Jan. 5); how Reagan's 1982 war on drugs ended up creating a new de facto black slave caste. Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Nomad: From Islam to America - been there, done that? Nujood Ali (1998-), I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced (Mar.); Yemeni girl makes history by getting a divorce. Sami Alrabaa, Veiled Atrocities: True Stories of Oppression in Saudi Arabia (Mar. 23). John Amato and David Neiwert, Over the Cliff: How Obama's Election Drove the American Right Insane (June 1). Andrew J. Bacevich (1947-), Washington Rules: America's Path to Permanent War (Aug.). Rene Backmann, A Wall in Palestine (Feb. 2). Philip Ball, The Music Instinct: How Music Works and Why We Can't Do Without It. Mitchell Bard, The Arab Lobby: The Invisible Alliance That Undermines America's Interests in the Middle East (Aug. 31). Daniel Benjamin (ed.), Europe 2030. Paul Berman (1948-), The Flight of the Intellectuals (Apr. 27); rejects the motives of Western Islam reformer Tariq Ramadan, calling him a gateway drug for radical Islam, and disses Am. liberals incl. Timothy Garton Ash and Ian Buruma for trying to make him respectable. Kai Bird (1951-), Crossing Mandelbaum Gate: Coming of Age Between the Arabs and Israelis, 1956-1978 (autobio.). Edwin Black, The Farhud: Roots of the Arab-Nazi Alliance in the Holocaust. Tony Blair (1953-), A Journey (autobio.) (Sept. 1); bestseller. Howard Bloom (1943-), The Genius of the Beast: A Radical Re-Vision of Capitalism. Derek Bok, The Politics of Happiness: What Government Can Learn from the New Research on Well-Being. Anthony Bourdain (1956-), Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook (June 8); criticizes fellow TV chefs as having never worked in a real restaurant. Susan Boyle (1961-), The Woman I Was Born to Be: My Story (autobio.) (Oct. 12). Mark Braverman, Fatal Embrace: Christians, Jews, and the Search for Peace in the Holy Land (Feb. 16); Am. Jew who was radicalized after a 2006 trip to the West Bank claims that it's not "anti-Semitic" to stand up for justice for Palestinians; forward by Am. leftist Protestant theologian Walter Brueggermann (1933-), who once supported Israel but flops and blames it for exploiting "ancient promises" to create a "toxic ideology". Timothy H. Breen (1942-), American Insurgents - American Patriots: The Revolution of the People. Ian Bremmer (1969-), The End of the Free Market: Who Wins the War Between States and Corporations; pivot states (Canada) vs. shadow states (Mexico). Pascal Bruckner, The Tyranny of Guilt: An Essay on Western Masochism (Feb. 21); how multiculturalism is destroying Europe. Robert Buchar, And Reality Be Damned... Undoing America: What the Media Didn't Tell You About the End of the Cold War and Fall of Communism in Europe; just because the Soviet Union is kaput doesn't make Russia the friend of the U.S. Carol Burnett (1933-), This Time Together: Laughter and Reflection (autobio.). Rhonda Byrnes (1951-), The Power (Aug. 17). Belinda Carlisle (1958-), Lips Unsealed: A Memoir (June 1). David Caute (1936-), Politics and the Novel During the Cold War. Zev Chafets, Rush Limbaugh: An Army of One. G. Paul Chambers, Head Shot: The Science Behind the JFK Assassination. Ha-Joon Chang (1963-), 23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism. Phyllis Chesler, The History and Psychological Roots of Anti-Semitism Among Feminists: Their Gradual Palestinization and Stalinization (Aug. 25). Ron Chernow (1949-), Washington: A Life (Pulitzer Prize); his life was a struggle to contain his emotions? Noam Chomsky (1928-), Hopes and Prospects. Angelo M. Codevilla, The Ruling Class: How They Corrupted America and What We Can Do About It (Sept. 12); intro. by Rush Limbaugh; it's all about the political elites vs. those who feed them? Paul Collier (1949-), The Plundered Planet: Why We Must, and How We Can, Manage Nature for Global Prosperity. Ray Comfort, Nothing Created Everything: The Scientific Impossibility of Atheistic Evolution. Christopher Corbett, The Poker Bride; the Chinese immigrants during the 1848 Calif. Gold Rush. Phil Cousineau (1952-), The Oldest Story in the World (Jan.); Wordcatcher: An Odyssey into the World of Weird and Wonderful Words (Apr.). Tad Daley, Apocalypse Never: Forging a Nuclear Weapon-Free World (Apr. 30). Theodore Dalrymple (1949-), The New Vichy Syndrome: Why European Intellectuals Surrender to Barbarism (Mar. 9); how Europe is allowing itself to be Islamized without a whimper. Antonio Damasio (1944-), Self Comes to Mind: Constructing the Conscious Brain; how the brain constructs the mind. Benjamin Dangl, Dancing with Dynamite: Social Movements and States in Latin America. Sefik Dinc, The Mavi Marmara Incident; Turkish journalist who was on the ship claims that radical jihadists on the Gaza Flotilla planned to attack Israeli forces and provoke a confrontation. Wendy Doniger, The Hindus: An Alternative History; banned in India. James W. Douglass, JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters; the CIA got too powerful, and still is? John W. Dower, Cultures of War: Pearl Harbor, Hiroshima, 9-11, Iraq. Dinesh D'Souza, The Roots of Obama's Rage (Sept. 27); claims his ultimate motivation is rage against Western dominance that he got from his father. Paul Driessen (1948-), Eco-Imperialism: Green Power Black Death (Jan. 1) (first book); slams the environmental movement as a group of affluent Westerners imposing their views on backward impoverished Third World peoples, violating their basic rights and denying them economic opportunities, going on to promote the use of fossil fuels and pooh-pooh climate change alarmists. Mark Durie, The Third Choice: Islam, Dhimmitude, and Freedom (Apr. 15); the modus operandi of Islam and how the West must fight it. Jonathan Eig, Get Capone: The Secret Plot That Captured America's Most Wanted Gangster (Apr. 27). Tom Engelhardt, The American Way: How Bush's Wars Became Obama's (July 1). Abigail R. Esman, Radical State: How Jihad Is Winning Over Democracy in the West (May 20). John L. Esposito, The Future of Islam; is there a middle ground? R. Tripp Evans, Grant Wood: A Life (Oct.). Tarek Fatah (1949-), The Jew Is Not My Enemy: Unveiling the Myths That Fuel Muslim Anti-Semitism (Oct.). Jules Feiffer (1929-), Backing into Forward: A Memoir. Niall Ferguson (1964-), High Financier: The Lives and Times of Siegmund Warburg (June 24). Norman Finkelstein, This Time We Went Too Far: Truth and Consequences of the Gaza Invasion. Richard L. Florida (1957-), The Great Reset: How New Ways of Living and Working Drive Post-Crash Prosperity (Apr.); big hit with WEF founder Klaus Schwab, who in 2014 utters the soundbyte: "What we want to do in Davos this year . . . is to push the reset button". Jerry Fodor, What Darwin Got Wrong; atheist academic uses Science to prove Darwin wrong, claiming that genes are too tied together to be used in natural selection. Michael Fried (1939-), The Moment of Caravaggio; the rise of the "gallery picture" ca. 1590 and the influence of the violence and realism of brawl-loving Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1573-1610), precursor of modern painting; followed by "After Caravggio" (2016). Paul Froese and Christopher Bader, America's Four Gods: What We Say About God - And What That Says About Us (Sept.); ABCD: Authoritative, Benevolent, Critical, and Distant. Graham E. Fuller, A World Without Islam. Pamela Geller (1958-) and Robert Spencer (1962-), The Post-American Presidency: The Obama Administration's War on America (July 27). Martin Gilbert, In Ishamael's House: A History of Jews in Muslim Lands. Newt Gingrich (1943-), To Save America: Stopping Obama's Secular-Socialist Machine (May 17). David Goldberg and Jeff Blomquist, A User's Guide to the Universe: Surviving the Perils of Black Holes, Time Paradoxes, and Quantum Uncertainty (Feb. 22). Ken Gormley, The Death of American Virtue: Clinton vs. Starr. J.D. Greear, Breaking the Islam Code: Understanding the Soul Questions of Every Muslim; N.C. Christian minister claims that a majority of Christians would agree with the five core beliefs of Islam. Tanni Grey-Thompson (1969-), Seize the Day (autobio.). Tom Grimes, Mentor: A Memoir (Aug.); his relationship with Frank Conroy at the Iowa Writers' Workshop. Alex Grobman, The Palestinian Right to Israel (Mar.); proves that there isn't one. Stanislav Grof (1931-), Holotropic Breathwork: A New Approach to Self-Exploration and Therapy. Osman Nuri Gundes, Witness to Revolution and Near Anarchy (Dec.); retired Turkish intel official claims that U.S.-based Turkish imam Muhammed Fethullah Gulen (Gülen), who has 4M followers and 600 schools is a CIA front, drawing strong denials from ex-CIA officials. Stefan Halper (1944-), The Beijing Consensus: Legitimizing Authoritarianism in Our Time (Apr.). Mark Halperin and John Heilemann, Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime (Jan. 11). Chelsea Handler (1975-), Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang (Mar. 9). Sam Harris (1967-), The Moral Landscape: How Science Can Determine Human Values (Oct. 5); claims that science esp. neuroscience has something to say about morals. Brian Haughton, History's Mysteries: People, Places and Oddities Lost in the Sands of Time (Apr. 20). Stephen Hawking (1942-) and Leonard Mlodinow, The Grand Design (Sept. 9); claims that God didn't create the Universe; "Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist"; "It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper and set the universe going." Chris Hedges (1956-), Death of the Liberal Class (Oct. 17); the liberal class has failed to confront the corporate state?; "The real division in America today is not between Democrats and Republicans, but between average citizens and the corporate and financial elite"; "The election of Obama was one more triumph of illusion over substance. It was a skillful manipulation and betrayal of the public by a corporate power elite. We mistook the style and ethnicity - an advertising tactic pioneered by Calvin Klein and Benneton for progressive politics and genuine change"; "The creed of 'impartiality' and 'objectivity' that has infected the liberal class teaches, ultimately, the importance of not offending the status quo. the 'professionalism' demanded in the classroom, in newsprint, in the arts or in political discourse is code for moral disengagement." Stephane Hessel (1917-), Indignez-Vous! (Oct.); political pamphlet that becomes a bestseller in France (1.5M copies). Laura Hillenbrand (1967-), Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption (Nov. 16); Louis Zamperini and the USAF bomber that crashed into the Pacific Ocean in May 1943. Henry Holt, The Last Train from Hiroshima (Jan.); claims a secret A-bomb accident that killed one American, irradiated others, and greatly reduced its destructive power, based on recollections of Enola Gay observation pilot Joseph Fuoco (1924-2008); after historians call him an imposter, Holt says he will rewrite the book. Mitch Horowitz, Occult America: The Secret History of How Mysticism Shaped Our Nation. Toby E. Huff, Intellectual Curiosity and the Scientific Revolution: A Global Perspective. Arianna Huffington, Third World America; dedicated to "the millions of middle-class Americans fighting to keep the American Dream alive". Earl Ofari Hutchinson, How Obama Governed: The Year of Crisis and Challenge (Jan.). Lewis Hyde (1945-), Common As Air (Aug.); argues against intellectual property. Keith Jeffery, The Secret History of MI6. Ian Johnson, A Mosque in Munich: Nazis, the CIA, and the Rise of the Muslim Brotherhood in the West (May 4); how a group of ex-Soviet Muslims defected to Germany during WWII and set up shop, giving radical Islam its first toehold in the West. Steven Johnson, Where Good Ideas Come From; Bldg. 20 at MIT. Terry Jones, Islam is of the Devil: Know the Spiritual Truths That Will Bring the Christian Church Back to Its God-Given Position (Aug. 3). Gabriel Josipovici, What Ever Happened to Modernism? (Sept.). Tony R. Judt (1948-2010), Ill Fares the Land (last book). Daniel Kahneman (1934-), Thinking, Fast and Slow. Efraim Karsh (1953-), Palestine Betrayed; reverses the Western academic PC moose hockey about the Palestinians being an oppressed people who were run out of their homeland by Nazi-like Israelis, showing that they did it to themselves, strategically withdrawing to leave an open field for Arab armies to wipe Israel off the map before triumphantly returning, only to see it backfire then manufacture a victim narrative to gain sympathy. Eric Kaufmann, Shall the Religious Inherit the Earth?; secularists are blowing it with low birth rates. Meb Keflezighi (1975-) and Dick Patrick, Run to Overcome (autobio.). Kitty Kelley (1942-), Oprah; sanitizes rather than sensationalizes her, but admits her wild child teen days and time as a ho, affair with John Tesh, and sexual obsession with Diane Sawyer. Robert Louis Kemp, Super Principia Mathematica: The Rage to Master Conceptual and Mathematical Physics. Piper Kerman (1969-), Orange Is the New black: My Year in a Woman's Prison (autobio). Abeed Khalid, Islam After Communism: Religion and Politics in Central Asia; the revival of Islam after decades of atheistic indoctrination. Eli Kintisch, Hack the Planet: Science's Best Hope - or Worst Nightmare - for Averting Climate Catastrophe (Apr. 19). David Kirkpatrick, The Facebook Effect: The Inside Story of the Company That is Connecting the World. Aaron Klein and Brenda J. Elliott, The Manchurian President: Barack Obama's Ties to Communists, Socialists and Other Anti-American Extremists (May 3); bestseller chronicling Obama's dirty laundry; too bad, Klein's earlier expose of Pres. George W. Bush makes him unpopular with Republicans, who need him most now? Edward Klein (1937-) and John Le Boutillier, The Obama Identity. James T. Kloppenberg, Reading Obama: Dreams, Hope, and the American Political Tradition (Oct. 31); the first philosopher pres. since Woodrow Wilson?; heir of Lincoln, J.Q. Adams, Madison, Jefferson, and John Adams? Michael Muhammad Knight, Journey to the End of Islam (autobio.). Nancy Koehn (1959-), Ernest Shackleton: Exploring Leadership. Joel Kotkin (1952-), The Next Hundred Million: America in 2050; "The America of 2050 may not stride the world like a hegemonic giant, but it will evolve into the one truly transcendent superpower in terms of society, technology and culture. Its greatest power will be its identification with notions of personal liberty, constitutional protections and universalism." Matthew Kroenig, Exporting the Bomb: Technology Transfer and the Spread of Nuclear Weapons (Apr. 1); countries export nuclear technology in a desperate search for hard currency? Scott Kugle, Homosexuality in Islam: Islamic Reflections on Gay, Lesbian and Transgender Muslims. David Kupelian, How Evil Works: Understanding and Overcoming the Destructive Forces That Are Transforming America (Feb. 16). Stanley Kurtz, Radical-in-Chief: Barack Obama and the Untold Story of American Socialism (Oct. 19); Nelly Lahoud, The Jihadis' Path to Self-Destruction (Nov.). Gideon Levy (1953-), The Punishment of Gaza. Michael Lewis (1960-), The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine. David Liepert, Muslim, Christian, and Jew: Finding a Path to Peace Our Faiths Can Share (June 1). David Limbaugh (1952-), Crimes Against Liberty: An Indictment of President Barack Obama (Aug.); Obama is trying to bankrupt the U.S. with trillion-dollar deficits, and wouldn't mind being a 1-termer to do it? Alex Malarkey, The Boy Who Came Back from heaven: A Remarkable Account of Miracles, Angels, and Life Beyond This World (autobio.) (July 2); bestseller about visiting a Christian heaven after a traffic accident; on Jan. 13, 2015 he admits it's fictional. Klaus-Michael Mallmann and Martin Cuppers, Nazi Palestine: The Plans for the Extermination of the Jews in Palestine (July 1); the Nazi plan that went awry. Salim Mansur, Islam's Predicament: Perspectives of a Dissident Muslim. Harry Markopolis, No One Would Listen; Bernie Madoff whistleblower tells how he contemplated killing him. Moshe Ma'oz, Muslim Attitudes To Jews and Israel: The Ambivalances of Rejection, Antagonism, Tolerance and Cooperation. Mark Matousek (1957-), Ethical Wisdom: What Makes Us Good; the Dalai Lama's secret. Andrew C. McCarthy III, The Grand Jihad: How Islam and the Left Sabotage America (May 25); how it's not just the radical Islamists but Islam itself that's the threat. William McGowan, Gray Lady Down: What the Decline and Fall of the New York Times Means for America (Nov. 16); how it has degenerated into liberal PC propaganda. Bill McKibben (1960-), Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tought New Planet; about climate change. Corinne McLaughlin (1947-) and Gordon Davidson, The Practical Visionary: A New World Guide to Spiritual Growth and Social Change. Edwin Meese III (1931-), One Nation Under Arrest; the overgrowth of criminal laws that don't require criminal intent, incl. 4K total federal criminal laws and 300K federal regulations. Giulio Meotti, A New Shoah: The Untold Story of Israel's Victims of Terrorism. Kenneth Minogue (1930-2013), The Servile Mind: How Democracy Erodes the Moral Life. Ludwig von Mises (1881-1973), Ludwig von Mises on Money and Inflation (posth.). Raymond Moody (1944-) and Paul Perry, Glimpses of Eternity: Sharing a Loved One's Passages from This Life to the Next. Thomas Moore (1940-), Care of the Soul in Medicine (Apr.); The Guru of Golf. Markos Moulitsas, American Taliban: How War, Sex, Sin, and Power Bind Jihadists and the Radical Right (Sept. 1). Samuel Moyn, The Last Utopia: How We Invented Human Rights. Andrew P. Napolitano (1950-), Lies the Government Told You: Myth, Power, and Deception in American History. Phillip Nelson, LBJ: Mastermind of JFK's Assassination (July 23). Jorgen S. Nielsen (ed.), Shari'a as Discourse: Legal Traditions and the Encounter with Europe; Muslim claims that Euro judges should recognize Sharia. Barack Obama (1961-), Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters (Nov.). Naomi Oreskes (1958-) and Erik M. Conway (1965-), Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming (June 3); filmed in 2004 by Robert Kenning. Suzie Orman (1951-), Suze Orman's 2010 Action Plan (Mar.). David M. Oshinsky (1944-), Capital Punishment on Trial: Furman v. Georgia and the Death Penalty in Modern America. Nicholas Ostler (1952-), The Last Lingua Franca: English until the Return to Babel (Nov. 23); claims that the days of English as a universal language are numbered, but there will be no replacement because computer translation will take over. Nell Irvin Painter, The History of White People (Mar. 15). Sarah Palin (1964-), America by Heart: Reflections on Family, Faith and Flag (Nov.). Robert Pape, Cutting the Fuse: The Explosion of Global Suicide Terrorism and How to Stop It; claims that Islamic suicide attacks are caused by occupations not Islam. Col. Robert "Buzz" Patterson, Conduct Unbecoming: How Barack Obama Is Destroying the Military and Endangering Our Security (Sept. 7). Tom Pauken, Bringing America Home: How America Lost Her Way and How We Can Find Our Way Back; the U.S. middle class won't last another decade? Roger Penrose (1931-) and Vahe Gurzadyan (1955-), Cycles of Time: An Extraordinary New View of the Universe; proposes Conformal Cyclic Cosmology, in which the U iterates through infinite cycles where the future timelike infinity of each iteration becomes the Big Bang singularity of the next; "Concentric circles in WMAP data may provide evidence of violent pre-Big-Bang activity." Tom Peters (1942-), The Little Big Things: 163 Ways to Pursue Excellence. Walid Phares, The Coming Revolution: Struggle for Freedom in the Middle East; predicts that Islamists will try to take over. Melanie Phillips (1951-), The World Turned Upside Down: The Global Battle over God, Truth, and Power (Apr. 20). Sasha Polakow-Suransky, Unspoken Alliance: Israel's Secret Relationship with South Africa (May 25); claims that Apartheid-era South Africa and modern Israel are kissing cousins because of their alleged apartheid of Muslim Arabs. Andrew Potter, The Authenticity Hoax: How We Get Lost Finding Ourselves (Apr. 13); Facebook "friends" et al. Stephen Prothero, God Is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World - and Why Their Differences Matter. Philip Pullman, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ. Michael S. Radu (1947-2009), Europe's Ghost: Tolerance, Jihadism, and the Crisis in the West (Jan. 12); how Muslim immigration threatens Euro civilization. Richard Reeves, Daring Young Men: The Heroism and Triumph of the Berlin Airlift, June 1948-May 1949. Robert Reich, Aftershock: The Following Economy and America's Future (Sept.). Robert R. Reilly, The Closing of the Muslim Mind: How Intellectual Suicide Created the Modern Islamist (May 17); "Those involved in training Middle Eastern military forces have encountered a lackadaisical attitude to weapons maintenance and sharp-shooting. If God wants the bullet to hit the target, it will, and if He does not, it will not. It has little to do with human agency or skills obtained by discipline and practice." Keith Richards (1943-), Life (autobio.). Sir Christopher Ricks (1933), True Friendship: Geoffrey Hill, Anthony Hecht and Robert Lowell Under the Sign of Eliot and Pound. Sir Matt Ridley (1958-), The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves (May 18); "The average human being is richer, healthier, and kinder". Paul Rosenzwieg and Brian W. Walsh, One Nation Under Arrest: How Crazy Laws, Rogue Prosecutors, and Activist Judges Threaten Your Liberty; horror stories of govt. abuse in the U.S. David Rubin, The Islamic Tsunami: Israel and America in the Age of Obama (Oct.); "uncovers the true nature of Islam: a dangerous, violent ideology that strives for world domination through terrorism, as well as what Rubin calls non-violent aggression. Rubin uncovers the reason why Islam chooses terror over peace and explores Israel and America's vital roles in combating the rampant spread of Islam throughout the world." Daniel Ruddy, Theodore Roosevelt's History of the United States (Apr. 20). Don Miguel Angel Ruiz (1952-), The Fifth Agreement: A Practical Guide to Self-Mastery (A Toltec Wisdom Book) (Mar. 9); 5) Be skeptical but learn to listen. Erik Rush, Negrophilia: From Slave Block to Pedestal: America's Racial Obsession (June 15); "the undue and inordinate affinity for blacks (as opposed to antipathy towards them) that has been promoted by activists, politicians and the establishment press for the past 40 years". Thaddeus Russell, A Renegade History of the United States. Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jetha, Sex at Dawn: The Prehistoric Origins of Modern Sexuality (How We Mate, Why We Stray, and What It Means for Modern Relationships); bestseller claimins that humans evolved in egalitarian hunter-gatherer bands in which sex was a shared resource like food. Oliver Wolf Sacks (1933-), The Mind's Eye (Oct. 26). Claude Salhani, While the Arab World Slept; what could the Middle East accomplish if it dropped its endless religious conflicts? Stephan Salisbury, Mohamed's Ghosts: An American Story of Love and Fear in the Homeland (Apr. 27). Thilo Sarrazin, Deutschland Schaaft Sich Ab (Germany Does Away With Itself); claims that immigrants esp. Muslims and Jews are ruining the country and making Germans "strangers in their country", stirring a firestorm of controversy. Stacy Schiff, Cleopatra: A Life (Nov.): NYT bestseller. Peter Dale Scott (1929-), American War Machine: Deep Politics, the CIA Global Drug Connection, and the Road to Afghanistan (Nov.). John Selby (1945-), Tapping the Source: Using the Master Key System for Abundance and Happiness. Tom Segev, Simon Wiesenthal: The Life and Legends (Sept.); claims that he was a Mossad agent. Richard Seymour, The Meaning of David Cameron (June 3). Anthony Shaffer, Operation Dark Heart: Spycraftand Special Ops on the Frontlines of Afghanistan - and The Path to Victory; its Aug. 31 pub. date is delayed by the U.S. govt. to censor classified material. Gen. Hugh Shelton, Without Hestitation: The Odyssey of an American Warrior (Oct.); U.S. JCS chmn. from 1997-2001; "President Bush and his team got us enmeshed in Iraq based on extraordinarily poor intelligence and a series of lies purporting that we had to protect Americans from Saddam's evil empire because it posed such a threat to our national security"; reveals that Pres. Clinton lost his nuclear "biscuit" containing the nuclear codes while pres. for months in 2000. Stephen Shen, America Is Also Ridiculous (Sept. 27) (autobio.). David Shields, Reality Hunger: A Manifesto; defends plagiarism and faked memoirs, and declares fiction dead, causing a firestorm of controversy in the lit. world. Clay Shirky (1964-), Cognitive Surplus: Creativity and Generosity in a Connected Age; a world without TV? Gary Shteyngart, Super Sad True Love Story. Kenneth Silverman (1936-), Begin Again: A Biography of John Cage. Joseph Morrison Skelly (ed.), Political Islam from Muhammed to Ahmadinejad: Defenders, Detractors and Definitions. Lee Smith, The Strong Horse: Power, Politics, and the Clash of Arab Civilizations. Wesley Smith, A Rat Is a Pig Is a Dog Is a Boy: The Human Cost of the Animal Rights Movement; the animal rights movement has an anti-human agenda? Howard Sounes, Fab: An Intimate Portrait of Paul McCartney. Thomas Sowell (1930-), Intellectuals and Society (Jan. 5); expounds on "the fatal misstep of intellectuals", viz., their assumption that superior ability within some superspecialist subject gives them superior wisdom and morality in everything, causing these "idea workers" to manufacture public demand for more of themselves by making alarming predictions about economics, nat. defense, and the environment incl. climate change, ending up exercising profound influence on public opinion and policy makers even though they are not only regularly wrong but personally unaccountable for the results, using their "undue influence" and "vulgar pride" to cause disaster for societies. Robert Spencer (1962-), Pamela Geller, and John Bolton, The Post-American Presidency: The Obama Administration's War on America (July 27). Victor J. Stenger (1935-), The Fallacy of Fine-Tuning: How the Universe is Not Designed for Humanity. Jennifer Stevens, The Historical Jesus and the Literary Imagination, 1860-1920. Terry Greene Sterling, Illegal: Life and Death in Arizona's Immigration War Zone. Nassim Nicholas Taleb (1960-), The Bed of Procrustes: Philosophical and Practical Aphorisms; "The opposite of success isn't failure, it is name-dropping"; "To bankrupt a fool, give him information"; "The person you are most afraid to contradict is yourself." Marc A. Thiessen, Courting Disaster: How the CIA Kept America Safe and How Barack Obama is Inviting the Next Attack (Jan. 18); speechwriter for Pres. George W. Bush claims that CIA interrogations were highly effectiving in foiling al-Qaida attacks, and how stupid Pres. Obama is in shutting down their program and releasing secret documents aiding the enemy plus trying to prosecute CIA members. Fred Dalton Thompson (1942-), Teaching the Pig to Dance: A Memoir of Growing Up and Second Chances (autobio.) (May 18). Mark Twain (1835-1910), Autobiography, Vol. 1 (Nov.); withheld for 100 years per his wishes. Douglas Valentine, The Strength of the Pack; the U.S. DEA is a function of nat. security and defends America's traditional values of race, class and gender while expanding its influence abroad? Shankar Vedantam, The Hidden Brain; how racism is unconscious. Jesse Ventura (1951-), American Conspiracies: Lies, Lies, and More Lies that the Government Tells Us (Mar. 8). John Walbridge, God and Logic in Islam: The Caliphate of Reason. Ibn Warraq (1946-), Virgins? What Virgins? And Other Essays. Jeffrey Wasserstrom (1960-), China in the 21st Century: What Everyone Needs to Know; 2nd ed. in 2013. Steven Weber and Bruce W. Jentleson, The End of Arrogance: America in the Global Competition of Ideas (Sept. 30); the world is changing from a Ptolemaic to Copernican reality vis a vis the U.S., and thanks to the Internet is becoming a marketplace of ideas not war? Brent White, Underwater Home: What Should You Do If You Owe More on Your Home Than It's Worth? Stuart Wilde (1946-), Plum Red: Taoist Tales of Old China. Isabel Wilkerson, The Warmth of Other Sons (Sept. 1); the Great Southern Migration of 6M blacks to the North in 1915-70. Garry Wills (1934-), Bomb Power. G. Willow Wilson (1982-), The Butterfly Mosque (autobio.) (June); N.J.-born woman converts to Islam, goes to Egypt, and marries an Egyptian man. Robert S. Wistrich, A Lethal Obsession: Anti-Semitism from Antiquity to the Global Jihad. Fred Alan Wolf (1934-), Time Loops and Space Twists. Roger J. Woolger (1944-2011), Healing Your Past Lives: Exploring the Many Lives of the Soul. Bob Woodward (1943-), Obama's Wars; Pres. Obama's sad struggle to win in Afghanistan in two years to pacify progressives back home, and how gens. in civilian posts were the toughest critics of his surge; incl. Biden's soundbyte to Obama not to "get locked into Vietnam", and Obama's soundbytes "We need to make clear to people that the cancer is in Pakistan", and "We can absorb a terrorist attack. We'll do everything we can to prevent it, but even a 9/11, even the biggest attack ever... we absorbed it and we are stronger." Bat Ye'or, Eurabia: The Euro-Arab Axis. Andrew Young (1932-), The Politician: An Insider's Account of John Edwards' Pursuit of the Presidency and the Scandal That Brought Him Down; former aide who helped him coverup his affair with pregnant lover Rielle Hunter then was cut loose fights back. Mosab Hassan Yousef (1978-), Son of Hamas: A Gripping Account of Terror, Betrayal, Political Intrigue, and Unthinkable Choices (Mar. 2); eldest son of Hamas founding member Sheikh Hassan Yousef breaks with it, works as a Shin Bet agent in 1997-2007, when he turns Christian and flees to Calif. and tells all; after an outcry, a deportation attempt is cancelled on July 1; "All Muslims, moderate Muslims and fanatics to me are the same. At the end of the day they believe in the God of the Koran and they believe that this Koran is from God"; "The most criminal terrorist Muslim has morality, a minimum of humanity more than his god. Their god is a terrorist and ignorant"; "The God of Koran is trying to unskin Muslims from their humanity. Muslims are good people, but their God is absolutely bad"; some suspect he's a double-agent working against Israel. Howard Zinn (1922-2010), The Bomb (posth.); claims to have been involved in the first U.S. use of napalm in 1945 on a French town, burning anyone it touched. James Zogby, Arab Voices: What They Are Saying to Us and Why It Matters. Music: Saving Abel, Miss America (album #2) (June 8) (#24 in the U.S.); incl. Miss America, Stupid Girl (Only in Hollywood), The Sex Is Good. AC/DC, Iron Man 2 Soundtrack (album) (Apr. 19). Lady Antebellum, Need You Now. Aerosmith, Aerosmith's 15th Album (album #15). Apocalyptica, 7th Symphony (album #7) (Aug. 20); incl. End of Me (w/Gavin Rossdale). David Archuleta (1990-), The Other Side of Down (album #3) (Oct. 5); incl. Something 'Bout Love. Natasha Bedingfield (1981-), Strip Me (album #3) (Dec. 7) (#103 in the U.S.); incl. Touch. Justin Bieber (1994-), My World 2.0 (album #2) (Mar. 19) (#1 in the U.S., #3 in the U.K.); incl. Baby (w/Ludacris), Somebody to Love (w/Usher), U Smile, Never Let You Go. Mary J. Blige (1971-), My Life II, The Journey Continues (album #10) (Sept. 3); incl. Someone to Love Me (Naked). James Blunt (1977-), Some Kind of Trouble (album #3) (Nov. 8) (#11 in the U.S., #4 in the U.K.) (1M copies); incl. Stay the Night. B.o.B., Nothin' on You (w/Bruno Mars), Airplanes. Brandon Boyd (1976-), The Wild Trapeze (album) (solo debut) (July 6); incl. Runaway Train. Susan Boyle (1961-), The Gift (album #2) (#1 in the U.S.) (#1 in the U.K.) (2.18M copies). Michelle Branch (1983-), Everything Comes and Goes (album #3) (Aug. 27); incl. Sooner or Later (#46 in the U.S.) Buckcherry, All Night Long (album #5) (Aug. 3); incl. All Night Long, Dead, It's a Party. Bush, The Sea of Memories (album #5) (Sept. 13) (#18 in the U.S.) (first album since 2001); first with Chris Traynor and Corey Britz; incl. The Sound of Winter. Owl City, All Things Bright and Beautiful (album #3) (June 14); incl. Alligator Sky (w/Shawn Chrystopher). New Young Pony Club, The Optimist (album #2) (Mar. 8); incl. Stone, The Optimist. Joe Cocker (1944-2014), Hard Knocks (album #21) (Oct. 1); incl. I Hope (by the Dixie Chicks). Cheryl Cole (1983-), Messy Little Raindrops (album #2) (Nov. 1); incl. Promise This. Susan Cowsill (1959-), Lighthouse (album #2) (May). Sheryl Crow (1962-), 100 Miles from Memphis (album #7) (July 20). Taio Cruz, Break Your Heart. Cults, Go Outside (debut); from New York City, incl. Brian Oblivion and Madeline Follin. Miley Cyrus (1992-), Can't Be Tamed (album #2) (June 18) (#3 in the U.S., #8 in the U.K.); incl. Can't Be Tamed, Who Owns My Heart, Every Rose Has Its Thorn. Green Day, Awesome As Fuck (F**k) (album) (Mar. 22). Deftones, Diamond Eyes (album #6) (May 4) (#6 in the U.S.) (original title "Eros"); first with Sergio Vega; incl. Diamond Eyes, Rocket Skates, You've Seen the Butcher, Sextape. Disturbed, Asylum (album #5) (Aug. 31, 2010) (#1 in the U.S., #7 in the U.K.) (first band with four consecutive #1 U.S. albums since Dave Matthews Band and Metallica); incl. Another Way to Die, Asylum, The Animal, Warrior. Goo Goo Dolls, Something for the Rest of Us (album #9) (Aug. 28); incl. Home, Notbroken. As I Lay Dying, The Powerless Rise (album #5) (May 7) (#10 in the U.S.); incl. The Plague. Finger Eleven, Life Turns Electric (album #6) (Oct. 5); incl. Living in a Dream. Eminem (1972-), Recovery (album #7) (June 18) (#1 in the U.S.); sells 741K copies in week #1; incl. Not Afraid, Love the Way You Lie. Eve 6, Horrorscope (album #2) (July 25); incl. Promise (#25 in the U.S.), Here's to the Night (#30 in the U.S.), On the Roof Again. Exodus, Exhibit B: The Human Condition (album #9) (May 7) (#114 in the U.S.); incl. Burn, Hollywood, Burn, Class Dismissed (A Hate Primer). Extreme, Take Us Alive (album) (May 5). Filter, The Trouble with Angels (album #5) (Aug. 17) (#64 in the U.S.); incl. The Inevitable Relapse. Arcade Fire, The Suburbs (album #3) (Aug. 2) (#1 in the U.S. and U.K.); incl. The Suburbs/Month of May, We Used to Wait, Ready to Start. Maroon 5, Hands All Over (album #3) (Sept. 21) (#2 in the U.S., #6 in the U.K.) (500K copies); incl. Misery, Give a Little More, Never Gonna Leave This Bed. The Flobots, Survival Story (album #2) (Mar. 16); incl. White Flag Warrior (w/Tim McIlrath). Lady Gaga (1986-), Telephone. Godsmack, Oracle (original title "Saints & Sinners") (album #5) (May 4) (#1 in the U.S.) (500K copies in the U.S.); incl. Cryin' Like a Bitch, Love-Hate-Sex-Pain, Saints and Sinners. Selena Gomez (1992-) and the Scene, A Year Without Rain (album #2) (Sept. 17) (#4 in the U.S., #14 in the U.K.); incl. A Year Without Rain, Round & Round, Live Like There's No Tomorrow. Macy Gray (1967-), Beauty in the World. Nina Hagen (1955-), Personal Jesus (album #15) (July 16); incl. Personal Jesus (by Depeche Mode). Heart, Red Velvet Car (album #14) (Aug. 31) (#10 in the U.S.); incl. WTF, Hey You. Jimi Hendrix (1942-70), Valleys of Neptune (album) (posth.) (Mar.9); incl. Valleys of Neptune. Crowded House, Intriguer (album #6) (June 13) (#50 in the U.S., #12 in the U.K.); incl. Saturday Sun. Emily Howell (2004-), Classical Music from a Computer (album) (debut); a classical music program. Jessie J (1988-), Do It Like a Dude (debut) (Nov. 18) (#2 in the U.K.). Jimmy Eat World, Invented (album #7) (Sept. 28) (#11 in the U.S.); incl. My Best Theory. Jack Hody Johnson (1975-), To the Sea (album #5) (May 26) (#1 in the U.S. and U.K.); incl. You and Your Heart, At Or With Me, From the Clouds. Jonas Brothers, Jonas L.A. (album) (July 20) (#7 in the U.S.); Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam (album) (Aug. 10) (#3 in the U.S.); Sonny with a Chance (album) (Oct. 5) (#163 in the U.S.). Norah Jones (1979-), ...Featuring (album) (Nov. 16). Midnight Juggernaut, The Crystal Axis (album #2) (May 2); incl. Lemuria, This New Technology. R. Kelly (1967-), Love Letter (album #10) (Dec. 14) (#6 in the U.S.); incl. Love Letter, When a Woman Loves. Ke$ha (1987-), Animal (album) (debut) (Jan. 5); incl. Tik Tok, Your Love Is My Drug. The Black Keys, Brothers (album #6) (May 18) (#3 in the U.S.); incl. Tighten Up, Next Girl, Howlin' for You. Korn, Korn III: Remember Who You Are (album #9) (July 13) (#1 in the U.S., #23 in the U.K.); first with drummer Ray Luzier; incl. Oildale (Leave Me Alone), Let the Guilt Go. Barenaked Ladies, All in Good Time (album #9) (Mar. 23) (#23 in the U.S., #20 in Canada); first sans Steven Page; incl. You Run Away. Chloe Lattanzi (1986-), Wings and A Gun (debut) (Oct.); daughter of Olivia Newton-John. Cyndi Lauper (1953-), Memphis Blues (album #11) (June 22). Avril Lavigne (1984-), Goodbye Lullaby (album #4) (Mar. 2) (#4 in the U.S., #9 in the U.K.); incl. What the Hell, Smile. Ludacris (1977-), Battle of the Sexes (album #7) (Mar. 9) (#1 in the U.S.k, #58 in the U.K.); incl. How Low, My Chick Bad (w/Nicki Minaj), Sex Room (w/Trey Songz), Everybody Drunk (w/Lil Scrappy). Madonna (1958-), Sticky & Sweet Tour (album) (Mar. 26) (#10 in the U.S., #17 in the U.K.). Iron Maiden, The Final Frontier (album #15) (Aug. 16); incl. El Dorado. Paul McCartney (1942-), Paul McCartney: Live in Los Angeles (album) (Jan. 17). Katie Melua (1984-), The House (album #4) (May 24); incl. The Flood, I'd Love to Kill You, A Happy Place. Natalie Merchant (1963-), Leave Your Sleep (double album); based on 26 poems by Robert Graves, Robert Louis Stevenson, Ogden Nash, and Christina Rossetti. M.I.A. (Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasm) (1975-), Maya (album #3) (July 7); incl. The Message, XXXO, Born Free. Millionaires, Stay the Night (EP) (July 25); incl. Stay the Night; Cash Only (EP) (Sept. 7); incl. Party Like A Millionaire, and Microphone ("No one will ever know I wanna touch your microphone"). Nicki Minaj (1982-), Pink Friday (album) (debut) (#1 in the U.S., #2 in the U.K.); incl. Your Love, Right Thru Me, Moment 4 Life (w/Drake), Check It Out (w/will.i.am), Roman's Revenge (w/Eminem), Did It On'em, Girls Fall Like Dominoes, Super Bass, and Fly (w/Rihanna); first artist with seven singles on the Billboard Hot 100 simultaneously. Kylie Minogue (1968-), Aphrodite (album #11) (June 30) (#19 in the U.S., #1 in the U.K.); incl. All the Lovers, Get Outta My Way, Better Than Today, Put Your Hands Up (If You Feel Love). Paddy Moloney and the Chieftains, San Patricio (album); the St. Patrick Battalion in the 1846-8 U.S.-Mexico War. Motorhead, The World (Wörld) Is Yours (album #20) (Dec. 14); incl. Get Back in Line. Far East Movement, Like a G6 (#1 in the U.S.); samples Booty Bounce, uploaded to MySpace by Dev (Devin Star Tailes) (1989-), who wins a contract with Universal Records. Dropkick Murphys, Live on Lansdowne, Boston MA (album) (Mar. 16). The National, High Violet (album #5) (May 10) (#3 in the U.S.); incl. Bloodbuzz Ohio, Conversation 16, Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks. Vomito Negro, Skull & Bones (album #14) (Jan. 22); incl. Black Tie White Shirt, Darkmoon. Nelly (1974-), 5.0 (album #6) (Nov. 12) (#10 in the U.S.); incl. Just A Dream, Move That Body (w/T-Pain and Akon), Gone (w/Kelly Rowland). Stevie Nicks (1948-), In Your Dreams (album #7) (May 3); first since 2001; dedicated to fan who died of cancer; incl. Secret Love, Moonlight (A Vampire's Dream). Wild Nothing, Gemini (album) (debut) (May 25); Jack Tatum. Oasis, Time Flies... 1994-2009 (album) (June 14) (#131 in the U.S., #1 in the U.K.); incl. Whatever, Lord Don't Slow Me Down. Omarion (1984-), Ollusion (album #3) (Jan. 12). Linkin Park, A Thousand Suns (album #4) (Sept. 14) (#1 in the U.S., #2 in the U.K.); incl. The Catalyst (#1 in the U.S., #40 in the U.K.), Waiting for the End (#42 in the U.S., #90 in the U.K.), Burning in the Skies, Iridescent. Black Eyed Peas, Imma Be. Katy Perry (1984-), Teenage Dream (album #3) (Aug. 24) (#1 in the U.S. and U.K.); 9th album in Billboard history with four #1 hits (5th by a female artist); incl. California Gurls (w/Snoop Dogg) ("California girls/ We're unforgettable/ Daisy dukes, bikinis on top/ Sun-kissed skin, so hot, will melt your popsicle"), Firework, E.T. (w/Kanye West), Peacock. Wilson Phillips, Christmas in Harmony (album #4) (Oct. 12); first album since 2004. Stone Temple Pilots, Stone Temple Pilots (album #6) (May 21); first albums since 2001; incl. Between the Lines, Take a Load Off, Cinnamon. Pitbull (1981-), Armando (album #5) (Nov. 2). The New Pornographers, Together (album #5) (May 4) (#18 in the U.S.); incl. Moves (used in T-Mobile commercials), Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk (used in Amazon Kindle ads), Crash Years, Your Hands (Together). Manic Street Preachers, Postcards from a Young Man (album #10) (Sept. 20) (#3 in the U.K.); incl. Postcards from a Young Man, (It's Not War) Just the End of Love, Some Kind of Nothingness. Nathaniel Rateliff (1978-), In Memory of Loss (album #2) (May). Ratt, Infestation (album #7) (Apr. 20) (#30 in the U.S.); first with guitarist Carlos Cavazo; incl. Best Of Me, Eat Me Up Alive. My Chemical Romance, Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys (album #4) (Nov. 19) (#8 in the U.S., #14 in the U.K.); incl. Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na), Sing, Planetary (Go!); The Mad Gear and Missile Kid (EP) (Nov. 22); incl. F.T.W.W.W., Mastas of Ravenkroft, Black Dragon Fighting Society. Busta Rhymes (1972-), Anarchy (album #4) (June 20); incl. Fire, Get Out! Rihanna (1988-), Loud (album #5) (Nov. 10) (#3 in the U.S., #1 in the U.K.); incl. Only Girl (In the World), What's My Name? (w/Drake), S&M . Sade (1959-), Soldier of Love (album #6) (Feb. 8) (#1 in the U.S., #4 in the U.K.); first original album since 2000; incl. Soldier of Love, Babyfather. Seal (1963-), Commitment (album #7) (Sept. 20) (#11 in the U.K.); incl. Secret, Weight of My Mistakes. Belle and Sebastian, Belle & Sebastian Write About Love (album #8) (Oct. 11); incl. Write About Love (with Carey Mulligan). Shakira (1977-), Sale el Sol (The Sun Comes Out) (album #7) (Oct. 19) (#7 in the U.S.) (4M copies); incl. Loca (w/Dizzee Rascal), Sale el Sol, Rabiosa. Trombone Shorty (1986-), Backatown (#3 jazz), (album #7) (Apr. 20); incl. Backatown. Skrillex (1988-), My Name is Skrillex (EP) (debut) (June 7); incl. WEEKENDS!!! (w/Sirah); Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites (EP) (Oct. 22); incl. Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites. Fatboy Slim (1963-) and David Byrne, Here Lies Love (album #5) (Feb. 23); about Imelda Marcos of the Philippines. Ringo Starr (1940-), Y Not (album #15) (Jan. 12) (#58 in the U.S.). Stornoway, Beachcomber's Windowsill (album) (debut) (#14 in the U.K.); from Oxford, England, incl. Brian Briggs (vocals), Jon Ouin, Oli Steadman, and Rob Steadman (drums); incl. Zorbing, Unfaithful, and I Saw You Blink. The White Stripes, Under the Great White Northern Lights (album) (Mar. 16). The Strokes, Angles (album #4) (Mar. 18) (#4 in the U.S., #3 in the U.K.); incl. Under Cover of Darkness (#28 in the U.S., #47 in the U.K.). Sugarbabes, Sweet 7 (album #7) (Mar. 15); incl. Get Sexy, About a Girl, Wear My Kiss. Nada Surf, If I Had a Hi-Fi (album #6) (June 8); all covers. Taylor Swift (1989-), Speak Now (album #3) (Oct. 25) (#1 in the U.S.) (4.8M copies); incl. Mine (#3 in the U.S.), Back to December, Mean, The Story of Us. Tinie Tempah (1988-), Disc-Overy (album) (debut) (Oct. 4) (#21 in the U.S., #1 in the U.K.); incl. Pass Out (#1 in the U.K.), Written in the Stars (w/Eric Turner) (#1 in the U.K.), Frisky, Miami 2 Ibiza. Therion, Sitra Ahra (album #14) (Sept. 17); incl. Cu Chulainn, Kali Yuga III, The Shells Are Open. KT Tunstall (1975-), Tiger Suit (album #3) (Sept. 24) (#43 in the U.S., #5 in the U.K.); incl. Fade Like A Shadow, (Still A) Weirdo). Six Feet Under, Graveyard Classics III (album) (Jan. 19). Usher (1978-), Raymond v. Raymond (album #6) (Mar. 26) (#1 in the U.S.); incl. OMG, Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home), Lil Freak, There Goes My Baby; Versus (album) (Aug. 24); incl. DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love, Hot Tottie. Suzanne Vega (1959-), Close-Up Vol. 1, Love Songs (album #8) (Feb. 2); Close-Up Vol. 2, People and Places (album #9) (Oct. 12). Weezer, Hurley (album #8) (Sept. 10) (#6 in the U.S., #49 in the U.K.); cover featres actor Jorge Garcia, who played Hugo "Hurley" Reyes on the TV series "Lost" from 2004-10; incl. Memories, Hang On; Death to False Metal (Odds and Ends) (album #9) (Nov. 2). Kanye West (1977-), My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (album #5) (Nov. 22) (#1 in the U.S.) (1M copies in the U.S.); incl. Power, Runaway, Monster, All of the Lights (w/Rihanna, Kid Cudi). Westlife, Gravity (album #11) (Nov. 22) (#3 in the U.K.); incl. Safe. Chely Wright (1970-), Lifted Off the Ground (album #7); on May 3 she becomes the first major country music artist to come out as gay. Art: Anne Wallace, Talking Cure. Movies: Michael Perlin's 3 Magic Words is a spirituality documentary based on the 1954 book by Uell Stanley Anderson. Danny Boyle's 127 Hours (Jan. 28) is about mountain climber Aron Ralston (James Franco), who became trapped under a boulder in Blue John Canyon in Moab, Utah, and amputated his arm to survive. Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland (Mar. 5), written by Linda Woolverton based on the Lewis Carroll books turns the story into female teen Goth, starring Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen, Anne Hathaway as the White Queen, and Mia Wasikowska as Alice; does a record $116.3M at the box office on opening weekend, passing the $70.9M mark set by "300"; a secret White House party featuring an Alice in Wonderland State Dining Room room decorated by Burton is held, and not revealed until Jan. 2012. Anton Corbijn's The American (Sept. 10) (Smokehouse Pictures) (Focus Features) stars George Clooney as hit man Jack, who hides out in Castelvecchio, Italy and hooks up with hot ho Clara (Violante Placido) while playing head games with hit woman Mathilde (Thekla Reuten); Johan Leysen plays his handler Pavel; Paolo Bonacelli plays Father Benedetto; does $67.9M box office on a $20M budget. Janus Metz Pedersen's Armadillo (May 27) is an anti-war flick about a group of Danish soldiers in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Joel Gilbert's Atomic Jihad: Ahmadinejad's Coming War for Islamic Revival and Obama's Politics (Feb. 23) is a documentary tasking Pres. Obama for playing into his hands. Richard J. Lewis' Barney's Version (Sept. 10) stars Paul Giamatti as un-PC Barney Panofsky. Mike Mills' Beginners (Sept. 11) stars Ewan McGregor as young man Oliver Fields, who is shocked by the news that his elderly father Hal (Christopher Plummer) has terminal cancer and a young male lover, causing him to go for French actress Anna Wallace (Melanie Laurent); does $14.3M box office on a $3.2M budget. Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan (Sept. 1) stars Natalie Portman as Nina Sayers, who lands the role of the Swan Queen, and has to compete against Lily (Mila Kunis), who lands the Black Swan role. Will Gluck's Easy A (Sept. 11) (Olive Bridge Entertainment) (Screen Gems) is a teenage exploitation flick starring Emma Stone as Olive Penderghast, who fakes losing her virginity and ruins her rep, and has trouble getting it back; also stars Amanda Bynes as Marianne Bryant, Penn Badgley as Olive's real beau Woodchuck Todd, Aly Michalka as Rhiannon Abernathy, Stanley Tucci as Olive's father Dill, Patricia Clarkson as her mother Rosemary, Malcolm McDowell as Principal Gibbons, and Lisa Kudrow as Mrs. Griffith; does $75M box office on an $8M budget; "The rumor-filled totally false account of how I ruined my flawless reputation"; "If there's one thing worse than chlamydia, it's Florida." Albert Hughes' and Allen Hughes' The Book of Eli (Jan. 10), set in Calif. 30 years after a nuclear apocalypse stars Denzel Washington as Eli, who carries the last copy of the Bible to a group on Alcatraz Island while defending it with Samurai-style swordwork, running into lizardlike saloon owner Carnegie (Gary Oldman), who lusts after his book; Mila Kunis plays Eli's disciple Solara; too bad, the group starts cranking out copies of the Bible, but only to place alongside copies of the Quran; does $157M box office on a $80M budget. George Hickenlooper's Casino Jack (Dec. 17) stars Kevin Spacey as crooked Washington, D.C. lobbyist Jack Abramoff, becoming Hickenlooper's last film after he dies on Oct. 29. Brad Peyton's Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore (July 30) is an animated film about the war between cats and dogs and a rogue cat spy; "Just like real spies... only furrier." Neil Marshall's Centurion (Apr. 22) stars Michael Fassbender as Roman centurion Quintus Dias, who marches with with Gen. Titus Flavius Virilus' (Dominic West) 9th legion into Pict territory in Britain in 117 C.E. to destroy Pictish chief Gorlacon (Ulrich Thomsen) and instead get massacred, then must return with a small group of soldiers while being chased all the way; Olga Kurylenko plays vicious Celtic she-wolf Etain; Imogen Poots plays she-angel witch Arianne. Michael Apted's The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Dec.), based on the C.S. Lewis novels stars Ben Barnes as King Caspian. Shana Feste's Country Strong (Nov. 8) (Screen Gems), produced by Tobey Maguire stars Gyneth Paltrow and Garrett Hedlund as country singers Kelly Canter and Beau Hutton, who have a fling while she's in rehab cheating on hubby James Canter (Tim McGraw); Leighton Meester plays man-stealer country singer wannaba Chiles Stanton; "Love and fame can't live in the same place" (Kelly); features the songs Country Strong by Jennifer Hanson, Tony Martin, and Mark Nesler, performed by Gwyneth Paltrow (#30 country) (#81 in the U.S.), Coming Home by Tom Douglas, Hillary Lindsey, and Troy Verges, Me and Tennessee by Tim McGraw and Gwynteth Paltrow (#34 country) (#63 in the U.S.), and Kissin' in Cars (Stephen Barker Liles and Jesse Lee); does $20.5M box office on a $15M budget. John Madden's The Debt (Sept. 4) (Mav Films) (Focus Features) (Miramax), based on the 2007 Israeli film "Ha-Hov" stars Helen Mirren and Jessica Chastain as Mossad agent Rachel Singer, who searches for "the Surgeon of Birkenau" Nazi butcher Dieter Vogel (Jesper Christensen), and captures him in Argentina 1965, only to let him escape and lie that they killed him, becoming big heroes; meanwhile they quietly search for him again until 1997, finding him in Kiev, Ukraine; also stars Sam Worthington and Ciaran Hinds as David Peretz, and Marton Csonkas and Tom Wilkinson as Stefan Gold; does $45.6M box office on a $20M budget. Pierre Coffin's and Chris Renaud's computer-animated comedy Despicable Me (June 19) (Universal Pictures) (Illumination Entertainment) is about three orphan girls (Margo, Edith, Agnes) who cause the despicable Gru (Steve Carell) to rethink his plan to steal the Moon using his army of Minions; Jason Segel voices Vector; Russell Brand voices Dr. Nefario; does $543.2M box office on a $69M budget; followed by "Despicable Me 2" (2013), "Minions" (2015), "Despicable Me 3" (2017), "Minions: The Rise of Gru" (2022), "Depicable Me 4" (2024). Jay Roach's Dinner for Schmucks (July 30), based on the 1988 French comedy "Le diner de Cons" (Dinner of Cunts) stars Steve Carrell as IRS employee Barry Speck and mouse taxidermist, and Paul Rudd as exec Tim Conrad; Zach Galifianakis plays Barry's boss Therman Murch; the Chiodo Brothers create elaborate mouse dioramas and "mouseterpieces". Troy Nixey's Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (Nov. 6) (Miramax Films), a remake of the 1973 ABC-TV movie written by Matthew Robbins and Guillermo del Toro based on the book by Nigel McKeand and filmed in the Drusilla Mansion in Mount Macedon, Victoria, Australia stars Katie Holmes as Kim Raphael, Guy Pearce as Alex Hurst, and Bailee Madison as 8-y.-o. Sally Hurst, who move into the 19th cent. Blackwood Manor mansion in Providence County, R.I., where evil creatures begin emerging from a sealed ash pit in the basement; does $36M box office on a $25M budget. Ryan Murphy's Eat Pray Love (Aug. 13) (Plan B Entertainment) (Columbia Pictures), based on the 2006 bestseller by Elizabeth Gilbert stars Julie Roberts as Gilbert, and Javier Bardem as her lover Felipe; does $204.6M box office on a $60M budget. David Slade's Eclipse (June 30), #3 in the series based on the Stephenie Meyer novel stars Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan, who must choose between vamp beaus Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) and Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner). Martin Campbell's Edge of Darkness (Jan. 29) stars Mel Gibson as Boston homicide detective Thomas Craven, whose activist daughter Emma is killed before his eyes, turning him into a mean human wrecking vengeance machine a la Mad Max; Ray Winstone plays bad guy Darius Jedburgh, and Danny Huston plays corporate spin doctor Jack Bennett. Sylvester Stallone's The Expendables (Aug. 13), about a team of aging mercenaries stars Stallone as Barney "the Schizo" Ross, Jet Li as Bao Thao, Jason Statham as Lee Christmas, Dolph Lundgren as Gunnar Jensen, and Eric Roberts as Monroe, and features a small role for Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger, causing speculation about a reprisal of his movie career after he leaves politics. David O. Russell's The Fighter (Dec. 17) stars Mark Wahlberg as middleweight boxer Micky "Irish" Ward, whose older half-brother Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale) helps train him to go pro in Lowell, Mass. in the mid-1980s; Melissa Leo plays their mother; Amy Adams plays Micky's babe. Sean Tretta's The Frankenstein Syndrome (Experiment) (July 5) stars Scott Anthony Leet as security guard David Doyle, who is murdered and reanimated, acquiring psychic powers and superhuman strength. Roman Polanski's The Ghost Writer (Feb. 12), based on the Robert Harris novel stars Ewan McGregor as a ghost writer hired to write the memoirs of disgraced former British PM Alan Lang (Pierce Brosnan); released while Polanski is under house arrest in Switzerland awaiting extradition to the U.S.; on July 12 the Swiss govt. announces that it won't allow him to be extradited. Noah Baumbach's Greenberg (Apr. 1), based on a story by Jennifer Jason Leigh stars Ben Stiller as a burned-out New Yorker who moves to L.A. to housesit for his brother Philip Greenberg (Chris Messina), and begins eating, er, dating his asst. Florence Marr (Greta Gerwig). Brian Helgeland's Green Zone (Mar. 12), based on Rajiv Chandrasekaran's 2006 book "Imperial Life in the Emerald City" stars Matt Damon as Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller, who is sent into Iraq in 2003 to find the WMDs and instead discovers it was all a lie; also stars Brendan Gleeson, Greg Kinnear, Amy Ryan, and Yigal Naor, and Khalid Abdalla. Chris Sanders' and Dean DeBlois' computer-animated How to Train Your Dragon (Mar. 21) (Paramount Pictures) (DreamWorks) is about a 15-y.-o. Viking teenager named Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, son of chieftain Stoick the Vast, who decides to become a dragon slayer in the Viking village of Berk and instead falls in love with them; does $494.9M box office on a $165M budget; followed by "How to Train Your Dragon 2" (2014), "How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World" (2019). Christopher Nolan's Inception (July 8) (Warner Bros.) stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Dominick "Dom" Cobb, a thief who enters people's dreams and steals ideas from rivals, and is then asked to try planting ideas by energy magnate Mr. Saito (Ken Watanabe), with a special assignment involving business magnate Robert Michael Fischer Jr. (Cillian Murphy); Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Cobb's partner Arthur; Ellen Page plays dreamscape builder Ariadne; Tom Hardy plays Cobb's associate Eames; does $825.5M worldwide box office on a $160M budget. Josh Appignanesi's The Infidel (May 5) stars Omid Djalili as Mahmud Nasir, a British Muslim who discovers he was born a Jew, launching an identity crisis; an attempt at making a "Monty Python's Life of Brian" about Islam that falls flat? Charles Ferguson's Inside Job (Feb. 2) is a documentary about the big financial meltdown. James Wan's Insidious (Sept. 14) (Blumhouse Productions) (FilmDistrict) is about couple Josh and Renai Lambert (Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne), whose son Dalton (Ty Simpkins) goes comatose and becomes a vessel for ghosts; "It's not the house that's haunted, it's your son"; does $97M box office on a $1.5M budget; inspires sequels incl. "Insidious: Chapter 2" (2013), "Insidious: Chapter 3" (2015), and "Insidious: The Last Key" (2018). Gregg Araki's Kaboom (May 15) is a sci-fi story about the sexual awakening of some college students. Matthew Vaughn's Kick-Ass (Apr. 16), based on the Mark Millar comic books stars Aaron Johnson as comic book fan Dave Lizewski, who decides to become a superhero sans super powers; "I can't fly, but I can kick your ass." Lisa Cholodenko's The Kids Are All Right (July 30) stars Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson as Joni and Laser, children of married lezzie parents Nic and Jules (Annette Bening and Julianne Moore), who were conceived by artificial insemination and set out to find their sperm donor father Paul (Mark Ruffalo). Shahriar Bahrani's The Kingdom of Solomon (Oct. 5) stars Amin Zendegani as King Solomon in the Islamic version of his life. Tom Hooper's The King's Speech (Sept. 6) (U.K. Film Council) (Momentum Pictures), written by David Seidler stars miscast Colin Firth as English king George VI (Prince Albert, Duke of York), and Geoffrey Rush as Australian speech therapist Lionel Logue, who helps him overcome his stuttering p-p-problem; Helena Bonham Carter plays Queen Elizabeth (Duchess of York), Guy Pearce plays Edward VIII (Prince Edward of Wales), and Timothy Spall plays PM Winston Churchill; does $414.2M box office on a $15M budget; first release of See-Saw Films and Bedlam Productions of London, England. Michael Winterbottom's The Killer Inside Me (Jan. 24), based on the Jim Thompson novel about a psycho 1950s West Tex. deputy sheriff stars Casey Affleck as Lou Ford, Kate Hudson as his girl Amy Stanton, Jessica Alba as ho Joyce Lakeland, and Ned Beatty as Chester Conway. James Mangold's Knight and Day (formerly "Wichita and Trouble Man") (June 16) (Regency Enterprises) (Dune Entertainment) (20th Cent. Fox) is an action comedy starring Tom Cruise as crazy secret agent Roy Miller/Matthew Knight, who hooks up with classic car restorer June Havens (Cameron Diaz) and shanghais her on his run from the CIA; does $261.9M box office on a $117M budget. Daniel Stamm's The Last Exorcism (June 24) (Strike Engertainment) (StudioCanal) (Lionsgate) is about evangelical rev. Cotton Marcus (Patrick Fabian) of Baton Rouge, La., who wants to expose exorcism as a fraud, and has filmmakers Iris Reisen (Iris Bahr) and Daniel follow him during his last one, on farmer's daughter Nell Margaret Sweetzer (Ashley Bell), which turns into a nightmare; does $67.7M box office on a $1.8M budget; followed by "The Last Exorcism: Part II" (2013). Scott Stewart's Legion (Jan. 22) (Bold Films) (Screen Gems) stars Paul Bettany as Archangel Michael, who falls to Earth in L.A., cuts off his wings, and becomes a heavenly Terminator of a legion of demon-possessed, getting into a ridiculous fight with Archangel Gabriel (Kevin Durand) after sprouting new wings, all pissing-off Christian groups; Adrianne Palicki plays Charlie, a waitress pregnant with humanity's savior in a ripoff of "The Terminator"; Jeanette Miller plays possessed old hag Gladys Foster, who walks on the ceiling; Doug Jones plays a possessed ice cream man; does $67.9M box office on a $26M budget. Ethan Maniquis' and Robert Rodriguez' Machete (Sept. 3) stars Danny Trejo as Mexican vigilante Machete Cortez, Steven Seagal as drug lord Rogelio Torrez, Cheech Marin as pacifist priest Padre Cortez, and Robert De Niro as corrupt Texas Sen. John McLaughlin in an open borders propaganda fest; also features Lindsay Lohan, Jessica Alba, and Don Johnson; does $44M box office on a $10.5M budget. Michel Leclerc's The Names of Love (July 10) stars Sara Forestier as leftist activist Baya Benmahmoud, who has sex with right-wingers incl. Muslims for freedom until she meets her match in Arthur Martin (Jacques Gamblin). Mark Romanek's Never Let me Go (Sept. 3), based on the 2005 Kazuo Ishiruo novel about an alternate Universe of 100-year lifespans and organ donors stars Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley, and Andrew Garfield as Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy in a love triangle; "We all complete." Laura Poitras' The Oath is a documentary about Gitmo POW Salim Hamdan, AKA Osama bin Laden's bodyguard, and his Yemeni taxi driver brother Abu Jandal. Francois Ozon's Potiche (Fr. "trophy wife") (Sept. 4) is a French feminist farce set in 1977, starring Catherine Deneuve as submissive wife Suzanne Pujol, who gets to run her hubby Robert (Fabrice Luchini)'s umbrella factory after the employees rebel against tyrannical mgr. Maurice Babin (Gerard Depardieu); Jeremy Renier plays son Laurent Pujol; does $28.8M box office on a $11.2M budget. Nimrod Antal's Predators (July 9) stars Adrien Brody, Laurence Fishburne, and Topher Grace as a group of killers who are selected to be hunted by alien predators in a jungle world. Christoper Cain's Pure Country 2: The Gift (Oct. 15) (Warner Bros.), sequel to "Pure Country" (1992) stars Katrina Elam as Nashville hopeful Bobbie, who makes it big then loses her voice; also stars Dean Cain as the music video dir., Bronson Pinchot as Joseph, Cheech Marin as Pedro, Michael McKean as Peter, Travis Fimmel as Dale Jordan, and George Strait as himself. Robert Schwentke's Red (Sept. 29) (Di Bonaventura Pictures) (Summit Entertainment) is an action comedy based on the DC Comics series by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner, starring Bruce Willis as ex-CIA agent Frank Moses AKA Retired Extremely Dangerous, who lives in Cleveland, Ohio and shanghais pension clerk Sarah Ross (Mary-Louise Parker) while being chased by a CIA assassination squad; also stars Morgan Freeman as Joe Matheson, John Malkovich as Marvin Boggs, Helen Mirren as Victoria Winslow, and Karl Urban as William Cooper; does $199M box office on a $58M budget; followed by "Red 2" (2013). Miguel Spochnik's Repo Men (Mar. 19) (Universal), based on the novel "The Repossession Mambo" by Eric Garcia, set in 2025 stars Jude Law and Forest Whitaker as Remy and Jake, employees of The Union, who reclaim biomechanical organs from people who miss their payments; does $18.M box office on a $32M budget. Allen Coulter's Remember Me (Mar. 12) stars Robert Pattinson and Emilie de Ravin as lovers who have to cope with family tragedies. Ridley Scott's Robin Hood (May 12) (Imagine Entertainment) (Universal Pictures) stars Russell Crowe as Robin Longstride, Cate Blanchett as Marion Locksley, Max von Sydow as her father Sir Walter Locksley, Mark Addy as Friar Tuck, Oscar Isaac as nutso Prince John, and Danny Huston as his older brother Richard the Lionheart; does $321.7M box office on a $200M budget. Quentin Dupieux's Rubber (May 15) is a French horror comedy about a killer tire with psychic powers, starring Stephen Spinella as Lt. Chad. Philip Noyce's Salt (July 23), written by Kurt Wimmer stars Angelina Jolie as sexy muscle-free drink of water female rogue super CIA agent Evelyn A. Salt (originally Edwin A. Salt until Jolie is offered a part as a Bond girl and replies that she'd rather play Bond), who turns out to be a double, no triple, no quadruple, who knows sleeper agent in a U.S. that's been infiltrated extensively by Russian sleeper agents starting with Lee Harvey Oswald; also stars Liev Schreiber as her CIA boss Ted Winter, Chiwetel Ejiofor as CIA agent Peabody, August Diehl as Salt's lovey-dovey hubby Mike Krause, and Daniel Olbrychski as sinister Russian agent Orlov; the news of the arrest in the U.S. of Russian spies incl. a woman turns out to be perfect timing to boost the box office; grosses $118M in the U.S. and $293M worldwide. Edgar Wright's Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (July 27), based on the graphic novel series by Bryan Lee O'Malley stars Michael Cer as Pilgrim, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Ramona, his new babe, who comes with seven evil exes. Srdan Spasojevic's A Serbian Film (June 11) (Contra Film) (Jinga Films) is an erotic horror film about porn star Milos, his wife Marija, and 6-y.-o. son Peter, and his corrupt police office brother Marko, who wants Marija; the film bill itself as an art film, but has so many disgusting graphic scenes of rape, child sexual abuse, and necrophilia that it ends up banned in seven countries, making it more popular? Burhan Qurbani's Shahada (Faith) is about three young Muslims in Berlin who struggle with their faith. The Brothers Strouse's Skyline (Nov. 11) (Rogue) (Universal Pictures) stars Eric Balfour, Scottie Thompson, Brittany Daniel, Crystal Reed, David Zayas, and Donald Faison in a sci-flick about brain-sucking aliens from outer space invading Earth; does $68.3M box office on a $20M budget. David Fincher's The Social Network (Oct. 1), based on the 2009 novel "The Accidental Billionaires" by Ben Mezrich about the founding of Facebook stars Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg, along with Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, and Brenda Song; grosses $23M its first weekend; meanwhile the real Facebook reaches 517M members, 7.6% of the Earth's pop., causing TLW to warn that it is fast positioning itself to become the Beast Antichrist 666 as in Rev. 3:16, taking away your family's privacy and forcing you to have its mark on your forehead to buy or sell etc.; TLW's Boycott Facebook Web page gets a total of 568 visitors by Oct. 4; "You don't get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies". John Curran's Stone (Sept. 10) (last from Overture Films) stars Robert De Niro as parole officer Jack Mabry, who is gamed by convicted arsonist Gerald "Stone" Creeson (Edward Norton) and his hot wife Lucetta (Mila Jovovich), while loyal wife Madylyn (Frances Conroy) waits in the wings; does $9.5M box office on a $22M budget. Stephen Frears' Tamara Drewe (May 18) (BBC Films) (Momentum Pictures), based on the Moira Buffini comic strip and Thomas Hardy's novel "Far from the Madding Crowd", set in Ewedown, Dorset, England is about young journalist Tamara Drewe (Gemma Arterton), who gets a nose job and returns to her hometown to sell her dead mother's house, turning on the local men incl. Andy Cobb (Luke Evans), Ben Sergeant (Dominic Cooper), and Nicholas Hardiment (Roger Allam), who is killed by stampeding cows; does $11.9M box office on £6M budget. Nathan Greno's and Byron Howard's computer-animated Tangled (Nov. 14) (Walt Disney Pictures), based on the Brothers Grimm Rapunzel fairy tale features the voice of Mandy Moore; Greno's dir. debut; the title is changed for Disney's new woke mgt. for gender-neutrality; does $592.4M box office on a $260M budget (most expensive animated film to date?). Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's The Tourist (Dec. 10) is a remake of the 2005 French film "Anthony Zimmer" starring Angelina Jolie as beautiful Interpol agent Elise Clifton-Ward, who hooks up with Am. tourist Frank Tupelo (Johnn Depp) on a train in Venice, getting him mistaken for super thief Alexander Pearce by Inspector John Acheson (Paul Bettany) and gangster Reginald Shaw (Steven Berkoff); Timothy Dalton plays Chief Inspector Jones. Ben Affleck's The Town (Sept. 8) (Legendary Pictures) (GK FIlms) (Thunder Road Pictures) (Warner Bros. Pictures), based on Chuck Hogan's novel "Prince of Thieves" stars Affleck as Douglas "Doug" MacRay, Jeremy Renner as James "Jem" Coughlin, Slain as Albert "Gloansy" MacGloan, and Owen Burke as Desmond "Dez" Edlen, four lifelong friends from Charlestown, Boston who rob Penway Park of $3.5M; Rebecca Hall plays Doug's babe Claire Keesey; Jon Hamm plays FBI agent Adam Frawley; Chris Cooper plays Doug's imprisoned dad Stephen; Pete Postlethwaite plays crime boss Fergus "Fergie" Colm; does $154M box office on a $37M budget. Ethan Coen's and Joel Coen's True Grit (Dec. 22), a more realistic remake of the 1969 John Wayne flick stars Jeff Bridges as Rooster Cogburn, Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie Ross, Matt Damon as LaBoeuf, Josh Brolin as Tom Chaney, and Barry Pepper as Lucky Ned Pepper. Tony Scott's Unstoppable (Oct. 26) (20th Cent. Fox), based on the May 15, 2001 CSX 888 (Crazy Eights) Incident in Ohio stars Denzel Washington and Chris Pine as Frank Barnes and Will Colson, two railroad men who try to stop a runaway freight train; Scott's final feature film; does $167.8M box office on a $95M budget. Gregor Jordan's Unthinkable (June 14) stars Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Sheen, and Carrie-Anne Moss in a thriller about a man is tortured after threatening to detonate three nukes in three U.S. cities. Davis Guggenheim's Waiting for Superman (Jan. 22) is a documentary about the Harlem Children's Zone and dir. (1990-) Geoffrey Canada (1952-). Oliver Stone's Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (Sept. 24) is a sequel to the 1987 flick starring Michael Douglas as recently-released Gordon Gekko, Shia LeBeouf as young trader Jacob "Jake" Moore, Josh Brolin as hedge fund mgr. Bretton James, and Carey Mulligan as Gekko's estranged daughter (Jake's fiance) Winnie. Joe Johnston's The Wolfman (Jan. 27) (Relativity Media) (Universal Pictues), a remake of the 1941 film stars Benicio del Toro as Lawrence Talbot the Wolfman, Anthony Hopkins as his father Sir John Talbot, Emily Blunt as Lawrence's babe Gwen Conliffe, and Hugo Weaving as Inspector Francis Aberline; does $139.8M box office on a $150M budget. Plays: Denis Johnson (1949-), Vagtastic Voyage. Tod Machover, Death and the Powers(Sept. 24) (Monaco); 1-act robot opera. Rain, Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles (musical revue) (Neil Simon Theatre, New York) (Oct. 26) (Brooks Atkinson Theatre, New York) (Feb. 8, 2011) (300 perf.), recreating their career starting at the Cavern Club in 1962; Beatles cover band founded in 1975 as Reign in Laguna Beach, Calif. James Strahs, North Atlantic. Poetry: Ai, No Surrender (Sept.). Julie Carr, Sarah - Of Fragments and Features (Sept.). Thomas Sayers Ellis, Skin, Inc.: Identity Repair Poems (Aug.). Beckian Fritz Goldberg, Reliquary Fever: New and Selected Poems (Oct.). Steve Healey, Ten Mississippi (Sept.). Seamus Heaney (1939-), Human Chain (Sept.). Major Jackson, Holding Company (Aug.). Gjertrud Schnackenberg, Heavenly Questions (Oct.). Philip Schultz (1945-), The God of Loneliness: Selected and New Poems. Charles Simic (1938-), Master of Disguises (Oct.). Richard Wilbur (1921-2017), Anterooms: New Poems and Translations (Nov. 12) (last poetry book); incl. A Measuring Worm; "This yellow-striped green/ Caterpillar, climbing up/ The steep window screen,/ Constantly (for lack)/ Of a full set of legs) keeps/ Humping up his back./ It's as if he sent/ By a sort of semaphore/ Dark omegas meant/ To warn of Last Things./ Although he doesn't know it,/ He will soon have wings,/ And I too don't know/ Toward what undreamt condition/ Inch by inch I go." Novels: ?, The Silicon Jungle; the data mining operation of Ubatoo and its Terrorist-o-Meter. Greg Bear (1951-), Hull Zero Three; about a lost spaceship; The Mongoliad; set in Foreworld, created by the Subutai Corp. Glenn Beck (1964-), The Overton Window (June); NYT bestseller about the Founders' Keepers led by Noah Gardner and Molly Ross staging a civil war in the U.S. to save it from Saul Alinsky-thumping leftists. Steve Berry (1955-), The Emperor's Tomb (Nov. 23); Cotton Malone #6; The Balkan Escape; Cassiopeia Vitt #1. Maeve Binchy (1940-), Minding Frankie. T. Coraghessan Boyle (1948-), Wild Child and Other Stories. Tina Brown (1953-), The Clinton Chronicles; by now she looks more like Hillary than Princess Diana? Jim Carroll (1949-2009), The Petting Zoo (posth.) (first novel). Lan Samantha Chang, All Is Forgotten: Nothing Is Lost (Sept.). Tom Clancy (1947-2013), Dead or Alive (Dec.); first Jack Ryan Jr. novel since "The Teeth of the Tiger" (2003). Paul Coelho (1947-), Aleph. Suzanne Collins (1962-), Mockingjay (Aug. 24); #3 in the Hunger Games Trilogy. Jerome Robert Corsi (1946-), The Shroud Codex; Father Paul Bartholomew turns into the Shroud Man. Justin Cronin, The Passage (June 8); bestseller clone of Stephen King's "The Stand"; first of a trilogy. Jenny Erpenbeck, Visitation (Sept.). Ken Follett (1949-), Pillars of the Earth; #2 in the Century Trilogy; the carnage of WWI via 100+ main chars., incl. Billy and Ethel Williams, and Earl Fitzherbert. Margaret Forster (1938-), Isa and May. Esther Freud (1963-), Lucky Break. William Gibson (1948-), Zero History. Rebecca Goldstein (1950-), 36 Arguments for the Existence of God: A Work of Fiction; Cass Seltzer and his dream babe Lucinda Mandelbaum, the Goddess of Game Theory, proposer of Mandelbaum Equilibrium. Nadine Gordimer (1923-), Life Times: Stories (Nov.). Seth Grahame-Smith (1976-), Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (Mar. 2); after vampires kills his mommy, Lincoln goes on a lifelong vendetta against them and their slave-owning allies, sparking the U.S. Civil War. Eliza Griswold, The Tenth Parallel. Michael Guber, The Good Son. Barry Hannah (1942-2010), Long, Last, Happy: New & Selected Stories (Nov.) (posth.). Helene Hegemann (1992-), Axolotl Roadkill; features her new technique of "mixing", lifting passages from other books without attribution, pissing-off the authors, despite the technique being considered OK for music? Peter Hitchens (1951-), The Cameron Delusion; The Rage Against God. Amil Imani, Obama Meets Ahmadinejad (July 1). Howard Jacobson, The Finkler Question (Aug.); BBC radio producer Julian Treslove, Jewish philosopher Sam Finkler, and Czech teacher Libor Sevcik have a My Dinner With Andre Part II? Ismail Kadare (1936-), The Accident (Nov.). Millard Kaufman (1917-2009), Misadventure (posth.). Brooks William Kelley, The Martyr's Prize: A Tale of American Exceptionalism and Ruthlessness in the Age of Religiously Inspired Terrorism (Feb. 8). Michael Knight, The Typist (Aug.). Nicole Krauss (1974), Great House (Oct. 12). Amitava Kumar, A Foreigner Carrying in the Crook of His Arm a Tiny Bomb. Yiyun Li, Gold Boy, Emerald Girl (Sept.). Annabel Lyon (1971-), The Golden Mean (Mar. 9) (first novel); Aristotle and his pupil Alexander the Great. Gregory Maguire (1954-), The Next Queen of Heaven; the Scales family matriarch is driven half-mad by a blow to the head by a statue of the Virgin Mary; gay choirmaster Jeremy fights local nuns to find a practice room for his band. Steve Martin (1945-), An Object of Beauty (Nov. 23); New York artist Lacey Yeager. Dinaw Mengestu (1978-), How (Easy Methods) to Read the Air (Oct.). Patrick Modiano (1945-), L'Horizon. Robyn Okrant, Living Oprah: My One-Year Experiment to Walk the Walk of the Queen of Talk (Jan. 4). Cynthia Ozick (1928-), Foreign Bodies (Nov. 1); reimagining of Henry James's "The Ambassadors". Charles Pellegrino, The Last Train from Hiroshima; details of the horrors of the A-bomb. Ralph Peters (1952-), Endless War. Jim Powell, The Breaking of Eggs: A Novel (first novel) (July 27); 61-y-o. Polish leftist Feliks Zhukovski in France. John Reimringer's Vestments (Sept.). Salman Rushdie (1947-), Luka and the Fire of Life (Nov.); sequel to "Haroun and the Sea of Stories". Gary Shteyngart (1972-), Super Sad True Love Story (July 27); Lenny Abramov and Eunice Park. Mona Simpson, My Hollywood (Sept.). Jane Smiley (1949-), Private Life. Lee Smith (1944-), Mrs. Darcy Meets the Blue-Eyed Stranger (Mar.). Gilbert Sorrentino (1929-2006), The Abyss of Human Illusion (posth.). Danielle Steel (1947-), First Sight; Family Ties. Steve Stern (1947-), The Frozen Rabbi. Brad Thor (1969-), Foreign Influence; The Athena Project. Anne Tyler (1941-), Noah's Compass; 5th grade teacher Liam is fired and gets hit on the head. Teddy Wayne, Kapitoil (first novel); computer whiz Karim Issar from Qatar flies to New York City to help Schrub Equities survive the Y2K bug in 1999. Xiaoda Xiao, The Visiting Suit: Stories from My Prison Life (Nov. 1). Charles Yu, How to Live Safetly in a Science Fictional Universe (Sept. 7). Births: Icelandic "L7" actress Freyja Sif Arnarsdottir on Apr. 1 in Reykjavik. Am. "Blue Winslow in The Smurfs" actor Nicholas Martorell Jr. on May 7 in Philadelphia, Penn. Am. "Lucy in All My Children" actor Phoenix Nicholson on Dec. 23 in Los Angeles, Calif. Deaths: Am. Johnson & Johnson heiress Casey Johnson (b. 1979) on Jan. 4 in Los Angeles, Calif. (OD). Am. abstract painter Kenneth Noland (b. 1924) on Jan. 5 in Port Clyde, Maine (kidney cancer). Am. Gumby clay animator Art Clokey (b. 1921) on Jan. 8 in Los Osos, Calif.: "The essence of Gumby is that he makes children feel safe. He's their greatest pal." Am. geneticist Marshall Warren Nirenberg (b. 1927) on Jan. 15 in New York City; 1968 Nobel Med. Prize. Am. Taco Bell founder Glen Bell (b. 1923) on Jan. 16 in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. Am. "Davy Crockett", "Daniel Boone" actor Fess Parker (b. 1924) on Mar. 18 in Santa Ynez, Calif. Am. R&B singer Teddy Pendergrass (b. 1950) on Jan. 13 in Philadelphia, Penn. (colon cancer). Am. jazz drummer Ed Thigpen (b. 1930) on Jan. 13 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Am. country singer Carl Smith (b. 1927) on Jan. 16 in Franklin, Tenn. Indian Marxist politician Jyoti Basu (b. 1914) on Jan. 17 in Kolkata, West Bengal. Am. "Love Story" novelist Erich Segal (b. 1937) on Jan. 17 (heart attack). Am. "Spenser" novelist Robert B. Parker (b. 1932) on Jan. 18 in Cambridge, Mass. Am. historian Louis Rudolph Harlan (b. 1922) on Jan. 22 in Lexington, Va. (liver cancer). Am. "Adam Cartwright in Bonanza", "Dr. Trapper John MacIntyre" actor Pernell Roberts (b. 1928) on Jan. 24 in Malibu, Calif. (pancreatic cancer). U.S. Sen. (R-Md.) (1969-87) Charles Mathias Jr. (b. 1922) on Jan. 25 in Chevy Chase, Md. Iraqi minister ("Chemical Ali") Ali Hassan al-Tikritieh (b. 1941) on Jan. 25 (hanged). U.S. lt. col. (Tuskegee Airmen ace) Lee Archer (b. 1919) on Jan. 27 in Manhattan, N.Y. Am. "The Catcher in the Rye" novelist J.D. Salinger (b. 1919) on Jan. 27 in Cornish, N.H. Am. historian Howard Zinn (b. 1922) on Jan. 27 in Santa Monica, Calif. (heart attack): "Historically, the most terrible things - war, genocide, and slavery - have resulted not from disobedience, but from obedience." Am. basketball player-coach Dick McGuire (b. 1926) on Feb. 3 in Huntington, N.Y. Am. serial murderer Janie Lou Gibbs (b. 1932) on Feb. 7 in Douglasville, Ga. Am. Dem. politician John Murtha (b. 1932) on Feb. 8 in Arlington, Va. U.S. gen. Frederick C. Weyand (b. 1916) on Feb. 10 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Am. Dem. politician Charlie Wilson (b. 1933) on Feb. 10 in Lufkin, Tex. English gay fashion designer Alexander McQueen (b. 1969) on Feb. 11 in Mayfair, London (suicide). Am. Frisbee inventor (1946) Fred Morrison (b. 1920) on Feb. 9 in Monroe, Utah. English fashion designer Alexander McQueen (b. 1969) on Feb. 11 in Mayfair, London (suicide); dies 9 days after his mother Joyce (age 75). U.S. secy. of state (1981-2) gen. Alexander Haig Jr. (b. 1924) on Feb. 20 in Baltimore, Md. Australian fountain designer Robert Woodward (b. 1923) on Feb. 21. Am. artist Ruth Kligman (b. 1930) on Mar. 1. English Conservative politician Winston Spencer Churchill (b. 1940) on Mar. 2 in Belgravia, London (prostate cancer). Am. meteorologist Joanne Simpson (b. 1923) on Mar. 4 in Washington, D.C. Am. oldest person in the U.S. and 2nd oldest in the world Mary Josephine Ray (b. 1895) on Mar. 7 in Westmoreland, N.H.; 5th oldest person in the world and oldest living black person Daisey Bailey (b. 1896) dies the same day in Detroit, Mich. Indonesian Muslim terrorist Dulmatin (b. 1970) on Mar. 9 in Pamaulang, Jakarta (killed by police). Candian actor Corey Haim (b. 1971) on Mar. 10 in Burbank, Calif. (OD). Egyptian grand imam (since 1996) Muhammad Sayyid Tantawi (b. 1928) on Mar. 10 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (heart attack); he is succeeded by Sheikh Ahmed Muhammad Ahmed el-Tayeb (1946-) (until ?), becoming the most influential Muslim on Earth? Am football player-actor Merlin Olsen (b. 1940) on Mar. 11 in Duarte, Calif. (cancer). Am. "Jim Phelps in Mission: Impossible" actor Peter Graves (b. 1926) on Mar. 14 in Pacific Palisades, Calif. (heart attack). Am. "Box Tops" singer-songwriter Alex Chilton (b. 1950) on Mar. 17 in New Orleans, La. (heart attack). Scottish pharmacologist Sir James Whyte Black (b. 1924) on Mar. 22 in London, England; 1988 Nobel Med. Prize. Am. hall-of-fame bowler Bill Beach (b. 1931) on Mar. 22 in Hermitage, Penn. Am. music photographer Jim Marshall (b. 1936) on Mar. 23 in New York City. Am. "Kelly Robinson in I Spy" actor Robert Culp (b. 1930) on Mar. 24 in Los Angeles, Calif. (dies from a fall outside his home). Am. Miss America 1952 Colleen Kay Hutchins (b. 1926) on Mar. 24 in Newport Beach, Calif. Soviet world chess champ #7 (1957-8) Vasily Smyslov (b. 1921) on Mar. 27 in Moscow. Am. jazz guitarist Herb Ellis (b. 1921) on Mar. 28 in Los Angeles, Calif. Canadian-Am. actress June Havoc (b. 1912) on Mar. 28 in Stamford, Conn. Am. "Stand and Deliver" math teacher Jaime Escalante (b. 1930) on Mar. 30 in Reno, Nev. (bladder cancer). Am. "Blake Carrington in Dynasty", "Charlie Townsend in Charlie's Angels" actor John Forsythe (b. 1918) on Apr. 1 in Santa Ynez, Calif. (pneumonia). Am. PC pioneer engineer Ed Roberts (b. 1941) on Apr. 1 in Cochran, Ga. (pneumonia). Am. "Velvet Brown in National Velvet" actress Lori Martin (b. 1947) on Apr. 4 in Oakhurst, Calif. English Sex Pistols founder Malcolm McLaren (b. 1946) on Apr. 8 in New York City (cancer). Zimbabwean PM #1 (1979) Bishop Abel Muzorewa (b. 1925) on Apr. 8 in Borrowdale, Harare. Am. "Julia Sugarbaker in Designing Women" actress Dixie Carter (b. 1939) on Apr. 10 in Houston, Tex. (endometrial cancer). English parapsychologist Tony Cornell (b. 1924) on Apr. 10. Polish pres. (2005-10) Lech Kaczynski (b. 1949) on Apr. 10 near Smolensk, Russia (airplane crash while attempt to land to celebrate the 70th anniv. of the Katyn Massacre). Pakistani Islamist leader Israr Ahmad (b. 1932) on Apr. 14 in Lahore. Polish psychologist Alice Miller (b. 1923) on Apr. 14 in Saint-Remy de Provence, France. Am. "Type O Negative singer Peter Steele (b. 1962) on Apr. 14 in ? (heart failure). Am. cannabist activist Jack Herer (b. 1939) on Apr. 15 in Eugene, Ore. (Sept. 12, 2009 heart attack). Am. NAACP dir. (1977-92) Benjamin Lawson Hooks (b. 1925) on Apr. 15 in Memphis, Tenn. Am. L.A. police chief (1978-92) Daryl Gates (b. 1926) on Apr. 16 in Dana Point, Calif. (bladder cancer). Am. hall-of-fame bowler Marion Ladewig (b. 1914) on Apr. 16 in Grand Rapids, Mich. Indian-born Am. mgt. consultant C.K. Prahalad (b. 1941) on Apr. 16 in San Diego, Calif. (lung failure). Am. civil rights activist Dorothy Irene Height (b. 1912) on Apr. 20 in Washington, D.C. Spanish Internat. Olympic Committee pres. #7 (1980-2001) Juan Antonio Samaranch (b. 1920) on Apr. 21 in Barcelona (heart failure). English "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner" novelist Alan Sillitoe (b. 1928) on Apr. 25 in London. Czech-born Anthora paper cup inventor Leslie Buck (b. 1922) on Apr. 26 in Glen Cove, N.Y. (Parkinson's). English "Georgy Girl" actress Lynn Redgrave (b. 1943) on May 2 in Manhattan, N.Y. (breast cancer). Am. Detroit Tigers sportscaster Ernie Harwell (b. 1918) on May 4 in Novi, Mich. Nigerian pres. #2 (2007-10) Umaru Musa Yar'Adua (b. 1951) on May 5 in Aso Villa, Abuja (pericarditis). Am. singer Lena Horne (b. 1917) on May 9 in New York City. Am. historian Norman Arthur Graebner (b. 1915) on May 10 in Charlottesville, Va. Am. Jewish Bible scholar Moshe Greenberg (b. 1928) on May 15 in Jerusalem, Israel. Am. rocker Ronnie James Dio (b. 1942) on May 16 in Houston, Tex. (stomach cancer). Am. All-Am. Girls Prof. Baseball League star Dottie Kamenshek (b. 1925) on May 17 in Palm Desert, Calif. Am. Jews for Jesus founder Moise Rosen (b. 1932) on May 19 (prostate cancer). Am. recreational math writer Martin Gardner (b. 1914) on May 22 in Norman, Okla. Canadian-Am. TV personality Art Linkletter (b. 1912) on May 26 in Bel Air, Los Angeles, Calif. Am. dir. George Hickenlooper (b. 1963) on Oct. 29 in Denver, Colo. (OD). Am. "Arnold in Diff'rent Strokes" actor Gary Coleman (b. 1968) on May 28 in Provo, Utah. Am. actor Dennis Hopper (b. 1936) on May 29 in Venice, Calif. (prostate cancer). French spider sculptor Louise Bourgeois (b. 1911) on May 31 in New York City: "Art is restoration; the idea is to repair the damages that are inflicted in life, to make something that is fragmented - that is what fear and anxiety do to a person - into something whole." Canadian Trivial Pursuit co-creator Chris Haney (b. 1950) on May 31 in Toronto, Ont. Am. "Blanche Devereaux in The Golden Girls" actress Rue McClanahan (b. 1934) on June 3 in New York City (stroke). Am. UCLA basketball coach (1948-75) John Wooden (b. 1910) on June 4 in Los Angeles, Calif. English "The Pied Piper" singer Crispian St. Peters (b. 1939) on June 8. Am. "Big Bad John" singer-actor-sausage king Jimmy Dean (b. 1928) on June 13 in Varina, Va. Soviet cosmonaut Leonid Denisovich Kizim (b. 1941) on June 14. Am. jazz musician Bill Dixon (b. 1925) on June 16. Portuguese novelist Jose Saramago (b. 1922) on June 18 in Tias, Las Palmas, Spain; 1998 Nobel Lit. Prize. Sudanese basketball player Manute Bol (b. 1962) on June 19 in Charlottesville, Va. (kidney failure). Norway-born Am. sociologist Elise Boulding (b. 1920) on June 24. Am. Tex. gov. #41 (1973-9) Dolph Briscoe Jr. (b. 1923) on June 27 in Uvalde, Tex. U.S. Sen. (D-W. Va.) (1959-2010) Robert Byrd (b. 1917) on June 28 in Falls Church, Va. English novelist Dame Beryl Bainbridge (b. 1932) on July 2 in London (cancer). Italian opera bass Cesare Siepi (b. 1923) on July 5 in Atlanta, Ga. (stroke). Egyptian liberal Muslim theologian Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd (b. 1943) on July 5 in Cairo. Am. New York Yankees announcer (1951-2007) Bob Sheppard (b. 1910) on July 11 in Baldwin, N.Y. Am. "The Fugs" co-founder Tuli Kupferberg (b. 1923) on July 12 in New York City (kidney failure): "Nobody who lived through the '50s thought the '60s could've existed. So there's always hope." Am. "American Splendor" comic book writer Harvey Pekar (b. 1939) on July 12 in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Am. New York Yankees owner. George Steinbrenner (b. 1930) on July 13 in Tampa, Fla. (heart attack). U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia (1973-6) James Elmer Akins (b. 1926) on July 15 in Mitchelville, Md. (heart attack). Am. "Make the World Go Away' country singer-songwriter Hank Cochran (b. 1935) on July 15 in Nashville, Tenn. Am. musician Fred Carter Jr. (b. 1933) on July 17 in Nashville, Tenn. (stroke). Am. climate scientist Stephen Henry Schneider (b. 1945) on July 19 in London, England (pulmonary embolism). Am. TV journalist Daniel Schorr (b. 1916) on July 23 in Washington, D.C. Am. "Nero Wolfe" actor Maury Chaykin (b. 1949) on July 27 in Toronto, Ont. (heart prolblems). Am. football player Jack Tatum (b. 1948) on July 27 in Oakland, Calif. (heart attack). English-born Am. food writer Michael Batterberry (b. 1932) on July 28 in Manhattan, N.Y. (cancer); "not survived by Gourmet magazine, which ceased publication in November" (NYT). Am. "Sing Along with Mitch" bandleader Mitch Miller (b. 1911) on July 31 in New York City. Ugandan pres. #5 (1979-80) Godfrey Binaisa (b. 1920) on Aug. 5 in Kampala; at his death he is Uganda's only surviving former pres. British historian Tony R. Judt (b. 1948) on Aug. 6 in Manhattan, N.Y. (ALS). U.S. Sen. (R-Alaska) (1968-2009) Ted Stevens (b. 1923) on Aug. 9 in Aleknagik, Alaska (airplane crash). Am. "Hud" actress Patricia Neal (b. 1926) on Aug. 8 in Edgartown, Mass. U.S. Rep. (D-Ill.) (1959-95) Dan Rostenkowski (b. 1928) on Aug. 11 in Wisc. Am. economist Arnold Zellner (b. 1927) on Aug. 11. Am. TV journalist Edwin Newman (b. 1919) on Aug. 13 in Oxford, England (pneumonia). Am. "Penny in Sky King" actress Gloria Winters (b. 1931) on Aug. 14 in Vista, Calif. Am. conservative newspaper journalist James J. Kilpatrick (b. 1920) on Aug. 15 in Washington, D.c. (congestive heart failure). Italian PM #63 (1979-80) and pres. #8 (1985-92) Francesco Cossiga (b. 1928) on Aug. 17 in Rome. British WWII Pvt. Bill Millin (b. 1922) on Aug. 17 in Torbay. U.S. deputy secy. of state (1974-6) Robert Stephen Ingersoll (b. 1914) on Aug. 22 in Evanston, Ill. Am. singer Natalie Nevins (b. 1925) on Aug. 23 in Langhorne, Penn. Am. astronaut William Benjamin Lenoir (b. 1939) on Aug. 26 in Sandoval County, N.M. (head injuries from a bicycle accident). Am. "Bonnie Blue Butler in Gone With the Wind" actress Cammie King (b. 1934) on Sept. 1 in Ft. Bragg, Calif. (lung cancer). German spy Erich Gimpel (b. 1910) on Sept. 3 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. English writer Elizabeth Jenkins (b. 1905) on Sept. 5 in Hampstead, London. English "What's New Pussycat?" dir. Clive Donner (b. 1926) on Sept. 6 in London (Alzheimer's). German-born Am. TV mogul John Werner Kluge (b. 1914) on Sept. 7. Danish chess grandmaster Bent Larsen (b. 1935) on Sept. 9 in Buenos Aires, Argentina (cerebral hemorrhage from diabetes). Canadian "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" voice actress Billie Mae Richards (b. 1921) on Sept. 10 in Toronto, Ont. (stroke). English "The Dumarest Saga" novelist Edwin Charles Tubb (b. 1919) on Sept. 10 in London. Am. African-Am. scholar Ron Walters (b. 1938) on Sept. 10 in Bethesda, Md. (cancer). Am. "Martin Morgenstern in Rhoda" actor Harold Gould (b. 1923) on Sept. 10 in Woodland Hills, Calif. North Korean defector Hwang Jang-yop (b. 1923) on Oct. 10 in Seoul, South Korea. Am. "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" actor Kevin McCarthy (b. 1914) on Sept. 11 in Hyannis, Mass. (pneumonia). Am. statistician Joseph Bernard Kruskal Jr. (b. 1928) on Sept. 19 in Princeton, N.J. Belgian U.N. asst. secy.-gen. Robert Muller (b. 1923) on Sept. 20. Am. singer Eddie Fisher (b. 1928) on Sept. 22 in Berkeley, Calif. (hip surgery). Am. "100-y.-o. Rose in Titanic" actress Gloria Stuart (b. 1910) on Sept. 26 in Brentwood, Calif. (lung cancer); oldest person to be nominated for an acting Oscar (until ?). Am. hall-of-fame football QB-kicker George Blanda (b. 1927) on Sept. 27 in Alameda, Calif.; record 7 TD passes in a single game. Am. "Bonnie and Clyde" dir.-producer Arthur Hiller Penn (b. 1922) on Sept. 28 in New York City. French physicist Georges Charpak (b. 1924) on Sept. 29 in Paris; 1992 Nobel Physics Prize. Am. writer Eustace Mullins (b. 1923) on Feb. 2 in Hockley, Tex. Am. "Some Like It Hot" actor Tony Curtis (b. 1925) on Sept. 29 in Las Vegas, Nev. (heart attack); buried with a Stetson hat, Armani scarf, driving gloves, iPhone, model of a Trans-Am, and a copy of his favorite novel "Anthony Adverse", which inspired his stage name. Am. TV writer-producer Stephen J. Cannell (b. 1941) on Sept. 30 in Pasadena, Calif. (melanoma). Am. "The Scalphunters" screenwriter William W. "Bill" Norton (b. 1925) on Oct. 2 in Santa Barbara, Calif. South African-born Australian historian Rhys Llywelyn Isaac (b. 1937) on Oct. 6 in Blairgowrie, Victoria. Am. astronomer John Peter Huchra (b. 1948) on Oct. 8. Azeri-born Am. "The 12th Planet" writer Zecharia Sitchin (b. 1920) on Oct. 9 in New York City. Polish-born French-Am. mathematician ("Father of Fractal Geometry") Benoit B. Mandelbrot (b. 1924) on Oct. 14 in Cambridge, Mass. Am. "June Cleaver in Leave It to Beaver" actress Barbara Billingsley (b. 1915) on Oct. 16 in Santa Monica, Calif. Am. "Howard Cunningham in Happy Days" actor Tom Bosley (b. 1927) on Oct. 19 in Palm Springs, Calif. (lung cancer). Am. Penthouse mag. founder Bob Guccione (b. 1930) on Oct. 20 in Plano, Tex. Am. cartoonist Alex Anderson (b. 1920) on Oct. 22 in Carmel, Calif. (Alzheimer's). Am. folk singer Tom Winslow (b. 1940) on Oct. 23 in Albany, N.Y. Am. actress Lisa Blount (b. 1957) on Oct. 27 in Little Rock, Ark. Israeli archeologist Ehud Netzer (b. 1934) on Oct. 28 in Jerusalem. Am. basketball player Maurice Lucas (b. 1952) on Oct. 31 in Tigard, Ore. Am. JFK adviser Ted Sorensen (b. 1928) on Oct. 31: "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." Russian conductor-violinist Rudolf Barshai (b. 1924) on Nov. 2 in Basel, Switzerland. Italian Dune"" film producer Dino De Laurentiis (b. 1919) on Nov. 10 in Beverly Hills, Calif. Am. publicist Ronni Chasen (b. 1946) on Nov. 16 in Beverly Hills, Calif. (murdered in her car near Whittier Dr. and Sunset Blvd.). Am. Libertarian Party founder David Fraser Nolan (b. 1943) on Nov. 20 in Tucson, Ariz. (stroke while driving). Am. anthropologist Covington Scott Littleton (b. 1933) on Nov. 25 in Pasadena, Calif. (pneumonia). Am. physicist Samuel Theodore Cohen (b. 1921) on Nov. 28 in Brentwood, Calif. (stomach cancer). Am. "The Naked Gun" actor Leslie Nielsen (b. 1926) on Nov. 28 in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (pneumonia). U.S. Rep. (D-N.Y. (1975-93) Stephen Joshua Solarz (b. 1940) on Nov. 29 in Washington, D.C. (esophageal cancer). Am. baseball player Ron Santo (b. 1940) on Dec. 2 in Ariz. (diabetes). Am. "Turn out the lights!" NFL sportscaster Don Meredith (b. 1938) on Dec. 5 in Santa Fe, N.M. Am. atty. Elizabeth Edwards (b. 1949) on Dec. 7 in Chapel Hill, N.C. (cancer). Am. "Burke's Law" actor Gene Barry (b. 1919) on Dec. 9 in Woodland Hills, Calif. Am. philanthropist-murderer John du Pont (b. 1938) on Dec. 9 in Laurel Highlands, Penn. (COPD); dies in prison. Am. chemist John Bennett Fenn (b. 1917) on Dec. 10 in Richmond, Va.; 2002 Nobel Chem. Prize. Turkish-born Armenian-Am. filmmaker J. Michael Hagopian (b. 1913) on Dec. 10 in Thousand Oaks, Calif.; spent 40 years gathering evidence on the Armenian Genocide by Turkey. Am. diplomat Richard Holbrooke (b. 1941) on Dec. 13 in Washington, D.C. (torn aorta); last words: "You've got to stop this war in Afghanistan." Am. "The Pink Panther", "Breakfast at Tiffany's" dir. Blake Edwards (b. 1922) on Dec. 15 in Santa Monica, Calif. (pneumonia). Am. baseball pitcher Bob Feller (b. 1918) on Dec. 15 in Cleveland, Ohio (pneumonia). Am. "Arthur P. Dietrich in Barney Miller" actor Steve Landesberg (b. 1945) on Dec. 17 (cancer): "Honesty is the best policy, but insanity is a better defense." Am. musician Capt. Beefheart (Don Van Vliet) (b. 1941) on Dec. 17 in Glendale, Calif. (multiple sclerosis). French scholar Jacqueline de Romilly (b. 1913) on Dec. 18 in Boulogne-Billancourt. English journalist Anthony Howard (b. 1934) on Dec. 19 in London (ruptured aneurysm). Italian soccer player-mgr. Enzo Bearzot (b. 1927) on Dec. 21 in Milan. Am. "The Lone Ranger" radio-TV announcer Fred Foy (b. 1921) on Dec. 22 in Woburn, Mass. Venezuelan pres. (1974-9, 1989-93) Carlos Andres Perez (b. 1922) on Dec. 25 in Miami, Fla. Am. nuclear scientist Albert Ghiroso (b. 1915) on Dec. 26 in Berkeley, Calif. Am. R&B singer Teena Marie (b. 1956) on Dec. 26.



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TLW's 2011 C.E. Historyscope, by T.L. Winslow (TLW), "The Historyscoper"™

T.L. Winslow's 2011 C.E. Historyscope

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2011 - The Year of the Tea Party, Occupy Wall Street Movement, Tucson Shooting, Alexandria Bombing, No More Osama, the Arab Spring, the Muslim Brotherhood, and Daffy's Last Quack? The Springtime Year of Arab Revolutions, starting with Tunisia, Lebanon, Blue Bra Egypt, Yemen, Libya, Bahrain, and Syria? The Year of U.S. Debt Downgrading?

Fake Death Photo of Osama bin Laden (1957-2011) Muammar Gaddafi's Capture, Oct. 20, 2011 Blue Bra Woman, Dec. 20, 2011 20111 Fukushina Daiichi Nuclear Disaster, Mar. 11, 2011 Kim Jong-un of North Korean (1983-) John Andrew Boehner of the U.S. (1949-) Eric Cantor of the U.S. (1963-) Gabrielle Giffords of the U.S. (1970-) Jared Lee Loughner (1988-) John McCarthy Roll of the U.S. (1947-2011) Denis R. McDonough of the U.S. (1969-) James R. Clapper of the U.S. (1941-) Peter T. King of the U.S. (1944-) Keith Maurice Ellison of the U.S. (1963-) Sheila Jackson Lee of the U.S. (1950-) Carlos Pascual of the U.S. (1959-) Daniel B. 'Dan' Shapiro of the U.S. (1969-) Rahm Emanuel of the U.S. (1959-) Gary Locke of the U.S. (1950-) N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo (1957-) Dilma Rousseff of Brazil (1947-) Ollanta Humala of Peru (1962-) Michael Daniel Higgins of Irelnd (1941-) Rahis al-Ghannushi of Tunisia (1941-) Moncef Marzouki of Tunisia (1945-) Mariano Rajoy of Spain (1955-) Najib Mikati of Lebanon (1955-) Awn Shawkat Al-Khasawneh of Jordan (1950-) Hosni Mubarak of Egypt (1928-2020) Asmaa Mahfouz of Egypt (1985-) Egyptian Gen. Omar Mahmoud Suleiman (1936-2012) Turkish Gen. Necdet Özel (1950-) Hina Rabbani Khar of Pakistan (1977-) Atifete Jahjaga of Kosovo (1975-) Lara Logan (1971-) Fogel Family of Itamar, Samaria Debbie Wasserman Schultz of the U.S. (1966-) Anthony David Weiner of the U.S. (1964-) John Hickenlooper of the U.S. (1952-) Mary Fallin of the U.S. (1954-) Bill Vidal of the U.S. (1951-) Michael Hancock of the U.S. (1969-) Saudi Prince Nayef bin Abdul-Aziz (1933-) Yingluck Shinawatra of Thailand (1967-) Jeff Immelt (1956-) Christine Lagarde of France (1956-) Abu Bakar Bashir of Indonesia (1938-) Ali Suleiman Aujali of Libya Hamza Abu Fas of Libya Abdurraheem el-Keib of Libya Sheikh Ali Salabi (al-Sallabi) of Libya Yemeni Gen. Abd Rabbuh Mansur al-Hadi (1945-) Naim Qassem of Lebanon Tshakiagiin Elbedorj of Mongolia (1963-) Tariq al-Hashimi of Iraq (1942-) Tunisian Gen. Rachid Ammar (1947-) Sudanese Gen. Mustafa Dabi Ali Farzat (1951-) Burhanuddin Rabbani of Afghanistan (1940-2011) Rostam Ghasemi of Iran (1950-) Ahmed Qatamesh (1950-) Julian Paul Assange (1971-) Julia Eileen Gillard of Australia (1961-) Charlene Wittstock (1978-) and Prince Albert II (1958-) of Monaco Salva Kiir Mayardit of South Sudan (1951-) U.S. Pfc. Naser Jason Abdo (1990-) Anders Behring Breivik (1979-) Sohail Mohammed (1964-) Rezwan Ferdaus Mahamadou Issoufou of Nigeria (1952-) Ahmed Shaheed of Maldives (1964-) Vittorio Arrigoni (1975-2011) Beth Van Duyne of the U.S. Tawakel Karman of Yemen (1979-) Yonathan Melaku Li Na (1982-) Kyrie Irving (1992-) Klay Thompson (1990-) David Richard Freese (1983-) Wilson Abraham Ramos (1987-) Tomas Tanstromer (1931-) Chloe Lattanzi (1986-) Rory McIlroy (1989-) Trevor Bayne (1991-) Dan Wheldon (1978-) Katharine Hayhoe and Andrew Farley (1972-) John R. Hildebrand (1988-) Donald Trump (1946-) Alyssa Campanella (1990-) Yoann Lemoine (1983-) Maikel Nabil Mustafa Akyol (1972-) Mohamed Elibiary Novak Djokovic (1987-) Samantha Stosur (1984-) Tim Thomas (1974-) Dirk Nowitzki (1978-) Mika Koivuniemi (1967-) Tawakel Karman of Yemen (1979-) Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (1938-) Leymah Gbowee of Liberia (1972-) U.S. Cpl. Charles Buckles (1901-2011) Tomas Tranströmer (1931-) Tim Cook (1960-) Shenzhou 8, 2011 Adam Riess (1969-) Pedro Cavadas (1965-) Saul Perlmutter (1959-) Brian P. Schmidt (1967-) Dan Schechtman (1941-) Tom Shroder (1954-) Jake Tyler (1989-) Abhijit Banerjee (1961-) Esther Duflo (1972-) Bruce Alan Beutler (1957-) Michael Bublé (1975-) Carl Johan Calleman (1950-) Terrence William Deacon David Allen Friedman (1950-) Edward Glaeser (1967-) Jules A. Hoffmann (1941-) E.L. James (1963-) Branko Milanovic (1953-) Janet Reitman Nouriel Roubini (1958-) Evan Spiegel (1990-) Tim Ball (1938-) John O'Sullivan Ian Bremmer (1969-)-) Harold Camping (1921-2013) Ernest Cline (1972-) John Lewis Gaddis (1941-) Yuval Noah Harari (1976-) Christian Parenti Dani Rodrik (1957-) Veronica Roth (1988-) Thomas J. Sargent (1943-) Christopher A. Sims (1942-) Tracy K. Smith (1972-) Ralph M. Steinman (1943-2011) Yanis Varoufakis (1961-) 'Time to Get Tough' by Donald Trump (1946-), 2011 Daniel H. Wilson (1978-) Esperanza Spalding (1984-) Fleet Foxes The Kid Bombardos Aaron Lewis (1972-) Scotty McCreery (1993-) Kip Moore (1980-) Frank Ocean (1987-) Ed Sheeran (1991-) Trombone Shorty (1986-) 'The Chew', 2011- 'Bobs Burgers', 2011- '2 Broke Grirls', 2011- 'Falling Skies''', 2011-15 'Game of Thrones', 2011- 'Game of Thrones', 2011- 'Hell on Wheels', 2011-6 'Homeland', 2011- 'The Book of Mormon', 2011 'Matilda the Musical', 2011 'Newsies: The Musical', 2011 'Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark' 2011 'The Adjustment Bureau', 2011 'Apollo 18', 2011 '51', 2011 'Attack the Block', 2011 'Battle: Los Angeles', 2011 'Colombiana', 2011 'Coriolanus', 2011 'The Descendants', 2011 'Drive Angry 3-D' 'Fright Night', 2011 'Hysteria', 2011 'In Time', 2011 'The Iron Lady', 2011 'Limitless', 2011 Michael Lewis (1960-) 'Moneyball', 2011 'My Week with Marilyn', 2011 'New Girl', 2011- 'Paul', 2011 'The Perfect Age of Rock n Roll', 2011 'Person of Interest', 2011 'Red Riding Hood', 2011 'Source Code', 2011 'Super 8', 2011 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy', 2011 'Youre Next', 2011 Chengdu J-20 London Aquatics Centre, 2011 Alexander the Great Fountain, Skopje, 2011

2011 Chinese Year: Cat (Rabbit) (Feb. 3). This is the U.N. Internat. Year of Forests. World pop: 7B on Oct. 31 (U.N.) or next Mar. 12 (U.S. Census Bureau), 1B new people since 1999; five babies are born each sec. Time Mag. Person of the Year: The Protester (Dec. 14). Babies who are non-Hispanic white are the minority of new U.S. infants for the first time. The Afghan drug war begins failing as opium prices soar and the allies focus on the Taliban not opium farmers. U.S. aid to the Middle East: Afghanistan: $3.9B, Pakistan: $3.1B, Israel: $3B, Egypt: $1.5B ($63B since 1948). Renewable energy overtakes nuclear energy in the U.S.; China uses more concrete in 2011-13 than the U.S. did in the entire 20th cent. The 2011 Tex. wildfire sees 31,453 fires burning 4M acres, exacerbated by the 2010-13 Southern U.S. and Mexico Drought. For the first time the Internet overtakes newspapers as America's top choice for news. China becomes #1 in patent application filings. The Russian Navy launches an extensive rearmament program, incl. 20 new subs, 35 new corvettes, 15 frigates, and 100 new warships by 2020. Mexico deports 46.7K immigrants from Central Am., almost half from Guatemala. China passes the U.S. to become the world's largest smartphone market. On Jan. 1 a half hour into the New Year an al-Mujahidin (al-Qaida affiliate) car bomb explodes outside the Saints Church Coptic Christian church in Alexandria, Egypt, killing 23 and injuring 97 of 1K emerging from Mass, after which angry Christians clash with Muslims on the streets, causing Egyptian pres. #4 (since Oct. 14, 1981) Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak (1928-2020) to utter the soundbyte: "We will cut off the hands of terrorists and those plotting against Egypt's security", adding: "This terrorist act has shaken the conscience of the nation. All Egypt was targeted, and terrorism does not distinguish between Copt and Muslim"; Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu utters the soundbyte "All nations which support freedom stand together in the war against terrorism", scheduling a meeting with Mubarak on Jan. 4; Pres. Obama surprises no one by condemning the attack while taking pains to point out that Muslims were injured in it too, meaning the attackers themselves maybe, since none but Christians were injured; witnesses claim that Egyptian security guards withdrew an hour before the blast; on Jan. 3 the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood drops its opposition to a Coptic presidency, but not really? On Jan. 1 Dem. N.Y. atty. gen. #64 Andew Mark Cuomo (1957), son of former N.Y. gov. #52 (1983-94) Mario Cuomo becomes N.Y. gov. #56 (until ?). On Jan. 1 former Marxist guerrilla Dilma Vana Rousseff (1947-) becomes pres. #36 of Brazil (until Aug. 31, 2016), becoming the first woman. On Jan. 1 a Russian Tu-154 passenger aircraft explodes in Surgut, Siberia (1.35K mi. E of Moscow), killing three and injuring 43 of 128. On Jan. 1 the 2011 Rose Bowl sees the 12-0 TCU Horned Frogs defeat the 11-1 Wisc. Badgers by 21-19. On Jan. 1 Estonia adopts the euro. On Jan. 1 three U.S. missile strikes in the Khyber tribal region near the Afghan border kill 54 alleged militants during a meeting. On Jan. 1 the biggest income tax increase in U.S. history takes effect, falling mostly on small business owners and high-income taxpayers, along with a 60% capital gains tax increase from 15% to 23.8%, incl. new universal health care taxes, and an increase on taxes on dividends from 15% to 39.6%, followed by another 3.5% in 2013; 18K new IRS agents are planned on being hired to help force compliance. On Jan. 1 a Tenn. law requiring jailers to check the citizenship of new inmates to see if they're in the U.S. illegally goes into effect. On Jan. 2 (Sun.) a 7.1 earthquake strikes S Chile. On Jan. 2 Goldman Sachs invests $500M in Facebook after valuing it at $50B - the Beast cometh, or just a great capitalist success story? On Jan. 2 a Russian Orthodox church is set afire with a grenade in Muslim-majority Ordzhonikidze in N Caucasus. On Jan. 2 Pakistan's governing coalition splits as the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leaves Pres. Asif Zardari's govt., leaving him 12 seats short of a majority in the 324-seat parliament and threatening the full-blown operations against Taliban insurgents in NW Pakistan; on Jan. 7 it reverses its decision and rejoins. On Jan. 3 former gov. #34 (1975-83) Edmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown (1938-) becomes Dem. Calif. gov. #39 (until ?), going on to become the longest-serving Calif. gov. (until ?). On Jan. 3 the 112th U.S. Congress convenes (until Jan. 3, 2013); the Tea Party comes to power in the U.S. as several freshman legislators arrive in Washington, D.C.; the first time that women reps decline since 1978; Eric Ivan Cantor (1963-) of Va. becomes House majority leader (until July 31, 2014), the highest-ranking Jewish member of Congress in history (until ?). On Jan. 3 after raunchy videos from 2006-7 surface, U.S. Navy Capt. Owen Honors is temporarily relieved of duty as 2nd in command of the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise - he's just keeping the tradition of Capt. Kirk alive? On Jan. 3 Father Christmas (Dennis Jackson) is banned from a children's nursery in Minn. after a Muslim family complains. On Jan. 4 a partial solar eclipse is visible over Europe, the Arabian peninsula, North Africa and W Asia. On Jan. 4 Iran announces the arrest of several suspected Christian missionaries in Tehran. On Jan. 4 a study by Kevin Brice of Swansea U. in Britain is pub., revealing that up to 100K Britons converted to Islam since 2001, with white women leading the charge. On Jan. 4 Pres. Obama's Gallup approval rating rises back up to 50%. On Jan. 5 Ohio Repub. rep. (1991-) John Andrew Boehner (1949-) is elected speaker #53 of the House by 241 votes (vs. 173 for Nancy Pelosi), uttering the soundbyte: "It's still just me". On Jan. 5 the World Bank issues its first Chinese yuan bonds in Hong Kong. On Jan. 5 a gang of 15-y.-o. teenies shoot it out with police in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. On Jan. 5 six Hamas members are released from a Palestinian Authority prison in Hebron, after which the IDF arrests them; on Jan. 8 the PA announces that is has been holding Hamas members prisoner to prevent Israel from capturing them. On Jan. 5 former U.S. atty.-gen. Ramsey Clark (known for being on Saddam Hussein's legal defense team) visits Hamas in Gaza in a solidarity mission. On Jan. 5 U.S. defense secy. Robert Gates announces that the Pentagon will cut spending by $78B over the next five years, the first military spending freeze since 9/11. On Jan. 6 Pres. Obama selects former Clinton admin. commerce secy. William Daley (brother of mayor Richard J. Daley) (an exec at J.P. Morgan Chase) as his new White House chief of staff, replacing Robert Gibbs, who announced his resignation on Jan. 5. On Jan. 6 (12:30, 12:45) two packages addressed to Md. gov. Martin O'Malley blow up inside two govt. office bldgs. in Md.; one has a message indicating anger at the govt.'s terror warnings; on Jan. 7 another package addressed to Janet Napolitano ignites in a Washington, D.C. postal facility. On Jan. 6 Moroccan analyst Mohamed Darif says that al-Qaida is plotting revenge on Morocco for supporting U.S. efforts against Islamic terror after 9/11 king Mohammed VI pledged support for Bush's war on terror. On Jan. 6 (first day of session) the Repub.-dominated U.S. House of Reps reads the Constitution on the floor for the first time in history; a screaming Birther interrupts the reading and is ejected. On Jan. 6 two young Pakistani men are arrested in Nottingham for a series of rapes and sexual assaults on vulnerable white girls picked up on the streets; on Jan. 9 ex-British Labor justice secy. Jack Straw accuses young Pakistani immigrants of viewing vulnerable white girls as "easy meat" for sexual abuse, causing a PC backlash. On Jan. 6 a Gallup Poll shows that only 31% of Americans identify themselves as Dem., the lowest in 22 years. On Jan. 6 Iranian nuclear chief vice-pres. Ali Akbar Salehi announces that Iran has 40kg of 20%-enriched uranium, up from 30kg in Oct. On Jan. 6 senior Hamas leader Mahmud Zahar accuses Israel of "countless holocausts" against the Palestinians, while claiming that the Nazi genocide of the Jews was a "lie". On Jan. 7 a predawn raid by Israeli troops in Hebron results in a 65-y.-o. Palestinian man being mistakenly shot and killed in his bed, causing street demonstrations; they thought he was wanted militant Wael Mahmoud Said Bitar. On Jan. 7 a suicide bomber in a public bathhouse in Spin Boldak in S Afghanistan on the Pakistani border kills 17 and wounds 20+ washing for weekly prayers. On Jan. 7 Pres. Obama reiterates strong support for U.S. civilian trials of Gitmo jihadists, vowing to overturn language in a new defense bill that blocks them. On Jan. 7 al-Qaida attacks Yemeni troops near Lawadar in S Yemen, killing 10 and injuring six. On Jan. 7 hundreds of protesters in Kabul accuse Iran of stopping fuel tanks from crossing the border into Afghanistan. On Jan. 7 illegal immigration hardliner Steve King (R-Iowa) is passed over as chmn. of the House immigration subcommittee for Calif. Repub. Elton Gallegly. On Jan. 7 Germany orders the closure of 4.7K farms after finding dioxin in animal feed. On Jan. 7 Italian RAI public broadcasting employee Nello Rega is fired on by a suspected radical Muslim in S Italy, causing the dir. to call for the govt. to protect him. On Jan. 7 Amen Ahmed Ali of Bakersfield, Calif. is sentenced to five years in federal prison for spying for Yemen. On Jan. 7 Al-Shabaab mlitants murder 60-y.-o. Mohamed Muhumed (1950-) in Hamey village for refusing to pay his yearly 5-camel jizya tax for infidels. On Jan. 7 Israeli intel chief Meir Dagan revises previous estimates and says that Iran can't acquire a nuke before 2015. On Jan. 7 Taliban leader Mullah Omar has a heart attack, and is treated in a Karachi hospital for several days with the help of Pakistan's spy agency. On Jan. 8 (Sat.) U.S. Rep. (D-Ariz.) (2007-) Gabrielle Dee "Gabby" Giffords (1970-), first Jewish congresswoman from Ariz. is shot in the head during a public event in Tucson, Ariz. outside a Safeway store by er, lone gunman Jared Lee Loughner (1988-), a mixed-up white leftist-rightist pothead whose favorite books are the Communist Manifesto and Mein Kampf, and is against the abandonment of the gold standard; he is captured; six others are killed, incl. federal judge (since Nov. 25, 1991) John McCarthy Roll (b. 1947) and 9-y.-o. Christina-Taylor Green; 13 are injured; on Dec. 6 Gifford read the First Amendment to the House; Gifford's last Tweet said "My 1st Congress on Your Corner starts now. Please stop by to let me know what is on your mind or tweet me later"; the leftist PC media knee-jerks by blaming the Tea Party and/or Sarah Palin for the shooting, causing her on Jan. 11 to release a video calling the politicization of the shooting a "reprehensible... blood libel"; 20-y.-o. gay political intern Daniel Hernandez (1990-) becomes a hero for helping save Giffords by applying pressure to her wounds; on Jan. 10 U.S. secy. of state Hillary Clinton gives a townhall interview in Abu Dhabi, and comments that Gifford's shooter is like Islamic extremists in other countries, pissing them off and causing her to flop; on Jan. 12 Pres. Obama delivers a eulogy before an overflow crowd at Ariz. Stadium at the U. of Ariz., with the soundbytes: "Gabby opened her eyes for the first time", and "The hopes of a nation are here tonight. We mourn with you for the fallen"; after dissing leftist comments that the shooter was motivated by rightist politics, he calls on the country to start "talking with each other in a way that heals, not a way that wounds"; the speech is his biggest hit ever, causing his popularity rating to go positive for the 1st time since last May 18; N.Y. Dem. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy uses the shooting as an excuse for introducing legislation prohibiting high-capacity gun magazines; on Jan. 15 shooting victim James Eric Fuller is arrested at a town hall meeting for shouting "You're dead" to Tea Party spokesman Trent Humphries, and is committed for psychiatric evaluation. On Jan. 8 Shiite Iraqi cleric Moktada al-Sadr celebrates his return after three years of voluntary exile in Iran with a speech in Najaf in support of the U.S.-supported Iraq govt. while calling for U.S. troops to leave; too bad, he makes his support of the govt. conditional on its effectiveness. On Jan. 8 Mexican police find 14 decapitated bodies and one with a head outside a shopping center in Acapulco. On Jan. 8 rioting in Nigeria around Jos kills 11; on Jan. 9 jihadis storm a bar and kill seven. On Jan. 8 Islamist insurgents ban unrelated men and women from shaking hands, speaking, or walking together. On Jan. 9 a referendum in Southern Sudan on independence from the Arab Muslim north has a large turnout despite threats by Islamic militants, who on Jan. 10 kill 30 in Abyei, then on Jan. 11 ambush and kill 10; no surprise, there is a 99% vote for secession. On Jan. 9 (5:00 a.m.) there is a "small explosion" at the Tunisian consulate in a suburb of Paris. On Jan. 9 50K march in Karachi, Pakistan in support of blasphemy laws and in support of Mumtaz Qadri, the assassin of Punjab gov. Salman Taseer; on Jan. 10 Pope Benedict XIV calls on Pakistan to repeal its blasphemy laws, saying that they serve as a pretext for acts of injustice and violence against religious minorities, and calling on Middle East govts. to do more to protect Christian minorities, causing Egypt to recall its ambassador to the Vatican for "unacceptable interference"; meanwhile on Jan. 11 Pakistan jails Muslim imam Mohammed Shafi (1965-) and his 20-y.-o. son Mohammad Aslan (1990-) for life for damaging a poster containing verses from the Quran as part of a rivalry between the Deobandia and Barelvi sects. On Jan. 9 a vulture tagged by Israeli scientists flies into Saudi Arabia, where it is arresting for being a Mossad spy; it is later cleared and released. On Jan. 9 suspected al-Qaida militants kill two Frenchmen in Niger, causing France to warn that the African Sahel region is no longer safe for its citizens. On Jan. 9 an Iran Air jet (Boeing 727) en route from Tehran to Orumiyeh crashes near Orumiyeh in NW Iran (460 mi. NW of Tehran), killing 77 and injuring 27 of 104 passengers and crew. On Jan. 9 (Sun.) the animated sitcom Bob's Burgers debuts on Fox Network for ? episodes (until ?), about the Belcher family, incl. Bob and Linda, and their children Tina, Gene, and Louise, who run a hamburger restaurant on Ocean Ave. in Seymour's Bay, N.J. near Wonder Wharf Amusement Park, and compete with Jimmy Pesto's Pizzeria. On Jan. 10 Turkish pres. Abdullah Gul stages a historic visit to Yemen to establish relations, followed on Jan. 11 by U.S. secy. of state Hillary Clinton. On Jan. 10 U.S. vice-pres. Joe Biden makes an unannounced trip to Kabul to discuss Obama admin. strategy, uttering the soundbyte that U.S. troops will stay beyond 2014 if the Afghans want them to. On Jan. 10 Warrensburg, Mo.-born Repub. Mary Fallin (1954-) becomes Okla. gov. #27 (until ?), going on to push for increased use of lethal injection in executions, convene a task force to reform the state criminal justice system, unsuccessfully support the Ten Commandments monument on the grounds of the Okla. State Capitol, seek to expand sales tax and eliminate state income tax, order Nat. Guard facilities to deny spousal benefits to same-sex couples, refuse to comply with EPA regs to combat climate change, sign a law in Apr. 2014 prohibiting Okla. cities from establishing min. wage and sick leave reqts., along with another law in May 2015 prohibiting local govt. from enacting local bans on oil and gas drilling, sign a law in Apr. 15 expanding charter schools statewide, and sign 20 anti-abortion laws while vetoing a 2016 bill making it a felony to perform an abortion. On Jan. 11 (1 p.m.) the Sun rises over Greenland two days earlier than expected, baffling scientists. On Jan. 11 prominent Iranian human rights atty. Nasrin Sotoudeh, who was arrested Sept. 4 is convicted of security crimes and sentenced to 11 years in prison. On Jan. 11 Japan promises to buy EU bonds to help with its debt crisis; meanwhile Portugal says it doesn't need outside help. On Jan. 11 a 71-y.-o. Christian Coptic man is shot and killed by an Allahu-Akbar-shouting Muslim policeman on a train in Upper Egypt, who wounds five more Copts, causing a clash with protesters at the hospital. On Jan. 11 Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu calls for a "credible military option against Iran" to force it to end its nuclear energy program, saying it should be an internat. effort headed by the U.S. On Jan. 11 after U.S. interior secy. Ken Salazar endorses him, Dem. Denver, Colo. mayor #41 (since July 21, 2003) John Wright Hickenlooper Jr. (1952-) becomes Colo. gov. #42 (until ?), waiting in the wings to succeed Pres. Obama. On Jan. 11-13 floods in Southern Queensland. On Jan. 12 the Nov. 2009 Lebanese govt. falls, and on June 13 Muslim billionaire Najib Mikati (Miqati) (1955-) becomes PM of Lebanon (until ?) after uttering the soundbyte that his govt. will go to work "liberating land that remains under the occupation of the Israeli enemy." On Jan. 12 after John Hickenlooper resigns to become Colo. gov., Camaguey, Cuba-born Dem. deputy mayor Guillermo "Bill" Vidal (1951-) becomes mayor #44 of Denver, Colo. (until July 18). On Jan. 12 Saudi Arabia enacts new regs for bloggers, requiring them to obtain licenses and promote Islam. On Jan. 12 U.S. vice-pres. Joe Biden visits Pakistani PM Gilani, uttering the soundbyte: "We are not, we are not the enemies of Islam, and we embrace those who practice that great religion in our country." On Jan. 12 U.S. vice-pres. Joe Biden visits Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan. On Jan. 12 U.S. House Repubs. vote to repeal Obamacare. On Jan. 12 Hezbollah abruptly withdraws from the Lebanese cabinet, forcing the collapse of the govt. of PM Saad Hariri just moments after he finishes a meeting with Pres. Obama; on Jan. 17 the first indictment in the assassination of former PM Rafik Hariri is filed by a U.N. tribunal, but it is sealed. On Jan. 12 continued deadly protests in Tunisia kill 10, causing the U.N. to call for a probe into the police; on Jan. 13 Tunisian army CIC Gen. Rachid Ammar (1947-), splits with dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and refuses to shoot protesters; on Jan. 14 Ben Ali flees to Saudi Arabia after an army coup, and the foreign minister takes power; some of Ben Ali's relatives take refuge in the Disneyland Hotel in Paris; on Jan. 16 Syrian pres. Bashar al-Assad holds a security meeting over concerns of a copycat uprising; on Jan. 17 amid protests Tunisia announces a new govt. that is open to opposition parties; on Jan. 26 Tunisia issues an internat. arrest warrant for Ben Ali and six relatives for taking money out of the country illegally; on Feb. 13 Italy intercepts 1K Tunisian illegal immigrants and announces a plan to deploy more security forces; on Mar. 7 Beji Caid el Sebsi heads the 3rd govt. since Ben Ali's overthrow; in June Ben Ali is convicted in absentia along with his wife for embezzlement, and sentenced to 35 years in prison and fined $64M; on July 4 Ben Ali is convicted of smuggling and sentenced to 15 years and fined $72K. On Jan. 12 the Mexican govt. announces that 34,612 people have died in the Mexican drug war since pres. Felipe Calderon launched it four years earlier. On Jan. 12 a Muslim mob in Pakistan beats and humiliates two Christian women over alleged blasphemy, causing them to go into hiding with their families. On Jan. 13 U.S. state secy. Hillary Clinton tells Arab leaders in Doha, Qatar that unless they enact political and economic reforms and deal with other problems like depleting oil and water reserves, they will face consequences incl. radical extremist rebellion; meanwhile Turkish PM Tayyep Recep Erdogan calls the Israeli govt. of PM Benjamin Netanyahu the worst in the history of Israel, and urges the Israeli public to "get rid" of him, denying that Hamas is a terrorist org. On Jan. 13 Danish Muslim-to-Christian convert Massoud Fouroozandeh is caught with Christian crosses hanging inside his family cars in Odense, causing angry Muslims to smash them and him to flee with his family. On Jan. 13 the Am. Heart Assoc. issues a call to the public to reduce salt consumption to a max of 1.5g a day. On Jan. 14 U.S. homeland security secy. Janet Napolitano cancels the $1B virtual border fence with Mexico after only 53 mi. are finished. On Jan. 14 Afghan education minister Farooq Wardak announces that the Taliban is no longer opposed to female education, and is putting away the face acid. On Jan. 14 12 al-Qaida militants walk out of a prison in Basra, Iraq dressed in police uniforms. On Jan. 14 a shootout with gang members in Veracruz kills 14; on Jan. 15 Mexico police cmdr. Raul Espinoza and his bodyguard are abducted while on patrol in the port city of Boca del Rio, Veracruz. On Jan. 14 Al-Shabaab militants arrest Muslim father Mo'alim Mohamud Aw-Omar in Kismayo, Somalia after two of his teenage sons convert to Christianity. On Jan. 14 (night) a pilgrim stampede in Kerala, India kills 100+ and injures 25. On Jan. 15 a Muslim jihadists smuggles live bullets into a training exercise in Mosul, Iraq, and kills two U.S. soldiers; meanwhile a group of jihadists enter the Rabi'a Hospital in Mosul and shoot and seriously wound a Christian doctor. On Jan. 16 Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier returns to Haiti after 24 years (1986); on Jan. 18 he is arrested in Port-au-Prince. On Jan. 17 Israeli defense minister Ehud Barak abruptly announces that he's leaving the Labor Party to form his own political block called Atzmaut (Heb. "independence"). On Jan. 17 Pakistani Sunni jihadists explode a minibus full of Shiites in Hangu in NW Pakistan, killing 17 and injuring 11. On Jan. 17 restaurant owner Abdo Abdelmoneim sets himself on fire outside the Cairo parliament because he can't afford to buy bread in a copycat of the event that sparked the Tunisian revolt. causing Islamic scholars at Al-Azhar U. to declare that self-immolation is forbidden under Islamic law. On Jan. 18 the FCC by 4-1 approves a merger between Comcast and NBC Universal. On Jan. 18 a suicide bomber in the Sunni town of Tikrit, Iraq N of Baghdad blows up in a crowd of aspiring police recruits, killing 50+ and wounding 150. On Jan. 18 34 religious and political leaders in Mauritania sign a fatwa banning female genital mutilation (FGM). On Jan. 18 the Central Bank of Ireland prints its own notes, dumping the Euro. On Jan. 18 an Ariz.-style immigration status check law passes in Miss. On Jan. 18 a radio-controlled pipe bomb is found in a backpack along the Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade route in Spokane, Wash. minutes before the parade is scheduled to start. On Jan. 18-19 Chinese pres. Hu Jintao visits the White House; on Jan. 20 he holds closed-doormeetings with Congressional leaders, who jawbone him about human rights abuses. On Jan. 19 a 7.2 earthquake hits Baluchistan Province, Pakistan. On Jan. 19 the Repub.-controlled U.S. House votes 245-189 to repeal the Obama health care law of 2010; on Feb. 2 the U.S. Senate votes 81-17 to scrap the 1099 reporting requirement, then by 47-51 the Dems. unanimously defeat a Repub. attempt to repeal the health care law. On Jan. 19 Andrew Ryan (1979-) of Summerhill, Carlisle, England is arrested for burning a copy of the Quran in front of a monument, after which the judge sentences him to 80 days for "theatrical bigotry", and because he stole the book from a library. On Jan. 20 Tunisian Liberation Party leader Osman Bakach utters the soundbyte "Muslims are fed up with these dictatorial regimes and we will not stop until Islam and only Islam is back in power." On Jan. 20 the Largest Roundup in FBI History arrests 127 worldwide incl. 30 made men from seven crime families; they are held on an army base. On Jan. 20 Birmingham imam Shaykh Asrar Rashid tells Muslims not to fight in the British armed forces due to their presence in Iraq and Afghanistan, and calls Queen Elizabeth II a "disgusting woman" for knighting writer Salman Rushdie. On Jan. 21 the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood threatens to foment a Tunisian-style uprising in Egypt if its demands for political reform aren't met; meanwhile retired U.S. Gen. Stanley McChrystal denies that he is part of a religious order waging war on Islam as claimed by journalist Seymour Hersh, who names Opus Dei and the Knights of Malta. On Jan. 21 anti-govt. clases outside the PM's office in Tirana, Albania kills three and injure dozens. On Jan. 22 a mass demonstration is held in Algeria against the govt. of pres. Abdelaziz Bouteflika; George Soros funds opposition groups and lobbies for Bouteflika to incl. Islamist political parties in his govt. incl. those linked to al-Qaida incl. GSPC, Houmat Daawa Salafia (HDS), and the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat. On Jan. 22 Irish PM Brian Cowen resigns as leader of the Fianna Fail Party, but vows to stay PM until the Mar. 11 election. On Jan. 24 Pres. Obama appoints former Rhodes College prof. Quintan Wiktorowicz to the Nat. Security Council; his research found that the most religious Muslims are least susceptible to radicalization. On Jan. 24 a Hezbollah-backed PM Najib Miqati takes office in Lebanon, causing angry protests as the Shiites gain mo' powah. On Jan. 24 U.S. Border Patrol catches Mexican drug smugglers using a Medieval-style catapault to launch drug packages over the U.S.-Mexico border fence. On Jan. 24 (4:32 p.m.) a Muslim terrorist suicide bomber at the Domodedovo Airport in Moscow sets of a device with the equivalent of 15 lbs. of TNT in a crowded internat. arrival zone, killing 35 and wounding 160+; the bomber is Magomed Yevlovyev (1990-); the initial suspect is Russian Muslim convert Vitaly Razdobudko, who works for Chechen leader Doku Umarov; imam Abdullah Stepanenko, who converted him was convicted of holding a man captive in 2006 and was found with Wahhabist lit. and a manual on explosives in his home; Russian media link the attack to the computer game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. On Jan. 24 gunmen open fire at a soccer game in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, killing seven and wounding two. On Jan. 24 machete-wilding Islamic attackers kill six in two Christian villages in C Nigeria, in retaliation for a New Year's attack on a van full of Muslims that killed eight. On Jan. 25 (Egyptian Nat. Police Day) the 2011 Egyptian (Papyrus) Rev. in Tahrir (Liberation) Square in Cairo begins with Tunisian-copycat violent demonstrations against the govt. of Egyptian pres. #4 (since Oct. 14, 1981) Muhammad Hosni El Sayed Mubarak (1928-), sparked by a video blog by activist Asmaa Mahfouz (1985-); they are followed by calls for a 2-day nat. strike; Coptic pope Shenouda III orders Copts to not participate for fear of a Muslim Brotherhood takeover; on Jan. 25 Mubarak's son and heir Gamal Mubarak flees to Britain with his family; on Jan. 26 IAEA dir.-gen. (1997-2009) (mistruster of the U.S., accused of pro-Iranian ties) (Gandhi lookalike?) Mohamed ElBaradei (1942-) returns to Egypt, expecting to lead the protesters; on Jan. 27 the Egyptian stock exchange plunges 6.25% in 15 min., causing trading to halt and the Egyptian govt. to cut off Internet access (first time in Internet history?) (restored on Feb. 2); on Jan. 27-28 U.S. homeland security secy. Janet Napolitano secretly meets with Muslim, Arab, and Sikh "community leaders, incl. three orgs. associated with the Muslim Brotherhood; on Jan. 28 after several vehicles are stolen from the locked-down U.S. embassy in Cairo and used to run people over, fanning riots, the Egyptian military deploys in Cairo under curfew, killing Egyptian protester Sally Zahran (b. 1987-), causing NASA to name a spaceship after her; police use U.S.-made tear gas canisters; after police use rubber bullets and pellet guns on the protesters, 3.8K suffer serious eye injuries, and 1.5K lose one eye; on Jan. 28 Mubarak dismisses his govt., then names a new one on Jan. 29, causing U.S. stocks to take a dip on Jan. 28; on Jan. 29 mobs ignore curfew and set fire to Mubarak's ruling party HQ and state security bldgs., confronting the military, with a Tiananmen Square deja vu moment; Mubarak's wife Suzanne and sons Alaa and Gamal flee to London, while Israel severs diplomatic relations and flies out 200 members of Israeli diplomatic families, and several Arab nations do ditto; on Jan. 29 (Day 5) after giving the order for police to fire on crowds, only to see troops switch sides to the protesters, Mubarak appoints his first-ever pres. and successor, intel head Gen. Omar Mahmoud Suleiman (1936-2012) (known for orchestrating the brutal interrogation of terror suspects abducted by the CIA, then passing intel info. to the U.S.) after passing over his groomed son Gamal Mubarak, sacking Egyptian PM #4 (since July 14, 2004) Ahmad Nazif (1952) in favor of Ahmed Mohamed Shafik Zaki (1941-), who becomes Egyptian PM #49 (until Mar. 3), while IAEA dir. gen. Mohamed ElBaradai announces that "the state of Egypt is in a state of collapse", calling upon the Egyptian army "to take the side of the people" and for Mubarak to step down; on Jan. 29 an escape attempt at Abu Zaabal Prison in Cairo results in eight killed and 123 wounded; on Jan. 29 an assassination attempt is made on Omar Suleiman, killing two bodyguards; on Jan. 28 White House press secy. Robert Gibbs calls for Egypt to turn the Internet and social media back on, after which Chip Reid of CBS asks him "why is the president not standing where you're standing right now?", after which Pres. Obama speaks from the White House State dining room, revelaing that he spoke with Mubarak and told him that "he has a responsibility to give meaning" to the words of his recent speech, and calling on the Egyptian govt. to "refrain from any violence on peaceful protesters"; on Jan. 28 Iranian Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami says that the U.S. dream of creating a new Middle East it dominates isn't coming true, and that a new Middle East based on Islamic principles is taking shape; on Jan. 28 after looters break into the King Tutankhamen collection and destroy two Pharonic mummies, the Egyptian army storms the Egyptian Nat. Museum at Tahrir Square in Cairo to protect it from looters, after which students form a human chain to help them as the army starts disappearing and anarchy reigns; on Jan. 28 leading Egyptian Islamic scholar Saeed Amer of Al Azhar says that protests that cause violence are forbidden (haram) in Islam; on Jan. 29 the Egyptian army surrounds the U.S. and U.K. embassies to prevent a repeat of 1979 Iran?; on Jan. 29 Saudi king Abdullah slams Egyptian protesters as "infiltrators", and says Mubarak "reassured" him about the situation, then begins opening his checkbook and spending $130B in his own country to forestall any Egypt-style revolt; on Jan. 30 the U.S. tells its citizens to leave Egypt as soon as possible, while the Egyptian govt. pulls the license for Al Jazeera Network, which had been broadcasting the protests lives on the Internet; on Jan. 30 U.S. secy. of state Hillary Clinton calls for the Egyptian govt. to conduct elections, while protesters in Alexandria begin shouting anti-U.S. and anti-Israel slogans, and armed gunmen from Hamas cross from Gaza into N Sinai to attack and push back Egyptian forces on orders of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood in order to open a new front against the Mubarak regime, causing Hamas to close the Rafah border crossing after Egyptian guards flee their posts; on Jan. 31 Cairo Airport is jammed with foreigners trying to escape, while Hillary Clinton convenes an unprecedented mass meeting of U.S. ambassadors from nearly all of its 260 embassies and other posts in 180 countries; on Jan. 31 Mubarak swears in a new cabinet, while Hamas shoots Grad rockets from Gaza to the S Israeli cities of Ofakim and Netivot, and a Qasam rocket to Eshkol, and Israeli security officials report that "something big" was smuggled from Egypt into the Gaza Strip; on Jan. 31 former U.S. ambassador to Egypt Frank Wisner holds a secret meeting in Cairo with senior Muslim Brotherhood leader Issam El-Erian; on Feb. 1 White House press secy. announces that the new Egyptian govt. must incl. a "whole host of important non-secular actors", becoming the first time that the U.S. govt. supports granting a govt. role to the Muslim Brotherhood, which wants to exterminate Israel, and calls for a referendum on the 1979 Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty; meanwhile the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood waits in the wings for a possible Islamist takeover, with leader Mohamed Ghanem calling on Egypt to stop pumping gas to Israel and prepare for a war with it; polls show that only 27% of Egyptians support modernizers, while 59% support Islamists incl. Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, causing commentators to conclude that Egyptians want Mubarak ousted because of his non-belligerent stance toward Israel and U.S. ties; on Feb. 1 Pres. Obama's envoy Frank Wisner suggest to Mubarak not to run for reelection, which he accepts, insisting on stay in power until Sept. elections, while U.S. ambassador Margaret Scobey talks with Mohamed ElBaradei; Pres. Obama gives a news conference, calling for an "orderly transition" which "must begin now", saying that Mubarak "recognizes that the status quo is not sustainable and that a change must take place"; too bad, the protesters want Mubarak out immediately, and vow to stay in the streets until he goes; on Feb. 2 (Bloody Wed.) Mubarak and anti-Mubarak forces clash in Tahrir Square, with anti-Mubarak protesters claiming that some of the opposition protesters are security personnel dressed in civilian clothing, while others ride camels and horses and are armed with clubs, injuring 1.5K and killing three; CNN's Anderson Cooper gets caught in the middle of the protesters and punched 10x; four Israeli journalists are arrested in Cairo; on Feb. 2 ElBaradei orders Mubarak to leave Egypt by Feb. 5 (Fri.) or he'll be a "dead man walking", to which Mubarak replies "This dear country is my country... and I will die on its land"; on Feb. 2 Iranian spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast claims that the U.S. is trying "to prevent the tremendous movement of Egypt's magnanimous nation", calling the dispatch of Frank Wisner part of a scheme aimed at "devising deviatory plots"; on Feb. 3 ("Day of Departure") anti-govt. protesters take over the Oct. 6 Bridge, while chaos grips Cairo, causing the army to move in and the U.S. to recall envoy Frank Wisner, while Omar Suleiman invites the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood to a nat. dialog, and the U.S. Senate unanimously approves a resolution calling on Mubarak to create a caretaker govt. but not step down; on Feb. 3 former Israeli cabinet minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer says that the U.S. doesn't realize the catastrophe they're pushing the Middle East into because Mubarak kept the peace with Israel; on Feb. 3 Mubarak grants an exclusive interview with ABC-TV's Christiane Amanpour, telling her that he'd like to resign but can't because the country would plunge into chaos; on Feb. 4 (Departure Fri.) while journalists are being rounded up, beaten, and threatened, Pres. Obama gives a press conference on Egypt, saying that the "entire world is watching", that the U.S. can't decide Egypt's fate, that "suppression is not going to work", and Mubarak "cares about his country - he is proud, but he's also a patriot", and should be asking himself "How do I leave a legacy behind in which Egypt is able to get through this transformative period... and my hope is that he will end up making the right decision"; on Feb. 5 (a.m.) masked men attack the Israeli-Egyptian gas pipeline in El-Arish, Egypt in N Sinai, causing Israel to deploy military forces to demilitarized Sinai, and more on Feb. 16; on Feb. 5 Mubarak meets with his economic ministers in the hopes that curing the unemployment and food price problems might save him; on Feb. 5 France announces that it has suspended sales of arms and riot equipment to Egypt; on Feb. 6 Suleiman forms a constitutional reform committee with opposition groups incl. the liberal Wafd Party, the leftist Tagammu Party, and the Muslim Brotherhood, and agrees to end the 30-y.-o. emergency law, permit press freedom, and release those detained during the protests, with Hillary Clinton saying "Today we learned the Muslim Brotherhood decided to participate, which suggest they at least are now involved in the dialogue that we have encouraged", saying she would "wait and see"; meanwhile Mohamed ElBaradei slams the talks because he wasn't invited, and says they lack credibility; on Feb. 6 Jordanian prince El-Hassan bin Talaal urges that the Muslim Brotherhood not be excluded from a future Egyptian govt.; on Feb. 7 Human Rights Watch announces that 297 were killed during the protests; on Feb. 8 new crowds in Tahrir Square celebrating the release of Wael Ghonim incl. middle class protesters; on Feb. 8 Iranian defense minister Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi claims that the Egyptian uprising is inspired by the 1979 Iranian Rev.; on Feb. 9 strikes erupt around the country, while Al-Qaeda in Iraq urges Egyptians to wage jihad and establish an Islamist govt.; on Feb. 10 Pres. Obama calls for an "orderly and genuine" transition to democracy, and claims that Mubarak will step down; on Feb. 10 Mubarak delivers an Address to the Egyptian People, saying he won't quit and needs to stay in power until the Sept. elections, causing pissing-off the crowd in Tahrir Square, who angrily wave their shoes at him, after which Pres. Obama questions whether his pledge to shift power to his vice-pres. is "immediate, meaningful or sufficient"; on Feb. 10 Iran puts opposition leader Mahdi Karroubi under arrest for asking permission to hold a rally on Feb. 14 in support of the uprisings; meanwhile rumors of the death of Saudi King Abdullah after a phone call with Pres. Obama in which he warned him not to humiliate Mubarak surface; on Feb. 11 (Day 18) after protesters move to the Ittihadiya pres. palace in the Cairo suburb of Heliopolis and threaten massive protests in Tahrir Square, more rumors surface that Mubarak and his family have fled Cairo for Sharm el-Sheikh, followed by an announcement that he has stepped down and transferred power to the military supreme council, with the soundbyte: "In the name of Allah the Merciful, the Compassionate: Citizens, during these very difficult circumstances Egypt is going through, President Hosni Mubarak has decided to step down from the office of president of the republic and has charged the high council of the armed forces to administer the affairs of the country. May Allah help everybody"; Rachel Maddow of MSNBC calls it "a Berlin Wall moment"; vice-pres. Joe Biden calls it a "pivotal moment in history", adding: "The United States has largely spoken with one voice"; before stepping down, Mubarak called former Israeli minister Benjamin Ben-Elizier and slammed the U.S., saying that the U.S. push for democracy will result in an Islamist takeover; on Feb. 11 Pres. Obama delivers a Speech on the Resignation of Mubarak, praising the protesters for changing "the arc of history" (from a quote by MLK Jr.), through non-violence not "terrorism and mindless killing", saying that by stepping down, Mubarak "responded to the people's hunger for change", but "this is not the end", adding "What is clear... is my belief that an orderly transition must be meaningful, it must be peaceful, and it must begin now"; Robert Gibbs resigns the same day, with Obama uttering the soundbyte that he's not the biggest resignation news of the day; Switzerland wastes no time in freezing Mubarak's assets; on Feb. 11 Iranian pres. Imadinnajacket praises the Egyptian uprising as proof that a new Middle East is emerging that will break free of U.S. "interference" and doom Israel; on Feb. 11 South African CBS reporter Lara Logan (1971-) is assaulted by a 200-man Muslim mob shouting "Jew! Jew!", who beat and sexually assault her; on Feb. 12 the Egyptian military pledges to hand power to a civilian grovt. and abide by its peace treaty with Israel, then on Feb. 13 after large demonstrations of police, public and private sector workers, along with rallies to attempt to clear the name of the police for use of force against protesters, it dissolves parliament, suspends the constitution, and calls for elections in 6 mo., and on Feb. 14 issues Communique No. 5 to dozens of remaining protesters to leave Tahrir Square, calling for them to go back to work for nat. solidarity and to restore the economy; on Feb. 15 the Muslim Brotherhood announces the formation of a new political party, but pledges it won't field a pres. candidate in the next election; too bad, the committee appointed to draw up a new constitution in 10 days is headed by a fundamentalist Islamic judge, who refuses to remove Article 2 that makes Islam the state religion and makes Sharia the main source of law, becoming a V for the Muslim Brotherhood; meanwhile the British Guardian claims that the Mubarak regime disappeared thousands of demonstrators; meanwhile Arab govts. in Jordan, Yemen, Syria et al. raise subsidies on food and heating oil, and raise salaries and lower taxes in an attempt to stave off more unrest; after a govt. shakeup in early Feb. in Jordan, new justice minister Hussein Mjali utters the soundbyte that Israel is a "terrorist state that will be destroyed"; meanwhile leftist Jewish billionaire George Soros calls Israel an obstacle to Egyptian reform, pissing-off the Anti-Defamation League (ADL); meanwhile Gamaa Islamiya, Egypt's largest extremist org. resurfaces; Egyptian protester Jamal Ibrahim names his newborn daughter Facebook; on Feb. 18 Victory Fri. sees hundreds of thousands demonstrate in Cairo to celebrate one week sans Mubarak, while tens of thousands of Egyptian migrant workers in Libya begin returning; on Mar. 2 a constitutional referendum is announced for Mar. 19; on Mar. 3 PM Ahmed Safik steps down to prevent planned protests against him the next day, and Essam Sharaf is appointed the new PM of Egypt (until ?); on Mar. 5 protesters raid several State Security Investigations (SSI) offices across Egypt to find evidence of crimes committed during the Mubarak regime; on Mar. 22 an interior ministry bldg. catches on fire during police demonstrations outside it; on Mar. 23 a new law is announced outlawing protests and strikes, with a fine up to $100K; on Mar. 29 the military council postpones parliamentary elections until Sept.; on Apr. 1 Save the Rev. Day sees tens of thousands demonstrate to demand the military council to dismantle the old regime faster; on Apr. 5 the U.N. high commissioner on human rights urges the military council to move towards dem. reform; on Apr. 8 protesters stage a "Friday of Cleansing" in Tahrir Square, calling for a new constitution, removal of the emergency law, an end to military rule, and Mubarak's arrest; on Apr. 9 protesters in Tahrir Square calling for Mubarak's arrest are fired on by security forces, killing two and injuring dozens; on Apr. 10 Egyptian blogger Maikel Nabil is sentenced to three years in prison for criticizing the military; on Apr. 11 Egyptian ex-PM (2004-11) Ahmed Nazif is called in for questioning on corruption allegations; on Apr. 13 while in the hospital for heart problems, Mubarak is arrested for corruption, abuse of power, and the killing of protesters, along with his two sons. On Jan. 25 U.S. state secy. Hillary Clinton announces $500M in additional aid to Mexico this year to fight crime. On Jan. 25 (9:00 p.m. EST) Pres. Obama delivers his 2011 State of the Union Address, claiming that 1M private sector jobs have been added over the past year, vowing to veto all bills containing earmarks, and calling for bipartanship on job creation, along with a 5-year freeze on non-security discretionary spending; the 2nd time since Truman's 1948 State of the Union Address that poverty or the plight of the poor isn't mentioned by a Dem. pres. On Jan. 26 Lauren Booth, sister-in-law of former British PM Tony Blair turns against him and says he should be tried for war crimes over the invasion of Iraq. On Jan. 26 an Islamist car bomb in front of a cafe in Dagestan, Russia kills four and injures six. On Jan. 26 the 2011 Syrian Uprising (ends ?) begins with protests, which escalate to a full uprising by Mar. 15. On Jan. 26 the Carlyle Group agrees to purchase AlpInvest Partners, giving it $150B in assets under mgt., up from $98B, making it the world's largest buyout firm. On Jan. 27 Janet Napolitano announces the retirement of the color-coded Homeland Security Advisory System (introduced Mar. 11, 2002) in favor of the Nat. Terrorism advisory System. On Jan. 27 tens of thousands participate in rival rallies by pro and anti-govt. parties in Sana'a, Yemen, causing the ruling party on Jan. 28 to call for talks with the opposition; on Feb. 2 Yemeni pres. Ali Abdullah Saleh announces that he won't seek to become pres. for life or stand for another term, causing simultaneous pro and anti govt. protests in Sana'a on Feb. 3. On Jan. 27 Mexican pres. Felipe Calderon signs a new asylum law bringing Mexico in line with internat. agreements on handling of refugees. On Jan. 27 Israeli strategic affairs minister Moshe Yaalon claims that Hezbollah has infiltrated agents from Lebanon to the Gaza Strip to train Palestinian militants. On Jan. 27 a Sunni car bomb outside a funeral tent in a Shiite area of Baghdad kills 48+. On Jan. 27 CIA contract security officer Raymond Allen Davis shoots two men trying to rob him in Lahore, Pakistan, causing the Pakistani govt. to arrest him and hold him as a political hostage, terrorist, and spy; on Feb. 19 a Pakistani court orders the arrest of another U.S. consular employee for driving a car that run over another robber while trying to pick Davis up; on Mar. 16 he is released after the families of the victims pardon him in return for $2.34M in blood money, causing countrywide protests; the money was arranged by Saudi Arabia? On Jan. 27 Amazon.com announces that it sells more Kindle ebooks than paperbacks, 115 for every 100. On Jan. 27 the White House outlines an ambitious plan to put 1M electric cars on the road by 2015. On Jan. 28 anti-govt. demonstrations in Tirana, Albana sees three killed by police, causing EU to urge rival political leaders to defuse the crisis. On Jan. 28 3K Islamists and leftists protest in Amman, Jordan against the govt., shouting "We want change". On Jan. 28 the women's wing of the Islamic Jamaat-e-Islami movement demonstrates in Karachi, Pakistan in support of Pakistan's Islamic blasphemy law. On Jan. 28 40K Cypriots demonstrate in Nicosia, Cyprus against cuts in public spending by the Turkish govt. On Jan. 28 the German parliament votes to extend Germany's military mission in Afghanistan by one year despite polls showing the war's unpopularity. On Jan. 28 it is announced that Mark Zuckerberg's fan page was hacked, with a message appearing under his name reading "Let the hacking begin. If Facebook needs money, instead of going to the banks, why doesn't Facebook let its users invest in Facebook in a social way? Why not transform Facebook into a 'social business' the way Nobel Prize winner Muhammad Yunus described it?" On Jan. 28 White House senior adviser David M. Axelrod (1955-) leaves, and 2008 Obama campaign mgr. David Plouffe replaces him. On Jan. 28 (01:00) a UFO is spotted on the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. On Jan. 29 Pope Benedict XVI launches a new outreach called the Courtyard of the Gentiles as an outreach to atheists, starting with a 3-day event in Paris in Mar. On Jan. 29 the Islamic Jamiya org. asks Singapore minister Lee Kuan Yew to explain statements in a recent book that Islam is a difficult religion to integrate. On Jan. 29 the Yemeni al-Qaida cmdr. declares jihad against the Houthi-led Shiite fighters in N Yemen. On Jan. 29 Pres. Obama announces his determination to "spark the minds of innovators" in the U.S. to produce new products and technologies to make the country more competitive. On Jan. 29 Tunisian technocrat PM (since 1999) Mohamed Ghannouchi (1941-) (who serves as pres. on Jan. 14-15) vows a transition to democracy, while hundreds of pro-Islamists protest in Tunisia, shouting "We want freedom for the hijab, the niqab, and the beard", and hundreds of women march in Tunis to express fears of a new Islamist regime that keeps them down; on Jan. 30 exiled Tunisian Islamist Hizb al-Nahdah (Renaissance Party) leader Rachid Ghanouchi (Rashid al-Ghannushi) (1941-) arrives from Britain with 70 party members, and is greeted by crowds cheering Allah Akbar, causing him to utter the soundbyte "I'm no Khomeini" and claim that his views are more moderate; military chief of staff Rachid Ammar becomes Tunisia's powerbroker. On Jan. 29 Dutch-Iranian protester Zahra Bahrami (b. 1965) is executed in Tehran on ambiguous charges, causing the Dutch govt. to cut off diplomatic contact with Iran. On Jan. 29 a cargo train and passenger collide near Hordorf, Germany (near Magdebug), killing 10 and injuring 23. On Jan. 30 the anti-corruption protest fever spreads to India, with marches in New Delhi and other cities. On Jan. 30 Pres. Obama appoints new deputy budget and mgt. dir. Jeffrey Zients to oversee the biggest reorg. of the federal govt. in over 50 years to allow the U.S. to adapt to global economic cooperation. On Jan. 30 Cyprus becomes the first EU country to recognize Palestinian statehood. On Jan. 30 14-y.-o. Bangladeshi girl Hena Gegum (b. 1996) is raped by a 40-y.-o. married man; on Jan. 31 a Muslim Sharia court sentences her to 100 lashes for having an illicit affair, and she bleeds to death in the hospital. On Jan. 31 the Arab Spring begins in Baghdad, Iraq as 100 march in Firdos Square, and 100 more march in Tahrir Square near the Green Zone. On Jan. 31 Oman claims to have uncovered a spy network in its midst run by the UAE. On Jan. 31 Nigerian security officials thwart an Islamist attempt to bomb a Christian church in Bauchi, Nigeria. On Jan. 31 two Islamist bomb explosions in Peshawar, Pakistan kill six incl. a deputy supt. of police. On Jan. 31 the New York Times and Washington Post reveal that Pakistan's nuclear arsenal is estimated at 100+ deployed nukes, having doubled since Obama took office, and is surging and set to overtake Britain as the world's #5 nuclear weapons power. On Jan. 31 the U.S. State Dept. issues an updated warning on the "continuing threat of terrorist actions" for U.S. citizens worldwide, along with a 2nd advisory cautioning against travel to Britain. On Jan. 31-Feb. 2 the 2011 North Am. Winter Storm (Blizard), AKA the Storm of the Cent. and the 2011 Groundhog Day Blizzard hits three-quarters of the U.S. with record snowfalls and low temps. In Jan. the British Health Protection Agency announces that a fatal superbug called NDM-1 has invaded Britain from India and Pakistan. In Jan. a U.S. extradition treaty with El Salvador goes into effect. In Jan. the Bombay Stock Exchange and the Istanbul Stock Exchange debut Sharia-compliant equity indexes. In Jan. Muslim GOP activist Subhail A. Khan is outed as a radical Muslim Brotherhood suporter, along with his mother. In Jan. the heartwarming story of homeless African-Am. DJ Ted Williams, who was discovered on the street complete with a golden voice, made it big with a viral video and TV morning show interviews and showered with job offers becomes the Susan Boyle story of 2011. In Jan. world food prices surge 3.4% for the 7th straight mo., reaching a new record. In Jan. two Kurdish mass graves are discovered in SE Turkey, the result of Turkey's war with the Kurdish rebel group PKK. In Jan. Romania begins taxing witches and fortune tellers, causing some to celebrate that they're now legalized. In Jan. Wash.-born Phil Hill (1970-) announces plans for an alien refueling station on the summit of Pikes Peak in Colo., featuring a 480-ft. pyramid sans visitors center and coffee shop (no room). In Jan. after finding that the number of sexual assault cases in Palestinian terrority has increased 7x from 2006-9, the Palestinian Authority launches a plan to combat violence against women with funding from the U.S. and Spain. In Jan. Israel tests its Magic Wand intermediate-range anti-missile system that fills the gap between its Iron Dome system for short-range missiles and its Arrow system for long-range missiles; it begins operation in S Israel on Mar. 27, 2011. In Jan. the U.S. Nat. Security Agency begins the $1.2B Utah Spy Data Center 25 mi. S of Salt Lake City to complement the one in Ft. Meade, Md. In Jan. radical Canadian Muslim imam Said Jaziri, who was deported to Tunisia in 2008 is caught trying to sneak into the U.S. over the Mexican border inside the trunk of a BMW near San Diego, Calif. In Jan. the U.S. unemployment rate falls from 9.4% to 9%, adding 36K new jobs. In Jan. the Ground Zero Mosque org. replaces Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf with Abdallah Adhami, who goes on to call homosexuality a disease, claim that true Muslims follow Sharia, and utters the soundbyte "We have more of a right to Moses" than Jews do; he is fired on Feb. 4. In Jan. the govt. of Tajikistan begins closing mosques on various pretexts, reaching 1.5K by June. In Jan. 25 Islamic scholars Meet to argue in favor of reviving Islam's doctrine of Ijtihad, i.e., reevaluation fo basic teachinges, incl. jihad, women's rights, secularism, etc. On Feb. 1 after the army promises not to get violent 1M+ protest in Cairo against Hosni Mubarak; other protests are held throughout Egypt, incl. 250K in Sinai. On Feb. 1 after protests over poor living conditions and high food prices, Jordan king Abdullah II fires PM Samir Rifai and his cabinet, and asks ex-PM (2005-7) Marouf al-Bakhit to form a new one that will launch reforms. On Feb. 1 Iran human rights activist (Baha'i member) Navid Khanjani is sentenced to 12 years, their heaviest sentence to a human rights activist so far; it also issues five death sentences for others for obscene Web sites and other Islamic offenses; Iran also announces that it will segregate male and female students at Allameh Tabatabai U. On Feb. 1 EU foreign minister Baroness Ashton of Britain scuttles a EU attempt to agree on a statement condemning attacks on Christians in the Islamic word because she won't use the word Christian. On Feb. 1 the Dow Jones Industrial Avg. closes above 12K for the first time since June 2008. On Feb. 2 the German state of Hesse and state employees from wearing the burka. On Feb. 2 British Muslim minister Mohammed Hanif Khan is convicted of raping a 12-y.-o. boy, and sexually abusing another at a mosque in Stoke-on-Trent; he had been honored by Princess Anne for his work. On Feb. 2 IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn warns that the weakened world economy and joblessness could bring war within more nations than Tunisia and Egypt, and calls for a new world currency to challenge the U.S. dollar. On Feb. 3 Category 3 (180 mph) Cyclone Yasi slams into N Queensland, Australia, causing $3.5B damage. On Feb. 3 police chief Manuel Farten of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico is killed along with two bodyguards after holding the job for 33 days. On Feb. 3 the Homeland Security and Govt. Affairs Committte chaired by Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) release their Report on the Ft. Hood Massacre, concluding that the "ticking time bomb" massacre could have been prevented. On Feb. 3 Pres. Obama addresses the Nat. Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., claiming his Christian faith as "a sustaining force" in his life, and praying for an end to violence in Egypt. On Feb. 3 after residents of a former squat are evicted, 1.5k leftists riot in Berlin, Germany injuring 61 police officers, who arrest 82. On Feb. 4 hundreds of protesters, incl. leftists and the Muslim Brotherhood march in Amman, Jordan against the govt. and in support of the Egyptian Rev. On Feb. 4 a Gallup Poll shows that Pres. Obama has the most polarizing 2nd year in office since Ike in 1953, with a 68% gap between Dems. and Repubs.; Reagan's 2nd year gap was 56%. On Feb. 4 140+ Roman Catholic theologians from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland call for an end to celibacy for priests. On Feb. 4 the Jewish People Policy Inst. of Jerusalem claims that Hamas hacked its Web site. On Feb. 4 British PM David Cameron launches a war on 30 years of failed multiculturalism with a new policy of "muscular liberalism", telling Muslims that he is declaring an end to "passive tolerance" of divided communities, and they must integrate and accept core British values and speak English or else they will lose public money. On Feb. 4 Asteroid 2011 CQ1 passes within 5.5K km of Earth, close enough to change its orbit; it is first discovered the same day. On Feb. 5 the New START Treaty goes into force, limiting the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads to 1,550; it is expected to last until 2021. On Feb. 5 the French senate votes 182-156 to reject a tough Sarkozy-backed immigration bill that would strip citizenship if they have been citizens for less than 10 years and threaten the police, place an "unreasonable" strain on the welfare state, or are guilty of "aggressive begging"; critics liken it to the Vichy regime. On Feb. 5 hundreds of members of the English Defence League stage an anti-Islam demonstration in Luton (N of London), shouting "No more mosques", "Never surrender", and "Islam is of the Devil". On Feb. 5 three teen boys are shot to death in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, two of them U.S. citizens. On Feb. 5 the Vatican announces that Pope Benedict XVI doesn't carry an organ donor card - because his organs are too holy to donate to lesser mortals? On Feb. 5 Sheikh 'Ahed Ahmad 'Abd Al-Karim Al-Sa'idani (AKA Abu Al-Walid Al-Maqdisi), leader of the Salafist jihadi group Jama'at Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad issues a fatwa, saying that while the Quran prohibits the killing of innocents, it is permissible to kill Jewish and Christian civilians in a jihad since they are "fundamentally not innocent" - judge now that ye be not judged - not? On Feb. 5 British Special Forces seize a shipment of 48 Iranian rockets in Nimruz Province, S Afghanistan en route to the Taliban. On Feb. 6 the U.N. celebrates Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Day. On Feb. 6 a machete-wielding mob of 1.5K Muslims attacks the home of an Ahmadiyah Muslim sect leader along with 20 members in Banten Province, Java, Indonesia, killing three and wounding six. On Feb. 6 Pres. Obama gives a pre-Super Bowl interview with Bill O'Reilly, laughing off the millions who hate him with "What they hate is whatever funhouse mirror image of you that's out there - they don't know you", and pooh-poohing the Muslim Brotherhood, saying they don't have majority support, but that there's "no going back" for Egypt. On Feb. 6 20K rally in Lahore, Pakistan over Kashmir, calling for jihad and nuclear war against India. On Feb. 6 a Turkish parliamentary commission releases a report that claims that the Swiss ban on minarets is responsible for increasing xenophobia and Islamophobia in Switzerland. On Feb. 6 a military clash begins on a disputed border by Thailand and Cambodia. On Feb. 6 a video posted by Chechen emir Doku Umarov, Russia's most wanted terrorists claims credit for the Moscow airport massacre, and warns the pop. of Moscow to brace for a "year of blood and tears"; he controls up to 60 suicide bombers in N Caucasus. On Feb. 6 Super Bowl XLV (45) (2011) is played in Arlington, Tex.; the Green Bay Packers defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25; Christina Aguilera flubs a line while singing the U.S. nat. anthem; Packers QB (#12) Aaron Charles Rodgers (1983-) is MVP; Pres. Obama serves White House Honey Ale at his Super Bowl party, becoming the first U.S. pres. to home-brew beer in the White House. On Feb. 7 Pres. Obama delivers a speech to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in an attempt to mend fences. On Feb. 7 AOL agrees to buy the leftist pro-Islam Huffington Post (founded May 2005) for $315M; it has 25M monthly visitors, and blocked TLW from posting. On Feb. 7 Afghan Red Cross activist Said Musa (1965-) is sentenced to death for converting to Christianity; he can only save himself by reconverting to Islam. On Feb. 7 U.S. secy. of state Hillary Clinton announces that the U.S. is starting the process of removing Arabic-speaking Sudan from its list of state sponsors of terrorism following the finalization of the referendum on independence for Dinka-speaking South Sudan, which becomes the first new country of the decade, and up-and-coming U.N. member #193; too bad, the secession of oil-rich South Sudan causes a depression in Sudan. On Feb. 7 24-.y.-o. Christian Imran Masih (b. 1986) is found dead at his Muslim employer Chaudhry Masqood Cheema's farmhouse, and he claims suicide, which is backed up by the hospital and police, causing Christian protests. On Feb. 8 police in Burundi arrest eight Pakistani Muslim preachers for preaching jihad. On Feb. 8 hundreds of Islamists storm a courthouse in Temanggung, Indonesia and set two churches on fire to protest a lenient 5-year sentence for Antonius Richmand Bawengan, a Christian convicted of blaspheming Islam, which they think merits the death penalty. On Feb. 8 U.S. House majority leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) says that the primary goal of U.S. policy in Egypt should be to "stop the spread of radical Islam". On Feb. 8 a Jordanian official discloses that senior Palestinian Authority and Fatah officials incl. Mahmoud Abbas and his two sons have been given Jordanian citizenship, despite Jordan revoking the citizenship of thousands of other Palestinians. On Feb. 8 the U.S. House votes 277-148 to reject a 9-mo. extension of counterterrorism survillance powers under the U.S. Patriot Act. On Feb. 9 a suicide bomber posing as a dairy deliveryman strikes a Kurdish security HQ in Sulaimaniyah, Iraq, killing seven and wounding 80. On Feb. 9-10 the govt. of Malayasia resumes talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Clap on, clap off, it's the Clapper? On Feb. 10 U.S. nat. intel dir. #4 (since Aug. 5, 2010) James R. Clapper (1941-) tells Congress that he didn't miss warning signs of turmoil in Egypt, and tells Rep. Sue Myrick (R-N.C.) that the horrible Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood is "a very heterogeneous group, largely secular, which has eschewed violence and has decried al-Qaeda as a perversion of Islam", that it has "pursued social ends, a betterment of the political order in Egypt" and "There is no overarching agenda, particularly in pursuit of violence, at least internationally"; its violent record 60 years ago is forgotten, along with its slogan "God is our objective, the Quran is our Constitution, the Prophet is our leader, struggle is our way, and death for the sake of God is the highest of our aspirations", and its handbook which incl. the soundbyte "Prepare yourself and train in the art of warfare, and embrace the causes of power. You must learn the ways and manners and laws of war. You must learn them and embrace them and adhere to them, so that your Jihad will be the one accepted by Allah"; hours before his testimony the real Muslim Brotherhood admits that Sharia in Egypt is "not its immediate end, but we will work for it in future", the opposite of secular; Clapper spokesman Jamie Smith later releases a clarification: "In Egypt the Muslim Brotherhood makes efforts to work through a political system that has been, under Mubarak's rule, one that is largely secular in its orientation. He is well aware that the Muslim Brotherhood is not a secular organization"; meanwhile FBI dir. Robert Mueller tells Congress that the Muslim Brotherhood has supported internat. terrorism, and that its ideology inspired Osama bin Laden and other terrorists; last Dec. 23 Clueless Clapper was caught being unaware of British anti-terror raids when questioned by Diane Sawyer of ABC-TV; on Mar. 10 Clapper tells the Senate Armed Services Commitee that "over the longer term Qaddafi will prevail", causing the Obama admin. er, to contradict him; on May 29, 2011 Muslim Brotherhood leader Sheikh Sheikh Hazem Abu Ismail announces his candidacy for pres. of Israel, promising to turn Egypt into an Islamist state complete with Sharia, and to go to war with Israel. On Feb. 10 French pres. Nicolas Sarkozy joins other world leaders, declaring that multiculturalism has failed, with the soundbyte "Of course we must all respect difference, but we do not want... a society where communities coexist side by side... If you come to France, you accept to melt into a single community...and if you do not want to accept that, you cannot be welcome in France"; on Feb. 15 Dutch Christian Dem. leader Maxime Verhagen does ditto, followed on Feb. 18 by Australian Liberal politician Cory Bernardi, who says "Islam itself is the problem, it's not Muslims"; in Feb. France's governing party announces plans for a nat. debate on the role of Islam and respect for secularism among Muslims; on Mar. 11 Sarkozy fires Muslim diversity head Abderrahmane Dahmane for calling on Muslims not to support his governing UMP party. On Feb. 10 the U.S. Treasury announces that Lebanese Canadian Bank SAL has been laundering millions of dollars in drug money for Hezbollah. On Feb. 10 the Islamic Umma Party is founded as the first political party in Saudi Arabia as a sop to the Arab revs. in other countries? On Feb. 10-12 fighting in Southern Sudan between the army and rebels under Gen. Athor kills 105, mostly civilians. On Feb. 10-12 the first regional Conservative Political Action Conference is held in Orlando, Fla., attended by 11K; surprise guest Donald Trump (his first appearance since its 1973 founding) comes out as a conservative in a speech, hinting at a White House Run (decision by June), with the soundbyte: "America is becoming a whipping post for the rest of the world... America today is missing quality leadership, and foreign countries have quickly realized this. It's for this reason that the United States is becoming the laughing stock of the world... And I can tell you this, if I run and if I win, this country will be respected again... If I decided to run, I will not be raising taxes. We'll be taking back hundreds of billions of dollars from other countries that are screwing us, we'll be creating vast numbers of productive jobs, and we'll rebuild our country so that we can be proud. Our country will be great again"; of course he can't help talking about himself, with the soundbyte: "Over the years I've participated in many battles and have really almost come out very, very victorious every single time. I've beaten many people and companies, and I've won many wars. I have fairly but intelligently earned many billions of dollars, which in a sense was both a scorecard and acknowledgment of my abilities", adding "I may be willing to put that to work", although "Frankly I wish there was a candidate that I saw that would be fantastic, because I love what I'm doing." On Feb. 11 Pres. Obama meets with Canadian PM Stephen Harper to agree on a common "perimeter" around the two countries along with a biometric system to track North Ams. On Feb. 11 the New York Times Bestseller List finally incl. ebooks. On Feb. 11 the Iran-Balkan News Agency IRBA pub. a list of 24 NATO bases in Turkey. On Feb. 11 the Umatilla native Am. tribe is permitted to hunt and harvest bison outside Yellowstone Nat. Park per an 1855 treaty. On Feb. 12 a planned speech at the annual Jewish Keren Hayesod dinner by ex-pres. George W. Bush is cancelled after the Swiss govt. issues an arrest warrant for alleged war crimes. On Feb. 12 anti-govt. demonstrations in Algiers, Algeria result in 400 arrests, while the govt. shuts down the Internet, and an anon. group stages a cyberattack on the Web site of the Algerian Interior Ministry. On Feb. 12 more govt. vs. anti-govt. demonstrations in Sa'naa, Yemen end with police beating anti-govt. protesters. On Feb. 12 armed men hurl a grenade into a crowded nightclub in Guadalajara, Mexico, killing six and woundin 37; hours earlier a shootout between the cartel and the army in Monterrey killed eight. On Feb. 12 Egyptian-born Muslim cab driver Sam Hassan Daly (1958-) plows into a crowded sidewalk in the Gaslamp District of San Diego, Calif., injuring 25. On Feb. 13 U.S. House Speaker John Boehner says that though he believes that Pres. Obama was born in Hawaii and is a Christian, he won't tell Americans what to think who question it, and that it's not just a ploy to delegitimize and weaken him as a foreign-born closet Muslim. On Feb. 13 a drive-by shooting on the outskirts of Mexico City kills seven. On Feb. 13 the 53rd Grammy Awards sees African-Am. singer-bass player Esperanza Spalding (1984-) become the first jazz artist to win the best new artist award. On Feb. 14 Pres. Obama proposes a 2012 federal budget that will cut the deficit by $1.1T over 10 years. On Feb. 14 suspected Fatah al-Islam member Ghaleb Taleb is arrested in Athens while allegedly planning attacks in Europe. On Feb. 14 Indonesian Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir (1938-) is put on trial for being the leader of a terrorist network based in Aceh, to which he replies "I was only defending Islam"; on June 16 he is convicted of supporting a jihadist terrorist camp, and sentenced to 15 years in prison. On Feb. 14 Columbian authorities announce the seizure of the first fully submersible drug-smuggling submarine capable of reaching the Mexican coast. On Feb. 15 Libyan human rights atty. Fathi Terbil, who represents the families of 1.2K detainees killed in a 1996 massacre in Abu Salim Prison in Tripoli is arrested, causing a day of rage on Feb. 17, escalating into an armed revolt starting in Benghazi in E Libya, causing Libyan ambassador to the U.S. (since Jan. 2009) Ali Suleiman Aujali (known for working to get Abdelbaset al-Megrahi returned to Libya) to resign; the 2011 Libyan Civil War (Revolt) (Feb. 17 Rev.) begins (ends Oct. 23) on the 100th anniv. of the 1911 Libyan War to oust the Ottoman Empire; in Feb. Pres. Obama signs a secret pres. directive authorizing the State Dept. and CIA to begin Operation Zero Footprint to arm the Libyan rebels, giving command authority to NATO Adm. James G. Stavidris not the U.S. military? On Feb. 15 U.S. state secy. Hillary Clinton warns that nations that restrict the Internet to hold back popular demand for dem. reforms in the Middle East do so at their own risk, and that the U.S. is ready to help the dissidents evade the restrictions. On Feb. 15 Islamic rebels clash with police in Karachayeva-Cherkessia and Stavropol in the Russian Caucasus, killing three police and three rebels. On Feb. 15 opposition protests in Tehran anger Iranian lawmakers, who shout and chant for them to be executed, causing the Rev. Guard to issue a letter on Feb. 18 promising not to shoot at protesters. On Feb. 15 oil industry sources announce that drug cartel gunmen are threatening to attack isolated natural gas well drillers in N Mexico unless they pay protection money. On Feb. 15 the U.S. reverses itself and informs Arab govts. that it will support a U.N. Security Council statement reaffirming that it "does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlement activity". On Feb. 15 Ghaybullo Avzalov, head of Tajikistan's S Khatlon Province announces new measures to combat the spread of radical Islam, starting by distributing 400K free copies of the Quran - spreading more? On Feb. 16 a U.S. ICE agent Jaime Zapata is killed and his partner Victor Avila wounded 100 mi. N of Mexico City en route to Monterey; on Feb. 24 Mexican authorities capture Julian Zapata Esponza AKA Tweety Bird (El Piolin) along with five other suspected Zeta members in San Luis Potosi, and arrest 700 suspects, confiscating drugs, weapons and $8M in cash. On Feb. 16 after visiting the Saudi port of Jeddah in the Red Sea, two Iranian warships, the frigate Alvand and the supply ship Kharq head for Syria via the Suez Canal for the first time since 1979 en route to their ally Syria, causing Israel to declare a high alert, suspecting them of carrying weapons for Hezbollah, and Iranian supreme assaholah Ali Khamenei to issue the soundbyte "The fake Zionist government is a cancerous tumor and the cause of different diseases and political, economic calamity in the region"; he also issues the soundbyte: "The main problem in the Muslim World is the presence of the United States. It is the biggest problem... We need to remove the United States from the Islamic world." On Feb. 17 (night) police in Bahrain crack down on peaceful anti-govt. protesters in Manama's Pearl Square, shooting them with shotguns while they sleep and firing guns at them in the street; on Feb. 20 thousands of protesters return after the troops pull out. On Feb. 17 Hillary Clinton pledges $150M to assist Egypt's dem. transformation. On Feb. 18 Islamic fundamentalist cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi returns from Qatar to address a rally of hundreds of thousands in Cairo's Tahrir Square, telling them "The revolution isn't over. It has just started to build Egypt... Guard your revolution", and calling for the conquest of Al-Aqsa (i.e. Jerusalem); despite the rev. being owed to his Internet activity, he bans non-Islamist leftist Wael Ghonim from the stage. On Feb. 18 Yemeni protesters hold a Friday of Fury. On Feb. 18 Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) protesters in Jakarta, Indonesia against the Ahmadiyah minority Muslim sect demand that pres. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono outlaw it, threatening another march next mo. On Feb. 18 Pres. Obama visits an Intel plant in Hillsboro, Ore. along with CEO Paul Otellini. On Feb. 18 the the U.N. Security Council votes 14-1 to pass a resolution condemning Israeli settlements as illegal and calling for an immediate halt to all settlement building; U.S. ambassador Susan Rice says that the U.S. "regrettably" vetoes it, because "This draft resolution risks hardening the positions of both sides... We reject in the strongest terms the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlement activity. While we agree with our fellow council members and indeed with the wider world about the folly and illegitimacy of continued Israeli settlement activity, we think it unwise for this council to attempt to resolve the core issues that divide Israelis and Palestinians"; on Feb. 25 German chancellor Angela Merkel talks with Benjamin Netanyahu on the phone, and after he slams her for supporting the resolution she responds "How dare you? You are the one who disappointed us - you haven't made a single step to advance peace." On Feb. 18 Tunisia's transitional govt. approves a gen. amnesty of political prisoners, incl. convicted terrorists. On Feb. 18 an Afghan soldier turns jihadist in Pul-e-Khumri and fires on German troops, killing three and wounding six. On Feb. 18 four men are tied and thrown 600 ft. over a bridge to their deaths in Chilpahcingo, Mexico. On Feb. 18 U.S. secy. of state Hillary Clinton expresses the hope that military action will split the Taliban from al-Qaida, laying the groundwork for a political solution in Afghanistan. On Feb. 19 Somalian pirates hijack the yacht Quest, with four Americans aboard. On Feb. 19 the house of reps. of Utah by 58-15 passes a law giving law enforcement officials the power to check the immigration status of those suspected of being in the u.S. illegally, with it being mandatory if they are charged with class A misdemeanors and felonies. On Feb. 19 Islamic jihadists kill four tourists from Moscow in N Caucasus en route to a ski resort. On Feb. 19 George Soros tells CNN that he doesn't expect the regime in Iran to survive the year. On Feb. 20 Libyan troops fire machine guns at mourners marching in a funeral for anti-govt. protesters in Benghazi, Libya, after which they seize some army vehicles, and the fighting erupts into a civil war to oust Muammar Gaddhafi, with troops joining armed protesters while the govt. tries to hang on by clamping down on news and the Internet far better than in Egypt, and Daffy's bald son Saif Gaddhafi gives an impromptu TV speech promising 100K deaths, vowing to "fight until the last man, the last woman, the last bullet, then offering a new govt. in 48 hours; Madman Daffy is worth $200B?; he orders soldiers who refuse to shoot protesters to be tied up and set on fire, while rounding up mercenaries; on Feb. 21 Libyan airplanes bomb protesters in Tripoli, while two Libyan Mirage jets escape to Malta to avoid carrying out the orders; meanwhile the Libyan ambassador to London resigns and joins the protesters, and rumors spread that Daffy himself has fled the country for Switzerland or Venezuela; on Feb. 21 Hillary Clinton condemns the govt. violence and tells Gadhafi to "stop this unacceptable bloodshed"; on Feb. 22 Col. Daffy gives a speech on state TV, rejecting demands to resign, saying "I will not leave the country, and I will die as a martyr" on Feb. 23 Egyptian Muslim cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi calls on Libyan soldiers to kill Daffy; on Feb. 23 the African Union joins in condemning the use of force against protesters in Libya; on Feb. 23 Pres. Obama "strongly condemns" the violence in Libya but doesn't call for Daffy's resignation, causing Libyan rebels to begin shouting "Send Bush!"; on Feb. 23 Iranian pres. Imadinnajacket tells the Daffy to allow free speech and "let their peoples express their opinions and then follow their noations", while simultaneously suppressing his own peoples' free speech; on Feb. 23 Italian foreign minister Franco Frattini expresses fears that up to 300K Libyans might flee to Italy, while Malmo U. prof. Anne Sofie Roald utters the soundbyte "We can't deny that today Islam is regarded as the biggest threat to Europe for many Europeans"; on Feb. 24 Daffy blames Osama bin Laden for the uprising; on Feb. 25 after his troops fire on demonstrators, bizarre ranter Daffy appears in Green Square, proclaiming "I am here" and telling the crowd "Dance, sing, live your lives... Ghadafi is here among his people"; meanwhile on Feb. 25 the Islamic Emirate of Libya is proclaimed in Derna in NE Libya; on Feb. 25 Pres. Obama finally imposes sanctions on Libya minutes after the U.S. flies its diplomats out of the country, with the soundbyte: "We will stand steadfastly with the Libyan people in their demand for universal rights and a government that is responsive to their aspirations. Their human dignity cannot be denied"; on Feb. 26 Obama finally calls for Daffy to step down immediately, and hours later the U.N. Security Council unanimously adopts U.N. Security Council Resolution 1970, condemning the use of lethal force by Daffy's govt. and imposing sanctions, referring the matter to the Internat. Criminal Court, causing Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu to criticize Obama for hypocrisy for not doing ditto with Iran; on Feb. 28 British and German military planes rescue hundreds of stranded oil workers and civilians in E Libya; on Mar. 1 Hillary Clinton tells Congress that Libya is collapsing into "protracted civil war"; meanwhile rumors spread in the Arab press that Daffy is a secret Jew; on Mar. 2 Daffy's forces launch a counteroffensive against the rebel-held E half of the country, and battle for control of the Brega Oil Port, while the U.S., Britain and France send hundreds of advisers to train and support anti-Daffy forces in E Libya, and India sends three warships, and U.S. warships USS Kearsarge and USS Ponce the Suez Canal en route to Libya; on Mar. 3 the Internat. Criminal Court in The Hague announces that they're going to investigate Daffy and his inner circle incl. his sons for crimes against humanity; on Mar. 4 Pres. Obama ramps up the strength of his remarks, saying that the U.S. is keeping "all options open", incl. considering enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya, and insisting that Daffy leave office because he has lost his authority to lead; on Mar. 5 Pres. Obama sends U.S. defense secy. Robert Gates to Cairo as the unrest veers out of control and seize the HQ of the security police in Alexandria and Cairo, while the military leaders start losing their grip; on Mar. 6 there are brutal battles in Bin Jawwad; on Mar. 11 in Addis Ababa the African Union Peace and Security (PSC) rejects any use of force on Libya; on Mar. 12 Daffy's forces tighten their grip on the coastal road linking his territory to the rebel-controlled E, while the Arab League in Cairo recognizes the rebels and calls on the U.N. security Council to impose a no-fly zone to protect the rebels, which the White House hails as an "important step"; on Mar. 13 Al Jazeera cameraman Ali Hassan al-Jaber is killed in S Libya in an ambush; on Mar. 13 U.S. defense secy. Robert M. Gates says that the U.S. would have no trouble enforcing a Libyan no-fly zone if Pres. Obama orders one; on Mar. 15 the G8 rejects a no-fly zone over Libya in favor of stringer economic sanctions; on Mar. 15 four New York Times journalists go missing win Libya; on Mar. 16 Daffy warns the rebels in Benghazi that they will be shown "no mercy", after which on Mar. 16 the U.S. ramps up to pushing for U.N. authorization for a full military attack; on Mar. 17 by 10-0-5 the U.N. Security Council passes U.N. Security Resolution 1973, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Libya and authorizing member states "to take all necessary measures... to protect civilians and civilian populated areas under threat of attack", setting up a no-fly zone (first U.N. resolution to authorize military action to protect civilians), causing celebrations in Benghazi, after which Libya declares a ceasefire while Daffy's son Seif al Islam al Qadhafi says that the Daffy family is "not afraid", and claims the resolution is "unfair" because they have "proved to everybody that there have bee no air strikes against civilians"; on Mar. 19 (8th anniv. of U.S. invasion of Iraq) French fighter jets deploy over Libya, firing on and destroying four Libyan tanks near rebel-held Benghazi, which is under attack by Daffy's forces, while the U.S. launches Operation Odyssey Dawn, starting with U.S. warships in the Mediterranean firing 110 Tomahawk cruise missiles to destroy 20 Libyan air defense sites, putting the U.S. into its 3rd simultaneous war in a Middle Eastern Muslim country; Pres. Obama utters the soundbyte "I want the American people to know that the use of force is not our first choice, and it's not a choice that I make lightly, but we can't stand idly by when a tyrant tells his people that there will be no mercy"; unfazed, Daffy sets up a human shield of supporters at his compound, and vows a "long war" in Libya, and opens his armories to issue 1M guns to his loyal followers to fight a civil war, which doesn't stop the compound from being hit by "accidental" U.S. airstrikes; on Mar. 22 a U.S. F-15 jet crashes in NE Libya after a technical failure after both crewmembers eject safely; discord in NATO emerges on Mar. 21 as Turkey blocks participation, Italy issues a veiled threat to withdraw use of its bases, and Vladimir Putin of Russia calls the Security Council resolution "flawed", saying it is "reminiscent of a medieval call for a Crusade", because "it allowed intervention in a sovereign state"; on Mar. 24 NATO assumes partial control over the no-fly operations; on Mar. 25 Libyan rebel cmdr. Abdel-Hakim al-Hasidi admits that his fighters have al-Qaida links, having fought against Allied troops in Iraq; on Mar. 27 Pres. Obama give a Speech on Libya, saying that the Libya mission saved "countless" civilian lives; on Mar. 30 the rebels retreat from the oil port of Ras Lanouf, blaming lack of air support; on Mar. 30 Libyan foreign minister Musa Kusa defects to Britain; on Mar. 31 Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan says that sending weapons to the Libyan rebels could feed terrorism because Daffy has unleashed war between Christians and Muslims; on Apr. 2 NATO "friendly fire" kills 13 Libyan rebels; on Apr. 2 Hillary Clinton's aid Sidney Blumenthal sends her an email confirming that the real reason for removing Col. Daffy is that his govt. "holds 143 tons of gold, and a similar amount of silver", not to mention all his oil; on Apr. 4 Italy recognizes the opposition Libyan Nat. Transitional Council; on Apr. 5 Daffy sends a letter to Pres. Obama, addressing him as "Dear Son", and asking him to stop the NATO airstrikes, which he calls an "unjust war against a small people of a developing country", asking for a ceasefire; on Apr. 14 al-Qaeda #2 man Ayman al-Zawahiri issues a video telling Arab nations to intervene militarily in Libya to eject Daffy before "Western aid... turns into invasions"; on Apr. 15 Daffy's forces shell Misrata, the only remaining rebel stronghold in W Libya, while his daughter Aisha gives a defiant speech; on Apr. 20 the Obama admin. announces $25M in nonlethal aid to the rebels; on Apr. 25 NATO forces bomb Daffy's compound, flattening a bldg. inside it; on May 19 NATO air strikes hit eight warships belonging to Daffy in Tripoli, Al Khums, and Sirte. On Feb. 20 thousands of protesters march in Rabat, Morocco, demanding a new constitution and more democracy. On Feb. 20 authorities in China stage a show of force to stop a planned Jasmine Rev.-style protest as called for via the Internet. On Feb. 20 Kamal Helbawi, leader of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood gives a speech in Iran settling the issue by saying that the Egyptian Rev. was Islamic not democratic. On Feb. 20 hundreds of Copts protest in front of the state TV bldg. in Cairo to call for Egypt's constitution to be amended to establish a secular not Islamic state. On Feb. 20 singer Pat Boone says that Christians must mobilize now to defeat Pres. Obama in 2012. On Feb. 21 (09:15 a.m.) Mount Bulusan in the Philippines erupts. On Feb. 21 Egypt's public prosecutor asks for a freeze on Hosni Mubarak's foreign assets, which the EU agrees to on Feb. 25, along with a travel ban on Libya's leadership, and an arms embargo. On Feb. 21 a group of 90 Islamic preachers and scholars around the Muslim World issues a statement supporting the revs. in Tunisia and Egypt and slamming democracy and "un-Islamic" political parties - if you're not holy in Allah's eyes you can never have the right to rule by sheer numbers? On Feb. 21 Christian Union Sen. Roel Kuiper announces his goal of amending the Dutch constitution to ban Islamic Sharia law. On Feb. 21 U.S. Gen. David H. Petraeus stinks himself up with a comment that Afghans caught up in a coalition attack in NE Afghanistan may have burned their own children to exaggerate civilian casualties. On Feb. 21 a 6.3 earthquake near Christchurch, New Zealand kills 75, with 300 missing. On Feb. 21 Repub. pres. contender Mike Huckabee criticizes Islam as "the antithesis of the gospel of Christ"; on Feb. 24 he adds that Am. Muslims are receiving special treatment "at the expense of others", and that this is "un-American". On Feb. 22 Egyptian Coptic priest Daoud Boutrus is found dead in Shatab, increasing tensions between Copts and Muslims. On Feb. 22 Israeli archeologist Eilat 'Mazar announces the discovery of a wall in Jerusalem dating to 1K B.C.E., which he claims bolsters the Biblical account of the reign of Solomon. On Feb. 23 oil prices on the New York Mercantile Exchange hit $100 a barrel for the first time since 2008. On Feb. 23 a group of 180 police in Yangdang in Hubei Province, China raid a Christian legal center and arrest a group of Christians. On Feb. 23 the Council on Am.-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and ACLU sue the FBI over surveillance at Calif. mosques, claiming their First Amendment rights were violated by targeting the most devout and likely to engage in terrorism; on Mar. 18 FBI dir. Robert Mueller testifies to Congress that "We have no formal relationship with CAIR because of concerns with regard to the national leadership." On Feb. 23 Amir Kabir U. and the Industrial U. of Isfahan in Iran open two supercomputer centers in a ceremony led by Pres. Imadinnajacket. On Feb. 23 (night) a Palestinian Grad rocket hits Beersheva, Israel, injuring 14. On Feb. 23-24 Egyptian army forces storm the 5th cent. St. Bishoy Monastery in Wadi el-Natroun (66 mi. from Cairo), injuring 19; meanwhile a 2-day meeting between the Vatican and the Egyptian Inst. of Sunni Islam set for Feb. 23-24 is suspended because the Muslims want the pope to apologize first, causing Pope Benedict XVI to refuse and reply that the dialogue will continue on God's time. On Feb. 24 20-y.-o. Saudi Tex. student Khalid Aldawsari (1990-) is arrested on terrorism charges, incl. plans to build a bomb and target the Dallas residence of Pres. George W. Bush along with dams and nuclear power plants; meanwhile the FBI sends a warning letter to fertilizer stores. On Feb. 24 gunmen open fire on six children playing in front of a home in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, killing three. On Feb. 25 hundreds of thousands protest across the Middle East in solidarity with the Libyans. On Feb. 25 high-ranking Juarez drug gang boss Luis Humberto Peralta Hernandez (AKA El Condor) is killed in a gun battle with police in Chihuahua, Mexico; meanwhile three gunmen are killed in a failed attack on Garcia mayor Jaime Rodriguez Calderon. On Feb. 25 Pres. Obama names Jeremy Bernard as the first openly gay White House social secy. On Feb. 25 U.S. federal officials announce an investigation of Tri-Valley U. in Calif. for luring hundreds of foreign students by promising to take care of their visa problems. On Feb. 25 the U.N. Internat. Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announces that it has received info. indicating that Iran is "not engaging with the agency in substance on issues concerning the allegation that Iran is developing a nuclear payload for its missile program." On Feb. 25 Christian Dior suspends its Gibraltar-born head designer (since 1997) John Galliano (Juan Carlos Antonio Galliano-Guillen) (1960-) for an alleged anti-Semitic speech in a Paris bar, incl. "I love Hitler" - you're under arrest, drop that fascinator? On Feb. 26 Facebook-planned demonstrations in Mauritania are staged by up to 1.5K. On Feb. 26 elections in Ireland become the worst D since 1932 for the ruling Fianna Fail party, and a V for Fine Gael. On Feb. 26 the U.N. Security Resolution votes 15-0-0 for Resolution 1970, condemning the use of lethal force by the Libyan govt. against protesters in the civil war, and imposing a series of internat. sanctions, becoming the first time a country is unanimously referred to the Internat. Criminal Court by the council; France is accused of violating the resolution by parachuting weapons to Libyan rebels. On Feb. 27 after three weeks of debate, the EU issues a statement denouncing the persecution of Christians by Muslims, albeit in a timid fashion; meanwhile Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan is given a hero's welcome in Germany by Turkish immigrants, telling them to infiltrate, er, integrate into German society but not assimilate, learning the Turkish language before German. On Feb. 27 Muslims throw a bomb at the car of prominent Gaza Strip Christian surgeon Maher Ayyad (1955-) for preaching Christianity. On Feb. 27 Am. Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan says that the revolts in the Middle East and North Africa are imminent in the U.S.; he also refuses to cut loose his old buddy Col. Daffy. On Feb. 27 the 83rd Academy Awards, presented at the Kodiak Theatre in Hollywood, hosted by James Franco and Anne Hathaway awards the best picture Oscar for 2010 to The King's Speech, along with best dir. to Tom Hooper, best actor to Colin Firth, and best original screenplay to David Seidler; Natalie Portman wins best actress for Black Swan; Christian Bale wins best supporting actor for The Fighter, and Melissa Leo wins best supporting actress for ditto; The Social Network wins best adapted screenplay and best original score; We Belong Together by Randy Newman from Toy Story 3 wins best original song. On Feb. 28 Iran arrests opposition leaders Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi. On Feb. 28 British Airways Muslim computer expert Rajib Karim (1980-) is found guilty of conspiring with Anwar al-Awlaki to blow up a plane. On Feb. 28 four people storm the Libyan embassy in Berlin, vowing to kill Col. Daffy and shouting Allah Akbar. On Feb. 28 Osama bin Laden's #2 man Ayman al-Zawahri issues a message urging Tunisians and Egyptians to create Islamic states. On Feb. 28 (night) Muslims storm the Christian village of Dabwak in C Nigeria near Jos and murder a mother and her four children. In Feb. the U.S. unemployment rate drops to 8.9%. In Feb. Raed Salah, leader of the Islamic movement in Israel is arrested in Jerusalem on suspicion of starting a forest fire to protest the Jewish Nat. Fund; on May 24 he addresses students at Tel Aviv U. and utters the soundbyte: "We must keep fighting until we remove the Israeli occupation and free holy Jerusalem"; on June 28 after entering the country illegally and giving a lecture, British authorities arrest him, pissing-off Palestinians and Arab Israelis, who accuse Israel of being behind it. In Feb. the U.S. begins sending spy drones into Mexico to monitor the drug trade; on Mar. 3 after it helps locate suspects in the murder of U.S. ICE agent Jaime Zapata, Mexican pres. Felipe Calderon agrees to allow it to continue; in Mar. it is revealed that they really began sending them in 2009. In Feb. an arrest warrant is issued for former Pakistani pres. (2001-8) Gen. Pervez Musharraf for involvement in the 2007 assassination of former PM Benazir Bhutto, causing him to live in self-exile in London. In Feb. the Obama admin. accuses the secretive Lebanese Canadian Bank of financing Hezbollah, causing it to be shut down and sold. In Feb. the first Islamic TV channel in Russia debuts. In Feb. the Borders chain of bookstores files for bankruptcy and closes 200 of its 642 stores. On Mar. 1 the funeral of former Islamist Turkish PM Necmettin Erbakan (b. 1926), who died on Feb. 27 draws thousands of Allah Akbar-shouting protesters. On Mar. 1 more massive protests across Yemen cause embaddled pres. Ali Abdullah Saleh to offer to form a unity govt., blaming it all on the West, with the soundbyte that there is "an operation room in Tel Aviv with the aim of destabilizing the Arab world", and "It is all run by the White House"; on Apr. 30 Saleh backs out of a mediated deal that would have allowed him to step down in exchange for immunity, and his forces shoot at demonstrators, killing four. On Mar. 1 Am. Muslim Brahim Lajqi (1960-) is convicted of falsifying immigration documents and sentenced to five years, but is not charged with threats to blow up the White House and other federal bldgs. and vowing to "slaughter the enemies of Islam". On Mar. 1 Taliban gunmen on motorbikes wound 15 girls at a college party in Marden, Pakistan, 25 mi. NE of Peshawar. On Mar. 1 German defense minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg resigns after revelations that he plagiarized large parts of his doctoral thesis in law at the U. of Bayreuth; on Mar. 2 Hans-Peter Friedrich succeeds him, on Mar. 5 uttering the soundbyte that Islam is not part of Germany. On Mar. 1 in response to Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi's treatment of protesters in the civil war, U.N. Gen. Assembly Resolution 65/265 is adopted, suspending Libya's right to take part in the U.N. Human Rights Council. On Mar. 2 Pakisani minority affairs minister (Christian) Shahbaz Bhatti is killed by Muslim gunmen for opposing their sick Muslim blasphemy laws. On Mar. 2 two U.S airmen are killed and two more seriously injured by Allah Akbar-shouting 21-y.-o. Kosovan Albanian Muslim gunman Arid Uka (1989-) in a bus outside Frankfurt Airport in Germany, becoming the first successfully Islamic terrorist assassination in Germany, causing Pres. Obama to condemn the attack, saying "I am saddened, I am outraged by this attack"; Uka receives a life sentence, with possible deportation to Kosovo in 15 years; as usual, the PC press tries to coverup the Muslim angle, and the German govt. claims he acted as a "lone wolf", until they arrest German Muslim Rami Makanesi (1985-) whom they suspect of working for al-Qaida to develop a Euro support network - lone wolf or known wolf? On Mar. 2 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 8-1 in Snyder v. Phelps that protests by the anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan. at military funerals where they shout that God is killing U.S. soldiers to punish the U.S. for homosexuality are constitutionally protected, trumping a jury verdict that they're offensive; Samuel Alito is the lone dissenter, saying a family has a right to bury their dead sons in peace. On Mar. 2-3 an Obama-Calderon Summit sees Mexican pres. Felipe Calderon also meet with House Speaker John Boehner and U.S. business leaders; on Mar. 3 Calderon announces that cables released by WikiLeaks have caused "severe damage" to the U.S.-Mexico relationship, and that he can no longer work with U.S. ambassador (since Aug. 9, 2009) Carlos Pascual (1959-), causing him to resign on Mar. 19; on Mar. 4 the two countries unveil a deal to resolve their 19-year cross-border trucking feud, and Calderon utters the soundbyte that organized crime in Mexico jeopardizes the prosperity of North Am. On Mar. 3 British radical Islamist Anjem Choudary holds a protest in front of the White House demanding that Sharia be enacted, causing a counter-protest. On Mar. 3 Pres. Obama expresses "deep regret" over a NATO airstrike that killed nine Afghan boys in the Pech Valley in Kunar Province on Mar. 1. On Mar. 3 Egyptian PM Ahmad Shafiq resigns in favor of transportation minister Essam Sharaf, who plans to form a caretaker cabinet. On Mar. 3 Am. Muslims Mohamed Mahmood Alessa (1989-) and Carlos Eduardo Almonte (1986-) plead guilty to planning to join al-Shabaab in Somalia to kill U.S. troops; it is later revealed that 21 Muslims jihadists were recruited from Minn. to join al-Shabaab. On Mar. 4 London School of Economics dir. Sir Howard Davis resigns for accepting a £300K research grant from a foundation run by Col. Daffy's son Saif al Islam Gaddafi. On Mar. 4 a Muslim Appreciation Day at the mosque of the Islamic Society of Tulsa, Okla. is made mandatory for police officers; Capt. Paul Fields is suspended for two weeks for refusing to order his officers to attend. On Mar. 5 a Sunni bomb in a Sufi shrine in Nowshera in NW Pakistan kills 10 incl. a child, and injures 30. On Mar. 5 the Gulf Cooperation Council meets to prepare a Marshall Plan for Oman and Bahrain in an attempt to quell the unrest there; on Mar. 14 Saudi Arabia sends troops into Bahrain to quell the uprising, pissing-off the U.S.; on Mar. 15 Bahrain's king imposes a 3-mo. state of emergency and gives the military wide authority to battle the protesters. On Mar. 5 4K Muslims attack Coptic Christian homes in Soul, Atfif in Helwan Governate, Egypt (30 km. from cairo), and burn down the Church of St. Mina and St. George. On Mar. 6 (4 a.m.) Muslim New York City cabbie Mohammed Azam (1983-) runs over two of four men hailing a cab in Manhattan. On Mar. 6 the History Channel debuts the 8-part miniseries The Kennedys in Canada after canceling the U.S. debut because it isn't historically accurate enough. On Mar. 6 Obama's new deputy nat. security adviser (since Oct. 22) Denis McDonough (1969-) releases a statement titled "Partnering with Communities to Prevent Violent Extremism", touting American tolerance and religious freedom, and parroting Obama's Cairo speech, saying that Islam has nothing to do with violent extremism and that the Egyptian Rev. was commendable for "the moral force of nonviolence - not terrorism, not mindless killing". On Mar. 7 the price of oil jumps to $106 in Europe amid fierce Libyan fighting. On Mar. 7 Space Shuttle Discovery reenters Earth's atmosphere for the last time, ending its 39th and final voyage after 5,750 orbits and 150M mi. On Mar. 7 protesters outside the U.S. embassy in Manama, Bahrain are greeted by an embassy official who offers them a box of doughnuts. On Mar. 8 the Mar. 8 Coalition in Lebanon sees Hezbollah, Amal, and the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) unite against PM Najib Mikati and Walid Jumblatt. On Mar. 8 the Obama admin. finally admits that it will quit trying to close Guantanamo Bay, and resumes military trials there. On Mar. 8 a car bomb outside the office of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in Faisalabad, Pakistan kills 30+ and wounds 100+; it was set by the Islamist Al Tawhid Wal Jihad org. in revenge for killing one of their own. On Mar. 8 the Black Hawks self-proclaimed anti-Islamist terrorist commando group announces a war on them in North Caucasus. On Mar. 8 zillions of dead fish wash up along a marina in Redondo Beach, Calif.. On Mar. 9 a video of Betsy Liley and Ron Schiller, an exec of Nat. Public Radio (NPR) calling the Tea Party racist and saying that NPR would be better off without federal money causes his resignation; the PC media covers up the real story that the investigative journalists James O'Keefe et al. were stinging him while posing as a Muslim Brotherhood connected org., which they were very friendly to; on Mar. 17 the U.S. House votes along party lines to block federal funding for NPR. On Mar. 9 responding to an Iranian call for protest marches there, Saudi foreign minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal says that Saudi Arabia won't permit foreign intervention in its internal affairs. On Mar. 9 the Peter King Hearings on Islamic Radicalization in the U.S. ("The Extent of Radicalization in the American Muslim Community and That Community's Response"), chaired by U.S. Rep. (R-N.Y.) (1993-) Peter T. King (1944-) (a longtime supporter of the IRA) begin; Minn. Dem. Rep. (Muslim) Keith Ellison (known for support of the Nation of Islam and financing of a trip to Mecca by the Muslim Brotherhood) puts on a crying act at the injustice of singling out one group, which happens to be the group responsible for radical extremist Muslims, namely Muslims, American and not; Tex. Dem. Rep. (1995-) Sheila Jackson Lee (1950-) gives a long ranting speech mixing Islam up with the KKK et al., calling for the committee to take up "cold cases" from the civil rights era, and thumping the Constitution to try to stop the hearings. On Mar. 9 three Shiite opposition groups call for an end to the monarchy in Bahrain, and replacement by a "democracy". On Mar. 9 Ill. becomes U.S. state #16 to abolish the death penalty; the last execution in Ill. was in 2000. On Mar. 9 the Dalai Lama gives up his political role in Tibet's govt.-in-exile in favor of an elected rep. On Mar. 9 a Pew Research Center Poll shows that 40% of Americans think that the Islamic religion is more likely to encourage violence than others, while 42% don't; Republicans and Tea Partyers are on the winners team, thinking that it does. On Mar. 9 the Ninth (Unity) Wave begins, ending on Oct. 28 with the achievement of Unity Consciousness, according to Swedish Mayanist Carl Johan Calleman (1950-). On Mar. 10 Saudi police open fire at a Shiite protest in Qatif, Saudi Arabia; on Mar. 11 a planned Day of Rage in Saudi Arabia is a dud, with several hundred protesting in heavily Shiite E Saudi Arabia; the fall of the Saudi royals will bring a worldwide recession? On Mar. 11 the 9.0 2011 Tohoku Japan Earthquake (biggest ever) strikes off Senai (near Tokyo), causing tsunami alerts in 20+ countries, with a 33-ft. wall of water swamping town in N Japan, killing 10K and causing $35B in damage; an explosion at the Fukushima Daiichi (No. 1) Power Plant nuclear reactor 170 mi. NE of Tokyo causes radiation to hit 1Kx the safe level, causing a 6-mi. exclusion zone to be placed around it, after which a 2nd power plant explodes; on Mar. 14 the 3rd nuclear power plant explosion occurs, causing panicked residents of Tokyo to flee as the U.S. braces for possible radioactive fallout; the earthquake shortens the length of the day by 1.8 microsec.; on Mar. 15 100K protesters throughout Germany call for closing of nuclear power stations; on Mar. 17 German chancellor Angela Merkel orders Germany's older nuclear reactors to be temporarily shut down for a safety check; on Mar. 18 Pres. Obama orders a review of nuclear power plants, while standing strong on the need for more; on Mar. 26 after radioactive iodine spikes 1.2Kx higher than normal in nearby seawater, Japanese authorities order the evacuation zone to be expanded to 18 mi.; on Apr. 12 Japan raises the crisis level at Fukushima to 7 (highest), equal to the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. On Mar. 11 a Rasmussen Poll of U.S. voters shows that 63% think that gaining control of the U.S.-Mexico border is more important than legalizing undocumented workers already in the U.S. On Mar. 12 (night) Palestinian Arab terrorists infiltrate a Jewish town in the N West Bank settlement of Itamar near Nablus in Samaria and brutally stabs and kills the sleeping Fogel Family of five, incl. a child and an infant; Palestinians in Gaza celebrate the murders and pass out candy; on Mar. 15 two members of Mahmoud Abbas's official security forces are arrested for it, causing Israeli foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman to accuse the Palestinian Authority of perpetuating terror attacks via incement against Israelis; on Mar. 16 Palestinian pres. Mahmoud Abbas offers to visit Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip for the first time in four hears to reunite Fatah with Hamas; on Mar. 21 20K attend the Fogel Family funeral; on Apr. 19 the Israelis arrest Amjad Awad (19) and Hakim Awad (18) of the nearby village of Awarta; U.S. PC media is strangely silent about the whole affair. On Mar. 12 the Malaysian govt. blocks the import of 35K Bibles in the Malay language from Indonesia, then releases them on Mar. 16. On Mar. 13 gunmen ambush a van in Parachinar in NW Pakistan and kill 11, incl. eight civilians before police kill three gunmen. On Mar. 13 tens of thousands demonstrate the 6th anniv. of the uprising against Syria in Beirut demanding that Hezbollah be disarmed. On Mar. 13 after preaching against secular violence in Nigeria Muslim imam Ibrahim Ahmed Abdullahi is murdered in his mosque in Maiduguri by Boko Haram gunmen. On Mar. 13 Philip J. Crowley resigns as U.S. asst. secy. of state for public affairs for remarks that pre-trial detention of WikiLeaker PFC Bradley Manning is "ridiculous and counterproductive and stupid". On Mar. 13 it is revealed that Pres. Obama told his aides that it would be much easier to be pres. of China. On Mar. 14 Pres. Obama addresses the Kenmore Middle School in Arlington, Va., saying "In the 21st century, it's not enough to leave no child behind. We need to help every child get ahead." On Mar. 14 (2 p.m.) a suicide bomber in Kunduz Province in N Afghanistan kills 33 and wounds 42, most of them volunteers trying to enroll in the nat. army. On Mar. 14 Pervez Musharraf appears on BBC-TV, saying that he believed that Britain gave him "tacit approval" to torture terrorism suspects. On Mar. 14 a bomb explodes at the office of the moderate Liberal Islam Network (JIL) in Jakarta, Indonesia, injuring four incl. a police officer. On Mar. 14 it is announced that the Egyptian army shelled 6+ vehicles attempting to smuggle weapons into Egypt from Sudan. On Mar. 14 a 35-y.-o. man in Grand Cayman stages a 9/11 phone prank claiming to be an Islamic jihadist planting C4, getting him arrested. On Mar. 15 U.S. secy. of state Hillary Clinton arrives in Cairo; she is snubbed by a coalition of six youth groups from the Egyptian rev.; after pledging $90M in emergency economic aid, she visits Tahrir Square with PM Essam Sharaf, saying that she's "deeply inspired" by the rev., with the soundbyte: "To see where this revolution happened and all that it has meant to the world is extraordinary for me. It's just a great reminder of the power of the human spirit and universal desire for human rights and democracy. It's just thrilling to see where this happened." On Mar. 15 the Israeli navy seizes the Liberian flagship Liberia 320 km off the Israeli coast, claiming that it carries Iranian weapons destined for Hamas et al. in Gaza Strip. On Mar. 15 the Royal Canadian Mounted Police charge two Canadian Muslims incl. Ferid Imam and ? with terrorism-related offenses involving al-Qaida, incl. training Najibullah Zazi. On Mar. 15 the African Union Summit in Ethiopia discusses the formation of an African Union Authority to replace the African Union Commission as the next step towards a U.S. of Africa. On Mar. 15 Canadian Liberal MP Justin Trudeau blasts a Discover Canada guide calling honor killings "barbaric", saying "there needs to be a little bit of an attempt at responsible neutrality"; after a Tory firestorm, he apologizes. On Mar. 15 WikiLeaks whistleblower Julian Paul Assange (1971-) claims that the U.S. diplomatic cables leaked by WikiLeaks helped spur the Arab uprisings because it made it difficult for the U.S. to continue supporting the regimes while trying to explain to them that they couldn't rely on U.S. support if they used military force on protesters. On Mar. 15 protests in Damascus demanding dem. reforms and the release of political prisoners are met with security forces firing on them, triggering the Syrian Civil War (ends ?) between the Syrian govt. of Bashar al-Assad, rebel groups incl. the Islamic Front, Al-Nusrah Front et al., and Hezbollah. On Mar. 17 Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu criticizes Europe's "strange fusion" of radical Islam and the far left, saying "There is a new boiling anti-Semitism of radical Islam that sweeps Europe as a whole, and there's a strange fusion – it's the only word I can use to describe it – a fusion with the anti-Semitism of the radical far far left"; meanwhile Ehud Barak warns that Israel faces a "diplomatic tsunami" for its indecisiveness about a new Palestinian state, which has been recognized by 110+ countries. On Mar. 17 British Muslim former hospital dir. Saeeda Khan is convicted of trafficking Tanzanian woman Mwanahamisi Mruke (1963-) then using her as a slave. On Mar. 18 thousands protest in Sana'a, Yemen; govt. forces fire on them from rooftops, killing 52 and wounding 200. On Mar. 18 hundreds of Saudi Shiites protest in E Saudi Arabia in support of Shiites in Bahrain, causing King Abdullah to offer them $93B more in benefits while strengthening security forces. On Mar. 18 (Fri.) Syrian rebels begin naming Fridays for their rev. cause; the first one is "Day of Dignity". On Mar. 18 an ABC News - Washington Post Poll finds that for the first time over 50% (53%) of Americans say it should be legal for gays and lesbians to marry; in 2004 it was 32%; 44% are opposed, vs. 62% in 2004. On Mar. 18 Visa announces a new peer (person-to-person) payment system. On Mar. 18 masked men open fire in a bar in Acapulco, Mexico, killing 10 and injuring four. On Mar. 19 elections in Egypt on a referendum on changes to the constitution to reduce the powers of the pres. and ensure fair elections see a crowd throw stones at Mohamed ElBaradei in Cairo while trying to vote, calling him a U.S. agent; article #2 of the constitution making Islam the official religion is not up for vote; after Islamist groups incl. the Salafists declare plans to establish political parties for the coming pres. elections, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces announces that Egypt won't "fall into the hands of Islamists"; Christian Copts begin fleeing Egypt, reaching 93K by late Sept. On Mar. 19 Pres. Obama makes a trip to South Am., starting with Brasil, announcing that he wants to put the two nations "on a path toward even greater cooperation for decades to come", pledging that the U.S. will be a "major customer" for Brazilian oil in coming years; on Mar. 18 (eve.) an anti-Obama protest in Rio causes the police to use rubber bullets; on Mar. 20 Obama gives a speech in Rio, praising Brasil's democracy as an example to his, er, the Arab world; on Mar. 21 (Mon.) he visits Chile, and talks about expanding economic copper, er, cooperation; on Mar. 23 he ends by visiting El Salvador, saying that the best strategy for curbing illegal immigration to the U.S. is to create economic growth there. On Mar. 19 Palestinian militants fire 50+ rockets into Israel, the heaviest barrage in two years; meanwhile Hamas police beat up reporters and confiscate their reporters. On Mar. 19 Muslims spray Sri Mandir Hindu Temple in Auburn, Australia with bullets. On Mar. 21 U.S. Sen. (D-Va.) James Webb issues a press release, saying that the U.S. mission in Libya "lacks clarity". On Mar. 21 Pfizer begins selling Viagra Jet, a new chewable form in Mexico. On Mar. 22 German finance minister Wolfgang Schauble says that Islam is a part of German society and that Germany must not discriminate. On Mar. 22 Venezuelan pres. Hugo Chavez utters the soundbyte that capitalism may have ended life on Mars. On Mar. 22 U.S. secy. of state Hillary Clinton gives an interview to Diane Sawyer of ABC World News, revealing that Libyan Col. Madman Daffy is exploring exile options. On Mar. 22/23 (midnight) after 15 boys aged 10-15 imitate the Arab Spring protesters by placing graffiti on public bldgs., and the secret police under Bashar al-Assad's cousin Gen. Atef Najeeb torture them by pulling their fingernals, outraging the pop., Syrian forces attack the Al-Omari Mosque in Deraa 70 mi. S of Damascus near the Yarmuck River border with Jordan, killing six protesters. On Mar. 23 a bomb tied to a telephone pole near a bus stop outside the Internat. Convention Center in C Jerusalem wounds 25. On Mar. 23 clashes between pro and anti govt. tribesmen in Al-Jawf in N Yemen kill 40+. On Mar. 23 Palestinian militants in Gaza fire a new barrage of rockets deep into Israel, causing the Jerusalem Post to declare it the start of the Third Intifada. On Mar. 24 U.S. attys. Stephen W. Preston, Mary B. DeRosa, Jeh Johnson, and Rear Adm. James W. Crawford III meet in secret to develop a legal rationale to take out Osama bin Laden, paving the way for the SEAL hit. On Mar. 24 by 22-7-14 the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva adopts a resolution on combating intolerance based on religion, finally dropping all reference to Islam in revulsion against Pakistan's infamous blasphemy laws, dropping restrictions on peaceful free expression and calling on member nations to adopt "measures to criminalize the incitement to imminent violance based on religion or belief"; after Iran fails to heed a Gen. Assembly call to improve their record, it also creates its first-ever special rapporteur for human rights in Iran after the Org. of the Islamic Conference bloc splits ranks; on June 17 ex-foreign affairs minister of Maldives (Muslim) Ahmed Shaheed (1964-) is appointed (until ?). On Mar. 24 the U.S. Census Bureau announces that the new mean center of pop. is 2.7 mi. NE of Plato, Mo. (pop. 109); in 2000 it was in Edgar Springs, Mo., 40 mi. NE.; U.S. pop. is 308M; Hispanic pop. is up to 50M. On Mar. 25 10K protest in Syria, causing the govt. to crack down, with troops killing 37 in Daraa in S Syria as they try to topple a statue of ex-dictator Hafez Assad; the 10K-man Iranian Rev. Guard Corps is put in charge of ending the uprising; on Apr. 8 Syrian soldiers are shot for refusing to shoot at protesters in Banias; on Apr. 13 hundreds of women march in protest after mass arrests in Baida. On Mar. 25 after being criticized for refusing to help the NATO mission in Libya, the German Bundestag votes to broaden the German mission in Afghanistan. On Mar. 25 U.S. prosecutors admit that a human smuggling ring brought in an undetermined number of potential Somalian Muslim jihadists via Brazil. On Mar. 25 Muslims in London, England protest to demand Sharia law for the U.K. On Mar. 25 a report by the Swiss-based Displacement Monitoring Center claims that 230K+ have been displaced by drug violence in Mexico, and about half may have taken refuge in the U.S.; meanwhile Mexico finally repeals federal criminal penalties for adultery. On Mar. 25 the Asia Times reports that Osama bin Laden was recently spotted in the Hindu Kish Mts. of Pakistan-Afghanitan; meanwhile Al-Qaida in Libya steals some SAMs from an arsenal in Libya. On Mar. 26 Syrian pres. Bashed Ass, er, Bashar al-Assad issues an amnesty for 260 prisoners in Sednayya Prison outside Damascus; too bad, they are mainly islamists, who join Islamist terrorist orgs. like ISIS and al-Nusrah Front. On Mar. 27 Islamic militants seize a weapons factory in Abyan, S Yemen. On Mar. 27 Taliban fighters abduct 50 off-duty Afghan policemen in an ambush in the Chapa Dara district of NE Kunar Province. On Mar. 27 an Israeli strike on a Palestinian rocket squad in Gaza Strip kills two militants. On Mar. 27 former U.S. defense secy. Donald H. Rumsfeld says that he is worried that the Muslim Brotherhood will hijack the Egyptian Rev. On Mar. 27 Hillary Clinton's advisor Sid Blumenthal sends her an email informing her that U.S.-backed Libyan Arab rebels are exterminating anybody with black skin, and does nothing about it? On Mar. 28 the New York Times puts up a firewall on the Internet to block non-paying subscribers. On Mar. 28 Repub. pres. hopeful Newt Gingrich gives a speech at Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Tex., and says that he's worried that the U.S. could turn into "a secular atheist country, potentially one dominated by radical Islamists". On Mar. 28 an unusual air attack is staged by the Russians against a militant Islamist base in North Caucasus, after which on Mar. 29 pres. Dmitri Medveyev warns the separatist fighters to surrender or "be destroyed". On Mar. 28 the Mansfield City School District in Ohio withdraws permission for a Tea Party group to stage an event on school grounds featuring a speaker who urges Muslims to convert to Christianity, causing them to sue. On Mar. 29 the govt. of Syria resigns; Hillary Clinton condemns it for its harsh treatment of pro-democracy protesters. On Mar. 29 uniformed jihadists in military trucks blast their way in a provincial govt. HQ in Tikrit, Iraq, killing 55+ and injuring 95. On Mar. 29 the first-ever hearings on Discrimination Against Muslims in the U.S. are held by the Senate Judiciary Committee's panel on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Human Rights, chaired by asst. Sen. Dem. majority whip (2007-15) Richard Joseph "Dick" Durbin (1944-), who claims it's not an attempt to counter Pete King's House hearings, and utters the soundbyte: "We should all agree that it is wrong to blame an entire community for the wrongdoing of a few"; Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) questions the need for the hearings in light of the fact that most religious hate crimes in the U.S. are committed against Jews, and says he's "stunned" that Muslim Advocates dir. Farhana Khera gives advice to Muslims to not speak to the FBI or infidel law enforcement sans an atty. On Mar. 29 a German govt. conference on Islam in Berlin is boycotted by Germany's main Muslim group the Central Council of Muslims. On Mar. 29 after many complaints from the Israeli govt. et al., Facebook shuts down the Third Intifada Group, calling for Muslims to launch another war against the Jews. On Mar. 29 ABC-TV's Diane Sawyer interviews Pres. Obama, and compares him to Abe Lincoln who prayed when "his own wisdom and that around him was insufficient for the day", and got him to respond "I do a lot of praying" - to Allah? On Mar. 29 U.S. HUD secy. Shaun Donovan says that no other pres. "better understands" the need for public housing than Obama, and that the admin. will fight House Repubs. over proposed cuts. On Mar. 29 the London Conference on Libya sponsored by Britain and France in hopes of building a consensus sees several Arab states back out, incl. Egypt. On Mar. 29 the moderate Muslim Am.-Islamic Leadership Coalition is founded to defend the U.S. Constitution, religious pluralism, U.S. security, and diversity in Islam as a counter to CAIR etc. On Mar. 30 Pres. Obama calls for a one-third cut in oil imports by 2020. On Mar. 30 Ugandan pres. Tamale Mirundi says that Libyan dictator Col. Daffy is welcome to live in his country - today and tamale? On Mar. 30 Syrian pres. Bashar Assad blames "conspirators" for the wave of protests against his authoritarian rule. On Mar. 30 a suicide bomber on a motorbyke blows up in a crowd in Swabi, Pakistan (44 mi. from Islamabad) as they gather to meet hardline Islamist leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman of Jamiat Uleme-e-Islam. On Mar. 30 a massacre in Blolequin, Ivory Coast sees 85 men, women and children seeking refuge in a govt. bldg. killed. On Mar. 30 Yemeni-Am. Islamist cleric Anwar al-Awlaki breaks his silence on the Arab Spring, saying that Islamists are elated by the revolts against govts. they have long despised. On Mar. 30 a new poll by Quinnipiac U. finds that 50% of voters say that Pres. Obama doesn't deserve a 2nd term, with 41% saying he does. On Mar. 30 the U.S. House Oversight and Govt. Reform Committee issues a report alleging that the Dept. of Homeland Security has politicized the way it responds to FOIA request for info. from the public and press. On Mar. 30 new German interior minister Hans-Peter Friedrich hosts a Conference on Islam with Muslim leaders in Berlin, saying that he wants to "work together on preventing radicaliation and extremism"; he proposes a "security partnership" with German Muslims, causing a firestorm of controversy. On Mar. 30 the 9/11 Commission tells the Senate Homeland Security Committee that the U.S. is still unprepared for terrorist attacks. On Mar. 30 the £8M Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Centre of Islamic Studies at Cambridge U. in Britain opens. On Mar. 30 U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Tex.) introduces legislation to order secy. of state Hillary Clinton to designate Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist orgs. On Mar. 30 the LA Times reports White House comments that "CIA officers on the ground in Libya are coordinating with rebels and sharing intelligence." On Mar. 30 (midnight) Camp Pendleton, Calif. issues a security alert after three Middle Eastern Muslim men in two vehicles drive to it under suspicious circumstances - Islamophobia? On Mar. 31 Israel releases a map showing how Lebanon has been booby-trapped with 1K underground military sites by Hezbollah, which they call "resistance tunnels"; on Mar. 31 Hamas member Hasan Abyu Jaser is killed in a tunnel collapse. On Mar. 31 Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan gives a speech praising Libyan dictator Col. Daffy and thanking him for lending them $8M over the years, giving the Nation of Islam its first headlines in years. In Mar. the U.S. Army is exposed for its Afghanistan Kill Team that posed for photos of murdered civilians. In Mar. Ntrepid Corp. of the U.S. is awarded a $2.76M contract to develop sock puppet software to manipulate social media on non-English speaking Web sites incl. Arabic, Farsi, Urdi, and Pasho as part of the $200M Operation Earnest Voice Program. In Mar. billionaire real estate celeb Donald Trump (1946-) begins making moves to announce his Repub. candidacy for U.S. pres., saying that "I have some real doubts" that Obama was born in the U.S., and dissing him for not releasing his birth certificate, saying there might be something on it he doesn't want people to see, such as that it lists him as Muslim, or worse, maybe Obama originally had a different surname and father; Trump reportedly sent investigators to Hawaii on the trail of it, stay tuned; he also claims that Obama spent $2M+ trying to keep his birth certificate, college transcripts, etc., sealed, when actually that number is little more than speculation; Orly Taitz claims that it was more than $5M, paid to nat. law firm Perkins Cole, but then, signing Executive Order 13489 (Jan. 21, 2009) sealing all his records didn't cost him a cent, did it? In Mar. the U.S. economy adds 216K job, leaving unemployment at 8.8%. In Mar. 51% of Americans ages 12+ have profiles on Facebook. In Mar. the U.S. military begins issuing 13K Individual Gunshot Detectors that can tell where a shot was fired from, incl. distance and direction in less than 1 sec. In Mar. Tibetan Buddhist monks begin self-immolation to protest Chinese govt. opression; by Nov. 9 monks and one attempt suicide. On Apr. 1 after reports that Christian pastor Terry Jones burned a Quran in Fla. in Mar., a mob of enraged Muslims in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan turns violent, killing eight at a U.N. operational center, beheading two of them, after which Jones calls on the U.N. to take "immediate action" against Muslim nations to hold them accountable for the deaths, urging them to "alter the laws that govern their countries to allow for individual freedoms and rights, such as the right to worship, free speech and to move freely without fear of being attacked or killed"; instead, Pres. Obama extends condolences to the families of the murdered, and calls desecration of the Quran "an act of extreme intolerance and bigotry"; on Apr. 2 the Muslims continue their rampage in Kandahar, killing 10 and wounding 83, causing U.S. gen. David Petraeus to condemn Jones, calling Quran burning "hateful", "intolerant", and "extremely disrespectful", adding "we condemn it in the strongest manner possible"; a 2nd and 3rd day of rage sees more marches and mayhem, followed by a 4th and 5th; meanwhile officials in Pakistan send a letter to Interpol demanding the arrest of Jones for his "violent crime", and U.S. Sens. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.) call for Quran burning to be criminalized, with Graham uttering the soundbyte "Free speech is a great idea, but we're in a war." On Apr. 1 protests in Douma, Syria (near Damascus) cause 10 to be killed; on Apr. 3 thousands march in Douma to mourn those killed in protests; meanwhile pres. Bashar Assad appoints a former agriculture minister to form a new govt. On Apr. 1 British security and counter-terrorism minister (since May 13, 2010) baroness Lilian Pauline Neville-Jones (1939-) tells the Daily Telegraph that the govt. needs to persuade the Muslim pop. that the U.K. is a single nation, and that they don't just "rub along together" but must be persuaded that their longterm future lies in Britain - but not in becoming British? On Apr. 2 a massacre of 1K+ in Duekoue, Ivory Coast in an area controlled by forces fighting to install pres. Alassane Ouattara is reported by a Catholic charity. On Apr. 3 a group of Islamists stage a protest in Dhaka, Bangladesh against a govt. policy giving women equal rights to inheritance, and throw stones, causing police to open fire and use tear gas, killing one and injuring 25. On Apr. 3 the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood gets more vocal and demands that the govt. establish Saudi-style modesty police. On Apr. 3 an Islamist suicide attack in the Sufi Sakhi Sarwar Shrine in Punjab, India kills 41. On Apr. 3 the Obama admin. flops, dropping support of pres. Ali Abdullah Saleh; Yemeni officials announce that al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula has seized the city of Jar and declared an Islamic Emirate; pres. Saleh let them in to bolster his tenuous grip on power? On Apr. 3 Somalia declares the new state of Azania. On Apr. 3 Ai Weiwei, the Chinese artist known for the Bird's Nest Stadium in Beijing is arrested for criticism of the govt. On Apr. 3-10 the miniseries The Kennedys debuts on History Channel, starring Greg Kinnear as JFK, Katie Holmes as Jacqueline Kennedy, Barry Pepper as RFK, and Tom Wilkinson as Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. On Apr. 4 (4th day of 4th mo. of the 44th anniv. of the assassination of MLK Jr.), U.S. pres. #44 Barack Obama (born on Aug. 4 and elected pres. on Nov. 4, 2009) launches his reelection campaign. On Apr. 4 U.S. atty.-gen. Eric Holder finally announces that he's cleared military prosecutors to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four others accused in the 9/11 case for military trials at Gitmo, flopping on his Nov. 2009 decision to try them in a civil court in New York City; knowing how bad it makes Obama looks, he tries to blame Congress for forcing him to do it. On Apr. 4 Iranian pres. Imadinnajacket utters the soundbyte: "A Mideast without Israel and America is now possible"; on Apr. 7 he adds: "You should know that the Zionist regime has reached the end of the line and no one can save this regime." On Apr. 4 the U.S. Dept. of Education Office for Civil Rights releases a letter headed "Dear Colleague" that dramatically changes procedures for handling alleged sexual assault cases, making suspects guilty until proven innocent and bypassing the police to please hardcore feminists. On Apr. 5 the Obama admin. gives Congress a report on Pakistan, saying that its military has "no clear path toward defeating the insurgency" by al-Qaida. On Apr. 5 the Wall Street Journal reports that the U.S. has frozen military aid to the Lebanese Armed Forces, which are controlled by Hezbollah. On Apr. 5 a Debate on the Practice of Islam is held by France's ruling party in an attempt to stem the growing influence of the far right party of Marie Le Pen; meanwhile French interior minister Claude Gueant is prosecuting for declaring that the "growing" number of Muslims in France poses a "problem" - suicide in Eurabia? On Apr. 5 the legislative house in Ala. passes an Ariz.-style immigration crackdown law by 73-28, sending it to the Ala. senate. On Apr. 5 Israel attacks Sudan, killing 100+ in an air strike. On Apr. 5 renewed clashes in Yemen in Sana'a and Taiz kill three and injure 400+; on Apr. 6 tens of thousand siege the HQ of the governate of Taiz; meanwhile 15 are arrested in Aden after clashes with police; on Apr. 8 ("Fri. of Determination") hundreds of thousands protest in 15 of Yemen's 21 governates; on Apr. 10 clashes between protesters and police in Taiz result in four killed and 43 injured, with 500 becoming ill from tear gas; on Apr. 11 Saleh announces acceptance of a 30-day exit plan offered by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC); on Apr. 12 hundreds of thousands protest the GCC proposals; on Apr. 13 the 1st Armored Div. defects from Yemen's army; on Apr. 15 ("Fri. of Tolerance") hundreds of thousands protest throughout Yemen; on Apr. 17 GCC ministers meet with Saleh's opposition in Riyadh, while two protesters are killed and 45 injured in Sana'a; on Apr. 21 Saleh's eldest son Ahmad leads the Repub. Guards against armed tribesmen in the S governate of Lahj, killing 15, incl. 13 soldiers; on Apr. 22 ("Last Chance Fri.") hundreds of thousands protest in main cities; on Apr. 27 protesters advancing towards the state TV bldg. in Sana'a are attacked by police, who kill seven and injure 100+; on Apr. 29 ("Fri. of Loyalty with Martyrs") hundreds of thousands demonstrate in 17 governates, while Saleh dismisses atty.-gen. Abdullah al-Ulifi for demanding an investigation of the Repub. Guards; on May 4 tens of thousands protest in major cities after the govt. bombs the Yafea district of the Lahj governate; meanwhile the govt. accuses protesters of cutting out the tongue of a poet loyal to Saleh; on May 5 tens of thousands demonstrate, demanding that Saleh step down; on May 6 ("Fri. of Loyalty with People of the South") hundreds of thousands demonstrate throughout Yemen, while Saleh vows a crackdown on "opposition-backed bandits" for hitting oil pipelines and a power plant in Marib Governate; on May 8 protests in Taiz and Hodeidah governates kill three and injure 20 protesters; on May 9 "rev. youth" close offices in Ibb, Taiz, and Hodeidah; meanwhile four are killed and 100+ injured in Taiz by govt. troops dispersing protesters sieging govt. offices; on May 11 thousands march toward the Council of Ministers bldg. in Sana'a, killing 12 and injuring 150, plus another eight killed in Taiz, Hodeidah and Ibb; on May 13 ("Fri. of Decisiveness") hundreds of thousands protest throughout Yemen, which Saleh counters by calling it the "Fri. of Unity"; meanwhile fights between the 1st Armoured Div. and the Repub. Guards in Ban Matar District 40 km W of Sana'a kill three soldiers; on May 14 five Repub. Guardsmen are killed in an ambush by tribesman in Marib governate 180 km E of Sana'a, along with six govt. security forces in Rada in Beida governate 150 km SE of Sana'a. On Apr. 6 the Obama admin. reaches an agreement with Colombia regarding violence against labor leaders, enabling a free trade agreement negotiated by the Bush admin. to win approval although Obama campaigned against it in 2008. On Apr. 6 U.S. defense secy. Robert M. Gates visits Saudi Arabia to mend fences with King Abdullah and discuss the $60B arms deal. On Apr. 6 Syria reverses its ban on teachers wearing the Islamic veil, and closes the country's only casino in a bid to appease Islamists amid calls for more pro-dem. demonstrations; meanwhile Tunisia announces that women will be allowed to wear hijan on photographic IDs. On Apr. 6 Mexican police uncover a mass grave near San Fernando (80 mi. S of Brownsville, Tex.) in Tamaulipas containing 183 bodies; on Apr. 15 16 police officers are arrested for covering for the drug cartel, which kidnapped bus passengers en route to Matamoros, where 400 unclaimed suitcases are reported. On Apr. 6 the U.S. Govt. Accountability Office (GAO) tells Congress that the TSA failed at least 23x to stop terror suspects who boarded planes at U.S. airports; on Apr. 7 the U.S. govt. announces that its new style of terror alerts will be seen on Facebook and Twitter. On Apr. 6 Acorn (Assoc. of Community Orgs. for Reform Now) is convicted in Las Vegas, Nev. of felony "compensation" for registration of voters, becoming their first criminal conviction. On Apr. 7 former PM (1993-4) Mahamadou Issoufou (1952-) becomes pres. of Niger (until ?), inheriting the 2011-2 Sahel Food Crisis, and launching the 3N (Nigerians Feeding Nigerians) Initiative next year. On Apr. 7 the Taliban attack a police compound in Kandahar, Afghanistan, killing six Afghan security personnel, who kill four Taliban jihadis; the use of an ambulance by the attackers is later lamented by the Taliban, who promise an investigation and that it won't happen again. On Apr. 7 a Muslim gunman opens fire on students at Tasso da Silveira Primary School in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, killing 20. On Apr. 7 French interior minister Claude Gueant warns that humanitarian permits granted to thousands of Tunisians are temporary, and that France won't tolerate a "wave of Tunisian immigration". On Apr. 7 the Iraqi army clashes with the People's Mujahedeen, an Iranian exile group at Camp Ashraf N of Baghdad, killing 33, then blocks humanitarian aid. On Apr. 7 the first-ever Islamic univ. in Albania opens in Tirana. On Apr. 7 the Hawaiian Appeals Court rejects a request by Robert V. Justice to "inspect and copy" Obama's birth certificate, saying he must be a close family member - duh, so why doesn't a close member request it to satisfy everybody? Because Obama told them he's got nothing to hide, or the reverse? The burden of proof is on Obama if he wants the issue to go away, else it shouldn't, it could be a major scandal in U.S. history, if anybody still cares about the Constitution that is, because his entire presidency could become like the Lost Season of Dallas, when Pam wakes up and finds Bobby in the shower? On Apr. 8 Pres. Obama signs an executive order to continue the nat. emergency with respect to Somalia declared on Apr. 12, 2010. On Apr. 8 N.Y. Repub. U.S. sen. Gregory R. Ball, chmn. of the Senate Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs holds another hearing on Muslims and terrorism, hearing a talk by ex-Muslim Nonie Darwish; a Curious George doll with Star of David stickers on it and a hate-filled Muslim letter is sent to him, which on Apr. 14 is traced to Jameela Barnette of Marietta, Ga. who also sent the bloody pig's foot to Peter King. On Apr. 8 1K non-Iranian Shiite clerics and students from Qum, Iran demonstrate outside the U.N. HQ and Saudi embassy in an attempt to get the Iranian govt. to support the protesters in Bahrain, shouting Death to America and Death to the Saud Family; meanwhile demonstrations are held in several Iraqi cities calling for the departure of PM Nouri Al-Maliki, and an end to corruption. On Apr. 8 1M stage a protest in Liberation Square in Cairo demanding that the Egyptian govt. abandon the peace treaty with Israel and lift the blockade on Gaza Strip. On Apr. 8 the Izzadin Kassam Brigades of Hamas shoot an anti-tank missile at an Israeli school bus, injuring a student and the driver, causing Israel to respond with air attacks in Gaza Strip, killing five; meanwhile Hamas ramps up the rocket attacks on Israel. On Apr. 8 prominent Muslim cleric Moulvi Showkat Ahmad Shah, who denounced stone-throwing protests as un-Islamic is murdered outside a mosque in Srinagar. On Apr. 8 (Fri. night) Dems. surrender $38.5B in cuts to Repubs. to avert a U.S. govt. shutdown. On Apr. 8 NASA astronaut Cady Coleman aboard the Internat. Space Station performs the first Space-Earth flute duet with Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull. On Apr. 8-11 Bretton Woods II is held in Bretton Woods, N.H., sponsored by leftist billionaire George Soros, who wants a NWO OWG with a global currency under U.N. rule. On Apr. 9 a Muslim opens fire with an automatic weapon at a crowded shopping mall outside Amsterdam, Netherlands, killing six and wounding 11. On Apr. 9 the U.S. criticizes Saudi Arabia for putting restrictions on the Internet. On Apr. 9-10 Am. rock star Bob Dylan performs in China and Vietnam after allowing the govt. to preapprove his playlist - the 1960s are dead? On Apr. 10 1K Muslims and leftist anti-war activists protest in Union Square in New York City, carrying signs that read "Stop War/Terrorism/Islamophobia". On Apr. 10 a 21-.y.-o. Jew in Villeurbanne (near Lyon), France is attacked by anti-Semites and seriously wounded as he returns from a Torah course. On Apr. 10 an Islamic jihadist in Dagestan in N Caucasus is killed when his suicide vest prematurely detonates. On Apr. 10 Welsh British Nat. Party candidate Sion Owens (1970-) is arrested for burning a Quran in his garden; the charges are dropped, but the investigators state that "almost certainly other proceedings will ensue". On Apr. 11 tens of thousand protest Mexico City to demand an end to the war on drugs, chanting "No More Blood" and calling for pres. Felipe Calderon's resignation for sending the army on the cartels in late 2006, causing 35K deaths. On Apr. 11 France's new anti-veiling law comes into effect, making it illegal to hide one's face in public or encouraging another to do so, whether a Muslim or not, causing protests outside Notre Dame Cathedral, with two arrested; only 2K women bear the burqa or niqab in France; on Apr. 11 the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood issues a warning, calling the French veil ban "the beginning of a dangerous battle". On Apr. 11 Ivory Coast pres. #4 (since Oct. 26, 2000) Laurent Gbagbo is arrested at his residence in Abidjan by French and U.N. troops after a battle; in Nov. he is extradited to The Hague and charged with four counts of crime against humanity in the Internat. Criminal Court (ICC) in connection with post-election violence. On Apr. 12 an Egyptian man declares himself to be the Mahdi (Muslim Messiah) at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, and is immediately arrested. On Apr. 11 female deputy police chief Atifete Jahjaga (1975-) is elected pres. of Kosovo (until Apr. 7, 2016). On Apr. 11 U.S. state secy. Hillary Clinton gives a news conference with Finnish foreign minister Alexander Stubb in Washington, D.C., and decries the marginalization of women in the Islamic world, saying they must be empowered for true democracy in the Middle East. On Apr. 12 the 50th anniv. of first astronaut in space Yuri Gagarin causes Russian pres. Dmitri Medvedev to gush. On Apr. 12 the U.N. declares the Palestinian Authority largely ready to govern a Palestinian state. On Apr. 12 an Egyptian man declares himself to be the Mahdi (Muslim Messiah) at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, and is immediately arrested. On Apr. 13 Pres. Obama gives a Speech on the Deficit, calling for it to be reduced by $4T over the next 12 years. On Apr. 13 the FBI announces the dismantling of the giant internat. Coreflood botnet that commandeered 2.3M Windows PCs (1.8M in the U.S.), and stole up to $100M. On Apr. 13 U.S. Rep. (R-N.C.) Sue Myrick, chmn. of the Intel subcommittee begins holding hearings on the Egyptian-based Muslim Brotherhood. On Apr. 14 Pres. Obama, British PM David Cameron, and French pres. Nicolas Sarkozy pub. an op-ed in the New York Times, with the soundbyte: "There is a pathway to peace that promises new hope for the people of Libya - a future without Qaddafi that preserves Libya's integrity and sovereignty, and restores her economy and the prosperity and security of her people." On Apr. 14 after their gang leader Abu al-Walid al-Maqdisi was arrested by Hamas on Mar. 2, Italian pro-Palestinian activist Vittorio Arrigoni (b. 1975) is kidnapped in Gaza by members of al-Qaida-linked Tawhid wal-Jihad, then hanged on Apr. 15 after their ransom demands aren't meant; Hamas denies involvement, as does Tawhid wal-Jihad. On Apr. 14 350 Islamist Salafi hardline protesters in Zarqa, Jordan clash with supporters of Jordan's king, wounding dozens. On Apr. 14 a delegation from the British Foreign Office led by consul-gen. Marie-Louise Archer meets in Alexandria, Egypt with the Muslim Brotherood. On Apr. 14 Obama interviews fan George Stephanopoulos of ABC-TV, and utters the soundbyte: "I think that over the last two and a half years there's been an effort to go at me in a way that is politically expedient in the short term for Republicans, but creates, I think, a problem for them when they want to actually run in a general election where most people feel pretty confident the president was born where he says he was, in Hawaii. He doesn't have horns... We're not really worrying about conspiracy theories or birth certificates" - that settles it - the president says he was born in Hawaii - which president, Clinton? On Apr. 14-16 the U.S. tornado outbreak of Apr. 14-16, 2011) produces 178 confirmed tornadoes across 16 days, killing 38 and causing $2.1B damage, becoming the deadliest since the 2008 Super Tues. tornado outbreak. On Apr. 15 leaders of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) meeting in S China unanimously criticize the West for waging war on Libya and causing civilian casualties. On Apr. 15 Islamists armed with swords, daggers and clubs attack police in Zarqa, Jordan, wounding 51; 32 others are treated for tear gas inhalation, while eight civilians are injured. On Apr. 15 a suicide bomber in a mosque in Ciberon, West Java (180 mi. from Jakarta) detonates, wounding 28 incl. several policeman, becoming the first Islamist suicide bomb in Indonesian history. On Apr. 15 the Egypt govt. appoints 20 new governors, incl. Emad Mikhail, a Copt for the city of Qena, causing Islamist protests. On Apr. 15 protests by Sunnis in Ahwaz, Khuzestan, Iraq result in 12+ killed. On Apr. 15 (night) hundreds of Egyptians rally outside the Israeli consulate in Alexandria, Egypt, calling for a new intifdada aginst the Jews in Israel. On Apr. 15 (night) non-Muslim Kashmiri candidate Haseena Akhtar is pulled out of her home and murdered by suspected Muslim rebels. On Apr. 15 U.S. comedian Jerry Seinfeld appears on the BBC-TV morning show Daybreak, and calls the upcoming royal wedding a "circus act" for people who think they're "special". On Apr. 16 hundreds of mad Muslims attack the Christian village of Gurjarnwala, Punjab after a bag with torn pages of the Quran is found hidden near a home. On Apr. 16 top U.S. congresswoman Kay Granger (R-Tex.) warns that if the Palestinians pursue a unilateral statehood declaration with the U.N. that the U.S. could reduce aid to both. On Apr. 16 a suicide bomber in an Afghan military uniform kills five NATO and four Afghan soldiers at Forward Operating Base Gamberi in Laghman Province, E Afghanistan. On Apr. 16 Roman Catholic protesters destroy the hated Piss Christ by Andres Serrano while on display in a museum in former papal seat Avignon, France. On Apr. 17 a poll of Repubs. in Iowa show that 48% believe that Pres. Obama wasn't born in the U.S. On Apr. 17 the XXX porno-filled medieval fantasy series Game of Thrones, based on George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" novel series debuts on HBO (until )?, set in the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, about noble families who vie for control of the Iron Throne, as Littlefinger, Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen, and Diana Rigg as Olenna Tyrell. On Apr. 18 after the U.S. debt tops $14.3T for the first time ever, Standard & Poors lowers its outlook on the U.S. to negative for the first time since it started assigning outlooks in 1989, causing stocks to slide. On Apr. 18 (8 a.m.) Islamist suicide bombers detonate two cars outside the Green Zone in Baghdad, killing nine and wounding 23. On Apr. 18 thousands of protesters in Homs, Syria demand the resignation of pres. Bashar Assad. On Apr. 18 in response to the election of Christian pres. Jonathan Goodluck, Muslims in N Nigeria kill 100+ Christians and burn 40+ churches; meanwhile two al-Shabaab militants murder newly-converted Christian Hassan Adawe Adan (b. 1990) in Shalambod, Somalia as part of a campaign to exterminate Christianity from Somalia. On Apr. 19 Pres. Obama holds an Easter Prayer Breakfast at the White House in Washington, D.C., with the soundbyte: "I wanted to host this breakfast for a simple reason, because as busy as we are, as many tasks as pile up, during this season, we are reminded that there's something about the resurrection, something about the resurrection of our savior Jesus Christ that puts everything else in perspective." On Apr. 19 a Boeing 737 carrying First Lady Michelle Obama and Second Lady Jill Biden has a close call with a Boeing C-17 military transport jet that gets within 2.94 mi. as they are about to land at Andrews AFB near Washington, D.C. On Apr. 19 Repub. Ariz. gov. Jan Brewer vetoes a law requiring pres. candidates to prove their citizenship before their names can be placed on the state ballot. On Apr. 19 a mill outside Kabul, Afghanistan that recycles worn-out Qurans into toilet paper draws an angry stone-throwing mob of 1K, causing the govt. to arrest three and shut it down. On Apr. 20 U.S. Adm. Mike Mullen is interviewed on Pakistani TV, accusing Pakistan's spy agency of supporting the Hawwani network of Islamic militants in Afghanistan, who are killing U.S. and NATO troops. On Apr. 21 300 Israeli leftist intellectuals incl. 17 Israel Prize winners in Tel Aviv announce: "We are here to welcome the expected announcement of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel, according to the borders of our independence, fixed during the 1949 armistice"; it also calls for a complete Israeli pullout from the West Bank. On Apr. 21 police uncover a 330 lb. bomb buried near a church near Jakarta, Indonesia set to to off on Easter Sun. (Apr. 24). On Apr. 21 Israel warns the U.N. that a planned new Gaza flotilla has organizers tied to Hamas and other Islamist jihadist groups. On Apr. 21 Israeli authorities rearrest Palestinian activist Ahmed Qatamesh (1950-), who was detained for six years in the 1990s. On Apr. 22 Fla. pastor Terry Jones is briefly jailed for refusing to pay protection money to the city of Dearbornistan, Mich. in the event of Muslim violence at his planned protest outside a mosque. On Apr. 22-24 Tex. Gov. Rick Perry declares Days of Prayer for Rain in Tex. On Apr. 23 hundreds of Russian nationalists and racists stage a rally in Moscow to demand an end to social welfare payments for Muslim repubs. of North Caucasus. On Apr. 24 (Sun.) Easter falls on the latest date since 1943 C.E. On Apr. 24 an Islamist bomb at Sacred Heart Church in Karradah, Baghdad wounds three civilians and three policemen. On Apr. 24 Allah-Akbar-shouting Palestinian police open fire on pilgrims visiting Joseph's Tomb in Nablus. On Apr. 24 Pres. Obama and his family attends Easter Sun. service at Shiloh Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., which was founded in 1863 by freed slaves from Fredericksburg, Va. On Apr. 25 a daring jailbreak by the Taliban in Kandahar, Afghanistan sees 488 escape in a tunnel that took 5 mo. to dig. On Apr. 25 ProPublica becomes the first non-print journalist to win a Pulitzer Prize for journalism, for its series "The Wall Street Money Machine". On Apr. 25-28 the 2011 Super Tornado Outbreak in the S, midwest, and NE U.S. produces 360 confirmed tornadoes, killing 324 and causing $12.2B damage, with up to 210 mph winds; on Apr. 27 4.5 in. hail falls in Saltville, Va. On Apr. 26 French pres. Nicolas Sarkozy and Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi meet in Rome to discuss the influx of North African (mainly Muslim) immigrants. On Apr. 26 the world's last typewriter factory, Godrej & Boyce in India shuts down. On Apr. 27 the legislative house of Mo. passes a law banning state courts from making rulings based on foreign (read Sharia) laws. On Apr. 27 the Fatah-Hamas Accord is signed; the Islamic Jihad refuses to join the unity govt.; the Obama admin. says they won't support the new govt. unless it commits to peace conditions spelled out by the Quartet (U.S., Russia, EU, U.N.), but continues plans to send the Palestinian Authority $550M in U.S. aid despite bipartisan opposition; Likud leader Moshe Kahlon said that if there is a unilateral declaration of Palestinian statehood, Israel should annex the West Bank; on Apr. 30 Gaza PM Ismail Haniyeh calls on the PLO to withdraw its recognition of Israel; on May 4 a Palestinian Nat. Accord is signed by all Palestinian factions; after Mahmoud Abbas says that he will continue pursuing peace talks with Israel, Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar says that Hamas will stick to its stance of not recognizing or negotiating with Israel, but "if Fatah wants to negotiate with Israel over trivialities, they can"; the unity is a sham to help their appeal in the U.N. for Palestinian statehood in Sept.? On Apr. 27 an Afghan Air Corps pilot gets in an argument with nine Am. trainers at Kabul Airport, then leaves, returns with a rifle and methodically slaughters them. On Apr. 27 two Christian Afghan asylum seekers, Ahmed Faizi and Ali Hussani are deported from the U.K. despite fears that they will be killed for apostasy by the Taliban or other Muslims. On Apr. 27 after a 4-year battle backed by the ACLU, U.S. District Judge Cormac J. Carney rules that CAIR can't have access to FBI files on it because of nat. security concerns. On Apr. 27 after the pressure by Donald Trump mounts, the White House finally releases a certified copy of the long form birth certificate, saying that the nation was being "distracted by sideshows and carnival barkers", causing Trump to claim "I won", and say that he's "proud" of forcing the release, dropping out of the race in May; no surprise, the birth certificate lists the place of birth as Kapiolani Maternity and Gynecological Hospital in Honolulu, the father as Barack Obama Sr., and the delivering physician as Dr. Richard Kimble, er, David A. Sinclair, who conveniently died in 2003 without telling anybody; too bad, it's only a copy, dated Apr. 25, 2011 and signed by the state registrar, not the real birth certificate made in 1961, which has never been forensically tested, and the serial number is out of sequence with the Nordyke Twins, born in you know what hospital a day after Obama, leading to more doubts, although the ball is now in the Birthers' court?; for starters, it's got plenty of evidence of being PhotoShopped, actually, created with Adobe Illustrator, with multiple typefaces, and shows evidence that the original birth certificate was scanned while still in its binder, complete with curved surfaces, while the information on the form doesn't curve with the printed text, and worse, the certificate purports to be a color scan of an actual piece of paper, but it has no chromatic artifacts; tt also goofs and lists Obama's daddy's race as African instead of Negro, a modern PC terminology; nationally recognized Adobe and Microsoft computer expert Mara Zebest has stated that "The PDF file released by the White House contains evidence of manipulation suggesting that one or more forgers utilized existing Hawaiian birth certificates to assemble fraudulently for Barack Obama a document the president presented to the world as authentic." And why did mommy wait to sign it until Aug. 7, and Sinclair until Aug. 8? Who is the registrar, it looks a lot like "Ukelele"?; why did a purported Kenyan birth certificate have the exact same time of birth if it was a fake and the authors didn't have access to the real one, aha, it's starting to make sense?; did mommy have a premature delivery in the British colony of Kenya, then fly back to Honolulu, walk into the hospital with the infant Messiah, and ask for them to help make him a legal alien quick, maybe telling them she had it at home in Honolulu, meanwhile telling her mother to place an ad in the local paper as a cover story, and now the hospital has to go along with the fraud to avoid criminal charges?; how convenient that all key witnesses are now dead, incl. mommy, daddy, grandparents, and Sinclair; bada bing, bada boom, the name of the hospital was Kauikeolani Children's Hospital until 1978, when it merged with Kapi'olani Maternity Home?; wrong, it was called that by the Hawaii legislature in 1954; funny how Obama jumped and released the certificate right before the immigration file of his daddy Barack Sr. was released, showing how he was suspected of never divorcing his first wife in Kenya, which would make his marriage to Ann a sham for the purpose of securing immigration status, and make Obama the illegitimate child of a foreign bigamist - somebody take my pulse? On Apr. 27-28 a tornado-thunderstorm outbreak in the U.S. South does $5B damage and kills 343 in five states, becoming the 2nd deadliest in U.S. history since the Mar. 1932 Ala. twister outbreak that killed 332; three TVA nuclear reactors are knocked out; on Apr. 29 Pres. Obama visits Ala. to survey the damage and offer condolences. On Apr. 28 a Sunni suicide bomber kills 10 in the Imam al-Hussein Mosque in Baladruz in C Iraq 50 mi. NE of Baghdad. On Apr. 28 a remote-controlled bomb in a cafe in Marrakesh, Morroco kills 11 foreigners and three Moroccans. On Apr. 29 (early a.m.) a Pentecostal Christian church in Sleman, Yogyakarta, Indonesia is firebombed. On Apr. 29 (Fri.) (11 a.m. BST) the royal wedding of Prince William, duke of Cambridge, and Catherine "Kate" Middleton in Westminster Abbey (16th royal wedding there) is watched by 2B; she becomes the first commoner to become heir to the British throne in over three cents.; her wedding dress is designed by English fashion designer Sarah Burton (1974-), formerly of Alexander McQueen's fashion house; she is heir to the Party Pieces fortune; a group of extremist Muslims threaten to disrupt it, then back off. On Apr. 29 Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru sign a trade agreement, creating one of the biggest trading blocks in Latin Am.; meanwhile the Mexican Senate unanimously votes to overhaul Mexico's anti-trust law to stiffen fines and add prison sentences for monopolistic practices. On Apr. 29 Egyptian foreign minister Nabil al-Arabi announces that Egypt is permanently opening the Rafah border crossing to ease the Israeli blockade on Gaza. On Apr. 29 German authorities arrest three Moroccan al-Qaida suspects in North Rhine-Westphalia carrying a "large amount of explosives". On Apr. 29 soldiers fire on protesters carrying olive branches in Banias, Syria, killing 16+. On Apr. 29 a U.S. appeals court overturns an order to suspend federal funding for stem cell research, becoming a V for the Obama admin. On Apr. 29 a Biannual Report to Congress on the Afghanistan War claims that the 2009 surge has produced "tangible security progress". On Apr. 29 Saudi king Abdallah issues a decree making it a crime to insult public figures, incl. religious clerics. On Apr. 29 (eve.) pastor Terry Jones stages an Anti-Islam Rally outside city hall in Dearborn, Mich., which is cut short by loud counter-demonstrators who outnumber his and storm the barricades, causing mayor John O'Reilly Jr. to call the Muslims, er, Jones a troublemaker. On Apr. 30 police break up 300 angry Muslims threatening to burn a church in Gujranwala in E Pakistan after rumors of a Quran burning. On Apr. 30 the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood announces the formation of the Freedom and Justice Party, headed by Dr. Muhammad Morsi, and that it will contest up to half of the parliamentary seats in the Sept. elections, but will not field a pres. candidate. On Apr. 30 the U.S. places sanctions on senior Syrian officials Maher Assad, his cousin Atif Nijab, and intel dir. Ali Mamluk. On Apr. 30 the Syrian military seizes the landmark Omari Mosque in Daraa from protesters, killing 6+. On Apr. 30 the 2011 White House Correspondents' Dinner sees Pres. Obama roast Donald Trump, chiding him for questioning his birth certificate and comparing that with being a UFO nut etc., dissing his credentials and experience; the real reason Trump later runs for U.S. pres.? - 30 months later he has Obama's job? On Apr. 30 (night) a NATO airstrike on Tripoli narrowly misses Libyan Col. Madman Daffy and kills his youngest son Saif al-Arab (b. 1982); Daffy fabricates a claim that three grandchildren were also killed; after the bombing attack frenzied Libyans sack the U.S., U.K. and U.N. embassies; on May 1 Turkish PM Erodgan urges Daffy to leave Libya. In Apr. the Iranian Rev. Guards Web site pub. an article about the day after Iran tests its first nuclear bomb, saying it "will be an ordinary day for us Iranians but in the eyes of some of us there will be a new sparkle"; it turns out to be a hoax. In Apr. unemployment in the U.S. rises 0.2% to 9.0%; in Germany it drops to a 20-year low; employment among black men drops to the lowest point in 40 years; meanwhile U.S. taxes are at the lowest level since 1958. In Apr. Mt. Tambora in Indonesia, scene of the humongous 1815 earthquake begins getting active again, with 200+ quakes/mo., spewing ash and smoke as high as 4.6K ft. (1.4km). In Apr. British Astronomer Royal (since 1995) Martin John Rees (1942-) is awarded the £1M Templeton Prize, pissing-off the British scientific establishment, which doesn't want to have anything to do with Christianity. On May 1 (Sun.) after Pope Benedict XVI signs off on his first miracle on Jan. 14, Pope John Paul II is beatified. On May 1 suspected al-Qaida gunmen kill seven soldiers in Abyan and Sayoun E of Yemen. On May 1 a 12-y.-o. suicide bomber kills three incl. a district council head in Shaken Ditrict of Paktika Province, Afghanistan on Day One of the Taliban's spring offensive. On May 1 New York city mayor Michael Bloomberg appears on NBC-TV's "Meet the Press", and suggests that "you pass a law letting immigrants come in as long as they agreed to go to Detroit and live there for five or ten years, start businesses, take jobs, whatever." Ding, dong, the witch is dead? On May 1 (23:40 p.m. EDT) (12:40 a.m. local time) 66 years after the announcement of Adolf Hitler's death) Pres. Obama announces that pesky al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden (b. 1957) was killed by 23 U.S. Navy SEALs, an interpreter, and a tracking dog named Cairo in Operation Neptune Spear around 3:30 p.m. EDT in a $200K (20M rupee) 10-bedroom 3K sq. ft. mansion compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan ("City of Pines", founded as a British garrison town in the 1840s and named after deputy commissioner Maj. James Abbott) in the Hazara district of the NW Frontier Province 31 mi. NE of Islamabad and 93 mi. E of Peshawar, located only a few hundred yards from the elite Kakul Military Academy, the Pakistani equivalent of West Point or Sandhurst; Pres. Obama remote-views the hit from his Situation Room along with secy. of state Hillary Clinton, deputy nat. security advisor John O. Brennan et al., with Brennan calling Obama's decision to green-light the hit one of the "gutsiest calls of any president in memory", later claiming that the U.S. troops had been "met with a great deal of resistance", and that bin Laden had used a woman as a human shield, later finding out that he misunderstood Am. William McRaven and that he was unarmed; on Nov. 6, 2014 bin Laden's killer is revealed to be Robert O'Neill (1976-); the town is HQ of a brigade of the 2nd Div. of the Northern Army Corps, and home to many retired officers; the $1M mansion built in 2006 is surrounded by 18 ft. walls topped with barbed wire(an ISI safe house?); in Aug. the U.S. got a tip about the mansion by tracking his personal couriers; Osama moved there in 2006 after U.S. drones drove him out of the mountains?; the CIA set up a spy house nearby to watch, and kept it secret from the Pakistani govt.; fabled Seal Team Six stages Operation Neptune's Spear with two special ops super-secret stealth helis and an unmanned drone; one heli hard-lands in the compound after mechanical failures; four are killed besides bin Laden, incl. his oldest son Hamza, a female used as a shield, courier Abu Ahmed al-Kuwaiti (only one to return fire) and his brother; the first shot at bin Laden misses, and he shoves a wife at the SEALS before being killed; four of his children and two wives are arrested, and his computer disks captured (the original al-Qaida or database?); on May 6 al-Qaida and the Taliban confirm bin Laden's death, promise retaliation; Pres. Obama remote-views the hit from his Situation Room along with secy. of state Hillary Clinton, deputy nat. security advisor John O. Brennan et al., with Brennan calling Obama's decision to green-light the hit one of the "gutsiest calls of any president in memory", later claiming that the U.S. troops had been "met with a great deal of resistance", and that bin Laden had used a woman as a human shield; bin Laden leaves a will giving $29M to continue global jihad; on May 6 Yemen praises bin Laden's killing, while the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas condemn it; Jordan says that it hopes Osama's death will end the "terror era"; on hearing the good news, thousands swarm Ground Zero in New York City to celebrate; in Nov. 2011 Navy Seal cmdr. Chuck Pfarrer pub. a book about the mission, saying that bin Laden was killed within 90 sec. of entering his home, only 12 bullets were fired, and they would have captured him if he had surrendered; the Pakistani govt. is not officially involved in the operation although it is suspected they helped locate the compound and knew of it, with elite Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) kept out of the loop on suspicion they were on bin Laden's side; in Mar. 2014 it is revealed that Ahmed Shuja Pasha, head of the ISI knew bin Laden's whereabouts along with other top officials; hundreds flock to Ground Zero to cheer his death; the intel community warns of possible retaliatory attacks; the first of five nat. security meetings about the compound was held on Mar. 14, and the attack was originally authorized in Mar. as a B2 stealth bomber strike, but Obama changed his mind since he wanted evidence that bin Laden was dead; bin Laden's Yemeni former teenie wife Amal Ahmed Abdulfattah (1983-) tries to protect him by rushing the SEALs and is shot in the leg, then is left behind when there is no room on the only remaining heli; the news causes U.S. financial markets to surge; on May 1 Pres. Obama gives a Speech on the Late Osama bin Laden, issuing the soundbyte "Justice has been done"; too bad, he repeats his dumbass soundbyte: "The United States is not and never will be at war with Islam", and adds the double dumbass soundbyte: "Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader, he was a mass murderer of Muslims. Indeed, al-Qaida slaughtered scores of Muslims in many countries including or own, so his demise should be welcomed by all who believe in peace and human dignity" (he should know, he's a true Muslim?); also: "As we have stated repeatedly since the 9/11 terror attacks, bin Laden never represented Muslims or Islam"; on May 2 Obama adds that "This is a good day for America", adding "The world is safer. It is a better place because of the death of Osama bin Laden. Today we are reminded that as a nation, there's nothing we can't do when we put our shoulders to the wheel, when we work together. And we remember the sense of unity that defines us as Americans"; on May 4 Obama ends speculation by announcing that he won't release bin Laden's death photo, saying he has been ID'd by his wife and children and doesn't want to stir Muslim anger, "That's not who we are", "We don't need to spike the football"; an NBC Poll reveals that 64% agree with his decision; under Osama bin Laden's leadership, al-Qaida was responsible for 10K deaths and injuries in a dozen years; bin Laden's clothing had two phone numbers sewn into it, along with 500 Euros; on Obama's orders his body is quickly (within 24 hours of death) buried in the North Arabian Sea after ritual burial rites in accordance with Islamic practice, incl. the reading of Quran Sura 1 and its curse on Jews and Christians, despite Obama claiming he isn't a real Muslim, and despite Sunni doctrine that it's a "sin"; devout Muslims begin calling the site the "Martyr's Sea"; the quick disposal raises suspicions that it's all a hoax to save Obama's presidency despite govt. claims of DNA verification; on May 5 archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams say that the killing of unarmed bin Laden left a "very uncomfortable feeling"; on May 5 Pakistani army chiefs eat crow, er, warn the U.S. not to violate Pakistani sovereignty or face "the direst consequences", and call for cuts in U.S. military personnel inside the country, which doesn't stop the U.S. from staging a predator drone strike in NW Pakistan on May 6 that kills eight Talibani; analysis of the captured material from his compound shows that bin Laden was considering an attack on U.S. commuter trains on the 10th anniv. of 9/11; on May 6 Pres. Obama tells cheering solders of the 101st Airborne Div. at Ft. Campbell, Ky., awarding the Pres. Unit Citation to SEAL Team Six, calling them "the finest small fighting force in the history of the world", and shaking the hand of the lucky SEAL who killed bin Laden, uttering the soundbyte: "We're making progress in our major goal... of disrupting and dismantling, and we are going to ultimately defeat al-Qaida. We have cut off their head and we will ultimately defeat them"; meanwhile the U.S. Congress gets pissed-off at the complicity of the Pakistan govt., and prepares a list of sanctions incl. cutting aid; the initial lead of bin Laden's courier's nickname came from Khalid Sheikh Mohammed after waterboarding, causing the debate on waterboarding to resume; on May 7 the CIA releases photos and five videos found in bin Laden's compound showing him preening while shooting propaganda films, describing him as thinking of himself as a "head coach" to al-Qaida; on May 8 Pakistan's ambassador to the U.S. promises that "heads will roll" as Pakistan investigates how bin Laden could hide for years in his country, and also promises "zero tolerance"; on May 9 Pakistani PM Yousuf Raza Gilani calls bin Laden's killing "indeed justice done", but warns against any more unilateral strikes, saying they will be met with "full force"; it is revealed that after 9/11 the U.S. and Pakistan struck a secret deal to permit the U.S. to hunt and kill bin Laden on Pakistani soil; on May 11 the U.S. Senate Armed Forces Committee is allowed to view photos of dead bin Laden; a stash of porno is found in bin Laden's computer drives; on May 17 U.S. Sen. Majority Leader (D-Nev.) Harry Reid says that the U.S. needs a "good relationship" with Pakistan, and now "isn't the time to start flexing our muscles"; Pakistani army chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani faces a colonel's revolt by the 11-man Corps Commanders for letting the U.S. raid happen; Calif. diver Bill Warren announces plans to spend $400K searching for bin Laden's body; Pakistan arrests the CIA informants who helped locate Obama, causing deputy CIA dir. Michael J. Morrell to rate Pakistan's cooperation with the U.S. on counterterrorism operations as 3 on a scale of 1-10; in 2013 Pakistan begins building a $30M amusement park in Abbottabad. Free speech is dead in Europe, and now the pop. is defenseless against mass Muslim immigration? On May 3 the Danish high court reverses the acquittal of Lars Hedegaard, pres. of the Free Press Society, and fines him 5K kroner for making anti-Muslim comments in Dec. 2009 incl. "Girls in Muslim families are raped by their uncles, their cousins, or their fathers", and "When a Muslim man rapes a woman, it is in his right to do so." On May 3 five Muslims are arrested under anti-terrorism laws near a nuclear waste-processing plant in Seallafield, England. On May 3 Ammar Qurabi, head of the Nat. Org. for Human Rights in Syria claims that 1K+ have been arrested in the latest sweep by the forces of pres. Bashful Asshole. On May 3 Jordanian PM Ma'rouf Al-Bakhit says that Jordan won't consent to the establishment of a Palestinian state that doesn't incl. a guarantee of the "historic right" of return, and that it will fight any attempt to eliminate this issue or undermine Jordanian interests. On May 3 the Ansar al-Jihad al-Alami (Arab. "helpers of the global jihad") send a message to jihadist forums around the world to prepare a jihad against the "Zionist-Crusader alliance" for the killing of Osama bin Laden; its head is Abu Suleiman al-Naser (al-Nassir) of al-Qaida in Iraq. On May 4 Queens, N.Y.-born Jewish Princess, er, U.S. Rep. (D-Fla.) (1993-2001, 2003-) Debbie Wasserman Schultz (1966-) becomes chmn. #52 of the Dem. Nat. Committee (until July 28, 2016), succeeding Tim Kaine. On May 4 Pres. Obama meets at the White House with Britain's Prince Charles, offering his best wishes to the newlyweds, and praising his work on environmental issues. On May 4 Sandlin Matthew Smith (b. 1964), wanted for the bombing of a mosque in Jacksonville, Fla. almost a year earlier is shot and killed by the FBI after he pulls a weapon during his arrest. On May 4 the Great Mississippi River Flood of 2011 begins, cresting on May 10 near Memphis, Tenn. before ending on June 20 after killing 20 and causing $2B-$4B damage. On May 5 Pres. Obama visits Ground Zero in Manhattan, N.Y., and lays a wreath, uttering the soundbyte: "When we say we will never forget, we mean what we say"; 49 of 50 9/11 family members accept an invitation to be with him, the 50th John Vigiano saying he didn't like the way it was addressed to "Dear 9-11 family member - no names". On May 6 the U.S. goes for two in a row and launches a drone strike in Yemen aimed at Anwar al-Awlaki, killing two aides. On May 6 (Martyrs Day) Syrian pres. Bashar Assad lays a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier in Damascus while surrounded by supporters; meanwhile protests throughout Syria see security forces fire on protesters, killing 30, causing the U.N. to send a team to investigate, while the EU places sanctions on Syria. On May 6 Francesc Antich, pres. of the Balearic Islands issues the first official Spanish apology for the execution of Jews during the Spanish Inquisition. On May 7 after rumors of a mixed romance, Muslims and Christians fight on the street in W Cairo, killing five. On May 7 thousands of Muslim Salafists stage three protests in Cairo, demanding the prosecution of Coptic Pope Shenouda III and the release of the wives of two priests they claim converted to Islam; during the night Muslim mobs set two Coptic churches on fire in Cairo during Muslim-Christian clashes that kill 12 and injure 200+; St. Mary's Church in Imbaba near Cairo is torched, but on May 26 the Egyptian army orders its reconstruction. On May 7 protesters in Kuwait demand the execution of a blasphemer who insulted Aisha, Mother of Believers, and Omar bin Al-Khattab, a companion of Muhammad via graffiti inside a mosque. On May 7 after an 11-stay strike ends with 25 associates of Iranian pres. Imadinnajacket being arrested for sorcery, the growing rift with Ayatollah Khamanei results in street fights between their supporters. On May 7 rock star Madonna splits with Muslim boy toy hip hop dancer Brahim Zaibat after 9 mo. after her devotion to Jewish Qaballah conflicts with his religion and causes arguments. On May 7-8 U.S.-Taliban Talks in Germany are mediated by the Germans. On May 8 the king of Bahrain orders the end of emergency rule (began in mid-Mar.) on June 1. On May 8 Yemeni pres. Ali Abdullah Saleh announces that he won't resign until the protests end. On May 8 the Syrian govt. broadens its military crackdown on protesters, killing 14 in Homs, and arresting hundreds. On May 8 Mexican authorities catch drug lord Jose Zarco (1979-). On May 8 (night) the crew of Am. Airlines Flight 1561 en route to San Francisco tackle and arrest Muslim man Rageh Almurisi (1972-), who has a Yemeni passport and Calif. ID, and was banging on the cockpit door while shouting "Allahu Akbar", which the PC press attempts to coverup. On May 9 reps of 25 towns in Libya meet in Abu Dhabi in a show of unity. On May 9 NATO announces that it has significantly weakened the Taliban insurgency by capturing or killing thousands of militants in Afghanistan in the past 3 mo. On May 9 a ship carrying up to 600 trying to flee Tripoli, Libya sinks off the N coast of Libya. On May 9 the U.S. Navy announces that it will soon authorize chaplains to perform same-sex marriages in Navy chapels; on May 11 after howls from Congress, it suspends the idea. On May 9 Bashar al-Assad's adviser and spokeswoman Bouthaina Shaaban claims that the Syrian govt. has gained the upper hand in the 7-week uprising. On May 10 a 7.1 earthquake hits off New Caledonia in the South Pacific. On May 10 Microsoft agrees to purchase 170M-user Skype for $8.5B, becoming the biggest deal in Microsoft history (until ?). On May 10 Galleon Group co-founder Raj Rajaratnam is found guilty of 14 counts of insider trading, becoming the biggest case in a generation. On May 10 Pres. Obama visits El Paso, Tex., becoming his first visit to the U.S.-Mexican border since being elected with 67% of the Hispanic vote, and brags about cracking down on illegal immigration, calling for Repubs. to join him in legalizing border-crossers; he makes fun of Pres. Bush with the soundbyte: "All the stuff they (Repubs.) asked for, we've done... I suspect that there will be some who will try to move the goalposts on us... Or they'll want a higher fence. Maybe they'll need a moat. Maybe they'll want alligators in the moat. They'll never be satisfied"; Hispanic disillusionment with Obama causes Dem. Fernando Romero to found the Tequila Party, which holds is kickoff event on June 4 in Tucson, Ariz. meanwhile on May 10 the Tex. legislature passes a law that restricts cities providing sanctuary to illegal immigrants. On May 10 hundreds of Taliban militants launch a large-scale attack on Afghan police near Parun, Afghanistan. Osama bin Laden has been taken out, so his action movie career is kaput on the home front? On May 10 Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver announce that they're separating after a quarter cent. of marriage; on May 7 they celebrated the graduation of their nephew, but Maria wasn't wearing her wedding ring; she moves out on him. On May 10 federal officials in Manhattan announce that cell phone users in New York City and Washington D.C. will soon be able to receive emergency alerts via text message. On May 10 the supreme court of India recommends the death penalty for honor killers, calling the practice "barbaric" and "feudal". On May 10 U.S.-born Yemeni al-Qaida jihadist Anwar al-Awlaki issues a letter calling on U.S. Muslims to embrace jihad and war against the U.S. govt. On May 11 German police raid the homes in Ulm and Bonn of two alleged Islamic extremists suspected of raising funds for terrorists in Pakistan's border region. On May 11 Turkish opposition politicians Bulent Didinmez and Ihsan Baratcu resign 1 mo. before the gen. election, bringing the total to four who had to resign over secret sex tapes are posted on the Internet showing them in extramarital affairs. On May 11 an AP Poll reveals that Pres. Obama's approval rating has reached 60%, highest in two years, and over half believe he should be reelected; too bad, a Rasmussen Poll has Obama's approval rating at 48%, and a Gallup Poll has it at 52%. On May 11 NATO forces capture several suspected insurgents in Kandahar, Afghanistan. On May 11 after a 2-mo. siege Libyan rebels seize the city of Misurata. On May 11 the Times of India reports that Lashkar-e-Tayyiba is obtaining biological weapons incl. anthrax from al-Qaida. On May 11 (eve.) Pres. Obama hosts controversial rapper Common (Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr.) (1972-) at the White House. On May 12 the Am. Journal of Public Health pub. a report claiming that 1.1K+ women are raped daily in the Dem. Repub. of Congo (DRC). On May 12 Dutch MP Geert Wilders visits Toronto, Canada, and tells Canadians that they should ban immigration from the Muslim World, with the soundbyte: "What happened in Europe will also happen here. We should wake up to the fact that Islamisation means less freedom to us and our children... Freedom is the most precious thing we have. (Canadian soldiers) didn't give their lives to free Europe, (so that) not 50, 60, 70 years later we would face another totalitarianism ideology called Islam." On May 12 two Muslim men from North Africa Mohamed Mamdough and Ahmed Ferhani (1984-) (Morocco and Algeria) are arrested in Manhattan, N.Y. for allegedly talking about attacking Jewish synagogues and attempting to purchase AK-47s and hand grenades. On May 12 the U.S. District Court holds its last oversight hearing on its antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft. On May 12 seven top Mexican Immigration Inst. officials are fired amid allegations of being involved in kidnapping migrants. On May 13 the first revenge for the killing of Osama bin Laden sees two explosions in a paramilitary training center in Charsadda District, Pakistan kill 69. On May 13 the Pakistan Parliament holds a 10-hour session and decides that all U.S. incursions incl. drone strikes must end or it will impede free passage of NATO materials headed for Afghanistan. On May 13 a Palestinian refugee protest to mark Nakba Day sees IDF forces fire on protesters crossing from Syria onto the Golan Heights, killing six and wounding 71. On May 13 Joseph Jeffrey Brice (1990-) of Clarkston, Wash. is arrested for attempting to aid Islamic terrorists by creating a jihadi website and posting bombmaking tips; after pleading guilty in Sept. 2012, he is sentenced to 12 years in federal prison on June 12, 2013. On May 14 IMF dir. Dominique Strauss-Kahn is arrested at Kennedy Internat. Airport and accused of a sexual attack on maid Nafissatou Diallo at the Midtown Manhattan Sofitel New York Hotel; on July 1 after it comes out that the maid is involved in criminal activity and isn't on the up-and-up, changing her story and lying, he is released without bail and charges dismissed, only to have Tristane Banon, daughter of Moroccan Jew Gabriel Banon accuse him of attempted rape in France; on Aug. 23 the charges are finally dropped after the prosecution says no jury will believe Diallo; the DA's press conference is interrupted by the big 2011 East Coast Earthquake. On May 14 Arab rioters storm Jewish homes in the Moscowitz housing project in Old Jerusalem following the funeral of a Palestinian teen shot the day before in rioting. On May 15 Allah-Akbar-shouting Muslim truck driver Issa Islam plows into cars in Tel Aviv, killing one and injuring 17; he is charged with murder and seven counts of attempted murder. On May 15 the decapitated bodies of 27 farm workers are discovered in Peten, N Guatemala; the Los Zetas drug cartel is suspected. On May 16 the U.S. hits its debt limit of $14.294T. On May 16 the Internat. Criminal Court issues warrants for the arrest of Libyan Col. Daffy, his son Seif, and Libyan intel head Abdullah al-Sanoussi. On May 16 Iran sends an aid flotilla from the S port city of Bushehr to Bahrain to express solidarity with the Shiite pop.; after opposition by the Gulf Cooperation Council, it turns back. On May 16 motorcycle gunmen kill Saudi diplomat Hassan M. al-Kahtani in Karachi, Pakistan; retribution for the killing of Osama bin Laden? On May 16 former Obama White House #23 (Jan. 20, 2009 to Oct. 1, 2010) Rahm Israel Emanuel (1959-) becomes Dem. mayor #55 of Chicago, Ill. (until May 20, 2019), going on to see his approval ratings tank in late 2015 for protecting cops from justice, esp. the killer of 17-y-o. Laquan McDonald. On May 17 mixed-up Pakistan ground forces exchange fire with a NATO heli in Datta Khel near the Afghan border, with Pakistan claiming that the heli attack their checkpoint; meanwhile Pakistan announces the arrest of a senior al-Qaida operative. On May 17 the "Berlin patient" Timothy Ray Brown (1966-) of San Francisco, Calif. becomes the first known AIDS patient to be cured after a stem cell bone marrow transplant. On May 17 British PM David Cameron announces that the first 450 troops will withdraw from Afghanistan this year. On May 17 a U.N. Report on China claims that for more than a decade China has been aiding Iran and North Korea in developing ballistic missiles and nukes and getting around sanctions. On May 17 a Pew Poll shows low confidence in Pres. Obama by world Muslims, with the highest being Indonesia, at 63%, and the lowest being Turkey, at 14%; Palestinian Territories: 15%, Jordan: 25%, Pakistan: 16%, Lebanon: 55%, Egypt: 27%. On May 17-20 British Queen Elizabeth II visits Ireland. On May 18 Pres. Obama issues an executive order imposing sanctions on Syrian pres. Bashar al-Assad and six senior Syrian govt. officials, incl. a freeze on U.S. assets and a ban on cos. doing business with them. On May 18 violence in Afghanistan in Taloqan in Takhar Province and other locations kills 28. On May 18 Sol Lineas Aereas Flight 5248 crashes in S Patagonia, Argentina, killing all 22 aboard. On May 19 (12:15 p.m. EDT) Pres. Obama gives his 2011 Speech on the Middle East at the U.S. State Dept. in Washington, D.C., hailing the "extraordinary change" taking place, and stating that "The United States believes... the borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps", reversing longstanding U.S. policy that this was only the Palestinians' goal, becoming the first U.S. pres. to require it as a starting point for negotiations with Palestinians, with the soundbyte: "We know that our own future is bound to this region by the forces of economics and security, by history, and by faith"; "A new generation has emerged, and their voices tell us that chance cannot be denied"; "The status quo is unsustainable. A lasting peace will involve two states for two peoples", adding "Symbolic actions to isolate Israel at the United Nations in September won't create an independent state", and that the "future of Jerusalem" remains to be worked out; he adds: "The full and phased withdrawal of Israeli military forces should be coordinated with the assumption of Palestinian security responsibility in a sovereign, non-militarized state. The duration of this transition period must be agreed, and the effectiveness of security arrangements must be demonstrated", meaning that Obama's plan is for Israel to first unilaterally withdraw to the 1967 borders, then later negotiate some border swaps; he also calls for Syrian pres. Bashar Assad to "lead that transition [to democracy] or get out of the way"; he also pledges $1B in aid to the Muslim Brotherhood-infested Egyptian regime; Jews do a double-take when he says that Israel must be able to defend itself "by itself", and calls for a "full and phased withdrawal of Israeli military forces"; the speech causes former Mass. gov. Mitt Romney to say that Obama "threw Israel under the bus"; Obama then meets with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, who even before the meeting voices his displeasure with the speech, calling Israel's pre-1967 borders "indefensible", and calling on him to reaffirm the U.S. commitments made to Israel in 2004, with the soundbyte "Among other things, those commitments relate to Israel not having to withdraw to the 1967 lines which are both indefensible and which would leave major Israeli population centers in Judea and Samaria beyond those lines. Those commitments also ensure Israel's well-being as a Jewish state by making clear that Palestinian refugees will settle in a future Palestinian state rather than in Israel. Without a solution to the Palestinian refugee problem outside the borders of Israel, no territorial concession will bring peace"; "Equally, the Palestinians, and not just the United States, must recognize Israel as the nation state of the Jewish people, and any peace agreement with them must end all claims against Israel"; he says that Israel also needs a military presence along the Jordan River, and won't deal with the terrorist org. Hamas; Obama's speech causes U.S. Jews to begin to turn on him; after the speech, Obama allegedly flew into a rage with his people, shouting "What the fuck was that?"; on May 21 the Palestinians defy Obama, pressing on for a Sept. U.N. declaration of statehood, while Obama gives a speech to AIPAC, assuring them that his commitment to Israel is "ironclad", that the U.S. demands Hamas to recognize Israel's right to exist, and that the borders he's talking about are not identical to the June 4, 1967 lines, although he fails to recognize that they were never borders, only armistice lines dating back to 1949; AIPAC member Mort Zuckerman later utters the soundbyte "For the first time since their state's founding Israelis feel Americans aren't behind them"; U.S. Sen. majority leader (D-Nev.) Harry Reid utters the soundbyte "The place where negotiating will happen must be the negotiating table, and nowhere else. Those negotiations will not happen, and their terms will not be set, through speeches, or in the streets, or in the media. No one should set premature parameters about borders." On May 19 the U.S. State Dept. tells Turkey that sending another flotilla to Gaza will not be "helpful". On May 19 China issues an ultimatum to the U.S. that any attack on Pakistan will be interpreted as aggression against them, harkening back to the 1958-61 Berlin Crisis. On May 19 thousands of Salafi Muslims surround the Coptic St. Mary and St. Abraham Church in Ain Shams, Egypt to prevent its reopening; the police do nothing. On May 20 a convoy of N Sudanese soldiers and U.N. peacekeepers are ambushed near Goli, Sudan (near Abyei) by unknown attackers. On May 20 Syrian security forces fire on protesters around the country, killing 27. On May 20 a gun battle between Mexican soldiers and CDG drug cartel gunmen in Matamoros kills three gunmen. On May 20 a suicide vest strapped to a 12-y.-o. boy in Nooristan, Afghanistan prematurely explodes, killing him along with several other insurgents, causing the Afghan Nat. Intel Directorate to detain 100 other boys 12-17 for their safety. On May 21 a suicide bomber in an Afghan military uniform detonates inside the main military hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan, killing six medical students. On May 21 Taliban militants blow up a tanker carrying oil for NATO forces in Afghanistan in the Landi Kotal area of Pakistan's Khyber tribal region; a secondary explosion kills 15 trying to siphon fuel; another bomb damages 14 tankers in a nearby town. On May 21 Iranian authorities raid 30 homes of members of the Baha'i sect in a crackdown. On May 21 Saudi Arabia pledges $4B to the Egyptian ruling council in order to shore it up. On May 21 (6 p.m.) Armageddon (Judgement Day) is supposed to arrive via a worldwide earthquake starting in Fiji and New Zealand, after which mass graves will open while 200M lucky saved people ascend to Heaven, after which the remainder live on an anarchic Earth for 5 mo. until God annihilates it, according to U.S. Christian broadcaster (ex-civil engineer) Harold Camping (1921-2013) of Oakland, Calif., gaining thousands of true believers before it goes bust; he then resets the date to Oct. 21. On May 22 the first Islamic halal restaurant in Italy opens in Bologna. On May 22 Saleh loyalists seize the UAE embassy in Sana'a, Yemen, taking U.S. and other diplomats hostage; on May 26 big blasts rock Sana'a as Yemen nears civil war. On May 22 a dozen bomb attacks in and around Baghdad kill 18 and wound 80. On May 22 the EU opens a diplomatic office in rebel-held E Libya, pledging support for a dem. Libya where Col. Daffy "will not be in the picture". On May 22 Islamic jihadists attack the Mehran naval aviation base in Karachi, Pakistan, killing four. On May 22 Chinese police announce a search for a man who threw eggs and shoes at Fang Bingxing, architect of China's Great Internet Firewall. On May 22 Saudi police arrest Manal al-Sharif (1979-), a female Internet consultant for Armco, who defied Saudi law and drove a car in Al-Khobar while wearing a black abaya, then posted a video of it on YouTube; they then jail her for a week and force her to sign a document agreeing not to talk to the press or continue her protests, and crack down on others allied with her in her campaign and shut down their Facebook page; in early June princess Reem al-Faisal, granddaughter of King Faisal speaks out in the Arab News, jokingly suggesting that women at least be allowed to drive camels; billionaire prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz al-Saud also speaks out for women, saying that the pilot of his private jet is a woman, and that his wife gets away with driving; on June 17 a protest sees Saudi women driving openly in droves; on June 22 Huma, er, Hillary Clinton expresses support for the Saudi women, but takes pains to deny that the U.S. has anything to do with their movement; meanwhile in June the Saudi committee for religious edicts issues a fatwa banning men and women from mingling at offices and educational institutions "until the Day of Judgment", while King Abdullah ends the practice of male-only clerks at lingerie shops, which caused them to guesstimate sizes by staring at their abayas; too bad, on Jan. 24, 2012 Manal al-Sherif is killed in a car crash. On May 22 elections in Spain are a V for the conservative Popular Party over the ruling Socialist Workers Party by 10% (2M votes); in 2007 the Popular Party lost by 100K votes. On May 22 the market cap for IBM surpasses Microsoft, $207.52B vs. $206.52B; at one point Microsoft's value was 3x higher. On May 23 a slew of 70 tornadoes in seven states hit the U.S. Midwest (worst tornado outbreak in 1958 years), the worst one, an EF-4 (200 mph) killing 116 in Joplin, Mo. On May 23 Pres. Obama begins a week-long European tour, starting with his mother's ancestral homeland in Ireland,. where he utters the soundbytes: "There's always been a little green behind the red, white, and blue", "My name is Barack Obama, of the Moneygall Obamas"; "I've come home to find the apostrophe that we lost somewhere along the way"; on May 24 he after leaving Ireland early to avoid the volcanic ash from Grimsvotn Volcano in Iceland, Obama visits Buckingham Palace, receiving a royal welcome from the queen and royal family along with a 62-gun salute; too bad, he signs the guestbook at Westminster Abbey with the date "24 May 2008". On May 23 Afghanistan reports that Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar has been killed in Pakistan while in the custody of the Pakistani ISI; they deny it. On May 23 the U.S. and U.K. launch a new Nat. Security Strategy Board. On May 23 armed clashes break out in yummy Sana'a, Yemen between police and tribes loyal to opposition leader Sadiq al-Ahmar; on May 25 the U.S. orders nonessential diplomats to leave Yemen; on May 27 Ali Abdullah Saleh's forces use helis and MiG fighter jets to attack bases of a rival tribal group after they seize an army camp; meanwhile on May 27 tens of thousands gather for the Fri. of Peaceful Rev., carrying the coffins of 30 killed in clashes and releasing white doves. On May 23 clerics in Aceh, Indonesia criticize a call from Amnesty Internat. to stop the practice of caning. On May 23 Switzerland stops refueling Iran Air jets. On May 23 a Hill Poll reveals that 61% of voters believe that the Arab uprisings will make things more difficult for the U.S. On May 24 Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu addresses a joint session of Congress, telling them he will accept uprooting Jewish settlements in a "generous" peace deal with Palestinians, but not accept a return to the 1967 borders, or share Jerusalem, or deal with Hamas, demanding a permanent Israeli military presence along with the Jordan River, with the soundbytes "I am willing to make painful compromises to achieve this historic peace. As the leader of Israel, it is my responsibility to lead my people to peace. This is not easy for me. I recognize that in a genuine peace, we will be required to give up parts of the Jewish homeland. In Judea and Samaria, the Jewish people are not foreign occupiers. We are not the British in India. We are not the Belgians in the Congo."; "This is the land of our forefathers, the Land of Israel, to which Abraham brought the idea of one God, where David set out to confront Goliath, and where Isaiah saw a vision of eternal peace. No distortion of history can deny the four thousand year old bond, between the Jewish people and the Jewish land. But there is another truth: The Palestinians share this small land with us. We seek a peace in which they will be neither Israel's subjects nor its citizens. They should enjoy a national life of dignity as a free, viable and independent people in their own state. "They should enjoy a prosperous economy, where their creativity and initiative can flourish. You have to ask it. If the benefits of peace with the Palestinians are so clear, why has peace eluded us? Because all six Israeli Prime Ministers since the signing of Oslo accords agreed to establish a Palestinian state. Myself included. So why has peace not been achieved? Because so far, the Palestinians have been unwilling to accept a Palestinian state, if it meant accepting a Jewish state alongside it. You see, our conflict has never been about the establishment of a Palestinian state. It has always been about the existence of the Jewish state. This is what this conflict is about." On May 24 Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi accuses the left wing of wanting to change Milan into "an Islamic city full of Roma", adding "Milan cannot be allowed to become an Islamic city, a Romopolis full of Roma camps and encircled by foreigners whom the left even wants to give the right to vote." On May 24 a roadside bomb in Kandahar, Afghanistan kills 10 road workers and injures 28. On May 24 (a.m.) NATO conducts its heaviest bombardment so far of Tripoli, Libya, striking 15+ targets. On May 24 Labour councillor Naveeda Ikram becomes the first Muslim woman lord mayor in the U.K. in Bradford. On May 24 a massive refinery blast in Abadan, Iran during a visit by pres. Imadinnajacket kills two - shaken not stirred? On May 24 Libyan ambassador to Brazil Salem Omar Zubeidy gives a speech at the HQ of the ABI in Rio, claiming that the CIA was behind the riots in Libya in recent months, starting with the one on Feb. 17; on May 25 the African Union meets in Addis Ababa, and issues a decision calling for peaceful resolution of the Libyan crisis, starting with a ceasefire. On May 25 Pres. Obama gives a Speech to the British Parliament, saying that Western influence remains strong in the world despite emerging powers incl. China, India, and Brazil, and that Western powers have a responsibility to uphold "universal rights" via multilateral forums incl. the G20, with the soundbyte: "Ultimately freedom must be won by the people themselves, not imposed from without"; he gives a joint press conference with British PM David Cameron, saying that he believes a 2-state solution for Israel and Palestine is achievable, urging Palestinians to negotiate with Israel over statehood instead of seeking U.N. recognition first. On May 25 a suicide bomber in a pickup truck levels a police bldg. in Peshawar, Pakistan, killing five and wounding 30 officers; only the bomber's finger is found. On May 25 former Bosnian Serb war criminal gen. Ratko Mladic is captured in a small town near Belgrade living under an alias; he is extradited to the Netherlands to stand trial for genocide et al. on his 1995 indictment after his men massacred 8K Bosnian Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica. On May 25 the Taliban kills Khan Mohammad, head of the Porak girls' school in Logar Province, Afghanistan. On May 25 new European laws on Web browser cookies require the user to give explicit consent first. On May 26 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 5-3 in Chamber of Commerce v. Whiting to uphold the 2007 Ariz. law revoking licenses of businesses knowingly employing illegal aliens, becoming a big D for the Obama admin.; dissenters incl. Justices Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Sonia Sotomayor; Kagan recused herself. On May 26 Belgium becomes the 2nd country after France to ban the burqa. On May 26 U.S. secy. of state Hillary Clinton visits Pakistan in an attempt to salvage relations after the killing of Osama bin Laden, and pressures them to help find four militant Islamic leaders incl. Osama's deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri; on May 27 she says that Pakistani officials have conceded that bin Laden had a support network in Pakistan to remain undetected for at least five years in Abbottabad; in exchange for a clean bill of health regarding bin Laden, the Pakistan military promises to start a military offensive in North Waziristan, but soon reneges. On May 26 fighting among rival drug gangs in W Mexico kills 28, causing 700+ to flee villages. On May 26-27 the G8 Summit is held in Deauville, France; on May 27 they meet with Egyptian PM Essam Sharaf and Tunisian PM Beji Caid Essesbi; on May 27 the summit ends with Russia acknowledging that Libyan Col. Daffy has to go, and agreeing to mediate his exit; G8 nations issue a statement expressing support for the dem. uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa, and unveil the Deauville Partnership, pledging $20B for economic aid, mainly to Tunisia and Egypt, with no conditions about democratization; Canadian PM Stephen Harper blocks the G8 from issuing a statement calling for Israel to return to its 1967 "Auschwitz" borders; on May 27 Obama visits Poland, meeting with Polish pres. Bronislaw Komorowski before returning to the U.S., and praising it as an example for pro-dem. movements in North Africa and the Middle East to follow. On May 27 a suicide car bomb attack in Hangu in NW Pakistan kills 36, incl. 10 policemen, and injures 50+. On May 27 two Italian U.N. peacekeepers are killed by an IED near Sidon, S Lebanon. On May 27 Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi claims that the ouster of two autocratic leaders proves that Islam is compatible with democracy, with the soundbyte: "The principle has been established that democracy is not only compatible with Western countries and their civilizations, and I believe this is very important." On May 27 Egypt reopens its border with Gaza Strip at the Rafah crossing after four years, then implements a series of restrictions on May 31, causing angry Palestinians on June 4 to storm the gates; on May 28 hundreds of thousands demonstrate in Tahrir Square in Cairo to denounce the military govt., calling for a "2nd rev." On May 27 a Jerusalem Post poll reveals that 40% of Jewish Israelis believe that the Obama admin. is pro-Palestinian. On May 28 hundreds protest in Amman, Jordan, calling for closure of the Israeli embassy and nullifcation of the peace treaty with Israel. On May 28 police arrest several people at the Jefferson Memorial in Washington D.C. for protesting a recent court decision upholding a ban on dancing. On May 29 (Sun.) pres. (since May 5, 2010) Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan (1957-) is sworn-in for a 4-year term as pres. of Nigeria (until Mayh 29, 2015); meanwhile the new Muslim Personal Law Bill gives more power to Islamic Kadhi courts for Muslims in matters of marriage, divorce, and inheritance, pissing-off Christians, who claim it promotes Islamic fundamentalism. On May 29 French Conservative minister George Tron (1958-) resigns over rape allegations after two women encouraged by the Dominique Strauss-Khan case come forward. On May 29 a NATO air strike in Helmand Province, Afghanistan inadvertently hits two civilian homes, killing two women and 12 children. On May 29 three Greenpeace activists board the Leiv Eiriksson Oil Rig off the coast of Greenland to protest deepwater drilling in Arctic waters; dozens of environmental activists climb on top of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin to demand an end to the use of atomic energy. On May 29 the MV First Ocean bulk carrier ship is attacked by Muslim pirates in the Gulf of Aden, and is saved by the Iranian navy, its 12th confrontation since late Mar. On May 29 former Egyptian Bank of Alexandria CEO Mahmoud Abdel Salam Omar is arrested for a sexual attack on a maid at the Pierre Hotel on 5th Ave. in Manhattan, N.Y. On May 29 the Wallow Fire in Apache Sitgreaves Nat. Forest in E Ariz starts, burning for more than 1 mo. and destroying 840 sq. mi. of forest, displacing 10K, and doing $79M damage; on June 18 U.S. Repub. Sen. John McCain suggests that it was started by illegal immigrants, causing Hispanic groups to demand he apologize after non-Hispanic campers Caleb Joshua Malboeuf (26) and David Wayne Malboeuf (24) are charged by federal authorities. On May 29 (10:45 p.m.) United Airlines Flight 990 (Boeing 767) en route from Washington, D.C. to Ghana with 144 passengers is disrupted when a passenger lowers his seat too far, causing the person behind him to start a fight, ending in the flight returning to Dulles Airport while U.S. F-16 jets are scrambled. On May 30 the city of Zinjibar, S Yemen falls to Islamist militants, their 2nd. On May 30 19-y.-o. Russian Christian girl Katya Koren (1992-) is stoned to death in her village in the Ukraine after participating in a beauty contest, causing reports that she was Muslim and was executed for violating Muslim Sharia; it turns out to be a classmate, Bilal Gaziyev, a Crimean Tatar. On May 30 an Egyptian security official claims that over 400 al-Qaida members have made their way into the Sinai Peninsula. On May 30 the First Gathering of European Muslim and Jewish Leaders in Brussels, Belgium, organized by two U.S. Jewish groups declares that Muslims have "deep roots" in the European continent, and that Muslims are as imperiled by Islamophobia as Jews are by anti-Semitism; a dozen Muslim leaders sign the declaration. On May 30 a Gallup Poll reveals that Pres. Obama's approval rating is just 37% among active military or veterans, vs. 48% among non-military personnel. On May 31 Israeli strategic affairs minister Mose Ya'alon calls on the "entire civilized world... to take joint action to avert the nuclear threat posed by Iran", with a military strike being on the table. On May 30 the Sydney Morning Herald reports that billboards reading "Jesus: Prophet of Islam" are being paid for by Muslims in Australia, causing an uproar, with Roman Catholic bishop Julian Porteous calling them "provocative and offensive". On May 30 Muslim clerics of Jamiat-Ulema-e-Islam hold a press conference in Karachi, Pakistan to demand that the Bible be banned for containing "immoral stories". On May 31 Pres. Obama nominates former Edison Internat. CEO John Bryson as commerce secy. On May 31 the U.S. Supreme Court by 8-0 throws out the lawsuit against former U.S. atty.-gen. John Ashcroft by Am.-born Muslim Abdullah al-Kidd, with justice Antonin Scalia writing: "Qualified immunity gives government officials breathing room to make reasonable but mistaken judgments about open legal questions." On May 31 the U.S. govt. refiles charges against Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other alleged 9/11 conspirators to allow prosecution before a military commission in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. On May 31 defying the Daghestani authorities, the Congress of the Nogays is held by 3K in Terkli-Mekteb, demanding a new Nogay motherland composed of Daghestan, Stavropol, and Checnya. On May 31 Maulana Salimullah, senior leader of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam party is gunned down and killed in the Latambar area of NW Pakistan; four others are injured. On May 31 Syrian pres. Bashar al-Assad issues a decree granting a gen. amnesty to political opposition parties incl. the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood; meanwhile the story emerges of Hamza Ali al-Khateeb (b. 1998), who was tortured to death and castrated by Syrian security forces. On May 31 Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina announces her support for restoring Islam as the state religion after abolishing the 1972 secular constitution; meanwhile a 40-y.-o. woman in the Jhalakathi district of Dhaka, Bangladesh cuts off the penis of a man trying to rape her in her shanty, then takes it to the police as evidence; meanwhile Moldovan PM Vlad Filat pledges to review the recent registration of Islam as one of the country's recognized religions. On May 31 Afghan pres. Hamid Karzai issues an ultimatum to NATO to stop air strikes on Afghan homes, warning them that if they don't then the Afghan people will drive them out as occupying enemy forces, warning that if they continue "We will be forced to take unilateral action". On May 31 Pakistani journalist Syed Saleem Shahzads, who wrote the week before about infiltration of the Pakistan navy by al-Qaida is found murdered. On May 31 a bus plunges into a river in Assam State in NE India, killing 31. In May Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter are all visible within the same 6 deg. area of sky. In May Taiga Ishikawa of Tokyo's Toshima ward becomes the first openly gay political office holder in modern Japan. In May authorities in Tatarstan, Russia warn of radical Islam spreading into their region, which had been known for Muslim-Christian mutual tolerance. In May Iraqi Muslim immigrants Waad Ramadan Alwan and Mohanad Shareef Hammadi are indicted by the U.S. govt. for trying to obtain and ship Stinger missiles and money to al-Qaida in Iraq. In May Cuban-born Hillary Clinton favorite Carlos Pascual (1959-) (U.S. ambassador to Ukraine in 2000-3) succeeds David L. Goldwyn as dir. of the U.S. State Dept. Bureau of Energy Resources, working to draw Ukraine into the Western sphere while pissing-off Vladimir Putin. In May the U.S. unemployment rate rises to 91%, with the economy adding only 54K jobs. In May Saudi Arabia announces plans to build 16 nuclear reactors by 2030. In May Nepal census takers recognize a "third gender" for gay and transgender people; they decriminalized gay sex in 2008. In May-June after record snowfall in the Rocky Mts. of Mont. and Wyo. and near-record spring rainfall in C-E Mont., the 2011 Missouri River Flood results after six major dams are opened to prevent overflow, flooding towns and cities from Mont. to Mo. incl. Bismarck, N.D., Pierre, S.D., Dunes, S.C., South Sioux City, Neb., Sioux City, Iowa, Omaha, Neb., Council Bluffs, Iowa, Kansas City, Mo., and Jefferson City, Mo. On June 1 Dutch politician Geert Wilders delivers his final remarks at his misguided hate speech trial in Amsterdam, saying "I am risking my life in defense of freedom in the Netherlands", and "The Netherlands is threatened by Islam. Islam is an ideology of hate and destruction. Islam threatens Western values and norms.", and "Acquit me. I do not encourage hatred, I do not encourage discrimination." On June 1 the state of Ill. declares the Islamic calendar month of Ramadan "green", becoming the 1st U.S. state. On June 1 the first of three eclipses, a midnight solar eclipse in the high Arctic occurs, followed on June 15 by a full lunar eclipse, and on July 1 by a partial solar eclipse over the Antarctic. On June 1 El Salvador defense minister Gen. David Munguia says that Mexican drug cartels are trying to buy high-powered army weapons in Central Am.; meanwhile Mexican police arrest 25 drug cartel members in Hidalgo, Mexico, incl. a police chief. On June 1 a plague of tornadoes hits the U.S., incl. N Calif., Kan., Neb., and Mass. On June 1 the biggest protest so far in Syria sees hundreds protest in Abdoun holding placards calling Bashful Asshole a butcher; ex-Muslim Brotherhood pres. Salem Falahat calls on the Syrian army to shoot at Israel rather than their own people; on June 3 a protest by 50K in Hama sees security forces fire on the protesters, killing 34. On June 1 former Israeli Mossad chief Meir Dagan says that Israel only has the capability to delay Iran's nuclear ambitions, not stop them, and that "Israel would not withstand a regional conflict ignited by an Israeli strike of Iran's nuclear facilities". On June 1 the Washington, D.C. think tank Center for Global Development recommends that the U.S. delay the $7.5B Kerry-Lugar-Berman aid package to Pakistan authorized in 2009. On June 1 the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture releases the MyPlate icon to replace the Food Pyramid. On June 2 200 Taliban militants dressed in Afghan military uniforms cross the border and ambush a security checkpoint in Upper Dir, Pakistan, killing 25 Pakistani troops. On June 2 Japanese PM Naoto Kan narrowly survives a no-confidence vote over the post-tsunami crisis. On June 2 Palestinian Authority chmn. Mahmoud Abbas tells his people on TV in Arabic: "We refuse to recognize a Jewish state". On June 2 German pres. Christian Wulff says that Islam is part of a modern changing Germany, and necessary to develop a vibrant society, with the soundbyte: "If one is not open to other religions, one cannot expect Muslim societies to be receptive to freedom of religion" - and when did Muslim countries agree to their part of this bargain? On June 2 White House counsel Bob Bauer resigns, causing Birthers to claim it's because he knows the certificate can't stand up to a criminal investigation. On June 3 (Fri.) the Muslim Youth League in the West Bank sponsors a march toward Jerusalem to mark the 1967 Israeli occupation; they repeat on June 5. On June 3 former U.S. Sen. John Edwards is indicted by a federal grand jury in Raleigh, N.C. for misuse of $1M in campaign finance funds to coverup his affair and child with former campaign staffer Rielle Hunter. On June 3 the pres. palace in Yemen is shelled by members of the Hashed tribe of Sheikh Sadiq al-Ahmar; rockets slam into a mosque where Ali Abdullah Saleh is praying, wounding his PM and killing four others, and giving him severe burns, after which on June 4 Saleh flees to Saudi Arabia for medical treatment; his brother ?, cmdr. of the Yemeni Repub. Guard is behind the palace massacre? On June 3 al-Qaida "military brain" Ilyas Kashmiri is killed in Pakistan in a NATO drone stroke in NW Pakistan; his death is confirmed on July 7. On June 3 about 300 protest in Tahir Square in Cairo, demanding Sharia law for Egypt. On June 3 Islamist militant David Murashev (1977-) is arrested for hacking North Ossetian poet Shamil Dzhikayev to death for denouncing Muslim pilgrims on Hajj who allegedly urinated on a memorial to children slain in the 2004 Beslan School Siege. On June 3 a U.N. Report on the Internet declares Internet access a human right, dissing France and Britain for passing laws removing access of accused copyright scofflaws, and other countries for blocking access to quell political unrest. On June 3 U.S. state secy. Hillary Clinton receives an email from Anne-Marie Slaughter, with the title "Google email hacking and woeful state of civilian technology". On June 4 the U.N. Security Council calls for Sudan to pull out of the disputed Abyei region. On June 4 Pres. Obama decides not to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, citing nat. security interests; the Palestinian Authority welcomes it as "encouraging"; meanwhile thousands of Israelis mark the 44th anniv. of the 1967 Six-Day War by demonstrating in Tel Aviv against the continued occupation of the Palestinian territories. On June 4 Syria shuts down the Internet. On June 4 a CNN Poll reveals that American support for Israel over the Palestinians is 67%, up from 60% in 2009, vs. 16%; 65% say that the U.S. shouldn't take sides in the conflict, 35% say it should take Israel's side, and 1% wants it to take the Palestinian side. On June 5 hundreds of Palestinians and Syrians storm the Israeli border near the Golan Heights, causing Israeli forces to open fire, killing 20 and wounding 350, causing Syrian police to hold them back on June 6; on June 6 Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu utters the soundbyte that the attempt to break Israel's borders proves that "The argument is over the fact of the establishment of the state of Israel." On June 5 the IAEA warns Iran that its nuclear program has "possible military dimensions", with new info. revealing secret activity since 2004 and as recently as 2010; it also calls out Syria for ditto. On June 5 Tijuana mayor Jorge Hank Rhon, one of Mexico's richest men is arrested in a military raid that uncovers an arsenal in his home. On June 6 120 security personnel are killed in Jisr al-Shughour, Syria, causing the govt. to vow to deal "decisively" with the gunmen. On June 6 (Khordaad 14) the Shiite Mahdi is due to arrive in Medina. On June 7 U.K. home secy. Theresa May unvieils PM David Cameron's new violent extremism prevention policy, which finally recognizes that the goal of jihad is the establishment of Sharia, hence those who advocate Sharia may be non-violent but fail to "reflect British mainstream values". On June 7 a rocket barrage in a Shiite neighborhood of Baghdad kills five U.S. soldiers, becoming the most fatalities in a single day since May 11, 2009. On June 7 NATO rejects a Russian missile defense proposal that would have required NATO to share details. On June 7 former U.S. secy. of state Henry Kissinger attends a global affairs conference in Berlin, and says that Dem. change in Bahrain is not in the interest of the U.S. because Shiites might take over, leading to "the breakup of Saudi Arabia". On June 7 moderate Muslim prof. Maksud Sadikov (b. 1963) is shot dead at his home in Makhachkala, Dagestan after criticizing radical Islamists. On June 8 after the Obama admin. allows some deepwater drilling, ExxonMobil announces the discovery of 700M barrels of oil in the Gulf of Mexico, becoming the largest find in 12 years. On June 8 Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan announces that Turkey won't close its door to Syrians fleeing unrest. On June 9 Chihuahua atty.-gen. Carlos Manuel Salas says that the drug cartels have 14K armed men in the N Mexico cities of Ciudad Juarez and Chihuahua. On June 9 the U.S. issues sanctions on Iran for attacking 2009 election protesters. On June 9 the Palestinian Authority says that it may postpone plans for seeking unilateral recognition of statehood in the U.N. in Sept. in exchange for U.S. guarantees that Israel will refrain from "creating facts on the ground". On June 9 the U.S. govt. announces a plea bargain deal with accused NSA spy Thomas Drake, dropping 10 felony charges in exchange for a guilty plea to one misdemeanor, with no prison time. On June 9 Iranian parliament speaker Ali Larijani utters the soundbyte that Iran will use its missiles to defend other Muslim nations if threatened. On June 10 Pres. Obama signs an executive order creating the White House Rural Council to strengthen the rural U.S. economy. On June 10 outgoing U.S. defense secy. Robert Gates delivers a speech in Brussels, saying that the U.S. military alliance with NATO faces a "dim if not dismal future", dissing its penny-pinching and lack of political will, with the soundbyte: "Future U.S. political leaders, those for whom the Cold War was not the formative experience that it was for me may not consider the return on America's investment in NATO worth the cost." On June 10 gay rights activists target a mosque in East London, England for harboring homophobic clerics, claiming a 21% rise in gay hate crime in the area. On June 10 Malaysian PM Datuk Seri Najib Razak warns Malaysian Muslims not to accept foreign doctrines based on violence and intolerance, and instead stick with moderate Islam. On June 10 the Barnabas Fund reports that Eritrean Christians fleeing persecution in Eritrea face imprisonment, torture, beatings, and sexual assault after they arrive in Egypt. On June 10 stone-throwing Muslim Arabs on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem force hundreds of Jewish worshippers to flee. On June 10 Somalian minister Mohamud Abdullahi Weheliye is killed by his suicide bomber niece, who works for al-Shabaab, and is also killed; meanwhile soldiers open fire on stone-throwing protesters angry at an agreement to oust the country's PM, killing two. On June 10 Pres. Obama presses Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu to accept his policy that Israel's pre-1967 border should be the basis of peace talks. On June 10 CIA dir. Leon Panetta visits Islamabad, Pakistan, and tells them that security officials colluded with militants, tipping them off to an IED factory raid. On June 10 the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services issues warnings, adding eight substances to its Report on Carcinogen, listing formaldehyde as a carcinogen, and styrene as a possible carcinogen. On June 11 Syrian troops come under fire as they attack the rebel town of Jisr al Shughur. On June 11 tens of thousands protest nuclear power in Tokyo, Japan. On June 11 crazed Muslim Abdullah Mohammed (1960-) gets mad at elderly shopper William Perry (1941-) in a Pathmark store in Harlem, N.Y., steps on his foot at the Lotto desk, leaves, returns with a razor, and slashes his neck in a meat aisle. On June 12 elections in Turkey are a V for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), who win 50% of the vote and 325 seats in parliament, a 90-seat margin over the secular opposition, giving resurgent Islamism another boost. On June 12 Hamas rejects Fatah's nomination of Salam Fayyad for PM of the transitional Palestinian govt., accusing him of cooperating with the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip. On June 12 Jordanian king Abdullah II announces sweeping reforms in a nationally-televised address, promising to establish a parliamentary majority govt. et al. On June 12 Bahrain begins trying former Shiite MPs Matar Matar and Jawad Favrouz for calling for regime change in mid-Mar. On June 12 Mexican authorities discover 210 migrants from Central and South Am. crammed in a truck heading to the U.S. in S Mexico. On June 12 Israel Radio reports that Pres. Obama has given Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu an ultimatum of 1 mo. to decide whether to accept his proposal to resume talks with the fake so-called Palestinians based on the 1967 lines. On June 12 South Korea announces that North Korea can likely miniaturize a nuke for placing on a rocket. On June 12 Am.-Israeli tourist Ilan Chaim Grapel (Grappelli) (AKA Ilan Goren) is arrested in Egypt as an alleged Mossad spy; he is released on Oct. 27 and returns to Israel. On June 12 Yemeni acting pres. Abdullah Oubal agrees with opposition parties to begin discussions on transferring power from embattled pres. Ali Abdullah Saleh. On June 12 multimillionaire FIDE pres. (since 1995) Kirsan Nikolayevich Ilyumzhinov (1962-) (known for claiming to be taken for a ride of the galaxy by E.T.'s in Sept. 1997) plays a game of chess with Libyan dictator Col. Daffy Duck. On June 13 the U.S. Congress Govt. Accountability Office pub. a report that reveals that the U.S. govt. still doesn't have a foolproof way to check foreign visitors in and out of the U.S., leaving an unknown number unaccounted for. On June 13 a roadside bomb in South Waziristan kills three Pakistani soldiers. On June 13 a 51-y.-o. hijabbed Muslim woman from McLean, Va. causes a panic on the Red Line when she shouts "Praise Allah, I'm going to kill the world" and throws a backpack onto the train at Rockville, Md. before exiting; she ends up in a mental health facility. On June 13 former Fatah strongman (Mahmoud Abbas' rival) Muhammad Dahla is voted out of the party after allegations of corruption and crimes. On June 13 Germany and the UAE recognize the Libyan rebel Transitional Nat. Council; meanwhile Daffy's forces flank Misrata in a pincer movement. On June 13 Buffalo, N.Y. Muslim Saddam Hussein Mohsin (1981-) is charged with attempted murder of Detroit police officer Charles Armour with his car after he tries to stop him from driving the wrong way down a 1-way street. On June 13 Indonesian authorities announce that they have foiled a jihadist plot to poison police with cyanide, arresting 16 suspects. On June 13 Lebanese PM Najib Mikati announces a new cabinet dominated by Hezbollah and its allies; Hezbollah has 18 of 30 sets in parliament. On June 13 Boko Haram Islamists shoot and kill four at a beer garden in Bulunkutu, N Nigeria. On June 13 74-y.-o. Libyan-born Jew Raffi Cohen (b. 1937) is murdered in Rome, shocking the city's Jews. On June 13 the U.S. Dept. of Education releases the 2010 Nat. Assessment of Educational Progress, which reveals that only 12% of h.s. seniors have a firm grasp of U.S. history; 2% understand the meaning of Brown v. Board of Education. On June 13-23 the Unexpected Israel exhibit in the Duomo Piazza of Milan, Italy takes place despite protests from pro-Palestinian activists. On June 14 after Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi condemns attempts to "delegitimize and boycott" Israel, Italy and Israel sign eight bilateral agreements. On June 14 U.S. state secy. Hillary Clinton issues a statement comparing the unrest in Syria to the 2009 Iranian protests, claiming that "Iran is supporting Syrian assaults on protesters". On June 14 U.S. House Speaker John A. Boehner sends a warning to Pres. Obama that unless he gets authorization from Congress for his military action in Libya, he will be in violation of the War Powers Resolution, giving him until June 17 to prove a clear justification; too bad, Obama overrides the usually binding conclusion of his own Office of Legal Counsel and tells Congress that what the U.S. is doing in Libya doesn't fit the definition of "hostilities". On June 14 Knesset members visit Joseph's Tomb in Shechem for the first time since 2000. On June 14 Pres. Obama visits Puerto Rico for 4.5 hours, becoming the first U.S. pres. to visit since JFK in Dec. 1961; meanwhile Obama gives an interview with NBC-TV's "Today" show, saying that his family "are not fully invested" in a 2nd term. On June 14 after pressure from within the military, Pakistani army chief gen. Ashfaq Kayani meets with pres. Asif Zardari and PM Yousuf Raza Gilani and decide not to come under "foreign" (U.S.) pressure in their military operations in North Wazaristan; meanwhile the Pakistan Daily warns that "A break with the U.S. might go in favor of Al-Qaeda's plans to impose a 'nuclearized' theocracy on Pakistan." On June 14 S.C. passes a law requiring employers to use the federal online E-Verify program to verify that their employees can legally work in the U.S., with suspension of the business license as the punishment for failure to cooperate; a similar law was passed on June 9 in Ala. On June 15 25-y.-o. Austrian Islamist Thomas M. is arrested in Vienna and accused of planning a 9/11-style attack on the Reichstag. On June 15 Kuwaiti Shiite Nasser Abul is arrested for posting criticism of the ruling families of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia on Twitter. On June 15 Yemen claims to intercept financial transfers made through Qatar to fund dissidents, warning it to stop. On June 15 U.S. Muslim soldier Pfc. Naser Abdo (1990-), who was approved as a conscientious objector to the war in Iraq and Afghanistan is charged with possession of child porno. On June 15 Tajikistan passes a law banning children and adolescents from attending mosques - they're way smarter than the rest of the world? On June 15 the Obama admin. claims that its deeper engagement with the U.N. has helped counter its anti-Israel bias; on June 17 the Arab-dominated U.N. Human Rights Council passes a resolution retaining Israel as the only one of its 192 member states that is the target of a dedicated permanent item on its agenda, ignoring human rights abuses in Muslim countries. On June 15-16 U.S. rep. (R-N.Y.) Peter King chairs hearings on Radical Islam Infiltrating U.S. Prisons, sparring with Sheila Jackson, who tells him to turn the spotlight instead on "Christian militants", Rep. (D-Mi.) Hansen Clarke, who gives an irrelevant speech about prison reform, and Rep. (D-Calif.) Laura Richardson, who accused King of racism for focusing on one particular group, causing King to utter the soundbyte "The fact is that this committee was set up to combat terrorism, it was set up after September 11. There are already procedures in place that follow gangs in prison. Unfortunately because [of] too many instances of political correctness, we do not have protocols put in place to follow those who had trained in jihad in the prison systems. And that's why this is unique.", then adds "Your party had control of this committee for four years and had not one hearing on prisons, on skinheads, on Nazis, on Aryan Nation, on white supremacists, at all. Suddenly this issue emerges when we start talking about Muslim radicalization... If we find out that neo-Nazis are coordinating with a foreign power to attack this country, then we will investigate it." On June 16 Pakistan lobbies for membership in the China-dominated Shanghai Cooperation Org., and urges Afghanistan to join also. On June 16 Lebanon mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani tells Palestinian reps. in Beirut that they are "trash" that are no longer welcome in his country. On June 16 al-Qaida announces that former #2 Ayman al-Zawahiri is now #1, causing the U.S. to announce that they will hunt him down and kill him like they did Osama bin Laden; al-Qaida announces that it will "never recognize any legitimacy for the alleged" state of Israel". On June 16 (10:55 a.m.) a Boko Haram suicide bomber at the police HQ in Abuja, Nigera becomes Nigeria's first? On June 16 an Islamist bomb in Netanya, Israel kills three and wounds 12. On June 16 the Taliban warns Prince Harry that if he is captured in Afghanistan on his 2nd tour of duty next year, he will be shown no mercy and will be "destroyed". On June 16 an Australia-Malaysian people swap deal sees 4K refugees go to Australia while 800 go back to Malaysia, which alredy has 93K refugees from Myanmar. On June 16 the OIC (Muslim)-financed Council of Europe pub. a Report on Racism, calling for horrible laws against online "hate speech" to be pumped up by stronger laws making it "impossible" to even use it. On June 17 Spain freezes 33M euros of assets held by a detained associate of ousted Egyptian pres. Hosni Mubarak et al. On June 17 a suspicious vehicle outside the Pentagon containing ammonium nitrate is identified as belonging to Muslim U.S. Marine lance cpl. Yonathan Melaku, who is found carrying a notebook containing phrases incl. "Taliban rules" and "Mujahid defeated Croatian forces"; later a videotape showing firing shots at the U.S. Marine Corps museum while shouting "Allahu Akbar" along with documents on bombmaking are found in his home; under Obama influence, the Washington Post reports "motive unclear" - Semper Fi? On June 17 protests across Syria sees Syrian security forces shoot and kill eight protesters; meanwhile a Syria-allied Lebanese politician is killed by gunmen shooting at people holding an anti-Assad protest in N Lebanon. On June 17 protesters in Guangzhou Province, China protest the treatment of a pregnant migrant worker by police, who forced her to move her food stand off a road in Xiantang and pushed her to the ground. On June 17 the U.S. Human Rights Council issues its first condemnation of discrimination against gays, lebians, and transgender people, which is supported by the U.S. and opposed by Islamic and African countries. On June 17 White House communications dir. Dan Pfeiffer is heckled and booed at the liberal activist Netroots Nation conference in Minneapolis, Minn. On June 17 London-based Al-Sharq al-Awsat reports that Hamas vetoed a "good deal" offered by Israel for the release of kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. On June 17 a report in Der Spiegel claims that the June-July Women's World Cup of Football in Germany may bring Islamist violence because they regard it as decadent. On June 17 U.S. Rep. (R-Calif.) Darrell Issa says that he believes that Obama's Justice Dept. is covering up a scandal where they allowed Mexican drug cartels to purchase guns in the U.S., causing Obama to fire ATF Bureau chief Kenneth Melson. On June 17 the new 2011 Moroccan Constitution with dem. reforms is unveiled; on July 3 a referendum approves it by a 98.5% vote. On June 17 the U.S. Conference of Mayors introduces a resolution calling for a quicker end to the Afghan War and a speedier withdrawal of troops, becoming their first anti-war resolution since the Vietnam War. On June 18 NewsMax reports that North Korea may have tested a "Super EMP" weapon that produces a large electromagnetic pulse. On June 18 Syrian troops attack a Syrian refugee camp near the Turkish village of Boynuyogun in Hatay province near the Syrian border. On June 18 Afghan Pres. Hamid Karzai acknowledges that the Afghan and U.S. govts. have been holding talks with the Taliban; meanwhile Taliban suicide attacks in Kabul kill nine. On June 18 U.S. atty.-gen. Eric Holder makes the claim that lawyers are America's "most effective terror-fighting weapon", pissing-off nat. security experts. On June 19 (Sun.) (Father's Day) Pres. Obama sends his first Tweet: "Being a father is sometimes my hardest but always my most rewarding job. Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there." On June 19 Afghan Pres. Hamid Karzai accuses U.S.-led NATO troops of remaining in the country "for their own national interests", causing outgoing U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry warns that the U.S. people are growing weary of being viewed as occupiers, saying "My people in turn are filled with confusion and they grow weary of our effort here." On June 19 a NATO airstrike in the Souk al-Juma neighborhood of Tripoli accidentally kills civilians, incl. a child. On June 19 9-y.-o. Pakistani girl Sohana Jawed (2002-), who was kidnapped en route to school and forced to wear a suicide vest escapes her captors as they tried to get her to attack a paramilitary checkpoint in NW Pakistan. On June 19 Miss Calif. Alyssa Marie Campanella (1990-) of LA is crowned Miss USA, saying "I'm a huge history geek", as well as a "science geek". On June 19 Falling Skies debuts on TNT-TV for 52 episodes (until Aug. 30, 2015), starring Will Patton as Capt. Dan Weaver, and Noah Wyle as history prof. Tom Mason, 2nd-in-command of the 2nd Mass. Militia Regiment, who help a group of civilians flee Boston after an alien invasion by brown 6-legged Skitters, Mech attack drones, and the Overlords (Espheni). On June 20 the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously rejects a class action for gender discrimination in Wal-Mart Stores Inc. v. Dukes, but splits 5-4 over the scope of the decision. On June 20 the 9-ship Freedom Flotilla II, led by the Audacity of Hope (after a book by Pres. Obama) leaves for Gaza from various Mediterranean ports carrying 1.5K activists from 100 countries, incl. leftist writer Alice Walker; this despite the May 27 Egyptian decision to reopen its border at Rafah with Gaza; flotilla coordinator Mohammed Sawalha is a Hamas leader in the U.K.; writer Alice Walker is aboard; 1,150 of 1,500 activists drop out; on July 1 after a new pro-U.S. Greek-Israeli-Turkish alliance is created, Greek authorities detain the Audacity of Hope, and on July 2 arrest the capt. when he tries to slip away; on July 4 Hamas blows up Egypt's gas pipeline to Israel and Jordan in protest (3rd time in 6 mo.); on July 7 the flotilla gives up and disperses. On June 20 the Israeli govt. announces the building of a new wall on the occupied Syrian Golan Heights to block infiltration of Palestians through the border town of Majdal Shams. On June 20 (6:30 p.m.) Egypt Air 986 (B777) comes dangerously close to a mid-air collision after failing to follow ATC instructions. On June 20 16-y.-o. Faheen Abdul-Jaleel of Rochester, N.Y. brutally stabs his 13-y.-o. cousin Samina Qasim in an attempted honor killing, which he tries to cover up by calling it an argument. On June 21 tens of thousands demonstrate again in Yemen against Ali Abdullah Saleh, demanding the departure of his sons Ahmad and Khaled Saleh. On June 21 a Russian Tupolev Tu-134 crash-lands in Karelia, Russia, killing 40. On June 21 La Familia cartel drug lord Jose de Jesus Mendez Vargas, AKA El Chango (The Monkey) is captured in Aguascalientes, Mexico. On June 21 the Wall Street Journal exposes anti-black ethnic cleansing in Misurata, Libya by the Brigade for the Purging of Slaves and Black Skin. On June 21 (eve.) Pres. Obama gives a Speech on Afghanistan titled "The Way Forward in Afghanistan", saying that he will withdraw 33K troops by the end of Aug. 2012 in time for the pres. election season, starting with 5K in July and 5K by the end of 2011; "This decade of war has caused many to question the nature of America's engagement around the world. When threatened, we must respond with force, but when that force can be targeted, we need not deploy large armies overseas. We stand not for empire, but for self-determination"; his own top military advisers are against his plan, and NATO doesn't plan on turning over the war to the Afghan army until the end of 2014. On June 21 Boston, Mass. crime boss James "Whitey" Bulger (1920-) is arrested in Santa Monica, Calif. after being on the run since 1994 from charges of 21 killings and racketeering. On June 21-26 First Lady Michelle Obama, her daughters Malia and Sasha, and mother Marian Robinson visit Africa, starting with Johannesburg, followed by Gaborone. On June 22 a jailbreak in Mukalla, Yemen sees 62 al-Qaida members overpower guards while others attack the prison from the outside. On June 22 S.C. passes a new immigration law requiring police to check the immigration status of anybody they arrest; on Oct. 31 the U.S. Dept. of Justice sues them over it after the Dept. of Homeland Security announces that it has cancelled long-standing checks of transportation hubs for illegal immigrants; meanwhile Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas outs himself as an illegal U.S. immigrant in the New York Times, risking prosecution to influence the debate. On June 22 Gig Harbor (near Tacoma), Wash. man Brooks Papineau aims a gun loaded with armor-pierced bullets at a police officer after a traffic stop, and is killed; his truck is carrying a large ammount of ammo, a Quran, and books on converting to Islam; the 40th Islamic terrorist attack against the U.S. foiled since 9/11. On June 22 after a tipoff from a convicted Seattle Muslim, Am. Muslim converts Abu Khalid Abdul-Latif (Joseph Anthony Davis) (1978-) of Seattle, Wash., and Walli Mujahidh (Frederick Dominigue Jr.) (1979-) of LA are arrested for plotting to attack a military recruiting station with machine guns a la Ft. Hood. On June 22 the Pakistani army questions four majors about links to the banned Hizb ut-Tahrir global Islamist party, causing members to stage a demonstration on July 1 calling for Islamic rule. On June 24 the U.S. House of Reps. votes down a resolution to grant Pres. Obama authority to continue supporting the NATO mission in Libya by 123-295, with 70 Dems. and eight Repubs. switching sides. On June 24 a suicide bomber in S Yemen kills four, incl. three soldiers, and injures 10. On June 24 former Rwandan minister for family and women affairs Pauline Nyiramasuhuko becomes the first woman convicted of genocide for her part in the 1994 Rwanda genocide; her son Arsene Ntahobali is also convicted; they receive life sentences. On June 24 Pres. Obama launches the Nat. Robotics Initiative, part of the Advanced Manufacturing Initiative, with the soundbyte: "You might not know this, but one of my responsibilities as Commander in Chief is to keep an eye on robots. And I'm pleased to report that the robots you manufacture here seem peaceful, at least for now." On June 25 N.Y. becomes state #6 to legalize gay marriage, along with Washington, D.C. On June 25 German interior minister Hans-Peter Friedrich meets with Muslim community leaders and urges them to prevent the radicalization of Muslim youth, causing the usual PC firestorm. On June 25 a car bomb in a hospital in Logar Province, Afghanistan kills 27 and injures 52. On June 25 six Taliban militants, some of them in burqas, incl. a husband-wife pair detonated in a police station in Kolachi, NW Pakistan, killing 10 policemen. On June 25 Egyptian finance minister Samir Radwan says that Egypt won't borrow from the IMF despite prior loan agreements. On June 26 hundreds of Muslim youths burn a Jehovah's Witness hall in Dakar, Senegal during a meeting; local imam Thierno Mbeugne tries to justify the attack by claiming that the JWs were handing out crosses, when their cult doesn't believe in them. On June 26 a Boko Haram Islamist attack in a beer garden in Maiduguri, Nigeria kills 25+. On June 26 Palestinian Authority pres. Mahmoud Abbas announces that he will go to the U.N. for recognition of an independent Palestinian state in Sept. On June 26 Pakistani Taliban deputy cmdr. Waliur Rehman tells the AP that it will avenge Osama bin Laden's death by carrying out 10 new terrorist attacks incl. in the U.S. and Europe; meanwhile former Fadayeen-e-Islam Taliban cmdr. Shakirullah Shakir is killed in Miramshah, North Waziristan. On June 26 U.S. churches embrace Chrislam via the Faith Shared group? On June 26 a Gallup Poll shows that only 45% of Americans in the lowest income bracket ($24K a year or less) approve of the job that Pres. Obama is doing, vs. 47% of Americans in the highest bracket ($90K a year or more). On June 27 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court by 5-4 in McComish v. Bennett strikes down a key provision of an Ariz. public financing law, giving those who opt for campaign funds from the govt. to apply for more if their privately-financed opponents spend more than they get, saying that a "trigger mechanism" violates the free speech rights of the opponents. On June 27 the Internat. Criminal Court in The Hague issues warrants for Libyan Col. Daffy, his son Saif al-Islam, and his brother-in-law Abdullah al-Sanussi for crimes against humanity incl. murder and persecution. On June 27 Iran tests the long-range Sajiil missile, which has a range of 2K km, allowing it to strike Israel; on June 29 British foreign secy. William Hague says that Iran has been secretly testing ballistic missiles capable of delivering nukes, violating U.N. Resolution 1929, causing Saudi prince Turki al-Faisal to say that if Iran comes close to developing nukes it will follow suit and "pursue policies which could lead to untold and possibly dramatic consequences". On June 27 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 7-2 in Brown (Schwarzenegger) v. Entertainment Merchants Assoc. that states don't have the power to act as parents and censor violent games for minors, voiding a 2005 Calif. law. On June 27 Kurdish militants attack Turkish troops in Orenburch, Turkey in the Van region, killing one soldier and wounding three; meanwhile a Turkish gay pride march is held in Istanbul. On June 27 Turkish-born ex-boxing champ Fuat Sanac is elected head of Austria's Islamic community, succeeding Anas Schakfeh (since 1999). On June 27 Space Rock 2011 MD passes 7.5K mi. above the Earth's surface over the S Atlantic Ocean. On June 28 France confirms that it has supplied weapons to the Libyan rebels despite a U.N. arms embargo; meanwhile on June 29 Britain decides against arming them. On June 28 Rinderpest is officially declared wiped out by the U.N. in a ceremony in Rome. On June 28 (night) a Taliban suicide attack at the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul, Afghanistan sees six attackers storm it during a conference of Afghan provincial govs. and go through the rooms targeting the 300 Afghans and foreigners staying there, killing six until they are killed, showing that they can get the Yankee infidels where they live. On June 29 the U.S. Senate passes Resolution 185, calling on Palestinians to halt their bid for unilateral recognition by the U.N. and threatening to suspend financial aid. On June 29 the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security pub. a new list of specially designated countries that support terrorism, adding Israel for the first time while dropping North Korea; meanwhile the Obama admin. resumes formal contact with the Muslim Brotherhood, whose avowed goal is Islamist takeover of the U.S., while U.S. deputy nat. security advisor John Brennan says that the new Obama admin. counterterrorism strategy will be to focus on would-be terrorists in the U.S. who are inspired by al-Qaeda's "hateful ideology", and adds that this is the first strategy to "designate the homeland as a primary area of emphasis in our counterterrorism efforts", adding the immortal soundbytes: "Our strategy is... shaped by a deeper understanding of al-Qaida's goals, strategy and tactics... I'm not talking about al-Qaida's grandiose vision of global domination through a violent Islamic caliphate. That vision is absurd, and we are not going to organize our counterterrorism polices against a feckless delusion that is never going to happen"; on June 30 Hillary Clinton in Budapest says that the Obama admin. is loosening criteria for interaction with the Brotherhood, permitting diplomats to deal directly with low-level officials; on July 2 Brotherhood spokesman Mahmoud Ghozlan says that they are "ready for dialogue", but only "within a framework of mutual respect", calling for the Obama admin. to "side with the rights of the people and their demands and to stop supporting the corrupt and tyrannical regimes, backing the Zionist occupation and using double standards"; meanwhile the Obama admin. imposes financial sanctions on Syrian and Iranian domestic security forces for killing of peaceful anti-govt. protesters in Syria. On June 29 the Yemeni air force mistakenly bombs a bus in Zinjibar, killing four; meanwhile clashes with rebels kill 23 on both sides. On June 29 two Chinese warplanes chase a U.S. U-2 spy plane over the 100-mi. Taiwan Strait, becoming the first direct conflict since 2001. On June 29 French journalists Herve Ghesquiere and Stephane Taponier are released, becoming the longest-held Western hostages in Afghanistan; they were kidnapped on Dec. 30, 2009 in Kapisa NE of Kabul. On June 30 the U.N. Special Tribunal for Lebanon issues arrest warrants for four members of Hezbollah, incl. senior official Mustafa Badreddine for the 2005 assassination of Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri. On June 30 U.S. State Dept. official Daniel Benjamin tells the House Foreign Affairs Committee that the Obama admin. doesn't think that Hezbollah is doing anything in Venezuela other than fundraising, pissing-off Repubs., who think they're into terrorism. On June 30 after a Coptic Christian couple is attacked at a bus terminal, and the man has the effrontery to fight back, a Muslim mob of thousands attacks Christian homes and business in 75% Coptic W Kolosna, Egypt in Minya Province, injuring 10. On June 30 a panel of FDA experts votes that the world's best-selling cancer drug Avastin is unsafe to use on breast cancer patients. On June 30 thousands protest in Dhaka, Bangladesh to protest the new 2011 Bangladesh Constitution that proclaims it an Islamic state. On June 30 Iranian supreme assatolah Ali Khamenei holds a meeting with Iranian officials where he warns that the U.S. is in a Zionist plot to stir up trouble with Syria, after which he sends a letter to the Obama admin. warning them not to pressure the Syrian leadership or Iran will retaliate against U.S. troops in Iraq. On June 30 Kabul Bank ex-chmn. Sherkhan Farnood and ex-CEO Khalilullah Fruzi are arrested for $900M in fraudulent lending activities. On June 30 Atlanta, Ga. public school suptd. Beverly Hall resigns days before a report is released that she encouraged teachers and principals to change student test answers to get higher scores on standardized tests so she could get a bonus. On June 30 (4 p.m.) a bus strikes a Taliban IED in Khash Rod District in the SW Nimroz Province of AFghanistan, killing 20 civilians. In June the first Arctic-crossing algae from the Pacific to the N Atlantic in 800K years are accompanied by a whale native to the Pacific. In June a huge E. coli outbreak in Germany starts in Hamburg, killing 22 and sickening 2K; it is traced to bean sprouts. In June the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) begins fighting the Sudanese army in the Nuba Mts. of South Kordofan. In June the Central Bank of Nigeria announces plans to switch to non-interest Islamic banking. In June the Anthony Weiner Scandal sees Dem. N.Y. U.S. rep. (1999-) Anthony David Weiner (1964-) get caught sending photos of his wiener to love mates on the Internet despite having married Saudi-raised (puppet?) Muslim Hillary Clinton deputy chief of staff Huma Mahmood Abedin (1976-) 11 mo. earlier on July 10, 2010 (officiated by Bill Clinton), compounded by lying before a complete confession, causing calls for his resignation, incl. from Pres. Obama despite support from pregnant Huma, after which he finally resigns on June 16; Huma's marriage is a sham arranged for convenience by her Saudi puppetmasters, and is not recognized by Sharia?; Huma was once rumored to be Hillary's lesbian lover, and her mother Saleha Abedin belonged to the Muslim Sisterhood, a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, while her brother Hassan Abedin works at the infamous Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, whose board is loaded with Muslim Brotherhood members, and who has aspiring Turkish caliph Muhammad Fethullah Gulen (Gülen) among its trustees; the Clintons helped Gulen flee to the U.S. after being indicted in Turkey in 2000. In June the 57-member Org. of Islamic Cooperation (Conference) (OIC) sets up the 18-member OIC Permanent Commission on Human Rights (OICCHR); too bad, it reverses the Western logic of human rights to protect Islam, advocating "the non-use of the universality of human rights as a pretext in the state;s internal affairs and diminish their national sovereignty", and calling upon OIC members to work together to "increase Islamic solidarity to confront any initiative that may lead to use of human rights as a means of exercising pressure on any member state"; nothing but a Saudi tool to foist a world Islamic blasphemy law on infidels? In June the first Christian-Muslim gay marriage in the Nordic countries sees Knut Egil Asprusten (1967-) and Kaltham Alexander Lie (1962-) get hitched in Oslo, Norway. In June the Gary Becker Milton Friedman Inst. for Research in Economics is established at the U. of Chicago by Lars Peter Hansen et al. In June the U.S. unemployment rate rises to 9.2%, adding only 18K jobs. On July 1 another protest in Tahrir Square sees thousands protest the slow pace of change. On July 1 300K protest in Hama, Syria (2nd largest since start og uprising in Mar.), while the police and military give them a wide berth, after which pres. Bashar al-Assad fires gov. Ahmed Abdul-Aziz on July 2, and sends tanks into the city on July 4, arresting dozens. On July 1 1M-1.7M protest in Tripoli, Libya in support of Col. Daffy and against NATO. On July 1 Moroccans vote for constitutional changes proposed by King Mohammed VI, incl. full equality of women, the rights of minorities incl. Jews and Berbers, criminialization of torture, and the independence of the judiciary; they also invest executive authority in the head of the party that wins the most seats in parliament. On July 1 the Internat. Community of Democracies meeting in Vilnius, Lithuania sees U.S. secy. of state Hillary Clinton liken the Arab Spring to the democratization of E Europe in the 1990s, and utter the soundbyte: "Today there are new democracies fighting for life, there are vicious autocrats clinging to power. This is an hour of need, and every democracy should stand up and be counted." On July 1 the 17th African Union Summit in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea sees the leaders wrestle with what to do about once-impregnable Libyan dictator Col. Daffy, who threatens to attack European civilians, causing U.S. state secy. Hillary Clinton to call for him to stand down. On July 1 the govt. of Bolivia renounces the U.N. Anti-Drug Convention because it objects to classifying coca leaf as an illegal drug. On July 1 the Sudanese army seizes Kufra in S Libya, which is the gateway to Libyan oil fields. On July 1 the U.S. embassy in Pakistan holds a gay pride celebration, pissing-off the Muslim establishment, incl. Jamaat-i-Islami leader Ameer Munawar Hassan, who claims the U.S. "has violated the rules and laws of the land". On July 1 Monaco prince Albert II (b. 1958) marries South African swimmer Charlene Lynette Wittstock (1978-), who becomes princess of Monaco and is set to work producing an heir. On July 2 R.I. authorizes same sex civil unions, but no gay marriage. On July 2 a planned rally by Stop Islamisation of Europe in Strasbourg, France, seat of the EU Parliament is cancelled by EU authorities - making their point? On July 2-3 (night) Boko Haram jihadists kill a politician, three retired police officers, and six others, then set off a bomb at a police beer garden in Maiduguri, N Nigeria, killing 10. On July 3 the first free elections in Thailand since 2006 gives a landslide V to Yingluck "Pu" (crab) Shinawatra (1967-), sister of exiled ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra, who becomes PM of Thailand on Aug. 5 (until ?). On July 3 a Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) attack on a construction vehicle in Bingol, E Turkey kills one Turkish soldier and injures another. On July 3 U.S. Sen. (I-Conn.) Joe Lieberman tells Fox News Sunday that Iran has a "day of reckoning coming", and that the U.S. should "retire our ambiguous mantra about all options remaining on the table" and make sure that defense secy. nominee Leon Panetta has a plan for attacking them. On July 4 Turkish foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu reverses policy on Libyan col. Daffy, pledging $200M in additional aid for the rebels on top of the $100M they pledged under U.S.-EU pressure. On July 4 a statue of U.S. Pres. Ronald Reagan is unveiled in Grosvenor Square in London, England. On July 4 the Indian govt. announces the discovery of a $22B gold-jewel treasure trove in the 16th cent. Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. On July 5 Christine Madeleine Odette Lagarde (1956-) of France becomes the first woman dir. of the IMF (until ?). On July 5 after a 6-week trial in which the defense portrayed her as a slut and liar to a T, Fla. mom Casey Anthony is found not guilty of murder or manslaughter over the death of her 2-y.-o. daughter Caylee, causing massive outrage; she is convicted of four misdemeanors of providing false info. to law enforcement, and is released from jail on ?. On July 5 the U.K.-based Muslims Against the Crusades Islamist group calls on U.K. to establish three independent "emirates" that are completely under Sharia, incl. Bradford and Dewbury in Yorkshire, and Tower Hamlets in East London. On July 5 German chancellor Angela Merkel comes under fire for a $1B arms deal with Saudi Arabia to supply it with 200 Leopard 2 battle tanks, but lawmakers fail to override it. On July 5 an Azerbaijani tanker plane crashes in Afghanistan en route from Baku to Bagram Air Base, killing nine crew. On July 5 Zetas drug gang leader (Mexican army deserter) Jesus Rejon Aguilar (AKA El Mamito), suspected in the slaying of U.S. agent Jaime Japata is captured. On July 5 (11 p.m. local time) white Muslim convert jihadist Saifullah (b. 1961), key aide to Osama bin Laden is killed by a U.S. drone in Mir Ali, N Waziristan, Pakistan along with five other militants. On July 5-8 protests in Karachi, Pakistan kill 71, causing security forces to be authorized to shoot gunmen on sight. On July 6 after his enemies seek to arrest his closet aides, Iranian pres. Imadinnajacket issues a warning that if they try it he will expose corruption in the Rev. Guards, incl. smuggling of cigarettes. On July 6 the U.S. and Mexico end a 15-year cross-border trucking dispute by signing a pact, lifting punitive tariffs on $2.4B on U.S. goods in exchange for Mexican trucks complying with all U.S. federal motor vehicle safety standards and install monitoring systems to track hours on the road. On July 6 the Obama admin. decides to try Somalian Islamic militant Ahmed Abdulkadir Warseame in the U.S. civil courts, pissing-off Repubs. On July 7 after Saudi al-Qaida military cmdr. Walid Mashafi Ali Asiri (AKA Abu Khaled Al Asiri) is killed along with 40 others in Zinjibar, al-Qaida militants ambush Yemeni soldiers in S Yemen, killing 10. On July 7 surprise appearance on state TV by Yemeni pres. Ali Abdullah Saleh sparks a wave of violence. On July 7 rapist-murderer Humberto Leal Garcia Jr. of Mexico is executed in Tex. despite a last minute appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court by the Obama admin.; his last words are "Viva Mexico". On July 7 News Corp. chief exec Rupert Murdoch announces plans to shut down the 168-y.-o. News of the World, Britain's largest circ. newspaper after a scandal about hacking into the phones of thousands of British citizens and payoffs to police for info.; his deputies Lee Hinton and Rebekah Brooks resign by July 15; on July 17 Sir Paul Stephenson, head of Scotland Yard resigns; on July 19 Rupert's wife Wendi Murdoch (1969-) becomes a hero after she smacks an assailant on the head after he throws a foam pie at him. On July 7 1K secular Muslims protest in Tunisia to protest creeping takeover by Islamists bent on Sharia. On July 7-8 scores of pro-Palestinian activists trying to fly into Israel are blocked at airports in Europe; two Am. activists who arrive in Israel are deported on July 8. On July 8 (12:28 a.m. ET) Space Shuttle Atlantis takes off on its final flight, returning before dawn on July 21. On July 8 (Fri.) protests in Egypt sees tens of thousands demand justice for victims of Hosni Mubarak's regime and a clear transition plan to democracy, shouting "No parties, no Muslim Brotherhood", causing Egyptian maj. gen. Mohsen El-Fangary to tell the protesters on July 12 that they won't allow public life to be disrupted or their authority to be "hijacked"; meanwhile 500K protest in Orontes Square in Hama, Syria, greeting U.S. and French ambassadors Robert Ford and Eric Chevalier, while other demonstrations take place throughout Syria; July 9 Syrian forces raid Homs; on July 11 protesters in Damascus break into the U.S. embassy, and attack the French embassy, but are repelled by gunfire; on July 12 the U.N. Security Council votes 15-0-0 for Resolution 1998, condemning attacks on schools and hospitals as subject to being placed on a list of those committing "grave violations" against children. On July 8 killer bees attack 46-y.-o. Oscar Navarro and his dog and kill them in Tucson, Ariz. On July 8 Calif. begins requiring Amazon.com and other large out-of-state retails to collect sales tax on online purchases made by Calif. customers. On July 8-9 a killing spree in Mexico by the Zetas drug cartel kills 40+. On July 9 (9:57 local time) (00:57 GMT) a 7.1 earthquake in guess-where NE Japan off Honshu Island is needed like a hole in the head. On July 9 after a decades-long struggle to free itself from Muslim-run N Sudan, oil rich South Sudan officially becomes a nation #54 in Africa; on July 9 pres. (since July 30, 2005) Salva Kiir Mayardit (1951-) becomes pres. #1 (until ?), visiting Israel in Dec. to thank it for its help during the first civil war (1956-72), uttering the soundbyte: "Only we can determine how our vision will be read in history books generations from now. Will we let our challenges define us, or will we rise as a nation and define our own future?... If we work together, the story of South Sudan will inspire the world"; Sudan exports 150K barrels of oil a day via a pipeline running through Sudan, providing $1K a year for each of its 8M citizens; too bad, his son Salva Kiir converts to Islam; on July 13 the U.N. Security Council adopts Resolution 1999 without vote to admit South Sudan (#193). On July 9 a senior Iranian Rev. Guard cmdr. threatens the U.S. with attack on its aircraft carriers if Iran is attacked over its nuke program. On July 9 the Obama admin. announces that it is suspending up to $800M in military aid to Pakistan for expelling U.S. military trainers and to spur it into fighting the Taliban more effectively, causing Pakistani defense minister Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar on July 12 to say that Pakistan might withdraw thousands of troops from the border areas in response. On July 9 Nigeria bans motorbikes in Maiuguri to stop Boko Haram attacks. On July 9 Iranian Rev. Guards brig. gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh announces that they have tested long-range nuke-capable ballistic missiles during the month of Bahman (Jan. 21 - Feb. 20). On July 10 a Muslim immigrant destroys the image of the patron saint in the sanctuary of St. Calogero in Sicily. On July 10 Newt Gingrich calls the dismal U.S. economy the Obama Depression. On July 10 the Middle East Quartet meets in Washington, D.C., and endorses Pres. Obama's May 19 speech. On July 10 U.S. defense secy. Leon Panetta utters the soundbyte that weapons supplied by Iran have become a "tremendous concern" for the U.S. in Iraq, which saw more combat deaths of U.S. troops in June than in any mo. since June 2008. On July 10 Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan issues a message to Pres. Obama to redefine terrorism in the Middle East and use it as the basis for a new foreign policy, i.e., accept Hamas and Hezbollah. On July 10 after NATO's air war on him gets nowhere, French defense minister Gerard Longuet gives a speech on TV saying that NATO has "stopped the hand that was striking" Libyan Col. Daffy, and that the rebels should begin direct negotiations with him. On July 10 France becomes the first nation to ban the fracking technique for oil and natural gas extraction. On July 10 the govt. of Australia announces a $24.74 per metric ton tax on carbon emissions. On July 10 the Kalka Mail passenger train derails near Fatehpur in Uttar Pradesh, India, killing 67. On July 10 Karamakhi village imam Magomed Makhdiyev is shot and killed in his mosque in Dagestan, Russia by a Muslims who didn't like his opposition to hijabs. On July 11 the Middle East Quartet (U.S., EU, U.N., Russia) meets in Washington, D.C. to discuss ways to revive the stalled Palestinian-Israeli negotiations; Palestinian pres. Mahmoud Abbas utters the soundbyte that the U.S. should not have veto power over its decisions; U.S.-Israeli relations reach a historic new low? On July 11 U.S. state secy. Hillary Clinton utters the soundbyte that Syrian pres. Bashar al-Assad has lost his legitimacy, pissing-off him and his govt. On July 11 hundreds protest in Tunis, Tunisia, calling for the govt. to refrain from establishing diplomatic ties with "Zionist Israel". On July 11 a bomb attack in Battagram, Pakistan in Peshawar kills six incl. three policemen, and wounds 10. On July 11 Israel passes a controversial ban on settlement boycotts, allowing settlers to sue Israelis who promote boycotts of settlements, which is even opposed by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) as a disservice to Israel's democratic rep. On July 11 an overloaded cruise ship in a reservoir on the Volga River sinks in wind and rain, killing 55. On July 11 (night) 30-y.-o. teacher Firdaus, who is showing students how to build a terrorist bomb in the Islamic Umar bin Khatab school in Bima, West Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia on Sumbawa Island sets it off accidentally, killing himself, causing a 2-day standoff by machete-wielding students and teachers with police, who arrest the headmaster on July 15, who is accused or running a terrorist training camp for the Islamist Jemaah Anshorut Tauhid group headed by Abu Bakar Bashir; more than two dozen homemade pipe bombs are found in the school. On July 11 Egyptian politician Ahmed Ezz El-Arab makes statements denying the Holocaust and claiming that 9/11 was an inside job, pissing-off human rights groups. On July 11 the U.S. House of Reps. votes 233-193 to preserve their scheduled phase-out of incandescent light bulbs under the 2007 U.S. Better Use of Light Bulbs (BULB) Act. On July 11 a contingent of 600 Hindus arrives in the border town of Attari, India after fleeing Islamist jihadists in Sindh province, Pakistan. On July 11 (5:30 p.m. local time) Muslim passenger Saleh Ali S. Alramakah (Alramaleh) (1990-) of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia disrupts United Airlines Flight 944 en route from Chicago to Frankfurt, Germany, causing it to land in Cleveland, Ohio by repeatedly using an electronic device in the bathroom despite warnings, then getting belligerent, kicking and spitting at passengers. On July 11 Alphas debuts on Syfy Channel (until ?), starring David Strathairn as Dr. Lee Rosen, head of a team of people with ESP who fight a renegade criminal team. On July 12 Afghan Pres. Hamid Karzai's half-brother Ahmed Wali Karzai, head of the Kandahar provincial council is assassinated by police official Sardar Muhammad at his home in S Afghanistan, leaving a power vacuum in S Afghanistan; the Taliban claims responsibility, calling it "one of our biggest achievements"; on July 14 his funeral is hit by another suicide bomber, killing four incl. Kandahair's chief cleric. On July 12 Egyptian deputy PM Yehia el-Gamal resigns as protests in Tahrir Square enter day #5; on July 13 the military govt. announces the early retirement of 600 senior Mubarak-era police officers to mollify protesters. On July 12 the U.N. stinks itself up by making North Korea the pres. of the Conference on Disarmament, joining China, Iran, and Pakistan to stop the arms race. On July 12 Pres. Obama threatens to cut off Social Security checks after Aug. 3 if there is no agreement on an increase in the U.S. debt ceiling, causing Sen. (R-Fla.) Marco Rubio to call him an incompetent pres.; on July 13 Obama walks out of debt limit talks, with the soundbyte "I've sat here long enough. No other president, including Ronald Reagan would sit here like this." On July 12 Norway files terrorist charges against Iraqi-born Islamic cleric Mullah Krekar, founder of the Kurdish Islamist group Ansar al-Islam for threatening Norwegian politicians with death if he's deported. On July 12 Israel opens the traditional baptism site of Jesus on the Jordan River after removing mines, pissing-off Palestinian officials; it has been closed since the 1967 war. On July 12 Neptune completes its first full orbit since its 1846 discovery. On July 13 three Islamist explosions in Mumbai, India kill 20 and injure 81. On July 13 diplomatic sources reveal that Iran is planning to install centrifuges for higher-grade uranium enrichment in an underground bunker. On July 13 Turkish police arrest 14 in Ankara for plotting to get even for the death of Osama bin Laden by attacking U.S. installations. On July 13 drug cartel gunmen kill 11 in Monterrey, Mexico in a turf war. On July 13 a blog post in the Canadian anti-consumerist org. site Adbusters launches the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement, calling for a peaceful demonstration for people regardless of their access to wealth, which is held on Sept. 17, attended by 1K, spreading around the U.S. and the world. On July 14 the Arab League announces that it will ask the U.N. to recognize a Palestinian state in Sept. On July 14 the U.S. Defense Dept. announces that 24K computer files were stolen by "foreign intruders" from a defense contractor in the spring, causing it to begin designating cyberspace as an "operational domain", with a more robust defense. On July 14 Calif. gov. Jerry Brown signs a controversial law requiring public schools to teach gay history in social studies classes - this in a nation of history ignoramuses? On July 14 a group of seven illegal immigrant students get arrested in a street protest in in San Bernardino, Calif. to see what the Obama admin. will do with them. On July 15 ("Fri. of the Last Ultimatum or Call") thousands protest in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, calling for faster reforms, and end to military trials of civilians, and an end to the military govt. On July 15 1M demonstrate in Damascus, Syria in the suburbs of Douma and Qaboun; 28 are killed and scores are wounded around Syria. On July 15 Pres. Obama appears on morning TV, and says "The American people are sold" on tax increases, pushing a deal with Repubs. to trade them for raising the debt ceiling. On July 15 the U.S. govt. formally recognizes the Libyan rebels as the legitimate govt., and backs them with $30B in frozen Libyan assets in the U.S. On July 15 drug gunmen ambush police on a highway in Sinaloa, Mexico, killing 12 plus a bystander; meanwhile a riot in the Sanctions Enforcement Center in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas kills seven prisoners, while 59 escape; meanwhile Mexican authorities announce the discovery of one of the largest marijuana plantations ever found in Mexico, 200 mi. S of San Diego in Baja Calif. On July 15 Boko Haram members throw a bomb at a police car in Maiduguri, N Nigeria, wounding seven. On July 15 after asserting Muslim superiority until officials crack, Kulsoom Abdullah becomes the first woman to compete in the U.S. weightlifting championships (in Council Bluffs, Iowa) while wearing Muslim clothing covering her arms, legs, and head. On July 15 U.S. secy. of state Hillary Clinton addresses the Org. of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in Istanbul, Turkey, with the soundbyte: "The Human Rights Council has given us a comprehensive framework for addressing this issue on the international level. But at the same time, we each have to work to do more to promote respect for religious differences in our own countries. In the United States, I will admit, there are people who still feel vulnerable or marginalized as a result of their religious beliefs. And we have seen how the incendiary actions of just a very few people, a handful in a country of nearly 300 million, can create wide ripples of intolerance. We also understand that, for 235 years, freedom of expression has been a universal right at the core of our democracy. So we are focused on promoting interfaith education and collaboration, enforcing antidiscrimination laws, protecting the rights of all people to worship as they choose, and to use some old-fashioned techniques of peer pressure and shaming, so that people don't feel that they have the support to do what we abhor"; on July 16 she speaks at a coffee house in Istanbul, and criticizes Turkey's human rights record, incl. lack of religious freedom, censorship of the Internet, and improper detention of 50 journalists during the Sledgehammer Coup last year, but adds that it is "one of the most exciting places in the world" because of ties to both Eastern and Western cultures. On July 16 after new rocket strikes, an Israeli air strike wounds a Gaza gunman; meanwhile medics find the remains of another man killed in an earlier attack in Hamas-controlled territory. On July 16 an Afghan army soldier kills a NATO soldier near Lashkar Gah in S Afghanistan, which is scheduled to be one of the first places NATO will hand security control to Afghan forces. On July 16 al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) suicide bombers detonate a car bomb outside a police HQ in Bordj Menaiel in E Algeria; another suicide bomber on a motorcycle detonates among rescue workers; four are killed. On July 16 Iranian forces begin shelling the self-ruled Kurdish region of N Iraq, displacing 200+ families. On July 17 (1 a.m.) Australian Muslim convert Chris Martinez of Sydney is whipped by four fellow Muslims for drinking alcohol; he still claims that Islam is peaceful. On July 18 a new Egyptian cabinet is sworn-in by the military govt. amid reports of Hosni Mubarak being in a coma, pissing-off protesters. On July 18 Malaysia agrees to establish diplomatic ties with the Vatican after a meeting between PM Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Pope Benedict XVI in Castel Gandolfo outside Rome. On July 18 former EU commissioner Frits Bolkenstein releases a book which claims that due to anti-Semitism among young Moroccans, Jews have no future in the Netherlands and should emigrate to the U.S. or Israel, causing Dutch politician Geert Wilders to reply that it's the anti-Semitic Moroccans who should emigrate; meanwhile the death of a 22-y.-o. Turkish man in a jail cell in Beverwij, Netherlands causes accusations of police brutality. On July 18 (12 p.m. local) 14 rioting Chinese Muslims attack a police station in Hotan in Xianjiang Uygur province in NW China, hacking security guard Memet Eli to death, taking six civilians and some staff hostage, and trashing the station while shouting Allah Akbar, after which police kill them. On July 18 Iranian weightlifter (Iran's strongest man) Ruhollah Dadashi is stabbed to death in Tehran after taking pres. Imadinnajacket's side in the power struggle with supreme leader Asahollah Ali Khameinei. On July 18 Fort Hood, Tex.-born Dem. Michael Hancock (1969-) becomes mayor #45 of Denver, Colo. (until ?) (2nd African-Am.); on May 5, 2015 he is reelected with 80.16% of the vote. On July 19 Russian authorities claim to foil a major terror attack in Moscow, arresting four from the N Caucasus. On July 19 the FBI arrests Fairfax, Va. man Syed Ghulam Nabi Fai (1949-), chmn. of the Kashmiri Am. Council for working for decades as a secret agent of Pakistan to funnel millions of dollars from the Pakistani govt. to U.S. elected officials to help drive India out of the disputed Kashmir territory; they also issue an arrest warrant for Zaheer Ahmad (1948-), who is in Pakistan. On July 19 Israel intercepts the French Gaza Flotilla ship Dignite al Karama containing 15 leftists et al. as it tries to break the blockade; it is the last ship of the original 10-ship flotilla. On July 20 Iranian pres. Madman Inastraightjacket threatens to destroy the U.S. and Israel if attacked, saying "Resistance will continue until Iran sends its enemies to the morgue", calling the U.S. and Israel "on the verge of collapse and gasping for their last breaths." On July 20 Brian Ross of ABC World News reports that the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security is concerned about potential attacks by insiders at U.S. utility plants, incl. nuclear plants. On July 20 Irish PM Enda Kenny attacks the Roman Catholic Church in parliament, praising the Cloyne Report for showing how allegations of sexual abuse by priests in Cork has been covered up by the Church, and saying that the historic relationship between church and state in Ireland cannot be the same again. On July 20 the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security releases its See Something, Say Something video, for its new $10M program to encourage Americans to report "suspicious activity", pointedly characterizing the most likely suspects as white middle class Americans not Muslims or Arabs. On July 21 Palestinian Authority info. minister Nabil Amr becomes the first Palestinian official to go on record that they should defer statehood another year; meanwhile Hamas foreign minister Mahmoud al-Zahar gives a TV interview, in which he utters the soundbyte "Palestine in its entirety is Islamic waqf land, which cannot be relinquished." On July 22 (7/22/11) (3:26 p.m. local time) (13:26 GMT) (65th anniv. of the bombing of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem by the Jewish Irgung?) two bombs in Oslo, Norway (home of the Nobel Peace Prize) damage several bldgs. incl. the office of PM Jens Stolgenberg, killing eight and injuring 10; at 4:50 p.m. the same man disguised as a police officer opens fire at a summer youth camp for members of the ruling Labor Party on Utoya Island 25 mi. from Oslo, where Stolgenberg is scheduled to attend a Labor Party conference, calling people to come to him them shooting them with a rifle, incl. those fleeing by jumping in the water, killing 68 and injuring 309 by the time police arrive at 6:20 p.m.; after initial speculation that it's an al-Qaida attack, and the jihadist group Ansar al-Jihad al-Alami taking credit for it briefly, the killer turns out to be blonde-blue Norwegian Anders Behring Breivik (1979-) (AKA Andrew Berwick), a nationalist non-fundamentalist pro-Israel pro-gay Protestant Christian, son of a retired Norwegian diplomat who has been estranged for over 16 years and later says he should have killed himself, who has posted on anti-Islam Web sites, and claims to be one of 15-80 secret Justiciar Knight Commanders devoted to ridding Europe of Marxists and multiculturalists, and saving it from becoming Islamized by sparking a Christian war against Islam; he leaves an unexploded bomb and a romantic but unrealistic 1.5K-page manfesto 2083: A European Declaration of Independence under the alias Andrew Berwick; hours before the attack he emailed to his friends a list of Euro traitors, whom he claims deserve the death penalty for permitting the spread of Islam in Europe, incl. Gordon Brown, Prince Charles, Angela Merkel, Nicolas Sarkozy, and European Commission pres. Jose Manuel Barroso; he was delayed both ways from Oslo to Drammen by accident caused by Muslim truck driver Mohamed (1991-), messing up his timetable; under Norway's permissive laws he faces a max of 21 years in prison; the Utoya Island meeting incl. "Break the Israel Blockade" games, causing Am. blogger Wayne Madsen to blame the Mossad for the attack; Glenn Beck compares the Norway Camp to the Hitler Youth, with the soundbyte "Who does a camp for kids that's all about politics?"; on July 25 100K hold a rose march in Oslo; on July 26 Norway's ambassador to Israel Svein Sevje says that Norwegians consider the "occupation" to be the cause of the terror against Israel, and that Breivik's attack won't change their minds; on July 26 Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi ally Mario Borghezio describes some of Breivik's ideas as "excellent", saying he agrees with his "opposition to Islam and his explicit accusation that Europe has surrendered before putting up a fight against its Islamization"; on July 27 Norwegian PM Jens Stoltenberg speaks at the Central Jamaat Mosque in Oslo to attend a memorial ceremony for the two Muslim victims of Breivik's attack, Bano and Ismail, saying "We will be one commnity, across religion, ethnicity, gender, and rank. Bano is Norwegian, Ismail is Norwegian, I am Norwegian. We are Norway, and I am proud of this"; on Aug. 4 the blogger Fjordman, who is repeatedly referencesdin Breivik's manifesto reveals himself to be 36-y.-o. Peter Jensen; in Jan. 2014 Breivik flops and disowns the anti-Islam movement, claiming to have been trying to discredit it and spark a neo-Nazi movement. On July 22 Pres. Obama signs an order to end the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy in the military, effective Sept. 20. On July 22 Belgium becomes the 2nd EU nation after France to ban the full Islamic face veil in public. On July 22 1M demonstrate in Hama and Deir Ezzor, Syria; eight are killed. On July 22 Islamists stage demonstrations in Ramsis, Egypt to demand that secularists leave Egypt; on July 23 armed men clash with pro-reform protesters marching toward the Egyptian ministry of defense in Cairo, injuring dozens. On July 22 a NATO-U.S. strike on a Haqqani Network training camp in Sar Rowzah District in Paktika Province, E Afghanistan kills 80. On July 22 the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee cuts the Obama admin.'s $51B 2012 budget request for the State Dept. and foreign aid for the Palestinians, Egypt, Lebanon, and Yemen by $6.4B, while leaving Israel's $3B in military aid unchanged. On July 22-23 activists for the rival Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and the Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiai (MQM-h) battle in E Karachi, Pakistan, killing 12 on July 22, and eight more on july 23. On July 23 (early a.m.) a rebel-Nato strike on Tripoli, Libya incl. an RPG hit near Col. Daffy's Bab al-Aziziya compound during a meeting between him and his son, intel chief, and PM. On July 23 gunmen on motorcyles kill Iranian physicist Darioush Rezaei (b. 1976) in front of his home in NE Tehran, causing Iranian brig. gen. Mohammed-Reza Naghdi to blame Israel and the U.S., and utter the soundbyte: "In order to protect the security of our country, we have no option but to have the Zionist regime wiped off the map"; on Aug. 2 Der Spiegel blames the Israeli Mossad, caliming that in recent months it has engineered "the virtual decimation of the Islamic republic's elite physicists". On July 23 former Peruvian armed forces chief of staff gen. Francisco Contreras warns that Iran is supporting terrorist orgs. throughout South Am. On July 24 clashes in Cairo, Egypt injure 298. On July 24 the state of N.Y. allows the first same-sex couples to marry, with New York City mayor Michael R. Bloomberg officiating the wedding of staff members Jonathan Mintz and John Feinblatt along with their two daughters Georgia and Maeve - watch where you kiss me? On July 24 Peoria, Ariz. Muslim Ajaz Rahaman (1969-) plows into the Surprise shopping center in Sun City West in his Porsche Cayenne SUV, hitting three cars and injuring a pedestrian before crashing into a nail salon; he dies in the hospital - vehicular jihad? On July 24 (night) 300K leftists protest rising housing prices in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, shouting "Revolution", and "Muabarak, Assad, Netanyahu", resulting in 42 arrests. On July 25 a group of Libyan diplomats storm the Libyan embassy in Sofia, Bulgaria, smashing statues and portraits of Col. Daffy and declaring it under control of opposition forces. On July 25 Pres. Obama addresses the Nat. Council of La Raza, promising to fight for immigration reform while blaming the Repubs. On July 25 Israeli authorities seize a boat in the Dead Sea carrying arms to Palestinians from Jordan. On July 25 Pres. Obama delivers a speech on the budget impasse which is threatening on Aug. 2 and can cause the nation's AAA credit rating to be downgraded et al., calling it a "dangerous game" and calling on the people to deluge congresspersons with pleas to compromise; House majority leader John Boehner responds that Obama just wants to continue increasing spending. On July 25 the Taliban shoots down a NATO Chinook heli near the Nangalam Base in the Pech River Valley in E Afghanistan. On July 25 a Muslim mob attacks Coptic Christians in Ezbet Jacob Bedawi, Egypt (near Samalout) with rods and pipes over their installation of a new church bell. On July 26 the U.S. returns 33 Mexican soldiers who accidentally crossed the U.S.-Mexico border over the Donna-Rio Bravo Internat. Bridge in S Tex. On July 26 the Fourth Conference of the Arab-Palestinian Resistance Front in Cairo, Egypt calls for a massive Arab uprising to save Palestine from the pesky Jews, saying that the Arab Spring is a good start. On July 26 Hamas executes a father in son in Gaza for aiding Israel; Fatah calls the execution "illegal". On July 27 a Taliban suicide bomber with an exploding turban assassinates Kandahar, Afghanistan mayor Ghulam Haider Hamidi (b. 1946); meanwhile top U.S. cmdr. Navy SEAL Adm. Eric T. Olson says that al-Qaida has been bloodied and is "nearing its end", with the killing of Osama bin Laden being a near-fatal blow, and the Arab Spring proving that the Muslim World doesn't need it to overthrow Muslim dictators, although a new generation of militants can make it necessary for special ops to fight them for a decade. On July 27 English Christian churchgoer John White (1948-) is jailed for leaving pork products outside a mosque - just free samples? On July 28 the Obama admin. accuses Iran of a "secret deal" with al-Qaida to provide money, recruits, and transit for attacks in Afghanistan and Pakistan, saying "This network serves as the core pipeline through which al-Qaida moves money, facilitators and operatives from across the Middle East to South Asia"; the U.S. Treasury Dept. indicts six members incl. Ezedin Abdel Aziz Khalil, Atiya Abd al-Rahman, Salim Hasan Khalifa Rashid al-Kuwari, Abdallah Ghanim Mafuz Muslim al-Khaar, and Ali Hassan Ali al-Ajmi; Treasury spokesman David S. Cohen says "Iran is the leading state sponsor of terrorism in the world today." On July 28 after winning a runoff election over Keiko Fujimori, left-winger Ollanta Moises Humala Tasso (1962-), who led an usuccessful military revolt against pres. Alberto Fujimori in Oct. 2000 becomes pres. of Peru (until?), causing the largest 1-day plunge in the Peruvian stock market because of his opposition to the Conga open mine pit project of the Yanacocha Co., owned by Newmont Corp. in Denver, Colo. On July 28 German Muslim converts Robert Baum (1978-) and Christian Emde (1973-) are arrested as they enter Britain with jihadist lit., bombmaking manuals etc. On July 28 Abu Sayyaf jhihadists kill five soldiers, behead two of them, and wound 26 in S Philippines. On July 28 Fatah security forces raid the home of Fatah official Muhammad Dahlan (Abu Fadi) (1961-) to stop him from blocking a reconciliation with Hamas. Oh July 28 children in Gaza fly a record 15K kites, their 4th world record this summer. On July 29 a million man march called for by the Muslim Brotherhood takes place in Tahrir Square and other cities in Egypt. On July 29 Pres. Obama announces new fuel economy regs. for 2025; cars must get 54.5 mpg. On July 29 5K Syrian soldiers of the 7th Armored Regiment defect in Deir ez-Zor and take over the airport. On July 29 tens (hundreds?) of thousands of Muslim Brotherhood members let the cat out of the bag and call for an Islamic Sharia state in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt in the largest demonstration since Feb., with banners reading "Sharia above the constitution"; on Aug. 1 the military clears the remnants of a 3-week sit-in protesting the slow pace of change, with help from mobs of ordinary citizens. On July 29 tens of thousands protest in several cities in Yemen again, with a defector gen. giving them protection in Sana'a with a large military vehicle convoy; on July 30 opposition tribesmen threaten to strike Sana'a Internat. Airport in retaliation for attacks on their villages in Arhab, 20 mi. to the N. On July 29 after a court charges 22 suspects incl. several gens. and military officers of carrying out an Internet campaign to undermine the govt. Turkey's top four senior military cmdrs., led by CIC Isik Kosaner resign in protest over the detention of 250 officers for conspiring against the govt. of PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan, allowing him to tighten Islamist, er, civilian control over the longtime secular military by appointing a new top military brass on July 30-Aug. 8 led by new CIC #28 (until ?) Gen. Necdet Ozel (Özel) (1950-) (until Aug. 18, 2015). On July 30 (2 p.m.) Islamists burn down a Christian church in Fuoni, Zanzibar while shouting "We do not infidels to spoil our community, especially our children." On July 31 allegedly secular Syria launches the Islamic religious TV satellite channel Noor al-Sham (Light of Syria) in an attempt to appease the religious pop. On July 31 Bloody Sun. in Hama, Syria sees Syrian tanks storm it and kill 136 civilians; on Aug. 1 they attack it again and kill eight, while demonstrations erupt in other parts of Syria in support, causing Italy on Aug. 2 to recall its ambassador and urge other Euro nations to do ditto, while Russia announces that it won't oppose a U.N. Security Council resolution to condemn the violence, which is issued on Aug. 3, causing Bashar al-Assad on Aug. 4 to issue a decree permitting a multi-party political system, while having his troops round up and execute hundreds in Hama via firing squad; on Aug. 5 Syria announces that it has captured (and pulverized) Hama, and stopped the 5-mo.-old rebellion. On July 31 Hezbollah announces that it has carried out 19 operations against U.S. forces in Iraq. On July 31 former Mexican federal police officer Jose Antonio Acosta Hernandez, accused of ordering 1.5K drug killings and masterminding the attack on the U.S. consulate employee last year is arrested. On July 31 Pres. Obama announces a last-min. deal on the budget and debt crisis before the Aug. 2 deadline, causing U.S. Rep. (D-Mo.) Emanuel Cleaver, chmn. of the Congressional Black Caucus to call it a "sugar-coated Satan Sandwich"; on Aug. 1 Russian PM Vladimir Putin issues the soundbyte about the U.S.: "They are living beyond their means and shifting a part of the weight of their problems to the world economy... They are living like parasites off the global economy and their monopoly of the dollar... Thank God that they had enough common sense and responsibility to make a balanced decision"; on Aug. 1 the U.S. House votes 269-161 to approve it and raise the debt ceiling by $14.3T, with Gabrielle Giffords returning to vote for it; on Aug. 2 the Senate approves it by 74-26, and Pres. Obama signs it into law; it slashes the defense budget by $350B; on Aug. 4 the Dow Jones Industrial Avg. drops 512 points, erasing the year's market gains; on Aug. 5 after the Obama admin. spends 60% of the $400B initial budget increase in one day (largest in history), the U.S. federal deficit tops $1T, 2nd largest in history, with the govt. in its 34th straight mo. in the red, causing Standard and Poor's to downgrade the U.S. debt from AAA to AA for the first time in U.S. history (same as 1917 rating), with the soundbyte "The downgrade reflects our opinion that the fiscal consolidation plan that Congress and the administration recently agreed to falls short of what, in our view, would be necessary to stabilise the government's medium-term debt dynamics. More broadly, the downgrade reflects our view that the effectiveness, stability, and predictability of American policymaking and political institutions have weakened at a time of ongoing fiscal and economic challenges"; on Aug. 8 the Dow Jones Industrial Avg. plunges by 634.76 (5.6%) points, ending at 10,809.85, worst 1-day loss since Dec. 1, 2008, and first below-11K close since Oct. 2010; the total loss since Aug. 1 in 1.3K points, dropping like a stone, causing ditto to world stock markets, causing a reaction against Standard & Poor's; on Aug. 8 Pres. Obama utters the soundbyte "Markets will rise and fall, but this is the United States of America... The U.S. will always be a triple-A country, despite what rating agencies say"; on Aug. 9 after the Federal Reserve Board announces that it will keep interest rates at the current historic low through 2013, the Dow rebounds by 429.9 points - the Titanic has scraped the iceberg? On July 31 a suspected Islamist attack in Kashgar, Xinjiang, China kills 11. In July the U.S. economy creates 117K new jobs, lowering the unemployment rate to 9.1%. In July Al-Shabaab begins blocking starving people from fleeing S Somalia, setting up a camp to imprison and starve them to death. In July Google launches their Facebook-killer Google+ social network service - let's hope? In July the Mexican newspaper El Milenio exposes a program by the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security to monitor the Internet, incl. social media sites, blogs, and forums worldwide. In July Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan establish a Customs Union. On Aug. 1 Hezbollah deputy secy.-gen. (#2 in charge) (since 1992) Naim Qassem utters the soundbyte: "Billions of dollars have been offered to us to rebuild the deprived south Lebanon and in return to surrender our arms and stop the work of the resistance. But we told them we're not in need [of their money] and the resistance will go on regardless of the consequences." On Aug. 1 Israeli forces raid a refugee camp in Kalandia, West Bank and kill two after being set upon by stone-throwing Palestinians. On Aug. 1 the U.S. Congress creates a special envoy for Middle East religious minorities to highlight persecution of Christians and Jews by Muslims. On Aug. 1 Pres. Obama and First Lady Michelle issue a Statement on the Occasion of Ramadan, sending "best wishes to Muslim communities in the United States and around the world", and urging people to help the humanitarian crisis in Somalia. On Aug. 2 the U.N. Human Rights Committee issues a Report on Blasphemy Laws, saying that they are incompatible with the U.N.'s Internat. Covenant on Civil and Political Rights that came into force in 1976 and was ratified by 167 states; meanwhile the Geneva-based Human Rights Council is still controlled by the Muslim OIC. On Aug. 2 (5:30 a.m.) a bomb at a Christian church in Kirkuk, Iraq injures a priest and 19 others, and damages 40 homes. On Aug. 2 a Muslim plot to kill 45+ Hindu Amarnath pilgrims in a bus in Kakizund, India. On Aug. 2 female Kurdish nationalist Turkish MP Aysel Tuglik is convicted of spreading terrorist propaganda for making a speech in Yuksekova in SE Turkey on Mar. 17, 2010 supporting the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). On Aug. 2 Mohammed Moussaoui, pres. of the Muslim Council of France announces that almost 150 new mosques are under construction in France; there are now more practising Muslims than Roman Catholics in the country. On Aug. 2-5 ethnic violence in Karachi, Pakistan kills 47; 240 were killed in July. On Aug. 3 Champaign, Ill.-born Daniel B. "Dan" Shapiro (1969-) becomes U.S. ambassador #19 to Israel (until ?). On Aug. 3 the British govt. announces the arrest of six and seizure of 2.6K lbs. of cocaine in June, worth $490M, becoming the largest drug bust in British history. On Aug. 3 the number of Americans on food stamps reaches a record 46M. On Aug. 3 N.J. gov. Chris Christie nominates Indian-born Sohail Mohammed (1964-) to be the 1st Indian-Am. and 2nd Muslim judge in N.J., telling reporters: "Sharia law business is just crap... and I'm tired of dealing with the crazies... It's just unnecessary to be accusing this guy of things just because of his religious background." On Aug. 3 Col. Daffy's son Saif al Islam Qaddafi announces that his regime is breaking down and forging an alliance with radical Islamists, giving them the town of Darna to become "an Islamic zone like Mecca". On Aug. 3 a Gallup Poll on Muslim-Ams. assisted by the Abu Dhabi Gallup Center headed by Dalia Mogahed finds that they are more optimistic about their future than other faith groups, and that their views are highly similar to Jews; meanwhile the Muslim-infested Obama admin. releases the Nat. Strategy on Empowering Local Partners to Prevent Violent Extremism in the United States (AKA the Obama Doctrine), masterminded by Nat. Security Council extremism expert Quintan Wiktorowicz, announcing a new policy for fighting radical Islam by stopping the use of material by well-studied Islam expert Robert Spencer because it isn't "accurate", and replacing it by Muslim disinfo. propaganda designed to undermine the U.S., because although al-Qaida has a "bankrupt ideology", claiming that accusing the entire Am. Muslim community of complicity in terrorism could "feed the sense of disenchantment and disenfranchisement that may spur violent extremist radicalization." On Aug. 4 former Iranian Rev. Guard cmdr. (2007-11) Rostam Ghasemi (1950-) becomes head of OPEC (until ?). On Aug. 4 the U.S. govt. announces that the 2011 Somalian Famine has killed 29K children under age 5 in the last 90 days. On Aug. 4 the entire 20-man police force of Ascension, Mexico quits after drug cartels kill the police chief and five officers over the last 3 mo. On Aug. 5 the U.S.-Bahrain Defense Pact (signed Oct. 28, 1991) is renewed for another 10 years. On Aug. 5 the Western-backed Somalian govt. of pres. Sheikh Sharif Ahmed ousts 3K Al-Shabaab fighters from Mogadishu. On Aug. 5 five New Orleans police officers in La. are found guilty by a federal jury for shooting six citizens (killing two) and trying to cover it up during the Hurricane Katrina aftermath. On Aug. 5 a jilted Muslim Mehmet Y (1985-) shoots the 45-y.-o. mother and 22-y.-o. sister of his 24-y.-o. ex-wife in a busy public square in Berlin, Germany. On Aug. 6 (a.m.) a decrepit Vietnam-era U.S. twin-rotor Ch-47 Chinook heli is shot down in Wardack Province in E Afghanistan by the Taliban, killing all 38 aboard incl. five Army troops, seven Afghan commandos and their interpreter, three AF controllers, and 22 Navy SEALs of the 300-member bin Laden-killing Team 6, becoming the largest U.S. military loss since the Jan. 2005 heli crash in Anbar Province; on Aug. 6 a bomb hits a convoy of NATO supply tankers in Peshawar, Pakistan, destroying 16; on Aug. 9 Pres. Obama makes a surprise visit to Dover AFB to pay his respects to the heroes; on Aug. 10 U.S. special forces claim to hunt down and kill the Taliban cmdr. and shooter responsible for the heli attack; the SEAL raid on Osama bin Laden was a fake because he had been dead for years, and Obama gave the Taliban the info. and weapons needed to assassinate the SEALs who went on the raid to silence them? On Aug. 6 the Communion of Churches in Indonesia (PGI) condemns Muslim arson attacks on three Christian churches in Riau Province, Indonesia during the past week. On Aug. 6 rioting in the poor area of Tottenham, N London begins after a fatal police shooting of 29-y.-o. black Mark Duggan, spreading to Enfield 5 mi. to the N, followed by Manchester, Nottingham, Salford, and Birmingham, killing one; 16K police are called out, and 1.2K are arrested, causing PM David Cameron to utter the soundbyte: "The sight of those young people running down streets, smashing windows, taking property, looting, laughing as they go, the problem of that is a complete lack of responsibility, a lack of proper parenting, a lack of proper upbringing, a lack of proper ethics, a lack of proper morals"; it's really a race riot but the PC media covers it up? On Aug. 7 the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood retracts its position that it will accept a secular govt. in Egypt, wanting an Islamist govt. On Aug. 8 arrest warrants are issued for 14, incl. seven senior pro-secular gens. in Turkey for setting up Web sites to disseminate free speech, er, anti-govt. propaganda. On Aug. 8 (11 p.m. local time) (21:00 GMT) a NATO airstrike in Majer S of Zlitan 100 mi. E of Tripoli in Libya kills 85 civilians. On Aug. 8 Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Kuwait pull their diplomats out of blood-soaked Syria, with Kuwaiti foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed Al-Sabah uttering the soundbyte "No one can accept the bloodshed in Syria", and King Abdullah calling on Assad to stop "the killing machine and end the bloodshed"; the body count is up to 1.6K since Mar. On Aug. 8 tapes recorded by Jackie Kennedy Onassis months after JFK's assassination are released by the JFK Library in Boston, revealing that she believed that LBJ and other "influential individuals" orchestrated it; too bad, that was only an advance report; when the tapes come out in Sept., they only talk about how JFK thought LBJ shouldn't becomes pres. but still was going to keep him on the ticket. On Aug. 9 radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr calls on U.S. troops to pull out of Iraq on his Web site. On Aug. 10 China tests its first aircraft carrier, after refurbishing an old one obtained from Russia, causing the U.S. to ask it explain why it needs one - to conquer Taiwan? On Aug. 11 Pres. Obama hosts a White House Ramadan Dinner 1 mo. before the 10th anniv. of 9/11, uttering the soundbyte: "There's no them and us - it's just us". On Aug. 12 Muslim gunmen ambush some police accompanying terror suspects to the dentist at the U. of Peshawar in Pakistan, killing three police then freeing the terror suspects, who incl. a Taliban cmdr. On Aug. 13 Muslim gunmen use Ramadan as a ruse to break into the house of U.S. embassy official Warren Weinstein in Lahore, Pakistan and kidnap him. On Aug. 13 after high winds, the main stage at the Ind. State Fair collapses prior to a performance by Sugarland, killing five and injuring 45. On Aug. 13-16 the Syrian army assaults the Palestinian enclave of Latakia, causing 10K residents to flee. On Aug. 14 a suicide bomber at a police HQ in Tizi Ouzou, Algeria (60 mi. E of Algiers) injures 29. On Aug. 14 six suicide bombers storm a provincial governor's compound in Charikar, Afghanistan (50 mi. N of Kabul), killing 22. On Aug. 14 Pakistan launches its first comm satellite from a facility in China. On Aug. 14 Chinese army chief of staff Gen. Chen Bingde makes a state visit to Israel, a first. On Aug. 14 after expressing support for Israel via a poem in Arabic on a Web site, St. Louis, Mo. Muslim Alaa Alsaegh is attacked by two Muslims, who carve a Star of David on his back. On Aug. 15 bombs in a dozen cities in Iraq kill 60+ incl. seven Sunnis who used to be aligned with al-Qaeda but turned on them, who are pulled from a mosque in Baghdad by gunmen who execute them. On Aug. 15 Am. billionaire Warren Buffett calls on the "mega-rich" to pay more in taxes, saying that he would raise taxes on households making $1M or more, plus additional for those making $10M or more. On Aug. 16 Seattle, Wash.-born former Dem. Wash. gov. #21 (1997-2005) Gary Faye Locke (1950-) becomes U.S. ambassador to China #10 (until Mar. 1, 2014). On Aug. 16 the Obama admin. denies to Taiwan its request for new Lockheed Martin F-16C/Ds, instead forcing them to retrofit older F-16A/Bs. On Aug. 16 Pres. Obama utters the soundbyte that a "lone wolf terrorist, somebody with a single weapon being able to carry out wide-scale massacres of the sort that we saw in Norway recently" is more likely than a coordinated 9/11-type attack, especially an Islamist one. On Aug. 16-21 the XXVI World Youth Day in Madrid, Spain is attended by 1M-1.5M. On Aug. 17 Dubai admits to monitoring social media for signs of coming protests and strikes. On Aug. 17 the separatist Freedom Party (FP) holds a protest in Srinagar; police detain senior leader Shabir Ahmad Shah, "the Nelson Mandela of Kashmir". On Aug. 17 U.S. secy. of state Hillary Clinton orders Israel to apologize to Turkey over the flotilla attack last year or face strained ties, to which Israel replies stuff it. On Aug. 17 the Am. Psychological Assoc. (APA) holds a Conference on Pedophilia in Baltimore, Md., seeking to normalize pedophiles as "minor-attracted persons". On Aug. 18 Pres. Obama finally calls for bashful Syrian dictator Bashar al-Sosad, er, Assad to "step aside"; coordinated messages for his resignation come from Britain, France, Germany, and the EU, along with a U.N. recommendation that Syria be referred to the Internat. Criminal Court for investigation. On Aug. 18 24 Al-Qaida in the Sinai Peninsula gunmen aided by the Popular Resistance Committee and Jaish al-Islam cross the Egyptian border into Eilat, S Israel, and kill eight Israelis and wound 20+, with five gunmen killed, after which on Aug. 19 Israel retaliates and kills five Palestians dressed as Egyptian policeman on the Eliat Road, which causes Egypt to threaten to recall its ambassador and end the 1979 peace accord until defense minister Ehud Barak publicly apologizes and offers a joint investigation on Aug. 20 (night). On Aug. 19 on the anniv. of Afghan independence from Britain in 1919 Taliban suicide bombers attack the British Council in Kabul, Afghanistan, killing eight; meanwhile a turban bomber in Helmand Military Corps Center wounds three policeman. On Aug. 19 a Ramadan suicide bombing at a mosque in Ghundi, NW Pakistan in the Khyber tribal region near the Afghan border kills 48 and injures scores; they were trying to get anti-Taliban elders. On Aug. 19 a storm at the outdoor Pukkepop Rock Festival in Hasselt, Belgium kills five. On Aug. 19 Bill Clinton receives a $1M check for his birthday from the pro-ISIS Islamist state of Gutter, er, Qatar. On Aug. 20 Pakistani army troops kill 12 militants infiltrating the Gurez Sector near the dividing line between India and Kshmir. On Aug. 20 Am. celeb Kim Kardashian marries New Jersey Nets player Kris Humphries (1985-); they break up in 72 days. On Aug. 21 Iran sentences the three Am. hikers Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd, and Joshua Fattal (captured near the N Iraq border on July 31, 2009) to eight years in priz for espionage, causing singer Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) of England to call for their release; Sarah Shourd was freed on $500K bail in Sept. 2010. On Aug. 21 Col. Madman Daffy's sons Saif al-Islam, Saadi, and Mohammed are reported captured, and his personal guard surrenders to rebel forces who are closing in on Tripoli, while his troops begin deserting, causing Daffy to appear on TV to exhort his supporters and tribes to rise up and defend him; meanwhile Pres. Obama issues the soundbyte "Tripoli is slipping from the grasp of a tyrant", French pres. Nicolas Sarkozy calls on Daffy to give up "immediately what power he has left" because a rebel V is "no longer in doubt", and U.S. Repub. Sens. John McCain (Ariz.) and Lindsey Graham (S.C.) praise Daffy's fall but task Obama for his limited use of airpower; too bad, on Aug. 22 after allegedly being allowed to escape by the rebels, Saif al-Islam Daffy reappears, and rallies loyalists; on Aug. 23 the rebels take Daffy's Bab Al-Aziziya fortress compound in Tripoli. On Aug. 21 Sharia is abolished for Muslims in Greece, incl. polygamy. On Aug. 21 Bloomberg News pub. an article claiming that the Wall St. aristocracy got $1.2T in secret loans from the U.S. govt. in 2007-10. On Aug. 22 battles in S Yemen kill 80 al-Qaida militants. On Aug. 23 (1:51 p.m. EST) the 5.8 2011 U.S. East Coast Earthquake (worst in 67 years) centered in Mineral, Va. S of Washington, D.C. is felt all the way to Boston and Chicago, causing the White House, Pentagon, and other govt. bldgs. and memorials to be evacuated; an unrelated 5.3 earthquake hit S Colo. just before the bigger quake. On Aug. 24 Steve Jobs announces that he's stepping down as CEO of Apple, and names Mobile, Ala.-born gay bud Timothy Donald "Tim" Cook (1960-) as his successor, while seeking to become the chmn. of the board; in 2014 he becomes the first Fortune 500 CEO to come out. On Aug. 24 in response to Apple's motion for a preliminary injunction in its iPad patent infrigement suit over the Galaxy Tab 10.1 smartphone, Korean manufacturer Samsung cites the 1968 film "2001: A Space Odyssey as prior art for tablet computers. On Aug. 25 (4 p.m.) a grenade attack at the Casino Royale in Monterrey, Mexico kills 40+. On Aug. 25 Syrian anti-Assad cartoonist Ali Farzat (1951-) is pulled out of his car in Ummayad Square, Damascus by masked gunmen and viciously beaten, breaking both of his hands then ordering him to quit it. On Aug. 26 a Muslim suicide bomber attacks the U.N. HQ in Abuja, Nigeria, killing 10+ and injuring scores. On Aug. 26 after pressure from the Arab League, Honduras officially recognizes Palestine as an independent state. On Aug. 28 Palestinian Authority chmn. Mahmoud Abbas declares that they won't recognize a Jewish state of Israel, and tells the internat. community to stuff it. On Aug. 28 an Allah Akbar-screaming Nablus-area Muslim in Tel Aviv steals a cab, rams border police outside a nightclub, gets out, and stabs seven, incl. five police officers. On Aug. 29 Afghan and coalition security forces kill and capture multiple insurgents in a Haqqani terrorist network attack cell in E Afghanistan. On Aug. 30 Rye Playland in Westchester County, N.Y. is disrupted by 15, incl. three scarved Muslim women who got pissed-off at being barred from rides. In Aug. Russia announces that its 5th-gen. stealth fighter, the PAK FA will become operational in 2015. In Aug. police inspector Bernard Witthaut tells the Westdeutschen Allgemeinen Zeitung that Muslim no-go areas beyond police control are spreading throughout Germany. In Aug. for the first time since 1945 the U.S. has zero job growth. In Aug. the U.S. has its 2nd warmest Aug. on record (1st in 1983) at 75.7F; the avg. summertime temp is 74.5F. In Aug. zero U.S. troops are killed in Iraq, the first time since Mar. 2003. On Sept. 1 Libyan Col. Madman Daffy reaches 42 years in power. On Sept. 2 Turkey expels Israeli ambassador Gaby Levy and cuts military ties over the 2010 Gaza Fake Freedom Flotilla incident; on Sept. 2 the 105-page U.N. Report on the 2010 Gaza Fake Freedom Flotilla Incident is released, concluding that the blockade is legal but that the Israeli commandos used excessive force; on Sept. 5 Turkey humiliates 40 Israeli passengers after they land in Turkey en route from tel Aviv to Istanbul; on Sept. 4 Israel and Greece sign a mutual defense pact, then on Sept. 16 invoke it against Turkish naval-air movements in the E Mediterranean. On Sept. 2 Pres. Obama announces that he will not raise federal air pollution ozone standards, pissing-off environmentalists. On Sept. 2 Mexican pres. Felipe Calderon delivers a state of the nation speech, in which he will continue his fight against drug cartels and vows to clean up the cops. On Sept. 2 the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) pub. a Survillance Report on Mental Illness Among American Adults, with the soundbyte: "Published studies report that about 25% of all U.S. adults have a mental illness and that nearly 50% of U.S. adults will develop at least one mental illness during their lifetime", calling for "surveillance efforts at the national or state level... directed toward documenting anxiety disorders." On Sept. 3 1M protest in Tel Aviv, Israel to protest against the govt. On Sept. 3 Iranian pres. Madman Imadinnajacket meets with Qatari emir Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani, during which the emir gives him a request by Pres. Obama to obtain his consent to maintaining 15K troops in Iraq for another two years, along with a request to stop hostile operations against U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, to which Madman replies that if Syria is attacked, "the first missile will fall on you." On Sept. 7 (10:14 a.m. local time) a suitcase bomb explodes outside the high court of New Delhi, India, killing 11 and injuring 66. On Sept. 7 the Second Global Conference on World Religions After September 11 in Montreal, Canada sees the Dalai Lama, Tariq Ramadan et al. speak. On Sept. 8 Iranian pres. Madman Inastraightjacket finally joins the chorus and calls for an end to the Syrian crackdown. On Sept. 8 amid low opinion poll ratings, Pres. Obama calls for an end to the "political circus", and delivers a speech pitching his $447B U.S. American Jobs Act stimulus bill. On Sept. 8 the U.S. govt. announces that three suspected jihadists waltzed into the U.S. in Aug. and plan to launch a "vehicle-borne attack" on 9/11, triggering heightened security. On Sept. 8 after exposing the regime of PM Nouri al-Maliki for foisting fear a la Saddam Hussein, Iraqi journalist Hadi al-Mahdi is assassinated at his home. On Sept. 9 the U.S. Senate by 89-9 passes the U.S. America Invents Act, changing the patent system from first-to-invent to first-to-file, with a new bureaucracy to review patent applications. On Sept. 9 (5 p.m. local time) as the authorities observe without interfering, a Muslim mob of 5K from Tahrir Square storms storms the Israeli embassy in Cairo, Egypt, tears down a protective wall, and ransacks it, causing the Israel ambassador and staff to flee at 9:30 to Tel Aviv, leaving six Israeli security guards, who lock themselves in a room, and are rescued at 4 a.m. by Egyptian commandos; on Oct. 31 71 Egyptians get 6-mo. suspended sentences for the attack. On Sept. 11 (9/11/11) the U.S. Nat. Sept. 11 Memorial and Museum at the old WTC site in in Manhattan, N.Y. opens on the 10th anniv. of 9/11, incl. the biggest manmade waterfall on Earth, and the Tribute in Light; Pres. Obama delivers a 9/11/11 Speech that carefully avoids blaming Islam for 9/11, and even implies that it was an act of God by quoting Psalms 46:8: "Come behold the works of the Lord, how he has wrought desolations in the Earth"; no surprise, the weekend event A Call to Compassion at the Nat. Cathedral in Washington, D.C. features a Muslim imam and a Buddhist nun, but no evangelical Christians, pissing-off Frank Page, pres. of the Southern Baptist Convention; American fear of an imminent terrorist attack is near the low point, at 38%; Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu gives a speech in Jerusalem, warning of Islamic radicals achieving the "ultimate terrorist nightmare" of getting nukes. On Sept. 11 an Islamist suicide truck bomber at a NATO base in Wardak Province in C Afghanistan kills four civilians and injures 77 troops, becoming the worst suicide bombing in the Afghan war; the same province where the Navy SEALs heli was shot down in July. On Sept. 11 about 100 Islamists protest near the U.S. embassy in Cairo demanding the release of Egyptian "Blind Sheikh" Omar Abdel-Rahman, mastermind of the 1993 WTC bombing. On Sept. 11 lifelong friends Brendan Mess (25), Erik Weissman (31), and Raphael Teken (37) are brutally murdered in Mess' apt. in Waltham, Mass.; the murders are later traced to Boston Bombers Tamerlan and Djokar Tsarnaev, along with Ibrahim Todashev. On Sept. 12 Yukiya Amano, head of the U.N. IAEA nuclear agency announces plans to pub. new info proving that Iran is building nukes. On Sept. 13 U.S. Rep. (R-N.Y.) Peter King testifies on Muslim-Am. radicalization before a British Parliamentary committee, saying the he won't be stopped by political correctness. On Sept. 13 Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erodgan visits Egypt, where he is given a hero's welcome; the Muslim Brotherhood tasks him for telling Egypt to erect a secular govt. like in Turkey, and warns Turkey not to seek Middle East domination; on Sept. 16 he visits Libya, and gives a speech in Martyrs' (Green) Square in Tripoli, saying that the Syrian regime that inflicts repression on its people won't survive. On Sept. 13 Lloyd's of London sues Saudi Arabia for $215M for terrorist attacks and jihad in the Balkans. On Sept. 13-14 the Taliban Haqqani Network stages a 19-hour rocket attack on the U.S. embassy in Kabul that kills 14 and wounds 77, showing the U.S. that when they leave they shouldn't have even arrived; on Sept. 14 U.S. defense secy. Leon Panetta warns Pakistan that he blames them for it, and that the U.S. will "do everything we can" to defend its forces; on Sept. 23 U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff chmn. Adm. Mike Mullen accuses the Pakistani intel community of connections to the embassy attack, saying "The Haqqani Network... acts as a veritable arm of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence Agency." On Sept. 15 Pres. Obama decides to sell a $4.2B arms package to Taiwan, incl. an upgrade to its F-16s, causing China to threaten the U.S. with "disaster", with the soundbyte "Don't play with fire". On Sept. 15 the Islamist Syrian Nat. Council is formed in Istanbul to help overthrow Bashar Assad and set up an Islamist govt. On Sept. 16 France finally outlaws Muslims praying in the street; on Sept. 16 Netherlands becomes the 3rd country after France and Belgium to draft legislation banning the burka, with a max fine of 380 Euros. On Sept. 16 Britain amends its universal jurisdiction law to allow Israelis accused of war crimes to enter the U.K. without risk of arrest, pissing-off leftists. On Sept. 16 a plane crashes near the grandstand at the Reno Air Races in Nev., killing three and injuring 50. On Sept. 16 Financial Times of Britain reports that Pres. Obama personally warned Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan that if it doesn't change its position towards Israel, the U.S. will not sell weapons to Turkey. On Sept. 16 the U.S. announces the killing of top al-Qaida man in Pakistan Abu Hafs al-Shahri. On Sept. 16 Israel becomes an assoc. member of CERN in Switzerland as a prelude to full membership. On Sept. 17 the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) Movement goes activist with 24/7 occupation of part of Lower Manhattan, N.Y. On Sept. 17 Maldives criminalizes the preaching of any religion other than Islam. On Sept. 18 Turkish deputy PM Besir Atalay warns that Turkey will freeze its ties with the EU if Cyprus occupies the rotating EU presidency in the 2nd half of 2012, causing Hans van Baalen of Netherlands to declare that Turkey has disqualified itself for EU membership. On Sept. 18 the Palestinian Authority uses Latifa Abu Hameid, mother of four terrorists who killed seven Israeli civilians and attempted to kill 12 others as their poster girl for their statehood campaign with the U.N. On Sept. 18 Islamist insurgents explode multile bombs in the Thai border town of Su-Ngai Golok, known for its brothels, killing five and wounding 110. On Sept. 19 Pres. Obama proposes a debt reduction plan that calls for $3 in new taxes for $1 in new spending cuts. On Sept. 19 Saudi Arabia announces that 41 suspects will be tried for forming a cell linked to al-Qaida that planned to attack U.S. forces in Kuwait and Qatar; meanwhile Saudi Arabia pays $200M to the Palestinian Authority to help it apply for full U.N. membership. On Sept. 19, the sitcom 2 Broke Girls debuts on CBS-TV for 138 episodes (until Apr. 17, 2017), about roommates Max Black (poor, brunette), played by Kat Dennings (Katherine Litwack) (1986-), and Caroline Channing (nouveau pauvre, blonde), played by Beth Behrs (1985-), who work in a diner in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, N.Y. to raise $250K to start a cupcake business, with the running tally shown at the end of each episode. On Sept. 20 a Kurdish rebel car bomb explodes near a high school in Ankara, Turkey, killing three and wounding 34. On Sept. 20 after being lured by a false offer of a Taliban peace offer, former Afghan pres. Burhanuddin Rabbani (b. 1940), head of the Afghan high peace council is assassinated by a Taliban (Haqqani Network?) suicide turban bomber in Kabul, causing Pres. Obama and Afghan pres. Hamid Karzai to issue a joint condolence statement at the U.N., and claim it won't set peace talks back. On Sept. 20 Palestinians hold mass demonstrations on the eve of the U.N. gen. assembly vote on Palestinian statehood. On Sept. 20 Pres. Obama tells the Libyan rebels "We will stand with you", pledging support for a post-Daffy Libya. On Sept. 20 the Obama admin. announces that it has sharply warned Pakistan to cut ties with the Miranshah-based Taliban Haqqani Network in the tribal region along the Afghan border (which it blames for the Sept. 13 attack on the U.S. embassy in Kabul) and help eliminate its leaders, else the U.S. will act unilaterally. On Sept. 20 four U.S. Marines are killed in an ambush in Ganjgal, Afghanistan. On Sept. 20 the sitcom New Girl (working title "Chicks & Dicks") debuts on Fox Network for ? episodes (until ?), starring Zooey Claire Deschanel (1980-) as Los Angeles middle school teacher Jessica "Jess" Christopher Day, who moves into a loft with three men, Nick, played by Jake Johnson (Mark Jake Johnson Weinberger) (1978-), Schmidt, played by Max Greenfield (1980-), and has-to-be-black Winston, played by Lamorne Morris (1983-). On Sept. 21 Pres. Obama gives a speech to the U.N. Gen. Assembly, opposing the Palestinian Authority's bid for statehood through the U.N. Security Council, with the soundbytes: "One year ago, I stood at this podium and I called for an independent Palestine. I believed then, and I believe now, that the Palestinian people deserve a state of their own"; "Peace will not come through statements and resolutions at the U.N. If it were that easy, it would have been accomplished by now"; French pres. Nicolas Sarkozy gives a speech to the gen. assembly and calls for a resolution to upgrade the PA to "observer status", claiming that failure will spark Muslim violence, with the soundbyte "Let us cease our endless debates on the parameters. Let us begin negotiations and adopt a precise timetable"; meanwhile pro-statehood protests by Palestinians in the West Bank result in a 16-mo.-o. Israeli baby being struck by a stone in the head; Obama poses for a group photo, and blocks the face of Mongolian pres. #4 (since June 18, 2009) Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj (1963-) with his hand. On Sept. 21 the Arab League calls for freezing Syria's and Yemen's membership until they stop violence against protesters. On Sept. 21 Iran finally releases convicted U.S. spies Shane Bauer and Joshua Fattal on bail. On Sept. 21 Syria's SANA news agency accuses Turkish camps housing 7.5K Syrian refugees of being "centers of isolation full of rape and torture". On Sept. 21 Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan appears on U.S. TV, and says that the term "moderate" doesn't need to be used with Islam because it excludes all extremists - what about the sultans? On Sept. 21 the U.S. military finally allows openly gay service members to serve. On Sept. 21 a McClatchy Newspapers and Marist College Poll shows Pres. Obama just 5 points ahead of Sarah Palin, 49% to 44%; Obama's approval rating falls to its lowest at 39%, while for the time time a majority (52%) of registered voters disapprove of him. On Sept. 21 (10:53 p.m. local time) after a 2-decade legal battle Troy Davis is executed in the state prison at Jackson, Ga. for the murder of off-duty police officer Mark McPhail in 1989. On Sept. 22 the Federal Reserve Board announces Operation Twist, a plan to shift debt holdings to spur growth, causing the Dow Jones Industrial Avg. to fall 391 points, wiping out all the gains of the year amid rumors of a coming 2nd double-dip recession; billionaire George Soros announces "I think we are in it already." On Sept. 22 Iranian pres. Madman Inastraightjacket gives a U.N. speech, taking on 9/11 ("mysterious"), the Holocaust ("excuse to pay ransom... to Zionists"), etc., causing 30 nations incl. the U.S., U.K., France, and Germany to walk out; Israel boycotts his speech entirely; meanwhile former U.S. pres. Bill "Bubba" Clinton blames Benjamin Netanyahu for sabotaging the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. On Sept. 22 British fitness instructor Lucy Misch (1984-) becomes the first pole dancer in Saudi Arabia. On Sept. 22 Jonathan Nolan's sci-fi crime drama series Person of Interest debuts on CBS-TV for ? episodes (until ?), starring James Patrick "Jim" Caviezel (1968-) as ex-CIA agent John Reese, who is presumed dead, and hooks up with mysterious billionaire genius Harold Finch, played by Michael Emerson (1954-), who uses his AI system The Machine to prevent violent crimes. On Sept. 23 Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu gives a speech to the U.N., noting the "malignancy [that] is growing between East and West" of militant Islam, and bemoaning "Hezbollah-controlled Lebanon now presides over the U.N. Security Council"; meanwhile just before Netanyahu's speech, after rebuffing last-minute U.S. pressure, Mahmoud Abbas gives a speech to the U.N. Gen. Assembly asking for it to accept Palestine as a member state, with the soundbyte: "It is a moment of truth, and my people are waiting to hear the answer of the world"; meanwhile top Hamas official Ghazi Hamad says that Hamas wasn't consulted about the bid, and is ill-prepared for it. On Sept. 23 Yemeni pres. Ali Abdullah Saleh makes a surprise return to Yemen after 3 mo. of medical treatment in Saudi Arabia. On Sept. 23 Operation Mountain Gardian, a large-scale DEFCON 1 "cocked pistol" maximum readiness terrorism alert drill involving 81 agencies is held in 10 locations in Denver, Colo., and joined by Pres. Obama; simulated weapons, smoke, emergency vehicles, and other equipment. On Sept. 23 Pope Benedict XVI calls for Christianity and Islam to forge a relationship based on "dialogue and mutual esteem", claming they could enjoy a "fruitful collaboration". On Sept. 24-25 the Fiqh Council of North Am. (FCNA) adopts a resolution at its gen. meeting in Va. that the U.S. Constitution is compatible with Sharia law - like two scorpions in a bottle? On Sept. 25 Libyan rebels announce the finding of the remains of 1.7K prisoners slain in Abu Salim Jail during Col. Madman Daffy's rule. On Sept. 25 Saudi King Abdullah announces that women can now vote in municipal elections and have limited political power, but not until 2015, and not vote, but only nominate themselves and participate in the nomination of candidates - still can't drive though? On Sept. 25 Britain charges six Pakistani Muslims with planning to unleash suicide bomb attacks. On Sept. 25 Al-Shabaab militants behead 17-y.-o. Somalian Christian Guled Jama Muktar (b. 1994) near Deynile (12 mi. from Mogadishu). On Sept. 25 (eve.) an Afghan employed by the U.S. govt. kills one American and wounds another in a CIA office in Kabul. On Sept. 26 a Gallup Poll finds that a record 81% of Americans are dissatisfied with the way the country is being governed. On Sept. 26 the food and lifestyle TV talk show The Chew debuts on ABC-TV (until ?), replacing the soap opera All My Children, hosted by chefs Mario Francesco Batali (1960-), Michael D. Symon (1969-), and Carla Hall (1964-), along with fashion consultant Clinton Kelly (1969-) and nutrition consultant Daphne Oz (1986-). On Sept. 27 the Israeli govt. approves 1.1K new housing units in East Jerusalem. On Sept. 27 Turkey officially accepts delivery of its first domestically manufactured warship, the 300-ft. stealth corvette TCG Heybeliada. On Sept. 28 26-.y.-o. Mass. Muslim Rezwan Ferdaus is arrested for a plot to bomb bldgs. in Washington, D.C. with remote-controlled aircraft filled with plastic explosives. On Sept. 28 Mexico's Supreme Court votes 7-4 to reject a decision to legalize abortion. On Sept. 29 a suicide bomber near a bank where policemen are picking up their salaries in Kirkuk, Iraq kills two and wounds 60. On Sept. 29 China launches the unmanned 8.5 ton Tangong-1 ("Heavenly Palace") space station. On Sept. 29 the first Hajj flight arrives at the new King Abdulaziz Internat. Airport (KAIA) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. On Sept. 29 the White House calls for the release of Muslim convert Christian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, who is scheduled for execution in Iran for not reconverting to Islam. On Sept. 29 the U.S. Treasury Dept. announces sanctions against brothers Faizullah and Malik Noorzai from Afghanistan for raising millions for the Taliban. On Sept. 29 the Islamic Defender Front (FPI) in Indonesia appeals on its Web site that all "un-Islamic" statues in the country be destroyed, esp. those in public places; meanwhile on Nov. 2 Salafists veil a mermaid statue in Alexandria, Egypt. On Sept. 30 the U.S. finally whacks al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) leader Anwar al-Awlaki (b. 1971) in the mountains of Yemen, along with al-Qaida mag. ed. Samir Khan; they wanted to kill him on 9/11, but there were too many civilians around. On Sept. 30 a car bomb at a Shia funeral in Hilla, Iraq 57 mi. S of Baghdad kills 18 and wounds several. On Sept. 30 3K Salafist Muslims burn the Mar Gerges Church in Aswan, Egypt, then loot and burn nearby Christian homes and businesses. On Sept. 30 Afghanistan holds Sound Central, its first rock festival since 1975. On Sept. 30 the Pentagon announces that military chaplains may perform same-sex weddings, even in states where it is illegal, causing U.S. Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.) to say that the Obama admin. is "bordering on lawlessness"; meanwhile on Oct. 3 White House press secy. Jay Carney dodges a question about a letter written by U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops pres. Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, who wrote Obama in late Sept. warning him that his Justice Dept.'s argument that federal courts should hold that opposing same-sex marriage is the legal equivalent of racial discrimination will precipitate an enormous nat. conflict between church and state. In Sept. Iran announces the launch of its first Spanish language TV channel HispanTV, which debuts on the Web then goes broadcast by the end of the year. In Sept. the Tevatron at the Fermi Nat. Accelerator Lab. in Batavia, Ill. is shut down after 27 years of searching for the elusive Higgs Particle. In Sept. NASA implements no-fly zones on the Moon to protect Apollo historical sites - keep the coverup going? In Sept. the U.S. unemployment rate remains at 9.1%, with 103K jobs added. In Sept. niqab-clad woman Kenza Drider announces her bid for pres. of France. On Oct. 1 control of U.S. forces in Iraq switches from the military to the U.S. State Dept. On Oct. 1 the U.S. Congress blocks $200M in aid to the Palestinians over their statehood bid; meanwhile Iranian supreme assaholla Ali Khamanei rejects the Palestinian U.N. statehood bid, saying that any deal that accepts the existence of Israel would leave a "cancerous tumor" threatening the security of the Muslim Middle East. On Oct. 1 senior Haqqani Network leader in Afghanistan Haji Mali Khan, uncle of network leaders Siraj and Badruddin Haqqani is captured in Paktiya Province by a NATO-Afghan operation. On Oct. 1 a mob of 150 shoots and hacks to death 19 and injures six in Lingyado in NW Nigeria. On Oct. 1 Pakistani bodyguard Mumtaz Qadri is sentenced to death in Rawalpindo for murdering Punjab gov. Salman Taseer despite invoking the Quran to justify it, triggering bloody riots in major cities on Oct. 1-2. On Oct. 1 Occupy D.C. begins in McPherson Square in Washington, D.C. with two encampments; on Oct. 29 Howard U. students join; on Nov. 22 a group who set out from New York City arrive; on Feb. 4, 2012 police raid them, arresting 11 but leaving 15 tents; on June 10, 2012 they vacate. On Oct. 2 the Syrian state-run Al Baath newspaper tells U.S. ambassador to Syria Robert Ford to quit supporting the protesters or expect more rotten egg attacks. On Oct. 2 New York City police arrest 700+ demonstrators from the Occupy Wall Street protests on the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City. On Oct. 2 Egyptian ambassador to Ramallah Yasser Othman tells the Bethlehem-based Ma'an news agency that Egypt fears that Israel might seize control of the Sinai Peninsula. On Oct. 2 the Unknown Soldiers of the Hidden Imam in Iran sends emails to 11 Iranian ex-Muslim Christians who left the country, threatening them to return to Islam or be killed. On Oct. 2 seven bullet-ridden bodies are dumpbed at a downtown bus stop in the resort city of Zihuatanejo, Mexico; drug violence results in 20 killed along a stretch of coastal vacation spots. On Oct. 2 (Sun.) the political thriller series Homeland debuts on Showtime for ? episodes (until ?), starring Claire Catherine Danes (1979-) as CIA officer Carrie Mathison, and Damian Watcyn Lewis (1971-) as her USMC hubby Sgt. Nicholas Brody, who is held captive by al-Qaida and is suspected of turning; "The nation sees a hero. She sees a threat"; episode 1 of season 5 has CIA man in Syria Peter Quinn debriefed by his bosses, who ask him how their strategy is working, to which he replies: "What strategy? We have no strategy." On Oct. 3 Minn. Muslim woman Amina Farah Ali (1976-) is arrested in U.S. court in Minneapolis for refusing to stand for the judge for a 2nd time, claiming to recognize only Islamic law, not U.S. law; she and Hawo Mohamed Hassan are on trial for raising money to funnel to Al-Shabaab in Somalia. On Oct. 4 Syrian pres. Bashar Assad warns that he will set the Middle East on fire if NATO attacks Syria, with the soundbyte: "If a crazy measure is taken against Damascus, I will need not more than six hours to transfer hundreds of rockets and missiles to the Golan Heights to fire them at Tel Aviv", causing Israel to respond via Turkey that if he starts a war with them to divert attention from his domestic problems, they will target him personally. On Oct. 4 Russia and China veto a U.N. resolution condemning Syria and threatening sanctions, causing British foreign secy. William Hague to call it "deeply mistaken and regrettable", and French foreign minister Alain Juppe to call it a "sad day for the Syrian people", while Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erodogan says that Turkey and other nations will press ahead with sanctions. On Oct. 4 Al-Shabaab militants detonate a truck bomb in front of the education ministry in Mogadishu, Somalia, as students and parents wait for scholarship info., killing 100+ and wounding dozens. On Oct. 4 a mosque in Tuba-Zangariyee, Upper Galilee near Safed is burned by Jews, causing a day of rage by Muslims, followed by the arrest of 20 Palestinians on Oct. 5 at dawn. On Oct. 4 all of Iraq's political parties but the Sadrists agree to keep U.S. trainers past the 2011 withdrawal deadline, but don't grant them immunity from prosecution as requested by the U.S.; Sadrist leader Moqtada al-Sadr announces that starting on Jan. 1 he's reviving his Mehdi Army to exterminate all of the 3K-4K U.S. soldiers remaining in Iraq. On Oct. 4 Rusian PM Vladimir Putin floats the idea of a new Eurasian Union to compete with the EU; in Nov. Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus sign an agreement to launch it by 2015 - call it PU? On Oct. 5 AsiaNews claims that the Saudis are plotting to use their oil money to bring Egypt under Islamist rule and expel all other religions incl. Coptic Christians. On Oct. 7 Syrian Kurdish leader Mashaal Tammo is killed in his apt. in Qamishli by masked gunmen; on Oct. 8 police fire on the funeral procession, causing 50K to mourn at his funeral on Oct. 9 amid calls for the 1.7M Syrian Kurds join the rising against Bashar Assad by his son Fares Tammo. On Oct. 7 surging Repub. pres. candidate Herman Cain is caught with his pants down with a question about Uzbekistan, with the soundbyte: "When they ask me who's the president of Ubeki-beki-beki-beki-stan-stan I'm going to say, 'You know, I don't know. Do you know?' And then I'm going to say, 'how's that going to create one job?'" On Oct. 8 bombs strike two oil pipelines in S Iraq, causing temporary production halts. On Oct. 9 (Black Sun. in Cairo) riots break out in Cairo, Egypt after Coptic Christians protest the attack on their church in Merinab village by Muslims, after which police take on the Copts, firing into the crowd and running over it in armored vehicles, killing 24 and injuring 270; no surprise, Pres. Obama calls on the Muslims, er, all sides to show restraint so that the elections can go on. On Oct. 9 police in Tunisia arrest dozens of 300 Islamist demonstrators who are attacking the offices of a TV channel showing the film "Persepolis" and trying to set it on fire. On Oct. 9 Hamas enacts new entry restrictions for Gaza, requiring most foreigners to obtain a visa. On Oct. 9 U.S. special rep for Pakistan and Afghanistan Marc Grossman admits that 19K Pakistani civilians have been killed in terrorist attacks since 2003. On Oct. 9 the anti-clerical party of Janusz Palikot (1964-) captures a record 10% of the popular vote and 40 seats in Poland's lower house of parliament. On Oct. 10 Dutch MP (Middle East expert) Wim Kortenoeven blasts the govt. of Turkey for "sliding into an abyss of Islamic extremism" and for its "belligerence" against Israel. On Oct. 11 U.S. officials claim to have disrupted an Iranian plot to assassinate Saudi Arabian ambassador (since 2007) Abdel Al-Jubeir (1962-) along with bomb attacks on the Saudi and Israeli embassies in Washington, D.C., and arrest Am. Muslim Manssor Arbabsiar; on Oct. 13 Pres. Obama says that there is no doubt that members of the Iranian govt. knew of the plot, and warns that they will be held accountable for their "reckless behavior"; the Obama admin. also accuses Iran of trying to recruit a Mexican drug cartel member into the plot, and ramps up its internat. sanctions on Iran, with vice-pres. Joe Biden saying that "Nothing has been taken off the table"; Iranian foreign minister Ramin Mehmanparast calls the claims "ludicrous", and blames Zionists; former House Speaker Newt Gingrich shows that this plot is a "very embarrassing and difficult moment" for the Obama admin., and shows that Obama is clueless about Iran; did the Obama admin. break the news to divert attention from the Fast and Furious scandal that's putting heat on U.S. atty.-gen. Eric Holder? On Oct. 11 the Israeli cabinet approves a deal to return kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit after 1,934 days in captivity, in return for 1,027 Arab POWs, 477 of them convicted terrorists; no surprise, Saudi cleric Awad al-Qarni issues a $100K reward to any Palestinian who kidnaps another Israeli soldier, after which Saudi prince Khaled bin Talal (brother of Prince Alwaleed bin Talal) pledges $900K more; on Nov. 5 Saudi king Abdullah provides his private plane to ferry them to the hajj in Mecca free of charge, while Mahmoud Abbas promises to build homes for them. On Oct. 11 (Tue.) the sitcom Last Man Standing debuts on ABC-TV for ? episodes (until ?), starring Tim Allen as sporting goods store exec Mike Baxter of Denver, Colo., Nancy Travis as his geologist wife Vanessa Baxter, Alexandra Krosney/Amanda Fuller as daughter Kristin Beth Baxter, Molly Ephraim as daughter Amanda Elaine "Mandy Baxter, and Kaitlyn Dever as daughter Eve Baxter. On Oct. 12 a slew of coordinated bomb attacks targeting police in Iraq kills 25 and wounds dozens. On Oct. 12 Underwear Bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab stuns prosecutors by abruptly pleading guilty and issuing a rant about Islam on the 2nd day of his trial, calling his bomb a "blessed weapon to save the lives of innocent Muslims" and that the purpose was to retaliate against the U.S. for supporting Israel, adding: "Participation in jihad against the United States is considered among the most virtuous deeds in Islam and is highly encouraged in the Quran", pissing-off CAIR spokesman Dawud Walid, who says 'The Quran clearly states whoever kills an innocent soul has committed an act like murdering all of humanity', and the Quran commands Muslims not to kill themselves." On Oct. 12 Serbia receives EU candidate status; Albania is rejected, and Turkey is put on hold. On Oct. 13 two bomb blasts in Baghdad, Iraq kill 16. On Oct. 13 the King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Internat. Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICID) in Vienna, Austria is established by the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Austria, and Spain. On Oct. 14 U.N. human rights commissioner Navi Pillay calls for "immediate measures" to protect civilians in Syria. On Oct. 14 Pres. Obama announces the deployment of 100 troops to C Africa to advise forces fighting the Ugandan Lord's Resistance Army. On Oct. 14 the U.S. Dept. of Justice announces a V for Am. Muslim teacher Safoorah Khan, who was denied 19 days unpaid leave to go on Hajj to Mecca; she will receive $75K. On Oct. 14 (7:00 p.m. local time) Tunisian Islamists firebomb the home of Nessma private TV chief Nabil Karoui for broadcasting the film "Persepolis" on Oct. 7, which they claim violates Islamic values. On Oct. 14 Ahmed (Saif) Omar Abdul Rahman, son of Blind Sheikh Omar Abdul Rahman is killed by a U.S. airstrike in Afghanistan. On Oct. 15 an Islamist suicide attack at the Provincial Reconstruction Team base in Panjshir, Uzbekistan kills two security guards; on Oct. 17 the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) claims credit, and also claims that they had help from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (Taliban). On Oct. 16 Comet Elenin passes within 21M mi. of Earth. On Oct. 16 a riot in Matamoros Prison in Mexico, known for housing drug gang members kills 20. On Oct. 16 U.S. forces announce that they have been taking increasing rocket fire from Pakistan in the past month; officers allege that the jihadists are operating in sight of the Pakistani military. On Oct. 16 Operation Linda Nchi (Swahili "protect the country") begins as Kenyan troops cross into Somalia to help the Somalian army pursue Al-Shabaab militants, gaining more help from the Ethiopian military; it ends in June 2012. On Oct. 16 the daytime TV talk show Super Soul Sunday, hosted by Oprah Winfrey debuts on the Oprah Winfrey Network (until ?). On Oct. 17 a bomb near a liquor store in Baghdad, Iraq kills seven and injures 18. On Oct. 18 two 18-y.-o. men from Cardiff, Wales are detained by Kenyan police for attempting to join the Somalian jihad. On Oct. 18 U.S. state secy. Hillary Clinton makes an unannounced visit to Tripoli, Libya after the Defense Dept. positions assets off the Libyan coast in case it needs to rescue her - unlike the diplomats in Benghazi? On Oct. 19 the Third Papuan Peoples' Congress in Indonesia sees police invade and disperse attendees, then arrest 300, charging five with rebellion and incitement. On Oct. 19 the Swiss study The Network of Global Corporate Control by Stefania Vitali, James B. Glattfelder, and Stefano Battiston is pub. in New Scientist, exposing a small group of 1,318 central banks and other financial institutions as a cartel controlling the global economy through control of the 43K transnational cos.; 80% of the control is in the hands of 737 of them; 40% of the total wealth is controlled by 147 of them. On Oct. 19-28 the 107th World Series sees the St. Louis Cardinals (NL) defeat the Texas Rangers (AL) 4-3 in the first 7-game WS since 2002; St. Louis 3B player David Richard Freese (1983-) is MVP. On Oct. 20 five 20-something French Moroccan Muslims are arrested after breaking into the Bexar County Courthouse in San Antonio, Tex. On Oct. 20 after NATO bombers destroy his convoy, causing him to hole-up in a drainage pipe, Libyan dictator (since Sept. 1, 1969) Muammar al-Gaddafi (b. 1942) is captured hiding under a manhole, dragged by a mob, and killed near Sirte, shot several times while begging for his life, sparking large outbursts of joy; he was sodomized by a bayonet first?; Pres. Obama calls it a "momentous day in the history of Libya", adding "Today we can definitely say that the Gaddafi regime has come to a end. One of the world's longest dictators is no more"; Hillary Clinton utters the soundbyte: "We came, we saw, he died", pissing-off Vladimir Putin and increasing his hatred for her; on Oct. 23 transitional nat. council chmn. Abdel-Jail declares to a large crowd that the Libyan Rev. has ended, and vows that the new govt. will be based on Sharia; on Oct. 21 German chancellor Angela Merkel says that Daffy's death clears the way for a new era of peace and democracy in Libya; on Oct. 26 U.S. Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan says that those rejoicing Daffy's death will come to sorrow, and predicts that the U.S. is unprepared for the backlash from his worldwide supporters; during his last days Daffy wrote to Italian PM Silvio Berlusconing, asking for help in stopping the bombing; on Oct. 28 NATO announces the end of its 7-mo. Libya mission; too bad many local militia leaders renege on their pledge to give up their weapons so they can act as "guardians of the rev.", and instead loot Daffy's arsenals; Daffy's female bodyguards are hunted down, raped, and murdered. On Oct. 21 Pres. Obama triumphantly announces the Iraq pullout by the end of the year, with the soundbyte "After nearly nine years, America's war in Iraq will be over"; on Oct. 23 retired Army gen. John M. Keane (author of the 2007 troop surge) calls the plan an "absolute disaster" that puts Iraq at risk of an Iranian "strangling"; meanwhile the Obama admin. begins planning for a military buildup in the Persian Gulf - you can be my wing man anytime? On Oct. 21 top Obama U.S. Justice Dept. officials invite a gaggle of Muslim activists to tell them what to do, giving them their chance to vigorously lobby for cutbacks in anti-terror funding, changes in federal agent training programs, new curbs on investigators, and above all, a legal declaration that any criticism of Islam constitutes racial discrimination - yes, naked Sharia, even though they have to stoop to the pretext that the ideology of Islam is a race, when it wants to absorb all races whether you like it or not, clearly the First Amendment is going to get its biggest test since ever; on Oct. 24 the Obama admin. takes off the rubber mask and announces that the U.S. govt. will begin removing all references to Islam in connection with terrorism, and revamp the FBI and other agencies' training programs to gut them of all the valuable knowledge about Islam and jihad that moi and so many others have been publishing on the Internet for free; on Oct. 25 Pres. Obama issues an executive order to give it force, if he's not a Muslim plant he should get an Oscar for playing one in the White House, eegads, the truth is now banned from the top; FBI agent Kenneth Moore in Knoxville, Tenn. approved the FBI memo detailing the info. purged from FBI training programs. On Oct. 21 Quebec Muslim Mouna Diab (1985-) is charged with trying to export assault rifle parts to Lebanon for jihad. On Oct. 21 the world ends, according to Harold Camping, whose original date May 21 has been corrected. On Oct. 22 Saudi crown prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz Al Said (b. 1930) dies, causing a scramble to reestablish the succession, resulting in King Abdullah naming 77-y.-o. Prince Nayef (Naif) bin Abdul-Aziz (1934-2012) as new crown prince on Oct. 27, who vows that Saudi Arabia would "never sway from and never compromise on" adherence to Wahhabi doctrine, removing religious authorities who objected to the mingling of men and women in public spaces. Nayef bin Abdul-Aziz al-Saud as the new crown prince and deputy PM on Oct. 27 On Oct. 22 U.S. state secy. Hillary Clinton visits Dushanbe, Tajikistan, and warns Tajikistan and Uzbekistan that their efforts to crack down on religious freedom might backfire with increased sympathy for radical Islamist views in C Asia. On Oct. 22 Afghan Ores. Hamid Karzai announces that if the U.S. invades Pakistan, Afghanistan will support Pakistan not the U.S. On Oct. 22 an Al-Shabaab suicide bomber wounds two AU peacekeepers in Mogadishu, Somalia; meanwhile Al-Shabaab warns Kenya of an imminent jihad, with the soundbyte "Your skyscrapers will be destroyed, your tourism will disappear"; on Oct. 23 Kenyan forces join an offense against them, advancing toward their stronghold of Kismayu; on Nov. 4 Al-Shabaab rebels announce that they are going to plunge Kenyan forces into an "endless war". On Oct. 22 an Egyptian court sentences Ayman Yusef Mansur to three years of hard labor for insulting Islam in postings on Facebook. On Oct. 22 a mass Rally to Defend Islam Against Christian Proselytization is held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. On Oct. 23 elections in Tunisia are a V for Islamic Ennahdha Party, which wins 91 of 217 assembly seats, and calling for a coalition with secular groups on Oct. 26 after claiming a lead, incl. the secularist Congress for the Repub. (CFR), and the Ettakatol (Dem. Forum for Labour and Liberties); on Oct. 28 the moderate Islamist party An-Nahda agrees to supply 42 of the 49 women elected to the nat. unity govt.; Tunisian Jews are discouraged by the Islamic V. On Oct. 23 the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood (Islamic Action Front) (IAF) declines an offer from King Abdullah II to join Jordan's new cabinet, headed by squeaky clean PM-designate Awn Shawkat Al-Khasawneh (1950-), who becomes PM of Jordan on Oct. 24 (until May 2, 2012). On Oct. 23 the 2011 Iranian Aria Embezzlement Scandal state trading scandal sees Iranian pres. Imadinnajacket accused of being involved in the emblezzelement of 2.8B toman from seven banks via his aide Mahafarid Amir Khosravi (1969-2014), causing Imadinnajacket to threaten to resign; 341 Shiite scholars are accused, making it the largest fraud in Iranian history. On Oct. 23 Palestinian pres. Mahmoud Abbas gives a TV interview, saying that he will never recognize a Jewish state of Israel, and that the capture of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was a good thing. On Oct. 23 the fairy tale drama series Once Upon a Time debuts on ABC-TV for 155 episodes (until May 18, 2018), set in seaside Storybrook, Maine, starring Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan; season 7 moves to Hyperion Heights in Seattle, Wash., starring Jared S. Gilmore as Emma's son Henry Mills; also stars Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White, Lana Parrilla as the Evil Queen, and Josh Dallas as Prince Charming. On Oct. 24 the SE Turkey Earthquake kills 264; on Oct. 26 Israel begins sending civilian planes with earthquake relief despite tensions between the govts. On Oct. 24 citing "credible threats" against his safety, the U.S. pulls its envoy Robert Ford out of Syria, causing Damascus to follow suit. On Oct. 24 elections in Switzerland give the far-right Swiss People's Party (SVP) its first drip in 20 years, from 28.9% in 2007 to 25.9%. On Oct. 24 seven new mosques are officially recognized in Flanders, Belgium, making a total of 24. On Oct. 24 a YouGov-Cambridge Poll conducted in July finds that 73% of Iraqis believe that it is likely that Iran will act aggressively toward Iraq after the U.S. troops leave in Dec.; 51% say that the security situation within Iraq will worsen. On Oct. 25 ethnic Malay Muslim rebels in predominantly Buddhist Yala, Malaysia shoot soldiers dead then explode a bomb that kills three and wounds 34. On Oct. 25 Islamists in Malaysia call for the country to ban a Nov. concert by gay English pop star Sir Elton John, saying that he promotes "hedonism". On Oct. 25-26 (night) protests in Sana'a, Yemen incl. hundreds of women burning their veils in protest against violence. On Oct. 26 Pres. Obama visits Colo. to push student loan relief. On Oct. 26 Germany announces that it's "reconsidering" deal to sell Israel a 6th Dolphin class sub over chancellor Angela Merkel's disapproval of new housing plans for E Jerusalem. On Oct. 26 10th grader Mehnez is killed by her fiance on her way to school in Pishtakhara, Peshawar, Pakistan after she refuses to abandon her education. On Oct. 27 (7 p.m. local time) twin bomb blasts in Baghdad, Iraq kill 18 and injure 37. On Oct. 27 Pope Benedict XVI speaks at a gathering of 300 world religious leaders in Rome, and acknowledges "with great shame" that Christianity has used force in its long history, but claims that violence in God's name has no place in the modern world. On Oct. 27 in the case of Taner Akcam v. Turkey, the European Court of Human Rights unanimously rules that Turkey can't criminalize recognition of the Armenian Genocide. On Oct. 27 Saddam Hussein's home region of Salahuddin N of Baghdad declares regional autonomy in Iraq. On Oct. 27 Al-Shoula, a consortium of 12 Spanish cos. beats French rivals to win a 6.7B euro ($9.3B) contract to build a high-speed railway on the Mulim hajj route between Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia. On Oct. 27 U.S. state secy. Hillary Clinton gives an interview to BBC Persia, saying that the State Dept. is planning to set up a "virtual embassy" in Tehran to facilitate Iranian student visas. On Oct. 27 the Dow Jones Industrial Avg. closes above 12K for the first time since Aug. On Oct. 28 a French court cancels a permit for a mega-mosque in Marseille, France that was touted as a symbol of Islam in France. On Oct. 28 a car bomb near Aden, Yemen kills Ali al-Haddi, head of Yemen's anti-terror force. On Oct. 28 (5:00 a.m. local time) Wahhabist gunman Mevlid Jasarevic opens fire at the U.S. embassy in Sarajevo, Bosnia, and is wounded after wounding a policeman; 17 are arrested. On Oct. 28 after advice by her Saudi attache Huma Abedin, U.S. state secy. Hillary Clinton announces that the U.S. is now ready to negotiate with Taliban leader Mullah Omar, and regards his involvement as crucial to peace prospects in Afghanistan. On Oct. 28 Palestinian pres. Mahmoud Abbas gives a speech on Israeli TV, where he admits that the Arab world erred in rejecting the 1947 U.N. Partition Plan. On Oct. 28 Syrian forces open fire on protesters in Homs and Hama, killing 30. On Oct. 28 Iran sends a diplomatic note to the U.S. complaining about its claims that it was involved in a plot to kill the Saudi ambassador to the U.S., and demanding an apology. On Oct. 28 three niaq-wearing women with shielded faces are denied entry to a courtroom in Gothenburg, Sweden for the trial of Lars Vilks attempted murderer Abdi Aziz Mahamud. On Oct. 28 Palestinian Nat. Authority foreign minister (since 2006) Mahmoud al-Zahar (1945-) utters the soundbyte about Western civilization: "This civilization will not be able to withstand the great and glorious Islam, with its great humane platform." On Oct. 29 a Taliban (Haqqani Network?) suicide bomber rams his van into an armored NATO bus in Kabul, Afghanistan, killing 17, incl. five ISAF troops, becoming the deadliest attack on coalition forces in over 2 mo.; the Taliban claims that the bomber was a Kabul-born 23-y.-o. European Afgahan; meanwhile an Afghan soldier turns his weapons on Australian NATO soldiers in Nish, Kandahar Province, killing three. On Oct. 29 the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood visits Gaza Strip, allegedly for the first time. On Oct. 29 Minneapolis, Minn. Muslim Abdisalan Hussein Ali (b. 1989) and one other stage a suicide attack on African Union troops in Mogadishu, killing scores of peacekeepers, becoming the 3rd Am. Muslim used by Al-Shabaab. On Oct. 29 officials of the Obama admin. meet with hundreds of parents, teachers, and community leaders at a Bullying Prevention Summit, claiming that one-third of 40M students are bullied each year; no surprise, the summit focuses on Muslim students, despite statistics showing that it's Jews who are victims of most bias incidents. On Oct. 29 members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Assoc. in Britain begin helping the Royal British Legion collect money for the annual Poppy Appeal. On Oct. 29 (7 p.m.) immigrant Arab Muslims stone Roman Catholic festival-goers at the Joyeuse Union Don Bosco in Nimes, France. On Oct. 29-30 Muslim protests against Islamophobia in Berne, Switzerland anger Jews when some protesters wear a yellow Star of David with the intent of comparing themselves to persecuted Jews. On Oct. 30 Israeli pres. Shimon Peres calls the spate of recent rocket attacks from Gaza a "declaration of war"; meanwhile an Israeli airstrike in Gaza Strip kills one, causing calls for a ceasefire by the Palestinians. On Oct. 30 Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad gives his first interview with a Western journalist since the beginning of the 7-mo. uprising, saying that Western intervention will cause "another Afghanistan, or tens of Afghanistans" because "Syria is the hub now in this region - it is the fault line, and if you play with the ground you will cause an earthquake." On Oct. 30 an Israeli court sentences former Israeli soldier Anat Kamm (1987-) to 4.5 years in prison for leaking classified military documents about a policy of assassinating Palestinian fighters to a newspaper. On Oct. 30 a twin bombing at a music store in a Shiite neighborhood of Baghdad, Iraq kills 32 and wounds 71. On Oct. 30 Iranian pres. Madman Imadinnastraightjacket hails the U.S. troop exit from Iraq as a "golden" victory. On Oct. 30 Libyan interior PM Mahmoud Jabril confirms the presence of chemical weapons in Libya, and says that foreign inspectors will arrive later in the week to deal with them. On Oct. 30 Pakistani cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan holds a large rally in Lahore, causing established political parties concern. On Oct. 30 the Iran-sponsored Press Union of the Islamic World is launched by 38 countries. On Oct. 31 by 107-14-52 (U.S., Israel, Canada, Germany, Sweden, and Australia against, France in favor, Britain abstains) UNESCO becomes the first U.N. agency to grant the Palestinians full membership, causing the U.S. to stop their $80M annual financing (22%) of it under 1990 Public Law 101-246 that prohibits them from funding any U.N. body that admits Palestine as a member state before a negotiated settlement with Israel; Israel retaliates by building 1,650 more homes in E Jerusalem and 350 in the West Bank settlements of Gush Eztion and Maaleh Adumim, and withholding tens of millions of dollars/mo. of custom and sales tax revenue collected for the Palestinian Authority at Israel-controlled checkpoints; Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat claims that Israel should have been the first to congratulate them. On Oct. 31 a 4-man Taliban suicide team attacks a U.N. HQ in Kandahar City, Afghanistan, killing five. On Oct. 31 the Tashnaq Party in Lebanon organizes an expulsion of all Syrian Kurds from the predominantly Armenian district of Burj Hammud. On Oct. 31 elections in Kyrgyzstan retain PM Almazbek Atambayev's party in power. On Oct. 31 the Jund Al-Khalifah (Soldiers of the Caliphate) based on the Afghan-Pakistan border claim credit for two bombings in the city of Atyrau in Kazakhstan in retaliation for banning the veil. On Oct. 31 a mosque in Wichita, Kan. is heavily damaged by fire after receiving anti-Islam letters. On Oct. 31 the 7th billion person on Earth is born. In Oct. a total of 23 U.S. soldiers are killed in Afghanistan, making the war total 1,720. In Oct. the U.S. unemployment rate falls from 9.1% to 9.0%, with only 80K new jobs added. In Oct. the Obama admin. makes mosques off-limits to FBI survillance incl. undercover sting operations without special approval from the Sensitive Operations Review Committee of the U.S. Justice Dept. On Nov. 1 700 rebel fighters attack Kadugli and Teludi, South Kordofan, killing hundreds of SPLN-North fighers. On Nov. 1 dual U.S.-Libyan citizen Abdurraheem el-Keib is chosen by the Libyan Nat. Transitional Council as PM of Libya (until ?) to replace Mahmoud Jibril, who resigned on Oct. 23. On Nov. 1 Israeli strategic affairs minister Moshe Ya'alon says that Israel must confront Iran's attempts to get nukes, and not depend on others to do it. On Nov. 1 South African Judge Richard Goldstone pub. an op-ed in the Washington Post (after the New York Times turns him down), blaming himself for his Goldstone Report, and going on to blast those who claim Israel is an apartheid state, with the soundbyte "It is important to separate legitimate criticism of Israel from assaults that aim to isolate, demonize and delegitimize it", calling the apartheid charge "an unfair and inaccurate slander against Israel." On Nov. 1 Greek PM George Panadreau announces that Greece will hold a referendum on the $180B Greek bailout announced by EU leaders the week before, pissing them off, after which on Nov. 3 he drops it. On Nov. 1 Israeli strategic affairs minister Moshe Ya'alon says that Israel must confront Iran's attempts to get nukes, and not depend on others to do it, testing its new Jericho ICBM in a show of strength against Iran. On Nov. 1 the U.S. House of Reps votes to reaffirm the motto "In God We Trust", to which Pres. Obama responds "I trust in God, but God wants to see us help ourselves", accusing them of wasting time. On Nov. 1 2.5M Muslim pilgrims begin flocking to Mecca for the annual hajj, which starts on Nov. 4 (Fri.); Pres. Obama utters the soundbyte that the Hajj is "one of the world's largest and most diverse gatherings" - except that non-Muslims who enter Mecca are executed? On Nov. 1 Turks and Kurds clash in Paris, France, wounding 15; meanwhile Turkish foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu urges Iraqi Kurds to cooperate with Turkey in fighting the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), saying otherwise Turkey has the right to invade Iraqi territory to prevent attacks on Turkish targets. On Nov. 1 an oil conference in Cape Town, South Africa claims that the breakaway nation of Somaliland has huge unexplored oil potential. On Nov. 1 Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavro tells the Serbian press that if its objections to NATO's planned missile defense system are not heeded, Russia could take steps of "a technically military nature". On Nov. 2 Syrian-born Baton Rouge, La. Muslim Jamal M. Roman (1960-) is convicting of defrauding state and local govts. of $726K in sales taxes and funneling $700K to Syria, and is sentenced to 53 mo. in federal prison plus two years of post-prison supervision. On Nov. 2 Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan visits Germany to celebrate the 50th anniv. of the guest worker agreement, and issues the soundbyte "German politicians do not acknowledge the contribution of the three million Turks in Germany enough." On Nov. 2 the offices of the French satirical mag. Charlie Hebdo are firebombed the day it is set to pub. an issue with a cover satirizing Muhammad, causing French PM Francois Fillon to speak out against the attack; on Nov. 3 they go offline after death threats, then on Nov. 4 pub. the Muhammad cartoon that pisses-off the Muslims in a special supplement distributed with the left-wing newspaper Liberation, after which on Nov. 8 it runs another issue showing a cartoonist kising a bearded Muslim man, with the caption "Love is stronger than hate". On Nov. 2 Syria claims to fully accept peace proposals by the Arab League, incl. troop pullout from cities and meetings with the opposition. On Nov. 2 senior religious official Jamel Oueslati claims that radical Islamists have seized control of 150-200 of Tunisia's 5K mosques since the Jan. Rev. On Nov. 2 after extensive natural gas discoveries, Mexico scraps plans to build up to 10 nuclear plants. On Nov. 2 as Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu lobbies the Knesset to strike Iran's nuclear facilities, Iran's top military official maj.-gen. Hassan Fayrouz Abadi says that if this happens Iran will cause serious damage to Israel and the U.S. On Nov. 2 a U.S. Congressional committee approves tougher sanctions on Iran, focusing on the central bank of Tehran. On Nov. 2 the 2-ship Freedom Waves for Gaza flotilla, consisting of the Tahrir and the Saoirse leaves Turkey to try to run the Gaza blockade, carrying 27 activists from nine countries incl. the U.S.; on Nov. 4 the Israeli navy seizes the ships 50 mi. from Gaza. On Nov. 2 a jury awards $7.5M in damages to Iranian-born Am. Muslim Shawn Esfahani, owner of Eastern Shore Toyota after a competitor calls his business "Taliban Toyota" and accuses him of being a terrorist. On Nov. 2 Tel Aviv holds a massive civil defense drill. On Nov. 2 Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan accuses Germany of letting it down in its bid for EU membership, claiming it should show much more solidarity; it also fails to recognize Turks' efforts to integrate into German society. On Nov. 2 a liquor store in Assi Youcef, Algeria is burned down by a group of Muslims terrorists; they first enter the shop and steal their mobile phones to get their IDs. On Nov. 2 PAN member Ricardo Guzman Romero, mayor of La Piedad in Michoacan, Mexico is shot and killed while campaigning for a Nov. 13 election. On Nov. 2 the 12K-member Bosnian Islamic Society becomes the first Muslim in Sweden to begin receiving the "church tax" along with the Church of Sweden. On Nov. 2 China docks two space vehicles for the first time, the unmanned Shenzhou 8 and the Tiangong-1 space lab. On Nov. 2 the G-20 Summit in Cannes, France is attended by Pres. Obama, who shakes the hands of Euro leaders then gives Turkish Islamist PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan a big hug. On Nov. 3 the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Oversight Subcommittee votes 14-9 to subpoena internal White House documents on the solar co. Solyndra, which filed for bankruptcy after receiving a $535M federal loan guarantee; the White House rebuffs the subpoena, claiming it is politically motivated. On Nov. 3 Italy pub. a Survey on Antisemitism, which finds that 44% of Italians harbor some prejudice or hostile attitude towards Jews. On Nov. 3 a triple bombing in oil hub Basra, Iraq kills eight and wounds dozens. On Nov. 3 Israeli Benjamin Netanyahu orders in investigation into an info. leak about Israel's plans to attack Iran, blaming the heads of Mossad and Shin Bet, Meir Dagan and Yuval Diskin, as well as opposition Kadima Party leader Tzipi Livni; meanwhile Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah announces that his forces have 10K rockets ready to fire at Tel Aviv, and can handle the Israeli military without aid from Iran or Syria. On Nov. 3 women's groups in Galkayo, Somalia in the self-declared autonomous region of Puntland announce a drive to lobby authorities to ban female genital mutilation (FGM). On Nov. 3 France, Britain, and Colombia announce their decision to abstain from any vote on Palestinian membership in the U.N.; the U.S. has already pledged to veto it in the 15-member U.N. Security Council. On Nov. 3 after their fight over the Church's handling of sex abuse cases earlier in the year, Ireland closes its embassy to the Vatican, claiming it "yields no economic return", becoming the first major Roman Catholic country to do so. On Nov. 3 a cleaning woman at Ostwall Museum in Dortmund, Germany mistakes a $1.1M Kippenberger installation titled "When It Starts Dripping from the Ceiling" for a mess and destroys it. On Nov. 3-4 U.S. drone raids in Somalia and Pakistan kill 120. On Nov. 4 Israeli soldiers exchange fire with Palestinian terrorists at the N Gaza border fence after they are ambushed. On Nov. 4 U.S. Afghanistan cmdr. Gen. Peter Fuller is relieved by Internat. Security Assistance Force cmdr. Gen. John R. Alolen for making comments against pres. Hamid Karzai and calling his govt. "isolated from reality". On Nov. 4 Pres. Obama announces that he would be "satisfied" if the Muslim Brotherhood won the Egyptian elections, say that he will judge elected parties based "on what they do, and not what they're called"; he adds that in his last visit to Cairo he didn't meet with Muslim Brotherhood officials, but would have given the chance. On Nov. 4 10K march in Moscow, Russia against Muslim immigrants, calling for ethnic Russians to "take back" Russia. On Nov. 4 Germany passes a new law that forces employers to recognize qualifications of immigrants, effective next Mar. 1. On Nov. 4 former Mossad dir. Ephraim Halevy says that Iran poses no "existential threat" to Israel, thus attack it must be a last resort, and that an attack "will impact the region for 100 years". On Nov. 4 St. Louis, Mo. cab driver Mohamud Abdi Yusuf (1980-) pleads guilty to funneling $6K to Al-Shabaab in Somalia. On Nov. 4 Pres. Obama admits that U.S. pilots flew French fighter jets off a French carrier in the Mediterranean Sea during the final strike on Daffy's convoy in Sirte. On Nov. 4 officials of Jefferson County, Ala. vote to file the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history (until ?). On Nov. 5 FARC's guerrilla leader Guillermo Leon Saenz Vargas (b. 1948) (AKA Alfonso Cano) is killed in combat by Colombian forces. On Nov. 5 former U.N. head Kofi Annan says that the West should not fear the rise of Islamic political parties in the wake of the Arab Spring uprisings, with the soundbyte "Islam doesn't mean terrorism." On Nov. 5 Obama admin. spokesman William Taylor, vice-pres. of the Inst. of Peace utters the soundbyte that they'd be "satisfied" with a Muslim Brotherhood V in Egypt; meanwhile the U.S. State Dept. requests $2B from Congress to train parties of "all ideologies" for the elections - U.S. taxpayer money for Islamist enemies of the U.S.? On Nov. 5 YouTube removes a video posted by Minn. Congressional candidate Gary Boisclair warning voters about his Muslim opponent Keith Ellison swearing his oath on the Quran, which teaches Muslims to regard non-Muslims as infidels and fight them, claiming it as shocking and disgusting content. On Nov. 5 Iranian supreme assaholah Ali Khamenei calls on the Muslim nations of the world to form an "internat. Islamic power bloc". On Nov. 6 a series of blasts at a market in Baghdad, Iraq kill six. On Nov. 6 Israeli pres. Shimon Peres warns that an Israeli strike is "now closer to being applied than the application of a diplomatic option"; causing Libertarian Tex. Rep. Sen. and pres. candidate Ron Paul to call concern over Iran's nuke program "blown out of proportion", and that instead the U.S. should be "offering friendship" to Death to America Iran. On Nov. 6 the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture announces a new 15% Christmas Tree Tax on large farmers to support a federal program to improve their image and marketing; although it was initiated by tree farmers during the Bush admin., Fox commentator Tammy Bruce can't resist using it as more evidence that Pres. Obama is a secret Muslim who hates Christmas. On Nov. 6 the Western series Hell on Wheels debuts on AMC for 57 episodes (until July 23, 2016), about the building of the Union Pacific Railroad after the 1865 assassination of Pres. Lincoln, starring Anson Adams Mount IV (1973-) as chief engineer Cullen Bohannon, Colm J. Meaney (1953-) a mean investor Thomas "Doc" Durant, and Common (Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr.) (1972-) as freed slave Elam Ferguson. On Nov. 7 despite the Arab League agreement, Syria launches a bloody assault to retake Homs. On Nov. 7 the IAEA releases a Report on Iran's Nuclear Capability, saying that Iran has mastered the critical steps for building nukes after receiving help from foreign scientists, and is on the brink of getting nukes; no surprise, the Obama admin. only seeks to impose more sanctions; U.N. sanctions are also unlikely because of Russian and Chinese opposition, the Russian foreign ministry saying that the IAEA presented no new facts, and deliberately politicized existing ones, ignoring Iran'a willingness to cooperate, with the soundbyte that the IAEA "had a set goal to deliver a guilty verdict"; meanwhile the Israelis ex-IAEA chmn. Mohamed ElBaradei of being an Iranian agent who covered-up their nuke program during his term; he denies it; on Nov. 10 Imadinnajacket utters the soundbyte "This nation won't retreat one iota from the path it is going... Why are you ruining the prestige of the (U.N. nuclear) agency for absurd U.S. claims?", and Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Khomeini warns the U.S. and Israel that "Anybody who takes up the idea of an attack on Iran should get ready to receive a strong slap and an iron fist"; on Nov. 11 Hillary Clinton demands that Iran respond within days to the IAEA report, and says that the U.S. is seeking to marshal internat. support for more sanctions; on Nov. 13 Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu claims that the full extent of Iran's nuclear program isn't reflected in the IAEA report. On Nov. 7 Islamic Relief Worldwide releases its 2010 Annual Report, showing an 89% increase in zakat donations since 2006, to £64M; the IRW had been caught giving assistance to Hamas, and accepting $50K from an agent of Osama bin Laden in 1999. On Nov. 7 the Taliban posts a message on its Web site celebrating the U.S. troop withdrawal as a big V, and calling the U.S. the "greatest enemy of Islam", mocking Pres. Obama's soundbyte that the U.S. is not and never will be at war with Islam. On Nov. 7 Hamza Abu Fas is appointed Libyan minister for religious affairs, responsible for returning Libya to traditional 4-wives-at-a-time Sharia. On Nov. 7 the former office of Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi is invaded by security forces, who confiscate equipment. On Nov. 7 sources in Israel reveal that the U.S. Congress plans to unfreeze some of the $200M in assistance to Palestine, causing it to follow suit and plan to renew its funds transfer. On Nov. 7 the Penn State U. Pedophile Sexual Abuse Scandal begins with a grand jury report about football asst. Jerry Sandusky, spreading to icon coach Joe Paterno for his role in the coverup, who is fired on Nov. 10 along with univ. pres. Graham B. Spanier; Paterno utters the soundbyte: "This is a tragedy. It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight I wish I had done more"; on Nov. 9-10 (night) thousands of Penn State students riot in protest. On Nov. 7 U.S. secy. of state Hillary Clinton gives an address at the Nat. Dem. Inst., and utters the soundbyte that the claim that "Muslims cannot thrive in a democracy" is "insulting, dangerous, and wrong, and promising that the Obama admin. will work with ascendant Islamist parties in the Muslim World - they do it in this country every day" - like when her hubby claimed that he didn't have "sex with that woman"? On Nov. 8 Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi tenders his resignation effective Nov. 13 on the condition that parliament pass the austerity measures demanded by the EU, with the soundbyte that he feels "liberated"; on Nov. 14 former EU commissioner Mario Monti becomes PM of Italy (until ?). On Nov. 8 (Tues.) Hattiesburg, Miss. mayor Johnny DuPree, first black Miss. gov. candidate since Reconstruction loses 59-49 to Repub. lt. gov. Phil Bryant; Miss. voters also reject 58-41 a measure which would have defined "personhood" as beginning at fertilization; powerful Ariz. politician Russell Pearce, author of the Ariz. immigration law is recalled; a measure in Ohio to continue the work of Repub. gov. John Kasich in curbing the power of unions is rejected. On Nov. 8 the U.S. Bureau of Land Management criticizes a congressional proposal to add FDR's June 6, 1944 D-Day Prayer to the WWII Memorial in Washington, D.C., saying that it would "dilute" its "central message", along with its ability to "inspire" visitors. On Nov. 8 U.S. atty.-gen. Eric Holder tells Congress that the recently banned FBI training on Islam as violent and Muslims as terrorist sympathizers is not only "flat-out wrong" but undermines govt. efforts to stop terrorism because it has a "negative impact on our ability to communicate effectively" with Am. Muslims. On Nov. 8 to fight global warming caused by carbon dioxide emissions, the Clean Energy Act of 2011, introduced by the Labor govt. of Australian PM #27 (2010-13) Julia Eileen Gillard (1961-) is passed, establishing an emissions trading scheme preceded by a 3-year period of fixed carbon pricing, with the goal being to "drive substantial changes in patterns of energy production and energy use"; on July 1, 2014 it is repealed by the Labor govt. of Tony Abbott. On Nov. 8 the public school district of Cambridge, Mass. schedules a holiday to recognize the Muslim holiday of Eid Al-Adha; a first. On Nov. 8 (Eid al-Adha) Muslim gunmen shoot dead three Hindu doctors in Shikaripur, Pakistan after a dispute over a dancing girl. On Nov. 8 CAIR publicly blasts Somali-born anti-terrorism activists Omar Jamal and Abdi Bihi as "anti-Muslim" for blowing the whistle on terrorist efforts to recruit Somalis from Minn. for Al-Shabaab. On Nov. 8 Saudi cleric Aidh al-Qarni calls on the Arabs to manufacture nukes to take on the West, with the soundbyte "The world respects no one but the strong." On Nov. 9 coalition forces defeat a massive assault by the Haqqani Network in Paktika Province, Afghanistan near the Pakistani border, killing 60-70 terrorists. On Nov. 9 ethnic Serbs Albanians clash in N Kosovo, killing two and wounding one. On Nov. 9 the Pentagon announces the new Air Sea Battle Concept, a Cold War posture on China with the goal of denying its military access to areas near its territory and in cyberspace. On Nov. 9 a Repub. Pres. Debate sees Tex. gov. Rick Perry fail to remember one of the three federal agencies he had vowed to close if elected, badly hurting his candidacy; the debate is a V for Newt Gingrich, who surges in the polls despite poor funding. On Nov. 9 the U.S. govt. charges seven Estonians with a Web scam that swaps their ads onto users' pages on 4M computers and made them $14M. On Nov. 9 the U.S. military warns Congress that budget cuts by the Obama admin. are seriously weakening the U.S. defense. On Nov. 9 the Obama admin. stages a 3-min. test to seize all the airways in the U.S., which fails miserably. On Nov. 9 Praveen Togadia, secy.-gen. of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad in India calls for beheading of those who convert Hindus to other religions; meanwhile 31 Hindus who burned 33 Muslims alive in Gujarat state are sentenced to life in prison. On Nov. 9 a U.S. Commission on Internat. Religious Freedom releases a Report on Pakistani Schools, saying that they teach Hindu hatred and view non-Muslims as "enemies of Islam". On Nov. 9 the German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung pub. a Report on Forced Marriages by the German ministry for family affairs, which finds that almost half of forced marriage brides are German, and a third are minors. On Nov. 9 Honduran pres. Porfirio Lobo begins the session of the council of ministers with a Quran reading and Muslim prayer to welcome female members of the Islamic community. On Nov. 9 Venezuelan-born Minn. Twins catcher Wilson Abraham Ramos (1987-) is abducted near his home in Valencia, Venezuela and held for ransom; on Nov. 11 police raid the kidnapper's home and rescue him. On Nov. 9-23 the Occupy Wall Street Movement marches from New York City to Washington, D.C., demonstrating at a congressional committee that's deciding whether to keep Pres. Obama's extension of tax cuts enacted under Pres. George W. Bush, which they claim only benefit the rich. On Nov. 10 the 2nd 2011 Turkish Earthquake in E Turkey. On Nov. 10 bowing to environmental activists, the Obama admin. delays a decision on the 1.7K-mi. Keystone XL Oil Pipeline from Alberta, Canada to Okla. and the Gulf Coast until after the 2012 election. On Nov. 10 Repub. pres. candidate Mitt Romney pub. an op-ed in the New York Times saying that if elected he'd "prepare for war" with Iran, starting by deploying more warships in the Persian Gulf. On Nov. 10 U.S. Rep. Allen West denounces the "five-star resort" at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba after a report claims the U.S. spends $800K a year for each of the 171 prisoners. On Nov. 10 Britain home secy. Theresay May bans the extremist Muslim Muslims Against Crusades (MAC) after they plan to protest Armistice Day on Nov. 11; on Nov. 14 British Muslim (Conservative party co-chmn.) Lady Warsi utters the soundbyte that extremist Muslims such as Anjem Choudry forfeit the right to call themselves Muslims. On Nov. 10 Libyan rev. spiritual leader Sheikh Ali Salabi (al-Sallabi), spiritual guide of announces that he's forming a new political party to rule Libya based on the "moderate" Islamic laws of Turkey and Tunisia. On Nov. 10 Human Rights Watch releases a Report on Mexico claiming widespread human rights violations in the war on drugs. On Nov. 11 (11/11/11) the superstitious hold marriages at 11:11 a.m. all over the world; Egypt closes the pyramids, claiming that pesky Jews, Freemasons, and numerologists are planning to hold un-Islamic rituals there. On Nov. 11 (11/11/11) the U.N. Security Council votes on full membership in the U.N. for the Palestinians. On Nov. 11 (Veteran's Day) The Call, a 24-hour Christian prayer meeting hosted by Lou Engle is held in Ford Field in Detroit, Mich. despite calls by CAIR to beef up security in Muslim-filled Dearbornistan. On Nov. 11 Labour Party pres. (since 2003) Michael Daniel Higgins (1941-) becomes pres. #9 of Eire (until ?), going on to make the first state visit by an Irish pres. to the U.K. in Apr. 2014 and win election to a 2nd term in 2018 by a landslide, with the largest personal mandate in the history of Eire (822,556 first preference votes). On Nov. 11 a U.S. federal grand jury indicts suspected al-Qaida member Abdeladim El-Kebir, AKA Abi al-Barra, who was arrested in Germany in Apr. with conspiracy to provide material support to al-Qaida. On Nov. 11 30K attend an Al-Aqsa Rally to celebrate the Palestinian POW release. On Nov. 11 Mexican interior minister Francisco Blake Mora (b. 1966) is killed in a heli crash near Mexico City. On Nov. 11 U.S. Sgt. Calvin Gibbs (1985-) is sentenced to life in prison for encouraging his troops to kill three Afghan civilians; cutting fingers and yanking teeth from corpses to keep as trophies didn't help his case. On Nov. 11 Niger announces that late Libyan Col. Madman Daffy's son Saadi Gaddafi is being granted asylum; the other son Saif al-Islam's whereabouts are still unknown. On Nov. 11 Rabbi Dan Martzbach is shot and killed by Israeli forces who mistake his vehicle for terrorists; two women are wounded; the Israeli govt. classifies the incident as an act of terror so his family can receive nat. insurance. On Nov. 11 would-be Muslim robber Jordy is shot dead in Liege, Belgium, causing Muslims to go on a rampage the same night. On Nov. 11 Pres. Obama opens a college basketball game between Mich. State and the U. of N.C. aboard the Osama bin Laden-killing aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson. On Nov. 11 Hungary reports a higher than usual concentration of iodine-131 prticles in the atmosphere, along with Czech, Poland, Slovakia, and Austria; the source is Pakistan, which had a leak at the Karachi Nuclear Power Plant on Oct. 19? On Nov. 11 Israel announces that it's rushing the installation of laser anti-missile defenses on its airlines after news of Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb acquiring SAMs from Libya. On Nov. 11 (12:35 EST) a bullet is fired at the White House, entering a window, after which Oscar Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez is arrested on Nov. 16 at a hotel in Indiana, Penn. On Nov. 11 Boko Haram militants storm the town of Damaturu, Yobe, Nigeria, and destroy 10 churches and kill 150, incl. 130 Christians who wouldn't recite the Islamic shahada statement of belief. On Nov. 11 the site of a planned mosque in Gretchen, Switzerland is found to have pig parts and blood in an effort to desecrate the ground and prevent its construction; the Muslims say they will build it anyway. On Nov. 12 after the Syrian govt. fails to quit oppressing the protesters, an urgent meeting of the Arab League called by Qatar to discuss the situation in Syria; it calls on Syria to stop the killing of civilians, and suspends it from the league, causing armed crowds to storm the Saudi, French, and Turkish consulates in Latakia, Syria; Pres. Obama congratulates the league; on Nov. 13 Jordan's King Abdullah becomes the first Arab leader to call for Bashar al-Assad to step down. On Nov. 12 an explosion at a weapons factory near Tehran, Iran kills 17 and wounds 16, incl. senior weapons industry officer Hassan Tehrani Moqaddam. On Nov. 12 Pres. Obama's chief Middle East adviser Dennis Ross resigns after working for five U.S. presidents. On Nov. 12 a suicide bomber attack in Taraz, S Kazakhstan kills five. On Nov. 12 the govt. of Bahrain claims that Iranian-linked terror cells linked with the Rev. Guard planned attacks against the Saudi embassy and a Gulf causeway linking Bahrain with Saudi Arabia. On Nov. 12 Ahmed Rezaie (b. 1980), son of high-ranking Iranian official Mohsen Rezaie is found dead in Gloria Hotel in Dubai. On Nov. 12 the Salafist jihadist Web site Minbar Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad pub. a fatwa by Sheikh Abu Mundhir Al-Shinqiti allowing mujahideen to join rebel forces in Arab countries, and encourages them to form their own forces. On Nov. 12 the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) condemns forced conversions of young Pakistani Hindu women to Islam, saying that such a "malicious campaign is in full swing" there. On Nov. 12-21 Pres. Obama goes on an Asian Tour, starting with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Honolulu, where he pokes fun at Birthers, and announces that China and Russia are united with the U.S. on the need to prevent Iran from getting nukes; on Nov. 18 he attends an East Asian Summit in Bali, Indonesia; on Nov. 19 Obama has a surprise meeting with Chinese PM Wen Jiabao, confronting him with China's claims to the South China Sea. On Nov. 13 the TLC show All-American Muslim debuts (until), attempting to whitewash them as just plain average boring Am. Joes who happen to dress funny. On Nov. 14 the govt. of Yemen announces the release of three French aid workers held hostage by al-Qaida for 6 mo. after help from the sultan of Oman. On Nov. 14 the EU decides to impose additional sanctions on 18 Syrians connected with repression in Syria. On Nov. 15 the Israeli Knesset approves two new bills that critics say threaten the independence of the supreme court. On Nov. 15 the Iranian govt. disses a claim by the Iranian Christian news agency Mohabat News that young Iranians are converting to Christianity, with the soundbyte: "While Western media keep reporting that people in Europe and America are converting to Islam, the agents of Western political cliques claim that Iranian youth show a sincere interest in Christianity. These claims are being made to cover up the fact that Western people are coming towards Islam." On Nov. 16 the U.S. nat. debt reaches $15T. On Nov. 16 Pres. announces a new security agreement with Australia to counter the growing aggressiveness of China, which Obama says the U.S. doesn't fear, starting by setting up a Marine base with 2.5K Marines. On Nov. 16 a bomb explodes at the Queen Elissa Hotel in Tyre, Lebanon, which is frequented by U.N. staffers; no casualties. On Nov. 16 Syrian army defectors attack military and intel bases near Damascus. On Nov. 16 a Loya Jirga (assembly of elders) called by Hamid Karzi to discuss the Afgan-U.S. Strategic Partnership Agreement is rejected by the Ittehad-e-Ulema Afghanistan alliance of orthodox clerics, who call for jihad against the U.S. and its allies, and urges other Muslim clerics to issue fatwas for jihad. On Nov. 16 Tex. Muslim Barry Walter Bujol Jr. (1981-) is convicted of attempting to provide material support to Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). On Nov. 16 Benetton clothing co. in Italy starts an ad campaign featuring a PhotoShopped photo of Pope Benedict VI kissing Egyptian #1 imam Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayed, pissing-off the Vatican and causing them to threaten legal action. On Nov. 16 protesters storm the Kuwaiti Parliament during a debate on corruption. On Nov. 17 Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan utters the soundbyte that the world must "hear screams" from Syria and do something to stop the bloodshed. On Nov. 17 the long-banned Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood holds its first public conference on Libyan soil, calling for a broad nat. reconstruction effort. On Nov. 17 Coptic Christians clash with Muslim residents in Shoubra, Cairo as they march in memory of those killed by the army on Oct. 9; on Nov. 19-23 tens of thousands of Islamists and others protest against the military in Tahrir Square, causing the military to get violent, killing 38 and injuring 1.75K, after which on Nov. 22 the Egyptian cabinet offers to resign, and the military promises to speed up the election to the first half of 2012; too bad, fighting continues on Nov. 23. On Nov. 17 the govt. of Pakistan summons their ambassador to the U.S. Hussain Haqqani for sending a memo to U.S. Adm. Mike Mullen seeking help in reining in the military after the Osama bin Laden raid. On Nov. 17 the African Union announces a plan to stabilize Somalia by sending Ethiopian troops to open a new front against al-Shabaab. On Nov. 17 Egyptian Salafist parliamentary candidate Muna Salah announces that "Women are deficient in intelligence and religion, and it is not permissible for them to be in authority", then explains that being a rep only will give her partial not complete authority. On Nov. 17 the Libyan Muslim Brotherhood holds its first press conference in Libya after being banned for decades. On Nov. 18 the U.S. House votes 261-165 to reject a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution; they last time they voted on a one was in 1995, which passed with a 300-132 vote. On Nov. 18 Syria finally agrees to allow observers "in principle"; meanwhile govt. forces kill 11; meanwhile Russia sends warships to Syria to prevent a NATO attack; on Nov. 20 Israel-hating UNESCO accepts Syria as a member of its human rights committee; too bad, on Nov. 25 Syria ignores the Arab League deadline to accept observers, causing the latter to slap unprecedented sanctions on them on Nov. 27, which causes them to fold and agree to the deal on Dec. 19. On Nov. 19 Libyan col. Madman Daffy's son Saif al-Islam is captured in SW Libya between Obari and Sabha after a firefight. On Nov. 19 Dominican-born New York City Muslim convert Muhammad Yusuf (Jose Pimentel) (1984-) is arrested one hour before he can finish a pipe bomb to kill cops and soldiers, uttering the soundbyte that he wanted to show that "there was mujahideen in the city ready to wage jihad", after which NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg says "He appears to be... a lone wolf"; Pimentel said he was thinking of changing his name to Osama Hussein; Conn. Sen. Joe Lieberman begins lobbying Google to ban terrorist material. On Nov. 19 Israeli defense minister Ehud Barak announces that Iran is less than a year away from being unstoppable in its quest for nukes. On Nov. 19 Azerbaijani physician, writer, and Islam and Iran critic Rafiq Tagi (b. 1950) is stabbed 6x in Baku by an unknown assailant, and dies on Nov. 23. On Nov. 20 Muslim Brotherhood spiritual leader Youssef Qaradawi orders Egyptions not to vote for secularists or non-Muslims in the upcoming elections. On Nov. 20 elections in Spain boot out the Socialists in a landslide in favor of the conservative Popular Party led by Mariano Rajoy Brey (1955-), who on Dec. 21 becomes PM of Spain (until June 1, 2018). On Nov. 20 Pres. Obama signs a continuing resolution to avoid a govt. shutdown by funding several agencies through the fiscal year and extending the continuing resolution unti Dec. 16; tucked into Div. B Title II is a Non-Investigative Cooperation With Unindicted Co-Conspirators in Terrorism Cases provision, which incl. Obama favorite CAIR (Council on Am.-Islamic Relations). On Nov. 21 the U.S. reveals that poor field operations have allowed Hezbollah to expose and capture 12+ CIA agents in Lebanon and Iran, crippling its intel capability. On Nov. 21 the bipartisan Congressional Budget Deficit Supercommittee announces failure as $1.2T in automatic cuts to defense and budget cuts are set to take effect in 2013. On Nov. 22 the Obama admin. sues Utah over its immigration law, saying that it preempts federal authority - meaning that the feds won't do anything about it, so they don't want any state to? On Nov. 22 South Korea passes a free trade agreement with the U.S. that had been in limbo since 2007. On Nov. 22 a remote-controlled bomb attack on a girls school in Mardar, NW Pakistan wounds eight and kills a policeman. On Nov. 22 a Repub. pres. debate in Washington, D.C. sees leading candidate Newt Gingrich advocate that some illegal aliens be allowed to stay in the U.S., after which he says that he is "prepared to take the heat". On Nov. 22 Polish foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski says that Israel must learn to live with a nuclear Iran. On Nov. 22 thousands of leaked emails are released from the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) showing them deliberately misrepresenting the scientific lit. in order to support an alarmist position on global warming. On Nov. 22 the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood receives a video warning from the Internet activist Anonymous movement called Operation Brotherhood Takedown, with the soundbyte "Anonymous has decided to destroy the Muslim Brotherhood... Nothing will stop us. We will show no mercy." On Nov. 22-26 Israeli pres. Shimon Peres makes an official state visit to Vietnam. On Nov. 23 Queen Elizabeth II of Britain hosts a state dinner for Turkish pres. Abdullah Gul, saying that Britain and Turkey have a "special relationship", and calling for Turkish membership in the EU; she pisses-off guests by forcing them to eat halal lamb; on Nov. 23 Britain and Turkey sign a strategic partnership, with closer military ties. On Nov. 23 an independent commission releases a Report on Bahrain, finding that it used torture on protesters. On Nov. 23 the U.S. orders citizens to immediately leave Syria; meanwhile the USS George H.W. Bush, their newest aircraft carrier parks off the coast. On Nov. 23 Russian pres. Dmitry Medvedev dredges up the ghosts of the Cold War by announcing that Russia will deploy new missiles targeted at U.S. missile sites in Europe if it goes ahead with their planned shield. On Nov. 23 the FBI charges a group of seven Amish led by Sam Mullet with hate crimes for running a breakaway group that cuts beards et al. On Nov. 23 Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu gives a speech to the Knesset, saying that the Arab awakening is moving the Arab world "backward", turning into an "Islamic, anti-Western, anti-liberal, anti-Israeli, undemocratic wave", adding that ceding territory to the Palestinians was unwise at such a time when "We can't know who will end up with any piece of territory we give up"; also "In February, when millions of Egyptians thronged to the streets in Cairo, commentators and quite a few Israeli members of the opposition said that we're facing a new era of liberalism and progress. They said I was trying to scare the public and was on the wrong side of history and don't see where things are heading." On Nov. 23 Yemeni pres. (since May 22, 1990) Ali Abdullah Saleh signs an agreement in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to step down in favor of his vice-pres. (since Oct. 3, 1994) Maj. Gen. Abd Rabbuh Mansur al-Hadi (1945-), with a pres. election within 90 days, ending over three decades of autocratic rule; he is promised immunity and can keep his title until the elections; he is Arab leader #4 to fall to the Arab Spring; on Nov. 26 he returns to Yemen; on Nov. 27 he declares a gen. amnesty for all who committed "follies" during the 10-mo.-old uprising. On Nov. 24 French reporter Caroline Sinz is beaten and raped by a mob in Tahrir Square, after Egyptian-Am. journalist Mona Eltahawy was detained on Nov. 22 by police and sexually assaulted. On Nov. 24 U.N. high commissioner for human rights Navi Pillay calls for a moratorium on flogging as a punishment for fornication, and criticizes the Maldivian constitution for promoting that along with requiring that all citizens be Muslim, causing Maldivians on Nov. 25 to stage a protest outside the U.N. bldg. in Male. On Nov. 25 an Indian activist organizes a Million-Man Caravan to Liberate Jerusalem. On Nov. 25 (64th anniv. of the U.N. Partition Plan) a 5K-person Muslim Brotherhood rally in the Al Azhar Mosque in Cairo to promote the "battle against Jerusalem's Judaization" turns against Israel, with calls to "one day kill all Jews". On Nov. 25 NASA launches the Curiosity 1-ton Mars super-rover. On Nov. 25-26 (night) NATO helis and fighter jets attack two military outposts near the border in NW Pakistan, killing 24 Pakistani troops and injuring 13, further tanking U.S.-Pakistan relations, causing Pakistan to block supply routes for NATO troops in Afghanistan, after which the CIA calls off its drone campaign until ?. On Nov. 26 the British govt. announces that online criminals and cyber bullies will be banned from the Internet. On Nov. 27 elections in Morocco are won by the the Islamist Justice and Development Party, which wins 107 of 395 seats. On Nov. 28 in retaliation for supporting sanctions, Iranian MPs chanting "Death to England" vote to expel British ambassador to Tehran Dominic Chilcott, and threaten a repeat of the 1979 embassy hostage crisis; on Nov. 29 Basij paramilitary volunteers posing as students like in 1979 storm the British embassy. On Nov. 28 elections in Egypt are a V for the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist (incl. Salafist) parties, who win 70% of the vote, incl. 40% for the Muslim Brotherhood and 25% for Al Noor; on Dec. 14 round two - a new Pakistan? On Nov. 28 after a "year-long review", Al-Shabaab bans 16 aid groups incl. six U.N. agencies from C and S Somalia. On Nov. 28 Saudi Arabia announces plans to add 500K men to its military and buy $30B worth of new weapons. On Nov. 28 Cyber Mon. sees a record half of all Americans go cybershopping for Christmas, spending $1.2B and causing the Dow Jones Industrial Avg. to go up by 293 points. On Nov. 28 a mob of thousands of Muslims attack Copts in El Ghorayzat village, killing two and wounding several while looting and burning houses and businesses. On Nov. 28 the U.S. Commission on Internat. Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is shut down. On Nov. 29 Hezbollah rockets from Lebanon hit N Israel. On Nov. 29 U.S. vice-pres. Joe Biden visits Baghdad to mark the end of the war in Iraq. On Nov. 29 after years of high fuel prices, #3 U.S. airline (only one not to file after 9/11) Am. Airlines files for bankruptcy; meanwhile Mich. gov. Rich Snyer approves a state takeover of the city of Flint, Mich. On Nov. 29 despite the threat of an Obama veto, the U.S. Senate votes 61-37 to increase the military role in fighting al-Qaida by giving them the right to arrest and indefinitely imprison without trial suspected members anywhere; U.S. citizens are exempt, and the pres. has the right to issue wavers and put them in the civilian system. On Nov. 29 Islamists explode a bomb at Atilano Pension House in Zamboanga City, Philippings, killing three and wounding 27 during a wedding. On Nov. 30 Turkey slaps tough economic sanctions on Syria, freezing assets, suspending military sales, and suspending ties with the central bank; meanwhile a heavily-armed Libyan with Syrian citizenship opens fire at the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, wounding a soldier and security guard before he is killed. On Nov. 30 six central banks incl. the U.S. Federal Reserve decide to help rescue the EU, causing the Dow Jones Industrial Avg. to spurt by ? points, helped by news that U.S. unemployment in Nov. decreased from 9% to 8.6%, with 120K new jobs added. On Nov. 30 Israel announces that it will release tens of millions of dollars in tax funds owed to the Palestinians. In Nov. Tex. Muslim activist Mohamed Elibiary, one of 26 members of the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security advisory council, and the only one given access to a classified database on terror watch lists and sensitive FBI reports leaks info. for Muslim political gain and to damage Tex. gov. Rick Perry, causing a firestorm of controversy. In Nov. Somalia and CAR commit to ending the use of child soldiers. In Nov. Exxon Mobil signs an oil-gas exploration deal with the autonomous Kurdistan Regional Govt. (KRG), pissing-off Iraq, which threatens to cancel its contract to develop the 8.7B barrel West Qurna Phase One oilfield in S Iraq. On Nov. ? leftist Jewish lesbian activist Sarah Schulman pub. an op-ed in the New York Times in which she defines the terms "pinkwashing" and "homonationalism". On Dec. 1 the U.S. Senate votes 93-7 to pass the $662B U.S. Nat. Defense Authorization Act despite Obama's threat to veto it over a provision mandating military custody of any suspected terrorist caught on U.S. soil; the U.S. Senate votes 45-55 to reject an amendment by Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) that would have excluded U.S. citizens from indefinite detention after being captured on or off U.S. soil; the Defense Authorization Bill incl. a provision repealing the military prohibition on sodomy and bestiality; another amendment allows military chaplains to decline to perform same-sex marriages; on Dec. 15 (Bill of Rights Day) after Pres. Obama drops his veto threat, the U.S. Senate passes it by 86-13. On Dec. 1 Newt Gingrich predicts that "I'll be the nominee" of the Repub. Party. On Dec. 1 al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri releases a video admitting that #2 Aliyah Abd al-Rahman was killed by U.S. drones in Aug., then claiming that they are holding Jewish-Am. citizen Warren Weinstein, who was kidnapped in Lahore, Pakistan in Aug. On Dec. 1 the Elvis Museum in Dusseldorf, Germany opens, becoming the biggest outside the U.S. On Dec. 1-2 the Great 2011 Calif. Windstorm fells hundreds of big trees; meanwhile the drought in Mexico is the worst in 70 years, with 1.7M cattle dying. On Dec. 1 Turkey begins a drive against Kurdish rebels in Iraq (ends ?); on Dec. 28 Turkish warplanes bomb rebels in Kurdistan, Iraq, mistakenly killing 35 civilians. On Dec. 2 the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) is formed in a summit in Caracas, Venezuela by Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, Bolia, Argentina, Brazil, and Cuba. On Dec. 2 U.N. human rights commissioner Navi Pillay calls for the Syrian regime of Bashar Assad to be referred to the Internat. Criminal Court for crimes against humanity, saying that 4K+ have been killed, incl. 307 children. On Dec. 2 U.S. vice-pres. Joe Biden calls on Turkey to impose new sanctions on Iran, and praises it for pressuring Syria to stop its crackdown on protesters. On Dec. 2 Muslim clerics whip a mob into attacking 15 liquor stores, two massage parlors, and two hotels in Zakho, Iraq in the Kurdistan region. On Dec. 3 amid multiple sexual misconduct allegations Repub. pres. candidate Herman Cain suspends his candidacy. On Dec. 3 U.S. defense secy. Leon Panetta urges Israel to "get to the damned table" and resume negotiations with the Palestinians. On Dec. 3 the Center for Progressive Reform (CPR) issues the report Behind Closed Doors at the White House: How Politics Trumps Protection of Public Health, Worker Safety, and the Environment, claiming that a small group of "free-ranging" economists control federal rules, causing the Obama admin. to "persistently ignore" mandates of previous admins. On Dec. 3 Ar-Rahma (Arab. "mercy"), the first grand mosque in Ukraine is inaugurated in Kiev. On Dec. 4 elections in Russia are a D for PM Vladimir Putin's governing party, which barely clings to a majority, causing 50K to protest in Moscow on Dec. 10 against Putin, claiming electoral fraud and demanding an end to his rule, followed on Dec. 24 by a 2nd rally. On Dec. 5 after a request in Nov. 2010 by Afgan Pres. Hamid Karzai, a Conference on Afghanistan is held in Bonn, Germany. On Dec. 5 the U.S. govt. reports that North Korea is readying its first road-mobile ICBM, capable of hitting the U.S. On Dec. 5 Iran downs a U.S. RQ-170 Sentinel spy drone in E Iran after it crosses the Afghanistan border; the Iranians work to reverse engineer it while Pres. Obama asks for it back. On Dec. 5 three bombs explode in crowds of Shiite Ashura pilgrims in Hilla, Iraq, killing 22, mostly women and children, and wounding 60. On Dec. 6 two attacks against Shiites in Kabul and Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan kill 56 and wound 160+. On Dec. 6 U.S. state secy. Hillary Clinton makes a historic speech at the U.N. HQ in Geneva calling for worldwide LGBT rights; Pres. Obama issues an order to the federal govt. to fight for homosexual rights abroad. On Dec. 7 during a joint session of the Senate and House Homeland Security Committee, U.S. Rep. (R-N.Y.) Peter King, chmn. of the House Homeland Security Committee utters the soundbyte that the the "Ft. Hood attack was not an anomaly", and that al-Qaida and other Muslim terrorists are busily infiltrating the U.S. military, making the U.S. homeland the most dangerous place for GIs outside of foreign war zones; meanwhile Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) blasts the U.S. Defense Dept. for classifying the Ft. Hood Massacre not as terrorism, Islamic or otherwise, but "workplace violence". On Dec. 7 liberal Canadian lesbian Muslim Irshad Manji is attacked by 22 Muslim protesters from Sharia4Belgium during a panel discussion in Amsterdam, demanding her execution; two are arrested. On Dec. 8 (12:15 p.m.) ? kills a Va. Tech police officer during a traffic stop, then kills himself. On Dec. 9 a delegation of high-ranking Afghan military and police visit Ground Zero, the Pentagon, and Camp Pendleton. On Dec. 9 Repub. pres. candidate Newt Gingrich calls the Palestinians "an invented people" who want to destroy Israel on the Jewish Channel; on Dec. 14 U.S. state secy. Hillary Clinton harps on him, saying that it's not "helpful". On Dec. 9 the Muslim-appeasing Obama admin. unveils its 20-page Strategic Plan for Empowering Local Partners to Prevent Violent Extremism in the U.S., which incl. involving schools and law enforcement in educating the public about the dangers of Islamic jihad, er, whitewashing Islam and weakening them up for more? On Dec. 9 a fire at the Advanced Medical Research Inst. Hospital in New Delhi, India kills 90, iincl. 86 patients, most while they slept. On Dec. 10 a U.S. federal judge enters a $10B default judgment against Iranian pres. Madman Inastraightjacket on behalf of torture victims of his regime. On Dec. 10 Hamas announces that it has joined the worldwide Muslim Brotherhood, and changed its name to "Islamic Resistance Movement, a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood - Palestine". On Dec. 11 three Islamist bomb blasts in Jos, Nigeria kill one and wound 11 trying to view a televised soccer match. On Dec. 11 the Jerusalem Post reports that Hamas has established forward bases and rocket production facilities in the Sinai Peninsula. On Dec. 11 the Israeli cabinet votes unanimously to finance a $160M program to stop the flow of illegal African immigrants by building a border fence and expanding a detention center. On Dec. 11 Pres. Obama is interviewed on CBS-TV's "60 Minutes", and makes the claim that his accomplishments make him the #4 best U.S. pres. of all time after LBJ, FDR, and Lincoln. On Dec. 12 Iranian intel minister Haydar Moslehi meets in Riyad with Saudi prince Nayef; on Dec. 14 the Iranians reveal that the Saudis agreed not to "replace Iranian crude if Iran faces any sanctions". On Dec. 12 Pres. Obama holds a Ceremony to Mark the End of the Iraq War in the White House along with Iraqi PM Nouri al-Maliki, with the soundbyte that the U.S. left Iraq with "heads held high", saying that "history will judge" if it was a "dumb" war, with the soundbyte: "Everything that American troops have done in Iraq, all the fighting and all the dying, the bleeding and the building, the training and the partnering, all of this has led to this moment of success. Now, Iraq is not a perfect place. It has many challenges ahead, but we're leaving behind a sovereign, stable and self-reliant Iraq, with a representative government that was elected by its people"; he also unveils his Iraqi Interactive Timeline on the White House Web site; the U.S. military officially ends the Iraq War (begun in 2003) on Dec. 15, after spending $806B on it, and suffered 4,487 dead and 32,226 wounded, plus hundreds of thousands of mental casualties; too bad, al-Maliki starts moving a little to swiftly to consolidate his power, arresting hundreds of former Sunni Baath Party members and evicting Western cos. from the Green Zone, and on Dec. 19 putting an arrest warrant out on Sunni vice-pres. #1 of Iraq (since Apr. 22, 2006) Tariq al-Hashimi (al-Hashemi) (1942-) for allegedly running death squads, warning that if Sunnis seek autonomy "rivers of blood" will flow, signalling a Shiite coup and making a mock of U.S. pontifications about a Western-style democracy. On Dec. 12 the Palestinian Flag is raised over the UNESCO HQ in Paris despite U.S. opposition. On Dec. 12 British PM David Cameron vetoes proposed changes to the EU treaty meant to defend the Euro, denying that he has consigned Britain to the sidelines. On Dec. 12 the govt. of Canada bans Islamic face veils at citizenship ceremonies. On Dec. 12 Saudi woman Amina bint Abdulhalim Nassar is executed for sorcery, execution #73 in 2011. On Dec. 12-14 a Muslim-dominated fake Meeting on Religious Tolerance hosted by U.S. ambassador Suzan Johnson Cook in Washington, D.C. gives the OIC yet another chance to try to undermine free speech in the U.S., thanks to Hillary Clinton, who announced it in July in Turkey. On Dec. 12-21 protests in Wukan, S China over a govt. "land grab" end with the govt. brokering a deal; on Dec. 21-? protests in Haimen, S China 130km E of Wukan over a proposed coal-fired power plant. On Dec. 13 the U.S. Congress freezes $700M in aid to Pakistan until it gives assurances that it is fighting the spread of IEDs. On Dec. 13 Pakistan passes a new Antacid Law, criminalizing acid burnings of women by men, also marrying off young girls to settle tribal disputes, and laws preventing women from inheriting property; there were 8K violent crimes reported against women in 2010. On Dec. 13 Moncef Marzouki (1945-) becomes interim pres. of Tunisia (until ?), who vows to lay the foundations for a civil democratic repub. and pluralistic society. On Dec. 13 Belgian-born Morrocan descent Muslim Nordine Amrani (b. 1978) responds to a request for questioning by police by going on an armed rampage, lobbing three grenades into a square filled with Xmas shoppers before opening fire, killing four and wounding 122, then killing himself; the body of a 45-y.-o. cleaning woman is found in a shed near his home; it is later revealed that he didn't speak Arabic and wasn't Muslim. On Dec. 13-19 Tropical Storm Washi devastates the Philippines, hitting Mindanao on Dec. 16, followed by Palawan on Dec. 17, killing 1,268. On Dec. 14-15 the $137.2M Elizabeth Taylor Jewelry Auction is the most valuable in history. On Dec. 15 the U.S. flag is lowered at Baghdad Internat. Airport in Iraq, marking the end of the 8-year fiasco, er, mission. On Dec. 15 Syrian army defectors turn their weapons on their fellows in Dara, killing 27. On Dec. 15 bootleg booze kills 143 in E India. On Dec. 15 Iceland formally recognizes a Palestinian state. On Dec. 15 Russian Dagestan anti-corruption and anti-Islamic extremism journalist Khadzhimurad Kamalov (b. 1965), founder of the muckracking newspaper Chernovik is shot to death as leaves his office. On Dec. 15 Israel bombs a 6-jeep convoy in Abu Thabaq, Sudan carrying weapons to Hamas from Iran as it nears Egypt, killing four. On Dec. 15 U.S. District Court judge George Daniels announces that Iran shares responsibility for the 9/11 attacks. On Dec. 16 Pres. Obama addresses the Union for Reform Judaism in Washington, D.C., and defends his record in Israel with the soundbyte: "No U.S. administration has done more in support of Israel's security than ours. None. Don't let anybody tell you otherwise. It is a fact", pointing to support of Israel's Iron Dome rocket defense system, its efforts to help the besieged Israeli embassy in Cairo in Sept., and actions to counter attempts to delegitimize Israel in the U.N.; meanwhile the Emergency Committee for Israel runs an ad with the title "Why Does the Obama Administration Treat Israel Like A Punching Bag?" On Dec. 16 Syria deploys 72 advanced Russian Yakhont (SSN-26) shore-to-sea missile along its coast, along with 21 Scuds on its Turkish border. On Dec. 16-? violent protests in Cairo; on Dec. 17 Napoleon's Institut d'Egypte in Cairo, containing 20K rare books and mss. is burnt by Islamists; on Dec. 20 after a photo of military troops beating and stripping a woman activist half-naked in the street, exposing a blue bra, 10K women stage a March Against Army Brutality. On Dec. 17 Korean dictator (since 1994) Kim Jong-il (b. 1941) dies, and is succeeded by his youngest son Kim Jong-un (1983-), who on Dec. 29 is declared the new nuclear-packing supreme leader (until )?; on Dec. 22 (3:00 p.m. EST) the U.N. observes a Minute of Silence for Kim Jong-il, pissing-off Western delegations, who boycott it; on Dec. 28 the U.N. lowers its flags worldwide for the clown's 2-day funeral. On Dec. 17 the last U.S. troops leave Iraq, with only 200 remaining in Baghdad for training and protection of embassy personnel; actually 8K remain in the Kurdistan region? On Dec. 17 Leon Panetta becomes the first U.S. defense secy. to visit Libya, uttering the soundbyte that he hopes that the new post-Daffy govt. can disassemble the militians into "one Libya". On Dec. 17 overflowing rivers caused by a typhoon in S Philippines strike while people are asleep, killing 430+, and forcing 100K from their homes. On Dec. 18 U.S. ambassador to Israel Thomas Pickering suggests to Hillary Clinton a plan to restart stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations by starting a new intifada against Israel - what a bitch? On Dec. 19 Saudi Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal et al. invest $300M in Twitter.com. On Dec. 19 U.S. vice-pres. Joe Biden utters the soundbyte that the Taliban is not an enemy of the U.S., only al-Qaida. On Dec. 19 U.S. secy. of state Hillary Clinton announces the U.S. Nat. Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security, an attempt to patch Pres. Obama's fractured Muslim outreach policy in light of Islamist takeover of the Arab Spring and attempts to institute woman-suppressing Sharia. On Dec. 19 New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg announces the $450M 2M sq. ft. Cornell-Technion Applied Science Univ. Campus on Roosevelt Island, with the soundbyte by deputy mayor Robert K. Steel: "When people look back 100 years from now, I believe that they will remember today as a signal moment in the transformation of the city's economy." On Dec. 19 Jewish-Am. comedian Jackie Mason disses Pres. Obama for his White House Hannukah celebration, calling it a photo opp and fraud. On Dec. 20 the U.N. Security Council votes 14-1 (U.S.) for a resolution condemning Israel's latest settlement expansion plans, with the Israelis saying that they shouldn't interfere in their internal affairs and focus on restarting peace talks. On Dec. 20 after years of OIC lobbying, the U.N. Gen. Assembly adopts the infamous Religious Intolerance Resolution, a blatant attempt to stifle free speech about one and only one religion, Islam; no surprise, the Obama admin. backs it after they drop the "defamation of religion" language and add a paragraph affirming "the positive role that the exercise of the right to freedom of opinion and expression and the full respect for the freedom to seek, receive and impart information can play in strengthening democracy and combating religious intolerance"; it calls on member states "to take effective measures to ensure that public functionaries in the conduct of their public duties do not discriminate against an individual on the basis of religion or belief", and expects them to make "a strong effort to counter religious profiling, which is understood to be the invidious use of religion as a criterion in conducting questionings, searches and other law enforcement investigative procedures", calling on them to implement "measures to criminalize" the behavior of "incitement to imminent violence" based on religion - although it's mainly Muslim countries that this occurs in? On Dec. 21 the U.N. Security Council votes 15-0-0 for Resolution 2028, "Noting with concern that the situation in the Middle East is tense and is likely to remain so, unless and until a comprehensive settlement covering all aspects of theMiddle East problem can be reached." On Dec. 21 the U.N. Gen. Assembly votes 89-30-64 to pass a Resolution Condemning Human Rights Abuses in Iran. On Dec. 21 Iraqi PM Nouri al-Maliki drops a bomb with the announcement that he's ready to turn Iraq over to Shiite rule. On Dec. 21 U.S. petty officers Marissa Gaeta (1988-) and Citlalic Snell (1989-) become the first lesbians to share a "first kiss" on the pier after Gaeta returns from the USS Oak Hill at Virginia Beach, Va. On Dec. 21 three Girl Scout leaders resign and dissolve their troops after their Colo.-based troop decided to admit 7-y.-o. transgender child Bobby Montoya in the fall. On Dec. 22 Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal sign a strategic partnership agreement in Cairo for nat. reconciliation under the paradign of "popular resistance", forming a new temp. leadership for the PLO that incl. Hamas and Islamic Jihad, with prior PLO agreements with Israel respected unless/until Hamas takes it over completely. On Dec. 22 a wave of 16 bomb attacks in mostly Shiite neighborhoods of Bagdead, Irock kill 69 - Iraq is on the verge of civil war? On Dec. 22 after France passes a law criminalizing genocide denial, incl. the 1915 Turkish genocide of Armenia, Turkey cuts diplomatic ties with France; French MP Valerie Boyer, who proposed the law receives death threats and has her Web site attacked. On Dec. 22 five gunmen in El Higo, Veracruz, Mexico ambush three buses and kill seven passengers before being shot dead by security forces. On Dec. 22 Al-Shabaab publicly flogs Christian convert Sofa Osman (1982-) in Janale, Somalia (125 mi. from Mogadishu) for apostasizing from Islam. On Dec. 23 twin suicide car blasts in Damascus, Syria kill 44 and wound 100; the Syrian govt. blames them on al-Qaida, while Hezbollah blames the U.S., which it calls "the mother of terrorism". On Dec. 23 the Pakistani Taliban avenges the death of a senior cmdr. in Oct. with a strike on a Frontier Corps fort in Tank District, Pakistan, killing one and capturing 15, who are executed with AK-47s and a video released. On Dec. 23 an Anti-Israel Rally in Cairo features the crowd shouting "One day kill all Jews." On Dec. 23 in Maldives the ruling Maldivian Dem. Party (MDP) demonstrates in support of moderate Islam, while Islamist parties rally in "defense of Islam", protesting statements by pres. Mohamed Nasheed against religious extremism; on Dec. 25 he utters the soundbyte that Maldives must continue to support the "traditional form" of Islam like for the past 800 years, and not ban music and art, engage in FGM, or child marriage. On Dec. 23-24 a shootout between Boko Haram and govt. forces in Damaturu, Nigeria kills 61; on Dec. 25 Nigeria's Blackest Christmas sees Boko Haram bomb three churches, killing 39, incl. a Roman Catholic church in Madalla (near Abuja), killing 35, causing Pope Benedict XVI on Dec. 25 to call for peace in the world, and the Christian Assoc. of Nigeria on Dec. 29 to tell Christian Nigerian pres. Goodluck Jonathan that this is a "declaration of war on Christians and Nigeria as an entity", causing him to declare a nat. emergency on Dec. 31 for the states NE states of Yobe and Borno, and vow to "crush the terrorists". On Dec. 24 more protests in Sana'a, Yemen result in 13 "March for Life" protesters killed by govt. forces, causing more protests on Dec. 25, calling for the resignation of vice-pres. Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi. On Dec. 24 U.S. secy. of state Hillary Clinton celebrates a sale of 80 Boeing F-15 fighter jets worth $29.4B to Saudi Arabia; in Mar. 2015 they are used to bomb Yemen. On Dec. 24 the Price Tag Operation sees a Jewish resident of Maaleh Shomron, Israel ambushed in his car, after which someone spray-paints a slogan on the wall of a mosque in the nearby village of Beit El and puts it on the Internet, generating more publicity. On Dec. 24 Iran begins a 10-day series of military maneuvers in the Strait of Hormuz, putting the U.S., U.K., and Israel on red alert. On Dec. 24 Ugandan Christian pastor Umar Mulinde, a Muslim apostate is attacked by Muslims with acid on Christmas Eve for preaching in support of Israel; he is flown to Israel for treatment. On Dec. 24-25 the 2011 Reviving the Islamic Spirit Conference in Toronto, Ont., Canada has a record 20K attendance. On Dec. 25 Pres. Obama's 2011 Christmas Day Proclamation breaks with tradition, and calls Jesus a "good man" Islam-style instead of the Son of God, which Islam considers blasphemy. On Dec. 25 (2:30 p.m. local time) a suicide bomber at a funeral ceremony in Taloqan, Takhar, Afghanistan kills 19+ civilians incl. MP Alhaj Mutalib Baig, and injures 50+. On Dec. 25 two mortars hit the 3K-person Camp Ashraf, Iraq 40 mi. from Baghdad, home to the dissident People's Mujahideen Org. of Iran (PMOI) days after the Iraq govt. extends a year-end deadline camp closure date. On Dec. 25 Am. Muslim Jameela Cecilia Barnette (b. 1958) of Marietta, Ga., known for posting messages on Facebook et al. calling Jews monkeys etc. assaults a Cobb police officer on Xmas morning, and is shot and killed. On Dec. 26 Syrian tank forces battle anti-Assad forces in Homs, Syria, killing 20, pissing-off the 50 Arab league observers, who arrive on Dec. 27, led by Sudanese Gen. Mohamed Ahmed Mustafa Dabi (al-Dabi), and are greeted by tens of thousands of anti-Assad protesters, who on Dec. 30 call for al-Dabi's resignation after he says that the situation is calm and reassuring, causing the Arab League on Jan. 1 to call for their withdrawal; on Jan. 2 Arab League secy. Nabel El-Araby admits that the killings by the security forces haven't stopped. On Dec. 26 a suicide attack at the interior ministry in Baghdad kills five and wounds dozens, causing the Shiite Sadrists to call for parliament to be dissolved and early elections. On Dec. 26 Gaza's Hamas PM Ismail Haniyeh (Haneyya) visits Egypt for the first time since 2007, saying that his meeting with his Islamist ideological mentors the Muslim Brotherhood threatens Israel, and calling on the Arab League to implement their decisions to break the seige of the Gaza Strip; at a ceremony marking Hamas' 24th anniv., Haniyeh says that Hamas may work for the "interim objection of liberation of Gaza, the West Bank, or Jerusalem", along with reconciliation with Fatah, but the "strategic" goal remains: "The armed resistance and the armed struggle are the path and the strategic choice for liberating the Palestinian land from the sea to the river, and for the expulsion of the invaders and usurpers... We won't relinquish one inch of the land of Palestine"; on Jan. 8 he visits Tunisia, where he utters the soundbyte that the latest meetings between Palestinians and Israelis is a "futile gesture"; the Muslim Brotherhood calls Hamas its "role model"; he then visits Sudan and Tunisia. On Dec. 26 Iran signs an oil deal with Afghanistan to provide 1M tons beginning in 2012. On Dec. 26 a busload of Palestinian Christians and Muslims belonging to the Muslim-Jewish org. Free Muslims Coalition travels to the Ariel Jewish Settlement to demand equal rights and remove the segregation wall. On Dec. 27 Iran threatens to stop the flow of oil shipments thrugh the Strait of Hormuz if foreign sanctions are imposed on its crude exports. On Dec. 27 after rockets are fired into S Israel, the Israeli air forces strikes two targets in Gaza, killing Islamic Jihad leader Abdullah Telbani, and injuring two others. On Dec. 27 Moscow, Russia sees its lowest Dec. temp in 113 years, 39.4F (4.1C), beating the record of 3.3C in Dec. 1898. On Dec. 28 Cyprus announces the discovery of natural gas off its S coast. On Dec. 29 the Egyptian govt. raids 17 human rights NGOs to investigate "foreign funding". On Dec. 29 a Turkish air force attack in Uludere kills 35 Kurds, mistaking civilian smugglers for PKK fighters, causing the govt. to call it a "blunder" and start an investigation. On Dec. 29 German man Harry Burkhart (1977-) launches a series of 50 arson attacks in S Calif. (Hollywood, Westside) to get even for his mother's losing fight against deportation to Germany. On Dec. 30 a gasoline truck crashes and burns in Caracas, Venezuela, engulfing several cars and a bus, killing 13 and injuring 16. On Dec. 30 a roadside bomb in Trinkot, Uruzgan, Afghanistan kills four civilians and injures one. On Dec. 30 hundreds of Sunni Muslims in Baghdad celebrate the withdrawal of U.S. forces near the Abu Hanifa Mosque in Azamiyah; Shiites don't join them; on Dec. 31 all U.S. troops must be withdrawn from Iraqi territory per the Status of Forces Agreement signed by U.S. pres. George W. Bush. On Dec. 30 New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg holds an interfaith breakfast, attended by 368, which is snubbed by 15 Muslim clerics and civic leaders upset over NYPD surveillance of Muslims; about 60 Muslims still show up. On Dec. 30 China announces plans for a manned mission to the Moon by 2020, first since the U.S. in 1972; a space station is planned for 2016. On Dec. 31 Pres. Obama signs the 2011 U.S. Nat. Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) despite "serious reservations" regarding provisions regarding interrogations of terrorist suspects, who can be indefinitely detained, a reqt. for Obama to submit a report to Congress before sharing any info. on U.S. ballistic missiles with Russia, and sanctions on financial institutions dealing with Iran's central bank, which allow exemptions to avoid upsetting energy markets; Obama pledges to exempt U.S. citizens from the indefinite detention law - meaning we're at his mercy? On Dec. 31 Iraq PM Nouri al-Maliki declares Iraq Day marking the U.S. pullout and calling for the country to unite; meanwhile Sunnis in Shiite neighborhoods begin getting nervous and moving. On Dec. 31 Iran proposes new nuclear talks with the six powers, the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Russia, and China. In Dec. the 2011-2017 Calif. Drought begins (ends Mar. 2017), killing 102M trees in 2011-16, and 62M in 2016 only, after which severe floods are caused by Pacific storms, causing the Calif. Drought Manipulation Conspiracy Theory to be proclaimed by various sources, claiming it was manufactured via weather modification. Japan's old restrictive (1.5K people a year allowed to pass) bar exam is scrapped, opening the doors for Japan to catch up to the litigious U.S., where 75K pass each year. On Dec. 31 22-y.-o. Australian woman jumps over Victoria Falls on a bungee cord, which snaps, causing her to plunge into the Zambezi River; she survives, after which Zambia's tourism minister makes a bungee jump on Jan. 9 to prove it's safe. In Dec. after a strike against Canadian-based oil co. Pacific Rubiales in Colombia in 2011 results in the Colombian military cracking down on them, after which the Clinton Foundation receives large donations from it and its founder Frank Giustra, U.S. secy. of state Hillary Clinton protects the Colombian govt., ignoring its violence against workers and praising its progress on human rights, permitting hundreds of millions of dollars of U.S. aid to flow to its military, flip-flopping and backing the 2006 U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement (CTPA) which tramples workers rights. In Dec. the U.S. unemployment rate declines to 8.5% from 8.6%, adding 200K jobs. IBeth Van Duyne becomes Repub. mayor of Irving, Tex., becoming known for opposing illegal immigration and Muslim Sharia, drawing the wrath of the insidious Hamas front CAIR; on May 8, 2017 she becomes the U.S. HUD regional administrator for Tex. and four surrounding states. With U.S. and French help, Poland launches a nuclear energy program, with the target date for generation of nuclear power set in 2021. U.S. Sen. John Kerry sends a letter to Iranian pres. Imadinnajacket recognizing Iran's right to enrich uranium on its own soil; not revealed until June 23, 2015 in a speech by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The Nord Stream Natural Gas Pipeline from Russia to Germany is completed. Sports: Tiger Woods falls out of the top 50 world golf rankings for the first time since 1996. On Jan. 2 the 8-8 Oakland Raiders become the first NFL team to go undefeated (6-0) in their div. (AFC West) and not make the playoffs; to rub it in, they ended the season with a 31-10 defeat of 10-6 div. leader Kansas City Chiefs. On Jan. 17-30 the 2011 Australian Open sees Li Na (1982-) of China defeat #1-seeded Caroline Wozniacki in the semifinal, becoming the first Asian player to reach a tennis grand slam final; meanwhile Francesca Schiavone and Svetlana Kutznetsova play the longest match in women's grand slam history, 4 hours 44 min.; on Jan. 28 Kim Clijsters defeats Li Na in three sets to win the women's singles title; Novak Djokovic defeats Andy Murray in three sets to win the men's singles title. On Jan. 22 Mika Juhani Koivuniemi (1967-) of Finland wins the PBA Tournament of Champions along with a record $250K prize after defeating Tom Smallwood 269-207; in the semifinal he defeats Tom Daugherty 299-100 after leaving the 10-pin on the final shot, the largest margin of victory in a PBA match, with Daugherty's score becoming the lowest in a nationally-televised PBA match; on Apr. 15 Koivuniemi defeats Sean Rash 237-224 in the PBA Tournament of Champions in Las Vegas, Nev. On Feb. 19-Apr. 30 the 2011 Cricket World Cup is held; India defeats Sri Lanka by 6 wickets in the final, becoming the first team to win the cup final on home soil; on Apr. 30 a match between Pakistan and India in Mohali is arranged by Indian PM Manmohan Singh to improve relations. On Feb. 20 the 2011 (53rd) Daytona 500 is won by 20-y.-o. Trevor Bayne (1991-), becoming the youngest driver to win the race, and only to win on the first attempt. On Mar. 15 NCAA March Madness, jointly produced by CBS Sports debuts on TBS-TV (until ?) to cover the annual NCAA Men's Div. 1 Basketball Tournament. On Apr. 29 senior officials of the French Football Federation incl. French nat. coach Laurent Blanc are accused of setting a secret 30% quota on "athletic black and Arab players in favor of more "intelligent" white players in youth academies. On May 7 the 137th Kentucky Derby is won in 2:02.04 by 20-1 longshot Animal Kingdom, ridden by John Velazquez (after regular rider Robby Albarado is injured), who rallies to beat Nehro by 2-3/4 lengths; favorite Uncle Mo was scratched with an illness. On May 1 the New York Mets v. Philadelphia Phillies game at Citizens Bank Park in Philly (audience 40K - largest crowd in the U.S.) is rocked by news that Osama bin Laden has been killed; the Mets win 2-1 in the 14th inning. On May 29 the 2011 (95th) Indianapolis 500 is won by Daniel Clive "Dan" Wheldon (1978-2011) of England (2nd win) after leader John R. "Captain America" Hildebrand (1988-) (rookie) hits the wall on the final turn of the final lap; too bad, on Oct. 16 Wheldon is killed in a collision at the 2011 IZOD IndyCar World Championship at Las Vegas Motor Speedway; Hildebrand is injured in the same crash. On May 31-June 12 the 2011 NBA Finals see the Dallas Mavericks defeat the Miami Heat by 4-2; MVP is German-born power forward Dirk Werner Nowitzki (1978-) (#41) of the Mavericks. On June 1-15 the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals see the Boston Bruins defeat the Vancouver Canucks 4-3, becoming their first since 1972); MVP is Bruins goalie Timothy James "Tim" Thomas Jr. (1974-) (oldest and 2nd Am.-born player to win), who snubs a White House appearance on Jan. 23 because of political differences with Pres. Obama. On June 4 Li Na defeats Francesca Schiavone to win the French Open women's singles title, becoming the first Chinese player to win a Grand Slam singles title; in 2010 Schiavone became Italy's first Grand Slam women's title winner. On June 19 Rory McIlroy (1989-) of Northern Ireland wins the U.S. Open of golf in Bethesda, Md. with a record 16 under par; too bad, NBC-TV omits the words "under God" and "indivisible" from the Pledge of Allegiance, causing an outcry. On June 23 the 2011 NBA Draft sees 30 teams draft 60 players in two rounds at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., incl. seven freshmen, seven sophomores, 14 juniors, 19 seniors, and 12 internat. players, after which the New Jersey Nets relocate to Brooklyn, N.Y., becoming the Brooklyn Nets; 6'3" Australian-born point guard Kyrie Andrew Irving (1992-) of Duke U. (freshman) is selected #1 by the Cleveland Cavaliers (#2), winning the rookie of the year award, followed by the 2003 NBA 3-point shootout competition; forward Derrick Williams of the U. of Ariz. (sophomore) is selected #2 by the Minnesota Timberwolves; center Jonas Valanciunas of Lietuvos Rytas in Lithuania is selected #5 by the Toronto Raptors; guard Brandon Knight of the U. of Ky. (freshman) is selected #8 by the Detroit Pistons (#7); guard Kemba Walker of the U. of Conn. (junior) is selected #9 by the Charlotte Bobcats (#15); 6'7" shooting guard Klay Alexander Thompson (1990-) of Washington State U. (junior) is selected #11 by the Golden State Warriors, going on to help them win the 2015 NBA Championship, their first since 1975; forward Markieff Morris of the U. of Kansas (junior) is selected #13 by the Phoenix Suns (#11); forward Kawhi Leonard of San Diego State U. (sophomore) is selected #15 by the Indiana Pacers, who trade him to the San Antonio Spurs; Montenegran-born center Nikola Vucevic of USC (junior) is selected #16 by the Philadelphia 76ers; guard Iman Shumpert of Georgia Tech (junior) is selected #17 by the New York Knicks (#21); Lithuanian-born forward Donatas Motiejunas of Benetton Treviso in Italy is selected #20 by the Minnesota Timberwolves, who trade him to the Houston Rockets (#20); forward Kenneth Faried of Morehead State U. is selected #22 by the Denver Nuggets (#35); guard Reggie Jackson of Boston College (junior) is selected #24 by the Oklahoma City Thunder (#15); guard Norris Cole of Cleveland State U. is selected #28 by the Chicago Bulls, who trade him to the Miami Heat (#30); guard Jimmy Butler of Marquette U. is selected #30 by the Chicago Bulls; forward Chandler Parsons of the U. of Fla. is selected #38 by the Houston Rockets (#25); Qatar-born forward Tanguy Ngombo is selected #57 by the Dallas Mavericks (first NBA player from Qatar), who trade him to the Portland Trail Blazers; guard Isaiah Thomas of the U. of Washington (junior) is selected #60 by the Sacramento Kings. On July 9 (2:01 p.m. local time) Derek Jeter hits his 3,000th career hit as one of five hits in a 5-4 V over the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium. On Aug. 29-Sept. 12 the 2011 U.S. Open of Tennis at Billie Jean King Nat. Tennis Center in Flush Meadows Park in Queens, N.Y. sees Novak Djokovic (1987-) of Serbia defeat defending champ Rafael Nadal 62, 6-4, 6-7, 6-1 on Sept. 12 to win the men's singles title, becoming the first Serb to win a grand slam singles title, and the youngest player in the open era to reach the semifinals in all four grand slam events; on Sept. 11 after defending champ Kim Clijsters bows out due to an abdominal muscle injury, Samantha Jane "Sam" Stosur (1984-) of Australia defeats Serena Williams to win the women's singles title, becoming the first Australian woman to win a majors title since Evonne Goolagong Cawley at Wimbledon in 1980. On Oct. 14-30 the 2011 Pan-Am. Games in Guadalajara, Mexico. Architecture: On June 21 the 80-ft.-tall bronze Alexander the Great Fountain in Skopje, Macedonia is unveiled, becoming the largest Alexander the Great Statue on Earth (until ?). On June 30 China opens the 16.6 mi. Jiaozhou Bay (Qingdao Haiwan) Bridge in Shangdong Province, becoming the longest bridge over water (until ?), passing the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway in La by 2 mi. On July 27 the London Aquatics Centre for the 2012 London Olympics opens, designed by Iraqi-born British architect Zaha Hadid. In Sept. the $11M Saudi-financed Great Gothenburg Mosque in Sweden opens. On Oct. 26 the £1.7m Exeter Mosque in Devon, Britain opens after three years. Nobel Prizes: Peace: Tawakel (Tawakkol) Karman (1979-) (Yemen) (first Arab woman) (first Yemeni) (first Muslim Brotherhood member), Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (1938-) (Liberia), and Leymah Roberta Gbowee (1972-) (Liberia); Lit.: ; Tomas Gosta Transtromer (Gösta Tranströmer) (1931-) (Sweden); Physics: ; Adam Guy Riess (1969-) (U.S.) and Saul Perlmutter (1959-) (U.S.), and Brian P. Schmidt (1967-) (Australia) [accelerating expansion of the Universe]; Chem.: Daniel "Dan" Schechtman (1941-) (Israel) [quasicrystals]; Medicine: Bruce Alan Beutler (1957-) (U.S.) and Jules A. Hoffmann (1941-) (Luxembourg) [activation of innate immunity], and Ralph Marvin Steinman (1943-) (U.S.) (awarded three days after he dies) [the dendritic cell's role in adaptive immunity]; Economics: Thomas John "Tom" Sargent (1943-) (U.S.) and Christopher Albert "Chris" Sims (1942-) (U.S.) [economy and policy instruments]. Inventions: On Jan. 11 the Chinese twin-jet 1.5K mph highly maneuverable Chengdu J-20 5th generation stealth fighter makes its first flight, going on to replace the Russian S-35 in ? after its WS-10 turbofan is successfully cloned; the test catches the U.S. off-guard again; it is based on pieces of a wrecked USAF F-117 Nighthawk downed by the Serbs in 1999? On Feb. 4 the Northrop Grumman X-47B robot jet fighter makes its first successful test flight. On Feb. 26 the $298 Nintendo 3DS is released in Japan, becoming the first portable game device with 3-D graphic technology. On Mar. 3 the WebGL (Web Graphics Library) JavaScript API is released, allowing the rendering of 2-D and 3-D graphics within compatible Web browsers without using plug-ins. On Mar. 18 NASA's New Horizons Pluto probe crosses the orbit of Uranus; meanwhile NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft begins orbiting Mercury. On Mar. 18 Internet overseer Icann gives final approval to the new porno domain .xxx. On Apr. 15 the U.S. and Russia meet to discuss plans for Prometheus a nuclear-powered ion-propelled spacecraft. On May 10 Boeing successfully tests its Phantom Ray stealth killer drone. On May 16 Space Shuttle Endeavour, takes off from Cape Canaveral carrying cmdr. Mark Kelly, hubby of wounded Ariz. rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head on Jan. 8 and attends the launch; on May 18 it docks with the ISS, attacking the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer to it on May 19; after landing on July 1 at 2:35 a.m. EST, it is decomissioned and sent to a museum in Los Angeles, Calif., leaving only Space Ship Atlantis, which makes its final trip, STS-135 on July 8-21, ending the U.S. Space Shuttle program. On Aug. 5 the NASA Lockheed Martin Juno spacecraft is launched from Cape Canaveral on a 5-year 1.74B mi. cruise to Jupiter, arriving on July 5, 2016 to measure its composition from a close orbit 4K km. above the surface; in Feb. 2, 2018 after 37 orbits it burns up in Jupiter's atmosphere, er, its mission is extended until July 2021. In Sept. Snapchat multimedia messaging app is founded by former Stanford U. students Evan Thomas Spiegel (1990-), Bobby Murphy, and Reggie Brown, going on to to becoming popular with mobile phone users, reaching 187M users by Feb. 2018. On Oct. 31 China's unmanned Shenzhou 8 blasts off on a Long March 2F rocket from Jiuquan Launch Center, docking with the Tiangong 1 space module (launched Sept. 29) on Nov. 3 and Nov. 14, becoming the first unmanned Chinese docking, becoming the 3rd country after the Soviet Union (Russia), Japan, and the European Space Agency. In Oct.-Dec. the Mars Science Lab robotic surface rover is launched by NASA to look for evidence of life, making the first precision landing on Mars. The U.S. Army releases the Long Endurance Multi-Intelligence Vehicle (LEMV), an unmanned blimp-like spy ship that can hover at 20K ft. for up to three weeks, and is planned for deployment in Afghanistan. The Blue Waters supercomputer by IBM et al. is completed. D-Wave announces the D-Wave One, the first commercial quantum computer; next year it claims the creation of a 300-qubit quantum simulator, and on May 16, 2013 creates a 512-qubit quantum computer; in June 2014 tests show it to be no faster than a normal PC. The Chinese Dong Feng 21A missile is the first that can potentially destroy a U.S. aircraft carrier. The Lytro Camera is introduced, becoming the first that can change the focus of a photograph after the shutter clicks. British Loughborough U. student Jake Tyler (1989-) invents Vax ev, the first super-inexpensive vacuum cleaner made from cardboard. The first Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are offered by Stanford U., MIT, and Harvard U. Science: On Jan. 3 Johnson & Johnson announces a new cancer blood test that can detect one cancerous cell in a billion healthy ones. On Jan. 4 Public Library of Science ONE pub. a paper by scientists at Princeton U. reporting the construction of the first artificial proteins that enable the growth of living cells. On Jan. 21 scientists at the Max Planck Inst. in Munich and UTA pub. their finding that there is no direct link between black holes and dark matter. On Jan. 21 the USDA approves the drug Viibyrd, an anti-depressant that causes minimal interference with sexual desire. On Jan. 21 Am. mathematician Ken Ono of Emory U. pub. a paper solving the age-old problem of partition numbers in number theory, proving that they behave like fractals. On Jan. 21 researchers at the U. of B.C. pub. the first Global Map of Surface Permeability. On Jan. 25 Neurology pub. an article by Nikunj K. Patel of Frenchay Hospital in Bristol, England, reporting that deep brain stimulators can help control blood pressure. On Jan. 27 Nature pub. an article announcing the finding of the most distant object yet seen in the Universe, at a distance of 13.2B l.y. In Jan. scientists at Stanford U. detect the first-ever gamma-ray flares coming from the Crab Nebula (M1). In Jan. Larry Taylor et al. discover that lunar water may have originated from comets that smashed into it soon after it formed. On Feb. 1 Rainer Herges, Marcel Dommaschk et al. of Kiel U. pub. an article in Science announcing the first time that the magnetic state of a single molecule at room temp has been controlled via a molecular machine similar to a record player. On Feb. 7 scientists at Oxford U. test a universal flu vaccine. On Feb. 8 scientists at Oxford U. and Trinity College, Dublin announce a way of splitting layered materials into a 1-atom sheet similar to graphite. On Feb. 9 researchers at Harvard U. and MITRE Corp. announce the first programmable nanoprocessor. On Feb. 10 Angewandte Chemie pub. the discovery by researchers at Va. Commonwealth U., McNeese State U., Peking U., and John Hopkins U. of Superhalogens. On Feb. 10 Armando Giuliano et al. of St. John's Health Center announce that women with early breast cancer may not need to have radial surgery to remove cancerous lymph nodes under the armpit, just the sentinel one nearest the cancer. On Feb. 13 researchers at Northwestern Medicine announce the discovery of the first evidence of a human DNA fragment in a bacterial genome, Neisseria gonorrhoeae. In Feb. NASA's Kepler team announces the discovery of KOI 326.01, the most Earth-like planet exoplanet yet found; too bad, in Mar. they realize they made an error in the star's brightness, and demote it. On Mar. 17 PLos Genetics pub. a new phylogenetic tree for primates, which resolves several longstanding issues in taxonomy. On Mar. 25 it is revealed that Gen. Electric (GE) made $14B in profits last year and paid zero taxes; since Feb. 23 CEO (since 2000) Jeffrey Robert "Jeff" Immelt (1956-) has been head of Pres. Obama's competitiveness and jobs council. On Mar. 25 a study by Northwestern Medicine finds that young U.S. adults who frequently attend religious activities are 50% more likely to become obese by middle age. On Mar. 28 a report by the British Royal Society claims that China will overtake the U.S. in scientific output as soon as 2013. In Mar. the first mammalian test tube sperm is successfully grown in a lab from cells taken from mouse testicles by Takehiko Ogawa of Yokohama City U. In Mar. the Organic Lake Virophage, the first virus that attacks other viruses is discovered in a lake in E Antarctica. On Apr. 3 researchers at Penn. State U. announce a new sixth type of symmetry in materials, rotation reversal; the other five are rotation, inversion, rotation inversion, translation, and time reversal. On Apr. 4 the Proceedings of the Nat. Academy of Sciences announce the first hi-resolution structure of an RNA Nano Square. On Apr. 4 Kip Thorne of Caltech pub. a new theory of Tendex and Vortex Lines to conceptualize black holes. On Apr. 7 researchers at the U. of Wash. announce the first successful technique to let a brain talk to computers by using the speech centers, with patients controlling a cursor on a computer screen by speaking words out loud. On Apr. 4 George Cody, Cornel Alexander, and Larry Nitler of Carnegie Inst. pub. research proving that complex organic carbon-containing solids were made from formaldehyde in the early Solar System. On Apr. 13 the Allen Inst. for Brain Science releases the first anatomically and genomically comprehensive human brain map, which shows a 94% similarity between human brains, and that 82% of all human genes are expressed in the brain. On Apr. 19 Jeremy Levy et al. of Pittsburgh U. announce the SketchSET sketch-based single-electron transistor, the first single-electron transistor made entirely of oxide-based materials. In Apr. a NASA satellite spots a stellar explosion more than 13B l.y. from Earth, becoming the most distant ever detected (until ?). In May the Worms From Hell, nematodes or roundworms that live 1 mi. below the Earth's surface are discovered in gold mines in South Africa. On June 9 Neuron pub. the discovery of the first known connection between the nervous and vascular systems. On June 13 researchers at Lund U. in Sweden pub. a technique for turning human skin cells into brain cells without passing through the stem cell stage. On June 15 Robert Bambara et al. of the U. of Rochester pub. a discovery in Nature of a new way to change the genetic code by modifying mRNA to change its instructions for creating a protein. On June 16 scientists at George Mason U. reveal that solar storms are caused by a giant magnetic rope. On June 17 Science pub. the creation of the first crystals from metallic glass by Wendy Mao et al. of the U.S. Dept. of Energy. On June 17 Arthur Grossman of Carnegie Inst. et al. pub. the GreenCut, a list of 597 proteins that are encoded in photosynthetic plant and green algae genomes. In June the Moneta System of computer storage based on phase changes in the crystal structure of the metal alloy chalcogenide is demonstrated by UC San Diego faculty. In June the breakthrough SpermComet male infertility test is announced, which will save time, money and anguish for couples worldwide. On July 6 scientists announce the discovery of the first molecules of hydrogen peroxide in space - astronauts can all go blonde? On July 7 Paolo Macchiarini et al. at the Karlinska U. Hospital in Sweden perform the first synthetic windpipe transplant. On July 8 a study is pub. by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center that suggests that transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can stop inter-brain memory competition when trying to learn two lists of dissimilar items, preventing forgetting. On July 10 John Deick et al. of McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine in Canada pub. an article in Science announcing the first successful isolation of a human blood stem cell in its purest form, capable of regenerating the entire blood system. On July 11 Chee Wei Wong et al. of Columbia U. announce the first optical nanostructures that can fully control light dispersion via changing the index of refraction to create a net zero refractive index. On July 15 NASA's Dawn spacecraft becomes the first probe to enter an orbit around an object in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, returning close-up images of the giant asteroid Vesta. On July 19 Shengwang Du et al. of Hong Kong U. of Science and Technology announce that they have proved experimentally that nothing travels faster than light, which is confirmed on Nov. 17, closing the decades-long debate about whether Albert Einstein was right; it rules out time travel? On July 22 Physical Review E pub. an article by scientists at Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst. that when only 10% of a pop. hold an unshakable belief, it will spread like wildfire and be adopted by the majority. On July 23 Xiang Zhang et al. of ? announce the first visibile light invisibility cloak. On July 27 astronomers announce the discovery of the first Earth Trojan asteroid, that shares Earth's orbit around the Sun, named 2010 TK7. On July 27 scientists at Seoul Nat. U. announce the creation of the first glowing dog using cloning, which glows fluorescent green under UV light after being given the antibiotic doxycycline. In July a team led by surgeon Pedro Cavadas (1965-) at Hospital La Fe in Spain perform the first double leg transplant on a 20-y.-o. male amputee, who in June 2013 has his legs amputated after an unrelated illness forced him to stop taking anti-rejection drugs. In July the percentage of contiguous U.S. land area experiencing exceptional drought reaches the highest levels in the history of the U.S. Drought Monitor. On Aug. 1 the European Space Agency's Herschel space observatory detects the first oxygen molecules in space in Orion. On Aug. 4 NASA announces the possible discovery of water on Mars, most likely salty. On Aug. 4 Quantum Rare Earths Developments Corp. announces the discovery of a large rare earth deposit in the U.S. equal to about 1/3 of the reserves of China, which has a 97% market share. On Aug. 12 scientists at the U. of Manchester announce the first scientific evidence that there is a genetic contribution to human intelligence. On Oct. 21 the first manned flight of an electric multicopter takes place in Germany. On Oct. 22 a Tandem twin-baloon airship operated by JP Aerospace of Calif. sets a record 95,085 ft. (28,982m) for highest airship flight, almost 4 mi. higher than before. On Oct. 30 scientists at the Roslin Inst. in Edinburgh, Scotland announce the discovery of retrotansposons, genes found in brain cells that change thousands of times over a lifetime, making brain cells genetically different from other cells in the body, as well as genetically distinct from each other. On Nov. 9 Japanese researcher Yoshiki Sasai et al. of the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology announce that they have grown working pituitary glands from mouse embryo stem cells. On Nov. 11 U.S. scientists announce the discovery of two interstellar gas clouds containing only original elements from the Big Bang. On Nov. 15 Genron Corp., world's #1 embryonic stem cell research co. announces that it's closing its program down. In Nov. Prof. John Webb et al. at U. of New South Wales report astronomical observations indicating that the fine structure constant alpha changes throughout the Universe, making it possible that the Universe is actually infinite. On Dec. 9 researchers from Inserm in France pub. a paper revealing that the brain's cortex plays an essential part in emotional learning. On Dec. 20 NASA scientists announce the discovery of the smallest most Earth-size alien worlds yet, Kepler-20e and Kepler-20f. In Dec. British researchers announce the first sucessful tretment using gene therapy of Hemophilia B, the kind that plagues the European royal family incl. Queen Victoria. In Dec. researcers at Georgetown U. announce a breakthrough, a way to finally keep cancer cells alive in the lab. The Hanke-Henry Permanent Calendar is invented by Richard Conn Henry and Steve H. Hanke at JHU, a new calendar where each year is identical. The U.S. Defense Dept. invests $6M in the BioDesign Project, with the goal of eliminating "the randomness of natural evolutionary advancement" by creating genetically engineered organisms that "produce the intended biological effect" and can "ultimately be programmed to live indefinitely". The Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events (CUORE) of the Italian Nat. Inst. of Nuclear Physics (INFN) begins operation to investigate neutrinos; 120 33kg ingots of radiation-free lead recovered in 1988 from a Roman shipwreck between -80 and -50 off Sardinia shields the observatory. Chemical elements #14 (flerovium) (at. wt. 289) and #116 (moscovium) (at. wt. 292) are added to the Periodic Table. An article is pub. in Lancet claiming that sufferers of chronic fatigue syndrome have a 60% chance of improvement if they see a pshrink and exercise, and a 20% chance of recovery; in Sept. 21, 2016 after the authors are issued a court order to release their raw data, a team of independent scientists pub. an article in Virology Blog, revealing only a 10% chance of being helped, and a 0% chance of recovery. The first gene bank in the Arab world opens in Qatar. Nonfiction: J. Christian Adams, Injustice: Exposing the Racial Agenda of the Obama Justice Department; claims that the Obama admin. has politicized it. Fouad Ajami, The Road to Serfdom and the Arab Revolt (July). Mustafa Akyol (1972-), Islam Without Extremes: A Muslim Case for Liberty (July 18). Hugh Aldersey-Williams, Periodic Tales: A Cultural History of the Elements, from Arsenic to Zinc. Marc Andreessen, Why Software Is Eating the World; "Software companies are poised to take over large swathes of the economy." Jose Arguelles (1939-2011), Manifesto for the Noosphere: The Next Stage in the Evolution of Human Consciousness. Tim Ball (1938-), Charles Anderson, Martin Hertzberg, Claes Johnson, Joseph Olson, John O'Sullivan, and Hans Schreuder, Slaying the Sky Dragon - Death of the Greenhouse Gas Theory (Jan. 18); claims to disprove the theory of manmade global warming by carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions; a product of Principia Scientific Internat. (PSI), founded in the U.K. in 2010 by British-born Canadian-Am. atty. John O'Sullivan to push the claim that CO2 is not a greenhouse gas. Ken Ballen, Terrorists in Love: The Real Lives of Islamic Radicals. Abhijit Banerjee (1961-) and Esther Duflo (1972-), Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty (Apr. 26); a "radical rethinking" of the economics of poverty based on randomized control trials. Shaul Bartal, The Fedayeen Emerge: The Palestine-Israel Conflict, 1949-1956. Timothy Beal, The Rise and Fall of the Bible: The Unexpected History of an Accidental Book (Feb.). Rob Bell, Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived (Mar. 15); discounts the idea of Hell in the Bible a la the Jehovah's Witnesses. Jeremy Ben-Ami, A New Voice for Israel: Fighting for the Survival of the Jewish Nation (July 19); by the founder of J Street. Pope Benedict XVI (1927-), Jesus of Nazareth - Holy Week: From the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection (Mar. 10); internat. bestseller. J.M. Berger, Jihad Joe; Americans who go jihadist. Andrew Berwick (Anders Breivik) (1979-), 2083: A European Declaration of Independence. Hanne Blank, Big Big Love: A Sex and Relationships Guide for People of Size (and Those Who Love Them) (Sept.). William Bloom (1948-), The Endorphin Effect: A Breakthrough Strategy for Holistic Health and Spiritual Wellbeing (Nov. 3). Frank Brady, Endgame: Bobby Fischer's Remarkable Rise and Fall: From America's Brightest Prodigy to the Edge of Madness. Asa Briggs (1921-), Secret Days: Codebreaking in Bletchley Park: A Memoir of Hut Six and the Enigma Machine (May 1); about his 5-year stay at Bletchley Park, working with Alan Turing and Gordon Welchman, and how he didn't tell his wife about it until the 1970s, never telling his parents. Patrick J. Buchanan (1938-), Suicide of a Superpower: Will America Survive to 2025? (Oct. 11); gets him fired from MSNBC. Daniel Byman, A High Price: The Triumphs and Failures of Israeli Counterterrorism. Dolores Cannon (1931-), The Three Waves of Volunteers and the New Earth (Sept. 1). Richard Carrier (1969-), Why I Am Not a Christian: Four Conclusive Reasons to Reject the Faith. Stephen L. Carter, The Violence of Peace: America's Wars in the Age of Obama; he got elected as a critic of the Bush admin., then turn around and affirmed its war policies? Jack Cashill, Deconstructing Obama: The Life, Loves, and Letters of America's First Postmodern President (Feb. 15); claims to prove that Bill Ayers wrote Obama's book "Dreams From My Father". U. of Chicago, The Chicago Assyrian Dictionary; started on it in 1921. Deepak Chopra (1946-), Marianne Williamson (1952-), and Debbie Ford, The Shadow Effect: Illuminating the Hidden Power of Your True Self; how to utilize your dark side. Patricia Churchland, Braintrust; the neuroscience of morality. Bill Clinton (1946-), Back to Work: Why We Need a Smart Government for a Strong Economy (Nov. 8). Rik Coolsaet (et.), Jihadi Terrorism and the Radicalisation Challenge: European and American Experiences, 2nd Ed.. Michael Coren (1959-), Why Catholics Are Right. Ann Coulter (1961-), Demonic: How the Liberal Mob Is Endangering America (June 7); the Dem. Party is about demonic mobs because it channels the French Rev., while the Repub. Party is about the opposite because it channels the Am. Rev.? Phil Cousineau (1952-), Beyond Forgiveness: Reflections on Atonement (Feb.). Felice Dassetto, The Iris and the Crescent; Muslims will be the majority in Brussels by 2030? Terrence William Deacon, Incomplete Nature: How Mind Emerged from Matter; claims that the Theory of Everything that's being developed by scientists makes it "absurd that we exist", and offers the solution that the properties of mind emerge from a higher-order reciprocal relationship between self-organizing processes. Brett M. Decker and William C. Triplett II, Bowing to Beijing; the massive U.S. debt complicates its relationship with Red China. Jiim Denison, Radical Islam: What You Need to Know (July). Joan Didion (1934-2021), Blue Nights (memoir); the death of her daughter Quintana in 2005; title refers to certain time in the "somer solstice... when the twilights turn long and blue". Meir Doron and Joseph Gelman, Confidential: The Life of Secret Agent Turned Hollywood Tycoon Arnon Milchan (July 30). Patrick T. Dunleavy, The Fertile Soil of Jihad: Terrorism's Prison Connection. Stephen Dubner (1963-) and Steve Levitt (1967-), SuperFreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance (May 24). Abigail R. Esman, Radical State: How Jihad Is Winning over Democracy in the West. Barry Estabrook, Tomatoland: How Modern Industrial Agriculture Destroyed Our Most Alluring Fruit. James P. Farwell, The Pakistan Cauldron: Conspiracy, Assassination and Instability. Niall Ferguson (1964-), Civilization: The West and the Rest; his attempt to answer the "most interesting question" of today: "Why, beginning around 1500, did a few small polities on the western end of the Eurasian landmass come to dominate the rest of the world?", attributing it to six "killer apps" largely missing elsewhere in the world, "competition, science, the rule of law, medicine, consumerism and the work ethic." Amy Finley (1973-), How to Eat a Small Country (autobio.) (Apr.); how she saved her marriage by moving with her hubby to France and touring around looking for nearly-lost dishes incl. tete de veau, boiled baby cow face. Guy Finley (1949-), The Seeker, the Search, the Sacred: Journey to the Greatness Within (Oct. 1). Frank J. Fleming, Obama: The Greatest President in the History of Everything. Joshua Foer (1982-), Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything (Mar. 3); NYT bestseller. David Friedman (1950-), The Thought Exchange: Overcoming Our Resistance To Living A Sensational Life (Apr. 18); claims that positive thinking techniques and the Law of Attraction can't work unless the person becomes aware of their physical sensations and is willing to experience them; filmed in 2012. Graham Fuller, A World Without Islam; argues that the East would still be at war with the West even if Islam never happened. Frank Furedi, On Tolerance. Brigitte Gabriel (1964-), Because They Hate (autobio.). John Lewis Gaddis (1941-), George F. Kennan: An American Life (Nov. 10) (Pulitzer Prize); about U.S. diplomat George Frost Kennan (1904-2005), the "Father of Containment". Gangaji (1942-), Hidden Treasure: Discovering the Truth in Your Life Story. Pamela Geller (1958-), Stop the Islamization of America: A Practical Guide to the Resistance (Sept. 6). John Gibler, To Die in Mexico: Dispatches from Inside the Drug War. Mark Girouard (1931-), Enthusiasms (essays). Edward Glaeser (1967-), Triumph of the City: How Our Greatest Invention Makes Us Rich, Smarter, Greener, Healthier, and Happier. David P. Goldman, How Civilizations Die (and Why Islam Is Dying Too). Amit Goswami, How Quantum Activism Can Save Civilization: A Few People Can Change Human Evolution; The Quantum Doctor: A Quantum Physicist Explains the Healing Power of Integral Medicine. Daniel Hannan, The New Road to Serfdom: A Letter of Warning to America (Oct. 4); "Hannan has the insight and experience to help America recapture its distinctive ideals and avoid turning into a socialist state." Yuval Noah Harari (1976-), Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind; English tr. pub. in 2014. Thom Hartmann (1951-), Rebooting the American Dream: 11 Ways to Rebuild Our Country. Sam Harris (1967-), Lying. Brian Haughton, Handbook of Paranormal Powers: Discover the Secrets of Mind Readers, Mediums, and More! (Feb. 1). Katharine Hayhoe and Andrew Farley (1972-), A Climate for Change: Global Warming Facts for Faith-Based Decisions (Mar. 21); attempts to reconcile climate change wth evangelical Christianity. Chris Hedges (1956-), That World As It Is: Dispatches on the Myth of Human Progress (Apr. 12); "Brace yourself. The American empire is over. And the descent is going to be horrifying." Adam Hochschild (1942-), To End All Wars: A Story of Loyalty and Rebellion, 1914-1918. Jonathan Israel (1946-), Democratic Enlightenment: Philosophy, Revolution, and Human Rights 1750-1790. Philip Jenkins (1952-), Laying Down the Sword: Why We Can't Ignore the Bible's Violent Verses; after studying the Bible and Quran in the light of 9/11, the clueless British loon concludes that "the Bible contains far more verses praising or urging bloodshed than does the Quran", not mentioning that Jehovah authorized violence only to take and rules the Holy Land, while Allah authorizes it to take and rule the whole world. Daniel Kahneman, Thinking, Fast and Slow. David Kaiser, How the Hippies Saved Physics: Science, Counterculture, and the Quantum Revival; about the San Francisco Fundamental Fysiks Group (founded in 1975). Ian Kershaw, The End: The Defiance and Destruction of Hitler's Germany, 1944-1945. Timuran Khan, The Long Divergence: How Islamic Law Held Back the Middle East. Kwame Kilpatrick (1970-), Surrendered!: The Rise, Fall, and Revelation of Kwame Kilpatrick (autobio.). Jeff King, Islam Uncensored. Aaron Klein and Brenda J. Elliott, Red Army: The Radical Network That Must Be Defeated to Save America. Marcy Jane Knopf-Newman, The Politics of Teaching Palestine to Americans: Addressing Pedagogical Strategies; portray Palestinians as innocent victims of evil Nazi-like Israelis? Nancy Koehn (1959-), Oprah (Brand) Renew; Oprah: Leading with Heart. Denis Lacorne, Religion in America: A Political History; English trans. of 2007 French ed. Richard Lynn, The Chosen People: A Study of Jewish Intelligence and Achievement; Jewish success is based on high IQ? Irshad Manji (1968-), Allah, Liberty and Love: The Courage to Reconcile Faith and Freedom (June). Manning Marable (1950-2011), Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention (Apr. 4) (Pulitzer Prize); claims that he exaggerated his early criminal career, and had a bi affair with a white businessman, also that some of his killers are still not charged and running around loose. Greil Marcus, The Doors: A Lifetime of Listening to Five Mean Years. Joe McGinniss, The Rogue: Searching for the Real Sarah Palin (Sept. 20); exposes her love life et al.; she cares about nobody except herself? David McCullough (1933-), The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris (May 24); about Americans in Paris in 1830-1900 incl. James Fenimore Cooper, Mark Twain, Samuel Morse, Elihu Washburne, Elizabeth Blackwell, Mary Cassatt, George Healy, and Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Branko Milanovic (1953-), The Haves and the Have-Nots: A Brief and Idiosyncratic History of Global Inequality (Aug. 7); followed next year by his Milanovic Elephant Chart, which shows the lower middle classes in rich countries being squeezed out of economic growth in the "decile of discontent", later feeding the Brexit and Trump revolutions? Michael Mirdad, Healing the Heart & Soul: A Five-Step, Soul-Level Healing Process for Transforming Your Life. Soraya Mire, The Girl With Three Legs (autobio.); the horrors of female genital mutilation (FGM). Patrick Modiano (1945-), L'Horizon; Jean Bosmans loses his lover Margaret Le Coz to a train. Dambisa Moyo (1969-), How the West Was Lost: Fifty Years of Economic Folly -- and the Stark Choices That Lie Ahead (Jan.); NYT bestseller. Steven Naifeh (1952-) and Gregory White Smith (1951-2014), Van Gogh: A Life; NYT bestseller. Sylvia Nasar (1947-), Grand Pursuit: The Story of Economic Genius. John Julius Norwich (1929-), The Popes: A History. Suze Orman (1951-), The Money Class: Learn to Create Your New American Dream (Mar.). Christian Parenti, Tropic of Chaos: Climate Change and the New Geography of Violence (July 12); claims a link between climate change and political unrest in mid-lat. regions of Earth. Sir Roger Penrose, Cycles of Time: An Extraordinary New View of the Universe (May); bites on claims by Armenian physicist Vahe Burzadyan that the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation reveals events before the Big Bang; the idea is immediately challenged by several physicists. Marcello Pera, Why We Should Call Ourselves Chritians: The Religious Roots of Free Societies. Mark Perry, Talking to Terrorists: Why America Must Engage With Its Enemies. Paul R. Pillar, Intelligence and U.S. Foreign Policy: Iraq, 9/11, and Misguided Reform (Sept. 6). Steven Pinker (1954-), The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined (Oct. 4); claims that human violence has been decreasing over time. Christian Prince, The Deception of Allah, Vol. 1. Janet Reitman, Inside Scientology: The Story of America's Most Secretive Religion (July); a popular treatment of their dirty laundry, pissing them off, like always :) Condoleezza Rice (1954-), No Higher Honor: A Memoir of My Years in Washington (autobio.) (Nov. 1). Corey Robin (1967-), The Reactionary Mind: Conservatism from Edmund Burke to Sarah Palin; claims that conservatism is based on the principle "that some are fit, and thus ought, to rule others", and isn't about liberty or limited govt. but is a "mode of counterrevolutionary practice" to preserve hierarchical power; "To obey a real superior... is one of the most important of all virtues - a virtue absolutely essential to the attainment of anything great and lasting." Dani Rodrik (1957-), The Globalization Paradox: Democracy and the Future of the World Economy; claims that hyperglobalization (deep economic integration), nat. sovereignty, and dem. politics can't all be maintained at the same time, only two of the three, arguing that nat. priorities should take precedence over globalization, which should be customized under a light frame of internat. rules. Nouriel Roubini (1958-) and Ian Bremmer (1969-), A G-Zero World; claims that "Old models of understanding global dynamics are struggling" to keep up with rapid changes, with the soundbyte: "We are now living in a G-Zero world, one in which no single country or bloc of countries has the political and economic leverage - or the will - to drive a truly international agenda. The result will be intensified conflict on the international stage over vitally important issues, such as international macroeconomic coordination, financial regulatory reform, trade policy, and climate change. This new order has far-reaching implications for the global economy, as companies around the world sit on enormous stockpiles of cash, waiting for the current era of political and economic uncertainty to pass. Many of them can expect an extended wait." Donald Rumsfeld (1932-), Known and Unknown (autobio). (Jan.). Jeffrey Sachs (1954-), The Price of Civilization: Reawakening American Virtue and Prosperity; top Harvard economics prof. calls U.S. politics a "corporatocracy" in which "powerful corporate interest groups dominate the policy agenda", naming the Military-Industrial Complex, the Wall St.-Washington Complex, the Big Oil-Transport-Military Complex, and the Health Care Industry. Doug Saunders, Arrival City: How the Largest Migration in History Is Reshaping Our World. Julian Savulescu, Ruud ter Meulen, and Guy Kahane (eds.), Enhancing Human Capacities (Mar. 18). Arnold Schwarzenegger (1947-), Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story (autobio.) (Oct.). Peter Schweizer (1964-), Throw Them All Out: How Politicians and Their Friends Get Rich Off Insider Stock Tips, Land Deals, and Cronyism That Would Send the Rest of Us to Prison (Nov. 15). Janny Scott, A Singular Woman: The Untold Story of Barack Obama's Mother (May). David Sehat, The Myth of American Religious Freedom (Jan. 14); John Selby (1945-), Expand This Moment: Focused Meditations to Quiet Your Mind, Brighten Your Mood, and Set Yourself Free. Jack Shaheen, Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Villifies a People; reviles "Blackhawk Down", and grooves on "Kingdom of Heaven". Tom Shroder (1954-), The Hunt for Bin Laden. Stanley Siegel, Your Brain on Sex: How Smarter Sex Can Change Your Life. Mitchell D. Silber, The al-Qaeda Factor: Plots Against the West. Juliann Silvuka, Soap, Sex and Cigarettes (July 19). Patrick Sookhdeo, Islam in Our Midst: The Challenge to Our Christian Heritage. Jonathan Spyer, The Transforming Fire: The Rise of the Israel-Islamist Conflict; it's no longer just the Israel-Arab conflict. Eric Stakelbeck, The Terrorist Next Door: How the Government Is Deceiving You About the Islamist Threat (May 2). Sol Stern, A Century of Palestinian Rejectionism and Jew Hatred. Mark Steyn (1959-), After America: Get Ready for Armageddon (Aug. 8). Hege Storhaug, But the Greatest of These Is Freedom: The Consequences of Immigration in Europe. David Stowe, No Sympathy for the Devil (Apr.); how 1960s-1970s rock and roll influenced religion and politics to create Christian rock. Richard Sugg, Mummies, Cannibals, and Vampires (June 29). Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan, The Eleventh Day: The Full Story of 9/11 and Osama bin Laden (July 19). Ron Suskind, Confidence Men: Wall Street, Washington, and the Education of a President; disses Pres. Obama. Gabriel G. Tabarani, Jihad's New Heartlands: How the West Has Failed to Contain Islamic Fundamentalism. Victor Thorn (1962-2016), 9/11 Made in Israel: The Plot Against America (Aug. 30). Michael Totten, The Road to Fatima Gate: The Beirut Springs, the Rise of Hezbollah, and the Iranian War Against Israel. Deepak Tripathi, Breeding Ground: Afghanistan and the Origins of Islamist Terrorism. Donald Trump (1946-), Time to Get Tough: Making America #1 Again (Dec. 5) (NYT bestseller); blasts Pres. Obama, Obamacare et al.; "President Obama has been a disaster for America. In four short years, he's wrecked our economy, saddled our children with more debt than America managed to rack up in 225 years, and gone around the world apologizing for our country - as if the greatest nation in the world needs to apologize for being a land of opportunity and freedom, which we were before Obama became president. Now, America looks like a broken country - stripped of jobs, stripped of wealth, stripped of respect. And what does President Obama do about it? He plays nice with a China that is doing everything it can to destroy our economy, while refusing to stand up for America with Middle Eastern oil mobsters who think they can hold us hostage through higher prices at the pump, and chucking billions in 'stimulus' money to his friends and supporters while letting the rest of us foot the bill. This can't go on. And if Donald J. Trump has anything to say about it, it won't"; reveals that he has become more conservative, moving from "tax the wealthy" to "reduce taxes". Stefania Vitali, James B. Glattfelder, and Stefano Battison, The Network of Global Corporate Control; exposes a small group of central banks and other financial institutions. Ibn Warraq (1946-), Why the West Is Best: A Muslim Apostate's Defense of Liberal Democracy. Brian Glyn Williams, Afghanistan Declassified: A Guide to America's Longest War. Colin Woodard, American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America (Sept. 29). Robin Wright, Rock the Casbah: Rage and Rebellion Across the Islamic World; the Arab Spring. Andrea Wulf, Founding Gardeners: The Revolutionary Generation, Nature, and the Shaping of the American Revolution. Yanis Varoufakis (1961-), The Global Minotaur: America, Europe and the Future of the Global Economy; 3rd ed. July 2015; the U.S. is a global minotaur, consuming surplus capital from the global economy to maintain global economic stability; the 2008 crash happened after the collapse of the banking system wounded it? Bat Ye'or, Europe, Globalization and the Coming Universal Caliphate. Zondervan Pub. House, The New Internat. Bible; revised version of the 1978 ed. that sold 300M copies. Art: Mehmet Aksoy, Monument to Friendship Between Turkey and Armenia (statue); erected in Kars, Turkey near the Armenian border, it pisses-off Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who calls it a "freak". Gil Vicente, Enemies; series of charcoal drawings showing the artist assassinating the pope, Pres. Bush et al. Music: The Internet Killed Rock and Roll Year? The worst year in rock history? The first year that women (Lady Gaga, PJ Harvey, Rihanna, Adele) dominate pop music? 311, Universal Pulse (album #10) (July 19); incl. Sunset in July. Jane's Addiction, The Great Escape Artist (album #4) (Oct. 18) (#12 in the U.S.), first with bassist Dave Sitek; incl. Irresistible Force. Adele (1988-), 21 (album #2) (Jan. 21) (#1 in the U.S. and U.K.) (10M copies); incl. Rolling in the Deep (#1 in the U.S. and U.K.), Someone Like You, Set Fire to the Rain. Amon Amarth, Surtur Rising (album #8) (June 27) (#34 in the U.S.); incl. War of the Gods, Destroyer of the Universe. The Kid Bombardos, Turnin' Wrong (album) (debut) (Sept. 19); named after a 1920s French boxer by three of his great-grandkids, incl. Vincent Martinelli (1990-) (vocals, guitar), Thomas Martinelli (1986-) (bass), David Loridan (1988-) (guitar), and Simon Martinelli (1991-) (drums); incl. Sundays, Goodbye Babe, I'm Gonna Try. Billy Bragg (1957-), Don't Buy the Sun; about the Sun hacking scandal. Michael Buble (1975-), Christmas (album) (Oct. 24) (#1 in the U.S.) (3.39M copies; becomes the first Christmas album to win a Juno Award for album of the year. Colbie Caillat (1985-), All of You (album #3) (May 3) (#6 in the U.S.); incl. I Do, Brighter Than the Sun. Alice Cooper (1948-), Welcome 2 My Nightmare (album) (Sept. 13) (#22 in the U.S.); sequel to "Welcome to My Nightmare" (1975); incl. I Am Made of You, I'll Bite Your Face Off, What Baby Wants (w/Ke$ha). Cults, Cults (album) (debut) (June 7); incl. You Know What I Mean. Death Cab for Cutie, Codes and Keys (album #7) (May 31) (#3 in the U.S., #24 in the U.K.); incl. You Are A Tourist. Panic! at the Disco, Vices & Virtues (album #3) (Mar. 22) (#7 in the U.S.); incl. The Ballad of Mona Lisa, Ready to Go (Get Me Out of My Mind). Disturbed, The Lost Children (album) (Nov. 8). Snoop Dogg (1971-), Doggumentary (album #11) (Mar. 29); incl. Sweat, Boom. 3 Doors Down, Time of My Life (album #5) (July 19). Cake, Showroom of Compassion (album #6) (Jan. 11) (#1 in the U.S.); incl. Sick of You, Long Time. Dawes, Nothing Is Wrong (album #2) (June 7); incl. If I Wanted Someone, Time Spent in Los Angeles. Elysian Fields, Last Night on Earth (album #6) (June 14); incl. Red Riding Hood. Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues (album #2) (May 3); incl. Helplessness Blues, Grown Ocean, The Shrine/An Argument, Montezuma. Lady Gaga (1986-), Born This Way (album #3) (May 23) (#1 in the U.S.); incl. Born This Way, Judas ("I'm in love with Judas"), Hair. Bloodhound Gang, Fishin' for Hookers (album #5). Glasvegas, Euphoric Heartbreak (EUPHORIC /// HEARTBREAK \\\) (album #2) (Apr. 4) (#10 in the U.K.); incl. Euphoria, Take My Hand, Whatever Hurts You Through the Night, Stronger Than Dirt (Homosexuality Pt. 2). Selena Gomez (1992-) and the Scene, When the Sun Goes Down (album #3) (June 28); incl. Who Says, Bang Bang Bang. Guano Apes, Bel Air (album #4) (last in 2003) (Apr. 1); goes from nu metal to hard rock; incl. Oh What a Night, Sunday Lover, This Time, When the Ships Arrive. P.J. Harvey (1969-), Let England Shake (album #10) (Feb. 11) (#32 in the U.S., #8 in the U.K.); incl. The Words That Maketh Murder, The Glorious Land. Uriah Heep, Into the Wild (album #23) (Apr. 12); incl. Into the Wild. Incubus, If Not Now, When? (album #7) (July 12) (#2 in the U.S.); named after the Primo Levi novel; incl. Adolescents, Promises. Bon Iver, Bon Iver (album #2) (June 17) (#2 in the U.S., #4 in the U.K.); incl. Perth, Calgary. Jessie J (1988-), Who You Are (album) (debut) (Feb. 25) (#11 in the U.S., #2 in the U.K.); incl. Price Tag (Jan. 28) (#23 in the U.S., #1 in the U.K.), Nobody's Perfect #9 in the U.K.). The Black Keys, El Camino (album #7) (Dec. 6) (#2 in the U.S., #29 in the U.K.); incl. Lonely Boy (#64 in the U.S.). Chloe Lattanzi (1986-), Play With Me. Aaron Lewis (1972-), Town Line (EP) (solo debut) (Mar. 11) (#1 country) (#7 in the U.S.) (200K copies); Staind guitarist goes country; incl. Country Boy (w/George Jones and Charlie Daniels) (#50 country) (#87 in the U.S.). Black Lips, Arabia Mountain (June 7); incl. Spidey's Curse, Mr. Driver, Raw Meat, The Lie, Time, Noc-A-Homa. LMFAO, Sorry for Party Rocking (album #2) (June 21) (#12 in the U.S., #8 in the U.K.); incl. Party Rock Anthem, Champagne Showers, Sexy and I Know It (#1 in the U.S.). Jennifer Lopez (1969-), Love? (album #7) (Apr. 28) (#5 in the U.S., #6 in the U.K.); incl. On the Floor (w/Pitbull), I'm Into You (w/Lil Wayne). Mae, Evening (EP) (Mar. 8). Barry Manilow (1943-), 15 Minutes (album) (June 13). Scotty McCreery (1993-), Clear As Day (album) (debut) (#1 country) (first country act to debut at #1) (#1 in the U.S.) (1M copies) (Mercury Records); incl. Clear As Day, I Love You This Big (#15 country) (#11 in the U.S.) (900K copies), The Trouble with Girls (#17 country) (#55 in the U.S.) (800K copies), Water Tower Town (#38 country). Mike + the Mechanics, The Road (album #7) (Apr. 18); first without Paul Carrack; incl. The Road. The Dead Milkmen, The King in Yellow (album #8) (Mar. 19); first since their 1995 breakup; incl. Meaningless Upbeat Happy Song, Fauxhemia. Nicki Minaj, Stupid Hoe. Arctic Monkeys, Suck It and See (album #4) (June 6); incl. Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair. Kip Moore (1980-), Mary Was the Marrying Kind (Mar. 14) (debut) (#45 country); Somethin' 'Bout a Truck on Sept. 27, 2011 (#1 country). Dropkick Murphys, Going Out in Style (album #7) (Mar. 1); incl. Going Out in Style. Nonpoint, Miracle (album #6) (May 4) (#59 in the U.S.);p first with guitarist Zach Broderick; incl. Miracle, Frontlines. Frank Ocean (1987-), Nostalgia, Ultra (mixtape) (Feb. 16); his breakthrough; incl. Novacaine. Phantogram, Nightlife (EP) (Nov. 11); incl. Don't Move. Pitbull (1981-), Planet Pit (album #6) (June 17) (#7 in the U.S.); incl. Hey Baby (Drop It to the Floor) (w/T-Pain) (#7 in the U.S.), Give Me Everything (w/Ne-Yo, Afrojack, and Nayer) (#1 in the U.S.), Rain Over Me (w/Marc Anthony) (#75 in the U.S.). Eric Prydz (1976-), Niton (The Reason) (#45 in the U.K.). Red, Until We Have Faces (album #3) (Feb. 1); incl. Faceless, Feed the Machine, Not Alone, Lie to Me (Denial). Busta Rhymes (1972-), Extiction Level Event 2 (album #9). Gil Scott-Heron (1949-2011), I'm New Here (last album). Big Sean, Dance (A$$) Remix (w/Nicki Minaj). Seether, Holding Onto Strings Better Left to Fray (album #5) (May 17) (#2 in the U.S.); incl. Country Song, Tonight, No Resolution, Here and Now. Ed Sheeran (1991-), The A Team (June 12) (#16 in the U.S.) (#3 in the U.K.); a ho addicted to "class A drug" crack. Trombone Shorty (1986-), For True (album #8) (Sept. 13) (#1 jazz) (#72 in the U.S); incl. For True. Skrillex (1988-), More Monsters and Sprites (EP) (June 7); incl. First of the Year (Equinox). Britney Spears (1981-), Hold It Against Me (Jan. 23); 2nd artist to debut more than one song at #1. Staind, Stained (Seven) (album #7) (Sept. 13); incl. Not Again, The Bottom (used in the 2011 film "Transformers: Dark of the Moon"), Eyes Wide Open. Cobra Starship, <>Night Shades (album #4) (Aug. 29) (#50 in the U.S.); incl. You Make Me Feel.... Joss Stone (1987-), LP1 (album #5) (July 26). Within Temptation, The Unforgiving (album #5) (Mar. 25) (#50 in the U.S., #23 in the U.K.); incl. Faster, Sinead, Shot in the Dark. The Ting Tings, Kunst (album #2). Warrant, Rockaholic (album #8) (May 17); first with lead singer Robert Mason; incl. Life's A Song. The Throne, Watch the Throne (album) (debut) (Aug. 8); Jay-Z (1969-) and Kanye West (1977-); incl. Otis, H*A*M. Woodkid (Yoann Lemoine) (1983-), Iron (Mar. 28). Movies: Jason Connery's 51, (Feb. 26) (SyFyChannel) stars Bruce Boxleitner, John Shea, and Jason London, about the USAF allowing some reporters access to Area 51 in Nev. just as vicious shape-shifting Patient Zero busts out. Emad Burnat's and Guy Davidi's 5 Broken Cameras (Nov. 23) is a documentary about nonviolent Palestinian protesters in Bil'in, West Bank, pissing-off IDF reservists, who claim that it's "inciting". George Nolfi's The Adjustment Bureau (Feb. 14) (Universal Pictures), based on the Philip K. Dick story "Adjustment Team" stars Matt Damon as Brooklyn Congressman David Norris, and Emily Blunt as his babe Elise Sellas, who fight the you know what, headed by Thompson (Terence Stamp), which regulates people's lives; brings in $127.9M on a $50.2M budget. Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego's Apollo 18 (Sept. 2) is a sci-fi horror film about an alleged secret Apollo mission launched in Dec. 1974 that never returned because they encountered hostile alien life on the Moon, causing the program to be terminated; does $25.5M box office on a $5M budget. Michel Hazanavicius' The Artist (B&W) (May 15) stars Jean Dujardin as George Valentin, and Berenice Bejo as Peppy Miller, silent film stars facing the coming of the talkies. Joe Cornish's Attack the Block (Mar. 12), about a teenie street gang in South London on Guy Fawkes Night defending themselves from aliens from outer space stars John Boyega as Moses, Alex Esmail as Pest, Franz Drameh as Dennis, Leeon Jones as Jerome, and Jodie Whitaker as nurse Samantha Adams. Jonathan Liebesman's Battle: Los Angeles (Mar. 11) stars Aaron Eckhart as Marine Staff Sgt. Michael Nantz, who leads a platoon during a global alien invasion; does $211.8M box office on a $70M budget. Jodie Foster's The Beaver (May 6) stars Mel Gibson as toy co. CEO Walter Black, who is kicked out by wife Meredith (Foster), and begins using a beaver hand puppet to communicate with her and teenie son Porter (Anton Yelchin); a box office flop ($1M on a $21M budget). Goran Olsson's Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975) (Feb.) is a documentary about African-Am. civil rights activists in the Black Power moement. Paul Feig's Bridesmaids (Apr. 28) (Universal Pictures) stars Melissa McCarthy as Megan Price, Kristen Wiig as Annie Walker, Wendi McLendon-Covey as Rita, Elle Kemper as Becca, Rose Byrne as Helen Harris III, and Maya Rudolph as Lillian Donovan in a raunchy comedy for women that became a surprise box office hit; features Chis O'Dowd as Annie's beau Officer Rhodes; features an appearance by Wilson Phillips; final screen appearance of Jill Clayburgh as Judy Walker; "Chick flicks don't have to suck!"; does $288.4M box office on a $32.5M budget. Joe Johnston's Captain America: The First Avenger (July 22), based on the Marvel Comics series stars Chris Evans as Steve Rogers alias Capt. America, Hayley Atwell as his babe Peggy Carter, Tommy Lee Jones as Col. Chester Phillips, Sebastian Stan as James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes, and Hugo Weaving as Johann Schmidt the Red Skull. David Dobkin's The Change-Up (Aug. 5) (Universal Pictures) stars Jason Bateman as married-with-children atty. Dave Lockwood, who envies swinging bachelor Mitch Planko (Ryan Reynolds), and after they piss in a park fountain they wake up with switched bodies; does $75.5M box office on a $52M budget. Olivier Megaton's Colombiana (Sp. "woman from Colombia") (July 27) (EuropaCorp) (TF1 Films Production) (TriStar Pictures) (Stage 6 Films) stars Zoe Saldana as 25-y.-o. Colombian super-assassin Cataleya (a genus of orchids) Restrepo, Michael Vartan as her artist lover Danny Delaney, and Cliff Curtis as her Chicago-based criminal uncle Emilio, who sends her on hit missions while she dreams of getting even with her father's Colombian murderers Don Luis (Beto Benites) and Marco (Jordi Molla); does $61M box office on a $40M budget; "Vengeance is beautiful". Xavier Durringer's The Conquest (May 18) is about Nicolas Sarkozy (Denis Podalyes) and his rise to the French presidency, along with his miserable relationship with wife Cecilia. Robert Redford's The Conspirator (Apr. 15) stars Robin Wright as Mary Surratt, and James McAvoy as atty. Frederick Aiken, who tries to clear her of being involved in the plot to assassinate Lincoln. Ralph Fiennes' Coriolanus (Feb. 14) (Fiennes' dir. debut), set in the modern era stars Fiennes as Coriolanus (Caius Martius), Vanessa Redgrave as Volumnia, and Gerard Butler as Volscian Gen. Tullus Aufidius (Gerard Butler); does $1.1M on a $7.7M budget. Jon Favreau's Cowboys & Aliens (July 29), based on the graphic novel by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg set in 1873 stars Daniel Craig as amnesiac gunslinger Jake Longergan, who stumbles into the Wild West town of Absolution, run by Col. Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford), and helps fight off ETs; grosses $100M in the U.S. and Canada, and $174.8M worldwide on a budget of $163M. David Cronenberg's A Dangerous Method (Sept. 2) (Sony Pictures Classics), written by Christopher Hampton from his 2002 stage play "The Talking Cure", which was based on the 1993 John Kerr book "A Most Dangerous Method: The Story of Jung, Freud, and Sabina Spielrein" stars Keira Knightley as patient-turned-pshrink Sabina Spielrein, Michael Fassbinder as Carl Jung, and Viggo Mortenson as Sigmund Freud; does $27.4M box office on a $14M budget. Lee Tamahori's The Devil's Double (July 29) (Lionsgate) stars Dominic Cooper as mad-as-a-hatter Uday Hussein, son of Sodamn Insane, and Latif Yahia, who he forces to become his body double (fedai); does $4.8M box office on a $19.1M budget. Alexander Payne's The Descendants (Sept. 10) (Fox Searchlight Pictures), based on the 2007 novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings stars George Clooney as rich Honolulu atty. Matthew "Matt" King, whose dream life in Hawaii is ruined by the sickness of his comatose wife Elizabeth (Patricia Hastie) and rebellious daughters Scottie King (Amara) and Alexandra "Alex" King (Shailene Woodley); does $177.2M box office on a $20M budget. Patrick Lussier's Drive Angry 3-D (Feb. 25) (Millennium Films) (Summit Entertainment) stars Nicholas Cage as undead criminal Milton, who breaks out from Hell after 10 years with Satan's personal gun the Godkiller in order to save his granddaughter from the Accountant (William Fichtner) and Jonah King (Billy Burke) with help from friend Webster (David Morse) and hot waitress Piper (Amber Heard) from Stillwater, La.; does $28.9M box office on a $50M budget. Zhang Yimou's The Flowers of War (Dec. 16), based on the novel "The 13 Women of Nanjing" by Geling Yan, and set during the 1937 Rape of Nanjing stars Christian Bale. Will Gluck's Friends with Benefits (July 22) stars Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis, who try to have sex without a relationship; does $150M box office on a $49M budget. Craig Gillespie's Fright Night (Aug. 14) (DreamWorks Pictures) (Reliance Entertainment) (Michael De Luca Productions) (Walt Disney Studios), a remake of the 1985 film stars Anton Yelchin as Las Vegas teenie Charley Brewster, who discovers that his weird next-door neighbor Jerry Dandridge (Colin Farrell) is a vampire, and nobody believes him; David Tennant plays Las Vegas magician and vampire expert Peter Vincent; Christopher Mintz-Plasse plays Charley's friend Edward "Evil Ed" Lee; Imogen Poots plays Charley's babe Amy Peterson; does $41M box office on a $30M budget. Christopher Neil's Goats (Jan. 24), based on the 2011 Mark Jude Poirier novel stars David Duchovny as pot-smoking Goat Man, surrogate father of 15-y.-o. Ellis Whitman (Graham Phillips), who has to leave his home and flaky New Ager mother Wendy (Vera Farmiga) in Tucson, Ariz. for East Coast prep school Gates Academy. Michel Gondry's The Green Hornet (Jan. 14), updated to PC heaven to make Kato the real brains behind the outfit stars Seth Rogen as Britt Reid AKA the Green Bee, er, Green Hornet, and Jay Chou as Kato. Joe Wright's Hanna (Apr. 7) stars Saoirse Ronan as a genetically-enhanced girl raised in the N Finland wilderness by her ex-CIA agent father Erik Heller (Eric Bana) to be an assassin, who is later hunted by CIA agent Marissa Wiegler (Cate Blanchett); does $63.8M box office on a $30M budget. Martin Scorsese's 3-D Hugo (Nov. 23), based on Brian Selznick's 2007 novel "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" and set in a 1930s Paris railway station stars Asa Butterfield as Hugo Cabret, Sir Ben Kingsley as toy shop owner Papa Georges, Jude Law as Hugo's clockmaker father, and Sacha Baron Cohen as Inspector Gustav. Tanya Wexler's Hysteria (Sept. 15) (Beachfront Films) (Chimera Films) (Beachfront Films) (Chimera Films) is a British comedy starring Jonathan Pryce as Dr. Robert Dalrymple, a nd Hugh Dancy as Dr. Mortimer Granville, who invent the vibrator in 1880 to cure female hysteria, becoming wealthy, with Martimer marrying Dalrymple's feminist daughter Charlotte Dalrymple (Maggie Gyllenhaal); (Feb. 18), based on the Pittacus Lore novel stars Alex Pettyfer as extraterrestrial superman John, who falls in love with Earth babe Sarah (Dianna Agron) while he's supposed to be saving Earth along with Number Six (Teresa Palmer) and his mentor Henri (Timothy Olyphant). George Clooney's The Ides of March (Aug. 31) (Columbia Pictures), based on the 2008 Beau Willmimon play "Farragut North" stars Clooney as Penn. Dem. gov. Mike Morris, Philip Seymour Hoffman as his campaign mgr. Paul Zara, and Ryan Gosling as his asst. Stephen Meyers, who hooks up with Morris' intern Molly Stearns (Evan Rachel Wood), whom he also hooks up with, causing a potential scandal, after which Zara stabs Meyers in the back, and he gets even using N.C. Dem. Sen. Franklin Thompson (Jeffrey Wright) as bait; Paul Giamatti plays rival Ted Pullman's campaign mgr. Tom Duffy; Marisa Tomei plays NYT reporter Ida Horowicz; does $76M box office on a $12.5M budget. D.J. Caruso's I Am Number Four (Feb. 18) (DreamWorks Pictures) (Reliance Entertainment) (Walt Disney Studios) (Touchstone Pictures), based on the 2010 Pittacus Lore teeny sci-fi novel Alex Pettyfer as superman John Smith AKA Number Four from the planet Lorien, leader of eight who fights the invading Mogadorians, who have to kill them in sequence; meanwhile John falls in love with Earth babe Sarah (Dianna Agron) while he's supposed to be saving Earth along with Number Six (Teresa Palmer) and his mentor Henri (Timothy Olyphant); does $150M box office on a $50M budget. Andrew Niccol's In Time (Oct. 28) stars Amanda Seyfried and Justin Timberlake in a dystopian 2026, where humans are genetically engineered to stop aging at 25 and can only live longer by earning it, allowing the rich to get rid of the poor; brings in $173.9M on a $40M budget. Phyllida Lloyd's The Iron Lady (Dec. 26) (20th Cent. Fox) (Weinstein Co.) (Icon Productions) stars Meryl Streep as British PM Margaret Thatcher, Jim Broadbent as her hubby Denis, and Anthony Head as PM Sir Geoffrey Howe; does $115M box office on a $10.6M budget. William Friedkin's Killer Joe (Sept. 8) (Voltage Pictures) (LD Entertainment) is an Am. Southern Gothic film based on the 1993 Tracy Letts play, starring Matthew McConaughey as hired killer Joe "Killer" Cooper, who is hired by 22-y.-o. West Dallas, Tex. drug dealer Chris Smith (Emile Hirsch) to kill his mother Adele for the insurance money and ends up making Sharla Smith (Gina Gershon), wife of Ansel Smith (Thomas Haden Church) suck his drumstick while chasing his sister, hot Dottie Smith (Juno Temple); an NC-17 rating lowers box office receipts; does $3.7M box office on a $10M budget. Neil Burger's Limitless (Mar. 8), based on the 2001 novel "The Dark Fields" by Alan Glynn (1960-) stars Bradley Cooper as Eddie Morra, a New York City author suffering from writer's block, who starts taking smart drug NZT-48, which changes him into a stock market wizard and causes him to hook up with business tycoon Carl Van Loon (Robert De Niro) while he begins using 100% of his brainpower all the way to the White House; does $161.8M box office on a $27M budget. Marc Forster's Machine Gun Preacher (Sept. 23) (Relativity Media) (Lionsgate) stars Gerard Butler as Sam Childers, and Michelle Monaghan as his babe Lynn Childers, wh rescue rescue children in South Sudan from the Lord's Resistance Army with the help of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA); does $3.3M box office on a $30M budget. Kenneth Lonergan's Margaret (Sept. 30), held up for 4 years in court stars Anna Paquin as New York h.s. student Lisa Cohen, who witnesses a bus accident in Manhattan and flirts with her teacher Aaron Caije (Matt Damon) when not appearing in court with bus driver Jason "Maretti" Berstone (Mark Ruffalo). Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris (May 20) stars Owen Wilson as Hollywood screenwriter Gil, and Rachel McAdams as his fiancee Inez, who vacation in Paris with her wealthy conservative parents Mimi Kennedy and Kurt Fuller, then hook up with her friend Paul (Michael Sheen), and get transported to the 1920s, meeting Lost Generation figures incl. Gertrude Stein (Kathy Bates); Allen's highest-grossing film (until ?). Bennett Miller's Moneyball (Sept. 9) (Columbia Pictures), based on the 2003 Michael Lewis book is a clone of "The Social Network" starring Brad Pitt as Oakland Athletics gen. mgr. Billy Beane, who pisses-off mgr. Art Howe (Philip Seymour Hoffman) by hiring geeky Yale econ. grad Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) to recruit new better and cheaper players using raw number-crunching, causing a 20-game winning streak in 2002; too bad, the system is adopted by other teams, and after making the playoffs for five straight seasons, they don't make it for the next five; does $110M box office on a $50M budget. Simon Curtis' My Week with Marilyn (Oct. 9) (BBC Films) (Weinstein Co.)), written by Adrian Hodges stars Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe, and Kenneth Branagh as Laurence Olivier (who later claims that the experiment killed his desire to direct again) during a week in 1957 while filming "The Prince and the Showgirl" when he she is being escorted around London by Oliver's asst. Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne) after her hubby Arthur Miller (Dougray Scott) returns to the U.S., falling for her and getting his heart broken; Judi Dench plays dowager queen Sybil Thorndike; does $35M box office on a £6.4M budget. Greg Mottola's Paul (Feb. 14) (Relativity Media) (Working Title Films) (Universal Pictures) stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost as Graeme Willy and Clive Gollings, two British sci-fi geeks with a big RV who help wisecracking cig-smoking alcohol-swigging ET Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen) escape from FBI agents Lorenzo Zoll (Jason Bateman), Agent Haggard (Bill Hader) et al. to his home planet, pleasing nostalgia buffs with numerous sci-film references; Sigourney Weaver plays FBI chief Big Guy; Jeffrey Tambor plays famous sci-fi writer Adam Shadowchild; features a voice cameo by Steven Spielberg; "Who's up for a close encounter?"; does $98M box office on a $40M budget. Scott Rosenbaum's The Perfect Age of Rock 'n' Roll (Aug. 5) about the 27 Club stars Kevin Zegers as 27-y.-o. has-been rock star Spyder, whose debut album was a hit but 2nd album tanked, causing him to go back to his small hometown, hooking up seven years later at age 27 with writer of his debut album Eric, son of a punk rock guitar legend who turned music school teacher, then deciding to go on a band journey along Route 66 to reexamine their lives. Gore Verbinski's Rango (Mar. 4) is an animated film starring the voice of Johnny Depp as a pet chameleon stranded in the Mojave Desert, who meets armadillo Roadkill (Alfred Molina) and searches for the Old West town of Dirt. Catherine Hardwicke's Red Riding Hood (Mar. 7) (Appian Way Productions) (Warner Bros.), produced by Leonardo DiCaprio and based on the Charles Perrault folk tale stars Amanda Seyfried/Megan Charpentier as Valerie, Virginia Madsen as Suzette, Billy Burke as Cesaire, Julie Christie as the Grandmother, Shiloh Fernandez/D.J. Greenburg as Peter, and Gary Oldman as Father Solomon; does $89.1M box office on a $42M budget. Rupert Wyatt's Rise of the Planet of the Apes (Aug. 5), a remake of "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes" (1972) stars James Franco as San Fran scientist Will Rodman, and Andy Serkis as chimp Caesar. Mikael Hafstrom's The Rite (Jan. 28) stars ever-scary Anthony Hopkins as Father Lucas, an exorcist who gets possessed; Colin O'Donogue plays Michael Kovak, who becomes a you know what. James Cameron's 3-D Sanctum (Feb. 3), about a collapsed underwater cave stars Richard Roxburgh as Frank McGuire, Ioan Gruffudd as Carl Hurley, Alice Parkinson as Victoria, and Rhys Wakefield as Josh McGuire. Dominic Sena's Season of the Witch (Jan. 4) (Atlas entertainment) (Lionsgate), set in the year 1344 stars Nicolas Cage and Ron Perlman as Teutonic Knights Sir Behmen von Bleibruck and Sir Felson, who get sick of civilian massacres during the Smyrniot Crusades and desert, finding that the Holy Roman Empire has been devastated by the Black Death, and end up having to escort an accused witch Anna (Claire Foy) to a remote monastery to use the Key of Solomon on her, finding that she's not a witch but only possessed by Baal; does $91.6M box office on a $40M budget. Christopher Suen's Sex and Zen: Extreme Ecstasy (Apr. 14), a remake of a 1991 2D film is a 3D erotic comedy that takes Hong Kong by storm, with a first-day box office greater than "Avatar"; does $6.4M box office on a $3.5M budget. Duncan Jones' Source Code (Apr. 1) stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Capt. Colter Stevens, who becomes a guinea pig for Source Code, designed by Dr. Rutledge (Jeffrey Wright), which allows its user to experience the last 8 min. of another person's life; grosses $147M worldwide. Zack Snyder's Sucker Punch (Mar. 25) (Warner Bros.) stars Emily Browning as Babydoll, who is about to be lobotomized, causing her to fantasize heavily about Sweet Pea (Abbie Cornish), Rocket (Jena Malone), Blondie (Vanessa Hudgens), and Amber (Jamie Chung); "Alice in Wonderland with machine guns"; does $89.8M box office on a $82M budget. J.J. Abrams' Super 8 (June 9) (Bad Robot Productions) (Amblin Entertainment) (Paramount Pictures), produced by Steven Spielberg is a sci-fi horror film starring Joel Courtney (film debut), starring Elle Fanning and Kyle Chandler as teenies Joe Lamb Alice Dainard, and in Lillian, Ohio, who are filming their own Super 8 zombie movie when a train derails, releasing dangerous ETs, becoming a cross between "E.T.", "Stand by Me", and "The Goonies"; Kyle Chandler plays Deputy Joe Lamb; the town's factory has a sign reading "Accident-Free"; does $260.1M box office on a $50M budget. Ami Canaan Mann's Texas Killing Fields (Oct. 14) stars Sam Worthington as Texas cop Mike Souder, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan as New York cop Brian Heigh. Michael Pavone's That's What I Am (Apr. 29), set in the 1960s stars Ed Harris as Mr. Simon, a h.s. teacher suspected of being gay and never denying it while mentoring student Andy Nichol (Chase Ellison); Amy Madigan plays Principal Kelner. Tomas Alfedson's Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Sept. 5) (StudioCanal) (Working Title Films) (Focus Features), based on the 1974 John le Carre novel stars Gary Oldman as George Smiley (Beggarman), who is forced to retire in Oct. 1973 after agent Jim Prideaux (Mark Strong) is sent to Budapest to meet a defecting Hungarian gen. and is captured, causing Percy Alleline (Tinker) (John Hurt) to become the new Control, with Bill Haydon (Tailor) (Colin Firth) as his deputy, launching Operation Witchcraft to exchange Soviet intel for U.S. intel with the CIA, after which Smiley comes out of retirement to catch a suspected mole; Ciaran Hinds plays Roy Bland (Soldier), David Dencik plays Toby Esterhase (Poorman), Toby Jones as Sir Percy Alleline (Tinker), Mark Strong plays Haydon's lover Jim Prideaux; Benedict Cumberbatch plays Smiley's asst. Peter Guillam; does $80.6M box office on a $21M budget; "The fanatic is always concealing the secret doubt." Brett Ratner's Tower Heist (Nov. 2) stars Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Matthew Broderick, and Casey Affleck in a story about getting even with Bernie Maddox type scammer Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda). Paul W.S. Anderson's The Three Musketeers (Oct. 14) stars Logan Lerman as D'Artagnan, Orlando Bloom as the duke of Buckingham, Christoph Waltz as Cardinal richelieu, and Milla Jovovich as M'lady De Winter. Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life (May 16) stars Brad Pitt (Mr. O'Brien), Sean Penn (Jack O'Brien), and Jessica Chastain (Mrs. O'Brien) in a surrealistic visit to 1950s Tex. and the O'Brien family, along with the Big Bang and evolution of the Earth. Madeleine Stowe's Unbound Captives stars Rachel Weisz as widowed frontier woman May, who is rescued by frontiersman Phineas (Robert Pattinson), who helps her search for her kidnapped children. Jaume Collet-Serra's Unknown (Feb. 16) (Warner Bros.), based on the 2003 French novel "Out of My Head" by Didier Van Cauwelaert stars Lian Neeson as Dr. Martin Harris (Liam Neeson), who travels to Berlin with his wife Liz (January Jones), and soon finds himself impersonated by Martin B (Aidan Quinn), and fights to recover his identity only to end up in a spy thriller plot; does $136.1M box office on a $40M budget. Steven Spielberg's War Horse (Dec. 25) (DreamWorks Pictures) (Walt Disney Studios), based on the 1982 Michael Morpurgo children's novel set before/during WWI stars Jeremy Irvine as English teenie Albert Narracott, who raises Bay Thoroughbred foal Joey to be a plow horse before it is sold and shipped overseas as a cavalry horse then captured by the Germans; does $177.6M box office on a $66M budget. Francis Lawrence's Water for Elephants (Apr. 22) (20th Cent. Fox), based on the 2006 Sara Gruen novel stars Robert Pattinson as Polish-Am. Cornell Depression Era vet student Jacob Jankowski, who abandons his studies after his parents are killed and joins the small Benzini Bros. travelling circus, where he falls for Marlena Rosenbluth (Reese Witherspoon) and deals with her ringmaster hubby August Rosenbluth (Christoph Waltz), who mistreats Polish-speaking Rosie the Elephant; does $117M box office on a $38M budget. Madonna's W.E. (Sept. 1) stars Abbie Cornish as lonely NYC housewife Abbie Cornish, who fantasizes about Edward VIII (James D'Arcy) and Wallis Simpson (Andrea Riseborough); does $900K box office on a $29M budget. Cameron Crowe's We Bought a Zoo (Dec 23) (Vinyl Films) (20th Cent. Fox), based on the 2008 memoir by Benjamin Mee stars Matt Damon as widower Benjamin Mee, who purchases a dilapidated zoo and struggles to open it to the public with veteran zookeeper and future babe Kelly Foster (Scarlett Johansson), son Dylan Mee (Colin Ford), daughter Rosie Mee (Maggie Elizabeth Jones), and strict zoo inspector Walter "Walt" Ferris (John Michael Higgins); does $120.1M box office on a $50M budget. Adam Wingard's You're Next (Sept. 10) (HanWay Films) (Lionsgate) debuts, about slashers Fox Mask (Lane Hughes), Lamb Mask (L.C. Holt), and Tiger Mask (Simon Barnett), who attack the Davison family led by Erin (Sharni Vinson) during a wedding anniv. getaway; does $27M box office on a $1M budget, becoming a cult hit. Plays: Bono (1960-), The Edge (1961-), David Campbell (1948-), Julie Taymor (1952-), Glen Berger, and Roberto Aguire-Sacasa (1973-), Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark (rock musical) (Foxwoods Theatre, New York) (June 14) (1,066 perf.); stars Reeve Carney as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Jennifer Damiano as Mary Jane Watson, Patrick Page as Norman Osborn/Green Goblin, T.V. Carpio as Arachne, Michael Mulheren as J. Jonah Jameson, Ken Marks as Uncle Ben, and Isabel Keating as Aunt May; most expensive Broadway production so far (until ?). Rajiv Joseph, (1974-) Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo (Mar. 11) (Richard Rodgers Theatre, New York); the Broadway acting debut of Robin Williams. Robert Lopez (1975-), Trey Parker (1969-), and Matt Stone (1971-), The Book of Mormon (musical) (Eugene O'Neill Theatre, New York) (Mar. 24) (2,538 perf.); two young Mormon missionaries travel to Uganda and run up against reality; the LDS Church responds with ads saying "You've seen the play, now read the book." Alan Menken (1949-), Jack Feldman, and Harvey Fierstein (1954-), Newsies: The Musical (musical) (Paper Mill Playhouse, Milburn, N.J.) (Sept. 25) (Nederlander Theatre, New York) (Mar. 29 2012) (1,005 perf.); based on the 1992 film "Newsies", which was inspired by the 1899 New York City Newsboys Strike. Tim Minchin (1975-) and Dennis Kelly (1969-), Matilda the Musical (musical) (Cambridge Theatre, West End, London) (Nov. 24) (Shubert Theatre, New York) (Apr. 11, 2013); based on the 1988 Roald Dahl children's novel about a 5-y.-o. girl with telekinesis. Poetry: Seth Abramson (1976-), Northerners. Tracy K. Smith (1972-), Life on Mars (May 10) (Pulitzer Prize); about her father, who worked on the Hubble Space Telescope and died in 2008. Novels: Jean Marie Auel (1936-), The Land of Painted Caves (Mar. 29); Earth's Children #6 of 6. Tyra Banks (1973-), Modelland (Sept. 13); Tookie Da La Creme, Dylan, Shiraz, and Piper join the Intoxibellas; NYT bestseller. Julian Barnes (1946-), Pulse (short stories). Richard Barager, Altamont Augie (Apr. 15). Steve Berry (1955-), The Jefferson Key; Cotton Malone #7; The Devil's Gold; Jonathan Wyatt #1. Ernest Cline (1972-), Ready Player One (Aug. 16) (first novel); gunters Wade Watts and Art3mis in the OASIS; filmed in 2016. James S.A. Corey, Leviathan Wakes; about the Expanse, where the Belters who live in the Asteroid Belt come in conflict with people from Earth and Mars. Lisa Genova (1970-), Left Neglected; a woman suffers from left (hemispatial) (unilateral) neglect. Alan Glynn (1960-), The Dark Fields (Limitless); filmed in 2011 by Neil Burger as "Limitless". Victor Davis Hanson (1953-), The End of Sparta: A Novel (first novel). E.L. James (1963-), Fifty Shades of Grey; bestseller (100M copies); Washington State U. senior Anastasia "Ana" Steele hooks up with young entrepreneur Christian Grey and gets into kinky sex wit him; filmed in 2015; followed by "Fifty Shades Darker" (2012), and "Fifty Shades Freed" (2012). Stephen King (1947-), 11.22.63; Maine schoolteacher Jake Effing travels back in time to prevent the assassination of JFK. Adam Lebor, the Budapest Protocol. Haruki Murakami (1949-), 1Q84; Aomame likes to kill with slender needles to the back of the neck. Joseph M. Pujals, Islam's Fire: A Bank Robbery with Interest (first novel) (Jan. 12); Carl Lukin traces a $985M theft from the World Bank to radical Pakistani Muslims. Veronica Roth (1988-), Divergent (first novel) (Apr. 25); teenie Beatrice "Tris" Prior in post-apocalyptic Chicago; followed by "Insurgent" (2012), "Allegiant" (2013); filmed in 2014-7. Brian Selznick (1966-), Wonderstruck. Mona Simpson (1957-), My Hollywood; 30-something composer Claire and her Filipino immigrant nanny Lola. Charles Stross (1964-), Rule 34; sequel to "Halting State" (2007). Graham Swift (1949-), Wish You Were Here; caravan park mgr. Jack Luxton on the Isle of Wight pines about the decay of rural England. Brad Thor (1969-), Full Black. Barry Unsworth (1930-2012), The Quality of Mercy (last novel); sequel to "Sacred Hunger" (1992). Luis Alberto Urrea, Queen of America; sequel to "The Hummingbird's Daughter" (2005). Amy Waldman, The Submission; the 9/11 memorial jury inadvertenly picks Muslim architect Mohammad Khan. Andy Weir (1972-), The Martian (first novel); filmed in 2015 by Ridley Scott starring Matt Damon; "Apollo 13 meets Cast Away". Daniel H. Wilson (1978-), Robopocalypse; about a future society where humans rely on robots, until the superintelligent A.I. named Archos appears, plotting to destroy all humanity. Kevin Wilson, The Family Fang (Aug. 9); a kooky family of performance artists; filmed in 2015 by Jason Bateman. Robert Charles Wilson (1953-), Vortex (July). Births: Deaths: Am. "Honey West" actress Anne Francis (b. 1930) on Jan. 2 in Santa Barbara, Calif. (pancreatic cancer). English "Kobayashi in The Usual Suspects" actor Pete Postlethwaite (b. 1946) on Jan. 2 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire (cancer). U.S. WWII Easy Co. leader Maj. Dick Winters (b. 1918) on Jan. 2 in Ephrata, Penn. (Parkinson's). Scottish "Stuck in the Middle" singer Gerry Rafferty (b. 1947) on Jan. 4 in Bournemouth, Dorset (liver failure). Am. Tyson Foods CEO (b. 1930) on Jan. 6 in Fayetteville, Ark. English actress Susannah York (b. 1939) on Jan. 15 in Chelsea (multiple myeloma). Am. music promoter Don Kirshner (b. 1934) on Jan. 17 in Boca Raton, Fla. Am. writer-activist John Ross (b. 1938) on Jan. 17 in Lake Patzcuaro, Mexico (liver cancer). Am. politician R. Sargent Shriver Jr. (b. 1915) on Jan. 18 (Alzheimer's). Am. fitness guru Jack LaLanne (b. 1914) on Jan. 23 in Morro Bay, Calif. (pneumonia). English historian Dorothy Thompson (b. 1923) on Jan. 29. English "James Bond Theme" film composer John Barry (b. 1933) on Jan. 30 in Glen Cove, N.Y. (heart attack). Am. "The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams" writer-dir.-producer Charles Edward Sellier Jr. (b. 1943) on Jan. 11 in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho (suicide). French "The Last Tango in Paris" actress Maria Schneider (b. 1952) on Feb. 3 in Paris (cancer). Swedish "I Am Curious (Yellow) actress Lena Nyman (b. 1944) on Feb. 4 in Stockholm (cancer). Am. rock guitarist Gary Moore (b. 1952) on Feb. 6 in Estepona, Spain. Am. DEC founder Ken Olsen (b. 1926) on Feb. 6 in Indianapolis, Ind. Am. football player Dave Duerson (b. 1960) on Feb. 17 in Sunny Isles Beach, Fla. (suicide); leaves message saying he wants his brain to be used for research on Chronic Traumatic Encepalopathy (CTE). Indian guru Premananda (b. 1951) on Feb. 21; dies while serving a double life sentence for rape and murder of girls in his ashram in Tiruchirapally (Trichy). Am. last WWI vet Cpl. Frank Buckles (b. 1901) on Feb. 27 in Charles Town, W. Va. Turkish PM (1996-7) Necmettin Erbakan (b. 1926) on Feb. 27 in Ankara. Dutch physicist Simon van der Meer (b. 1925) on Mar. 4 in Geneva, Switzerland; 1984 Nobel Physics Prize. Am. "Running Bear" singer Johnny Preston (b. 1939) on Mar. 4 in Beaumont, Tex. Am. Miss America 1943 Jean Bartel (b. 1923) on Mar. 6 in Brentwood, Calif. Am. basketball player Chuck Noble (b. 1931) on Mar. 7. Am. journalist David Broder (b. 1929) on Mar. 9 in Arlington, Va. Am. psychologist David Rumelhart (b. 1942) on Mar. 13 in Chelsea, Mich. (Pick's disease). Am. "Dr. Matt Powers in The Doctors" actor James Pritchett (b. 1922) on Mar. 15 in New York City. Tunisian diplomat Mohamed Habib Gherab (b. 1926) on Mar. 17. Am. country singer Ferlin Husky (b. 1925) on Mar. 17 in Westmoreland, Tenn. (heart failure). U.S. defense secy. #63 (1993-7) Warren Christopher (b. 1925) on Mar. 18 in Los Angeles, Calif. Am. writer-artist Jose Arguelles (b. 1939) on Mar. 23 in Australia. English-born Am. "Cleopatra" actress Dame Elizabeth Taylor (b. 1932) on Mar. 23 in Los Angeles, Calif.: "I am a very committed wife; and I should be committed too for being married so many times." Am. historian Edwin Gaustad (b. 1923) on Mar. 25 in Santa Fe, N.M. Am. drummer Carl Bunch (b. 1939) on Mar. 26 in ? (diabetes). Am. Super Glue inventor Harry Coover Jr. (b. 1917) on Mar. 26 in Kingsport, Tenn. Am. Dem. politician Geraldine Ferraro (b. 1935) on Mar. 26 in Boston, Mass. (multiple myeloma). Am. "Rope", "Strangers on a Train" actor Farley Granger (b. 1925) on Mar. 27 in New York City. Am. historian Manning Marable (b. 1950) on Apr. 1 in New York City (sarcoidosis); dies three days before his magnum opus "Malcolm X" is pub. Am. folk musician Gil Robbins (b. 1931) on Apr. 5 in Esteban Cantu, Baja California, Mexico (prostate cancer). Belgian Hoegaarden brewer Pierre Celis (b. 1925) on Apr. 9 in Austin, Tex. Am. oldest Am.-born man Walter Bruening (b. 1896) on Apr. 14 in Great Falls, Mont. English "Sarah Jane Smith in Doctor Who" actress Elisabeth Sladen (b. 1946) on Apr. 19 (cancer). Am. TelePrompTer inventor Hubert "Hub" Schlafly (b. 1919) on Apr. 20 in Stamford, Conn. Am. "Honey Parker in Attack of the 50 Foot Woman" actress Yvette Vickers (b. 1936) on Apr. 27 in Benedict Canyon, Los Angeles, Calif.; her mummified body is found after ? weeks/months. Am. Christian evangelist David Wilkerson (b. 1931) on Apr. 21 on U.S. Route 175, Tex. (auto accident). Australian radio astronomer Bernard Mills (b. 1920) on Apr. 25 in Sydney. Am. feminist writer Joanna Russ (b. 1937) on Apr. 29 in Tucson, Ariz. Saudi al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden (b. 1957) on May 1 in Abbottabad, Pakistan (KIA); leaves a 255-page diary. Am. physicist Robert Brout (b. 1928) on May 3 in Brussels, Belgium. Am. "Perry White in Superman" actor Jackie Cooper (b. 1922) on May 3 in Beverly Hills, Calif. British-born Australian last WWI combat veteranu Claude Stanley Choules (b. 1901) on May 5 in Perth. Spanish golfer Seve Ballesteros (b. 1957) on May 7 in Pedrena, Cantabria (brain tumor). Canadian CCD inventor Willard Sterling Boyle (b. 1924) on May 7 in Wallace, N.C.; 2009 Nobel Physics Prize. Am. hall-of-fame baseball player Harmon Killebrew (b. 1936) on May 17 in Scottsdale, Ariz. Am. singing cowboy Ted Johnson (b. 1916) on May 17 in Walnut Creek, Calif. Am. wrestler Macho Man Randy Savage (b. 1952) on May 20 in Seminole, Fla. (heart attack). English-born Mexican artist Leonora Carrington (b. 1917) on May 25 in Mexico City. Am. physicist Hal Lewis (b. 1923) on May 26. Am. poet-musician ("Godfather of Rap") Gil Scott-Heron (b. 1949) on May 27 in New York City. Am. Tex. gov. #42 (1979-83) and #44 (1987-91) Bill Clements (b. 1917) on May 29 in Dallas, Tex. Hungarian pres. #2 (2000-5) Ferenc Madl (b. 1931) on May 29 in Budapest. Am. medical physicist Rosalyn Sussman Yalow (b. 1921) on May 30 in Bronx, N.Y. Am. theatrical producer Philip Rose (b. 1921) on May 31 in Englewood, N.J.; dies 4 mo. before his wife Doris Belack. Am. "Marshall Matt Dillon in Gunsmoke" actor James Arness (b. 1923) on June 3 in Brentwood, Los Angeles, Calif. Romanian-born Israeli shipping magnate Sammy Ofer (b. 1922) on June 3 in Tel Aviv. Am. right-to-die activist Jack "Dr. Death" Kevorkian (b. 1928) on June 3 in Royal Oak, Mich. (liver cancer). Am. psychiatrist Arnold M. Cooper (b. 1930) on June 9 in Southampton, N.Y. (lung cancer). British travel writer Sir Patrick Leigh Fermor (b. 1915) on June 10 in Dumbleton. Am. "The Coasters" singer Carl Gardner (b. 1928) on June 12 (heart failure). Soviet human rights activist Yelana Bonner (b. 1923) on June 18 in Boston, Mass. (heart failure). Am. "Lt. Columbo" actor Peter Falk (b. 1927) on June 23 in Los Angeles, Calif. (Alzheimer's). Am. "Perry Mason Theme" composer Fred Steiner (b. 1923) on June 23 in Ajiic, Jalisco, Mexico (stroke). Am. Unix pioneer computer scientist Robert Morris (b. 1932) on June 26 in Lebanon, N.H. Swiss pharmacologist Hartmann F. Stahelin (b. 1925) on July 5. U.S. First Lady (1974-7) Betty Ford (b. 1918) on July 8 in Rancho Mirage, Calif.; she and hubby Gerald Ford were the 1st U.S. pres. and first lady to both live into their 90s, with the Reagans becoming #2 on July 2. Am. "Gilligan's Island", "The Brady Bunch" TV producer Sherwood Schwartz (b. 1916) on July 12 in Los Angeles, Calif. English actress Googie Withers (b. 1917) on July 15 in Sydney, N.S.W., Australia. Am. Mattel Inc. co-founder Elliot Handler (b. 1916) on July 21 in Los Angeles, Calif. Mexican "first Bond girl in Casino Royale" actress Linda Christian (b. 1923) on July 22 in Palm Springs, Calif. Am. "Father of Cryonics" Robert Ettinger (b. 1918) on July 23 in Detroit, Mich.; yes, he is cryopreserved, along with mother and wife Mae Ettinger (d. 2000) at the Cryonics Inst. in Clinton Township, Mich. (founded 1976), patient #106. South Vietnamese PM (1965-7) Nguyen Cao Ky (b. 1930) on July 23 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. English singer Amy Winehouse (b. 1983) on July 23 in London (drug OD); joins the 27 Club, incl. Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and Brian Jones. Am. "America" rock musician Dan Peek (b. 1950) on July 24 in Farmington, Mo. Am. "Sen. Pat Geary in The Godfather Part II" actor G.D. Spradlin (b. 1920) on July 24 in San Luis Obispo, Calif. Australian painter Margaret Olley (b. 1924) on July 26 in Paddington, N.S.W. Japanese baseball pitcher Hideki Irabu (b. 1969) on July 27 in Rancho Pales Verdes, Calif. (suicide by hanging) (still moping about being called a "fat pussy toad" by George Steinbrenner?). English global evangelical movement leader John Stott (b. 1921) on July 27 (3:15 p.m. local time) in Lingfield, Surrey; "The evangelical world has lost one of its greatest spokesmen, and I have lost one of my close personal friends and advisors. I look forward to seeing him again when I go to heaven." (Billy Graham) Am. physicist (George W. Bush science adviser) John Marburger (b. 1941) on July 28 in Port Jefferson, N.Y. (non-Hodgkins lymphoma). Cuban-born Mexican writer Eliseo Alberto (b. 1951) on July 31 in Mexico City (kidney transplant complications). Russian geographer-explorer Andrey Kapitsa (b. 1931) on Aug. 2 in Moscow. Am. "Moses Hightower in Police Academy" actor-athlete Bubba Smith (b. 1945) on Aug. 3 in Los Angeles, Calif. German last gay Nazi death camp survivor Rudolf Brazda (b. 1913) on Aug. 3 in Bantzenheim, E France. Russian physicist Vladimir Lobashev (b. 1934) on Aug. 3. Am. feminist psychologist Carol Nagy Jacklin (b. 1939) on Aug. 8 in Julian, Calif. (cancer). Am. robotics pioneer George Devol (b. 1912) on Aug. 11 in Wilton, Conn. English novelist Stan Barstow (b. 1928) on Aug. 12 in Baglan, Neath Port Talbot, Wales. Slovenian PM (2000) Andrej Bajuk (b. 1943) on Aug. 16 in Ljubljana. Am. historian John R. Hubbard (b. 1918) on Aug. 20 in Rancho Mirage, Calif. English actor-dir.-producer John Howard Davies (b. 1939) on Aug. 22 in Blewbury, Oxfordshire (cancer). Am. "Jailhouse Rock", "Hound Dog" songwriter Jerry Leiber (b. 1933) on Aug. 22 in Los Angeles, Calif. Am. baseball pitcher Mike Flanagan (b. 1951) on Aug. 24 in Monkton, Md. (suicide). Lebanese historian Kamal Salibi (b. 1929) on Sept. 1 in Beirut. Am. "JFK in PT 109" actor Cliff Robertson (b. 1923) on Sept. 10 in Stony Brook, N.Y. Romanian-born shipping magnate Yuli Ofer (b. 1924) on Sept. 11 in Herzliya, Israel; wealthiest man in Israel. Am. country singer Wilma Lee Cooper (b. 1921) on Sept. 13 in Sweetwater, Tenn. German physicist Rudolf Mossbauer (b. 1929) on Sept. 14 in Grunwald; 1961 Nobel Physics Prize. Am. singer (Bob Hope's wife) Dolores Hope (b. 1909) on Sept. 19 in Toluca Lake, Los Angeles, Calif. Am. historian Oscar Handlin (b. 1915) on Sept. 20 in Cambridge, Mass.; "He reoriented the whole picture of the American story from the view that America was built on the spirit of the Wild West, to the idea that we are a nation of immigrants." (James Grossman) Afghan pres. #10 (2001) Burhanuddin Rabbani (b. 1940) on Sept. 20 in Kabul (assassinated). Am. country singer-songwriter Johnny "Country" Mathis (b. 1933) on Sept. 27. English historian Patrick Collinson (b. 1929) on Sept. 28. Am. Nat. Park Service head (1993-) Roger George Kennedy (b. 1926) on Sept. 30 (melanoma). Canadian-born Am. biologist Ralph M. Steinman (b. 1943) on Sept. 30 in Manhattan, N.Y.; 2011 Nobel Med. Prize. Palestinian poet Taha Muhammad Ali (b. 1931) on Oct. 2. Am. actress Doris Belack (b. 1926) on Ocr. 4 in New York City; dies 4 mo. after her husband Philip Rose. Am. law prof. Derrick Bell (b. 1930) on Oct. 5 in New York City (cancer). Am. Apple Computer co-founder Steve Jobs (b. 1955) on Oct. 5 in Palo Alto, Calif. (cancer); "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary." (compare to Luke 9:23-24 :) Am. civil rights leader Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth (b. 1922) on Oct. 5 in Birmingham, Ala. Am. Oakland Raiders owner (1970-2011) Al Davis (b. 1929) on Oct. 8 in Oakland, Calif. Am. musician-artist Mikey Welsh (b. 1971) on Oct. 8 in Chicago, Ill. (heart failure from OD). Am. "Laura Harrington Brooks in Peyton Place" actress Patricia Breslin (b. 1931) on Oct. 12 in Baltimore, Md. (pancreatitis). Am. computer scientist Dennis Ritchie (b. 1941) on Oct. 12 in Berkeley Heights, N.J. Canadian silent film actress Barbara Kent (b. 1907) on Oct. 13 in Palm Desert, Calif. Sicilian-born Am. "Leave It to Beaver", "Hawaii Five-O", "Sanford and Son", "Police Woman", "M*A*S*H", "Fantasy Island" jazz composer Pete Rugolo (b. 1915) on Oct. 16 in Sherman Oaks, Calif. English auto racer Dan Wheldon (b. 1978) on Oct. 16 in Las Vegas, Nev. (collision at the 2011 IZOD IndyCar World Championship at Las Vegas Motor Speedway). Am. historian John Morton Blum (b. 1921) on Oct. 17 in North Branford, Conn. Libyan dictator (1969-2011) Muammar Gaddafi (b. 1942) on Oct. 20 near Sirte; dragged from a drainpipe then lynched by a mob after a rebel fighter sodomizes him with a knife; on Oct. 26 after 5 days of public display in a meat market refrigerator, his body is buried in a secret location in the desert. Am. rock photographer Barry Feinstein (b. 1931) on Oct. 21 in Kingston, N.Y. Am. CBS-TV journalist Bob Pierpoint (b. 1925) on Oct. 22. Saudi crown prince (2005-11) Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (b. 1928) on Oct. 22 in New York City. Am. chemist Herbert Aaron Hauptman (b. 1917) on Oct. 23 in Buffalo, N.Y.; 1985 Nobel Chem. Prize. Am. country singer Liz Anderson (b. 1927) on Oct. 31 in Nashville, Tenn. Niger pres. #3 (1987-93) Ali Saibou (b. 1940) on Oct. 31. Am. "Dorothy's father in The Golden Girls"actor Sid Melton (b. 1917) on Nov. 2 in Burbank, Calif. (pneumonia). Am. IBM exec John Roberts Open (b. 1925) on Nov. 3 in Ft. Myers, Fla. Am. TV commentator Andy Rooney (b. 1919) on Nov. 4; dies 1 mo. after leaving 60 Minutes. Colombian FARC guerrilla leader Guillermo Leon Saenz (b. 1948) on Nov. 4 in Suarez, Cauca (KIA). Am. heavyweight champion boxer "Smokin' Joe" Frazier (b. 1944) on Nov. 7 in Philadelphia, Penn. (liver cancer). Jamaican-born Am. rapper Heavy D (b. 1967) on Nov. 8 in Beverly Hills, Calif. (respiratory distress). Am. "The Family Circus" cartoonist Bil Keane (b. 1922) on Nov. 8 in Paradise Valley, Ariz. (heart failure). Am. basketball player Ed Macauley (b. 1928) on Nov. 8 in St. Louis, Mo. Indian-born Am. biochemist Har Gobind Khorana (b. 1922) on Nov. 9 in Concord, Mass.; 1968 Nobel Med. Prize. Swiss-born U.S. neocon defense expert Fred Charles Ikle (1924) on Nov. 10 in Bethesda, Md. Swedish Miss World 1951 Kiki Haakansson (b. 1929) on Nov. 11 in Los Angeles, Calif. Am. Death House Landlady Dorothea Puente (b. 1929) on Mar. 27 Chowchilla, Calif.; dies in prison. Am. breast cancer activist Evelyn Lauder (b. 1936) on Nov. 12 in Manhattan, N.Y. (breast cancer). Am. basketball player-coach Walt Hazzard (b. 1942) on Nov. 18 in Los Angeles, Calif. British-Am. New Age psychotherapist Roger J. Woolger (b. 1944) on Nov. 18 in New Platz, N.Y. English "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen" actor John Neville (b. 1925) on Nov. 19 in Toronto, Ont. (Alzheimer's). English "A Taste of Honey" dramatist Shelagh Delaney (b. 1939) on Nov. 20 in Suffolk (breast cancer). Am. biologist Lynn Margulus (b. 1938) on Nov. 22 in Amherst, Mass. Am. jazz drummer Paul Motian (b. 1931) on Nov. 22 in Manhattan, N.Y. Nigiarian Biafran pres. #1 (1967-70) Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu (b. 1933) on Nov. 26 in the U.K. Am. astronomer Charles Thomas Kowal (b. 1940) on Nov. 28 in Cinebar, Wash. Am. "Captain America" comic book writer Joe Simon (b. 1913) on Dec. 14 in New York City. French couture embroiderer Francois Lesage (b. 1929) on Dec. 1. Am. country singer Billie Jo Spears (b. 1937) on Dec. 14 in Vidor, Tex. (cancer). English-born Am. atheist writer-critic Christopher Hitchens (b. 1949) on Dec. 15 in Houston, Tex. (esophageal cancer). British actor Nicol Williamson (b. 1936) on Dec. 16 in Amsterdam, Netherlands; "The greatest actor since Marlon Brando" (John Osborn). Korean dictator (1994-2011) Kim Jong-il (b. 1941) on Dec. 17. Czech pres. (1989-2003) and writer Vaclav Havel (b. 1936) on Dec. 18 in Hradecek.



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2012 - The Mormon vs. Muslim in the White House Decision Year? Is this really the year that that Old Dragon Satan makes his big move, or the year that he moves over for the New Age? The Benghazi Sandy Hook Year?

Barack Obama of the U.S. (1961-) Mitt Romney of the U.S. (1947-) Adam Lanza (1992-2012) 2012 Venus Transit Enrique Pena Nieto of Mexico (1966-) London Olympics, 2012 John Christopher Stevens of the U.S. (1960-2012) John Christopher Stevens of the U.S. (1960-2012) John Christopher Stevens of the U.S. (1960-2012) Mac Thornberry of the U.S. (1958-) U.S. Sen. James Inhofe (1934-) Francois Hollande of France (1954-) Mohamed Morsi of Egypt (1951-2019) Egyptian Gen. Abdel Fattah el-Sisi (1954-) Otto Pérez Molina of Guatemala (1950-) Federico Franco of Paraguay (1962-) Abdullah Nsur of Jordan Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi of Yemen (1945-) John Dramani Mahama of Ghana (1958-) Mohammed Waheed Hassan Manik of Maldives (1953-) Dioncounda Traoré of Mali (1942-) Bo Xilai of China (1949-) Nicolae Timofti of Moldova (1948-) Joachim Gauck of Germany (1940-) Victor Ponta of Romania (1972-) Sauli Niinistö of Finland (1948-) Joyce Banda of Mali (1950-) Leonid Tibilov of South Ossetia (1952-) Ahmed Qattan of Saudi Arabia Perry Christie of Bahamas (1943-) Laurent Lamothe of Haiti (1972-) Coptic Pope Tawadros II (1952-) Tomislav Nikolic of Serbia (1952-) U.S. Pres. Donald John Trump (1946-) Shenzhou 9 Crew, 2012 Jim Yong Kim (1959-) Mohammed Khairat Saad El-Shater of Egypt (1950-) Shadi al-Moulawi (1987-) Malala Yousafzai (1997-) Abul-Qaqa (-2012) Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera Mo Yan (1955-) Arsala Rahmani of Afghanistan (-2012) British Cmdr. Sarah West (1972-) Serge Haroche (1944-) David J. Wineland (1944-) Robert J. Lefkowitz (1943-) Brian Kent Kobilka (1955-) Sir John Bertrand Gurdon (1933-) Shinya Yamanaka (1962-) Alvin E. Roth (1951-) Lloyd Stowell Shapley (1923-2016) James Eagan Holmes (1987-) Wade Michael Page (1971-2012) Floyd Lee Corkins II (1985-) Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul Ahsan Nafis Naeem Davis (1983-) Aqab Hussain (1991-) Yoselyn 'Josie' Ortega Samuel Little (1940-) Eben Alexander III (1953-) Claude Allègre (1937-) Chris Clark (1960-) William Nordhaus (1941-) Philip Humber (1982-) Rael Jean Isaac (1933-) Matt Kenseth (1972-) Pablo Sandoval (1986-) Bubba Watson (1978-) Oscar Pistorius of South Africa (1986-) Luka Magnotta (1982-) Tim Tebow (1987-) Demaryius Thomas (1987-) Jonathan Quick (1983-) Jamie Moyer (1962-) Rita Ora (1990-) Mary Higby Schweitzer (1955-) Jennifer Doudna (1964-) Cheryl Strayed (1968-) Fritz Vahrenholt (1949-) Sebastian Lüning (1970-) David Barton (1954-) Richard Cevantis Carrier (1969-) Sandy Darity Jr. (1952-) Gillian Flynn (1971-) Fred Goodwin (1958-) John Green (1977-) Tom Holland (1968-) Fredrik Logevall (1963-) Dylan Moran (1971-) Psy (1977-) Tom Reiss (1964-) Luke Thomas (1993-) Robert Leopold Spitzer (1932-) Imagine Dragons 'Arrow', 2012- 'Elementary', 2012- 'Major Crimes', 2012- 'Nashville', 2012- 'The Newsroom', 2012-14 'Scandal', 2012- 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time', 2012 'Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter', 2012 'Battleship', 2012 'The Cabin in the Woods', 2012 'Django Unchained', 2012 'Here Comes the Devil', 2012 'Hotel Transylvania', 2012 'Hunger Games', 2012 'John Carter', 2012 'Life of Pi', 2012 'Lincoln', 2012 'Looper', 2012 'Mars et Avril', 2012 'Men in Black 3', 2012 'The Possession', 2012 'Prometheus', 2012 'Robot & Frank', 2012 'Rust and Bone', 2012 'Sinister', 2012 'Sir Billi', 2012 'Skyfall', 2012 'The Three Stooges', 2012 'Veep', 2012 'The Woman in Black', 2012 'Wreck-It Ralph', 2012 'Zero Dark Thirty', 2012 Aquanura Fountain, 2012 Louvre Abu Dhabi, 2012 Ryungyong Hotel, 2012 Marlin Park, 2012 Barclays Center, 2012 CCTV HQ, Beijing, China, 2012

2012 Chinese Year: Dragon (Jan. 23). Doomsday Clock: 5 min. to midnight. Time Mag. Person of the Year: Barack Obama (1961-) (first time 2008). The Alan Turing Year in the computer world (born June 23, 1912). U.S. foreign aid: two-thirds goes to Muslim nations, of which half goes to Arab nations. Facebook hits 1B users on ? Asian pop. in U.S.: 18.9M (2.9%); Hispanic pop.: 53M (2.2% increase). Oil production in Iraq reaches 3M barrels/day for the first time since 1990, reaching 3.4M barrels by the end of the year, becoming the world's #3 oil exporter, on a course to pass Saudi Arabia. The U.S. exports $110B worth of goods to Red China, which exports $425B to the U.S., becoming the largest trade deficit one nation has with another so far in history (until ?); the merchandise trade deficit with Red China tops $300B, continuing until ? after a peak of $418.2B in 2018. The U.S. Border Patrol makes 356,873 arrests, up 9% from 2011 (327,577). World poverty fell by 50% since 2000. The obesity rate in Mexico is 32%, vs. 9.5% in 1988, with 70% of the pop. overweight. Abortions in New York City: 42.4% black (31,328, vs. 24,758 black babies born). Attacks by Afghan insiders on U.S. and NATO troops: 47, killing 61 (vs. 20 in 2011). 30K+ elephants are killed in Africa, mainly by Al-Shabaab. The city of Manama, Bahrain is declared the capital of Arab culture by the Arab League. The 2012-14 North Am. Drought is an expansion of the 2010-2012 Southern U.S. Drought; the Calif. drought is the worst in 1.2K+ years. On Jan. 1 (Sun.) a 7.0 earthquake hits Honshu, Japan; the Fukushima Daichi Power Plant isn't affected. On Jan. 1 a new gay history law (SB48) takes effect in Calif., along with a law giving financial aid to illegal immigrant college students. On Jan. 1 new French citizenship law stiffens the reqts. On Jan. 1 Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu announces the building of a new security fence along the border with Jordan to go with the one along the Egyptian border. On Jan. 1 a string of arson attacks on a mosque, Hindu temple, and Muslim-owned convenience store in Queens, N.Y. by Ray Lazier Lengend, who later tells police that he wanted to take out "as many Muslims and Arabs as possible" pisses-off Muslims and PC police, who forget about everything but the mosque, which he attacked for not letting him use the bathroom. On Jan. 1 Muslims in Dushanbe, Tajikistan shouting "infidel" murder Parvis Davlatbekov for walking around in a Santa Claus suit. On Jan. 1 the "majoritarian" right wing Fidesz Party 2012 Hungarian Constitution goes into effect, banning same-sex marriage and discriminating against all but mainline Roman Catholicism; on Jan. 2 tens of thousands demonstrate against it in Budapest, Hungary. On Jan. 2 the U.S. announces a $3.5B missile defense equipment sale to UAE. On Jan. 2 Gazan Hamas PM Ismail Haniyeh visits Turkey and "salutes the martyrs and families of the liberty ship Mavi Marmara"; on Jan. 5 he visits Tunisia, and is greeted by Islamist throngs in Tunis, telling them "We shall not relinquish Palestine from the Mediterranean to the Jordan River", to which they chant "Killing the Jew is a duty", causing Ghannouchi to later apologize. On Jan. 2 the 2012 Rose Bowl sees the Oregon Ducks defeat the Wisc. Badgers 45-38, becoming their first win in 95 years; the Rose Parade ends with 5K Occupy protesters escorting it. On Jan. 3 the 2012 Iowa Repub. Caucus is a narrow 8-vote V (30,015 votes to 30,007) for Mitt Romney over formerly last-place Rick Santorum, with Ron Paul #3, Newt Gingrich #4, and Rick Perry #5; Michele Bachmann comes in #6 (last) and drops out of the race; on Jan. 19 the final vote count puts Santorum ahead of Romney by 34 votes (29,839 vs. 29,805), with the results from eight precincts missing. On Jan. 3 Israeli negotiator Yitzhak Molcho and and Palestinian Authority negotiator Saeb Erekat meet in Amman, Jordan for the two parties' first direct talks in over a year; the Palestinians start out by handing their borders and security positions to the Israelis; meanwhile Iranian pres. Madman Inastraightjacket utters the soundbyte that "Israeli attempts to Judaize Jerusalem will bring about its end", calling their occupation of "Palestinian land" "the most important topic in the world". On Jan. 4 the Obama admin. agrees to release Taliban leaders from Guantanamo Bay in return for the Taliban's agreement to set up a negotiation office in Gutter, er, Qatar; too bad, they release Ibrahim al Qosi, who becomes a top cmdr. of AQAP. On Jan. 4 the Obama admin. announces the creation of the U.S. Bureau of Counterterrorism, focusing on foreign terrorists; on Jan. 5 Pres. Obama personally unveils at the Pentagon the 2012 defense strategic review titled Sustaining United States Global Leadership: Priorities for 21st Century Defined, presenting a new defense strategy that places more emphasis on military capabilities in Asia and the Pacific, and no surprise, less on the Muslim World, incl. the largest defense cuts since the end of the Cold War so that the military won't be able to carry out any more large land wars without using reserves, on the shaky assumption that it can rebuilt fast enough if it needs to. On Jan. 4 Pres. Obama uses the Senate recess to appoint Jay Carney and two other Dems. to govt positions; too bad, the Senate isn't officially in recess. On Jan. 4 a prison fight in Altamira Prison in Ciudad Victoria, Mexico kills 31. On Jan. 4 a bus slips off an icy bridge in Guizhou Province, China, killing 18 and injuring 37 of 57 aboard. On Jan. 4 Chinese pres. Hu Jintao pub. an article complaining that Red China and the West are engaged in an escalating culture war, containing the soundbyte: "We must clearly see that international hostile forces are intensifying the strategic plot of westernizing and dividing China." On Jan. 5 a wave of bombings in Shiite areas of Baghdad, Iraq kill 73 and wound scorses, incl. 44 killed and 81 wounded at a police checkpoint W of Nassiriya. On Jan. 5 Turkey arrests retired Gen. Ilker Basbug, former army CIC (until 2010) for plotting against the AKP govt.; he joins 300 other military officers and 98 journalists in jail. On Jan. 5 U.S. State Dept. spokesman Victoria Nuland announces that the U.S. trusts the good intentions of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, saying that statements by deputy leader Rashad Bayoumi that the Camp David Accord with Israel isn't binding and that the Muslim Brotherhood won't recognize Israel under any circumstances can be discarded because he's only one member; on Jan. 18 U.S. ambassador to Egypt Anne Patterson meets with Muslim Brotherhood supreme guide Mohammed Badie to congratulate him for their victory in the parliamentary elections, and after he tells her that Sharia "ensures personal freedoms for all", she apologizes for past U.S. mistakes and promises that the U.S. will "learn from them to avoid their recurrence in the future." On Jan. 6 a suicide attack on a bus carrying police in Damascus, Syria kills 25. On Jan. 7 Coptic Christians in Egypt celebrate Christmas amid reps. of the unfriendly Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), with Pope Shenouda III appealing for nat. unity with the soundbyte: "For the first time in the history of the cathedral, it is packed with all types of Islamist leaders in Egypt. They all agree... on the stability of this country, and in loving it and working for it, and to work with the Copts as one hand for the sake of Egypt." On Jan. 7 exiled Pakistani leader Pervez Musharraf, who has announced plans to return to Pakistan despite threats of prosecution utters the soundbytes that Israel "is not going away", and "There is nothing to lose by trying to get on Israel's good side." On Jan. 7 Kenyan troops in Somalia fighting al-Shabaab officially become part of the African Union Somalia Peacekeeping Force, replacing Ethopian forces. On Jan. 7 U.S. forces rescue 13 Iranian fishermen kidnapped by pirates; on Jan. 10 they rescue six more off Iraq. On Jan. 7 the Miss Calif. USA Pageant, run by Donald Trump is won by Natalie Pack; it features the first two openly lesbian contestants, Jenelle Hutcherson (26), and Mollie Thomas (19). On Jan. 7-8 Mahmoud Abbas visits Uganda. On Jan. 8 Iran announces its 2nd uranium enrichment site, the Fordo Plant near Qum, buried deep underground; U.S. defense secy. Leon Panetta says that Iran hasn't decided to build a nuclear bomb yet, and calls for continuing pressure to make sure they don't, warning against a strike by Israel, which could trigger Iranian retaliation against the U.S. On Jan. 8 a gunman in an Afghan army uniform opens fire on a group of Americans in Zabul Province, Afghanistan, killing one soldier and wounding another. On Jan. 8 Russian troops and Islamists clash in Chechnya, killing four soldiers and four militants. On Jan. 8 Ala. Muslim convert Luis Ibarra-Hernandez (1990-) is arrested after he shoots out windows of businesses in Alabama City in order to lure police into a shootout to draw attention to himself and Islam. On Jan. 9 the U.S. debt of $15.23T becomes as big as the entire U.S. economy ($15.17T). On Jan. 9 3M Roman Catholics hold their annual day-long procession in Manila, Philippines despite a pres. warning that Muslim terrorists might be targeting it; meanwhile Pope Benedict XVI delivers his 2012 State of the World Address, claiming that same-sex marriage undermines the family, and "threatens human dignity and the future of humanity itself". On Jan. 9 Kosovo-born Fla. Islamist Sami Osmakac (1986-) is charged with plotting to go on jihad in Tampa Bay; he had posted on YouTube under the alias Abdul Samia, promising that Muslims will work to "fight the Christians, to close down the churches, to divide, to destroy, take down the cross, to kill all the swine"; meanwhile Muslim convert and ex-U.S. Army soldier Craig Baxam of Md. is charged with attempting to join al-Shabaab in Somalia; he utters the soundbyte: "We all have to die, so why not die the Islamic way?" On Jan. 9 Israel passes a new Law to Prevent Infiltration, providing up to three years in jail without trial for illegal immigrants or those helping them after they enter. On Jan. 9 an Afghan soldier fires a U.S. military personnel playing volleyball in Qalat, S Afghanistan, killing one and wounding three before being killed. On Jan. 9 (eve.) three car bombs in Baghdad, Iraq aimed at Shiites kill 17+; on Jan. 12 Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan warns Iraqi PM Nouri al-Maliki that this actions in removing Sunnis from the govt. are retreating Iraq from democracy; on Jan. 14 al-Maliki criticizes Turkey for its "surprise interference" in its internal affairs. On Jan. 9 a U.S. News and World Report Poll finds that Americans fear Pres. Obama's election by 2-1 (33% to 16%). On Jan. 9-14 Iranian pres. Madman Inastraightjacket visits Latin Am., incl. leftist Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Ecuador, and Guatemala; on Jan. 10 he jokes with Hugo Chavez "That hill will open up and a big atomic bomb will come out"; on Jan. 12 he attends the inaguration of Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua. On Jan. 10 Scotland is granted the right to vote on independence by Britain; too bad, Scottish Nat. Party head Alex Salmond wants to delay the vote for several years. On Jan. 10 Syrian dictator-pres. Bashed Head, er, Bashar Assad gives his first speech since June, refusing to step down and blaming foreigners for the unrest, vowing to use an "iron hand" against them; meanwhile Turkey intercepts a suspected military shipment to Syria. On Jan. 10 a car bomb in a market in Jamrud, Paksitan kills 35 and wounds 69. On Jan. 10 the 2012 N.H. Repub. Pres. Primary is a V for Mitt Romney, with Ron Paul #2, and Jon Huntsman #3. On Jan. 10 Iranian nuclear scientist Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan is killed in a car bomb attack in Tehran, becoming the 4th in the last two years; the Iranians send a letter to the U.S. and U.K. claiming to have evidence that it was done by the Mossad in league with the CIA and MI6. On Jan. 10 former U.S. Marine Amir Mirzaei Hekmati, who worked on the reality-based war game "Assault on Iran" by Kuma Games and was arrested last Aug. is convicted of spying in Iran, and sentenced to death. On Jan. 11 a 7.6 earthquake in Sumatra, Indonesia near Padang in West Sumatra kills 1.1K+. On Jan. 11 tens of thousands demonstrate in Nigeria over a doubling of gas prices. On Jan. 11 U.S. deputy secy. of state William Burns becomes the highest U.S. official to meet with the Muslim Brotherhood in Cairo, with political arm head Mohamed Morsi (1951-2019) "hailing" its new ties with the U.S., saying that relations between the U.S. and Egypt "must be balanced", that past U.S. support of Israel has been "biased and not in its interest", because the U.S. should adopt "a positive position concerning Arab and Muslim causes"; meanwhile former U.S. pres. Jimmy Carter says that he's pleased with the Egyptian elections, and that he and George Soros, er, the U.S. govt. have "no problem" with Islamists coming to power, and on Jan. 12 meets with Morsi in Cairo. On Jan. 11 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 9-0 in Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School vs. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that churches have the right to make employment decisions free from govt. interference over discrimination laws with the "ministerial exception", handing the Obama admin. a big D. On Jan. 11 the first U.S. drone strike since the Nov. snafu kills four Islamist militants in North Waziristan, Pakistan. On Jan. 11 the govt. of Tajikisan announces that it has clamped down on the Islamist Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), arresting 200 and convicting 168. On Jan. 11 (Joan of Arc Day) French Green Party pres. candidate Eva Joly calls for France to honor Muslim and Jewish festivals, not just Christian ones. On Jan. 11 the city council of Los Angeles, Calif. passes a law making it mandatory for porno actors to wear condoms. On Jan. 12 AP reveals that the U.S. has created a $5M Pakistan Counter-Extremism Unit running out of its embassy. On Jan. 12 Pakistani PM Yusuf Raza Gilani fires defense chief lt. gen. Naeem Khalid Lodhi after first criticizing army chief (since Nov. 29, 2007) Gen. Ashfaq Kayani and ISI chief (since Oct. 2008) Lt. Gen. Ahmad Shuja Pasha, causing fears of a military coup; on Jan. 25 Gilani and Kayani announce that they've reconciled. On Jan. 12 Pissgate (Abu Ghraib II) (Abu Piss?) sees a video circulating on the Internet showing four U.S. Marines urinating on the corpses of Taliban fighters in Afghanistan, pissing-off Afghan Pres. Hamid Karzai and bringing out the PC police, causing Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James F. Amos to appoint a 3-star gen. to investigate after Pres. Obama spokesmen Leon Panetta, Hillary Clinton et al. condemn it; the Marines are identified and prosecuted; meanwhile there is a groundswell of support for them since Talibanis are barbarians who do far worse to their enemies, incl. splashing acid in their faces - I thought Obama said that Talibanis are not true Muslims because they pervert the religion? On Jan. 12 the Iraeli supreme court by 6-5 upholds a law banning Palestinians married to Israelis from living in Israel, with judge Asher Grunis uttering the soundbyte "Human rights are not a prescription for national suicide." On Jan. 12 a U.S. drone strike in Dogga, North Waziristan (near Miramsham) kills six militants. On Jan. 13 after sweeping political and economic changes, and a cease-fire with ethnic rebels, Myanmar (Burma) frees hundreds of its most famous political inmates to court the West to lift sanctions, and on Jan. 13 the U.S. restores full diplomatic relations. On Jan. 13 after they tell him that he's not welcome to visit Lebanon because of support for Israel, U.N. secy.-gen. Ban Ki-moon demands the disarmament of Hezbollah. On Jan. 13 the giant Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia carrying 4.2K hits a reef off Isola del Giglio (Goat Island), Tuscany near the Italian coast, killing 32 of 4,252 passengers and 1,023 crew, with 200 initially trapped onboard; ship capt. Francesco Schettino is arrested for manslaughter, causing a shipwreck, and abandoning ship. On Jan. 13 Swedish-Lebanese suspected Hezbollah member Atris Hussein is arrested for allegedly targeting Jews and Americans in Bangkok. On Jan. 13 fifteen Turkish academics sign a declaration in Ankara protesting the Info. and Communications Technology Authority (BTK) Act, which is due to be implemented in Aug., which filters out offensive content, incl. words like "sex" and "gay", Darwinian evolution sites, and "separatist propaganda". On Jan. 14 Otto Fernando Perez (Pérez) Molina (1950-) of the Patriotic Party becomes pres. #36 of Guatemala (until Sept. 3, 2015), going on to call for the legalization of drugs. On Jan. 14 a Sunni suicide bomber detonates among a group of Shiite pilgrims near Basra, Iraq, killing 53. On Jan. 14 hundreds of protesters screaming for a Sharia state attack the offices of the home ministry in Jakarta, Indonesia. On Jan. 14-19 Chinese PM Wen Jiabao visits Saudi Arabia (first trip by a Chinese PM in two decades), Qatar (first-ever), and the UAE (first-ever); on Jan. 15 Jiabao meets with Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, secy.-gen. of the Org. of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), announcing an agreement on strategic relations between China and the Muslim World; China is thinking of ending its long relationship with Iran and getting a new oil source? On Jan. 14 Palestinians for Dignity becomes the first group of Palestinians to protest in front of the Palestinian Authority compound Al-Muqata'a, saying that they are tired of the farcical "negotiations about negotiations" in Amman. On Jan. 15 Sunni suicide bombers in military uniforms attack a mainly Shiite police HQ in Ramadi, Iraq, killing 10. On Jan. 15 a remote-controlled bomb blast near a Shiite Muslim procession in Khanpur, Pakistan kills 18 and injures 30. On Jan. 15 al-Qaida militants seize control of Radda, Yemen SE of Sana'a, and raise the al-Qaida flag over the citadel in the name of Ayman al-Zawahiri. On Jan. 15 the Austere Challenge 12 joint U.S.-Israeli war games are called off by Israeli defense minister Ehud Barak for 6 mo., causing speculation of an imminent attack on Iran. On Jan. 15 Pres. Obama attends mosque, er, Zion Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., his 3rd church attendance in 1 mo. On Jan. 15 the 2012 Golden Globes are broadcast from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. by NBC-TV and hosted by Ricky Gervais (3rd straight year); "The Artist" wins three awards, and "The Descendants" wins two awards. On Jan. 16 Saudi Arabia announces that if Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz it will make up any oil shortfall by increasing production, causing Iran to reply that they will face "consequences". On Jan. 16 U.N. secy.-gen. Ban Ki-Moon calls on the U.N. Security Council to act with "seriousness" on Syria; meanwhile 11 are killed across Syria, while Bashar Assad offers the protesters amnesty for the 10-mo. uprising if they give up; on Jan. 22 Arab foreign ministers meet to discuss the situation. On Jan. 16 British deputy PM Nick Clegg meets with Palestinian Authority pres. Mahmoud Abbas, and utters the soundbyte that Israeli settlement construction is "vandalism". On Jan. 16 "Arab hackers" take down the Israeli Stock Exchange and El Al Web sites, and promise to bring down more until "Israel apologizes to the people of the Gaza genocide." On Jan. 16 the Research Center for Islamic Legislation and Ethics (CILE) is founded in Qatar, backed by Muslim Brotherhood leader Youssef Qaradawi, and headed by Swiss Muslim Tariq Ramadan. On Jan. 16 after Jon Huntsman of Utah drops out and throws his support behind front runner Mitt Romney, the Repub. pres. debate in S.C. sees Newt Gingrich receive three standing ovations (first time since Ronald Reagan in N.H. in 1980); Tex. Gov. Rick Perry calls Turkey a country "ruled by what many would perceive to be Islamic terrorists", calling for it to be kicked out of NATO and foreign aid cut off, causing Turkish ambassador to the U.S. Namik Tan to respond "The Turkey described in the debate simply does not exist"; on Jan. 19 Perry drops out of the race and endorses Newt Gingrich as "a conservative visionary who can transform our country". On Jan. 16 Germany opens its first univ. dept. of Islamic theology; three more are scheduled. On Jan. 17 37 more are killed in Syria by security forces, causing Pres. Obama to call on Pres. Bashar Assad to step down and end the crackdown. On Jan. 17 Iraq accuses Turkey of meddling with Iraqi politics. On Jan. 17 Iraq's Shiite-majority cabinet suspends Sunni Iraqiya bloc ministers after they boycott it to protest the arrest warrant for Sunni vice-pres. Tareq al-Hashemi. On Jan. 17 Pakistan turns down a request by the U.S. to permit special envoy Marc Grossman visit, citing the "prevailing situation" in the nation; meanwhile on Jan. 19 Pakistani PM Yusuf Raza Gilani appears before the Pakistani supreme court to answer contempt of court charges for not pursuing the prosecution of exiled Pervez Musharraf, whom he claims has full immunity so he can't; his hearing is adjourned until Feb. 1. On Jan. 17 Boko Haram militants attack a military checkpoint in Maiduguri, Nigeria, killing two soldiers; four militants are killed. On Jan. 18 the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) Protest becomes the largest in Internet history, led by Wikipedia; on Jan. 20 the bill is pulled from the House by sponsor Lamar Smith. On Jan. 18 two Katyusha rockets are fired at the Turkish embassy in Baghdad, Iraq; one hits, causing no injuries. On Jan. 18 Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov warns that a military attack on Iran would cause "extremely grave" consequences and trigger a "chain reaction" that would destabilize the world, while the new sanctions will "stifle" Iran's economy and hurt its people; on Jan. 17 British PM David Cameron accuses Iran of supplying weapons to Syria, saying that intel reports confirm that Hezbollah is involved, with the soundbyte that Iran and Hezbollah are propping up that "wretched tyrant"; meanwhile Russia announces that it is planning Iran war games for Sept. in case of a spillover into the Caucasus. On Jan. 18 Assad forces withdraw from Al-Zabadini 19 mi. from Damascus, giving the rebel Free Syria Army control of some territory for the first time. On Jan. 18 Israeli defense minister Ehud Barak utters the soundbyte that Israel is "very far off" from a decision about attacking Iran over its nukes, saying that he believes that Iran hasn't decided whether to make them yet; on Jan. 18 Iranian MP Ali Motahhari announces that Pres. Obama sent a secret letter to the Iranian govt. saying that any attempt to close the Strait of Hormuz is a red line, meaning war, but that his willingness to negotiate shows that he is afraid of Iran; meanwhile the U.S. disputes a statement by PM Benjamin Netanyahu that current sanctions on Iran are ineffective, saying that they must be imposed gradually, and U.S. defense secy. Leon Panetta says that the U.S. military is fully prepared to deal with the Iranian threat. On Jan. 18 Iran arrests prominent woman reformist journalists Marzieh Rasouli, Parastoo Dokouhaki, and Samahoddin Bourghani. On Jan. 18 an Israeli strike against a group of suspected Palestinian militants along the Gaza Border kills two and wounds two, causing Hamas to call them innocent civilians; meanwhile on Jan. 18 Switzerland hosts three spokesmen from Hamas, incl. Musheer Al Masri. On Jan. 18 Bosnian prosecutors halt their investigation into alleged war crimes by Muslims in 1992 that killed 42 and wounded 73, pissing-off Bosnian Serbs. On Jan. 18 U.S. secy. of state Hillary Clinton appoints Muslim-convert basketball star Kareem Abul-Jabbar as a U.S. cultural ambassador; on Jan. 22-28 he meets in Brazil with impoverished youth. On Jan. 18 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 6-2 in Golan v. Holder that Congress has the power to renew copyrights beyond their expiration dates, throwing the works of Sergei Prokofiev et al. back under copyright. On Jan. 19 Pres. Obama rejects TransCanada's application for the 1.7K mi. Keystone Oil XL Pipeline, blaming the Repub.-controlled Congress for an "abritrary deadline" that didn't give the State Dept. enough time to gather info.; Canada announces that it may turn to China instead. On Jan. 19 U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff chm. Gen. Martin Demsey visits Israel to discuss concerns over an Israeli attack on Iran. On Jan. 19 Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan establish a trade union over the next four years. On Jan. 19 Eastman Kodak Co. files for bankruptcy after two decades of layoffs and downsizing. On Jan. 19 after the U.S. govt. shuts down the Megaupload.com file sharing Web site, Anonymous stages a denial of service attack on the Web sites of the FBI, U.S. Dept. of Justice, U.S. Copyright Office, Universal Music Group, Warner Music, BMA, and RIAA. On Jan. 19 the U.K. admits to spying on Russia using a fake hollowed-out rock. On Jan. 19 Thailand recognizes a Palestinian state, which Israel calls "diappointing". On Jan. 20 a Taliban-recruited gunman in an Afghan army uniform kills four French soldiers and wounds several others in Kapisa Province, Afghanistan, causing the French to suspend training operations and threaten to leave Afghanistan early; meanwhile on Jan. 19 a U.S. heli crash kills six U.S. Marines; the Afghan military is increasingly showing its contempt for all infidel soldiers? On Jan. 20 French pres. Nicolas Sarkozy warns that a military strike on iran could "trigger war and chaos in the Middle East". On Jan. 20 Boko Hara attacks against govt. bldgs. in Kano, N Nigeria kill 143. On Jan. 20 the Obama admin. announces that most health care plans will be required to cover birth control without charging co-pays or deductibles, incl. church hospitals, who must comply by Aug. 1, 2013. On Jan. 21 the 2012 S.C. Repub. Pres. Primary is a V for Newt Gingrich, who attributes to the American people waking up that "they have elites who hav been trying for a half-century to force us to quit being American and become some kind of other system", and calling Obama the "food stamp president", while claiming he will be the "best paycheck president"; Mitt Romney comes in #2 by 12 points. On Jan. 21 (3 p.m. local time) after a fight with Dutch authorities, 16-y.-o. Dutch teen Laura Dekker (1995-) arrives in St. Maarten, completing a 518-day (Aug. 21, 2010) solo sailboat journey, making her the youngest. On Jan. 22 Human Rights Watch exec dir. Kenneth Roth calls for Western countries to overcome anti-Islamist sentiments and respect the people's choice for new Islamist govts. in Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco. On Jan. 23 after Mohamed ElBaradei withdraws his pres. candidacy on Jan. 14, claiming rigged elections, the new 2012 Egyptian parliament holds its first session; the Muslim Brotherhood alliance has 235 of 498 seats (47%), and the puritanical Salafist Nour Party has 125 (25%); MP Mamduh Ismail keeps adding "and abide by Sharia" to his vow despite repeated orders not to by chmn. Mahmud al-Saqqa. On Jan. 23 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 9-0 in U.S. v. Jones that law enforcement must get a warrant to use GPS devices to track suspects. On Jan. 23 the U.S. charges former CIA officer (1990-2004) and Dem. staffer John Kiriakou (1974-) with repeatedly leaking classified info. to al-Qaida, incl. identities of CIA operatives; he was among the first to leak info. about the CIA's use of waterboarding to the New York Times et al. On Jan. 23 Saudi authorities arrest nine Shiite Saudis suspected of instigating anti-govt. riots in Qatif, E Saudi Arabia. On Jan. 23 the 27-member EU imposes an embargo on Iran, effective in July; on Jan. 25 Iranian pres. Imadinnajacket increases bank rates in an attempt to halt inflation caused by the new Western sanctions; on Jan. 26 he announces that he's ready to resume nuclear talks but refuses to drop the uranium enrichment program. On Jan. 23 Saudi Arabia issues its first govt.-backed Islamic bond (sukuk), 15B riyals ($4B). On Jan. 23 the Salafist Islamist group Jabhat al-Nusrah (Jabhat an-Nusra li-Ahl ash-Sham) (Support Front for the People of the Levant) is formed in Syria by Sheikh Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani (Osama Al-'Absi Al-Wahedi) (1981-) becoming al-Qaida's official rep in Syria on Apr. 8, 2013. On Jan. 24 a wave of car bombings in Baghdad, Iraq kills 14 and wounds 70+; this makes 170+ killed since Jan. 1 after U.S. soldiers left on Dec. 18. On Jan. 24 Pres. Obama delivers his 2012 State of the Union Speech, uttering the soundbyte "Tax reform should follow the Buffett rule: If you make more than $1 million a year, you should not pay less than 30% in taxes" (an attempt to defeat Repub. pres. candidate Mitt Romney, who revealed he only pays 14%, in advance?); also the soundbytes "We will not go back to an economy weakened by outsourcing, bad debt, and phony financial profits"; "America is determined to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, and I will take no options off the table to achieve that goal." On Jan. 24 an Al-Shabaab suicide bomber in Beledweyne, Ethiopia hits an Ethiopian troop compound, killing 33. On Jan. 24 Ecuadorian pres. Rafael Correa appoints lesbian activist Carina Vance Mafla as health minister (until ?). On Jan. 24 (midnight) a shooting at the El Ranchon Nightclub in Villa Nueva (near Guatemala City), Guatemala kills eight and wounds 20. On Jan. 24-25 fighting between Shiite Houthi rebels and govt.-backed Sunni Salafi gunmen in Hajjah, NW Yemen kill 46+. On Jan. 25 the 1st anniv. of the 2011 Egyptian Uprising sees more demonstrations in Tahir Square in Alexandria against the military despite a warning by field marshal Hussein Tantawi that it will protect Egypt against "grave dangers"; Islamists and liberals gather on different sides of Tahrir Square. On Jan. 25 a combined Afghan-coalition security force kills several insurgents in Kot District, Faryab Province, Afghanistan during a search for a Taliban leader. On Jan. 25 Osama bin Laden-killing U.S. Navy SEAL Team 6 rescues Am. hostage Jessica Buchanan and Danish hostage Poul Hagen Thisted in Adado, Somalia, and kills nine kidnappers. On Jan. 26 a car bomb in Lashkar Gah, Helmand Province, Afghanistan targeting NATO aid workers kills three and wounds 31. On Jan. 26 Hamburg, Germany becomes the first German federal state to make an official agreement with Islamic orgs., involving mosque construction, funerals, instruction, and day care center admin. On Jan. 26-27 in Syria security forces kill 120 as Euro and Arab nations call on the U.N. Security Council to pressure Bashar Assad to stand down; on Jan. 27 after the Free Syria Army captures it, massive demonstrations are staged in Saqba (near Damascus). On Jan. 27 leaders of the Arab Spring meet the world's elite in Davos, Switzerland, and assure them that Islamism isn't a threat to democracy, pleading for money to create jobs and elminate hunger. On Jan. 27 former IDF chief of staff Gabi Ashkenazi warns that Israel can't afford to cut its defense budget but must prepare for war because of Egypt. On Jan. 27 an al-Qaida suicide car bomber at a Shiite funeral procession in Baghdad, Iraq kills 33 in an effort to provoke a counterattack by Shiite militias on Sunnis. On Jan. 27 an anon. group of members of the Nat. Islamic Front (NIF) in Sudan releases a memo calling for the end of the rule of the Nat. Congress Party (NCP) and the establishment of a secular dem. state. that treats "the principles of freedom and justice as inalienable rights". On Jan. 29 Hamas head Khaled Meshaal visits King Abdullah of Jordan, and utters the soundbyte: "Hamas stands firm against Israel's schemes to turn Jordan into a substitute homeland. Jordan is Jordan and Palestine is Palestine. We insist on restoring Palestinian rights." On Jan. 29 Canadian Muslims Mohammed Shafia (1953-), his 2nd wife Tooba Yahya Shafia (1969-), and their son Hamed Shafia (1990-) are convicted of the honor killing of Mohammed's first wife Rona Mohammed Amir (50), and Tooba's three daughters Zainab (19), Sahar (17), and Geeti (13) for refusing to wear the hijab and preferring Western-style clothing, "dishonoring" and "betraying" both "their family and Islam". On Jan. 30 the EU adopts a ban on Iranian oil, ignoring their threat to close the Strait of Hormuz; the U.S. has banned it since 1979. On Jan. 30 tens of thousands welcome Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi in Tavoy (Dawei) in her first rally outside Yongon for the Apr. 1 election. On Jan. 30 Afghan authorities announce that after giving birth to a 3rd straight daughter and no sons, an Afghan woman was killed by her husband and mother-in-law a week earlier. On Jan. 31 433 Eros passes the Earth at a distance of 0.179 AU (16.6M mi.). On Jan. 31 Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu comfortably wins reelection as head of the Likud Party, defeating Moshe Feiglin. On Jan. 31 China claims that 29 of its citizens were abducted while working on a construction project in Sudan, asking the govt. of South Sudan for help on Feb. 2; they are released on Feb. 7. On Jan. 31 the Arab League calls on the U.N. Security Council to back its proposal for Syrian pres. Bashar al-Assad to hand over power to his deputy and announce elections. On Jan. 31 Taliban insurgents attack a Pakistani military outpost in Jogi, Pakistan, with 10 Pakistani soldiers KIA and seven injured. On Jan. 31 six aid workers are kidnapped in Al Mahwit Governate, Yemen; they are released on Feb. 2. On Jan. 31 the IAEA approves nuclear reactor safety checks made by Japan, which approves a bill to put a 40-year cap on the life of nuclear reactors. In Jan. Iran closes down all toy shops selling infidel Barbie Dolls as "symbols of immoral Western culture". In Jan. the U.S. unemployment rate drops to 8.3%, lowest in three years, adding 240K jobs. In Jan. the U.S. begins phasing-out incandescent light bulbs, starting with the 100-watt bulb this year, followed by the 40-watt bulb in 2014; too bad, compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) are labor-intensive to manufacture, causing U.S. plants to shut down and Chinese plants to expand. In Jan. Japan holds $1T in U.S. govt. debt for the first time. In Jan. the secular middle class Yesh Atid Party is founded. On Feb. 1 Facebook files for an IPO. On Feb. 1 Am. Airlines announces a workforce reduction of 13K jobs (15%). On Feb. 1 Queen Elizabeth II revokes the knighthood of former Royal Bank of Scotland CEO Frederick Anderson "Fred" Goodwin (1958-) for the bank's near collapse in 2008. On Feb. 1 a riot after a soccer match between Al-Masry and Al Ahly in Port Said, Egypt kills 79+ and injures 1K+. On Feb. 1 Pakistan jets bomb militant positions in the Orakzai and Kurram Agency areas near the Afghanistan border, killing 31. On Feb. 1 Canadian Muslim Naser Basder al-Raas (1983-) is arrested in Bahrain for attending a rally in the 2011-2 Bahraini Uprising; after the charges are dropped, he is returned to Canada on Feb. 16. On Feb. 1 Nigerian troops arrest Boko Haram leader Abul-Qaqa; on Sept. 18 after being released, he is shot dead by the military during a shootout in the outskirts of Kano. On Feb. 1 25 Chinese cement factory workers held captive in Sinai, Egypt are released one day after being taking hostage by Bedouin tribesmen. On Feb. 1 the Times of London reports that a secret NATO report claims that the Pakistan-backed Taliban is set to regain control over Afghanistan when coalition forces leave. On Feb. 1 the state senate of Wash. state legalizes same-sex marriage, and gov. Christine Gregoire signs it on Feb. 13. On Feb. 2 )a.m.) passenger ferry MV Rabaul Queen sinks off the coast of Finschhafen District, Papua New Guinea; 237 of 558 are rescued. On Feb. 2 a cold spell across Europe kills 110+. On Feb. 2 heavy rains and floods in Australia cause the towns of Bellingen and Moore in New South Wales to be evacuated, the town of Mitchell, Queensland declared a disaster. On Feb. 2 parliamentary elections in Kuwait are a V for the opposition, causing PM Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah to resign on Feb. 5. On Feb. 2 4K Mexican troops are sent to Michoacan to quell violence. On Feb. 2 the govt. of Philippines claims to have killed Abu Sayyaf leader Umbra Jumdail, Jemaah Islamiyah leader Zulkifi bin Hir (AKA Marwan) of Malaysia, and Abdullah Ali of Singapore. On Feb. 2 Prince William of England arrives in the Falkland Islands for a tour of duty as an RAF search and rescue pilot. On Feb. 3 Egyptian police kill two Port Said Stadium protesters in Suez; 400 are injured in protests in Cairo; a total of five are killed and 1.7K are injured across Egypt. On Feb. 3 Taliban insurgents attack a Pakistani military outpost in Shidano Dand, Kurram Agency, Pakistan killing seven soldiers and 18 Taliban fighters; four Pakistani soldiers are captured. On Feb. 3 the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claims 100+ were killed by shelling in Homs, causing the U.N. Security Security Council on Feb. 4 to vote on an Arab League proposal, which is veoted by China and Russia; meanwhile on Feb. 4 Tunisia withdraws recognition of the Syrian govt., the Arab Parliament calls for Arab countries to do ditto, 12 are arrested at the Syrian embassy in London, and more protests are staged at Syrian embassies in Germany, Australia, Greece, Kuwait, and Egypt. On Feb. 3 Chechen rebel leader Doku Umarov orders his fighters to stop attacks on Russian civilians and target only military and security personnel. On Feb. 3 a passenger train derails in Kamrup District, Assam, India, killing three and injuring 50. On Feb. 3 heavy snowfall in E. Colo. causes I-70 to be closed. On Feb. 3 the Nasdaq index reaches its highest level since 2000, while the Dow Jones Industrial Avg. reaches its highest levels (13K) since 2008. On Feb. 3 the Al-Monitor ("The pulse of the Middle East") media Web site is launched via partnership with 17 major new orgs. in the Muslim World. On Feb. 4 protesters against military rule burn the tax authority bldg. in Cairo, Egypt. On Feb. 5 an explosion hits the gas pipeline in Arish, Egypt running between Egypt, Israel, and Jordan. On Feb. 5 an explosion in Kandahar, Afghanistan kills 3+. On Feb. 5 the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta attacks the Eni SpA oil pipeline between Brass, Nigeria and Port Harcourt. On Feb. 5 heavy snow in the U.K. leads to mass cancellation of flights at Hearthrow Airport; meanwhile Bosnia declares a state of emergency due to the cold, and the town of St. George, Queensland, Australia is evacuated due to flooding. On Feb. 5 Josefina Vazquez Mota (191-) of PAN becomes the first woman endorsed as a pres. candidate by a major party in Mexico. On Feb. 5 the Syrian gov. launches a 26-day offensive in rebel-held Bab Amr, Homs (until Mar. 1), causing U.N. secy.-gen. Ban Ki-moon on Feb. 9 to condemn its "appalling brutality"; on Feb. 11 a draft resolution is circulated at the U.N. by Saudi Arabia calling for an end to the violence; on Feb. 13 U.N. high commissioner for human rights Navanethem Pillay accuses the Syrian govt. of "indiscriminate attack" on civilians; on Feb. 13 the Syrian Free Army repels an attack on Rastan. On Feb. 6 Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her Diamond Jubilee (60th anniv.). On Feb. 6 Romanian PM Emil Boc and his entire cabinet resign after major unrest. On Feb. 6 a 6.9 earthquake off the coast of Negros Island in the Philippines kills 13+, with 29 missing. On Feb. 6 a 3-story factory in Lahore, Pakistan collapses after a gas explosion, killing 21 and trapping dozens. On Feb. 6 a 13-passenger passenger van collides with an 18-wheel truck near Hampstead, Ont., Canada, killing 11 incl. the van driver and 10 Peruvian migrant workers. On Feb. 6 Syrian govt. shelling of Homs kills 17+; meanwhile the hacker group Anonymous pub. hundreds of emails from Pres. Bashar al-Assad, the U.S. closes its embassy in Damascus, and the U.K. recalls its ambassador, and Turkish foreign affairs minister Ahmet Davutoglu says that Turkey is "open to all Syrians who want to flee from oppression." On Feb. 6 gunmen kill five refugees from Tawergha, Libya in a camp outside Tripoli. On Feb. 6 a police strike in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil causes 1K army and police to surround the legislative assembly bldg. On Feb. 6 the Wang Lijung Incident sees Chongqing vice-mayor Wang Lijun attempt to defect at the U.S. consulate in Chengdu, leading to the downfall of his up-and-coming boss Bo Xilai (1949-) (Communist Party secy. of Chongqing since Nov. 2007) (son of Communist Party founder Bo Yibo), who is removed as Chongqing party chief in Mar. and suspended from the Politburo in Apr., then expelled from the Communist Party; next Sept. 22 he is found guilty of corruption, stripped of all assets, and sentenced to life in prison. On Feb. 26 the musical drama series Smash debuts on NBC-TV for 32 episodes (until May 26, 2013), based on the 1980 Garson Kanin novel about the creation of a new Broadway musical, starring Debra Messing and Christian Borle as the writing team of Julia Houston and Tom Levitt, who create the new musical "Bombshell" based on the life of Marilyn Monroe; Jack Davenport plays dir. Derek Wills; Katharine McPhee plays lead actress Karen Cartwright; Anjelica Huston plays producer Eileen Rand. On Feb. 7 Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov visits Damascus and meets with Bashar al-Assad, claiming that he commits to end the violence; meanwhile France, Spain, Italy, the Gulf Arab States, and Netherlands recall their ambassadors. On Feb. 7 after weeks of police protests over the arrest of a senior judge by the army, Maldives pres. Mohamed Nasheed resigns at gunpoint, and Mohammed Waheed Hassan Manik (1953-) becomes pres. of Maldives (until ?), while Nasheed supporters riot. On Feb. 7 the U.S. Congress approves legislation allowing expanded drone flights over the U.S., giving the FAA until Sept. 2015 to open up more airspace to them. On Feb. 7 U.N. high commissioner for refugees Adrian Edwards reports that 22K have fled fighting in Mali to neighboring countries; by June 2015 50K flee to SE Mauritania; too bad, after al-Qaida militants seize control of Mali, they impose Sharia, threatening the library of ancient Arabic texts in Timbuktu of Abdel Kader Haidara, who spent 30 years tracking them down and preserving them, causing him to sneak all 350K vols. out of the city to safety in S Mali; religious police chief Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud is later indicted by the Internat. Criminal Court in The Hague for crimes against humanity. On Feb. 7 the Iranian parliament summons pres. Imadinnajacket over economic policy, becoming the first since the 1979 Iranian Rev. On Feb. 7 Argentine pres. Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner announces that Argentina will file a complaint with the U.N. over militarization around the Falkland Islands by the U.K. On Feb. 7 French Socialist opposition MP Serge Letchimy accuses right wing interior minister Claude Gueant of Nazism for his statement "Not all civilizations are of equal value", causing the French cabinet to walk out of the nat. assembly. On Feb. 7 the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals overturns Calif.'s Proposition 8 banning same-sex marriage. On Feb. 8 the Danube River freezes for over 100 mi., becoming the first freeze in 25 years. On Feb. 8 FBI dir. Robert Mueller has a meeting with Islamic orgs. and assures tham that all "offensive" material has been removed from FBI offices and training courses, incl. 876 pages and 392 presentations that link the Muslim Brotherhood to terrorism, tie al-Qaida to the 1993 WTC and Khobar Towers bombings, and suggest that "young male immigrants of Middle Eastern appearance... may fit the terrorist profile best." On Feb. 8 U.S. drones kill 10 in Spalga, North Waziristan; another five are killed on Feb. 16. On Feb. 8 an al Al-Shabaab bomb near a cafe in Mogadishu, Somalia kills 15+ and injures 20+. On Feb. 9 Canadian PM Stephen Harper visits China, signing $3B in trade agreements. On Feb. 9 the U.S. Defense Dept. issues new guidelines removing restrictions on women in combat near front-line troops in support jobs. On Feb. 10 another strike by tens of thousands in Manama, Bahrain; on Feb. 14 the first anniv. of the uprising. On Feb. 10 protesters march towards the defense ministry in Cairo, Egypt, demanding return of a civilian govt.; on Feb. 11 the first anniv. of the toppling of pres. Hosni Mubarak features a dud turnout by activists. On Feb. 10 an alleged plot by cardinals to assassinate Pope Benedict XVI is alleged in the Italian newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano. On Feb. 12 18-y.-o. Tibetan Buddhist nun Tenzin Choedon (b. 1993) immolates herself in Suchian Province, China in protest against Chinese rule; a Tibetan monk does ditto in W China on Feb. 14. On Feb. 12 a plane crash near Bukavu, DRC kills finance minister Matata Ponyo Mapon and a senior aide to pres. Joseph Kabila. On Feb. 12 Mohammed Ahmed Mustafa al-Dabi, head of the suspended Arab League's observer mission in Syria resigns. On Feb. 12 Turkmenistani pres. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow is reelected with 97% of the vote. On Feb. 12 Saudi journalist Hamzar Kashgari is deported from Malaysia for insulting Muhammad in a tweet. On Feb. 12 Walgett, N.S.W., Australia is evacuated due to floods. On Feb. 12 Iran claims that Azerbaijan has been helping Israeli spies; Azerbaijan denies it. On Feb. 12 tribal fighting between the Tobu and Zuwayya tribes begins in Kufra, Libya, killing 100+ by July 1. On Feb. 12 the 54th Annual Grammy Awards in the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif. is hosted by LL Cool J (1st time); Adele wins all six of her nominations (most by a female artist in a single night, passing Beyonce), incl. record of the year and song of the year for "Rolling in the Deep", and album of the year for "21"; Foo Fighters wins five awards, and Kanye West four. On Feb. 13 an explosion in an Israeli diplomat's car near the embassy in New Delhi, India injures a woman; explosives are found near the Israeli embassy in Tbilisi, Georgia. On Feb. 13 a 5.5 earthquake near Weitchpec, Calif.. On Feb. 13 Islamic extremist preacher Abu Qatada is reeased from prison in the U.K. per a ruling of the European Court of Human Rights. On Feb. 13 Chinese vice-pres. Xi Jinping meets with Pres. Obama in the White House. On Feb. 13 the senate of N.J. legalizes same-sex marriages by a 24-16 vote. On Feb. 13 ITV1 airs the first-ever British advertisement aimed specifically at dogs, featuring high-pitched sounds and satirizing the 1969 film "The Italian Job". On Feb. 13-14 thousands protest against the govt. in Manama, Bahrain; meanwhile three U.S. senators and 18 reps. (all Dems.) send a letter to secy. of state Hillary Clinton protesting an Obama admin. decision to sell arms to Bahrain. On Feb. 14 Anonymous hacks U.S. tear gas co. Combined Systems Inc. of Jamestown, Penn. for supplying tear gas to regimes fighting Middle East protesters. On Feb. 14 activist actor Sean Penn meets with Argentine pres. Cristina Fernandez de Kircher, urging Britain to end its "archaic commitment to colonialist ideology". On Feb. 14 Ugandan minister for ethics and integrity Simon Lokodo raids a workshop for gay activists and attempts to arrest organizer Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera; meanwhile an anti-gay bill in the parliament attempts to increase penalties for homosexual acts from 14 years to life. On Feb. 15 OIC secy.-gen. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu calls for the internat. community to rule out military invervention in Syria. On Feb. 15 a fire at a prison in Comayagua, Honduras kills 358. On Feb. 16 the Syrian army attacks Free Syrian Army positions in Deraa. On Feb. 16 Boko Haram attacks a prison in Kogi State, Nigeria, freeing 119 inmates. On Feb. 16 a head bus collision in Bauchi, Nigeria kills 32. On Feb. 16 underwear bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab is sentenced to life in prison. On Feb. 17 Moroccan imam Amine El Khalifi is arrested on attempted terrorism charges. On Feb. 17 thieves break into the Archeological Museum of Olympia in Greece, stealing 60+ artifacts from the ancient Olympic Games. On Feb. 17 the Dow Jones Industrial Avg. closes at 12,950, highest since May 2008. On Feb. 18 a funeral procession in Damascus, Syria for those killed in protests is fired on by security forces; meanwhile China urges all sides to end the violence. On Feb. 18 75% of voters in Latvia reject a constitutional referendum to make Russian the 2nd official language. On Feb. 18 an anti-govt. protest in Dakar, Senegal ends in violence, with the mayor's office burned down. On Feb. 18 a bus crash in Yuannan Province, China kills 9+ and inures 24. On Feb. 18-20 Chinese vice-pres. Xi Jinping visits Ireland, signing trade pacts. On Feb. 19 Iran suspends all oil exports to Britain and France, causing the price of oil to reach an 8-mo. high on Feb. 20. On Feb. 19 hundreds of cars circle Moscow to demand free elections. On Feb. 19 a prison brawl in Apodaca, Nuevo Leon, Mexico kills 44+, causing public safety secy. gen. Jaime Castaneda to be fired on Feb. 24. On Feb. 19 a bomb near the Christ Embassy Church in Suleja, Nigeria near Lagos injures five. On Feb. 19 a suicide bomber outside a police academy in NE Baghdad, Iraq kills 19+ officers and injures 26, becoming the deadliest since Jan. 27. On Feb. 19 two gas explosions in a nightclub in Sighetu Marmatiei, Romania injure 17. On Feb. 19 a bus carrying school children home from a ski trip in Italy crashes near Chalons-en-Champagne, France, killing a teacher and injuring 20+. On Feb. 19 (noon) an avalanche near Stevens Pass, Wash. kills three expert skiers. On Feb. 20 an Islamic attack in Maiduguri, Nigeria kills 30+. On Feb. 21 Eurozone finance ministers agree to a 2nd bailout of Greece at 130B euros. On Feb. 21 Tell Mama (Measuring Muslim Attacks) U.K. is founded to record anti-Muslim attacks. On Feb. 22 U.S. soldiers burn Islamic religious materials at Bagram AFB in Afghanistan, causing protests, causing U.S. Gen. John R. Allen to launch in inquiry, which only makes them madder, with protests continuing until Feb. 27; on Feb. 22 the U.S. embassy in Kabul goes into lockdown; on Feb. 24 11+ are killed in more protests; on Feb. 25 two senior U.S. NATO officers are killed in the ministry of interior bldg. in Kabul, while four more are killed in protests in Kunduz; on Feb. 27 a suicide car bomber at Jalalabad Airport kills nine; on Mar. 2 the investigation reports that five U.S. service personnel were involved in an accidental Quran burning. On Feb. 21 a blast at a steel plant in Liaoning, China kills 13 and injures 17. On Feb. 21-22 a riot at Kerobakan Prison in Bali, Indonesia ends with two prisoners injured. On Feb. 22 Australian foreign minister Kevin Rudd resigns after attacks on his credibility. On Feb. 22 U.S. journalist Marie Colvin and French photographer Remi Ochlik are killed in Homs, Syria; meanwhile Syrian army shelling intensifies in rebel-held Baba Amr District. On Feb. 22 Operation Linda Nchi (begun Oct. 16, 2011) captures the the al-Shabaab base inBaidoa, Somalia. On Feb. 22 a train crash in Buenos Aires, Argentina kills 50+ and injures 600+, becoming the worst in Argentina in 40 years. On Feb. 24 the 70-nation Friends of Syria hold their first meeting in Tunisia; on Apr. 1 they hold meeting #2 in Istanbul; on July 6 100+ nations attend meeting #3 in Paris; on Dec. 12 114 nations attend meeting #4 in Marrakesh; next Feb. 28 11 nations attend meeting #5 in Rome; next Apr. 20 11 nations attend meeting #6 in Istanbul; on Apr. 21 they hold meeting #7 in ?. On Feb. 24 a Palestinian man is shot and killed during clashes at an Israeli checkpoint near Ramallah, West Bank. On Feb. 24 a Taliban Abdullah Azzam Brigade suicide team attacks a police station in Peshawar, Pakistan, killing four officers. On Feb. 25 an al-Qaida suicide bombing in Mukalla, Yemen kills 26+. On Feb. 25 1K+ protest in Tel Aviv, Israel over a proposed plan to deport hundreds of migrant workers. On Feb. 25 Pakistani authorities demolish Osama bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad. On Feb. 26 Am. neighborhood watch coordinator George Michael Zimmerman (1983-) fatally shoots 17-y.-o. Trayvon Martin (b. 1995) in Sanford, Fla., and is not charged after alleging self-defense under the Fla. Stand your Ground Law; after the PC police move in, he is charged on Apr. 11 with 2nd deg. murder, and acquitted on July 13, 2013. On Feb. 26 a suicide bomber in Jos, Nigeria kills 2+. On Feb. 26 the Rev. Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) announces that it will give up kidnapping and release its remaining captives, which it does on Apr. 2. On Feb. 26 voters go to the polls to vote on a referendum for a new constitution. On Feb. 26 China lifts On Feb. 26, 2012 the 84th Academy Awards, presented at the Hollywood and Highland Center Theatre (formerly the Kodak Center), hosted by Billy Crystal (9th time) awards the best picture Oscar for 2011 to The Artist, along with best dir. to Michel Hazanavicius and best actor to Jean Dujardin; best actress goes to Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady; best supporting actor goes to Christopher Plummer for The Beginners, and best supporting actress to Octavia Spencer for The Help; best original screenplay goes to Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris; Rango wins for best animated feature; A Separation wins best foreign language film; Man or Muppet from The Muppets, sung by Bret McKenzie wins best original song. On Feb. 27 after continued protests, Ali Abdullah Saleh is succeeded by his vice-pres. Abd Rabbur Mansur Al-Hadi (1945-) as pres. #2 of Yemen (until ?). On Feb. 27 Russian and Ukrainian authorities announce the foiling of an alleged plot to assassinate Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. On Feb. 27 a shooting at Chardon H.S. in Ohio kills three students and injures two. On Feb. 27 9-story apt. bldg. in Astrakhan, Russia collapses after a natural gas explosion, killing 12+. On Feb. 27 WikiLeaks leaks 5M emails from the private intel co. Stratfor. On Feb. 28 the U.N. announces the death toll in Syria as 7.5K. On Feb. 28 non-military leaders of Hamas flee Syria for Egypt and Qatar. On Feb. 28 gunmen fire on a passenger bus in Kohistan, Pakistan, killing 18. On Feb. 28-29 the 2012 Leap Day Tornado Outbreak in the Ohio Valley and Central Plains kills 15 and does $475M damage. On Feb. 29 separatist riots in Xingjiang, China kill 20. In Feb. U.N. Jerusalem official Kulhood Badawi releases a photo on Twitter claiming to be of a dead Palestinian girl killed by the IDF during its shelling of Gaza, which proves to really be from 2006, causing the U.N. to let him go in Feb. 2013. In Feb. African-Am. economist William A. "Sandy" Darity Jr. (1952-) of Duke U. (critic of Pres. Obama for being too pro-private sector) calls for the creation of a Nat. Investment Employment Corps that would guarantee all U.S. citizens over the age of 18 a job at a min. salary of $20K plus $10K in benefits incl. medical coverage and retirement savings. In Feb. 18-y.-o. Welsh-born British chef Luke Thomas (1993-) becomes the youngest head chef in the U.K., taking over Sanctum on the Green in Cookham, which is filmed by the BBC for Britain's Youngest Chef. On Mar. 1 jet strikes kill 18 militants in Orakzai Agency, Pakistan. On Mar. 1 after 26 days (Feb. 5) the Syrian army takes Bab Amr, Homs from the rebels; the U.N. Security Council demands immediate access for its humanitarian chief Valerie Amos to inspect the area; on Mar. 2 the Red Cross is denied access. On Mar. 1 a remote-controlled bomb on a police bus in Istanbul, Turkey injures 16. On Mar. 1 heavy rains and flooding in N.S.W. and Victoria, Australia cause the towns of Cooma, Goulburn, Queanbeyan, and Tallygaroopna to be evacuated. On Mar. 1 Sauli Vaiknamo Niinisto (Niinistö) (1948-) becomes pres. #12 of Finland (until ?), becoming Finland's first conservative pres. since Juho Paasikivi in 1956. On Mar. 1 the EU economic summit reappoints Herman Van Rompuy as Euro Council pres., and nominates Serbia for EU membership; on Mar. 2 25 of 27 EU members (excl. U.K. and Czech.) sign a new fiscal compact. On Mar. 1 Md. gov. Martin O'Malley signs a law legalizing same-sex marriage in Md. On Mar. 1-27 the Mar. 2012 North Am. Heat Wave sees 7K+ daily temperature records tied or broken, with Chicago, Ill. reching 80F+ every day between Mar. 14-18; S Canada also sees record-breaking high temps. On Mar. 2 parliamentary elections in Iran. On Mar. 2 a battle between the Pakistan army and Islamic militants in the Tirah Valley in Bara, Khyber, NW Pakistan kills 33+, resulting in a push. On Mar. 2 the Russian army kills two Islamic militants in Mutsalaul, Dagestan. On Mar. 2 NASA admits that it was hacked 13x last year. On Mar. 2 a stand collapses in Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden during an Avicii concert, injuring 30. On Mar. 2 the EF-3 West Liberty Tornado in West Liberty, Ky. leaves a 60-mi. track in country that that it was tornado-free, killing six and injuring 75. On Mar. 3 a suicide bomber in Deraa, Syria kills 2+ and injures several. On Mar. 3 a bomb at the Repub. Guard bldg. in Badya, Yemen kills 3+. On Mar. 3 two trains collide head-on in Szczekociny, Poland (near Zawiercie), killing 16 and injuring 58. On Mar. 3 a truck carrying people to a weekly market crashes in E Guinea, killing 50 and injuring 27. On Mar. 3 authorities in Tajikistan close Facebook and other Web sites containing material critical of pres. Emomali Rakhomon. On Mar. 4 a series of explosions at a munitions dump in Brazzaville, Congo kill 250+. On Mar. 4 elections in Russia reelect PM Vladimir Putin as pres. for a 3rd term; fraud is alleged, and dozens of protesters are arrested in Moscow. On Mar. 5 Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu meets with Pres. Obama in the White House, telling him: "My supreme reponsibility as prime minister of Israel is to ensure that Israel remains the master of its fate", and calling a nuclear Iran "unacceptable". On Mar. 5 Mexican pres. Felipe Calderon asks U.S. vice-pres. Joe Biden to help stop the flow of money and weapons into Mexico. On Mar. 5 gunmen disguised as police in Haditha, Iraq kill 27 security personnel. On Mar. 5 an explosion in N Mogadishu, Somalia kills an African Union soldier from Burundi. On Mar. 5 a shooting in a hair salon in Bucharest, Romania kills two and injures six. On Mar. 6 Super Tues. sees voters in 10 U.S. states go to the polls. On Mar. 6 oil-rich Cyrenica (E Libya) announces a bid for semi-autonomy, with Ahmed al-Senussi, relative of ex-king Idris as leader of the Cyrenaica Transitional Council. On Mar. 6 French pres. Nicolas Sarkozy announces a plan to cut French immigration by almost half, saying that France has too many foreigners, and that the system for integrating them is "working worse and worse". On Mar. 6 the European Commission withdraws a video promoting EU enlargement after it accused of being racist. On Mar. 6 authorities in the U.S., U.K., and Ireland arrest six senior members of the Lulz Sec hacking group, incl. FBI member Sabu (Hector Xavier Monsegur). On Mar. 6 fired employee Shane Schumerth kills headmistress Dale Regan of the Episcopal High School in Jacksonville, Fla., then kills himself. On Mar. 6 Saudi diplomat Khalaf Al Ali (b. 1967) is killed in Dhaka, Bangladesh. On Mar. 6 Iran promise to permit IAEA inspectors access to its Parchin military complex. On Mar. 6 Lehman Brothers emerges from bankruptcy. On Mar. 6 Turkish Airlines begins regular service to Somalia, the first outside the region in 20 years. On Mar. 6 9K residents of Wagga Wagga, N.S.W., Australia are evacuated as the Murrumbidgee River floods. On Mar. 6 a 5.2 earthquake near Masbate City, Philippines. On Mar. 6 the biggest solar flare in five years leaves the Sun, hitting Earth on Mar. 8. On Mar. 7 the widow of an Islamic militant detonates in Karabudakhykent, Dagestan, Russia (25 mi. S of Makhachkala), killing five policemen. On Mar. 8 Syrian deputy oil minister Abdo Hussameddin resigns and joins the opposition. On Mar. 8 a gunman at the U. of Penn. Medical Center in Pittsburgh kills one and injures seven before killing himself. On Mar. 9 another anti-govt. protest by tens of thousands in Manama, Bahrain. On Mar. 9 Popular Resistance Committees secy.-gen. Zohair al-Qaisi and two others are assassinated in Gaza by the Israeli air force. On Mar. 9 a fire at a hotel in Bangkok, Thailand kills one and injures 21. On Mar. 10 parliamentary elections in Slovakia are a V for the leftist opposition Direction-Social Dem. (Smer-SD) Party over the ruling Christian Union-Dem. Party coalition. On Mar. 10 130+ Qassam rockets are fired from Gaza into Israel; 12 Palestinian militants are killed; on Mar. 11/12 (night) 31 more rockets are fired into Ashdod and Gedera, while Israeli reprisals kill five. On Mar. 10 18-25 al-Qaida militants are killed in air raids in Bayda, Yemen. On Mar. 10 a grenade attack by al-Shabaab in Nairobi, Kenya kills 6+ and injures 60+. On Mar. 10 a fire in Lima, Peru destroys 500K school textbooks and 60K laptop computers; meanwhile hundreds of nude cyclists protest unsafe road conditions. On Mar. 11 the Kandahar Massacre sees amok U.S. soldier Staff Sgt. Robert Bales kill 16 civilians incl. nine children in Panjawi District, Afghanistan near Kandahar, causing the Taliban to vow revenge, followed by student protests on Mar. 13; on Mar. 13 Taliban militants fire on an Afghan govt. delegation visiting the massacre site; on Mar. 14 the soldier is moved to Kuwait while U.S. defense secy. Leon Panetta arrives in Afghanistan to placate anger; the soldier's identity is withheld until Mar. 16. On Mar. 11 Pakistani govt. bans the Islamist group Ahle Sunnah Wal Jamaat. On Mar. 11 despite new tough gun regulations passed on Mar. 6, after getting pissed-off at Muslims joining the infidel French army, the Mohamed Merah Affair sees Algerian-born French Islamist Mohamed Merah (b. 1988), armed with an AK-47, Uzi, Sten gun, and several pistols kill a French soldier in Toulouse; on Mar. 15 he shoots three more in Montaubon, killing two; on Mar. 19 at Ozar Hatorah Jewish school in Toulouse, France he kills a rabbi, his two children, and the daughter of the principal; on Mar. 21-22 French police siege an apt. bldg. in Toulouse and kill him; on Mar. 25 Merah's brother is charged with complicity; of 7M Muslims in France, one-third are radical? On Mar. 12 the Shiite Rida Mosque in Brussels, Belgium is torched just before evening prayers by Sunni Muslim Rachid El-Boukhari (1989-), killing Imam Abdellah Dahdouh (b. 1965). On Mar. 12 223+ are killed in cattle raids in South Sudan. On Mar. 12 the Syrian army massacres 45+ incl. children in Homs; on Mar. 13 the Syrian army shells Idlib, killing dozens; meanwhile a rebels ambush kills 10+. On Mar. 12 tens of thousands demonstrate in Dhaka, Bangladesh demanding new elections. On Mar. 12 German chancellor Angela Merkel makes an unannounced visit to Afghanistan to see German troops, questioning the planned pullout by the end of 2014. On Mar. 12 avalanches in Poshan and Ghadoor, Nuristan, Afghanistan trap 45+. On Mar. 12 a jewelry heist in East Baghdad, Iraq sees al-Qaida robbers kill 9+ and injure 14; more attacks kill 5+ more. On Mar. 12 the U.S. Census Bureau officially estimates world pop. at 7B. On Mar. 13 an attack on a bus near Obang, Ethiopia kills 19. On Mar. 13 the Nigerian military announces that Boko Haram as killed 1.2 since the end of 2009. On Mar. 13 a truce goes into effect in the Gaza Strip. On Mar. 13 a Belgian bus crash in a tunnel near Sierre, Valais, Switzerland kills 28+ Belgians. On Mar. 13 the MV Shariatpur 1 Ferry carrying 200 collides with an oil tanker and capsizes on the Meghna River near Dhaka, Bangladesh, killing 32+. On Mar. 13 Encyclopaedia Britannica discontinues its print ed. after 244 years. On Mar. 14 British PM David Cameron meets with Pres. Obama in the White House. On Mar. 14 U.S. defense secy. Leon Panetta visits Afghanistan; 200 Marines are asked to leave their weapons outside the tent where he is speaking to not offend the 20+ Afghan unarmed soldiers already there. On Mar. 14 authorities in Azerbaijan arrest 22 for allegedly spying for Iran. On Mar. 14 10K+ illegal Peruvian gold miners clash with police in Puerto Maldonado, Peru, who kill 3+. On Mar. 14 a 6.8 earthquake off the coast of Japan causes a tsunami that hits Aomori, Hokkaido. On Mar. 14 unemployment in the U.K. is announced at 2.67M, most since 1995. On Mar. 15 former Ill. gov. Rod Blagojevich enters Supermax federal prison in Florence, Colo. to begin his 14-year sentence for corruption. On Mar. 15 Ethiopian forces attack three militant camps inside Eritrea. On Mar. 15 Turkish intel reports that 20K Syrian soldiers have deserted in the last 1 mo.; meanwhile Turkey threatens to launch a military operation into Syria to protect refugees, and the U.N. announces a humanitarian mission, while thousands demonstrate for Assad in Damascus. On Mar. 15 a drive-by shootingkills two French soldiers and injures one in S France. On Mar. 15 a flash flood of the Vaisigano River in Apia, Samoa kills a family of six. On Mar. 15 thousands of students protest in Santiago, Chile demanding educational reforms. On Mar. 15 a free trade agreement comes into effect between the U.S. and South Korea. On Mar. 15 after 16-y.-o. Amina El-Filali commits suicide over a forced marriage to her rapist, Morocco announces that it's amending a law allowing rapists to marry their victims. On Mar. 16 Pres. Obama signs Executive Order 13603, delegating authority for allocation of resources to promote nat. defense; it actually authorizes martial law and abolition of private property under the guise of nat. security? On Mar. 16 (Fri.) the Fri. for Internat. Military Intervention sees protests spread from Aleppo, Syria to Hama, Homs, and Daraa Province. On Mar. 16 a Turkish NATO heli crashes into a house on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan, killing 14 incl. a woman and two children. On Mar. 16 actor George Clooney is arrested at a protest at the Sudanese embassy in Washington, D.C. along with Nick Clooney, MLK III, NAACP pres. Ben Jealous, and several congressmen. On Mar. 16 Nicolae Timofti (1948-) is elected pres. #4 of poor Moldova, taking office on Mar. 23 (until ?), becoming the first elected leader in nearly three years. On Mar. 17 Egyptian Coptic Pope #117 (since 1971) Shenouda III (b. 1923) dies in Cairo; on Nov. 18 Tawadros II (1952-) becomes Coptic pope of Alexandria #118 (until ?). On Mar. 17 two bombings in Damascus, Syria kill several police and civilians; meanwhile Saudi Arabia announces that it's sending weapons to the Syrian rebels. On Mar. 17 Burma signs an agreement with the Internat. Labor Org. to end forced labor by 2015. On Mar. 17 (night) a St. Patrick's Day riot by students in London, Ont., Canada results in 11 arrests. On Mar. 18 former Lutheran pastor and anti-Communist leader Joachim Gauck (1940-) is elected pres. of Germany (until ?). On Mar. 18 two gunmen on motorbikes kill an American working at a language school in Taez, Yemen for spreading Christianity. On Mar. 18 police kill five suspected terrorists in Bali, Indonesia. On Mar. 19 the Somali Nat. Theatre in Mogadishu opens after 20+ years of civil war. On Mar. 19 Wendy's overtakes Burger King as the #2 hamburger chain in the U.S. after McDonald's. On Mar. 19 the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals rules that an FDA regulation requiring every tobacco co. to put graphic anti-smoking images on their packages is constitutional. On Mar. 19 a gravel ship sinks off the coast of Taiwan, killing six crew members. On Mar. 19 an avalanche in Kaafjord, Norway kills five foreign tourists. On Mar. 19-20 (night) rebels stage a mortar attack on the pres. palace in Mogadishu, Somalia. On Mar. 20 (9th anniv. of the U.S. invasion) a wave of terrorist attacks in 10 cities in Iraq kills 50+ and injures 240+. On Mar. 20 the Pakistani parliament calls for an end to NATO drone strokes along with an apology for the NATO attack on Nov. 26, 2011 that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. On Mar. 20 a 7.4 earthquake in Guerrero and Oaxaca, Mexico On Mar. 20 a train collides with a packed vehicle in Uttar Pradesh, India, killing 15. On Mar. 21 an Al-Shabaab car bomb in Mogadishu, Somalia injures two. On Mar. 21 after it pledges allegiance to ISIS on its Web site, Boko Haram militants attack a police station and bank in Kano, Nigeria, losing nine to Nigerian troops. On Mar. 21 reports that Islamists in Iraq are killing Emos (Westernized youths) by crushing their skulls with cement blocks to terrorize them. On Mar. 21 the reality show Duck Dynasty debuts on A&E (until ?), about the hirsuite Robertson family of West Monroe, La., incl. Phil (patriarch and creator of the Duck Commander duck call), Si, Jase, Willie, and Jep; "That sounds like a Chinese food place" (Willie). On Mar. 21-22 the 2012 Malian Coup sees Mali pres. (since June 8, 2002) Amadou Tournani Toure (Touré) (1948-) ousted in a coup by mutinous soldiers led by Capt. Amadou Haya Sanogo (1973-), who becomes leader of the Nat. Committee for Recovering Democracy and Restoring the State (CNRDRE) until Apr. 12, when Dioncounda Traore (Traoré) (1942-) becomes interim pres. of Mali (until Sept. 4, 2013); meanwhile on Apr. 6 thousands of armed Tuareg returning from service in Muammar Gadhafi's military under the name of Nat. Movement for the Liberation of Azawad in N Mali declares independence from Mali, leading to a power vacuum in N Mali that causes al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb to see its chance and move in. On Mar. 22 Turkish forces attack Kurdish PKK rebels in SW Turkey, killing six Turks and six rebels; on Mar. 24 they kill 15 Kurdish militant women in Bitlis Province. On Mar. 22 200K students protest tuition hikes in Montreal, Quebec, becoming the biggest protest in Quebec history (until ?). On Mar. 22 a fire destroys Hatibagan Market in Calcutta, India. On Mar. 22 the Beatles' debut album Please Please Me falls out of copyright? On Mar. 23 Pope Benedict XVI visits Guanajuato, Mexico; on Mar. 26-28 he visits Cuba. On Mar. 23 Hillary Clinton personally signs a deal allowing her top aide Huma Abedin to simultaneously work for the U.S. State Dept. and the private Teneo Group in New York City, trying to get the federal govt. to pay for the cost of her commuting to/from Washington, D.C.; on Sept. 20 Huma Abedin is paid by the private Teneo Holdings consulting firm to help stage a star-studded reception at the Essex House in New York City, where Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, British PM Tony Blair are speakers, giving access to wowed potential Teneo clients; in 2015 U.S. Rep. (R-Iowa) Charles Grassley, chmn. of the Senate Judiciary Committee investigates whether this was a conflict of interest. On Mar. 24 after the Al-Masry Club is banned for two seasons over the Port Said Stadium disaster, Egyptian security forces clash with protesters in Port Said, Egypt, killing one and injuring 18. On Mar. 24 Canada and Denmark suspend aid to Mali; on Mar. 25 the Tuareg Ansar Dine insurgents announce that they will erect Sharia in captured northern towns; on Mar. 28 coup leaders announce a new constitution. On Mar. 24 China announces that it is phasing-out its practice of selling organs from executed prisoners in 3-5 years. On Mar. 24 a house fire in Charleston, W. Va. kills two adults and six children. On Mar. 24 former U.S. vice-pres. Dick Cheney receives a heart transplant from an unknown donor. On Mar. 24 the Reason Rally in the Nat. Mall in Washington, D.C. sees 20K demonstrate for secularism and religious skepticism, becoming known as the "Woodstock for atheists and skeptics"; it is followed by Reason Rally 2016 at the Lincoln Memorial on June 2, 2016. On Mar. 25 Pres. Obama and Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan hold talks concerning transitioning Syria to a "legitimate government" by aiding the rebels; meanwhile Kofi Annan and Dmitry Medevedev discuss a harder stance on Assad's regime, while the rebels attack a military base near Damascus and the Syrian army continues its bombardment of Homs. On Mar. 25 a roadside bomb in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan kills six Afghan police, one U.S. soldier, and a translator in a joint Afghan-NATO convoy. On Mar. 25 a student is shot and killed on the campus of Miss. State U. by three suspects in a blue Ford Crown Victoria, who escape. On Mar. 26 a green-on-blue attack in Afghanistan sees an Afghan police officer kill two British soldiers before being killed. On Mar. 26 Chinese pres. Hu Jintao visits New Delhi, India; Tibetan protester Jampa Yeshi immolates himself before he arrives. On Mar. 26 Somali pirates hijack the Iranian-owned MV. Eglantine cargo ship off Maldives, becoming the first pirate hijacking in their waters. On Mar. 26 London-based Tullow Oil discovers oil in Kenya. On Mar. 26 at a nuclear summit in South Korea, Pres. Obama is caught talking to Russian PM Dmitry Medvedev,uttering the soundbyte: "On all these issues, but particularly missile defense, this can be solved, but it's important for him [Putin] to give me space." On Mar. 26 Canadian "Titanic", "Terminator" filmmaker James Cameron becomes the first in 50 years to visit the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench of the Pacific Ocean in the Deepsea Challenger. On Mar. 26-27 tribal clashes in S Libya kill 50, causing the Nat. Transitional Council to admit it faces a nat. crisis. On Mar. 27 a bomb set by Maoist insurgents in Maharashtra, India kills 15 policeman and injures 13. On Mar. 27 Afghan authorities foil alleged suicide bombings in Kabul, Afghanistan, arresting several people and seizing 11 suicide jackets. On Mar. 27 a nuclear security summit in Seoul, South Korea sees Japan slam North Korea. On Mar. 27 Sudanese pres. Omar Hassan al-Bashir cancels planned meetings with South Sudan; on Mar. 28 South Sudanese troops pull out of the oil-rich Heglig area of Sudan. On Mar. 27 Zain-ul-Abdeen (Zainul Abideen), leader of the Pashtun Awami Nat. Party is assassinated in Karachi, Pakistan, causing riots killing six by Mar. 29. On Mar. 28 Syrian troops attack Qalaat al-Madiq, Syria. On Mar. 28 Fiji seizes a controlling interest in subsidiary Air Pacific from Qantas. On Mar. 28 the U.S. Mega Millions jackpot hits a world record $500M, reaching $60M on Mar. 30. On Mar. 29 the 2012 BRICS Summit in New Delhi, India. On Mar. 29 a prison riot in San Pedro Sula Prison in Honduras kills 13. On Mar. 29 thousands demonstrate in Ankara, Turkey against a govt. plan to boost the influence of Islamic schools, causing police to use tear gas and water cannons. On Mar. 29 Swedish defense minister Sten Tolgfors resigns over allegations that he knew about plans to help Saudi Arabia build a weapons plant. On Mar. 29 an explosion in a coal mine near Baishan, China kills 28; another explosion on Apr. 1 kills six more. On Mar. 30 the Syrian govt. announces that the revolt against Bashar al-Assad has ended, but that it's keeping soldiers in cities "for security"; meanwhile they keep shelling opposition areas. On Mar. 30 a U.S. drone kills two alleged Haqqani Network militants in Miran Shah, North Waziristan, Pakistan. On Mar. 30 the Israeli army kills one and injures three Palestinians trying to breach the Gaza border fence near the Erez Crossing, while thousands commemorate Land Day amid a failed call for a Global March to Jerusalem. On Mar. 30 Visa and MasterCard announce a "massive" security breach of 10M+ credit card numbers. On Mar. 30 (dawn) French police arrest 19 suspected Islamists; on Apr. 4 they arrest 10 more. On Mar. 30 Huanglongbing (citrus greening) disease, known for killing millions of trees in Brazil and Fla. is discovered in Los Angeles, Calif. On Mar. 30 2.6K young Saudis sign the online Statement of Saudi Youth Regarding the Guarantee of Freedoms and Ethics of Diversity, questioning the kingdom's right to impose its strict version of Islam on all Saudis. On Mar. 30 Tuareg rebels take Kidal, N Mali, followed on Mar. 31/Apr. 1 by Gao 177 mi. SW. On Mar. 31 Papua New Guinea PM Peter O'Neill orders troops to Hela Province to quell illegal miners. On Mar. 31 battles between army troops and al-Qaida militants in S Yemen kill 29+. On Mar. 31 three explosions in Yala Province, Thailand kill 10+. On Mar. 31 Chinese police arrest six and shut down 16 Web sites for spreading rumors of military vehicles on the streets of Beijing in a coup. On Mar. 31 the Screen Actors Guild and Am. Federation of Television and Radio Artists merge to form SAG-AFTRA. On Mar. 31 the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood nominates Mohammed Khairat Saad El-Shater (1950-) as their candidate for the May pres. election, who resigns from the MB to get around the party promise not to run a candidate; too bad, on Apr. 14 he is disqualified by the armed forces supreme council for not being out of prison for six years. In Mar. an Atlantic Southeast Airlines flight becomes the first with an all female African-Am. flight crew. On Apr. 1 after capturing Gao on Mar. 31, Tuareg rebels surround and cpture Timbuktu, Mali; on Apr. 5 they declare the indepence of the nation of Azawad, which collapses on July 12. On Apr. 1 elections in Burma give a V to Aung San Suu Kyi and her Nat. League for Democracy; on Apr. 4 the 20th ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia calls for sanctions to be lifted; on Apr. 16 Australia relaxes sanctions; on Apr. 21 Japan writes off $3.7B in debt and resume development aid; on Apr. 23 the EU suspends most trade sanctions for a year but leaves their arms embargo in place. On Apr. 2 after his doctorate is revoked for plagiarism, Hungarian pres. Pal Schmitt resigns. On Apr. 2 the 30th anniv. of the Falklands War sees British PM David Cameron call the 1982 invasion "a profound wrong"; meanwhile Argentina threatens action against British and U.S. banks. On Apr. 2 Osama bin Laden's three widows and two daughters are convicted of illegally living in Pakistan, and sentenced to 45 days in jail and a $114 fine each; on Apr. 27 they are deported to Saudi Arabia. On Apr. 2 (10:30 a.m local time) 43-y.-o. former student One L. Goh shoots up Korean Christian Oikos U. in Oakland, Calif. killing seven and injuring three. On Apr. 2 UTair Flight 120 (twin-engine ATR-72) en route from Tyumen to Surgut, Russia crashes shortly after takeoff from Roschino Internat. Airport near Tyumen, Siberia, killing 33 of 39 passengers and 4 crew aboard. On Apr. 3 thousands demonstrate in Mauritania, calling for the resignation of pres. Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz. On Apr. 3 Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan accuses the U.N. Security Council of standing by with "hands and arms tied" and indirectly supporting the oppression of the Syrian people. On Apr. 3 Tropical Cyclone Daphne and Tropical Depression 17F kills 5+ in Fiji, leaving 8K homeless. On Apr. 3 a fire in a market in Moscow, Russia kills 17 migrant workers. On Apr. 3 the Apr. 3, 2012 Tornado Outbreak hits the Dallas-Ft. Worth, Tex. area. On Apr. 3 Repub. pres. candidate Mitt Romney wins primaries in Md., Wisc., and Washington, D.C., while Pres. Obama secures the Dem. nomination with wins in Wisc., Md., and Washington, D.C. On Apr. 4 a suicide bomber in the recently reopened Somalian Nat. Theater in Mogadishu, Somalia kills 10+ incl. the pres. of the Somali Olympic Committee and the pres. of the Somali Football Federation. On Apr. 4 a suicide bomber in Faryab Province, Afghanistan kills 12+. On Apr. 5 the U.S. Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act is signed by Pres. Obama, encouraging funding of small businesses by easing security regulations. On Apr. 5 Syrian troops begin shelling Douma, Damascus (until ?). On Apr. 5 a rocket fired from the Sinai desert in Egypt hits Eilat, Israel, causing no damage. On Apr. 5 Malawian pres. (since May 2004) Bingu wa Mutharika (b. 1934) dies of a heart attack, and on Apr. 7 People's Party founder (2011) Joyce Hilda Banda (nee Mtila) (1950-) becomes pres. #4 of Malawi (until ?); on Apr. 5 the Azawad Nat. Liberation Movement of Mali declares their own state, ceasing military activities. On Apr. 5 a ceasefire is declared in Zuwara, W Libya. On Apr. 5 after a 77-y.-o. pension commits suicide outside parliament, protesters clash with police in Athens, Greece. On Apr. 5 a Chinese co. stops insuring tankers carrying Iranian oil as part of world sanctions. On Apr. 5 the hacker group Anonymous begins targeting Chinese Web sites to protest censorship. On Apr. 5 the political thriller series Scandal debuts on ABC-TV for ? episodes (until ?), starring black actress Kerry Marisa Washington (1977-) as Olivia Caroyn "Liv" Pope, head of a Washington, D.C. crisis mgt. firm, based on Pres. George H.W. Bush press aide Judy Smith, and white actor Anthony Howard "Tony" Goldwyn (1960-) as her flame and former client and Repub. Calif. gov., now U.S. Pres. Fitzgerald Thomas "Fitz" Grant III; Washington becomes the first African-Am. female lead in a U.S. network TV drama since Teresa Graves in "Get Christie Love" (1974); the first series where race is ignored as part of a character? On Apr. 6 (1:00 a.m.) a shooting attack in Tulsa, Okla. kills three blacks and injures two; on Apr. 8 police arrest white men Jake England and Alvin Watts. On Apr. 6 Yemeni pres. (since Feb.) Abed Rabbo (Abd-Rabbu) Mansour Hadi fires four governors and 12+ military cmdrs. incl. Gen. Mohammed Saleh al-Ahmar, half-brother of former pres. Ali Abdullah Saleh, who was head of the air force; he leaves Saleh's son, nephew, and other allies in positions of power; on Apr. 7 the Sana'a airport is closed after al-Ahmar threaten an attack. On Apr. 6 the U.K. bans the display of tobacco products by retailers. On Apr. 6 a U.S. Navy FA-18 Hornet crashes into an apt. complex in Virginia Beach, Va., causing no fatalities. On Apr. 6 a fuel tanker overturns in Panjwai, Afghanistan, killing seven civilians. On Apr. 7 Burmese pres. Thein Sein meets with reps from the Karen Nat. Union to end their longstanding conflict. On Apr. 7 an avalanche near the Slachen Glacier in the Himalayan Mts. near the Indian border buries 120+ Pakistani soldiers. On Apr. 7 Hamas executes three men in the Gaza Strip for collaboration with Israel. On Apr. 7 the Anonymous hacker group attacks the U.K. Home Office. On Apr. 8 (Easter Sun.) Pope Benedict XVI delivers his 2012 Easter Message, calling for "an end to the bloodshed" in Syria. On Apr. 8 a Muslim car bomb in Kaduna, Nigeria kills 16 and wounds dozens after being stopped from approaching a church. On Apr. 8 former KGB head Leonid Tibilov (1952-) is elected pres. #3 of South Ossetia; he is sworn-in on Apr. 19 (until ?). On Apr. 8 the U.S.-Afghanistan Strategic Partnership Agrement is signed, giving Afghanistan more control over night raids effective July 4. On Apr. 8 Israeli internal affairs minister Eli Yishai declares German poet Gunter Grass a persona non grata for his Apr. 4 poem "What Must Be Said", which equates Israel and Iran on the matter of nukes. On Apr. 8 Pakistan pres. Asif Ali Zardari makes a religious pilgrimage to India, visiting the Suti Ajmer Sharif Shrine in Ajmer 250 mi. SW of New Delhi after meeting with Indian PM Manmohan Singh for the first pres. visit in seven years. On Apr. 9 Syrian forces fire across the Turkish border near a Syrian refugee camp in Kilis, Turkey, killing two and wounding 23+, becoming the first action in Turkey; meanwhile a TV cameraman from Al Jadeed is killed by the Syrian army at the Syria-Lebanon border. On Apr. 9 protesters in Tunis, Tunisia are tear-gassed by police. On Apr. 9 North Korea positions a rocket on a launch pad, drawing protests from the West, who claim it might be a ballistic missile; on On Apr. 13 (centenary of the birth of Kim Il-sung) North Korean Earth observation satellite Kwangmyongsong-3 explodes 90 sec. after launch; on Apr. 15 new North Korean Dear Leader Kim Jong-un gives his first public speech in Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang, calling for "final victory"; on Apr. 19 North Korea vows retaliation after the U.S. scraps food aid over the failed rocket launch, claiming that it's no longer bound by a bilateral agreement to halt testing of nuclear missiles and long-range missiles; on Apr. 23 North Korea threatens to reduce South Korea "to ashes"; on Apr. 23 China stops deporting North Korean defectors; on Apr. 24 U.S. defense secy. Leon Panetta warns North Korea against "any further provocations" against South Korea, saying that another nuclear test would create "greater instability in a dangerous part of the world". On Apr. 9 clashes between the Yemeni army and al-Qaida militants in S Yemen kill 21+. On Apr. 9 Facebook buys photo-sharing application Instagram for $1B. On Apr. 10 four suspected Mexican Sinaloa Cartel members are captured in Spain. On Apr. 10 Libyan army gen. Mohammed Hadia al-Feitouri is shot and killed in Benghazi while returning home from Fri. prayers. On Apr. 10 14 decomposing bodies are found in a van in ?; on Apr. 11 a dozen decomposing bodies are found inside an abandoned vehicle in Fresnillo, Zacatecas, Mexico. On Apr. 10 the U.S. announces plans to help clean up herbicide Agent Orange in Vietnam for the first time since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. On Apr. 11 U.S. secy. of state Hillary Clinton arrives in Istanbul for talks on the Syrian civil war; meanwhile Britain announces plans to give £5M worth of equipment to the Syrian rebels. On Apr. 11 two suicide bombers ram their vehicle into a govt. compound near Herat, Afghanistan, killing 15. On Apr. 11 protests in Mumbai, India against religious riots in Assam and Myanmar turn violent, killing two and injuring 18. On Apr. 11 two 6.4 earthquakes near Tabriz and Ahar, Iran kill 250+ and injure 1.8K. On Apr. 11 a bus crash in a deep gorge near Rajera, Himachal Pradesh, India kills 51+ and injures 46. On Apr. 12 a military mutiny in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau arrests interim pres. Raimundo Pereirs and pres. candidate Carlos Gomes Junior in the midst of the campaign. On Apr. 12 Edgar Morales Perez, mayor-elect of Matehuala, San Luis Potosi, Mexico is shot and killed by gunmen while riding in his vehicle; meanwhile the state police cmdr. of Chihuahua, Mexico is killed by gunmen in Ciudad Juarez. On Apr. 12 the HBO series Girls debuts, created by and starring Lena Dunham (1986-) as Hannah Horvath, about a group of 20-somethings in New York City, making Dunham into the voice of Gen. Y. On Apr. 14 police in Bahrain shoot 15-y.-o. Mohammed Ahmed Abdel Aziz (b. 1996) during a funeral procession for another protester in Salmabad (near Manama). On Apr. 14 the U.S. Secret Service announces that it has put 11 agents on leave while being investigated for misconduct with 20 hos before a summit in Cartagena, Colombia attended by Pres. Obama; five soldiers are also investigated; the scandal begins when one of the agents gives his ho only $30 of the agreed $800 fee and she rats him out. On Apr. 15 the 100th anniv. of the sinking of RMS Titanic is celebrated worldwide. On Apr. 15 China loosens controls on the yuan, allowing it to fluctuate up to 1% in trading against the U.S. dollar, up from 0.5%. On Apr. 15 Taliban militants launch multiple coordinated attacks in Kabul, Afghanistan and other cities to launch their spring offensive, killing two Afghan security personnel and 17 militants. On Apr. 15 150 Islamist militants spring 400 of their brothers from prison in NW Pakistan. On Apr. 15 the Sudanese air force attacks South Sudan-held Heglig, Sudan, along with Rubkona, South Sudan; on Apr. 17 the Sudanese parliament calls for the overthrow of the govt. of South Sudan. On Apr. 15 Israeli blocks the Welcome to Palestine campaign by blocking flights for 40+ activists. On Apr. 16 the first U.N. military observers of the U.N. Supervision Mission in Syria arrive in Damascus to monitor the ceasefire, and on Apr. 20 Syria allows them freedom of movement; meanwhile on Apr. 16 26 are killed in Idlib, Syria, followed by 50 more on Apr. 20; on Apr. 21 the U.N. Security Council votes 15-0-0 for Resolution 2043 to send 300 more observers. On Apr. 16 an Islamist militant throws a hand grenade into a coed school near Peshawar, Pakistan, killing one child and wounding two. On Apr. 16 a 6.7 earthquake hits Valparaiso, Chile, doing no serious damage. On Apr. 16 Dartmouth College pres. (since 2009) Jim Yong Kim (Kim Yong) (1959-) is selected as pres. #12. of the World Bank, taking office on July 1 (until ?). On Apr. 16 the trial of Norwegian terrorist Anders Breivik begins, allowing him to use it as a platform to declare that his actions were needed to save Norway from multiculturalism while giving the Nazi salute; on Apr. 19 he claims that he planned to behead former Norwegian PM Gro Harlem Brundtland and post the video on the Internet. On Apr. 17 the U.S. cedes control of the military of the Repub. of Korea after 50 years, dissolving the Combined Forces Command. On Apr. 17 Australian PM Julia Gillard announces that Australian troops will be withdrawn from Afghanistan by Dec. 31, 2013, a year earlier than planned. On Apr. 17 Prisoners' Day in the West Bank and Gaza Strip sees Palestinian inmates in Israeli jails go on hunger strike while thousands of rally in the streets; Israeli soldier Lt. Col. Shalom Eisner hits a Danish protester in the face with his rifle, and is dismissed from his post; meanwhile Mahmoud Abbas sends a delegation to meet with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu bringing a letter listing his demands for restarting peace talks; they have not met personally since Sept. 2010. On Apr. 17 Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah offers to mediate the Syrian civil war in an interview with Julian Assange on his new show The World Tomorrow. On Apr. 18 thousands protest in Tubli, Bahrain calling for democracy and an end to the regime, also chanting against the 2012 Bahrain Formula 1 Grand Prix scheduled for Apr. 22; meanwhile a rally in Manama calls for the release of Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, who is being fed intravenously; on Apr. 19-22 more protests don't stop the race. On Apr. 18 Cuba calls Pres. Obama out for using his "imperial veto" at the Summit of the Americas after it voted to end the U.S. embargo. On Apr. 18 U.S. officials condemn graphic photos pub. by the Los Angeles Times showing troops posing with mangled corpses of alleged Afghan suicide bombers. On Apr. 19 bombings in Iraq kill 33+ and injure dozens. On Apr. 19 a U.S. UH-60 Black Hawk heli crashes in S Afghanistan, killing all four aboard. On Apr. 19 Dylan Moran (1971-) of Ireland becomes the first prof. English-speaking comedian to perform in Russia, dissing laws banning gay propaganda et al. On Apr. 20 tens of thousands demonstrate against military rule in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt. On Apr. 20 a plane crashes in a residential area near Benazir Bhutto Internat. Airport in Islamabad, Pakistan, killing 127. On Apr. 20 a tractor trailer collides with a bus near Alamo, Veracruz, Mexico, killing 43 and injuring 18. On Apr. 21 a head-on collision between two trains near Sloterdijk, Netherlands (W of Amsterdam) injures 125+. On Apr. 22 Egypt cancels its unpopular agreement with Israel to supply it with natural gas. On Apr. 22 the French 2012 pres. election results in a 2nd round on May 5-6, with Socialist mayor of Tulle (2001-8) Francois Gerard (Gérard) Georges Nicolas Hollande defeating Nicolas Sarkozy by 51.6% to 48.4% to become pres. #24 of France (2nd Socialist after Francois Mitterrand in 1981-95); he is sworn-in on May 15 (until ?). On Apr. 22 the political comedy series Veep debuts on HBO for ? episodes (until ?), starring Julia Scarlett Elizabeth Louis-Dreyfus (1961-) as Dem. vice-pres. Selina Meyer, who gets to be pres.; "The buck stops somewhere near here". On Apr. 23 a malware attack hits the Iranian Oil Ministry and Nat. Iranian Oil Co. On Apr. 23 Kazakhstan issues an official thank you to actor Sacha Baron Cohen for his char. Borat, reversing their ban. On Apr. 23 former Icelandic PM Geir Haarde is found not guilty of negligence for the 2008 economic meltdown. On Apr. 23 the world's first wild adult white orca is found off the coast of Kamchatka, Russia; they name it Iceberg. On Apr. 24 Bahrain arrests Zainab al-Khawaja, daughter of hunger striker Abdulhadi al-Khawaja. On Apr. 24 a car bomb in central Damascus, Syria injures three. On Apr. 24 a new case of mad cow disease surfaces in Calif., causing South Korean retailers to stop selling U.S. beef on Apr. 25, followed by Indonesia on Apr. 26. On Apr. 24 the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) establishes the U.S. Defense Clandestine Service to ramp up spying on Iran, North Korea, and China. On Apr. 24 Israeli PM legalizes the West Bank settlements of Bruchin, Rechelim, and Sansana. On Apr. 24 South Sudanese pres. Salva Kiir visits China to get assistance in building an oil pipeline, claiming that Sudan has declared war on it; on Apr. 25 South Sudan releases Sudanese POWs as border clash ramp down. On Apr. 24 British police arrest five suspected (Muslim?) terrorists in Luton, England. On Apr. 24 Fitch Ratings upgrades Ford Motor Co. to investment grade status. On Apr. 25 Syrian troops break the ceasefire and begin shelling Douma, Syria. On Apr. 25 Pakistan successfully tests the Shaheen-1A nuclear-capable ballistic missile, which is capable of targeting India. On Apr. 25 U.K. announces an economic decline of 0.2% in Jan.-Mar., indicating a double-dip recession. On Apr. 26 Syrian army rocket attacks on Hama kill 69 incl. several children. On Apr. 26 a suicide car bomber at the This Day newspaper office in Abuja, Nigeria kills seven. On Apr. 26 a bombing in E Afghanistan kills three USAF personnel; meanwhile an Afghan kills a U.S. service member and interpreter in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. On Apr. 26 a Kamov Ka-32 Ukrainian heli crashes in Ostrov, Romania en route to Turkey, killing all five fire fighters aboard. On Apr. 26 former Liberian pres. Charles Taylor is found guilty of 11 counts of aided and abetting war crimes, but acquitted of all counts of ordering them. On Apr. 26 40K demonstrate for the victims of Anders Breivik in Youngstorget, Oslo, Norway. On Apr. 27 blind Chinese dissident "barefoot lawyer" Chen Guangcheng (1971-) escapes house arrest and flees to the U.S. embassy in Beijing; on May 19 he and his wife and two children are granted U.S. visited and emigrate to New York City. On Apr. 27 four explosions in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine injure 27. On Apr. 27 a suicide bomber at a mosque in Damascus, Syria kills nine. On Apr. 27 the Rev. Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) kills eight incl. an infant in two attacks; on Apr. 29 they kill four Colombia soldiers trying to destroy their cocaine labs in Caqueta. On Apr. 28 the Syrian army kills 10 in Bakha, Syria N of Damascus; meanwhile the rebels stage their first seaborne assault, using inflatable dinghies, and Syria accuses U.N. secy.-gen. Ban Ki-moon of "encouraging" attacks. On Apr. 28 a protest in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for electoral reforms is dispersed by police. On Apr. 28 the Lebanese navy seizes Sierra Leone-registered ship Lutfallah II from Libya allegedly carrying weapons bound for the Syrian rebels. On Apr. 28 shoe bomb attack by two insurgents on the gov.'s compound in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan kills them along with two bodyguards; U.S.-educated gov. Tooryalai Wesa is uninjured. On Apr. 28 a tent collapses in a storm at a restaurant near Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Mo., killing one and injuring 16. On Apr. 29 (Sun.) several explosions near a Christian service at Bayero U. in Kano, Nigeria kill 20; meanwhile an attack on the Church of Christ in Maiduguri, Nigeria kills four. On Apr. 29 a 3-way drug cartel shootout in Sinaloa, Mexico kills seven. On Apr. 29 rebels kill four officials in N Burma; meanwhile U.N. secy.-gen. Ban Ki-moon visits Burma to press for more reforms. On Apr. 29 a vehicle flips over in the Bronx River Pkwy. near the Bronx Zoo in Bronx, N.Y., killing seven incl. three children. On Apr. 29 a bus crash en route to Tokyo Disneyland in Gunma Prefecture, Japan N of Tokyo kills 7+. On Apr. 29 the deadline for the destruction of all chemical weapons under the Internat. Chemical Weapons Convention is reached. On Apr. 30-May 1 govt. troops clash with troops loyal to ex-pres. Amadou Toumani Touri in Bamako, Mali, killing 14+; on May 3 the Economic Community of West African States pledges to send troops. In Apr. Obama admin. agriculture secy. Tom Vilsack announcing the new Forest Planning Rule for the 155 U.S. nat. forests and grasslands, heavily influenced by leftist environmentalists, with plan components incl. "Restore and maintain forests and grasslands", "Provide habitat for plant and animal diversity and special conservation" et al., in practice making forest fires more likely by prohibiting the clearing of brush and cutting of dead trees since environmentalists can't stand the sight of a logger in a nat. park? In Apr. the U.S. opens Ft. Aguayo Naval Base in Concon, Chile to train Latin Am. soldiers for peacekeeping missions, causing protests by human rights orgs., who claim it will be "clearly oriented toward the control and repression of the civilian population". In Apr.-May JPMorgan Chase loses $2B ($6.2B?) betting on credit default swaps tied to corporate debt, paying illegal bribes to get the business then lying about the losses. On May 1 Occupy May Day sees tens of thousands march in New York City, Europe, and Asia. On May 1 Pres. Obama makes an unannounced visit to Afghanistan on the 1st anniv. of the assassination of Osama bin Laden, signing a 10-year accord with Afghan pres. Hamid Karzai defining the U.S. role after 2014. On May 1 Egyptian security forces announce the arrest several months earlier of three Iranians for an alleged Iranian plot to assassinate Saudi ambassador Ahmed Qattan in Cairo. On May 1 Chinese vice-PM Li Keqiang visits Moscow and signs a $15B strategic trade deal with Russia. On May 1 as a result of the News of the World phone hacking scandal, a govt. media committee in Britain finds that News Corp. head Rupert Murdoch is "not a fit person" to run a major internat. business. On May 2 U.S. secy. of state Hillary Clinton makes a high-level state visit to China, criticizing the govt. for their treatment of blind dissident Chen Guangcheng, who leaves the U.S. embassy a week after fleeing house arrest, phoning the U.S. Congress on May 3 for help in leaving China. On May 2 Chinese vice-PM Li Keqiang visits Hungarian PM Viktor Orban in Budapest. On May 2 a protest in Cairo, Egypt is attacked by unknown violent attackers using shotguns, rocks, clubs, and firebombs, who kill 20+; meanwhile the military agrees to hand over protest to any outright winner of the May 24 pres. elections. On May 2 French pres. candidates Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande hold their first and only televised debate, trading insults. On May 2 Repub. pres. candidate Newt Gingrich suspends his campaign, leaving Mitt Romney as the presumptive nominee. On May 2 after Pres. Obama leaves, a suicide bombing in a suburb of Kabul, Afghanistan kills seven. On May 2 a shootout between the army and drug cartel gunmen in Sinaloa, Mexico kills 12. On May 2 the U.N. Security Council votes 15-0-0 for Resolution 2046, threatening sanctions if the Sudanese border conflict doesn't end within 48 hours. On May 2 a court in Mannheim, Germany bans Microsoft Xbox 360 gaming consoles and its Windows 7 operating system from Germany for infringing on Motorola Mobility's patents. On May 2 a version of Edvard Munch's 1895 painting The Scream sells for $119,922,500 in an auction in Sotheby's in New York City, becoming a world record for a work of art (until ?), besting the $10.65M at Christie's in 2010 for Picasso's "Nude, Green Leaves, and Bust". On May 3 explosions near a police post in Makhachkala, Dagestan kill seven and injure 30; on May 16 special ops police kill the mastermind. On May 3 anti-govt. demonstrations at Aleppo U. in Syria are stopped by police, who kill four and arrest 200. On May 3 the U.S., U.K., France, Russia, and China reiterate their call to Iran to cooperate with the IAEA over its nuclear program. On May 3 after a crowd begins burning one of their colleagues alive at a cattle market, cattle robbers in Potiskum, Nigeria kill 24. On May 3 a bus en route from Rawalpindi to Skardu plunges into a mountain ravine in Kohistan, Pakistan, killing 15+ and injuring 21. On May 4 after a 2-mo. standoff, the chamber of deputies appoints foreign affairs minister Laurent Salvador Lamothe (1972-) as PM of Haiti (until ?). On May 4 demonstrators near the defense ministry in Cairo, Egypt are attacked by armed forces with tear gas, water cannons, and rocks, killing 1+ and injuring 370+; a midnight curfew in the defense ministry district is imposed. On May 4 an explosion at a political rally in Yerevan, Armenia injures 144. On May 4 a suicide bomber in a crowded market in Bajaur Agency, Pakistan kills 8+. On May 4 23 bodies incl. 14 headless and nine hanging from a bridge are found in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, and identified as members of the Gulf Cartel, killed by Los Zetas; meanwhile three the bodies of three journalists are dumped in plastic bags in a canal in Boca del Rio, Veracruz, Mexico. On May 4 the trial of 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed begins in Guantanamo Bay. On May 5 a U.S. drone attack in North Waziristan, Pakistan kills nine insurgents. On May 5 an explosion in Aleppo, Syria kills five. On May 5 a fire at a drug rehabilitation center in Lima, Peru kills 14. On May 5 a fire at a karaoke bar in Busan, South Korea kills nine and injures 10. On May 5 a flash flood of the Seti River near Annapurna, Nepal kills 17, with 47 missing. On May 6 hundreds of dolphins and 1K+ birds incl. 500+ pelicans are found dead of the coast of N Peru. On May 7 a NATO air strike in Badghis Province, Afghanistan kills 14 civilians and injures six, causing Afghan pres. Hamid Karzai to summon U.S. envoy Ryan Cocker and NATO cmdr. Gen. John Allen to discuss it. On May 7 elections in Bahamas are a landslide V over the ruling Free Nat. Movement Party of Hubert Ingraham by the Progressive Liberal Party of ex-PM (2002-7) Perry Gladstone Christie (1943-) who is sworn-in as PM of Bahamas on May 8 (until ?). On May 7 Victor-Viorel Ponta (1972-), leader of the Social Dem. Party (PSD) is appointed by pres. Traian Basescu as PM of Romania (until). On May 7 Vladimir Putin is sworn-in for a 3rd 6-year term as pres. of Russia. On May 7 the Sidi Mahmoud Ben Amar Tomb in Timbuktu, Mali is burned by al-Qaida-linked Islamist fighters. On May 7 the Malaysian Nat. Fatwa Committee issues a fatwa against Muslims participating in "unproductive demonstrations". On May 7 the CIA announces the foiling of a plot by al-Qaida-inked Fahd al-Quso of Yemen to explode an improved underwear bomb on a U.S.-bound airliner; on May 8 U.S. officials admits that the wannabe suicide bomber is a CIA double agent. On May 8 200 former anti-Gaddafi rebels attack the office of interim PM Abdurrahim El-Keib in Tripoli, Libya, but he escapes unharmed. On May 8 after China expels its reporter Melissa Chan, Al Jazeera closes its English-language bureau in Beijing, China. On May 8 the New York Court of Appeals rules in People v. James Kent that merely viewing or storing child porno is not illegal as long as one isn't aware of the content and didn't download it in order to view it, pissing-off legislators, who vow to close all loopholes. On May 8 Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi is given her first passport in 24 years. On May 8 (Tues.) N.C. by 61%-39% approves a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. On May 8-? the Air India Pilots' Strike. On May 9 Pres. Obama flip-flops and comes out in support of same-sex marriage, very gay of him, hard to imagine a closet Muslim now except the gay kind of closet; this indicates he's really a New Ager? On May 9 the 2012 Jalisco Massacre sees the chopped-up remains of 18 bodies found inside cars near Chalapa (S of Guadalajara), Jalisco, Mexico. On May 9 a bomb explodes near a convoy of U.N. observers in Daraa, Syria, injuring 3+ Syrian soldiers. On May 9 U.S. missile strikes at an al-Qaida stronghold in Jaar, Yemen kill eight militants. On May 9 Mark Rothko's 1961 Orange, Red, Yellow sells for $86.9M at a Christie's auction in New York City; meanwhile Andy Warhol's 1963 Double Elvis sells for $37M at a Sotheby's auction in New York City. On May 9 a Russian Sukhoi Superjet 100 with 44 aboard disappears after takeoff from Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in Jakarta, Indonesia; the wreckage is found on May 10 in a mountainous area. On May 10 400K U.K. public sector workers strike over pensions. On May 10 two nearly-simultaneous explosions (1kg of explosives) near the military intel HQ in Qazaz, Damascus, Syria kill 55 and injure 372. On May 10 a U.S. airstrike in Jaar, Yemen kills Anshar al Sharia fighters. On May 10 the Internat. Red Cross suspends operations in Pakistan over the abduction and killing of health program mgr. Khalil Rasjed Dale four months earlier. On May 10 the U.S. Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2012 is introduced by U.S. Rep. (R-Tex.) (1995-) William McClellan "Mac" Thornberry (1958-) to amend the 1948 U.S. Smith-Mundt Act prohibiting the domestic dissemination of propaganda produced for foreign audiences; it passes on Dec. 28. On May 11 the Obamagon, er, Pentagon suspends the U.S. military online course Perspectives on Islam and Islamic Radicalism, which teaches that Islam is the irreconcilable enemy of the U.S., and that Mecca and Medina might have to be nuked - but it's the truth? On May 11 a missing piece of the Mayan Calendar is announced, proving that the Mayans didn't believe that 2012 would be da end of da world after all. On May 11 (11 p.m.) drug cartel gunmen attack the offices of the El Manana newspaper in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. On May 12 Syrian opposition leader Shadi al-Moulawi (1987-) is arrested in Tripoli for planning terrorist attacks in Lebanon, setting off violent protests that kill 8+, causing him to be released on May 22. On May 12 two U.S. drone strikes in SE Yemen kills 11 suspected al-Qaida fighters; on May 13 a Yemeni army offensive kills 10+ more, followed by 44 more in Zinjibar and Jaar on May 15. On May 12 four NATO soldiers die in separate incidents in S Afghanistan. On May 12 the European Commission announces that the EU economy is going to contract by 0.3% this year. On May 12 the Spanish Indignants Movement celebrates its 1st anniv. with 100K protesting in Spanish cities, combined with more protests in Lisbon, London, Frankfurt, and Tel Aviv. On May 12 Iranian pres. Imadinnajacket calls Israel "nothing more than a mosquito". On May 12 Repub. pres. candidate Mitt Romney condemns same-sex marriage in a speech at Liberty U. in Lynchburg, Va. On May 12 Center for Am. Progress pres. Neera Tanden tweets to Hillary Clinton that she attended a Democracy Alliance meeting with leftist billionaire George Soros, and he told her that he regretted backing Barack Obama in the U.S. pres. primary because of lack of access to him in the White House, but that he thinks that Hillary would give him more. On May 12-Aug. 12 the 2012 World Expo (Expo 2012) in Yeosu, South Korea has the theme "The Living Ocean and Coast". On May 13 the Cadereyta Jimenez Massacre sees the discovery of 49 dismembered bodies near Monterrey, Mexico; the Los Zetas drug cartel is suspected. On May 13 violent clashes in Tripoli, Lebanon between pro and anti-Assad forces kills several. On May 13 South Korean pres. Lee Myung-bak makes the first official pres. visit to Burma since 1983. On May 13 Afghan peace negotiator Arsala Rahmani is assassinated in W Kaboom. On May 13 Caesar Achellam, senior cmdr. of the Lord's Resistance Army is captured in the Central African Repub. (CAR) by Ugandan troops. On May 13 (10:00 GMT) a 6.2 earthquake on the S Peruvian-Chilean Border. On May 13 rains and floods in Pingjiang County, Hunan Province, China destroys 3.5K homes, causing 28K to be evacuated. On May 13 an Agni Air flight crashes while trying to land at Jomsom Airport in N Nepal, killing 15 of 21 aboard incl. Indian child actress Taruni Sachdev and her mother. On May 14 fighting between govt. troops and rebels in Rastan, Syria kills 30+, incl. 23 govt. soldiers, becoming a major V for da rebels. On May 14 a hunger strike by 1.5K Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons ends. On May 14 Repub. candidate Ron Paul ends his pres. campaign. On May 15 govt. troops open fire on a funeral procession in Idlib, Syria, killing 20. On May 15 an assassination attempt in Bogota, Colombia injures former interior minister Fernando Londono (Londoño), killing his driver and a police officer. On May 15 thousands of Palestinians demonstrate on the 64th anniv. of the Nakba (Catastrophe), the 1948 Israeli declaration of independence. On May 15 a man sets himself on fire outside the courthouse in Oslo, Norway where Anders Behring Breivik is on trial. On May 17/18 masked gunmen kidnap Mexican journalist Marcos Antonio Avila Garcia (b. 1973) in Ciudad Obregon for talking too much; his tortured corpse is found in a plastic bag in Empalme. On May 18 Queen Elizabeth II hosts a lunch at Windsor Castle for 20+ monarchs, getting criticized for permitting the king of Bahrain to attend in the midst of repression of protesters; a dinner hosted by the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall draws protesters although neither he nor the queen attend. On May 18 the Group of Eight meets at Camp David to discuss the Greek debt crisis. On May 18 Facebook stages its IPO, which closes nearly flat at $38.23 a share; the Dow Jones, NSDAQ, and S&P 500 close at their lowest levels of the year. On May 18 the Olympic Flame arrives in the U.K. on board a flight from Athens to start the torch relay. On May 18 Am. psychiatrist Robert Leopold Spitzer (1932-) apologizes for for his "fatally flawed" 2001 study that claimed that gays could be "cured". On May 19 a car bomb near a military complex in Deir ez-Zor, Syria kills nine. On May 19 a suicide bomber at a police checkpoint in Khost Province, Afghanistan kills 10. On May 19 an IED explodes in front of a vocational school in Brindisi, Italy, killing a 16-y.-o. female student. On May 19 an explosion in a road tunnel in Zhuzhou, Hunan Province, China kills 20. On May 19 a rally car plows through spectators in Var, France, killing two and injuring 17. On May 19 atheist celeb Richard Dawkins announces support for a plan by British education secy. Michael Grove to send free King James Bibles to state schools. On May 20 an annular solar eclipse can be seen from N China to Calif. On May 20 a roadside bomb explodes near a U.N. convoy in Douma, Damascus, Syria, killing 34. On May 20 a 6.0 earthquake in N Italy centered in Emilia Romagna kills 6+ and injures dozens. On May 20 Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu warns his cabinet of "illegal infiltrators flooding the country", saying that the current 60K African immigrants could grow by 10x. On May 20 Tomislav Nikolic (1952-) of the Serbian Progressive Party is elected pres. of Serbia, taking office on May 31 (until ?). On May 21 IAEA dir.-gen. Yukiya Amano visits Tehran, Iran for talks to make them cooperate. On May 21 a NATO summit in Afghanistan is attended by Pres. Obama, who assures Afghanistan that it won't be left on its own after NATO troops leave. On May 21 a suicide bomber at an army rehearsal for the Unity Day parade in Sana'a, Yemen kills 120+ and injures 350+. On May 21 pro and anti Assad protesters clash in Beirut, Lebanon, killing two. On May 21 FARC rebels ambush Colombian soldiers near the border with Venezuela, killing 12. On May 21 a bus plunges 260 ft. off a cliff in Albania, killing 11 and injuring 22, mostly students. On May 22 the Hampi Express collides with another train in Andhra Pradesh, India, killing 14 and injuring 30. On May 22 Cmdr. Sarah West (1972-) becomes the first female officer to take command of a major British warship, the Royal Navy frigate HMS Portland. On May 22 four aid workers are kidnapped by Taliban militants in the N Afghan province of Badakhshan; they are rescued by ISAF forces on June 2. On May 23 a U.S. drone attack in N Waziristan, Pakistan kills five. On May 23 Pakistani physician Shakil (Shakeel) Afridi (1962-), who helped the CIA track down Osama bin Laden via DNA samples from a fake vaccine program is sentenced to 33 years in prison for treason. On May 23 U.S. secy. of state Hillary Clinton attends the Special Operations Forces Industry Conference (SOFIC) trade show in Tampa, Fla., sharing her vision of "smart power" and the crucial role her State Dept. is playing in extending the power of America's "international counterterrorism network". On May 23-24 the 2013 Egyptian pres. election On May 24/25 Scarborough, Ont., Canada-born gay pinup model Luka Rocco Magnotta (Eric Clinton Kirk Newman) (1982-) kills and dismembers Chinese internat. student Lin Jun (b. 1978) with an ice pick and kitchen knife, then mails his limbs to elementary schools and federal political party offices, posting a video of the murder online, complete with scenes of necrophilia and cannibalism, leaading to his arrest in an Internet cafe in Berlin on June 4; on Dec. 23, 2014 he is convicted of first-degree murder, and given a life sentence with possible parole in 19 years. On May 25 a Los Zetas car bomb in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico injures 10 police officers. On May 25 the Syrian army massacres 108 incl. dozens of women and children in Houla, Syria, causing Turkey, Germany, Canada et al. to expel Syrian diplomats; meanwhile Russia announces that it is "categorically against" foreign intervention in the conflict; on June 1 the U.N. Human Rights Council votes to condemn the massacre despite Russia, China, and Cuba voting against the resolution. On May 25 French pres. Francois Hollande makes a surprise visit to Afghanistan to see his troops, defending his decision to withdraw them by the end of the year. On May 26 British army capt. Stephen James "Steve" Healey (b. 1982) is KIA by an IED in Helmand Province, Afghanistan; meanwhile CNN announces that the NATO death toll in Afghanistan has reached 3K. On May 26 Ansar Dine and the Nat. Movement for the Liberation of the Azawad form an independent Islamic state in N Mali. On May 26 a landslide at an illegal gold mine in Bogor, West Java kills 6+. On May 26 gunman Eero Samuli Hiltunen (1953-) in Hyvinkaa, Finland (near Helsinki) kills two and injures eight. On May 26 China releases an oxymoron annual report on human rights, pointing to the U.S. for arresting Occupy Wall Street protesters. On May 27 Tropical Storm Beryl hits Jacksonville, Fla. On May 27 a NATO air strike in Suri Khail, Afghanistan kills a family of eight incl. six children. On May 27 40K rally in Tbilisi, Georgia calling for the ouster of pres. Mikheil Saakasvilii. On May 28 Indian PM Manmohan Singh makes the first official visit to Burma since 1987. On May 28 a heli crashes in E Afghanistan, killing two ISAF troops. On May 28 a fire at a shopping mall in Doha, Qatar kills 19. On May 28 a bomb in a shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya injures 33. On May 28 two Tibetans immolate themselves in Lhasa, Tibet, the first time ever. On May 29 North Korea reports its worst drought in 50 years. On May 29 a 5.8 earthquake in Bologna, Italy kills 24. On May 29 an assassination attempt on Somali pres. Sheikh Sharif Ahmed by Al Shabaab leaves him unharmed. On May 29 after 2K protest, Brett Murray's painting The Spear is taken down from a gallery in Johannesburg, South Africa. On May 29 U.S. defense secy. Leon Panetta calls for the U.S. to strengthen its naval presence in Asia to counter China. On May 30 a gunman opens fire in Seattle, Wash., killing three and injuring two before committing suicide. On May 31 a series of bombings in Bagdead, Irock kills 14. On May 31 Egypt formally ends its 31-year state of emergency. On May 31 a suicide bomber at a police HQ in Kandahar, Afghanistan kills five policemen. On May 31 German engineer Edgar Fritz Raupach, held hostage by Islamists in Kano, Nigeria since Jan. is killed by his captors during a botched rescue operation. On May 31 Am. conservative Christian lobby group One Million Moms launches a campaign against DC and Marvel Comics over their decision to include openly gay chars. In May three top Mexican military men incl. Gen. Tomas Angeles Dauahare are arrested on suspicion of working for a drug cartel; on Apr. 20, 2013 Dauahare is released. On June 1 an armed Palestinian infiltrator and an Israeli soldier are killed during an exchange of fire along the Gaza border, and at least three militants are injured during an Israeli air strike on Gaza. On June 1 Venezuela bans private gun ownership. On June 2 Google displays a special Diamond Jubilee Google Doodle featuring the queen's profile, corgis, and diamonds; on June 3 the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant features 1K+ boats, the largest flotilla seen on the island in 350 years; on June 4 the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Concert features Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, and Robbie Williams; the Sex Pistols re-release "God Save the Queen", which was banned by the BBC. On June 2 clashes between pro and anti Assad forces kill 12 and injure 25 in Tripoli, Lebanon. On June 2 a U.S. drone attack in South Waziristan, Pakistan kills two suspected militants incl. "good" Taliban leader Mullah Nazir. On June 2 a court in Cairo, Egypt convicts former pres. Hosni Mubarak and former interior minister Habib al-Adly of complicity in the killings of demonstrators in the 2011 Egyptian Rev.; both receive life sentences; Mubarak and his two sons Gamal and Alaa are acquitted on separate corruption charges. On June 2 an Allied Air cargo plane crashes into a minibus after overshooting the runway at Kotoka Internat. Airport Accra, Ghana, killing 12. On June 2 a shooting in the food court of the Toronto Eaton Centre in Toronto, Canada kills one man and injures seven others. On June 3 a U.S. drone attack in South Waziristan, Pakistan kills 10 suspected militants. On June 3 a suicide car bombing outside Living Faith Church in Bauchi, Nigeria kills 15 injures 42. On June 3 a plane crashes in a residential neighborhood in Lagos, Nigeria, killing all 153 aboard plus 10 people on the ground. On June 3 U.S. defense secy. Leon Panetta visits a former U.S. base in Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam, becoming the first visit by a U.S. official of cabinet rank to Vietnam since the Vietnam War, signalling growing ties, and serving cold lunch to the Chinese; meanwhile Chinese authorities crack down on political activists marking the 23rd anniv. of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, and on June 4 it slams the U.S. for calling for them to free those imprisoned for them. On June 3 demonstrations are held in Istanbul, Turkey against a plan to limit the time for abortions. On June 4 gunmen kill 11 at a rehab clinic in Torreon, Coahuila. On June 4 a U.S. drone attack kills 15 suspected militants in North Waziristan, Pakistan, incl. #2 al-Qaida man Abu Yahya al-Libi; al-Qaida later admits that the 9/11/2002 Benghazi Attack was done in revenge for his murder. On June 4 a car bomb near govt. offices in Baghdad, Iraq kills 26 and injures 190. On June 4 a Buddhist mob attacks a bus in W Myanmar, killing nine Muslims; on June 9 Bengali Rohingya riots in W Myanmar kill 20 and burn 300 homes. On June 4 armed members of the Al-Awfia Brigade take over a runway in Tripoli, Libya demanding their leader's release before they are chased away by troops. On June 4 a bus carrying a wedding party plunges into a ravine near Islamabad, Pakistan, killing 23 incl. six children and injuring 60. On June 4 three Armenian soldiers are killed on the Azerbaijani border; on June 5 Azerbaijan accuses Armenia of killing five of its soldiers. On June 4 China blocks terms on the Internet related to the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre. On June 5 authorities discover seven dismembered bodies in Sinaloa, along with a message tying them to the Los Zetas cartel. On June 5 Der Spiegel pub. an article claiming that Israel is arming German-supplied subs with nuclear-tipped missiles, sparking a debate about whether it is Germany's duty to help Israel defend itself. On June 5 (22:09 UTC) - June 6 (04:49 UTC) a solar transit of Venus occurs (not visible from North Am.), becoming #2 and the last of the cent.; next: 2117, 2125. On June 5-6 17 militants and two govt. soldiers are killed in clashes in S Yemen. On June 5-7 Russian pres. Vladimir Putin visits China, which claims that Beijing and Moscow have been playing a "positive role" on Syria, and reiterate their opposition to foreign intervention in the conflict. On June 6 NATO stages an air strike in Logar Province, Afghanistan, allegedly killing 18 civilians incl. women and children. On June 6 two suicide bombers in a market in Kandahar, Afghanistan kill 22 and injure 50. On June 6 Mexican pres. Felipe Calderon signs a law making Mexico only the 2nd country to introduce binding targets on climate change. On June 6 Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu announces 300 new settler homes for the Jewish settlement of Beit El in the West Bank; on June 7 an additional 550 are announced by Israeli construction minister Ariel Attias. On June 6 a video by Baptist pastor Charles Worley of Maiden, N.C. outlining plans to round up gays and imprison them behind an electric fence until they die causes a firestorm of controversy. On June 7 U.S. defense secy. Leon Panetta makes an unannounced trip to Kabul, Afghanistan, warning that the U.S. is "reaching the limits of our patience here" with regard to pesky Pakistan. On June 7 an Israeli court approves the deportation of hundreds of illegal immigrant "infiltrators" from South Sudan. On June 7 a school bus plunges into a ravine N of La Paz, Bolivia, killing 16 students and injuring 32. On June 7-9 (night) F1 protesters clash with riot police in Montreal, Canada near the Grand Prix events on the corner of Sainte-Catherine and Crescent. On June 8 Amnesty Internat. issues a report claiming that Israel is guilty of torture, unfair detainment, and other human rights violations; the alleged involvement of an anti-Israel activist is used to discredit it. On June 8 clashes in a pro-Syrian govt. neighborhood of Tripoli, Lebanon kill one and injures three. On June 8 seven U.N. peacekeepers are killed in an ambush in Ivory Coast. On June 8 a bus carrying govt. employees near Peshawar, Pakistan is bombed, killing 19. On June 8 a pro-dem. rally in support of Nabeel Rajab in Bahrain is broken-up by police with tear gas. On June 8 protesters in Cairo, Egypt demand the ban of ex-PM Ahmed Shafiq from the pres. runoff election. On June 8 demonstration in Amman, Jordan protests a govt. decision to raise fuel and electricity prices to ease budget deficit. On June 8 14 dismembered corpses are found inside a vehicle in Ciudad Mante, Tamaulipas, Mexico 250 mi. from the Texas border. On June 9 four foreign soldiers are killed by the ISA in Kapisa Province, Afghanistan. On June 9-10 a Syrian army offensive in Homs, Syria kills 35. On June 9-30 the High Park Fire in the mountains of Larimer County, Colo. W of Fort Collins burns 87,284 acres and destroys 259 homes, becoming the 2nd largest fire in Colo. history contaminates the Poudre River, forcing the city of Fort Collins to drain its reservoirs to meet demand, causing the New Belgium Brewery to hire a sensory panel to test water for smokiness before putting it in their beer; the fire drives a small herd of elk into downtown Loveland, Colo., becoming a tourist attraction until they decide to return. On June 10 Kenyan cabinet minister George Saitoti and five are killed in a heli crash in the Ngong Hills near Nairobi. On June 10 a 6.0 earthquake near the Aegean Sea resort of Oludeniz (Ölüdeniz) in S Turkey injures dozens esp. in the city of Fethiye. On June 11 an ambulance hits a roadside bomb in Sar-e-Pul Province, Afghanistan; meanwhile a Taliban attack in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan kills four. On June 11 a landslide triggered by two quakes in N Afghanistan kill 80+. On June 11 the U.S. announces sanctions on Somalis who stand in the way of a U.N.-supervised roadmap for peace in Somalia. On June 11 after the U.S. announces rewards of $3M-$7M for info. about Al-Shabaab cmdrs., it offers a reward of 10 camels for info. about the whereabouts of Pres. Barack Obama, and 10 chickens and 10 roosters for info. on Hillary Clinton. On June 11 the U.S. withdraws a team of supply route negotiators from Pakistan, with the Pentagon announcing: "The decision was reached to bring the team home for a short period of time." On June 11 the U.S. exempts seven countries on three continents from economic sanctions in return for cutting imports of Iranian oil. On June 15 after the DREAM Act fails to pass in Congress, Pres. Obama announces the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, allowing certain undocumented immigrants who entered the U.S. as minors to receive a renewable 2-year period of deferred action from deportation along with eligibility for a work permit. On June 16 the Chinese Shenzhou 9 spacecraft blasts off from Jiuquan Launch Center, carrying Jing Haipeng (1966-), Liu Wang (1969-), and Liu Yang (1978-) (first Chinese female astronaut), returning on June 29. On June 19 after a cross-border attack on Israel, the pro-al-Qaida Majlis Shura al-Mujahidin fi Aknaf Bayt al-Maqdis group is formed in the Sinai Peninsula to practice Islam the Salafist way, considering Hamas and Alwawite Syria as enemies, although lesser ones than Israel. On June 20 Oracle Corp. CEO Larry Ellison gets fellow billionaire David Murdock to sell his his 98% of Lana'i (Lanai) Island, known as "the Pineapple Island". On June 22 pres. left-leaning Fernando Lugo is impeached by parliament, and vice-pres. Luis Federico Franco Gomez (1962-) of the Authentic Radical Liberal Party becomes pres. of Paraguay (until Aug. 15, 2013); the right-wing coup was about making a deal with Montreal-based mining co. Rio Tinto Alcan (RTA) for a $4B aliminum plant on the Parana River? On June 22-25 the Alan Turing Centenary Conference at the U. of Manchester. On June 23 the Waldo Canyon Fire 4 mi. NW of Colorado Springs, Colo. (ends July 10) causes 32K to flee, destroying 346 homes and causes $453.7M damage, becoming the most destructive fire in Colo. until the Black Forest Fire next year. On June 23-30 Tropical Storm Debby starts in the C Gulf of Mexico, making landfall near Steinhatchee, Fla. with 40 mph winds, dropping 28.78 inc. of rain in Curtis Mills, Fla causing the Sopchoppy River to flood 400 bldgs. in Wakulla County, the Anciote and Pithlachascotee Rivers to flood 106 homes, and Black Creek in Clay County to flood 587 homes, killing 10 and causing $250M damage. On June 24 Lonesome George (b. 1911?), the last Pinta Island Tortoise dies at Galapagos Nat. Park. On June 24 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 7-2 in Miller v. Ala. that mandatory sentences of life without parole are unconstitutional for juvenile offenders, extending Graham v. Fla. (2010), which had allowed it for murder; on Jan. 25, 2016 they rule 6-3 in Montgomery v. La. that this ruling must be applied retroactively, affecting 2.3K cases. On June 24 Aaron Sorkin's political drama series The Newsroom debuts on HBO for 25 episodes (until Dec. 14, 2014), starring Jeffrey Warren "Jeff" Daniels (1955-) as anchorman Will McAvoy, with an ensemble cast. On June 28 a Taliban missle attack in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan injures 10 civilians. On June 28 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 5-4 in Nat. Federation of Independent Business v. Sibelius to uphold the 2010 U.S. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) AKA Obamacare along with the 2010 U.S. Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act (HCERA), finding tht the individual mandate to buy health insurance by 2014 is an exercise of Congress' taxing power regardless of the Commerce Clause and Necessary and Proper Clause; it also finds that the planned expansion of Medicaid that would coerce states by threatening the loss of existing Medicaid funding is unconstitutional; a betrayal of conservative principles by Chief Justice Roberts, or an affirmation of them?; dissenters incl. Justices Antonin Scalia, Anthony Kennedy, Clarence Thomas, and Samuel Alito, meaning that a Jew (Stephen Breyer) and three women (Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan) threw it for Pres. Obama? On June 29-30 the 240-mi.-wide 100 mph June 2012 North Am. Derecho (Sp. "straight ahead") "land hurricane" devastates 10 states from Ill. to the U.S. East Coast, killing 22 and causing $2.9B in property damage, leaving 4M without power. On June 30 after winning the election on June 24 with 51.73% of the vote, Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Morsi (Morsy) (1951-), who holds a doctorate in materials science from USC becomes Egyptian pres. #5 (until July 3, 2013); too bad, in late Nov. he issues a temporary constitutional declaration granting himself unlimited powers, pissing-off the people, who call it an Islamist coup and begin 2012 Egyptian protests on Nov. 22. In June the Nat. Security Five led by U.S. Rep. (R-Minn.) Michele Bachmann call attention to U.S. govt. infiltration by the Muslim Brotherhood; too bad, after criticism by both parties their request for investigations is ignored by the pro-MB Obama admin. In June the Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade (Liwa Shuhada al-Yarmouk) in Syria is formed by Al-Khal (Arab. "the Uncle") (-2015), who changes it from another Free Syrian Army group to pro-ISIS after clashes with Jabhat al-Nusra at the end of the year. On July 1 the deadline is reached to impose a full embargo of Iranian oil by the U.S. and EU. On July 7 Enrique Pena (Peña) Nieto (1966-) of the ever-corrupt PRI is elected, and on Dec. 12 he becomes pres. #57 of Mexico (until ?), causing protests. On July 7 Libyans vote in free elections for the first time since 1969. On July 18 a Muslim terrorist attacks a bus full of Israeli tourists in Burgas, Bulgaria, killing six plus himself. On July 19 Jerry Seinfeld's Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee debuts on Crackle Web TV for ? episodes (until ?); episode #42 "Just Tell Him You're the President" (Dec. 30, 2015) features Barack Obama and Jerry Seinfield in a 1963 Corvette Sting Ray. On July 20 brilliant science student James Eagan Holmes (1987-) (who likes to die his hair orange) unleashes an attack on a Century movie theater in Aurora, Colo. during a midnight screening of "The Dark Knight Rises", killing 12 and injuring 58; the police later find that he booby-trapped his apt.; the political backlash results in Colo. Gov. John Hickenlooper signing new gun control laws next Mar. 20, the day after the Colo. Dept. of Corrections head is shot to death at his home; meanwhile Holmes converts to Islam. On July 23 a coordinated series of 37 attacks in Iraq On July 24 John Atta Mills (b. 1944) dies, and his vice-pres., historian John Dramani Mahama (1958-) becomes pres. of Ghana (until ?). On July 25 snow falls in Colo. On July 25 Taliban fighters in Kunar Province, Afghanistan fire a new generation U.S.-made Stinger missile at a U.S. Army Chinook CH-47 heli, but they forget to arm it, and it lands safely and a U.S. gunship destroys the fighters; the missile ID is traced to the CIA, who are keeping a cache in Qatar; U.S. ambassador John Christopher "Chris" Stevens (1960-2012) is sent to Benghazi, Libya to retrieve U.S. Stinger missiles supplied to Ansar al Sharia without Congressional permission that he brokered for Hillary Clinton through arms dealer Marc Turi? On July 27 asst. U.S. atty. gen. Tom Perez refuses to promise the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution that his org. will never entertain or advance a Sharia-type anti-blasphemy law. On July 27-Aug. 12 the XXX (30th) Summer Olympics are held in London, England; 10,820 athletes from 204 countries participate; the games are opened by Queen Elizabeth II; Los Angeles Philharmonic conductor (since 1992) Esa-Pekka Salonen carries the Olympic Flame; Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Brunei enter female athletes for the first time; women's boxing makes its debut, making it the first Olympics at which every sport has female competitors; the U.S. wins 104 medals, followed by China (88), Russia (82), the U.K. (65), and Germany (44); Michael Phelps of the U.S. wins his 22nd medal, becoming the most decorated Olympic athlete ever (until ?); the World Shakespeare Festival, produced by the Royal Shakespeare Co. accompanies the games; South African sprinter Oscar Leonard Carl Pistorius (1986-) becomes the first double-leg amputee to participate in the Olympics. On July 28 Hizbollah stages a terrorist attack in Burgas, Bulgaria that kills the Bulgarian bus driver along with five Israelis. On July 30-31 the 2012 India Power Blackouts leave 620M without power. In July the U.S. Supreme Court case Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colo. Civil Rights Commission begins when same-sex couple Charlie Craig and David Mullins order a custom wedding cake from Masterpiece Cakeshop in Denver, Colo., and Christian anti-gay owner Jack Phillips refuses their business because of their sexuality, and they decline to seek another cake shop, instead going straight to the Colo. Civil Rights Commission, which comes down on the shop bigtime, showering them with bureaucratic demands, causing Phillips to fight back in court while threatening to go out of biz rather than comply; on Dec. 5, 2017 the U.S. Supreme Court takes oral arguments. In July the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations pub. a report exposing the role of HSBC (Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corp.) in money-laundering and global narcotics and terrorism financing, incl. its ties to Al-Rajhi Bank, the largest private bank in Saudi Arabia, founded by the Al-Rajhi brothers, led by Sulaiman Abdul Aziz Al-Rajhi. In late July Rashad Hussain, Pres. Obama's special envoy to the Org. of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meets in Mauritania with Abdallah bin Bayyah, an associate of Muslim Brotherhood leader Youssef Qaradawi on the topic of "challenges faced by religious minorities in Muslim-majority communities". On Aug. 4 47 Shiite Iranian pilgrims are massacred by gunmen in Sayeda Zeinab 10 mi. S of Damascus. On Aug. 5 (10:30 a.m.) (Sun.) the Sikh Temple of Wisc. near Milwaukee, Wisc. is attacked by white supremacist Army vet Wade Michael Page (b. 1971), who kills six and injures four before committing suicide. On Aug. 6 NASA'a Curiosity rover lands on Mars. On Aug. 11 (5 p.m. local time) a 6.4 earthquake rocks Iran, killing 50 and injuring 400+; a 6.3 earthquake follows at ?. On Aug. 11 (night) teen jocks rape an incapacitated female student at Steubenville H.S. in Ohio; Ma'lik Richmond and Trent Mays are later convicted of rape. On Aug. 12 Egyptian armed forces CIC (since 1991) Gen. Mohamed Hussein Tantawi is replaced by Gen. Abdel Fattah Saeed Hussein Khalil el-Sisi (1954-), who also becomes defense minister (until ?), keeping the secularist military in safe hands out of the reach of the Muslim Brotherhood and their pal Pres. Obama. On Aug. 12 Egyptian forces kill six suspected militants near El-Arish, Sinai; meanwhile on Aug. 12 Egyptian pres. Mohamed Morsi fires armed forces CIC Mohamad Hussein Tantawi, and cancels constitutional amendments by the military restricting pres. powers, causing crowds in Cairo to praise him; meanwhile Qatar announces that it will deposit $2B in the Egyptian Central Bank to support the economy. On Aug. 13 the police procedural seies Major Crimes debuts on TNT for ? episodes (until ?) as a spinoff of "The Closer", starring Mary Eileen McDonnell (1952-) as Capt. Sharon Raydor of the Major Crimes Div. of the LAPD. On Aug. 15 two grenades explode in a mosque in Kabul, injuring 23 civilians. On Aug. 15 after looking them up on the Southern Poverty Law Center Web site, Floyd Lee Corkins II (b. 1985) attempts to enter the HQ of the anti-same-sex-marriage Family Research Council in Washington, D.C., shooting guard Leonardo Johnson in the left arm before being wrestled to the ground; on Sept. 19, 2013 he is sentenced 25 years in prison. On Aug. 21-Sept. 1 Category 1 Hurricane Isaac kills 34 and causes $2.4B damage in the Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, Cuba, the Bahamas, and the SE U.S. On Aug. 21 after a fight at Silk's Gentlemen's Club, British Muslim Aqab Hussain (1991-) plows his car into a group of revelers in Manchester, England, leaving a blind man brain-damaged; on Oct. 2, 2013 he is convicted of four counts of attempted murder. On Aug. 22 Russia becomes member #156 of the World Trade Org. (WTO), and Vanuatu becomes member #157. On Aug. 22 the Syrian army shells parts of Damascus, Syria, killing 47; meanwhile the U.N. estimates that 18K have been killed in the 17-mo. Syrian civil war, and China accuses the U.S. of using "red line" remarks as a questionable "calculus" to intervene militarily in yet another Middle East country. On Apr. 22 clashes between the Pokomo and Orma tribes in Kenya over cattle grazing rights kill 48+. On Aug. 22 a tourist plane crashes in the Maasai Mara Game Reserve in SW Kenya, killing four and injuring three. On Aug. 31 after Azerbaijan pardons Ramil Safarov, convicted of killing an Armenian soldier in Hungary in 2004, Armenia severs diplomatic relations with Hungary. On Sept. 5 Reynolds, Ga.-born Samuel Little (1940-) is arrested, and convicted of the murders of three women in Calif. in 1987-89 and another woman in Tex. in 1994, and is linked to 60+ murders and confirmed to be involved in 50 in 19 states in 25+ years ending in 2005, while claiming 93, making him the most prolific serial murderer in U.S. history. On Sept. 7 Canada cuts diplomatic ties with Iran over its support for Syria et al. Onu Sept. 9 Afghanistan declares the first Massoud Day in honor of Ahmad Shah Massoud, the martyred U.S. ally in the fight against the Taliban and al-Qaida. On Sept. 11 fires in garment factories in Karachi and Lahore, Pakistan kill 257 and injure 600+. The Second 9/11 shows Pres. Obama asleep at the switch worse than Pres. George W. Bush? On Sept. 11 (9/11/2012) after a mass protest against the U.S. embassy in Cairo, Egypt inflamed by a U.S.-made anti-Islam video shown on Egyptian TV, the Sept. 11 (9/11), 2012 Benghazi Attack sees the U.S. consulate in Libya attacked by al-Qaida terrorists, torturing and killing (gay?) U.S. ambassador (since June 7) John Christopher Stevens (b. 1960) and three other Americans by Sept. 12, becoming the first U.S. ambassador killed in the line of duty since 1981; diplomatic security agent David Ubben and ex-Navy SEALS turned CIA contractors Tyrone Snowden "Rone" Woods (b. Jan. 15) and Glen Anthony "Bub" Doherty (b. 1970) attempt to save Stevens in a 13-hour battle after they learn of an order to stand down from somebody up high, and Woods and Doherty are KIA; Stevens is carried through the streets by the jihadists for five hours, while Obama heads to Las Vegas, Nev. to raise funds and leaves it to his subordinates to make it into a case of Islamophobia to help his friends at CAIR?; the Obama admin. at first blames it on a Muslim mob enraged by a YouTube video titled Innocence of Muslims: The Crimes of Prophet Mohammed by Calif. filmmaker Nakoula Basseley Nakoula (Mark Basseley Youssef) (Sam Bacile) (1957-) (although there is no mob in Benghazi, only Cairo), with the White House personally telephoning YouTube to take it down; meanwhile Woods and Doherty are KIA, and Ubben's leg is shredded, and he has to suffer for 20 hours before a rescue plane arrives; on Sept. 15 Nakoula is arrested on trumped-up charges, becoming the first in U.S. history arrested for violating Muslim anti-blasphemy laws, then held for violating probation on a 2010 bank fraud conviction; he is not released until Aug. 6, 2013, on supervised probation; no surprise, the Obama admin. stubbornly refuses to blame it on Islamic terrorism, doing nothing to respond until ?; Nakoula is a Muslim and agent for the U.S. Justice Dept., and the video is Obama agitprop created by govt.-connected Stanley Associates?; the White House originally tried to blame the Bible exposition video God vs. Allah by Pastor Jon Courson of Ore. before switching to Nakoula's, probably because the latter name sounds Muslim?; on Sept. 12 Obama gives an interview to Steve Krofts of 60 Minutes, in which he utters the soundbyte: "You're right that this is not a situation that was exactly the same as what happened in Egypt, and my suspicion is, is that there are folks involved in this who were looking to target Americans from the start"; they don't air it for over amonth; meanwhile the Repubs. begin asking questions, ramping up a full investigation; on Sept. 14 Hillary Clinton tweets to her Muslim aide Huma Abedin: "I'm giving you credit for inspiring the 'peaceful' protests"'; the Muslim Brotherhood and Mohammed Morsi were behind the attack?; Pres. Assad and Hezbollah were behind the attack to get even for Stevens' role in smuggling weapons into Syria?; on Dec. 29, 2013 an article in the New York Times by David D. Kirkpatrick whitewashes the massacre, blaming it on the movie again; in 2013 retired U.S. Adm. James Lyons claims that the kidnapping was orchestrated by Obama so he could negotiate his release in return for freeing Blind Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman; in early May 2014 a smoking gun email is discovered, showing White House political operatives telling U.N. ambassador Susan Rice to claim the attack was the result of the Internet video, and Hillary Clinton uttering the soundbyte: "We are going to have the filmmaker arrested"; on May 20, 2015 it is revealed that the U.S. govt. knew on Sept. 12 that the attack was planned 10 days in advance by an al-Qaida affiliate called Brigades of the Captive Omar Abdul Rahman (BCOAR); meanwhile on May 20 despite all their b.s. about not wanting to attack First Amendment rights by banning a boring badly-made satire video, the 9th U.S. Circuit Appeals Court rules that it was a violation of the you know what Amendment to force YouTube to take it down. On Sept. 15 anti-U.S. demonstrations by Muslims are staged throughout the Muslim world and Europe, incl. riots in Sydney, Australia; in 2013 retired U.S. Adm. James Lyons claims that the kidnapping was orchestrated by Obama so he could negotiate his release in return for freeing Blind Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman; in May 2016 Trey Gowdy concludes that there was no way for help to reach Benghazi on the night of the attack. On Sept. 15 the Islamist rebel Seleka (Séléka) coalition emerges in Central African Repub. (CAR), initially called CPSK-CPJP, going on to work to overthrow the regime of pres. Francois Bozize. On Sept. 16 a green-on-blue attack in Mizan District, Zabul Province, Afghanistan by six Afghan policemen pissed-off at the Youtube video "Innocence of Muslims" kills four Internat. Security Assistance Force members and a policeman. On Sept. 25 U.S. Pres. Obama gives a speech to the U.N. Gen. Assembly, uttering the soundbyte: "The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam", adding: "But to be credible, those who condemn that slander must also condemn the hate we see in the images of Jesus Christ that are desecrated, or churches that are destroyed, or the Holocaust that is denied" - whadya gonna do, kill me? On Sept. 26 (Yom Kippur) while thousands protest outside the bldg., Iranian pres. (2005-13) Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (1956-) gives a speech to the U.N. Gen. Assembly, criticizing the U.S. for the manner of Osama bin Laden's killing and questioning the motives of Barack Obama and Mitt Romney for running for U.S. pres, calling Israelis "uncivilized Zionists"; the U.S. boycotts his speech. On Sept. 27 Robert Doherty's crime drama series Elementary, based on the stories of Arthur Conan Doyle and set in New York City debuts on CBS-TV for ? episodes (until ?), starring London, England-born Jonathan "Jonny" Lee Miller (1972-) as recovering drug addict Sherlock Holmes, and Lucy Liu (1968-) as Dr. Joan Watson, who assist the NYPD in solving crimes. In Sept. the Lakota Sioux Nation under Russell Means (b. 1939) declares that it is seceding from the U.S.; means dies on Oct. 22. On Oct. 2 Boko Haram gunmen open fire on mourners at a Christian funeral in Mubi, Nigeria, killing 20 and injuring 15, after which 2K enraged non-Muslim youths in Sapele, Nigeria go on a rampage, injuring 50+ Muslims. On Oct. 2 Calif. gov. Gerry Brown signs a law banning therapy aimed at making gay teenagers straight, effective Jan. 1. On Oct. 8-13 the Battle of Maarrat al-Nu'man in Syria is a V for the rebel Free Syrian Army over the Syrian army, with 60 civilians killed and major property damage. On Oct. 9 15-y.-o. Pakistani student Malala Yousafzai (1997-) is shot in the head and neck by Taliban gunmen while returning home on a school bus; on Oct. 12 a group of 50 Islamic clerics issue a fatwa against her attempted assassins, while the Taliban reiterates its intent to kill her and her father, causing an internat. outcry, causing her to become a celeb. On Oct. 10 King Abdullah appoints Abdullah Nsur as PM of Jordan (until ?). On Oct. 10 Callie Khouri's Nashville debuts on ABC-TV for ? episodes (until ?), starring Connie Britton as fading country music superstar Rayna James, and Hayden Panettiere as rising star Juliette Barnes. On Oct. 10, 2012 the series Arrow debuts on The CW for ? episodes (until ?), based on the DC Comics Green Arrow of Mort Weisinger and George Papp, starring Stephen Adam Amell (1981-) as billionaire playboy Oliver Queen slash Green Arrow. On Oct. 14 the Moroccan navy escorts an abortion vessel filled with activists trying to help women receive abortions out of the port of Smir. On Oct. 14 Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner becomes the first person to break the sound barrier without machine assistance during a space dive from the Red Bull Stratos helium balloon at alt. 24 mi. over Roswell, N.M. On Oct. 16 seven paintings worth $25M are stolen from the Kunsthal in Rotterdam, Netherlands. On Oct. 17 Muslim Bangladeshi immigrant Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul Ahsan Nafis (1991-) is arrested in connection with a plot to blow up the Federal Reserve in Manhattan, N.Y. as part of a jihad. On Oct. 22-31 Category 3 Hurricane Sandy devastates portions of the Caribbean and E U.S. and Canada, killing 209+; it shuts down Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, N.Y., but power remains on in the HQ of Goldman Sachs. On Oct. 24-28, 2012 the 2012 World Series sees the San Francisco Giants (NL) defeat the Detroit Tigers (AL) 4-0 in the first NL sweep of the AL since 1990; Giants infielder Pablo Eisler "Kung Fu Panda" Sandoval (1986-), who hit three homers in Game 1 is MVP. On Oct. 25 Leo Krim (b. 2010) and Lucia "Lulu" Krim (b. 2006) are stabbed to death with a kitchen knife by their Domnican Repub.-born nanny Yoselyn "Josie" Ortega in Upper West Side, Manhattan, N.Y., who tries to slit her own throat after mother Marina Krim and her 3-y.-o. daughter Nessie Krim arrive from a swimming lesson a few blocks away; on Apr. 18, 2018 she is found guilty of 1st and 2nd degree murder; subject of the 2016 novel "Chanson Douce" (The Perfect Nanny) by Leila Slimani. In Oct. Pres. Obama issues Pres. Policy Directive 20, ordering Offensive Cyber Effects Operations (OCEO) to draw up a list of potential overseas targets for U.S. cyberattacks. On Nov. 3 the Million Puppet March in Washington, D.C. in support of continued funding for public TV draws 1.5K, becoming the largest puppet march in history (until ?). On Nov. 6 (Tues.) (Obama's reelection day) billionaire real estate playboy Donald John Trump (1946-) tweets the soundbyte: "The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive"; on Sept. 26, 2016 Trump denies he said that in a debate with Hillary Clinton; this is Trump's first of 20 strong climate skeptic statements before becoming Repub. U.S. pres. #45 on Jan. 20, 2017. On Nov. 6 (Tues.) the 2012 U.S. Pres. Election is a V for Pres. Barack Obama over wealthy Mormon Repub. challenger Willard Mitt Romney (1947-) (not officially backed by the LDS Church), with 332 vs. 206 electoral votes, and 26 vs. 24 states, plus Washington, D.C.; Obama wins 65.9M votes (51%) vs. 60.9M (47.2%) for Romney; $6B is spent by both sides on the election; Latinos comprise 10% of the electorate for the first time; Pat Buchanan utters the soundbyte: "White America died last night. Obama's reelection killed it. Our 200 plus year history as a Western nation is over. We're a Socialist Latin American country now. Venezuela without the oil"; Colo. and Wash. become the first U.S. states to legalize recreational marijuana use. On Nov. 6 Measure B passes, requiring condoms to be used on all porno sets in Los Angeles County, causing the adult film industry to start fleeing. On Nov. 8 CIA chief Gen. David H. Petraeus resigns over an extramarital affair with Paula Broadwell. On Nov. 12 an Islamist mob in Zanzibar crying "We want the heads of all the church pastors" destroys 25 Christian churches and convents. On Nov. 13 there is a total solar eclipse visible in N Australia and the South Pacific. On Nov. 14 after 100+ rockets are launched at it over a 24-hour period, an IED explodes near Israeli soldiers, and Gaza militants attack an Israeli military jeep inside Israeli borders, Israel launches Operation Pillar of Defense against Hamas in the Gaza Strip (ends Nov. 21); on Nov. 15 Hamas leader Ahmed Jabari is killed by an Israeli missile strike; it ends on Nov. 21 after 140 Palestinians and five Israelis are killed; on Nov. 14 11-mo.-o. Omar Mishrawi, son of BBC reporter Jihad Mishrawi, plus a man and woman are killed and three injured in Al-Zaitoun, Gaza, which Hamas blames on Israeli air strikes; in Mar. 2013 the U.N. Human Rights Council exonerates Israel, saying that it was really a Hamas rocket that fell short. On Nov. 20 15-nation Asian summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia announces a Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership excluding the U.S. On Nov. 22 Am. freelance photojournalist James Wright Foley (1974-2014) is kidnapped by Islamists in Binesh, Syria; he is beheaded in Aug. 2014 to retaliate for U.S. air strikes in Iraq, becoming the first U.S. citizen killed by ISIS (ISIL). On Nov. 25-Dec. 9 Category 5 Typhoon Bopha (Pablo) hits Palau, followed on Dec. 3 by Mindanao with 160 mph winds, killing 1,067+, with 838 missing. On Nov. 28 the U.N. Gen. Assembly declares Mar. 21 as the Internat. Day of Forests. On Nov. 29 (Internat. Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People) in response to Operation Piller of Defense, U.N. Gen. Assembly Resolution 67/19 is adopted by 138-9-41 (Israel and the U.S. vote against), upgrading Palestine to non-member observer state status, elevating it to a status equal to the Holy See, and implicitly recognizing its sovereignty, giving it status to begin proceedings against Israel in the Internat. Criminal Court; former Israeli PM Ehud Olmert supports the measure. On Dec. 1 Enrique Pena (Peña) Nieto (1966-) becomes pres. #57 of Mexico (until ?), marking the return of the Inst. Rev. Party (PRI). On Dec. 1 Russia assumes the presidency of the Group of 20 (G20) for the first time (until ?). On Dec. 3 homeless Muslim man Naeem Davis (1982-) shoves 59-y.-o. Korean Queens resident Ki-Suck Han in front of an oncoming Q subway train in the W 49th St. station in Times Square in New York City, and is photographed by another Muslim, the photo going viral; he later claims he did it because somebody threw away his treasured Timberlands boots. On Dec. 10 the Central African Repub. Civil War of 2012-14 begins (ends Juy 24, 2014), ending in a stalemate supervized by a U.N. peacekeeping force. On Dec. 8 the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Qatar agrees to extend the Kyoto Protocol until 2020. On Dec. 12 Christ returns according to Internet prophet Steve Fletcher. On Dec. 14 the U.S Russia and Moldova Jackson-Vanik Repeal and Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act is passed, extending nondiscriminatory treatment to products of Moldova and the Russian Federation. On Dec. 14 after shooting and killing his mother Nancy, 20-y.-o. lone gunman Adam Lanza (b. 1992) attacks Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., killing 20 children and six women at his mother's kindergarten classroom, along with himself; the Anders Breivik attack in Norway was his inspiration?; it was a govt. false flag? On Dec. 15 the Arizona Bill of Rights Monument is dedicated, the first in the U.S. dedicated to the Bill of Rights. On Dec. 16 four young men gang-rape a 23-y.-o. univ. student on a bus in New Delhi, India, causing internal injuries that kill her, sparking outrage; on Sept. 13, 2013 they are sentenced to death by hanging. On Dec. 17 the U.S. State Dept. announces that their boss Hillary Clinton sustained a concussion after a fall at home (Dec. 15?), causing Karl Rove in May 2014 to claim that she's suffering from brain damage and shouldn't run for pres. On Dec. 21 (12/21/12) (should have been 12/12/12?) the 2012 Phenomenon occurs based on the end date of a 5,125-year cycle in the Mesoamerican Long Count Calendar marking a Great Cycle of 13 baktuns of 144K days completed since Creation, with some New Agers incl. John Major Jenkins (1964-) claiming that it marks the true start of the Age of Aquarius; they are off by 50-100 years? On Dec. 25 female Afghan Sgt. Nargis kills U.S. police adviser Joseph Griffin in an insider killing. On Dec. 30 a hit man wearing a Muslim niqab throws acid in the face of 20-y.-o. Victoria's Secret shop asst. Naomi Oni in Dagenham, East London, causing an outcry to ban all niqabs. On Dec. 31 the Kyoto Protocol expires. On Dec. 31 Newsweek mag. discontinues its print ed., going online only. In Dec. China pulls even with the U.S. on oil imports at 6M barrels a day. In Dec. the Syrian Civil Defense AKA the White Helmets are organized by 20 Syrians, led by British army officer James Le Mesurier, reaching 3K members. In Dec. Hillary Clinton falls and suffers a brain trauma, resulting in a blood clot in her skull, causing her to have to wear special glasses, later using this as an excuse for not remembering how to preserve classified materials, causing speculation that she has severe brain damage or narcissistic personality disorder; meanwhile Hillary Clinton is named the most admired woman by Americans for the 11th straight time and the 17th time overall by Gallup's most admired man and woman poll. The U.S. replaces its 1970s vintage W-76 nuclear bombs with new Reliable Replacement Warheads that can be produced easily without testing; the U.S. is down to 5K nukes from 10K nukes in 2000, Russia down to 5.7K nukes from 15K; France has 350, Britain 200, and China 100 (20 can reach the U.S.). The city of Stockton, Calif. declares bankruptcy, becoming the most populous U.S. municipality to file for Chapter 9; in 2018 it begins an experiment with Universal Basic Income (UBI), giving 300K randomly-selected residents an income of $500/mo. The Ten Commandments Monument is erected in front of the Okla. State Capitol in Oklahoma City after a bill sponsored by state rep. Mike Ritze is passed, causing the ACLU to sue, resulting in the 7-2 Okla. Supreme Court decision Prescott v. Capitol Preservation Commission on July 27, 2015 that it is unconstitutional, causing it to be moved to private property in Oct. 2015, leading to calls for changing the Okla. Constitution; in 2014 a vandal destroys it, causing the New York-based Satanic Temple to cancel plans for their own Baphomet statue to be placed beside it on capitol grounds. Mexico City retires the last of its Volkwagen Beetle taxis known as "vochos". A massive solar storm hits Earth with the force of 100M hydrogen bombs? One-third to one-half of the world's pop., incl. more than half of the non-white pop. will be killed by infectious agents, biological weapons, and man-made diseases, according to Dr. Len Horowitz. Remote-viewing Tibetan monks see the world plunging into total nuclear war this year. The picturesque SW French village of Bugarach is the only one to survive the Dec. 21 Armageddon? Grumpy Cat (real name Tardar Sauce), owned by Red Lobster waitress Tabatha Bundesen of Morristown, Ariz. becomes a hit, allowing her to incorporate and quit her job. GlaxoSmithKline pleads guilty to federal charges to resolve a slew of criminal and civil issues stemming from its use of kickbacks, misbranding and other misconduct to market drugs such as Paxil, Wellbutrin and Advair, paying a $3B fine, largest by a drug co. (until ?). A worldwide "greatest recession" will mark the "decline of empire America" as the U.S. will experience food riots, ghost malls, mob rule and terror, according to Gerald Celente of TrendsResearch.com. Virgin Galactic launches its first commercial satellite via its space tourism vehicle WhiteKnightTwo. The Zumba Latin dance-fitness craze sweeps the U.S., spawning a contest for the best moves to Shakira's "Dare (La La La La). Mondelez Internat. ("world" + "delicious") is spun-off by Kraft Foods to market crackers (Triscuit), cookies (Oreo, Chips Ahoy!), chocolate (Cadbury), and gum and candy (Chiclets, Dentyne, Trident, Cadbury, Toblerone), with HQ in Deerfield, Ill. Sports: On Jan. 8 (Sun.) the NFL wild card John 3:16 Game sees the Denver Broncos defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers 29-23 after Bible-thumping QB (#15) Timothy Richard "Tim" Tebow (1987-) throws a bomb to WR (#88) Demaryius Antwon Thomas (1987-) that goes for an 80-yard TD on the first play of OT (shortest in NFL history, 11 sec.); Tebow throws for 316 yards in the game, and averages a playoff record 31.6 yards per throw, with a 31.6% audience share during the final 15 min., causing Christians to pull out his favorite Bible verse, John 3:16; too bad, the Broncos trade Tebow in the offseason for Peyton Manning. On Jan. 13-22 the First Winter Youth Olympics is held in Innsbruck, Austria. On Feb. 5 Super Bowl XLVI (46) is played in the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind.; the New York Giants defeat the New England Patriots 21-17; Eli Manning is MVP. On Feb. 27 after being delayed one day because of rain, the 2012 (54th) Daytona 500 becomes the first aired during prime time; the winner is Matthew Roy "Matt" Kenseth (1972-), with Dale Earnhardt Jr. coming in 2nd. On Mar. 2 the NFL announces the New Orleans Saints Bounty Scandal (Bountygate), where defensive players were paid bonuses for inflicting injuries on opposing players since 2009; on Mar. 21 head coach Sean Payton is suspended for 1 year, and defensive coordinator Greg Williams is banned from the NFL indefinitely. On Mar. 25 Tiger Woods wins the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando, Fla., becoming his first PGA Tour victory since 2009. On Mar. 27 a consortium led by NBA star Magic Johnson buys the Los Angeles Dodgers MLB team for a record $2.15B. On Apr. 8 6'5" Gerry Lester "Bubba" Watson Jr. (1978-) of the U.S. defeats Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa on the 2nd sudden death playoff hole to win the 2012 Masters Tournament. On Apr. 17 Jamie Moyer (1962-) of the Colorado Rockies becomes the oldest pitcher in MLB history to win a game (until ?); on May 16 he becomes the oldest player to record an RBI (until ?); he retires after his last appearance on May 27. On Apr. 21 Philip Gregory Humber (1982-) of the Chicago White Sox pitches a perfect game against the Seattle Mariners, becoming #21 in ML history and #3 for the team. On May 5 the 138th Kentucky Derby is won by I'll Have Another in 2:01.83. On May 27 the 2012 (96th) Indianapolis 500 becomes the first with all entries having new model-year chassis and turbocharged engines, and is won by George Dario Marino Franchitti (1973-) (3rd win) after Takuma Sato challenges him for the lead in turn one, loses control, and crashes into the outside wall. On May 27-June 11 Rafael Nadal of Spain (3rd time in a row, and 7 times in 8 years) and Maria Sharapova of Russia win the 2012 (116th) French Open singles titles; Sharapova returns to #1 world ranking after a 4-year major title drought caused by a shoulder injury in 2008. On May 30-June 11 the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals see the Los Angeles Kings defeat the New Jersey Devils 4-2 to win their first title, becoming the 2nd time since 1996 in which no Canadian teams advance past the first round; MVP is 6'1 Kings goalie Jonathan Douglas Quick (1986-). On June 9 Maria Sharapova defeats Sara Errani in the 2012 French Open women's singles final, returning to #1 world ranking after a 4-year major title drought caused by a shoulder injury in 2008; on June 11 Rafael Nadal of Spain wins the men's singles title for the 3rd time in a row (7x in 8 years). On June 12-21 the 2012 NBA Finals sees the Miami Heat defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder by 4-1; LeBron James of Miami is MVP. On June 24 the 2012 NFL Referee Lockout begins; it ends on Sept. 26. On June 25-July 8 Roger Federer of Switzerland and Serena Williams of the U.S. win the 2012 (126th) Wimbledon singles titles. On Aug. 27-Sept. 10 Andrew Barron "Andy" Murray (1987-) of Scotland (first from the U.K. to win a Grand Slam singles tournament since 1936) and Serena Williams of the U.S. win the 2012 (116th) U.S. Open singles titles. On Aug. 29 the 2012 Summer Paralympics. On Sept. 24 the Fail Mary Game sees the Seattle Seahawks defeat the Green Packers 14-12 after a last-sec. Hail Mary ends up in both teams' hands simultaneously despite a flag thrown that should have given the Packers the win, causing a firestorm of controversy about the inferior replacement officials. On Oct. 14 Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner falls to Earth from 24 mi. alt., becoming the first human to break the sound barrier sans vehicle. On Nov. 22 (Thanksgiving) a game between the New England Patriots and New York Jets at MetLife Stadium sees the Butt Fumble, in which Jets QB Mark Sanchez collides with the backside of teammate Brandon Moore and fumbles the ball, which is recovered and returned for a TD by Steve Gregory of the Patriots; the Patriots go on to win 49-19. Architecture: On Mar. 5 $634M Marlins Park in Miami, Fla. opens as the home of the ML Miami Marlins. On May 31 the Aquanura Fountain in the Efteling Theme Park in the Netherlands opens, becoming the largest fountain in Europe and the 3rd largest on Earth after the Dubai Fountain and the Bellagio Fountains; it consists of 200 fountains subdivided into 9 types along with four large water-spouting frogs. On May 16 the bizarre 44-story Central China TV HQ (begun June 1, 2004) in Beijing opens; in Feb. 2016 the China State Council announces that it will no longer approve "bizarre architecture". On May 22 634m Tokyo Skytree opens, becoming the tallest self-supporter tower on Earth (until ?). On Sept. 21 $1B Barclays Center multipurpose indoor arena in Brooklyn, N.Y. opens as the home of the NBA Brooklyn Nets and NHL New York Islanders. The 2K ft. (609.6m) 150-floor Chicago Spire is finished, becoming the tallest bldg. in North Am. (until ?). The $4.4M Galactic Suite Space Resort opens, becoming the first hotel in space, where guests can watch the Sun rise 15x a day as they orbit the Earth every 80 min. The 260K sq. ft. $100M Louvre Abu Dhabi art museum on Saadiyat Island opens with a 30-year agreement with the French govt., concentrating on the gap between Eastern and Western art. The 105-floor 1.1K ft. (330m) Ryungyong ("capital of willows") Hotel in Pyongyang, North Korea is completed. 108 ft. Elwha Dam and 210 ft. Glines Canyon Dam are removed from the Elhwa River in Wash. state, becoming the largest dam removal project in history (until ?). Nobel Prizes: Peace: European Union (EU); Lit: Mo Yan (Guan Moye) (1955-) (China); Physics: Serge Haroche (1944-) (France) and David Jeffrey Wineland (1944-) (U.S.) [experimental methods for quantum systems]; Chemistry: Robert Joseph Lefkowitz (1943-) (U.S.) and Brian Kent Kobilka (1955-) (U.S.) [G-protein-coupled receptors]; Medicine: Sir John Bertrand Gurdon (1933-) (U.K.) and Shinya Yamanaka (1962-) (Japan) [pluripotent cells]; Economics: Alvin Elliot Roth (1951-) (U.S.) and Lloyd Stowell Shapley (1923-2016) (U.S.) [theory of stable allocations and the practice of market design]. Inventions: On Apr. 1 Tokyo U. unveils a Smelling Screen that uses gel pellets to eject smells from different parts of the screen. On Apr. 24 Google announces its new Penguin algorithm, designed to penalize Web sites that use black-hat SEO to inflate their page rankings. On May 8 Nev. approves the first self-driven vehicle license in the U.S. for Google. On May 25 (12:02 p.m. EDT) the unmanned SpaceX Dragon becomes the first commercial spacecraft to dock with the Internat. Space Station (ISS). On June 24 China's Shenzou 9 spacecraft carrying three astronauts incl. the first-ever female docks with orbiting module Tiangong 1, making them country #3 after the U.S. and Russia. In June IBM builds the Sequoia 20 petaflop supercomputer; meanwhile IBM and the Bavarian Academy of Science build the SuperMUC 3 petaflop supercomputer; Intel and SGI build the Pleiades 10 petaflop supercomputer. The Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile becomes operational. Science: On Feb. 21 scientists regenerate 31.8K-y.-o. specimens of the Arctic flower Silene stenophylla, a record. On Mar. 1 Barbel Honisch et al. of Columbia U. pub. an article in Science announcing that the Earth's oceans may be turning acidic from human carbon emissions faster than during the last four major extinctions over 300M years. On Mar. 2 Lee Hooper et al. of Norwick Medical School pub. an article in Am. Journal of Clinical Nutrition reporting that 42 studies indicate that people who eat chocolate have lower rates of heart risks incl. high blood pressure. On Mar. 12 Harvard Medical School pub. a Report on Red Meat, saying that a study of 120K suggests that eating it increases the death risk from cancer and heart problems. On Mar. 16 Euro scientists announce that neutrinos don't travel faster than light as formerly believed from a Sept. experiment. On Apr. 24 scientists at the Swiss Federal Inst. of Tech. demonstrate the first Thought-Controlled Robot. On Apr. 10 Michel Poulin and Anneke Buffone of the U. of Buffalo, and E. Alison Holman of UCI pub. an article in Psychological Science, announcing the possible discovery of a "niceness gene". On May 7 Dave Wilkinson et al. at Liverpool John Moores U. pub. an article in Current Biology claiming that dinosaur farts may have caused global warming. On May 11 physicists at the U. of Science and Technology of China in Shanghai announce that they've broken a 2-y.-o. record of 10 mi. by quantum teleporting photons 97 km. On May 12 an article in Science claims that 70% of the world's languages are found in biodiversity hotspots, and that the languages and cultures disappear with the loss of diversity. On May 14 scientists at Stanford U. announce a working bionic eye (light-powered retinal implant). On May 15 the U.S. announces a nat. plan to find an effective treatment for Old Timer's Alzheimer's by 2025. On May 15 Seung-Wuk Lee et al. of UCB announce a device that uses genetically-engineered viruses to generate piezoelectricity. On May 30 chemical elements #114 Flerovium (Fl) (#114) (discovered in 1998 by the Flerov Lab of Nuclear Reactions in Dubna, Russia) and Livermorium (Lv) (#116) (discovered in 2000 by the Lawrence Livermore Lab in the U.S. and the Joint Inst. for Nuclear Research in Dubna, Russia) are officially named by the Internat. Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). In June Wei Pan et al. pub. an article in Nature Communications that claims that city living generates super-linear productivity because of increased social ties. On Dec. 18 a team of doctors at John Hopkins U. perform the first successful double arm transplant on veteran Sgt. Brendan Marrocco (1986-). On Dec. 27 scientists in Leeds, England perform the first human hand transplant. The first successful mother-to-daughter womb transplant is performed at Sahlgrenska U. Hospital at Gothenburg U. in Sweden by Mats Brannstrom et al. Am. biochemist Jennifer Anne Doudna (1964-) et al. of UCB announce their discovery of the use of the protein Cas9 found in Streptococcus bacteria that works with guide RNA to act like scissors and slice up DNA, adapting it to work with different RNAs to edit different DNAs, making her a CRISPR star; in 2014 Doudna and E. Charpentier announce their discovery of Cas Phi, a super-tiny Cas protein found in bacteriophages that works on humans. Am. paleontologist Mary Higby Schweitzer (1955-) of N.C. State U. discovers soft tissue in a T-rex bone, shocking the scientific world and pleasing Creationists with the theory that dinos lived no more than a few tens of thousands of years ago; she goes on to prove that the dino was a pregnant female, and find molecular similarities between the T-Rex and chicken. Pluto's moons Kerberos and Styx are discovered by using the Hubble Space Telescope. The $3M Breakthrough Prizes in life sciences, fundamental physics, and mathematics are founded by Sergey Brin, Mark Zuckerberg, Yuri Milner et al. Nonfiction: Eben Alexander III (1953-), Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Afterlife (Oct. 23); his 2008 coma causes a near-death experience which he claims proves the existence of an afterlife complete with angels, clouds, departed relatives, butterflies, and beautiful babes in peasant dress. Claude Allegre (1937-), No Need to Panic About Global Warming (June 27) (Wall Street Journal); causes Am. economist William Dawbney "Bill" Nordhaus (1941-) to come out swinging in a series of articles in New York Review of Books, incl. Why the Global Warming Skeptics Are Wrong (Mar. 22, 2012), In the Climate Casino: An Exchange (Apr. 26, 2012), and The Climate Contrarians (Aug. 16, 2012). History's easy, anybody can do it? David Barton (1954-), The Jefferson Lies: Exposing the Myths You've Always Believed About Thomas Jefferson (Apr. 10); claims that Jefferson wasn't a Deist but an evangelical Christian who believed that church-state separation was unidirectional; in Aug. numerous negative reviews cause the publisher Thomas Nelson to withdraw it, after which it is picked up by Glenn Beck; voted Least Credible History Book in Print by users of History News Network, beating Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the United States". Ian Bremmer (1969-), Every Nation for itself: Winners and Losers in a G-Zero World (May). David Jay Brown, Psychedelic Drug Research: A Comprehensive Review (Oct. 25). Peter Brown (1935-), Through the Eye of a Needle: Wealth, the Fall of Rome, and the Making of Christianity in the West, 350-550 A.D.; minor bestseller (13K copies); the changing attitudes towards wealth among early Christians that transformed the Church into a super-rich welfare state for the clergy after abandoning the idea that wealth is inherently sinful as stated by Jesus in his parable about the camel and the you know what. Jeb Bush and Clint Bolick, Immigration Wars: Forging an American Solution. Richard Carrier (1969-), Proving History: Bayes's Theorem and the Quest for the Historical Jesus (Apr. 24). Ethan Casey, Bearing the Bruise: A Life Graced by Haiti. Prasanna Chandrasekhar, Navlipi (2 vols.); (Sansk. "new script"); the world's first practical phonemic script; patented on Aug. 20, 2013. David Hatcher Childress and Brien Foerster, The Enigma of Cranial Deformation: Elongated Skulls of the Ancients (Feb. 1); explores why ancient Peruvians et al. used head-binding to create elongated skulls, suggesting that they tried to imitate ET ancestors. Sir Christopher Clark (1960-), The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914; German trans. pub. in 2013; challenges the "war guilt" of the Germans for WWI, relieving the German govt. of responsibility by claiming that they were engaging in risks that had been taken before without catastrophic consequences which just chanced to come out bad, becoming a hit in Germany despite Volker Ullrich's criticism that it ignores the pressure from Germany's powerful military establishment, and Hans-Ulrich Wehler's criticism that the book "eliminates [Germany's war guilt] with bewildering one-sidedness"; in 2015 he receives a British knighthood for his services to Anglo-German relations. James Hal Cone (1938-), The Cross and the Lynching Tree (Sept. 1); Jesus' crucifixion was a black lynching?; disses U.S. Christians for not doing enough to stop black lynchings. William Dalrymple (1965-), Return of a King: The Battle for Afghanistan; the 1839-42 British occupation of Afghanistan. E.J. Dionne (1952-), Our Divided Political Heart: The Battle for the American Idea in an Age of Discontent. Moorpheus El, The Secret of Secrets (Lifting of The Veil) (Dec. 21); claims that the Universe is a vast quantum computer; "Imagine for a moment that you are physically connected to planets in the universe; saturn, mars, jupiter, venus, and earth; then, that they are in fact hardware, simply waiting for your command... This is the How! How to program reality the same way you would a computer; the hidden technology to change your fate; the One Secret behind all the Law of Attraction books, that is never revealed." M. Stanton Evans and Herbert Romerstein, Stalin's Secret Agents (Nov.). John Feffer, Crusade 2.0: The West's Resurgent War on Islam (Mar. 20); his concern about Islamophobia. Robin Gaby Fisher, The Woman Who Wasn't There: The True Story of an Incredible Deception; Spanish woman Tania Head, who fakes being a 9/11 survivor. Cammy Franzese, This Thing of Ours: How Faith Saved My Mafia Marriage (Jan. 3); her hubby Michael turns out to be a Mafia don. Ben Goldacre (1974-), Bad Pharma: How Drug Companies Mislead Doctors and Harm Patients (Sept. 25); "The whole edifice of medicine is broken." Amit Goswami, God Is Not Dead: What Quantum Physics Tells Us About Our Origins and How We Should Live. Stanislav Grof (1931-), Healing Our Deepest Wounds: The Holotropic Paradigm Shift. Tenzing Gyatso (1931-), Beyond Religion: Ethics for a Whole World (Nov. 6). Sam Harris (1967-), Free Will. Michael Hastings, The Operators: The Wild and Terrifying Inside Story of America's War in Afghanistan (Jan. 5). Chris Hedges (1956-), Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt; illustrated by Joe Sacco; NYT bestseller. Peter Hitchens (1951-), The War We Never Fought (Sept.); calls the war on drugs nonexistent. Tom Holland (1968-), In the Shadow of the Word: The Battle for Global Empire and the End of the Ancient World; claims that Islam arose not in 7th cent. Arabia but cents. later on the Syrian-Palestinian border. David Horowitz and Jacob Laksin, The New Leviathan: How the Left-Wing Money Machine Shapes American Politics and Threatens America's Future; "self-sufficient and self-perpetuating... an aristocracy of wealth whose dimensions exceed any previous accumulations of financial power, whose influence already represents a massive disenfranchisement of the American people and whose agendas pose a disturbing prospect for the American future." James Inhofe (1934-), The Greatest Hoax: How the Global Warming Conspiracy Threatens Your Future (Feb. 7); chmn. of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) in 2003-7 and 2015-17 claims on the Senate floor that "manmade global warming is the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people", once bringing a snowball with him to disprove global warming, and claiming that schools are "brainwashing" children about climate change, making it necessary to "unbrainwash them when they get out", earning him the top position on the Top Ten Climate Deniers List. Rael Jean Isaac (1933-), Roosters of the Apocalypse: HOw the Junk Sience of Global Warming Nearly Bankrupted the Western World (Feb. 24). Hugh Iwanicki and Dave Bailey, Shock & Alarm: What It Was Really Like at the U.S. Embassy in Iraq; "The challenge Islam presents is not going to go away, and our igorance can only cause us to lose a monumental battle of ideas." Sadakat Kadri, Heaven on Earth: A Journey Through Sharia Law. Robert Kagan (1958-), The World America Made (Feb. 14). Robin D.G. Kelley (1962-), Africa Speaks, America Answers: Modern Jazz in Revolutionary Times (May 13). Ashraf Khalil, Liberation Square: Inside the Egyptian Revolution and the Rebirth of a Nation (Jan. 3). William Kirkpatrick, Christianity, Islam and Atheism: The Struggle for The Soul of The West (Nov. 26). Edward Klein (1937-), The Amateur: Barack Obama in the White House. Ray Kurzweil (1948-), How to Create a Mind: The Secret of Human Thought Revealed (Nov. 13). Jeremy Kuzmarov, Modernizing Repression: Police Training and Nation Building in the American Century. Jonah Lehrer (1981-), Imagine: How Creativity Works. Bernard Lewis (1916-), Notes on a Century: Reflections of a Middle East Historian (autobio.). Michael Lind (1962-), Land of Promise: An Economic History of the United States (Apr. 1); "What is good about the American economy is largely the result of the Hamiltonian... tradition, and what is bad about it is largely the result of the Jeffersonian... school"; "The neo-Jeffersonians trim back accomplishments of the previous Hamiltonian generation - national banking, emancipation, New Deal social programs - but usually fail to repeal them. As a result, the U.S. progresses at a pace of two steps forward, one step back." Fredrik Logevall (1963-), Embers of War: The Fall of an Empire and the Making of America's Vietnam (Pulitzer Prize); shows how the U.S. blundered into Vietnam and misjudged the reaction of the South Vietnamese people to the U.S. as yet another colonialist power. Jenna M. Loyd, Matt Michelson, and Andrew Burridge (eds.), Beyond Walls and Cages: Prisons, Borders, and Global Crisis. Jonathan Lyons, Islam Through Western Eyes: From the Crusades to the War on Terrorism; tries to rescue the bad image of Islam in the West with historical arguments; too bad, he ignores the first horrible 3 cents. from the death of Muhammad. Benoit B. Mandelbrot (1924-2010), The Fractalist (autobio.) (posth.). David Maraniss, Barack Obama: The Story; Washington Post assoc. ed. exposes Obama's memoir "Dreams of My Father" as full of false anecdotes, causing Obam to tell him, "David, you called my book fiction", to which he answes "No, Mr. President, I actually complimented you. I called it literature." Garry Marshall (1934-), My Happy Days in Hollywood: A Memoir (autobio.); dir. of "The Odd Couple", "Happy Days", "Laverne & Shirley", "Mork & Mindy", "The Flamingo Kid", "Beaches", "Pretty Woman", "The Princess Diaries". Jonathan Matusitz, Terrorism & Communication: A Critical Introduction. Jon Ellis Meacham (1969-), Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power. Dambisa Moyo (1969-), Winner Take All: China's Race for Resources and What It Means for the World (June 5); NYT bestseller. Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, Zoobiquity: What Animals Can Teach Us About Health and the Science of Healing (June 12); reindeer seek escape in hallucenogenic mushrooms? Harry Ostrer, Legacy: A Genetic History of the Jewish People; concludes that all Jews incl. Ashkenazi Jews are one people. Elaine Pagels (1943-), Revelations: Visions, Prophecy, and Politics in the Book of Revelation; trivializes it to anti-Roman propaganda, no need to worry about any nasty Armageddon or Last Judgment. Joseph Chilton Pearce (1926-), The Heart-Mind Matrix: How the Heart Can Teach the Mind New Ways to Think. Nobert G. Pressburg, What the Modern Martyr Should Know: Seventy-Two Grapes and Not a Single Virgin: The New Picture of Islam (June 23); exposes the non-historicity of Muhammad. Raghuram Rajan (1963-), The True Lessons of the Recession: The West Can't Borrow and Spend Its Way to Recovery (May); gets into a debate with Paul Krugman, advocating supply-side solutions to the Great Recession, while Krugman sticks with the Keynesian stimulus solution. Johnny Ramone (1948-2004), Commando: The Autobiography of Johnny Ramone (posth.) (Apr. 2). Bob Reiss (1951-), The Eskimo and the Oil Man: The Battle at the Top of the World for America's Future (May 15); the fight over offshore drilling in the Arctic as seen through the eyes of a Shell Oil exec and an Eskimo leader in Alaska; "The Arctic century is upon us." Tom Reiss (1964), The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo (Sept. 18) (Pulitzer Prize). Paul Craig Roberts (1939-), The Failure of Laissez Faire Capitalism and Economic Dissolution of the West. Subversives: The FBI's War on Student Radicals, and Reagan's Rise to Power Seth Rosenfeld, Subversives: The FBI's War on Student Radicals, and Reagan's Rise to Power (Aug. 21); secret FBI involvement at UCB with Calif. gov. Ronald Reagan, radical Mario Savio, and UCB pres. Clark Kerr. Alice Schwarzer (1942-), Autobio. Deborah Scroggins, Wanted Women: Faith, Lies and the War on Terror: The Lives of Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Aafia Siddiqui. Rupert Sheldrake (1942-), The Science Delusion: Freeing the Spirit of Enquiry. Joseph Stiglitz (1943-), The Price of Inequality: How Today's Divided Society Endangers Our Future (June 11); NYT bestseller about the top 1%; "Their fate is bound up with how the other 99 percent live... It does not have to be this way." Cheryl Strayed (1968-), Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Coast Trail (autobio.) (Mar. 20); NYT #1 bestseller; Tiny Beautiful Things: Advance on Love and Life from Dear Sugar (essays) (July 10); NYT bestseller. Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger III (1951-), Making a Difference: Stories of Vision and Courage from America's Leaders (May). Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), The World Happiness Report 2012; first in an annual series. Nassim Nicholas Taleb (1960-), Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder; incl. fasting, mythology, urban planning, plus biological, cultural, economic, and technological systems. Roger Trigg, Equality, Freedom and Religion; "There has been a clear trend for courts in Europe and North America to prioritise equality and non-discrimination above religion, placing the right to religious freedom in danger." Fritz Vahrenholt (1949-) and Sebastian Luning (1970), "Die Kalte Sonne: Warum die Klimakatrasphoe nicht Statfindet", which is pub. in English on June 15, 2015 as The Neglected Sun: Why the Sun Precludes Climate Catastrophe, which claims that the Sun and four concurrent solar cycles control weather on Earth, not CO2, making the doomsday global warming predictions of the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change into moose hockey, a castle built on sand, because a future ice age is a possibility after the Earth cools 0.2-0.3 C by 2035; their book is heavily criticized by climate scientists. Brian Weiss (1944-), Miracles Happen: The Transformational Healing Power of Past-Life Memories (Oct. 2). Henry Wiencek, Master of the Mountain; depicts Thomas Jefferson as a greedy racist slave-owner. Robert Wistrich, From Ambivalence to Betrayal: The Left, the Jews, and Israel. Donald N. Yates, Old World Roots of the Cherokee: How DNA, Ancient Alphabets and Religion Explain the Origins of America's Largest Indian Nation (July 11); the Cherokees came from W Europe? Larry Young and Brian Alexander, The Chemistry Between Us; claims that men are attracted to womens' breasts because of their infantile breast-feeding circuitry. Art: Christo and Jeanne-Claude erect the Over the River Project, panels of shimmering silver-colored panels covering the Arkansas River in Colo.; meanwhile they plan the Mastaba Project, a 500-ft.-tall flat-top pyramid of 400K stacked oil barrels in Abu Dhabi. Music: Shawn Colvin (1956-), All Fall Down (album #8) (June 5). Deftones, Koi No Yokan (album #7) (Nov. 12) (#11 in the U.S.) (180K copies); incl. Swerve City, Leathers, Tempest. Imagine Dragons, Night Visions (album) (debut) (Sept. 4) (#2 in the U.S.) (1.9M copies); from Las Vegas, Nev., incl. Dan Reynolds (vocals), Wayne "Wing" Sermon (guitar), Ben McKee (bass), and Daniel Platzman (drums); incl. It's Time, Hear Me, On Top of the World, Radioactive, Demons, Amsterdam. Aaron Lewis (1972-), The Road (Nov. 13) (album) (#7 country) (#30 in the U.S.); incl. Endless Summer (#39 country), Forever (#50 country), Granddaddy's Gun. Macklemore (1983-), Ryan Lewis (1988-), and Mary Lambert (1989-), Same Love (#11 in the U.S., #6 in the U.K.). Bruno Mars (1985-), Album #2 Unorthodox Jukebox (album #2) (Dec. 7, 2012) (#2 in the U.S.) (#1 in the U.K.); incl. Locked Out of Heaven (#1 in the U.S.). Kip Moore (1980-), Up All Night (album) (debut) (Apr. 24) (#3 country) (#6 in the U.S.); incl. Beer Money (#7 country, #51 in the U.S.), Hey Pretty Girl (#8 country) (#41 in the U.S.). Frank Ocean (1987-), Channel Orange (album) (debut) (July 10); incl. Thinking Bout You (#32 in the U.S., #(4 in the U.K.), Pyramids (#31 R&B in the U.K.), Sweet Life. Indian Ocean, 16/330 Khajoor Road (album #5) (Aug. 30); named after the 100-y.-o. bungalow where they rehearse; in 2013 Susmit Sen leaves the band, and is replaced by Nikhil Rao. Rita Ora (1990-), Ora (album) (debut) (Aug. 27) (#1 in the U.K.); incl. Hot Right Now, How We Do (Party), and R.I.P. (w/Tinie Tempah). Psy (Jae-sang Park) (1977-), Gangnam Style; on Dec. 21 (15:50 UTC) it becomes the first music video to reach 1B views on YouTube; on Oct. 23, 2012 he met U.N. secy.-gen. Ban Ki-moon at U.N. HQ. Sydney Wayser (1986-), Bell Choir Coast (album #3) (Mar. 27). Movies: Timur Bekmambetov's Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (June 18) (Tim Burton Productions) (20th Cent. Fox), based on the 2010 Seth Grahame-Smith novel and filmed in La. stars Benjamin Walker and Lux Haney-Jardine as Lincoln, Dominic Sturges as his mentor Dominic Cooper, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Mary Todd Lincoln, Jacquelin Fleming as Harriet Tubman, John Rothman as Jefferson Davis, Marton Csokas a plantation owner-vampire Jack Barts, and Joseph Mawle as Lincoln's father Thomas Lincoln; does $116.4M box office on a $99.5M budget. Joe Wright's Anna Karenina (Sept. 17), based on the 1877 Leo Tolstoy novel stars Keira Knightley as Anna, Jude Law as Alexei, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Vronsky. Michael Haneke's Amour (May 20) stars Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva as retired music teachers Georges and Anne, who has a stroke. Ben Affleck's Argo (Oct. 12), based on the 1981 TV movie "Escape from Iran: The Canadian Caper" about CIA operative Tony Mendez leading the rescue of six U.S. diplomats from Tehran in 1979 stars Affleck as Mendez, and Alan Arkin as Lester Siegel. Craig Moss' Bad Ass (Apr. 13), based on the AC Transit Bus Fight Internet Video stars Danny Trejo as 67-y.-o. decorated Vietnam War vet Frank Vega, who becomes famous after he beats up two skinheads on a bus; Charles S. Dutton plays drug lord Panther, and Ron Perlman plays Mayor Williams. Peter Berg's Battleship (Apr. 3) (Universal), based on the Hasbro board game stars Liam Neeson as Adm. Terrance Shane, and Peter MacNicol as the U.S. secy. of defense, who deal with invading aliens from Planet G, who are attracted by a signal sent from Hawaii by NASA; does $303M box office on a $209M budget. Benh Zeitlin's Beasts of the Southern Wild (Jan. 20) (Fox Searchlight Pictures), based on the 1-act play "Juicy and Delicious" by Lucy Alibar about the Bathtub in La. stars 9-y.-o. Quevenzhane Wallis (b. 2003) as 5-y.-o. Hushpuppy, who becomes the youngest Academy Award best actress nominee (until ?); Dwight Henry plays Wink; does $21.9M box office on a $1.8M budget. Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod's Bel Ami (Feb. 17) (Redwave Films), based on a short story by Guy de Maupassant stars Robert Pattinson as Georges Duroy, who rises to power in Paris by manipulating wealthy women. Drew Goddard's The Cabin in the Woods (Mar. 9) (Mutant Enemy Productions) (Lionsgate) is about a group of college students incl. Kristen Connally as Dana Polk, Chris Hemsworth as Curt Vaughan, Anna Hutchison as Jules Louden, and Fran Kranz as Mary Mikalsi, where a menagerie of monsters is imprisoned, turning into a sendup of virtually every horror movie ever made; also features Richard Jenkins, Bradley Whitford, and Sigourney Weaver; does $66.5M box office on a $30M budget. Matt Piedmont's Casa de mi padre (Mar. 13) (Gary Sanchez Productions) stars Will Ferrell as flawless Mexican-speaking Armando Alvarez, whose younger brother Raul (Diego Luna) gets their father's ranch estate tied up with the Mexican drug lord Onza (Gael Garcia Bernal); Genesis Rodriguez plays Raul's fiancee Sonia Lopez, who falls for Armando; does $8M box office on a $6M budget; opening scene features Christina Aguilera's ruby red lips singing the theme song a la "The Rocky Horror Picture Show"; a movie-length "Saturday Night Live" sketch? George Sluizer's Dark Blood (Sept. 27) stars River Phoenix as Boy, who retreats to the desert after his wife dies of radiation from nuclear tests, and waits for the end of the world while carving Kachina dolls; meanwhile couple Harry and Buffy (Jonathan Pryce and Judy Davis) break down in their car and are rescued by Boy, who holds them prisoner; it was canned after Phoenix's 1993 death until now. Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises (July 16) features Tom Hardy as Bane, and Anne Hawthorne as Catwoman Selma Kyle; does $1B on a $230M budget. Henry Alex Rubin's Disconnect (Sept. 11), about life in the cyberorld stars Jason Bateman, Hope Davis, and Frank Grillo, and is the acting debut of fashionista Marc Jacobs. Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained (Dec. 11) (A Band Apart) (The Weinstein Co.) (Columbia Pictures), a stylized tribute to Spaghetti Westerns esp. the 1966 film "Django" by Sergio Corbucci, set in the antebellum Deep South and Old West stars Christoph Waltz as a bounter hunter chasing freed slave Jamie Foxx, who's trying to rescue his wife Kerry Washington from cruel plantation owner Leonardo DiCaprio, turning the Western inside-out and upside-down; "Django" star Franco Nero has a cameo; does $425.4M box office on a $100M budget. Stephen Daldry's Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (Jan. 20), based on the Jonathan Safran Foer novel stars Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock as Thomas and Linda Schell, and Thomas Horn as their 11-y.-o. son Oskar in a flick about 9/11; Zoe Caldwell plays Oskar's grandmother, and Max von Sydow plays the mysterious Renter. Robert Zemeckis' Flight (Oct. 14) stars Denzel Washington as airline Capt. William "Whip" Whitaker Sr., who crashes SouthJet Flight 227 to Atlanta while high on cocaine, heroically saving the crew, and is treated as a hero until the drug test comes back; Bruce Greenwood plays union rep Charlie Anderson; John Goodman plays drug dealer Harling Mays; Kelly Reilly plays Denzel's babe Nicole Maggen; does $161.8M box office on a $31M budget. Juan Antonio Bayon's The Impossible, (Sept. 9) based on a the true story of Maria Belon and her family in the Dec. 26, 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami stars Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor as Marria and Henry Bennett. Steven Soderbergh's Haywire (Jan. 20) stars martial arts star Gina Carano as freelance spy Mallory Kane, who kicks the ass of hunk Aaron (Channing Tatum); Ewan McGregor plays Kenneth, Michael Fassebender plays Paul, and Bill Paxton plays John Kane. Sacha Gervasi's Hitchcock (Nov. 23), based on "Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho" by Stephen Rebello stars A nthony Hopkins as Hitchcock, Helen Mirren as his wife Alma Reville, and Scarlett Johansson as Janet Leigh. Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Nov. 28) (New Line Cinema) (MGM) (WingNut Films) (Warner Bros.), based on the 1937 J.R.R. Tolkien novel stars Ian Holm and Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins, Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Ian McKellen as Gandalf the Grey, Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield, Andy Serkis as Gollum, and Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug the Dragon; does $1,021M box office on a $315M budget; followed by "The Desolation of Smaug" (2013) and "The Battle of the Five Armies" (2014). Genndy Tartakovsky's computer-animated monster comedy film Hotel Transylvania (Sept. 8) (Columbia Pictures) is about Count Dracula (voiced by Adam Sandler), owner of Hotel Transylvania, a haven for monsters from human, who invites the most famous monsters to celebrate the 118th birthday of his daughter Mavis (voiced by Selena Gomez), and has to cope with unexpected 21-y.-o. human hunk visitor Jonathan "Johnny" Loughran (voiced by Andy Samberg) to keep her from falling in love with him before the monster guests find out about him; does $358.4M box office on an $85M budget; followed by "Hotel Transylvania 2" (2015), "Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation" (2018), "Hotel Transylvania: Transformania" (2022). Gary Ross' The Hunger Games (Mar. 12) (Lionsgate), based on the bestselling (26M copies) 2008-10 Suzanne Collins trilogy stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson, and Donald Sutherland in the future post-apocalyptic nation of Panem, where boys and girls ages 12-18 from the 12 poorest of 13 districts surrounding the Capitol are forced to fight to the death in a battle royale on TV; it brings in $692M on a $78M budget. Roger Michell's Hyde Park on Hudson (Aug. 310 (Daybreak Pictures), based on the Richard Nelson play stars Murray as FDR, and Laura Linney as his 6th cousin and lover Margaret "Daisy" Suckley; does $8.9M box office. Andrew Stanton's John Carter (Feb. 22), a Walt Disney Pictures production based on the novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs stars Taylor Kitsch as John Carter, Willem Dafoe as Tars Tarkas, and Lynn Collins as Princess Dejah Thoris of Barsoom; does $284.1 M box office on a $306.6M budget; loses $100M-$200M? Tom Hooper's Les Miserables (Dec. 5), based on the 1862 novel by Victor Hugo stars Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean, Russell Crowe as Javert, Anne Hathaway as Fantine, and Isabelle Allen as Cosette. Ang Lee's 3-D Life of Pi (Sept. 28) (20th Cent. Fox), written by David Magee based on the 2001 novel by Yann Martel about a 16-y.-o. boy trapped on a lifeboat in the Pacific Ocean with a Bengal tiger stars Ayush Tandon, Suraj Sharma, and Irrfan Khan as Piscine Molitor "Pi" Patel; does $609M box office on a $120M budget. Steven Spielberg's Lincoln (Oct. 8) (DreamWorks Pictures) (20th Cent. Fox) (Walt Disney Studios), written by Tony Kushner based on "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln" by Doris Kearns Goodwin (2005) about the last 4 mo. of his life as he twists arms and offers political patronage jobs to get the 13th Amendment passed stars Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln, Sally Field as Mary Todd Lincoln, David Strathairn as William Seward, Bruce McGill as Edwin Stanton, Hal Holbrook as Francis Preston Blair, Peter McRobbie as Dem. slavery proponent George H. Pendleton of Ohio, and Tommy Lee Jones as Radical Repub. leader Thaddeus Stevens, who swallows his pride to argue for equality before the law instead of racial equality and endure taunts by Tammany Hall N.Y. Rep. Fernando Wood (played by Lee Pace), then gets into bed with his African housekeeper Lydia Hamilton Smith (played by S. Epatha Merkerson) at the end, uttering the soundbyte that the amendment was "passed by corruption, aided and abetted by the purest man in America"; the film is full of moose hockey, but Spielberg admits that "this resurrection is a fantasy... a dream... one of the jobs of art is to go to the impossible places that history must avoid"; it's really just the Day-Lewis show, as he channels Lincoln admirably incl. the high-pitched voice; does $275.3M box office on a $65M budget. Rian Johnson's Looper (Sept. 6) has the tag line "Hunted by your future. Haunted by your past"; after time travel is invented in 2074 and outlawed, criminal orgs. send those they want killed back into the past with silver bars strapped on, where they are killed by loopers, who get the bars, esp. 25-y.-o. Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) in 2044 Kansas City; too bad, when Joe retires, his older self (Bruce Willis) is sent back with gold bars strapped on to close the loop. Martin Villeneuve's Mars et Avril (Mars and April) (July 2) is based on the graphic novels of Sid Lee and La Pasteque; stars Caroline Dhavernas as Avril, Jacques Languirand and Paul Ahramani as her lovers Jacob Obus and Arthur, and Robert Lepage as Arthur's father Eugene Spaak. Steven Soderbergh's Magic Mike (June 24) (Warner Bros.) stars Channing Tatum as 18-y.-o. stripper Mike Lane in Tampa, Fla., who teams with Adam the Kid (Alex Pettyfer) while hooking up with Brooke (Cody Horn); does $167M box office on a $7M budget; followed by "Magic Mike XXL" (2015). Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master (Sept. 1) stars Joaquin Phoenix as WWII vet Freddie Quell, who joins the Cause of Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman). Barry Sonnenfeld's Men in Black 3 (May 14) (Columbia Pictures) stars Will Smith as Agent J, Tommy Lee Jones as Agent K, Josh Brolin as the 1969 Agent K, Emma Thompson as Agent O, Alice Eve as 1969 Agent O, and Jemaine Clement as Boris the Animal in a time travel adventure centering on the Apollo 11 liftoff; does $624M box office on a $215M budget. Ava DuVernay's Middle of Nowhere (Jan. 20) (Participant Media) stars Emyatzy Corinealdi as a promising medical student whose hubby gets an 8-year prison sentence; does $237K box office on a $200K budget. Tarsem Singh's Mirror Mirror (Mar. 30) is a retelling of Snow White starring Lily Collins as Snow White, Julia Roberts as Clmentianna, Armie Hammer as Prince Andrew Alcott, Nathan Lane as servant Brighton, and Sean Bean as the king. Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom (May 16) is a romantic comedy drama set on New Penzance Island in New England, with an ensemble cast incl. Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Frances McDormand, Kara Hayward, and Jared Gilman. Pablo Larrain's No (May 18) stars Gael Garcia Bernal as Rene Saavedra, an ad man in Chile during the 1988 plebiscite on Gen. Pinochet. Atiq Rahimi's The Patience Stone (Oct. 11), based on Rahimi's 2008 novel stars Golshifteh Farahani as an Afghani woman whose jihadist hubby was shot in the neck, turning him into a vegetable, allowing him to confide her deepest secrets to him to turn him into a sang-e savour (magic stone) that shields her from unhappiness and suffering. Ole Bornedal's The Possession (Aug. 30) (Ghost House Productions) (Lionsgate) stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Kyra Sedgwick as recently-separated Clyde and Stephanie Brenek, whose children Emily "Em" Breneck (Natasha Calis) and Hannah Brenek (Madison Davenport) get messed up by an old wooden box with Hebrew letters engraved on it they got at a yard sale that is possessed by a dybbuk named Ayzou (Taker of Children); "Once the box is open people die"; does $78.5M box office on a $14M budget. Ridley Scott's Prometheus (May 30) (20th Cent. Fox), originally a prequel to "Alien" (1979), about a late 21st cent. spaceship that follows a star map to discover the origins of humanity stars Noomi Rapace as archeologist Elizabeth Shaw, Michael Fassbender as android David, Charlize Theron as Weyland Corp. employee Meredith Vickers, and Idris Elba as Capt. Janek; Guy Pearce plays egomaniac Weyland Corp. founder Peter Weyland; does $403M box office on a $130M budget. Spike Lee's Red Hook Summer (Aug. 10) (40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks) (Chronicles of Brooklyn #6) stars Clarke Peters as Da Good Bishop Enoch Rouse of Red Hook, Brooklyn, whose pampered grandson Flik Royle (Jules Brown) is sent to live with him, only to see his covered-up past of sexual molestation of a boy go public, causing his congregation to turn against him; does $339K bo office. Jake Schreier's Robot and Frank (Jan. 20) stars Frank Langella as an aging jewel thief whose son buys him a domestic robot, which he teaches to pull heists. Nikolaj Arcel's A Royal Affair (Feb. 16) stars Mikkel Folsgaard as crazy Danish King Christian VII, Alicia Vikander as Queen Caroline Mathilde, and Mads Mikkelsen as her physician lover Johann Friedrich Struensee. Jacques Audiard's Rust and Bone (De rouille et d'os) (May 17) (Canal+), based on the short stories by Craig Davidson stars Marion Cotillard as Stephanie, a killer whale trainer who falls for unemployed 20-something wannabe-kick boxer Alain van Versch (Matthias Schoenaerts) in Antibes and loses her legs in an accident; does $25.8M box office on a $20M budget. Daniel Espinoza's Safe House (Feb. 7) (Universal Pictures) stars Denzel Washington as rogue ex-CIA agent Tobin Frost, who steals a data storage device containing info. on dirty dealings by U.S, British and other intel agencies from rogue MI6 agent Alex Wade (Liam Cunningham) and is chased by undercover CIA mercenaries led by Vargas (Fares Fares) until he surrenders himself to the U.S. consulate in Cape Town, South Africa, who put him in a safe house, where he is waterboarded by agent Daniel Kiefer (Robert Patrick), until Vargas and his men attack and kill everybody except rookie agent Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds), who escapes, taking Frost with him, after which Frost escapes, and they play cat and mouse; Brendan Gleeson plays CIA superior David Barlow; Vera Farmiga plays CIA operative Catherine Linklater; Nora Arnezeder plays Weston's babe Ana Moreau; does $208M box office on a $85M budget. Lorene Scafaria's Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (June 22) (Mandate Pictures) (Focus Features) (title taken from the Chris Cornell song "Preaching the End of the World") stars Steve Carell as Dodge Petersen, and Keira Knightley as Penelope "Penny" Lockhart, who find out that the world will be destroyed by an asteroid in three weeks; does $9.6M box office on a $10M budget. Ben Lewin's The Sessions (Jan. 23) stars John Hawks as paralyzed poet Mark O'Brien, who hires sex surrogate Cheryl Cohen (Helen Hunt-Greene). David O. Russell's Silver Linings Playbook (Sept. 8), based on the 2008 novel by Matthew Quick stars Bradley Cooper as bipolar Patrizio "Pat" Solitano Jr., and Jennifer Lawrence as recovering sex addict Tiffany Maxwell; Robert De Niro plays Pat Sr., who loses his job and becomes a bookie to make enough money to start a restaurant; does $236M box office on a $21M budget; first film to have actors nominated for Oscars in all four categories since "Reds" (1981); Jennifer Lawrence trips on her way to the stage at the Oscars. Scott Derrickson's Sinister (Mar. 11) (Alliance Films) stars Ethan Hawke as true crime writer Ellison Oswalt, who discovers a box of Super 8 home movies depicting grisly murders in the attic of his new house, and is drawn into a Satanic children cult that worships Bughuul and is run by Mr. Boogie (Spooky Face) (Nick King); Juliet Rylance plays Hawke's wife Tracy; Fred Dalton Thompson plays the sheriff; James Ransone plays Deputy So & So; Vincent D'Onofrio plays Prof. Jonas; does $87.7M box office on a $3M budget; followed by "Sinister 2" (Aug. 21, 2015). Sascha Hartmann's Sir Billi (Apr. 13), the first CGI animated flick from Scotland is about an aging skateboarding veterinarian who fights a war to save Bessie Boo, the last beaver in Scotland; the final role for Sean Connery as Sir Billi. Sam Mendes' Skyfall (Oct. 23) (Eon Productions) (MGM) (Columbia Pictures) (James Bond 007 film #23), named after his Scottish estate stars Daniel Craig as James Bond 007, and Javier Barden as Julian Assange clone blonde bad guy Raoul Silva, a former MI6 agent gone cyberterrorist out to kill M (Judi Dench); Ben Whishaw plays Q, and Naomie Harris plays a black Miss Eve Moneypenny; Albert Finney (after the idea of casting Sean Connery is discarded) plays Kincade the gamekeeper; Ralph Fiennes plays Gareth Mallory, who takes over the M job at the end of the film; the Skyfall Theme Song is performed by Adele; features the reappearance of the original Aston Martin DB5; does $1.1B box office on a $200M budget, #7 of all time, and #1 in the U.K. Rupert Sanders' Snow White and the Huntsman (May 30) charles Kristen Stewart as Snow White, Charlize Theron as Queen Ravenna, Chris Hemsworth as Eric the Huntsman, Sam Claflin as William, and Bob Hoskins as Muir the blind elder dwarf in his last film role. Olivier Megaton's Taken 2 (Oct. 3), the sequel to the 2008 film stars Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, and Famke Janssen; does $376M box office on a $45M budget. Judd Apatow's This Is 40 (Dec. 21) (Universal Pictures) stars Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann as Pete and Debbie, married who turn 40; does $88.1M box office on a $35M budget. The Farrelly Brothers' The Three Stooges (Apr. 13) (20th Cent. Fox.) stars Chris Diamantopoulos as Moe, Sean Hayes as Larry, and Will Sasso as Curly; Jane Lynch plays Mother Superior, and Kirby Heyborne plays their orphanage friend Theodore J. "Teddy" Harter; does $54.8M box office on a $30M budget. James Watkins' The Woman in Black (Feb. 3) (Alliance Films) (Hammer Films) (Momentum Pictures) (CBS Films), based on the 1983 Susan Hill novel set in the English village of Crythin Gifford in 1910 stars Daniel Radcliffe as lawyer Arthur Kipps, Ciaran Hinds as landowner Sam Daily, Janet McTeer as his wife Elizabeth, and Liz White as Jennet Humfrye, the Woman in Black; does $127M box office on a $15M budget. Rich Moore's animated Wreck-It Ralph (Oct. 29) (Walt Disney Pictures) is about an arcade game villain (voiced by John C. Reilly) who tries to become a hero; does $471.2M box office on a $165M budget; followed by "Ralph Breaks the Internet" (2018). Kathryn Bigelow's Zero Dark Thirty (Dec. 19) (30 min. after midnight) (original title: "For God and Country") (Columbia Pictures), about the manhunt for Osama bin Laden culminating in his May 2, 2011 assassination stars Jessica Chastain as Obama-obsessed sexless (Crusader-like?) CIA agent Maya, Jason Clarke as her fellow intel officer Dan, Jennifer Ehle as doomed CIA analyst Jessica, Kyle Chandler as Islamabad CIA station chief Joseph Bradley, Joel Edgerton as Navy SEAL team leader Patrick, and Chris Pratt as fellow SEAL Justin; Ricky Sekhon plays Osama bin Laden; "The greatest manhunt in history" does $132.8M box office on a $40M budget. Plays: Ayad Akhtar, Disgraced (New York) a dinner party turns into a heated debate about Islam between Pakistani-born Amir and his wife Emily and the rest incl. Jory and her hubby Isaac. Stafford Arima, Bare (Dec. 9) (New York) (86 perf.); coming of age rock musical set in a Roman Catholic boarding school. Harvey Fierstein (1954-) and Cyndi Lauper (1953-), Kinky Boots (musical) (Chicago); based on the 2005 film. Simon Stephens (1971-) and Mark Haddon (1962-), The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Royal Nat. Theatre, London) (Aug. 2) (Apollo Theatre, West End, London) (Mar. 12, 2013) (Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York) (Oct. 5, 2014); austistic Christopher John Francis Boone investigates the death of a neighbor's dog with the help of mentor Siobhan. Poetry: Sharon Olds (1942-), Stag's Leap (Sept. 4) (Pulitzer Prize; about her 1997 divorce. Novels: Ayad Akhtar, American Dervish (Jan.) (first novel); a Pakistani Muslim kid grows up in Wisc. James S.A. Carey, Caliban's War. Paul Coelho (1947-), Manuscript Found in Accra. Gillian Flynn (1971-), Gone Girl (June); #1 NYT bestseller (2M copies) about Nick Dunne and his vanished wife Amy; filmed in 2014. Lisa Genova (1970-), Love Anthony (Sept.); a boy with autism. John Green (1977-), The Fault in Our Stars (Jan. 10); 16-y.-o. cancer patient Hazel Grace Lancaster; NYT bestseller; filmed in 2014. Mark Helprin (1947-), In Sunlight and In Shadow (Oct. 12); Jewish business Heir Harry Copeland and Catherine Thomas Hale AKA Catherine Sedley meet on a Staten Island ferry in the late 1940s. Adam Johnson, The Orphan Master's Son; "In North Korea, you weren't born, you were made." Patrick Modiano (1945-), Night Grass (L'Herbe de Nuit). Zahra Noorbakhsh (1980-), Love, InshAllah: The Secret Love Lives of American Muslim Women (Jan. 24). Kim Stanley Robinson (1952-), 2312 (May 23); Earth has been ravaged by climate change, and the Solar System has been colonized. J.K. Rowling (1965-), The Casual Vacancy. John Scalzi (1969-), Redshirts: A Novel with Three Codas. Charles Stross (1964-) and Cory Doctorow (1971-), The Rapture of the Nerds. Brad Thor (1969-), Black List. Patrick White (1912-90), The Hanging Garden (Apr. 2) (posth.) (unfinished). Tom Wolfe (1930-2018), Back to Blood (4th and last novel); Cuban immigrants in Miami. William Paul Young (1955-), Cross Roads (Nov. 13); egotistical businessman Anthony "Tony" Spencer is struck comatose and discovers the world of Christian faith through the eyes of black nurse Maggie Saunders. Births: Deaths: Am. photojournalist Eve Arnold (b. 1912) on Jan. 4 in London, England. Am. bowler Don Carter (b. 1926) on Jan. 5 in Miami, Fla. (emphysema). Indian rock mag. publisher Amit "Papa Rock" Saigal (b. 1965) on Jan. 5 in Goa. Am. whistleblowing engineer Roger Boisjoly (b. 1938) on Jan. 6 in Nephi, Utah. (cancer). Soviet WWII spy Gevork Vartanian (b. 1924) on Jan. 10 in Moscow. Am. Cracker Barrel founder Dan Evins (b. 1935) on Jan. 14 in Lebanon, Tenn. Am. musician Johnny Otis (b. 1921) on Jan. 17 in Los Angeles, Calif. Am. "At Last" singer Etta James (b. 1938) on Jan. 20 in Riverside, Calif. Am. agronomist Sylvan Harold Wittwer (b. 1917) on Jan. 20. Japnese costume designer Eiko Ishioka (b. 1938) on Jan. 21 in Tokyo. Am. football coach Joe Paterno (b. 1926) on Jan. 22 in State College, Penn. (lung cancer). Am. actor James Farentino (b. 1938) on Jan. 24 in Los Angeles, Calif. (heart failure). Italian astrophysicist Frano Pacini (b. 1939) on Jan. 25 in Florence. Am. archbishop of Philly (1988-2003) and bishop of Pittsburgh (1983-88) Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua (b. 1923) on Jan. 31 in Wynnewood, Penn. Polish poet Wislawa Szymborska (b. 1923) on Feb. 1 in Cracow; 1996 Nobel Lit. Prize. Am. biologist Norton Zinder (b. 928) on Feb. 3 in New York City (pneumonia). English "The Tripods" sci-fi novelist Samuel Youd (b. 1922) on Feb. 3 in Bath, Somerset (bladder cancer). British last veteran of WWII (Women's RAF) Florence Beatrice Green (b. 1901) on Feb. 4 in North Lynn, West Norfolk. Am. "Nick Barkley in The Big Valley" actor Peter Breck (b. 1929) on Feb. 6 in Vancouver, B.C., Canada (dementia). Am. "I Will Always Love You" singer Whitney Houston (b. 1963) on Feb. 11 in Beverly Hills, Calif.; found dead in the bathtub in the Beverly Hills Hilton (OD?). Am. journalist Anthony Shadid (b. ?) on Feb. 16 in Syria (asthma attack while attempting to leave running behind camels). Am. biologist Eugene F. Stoermer (b. 1934) on Feb. 17. Italian virologist Rene Dulbecco (b. 1914) on Feb. 19 in La Jolla, Calif.; 1975 Nobel Med. Prize. Am. black teen Trayvon Martin (b. 1995) on Feb. 26 in Sanford, Fla. (killed by George Zimmerman). Am. theologian William Hamilton (b. 1924) on Feb. 28 in Portland, Ore. (congestive heart failure). English Monkees singer Davy Jones (b. 1945) on Feb. 29 in Stuart, Fla. (heart attack). Am. conservative pundit Andrew James Breitbart (b. 1969) on Mar. 1 in Westwood, Los Angeles, Calif.: "I am at war with the mainstream media because they portray themselves as objective observers of reality, when they're no such thing. They're partisan critical theory hacks... They have nothing but contempt for the American people". Am. serial murderer William Heirens (b. 1928) on Mar. 5 in Chicago, Ill.; dies after recanting his confession and claiming coercion. U.S. rep. (D-N.J.) (1989-2012) Donald Milford Payne (b. 1934) on Mar. 6 in Livingston, N.J. Am. chemist Frank Sherwood Rowland (b. 1927) on Mar. 10 in Newport Beach, Calif.; 1997 Nobel Chem. Prize. Am. Mr. Coffee co-creator Samuel Glazer (b. 1923) on Mar. 12 in Cleveland, Ohio (leukemia). Ukrainian-born Am. accused war criminal John Demjanjuk (b. 1920) on Mar. 17 in Bad Feilnbach, Bavaria; his criminal record is cleared. Egyptian Coptic pope #117 (1971-2012) Shenouda III (b. 1923) on Mar. 17 in Cairo (cancer). Tongan king (2006-12) George Tupou V (b. 1948) on Mar. 18 in Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong. Am. "Diving into the Wreck" writer-poet Adrienne Rich (b. 1929) on Mar. 27 in Santa Cruz, Calif. Am. banjo player Earl Scruggs (b. 1924) on Mar. 28 in Nashville, Tenn. Am. physicist Dale Raymond Corson (b. 1914) on Mar. 31 in Ithaca, N.Y. Am. economist Halbert L. White Jr. (b. 1950) on Mar. 31. Mexican pres. #52 (1982-8) Miguel de la Madrid Hurtado (b. 1934) on Apr. 1 in Mexico City (COPD). Malawian pres. #3 (2004-12) Bingu wa Mutharika (b. 1934) on Apr. 5 in Lilongwe (heart attack). Am. poet Reed Whittemore (b. 1919) on Apr. 6 in College Park, Md. Algerian pres. #1 (1963-5) Ahmed Ben Bella (b. 1916) on Apr. 11 in Algiers. English-born Australian Olympic swimmer Murray Rose (b. 1939) on Apr. 15 in Sydney. Am. "American Bandstand" MC Dick Clark (b. 1929) on Apr. 18 (heart attack). Australian Men at Work musician Greg Ham (b. 1953) on Apr. 19 in Melbourne. Am. "The Band" musician Levon Helm (b. 1940) on Apr. 19 in New York City (cancer). Am. Watergate conspirator Chuck Colson (b. 1931) on Apr. 21 in Falls Church, Va. English writer Charles Higham (b. 1931) on Apr. 12 in Los Angeles, Calif. Am. football linebacker Junior Seau (b. 1969) (San Diego Chargers #55, 1990-2002) on May 2 in Oceanside, Calif. (suicide). Am. Beastie Boys musician Adam Yauch (b. 1964) on May 4 in New York City (salivary gland cancer). Am. "Goober in The Andy Griffith Show" actor George Lindsey (b. 1928) on May 6 in Nashville, Tenn. Yemeni al-Qaida member Fahd al-Quso (b. 1974) on May 6; killed by a U.S. drone strike. U.S. atty. gen. #65 (1965-6) Nick Katzenbach (b. 1922) on May 8 in Skillman, N.J. Am. "Where the Wild Things Are" children's novelist Maurice Sendak (b. 1928) on May 8 in Danbury, Conn. (stroke). Am. automobile designer Carroll Shelby (b. 1923) on May 10 in Dallas, Tex. Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes (b. 1928) on May 15 in Mexico City. Am. Go-go musician Chuck Brown (b. 1936) on May 16 in Baltimore, Md. (heart failure). Am. singer Donna Summer (b. 1948) on May 17 in Naples, Fla. (lung cancer); sold 130M+ records. Am. basketball player Bob Boozer (b. 1937) on May 19 in Omaha, Neb. English Bee Gees musician Robin Gibb (b. 1949) on May 20 in London (colorectal cancer). Australian anthropologist Alan Thorne (b. 1939) on May 21. Am. musician Doc Watson (b. 1923) on May 29 in Winston-Salem, N.C. Am. basketball player Jack Twyman (b. 1934) on May 30 in Cincinnati, Ohio (cancer). Indian astrophysicist J.C. Bhattacharyya (b. 1930) on June 4 in New Delhi. English novelist Barry Unsworth (b. 1930) on June 4 in Italy. Am. "Fahrenheit 451" novelist Ray Bradbury (b. 1920) on June 5 in Los Angeles, Calif. Am. "Sam Drucker in Green Acres" actor Frank Cady (b. 1915) on June 8 in Wilsonville, Ore. French philosopher Roger Garaudy (b. 1913) on June 13 in Paris. Am. chemist William S. Knowles (b. 1917) on June 13 in Chesterfield, Mo.; 2001 Nobel Chem. Prize. Saudi crown prince Nayef (b. 1934) on June 16 in Geneva, Switzerland (heart failure). Am. artist LeRoy Neiman (b. 1921) on June 20 in New York City. Canadian hockey hall-of-fame player Fernie Flaman (b. 1927) on June 22 in Westwood, Mass. Am. taxi driver Rodney King (b. 1965) on June 27 in Rialto, Calif. Am. gay activist psychiatrist Richard A. Isay (b. 1934) on June 28 in New York City (carcinoma). Am. football player Ben Davidson (b. 1940) on July 2 in San Diego, Calif. Am. "Sheriff Andy Taylor", "Matlock" actor Andy Griffith (b. 1926) on July 3 in Manteo, N.C. Am. physicist Kenneth Ross MacKenzie (b. 1912) on July 4 in Los Angeles, Calif. Haitian anthropologist Michel-Rolph Trouillot (b. 1949) on July 5 in Chicago, Ill.: "Any historical narrative is a bundle of silences." "But we may want to keep in mind that deeds and words are not as distinguishable as often we presume. History does not belong only to its narrators, professional or amateur. While some of us debate what history is or was, others take it into their own hands." "But the past does not exist independently from the present. Indeed, the past is only past because there is a present, just as I can point to something over there only because I am here. But nothing is inherently over there or here. In that sense, the past has no content. The past - or more accurately, pastness - is a position. Thus, in no way can we identify the past as past." Am. "McHale's Navy" actor Ernest Borgnine (b. 1917) on July 8 in Los Angeles, Calif. Am. "Bewitched" dir. William Asher (b. 1921) on July 16 in Palm Desert, Calif. Am. writer Stephen Covey (b. 1932) on July 16 in Idaho Falls, Idaho (bicycle accident in Rock Canyon Park). English Deep Purple musician Jon Lord (b. 1941) on July 16 in London (pancreatic cancer). Am. country singer Kitty Wells (b. 1919) on July 16 in Madison, Tenn. (stroke). Egyptian gen. Omar Suleiman (b. 1936) on July 19 in Cleveland, Ohio (heart attack) (assassinated by the CIA or Mossad?). Am. cognitive psychologist George Armitage Miller (b. 1920) on July 22 in Plainsboro, N.J. Am. astronaut Sally Ride (b. 1951) on July 23. Am. "Dr. Joe Gannon in Medical Center" actor Chad Everett (b. 1937) on July 24 in Los Angeles, Calif. (lung cancer). Ghanaian pres. (2009-12) John Atta Mills (b. 1944) on July 24 in Accra (throat cancer). Am. "The Rat Patrol" actor Justin Tarr (b. 1940) on July 26 in Hawaii. Am. singer-actor Tony Martin (b. 1912) on July 27 in Los Angeles, Calif. English archeologist James Mellaart (b. 1925) on July 29 in London. Am. "Myra Breckenridge" writer Gore Vidal (b. 1925) on July 31 in Hollywood Hills, Calif. (pneumonia): "For those who haven't read the books, I am known best for my hair preparations." Czech-born British cold fusion chemist Martin Fleischmann (b. 1927) on Aug. 3 in Tilsbury. Am. basketball player Dan Roundfield (b. 1953) on Aug. 6 in Aruba (drowned). Am. social scientist Robert Duncan Luce (b. 1925) on Aug. 11. Am. astronaut Neil Armstrong (b. 1930) on Aug. 12 in Cincinnati, Ohio; buried at sea. Polish-born comic book artist Joe Kubert (b. 1926) on Aug. 12 in Morristown, N.J. (multiple myeloma). Am. sci-fi writer Harry Harrison (b. 1925) on Aug. 15 in Brighton, England. Am. "Cmdr. Matt Decker in Star Trek: TOS" "actor William Windom (b. 1923) on Aug. 16 in Woodacre, Calif. (congestive heart failure). English "Top Gun" dir.-producer Tony Scott (b. 1944) on Aug. 19 in San Pedro, Los Angeles, Calif. (suicide by jumping off the Vincent Thomas Bridge). English "Carrie's War" children's writer Nina Bawden (b. 1925) on Aug. 22 in London. Am. basketball player Art Heyman (b. 1941) on Aug. 27 in Clermont, Fla. English historian Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke (b. 1953) on Aug. 29. Soviet minister of defence (1984-7) Sergey L. Sokolov (b. 1911) on Aug. 31 in Moscow; dies three days after his wife of 70 years Maria Samojilovna Sokolova (b. 1920). Am. "Alfie", "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" lyricist Hal David (b. 1921) on Sept. 1 in Los Angeles, Calif. (stroke). Am. "John Coffey in The Green Mile" actor Michael Clarke Duncan (b. 1957) on Sept. 3 in Los Angeles, Calif. (heart attack). South Korean Unification Church founder Sun Myung Moon (b. 1920) on Sept. 3 in Gapyeong. Am. NFL Cleveland Browns owner (1961-96) Art Modell (b. 1925) on Sept. 6 in Baltimore, Md. Am. "Power vs. Force" psychiatrist David R. Hawkins (b. 1927) on Sept. 19 in Sedona, Ariz. Am. AZT scientist Jerome Phillip Horowitz (b. 1919) on Sept. 6. U.S. ambassador John Christopher Stevens (b. 1960) on Sept. 12 in Benghazi, Libya (KIA). Am. New York Times publisher Arthur Ochs Sulzberger (b. 1926) on Sept. 29 in Southampton, N.Y. Canadian figure skater Barbara Ann Scott (b. 1928) on Sept. 30 in Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island, Fla. English historian Eric Hobsbawm (b. 1917) on Oct. 1 in London. English-born Canadian psychologist John Philippe Rushton (b. 1943) on Oct. 2 in London, Ont. British "The Railway Man" WWII officer Eric Lomax (b. 1919) on Oct. 8 in Berwick-upon-Tweed. Danish jazz musician John Tchicai (b. 1936) on Oct. 8 in Perpignan, France (brain hemorhage). U.S. Rep. (D-Fla.) (1963-97) Sam Gibbons (b. 1920) on Oct. 10 in Tampa, Fla. Am. psychologist John Garcia (b. 1917) on Oct. 12. Am. actor Gary Collins (b. 1938) on Oct. 12 in Biloxi, Miss. Am. politician Arlen Specter (b. 1930) on Oct. 14 in Philadelphia, Penn. Canbodian king (1941-55, 1993-2004) Norodom Sihanouk (b. 1922) on Oct. 15 in Beijing, China. Am. Earth Day founder John McConnell (b. 1915) on Oct. 20. Am. Oglala Sioux activist Russell Means (b. 1939) on Oct. 22 in Porcupine, S.D. (esophageal cancer). Am. psychologist Arthur Jensen (b. 1923) on Oct. 22 in Kelseyville, Calif. Am. 5Rhythms dance instructor Gabrielle Roth (b. 1941) on Oct. 22 in New York City (lung cancer). French "From Dawn to Decadence" cultural historian Jacques Barzun (b. 1907) on Oct. 25 in San Antonio, Tex.: "Whoever wants to know the heart and mind of America had better learn baseball"; "Old age is like learning a new profession. And not one of your own choosing"; "History cannot be a science; it is the very opposite, in that its interest resides in the particulars." English New Age writer Murry Hope (b. 1929) on Oct. 25 in Emsworth, West Sussex. Am. historian Richard N. Current (b. 1912) on Oct. 26 in Boston, Mass. (Parkinson's). Am. historian Thomas Kincaid McCraw (b. 1940) on Nov. 3 in Cambridge, Mass. Irish-Am. feminist writer Patricia Monaghan (b. 1946) on Nov. 11 in Black Earth, Wisc. Am. psychiatrist Daniel N. Stern (b. 1934) on Nov. 12 in Geneva, Switzerland. Am. chemist James Bassham (b. 1922) on Nov. 19 in El Cerrito, Calif. Soviet sci-fi novelist Boris Strugatsky (b. 1933) on Nov. 19 in St. Petersburg. Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab (b. 1987) on Nov. 21 in Pune, India (hanged). Am. "J.R. in Dallas" actor Larry Hagman (b. 1931) on Nov. 23 in North Dallas, Tx. (throat cancer). Puerto Rican boxing champ Hector "Macho" Camacho (b. 1962) on Nov. 24 in San Juan (car shooting). Am. singer Earl "Speedo" Carroll (b. 1937) on Nov. 25 in New York City. Am. surgeon Joseph E. Murray (b. 1919) on Nov. 28 in Boston, Mass.; 1990 Nobel Med. Prize. Am. motivational speaker Zig Ziglar (b. 1926) on Nov. 28 in Plano, Tex. (pneumonia). Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer (b. 1907) on Dec. 5 in Rio de Janeiro. Am. physician William Fouts House (b. 1923) on Dec. 7 in Aurora, Ore. German-born Am. economist Albert Otto Hirschman (b. 1915) on Dec. 10 in Ewing Township, N.J. Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar (b. 1920) on Dec. 11 in San Diego, Calif. French mountain climber Maurice Herzog (b. 1919) on Dec. 13 in Neuilly-sur-Seine. U.S. Sen. (D-Hawaii) (1963-2012) Daniel Inouye (b. 1924) on Dec. 17 in Bethesda, Md. Am. judge Robert Bork (b. 1927) on Dec. 19 in Arlington, Va. (heart disease). Am. headmistress Jean Harris (b. 1923) on Dec. 23 in New Haven, Conn. Am. actor "Oscar Madison in The Odd Couple" Jack Klugman (b. 1922) on Dec. 24 in Woodland Hills, Calif. U.S. gen. Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. (b. 1934) on Dec. 27.



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T.L. Winslow's 2013 C.E. Historyscope

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2013 - The Dicey Time Boston Marathon Old Woolwich Syria Snowden Rouhani Pope Francis Obamagate If You Like Your Health Plan You Can Keep Your Plan Obama the Liar Year? The Year of 3-D Printing and Drones? The 100th Anniv. of the Federal Reserve? Snake Satan emerges from his double-faced gay skin?

Hassan Rouhani of Iran (1948-) Xi Jinping of China (1953-) Li Keqiang of China (1955-) Pope Francis I (1936-) John Owen Brennan of the U.S. (1955-) Eric Garcetti of the U.S. (1971-) Chuck Hagel of the U.S. (1946-) Egyptian Field Marshal Abdel Fattah el-Sisi (1954-) Adly Mahmoud Mansour of Egypt (1945-) Mohamed Morsi of Egypt (1951-2019) Anne Woods Patterson of the U.S. (1949-) Pres. Obama and U.S. Ambassador to Egypt Anne Woods Patterson (1949-) Park Geun-hye of South Korea (1952-) Ali Laarayedh of Tunisia (1955-) John Christopher Stevens of the U.S. (1960-) John Christopher Stevens of the U.S. (1960-) John Christopher Stevens of the U.S. (1960-) Tim Scott of the U.S. (1965-) Tammy Duckworth of the U.S. (1968-) Elizabeth Warren of the U.S. (1949-) Maxine Waters of the U.S. (1938-) Jack Lew of the U.S. (1955-) Tony Abbott of Australia (1957-) Ron Dermer of the U.S. (1971-) Tom Perez of the U.S. (1961-) James Comey of the U.S. (1960-) Samantha Power of the U.S. (1970-) Jeh Johnson of the U.S. (1957-) Ernest Moniz of the U.S. (1944-) Gina McCarthy of the U.S. (1954-) Sylvia Mathews Burwell of the U.S. (1965-) Kathleen O'Day Wynne of Canada (1953-) Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands (1967-) Milos Zeman of the Czech. Repub. (1944-) Michel Djotodia of Central African Repub. (1949-) Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya (1961-) Rami Hamdallah of Palestine (1958-) Horacio Cartes of Paraguay (1956-) Mokhtar Belmokhtar (1972-) R4BIA Symbol Anas al-Libi George Zimmerman (1983-) Trayvon Martin (1995-2012) U.S. Gen. Joseph F. Dunford U.S. Vice Adm. Tim Giardina U.S. Gen. Michael Carey Ted Cruz of the U.S. (1970-) Bill de Blasio of the U.S. (1961-) Janet Yellen of the U.S. (1946-) Sigrid Kaag of Netherlands Christopher Dorner (1979-2013) Cardinal Peter Turkson (1948-) Ghassan Hitto of Syria Ibrahim Boubacar Keita of Mali (1945-) Cemile Giousouf of Germany (1988-) Karamba Diaby of Germany (1962-) Shenzhou 10 Crew, 2013 John Guandolo (1966-) Mangalyaan, 2013 Ali Syed (1992-) Axel Welch and Sadia Afzaal Ustad Abdul Rab Rasul Sayyaf of Afghanistan (1946-) Ethan Anthony Couch (1997-) Arnoud Van Doorn Sulaiman Abu Ghaith Arie Perliger Guan Tianlang (1998-) Boston Marathon Bombers, 2013 Peterborough Ditch Murderers Woolwich Jihadists, May 22, 2013 Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir of Lebanon Jason Paul Collins (1978-) Chris Kyle of the U.S. (1974-2013) Afghan 2nd Lt. Niloofar Rhmani Chris Hadfield of Canada (1959-) Bill Killian of the U.S. Jimmie Johnson (1975- Danica Patrick (1982-) Tony Kanaan (1974-) Patrick Kane (1988-) Joe Scarborough (1962-) PBA League Logo Ustad Mohammad Mohaqiq of Afghanistan Vincent Aubin and Bruno Boileau, May 29, 2013 Edward Snowden (1983-) Bayard Rustin (1912-87) Temple Grandin (1947-) Gary Greenberg Glenn Greenwald (1967-) Eugene K. Pettis of the U.S. Yitang Zhang Marion Bartoli (1984-) Andrew Murray (1987-) Marte Deborah Dalelv (1988-) Rehana Kausar (1978-) and Sobia Kamar (1983-) Darren Young (1983-) Aaron Alexis (1979-2013) Nina Davuluri (1989- Alexander Bolonkin Eran Elhaik Babak Zanjani of Iran (1974-) Paul A. Ciancia (1990-2013) Richard Shoop (1993-2013) Terry Lee Loewen (1955-) Raif Badawi (1984-) Ahmed Rjib Haider (-2013) Aaron Hernandez (1989-2017) Oscar Pistorius (1986-) Reeva Steenkamp (1983-2013) George Soros (1930-) and Tamiko Bolton (1971-) Lisa Victoria Alexander Stefan Brönnimann Yassine Abdul-Rahman Charabi (1972-) Frank J. Dentener David R. Easterling Alexey Kaplan Peter William Thorne Panmao Zhai Martin Wild Eric Holthaus (1981-) Warm Regards podcast crew Mary Barra (1961-) Matt Prater (1984-) Alice Munro (1931-) Francois, Baron Englert (1932-) Sandra Espinet (1964-) Peter Higgs (1929-) Martin Karplus (1930-) Michael Levitt (1947-) Megan Marshall (1954-) William Happer (1939-) Harrison H. Schmitt (1935-) Naomi Oreskes (1958-) John Cook Roger Stone (1952-) Alan Shaw Taylor (1955-) Ariel Warshel (1940-) James Edward Rothman (1950-) Randy Wayne Schekman (1948-) Thomas Christian Südhof (1955-) Eugene Fama (1939-) Lars Peter Hansen (1952-) Kevin Kwan (1973-) Phil Robertson (1946-) Robert James Shiller (1946-) Donna Tartt (1963-) Father Georges Vandenbeusch Mohamen Mehdi Ouazanni and Barack Obama 'Alpha House', 2013- 'The Americans', 2013 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine', 2013- 'Masters of Sex', 2013- 'Orange Is the New Black', 2013 'Sleepy Hollow', 2013- 'The Taste', 2013 'MasterChef Junior', 2013- 'Beautiful: The Carole King Musical', 2013 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory', 2013 'Motown: The Musical', 2013 '12 Years a Slave', 2013 'After Earth', 2013 'August: Osage County', 2013 'Dallas Buyers Club', 2013 'Elysium', 2013 'Frozen', 2013 'Gravity', 2013 'The Green Inferno', 2013 'Her', 2013 'The Last Days on Mars', 2013 'The Last Stand', 2013 'The Lone Ranger', 2013 'Mama', 2013 'Man of Steel', 2013 'Oblivion', 2013 'Oculus', 2013 'Pacific Rim', 2013 'The Purge', 2013 'Star Trek Into Darkness', 2013 'Warm Bodies', 2013 'The Wolf of Wall Street', 2013 'The Worlds End', 2013 Brandy Clark (1977-) Ariana Grande (1993-) John Newman (1990-) Thomas Rhett (1990-) Robin Thicke (1977-) Xian Y-20 Great Raft Brewing Logo New Century Global Center, 2013 Osaka City Station Water Fountain, 2013

2013 Chinese Year: Snake (Feb. 10). Doomsday Clock: 5 min. to midnight. Time Mag. Person of the Year: Pope Francis (1936-). This is the 666th anniv. of the arrival of the bubonic plague in Europe (1347). Since the Age of Aquarius began on Dec. 12, this is the Year of Prosperity? In 2012-13 the coldest winter in 50 years in Russia, with abnormally cold weather in Europe, India, China, and the U.S.; China has its coldest winter in 30 years; Moscow has its deepest snowfall in 134 years; in Jan. 2013 New Delhi records its lowest temperature in 44 years; in Mar. 2013 Britain experiences its 2nd coldest Mar. since 1910; in Apr. 2013 3,318 places in the U.S. record their lowest temps ever. Italy's pop. begins to decline from low birth rates; the pop. of Japan falls by a record 244K. The combined GDP of emerging countries exceeds that of advanced economies for the first time ($44.4T vs. $42.8T). Mexico becomes the first country to use iris scans on ID cards. The worldwide Internet-phone network creates 2.5 quintillion bytes of new data per day. The U.S. black budget (spy agencies): $52.6B. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) releases 36,007 criminal aliens from detention incl. 193 convicted of murder and 303 convicted of kidnapping. Russian pres. Vladimir Putin passes U.S. pres. Obama to become #1 on the Forbes list of the world's most powerful people. Civilian death toll in Iraq: 7,818; incl. security forces: 8,868. 17,958 are killed in terrorist attacks this year (61% increase over 2012); 80% happen in five Muslim countries, incl. Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Pakistan, and Nigeria. Thanks to Pres. Obama scaring people into thinking he's going to confiscate their guns, FBI background checks for guns soar to 21M, 8% more than 2012. 10% of babies born in U.K. are Muslim; in the 85+ age group, it's 0.5%. Saudi Arabia begins a campaign to detain and deport hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrant workers (ends ?). In early Jan.-Mar. after a pool of hot air settles over the center of the continent in Sept. combined with lack of cloud cover, the 90-day Australian Angry (Extreme) Summer sees 123 weather records broken incl. hottest Jan., hottest summer, hottest week (avg. of 39C or 102F), and hottest day in Australia (Jan. 7, 40.30C or 104.54F); no surprise, the U. of Melbourne claims a link to anthropogenic global warming. On Jan. 1 the 2013 Rose Bowl sees Stanford defeat Wisc. 20-14. On Jan. 2 Tim Scott (1965-) becomes a Repub. S.C. Sen., becoming the first African-Am. sen. from S.C., going on to win reelection in 2014, becoming the first black Repub. elected to the U.S. Senate since Edward Brooke in 1966, and the first elected from a Southern U.S. state since 1881. And you thought Obama has funny ears? On Jan. 3 Calgary, Alberta, Canada-born Rafael Edward "Ted" Cruz (1970-) (former domestic policy advisor to George W. Bush) becomes Repub. sen. from Tex. (until ?). On Jan. 3 Ladda Tammy Duckworth (1968-) becomes Dem. U.S. Rep. for Ill. (until ?), the first Thailand-born and first disabled woman U.S. rep. On Jan. 3 Okla.-born Elizabeth Ann Warren (nee Herring) (1949-) becomes Dem. U.S. Sen. from Mass. (until ?), the first woman. On Jan. 3 St. Louis, Mo.-born Maxine Waters (nee Maxine Moore Carr) (1938-) becomes Dem. U.S. Rep. from Calif. (until ?), representing the South Los Angeles area, becoming a leading critic of Repub. U.S. presidents George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, and Donald J. Trump. On Jan. 3 the Council on Am.-Islamic Relations (CAIR) asks journalists to stop using the right-on term "Islamist" - they can ask? On Jan. 4 French minister Bernard Kouchner gives an interview on Al-Arabiya TV, saying that if Iran gets nukes it won't hesitate to use them on Israel. On Jan. 5 200 Palestinians attack Jewish residents in Esh Kodesh, Samaria, destroying their vineyards. On Jan. 5 the weekly 3-hour CMT Hot 20 Countdown debuts on CMT (until ?). On Jan. 7 Pres. Obama nominates John O. Brennan as CIA dir. #5, causing the ACLU to call for the Senate to not confirm him until they have verified that "all of his conduct was within the law" when he worked under Pres. George W. Bush in 2003-5 and supported the transfer of terror suspects to countries that might torture them. On Jan. 7 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court dismisses an appeal from scientists trying to block federal funding of stem cell research on human embryos. On Jan. 7 police in Thailand arrest Algerian cyber criminal suspect Hamza Bendelladj en route from Malaysia to Egypt, accusing him of hacking 217+ banks and financial cos. worldwide, causing $10M losses. On Jan. 8-9 wild cold wet weather hits the Middle East, with snow in Jordan. On Jan. 9 a pro-govt. militia of Zakhakhel tribesmen in the lawless tribal belt of Peshawar, Pakistan murder two Sikhs, bringing protests. On Jan. 9 Norway rejects a demand to allow female Muslim police officers to wear a hijab on duty. On Jan. 9 Mexican pres. Enrique Pena Nieto signs a Victim Compensation Law for victims of crime and human rights violations. On Jan. 9 the Saudi govt. beheads Sri Lankan maid Rizana Nafeek for allegedly strangling her employer's 4-mo.-o. son after a trial sans lawyer, bringing worldwide protests after she claims he choked on his milk. On Jan. 9 three Kurdish activists are murdered in Paris, France; the Turkish govt. is suspected. On Jan. 10 (11:00 a.m.) al-Qaida rebels led by Algerian-born cigarette smuggler Mokhtar Belmokhtar "the One-Eyed" "Mr. Marlboro" (1972-), Dec. founder of the Signers in Blood take control of Kenna, Mali 55km from Mopti. On Jan. 10 twin suicide attacks in Quetta, Pakistan kill 115 Shiites at a snooker hall. On Jan. 10 two Indian soldiers are killed on the border between Jammu and Kashmir, causing Pres. Obama to ask India and Pakistan to cool off and talk. On Jan. 10 three Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) activists are assassinated in Paris, incl. a party co-founder. On Jan. 10 a judge sets $90K bail for Caleb Russell (1989-) of Chicago for threatening "jihad against the white devil" aboard a CTA bus. On Jan. 10-11 the Support for the Ahwaz People Conference in Cairo, Egypt is the first-ever conference expressing solidarity for Iran's Arab-Sunni minority. On Jan. 11 (6:30 a.m.) disgruntled coal miner Gao Wanfeng (1958-) bombs a commuter bus in Heilongjiang Province, killing 11 and wounding 30+, after which there is an attempted govt. coverup. On Jan. 11 Pres. Obama meets with Afghan pres. Hamid Karzai in the White House to discuss ending the Afghan War. On Jan. 11 Saudi Arabia king Abdullah allows women to sit on the nat. advisory council for the first time ever. On Jan. 11 after establishing diplomatic relations in 2011, the Vatican opens its first embassy in Malaysia. On Jan. 14 Pres. Obama meets with Afghan Pres. Hamid Karzai in the White House, and they agree to let the Taliban open an office in Qatar to facilitate possible reconciliation. On Jan. 16 the Taliban attacks the Afghan inel service in Kabul, Afghanistan, killing one guard and wounding dozens. On Jan. 16 an al-Qaida spinoff from N Mali calling themselves the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MOJWA), led by Omar Oud Hamaha (1965-) seize 41 Western soldiers at a BP oil installation in In Amenas, Algeria near the Libyan border, vowing to kill them one by one, incl. Am., British, French, and Japanese hostages, killing 39 hostages before being stormed at dawn by Algerian troops on Jan. 19, killing 29 terrorists, capturing three, and freeing 685 Algerian workers and 107 foreigners; some of the attackers also took part in the 9/11/12 attack on Benghazi. On Jan. 16 Pres. Obama gives a speech outlining his 23 new executive orders on gun control and pledging an all-out war on guns; one order asks doctors to query patients about guns they have at home. On Jan. 16 55 are killed and 288 wounded in a suicide attack and bombings in Baghdad and N Iraq. On Jan. 16 U.S. Staff Sgt. Edward Deptola pleads guilty to urinating on the corpse of a Taliban fighter in Afghanistan, and is demoted one rank under a plea agreement. On Jan. 17 U.S. ambassador Sherry Rehman is accused of blasphemy in a petition to the Pakistan Supreme Court, with a death sentence possible. On Jan. 18 the U.S. Transport and Security Admin. (TSA) announces that will remove its 174 naked airport scanners after mucho controversy. On Jan. 18 a whopping 10 in. of snow falls in non-globally-warmed Moscow, becoming known as teh Russian Snowpocalypse. On Jan. 18 Turkish police arrest 18 Muslims for plotting to attack a Christian church in Izmit, Turkey. On Jan. 19 Nigerian soldiers en route to Kachia, Nigeria are ambushed by Islamist Boko Haram terrorists, who kill two and injure five. On Jan. 20-21 after announcing that he's converting his campaign org. into a permanent lobby org., the 65th U.S. Pres. Inauguration is held in Washington, D.C.; Pres. Obama's 2nd Inaugural Address lays out an unabashedly liberal agenda, making climate change his #1 priority; it incl. the soundbytes: "My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment, and we will seize it, so long as we seize it together. For we, the People understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it"; "Some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science, but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires, and crippling drought, and more powerful storms"; "We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that failure to do so would betray our children and future generations"; it features the first-ever layperson invited to give the invocation, Myrlie Evers-Williams (1933-); Obama makes the first-ever reference to gay rights; during his first term Obama increased the nat. debt by $50,521 per household, more than the first 42 presidents in 53 terms combined; the number of Americans "not in the labor force" increased by 8,332,000; the number of Americans collecting disability increased by 1,385,418 (1 per 13 full-time workers, vs. 1 in 51 in Dec. 1968); Obama's first term approval rating averaged 49.1%, among the least for post-WWII presidents. On Jan. 21 after a family of five is slain by Syrian forces, French foreign minister Laurent Fabius says that Bashar al-Assad "must go as quickly as possible", announcing that Syrian opposition backers will meet in Paris on Jan. 28. On Jan. 21 French minister Arnaud Montebourg et al. announce a visit to Saudi Arabia to discuss selling them nuclear reactors - groan? On Jan. 21 Egypt announces the discovery of large deposits of uranium, along with its intention to mine it for use in nuclear reactors. On Jan. 21 after two suicide bombers detonate to open the gate, three Taliban militants siege a traffic police HQ in Kabul, Afghanistan for nine hours, wounding four policemen and 10 civilians. On Jan. 21 the first of six U.S. Patriot missile batteries arrive in Turkey from Germany to protect it from potential Syrian attacks. On Jan. 21 McDonald's Restaurants settles a $700K suit over allegations of falsely claiming to prepare foods according to Muslim dietary law in Detroit, Mich. On Jan. 22 despite prosecutors asking for a 15-year sentence, a court in Bali sentences British woman Lindsay June Sandiford (1956-) to death for smuggling cocaine in her suitcase. On Jan. 22 the reality competition TV show The Taste debuts on ABC-TV for ? episodes (until ?), featuring amateur and prof. chefs; judges incl. Anthony Michael Bourdain (1956-), Nigella Lucy Lawson (1960-), Ludovic "Ludo" Lefebvre (1971-), and Marcus "Joar" Samuelsson (Kassahun Tsegie) (1970-). On Jan. 23 U.S. defense secy. Leon Panetta lifts the ban on women serving in combat, overturning a 1994 prohibition; cmdrs. have until 2016 to "seek special exceptions". On Jan. 23 exiting U.S. secy. of state (Feb. 1) Hillary Clinton is questioned by the U.S. Senate about the 9/11/2012 Benghazi attack, growing angry and combative, taking responsibility for security lapses related while defending her lack of personal actions in regard to the matter, asking "What difference does it make?" why four Americans were killed, claiming "I did not say it was the video" that caused the attack, and finally admitting "We now face a spreading jihadist threat, we have to recognize this is a global movement", with Sen. Rand Paul saying "If I'd been president at the time and I'd found that you did not read the cables from Benghazi... I would have relieved you of your post"; the questions were pre-scripted? On Jan. 23 elections in Jordan are a V for King Abdullah II and his plan for gradual transition to parliamentary democracy, and a D for the Muslim Brotherhood. On Jan. 23 a suicide bomber at a funeral in a Shiite mosque in Samarra, Iraq kills 42 and injures 75. On Jan. 23 the U.S. Navy helps the coast guard in Yemen seize the mysterious ship Jihan1 carrying 40+ tons of munitions incl. Iranian-made missiles to Al Houthi Shiite rebels in Saada, N of Yemen; eight sailors are captured. On Jan. 23 after 16-y.o. rape victim Amina Filali (b. 1996) is forced to marry her rapist and commits suicide, Morocco outlaws rape marriage of children. On Jan. 25 the 113th U.S. Congress convenes; it incl. six openly gay or bi members in the House. On Jan. 25 Kosovo appoints its first ambassador to Serbia since the 1998-9 war. On Jan. 25 a suicide attack on a NATO convoy in Kapisa Province, Afghanistan kills five civilians. On Jan. 25 Egyptian protesters burn the HQ of the Muslim Brotherhood in Ismailia, Egypt, signaling the founding of the Black Bloc, causing Pres. Morsi to announce the formation of a White Bloc to counter it; on Jan. 26 riots in Port Said cause the police to kill 30 after 21 local soccer fans are given death sentences for a previous riot, while seven police officers are acquitted; on Jan. 27 Morsi declares a state of emergency in three major cities. On Jan. 26 Kathleen O'Day Wynne (1953-) becomes leader of the Ontario Liberal Party, followed on Feb. 11 by PM #25 of Ontario (until ?), becoming the first openly gay head of govt. in Canada. On Jan. 27 a prison riot at the Uribana Jail near Barquisimeto, Venezuela kills 61. On Jan. 27 a fire at the Kiss Nightclub in Santa Maria, Brazil kills 233. On Jan. 27 a court in Iran sentences Iranian-born Am. Muslim convert pastor Saeed Abedini to eight years in prison for leading underground house churches; meanwhile Iran arrests more than a dozen journalists, claiming they're linked to the BBC and Western govts. On Jan. 27 a 9-y.-o. girl Dafne gives birth to a 5.95 lb. baby daughter in Zappan, Mexico; the 17-y.-o. father flees after being accused of rape; meanwhile the same day 12-y.-o. ? gives birth to 3 lb. 4 oz. twins in Chilecito, Argentina. On Jan. 28 an explosion in the Fordow Nuclear Facility in Iran traps 240 personnel deep underground. On Jan. 28 Iran launches the Pishgam (Pioneer) rocket 72 mi. into space carrying a monkey, which safely returns to Earth. On Jan. 28 the bipartisan Gang of Eight (U.S. Sens. Charles Schumer, John McCain, Dick Durbin, Lindsey Graham, Robert Mendez, Marco Rubio, Michael Bennett, and Jeff Flake) announce yet another plan for comprehensive immigration legislation, emphasizing border security before granting amnesty. On Jan. 29 Dem. Mass. Sen. John Kerry is confirmed as U.S. secy. of state by the U.S. Senate by a 94-3 vote. On Jan. 29 a private SCAT passenger jet (Canadian-built Bombardier Challenger CRJ2000) crashes in heavy fog outside of Almaty, Kazakhstan, killing 21. On Jan. 29 at least 65 are found shot dead with hands bound in Aleppo, Syria. On Jan. 29 a suicide bomber in Mogadishu, Somalia kills two outside the residence called Villa Somalia. On Jan. 29 an Egyptian court upholds the death penalty for seven Coptic Christians for the film The Innocence of Muslims after it causes widespread protests and violence across the Muslim World last Sept.; on Feb. 9 an Egyptian court blocks YouTube for 30 days for carrying it. On Jan. 29 rain-driven floods in Mozambique kill 40+ and displace 150K. On Jan. 29 Bremen becomes the 3rd German state to officially recognize Islam. On Jan. 29 Nigerian Boko Haram cmdr. Sheik Abu Mohammed ibn Abdulazeez declares a unilateral ceasefire in Maidiguri. On Jan. 29 Pres. Obama gives a talk on his immigration reform proposals at Del Sol H.S. in Las Vegas, Nev. On Jan. 29 the First CELAC (Community of Latin Am. and Caribbean States) Summit in Santiago, Chile is attended by reps of 33 countries, pledging integration of Latin Am. and Caribbean states. On Jan. 29 the bizarre Defenders of Christ sex slavery ring is along the U.S.-Mexico border is busted in Laredo, Texas, and Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. On Jan. 29 Boomtown Rats star Bob Geldof utters the soundbyte: "The rock and roll age is essentially over. Rock and roll needs a context in which to exist. The context is there but I'm not sure rock and roll is any longer the right vehicle for it. That's a personal point of view but I think that's true. You see the declining sales, you see less fascination, it's less central a thing to a young person's life... You can have the teeny kids, the One Direction kids which is fantastic and important. You can have The X Factor generation but that is great television, it's great entertainment, it's great TV; it's not much good for music. Certainly, great voices come out but it isn't much good for articulating the moment. And if you don't articulate the moment, how can it therefore be popular music? How can it be pop music?" On Jan. 30 South Korea launches its first satellite from its own soil. On Jan. 30 (04:30 GMT) Israeli forces attack a convoy on the Damascus-Beirut Highway on the Syrian-Lebanese border, causing Syria on Jan. 31 to threaten retaliation; Israel claims that they hit a bldg. containing "game-changing" SA-17 ground-to-air anti-tank missiles headed for Hezbollah. On Jan. 30 Mexican police find 17 bodies in a well in Nuevo Leon, incl. 14 belonging to the Kombo Kolombia band, who were kidnapped in Hidalgo on Jan. 25. On Jan. 30 Syria opposition head Muaz Al-Khatib offers talks with Bashar al-Assad's govt. outside Syria if it releases tens of thousands of detainees. On Jan. 30 a U.N. panel issues a Report on Israeli Settlements, calling them "creeping annexation" that violates the human rights of Palestinians. On Jan. 30 French labor minister Francois Hollande describes France as "totally bankrupt", leaving citizens in a "state of shock". On Jan. 30 the U.S. announces that the economy shrank in Oct.-Dec. at an annual rate of 0.1%, becoming the first quarterly drop since 2009. On Jan. 30 "Gomer Pyle" actor-singer Jim Nabors announces that he's gay, and married his partner of 38 years Stan Cadwallader on Jan. 15. On Jan. 30 Joe Weisberg's period drama series The Americans debuts on FX Network, starring Keri Lynn Russell (1976-) and Matthew Rhys Evans (1974-) as Soviet KGB officers Nadezhda and Mischa, who are posing as married Amerikanskies Elizabeth and Philip Jennings and living in the suburbs of Washington, D.C in the early 1980s, whose two children don't suspect, while their neighbor Stan Beeman, played by Noah Nicholas Emmerich (1965-) is an FBI agent who is onto them. On Jan. 31 an explosion in the basement of the HQ of Pemex in Mexico City kills 14 and injures 80. On Jan. 31 al-Qaida issues a chilling new threat on its Web site, promising "earth-shattering" attacks on the U.S. and Western targets; meanwhile on Jan. 23 a jihadist issues a call to Muslims in France to become a "Trojan Horse" and attack French civilians. On Jan. 31 Neb.-born U.S. defense secy. nominee Charles Timothy "Chuck" Hagel (1946-) holds a Senate confirmation hearing, stating that the U.S. is pursing a policy of "containment" toward Iran, which vice-pres. Biden corrects on Feb. 2 at the Munich Security Conference, saying that it is only "to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon", and offering bilateral talks; on Feb. 27 despite Repub. opposition over his friendliness to Iran and Islam, and ambivalent stand toward Israel, after a 58-41 vote (greatest number of no votes against a secy. of defense, #2=George C. Marshall in 1950 with 11) Hagel becomes U.S. secy. of defense #24 (until Feb. 17, 2015); he slides through primarily because the Am. Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) refuses to take a stand? On Jan. 31 (1:50 p.m.) a student opens fire at Price Middle School in Atlanta, Ga., wounding a 14-y.-o. in the neck before an armed officer working at the school disarms him. On Jan. 31 Volgograd votes unanimously to restore the Soviet-era name Stalingrad for six days each year. On Jan. 31 Burger King flops and admits that their stores in the U.K. have been selling hamburgers tainted with horsemeat. On Jan. 31 Iran announces their use of 3K IR-2M centrifuges, which can enrich uranium 4x faster than their previous ones, allowing them to turn 20% enriched uranium into weapons grade uranium in only a week. In Jan. Greek Orthodox priest Father Jabra'il (Gabriel) Nadaf; on June 25 Israeli deputy defense minister Danny Danon announces that the govt. will help Arab Christians who wish to serve in the IDF, and "have their backs". In Jan. a teachers' strike in Dadaab, Kenya over unpaid salaries affects 40K primary school children. In Jan. Am. cycling tourists Jamie Neal (1985-) and Garrett Hand (1987-) go missing in Peru until ?. In Jan. Muslim militants from Sudan begin poaching elephants in Cameroon to fund their jihad. In Jan. Linc Energy Ltd. of Australia releases two reports announcing that the 30K sq. mi. Arckaringa Basin near Coober Pedy, Australia may have as much as 233B barrels of oil, rivaling Saudi Arabia - the real Road Warrior? In Jan. the U.S. economy adds 157K jobs while unemployment rises to 7.9%. On Feb. 1 convicted released suicide bomber Ecevit Sanli (b. 1972) explodes outside the U.S. embassy in Ankara, Turkey, killing himself and a Turkish guard; the Turkish govt. blames it on leftist militant group Rev. People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C). On Feb. 1 Australian Maj. Gen. Richard Burr is apointed deputy commanding gen. of operations at the U.S. Pacific Command (USARPAC), becoming the first non-American in such a high-ranking position in this type of command. On Feb. 1 Kuwait acquires the Euro HQ of London's Bank of Am., signalling an intention of moving away from a petroleum-based economy. On Feb. 1 Beau Willimon's House of Cards debuts on Netflix for 73 episodes (until Nov. 2, 2018), based on the BBC TV mini-series and novel by Michael Dobbs, starring Kevin Spacey (Fowler) (1959-) as S.C. Dem. House majority whip Francis "Frank" Underwood, who is passed-over for secy. of state, causing him to launch a plan to gain power, reaching the White House at the end of season 2; on Dec. 4, 2017 after sexual misconduct allegations emerge, Spacey is removed, but the series goes on, not lasting a year. On Feb. 2 anti-Morsi protests in Cairo, Egpt kill one and injure dozens. On Feb. 2 Park Geun-hye (1952-) (pr. pahk kuhn-YEH) becomes pres. #11 of South Korea (until ?) (first woman). On Feb. 2 French pres. Francois Hollande visits Timbuktu, Mali six days after French forces liberate it from Islamists. On Feb. 2 Iran unveils its new 3rd gen. Qaher-313 (Conqueror-313) fighter jet. On Feb. 3 the Israelis use tear gas and stun grenades to evict a group of rock-throwing Palestinians from the Al Manatir camp in Burin in the disputed West Bank territories 40 mi. from Jerusalem. On Feb. 3 the secular Islamic Ennahda Party in Tunisia threatens to quit the govt. unless it drops to religiously conservative ministers; meanwhile 70 constituent assembly lawmakers protest a visit by Kuwaiti preacher Kamil Alh Awhadi, who poses with little girls dressed in Islamic veils, calling it "a clear intention to indoctrinate the population". On Feb. 3 Syrian opposition leader Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib meets with Iranian foreign minister Ali Akbar Salehi in Munich; Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov holds his first meeting with him also. On Feb. 3 a Pew Research Poll reveals that for the first time a majority (53%) of Americans believe that the federal govt. threatens their own personal rights and freedoms. On Feb. 3 ex-LAPD cop Christopher Jordan "Chris" Dorner (b. 1979) begins a shooting rampage against police officers, causing one of the largest manhunts in LAPD history; on Feb. 12 he is killed while holed-up in a cabin in Big Bear, Calif. after it is set on fire by incendiaries; burned alive? On Feb. 3 (8:00 a.m. local time) a truck ploughs into a bus carrying maintenance workers in Al Ain, UAE kills 24 and injures 24, becoming the country's deadliest road tragedy (until ?). On Feb. 3 Lobsang Namgyal (b. 1975) commits Tibet's 100th self-immolation since 2009 in W Tibet in a protest against Red Chinese occupation. On Feb. 3 Super Bowl LXVII (47) (AKA the Harbaugh Bowl, HarBowl, Super Baugh, Brother Bowl, Superbro) in the Mercedez-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, La. sees the Baltimore Ravens, led by QB (#5) Joseph Vincent "Joe" Flacco (1985-) and coached by John Harbaugh (1962-) defeat the San Francisco 49ers, led by QB (#7) Colin Rand Kaemernick (1987-) and coached by his younger brother James Joseph "Jim" Harbaugh (1963-) by 34-31; first SB in which both teams are undefeated in prior SB appearances; last game for Super Bowl XXXV MVP Ray Lewis; after a halftime show by big bouncing Beyonce and Destiny's Child, the power goes out in the stadium for 34 min., throwing the momentum of the game and causing the Ravens' 28-6 score to dwindle steadily until they make a final goal line stand and run out the clock; 108.4M U.S. viewers watch it; CBS-TV charges $4M for each 30-sec. commercial; Flacco is named MVP. On Feb. 4 Egyptian anti-Morsi activist Mohammed El-Gindy (b. 1984) dies in Cairo after being tortured by police, causing yet more protests. On Feb. 4 Iranian pres. Imadinnajacket announces that he wants to be Iran's first astronaut, saying "I'm ready to be the first Iranian to sacrifice myself for our country's scientists." On Feb. 4 an al-Qaida suicide bomber in Taji, Iraq N of Baghdad kills 19 Awakening members and three Iraqi soldiers, and wounds 44 people. On Feb. 4 Afghan pres. Hamid Karzai and Pakistan pres. Asif Ali Zardari pledge to reach a peace settlement within 6 mo. On Feb. 4 the all-girl Kashmiri rock band Pragaash disbands after Grand Mufti Bashiruddin Ahmad issues a fatwa on Feb. 3 declaring singing un-Islamic. On Feb. 4-? a massive protest against Islamists in Dhaka, Bangladesh sees hundreds of thousands demand the execution of Jamaat-e-Islami leader Abdul Qader Mollah and others convicted of war crimes during the 1971 independence struggle. On Feb. 5 Pakistan agrees to hand control over the deepwater port of Gwadar, Pakistan 250 mi. from the Strait of Hormuz to China. On Feb. 5 Afghanistan and Norway sign a 14-year strategic partnership agreement that will give Afghanistan $136M aid every year until 2017. On Feb. 5 a suicide bomber kills four and injures 14 at an army checkpoint in Taji, Iraq N of Baghdad. On Feb. 5 a U.S. Justice dept. memo titled Lawfulness of a Lethal Operation Directed Against a U.S. Citizen Who is a Senior Operation Leader of al Qaeda or an Associated Force surfaces, concluding that it is legal to target U.S. citizens with drone strikes under certain circumstances. On Feb. 5 the Brussels Conference on Mali is attended by reps from the African Union, U.N., EU, and ECOWAS. On Feb. 5 the U.S. House of Reps. begins holding hearings on immigration reform, chaired by Bob Goodlatte; on Feb. 5 House Repubs. say they're open to legal residency but not citizenship. On Feb. 5 Cuban-Am. U.S. Sen. (D-N.J.) Robert "Bob" Menendez denies reports that he hired hos in the Dominican Repub. On Feb. 5 the British House of Commons by 400-175 approves same-sex marriage; over half of Conservative Party MPs vote against it or abstain. On Feb. 5 Danish anti-Islam historian-journalist Lars Hedegaard (1942-) is attacked in his home in Copenhagen by a Muslim gunman, who misses. On Feb. 5 Dell Computer Co. announces a $24.4B deal to go private, the largest such deal since 2007. On Feb. 5 Rochester, N.Y. Muslim Omer Fadhel Saleh Mohammed (1981-) is charged with making 21 false bomb threats against Kodak Corp. On Feb. 5 the Assoc. for Electronic Music (AFEM) is formed to represent electronic musicians, who are often snubbed by rock musicians. On Feb. 5 the U.S. House of Reps. Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa holds a hearing on Fatah-Hamas reconciliation. On Feb. 5-7 the Council of European Bishops' Conferences meets in Warsaw, Poland; secy.-gen. Rev. Guy Liagre says that Islam in Europe is being "more radical"; "You can see the fundamentalist tendencies"; there are 558M Christians in Europe vs. 44M Muslims. On Feb. 6 an 8.0 earthquake in the Solomon Islands destroys three villages along the Lata coast and triggers a tsunami. On Feb. 6 Tunisian leftist opposition leader Chokri Belaid is assassinated outside his home in Tunis, causing massive protests, causing PM Hemadi Jebali on Feb. 7 to announce the formation of a new govt. of technocrats to prepare for elections "as soon as possible"; on Feb. 11 interim pres. Moncef Marzouki announces that the party has "frozen" its withdrawl from the coalition govt. to continue talks. On Feb. 6 two suicide car bombings at a military intel HQ in Palmyra, Syria kill 19 members of Syria's security forces. On Feb. 6 Muslims shoot and kill four fruit traders in Rayong, Thailand because they are Buddhists. On Feb. 6 the U.S. imposes yet more sanctions on Iran to "significantly restrict Iran's ability to make use of the oil revenue that it's earning", and clamp down on its media orgs. and cyber police for human rights abuses. On Feb. 6 the Cairo Egyptian Summit in Egypt is opened by pres. Mohammed Morsi; Iranian pres. Imadinnajacket makes the first official visit to Egypt since the 1979 Iranian Rev.; on Feb. 6 a Sunni Salafist Syrian is arrested for throwing a shoe at Imadinnajacket outside a mosque where he is praying; on Feb. 7 Ayatollah Khamenei rejects direct nuclear talks with the U.S., with the soundbyte: "The U.S. is pointing a gun at Iran and wants us to talk to them. The Iranian nation will not be intimidated by these actions." On Feb. 6 Boko Haram fighters kill six park rangers in Sambisa Reserve in Nigeria in reprisal for govt. attacks on two of their training camps last week that killed 17. On Feb. 6 the Boy Scouts of Am. delay a vote on allowing homosexuals to join. On Feb. 6 Liberian pres. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf issues a proclamation declaring a day of "intensifying global efforts for the elimination of female genital mutilation". On Feb. 6 the Israeli govt. appoints former Soviet dissident Nathan Sharansky to mediate a dispute between women who want to pray at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, and ultra-orthodox rabbis, who call it an "abomination". On Feb. 6 the U.N. Internat. Labor Org. (ILO) releases a report saying that youth unemployment in the Arab region is 23.2%, highest in the world, compared to an avg. of 13.9%. On Feb. 6 74-y.-o. pensioner Maria Frank (1938-) is convicted in Munich of hate speech for displaying a sign at a Sept. 8 rally against Muslim immigration. On Feb. 6 Gambia ratifies a motion from the Org. of the Islamic Conference (IC) to create an Islamic court of justice. On Feb. 7 after a secret White House memo is leaked authorizing the killing of U.S. citizens abroad, and U.S. Sen. (D-Calif.) Dianne Feinstein defends drone strikes with the soundbyte that "the civilian casualties that result from these strikes each year have typically been in the single digits", the Senate Intelligence Committee holds a confirmation hearing for CIA nominee John O. Brennan, which is interrupted by protesters from Code Pink 5x; Brennan defends Pres. Obama's drone program, lying that not one single civilian ws killed in almost a year of drone strikes, and agreeing with U.S. Sen. (D-Ore.) Ron Wyden that the U.S. govt. should publicly acknowledge drone strikes when they happen, waffling on whether enhanced interrogations yield meaningful intel, waffling again on whether waterboarding qualifies as torture while expressing disgust and saying that it will not happen on his watch at the CIA. On Feb. 8 former congressman Jesse L. Jackson Jr. signs a plea agreement with federal prosectors over misuse of campaign funds. On Feb. 8 Boko Haram militants kill nine female polio vaccinators in two shootings in Kano, Nigeria. On Feb. 8 the U.S. military denies allegations made by a U.N. committee that U.S. attacks killed hundreds of children in Afghanistan in the past five years. On Feb. 8 a suicide bomber at a checkpoint in Gao, Mali goofs and kills only himself. On Feb. 8 protesters against Georgian pres. Mikhail Saakashvili attack parliamentarians and senior officials outside the Georgian Nat. Library in Tbilisi while he is preparing to deliver his annual address to the nation; he blamed it on PM Bidzina Ivanishvili. On Feb. 9 the Nemo Snowstorm rocks the NE U.S., leaving 650K without power. On Feb. 9 the FBI arrests Taliban supporter Matthew Aaron Llaneza (1984-) for attempting to bomb an Oakland, Calif. branch of Bank of Am. back in Nov. On Feb. 9 after it was defeated in 2011 and 2012, the Fla. House Civil Justice Subcommittee approves an anti-Sharia bill restricting and/or denying the use of religious law for matters involving marriage, divorce, or child custody. On Feb. 9 Pakistani security forces and Muslim hardliners torture and rape Christian women in Punjab. On Feb. 9 Islam-watching ex-FBI agent John Guandolo (1966-) makes the claim that John Brennan, Pres. Obama's nominee for CIA dir. converted to Islam while in Saudi Arabia. On Feb. 10 Iran celebrates the Ten Day Dawn of the 1979 Islamic Rev., attempting to take credit for the Arab Spring, defying the U.S., and predicting the elmination of Israel. On Feb. 10 U.S. Gen. John Allen is replaced by U.S. Marine Gen. Joseph F. Dunford as NATO cmdr. of the Internat. Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan (until ?), with Allen uttering the soundbyte "We are winning." On Feb. 10 former U.S. vice pres. Dick Cheney utters the soundbyte that Pres. Obama's performance in picking a nat. security team is "dismal", because John Kerry, John Brennan, and Chuck Hagel are "second-rate people". On Feb. 10 Malian troops regain control of Gao, Mali after rebels stage a canoe raid. On Feb. 10 the 55th Annual Grammy Awards in the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif. is hosted by LL Cool J (2nd time); Mumford & Sons wins album of the year for "Babel"; Gotye and Kimbra win record of the year for "Something That I Used to Know"; Fun and Jeff Bhasker win song of the year and best new artist for "We Are Young"; Kelly Clarkson wins est pop vocal album for "Stronger" (first to win 2x). On Feb. 11 Pope (since 2005) Benedict XVI announces that he's resigning on Feb. 28 (8:00 p.m.) due to ill health, with the soundbyte: "My strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine Ministry", becoming the first pope to resign since Gregory XII in 1415; he decided to resign after his Mar. 2012 Mexico-Cuba trip; at 6:00 p.m. hours after his resignation lightning strikes the dome of St. Peter's Basilica; black African Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson (1948-) of Ghana i s a crowd favorite for next pope; another candidate is Cardinal Rodriguez Maradiaga of Honduras, an anti-Israel pro-Palestine borderline anti-Semite; on Feb. 21 the Italian newspaper La Repubblica claims that Benedict XVI resigned because "various lobbies within the Holy See were consistently breaking" the 6th and 7th Commandments "thou shalt not commit adultery" and "thou shalt not steal", referring to a gay underground network; on Mar. 12 the papal conclave convenes, and on Mar. 13 on the 5th vote it selects cardinal (since 2001) Jorge Mario Bardoglio of Argentina (of Italian roots, who came in #2 in the 2005 voting) as pope #266 Francis I (1936-) (until ?), becoming the first pope in 600 years to take office after another pope resigns, first South Am. pope, first from the American continent, first non-European pope since Gregory III (731-41), and first Jesuit pope; he appears on the balcony 66 min. after the white smoke; a strategic move to prepare South Am. as a haven for when the Muslims take over Europe?; he refuses to live in the papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace, moving into St. Martha's guesthouse next to St. Peter's Basilica, where he often dines in the common dining room; on Oct. 30 the Italian news mag. Panorama claims that the NSA spied on the conclave - a New Age plant? On Feb. 11 North Korea stages its 3rd nuclear test for "self-defense against the U.S.", which Pres. Obama calls a "highly provocative act", causing the U.N. Security Council to hold an emergency meeting on Feb. 11. On Feb. 11 a shooting in New Castle County Courthouse in Del. kills three incl. the shooter and injures two. In Feb. 11 al-Qaida affiliate Al Nusrah Front for the People of the Levant militants capture a major dam in Thawra, Raqqa Province, Syria, and stages a suicide attack on Syrian intel HQ in Palmyra; on Feb. 14 they seize control of al-Shadadi in NE Hasakah Province. On Feb. 12 the anniv. of Mubarak's fall is marked by protests by policemen in Cairo, Egypt On Feb. 12 (Lincoln's birthday) Pres. Obama delivers his 2013 State of the Union Address, calling for a "smarter government", calling for the minimum wage to be raised to $9 an hour so nobody with a full-time job is below the poverty line, and asking Congress to vote on immigration reform, and promising to withdraw 34K troops (out of 66K) from Afghanistan within a year; he also signs two executive orders on cybersecurity, On Feb. 12 U.N. human rights chief Navi Pillay announces that the death toll in Syria has exceeded the "truly shocking" figure of 60K. On Feb. 12 Muslim jihadists kidnap Armenian Catholic priest Father Michael and another Orthodox clergyman in Aleppo, Syria. On Feb. 12 (10:00 p.m.) a NATO airstrike in Shigal District, Kunar Province, Afghanistan kills four Afghan insurgents and nine civilians incl. five children, coming just as Pres. Obama announces the big troop withdrawal. On Feb. 13 amid rumors that he is too Muslim-friendly and Israel-hostile, Sen. majority leader Harry Reid files a cloture motion to end a Repub. filibuster, becoming the first for a U.S. defense secy. On Feb. 13 a Tibetan monk shouting anti-Chinese slogans self-immolates on the street in Katmandu, Nepal. On Feb. 13 global warming scientist James A. Hansen of NASA is arrested outside the White House along with Sierra Club dir. Michael Brune, 350.org co-founder Bill McKibben, civil rights activist Julian Bond, and actress Daryl Hannah while protesting the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline. On Feb. 14 Syrian rebels shoot down to Syrian warplanes in Idlib Province, Syria; meanwhile U.S. secy. of state John Kerry announces that he will try to convince Syrian pres. Bashar al-Assad to step down, saying that he "must end this killing". On Feb. 14 (2nd anniv. of the Bahrain uprising) protests in Manama, Bahrain kill a 16-y.-o. boy and injure dozens. On Feb. 14 South African amputee sprinter ("Blade Runner") ("the Fastest Man on No Legs") Oscar Leonard Carl "Oz" Pistorius (1986-) fatally shoots his model girlfriend Reeva Rebecca Steenkamp (b. 1983) in his bathroom in Pretoria, winning an Oscar for his piss story that he thought she was an intruder, after which next year he is found guilty of culpable homicide, receiving a 5-year prison sentence; on Dec. 3, 2015 after prosecutors appeal the lenient sentence, the appeals court convicts him of murder, extending the sentence to six years after voiding the usual min. sentence of 15 years; on Nov. 24 the supreme court doubles the sentence to 13 years 5 mo. - piss on that? On Feb. 14 the U.S. FDA approves the artificial retina for blind people, giving them limited vision. On Feb. 15 after the 2013 Shahbag Protests begin in Shahbag, Bangladesh over anti-Islamic blogs, Bangladeshi atheist blogger Ahmed Rajib Haider AKA Thaba Baba is killed by Ansarullah Bangla Team (ATB) jihadists in Dhaka, who hack him to death with machetes. On Feb. 15 Asteroid 2012 DA14 flies by the Earth; an unrelated 10K-ton 55-ft. meteor enters the atmosphere undetected over the Ural Mts. of Russia, exploding with the strength of 25 Hiroshima A-bombs, injuring 1.2K in Chelyabinsk, becoming the biggest meteor to strike Earth since 1908. On Feb. 15 200 Palestinian Arabs riot in the West Bank calling for the release of Samer Issawi, who is on a hunger strike. On Feb. 15 Turkey announces the arrest of eight retired generals for involvement in the ouster of the Islamic govt. in the late 1990s. On Feb. 15 Egypt accuses Israel of looting it of oil during its 1967-82 occupation of Sinai, dimanding $480B in compensation, and canceling their gas agreement. On Feb. 15 anti-Islam blogger Ahmed Rajib Haider (b. 1977) is murdered by students of North South U. in Dhaka, Bangladesh for organizing protests against leaders of the Jamaat-e-Islami Party on trial for war crimes; five are later arrested. On Feb. 16 a bomb blast in Quetta, Pakistan kills 65+ near a market in a mainly Shiite neighborhood, causing mass Shiite protests. On Feb. 17 the Forward on Climate movement holds protests in major U.S. cities incl. 35K in Washington, D.C., calling for Pres. Obama to act on his inaugural pledge about climate change and reject the Keystone XL oil pipeline. On Feb. 17 elections in Ecuador give pres. Rafael Correa a 3rd term, with 56.7% vs. right-wing candidate Guillermo Lasso's 23.3%. On Feb. 17 for the first time Imran Khan, head of Pakistan's Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) party calls on the banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) Party to give up territorism in the name of Islam. On Feb. 17 after hacking Assemblies of God minister Pastor Mathayo Kachili to death in early Feb. in the Geita region of Lake Victoria, Muslim gunmen kill Roman Catholic Father Evaristus Mushi in Zanzibar; on Feb. 19 they burn the Evangelical Church of Siloam. On Feb. 18 the 2013 Brussels Diamond Heist sees eight gunman make off with $50M worth. On Feb. 18 after resigning months earlier, top British cardinal the resignation of Keith O'Brien is accepted by Pope Benedict XVI; it is not announced until Feb. 25, one day after being accused of "inappropriate acts" with priests; he opts out of electing the new pope. On Feb. 19 Iranian spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast agrees to nuclear talks if the West agrees to their right to enrich uranium. On Feb. 19 Islamic militants kidnap a French family incl. three adults and four children in Waza Nat. Park, Cameroon. On Feb. 19 unemployed Muslim Ali Syed (1992-) goes on a shooting spree in Orange County, Calif., killing three and injuring two others on the freeway. On Feb. 19 Russian lawmaker Mikhail Pakhomov is found dead cemented in a barrel. On Feb. 19 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules unanimously in Fla. v. Harris that police may use dogs to sniff for undercover illegal drugs if they ae tested and certified. On Feb. 20 the govt. of Bulgaria resigns after nationwide protests over high electricity prices. On Feb. 20 U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, chmn. of the House Select Committee on Intelligence utters the soundbyte "I can't tell you how serious" the threat of Chinese hackers are to the security of the U.S., calling it "breathtaking, it's serious, and it will cost us the next generation of prosperity if we don't do something about it". On Feb. 20 a Boko Haram suicide bomb attack in Maiduguri, Nigeria kills three and wounds two. On Feb. 20 three Muslims are jailed in Kazakhstan for a plot to blow up a factory for manufacturing "Allah Vodka". On Feb. 20 Bangladesh begins cracking down on anti-Islam blogs for "hurting religious feelings". On Feb. 20 Mexico announces that it has records of 27K+ "disappeared people". On Feb. 20 36-y.-o. Bulgarian photographer Plamen Goranov (b. 1976) burned himself to death in front of the city hall in Varna, causing five copycats by the end of Mar., and nine by Aug. On Feb. 20 Google and Facebook announce the creation of the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences, five annual $3M prizes to those making research breakthroughs. On Feb. 21 a car bomb in Damascus, Syria near the HQ of the ruling Baath Party and the Russian embassy kills 4+. On Feb. 21 two bombs on parked bicycles in Dilsukhnagar, Hyderabad, India kill 13 and injure 84. On Feb. 21 three Muslims are convicted in Britain of a plot tokill hundreds by using eight suicide bombers with backpacks and guns. On Feb. 21 Austrian ambassador Axel Wech marries Pakistani TV journalist Sadia Afzaal and converts to Islam. On Feb. 22 Tunisia's ruling Islamist party names interior minister Ali Larayedh as new PM (until ?). On Feb. 22 U.S. State Dept. spokesperson Victoria Nuland warns Pakistan against signing "deals with Iran that may be sanctionable", referring to a gas deal. On Feb. 23 F23 Demonstrations in Spain see hundreds of thousands of leftists demonstrate in 80+ cities on the 32nd anniv. of the attempted coup by Francoist Lt. Col. Antonio Tejero. On Feb. 23 Anas Urbaningrum, head of Indonesia's ruling Dem. Party resigns a day after an anti-corruption commission names him as a suspect in a case. On Feb. 23 Stockholm, Sweden allows public recitation of the Muslim adhan (call to prayer) for the first time ever in Botkyrka via speakers. On Feb. 23 Muslims loot and burn 200 homes in Bengal, India. On Feb. 23 Muslim gunmen attack Aduwan Gida Village in Southern Kaduna, Nigeria, killing six. On Feb. 24 Louis Farrakhan gives a speech at the U. of Ill. in Chicago calling on blacks to curb spending, pool resources, and buy land. On Feb. 24 former White House press secy. Robert Gibbs admits that was told not to publicly acknowledge the U.S. drone program. On Feb. 24 11 African countries sign a Dem. Repub. of Congo (DRC) Peace Deal at the African Union HQ in Addis Ababa. On Feb. 24 the India-Sri Lanka Fishing War ramps up when Tamil Nadu media accuse the Sri Lankan navy of attacking Indian fisherman in the Palk Straits. On Feb. 24, 2013 the 85th Academy Awards, presented at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Calif., hosted by Seth Macfarlane awards the best picture Oscar for 2012 to Argo, which also wins best adapted screenplay; Ang Lee wins best dir. for Life of Pi; Daniel Day-Lewis wins best actor for Lincoln (first actor to win 3x); Jennifer Lawrence wins best actress for Silver Linings Playbook; Christoph Waltz wins best supporting actor for Django Unchained, and Quentin Tarantino wins best original screenplay; Anne Hathaway wins best supporting actress for Les Miserables; Skyfall by Paul Epworth, performed by Adele Adkins wins best original song; Brave wins best animated feature; Amour wins best foreign language film; Seth Macfarlane stinks the show up with We Saw Your Boobs (The Boob Song). On Feb. 25 U.S. secy. of state John Kerry opens his first official trip abroad in London with British PM David Cameron, saying that Iran can't be allowed to develop nuclear weapons. On Feb. 25 Mexican pres. Enrique Pena Nieto signs an education reform, the most sweeping in seven decades, designed to weaken the powerful teacher's union; on Feb. 26 Elba Esther Gordillo, head of the Mexican Teachers' Union is arrested for embezzling union funds; in May the reforms knock Carlos Slim off the world's richest man spot, with $69.1B in wealth, compared to new #1 Bill Gates at $69.8B. On Feb. 25 the EU gives Ukraine 3 mo. to reform its justice and electoral systems before free trade and political assoc. deals signed in 2012 will be ratified. On Feb. 26 amid protests, Gaza militants fire a rocket into S Israel, breaking the Nov. ceasefire. On Feb. 26 the 4th Round of Nuclear Talks with Iran and six world powers begin. On Feb. 26-27 the P5+1 Summit in Almaty, Kazakhstan (known for renouncing nukes) incl. reps from Iran. On Feb. 26 a hot air balloon crashes in Luxor, Egypt, killing 19 and injuring two, hurting tourism. On Feb. 26 Human Rights Watch announces that the Syrian govt. fired at least four ballistic missiles into Aleppo during the past week, killing 140 incl. 70 children. On Feb. 27 a report by Brandeis U. claims that the wealth gap between U.S. blacks and whites balooned 8x between 1984 and 2009, with median white household net worth of $265K vs. $28.5K for blacks. On Feb. 28 Jacob Joseph "Jack" Lew (1955-) succeeds Timothy Geitner as U.S. treasury secy. #76 (until ?), becoming the most powerful Jew in the Obama admin? On Feb. 28 Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan makes remarks comparing Zionism and Islamophobia with anti-Semitism, and calling them "a crime against humanity", causing Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and the White House to condemn him. In Feb. the U.S. economy adds 236K jobs while employment drops to 7.7%. In Feb. Dutch politician Arnoud Van Door announces his conversion to Islam, shocking his party boss, anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders. In Feb. Japanese military forces engage in Operation Iron Fist in response to increasing aggressiveness by China, shifting further away from pacifism. On Mar. 1 the 2013 U.S. Sequestration comes into effect under a plan by Pres. Obama, with automatic federal spending cuts of $1.2T over 10 years, incl. $85B in 2013; on Mar. 5 the White House cancels tours for lack of funds. On Mar. 1 elections in Britain are a big D for the ruling Conservative Party, and a V for the Liberal Dem. Party and UK Independence party that wants Britain to leave the EU and supports a crackdown on immigration laws. On Mar. 1 interior minister Ali Laarayedh (1955-) becomes PM of Tunisia(until ?). On Mar. 1 Russian PM Vladimir Putin announces a new system of Islamic higher education in Russia to counter extremism. On Mar. 1 a protest by 160 women and children in Buraidah, Saudi Arabia demanding that their imprisoned husbands and fathers be freed from endless imprisonment while accused ob being part of a "deviant group" of al-Qaida sympathisers or Islamist political opposition groups is quashed by security forces, causing a Twitter campaign by Shiites in the E and liberals in Jidda and Riyadh, causing the govt. two weeks later to announce a plan to ID Twitter accounts. On Mar. 2 more violent protests erupt in Cairo, Egypt are greeted by police, who use excessive force and kill one by crushing him with an armored vehicle. On Mar. 2-3 U.S. secy. of state John Kerry visits Egypt, pledging $250M to support "democracy", cautioning Pres. Mohammed Morsi to heal political rifts. On Mar. 3 twin explosions in Karachi, Pakistan near Abul Hassan Isphahani Rd. kill 45+ and injure 130+. On Mar. 4 Pres. Obama picks nuclear physicist Ernest Jeffrey Moniz (1944-) for energy secy., Regina "Gina" McCarthy (1954-) for EPA head, and Sylvia Mary Mathews Burwell (1965-) for OMB head on Apr. 11; on May 16 the U.S. Senate unanimously confirms Moniz, who is sworn in on May 21 (until Jan. 20, 2017); McCarthy isn't confirmed by the Senate until July 18 after a record 136-day fight over her support of Obama's global warming and climate change initiative, and is sworn in as EPA head #13 on July 18 (until Jan. 20, 2017); Burwell is sworn in as OMB dir. on Apr. 24 (until June 9, 2014), then nominated by Obama on Apr. 11, 2014 for HHS secy., and confirmed 78-17 by the Senate on June 5 before being sworn in as U.S. HHS secy. #22 on June 9 (until Jan. 20, 2017). On Mar. 4 Afghan pres. Hamid Karzai rails against Pakistan, accusing it of a weak resolve to battle terrorism after ?, head of the Pakistani clerics council declared suicide attacks in Afghanistan lawful. On Mar. 4 a policy change signed by Pres. Obama on Feb. 2 shortens the visa wait for illegal aliens with U.S. spouse. On Mar. 4 a locust plague in Egypt puts Israel on high alert ahead of Passover for a possible locust invasion; meanwhile Iran fights a plague of 10-lb. rats. On Mar. 4 Fla. imam Hafiz Khan (1935-) is convicted of funneling $50K to the Pakistani Taliban. On Mar. 4 Islamist gunmen attack a Christian church in Benghazi, Libya, assaulting two priests. On Mar. 4 dozens of Syrian troops are ambushed in Iraq while seeking refuge, killing 48; Syrian rebels take 21 U.N. peacekeepers hostage, releasing them on Mar. 9. On Mar. 4 Fla. Repub. gov. Jeb Bush appears on USA Today, saying that he's flopped on allowing illegal immigrants citizenships, favoring permanent residence passes. On Mar. 5 the Dow Jones Industrial Avg. closes at an all-time high of 14,253, passing the Oct. 2007 record of 14,164. On Mar. 5 U.S. atty. gen. Eric Holder sends a letter to U.S. Sen. (R-Ky.) Rand Paul, saying that drone strikes on U.S. soil are "possible". On Mar. 6 the U.N claims that there are 1M Syrian refugees. On Mar. 6 Stuart Bowen, special inspector gen. for Iraq reconstruction pub. his final report to Congress, sayyng that after 10 years and $60B spent in postwar reconstruction, Iraq is still unstable, making the effort a waste. On Mar. 6 a report from UNICEF claims that practices by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) of arresting Palestinian youth are "cruel, inhuman, or degrading". On Mar. 6 the EU fines Microsoft $733M for reneging on its promise to offer users a choice of browsers. On Mar. 6 a criminal court in Bruges, Belgium sentences a man to 4 mo. in prison and a 600 Euro fine for shredding a Quran. On Mar. 6 (night) Norwegian interior designer Marte Deborah Dalelv (1988-) is raped by a coworker in Dubai, and after she reports it she is arrested and convicted of having sex outside marriage and drinking alcohol without a license, and sentenced to 16 mo. in prison; her attacker is sentenced to 13 mo.; after an internat. uproar they are both pardoned. On Mar. 7 after a 13-hour filibuster by Sen. Rand Paul (R-K.Y.), the U.S. Senate approves the nomination of Arabic-speaking North Bergen, N.J.-born John Owen Brennan (1955-) as CIA dir.; on Mar. 8 he asks to be sworn-in on a copy of the U.S. Constitution instead of the Bible to "reaffirm his commitment to the rule of law", becoming CIA dir. #5 (until Jan. 20, 2017). On Mar. 7 after U.S.-South Korean military drills piss it off, and the U.N. Security Council votes 15-0-0 for Resolution 2094 to place new sanctions on it, the govt. of North Korea warns of a preemptive nuclear strike on the U.S., causing shockwaves. On Mar. 8 after being captured on ?, Osama bin Laden's loudmouthed son-in-law Sulaiman Abu Ghaith is arraigned in New York City on terrorist charges, with a possible life sentence; he allegedly talks in custody. On Mar. 8 former PM #3 (1998-2002) Milos Zeman (1944-) of the Czech Social Dem. Party becomes pres. #3 of the Czech Repub., becoming the first directly-elected pres. in Czeh history; he is reelected in 2018 despite going against EU migrant quotas and supporting Pres. Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. On Mar. 9 new U.S. defense secy. Chuck Hagel makes his first official visit to Afghanistan, and is greeted by two suicide attacks by militants, killing nine outside the Afghan Defense Ministry, plus a policeman and eight civilians, mostly children at a police checkpoint in Khost. On Mar. 9-10 150+ Christian homes and schools in Lahore, Pakistan are looted and torched by a Muslim mob outraged at allegations of blasphemy against Muhammad. On Mar. 10 Afghan pres. Karzai gives a nationally-televised speech accusing the U.S. and Taliban of collusion in order to keep U.S. troops there; he also accuses U.S.-led forces of "abusing" univ. students after the CIA arrests a student on Mar. 9, banning them from entering campuses. On Mar. 10 due to a shortage of swordsman, Saudi Arabia announces that it is considering firing squads for executions. On Mar. 12 U.S. nat. intel dir. James Clapper tells Congress that Al-Qaida no longer poses a major threat, and adds that the Arab Spring has benefited Islamists instead of democracy advocates, providing openings for terrorists. On Mar. 12 a suicide bomber in Konduz Province, Afghanistan kills six and injures several fans watcing a buzkashi (dead goat polo) game. On Mar. 13 a Lashar-e-Taiba suicide attack on a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp near a public school in Bemina, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir kills five CRPF and two militants; on Mar. 19 they attack again, killing 18-y.-o. school dropout Suhail Ahmed Sofi hiding in the fireplace of a mosque Baramulla District; on Mar. 21 they attack again in Methain Bypass near Srinagar, firing on a Border Security Force (BSF) vehicle. On Mar. 13 al Nusra Front Wahhabi militants bomb the Shrine of Ammar ibn Yasir in al-Raqqah, Syria, pissing-off orthodox Sunni Muslims. On Mar. 13 the flow of gas from Israel's Tamar Reservoir in the Mediterranean Sea is initiated, promising Israel energy independence. On Mar. 14 Xi Jinping (1953-) becomes pres. #7 of the People's Repub. of China (until ?); on Mar. 15 former Young Communists leader Li Keqiang (1955-) becomes PM #7 of China (until ?); Jinping goes on to consolidate power in the party's hands, announcing a reorg. in late Mar. 2018 transferring control of key govt. bureaus to party organs, undoing the party-state divide set up by Den Xiaoping in the 1980s, and cracking down on univs., increasing ideological control with a 2016 directive from the ministry of education calling for more "patriotic education"; in 2017 he urges overseas Chinese students to set up Communist party cells. On Mar. 14 the U.N. Security Council votes 15-0-0 for Resolution 2095, "reaffirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and national unity of Libya", calling for full and equal participation of women, youth, and minorities in the political process, and expressing deep concern over reports of sexual violence and lack of judicial process for detainees. On Mar. 15 Pres. Obama utters the soundbyte that Iran is only a "year or so" away from having a nuclear bomb. On Mar. 15 a freak storm buries E and C Europe in deep snow, causing 10 ft. deep snowdrifts in Hungary. On Mar. 15 the U.S. announces that it's spending $1B to bolster missile defenses along the Pacific Coast against North Korea. On Mar. 15 SAC Capital Advisors run by Steven A. Cohen is fined a record $602M by the SEC for insider trading. On Mar. 15 after learning that his son is gay, Ohio Repub. Sen. Robert Portman announces that he's flopped about marriage of same-sex couples, and believes that the govt. "shouldn't deny" them the right, becoming the first Repub. Sen. to support gay marriage. On Mar. 15 a Swiss tourist is gang-raped in Madhya Pradesh, India. On Mar. 15 Pres. Obama visits the Argonne Nat. Lab in Chicago, Ill., and announces a $2B trust to be formed from royalties from offshore dirlling to support energy research into alternatives to gasoline. On Mar. 16 the EU rejects a request by the U.K. and France to lift an arms embargo to Syrian rebels. On Mar. 17 Family Guy debuts the episode i>Turban Cowboy, showing Peter surviving a near-death experience (NDE) then embracing Islam via fellow patient Mahmood, then skewering Muslims. On Mar. 17, 2013 the History Channel defines Obama's presidency by portraying him as looking like the Devil in its weekly series The Bible (Mar. 3-31); it's really Moroccan actor Mohamen Mehdi Ouazanni. On Mar. 18 Cyprus announces that it's going to confiscate 9.9% of all bank accounts; on Mar. 13 Dutch finance minister Jeroen Bijsselbloem announces that this scheme will be the template for future Euro bank bailouts, causing a furor that makes him retract it; on June 26 the EU announces that its 27 finance ministers have agreed on a plan shifting the responsibility for bank losses from govts. to bank investors, creditors, and uninsured depositors. On Mar. 18 Pope Francis meets with Argentine pres. Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner at the Vatican. On Mar. 18 former secy. of state Hillary Clinton announces that she now supports same-sex marriage; her hubby Bill Clinton already endorsed it while she was serving in Pres. Obama's cabinet after Chelsea talked him into it. On Mar. 18 the Nat. Dialogue Conference (NDC) in Yemen, mediated by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is attended by 565 delegates incl. all political and other parties in a landmark attempt at political transition. On Mar. 19 (10th anniv. of the U.S.-led invastion) a series of attacks across Baghdad, Iraq kills 65, becoming the deadliest day in Iraq since Sept. 9. On Mar. 19 U.S.-educated Hamas/Muslim Brotherhood supporter Ghassan Hitto is elected by the Syrian Nat. Council as head of an interim govt. in Syria to administer areas seized by rebel forces. On Mar. 19 Pres. Obama utters the soundbyte about Iran that it needs to take "immediate and meaningful steps... toward an enduring, long-term settlement" over its nuke program. On Mar. 20 (10th anniv. of U.S.-led Iraq invasion) after touching down at Ben Gurion Airport, Pres. Obama visits Israel, with the soundbyte "It's good to be back in The Land. The United States is proud to stand with you as your strongest ally and your greatest friend", vowing eternal support, calling it the "work of generations", with the soundbyte "In this work, the state of Israel will have no greater friend than the United States." On Mar. 20 Jordanian king Abdullah interviews CNN's Jake Tapper, warning of a "Muslim Brotherhood Crescent" rising in Egypt and Turkey. On Mar. 20 Muslim man Derron Black AKA Shahid Abdullah storms the stage during a speech by Kansas City, Mo. mayor Sly James, and is removed by security after short speech and a scuffle. On Mar. 20 Burmese Buddhist monk Shin Thawbita is burned alive by a Muslim mob in Meikhtilar. On Mar. 21 (a.m.) an Afghan policeman kills five colleagues in Qadis District, Badghis Province, Afghanistan. On Mar. 21 Pres. Obama gives a Speech in Israel, finally calling Hezbollah a terrorist group, adding "Peace is far more preferable to war", adding that there is no "unconditional" U.S. support for Israel because they might disagree from time to time, and that the "only way" for peace and security for Israel is an "independent and viable" Palestine, "two states for two people" because "neither occupation nor explusion is the answer", but that "Palestinians must recognize that Israel will be a Jewish state"; he adds that the U.S. will do everything it has to do to prevent a nuclear Iran. On Mar. 21 U.S. Marine Corps Gen. John F. Kelly holds a Pentagon news conference, telling reporters that Iranian influence is increasing in Latin Am. enough to be worrisome, and that a potential connection between crime syndicates and terrorists in Latin Am. would constitute a clear danger to the region. On Mar. 21 Syrian Sunni Muslim cleric (last one to support Bashar al-Assad) Mohamed Saeed Ramadan al-Bouti is killed in a suicide attack in a mosque in Damascus, causing thousands to mourn at his funeral along with 40 others; meanwhile opposition activists get pissed-off at his burial beside the tomb of Saladin. On Mar. 21 the Obama admin. admits to the New York Times that they stalled in producing a metric to determine whether the U.S.-Mexico border is secure so that they could push citizenship paths for illegal aliens; on Mar. 20 Dept. of Homeland Security officials admitted to congress that they still have no official way to measure whether the border is secure. On Mar. 22 new humble Pope Francis I gives his first foreign policy address, calling for a dialogue with Islam and offering an olive branch to China. On Mar. 22 after Pres. Obama puts him up to it, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu makes a surprise apologizes for Turkish flotilla deaths, and agrees to compensate victims, causing Turkey to begin restoring trade; meanwhile Obama arrives in Jordan after visiting Israel and the West Bank, pledging $200M aid for the 450K+ Syrian refugees; too bad, on Mar. 24 Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erodogan issues the soundbyte that the Gaza blockade must be lifted before full normalization with Israel. On Mar. 22 Lebanese PM Najib Mikati resigns after dissolving the govt. On Mar. 22 deadly clashes between Buddhists and Muslims in Meikhtila, Burma cause a state of emergency to be declared. On Mar. 22 an anti-Muslim Brotherhood protest in Cairo, Egypt results in a Mar. 25 order to arrest of five anti-MB activists, putting the MB on "high alert" about a possible crackdown. On Mar. 22 a U.S. Marine shoots and kills a female and male Marine then kills himself at the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Va. On Mar. 22 19-y.-o. Tunisian woman Amina Tyler (1993-), founder of the feminist FEMEN org. posts topless photos of herself on Facebook, bringing out the Muslim establishment, who calls for her death by stoning, causing her supporters to declare Topless Jihad Day on Apr. 4, while she goes into hiding; meanwhile a Tunisian sheikh calls for young girls to perform sexual jihad by offering themselves to Syrian fighters; too bad, on May 22 Tyler is caught and arrested. On Mar. 22-24 new Chinese pres. Xi Jinpig makes his first official foreign visit to Russia to highlight strengthening ties; his wife Peng Liyuan becomes China's Michelle Obama. On Mar. 23 Pope Francis meets with Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI at Castel Gandolfo. On Mar. 23 Saudi cleric Muhammad Ali Shanqiti posts a lecture on the Internet that claims that each lucky Muslim will get not 72 but 19,604 virgins in Paradise. On Mar. 24 after overthrowing pres. Francois Bozize, Russian-educated Michel Am-Nondokro Djotodia (1949-), head of the Islamist Seleka rebel coalition becomes the first Muslim pres. (#7) of mostly Christian Central African Repub. (CAR) (until Jan. 10, 2014); too bad, on Apr. 13 the CAR Conflict begins between his Muslim minority Seleka (Séléka) coalition rebels and mainly Christian Anti-balaka coalition forces, who forcibly convert Muslims to Christianity. On Mar. 24 outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) chief Abdullah Ocalan calls for a ceasefire after almost 30 years and 35K killed. On Mar. 25 the U.S. military cedes control of its last military facility in Afghanistan as John Kerry and Hamid Karzai make a show of unity in Kabul. On Mar. 25 Muslim Brotherhood supreme guide Muhammad Badie meets with James Watt, British ambassador in Cairo for the first time. On Mar. 26 Pres. Obama selects Julia Pierson as the first female head of the FBI (until ?). On Mar. 26 another suicide bomber in Damascus, Syria kills three and wounds dozens. On Mar. 26 the Arab Summit in Doha convenes, with the soundbyte that the first summit discussed the single problem of the Palestinian problem, but this one is convening under the shadow of "a political, security, and economic earthquake, and raging storms of chaos, upheaval, and fitna" in almost all Arab countries incl. Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt, Palestine, Libya, Tunisia, and Yemen. On Mar. 26 the U.S. Monsanto Protection Act slips through the U.S. Congress, protecting genetically-modified seeds from litigation, pissing-off anti-GMO groups. On Mar. 26 Okla. permits the operation of horse slaughterhouses. On Mar. 26-27 the 5-nation "emerging powers" 2013 BRICS Forum sees Syrian pres. Bashar al-Assad appeal for help against "acts of terrorism backed by Arab, regional and Western nations"; decisions are made to fund anti-Bashar rebels in Syria, and establish a $1B fund to strength the Arab and Muslim character of Jerusalem; they announce that they oppose military threats against Iran, with the soundbyte "We are concerned about threats of military sanctions as well as unilateral sanctions." On Mar. 26-30 the 11th World Social Forum is held for the first time in Tunisia. On Mar. 27 Egyptian naval forces capture three scuba divers trying to cut an undersea Internet cable in Alexandria, Egypt belonging to Telecom Egypt. On Mar. 27 the Worst Attack in the History of the Internet is caused by a war between an anti-Spam group and a Dutch hosting co. On Mar. 27 1.5KK armed vigilantes in Tierra Colorado, Guerrero, Mexico take control of the town and arrest homes, searching homes after a vigilante leader was killed, and firing on cars headed to Acapulco. On Mar. 27 a 16-y.-o. Afghan teenie stabs and kills U.S. Army Sgt. Michael C. Cable (b. 1986) while playing with children near the Pakistan border, then escapes to Pakistan and joins the Taliban. On Mar. 27 Hilde Raastad, Norway's first pastor (since 1997) (a Lutheran) quits over the "exclusionary" church; church and state were officially separated in 2012; same-sex marriage was legalized in 2009; ordination of gays was officially authorized in 2007. On Mar. 28 mortar shells crash into an outdoor cafe at Damascus U. in Syria, killing 15+ students and wounding 20. On Mar. 28 a bomb blows up the Sufi Sidi Al-Andhusi Mausoleum (a nat. monument) in Tajoura, Libya near Tripoli. On Mar. 28 the U.S. announces that it has sent two nuke-capable B-2 bombers to South Korea after threats from North Korea. On Mar. 28 the Red Chinese People's Daily pub. an article blasting Apple Computer Inc., with the headline "Destroy Apple's Unparalleled Arrogance", accusing it of "Westerners' traditional sense of superiority" in its policies towards China for only having a 1-year warranty instead of a 2-year warranty. On Mar. 28 (Passover) the Jewish pop. of Israel passes the symbolic 6M mark. On Mar. 28 (Holy Thurs.) Pope Francis I performs a foot-washing ceremony at a prison in Rome on 12 incl. a teenage boy, teenage boy, and two Muslims. On Mar. 28 British Muslim Lord Ahmed apologizes for comments that his imprisonment over a fatal car crash was caused by Jews. On Mar. 29 four car bombs in Shiite mosques in in Baghdad, Iraq kills 19 and wounds 72. On Mar. 29 Afghanistan cancels joint military training with Pakistan after claiming cross-border fire; Pakistan calls it "over-reaction". On Mar. 29 Syrian rebels kill Sunni cleric Sheikh hassan Seifeddin in Aleppo, behead him, drag his body through the streets, and lay his head on a minaret. On Mar. 29 a study is pub. by Harvard U. claiming that the combined costs of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars is $4T-$6T counting future health care costs for veterans. On Mar. 29-30 the Battle of In Arab between Anefif and bourem, Mali is a V for the MNLA (Movement for the Nat. Liberation of Azawad) over the MOJWA (Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa); in Aug. some MOJWA members led by Mokhtar Belmokhtar and Ahmed Ould Amer (Ahmed al-Tilemsi) split off as the Al-Mourabitoun, joining AQIM on Dec. 4, 2015. On Mar. 30 North Korea warns that it's entering a "state of war" with South Korea. On Mar. 30 2K ethnic Albanians take to the streets in Mitrovica, Kosovo to protest ongoing talks with Serbia. On Mar. 30 (a.m.) a NATO heli strike in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan kills nine Taliban militants and two children. On Mar. 30 deadly floods hit Port Louis, Mauritius. On Mar. 30 Kaufman County, Tex. DA Mike McLelland and his wife Cynthia are found assassinated in their home. On Mar. 31 (Easter Sun.) after being flown for a week to mark the sesquicentennial of the U.S. Civil War and mark how the Old Capital appeared in 1863, the Confederate flag comes down in Raleigh, N.C. after objections by civil rights orgs. On Mar. 31 Muslims slaughter 50 Christians in Barkin Ladi, C Nigeria - happy Easter? On Mar. 31 Muslims bomb a building housing a women's rights org. in Peshawar, Pakistan. On Mar. 31 Iranian brig. gen. Mohammad Reza Naghdi utters the soundbyte "The American empire will all in 2013", saing that he's backed by supreme leader Assahollah Khamenei. On Mar. 31 extremist Muslims stone Jews attempting to access the Temple Mount in Jerusalem on the 7th day of Passover. On Mar. 31 Am. Muslim ? drives his pickup trup through a parking lot in San Jose, Calif., hitting parked cars, then drives it into the front of a Walmart store, getting out and assaulting shoppers until police arrest him. On Mar. 31 police in Azerbaijan arrest Muslim theologian Taleh Bagirzadeh (1982-) and charge him with drug possession, causing a Muslim protest on Apr. 1 in Imam Hussain Square in Baku, and another on Apr. 2 in Lenkoran. In Mar. 2013 the Peterborough Ditch Murders in Cambridgeshire, England see the bodies of three dumped in ditches outside Peterborough during a 12-day killing spree by sadistic "man woman" Joanna Dennehy (1982-) ("Uma Thurmna from Kill Bill"), who is sentenced to life in prison; her accomplices in disposing of the bodies 7'3" Gary Stretch (1976-) and Leslie Layton (1986-) are also convicted. In Mar. the Coalition for the Homeless pub. the report State of the Homeless 2013, claiming that 50K homeless are sleeping in New York City's municipal shelter system, incl. 21K children, greatest since the Great Depression, up 19% in one year. On Apr. 1 a suicide attacker at a police HQ in Tikrit, Iraq kills nine and injures 17. On Apr. 1 Lebanese Sunni gunmen kidnap eight Alawite Syrians and demand a hostage exchange. On Apr. 1 Palestinian Authority Chmn. Mahmud Abbus signs an agreement with Jordanian king Abdullah II confirming their "common goal to defending" Jerusalem, and their opposition to efforts to "Judaize" it. On Apr. 1 Syrian rebel fighters blast the Muslim Brotherhood for "delaying victory" by trying to dictate their politics. On Apr. 1 the North Korean parliament meets to shift away from warlike rhetoric, appointing new PM Pak Pong Ju (until ?), who focuses on economic development in a country where two-thirds of the 24M pop. face regular food shortages. On Apr. 1 the Police Service of Scotland is created from eight regional police forces. On Apr. 1 the historic Jobar Synagogue in Damascus, Syria is looted. On Apr. 1 the Indian Supreme Court rules against Swiss pharmaceutical co. Novartis, paving the way for cheap generic drugs in India. On Apr. 1 an anon. hacker releases a draft statement from Hillary Clinton, claiming that in her 2016 pres. run she will become the first candidate to formally endorse legalizing polygamy, polyamory, and adultery. On Apr. 1 the Mogadishu Music Festival in Somalia takes aim at Al-Shabaab. On Apr. 1 Burma allows privately-own newspapers to be sold for the first time since 1964. On Apr. 1-6 Turkey breaks its truce with Kurdish separatists by bombarding Kurdish positions. On Apr. 2 after being launched in 1997 by Costa Rican pres. Oscar Arias, the U.N. Gen. Assembly votes 154-3-23 (Iran, North Korea, Syria) to adopt the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) regulating internat. trade in conventional weapons, effective Dec. 24, 2014 after 50 states ratify it; it is eventually signed by 94 states, with 41 signing but not ratifying it, incl. the U.S., which signs on Sept. 25 but is swayed by a chain email claiming that Pres. Obama is trying to take the "first major step in a plan to ban all firearms in the U.S." On Apr. 2 North Korea announces the intention to resume activities in the Youngbyon Nuclear Complex, which has been closed since 2007; U.S. officials announce concerns that pesky North Korea can explode a nuke over the U.S. with their "space launch vehicle", positioning warships closer to North Korea, and also reveal that China has been increasing its military presence on the North Korean border since mid-Mar. along with naval drills in the Yellow Sea, while experts reveal that the 2013 North Korean nuclear test may have been conducted with a uranium nuke rather than a plutonium one. On Apr. 2 Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan militants attack a power station in Peshawar, Pakistan, killing 7+ and taking 10 hostages. On Apr. 2 after an outbreak of food poisoning at Al-Azhar U. that hospitalizes 500, hundreds of Egyptian students storm the offices of Al-Azhar Mosque grand imam Ahmed el-Tayed. On Apr. 2 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails stage protests over the alleged maltreatment of Maysara Abu Hamdiya (b. 1948), who died on Apr. 2 of throat cancer. On Apr. 2 yet another protest in Dhaka, Bangladesh. On Apr. 2 police find nine mutilated bodies in a SUV with Tex. license plates in Tamaulipas, Mexico. On Apr. 2 quarry collapse in Arusha, Tanzania kills 13. On Apr. 2 police arrest three Sinhalese Buddhist monks in Colombo, Sri Lanka for burning down a Muslim-owned clothing store. On Apr. 2 Hamas reelects Khaled Meshaal as its leader, and orders gender segregation in Gaza schools starting in Sept. On Apr. 2 a fire at a Muslim religious school in Yangon, Burma burns 75 orphans alive. On Apr. 2 (night) after three missiles are fired at Israel, Israeli jets carry out strikes on Jabal al Rayes, Gaza, the first Gaza strike since the Nov. 21, 2012 Pillar of Defense ceasefire. On Apr. 2 the Associated Press (AP) drops the term "illegal immigrant" from its stylebook. On Apr. 3 sudden floods in Argentina kill 46+. On Apr. 3 Mingo County, W. Va. sheriff Eugene Crum, known for his war on illegal drugs is killed in front of a courthouse in Williamson by 37-y.-o. Tennis Melvin Maynard. On Apr. 3 Christian pres. of the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance Sindh Chapter Saleem Khursheed Khokhar is unsuccessfully attacked by a drive-by shooter en route to Karachi from Badin. On Apr. 4 hours after the U.S. announces the deployment of an ABM defense system to Guam, North Korea threatens a nuclear attack on the U.S., causing the U.S. to respond by more redeployment of military forces, announcing that if attacked, it will seek a regime change there. On Apr. 4 thousands of Palestinians protest in East Jerusalem over the death of Mai-sara Abu Hamdiyeh, who died on Apr. 2 of throat cancer while serving a life sentence in an Israeli jail. On Apr. 4 French pres. Francois Holland makes his first state visit to Morocco. On Apr. 4 Maj. Gen. Ralph Baker of U.S. Africa Command is fired for alcohol and sex charges. On Apr. 4 topless feminists stage anti-Islamist oppression rallies in front of mosques and Tunisian embassies in Berlin, Germany and across Europe, protesting Islamist crackdowns on Arab women's rights. On Apr. 4 a tower block collapses in Mumbai, India, killing 47 incl. 17 children, and injures 70, causing a police search for the builders. On Apr. 4 the Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) becomes the first academic union in Europe to academically boycott Israel to please the Palestinians, calling it an "apartheid state". Pres. Obama becomes the Emperor With No Clothes vis a vis his Muslim appeasement policy? On Apr. 4-7 Iran holds nuclear talks with six world powers, which results in no end to Iran's nuclear ambitions; instead, on Apr. 9 (Iranian Nat. Day of Nuclear Technology) Pres. Imadinnajacket announces two new nuclear-related projects. On Apr. 5 Pres. Obama pledges to return 5% of his salary to the U.S. Treasury to show solidarity with federal workers facing $85B in spending cuts. On Apr. 5 the U.N. announces that it's cutting food distribution to Gaza for "days or even weeks" in protest of its HQ being stormed by protesters. On Apr. 5 a fight between Muslim and Buddhist detainees in Myanmar kills eight. On Apr. 5 supporters of Sunni Islam's top religious authority al-Azhar clash with supporters of Muslim Brotherhood pres. Mohammed Mursi in Alexandria, Egypt, injuring dozens. On Apr. 5 Pres. Obama pledges $200M to Jordan to take care of Syrian refugees. On Apr. 5, U.S. vice-pres. Joe Biden utters the soundbyte at the 28th Annual Conference of the U.S. Export-Import Bank that "the affirmative task we have now is to actually create a new world order"; he repeats his call for a new world order on Mar. 21, 2022 at a secretive meeting at the Business Roundtable CEO Quarterly Meeting with leaders in energy, manufacturing, and retail. On Apr. 5-6 (anniv. of the Apr. 6 Yough Movement) Muslim-Christian clashes near Cairo, Egpt kill five and injure eight. On Apr. 6 a suicide car bomb in S Afghanistan kills three U.S. soldiers and two U.S. civilians incl. U.S. ambassador Anne Smedinghoff, becoming the deadliest attack against U.S. forces so far this year. On Apr. 6 a U.S. air strike against Taliban leaders in Shigal, Kunar Province, Afghanistan kills 17 civilians incl. 12 children; Hamid Karzi holds both the Taliban and the U.S. responsible. On Apr. 7 (Sun.) (Holocaust Remembrance Day) the hactivist group Anonymous launches its 2nd cyberattack on Israel. On Apr. 7 Turkish foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu meets with U.S. secy. of state John Kerry in Istanbul, and surprises him with a demand that Israel end all restrictions on Palestinians and lift the Gaza blockade before Turkey will restore ties. On Apr. 7 a battle in Kunar Province, Afghanistan between U.S.-backed Afghan forces and Taliban forces kills 20 incl. a U.S. civilian adviser and 11 Afghan children. On Apr. 8 WikiLeaks announces the Public Library of U.S. Diplomacy (PlusD), "the world's largest searchable collection of United States confidential, or formerly confidential, diplomatic communications." On Apr. 8 South Africa announces a single-dose $10 a mo. AIDS treatment drug. On Apr. 9 after his opponent Raila Odinga unsuccessfully contests the election, Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta (1961-), son of pres. #1 Jomo Kenyatta becomes pres. #4 of Kenya (until ?). On Apr. 9 a 6.3 earthquake in S Iran near Iran's only nuclear power station in Bushehr kills 30 and injures 800. On Apr. 9 the Nat. Iranian Am. Council (NIAC) is order to pay $183K in sanctions after losing a defamation suit against Iranian-Am. writer Hassan Daioleslam for allegedly defaming them by claiming that they lobbied U.S. officials on behalf of Iran. On Apr. 10 Ghabagheb, Syria and nearby al-Sanamayn are attacked by Syrian forces. On Apr. 10 Mark Zuckerberg launches the lobbying group Fwd.us to influence education and immigration legislation. On Apr. 11 Uruguay legalizes same-sex marriage, making it #3 in America after Canada and Argentina. On Apr. 11 Pres. Obama's approval rating drops to 47%, vs. 51% when he was reelected, and the first under-50 rating since last Aug. On Apr. 11 a Syrian army assault in Daraa Province, S Syria kills 57 incl. six children, 16 rebels, and 12 army troops. On Apr. 11 an unclassified Pentagon report reveals that North Korean may have nuclear-tipped missiles. On Apr. 12 the IMF recognizes Somalia after 22 years. On Apr. 12 Israeli Pres. Shimon Peres utters the soundbyte: "I have no doubt that if diplomatic talks fail with Iran and Tehran doesn't stop accelerating its nuclear development, U.S. Pres. Barack Obama will conduct a military attack against Iran." On Apr. 12 the historical fantasy series Da Vinci's Demons debuts on Starz Network for (until Dec. 26, 2015), starring Tom Riley as young Leonardo da Vinci, who is implicated in the political schemes of the Medici and Pazzi families and get hooked up with the Sons of Mithras cult on his quest to uncover the "Book of Leaves". On Apr. 12-14 the Muslim World League (MWL) holds its first-ever conference in Nigeria (Sokoto). On Apr. 13 despite U.S. pressure, Palestinian Authority PM Salam Fayyad resigns, and on June 6 English prof. Rami Hamdallah (Abu Walid) (1958-) becomes PM #15 of the Palestinian Authority (until ?), but it is disputed, and on June 20 he offers to resign; on June 2, 2014 his incumbency is no longer disputed. On Apr. 13 Syrian forces destroy the Omari Mosque in Daraa, where the uprising erupted two years earlier. On Apr. 14 (10:25 p.m.) a 5.2 earthquake near Fukushima, Japan. On Apr. 14 Turkey becomes the first country with an ambassador to Palestine, Sakir Ozkan Torunlar. On Apr. 15 (Patriots Day) (101st anniv. of the birthday of Kim Il Sung) (2:49 p.m. EDT) the Boston Marathon Bombings see two bombs packed with ball bearings go off 10 sec. and 90m apart at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three and injuring 176 incl. eight children, leaving many runners without legs after finishing the 26.2 mi. marathon (23K runners); at 4:30 p.m. another explosion occurs at the JFK Pres. Library and Museum 1 mi. away, but it was planned by authorities as part of a drill?; Muslims in Gaza dance in the streets at news of the bombing; after being tackled by bystanders, Saudi Muslim Abdul Rahman Ali Alharbi (1993-) is arrested, then released and deported after Pres. Obama holds an emergency meeting on Apr. 17 with Saudi foreign minister Prince Saud al-Faisal; at ? p.m. Pres. Obama gives a televised speech, with the soundbyte that those responsible will "feel the full weight of justice"; on Apr. 16 he gives a press conference, calling the bombings an "act of terror"; on Apr. 19 after they hijack the Mercedes of Chinese-Am. engineer Dun "Danny" Mengin, and he escaped to a Mobil gas station on Memorial Dr. in Cambridge, the FBI publicizes a photo showing two Muslim Chechen suspects, Dzhokhar Anzorovich "Jahar" Tsarnaev (1993-) and his older brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who is killed in a shootout with police overnight on Apr. 18 that kills MIT police officer Sean A. Collier; Dzokhar runs over his older brother Tamerlan in his car while trying to escape, then is caught hiding in a boat behind a man's home, leaving a confession note that contains the soundbyte "When you attack one Muslim you attack all Muslims"; they build pressure cooker bombs using instructions given in the al-Qaida Inspire mag. article "How to Cook a Bomb in the Kitchen of Your Mom"; on May 30 Inspire, Issue #11 is released, claiming credit for motivating the bombing, and promising more; the whole affair torpedoes Pres. Obama's lalaland rhetoric about Islam, and reveals how he's shackled the FBI and DHS so they can't do their jobs? On Apr. 15 Iraq's Bloody Mon. sees 75 killed and 356 wounded, incl. 30 dead and 92 wounded in Baghdad. On Apr. 15 Turkish pianist Fazil Say (1969-) is sentenced to 10 mo. suspended for insulting Islam on Twitter. On Apr. 15 a 5-y.-o. girl is kidnapped from her home in New Delhi, India by 22-y.-o. Manoj Kumar, who rapes and tortures her, causing outrage and protests against police. On Apr. 16 a 7.7 earthquake (biggest in 50+ years) hits Iran, killing 46+ and swaying skyscrapers as far as New Delhi. On Apr. 16 the Islam and Just Transition in Syria Conference in Istanbul convenes; Syrian nat. coalition pres. Ahmaz Moaz al-Khatib utters the soundbyte that he's against calls for an Islamic state because Syria is a country where moderate Islam dominates. On Apr. 16 the Pathways to 100% Renewable Energy in San Francisco, Calif. convenes. On Apr. 16 the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee approves a resolution to assist Israel it it's forced to take action against Iran. On Apr. 16 the price of gold falls below $1.4K, sparking a buying frenzy in India and China. On Apr. 16 letters are sent to Pres. Obama and U.S. Miss. Sen. Robert Wicker containing ricin; on Apr. 17 Paul Kevin Curtis of Corinth, Miss. is arrested, and released on Apr. 27, and James Everett Dutschke (1971-) of Tupelo, Miss. is arrested. On Apr. 17 Iraq executes 21 nationals on terror charges, drawing internat. condemnation. On Apr. 17 Muslim militants from the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt fire two rockets into the southern resort town of Eilat, Israel; nobody is hurt. On Apr. 17 New Zealand becomes the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage. On Apr. 17 a series of explosions at the West Fertilizer plant in West, Tex. injure 160+. On Apr. 17 200+ mostly Bangladeshi strawberry workers demanding back pay are fired on by supervisors in Manolada, Greece, injuring 20+. On Apr. 17 the U.S. Senate by ?-? defeats background checks for guns legislation, pissing-off Pres. Obama, who calls his opponents deliberate liars and says it is "a pretty shameful day for Washington". On Apr. 18 after a Pakistan court revokes his bail and order his arrest on treason charges, former military leader (1999-2008) Pervez Musharraf flees the court with his security team to a protected compound outside Islamabad, which doesn't stop them from arresting him, which he calls "politically motivated". On Apr. 18 the U.S. House passes the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA), which makes it easier for the federal govt. to get Internet user personal info. On Apr. 18 U.S. state secy. John Kerry tells the House Foreign Affairs Committee that the 2-state solution in Israel maybe dead within two years. On Apr. 18 suicide bomber in Amiriya, Iraq kills 32 and wounds 65; others kill 15 more and wound 12 more. On Apr. 18 New York City police arrest Muslin teen Stephan Stowe (1995-) for taunting a Jewish subway rider, causing a wild melee. On Apr. 18-23 the 2nd Internat. Psychedelicscience 2013 Conference is held in Oakland, Calif. On Apr. 19 a suicide bomber in a cafe in Baghdad, Iraq kills 27. On Apr. 19 Mexico passes a telecommunications bill aimed at increasing competition. On Apr. 19 a 7.0 earthquake in Sichuan, China kills 156 and injures 5.5K. On Apr. 19 thousands of Muslim Brotherhood supporters demand the removal of justice minister Ahmed Mekki, who resigns on Apr. 22. On Apr. 19 Okla. gov. Marry Fallin signs an Okla. Anti-Sharia Bill, which passed by 70%. On Apr. 19 Garry Trudeau's political satire series Alpha House debuts on Amazon TV, based on real Dem. legislators who share a row house in Washington, D.C. (Sen. Dick Durban of Ill., Sen. Chuck Schumer of N.Y., and Rep. George Miller of Calif.), starring John Stephen Goodman (1952-) as U.S. Sen. Gil John Biggs (R-N.C.), J. Clark (Clarque) "Slappy" Johnson (1954-) as U.S. Sen. Robert Bettencourt (R-Penn.), Matt Mallow (1963-) as Mormon U.S. Sen. Louis Laffer (R-Nev.), and Mark Andrew Conseuelos (1971-) (husband of Kelly Ripa since 1991) as U.S. Sen. Andy Guzman (R-Fla.); comedian Bill Murray guest-stars as Sen. Vernon Smits. On Apr. 20 a female suicide bomber detonates outside a hospital in Khar, Bajaur, Peshawar, killing four. On Apr. 21 elections in Iraq are the first since the U.S. military withdrawal. On Apr. 21 an agreement between Serbia and Kosovo is signed normalizing relations. On Apr. 21 80+ corpses are found in Jdeidet al-Fadel, Syria near Damascus, revealing a massacre. On Apr. 21 tobacco magnate Horacio Manuel Cartes Jara (1956-) of the conservative Colorado Party is elected pres. #50 of Paraguay, and is sworn-in on Aug. 15 (until Aug. 15, 2018). On Apr. 21 45K march against a same-sex marriage proposal sponsored by Pres. Francois Hollande in Paris, France; on Apr. 23 French lawmakers ? On Apr. 21-23 Elmar Mammady becomes the first Azerbaijani foreign minister to visit Israel. On Apr. 22 Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib resigns, and Christian George Sabra becomes interim chief of the Syrian Nat. Coalition, uttering the soundbyte that Bashar al-Assad's ally Hezbollah is "at war with the Syrian people", accusing them of fighting in Qusayr in Homs Province near the Lebanese border. On Apr. 22 Canadian police arrest Muslim jihadists Chiheb Esseghaier and Raed Jaser, accusing them of planning an al-Qaida style terrorist attack on an Amtrak-Via rail train. On Apr. 22 a heli carrying seven Turkish workers, two Russian pilots, and an Afghan is seized by the Taliban in Logar Province, Afghanistan after it is forced down by bad weather. On Apr. 22 Taliban militants attack a girls' school with poison gas in Taluqan, Afghanistan, injuring 74. On Apr. 22 U.S. secy. of state John Kerry in Brussels calls for a dialogue with "moderate Islam", saying "We have to speak to moderate Islam and find ways to get moderate Islam to fight and stand up for real basis of their religion rather than allowing it to be hijacked by people who completely misinterpret and misapply it and diminish the voice of moderation that is there. The vast majority are moderate." On Apr. 22 the Running for Boston Marathon in Jakarta, Indonesia sees Muslims running in solidarity with the Boston Marathon Massacre victims. On Apr. 23 (a.m.) a car bomb at the French embassy in Tripoli, Libya wounds two French guards and a Libyan teenager. On Apr. 23 (a.m.) Iraqi security forces raid a Sunni protest camp in Hawija, Iraq (near Kirkuk), causing a gunbattle that kills 23 incl. three soldiers. On Apr. 23 25K British Muslims gather in Aton Park to call for legislation to silence critics of Islam. On Apr. 23 Syrian Catholic metropolitans Boulos Yazigi and Youhanna Ibrahim are kidnapped outside Aleppo, and their driver murdered. On Apr. 23 a U.S. Congressional Report on the Benghazi Attack traces it to al-Qaida in the Maghbreb and al-Qaida-linked Ansar al-Sharia. On Apr. 23 France becomes country #14 to legalize same-sex marriage. On Apr. 24 after 2 mo. of political paralysis Enrico Letta is appointed interim PM of Italy (until ?). On Apr. 24 a shoddy 8-story clothing factory in Rana Plaza in Savar, Bangladesh (20 mi. from Dhaka) collapses, killing almost 400 and injuring hundreds, causing owner Sohel Rana (1977-) to be arrested. On Apr. 24 a clash between govt. forces and Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang, China kills 21. On Apr. 24 Bill Gates kicks off the First Global Vaccine Summit in Abu Dhabi, saying that "zero is the number we need to get to". On Apr. 24 the Jerusalem District Court grants a victory to Women of the Wall (WOW), permitting them to pray at the Wailing Wall (Kotel) in Jerusalem; they filed their lawsuit in 1989. On Apr. 25 Israel shoots down a Hezbollah drone over the N coast while PM Benjamin Netanyahu is on a heli tour of the area. On Apr. 25 U.S. defense secy. Chuck Hagel announces that the U.S. has evidence that Syria has used chemical weapons against insurgents, passing the so-called "red line". On Apr. 25 the George W. Bush Pres. Library in Dallas, Tex. is dedicated by Pres. Obama. On Apr. 25 (Maundy Thur.) Pope Francis I washes the feet of a woman Muslim prisoner. On Apr. 26 a poll of 14K people in 13 countries by the German Bertelsmann Stiftung for Die Welt indicates broad-based concern about Islam and its compatibility with Western civilization, with 57% of East Germans and 49% of West Germans calling Islam a "threat", and 21% of East Germans and 31% of West Germans callit an "enrichment". On Apr. 27 the Taliban announce the start of their Drawn Sword of Allah spring offensive. On Apr. 27 the Jerusalem district court finally rules that women may wear prayer shawls (tallitot) to the Western Wall in Jerusalem. On Apr. 27 Salafi Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir gives a sermon in Abra, Lebanon calling for volunteers for his new Free Resistance Brigade to wage jihad against the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad. On Apr. 27 Russian authorities arrest 140 suspected Islamist extremists at a mosque in Moscow. On Apr. 27 a riot in San Luis Potosi Prison kills 17 and injures 65. On Apr. 27 Obama addresses the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner, making a joke where he says he was once a "strapping young Muslim Socialist"; the PC media deletes the word Muslim. On Apr. 28 a report by Brown U.'s Eisenhower Research Project claims that the U.S. wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan cost $4T and killed 225K. On Apr. 28 Iraq suspends Al Jazeera and nine other satellite TV channels for "unprofessional reporting". On Apr. 28 Gaza militants fire another rocket at S Israel, causing an Israeli retaliatory air strike. On Apr. 28 missiles from Syria cross the border and hit in Thneibat, Jordan, causing no casualties; on Apr. 30 the Israeli Air Forces carries out an airstrike against terrorist Hithem Ziad Ibrahim Masshal in the Gaza Strip. On Apr. 28 Russian foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov meets with Hezbollah head Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon, creating a new alliance. On Apr. 28 the Ghriba Synagogue in Tunisia opens its doors for the first time since protests broke out in 2011. On Apr. 29 an assassination attempt against Syrian PM Wael Al-Halqi in Mazzeh, Damascus fails, killing his bodyguard. On Apr. 29 five car bombs across Shiite areas of Iraq kill 26. On Apr. 29 Yemeni journalist Farea al-Muslimi testifies before a U.S. Senate subcommittee, telling them that "Drone strikes are the face of America to many Yemenis". On Apr. 29 Am. Muslim Ramineh Beehbehanian (1962-) is arrested for trying to sneak orange juice bottles spiked with a lethal dose of rubbing alcohol into a Starbucks coffee joint in San Jose, Calif., and charged with attempted murder. On Apr. 29 the May 6 issue of Sports Illustrated mag. carries a cover of Jason Paul Collins (1978-), 7'0" center for the NBA Washington Wizards, who becomes the first openly gay prof. athlete in North Am.; on Apr. 29 (night) Pres. Obama calls him to congratulate him for his courage. On Apr. 29 Iranian pres. Imadinnajacket is arrested by the Rev. Guard and held for questioning for seven hours. On Apr. 29 Japan and Russia finally agree to end World War II. On Apr. 30 queen (since 1980) Beatrix of the Netherlands abdicates in favor of her eldest son (prince of Orange) Willem-Alexander (1967-) (chmn. of the advisory committee on water, duh?), who becomes king of the Netherlands (until ?). On Apr. 30 the Arab League for the first time explicitly offers Israel land swaps and recognition, causing Israeli justice minister Tzipi Livni to call the news "very positive... it could allow the Palestinians to enter the room and make the needed compromises and it sends a message to the Israeli public that this is not just about us and the Palestinians". On Apr. 30 Muslim-friendly Netherlands Queen Beatrix abdicates in favor of her Muslim-friendly son Willem-Alexander who becomes king (until ?). On Apr. 30 Pres. Obama gives a talk on Syria, amending his red line talk to add that more verification is needed before he considers it to have been crossed. On Apr. 30 Israeli actor Evyatar "Napo" Borovsky is stabbed to death while waiting for a ride at the Tapuach Junction in Ariel S of Nablus in the West Bank; Fatah's Facebook page glorifies the event. On Apr. 30 Israeli jets bomb a chemical compound near Damascus, Syria. On Apr. 30-May 1 UAE pres. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan makes his first state visit to the U.K. at the invitation of Elizabeth II, who visited UAE with hubby Prince Philip in 2010 to reaffirm their 1971 Treaty of Friendship; on May 1 Khalifa tells Prince Charles that Islam is a message of peace. On Apr. 30 Tokyo gov. Naoki Inose apologizes for saying that Muslim countries have nothing in common but Allah and "fighting with each other". On Apr. 30 Hezbollah head Hassan Nasrallah utters the soundbyte that "Syria has real friends in the region and in the world who will not allow Syria to fall into thehands of America or Israel or the Takfiris", admitting to supporting Bashar al-Assad. In Apr. Arie Perliger of the Combating Terrorism Center at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point pub. a Report on Extremists that labels the "violent far-right" as the enemy, citing the infamous far-left Southern Poverty Law Center. In Apr. Iraq has its deadliest month since June 2008, with 712 killed incl. 117 Iraqi security forces. In Apr. the names of 50 former guards at Auschwitz are dug up to continue prosecution. In Apr.-May after a 17-year hiatus, billions of cicadas infest the U.S. E coast. On May 1 14 members of the anti al-Qaida Sunni Awakening Council militia are killed in two attacks by militants near Fallujah, Iraq. On May 1 the Taliban assassinates Malim Shah Wali, a member of the Afghan High Peace Council in Helmand, making three members since fall 2011. On May 1 Syrian pres. Bashar al-Assad makes a rare public appearance at a power station in Damascus; meanwhile two bombs explode in C Damascus, killing one and wounding 24+. On May 1 three Kazakh Muslim college students are arrested on suspicion of aiding the Boston Marathon bombers. On May 1 two teenage boys attempt to open a cardbox near a store in Makhachkala, Dagestan, Russia, and it explodes, killing them. On May 1 Google recognizes a Palestinian state, changing the name of the page at www.google.ps from "Google - Palestinian Territories" to "Google - Palestine". On May 2 Syrian forces advance into Homs, and attack Baniyas, killing 60+. On May 2-3 Pres. Obama visits Mexico, touting border security, claiming that the U.S. has put "enormous resources" into it, and promoting the Senate's immigration bill; on May 3 he speaks in Mexico City, claiming that the U.S. is responsible for much of the crime and violence in Mexico because of the demand for drugs and illegal smuggling of guns across the border. On May 2 Rhode Island becomes state #10 to legalize same-sex marriage. On May 3 the U.S. Terror Watch List grows to 875K from 540K in 2008 due to rule changes caused by the 2009 Underwear Bomber. On May 3-July 6 the Solar Impulse by Swiss designers Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg makes the first solar-powered airplane flight across the U.S. from San Francisco, Calif. to Washington, D.C. in 105 hours 41 min. (33.14 mph avg.). On May 5 Israel stages airstrikes on Syria for the 2nd time in three days, causing Repubs. to ramp up calls for Pres. Obama to take stronger action; meanwhile Egypt and the Arab League condemn Israel. On May 5 Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan utters the soundbyte about the pro-Assad militia massacre of 62+ Sunni civilians along with 200 in the Syrian coastal towns of Banias and Baida: "If Allah permits, we will see this criminal, this murderer [Assad] receive his judgment in this world, and we will be grateful to Allah for it." On May 6 a new report by the Heritage Foundation claims that granted amnesty to illegal immigrants would cost the U.S. $9.4T in costs of benefits and services. On May 7 U.S. state secy. John Kerry visits Moscow to hold talks with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, announcing a new push to get Assad's regime and rebels to end their conflict. On May 6 the Dallas Morning News reports that Latino students have surpassed white students in yee-haw Tex. On May 7 hardcore Muslis demolish homes of Ahmadiya Muslims in West java, causing gov. Ahmad Heryawan to utter the soundbyte that the violence would stop if the minority group disappears. On May 7 Syria goes dark on the Internet (until ?). On May 7 the Somalia Conference 2013 in London is hosted by PM David Cameron in an attempt to counter growing Turkish influence in Somalia. On May 8 after 20 intellectuals led by Noam Chomsky send him a letter urging him to boycott Israel, British physicist Stephen Hawking announces that he's cancelling his participation in the annual Israeli Pres. Conference. On May 8 at a conference at Catholic U. of the Sacred Heart celebrating Emperor Constantine's 313 Edict of Milan, Milan archbishop Cardinal Angelo Scola calls for abolition of blasphemy laws worldwide. On May 9 (a.m.) Malcolm Shabazz (b. 1984), grandson of Malcolm X is killed in a bar fight in Mexico City. On May 10 after denying it, the IRS admits that it targeted conservative and Tea Party groups for additional reviews during the 2012 election, causing Pres. Obama on May 13 to call the IRS actions "outrageous" and vow a full investigation; on May 15 he demands and receives the resignation of IRS dir. Steven Miller; too bad, he is replaced by Sarah Hall Ingram, who was in charge of tax-exempt orgs. in 2009 when the targeting of the Tea Party was going on. On May 10 Muslims bomb the St. Joseph Catholic Church in Arusha, Tanzania during its first-ever Mass, killing three and injuring 60+. On May 10 a bombing near a Sunni mosque near Baghdad, Iraq kills three and wounds seven. On May 10 Sudan's High Committee for Mobilization and Alert meets with imams over recent attacks in Kordofan by the rebel Sudan Rev. Front (SRF), asking them to call for jihad. On May 10 ex-Conn. Sen. Joe Lieberman utters the soundbyte that it's not just al-Qaida but "violent Islamic extremism" that drives terrorists like the Tsarnaev brothers. On May 10 a Pew Poll reveals that 79% of Palestinian Arabs view the U.S. unfavorably, vs. 16% of Israelis; 15% believe that the Palestinian Authority has a good relationship with the U.S. govt., vs. 94% of Israelis; 61% of Palestinians believe that there are no prospects for Palestinian statehood, vs. 38% of Israelis; 41% of Palestinians believe that Pres. Obama should have an increased role in the conflict, vs. 49% of Israelis. On May 11 two car bombs in Reyhanli, Turkey near the Syrian border kill 43 and wound 143; Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan blames it on Syrian refugees who "want to agitate sensitivities"; Turkish interior minister Muammer Guler says it was "linked to the Syria regime and intelligence agency"; on Apr. 4, 2014 Turkish ambassador Tacan Ildem admits it was carried out by al-Qaida. On May 11 elections in Pakistan are marred by bombings that kill 16; 40-y.-o. woman Badam Zari beomes the first woman to run for parliament in Pakistan's NW tribal region; Nawaz Sharif, head of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Party is the winner, becoming PM of Pakistan for the 3rd time on ? (until ?), questioning Pakistan's cooperation with the U.S.-led war on Islamic extrmists and critizing the use of drones. On May 11 Coptic social studies teacher Demyana Emad (1989-) is arrested in Luxor, Egypt for insulting Prophet Muhammad in front of her class. On May 11 U.S. Gen. Martin Dempsey fires Lt. Col. Matthew Dooley for teaching a course to soldiers on how to fight Islam and jihad. On May 11 Egypt arrests three militants tied to al-Qaida for planning attacks on Egptian cities and the U.S. embassy in Cairo. On May 11 (night) the roof of a mosque under construction in UAE collapses, killing one and injuring 17. On May 12 (Sun.) a shooting at the New Orleans Mother's Day Parade injures 18 incl. 2 children. On May 12 Israeli jets attack Damascus, pissing-off Russian PM Vladimir Putin, who warns that further attacks won't be tolerated; meanwhile he plans on selling S-300 AA systems and nuclear-capable 9K720 Iskander (SS-26 Stone) surface missiles to Syria, causing Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu tries to reason with him; Israel's attacks on Syria are meant to lure Iran into responding so they can counterattack its nuclear facilities? - Russia is Magog in the Bible? On May 12 a suicide vehicle bomb in Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan kills six and injures 40+, narrowly missing the police chief. On May 12 an explosion at the Taozigou Mine in Luzhou, China kills 27 and injures 16. On May 12 Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield (1959-) records a cover of David Bowie's 1969 "Space Oddity" on the Internat. Space Station, altered so that Major Tom lands safely, becoming the first music video shot in space. On May 13 Pres. Obama holds a joint press conference with British PM David Cameron, calling the Benghazi investigation by the House Oversight Committee a "political circus". On May 13 Iranian pres. Imadinnajacket accompanies his hand-picked successor Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei to register for the June 14 pres. election; a violation of Iranian law, he could face 74 lashes? On May 13 after a gruesome trial that pisses-off abortion foes, Philly abortionist doctor Kermit Gosnell (1940-) is found guilty of 1st degree murder of three later-term babies who were delivered alive before he snipped their necks with scissors, and one female patient that ODed during an abortion operation; he receives three er, life sentences. On May 13 Minn. Somali Muslim Kamal Said Hassan is sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in the Minn. Pipeline that funneled young Minn. Muslims to Somalia to fight in the civil war; Mahamud Said Omar is sentenced to 20 years; seven more are sentenced the same week. On May 13 a car bomb near a hospital in Benghazi, Libya kills 10. On May 13 a Lebanese man is sentenced to 300 lashes and 6 years in priz for helping Saudi woman Maryam the Girl of Khobar convert to Christianity in Saudi Arabia; a Saudi men gets 200 lashes and 2 years for helping her escape to Sweden. On May 13 a roadside bomb in Helman District, Afghanistan kills three Georgian soldiers. On May 13 2nd Lt. Niloofar Rhmani (1991-) becomes the first female pilot in the Afghan Air Force in 30 years. On May 13 a Yemeni Sukhoi SU-22 fighter jet crashes, causing Yemeni Gen. Rashed al-Janad to claim sabotage, pointing to another crash on Feb. 19 in Sana'a that killed 12 incl. the pilot. On May 13 (8 p.m.) French priest Father Gregoire is assaulted and battered by a madass Muslim in Saint-Ruf; on May 14 Monsignor Cattenoz, archbishop of Avignon denounces the attack, saying that "People of the Muslim faith are taking control of the district." On May 13 U.S. diplomat Ryan Christopher Fogle is arrested in Russia and expelled for being a spy; he was trying to recruit an expert on Dagestan because of the Boston Marathon Bombing? On May 14 Muslim Brotherhood leader Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi visits the Gaza Strip with 50 Muslim leaders from 14 countries to express support for Hamas and diss the moderate Fatah faction of Mahmoud Abbas. On May 14 Jerusalem mufti is arrested for throwing chairs at Jews on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, causing the Jordanian parliament on May 15 to demand that King Abdullah expel the Israeli envoy and scrap the peace treaty with Israel. On May 14 a roadside bomb in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan kills three U.S. soldiers. On May 14 an audit by the U.S. govt. finds that Australia ripped-off U.S. contractors for nearly $1B with phony taxes and fees. On May 14 the U.S. stages the first-ever successful carrier drone launch, a bat-winged X-47B stealth drone. On May 14 Fatah and Gaza announce that they've agreed to form a unity govt. within 3 mo., ending their 6-year split. On May 14 the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claims that the death toll in Syria is between 94K and 120K, incl. 41K Alawites. On May 14 Saudi Arabia confirms six new cases of the SARS-like coronavirus in its Eastern Province, adding to 24 cases since last year that killed 15. On May 14 (7:30 p.m.) Boko Haram assassinates Rev. Ayo Oritsajafor, pres. of the Christian Assoc. of Nigeria (CAN). On May 14 the Internat. Energy Agency (IEA) releases its 2013 Medium-Term Oil Market Report (MTOMR), saying that the surge in North Am. oil production is creating a supply shock that will transform the market over the next five years as much as the rise of Chinese demand over the last 15 years. On May 14 the EU begins pushing Swiss banks to end their secrecy to go after tax evaders; ditto Liechtenstein banks. On May 15 after terrorist violence, Nigerian pres. Goodluck Jonathan declares a state of emergency in the N states of Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa; too bad, on May 18 U.S. secy. of state John Kerry butts in, with the soundbyte: "We are... deeply concerned by credible allegations that Nigerian security forces are committing gross human rights violations, which, in turn, only escalate the violence and fuel extremism." On May 15 after mortar shells hit in the area of Mount Hermon, and Arabic newspapers talk about Hezbollah opening a "new front" against them on the Golan Heights, Israel sends an unprecedented warning to the Syrian regime that if it retaliates against any Israeli airstrikes it will bring down his regime. On May 15 British PM Cameron pledges a clampdown on immigration to counter the rise of the right-wing UK Independence Party (UKIP). On May 15 Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan lays the foundation stone for a super-mosque in Lanham, Md., which will be the largest in the W hemisphere. On May 15 (Nakba Day) the Arab Am. Civic Org. raises the Palestinian flag at city hall in Paterson, N.J. to push for Palestinian statehood, starting an annual tradition until ?. On May 16 a suicide car bomber attacks a NATO convoy in Kabul, Afghanistan, killing 15 incl. two U.S. soldiers and four civilian contractors, and wounding dozens. On May 16 former Egyptian finance minister Samir Radwan says that Egypt is "suffering the worst economic crisis since the 1930s." On May 16 the Mexican Superior Court reverses a Nov. 2012 ruling against Yahoo in favor of the Mexican Yellow Pages for $2.75B, reducing it to $172.5K. On May 16 the LulzSec Hackers are sentenced to prison in the U.K. for 24-32 mo. for their 2011 cyber attacks. On May 16 New York police break a $55M cigarette smuggling ring of 15 Palestinians linked to Muslims with ties to Hamas and other Islamic groups. On May 16 topless Femen protesters crash the opening the Barbie Dreamhouse Experience in Berlin, claiming it objectifies women. On May 16 federal authorities in Idaho arrest Uzbekistan national Fazliddin Kurbanov (1982-) for conspiring with a designated terrorist org. in his home country in a scheme to use a WMD. On May 16 a report by the Asian Center for Human Rights claims that India has 3K child soldiers. On May 16 Pres. Obama breaks protocol (and exceeds his authority?) by ordering a U.S. Marine to hold an umbrella over him during a Rose Garden press conference with Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in which they downplay their differences over Syria and announce they want to see Bashar al-Assad pave the way for a political transition. On May 16 U.S. asst. secy. of defense Michael Sheehan tells a Senate hearing that the war against al-Qaida will last "at least 10 or 20 years" more. On May 16 Mexican Gen. Alberto Reyes assumes control over all police and military operations in the chaotic drug-ridden state of Michoacan as part of a new strategy by pres. Enrique Pena. On May 16 Moroccan Muslim Mohamed jarmoune (1990-) is sentenced to 5 years for plotting a terrorist attack on the main Milan synagogue and Jewish school. On May 17 two bombs outside a Sunni mosque in Baquba, Iraq as worshippers leave after Fri. prayers kill 43+; other attacks kill 76+ in the Bagdead area, bringing the 3-day death toll to 130+. On May 17 the U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reports that 1.5M+ have fled Syria and registered with them, incl. 1M since Jan.; meanwhile the German govt. calls for a ban on jihadists returning from Syria for 2 years. On May 17 the Office for Nat. Statistics (ONS) in the U.K. announces that an analysis of the 2011 census which shows that one in 10 people under 25 are Muslim combined with the decline in Christians means that Islam will be the dominant religion in the U.K. in 10 years. On May 17 thanks to Pres. Obama, new Dept. of Homeland Security guidelines bow to Islam, making it official policy to consider specifically Islamic criticism of the U.S. system of govt. legitimate, with the warnings "Don't use training that equates radical thought, religious expression, freedom to protest, or other constitutionally-protected activity, including disliking the U.S. government without being violent", and "Trainers who equate the desire for Sharia law with criminal activity violate basic tenets of the First Amendment"; "Don't use programs that venture too deep into the weeds of religious doctrine and history. While interesting, such details will only be of use to the most specialized law enforcement personnel; these topics are not necessary in order to understand the community"; Pres. Obama has handed the DHS over to the Muslim Brotherhood?; His Majesty's, er, Obama's Justice Dept. is on the verge of ending First Amendment rights by prosecuting all who criticize or show disrespect to Islam, like the Muslim world wants? On May 17 Colo. sheriffs from 54 of 64 counties file a federal lawsuit contesting new gun restrictions by the Obama admin. justified by recent mass shootings. On May 17 a tornado in Tex. 70 mi. W of Dallas kills 6+. On May 17 (night) district police chief Abdul Ghani is killed by two Taliban motorcyclists in Charbagh, W Farah Province, Afghanistan. On May 18 hundreds of Muslims storm the office of Chinese man Lee Ping in Pakistani-administered Kashmir for allegedly desecrating a Quran by throwing it on the ground, causing his arrest. On May 18 lawmakers in Afghanistan block legislation protecting women's rights, citing Islamic Sharia. On May 18 Palestinian pres. Mahmoud Abbas visits Egypt, giving a press conference in Cairo, where he utters the soundbyte that Israel "must choose between building settlements and negotiating peace... Israel can easily leave settlements, as it has in the past. Israel gave up settlements in Sharm el-Sheikh and the Sinai, and removed 20 of them in just 24 hours" - and you Muslims can do ditto? On May 18 a string of attacks in Iraq kill 16; eight policemen guarding a highway between Jordan and Syria are kidnapped. On May 18 U.S. drones launch their first strike in Yemen in a month, killing four militants in a vehicle carrying explosives. On May 18 Raha Muharraq (1987-) becomes the first Saudi woman to summit Mt. Everest. On May 19 the al-Qaida affiliated Al-Nusra Front defaces and virtually obliterates Prophet Abraham's Place historical site in Ayn al-Urous near Ar-Raqqah; on ? they demolished the tomb of Prophet Muhammad's companion Hajar bin Adi, pissing-off Muslims worldwide. On May 19 Kenyan police kill Al-Shabaab "terror" couple" Felix Otuko and his wife after they throw grenades and wound five officers in an overnight standoff. On May 19 the govt.-banned 3rd Ansar Al-Shari'a Conference is held in Al-Qayrawan (Kairouan), Tunisia, with attendance of 40K+, organized by Sami Essid, former head of al-Qaida in Italy. On May 19 Iran hangs alleged spies Mohammad Heidari and Kourosh Ahmadi for allegedly working for the Mossad and CIA, respectively. On May 19 three newspaper employees are stabbed to death Media House in Agartala, India. On May 20 (5:49 a.m. local time) a 6.8 earthquake strikes off the coast of Puerto Quellon, Chile. On May 20 (3:00 p.m.) the EF5 2013 Moore Tornado hits Moore, Okla. with peak winds of 210 mph (340 km/h), killing 24 and injuring 377; on Mar. 25, 2015 the fifth tornado in five years hits Moore. On May 20 the Syrian gov. captures Qusayr from insurgents, opening the route from Damascus to Lebanon. On May 20 Yahoo acquires Tumblr for $1.1B in cash, promising to "not screw it up" like they did with Flickr and Geocities, making 26-y.-o. founder David Karp $250M. On May 20 two Pakistani nationals Sheikh Waseem Ul Haq (1972-) and Tahir Saeed (1961-) are extradited to the U.S. from the U.K. to face charges of illegal pharmaceutical shipments totalling $2M, incl. $780K to U.S. customers. On May 20 a massive 2-mi.-wide EF5 tornado in Oklahoma City, Okla. kills 91 incl. 20+ children. On May 20 Russian police raid a Taliban-trained Muslim terrorist hideout in Orekhovo-Zuyevo, killing two and arresting the third, with one commando wounded. On May 20 Muslim gunmen attack a polio team in Bajur Tribal Area, Pakistan along the Afghan border, killing a policeman escorting health workers. On May 20 leaders of the Mexican Nat. Action Party (PAN) stink themselves up by openly bickering. On May 20 a report by the U.S. State Dept. says that countries around the world have been using laws against blasphemy and apostasy to suppress political opposition, singling out China, Eritrea, Iran, Myanmar (Burma), North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Uzbekistan. On May 20 the CSCOPE curriculum system is ditched by Tex. after complaints that it's anti-Am. and pro-Islam. On May 20 a wave of bombings in Iraq kills 70+ Shiites. On May 20 a double bombing in Makhachkala, Dagestan kills 4 and injures 44. On May 20 the U.S. signs a letter of intent with Jordan pledging $200M to aid Syrian refugees. On May 20 the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee by 13-5 approves the Gang of Eight Immigration Reform Bill S.744 sans gay rights and other side issues; five Repubs. vote against it, three for incl. Lindsey Graham, Orrin Hatch, and Jeff er, Flake. On May 20 radio station technician Mohammad Hassin Hashemi (1982-) is found murdered in Kapisa Valley, Afghanistan 18 days after disappearing. On May 20 a week of Palestinian violence in Judea and Samaria ends with 98 rock attacks and 17 firebombings. On May 20-22 Syrian forces fire on Israeli forces in the Golan Heights, causing Israeli Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz to warn Bashar al-Assad after an Israeli military vehicle is fired upon that Israel won't allow the Golan Heights "to bedome a comfortable sphere for Assad to operate from", and that if the situation worsens, Assad "will have to bear the consequences". On May 20 a gang of Muslims use machetes to attack two men at a barber shop in Accrington, England, seriously injuring them. On May 20-24 (night) after police shoot a man wielding a knife, 200 Muslims riot in Stockholm, Sweden, burning cars and injuring seven police officers. On May 20-28 the 2013 U.N. World Health Org. (WHO) assembly meets in Geneva; on May 22 it passes the resolution "Health Conditions in the Occupied Palestinian Terrority Including East Jerusalem, and in the Occupied Syrian Golan", singling out Israel; meanwhile it ignores the bloody mess in Syria. On May 21 another wave of seven bombings in Iraq kills 12+. On May 21 NATO begins equipment withdrawal from Afghanistan. On May 21 a poll by Fritz Wenzel finds that a majority of Americans want Pres. Obama impeached for the IRS scandal, the Benghazi scandal, and the AP phone record scandal. On May 21 Egyptian troops mistakenly fire on a Bedouin funeral in Sinai, during a search for kidnapped security personnel. On May 21 Saudi Arabia finally allows women to sit in soccer stadiums in special segregated areas; there are still no public physical education or sporting facilities for women. On May 21 the Peace Corps allows gay couples to volunteer together. On May 21 far-right historian Dominique Vesser (b. 1934) commits suicide over same-sex marriage and Islamization; on May 22 FEMEN topless activist Inna Schevchenko is arrested in Notre Dame Cathedral with "May Fascists Rest in Hell" tattooed on her body after the group places a call on its Facebook page to "all European Nazism... to follow the example... and immediately commit suicide of their believes excluding theirselves from the political arena in Europe... Hurry up, there is not so much place left on the sacrificial altar of Notre-Dame de Paris." On May 21 Iranian forces raid the Central Assemblies of God Church in Tehran, arresting Rev. Robert Aserian. On May 22 (a.m.) unarmed Chechen immigrant Ibragim Todashev is brutally shot and killed by the FBI and Mass. state police in Orlando, Fla. after eight hours of questioning about Tamerlan Tsnarnaev; his father Abdulbaki Todashev calls the killing "execution-style", demanding an investigation. On May 22 in a morning Mass, Pope Francis utters the soundbyte that the good deeds of atheists might get them to Heaven. On May 22 (2:20 p.m. local time) the Woolwich Beheadings see two Allah Akbar-shouting British-Nigerian Muslim jihadists Michael Olumide Adebolajo (1984-) (Muslim convert in 2003, who changed his name to Mujaahid) and Michael Adebowale (1990-) run over British soldier (drummer) Lee Rigby (b. 1987) with their car, then hack and behead him with a machete on the streets of Woolwich (SW London), England 200 yards from an army barracks he was heading to, then tell the ITV crew filming them his political reasons for it, with the soundbyte: "We swear by almighty Allah we will never stop fighting you. The only reason we have done this is because Muslims are dying every day. This British soldier is an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth... There are many many ayah throughout the Quran that say we must fight them as they fight us" before being shot by police, causing anti-Islamists protests by the English Defence League (EDL) et al., whose leader Tommy Robinson utters the soundbytes "We're justified in our anger", and "I' don't care if they're offended. I'm offended every day", along with a coverup attempt by the PC media led by PM David Cameron, who calls the attack a "betrayal of Islam" then holds a special meeting of the Cobra security cabinet; deputy PM Nick Clegg utters the soundbyte that the attack "flies in the face of the peace and love that Islam teaches"; London mayor Boris Johnson utters the soundbyte "It is completely wrong to blame this killing on Islam"; ex-PM Tony Blair utters the Tony Blair utters the soundbyte: "There is not a problem with Islam. For those of us who have studied it, there is no doubt about its true and peaceful nature... But there is a problem within Islam, from the adherents of an idology that is a stain within Islam... It is not the province of a few extremists... The world view goes deeper and wider than it is comfortable for us to admit""; scout leader Ingrid Loyau-Kennett (1964-) becomes a hero for talking the jihadists into stopping before police arrive; the jihadists were influenced by British radical cleric Omar Bakri Mohammed?; radical British cleric Anjem Chaudhry utters the soundbyte that most Muslims would agree with the jihadists; on May 24 British authorities arrest two in conjunction with the beheading while tightening security; on May 25 7K EDL members march in Newcastle; in Nov. 2010 Adebolajo was detained in Kenya for trying to join Al-Shabaab in Somalia; on May 26 Cameron goes on vaction in Ibiza with his family, pissing-off many. On May 22 IRS head Lois Lerner testifies before Congress on the IRS scandal targeting conservatives for audits, taking the Fifth Amendment; too bad, she gives an opening statement first, claiming she did no wrong, causing S.C. rep. Trey Gowdy to point out that she has waived her Fifth Amendment privilege. On May 22 U.S. atty. gen. Eric Holder sends a letter to Congress, affirming that U.S. drones have killed four Americans, only one of whom was "specifically targeted". On May 22 Vt. legalizes assisted suicide. On May 22 (night) hordes of termites swarm New Orleans, La. On May 23 Pres. Obama gives a Speech on Counterterrorism, at the Nat. Defense U. in Ft. McNair, acknowledging what Eric Holder claimed on May 22 about Americans killed by U.S. drones, claiming that al-Qaida is nearly defeated since he took office ans is on "a path to defeat", that no "large scale" terrorist attacks have been staged in the U.S. since he took office, and promising to reduce drone strikes in places that are not overt war zones, incl. Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia, raising the standard for foreign targets to the same level used for U.S. citizens, viz., those who pose "a continuing imminent threat to Americans" and can't feasibly be captured; he adds that America isn't at war with Islam, and that Muslims are a fundamental part of the Am. family, with the soundbytes "Force alone cannot make us safe. We cannot use force everywhere that a radical ideology takes root, and in the absence of a strategy that reduces the wellspring of extremism, a perpetual war, through drones or Special Forces or troop deployments will prove self-defeating, and alter our country in troubling ways"; "In fact, the success of American Muslims and our determination to guard against any encroachments of their civil liberties is the ultimate rebuke to those who say that we're at war with Islam"; during his speech he's heckled over Guantanamo Bay prison by Medea Benjamin of Code Pink, saying her voice "is worth listening to" before she's dragged away; on May 26 Repubs. slam obama's revamped counterterrorism plan, with S.C. Sen. Lindsey Graham uttering the soundbyte "At a time when we need resolve the most, we're sounding retreat"; meanwhile a Pentagon official utters the soundbyte that the war against al-Qaida could last up to 20 more years. On May 23 gunmen kill four Iraqi soldiers and wound four in Taji, Iraq 12 mi. N of Baghdad, then kill three more in Karma (near Fallujah). On May 23 a pair of suicide bombers from the al-Qaida-linked Movement for Tawhid and Jihad attacks a military barracks and French-run uranium mine in Arlit, Niger (N of Agadez), killing 19 incl. 18 soldiers. On May 23 the Boy Scouts of Am. opens its ranks to gay Scouts but not scout leaders. On May 23 U.S. secy. of state John Kerry meets with Israeli pres. Shimon Peres Jerusalem; on May 24 he meets with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, telling them to take "hard decisions" to revive the peace process; on May 26 he offers $4B in private investment to build Palestine. On May 23 a court in Ukraine bans Ukraine's first-ever gay pride rally. On May 23 (7:00 p.m.) the I-5 bridge in Mount Vernon, Wash. (60 mi. N of Seattle) collapses. On May 23 white British Muslim convert Ashraf Islam (1982-) is arrested after threatening to kill Prince Harry. On May 24 (2:30 a.m.) a massive train collision in Mo. collapses a highway overpass. On May 24 a 7.4 and 6.3 earthquake strike off the coast of Tonga. On May 24 (a.m.) Pres. Obama forgets to salute a Marine guard en route to the U.S. Naval Academy to give the commencement speech, and returns to do it over and shake his hand. On May 24 the Taliban attacks an Army police and army post in Syed Karam, Paktia, Pakistan; four Taliban fighters are KIA. On May 24 two Pakistani-descent British Muslims threaten to blow up Pakistan Internat. Airlines flight from Lahore to Manchester, England, causing the airliner to be intercepted by two RAF jets and the passengers arrested after landing in Stansted. On May 24 San Antonio, Tex. Muslim Wissam Allouce (b. 1968) is charged with lying on his entry application and trying to coverup his affiliation with Hezbollah when attempting to get a job with the Dept. of Defense. On May 24 the Turkish Parliament passes anti-alcohol legislation to please Islamists. On May 24-30 the rare Dance of the Planets occurs. On May 25 a car bomb on the Balad-Samarra Highway N of Baghdad, Iraq kills five Iranian pilgrims and wounds nine in a bus. On May 25 security officials announce that at least 28 were killed and 250 wounded in Sunni-Alawite clashes in Tripoli, Lebanon during the past week. On May 25 explosives being transported by Taliban militants prematurely denotate in front of a mosque in Kabul, Afghanistan, killing 12. On May 25 a gas cylinder explodes on a school bus in Gujrat, India, killing 16+ children. On May 25 female suicide bomber Madina Alieva (b. 1987), wife of two dead Islamists detonates in Makhachkala, Dagestan, injuring 18 incl. two children and five police officers. On May 25 2M worldwide march in protest of Monsanto Corp. for its production of genetically-modified organisms (GMO). On May 25 the Taliban stages an attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, killing one policeman and losing five of their own. On May 25 a mother flushes her newborn baby ("Baby 59") down a squat toilet in Pujiang County, Zhejiang Province, China, and is rescued by the authorities; on May 30 the boy is released into the custody of his maternal grandparents; the mother is not charged. On May 25 (6 p.m.) French soldier Cedric Cordiez on "anti-terrorist duties" in La Defence, Paris is stabbed in the throat by a North African Muslim wearing a hijab; after capture, he admits that he did it "on religious grounds". On May 25 Afghan authorities intercept an explosive-ladedn tractor in Daman District of Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. On May 25 Iran tells the U.S. that it has no need for U.S. bases in Afghanistan after 2014 despite Pres. Hamid Karzai stating on May 9 that it wants nine bases. On May 25 Hezbollah secy.-gen. Hassan Nasrallah admits that Hezbollah is fighting to support Bashar al-Assad's regime, causing Sunnis to begin calling for jihad against Hezbollah and Shiites. On May 26 clashes between Syrian rebels and Kurds in Ras el-Ein, Syria near the Turkish border kill 11. On May 26 two rockets hit the Hizbollah stronghold in Chiyah in S Beirut, wounding four Syrian workers; the Free Syrian Army denies responsibility, but one officer calls it a warning. On May 26 Columbia and FARC reach their first agreement on rural land reform, leaving five points on the agenda. On May 26 12 young people are kidnapped in broad daylight in the upscale Heaven Bar in Mexico City; their bodies are found in Aug. in a mass grave in a rural area; on Sept. 25 four police officers are arrested. On May 26-27 clashes between the Philippine army and Islamic Abu Sayyaf rebels in Mindanao kill 20 soldiers and seven militants in Sulu Province. On May 27 Myanmar (Burma) pres. Thein Sein becomes the first to visit the White House since 1966; meanwhile after Buddhist attacks on Muslims, Burma's Buddhist govt. limits Muslim immigrants to limit themselves to two children. On May 27 after a 9-day offensive (begun May 19), Syrian troops gain ground in Qusair; a Syrian TV journalist is killed covering the fighting; meanwhile Turkish deputy PM Beikir Bozdag utters the soundbyte that Hezbollah ("Party of Allah") should change its name to Party of Satan after killing thousands of Syrian civilians. On May 27 a report by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) claims that one-fifth of U.S. kids have mental disorders, costing $247B a year. On May 27 the Iranian govt. closes a Central Assemblies of God Church in Tehran and imprisons the pastor. On May 27 inspired by the Woolwich Beheaders, three Muslim inmates at Full Sutton Prison in East Yorkshire, England led by al-Qaida lifer Parviz Khan kidnap and stab the warden in a 4-hour standoff with guards after the warden calls on inmates to pray to Allah, er, God for Lee Rigby. On May 27 (night) a green-on-green attack Kandahar, Afgahnistan kills seven sleeping Afghan policemen. On May 27 (night) Palestinian pres. Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli pres. Shimon Peres meet at the World Economic Forum in Jordan. On May 28 Nigerian pres. Mahamadou Issoufou utters the soundbyte that the Islamists who staged the twin attacks in Niger the week before are also planning assaults in Chad. On May 28 the World Health Org. suspends its polio eradication campaign in Peshawar, Pakistan after two workers are shot by the Taliban. On May 28 Alexander Michael Herrera (1989-) is arrested after he tries to open the door during an Alaska Airlines flight from Anchorage to Portland. On May 28 after a reports that a Muslim had set fire to a Buddhist woman, hundreds of enraged Buddhists burn a Muslim mosque and orphanage in Lashio, Myanmar (Burma). On May 28 6-7 Somali Muslim men randomly attack two joggers in Minneapolis, Minn.. On May 28 Ethiopia announces a planned diversion of the Blue Nile to facilitate the new Renaissance Dam, causing Egyptian pres. Muhammad Morsi on May 28 to announce that Egypt won't allow their share of the Nile to be diminished by "one drop". On May 28 Vatican spokesman Monsieur Silvano Maria Tomassi tells the U.N. Human Rights Council that 100K Christians are killed each year because of their faith. On May 29 the U.S. launches its first drone strike in Pakistan in six weeks, killing Waliur Rehman, #2 cmdr. of the Pakistani Taliban, who has a $5M bounty on his head by the U.S. On May 29 (3:00 a.m.) a Taliban suicide assault penetrates the governor's compound in Bazarak, Panjshir Province, Afghanistan, killing one policeman before being wiped out. On May 29 (5:30 p.m.) a suicide at a Red Cross office in Jalalabad, Afghanistan kills the guard; the Taliban denies responsibility. On May 29 Shanghui Internat. Holdings Ltd. buys Smithfield Foods Inc. for $4.72B, becoming the largest Chinese takeover of a U.S. co. On May 29 Vincent Aubin and Bruno Boileau take part in the first same-sex wedding ceremony in France in Montpellier amid massive protests, making France country #14 to permit same-sex marriage. On May 29 the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France rejects the appeals of three British Christians who claimed workplace discrimination. On May 29 three Femen activists are arrested in Tunisia after staging the first topless demonstration in an Islamic state. On May 29 Wal-Mart agrees to pay a $81.6M fine for "environmental crimes" incl. improper disposal of hazardous waste and pesticides. On May 29 the U.S.-based Uighur Human Rights Project pub. a study that claims that China has imposed a "bewildering" array of regulations on the practice of Islam by its minority Uighur pop. On May 30 a bomb in Bahrain injures seven policemen, causing 10 suspects to be arrested. On May 30 Saudi Arabia decides to confiscate all 'V for Vendetta' masks in the country. On May 30 Lebanese-Am. Muslim Sami Samir Hassoun is sentenced in Chicago, Ill. to 23 years in prison for attempting to blow up the Chicago Cubs baseball stadium. On May 30 after an internat. outcry, Iran amends its stoning law for convicted adulterers to permit judges to impose other forms of execution; the way the law worked was that women are buried up to their shoulders, but men only up to their waists, and if you can free yourself before dying, you are spared; meanwhile on May 31 the Pakistan Council of Islamic Ideology rules that DNA tests are not acceptable as evidence in rape cases because they're not mentioned in the Quran, which requires four male witnesses (24:13). On May 30 Indonesian pres. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is awarded the World Statesman Award by the New York City-based Appeal of Conscience Foundation, causing protests. On May 30 Turkish authorities confiscate 2kg of sarin gas from safe houses in Adana in S Turkey 150 km from Syria. On May 30-? the Powerhouse Fire in Angeles Nat. Forest N of Santa Clarita, Calif. On May 31 Syrian Nat. Coalition pres. George Sabra utters the soundbyte that they will not take part in proposed internat. peace talks in Geneva until Hezbollah forces withdraw from the conflict. On May 31 Nigerian Christian militant group MEND begins counterattacks against Muslims to protect Christians in S Nigeria. On May 31 1.7-mi.-long Asteroid 1998 QE2 flies by the Earth; it has its own moon. On May 31-June ? anti-Islamist protests in Taksim Square in Istanbul, Turkey against plans to Islamize Gezi Park by rebuilding an Ottoman military barracks used in 1909 by Sultan Abdul Hamid II to stop liberal reforms escalate into protests against the oppression of the Erdogan govt. and in favor of a return to the reforms of Kemal Ataturk, spreading to Ankara, causing talk of a Turkish Summer; on June 11 (a.m.) riot police invade and disperse the protesters; on June 18 labor unions join with a 1-day strike. On May 31 the 50-delegate Pakistan Christian Congress (PCC) meets in Lahore, vowing to end reserved seats for minorities in parliament and fight for equal rights for Christians. On May 31 another tornado in Oklahoma City, Okla. kills five and injures 50, littering I-40 with wrecked cars. On May 31 after finding that Monsanto GMO wheat has gotten loose and spread to non-GMO fields in Ore., Japan cancels a large contract to purchase U.S. wheat. On May 31 Manssor (Mansour) Arbabsiar (1954-) is sentenced in New York City to 25 years in prison for a plot to murder the Saudi ambassador to the U.S. On May 31 R. Guy Erwin becomes the first gay priest in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Am., becoming the 2nd denomination after the Episcopal Church. In May the Russian Pacific Fleet enters the Mediterranean for the first time in decades, forming a permanent task force. In May Chinese PM Li Keqiang gives a speech announcing that the govt. is going to allow private businesses and market forces to play a larger role in the economy to improve living conditions for the middle class and increase global competitiveness. In May Bradford County Courthouse in Fla. signs an agreement with Am. Atheists to allow them to place their Atheist Ten Commandments next to the Biblical one. In May al-Qaids sets up a complaint dept. in Raqqa, N Syria. In May Pakistan-born students Rehana Kausar (1978-) and Sobia Kamar (1983-) become the first Muslim lesbians to wed in the U.K. In May Am. rocker Tom Petty calls contemporary country music "bad rock with a fiddle". On June 1 U.S. drones in Yemen kill eight AQAP militants in their frist strike in 12 days. On June 1 British-educated al-Najah U. dean Ram Hamdullah becomes Palestinian Authority PM (until ?). On June 1 the govt. of Iraq announces the breakup of an al-Qaida chemical weapons cell. On June 2 a new Pakistan Nat. Assembly is sworn in, becoming the first transition of power between democratically-elected civilian govts. in the nation's 66-year history. On June 2 the Egyptian supreme court rules that the Maglis al-Shura election law and other laws governing the election of the Islamist-dominated Senate (Shura Council) and constitution panel are illegal and have no legal authority, and that a new parliament must be elected. On June 2 the Gulf Cooperation Council unanimously declares Hezbollah a terrorist org. On June 2 an appeals court in Hamm, Germany rules that anybody who marries according to Muslim Sharia in a Muslim country and seeks a divorce in Germany must abide by the original terms. On June 2 (night) Hezbollah ambushes Syrian rebels in Ain el-Jawzeh 3km E of Baalbeck, killing 12. On June 3 Iran cuts off aid to Hamas for renouncing Bashar al-Aassad. On June 3 a suicide bomber at a boys' h.s. in Paktia Province, Afghanistan kills 10 Afghan students, two U.S. soldiers, and a policeman. On June 3 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 5-4 in Md. v. King that police can take DNA from arrestees without a warrant, with Anthony Kennedy calling it "a legitimate police booking procedure"; Antonin Scalia sides with the women (Ginsburg, Sotomayor, Kagan) in dissenting. On June 3 AQAP cmdr. Qasim al-Rimi releases an audio "Message to the American Nation", blaming the people as well as the govt., and promising mass casualties until the U.S. stops "attacking and oppressing" Muslim countries. On June 4 the Obama admin. imposes new sanctions on Iran, targeting its currency and auto industry. On June 4 the EU in Brussels balks at request by the U.K., U.S., and Israel to blacklist Hezbollah, with several govts. claiming that it would increase instability in the Middle East, and/or that its terrorist side hasn't been proven. On June 4 heavy rains in C Europe cause flooding in Prague, Czech., Passau, Germany and other cities, forcing thousands to evacuate, and killing 10. On June 4 a large U.S. military force disembarks at Aqaba, Jordan to be deployed on the Syrian border. On June 4 Obama sock puppet U.S. atty. William C. "Bill" Killian of Tenn. holds a public meeting in Manchester, Tenn. to a packed house and hostile crowd of 2K, giving a speech titled "Public Disclosure in a Diverse Society" threatening federal prosecution to anybody threatening Muslims, coming close to adding mere criticism or insulting of Islam a la Sharia, with the soundbytes "Some inflammatory material on Islam might run afoul of federal civil rights laws", and "We need to educate people about Muslims and their civil rights, and as long as we're here, they're going to be protected"; he makes the crowd listen to local Muslims lecturing down to them; activist Pamela Geller leads a protest against the event. On June 5 the strategic border town of Qusayr is captured by Bashar al-Assad's forces allied with Hezbollah, ramping up Sunni calls for jihad against Hezbollah and all Shiites; on June 6 al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri calls for the overthrow of the Assad regime, followed by jihad against Israel "to liberate Palestine in order to set up an Islamic state, even if the West hates that and calls it terrorism and extremism." On June 5 Ft. Hood jihadist Maj. Nidal Hasan (1970-) appears in court as his own lawyer, uttering the soundbyte that he did it to protect "the leadership of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the Taliban", exposing the Obama admin., which refused to charge him with terrorism and treason, allowing him to boast about it in court with impunity; on Aug. 6 his court-martial begins; on Aug. 28 after being convicted of 13 counts of premeditated and 32 counts of attempted murder, a panel unanimously recommends the death sentence; on Sept. 4 after he is forced to shave his Islamic beard upon arrival at Ft. Leavenworth, Kan., his lawyer threatens a lawsuit. On June 5 radical Hindus beat 20 Christian pastors in Andhra Pradesh, India, accusing them of forceful conversion of Hindus to Christianity. On June 6 the U.S. House of Reps votes along party lines 224-201 to reject Pres. Obama's policy of ending deportation of immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children. On June 6 a Taliban suicide attack in Helmand Province, Afghanistan kills six Georgian soldiers, causing Georgia to close three bases in Helmand Province. On June 6 Syrian troops recapture the crossing between Syria and the Golan Heights; meanwhile Israeli forces are put on alert on the Syrian border. On June 6 the Washington Post reports that the U.S. govt. has been running the secret Project Prism that mines data directly from Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Apple, and other servers. On June 6 Austria announces that it's pulling its U.N. peacekeeper force out of the Golan Heights after battles there between Syrian forces and rebels; on June 7 the U.N. rejects an offer from Russia to replace its Golan peacekeepers - not Gog and Magog Time? On June 6 Russian police arrest Yulay Davlatbayev in Moscow, alleging that his Islamist cell is planning a series of attacks. On June 7 Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan returns from the U.S., and is greeted by 10K supporters at the airport in Istanbul, telling them that the protests must end. On June 7 U.S. drones kill six in N Waziristan. On June 7 ?, dressed in black with a vest and carrying an AR-15 shoots and kills seven and injures two near Santa Monica College minutes after Pres. Obama's motorcade passes by, and is later hunted down and killed by police. On June 7 an Iraqi Sunni bomber rams his car into a bus carrying Iranian Shiite pilgrims in Baghdad, Iraq, killing 9+. On June 7 six men in burkas armed with axes rob Selfridges Dept. Store in London. On June 7 a Muslim mob attacks the Roman Catholic Jisu Niloy Seminary in Bolakipur, India, beating the rector and some students. On June 7 Taliban cmdr. Bahadar (Mutaqi) Khan is killed in Shawal, North Waziristan as he is preparing to lead his fighters into Afghanistan. On June 7 the gov. of N.H. signs a bill granting 14 slaves who petitioned the N.H. legislature for it back on Nov. 12, 1779 their freedom. On June 7-8 Pres. Obama and new Chinese Pres. Xi Jingping have a summit at Sunnylands Retreat in Palm Springs, Calif.; Obama urges Jingping to cooperate on cybersecurity. On June 8 British PM David Cameron et al sign the Global Nutrition for Growth Compact, pledging $4.15B by 2020 to fight malnutrition. On June 8 Afghan soldiers fire on U.S. troops in E Afghanistan, killing two plus a civilian, and wounding three; meanwhile an Afghan policeman kills seven colleagues at a checkpoint in Helmand Province. On June 8 Boko Haram jihadists in Maiduguri, Nigeri pull their assault rifles from a coffin and kill 13 before being killed by security forces, who kill another eight. On June 9 the 2013 IRS Scandal begins when U.S. Rep. (D-Md.) Elijah Cummings releases portions of an IRS interview transcript that House Oversight and Govt. Reform Committee chmn. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) previously refused to release, revealing abuses of the Be on the Look Out List (established Aug. 2010) targeting conservative and Tea Party groups for audits, causing an attempt to link it to Pres. Obama; on Sept. 23 after refusing to testify before Congress, IRS exempt orgs. div. head Lois Lerner retires after an internal investigation finds her guilty of neglect of duties. On June 9 a pro-Hezbollah rally in Martyr Square in Beirut, Lebanon is attacked by anti-Hezbollah protesters, injuring 11. On June 9 a Taliban attack on the Kabul Airport in Afghanistan sees seven gunmen killed. On June 9 Booz Allen employee (ex-CIA/NSA worker) Edward Joseph Snowden (1983-) goes public as the source of numerous leaks about the top secret NSA PRISM surveillance program (established 2007) and how it records U.S. telephone metadata and Internet clicks en masse, taking his chances with prosecutors, er, fleeing to Red China, er, Ecuador via Russia, causing a mixup about whether he is a hero or traitor; "I can't in good conscience allow the US government to destroy privacy, internet freedom and basic liberties for people around the world with this massive surveillance machine they're secretly building." On June 9 (7 p.m.) (Sun.) a Muslim on a motorcycle throws a bomb into the Earthquake Miracle Church in Mombasa, Kenya, injuring 15. On June 9 15-y.-o. Mohammad Qataa (1998-) is executed in front of his parents by Nusra Front Islamists in Amman, Syria for cursing Muhammad. On June 10 the flooding Elbe River breaches a levee and surges into E Germany. On June 10 a wave of car bombings in Iraq kill 57+. On June 10 two boys in Afghanistan are beheaded by the Taliban for trading food with police. On June 10 the U.S. Senate by 66-27 passes a $500B 5-year farm bill that sets aside $76B a year for food stamps. On June 10 Taliban suicide bombers in Kabul and Qalat kills five Taliban members in Kabul, and another in Qalat, along with wounding 15 civilians and three policemen. On June 10 Pres. Obama names Daniel Baer as U.S. ambassador to the Org. for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna, becoming the first open homosexual U.S. ambassador to a multilaterial inst.; he follows by naming four more openly homosexual foreign ambassadors within a week, making eight. On June 10 a report by the Special Inspector Gen. for Afghan Reconstruction (SIGAR) claims that the U.S. has given the Afghan army over $1B in ammunition, plus $288M to the Afghan police. On June 11 the Obama admin. drops its opposition to over-the-counter sales of the morning-after pill sans age restrictions. On June 11 two suicide bombers in Al-Marjeh Square in Damascus, Syria kill 14 and injure 31. On June 11 a Taliban suicide bomber in the Afghan Supreme Court in Kabul kills 14-16 civilians. On June 11 nearly 15M in Egypt sign an Anti-Morsi Petition to hold early pres. elections to oust him. On June 11 Mahmoud Abdel Gawad, an envoy from Al-Azhar U. in Egypt calls on Pope Francis I to declare Islam a "peaceful religion" as a requirement for restoring interfaith ties; too bad, he adds that he "will not take part in any meeting with Israelis". On June 11 Hamas forces arrest a Salafi preacher in Tel al Hawa, Gaza City, the first since early May. On June 11 U.S. Rep. (R-Kan.) Mike Pompeo tells the U.S. House that Muslim leaders in the U.S. are "potentially complicit" in terrorist acts if they fail to speak out against them. On June 11 by 436-0 Russia passes a law banning "propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations" among minors, incl. any that tries to equate straight and gay relationships, along with material on gay rights. On June 11-20 the Black Forest Fire in Colo. burns 14,280 acres, destroys 511 homes and kills two, causing 38K to be evacuated from 13K homes, becoming the most destructive fire in Colo. history (until ?). On June 12 the Obama admin. "strongly objects" to a proposed amendment to the Nat. Defense Authorization Act sponsored by La. Repub. Rep. John Fleming that protects Christians from being punished for keeping a Bible on their desks or objecting to homosexuality; earlier officials at Ft. Campbell sent out an email instructing officers to treat the "religious right in America" as a "domestic hate group" a la the KKK for opposition to homosexuality. On June 12 the U.S. and Colombia meet in the Pentagon to discuss an Action Plan on Racial and ethnic Equality. On June 13 the U.N. reports the death toll in Syria since 2011 as almost 93K; meanwhile anon. Obama admin. officials announce that it has concluded that Bashar al-Assad's regime crossed the red line and used chemical weapons against the rebels, and finally authorizes military support for the rebels despite al-Qaida connections; meanwhile on June 14 Syria denies it used chemical weapons, calling it a frame-up, and Russian foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov says the info. provided by U.S. officials "didn't look convincing"; on June 11 ex-pres. Bill Clinton disses Obama for inaction, saying that if he refuses to act, he will look "like a total fool"; meanwhile anybody questioning why the U.S. should arm rebels who are mainly pro-al-Qaida and/or Muslim Brotherhood is blacked-out. On June 13 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court unanimously rules in Assoc. for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics Inc. that human genes cannot be patented, but permits patenting of synthetic DNA; meanwhile it fails to announce rulings on affirmative action, voting rights, and gay marriage. On June 13 the Inst. for Economics and Peace (IEP) reports that global peace has declined 5% since 2008, and the least peaceful country on Earth in 2012 was Afghanistan. On June 13 the U.S. Census Bureau reports that for the year ending last July 1 the number of deaths of non-Hispanic white Americans exceeded births for the first time in a cent., indicating that the total number will begin declining by the end of the decade, and they will become a nat. minority within three decades; meanwhile 188K immigrate from abroad. On June 13 U.S. Sen. (R-Ky.) Rand Paul utters the soundbyte: "There is a war on Christianity. Not just from liberal elites here at home, but worldwide. And your government, or more correctly, you, the taxpayer, are funding it. You are being taxed to send money to countries that are not only intolerant of Christians, but openly hostile. Christians are imprisoned and threatened with death for their beliefs." On June 13 (3:00 p.m.) Qari Mohammad Halim, the Taliban shadow district gov. of Dasht-e-Archi District in Kunduz Province, Afghanistan is killed by Afghan security forces. On June 13 Pres. Obama's Nat. Security Council meets with Sheikh Abdallah Bin Bayyah (1935-) in the White House to discuss countering the legitimacy of al-Qaida and/or the arming of Syrian rebels; too bad, Big Bad Bayyah is a Muslim Brotherhood member affiliated with the Internat. Union of Muslim Scholars of Yusuf al-Qaradawi, who issued a fatwa in 2004 calling on Muslims to "resist" U.S. soldiers in Iraq. On June 14 the 2013 Iranian pres. election sees 686 candidates apply and only eight allowed to run, of whom two drop out in the last days; Iranian supreme leader Assahollah Ali Khamenei utters the soundbyte: "Recently I have heard that a U.S. security official has said they do not accept his election. Okay, the hell with you"; he also utters the soundbyte: "The U.S. president is being elected from only two parties while Zionist regime is controlling everything behind the scenes. In Iran, there have been many presidents being elected in a pure democratic process from ordinary people even without any affiliation to a party"; on June 15 moderate cleric Hassan Rouhani (1948-) (former head of the nuclear negotiating team) wins with 19M of 37M votes (50.7%), defeating nat. security adviser Saeed Jalili and Tehran mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf; Rouhani was involved in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires? On June 14 a military judge orders the first closed session of Pres. Obama's secret war court, involving a pre-trial hearing over the USS Cole bombing. On June 14 a Tunisian court sentences rap artist Alaa Yacoub (1989-) to two years in jail for calling police "dogs" in a song. On June 14 the Norwegian parliament votes to conscript women into the armed forces, becoming the first Euro and first NATO country with compulsory military service for both genders. On June 14 the Ecuadorian nat. assembly passes the Ecuadorian Communications Law, clamping down on free speech. On June 15 Lashkar-e-Jhangvi stages a suicide assault on female univ. students in Quetta, Pakistan, killing 14 on a bus and 11 at a hospital. On June 15 dozens of rockets are fired at Camp Liberty for Iranian dissidents near Baghdad Airport, killing two and injuring three dozen, drawing condemnation from the U.N. and the Obama admin. On June 15 hottest team in paradise, Saudi women's rights activists Wajeha Al-Huweidar and Fawzia Al-'Uyouni were convicted of trumped-up charges and sentenced to 10 mi. in prison, followed by a 2-year ban on leaving the real prison, Saudi Arabia. On June 15 Egyptian pres. Mohammad Morsi attends a rally in Syria packed with hardcore Islamists that calls for jihad against the "infidels" (incl. non-Islamist Muslims and Shiites) in Syria, becoming the tipping point turning the army against him? On June 15 spoiled rich drunk teenie Ethan Anthony Couch (1997-) plows his car into a group of people standing in the street, killing four and injuring nine; in Dec. after his attys. raise the "Affluenza Defense", Judge Jean Hudson Boyd gives him 10 years probation plus therapy, starting a firestorm of controversy; too bad, in Dec. 2015 he skips to Mexico, and is arrested on Dec. 28 in Puerto Vallarta with his rich mother, who are both extradited back to the U.S. On June 16 Egyptian pres. Mohammad Morsi appoints Adel el-Khayyat, a co-founder of Gamaa Islamiya, which claimed responsibility for the 1997 Luxor Massacre as gov. of Luxor, pissing-off the tourist industry. On June 16 (night) a huge explosion rocks the Damascus Airport in Syria; rebel fighters blame Israel. On June 17 the G8 Summit in Belfast, Northern Ireland focuses on Syria, with Pres. Obama and Russian PM Vladimir Putin backing opposite sides, and Putin getting in a soundbyte about how Western govts. can back cannibals. On June 17 Salafi preacher Abu Islam is sentenced to 11 years in jail in Egypt for burning a Bible, insulting Christianity, and threatening public security. On June 17 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 5-4 in Salinas v. Tex. that prosecutors can use a person's silence in court against them if it comes before he's read his Miranda rights; Justice Alito was the force behind this insane travesty? On June 17 the Obama admin. announces the selection of defected Syrian gen. Salim Idriss as the sole conduit of U.S., Saudi, and Qatar military assistance to rebels. On June 17 a CNN/ORC Poll shows Pres. Obama's approval dropping 8 pts. to 45%, and his disapproval rating climbing to 54%, with only 49% believing he's honest, the first time he rates below 50%. On June 18 NATO formally hands over command of security to Afghan forces; a suicide bomber attempts to kill Afghan Hazara politician Ustad Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq in W Kabul just before the ceremony (his 4th assassination attempt), killing three and injuring 20 incl. four guards; about 100K troops incl. 68K from the U.S. are set to withdraw by Dec. 31; on June 19 after the U.S. announces that it will meet with the Taliban, Afghan PM Hamid Karzai suspends security talks with the U.S. when the Taliban office in Qatar refused to drop the title "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan". On June 18 Boko Haram militants fire on Ansarudeen School in Maiduguri, Nigeria, killing nine students, the 2nd school attack in three days. On June 18 AP obtains details of the Pentagon's plans for training women for elite combat roles, incl. Army Ranger training by 2015, and Navy SEAL training in 2016. On June 18 clashes between armed supporters of Salafi Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir and members of the Sous family in Abra (near Sidon), Lebanon kill one and injure four. On June 18 the U.S. deploys 1.5K Marines to Al-Anad military base in Yemen. On June 18 300 Western converts to Islam incl. 6-7 Italians fighting to overthrow Bashar al-Assad are captured in Syria. On June 18 (night) a rocket attack on Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan kills four NATO coalition service members. On June 18 the Russian Duma votes overwhelmingly to ban gay adoption for couples abroad, and for singles living in countries where same-sex marriage is legal. On June 19 Al-Shabaab militants attack a U.N. base in Mogadishu, Somalia, killing 15. On June 19 Pres. Obama visits Berlin, speaking at the Brandenburg Gate and meeting with German chancellor Angela Merkel. On June 19 a rare total solar eclipse of Jupiter. On June 19 FBI dir. Robert Mueller testifies beore the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, saying that al-Qaida is a "terrorist threat" to the U.S. On June 19 several political parties in Tunisia sign a nat. charter against terrorism. On June 19-July 12 the 2013 Alberta Floods in S and C Alberta, Canada displaces 100K, kills five, and causes $5B damage, becoming the worst flood in Alberta history (until ?), and the costliest disaster in Canadian historyy until the 2016 Fort McMurray Wildfire. On June 20 after massive demonstrations, officials in Brazil reverse a 10-cent transit fare hike, only to face a 1M-person protest on June 21 in scores of cities, with some military police officers joining protesters in Sao Paulo. On June 20 Del. gov. Jack Markell signs the Gender Identity Nondiscrimination Act, giving equal protection to transgender people. On June 20 the U.S. House of Reps votes 225-200 to legalize the farming of industrial hemp. On June 20 six Muslim siblings assault and attempt to kidnap white lesbian Sarah Harrison (1977-), who is in a relationship with their sister Nazma Ditta (1984-) as she leaves her workplace in Blackburn, Lancashire, England; in Jan. 2014 they are sentenced to 3-6 years in prison. On June 21 Spanish authorities arrest a ring of eight suspected al-Qaida members in Ceuta, Spain, who are training jihadist fighters for Syria. On June 21 a suicide attack inside a Shiite mosque in Peshawar, Pakistan kills 15+. On June 21 tens of thousands of pro-Morsi Islamists demonstrate in Cairo, Egypt ahead of anti-Morsi protests. On June 22 French journalists Pierre Torres and Nicolas Henin are kidnapped in Syria, making four. On June 23 Islamic Jundullah jihadists kill 10 incl. nine foreign tourists at a hotel in a base camp in Kashmir near Mt. Nanga Parbat in Gilgit-Baltistan. On June 23 police remove a flagpole from the Taliban office in Qatar. On June 23 Syrian Ahrar al-Sham Brigade rebels renew the fight for Aleppo, detonating a car bomb that kills 12 soldiers; meanwhile Syrian hermit priest Francois Murad (b. 1964) is beheaded by Syrian rebels. On June 23 a mob of Takfiri Sunni extremists in Abu Mussalam, Egypt near Cairo kills Shiite Sheikh Hassan Shehata and four followers. On June 23 a Sudanese Muslim stabs six people with a large knife in Tel Aviv, Israel. On June 23 Egyptian army chief Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi warns that the army will "not watch the country descend into uncontrollable conflict" or allow "an attack on the will of the people". On June 23 Iraq passes the Provincial Powers Law to encourage decentralization. On June 23 Syrian clergyman Father Francois Mourad is killed in the Christian village of Jisr al-Shughur in Ildib Province. On June 24 Qatar emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani announces that he's transfering power to his son Crown Prince Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani. On June 24 bombs in and around Baghdad, Iraq kill 42+. On June 24 U.S. secy. of John Kerry warns Russia that it's "on notice" regarding accused traitor-spy Edward Snowden, demanding that they quit harboring him. On June 24 the Am. Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) releases a policy statement recommending pediatricians to create offices that are "teen-friendly and welcoming to all adolescents, regardless of sexual orientation or behavior", and to do more to fight "heterosexism" and "homophobia". On June 24 Pope Francis tells the Internat. Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations (IJCIC): "Because of our common roots, a true Christian cannot be anti-Semitic." On June 25 (a.m.) the Taliban stages a suicide attack near the pres. palace in Kabul, Afghanistan as talks with the U.S. get more iffy. On June 25 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 5-4 in Shelby County v. Holder to strike down Section 4 of the 1965 U.S. Voting Act, designating "covered jurisdictions" of the U.S. that must have changes to their voting laws cleared by the federal govt., because the "pervasive... flagrant... widespread... rampant" discrimination in 1965 is kaput, and "today's statistics tell an entirely different story"; the real statistics prove otherwise? On June 25 Pres. Obama gives a Speech on Climate Change, announcing an extensive plan to prepare for global warming and tackle pollution, incl. the first-ever federal regs. on heat-trapping gases from power plants "to put an end to the limitless dumping of carbon pollution", and dissing climate change deniers with the soundbyte "We don't have time for a meeting of the flat-earth society"; he announces that he's instructing the State Dept. to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline only if it won't increase greenhouse gas emissions. On June 25 French police arrest six suspected radical Islamists in Paris. On June 25 FEMEN topless protesters jump on the car of Tunisian PM Ali Laryedh in Brussels, Belgium; meanwhile the European Commission urges Tunisia to reform criminal laws from its prior authoritarian regime. A new meaning for "to have and to hold" in America? On June 26 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 5-4 in U.S. v. Windsor to strike down the 1996 U.S. Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) for violating the Fifth Amendment by depriving people of equal liberty, meaning that legally married (in their state) gay married couples can't be treated differently than legally married straight couples by the federal govt.; John Roberts, Antonin Scalia, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Bryer, and Elena Kagan are opposed by Anthony Kennedy, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Sonia Sotomayor; John Roberts writes for the majority that the private proponents of Calif. Proposition 8 don't have standing to defend the measure in federal courts, but that same-sex couples are entitled to federal benefits; Anthony Kennedy writes the soundbyte that DOMA "violates basic due process and equal protection principles applicable to the federal government", and calls it "an intrusion on states' traditional role defining marriage", adding "DOMA undermines both the public and private significance of state-sanctioned same-sex marriages, for it tells those couples, and all the world, that their otherwise valid marriages are unworthy of federal recognition"; Pres. Obama calls DOMA "discrimination enshrined in law", uttering the soundbyte: "It treated loving, committed gay and lesbian couples as a separate and lesser class of people. The Supreme Court has righted that wrong, and our country is better off for it. We are a people who declared that we are all created equal, and the love we commit to one another must be equal as well"; Obama announces that he has directed his admin. to "review all relevant federal statutes to ensure this decision, including its implications for federal benefits and obligations, is implemented swiftly and smoothly", adding "The laws of our land are catching up to the fundamental truth that millions of Americans hold in our hearts: when all Americans are treated as equal, no matter who they are or whom they love, we are all more free"; he calls the plaintiffs in the Calif. Proposition 8 case from Air Force One en route to Senegal to congratulate them, with the soundbyte: "It's because of your leadership things are heading the right way." On June 26 Iran burns 100 tons of drugs, complaining of lack of Western cooperation in drug enforcement efforts. On June 26 the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights announces that 100K+ have been killed in Syria since the start of the uprising in Mar. 2011. On June 27 former PM (2007-10) Kevin Michael Rudd (1957-) becomes PM of Australia (until ?). On June 27 Pres. Obama visits Senegal. On June 27 the U.N. Security Council extends the peacekeeping force in the Golan Heights for 6 mo., requesting secy.-gen. Ban Ki-moon to ensure that it has the ability to fulfill its mandate. On June 27 the U.S. Senate by a 68-32 desk vote (incl. all 54 Dems. and 14 Repubs.) passes the 1.2K-page omnibus U.S. Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013 (S.744), pushed by Nev. Dem. Sen. Harry Reid, passing it to the Repub.-controlled House, with Ariz. Repub. Sen. John McCain uttering the soundbyte: "Shouldn't we give them the same chance that we've given wave after wave of immigrants?"; meanwhile House Speaker John A. Boehner utters the soundbyte that the bill is "dead on arrival", adding "The House is not going to take up and vote on whatever the Senate passes", calling it too weak on border security, pointing to the failure of the 1986 Reagan amnesty, even though McCain said on June 25 that the Senate bill's Corker-Hoeven Amendment would transform the U.S.-Mexico border into "the most militarized border since the fall of the Berlin Wall". On June 27 New England Patriots tight end (#81) (since 2010) Aaron Josef Hernandez (1989-2017) is arrested and charged with the first degree murder of his friend Odin Lloyd, a semi-pro football player who was dating the sister of Hernandez' fiancee; in 2015 he is found guilty, and sentenced to life without parole; he is also indicted for the 2012 double homicide of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado, and acquitted in 2017; five days later he is found dead hanging in his cell, which is ruled a suicide; since his murder conviction is under appeal, it is vacated; his autopsy reveals a whopping case of CTE from playing football. On June 27 anti-jihad bloggers Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer are banned from entering the U.K. by spineless home secy. Theresa May, calling it a "blow against freedom", with the soundbyte "The nation that gave the world the Magna Carta is dead." On June 27 after pressure from CAIR, ACLU, Seattle mayor Mike McGinn et al., the FBI removes Seattle, Wash. bus ads titled "Faces of Global Terrorism", listing the 16 top terrorists, all Muslim. On June 27/28 (night) pro and anti-Moris protesters clash in Alexandria, Egypt, killing one U.S. citizen and injuring dozens of others, causing Egyptian clerics to warn of a coming civil war. On June 28 after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling striking down DOMA, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals lifts its stay on same-sex marriage, making Calif. state #11, causing a rush of applications. On June 28 after a 2-week siege, Syrian rebels capture a major army outpost in Daraa, Syria. On June 28 Vatican official Monsignor Nunzio Scarano is arrested for bringing 20M euros in cash into Italy from Switzerland on an Italian govt. plane; he was already under investigation for a money-laundering lot involving the Vatican Bank. On June 28 (Serbian nat. holiday) Albanian Muslim jihadists attack a column of school buses in Kosovo. On June 28 Eugene K. Pettis becomes the first African-Am. pres. of the 95K-member Fla. Bar Assoc., 2nd biggest in the U.S. On June 29 a suicide bomber in the Bab Sharqi Christian neighborhood in Damascus, Syria kills four, #23 in Syria for the year. On June 29-30 the 240-mi.-wide 100 mph June 2012 North Am. Derecho (Sp. "straight ahead") "land hurricane" devastates 10 states from Ill. to the U.S. East Coast, killing 22 and causing $2.9B in property damage, leaving 4M without power. On June 29 a Muslim roadside IED in S Thailand kills eight soldiers. On June 30 topless FEMEN protesters invade a mosque in Stockholm, Sweden, shouting "No Sharia" and "Free Women", and are allegedly called "whores from Hell". On June 30 millions protest in Cairo, Egypt and other cities, calling for pres. (since June 30, 2012) Mohammed Morsi to resign, attacking the HQ of the Muslim Brotherhood; seven are killed incl. two in Cairo; U.S. ambassador to Egypt (since June 30, 2011) Anne Woods Patterson (1949-) is singled-out by the crowds for being to cozy with Mubarak and the Muslim Brotherhood; on July 1 the Egyptian army threatens to intervene in 48 hours and topple Morsi; on July 1-2 several Egyptian ministers resign incl. PM Hisham Qandil, while Pres. Obummer, er, Obama refuses to withdraw support for Morsi, saying he came to power in a "legitimate" election, putting U.S. Marines in Spain and Italy on standby to protect U.S. citizens on July 2, causing Morsi to rebuff the ultimatum, putting the country on edge; on July 3 Egyptian armed forces CIC and defense minister (since Aug. 12, 2012) Gen. Abdel Fatah Saeed Hussein Khalil el-Sisi (1954-) arrests and removes Morsi from power, suspending the Egyptian constitution, and making chief justice Adly Mahmoud Mansour (1945-) the interim pres. (until June 30, 2016); on July 3 the military shuts down three Islamist TV stations incl. one operated by the Muslim Brotherhood; on July 3 pissed-off Pres. Obama utters the soundbyte that he's "very concerned" about the overthrow, and is ordering his admin. to review U.S. military aid; on July 3 Syrian pres. Bashar al-Assad utters the soundbyte: "The summary of what is happening in Egypt is the fall of what is called political Islam"; on July 4 liberal Egyptian diplomat Mohamed ElBaradei says that he worked hard to convince Western powers to oust Morsi for bungling Egypt's transition to an inclusive democracy, and on July 6 he is named interim PM (until ?); meanwhile Egyptian-born al-Qaida leader Muhammad al-Zawahiri announces a jihad to save Morsi, and on July 5 tens of thousands of Islams begin protests in Cairo, which turn violent at night, killing 30 and injuring 1K+ throughout the country. On June 30 Pres. Obama visits Cape Town, South Africa, announcing a multi-billion dollar plan to double electricity in sub-Saharan Africa, and visiting Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years; meanwhile Mandela lies gravely ill in a Johannesburg hospital. On June 30 three bombings in Pakistan kill 49 as British PM David Cameron visits Islamabad pledging to help fight extremism, with the clueless soundbyte: "The enemies of Pakistan are enemies of Britain, and we will stand together and conduct this fight against extremism and terrorism together." On June 30 a missile hits Muhammad al-Baqir Mosque in Qaterji, Aleppo, Syria, killing 10 incl. several children. On June 30 the Yarnell Hill Forest Fire SW of Prescott, Ariz. burns 2K acres and kills 19 firefighters, becoming their highest death toll since 1983. In June Sony BMG v. Tenenbaum is upheld by the U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals, charging Boston U. swtudent Joel Tenenabum (1983-) $675K for illegally downloading 30 songs, which comes to $22.5K/song. In June U.S. unemployment remains at 7.6% while adding 195K jobs. In June according to the U.N. Food and Agricultural org. (FAO), Mexico officially becomes the world's fattest nation, with a 32.8% adult obesity rate, passing the U.S. (31.8%). In early July Red China and Russia hold massive war games. On July 1 Eric Michael Garcetti (1971-) becomes Dem. mayor #42 of Los Angeles, Calif. (until ?), becoming its first elected Jewish mayor, 2nd straight Mexican-Am. mayor, and youngest mayor (until ?); too bad, he makes campaign promises he doesn't keep, incl. getting rid of the homeless problem, causing impeachment efforts in 2019. On July 1 Del. becomes state #12 to legalize same-sex marriage. On July 1 Croatia joins the EU. On July 1 China accuses the U.S. of encouraging "terrorism" in Xinjiang by encouraging Muslim violence in Uighuristan. On July 1 DHS head Janet Napolitano issues a directive ordering the U.S. Immigration Service to consider same-sex visa petitions. On July 1 the pop. of Azaz, N Syria protests the entry of fighters for the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISI); on July 5 there is a counter-protest. On July 1 S.D. becomes the first U.S. state to allow teachers to possess firearms at school. On July 2 (a.m.) Taliban militants detonate a truck bomb at a NATO supplier compound in Kabul, Afghanistan, killing five security guards. On July 3 a U.S. drone strike in Sarai Darpa Khel, North Waziristan, Pakistan kills 16 militants and injures two. On July 3 the plane of Bolivian pres. Evo Morales is delayed as he tries to leave Europe over suspicions that he is hiding Edward Snowden aboard, pissing-off Latin Am. leaders. On July 3 Islamists take over the town of Dalga, Minya Province, Egypt, pop. 120K incl. 20K Coptic Christians, targeting their homes and businesses. On July 3 the Calif. Senate by a partisan (Dem.) 21-9 vote by passes AB 1266, a transgender rights bill for students in public schools. On July 3 the Center for Immigration Studies releases a Report on U.S. Immigration and Employment, which reports that 22.4M immigrants held jobs on Jan. 1, up 5.3M since 2000, vs. 113.5M native-born workers, down 1.3M from 2000. On July 4 the Statue of Liberty, closed since Hurricane Sandy reopens. On July 4 Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Badie and his deputy Khairat el-Shater are ordered arrested by the Egyptian prosecutor for inciting violence outside their Cairo HQ; meanwhile the Muslim Broterhood begins targeting Christian Copts for blame in Morsi's ouster, launching a month of pogroms. On July 5 China and Pakistan sign an Economic Corridor Agreement linking NW China to the Arabian Sea. On July 5 more bombings against Shiites N of Baghdad in Iraq kill 19+ and injure 38, making 2K killed since Apr. 1. On July 5 suicide bombers in S Afghanistan kill 18 Afghan police in two attacks. On July 5 the Syrian army launches a heavy barrage on Homs, Syria. On July 5 after an outcry, the cabinet of Malaysia decides to withdraw a proposal to allow the conversion of minors to Islam with just one parent's approval. On July 5 Popes Benedict XVI and Francis I issue a religious co-text, saying that faith should serve the "common good" and restating their opposition to same-sex marriage. On July 6 (1:15 EDT) the Lac-Megantic (Lac-Mégantic) Rail Disaster in the Eastern Townships region of Quebec, Canada sees an unattended 74-car freight train carrying crude oil roll down a 1.2% grade from Nantes and derail, causing multiple tank cars to explode, killing 42 (five missing) and destroying half of the downtown area incl. 30 bldgs. in the town center, becoming the 4th deadliest rail accident in Canadian history (until ?), and deadliest non-passenger train accident (until ?); footage from the disaster is used in the 2018 film "Bird Box", causing an outcry. On July 6 Korean Asiana Airlines Flight 214 (Boeing 777) en route from Singapore and Seoul crashes on landing in San Francisco, Calif., killing two of 291 passengers and 16 crew; rookie pilot Lee Kang-kook had never landed a 777 before, although he had 10K hours on other planes; co-pilot Lee Jeong-min had 3K hours on the 777. On July 6 90+ gay Girl Scouts and their families march in the San Francisco, Calif. Gay Pride Parade for the first time ever. On July 6 Qatar expels Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood leader Yusuf al-Qaradawi and closes their offices, becoming a big blow to the Islamist cause. On July 6 Boko Haram ("Western education is forbidden") militants burn a school in Mamudo, Nigeria, killing 30+ of 1.2K children. On July 6 CAIR-CAN changes its name to Nat. Council of Canadian Muslims. On July 6 (night) a referee fatally stabs a soccer player in Maranhao, Brazil, then is stoned to death and his body quartered and decapitated by angry fans. On July 6 (night) an oil train derails in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada, killing three, causing 2K to evacuate. On July 7 (a.m.) the Egyptian army fires on Muslim Brotherhood supporters praying outside the Repub. Nat. Guard HQ in Cairo where ex-pres. Morsi is being held, killing 51+ and injuring 400+. On July 7 100+ Muslim guerillas attack army troops in S Philippines, killing 12+. On July 7 Muslim terrorist bomb the Buddhist shrine Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya, India. On July 7 Muslim Brotherhood followers attack Coptic Christians in Luxor, Egypt, killing four and injuring 32. On July 7 ex-Iranian pres. Imadinnajacket gives a farewell speech, saying that publicizing Holocaust denial was his greatest achievement; "That was a taboo topic that no one in the West allowed to be heard. We put it forward at the global level. That broke the spine of the Western capitalist regime." On July 7 a train en route from Novosibirsk to the Black Sea derails in Kuschevsky, Russia , injuring 100+. On July 7 after he is expelled from the U.K., Jordan charges Muslim preacher Abu Qatada as a suspected al-Qaida terrorist. On July 7 Benjamin Medrano (1966-) is elected mayor of Fresnillo, Zacatecas, becoming Mexico's first openly gay elected mayor. On July 8 Pope Francis makes his first trip as pontiff to Lampedusa Island, Italy to visit Muslim asylum seekers on the first day of Ramadan, uttering the soundbyte "The Church is close to you in the search for a more dignified life for you and your families." On July 8 the worst thunderstorm in ? years in Toronto, Canada cuts power to 300K and leaves 1K passengers stranded on a commuter train. On July 9 a Muslim militant bomb in Ban Rawo, Thailand kills injures eight soldiers. On July 9 an Afghan soldier opens fire on Slovak troops at Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan, killing one and wounding 2+. On July 9 a roadside bomb in W Afghanistan kills 17 aboard a motorcycle-drawn cart. On July 9 the U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child demands that the Vatican release info. on child abuse cases by clergy. On July 9 Femen leader Inna Shevchenko (model for a new French postage stamp honoring Marianne, the feminine symbol of France) issues a tweet reading: "what can be more stupid than Ramadan? What can be more uglier than this religion?", stirring a firestorm of controversy. On July 10 after Mohamed ElBaradei's nomination is withdrawn, former finance minister Hazem el-Beblawi is named Egyptian PM (until ?); meanwhile dozens of pro-Mursi demonstrators are killed by the Egyptian army outside the Repub. Guard HQ in Cairo, causing a group of Saudi intellectuals to go against their own govt. and pub. a comminique condemning the shooting; on Aug. 8 56 Saudi clerics pub. another communique condemning Morsi's ouster. On July 10 Dubai pledges a $3B aid package for ever-broke Egypt, dwarfing the $1.5B a year aid received from the U.S., which is in jeopardy because of the military takeover. On July 10 Pakistani security chief Bilal Shaikh is killed in a suicide attack in Karachi. On July 11 after a deadly crime wave in Chicago Ill. Rep. Booby Rush calls for the Nat. Guard to be called in to stop the "mayhem". On July 11 a poll by Quinnipiac U. finds that only 40% of U.S. voters approve of Pres. Obama's approach to foreign affairs, and 52% disapprove; 48% disapprove of his handling of Syria. On July 11 Syrian rebel Free Syrian Army cmdr. Abu Bassir Al Ladkani is assassinated by al-Qaeda, causing them to declare war. On July 11 the comedy drama series Orange Is the New Black (OITNB) debuts on Netflix for ? episodes (until ?), based on the 2010 Piper Kerman memoir "Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison" about Litchfield (FCI Danbury) Prison, starring Taylor Schilling (1984-) as Piper Chapman; it becomes the first TV series nominated for both outstanding comedy series (2014) and outstanding drama series (2015) at the Emmys. On July 12 DHS head Janet Napolitano resigns to become pres. of the U. of Calif. On July 12 by a 127-31 vote, formerly Roman Catholic Ireland legalizes abortion when physicians deem the woman's life at risk. On July 12 a suicide vehicle rams a peacekeeping convoy in Mogadishu, Somalia killing two civilians. On July 12 (10 p.m.) a bomb in a full cafe ending the Ramadan fast in Kirkuk, Iraq kills 19 and wounds 26+. On July 12 12K Palestinians hold a pro-Morsi demonstration in Kafr Kanna, Israel; meanwhile a huge banner of Morsi is hung over the entrance to Al-Aqsa Mosque Plaza in Jerusalem. On July 12 gay men hold protests in 52 U.S. cities calling for an end to the FDA's gay blood bank ban. On July 13 the disbanded Egyptian upper house of parliament demands the reinstatement of ousted pres. Mohammed Morsi, while his supporters vow to stay on the streets. On July 13 a 6-person jury acquits white (German-Peruvian with some black descent) neighborhood watch volunteer George Michael Zimmerman (1983-) in the Feb. 26, 2012 shooting death of 17-y.-o. African-Am. Trayvon Benjamin Martin (1995-2012) in Sanford, Fla., causing nationwide riots and protests and launching the Black Lives Matter movement to be founded on Twitter with the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter. On July 13 (night) riots in Belfast, Northern Island are caused by pro-British Protestant marches, continuing nightly until ?. On July 15 the Egyptian govt. freezes the assets of 14 Muslim Brotherhood leaders accused of inciting violence. On July 15 Zetas drug cartel leader Miguel Angel Trevino Morales is captured by Mexican Marines in Nuevo Laredo. On July 15 the Nigerian military announces that its 2-mo. offensive in NE Nigera has "substantially achieved" the goal of destroying most Boko Haram bases. On July 15 the world's last commercial electric telegraph system, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. shuts down. On July 15/16 overnight classes between Morsi supporters and police in Cairo, Egypt kill seven and injure 261. On July 16 the EU issues an Embargo on Israel for its 28 member states, barring them from dealings with Jewish settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem in any territories occupied by Israel since June 1967, causing Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu in an emergency cabinet meeting to utter the soundbyte: "We will not accept any outside diktat about our borders." On July 16 Egyptian interim PM Hazem el-Beblawi swears-in a new cabinet that incl. women and Christians but no Islamists. On July 16 clashes between Kurds and Jahbat al-Nusra in Ras al-Ain, Syria kill 4+. On July 16 a roadside bomb in Lebanon is the first retaliation against Hezbollah for supporting the regime in Syria. On July 16 Bangladeshi Islamist leader Ghulam Azam is sentenced to 90 years for crimes against humanity, causing a Muslim riot in Dhaka that kills four and injures dozens. On July 16 23 children die after being served a free school lunch laced with insecticide in Grandaman, Bihar, India, causing a riot; headmistress Meena Kumar is arrested; her hubby ?, who sold the oil to the school is also arrested. On July 17 U.S. secy. of state John Kerry meets with Arab leaders in Amman, Jordan, where the Israeli-Palestinian dispute is called "the core issue of instability in the region". On July 17 Iranian pres.-elect Hassan Rouhani utters the soundbyte that it is "laughable" that Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said that Tehran is getting close to the "red line" over its nuclear program, deriding Israel's ability to strike Iran. On July 17 the Thomas Aquinas Ferry in Cebu, Philippines collides with a cargo ship and sinks, killing 24+ of 870 passengers and crew. On July 18 police fire on Kashmiri protesters in Srinagar, India, killing 4+ and injuring dozens. On July 18 the city of Detroit, Mich. (pop. 700K) files for the largest bankruptcy in U.S. history, with $20B owed to 100K+ creditors ($25K per capita); there are only 27K manufacturing jobs left, vs. 296K in 1950. On July 18 two weeks after Qatar is removed as leader in place of a group of tribal, secular Muslim Brotherhood reps, Saudi Arabia becomes the sole patron of the Syrian Nat. Coalition (SNC). On July 18 a policeman in Trappes, France (near Versailles) stops a Muslim woman and asks her to remove her niqab, after which her French-born Muslim convert husband tries to strangle him and he is arrested, triggering Muslim riots by 10K of the town's 30K inhabitants that last until ? On July 18 the U.S. announces a $200M program to help women in Breaking Bad Afghanistan. On July 19 after shuttling between Amman and the West Bank, John Kerry announces that new Israeli-Palestinian talks will soon begin in Washington, D.C., restarting the 2008 talks; in return Israel will release some "hardcore" Palestinian prisoners. On July 19 Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan utters the soundbyte: "Strong Turkey is making its influence felt more in this region every day. Our agenda was determined by others in the past, but there is no longer a Turkey whose agenda is determined by others. There is now a Turkey that determines the agenda. That is to say, there are so many developments taking place in Iraq and Syria. It will be all good at the end. Don't forget, whatever happens, happens for some good. What's important is that Turkey continues its path with its strong economy." On July 19 U.S. Rep. (R-Tex.) Louis Gohmert utters the soundbyte on the House Floor that we are witnessing "the rise of a new Ottoman Empire in the Middle East, which, unfortunately, the Obama Administration has helped jumpstart"; he adds that the rising of the people of Egypt against a radical Islamist Muslim Brotherhood government has caused the "grand scheme of building a great caliphate" to become a "huge problem", and calls on the U.S. govt. to once again be seen as supporting and defending those seeking true infidel freedom and democracy. On July 19 the senate of N.C. passes a law prohibiting courts from recognizing foreign laws, esp. Sharia; on Aug. 26 gov. Pat McCrory lets it become law sans his signature. On July 21 (night) jihadists of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant assault two Iraqi jails in Abu Ghraib and Taji, Iraq, killing 26 policemen and freeing 500+ prisoners. On July 22 (7:45 a.m. local time) two earthquakes (5.6, 5.9) in Dingxi,Gansu, C China kill 95 and injure 2.3K. On July 22 after Arnold Schwarzenegger talks Austrian chancellor Werner Faymann into it, the 28-member EU unanimously declares the military wing of Hezbollah a terrorist org.; 6 of the 28 refuse to label all of Hezbollah as a terrorist org.; it also calls for the release of ousted Egyptian pres. Mohammad Morsi; Hizbullah issues the soundbyte that it has no military arm, but is one org.; the Legal Forum for Israel's Internat. Div. sends the EU a petition signed by 1K lawyers, ambassadors, and academics from 30 countries protesting their actions. On July 22 after an internat. outcry, the Soldtenkaffee Nazi-themed cafe in Bandung, West Java closes. On July 22 Buenos Aires, Argentina experiences its first major snow since June 22, 1918. On July 23 former Office for Civil Rights dir. and Md. Dept. of Labor secy. Thomas Edward "Tom" Perez (1961-) (of Dominican descent) becomes U.S. labor secy. #26 (until Jan. 20, 2017). On July 23 an attack at a police station in Daqahliya, Egypt in the Nile Delta kills one and injures 29. On July 23 (anniv. of the 1952 Egyptian rev.) Egyptian interim pres. Adly Mansour gives a speech calling for nat. reconciliation, which the Muslim Brotherhood and El Nour Party reject; on July 24 Egyptian military chief Field Marshal Abdel Fattah el-Sissi gives a speech calling for mass demonstrations to support the army and police to help them deal with "violence and terrorism", meaning supporters of Morsi; on July 26 hundreds of thousands oblige with patriotic demonstrations across Egypt; on July 27 (Sat.) more demonstrations see police and armed civilians fire on protesters on the same parade ground where Pres. Anwar Sadat was assassinated, killing 70+ and injuring 800+; Pres. Obama makes no comment, but John Kerry calls for Egypt's leaders "to step back from the brink"; the U.S. declines to declare a coup. On July 23 the Great 2013 Jihadi Jailbreak occurs starting with 500-1K from Taj Prison and Abu Graibh Prisons in Afghanistan, followed on July 27 by 117 from Koufia Prison in Benghazi, followed on July 29 by 243 Taliban from Dera Ismail Khan Prison in Pakistan; they are all coordinated? On July 24 German businessman Rudolf M. et al. are put on trial for smuggling specialized valves to Iran that can be used to make nukes. On July 25 (a.m.) leftist Tunisian Arab nationalist Popular Front Coalition opposition leader Mohammed Brahmi (b. 1955) is assassinated outside his home, becoming the 2nd assassination this year after Chokri Belaid. On July 25 jihadists on pickup trucks open fire on a checkpoint in Shura, Iraq 35 mi. S of Mosul, killing nine policemen. On July 25 a speeding train derailment in Santiago de Compostela, Spain kills 78. On July 25 Pope Francis kicks off World Youth Day at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; on July 25 he receives reps of the Afro-Brazilian Candomble religion in the Municipal Theatre, a first; on July 28 (a.m.) he addresses 3M at a final Mass at Copacabana Beach, and utters the soundbyte "Who am I to judge a gay person?" to reporters on the plane back to Rome, er, "If a person is gay and accepts the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge them?", adding that this only applies if they don't engage in active homosexuality, adding "The tendency is not the problem... they're our brothers." On July 25 the U.S. govt. files a grand jury indictment against SAC Capital Advisors, a $15B hedge fun run by billionaire Steven A. Cohen, accusing it of "insider trading... on a scale without known precedent in the hedge fund industry." On July 26 U.S. secy. of state John Kerry utters a blooper, referring to the country of Palestine. On July 26 Syrian opposition leaders led by Syrian Nat. Coalition (SNC) pres. Ahmed Jarba come to the New York City to lobby the U.N. Security Council for support. On July 26 double suicide bombers on motorcyles detonate outside Shiite mosques in Parachinar, Pakistan, killing 57 and injuring 167; the Ansarul Mujahideen claims credit. On July 26 (eve.) the Pakistani Taliban attack a busy market in a town near the Afghan border, killing 50+ and injuring 100+. On July 26 U.S. federal election regulators vote to treat political contributions from same-sex couples the same way as married hetero couples. On July 26 Pres. Obama issues an executive order that overrides Congress and authorizes $148M to be sent to the Palestinian Authority, calling it "the most immediate and efficient means of helping the Arabs of Palestine maintain and build the foundations of a viable, peaceful Palestinian state"; he did ditto in Mar. for $600M. On July 26 an ABC News/Washington Post Poll finds that 67% of Americans think that the Afghanistan war was not worth the cost; 28% think it was; 43% think it has contributed to the country's long-term security; 53% favor keeping a residual force, and 43% want total evacuation. On July 27 elections in Kuwait are held to elect a new 50-member parliament for the 2nd time in 8 mo. On July 27 an bombing attack on the Turkish embassy in Mogadishu, Somalia kills six and injures nine; al-Shabaab claims responsibility. On July 27 a jail break at Koyfiya Prison near Benghazi, Libya sees 1K escape; meanwhile protesters storm the offices of political parties in Libya's main cities. On July 28 Mexican vice adm. Carlos Miguel Salazar is ambushed and killed by drug cartel members in Michoacan, Mexico. On July 28 an armed robbery at the Carlton Hotel in Cannes, France nets $53M worth of jewelry. On July 28 a U.S. drone strike in the Shawal Valley of North Waziristan Pakistan kills eight militants incl. three Arab al-Qaida trainers from Lashkar al Zil (Shadow Army). On July 29 (7 p.m.) two trains collide head-on in Switzerland, injuring 44. On July 29 a wave of bombings in and around Baghdad, Iraq kills 36+. On July 29 Palestinian Nat. Authority leader Mahmad Abbas makes his first official visit to Cairo since the ouster of Muhammad Morsi; on July 30 he tell reporters in Egypt the soundbyte "In a final resolution, we would not see the presence of a single Israeli, civilian or soldier on our lands"; on July 30 Hamas leader Salah Al-Bardaweel produces documents showing that Abbas and Fatah are running an anti-Hamas propaganda campaign in Egypt, which Fatah calls "fabricated and falsified". On July 29 a Boko Haram bomb attack in two churches in Kano City, Nigeria kills 45+. On July 29/30 (night) the Pakistani Taliban attacks the prison in Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan, freeing 200+ Sunni prisoners, and killing Shiite prisoners. On July 30 (a.m.) the defense ministry of Tunisia issues a warning about al-Qaeda-allied extremists staging an imminent terrorist attack after eight soldiers were murderedand mutilated in Jebel Chaambi and their uniforms and equipment were stolen. On July 30 a series of bombs in bars in Kano, Nigeria kills 28+. On July 30 the Inst. for Science and Internat. Security (ISIS) report that claims that Iran will have the "critical capability" to produce weapons-grade plutonium by mid-2014 without being detected. On July 31 after Imam Talib Shareef of Masjid Muhammad Mosque opens Congress with a Muslim prayer to Allah, five Repubs. cross the aisle to vote with all 54 Dems. to break a filibuster (53-42), and B. Todd Jones becomes the first dir. of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate; prior to 2006, the pres. appointed the dir. directly. On July 31 Saudi intel chief Bindar bin Sultan meets secretly with Russian pres. Vladimir Putin, and offers a $15B Russian arms deal if Putin will drop his backing of Bashar al-Assad, which he declines; they agree that the entire Middle East from North Africa to Chechnya and Iran to Syria has turned into an open U.S.-Russian faceoff, and that it is "not unlikely that things will take a dramatic turn in Lebanon, in both the political and security senses in light of the major Saudi decision to respond to Hezbollah's involvement in the Syrian crisis". In July the death toll in Iraq is 1,057 Iraqis killed and 2,326 wounded, the highest since June 2008 (975 killed). In July the U.S. unemployment rate drops to 7.4%, adding 162K jobs. On Aug. 1 Minn. becomes state #13 to legalize same-sex marriage. On Aug. 1 the Egyptian govt. offers "safe passage and protection" for supporters of ousted pres. Mohammed Morsi if they end their two sit-ins in Cairo. On Aug. 1 despite intense U.S. pressure, Russia grants 1-year asylum to whistleblower Edward J. Snowden, pissing-off the Obama admin. bigtime, and causing Pres. Obama to cancel a planned Moscow summit, the first time since 1960. On Aug. 1 the U.S. House of Reps by 400-20 passes a crackdown on Iran's oil exports by 1M barrels over the next year, pissing-off Russia. On Aug. 1 former Goldman Sachs trader Fabrice Tourre is found guilty by a federal jury on six counts of civil securities fraud. On Aug. 1 after Argentine prosecutor Alberto Nisman pub. a 500-page report on the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish center in Buenos Aires, the U.S. State Dept. writes a letter to U.S. Sen. (R-Ill.) Mark Kirk saying that it has asked the U.S. intel community to take a new look at Iran's terrorist activities in Latin Am. On Aug. 2 (Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr) Pope Francis speaks at the Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro, giving a Speech to World Muslims, calling for "mutual respect" between Christianity and Islam, and an end to "unfair criticism" - did I say what I think I said? On Aug. 2 76 U.S. Senators sign a letter to Pres. Obama calling for Iran sanctions despite the election of new PM Hassan Rouhani. On Aug. 3 suicide bombers in a car outside the Indian consulate in Jalalabad, Afghanistan kill eight and injure 22. On Aug. 3 a car plows down pedesrians at the boardwalk at Venice Beach, Calif., killing one and injuring 11. On Aug. 3 deposed Egyptian PM Mohamed Morsi begins cracking and offering to talk with the Nat. Salvation Front, but keeps up the daily sit-ins; on Aug. 4 UAE foreign minister sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed joins the high-level talks in Cairo as a mediator, along with Qatar, the U.S., the EU, and the African Union; too bad, on Aug. 8 the mediation talks fail, with interim pres. Adly Mansour blaming the Muslim Brotherhood for the "failure" of the talks, warning that his govt. won't make any concessions to them. On Aug. 3 new Iranian pres. Hassan Rouhani is officially sworn-in in Tehran, giving a speech vowing to lift the "oppressive sanctions" crippling the economy, receiving official backing from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. On Aug. 4 (Sun.) the U.S. closes its embassies in the Muslim World after receiving an unspecified terror threat from Ayman al-Zawahiri and AQAP, incl. a planned attack on Yemeni oil pipelines and ports; Yemen deploys tanks and special forces outside the U.S. embassy in Sana'a; too bad, the disclosure of the messages causes the terrorists to quit using their comm channel, hurting U.S. intel. On Aug. 4 46 U.S. reps send a letter to Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan blasting him for making anti-Semitic statements, and calling on him to "publicly condemn the use of anti-Semitic rhetoric by government officials." On Aug. 4 two militant attacks in North Nigeria kill 35+. On Aug. 4 according to Human Rights Watch on Oct. 11, 20 groups of Syrian rebels launch an offensive in Latakia Province, Syria that kills 190+ civilians seizes 200+ hostages, some remaining in captivity until ?. On Aug. 4 (night) a bomb at the front door of the Ekayana Buddhist Vihara in West Jakarta, Indonesia injures one of 300 devotees. On Aug. 5 S Thai Muslim leader Imam Yacob Raimanee of Pattani Central Mosque is assassinated. On Aug. 5 a bombing in a busy commercial street in Cotabato, Philippines kills six and injures 29+. On Aug. 5 Turkish Army Gen. Ilker Basbug is sentenced to life in prison for the Ergenekon Conspiracy, becoming a big V for Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan in his war against the secularist deep govt.; 16 more are sentenced to life; all but 17 of 275 defendants are convicted. On Aug. 5 Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos purchases the Washington Post for $250M. On Aug. 5 the U.S. Postal Service ends Sat. mail delivery in order to save $2B a year. On Aug. 5 Samantha Jane Power (1970-), wife (since 2008) of Cass Sunstein becomes U.S. U.N. ambassador #28 (until Jan. 20, 2017). On Aug. 6 U.S. federal prosecutors file the first charges in the 9/11/2012 Benghazi Consulate Attack on Libyan militia leader Ahmed Khattalah. On Aug. 6 Syrian rebels led by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant capture the Minnigh Airbase in Aleppo; meanwhile a large weapons cache is destroyed in Homs; it's really a tactical nuclear strike? On Aug. 7 the Syrian army ambushes rebel troops near Adra, Syria E of Damascus, killing 62; it recaptures the rebel district of Khaldiyeh in Homs. On Aug. 7 a motorcycle bomb in Karachi, Pakistan kills 11 child soccer players and injures 24+. On Aug. 7 a massive fire engulfs Nairo Airport in Kenya. On Aug. 7 a Muslim attack on the Coptic Evangelical church in Ain Shams, Egypt (near Cairo) kills 10-y.-o. Jessi Paulis Issa and injures dozens leaving Sunday school class. On Aug. 7 Pres. Obama addresses Marines at Camp Pendleton, Calif., telling them that the Afghanistan War has entered its final chapter. On Aug. 8 a suicide bomber at a funeral in Quetta, Pakistan kills 30 incl. 21+ policemen. On Aug. 8 an explosion in a graveyard in Ghani Khel, Nangarhar, Afghanistan kills 10+ women. On Aug. 8 gunmen ambush a van carrying Turkish Airlines crew in Beirut, Lebanon, kidnapping a pilot and co-pilot. On Aug. 8 Pres. Obama hosts Internet execs and civil liberties leaders for a closed-door meeting on govt. surveillance, stirring fears of a coming police state. On Aug. 8 Pres. Obama posth. awards the Pres. Medal of Freedom to black gay civil rights activist Bayard Rustin (1912-87). On Aug. 10 a bombing wave in Bagdead, Iraq kills 33 celebrating Eid al-Fitr. On Aug. 10 the U.S. State Dept. condemns attacks on Kurdish civilians in the Aleppo area of Syria by groups affiliated with al-Qaida. On Aug. 11 First Dog Bo is airlifted on his own heli on a First Family vacation to Martha's Vineyard. On Aug. 12 U.S. atty. gen. Eric Holder announces a push by the U.S. Dept. of Justice to overhaul federal minimum sentencing laws, esp. those aimed at blacks, er, low-level drug offenders. On Aug. 12 Calif. gov. Jerry Brown signs a law ordering public schools to accomodate transgender students, incl. use of bathrooms, effective Jan. 1, affecting 6.2M students. On Aug. 14 (Bloody Wed.) the 2013 Rabaa Massacre sees Egyptian forces clear the pro-Morsi camps, killing 600-817 civilians incl. 149 in Rabaa al-Adawiya Square, causing Egyptian vice-pres. Mohammad ElBaradei to resign in protest; on Aug. 14 pissed-off Pres. Obama holds a press conference, and cancels joint military exercises; on Aug. 14-16 the Muslim Brotherhood attacks Coptic churches and monasteries throughout Egypt, incl. Gharbeya, Giza, Suez, Fayoum, Beni Suef, Minya, Asyut, Sohag, and Qena. On Aug. 14 the Al Nusra Battalion assassinates Col. Mohammed al Komi along the Cairo-Ismailia Rd. in Egypt as part of its program of killing "apostates" and "criminals". On Aug. 14 Doctors without Borders announces that it's leaving Somalia in frustration after 20+ years. On Aug. 14 U.S. federal Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals judge Vicki Miles-LaGrange rules that Okla.'s Nov. 2010 law banning Islamic Sharia is unconstitutional. On Aug. 14 WWE wrestler Darren Young (Fredrick Douglas "Fred" Rosser) becomes the first prof. wrestler to come out as gay. On Aug. 14-16 the Bahrain Tamarod (Tamarrod) sees more protests. On Aug. 15 a car bomb in S Beirut, Lebanon kills 20 and injures 212, becoming the deadliest since Rafik Hariri's 2005 assassination. On Aug. 17 Mohammed al-Zawahri, brother of Ayman al-Zawahri is arrested in Giza, Egypt near Cairo. On Aug. 17 Egyptian troops storm a mosque in Cairo, Egypt and battle Muslim Brotherhood supporters; 173 are killed throughout Egypt in violence; meanwhile govt. rep. Mostafa Hegazi announces that the govt. is considering "dissolving" the Muslim Brotherhood movement; meanwhile EU high rep. for foreign affairs Catherine Ashton strongly condemns the violence, saying that it has left Egypt "in a state of emergency and heading into an uncertain future", calling on the Egyptian govt. to "exercise utmost restraint and on all Egyptian citizens to avoid further provocations and escalation." On Aug. 18 Muslim Brotherhood supporters attempt to escape from a prison outside Cairo, Egypt, and 38 are killed. On Aug. 18 Libyan interior minister Col. Mohammad al-Sheikh resigns after less than 2 mo. in office; meanwhile the Barqa Youth Movement declares E Libya an autonomous federal province subject to Islamic Sharia. On Aug. 19 British authorities announces the arrest of the biggest child sex ring in U.K. history, 45 men in West Yorkshire. On Aug. 19 Saudi foreign minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal issues a Statement on Egypt, warning the West that "we will not hesitate to help Egypt" throw off the Muslim Brotherhood. On Aug. 19 U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff chmn. Gen. Martin Dempsey writes a letter to Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), telling him that the Obama admin. opposes any military intervention in Syria because even if they win the rebels won't support U.S. interests, and there would be no strategy for peace. On Aug. 19 Turkish officials Bekir Bozdag and Huseyin Celik ask Org. for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) chief Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu to resign for failing to speak out against the coup in Egypt. On Aug. 20 Qatar-owned Al Jazeera launches its U.S. affiliate, while the Arab World disses them for supporting the Muslim Brotherhood. On Aug. 20 the Egyptian govt. arrests Muslim Brotherhood supreme leader Muhammad Badie; meanwhile madass Muslim Brotherhood supporters attack and damage 82 churches across Egypt by Aug. 21. On Aug. 20 Pakistani authorities bust al-Qaida's internat. technical hub in Lahore, Pakistan, which is linked to the abduction of U.S. aid worker Warren Weinstein. On Aug. 21 a chemical weapons attack in the outskirts of East Ghouta, Syria (near Damascus) by ? kills 494+ (1,429?), becoming the worst in the 21st cent. (until ?); on Aug. 22 the Syrian army bombs the same rebel-held suburbs; on Aug. 23 Pres. Obama calls the chemical attack a "big event of grave concern", and on Aug. 23 utters the soundbyte "We do have to make sure that when countries break international norms on chemical weapons they are held accountable"; on Aug. 30 U.S. secy. of state John Kerry releases a report that claims that 1,429 were killed incl. 426 children, that Assad's regime is responsible, and that the U.S. won't wait for U.N. weapons inspectors to finish work before deciding to take military action. On Aug. 21 after far-right extremists mount protests in Berlin on Aug. 20 against the resettling of 400 refugees from Afghanistan, Serbia, and Syria in a former h.s., Angela Merkel visits Dachau, becoming the first German chancellor to visit it, uttering the soundbyte: "How could Germans go so far as to deny people human dignity and the right to live based on their race, religion, their political persuasion or their sexual orientation? Places such as this warn each one of us to help ensure that such things never happen again"; too bad, she fails to recognize that Islam is the real far-right? On Aug. 21 the U.S. sanctions Jamia Taleem-Ul-Quran-Wal Hadith Madrassa in NW Pakistan for ties to al-Qaida; in Oct. Russian diplomatic sources claim that the attack was done by a Saudi black ops team; famed journalist Seymour Hersh alleges that a secret agreement was made in 2012 between the Obama admin. and Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar to have rebels stage a sarin gas attack in Syria and frame Assad. On Aug. 21 Michael Brandon Hill brings an AK-47 and 500 rounds of ammo to Ronald McNair Discovery Learning Center in Decatur, Ga., and is talked into surrendering by Antoinette Tuff, who becomes a big hero. On Aug. 21 after news breaks that the NYPD has designed mosques as terrorist orgs. for purposes of surveillance, New York City mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio tweets the soundbyte that he is "deeply troubled NYPD has labelled entire mosques & Muslim orgs terror groups with seemingly no leads. Security AND liberty make us strong." On Aug. 21 Facebook launches Internet.org to spread Internet connectivity to the two-thirds of the world's pop. that still don't have it; privacy is a secondary concern? On Aug. 22 outgoing FBI dir. Robert Mueller gives an interview to Pierre Thomas of ABC News, warning of U.S.-based jihadis bringing jihad home from Syria. On Aug. 22 hundreds of striking teachers in Zocalo Plaza in Mexico City try to block the entrances to the Congress and Senate to prevent lawmakers from voting on a set of rules to apply their newly-overhauled education system. On Aug. 23 bombs explode outside two mosques in Tripoli, Lebanon, killing 27 and wounding 350+, becoming the deadliest attack since the Lebanese civil war. On Aug. 23 U.S. warships begin heading towards Syria while Pres. Obama considers military options. On Aug. 25 a bomb attack on a bus carrying air force personnel to their base in Sana'a, Yemen kills 6+ and injures 25. On Aug. 25 yet another Bloody Sunday sees insurgent attacks around Iraq kill 41+. On Aug. 25-7 Oman Sultan Qaboos bin Said visits Iran, causing speculation that Oman is going to mediate between Iran and the U.S. On Aug. 26 (6:30 a.m.) a Taliban suicide assault at the Afghan army base in Kapisa, Afghanistan kills two Taliban fighters and injures 10. On Aug. 26 Israeli forces raid a refugee camp in N Jerusalem, killing three. On Aug. 28 Iranian supreme leader Ali Khameini utters the soundbyte that a U.S. attack on Syria would be a "disaster for the region... Such warmongering is like a spark in a gunpowder depot, and its dimensions and consequences cannot be estimated"; on Aug. 28 Iranian Rev. Guards cmdr. Mohammad Ali Jafari utters the soundbyte: "Syria will become a second Vietnam for the U.S." On Aug. 28 hundreds land in Israel in the Final Ethiopian Aliyah, bringing to an end the decades-long effort of the Jewish Agency. On Aug. 28 Syrian ambasssador Bashar Jaafari demands that U.N. weapons inspectors investigate alleged rebel chemical attacks on Aug. 22, 24, and 25 in Jobar, Sahnaya, and al-Bahariya. On Aug. 29 the largest-ever fast-food strike in the U.S. targets 58 cities, with workers demanding $15 an hour. On Aug. 29 Edward Snowden releases a document to the Washington Post exposing the funding of the huge U.S. spy network, which spies on Russia, Cuba, Red China, Iran, and yes, Israel. On Aug. 29 after the Obama admin. reveals its plan to "punish" Syria for using chemical weapons, the British Parliament votes to nix British participation despite PM Gordon Brown's support due to doubts as to who really used them. On Aug. 29 the U.S. Treasury Dept. announces that legally-married same-sex couples must file jointly, and may request refunds back to 2010. On Aug. 29 the U.S. govt. announces that it will no longer stand in the way of states legalizing marijuana as long as they keep it away from children and federal property. On Aug. 29 Saudi Arabia passes its first-ever Domestic Abuse Law. On Aug. 29 an ambush by the Taliban in Farah Province, Afghanistan kills 15 Afghan policemen. On Aug. 30 pro-Morsi anti-military protests in Cairo, Egypt see crowds only in the thousands, sporting a new 4-finger R4BIA symbol. On Aug. 30 Peruvian pres. Ollanta Humala announces a state of emergency in the S Andean region of Puno afer it's hit with the coldest temperatures in a decade, killing 250K alpacas. On Aug. 30 a suicide bomber in a mosque in Kunduz Province, Afghanistan kills 20 incl. district chief Sheikh Sadruddin. On Aug. 30 the first reported U.S. drone strike in Yemen in 20 days kills AQAP cmdr. Kaid al Dhabab and two other fighters. On Aug. 30 Tunisia sentences two rappers to 21 mo. in prison for "insulting the police". On Aug. 30 (Fri.) night Pres. Obama flops on his decision to attack Syria. On Aug. 31 Pres. Obama gives a Speech on Syria in the White House Rose Garden, saying that he's decided and ready to punish Syria with a military action, but calling on Congress to approve it first to abide by the Constitution - smartest move of his career? In Aug. Germany becomes the first country to recognize Bitcoin. In Aug. floods in Pakistan affect 7,693 villages and 1.47M people, destroying 21,133 houses. In Aug. India launches the INS Vikrant, its first home-built aircraft carrier, making it nation #5. In Aug. Sham al-islam is formed in Salma, Syria by Brahim Benchekroune (Abu Ahmad al-Muhajir), spreading to North Africa, with the soundbyte: "We consider democracy to be kufr against God Almighty and a doctrine that is in contradiction to God's Sharia." In Aug. the U.S. unemployment drops to 7.3%, adding 169K jobs. In Aug. Belgium begins buying U.S. Treasury bonds (until ?), buying $215B worth by May 2014, equal to half the country's GDP. On Sept. 1 the Million Muslim March, organized by the Am. Muslim Political Action Committee. On Sept. 1 an IED blast in Boya, North Waziristan kills 9+ soldiers. On Sept. 1 gunmen using U.S. weapons attack Iranian dissident haven Camp Ashraf in Iraq, killing 52; on Oct. 30 a report claims that the Iraqi govt. was complicit; the U.S. govt. denies it. On Sept. 2 militants attack a U.S. base in Torkham, Afghanistan near the Pakistan border, shutting down a supply road while losing three militants. On Sept. 2 Vatican spokesman Monsignor Mario Toso warns that U.S. intervention in Syria could result in a world war. On Sept. 3 a series of car blasts in Shiite neighborhoods in Baghdead, Iraq kills 49+. On Sept. 3 al-Qaida linked terrorists stop a bus en route from Tartus to Ras al-Ain, Syria, beheading all 24 passengers incl. a mother and infant. On Sept. 3 Antioch Patriarch Gregory III says that a U.S. strike on Syria would be "a criminal act which will only reap more victims." On Sept. 3 Sweden announces that it is granting blanket asylum to all Syrian refugees, putting it in line to become the first Muslim country in Europe? On Sept. 3 Pres. Obama meets with Swedish PM Frederik Reinfeldt in Stockholm in the first-ever bilateral meeting between the nations' two top leaders. On Sept. 3 Syrian pres. Bashar al-Assad tells a French newspaper: "For us, a strong man prevents rather than starts a war. Obama is weak because he is facing pressure from within the United States." On Sept. 3 Egyptian security forces carry out strikes in the Sinai Peninsula, killing 8+ Islamic militants. On Sept. 3 the World Bank pays the Palestinian Authority $72.2M for continuing support. On Sept. 3 Somali pres. (since 2012) Hassan Sheikh Mohamud survives an assassination attempt in Merca, Somalia. On Sept. 3 the first-ever minaret in Copenhagen, Denmark is built as part of a $26M grant from Qatar to build the biggest mega-mosque in Scandinavia. On Sept. 3 U.S. Vice Adm. Tim Giardina, 2nd highest nuclear weapons cmdr. in the U.S. military is fired for transferring nukes in S.C. without a paper trail; on Oct. 11 the USAF announces that Maj. Gen. Michael Carey, also in charge of nuclear weapons is suspended for personal misbehavior, causing a scandal, with conspiracy theorists warning of a possible false flag attack. On Sept. 4 Jabhat al-Nusra and other Islamists briefly capture the historic Aramaic-speaking Christian town of Ma'loula, Syria. On Sept. 4 after being appointed by Pres. Obama in June, and confirmed by the Senate on July 29, 6'8" former U.S. deputy atty. gen. (2003-5) James Brien "Jim" Comey Jr. (1960-) becomes FBI dir. #7 (until May 9, 2017). On Sept. 4 at the G-20 Summit Pres. Obama utters the soundbyte that not he but "the world set a red line" on Syria's actions, adding "My credibility's not on the line. The international community's credibility is on the line, and America and Congress' credibility is on the line"; Russia hands out bugged goodie bags? On Sept. 4 Ibrahim Boubacar Keita (1945-) becomes pres. of Mali (until Aug. 19, 2020). On Sept. 4 Syrian deputy foreign minister Faisal Muqdad says that Syria is ready for a U.S. military strike and has taken "every measure" to retaliate, and "The Syrian government will not change position even if there is World War III." On Sept. 4 Afghan pres. Hamid Karzai issues the soundbyte that the Taliban defames Islam by killing Muslim scholars and damaging mosques; on Sept. 5 (a.m.) the Shiite Shia Dashte Barche Mosque in W Kabul is attacked by Taliban fighters wearing police uniforms. On Sept. 5 an unsuccessful assassination attempt on Egyptian interior minister Mohammed Ibrahim in Cairo becomes the first since Morsi was toppled in July; on Sept. 8 Ansar Jerusalem (Ansar Bayt al Maqdis) takes credit. On Sept. 5 elections in Australia are a V for the anti-immigration Liberal-National Party coalition over the Labor Party for the first time in six years. On Sept. 5-6 the G20 Summit in St. Petersburg sees Pres. Obama and Pres. Putin spar on Syria; meanwhile Pope Frances utters the soundbyte that the G20 leaders should abandon the "futile pursuit" of a military solution in Syria. On Sept. 6 a U.S. drone strike in North Waziristan, Pakistan kills four suspected Haqqani Network fighters incl. cmdr. Mullah Sangeen Zadran, shadow gov. of Paktika Province. On Sept. 6 Iranian pres. Hassan Rouhani surprises Israel by offering Rosh Hashanah greetings to all Jews, followed by foreign minister Javad Zarif tweeting that he "never denied" the Holocaust, and "The man who was perceived to be denying it is now gone." On Sept. 6 (11:27 p.m. EDT) (03:27 GMT) NASA launches its LADEE Moon probe; a few hours later its reaction wheels shut down, which is corrected on Sept. 7. On Sept. 7 militants detonate a car bomb and suicide bomber at The Village restaurant in Mogadishu, Somalia, killing 15+ and wounding 20+. On Sept. 7 a U.S. Congressional panel posts Syria attack videos online showing gross scenes of suffering from the Aug. 21 attack outside Damascus. On Sept. 8 the biggest offensive by the Egyptian army in the Sinai Peninsula since the 1973 Yom Kippur War begins against Islamist terrorists (ends ?). On Sept. 8 Anthony John "Tony" Abbott (1957-) of the conservative Liberal Party is elected PM #28 of Australia, taking office on Sept. 18 (until Sept. 15, 2015). On Sept. 8 the Internat. Olympics Committee (IOC) selects Tokyo to host the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, passing over Turkey. On Sept. 8 the Taliban stages a car bomb and gun attack outside an Afghan intel office in Kabul, Afghanistan, killing four soldiers and wounding 80; meanwhile Afghan officials accuse NATO of killing civilians in an airstrike in E Afghanistan that kills 10+. On Sept. 8 Bangladesh charges four bloggers with defaming Islam, facing up to seven years in jail each. On Sept. 9 elections in Norway are a V for the Conservative Party of Erna Solberg over the incumbent Labour Party of PM Jens Stoltenberg. On Sept. 9 Syrian pres. Bashar al-Assad gives an interview to Charlie Rose of CBS-TV, saying that there is no evidence that his regime used chemical weapons on his own people, and that if the U.S. attacks, it and its allies should "expect every action" in response, adding "Not necessarily from the government"; meanwhile secy. of state John Kerry utters the soundbyte that Assad can resolve the crisis by turning "every single bit" of his chemical weapons arsenal over to the internat. community by the end of the week, which becomes a plot-twister when it is welcomed by Syrian foreign minister Walid al-Moallem, and accepted after negotiations with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov; the idea was originated by Polish foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski. On Sept. 9 Hindu-Muslim violence in Muazaffarnagar, India kills 28+. On Sept. 9 (early a.m.) 300 Muslim rebels take Zamboanga, Philippines, killing nine, and hold it against police and military until ?; on Sept. 20 Philippine pres. Benigno Aquino III issues an ultimatum to the rebels to surrender or else. On Sept. 9 the 1000-year 2013 Colo. Front Range Flood begin with heavy rain along the Colo. Front Range in 17 counties from Colorado Springs to Fort Collins, giving Boulder County 17 in. of rain by Sept. 15 (vs. the avg. annual precipitation of 20.7 in.), causing Colo. Gov. John Hickenlooper to declare a disaster emergency in 14 counties on Sept. 12, expanded to 14 on Sept. 15; the flood kills eight and causes 11K evacuations, with 19K homes damaged and 1.5K destroyed, along with 30 state highway bridges. On Sept. 10 the Philippine army blocks the Moro Nat. Liberation Front (MNLF) from entering the city of Zamboanga, Philippines, killing 8+ and taking 20 hostages. On Sept. 10 Quebec releases a proposed Charter of Quebec Values to ban govt. workers from wearing "overt and conspicuous" religious symbols, and require the public to uncover their faces when dealing with the govt. On Sept. 10 the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade announces that it will resume terrorist attacks on Israelis starting on Sept. 13 because of Jewish visits to the Temple Mount. On Sept. 11 (9/11) (a.m.) an explosion at the Libyan Foreign Ministry in Benghazi. On Sept. 11 al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri sends an audio message calling for more strikes on U.S. soil to "bleed" America's finances. On Sept. 11 (9/11) 1M-2M bikers roll through Washington, D.C., while the announced Million Muslim March fizzles, with less than a dozen Muslims showing up. On Sept. 12 (11?) Am.-born Islamist terrorist Omar Hammami is murdered by his rivals in Al-Shabaab in Somalia. On Sept. 12 (a.m.) 104 women incl. 20+ illegal aliens are arrested on Capitol Hill while protesting for amnesty and immigration reform. On Sept. 12 Calif. passes a law approving driver's licenses for illegal aliens. On Sept. 12 liar thug ex-KGB Russian pres. Vladimir Putin pub. an op-ed in the New York Times, claiming that the rebels not Assad's regime set off the chemical weapons, and dissing Pres. Obama for saying that the U.S. is exceptional, claiming that it's dangerous to think so. On Sept. 12 (night) gunmen attack a NATO oil tanker convoy in Soorab, Kalat, Pakistan, killing a driver and torching eight vehicles. On Sept. 13 (a.m.) a bomb at the U.S. consulate in Herat, Afghanistan kills three and injures 10. On Sept. 13 (a.m.) a fire at a psychiatric hospital N of Moscow, Russia kills 37. On Sept. 13 230km-wide Asteroid 324 Bamberga flies by Earth. On Sept. 13 Pakistani sen. Mushahid Hussain Sayed announces that the U.S. and NATO will keep 20K troops in Afghanistan in nine bases. On Sept. 13 Central African Repub. (CAR) pres. Michel Djotodia announces the "dissolution" of the 25K-man Islamist Seleka rebel coalition that put him in power on Mar. 24; when they won't dissolve, he calls them bandits, raping the countryside and engaging in selective attacks on Christians. On Sept. 13 Obabiyi Aishah Ajibola is crowned the first Muslimah World (Muslim alternative to Miss World) in Jakarta, Indonesia. On Sept. 14 the U.S. and Russia reach a deal on Syria to force it to account for and destroy its chemical weapons by July 2014 after allowing internat. inspectors in by Nov., leaving open the possibility of U.N. sanctions on military action for violations. On Sept. 14 militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) capture an air defense base in Hama, Syria. On Sept. 14 Muslims lay the foundation for the first mosque in Slovenia. On Sept. 15 the Pakistani Taliban assassinate Pakistani maj. gen. Sanaullah Niaza and two soldiers in Dir. On Sept. 15 9+ NATO fuel tankers headed for Afghanistan are destroyed by a blast in Quetta, Pakistan. On Sept. 15 Nina Davuluri (1989-) of N.Y. becomes the first Miss America of Indian descent, spurring a racist backlash against "Miss Al-Qaida"; she becomes the first contestant to perform a Bollywood dance routine. On Sept. 16 (8:16 a.m.) the Washington Navy Yard Shooting sees 34-y.-o. African-Am. Navy reservist (Buddhist) Aaron Alexis (b. 1979) of Ft. Worth, Tex. enter the Naval Yard in Washington, D.C. near the White House and shoot and kill 12 employees and injure three with a Remington 870 12-gauge shotgun before being killed, becoming the 2nd deadliest mass murder on a U.S. military base after the 2009 Fort Hood Shooting. On Sept. 16 a suicide car bomber at a police station in Chechnya kills three police and injures five. On Sept. 16 Iranian vice-pres. Ali Akbar Salehi addresses the opening session of the 57th Gen. Conference of the IAEA in Vienna, issuing the soundbyte that Iran now wants to cooperate more closely. On Sept. 16 U.N. inspectors release their Report on the Alleged Use of Chemical Weapons in the Ghouta Rea of Damascus on Aug. 21, 2103, concluding that sarin gas was used, but not fingering either side conclusively; on Sept. 19 Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov pooh-poohs the report, and claims that Assad has given them evidence that the rebels did it; on Sept. 20 a video of the rebel al-Reeh al-Sarsar Brigade doing it emerges. On Sept. 16 Pres. Obama waives a ban on arming terrorists to allow aid to Syrian rebels, who are mainly Islamist jihadists. On Sept. 16 Iranian pres. Hassan Rouhani addresses a nat. gathering of Rev. Guard cmdrs., issuing the soundbyte: "You, the uninvited guest in our region, leave the region and then you will see that it becomes heaven", accusing the West of hatching plots incl. the Syrian civil war, and "has plans for the whole region". On Sept. 16 after their permits are ruled invalid, Israeli authorities demolish Bedouin homes in Khirbet al-Mahkhul, then maltreat French diplomat Marion Fesneau-Catain, causing an internat. incident. On Sept. 16 the supernatural drama series Sleepy Hollow debuts on Fox Network, based on the short stories of Washington Irving, set in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y., starring Surrey, England-born Thomas James "Tom" Mison (1982-) as the resurrected Capt. Ichabod Crane, who chases the resurrected Headless Horseman Abraham Van Brunt. On Sept. 16-20 the Workshop on Human Space Technology is organized by the China Manned Space Agency and U.N. Office for Outer Space Affairs. On Sept. 17 a suspected bomb maker is killed in Antananarivo, Madagascar when his bomb blows up prematurely. On Sept. 17 a court in Novorossiysk, Russia rules that (a trans. of) the Quran is hate literature, and orders it placed on the federal extremist materials list, pissing-off Russian Islamist clerics, who warn of unrest if they don't reverse da decision. On Sept. 17 the action comedy series Brooklyn Nine-Nine debuts on Fox Network for ? episodes (until ?), about the 99th Precinct of the NYPD in Brooklyn, starring has-to-be-black Andre K. Braugher (1962-) as Capt. Raymond "Ray" Holt, Andrew "Andy" Samberg (1978-) as Det. Jacob "Jake" Peralta, Terry Alan Crews Jr. (1968-) as Sgt. Terry Jeffords, and Dennis Dirk Blocker (1957-) (son of Dan Blocker) as Det. Michael Hitchcock. On Sept. 18 (8:45 a.m.) two Taliban motorcycle gunmen kill senior Afghan election official Mohammad Amanullah then brag about it on Twitter. On Sept. 18 seven illegal aliens handcuff themselves to the White House to protest lack of legal status and call for an end to deportations. On Sept. 18 for a 2nd time the U.S. House of Reps. overwhelmingly (402-22) passes legislation to establish a special envoy on the Middle East to focus on religious minorities incl. Christians; too bad, Pres. Obama opposes it; the first vote in 2011 was passed by 402-20. On Sept. 18 a madass Muslim repeatedly stabs firefighter Dominic Parker (b. 1968) in the head at a cafe in Toronto, Canada, killing him. On Sept. 18 the Internat. News pub. an article claiming that in the past 18 mo. the Taliban has collected at least 650M rupees in ransoms from kidnapping businessmen in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, Pakistan. On Sept. 18-19 Hurricane Manuel hits NW Mexico, killing 80+. On Sept. 19 al-Qaida Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants capture the strategic Oncupinar border crossing between N Syria and Turkey after pushing moderate rebels out of Azaz; meanwhile a truce is reached between ISIS and the Syrian Nat. Coalition, who says that the push for an Islamist state undermines their struggle for a free Syria. On Sept. 19 after a rally by thousands of pro-Mori supporters shouting "Down with Sisi", the Egyptian army retakes Islamist-held Kerdassa, Egypt, killing 55 and losing Egyptian police gen. Nabil Farag (Nabeel Farrag). On Sept. 19 a Tex. appeals court overturns the money laundering conviction of former House Majority leader Tom DeLay, cancelled his 3-year sentence. On Sept. 19 Iran releases two dozen+ political prisoners incl. human rights atty. Nasrin Sotoudeh, but fails to release Am. pastor Saeed Abedini. On Sept. 19 (17:25 GMT) a 5.3 earthquake near the Fukushima Nuclear Plant in Japan. On Sept. 19 the Repub.-controlled U.S. House votes by 217-210 to cut food stamps (SNAP) by $40B over 10 years starting in 2014. announce a push for tough new requirements for coal-fired power plants to stave off alleged global warming, although environmentalists admit that even if they were all shut down, global CO2 would only be reduced by 0.2%. On Sept. 19 Pres. Obama's buddies at the Hamas-connected Council of Am.-Islamic Relations (CAIR) pub. Same Hate, Same Target, claiming that anybody critical of Islam is a bigoted "Islamophobe"; on Sept. 20 U.S. Inspector Gen. Michael Horowitz reveals that the FBI has been engaging in outreach activity with CAIR despite a 2008 policy banning it, causing U.S. Rep. (R-Va.) Frank Wolf to demand that the agents be punished; meanwhile on Sept. 19 prominent blogger Pamela Geller pub. an article revealing that 501c(3) nonprofit CAIR failed to file required Form 990s for three consecutive years. On Sept. 19 Tunisian interior minister Lofti Bin Jeddo utters the soundyte that Tunisian girls on "sex jihad" had returned after being sexually "swapped between 20, 30, and 100 rebels and they come back bearing the fruit of sexual contacts in the name of sexual jihad and we are silent doing nothing and standing idle." On Sept. 19 Pope Francis utters the soundbyte that the Church has become "obsessed" with gays, abortion, and contraception to the detriment of its basic mission to be a "home for all", and that the Church can share its views but should not "interfere spiritually" with fags and dikes, er, gays and lesbians. On Sept. 20 al-Qaida militants kill 56 soldiers and policemen in two attacks at al-Nashama and Maifaa in S Yemen. On Sept. 20 clashes between anti-Indian protesters and govt. forces in Srinagar, Kashmir injure 7+. On Sept. 20 Taliban fighters ambush Afghan policemen in Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan, killing 20+. On Sept. 20 the Repub.-dominated U.S. House votes to defund Obamacare, attaching it to a bill to keep the govt. in operation, knowing that when it's rejected by the Senate the federal govt. could shut down. On Sept. 20 the Obama admin. announces a policy change that limits access to the Gitmo military commission hearings to five leftist orgs. only, kicking out right-of-center Judicial Watch. On Sept. 20 an IAEA resolution backed by the Arab League and Iran criticizing Israel for its nuclear arsenal is defeated 43-51-32; meanwhile a draft resolution submitted by Egypt passes, calling for all Middle East countries to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty et al.; meanwhile Israeli strategic affairs minister Yuval Steinitz utters the soundbyte "There is no more time to hold negotiations" with Iran over its nukes, adding "If the iranians continue to run, in another half a year they will have a bomb capability", and Benjamin Netanyahu's office issues the soundbyte "One must not be fooled by the Iranian president's fraudulent words. The Iranians are spinning in the media so that the centrifuges can keep on spinning." On Sept. 20 Abdel hameed Shehadeh (1990-) is sentenced by a federal court in Brooklyn, N.Y. to 13 years for lying to the FBI about plans to team up with the Taliban or al-Qaida. On Sept. 20 Pakistan passes amendments containing sweeping changes to its antiterrorism laws, incl. empowering security forces to hold suspects for 90 days without court approval, and the creation of new antiterrorism courts. On Sept. 20 Canada revokes the charitable status of the Islamic Society of North Am. for giving $280K to an org. linked to terrorism in Pakistan. On Sept. 20 42-y.-o. Palestinian Nidal Amar lures and kidnaps Israeli soldier Sgt. Tomer hazan (b. 1993) in Beit Amin (near Qalqiliya), West Bank, then murders him. On Sept. 20 Spiegel Online reports that Iran pres. Hassan Rouhani is prepared to dismantle the Fordo Nuclear Plant to pacify the West. On Sept. 20 Norwegian Progress Party leader Christian Tybring-Gjedde makes news for refusing to renounce the phrae "creeping Islamization", first used by party leader Siv Jensen in 2009. On Sept. 21 (noon) after telling Muslims that they can leave unharmed, 15 Al-Shabaab gunmen attack the upscale Westgate Shopping Center in Nairobi, Kenya, killing 68 incl. six soldiers and 62 civilians incl. 31 Americans and three Brits, and injuring 250+ in a standoff with the army that ends on Sept. 24; on Sept. 23 British PM David Cameron utters the soundbyte: "These appalling terrorist attacks that take place, where the perpetrators claim they do it in the name of a religion - they don't. They do it in the name of terror, violence and extremism and their warped view of the world"; rumors spread that it is led by 7/7 fugitive British "White Widow" Samantha Lewthwaite (who rented a house near the mall), and incl. British Muslims Liban Adam and Ahmed Nasir Shirdoon, along with Am. Muslims from Ill., Maine, Ariz., Minn., and Kan.; victims are slaughtered if they can't prove they're Muslim; non-Muslims suffer horrific torture; the last jihadist sets fire to the bodies of his comrades to stop identification; Nigerian pres. Uhuru Kenyatta's nephew is killed; al-Shabaab uses Twitter to broadcast the entire event blow-by-blow; on Sept. 27 Al-Shabaab leader Ahmed Abi Mohamed Godane utters the soundbyte that there will be an "abundance of blood" until Kenyan troops leave Somalia; an Al-Shabaab Operations Manual discovered in 2011 on the body of dead al-Qaida cmdr. Fazul Abdullah Mohammed in Mogadishu lists targets incl. shopping malls in the London suburbs of Golders Green and Stamford Hill. On Sept. 21 two suicide bomber at two Shiite funerals in Baghdad, Iraq kill 92+. On Sept. 21 an Afghan soldier stages a green-on-blue attack in Paktia Province, Afghanistan, killing three ISAF special forces troops. On Sept. 21 Afghan Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar is released from jail in Pakistan to negotiate a peace deal with the Afghan govt. On Sept. 21 billionaire George Soros (b. 1930) marries health care consultant Tamiko Bolton (1971-), his 3rd marriage. On Sept. 22 (Sun.) Bundestag elections in Germany are a V for the conservative bloc of pres. Angela Merkel, with 41%; Cemile Giousouf (1988-) (daughter of Turkish immigrants) becomes the first Muslim German MP (until ?); Senegal-born Karamba Diaby (1962-) becomes the first black German MP (until ?). On Sept. 22 a suicide attack on the historic All Saints Church in Peshawar, Pakistan during a Sun. service attended by 600 kills 75+ and injures 100+. On Sept. 22 U.S. drones kill seven militants in North Waziristan, Pakistan, #2 this mo. On Sept. 22 Israeli Sgt. Gabriel Koby (b. 1993) is killed by a sniper in Hebron, causing Israel to permit the immediate resettlement of the nearby Beit Hamachpela (House of the Patriarchs) near the Cave of the Patriarchs. On Sept. 22 voters in the Italian-speaking region of Ticino, Switzerland ban full-face veils, pissing-off the Muslim community and Amnesty Internat. On Sept. 22 the crime drama series The Blacklist debuts on NBC-TV for ? episodes (until ?), starring James Todd Spader (1960-) as Raymond "Red" Reddington, "the Concierge of Crime", a U.S. Navy officer turned high-profile criminal, who surrenders to the FBI after eluding capture for decades, and barters a list of the world's most dangerous criminals for immunity on the condition he work with rookie FBI profiler Elizabeth Keen, played by Megan Boone (1983-); "Never trust a criminal... until you have to." On Sept. 23 an Egyptian court bans the Muslim Brotherhood and orders it assets confiscated; it moves its HQ to London; meanwhile the Islamic Council Alliance is formed to replace it. On Sept. 23 Bank of America, Hewlett-Packard, and Alcoa are dropped, and Goldman Sachs, Visa, and Nike are added to the 30-stock Dow Jones Industrial Avg. On Sept. 24 Pres. Obama gives a speech to the U.N. Gen. Assembly, focusing on the Middle East, defining the Obama Doctrine of avoiding long entanglements and nation-building equally with isolationism, with the soundbytes: "The United States has a hard-earned humility when it comes to our ability to determine events inside other countries", and "I believe America must remain engaged for our own security. I believe the world is better for it. Some may disagree, but I believe that America is exceptional, in part because we have shown a willingness, through the sacrifice of blood and treasure, to stand up not only for our own narrow self-interest, but for the interests of all", saying that "There must be a strong Security Council resolution to verify that the Assad regime is keeping its commitments", and saying that the U.S. doesn't seek regime change in Iran, and leaving the door open for nuclear talks, with the soundbyte "I firmly believe the diplomatic path must be tested"; he adds that Israel security depends on a Palestinian state, and claims "a growing recognition within Israel that the occupation of the West Bank is tearing at the democratic fabric of the Jewish state", causing Israeli minister Yisrael Katz to utter the soundbyte: "I believe this is one of the most disturbing statements that a United States president has ever made"; later, after snubbing a meeting invitation from Obama, Iranian pres. Hassan Rouhani gives a speech to the U.N. Gen. Assembly, denying that Iran ever sought to develop nukes, and dissing the "warmongers", with the soundbyte "Iran poses absolutely no threat to the world or the region"; Israel boycotts it, with PM Benjamin Netanyahu uttering the soundbyte that the speech is "cynical", and he's just stalling for time to build nukes; British foreign minister William Hague meets with Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, thawing two years of ice. On Sept. 25 a dinner party with Iranian pres. Hassan Rouhani is attended by Louis Farrakhan at the One UN Hotel in New York City. On Sept. 24 U.S. Sen. (R-Tex.) (2013-) Rafael Edward "Ted" Cruz (1970-) begins a filibuster against Obamacare (Affordable Care Act), promising to keep speaking "until I am no longer able to stand"; he lasts 22 hours; on Sept. 27 the Senate by 79-19 incl. 25 Repubs. passes a spending bill with full funding for Obamacare; on Sept. 29 the House passes a bill keeping the govt. funded but delaying Obamacare one year; on Sept 30 the Senate votes 54-46 tables all proposals, holding firm to their demand to fund Obamacare. On Sept. 24 Brazilian pres. Dilma Rousseff gives a speech at the U.N. Gen. Assembly which breaks U.N. protocol to blast the U.S. for spying on Brazilian interests, as revealed by Am. journalist Glenn Greenwald (1967-). On Sept. 24 the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) stages a suicide attack in Haditha, Iraq, killing nine policemen. On Sept. 24 Boko Haram gunmen attack travellers on the Maiduguri-Damaturu road near Benisheik, Borno, Nigeria, killing 161. On Sept. 24 (4:29 p.m.) (11:29 GMT) a 7.8 earthquake off the coast of Pakistan creates a new island off Gwadar. On Sept. 25 the main Syrian rebel factions reject the authority of the Western-backed Syrian Nat. Council and Free Syria Army, demanding a Sharia state. On Sept. 25 a grenade attack at a market in North Eastern Province, Kenya kills one and injures four. On Sept. 25 despite opposition by the NRA et al., U.S. secy. of state John Kerry signs the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty. On Sept. 25 the Chinese Communist Global Times newspaper announces that China has the military capability to strike anywhere in the W Pacific incl. Japan, SE Asia, and Australia. On Sept. 25-30 a reunion of 100 people from South Korea and 100 from North Korea is held at a North Korean mountain resort. On Sept. 26 (early a.m.) Islamic militants burn a Christian church in Dorawa, Nigeria, killing the pastor and his son. On Sept. 26 (a.m.) a twin suicide attack by three Pakistan-based LeT militants in Jammu and Kashmir kills 10 incl. an army officer. On Sept. 26 militants attack police and govt. bldgs. in N Iraq, killing 33. On Sept. 26 an Afghan soldier in Paktia, E Afghanistan fires on his NATO trainers, killing one and injuring several. On Sept. 26 two explosions on a busy street in Sana'a, Yemen injure 20. On Sept. 26 the U.N. Security's five permanent members agree on the core elements of a resolution requiring Syria to give up its chemical weapons, but the U.S. and Russia disagree on details, keeping it from being finalized until Sept. 27; meanwhile on Sept. 26 U.S. secy. of state John Kerry meets with Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif, becoming the highest level organized meeting between the U.S. and Iran since 1979. On Sept. 26 an attack by Saudi-backed Salafists in Saravan, Iran kills 14 Iranian border guards and injures five. On Sept. 26 Turkish EU affairs minister Egemen Bagis utters the soundbyte that Turkey is unlikely to ever become a member of the EU, but might enter into a Norwegian-type relationship with it. On Sept. 26 the city council of Reykjavik, Iceland approves a permit for the first mosque in Iceland. On Sept. 27 Palestinian riots erupt in the West Bank, Gaza Strip border, and Jerusalem on the 13th anniv. of the Second Intifada. On Sept. 27 after Hillary Clinton's policy adviser Jake Sullivan arranges it, Pres. Obama speaks on the phone with Iranian pres. Hassan Rouhani, becoming the first pres.-to-pres. communication since 1979; they agree to pursue a deal on Iran's nukes - leading directly to WWIII? George Soros is behind it? On Sept. 27 Pres. Obama declares the month of Nov. Nat. Muslim Appreciation Month, with the soundbyte: "The Muslim community deserves our full acceptance and respect. We have killed millions of Muslims overseas since the September 11th attacks. They are not all bad. In fact most of them are good. So from now on, November will be a month to celebrate the Muslim community, the Sunnah and the Quran"; the traitor, er, chief executive then announces that he will be pushing Congress to make it easier for Muslims to get a green card and earn citizenship, with the soundbyte: "There are too many background checks in place and I plan to fix that." On Sept. 27 U.S. secy. of state John Kerry and Turkish secy. of state Ahmet Davutoglu announce the establishment of the Global Fund for Community Engagement and Resilience, funded by $200M over 10 years to combat violent Muslim extremism by undercutting its ideological and recruiting appeal - that's the biggest load of crap I ever saw? On Sept. 27 Bolivian pres. Evo Morales gives a speech at the U.N. Gen. Assembly, calling for the U.N. to be moved out of the U.S., and calling Pres. Obama a war criminal who should face an internat. trial; "They arranged for the president to be killed, and they usurped Libya's oil." On Sept. 27 the U.N. Human Rights Council adopts a Resolution to End Child Marriage, which is co-sponsored by 107 countries; India refuses; it also overwhelmingly adopts a resolution banning intimidation and reprisals against individuals who cooperate with U.N. human rights mechanisms; too bad, on Dec. 18 it suspends it. On Sept. 27 a poll finds that 6 in 10 U.S. Hispanics feel closer to the Dem. Party than in the past, while only 3 in 10 feel closer to the Repub. Party; 48% have negative associates about the Repubs. vs. only 22% about the Dems. On Sept. 27 MasterChef Junior debuts on Fox-TV (until ?), starring chef-judges Gordon Ramsay (1966-), Joe Bastianich (1968-), and Chicago, Ill.-based Graham Elliot (Bowles) (1977-), who loves to wear square white eyeglasses. On Sept. 27-29 the Eastern Christians in Light of the Arab Spring Conference in Amman, Jordan, attended by 50+ bemoans their persecution by Muslims. On Sept. 28 explosions in outdoor markets in and around Baghdead, Iraq kill 23+. On Sept. 28 a shoe is thrown at the car of Iranian pres. Hassan Rouhani by 60 hardliners as he arrives in Tehran from his U.N. trip; another 200-300 shout "Thank you, Rouhani." On Sept. 28 Malaysian PM Najib Tun Razak gives a speech at the U.N. Gen. Assembly, warning that Islamic violence is tearing the Muslim World apart, with the soundbyte: "I believe the greatest threat to Muslims today comes not from the outside world, but from within." On Sept. 29 (1 a.m.) Boko Haram militants murder 65 sleeping Yobe State Agriculture College students in Gujba, Nigeria. On Sept. 29 Turkish chief justice Hasim Kilic gives a speech at Alparslan U., pointing to violence in Muslim countries, with the soundbyte: "If this is what it means to be a Muslim, then I am no Muslim." On Sept. 29 the Al Nushrah Front and the Free Syrian Army take the Daraa Border Crossing to Jordan. On Sept. 29 a suicide attack in Erbil, Kurdistan kills 62 policemen and injures 42, plus 20 civilians, becoming the first suicide attack in Kurdistan in six years. On Sept. 29 a car bomb on a crowded street in the oldest bazaar in Peshawar, Pakistan kills 40 and injures 90. On Sept. 29 a Syrian air strike on a school in rebel-held Raqqa, Syria kills 16+, mostly students. On Sept. 29 Syrian foreign minister Walid Moallem rejects negotiations with the U.S.-based Nat. Coalition of Syrian Opposition and Rev. Forces, and utters the soundbyte "There is no civil war in Syria", calling it a fight against terrorism; meanwhile its spokesman Khalid Saleh announces that it is preparing for the Geneva II Conference on Syria, and will provide support for U.N. teams destroying Syria's chemical weapons; meanwhile 43 rebel groups in Syria form the Army of Islam, rivaling the Free Syrian Army. On Sept. 29 Iran passes a law permitting men to marry their adopted daughters as young as 13 y.o. On Sept. 29 Yunka Mihura (20) and Joana Palhares (18) are arrested in Sao Sebastiao, Brazil for kissing during an evangelical event. On Sept. 29 Michelle Ashford's period drama series Masters of Sex debuts on Showtime for ? episodes (until )?, based on the 2009 book by Thomas Maier, starring Michael Christopher Sheen (1969-) as Dr. William Mastur, er, Masters, and Elizabeth Anne "Lizzy" Caplan (1982-) as Virginia Johnson. On Sept. 29-30 the U.S. stages two drone strikes in North Waziristan, Pakistan, pissing-off the Pakistani govt. On Sept. 30 Miami Beach, Fla.-born Ronald "Ron" Dermer (1971-) succeeds Michael B. Oren as Israeli ambassador to the U.S. #18 (until ?). On Sept. 30 a wave of bombings in Shiite neighborhoods in Baghead, Iraq kill 51+ and injures dozens. On Sept. 30 AQAP fighters dressed in govt. uniforms capture a military base in Mukallah, Yemen in Hadramout Province. On Sept. 30 a series of bombings in Irbil, Kurdistan kills six. On Sept. 30 Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erodgan gives a speech announcing that the ban on wearing the hijab in state institutions will be ended. On Sept. 30 the Vatican announces the decision to canonize Popes John XIII and John Paul II next Apr. 27. On Sept. 30 6-y.-o. Lulu becomes the first transgender child in Argentina to have her name officially changed under the May 2012 Gender Identity Law. On Sept. 30 the 2013 Fiscal Year U.S. Budget Deficit is $680.276B vs. $1.089193T in 2012, $1.296791T in 2011, $1.294204T in 2010, and $1.415724T in 2009; in 2008 when Bush was pres. it was $454.798B. In Sept. the anti-Western Al-Tahaluf al-Islami (Islamic Alliance/Coalition) incl. Jabhat al-Nusra and Ahrar al-Sham is formed in Aleppo, Syria to oppose pro-West Syrian rebel groups. In Sept. the 58km Kirkuk Trench in Iraq is begun to defend it from terrorist attacks. In Sept. the U.S. unemployment rate falls to 7.2%, lowest since Pres. Obama was elected in Nov. 2008, adding 148K jobs; too bad, a record 90.6M adult Americans are not in the labor force anymore. In Sept. the first commercial hemp crop in almost 60 years is harvested in Colo. In Sept. 39.9K of the new hires in the U.S. tech industry since Jan. are women, outnumbering men for the first time ever. On Oct. 1 after Congressional deadlock over funding Obamacare, the U.S. begins a partial shutdown, incl. the Statue of Liberty; a group of WWII vets storm the WWII Memorial in the Washington, D.C. Mall after they find it barricaded; meanwhile Obamacare itself begins. On Oct. 1 a mortar shell lands near the Chinese embassy in Damascus, Syria, injuring one, pissing-off the Chinese govt. On Oct. 1 Syrian Muslim rebels attack the historic Chrisian town of Sednaya, Syria N of Damascus. On Oct. 1 Washington, D.C. mayor Vincent C. Gary issues a proclamation declaring Oct. as America's Islamic Heritage Month. On Oct. 1 an agreement is signed to officially recognize Islam in Lower Saxony, Germny. On Oct. 1 a U.N. Report on the Libyan Brigades details widespread torture of jailed Libyans. On Oct. 2 (dawn) the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) begins a battle in Bab al-Salam on the Turkish border against Syria's Northern Storm Brigade in order to solidify its own border from Raqqa. On Oct. 2 the 45th anniv. of the 1968 Tlatelolco Massacre in Mexico City, Mexico sees demonstrators clash with police, injuring 40. On Oct. 2 the Obama admin. begins a disengagement from Syria, cutting off non-lethal aid to the Syrian rebels; meanwhile al-Qaida blocks the receipt of any aid in N Syria. On Oct. 2 the $15M Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard U. opens, headed by Henry Louis "Skip" Gates Jr. On Oct. 2 gunman attack the Russian embassy in Tripoli, Libya; no injuries. On Oct. 3 a rickety trawler carrying 500+ African migrants is set afire when they pour gasoline on a blanket and light it as a signal, then capsizes 1/4-mi. off Sicily, killing 111+; on Sept. 8 senior EU official Cecilia Malmstrom calls for expanded patrols of Mediterranean waters to prevent such disasters. On Oct. 3 (Day 3 of the govt. shutdown) Conn. black woman Miriam Carey (b. 1979), allegedly with mental problems goes beserk in her black Infiniti on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., charging DC authorities and ending up gunned down and killed; she had an 18-mo.-o. infant in her back seat; it is Obama's love child? On Oct. 3 Iranian cyberwarfare program head Mojtaba Ahmadi is assassinated in Tehran. On Oct. 3 Hamid Karzai's buddy Ustad Abdul Rab Rasul Sayyaf (1946-), who brought al-Qaida to Afghanistan announces his candidacy for the Afghan presidency. On Oct. 3 (German Unity Day) 100K participate in an open house in mosques in Germany, while politicians call for more of the 4M Muslims (mainly from Turkey) to have the vote. On Oct. 3 the U.N. Gen. Assembly elects Iran to a senior seat on the U.N. nuclear disarmament committee as rapporteur, causing Israel to strenuously object. On Oct. 3 Pres. Obama holds a press conference to announce that he's using his private funds to open the federally-funded Internat. Museum of Muslim Cultures during the govt. shutdown. :) On Oct. 3 former Detroit, Mich. mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is sentenced to 28 yearsin prison for "astonishing... devastating" corruption. On Oct. 3 Abdirisak Aden and Mahamed Hasan win a religious discrimination case in Bedford, becoming the first religious discrimination case won by Muslims in England. On Oct. 4 Turkish pres. Abdullah Gul issues a warning to the Muslim World, saying they face the possibility of returning to the darkness of the Euro Middle Ages because of sectarian violence. On Oct. 4 mentally-ill N.J. man John Constantino (1949-) sets himself on fire with gasoline on the Nat. Mall in Washington, D.C., and is put out by the crowd before being airlifted to MedStar Washington HospitalCenter, where he dies hours later. On Oct. 4 the Times of Israel reports that Beith Shalom Synagogue in Surabaya, Java, last Jewish synagogue in Indonesia was destroyed early in the year; it was sealed in 2009 after anti-Israel protests by hardline Muslims; only 20 Jews remain in Indonesia, world's largest Muslim nation. On Oct. 4 Chinese state media announce that the govt. employs 2M people to monitor microblogs. On Oct. 5 the Day of Dignity and Respect features 150+ protests in 40 states by millions, er, 50K to pressure Congress into passing Obama's immigration reform legislation; too bad, the federal govt. shutdown upstages them. On Oct. 5 thousands protest in the streets of Tehran, Iran, shouting "Death to Israel and America", smudging the shine of Hassan Rouhani's charm mission. On Oct. 5 Georgia and Moldova sign a pledge of cooperation in their Euro integration process; meanwhile outgoing Georgian pres. Mikheil Saakashvili is reelected as chmn. of the United Nat. Movement at its congress in Tbilisi. On Oct. 5 a U.S. Navy SEAL team attacks an Al-Shabaab stronghold in Barawe, Somalia, killing leader Abu Zubeyr (Ahmed Abdi Godane). On Oct. 5 the Zamzam Initiative is launched by moderate Muslim Brotherhood members in Jordan "to renew the Islamic discourse and present Islam as a cultural framework that encompasses the nation while emphasizing religious, sectarian, political and racial pluralism"; Muslim Brotherhood brass boycotts it. On Oct. 5 a contract security guard in S Afghanistan kills a senior ISAF member in a green-on-blue attack. On Oct. 5 Pres. Obama utters the soundbyte that Iran is still "a year or more away" from building a nuke. On Oct. 5 Irish voters reject a proposal to abolish the senate despite backing by PM Enda Kenny. On Oct. 5 (early a.m.) U.S. forces raid Baraawe, Somalia looking for al-Qaida leader Abdikadir Mohamed Abdikadir, but fail to capture him; in Tripoli, Libya they capture al-Qaida leader Anas al-Libi (Nazih Abdul-Hamed al-Ruqai), known for his role in the 1998 Tanzanian and Kenyan U.S. embassy attacks, with a $5M bounty on his head, then questioning aboard USS San Antonio, causing U.S. secy. of state John Kerry on Oct. 6 to utter the soundbyte that al-Qaida "can run, but can't hide"; meanwhile pissed-off Libya demands his return, causing U.S. officials to claim that it authorized the raids. On Oct. 5 Calif. gov. Jerry Brown signs the Calif. Trust Act, prohibiting illegal aliens from being turned over to ICE authorities for possibile deportation unless they have been charged and/or convicted of a serious offense; on Oct. 7 he vetoes a bill that would make Calif. the first state to allow illegal aliens to serve on juries, saying that the responsibility should come only with citizenship; altogether he signs eight immigration reform bills incl. one permitting illegal aliens to get a law license. On Oct. 5 (night) a 9-y.-o. Israeli girl is shot in the neck and seriously injured by a Palestinian terrorist in Benyamin, Israel. On Oct. 6 (Sun.) two suicide bombers in N Iraq at a police station and primary school kill 15 incl. children; another blast in the Turkmen Shiite village of Qabat near the Syrian border injures 44. On Oct. 6 mortar fire in the Qassaa Christian neighborhood of Damascus, Syria kills eight and injures 24. On Oct. 6 a Taliban suicide attack in Zhari District, Kandahar, Afghanistan kills four U.S. soliders. On Oct. 6 (40th anniv. of the 1973 Arab-Israeli War) clashes in Cairo, Egypt between Morsi supporters and security forces kill 48, plus nine more in other cities; 200+ Muslim Brotherhood supporters are arrested in Cairo; meanwhile Egyptian interim pres. Adly Monsour announces the renewal of the Egyptian nuclear power program. On Oct. 6 a protest in Biru, Tibet is shut down by Chinese police, who fire on the crowd and use tear gas. On Oct. 6 Saudi Arabia begins issuing the first-ever law licenses to women. On Oct. 6 Hollyweird actor Steven Seagal attends a gala concert in Grozny, Chechnya for the birthday of pres. Ramzan Kadyrov; in May he visited him Kadyrov at his residence, causing Kadyrov to say that Seagal is "almost a Chechen". On Oct. 7 (4 a.m.) Boko Haram militants lure fellow Muslims to a mosque in Damboa, Nigeria, then kill seven. On Oct. 7 (12th anniv. of the U.S.-led NATO invastion) Afghan pres. Hamid Karzai gives an interview to the BBC's Newsnight, saying that NATO created "no gains" for Afghanistan, and that Afghan women have nothing to fear from a return of the Taliban; he also disses the Bilateral Security Agreement, pointing to repeated violations of Afghan sovereignty, and rules out signing a security deal with the U.S. until the issue is resolved. On Oct. 7 700K line the funeral procession of ultra-Orthodox Rabbi Ovadia Yousef in Jerusalem. On Oct. 7 Egyptian interim pres. Adly Mansour makes his first visit to ally Saudi Arabia, followed by a short visit to Jordan, which is condemned by the Muslim Brotherhood. On Oct. 8 the Dow Jones Industrial Avg. slumps 160 points, then rebounds by 322 points on Oct. 10. On Oct. 8 despite the federal govt. shutdown, the Obama admin. authorizes the Camino Americano: March for Dignity and Respect at the Nat. Mall in Washington, D.C.; eight lawmakers are arrested. On Oct. 8 Morsi supporters destroy a satellite dish in the Mahdi District of Cairo, calling it an "infidel mouthpiece". On Oct. 8 English Defense League (EDL) co-founders Tommy Robinson and Kevin Caroll announce that they're resigning because the org. has been infiltrated by racists and anti-Semites; too bad, they join the Muslim-front Quilliam Foundation, with Robinson uttering the soundbyte: "I believe that the revolution needs to come from within the Islamic community and they need to stand up, and I believe this is a step forward not a step back." On Oct. 9 Pres. Obama nominates economist Janet Louise Yellen (1946-) to succeed Ben Bernanke as chmn. of the Federal Reserve; she is confirmed next Jan. 6 by 56-26, taking office on Feb. 1 (until ?). On Oct. 9 the Obama admin. announces that it's scaling back assistance to Egypt, incl. suspending $260M in cash aid and holding delivery of F-16 aircraft, M1A1 tank parts etc. On Oct. 10 Libyan PM Ali Zeidan is briefly kidnapped, accusing a "political party" of organizing it; on Oct. 11 a car bomb explodes outside the Swedish consulate in Benghazi, Libya. On Oct. 10 31 Muslim bombs planted on ATMs explode in the four southernmost provinces of Thailand incl. Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat, and Songkhla. On Oct. 10 the EU signs a 45B Euro currency swap agreement with China. On Oct. 10 Turkey's Council of Ministers announces a decision to confiscate the assets of 349 persons and 67 legal entities linked to al-Qaida and the Taliban. On Oct. 12-14 Hezbollah deputy Ali Fayyed of the Lebanese Parliament visits France, telling them that the EU was wrong in July to list its military wing as a terrorist org. On Oct. 11 (a.m.) dozens of truck drivers block the inner loop of the Washington, D.C. Beltway to protest Obamacare; 3K drivers were originally planned. On Oct. 11 the U.N. Security unanimously votes to extend the NATO-led force mandate through 2014, probably the last extension; meanwhile U.S. secy. of state John Kerry makes an unnanounced visit to Kabul for talks with Afghan pres. Hamid Karzi over the looming end of Oct. deadline for completing a security deal to allow U.S. troops to remain after the end of the NATO-led mission. On Oct. 11 a 2nd boat carrying 250 immigrants from North Africa capsizes 60 mi. S of Lampedusa Island between Sicily and Tunisia, killing 50+. On Oct. 11 a court in Iran sentences Miriam Naqqash to four years in prison for converting from Islam to Christianity, claiming she is guilty of "endangering national security by spreading religious propaganda in the country". On Oct. 11 Am. Muslims Humayoun Ghoulan Nabi (27) and Ismail Alsarabbi (32) of Queens, N.Y. are charged with "building a small army" to help the Taliban, with one saying that he was so angry about the killing of Osama bin Laden that he wanted to "kill and cut [U.S. soldiers] to pieces". On Oct. 11 (night) Israeli reserve col. Sariya Ofer is murdered in his home in B'rosh Habika, Jordan Valley by two Palestinians who use metal rods and axes, becoming the 3rd Israeli killed in the West Bank in the last mo.; Ofer's brother Maj. Yitzchak Ofer was KIA on Oct. 11, 1973 in the Yom Kippur War. On Oct. 12 World Bank Pres. Jim Yong Kim issues the soundbyte: "We're now five days away from a very dangerous moment. I urge U.S. policymakers to quickly come to a resolution before they reach the debt ceiling deadline. Inaction could result in interest rates rising, confidence falling, and growth slowing." On Oct. 12 Pres. Obama delivers his weekly radio address, with the soundbyte that Congress needs to end the govt. shutdown so it can pass comprehensive immigration reform; meanwhile Obama meets with 16-y.-o. Pakistani hero-activist Malala Yusfzai, who utters the soundbyte that U.S. drone strikes are "fueling terrorism" and asks him to stop them. On Oct. 12 the Syrian army opens the road between Hama and Aleppo, and regains full control of 40 villages; the Muslim-Muslim fighting goes on despite the Muslim holy days. On Oct. 12 the Egyptian daily Al Youm al-Sabaa reports a secret meeting between the Muslim Brotherhood and al-Qaida in Jordan. On Oct. 12-13 Cyclone Phailin hits the E coast of India, causing 550k to be evacuated. On Oct. 13 (Sun.) the anti-Muslim-immigration Nat. Front Party of Marine le Pen wins a V in local elections in Var (near Toulon), France. On Oct. 13 Syrian Nat. Council pres. George Sabra announces that they're boycotting the proposed peace conference in Geneva, and would quit the Syrian Nat. Coalition if it participated. On Oct. 13 another green-on-blue attack in E Afghanistan kills one ISAF soldier. On Oct. 13 the Million Vet March sees WWII vets attack the "barrycades" surrounding the WWII and Lincoln Memorials on the Nat. Mall in Washington, D.C. On Oct. 13 EBT (SNAP food stamp) cards stop working in 17 U.S. states, causing a mini-panic. On Oct. 13 a riot outside a vegetable warehouse in Biryulovo, Moscow, Russia begins after an Azerbaijani Muslim immigrant allegedly stabs ethnic Russian Yegor Shcherbakov (b. 1988), causing 1.2K to be arrested by Oct. 14; Russia is in danger of going Muslim by the middle of the cent.? On Oct. 13 tribal leader Faisal al-Mikhlafi is assassinated in Taiz, Yemen. On Oct. 13 Malaysian Muslim Lawyers Assoc. pres. Datuk Zainul Rijal Abu Bakar urges the govt. to ignore the Coalition of Malaysian NGOs (Comango) for recommending reforms to improve Malaysia's human rights record, saying it would usurp Islam and Malaysian sovereignty. On Oct. 13 the Sunday Times of Britain pub. an article revealing that £1.95bn in Euro aid to the Palestinian occupied territories in 2008-12 may have been lost to corruption, according to the Luxembourg-based European Court of Auditors. On Oct. 14 TLW announces the NASA Knowledge Ark Project, a plan for NASA to save civilization after an atomic war by setting up a long-lived Internet in space; on Oct. 25 six astronauts hold a conference hosted by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, calling for a global effort to defend the Earth from asteroids. On Oct. 14 a car bomb in Darkush, Syria near the Turkish border kills 27+ incl. three children. On Oct. 14 bomb is found in Mamora, Beirut in the same area that a car bomb killed 20 2 mo. earlier. On Oct. 14 a stampede during a festival in Ratangarh, Madhya Pradesh, India kills 115. On Oct. 14 (eve.) seven members of Ansar al-Sharia are killed in Sirte, Libya when their bomb goes off prematurely. On Oct. 15 a 7.2 earthquake in the C Philippines kills 4+. On Oct. 15 Arsala Jamal, gov. of Logar Province in Afghanistan is assassinated by a bomb planted in his microphone inside a mosque while speaking for Eid al Adha prayers. On Oct. 15 Capt. William Swenson is awarded the Medal of Honor by Pres. Obama. On Oct. 15 Tex. Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst calls for Pres. Obama's impeachment for abusing his authority over immigration and Obamacare, as well as his screwup in the 2012 Benghazi Consulate Scandal. On Oct. 15 Great Raft Brewing Co. in Shreveport, La. sells its first beer, going on to produce Southern Drawl, Reasonably Corrupt, and Commotion Pale Ale brands. On Oct. 16 the U.S. Senate announces a last-min. deal to end the govt. shutdown before the Oct. 17 date on which it would default on its loans; House stenographer Dianne Reidy is forcibly removed from the House chamber during the voting after ranting about God and the Freemasons, incl. the soundbyte "The House is divided"; on Oct. 18 the U.S. debt ceiling jumps to $17T. On Oct. 16 the Turkish army announces that it fired on al-Qaida-linked fighters over the N Syrian border for the first time ever. On Oct. 16 the U.N. appoints Sigrid Kaag of Netherlands to head the Syrian chemical weapons removal project. On Oct. 16 a Taliban suicide bamber in Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan kills provincial minister Israrullah Gandapur and seven others. On Oct. 16 Canadian Muslim Mohamoud Jimale (1968-) is arrested for leaving a suspicious package on Parliament Hill in Toronto ahead of a speech by PM Stephen Harper. On Oct. 17 Chad and Saudi Arabia are elected for 2-year terms to the 15-member U.N. Security Council, causing UN Watch to call for the U.S., EU, and Ban Ki-moon to protest because of their human rights abuses; after protests, Saudi Arabia declines their seat; Chile, Lithuania, and Nigeria are also elected, effective Jan. 1; on Dec. 6 Jordan is elected instead. On Oct. 17 Syrian intel official Maj. Gen. Jameh Jameh (Jama'a Jama'a), blacklisted by the U.S. and EU for the 2005 assassination of Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri is killed in an ambush by Syrian rebels, causing the Syrian air force to retaliate by bombing Deir al-Zor on Oct. 18. On Oct. 17 the first Global Slavery Index is pub. by the Walk Free Foundation, claiming that 29M around the world live in slavery on every continent. On Oct. 18 it is revealed by Page Six that Arnold Schwarzenegger announced that he will try to part the waves and run for the White House in 2016. On Oct. 19 an AQAP suicide car bomber on a military training base in Abyan, S Yemen kills 12 soldiers and injures six. On Oct. 19 a car bomb outside the military intel bldg. in Ismailia, Egypt injures 5+. On Oct. 19 a suicide bomber at a cafe in Baladweyne, Somalia 210 mi. N of Mogadishu kills 16+ and injures 33. On Oct. 19 Tunisian forces kill nine alleged terrorists in Mt. Taouyer, Tunisia 40 mi. W of Tunis, and seize two tonnes of explosives. On Oct. 20 an internat. conference in Geneva to end the Syrian civil war is announced for late Nov.; meanwhile a suicide bomber in Hama, Syria kills 30+. On Oct. 20 Egyptian police fire tear gas at hundreds of Morsi supporters at Al-Azhar U. in Cairo, Egypt. On Oct. 20 Boko Haram Islamists in military uniform block the highway near Logumani, Nigeria near the border with Cameron, killing 19 Christians, 14 by hacking to pieces. On Oct. 20 Christian pastors Charles Matole and Ebrahim Kidata are murdered in Kenya. On Oct. 20 four Christians are sentenced in Rasht, Iran to 80 lashes each for drinking wine during a communion service. On Oct. 21 (a.m.) a 12-y.-o. male student opens fire at Sparks Middle School near Reno, Nev., killing a teacher and injuring two students before committing suicide - we've got a thing that's called radar love? On Oct. 21 Islamist militants invade Sadad, Syria, massacring 45 Christians. On Oct. 21 the French govt. summons U.S. ambassador Charles Rivkin after an article in Le Monde accuses the NSA of massive spying on French citizens; on Oct. 28 an article in Le Monde claims that the spying ws really done by Israel. On Oct. 21 (2:00 p.m.) female suicide bomber (recent Muslim convert) Naida Asyalova detonates in a bus in Volgograd, Russia, killing six and injuring 37, causing Russian pres. Vladimir Putin on Oct. 22 to accuse foreign rivals of using Islam "to weaken our state and create conflicts on Russian soil that can be managed from abroad". On Oct. 21 the residents of Mouadamiya, Syria send a letter to the world to "save us from death". On Oct. 21 N.J. gov. Chris Christie drops an appeal, making N.J. state #14 to allow same-sex marriage - the sound of a unisex hand clapping? On Oct. 21 New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg receives the first-ever $1M Genesis Prize AKA the "Jewish Nobel Prize". On Oct. 22 Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei announces the gradual introduction of harsh Sharia punishments, incl. stoning, amputation, and flogging. On Oct. 22 Saudi intel chief Prince Bandar bin Sultan announces a "major shift" in relations with the U.S. in protest at its inaction in Syria, lack of support for Bahrain, and overtures to Iran. On Oct. 22 Amnesty Internat. claims that U.S. drone strikes killed a Pakistani grandmother and 18 civilian laborers lst year. On Oct. 22 Israeli U.N. ambassador Ron Prosor addresses the U.N. Security Council, saying that Iranian pres. Hassan Rouhani's strategy should be called SLY, for Smile, Lie, Yield minor concessions. On Oct. 22 300 al-Qaida prisoners attempt to escape from Sana'a Prison in Yemen. On Oct. 22 mayoral elections in Jerusalem see incumbent Ramez Jaraisi defeated by his deputy Ali Salam by 22 votes. On Oct. 23 India accuses Pakistan of attacking 50+ Indian border posts overnight in disputed Kashmir, calling it their most serious cease-fire violation in a decade. On Oct. 23 announces that pres. Angela Merkel had angrily called Pres. Obama to ask him if the NSA was tapping her cell phone based on leaks by Edward Snowden that claims they did it to 35 countries. On Oct. 23 a planned visit by Brazilian pres. Dilma Rousseff to the White House is canceled after documents leaked by Edward Snowden reveal heavy U.S. spying on Brazil, pissing them off, and causing them to announce the BRICS Cable, a new Internet system independent of the "U.S.-centric Internet". On Oct. 24 Lee Harvey Oswald's ex-wife Marina Oswald sells her wedding ring for $90K at auction in Boston, Mass.; the one he left before the JFK assassination, inscribed with a tiny hammer and sickle. On Oct. 24 the U.S. Census Bureau reports that means-tested govt. benefit recipients in 2011 outnumbered full-time year-round workers by 108,592,000 to 101,716,000. On Oct. 24 billionaire leftist internat. mystery man George Soros (1930-) announces his backing for Hillary for U.S. pres. in 2016, which means mucho since he backed Obama and looky. On Oct. 25 Syrian govt. troops ambush rebels near Damascus, Syria, killing 40+. On Oct. 25 Ukrainian immigrant Pavlo Lapshyn is sentenced to 40 years in prison for a terror campaign against Muslims in Britain. On Oct. 26 a green-on-blue attack in a military base in Kabul, Afghanistan kills an Afghan soldier and injures two NATO soldiers; #5 in five weeks. On Oct. 26 gunmen in Dura, S Baghdad, Iraq kill a family of seven. On Oct. 26 a Rally Against the NSA and its spying on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. is attended by 2K, with protesters carrying signs saying "Stop Mass Spying", "Thank you, Edward Snowden", and "Unplug Big Brother". On Oct. 27 drug cartels blow up nine electrical power plants in Michoacan, Mexico, then use the blackouts to burn gasoline stations. On Oct. 27 10 car bomb blasts in Iraq kill 55, incl. 40+ in a Shiite neighborhood of Baghdad. On Oct. 27 a bus carrying people to a wedding is bombed in Andar District, Afghanistan, killing 20+. On Oct. 27 multiple blasts rock the Gandhi Maidan Rally in Patna, India, killing five. On Oct. 27 thousands of Islamists rally in Kashmir, Pakistan against India and its occupation of the Himalayan region. On Oct. 27 the CBS-TV show 60 Minutes broadcasts a report with security contractor Morgan Jones (Dylan Davies), who claims to have entered the U.S. compound last Sept. 11 and seen the body of ambassador Chris Stevens in a hospital; on Nov. 8 after the story falls apart, Lara Logan apologizes, admitting "We were wrong." On Oct. 28 (12:05 p.m.) a possible terrorist attack in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China kills five and injures 38; Uighur Muslims are suspected. On Oct. 28 the Egyptian govt. announces the arrest of 27 suspected of involvement in the attempted assassination last month of interior minister Mohamed Ibrahim. On Oct. 28 Hamas stages a rocket attack on Israel, causing Israeli jets on Oct. 30 to blow up two concealed rocket launchers in the Gaza Strip. On Oct. 28 U.S. drones kill two Al-Shabaab militants in Jilib, Somalia. On Oct. 28 Hillary Clinton speaks at the Vanguard Luncheon of the Jewish United Fund of Chicago, Ill., uttering the soundbyte: "Jordan can't possibly vet all the Syrian refugees and the jihadists who are coming in with them"; she is paid $400K. On Oct. 29 Israel ends its 1.5-year boycott of the Islamist-dominated U.N. Human Rights Council, sending reps to a session to discuss its human rights record. On Oct. 29 U.N.-Arab league envoy Lakhdar Brahimi visits Syria, warning of its "Somalization". On Oct. 29 the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) announces that four women (in a batch of ?) have passed the infantry test for the first time ever. On Oct. 29 Turkey opens the Marmaray Railroad Tunnel, the first-ever underground tunnel linking Europe and Asia - ready for the coming jihad? On Oct. 29 Hillary Clinton speaks at the Goldman Sachs Builders and Innovators Summit, uttering the soundbyte: "I would like to see more successful business people run for office. I really would like to see that because I do think, you know, you don't have to have 30 billion, but you have a certain level of freedom. And there's that memorable phrase from a former member of the Senate: You can be maybe be rented but never bought." On Oct. 30 a suicide bomber detonates in front of the Riadh Palm Hotel in the tourist resort of Sousse, Tunisia, injuring only himself; a 2nd bomber is arrested before he can detonate. On Oct. 30 HHS secy. Kathleen Sebelius apologizes for the "miserably frustrating experience" people are having with the govt. Obamacare enrollment Web site HealthCare.gov, an expensive Thanksgiving turkey that crashes minutes before her testimony, and only signs up six people on its first day; meanwhile deep-blue-state Pres. Obama gives a speech at Faneuil Hall in deep-blue Boston, Mass., admitting that it looks like he lied when he said that everybody could keep their existing plan if they liked it, when millions face cancellation, saying that they will end up with a better plan somehow; on Nov. 7 after more fit hits the shan, Obama apologizes again, with the soundbyte "I am sorry that they are finding themselves in this situation based on assurances they got from me"; on Nov. 27 the Obama admin. announces that it's delaying sign-up for small businesses by 1 year - the govt. knows what's best for you and I can lie to get you to vote it in? On Oct. 30 Israel releases 26 Palestinian prisoners in preparation for peace talks. On Oct. 30 pro-Muslim Brotherhood riots at Al-Azhar U. in Egypt are quelled by police. On Oct. 30 Iraq PM Nouri al-Maliki visits the White House, asking for U.S. help in fighting terrorism. On Oct. 30 the Pakistani govt. announces that only 3% of the people killed in U.S. drone strikes since 2008 were civilians. On Oct. 30 U.S. spokesman Martin Nesirsky announces that he has received assurances from the U.S. govt. that its communications "are not and will not be monitored". On Oct. 30 a hospital in Muslim-dominated S Thailand apologizes for a photo showing Muslim nurses flashing a victory sign in front of slain bomb squad officer Sgt. Nimit Deewong (b. 1978). On Oct. 30/31 a U.S. drone strike in North Waziristan, Pakistan kills three militants. On Oct. 31 the Org. for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) announces that Syria has destroyed all of its declared chemical weapons production and mixing facilities on schedule. On Oct. 31 Israel strikes a military base near Latakia, Syria; meanwhile a gun battle in a tunnel complex near Khan Younis in S Gaza kills four terrorists and injures five IDF soldiers. On Oct. 31/Nov. 1 (night) a U.S. drone strike kills Pakistan Taliban (Tahreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi) chief Hakimullah Mehsud (b. 1979) in North Waziristan along with five others, causing the Taliban to vow "unprecedented" revenge; on Nov. 7 it elects new chief Mullah ("the Butcher of Swat") Maulana "Radio Mullah" Fazlullah (1974-), son-in-law of founder Sufi Muhammad. In Oct. China surpasses the U.S. as the world's largest importer of crude oil; on Oct. 12 Bernhard Zand pub. an article in Der Spiegel calling on China to "take on responsibility as a world power". In Oct. the U.S. secretly deploys troops (trainers and advisers) to Somalia, becoming the first since 1993. In Oct. billionaire George Soros becomes co-chmn. of the nat. finance council for the Ready for Hillary super-PAC working for her 2016 Dem. pres. run. In Oct. Norfolk, Va.-born Nadia Crow becomes the first African-Am. TV news anchor in Utah, at KTVX-4 in Salt Lake City. On Nov. 1 Pres. Obama signs Executive Order No. ?, ordering the federal govt. to prepare for climate change - you can call me any day or night? On Nov. 1 unemployed assault rifle-packing drifter Paul A. Ciancia (b. 1990) shoots up Los Angeles Internat. Airport (LAX) in Calif., killing TSA agent Gerardo I. Hernandez (first-ever KIA on duty) and injuring several before being killed by officers - I didn't like the way you frisked my grandmother? On Nov. 2 U.S. secy. of state John Kerry makes his first visit to Cairo, Egypt since the removal of Mohammed Morsi, saying that the U.S. govt. endorses the interim govt.'s promise to restore full democracy; meanwhile students linked to the Muslim Brotherhood attack the Church of the Virgin Mary in Zaytoun, Cairo, but are prevented from entering by some young Christians sans injuries. On Nov. 2 after reports of blasphemy, a Muslim attacks a minority Hindu neighborhood in Pabna, Bangladesh, burning down 26 houses. On Nov. 3 (Sun.) U.S. state secy. John Kerry meets with Saudi King Abdullah in Riyadh. On Nov. 3-11 195 mph Typhoon Haiyan (Super Typhoon Yolanda) kills 6.3K+ in the Philippines and causes $2.98B property damage, becoming the strongest landfalling tropical cyclone ever recorded other than Typhon Meranti. On Nov. 4 tens of thousands stage an anti-U.S. protest outside the U.S. embassy in Tehran, Iran. On Nov. 4 (Nat. Unity Day) thousands march in cities across Russia, protesting immigration, mainly Muslim. On Nov. 4 Richard Shoop (b. 1993) of Teaneck, N.J. shoots up Garden State Plaza Mall in Paramus, N.J., then commits suicide. On Nov. 4 Russian pres. Vladimir Putin rescinds his 2011 order for cooperation with NATO on its missile defense shield. On Nov. 5 (Tues.) after campaigning for economic equality under the slogan "Tale of Two Cities", populist Dem. Bill de Blasio (Warren Wilhelm Jr.) (1961-) is elected mayor of New York City, and is sworn-in as mayor #109 on Jan. 1 (until ?), becoming the first Dem. since 1989, succeeding Michael Bloomberg, going on to end the stop-and-frisk policy of the NYPD, institute deescalation training, and require them to wear body cameras, turning the NYPD Union against him. On Nov. 5 plans for a Geneva 2 Conference peace summit on Syria collapse, with U.N./Arab League special envoy Lakhdar Brahimi blaming it on the Syrian opposition's perpetual disarray. On Nov. 5 the house of reps in Ill. votes 61-54 to legalize same-sex marriage, with lawmakers citing Pope Francis' recent comments in support; on Nov. 20 Dem. Gov. Pat Quinn signs it, making Ill. state #16. On Nov. 5 (Tues.) the 2013 Colo. Secession Vote sees 11 of 64 Colo. counties, incl. 10 in the NE corner unsuccessfully attempt to secede from Colo. and its evil leftist Denver-Boulder Axis and become the new state of North Colorado, with the 11th county in the NW corner (Moffatt County) joining Wyo. On Nov. 5 Donald Trump is presented with the T. Boone Pickens Award by The American Spectator at the annual Robert L. Bartley Dinner, giving a speech in which he brags about his ability as a negotiator, along with his "love of this country", which is "going in the wrong direction", dissing foreign countries for "laughing at us", and blasting Obamacare, speaking of what could happen "if you let this great country go", predicting that the Repubs. will have many opportunities in the 2016 U.S. pres. election but worrying about them not sticking together. On Nov. 6 Russian Duma member Vladimir Pligin utters the soundbyte that there's no place for Sharia in Russia, breaking ranks with Western govts. who blow, er, bow to it daily. On Nov. 6 U.S. Navy Cmdr. Jose Luis Sanchez is charged with accepting cash, hookers, and Lada Gaga concert tickets from a foreign defense contractor in exchange for classified info. On Nov. 6 the Internat. Rescue Committee awards George Soros its Freedom Award; meanwhile he pledges $1M (10 cents per capita) for Syrian humanitarian aid, while U.N. secy.-gen. Ban Ki-moon complaining that the min. required is $4.4B. On Nov. 7 Twitter.com launches its IPO. On Nov. 7 a 7-power conference in Geneva incl. Iran meets to discuss their nuclear program. On Nov. 7 the U.S. Senate by 64-32 passes the ENDA gay rights anti-discrimination bill, sending it to the House, where it's DOA. On Nov. 7 Russian pres. Vladimir Putin signs a law making the families of terrorists financially responsible to victims. On Nov. 7 after Swiss forensic tests prove that Yasser Arafat died from radioactive polonium poisoning in 2004, Israeli energy minister Silvan Shalom denies responsibility, suggesting it might have been anybody. On Nov. 7 a group of Egyptian lawyers submits a complaint to the Internat. Criminal Court charging Pres. Obama with crimes against humanity for being an accessory to the Muslim Brotherhood in its widespread violence in Egypt. On Nov. 8 Pres. Obama signs an Executive Order on Climate Change, giving himself unlimited powers? On Nov. 8 yet more clashes between anti and pro Morsi supporters in Cairo, Egypt kill two. On Nov. 8 U.S. secy. of state John Kerry visits Israel; as Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu sees him off at Ben Gurion Airport, he informs him that he knows that the U.S. is about to sign "a very bad deal" with Iran that retreats from lines they themselves had drawn. On Nov. 9 Category 5 Typhoon Haiyan hits the Philippines, killing 6K, injuring 27K, leaving 1.8K missing, and leaving 4M homeless after damaging 1M homes in the Philippines; it is so severe that scientists begin calling for a new Category 6? On Nov. 10 France steps in and halts the Iran nuclear deal, with foreign minister Laurent Fabius uttering the soundbyte that France won't accept a "sucker's deal"; on Nov. 11 Iran signs a joint statement on future cooperation with the IAEA. On Nov. 10 the Brave German Woman Heidi Mund confronts a Muslim imam invited to give the Islamic call to prayer inside the Memorial Church of the Reformation in Speyer, Germany, uttering Martin Luther's famous 1521 statement: "Here I stand. I can do no other", along with "Save the church of Martin Luther", proclaiming that Jesus Christ is Lord over Germany; she is thrown out of the church to allow him to continue. On Nov. 11 (9th anniv. of the death of Yasser Arafat) the Fatah-packed Tamarod (Tamarrud) movement in Gaza holds protests to bring down Hamas; too bad, they never happen despite media coverage of the announcements. On Nov. 11 a mortar attack by FSA rebels on the Christian St. John of Damascus School kills nine children and injures 27. On Nov. 12 the U.S. Army hosts the Chinese Red Army in Hawaii for "simulating humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to a fictional third country". On Nov. 12 the Syrian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood announces the formation of a new political party, with a Christian deputy leader. On Nov. 12 the U.N. Gen. Assembly elects China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Cuba, and 9 others to 3-year terms to the 47-member Human Rights Council, causing a firestorm of controversy - the fox guarding the henhouse? On Nov. 12 the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee votes to give the market a "decisive role" in their economy, and to consolidate new decision-making authority in the hands of reformer (wannabe Gorbachev?) pres. Xi Jinping. On Nov. 12 the senate of Hawaii votes to legalize same-sex marriage, making Hawaii state #15; after being signed by Gov. Neil Abercrombie on Nov. 13, it takes effect Dec. 2, with Pres. Obama uttering the soundbyte that the move "exemplifies the values we hold dear as a nation." On Nov. 12 Jeff Koons' sculpture Balloon Dog (Orange) sells for $58.405M at auction by Christie's in New York City. On Nov. 13 the lameass Obama admin. finally designates Boko Haram as a terrorist group, as well as its splinter group Ansaru. On Nov. 13 16-y.-o. Palestinian Hussein Sharif Rawarda stabs Israeli army trainee Eden Atias (b. 1994) as he sleeps on a bus en route to Tel Aviv, causing Hamas to applaud him. On Nov. 13 Christian missionary David Dina Mataware is murdered by Boko Haram in Ashigashia, Cameroon near the Nigerian border; French priest Georges Vandenbeusch is kidnapped, then released on Jan. 1 on compassionate grounds after he tends to sick militants; he denies it, saying "They have no compassion for anyone." On Nov. 13 a Gallup Poll reveals that a record 47% of the Am. pop. doesn't believe that Pres. Obama is an honest and trustworthy man, vs. 50% who do; on Mar. 14-16, 2008 it was 29% who didn't believe, 63% who did. On Nov. 13-14 the GridEx U.S. Electric Grid Failure Drill tests the U.S. power grid. On Nov. 14 after a massive backlash, Pres. Obama folds and resigns, er, announces that Americans can renew their existing health plans for one year even if they don't meet Obamacare coverage standards, with the soundbyte that he "fumbled" the rollout. On Nov. 14 after being totally turned off by Pres. Obama, Egyptian CIC Gen. Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi meets with a Russian delegation on military cooperation. On Nov. 14 the U.S. puts a $1M bounty on wildlife traffickers, and prepares to destroy its stockpile of illegal ivory. On Nov. 14 Albania refuses a request from the U.S. to host Syria's chemical weapons stockpile for destruction. On Nov. 15 China announces a loosening of its 1979 one-child policy, allowing couples in which at least one parent is an only child to have to offspring. On Nov. 15 despite a veto threat, the House votes 261-157 (incl. 39 Dems.) to defy Pres. Obama and let Americans keep their health plans for one year even if they don't comply with Obamacare; the Senate On Nov. 15 the U.S. State Dept. announces that it has been offering rewards of up to $10M since Jan. for info. leading to the arrest of persons involved in the 9/11/2012 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. On Nov. 15 attendees at the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) debate whether "killer robot" development should have the plugged pulled. On Nov. 15 a Gallup Poll reveals that 61% of Americans don't believe the Lone Gunman Theory about JFK. On Nov. 16 a suicide car bomber in a compound in W Kabul, Afghanistan kills 6+ and injures 22 near a giant tent where 2.5K tribal elders and civic leaders are set to gather and debate a security pact on Nov. 21. On Nov. 16 a group off nine Muslim jihadists armed with axes and knives attack a police station in Serikbuya, China, killing two and injuring two. On Nov. 17 a massive bomb blast in an admin. bldg. in an army transport base in Harasta, Syria NE of Damascus kills 31+ troops incl. three gens. and a brig.-gen. On Nov. 17 French Pres. Francois Holland visits Jerusalem and Ramallah, promising to help prevent Iran from obtaining nukes. On Nov. 17 several tornadoes touch down in C. Ill., killing 6+ and causing widespread damage, delaying a Chicago Bears football game. On Nov. 17 a Tatarstan Airlines Boeing 737 crashes in gusty weather in C Russia, killing all 44 passengers and six crew aboard. On Nov. 17 Mustafa Noah, Libyan deputy intel chief is abducted from the airport parking lot in Tripoli as a gen. strike against military rule shuts down the city. On Nov. 17 Egyptian senior nat. security officer Lt. Col. Mohammed mabrouk is attacked in Cairo by Ansar Jerusalem (Ansar Bayt al Maqdis) gunmen. On Nov. 18 days before a meeting set by the country's elite to debate it, Afghan pres. Hamid Karzai rejects a key provision of the proposed U.S.-Afghan Security Pact, putting it in jeopardy; an Nov. 19 after Afghan pres. Hamid Karzai demands it as a condition for support, U.S. nat. security adviser Susan Rice announces that Pres. Obama won't make a written apology to the Afghan people for "mistakes" made, as John Kerry puts it in a phone call to AP. On Nov. 18 the Dow Jones Industrial Avg. briefly passes the 16K mark. On Nov. 18 French pres. Francois Hollande makes the first-ever French pres. visit to the tomb of Yasser Arafat in Ramallah, West Bank. On Nov. 18-Dec. 7 the Lockheed Martin NASA Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (Maven) Mars Orbiter is launched to study Mars' upper atmosphere and its interaction with the Sun, with two instrument suites supplied by the Lab for Atmospheric and Space Physics of the U. of Colo. On Nov. 19 (a.m.) designated al-Qaida terrorist Mohammad Al Ahmady of Yemen, dir. of the Geneva-based NGO Al Karama is expected to brief Reps. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.), Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), and Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.); too bad, the State Dept. denies him a visa. On Nov. 19 twin blasts from a car bomb and motorcycle suicide bomber near the Iranian embassy in Beirut, Lebanon kill 23 and injure 146; the Abdullah Azzam Brigades claim responsibility. On Nov. 19 an Al-Shabaab suicide car bomb attack at a police station in Beledweyne, Somalia kills 21+. On Nov. 19 the NASA MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution Mission) robotic Mars explorer is launched from Cape Canaveral. On Nov. 19 more protesters in Tahrir Square, Cairo calling for an end to military control as well as the Muslim Brotherhood in favor of democracy; on Nov. 20 a car bomb in Al-Arish, Sinai kills 11 Egyptian soldiers and injures 34, causing defense minister Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi to vow to avenge them; another explosive device thrown at a police checkpoint in N Cairo injures four policemen. On Nov. 21 (early a.m.) a U.S drone strike in Hangu, Pakistan kills 6+ and injures several, becoming the first in the settled area outside the tribal regions. On Nov. 21 after the Repubs. filibuster one Obama judicial nominee after another, the Dem.-controlled U.S. Senate votes 52-48 to invoke the Nuclear Option, requiring only a simple majority vote to confirm pres. nominations except for Supreme Court nominations, while leaving the filibuster option intact for legislation, with Chancellor, er, Pres. Obama explaining that "There is a pattern of obstruction in Congress"; too bad, in Apr. 2005 he argued against it. On Nov. 21 Iraq launches six mortar bombs into N Saudi Arabia as a warning to stop meddling in its affairs - no place to go on Black Friday? On Nov. 21 a suspected U.S. drone kills a senior Haqqani militant Maulvi Ahmad Jan in the Hangu District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, North Waziristan. On Nov. 21 Pope Francis meets with Eastern Orthodox leaders, and utters the soundbyte: "Syria, Iraq, Egypt and other areas of the Holy Land sometimes overflow with tears. We won't resign ourselves to a Middle East without Christians who for two thousand years confess the name of Jesus, as full citizens in social, cultural and religious life of the nations to which they belong." On Nov. 22 (Fri.) the 50th Anniv. of Who Killed JFK is marked by a solemn ceremony in Dallas, Tex. On Nov. 22 seven Syrian Islamist groups announce their merger to better fight Assad, under the name Islamic Front; they are not backed by the West. Pres. Obama's Neville Chamberlain Moment? The New Munich Agreement? On Nov. 24 (early a.m.) U.S. and Iranian reps in Geneva annnounce a deal regarding their nuclear program, freezing parts of it for 6 mo. in exchange for easing economic sanctions worth $9B, with Pres. Obama uttering the soundbyte "For the first time in nearly a decade, we have halted the progress of the Iranian nuclear program, and "cut off Iran's most likely paths to a bomb"; the U.S. does not recognize Israel's right to enrich uranium without mutual agreement; Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu calls the deal "an historic mistake", announcing that Israel "won't be bound by it", reserving the right of self-defense; meanwhile Iran's 19K centrifuges are left whirling; the U.S. and Iran bypassed Israel and held secret meetings in Oman since Mar.; meanwhile Iran and North Korea hold secret meetings to help Iran build ICBMs; U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer utters the soundbyte that he's "disappointed" by the deal "because it does not seem proportional"; the deal causes a rift between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, throwing off all of TLW's theories that Obama is a Saudi puppet; TLW calls for Israel to declare a Zero Tolerance for Centrifuge Policy then nuke Iran for their own self-preservation - what card am I holding? On Nov. 23 China declares the East Asian Air Defense Zone, its first ever, threatening war with the U.S. and Japan. On Nov. 23 al-Qaeda rebels seize control of Al-Omar Oilfield in Deir al-Zor Province, Syria's largest, cutting Bashed Sadass off from almost all but local crude reserves. On Nov. 23 Boko Haram gunmen attack a village in Borno, Nigeria, killing 12. On Nov. 24 after Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemns repression of Morsi supporters, Egypt expels Turkey's ambassador. On Nov. 24 Angola becomes the first African nation to ban the practice of Islam, ordering all mosques destroyed immediately; it later turns out to be a hoax - they've been reading my stuff? On Nov. 25 a senior Afghan official announces that stoning for adulterers is being written into Afghan law - after how many trillion wasted there by the U.S.? On Nov. 25 Sheikh Khalifa of Abu Dhabi sends a letter to the U.N. expressing solidarity with the Palestinians in "their just and legitimate struggle to end Israeli occupation of their homeland". On Nov. 25 U.S. nat. security adviser Susan Rice meets with Afghan pres. Hamid Karzai in Kabul. On Nov. 26 France announces that it's sending hundreds of new troops to Muslim-threatened Central African Repub. (CAR). On Nov. 26 Pope Francis issues the encyclical Evangelii Gaudium, calling for a renewal of the Church, and attacking the "idolatry of money", stinking himself up with misguided lenient generalizations about Islam, incl.: "Faced with disconcerting episodes of violent fundamentalism, our respect for true followers of Islam should lead us to avoid hateful generalisations, for authentic Islam and the proper reading of the Koran are opposed to every form of violence"; meanwhile the Obama admin. announces that they're closing down their diplomatic post at the Vatican, and merging it with the Italian embassy, citing security concerns. On Nov. 26 TLW announces to Israel that they should nuke Iran's nuclear facilities and not worry about the flak; also that the Muslim World is headed for a great apostasy. On Nov. 26 Afghan pres. Hamid Karzai gives an interview to Radio Free Europe, in which he claims that Pres. Obama told him: "The Taliban are not our enemies and we don't want to fight them." On Nov. 26 (eve.) Israeli forces kill three Salafi terrorists in the hills near Hebron, Israel. On Nov. 27 the roof of Sao Paulo Soccer Stadium in Brazil collapses, killing two. On Nov. 28 (Thur.) (Thanksgivingukkah) Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Hanukkah for the first time since 1888; next time in 79,043 years? On Nov. 28 (night) a U.S. drone kills three suspected Islamist militants in North Waziristan, Pakistan. On Nov. 29 a turban bomber injures Afghan lawmaker Hamidullah Tokhi of Zabul Province at his house in Kabul. On Nov. 29 after alleged violations in the last pres. election by the nat. intel services, South Korean Protestants call on pres. Park Geun-hye. On Nov. 29 a Christian-Muslim clash in Deir Muwass, Egypt kills one and injures six. On Nov. 30 new Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif makes his first visit to Afghanistan, meeting with PM Hamid Karzai in Kabul to discuss selling out to, er, negotiating with the Taliban. In Nov. the U.S. unemployment rate adds 203K jobs, dropping to 7% (60 straight mos. at 7% or higher); youth unemployment is 20.8%. In Nov. Germany becomes the first country in Europe to allow parents to opt out of determining their baby's gender with an indeterminate gender designation for birth certificates. On Dec. 1 (Sun.) 300K protest in Kiev, Ukraine against a govt. decision to freeze integration with the West; dozens are injured; on Dec. 17 Ukraine agrees to stay out of the EU in exchange for $15B plus lower gas prices from Russia, becoming a big V for Russian pres. Vladimir Putin. On Dec. 1 the Egyptian parliament approves a more liberal proposed constitution, albeit with some Sharia; meanwhile more violent protests go on in Tahrir Square in Cairo. On Dec. 1 a sniper in Tripoli, Lebanon kills three, making nine in 24 hours. On Dec. 1 a train derails in Bronx, N.Y., killing four and injuring 63. On Dec. 1 Congressional intel committee chmn. Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) give an interview on CNN, in which they insist that the terrorist threat to Americans has grown in the last couple of years, with Feinstein uttering the soundbyte: "The statistics indicate that the fatalities are way up", and Rogers adding that al-Qaida has been "metastasizing" into more groups that engage in smaller attacks, with Feinstein adding: "There is a real displaced aggression in this very fundamentalist jihadist Islamic community, and that is that the West is responsible for everything that goes wrong and that the only thing that's going to solve this is Islamic Sharia law"; meanwhile Obama admin. personnel are gagged and threatened with termination for mentioning any connection between jihadism and Sharia and terrorism. On Dec. 1 the Winter 2013-14 E North Am. Cold Wave begins with record cold temps across the E U.S. on Dec. 6-10, setting 150+ daily precipitation records and almost 100 daily snowfall records; on Dec. 2 a Pacific storm system hits the W U.S., spreading heavy rain and snow to the Rocky Mts., bringing 30 in. or more in Idaho, Wyo, and Mont. and 60 mph winds; on Dec. 19 the Dec. 2013 North Am. Storm Complex brings freezing rain and snow, damaging trees and power lines, killing power to 1M+ residents along with $200M damage and 27 deaths; on Dec. 20 the Early Jan. 2014 Nor'Easter brings frigid temperature and snow to the U.S. East Coast, incl. 2 ft. around Boston, Mass. before dissipating on Jan. 6, 2014; on Jan. 2, 2014 the Early 2014 North Am. Cold Wave affects the NC and upper E U.S. and parts of Canada, bringing record low temps into late Mar. before dissipating on Apr. 10; on Jan. 19-24, 2014 the Jan. 2014 North Am. Blizzard moves fast through the Mid-Atlantic U.S., dumping up to 1 ft. around the New York City area along with frigid temperatures; on Jan. 27 the Jan. 2014 Gulf Coast Winter Storm hits the E and S U.S. incl. the Gulf Coast Region and Mexico, bringing up to 10 in. of snow before dissipating on Jan. 31; on Feb. 11, 2014 the Mid-Feb. 2014 North Am. Winter Storm hits the U.S. S and East Coast, bringing up to 27.5 in. snowfall in Mount Storm, W. Va. and causing Delta Air Lines to cancel 2K+ flights on Feb. 13, killing 22 and causing 1.2M bldgs. to lose power before dissipating on Feb. 24. On Dec. 2 (1:30 a.m.) China launches its Chang'e-3 lunar probe, which incl. the Yutu or Jade Rabbit buggy. On Dec. 2 (a.m.) hundreds of Boko Haram gunmen attack Maiduguri, Nigeria. On Dec. 2 12 Greek Orthodox nuns and three domestic workers are kidnapped from St. Thecla Monastery in Maaloula (N of Damascus), Syria are kidnapped by Syrian rebels; they are released on Mar. 9, 2014 near rebel-held Yabroud and transported to the Lebanese border town of Arsaal. On Dec. 3 the Mexican Senate passes major political reforms allowing reelection of federal legislators, creating new election oversight, and making the atty. gen.'s office independent from the executive. On Dec. 3 Britain sends Ajay Sharma, their first diplomat to Iran since they closed their embassy in 2011. On Dec. 3 the South Korean intel agency claims that North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un fired his uncle Jang Song Thaek as vice-chmn. of the powerful Nat. Defense Commission, and had him and his two closest aides Lee Yong-ha and Jang Soo-keel executed in mid-Nov.; he killed his uncle by feeding him to starving dogs? On Dec. 3 a Pew Center survey is released, revealing that Pres. Obama has a less than 40% approval rating for 9 of 10 foreign policy issues, and disagree with his overall handling of foreign policy by 56% to 34%; 6 of 10 believe Iran can't be trusted. On Dec. 4 19 days after suggesting on air that someone should take a shit in Sarah Palin's mouth, Martin Bashir resigns from MSNBC. On Dec. 4 Christian convert Bishoy Armia Boulous (1983-) (formerly Mohammed Hegazy) is arrested in Minya, Egypt on trumped-up charges. On Dec. 4 (night) senior Hezbollah cmdr. Hassan al-Laqis is assassinated by Sunnis outside his home in S Beirut. On Dec. 5 while observing the maiden voyage of China's new aircraft carrier Liaoning, USS Cowpens almost collides with a Chinese vessel, becoming the most serious U.S.-Chinese naval incident since 2009. On Dec. 5 the U.N. Security Council votes unanimously to adopt Resolution 2127 to establish the French-backed African-led African-Led Internat. Support Mission to the Central African Repub. (MISCA) (Mission Internationale de Soutien a la Centrafique sous Conduite Africaine) peacekeeping force for Central African Repub. (CAR) (until ?). On Dec. 5 an attack on the defense ministry in Yemen kills 52 and injures 167; al-Qaida claims responsibility; on Dec. 22 they apologize for hitting a hospital. On Dec. 5 Ukrainian pres. Viktor Yanukovych and Chinese pres. Xi Jinping sign a bilateral treaty proclaiming that they're "strategic partners", with China promising to protect Ukraine under its nuclear umbrella. On Dec. 5 Pres. Obama gives a speech to the Center for Am. Progress, announcing that for the rest of his term he will address income redistribution, er, inequality. On Dec. 6 a roadside bomb detonates on an Israeli jeep near the Israeli-Syria border, becoming the first attack on Israeli troops since the Syrian civil war began. On Dec. 6 the police dept. of Edmonton, Ont., Canada announce a new hijab female officer unform for Muslim officers, not that they have any yet. On Dec. 6 the new Islamic Front of pro-Al-Qaida groups in Syria drives the Free Syrian Army (FSA) out of its bases in Babisqa, Syria, and the Bab-al-Hawa border crossing into Turkey. On Dec. 7 40+ bodies are discovered in the Damascus suburb of al-Nabk, Syria. On Dec. 7 14 anti-Morsi protester women from Alexandria, Egypt are freed after their 11-year sentences are cut to 1 year probation. On Dec. 7 senior leaders incl. Abdel Rahim Malouh resign from the Marxist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). On Dec. 7 U.S. secy. of state John Kerry gives a speech at the Saban Forum proposing that the U.S. police an independent Palestinian state while protecting it and Israel from each other. On Dec. 8 (Sun.) 51 are killed and 191 injured in attacks across Irock. On Dec. 8 Afghan pres. Hamid Karzai meets in Tehran with Iranian pres. Hassan Rouhani, agreeing to a longterm friendship cooperation pact. On Dec. 8 thousands march in Paris against Islam and its incursions in France. On Dec. 9 U.S. drones kill three AQAP fighters in Hadramout, Yemen. On Dec. 9 Israel, Jordan, and Palestine sign a $2.5B agreement to begin phase one construction of the Red Sea-Dead Sea Canal to pump seawater from the Gulf of Aqaba on the Red Sea to the Dead Sea through water desalination plants and a hydropower plant. On Dec. 10 Gen. Motors appoints Mary Teresa Barra (nee Makela) (1961-) as CEO (until ?), becoming the first-ever female head of a major U.S. automaker. On Dec. 10 100+ world leaders attend the Mandela Memorial in Johannesburg, South Africa, with Pres. Obama calling him "a giant of history", and raising eyebrows by shaking hands with Cuban dictator Raoul Castro, also by taking a selfie. On Dec. 10 Iran rejects an offer from Israeli pres. Shimon Peres to meet with PM Hassan Rouhani, calling it a "propaganda ploy". On Dec. 11 U.S. officials announce that FSA Gen. Salim Idris, leader of the moderate Syrian rebels, who posed for a photo-opp with John McCain has fled Syria after being chased out by Islamists, who seize warehouses along the Syrian-Turkish border, causing the shocked U.S. to suspend non-lethal military aid to Syrian rebels. On Dec. 11 after fruit is found wrapped in pages of the Quran in Liaquat Bazaar in Quetta, Pakistan, and anti-Shiite mob kills one and injures three. On Dec. 11 Uruguay becomes the first country to completely legalize marijuana; meanwhile on Dec. 9 the city council of Denver, Colo. votes 10-3 to legalize smoking of pot on private property. On Dec. 11 the Obama admin. announces that an upcoming ballistic missile test by Iran won't kill their appeasement deal. On Dec. 11 Pres. Obama appoints George Soros man John Podesta, founder of the Center for Am. Progress and former chief of staff for Pres. Clinton as his advisor for Obamacare, climate change, gun control, and closing the gap on income inequality. On Dec. 11 the supreme court of India reinstates a colonial-era law criminalizing homosexuality, pissing-off multitudes of gays and non-gays. On Dec. 11 U.S. State Dept. and Pentagon experts testify before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, stunning members with their lack of basic knowledge of the cost of the war or lives lost on the battlefield. On Dec. 11 Conn. passes the first GMO labeling law in the U.S. On Dec. 11 (night) two topless Femen protesters storm the stage of the Markus Lanz Show in Germany to protest the treatment of workers building football facilities for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. On Dec. 12 a car bomb in Ismailiya, Egypt injures 25 policemen. On Dec. 12 15 en route to a wedding party in al-Bayda Province, Yemen are killed by a U.S. drone after being mistaken for an al-Qaida convoy. On Dec. 12 Mexico passes historic new oil privatization legislation. On Dec. 12 the U.S. House by 332-94 (169 Repubs., 163 Dems.) passes "the first divided-government budget agreement since 1986", according to co-sponsor Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.); the other is Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.). On Dec. 12 Russian pres. Vladimir Putin delivers his 2012 State of the Nation Address, saying that Russia is not trying to be a superpower or "encroach on anyone's interest", and that the world needs to make collective, responsible decisions when it came to Syria, urging political leaders in Ukraine to come up with a solution that best suits the interests of the people, saying they are under no obligation to join a customs union; he adds that while once the U.S. blasted the Soviet Union for being a "godless nation", now the situation is reversed; "Many Euro-Atlantic countries have moved away from their roots, including Christian values. Policies are being pursued that place on the same level a multi-child family and a same-sex partnership, a faith in God and a belief in Satan. This is the path to degradation." On Dec. 13 (Fri.) (5:40 a.m.) avionics technician (Muslim convert) Terry Lee Loewen (1955-) is arrested at the airport in Wichita, Kan. in a vehicle full of explosives; he had been under surveillance online, having written the soundbyte: "I have become 'radicalized' in the strongest sense of the word, and I don't feel Allah wants me any other way." On Dec. 13 (12:30 p.m.) after becoming pissed-off at a librarian, shotgun-toting Repub.-hating Keynesian Socialist student Karl Pierson walks into Arapahoe H.S. in Centennial (S of Denver), Colo. and shoots two students then commits suicide 80 sec. later. On Dec. 13 the execution of 1971 war criminal Abdul Quader Mollah ("the Butcher of Murpur") triggers riots in Bangladesh, killing three. On Dec. 13 Iran withdraws from nuclear talks in protest of an expanded sanction list issued by the U.S. On Dec. 13 U.S. District Court judge Clark Waddoups strikes down portions of Utah's anti-polygamy law on First Amendment grounds - big V for Mormons and Muslims? On Dec. 13-14 the Muslim terrorist group ADF-Nalu rape and hack to death 21 women and children in Musuku, Uganda. On Dec. 14 the heaviest snowfall in decades hits the Holy Land incl. Jerusalem, where Palestinians throw snowballs packed with rocks at Jewish drivers. On Dec. 15 (Sun.) a new wave of terrorist attacks across Iraq kills 19 incl. female TV journalist Nawras al-Nuaimi. On Dec. 15 Syrian troops drop barrel bombs in Aleppo, Syria, killing 76 incl. 28 children. On Dec. 15 the pissed-off parliament of Yemen bans U.S. drone strikes. On Dec. 15 in Tunisia Ennahda leader Rachid Ghannouchi and former PM Beji Caid Essebsi, leader of Tunisia's secular Nidaa Tounes Party strike a political deal that promises stability to the whole can. On Dec. 15 ex-intel chief Saudi prince Turki al-Faisal criticizes the Obama admin. for indecision and lack of credibility among Middle East allies, with the soundbyte: "We've seen several red lines put forward by the president, which went along and became pinkish as time grew, and eventually ended up completely white." On Dec. 15 Muslims riot in Xinjiang, China, causing the police to kill 14. On Dec. 16 the govt. of Sudan announces a coup attempt led by former vice-pres. Riek Machar. On Dec. 16 the Senate by 78-16 confirms Jeh Charles Johnson (1957-) as Dept. of Homeland Security secy. #4; he is sworn-in on Dec. 23 (until Jan. 20, 2017), becoming the first African-Am. On Dec. 16 a U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon rules that NSA's phone surveillance program is unconstitutional, justifying the actions of leaker Edward Snowden; on Dec. 17 (a.m.) a bevy of hi-tech cos. incl. Microsoft, Google, and Twitter hold a closed-door meeting with Pres. Obama over it, demanding that he reign the NSA in. On Dec. 16 after a Lebanese army sniper kills an Israeli soldier along the border, Israeli troops shoot two Lebanese soldiers. On Dec. 16 Turkey and the EU sign the Readmission Agreement, giving Turkish national visa exemptions, phased-in over the next 3.5 years - Allahu akbar? On Dec. 16 the U.N. asks for $6.5B in aid for Syrian refugees, its largest appeal so far (until ?). On Dec. 16 Syrian rebels score a V in East Ghouta, Damascus, Syria, claiming to kill 800 Syrian soldiers. On Dec. 16 Russia announces that after years of threats it's deploying missiles near NATO borders with Poland and Lithuania, pissing-off the U.S. On Dec. 16 the Am. Studies Assoc. votes to boycott Israel, causing a firestorm of controversy; on Dec. 23 the Washington Post pub. the soundbyte: "Schools including Johns Hopkins, Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Princeton, and Boston universities and the Universities of Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Texas at Austin and others have slammed the boycott." On Dec. 17 (a.m.) a bomb goes off near a Hezbollah base in E Lebanon. On Dec. 17 a U.S. Army Blackhawk heli is downed by the Taliban in Zabul Province, S Afghanistan killing six U.S. troops. On Dec. 17 violence begins in South Sudan between military factions, killing 500 by Dec. 18. On Dec. 18 the Taliban suicide bombers attack a NATO fuel convoy in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, killing one Afghan policeman and wounding three. On Dec. 18 the Federal Reserve Board announces that it will begin scaling back its controversial Quantitative Easing Program from $85B of Treasury and mortgage bonds each mo. to only $75B starting in Jan. On Dec. 18 India passes a landmark anti-corruption law that empowers independent ombudsmen to investigate; meanwhile Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade is arrested in New York City by U.S. authorities over a nanny dispute, and strip-searched, pissing-off India, which revokes privileges of U.S. diplomats in India. On Dec. 18 the U.N. votes 86-36-61 to condemn Iran's human rights violations. On Dec. 18 Islam-loving British Prince Charles issues a statement of concern about how Christians are being "deliberately targed" by Muslims in the Middle East, and are being threatened with extinction - like back home in Britain? On Dec. 18 Duck Dynasty star Phil Alexander Robertson (1946-) is suspended by A&E for voicing his opinion that homosexuality is a sin; the work of GLAAD?; after massive public backlash, they reverse their decision on Dec. 27. On Dec. 18 (midnight) Egyptian police storm the Egyptian Centre for Economic and Social Rights (ECESR) in Cairo. On Dec. 19 13 Repub. and 13 Dem. Senators introduce the Nuclear Weapon Free Iran Act of 2013, calling for new sanctions on Iran in the event that a deal on its nuclear program isn't reached within 6 mo.; Pres. Obama threatens to veto it. On Dec. 19 Al-Nusra Front leader Abu Mohammed al-Julani tells al-Jazeera that he will "not recognise any results that come out of the Geneva II conference". On Dec. 19 Target announces that 40M customer credit card records have been stolen by hackers. On Dec. 19 the Supreme Court of N.M. legalizes same-sex marriage, making it state #17. On Dec. 19 a panel of three federal judges rules that 9/11 families can sue Saudi Arabia, reversing a 2002 ruling. On Dec. 20 a judge in Utah strikes down the state's same-sex marriage ban, making it state #18. On Dec. 21 an al-Qaida suicide attack in Anbar Province, Iraq kills 17 Iraqi officers and a gen. On Dec. 21 rebels fire on a U.S. military aircraft in South Sudan, injuring four. On Dec. 21 the Syrian army stages a heli attack on Aleppo, Syria, killing 25+. On Dec. 22 a suicide truck bomber at a security checkpoint in Benghazi, Libya kills 13+. On Dec. 22 two days after a suicide attack, Pakistani troops in Mir Ali, North Waziristan, Pakistan kill 23 militants. On Dec. 22 after his French Muslim convert brother Jean-Daniel is killed in Syria in Aug., Nicolas Bons is ditto in a suicide truck bombing in Homs. On Dec. 22 the #240 bus from Bnai Brak to Bat Yam (near Tel Aviv), Israel carrying 12 is bombed with a pressure cooker device, but is evacuated before it explodes. On Dec. 22 a bus accident in Sao Paulo, Brazil kills 14 and injures 32. On Dec. 22 the son of Turkish interior affairs minister Muammer Guler, the son of economy minister Zafer Caglayan, the head of the state-owned Halkbank and 20 others are arrested and accused of taking or facilitating bribes; police seize $2.5M in cash stashed in shoe boxes from the bank chief's home; meanwhile 25 police chiefs are removed for being followers of U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen; on Dec. 25 three cabinet ministers resign admit calls for PM Erdogan's resignation. On Dec. 22 Amnesty Internat. admits to working with Swiss-based human rights group Al Karama, whose co-founder Abdul Rahman Bin Umair Al Nuaimi raised millions of dollars a month for al-Qaida and its affiliates in Syria, Iraq, Somalia, and Yemen. On Dec. 24 (1:00 a.m.) an explosion at the Daqahliya police station in Mansoura, Egypt (N of Cairo) kills 16 and injures 140; Ansar Beit al-Maqdis (Supporters of Jerusalem) claims responsibility, which doesn't stop the Egyptian govt. from blaming the Muslim Brotherhood, declaring it a terrorist org. on Dec. 25 and banning all its activities incl. demonstrations. On Dec. 24 investigators uncover a mass grave of 34 bodies in Bentiu, South Sudan; meanwhile the U.N. announces an increase in South Sudan peacekeepers to 12.5K. On Dec. 24 after an Israeli civilian is shot along the border fence, Israeli stages an air strike on Gaza Strip, killing two and injuring nine. On Dec. 24 Iran and UAE sign an agreement over the disputed islands of Greater and Lesser Tunbs, returning them to UAE, with Abu Musa Island to be decided later; meanwhile Oman grants Iran a strategic location on Mt. Ras Musandam on the tip of the Straits of Hormuz in return for free gas and oil after a pipeline is built in the next two years. On Dec. 25 (Wed.) bomb attacks in Christian areas of Baghdad, Iraq kills 34. On Dec. 25 Pope Francis delivers his first Christmas message, (Urbi et Orbi), praying for protection for Christians under attack, battered women and trafficked children, peace in the Middle East and Africa, and dignity for refugees fleeing misery and conflict around the globe. On Dec. 25 Free Saudi Liberals blogger Raif Badawi (1984-) is sentenced to death for apostasy after his 7-year sentence in July is found too lenient; after being sentenced to 10 years and 1K lashes, the first 50 lashes are given to him on Jan. 9, 2015, causing an internat. outcry. On Dec. 25 the U.S. announces that it's rushing Hellfire missiles and surveillance drones to Iraq to fight al-Qaida-backed Syrian insurgents. On Dec. 25 the Afghan govt. announces that it freed 500+ Taliban and Afghan POWs during the past 18 mo. On Dec. 25 Egyptian authorities foil a Hamas-Muslim Brotherhood plot to bomb Christian churches on Christmas. On Dec. 26 (a.m.) a bus is bombed outside Azhar U. in Cairo, Egypt, killing one and injuring four. On Dec. 26 Pres. Obama signs a $625B defense authorization bill for 2014 that incl. a 1% military pay raise and changes in how the military deals with sexual assault allegations, continuing the current ban on transferring detainees at Guantanamo Bay to the U.S., which Obama calls "unwise". On Dec. 26 a CNN Poll reveals that two-thirds of Americans say that the recently-adjourned 113th Congress is the worst in their lifetime. On Dec. 26 (midnight) a U.S. strike kills four militants in North Waziristan, Pakistan. On Dec. 27 (Fri.) a Christian mob destroys a mosque in Bangui, Central African Repub. (CAR), their 3rd. On Dec. 27 Iran announces that it's building a new generation of uranium centrifuges - go Israel? On Dec. 27 a Taliban suicide bomber in Kabul, Afghanistan kills three ISAF soldiers. On Dec. 27 a bomb at a restaurant in Mogadishu, Somalia kills 10. On Dec. 27 a large bomb in downtown Beirut, Lebanon kills five incl. Sunni ex-finance minister (1997-2000) Mohamad Chatah. On Dec. 27 the first U.S. drone strike in Yemen since mid-Dec. kills two AQAP fighters in E Yemen. On Dec. 27 U.S. District Judge William Pauley rules that the massive NSA phone-tapping is legal because people don't own their own phone records, and is reasonable because it helps eliminate al-Qaida networks. On Dec. 27 the Electronic Army Of the Caucasus Emirate threatens cyberwar against Russia unless it cancels the Sochi Olympics. On Dec. 27-28 fighting in S Philippines kills 17 Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF). On Dec. 28 the 2008 emergency federal program providing up to 47 weeks of supplemental unemployment insurance payments ends for 1.3M jobless workers. On Dec. 28 a Syrian air strike at a crowded vegetable market in Aleppo, Syria kills 21. On Dec. 28 Bahraini main Shiite opposition leader Sheikh Ali Salman is arrested. On Dec. 28 China votes to abolish its infamous 4-year Communist reeducation labor camps. On Dec. 28 the Vatican announces that Syrian pres. Bashar al-Assad sent a private message to Pope Francis, his first since the 2011 start of the civil war. On Dec. 28 Boko Haram militants attack a Christian wedding reception in Tashan-Alede, Borno, Nigeria, killing eight; on Dec. 29 they do ditto in Kwajffa, killing four. On Dec. 29 a female (Chechen?) suicide bomber in Volgograd, Russia kills 14; another suicide bomber on an electric trolley bus during rush hour kills 16; Russian pres. Vladimir Putin announces that he vows to fight terrorists to "their total destruction"; meanwhile clueless Obama admin. spokesman Marie Harf utters the soundbyte: "In terms of security for Sochi, U.S. citizens planning to attend should remain alert regarding their personal security at all times. I think our security experts have said that criminal activity in Sochi is similar to other cities of comparable size. Obviously, major events such as the Olympic games are an opportunity for thieves or for other folks who want to cause mischief." On Dec. 29 Saudi Arabia pledges $3B for the Lebanese military to purchase French weapons. On Dec. 30 (6:30 a.m.) nine Muslim terrorists attack a police station in Xinjiang, China, killing eight. On Dec. 30 (a.m.) the home of German ambassador Wolfgang Dold in Athens, Greece is attacked by gunfire; there are no injuries. On Dec. 30 a suicide bomber in Sharkiya, Egypt injures four security personnel. On Dec. 30 the Lebanese military fires on Syrian aircraft after they enter their airspace, becoming the first such action since they threatened last summer to attack any troops, vehicles, or warplanes that violate Lebanese territory. On Dec. 30 an erupting volcano in W Indonesia causes 19K to flee. On Dec. 30 fighting erupts when police break up a Sunni protest camp in Anbar Province, Afghanistan. On Dec. 30 Iranian billionaire Babak Zanjani (1974-), who greased palms to help Iran avoid sanctions is arrested on on corruption charges. On Dec. 31 a ceasefire is declared in South Sudan. On Dec. 31 the Sinai gas pipeline is blown up for the umpteenth time; next Jan. 17. On Dec. 31 Egypt seizes the assets of 500+ Muslim Brotherhood and Islamist leaders. On Dec. 31 U.S. Supreme Court justice Sonia Sotomayor puts a temporary stay on the Obama admin. from forcing some religious-affiliated groups to provide health insurance coverage of birth control or face penalties. On Dec. 31 (eve.) an Islamist terrorist attack at the Coptic St. George Church in Ain Shams, Egypt kills one. In Dec. Egypt establishes Darl Al-Ifta, an official inst. to fight radical Islam by issuing fatwas responding to radical fatwas; in 2015 they issue a fatwa prohibiting destruction of ancient ruins and monuments. In Dec. the gay mag. The Advocate names Pope Francis its Person of the Year. In Dec. there are 2,822 breweries in the U.S., incl. 2,768 craft breweries employing 43K in 1,237 brewpubs, 1,412 microbreweries, and 119 regional craft breweries; the state of Colo. The U.S. Agency for Internat. Development (USAID) sets up the secret $175M U.S. Afghan Incentive Fund to entice Afghan govt. officials to embrace Western-style reforms. Al Murabitoon is formed from a merger of Ahmed al Tilemsi's Movement for Oneness and Jihad in Africa (MUJAO) and Algerian al-Qaida cmdr. Mokhtar Belmokhtar's Al Mulathameen Brigade, swearing allegiance to al-Qaida emir Ayman al-Zawahiri; a faction operates in Mali under command of Sultan Ould Bady. Israel erects a Monument to Gay Holocaust Victims. Nigerian atty. Dola Indidis petitions the Internat. Court of Justice to overturn Jesus Christ's conviction and death penalty. Ala. and Miss. become the last U.S. states to legalize homebrewing; Alaska continues allowing a local govt. prohibition option. The planet Nibiru returns, and the shape-shifting reptilians who have been here secretly for 400K years come out of hiding to rule - (Saurco: Apollo Royale by TLW). After an atomic apocalypse, a nameless drifter poses as a U.S. postal carrier to give hope to the hopless townfolk terrorized by the hooligans of Gen. Bethlehem - (The Postman by David Brin). Tablet devices outsell laptops for the first time. Compressorhead becomes the first robot rock band. Alpha Lamda Nu is founded at the U. of Tex., becoming the first Muslim fraternity in the U.S. Architecture: On Mar. 28 the Queen Alia Airport in Jordan opens, featuring an energy-efficient design modeled after palm fronds. In Apr. the Osaka City Station Water Fountain in Japan opens, consisting of a large rectangular water fountain with a digital water droplet printer that displays a digital time readout along with falling floral and other shapes. On July 1 the 328 ft. x 1,640 ft. x 1,312 ft. New Century Global Center in Chengu, China (begun 2010) opens, becoming the bldg. with the most floor space on Earth (420 acres). The Chechnya-funded Abu Ghosh Mosque 6.2 mi. W of Jerusalem opens. After petitioning the Holy See in 2004 and 2006 to allow Muslim prayers in the Cathedral of our Lady of the Assumption in Cordoba, Spain (formerly a mosque), and demanding it during a 2007 summit in Cordoba on "Ialamophobia" by the Org. for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Platform for the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba, backed by the Spanish Socialist newspaper El Pais presents a petition with 350K signatures, with the ultimate goal of seizing it for exclusive Muslim use? The Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw opens. The 410-ft. 215-step Selaron Steps (Escadaria Selarón) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil by Chilean-born Jorge Selaron (Selarón) (1947-2013) (begun 1990), ending at the Convent of Santa Teresa are finished when he is found dead there on Jan. 10. Nobel Prizes: Peace: Org. for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW); Lit.: Alice Ann Munro (nee Laidlaw) (1931-) (Canada); Physics: Francois, Baron Englert (1932-) [Belgium}, and Peter Ware Higgs (1929-) (U.K.) [Higgs Mechanism]; Chemistry: Martin Karplus (1930-), Michael Levitt (1947-) [U.S.-U.K.-Israel], and Ariel Warshel (1940-) [U.S.-Israel] [multiscale models for complex chemical systems]; Med.: James Edward Rothman (1950-) , Randy Wayne Schekman (1948-), and Thomas Christian Sudhof (Südhof) (1955-) (U.S.) [machinery regulating vesicle traffic]; Econ.: Eugene Francis "Gene" Fama (1939-), Lars Peter Hansen (1952-), and Robert James "Bob" Shiller (1946-) (U.S.) [asset pricing]. Sports: On Jan. 17 cyclist Lance Armstrong gives an interview with Oprah Winfrey, finally admitting to drug use and lying, causing calls for him to retestify under oath; his earlier Congressional testimony is beyond the statute of limitations. On Jan. 19-27 the PBA League begins operation at Thumderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, Mich., using the Baker format with 5-player teams incl. the Dallas Strikers, Philadelphia Hitmen, L.A. X, Barbasol Motown Muscle, Geico New York City WTT Kingpins, Brooklyn Styles, Silver Lake Atom Splitters, and Pittsburgh Jack Rabbits; on Nov. 9, 2012 the First PBA League Draft in Las Vegas, Nev. saw Ryan "Rhino" Page (1983-) selected #1 overall by Dallas Strikers team head Norm Duke. On Feb. 17 Danica Sue Patrick (1982-) becomes the first woman to win the pole position at the Daytona 500, first for any NASCAR pole position. On Feb. 24 the 2013 (55th) Daytona 500 is won by Jimmie Kenneth Johnson (1975-) (2nd win); Danica Patrick becomes the first woman to achieve the pole position at the start, and to lead the race (5 laps), but comes in #8. On Mar. 27 Tiger Woods regains his #1 internat. golf rank after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational. On Apr. 12 5'8" Chinese amateur golfer Guan Tianlang (1998-) becomes the youngest player to make the cut in PGA history in the 2013 Masters. On Apr. 22 Joe Scarborough (1962-) of Charlotte, N.C. becomes the first bowler to roll a 900 series in a PBA Tour event in his first three games in the PBA50 Sun Bowl Tournament at Spanish Springs Lanes in The Villages, Fla. On May 26 (Sun.) the 2013 (97th) Indianapolis 500 is won by Tony Kanaan (Antoine Rizkallah Kanaan Filho) (1974-) of Brazil, who beats Carlos Munoz by 0.12 sec. On May 26-June 9 the 2013 (117th) French Open at Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France sees 3-time defending champ Rafael Nadel defeat fellow countryman David Ferrer 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 to become the first man to capture the same Grand Slam title 8x, becoming his 59th win in 60 matches in Paris; a topless protester against same-sex marriage interrupts the 2nd set; on June 8 #1-ranked Serena Williams defeats defending champ Maria Sharapova to win the women's single title 6-4, 6-4, becoming her 16th Grand Slam title, and her first French Open win since 2002. On June 6-20 the 2013 NBA Finals sees the Miami Heat defeat the San Antonio Spurs by 4-3; MVP is LeBron James of Miami. On June 8 the 2013 Belmont Stakes is won in 2:30.70 by Palace Malice (2010-), who next year wins the 2014 Metropolitan Handicap on the same track for older horses. On June 12-24 after a lockout causes the season to be shortened to 48 games, the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals see the Chicago Blackhawks defeat the Boston Bruins 4-2 to win their 2nd NHL title in four years; MVP is 5'10-" Blackhawks right winger Patrick Timothy Kane II (1988-). On June 21 the Royal Ascot Gold Cup horserace sees the Queen's horse Estimate (4-y.-o. filly) win for the first time in the race's 207-year history. On June 24-July 7 the 2013 (12th) Wimbledon Championships see Marion Bartoli (1984-) of France defeat Sabine Lisicki of Germany on July 6 to win the ladies' singles title; on July 7 (7/7) Andrew Barron "Andy" Murray (1987-) of Britain (coach Ivan Lendl) defeats Novak Djokovic of Serbia to win the gentlemen's singles title 77 years after Fred Perry (1936). On Aug. 6 ML baseball's highest-paid star Alex Rodriguez is suspended for the 2014 season (211 games) for using performance-enhancing drugs, effective in Nov.-Dec. when arbitrator Fredric Horowitz makes his final ruling; All-Stars Nelson Cruz, Johnny Peralta, and Everth Cabrera are suspended for 50 games each. On Aug. 29 the NFL agrees to a $765M settlement in a concussions lawsuit brought by former players. On Sept. 29 QB Peyton Manning (#18) leads the Denver Broncos to a record 52-point win over the Philadelphia Eagles (52-30), setting an NFL record of starting the season with 16 touchdowns without an interception in only four games; on Oct. 13 the 5-0 Broncos defeat the 0-5 Jacksonville Jaguars by 35-19 after being favored by a record-tying 28 points, largest spread since the 1960 NFL-AFL merger; on Oct. 20 the 6-0 Broncos are defeated 39-33 by the Indianapolis Colts in Manning's long-anticipated return to his old home field. On Oct. 23-30 the 2013 World Series sees the Boston Red Sox (AL) defeat the St. Louis Cardinals (NL) 4-2; the first home field (Fenway Park) clincher since 1918. On Nov. 17 9-y.-o. Hannah Diem (2004-) of Seminole, Fla. becomes the youngest bowler in USBC history to roll a 300 game, using a 12-lb. ball at Liberty Lanes in Largo, Fla. On Nov. 22 (50th Anniv. of Who Killed Kennedy Day) Norwegian grandmaster Sven Magnus Oen (Øen) Carlsen (1990-), "the Harry Potter of Chess" (Garry Kasparov) defeats chess champ (since 2007) Viswanathan Anand to become world chess champ #16 (until ?), going on to win the world rapid chess championship and world blitz chess championship in 2014, reaching a record rating of 2,882. On Dec. 8 #5 Matthew Phillip "Matt" Prater (1984-) of the Denver Broncos kicks a record 64-yard field goal in a game against the Tenn. Titans, which the Broncos win 51-28. On Dec. 22 QB (#18) Peyton Manning of the Denver Broncos beats Tom Brady's 2007 record of 50 TDs in a regular season with 51 in a 4-TD 37-13 win over the Houston Oilers; on Dec. 29 Manning raises the TD record to 55 in a 34-14 win against the San Diego Chargers, passing Drew Brees' 2011 record of 5,476 passing yards with 5,477; the Broncos become the first team to score 600+ points in a season (606); Manning scores 31 points in the first half, then retires for the game. In 2013 the first NBA Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award, named after Rochester/Cincinnati Royals teammates (1955-8) Jack Twyman and Maurice Stokes is awarded to Chauncey Billups of the Los Angeles Clippers for the 2012-13 season, followed in 2013-4 by Shane Battier of the Miami Heat. Inventions: On Jan. 5 India launches the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-D5) from the space port at Sriharikota in coastal Andhra Pradesh. On Jan. 26 the Chinese Xian Y-20 "Chubby Girl" strategic military transport aircraft makes its first flight, going into service on Dec. 26, 2015; by 2016 1K are planned. On Mar. 1 the Center for Copyright Info. (CCI) launches the Copyright Alert System (CAS) that overrides Internet access for users detected of infringing copyrights, and implements a 6-strikes program to hamper their Internet access. On Mar. 17 Iran launches its first destroyer in the Caspian Sea, the Jamaran-2. On May 3 the USAF successfully tests the X-51A WaveRider hypersonic unmanned aircraft, which goes 3K mph (Mach 5.1) at 60K ft. using an exotic scramjet, meaning it can reach any point on Earth in less than 8 hours. On June 6 Russia tests the RS-26 missile, with multiple supersonic maneuvering warheads, upsetting the balance of power in Europe. On June 11 the Chinese Shenzhou 10 spacecraft takes off on a Long March 2F rocket from Jiuquan Launch Center, carrying Nie Haisheng (1964-), Zhang Ziaoguang (1966-), and Capt. Wang Yaping (1978-) (2nd Chinese woman in space), docking with the Tiangong-1 space lab module on June 13 and returning on June 26. On June 19 Daniel Smalley et al. of MIT pub. an article in Nature about using waveguides to create color holographic video displays that are cheaper than monochromatic displays and can increase the resolution of 2-D displays. On July 7 the unmanned X-47B makes the first-ever arrested landing at sea aboard USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) off the Va. coast. On Sept. 26 Google announces their new Hummingbird algorithm, which makes use of natural language queries, making reliance on keywords obsolete. On Sept. 26 the USAF and Boeing successfully test the first pilotless F-16 Drone. In Sept. the TomTato is launched by Thomson & Morgan Co., a single plant that produces both cherry tomatoes and potatoes. In Sept. Ibon Odriozola et al. at CIDETEC Centre for Electrochemical Technologies produce the world's first self-healing polymer. On Nov. 5 the Indian Space Research Org. (ISRO) Mangalyaan (Sansk. "Mars craft") Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) is launched, attaining Mars orbit on Sept. 24, 2014, becoming the 4th country after the Soviet Union, U.S., and European Space Agency, and first Asian, as well as the first to do it on the first attempt. On Nov. 22 the Xbox One home video console is introduced by Microsoft as a successor to the Xbox 360 of 2005. The Boeing 787 Battery Scandal sees mercury batteries new Boeing 787 jets catch fire, causing orders to plummet. The infrared James Webb Space Telescope (formerly the Next Generation Space Telescope) is launched by NASA as a successor to the Hubble Space Telescope; er, after massive cost overruns it is launched in Oct. 2018; it incl. the daisy-shaped star shade to fly 15K mi. ahead of it and block light to allow distant planets to be searched for. Turkey launches its Gotkturk spy satellite, its first, pissing-off Israel. Israel and China establish the XIN (Chin. "New") Center to do research in nanotechnology. The BigDog walking donkey is developed by Boston Dynamics; it can carry up to 400 lbs. into battle at 7-8 mph. Science: World production of digital data reaches 4.4 zettabytes, expected to grow to 44 zettabytes by 2020. On Jan. 11 the White House announces that it won't pursue a Moon-sized Death Star :). On Jan. 28 geneticists at USC announce that they've extended the lifespan of baker's yeast by 10x, equivalent to 800 years for humans by knocking out the RAS2 and SCH9 genes and putting it on a calorie-restricted diet. In Jan. six hypervelocity stars of Solar size racing through the Milky Way at up to 2M mph are discovered. On Feb. 17 Hungarian physicist Albert-Laszlo Barabasi pub. a paper claiming that every one of the 1T Web documents (14B Web pages plus images, videos, and files) is connected with every other by at most 19 clicks. On Feb. 25 the New England Journal of Medicine pub. a study that finds that 30% of heart attacks, strokes, and deaths from heart disease can be prevented by the Mediterranean diet consisting of olive oil, nuts, beans, fish, fruits, vegetables, and wine drunk with meals. On Feb. 27 a study pub. in Nature reports that the bacteriophage virus can steal the immune system of bacteria and use it against its host. In Feb. scientists at the Nat. Research Council in Canada pub. an article in Nature Photonics indicating that Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle might be wrong. On Mar. 3 Deborah Persaud of John Hopkins U. announces the first documented case of a child being cured of HIV using antiretrovirals. On Mar. 6 a report by researchers at Yale Medical School identifies table salt as a trigger for autoimmune diseases. On Mar. 7 Shaun Marcott et al. of Oregon State U. pub. an article in Science which claims that global temps are the warmest in 4K years. On Mar. 7 a team of Chinese physicists announce that Einstein's "spooky action at a distance" is at least 10Kx faster than light. On Mar. 9 the NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) reveals evidence of a Martian megaflood. On Mar. 14 after announcing its discovery last July physicists at CERN announce confirmation of the discovery of the Higgs Boson AKA the God Particle, first predicted in 1964, which explains what gives electrons and matter size and shape; this is actually the greatest intention experiment ever conducted, where thousands of scientists find what they want to find by skewing the data? On Mar. 15 a British team of doctors announce that they have kept a human liver alive outside the body for the first time ever. On Mar. 28 Stanford U. bioengineers pub. an article in Science reporting the first biological transistor made from DNA and RNA, which they call the transcriptor. On Mar. 28 Alexei A. Sharov and Richard Gordon pub. the paper Life Before Earth, which claims that a reverse extrapolation of genetic complexity suggests that life originated 9.7B years ago, before the Earth was born. In Mar. the NASA Messenger spacecraft makes the first complete map of Mercury. On Apr. 2 Pres. Obama launches the $100M BRAIN Initiative to unlock the mysteries of the human mind, starting with $40M in FY 2014. On Apr. 2 an article in Lancet claims that there is a continuum among neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders, which should be considered as different manifestations of a common "developmental brain dysfunction". On Apr. 4 researchers in Japan report in Science that they can predict dream imagery with 60% accuracy using fMRI scans. On Apr. 7 T.L. Winslow (TLW) announces that the human mind is a quantum entanglement device. On Apr. 10 Tor Wager et al. pub. a paper in the New England Journal of Medicine claiming that they can pinpoint what pain looks like in the brain using fMRI brain scans. On Apr. 11 neuroscientists at Karolinska Inst. in Sweden pub. a paper claiming that they can create the sensation of a phantom hand in a non-amputated patient. On Apr. 15 physicians at Va. Commonwealth U. Medical Center become the first to successfully implant a telescope in a patient's eye to treat macular degeneration. On Apr. 15 the first NASA Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) mission begins, with eight food scientists staying on Mauna Loa in Hawaii (alt. 8.2K ft. or 2.5km) for 120 days (until Aug. 13, 2013) in a Mars-like environment; HI-SEAS II sees six people try it from Mar. 28, 2014-July 25, 2014; HI-SEAS III sees six people try it from Oct. 15, 2014-June 13, 2015; HI-SEAS IV runs from Aug. 29, 2015 to Aug. 28, 2016; HI-SEAS V runs from Jan. 19, 2017-Sept. 18, 2017; HI-SEAS VI in 2018. On Apr. 16 Ralph Curry et al. of the U. of Mo. announce Open-Air Containment of Plasma. On Apr. 16 William P. King et al. of the U. of Ill. announce the creation of 3-D microbatteries that outpower supercapacitors and recharge 1Kx faster. On Apr. 16 scientists at Stanford U. announce the location of a brain "hot spot" responsible for numeral recognition. On Apr. 17 Chinese-born Am. mathematician (former Subway sandwich shop worker) Yitang "Tom" Zhang submits a paper to Annals of Mathematics, which is pub. a record three weeks later, announcing a breakthrough in prime number theory by proving that there are infinitely many prime number pairs differing by less than 70M, helping close in on the Twin Prime Conjecture that there are infinitely many differing by 2. On Apr. 17 neuroscientsts at Case Western Reverve U. announce an efficient and reliable method of analyzing brain activity to detect autism in children. On Apr. 17 researchers at the U. of Tex. announce the identification of a protein that can block the brain's response to the appetite-suppressing hormone leptin. On Apr. 24 a study is pub. by Jean Decety et al. of the U. of Chicago that uses fMRI to find that psychopaths lack basic neurophysiological hardwiring to have concern for others. On Apr. 25 the Harvard Stem Cell Inst. announces the discovery of the hormone betatrophin, which spurs beta cell production, promising a new treatment for diabetes. On Apr. 29 the atmospheric CO2 concentration at NOAA's Mauna Loa Observatory reaches 400 ppm for the first time after increasing 2.1 ppm per year for the last 10 years. In Apr. the Beijing Spectrometer Collaboration (BESII) announces the discovery of the mysterious 4-quark Zc(3900) particle, which they believe will lead to a whole new family of 4-quark subatomic particles; on June 18 an article in Nature reports the observation of the first 4-quark particle, called Zc(3900) in the Belle Detector of the High Energy Accelerator Research Org. in Japan. On May 1 Nassim Haramein of the Hawaii Inst. for Unified Physics (HIUP) pub. the paper Quantum Gravity and the Holographic Mass, which discusses his Connected Universe Theory, a new explanation of gravity and the source of mass, claiming that everything in the Universe is connected, and that space defines matter not vice-versa. On May 1 scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine pub. a study that indicates that the hypothalamus may be the body's "fountain of aging". On May 2 scientists at Weill Cornell Medical College pub. a study that finds that Thrombospondon 1 (Tsp-1) stops human cancers from metastisizing. On May 7 after research by scientists at the U. of Southern Denmark, British surgeons announce that 40% of patients with chronic back pain could be cured with antibiotics that treat Proprionibacterium acnes, the bacteria that causes acne, being hailed as a major breakthrough. On May 8 Alison L. Barth of Carnegie Mellon U. pub. an article in Journal of Neuroscience revealing that neuronal development has an intermediate phase during which repeated exposure to a stimulus shrinks rather than lengthens synapses, showing the futility of all-night cram sessions. On May 8 Princeton U. physicist William "Will" Happer (1939-) and former NASA astronaut (geologist) and U.S. Sen. (R-N.M.) (1977-83) Harrison Hagan "Jack" Schmitt (1935-) pub. the op-ed article In Defense of Carbon Dioxide in The Wall Street Journal, arguing that "the demonized chemical compound is a boon to plant life and has little correlations with global temperature", pissing-off the global warmists and causing the Columbia Journalism Review to call the article "shameful, even for the dismal standards" of the WSJ (journalism standards or scientific standards?); Happer later gives an interview claiming that "temperature always changes first, and CO2 follows", there has been no global temp increase since 1998, and "A thousand parts per million of CO2 would actually help the planet... If you look around the world, many greenhouse operators put several thousand parts per million into their greenhouses"; in 2017 Happer meets with new Pres. Trump to discuss being appointed as his science adviser. On May 9 Kerd Kempermann of the DZNE in Dresden, Germany announces experimental proof that experience leads to growth of new brain cells, which leads to individuality. On May 15 Cell announces the first verified creation of human stem cells through cloning by the same technique that produced Dolly the Cloned Sheep in 1996. On May 15 Michael Fanselow and Moriel Zelikowsky of UCLA and Bryce Vissel of the Garvan Inst. of Medical Research pub. a paper revealing that parts of the prefrontal cortex take over when the hippocampus is disabled, becoming the first demonstration of neural circuit plasticity. On May 15 after years of papers attempting to estimate scientific support for anthropogenic global warming/climate change, Australian cognitive scientist John Cook (2007 founder of the climate science blog Skeptical Science) et al. pub. the paper Quantifying the consensus on anthropogenic global warming in the scientific literature in Environmental Research Letters, which reports on an examination of 11,944 climate abstracts pub. in 1991-2011, finding that "Among abstracts expressing a position on AGW, 97.1% endorsed the consensus position that humans are causing global warming", which is given a super boost on May 16 by Pres. Obama in a tweet; on Apr. 13, 2016 Cook, Am. historian of science Naomi Oreskes (1958-), Am. geologist Peter T. Doran et al. pub. the paper Consensus on consensus: a synthesis of consensus estimates on human-caused global warming in Environmental Research Letters, which concludes that "The consensus that humans are causing recent global warming is shared by 90%-100% of publishing climate scientists according to six independent studies by co-authors of this paper", and that "the finding of 97% consensus [that humans are causing recent global warming] in published climate research is robust and consistent with other surveys of climate scientists and peer-reviewed studies." On May 24 an article in Science by Swiss Federal Inst. of Technology (ETH) in Zurich describes the first experimental observation of quantum magnetism. On May 26 researchers at the U. of Hawaii pub. an article in Nature Geoscience revealing that El Nino is dependent on an unusual wind pattern that straddles the equatorial Pacific and has a 15 mo. cycle. On May 27 researchers at Argonne Nat. Lab pub. an article describing a formula to turn cement into metal by heating it in a way to trap electrons. On May 28 researchers at the U. of Adelaide pub. an article in ACS Synthetic Biology describing Clonetegration, a 1-step bacterial genetic engineering process. On May 28 Peter Walter of UCSF et al. pub. a study in eLife, reporting that the chemical ISRIB counters the effects of ElF2 alpha inactivation inside brain cells of mice, boosting memory. On May 29 Wellcome Trust in London announces the result of a preliminary trial indicating that an Avatar can help schizophrenics manage imaginary voices. On May 29 researchers at the U. of Tex. Galveston pub. a paper tying brain injury to a toxic form of tau units called oligomers. On May 29 radar data of Asteroid 1998 QE2 3.75M (6M km) from Earth reveals that it has its own moon. On May 30 researchers from Purdue U. pub. a paper in Science confirming the theory that mascons on the Moon are caused by ancient massive asteroid impacts. On May 31 Shoukhrat Mitalipov of the U. of Ore. pub. an article in Science announcing the production of the first cloned human embryonic stem (ES) cells. In May NASA pub. the SABER Study, which finds that carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide in the upper atmosphere actually reflects solar energy, cooling the Earth, throwing global warming scientists into a tizzy. On June 3 Idan Shalev et al. of Duke pub. an article in Psychological Science, reporting that the width of blood vessels in the retina may indicate brain health years before the onset of dementia. On June 3 researchers pub. an article in Am. Journal of Primatology supporting the universal existence of five personality dimensions in chimpanzees: reactivity/undependability, dominance, openness, extraversion, and agreeableness, with a possible 6th dimension of methodical. On June 5 scientists at the Nat. Inst. of Standards and Technology (NIST) pub. a reportthat they observed the Spin Hall Effect in a Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC). On June 5 researchers from UCLA announce the discovery of Multi-lineage Stress-Enduring (MUSE-AT) Stem Cells in adipose tissue, which can differentiate into virtually every human cell type without modification - a new meaning to the term fathead? On June 5 doctors at Duke U. Hospital implant the first bioengineered blood vessel into a kidney patient's arm. On June 5 chemists at the U. of Pittsburgh pub. their development of titanium dioxide on a stick of carbon nanotubes which might be used to create a sensor to measure blood sugar from human breath samples. On June 5 researchers at Oxford U. pub. a study that finds that a "belief in science" helps non-religious/atheist people deal with adversity by giving them comfort and reassurance. On June 6 researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College pub. an article in Cell reporting the discovery of a mechanism that guides the wiring of neural circuits in a developing brain. On June 6 Jonas Frisen et al. of the Karolinska Inst. pub. an article in Cell reporting the use of C14 dating to establish that about 1.4K new neurons are created in the hippocampus each day during adulthood, with the rate declining modestly with age. On June 7 astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) pub. an article in Science announcing the first observation of a "dust trap" around a young star that generates planets, comets, etc. On June 7 Dennis O'Leary et al. of the Salk Inst. for Biological Studies pub. an article in Science announcing that input from the thalamus is required to determine how the cerebral cortex grows into separate functional areas, not genes alone. On June 9 Steve Finkbeiner et al. of Gladstone Insts. pub. an article in Nature Neuroscience reporting that the protein called Arc controls homeostatic scaling of synapses to form long-term memories without causing epileptic seizures. On June 10 Leon Petchkovsky pub. an article in Journal of Analytical Psychology that reveals a 3-sec. conflict between the left and right brain caused by some trigger words, after which the left brain takes over to ensure that the "hot buttons" will continue to be active. On June 12 researchers at the U. of Penn. pub. a study in the Journal of Neuroscience that finds that a father's life stress exposure leaves a mark on his sperm that can affect the brain development of his offspring. On June 12 Sara C. Mednick of UCR, and Erik J. Kaestner and John T. Wixted of UCD pub. an article in Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience that finds that sleep spindles (burst of brain activity for 1 sec. of less) play a role in emotional memory, and that zolpidem (Ambien) heightens the recollection of and response to negative memories. On June 13 Yu Fu and Richard Depue of Cornell U. pub. an article in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience reporting that an experiment on 70 people using Ritalin showed that extroverts prefer immediate gratification and focus more on faces than introverts, who are overwhelmed by too much stimulation, pay more attention to detail, and have increased brain activity when processing visual info. On June 15-16 Oxford U. prof. Roger Penrose presents a theory at the Global Future 2045 Internat. Congress in New York City that the brain might act like a quantum computer, with the fibers inside neurons forming the basic units of quantum computation. On June 17 Stuart A. Lipton et al. at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Inst. announce NitroMemantine, the first experimental drug to boost brain synapses lost in Alzheimer's disease. On June 17 Stefan Ropke et al. of the Charite Dept. of Psychiatry pub. an article in Journal of Psychiatric Research that finds using MRI that persons suffering from narcissistic personality disorder have a deficit of thickness in the region of the cerebral cortex involved in the processing and generation of compassion. On June 19 scientists at the U. of Calgary pub. an article in Nature Immunology that reports that platelets actively search for bacteria and seal them off from the body. On June 19 Don Arnold and Richard Roberts of USC pub. an article in Neuron that reports how they have created microscopic probes that light up synapses in a living neuron in real time by attacking fluorescent markers to synaptic protons. On June 19 scientists at Carnegie Mellon U. pub. an article in PLOS ONE reporting that they have identified which emotion a person is experiencing based on brain activity as measured by functional MRI. On June 19 Bruce Donald et al. of Duke U. pub. an article in PLOS ONE reporting that they can use carbon nanotubes like harpoons to record electrical signals from individual neurons. On June 20 physicists at UTA pub. an article in Nature Communications announcing the invention of a tabletop particle accelerator that can accelerate electrons to 2GeV at a distance of only 1 in. On June 20 Niek van Hulst et al. of the U. of Glasgow and the ICFO-Inst. of Photonic Sciences pub. an article in Science reporting the first direct observation of the quantum effects in photosynthesis, revealing that coherence maintains high levels of transport efficiency and adapts to environmental influences. On June 20 Lara Gundel et al. of Lawence Berkeley Nat. Lab pub. an article that proves that third-hand smoke (noxious residue from second-hand smoke) causes DNA damage in humans. On June 21 researchers from Germany and Canada pub. an article in Science announcing BigBrain, a 3-D digital model of the human brain at a spatial resolution of 20 microns. On June 21 scientists at the Scripps Research Inst. (TSRI) pub. an article in Journal of Neuroscience that a single gene mutation can destroy a key "window" of brain development permanently. On June 25 astronomers announce that Gliese 667C has 3-4 potentially habitable planets orbiting a triple-star system 22 l.y. from Earth, becoming a first. On June 25 scientists pub. an article in Nature announcing the discovery of the mechanism that points transcription in the right direction and tells it to skip over junk DNA. On June 26 Albert Newen and Luca Barlassina of Ruhr-Universitat Bochum pub. an article in Philosophy and Phenomenological Research announcing their new theory that emotions are a separate kind of mental state arising through the integration of feelings of bodily processes and cognitive contents. On June 27 Christopher Berger of the Karolinska Inst. in Sweden pub. an article in Current Biology describing a study that found that what a person imagines hearing or seeing can change actual perception of the other sensory organ. On June 27 Robert Hanlon et al. of Northwestern U. pub. an article in Criminal Justice and Behavior finding that impulsive murderers are much more cognitively impaired than premeditated murders, who may also suffer from psychiatric disorders. On June 27 Anatol Kreitzer of Gladstone Inst. and Edward Callway of Salk Inst. pub. an article in Neuron anouncing a high-resolution mapping technique that uncovers the underlying circuit architecture of the brain. On June 28 Randy Bruno and Christine Constantinople of Columbia U. pub. an article in Science that reports that sensory info. travels two places at the same time, not only to the brain's mid-layer for deeper transmission in a serial fashion, but directly to the deeper layers. In June 2013 Gastroenterology pub. a study by scientists at UCLA proving that bacteria ingested in food can affect brain function in humans. In June Richard Crooks of UTA and Ulrich Tallarek of the U. of Marburg pub. an article in Angewandte Chemie describing their new technique of electrochemically-mediated seawater desalination, which uses a small electrical field to desalinate seawater sans membranes. On July 1 Michael S. Gaffrey et al. at Washington U. in St. Louis pub. an article in Journal of the Am. Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry revealing brain differences in preschoolers who are depressed. Lysenko was right? On July 1 Roger Godschalk et al. of Maastrich U. pub. an article in The FASEB Journal reporting a pilot study indicating that gene mutations caused by a father's lifestyle can be inherited by his children and passed to grandchildren. On July 3 Elizabeth Gould et al. of Princeton U. pub. an article in Journal of Neuroscience that reports that mice allowed to exercise regularly reorganize their ventral hippocampuses to reduce anxiety in response to stress. On July 4 astronomers Hongsheng Zhao et al. present a new theory of gravity at the U. of St. Andrews, claiming that dark matter might not exist, and that a mysterious unknown force is at work. On July 5 Matthew Lieberman, Emily Falk et al. of UCLA pub. an article in Psychological Science describing a study that indicated that the temporoparietal junction and dorsomedial prefontal cortex are associated with the successful spread of ideas AKA buzz. On July 8 psychologists Michael J. Wood and Karen M. Douglas of the U. of Kent pub. What About Building 7? A Social Psychological Study of Online Discussion of 9/11 Conspiracy Theories, which finds that those labelled conspiracy theorists are saner than those who accept the official versions of contested events. On July 9 Jimo Borjigin et al. of the U. of Mich. pub. an article in the Proceedings of the Nat. Academy of Sciences reporting a "transient surge of synchronous gamma oscillations" for 30 sec. in the brains of rats after cardiac arrest. On July 12 Toshiyuki Hirabayashi et al. of the U. of Tokyo pub. an article in Science revealing that the brain processes complex stimuli more cumulatively than previously thought, attaining detailed representations of objects not by building up representations in a single area, but by emergence of these representations in a hierarchically prior area and subsequent transfer to the brain region that follows until they become sufficiently prevalent for the brain to register them; the study also reveals that the brain activity involved in recreating visual stimula emerges in a hierarchically lower brain area than previously thought. On July 15 Georg Heinze, Christian Hubrich, and Thomas Halfmann of the Inst. fur Angewandte Physik pub. an article in Phys. Rev. Lett. reporting that they have stopped a light beam and stored an image by electromagnetically-induced transparency for a record 1 min. On July 16 Christof Wetterich of the U. of Heidelberg pub. an article proposing a new cosmology in which the Universe isn't expanding but the mass of everything has been increasing, making the Big Bang singularity unnecessary. On July 16 Mark Scott of the U. of British Columbia pub. an article in Psychological Science revealing evidence that a brain signal called corollary discharge plays an important role in experiences of internal speech. On July 17 Jeanne B. Lawrence et al. at UMass Medical School pub. an article in Nature showing that a naturally occurring X chromosome "off switch" can be rerouted to neutralize the extra chromosome causing Down Syndrome (Trisomy 21). On July 18 Stuart Hameroff et al. of the U. of Ariz. pub. an article in Brain Stimulation reporting that transcranial ultrasound affects mood, with 30 sec. at 2Mhz giving the best positive mood change. On July 19 researchers at Peking U. and Beijing Vitalstar Biotechnology pub. an article in Science reporting on their creation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from mouse somatic cells using a combination of seven small-molecule compounds sans genetic manipulations. On July 22 Marco Catani et al. of King's College, London pub. an article in Proceedings of the Nat. Academy of Science reporting their mapping of the neural pathways involved in word learning in humans, finding that the arcuate fasciculus, which connects auditory regions in the temporal lobe with the motor area of the left hemisphere frontal lobe allows the sound of a word to be connected to the regions responsible for its articulation. On July 23 Birgit Wagner, Andrea B. Horn, and Andreas Maercker at the U. of Zurich pub. an article in the Journal of Affective Disorders providing evidence that Internet-based psychotherapy is as good or better than the face-to-face kind. On July 29 researchers at UCLA and UNC pub. a study that indicates that happiness affects one's genes in their immune cells. On July 29 Amit Sahai et al. of UCLA pub. a Mathematical Jigsaw Algorithm to encrypt software so that someone can use it without being able to uncover the code behind it. On July 31 British researchers send a balloon to an altitude of 27km alt. which collects the cell wall of a diatom, claiming it as proof of the extraterrestrial origin of life. On Aug. 1 researchers at UCB and Princeton U. pub. an article in Science reporting a study with massive data indicating that the Earth's changing climate is implicated in increased domestic violence, crime, ethnic violence, and political strife throughout history. On Aug. 2 scientists at the U. of Colo. pub. an article in Science announcing a new solar-thermal system that can split water with sunlight, "the Holy Grail of a sustainable hydrogen economy". On Aug. 5 John Rasko, William Ritchie et al. at Centenary Inst. in Sydney, Australia pub. an article in Science reporting that 97% of so-called human junk DNA can actually play a significant roll in cell development. On Aug. 6 Mark Post of Maastricht U. unveils the first test tube hamburger in London, which cost 250K euros to create. On Aug. 8 Dolores Albarracin of the U. of Penn. and Justin Hepler of the U. of Ill. pub. an article in Cognition reporting that subliminal messages can unconsciously save a person from temptation. On Aug. 9 Simon Baron-Cohen et al. of Cambridge U. pub. an article in Brain reporting that autism affects different parts of the brain in women and men, and that females with autism show neuroanatomical "masculinization". On Aug. 9 Lawrence Krauss of Arizona State U. and James Dent of the U. of La. pub. an article in Physical Review Letters proposing that the Grand Unified Scale might create another background field in addition to the Higgs Field that would account for dark energy and explain why its density is so small, 120 orders of magnitude less than expected based on fundamental physics. On Aug. 12 Michael Argyle of the U. of Rochester pub. an article in Personality and Social Psychology Review reporting a study of 1.5K gifted children going back to 1921 which finds that the more intelligent ones turned away from religion even in old age. On Aug. 13 Shyam Gollakota et al. of the U. of Wash. pub. an article in Data Communication reporting a new technique to repurpose wireless signals as a source of power to allow wireless devices to go battery-free. On Aug. 14 Jeff Anderson et al. of the U. of Utah pub. an article in PLOS ONE reporting that brain imaging experiments find no evidence that some people are "right-brained" or "left-brained". On Aug. 15 Smithsonian scientists pub. an article in ZooKeys describing the olinguito (Bassaricyon neblina), native to Ecuador and Colombia, a relative of the olingo, becoming the first new carnivore species to be discovered in the W Hemisphere in 35 years. On Aug. 15 scientists at the U. of Md. claim that NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft left the Solar System last year, despite NASA claims that it's passing through a transition zone. On Aug. 20 Alexander B. Niculescu III et al. of Indiana U. pub. an article in Molecular Psychiatry reporting the finding of a series of RNA biomarkers in blood that might help identify people at risk for committing suicide. On Aug. 22 Peter Liddle et al. of the U. of Nottingham pub. an article in Neuron that the severity of symptoms incl. delusions and hallucinations in schizophrenics is caused by a disconnect between two regions in the brain, the insula and the lateral frontal cortex. On Aug. 27 U. of Wash. researchers Rajesh Rao and Andrea Stocco perform the first noninvasive human-to-human brain interface, with one sending a brain signal via the Internet to control the hand motions of the other. On Aug. 27 Mazahir T. Hasan of the Max Planck Inst., Jose Maria Delgado-Garcia of the U. of Pablo de Olavide in Seville, Spain et al. pub. an article in Nature Communications reporting that some long-term memories are stored in the cortex not the hippocampus. On Aug. 29 Norman M. Weinberger et al. of UC Irvine pub. an article in Neuroscience reporting that specific memories can be made by directly altering brain cells in the cerebral cortex of rodents. On Sept. 1 researchers at Macquarie U., the U. of Adelaide, and Peking U. pub. an article in Nature Nanotechnology announcing the SuperDot, a nanocrystal with a special optical fiber that enables light to interact with nanoscale volumes of liquid, becoming a breakthrough in nanoscale measurement of living cells. On Sept. 6 pub. B.M. Harvey of the U. of Utrecht et al. pub. an article in Science reporting the discovery of small brain area which represents numerosity along a continuous "map". On Sept. 8-13 the 2013 European Planetary Science Congress presents evidence that Mars was quite wet once, and had two wet eras. On Sept. 26 Shehan Hettiaratchy of Imperial College in Fuzhou, China announces the world's first replacement nose grown on a patient's forehead. On Sept. 26 NASA's Curiosity Rover discovers that Mars' surface soil contains 2% water by weight. On Sept. 27 the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) of the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is released, concluding that: "It is extremely likely that human influence has been the dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid-20th century"; the report Observations: Atmosphere and Surface in "Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis, Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change", by lead authors Lisa Victoria Alexander of the U. of New South Wales in Australia, Stefan Bronnimann (Brönnimann) of the U. of Bern, Yassine Abdul-Rahman Charabi (1972-) of the Sultan Qaboos U. in Oman, Franciscus Johannes (Frank J.) Dentener of the Netherlands, David R. Easterling of NOAA, Alexey Kaplan of Columbia U., Peter William Thorne of the Hadley Centre, Martin Wild of ETH Zurich, and Panmao Zhai (1962-) of the China Meteorological Admin. contains the soundbyte: "Current data sets indicate no significant observed trends in global tropical cyclone frequency over the past century and it remains uncertain whether any reported long-term increases in tropical cyclone frequency are robust, after accounting for past changes in observing capabilities... No robust trends in annual numbers of tropical storms, hurricanes, and major hurricanes counts have been identified over the past 100 years in the North Atlantic basin"; it also admits that the global warming in 1998-2012 was just 0.05C/decade, only one-quarter of the predicted 0.2C/decade. On Sept. 27 after calling AR5 a "death warrant written in stark, black-and-white data", Am. blogging meteorologist ("the Rebel Nerd of Meteorology") Eric Holthaus (1981-) announces his decision to never fly again; meanwhile U. of Ala. atmospheric scientist John Christy announces that an analysis of all 73 climate models used in the AR5 reveals that five of them confirm that there has been no statistically significant global warming for the past 17 years, and none accurately predicted that the global temp. would remain flat since Oct. 1, 1996. On Sept. 27 researchers at UCLA et al. pub. an article reporting the first-ever measurement of the energy of magnetic reconnection in the magnetosphere that drives space weather using six aligned Earth-orbiting spacecraft and NASA's ARTEMIS dual lunar orbiter. On Sept. 27 researchers from the U. of N.C. pub. an article in Science reporting that faulty wiring in BNST cells in the brain can interfere with hunger or satiety signals, leading to eating disorders. On Oct. 7 Lawrence Livermore Labs in Calif. announce the first-ever fusion reaction where the energy released exceeded the amount absorbed by the fuel, reaching just one step short of ignition, where it releases as much energy as the lasers supply. On Oct. 8 Aleksey Komogorov of Binghamton U. pub. an article in Physical Review Letters announcing the successful synthesis of the first superconductor designed entirely on a computer. On Oct. 10 Rebecca Todd et al. of the U. of British Columbia pub. an article in Psychological Science reporting that the ADRA2b gene variant can cause people to perceive emotional events more vividly than others, predisposing them to focus on the negative. On Oct. 14 Dale Greenwalt et al. of the U.S. Nat. Museum of Natural History pub. an article in Proceedings of the Nat. Academy of Sciences reporting the discovery of the first-ever fossil of a female mosquito containing traces of blood in its abdomen a la Jurassic Park. On Oct. 26 Spencer Smith et al. of UNC pub. an article in Nature reporting that dendrites in the brain actively process info., multiplying the brain's computing power - I'm Doctor Dendrite? On Oct. 28 Jerry Qi et al. of the U. of Colo. Boulder announce the incorporation of "shape memory" polymer fibers into the composite materials used in traditional 3-D printing to create a form of 4-D printing where an object fixed in one shape can later be changed to take on a new shape. On Nov. 4 Erik Petigura of UCB releases a study that finds that based on data from the Kepler space telescope, the Milky Way galaxy is home to 10B potentially habitable worlds. On Nov. 4 Adrian Kent et al. of Cambridge U. pub. an article in Physical Review Letters announcing the first transmission of info. in a quantum "sealed envelope" with perfect security. On Nov. 8 a team at the U. of Ala. performs the first virtual surgery using Google Glass, which they call Virtual Interactive Presence in Augmented Reality (VIPAAR). On Dec. 11 Nitin Tandon of UTHealth et al. pub. an article in Journal of Neuroscience illustrating a technique for enhancing the brain's inhibiting or braking system with electrical stimulation. On Dec. 13 P. Michael Conn of the Oregon Primate Research Center et al. announce the discovery of pharmacoperones, which fix misfolded proteins. On Dec. 17 researchers at Oregon U. pub. an article in Vaccine describing research proving that consuming moderate amounts of alcohol boosts the immune system. On Dec. 18 Keith Martin and Barbara Lorber of Cambridge U. pub. an article in Biofabrication announcing the first successful printing of cells taken from the eye using inkjet printing technology. On Dec. 18 researchers at pub. an article in PLOS ONE describing a way to transmit binary info. molecularly using alcohol molecules. On Dec. 22 researchers at the U. of Edinburgh pub. an article in Nature GeoScience claiming that a historical study of climate disproves the theory that the Sun has a major influence - except if it goes dead? In Dec. two small teams at MIT and Harvard U. led by Eric Lander disable all 20K genes growing in a Petri dish, one at a time; in 2007 it took an internat. $100M effort five years to disable all 20K genes in mouse DNA. In Dec. researchers at Cornell U. 3-D print the first working loudspeaker, complete with cone, coil, and magnet. Art: Martin Martensen-Larsen, The Unifier; the body of Tex. death row inmate Travis Runnels painted gold and posed a la Daniel Chester French's statue of Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial. Music: David Bowie (1947-), The Next Day. Brandy Clark (1977-), 12 Stories (Oct. 22) (album) (debut) (#28 country) (#163 in the U.S.) (Slate Creek Records); features Vince Gill; incl. Stripes (co-written by Shane McAnally), Pray to Jesus, Hungover. Cults, Static (album #2) (Oct. 15); incl. I Can Hardly Make You Mine, High Road. Imagine Dragons, Live at Independent Records (Aug. 31) (live album); recorded Aug. 31, 2012 in Dirty Denver, Colo. Filter, The Sun Comes Out Tonight (album #6) (June 4) (original title Gurney and the Burning Books); incl. What Do You Say. Ariana Grande (1993-), The Way (Mar. 27) (debut); Yours Truly (Aug. 30) (album) (debut) (#1 in the U.S.); incl. The Way (#9 in the U.S.); "Baby I love the way,/ The way I love you." Ke$ha (1987-), Dancing with the Devil; causes rumors that she's an outed Satanist. Pearl Jam, Mind Your Manners. Macklemore (1983-) and Ryan Lewis (1988-), Thrift Shop (w/WANZ) (#1 in the U.S.); Can't Hold Us (w/Ray Dalton) (#1 in the U.S.). Tim McGraw (1967-), Two Lanes of Freedom (album #12) (Feb. 5) (#2 in the U.S.) (#1 country); first for Big Machine Records; incl. Highway Don't Care (w/Taylor Swift and Keith Urban) (#22 in the U.S.) (#4 country), One of Those Nights (#32 in the U.S.) (#3 country), and Southern Girl (#42 in the U.S.) (#4 country). On Apr. 21, 2006-Sept. 1, 2007 he and Faith Hill go on the Soul2Soul II Tour, which plays 74 shows in 56 cities and sells 1.1M tickets, grossing $89M, becoming the highest-grossing tour in country music history (until ?). He goes on to release 13 albums incl. 10 #1 albums, and 50+ singles incl. 25 #1s. John Newman (1990-), Tribute (album) (debut); Love Me Again (May 17) (#1 in the U.K.); featured in the 2014 film "Edge of Tomorrow". Manic Street Preachers, Rewind the Film (album #11) (Sept. 16); incl. Show Me the Wonder, Anthem for a Lost Cause. Thomas Rhett (1990-), It Goes Like This (album) (debut) (Valory Music Group) (#2 country) (#6 in the U.S.); incl. It Goes Like This (#2 country) (#25 in the U.S.), Get Me Some of That (by Cole Swindell) (#4 country) (#41 in the U.S.), Something to Do with My Hands (#15 country) (#93 in the U.S.), Beer with Jesus (#26 country) (#101 in the U.S.). Nathaniel Rateliff (1978-), Falling Faster Than You Can Run (album #3) (Sept. 17). Black Sabbath, 13 (album) (#1 in the U.S.); first full-length release with Ozzy Osbourne since 1978. Trombone Shorty (1986-), Say That to Say This (album #9); incl. Say That to Say This. Spinal Tap, This Is Spinal Tap (June 11); LP reissue with black cover and black inner sleeve in a gatefold package with original liner notes. Robin Thicke (1977-), Blurred Lines (album #6) (July 12) (#1 in the U.K.); incl. Blurred Lines (w/T.I. and Pharrell Williams) (#1 in the U.S.); "I know you want it/ You're a good girl/ Can't let it get past me/ You're far from plastic/ Talk about getting blasted/ I hate these blurred lines"; becomes subject of copyright infringement suit regarding Marvin Gaye's "Got to Give It Up" and Funkadelic's "Sexy Ways". Justin Timberlake (1981-), The 20/20 Experience (album #3) (Mar. 15) (#1 in the U.S., #1 in the U.K.); incl. Suit & Tie ("I be on my suit and tie, shit tie, shit tie"), Mirrors, Tunnel Vision. Keith Urban (1967-), Fuse (album #8) (Sept. 10) (#1 in the U.S.) (#1 country) (480K copies); incl. We Were Us (w/Miranda Lambert) (#26 in the U.S.) (#1 country). Movies: Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave (Aug. 30), based on the 1853 memoir by Solomon Northup, a N.Y.-born free negro who was kidnapped in Washington, D.C. in 1841 and sold into slavery stars Chiwetel Ejiofor as Northrup, Lupita Nyong'o as Patsey, Michael Fassbender as plantation owner Edwin Epps, Paul Dano as carpenter Tibeats, Brad Pitt as Canadian laborer Samuel Bass, and Benedict Cumberbatch as plantation owner William Ford; does $140M box office on a $20M budget. Carl Erik Rinsch's 47 Ronin (Dec. 6), based on a Japanese legend stars Keanu Reeves as Ka, Tadanobu Asano as Lord Kira, and Rink Kikucho as Lady Mizuki. Paul Weitz' Admission (Mar. 22) (Focus Features), based on the novel by Jean Hariff Korelitz stars Tina Fey as Princeton U. admissions officer Portia Nathan, who falls for former college classmate John Pressman (Paul Rudd), and tries to finagle her gifted son Jeremiah Balakian (Nat Wolff) into the univ.; does $18.6M box office on a $13M budget. M. Night Shyamalan's After Earth (May 31) (originally titled "1000 A.E.") stars Will Smith and his real son Jaden Smith as Gen. Cypher Raige and his young recruit Kitai Raige on Nova Prime 1K years after humanity chucks Earth for new digs. David O. Russell's American Hustle (Dec. 8) (Columbia Pictures), based on the ABSCAM sting stars Christian Bale and Amy Adams as con artists Irving Rosenfeld and Sydney Prosser, who are forced by FBI agent Richard "Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) to infiltrate the N.J. mob; Jennifer Lawrence plays Irving's wife Rosalyn Rosenfeld; Jeremy Renner plays mayor Carmine Polito. John Wells' August: Osage County (Sept. 9) (The Weinstein Co.), based on the 2007 Tracy Letts play stars Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts as narcotics-addicted Beverly Weston in hot Pawawhuska, Okla., whose alcoholic ex-poet hubby Beverly Weston (Sam Shepard) skips out and drowns, causing her to call for support from her dysfunctional family incl. sister Mattie Fae (Margo Martindale) and her hubby Charles Aiken (Chris Cooper), daughters Ivy (Julliane Nicholson) and Barbara Weston-Forham (Julia Roberts) and her hubby Bill Fordham (Ewan McGregor) and 14-y.-o. daughter Jean Fordham (Abigail Breslin), and Karen Weston (Juliette Lewis), only to see them fight and leave too; does $74.2M box office on a $37M budget. Gabriela Cowperthwaite's Blackfish (Jan. 19) (Magnolia Pictures) follows the captivity of Tilikum the Orca, who killed trainer Dawn Brancheau in Feb. 2010, questioning the merit of captivity of er, killer whales, pissing-off SeaWorld San Diego et al., who claim it's a distorted picture. Carl Franklin's Bless Me, Ultima (Feb. 22), based on the 1972 novel by Rudolfo Anaya stars Luke Ganalon, Joseph A. Garcia, and Miriam Colon. Abdellatif Kechiche's Blue is the Warmest Color (May 23) stars Adele Exarchopoulos and Lea Seydoux as lezzie lovers Adele and Emma. Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine (July 26) (Sony Pictures) stars Cate Blanchett as rich fashionable Manhattan housewife Jeanette "Jasmine" Francis, whose money mgr. hubby Hal (Alec Baldwin) is busted for a Madoff Ponzi scheme after she turns him in, and commits suicide, causing her to become alcoholic and talk to herself, moving into her sister Ginger's (Sally Hawkins) working class apt. in San Francisco, Calif. along with her hubby Augie (Andrew Dice Clay), who are among the victims; does $97.5M box office on an $18M budget. Brian Percival's The Book Thief (Oct. 3) (20th Cent. Fox), based on the 2005 Markus Zusak novel about a young adopted girl in Nazi Germany sharing books with a Jewish refugee being sheltered by their parents stars Sophie Nelisse, Geoffrey Rush, and Wmily Watson as Liesel Meminger and her parents Hans and Rosa Hubermann, and Ben Schnetzer as Max Vanderburg; score by John Williams; does $76.6M box office on a $19M budget. Lee Daniels' The Butler (Aug. 16), written by Danny Strong based on the life of Eugene Allen stars Forest Whitaker as White House butler Cecil Gaines, Oprah Winfrey as Gloria Gaines, Cuba Gooding Jr. as Carter Wilson, and Terence Howard as Howard; last film produced by Laura Ziskin. Paul Greengrass' Captain Phillips (Oct. 11) stars Tom Hanks as Richard Phillips, capt. of Maersk Alabama, which was hijacked by Somali pirates in 2009. James Ward Byrkit's Coherence (Sept. 19) (Byrkit's dir. debut) stars Emily Baldoni as Emily, who sights a comet and goes through several bizarre experiences at a Calif. dinner party that are caused by a parallel Universe. James Wan's The Conjuring (July 19) stars Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, who help the Perron family (Ron Livingston and Lili Taylor) with their haunted farmhouse in 1971 Harrisville, R.I. Kirk DeMicco's and Chris Sanders" The Croods (Feb. 15) (20th Cent. Fox), set in the Croodaceous Era stars the voices of Nicolas Cage and Emma Stone; does $587M box office on a $135M budget. Jean-Marc Vallee's Dallas Buyers Club (Nov. 1) is based on the true story of AIDS patient Ron Woodroof (Matthew McConaughey), who smuggles unapproved drugs into Texas and distributes them to fellow patients; does $30M box office on a $5M budget. Alexander Payne's The Descendants (Sept. 10), based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings stars George Clooney as Hawaiian atty. Matt King, Shailene Woodley as his daughter Alex, and Beau Bridges as his cousin Hugh. Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Don Jon (Jan. 18) (Voltage Pictures) (HitRecord Films) (Relativity Media) (Gordon-Levitt's dir. debut) is a romantic dramedy starring Gordon-Levitt as Italian-Am. Jon Martello, a Don Juan living in N.J., who has a bad habit of masturbating to porno, and hooks up with Barbara Sugarman (Scarlett Johansson), wh tries to cure him, failing and preparing for the next girl Esther (Julianna Moore); does $41.3M box office on a $5.5M budget. Neill Blomkamp's Elysium (Aug. 9) stars Matt Damon and Jodie Foster as downtrodden worker Max Da Costa and Defense Secy. Delcaourt in 2145, when overpopulated Earth is a mess and the rich live on a luxurious space station that is plagued with illegal immigrants; Sharlto Copley plays sleeper agent Kruger; does $286M box office on a $115M budget. Gavin Hood's Ender's Game (Oct. 24), based on the 1985 Orson Scott novel stars Asa Butterfield as Ender Wiggin, Harrison Ford as Col. Graff, Hailee Steinfeld as Petra Arkanian, Abigail Breslin as Valentine Wiggin, and Ben Kingsley as Mazer Rackham. Fede Alvarez's Evil Dead (Mar. 8) (GhostHouse Pictures) (FilmDistrict) (TriStar Pictures), produced by Bruce Campbell, Sam Raimi, and Robert Tapert (#4 in the Evil Dead franchise) stars Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez, Lou Taylor Pucci, Jessi Lucas, and Elizabeth Blackmore in a super-gory superntural horror flick about five friends in a cabin in the woods who are possessed in turn by the Abomination after summoning him via the Naturom Demonto, which carries the warning: "Leave this book alone"; Alvarez's dir. debut; does $97.5M box office on a $17M budget; watch trailer. Luc Besson's The Family (Sept. 10) (TF1 Films Production) is a black comedy starring Robert De Niro as Mafia boss Giovanni Manzoni, who is on the run with his family under U.S. govt. protection and settles in Normandy, soon disrupting the whole town before having to move on; does $78.4M box office on a $30M budget. Bill Condon's The Fifth Estate (Sept. 5) stars Benedict Cumberbatch as WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Walt Disney's Frozen (original title "Anna and the Snow Queen") (Nov. 19), based on Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen" features Kristen Bell as the voice of Princess Anna of Arendelle, and Idina Menzel as the voice of Elsa the Snow Queen, her older sister; does $1.28B box office on a $150M budget; features the song Let It Go; followed by "Frozen II" (2019). Ruben Fleischer's Gangster Squad (Jan. 11) (Warner Bros.), based on Paul Lieberman's "Tales from the Gangster Squad, about the 1940s LAPD unit fighting gangster Mickey Cohen stars Josh Brolin as Sgt. John O'Mara, Ryan Gosling as Sgt. Jerry Wooters, and Sean Penn as Mickey Cohen; does $105M box office on a $75M budget. Amin Dora's Ghadi (Oct.) stars Emmanuel Khairallah as a Lebanese boy with Down Syndrome whose father Leba (Georges Khabbaz) invents a story that he's an angel. Alfonso Cuaron's Gravity (Heyday Films) (Esperanto Filmoj) (Warner Bros.) (Aug. 28) stars George Clooney and Sandra Bullock as NASA astronauts Matt Kowalski and Ryan Stone, who are stranded on the damaged Space Shuttle mission STS-157 at 372 mi. alt., and must engage in hair-raising space acrobatics to make it to the ISS and the Chinese Tiangong space station to make it back to Earth; does $723.2M box office on a $100M budget; "Don't let go." Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby (May 10) (3-D), based loosely on the 1925 F. Scott Fitzgerald novel stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby, Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway, Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan, and Joel Edgerton as Tom Buchanan; does $351M box office on a $105M budget. Eli Roth's horror film The Green Inferno (Sept. 8) (Worldview Enertainment) (Open Road Films) (Universal Pictures) is about a group of activists who travel to the Amazon rainforest to stop logging and crash-land, ending up being captured by a tribe of cannibals; does $7.2M U.S. and $12.9M worldwide box office on a $5M budget; "They will eat you alive." Spike Jonze's Her (Oct. 13) stars Joaquin Phoenix as lonely introverted Theodore Twombly, who is about to divorce Catherine (Rooney Mara), and decides to purchase a talking AI OS with a female identity he calls Samantha (Scarlett Johansson), falling in love with her until she decides she's too good for him; does $31M box office on a $23M budget. Alexandre Aja's Horns (Sept. 6), bsed on the Joe Hill novel stars Daniel Radcliffe as Ignatius "Ig" Perrish, who is accused of raping and murdering his girlfriend, and develops paranormal abilities to find the real killer; does $3.9M box office. Malcolm Mcdonald's JFK: The Smoking Gun (Nov. 3) (Reelz), based on work by veteran Australian police detective Colin McLaren claims that the 3rd shot was accidentally fired by Secret Service agent George Hickey from the limo behind JFK's. Yotam Feldman's The Lab exposes the Israeli military-industrial complex. Jason Reitman's Labor Day (Aug. 29) (Paramount Pictures), based on the 2009 Joyce Maynard novel stars Kate Winslet as depressed single mom Adele Wheeler, who harbors escaped con Frank Chambers (Josh Brolin), who is captured after they fall in love; does $20.2M box office on an $18M budget. Ruairi Robinson's The Last Days on Mars (Dec. 6) (British Film Inst.), based on the short story "The Animators" by Sydney J. Bounds and shot in Jorden and Elstree Studios stars Liev Schreiber, Elias Koteas, Romola Garai, Johnny Harris et al. as crew members of Martian research base Tantalus, who are 19 hours away from the arrival of their rescue spacecraft Aurora when crewmate Marko Petrovic (Goran Kostic) discovers a life form that turns them into zombies; does $24M box office on a $10.6M budget. Kim Jee-woon's The Last Stand (Jan. 18) (Lionsgate) stars Arnold Schwarzenegger in his first acting role since "Terminator 3" in 2003 as small town Sommerton Junction, Ariz. sheriff Ray Owens, who lost his job on the LAPD after bungling an operation and getting his team decimated, taking on racing car driver drug lord Gabriel Cortez (Eduardo Noriega) and his souped-up Chevy Corvette C6 ZR1; does $48.8M box office on a $45M budget - the has-been star really knows how to pick movie titles? Gore Verbinski's The Lone Ranger (June 22) (Walt Disney Pictures) stars Armie Hammer as Tex. Ranger John Reid AKA the Lone Ranger, and Johnny Depp as Tonto in a PC version twisted against the palefaces; does $260.5M box office on a $250M budget, making it a big flop after spending $150M on marketing. Andy Muschietti's Mama (Jan. 18) (Universal Pictures) stars Megan Charpentier and Isabelle Nelisse as two young sisters Victoria and Lilly Desange abandoned in a forest cabin by insane stockbroker Jeffrey Desange (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) that is haunted by cherry-dispensing Mama (Javier Botet), who becomes their caretaker and follows them to their new suburban home where foster parents Annabel and Luke Desange (twin brother of Jeffrey) (Jessica Chastain and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) are waiting, discovering they've gone feral; Muschietti's dir. debut; does $146.4M box office on a $15M budget. Zack Snyder's 3-D Man of Steel (June 12) (Warner Bros.) stars English actor Henry Cavill as Superman, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Michael Shannan as Gen. Zod, Laurence Fishburn as Perry White (first African-Am. in the role), Kevin Costner and Diane Lane as Jonathan and Martha Kent, and Russell Crowe as Jor-El; does $668M box office on a $225M budget. Dan Scanlon's computer-animated comedy Monsters University (June 5) (Walt Disney Studios) (Pixar Animation Studios) is voiced by an all-star cast, featuring Billy Crystal voicing Mike Wazowski, who enrolls in the Scaring program at Monsters U. in Monstropolis, John Goodman voicing James P. "Sulley" Sullivan, and Steve Buscemi voicing Randall "Randy" Boggs; does $743.6M box office on a $200M budget. Peter Farrelly's Movie 43 (Jan. 25) is a black comedy with 14 different story lines that is a box-office dud; "The Citizen Kane of awful" (Chicago Sun-Times). Joseph Kosinski's Oblivion (Apr. 10), set in 2077 stars Tom Cruise as Tech 49 Jack Harper, one of the last drone repairmen on Earth 60 years after the Scavengers (Scavs) invaded and destroyed the Moon, almost taking over the Earth until nukes defeated them, leaving the planet unlivable, causing the remnant to flee to Titan; too bad, he comes to realize that he's working for the wrong side; grosses $258.8M on a $120M budget. Mike Flanagan's Oculus (Sept. 8) (Blumhouse Productions) (Relativity Media) stars Karen Gillan and Brenton Thwaits as adult siblings Kaylie and Tim Russell, who try to destroy an antique mirror harboring a malevolent entity that killed their parents along with 40+ others in four cents.; does $44M box office on a $5M budget. Antoine Fuqua's Olympus Has Fallen (Mar. 18) (Millennium Films) (Nu Image) (FilmDistrict) is an action thriller starring Gerard Butler as Secret Service agent Mike Banning, who helps rescue Pres. Benjamin Asher (Aaron Eckhart) from terrorists holding him in the White House; Morgan Freeman plays Speaker Allan Trumbull; Angela Bassett plays Secret Service head Lynne Jacobs; does $170.2M box office on a $70M budget. Jim Jarmusch's Only Lovers Left Alive (May 25) (Recorded Picture Co.) (Pandora Film) (Soda Pictures) stars Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston (after Michael Fassbender drops out) as rock and roll-loving ancient vampires and lovers Eve and Adam, and John Hurt as Christopher Marlowe, who faked his 1693 death and claims to have written most of Shakespeare's plays; features music by Dutch lute player Jozef van Wissem; does $7.6M box office on a $7M budget; Sam Raimi's Oz the Great and Powerful (Feb. 14) (Walt Disney Pictures), a prequel to the 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz" set 20 years earlier stars James Franco as the Wizard of Oz, Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Henkle Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs, Michelle Williams as Glinda the Good Witch of the South, Mila Kunas as Theodora the Wicked Witch of the West, and Rachel Weisz as Evanora the Wicked Witch of the East; does $493.3M box office on a $215M budget. Guillerrmo del Toro's Pacific Rim (July 1) (Warner Bros.) is a sci-fi monster film set in the future, when the gigantic Kaiju monsters begin emerging from the Breach, an interdimensional portal on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean and terrorize the coasts, causing humanity to fight back with Jaegers, gigantic humanoid mechas with "drift compatible" dual pilots joined mentally by a neural bridge; stars Charlie Hunnam as Jaeger pilot Raleigh Becket, Rinko Kikuchi as Jaeger pilot Mako Mori, and Idris Elba as commanding officer Stacker Pentecost; does $101.8M U.S. and $411M worldwide box office on a $190M budget; followed by "Pacific Rim: Uprising" (2018). James DeMonaco's The Purge (May 2) (Blumhouse Produtions) (Why Not Productions) (Universal Pictures) is set in 2022 U.S., which achieves a low crime rate and 1% unemployment by sponsoring the annual 12-hour Purge starting on June 7 evening, where all criminal laws are suspended by the New Founding Fathers of America, making the homeless into fair game; too bad, a stranger (Edwin Hodge) begs to be let into the fortified house of James Sandin (Ethan Hawke), and they wing it from there; does $89.3M box office on a $3M budget, becoming the lowest-budget film to hit the top of the box office charts in 25 years; spawns sequels incl. "The Purge: Anarchy" (2014), "The Purge: Election Year" (2016), and "The Purge: The First Purge" (2018); Ron Howard's Rush (Sept. 20), about the 1976 Formula One season stars Brad Pitt clone Chris Hemsworth as James Hunt, and Daniel Bruhl as Niki Lauda. John Lee Hancock's Saving Mr. Banks (Oct. 20) stars Emma Thompson as "Mary Poppins" author P.L. Travers, and Tom Hanks as Walt Disney, who talks her into selling the film rights. Steven Soderbergh's Side Effects (original title: "The Bitter Pill") (Feb. 8) (Open Road Films) stars Jude Law as pshrink Jonathan Banks, who treats mental patient Emily Taylor (Rooney Mara) with the experimental drug Ablixa, after which she kills her insider-trading convict hubby Matin Taylor (Channing Tatum), later discovering that she has a lesbian thang going with her previous pshrink Victoria Siebert (Catherine Zeta-Jones), along with a plot to use the scandal to make a killing on the stock market; does $66.7M box office on a $30M budget. Bong Joon-ho's Snowpiercer (Stillking Films) (CJ Entertainment) (July 20), based on the 1982 French graphic novel "Le Transperceneige" by Jacques Lob, Benjamin Legrand, and Jean-Marc Rochette about a future world where botched climate engineering causes an ice age, causing the remnant of humanity to live on a massive perpetual motion-powered train that travels on a circumnavigational track, where the elite live in the opulent front cars and the scum live in the back cars under the brutal bootheel of Minister Mason (Tilda Swinton), causing a revolution led by Curtis Everett (Chris Evans) and Gilliam (John Hurt); Ed Harris plays engine creator Minister Wilford; does $86.8M box office on a $40M budget. J.J. Abrams' 3-D Star Trek Into Darkness (May 16) has the same cast as the 2009 film, with Benedict Cumberbatch playing Cmdr. John Harrison, who turns out to be Khan Noonien Singh, who woke up after 300 years in cryosleep. Evan Goldberg's and Seth Rogen's This Is the End (June 12) stars James Franco and Jonah Hill in a comedy about a group of bachelors in LA who are awaiting the apocalypse. Mikael Hafstrom's The Tomb (Oct. 18) stars Sylvester Stallone as structural engineer Ray Breslin, who is wrongly convicted and sent to a maximum security prison he designed, allowing him to plot his escape with cellmate Emil Rottmayer (Arnold Schwarzenegger); Jim Caviezel plays evil warden Hobbs. Jonathan Levine's Warm Bodies (Jan. 16), a paranormal romantic zombie comedy loosely based on Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" by Isaac Marion stars Teresa Palmer as Julie Grigio, and Nicholas Hoult as her zombie lover R; Rob Corddry plays R's friend Marcus AKA M, and John Malkovich plays Col. Grigio; "He's still dead but he's getting warmer"; does $117M box office on a $35M budget. Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street (Dec. 17) (Paramount Pictures), based on the 2007 memoir by stock broker Jordan Belfort stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Belfort, Jonah Hill as his buddy Donnie Azoff (modeled after Danny Porush), Margot Robbe as his babe Naomi Lapaglia, Matthew McConaughey as Mark Hanna, and Kyle Chandler as FBI agent Patrick Denham; first Hollywood film released entirely through digital distribution; most uses of the word "fuck" in a mainstream non-dcumentary film (506+x) ; does $392M box office on a $155M budget; financed by Red Granite Pictues, run by DiCaprio's drinking buddy Riza Aziz, stepson of the PM of Malaysia, who is later accused of using funds embezzled from the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). Edgar Wright's The World's End (July 10) stars Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Paddy Considine, Martin Freeman, and Eddie Marsan in a sci-fi comedy film about a group of friends who discover an alien invasion during a pub crawl. Nonfiction: Akbar Ahmed, The Thistle and the Drone: How America's War on Terror Became a Global War on Tribal Islam. Bill Ardolino, Fallujah Awakens: Marines, Sheikhs and the Battle Against al-Qaeda. Rick Atkinson (1952-), The Guns at Last Light: The War in Western Europe, 1944-1945; Liberation Trilogy #3. Andrew J. Bacevich (1947-), Breach of Trust: How Americans Failed Their Soldiers and Their Country; disses the neverending U.S. military mobilization. Sami Benjamin (Samir Amin Abdellatif), The Unknown History of Islam: A Theological, Linguistic, Historical, and Sociological Study (Apr. 20). James C. Bennett and Michael J. Lotus, America 3.0: Rebooting American Prosperity in the 21st Century - Why America's Greatest Days Are Yet to Come. A. Scott Berg (1949-), Wilson (Sept. 10) (NYT bestsller); bio. of Pres. Woodrow Wilson. Daniel Bergner, What Do Women Want? Adventures in the Science of Female Desire. Edward J. Blum and Paul Harvey, The Color of Christ: The Son of God and the Saga of Race in America. Max Blumenthal (1977-), Goliath: Life and Loathing in Greater Israel; pisses-off the Simon Wiesenthal Center, which accuses it of anti-Semitic and anti-Israel slurs, pointing to the chapter titles that "equate Israel with the Nazi regime" and quote "approvingly characterizations of Israeli soldiers as 'Judeo-Nazis'." Alexander Bolonkin, What to Do Now for Your Immortality or a Resurrection in the Future (Dec.); electronic immortality. Tara Brach (1953-), True Refuge: Finding Peace and Freedom in Your Own Awakened Heart (Jan. 22). Mathias Broeckers (1954-), JFK: Coup d'Etat in America. David Jay Brown, Mavericks of the Mind Live! Roundtable Discussions with Timothy Leary, John Lilly, Laura Huxley, Robert Anton Wilson, Nick Herbert, Carolyn Mary Kleefeld, Ralph Abraham, and Others (Feb. 9); The New Science of Psychedelics: At the Nexus of Culture, Consciousness, and Spirituality (May 5); too bad, on Nov. 19, 2012 rogue Wikipedia editor Qworty (Robert Clark Young) deletes his Wikipedia page. James MacGregor Burns (1918-2014), Fire and Light: How the Enlightenment Transformed Our World (Oct. 29) (last book). Ethan Casey, Home Free: An American Road Trip. Ben Caspit, Evasive: Ehud Barak, the Real Story; calls him "a dangerous man"; "Barak is a person who is convinced that he is what is good for the State of Israel. He suffers from megalomania, which is sad, because he had all the necessary skills to become a leader." David Caute (1936-), Isaac and Isaiah: The Covert Punishment of a Cold War Heretic; Isaac Deutscher and Isaiah Berlin. Jocelyne Cesari, Why the West Fears Islam: Exploration of Islam in Western Liberal Democracies (June); claims that Muslims are no threat to the West, and it's just a Western hangup that can be cured by integrating Muslims better like blacks. Phyllis Chesler (1931-), An American Bride in Kabul (autobio.) (Oct. 1). Nicholas David Christian (1946-) Cynthia Brown, and Craig Benjamin, Big History: Between Nothing and Everything (Aug. 9) backed with $10M by Bill Gates to put in public schools in the U.S. and Australia. Michael S. Coffman and Kate Mathieson, Radical Islam At the Door In the House: The Plan to Take America for the Global Islamic State. Tod Cooppee, Light Bulb Baking: A History of the Easy-Bake Oven. John Darwin (1948-), Unfinished Empire: The Global Expansion of Britain (Feb. 12). Eran Elhaik, The Missing Link of Jewish European Ancestry: Contrasting the Rhineland and the Khazarian Hypothesis (Dec.). pub. in Genome Biology and Evolution; claims that Ashkenazi Jews originate in the Caucasus not the Middle East, with any genetic marker in Jews coming from Iran not Judea. Sandra Espinet (1964-), The Well-Traveled Home (first book) (Aug. 1). Paul Farmer (1959-2022), Reimagining Global Health. Niall Ferguson (1964-), The Great Degeneration; How Institutions Decay and Economies Die. David Finkel, Thank You for Your Service; sequel to "The Good Soldiers" (2009), about the 2-16 Infantry Battalion in Baghdad, Iraq in 2007-8 and their struggles to readjust to civilian life; filmed in 2017. Daniel J. Flynn, The War on Football: Saving America's Game. Allen Frances, Saving Normal: An Insider's Revolt Against Out-of-Control Psychiatric Diagnosis, DSM-5, Big Pharma, and the Medicalization of Ordinary Life (May 14). Oded Galor (1956-) and Quamrul H. Ashraf, Genetic Diversity and the Origins of Cultural Fragmentation (May); The Out of Africa Hypothesis: Human Genetic Diversity and Comparative Development. Kim Ghattas (1977-), The Secretary: A Journey with Hillary Clinton from Beirut to the Heart of American Power (Mar. 5). George F. Gilder (1939-), Knowledge and Power: The Information Theory of Capitalism and How It is Revolutionizing Our World (June 10); attempts to reformulate economics in terms of info. theory. Ben Goldacre, Bad Pharma: How Drug Companies Mislead Doctors and Harm Patients (Feb. 5). Doris Kearns Goodwin (1943-), The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism (Nov. 3); about the birth of muckraking journalism; causes the New York Times to call her "America's historian-in-chief". Billy Graham (1919-), The Reason for My Hope: Salvation (Nov.). Temple Grandin (1947-), The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across the Spectrum (Apr. 30); "Ignorance has become part of a society's belief system." Gary Greenberg, The Book of Woe: The DSM and the Unmaking of Psychiatry (May 2); the long tortuous road to DSM-5; "In my practice, it has virtually no clinical value. Its primary value is its ability to help patients use their insurance to pay for therapy." John Guandolo (1966-), Raising a Jihadi Generation: Understanding the Muslim Brotherhood Movement in America (Sept. 10). Sam Harris (1967-), Waking Up: Science, Skepticism, and Spirituality. Murray Holland, A Nation in the Red: The Government Debt Crisis and What We Can Do About It. David Albert Hollinger (1941-), After Cloven Tongues of Fire: Protestant Liberalism and Modern American History; examines how liberal Protestantism grew in the U.S. while yielding their symbolic capital to the conservative evangelicals. Raymond Ibrahim (1973-), Crucified Again: Exposing Islam's New War on Christians. Neil Irwin, The Alchemists: Three Central Bankers and a World on Fire. Henry Jackson Society, Al-Qaeda in the United States: A Complete Analysis of Terrorism Offenses (Feb. 25). Ian Johnson, A Mosque in Munich. Brian Jay Jones, Jim Henson: The Biography; NYT bestseller. Walter Johnson Jr. (1966-), River of Dark Dreams: Slavery and Empire in the Cotton Kingdom. Gary Kamiya, Cool Gray City of Love: 49 Views of San Francisco. Eric Kandel (1929-), The Age of Insight: The Quest to Understand the Unconscious in Art, Mind, and Brain, from Vienna 1900 to the Present. Rashid Khalidi (1948-), Brokers of Deceit: How the U.S. Has Undermined Peace in the Middle East; lets it all out. William Kilpatrick, Christianity, Islam, and Atheism: The Struggle for the Soul of the West; calls on Christians to take the fight to the Muslims by evangelizing them. Michael Muhammad Knight, Tripping with Allah: Islam, Drugs, and Writing. Ray Kurzweil (1948-), How to Create a Mind: The Secret of Human Thought Revealed; claims that the human mind works like a computer, complete with algorithms and data. Brian Latell, Castro's Secrets: Cuban Intelligence, the CIA, and the Assassination of John F. Kennedy (July 9); claims that Lee Harvey Oswald had close ties Cuba, which the CIA covered-up. Flynt Leverett and Hillary Mann Leverett, Going to Tehran: Why the United States Must Come to Terms with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Mark Levin (1957-), The Liberty Amendments: Restoring the American Republic (Aug. 13) (NYT #1 bestseller); proposes 11 new U.S. Constitutional amendments incl. SCOTUS justice term limits, a federal balanced budget, photo IDs requirements for voting. Wendy Lower, Hitler's Furies: German Women in the Nazi Killing Fields (Oct. 10). John Lukacs (1924-), A Short History of the Twentieth Century. Margaret Macmillan (1943-), The War That Ended Peace: The Road to 1914 (Oct. 29); WWI can happen again? Daniel Markey, No Exit from Pakistan: America's Tortured Relationship with Islamabad; U.S.-Pakistan ties a condition to be managed, not a problem to be solved? Ryan Mauro, Raising a Jihadi Generation: Understanding the Muslim Brotherhood Movement in America; "Part of the problem in getting Americans to see the imminent threat... they, like the U.S. security services, are completely focused on the kinetic stuff – bombings, shootings, etc. We need to worry about these, but it isn't how they intend to defeat us." Barr McClellan, The Verdict: Justice for John Kennedy, Justice for America (Nov. 5). David McRaney, You Are Now Less Dumb. Morrissey (1959-), Autobiography (Oct. 17). Douglas Murray, Islamophilia: A Very Metropolitan Malady. Greg Muttitt, Fuel on Fire: Oil and Politics in Occupied Iraq. Graham Nash (1942-), Entitled Wild Tales: A Rock & Roll Life (autobio.). Vali Reza Nasr (1960-), The Dispensable Nation: American Foreign Policy in Retreat; disses Pres. Obama in favor of Hillary Clinton and Richard Holbrooke. Ara Norenzayan, Big Gods: How Religion Transformed Cooperation and Conflict; belief in judgmental "big gods" was the key to building a large complex Egyptian society? Christiane Northrup, Beautiful Girl. John Julius Norwich (1929-) (ed.), Darling Monster: The Letters of Lady Diana Cooper to Her Son John Julius Norwich. Laurent Obertone, France Clockwork Orange; the "veritable cultural revolution" France is undergoing as a result of mass immigration, esp. Muslim, with crime worse than in the Apaches era of 1900. Peter Oborne and David Morrison, A Dangerous Delusion; challenges U.S. claims about Iran's push to get nukes. Bill O'Reilly, Killing Jesus. Sam Parnia, Erasing Death: The Science That is Rewriting the Boundaries Between Life and Death. John Parker and Richard Reid (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Modern African History. Andrea Pitzer, The Secret History of Vladimir Nabokov. David Perlmutter, Grain Brain: The Surprising Truth About Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar - Your Brain's Silent Killers; disses gluten in the diet. Alan Power, The Princess Diana Conspiracy (Aug. 29); claims that she was assassinated by the Increment, a top-secret unit of British MI6 to keep her from talking about Prince Charles' sex life. Karl H. Pribram (1919-), The Form Within. Adrian Raine, The Anatomy of Violence: The Biological Roots of Crime (Apr. 30). Barbara Res, All Alone on the 68th Floor: How One Woman Changed the Face of Construction (July 10); first woman to oversee construction of an Am. skyscraper, the Trump Tower in NYC. Joel Richardson, The Islamic Antichrist; it won't be Rome? Linda Ronstadt (1946-), Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir (autobio.); "I don't care" (response to Rock Hall of Fame induction). Howard Rotberg, TOLERism: The Ideology Revealed (Dec. 16); t he new age of tolerance without limits, except for certain marked people incl. racists, Islamophobes, and Zionists. SQuire Rushnell, Divine Alignment: How Godwink Moments Guide Your Journey (Mar. 12); claims that each person is born with a built in GPS, God's Positioning System. Sally Satel and Scott O. Lilienfeld, Brainwashed: The Seductive Appeal of Mindless Neuroscience (June 4); the abuse of fMRI. Mark Shaw, The Poison Patriarch: How the Betrayals of Joseph P. Kennedy Caused the Assassination of JFK; blames JFK's assassination on the Sicilian Mafia seeking payback, pointing to the fact that Mafia-connected Melvin Belli was chosen as Jack Ruby's defense atty. Peter Schweizer (1964-), Extortion: How Politicians Extract Your Money, Buy Votes, and Line Their Own Pockets (Oct. 22); "Washington is no longer about lawmaking, it s about moneymaking. Conventional wisdom holds that Washington is broken because outside special interests bribe politicians. The reverse is true: politicians have developed a new set of brass-knuckle legislative tactics designed to extort wealthy industries and donors into forking over big donations cash that lawmakers often funnel into the pockets of their friends and family." Walid Shoebat, The Case for Islamophobia (Mar. 15). Robert O. Smith, More Desired than Our Owne Salvation: The Roots of Christian Zionism. Lee Smolin, The Reborn (Apr.); claims that time is real rather than an illusion, and that the Universe might have been born inside a black hole. Thomas Sowell (1930-), Intellectuals and Race. Denise A. Spellberg (1958-), Thomas Jefferson's Qu'ran: The Founders and Islam (Oct. 1); Am. leftist Islamophile tries to frame Jefferson on being pro-Islam, even claiming the Quran as the source of the DOI, gag. Robert Spencer, Not Peace But A Sword: The Great Chasm Between Christianity and Islam. Daniel Stahl, Nazi Hunt: South America's Dictatorships and the Avenging of Nazi Crimes (Jan.); the half-hearted efforts of the "coalition of the unwilling" of postwar govts. to track down Nazi war criminals. Bob Stanley, Saint Etienne, Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop. Erik Stakelbeck, The Brotherhood: America's Next Great Enemy. Roger Stone (1952-), The Man Who Killed Kennedy: The Case Against LBJ (Nov. 4); reveals new info. incl. LBJ's alleged complicity in 6+ other murders incl. his own openly bisexual sister Josefa Johnson, and an alleged personal remark by Richard Nixon in 1989 that "Both Johnson and I wanted to be president, but the only difference was that I wouldn't kill for it", adding when pressed that it was "Texas" that killed Kennedy. Viktor Suvorov, The Chief Culprit: Stalin's Grand Design to Start World War II (Mar. 15); Stalin deliberately prepared for WWII to bring a Commie Paradise to Europe, helping Germany rearm so they would chew up France and Britain and soften them up for Commie takeover?; Red agitprop made the Red Army appear weak and outdated, when it was in fact the best equipped in the world?; the surprise German attack on Stalin was initially successful because Stalin was preparing for a surprise attack on them, and there were only offensive troops, with no defensive preparations? Meredith Tax, Double Blind: The Muslim Right, the Anglo-American Left, and Universal Human Rights; British leftist disses fellow leftists for aligning themselves with Islamists. Alan Shaw Taylor (1955-), The Internal Enemy: Slavery and War in Virginia, 1772-1832 (Pulitzer Prize). Elizabeth F. Thompson, Justice Interrupted: The Struggle for Constitutional Government in the Middle East. Ben Urwand, The Collaboration: Hollywood's Pactwith Hitler (Sept. 9). Jesse Ventura (1951-), Dick Russell, and David Wayne, They Killed Our President: 63 Reasons to Believe There Was a Conspiracy to Assassinate JFK (Oct. 1). Frans de Waal, The Bonobo and the Atheist: In Search of Humanism Among the Primates; claims that human morality is a product of evolution not religion. Eric Walberg, From Postmodernism to Postsecularism: Re-Emerging Islamic Civilization. Ibn Warraq (1946-), Sir Walter Scott's Crusades and Other Fantasies; incl. "George Eliot, Daniel Deronda, and Zionism: Some Observations". D.C. Watson, Through These Views: A View from Inside the Political Jihad Arena. Carrie Rosefsky Wickham, The Muslim Brotherhood: Evolution of an Islamist Movement. Brian Glyn Williams, Predators: The CIA's Drone War on al Qaeda (July); The Last Warlord: The Life and Legend of Dostum, the Afghan Warrior Who Led US Special Forces to Topple the Taliban Regime (Sept.). Lawrence Wright (1947-), Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief (Jan. 17); expose of Scientology as a mind control cult; filmed in 2015. Malala Yousafzai (1997-) and Christina Lamb, I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban (autobio.) (Oct. 8). Plays: Douglas McGrath (1958-), Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (jukebox musical) (Curran Theatre, San Francisco) (Oct. 8) (Stephen Sondheim Theatre, New York) (Jan. 12, 2014) (Aldwych Theatre, West End, London) (Feb. 10, 2015); tells the life story of singer Carole King; the Broadway production stars Jessie Muller as King, Jake Epstein as Gerry Goffin, Anika Larsen as Cynthia Weil, and Jarrod Spector as Barry Man; the West End production stars Katie Brayben/Cassidy Janson as King, Alan Morrissey as Gerry Goffin, Lorna Want as Cynthia Weil, and Ian McIntosh as Barry Mann. Marc Shaiman (1959-), Scott Wittman (1954-), and David Greig (1969-), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (musical) (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, West End, London) (June 25) (1,293 perf.) (Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, New York) (Apr. 23, 2017); the West End production stars Douglas Hodge/Alex Jennings as Willy Wonka; based on the 1964 Roald Dahl novel. Berry Gordy (1929-), Motown: The Musical (musical) (Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, New York (Apr. 14) (738 perf.) (Shaftesbury Theatre, West End, London) (Feb. 11, 2016); based on Gordy's 1994 autobio. "To Be Loved: The Music, the Magic, the Memories of Motown"; features 66 songs; "The beat of a generation. The soul of a nation." Poetry: J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973), The Fall of Arthur (posth.); his take on the King Arthur legend. Novels: Margaret Atwood (1969-), MaddAddam (Aug.); sequel to "The Year of the Flood" (2009). Noah Beck, The Last Israelis; Israeli-Iranian nuclear holocaust. Dan Brown (1964-), Inferno; middle age Langdon solves a mystery about Dante. James S.A. Corey, Abaddon's Gate. Michelle Cohen Corasanti, The Almond Tree; Palestinian boy genius Ichmad takes on the evil Israelis. John Daniels, The Coming: A True Story of Horror; Marie Darrieussecq (1969-), It Takes a Lot to Love Men (Il faut beaucoup aimer les hommes) (Prix Medicis). Philippa Gregory (1954-), The White Princess (Aug. 1); about Elizabeth of York, daughter of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville, wife of Henry VII and mother of Henry VIII; turned into a TV series in 2016 by Starz. Mohsin Hamid, How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia. Elijah Jones, Storm Front; a Lutheran prof. from Minn. digs up a stele in Israel that concerns King Solomon, and steals it. Stephen King (1947-), Joyland (June 4); Doctor Sleep: A Novel (Sept.); sequel to "The Shining" (1967). Kevin Kwan (1973-), Crazy Rich Asians; internat. bestseller about rich people in Singapore flocking to a wedding; filmed in 2018; followed by "China Rich Girlfriend" (2015), "Rich People Problems" (2017). David Mamet (1947-), Three War Stories. Megan Marshall (1954-), Margaret Fuller: A New American Life (Pulitzer Prize). Jason Matthews, Red Sparrow (June 4); Dominika Egrova is forced by her uncle to enroll at the Sparrow School, which teaches how to seduce the enemy. filmed in 2018. Colum McCann, TransAtlantic. Colleen McCullough (1937-), Bittersweet. Scott Rempell, Five Grounds; asylum seekers in the U.S. J.K. Rowling (1965-), The Cuckoo's Calling; pub. under alias Robert Galbraith. John Scalzi (1969-), The Human Division (May); Old Man's War #5. Eric Siegel, Predictive Analytics: The Power to Predict Who Will Click, Buy, Lie, or Die (Feb.). Charles Stross (1964-), Neptune's Blood; sequel to "Saturn's Children" (2008). Donna Tartt (1963-), The Goldfinch (Le Chardonneret) (Sept. 23) (NYT bestseller) (Pulitzer Prize); 13-y.-o. Theodore Decker survives a terrorist bombing at MoMA, where he loses his mother, taking her favorite, a Dutch Golden Age painting by Carel Fabritius with him and ending up living with a wealthy family friend Andy Barbour's family before being taken by his deadbeat dad to Las Vegas and going wild; 2013 Amazon Best Book of the Year: polarizes lit. critics; "A great bewitching novel" (Le Monde); "A children's book for adults" (London Review of Books); "No amount of straining for high-flown uplift can disguise the fact that The Goldfinch is a turkey" (The Sunday Times of London). Daniel H. Wilson (1978-), Amped (Feb. 12); about a world where amplified humans are discriminated against. Rick Yancey (1962-), The 5th Wave (May 7); 16-y.-o. Cassie Sullivan fights an ET invasion by the Others; the "Twilight" for aliens?; followed by "The Infinite Sea" (2014), "The Last Star" (2016). Births: English royal heir prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge on July 22 (16:24 p.m.) in London; son of Prince William (1982-) and Princess Catherine (1982-); Carole Middleton is their first nanny. Deaths: Austrian-born Am. historian Gerda Lerner (b. 1920) on Jan. 2 in Madison, Wisc. Am. "The Warriors" novelist Sol Yurick (b. 1925) on Jan. 5 in Brooklyn, N.Y. Am. novelist-poet Evan S. Connell (b. 1924) on Jan. 10 in Santa Fe, N.M. Chilean-born Brazilian artist Jorge Selaron (b. 1947) on Jan. 10 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (found dead on the Selaron Steps). Indian-born Am. musician Harihar Rao (b. 1927) on Jan. 13. French Etch A Sketch inventor Andre Cassagnes (b. 1926) on Jan. 16 in Paris. Am. tennis player Gussie Moran (b. 1923) on Jan. 16 in Los Angeles, Calif. Am. columnist Pauline Esther Friedman Phillips (AKA Ann Landers) (b. 1918) on Jan. 16 in Minneapolis, Minn. (Alzheimer's). Am. baseball player Stan Musial (b. 1920) on Jan. 19 in Ladue, Mo. Am. baseball hall-of-fame player-mgr. Earl Weaver (b. 1930) on Jan. 19 in the Caribbean; dies aboard the Celebrity Silhouette. Polish cardinal Jozef Glemp (b. 1929) on Jan. 23 in Warsaw. Am. scientist-activist Dan Massey (b. 1942) on Jan. 26 in Washington, D.C. (cancer). Am. journalist-historian Stanley Abram Karnow (b. 1925) on Jan. 27 in Potomac, Md. (heart failure). South African industrial psychologist John E. Karlin (b. 1918) on Jan. 28. Am. Remote Viewing co-creator Ingo Swann (b. 1933) on Jan. 31 in New York City. Am. New York City mayor #105 (1978-89) Ed Koch (b. 1924) on Feb. 1 in New York City (heart failure). Am. "American Sniper" Navy SEAL vet Chris Kyle (b. 1974) (150+ kills) on Feb. 2 in Erath County (near Chalk Mountain), Tex.; killed on a shooting range along with Chad Littlefield by fellow Marine vet Eddie Ray Routh, who suffers from PTSD, and is charged with two counts of murder and given a life sentence without parole; subject of the 2014 film "American Sniper" dir. by Clint Eastwood, starring Bradley Cooper. U.S. Rep. (D-Ill.) (1973-97) Cardiss Collins (b. 1931) on Feb. 3 in Alexandria, Va. South African model Reeva Steenkamp (b. 1983) on Feb. 14 in Pretoria; shot by Paralympic athlete beau Oscar Pistorius, who is convicted of culpable homicide on Sept. 12, 2014. Am. writer Debbie Ford (b. 1955) on Feb. 17 in San Diego, Calif. (cancer). Chinese ping-pong champ Zhuang Zedong (b. 1940) on Feb. 10 in Beijing. Am. country singer Mindy McCready (b. 1975) on Feb. 17 in Heber Springs, Ark. (suicide); kills herself on the same front porch where her ex-boyfriend killed himself 1 mo. earlier. Am. economist Armen Alchian (b. 1914) on Feb. 19 in Los Angeles, Calif. Am. pianist Van Cliburn (b. 1934) on Feb. 27 in Fort Worth, Tex. (bone cancer). Am. actor Dale Robertson (b. 1923) on Feb. 27 in La Jolla, San Diego, Calif. Am. bubble chamber physicist Donald Arthur Glaser (b. 1926) on Feb. 28 in Berkeley, Calif.; 1960 Nobel Physics Prize. Venezuelan pres. (1999-2013) Hugo Chavez (b. 1954) on Mar. 5 in Caracas (cancer); dies after reducing poverty from 55.4% in 1998 to 27% in 2012; on Mar. 13 new pres. Nicolas Maduro announces an investigation into foul play (poisoning by the CIA). Am. Creationist biochemist Duane Gish (b. 1921) on Mar. 5 in San Diego, Calif. English Yes guitarist Peter Banks (b. 1947) on Mar. 7 in London (heart failure). German celeb Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist-Schmenzin (b. 1922) on Mar. 8 in Munich; last surviving member of the July 20, 1944 Plot. Bangladeshi physicist Jamal Nazrul Islam (b. 1934) on Mar. 16 in Chittagong. Am. immigration reform adviser Lawrence Fuchs (b. 1927) on Mar. 17 in Canton, Mass. (Parkinson's). Am. porn star Harry Reems (b. 1947) on Mar. 19 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Am. opera singer Rise Stevens (b. 1913) on Mar. 20 in Manhattan, N.Y. Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe (b. 1930) on Mar. 22 in Boston, Mass. Am. basketball player Ray Williams (b. 1954) on Mar. 22 in New York City. Russian exiled businessman Boris Berezovsky (b. 1946) on Mar. 23 in Surrey, U.K. Canadian bodybuilding magnate Joe Weider (b. 1919) on Mar. 23 in Los Angeles, Calif. Norwegian Olympic speed skater Hjalmar Andersen (b. 1923) on Mar. 27 in Oslo. Am. Crawdaddy! rock journalist Paul S. Williams (b. 1948) on Mar. 27 in in San Diego, Calif. (Alzheimer's). English statistician George E.P. Box (b. 1919) on Mar. 28 in Madison, Wisc. English "Vernon Dursley in Harry Potter" actor Richard Griffiths (b. 1947) on Mar. 28 in Coventry (heart failure). Am. record producer Phil Ramone (b. 1934) on Mar. 30 in Manhattan, N.Y. (brain aneurysm). Am. Olympic sprinter Ronnie Ray Smith (b. 1949) on Mar. 31 in Los Angeles, Calif. German-born Anglo-British "Howards End" novelist Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (b. 1927) on Apr. 3 in New York City. Am. #1 film critic Roger Ebert (b. 1942) on Apr. 4 in Chicago, Ill. (cancer). Am. Atlanta Hawks gen. mgr. (1954-70) Marty Blake (b. 1927) on Apr. 7 in Atlanta, Ga. Am. fashion designer Lilly Pulitzer (b. 1931) on Apr. 7 in Palm Beach, Fla. Am. Mousketeer singer-actress Annette Funicello (b. 1942) on Apr. 8 in Bakersfield, Calif. (MS). British "Iron Lady" PM (1979-90) Margaret Thatcher (b. 1925) on Apr. 8 in London (stroke): "There is no such thing as society"; "The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money." Am. comedian Jonathan Winters (b. 1925) on Apr. 11 in Montecito, Calif. Am. "Lumpy in Leave it to Beaver" actor Frank Bank (b. 1942) on Apr. 13 in Rancho Mirage, Calif. (prostate cancer). Am. actress Christine White (b. 1926) on Apr. 14 in Washington, D.C. French biologist Francois Jacob (b. 1920) on Apr. 19 in Paris. Am. USA Today founder Al Neuharth (b. 1924) on Apr. 19 in Cocoa Beach, Fla. Am. country singer George Jones (b. 1931) on Apr. 26 in Nashville, Tenn. Am. singer-actress Deanna Durbin (b. 1921) on Apr. 20 in Neauphle-le-Chateau, France. Am. Slayer thrash metal guitarist Jeff Hanneman (b. 1964) on May 2 in Los Angeles, Calif. (liver failure from a spider bite in a hot tub?). Belgian biochemist Christian de Duve (b. 1917) on May 4 in Grez-Doiceau; 1974 Nobel Med. Prize. Am. FBI agent Robert K. Ressler (b. 1937) on May 5 in Spotsylvania County, Va. (Parkinson's). Am. "Angie Baby" songwriter Alan O'Day (b. 1940) on May 17 in Westwood, Calif. (brain cancer). Am. "Wes Parmalee in Dallas" actor Steve Forrest (b. 1925) on May 18 in Thousand Oaks, Calif. Am. Doors organist Ray Manzarek (b. 1939) on May 20 in Rosenheim, Germany (cancer). Am. journalist Haynes Bonner Johnson (b. 1931) on May 24 in Bethesda, Md. (heart attack). Am. novelist Jack Vance (b. 1916) on May 26 in Oakland, Calif. Am. "Edith Bunker in All in the Family" actress Jean Stapleton (b. 1923) on May 31 in New York City. Am. hall-of-fame football player Deacon Jones (b. 1938) on June 3 in Anaheim Hills, Calif. Am. "Million Dollar Mermaid" swimmer-actress Esther Williams (b. 1921) on June 6 in Los Angeles, Calif. Am. serial murderer Richard Ramirez (b. 1960) on June 7 on death row in Greenbrae, Calif. (B-cell lymphoma). Scottish "Consider Phlebas" sci-fi novelist Iain Banks (b. 1954) on June 9 in Kirkcaldy, Fife (gallbladder cancer). Japanese world's oldest living person Jiroemon Kimura (b. 1897) on June 12 in Kyotango, Kyoto. Canadian historian Donald Mackenzie Schurman (b. 1924) on June 16 in Kingston, Ont. Kiwi writer Michael Baigent (b. 1948) on June 17 in Brighton, England. Am. "Tony Soprano in The Sopranos" actor James Gandolfini (b. 1961) on June 19 in Rome, Italy (cardiac arrest). Am. blues singer Bobby Bland (b. 1930) on June 23 in Memphis, Tenn. Am. "Family Ties", "Spin City" writer-producer Gary David Golberg (b. 1944) on June 22 in Montecito, Calif. (brain cancer). Am. "I Am Legend" novelist-screenwriter Richard Matheson (b. 1926) on June 23 in Los Angeles, Calif. Am. plant psychiatrist Cleve Backster (b. 1924) on June 24 in San Diego, Calif. Australian political philosopher Kenneth Minogue (b. 1930) on June 28. Am. "Enter the Dragon", "Black Belt Jones" actor Jim Kelly (b. 1946) on June 29 in San Diego, Calif. (cancer). U.S. Rep. (D-Penn.) (1979-91) William Herbert Gray III (b. 1941) on July 1 in London, England. Am. historian Edmund Sears Morgan (b. 1916) on July 8 in New Haven, Conn.: "History at its best is vicarious experience"; "I would say that my ideal of writing history is to give the reader vicarious experience. You're born in one particular century at a particular time, and the only experience you can have directly is of the place you live and the time you live in. History is a way of giving you experience that you would otherwise be cut off from." Iraqi secret service head Sabawi Ibrahim al-Tikriti (b. 1947) on July 8 in Baghdad (cancer); dies awaiting a sentence of death by hanging. Am. "Cochise in Broken Arrow" "Kang in Star Trek" actor Michael Ansara (b. 1922) on July 31 in Calabasas, Calif. (Alzheimer's). Canadian "Finn Hudson in Glee" actor-singer Cory Monteith (b. 1982) on July 13 in Vancouver, B.C. (OD); found dead in his hotel room. Am. bluesman T-Model Ford (b. 1923) on July 16 in Greenville, Miss. (respiratory failure). Am. "Kazuo Kim in Hawaiian Eye" actor Poncie Ponce (b. 1933) on July 19 in Los Angeles, Calif. Am. journalist Helen Thomas (b. 1920) on July 20 in Washington, D.C. Am. architect Natalie de Blois (b. 1921) on July 22 in Chicago, Ill. (cancer). Am. "Joe Fontana in Law & Order" actor Dennis Farina (b. 1944) on July 22 in Scottsdale, Ariz. (blood clot in lung). Kiwi archeologist Mike Morwood (b. 1950) on July 23 in Darwin, Australia. Am. Masters & Johnson sexologist Virginia E. Johnson (b. 1925) on July 24 in St. Louis, Mo. Am. installation artist Walter De Maria (b. 1935) on July 25 in Los Angeles, Calif. Am. "After Midnight" songwriter J.J. Cale (b. 1938) on July 26 in La Jolla, Calif. (heart attack). Am. Penn. gov. #38 (1963-7) William Scranton (b. 1917) on July 28 in Montecito, Calif. (cerebral hemorrhage). Am. basketball player (first basket in NBA history) Ossie Schectman (b. 1919) on July 30 in Delray Beach, Fla. Am. singer Eydie Gorme (b. 1928) on Aug. 10 in Las Vegas, Nev. Am. "Laurie on That '70s Show" actress Lisa Robin Kelly (b. 1970) on Aug. 13 in Los Angeles, Calif. (cardiac arrest from multiple drug intoxication). Am. "Laurie Forman in That '70s Show" actress Lisa Robin Kelly (b. 1970) on Aug. 14 in Altadena, Calif. Spanish billionaire Rosalia Mera (b. 1944) on Aug. 15 in A Coruna, Galicia. Am. economist-historian David Saul Landes (b. 1924) on Aug. 17 in Haverford, Penn. Am. jazz critic Albert Murray (b. 1916) on Aug. 18 in Harlem, N.Y. Am. jazz musician Cedar Walton (b. 1934) on Aug. 19 in Brooklyn, N.Y. Am. "Get Shorty" novelist Elmore Leonard (b. 1925) on Aug. 20 in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. (stroke). Am. "Dash Riprock in The Beverly Hillbillies" actor Larry Pennell (b. 1928) on Aug. 28. Irish poet Seamus Heaney (b. 1939) on Aug. 30 in Dublin; 1995 Nobel Lit. Prize. English TV host David Frost (b. 1939) on Aug. 31; dies aboard MS Queen Elizabeth en route from Southampton to Rome. Am. boxer Tommy Morrison (b. 1969) on Sept. 1 in Neb. (AIDS). British-born Am. economist Ronald Coase (b. 1910) on Sept. 2 in Chicago, Ill. Am. historian Lacey Smith (b. 1922) on Sept. 8 in Greenboro, Vt. Am. car dealer Cal Worthington (b. 1920) on Sept. 8 in Orland, Calif. Am. "Rebecca Boone in Daniel Boone" actress Patricia Blair (b. 1933) on Sept. 9 in North Wildwood, N.J. (breast cancer). Am. electrical engineer Ray Dolby (b. 1933) on Sept. 12 in San Francisco, Calif. (leukemia). Spanish-born Am. world's oldest man Salustiano Sanchez (b. 1901) on Sept. 13 in Grand Island, N.Y. Am. Colo. gov. #37 (1973-5) John David Vanderhoof (b. 1922) on Sept. 19 in Glenwood Springs, Colo. English rocker Jackie Lomax (b. 1944) on Sept. 15. English engineer George Alfred Hockham (b. 1938) on Sept. 16. Upper Volta pres. #3 (1980-2) Saye Zerbo (b. 1932) on Sept. 19. Canadian filmmaker Michel Brault (b. 1928) on Sept. 21 in Toronto, Ont. Am. "Caligula in The Robe" actor Jay Robinson (b. 1930) on Sept. 27 in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, Calif. Italian cookbook writer Marcella Hazan (b. 1924) on Sept. 29 in Longboat Key, Fla. Am. basketball player Bob Kurland (b. 1924) on Sept. 29 in Sanibel Island, Fla. English filmmaker Anthony Hinds (b. 1922) on Sept. 30. Am. "Patriot Games" novelist Tom Clancy (b. 1947) on Oct. 1 in Baltimore, Md. Vietnamese gen. Vo Nguyen Giap (b. 1901) on Oct. 3 in Hanoi. Am. skier Mike Gallagher (b. 1941) on Oct. 3 in Pittsfield, Vt. Iraqi-born Israeli Sephardic chief rabbi (1973-) Ovadia Yosef (b. 1920) on Oct. 7 in Jerusalem. U.S. Sen. (R-Minn.) (1995-2001) Rod Grams (b. 1948) on Oct. 8 in Crown, Minn. Am. astronaut Scott Carpenter (b. 1925) on Oct. 10 in Denver, Colo. English-born Australian New Age writer Nevill Drury (b. 1947) on Oct. 15 (liver failure). English auto racer Dan Wheldon (b. 1978) on Oct. 16 in Las Vegas, Nev. (collision at the 2011 IZOD IndyCar World Championship at Las Vegas Motor Speedway). U.S. House Speaker #57 (1989-95) Tom Foley (b. 1929) on Oct. 18 in Washington, D.C. English actor-singer Noel Harrison (b. 1934) on Oct. 19 in Exeter, Devon (heart attack). English abstract sculptor Sir Anthony Caro (b. 1924) on Oct. 23 in London (heart attack). French spy novelist Gerard de Villiers (b. 1929) on Oct. 31; sold 100M copies worldwide. Am. basketball player Walt Bellamy (b. 1939) on Nov. 2 in College Park, Ga. English "The Grass is Singing" novelist Doris Lessing (b. 1919) on Nov. 17 in London; 2007 Nobel Lit. Prize. English biochemist Frederick Sanger (b. 1918) on Nov. 19 in Cambridge; 1958 and 1980 Nobel Chem. Prize. Am. psychic Sylvia Browne (b. 1936) on Nov. 20 in San Jose, Calif. Am. serial murderer Joseph Paul Franklin (b. 1950) on Nov. 20 in Bonne Terre, Mo. (executed by lethal injection). Am. basketball player Vern Mikkelsen (b. 1928) on Nov. 21 in Wayzata, Minn. Am. "Det. David Toma in Toma" actor Tony Musante (b. 1936) on Nov. 26 in Manhattan, N.Y. (hemorrhage). Am. historian Michael G. Kammen (b. 1936) on Nov. 29. Am. "Brian O'Conner in The Fast and the Furious" actor Paul Walker (b. 1973) on Nov. 30 in Santa Clarita, Calif.; crashes into a tree. South African pres. (1994-9) Nelson Mandela (b. 1918) on Dec. 5 in Johannesburg; the U.S. lowers its flag for him, making him the 3rd foreigner after Winston Churchill and Pope John Paul II; the memorial on Dec. 10 is attended by 100+ world leaders incl. Pres. Obama and Raoul Castro, who shake hands; Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu begs off, citing cost: "Never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another." Australian chemist Sir John Cornforth (b. 1917) on Dec. 8 in Sussex, England; 1975 Nobel Chem. Prize. Irish "Lawrence of Arabia" actor Peter O'Toole (b. 1932) on Dec. 14 in London. Am. evangelist Harold Camping (b. 1921) on Dec. 15 in Alameda, Calif. Am. "Release Me" country singer Ray Price (b. 1926) on Dec. 16 in Mount Pleasant, Tex. (pancreatic cancer). Canadian Seagrams Ltd pres. (1971-94) Edgar Bronfman Sr. (b. 1929) on Dec. 21 in Manhattan, N.Y. Russian AK-47 rifle designer Mikhail Kalashnikov (b. 1919) on Dec. 23 in Izhevsk; wrote a letter in 2012 to the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, asking if he was responsible for all the deaths. Am. computer engineer Gary W. Boone (b. 1945) on Dec. 12 in Colorado Springs, Colo



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TLW's 2014 C.E. Historyscope, by T.L. Winslow (TLW), "The Historyscoper"™

T.L. Winslow's 2014 C.E. Historyscope

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2014 - The Centennial of World War I Let's Not Repeat the Mistakes of the Past Hundred Years Year? The ISIS/ISIL Al-Qaida Jihadi John Spring Human Shields Year in the Middle East? The Michael Brown Eric Garner American Black Males Are Free Game for Cops Year in the U.S.? The Mexican Autumn Year in Mexico? The Let's Give Head gay male American athletes start coming out American heads start coming off year?

Pres. Obama, Sept. 21, 2014 James Wright Foley (1974-2014) Abdel-Majed Abdel Bary of Britain (1991-) Ron Prosor of Israel (1958-) Aubrey Loots and Danny Leclair Israeli Maj. Oshrat Bachar Field Marshal Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt (1954-) Haider Al-Abadi of Iraq (1952-) Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey (2014-) Sergio Garcia of Calif. Barbara Hendricks of Germany Wang Yu-chi of Taiwan and Zhang Zhijun of China Catherine Samba-Panza of Central African Republic (CAR) (1954-) Max Baucus of the U.S. (1941-) Robert Malley of the U.S. (1963-) Elizabeth Warren of the U.S. (1949-) Josh Earnest of the U.S. (1975-) Sylvia Mathews Burwell of the U.S. (1965-) Bob McDonnell of the U.S. (1954-) Kevin McCarthy of the U.S. (1965-) Felipe VI of Spain (1968-) Matteo Renzi of Italy (1975-) Petro Poroshenko of Ukraine (1965-) Pope Francis in Bethlehem, May 25, 2014 Reuven Rivlin of Israel (1939-) Mehdi Jomaa of Tunisia (1962-) Joko Widodo of Indonesia (1961-) Nicola Sturgeon of Scotland (1970-) Nigel Farage of Britain (1964-) Prince Zeid bin Ra'ad of Jordan (1964-) Devin Nunes of the U.S. (1973-) Bruce S. Thornton (1953-) Shaarik H. Zafar of the U.S. Alton Nolen (1984-) U.S. Adm. Michelle Janine Howard (1960-) U.S. Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl (1986-) The Bergdahl Five, 2014 Michael Brown (1996-2014) and Darren Wilson (1986-) The Las Vegas Killers, 2014 James O'Keefe (1984-) as Osama bin Laden, 2014 Tamir Rice (2002-14) Ismaaiyl Brimsley (2014-) Thomas Hitzlsperger (1982-) U.S. Gen. Harold J. Greene (1959-2014) Grand Mufti Rakhmatullah-Hajji Egemberdiyev of Kyrgyzstan Ali Mustafa Yaqub of Indonesia (1952-) Leland Yee of the U.S. (1948-) Shannon Conley (1995-) Hunter Biden (1970-) Johanna Sigurdardottir of Iceland (1942-) Narendra Modi of India (1950-) Fathi Hamad Capt. Zaharie Ahmad Shah (1960-) Masoumeh Ebtekar of Iran (1959-) Mehdi Nemmouche Alice Herz-Sommer (1903-2114) Eric Brazau Frazier Glenn Miller (1940-) Mohammed Whitaker Mustafa Kamel Mustafa (Abu Hamza al-Masri) (1958-) Abdullah Ali (SRG) (-2014) Emad Karakrah (1965-) Laquan McDonald (1997-2014) Ali Irsan (1957-) Alton Nolen (1984-) Alison Ernst (1977-) Paul Weston, Apr. 26, 2014 Daniela Poggiali (1972-) Chester Nez of the U.S. (1920-2014) William A. Schabas of Canada (1950-) Imran Firasat of Spain Ahmed Abu Khatallah of Libya Meriam Ibrahim of Sudan (1987-) Nina Pham of the U.S. (1988-) Eric Garner (1970-2014) Capt. Haseeb Hosein of the U.S. (1962-) Zale H. Thompson (1982-) Peyton Manning (1976-) Russell Wilson (1988-) Malcolm Smith (1989-) Ray Price (1987-) Dale Earnhardt Jr. (1974-) Petra Kvitová (1990-) Ryan Hunter-Reay (1980-) Kawhi Leonard (1991-) Clayton Kershaw (1988-) Donald Sterling (1934-) Jason Paul Collins (1978-) Mez Keflezighi (1975-) Elliot Rodger (1991-2014) Tom Steyer (1957-) Michael Bloomberg (1942-) Henry Paulson of the U.S. (1946-) Matthew Dowd (1961-) David Christian (1946-) Kailash Satyarthi (1954-) Malala Yousafzai (1997-) Patrick Modiano (1945-) Isamu Akasaki (1929-) Hiroshi Amano (1960-) David C. Archibald (1955-) Shuji Nakamura (1954-) Eric Betzig (1960-) Alex Epstein (1980-) Elizabeth Anne Fenn (1959-) Marilyn Hacker (1942-) Deema Shehabi (1970-) Stefan Hell (1962-) Ronald Kessler (1943-) Naomi Klein (1970-) William E. Moerner (1953-) John O'Keefe (1939-) David I. Kertzer (1948-) Elizabeth Kolbert (1961-) May-Britt Moser (1963-) and Edvard Moser (1962-) Jean Tirole (1953-) Richard Vinen Éric Zemmour (1958-) Markus Persson (1979-) 'Aladdin', 2014 'The Play That Goes Wrong', 2014 'American Sniper', 2014 'The Babadook', 2014 'Birdman', 2014 'Cymbeline', 2014 'Dark Horse', 2014 'Foxcatcher', 2014 'Fury', 2014 'The Hundred-Foot Journey', 2014 'Interstellar', 2014 'John Wick', 2014 'Lava', 2014 'The Maze Runner', 2014 'The Monuments Men', 2014 'Mr. Turner', 2014 'Pawn Sacrifice', 2014 'The Theory of Everything', 2014 'Whiplash', 2014 'John Wick', 2014 Slender Man Le1f Ty Herndon (1962-) Billy Gilman (1988-) Le1f Derrick Gordon Brendan Eich (1961-) Eric Paslay (1983-) Cole Swindell (1983-) Dan + Shay Maddie & Tae Teruhiko Wakayama Satoshi Nakamoto (1949-) Thomas Piketty (1971-) 2014 Honda Odyssey Guangzhou Circle, 2014 Levis Stadium, 2014 Tower of London, 2014 Wangjing SOHO, 2014 Long Range Strike Bomber

2014 Chinese Year: Horse (Jan. 31). Doomsday Clock: 5 min. till midnight. Time Mag. Person of the Year: Ebola Fighters. On Jan. 1 the U.N. Internat. Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People begins; the vote on Nov. 26, 2013 was 110-7 with 56 abstentions; the no votes incl. the U.S., Canada, and Australia; on Jan. 16 Israeli ambassador to the U.N. (since June 8, 2011) Ron Prosor (1958-) utters the soundbyte: "The U.N. continues to oil the Palestinian propaganda machine and produce highly publicized events on their behalf. Rather than putting an end to Palestinian incitement, the U.N. is now the primary platform for Palestinian propaganda. The organization allocates endless resources to advancing lies and half-truths of the Palestinian leadership instead of dealing with pressing issues facing the international community and the Middle East region. While they seek +solidarity, the Palestinians continue to educate an entire generation to hate Israel. The terrorism from the PA's territories into Israel has doubled in the past year, and I have yet to hear the UN propose solidarity with the Israeli victims of terror." Illegal immigrants living in the U.S.: 42.4M (13.3%), highest in 94 years. Four blood moons on Jewish feast days this year and next is the first time since 1967 (1948, 1492). A world-shaking event is due this year to keep up with previous cents., e.g., 1914 (WWI), 1815 (Congress of Vienna), 1618 (30 Years' War), 1517 (Martin Luther's 95 Theses)? The first day of the Jewish Passover falls during a blood-red moon; last 1492, 1948, 1967; next 2015. Tanks to shale oil, the U.S. passes Russia to become the #1 world oil producer; it is also the #2 largest oil consumer after China. The economy of China surpasses the U.S. ($17.6T vs. $17.4T). A good year to launch a human mission to Mars because of an alignment of planetary bodies insuring an escape route back to Earth? China surpasses the U.S. in GDP based on purchasing power parity (PPP), becoming #1, with $17.6T vs $17.4T GDP, and 16.48% vs. 16.28% PPP. U.S. job growth is 2.65M, most since 1999. The first year in which more than half of the members of the U.S. Congress are millionaires. The greatest U.S. job growth since 2000 has been with non-natives (5.7M jobs). The number of Islamic suicide bombings is 592, killing 3.4K, vs. 305 killing 2.2K in 2013; 15 are carried out by women vs. five in 2013. Death toll in Iraq: 15,538, vs. 6,522 in 2013, worst since 2007 (17,956); civilian death toll: 12,282. CO2 emissions from world energy producers level-off for the first time in 40 years since measurement started. On Jan. 1 the 2014 Rose Bowl sees Michigan State defeat Stanford 24-20; the 2014 Rose Parade contains a gay marriage float that features Aubrey Loots and Danny Leclair getting hitched. On Jan. 1 TLW predicts a Great Muslim Apostasy (GMA) AKA Good Morning America, brought about by the Internet, which will cause hundreds of millions of Muslims to finally chuck Islam, Allah, Muhammad and his Great Jihad and dance in the streets with Jews seeking forgiveness for their crimes, causing the lines to be redrawn in the Middle East forever and the region to become a credit to the world instead of its asshole. On Jan. 1 the U.K. lifts restrictions on immigrants from Bulgaria and Romania, causing concerns of a tide of new immigrants. On Jan. 1 the Boy Scouts of Am. begin accepting gay youths. On Jan. 1 the Russian Supreme Court upholds a ban on Muslim hijabs (headbags). On Jan. 1 Lebanese authorities arrest Majid bin Muhammad Al Majid, leader of the Abdullah Azzam Brigades in Sidon for questioning; he dies in custody. On Jan. 1 the announced release of 88 Taliban prisoners by Afghanistan is pissing-off the U.S., according to the New York Times. On Jan. 1 a bomb at a New Year's party in Sumisip, Philippines kills seven and injures five. On Jan. 1 a suicide car bomber attacks a passenger bus carrying Shiite pilgrims in Akhtarabad, Pakistan (near Quetta), killing two and injuring 17. On Jan. 1 madass Muslims set 1,067 carbecues in France, 10% less than in 2013. On Jan. 1 the first legal recreational marijuana stores in the U.S. open in Dirty Denver, Colo.; the first legal sale is one-eighth oz. of Bubba Kush. On Jan. 1 the controversial Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act comes into effect in formerly Roman Catholic Ireland, allowing abortions where doctors believe there is a threat to the life of the mother. On Jan. 1 Latvia adopts the Euro as its official currency, dropping the lat - everybody Wang Chung tonight? On Jan. 1 a truck is stopped in Hatay, Turkey en route to Syria, allegedly carrying goods from the Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH), but actually carrying members of the Turkish Nat. Intelligence Agency (MIT). On Jan. 1-Dec. 13 the 2014 Calif. Wildfires, caused by the 2012-14 North Am. Drought and Santa Ana winds burn 555K acres, cause $184M damage, kill two and injure 146. On Jan. 2 a large explosion rocks a Hezbollah neighborhood in S Beirut, Lebanon. On Jan. 2 explosives in the embassy safe kill Palestinian ambassador Jamal al-Jamal (b. 1957) in Prague, Czech.; it is officially called a work accident. On Jan. 2 the Italian navy rescues 233 migrants from an overcrowded smugglers' boat in rough seas S of Sicily. On Jan. 2 after Israel approves the release of 26 Palestinian mass murderers from prison on Dec. 28, U.S. secy. of state John Kerry visits Israel for the 14th time for Mideast peace talks; Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu utters the soundbyte: "I know that you're committed to peace, I know that I'm committed to peace, but unfortunately, given the actions and words of Palestinian leaders, there's growing doubt in Israel that the Palestinians are committed to peace"; on Jan. 3 he visits the West Bank to talk with Palestinian pres. Mahmoud Abbas. On Jan. 2 after the new law takes effect on Jan. 1, the Calif. Supreme Court unanimously rules to permit Sergio Garcia to practice law enough though he's an illegal immigrant. On Jan. 2 Israel appoints its first female battalion cmdr., Maj. Oshrat Bachar. On Jan. 2 German environment minister Barbara Hendricks becomes the first German lesbian cabinet minister to come out. On Jan. 2-8 Winter Storm Hercules, based on a life-threatening Polar Vortex blasts North Am. with the lowest temps in decades, reaching -53F in Winnipeg, and creating Chiberia in the Chicago area; on Jan. 2-Apr. 10 the Early 2014 North Am. Cold Wave, caused by a southward shift of the North Polar Vortex breaks low temperature records across the U.S. from the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean, killing 21 and doing $5B damage; record low temperatures continue into Mar.; meanwhile Calif. has its warmest winter on record, 4.4F above average. On Jan. 3 the warring factions in Sudan hold a peace parley. On Jan. 3 gunmen disguised as officials storm a prison in Iguala, Guerrero, Mexico, starting a shootout that kills five attackers and four inmates. On Jan. 3 Muslim Brotherhood protests in Cairo and Alexandria, Egypt kill 11 and result in 122 arrests. On Jan. 3 after it strikes first, and Saudi Arabia and Qatar send money to help, rebel militias in Syria led by the Free Syrian Army (FSA) attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), expelling them from Idlib Province, Aleppo et al.; after the Islamic Front (IF) flees to Turkey rather than kill Islamist brothers, ISIS recaptures Raqqa, Jarablus, al-Bab, and Manbij E of Aleppo, and solidifies its control of Deir az-Zour by establishing alliances with local tribes, making it the #1 enforcer of Sunni Sharia in Syria, with sights set on Israel; meanwhile Saudi cleric Abdullah al-Muhaysini proposes the Al-Umma Initiative, calling for cessation of violence and establishment of a neutral Islamic court to arbitrate all disputes according to Sharia, which is accepted by Jabhat an-Nusra, the SRF, the IF, the Mujahideen Army et al., cooling the fighting; ISIS is really an Assad front?; in Feb. U.S. lt. gen. Michael Flynn, dir. of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) briefs the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee on the emerging threat of ISIS, uttering the soundbyte that it "Probably will attempt to take territory in Iraq and Syria to exhibit its strength in 2014, as demonstrated recently in Ramadi and Fallujah, and the group's ability to concurrently maintain multiple safe havens in Syria. Since the departure of U.S. forces at the end of 2011, [ISIS] has exploited the permissive security environment to increase its operations and presence in many locations and also has expanded into Syria and Lebanon to inflame tensions throughout the region"; too bad, Pres. Obama ignores him, and on Dec. 8, 2016 as a lame duck on his way out blames his intel agencies for failing to warn him properly. On Jan. 3 an al-Qaida force captures Fallujah, Iraq; on Jan. 5 U.S. secy. of state John Kerry utters the soundbyte: "This is a fight that belongs to the Iraqis … We are not contemplating returning. We will help them in their fight, but this fight, in the end, they will have to win and I am confident they can." On Jan. 3 Pres. Obama issues two new executive actions "aimed at building up federal background record assessments for gun buyers, with a particular focus on restricting gun access for those with mental health issues." On Jan. 4 a Taliban suicide assault team kills an ISAF soldier at a joint NATO-Afghan base in Ghani Khail, Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan before being gunned down by troops. On Jan. 4 lawmakers in Tunisia reject Islam as the main source for the country's laws. On Jan. 5 in Anbar Province, Iraq 34 are killed, along with 20 in Baghdad as Iraqi troops try to oust al-Qaida from Ramadi and Fallujah. On Jan. 5 a young girl in a suicide vest (daughter of a Taliban cmdr.) is stopped in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. On Jan. 6 Boko Haram gunmen attack the village of Berom Shanong, Nigeria, killing 30. On Jan. 6 U.N. undersecy.-gen. for political affairs Jeffrey Feltman warns that the civil war in Central African Repub. (CAR) has Muslim-Christian overtones and could turn into a full religious war. On Jan. 6 Iraqi PM Nouri al-Maliki issues a call for the residents and tribes of Fallujah, which had fallen under al-Qaida's contro, to expel the "terrorists" from their city to avoid "armed confrontations"; meanwhile the Anbar Province Council calls on Maliki to withdraw troops. On Jan. 6 14-y.-o. Aitzaz Hasan (1999-) becomes a hero by stopping a suicide bomber from entering his school in Hangu, NW Pakistan. On Jan. 6 the Utah Supreme Court halts the granting of same-sex marriages pending review by the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. On Jan. 7 Bulgaria announces the construction of a 33km fence on the border with Turkey to stop illegal immigration. On Jan. 7 gunmen kill seven women and five men at a brothel in Baghdad, Iraq. On Jan. 7 Kyrgyzstan's grand mufti Rakhmatullah-Hajji Egemberdiyev resigns after a sex tape of him and a young woman are released, becoming the 6th to be replaced in four years. On Jan. 7 actress Meryl Streep blasts Walt Disney at an awards ceremony for "Saving Mr. Banks", calling him sexist and anti-Semitic. On Jan. 8 U.S. drones kill two AQAP fighters in Hadramout, Yemen. On Jan. 8 basketball star Dennis Rodman, in North Korea to stage a basketball exhibition stinks himself up with comments about imprisoned U.S. missionary Kenneth Bae; on Jan. 9 he apologizes, claiming drunkenness. On Jan. 8 Thomas Hitzlsperger (1982-) of Germany becomes the first prominent prof. soccer player to come out as gay. On Jan. 8 Bridgegate sees N.J. Repub. gov. Chris Christie rocked by leaked emails that suggest his admin. caused a massive traffic jam on the George Washington Bridge at Ft. Lee for political payback against the town's Dem. mayor for failing to endorse him; on Jan. 9 he fires patsy, er, aide Bridget Kelly - Christie's Chappaquiddick? On Jan. 8 (eve.) Fidel Castro makes his first appearance in 9 mo., looking frail, stooped, and carrying a cane. On Jan. 9 (a.m.) Palestinians fire mortar shells into Israel near the border with S Gaza, causing an Israeli counterstrike. On Jan. 9 an ISIS suicide bomber at a military recruiting center near Baghdad, Iraq kills 21. On Jan. 9 all 135 members of parliament of Central African Repub. (CAR) meet in N'Djamena, Chad to discuss the fate of rebel-turned-pres. Michel Djotodia, who is under fire for failing to prevent sectarian violence in the CAR; meanwhile 20K refugees of Chadian origin have fled back to Chad in recent weeks. On Jan. 9 Pres. Obama announces a list of Promise Zones around the U.S. to help the poor. On Jan. 9 Russian authorities go on high alert after six bodies are found in bomb-laden cars in Pyatigorsk, Russia. On Jan. 9 Iraqi troops clash with al-Qaida troops in On Jan. 9 the Taliban assassinates Chaudhry Aslam Khan, police chief of Karachi, Pakistan. Anbar Province, Afghanistan. On Jan. 9 (night) Kenyan troops strike an Al-Shabaab camp in Gedo, Somalia. On Jan. 10 (a.m.) three Americans (two troops and a civilian) aboard a U.S. military MC-12 plane are killed in a crash in E Afghanistan; meanwhile U.S. Marines in Helmand Province, Afghanistan mistakenly kill a 4-y.-o. Afghan boy. On Jan. 10 after 1K are killed in Muslim-Christian fighting, Muslim Central African Repub. (CAR) pres. Michel Djotodia resigns along with his PM. On Jan. 10 after Christian-Muslim fighting leads to a a ceasefire and a summit to select a candidate with no links to either group of fighters, CAR pres. ( since Mar. 24, 2013) Michel Djotodia resigns, and on Jan. 23 Catherine Samba-Panza (1954-) becomes pres. of Central African Repub. (CAR) (until ?), the first woman, after which people relocate to religiously-cleansed neighborhoods incl. Bouar as the U.N. warns of potential genocide. On Jan. 10 the U.S. designates three groups calling themselves Ansar Al-Sharia as terrorist orgs., contradicting the recent NYT story that blames the 9/11/2012 Benghazi Attack on a YouTube video. On Jan. 10 Israel approves 1.4K new housing units in Judea, Samaria, and E Jerusalem, pissing-off the Palestinian Authority. On Jan. 11 four detained Shiite Iraqi soldiers are murdered by the Sunni Al Dalim tribe in Anbar Province, Iraq, increasing sectarian tensions. On Jan. 11 Wall Street Journal reporter David Bird (b. 1958) goes missing; on Jan. 26 banker William Broeksmit (b. 1955), first in a string of banking-connected suicides; it's a conspiracy-coverup? On Jan. 12 Israel passes a law banning use of Nazi symbols or calling someone a Nazi. On Jan. 12 a mortar attack in a pro-govt. neighborhood of Homs, Syria kills 19. On Jan. 12 Iran and six major powers (U.S., U.K., Russia, France, Germany, China) reach an agreement to implement a Nov. 24 nuclear agreement, curtailing Iran's nuclear activities for a 6-mo. period starting on Jan. 20 in exchange for sanctions relief; meanwhile U.S. Senate majority leader Harry Reid blocks a sanction bill from being voted on; on Jan. 13 U.S. vice-pres. Joe Biden assures Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu that the U.S. is committed to enforcing its "sanctions architecture"; on Jan. 14 Iranian pres. Hassan Rouhani tweets the soundbyte that "world powers" incl. the U.S. have "surrendered" to the "Iranian nation's will"; a secret 30-page document attached to the deal that the West won't acknowledge the existence of stirs concerns that Pres. Obama has allowed Iran to proceed with nuke production. On Jan. 13 a car bomb on a crowded street in Baghdad, Iraq during a visit by U.N. secy.-gen. Ban Ki-moon kills six and injures 13. On Jan. 13 armed vigilantes surround the town of Apatzingan, Michoacan, Mexico to combat the Knights Templar drug cartel. On Jan. 13 Human Shields, er, Hamas interior minister (since Apr. 2009) Fathi Hamad utters the soundbyte that Israel will cease to exist in eight years (by 2022). On Jan. 13 retired Tampa, Fla. police capt. Curtis Reeves (1942-) gets pissed-off at Chad Oulson texting in a movie theater in Wesley Chapel, Fla., and pulls out his gun and shoots him. On Jan. 14 an Egyptian labor ministry official and three trade union activists are kidnapped in Sinai. On Jan. 14 Israeli defense minister Moshe Ya'alon issues the soundbyte that U.S. secy. of state John Kerry is "obsessive" and "Messianic". On Jan. 14 U.S. secy. of state John Kerry visits the Vatican, whose spokesman Pietro Parolin urges an unconditional ceasefire in Syria and the involvement of all regional players incl. Iran in peace talks on Jan. 22. On Jan. 14 Nigerian pres. Jonathan Goodluck signs a law giving up to 14-year prison sentences for homosexuality and banning same-sex marriages, causing U.S. secy. of state John Kerry to utter the soundbyte that the U.S. is "deeply concerned". On Jan. 14 Turkey raids the Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) in Kilis near the Syrian border (known for the infamous Gaza Fake Freedom Flotilla) for suspected al-Qaida ties - the U.N. owes Israel an apology? On Jan. 14 Israeli ambassador Yoram Ettinger utters the soundbyte: "Iran is now at the last lap of the nuclear marathon." On Jan. 14 Moscow city hall rejects a Muslim petition to hold a rally against Islamophobia and Caucususophobia. On Jan. 14-15 a referendum on Egypt's constitution sees 98% of 20M voters approve the new constitution, vs. 10M who approved the Muslim Brotherhood constitution in 2013. On Jan. 15 a protest in support of Russian dissident Alexey Navalny in Manezhnaya Square, Moscow causes the Russian govt. to begin censoring the Internet. On Jan. 15 a wave of bombings in Love Shack Iraq kill 44. On Jan. 15 a sweep for Muslim terrorists in S Russia results in a shootout that killtThree Russian servicemen and four militants. On Jan. 15 a U.S. drone in Hadramout Province, Yemen accidentally kills a farmer in the dell, er, village of Houta near Shibam. On Jan. 15 after Pres. Obama bows to Muslim and Hispanic pressure groups, the U.S. Justice Dept. announces new guidelines that prohibit federal agents from considering religion, national origin, gender, and sexual orientation in their investigations - there's no middle ground, or that's how it seems? On Jan. 16 an Al Nusrah Front suicide bomber in Hermel, Lebanon kills five. On Jan. 16 the U.S. State Dept. holds a meeting by 30 nations on the future of space exploration - and no mention of the Knowledge Ark Project? On Jan. 16 Muslim Chechen rebel leader Doku Umarov is killed by Russian security forces - don't need no Maybelline cause you're a beauty queen? On Jan. 16 a planned first-ever speech by a woman by Masoumeh Ebtekar (1959-), Iranian vice-pres. for environmental affairs at the Mosalla, Tehran's biggest mosque is cancelled at the last minute. On Jan. 16 a court in Tokyo, Japan rules that police may profile Muslims. On Jan. 17 Pres. Obama announces an end to U.S. govt. control of phone data from hundreds of millions of Americans, ordering intel agencies to get a secretive court's permission before accessing records, and directing them to stop spying on friendly internat. leaders, also calling for extending some privacy protections to foreign citizens whose communications are monitored by the U.S., calling it a "special obligation" to reexamine intel capabilities because of the potential for trampling on civil liberties; "This debate will make us stronger. In this time of change, the United States of America will have to lead" - I'm swimming around in a vagina, I try to make a princess? On Jan. 17 after Israeli ambassadors to the EU are called in over settlements, Israel calls in the ambassadors of U.K., France, Italy, and Spain, and tells them that "their perpetual one-sided stance against Israel and in favor of the Palestinians is unacceptable and creates the impression they are only seeking ways to blame Israel"; meanwhile Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu utters the soundbyte that those who criticize him are out of sync; "They should go to some of the countries in the Middle East who now support Israel, who think about Israel in different terms... Many of Israel's Arab neighbors share a common goal of peace in the region, as well as concern over a nuclear-armed Iran. Other Arab countries see a bigger threat in hardline Islamist groups, so I say to those who criticize a pro-Israel position in Canada, I ask them, come to the Middle East. Go to the Arab world and you'll discover, you'll discover a lot of people are reconsidering their positions", adding that many Arab countries now "see Israel not as an enemy but as a friend" - but never turn your back on them? On Jan. 17 a suicide attack in Kaboom, Afghanistan kills 14 incl. two Canadians. On Jan. 17 the first attack of the year on the Sinai gas pipeline is at El-Riysan by Ansar Jerusalem; the 2nd attack is on Jan. 27 near el-Arish. On Jan. 18 a stampede at a Muslim funeral in Mumbai, India kills 18 and injures 46. On Jan. 19 (Sun.) Turkish security forces stop and search three trucks heading for Syria that are carrying Turkish intel officers, finding Russian munitions headed for Syrian rebels fighting Bashar al-Assad, which are later traced to Turkish pres. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who on Nov. 24 utters the soundbyte: "What does it matter if it was arms or not." On Jan. 19 Russian pres. Vladimir Putin utters the soundbyte that the way Russians love Elton John proves they don't discriminate against gays, with the soundbyte: "People have different sexual orientation. We will welcome all athletes and all guests of the Olympics", telling other reporters: "We do not have a ban on non-traditional sexual relationships. We have a ban on the propaganda of homosexuality and paedophilia. I want to underline this. Propaganda among children. These are absolutely different things, a ban on something or a ban on the propaganda of that thing... We are not forbidding anything and nobody is being grabbed off the street, and there is no punishment for such kinds of relations. You can feel relaxed and calm [in Russia], but leave children alone please"; meanwhile Elton John performs in Beijing, shocking the audience by announcing that he's dedicating his performance to dissident Ai Weiwei. On Jan. 19 Pres. Obama gives an interview to The New Yorker, with the soundbyte: "As has been well documented, I smoked pot as a kid, and I view it as a bad habit and a vice, not very different from the cigarettes that I smoked as a young person up through a big chunk of my adult life. I don't think it is more dangerous than alcohol." On Jan. 19 (eve.) an unmarried woman in West Bengal, India is gang-raped on the orders of a village elder for having an affair with a Muslim man. On Jan. 19 (night) a Boko Haram attack in Alau Ngawo Fatie, Nigeria kills 18 and burns several houses. On Jan. 20 the implementation of the Geneva Accord by Iran begins with them dismantling its most sensitive (20%) uranium enrichment devices, er, just not operating them, with foreign minister Javad Zarif on Jan. 22 uttering the soundbyte "We're not dismantling anything", causing Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu on Jan. 26 to utter the soundbyte that there is "no chance" of a final deal; "If Iran will stand by that statement, that means that a permanent agreement "which is the goal of the entire diplomatic process with Iran cannot succeed." On Jan. 20 Russian deputy defense minister Gen. Pavel Popov warns that war can be expected to erupt between the U.S., China, and Japan "within weeks" due to a power struggle "exploding" within the Communist Party of China (CPC). On Jan. 20 after the U.N. issues a last-min. invitation to Iran to attend the Geneva II Conference on Syria, the Syrian Nat. Coalition issues an ultimatum to Iran to commit publicly by 7 p.m. GMT to withdraw its "troops and militias" from Syria and abide by a 2012 transitional roadmap, or else the U.N. should withdraw its invitation for Tehran to take part in a peace conference, else it will boycott the conference, causing the U.N. to uninvite Iran. On Jan. 20 al-Qaida attacks across Iwreck kill 26; meanwhile on Jan. 19 Pres. Obama utters the soundbyte that al-Qaida is totally JV (juvenile varsity). On Jan. 20 a Taliban suicide attack at an ISAF base in Zhari, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan kills one soldier. On Jan. 21 a Syrian defector produces evidence of Nazi-like mass industrial killing by the Assad regime. On Jan. 21 Iran sends two warships on their navy's first-ever mission to the Atlantic Ocean. On Jan. 21 Iraqi provincial affairs minister Torhan al-Mufti announces that the Iraqi govt. has agreed to transform two Turkmen-majority districts, Talafar in Ninevah Province and Tuz Khurmato in Salahuddin Province into their own provinces. On Jan. 22 (Wed.) the Geneva II Conference on Syria. On Jan. 22 amid violent protests that kill three, Ukrainian pres. Viktor Yanukovich holds talks with opposition leaders. On Jan. 22 during a hunt for Islamic black widows, Russian police kill Islamist Elgar Magatov in a shootout in North Caucasus. On Jan. 22 Iraqi airstrikes in Anbar Province, Iraq kill 50+ Islamist militants. On Jan. 22 the Israeli air force kills Palestinian terrorist Ahmed Za'anin along with family member Mohammed Za'anin near Beit Hanoun in N Gaza. On Jan. 22 Israel announces the thwarting of an al-Qaida attack on the Jerusalem Convention Center and U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv. On Jan. 23 al-Qaida head Ayman al-Zawahiri releases an audiotape calling on Islamists in Syria to quit infighting and attack Assad, and surprisingly opposing attacks on Christians. On Jan. 23 (9:05 a.m. EST) NASA launches its 3.8-ton TDRS L satellite to speed up the system. On Jan. 23 after three weeks of talks in Addis Ababa, pro and anti govt. forces in South Sudan sign a ceasefire agreement; too bad, it is broken within 24 hours. On Jan. 23 U.S. atty. Eric Holder announces that U.S. Treasury and law enforcement agencies will soon issue regs opening banking services to state-sanctioned marijuana businesses even though cannabis remains classified as an illegal narcotic under federal law. On Jan. 24 Chinese pres. Xi Jinping is named chmn. of the nat. security commission, giving him ever-greater powah over the gigantic police state. On Jan. 24 a string of anti-govt. attacks in Cairo, Egypt incl. a bomb at the main police station near the pyramids kills five and injures 100; al-Qaida-linked Ansar Beit al-Maqdis claims credit; the Muslim Brotherhood denies involvement. On Jan. 24 after being given orders to kill rather than capture terrorists, Iraqi forces in Baquba, Iraq kill six men they claim are planning a suicide bombing on a govt. bldg. On Jan. 25 19-y.-o. Darion Marcus Aguilar (b. 1994) kills two young employees and injures another in the Columbia Town Center in Howard County, Md. before killing himself. On Jan. 25 a mass grave with 169+ bodies is uncovered in Baluchistan, Pakistan, victims of Pakistani intel agencies, causing the govt. to attempt a coverup. On Jan. 25-26 (Sat.-Sun.) Boko Haram attacks in Borno and Adamawa, Nigeria kill 74. On Jan. 26 the 3rd anniv. of the Arab Spring uprising in Cairo, Egypt sees police clash with protesters, killing 29. On Jan. 26 four Egyptian soldiers are killed and nine injured in North Sinai. On Jan. 26 after progress at the talks, women and children are allowed to leave Homs, Syria. On Jan. 26 the 2014 Tunisian Constitution is passed by the nat. assembly, and signed on Jan. 27 by Pres. Moncef Marzouki, becoming a rare V for the Arab Spring as it makes Islam the state religion but furnishes protections for freedom of belief and sexual equality, banning takfirs (religious edicts against apostates from Islam). On Jan. 26 the 56th Grammy Awards in the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif. is hosted by LL Cool J (3rd time); Jay-Z receives nine nominations (the most); album of the year goes to Daft Punk for "Random Access Memories"; record of the year goes to Daft Punk, and Pharrell Williams for "Get Lucky"; a mass wedding of gay and hetero couples is presided over by Queen Latifah, to the singing of "Same Love" by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, who win best new artist. On Jan. 26 large-scale political demonstrations in Paris, France see the first explicitly anti-Semitic slogans being shouted since WWII? On Jan. 27 former secy. of state Hillary Clinton addresses the Nat. Automobile Dealers Assoc. in New Orleans, La., and calls the 9/11/2012 Benghazi Attack the "greatest regret" of her tenure; she also admits that the last time she drove a car was in 1996. On Jan. 27 Boko Haram militants slaughter 30 Christian churchgoers in Waga Chakawa, Adamawa, Nigeria. On Jan. 27 the Mexican govt. strikes a deal with vigilantes in Michoacan to share policing and military duties to fight the Knights Templar drug cartel. On Jan. 28 after the govt. announces that troops won't be used to quell continuing pro-West protests and riots, Ukrainian PM Mykola Azarov resigns; amid calls for his resignation, pres. Viktor Yanukovych goes on sick leave; on Feb. 5 first deputy PM Sergei Arbuzov is made acting PM (until ?); meanwhile EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton offers support for Ukraine's constitutional reform plans plus help to investigate alleged abuses against protesters. On Jan. 28 a group of armed Muslims attacks the Coptic Orthodox Church of the Virgin Mary in Cairo, Egypt, killing one. On Jan. 28 Pres. Obama's 2014 State of the Union Message calls 2014 "a year of action" and "a breakthrough year for America", promotes raising the min. wage, and stumps for Obamacare and immigration reform, saying that the immigration system is "broken" and leaving room for Repubs. to make a deal with Dems.; he warns Congress that he will veto any Iran sanctions. On Jan. 28 Palestinian Authority chmn. Mahmoud Abbas announces to Israel that it has three years to withdraw from Judea and Samaria, with the soundbyte: "Those who are proposing 10 to 15 years do not want to withdraw at all." On Jan. 28 the Turkish lira collapses, causing the central bank to raise interest rates in defiance of PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan's longstanding pledge to keep them low and his frequent denunciation of an "interest rate lobby" that sought to bring down his Turkish economic miracle. On Jan. 28 Fatah deputy secy. Jibril Rajoub makes a visit to Tehran, surprising many since Iran formerly mainly befriended its enemy Hamas. On Jan. 28 after the military announces that they're backing him for pres., newly-promoted field marshal Abdel Fattah el-Sisi gives a speech, with the soundbyte: "Religious discourse is the greatest battle and challenge facing the Egyptian people, pointing to the need for a new vision and a modern, comprehensive understanding of the religion of Islam, rather than relying on a discourse that has not changed for 800 years", referring to the 1258 declaration by the mujtahids that the gates of ijtihad (independent reasoning on Islam) are closed, making him the new Martin Luther of Islam?; on Mar. 28 he resigns from the military and announces his candidacy for pres. On Jan. 28 a snowstorm in Atlanta, Ga. brings 3 in. of snow, paralyzing the city, with cars abandoned, the airport closed, 12 killed in traffic accidents, etc.; a worse icestorm hits on Feb. 11, with all 50 U.S. states except Fla. receiving snow. On Jan. 28 after they fire a grenade into Turkish territory, Turkish troops return fire against ISIS rebels in Cobaney (al-Ra'i), Syria. On Jan. 28-30 Philippine troops occupy a Muslim rebel stronghold in Maguindanao, Philippines, killing 50 Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement fighters. On Jan. 29 Libyan deputy PM Sadiq Abdulkarim survives an assassination attempt in Tripoli. On Jan. 29 U.S. nat. intel dir. James Clapper writes a report to the Senate intel committee, claiming that Iran has the capacity to make a nuke if it wishes, but that the U.S. would detect it. On Jan. 29 industry minister (since Mar. 14, 2013) Mehdi Jomaa (1962-) becomes PM of Tunisia (until Feb. 6, 2015), running a technocratic govt. On Jan. 30 six ISIS suicide bombers break into the transportation ministry bldg. in Bagdead, Iraq, killing 12 plus themselves. On Jan. 31 two roadside bombs explode near a police car in Cairo, Egypt, injuring a policeman. On Jan. 31 the U.S. State Dept. releases a 2K-page report giving the 1.7K-mi. Keystone XL Pipeline a green light. On Jan. 31-Feb. 2 the 50th Munich Security Conference is attended by about 20 govt. heads and 50 foreign and defense ministers; German pres. Joachim Gauck utters the soundbyte that the German govt. is proclaiming "the end of military restraint" becuase it has to defend its interests more decisively around the world, stirring fears of a new aggressively militarized Germany. In Jan. a tape is recorded in which actor Tom Sizemore claims to two pals that in a 1998 White House screening of the film Saving Private Ryan, Pres. Clinton pulled him aside from the crowd of celebs incl. Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Ed Burns, and Dennis Farina, asking if he'd like to see the Lincoln Bedroom, and after shaking his Secret Service detail, asks him, "Did you go with Liz Hurley for four years? Do you still see her?", then demands her phone number so he can call her for a date, flying her to Washington D.C. and bedding her in the White House in a room next to where First Lady Hillary sleeps; on Feb. 5 Sizemore recants, claiming drug use. In Jan. the African Am. Intellectual History Society (AAIHS) is founded at the U. of N.C. in Charlotte, N.C. In Jan. the U.S. unemployment rate rate drops to 6.6%, adding 113K jobs. In Jan. the death toll in Iraq is 733. On Feb. 1 World Hijab Day celebrates women who are very, very modest. On Feb. 1 an Al-Nusra Front suicide bomber in a Jeep Cherokee detonates in the Hezbollah stronghold of Hermel, E Lebanon killing four and injuring 15. On Feb. 1 two election workers for Abdullah Abdullah are murdered in Herat, Afghanistan. On Feb. 1 U.S. secy. of state John Kerry meets with leaders of the Ukrainian opposition, and utters the soundbyte: "Nowhere is the fight for a democratic, European future more important today than in Ukraine. While there are unsavory elements in the streets in any chaotic situation, the vast majority of Ukrainians want to live freely in a safe, prosperous country... They are fighting for the right to associate with partners who will help them realize their aspirations, and they have decided that means their futures do not have to lie with one country alone, and certainly not coerced. The United States and EU stand with the people of Ukraine in that fight." On Feb. 2 Boko Haram gunmen in Unguwar Kajit, Nigeria kill a Christian family of seven, causing Christian reprisals against Muslims. On Feb. 2 group of 20 Muslims in S Thailand disrupt elections, killing three soldiers and a district election official in a bomb attack. On Feb. 2 Saudi Arabia passes a new Counterterrorism Law that incl. anybody calling for reforms or regime change, allowing protesters to be jailed at will; on Feb. 3 King Abdullah issues a decree dishing out 5-30 years in prison to any citizen who leaves the kingdom to fight in conflicts. On Feb. 2 elections in Thailand are disrupted, causing protesters on Feb. 3 led by Suthep Thaugsuban to march toward downtown Bangkok, Thailand, demanding the ouster of PM Yingluck Shinawatra. On Feb. 3 an armed student in School No. 263 in Moscow kills a teacher and policeman before being arrested. On Feb. 3 Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif gives an interview to German TV station Phoenix, and utters the soundbyte: "If the Palestinians are happy with the solution [an Israel-Palestinian peace deal] then nobody outside Palestine would prevent that from taking place", and the soundbyte: "Once the Palestinian problem is solved the conditions for an Iranian recognition of Israel will be possible", stunning Israelis by seeming to accept the existence of the Little Satan. On Feb. 4 a standoff between Tunisian forces and militant Salafists in Raoued, Tunisia kills eight. On Feb. 4 Hyderabad, India-born Satya Narayana Nadella (1967-) is named CEO of Microsoft Corp., replacing Steve Ballmer; Bill Gates is replaced as chmn. by John W. Thompson (1949-). On Feb. 4 New York City mayor Bill de Blasio announces special treatment for Muslims, closing schools for Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, along with the Lunar New Year, but not the Hindu festival Diwali. On Feb. 4 the New York Times claims that Afghan pres. Hamid Karzai has been holding secret peace talks with the Taliban. On Feb. 4 U.N. secy.-gen. Ban Ki-moon pub. a report on rape and torture of Syrian rebel children by Syrian troops, along with recruitment of child soldiers by rebel troops. On Feb. 4 alawsuit against Google for hosting an anti-Islam video on YouTube filed last Feb. by the Jordan Bar Assoc. is adjourned. On Feb. 5 three explosions rock Bagdead, Iraq, killing 16. On Feb. 5 the British govt. announces that membership in the Muslim Brotherhood is not proof of extremism, and that its members are free to operate in the U.K. as long as they respect its laws. On Feb. 5 U.S. secy. of state John Kerry utters the soundbyte that the chemical weapons deal didn't strengthen Bashar al-Assad, but that happened because of support from Iran and Hezbollah, and infighting among the opposition. On Feb. 5 Iranian pres. Hassan Rouhani gives an interview on Iranian TV, grumbling that it had been blocked by the network, then bragging how he "broke the chains around Iran" and struck a blow against "Iranophobia". On Feb. 5 mass protests in Bosnia-Herzegovina start in Tuvla, spreading across the country, becoming the biggest since 1992. On Feb. 5 a U.N. Report on Sex Abuse by Roman Catholic Clergy accuses the Vatican of systematically placing its own interests over those of victims by enabling priests to rape and molest tens of thousands of children through its own policies and code of silence recommending that the Vatican immediately remove any priest suspected or known to have abused children, open its archives on abusers and the bishops who covered up for them, and turn the cases over to law enforcement; on Feb. 7 the Vatican responds that it's none of your business. On Feb. 6 the 10th Internat. Day for Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation sees Saudi cleric Sheikh Mohamad Alarefe tweet the soundbyte that FGM is a "noble act" to do to lesb, er, women. On Feb. 6 Turkey passes a new Internet censorship law, further restricting freedoms in the increasingly Islamist country, causing protests in Istanbul on Feb. 8. On Feb. 6 by 96-0 the U.S. Senate confirms U.S. Sen. (D-Mont.) (since 1978) Max Sieben Baucus (nee Enke) (1941-) as U.S. ambassador to China #11, taking office on Mar. 20 (until Jan. 20, 2017). On Feb. 6 U.S. envoy to Sudan Joseph D. Stafford resigns after converting to Islam. On Feb. 6 (night) Jay Leno hosts his last episode of The Tonight Show, featuring Billy Crystal, his first guest in May 1992. On Feb. 6-23 the XXII (22nd) Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Krasnodar, Russia sees Russia spend $51B to host it w/beefed-up security incl. a 60 mi. x 25 mi. Ring of Steel with 40K security personnel; the debut of snowboarding slopestyle, which is won by Sage Kotsenburg (first gold of the games) and Jamie Anderson of the U.S. On Feb. 7 Syrian rebels free hundreds of prisoners in a prison near Aleppo, Syria; meanwhile hundreds of thousands of residents evacuate Aleppo, leaving it a "city of ghosts". On Feb. 7 a passenger claiming to have a bomb tries to hijack a plane to Sochi en route from Kharkov, Ukraine to Istanbul. On Feb. 7 thousands of Muslims flee Bangui, Central African Repub. (CAR) as Christians jeer them. On Feb. 7 Salah I. Salahadyn and Universal K. Allah are charged with the attempted theft on Jan. 28 of a $6M-$10 Stradivarius violin; K. stands for Knowledge. On Feb. 7 a 3-day truce allows civilians to be evacuated from Damascus, Syria, while the Syrian govt. agrees to peace talks on Feb. 10 in Geneva. On Feb. 7 the U.S. announces the sailing of warship USS Donald Cook for Rota Spain to strengthen its ballistic missile shield, to be followed within two years by USS Ross, USS Porter, and USS Carney. On Feb. 7 new U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security chief Jeh Johnson gives his first major speech at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, D.C., uttering the soundbyte about the 11.5M+ illegal immigrants: "They're here, and they're not going away." On Feb. 8 U.S. atty. gen. Eric Holder announces that the U.S. Justice Dept. will vigorously enforce same-sex marriage rights on a level with hetero marriages, and on Feb. 24 tells state attys. gen. to fall in line regardless of state laws; on Feb. 25 the Coalition of African-Am. Pastors calls for him impeachment for violating his oath of office by trying "to coerce states to fall in line with the same-sex 'marriage' agenda." On Feb. 8 Iran announces that it's sending its warships to U.S. waters for the first time, causing the U.S. to pooh-pooh the claim - I'm the last of the good old-fashioned steam-powered trains? On Feb. 8 U.S. Lt. Gen. Joseph Anderson succeeds Lt. Gen. Mark Milley as head of the Internat. Security Assistance Force Joint Command, the #2 military position in Afghanistan. On Feb. 9 a Maoist landmine in Sukma District, Chhattisgarh, India kills two police and injures 12. On Feb. 9 Mo. Tigers defensive lineman Michael Sam announces his homosexuality on Twitter, becoming the first openly gay NFL draft pick on May 10, by the St. Louis er, Rams, weeping and kissing his white boyfriend on TV. On Feb. 9 (Sun.) CBS-TV airs The Beatles: The Night That Changed America - A Grammy Salute in honor of the 50th Anniv. of the Beatles' first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, featuring Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono, Sean Lennon, Olivia and Dhani Harrison, Maroon 5, John Legend, Alicia Keys, Katy Perry, John Mayer, Stevie Wonder, Imagine Dragons, Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, Pharrell Williams et al.; Julian Lennon snubs it. On Feb. 9 a Gallup Poll finds that for the first time more than half (53%) of Americans don't believe that Pres. Obama is respected by other world leaders, vs. 43% last year. On Feb. 10 Iraqi militants accidentally denote their own bomb in a training camp N of Baghdad, Iraq, killing 21. On Feb. 10 voters in Switzerland vote to end treaties allowing anybody in the EU to immigrate, causing the EU to threaten loss privileged access to the EU single market. On Feb. 10 Panama Canal officials fine North Korea $693,333 for trying to sneak Cuban arms through. On Feb. 10 the Wall Street Journal claims that the U.S. has decided to wait until Afghan pres. Hamid Karzai leaves offices to complete a long-term security deal. On Feb. 11 (early a.m.) Islamists blow up a gas pipeline to Jordan in Sinai, Egypt. On Feb. 11 an army plane crash in E Algeria kills 103. On Feb. 11 a grenade attack in a movie theater in Peshawar, Pakistan kills 11. On Feb. 11 the Baghdad, Iraq offices of Al-Sabah Al-Jadid ("New Morning") newspaper are bombed after hundreds protest an allegeldy insulting depiction of Ayatollah Khamenei pub. on Feb. 7. On Feb. 11 Taiwan mainland affair council head Wang Yu-chi and Zhang Zhijun, dir. of China's Taiwan Affairs Office meet in Nanjing, China, a historic first meeting of official reps. On Feb. 11 a grenade attack at the Shama porno theater in Peshawar, Pakistan kills 12 and injuring 24. On Feb. 11 a Boko Haram attack in Konduga, Nigeria kills 39. On Feb. 11 Salafist groups Ahrar ash-Sham (AS) and al-Qaida branch Jabhat an-Nusra (JN) declare war on ISIS in E Syria; on Feb. 12 ISIS occupies Raqqa, and is surrounded by AS and JN, but AS withdraws because they don't want to encourage fitna (civil strife) among Muslims, leaving JN to be mopped-up. On Feb. 11 Cobra Gold 2014 opens at Camp Akatosarot 230 mi. N of Bangkok, with 14K troops from the U.S. and Asia-Pacific countries participating; the first-ever participation by Chinese troops. On Feb. 11 despite 19 of 28 EU states voting against it, the European Commission approves the growing of TC 1507 GMO corn by DuPont. On Feb. 11 (eve.) Pres. Obama holds a state dinner (2.5K calories) at the White House for French pres. Francois Holland, who arrives sans Valerie Trierweiler, who recently separated; both criticize Russian pres. Vladimir Putin, saying that they are united in backing rebel forces in Syria's civil war and that Putin has the blood of the Syrian people on his hands. On Feb. 12 the first green-on-blue-attack of the year in Kapisa Province, Afghanistan kills two coalition soldiers. On Feb. 12 Mexico, Colombia, Peru, and Chile sign an agreement to eliminate tariffs on 92% of trade amont their countries, which Mexican pres. Enrique Pena Nieto calls the "largest [Mexico] has signed since the Free Trade Agreement with the United States"; Childean pres. Sebastian Pinera says that it is "not against anybody, only in favor of increasing the quality of life in our countries"; Colombian pres. Juan Manuel Santos admits that there will be "winners and losers", with the winners incl. Cemex in Mexico and Antofagasta in Chile, and the losers being mainly the poor. On Feb. 12 (night) an Islamist attack in Pattani, Thailand kills five incl. a Buddhist monk and child, and injures six. On Feb. 13 a Boko Haram ambush in Izhe, Nigeria kills six Nigerian soldiers. On Feb. 13 an Al-Shabaab attack outside Mogadishu, Somalia unsuccessfully targets a U.N. convoy outside the airport. On Feb. 13 the parliament of Belgium votes 86-44-12 to permit child euthanasia with no min. age limit. On Feb. 14 2K protest in Plovdiv, Bulgaria over a court-ordered return of Muslim property seized during the expulsion of the Ottomans in the 19th cent. On Feb. 13 Hillary Clinton addresses the No Ceilings Project, uttering the soundbyte that women who want to get ahead in politics or other high-profile jobs should "grow skin like a rhinoceros." On Feb. 13 a trilateral meeting between the U.S., Russia, and the Arab League in Geneva, Switzerland during the 2nd round of negotiations between the Syrian govt. and rebels achieves nada? On Feb. 14 Pres. Obama utters the soundbyte that he'd like to pass immigration reform before he leaves office in Jan. 2017, and "I'd like to get it done this year." On Feb. 15 a Boko Haram attack on the Christian village of Izghe, Borno, Nigeria kills 106. On Feb. 16 (Sun.) U.S. secy. of state John Kerry visits the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia accompanied by grand imam (2005-) Ali Mustafa Yaqub (1952-), beating a huge drum to call Muslims to prayer, uttering the soundbyte that the largest mosque in the world's most populous Muslim country is an "extraordinary place... I am very privileged to be here and I am grateful to the grand imam for allowing me to come"; Pres. Obama already visited him on Nov. 10, 2010. On Feb. 16 an IED on the Unnar Wah Railway in Jacobabad, Pakistan kills seven and injures 30; Baluch separatists claim responsibility. On Feb. 16 a bomb on a South Korean tourist bus in Saba, Sinai, Egypt kills five and inures 20. On Feb. 16 a bus bombing in Taba, Egypt kills three South Korean tourists and their Egyptian driver; Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis claims responsibility, and warns all travellers to leave Sinai by Feb. 20. On Feb. 16 security forces thwart an al-Qaida attack in Aden, Yemen, arresting 27. On Feb. 16 U.S. secy. of state Kerry releases a statement welcoming a new Lebanese govt. even if it incl. Hezbollah. On Feb. 17 the U.N. releases a Report on Human Rights in North Korea, documenting "widespread, systematic abuses". On Feb. 17 amidst continuing anti-govt. protesters, Venezuela expels three U.S. diplomats for conspiring with the protesters. On Feb. 17 Pakistani negotiators cancel a scheduled meeting with the Taliban after they claim to have killed 23 soldiers they kidnapped in 2010. On Feb. 17 riots at an asylum seeker detention center in Papua, New Guindea kill one and injure 77. On Feb. 17 Naglaa Mahmoud, wife of ousted Egyptian pres. Mohamed Morsi claims to have been close friends with Hillary Clinton since the 1980s, claiming that the Muslim Sisterhood has regular dealings with her and her hubby Bill. On Feb. 18 final talks with Iran on the nuclear deal. On Feb. 18 protests in Bangkok, Thailand sees police and anti-govt. protesters engage in gun battles, killing one police officer and injuring dozens of police and protesters. On Feb. 18 Pres. Obama names Robert Malley (1963-) as senior dir. of the Nat. Security Council despite firing him from his campaign in 2008 for ties to Hamas, the PLO et al; his father was an Egyptian-born Jewish Communist who supported the Palestinian cause. On Feb. 18 a Economist Poll reveals that 71% of Obama voters and 55% of Democrats regret their votes. On Feb. 19 an Abdullah Azzam Brigades twin suicide attack in Beirut, Lebanon kills five and injures 12+. On Feb. 19 Saudi Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud meets with Japanese Emperor Akihito in Tokyo; meanwhile the newspaper Al-Arab reports that Saudi Arab has threatened to close its border and airspace with Qatar if it doesn't stop supporting the Muslim Brotherhood. On Feb. 19 Iranian pres. Hassan Rouhani utters the soundbyte that Jerusalem "should be liberated from the yoke of Israel". On Feb. 19 Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan makes a phone call to Pres. Obama, asking him to do something about Turkish Islamic cleric Fetullah Gulen, who lives in self-imposed exile in rural Penn., misunderstanding his response as an okay. On Feb. 19 a Gallup Poll reveals that 49% of Americans say that involvement in Afghanistan was a mistake, compared to 48% who say it wasn't, becoming the first time the initial massive support has become a push. On Feb. 19 the Three Amigos North Am. Summit in Toluca, Michoacan, Mexico, attended by Pres. Obama, Mexican Pres. Enrique Pena Nieto, and Canadian PM Stephen Harper produces no results - did they discuss my Megamerge Dissolution Solution or play video games? On Feb. 20 violence in Kiev, Ukraine sees troops fire on protesters, becoming the worst in two decades; meanwhile Pres. Obama warns Ukraine of possible sanctions; on Feb. 21 pres. Viktor Yanukovych and opposition leaders sign an agreement for early elections; on Feb. 22 Yanukovych flees the pres. palace as protesters take control, ending up in Sevastopol, home of a Russian naval base; on Feb. 24 an arrest warrant is issued for him by the acting govt. for crimes against protesters.; meanwhile on Feb. 23 the U.S. warns Russia to keep its military out of Ukraine, calling it a "grave mistake" to try it, which doesn't stop Russian troops from massing at Belgorod 25 mi. N of the Ukrainian border; on Feb. 26 kiss-me-again Russian pres. Vladimir Putin orders massive military exercises in W Russia, and docks a Russian warship in Havana, Cuba; on Feb. 27 armed men seize the Ukrainian parliament bldg. in Simferopol and raise the Russian flag; on Feb. 28 Yanukovych appears on TV for the first time in Rostov-on-Don, with the soundbytes "I intend to keep fighting for the future of Ukraine" and "Any military action in this situation is unacceptable"; meanwhile Swiss authorities announce an investigation into money laundering by Yanukovych. On Feb. 20 Facebook buys Internet startup WhatsApp for a record $19B, or $45 for each of its 450M users. On Feb. 20 as the Knesset debates ending Hashemite control and replacing it with Israelite control, pissed-off Muslims clash with Israeli security guards at Al-Aqsa Mosque; on Feb. 23 King Abdullah II of Jordan issues an order promoting the possibility of making Jordan an alternative homeland to Palestinians; on Feb. 27 the Jordanian parliament unanimously decides to expel the Israeli ambassador in Amman and recall Jordan's envoy in Tel Aviv. On Feb. 21 (6:20 a.m.) a 4-man Taliban assault at a police HQ in Surobi District, Kabul Province, Afghanistan kills two policemen. On Feb. 21 10 Al-Shabaab militants stage a suicide assault on the pres. compound in Mogadishu, Somalia, killing several govt. officials. On Feb. 21 a new law goes into effect forcing the U.S. Defense Dept. to only buy U.S. flags made in the U.S., in an attempt to curtail purchase of Chinese-made flags. On Feb. 21 the Fairmont Case sees several sons of Muslim businessmen drug and rape a woman in the 5-star Fairmont Nile Hotel in Cairo, Egypt then writing their initials on her body, recording the gang rape and posting it online, claiming it was a consensual sex party. On Feb. 22 Mexican Sinaloa cartel drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is arrested in Mazatlan after running from authorities for 13 years while controlling 25% of the action in the U.S. On Feb. 22 Florence mayor (since 2009) Matteo Renzi (b. 1975) becomes PM #56 of Italy (until Dec. 5, 2016), going on to prove a centrist that tries to reform the hopelessly socialist constitution in vain. On Feb. 22 the Ragnarok (Viking Apocalypse) sees Norse gods Thor, Loki, Odin, Freyr, Hermodr fight; Odin will be killed by Fennir and the other creator gods will fall; Earth will fall into the sea, and life as we know it will cease to be; the world will re-emerge anew and fertile, and two human survivors will be in charge of repopulating the Earth :) On Feb. 22-23 a weekend of violence in Honduras kills 39. On Feb. 23 (01:10 a.m.) Prague-born Theresienstadt Concentration Camp survivor Alice Herz-Sommer (b. 1903) dies in London, becoming the oldest known Jewish Holocaust survivor; her 2013 bio. film The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life, about her 100+ camp piano concerts of Chopin's etudes is nominated for best short documentary at the 2014 Academy Awards. On Feb. 23 Pres. Obama eases immigration restrictions on Muslims, offering asylum to "minor" terrorist who only provided "limited" material support to terrorism; meanwhile thousands of Christians fleeing Muslim attacks in Egypt, Syria et al. are put back in line. On Feb. 23 Taliban militants overrun a military outpost in Ghaziabad District, Kunar Province, Afghanistan killing 20 Afghan soldiers and capturing eight. On Feb. 23 after being given an ultimatum by the Islamists who control it, Christians in Raqqa, Syria sign a dhimmi document prohibiting them from practicing Christianity in public. On Feb. 23 top al-Qaida cmdr. Abu Khaled al-Soury (Abu Omair al-Shamy) of the Salifist group Ahrar al-Sham is killed with six others by ISIL in Syria in a suicide attack, causing Al Nushrah Front emir Abu Muhammad al Julani on Feb. 25 to warn ISIS to end attacks on jihadist and rebel units in Syria or face destruction. On Feb. 24 Egyptian PM Hazem el-Beblawi announces the resignation of his cabinet, a surprise move paving the way for Field Marshal Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi to leave his defense minister post and run for pres.; on Feb. 25 Adly Mansour names Ibrahim Mehlib as new PM (until ?) - I'd rather live in his world than mine? On Feb. 24 the pissed-off Iranian parliament summons foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif for making comments calling the Jewish Holocaust a "tragedy". On Feb. 24 Libyan police find eight dead Egyptian Christians near Benghazi, Libya, the 2nd execution-style killing of the year. On Feb. 24 Ugandan pres. Yoweri Museveni signs a harsh anti-gay law that gives out sentences of up to life in priz for sucking er, and drinking er, homosexuality, pissing-off the Obama admin., with secy. of state John Kerry calling it "a tragic day for Uganda and for all who care about the cause of human rights", announcing "an internal review of our relationship with the government of Uganda"; on Feb. 25 the Ugandan newspaper Red Pepper pub. a list of the Uganda's "200 top homosexuals", outing several incl. a Roman Catholic priest; on Aug. 7 the Ugandan supreme court strikes down the law on a technicality based on how it was passed in parliament. On Feb. 24 the New York Times reports that the Pentagon is planning to reduce the size of the U.S. Army to its smallest size since before WWII, down to 440K-450K troops; the peak since 9/11 was 570K. On Feb. 24 (eve.) Israeli warplanes hit Hezbollah targets near the Lebanese-Syria border. On Feb. 25 after the Iraqi govt. refuses to pay govt. employees in the region their wages, Kurdistan Regional Govt. (KRG) pres. Masoud Barzani utters the soundbyte that it's a "declaration of war". On Feb. 25 (7:50 a.m.) after an attempted break-in on Feb. 6 causes 15 of 250 to be drowned on the coast, 500 sub-Saharans crash their way from Morocco into Melilla, Spain. On Feb. 25 Boko Haram militants kill 43 boys at the Federal Govt. College secondary school in Buni Yadi, Yobe, Nigeria by closing the doors and burning them alive, sparing the girls. On Feb. 25 German chancellor Angela Merkel visits Israel while riots by Palestinian youths break out on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem over a planned Knesset debate about its sovereignty; too bad, a photo-opp of Benjamin Netanyahu pointing something out to her causes a Hitler mustache shadow on her lip. On Feb. 25 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 6-3 in Fernandez v. Calif. that although an objecting co-resident may stop police from searching a dwelling, if he is removed via a lawful arrest and another co-resident consents, police may do the search, giving them the option of you know what to get what they want. On Feb. 25 (eve.) a gas pipeline in el Arish in Sinai, Egypt is blown up, becoming #4 of the year. On Feb. 26 the monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights announces that 3.3K have been killed in fighting between Syrian rebels since Jan. 3. On Feb. 26 (dawn) a Syrian army ambush kills 175 rebels in E Ghouta, Syria. On Feb. 26 Pakistan announces that it is ending its 7-mo.-old policy of trying to retaliate against every Taliban strike in NW tribal areas, but won't end its attempt to engage them in peace talks. On Feb. 26 after intense pressure by the PC establishment, Ariz. Gov. Jan Brewer vetoes the Senate Bill 1062 ("the Religious-Freedom Bill"), which would have allowed businesses to refuse to serve gays on religious grounds. On Feb. 27 the European Parliament votes to allow the UAE to join the Schengen Agreement, allowing their citizens visa-free travel in the EU. On Feb. 27 the U.S. rejects a request for a 100-day extension on the U.N.-backed deadline for destroying its chemical weapons, calling any further delays "unacceptable". On Feb. 27 a suicide attack at a busy restaurant near a security checkpoint at the entrance to Habar-Khadijo Intel Base in Mogadishu, Somalia kills 12. On Feb. 28 3,546 pages of documents are released by the Clinton Pres. Library, giving Hillary's political opponents mucho ammo. On Feb. 28 after the 2011 conviction of John Demjanjuk emboldens a new "grandchildren generation" of German prosecutors of ex-Nazis, the case against Auschwitz cook Hans Lipschis (1909-) is dismissed due to dementia, pissing-off prosecutor Ralf Dietrich, who created 3-D models of the camp to prove he could see what was going on from his kitchen window. On Feb. 28 the Ahmadiyya Muslim Caucus representing 15K-20K Ahmadis living in the U.S. is officially unveiled. In Feb. during a drought in Calif., U.S. rep. (R-Calif.) (2013-) Devin Gerald Nunes (1973-) pooh-poohs any connection with global warming, uttering the soundbyte: "Global warming is nonsense", becoming one of the top climate skeptics in Congress; in Aug.-Sept. 2018 after a series of wildfires in Calif., he pub. a series of official podcasts funded by his campaign featuring classicist historian Bruce S. Thornton (1953-), who says that he isn't sure if global warming exists, mocking "the hysteria over this imagined two degrees centigrade warming that is going to make the oceans rise", and blaming the wildfires in Calif. on "the environmental movement, Earth Day, federal laws, species protection, etc." In Feb. after receiving help from Tex. Muslim Asher Abid Khan and Australian Muslim Mohamed Zuhbi, Tex. Muslim Abdullah Ali (-2014) AKA SRG flies from Houston, Tex. to Syria via London and Turkey to fight for ISIS before being KIA by the end of the year. In Feb. U.S. unemployment rises to 6.7% as 175K new jobs are added. On Mar. 1 (1:00 a.m.) the Ukrainian ministry of defense announces a Russian military attack on Ukrainian military installations, along with the receipt of an ultimatum to surrender by 2:00 a.m.; at 2:00 a.m. the military airfield at Kirovske is captured; on Mar. 1 pres. Vladimir Putin asks and receives approval from the Duma to send troops into the Crimea, causing the U.S. to call it a "violation of international law" that will lead to "greater political and economic isolation"; on Mar. 1 10 Ukrainian Black Sea Fleet ships leave the naval base in Sevastopol and head to Odessa; on Mar. 2 the White House announces a $1B loan guarantee package to bolster the Ukrainian govt., along with technical support; on Mar. 4 U.S. secy. of state John Kerry visits Kiev, while Putin orders tens of thousands of Russian troops participating in military exercises near the Ukrainian border to return to their bases, and troops loyal to Moscow fire warning shots against Ukrainian soldiers in the Crimea; meanwhile the U.S. sends warships to the Crimea, and hundreds of NATO troops land in W Ukraine, while former Ukrainian PM Yulia Tymoshenko appeals to the West to intervene. On Mar. 1 the Pakistani Taliban announces a 1 mo. ceasefire with the Pakistani govt. On Mar. 1 (9:20 p.m.) "China's 9/11" sees a gang of 10 black-dressed knife-wielding Uighur Muslims at Kunming Railway Station in Yunnan Province, China kill 29 ethnic Chinese and injure 130, causing officials to call it an attempt at jihad. On Mar. 1 (night) two Boko Haram explosions in a crowded marketplace in Kawuri, Maiduguri, Nigeria kill 51, incl. several children watching a soccer match; in the evening more gunmen hit the nearby village of Mainok, burning houses and killing 51+. On Mar. 1 (night) an Islamist car bomb prematurely explodes in Logar Province, Aghanistan, killing nine Islamists and four civilians. On Mar. 2 Spanish journalist Marc Marginedas is freed after being kidnapped in Syria in early Sept. On Mar. 2 knife-wielding Muslim Uighur jihadists at a railway station in Kunming, China kill 29 and injure 130 before four are shot dead and one arrested. On Mar. 2 Pres. Obama gives an interview to Jeffrey Goldberg of Bloomberg View, with the soundbyte: "If you see no peace deal and continued aggressive settlement construction. If Palestinians come to believe that the possibility of a contiguous sovereign Palestinian state is no longer within reach, then our ability to manage the international fallout is going to be limited"; Goldberg later paraphrases Obama as saying "Israel is going more isolated and we can't defend it in the same way", saying: "I took it to be a little bit of a veiled threat... It's almost up there with, you know, nice little Jewish state you got there, I'd hate to see something happen to it. It was, look, I want to help you, but you're not helping me help you, and, therefore, there's only so much political capital I'm going to spend in the U.N., with the EU, with the Arab League, on your behalf. I think it was all couched very carefully but it's there and certainly the government in Israel feels like it's there." On Mar. 2 the 86th Academy Awards, presented at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Calif., hosted by Ellen DeGeneres (first time 2007) awards the best picture Oscar for 2013 to 12 Years a Slave, which also wins for best adapted screenplay; "Possibility No. 1, '12 Years a Slave' gets Best Picture. Possibility No. 2, you're all racists" (Ellen); Alfonso Cuaron (first Latino) wins best dir. for Gravity, which wins a total of seven awards; Matthew McConaughey wins best actor for Dallas Buyers Club; Cate Blanchett wins best actress for Blue Jasmine; Jared Leto wins best supporting actor for Dallas Buyers Club; Lupita Nyong'o wins best supporting actress for 12 Years a Slave; Spike Jonze wins best original screenplay for Her; Frozen wins best animated feature, and Let It Go by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez from Frozen wins best original song; American Hustle loses all 10 nominations; Ellen tweets a selfie that becomes the most retweeted message in Twitter.com history, overloading the site for a short time, with the caption: "If only Bradley's arm was longer. Best photo ever." On Mar. 3 Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu meets with Pres. Obama in the White House, telling him that stopping Iran from getting nukes is the "greatest challenge" facing their two countries. On Mar. 3 new Islamist group Ahrar-ul-Hind stages a suicide attack at a courthouse in Islamabad, Pakistan, killing a judge and 10 others. On Mar. 3 Emirati police officer Tariq Al Shehi and two Bahraini policeman are killed by a homemade bomb in Daih, Bahrain; on Mar. 5 two children are injured while trying to plant another bomb in the same village. On Mar. 3 (eve.) the Israeli air force attacks a terror cell in Gaza, killing two and injuring two. On Mar. 3 a Gallup Poll reveals 72% of Americans have a favorable opinion of Israel, vs. only 19% for the Palestian Authority, highest in 23 years since the 1991 Gulf War (79%). On Mar. 4 an ISIS suicide squad in Iraqi military uniforms attacks a govt. complex in Samarra, Iraq, killing four policemen and three civilians, and injuring 47. On Mar. 4 Pres. Obama proposes a $3.901T budget that seeks $651B in new revenue from the wealthy, incorporates Warren Buffet's tax code rule, expands social programs and cuts the military size and pay. On Mar. 5 (early a.m.) the Israeli navy raids ship KLOS C in the Red Sea and seizes dozens of advanced Syrian-made M-302 rockets from Iran destined for Gaza. On Mar. 5 Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Bahrain withdraw their ambassadors from Qatar for supporting the Muslim Brotherhood, signalling a rift in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) (founded 1981); on Mar. 6 Egypt does ditto. On Mar. 5 U.S. drones kill four militants in Khalka, Al Jawf, N Yemen, incl. al-Qaida cmdr. Ali Saleh Juraym Al Olyan. On Mar. 5 a PKK IED kills Turkish soldier Sgt. Musay Somay near Orasu, Turkey near the Iraqi border. On Mar. 5 the U.S. Senate by 52-47 (incl. seven Dems.) rejects Debo P. Adegbile as head of the Justice Dept.'s civil rights div. for his past defense of a cop-killer et al. On Mar. 5 ex-U.S. secy. of state Hillary Clinton compares Russian pres. Vladimir Putin's aggression in Ukraine to Adolf Hitler, giving conservative critics a field day. On Mar. 6 the Crimean Parliament announces a referendum on Mar. 16 on whether to break away from Ukraine and rejoin Russia. On Mar. 6 al-Qaida militants execute a suspected U.S. spy in Shahr, Yemen, then crucify his body on some soccer goalposts. On Mar. 6 the Dalai Lama opens a session of the U.S. Senate with a prayer to "Buddha and all other gods". On Mar. 6 Leah McGrath of Newsweek pub. an article revealing the identity of the mysterious creator of Bitcoin as 64-y.-o. Japanese-Am. Satoshi Nakamoto (1949-); meanwhile Bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox, founded by Mark Karpeles files for bankruptcy. On Mar. 7 Saudi Arabia officially designates the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group. On Mar. 7 the first Nat. Summit to Reassess the U.S.-Israel Special Relationship is held by the Nat. Press Club in Washington, D.C. On Mar. 8 Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 (Boeing 777) vanishes 1 hour after takeoff from Kuala Lumpur en route to Beijing, carrying 239, then can't be located until ?, causing conspiracy theorists to have a field day; devout Muslim pilot Capt. Zaharie Ahmad Shah (1960-) was a fanatical supporter of Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, whose trial and 5-year jail term he witnessed hours before takeoff; residents of Kudahuvadhoo Island in the Maldives reporting seeing a low-flying jumbo jet four hours after the plane vanishes from radar. On Mar. 8 Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi utters declares a "red line" on North Korea, saying that China will not permit chaos or war on the Korean Peninsula, and that peace can only come through denuclearization. On Mar. 8 two dozen Iraqi women protest in Baghdad, Iraq against a draft law that would permit the marriage of 9-y.-o. girls a la Muhammad and give custody to their fathers. On Mar. 9 a suicide minibus at a crowded security checkpoint in the Shiite town of Hillah, Iraq kills 42 and injures 57. On Mar. 9 (10:18 p.m. local time) a 6.8 earthquake hits 52 mi. W of Eureka, Calif. causing little damage. On Mar. 9 (midnight) after Qatar agrees to pay $16M ransom and release 150 female Syrian prisoners, the 13 kidnapped Syrian Maaloula Nuns are freed. On Mar. 10 Ukrainian MP Pavlo Rizanenko warns that if the U.S. et al. refuse to enforce a security pact obligating them to reverse the Russian takeover of the Crimea, Ukraine may go nuclear again. On Mar. 10 after he attacks them with a metal pole and shouts "Allahu Akbar", Israeli border guards fatally shoot Jordanian judge Raed al-Zaytar (b. 1975), shaking ties between the two countries. On Mar. 10 (night) a U.S. drone strike in Marib Province, Yemen (E of Sana'a) kills four al-Qaida cmdrs. and fighters. On Mar. 11 an ISIS suicide bombing in Qamishli, Syria, unofficial capital of the Kurdish regions kills nine civilians. On Mar. 11 Ansar Jerusalem (Ansar Bayt al Maqdis) founder Abu Abdullah (Tawfiq Mohammed Freij) is killed along with Mohamed al Sayed Mansour al Toukhi by Egyptian authortities in Ain Shams, Cairo. On Mar. 12 (a.m.) after hijacking a SUV with a 4-y.-o. boy inside in Longmont, Colo., wanted man Ryan Stone (1985-) leads police in the Denver, Colo. area on a wild car chase before being apprehended as viewers watch on TV from a heli cam. On Mar. 12 the Israeli Knesset by 67-1-52 passes an Ultra-Orthodox Draft Law, no longer exempting the 8% of Israeli citizens who are ultra-Orthodox. On Mar. 12 tens of thousands mourn in Istanbul, Turkey for teenie Berkin Elvan, who was killed in summer street protests. On Mar. 12 Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), Fatah's al-Aqsa Martyr Brigades et al. launch 130 rockets from Gaza into S Israel, with 64 landing in 24 hours causing retaliatory strikes by the Israelis; On Mar. 13 Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu slams PA Pres. Mahmoud Abbas for failing to condemn them; on Mar. 14 PIJ head Ramadan Abdullah Shallah announces that the attack was coordinated with Hamas, and that Egypt had contacted them offering to mediate; video released by the PIJ warns Israelis to "get out of our country" and not try invading Gaza. On Mar. 12 Bihkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan is declared the 2014 capital of Islamic culture. On Mar. 12 the U.S. Council of Muslim Orgs. (USCMO) is founded in Washington, D.C. as an umbrella org. by 10 Muslim-Am. groups incl. the Muslim Am. Society (MAS), Council on Am.-Islamic Relations (CAIR), and Am. Muslims for Palestine to give Muslims greater clout in U.S. politics; on June 10 it holds its inaugural banquet at the Hilton Hotel in Crystal City, Va. - but Islam is just a religion? On Mar. 12 Minyon Moore, former asst. of Hillary Clinton in her 2008 pres. campaign is accused of illegally channeling $600K into the campaign. On Mar. 13 U.S. secy. of state John Kerry utters the soundbyte to the House Foreign Affairs Committee that it's a "mistake" for Israel to demand recognition by the Palestinian Authority in order to achieve peace. On Mar. 13 New York rapper Le1f (Khalif Diouf) becomes the first openly gay rapper to perform on a late night TV show when he debuts on the Late Show with David Letterman. On Mar. 14 yet another jihad stabbing attack by a Uighur Muslim in Changsha, China kills six before police kill him. On Mar. 14 Sunni rebels in Syria release a video announcing the kidnapping of 94 women and children belong to Assad's Alwawite sect and demanding a swap for 2K prisoners. On Mar. 14 the U.S. Commerce Dept. announces that after pressure over reports about NSA surveillance, it's relinquishing its 2000 contract with the Internet Corp. for Assigned Names and Numbers in fall 2015. On Mar. 15 a Palestinian Arab driver runs over four Israeli border policemen near Beit Ummar in Gush Ezion, Israel. On Mar. 15 U.S. State Dept. spokesperson Jen Psaki tells Al-Quds that Palestinians don't have to recognize the Jewish state of Israel as a condition for peace negotiations; another spokesperson Mary Hart announces that the U.S. is in regular contact with the Muslim Brotherhood. On Mar. 16 (a.m.) N.J. teenie Justin Alexander Casquejo (1997-) sneaks into 1,776-ft.-tall Freedom Tower on top of the old WTC in New York City and works up to the antenna, roaming the top floor for two hours before being caught, exposing the lack of working surveillance cameras. On Mar. 16 the 2014 Crimean Status Referendum votes overwhelmingly in favor of seceding from Ukraine and annexing to Russia, pissing-off the U.S., which rejects the vote as illegal; on Mar. 21 Vladimir Putin formally annexes it; the Muslim Tatars don't waste time in demanding their own autonomous region in Crimea. On Mar. 16 after rumors of desecration of a Quran, a Muslim mob burns a Hindu temple and community center in Larkana, Pakistan. On Mar. 16 Vatican spokesman Monsignor Vittorio Formenti utters the soundbyte in L'Osservatore Romano: "Islam has now become the world's largest religion. For the first time in history, we are no longer at the top. Muslims have overtaken us." On Mar. 17 the U.S. House by 233-181 passes the ENFORCE Act, giving either chamber of Congress the authority to bring a civil action in U.S. district court alleging that the the "President, the head of any department or agency of the United States, or any other officer or employee of the United States" has failed to enforce the law pursuant to the Constitution. On Mar. 17 U.S. Navy SEALs seize stolen Libyan oil tanker Morning Glory carrying $38M (200K barrels) of oil from the rebel-held port of Sidra. On Mar. 17 Fulani Muslim herders attack three Christian villages in Kano, Nigeria, killing 100+ and burning hundreds of thatched-roof huts. On Mar. 17 ISIS begins sieging Kobani (Ain al-Arab), Syria opposite Suruc, Turkey, which is defended by Syrian Kurds as a critical link of their 3-canton autonomous region. On Mar. 17 2-y.-o. Mohammed al-Hamadin (b. 2011) dies from injuries sustained when a rocket explodes during assembly at his home in Gaza, killing his father and three other Hamas al-Qassam Brigades members. On Mar. 17 Mick Jagger's girlfriend L'Wren Scott is found dead in her Manhattan, N.Y. apt. of suicide. On Mar. 18 (dawn) a suicide bomber at a military intel HQ in Lahj Province, Yemen injures five soldiers and eight civilians. On Mar. 18 (a.m.) despite Muslim riots, right-wing Israeli housing minister Uri Ariel visits the Temple Mount in Jerusalem for Purim; meanwhile Israeli bulldozers take possession of the Har Homa (Jabal Abu Ghneim) hilltop in SE Jerusalem. On Mar. 18 a Taliban suicide bomber on a rickshaw outside a checkpoint near a market in Maymana, Faryab Province, Afghanistan kills 15 and injures 46. On Mar. 18 the U.S closes its embassy in Syria and orders diplomats out of the country. On Mar. 18 Russian soldiers kill their first Ukrainian soldier in Crimea shortly after Russian pres. Vladimir Putin officially asks his Parliament to accept Crimea into the Russian Federation; on Feb. 19 Russian troops storm and occupy Ukraine's naval HQ in Sevastopol. On Mar. 18 a roadside bomb hits an Israeli patrol at the Syrian border, injuring four, causing retaliatory airstrikes. On Mar. 18 North Korea test-fires 25 short-range rockets into the sea off the E coast, causing South Korea to urge them to stop the "provocative activities". On Mar. 18 83 U.S. senators sign a letter to Pres. Obama spelling out conditions for a final deal on Iran; a less restrictive letter is signed by 395 U.S. reps.; a clear V for Obama? On Mar. 19 Iran holds talks with six countries in Vienna, which EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton calls "substantive and useful". On Mar. 20 a Taliban suicide assault on a police HQ in Jalalabad, Nangarhar, Afghanistan kills 18 incl. 10 Afghan policemen, a district police chief, a student, and seven Taliban fighters. On Mar. 20 as dozens of wounded cross during heavy fighting, Syria closes its border with Lebanon. On Mar. 20 Pres. Obama delivers a statement on Ukraine, announcing a new round of economic sanctions on individuals in Russia incl. Vladimir Putin. On Mar. 20 after damaging tweets piss him off, Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erodagan bans Twitter in Turkey; too bad, it fails, as pres. Abdullah Gul nixes the idea on his own Twitter account. On Mar. 21 Taliban gunmen with minipistols in their socks storm the luxury Serena Hotel in Kabul, Afghanistan, killing nine incl. four foreigners and two children. On Mar. 21 gunmen ram an explosives-laden tanker into a police HQ in Sulaiman Pek, Iraq 100 mi. N of Baghdad, killing ?. On Mar. 21 Muslims massacre 80 Christians in the Armenian village of Kessab, Syria after being put up to it by Turkey? On Mar. 21 Pakistan announces a $1.5B "no strings" grant from Saudi Arabia, raising suspicions about a secret deal to provide weapons to Syrian rebels. On Mar. 21 the supreme court of Thailand annuls last month's gen. election, leaving the country in limbo. On Mar. 22 (early a.m.) Israeli forces in coordination with the Palestinian Authority storm the Jenin Refugee Camp, killing three and injuring 14. On Mar. 22 (10:37 a.m.) a major mudslide 4 mi. E of Oso, Snohomish County, Wash. kills 28 and injures 30 - that's why they call it Washington, a ton of mud will wash out your town? On Mar. 22 residents of Venice, Italy vote overwhelmingly (89%) to form a new independent repub. On Mar. 22 Glenna DeJong (53) and Marsha Caspar of Lansing become the first gay couple to marry in Mich. one day after the 2004 landslide ban was overturned by a federal judge. On Mar. 22 member of the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) execute a Christian man in Raqqa, Syria and leave his body crucified on public display with a sign reading: "This criminal's deed is that he killed and robbed a Muslim man." On Mar. 22 60+ Palestinian, Israeli, and other journalists working with media outlets in Israel receive threatening text messages on their Israeli mobile phones from the al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas. On Mar. 23 foreign ministry employees in Israel declare their first-ever strike, paralyzing the Israeli diplomatic system (until ?). On Mar. 23 hooded Muslim gunmen kill six Christian worshippers in a church service near Mombasa, Kenya, injuring 20+. On Mar. 23 150 Israeli Christians gather in front of the EU embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel to demand that the EU do more to help Middle East Christians, who are being snuffed out by Muslims. On Mar. 23 Nigerian state govs. meet in the White House with U.S. nat. security adviser Susan Rice, accusing Pres. Goodluck Jonathan of being in collusion with Boko Haram to perpetuate the conflict. On Mar. 24 Egypt sentences 529 Mohammed Morsi supporters to death out of 545 on trial for killing a single police officer, causing U.S. secy. of state John Kerry to issue the soundbyte that he is "deeply troubled", calling for the Egyptian govt. to "remedy the situation". On Mar. 24 after its illegal annexation of Crimea, Russia is suspended from the G8 Summit, which is moved from Sochi to Brussels, becoming the G7. On Mar. 24 the Armenian Christian town of Kassab, Syria 3 km. from the Turkish border is captured by Islamic fighters; on June 14-15 the Syrian army recaptures it, destroying all the Armenian Christian churches - when it comes to Christians all Muslims are on the same team? On Mar. 24 an earthquake swarm begins hitting C Idaho, with hundreds incl. a 4.9 one on Apr. 12, strongest in the state since 2005, followed by a 4.4 one on Apr. 14 in Challis. On Mar. 24 Towson U. students Ruffin and Korey Johnson become the first African-Am. women to win a U.S. nat. college debate tournament, the Cross Examination Debate Assoc. (CEDA) championships at Indiana U. On Mar. 25 Ukrainian defense minister Igor Tenyukh resigns as thousands of Ukrainian troops withdraw from Crimea under Russian orders; meanwhile far-right Ukrainian leader Oleksander Muzychko (AKA Sashko Billy) is shot dead by police in Rivne. On Mar. 25 the sunny-side-of-life Taliban stages three suicide attacks in Afghanistan incl. Kabul, Kunduz, and Kunar Province. On Mar. 26 federal agents arrest 28 defendants incl. Dem. lawmakers Calif. state sen. Leland Yin Yee (1948-), Charlotte, N.C. mayor Patrick Cannon, and N.Y. state assemblyman William Scarborough on bribery charges in connection with marijuana legislation and conspiracy to traffic in firearms from the Philippines; Yee was a well-known gun control advocate. On Mar. 26 (midnight) same-sex marriage becomes legal in the U.K. (England and Wales). On Mar. 26 Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, known for appearing with Osama bin Laden in a video on Sept. 12, 2001, and the June 2002 soundbyte: "Al Qaeda has the right to kill four million Americans, including one million children, displace double that figure, and injure and cripple hundreds and thousands" is convicted in New York City of terrorism charges. On Mar. 27 after seven sessions of the U.N. Security Council result in draft Resolution 204/189, sponsored by 42 countries, only to be vetoed by Russia, the non-binding U.N. Gen. Assembly Resolution 58/262 is adopted by 100-11-58, titled "Territorial Integrity of Ukraine", affirming commitment to the territorial integrity of Ukraine and rejecting the 2014 Crimean Status Referendum. On Mar. 27 Taliban fighters storm a guest house used by ? in Kabul, Afghanistan, taking four (incl. three U.S. citizens) hostage before four insurgents blow themselves up and one is killed by security forces. On Mar. 27 al-Qaida-linked Sunni ISIS militants bomb the Shiite Shrine of Ammar bin Yasser and Owais al-Qarni in Raqqa, Syria, raising Sunni-Shiite tensions. On Mar. 27 Saudi King Abdullah appoints ex-intel chief Prince Muqrin as deputy crown prince, putting him in line for the throne after Prince Salman. On Mar. 28 clashes between police and Morsi supporters in Ein Shams, Cairo, Egypt kills four and injures dozens; Egyptian journalist Mayada Ashraf is shot in the head by a sniper. On Mar. 28 Pres. Obama visits Saudi Arabia for talks over their fears about what he's doing with Iran, Syria et al.; too bad, he fails to discuss human or women's rights with Da King; on Mar. 29 (a.m.) he ends his trip by presenting an Internat. Women of Courage award to Dr. Maha Al-Muneef, dir. of the Nat. Family Safety Program. On Mar. 28 ex-Norwegian PM Jens Stoltenberg is chosen as new NATO secy.-gen., to succeed Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Oct. 1. On Mar. 28 Pope Francis issues a call to the Church to "intensify" its dialogue with Islam. On Mar. 28 Muslims returning from mosque prayers attack the Virgin and Archangel Michael Coptic Church in Ein Shams (near Cairo), Egypt, killing five Christians. On Mar. 29 Libyan state TV airs a video of Madman Daffy's son Saadi Gaddafi apologizing to the nation from prison "for the disturbance and destabilization I have caused". On Mar. 29 7+ terrorists are killed while making IEDs in a mosque in E Ghazni Province, Afghanistan. On Mar. 29 Israel balks at releasing the last of four bathces of Palestinian prisoners, causing U.S. secy. of state John Kerry to rush to Israel on Mar. 31 to "salvage" the peace process. On Mar. 30 Muslim gunmen in Benue, Nigeria kill 19 and kidnap 15. On Mar. 30 Chadian troops escorting a convoy of Muslims back to Chad fire on Christian civilians in Bangui, Central African Repub., killing 10+ and injuring dozens. On Mar. 30 municipal elections in France give a big V to the anti-Muslim-immigration Nat. Front Party of Marine Le Pen over the ruling Socialist Party of Francois Hollande, which holds Paris with first-ever female mayor Anne Hidalgo (1959-); Socialist French PM Jean-Marc Ayrault resigns, and on Apr. 1 Socialist Manuel Valls (1962-) becomes French PM (until ?); many Muslims vote for the NFP because of their stand against homosexual marriage. On Mar. 30 local elections in Turkey are a V for PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Islamist agenda, with 44% of the popular vote. On Mar. 31 an attempted jailbreak in Nigeria kills 21. On Mar. 31 North and South Korea exchange artillery fire into each other's waters. In Mar. the U.S. unemployment rate remains at 6.7%, with the economy adding 192K jobs. In Mar. a group of 27 Palestinian college students led by Mohammed S. Dajani visits Auschwitz Concentration Camp, stirring up a firestorm of controversy. In Mar. China wins a $2B contract to build the Red-Med, a 300km freight railway between Eilat on the Red Sea and the Mediterranean port of Ashdod; on June 19 they win another $1B contract to build a new Israeli port on the Mediterranean. In the spring the Bureau of Economic Analysis introduces the Gross Output (GO) measure of economic production, the first new economic aggregate since the GDP was introduced by Simon Kuznets in 1934. On Apr. 1 an 8.2 earthquake off the coast of Chile creates a tsunami, and kills six; 300 women inmates escape in the chaos. On Apr. 1 after rumors of a blasphemous comment about Muhammad, angry Muslims burn two Christian churches in Katsina, Nigeria; meanwhile Muslim suicide bombers at a Nigeria Nat. Petroleum Corp. facility in Mule, Nigeria kill 15 civilians. On Apr. 1 protester Eric Brazau is sentenced to 9 mo. in jail by Ontario judge S. Ford Clements for distributing flyers criticizing Islam, plus shouting "in a tone of voice that suggested he was very angry and had little interest in debate", causing a firestorm of controversy about Canada kowtowing to Sharia; fellow protesters dressed in a burqa et al. are not prosecuted?; one had a sign saying "Expose jihad with free speech or die". On Apr. 1 Pres. Obama gives his Pope Francis-blessed rosary to House minority leader Nancy Pelosi one week after she is honored with the Margaret Sanger Award for her support for abortion; Obama carries another rosary in his pocket along with a lucky metal poker chip - proving he's no Muslim? On Apr. 1 (night) Palestinian Authority Pres. Mahmoud Abbas pulls an April Fool's Surprise on the U.S. and Israel by taking steps to join 15 U.N. agencies in violation of their July 2013 agreement to refrain from unilateral moves in an end-around run for statehood, causing U.S. secy. of state John Kerry to cancel an Apr. 2 trip to extend negotiations through 2015 after the U.S. releases spy Jonathan Pollard and Israel frees hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and slows down Jewish settlement construction in the West Bank; meanwhile on Apr. 3 Israel announces that it's sanctioning the Palestinian Authority, suspending high-level contacts et al. On Apr. 2 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 5-4 in McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission that the First Amendment invalidates aggregate contribution limits to nat. party and federal candidate committees; Justice Clarence Thomas decries all contribution limits. On Apr. 2 non-Muslim soldier Ivan Lopez (Iraq vet) opens fire at Ft. Hood, killing three and injuring several before committing suicide; meanwhile self-professed Muslim jihadist John Thomas Booker (1994-) of Topeka, Kan., who enlisted in the U.S. Army in Feb. and was scheduled to report for basic training on Apr. 7 is interviewed by the FBI and discharged on Mar. 28. On Apr. 2 NATO secy.-gen. Anders Fogh Rasmussen utters the soundbyte that further Russian intervention in Ukraine would be a "historic mistake" that would further its internat. isolation. On Apr. 2 buried bombs near Cairo U. in Egypt kill a brig. gen. and injure five others; the new jihadist group Ajnad Misr (Soldiers of Egypt) claims responsibility. On Apr. 2 an al-Qaida suicide assault on an army HQ in Aden, Yemen. On Apr. 2 former U.S. pres. Bill Clinton appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live, claiming that as pres. he had aides look into Area 51 to see if there were E.T.'s there, not finding any, but that he wouldn't be surprised if we were visited by them one day. On Apr. 2 during March Madness UMass guard Derrick Gordon comes out, becoming the first openly gay male athlete in NCAA Div. 1 basketball. On Apr. 3 Brendan Eich (1961-), creator of JavaScript steps down as CEO of Mozilla after online dating service OKCupid urges a boycott because he donated $1K to support Proposition 8 in 2008 that opposed the legalization of same-sex marriage in Calif., which passed by a slim majority after pres. candidate Barack Obama came out in support. On Apr. 3 the EU passes a Resolution on EU Strategy Towards Iran, proposing the opening of a delegation in Tehran, economic and academic cooperation, and political cooperation vis a vis the Syrian civil war and Afghanistan, with possible lifting of nuclear-related sanctions after a final agreement on the nuclear issue. On Apr. 4 a Taliban suicide bomber in Gelan, Ghazni, Afghanistan kills 15 of his own commanders and injures nine in an attempt to keep them from disrupting the upcoming elections. On Apr. 4 Tunisian caretaker PM Mehdi Jomaa becomes the first Tunisian leader to visit the White House since Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 1990, securing a $500M loan guarantee. On Apr. 4 Allah-Akbar-screaming Afghan policeman Naqibullah murders AP photographer Anja Niedringhaus (b. 1965) in E Afghanistan, and injures AP correspondent Kathy Gannon. On Apr. 4 the U.S. Inspector Gen. issues a report claiming that the State Dept. under Hillary Clinton misplaced or lost $6B due to improper filing of contracts over the past six years. On Apr. 4 after giving them a safe haven from the Egyptian govt. with a HQ in London, British PM David Cameron orders British security services to look into the Muslim Brotherhood incl. planned terrorist attacks in Britain, causing them to move their HQ to Ahnuldtown Graz, Austria; not really, it was just a rumor? On Apr. 5 pres. elections in Afghanistan. On Apr. 5 after an Egyptian man sexually assaults a woman, a family feud is triggered in Aswan, Egypt, killing 23 until the military intervenes. On Apr. 6 Muslim insurgents launch a wave of attacks in Yala, Tahiland, killing one and injuring 24. On Apr. 6 an explosion in Homs, Syria kills 50+ rebel fighters incl. dozens of senior officers. On Apr. 6 former Fla. Repub. gov. Jeb Bush utters the soundbyte that many who come illegally to the U.S. do so out of an "act of love" for their families, and should be treated differently than those who don't; on Apr. 13 fellow Repub. Rand Paul calls him "inarticulate", saying that those immigrants "are not bad people" but that the U.S. "can't invite the whole world" to move on in. On Apr. 7 famed activist Dutch Jesuit priest Francis Van Der Lugt (1938-) is assassinated in Homs, Syria after being kidnapped and beaten. On Apr. 7 the U.S. Senate unanimously votes to bar new Iranian U.N. ambassador Hamid Aboutalebi from entering the U.S. because of his involvement in the 1979 hostage-taking affair. On Apr. 7 U.S. defense secy. Chuck Hagel visits China's first aircraft carrier; on Apr. 8 Chinese Gen. Chang Wanquan utters the soundbyte about the Chinese military: "With the latest developments in China, it can never be contained." On Apr. 7-9 more talks between Iran and the six world powers in Vienna. On Apr. 8 Pres. Obama attempts to force equal pay for women by issuing two executive orders forcing federal contractors to report what their employees earn broken down by race and sex; on Apr. 9 the Senate blocks the Paycheck Fairness Act, aimed at narrowing the gender pay gap. On Apr. 8 an al-Qaida attack at a military checkpoint in E Hadramout Province, Yemen kills four Yemeni soldiers. On Apr. 8 a bomb on a train in Baluchistan Province, Pakistan kills 13 and injures 40; the United Baluch Army (UBA) claims responsibility. On Apr. 8 Jordanian King Abdullah II arrives in Vienna, Austria to hold talks with pres. Heinz Fischer one week after a visit by Shimon Peres. On Apr. 8 Germany bans the Orphan Children Project Lebanon as a front for Hezbollah. On Apr. 8 famed investigative reporter Seymour Hersh announces that high-level U.S. sources told him that it wasn't Assad but the Turkish govt. that carried out the chemical weapons attacks in Syria, and that the U.S. has been sending Libya's spare weapons to the Syria rebels through Turkey. On Apr. 9 1-y.-o. British Prince George of Cambridge goes on his first royal tour, 19 days in Australia and New Zealand. On Apr. 9 legislative elections in Indonesia see the vote for Islamic parties to rise from 29% in 2009 to 32%. On Apr. 10 Boko Haram jihadists attack three towns in Borno, Nigeria, killing eight schoolteachers in a teacher training college, and 60+ in another village. On Apr. 10 HHS secy. Kathleen Sebelius resigns over the Obamascare, er, Obamacare rollout scandal, and is succeeded by OMB dir. Sylvia Matthews Burwell (until ?). On Apr. 10 Israel launches the Ofek 10 spy satellite to monitor Iran's nuclear activities. On Apr. 10 the U.N. Security Council unanimously votes for Resolution 2149, approving a 12K-man peacekeeping force for Central African Repub. (CAR). On Apr. 10 after lobbying by Muslim convert prof. Joseph E.B. Lumbard, world-famous feminist atheist ex-Muslim crusader Ayaan Hirsi Ali (1969-) has an offer of an honorary degree withdrawn by Brandeis U., stinking it up. On Apr. 10 protester Alison Ernst (1977-) of Phoenix, Ariz. throws a shoe at Hillary Clinton during a keynote speech for the Inst. of Scrap Recycling Industries at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas, Nev., who utters the soundbyte: "My goodness, I didn't know that solid waste management was so controversial. Thank goodness she didn't play softball like I did"; Ernst is charged with two federal counts, facing two years in federal prison - convicted of throwing like a girl? On Apr. 11 a ship carrying weapons for al-Qaida successfuly docks and unloads in Aden, Yemen. On Apr. 12 less than a week with being charged with forming a new cabinet, and just weeks after his predecessor was ousted by parliament for being unable to stop rising lawlessness, Libyan interior minister Abdullah al-Thani and his family are targeetd in an armed attack, causing him to resign on Apr. 13. On Apr. 12 a Russian fighter jet repeatedly buzzes destroyer USS Donald Cook in the Black Sea for 90+ min. On Apr. 12 new U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Samantha Power utters the soundbyte that the "systematic targeting" of the Muslim pop. in Central African Repub. (CAR) is "heatbreaking"; she doesn't forget to mention "retaliatory attacks against Christians", as if the Christians started it and the Muslims are the good guys? On Apr. 12-13 Boko Haram outdoes itself with the slaughter of 200+ students on the way to take state-sponsored exams. On Apr. 13 former KKK Grand Dragon Frazier Glenn Miller (1940-) kills a man and his grandson at a Jewish community center near Kansas City, Kan., then kills a woman at a nearby Jewish assisted living facility, yelling "Heil Hitler" while being arrested; too bad, while he thought he was killing Jews, they were all Christians. On Apr. 13 actress Roseanne Barr tweets the soundbyte: "If Israel doesn't nuke Iran, then nothing makes sense anymore." On Apr. 14 Muslims blow up the Nyanya Motor Park bus station in Abuja, Nigeria, killing 88 and injuring 200. On Apr. 14 after the number of schools investigated in Operation Trojan Horse (Muslim subversion) in Birmingham, England increases to 25, the Bradford Council sacks all of the governors at Laisterdyke Business and Enterprise College; on Apr. 20 British PM David Cameron utters the soundbyte that Britain "is a Christian country", and on Apr. 21 former home secy. Jack Straw utters the soundbyte that Muslims must accept that Christianity "permeates our sense of citizenship"; on May 4 David Cameron pledges to wipe out extremism and Islam from U.K. schools; too bad, Cameron "defenestrates" education secy. Michael Gove, whom Damian Thompson, assoc. ed. of The Spectator calls "the only minister who understands Islamism". On Apr. 14 a Passover ceremony is held in Kaifeng, China, attended by 100 of the city's 500-1K Jews. On Apr. 15 (7:30 a.m.) a missile hits an Armenian Catholic school in Bab Tuma, Damascus, Syria, killing one child and injuring 61. On Apr. 15 Ukrainian troops sent in to Kramatorsk in E Ukraine to take control from pro-Putin militiamen trade gunfire. On Apr. 15 the Chibok Schoolgirls Kidnapping sees 276 female students in Chibok, Borno, Nigeria kidnapped by Boko Haram for sexual fun and games, causing an internat. outcry, but of course it has nothing to do with Islam?; they are finally released on ?. On Apr. 15 India's supreme court issues a landmark ruling recognizing transgender rights as human rights, giving them the right to identify themselves as a third gender on official documents. On Apr. 15 the Washington Times reports that secret U.S. State Dept. assessments show that the Afghan govt. is woefully unprepared to govern after the U.S. withdraws its troops, and is in danger of collapsing. On Apr. 16 (9:00 a.m.) the MV Sewol Ferry en route from Incheon to Jeju Island in South Korea capsizes, killing 304 of 476 aboard, mostly h.s. students from Ansan; on Apr. 21 South Korean pres. Park Geun-hye utters the soundbyte that some crew members committed "unforgivable, murderous acts"; on Nov. 10 the captain is sentenced to 36 years. On Apr. 16 Israeli police storm the Temple Mount in Jerusalem to disperse a protest by Palestinian Muslims, injuring 30+. On Apr. 16 Muslim religious scholars in Karachi, Pakistan issue an edict declaring that terrorism and violence in the name of Islam is haram. On Apr. 17 corrupt Algerian pres. Abdelaziz Bouteflika runs for a 4th term. On Apr. 17 Pres. Obama announces that 8M have signed up for Obamacare, with 28% of them in the 18-34 age bracket. On Apr. 18 a car bomb outside a mosque in Homs, Syria kills 14+. On Apr. 18 Syrian fighter jets strike a rebel refugee camp in Quneitra on the Golan Heights near the Israeli border, causing Israeli jets to be scrambled. On Apr. 18 Am. Muslim Mohammed Whitaker is charged in Kansas City, Mo. with 18 felony counts of highway sniper shootings in nine separate incidents - Safari USA? On Apr. 18 senators and govs. of nine Western states hold their first summit in Salt Lake City, Utah to win control over the federal land within their borders. On Apr. 18 the CIA announces that it will pay the Red Hot Chili Peppers band $200K for illegally using their music to torture Gitmo prisoners. On Apr. 19 a rush-hour jihad bomb at a bus station in Abuja, Nigeria kills 75+ and injures 141. On Apr. 19 a U.S. drone strike in Baydah Province, Yemen kills 16 AQAP fighters and five civilians. On Apr. 19-20 the annual 420 Denver Weed Rally in the Denver, Colo. Civic Center celebrates state marijuana legalization and protests remaining restrictions. On Apr. 20 (early a.m.) Boko Haram gunmen attack the Govt. Girls Secondary School in Yana, Nigeria, firing buildings and killing a 5-y.-o. girl. On Apr. 20 an avalanche on Mt. Everest kills 12 Sherpa guides and injures three, becoming the deadliest single accident (until ?). On Apr. 20 Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau releases a video bragging about the Abuja bombing and telling Pres. Obama and Ban ki-Moon to go "to hell". On Apr. 20 Palestinian pres. Mahmoud Abbas utters the soundbyte that the Holocaust was the "single greatest tragedy in modern-day history" during a meeting with U.S. Rabbi Marc Schneier in Ramallah; too bad, he really means that it was a crime by Zionist Jews against Euro Jews? On Apr. 21 a U.S. drone strike in Shabwa Province, Yemen kills three suspected al-Qaida militants; more strikes over 24 hours kill 50+ of the buggers. On Apr. 21 the U.S. conducts a spy flight over Russia - stop questioning me? On Apr. 21 Julia Collins (1983-), "the Giant of Jeopardy" begins appearing on Jeopardy, becoming the highest-winning woman, winning 20 shows and $428,100 until losing on June 2, turning her into a women's lib icon. On Apr. 22 a group of Jewish children and their founders are assaulted by mad Muslims as they ascend the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. On Apr. 22 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 6-2 in Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action that voters in Mich. have the right to ban race-based preferences in college admissions, upholding the 2006 Mich. Civil Rights Initiative. On Apr. 23 600 U.S. Army paratroopers arrive in Poland to support as a chess move against Russia's aggression in Ukraine. On Apr. 23 Palestinian orgs. Hamas and Fatah sign the Palestinian Nat. Reconciliation Agreement, forming a nat. unity govt. within five weeks, causing Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu to utter the soundbyte: "Whoever chooses Hamas does not want peace"; on Apr. 24 the Israeli govt. unanimously votes to impose economic sanctions on the Palestinian Authority, and suspends negotiations after 9 mo. of talks brokered by U.S. secy. of state John Kerry, causing chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat to utter the soundbyte: "The Palestinian leadership will look into all options"; too bad, Hamas won't give up its military wing; on Apr. 30 the hardcore Islamic Jihad predicts that the reconciliation will fail; on Nov. 30 Hamas announces that the unity govt. with Fatah has collapsed. On Apr. 23 after U.S. U.N. ambassador Samantha Power fails to object, Iran is reelected to the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) despite its dismal record on women's rights. On Apr. 23 Hamas agrees to pay $60M to families of people killed in the 2006 Gaza Coup. On Apr. 23 Maher Abdul-Hafiz Hajjar becomes the first candidate to register for the Syrian pres. election. On Apr. 23 Luxemburg Income Study (LIS) pub. new data showing that Canada's middle class has passed up the U.S. middle class as the world's most affluent - I've discovered that you have to work twice as hard when it's honest? On Apr. 23 former British PM Tony Blair delivers a speech at Bloomberg's HQ in London, complaining about Western complacency on Islamic extremism, with the soundbyte: "The Middle East matters. What is presently happening there still represents the biggest threat to global security of the early 21st century... At the root of the crisis lies a radicalised and politicised view of Islam, an ideology that distorts and warps Islam's true message... It is not Islam itself that gives rise to this ideology. It is an interpretation of Islam, actually a perversion of it which many Muslims abhor. There used to be such interpretations of Christianity which took us years to eradicate from our mainstream politics..." - sorry but political Islam is set in concrete in the Quran, and can't be bleached out? On Apr. 24 a Muslim police officer murders three Am. Christians in a hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan, incl. humanitarian pediatrician Dr. Jerry Umanos, a father and a son. On Apr. 24 the White House announces the hiring of two Muslim chaplains for active U.S. military service, Sgt. Mustapha Rahouchen of the U.S. Army and Capt. Rafael Lantiqua of the USAF. On Apr. 24 Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erodogan issues a surprise condolence message to descendants of the 1915 Armenian Genocide, without using the G word. On Apr. 24 U.S. Repub. senators incl. senate minority leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) write a letter to Pres. Obama dissing him for threatening the "entire constitutional system" with his immigration "enforcement review" that threatens to "nullify" U.S. immigration laws. On Apr. 24 Latvian foreign affairs minister Edgars Rinkevics visits Tehran, Iran, indicating an EU desire to overlook Iran's nuclear program. On Apr. 24 Vt. becomes the first state to pass a law requiring the labeling of GMO foods. On Apr. 25 heavily polluted China passes sweeping new environmental protection laws, becoming the first since 1989. On Apr. 25 explosions at a Shiite election rally for the Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq Party in Baghdad, Iraq kill 31. On Apr. 25 an explosion at a fishing competition in Saiburi District, Thailand kills three policemen and injures 17 others. On Apr. 25 the Deputies Committee of senior U.S. policy officials meets in Washington, D.C. to discuss the deteriorating situation in Iraq; meanwhile the U.S. quietly expands the number of intel officers in Iraq - it's safe to dance? On Apr. 26 a British Army heli crash near Kandahar, Afghanistan kills five U.S.-led troops; on Apr. 27 the Taliban claim to shoot down a USAF AC-130 gunship in Logar Province, Afghanistan. On Apr. 26 Sharia Watch UK is launched at the British House of Lords to campaign for the recognition of the danger of Sharia esp. to women's rights; meanwhile Liberty GB Party leader Paul Weston is arrested on the steps of Winchester Guildhall for quoting excepts from Winston Churchill's book "The River War" slamming Islam as barbaric; after an internat. outcry charges are dropped on June 11 - how low can once-proud Britain sink to appease Islam? On Apr. 26-27 Pres. Obama becomes the first U.S. pres. since LBJ in 1966 to visit Malaysia, praising its "moderate brand of Islam" and visiting the Malaysian Nat. Mosque on Apr. 27, replying from a request from the imam Ismail Muhammad to end oppression against Muslims worldwide with "Pray for me"- cause I'm a liar? On Apr. 27 Popes John XXIII and John Paul II are canonized at the Vatican in the first-ever double sainthood ceremony attended by two living popes. On Apr. 27 tornadoes kill 16 in Ark. and one in Okla. On Apr. 28 (11:20 a.m.) a bomb inside a mosque in Karachi, Pakistan kills four seminary children and injures 16 others. On Apr. 28 (11:30 a.m.) after leaflets are distributed calling for all Jews to register a la the Nazi era, and ultranationalists clash with anti-govt. protesters on Apr. 27, injuring 14, Gennady Kernes, Jewish mayor of Kharkiv, E Ukraine is shot in the back by unidentified gunmen. On Apr. 28 the U.S. and the Philippines sign the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), permitting U.S. forces to operate on Philippine military bases and hold joint training. On Apr. 28 an Egyptian court sentences to death Muslim Brotherhood guide Mohamed Badie and 682 others, reducing the sentences of the 529 Mar. defendants to life in prison, upholding only 37 death penalties. On Apr. 28 the White House imposes a new round of target sanctions against Russian pres. Vladimir Putin's cronies and 17 cos. over its aggression in Ukraine. On Apr. 28 al-Qaida head Ayman al-Zawahiri issues a tape calling on his followers to kidnap Westerners, esp. Americans to exchange them for jailed jihadists incl. Blind Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman. On Apr. 28 militant strikes on polling stations et al. in Iraq kill 46. On Apr. 29 a car bomb in an Alawite neighborhood of Homs, Syria kills 36 and injures 85. On Apr. 29 a car bomb near a special forces barracks in Benghazi, Libya kills two and injures two. On Apr. 29 the deadline for Israeli-Palestinian talks is reached, and nada happens. On Apr. 30 a Muslim bomb-knife attack at a train station in Urumqi, Xinjiang, China kills three and injures 79. On Apr. 30 Afghan and Coalition forces beat back an assault by 300 Haqqani Network fighters in Paktika, Afghanistan. On Apr. 30 Robert George of the U.S. Commission on Internat. Freedom announces that the U.S. State Dept. should double the number of countries blacklisted for violating religious freedom, starting with Pakistan. On Apr. 30 the U.S. unemployment rate drops to 6.3%, adding 288K jobs; a record 92,594K Americans (62.8%) are not in the labor force, lowest percentage in 36 years; a record 55,116K women are not in the labor force. In Apr. the Flint, Mich. Water Contamination Crisis sees the city change its water supply from treated Detroit water coming from Lake Huron and the Detroit River to the stinkin' Flint River, contaminating it with lead and causing serious corrosion and health problems affected 6K-12K children, possible causing an outbreak of Legionnaires' Disease; on Jan. 5, 2016 Mich. Gov. Rick Snyder declares the city to be in a state of emergency, sending $28M for a fix; it is finally fixed in ?. In Apr. Apr. 2019 Joe Biden's atty. son Robert Hunter Biden (1970-) serves on the board of Ukrainian natural gas producer Burisma Holdings, with a salary of up to $50K/mo. despite no experience, with Burisma paying a $7M bribe to local prosecutors in May-Dec. 2014 top block corruption investigations, causing vice-pres. Joe Biden, who was put in charge of U.S. policy towards Ukraine waving away all the rumors of conflict of interest and corruption, going on to pressure Ukraine to fire their top prosecutor Viktor Shokin in Mar. 2016, after which in 2019 Pres Trump and his personal atty. Rudy Giuliani claims that he did it in order to protect his son and/or Burisma, causing the leftist police to jump to defend him while keeping it outside court. On May 1 a total of 19,793 U.S. service personnel have been wounded in the Afghanistan War since it began on Oct. 7, 2001, with 17,095 (86.4%) wounded on Pres. Obama's watch. On May 1 a Taliban suicide bombing at a busy checkpoint in Panjshir Province, Afghanistan kills 12+. On May 1 the U.S. offers to help Nigeria "find and free" 200+ mostly Christian schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram 18 days earlier (Apr. 15). On May 1 China sets up an oil rig in the South China Sea in waters claimed by Vietnam, increasing tensions by ramming Vietnamese ships and firing water cannons. On May 1 Brunei begins ramping up Sharia with punishments for promoting religions other than Islam and pregnancy outside marriage, ramping up to amputation for theft and stoning of adulterers and homosexuals, causing Hollywood stars Ellen DeGeneres, Jay Leno, Patrick Stewart et al. to boycott the Beverly Hills Hotel, which is owned by Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah; too bad, the sultan gave $1M-$5M to the Clinton Foundation through 2013. On May 2 U.S. House speaker John Boehner proposes the U.S. House Select Committee on Benghazi, which is approved after seven Dems. vote with Repub., with the Dem. Nat Committee calling it a "ploy" and "political stunt"; on May 12 U.S. Sen. (R-Tex.) Ted Cruz proposes that the Senate form a joint select committee, but they reject it. On May 2 (eve.) the worst violence in Ukraine so far sees 42 killed in Odessa, Ukraine after a pro-Ukrainian govt. march is attacked by pro-Russia militants, with civil war looming. On May 2 a day after accusing the Obama admin. of potentially criminal behavior by withholding emails from deputy nat. security adviser Ben Rhodes, U.S. House Oversight Committee Chmn. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) issues a subpoena to secy. of state John Kerry to testify about the 2012 Bengazi Attacks on May 21, while House Speaker John Boehner utters the soundbyte that a special committee is needed to investigate Benghazi chaired by S.C. Repub. Rep. Trey Gowdy, with Boehner uttering the soundbyte: "With four of our countrymen killed at the hands of terrorists, the American people want answers, accountability, and justice"; on May 8 the House votes 232-186 to create the committee. On May 2 the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announces the first confirmed case of Middle East Respiratory Virus (MERS) in the U.S. On May 3 twin landslides in Afghnistan kill 2K+. On May 3 Malaysian authorities arrest 11 terrorists with links to al-Qaida in connection with the disappearance of Flight MH370. On May 4 after criticizing Sharia groups for beheadings, Syrian rebel cmdr. Col. Ahmed Nehmeh (chief of the Deraa Military Council) is kidnapped in Deraa, Syria by Jabhat Al Nusrah. On May 4 ISIS occupies the village of Jadid Bakkara, Syria, imposing Sharia, going on to take control of oil-rich Deir ez Zor Province from Jabhat Al Nusra and force Syrian rebels to join its ranks. On May 4 Hillary Clinton tweets about the 200 Nigerian girls kidnapped by Beaucoup Harm, er, Boko Haram, with the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls; too bad, she spent two years as head of the State Dept. fighting to keep Boko Haram off the official list of foreign terrorist orgs.? On May 5 Russian pres. Vladimir Putin signs an anti-pornography law, effective July 1, banning profanity in all new works of art, and requiring existing works to carry warning labels. On May 5 talks on Iran's nuclear program resume in New York City; on May 13 the next round of talks in Vienna begin for drafting a comprehensive agreement, with target date of July 20. On May 5 the World Health Org. (WHO) declares a global health emergency over the spread of polio to several countries, the first since 2007. On May 5 a 3K-person Muslim mob attacks a Hindu temple and households in Comilla District, Bangladesth after rumors spread over loudspeakers that two youths had slandered the prophet of Islam Obama style. On May 5 (eve.) Egyptian army chief Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi gives his first televised interview, saying that the Muslim Brotherhood is "finished" and will not return if he is elected, and that if elected he would respect the peace treaty with Israel and consider a state visit; "I see that the religious discourse in the entire Islamic world has cost Islam its humanity. This requires us, and for that matter all leaders, to review their positions", saying that there is no such thing as a "religious state"; on May 11 he utters the soundbyte: "If we are asked to make amendments to the peace treaty with Israel, we will do it", and that if Israel won't recognize the "state of Palestine" with capital in Jerusalem he will never visit Israel. On May 5 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 5-4 in Town of Greece v. Galloway that legislative sessions may be begun with prayers. On May 6 the Nat. Climate Assessment 2014 Report is unveiled by the White House, claiming that the climate has already changed, with the soundbyte: "Climate change, once considered an issue for a distant future, has moved firmly into the present"; on May 18 a group of scientists pub. a rebuttal, calling it a "masterpiece of marketing" that crumbles like a "house of cards" under real-world evidence. On May 6 China and Iran announce that they're "strategic partners", pissing-off the U.S. On May 6 German pres. Joachim Gauck and Turkish pres. Abdullah Gul open the Turkish-German U. in Istanbul, with Gauck calling it the start of a "new chapter" in relations. On May 6 two timed Muslim rebel explosions in Hat Yai, Thailand injure five. On May 6 a Muslim mob at St. George's Orthodox Church near Beit Jala, Israel stabs one and injures several. On May 7 a huge explosion in Qazvin, Iran; related to their nuclear program? On May 7 Boko Haram attacks the village of Gamboru Ngala, Nigeria on the Cameroon border, killing 300+, burning some alive; the area had been used by troops as a base to search for them. On May 7 after revealing the location of their booby traps, 1.2K rebels and civilians are permitted to evacuate Homs, Syria. On May 7 a year after revelaing that the IRS gave inappropriate scrutiny to Conservative groups applying for tax-exempt status, former IRS head Lois Lerner is voted in contempt of Congress for refusing to testify; six Dems. join the Repubs.; two dozen Dems. later join Repubs. to vote to ask the Justice Dept. to name a special prosecutor to look into IRS targeting. On May 7 undeclared 2016 U.S. pres. candidate Hillary Clinton speaks to the Nat. Council for Behavioral Health, uttering the soundbyte that the U.S. "gun culture" has gotten "way out of balance"; "We've got to rein in what has become an almost article of faith that anybody can have a gun anywhere, anytime. I don't believe that this is in the best interest of the vast majority of people." On May 8 a huge explosion levels the historic Carlton Hotel in Aleppo, Syria, killing ? soldiers using it as an army base. On May 8 former head of the Israel Atomic Energy Commission Uzi Eilam utters the soundbyte: "The Iranian nuclear program will only be operational in another 10 years... Even so, I am not sure that Iran wants the bomb", contradicting PM Benjamin Netanyahu. On May 9 U.S. officials reveal that a kidnap attempt by two armed Yemeni civilians in Sana'a, Yemen was foiled by a U.S. Special Ops commando and a CIA officer, who shot and killed them before being flown out of the country. On May 11 the 2014 Google Mother's Day Massacre sees Google bow to Islam and shut down the popular Historyscoper's Islam Watch Blog without notice or explanation, then fail to respond to requests for explanation; Google's promise of being above politics and censorship proves a lie, and Google loses its reason to exist, and is living on borrowed time as the free world races for something better?; on May 30 they restore service without notice or explanation, but the shine is off their apple as the search engine ranking is greatly lowered? On May 11 U.S. defense secy. Chuck Hagel gives an interview to ABC-TV's "This Week", saying that the prohibition on transgender people in the U.S. military should be "continually" reviewed, floating the possibility with "I'm open to that." On May 12 a U.S. drone strike in S Yemen kills six al-Qaida militants. On May 12 the Taliban launch their summer offensive, starting with the U.S. Bagram Airbase near Kabul, Afghanistan. On May 12 a Satanic Black Mass scheduled for the evening at the cultural studies club of Harvard U. is canceled after an uproar. On May 13 ex-Israeli PM Ehud Olmert is sentenced to six years in prison for bribery and corruption, becoming the first Israeli PM to be sent to prison. On May 13 a wave of Sunni car bombings in Shiite areas of Baghdad, Iraq kills 34. On May 13 the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg rules that online users have a right to be "forgotten" by search engines like Google, which should erase links to Web pages unless there are "particular reasons" not to, turning the concept of a search engine on its head. On May 13 a Soma Holding Co. coal mine explosion-fire in Soma, Turkey 70 mi. NE of Izmir kills 282+ out of 787, becoming Turkey's deadliest mining accient since the 1992 Zonguidak gas explosion, the lame govt. response incl. comments by PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan that such accidents are "normal" causing riots throughout Turkey. On May 13 U.S. judge Candy Dale rules that Idaho's 2006 same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional; Repub. Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter vows to appeal. On May 13 (night) anti-China protests in Vietnam see thousands of protesters set fire to factories. On May 15 the M.V. Miraj-4 ferry capsizes in stormy weather in the Methna River in Rasulpur, Bangladesh (27km from Dhaka), killing ? of 200 aboard. On May 15 thousands of steelworkers in Mariupol, Ukraine, take to the streets to oust pro-Russian militants. On May 15 pregnant Christian physician Meriam (Maryam) Yahya Ibrahim Ishaq (1987-) is sentenced to death by hanging in Sudan for apostasy for embracing the faith of her mother rather than her Muslim father, causing an internat. outcry; on June 3 a bipartisan U.S. Senate unanimously votes to approve a resolution demanding the "immediate and unconditional release" of Meriam and her two children from prison in Sudan; on June 23 she is acquitted, then released on June 24, then rearrested hours later on June 25 at Khartoum Airport as she tries to leave the country, then freed again on June 26 after a row with the U.S. ambassador - there's no compulsion in what? On May 15 Anglican canon Eric Woods, vicar of Sherborne, England pub. an article in the Western Gazette lamenting the "invasion of halal meat" and "the creeping Islamisation of our country". On May 15 a federal judge upholds registration requirements for hand guns in Washington, D.C.; on July 26 federal judge Frederick J. Scullin rules that a ban on carrying handguns in public in Washington, D.C. is unconstitutional, invalidating a 2008 law requiring handguns to be kept at home. On May 16 Russia and Cuba sign a security deal. On May 16 two Muslim (Boko Haram?) bombs rock a market in Nairobi, Kenya, killing 10 and injuring 70, causing hundreds of British tourists to be evacuated. On May 16 a clash between the Libyan militia and Islamists in Benghazi, Libya kills 12. On May 16 after allegations that treatment delays in veterans hospitals have led to preventable deaths, along with a coverup attempt, the 2014 Veterans Admin. Scandal of 2014 sees undersecy. of health Dr. Robert Petzel resign amid calls for the resignation of Veterans Admin. secy. Eric Shinseki, who resigns on May 30 after firing mucho subordinates. On May 16 (night) Boko Haram militants from Nigeria kidnap a Chinese national and 10 others in N Cameroon. On May 16-19 massive floods in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia cause 2K landslides. On May 17 leaders of Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Niger, and Benin meet in Paris, France, agreeing to wage "total war" on Boko Haram, with Nigerian pres. Jonathan Goodluck uttering the soundbyte: "Boko Haram is no longer a local terrorist group. It is operating clearly as an al-Qaida operation. It is an al-Qaida of West Africa." On May 17 Hillary Clinton holds her first campaign fundraising event of 2014 to benefit the congressional campaign of her daughter Chelsea's mother-in-law Marjorie Margolies (1942-); too bad, on May 20 she loses the Dem. Penn. primary. On May 17 the Jewish holiday of Lag BaOmer sees a public debate over permission given to Jews from Israel to visit the El Ghriba Synagogue on Djerba Island in SW Tunisia, which was attacked by terrorists in 2002. On May 17 an ISIS jihadist posts a video calling for the conquering of Jerusalem and Rome. On May 17 members of the Afghan parliament accuse Iran of "forcibly sending Afghan refugees to Syria" to fight for Pres. Bashar al-Assad. On May 18 forces loyal to renegade Libyan gen. Khalifa Haftar (Hifter) attack the Gen. Nat. Congress in Tripoli, Libya, targeting Islamist legislators, causing them to flee under fire; on May 27 after Ansar al-Shariah declares war on him, with leader Mohammed al-Zhawi calling him an "American agent", military assets are positioned in Sicily and the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan is moved to the Mediterranean Sea, the U.S. State Dept. issues a warning to Am. citizens not to travel to Libya and urges those there to leave immediately. On May 18 retired former NSA dir. (2005-14) Gen. Keith Alexander pub. an interview in the New Yorker, claiming that the U.S. could be attacked by terrorists again; "The number of attacks that are coming, the probability, it's growing. What I saw at NSA is that there is a lot more coming our way." On May 18 Syrian Islamist rebels issue a manifesto calling for the downfall of the Assad regime and its replacement by an anti-Western Islamist state; on May 19 they pub. a video calling on Muslims to wage jihad in Ukraine, Poland, and Russia. On May 18 Iranian actress Leila Hatami appears at the Cannes Film Festival, and is publicly bussed on the cheek by the pres. of the festival, pissing-off Iranian deputy culture minister Hoseyn Nushabadi. On May 18 after the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth pub. a report of a proposed bill by Labor Party MK Yehiel (Hilik) Bar to grant freedom of movement, religion, and worship on the Temple Mount to Jews and Arabs alike causes a firestorm among Muslims, causing him to withdraw it on May 23. On May 19 the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights pub. a report claiming that the 3-y.-o. Syrian conflict has a death toll of 160K+. On May 19 the U.S. govt. charges five Chinese army personnel with hacking into computers of U.S. cos. incl. U.S. Steel, Alcoa, and Westinghouse, becoming the first time that criminal charges have been filed by one country against another for computer espionage, pissing-off China, who on May 20 suspends cooperation with the U.S. in a joint cybersecurity task force, calling the U.S. "the biggest attacker of China's cyberspace". On May 19 Credit Suisse pleads guilty to a tax evasion scheme that "spanned decades", and agrees to pay $2.6B in fines and hire an independent monitor for two years, becoming the first guilt to plead guilty to criminal wrongdoing in over 20 years. On May 19 Egyptian Islamist preacher Mustafa Kamel Mustafa (1958-) is convicted in U.S. federal court of providing material support to terrorist orgs. On May 19 U.S. district judge Michael J. Shane strikes down the 2004 marriage amendment in Ore., saying that it has no "rationally related government purpose"; on May 20 U.S. district judge John E. Jones III strikes down the 1996 marriage law in Penn., with the soundbyte: "We are a better people than what these laws represent. It is time to discard them into the ash heap of history". On May 19 (night) a Boko Haram suicide bomber in the Christian quarter of Kano, Nigeria kills 20. On May 20 twin bombings in a bus station and market in Jos, Nigeria kill 100+. On May 20 the Internat. Labour Org. (ILO) pub. Profits and Poverty: The Economics of Forced Labour, claiming that the internat. slave trade generates $150B in annual profits, $99B of it from sexual exploitation. On May 20 a group of young Iranians are arrested for uploading their "Happy in Tehran" video based on the Pharrell Williams hit song, the govt. calling it "A vulgar clip which hurt public chastity." On May 20 Taliban fighters storm checkpoints in Badakhstan Province, Afghanistan; on May 21 the decapitated bodies of eight policeman kidnapped two weeks earlier are found in Zabul Province, Afghanistan. On May 20 the Islamic Front, the Army of the Mujahedeen, the Al-Sham Legion et al. in Syria sign a rev. code of honor for Syrian rebels, stating that "the political objective of the Syrian revolution is to topple the regime, its icons and pillars". On May 21 Pres. Obama declares the 500K-acre Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks Nat. Monument in S New Mexico, pissing-off local ranchers who say it will create a safe haven for drug cartels. On May 21 a court in Cairo sentences ex-Egyptian pres. Hosni Mubarak to three years in prison for stealing $17M from the govt. On May 21 the IAEA and Iran issue a joint statement that they have agreed on a further set of practical measures within the framework of their Nov. 11, 2013 cooperation agreement. On May 21 Russia and China sign a $400B energy deal, allowing the Russian Gazprom oil monopoly to export gas to China for 30 years. On May 21 courts in Xinjiang, China jail 39 Uighur Muslims for spreading "terrorist videos" et al.; on May 22 a Muslim Uighur car and bomb attack on a busy street market in Urumqi, China kills 31 and injures 90+, causing the Obama admin. to finally uses the word "terrorism" to describe an attack by Muslim Uighurs. On May 21 (eve.) gay buds Cameron (Eric Stonestreet) and Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) get married on an episode of the ABC-TV sitcom Modern Family. On May 22 European Elections in the U.K. are a big V for UK Independence Party leader Nigel Paul Farage (1964-), with 27.5%, vs. Labour Party leader Ed Miliband with 25.4%, and Conservative Party leader David Cameron with 23.9%, becoming the first for a third party since 1906. On May 22 the U.S. House of Reps votes 303-121 to halt NSA bulk data collection incl. phone record snooping. On May 22 the Egyptian cabinet passes a law proposed by interim pres. Adly Mansour to annul all pardons issued to Islamist prisoners by ousted pres. Mohamed Morsi. On May 22 a proposed U.N. Security Council resolution to refer the widespread human rights violations in Syria to the ICC, submitted by France and co-sponsored by 65 countries is vetoed by Russia and China. On May 22 a military coup in Thailand suspends the constitution, dissolvies the govt. and imposes a curfew, becoming the 2nd bloodless coup in eight years. On May 22 Jordanian-born Houston, Tex. Muslim Ali Mahwood-Awad Irsan (1957-) is charged with killing 30-y.-o. Iranian student Gelareh Bagherzadeh for helping his daughter convert to Christianity and find a non-Muslim boyfriend. On May 22 (night) rebels in Deraa, Syria shell a tent packed with supporters of pres. Bashar al-Assad, killing 21; meanwhile leaflets are dropped telling them it's their "last chance" to surrender or be sent "to Hell". On May 23 four gunmen attack the Indian consulate in Herat, Afghanistan, planning to take the staff hostage until they are killed after a 9-hour gunfight. On May 23 a 67-y.-o. Vietnamese woman self-immolates in Ho Chi Minh City to protest China's May 1 deployment of an oil rig in disputed waters. On May 23 a massive rally by Hizb ut-Tahrir on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem to mark the 93th anniv. of the end of the caliphate calls for Arab nations to destroy the Jewish state of Israel. On May 23 (Fri.) (9:27 p.m.) after filming a video vowing to kill "blond sorority sluts" for never giving him any, along with lucky men who get it regularly, 22-y.-o. "virgin gunman" Elliot Oliver Robertson Rodger (b. 1991) stages a drive-by shooting spree at the UCSB campus in Isla Vista (near Santa Barbara), Calif., killing six and injuring 14 before killing himself during a shootout with police; he leaves a 141-page manifesto plus several YouTube videos calling himself an "incel" (involuntary celibate). On May 24 an anti-Semitic shooter at the Jewish Museum of Belgium in Brussels kills four; at night two Jewish men are attacked as they are leaving a synagogue in Creteil, France outside Paris; on May 27 Czech pres. Zilos Zeman utters the soundbyte that Islamic ideology is to blame for the "hideous attack"; on June 1 French police arrest Kalashnikov rifle-carrying Muslim suspect Mehdi Nemmouche (1985- in Marseilles. On May 24 (eve.) Muslim insurgents stage simultaneous bomb attacks at 15 locations in Pattani, Thailand, killing three and injuring 73. On May 24-26 Pope Francis visits the Holy Land incl. Bethlehem and Jerusalem, where he declares himself the "Che Guevara of the Palestinians", becoming the first pope to fly directly into the West Bank and refer to the "State of Palestine"; on May 25 he makes an unscheduled stop at the security fence in Bethlehem, with "Free Palestine" in large letters facing him, issuing an invitation to host the Israeli and Palestinian presidents for a prayer summit meeting in Vatican City. On May 25 (Sun.) former trade minister (2012) "Chocolate King" billionaire Petro Oleksiyovych Poroshenko (1965-) is elected pres. of Ukraine with 55% of the vote; meanwhile the pro-Russia separatist movement bloodily clashes with Ukrainian troops. On May 25 the 2014 European Earthquake sees elections for 751 EU seats give the center-right European People's Party 214, the center-left Socialists and Dem.s 189, and the far-right parties 36; elections in France give a V to the anti-Muslim-immigration Nat. Front of Marie Le Pen, with 26%, giving them 25 seats, while the conservative party of former pres. Nicolas Sarkozy gets 20.6%; meanwhile elections in Denmark give a V to the anti-Muslim-immigration Danish People's Party; elections in Britain are a V for the guess-what U.K. Independent Party (UKIP); the Finns Party in Finland wins a 2nd EU seat; the Sweden Democrats Party wins its first EU seats; the Jobbik Party in Hungary wins four seats; the Golden Dawn Party in Greece wins three seats; the FPO in Austria wins four seats. nt On May 25 Pres. Obama makes a surprise visit to Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan for Memorial Day weekend, telling troops that they'll be out of the country by the end of the year as their presence will be brought to "a responsible end"; on May 27 he announces that he plans to keep 9.8K troops for training and to fight al-Qaida, pissing-off conservatives incl. Fox News journalist Charles Krauthammer, who calls it "an act of personal narcissism", retired USAF Gen. Michael Hayden, who utters the soundbyte that it's "fairy dangerous", and might lead to making Afghanistan look like Iraq, and Ariz. Repub. Sen. John McCain, who on May 28 utters the soundbyte that Obama is sending a signal to the Taliban and al-Qaida that amounts to "Hang on, we're leaving." On May 25 Boko Haram militants attack Kamuyya, Nigeria, killing 20. On May 25 Iranian supreme assaholah Ali Khamenei gives a speech to members of parliament, saying that negotiations over their nuclear program are over and that the Islamic republic's ideals incl. destroying America, with the soundbyte: “Battle and jihad are endless because evil and its front continue to exist... This battle will only end when the society can get rid of the oppressors' front with America at the head of it, which has expanded its claws on human mind, body and thought... This requires a difficult and lengthy struggle and need for great strides." On May 25 a massive landslide in Mesa County, Colo. is 4 mi. x 2 mi. x 250 ft. deep. On May 25 after learning that his firm bought $24.3M worth of shares of the Israel-based SodaStream co., the BDS movement calls for a boycott of its own benefactor George Soros. On May 26 Hindu nationalist Gujarat state minister (since 2001) (former tea vendor) Narendra Damodardas Modi (1950-) becomes PM #16 of India (until ?); Muslim jihadists vow revenge attacks worldwide. On May 26-28 elections in Egypt give a V to Field Marshal Abdel Fattah Saeed Hussein Khalil el-Sisi (1954-), who on June 8 becomes Egyptian pres. #6 (until ?). On May 27 after mass protests by Muslim Uighurs for detaining 20+ women and girls for wearing headscarves in Xinjiang, China, police fire on the crowd, killing two, injuring five, and detaining 100. On May 27 members of a U.N. fact-finding mission into alleged chlorine attacks in Syria are ambushed and briefly held captive by gunmen in rebel-held Kfar Zeita in Hama Province. On May 28 Pres. Obama gives the commencement speech at West Point Military Academy, telling grads that while "American isolationism is not an option", a "willingness to rush into military adventures" since 9/11 has produced "some of our most costly mistakes", and the U.S. must lead by "empowering partners" with our values to meet threats, announcing a $5B "counterterrorism partnership fund" to defeat the "diffuse threat" of decentralized al-Qaida affiliates worldwide, and giving conspiracy theorists ammo with a mention of plans to create a new "international order"; he got a reception described as "pretty icy". On May 28 the U.S. House of Reps passes new sanctions on Venezuela for its handling of ongoing anti-govt. protests. On May 28 Muslim jihadists storm the Roman Catholic Church of Fatima in Bangui, Central African Repub. (CAR), killing 30. On May 28 the city council of Houston, Tex. pass an ordinance prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. On May 28-? elections in Syria. On May 29 (night) a group of madass members of the Islamist Jafar Umar Thalib org. attack a group of Roman Catholics holding a home prayer meeting in Java, Indonesa, telling them not to do it again or else. On May 30 Jay Carney resigns, and on ? deputy press secy. Josh Earnest (1975-) becomes White House press secy. #30 (until ?). On May 30 Pres. Obama issues a proclamation declaring June as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month; meanwhile speaking outside the Stonewall Inn in New York City, U.S. interior secy. Sally Jewell announces that the Nat. Park Service will begin marking places of significance for LGBT Americans to mark their contributions to er, history. On May 30 the Nat. Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia announces that it has agreed to return a portrait to the heirs of its original owner, Jewish industrialist Richard Semmel, becoming the first successful Nazi restitution claim in Australia. On May 30 (04:00 a.m.) Spanish authorities raid a Muslim terrorist cell in Melilla, Spain, arresting six. On May 30 police in Perth, West Australia arrest six for running a drug ring, incl. Rateb Jneid, pres. of the West Australian Islamic Council. On May 30 Turkish Twitter user Ertan P. is sentenced to 15 mo. in prison for using the handle "Allah C.C." because it "humiliates the religious values accepted by a part of the people". On May 30 the U.S. House of Reps votes 219-189 to block the federal govt. from interfering with state medical marijuana laws. On May 30 the Spanish supreme court rules that Pakistani ex-Muslim refugee (since Oct. 2006) Imran Firasat, author of the film "The Innocent Prophet: The Life of Mohammed from a Different Point of View" should be deported for criticizing Islam, calling it "a danger to the security of Spain"; he calls it a death sentence - is that what they call Islamophobia? On May 31 (10:30 a.m.) Sgt. Bowe Robert Bergdahl (1986-), the only U.S. POW in Afghanistan (since June 2009) is handed over by the Taliban in exchange for five Gitmo POWs sent to Qatar, pissing-off Congress at Pres. Obama for not consulting with them first and observing a 30-day waiting period, esp. since they already rejected the idea in 2011 and 2012; on June 2 the Afghan govt. protests the deal, arguing that it violates internat. law; Bergdahl converted to Islam in captivity under the name Abdullah, and declared jihad?; Bergdahl's Pashto-speaking (Muslim?) father Robert Bowe Berdahl, who grew a Taliban-style beard in sympathy for his son issues the Islamic war cry "Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim" (In the Name of Allah the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful"), causing Pres. Obama to smile?; daddy also tweeted that he wants all Taliban POWs freed to pay for all the Afghan children killed by the U.S., with the soundbyte: "God will repay for the death of every Afghan child, ameen." On May 31 the Slender Man Stabbing see two 12-y.-o. girls in Waukesha, Wisc., Anissa Weler and Morgan Geyser stab a 12-y.-o. classmate 19x to become proxies of the Slender Man, an online char. created on June 10, 2009 on the online forum Something Awful, a tall faceless man in a black suit with tentacles growing out of his back that can cause amnesia, coughing bouts, and paranoid behavior, becoming the first publicized creepypasta (horror-related stories or images copy-pasted around the Internet); after the victim recovers, they are found not guilty by reason of insanity, facing up to 65 years in prison each. In May a treaty launching the don't-say-Soviet Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) in Jan. 2015 is signed in Astana, creating a free trade zone incl. Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, and Kyrgyzstan. In May the U.S. unemployment rate remains at 6.3%, adding 217K jobs; unemployment among women increases by 60K; there are now 138.5M on non-farm payrolls, a new high topping the record of 138.4M set in Jan. 2008, signaling a recovery from the recession?; meanwhile the number of disability beneficiaries tops 11M for the first time (11,004,507). On June 1 a Christian militia defends the villages of Attangara and Agapalwa, Borno, Nigeria, killing 37 Boko Haram fighters and losing nine; Boko Haram ashholes behead a 6-y.-o. boy for being a Christian; more attacks on Attagara kill 88, for a total of 168. On June 2 hundreds of women protest in gettin'-lucky Lucknow, India after two teenage girls are gang-raped and hung from a mango tree; they belonged to the Maurya subcaste, while the three suspects belong to the higher Yadav subcaste? On June 2 the U.S. EPA announces that existing power plants must cut greenhouse gas pollution to 30% below 2005 levels by 2030, causing Repub. to decry Pres. Obama's "war on coal". On June 2 fighting between Shiite Houthi rebels and govt. forces in Omran Province, Yemen kills 100 Houthis and 20 soldiers. On June 2 after 47,017 children sans parents are caught crossing the SW U.S. border since Oct. 1, mostly from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, citing an "urgent humanitarian situation", Pres. Obama issues an order to provide special services for the tens of thousands of unaccompanied migrant children crossing the U.S. border from Mexico. On June 2 the city council of Seattle, Wash. raises the min. wage to a whopping $15 an hour. On June 3 Pres. Obama visits Warsaw, Poland, telling Pres. Bronislaw Komorowski that he is planning to spend $1B to boost its military presence in Europe, calling on Congress to provide the funding. On June 3 pres. elections in Syria are a no-surprise V for Bashar al-Assad. On June 3 Turkey designates designates Jabhat al-Nusra a terrorist org. On June 4 (a.m.) Chester Nez (b. 1920), last of the WWII Navajo Code Talkers dies. On June 4 U.S. secy. of state John Kerry visits Lebanon, meeting with PM Tammam Salam in Beirut and pledging more aid for the 1M Syrian refugees in Lebanon. On June 4 Rambo wannabe Justin Bourque (1989-) goes on a shooting spree in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, killing three mounties and wounding two; he is captured on June 5 (12:10 a.m.) hiding in a backyard. On June 4 the Rand Corp. releases a report contradicting Pres. Obama's view of the terrorist threat to the U.S., claiming that it isn't waning but growing by leaps and bounds, with the world experiencing a 58% increase in Islamist terrorist groups since 2010, along with a doubling of Muslim terrorists and tripling of al-Qaida affiliates. On June 5 Sylvia Mary Mathews Burwell (1965-) is confirmed by the U.S. Senate as U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) secy. #?, taking office on June 9 (until ?). On June 5 rage shooter Aaron Ybarra at $15 min. wage Seattle Pacific U. kills one before being subdued by student Jon Meis while trying to reload. On June 5 the govt. of Australia announces that it will no longer refer to East Jerusalem as "occupied territory", pissing-off Palestinians. On June 6 world leaders meet to commemorate the 70th Anniv. of D-Day, becoming the first meeting between Pres. Obama and Pres. Putin since the Ukraine crisis; Obama raises eyebrows by chewing gum during the ceremonies; 1M rose petals are released over the Statue of Liberty; Obama becomes the 2nd U.S. pres. to visit the D-Day Monument on D-Day twice (200-9). On June 6 the convoy of leading Afghan pres. candidate Abdullah Abdullah is hit by two bombs in Kabul, killing six civilians and injuring ?; he is uninjured; the Pakistani govt. blames Lashkar-e-Taiba and an unnamed "foreign country". On June 6 two ISIS (ISIL) car bombs in Shabak, Iraq (E of Mosul) kill 25 and injure 35; on June 6 Iraqi troops repel an ISIS assault on Mosul, Iraq; on June 9 after the 30K-man U.S.-trained Iraqi army cuts and runs, 2K ISIS militants led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi overrun parts of Mosul and seize the provincial govt. HQ along with $429M in gold and a large store of weapons incl. 2.3K Humvees, causing PM Nouri al-Maliki to ask parliament to declare a state of emergency while thousands flee; on June 10 ISIS captures Mosul; on June 11 ISIS abducts 49 members of the Turkish consulate, while occupying Tikrit; on June 12 ISIS issues a decree ordering unmarried women into "sex jihad" with the fighters; on June 12 Iraqi Kurds seize control of Kirkuk while ISIS rebels advance toward Baghdad and Iraqi troops cut and run, causing Pres. Obama to consider air-drone strikes and other aid short of troops, while Iran sends 150 elite Rev. Guard troops to defend Baghdad, and on June 13 Iraq's top Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani issues a call to Iraqis to take up arms against the Sunni rebels; on June 13 (Fri.) Pres. Obama gives a press conference outside the White House with his big heli in the background, saying that the U.S. won't send troops to Iraq because the Iraqis must take full responsibility for their own security, with the soundbyte "We can't do it for them", although he is looking at a "range of options"; on June 15 a video is pub. showing Shiite Iraqi soldiers rounded up and shot Nazi-style in Salahuddin Province N of Baghdad, pissing-off Shiites and pumping them up to resist; meanwhile 440K+ are displaced by the fighting in Anbar Province; 39 Indian Sikh construction workers on the univ. campus in Mosul are kidnapped and murdered, then buried in a mass grave near the village of Badush. On June 7 (Sat.) the first-ever U.S. military color guard marches in the gay pride parade in Washington, D.C.. On June 7 Pres. Obama gives a radio address on student loans, announcing his intention to "keep doing whatever I can without Congress" to help "responsible" young people pay them off, with the soundbyte: "Protect young people from crushing debt, or protect tax breaks for millionaires." On June 7 (8:00 p.m.) three inmates at the Orsainville Detention Centre near Quebec City, Canada escape via heli, becoming the 2nd heli escape in two years. On June 8 (lunchtime) the Las Vegas Killers, white supremacist couple Jerad and Amanda Miler, shouting "This is the start of a revolution" shoot and kill Las Vegas police officers Alyn Beck and Igor Soldo lunching in CiCi's Pizza in Las Vegas, Nev.; after killing another person in a nearby Walmart, they commit prearranged suicide as the police close in. On June 8 at Pope Francis' instigation, Muslim prayers will be heard from the Vatican for the first time ever supposedly to usher in peace between Israelis and Palestinians to go along with his invitation to Israeli pres. Shimon Peres and PA pres. Mahmoud Abbas to pray with him, which they do on June 8; the Muslim prayer calls for victory over the infidels? - Francis will be the last pope after all? On June 8 a Gallup Poll finds that 51% of Americans don't believe that the phrase "honest and trustworthy" applies to Pres. Obama. On June 8 (night) 300+ Pakistani pilgrims returning from ceremonies marking the 25th anniv. of Ayatollah Khomeini are attacked by Jeish Al-Islam in a hotel in Taftan, Pakistan near the Iranian border, killing ? and injuring ?. On June 8 (night) 10 Muslim terrorists attack Jinnah Internat. Airport in Karachi, Pakistan, killing 28 incl. eight security personnel, and injuring 24; the Taliban claims responsibility; on June 10 more gunmen attack a training facility for airport police. On June 9 a friendly fire incident in S Afghanistan kills five U.S. service members. On June 9 (eve.) Hillary Clinton gives an interview to Diane Sawyer on ABC News for her new book Hard Choices, trying to explain away her inaction during the Benghazi attack, with the soundbyte: "I'm not equipped to sit and look at blueprints to determine where the blast walls need to be, where the reinforcements need to be. That's why we hire people who have that expertise"; on June 10 (a.m.) after remarking that she and her Bubba were "dead broke" when they left the White House, causing a firestorm of controversy, Hillary gives an interview to Robin Roberts on Good Morning America, uttering the soundbyte: soundbyte: "Let me just clarify that I fully appreciate how hard life is for so many Americans today. It's an issue that I've worked hard on and cared about my entire adult life." On June 10 after PM Benjamin Netanyahu tries in vain to prevent it, former Knesset speaker Reuven "Rubi" "Ruvi" Rivlin (1939-) of the Likud Party (known for backing the 1-state solution) is elected pres. #10 of Israel, taking office on July 28 (until ?). On June 10 the U.S. ambassador to Israel hoists a gay pride flag over the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv for the first time ever. On June 10 (Tues.) after Conservative radio blasts him for wanting immigration reform, House majority leader (since Jan. 3, 2011) Eric Ivan Cantor (1963-) is defeated in the Va. Repub. primary by Tea Party candidate Mad Hat, er, David Brat, becoming the first House majority leader to be defeated in a primary since the office was created in 1899; on June 11 he resigns, effective July 31. On June 10 student Jared Padgett shoots up Reynolds H.S. in Troutdale, Ore., killing one student before committing suicide. On June 10-13 an Internat. Summit on Rape of Women in War Zones attended by 100+ countries is opened by U.N. envoy Angelina Jolie and British foreign secy. William Hague, who calls rape in war zones one of the "great mass crimes" of the last 2 cents. On June 11 the U.S. launches its first strike in North Waziristan, Pakistan since late Dec. 2013, killing six jihadists incl. four Uzbeks. On June 11 after a Hamas rocket strike into S Israel, an Israeli strike in N Gaza Strip kills one Palestinian and injures two. On June 12 three Israeli teens, Eyal Yifrach, Gilad Shaar, and Naftali Frankel are kidnapped near Hebron, Israel by Palestinians, causing the Israelis to arrest 150+ Palestinians in a crackdown on Hamas; on June 30 their bodies are found in Halhul (near Hebron), causing efforts to be ramped-up to capture the perps Marwan Qawasmeh and Amer Abu Aisha; Pres. Obama utters the soundbyte that the killings were a "senseless act of terror against innocent youth"; meanwhile Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu blames Hamas, which denies responsibility, and responds that it will "open the gates of Hell" if Israel attacks it; on Jan. 6 mastermind Hassam Hassan Kawasme (1974-) is sentenced to three life terms for the murders. On June 12 U.S. Sen. (D-Mass.) Ed Markey introduces the Internat. Human Rights Defense Act of 2014, to establish a special envoy at the U.S. State Dept. to coordinate America's "global response" on LGBT issues and to allow LGBT persons "who have a well-founded fear of persecution... to seek protection in the United States." On June 13 (Fri.) Pres. Obama makes his first visit to an Am. Indian rez, pledging to partner with tribes 'on just about every issue that touches your lives." On June 13 the Guardian UK pub. an article revealing the $1M U.S. Defense Dept. Minerva Research Initiative to study ways to deal with large-scale civil unrest, giving conspiracy theorists grist for their mills. On June 13 Ansar al Sharia in Tunisia pub. a statement calling for reconciliation between ISIS and other jihadist groups based on their Vs in Iraq. On June 14 for the 2nd time in 10 weeks, pres. elections in Afghanistan sees former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah and former finance minister Ashraf Ghani. On June 14 U.S. drones in Al Saeed, Shabwa Province, S Yemen kill AQAP cmdr. Mussad al Habashi and four other AQAP fighters. On June 14-21 the 221st Gen. of the Presbyterian Church (USA) votes to join the anti-Israel BDS movement; a resolution to replace the word "Israel" in prayers and hymns doesn't pass. On June 15 Benghazi 9/11/2012 terrorist attack suspect Ahmed Abu Khatallah is captured near Benghazi by U.S. troops working with the FBI. On June 15 a bus filled with Jewish kindergartners is attack by a mob of rock-throwing Muslim teenies in Antwerp, Belgium; no one is hurt. On June 15 (night) an offensive in NW Pakistan near the Afghan border, causing 80K to flee. On June 16 ISIS captures the town of Tal Afar, Iraq 260 mi. NW of Baghdad. On June 16 Al-Shabaab militants attack Mpeketoni, Kenya (near Lamu Island), targeting hotels and businesses and killing dozens before the army repels them, becoming the deadliest attack on Kenyan soil since Westgate Mall. On June 16 Hillary Clinton gives a speech in Toronto, Ont., Canada, telling the audience that she supports Pres. Obama's decision to work with the Palestinian Authority's new unity govt. even though it incl. the Hamas terror org. because the new officials are "largely technocrats... academics and business people. They don't represent sort of what you might call hardcore Hamas leadership." On June 16 (night) a double tornado in Pilger, Neb. levels it, killing two and injuring 19. On June 17 U.S. Rep. (R-Tex.) Ted Cruz utters the soundbyte: "You cannot win a battle against radical Islamic terrorism if youre unwilling to utter the words"; meanwhile U.S. state secy. John Clueless, er, Kerry utters the soundbyte that "extreme poverty" breeds terrorism - he's got an extremely poor brain, he should know? On June 17 (eve.) a Boko Haram suicide bomber in a tricycle taxi kills several people watching a World Cup match in Yobe, N Nigeria. On June 18 U.S. Joint Chiefs chmn. Gen. Martin Dempsey tells Congress: "It is in our national security interests to counter ISIL wherever we find them." On June 18 UAE recalls its ambassador to Iraq, demanding an end to discrimination against the Sunni minority. On June 18 Israeli foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman meets in Nairobi with Kenyan pres. Uhuru Kenyatta, saying that the internat. community has proven unable to respond effectively to the global terror threat, and proposing an info. exchange between Middle East and African countries as a remedy. On June 19 76-y.-o. king (since Nov. 22, 1975) Juan Carlos of Spain (b. 1938) abdicates in favor of his 46-y.-o. son Crown Prince Felipe of Asturias, who becomes king Felipe VI (1968-) of Spain (until ?). On June 19 after the surprise June 10 defeat of Eric Cantor, House Repubs. choose Calif. Repub. rep. (since 2007) Kevin Owen McCarthy (1965-) as new House majority leader, taking office on Aug. 1 (until ?). On June 19 Pres. Obama holds a press conference, saying that U.S. troops "are not going to be fighting in Iraq again... Ultimately this is going to have to be solved by the Iraqis", with the soundbyte: "There's no military solution inside of Iraq, not one that's led by the United States", announcing that up 300 JFK, er, military advisers will be sent to Iraq, along with "targeted and precise" military action. On June 19 Pres. Obama makes a phone call to Mexican pres. Enrique Pena Nieto, telling him that the hordes of children from Central Am. crossing the U.S. border illegally won't qualify for legal status or deferred deportation, asking him for help in developing a "regional strategy" to address the surge. On June 19 U.S. secy. of state John Kerry issues a soundbyte that the U.S. govt. recognizes same-sex marriages of foreign diplomats, and expects all other countries to follow suit, calling any effort to deny visas for gays "discriminatory... unacceptable... no place in the 21st century." On June 19 the Pew Research Center pub. a report revealing that immigrants make up 49.7% of Latino workers in the U.S., down from 56.1% in 2007. On June 19 (night) fighting with pro-Russian rebels in E Ukraine kills seven Ukrainian troops. On June 20 Pres. Obama issues an executive order granting the same benefits to same-sex couples as hetero couples, incl. in the majority of states where gay marriage is still against the law. On June 20 the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR issues a report revealing that for the first time since WWII the number of world refugees exceeds 50M. On June 20 pissed-off at Pres. Obama's decision to release five Taliban leaders, the Repub.-controlled U.S. House by 340-73 approves a $570B defense bill that halts transfers from Guantanamo Bay for one year, and pulls back on NSA spying, limiting Obama's authority. On June 20 the White House promises an enforcement surge on the SW U.S. border in response to the children flood, promising to add more judges to allow border-crossers to be deported faster, along with tax funding to help Central Am. countries El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala warn their people against making the journey. On June 20 the U.S. govt. reveals that Joint Chiefs of staff Gen. Martin Dempsey met with Pakistani Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Rashad Mahmood in the Pentagon, becoming the first such high level meeting since 2007. On June 20 after attacks on them by smart, er, extremist Buddhists, Muslim businesses in Sri Lanka close in protest. On June 20 Muslim Uighur terrorists kill five police guarding a checkpoint in Qaraqash (Moyu), Hotan, China; on June 21 police kill 13 in Kargilik County, Kashgar, Kinjiang after they drive into a police bldg. and set off an explosion. On June 21 Muslim jihadists in Xinjiang, China attack a police station, explosives-laden vehicles into it; the police kill 13 of them. On June 21 Syrian jets attck the ISIS stronghold in Muhassan in Deir Ezzor Province, killing 16+. On June 21 ISIS gains control of the Syrian border town of Al-Qaim (Al Qa'im), Iraq, giving the ability to ship weapons into Iraq.; meanwhile Moqtada al-Sadr's Shiite Jaish al-Mahdi paramilitary force stages a demonstration in E Baghdad pledging to fight ISIS. On June 21 Pope Francis excommunicates all members of the Mafia, calling it an example of "the adoration of evil"; a spokesman later says that the ecommunication is theological only. On June 21 ISIS captures the oil refinery in Baiji, Iraq, Iraq's largest, which supplies 320K barrels of oil a day, and one-third of its fuel oil. On June 21 the Pentagon declassifies a report from the Nat. Ground Intelligence Center, which contains the soundbyte: "Since 2003 Coalition forces have recovered approximately 500 weapons munitions which contain degraded mustard or sarin nerve agent. Despite many efforts to locate and destroy Iraq's pre-Gulf War chemical munitions, filled and unfilled pre-Gulf War chemical munitions are assessed to still exist" - Bush didn't lie, he just withheld intel even though it made him look like an ass? On June 22 (Sun.) Rev. Dr. Cameron Partridge becomes the first openly transgender priest to deliver a sermon from the Canterbury Pulpit at the Nat. Cathedral in Washington, D.C.; presiding over the service is the first openly gay Episcopal bishop, Right Rev. Gene Robinson - Sodom and Gomorrah jokes here? On June 22 Pres. Obama gives a speech defending his handling of the Iraq crisis, saying that he rejects a "whack-a-mole strategy" for fighting Islamist extremists. On June 22 (a.m.) a cross-border military attack in Israel kills 15-y.-o. Israeli boy Muhammad Karaka and injures two men, causing a retaliatory Israeli air strike on the Syrian military on June 23. On June 23 U.S. secy. of state John Kerry visits Baghdad, and meets with Iraqi PM Nouri al-Maliki, urging him to give more govt. power to Sunnis before the Sunni insurgency "sweeps away hopes for lasting peace". On June 23 a suicide bomber outside Abou Assaf Cafe near a Lebanese army checkpoint in Beirut, Lebanon injures several; they were watching the Brazil v. Cameroon World Cup game. On June 23 a U.S. federal appeals court releases a classified memo that concludes that it's okay to kill Americans suspected of terrorism overseas if they're part of the forces of an enemy org. On June 23 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules that the Obama admin. has no authority to require some cos. to draft new plans for cutting CO2 emissions as part of the permit process for expanding or building new facilities; the more ambitious program to cut CO2 emissions from new power plants by 30% by 2030 is unaffected. On June 24 former Pres. Reagan budget dir. (1981-5) David A. Stockman pub. the article WWI and the United States: Woodrow Wilson's Wisdom or Folly? in The Globalist, arguing that if the U.S. had stayed out of WWI the world would be a better place. On June 25 the U.S. Supreme Court rules unanimously in Riley v. Calif. that warantless cell phone searches are unconstitutional; it also rules 6-3 in Am. Broadcasting Cos. v. Aereo Inc. that a video-streaming device allowing users to capture and view broadcast TV content on portable devices violates copyright law. On June 25 the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver, Colo. rules regarding a Utah case that states can't prevent same-sex marriages, causing Boulder, Colo. county clerk Hillary Hall to begin issuing marriage licenses, pissing-off Repub. Colo. atty. gen. John Suthers, who sends her a letter ordering her to stop without specifying consequences; on July 1 six gay couples file a lawsuit seeking to overturn the Colo. gay marriage ban. On June 25 Iraqi-Am. ex-Muslim Ali Hassan Al-Assadi (1964-) of Detroit, Mich. is arrested for burning a Quran in front of the Karbalaa Educational Center in Dearborn, Mich., and charged with "unlawful escape of soot" and littering. On June 26 a Mexican police heli crosses into Ariz. onto the Tohono O'Odham Indian Nation and fires two shots at U.S. border agents; Tomas Zeron of the Mexican atty. gen. office claims they were attacking smugglers in Altar, Sonora, and denies they crossed the border or fired any weapons. On June 26 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules that Pres. Obama overstepped his authority by trying to circumvent the U.S. Senate and install recess nominees to key positions, saying that he must wait for Congress to break for at least 10 days before he can use his recess powers, and that the lawmakers get to decide what constitutes a recess. On June 26 Pres. Obama promises to send the Free Syrian Army (FSA) $500M; too bad, on June 27 the high command is disbanded over corruption charges. On June 27 Ukrainian pres. Petro O. Poroshenko signs a trade pact with the EU, defying Russia and declaring that Ukraine would like to become a full EU member. On June 27 to counter Serbia's official commemoration of the June 28, 1914 assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, Nebojsa Radmanovic, a Serb member of Bosnia-Herzegovina's tripartite presidency unveils a 2m bronze Statue of Gavrilo Princip in majority Serb E Sarajevo. On June 27 police arrest 17 in the U.S. and U.K. for membership in a khat distribution ring based in Flatbush, Brooklyn, N.Y. On June 27 Pres. Obama visits, Minn., and utters the soundbyte: "By every economic measure we are better off now than we were when I took office. You wouldn't know it, but we are." On June 28 the 100th Anniv. of the Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria. On June 28 the Iraqi army claims to rout Sunni militants in Tikrit, Iraq; the rebels deny it. On June 29 (Sun.) Boko Haram jihadists attack Kwada, Nigeria (near Chibok), burning five churches during Sun. service and killing 100+. On June 29 (1st day of Ramadan) the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria/Levant (ISIS/ISIL) releases an audio message by Abu Muhammad Al-'Adnani declaring a new Islamic caliphate under the name Islamic State (ISIS) (Daash), with leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi (Ibrahim Awwad Ibrahim Ali al-Badri al-Samarrai) (1971-) as caliph, ordering all Muslims to pledge allegiance "so that you may return to [the position] you once held for ages", becoming the first such declaration in the Arab world since the fall of the Ottoman Empire, announcing "the end of Sykes-Picot"; on July 1 Al-Baghdadi announces that all Muslims capable of immigration to the Islamic State are required to do so; meanwhile the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights announces that ISIS crucified eight rebel fighters in Aleppo Province, Syria on June 28 for being too moderate; on June 30 the Islamic State raises its flag in Tell Abyad, Syria near Akcakale, Turkey; at the start of Ramadan Adnani announces a plan to reconquer Spain by 2020. On June 29 an annual rally by 30K held by the Nat. Council of Resistance of Iran in Villepinte, France calls for regime change in Iran, backing the dissident Mujahedin-e Khalq opposition group. On June 30 days after Ajnad Misr (Soldiers of Egypt) announces that it has planted bombs to target security forces, then aborts the mission due to concern for civilian safety, but is unable to remove them all, an explosion near the pres. palace in Heliopolis, Cairo, Egypt kills one police officer and injures several. On June 30 Pres. Obama announces that he will respond to Congress' inaction on immigration legislation by using executive orders, starting with a border surge to stop border-crossers, followed by a, er, decrease in deportations, pissing-off Repubs. On June 30 the deadline for the complete destruction of Syria's chemical weapons program is missed. On June 30 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 5-4 in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. that closely-held corps. can opt out of a regulation for religious objections incl. providing contraception coverage under Obamacare. In June the Ice Bucket Challenge raises $115M for research to cure amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), 5x more than in 2013. In June violence in Iraq kills 2.4K. In June U.S. crude oil production begins to eat into OPEC's market share, creating an oil glut that cuases prices to begin declining sharply from $110/barrel. In June U.S. labor force non-participation reaches a record high of 92.12M (62.8%). On July 1 the first session of the Iraqi parliament since Apr. sees Sunni Muslim and Kurdish members walk out. On July 1 the Strasbourg-based European Court by 15-2 rules that the French ban on full face coverings doesn't violate religious freedom, okaying it. On July 1 Japanese PM Shinzo Abe announces a reinterpretation of Japan's pacifist constitution, freeing its military for the first time since WWII to thwart expansionist China, allowing it to come to the aid of friendly countries incl. the U.S. who are under attack; after election Vs in Dec., Abe pledges to turn Japan into "one of the greatest powers in the world" via the new foreign policy approach of "proactive pacifism". On July 1 Russian pres. Vladimir Putin utters the soundbyte that the West should stop forcing its principles on other countries and making a "world barracks" out of the internat. stage. On July 1 federal judge John G. Heyburn II strikes down the ban on same-sex marriage in Ky., with the soundbyte: "In America, even sincere and long-held religious beliefs do not trump the constitutional rights of those who happen to have been outvoted", d issing Ky. Dem. Gov. Steve Beshear for arguing that the ban preserves the state's birth rate and contributes to economic stability, with the soundbyte "These arguments are not those of serious people." On July 1 Michelle Janine Howard (1960-) becomes the U.S. Navy's first female 4-star adm. On July 1 Massimo Bitonci, mayor of Padua, Italy orders all public bldgs. and schools to display a crucifix, and bans Muslims from praying in them. On July 1 ISIS releases a video promising to liberate Spain, with the soundbyte: "Spain is the land of our forefathers, and Allah willing, we are going to liberate it, with the might of Allah." On July 1 a report from the Pew Research Center reveals that 74% of Americans don't believe they need to give up privacy and freedom in order to be safe from terrorism. On July 2 Iraqi Shiite PM Nouri Al-Maliki offers amnesty to Sunni tribes who "return to their senses", but refuses to step down. On July 2 pissed-off residents of Murietta, Calif. block buses carrying illegal immigrants, continuing until ?; orders from the Obama admin. to use force against the protesters are resisted by the U.S. Border Patrol? On July 4 a suicide car bomber in Al-Wadia, Yemen kills one Yemeni soldier and injures another; on July 5 militants attack a border post between Yemen and Saudi Arabia, killing two soldiers and three militants. On July 6 Fatah begins firing rockets into Ashkelon and Sederot, Israel, causing worries of the U.S. Congress cutting off their funding. On July 7 the first red poppy is placed by Yeoman Warder YS Crawford Butler on the Tower of London to commemorate the centennial of the WWI; the installation officially opens on Aug. 5, the day Britain entered the war. On July 7-8 Operation Protective Edge sees Israeli air strikes hit 150 targets in Gaza, followed by 160 more on July 9, becoming the first large wartime use by Israel of drones; on July 8 Hamas attempts to infiltrate a terrorist team into Zikim; on July 9 (night) an Israeli air attack kills Islamic Jihad senior cmdr. Hafiz Hamad; meanwhile the Israeli Iron Dome intercepts 56 of 255 rockets fired out of Gaza in the last few days; meanwhile moderate Israeli leftists found Smola (Heb. "leftward") movement to try to find a way to keep supporting the IDF; in Apr. 2015 Defense for Children Internat.-Palestine pub. a report accusing Israel of deliberately targeting and murdering Palestine children during the Gaza offensive. On July 8 Iraq U.N. ambassador Mohamed Ali Alhakim circulates a letter with the news that "armed terrorist groups" have seized a former chemical weapons facility NW of Baghdad. On July 8 Pres. Obama requests $3.7B from Congress as emergency appropriations to handle the influx of Central Am. child immigrants. On July 8 a Taliban suicide bomb attack near a school in ?, Afghanistan kills 18 incl. 11 students and four U.S. soldiers who were giving out pens and exercise books; another suicide attack in Parwan Province, Afghanistan kills 16 incl. four Czech soldiers, injuring one. On July 8 Al-Shabaab militants attack the pres. palace in Mogadishu, Somalia. On July 8 Boko Haram raid a police border post in Zina, Cameroon as part of a gen. incursion into N Cameroon. On July 8 (night) Muslims launch a rocket attack against Jerusalem, causing hundreds of Arabs to celebrate atop the Temple Mount. On July 9 the 2014 Indonesian Pres. Election is a V for Barry Soetoro wannabe Joko "Jokowi" Widodo (1961-) over Gen. Prabowo Subianto by 53%-47%; he is sworn in on Oct. 20. On July 9 Iraqi officials discover 50 mainly blindfolded bodies of men aged 25-40 in an agricultural area outside the Shiite city of Hillah, Iraq 60 mi. S of Baghdad. On July 9 French authorities announce that they've foiled a Muslim plot by AQIm leader Ali M to blow up the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and a nuclear power plant. On July 9 Islamic Jihad launches rockets at Tel Aviv, Hadera, Hof Hacarmel S of Haifa, and Zichron Yaakov 73 mi. N of Gaza Strip. On July 9 Hamas launches long-range Iranian M-75 rockets towards the nuclear reactor at Dimona, Israel. On July 9 Glenn Greenwald and Murtaza Hussain pub. Under Surveillance: Meet the Muslim-American Leaders the FBI and NSA Have Been Spying On, complaining that Muslims with terrorist ties are being spied on. On July 10 (a.m.) a U.S. drone strike in Datta Khel, North Waziristan, Pakistan kills six militants; meanwhile the Pakistani army occupies the capital of Miranshah, North Waziristan. On July 10 U.S. Berlin CIA station chief ? is expelled from Germany for alleged spying. On July 10 a U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan-Pakistan kills six al-Qaida militants. On July 10 (p.m.) three police officers are ambushed and murdered by Muslim terrorists in Yala Province, Thailand while returning from a peace conference at a mosque during Ramadan. On July 11 the Zelenopillya Rocket Attack (Battle of Zelenopillya) sees a single Russian artillery fire strike almost destroy two Ukrainian mechanized battalions in a few min., killing 23 and injuring 93. On July 11 the U.S. House of Reps passes Resolution 657, affirming Israel's right to defend itself against rockets fired from Gaza; the U.S. Senate passes a similar resolution on ?. On July 12 gunmen attack two apt. bldgs. in Zayouna, Baghdad, Iraq killing 33 incl. 29 women. On July 14 the Church of England Gen. Synod votes to allow women to become consecrated bishops. On July 15 (9:00 a.m.) an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire begins, but Hamas continues to fire 50 rockets, causing the Israelis to retaliate at 3:00 p.m., ending the ceasefire; on July 15 Dror Hanin (b. 1975) is killed by a Hamas mortar shell while handing out gift bags to Israeli soldiers at the Erez Crossing near Gaza, becoming the first Israeli death. On July 15 rebels shell the airport in Tripoli, Libya, destroying 90% of the planes parked there, causing the U.N. to withdraw its staff. On July 15 citizens of Oracle, Ariz. take the streets to block a bus carrying Central Am. illegal aliens. On July 15-16 a conference in Amman, Jordan by 150 opposition Iraqi figures is held, which calls on the internat. community to "end its support for the current government" and "back the people's revolution and its demands", pissing-off Iraqi PM Nouri al-Maliki. On July 16 Pres. Obama imposes a new batch of economic sanctions on Russia for its aggression in the Ukraine. On July 16 pro-Palestinian protests in Paris turn violent with attacks on synagogues and Jewish-owned stores, causing authorities to ban further protests, becoming the first country to ban prop-Palestinian protests, pissing-off leftists. On July 16 Russian separatists shoot down Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 with a Russian-made Buk SAM 30 mi. inside the Ukrainian border near Russia, killing all 298 aboard, incl. Joep Lange and several other AIDS researchers, causing Ukrainian pres. Petro Poroshenko to call it an "act of terrorism"; on July 17 Pres. Obama calls for a ceasefire and full internat. investigation; on July 25 after Russian pres. Vladimir Putin tries to blame Ukraine, Hillary Clinton utters the soundbyte that he "bears responsibility". On July 17 (3:45 p.m.) African-Am. citizen Eric Garner is murdered in broad daylight in Staten Island, N.Y. by police officer Daniel Pantaleo et al. via a chokehold as they claim to be arresting him for selling untaxed cigarettes; on July 13, 2015 the city of New York agrees to pay Garner's family $5.9M; the officers are not indicted until ? - the police are now completely above the law? On July 17 (eve.) after the Hamas rocket attack fizzles, Israeli forces invade Gaza. On July 17 (night) riots in Ankara and Istanbul, Turkey at the Israeli embassy and consulate cause Israel to recall its diplomats and their families, blaming speeches by PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan accusing Israel of killing women and children. On July 18 after ISIS captures Mosul, Iraq, Christians begin fleeing after an ultimatum to leave or convert to Islam, causing Chaldean Patriarch Louis Sako to utter the soundbyte: "For the first time in the history of Iraq, Mosul is now empty of Christians"; deputy dir. Zuhair Shurba announces that fleeing Christians can find refuge in the Shrine of Imam Ali in Karbala. On July 18-19 a group of Muslim women led by atty. Nadia Shahram hold a convention in Seneca Falls, N.Y., issuing the Declaration of the Equalities for Muslim Women. On July 20 the deadline for reaching a deal on Iran in the P5+1 negotiations. On July 20 Tex. Repub. gov. Rick Perry visits Clear Lake, Iowa, and utters the soundbyte that if the federal govt. doesn't send more troops to secure the U.S.-Mexico border, the state of Texas will. On July 21 Pres. Obama signs an executive order prohibiting discrimination against LGBT employees working for the federal govt. or its contractors. On July 22 a Hamas rocket lands 1 mi. from the Tel Aviv Airport, causing the FAA to impose a travel ban, pissing-off Repubs. Ted Cruz, who calls it an economic boycott of Israel, causing the FAA to flop and resume flights on July 24 (p.m.) after 48 hours, during which time Hamas calls the flight ban to Tel Aviv a "great victory". On July 22 Iranian-Am. journalist Jason Rezaian and his wife Salehi are arrested in Iran on unknown charges, and imprisoned (until ?); in Oct. Salehi is released on bail; in Mar. 2015 boxing legend Muhammad Ali asks Iran to free him. On July 23 (1:30 p.m.) Russian separatists shoot down two Ukrainian Sukhoi-25 fighter jets in Savur Mogila. On July 23 the U.S. House by 404-0 passes the Hezbollah Internat. Financing Prevention Act, sponsored by Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), enacting strong sanctions and restricting its access to the global financial system. On July 23 to counter Obama's $3.7B proposal, U.S. House Repubs. propose a $1.5B border security plan that incl. setting up repatriation centers in Central Am. countries and sending troops. On July 23 the U.N. Human Rights Council passes a resolution condemning Israel for its Gaza offensive and establishing a 3-member commission of inquiry, headed by Canadian genocide scholar William A. Schabas (1950-), known for the 2011 soundbyte that Benjamin Netanyahu should be "in the dock of an international court" because he is "the single individual most likely to threaten the survival of Israel"; despite Pres. Obama, the U.S. is the sole no vote, with 17 members abstaining; on Aug. 13 Netanyahu replies, with the soundbyte: "UNHRC gives legitimacy to murderous terror organizations like Hamas and Daash (Islamic State)", accusing them of overlooking "massacres" committed elsewhere in the Middle East. On July 23 three men and two women are charged in Alexandria, Va. with funneling money to Al-Shabaab in Somalia. On July 24 Air Algerie Flight 5017 en route from Burkina Faso to Algiers crashes, killing all 110 passengers and 6 crew aboard incl. 50 French nationals. On July 24 gunmen attack a prisoner convoy N of Baghdad, Iraq, with 52 prisoners and eight soldiers killed in the gun battle. On July 24 a UNRWA school in S Gaza is hit by munitions, killing 15 and injuring dozens; the Israelis and Hamas blame each other; Canadian foreign minister John Baird calls for an investigation of weapons caches at UNRWA-run schools in Gaza. On July 24 ISIS blows up the 8th cent. B.C.E. Mosque of the Prophet Younis (Jonah) in Mosul, Iraq. On July 24 U.S. Repub. Rep. Michele Bachmann introduces the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act of 2014 to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist org. On July 24 (night) 10K+ riot near the Kalandia Checkpoint in the West Bank between Jerusalem and Ramallah, protesting the Israeli military operation, becoming the biggest mass protest since the last intafada; on July 25 Mahmoud Abbas urges mass Gaza solidarity protests in the West Bank, citing a Quran verse permitting those who are wronged to fight for Allah. On July 25 ISIS uploads its first beheading video, of 75 Syrian soldiers; on Aug. 15 a video is uploaded showin Australian-born Khaled Sharrouf with his 7-y.-o. son holding the severed head of a Syrian soldier; on Aug. 19 a video showing Jihadi John beheading Am. journalist James Wright Foley (b. 1973) is uploaded, becoming his first victim; several more follow through Aug. 20, 2017, Iranian soldier Mohsen Hojjaji. On July 26 amid violent clashes, the U.S. closes its embassy in Tripoli, Libya, and evacuates its personnel to Tunisia. On July 26 ISIS captures a large military base in Raqqa, Syria, beheading several captured soldiers. On July 26 U.S. secy. of state John Kerry meets in Paris with Turkish foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu and Qatari foreign minister Khaled al-Attiyah regarding a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which neither side accepts. On July 27 (Sun.) after Hamas rejects a 24-hour Eid al-Fitr ceasefire requested by the U.N., the Israeli military resumes fighting in Gaza. On June 27 heavy fighting in Benghazi, Libya between the Islamist Misrata Brigade and and forces loyal to Gen. Khalifa Hifter kill 37. On July 27 Boko Haram militants kidnap the wife of Cameroon vice-PM Amadou Ali and her maid. On July 27 (Sun.) to mark the Muslim holiday of Eid-al-Fitr, closet Muslim Pres. Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama release a statement thanking Muslim-Ams. for their many "achievements and contributions... to building the very fabric of our nation and strengthening the core of our democracy"; he should have thanked Christian-Ams. and Jewish-Ams. instead?; afterwards he chows down on pork spare ribs in a Kansas City restaurant. On July 27 the Internat. Union of Muslim Scholars calls for a "global uprising by free people, especially Arabs and Muslims" in support of the Gaza Strip; meanwhile on July 23 the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade of Fatah declares "open war" on the "Zionist enemy". On July 28 the 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals rules 2-1 that the Va. ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, joining the 10th Circuit in Denver, which did ditto for Okla. On July 29 Pres. Obama announces a new round of U.S. sanctions against Russia incl. the Bank of Moscow, VTB Bank, and Russian Agricultural Bank, with the soundbyte: "Today is a reminder that the United States means what it says. It didn't have to come tot his. There continues to be a better choice", adding that it's "not a new Cold War". On July 29 Boko Haram militants attack two mosques in Potiskum, Yobe, Nigeria, killing six and injuring several. On July 29 Molotov cocktails are thrown at the synagogue in Wuppertal, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany; on Jan. 14, 2014 three Palestinians admit to the attack. On July 29 Italian Muslim cleric Sheikh Abd Al-Barr Al-Rawdhi delivers a sermon in San Dona di Piave, calling for Jews to be killed "to the very last one", causing him to be removed from the Italian ministry and expelled from Italy. On July 30 after speaking out against anti-Muslim extremists Jume Tahir (b. 1940), imam of the Id Kah Mosque in Kashgar (China's largest) is murdered by three anti-Muslim extremists. On July 30 (eve.) the U.S. House votes 225-201 along party lines to sue Pres. Obama over his abuse of pres. power, with House Speaker John Boehner calling him a tyrant while denying that Repubs. have plans to pursue impeachment, claiming that Dems. would use it as a fundraising tactic. On July 30 (night) Israeli uses new drone technology to demolish 40 mosques in Gaza that are suspected of storing rockets. On July 30 an investigation confirms that the CIA hacked into computers used by the U.S. Senate. On July 30 (p.m.) Ansar al-Sharia seizes complete control of Benghazi, Libya, declaring it an Islamic emirate. On July 31 an independent panel appointed by Congress and the Pentagon announces that Pres. Obama's downsizing of the U.S. military leaves it too weak to handle global threats. On July 31 in an unprecedented move, six top grand ayatollahs announce public support for Iraqi Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Sistani, indirectly calling for PM Nouri Al-Maliki to go take a liki, er, hiki. In July Hillary Clinton aide Cheryl Mills sends an email inquring about the identity of The Energizer, a secret lover of Bill Clinton. In July venture capitalist Tim Draper unsuccessfully attempts to put the secessionist Six Californias incl. the states of Silicon Valley, West Calif. on the Nov. 2016 Calif. ballot despite claiming 1.3M signatures. In July the U.S. unemployment rate increases to 6.2%, adding 209K jobs; so far 11.472M working age Americans have left the workforce since Pres. Obama took office in Jan. 2009. On Aug. 1 (Operation Protective Edge Day 25) Israel and Hamas agree to a 3-day humanitarian ceasefire as Egypt tries to broker a peace deal; too bad, less than three hours after it goes into effect, Hamas terrorists emerge from a tunnel, detonate a suicide bomb, then kill two Israeli soldiers and kidnap Israeli soldier 2nd Lt. Hadar Goldin, ending the ceasefire, with Benjamin Netanyahu telling John Kerry that "Hamas will pay", and telling the Obama admin. "not to ever second-guess me again", with Pres. Obama calling for the soldier to be "unconditionally released as soon as possible", with the soundbyte: "No country can tolerate missiles raining down on its cities... No country can or would tolerate tunnels being dug under their land"; on Aug. 1 the U.S. Senate passes legislation sponsored by Repub. leader Mitch McConnell allocating $225M for Israel's Iron Dome; meanwhile Israel continues destroying infiltration tunnels from Gaza; on Aug. 2 after the Israeli army triggers the Hannibal Protocol, killing 130 Palestinian civilians in Rafah to try to ensure that he doesn't remain in their hands, Goldin is confirmed dead? On Aug. 1 a new law in Colo. takes effect allowing illegal aliens to sign up for drivers licenses and ID cards; meanwhile the U.S. House votes 216-192 to halt the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that gave 600K young adult illegal immigrants work permits, and votes 223-189 (one Dem. for it, four Repubs. gainst it) to pass a $694M emergency funding bill reimbursing state govs. who deploy Nat. Guard troops to the border, both of which the Dem.-controlled Senate (which is on a 5-week summer vacation) opposes. On Aug. 1 U.N. high commissioner for human rights Navi Pillay slams Israel for committing war crimes against her darling boy Hamas, and suggests that they should share their Iron Dome defensive system with it. On Aug. 1 Pres. Obama appoints German Brig. Gen. Markus Laubenthal as chief of staff of U.S. Army Europe, becoming the first non-Am. officer to hold the position. On Aug. 3 the Israelis allegedly shell a UNRWA school in S Gaza sheltering 3K civilians, killing 10 and injuring 35, causing U.S. State Dept. spokesperson Jen Psaki to call it "disgraceful"; the incident was staged by Hamas, with an Israeli shell hitting outside the school and bodies moved into the courtyard? On Aug. 3 an Israeli missile kills three Hamas fighters riding a motorcycle in Rafah, the shrapnel killing 10 civilians near a school, causing the U.S. State Dept. to send a decree to the Israeli military telling it how it may or may not target Hamas terrorists, pissing-off Israel. On Aug. 4 a construction vehicle rams an Israeli bus in Jerusalem, killing one pedestrian before the Muslim driver is killed by police; a speech had been given on July 30 by Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum calling for rage attacks "to avenge the blood of Gaza", with the soundbyte: "Don't you have bulldozers? Don't you have trucks? Anyone who has a knife, a club, a weapon, or a car, yet does not use it to run over a Jew or a settler, and does not use it to kill dozens of Zionists, does not belong to Palestine." On Aug. 4-5 Pres. Obama holds the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington, D.C. for 50 African heads of state amid hundreds of protesters. On Aug. 5 Rafiqullah, an Afghan soldier being trained to take over for the U.S. opens fire at Camp Qargha W of Kabul, Afghanistan, killing U.S. 2-star gen. Harold J. "Harry" Greene (b. 1959), who becomes the highest-ranking U.S. officer killed in the Afghanistan War (begun 2001), and highest-ranking since the Vietnam War; 15 are injured incl. U.S. troops and a German brig. gen.; Greene was working for the British-run Marshal Fahim Nat. Defense U., whose first class graduates at the end of Aug.; the killer is a disgruntled Afghan soldier not a Taliban member? On Aug. 5 a ferry capsizes on the Padma River near Dkhaka, Bangladesh, killing 125. On Aug. 5 it is announced that Russian hackers have stolen 1.2B passwords, but just which sites have been robbed isn't revealed to prevent them from bidding up the price. On Aug. 5 a 72-hour ceasefire is called in Gaza, which is broken as soon as it expires by Hamas two rockets fired into S Israel, followed by 57 more after Israel waits 2.5 hours than resumes air campaign. On Aug. 5 after a month-long siege to starve them out, causing some women to throw their children from the top of Sinjar Mt., ISIS fighters begin exterminating thousands of 30K heterodox Muslim Yazidis trapped on Mt. Sinjar, Iraq, incl. a smattering of Christian families; on Aug. 6-7 200K Christians flee the Nineveh Plain in Iraq; on Aug. 7 calling the situation "close to a humanitarian catastrophe", Pres. Obama authorizes air drops to save the Yazidis, authorizing air strikes on "barbaric" ISIS to protect the Kurdish city of Erbil (Irbil); on Aug. 8 (6:45 a.m.) the first U.S. airstrike is performed against ISIS positions near Erbil; on Aug. 9 Pres. Obama utters the soundbyte that the airstrikes may continue for months; on Aug. 13 after sending in advisors along with humanitarian food-water airdrops, the Pentagon announces that the Mt. Sinjar siege is over, stopping the rescue mission. On Aug. 6 Boko Haram militants kill 100 Christians in Gwoza, Nigeria; later reports indicate 1K shot, hacked to death, and burned alive. On Aug. 7 a U.N.-backed tribunal in Phnom Penh, Cambodia sentences Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea for crimes against humanity in the 1970s reign of terror that killed 2M, the only two surviving leaders. On Aug. 7 ISIS captures the Kurdish-held city of Qaraqosh, Iraq, Iraq's largest Christian city (pop. 50K). On Aug. 9 Peter Leahy, former head of the Australian army warns that Australia needs to fight a 100-year war against radical Islam. On Aug. 9 (12:00 p.m.) in Ferguson, Mo. (near St. Louis) a police officer shoots and kills unarmed 6'4" 290 lb. black teenie (strongarm robbery suspect of a handful of Swisher Sweets cigars at a convenience store) Michael "Mike" Brown (b. 1996) after a scuffle, shooting him 6x from the front incl. two to the head, pissing-off the mainly black town pop., who begin rioting, bringing in massive police power incl. military equipment; only 3 of 53 police officers are black; on Aug. 11 the FBI opens an investigation; on Aug. 12 Pres. Obama offers his condolences; on Aug. 14 Pres. Obama gives a press conference, expressing concern over the "violent turn", urging calm and saying that people need to "come together", lamenting excessive police force, and calling on police to be "open and transparent" in the investigation, saying that he will work with federal and local authorities to ensure that "justice is done", uttering the soundbyte: "Police should not be bullying or arresting journalists who are just trying to do their job; meanwhile police chief Thomas Jackson refuses to reveal the name of the shooter until Aug. 15, and it turns out to be 6-year white vet Darren Wilson (1986-), sparking more protests and rioting, causing the Nat. Guard to be called in (until ?); on Aug. 18 Pres. Obama holds another press conference, calling for calm, and announcing that he's sending U.S. atty. gen. Eric Holder to personally take over the big investigation; on Nov. 24 a grand jury refuses to indict Wilson, sparking protests and riots. On Aug. 9 (12:01 a.m.) Israel and Hamas accept another 72-hour ceasefire, brokered by Egypt, who invites them to resume talks after 2K have been killed; on Aug. 13 a 5-day extension is announced; too bad, Hamas fires five rockets into Gaza 2 hours before the first ceasefire's scheduled end. On Aug. 10 the Egyptian supreme court dissolves the banned Muslim Brotherhood party, and orders its assets liquidated. On Aug. 10 Hillary Clit, er, Clinton gives an interview to Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic Mag., calling Pres. Obama's "don't do stupid shit" foreign policy approach not "an organizing principle" worthy of "great nations". On Aug. 10 U.S. Sen. (R-S.C.) Lindsey Graham utters the soundbyte that it isn't enough for Pres. Obama to provide limited military aid to Iraq, because if he doesn't crush ISIS now "then he will have committed a blunder for the ages." On Aug. 10 a photo of the 7-y.-o. son of Sydney, Australia-based jihadist Khaled Sharrouf holding up the head of a decapitated Syrian soldier while daddy coos "That's my boy" is posted on Twitter, causing an internat. sensation and helping turn people against the Islamic State. On Aug. 11 Pres. Obama calls to offer his support to Haider Al-Abadi (1952-), the nominee to take over as PM of Iraq, urging him to form an inclusive govt. along with Sunnis and Kurds. On Aug. 11 an ISIS instructor in a falafel shop near the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Baghdad, Iraq demonstrating suicide bombing accidentally detonates his suicide belt, killing himself and 21 students, injuring 15 more. On Aug. 13 Iranian mathematician Maryan Mirzakhani becomes the first woman to win the Fields Medal in mathematics for "contributions to the dynamics and geometry of Riemann surfaces and their moduli spaces." On Aug. 13 the U.N. declares the situation in Iraq a Level 3 Emergency. On Aug. 14 clashes between ISIS and Iraqi troops W of Baghdad, Iraq kill at least four children. On Aug. 15 EU ministers meet in Brussels, Belgium, offering to take charge of Gaza's border crossings, saying that a return to the status quo is "not an option". On Aug. 15 after giving them option of converting to Sunni Islam or dying, ISIS kills 80 Yazidis in Sinjar, Iraq. On Aug. 15 U.S. Army manual ATP 3-39.33 is pub., calling for use of deadly force on peaceful protesters? On Aug. 16 U.S. planes carry out air strikes in N Iraq near the ISIS-held Mosul Dam, with Iraqi and Kurdish Peshmerga forces following up, capturing it on Aug. 17. On Aug. 18 Pres. Obama announces that the U.S. won its mission in Iraq, and is only sending a token force to kick the butts of the "savages" in asshole, er, ISIL (ISIS). On Aug. 18 Pope Francis endorses the use of force to stop Islamic militants from attacking religious minorities in Iraq, but leaves it to the internat. country to decide how, adding that it is legitimate to "stop the unjust aggressor", but that "to stop" doesn't mean "to bomb". On Aug. 19 rocket fire from Gaza breaks the umpteenth ceasefire, bringing retaliatory Israeli strikes. On Aug. 19 after the U.S. refuses to pay $100M ransom and botches a rescue attempt, ISIS releases a video showing the beheading of missing (for 636 days) Am. journalist James Wright Foley (b. 1974), with a warning to the U.S. to stay out of their turf and threatening to behead Am. hostage Michael Sotloff (b. 1983) if Pres. Obama doesn't meet their demands, causing angry disgusted Obama to hold a press conference on Aug. 20, saying "Today the entire world is appalled", "No just God would stand for what they did yesterday", calling ISIL a "cancer", and promising that the U.S. will be "relentless" to "do what's necessary to see justice is done"; Obama adds a typical lie covering for his lethal pet Islam: "ISIL speaks for no religion. Their victims are overwhelmingly Muslim, and no faith teaches people to massacre innocents"; on Aug. 23 British authorities identify the masked beheader as British rapper Abdel_Majed Abdel Bary (1991-) AKA Jihadi John of Maida Vale, W London, son of Egyptian militant Abdel Abdul Bary, who was granted political asylum in 1993, then extradited to the U.S. in 2012 in connection with the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in East Africa; in Feb. 2015 he is identified as Kuwaiti-born West London computer programmer Mohammed Emwazi (1988-); the ransom demands incl. the release of "Lady Al-Qaida" Aafia Siddiqui; too bad, on Sept. 2 they release a video of the beheading of Sotloff, threatening the life of 3rd hostage David Cawthorne Haines of Britain, causing Pres. Obama on Sept. 3 to utter the soundbyte that the U.S. objective is now to "degrade and destroy" ISIS so that it no longer poses a threat to the civilized world; it later is revealed that Sotloff was Jewish and an Israeli citizen, and concealed it from his captors; on Sept. 13 ISIS releases a video showing the beheading of Haines and threatening to behead fellow Brit Alan Henning; on Sept. 19 the U.S. Senate approves a $10M reward for info. on the murderers of Sotloff and Foley. On Aug. 19 a ballot initiative to legalize personal consumption of marijuana passes in Alaska. On Aug. 19 thousands of protesters led by Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri protest at the house of Indian PM Nawaz Sharif, demanding that he step down; by the end of Aug. the continuing anti-govt. protests cause the army's 11 corps cmdrs. to decide to force Sharif to resign, meeting in Rawalpindi, but army chief Raheel Sharif talks them out of it. On Aug. 20 ISIS soldiers attack the Syrian govt.-held Taqba Air Base in NE Syria. On Aug. 20 a riot is sparked in Monrovia, Liberia after govt. troops seal off a seaside slum to prevent the spread of Ebola. On Aug. 21 (early a.m.) the Israelis assassinates three top Hamas cmdrs.; too bad, they miss al-Qassam Brigades cmdr. Mohammed al-Daif. On Aug. 21 ISIS reaches the outskirts of the Syrian rebel-held town of Marea, Syria N of Aleppo. On Aug. 21 U.S. defense secy. Chuck Hagel gives a press conference, saying that ISIS is "beyond any terrorist group. They marry ideology, sophistication of strategic and tactical military prowess. They are tremendously well-funded. This is beyond anything that we've seen, so we must prepare for everything, and the only way you do that is you take a cold, steely hard look at it and get ready"; meanwhile U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee ranking Repub. member Jim Inhofe (Okla.) utters the soundbyte that the U.S. is now in "the most dangerous position we've ever been in... They're crazy out there, and they are rapidly developing a method of blowing up a major U.S. city"; meanwhile on Aug. 22 U.S. Army Gen. Martin Dempsey utters the soundbyte that ISIS has an "apocalyptic, end-of-days strategic vision", and cannot be defeated without a coalition of partners confronting it head-on in Syria, adding: "They can be contained, not in perpetuity." On Aug. 21-22 Chinese pres. Xi Jinping visits Mongolia (his 2nd visit), signing 26 agreements for a "comprehensive strategic partnership". On Aug. 22 (p.m.) Shiite gunmen attack a Sunni mosque in Diyala Province, Iraq during Fri. prayers, killing 40 and injuring 30. On Aug. 22 two teenie French Muslim girls are indicted for conspiracy to blow up the Great Synagogue in Lyon. On Aug. 23 a suicide bomber in the interior ministry bldg. in Bagdead, Iraq kills 11+. On Aug. 23 a group of WWII Holocaust survivors pub. an open letter in the New York Times dissing Israel for trying to "justify the unjustifiable: Israel's wholesale effort to destroy Gaza and the murder of more than 2,000 Palestinians", also dissing Elie Wiesel for playing the "Holocaust trump" card in a prior open letter calling upon "President Obama and the leaders of the world to condemn Hamas's use of children as human shields". On Aug. 23 Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie finally wed in Chateau Miraval in Correns, Provence, France. On Aug. 24 (eve.) after 2K Christian families abandon Bartella, Iraq to join 60K Christians who also fled there, a bomb explodes in a busy thoroughfare in Erbil, Iraq, becoming the Islamic State's first attack, shocking the city. On Aug. 24 (3:20 a.m. local time) a 6.0 earthquake rocks San Francisco, Calif., waking residents of wineland Napa Valley. On Aug. 24 Arab foreign ministers led by Saudi Arabia meet in Abu Dhabi, UAE to discuss the problem of the Islamic State, pledging to maintain "security and stability". On Aug. 24 Islamists of Fajr Libya (Operation Dawn) seize control of the airport in Tripoli, Libya, leaving another govt. holding on in the E; on Aug. 25 the Islamic State captures Tabqa Air Base in NE Syria. On Aug. 24 after pressure by Qatar, Am. freelance writer Peter Theo Curtis (1969-) is unexpectedly freed after two years in captivity by Al Nusrah Front. On Aug. 24 Iran claims to shoot down an Israeli drone over Iran, causing Iranian Brig. Gen. Hossein Salami to utter the soundbyte: "Our response to this aggression will not be diplomatic. We will retaliate in the battlefield, but will not necessarily announce it." On Aug. 24 African-Am. Muslim Douglas McArthur McCain of San Diego, Calif. becomes the first American to be KIA fighting for ISIS. On Aug. 24 Saudi Christian convert Khalid Muidh Alzahrani is kidnapped from his home in New Zealand and flown back to Saudi Rabies, er, Arabia. On Aug. 25 the U.S. announces that Egypt and the UAE secretly launched air strikes against Islamist militias in Tripoli, Libya, keeping it from them. On Aug. 25 200+ Hollywood celebs incl. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Roseanne Barr, Kelsey Grammer, Minnie Driver, Kathy Ireland, and Ziggy Marley sign a statement condemning Hamas's and its charter (article 7) as an "ideology of hatred and genocide". On Aug. 25 Mexican pres. Enrique Pena Nieto visits Calif., complimenting Gov. Jerry Brown for legalizing drivers licenses for illegal aliens, and calling for immigration reform, uttering the soundbyte: "We want to be a factor of cohesion, not division, with full respect for the sovereignty of the United States. This, at the end, is about, and only about a matter of justice for those who contribute so much to the development of the American society." On Aug. 26 another Gaza ceasefire (#12 in 50 days) is announced, to go in effect in the evening, with the Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas calling it "permanent"; too bad, before evening a massive rocket barrage from Gaza kills one Israeli and injures six. On Aug. 26 the Rotherham Child Sexual Exploitation Scandal in Britain sees a coverup end with a report by a commission led by Prof. Alexis Jay that 1.4K children had been sexually exploited by gangs of Pakistani Muslim immigrant men in 1997-2013, but that the govt. was afraid of "giving oxygen" to racism. On Aug. 27 after plotting to bomb Oprah Winfrey's Chicago studios in the Sears Tower in 2009, Am. Muslim Emad Karakrah (1965-) of West Lawn is arrested in Chicago, Ill. after a high-speed chase in his car with an ISIS flag waving from it, after which he lies to officers that his car is rigged with explosives to prevent search; he goes on to become an FBI informant before going rogue, helping expose a narco-terrorist network based in El Paso, Tex. and N.M.; too bad, after the FBI intervenes, he is released in 2015 and put in the Lincoln Correctional Center min. security facility 165 mi. S of Chicago, with discharge set for July 13, 2020. On Aug. 28 PM (since Mar. 14, 2003) Recep Tayyip Erogan (1954) becomes pres. #12 of Turkey (until ?); he goes on to sue 1.8K+ people for allegedly insulting him. On Aug. 28 Pres. Obama holds a press conference, with the soundbyte that "We don't have a strategy yet" for defeating ISIL - can't hack the Winslow Plan? On Aug. 28 U.S. Rep. (R-Tex.) Louie Gohmert calls for a "declaration of war against radical Islam". On Aug. 28 a new study is pub. that reveals that Mohammed (Mohammad) is the most common name for newborn boys in Oslo, Norway. On Aug. 29 Bardabunga Volcano in C Iceland begins erupting (until Feb. 27, 2015), emitting large amounts of sulfur dioxide but little or no volcanic ash, extruding basaltic lava covering 33 sq. mi. of terrain in 6 mo., becoming the largest basaltic lava flow since 1783, driving rapid global warming in 2014-16. On Aug. 29 as Sept. 11 approaches, British PM David Cameron raises Britain's terrorism threat level to severe. On Aug. 29 NATO calls on Russia to cease its "illegal" military operations in Ukraine; meanwhile the Russian foreign ministry warns Poland that its closure of its airspace for the plane of defense minister Sergey Shoygu won't go without an "appropriate response"; meanwhile NATO is planning on sending 10K troops from seven member states if necessary. On Aug. 30 the U.S. launches air strikes at ISIS fighters sieging the ethnic Turkmen town of Amerli, Iraq, creeping from its original mission of protecting U.S. personnel in Erbil. On Aug. 30 Al Nusrah Front announces the kidnapping of 45 Philippine U.N. observers at the Quneitra border crossing between Syria and Golan Heights; luckily they all escape to Israel; another group is surrounded and holds out until ?. On Aug. 30 a Taliban suicide assault at the Nat. Directorate of Security in Jalalabad, Afghanistan kills four intel service members and two civilians. On Aug. 30 Indian security forces fire on peaceful protesters in Ukhrul, Manipur, India, killing two and injuring 10+. On Aug. 31 an Al-Shabaab suicide team hits a govt. intel HQ in Mogadishu, Somalia. On Aug. 31 Pres. Obama gives a White House briefing, with the soundbyte that he has no strategy to defeat ISIS; he wears a tan suit, drawing snickers from journalists; every year on this day the PC press celebrates Obama's admin. as scandal-free. On Aug. 31 a BBC Pool finds that 95% believe that Muslim, er, multiculturalism in Britain has failed. In Aug. conservative Am. activist James E. O'Keefe III (1984-) crosses the U.S. border into Mexico wearing an Osama bin Laden disguise, then sneaks back into Tex.; too bad the Dept. of Homeland Security begins persecuting him, stopping him for questioning every time he tries to reenter the U.S. In Aug. U.S. unemployment falls to 6.1%, with 142K new jobs added to the economy. On Sept. 1 U.S. vice-pres. Joe Biden gives a speech at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Maine, with the soundbyte that the U.S. will follow ISIS "to the gates of Hell". On Sept. 1 the 56-point Tokyo Declaration is issued by India and Japan as a blueprint for future collaboration. On Sept. 1 (night) a U.S. Hellfire missile air strike kills Al-Shabaab leader Ahmed Abdi Godane, in an encampment 105 mi. S of Mogadishu, Somalia; he is succeeded by Abu Ubeid Ahmed Omar (until ?). On Sept. 2 English-born Am. citizen Luke Somers (1981-) is kidnapped in Yemen by AQAP; on Dec. 4 AQAP releases a video giving Pres. Obama three days to save him, while the U.S. admits it made a failed rescue attempt in Nov., personally authorized by Pres. Obama; too bad, on Dec. 5 he is killed by AQAP during another rescue attempt; South African teacher Pierre Korkie is killed hours before he is due to be released for $200K ransom, pissing-off his U.K.-based family; the U.S. claims it didn't know about the ransom agreement. On Sept. 2 Arnold Schwarzenegger's 2006 campaign strategist Matthew John Dowd (1961-) reveals to the New York Post that he had a love affair with Maria Shriver during the 2006 campaign that Ahnuld knew about but wanted hushed-up. On Sept. 2 the 24m blue Glass Wall Memorial in Berlin to the 300K mentally ill and disabled victims of the Nazi regime is unveiled. On Sept. 2 Israel-based CYBERTINEL announces the uncovering of the Harkonnen Operation, an internat. cyber espionage ring targeting 300+ orgs. in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. On Sept. 2 the first same-sex marriage in Turkey hitches Ekin Keser and Emrullah Tuzun. On Sept. 3 Russian pres. Vladimir Putin calls on insurgents in E Ukraine to "stop advancing", and urges Ukrainian troops to withdraw; meanwhile Pres. Obama visits Estonia in a show of solidarity with NATO allies who fear Russian aggression. On Sept. 3 U.S. District Judge Martin L.C. Feldman upholds the same-sex marriage ban (by a 78% vote) in La., calling the concept "inconceivable until very recently". On Sept. 3 to counter the bad rep ISIL/ISIS is giving to Islam, U.S. secy. of John Kerry appoints Pakistani-born Shaarik H. Zafar as the U.S. State Dept.'s special rep to Muslim-Am. communities, with the soundbyte: "The real face of Islam is a peaceful religion based on the dignity of all human beings. It's one where Muslim communities are leading the fight against poverty. It's one where Muslim communities are providing basic healthcare and emergency assistance on the front lines of some of our most devastating humanitarian crises. And it is one where Muslim communities are advocating for universal human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the most basic freedom to practice one's faith openly and freely. America's faith communities, including American Muslims, are sources of strength for all of us. They're an essential part of our national fabric, and we are committed to deepening our partnerships with them" - teacher's pet needn't be ashamed of his grades? On Sept. 3 after arriving in Mexico from Istanbul via Paris, four Turkish men are captured by the border patrol in Tex. while trying to cross the U.S. border; U.S. homeland secy. Jeh Johnson claims they are Kurdish resistance fighters not terrorists. On Sept. 4 the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals issues a ruling that the same-sex marriage bans in Wisc. and Ind. are unconstitutional; meanwhile 31 states ask the U.S. Supreme Court to settle the issue. On Sept. 4 Abu Hajar al-Souria, top lt. for ISIS is killed in an air strike in Mosul. On Sept. 4 Nigerian-born recent Muslim convert Fat Nicholas beheads 82-y.-o. Italian Cafe owner Palmira Silva in Edmonton, London, England. On Sept. 4 after being indicted on Jan. 21, former Repub. gov. #71 of Va. (2010-14) Robert Francis "Bob" McDonnell (1954-) is found guilty on 11 counts of corruption for accepting $177K in gifts in cash from vitamin exec Jonnie Williams. On Sept. 4 low-wage fast food workers strike in 100 cities throughout the U.S., demanding a pay raise to $15 an hour. On Sept. 4 11 Muslims in Wuppertal, Germany are arrested for trying to implement a Sharia-Controlled Zone, patrolling around in uniforms reading "Shariah Police". On Sept. 5 after his letter to the New York Times blaming rising anti-Semitism in Europe on Israel draws a firestorm of controversy, Yale chaplain Bruce Shipman resigns. On Sept. 4-5 the Wales NATO Summit sees the 28 members acknowledge that their formal role in Afghanistan is coming to an end with an official declaration, and pledge to spend at least 2% of their GDPs on defense, approving a rapid response team to counter the Russian threat. On Sept. 5 an Afghan coalition chartered plane en route from Bagram Air Base to Dubai is forced to land in Bandar Abbas, Iran. On Sept. 6 ISIS releases photos showing the beheading of two Lebanese soldiers, causing families to stage demonstrations. On Sept. 7 Nabil Elaraby, head of the Arab League calls on members to fight ISIS "militarily and politically", and to consider an attack on any member as an attack on all members. On Sept. 7 (night) Arab riots in Jerusalem injure several Israelis and cause light rail service to be curtailed. On Sept. 8 it is announced that Egyptian pres. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has proposed that the Palestinians in Gaza move to a new 1.6K sq. km Palestinian state in Sinai and drop the demand to return to the 1967 borders. On Sept. 8 Jordanian Prince Zeid Ra'ad Zeid al-Hussein (1964-) (Jordanian ambassador to the U.S. in 2007-10, and claimant to the throne of Iraq) becomes the first Muslim U.N. human rights chief (until ?), issuing a warning to world powers of a "house of blood" in Iraq and Syria if they don't protect women and minorities, calling the conflict "increasingly conjoined". On Sept. 8 a bomb explodes outside an underground train station in Santiago, Chile, injuring 10+; anarchists are suspected. On Sept. 8 Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, grand imam of Al-Azhar U. in Egypt denounces ISIS, calling its members "criminal tarnishing the image of Islam", and calling ISIS and allied groups "products of colonialism serving Zionism". On Sept. 8 on the 40th anniv. of his movie "Young Frankenstein", Hollyweird celeb Mel Brooks puts his handprints in cement at Grauman's Chinese Theater on Hollywood Blvd., using a prosthetic finger to give his left hand six fingers. On Sept. 9 Al Nusrah Front captures the town of Naba Al-Sakhr, Syria in Quneitra on the Israeli border. On Sept. 9 a mysterious blast rocks the leaders of Syrian rebel group Ahrar al Sham. On Sept. 9 the U.S. House votes by 249-163 (incl. 11 Dems.) to officially condemn Pres. Obama for releasing five Taliban POWs in exchange for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl without Congressional notification. On Sept. 9-11 the In Defense of Christians Conference in Washington, D.C. sees Eastern and Western church leaders bemoan the fate of Christians in the Middle East; too bad, one of the organizers is James Zogby, pres. of the Israel-hating Arab Am. Inst., and on Sept. 10 U.S. Rep. (R-Tex.) Ted Cruz is booed off the stage by anti-Israel elements of the audience, with the soundbytes: "Those who hate Israel hate America, and those who hate Jews hate Christians", "Christians "have no greater ally than Israel", and "Antisemitism is a corrosive evil, and it reared its ugly head tonight." On Sept. 9 Yemeni police open fire on Hawthi rebel-led protesters marching toward the PM's office in Sana'a, Yemen, killing four and injuring 10. On Sept. 9 a Washington Post-ABC News Poll finds that Pres. Obama's approval ratings for handling of foreign affairs dip to a new low of 38%, with 56% disapproving. On Sept. 9 7K Md. students from 56 schools build the largest U.S. flag ever on the grounds of Francis Scott Key's tourist trap Ft. McHenry. On Sept. 10 Lebanese troops recapture the town of Arsal, Lebanon from ISIS, which they held since Aug. On Sept. 10 Pakistani planes strike five Taliban hideouts in North Waziristan, Pakistan near the Afghan border, killing 65. On Sept. 10 Arvada, Colo. Muslim convert Shannon Conley (1995-) pleads guilty in Denver federal court to trying to help ISIS. On Sept. 10 the British Trades Union Congress, led by Muslim bus driver Mohammed Taj (6M members from 54 unions) votes in Liverpool to adopt a Statement on Gaza, which condemns Israel and calls for stopping arms shipments to them. On Sept. 10 U.S. Rep. (D-Tex.) Beto O'Rourke tells the Homeland Security Committee that the U.S. is already at war with Iraq. On Sept. 10 Pres. Obama gives his ISIS Speech, outlining his plans for air strikes in Syria and deployment of 475 more military advisers in Iraq (joining the 1K+ already there), but denying that the U.S. is renewing the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, saying that the U.S. is building a global coalition to "degrade and ultimately destroy" ISIS, which won't incl. Syria ("an Assad regime that terrorizes its own people"), warning that "eradicating a cancer" like Isis will be a long-term challenge even at the risk of some U.S. troops, with the soundbyte: "This is a core principle of my presidency: If you threaten America, you will find no safe haven", and adding that the er, crusade "will not involve American combat troops fighting on foreign soil", asking Congress for $500M to train and equip anti-Assad and anti-ISIS Syrian rebels, with Saudi Arabia agreeing to host their training camps. On Sept. 11 (9/11) Turkey refuses a U.S. request to let its 10 Arab-nation coalition use its bases for attacks on ISIS, and also refuses to join, as does Germany, with Britain waffling; meanwhile U.S. secy. of state John Kerry meets with the Gulf Cooperation Council in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where 10 members pledge a united front against ISIS; meanwhile Syria warns that it must approve any foreign intervention else it would constitute an act of aggression. On Sept. 11 Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a Taliban splinter group releases a graphic celebrating al-Qaida's big V on 9/11/2001. On Sept. 11 mass demonstrations by 1.5M (20% of the pop.) in Catalonia, Spain for independence on the 300th anniv. of the loss of sovereignty. On Sept. 11 Pres. Obama meets with Eastern Orthodox patriarchs in the White House, surprising them with the soundbyte that Syrian pres. Bashed Ass, er, Bashar al-Assad "protected the Christians in Syria". On Sept. 11 Islamic jihadists raid a village office in Pattani Province, S Thailand, killing four. On Sept. 12 the EU imposes new sanctions against Russia for its aggression against Ukraine; the U.S. does ditto. On Sept. 13 Iranian Peshmerga forces clash with Iranian forces; the Peshmergas claim that they acted in self-defense. On Sept. 14 (Sun.) U.S. secy. of state John Kerry gives an interview to CBS-TV's Face the Nation, admitting that the U.S. is at "war" with ISIS. On Sept. 14 Ugandan police arrest 19 for planning an Al-Shabaab terrorist attack on Kamapala, Uganda. On Sept. 14 (a.m.) a Taliban bomb in Kabul, Afghanistan kills 1+. On Sept. 15 a meeting in Syria of 50 senior cmdrs. of a coalition of Islamic moderates opposed to ISIS are killed by an explosion in their secret command bunker. On Sept. 15 hundreds of Taliban fighters storm Ajristan District in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan, capturing several villages and beheading civilians. On Sept. 15 the Internat. Conference on Peace and Security in Iraq in Paris is attended by leaders of 30+ countries, incl. French pres. Francois Holland, who utters the soundbyte about ISIS: "With these terrorists you can't reason, you have to conquer them." On Sept. 16 Pres. Obama announces the deployment of 3K U.S. troops with their own general to Liberia to handle the Ebola crisis, which he says is "spiraling out of control." On Sept. 16 the FBI announces that its Next Generation Identification System facial recognition system is fully operational. On Sept. 16 the U.S. Army Rangers announce that the first female volunteers will be considered next spring. On Sept. 16 Pres. Obama unknowingly rides in an elevator with a man carrying a gun during a visit to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Ga.; he turns out to be a CDC security officer who wanted to take pictures. On Sept. 17 Pres. Obama utters the soundbyte to U.S. troops at MacDill AFB that they "do not and will not have a combat mission" against ISIS", adding "As your commander in chief, I will not commit you and the rest of our armed forces to fighting another ground war in Iraq." On Sept. 17 the U.S. House votes 273-156 to back Pres. Obama's plan to train Syrian rebels. On Sept. 17 Dept. of Homeland Security secy. Jeh Johnson announces that most of the 6K unaccounted-for foreign students who had overstayed visas as announced earlier in the mo. have been tracked down and concerns allayed. On Sept. 17 the Muslim-infiltrated U.N. Human Rights Council by 30-12-1 votes to remove beheading, mass shootings, and mass starvation from its purview, deeming such acts not worthy of their attention, unless it involves Israel; Britain abstains, and Obama's rep isn't present. On Sept. 17 800 police in Sydney, Australia stage raids in 12+ places to stop an ISIS plot to kidnap and behead infidels, arresting 15. On Sept. 18 ISIS stages an unsuccessful attack on Adala Prison in Kadhmiya, N Baghdad, Iraq, and another in the Iskan neighborhood of Baghdad, home of the offices of the Shiite Badr Org. On Sept. 18 U.S. secy. of state John Kerry utters the soundbyte that the Islamic State is "not a state and they do not represent Islam", calling it "the order of Satan". Fish jokes here? On Sept. 18 (Thur.) the 2014 Referendum on Scottish Independence sees 55%-45% vote to stay in the U.K. after a 84.6% turnout, highest in the U.K. since Jan. 1910 over universal suffrage, causing Scottish PM #4 (since May 16, 2007) Alex Salmond to resign, and Nicola Ferguson Sturgeon (1970-) to become Scottish PM #5 on Nov. 20, becoming the first woman. On Sept. 19 a mass Muslim protest in Germany sponsored by the Coordination Council of Muslims (2K mosques) calls for peace and tolerance and against the alleged misuse of the name of Islam by ISIS et al. On Sept. 19 (Fri.) Pres. Obama walks out of a Pentagon meeting about ISIS over remarks made about Islam, with the soundbyte that it "inappropriate" to "try and paint all of Islam with the same brush"; he then heads to Camp David for the weekend. On Sept. 19 (7:20 p.m. local time) intruder Omar J. Gonzalez (an Iraq War vet with PTSD) jumps a fence and runs into the White House before being tackled. On Sept. 20 (6:30 a.m.) 46 Turkish hostages taken on June 11 by ISIS are freed. On Sept. 20 the Lebanese army shells ISIS positions near Indrajith, Lebanon, killing 11 and arresting two. On Sept. 20 Qatar expels senior Muslim Brotherhood leaders. On Sept. 20 the IAEA in Vienna votes 58-? against an Arab-backed draft resolution calling on Israel to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). On Sept. 21 Climate Change Protests are held in hundreds of cities worldwide, incl. 310K in New York City. On Sept. 21 ISIS closes in on the N border town of Ayn al-Arab, Syria, causing 100K Syrian Kurds to flee into Turkey. On Sept. 21 a riot caused by Allah Akbar-shouting Muslims in Goulburn Jail in N.S.W., Australia becomes the worst riot in the country in 10 years. On Sept. 21 British politician Paul Weston gives a speech in London calling PM David Cameron a "coward" and "traitor" for calling for more Muslim faces in govt. On Sept. 21 (night) Israeli authorities arrest seven Palestinians near Hebron, Israel for plotting a Rosh Hashana attack near Jerusalem. On Sept. 21 Pres. Obama gives his Latte Salute to the U.S. Marine Corps while stepping off a heli in New York City. On Sept. 21 Pope Francis gives a Speech on ISIS, with the soundbyte: "May no one use religion as a pretext for actions against human dignity and against the fundamental rights of every man and woman, above all, the right to life and the right of everyone to religious freedom." On Sept. 22 China and Iran begin their first-ever joint naval exercises in the Persian Gulf. On Sept. 22 Jordan arrests 11 ISIS members for planning "terrorist operations". On Sept. 22 the Obama admin. confirms that the FBI is only monitoring American Muslims who have returned to the U.S. after fighting for ISIS. On Sept. 22 (night) the U.S. stages its first bombing missions in Syria against ISIS targets, becoming the first combat missions for the new F-22 Raptor; Pres. Obama orders night missions to minimize terrorist deaths? On Sept. 22 Calif. gov. Jerry Brown signs a law that deletes the terms "husband" and "wife" from the state marriage law, and substitutes "spouse" in order to accommodate same-sex marriages. On Sept. 22 the Algerian jihadist Jund al-Khilafah (Soldiers of the Caliphate) group kidnaps French citizen Herve Gourdel, then on Sept. 24 releases showing him beheaded after its demand that French airstrikes on Iraq halt is not met. On Sept. 23 China sentences Muslim Uighur leader Ilham Tohti to life in prison. On Sept. 23 the 2014 U.N. Leader's Climate Summit in New York City tries to get world leaders to unite in actions toward closing the emissions gap and achieving a low carbon emission paradise, aiming for a 2C limit but really wanting a 1.5C increase, resulting in the New York Declaration of Forests, written by Washington, D.C.-based Climate Advisers, pledging to halve the deforestation rate by 2020 and end it by 2030, while restoring a degraded land area larger than India; it is signed by 37 govts., 20 sub-nat. govts., 53 multi-nat. corps., 16 indigenous community groups, and 63 NGOs; on Sept. 23 Pres. Obama gives a speech at the U.N. Climate Conference in New York City, calling for an internat. effort to combat global warming, and dissing China and India, with the soundbyte: "Nobody gets a pass. We have to raise our collective ambition." Clueless in New York? On Sept. 24 Pres. Obama gives a speech to the U.N. Gen. Assembly, vowing to lead a coalition to dismantle ISIS, which he calls a "network of death", with the soundbytes: "We come together at a crossroads between war and peace, between disorder and integration, between fear and hope", with "a sense that the very forces that have brought us together have created new dangers, and made it difficult for any single nation to insulate itself from global forces"; the world's problems demand attention but "are also symptoms of a broader problem, the failure of our international system to keep pace with an interconnected world when it's "inconvenient"; but "All of us, big nations and small must meet our responsibility to observe and enforce international norms"; "America is not the same as it was 100 years ago, 50 years ago, or even a decade ago because we fight for our ideals, and we are willing to criticize ourselves when we fall short, because we hold our leaders accountable, and insist on a free press and an independent judiciary, because we address our differences in the open space of democracy, with respect for the rule of law, with a place for people of every race and every religion, and with an unyielding belief in the ability of individual men and women to change their communities and their circumstances and their countries for the better"; "In a summer marked by instability in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, I know the world also took notice of the small American city of Ferguson, Missouri... And like very country, we continually wrestle with how to reconcile the vast changes wrought by globalization and greater diversity with the traditions that we hold dear"; "[W]e have reaffirmed that the United States is not and never will be at war with Islam. Islam teaches peace. Muslims the world over aspire to live with dignity and a sense of justice. And when it comes to America and Islam, there is no us and them, there is only us, because millions of Muslim Americans are part of the fabric of our country." On Sept. 24 after trying to convert co-workers and being fired from Vaughan Foods in Moore, Okla. for preaching Sharia incl. stoning of women, Muslim convert Jah'Keem Yisrael (Alton Alexander Nolen) (1984-) goes on a killing spree, stabbing employee Tracy Johnson and beheading employee Colleen Hufford (b. 1960) before being shot by COO Mark Vaughan; in Oct. 2017 Nolen is convicted of murder and sentenced to death; meanwhile an Obama official flies in from Washington, D.C to thank Nolen's Muslim congregation in Okla. City, with the soundbyte: "Your service is a powerful example of the powerful roots of the Abrahamic faiths and how our communities can come together with shared peace with dignity and a sense of justice." On Sept. 25 ISIS overruns ? Army Base near Baghdad, executing 300 Iraqi soldiers. On Sept. 26 the Iguala Massacre sees police fire on protesting student teachers (normalistas) in Iguala, Guerrero State, Mexico, killing three and disappearing 43, who the Mexican atty. gen. announces are dead on Nov. 7, launching the Mexican Autumn, a nat. protest movement that verges on a rev.; on Oct. 22 50K march in Mexico City to protest corruption in Guerrero state. On Sept. 26 the U.N. Human Rights Council by 25-14 passes a landmark LGBT Rights Resolution backed by the gay U.S., condemning violence and discrimination, which Pakistan calls a "divisive and controversial initiative". On Sept. 26 Palestinian Pres. Mahmoud Abbas gives a speech to the U.N. Gen. Assembly, dissing Israel for its Gaza "genocide", with the soundbyte "We will not forget, and we will not forgive." On Sept. 28 Pres. Obama gives an interview to Steve Kroft of CBS-TV's 60 Minutes, with the soundbyte: "Well, I think our head of the intelligence community, Jim Clapper, has acknowledged that I think they underestimated what had been taking place in Syria"; meanwhile Repub. House Speaker John Boehner utters the soundbyte that the U.S. may "have no choice" but to send combat troops to fight ISIL. On Sept. 28 Shiite suicide bombers attack Majzar, Yemen E of Sana'a, killing 15 and injuring 50+. On Sept. 29 Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu delivers a speech to the U.N. Gen. Assembly, dissing Mahmoud Abbas for "the brazen lies spoken from this very podium against my country and the brave soldiers who defend it", saying that Israel's fight against hamas is part of a global fight against militant Islam which is "on the march", adding that "Hamas is ISIS and ISIS is Hamas", and that they share a "fanatical creed"; "The Nazis believed in a master race, militant Islamists believe in a master faith"; "To disarm ISIS but leave Iran with the bomb would be to win the battle but lose the war"; "Would you let ISIS enrich uranium... develop ICBMS? Of course you wouldn't. Then you mustn't let Iran do those things either." On Sept. 29 U.S. State Dept. spokesman Jen Psaki utters the clueless soundbyte: "The Palestinian people are friends of the United States". On Sept. 30 (dawn) with assistance from British warplanes and Sunni tribal forces, Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga forces seize the strategic Rabia border crossing with Syria. On Sept. 30 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) announce that the first case of Ebola has been diagnosed in the U.S., in Thomas Eric Duncan (b. 1972) of Dallas, Tex., who dies on Oct. 8; on Oct. 12 Dallas, Tex. nurse Nina Pham (1988-) becomes the first person to contract Ebola within U.S. borders, fanning the flames of an Ebola scare; on Oct. 14 Amber Joy Vinson becomes nurse #2. On Sept. 30 new (since Sept. 29) Afghan pres. Ashraf Ghani signs the bilateral U.S.-Afghan Security Agreement, which continues past the end of the year, allowing 10K U.S. troops to remain; the agreement pisses-off the Taliban, which threatens "Sharia judgment and punishment". In Sept. Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) announces its formation. In Sept. Bulgaria completes the first 20-mi. section of a border fence with Turkey to stop illegal immigration, mainly Muslim. In Sept. the article Ten Percent Is Not Enough, condemning the effort to integrate African slaves into Am. white society as futile is pub. in the American Renaissance Blog, after which it circulates slowly until it is attributed to the Baltimore Sun and renamed "The Black Dilemma", after which it goes viral; it contains the soundbytes: "The experiment has failed. Not because of culture, or white privilege, or racism. The fundamental problem is that white people and black people are different. They differ intellectually and temperamentally. These differences result in permanent social incompatibility"; "Our rulers don't seem to understand just how tired their white subjects are with this experiment. They don't understand that white people aren't out to get black people; they are just exhausted with them. They are exhausted by the social pathologies, the violence, the endless complaints, the blind racial solidarity, the bottomless pit of grievances, the excuses, the reflexive animosity. The elites explain everything with 'racism', and refuse to believe that white frustration could soon reach the boiling point"; "They will be the only ones who are surprised when real revolution comes to the United States, and that it is white people who lead the revolt." In Sept. the U.S. unemployment rate falls to 5.9%, adding 248K jobs. On Oct. 1 two car bombs near a school in Homs, Syria kill 48 incl. 41 children; meanwhile ISIS releases videos of the beheading of nine Kurish fighters incl. three women. On Oct. 1 a car bomb near some markets in Baghdad, Iraq kill 15 and injure 40. On Oct. 1 former U.S. pres. Jimmy Carter gives an interview to CNBC, saying that he couldn't beaten Ronald Reagan if he had been "more manly" and bombed Iran. On Oct. 2 the parliament of Turkey votes to authorize cross-border military operations against ISIS and to permit U.S.-led anti-ISIS coalition forces to use Turkish military bases; too bad, their real goal is not to defeat ISIS but to oust Syrian pres. Bashar al-Assad? On Oct. 4 (a.m.) al-Qaida-linked militants ambush U.N. peacekeepers in Mali, killing nine, becoming the deadliest peacekeeper attack in Mali since their mission was launched in July 2013. On Oct. 4 the Pakistani Taliban declares allegiance to ISIS, then backtracks with the statement that it's loyal to supreme leader Mullah Mohammed Omar. On Oct. 5 an explosion at the Iranian Fordow Nuclear Plant kills two; a Mossad operation? On Oct. 5 (night) the Al Nusrah Front raids Qunyeh, Syria in NW Syria and kidnaps a Franciscan priest and 20 other Christians. On Oct. 6 (Mon.) the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court begins its session, promptly denying seven petitions regarding same-sex marriages, allowing them to to proceed in five states incl. Va. On Oct. 7 Hezbollah bombs Israeli troops in the Shebaa Hills on the Lebanon border, injuring two. On Oct. 7 London police arrest four Muslims for plotting to behead people on the streets of London. On Oct. 7 protests by Kurds throughout Europe draw attention to the ISIS attack on Kobani; on Oct. 10 (a.m.) protests in Hamburg turn violent when local Salafis confront them. On Oct. 8 a blood moon. On Oct. 9 two suicide bombings targeting Houthis in Sana'a, Yemen kill 67. On Oct. 10 Sweden recognizes the state of Palestine; not to be outdone, on Oct. 13 the British Parliament votes 274-12 to do ditto. On Oct. 12 three suicide car bomb attacks in Kurdish-controlled Baquba, Iraq kill 25 Kurdish veterans lining up to reenlist. On Oct. 12 U.S. District Judge Timothy M. Burgess strikes down the same-sex marriage ban in Alaska, calling the legislature's actions "irrational". On Oct. 12 after her 78-y.-o. patient Rosa Calderoni at Umberto I Hospital in Lugo is found dead on Apr. 8 with abnormally high blood levels of potassium, along with two more the same day, Italian nurse Daniela Poggiali (1972-) is arrested for kiling up to 38 patients for being "annoying" with "pushy relatives". On Oct. 13 U.N. secy.-gen. Ban Ki-moon criticizes Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu for going ahead with plans to build 2.5K new Jewish homes in Givat Hamatos in East Jerusalem, calling it a "clear violation of international law", causing Netanyahu to respond that "Israel doesn't occupy Gaza. Israel left Gaza to the very last centimeter, to the the very last inch." On Oct. 13 the city council of Seattle, Wash. votes unanimously to change Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day. On Oct. 14 Iran and six major powers begin a new round of nuclear negotiations in Vienna, Austria to try and reach a draft final agreement before the Nov. 24 deadline. On Oct. 14 Turkey denies the U.S. permission for use of Incirlik Air Base to fight ISIS, embarrassing Obama admin. officials Susan Rice et al., who had announced a deal; instead Turkey announces that it's not interested in fighting ISIL, only the Assad regime, and bombs Kurds instead of ISIS? On Oct. 15 the Pentagon officially names its Combined Joint Task Force campaign against ISIS Operation Inherent Resolve, backed by 60+ countries. On Oct. 16 the U.N. Gen. Assembly elects Angola, Malaysia, New Zealand, Spain, and Venezuela to serve as non-permanent members of the U.N. Security Council for two years starting on Jan. 1; Venezuela's election pisses-off the U.S., with Samantha Power uttering the soundbyte: "Venezuela's conduct at the U.N. has run counter to the spirit of the U.N. Charter, and its violations of human rights at home are at odds with the Charter's letter." On Oct. 17 Ariz. and Alaska become U.S. states #30 and #31 to recognize same-sex marriage. On Oct. 17 Pres. Obama appoints Al Gore's former chief of staff Ron Klain as the new U.S. Ebola czar. On Oct. 17-? the Big Swedish Sub Hunt sees Swedish forces stage the biggest sub hunt since the dying days of the Soviet Union in the Stockholm Archipelago after a foreign sub is suspected of illegally entering; Russia denies involvement. On Oct. 18 100K protest in Piazza Duomo in Milan, Italy against the immigrant rescue operation Mare Nostrum and all Muslim immigration. On Oct. 18 Roman Catholic bishop in the Vatican scrap a landmark welcome to gays after breaking ranks with Pope Francis. On Oct. 19 Comet Sliding Spring skims Mars, bombarding it with thousands of fireballs an hour. On Oct. 20 Sunni attacks on Shiites in Baghdad, Iraq kill 33+. On Oct. 20 Kenyan soldiers kill five suspected Al Shaab militants in Moyala, Kenya near the Ethiopian border. On Oct. 20 Muslim convert Marin Couture-Rouleau (1989-) runs down two Canadian soldiers in his car in Quebec before rolling, er, running, chasing police officers with a knife, and being shot; one soldier is killed. On Oct. 20 Nigeria declares itself officially Ebola-free. On Oct. 20 (9:57 p.m.) African-Am. Laquan McDonald is shot 16x and killed by white police officer Jason Van Dyke (1978-) in Chicago, Ill. while walking down the street carrying an unopened 3 in. folding knife, after which the officers lie about the incident, claiming that McDonald lunged at them, and end up charged with first-degree murder after a public outcry and protests; in Jan. 2017 the U.S. Dept. of Justice releases a report describing the Chicago police as having a culture of "excessive violence" esp. against blacks, plus poor training and supervision; on June 27, 2017 three officers are indicted for their attempted coverup; on Jan. 18 after they are declared not guilty, Jason Van Dyke is sentenced to 81 mo. for 2nd degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery. On Oct. 21 Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announces that Turkey will permit Kurdish fighters from Iraqi Kurdistan to cross into Syria to defend Kobani, but not Turkish Kurds. On Oct. 21 three Am. Muslim (Somali, Sudanese) teenie girls missing since Oct. 17 from their homes in Colo. are arrested in Germany while en route to Syria to join ISIS. On Oct. 21 a judge upholds the same-sex marriage ban in Puerto Rico. On Oct. 22 Sinai-based Ansar Bait al-Maqdis terrorists attack and injure two Israeli soldiers near the Egyptian border. On Oct. 22 an explosion outside Cairo U. in Egypt injures nine incl. five policemen. On Oct. 22 (10:00 a.m.) Muslim convert gunman Michael Abdul Zehaf Bibeau opens fire at the Canadian Parliament and War Memorial in Ottawa, killing Cpl. Nathan Cirillo (b. 1990) before being killed. On Oct. 22 British PM David Cameron awards £8M to the Charity Commission to "confront the menace of extremism" by policing bogus charities that divert money to terrorists. On Oct. 22 (eve) a Hamas terrorist rams a light rail station near the nat. police HQ at Guzh Etzion in Jerusalem, Israel, killing 3-mo.-o. baby Chaya Zisel Braun and injuring 7+ pedestrians before being killed; on Oct. 26 1K new Israeli security forces arrive in Jerusalem. On Oct. 23 masked Muslims throw rocks at a kindergarten in Ma'ale ha-Zeitim, Jerusalem, Israel On Oct. 23 (2:00 p.m. EDT) the 2014 Queens Hatchet Attack in Jamaica, Queens, N.Y. sees recent Am. Muslim convert Zale H. Thompson (b. 1982) attack four police officers, injuring Kenneth Healey and Joseph Meeker on a crowded street corner in Jamaica, Queens, N.Y. with an 18 in. hatchet before he is killed by the officers, who injure a female civilian with a stray bullet. On Oct. 23 New York physician Craig Spencer tests positive for Ebola, becoming #4 in the U.S. On Oct. 23 China launches the Chang'e 5 T1 lunar probe, which returns on Oct. 31. On Oct. 24 Palestinian-Am. teenie Orwa Abd al-Wahhab hammadi (b. 1997) is killed by Israeli troops while trying to throw a gasoline bomb in Silwad (near Ramallah). On Oct. 24 a car bomb in Sinai Peninsula in Egypt kills 26 soldiers and injures 28 more; hours later three security forces are shot dead at a checkpoint near El Arish, causing Egypt to close the Gaza crossing until Nov. 26. On Oct. 24 "1-man crime spree" Marcelo Marquez (1980-) of Salt Lake City, Utah shoots three N Calif. sheriff's deputies, killing two, and injures a civilian before being captured in a massive manhunt. On Oct. 26 the first-ever elections in Tunisia see voters pick 217 legislators from 13K candidates in 90 parties. On Oct. 26 (Sun.) the U.S. and British close their last bases in Afghanistan, Camp Leatherneck and Camp Bastion; on Oct. 27 Taliban militants attack a court in Kunduz, Afghanistan, killing 7+. On Oct. 26 the police dept. of Boston, Mass. promotes Habeeb Hosein (1962-) to captain, becoming the first Muslim. On Oct. 27 an ISIS suicide bomber in Jurf al-Sakhar, Iraq kills 27 Shiite militiamen. On Oct. 28 the $200M unmanned NASA Antares rocket explodes seconds after liftoff from Wallops Island, Va. On Oct. 28 an anon. "senior Obama administration official" gives an interview to Atlantic mag. journalist Jeffrey Goldberg, calling Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu a "chickenshit" - and these are your friends? On Oct. 29 ISIS executes 46 fighters from the Albu Nimr tribe in the street in Heet, Iraq in Anbar Province. On Oct. 29 an assassination attempt against prominent right-wing Jewish activist Yehuda Glick (1965-) on the Temple Mount (Al-Aqsa) of Jerusalem leads to Israel closing it on Oct. 30, causing Palestinian Authority pres. Mahmoud Abbas to call it a "declaration of war"; the area is reopened on Oct. 31; on Nov. 7 Palestinians in Jerusalem stage a Day of Rage against Israel to protest entry restrictions on the Temple Mount. On Oct. 29 30 Islamic jihadists kill French commando Thomas Dupuy in a firefight in Kidal Province, Mali; 20 jihadists are killed. On Oct. 30 a firefight with al-Qaida militants kills nine troops in Niger. On Oct. 30 mass graves containing 220 victims of ISIS are found in Anbar Province, Iraq. On Oct. 30 after pres. (since Oct. 15, 1987) Blaise Comparore tries to change the constitution to stay in office, the Burkinabe (Burkinabé) Uprising in Burkina Faso begins, with rioters burning the nat. assembly and other govt. bldgs., causing Compaore to dissolve the govt. and declare a state of emergency, which doesn't stop them, after which on Oct. 31 he flees to Cote d'Ivoire. On Oct. 31 Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo space tourism rocket crashes in the Mojave Desert in Calif. during a test flight, killing pilot Donny Youngblood. On Oct. 31 Mexico frees U.S. Marine Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi after 7 mo. (214 days) in prison on trumped-up charges while the Obama admin. yawns. In Oct. the Russian inventory of nukes passes that of the U.S. for the first time since 2000, 1,643 to 1,642; both are in violation of the 2010 START treaty, which prescribes a limit of 1,550. In Oct. PEGIDA (Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the Occident) is founded in Germany by former cook Lutz Bachmann (1974-), gaining 10K members by Dec. who march in Dresden and other German cities against Islamization of Germany, becoming known as the Pinstriped Nazis for their middle class middle aged membership; meanwhile chancellor Angela Merkel ostriches and wallows in the racist label, saying that there is "no place in Germany" for hatred of Muslims, and "no alternative" to freedom of movement within the EU for Muslims et al.; in 2015 Bachmann steps down as leader after a photo of him posing as Adolf Hitler goes viral - love them even though the Quran teaches them to hate you and rule you? In Oct. the U.S. unemployment rate drops to 5.8%, with 9M unemployed, and nonfarm payroll employment rising to 214K. On Nov. 1 (Feast of All Saints) Pope Francis gives a speech to a crowd in St. Peter's Square in Rome, calling for the faithful to pray for violence-soaked Jerusalem. On Nov. 1 the Pan-Arab Nat. Movement in the Palestinian Interior AKA Kifah (Arab. "struggle"), founded by Ayman Hajj Yahya and Ghassan 'Athamla holds its organizing meeting with the goal of returning all Palestinian refugees to the Holy Land and delegitimizing Israel. On Nov. 1 (night) moderate Syrian Harakat Hazm rebels surrender to Jabhat al-Nusra in N Idlib Province, capturing U.S. TOW missiles. On Nov. 2 a suicide blast at the Pakistani-Indian border in Punjab kills 55+; Pakistani Taliban splinter group Jundallah takes credit. On Nov. 3 U.S. oil prices fall to below $80 a barrel (lowest in two years) after Saudi Arabia cuts prices in response to the U.S. oil drilling boom, which has increased production by 70% in the last six years and reduced OPEC imports by 50%; U.S. retail gasoline prices fall below $3 a gal. for the first time since 2010. On Nov. 3 German police announce that the infamous iron "Arbeit macht frei" gate in Dachau Concentration Camp has been stolen. On Nov. 4 anti-Shiite violence in Saudi Arabia results in 15 arrests in six cities and two killed. On Nov. 4 after hearing that a BBQ briquet, er, Quran has been desecrated, a Muslim mob beats and burns pregnant Christian mother Shama and her Christian husband Shahzad to death in a kiln in Kot Radha Kishan, Pakistan 60 km SW of Lahore; 44 are arrested; on Nov. 6 (5:00 a.m.) Pakistani police officer Faraz Naveed hacks Tufail Haider (b. 1959) to death in his cells after he is heard blaspheming Islam. On Nov. 4 (Tues.) the 2014 U.S. nat. elections are a landslide for the Repubs., who take complete control of the House and Senate; the worst election performance by a sitting president's party since Truman; the first Congress with 100 women concurrently serving; marijuana is legalized in Washington, D.C., Ore., and Alaska; meanwhile in Iraq the annual Shiite Ashoura celebration takes places sans murders. On Nov. 4 Calif. passes Proposition 2: the Rainy Day Budget Stabilization Fund Act, which fills-up fast, reaching $13.5B by July 1, 2019. On Nov. 4 U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree rules that the same-sex marriage ban in Kan. is unconstitutional, citing the 10th Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court. On Nov. 4 (night) a drone strike in C Yemen kills Ansar al-Sharia leader Nabil al-Dahab and four other al-Qaida members incl. Shawki al-Badani, a leader of AQAP. On Nov. 5 (noon) Hamas jihadist Ibrahim al-Akari driving a van rams pedestrians along the light rail line in Jerusalem, Israel, killing one border patrol officer and injuring 14; hours later a vehicle driven by a Palestinian rams and injures three IDF soldiers near a refugee camp in al-Arroub (near Hebron), Israel. On Nov. 5 mortars fall on a school in Qaboun, Damascus, Syria, killing 11 children. On Nov. 5 Canadian immigration minister Chris Alexander announces the new Zero Tolerance for Barbaric Cultural Practices Act, banning entry of migrants who practice "barbaric" polygamy. On Nov. 6 Muslim Brotherhood leader Sheik Yusuf Qaradawi posts a message on his Web site calling on Muslims to fight "the greatest battle of liberation" against Israel and the Jews. On Nov. 6 ISIS fires a Russian-made scud missile from Kobane, Syria, which Turkish defenses fail to stop, raising concerns. On Nov. 7 a column of 32 Russian tanks cross into E Ukraine. On Nov. 7 police in the U.K. arrest four suspected Islamist terrorists in London, England, foiling an attack planned for Remembrance Day (Nov. 11) to stab Elizabeth II to death. On Nov. 8-11 U.N. special envoy Staffan de Mistura presents the De Mistura Plan to Syrian pres. Bashar al-Assad, calling for a freeze in fighting and preservation of the status quo. On Nov. 10 an Arab terrorist stabs an IDF soldier near the central bus station in Tel Aviv, Israel; later a second attack in Alon Shvut, Samaria injures two. On Nov. 10 a Boko Haram suicide bomber in a student uniform detonates at a h.s. assembly in Potiskum, Nigeria, killing 48 and injuring 79 students of 2K; a suicide bomb a week earlier in the same city killed 30 moderate Muslims during a religious procession. On Nov. 10 Pres. Obama arrives in Beijing, China to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting, where Chinese pres. Xi Jinping uses the loaded term "Asia-Pacific dream"; on Nov. 11 Obama and Jinping announce a joint pledge to make steep cuts in carbon emissions by 2030. On Nov. 11 Germans celebrate the fall of the Berlin Wall with lights and (99 red?) balloons. On Nov. 12 (early a.m.) a U.S. drone strike in Azzan, Shabwa, Yemen kills seven AQAP terrorists gathered under a group of trees. On Nov. 12 (1:00 p.m.) a Dutch suicide bomber detonates at a police HQ in Baghdad, Iraq, killing five and injuring 10. On Nov. 12 protesters in Istanbul, Turkey attack three U.S. sailors, attempting to place plastic bags over their heads while shouting "Yankee go home". On Nov. 12 Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu announces that Russia is sending long-range bombers to maintain a military presence in the W Atlantic and E Pacific incl. the Caribbean (Cuba, Mexico). Muslim infiltration of the federal govt. proceeds at jet speed? On Nov. 13 (Thur.) the U.S. House of Reps in Washington, D.C. allows Muslim imam Hamad Ahmad Chebli of the Islamic Society of N.J. to deliver the opening prayer; on Nov. 14 (a.m.) (Fri.) (after Muslim Brotherhood influence?) (100th anniv. of the last call to jihad by the Ottoman caliphate) the first-ever Muslim prayer service (Jumu'ah) is held at Wash. Nat. Cathedral in Washington, D.C., run by Rev. Canon Gina Campbell; Christian woman Christine Weick (1964-) of Tenn. yells "Jesus Christ is Lord", and is ejected; Rev. Franklin Graham calls it "sad to see". On Nov. 16 (a.m.) an explosion targets female Afghan lawmaker Shukria Barekzai in Kabul, Afghanistan, killing four and injuring 20; she survives. On Nov. 16 ISIS releases a video showing the beheading of Am. Islam convert (2013) hostage Peter "Abdul-Rahman" Kassig (b. 1988) (former U.S. Army Ranger) in Dabiq, Syria, causing Imam, er, Pres. Obama to utter the soundbyte: "ISIL's actions represent no faith, least of all the Muslim faith, which Abdul-Rahman adopted as his own. Today we grieve together, yet we also recall that the indomitable spirit of goodness and perseverance that burned so brightly in Abdul-Rahman Kassig, and which binds humanity together, ultimately is the light that will prevail over the darkness of ISIL", calling the murder "an act of pure evil by a terrorist group that the world rightly associates with inhumanity"; radial Jewish-Am. lawyer Stanley Cohen almost gets al-Qaida to unite with ISIS in an attempt to free Kassig? On Nov. 16 a female suicide bomber at a mobile phone market in Azare, Bauchi, Nigeria kills eight. On Nov. 16 the UAE designates 85 orgs. incl. the Am. Muslim groups CAIR and Muslim Am. Society (MAS) as terrorist groups, pissing-off the latter bigtime, since they've worked so hard to infiltrate U.S. society and govt.; British groups on the list incl. Islamic Relief, Muslim Assoc. of Britain (MAB), and Cordoba Foundation. On Nov. 16 leaders of the G20 Group of Nations give permission for banks to pledge depositor accounts as collateral to make leveraged derivative bets, AKA worldwide bail-ins. On Nov. 17 Palestinian bus driver Yusuf Hasan al-Ramouni (b. 1982) from al-Tur, East Jerusalem, Israel is found hanged to death in his vehicle by an Israeli lynch mob at the Har Hotzvim bus terminal NW of Jerusalem; meanwhile Palestinians in Gaza and Lebanon celebrate the Jerusalem synagogue attack. On Nov. 17 the Chinese govt. announces the arrest of 288 people for corruption, claiming that 18K officials have fled in the past 20 years taking $129B with them. On Nov. 17 Mo. Gov. Jay Nixon declares a state of emergency in Ferguson, Mo. on the eve of the grand jury decision about white killer cop Darren Wilson and his Aug. 9 killing of black resident Mike Brown. On Nov. 17 Pres. Obama disavows knowledge of the statements by MIT prof. Jonathan Gruber that ObamaCare is a con game based on the stupidity of the Am. people because it's not insurance it's yet another tax on the rich to give to the poor. On Nov. 18 (a.m.) the 2014 Jerusalem Synagogue (Haredi Har Nof) Massacre sees two gun-and-axe-wielding Palestinians burst into a synagogue during morning prayers in Jerusalem, killing three American and one British Israeli immigrant, and wounding eight, incl. an Israeli Druze police officer, who later dies; seven worshipers are injured; the police kill the attackers, becoming the deadliest terrorist attack in Jerusalem since the Mar. 2008 Mercaz HaRav Massacre; the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) claims responsibility; meanwhile a vote in Spain recognizes a Palestinian state. On Nov. 18 all 50 U.S. states experience a cold wave, hitting freezing temps incl. 30F on Mauna Kea in Hawaii, smashing 1,360 daily low records across the U.S. in a single week, incl. a record 76 in. of snow near Buffalo, N.Y.; meanwhile Pres. Obama devotes his final two years in office to combating global warming :) On Nov. 20 a Boko Haram attack in Azaya Kura, Borno, Nigeria kills 45+. On Nov. 20 senior ISIS leader Radwan Taleb al-Hamdouni is killed in an air strike in Mosul, Iraq. On Nov. 20 a gunman at the Strozier Library at Fla. State U. in Tallahassee, Fla. injures three students before being killed by campus police. On Nov. 20 Pres. Obama issues an executive order for "deferred action", which would allow 45% of illegal immigrants in the U.S. to legally stay and work, taking the heat off 5M illegal immigrants but not granting them amnesty, pissing-off Repubs., who are looking for any excuse to impeach him for overreaching; on Dec. 16 U.S. federal judge Arthur J. Schwab finds it unconstitutional, overstepping lawful pres. authority. On Nov. 20 Am. country music star Ty Herndon (1962-) comes out as gay, followed hours later by country singer Billy Gilman (1988-). On Nov. 22 Al-Shabaab militants massacre 28 infidels on a bus near the Somalian border of Kenya. On Nov. 22 Allied Dem. Forces (ADF) Islamists massacre 50 near the Ugandan border with axes in 90% Christian Beni, DRC. On Nov. 22 (3:30 p.m.) after reports that a black male "keeps pulling a gun out of his pants and pointing it at people", 12-y.-o. Tamir Rice (b. 2002) is gunned down by police officers Timothy Loehmann (1988-) and Frank Garmback (1968-) at the Cudell Recreation Center in Cleveland, Ohio; the gun is later found to be a toy lacking the usual orange markings, causing a public outcry and protests, which whip-up after a grand jury decision on Nov. 24 not to indict the shooter; on Dec. 28 a grand jury decides to not indict either officer; on Dec. 5 Rice's family files a wrongful death suit, which is settled on Apr. 25, 2016 for $6M. On Nov. 23 Boko Haram militants kill 48 fish vendors in Doron Baga, Borno State, Nigeria on the shores of Lake Chad near the border with Chad. On Nov. 23 a suicide bomber at a volleyball game in Paktika Province, Afhanistan kills 50 spectators and injures 60 incl. children. On Nov. 24 after being asked by Pres. Obama on Nov. 21 because of a lack of a skill set for dealing with ISIS, U.S. defense secy. Chuck Hagel offers his resignation. On Nov. 24 the deadline for nuclear negotiations with Iran lapses, and a new date of June 30 is set. On Nov. 24 U.S. Sen. Rand Paul calls for a 1-year official declaration of war against ISIS, the first war declaration since WWII. On Nov. 25 (early a.m.) a U.S.-led raid rescues eight hostages held by al-Qaida in a cave in E Yemen. On Nov. 25 two female suicide bombers in a market in Maiduguri, Nigeria kill 44. On Nov. 26 the U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights announces that Syrian govt. air strikes on the ISIS stronghold of Raqqa has hit 95. On Nov. 27 a roadside bomb near a bus station in Yola, Nigeria kills 40 incl. five soldiers. On Nov. 27 the Taliban begins sieging Camp Bastion in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. On Nov. 27 the Rev. Command Council (RCC) is formed in Syria to lead the Syrian revolt, headed by Qays al-Sheikh. On Nov. 27 the centrist Kulanu Party in Israel is founded by Moshe Kahlon, focusing on economic and cost-of-living issues. On Nov. 28 Pope Francis visits Turkey, meeting with pres. Recep Tayyip Erogan and top cleric Mehmet Gormez; on Nov. 29 he visits the Blue Mosque in Constantinople amid the Muslim call to prayer, and prays with his head bowed in the direction of Mecca, going on to betray his predecessor by claiming that Islam shouldn't be equated with violence, and calling for Europe to open up to mass Muslim immigration. On Nov. 28 two bombs explode outside Emir's Palace Mosque in Kano, Nigeria during Fri. prayers, killing 36. On Nov. 28 after a complaint from a Muslim, the Ethiopian govt. demolishes the Heaven's Light Church in Harar. On Nov. 29 former Egyptian pres. Hosni Mubarak is acquitted of murder and corruption charges. On Nov. 29 Taliban suicide bombers in Kabul, Afghanistan attack a foreign guesthouse. On Nov. 30 Iraqi PM Haidar al-Abadi announces the discovery of 50K "ghost soldiers" on the military payroll, cutting off the funds. On Nov. 30 the Swiss people vote on the Gold Initiative, prohibiting gold sales, requiring the Swiss Nat. Bank to hold 20% of its assets in gold, and requiring the return of Swiss gold to the country, reversing the 1999 federal constitution which removed the 40% gold backing of the currency. On Nov. 30-Dec. 12 180 mph Typhoon Hagupit hits the Caroline Islands, Palau, Philippines, and Vietnam, killin 18 and causing $114M damage. In Nov. Microsoft purchases Mojang, maker of the online game Minecraft for $2.5B, making 35-y.-o. Markus Alexej Persson (1979-) AKA xNotch a world billionaire #1415. In Nov. ISIS caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdad calls on followers to "erupt volcanoes of jihad everywhere", claiming Saudi Arabia and other states as part of his caliphate; they finally strike on May 22, 2015? In Nov. 1,232 Iraqis are killed and 2,434 injured, incl. 296 Iraqi and Kurdish troops, according to the U.N, vs. 1,273 in Oct. In Nov. the U.S. unemployment rate was 5.8%, with 321K new jobs. On Dec. 1 unknown Muslim assailants invade the home of a Jewish family in Creteil, Paris, France, rape the 19-y.-o. woman, and rob them, with the soundbyte "because you are Jewish" - that means get the hell out? On Dec. 1 a female suspect dressed in a Muslim burqa stabs Am. mother of 11-y.-o. twin boys Ibolya Ryan (b. 1967) to death inside a mall restroom in Abu Dhabi; after she is arrested the authorities announce that she is not a lone wolf because her home was a "base of operations". On Dec. 2 (1:00 a.m.) Al-Shabaab kills and beheads 36 Christians in Koromey, 15km from Mandera, Kenya. On Dec. 2 France votes 339-151 to recognize a Palestinian state. On Dec. 2 Jewish, Roman Catholic, Anglican, orthodox, Buddhist, Hindu, Sunni, and Shiite leaders sign a Vatican initiative to end slavery by 2020 incl. human trafficking, organ trafficking, forced labor, and prostitution, declaring them crimes against humanity. On Dec. 2 (dawn) ISIS stages its first-ever attack on an Egyptian missile ship at the N end of the Suez Canal 40nm N of Damietta. On Dec. 3 a suicide car bomber attacks the Iranian ambassador's residence in Sana'a, Yemen, killing three; AQAP claims responsibility. On Dec. 3 a grand jury clears white NYPD cop Daniel Pantaleo for his July 17 chokehold murder of 6'3" 350 lb. African-Am. illegal cig seller Eric Garner (b. 1970), sparking massive protests; U.S. atty. gen. Eric Holder announces a civil rights investigation. On Dec. 3 (night) Muslim terrorists attack govt. bldgs. in Grozny, Chechnya, killing 10 police officers and injuring 28 while losing nine. On Dec. 4 the U.S. House votes along partisan lines 219-197-3 to stop Pres. Obama's immigration action in a measure sponsored by Rep. Ted Yoho (R-Fla.); the Senate doesn't plan to take it up. On Dec. 4 Pres. Obama meets at the White House with Jordanian King Abdullah II, who is seeking U.S. support to handle Syrian refugees and ISIS; Obama pledges an increase of aid to Jordan from $600M to $1B. On Dec. 4 (4:15 p.m.) a 16-y.-o. Palestinian Muslim teenie terrorist stabs two Jewish shoppers in the Rami Levy Market E of Jerusalem before police shoot him. On Dec. 5 Pres. Obama nominates physicist Ashton Baldwin "Ash" Carter (1954-), U.S. deputy secy. of defense #30 (since Oct. 5, 2011) as new U.S. defense secy. to succeed Chuck Hagel, becoming his 4th defense secy. On Dec. 5 after Lebanese authorities arrest the wives of ISIS cmdr. Abu Ali Al Shishani and Abu Bakr Al Bahgdadi, Al Nusra execute captured Lebanese police officer Ali Al Bazzal to get even. On Dec. 5 the Nut Rage Incident (Nutgate) (Nut Return) sees Korean Air vice-pres. Heather Cho go nonlinear at the way nuts are served her by a flight attendant, ordering the plane to taxi back to the gate before takeoff, after which she resigns, is found guilty in Korea of obstructing a flight and given a 12-mo. prison sentence. On Dec. 5 (eve.) twin blasts in Baidoa, Somali kill 15 and injure dozens. On Dec. 6 Interpol issues arrests warrants for 40+ senior Muslim Brotherhood figures incl. Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, who is holed-up in Doha, Gutter, er, Qatar. On Dec. 7 the U.S. Congress unanimously passes a law stripping expatriate U.S. Nazis of federal benefits. On Dec. 8 the U.S.-NATO Internat. Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Joint Command lowers its flag for the last time in Afghanistan after 13 years; the ISAF mission officially ends on Dec. 31, and will be replaced on Jan. 1 by Resolute Support, a narrow-mandate mission to train, advise, and assist the Afghan Nat. Security Forces. On Dec. 8 the U.S. Dept. of Justice announces new stricter policies forbidding racial profiling by federal officers and agents. On Dec. 8 Rolling Stone mag. retracts a story of alleged gang rape at the U. of Va., saying that accuser Jackie's credibility is in doubt. On Dec. 8 Greenpeace activists deface the 1.5K-y.-o. Nazca Lines archeological site with large yellow cloth letters reading "Time for change! The future is renewable Greenpeace!"; the Peruvian govt. refuses to accept their apology. On Dec. 9 Calif. Dem. Sen. Dianne Feinstein releases the Senate Report on CIA Torture of Terrorism Suspects, revealing not only waterboarding but sexual humiliation, even of cleared suspects, with Pres. Obama uttering the soundbyte that the investigation "reinforces my long-held view that these harsh methods were not only inconsistent with our values as a nation, they did not serve our broader counterterrorism efforts or our national security interests"; the CIA denies the report's conclusion, saying that torture thwarted terror plots. On Dec. 9 U.S. secy. of state John Kerry informs Congress that Pres. Obama wants expansive war powers to fight ISIS incl. ability to commit troops. On Dec. 9 the Internat. Criminal Court (ICC) accepts Palestine as a "non-state observer", allowing it to be able to request investigation of alleged war crimes by Israel. On Dec. 9 Palestinian Fatah minister Ziad Abu Ein (b. 1959) dies in Turmus Aya near Ramallah, Israel after a confrontation with Israeli soldiers, causing allegations of murder, which Israel dies, er, denies; on Dec. 11 thousands attend his funeral. On Dec. 9 after pressure by the OIC-controlled U.N., U.S. govt. official Anne C. Richard announces a plan to resettle 9K Muslim Syrian refugees in the U.S., ignoring the fact that they will bring Muhammad's jihad with them. On Dec. 9 (night) a Muslim bomb on a bus in Maramag, Philippines near the main gate of Central Mindanao U. kills 11 and injures 34. On Dec. 10 Ireland announces that it's considering parliamentary recognition of a Palestinian state, pissing-off Israel, which gets even more pissed-off at news that all mention of it is being banned from the Jan. 27 Holocaust Memorial Day. On Dec. 10 a Pew Research Center Poll fins that for the first time more Americans (52%-46%) believe that protecting their gun rights is more important than gun control. On Dec. 11 the Taliban stages two suicide attacks in Kabul, Afghanistan, killing six German soldiers in one, and another in an auditorium watching a drama condemning suicide attacks, injuring 16 and killing a German man. On Dec. 11 after a 5-mo.-long campaign by U.S. Sen. (D-Va.) (since 2013) Tim Kaine, the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations committee by 10-8 approves a measure authorizing the use of military force gainst ISIS, but barring the use of ground troops. On Dec. 11 (eve.) two bombs explode near a bus station in Jos, Nigeria, with the 2nd one killing 40+. On Dec. 11 10:00 p.m. the U.S. House of Reps votes 219-206 (incl. 57 Dem. yes votes) to pass an Obama-backed $1.1T spending bill to keep the U.S. govt. running. On Dec. 11 (midnight) French troops kill Movement for Tawhid and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO) co-founder Ahmed el Tilemsi in a raid in Gao, Mali, along with a dozen terrorists. On Dec. 12 (early a.m.) terrorists fire dozens of bullets at the Israeli embassy in Athens, Greece; no injuries. On Dec. 12 the U.S. Senate by 89-11 passes the 2015 Defense Policy Bill, which passed the House earlier on a 300-119 vote; on Dec. 13 the Senate votes 56-40 to send it to Pres. Obama; it funds the govt. through Sept. and sets up a Feb. showdown over Dept. of Homeland Security funding. On Dec. 12 a Palestinian hitchhiker throws acid at an Israeli family in a car in Gush Etzion, Israel S of Israel before being shot by a passerby and arrested by police. On Dec. 13 two Taliban attacks in Kabul, Afghanistan kills two U.S. troops, 12 workers clearing mines, and a top Afghan court official; a third attack brings the body count to 19. On Dec. 13 ISIS storms Al-Wafa, Iraq 27 mi. W of Ramadi in Anbar Province, killing 19+ policemen. On Dec. 13 ISIS shoots down an Iraqi heli in the Shiite city of Samarra, Iraq 60 mi. N of Baghdad. On Dec. 13 Yemeni security forces kill several AQAP militants disguised as veiled women in a border crossing in Hawdh, Yemen. On Dec. 13 Indian manufacturing exec Mehdi Masroor Biswas (1990-) is arrested by police in Bangalore for running the #1 pro-ISIS Twitter account. On Dec. 13 after they fire at a soldier inspecting their Saudi-bound bus, Yemeni troops kill five and injure one al-Qaida suspect disguised as women in robes and niqab in Harad, Yemen. On Dec. 14 Boko Haram gunmen kidnap 100+ women and children and kill35 in Gumsuri, Nigeria. On Dec. 14-15 an attack by al-Nusra Front in Idleb, Syria kills 180+. On Dec. 15 (9:45 a.m.) hours after two suspects were arrested in a terror raid, Iranian-born armed Muslim terrorist Sheikh Haron (Man Haron Monis) (Manteghi Boroujerdi) (b. 1965 (ISIS preacher) takes over Lindt Chocolate Cafe in Martin Place, Sydney, Australia, taking 40+ hostages and forcing them to hold a black shahada flag against the window, demanding to speak to PM Tony Abbott, until five hostages break free, and commandos storm the cafe after a 16-hour siege and kill the bum, with two killed and four injured. On Dec. 15 ISIS pub. a new legal code enforcing Quranic Sharia incl. death for blasphemy of stinkin' Muhammad and Allah. On Dec. 15-16 the U.S. and Iran hold a bilateral meeting in Geneva, Switzerland. On Dec. 16 (5:00 a.m.) 6-9 uniformed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants attack the Army Public High School (500 teachers and students, mainly children of Pakistani military members) in Peshawar, Pakistan, killing and beheading 148 incl. 132 school children, mainly girls, injuring 122 and taking hostages after burning a teacher alive with gasoline in front of students; on Dec. 17 Zabihullah Mujahid of the Afghan Taliban releases a statement condemning the attack; ditto Usama Mahmood, spokesman for Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS); senior Pakistan Taliban leader Latif Mehsud was released by Pres. Obama on Dec. 8, making it his fault?; on Dec. 17 a U.S. airstrike in Nangarhar, Afghanistan kills 11 Pakistani and Afghan Taliban members. On Dec. 16 (Black Tues.) the Russian ruble falls to 80 to the U.S. dollar; by Fri. the ruble is restored to its previous value of 58 to the dollar. On Dec. 17 (noon) Pres. Obama gives a Speech on Cuba, announcing a "new chapter" incl. reestablishment of diplomatic relations and relaxing restrictions, causing U.S. Sen. (R-Fla.) Marco Rubio (son of Cuban immigrants) to slam him, calling him "wilfully ignorant" and "the worst negotiator" the U.S. has had in decades; meanwhile Cuba releases Am. Jewish hostage Alan Gross (accused of bringing computers to Jews) after five years in jail in exchange for three hardened Cuban spies. On Dec. 17 the first-ever battle between ISIS and U.S. ground troops near Ein al-Asad Base in Iraq is a huge V for 100 U.S. military advisers supported by fighter jets, who send them running. On Dec. 17 a European court rules that Hamas should be temporarily removed from the EU's terrorism blacklist, although it still consider it a terrorist org., pissing-off Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, who calls it an example of "staggering" European "hypocrisy" which "grants a prize to extremist, Islamic terror", saying that he expects the EU to correct their mistake quickly. On Dec. 17 the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France votes 489-88 to support statehood for Palestine, without recognizing it yet; meanwhile in the eve. the Palestinians submit a draft resolution calling for peace with Israel within one year followed by Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank by the end of 2017, which Israeli foreign minister Avigdor Liberman says is a "gimmick" that is "meant solely to taunt Israel" and will only worsen the conflict, and which Israel intel minister Yuval Steinitz calls an "act of war" because it doesn't mention Israel's status as a Jewish state, saying that it's time to cut ties with the Palestinian Authority and even dismantle it; meanwhile Palestinian Authority pres. Mahmoud Abbas orders the arrest of Palestinian Legislative Council secy.-gen. Ibrahim Khraisheh in Ramallah for criticizing PM Rami Hamdallah for arresting public employees union head Bassam Zakarneh, then after criticism cancels the order, but sends police to the parliament bldg. to block Ramallah from entering. On Dec. 17 after North Korean-backed hackers hack their Web site and release personal info. to embarrass them, threatening more attacks, Sony Corp. removes its Xmas movie "The Interview" (about a plot to kill North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un) from theaters. On Dec. 17 an AQAP car bomb near a Shiite Houthi rebel checkpoint in Radaa, Bayda Province, Yemen kills 25 incl. 15 children; another goes off near the home of a Houthi leader. On Dec. 17 amid reports of the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi, Kurdish Peshmerga forces launch an offensive against ISIS in N Iraq, taking Mount Sinjar by Dec. 19, free 1.5K Yazidi families. On Dec. 18 Indonesian army chief Gen. Moeldoko gives an interview, saying that Indonesia wants to join the fight against ISIS, which it considers a grave global threat. On Dec. 19 the annual U.N. Gen. Assembly resolution condemning human rights abuses in Iran drops in support to 83 nations out of 186 (45%), down from 86 in 2013 and 2012, 89 in 2011; 78 in 2010, 74 in 2009, and 69 in 2008. On Dec. 19 forgetting about Cuba, Pres. Obama signs the U.S. Venezuela Defense of Human Rights and Civil Society Act, sanctioning Venezuelan officials for human rights abuses during anti-govt. protests earlier this year. On Dec. 19 Pres. Obama gives a year-end press conference, saying that it was wrong for Sony to pull "The Interview" from theaters because they should have "spoken to me first", which pisses-off Sony CEO Michael Lynton, who blames theater owners. On Dec. 19 WHO announces that 1M have been wounded so far in the civil war. On Dec. 19 Turkey issues an arrest warrant for U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen after Pres. Erdogan accuses him of subversion of his govt. On Dec. 19 the U.N. Gen. Assembly passes a non-binding resolution demanding that Israel pay Lebanon $850M. On Dec. 19 NYPD cops Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos are assassinated (shot in the head in their cop car) by Arabic-speaking Quran-quoting Am. Muslim Ismaaiyl Brimsley, who commits suicide to avoid capture; he did it for jihad, or in revenge for Eric Garner and Michael Brown?; on Dec. 27 hundreds of cops turn their backs on NYC mayor Bill de Blasio at Ramos' funeral, where vice-pres. Joe Biden gives a speech with the soundbyte that the "assassin's bullet" touched the "soul of an entire nation". On Dec. 20 knife-wielding Muslim Bilal (nee Bertrand) Nzohabonayo (1994-) shouting Allahu Akbar is shot dead at the entrance to a police station in Joue-les-Tours, France after injuring two; on Dec. 21 a Muslim driver shouting you know what runs over 11 bystanders in Dijon, France, seriously injuring two. On Dec. 20 two (Muslim?) car bombs in Malmo, Sweden cause no injuries. On Dec. 20 a U.S. drone fires two missiles at a Taliban hideout in NW Pakistan, five militants; in a separate operation Pakistani forces kill five terrorists on the outskirts of Peshawar. On Dec. 21 (Sun.) elections in Tunisia are a V for veteran politician Beji Caid Essebsi by 55.68% vs. 44.32% for rival Moncef Marzouki. On Dec. 22 (night) a madass Muslim in a Christmas market in Nantes, France drives into a crowd, injuring 10 before jumping out with a knife and getting arrested; officials blame mental illness not ties to Islamist groups. On Dec. 23 the U.S. FDA announces that it's lifting its 31-y.-o. ban on gays donating blood as long as they haven't sucked, er, had sex for one year. On Dec. 23 the Dow-Jones Industrial Avg. tops 18K for the first time ever, reaching 18,051.14, up 75% from the 12-year low of Mar. 9, 2009. On Dec. 23 (night) after pointing a gun at him, 18-y.-o. black teenie Antonio Martin is shot and killed by police officers at a Mobil gas station in Berkeley, Mo., sparking protests. On Dec. 24 Hamas snipers attack Israeli forces working on a border fence at the Gaza Border, injuring one soldier. On Dec. 24 Jordanian pilot Lt. Muath Kassasbeh (Kaseasbeh) (Moaz al-Kasasba) (1977-2015) is shot down in NE Syria and captured by ISIS; the U.S. denies that ISIS shot the plane down; after ransom demands fall through, a video of him being burned alive in a cage is released on Feb. 3; he was killed on Jan. 3 before starting phony ransom negotiatons. On Dec. 24 a suicide bomber in Madaen, Iraq (15 mi. S of Baghdad) kills 33 and injures 55. On Dec. 24 Saudi Sheikh Abdulrahman Al-Sudais appoints Fatimah Al-Rashoud as head of the women guidance committee, becoming the first woman to hold a leading position in the gen. presidency of the two holy mosques. On Dec. 24 the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) (ratified by 50 nations on Sept. 25) goes into effect; a snare for the people of the U.S.? On Dec. 24 dozens of Roman Catholic priests march in Ciudad Altamirano, Mexico to protest a series of robberies, kidnappings, and murders of priests, and to demand the release of kidnapped priest Rev. Gregorio Lopez Gorostieta. On Dec. 24 police in Australia arrest Australian Muslim Sulayman Khalid (1994-) and another man for plotting a Christmas terror plot in the Blue Mountains. On Dec. 25 after an announcement by PM Narendra Modi, India celebrates its first Good Governance Day. On Dec. 26 a U.S. drone strike in two compounds in Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan kills seven militants. On Dec. 26 a new law comes into Sweden criminalizing criticism of Muslim immigration or even a politician's unwillingness to stop it. On Dec. 27 (7:24 a.m.) AirAsia Flight 8501 carrying 155 passengers is lost en route from Surabaya, Indonesia to Singapore; the last words of the pilot are "Allahu Akbar". On Dec. 27 Chinese vice-PM Wang Yang gives a speech, with the soundbyte: "The United States is the guide of the world; China is willing to join this system... China and United States are global economic partners, but America is the guide of the world. America already has the leading system and its rules; China is willing to join the system and respect those rules and hopes to play a constructive role" - more saving, more doing, that's the power of Home Depot? On Dec. 28 as a ceremony is held in Kabul, Pres. Obama issues a statement marking the end of the U.S. Afghanistan war, touching a 90% troop reduction on his watch, with the soundbyte: "For more than 13 years, ever since nearly 3,000 innocent lives were taken from us on 9/11, our nation has been at war in Afghanistan Now, thanks to the extraordinary sacrifices of our men and women in uniform, our combat mission in Afghanistan is ending, and the longest war in American history is coming to a responsible conclusion." On Dec. 28 (night) a Greek ferry en route to Italy catches fire off Albany, killing 10. On Dec. 29 Jordan submits a final draft of a Palestinian Authority-backed statehood resolution to the U.N., calling for a peace deal with Israel within a year and an end to occupation of Palestinian territories by the end of 2017; the capital will be in Jerusalem; the U.S. opposes the bid, calling it "not constructive"; Mahmoud Abbas' own Fatah Party also opposes it; Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu utters the soundbyte: "Israel will oppose conditions that endanger our future"; too good, on Dec. 30 the U.N. Security rejects the resolution, with the U.S. and Australia voting against, Nigeria abstaining, and France and Russia for; Hamas supports the bid; on Dec. 31 Mahmoud Abbas signs papers to join the Internat. Criminal Court so it can sit in judgment of Israeli officials, along with an Israeli war crimes probe request - the abomination of desolation sits where? On Dec. 31 the Italian coast guard rescues a cargo ship carrying 970 illegal Syrian immigrants after its crew abandons ship and sets it to crash into the coast off Puglia, Italy. On Dec. 31 U.S. unemployment is 5.6% (vs. 5.8% in Nov.), adding 252K jobs. On Dec. 31 (midnight) Syrian pres. Bashar al-Assad inspects his troops on the front line in Joubar, Damascus after 76K have been killed. All U.S. public school students above the 2nd grade are proficient in reading and math, thanks to Pres. G.W. Bush's 2002 No Child Left Behind Law? The 2nd scout mission to Mars returns surface samples to Earth (NASA). As he is about to flee his country, Yemeni pres. Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi signs a 99-year lease of Socotra Island with UAE to use as their main military base. The new city of Songdo, South Korea opens on a manmade island 40 mi. SW of Seoul. The Nakba Museum Project of Memory and Hope in Washington, D.C. is founded by Bshara Nassar to "bring the Palestinian refugee story to Washington, D.C." The Facebook page Olim L'Berlin (Let's Immigrate to Berlin) is created, protesting the high cost of living in Israel and urging Israelis to move to Germany, raising a firestorm of protest. Chicken passes beef to become the #1 most popular meat in the U.S. By this year five beer cos. control 51% of the global beer market, incl. Anheuser-Busch InBev, SABMiller, Heineken, Carlsberg, and China Resources Enterprise; in 2015 Anheuser-Busch InBev merges with SABMiller, giving them a 30% share. Sports: On Jan. 13 the Chicago Cubs debut their new mascot Clark. On Jan. 26 the 2014 NFL Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium in Hololulu, Hawaii becomes the first with a "fan-friendly" format aimed at fantasy football nuts; Team Jerry Rice defeats Team Deion Sanders by 22-21. On Feb. 2 Super Bowl LXVIII (48) (2014) ("Marijuana Bowl" because Colo. and Wash. are the only two states to permit recreational marijuana use) at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. (first outdoor SB in a cold weather city) sees the 13-3 Seattle Seahawks (NFC), led by QB (#3) Russell Carrington Wilson (1989-) and coached by Peter Clay "Pete" Carroll (1951-) defeat the 13-3 Denver Broncos (AFC), led by QB (#18) Peyton Williams Manning (1976-) (first to lead two different teams to the SB) and coached by John Fox (1955-) by 43-8 as Seattle's Legion of Boom shuts Denver's offense down; Denver muffs the first snap of the game to give Seattle a safety at 00:12; the score is 22-0 at halftime; Seattle linebacker (#53) Malcolm Smith (1989-) is named MVP; a U.S. TV record 111.5M viewers watch it; ads sell for $4M for 30 sec.; Manning blames fan noise, but Seattle already defeated Denver in the preseason by 40-10; Denver loses a record 5th Super Bowl. On Feb. 23 the 2014 (56th) Daytona 500 is won by "Pied Piper of Daytona" Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr. (1974-), who breaks a 55-race winless streak, becoming his 2nd win (2004). On Feb. 23 basketball center Jason Paul Collins (1978-) becomes the first openly gay athlete in North Am. pro sports, signing with the New York Nets of the NBA for a 10-day contract, then getting two rebounds in a 108-102 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. On Mar. 26 NLRB regional dir. Peter Sung Ohr rules that college athletes at Northwestern U. can unionize. On Apr. 21 the 118th (2014) Boston Marathon takes back the streets from Muslim jihadists; Ethiopian immigrant Mebrahton "Meb" Keflezighi (1985-) becomes the first U.S. male to win since 1983; a Kenyan has won 19x since 1991. On Apr. 29 after recorded racist comments are released by his ex-girlfriend V. Stiviano, Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald T. Sterling (Tokowitz) (1934-) is banned from the NBA for life and fined $2.5M by the NBA; on May 22 citing the quick action by the NBA on Sterling, 49 U.S. Dem. Senators send a letter to NFL commissioner Roger Gooddell to change the Washington Redskins' name, calling it a racist slur; on May 30 Microsoft's Steve Balmer buys the Clippers for a record $2B. On May 20 a group of retired NFL players incl. Jim McMahon, Richard Dent, and Keith Van Horne of the Chicago Bears, and Jeremy Newberry of the San Francisco 49ers file a lawsuit alleging that the NFL illegally supplied them with narcotics and other drugs to mask injuries to keep them playing, leading to medical complications after retirement. On May 25 (Sun.) Dallas, Tex.-born Ryan Hunter-Reay (1980-) (who drives IndyCar No. 28 to show support for the 28M living with cancer worldwide) of Andretti Autosport wins the 2014 (98th) Indianapolis 500 by .06 sec. over Helio Castroneves, the 2nd closest finish since 1992 and first Am. winner since 2006. On June 5-15 the 2014 NBA Finals sees the San Antonio Spurs defeat the Miami Heat by 4-1, after which LeBron James returns to the Cleveland Cavaliers; MVP is small forward Kawhi Anthony "the Klaw" Leonard (1991-) (#2) of the Spurs. On June 7 the 2014 Belmont Stakes and Triple Crown #12 are won by ("the People's Horse") (fans are called Chromies, known for wearing purple band-aids on their noses) California Chrome (2011-) (jockey Victor Espinoza), who was on a 6-game winning streak and hoping to become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978; er, he comes in a tie for 4th in a field of 11 with Wicked Strong, and Tonalist (2011-) wins in 2:28.52, with Commissioner and Medal Count coming in 2-3, causing owner Steve Coburn to grumble that California Chrome was targeted by the other owners, who ran fresh horses that didn't have to run the other two legs of the Triple Crown, calling for reform, with the soundbyte: "It's all or nothing. This is not fair to these horses and to the people that believe in them. This is the coward's way out." On June 18 after debuting in 2011 as the youngest player in the MLB, Dallas, Tex.-born lefty pitcher Clayton Edward Kershaw (1988-) of the Los Angeles Dodgers (#22) becomes the 22nd Dodger to pitch a no-hitter, going on to become the first-ever pitcher to lead the ML in ERA for four straight seasons (2011-14). On June 23-July 7 2014 (128th) Wimbledon Championship sees defending champion Andy Murray lose in the quarterfinals to Grigor Dimitrov, and defending champ Marion Bartoli retire before the match; Novak Djokovic of Serbia wins the gentleman's singles title, and Petra Kvitova (Kvitová) (1990-) of Czech. Repub wins the ladies' singles title. On Sept. 8 after a video of him knocking out his fiancee Janay Palmer in an elevator at the Revel Casino in Atlantic City, N.J. on Feb. 15 emerges, the Baltimore Ravens fire star running back Raymell Mourice "Ray" Price (1987), who is banned by the NFL; previously on Mar. 27 a grand jury indicts him for 3rd deg. assault, on Mar. 28 Rice and Palmer are married, and on July 25 Rice is suspended for the first two games of the 2014 NFL season, the video release causing mgt. to backpedal at jet speed. On Oct. 19 (Sun.) Denver Broncos QB Peyton Manning bests Brett Favre's career TD record of 508 with 510 in a 42-17 blowout of the San Francisco 49ers in Denver, with four TDs to his credit, plus two more running TDs. On Oct. 21-29 the 2014 (110th) World Series sees the San Francisco Giants (NL) defeat the Kansas City Royals (AL) 4-3; Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner throws a complete game shutout in Game 5, then closes with 5 straight shutout innings in Game 7 after a 2-day rest; the 2nd WS after the 2002 one to feature two wild card teams. On Nov. 23 (Sun.) New York Giants rookie WR (#13) Odell Beckham Jr. (1992-) makes The Amazing Catch on Sun. Night Football on NBC-TV, which many call the greatest of all time. Architecture: On Feb. 13 $2.2B Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System in the Mojhave Desert of Calif. 40 mi. SW of Las Vegas, Nev. opens, designed to produce 392MW; too bad, in Nov. 2014 AP reports that it is only producing "about half of its expected annual output". On May 21 the 911 Museum in New York City opens. In June the 20M euro Copenhagen Grand Mosque opens, becoming the first in Scandinavia. On July 17 Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. (cap. 68.5K-75K) opens as the home of the San Francisco 49ers; on Aug. 7 their first game is a 23-3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, followed by a 34-0 loss on Aug. 17 to the Denver Broncos; on Feb. 7, 2016 it hosts Super Bowl 50 (L), which is won by the Broncos. On Sept. 20 the Wangjing Galaxy SOHO complex of three assymetric curvilinear skyscrapers in Wangjing, Beijing, China opens, designed by Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid. The Citadel in the Netherlands opens, becoming the world's first floating apt. bldg. The Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul, Korea, designed by Zaha Hadid opens. The Guangzhou Circle in Guangdong, China opens, becoming the world's tallest circular bldg. (until ?). Nobel Prizes: Peace: Kailash Satyarthi (Sharma) (1954-) (India), and Malala Yousafzai (1997-) (Pakistan); Lit.: Jean Patrick Modiano (1945-) (France); Physics: Isamu Akasaki (1929-), Hiroshi Amano (1960-), and Shuji Nakamura (1954-) (Japan) [blue LEDs]; Chem.: Robert Eric Betzig (1960-) (U.S.), Stefan Walter Hell (1962-) (Germany), and William Esco Moerner (1953-) (U.S.) [super-resolved fluorescence microscopy]; Med.: John O'Keefe (1939-) (U.S.), May-Britt Moser (1963-) (Norway), and Edvard Ingjald Moser (1962-) (Norway) [hippocampus place cells]; Econ.: Jean Tirole (1953-) (France) [market power and regulation]. Inventions: On Feb. 21 Khashayar Khoshmanesh et al. of RMIT U. in Australia pub. an article in Proceedings of the Nat. Academy of Sciences announcing the first liquid metal-enabled pump, which will enable microfluidic lab-on-a-chip technology. On May 24 NASA launches the Colo. High-Resolution Echelle Stellar Spectograph (CHESS) to study atoms floating between stars. On July 9 the U.S. Air Force issues a request for proposal for the $550M Long Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B) nuclear-capable heavy payload strategic stealth aircraft, giving the U.S. the capability of striking deep inside China or Russia for the first time since the B-17; 80-100 are planned; on Oct. 28, 2015 the $80B contract is awarded to Northrop Grumman, beating out the team of Boeing and Lockheed-Martin. On July 24 Google announces their Pigeon algorithm, which warps search rankings to give preference to local listings. On Sept. 24 the Indian Mangalyaan Mars Orbiter Mission enters Mars orbit, making India the first Asian country to reach Mars. On Nov. 12 (11:00 a.m. EST) the Philae lander of the ESA's Rosetta mission makes the first-ever spacecraft soft landing on a comet, Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. On Nov. 17 the 3D Printing in Zero-G Technology Demonstration sees the first object 3-D printed in space aboard the ISS. On Dec. 5 the NASA Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) makes its first flight atop a Delta IV Heavy rocky, er, rocket; too bad, massive cost overruns delay the first mission until 2023? The SolarEagle developed by Boeing is a solar-powered unmanned aircraft that can fly nonstop for over five years while sending surveillance data to the ground. The Precision-Guided Firearm (PGF) from TrackingPoint Inc. uses Google Glass technology to help a firearm hit targets behind corners. The 2014 Honda Odyssey minivan features the first built-in vacuum cleaner for a vehicle. The NeuroLife chip is implanted into the brain of quadraplegic man Ian Burkhart (22) in Ohio by surgeons from Ohio State U., allowing him to pick up objects, stir beverages, play video games, etc. Science: On Jan. 2 Japanese scientists Kazuya Iwamoto et al. pub. an article in Neuron announcing that a class of junk DNA retrotransposons called Long Interspersed Nuclear Elements (LINEs) (discovered in 1980), which make up 21.1% of the human genome might be responsible for schizophrenia. On Jan. 9 Martin Leeb et al. of Cambridge U. pub. an article in Neuron describing a fast and comprehensive method for determining the function of genes using transposons (jumping genes). On Jan. 14 Jan van Hest and Ruud Peters of Ribaud U. Nijmegen pub. an article in Angewandte Chemie announcing the creation of the first artificial cell containing organelles capable of carrying out the various steps of a chemical reaction. On Jan. 15 s Bijan Pesaran et al. of NYU pub. an article in Nature revealing that humans use both sides of their brains for speech. On Jan. 28 Matthew Rushworth et al. of Oxford U. pub. an article in Neuron announcing the discovery of the lateral frontal pole prefrontal cortex, which is unique to humans and is connected with higher level thinking. On Jan. 29 researchers at Amherst College and Aalto U. pub. an article in Nature reporting the creation of an artificial magnetic monopole. On Jan. 30 researchers at Nanjing Medical U. and Yunnan Key Lab of Primate Biomedical Research in Kunming, China pub. an article in Cell reporting the creation of genetically-modified monkeys using a new method of DNA engineering known as CRISPR. On Feb. 7 Ali Tavassoli et al. of the U. of Southampton pub. an article in Angewandte Chemie International Edition announcing the first workable Click Chemistry, the artificial joining of oligonucleotides. On Feb. 14 researchers at the U. of Tex. announce the first human lungs grown in a lab. On Feb. 21 Boris Vinatzer pub. an article in PLoS ONE proposing a new naming system for all organisms based on their genome sequence. In Feb. NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory detects low-energy X-rays emanating from Pluto, detecting ditto 3x more by Aug. 2015. On Mar. 10 after irregularities are found, Japanese scientist Teruhiko Wakayama calls for his study on stem cells that claims they can be created by putting mature animal cells in an acid bath to be withdrawn. On Mar. 17 using data from the BICEP2 microwave telescope at the South Pole, physicists at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics announce the discovery of gravity waves from the Big Bang, proving the Theory of Inflation; William Jones of Princeton U. et al. announce that the conclusion overreaches the data; it's really just ashes from an exploding star? In Mar. an internat. team synthesizes SynIII, the first synthetic chromosome for yeast; only 15 more to go. On Apr. 3 scientists at the U. of Va. announce the first fish embryo grown from stem cells. On Apr. 3 the Nat. Inst. of Standards and Technology announces NIST-F2, their new atomic clock, replacing NIST-F1 (1999) with 3x the accuracy, about 1 sec. per 300M years. On Apr. 8 scientists at the U. of Edinburgh announce the first successful regeneration of a living organ, a thymus in a mouse. On Apr. 17 Garry Taylor and Helen Connaris of St. Andrews U. announce the discovery of Kepler-186f, the most Earth-like planet yet discovered, and potentially habitable. On Apr. 17 after a study reveals the limited effectiveness of Tamiflu, scientists at St. Andrews U. announce a new nasal spray that could protect against any kind of flu. On Apr. 17 scientists in South Korea pub. an article announcing the first therapeutic cloning of adults, creating stems cells from the skin cells of two adult men. On Apr. 21 scientists at MIT announce a revolutionary advance in CRISPR, a rev. genome-editing technique that can correct adult genes and cure diseases. On Apr. 30 scientists using ESO's Very Large Telescope (VOT) announce the first determination of the rotation rate of an expoplanet, Beta Pictoris b (8 hours). On May 7 Floyd Romesberg et al. of the Scripps Research Inst. pub. an article in Nature announcing the first viable organism with two artficial DNA building blocks. On May 8 Siegfried Hekimi et al. of McGill U. pub. an article in Cell reversing the "free radical theory of aging", proving that free radical production increases during aging because they combat aging. On June 1 Hrvoje Petek et al. of the U. of Pittsburgh pub. an article in Nature Physics announcing the detection of the exciton, which makes reflection of light from a metal mirror possible. On June 4 physicians at Am. Family Children's Hospital in Madison, Wisc. pub. an article in the New England Journal of Medicine reporting the first successful use of quick DNA sequencing to diagnose an illness. On June 7 the 1950 Turing Test was allegedly passed for the first time by supercomputer Eugene Goostman at the Royal Society in London, convincing 33% of human judges that it was human (30% required); simulating a 13-y.-o. boy, Eugene was developed in St. Petersburg, Russia by Vladimir Veselov and Eugene Demchenko. On June 7 an infant born to grad student Razib Khan in Calif. becomes the first healthy person born in the U.S. with their entire genome deciphered in advance. On June 17 a UNSW Australia-led team pub. an article in Proceedings of the Nat. Academy of Science reporting a discovery of how algae can switch the quantum phenomenon that occurs in photosynthesis on and off to survive in very low light levels. On June 17 the first scentgrams (champagne and macaroons) are sent from New York City to Paris. In June Battelle Inst. and Ohio State U. Wexner Medical Center announce Neurobridge, which allows a paralyzed person to move his extremities with his thoughts. In June after Steyer launches NextGen America in 2013 to support climate change policies and candidates, the Risky Business Project, founded by billionaire hedge fund mgr. Thomas Fahr "Tom" Steyer (1957-), billionaire New York City mayor (2002-13) Michael Rubens Bloomberg (1942-), and former U.S. treasury secy. #74 (2006-9) Henry Merritt "Hank" Paulson Jr. (1946-) to combat climate change pub. its Nat. Report, followed by the Midwest Report (Jan. 2015), and the Calif. Report (Apr. 2015), examining the economic risks and opportunities of climate change. On July 21 Jonathan Thorn et al. of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Mass. announce a new way to make fully functional human platelets using human stem cells and a bioreactor. On Aug. 11 Outernet begins beaming free Wi-Fi to Earth from satellites; too bad, it's only a 1-way data service. On Sept. 1 Alvaro Pascual-Leone et al. of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center pub. an article in PLOS ONE reporting the first direct brain-to-brain communications in humans via the Internet. On Oct. 20 George Fraser et al. of the U. of Leicester pub. an article in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society announcing the first detection of axions, Dark Matter particle candidates by the XMM-Newton Observatory. In Oct. after protests by nativists who claim they want to build it on sacred land, the $1.5B Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) on Mauna Kea, Hawaii is delayed by the courts, with each new attempt to build it being blocked by more protests (Apr. 2 and June 24, 2015); in Dec. 2015 the Hawaiian Supreme Court invalidates the building permits. On Nov. 6 Nature Communications pub. an article announcing that the 1999 conjecture by Asher Peres that the weakest form of quantum entanglement can never result in the strongest manifestation of the phenomenon has been proven false by scientists at the U. of Geneva and Hungarian Academy of Sciences. On Nov. 13 Timothy Lu et al. of MIT pub. an article in Science announcing the first successful method for storing memory in bacterial genomes. On Nov. 27 Daniel Baker of the U. of Colo. pub. an article in Nature reporting the discovery of a boundary layer in the Van Allen belts that blocks "killer electrons". On Dec. 11 doctors at Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa perform the world's first successful penis transplant on a 20-.y.-o. man from Cape Town who had his penis amputated three years earlier in a botched circumcision ceremony; after he begins intercourse five weeks after the procedure, next June 13 Anthony van der Merwe of the U. of Stellenbosch announces that he has conceived his first baby with a partner. Art: Nonfiction: Youssef H. Aboul-Enein (ed.), Reconstructing a Shattered Egyptian Army: War Minister Gen. Mohamed Fawzi's Memoirs, 1967-1971. Sonia L. Alianak, Transition towards Revolution and Reform: The Arab Spring Realized? David C. Archibald (1955-), The Twilight of Abundance: Why Life in the 21st Century Will Be Nasty, Brutiish, and Short (Mar. 24); warns of a future prolonged global cooling period, and how nuclear power and transformation of coal into liquid fuels can help survive it, going on a book tour that pisses-off global warming advocates, who call him a fringe scientist. Vladimir Avdeyev, Raciology: The Science of the Hereditary Traits of Peoples and Races; attempts to take on anthropology. Rick Atkinson (1952-), D-Day: The Invasion of Normandy, 1944. Mohammed Ayoob, Will the Middle East Implode? Tim Ball (1938-), The Deliberate Corruption of Climate Science (Jan. 21); disses the progressive left for politicizing what should only be a science. Edward E. Baptist, The Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism. Mitchell Bard, Death to the Infidels: Radical Islam's War Against the Jews. Ofra Bengio, Kurdish Awakening: Nation Building in a Fragmented Homeland. Kai Bird (1951-), The Good Spy: The Life and Death of Robert Ames. Brian Robert Calfano (ed.), Assessing MENA Political Reform, Post-Arab Spring: Mediators and Microfoundations. Nicholas Carr, The Glass Cage: Automation and Us; automation is making the world less interesting? Richard Carrier (1969-), On the Historicity of Jesus: Why We Might Have Reason for Doubt; "The concept of Jesus we're supposed to believe existed is actually getting more confused the more people study it"; Hitler Homer Bible Christ: The Historical Papers of Richard Carrier, 1995-2013. Christopher Catherwood, From the Ashes of War: The Creation of the Middle East (May 29). Hillary Clinton (1947-) and Edward "Ted" Widmer, Hard Choices (June 10); 656 pages; sells 85,721 in week #1 vs. 467,604 for Sarah Palin's; "I will not be a part of a political slugfest on the backs of dead Americans... Those who insist on politicizing the tragedy will have to do so without me." Alan Dershowitz (1938-), Terror Tunnels: The Case for Israel's Just War Against Hamas (Sept. 10). John Dunn, Traditionalism: The Only Radicalism (Aug. 11); blames the world's troubles on usury. Russell Edwards, Naming Jack the Ripper (Sept. 9); claims that he's Polish Jewish immigrant Aaron Kominski. Barbara Ehrenreich (1941-), Living With a Wild God: An Unbeliever's Search for the Truth About Everything (autobio.) (Apr. 8); her childhood quest for the truth of life. Alex Epstein (1980), The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels (Nov. 13); NYT bestseller making the case for fossil fuels as a great benefit to humanity and knocking wind, solar, and biofuels as too expensive and unreliable while dissing climate alarmists; "If our goal is human flourishing and we look at the full context there is a strong moral case for using more fossil fuels, not less"; "This is not a debate over facts. It's a debate over philosophy and our assumptions." Eve Epstein and Leonora Epstein, X vs. Y: A Culture War, a Love Story (Mar. 18); Gen. X and Y siblings. Thomas Erikson, Surrounded by Idiots: The Four Types of Human Behavior and How to Effectively Communicate with Each in Business (and in Life); internat. bestseller (1.5M copies); Red, Blue, Green, Yellow; a pseudoscientific scam? Elizabeth Anne Fenn (1959-), Encounters at the Heart of the World: A History of the Mandan People (Pulitzer Prize). Alain Finkielkraut, The Unhappy Identity (L'Identite Malheureuse); the failure of multiculturalism in France is threatening French civilization. Robert M. Gates (1943-), Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War (Jan. 14); claims that Pres. Obama and secy. of state Hillary Clinton told him that they opposed the Iraq surge because of politics. Glen Greenwald (1967-), No Place to Hide: Edward Snowden, the NSA, and the U.S. Surveillance State (May 13). Stephen Green, Reluctant Meister: How Germany's Past Is Shaping Its European Future (Dec. 15). Larry Hancock and Stuart Wexler, Shadow Warfare: The History of America's Undeclared Wars (Mar. 18). Peter Heather, The Fall of the Roman Empire: A New History of Rome and the Barbarians (Jan. 31). Gerald Horne, The Counter-Revolution of 1776: Slave Resistance and the Origins of the United States of America; the U.S. was founded on slavery, and the liberty-equality b.s. is just window dressing to keep whites in power? Raymond Ibrahim (1973-), Crucified Again: Exposing Islam's New War on Christians. Abdisaid Abdi Ismail, The Rule of Apostasy in Islam: Is It True? (Sept.) (Kenya); questions the concept of the death penalty for apostasy in Islam, causing him to be called "Somalia's Salman Rushdie". Salim Ismail, Exponential Organizations: Why new organizations are ten times better, faster, cheaper than yours (and what to do about it) (Oct. 18). Raphael Israeli, Hatred, Lies, and Violence in the World of Islam. Jang Jin-sung (1970-), Dear Leader: Poet, Spy, Escapee - A Look Inside North Korea. Kent A. Kiehl, The Psychopath Whisperer: The Science of Those Without Conscience; "Symptoms should be present by age 10... as early as age 5." George Frost Kennan (1904-2005), The Kennan Diaries (posth.). David I. Kertzer (1948-), The Pope and Mussolini: The Secret History of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism in Europe (Feb.) (Pulitzer Prize); claims that Pius XI played a significant role in supporting the rise of Fascism in Italy, but started to flop after the rise of Nazi Germany, causing future Pope Pius XII to struggle to restrain him from breaking with Mussolini until he could take over and play Vatican footsie with Hitler. Ronald Kessler (1943-), The First Family Detail: Secret Service Agents Reveal the Hidden Lives of the Presidents (Aug. 5); NYT bestseller; retired Secret Service agents tell all about former presidents and First Ladies, incl. all-time worst Hillary Clinton: "When in public, Hillary smiles and acts graciously. As soon as the cameras are gone, her angry personality, nastiness, and imperiousness become evident. Hillary Clinton can make Richard Nixon look like Mahatma Gandhi." Aaron Klein, The Real Benghazi Story: What the White House and Hillary Don't Want You to Know; claims that Hillary Clinton signed waivers the doomed ambassador Christopher Stevens et al. Edward Klein (1937-), Blood Feud: The Clintons vs. the Obamas (June 23); claims a feud between the Obama and Clinton clans, with Bill Clinton despising Pres. Obama, and Michelle Obama calling Hillary Clinton the "Hildebeest". Naomi Klein (1970-), This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate (Sept.), a NYT bestseller claiming that capitalism has waited too long to address climate change, and that neoliberal market fundamentalism and its profligate consumption, mega-mergers, and trade agreements immune to concerns about the environment stands in the way of the solution, making it necessary to cross "the river of fire" and dump it and start an ecological rev.; filmed in 2015 by her hubby Avi Lewis. Elizabeth Kolbert (1961-), The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History (Pulitzer Prize); climate alarmist hit predicting that humans are next, starting with 20%-50% of "all living species on earth" by 2100. Joseph Morgan Kousser (1943-), Do the Facts of Voting Rights Support Chief Justice Roberts's Opinion in Shelby County?. Arun Kundnani, The Muslims Are Coming! Islamophobia, Extremism, and the Domestic War on Terror (Mar. 18); claims that Muslims are all innocent victims entrapped by the FBI, but never explains why they so often take the bait if it isn't because it's what's Islam is really about? Mark LeVine and Mathias Mossberg (eds.), One, Two States: Israel and Palestine as Parallel States; the parallel sovereignty solution. Eric Lichtblau (1965-), The Nazis Next Door: How America Became a Safe Haven for Hitler's Men (Oct. 28); NYT bestseller; how they recruited and harbored former Nazis to use against the Russians, incl. a possible invasion of the Soviet Union, and covered it up into the 1990s. James Lovelock (1919-), A Rough Ride to the Future. Andrew C. McCarthy, Faithless Execution: Building the Political Case for Obama's Impeachment (May 20); "All presidential lawlessness is not the same....and real impeachment will never happen unless the people are convinced, by the nature of the president's lawlessness, that it must be stopped and that it will not be stopped unless the President is removed from office." Seyed Hossein Mousavian, Iran and the United States: An Insider's View of the Failed Past and the Road to Peace (May). D.M. Murdock (AKA Acharya S) (1960-2015), Did Moses Exist? The Myth of the Israelite Lawgiver (Mar. 27). Mike O'Connor, A Commercial Republic: America's Enduring Debate Over Democratic Capitalism (May 28). Leon Panetta, Worthy Fights; claims that the U.S. should have used more force in Iraq and Syria to stave off ISIS. Amie Parnes and Jonathan Allen, HRC: State Secrets and the Rebirth of Hillary Clinton (Feb. 11); reveals that during the 2008 campaign Hillary Clinton kept an enemies hit list. Michael Paulkovich, No Meek Messiah; cites the lack of mention by 126 1st cent. authors to claim that Jesus Christ never existed. Thomas Piketty (1971-), Capital in the 21st Century (Mar. 10); brilliantly marshals 250 years of economic data to show that ever-increasing inequality is the inevitable outcome of free market capitalism, calling for the global taxation of capital to prevent social upheaval, which becomes an instant internat. bestseller, causing a flood of "Piketty Porn" by his eager believers. Sidney Powell, Licensed to Lie: Exposing Corruption in the Department of Justice (May 1). Akif Princci, Germany Out of Her Senses: The Mad Cult Around Women, Homosexuals, and Immigrants (Mar.). Gareth Porter, Manufactured Crisis: The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare. Nomi Prins, All the Presidents' Bankers. Mitri Raheb (1962-), Faith in the Face of Empire: The Bible Through Palestinian Eyes (Jan. 17); how the Biblical story must be interpreted through the eyes of the various empires that controlled Palestine. Paul Craig Roberts (1939-), How America Was Lost: From 9/11 to the Police/Warfare State. Lisa Robinson, There Goes Gravity: A Life in Rock and Roll (autobio.). Barry Rubin and Wolfgang G. Schwanitz, Nazis, Islamists, and the Making of the Modern Middle East (Jan.). Saxonshieldwall, Rivers of Blood: Why Enoch Powell Was Right! (Nov. 26). Daniel Schulman, Sons of Wichita: How the Koch Brothers Became America's Most Powerful and Private Dynasty (May 20); first bio. of the Koch brothers Frederick, Charles, David, and Bill. Fred Schruers, Billy Joel: The Definitive Biography. Nicolai Sennels, Among Criminal Muslims: A Psychologist's Experience from the Copenhagen Muncipality; "Islam creates monsters." George Soros (1930-) and Gregor Schmitz, The Tragedy of the European Union: Disintegration or Revival?; whining about resurgent xenophobia among Euro whites, who still don't see anything wrong with Europe staying white, but never advocate mass white migration to non-white countries. Robert Spencer (1962-), Arab Winter Comes to America: The Truth About the War We're In (Apr. 14). Bryan Stevenson (1959-), Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption (memoir) (Oct. 21); NYT bestseller; paints the U.S. prison system as Jim Crow redesigned, getting prescribed for college freshmen; filmed in 2019 starring Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx. Roger Stone (1952-), Nixon's Secrets: The Rise, Fall and Untold Truth about the President, Watergate, and the Pardon (Aug. 11); the CIA tried to assassinate Nixon like they did JFK? Morten Storm, Paul Cruickshank, and Tim Lister, Agent Storm: My Life Inside Al Qaeda and the CIA. Sir Hew Strachan, The Direction of War; British defense strategist claims that Pres. Obama's foreign policy is a mess; "If anything it's gone backwards instead of forwards... Bush may have had totally fanciful political objectives in terms of trying to fight a global War on Terror, which was inherently astrategic, but at least he had a clear sense of what he wanted to do in the world. Obama has no sense of what he wants to do in the world." Margarita Torres and Jose Manuel Ortega del Rio, Kings of the Grail (Mar.); claims that the real Holy Grail is on display at the San Isidro Basilica in Leon, Spain. Nicholas Wade (1942-), A Troublesome Inheritance: Genes, Race and Human History (May 6); claims that race is real, not a social construct, and subject to natural selection, and that political correctness is making the subject of race and genetics taboo in the West, allowing mono-race China to pass it up; too bad, it brings out the PC police. Peter Townsend, Questioning Islam: Tough Questions & Honest Answers About the Muslim Religion (June 26). Stephen Ulph and Patrick Sookhdeo (eds.), Reforming Islam: Progressive Voices from the Arab Muslim World. Richard Vinen, National Service: Conscription in Britain, 1945-1963 (Aug. 28); wins a Wolfson History Prize and Templer Medal. Ibn Warraq (1946-), Christmas in the Koran: Luxenberg, Syriac, and the Near Eastern and Judeo-Christian Background of Islam (Aug. 26). Elizabeth Warren (1949-), A Fighting Chance (autobio.) (Apr. 22); launches her U.S. pres. candidacy? William J. Watkins Jr. and William F. Shughart II, Patent Trolls: Predatory Litigation and the Smothering of Innovation (Aug. 18). Alison Weir, Against Our Better Judgment: The Hidden History of How the U.S. Was Used to Create Israel (Feb. 21). Allen West (1961-), Guardian of the Republic (Apr.) (first book). Carrie Rosefsky Wickham, The Muslim Brotherhood: Evolution of an Islamist Movement. Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867-1957), Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography (posth.); ed. Pamela Smith Hill. Naci Yorulmaz, Arming the Sultan: German Arms Trade and Personal Diplomacy in the Ottoman Empire Before World War I. Eric Zemmour (1958-), The French Suicide (Le Suicide francais); makes him an internat. star; the 3D Theory of Derision, Deconstruction, and Destruction is seen in French politics from 1970-present; since the fall of Napoleon "France is no longer a predator but a prey". Mitchell Zuckoff, 13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi (Sept. 9); filmed in 2016 by Michael Bay. Plays: Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields, The Play That Goes Wrong (comedy) (Duchess Theatre, West End, London) (Sept. 14) (Lyceum Theatre, New York) (Mar. 9, 2017); a production that's plagued with disasters. Alan Menken (1949-), Chad Beguelin (1969-), Howard Ashman (1950-91), and Tim Rice (1944-), Aladdin (musical) (New Amsterdam Theatre, New York) (Mar. 30) (Delfont Mackintosh Theatres, West End, London) (June 15, 2016); based on the 1992 Disney animated film. Poetry: Louise Gluck (1943-), Faithful and Virtuous Night: Poems (Nat. Book Award). Marilyn Hacker (1942-) and Deema Shehabi (1970-), Diaspo/Renga: a collaboration in alternating renga. J.R.R. Tolken (1892-1973) (tr.), Beowolf (posth.); finished in 1926. Novels: M.R. Carey (1959-), The Girl with All the Gifts; bestseller about a world infected with a fungus that turns people into mindless cannibal zombies, but some hybrid children don't lose their minds; filmed in 2016. Robin Cook (1940-), Cell (Feb. 4). Lela Gilbert and W. Jack Buckner, The Levine Affair: Angel's Flight. Liane Moriarty (1966-), Big Little Lies (July); NYT bestseller. B.J. Novak, One More Thing. Joseph O'Connor, The Thrill of It All; Robbie Goulding. J.K. Rowling (1965-), The Silkworm; pub. under alias Robert Galbraith. Charles Stross (1964-), The Lambda Functionary; sequel to "Rule 34" (2011). Akhil Sharma, Family Life; an Indian immigrant family to suburban U.S. in the late 1970s. Timur Vermes, He's Back Again (Er Is Wieder Da); Hitler wakes up in modern-day mongrelized Muslimized multicultural Berlin. Music: AC/DC, Rock or Bust (album); first sans Malcolm Young. Dierks Bentley (1975-), Riser (album #7) (Feb. 25) (#1 country) (#6 in the U.S.); incl. Riser (#8 in the U.S.) (#24 country), I Hold On (#3 country) (#40 in the U.S.), Drunk on a Plane (#3 country) (#27 in the U.S.), Bourbon in Kentucky (#40 country). Johnny Cash (1932-2003), Out Among the Stars (posth.) (album) (Mar. 25) (#1 country) (#3 in the U.S.) (#4 in the U.K.); incl. Out Among the Stars, Baby Ride Easy (w/June Carter), She Used to Love Me a Lot, I'm Movin' On (by Hank Snow) (w/Waylon Jennings). Dan + Shay, Where It All Began (album) (debut) (Apr. 1) (Warner Bros. Records) (#1 country) (#6 in the U.S.); from Nashville, Tenn., incl. Dan Smyers (1987-) (Wexford, Penn.) and James Shay Mooney (1991) (Natural Dam, Ark.) (formerly hooked up with Veronica Ballestrini); incl. 19 You + Me (#7 country) (#42 in the U.S.) (700K copies), Show You Off (#29 country) (100K copies), What You Do to Me (#39 country). Morgan Evans (1984-), Morgan Evans (album) (debut) (#20 ARIA) (#1 Australian country). Phoebe Killdeer (1977-), Fade Out Lines (Sept. 26) (#1 in Germany) (#3 in France); a reworking of "The Fade Out Line", featured in the film "Colombiana" (2011). Maddie and Tae, Maddie & Tae (album) (debut) (Nov. 4) (Dot Records); Maddie Marlow (Sugar Land, Tex.) and Taylor Elizabeth Dye (Ada, Okla.); incl. Girl in a Country Song (#8 country) (#62 in the U.S.) (250K copies). Eric Paslay (1983-), Eric Paslay (album) (debut) (Feb. 4) (#4 country) (#31 in the U.S.) (EMI Records); incl. Friday Night (#6 country) (#47 in the U.S.) (500K copies), Song About A Girl (#18 country) (#12 in the U.S.) (200K copies), She Don't Love You. Bob Seger (1945-), Ride Out (album #14) (Oct. 14) (#172 in the U.S.); incl. It's Your World, about climate change, uttering the soundbyte: "There are a lot of culprits in climate change, and everybody's responsible, myself included. Nobody gets a free pass on this one. We've got to change our ways and change them fast." Blake Shelton (1976-), Bringing Back the Sunshine (album #9) (Aug. 18) (#1 in the U.S., #1 country); incl. Neon Light (#43 in the U.S.) (#1 country), Sangria (#38 in the U.S.) (#1 country). Taylor Swift (1989-), 1989 (album #5) (Oct. 27); (#1 in the U.S.) (9.5M copies); her "first documented official pop album", ditching country; incl. Shake It Off (#1 in the U.S.) (#58 country) (2M copies), Blank Space (#1 in the U.S.), Style (#6 in the U.S.), Bad Blood (w/Kendrick Lamar) (#1 in the U.S.). Cole Swindell (1983-), Cole Swindell (album) (debut) (Feb. 18) (#2 country) (#3 in the U.S.) (Warner Bros. Records); incl. Chillin' It (#1 country) (#28 in the U.S.), Hope You Get Lonely Tonight (#7 country) (#50 in the U.S.). U2, Songs of Innocence (album) (Sept. 9); free distribution by Apple pisses-off millions for clogging their equipment. Movies: Dille Woodruff's Addicted (Oct. 10), based on the bestselling novel by Zane stars Sharon Leal as married nympho Zoe Reynard, Boris Kodjoe as her hubby Jason, Tyson Beckford and William Levy as her lovers, and Tasha Smith as sexual addiction pshrink Dr. Marcella Spencer; does $17.4M box office on a $5M budget. Clint Eastwood's American Sniper (Nov. 11) (Warner Bros.) stars Bradley Cooper as Tex.-raised U.S. Navy SEAL sniper champ Chris Kyle (1974-2013); does $547.4M box office on a $58.8M budget. Jennifer Kent's The Babadook (Jan. 17) (Screen Australia) (Entertainment One) (Umbrella Entertainment) debuts, starring Essie Davis as widow Amelia Vanek, whose 6-y.-o. Samuel "Sam" becomes plagued by an imaginary monster after asking mommy to read the pop-up storybook "Mister Babadook", about a tall pale-faced humanoid monster with taloned fingers who wears a top hat and torments anybody who becomes aware of its existence; "A rumbling sound then three sharp knocks, ba BA-ba DOOK! DOOK! DOOK! That's when you'll know that he's around. You'll see him if you look"; "You can't get rid of the Babadook"; Kent's dir. debut; does $7.5M box office on a $2M budget. Don Hall's and Chris Williams' Big Hero 6 (Oct. 23) is the first Disney animated film to feature Marvel Comics chars.; stars 14-y.-o. robotics genius Hiro Hamada of San Fransokyo, who has to build a superhero team to fight a masked villain; does $546M box office on a $165M budget. Alejandro Inarritu's Birdman or (the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (Aug. 27) (Regency Enterprises) (Fox Searchlight Pictures) stars Michael Keaton as washed-up Hollyweird Birdman actor Riggan Thomson, who hopes to revive his career via a Broadway adaptation of a Raymond Carver short story; Emma Stone plays Riggan's daughter Emma Stone; Zach Galifianakis plays his atty. Jake; Edward Norton plays actor Mike Shiner; Naomi Watts plays Mike's girl Lesley; does $103.2M box office on an $18M budget. Richard Linklater's Boyhood (Jan. 19) stars Patricia Arquette as single mom Olivia, who moves to Houston, Tex. to complete her degree, taking 6-y-o. son Mason Evans Jr. (Ellar Coltrane) and older sister Samantha (Lorelei Linklater), causing father Ethan Hawke to visit the children, while she hooks up with Prof. Bill Welbrock (Marco Perella), after which the family really becomes dysfunctional over the next 12 years. Michael Almereyda's Cymbeline (Anarchy) (Sept. 3) (Lionsgate), based on the Shakespeare play turned into a war between a biker gang and dirty cops stars Ed Harris as drug kingpin King Cymbeline, Mila Jovovich as Queen, Ethan Hawke as Iachimo, John Leguizamo as Pisanio, and Penn Badgley as orphan Posthumus, who secretly marries Cymbeline's daughter and is banished, while Queen schemes to put her son from a previous marriage onto the the throne in their place; Anton Yelchin plays Cloten, son of Queen by a former hubby; Dakota Johnson plays Imogen, daughter of Cymbline from a previous marriage. Louise Osmond's Dark Horse: The Incredible True Story of Dream Alliance is a British documentary set in South Wales about a racehorse who wins the Welsh Grand National. Neil Burger's Divergent (Mar. 18), based on the 2011 novel by Veronica Roth and set in a future dystopian Chicago stars Shailene Woodley as Beatrice "Tris" Prior, and Theo James as Tobias "Four" Eaton; followed by "Insurgent" (2015), "Allegiant" (2016), "Ascendant" (2017). Bobby Farrelly's and Peter Farrelly's Dumb and Dumber To (Nov. 14), a sequel to "Dumb and Dumber" (1994) stars Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels as Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne, who search for the long-lost children and a new kidney; does $129M box office on a $40M budget. Doug Liman's Edge of Tomorrow (May 28) (Warner Bros.), based on the 2004 novel "All You Need Is Kill" by Hiroshi Sakurazaka stars Tom Cruise as Maj. William Cage, Emily Blunt as Pvt. Rita Vrataski, and Bill Paxton as MSgt. Farrell Bartolome, who fight an invasion of W Europe by aliens called Mimics, with Cage getting a dose of alien blood that allows him to loop back in time one day until he hunt down the Omega hive mind; does $370.5M box office on a $178M budget; "Live. Die. Repeat." Joe Lynch's Everly (Sept. 20) (iTunes) stars Salma Hayek (after Kate Hudson bows out)( as a Yakuza sex slave who is caught being a police mole, causing mob boss Taiko (Hiroyuki Watanabe) to order the murder of her entire family incl. mother Edith (Laura Cepeda) and cute young daughter Maisey (Aisha Ayaman); Togo Igawa plays Tako's asst. The Sadist. Ridley Scott's Exodus: Gods & Kings (Dec. 12) (20th Cent. Fox) stars TLW, er, Christian Bale as Moses, Joel Edgerton as Rameses II, John Turturro as Seti I, Aaron Paul as Joshua, Sigourney Weaver as Tuya, and Ben Kingsley as Nun; banned by Egypt, with the soundbyte "Jews didn't build pyramids"; does $107M box office on a $140M budget. Amy J. Berg's Every Secret Thing (Apr. 20) (Hyde Park Entertainment), based on the 2004 Laura Lippman novel and produced by Frances McDormand stars Dakota Fanning and Danielle Macdonald as preetens Ronnie Fuller and Alice Manning, who kidnap and murder the 3-y.-o. biracial granddaughter of the county's first black judge; Diane Lane plays mother Helen Manning. Josh Boone's The Fault in Our Stars (May 16) (Temple Hill Entertainment), based on the 2012 John Green novel stars Shailene Woodley as 16-y.-o. cancer patient Hazel Grace Lancaster; does $256M box office on a $12M budget. Bennett Miller's Foxcatcher (May 19) (Sony Pictures) stars Steve Carrell as big-nosed philanthropist John E. du Pont, ignoring his mother Jean du Pont (Vanessa Redgrave), who disses wrestling as a "low sport" and helping the U.S. Olympic wrestling team recruit the Schultz brothers Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum) and Dave Schultz (Mark Ruffalo) to train on his 800-acre Foxcatcher Farm near Philly to win medals at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, after which in Jan. 1996 he freaks and murders Dave after his mother dies; does $13.6M box office on a $24M budget; "Ornithologist, philatelist, philanthropist". David Ayer's Fury (Oct. 15) (Columbia Pictures) stars a U.S. Army 2nd Armored Div. Sherman Easy Eight tank named Fury, manned by U.S. SSGt. Don "Wardaddy" Collier (Brad Pitt), gunner Boyd "Bible" Swan (Shia LaBeouf), Grady "Coon-Ass" Travis (Jon Bernthal), Trini "Gordo" Garcia (Michael Pena), and raw recruit Norman Ellison (Logan Lerman), painting Nazis as patriotic gung-ho vermin and Americans as superheroes; does $211.8M box office on a $68M budget. Rupert Wyatt's The Gambler (Nov. 10) (Paramount Pictures), based on the 1974 film stars Mark Wahlberg as L.A. lit. prof. Jim Bennett, who suffers from a severe gambling addiction, ending up owing big bucks to Frank (John Goodman) and Lee (Alvin Ing); Brie Larson plays his babe Amy Phillips; the final film role of George Kennedy as Ed; does $39.3M box office on a $31M budget. Phillip Noyce's The Giver (Aug. 15), based on the 1993 Lois Lowry novel stars Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep, Brenton Thwaites, and Taylor Swift. Gareth Edwards' Godzilla (May 15) returns to the terrifying force of nature theme a la the original Toho series. Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel (Feb. 6), filmed in Germany stars Ralph Fiennes as concierge M. Gustave H., who teams up with one of his employees to prove his innocence after he is framed for murder. Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (Dec. 1) (New Line Cinema) (MGM) (WingNut Films) (Warner Bros.) stars Martin Freeman and Ian Holm as Bilbo Baggins, Ian McKellen as Gandalf the Grey, Richard Armitage as dwarf king Thorin Oakenshield, Orlando Bloom as Legolas Greenleaf, Evangeline Lilly as Tauriel, Lee Pace as elf king Thranduil (who rides on a domesticated elk), Billy Connolly as dwarf leader Dain Ironfoot (who rides on a giant boar), and Luke Evans as Bard the Bowman; Smaug goes down way too fast and easy at the beginning, and all the giants fall too easy and fast later?; does $956M box office on a $250M budget. Tommy Lee Jones' The Homesman (May 18) (Saban Films), based on the novel by Glendon Swarthout stars Hilary Swank as homely single middle age Neb. woman Mary Bee Cuddy, and Jones as claim jumper George Briggs, who escorts her to Iowa; John Lithgow plays Rev. Dowd. Lasse Hallstrom's The Hundred-Foot Journey (Aug. 8) (Touchstone Pictures), based on the 2010 novel by Richard C. Morais about feuding restaurants located 100 ft. apart stars Helen Mirren as French restaurant owner Madame Mallory, Om Puri as rival Indian restaurant owner Papa, Manish Dayal as Chef Hassan Haji, and Charlotte Le Bon as Chef Marguerite; does $88.9M box office on a $22M budget. Stuart Beattie's I, Frankenstein (Jan. 24) (Lakeshore Entertainment) (Lionsgate), based on the graphic novel by Kevin Grevious set in 1795 stars Aaron Eckhart as monster Adam, created by Dr. Victor Frankenstein (Aden Young), who chases him to the Arctic after he kills his wife Elizabeth (Virginie Le Brun), where he gets into a war between demons, led by Prince Naberius (Bill Nighy) and gargoyles, led by Queen Leonore (Miranda Otto) and Cmdr. Gideon (Jai Courtney); does $71.2M box office on a $65M budget. Morten Tyldum's The Imitation Game (Aug. 29) (Black Bear Pictures) (Weinstein Co.) stars Benedict Cumberbatch as British cryptoanalyst Alan Turing, and Keira Knightley as his babe Joan Clarke, attempting to cover-up his homosexuality?; does $233.6M box office on a $14M budget. Christopher Nolan's Interstellar (Oct. 26) (Paramount Pictures) (Warner Bros.), co-written by Jonathan Nolan stars Matthew McConaughey as Joseph "Coop" Cooper, Anne Hathaway as Amelia Brand, David Gyasi as Romilly, and Wes Bentley as Doyle, a crew of astronauts traveling through a wormhole orbiting Saturn provided by 5th Dimensional aliens to find a new habitable planet before Earth's pop. implodes; Jessica Chastain plays Cooper's daughter Murph(y); Michael Caine plays Prof. Brand; John Lithgow plays Donald; Casey Affleck plays Tom Cooper; does $675.1M box office on a $165M budget. Evan Goldberg's and Seth Rogen's The Interview (Dec. 11) (Columbia Pictures), written by Dan Sterling stars Rogen and James Franco as Am. journalists on a mission to assassinate North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un (Randall Park) during an interview; after hacker threats against parent co. Sony Pictures, it is pulled from theaters on Dec. 17; on Dec. 19 the FBI announces that North Korea is behind the hacking, after which North Korea claims that the U.S. shut down its Internet, denying the Sony incident and calling Pres. Obama a monkey on Dec. 27; too bad, the film portrayed Jong-un as a likeable guy? Chad Stahelski's and David Leitch's John Wick (Sept. 19) (Thunder Road Pictures) (Summit Entertainment), a Gun-Fu hit starring Keanu Reeves as a retired hitman known as Baba Yaga (the Boogeyman) whose vintage car is stolen and his new puppy killed that his recently-deceased wife Helen (Bridget Moynahan) left him by Russian gangster Iosef Tarasov (Alfie Allen), son of crime boss Viggo Tarasov (Michael Nyqvist), causing him to go on a revenge tour and end up killing 76 people to get to the one he wants; also stars Ian McShane as Continental Hotel owner Winston, John Leguizamo as chop shop owner Aurelio, Dean Winters as Viggo's lt. Avi, Willem Dafoe as Wick's mentor Marcus, and Adrianne Palicki as hit woman Ms. Perkins; does $88.8M box office on a $30M budget; followed by "John Wick: Chapter 2" (2017); Wick has the Latin inscription "Fortis Fortuna Adiuvat" tattooed on his back, which the movie claims means "Fortune Favors the Bold", when it actually is an ancient pagan saying that means that the Goddess Fortuna helps only the strong, the exact opposite of the Biblical saying "The meek shall inherit the Earth". James Ford Murphy's computer-animated musical short film Lava (Nov. 23) (Walt Disney Pictures) (Pixar Animation Studio) ,a musical love story that takes place over millions of years, inspired by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's 1990 hit version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow; features the song Lava. Renny Harlin's The Legend of Hercules (Jan. 10) (Millennium Films) (Summit Entertainment) stars studly Kellan Lutz as Alcides, son of bad king Amphitryon of Tiryns ca. 1200 B.C.E. who falls for Princess Hebe of Crete (Gaia Weiss), who is betrothed to Iphicles (Liam Garrigan), and finds out that his real name is you know what; does $61.3M box office on a $70M budget. Ira Sachs' Love Is Strange (Sony Pictures) (Jan. 18) stars John Lithgow and Alfred Molina as gay couple Ben and George, who get married after 39 years together, causing George to be fired from his Roman Catholic school, causing them to split. Luc Besson's Lucy (July 25) (Universal) stars Scarlett Johannson as 25-y.-o. Am. woman Lucy, who lives in Taipei, and is tricked into become a drug mule by her beau, getting a massive dose of new synthetic drug CPH4, which turns her into a telepathic Amazon babe; does $270M box office on a $40M budget. Woody Allen's Magic in the Moonlight (July 25) stars Colin Firth as medium-exposing skeptic Stanley Crawford, who investigates gorgeous medium Emma Stone, and falls for her as well as her act; does $51M box office on a $16.8M budget. Wes Ball's The Maze Runner (Sept. 19) (20th Cent. Fox), based on the 2007 James Dashner novel and filmed in Baton Rouge, La. stars Dylan O'Brien as 16-y.-o. Thomas, who is given amnesia and sent in the Box (a rusty elevator) to the Glade, a clearing inside a gigantic moving stone maze, where 30+ other boys are trapped and have to live like primitives, led by Alby (Aml Ameen), incl. Chuck (Blake Cooper), Newt (Thomas Brodie-Sangster), Gally (Will Poulter), Minho (Ki Hong Lee), and Ben (Chris Sheffield); each day a door opens into the maze, allowing Runners to be sent in to try and find a way out; at night it closes, and anybody trapped inside is killed by giant spiders called Grievers; after Thomas becomes the first to kill a Griever, the first girl, Teresa (Kaya Scodelario) arrives, helping Thomas to regain his memory and remember that he and her were working for the creators, and that it is all a test, after which they finally find a way out of the maze and end up in the lab, where terrorists have killed all the personnel, and rescue them, taking them outside, revealing that the world is a vast desert with a scorching Sun; does $150M on a $34M budget. Karen Leigh Hopkins' Miss Meadows (Apr. 21) stars Katie Holmes as tap-dancing suburban first grade school teacher Mary Meadows, who is also a pistol-packing vigilante with issues with her mama, causing her to wear old-fashioned dresses and speak old-fashioned speech while popping-off perverts, hooking up with local sheriff James Badge Dale, who makes her pregnant and proposes, while suspecting her; meanwhile released pervert Skylar (Callan Mulvey) hovers over her kids, tying the plot into a neat bow; "Be careful" (sheriff); "I always am" (Meadows). Mike Leigh's Mr. Turner (May 15) (Film4) (Focus Features Internat.) (Thin Man Films) stars Timothy Spall as English Romantic painter J.M.W. Turner (1775-1851) in his last 25 horny crotchety years; does $17.8M box office on an £8.4M budget. George Clooney's The Monuments Men (Feb. 7), based on a book by Robert M. Edsel about an Allied group tasked with saving artwork from Hitler at the end of WWII stars Clooney as George Stout, Matt Damon as Lt. James Rorimer, Bill Murray as Capt. Rich Campbell, and John Goodman as Capt. Walter Garfield. Roger Donaldson's The November Man (Aug. 27) (Relativity Media), based on the novel "There Are No Spies" by Bill Granger stars Pierce Brosnan as ex-CIA agent Peter H. Devereaux, who must protect witness Alice Fournier (Olga Kurylenko) from his former CIA boss John Hanley (Bill Smitrovich) and his henchman David Mason (Luke Bracey); Will Patton plays CIA station chief Perry Weinstein; does $34.8M box office on a $15M budget; "Know what we used to call you Peter? The November Man. Cause after you passed through, nothing lived. You were one bleak motherfucker my friend." (Hanley) Edward Zwick's Pawn Sacrifice (Sept. 11) (Gail Katz Productions) stars Tobey Maguire as chess champ Bobby Fischer, Liev Schrieber as his arch-rival Boris Spassky, and Peter Sarsgaard as Fischer's second Father William Lombardy; "You have Henry Kissinger and Richard Nixon calling Bobby Fischer; you have Brezhnev and the KGB agents following Boris Spassky. Both of these men were pawns of their nations" (Zwick); does $5.6M box office on a $19M budget. Luis Estrada's The Perfect Dictatorship (Oct. 16) (Bandidos Films); Mexican state gov. Carmelo Vargas (Damian Alcazar) pays TV network MX to coverup his corruption, getting elected pres. of Mexico, channeling Enrique Pena Nieto and Televisa; "Any resemblance or similarity to reality is not mere coincidence"; #1 box office hit in Mexico ($14M box office). James DeMonaco's The Purge: Anarchy (July 18) (Platinum Dunes) is a sequel to the 2013 film; does $111M box office on a $9M budget. Ava DuVernay's Selma (Dec. 25) (Harpo Films), based on the 1965 Selma-Montgomery Marches stars David Oyelowo as MLK Jr., Carmen Ejogo as Coretta Scott King, and Tom Wilkinson as LBJ. Sergei Bodrov's Seventh Son (Dec. 17) (China Film Group) (Legendary Pictures) (Universal Pictures) stars Jeff Bridges as roving witch hunter John Gregory AKA the Spook, last member of the Falcon knights, Ben Barnes as Tom Ward, the 7th son of a 7th son, Julianna Moore as evil witch Mother Malkin, and Alicia Vikander as Tom's babe Alice Deane; Antje Traue plays Malkin's sister Bony Lizzie, mother of Alice; does $114.2M box office on a $95M budget. Richard Glatzer's and Wash Westmoreland's Still Alice (Sept. 8), based on the 2007 novel by Lisa Genova stars Julianne Moore as a Columbia U. linguistics prof. diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease, showing her systematically turning into sponge cake; Alec Baldwin plays her hubby John. James Marsh's The Theory of Everything (Sept. 7) (Focus Features) (Universal Pictures), written by Anthony McCarten based on the memoir "Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen" by Jane Wilde Hawking stars Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Hawking, and Felicity Jones as his babe Jane Wilde; does $123.7M box office on a $15M budget. Wally Pfister's Transcendence (Apr. 18) stars Johnny Depp as terminally-ill AI genius Dr. Will Caster, who creates a god machine and uploads his mind into it. Marjane Satrapi's The Voices (Jan. 19) (1984 Private Defense Contractor) (Lionsgate) is a dark comedy starring Ryan Reynolds as bathtub factory worker Jerry, who lives above an abandoned bowling alley with his dog Bosco and cat Mr. Whiskers, who talk to him while he goes on a killing spree with Lisa (Anna Kendrick), Fiona (Gemma Arterton), Alison (Ella Smith), cutting up their bodies and storing their heads in his refrigerator so they can talk him to, while he bares his soul to pshrink Dr. Warren (Jacki Weaver); does only $444K box office on an $11M budget. Scott Frank's A Walk Among the Tombstones (Sept. 19) (Cross Creek Pictures) (Universal Pictures), based on the 1992 novel by Lawrence Block is a film noir starring Liam Needson as retired detective Matthew "Matt" Scudder, who searches for the brutal murderers of women in New York City; Laura Birn plays victim Leila Andresen; Dan Stevens play drug dealer Kenny Kristo; Brian "Astro" Bradlay plays black vegeterian T.J.; Olafur Darri Olafsson plays cemetery groundskeeper Jonas Loogan; does $62.1M box office on a $28M budget. Thomas Carter's When the Game Stands Tall (Aug. 4) (TriStar Pictures), based on the 2003 book by Neil Hayes about the 1992-2003 De La Salle H.S. football team in Concord, Calif. stars Jim Caviezel as coach Bob Ladouceur, Laura Dern as his wife Bev, Michael Chiklas as asst. coach Terry Eidson, and Alexander Ludwig as RB Chris Ryan; does $30M box office on a $15M budget. Damien Chazelle's Whiplash (Jan. 16) (Bold Films) (blumhouse Productions) (Sony Pictures Classics), based on a jazz piece by Hank Levy stars Miles Teller as jazz drummer Andrew Neiman, who attends the Shaffer Conservatory in New York City and aspires to become a jazz great under the brutal regime of teacher Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons); "I will gut you like a pig. You are a worthless pansy who is now weeping and slobbering over my drum set like a 9-year-old girl"; "I'd rather die drunk, broke at 34 and have people at a dinner table talk about me than live to be rich and sober at 90 and nobody remembered who I was"; stars Miles Teller as jazz drummer Andrew Neiman, who attends the Shaffer Conservatory in New York City and tries to become a jazz great under the brutal regime of teacher Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons); "I will gut you like a pig. You are a worthless pansy who is now weeping and slobbering over my drum set like a 9-year-old girl"; "I'd rather die drunk, broke at 34 and have people at a dinner table talk about me than live to be rich and sober at 90 and nobody remembered who I was"; "I don't think people understood what it was I was doing at Shaffer. I wasn't there to conduct. Any fucking moron can wave his arms and keep people in tempo. I was there to push people beyond what's expected of them. I believe that is an absolute necessity. Otherwise, we're depriving the world of the next Louis Armstrong. The next Charlie Parker"; "Are you a rusher, or are you a dragger, or are you gonna be on my fucking time?"; "There are no two words in the English language more harmful than good job"; "Full Metal Juilliard"; features a cool jazz drum solo; does $49M box office on a $3.3M budget. Births: Hong Kong entertainment mogul Sir Run Run Shaw (b. 1907) on Jan. 7 in Kowloon. Swedish heiress Princess Leonore of Sweden, Duchess of Gotland on Feb. 20 in New York City; eldest child of Princess Madeleine and Christopher O'Neill; holds dual Swedish-U.S. citizenship. Deaths: Am. "Annie Johnson in Imitation of Life" actress Juanita Moore (b. 1914) on Jan. 1 in Los Angeles, Calif. Am. Everly Brothers singer Phil Everly (b. 1939) on Jan. 3 in Burbank, Calif. Am. black activist poet Amiri Baraka (b. 1934) on Jan. 9 in Newark, N.J. Israeli PM #11 (2001-6) Ariel Sharon (b. 1928) on Jan. 11 in Ramat Gan; dies after an 8-year coma; his death will signal the return of the Jewish Messiah, according to Rabbi Yitzhak Kaduri. Am. "The Professor in Gilligan's Island" Russell Johnson (b. 1924) on Jan. 16 in Bainbridge Island, Wash. (kidney failure). Canadian-born Am. "Reuben Kincaid in The Partridge Family" actor Dave Madden (b. 1931) on Jan. 16 in Jacksonville, Fla. (cancer). Russian climate scientist Yuri Izrael (b. 1930) on Jan. 23 in Moscow. Am. basketball player Tom Gola (b. 1933) on Jan. 26 in Philadelphia, Penn. Am. folk singer Pete Seeger (b. 1919) on Jan. 27 in New York City. Am. poet-artist Rene Ricard (b. 1946) on Feb. 1 in New York City (cancer). Am. "Capote" actor Philip Seymour Hoffman (b. 1967) on Feb. 2 in Manhattan, N.Y. (OD); Broadway dims its lights in his honor - aw shucks, he missed the Super Bowl? Israeli journalist Barry Rubin (b. 1950) on Feb. 3 in Tel Aviv (lung cancer). Am. baseball hall-of-fame player Ralph Kiner (b. 1922) on Feb. 6 in Rancho Mirage, Calif. Am. poet Maxine Kumin (b. 1925) on Feb. 6 in Warner, N.H. Am. child movie star Shirley Temple (b. 1928) on Feb. 10 in Woodside, Calif. Am. comedian Sid Caesar (b. 1922) on Feb. 12 in Beverley Hills, Calif. Am. "Ralph Monroe in Green Acres" actress Mary Grace Canfield (b. 1924) on Feb. 15 in Santa Barbara, Calif. South African geneticist Anthony Clifford Allison (b. 1925) on Feb. 20 in Belmont, Calif. Armenian astronomer Grigor Burzadyan (b. 1922) on Feb. 22 in Yerevan. Am. "Ghostbusters" actor Harold Ramis (b. 1944) on Feb. 24 in Chicago, Ill. (vasculitis). Spanish flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucia (b. 1947) on Feb. 25 in Playa del Carmen, Mexico (heart attack). Am. writer Justin Kaplan (b. 1925) on Mar. 2. Am. political scientist Rudolph Rummel (b. 1932) on Mar. 2 in Kaneohe, Hawaii. Am. surgeon Frank Jobe (b. 1925) on Mar. 6 in Santa Monica, Calif. Am. "Alice Kramden in The Jackie Gleason Show" actress Sheila MacRae (b. 1921) on Mar. 6 in Englewood, N.J. Am. diplomat Samuel Winfield Lewis (b. 1930) on Mar. 10. Am. Korean War hero Col. Ola Lee Mize (b. 1931) on Mar. 12. Am. actress Patricia Wymore (b. 1926) on Mar. 22 in Portland Parish, Jamaica (pulmonary disease); dies on the coconut plantation left her by hubby (1950-9) Errol Flynn (1909-59). U.S. defense secy. #12 (1973-5) James Rodney Schlesinger (b. 1929) on Mar. 27 in Baltimore, Md. U.S. Adm. Jeremiah Denton (b. 1924) on Mar. 28 in Virginia Beach, Va. English "Caress Morell in Dynasty" actress Kate O'Mara (b. 1939) on Mar. 30 in Sussex (ovarian cancer). Am. comic book artist Fred Kida (b. 1920) on Apr. 3. Am. actor Mickey Rooney (b. 1920) on Apr. 6 in Los Angeles, Calif. English TV journalist Peaches Geldof (b. 1989) on Apr. 7 in Wrotham, Kent. Am. prof. wrestler the Ultimate Warrior (b. 1959) on Apr. 8 in Scottsdale, Ariz. (heart attack). Am. writer Gregory White Smith (b. 1951) on Apr. 10 in Aiken, S.C. (brain cancer). Am. basketball player Lou Hudson (b. 1944) on Apr. 11 in Atlanta, Ga. (stroke); served as an ambassador for the Power to End Stroke org. French writer Pierre Autin-Grenier (b. 1947) on Apr. 12 in Lyon. Romanian poet Nina Cassian (b. 1924) on Apr. 15 in New York City (cardiac arrest). Colombian novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez (b. 1927) on Apr. 17 in Mexico City, Mexico: "Think of love as a state of grace not as a means to anything... but an end in itself." English playwright-actor Anthony Marriott (b. 1931) on Apr. 17. Am. boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter (b. 1937) on Apr. 20 in Toronto, Ont., Canada. Am. Mr. Coffee co-inventor Edmund Abel (b. 1921) on Apr. 21 in Rocky River, Ohio. English "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" actor Bob Hoskins (b. 1942) on Apr. 29 in London (pneumonia). Am. "Stu Bailey in 77 Sunset Strip" actor Efrem Zimbalist Jr. (b. 1918) on May 2 in Solvang, Calif. Ukrainian-born British tennis player Elena Baltacha (b. 1983) on May 4 (liver cancer). Swiss "Alien" artist H.R. Giger (b. 1940) on May 12 in Zurich; dies of injuries from a fall. Am. "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" poet Maya Angelou (b. 1928) on May 28 in Winston-Salem, N.C.: "One would say of my life, born loser, had to be, from a broken family, raped at eight, unwed mother of sixteen"; "History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again." Canadian basketball player Bob Houbregs (b. 1932) on May 28 in Olympia, Wash. Am. "The Godfather" cinematographer Gordon Willis (b. 1931) on May 18 in North Falmouth, Mass. (cancer). Czech-born Am. climate scientist George Kukla (b. 1930) on May 31 in Suffern, N.Y. (heart attack). Am. "Alice Nelson in The Brady Bunch" actress Ann B. Davis (b. 1926) on June 1 in San Antonio, Tex. Am. psychedelic chemist Alexander Shulgin (b. 1925) on June 2 in Lafayette, Calif. (liver cancer). Polish-born Am. world's oldest man Alexander Imich (b. 1903) on June 8 in Manhattan, N.Y. Am. baseball pitcher Bob Welch (b. 1956) on June 9 in Seal Beach, Calif. Am. American Top 40 disc jockey Casey Kasem (b. 1932) on June 15 in Gig Harbor, Wash. Am. "Flowers for Algernon" novelist Daniel Keyes (b. 1927) on June 15 in Boca Raton, Fla. (pneumonia). Am. baseball hall-of-fame player Tony Gwynn (b. 1960) on June 16 in Poway, Calif. (cancer from snuff). Australian businessman Ray Evans (b. 1939) on June 17 in Melbourne. Am. country singer Jimmy C. Newman (b. 1927) on June 21 in Nashville, Tenn. Italian physicist Bruno Zumino (b. 1923) on June 21 in Berkeley, Calif. Lebanese-born Am. scholar Fouad A. Ajami (b. 1945) on June 22 in Maine (prostate cancer). English science writer Nigel Calder (b. 1931) on June 25. Spanish novelist Ana Maria Matute (b. 1925) on June 25 (heart attack). Am. Repub. politician Howard Baker (b. 1925) on June 26 in Huntsville, Tenn. (stroke). Am. musician Bobby Womack (b. 1944) on June 27 in Tarzana, Calif. German historian Hans-Ulrich Wehler (b. 1931) on July 5 in Bielefeld. Polish-born Canadian real estate tycoon David Azrieli (b. 1922) on July 9 in Montreal, Quebec. English "Help!" "Superman II/III" film composer Ken Thorne (b. 1924) on July 9 in West Hills, Calif. Am. writer Curt Gentry (b. 1931) on July 10 in San Francisco, Calif. Am. historian James MacGregor Burns (b. 1918) on July 15 in Williamstown, Mass. Am. "Bret Maverick" actor James Garner (b. 1928) on July 19 in Los Angeles, Calif. Am. country singer George Riddle (b. 1936) on July 20 in Indianapolis, Ind. English economist John Blundell (b. 1952) on July 22. Am. nightclub owner Manny Roth (b. 1919) on July 24 in Ojai, Calif. German-born Am. "Up the Down Staircase" novelist Bel Kaufman (b. 1911) on July 25 in Manhattan, N.Y. Am. White House press. secy. #15 (1981-9) (gun control symbol) Jim Brady (b. 1940) on Aug. 4 in Alexandria, Va. U.S. Maj. Gen. Harold J. Greene (b. 1959) on Aug. 5 in Qamp Qargha, Kabul, Afghanistan (KIA). Israeli dir.-producer Menahem Golan (b. 1929) on Aug. 9 in Jaffa. Am. "Good Morning, Vietnam" actor-comedian Robin Williams (b. 1951) on Aug. 11 in Paradise Cay, Calif.; commits suicide by hanging in his home near Tiburon, Calif.; he had been experiencing depression from alcoholism rehabiliation, and was recently diagnosed with Parkinson's, although he really had Lewy body dementia; "Robin Williams was an airman, a doctor, a genie, a nanny, a president, a professor, a bangarang Peter Pan, and everything in between. But he was one of a kind. He arrived in our lives as an alien, but he ended up touching every element of the human spirit. He made us laugh. He made us cry. He gave his immeasurable talent freely and generously to those who needed it most - from our troops stationed abroad to the marginalized on our own streets" (Pres. Obama): "Cocaine is God's way of telling you you are making too much money." Am. actress Lauren Bacall (b. 1924) on Aug. 12 in New York City (stroke). Am. diplomat John Edwin Mroz (b. 1948) on Aug. 15 in Manhattan, N.Y. (cancer). Am. serial murderer Robert Christian Hansen (b. 1939) on Aug. 21 in Seward, Alaska. English composer Sandy Wilson (b. 1924) on Aug. 27 in Taunton. Am. Survivor lead singer Jimi Jamison (b. 1951) on Aug. 31 in Raleigh, Memphis, Tenn. (heart attack). Argentine rocker Gustavo Cerati (b. 1959) on Sept. 4 in Buenos Aires (stroke and coma on May 14, 2010). Am. comedian Joan Rivers (b. 1933) on Sept. 4 in Manhattan, N.Y. (cardiac arrest). Am. Chick-fil-A founder Samuel Truett Cathy (b. 1921) on Sept. 8 in Clayton County, Ga. Am. jazz musician Gerald Wilson (b. 1918) on Sept. 8 in Los Angeles, Calif. Am. "Duke Shannon in Wagon Train " actor Denny Denny Scott Miller (b. 1934) on Sept. 9 in Las Vegas, Nevada (ALS). Am. musician-producer Bob Crewe (b. 1930) on Sept. 11 in Scarborough, Maine. English actor Sir Donald Sinden (b. 1923) on Sept. 12 in Wittersham, Isle of Oxney, Kent (prostate cancer). Irish Protestant leader Rev. Ian Paisley (b. 1926) on Sept. 12 in Belfast. Am. country musician George Hamilton IV (b. 1937) on Sept. 17 in Nashville, Tenn. (heart attack). Israeli spy Mike Harari (b. 1927) on Sept. 21 in Tel Aviv. Am. mountaineer Barbara Washburn (b. 1914) on Sept. 25. Am. physicist Martin Lewis Perl (b. 1927) on Sept. 30 in Palo Alto, Calif.; 1995 Nobel Physics Prize. Haitian pres. (1971-86) Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier (b. 1951) on Oct. 4 in Port-au-Prince (heart attack). Am. Paul Revere and the Raiders founder Paul Revere Dick (b. 1938) on Oct. 4 in Caldwell, Idaho. French novelist Claude Ollier (b. 1922) on Oct. 18. Dominican-born Am. fashion designer Oscar de la Renta (b. 1932) on Oct. 20 in Kent, Conn. (cancer). Am. Washington Post executive ed. (1968-91) Ben Bradlee (b. 1921) on Oct. 21 in Washington, D.C. Scottish Cream rocker Jack Bruce (b. 1943) on Oct. 25 in Suffolk, England (liver disease). Dominican baseball outfielder Oscar Taveras (b. 1992) on Oct. 26 in Puerto Plata (automobile accident). Am. poet Galway Kinnell (b. 1927) on Oct. 28 in Sheffield, Vt. Am. economist Gordon Tullock (b. 1922) on Nov. 3 in Des Moines, Iowa. German physicist Gerhard Gerlich (b. 1942) on Nov. 8. Am. screenwriter Ernest Kinoy (b. 1925) on Nov. 10 in Townshend, Vt. Am. Chicago mayor #40 (1979-83) Jane Byrne (b. 1933) on Nov. 14 in Chicago, Ill. (stroke). Am. film critic Charles Champlin (b. 1926) on Nov. 16 in Los Angeles, Calif. Am. KFC franchisee #1 (1952) Pete Harman (b. 1919) on Nov. 19 in Los Altos, Calif. Am. "The Graduate" dir. Mike Nichols (b. 1931) on Nov. 19 in New York City (heart attack). Am. Washington, D.C. mayor (1979-91, 1995-9) Marion Barry (b. 1936) on Nov. 23 in Washington, D.C. English Small Faces musician Ian McLagan (b. 1945) on Dec. 3 in Austin, Tex. (stroke). Belgian queen (1960-93) Fabiola (b. 1928) on Dec. 5 in Laeken. German-born Am. video game developer Ralph Henry Baer (b. 1922) on Dec. 6 in Manchester, N.H. Am. Miss America 1959 Mary Ann Mobley (b. 1937) on Dec. 9 in Beverly Hills, Calif. (breast cancer). Am. Miss America 1945 Bess Myerson (b. 1924) on Dec. 14 in Santa Monica, Calif. Am. writer Carleton Mabee (b. 1914) on Dec. 18. Welsh Profumo Affair model-showgirl Mandy Rice-Davies (b. 1944) on Dec. 18 London, England (cancer). Am. basketball coach Frank Truitt (b. 1925) on Dec. 21 in Columbus, Ohio. English singer Joe Cocker (b. 1944) on Dec. 22 in Crawford, Colo. (lung cancer). Am. Denver, Colo. mayor #39 (1963-8) Tom Currigan (b. 1920) on Dec. 27 in Chicago, Ill. Am. "narrator of The History Channel" actor Edward Herrmann (b. 1943) on Dec. 31 in Manhattan, N.Y. (brain cancer).



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TLW's 2015 C.E. Historyscope, by T.L. Winslow (TLW), "The Historyscoper"™

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2015 - The Piecemeal Third World War Charlie Hebdo Pegida Garissa Je Suis Charlie Halloween Plane Explosion Friday the Thirteenth Bataclan Massacre I Can't Breathe Hands Up Don't Shoot That's Nonsense You Should Know Better Baltimore Riot Mom Black Lives Matter White American Cops Shoot Black Civilians White Supremacist Civilians Massacre Black Civilians Confederate Flags Fall Rainbow Flags Rise Jenner Dolezal Warren White Man Wants to Become Schlonged White Woman White Woman Wants to Become Black Woman White Woman Wants to Become American Indian Garland Texas Knife Intifada Ahmed the Clock Boy Alan Kurdi Refugees Welcome Damned Emails Year? Pres. Obama's Amazing Grace Fundamentally Changed U.S. Year, all for the bad, Nero fiddling while Rome burns deja vu? The Non-Muslim World fails to unite to fight ISLAM (not "terrorists"), and goes more Dhimmi than ever as the jihad rages globally and the Great Replacement ramps up in Europe, threatening to turn it into Europestan before targeting America? When oh when will the world turn 180 degrees and unite behind TLW's Winslow Plan for Defeating Islam Forever? The Year When Drones Go from Useful to Indispensible?

Great Muslim Immigration to Europe, 2015- Charlie Hebdo Attack, Jan. 7, 2015 Stéphane 'Charb' Charbonnier  (1967-2015) Charlie Hebdo cartoonists Charlie Hebdo sample Mitch McConnell of the U.S. (1942-) Ritual Execution of Ethiopian Christians, Apr. 19, 2015 2015 Vienna Conference Room for Iran Talks Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama at the U.N., Sept. 28, 2015 Bataclan Theater in Paris, Nov. 13, 2015 Abdelhamid Abaaoud (1987-2015) Dylann Roof (1994-) Bryce Williams and Victims, Apr. 26, 2015 Garland, Tex. Attackers, May 3, 2015 Pamela Geller (1958-) Syed Farook (-2015) and Tashfeen Malik (-2015) Chris Harper-Mercer (1989-) Muhammad Youssuf Abdulazeez (1992-2015) Nadir Soofi (-2015) and Elton Simpson (-2015) Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (1935-) Turkish Gen. Hulusi Akar (1952-) Maithripala Sirisena of Sri Lanka (1951-) Edgar Lungu of Zambia (1956-) Cory Gardner of the U.S. (1974-) Joni Ernst of the U.S. (1970-) Fox News GOP Candidate Debate, Aug. 6, 2015 Fox News GOP Candidate Debate, Aug. 6, 2015 Donald Trump (1946-) with red cap, 2015 Corey Lewandowski (1973-) Donald Trump Campaign Poster with Waffen-SS soldiers, July 14, 2015 Justin Trudeau of Canada (1971-) Loretta Lynch of the U.S. (1959-) Mark Lippert of the U.S. (1973-), Mar. 5, 2015 Paul Ryan of the U.S. (1970-) Greg Abbott of the U.S. (1957-) Katherine 'Kate' Brown of the U.S. (1960-) John Kasich of the U.S. (1952-) USMC Gen. Vincent R. Stewart USMC Capt. Katie Higgins U.S. Judge Andrew Scott Hanen (1953-) Richard Matt (1966-2015) and David Sweat (1980-) Hillary Clinton Campaign Logo, 2015 Jeremy Corbyn of Britain (1949-) Malcolm Turnbull of Australia (1954-) Antonio Costa of Portugal (1961-) Beau Biden (1969-2015) Zoey Tur (1960-) Rev. Ann Kansfield (1975-) Caitlyn Jenner (1949-) Rachel Dolezal (1977-) Rachel Dolezal (1977-) Laverne Cox Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir (1990-) Brusthom Ziamani (1995-) Abdirahman Sheik Mohamud (1991-) Avijit Roy (1972-2015) Farkhunda Malikzada (1987-2015) Ali Al Amriki U.S. Army Spc. John M. Dawson (1992-2015) Aylan Kurdi (2012-15) Sandra Bland (1987-2015) Freddie Gray (1990-2015) Clock Boy Ahmed Mohamed (2001-) Corey Lamar Jones (1984-2015) Walter Scott (1965-2015) Zahran Alloush of Syria (1971-2015) Amir Ohana of Israel Khadga Prasad Oli of Nepal (1952-) Oskar Groening (1921-) Oskar Groening (1921-) Sarah Thomas (1973-) Marshawn Lynch (1986-) Malcolm Butler (1990-) Darren Sharper (1975-) Joey Logano (1990-) Alcides Escobar (1986-) Floyd Mayweather Jr. (1977-) Victor Espinoza (1972-) Stephen Curry (1988-) Andre Iguodala (1984-) Karl-Anthony Towns Jr. (1995-) Jordan Spieth (1993-) Jason Day (1987-) Duncan Keith (1983-) Roberta Vinci (1983-) Flavia Pennetta (1982-) Jessica Mendoza (1980-) Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach (1989-) H. Jay Zwally Cecil the Lion (2002-15) Jacqueline Ros Jean Jacques (1975-) and Casey J. Chadwick (1990-2015) Svetlana Alexievich (1948-) Takaaki Kajita (1959-) Arthur Bruce McDonald (1943-) Tomas Lindahl (1938-) Paul Lawrence Modrich (1946-) Viet Thanh Nguyen (1971-) Aziz Sancar (1946-) William Cecil Campbell (1930-) Ta-Nehisi Paul Coates (1975-) 'Submission' by Michel Houellebecq (1956), 2015 Satosi Omura (1935-) Leah Remini (1970-) T.J. Stiles (1964-) Tu Youyou (1930-) Angus Stewart Deaton (1945-) Rachel Platten (1981-) Nathaniel Rateliff (1978-) 'Better Call Saul', 2015- 'Empire', 2015- 'The Expanse', 2015- 'The Last Man on Earth', 2015-8 'The Last Man on Earth', 2015- 'Quantico', 2015- Dyson V6 Mattress Cleaner, 2015 Seven Gay U.S. Ambassadors, 2015 'Ant-Man', 2015 'Brooklyn', 2015 Cam (1984-) 'Aloha', 2015 'Chappie', 2015 'The Danish Girl', 2015 'Goosebumps', 2015 'The Hateful Eight', 2015 'Inside Out', 2015 'Krampus', 2015 'The Martian', 2015 'Miles Ahea', 2015 'The Peanuts Movie', 2015 'The Revenant', 2015 'Spectre', 2015 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens', 2015 'Terminator Genisys', 2015 'The Vatican Tapes', 2015 'The Walk', 2015 KC-46 Pegasus

2015 Doomsday Clock: 3 min. to midnight. Chinese Year: Ram (Sheep) (Goat) (Feb. 19). Time Mag. Person of the Year: Angela Merkel (1954-). This is the U.N. Year of Soils. The U.S. nat. debt reaches $18T this year, greater than its GDP. Tokyo becomes the largest city in the world, with a pop. of 29M, followed by Mumbai (Bombay) 22.6, Lagos 25, Delhi 20.9, Mexico City 20.6, Sao Paulo 20, Istanbul 12, Paris 10, Manila 10, Rio de Janeiro 10, Moscow 9; the number of cities with 5M inhabitants reaches 61 (46 in 2003) (U.N. Dept. of Economic and Social Affairs). U.S. Muslim pop.: 3.5M (1%). By this year China has 100 nuclear missiles aimed at the U.S. (CIA). In the U.S. 527K of 45M illegals overstay their visas, incl. 14K of 900K from India. By the middle of this year the middle class becomes a minority in the U.S.? The Great Muslim Immigration to Europe begins, backed all the way by globalist billionaire George Soros, with the general plan of breaking the back of all nationalist govts. and disintegrating the solid white core that he blames for Fascism, esp. in guess-where Germany; Greece suffer 815K illegal migrants coming in over the Aegean Sea in dangerous ships or over the Turkish border, which goes down to 30K in 2017 after the EU talks the govt. of Turkey into stepping up containment efforts aided by a multi-billion-euro bribe partly financed by the U.K.; in 2018 the migrants shift to the Evros River in East Thrace. The Year of Anti-Christian Jihad; the most Islamist terrorist cases in the U.S. this year since 9/11, causing the terror threat level to skyrocket. 9K Jews leave France for Israel, vs. 1,920 in 2012. Germany receives 890K refugees, mostly from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan, plus some from Africa. There are 2,602 acid attacks in Britain between now and May 2018, an avg. of 15/week, vs. 100 in 2007-2011; 73% are in Muslim-filled Londonin 2017 London is crowned the World Acid Attack Capital; the first prosecution for a deadly acid attack doesn't take place until 2018. The Taliban perpetrates 1,093 terrorist attacks this year, passing ISIS (with 931), although the latter's are more deadly (6,050 vs. 4,512 deaths); Boko Haram stages 491 terrorist attacks, killing 5,450. The Am. Dialect Society selects "they" as the word of the year for the way it can get around having to use him/her with gays, transsexuals etc. The first day of the Jewish Passover falls during a blood-red moon; last 1492, 1948, 1967, 2014. Iraq increases crude oil production to 4M barrels/day, making it the world's #2 OPEC oil producer behind Saudi Arabia. Germany accepts 1M+ refugees from the Middle East, incl. Syria, Iraq, and Turkey. The richest 1% control more wealth than the rest of the world for the first time. This year no one summits Mount Everest (last year of no summits: 1974). On Jan. 1 the 2015 Rose Bowl sees the U. of Oregon defeat Florida State 59-20. On Jan. 1 the first day of the Afghan security takeover is marred by an Afghan army rocket attack on a wedding party in Lashkar Gah, Afghanistan, which kills 28 incl. many women and children; the Afghan govt. launches an investigation. On Jan. 1 a stampede during a New Year's event in Shanghai, China kills 36 and injures 47. On Jan. 1 a video is released claiming to show two Italian women being held by the Al Nusra Front in Syria. On Jan. 1 Egyptian pres. Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi gives a New Year's Day Speech, in which he calls for a reform of Islam, with the soundbyte that the "corpus of [Islamic] texts and ideas that we have sacralized over the years" are "antagonizing the entire world", and that it is not "possible that 1.6 billion people should want to kill the rest of the world's inhabitants so that they themselves may live"; also that the Muslim World "is being torn, is being destroyed, it is being lost - and it is being lost by our own hands." On Jan. 1 Gen. Hulusi Akar (1952-) becomes CIC #29 of the Turkish army (until ?). On Jan. 2 Palestinian Authority U.N. envoy Riyad Mansour officially requests membership in the Internat. Criminal Court (ICC), with the soundbyte: "We are seeking justice for all the victims that have been killed by Israel, the occupying power"; Israel retaliates by withholding $127M in tax revenues from the Palestinian Authority, while the U.S. Congress threatens action; on Jan. 7 U.N. secy.-gen. Ban Ki-moon announces that they will join the ICC on Apr. 1. On Jan. 2 Pres. Obama announces new sanctions on North Korea for its hacking of Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. On Jan. 2 Al-Shabaab militants attack a military base near Baidoa, Somalia two days after the U.S. announces the killing of its intel chief Tahlil Abdishakur in a drone strike. On Jan. 2 the U.N. Security Council orders the rebel Dem. Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) in Congo to surrender by this date or face the DRC army and U.N. peacekeepers; when they refuse, the attack begins in late Feb. On Jan. 3 the Repub.-dominated 114th U.S. Congress convenes (until Jan. 3, 2017), becoming the worst nightmare of Pres. Obama in his final two years in office; on Jan. 3 U.S. Sen. (R-Ky.) (1985-) Addison Mitchell "Mitch" McConnell Jr. (1942-) becomes Senate majority leader (until ?); on Jan. 6 U.S. Repub. House Speaker John Boehner is reelected for a 3rd term despite a Tea Party challenge that produces the most no votes against a sitting speaker since 1923; Cory Scott Gardner (1974-) becomes U.S. Repub. Sen. from Colo. (until ?); Joni Kay Ernst (nee Culver) (1970-) becomes U.S. Repub. Sen. from Iowa (until ?), becoming the first female military vet in the U.S. Senate. On Jan. 3 Boko Haram seizes a key military base in Baga, Nigeria on the border with Chad, massacring the town and killing 2K, becoming their deadliest massacre; the 16th town razed. On Jan. 4 (Sun.) Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas announces that he will resubmit his resolution calling for the creation of a Palestinian state to the U.N. Security Council, "perhaps after a week", causing Franc to warn him against escalating a diplomatic battle with Israel. On Jan. 5 after crude oil dips below $50 a barrel, the Dow Jones Industrial Avg. falls 350 points. On Jan. 5 Saudi Brig. Gen. Oud Awad Al Balawi is killed in a suicide attack near the Saudi-Iraqi border, becoming the first deadly attack since the Saudis joined the U.S.-led coalition against ISIS. On Jan. 5 a suicide car bomber hits an EU police vehicle in Kabul, Afghanistan, killing one passerby. On Jan. 5 OIC secy.-gen. Iyad Madani of Saudi Arabia visits the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, declaring the "Islamic Tourism Year" for Jerusalem, pissing-off Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, who call for a boycott on Israeli tourism and for attacks on the city, which they can't do if it's thronged with Muslims. On Jan. 6 after months of rumors, Qatar expels Hamas politburo chief (George Clooney lookalike?) Khaled Mashaal along with Muslim Brotherhood members; they head to Hamas-loving Turkey. On Jan. 6 Pres. Obama meets with Mexican pres. Enrique Pena Nieto at the White House, asking him to work harder to stop illegals from crossing da big bad border. On Jan. 6 a female suicide bomber detonates at a police station in Istanbul, Turkey, killing one policeman and injuring another. On Jan. 7 (11:30 a.m. local time) the Charlie Hebdo Massacre sees a terrorist attack by black-hooded vest-wearing Allah Akbar-shouting Kalashnikov-carrying Muslim al-Qaida members Said Kouachi, Cherif Kouachi, and Hamyd Mourad at the Charlie Hebdo newspaper HQ in Paris N of Notre Dame Cathedral and E of the Arc de Triomphe, known for satirizing Muhammad kills 10 staffers incl. ed.-in-chief Stephane (Stéphane) "Charb" Charbonnier (b. 1967), and cartoonists Cabu, Wolinski, and Tignous, along with two police officers, incl. married Muslim officer Ahmed Merabet (b. 1965), injuring 11, becoming the worst terrorist attack in France since 1995; they were in an editorial meeting before the attack; Amedy's armed dangerous Muslim convert wife Hayat Boumeddiene remains on the loose; the lights on the Eiffel Tower are extinguished in memorial; one of the terrorists shouts "The Prophet has been avenged"; the offices were firebombed in 2011; Pres. Obama calls the attack "cowardly" and "evil"; French PM Francois Hollande calls it "an exceptional act of barbarism committed against a newspaper", and notes that France is in "shock", adding "We need to show we are a united country", but ostriching with the statement that the attacks "have nothing to do with Islam"; Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu utters the soundbyte: "The main goal of Islamic terrorism is to destroy societies, and countries, to stamp out human civilizations based on freedom and the culture of choice, and to impose in its place a fanatical dictatorship which returns humanity to another era"; 100K demonstrate across France to protest the killings; at 10:40 p.m. police raid the last known addresses of the terrorist brothers and arrest relatives; on Jan. 8 Donald Trump issues the tweets: "If the people so violently shot down in Paris had guns, at least they would have had a fighting chance... Isn't it interesting that the tragedy in Paris took place in one of the toughest gun control countries in the world?... Remember, when guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns!"; on Jan. 9 the Kouachi brothers hole-up in a printing complex in Dammartin-en-Goele before being killed by police, while 3rd suspect Amedy Coulibaly takes five hostages at the Hyper Cacher Jewish kosher supermarket in Porte de Vincennes, killing four before the police kill him, justifying the massacre as revenge for attacks on ISIS, while 30 others hide in the freezer for five hours, causing French pres. Francois Hollande to call it "an appalling anti-Semitic act"; al-Qaida (AQAP) in Yemen announces that it planned the attacks, and claims that more are coming in Europe and the U.S., causing the FBI to issue new terror warnings for Americans; maps of Jewish schools in Paris are found in Amedy's car, causing 5K police to be deployed to protect them; on Jan. 11 1.5M (biggest since Victor Hugo's 1885 funeral) attend a rally in Paris, incl. 50 world leaders (except Pres. Obama and Vladimir Putin) (incl. some known for suppressing free speech); Francois Hollande asks Benjamin Netanyahu and Mahmoud Abbas not to attend; on Jan. 11 French PM Manuel Valls declares war "against terrorism, against jihadism, against radical Islam, against everything that is aimed at breaking fraternity, freedom, solidarity", bemoaning the ever-growing exodus of Jews from France with the soundbyte that if the Jews all leave France in the wake of anti-Semitic terror, "The French Republic will be judged a failure"; too bad, he blames France's "apartheid regime" for terrorism, while the French govt. rushes to pass tough new laws against freedom of speech, along with a new surveillance law in May that gives the govt. broad powers to monitor phone and Internet traffic; meanwhile ex-French PM Dominique de Villepin claims that the West created Islamic terrorism, with the soundbyte that ISIS is "the monstrous child of inconstancy and arrogance of Western policy", and that "In 2001 there was only one central terrorist group, today there is a dozen" because "we have multiplied them... The war against terrorism is just like adding fuel to the fire"; on Jan. 11 the Hamburger Morgenpost in Germany is firebombed after it reprints the Muhammad cartoons; on Jan. 12 White House press secy. Josh Earnest utters the soundbyte that Pres. Obama (who was against Charlie Hebdo's cartoons in 2012) will try to stop anti-jihadist articles from being pub. when it might cause a jihadist attack against U.S. forces; too bad, French Muslims celebrate the massacre, and Muslim schoolchildren treat a moment of silence in the classroom with contempt; the survivors crank out the next issue on its regular date of Jan. 15, with a circ. of 3M in 16 languages instead of the usual 60K, with another 6M printed after the first ed. sells out, with French pres. Francois Hollande declaring the mag. "reborn", with the soundbyte "You can murder men and women, but you can never kill their ideas"; it contains another caricature of Muhammad, causing Pope Francis on Jan. 15 to put his foot in his mouth with the soundbyte: "You cannot provoke, you cannot insult the faith of others... "If my good friend says a curse word against my mother, he can expect a punch. It's normal"; on Jan. 16 Mali immigrant Muslim kosher grocery employee Malian Lassana Bathily, who helped a dozen Jewish shoppers hide in a cold storage room is granted French citizenship; on Jan. 17 19K French Web sites are targeted by an unprecedented denial of service attack, incl. the French defense ministry; in May Charlie Hebdo suspends journalist Zineb El Rhazoui after she receives death threats for writing articles critical of radical Islam, causing a firestorm of criticism, which doesn't sway them, showing that Islamic intimidation as a preparation for full Sharia is working?; speaking of intimidation working, on July 17 Charlie Hebdo ed. Laurent Sourisseau announces that the mag won't pub. any more Muhammad cartoons, with the dhimmibyte: "We've done our job. We have defended the right to caricature." On Jan. 7 Russia signs an economic pact with Belarus and Kazakhstan. On Jan. 7 a car bomb outside a police college in Sana'a, Yemen kills 38 and injures 12. On Jan. 7 (1:00 p.m.) 41-y.-o. Ohio Muslim Hashim Hanif Ibn Abdul-Rasheed (b. 1963) is killed at the Columbus Airport by police after being caught using a fake ID to buy a plane ticket and lunging at them with a knife; he had more knives taped to his legs, "consistent with someone who intended to hijack an aircraft". On Jan. 7 (Wed.) the musical drama series Empire debuts on Fox Network for ? episodes (until ?), about hip hop music co. Empire Entertainment, starring Terrence Howard as CEO Lucious Lyon, and Taraji P. Henson as his wife Loretha "Cookie" Lyon, who just got back from serving a 17-year prison sentence. On Jan. 8 (7:45 a.m.) a 2nd terror attack in Montrouge, France S of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris sees a Muslim suspect with body armor and machine gun kill a female police officer and a street cleaner; at 1:00 p.m. two suspects are surrounded after they rob a gas station; at 11:00 p.m. Hamyd Mourad turns himself in. On Jan. 8 Pres. Obama announces a proposal to pay for the first two years of every student's community college. On Jan. 9 an al-Qaida Ansar Dine IED attack on U.N. troops near the airport in Kidal, Mali injures seven peacekeepers. On Jan. 9 after stunning Beijing by winning an election against pro-Beijing pres. Mahinda Rajapaksa, Maithripala Sirisena (1951-) becomes pres. #7 of Sri Lanka (until ?). On Jan. 9 (8:20 p.m.) a machete-wielding Muslim in East London, England jumps on the roof of a black, er, block of flats and holds police off for four hours, shouting "Allah Allah" and "I'm going to stab all white people" before being arrested for attempted murder. On Jan. 10 a 10-y.-o. girl suicide bomber kills 20 in a market in Maiduguri, Nigeria. On Jan. 10 (eve.) a suicide bomber in a crowded cafe in Tripoli, Lebanon kills nine and injures 30+. On Jan. 11 Miss Israel Doron Matalon posts a selfie of herself with Miss Lebanon Saly Greige, pissing-off the Lebanese people and govt. On Jan. 12 ISIS' Libyan branch announces the kidnapping of 21 Egyptians in Libya, which it calls "Christian Crusaders". On Jan. 12 Pope Frances gives his yearly address to the Vatican diplomatic corps, with the soundbyte that religious (Islamic) fundamentalism is a "deviant form of religion... born of a corrupt heart, a heart incapable of recognizing and doing good, of pursuing peace"; "Religious fundamentalism, even before it eliminates human being by perpetrating horrendous killings, eliminates God himself, turning him into a mere ideological pretext", adding "A unanimous response is needed"; "I appeal to the entire international community, as I do to the respective governments involved, to take concrete steps to bring about peace and to protect all those who are victims of war and persecution, driven from their homes and their homeland." On Jan. 12 ISIS hacks the Web site of CENTCOM (U.S. Central Command). On Jan. 12 U.S. District Court Judge Karen E. Schreier overturns the same-sex marriage ban in S.D. On Jan. 13 funeral ceremonies are held for seven of the people killed in the Charlie Hebdo Massacre. On Jan. 14 Pres. Obama issues new methane regs., with the goal of reducing them by 45% over the next decade. On Jan. 14 the Repub.-dominated U.S. House votes 237-190 (seven Repubs. defecting) to cancel Pres. Obama's deportation amnesties. On Jan. 14 the 2014 Secret Service Shakeup sees four senior officials forced out and two more forced to retire. On Jan. 14 authorities arrest Ohio Muslim convert Raheel Mahrus Ubaydah (Christopher Lee Cornell) for plotting to bomb and shoot-up the U.S. Capitol ISIS-style. On Jan. 14 it is revealed that Duke U. plans to force students to listen to the Muslim call to prayer weekly, causing a nat. outcry that makes them cancel the plans on Jan. 15; too bad UCLA has been doing it for some time. On Jan. 14 the first woman reports to a U.S. Navy attack sub, in Minn. On Jan. 14-18 Pope Francis visits the Philippines, greeting a record crowd of 6M in Manila on Jan. 18. On Jan. 15 a counterterrorism raid in Verviers, Belgium kills two Muslim terrorists. On Jan. 15 a U.S. drone strike in Wacha Dara, South Waziristan, Pakistan kills seven militants incl. two Uzbeks, becoming the first attack since Jan. 4. On Jan. 15 U.N.-sponsored last-chance Libyan peace talks begin in Geneva; too bad, the Gen. Nat. Congress (GNC) fails to show up. On Jan. 15 the Arab League meets to discuss the failed Palestinian Authority draft resolution at the U.N. Security Council. On Jan. 15 a federal judge orders Mich. to recognize 300+ same-sex marriages performed during a 1-day window of opportunity 10 mo. earlier. On Jan. 15 Pope Francis announces that in Sept. he will canonize 18th cent. Spanish Franciscan Junipero Serra. On Jan. 16 French and German authorities arrest 12+ suspected terrorists amid heightened security. On Jan. 16 British PM David Cameron and Pres. Obama hold a joint press conference in the White House; Obama warns that new economic sanctions against Iran could lead directly to war; Cameron utters the soundbyte: "We face a poisonous and fanatical ideology that wants to pervert one of the world's major religions, Islam, and create conflict, terror and death"; both call for more integration of Muslims into their societies without apostasizing first; neither mention the vital need to disarm all Muslims to ensure that they're moderate; Obama also waxes lyrical about Am. Muslims, claiming that "Our biggest advantage is that our Muslim populations, they feel themselves to be Americans", hence aren't likely to go jihadist like in Europe, refusing to use the term Islamic with extremism, while Cameron calls Islamic extremism a "death cult". On Jan. 16 violent demonstrations anti-Charlie Hebdo protests in Algeria, Niger, and Pakistan kill four. On Jan. 16 NASA's Goddard Inst. for Space Studies (GISS) releases a report claiming that 2014 was the warmest year on record since 1880, 0.02C over 2010. On Jan. 17 Houthi militants kidnap Yemeni pres. chief of staff Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak before he can attend a meeting on a new proposed constitution they oppose. On Jan. 18 (Sun.) Tom Lanting (34) and Iain Robertson (39) hold the first pagan same-sex marriage in the U.K. in Marlin's Wynd, Edinburgh. On Jan. 18 negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 group (U.S., U.K. France, Germany, Russia, China) go nowhere as usual. On Jan. 18 an Israeli airstrike in Syrian Golan kills 11 incl. Iranian Gen. Mohamed Allahdadi, Mohammad Issa, leader of Hezbollah in Syria and Iraq, and Jihad Mughniyeh, son of former Hizbollah leader Imad Mughniyeh, pissing-off Iran's Rev. Guard, which warns of "destructive" retaliation. On Jan. 19 as Houthi militants close their grip on Sana'a, Yemen, surrounding the palace of pres. Abdrabu Mansur (Abed Rabbo Mansour) Hadi and threatening a coup, a ceasefire is called.; too bad, on Jan. 21 Hadi is captured, causing the U.S. Navy to move USS Iwo Jima and USS Fort McHenry to the Red Sea to protect the U.S. embassy. On Jan. 19 days after accusing Argentine pres. Cristina Fernandez of secretly negotiating with Iran to avoid punishments for those in Iran and Hezbollah behind the 1994 Argentine-Israel Mutual Assoc. (AMIA) bombing in Buenos Aires that killed 85 and injured 300, prosecutor Alberto Nisman, known for exposing Iranian and Hezbollah cells in 12 South Am. countries is found dead from a gunshot wound in his apt.; on Jan. 20 an Argentine official finds no gunpowder on Nisman's hands, raising suspicions of a murder and a govt. conspiracy; on Feb. 13 special prosecutor Gerardo Pollicita files a complaint against pres. Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and foreign minister Hector Timerman; too bad, on Feb. 26 the original charges brought by Nisman are dismissed. On Jan. 19 La. Repub. Gov. Bobby Jindal gives a speech in London, raising the issue of Muslim no-go zones in Europe, pissing-off the PC press; he also calls for Muslim immigrants to the West to accept assimilation. On Jan. 19 Egptian pres. Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi gives a speech at the Wolf Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi, saying that the fight against terrorism needs a new Muslim discourse in addition to security and military measures. On Jan. 19 a "Death to Charlie" protest is held outside the French embassy in Tehran, Iran, backed by the govt.; another is held outside the French Cultural Inst. in Gaza. On Jan. 20 ISIS releases a video showing two Japanese hostages, Haruna Yukawa and Kenji Goto, threatening to behead them unless the Japanese govt. gives them a $200M ransom within 72 hours; the video is later believed to have been faked; on Jan. 25 Yukawa is beheaded, and the demand changes to release of Sajida Mubarak al-Rishawi from Jordanian captivity, which falls through, causing Kenji Goto to be beheaded on Jan. 31, causing Japanese PM Shinzo Abe to utter the soundbyte: "To the terrorists, we will never, never forgive them for this act." On Jan. 20 Russia and Iran sign a military cooperation agreement to develop a "long-term and multifacted" military relationship incl. expanded use of each other's ports. On Jan. 20 (Tues.) Pres. Obama delivers his 2015 State of the Union Speech, acting as if his party hadn't just lost a nat. election, calling climate change the greatest threat to future generations, and calling for $320B in new taxes without explicitly mentioning it, which incl. a $3K/year child care tax credit, an expanded earned income tax credit, seven days of paid sick leave, two years of free community college, a bipartisan infrastructure plan et al., praising the middle class, becoming the first SOTU speech since 9/11 to not mention al-Qaida, and first to mention LGBTs, calling same-sex marriage "America at its best", asking Congress to officially approve military action against ISIS, and ending with an appeal for "a better politics" that crosses party lines; Repubs. call his proposals income redistribution, and declare them dead on arrival; "The shadow of crisis has passed, and the state of the Union is strong"; "At this moment - with a growing economy, shrinking deficits, bustling industry, and booming energy production - we have risen from recession freer to write our own future than any other nation on Earth. It's now up to us to choose who we want to be over the next 15 years, and for decades to come"; "Will we accept an economy where only a few of us do spectacularly well, or will we commit ourselves to an economy that generates rising incomes and chances for everyone who makes the effort?"; too bad, although decrying anti-Semitism, he keeps covering for Islam, declaring that he will veto any new sanctions on Iran, with the soundbytes: "As Americans, we respect human dignity, even when we're threatened, which is why I've prohibited torture, and worked to make sure our use of new technology like drones is properly constrained. It's why we speak out against the deplorable anti-Semitism that has resurfaced in certain parts of the world. It's why we continue to reject offensive stereotypes of Muslims, the vast majority of whom share our commitment to peace. That's why we defend free speech, and advocate for political prisoners, and condemn the persecution of women, or religious minorities, or people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. We do these things not only because they're right, but because they make us safer"; "2014 was the planet's warmest year on record. Now, one year doesn't make a trend, but this does – 14 of the 15 warmest years on record have all fallen in the first 15 years of this century. I've heard some folks try to dodge the evidence by saying they're not scientists; that we don't have enough information to act. Well, I'm not a scientist, either. But you know what – I know a lot of really good scientists at NASA, and NOAA, and at our major universities. The best scientists in the world are all telling us that our activities are changing the climate, and if we do not act forcefully, we'll continue to see rising oceans, longer, hotter heat waves, dangerous droughts and floods, and massive disruptions that can trigger greater migration, conflict, and hunger around the globe. The Pentagon says that climate change poses immediate risks to our national security. We should act like it." On Jan. 20 after defeating incumbent Mary Landrieu, Bill Cassidy becomes Repub. Sen. of La., becoming the first Repub. since 1883. On Jan. 20 Wichita Falls, Tex.-born Tex. atty. gen. #50 (since Dec. 2, 2002) Gregory Wayne "Greg" Abbott (1957-) becomes Repub. Tex. gov. #48 (until ?); his Mexican-Am. wife Cecilia Phalen Abbott becomes the first Latina First Lady of Tex. On Jan. 21 (7:30 a.m.) a 23-y.-o. Muslim Palestinian from Tulkarem stabs passengers on the No. 40 Dan Bus in Tel Aviv, Israel, injuring 17 Israelis before being shot and arrested. On Jan. 21 U.S. House Speaker John Boehner annouces that he's inviting Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu to address a joint session of Congress "on the grave threats of radical Islam and the threat that Iran poses, to not only the Middle East but frankly to the world", pissing-off the Obama admin., which complains that they weren't informed first. On Jan. 22 after 37 countries sign an Oct. 1 letter decrying the "alarming outbreak of antisemitism worldwide", the first-ever U.N. Gen. Assembly meeting devoted soley to the question of anti-Semitism is held by U.N. gen. assembly pres. Sam Kutesa; the keynote address is delivered by French philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy, who boils it down to demonization of Israel, Holocaust denial, and "the modern scourge of competitive victimhood", and utters the soundbyte: "Even if the Palestinians had a state, as is their right - even then, alas, this enigmatic and old hatred would not dissipate one iota." On Jan. 23 Saudi king (since 2005) Abdullah (b. 1924) dies, and is succeeded by his half-brother Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (1935-) (until ?). On Jan. 23 Jamaican-born USMC Lt. Gen. Vincent R. Stewart becomes dir. #20 of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, the first African-Am. and first U.S. Marine. On Jan. 23-31 the Great 2015 N.E. U.S. Blizzard AKA Snowmageddon 2015 drops 26.2" of snow in Mass. and 36" in New York City, shutting down New York City subways, causing 8K flights to the region to be canceled. On Jan. 24 a Muslim bomb explosion in S Philippines kills two and injures 54. On Jan. 25 (6 a.m.) a truck bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan injures two. On Jan. 25 Edgar Chagwa Lungu (1956-) becomes pres. #6 of Zambia (until ?); too bad, in Apr. 2017 Lusaka archbishop Telesphore Mpundu utters the soundbyte: "Our country is now all, except in designation, a dictatorship; and if it is not yet, then we re not far from it." On Jan. 25 elections in Greece are won by the radical left Syriza Party with 36% of the vote, gaining 149 of 300 seats in parliament, shocking the EU despite assurance by leader Alexis Tsipras that "there is absolutely no case for a Grexit". On Jan. 25 NASA's 2006 New Horizons deep space probe begins sending its first images of Pluto and its dwarf moon Charon; on it rendezvouses with Pluto at 8K mi. distance. On Jan. 26 a new offensive by Russian-backed rebels in E Ukraine breaks the 5-mo. ceasefire. On Jan. 26 the FBI arrests Russian spy Evgeny "Zhenya" Buryakov. On Jan. 26 the 5K-man anti-Taliban anti-ISIS Marg (Dari for death) army in Balkh Province, N Afghanistan announces its formation, visiting the provincial council and offering its services. On Jan. 27 the 70th Anniv. of the Liberation of Auschwitz Camp is attended by 300 survivors; on Jan. 28 the Iranian Fars News Agency pub. the article The Holocaust: An Example of the West's Rewriting of History Based on Superpower Interests, claiming that the Holocaust never happened, and was just invented to promote the creation of Israel. On Jan. 27 Pres. Obama cuts his visit to India short to visit Saudi Arabia, meting with new King Solomon, er, Salman while ignoring the many U.S. gripes about their horrible Sharia incl. beheadings, hand-loppings, and suppression of women; Michelle Obama pisses-off the Saudis by appearing in public sans headscarf, and is blurred-out of official photos. On Jan. 27 ISIS terrorists attack the luxury Corinthia Hotel in Tripoli, Libya, killing eight incl. five foreigners and taking hostages. On Jan. 27 (night) after a double rocket attack on the Israeli Golan Heghts by Hezbollah in the afternoon, Israeli planes strike Syrian bases in Quneitra, Damascus, Syria as a "warning to Beirut". On Jan. 28 a Hezbollah attack in Rosh Hanikra, Israel on the Lebanese border kills two Israeli soldiers and injures seven. On Jan. 28 a delegation of senior members of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, plus two open Hamas supporters meet with Obama's State Dept. and with several U.S. senators to seek help in returning Mohamed Morsi to power. On Jan. 29 despite veto threats from Pres. Obama, the U.S. Senate votes 62-36 (9 Dems.) to approve the $8B Keystone XL pipeline; on Feb. 11 it passes the House by 270-152 (all but 1 Repubs. and 29 Dems.), passing it to Pres. Obama, who vetoes it on Feb. 24. On Jan. 29 former U.S. secy. of state Henry Kissinger appears before the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, uttering the soundbyte: "Nuclear talks with Iran began as an international effort... to deny Iran the capability to develop a military nuclear option. They are now an essentially bilateral negotiation over the scope of that capability through an agreement that sets a hypothetical limit of one year on an assumed breakout. The impact of this approach will be to move from preventing proliferation to managing it"; when pink-clad protesters interrupt the proceedings, chmn. John McCain utters the soundbyte: "You're gonna have to shut up or I'm gonna have you arrested. Get of of here, you low-life scum." On Jan. 29 (eve.) a Taliban member dressed in an Afghan military uniform stages an attack at the internat. airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, killing three U.S. contractors and injuring Afghan police cmdr. Maj. Gen. Haq Nawaz Haqyar; 2nd green-on-blue attack on Apr. 8. On Jan. 29 (night) ISIS attacks in El-Arish, Egypt and other towns in the Sinai Peninsula kill 25 and injure dozens. On Jan. 30 (11 a.m.) Mitt Romney announces that he won't run for U.S. pres. in 2016. On Jan. 30 a massive fire at the INION Library in Moscow, Russia rages for 27 hours and destroys 1M books. On Jan. 31 senior AQAP official Harith bin Ghazi al Nadhari is killed by a U.S. drone strike in S Yemen. In Jan. illegal U.S. immigrant Jean Jacques (1975-) of Haiti is released by ICE three years after being released from prison after 17 years for attempted murder after Hillary Clinton's State Dept. refuses to put pressure on Haiti to take him back, after which on June 15 he murders 25-y.-o. Casey J. Chadwick (1990-) in Norwich, Conn., and is sentenced to 60 years in prison, which is used as ammo by Donald Trump in his 2016 pres. campaign. In Jan. U.S. drone strikes kill AQIS deputy emir Ustad Ahmad Farooq and shura council member Qari 'Imran. In Jan. U.S. unemployment is 5.7% (vs. 5.6% in Dec.), adding 257K jobs. In Jan. violence in Iraq kills 1,375 and injures 2,240. On Feb. 1 (Sun.) Super Bowl XLIX (49) at the U. of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. sees the New England Patriots (coach Bill Belichick) defeat the Seattle Seahawks (coach Pete Carroll) by 28-24 after Seahawks QB Russell Wilson throws a slant pass to Ricardo Lockette in the end zone that is intercepted by rookie Patriots CB (#21) Malcolm Terel Butler (1990-) on 2nd and goal from the Patriots' 1 yard line with 20 sec. left in the game; right before that Seahawks WR (#15) Jermaine Kearse (1990-) makes a miracle catch of a tipped ball inside the 10-yard line; Katy Perry and Lenny Kravitz perform the halftime show; a 30-sec. commercial costs $4.5M; Patriots QB Tom Brady is MVP, setting a record of 12 Super Bowl career TDs; all they had to do was give the ball to Seahawks RB (#24) Marshawn "Beast Mode" Lynch (1986-)? On Feb. 1 South Sudan pres. Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar sign an areas of agreement for a future transitional govt. of nat. unity. On Feb. 2 the state of Tex. declares Chris Kyle Day, named after the Odessa, Tex.-born U.S. Navy Seal sniper hero Christopher Scott "Chris" Kyle (1974-2013), AKA the Devil of Ramadi. On Feb. 3 after the Jordanians demand proof of life, a video of Jordanian Pilot Lt. Muath Kassasbeh (Kaseasbeh) (Moaz al-Kasasb) (b. 1977) being burned alive in a cage is released, after which it revealed that he was killed on Jan. 3 before starting phony ransom negotiations, causing protests in Jordan and promises of revenge by Jordanian king Abdullah II, starting with the execution of ISIS prisoners Sajida al-Rishawi and Ziad al-Karbouli at dawn, followed on Feb. 5 by airstrikes (in which the king suits up and flies his own plane after a visit to Kassasbeh's mourning tent, which ends in a pro-war rally, with his family calling for the destruction of ISIS), with the pilots flying over the dead pilot's home in Ay, Syria on their return, accidentally killing ISIS' only Am. female hostage Kayla Mueller, known for backing the anti-Israeli pro-Palestinian Internat. Solidarity Movement (ISM); on Aug. 15 after news surfaces that she was repeatedly raped by ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi et al., and that ISIS believes that the Quran gives them the right to do is because it pleases Allah, Am. evangelist Rev. Franklin Graham issues the soundbyte "The god of Islam is not the one true God of the Bible"; no surprise, on Feb. 4 Pres. Obama holds a closed meeting on "anti-Muslim bigotry" with 14 Am. Muslim leaders at the White House of questionable loyalty to the U.S. and the U.S. Constitution, incl. Imam Mohamed Magid (whose North Va. mosque had its trustees' homes raided by federal agents after 9/11 on suspicion of funding terrorists), Farhana Khera, Farhan Latif, Azhar Azees (pres. of the Islamic Society of North Am.), Hoda Hawa (nat. policy adviser of the Muslim Public Affairs Council), Hoda Elshishtawy, and female Muslim basketball star Bilqis "Qisi" Abdul-Qaadir (1990-) of Indiana State U. (first player in NCAA history to play in a hijab in 2009), promising to ban Muslim terrorist profiling by federal law enforcement and provide more Muslim outreach programs; they ask him to appoint the first Muslim federal judge; the infamous CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations) is not invited. On Feb. 3 Los Angeles, Calif.-born TV broadcaster Robert "Bob" "Zoey" Tur (1960-) (inventor of the TV news helicopter) is hired by Inside Edition, becoming the first transgender TV reporter. On Feb. 3 knife-wielding Muslim Mousa Coulibaly attacks three soldiers on anti-terror patrol in front of a Jewish community center in Nice, France. On Feb. 3 the U.S. House of Reps by 239-18 votes to repeal and replace Obamacare; meanwhile Dems. in the U.S. Senate by 51-48 filibuster the $39.7B Dept. of Homeland Security funding bill because of provisions rolling back Pres. Obama's immigration actions. On Feb. 4 the U.S. House of Reps Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa, chaired by Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) holds a hearing on suspending aid to the Palestinian Authority for joining the Internat. Criminal Court (ICC). On Feb. 4 (11:00 a.m. local time) TransAsia Airways Flight 235 clips a bridge and crashes into the Keelung River shortly after takeoff from Taipei, Tawan, killing 43 of 53 passengers and crew aboard. On Feb. 4 Egypt sentences 2013 secular activists in the 2011 uprising to life in prison incl. leader Ahmed Douma; 30 minors are sentenced to 10 years. On Feb. 4 (Wed.) TLW interviews to become a contestant on the TV game show "Jeopardy!" at the Magnolia Hotel in downtown Denver, Colo. (17th & Stout), along with 23 others; he is never picked. On Feb. 4 after the African Union authorizes a 7.5K-man 5-nation army from Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Benin, Boko Haram militants go on a rampage, killing 90 civilians in Cameroon; on Feb. 6 the Nigerian military announces that it has recovered the weapons stolen by Boko Haram in Jan. On Feb. 4 after soldiers protest, NBC News anchor Brian Williams admits to making up a story that he was in a U.S. heli that was attacked by RPGs in Iraq in 2003, when he actually was safe in another heli; on Feb. 7 he takes a temporary leave of absence; on Feb. 10 he is suspended without pay for 6 mo. On Feb. 4 U.S. Supreme Court justice Ruther Bader Ginsburg utters the soundbyte at Georgetown U. that there will be enough women on the court when "there are nine". On Feb. 5 #2 U.S. health insurer Anthem announces that hackers stole personal info. on 80M customers, becoming the largest known data breach in U.S. history (until ?). On Feb. 5 Radio Hack, er, Shack files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. On Feb. 5 Imam, er, Pres. Obama presides over the 2015 Nat. Prayer Breakfast, attempting to excuse the atrocities of the Islamic ISIS group by telling Americans to get off their "high horse" and remember how Christians have been guilty of atrocities too, but referring to ISIS as a "death cult"; NASCAR star Darrell Waltrip gives the keynote address, saying that if you don't know Christ you'll go to Hell; former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani utters the soundbyte about Obama: "He's as week as a history as he is as a president, and a weak a theologian." On Feb. 6 Shiite rebels take over Yemen, dissolving parliament and setting up a transitional council. On Feb. 6 (his 49th birthday) after his girlfriend Maria Antonieta Luna Avalos delivers some chocolate cake to him, Mexican Knights Templar cartel leader Servando Gomez "La Tuta" Martinez is captured in his hideout in Morelia. On Feb. 6 the Canadian Supreme Court rules that the govt. must permit doctor-assisted suicide. On Feb. 6 the White House releases a new nat. security strategy, which changes the objective on war with ISIS (ISIL) from "destroy" to "defeat"; meanwhile the U.S. Army finally rules that the Ft. Hood Massacre is an act of terrorism and not workplace violence. On Feb. 7 Paul Weston of Liberty GB gives a speech against the "traitors of the BBC" and its promotion of Islam in Britain. On Feb. 8 Paul Gaugin's 1892 painting When Will You Marry? sells for a record $300M to Qatar Museums. On Feb. 8 1K Muslims demonstrate in London, England against Muslim cartoons; meanwhile a petition signed by 100K British Muslims is presented to 10 Downing St. On Feb. 8 the 57th Annual Grammy Awards in the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif. are a big V for Sam Smith, who wins four. On Feb. 8 Vince Gilligan's Better Call Saul debuts on AMC-TV for ? episodes (until ?) as a prequel to "Breaking Bad", about the rise of super-interesting schuyster lawyer Saul Goodman AKA James Morgan "Jimmy" McGill, played by Berwyn, Ill.-born Robert John "Bob" Odenkirk (1962-), who starts out as a small-time conman in Cicero, Ill. and takes a correspondence course in law, moving to Albuquerque, N.M., featuring Jonathan Ray Banks (1947-) as his ex-cop partner Mike Ehrmantraut; the Better Call Saul Theme by Junior Brown is a keeper. On Feb. 9 Pres. Obama meets with German chancellor Angela Merkel at the White House to discuss Russian aggression in Ukraine; on Feb. 11 leaders of Germany, France, Ukraine, and Russia meet in Minsk to discuss a cease-fire and restoration of the Sept. 2014 Minsk Protocol, which is agreed to on Feb. 12. On Feb. 9 hooded Muslim gunmen fire Kalashnikov rifles at police in Marseille, France. On Feb. 9-10 amid the dust storms of Amshir, Russian PM Vladimir Putin visits Cairo, Egypt to talk with Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisis on enhancing their strategic partnership, viewing U.S. hegemony as a common enemy. On Feb. 10 Pres. Obama makes a phone call to Russian PM Vladimir Putin to ask him to make a peace deal with the Ukrainian govt., after which the White House issues the statement: "If Russia continues its aggressive actions in Ukraine, including by sending troops, weapons, and financing to support the separatists, the costs for Russia will rise", indicating that Obama is about to agree to sending weapons to Kiev. On Feb. 10 the U.S. Israel Trade and Commercial Enhancement Act is introduced in the House of Reps by Peter Roskam (R-Ill.) and Juan Vargas (D-Ca.), seeking to battle efforts to boycott Israel by linking rejection of BDS to the massive free trade deal being negotiated with the EU. On Feb. 10 after suspending them in Dec. with the capture of Lt. Muath Kassasbeh, the pissed-off UAE resumes air strikes against ISIS from Jordan. On Feb. 10 French justice minister Christiane Taubira announces that it has dismantled 15 Islamic terrorist networks (out of 1,500?). On Feb. 11 U.S. Marines evacuate the embassy of Yemen after being ordered by the U.S. State Dept. to surrender their rifles to Yemeni troops (rebels?) at the airport along with 20 vehicles; on Feb. 12 Saudi Arabia does ditto. On Feb. 11 Pres. Obama asks Congress for expanded war powers to fight ISIS. On Feb. 11 (5:00 p.m.) avowed atheist (pro-Ground Zero Mosque) Craig Stephen Hicks (1968-) shoots and kills three Muslims in a condominium parking lot near the U. of N.C. over a parking dispute, causing the PC police move in a call for a federal hate crime investigation, causing Pres. Obama to issue a statement on Feb. 13, with the soundbyte: "No one in the United States of America should ever be targeted because of who they are, what they look like, or how they worship"; Mohammed Abu Salha, father of two of the victims is a leader in a mosque that hosted a pro-ISIS cleric and was raided for a plot to murder U.S. Marines. On Feb. 12 the U.S. Senate votes 93-5 to confirm Ashton Carter as U.S. defense secy. On Feb. 12 the U.S. announces that it will keep extra forces in Europe to bolster NATO and monitor developments in E Ukraine. On Feb. 12 U.S. ambassador Keith Harper and Pakistani ambassador Zamir Akram hold a discussion on free speech vs. blasphemy in Geneva in regard to the OIC-proposed U.N. Resolution 16/18. On Feb. 12 the PC press-snubbed Defeat Jihad Summit in Washington, D.C., sponsored by the Center for Security Policy to rebut Pres. Obama's upcoming Countering Violent Extremism Summit features speakers incl. Ted Cruz, Bobby Jindal, Newt Gingrich, Steven King, and Scott Perry from the U.S., Geert Wilders from Denmark, Israeli ambassador Yoram Ettinger, and Lord Malcolm Pearson from Britain. On Feb. 13 (Fri.) Ain al-Asad Air Base W of Baghdad, Iraq is surrounded by ISIS, trapping 320 U.S. Marines; on Feb. 16 a video surfaces showing ISIS burning 45 people alive in W Iraq. On Feb. 13 a Sunni gun-bomb attack on a Shiite mosque in Peshawar, Pakistan kills 19. On Feb. 13 the 4K-man Colo. 3rd Brigade Team is sent to Kuwait, becoming the largest ground force in the region. On Feb. 13 Canada confirms its first case of mad cow disease since 2011, but claims the food supply is unaffected. On Feb. 13 after the Italian govt. warns citizens to "temporarily leave" Libya, Italian foreign minister Paolo Gentiloni warns that "Italy is under threat from the situation in Libya 200 nautical miles away", noting that ISIS militants may be as close as Sirte. On Feb. 14 (Valentine's Day) (4:00 p.m.) a free speech (art vs. blasphemy) debate at the Krudttoenden Cafe in Copenhagen, Denmark attended by Muhammad-caricaturing Swedish artist Lars Vilks is attacked by a Muslim gunman, who kills one civilian and injures three police; Vilks and the French ambassador are unharmed; on Feb. 15 (early a.m.) another jihadist kills a civilian and injures three police near a synagogue in the Krystalgade area of Copenhagen; on Feb. 15 after a long chase the suspect is killed by police; meanwhile on Feb. 14 Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu issues a call for all Euro Jews to come home to Israel, and on Feb. 15 the Israeli cabinet approves a $46M plan to finance their arrival. On Feb. 14 after asking them if they are Muslims and getting the wrong answer, Detroit, Mich. Muslim Terrence Lavaron Thomas pulls out a knife and stabs two infidels at a bus stop, causing a federal hate crime investigation while the PC media labors to spin it. On Feb. 15 the FAA releases rules for unmanned aircraft (drones), setting a 55 lb. weight limit, min. age of 17 for operators with required test, and requirement that the drones stay within visual line of sight, pissing-off Amazon.com et al., who want to use them to deliver products. On Feb. 15 ISIS releases a video claiming to show the beheading of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians in Libya, pissing-off Egyptian pres. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who vows to respond; on Feb. 16 (dawn) Egyptian jets bomb ISIS targets in Libya; on Feb. 17 al-Sisis calls for U.N.-backed internat. intervention in Libya to fight ISIS, causing the U.N. Security Council to meet on Feb. 18, and the Arab states to call on it to lift the Libyan arms embargo; the start of WWIII? On Feb. 15 Bangladeshi blogger Ahmed Rajib Haider is killed by Ansarullah Bangla Team (ATB) jihadists in Dhaka; on Feb. 26 Bangladeshi-Am. atheist secularist anti-Islam writer Avijit Roy (b. 1972) is hacked to death with machetes in Dhaka, Bangladesh by Islamists; his wife Rafida Ahmed Bonna is injured; on May 12 anti-Islam blogger Ananta Bijoy Das (b. 1982) is hacked to death with cleavers by four Muslims as he leaves his home in Sylhet, Bangladesh; on Aug. 6 Niloy Neel Chatterjee of Dhaka becomes secular blogger #4 to be hacked to death this year in Bloody Bangladesh. On Feb. 16 Brownsville, Tex. U.S. federal judge Andrew Scott Hanen (1953-) halts Pres. Obama's deportation amnesty two days before applications are to be accepted by 4.3M illegal aliens, ruling that Obama is trying to give legal status to them when the law mandates that they be deported. On Feb. 16 U.S. State Dept. spokeswoman Marie Harf interviews Chris Matthews on MSNBC's "Hardball", uttering the soundbyte: "We cannot kill our way out of this war. We need in the medium to longer term to go after the root causes that leads people to join these groups, whether it's a lack of opportunity for jobs, whether we can work with countries around the world to help improve their governance. We can help them build their economies so they can have job opportunities for these people." On Feb. 17 the govts. of the U.S., U.K., France, Italy, Germany, and Spain issue a Joint Statement on Libya, strongly condemning all acts of terrorism incl. the murder of the 21 Egyptian Copts, which it only calls citizens. On Feb. 17 Iraqi police chief Col. Qasim al-Obeidi announces the burning alive of 50 people by ISIS in Hit, Iraq 85 mi. W of Baghdad. On Feb. 18 Ore. Gov. John Kitzhaber resigns over allegations of misconduct by fiancee Cylvia Hayes, allowing Katherine "Kate" Brown (1960-) to become gov. of Ore. (until ?), becoming the first openly bisexual U.S. state gov., and in 2016 the highest-ranking bisexual elected official in the U.S. On Feb. 18 Pres. Obama selects acting Secret Service dir. Joseph "Joe" Clancy as the permanent dir. after he replaced Julia Pierson last year for two embarrassing security breaches; he also names big data expert DJ Patil as the first-ever chief data scientist and deputy chief technology officer for data policy, with a mission to focus on health care. On Feb. 18-20 the White House holds a Global Summit on Countering Violent Extremism to "show the world the power of peaceful communities instead of extremist violence", purposely avoiding mention of the words Muslim or Islam in connection with terrorism, with the soundbyte: "They try to portray themselves as religious leaders, holy warriors in defense of Islam. We must never accept the premise that they put forward, because it is a lie. They are not religious leaders, they're terrorists. And we are not at war with Islam. We are at war with people who have perverted Islam"; Obama appoints Rashad Hussain as special envoy and coordinator for strategic counterterrorism communications to combat ISIS and al-Qaida propaganda; ex-CIA dir. R. James Woolsey utters the soundbyte that Obama "looks scared" to call ISIS and other Islamic terrorist orgs. Islamic; on ? homeland security secy. Jeh Johnson utters the soundbyte: "My job is to give voice to the plight of Muslims in this country"; on Feb. 19 the White House hosts a Muslim prayer (which proclaims Muslim supremacy over America?), causing ex-New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani to utter the soundbyte: "I do not believe, and I know this is a horrible thing to say, but I do not believe that the president loves America", causing a firestorm of controversy. On Feb. 20 Al-Shabaab rebels detonate two bombs near the Central Hotel in Mogadishu, Somalia, killing 10+, injuring the deputy PM. On Feb. 20 ISIS militants unleash a series of suicide bombings in Qubba, Libya, killing 40+; they are now poised to invade Italy? On Feb. 20 British officials announce a search for three British Muslim teenie girls (Shamima Begum, Kadiza Sultana, ?) who boarded a plane for Turkey on Feb. 17, fearing they're trying to join ISIS; in early Mar. a video of a suspected Canadian intel spy assisting them surfaces. On Feb. 20 Uighur Muslims wielding knives and guns in Aksu Prefecture, Xianjiang, China injure four, causing the police to kill nine attackers and four bystanders. On Feb. 20 the Islamic State Hacking Div. posts a list on the Internet containing 100 names, photos, and addresses of U.S. service members, presumably a hit list, becoming a first. On Feb. 21 former Yemeni pres. Abdrabu Mansur Hadi flees house arrest in Sana'a by Shiite militia to Aden. On Feb. 21 Turkish men protest in Taksim Square in Istanbul wearing skirts to support victimized women. On Feb. 22 Australian PM Tony Abbott gives a speech, announcing that Muslim jihadists who fight for ISIS will be stripped of citizenship; meanwhile in Britain, counterterrorism chief Anthony Layden resigns over his inability to deport Islamic terrorists, whose lawyers use the Human Rights Act to coddle them, causing zero to be deported in the past year and 12 in the past 10 years vs. 129 in France; meanwhile former Mecca Grand Mosque imam Sheikh Adel Al-Kalbani gives a speech attacking the extremism of ISIS and other groups, saying that it will require a reform movement in Islam to restore its original tolerant character. On Feb. 22 after taking PC flak for its all-white list of nominees for best actor and actress, and snubbing of "Selma" dir. Ava DuVernay, the 87th Academy Awards, presented at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Calif., hosted by Neil Patrick Harris (first openly gay man) awards the best picture Oscar for 2014 to Birdman, along with best dir. and best original screenplay to Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, best actor to Eddie Redmayne for The Theory of Everything, best actress to Julianne Moore for Still Alice, best supporting actor to J.K. Simmons for Whiplash, best supporting actress to Patricia Arquette for Boyhood (giving her a chance to lobby for equal pay for women), best animated feature film to Big Hero 6, best foreign language film to Ida, best original score to The Grand Budapest Hotel, and best original song to Glory (John Legend and Common) from Selma; gay bud Harris arrives on the red carpet with his husband David Burtka, and after passing "Whiplash" star Miles Teller playing drums comes onstage in his gay white briefs as a tribute to "Birdman", after which Inarritu in his accepance speech claims that he's wearing Michael Keaton's "tighty-whitey" underwear that "smells like balls"; the In Memoriam segment outrageously snubs Joan Rivers; Lupita Nyong'o wears a $150K dress with 6K hand-sewn pearls, which is stolen from her hotel room, then returned, causing tests to reveal fake pearls. On Feb. 23 in the case of Sokolow et al. v. Palestine Liberation Org., a federal jury in Manhattan, N.Y. finds the Palestinian Authority and the PLO liable for six terrorist attacks in Israel in 2002-4 in which Americans were killed and injures, with $218.5M in damages award, tripled to $655.5M by a special terrorism law; on Aug. 31, 2016 a federal appeals court throws out the verdict, saying that U.S. courts lack jurisdiction because the attacks were aimed at random targets, not the U.S. On Feb. 24 suicide bombers at two bus stations in Potiskum and Kano, Nigeria kill 16 + 10. On Feb. 24 the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights announces that ISIS has kidnapped 90+ Assyrian Christians in NE Syria. On Feb. 24 after the jury doesn't buy his insanity defense, ex-U.S. Marine Eddie Ray Routh is found guilty of the Feb. 2013 murder of "American Sniper" Chris Kyle and his friend at a shooting range. On Feb. 24 Afghan-born Am. Muslim Sohiel Omar Kabir and Philippine Muslim convert Ralph Deleon are sentenced to 25 years in prison for a plot to go on jihad and kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan et al. On Feb. 25 a new Austrian Islam Bill governing the 600K Muslims in the 8.6M pop. to create an "Islam with an Austrian character" declares infidel Austrian law as superior to Muslim Sharia an prohibits foreign funding for mosques and Muslim orgs., but allows Muslim clerics to visit hospitals and prisons, and requires schools to offer halal food, pissing-off Muslims, who want it all. On Feb. 25 videos are released showing ISIS destroying the Mosul Museum in Iraq, smashing priceless Assyrian antiquities; meanwhile in Feb. Iraq's Nat. Museum in Baghdad reopens after 15K items were stolen in 2003. On Feb. 25 Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announces that she'll defy congressional Repubs. and implement D.C.'s new local law allowing residents to smoke pot, even if they try to put her in jail. On Feb. 26 FCC chmn. Tom Wheeler announces approval of Obama's Net Neutrality Plan by a 3-2 party line vote, which Repubs. diss as a power grab, reclassifying broadband Internt as a utility, giving them regulatory power over it. On Feb. 26 a protest in Zocalo Square in Mexico City to demand justice for the 43 missing students of Ayotzinapa Teacher Training College results in hundreds of arrests. On Feb. 26 after the Albeto Nisman scandal causes pres. Cristina Kirchner to ask congress to restructure the intel service, they pass a bill creating a new Federal Intelligence Agency. On Feb. 27 U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters capture Tel Hamees, Syria from ISIS near the Iraqi-Turkish border. On Feb. 27 after tiring of dealing with waves of migrants from Syria and Libya, the Italian coast guard calls for its govt. to provide them with weapons to stop ISIS from "humiliating" its personnel. On Feb. 27 (night) the day before a major scheduled protest, Russian opposition leader (Vladimir Putin's #1 critic) Boris Nemtsov is assassinated from a car on a bridge near the Kremlin in Moscow, shocking Russia, causing Putin to disavow knowledge and order an investigation despite everybody knowing he ordered it; on Mar. 8 ex-Chechen policeman Zaur Dadayev (who confesses) is charged along with another man with the murder; three more are in custody. On Feb. 28 an Egyptian court declares Pres. Obama's alma mater Hamas a terrorist org.; another court sentences top Muslim Brotherhood leaders to life in prison over a violent clash in Cairo in June 2013; meanwhile Egypt keeps sealing off tunnels between Gaza and N Sinai, strangling Hamas and causing it to become like a cornered wild beast, denouncing Egypt and calling for the destruction of Israel; on June 6 the ruling branding Hamas a terrorist group is overturned. On Feb. 28 Kuwaiti newspaper Al Jarida announces that Pres. Obama threatened to shoot down Israeli jets last year if they tried to attack Iran; the White House denies it; it was all fabricated? In Feb. to deal with hundreds of thousands of Muslims incl. 10% radicals, Spain enacts a new penal code, with 35-year sentences for anyone carrying out a terrorist attack, 20 years for supplying weapons to terrorists, and 10 years for funding terrorist networks. In Feb. U.S. unemployment drops to 5.5%, adding 295K new jobs. In Feb. Japan passes China as the top foreign owner of U.S. govt. debt., $1,224.4B vs. $1,223.7B. On Mar. 1 former non-jihadist Syrian rebel org. Hazzm joins the jihadist Shamiyah Front in Aleppo. On Mar. 1 Iraq announces that it has sent 27K troops to retake Tikrit from ISIS. On Mar. 1 a U.N. report is released, which claims that the internat. Libyan arms embargo is "almost nonexistent". On Mar. 1 Psychology Today announces that it will no longer carry ads for gay conversion therapy, and is deleting medical practitioners whose profile lists such therapy. On Mar. 1 the comedy series The Last Man on Earth debuts on Fox TV for 67 episodes (until May 6, 2018), set in post-apocalyptic 2020 Tucson, Ariz., starring ever-horny bank employee Orville Willis "Will" Forte IV (1970-) as Phil Tandy Miller, Kristen Joy Schaal (1978-) as Carol Pilbasian, January Kristen Jones (1978-) as Melissa Shart, and Oliver Hardy lookalike Melvin Dimas "Mel" Rodriguez (1973-) as Todd. On Mar. 2 ISIS militants shell the Bahi and Mabrouk Oilfields in Libya, damaging a pipeline to the port of Es Sidra. On Mar. 2 a bomb explosion outside the Egyptian supreme court bldg. in Cairo, Egypt kills two and injures nine incl. seven policemen. On Mar. 2 ISIS releases a video showing them executing four Sunni tribesmen from the Tikrit region for collaboration with the Iraqi govt. On Mar. 2 after Twitter shuts down accounts promoting ISIS, they upload a post with the soundbyte: "Your virtual war on us will cause a real war on you", warning that co-founder Jack Dorsey and his employees have "become a target for the soldiers of the Caliphate and supporters scattered in your midst!" On Mar. 2 ISIS releases a message claiming that U.S.-born Abu Dawoud al Amriki conducted a suicide attack in a vehicle against Iranian-backed Shiite troops in Samarra as they staged for their offensive in Tikrit. On Mar. 2 U.S. authorities unseal an affidavit revealing a stink operation on You Win USA, a maternity tourism business targeting pregnant Chinese women to come to the U.S. on fraudulent tourism visits and have their child, expecting it to have U.S. citizenship. On Mar. 2 after Feb. 23 was made an official day off and Ukraine cancels their celebration, the 2015 Day of the Defenders of the Motherland (creation of the Red Army in 1918 by Leon Trotsky) parade in Red Square in Moscow, Russia features a big green fake ballistic missile with "To be delivered to Obama in person" inscribed on it; it is also Men's Day, followed on on Mar. 8 by Women's Day. On Mar. 2 Colombian journalist Edgar "Quentin" Quintero (b. 1957) is murdered in Palmira as he enters a bakery near his office, becoming the 2nd journalist killed in Colombia in three weeks. On Mar. 2 the Hillary Clinton Email Scandal breaks with an article in the New York Times revealing that in Aug. 2010 as secy. of state she had her own private server and private email account hdr22@clintonemail.com registered under the name Eric Hoteham (who uses the same P.O. box as the Clinton Foundation) to hide her actions from the public instead of a govt. account that can be examined by the public later, and that in Nov. 2012 the email account was reconfigured to use Google's server as a backup, and reconfigured again in July 2013 (5 mo. after she resigned) to use Denver, Colo.-based commercial email provider MX Logic, owned by McAfee Inc.; on Mar. 3 U.S. Rep. (R-S.C.) Trey Gowdy announces that she was using multiple personal email accounts, and that she used it to email aide Huma Abedin on her personal account; on Mar. 4 she tweets that she wants the public to see them all of a sudden, handing 55K pages over to the U.S. State Dept.; on Mar. 10 Hillary speaks to the press at the U.N. Bldg. in New York City, trying to explain it away for 21 min.; it was Obama advisor Valerie Jarrett who leaked the scandal to the press?; too bad, at a Take Back America Conference in 2007 she uttered the soundbyte about Pres. George W. Bush: "We know our Constitution is being shredded. We know about the secret wiretaps, the secret military tribunals, the secret White House email accounts"; Peter J. Kadzik sends an email to Hillary's friend John Podesta, with the title "Heads up", tipping him off about the email investigation; on ? the AP reports that it was registered to the Clinton home in Chappaqua, N.Y., and that her ex-U.S. pres. hubby Bill Clinton paid for it; on July 24 the New York Times announces that Hillary Clinton's email account and private server had classified info. in them that wasn't properly labelled, contradicting her statements incl. "I am confident that I never sent nor received any information that was classified at the time it was sent and received"; on Aug. 11 the intel community's inspector gen. tells Congress that her emails contained security violations; on Aug. 12 she relents and hands over the server; it turns out to contain top secret email; on Mar. 7, 2015 Pres. Obama lies on CBS Evening News, saying that he didn't know about her private email server, although later several emails interchanged between them are admitted. On Mar. 2 the Washington Post pub. an article by Anne Gearan revealing that Israel's top secret plans to sneak-attack Iran have been leaked, blaming it on the Obama admin.; it was Hillary Clinton? On Mar. 3 (1:00 a.m. EST) after an invitation by speaker John Boehner sans consultation with the White House, pissing it off and causing 58 Dems. to boycott it, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu gives a speech to a cheering U.S. House of Reps. (first foreign leader to speak to Congress 3x after Winston Churchill), laying out the case against Iran, saying that Israel and the U.S. are in it together, that the current deal paves the path to a nuclear Iran, and that no deal is better than this deal; "We've been told that no deal is better than a bad deal. Well this is a bad deal, a very bad deal. We're better off without it"; referring to Purim, which stars on Mar. 4, he utters the soundbyte: "Again, another Persian potentate wants to destroy us. Khamenei tweets in English that Israel must be destroyed"; he also utters the soundbytes: "Iran and ISIS are competing for the crown of militant Islam. Both want to impose a militant Islamic empire. In this deadly game of thrones there is no place for America or Israel, no peace for Christians, Jews, or Muslims who don't share the Islamist medieval creed, no rights for women, no freedom for anyone"; "When it comes to Iran and ISIS the enemy of your enemy is your enemy"; "The world should demand that Iran do three things. First, stop its aggression against its neighbors in the Middle East. Second, stop supporting terrorism around the world. And third, stop threatening to annihilate my country, Israel, the one and only Jewish state"; "We must all stand together to stop Iran's march of conquest, subjugation, and terror"; "If Iran wants to be treated as a normal country, let it act like a normal country"; "As far as ISIS and Iran are concerned, the enemy of you enemy is your enemy"; "If the deal now being negotiated is accepted by Iran, that deal will not prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, it will all but guarantee that Iran will get those nuclear weapons, lots of them"; "This deal is so bad, it doesn't block Iran's path to the bomb, it paves Iran's path to the bomb"; Dem. House minority leader Nancy Pelosi utters the soundbyte: "I was near tears throughout the prime minister's speech, saddened by the insult to the intelligence of the United States as part of the P5+1 nations, and saddened by the condescension toward our knowledge of the threat posed by Iran and our broader commitment to preventing nuclear proliferation"; prior to the speech Pres. Obama allegedly leaks a classified 1987 Inst. for Defense Analysis (IDA) report proving that the U.S. assisted Israel in developing the H-bomb; after the speech Obama comments that it offers "nothing new"; in July 2016 it is revealed that Obama tries to unseat Netanyahu with a $350K donation of OneVoice this year. On Mar. 3 amid continuing protests, the U.S. Dept. of Justice announces an upcoming Report on the Ferguson, Mo. Police Dept., which finds that it routinely discriminates against blacks and violate federal law; it is released on Mar. 5, causing police chief Thomas Jackson to resign on Mar. 11, triggering another violent protest in which two police officers are shot. On Mar. 3 South Korea and Saudi Arabia conclude an agreement to explore building two more small and medium size nuclear reactors in Saudi Arabia for $2B. On Mar. 3 Rev. Ann Kansfield (1975-) becomes the first female and first openly gay chaplain in the New York Fire Dept. On Mar. 4 mayor Bill de Blasio announces that New York City will become the largest U.S. city to close public schools for the two biggest Muslim holidays Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha; why is he snubbing Hindus et al.? On Mar. 4 (early a.m.) Mexican Zetas cartel head Servando Gomez Martinez AKA Z-42 is captured by Mexican authorities in San Pedro Garza Garcia along with his finance chief Carlos Arturo Jimenez Encinas and four others; his brother Miguel Trevino Morales (Z-40) was head of the Zetas until his 2013 capture. On Mar. 4 Nigeria passes the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, outlawing female genital mutilation (FGM), forceful ejection of widows et al. On Mar. 4 (night) after a retirement party at a nearby bar, two intoxicated Secret Service agents crash barricades at the White House, causing a stink. On Mar. 5 U.S. ambassador to South Korea (since Oct. 20) Mark William Lippert (1973-) is slashed in the face and hands with a razor blade while giving a speech on reunification in Yonhap; the attacker shouts "No to war training" before attacking him. On Mar. 5 the Madrid Declaration on Developing Energy Interconnections is signed by Spain, France, Portugal, and the EU. On Mar. 5 ISIS militants bulldoze the ancient Nimrud archeological site near Mosul, Iraq, causing the Iraqi govt. to utter the soundbyte that they "defy the will of the world and the feelings of humanity" with their actions, and UNESCO head Irina Bokova to call it a "war crime"; on Mar. 7 UNESCO announces the destruction by ISIS of the ancient Roman fortress city of Hatra, Iraq. On Mar. 5 at a press conference attended by John Kerry, Saudi foreign minister Saud Al-Faisal calls on the U.S. to put "boots on the ground" to fight ISIS to prevent Iran from taking over Iraq. On Mar. 5 U.S. Dir. of Nat. Intel James Clapper releases a report which confirms that 116 detainees released from the Gitmo prison in Cuba have returned to terrorism. On Mar. 5 authorities raid a mosque in Bremen, Germany after a 4-man terror commando cell from France tries to make contact; after no weapons are found, the two suspects are released. On Mar. 6 (10:00 a.m.) (Purim) Palestinian Mohammed Mahmoud Abdel Razek Salaima (1992-) rams his car into pedestrians near a border patrol base in the Shimon HaTzadik neighborhood of Jerusalem, Israel, injuring five people incl. four female security personnel before he is shot and captured. On Mar. 6 the NASA Dawn spacecraft enters orbit around the dwarf planet Ceres. On Mar. 7 the 50th anniv. of the Edmund Pettus Bridge march in Selma, Ala. sees Pres. Obama lead the marchers, then give a speech with the soundbyte that the history of racial conflict "still casts its long shadow", and that it is a "common mistake" to believe that "racism is banished". On Mar. 7 a hooded Muslim terrorist shouting Allah Akbar attacks La Terrasse Nightclub in Bamako, Mali with a rifle and grenades, killing five incl. a Frenchman and a Belgian, and injuring nine; Algerian al-Qaida Al Murabitoon leader Khalid Abu al Abbas (Mokhtar Belmokhtar) claims responsibility. On Mar. 7 Ivana Hoffmann is KIA in the Tel Temir area 200 km E of Kobane, Syria, becoming the first German killed fighting ISIS. On Mar. 7 Boko Haram leader Abu Bakr Shekau pledges allegiance to ISIS caliph Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, who calls himself Caliph Ibrahim, causing ISIS to announce an expansion of the caliphate to Nigeria, with Boko Haram renamed to Islamic State West Africa (ISWA). On Mar. 7 a video of members of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity at the U. of Okla. singing a white racist song with the lyric "You can hang them from a tree, but they'll never sign with me. There will never be a nigger at SAE" gets on the Internet, causing a PC reaction leading to the fraternity and two students being expelled from campus by PC pres. David Boren; the rest are suspended; too bad, the mother org. cuts them loose instead of defending their rights to freedom of speech. On Mar. 8 (Sun.) 50K demonstrate in Tel Aviv, Israel against the govt. of PM Benjamin Netanyahu, with ex-Mossad dir. Gen. Meir Dagan, calling it more frightening than all of Israel's enemies. On Mar. 8 militants fire 30+ rockets into the U.N. base in Kidal, Mali, killing three and injuring 12; another rocket attack hits a nearby camp for Tuareg and Arab nomads, killing two children and injuring many. On Mar. 8 European Commission (EC) head Jean-Claude Juncker calls for an EU army to deal with Russia et al., signaling that the EU is "serious about upholding the values of the European Union". On Mar. 8 ISIS launches an offensive on Kurdish-held Tal Tamr, Syria in Hasakeh Province, killing 40 Kurdish fighters; a govt. air raid on the rebel-held town of Irbin NE of Damascs kills 11 civilians. On Mar. 8 47 Repub. senators led by Tom Cotton of Ark. pub. An Open Letter to the Leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran, warning Iran that any deal Pres. Obama makes with them can be revoked "with the stroke of a pen" once he leaves office in Jan. 2017; Pres. Obama responds that the senators are making "common cause with the hardliners in Iran", causing Cotton to reply "There are nothing but hardliners in Iran"; Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif utters the soundbyte: "In our view, this letter has no legal value and is mostly a propaganda ploy." On Mar. 8 Zaytuna College in Berkeley, Calif. becomes the first accredited Islamic inst. of higher learning in the U.S., offering a bachelor of arts in Islamic law and theology degree. On Mar. 8 Pope Francis demotes ultraconservative Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, the highest-ranking U.S. cardinal in the Vatican for his stance against homosexuality. On Mar. 8 (Sun.) (Internat. Women's Day) St. John the Evangelist Church in Southwark, London becomes the first active Christian church in England to hold a Muslim prayer service, which is illegal under canon law, with the vicar exhorting his flock to worship "the god that we love, Allah". On Mar. 9 Greek police begin raids to smash an internat. trafficking ring that made $8M smuggling Syrians into Europe, arresting 16 by Mar. 17. On Mar. 10 riot police attack students protesting a new education law in Letpadan, Myanmar, arresting 120 and ending a week-long standoff. On Mar. 10 the Iranian exile group Nat. Council of Resistance of Iran accuses the Iranian govt. of conducting secret nuclear weapon research in the Lavizan-3 underground lab in suburban Tehran. On Mar. 10 MexicoLeaks is launched to fight corruption in Mexico. On Mar. 11 Iraqi forces enter ISIS-held Tikrit, Iraq; meanwhile ISIS forces overrun an Iraqi army HQ in Thar Thar, Iraq N of Fallujah. On Mar. 11 Russian Expedition 42 lands in Kazakhstan ater a 167-day mission to the Internat. Space Station. On Mar. 12 a collection of the world's largest NGOs incl. Save the Children, World Vision, and Oxfam pub. a report card claiming that the U.N. Security Council has failed the Syrian people, allowing 7.6M to become displayed and 3.8M to become refugees. On Mar. 12 the U.S.-Cuba Direct Phone Link is reestablished, causing a new wave of immigrants to the U.S. from Cuba, largest since the 1990s. On Mar. 13 (Fri.) Pope Francis releases an interview with Argentine news outlet La Carcova, with the soundbyte: "I have the feeling that my pontificate will be brief, 4 or 5 years, I do not know, even 2 or 3... Two have already passed. It's a somewhat strange sensation... I feel that the Lord has placed me here for a short time, and nothing more." On Mar. 14 (3/14/15)(9:26 a.m.) Pi Day. On Mar. 14 White House chief of staff Denis McDonough sends a letter to Senate Foreign Relations Committee chmn. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), warning them to hold back on Corker's Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015, saying that it would "likely have a profoundly negative impact on the ongoing negotiations -- emboldening Iranian hard-liners, inviting a counter-productive response from the Iranian majiles; differentiating the U.S. position from our allies in negotiations; and once again calling into question our ability to negotiate this deal. Put simply, it would potentially make it impossible to secure international cooperation for additional sanctions, while putting at risk the existing multilateral sanctions regime." On Mar. 14 Hamas launches its 5-day #AskHamas campaign on Twitter to sell its claim of not really being terrorist org. On Mar. 14 ISIS blows up the 10th cent. Chaldean Catholic St. George Monastery near Mosul, Iraq. On Mar. 15 (Sun.) (a.m.) two Taliban suicide bombers attack Christian churches in Lahore, Pakistan, killing 14 and injuring 70, causing 4K Christians to take to the streets in anger, smashing vehicles and attacking a bus station, then setting a terrorist on fire. On Mar. 15 (Sun.) Pope Francis gives a speech in St. Peter's Square, lamenting the news of Muslim suicide bombings of churches in Pakistan, and suggesting that the world plays down the fact that Christians are being targeted, with the soundbyte: "Our brothers shed blood only because they are Christians." On Mar. 15 retired U.S. Adm. Mike Mullen, former Joint Chiefs of Staff chmn. gives an interview to NBC-TV's "Meet the Press", admitting that he fears Iran more than ISIS, with the soundbyte: "I think Iran is a much more difficult challenge, an incredibly complex country that we don't understand very well. We've had no relations with them for 35 years." On Mar. 15 three male teenies from Britain are arrested in Turkey en route to Syria and returned on suspicion of planning terrorist attacks. On Mar. 15 the 2015 Worldwide Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community is pub., excluding Iran and its network of terrorist groups incl. Hezbollah from the terrorist section for the first time, leaving only Sunni orgs. incl. al-Qaida and ISIS. On Mar. 15 gay fashionistas Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana give an interview to Italian mag. Panorama, expressing support for the traditional hetero family, calling IVF children "synthetic" and claiming that Nature "should not be changed." On Mar. 16 ISIS kidnaps 20 foreign mainly Filipino doctors and nurses in Sirte, Libya as they wait for a bus to take them to Tripoli. On Mar. 16 USAF veteran Tairod Nathan Webster Pugh is indicted by a federal grand jury in Brooklyn, N.Y. for trying to join ISIS last May. On Mar. 16 (10:15 p.m.) United Flight 1074 (Boeing 737) takes off from Dulles Internat. Airport in Washington, D.C. en route to Denver, Colo., after which Muslim passenger ? shouts "Jihadis in the cargo hold" and begins running toward the cockpit until he is subdued by other passengers, after which he starts crying "I'm sorry". On Mar. 17 as Iran begins producing more natural gas from the giant South Pars Field (North Dome) co-owned by Qatar, Iranian pres. Hassan Rouhani utters the soundbyte that the pressure from internat. sanctions is over. On Mar. 17 after a 71.8% turnout (highest since 1999), gen. elections in Israel are a V for Benjamin Netanyahu's ruling Likud Party, which wins 30 of 120 seats in the Knesset; Isaac Herzog's and Tzipi Livni's Zionist Union wins 24 seats; Ayman Odeh's Joint List representing four Arab parties (20% of the pop.) wins 14 seats; Moshe Kahlon's upstart center-right Kulanu Party wins 10 seats; Zahava Gal-On's leftist crypto-Zionist Meretz Party wins 4 seats; Netanyahu's alliance with right and center-right parties gives him 65+ seats and a clear majority; after the election, Pres. Obama has an aide congratulate the Israelis not Netanyahu, finally congratulating him personally on Mar. 19 and dressing him down for allegedly rejecting Palestinian statehood as "walking back", and again for accusing opponents of busing Israeli Arabs to the polls "in droves". On Mar. 18 former U.S. vice-pres. Dick Cheney grants an interview to Playboy mag., saying that Barack Obama is an even worse president than Jimmy Carter, and has endangered nat. security, with the soundbyte: "I look at Barack Obama and I see the worst president in my lifetime, without question, and that's saying something. I used to have significant criticism of Jimmy Carter, but compared to Barack Obama and the damage he is doing to the nation, it's a tragedy, a real tragedy, and we are going to pay a hell of a price just trying to dig out from under his presidency." On Mar. 18 a suicide bomber wearing a burqa detonates in Kabul, Afghanistan, killing pro-Coalition Uruzgan Province police chief Matiullah Khan. On Mar. 18 (11:00 a.m. GMT) two Islamist gunmen attack the Bardo Museum in Tunis, Tunisia, killing 21 incl. 19 foreigners, none from the U.S.; ISIS claims responsibility; ISIS, which uses Tunisia as its main recruiting ground along with al-Qaida is making a statement?; on Jan. 4, 2018 the U.S. Dept. of state designates AQIM member Wanas al-Faqih (Wanas Bin Hasin Bin Muhammad al-Faqih Husin) as the mastermind. On Mar. 19 Pres. Obama signs an executive order to cut federal greenhouse emissions. On Mar. 19 peace talks on Libya begin in Skhirat, Morocco, led by U.N. special envoy Bernardino Leon. On Mar. 19 two Muslims armed with assault rifles open fire at the Var Krog Och Bar in Gothenburg, Sweden; jihad or gang warfare? On Mar. 19 27-y.-o. Afghan woman Farkhunda Malikzada (b. 1987) is stoned, beaten, and murdered by an angry mob for allegedly burning a Quran; all she really did was denounce the custodians of Shah-do Shamshira Shrine for selling amulets? On Mar. 19 a counterterrorism conference in Jaipur, India is held, with home minister Rajnath Singh concluding: "Indian Muslims are patriots and are not swayed by fundamentalist ideologies. Extremism is alien to their nature." On Mar. 19 Pope Francis erects the new Diocese of Nogales in Sonora, N Mexico. On Mar. 20 an air raid on his pres. palace in Aden causes Yemeni pres. Abdrabu Mansur Hadi to flee. On Mar. 20 (08:30 GMT) (Fri.) (equinox) a full-supermoon-vernal-equinox-solar eclipse knocks out solar-generated electricity in Europe, where 100x as much power is generated from the Sun than during the last eclipse in 1999; first total solar eclipse to coincide with the northern spring equinox since 1662; next on Mar. 20, 3034; the 2:47 eclipse causes Svalbard Island in Norway to experience a sudden temperature drop from 8F to -7F, disproving that CO2 is a greenhouse gas and proving Henrik Svensmark right? On Mar. 20 ISIS attacks Syrian Kurds in Hasakeh, Syria et al. as they celebrate their new year, killing 45 incl. five children; a total of 120+ are killed across Syria. On Mar. 20 multiple suicide bombings of Shiite (Houthi) mosques during midday prayers in Sana'a, Yemen kills 137 and injure hundreds. On Mar. 22 the ISIS Hacking Div. releases a list of 100 names and addresses of U.S. military personnel; the Pentagon claims they didn't really hack their computers. On Mar. 22 elections in France are a V for ex-pres. Nicolas Sarkozy's conservative UMP, which edges out Marie Le Pen's Nat. Front; Pres. Francois Hollande's Socialists come in 3rd. On Mar. 22 the U.S. pulls its last forces out of Yemen, following the example of Britain; meanwhile on Mar. 25 Yemeni pres. Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi asks the U.N. Security Council to authorize military invention to oust the Houthi rebels. On Mar. 22 Syrian Islamist anti-Assad group Suqor al-Sham merges with bigger Islamist anti-Assad group Ahrar al-Sham. On Mar. 22 Nobel Prize-winning writer V.S. Naipaul pub. a Warning About ISIS in the U.K. Daily Mail, calling ISIS the most dangerous threat to the world since the Nazis, labeling it the Fourth Reich, claiming it is "dedicated to a contemporary holocaust" based on its belief in its own "racial superiority", and calling for its "military annihilation". On Mar. 23 (10:00 A.M. ET) Calgary, Alberta, Canada-born conservative Tex. Repub. Rafael Edward "Ted" Cruz (1970-) becomes the first Repub. (first Hispanic Repub. ever) to announce his candidacy for U.S. pres. at Rev. Jerry Falwell's Liberty U. in Lynchburg, Va., promising an end to the IRS, gun control, and Obamacare, with the soundbyte: "God isn't done with America yet." On Mar. 23 White House chief of staff Denis McDonough calls for an end to Israel's "50-year occupation" in a speech at the J Street Conference in Washington, D.C. On Mar. 23 367 U.S. House members led by Calif. Repub. Rep. Ed Royce and N.Y. Dem. Rep. Eliot Engel send a bipartisan Letter on Iran to Pres. Obama, expressing concern with the "grave and urgent" issues involved in the Iranian nuclear negotiations, esp. whether they are blocking or paving a path to Iranian nukes. On Mar. 23 Pakistan National Day is celebrated without invited guest Chinese pres. Xi Jinping (who canceled a 2014 trip due to anti-govt. protests in Islamabad), pissing them off. On Mar. 23 British Muslim convert Brusthom Ziamani (1995-) is sentenced to 22 years in prison for planning a copycat beheading of a British soldier in the streets of London, getting arrested walking through Whitechapel carrying a hammer, knife, and black Islamic flag. On Mar. 23 British home secy. Theresa May gives a Speech on Islamist Terrorism, vowing to tackle it with a new partnership called the Foundation for Peace; later British Islamist leader Anjem Choudary, Abu Izzadeen, and Abu Baraa hold a press conference telling her and PM David Cameron to "go to Hell", saying they'd be happy if they were deported to Syria. On Mar. 24 (10:45 a.m.) Germanwings Flight 9525 (Airbus A320) carrying 144 passengers and 6 crew en route from Barcelona to Duesseldorf crashes in the French Alps in Prads-Haute-Bleone near Meolans-Revels, France, killing all aboard; the cockpit voice recorder reveals that the pilot was locked out of the cockpit and banging on the door, leaving mentally ill co-pilot Andreas Lubitz a free hand to crash it; eerily similar to the Argentinean-Spanish film Wild Tales. On Mar. 24 Pres. Obama announces that 9.8K U.S. troops will remain in Afghanistan through the end of 2015. On Mar. 24 the U.N. Human Rights Council holds Hate Israel Day, with 30 mainly Islamic Israel haters praising six reports presented to the council by U.N. officials. On Mar. 25 a Russian-made Syrian scud explodes near the Reyhanli district in Hatay, Turkey; Turkish defenses fail to stop it, raising concerns. On Mar. 26 air strikes by a 10-nation Sunni coalition led by Saudi Arabia on Houthi rebels in Yemen called Operation Decisive Storm kill 18 civilians and injure 24, shocking Iran and causing it to call for Houthis to attack Saudi oil wells and tankers and operate in Saudi territory incl. the Straits of Bab al-Mandeb and Hormuz, claiming that they will cause the Saudi regime to collapse; the Saudis end the operation on Apr. 21 (midnight), and begin Operation Restoring Hope to revive political talks, repatriate foreign nationals, and provide aid while keeping the pesky Houthis down. On Mar. 26 the U.S. Senate votes 100-0 to approve sanctions on Iran if it reneges on its upcoming nuke deal; meanwhile a letter is sent to the House Appropriations Committee by Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.), Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.) et al., asking them to prohibit funding for continuing Iranian talks with the P5+1. On Mar. 26 the offices of pro-ISIS Turkish mag. Adimlar (Turk. "steps") in Istanbul are bombed, injuring ed. Ali Osman Zor and two others, and killing his brother. On Mar. 28 (Sat.) pres. elections in Nigeria see retired Muslim Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (1942-) (backed by David Axelrod's AKPD) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) defeat Christian pres. Ebele Goodluck Jonathan, promising to enact Sharia; he is sworn-in on May 29 (until ?) during the first 100 days of his admin. 1K mainly Christians are slaughtered by Boko Haram; in Feb. 2019 Buhari is reelected after defeating former vice-pres. Atiku Abubakar by 3M+ votes. On Mar. 29 (Sun.) Iran reneges on its agreement to ship nuclear materials out of the country, hanging-up negotiations. On Mar. 30 (a.m.) a vehicle tries to ram the Nat. Security Agency (NSA) HQ in Fort Meade, Md., causing guards to kill one and injure another, finding that they are dressed in drag, and have been partying all night. On Mar. 30 a Saudi air strike on a camp for displaced families in Al Mukalla, N Yemen kills dozens. On Mar. 31 Pres. Obama ends his 2013 arms embargo on Egypt, authorizing $1.3B in U.S. weapons. On Mar. 31 an internat. aid conference in Kuwait City, Kuwait sponsored by emir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah pledges $3.8B aid for Syrians, with UAE pledging $100M. On Mar. 31 the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is founded by Britain, Australia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and all of China's Asian neighbors except Japan, forming a rival to the World Bank and Asia Development Bank. On Mar. 31 Iraqi PM Haider Al Abadi announces that Tikrit has been liberated from ISIS. On Mar. 31 the state legislature of Ark. approves their own version of Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act, sending it to gov. Asa Hutchisnson for signing; too bad, the PC police cause him to waffle. On Mar. 31 the city council of Madison, Wisc. adds nonreligion to its list of protected classes, becoming the first U.S. city to ban discrimination against atheists. In Mar. the Islam-loving U. of N.M. passes Resolution 6s, banning "prejudice against Islam or Muslims, especially as a political force" - meaning Sharia? In Mar. 1.5K moderate Syrian rebels begin U.S. training to fight ISIS at bases in Turkey, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. In Mar. researchers at discover a German WWII Hideout in the jungles of Argentina in Teyu Cuare Park SE of Misiones on the Paraguayan border; a local legend claims that Hitler's private secy. Martin Bormann used it. In Mar. U.S. unemployment is 5.5% (same as Feb.), with the economy adding 126K new jobs. On Apr. 1 the iffy Muslim state of Palestine achieves full membership in the Internat. Criminal Court (ICC), allowing them to wage jihad against Israel by accusing them of war crimes. On Apr. 1 ISIS captures most of the Yarmouk Palestinian Refugee Camp in Damascus, Syria, battling Palestinian faction Aknaf Beir al-Madqis for control; on Apr. 2 they take back large parts of the camp. On Apr. 1 Calif. gov. Jerry Brown orders a 25% cut in urban water use, becoming the first-ever mandatory statewide reductions, even though urban water use accounts for only 10% of state water usage, while 48% is reserved for environmental uses incl. saving the delta smelt in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. On Apr. 2 (13th and last day of the Iranian Nowruz holidays) after a week of negotiations with the P5+1 in Lausanne, Switzerland, Iran reaches a basic agreement (framework that will supposedly become final on June 30) on nukes, with details incl. reducing centrifuges from 19K to 6.1K, reducing Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium, shipping spent fuel from nuclear reactors out of the country, keeping Iran one year away from producing a nuke while gradually relieving sanctions et al.; on Apr. 2 Pres. Obama gives a Speech on the Nuclear Deal with Iran in the White House Rose Garden, calling it "a good deal" that will "cut off every pathway that Iran could take to develop a nuclear weapon", and that if there is no deal it will inexorably lead to war, with the soundbyte: "I am convinced that if this framework leads to a final deal, it will make our country and the world safer.... This deal is not based on trust. It's based on unprecedented verification"; the U.S. was backing down to Iran until France stepped in and kicked them in the ass; on Apr. 3 Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu announces that he and his cabinet "strongly oppose" the deal, saying that Israel can't be trusted; on Apr. 5 Pres. Obama gives an interview to the New York Times, saying that this is a "once in a lifetime opportunity", with the soundbyte: "This is our best bet by far to make sure Iran doesn't get a nuclear weapon", adding "We've got their backs", referring to Israel; on Apr. 6 Saudi Arabia announces that it welcomes the deal, hoping that it will ensure a "Middle East and the Arabian Gulf free of all weapons of mass destruction including nuclear weapons." On Apr. 2 (5:00 a.m.) Muslim Al-Shabaab jihadists from Somalia raid Garissa U. in 80% Christian Kenya, sieging it for 8 hours, killing 147 and injuring dozens of the 815 students for being Christian while letting Muslim students go, sniping at police as they arrive; five jihadists are captured; Kenya offers a $220K bounty on mastermind Mohammed Mohamud AKA Dulyadin AKA Gamadhere, after which on Apr. 4 they threaten another bloodbath in Kenya; on Apr. 17 Kenya begins building an anti-terror wall along its border with Somalia to prevent repeats. On Apr. 2 Pres. Obama makes his first pres. trip to Utah incl. Salt Lake City and Hill AFB; later news surfaces that a FBI sniper rifle had been stolen from an agent's car days before the visit. On Apr. 2 coordinated Islamist attacks against five military posts in Sheikh Zuweid City in N Sinai kill 10 Egyptian soldiers and injure 17. On Apr. 2 the last two women are cut from the USMC Combat Endurance Test, causing their historic experiment to end in failure for women's libbers. On Apr. 2 Tunisian foreign minister Taieb Baccouche announces that a Syrian ambassador would be welcome in Tunis, and that Tunisia wants to send an ambassador to Syria; too bad, on Apr. 3 pres. Beji Caid Essebsi takes it back, saying that it's his prerogative not the foreign minister's. On Apr. 3 mistaken Saudi air strike near Sana'a, Yemen kills 9+ in the Yemeni Okaish family. On Apr. 3 the U.S. State Dept. rejects a plea from Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu to make recognition of Israel's right to exist a condition for any Iranian nuclear agreement. On Apr. 3 Va. gov. Terry McAuliffe signs an executive order banning cos. from including questions about criminal history in job applications. On Apr. 4 a lunar eclipse. On Apr. 4 unarmed running black man Walter Lamar Scott (b. 1965) is shot in the back and killed in North Charleston, N.C. by white police officer Michael Thomas Slager (1981-), who lies in his police report and gets caught with his own video, causing a public outcry and a grand jury indictment for murder in June; too bad, after a 5-week trial a hung jury results in a mistrial, and in May 2016 Slager is indicted on federal charges, pleading guilty in May 2017 and drawing a 20-year prison sentence; his family settles a wrongful death lawsuit for $6.5M. On Apr. 5 (Easter Sun.) Pope Francis gives an Easter sermon in St. Peter's Square in Rome, condemning indifference and "complicit silence" about jihadist attacks on Christians like in Kenya; on Apr. 6 he utters the soundbyte that there are more martyrs today than in the first centuries. On Apr. 5 ISIS blows up the historic Assyrian Church of the Virgin Mary in Tel Nasri (near Tel Temir), Syria. On Apr. 6 Al-Nusrah Front kidnaps 300 Kurdish civilians in a bus en route from Afrin to Aleppo at a checkpoint in NW Syria. On Apr. 6 Iran announces that it has confirmed news of a sexual assault of two young Iranian men in Jeddah Airport in Saudi Arabia while en route to Mecca, after which Iranian deputy foreign minister Hassan Ghashghavi calls it a "quasi-rape", and Ayatollah Khamenei's rep Ali Qazi Askar calls the news of the rape "a lie", describing it as "an attempt at assault and sexual harassment". On Apr. 7 Repub. Ky. Sen. Rand Paul announces his candidacy for U.S. pres. On Apr. 7 an explosion near the Hamas internal security HQ in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza is linked to the arrest of an ISIS fight in Gaza connected to the Yarmouk beheadings. On Apr. 7 U.S. deputy secy. of state Antony J. Blinken in Riyadh announces that it's expediting weapons deliveries to Saudi Arabia to help it fight the Houthis, and establishing a "joint coordination planning cell". On Apr. 7 the 2015 White House Prayer Breakfast features Pres. Obama uttering the soundbyte: "On Easter, I do reflect on the fact that as a Christian, I am supposed to love, and I have to say that sometimes when I listen to less-than-loving expressions by Christians, I get concerned. But that's a topic for another day." On Apr. 7 North Charleston, S.C. police officer Michael T. Slager (1981-) is charged with murder for shooting an unarmed fleeing black man Walter L. Scott (b. 1964) in the back 8x then trying to cover it up, not knowing that a bystander in the bushes is making a video; this time the mayor cuts him loose quick on TV to avoid racial riots like in Ferguson, Mo. et al. On Apr. 7 Shiite Muslim Azerbaijani pres. Ilham Aliyev (son of Heydar Aliyev) makes a pilgrimage to Mecca, going inside the Qaaba, and meeting with Saudi King Salman to discuss business ventures incl. oil, gas, agriculture, and tourism. On Apr. 8 (early a.m.) authorities arrest 11 people at 17 locations in Spain on suspicion of planning a jihadist attack in Catalonia. On Apr. 8 an Afghan soldier stages a green-on-blue attack on U.S. troops in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, injuring three before being killed; meanwhile U.S. Army Specialist John M. Dawson (b. 1992) becomes the first U.S. soldier to die in Afghanistan after the U.S. mission ended. On Apr. 8 Muslim Joker Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is found guilty on all 30 counts of terrorism et al., incl. 17 carrying the death penalty. On Apr. 8 U.S. defense secy. Ashton Carter announces that AQAP has been taking advantage of the fall of the Yemeni govt. by seizing of territory in Yemen. On Apr. 8 ISIS hacks French TV network TV5Monde; on Apr. 9 it hacks the BBC. On Apr. 9 14 Palestinian Arab factions announce a deal with the Syrian govt. to expel ISIS from the Yarmouk neighborhood of S Damascus, Syria. On Apr. 10 (a.m.) a suicide car bombing in Jalalabad, Afghanistan injures several Afghans and U.S. troops. On Apr. 10 USMC capt. Katie Higgins becomes the first-ever female Blue Angels pilot. On Apr. 10 the Quran is read by a Muslim cleric in the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul for the first time in 85 years. On Apr. 10 Syrian govt. forces repel an ISIS attack on the key military Khalkhalah Airport in Sweida Province, losing 20 soldiers vs. 15 ISIS jihadists. On Apr. 10 the White House issues the Obama Rainbow Tweet, which makes Obama into a messianic figure, giving his critics much hay to fork. On Apr. 10-11 the 2015 (7th) Summit of the Americas in Panama City, Panama is attended by 30+ nations from the Org. of Am. States (OAS); on opening day Pres. Obama repudiates the Monroe Doctrine, with the soundbyte: "The days in which our agenda in this hemisphere so often presumed that the United States could meddle with impunity, those days are past"; Cuban pres. Raul Castro attends for the first time, meeting with Pres. Obama on Apr. 11, becoming the first personal meeting of the leaders of the two countries, sucking up to Obama as a great guy even if the U.S. people aren't, with the soundbyte: "What President Obama has just said, it's practically the same as we feel"; on Apr. 14 Pres. Obama announces that he's removing Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, which he does on May 29. On Apr. 11 (Sun.) Pope Francis beats Pres. Obama to the punch and labels the killing of 1.5M Armenians a century ago "genocide", the "first genocide of the 20th century". On Apr. 11 pres. elections in Nigeria sees incumbent Goodluck Jonathan and All People's Congress candiate Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari? On Apr. 11 rocket attacks in Aleppo, Syria kill eight and injure 47. On Apr. 11 shots are fired at the U.S. Capitol Bldg. in Washington, D.C., causing it to be put on lockdown. On Apr. 13 Baloch Liberation Front forces kill 20 construction workers in Turbat, Kech District, Balochistan, Pakistan; on Apr. 13 Pakistani forces kill 13 suspected Baloch Liberation Front militants. On Apr. 11 UAE foreign minister Anwar Gargash criticizes Pakistan (which gets most of its oil from the UAE and Saudi Arabia) for refusing to intervene in Yemen, calling it "dangerous and unexpected", pissing-off Pakistani interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, who calls it a "violation of all diplomatic norms"; Gargash warns that "Contradictory and equivocal positions have a high cost in this crucial affair." On Apr. 12 (Sun.) a U.S. drone strike (#7 this year, vs. 25 last year)) kills 4+ suspected Taliban militants working for Khan Said Sajna in Shawal Valley in North Waziristan, NW Pakistan; meanwhile a spokesman for al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) announces that leaders Ustad Ahmed Farooq (Obaid Ullah) and Cmdr. Qari Imran were killed in drone strikes in mid-Jan. On Apr. 12 (Sun.) weeks after longtime consultant Doug Band resigned from the beleaguered Clinton Foundation, Dem. Hillary Clinton announces her candidacy for U.S. pres. her first try since 2008, with the soundbyte: "Everyday Americans need a champion, and I want to be that champion"; on Apr. 13 the headstone of her father Hugh Rodham in Scranton, Penn. is toppled by vandals; the first org. to endorse her is Lesbians4Hillary, co-chaired by tennis star Billie Jean King; her campaign logo of two H's with a left-to-right arrow going through them gives critics a field day, with comparisons to the Twin Towers, WikiLeaks logo, etc.; New York City mayor Bill De Blasio refuses to endorse her, pissing her off. On Apr. 12 Saudi foreign minister Prince Saud al-Faisal rejects a call by Iran to pull out of Yemen, accusing it of messing with it also. On Apr. 12 Italian authorities rescue 8.5K North African migrants, with reports of up to 400 perishing. On Apr. 12 25-y.-o. African-Am. career criminal Freddie Carlos Gray Jr. (b. 1990) is arrested by the Baltimore, Md. police dept. for allegedly possessing an illegal knife, after which he falls into a coma in a police van and dies on Apr. 19 of spinal cord injuries, pissing-off the local pop. who demand justice, causing the six police officers involved (Caesar R. Goodson Jr., William G. Porter, Brian W. Rice, Edward M. Nero, Garrett Miller, Alicia D. White) to be suspended with pay on Apr. 21; on Apr. 25 a major protest in downtown Balimore results in 34 arrests and injures to 15 police officers; on Apr. 27 Gray's funeral causes rioting, looting, and burning, causing Md. Gov. Larry Hogan to declare a state of emergency and call out the Md. Nat. Guard, establishing a curfew, which is lifted on May 3; on Apr. 27 "Baltimore Riot Mom" Toya Graham becomes a nat. hero for bitch-slapping her 16-y.-o. son for throwing rocks at cops; on Apr. 29 the rioting spreads to New York City; on May 1 after he medical examiner's office rules the death a homicide, Baltimore city atty. Marilyn Mosby announces the filing of charges of 2nd deg. "depraved-heart" murder and lesser crimes from illegal arrest to manslaughter "through acts of omission" for failure to secure him during transport; on May 21 a grand jury indicts them, dropping false arrest and illegal imprisonment and adding reckless endangerment; in Sept. 2015 it is decided to try the defendants separately, after which officer William Porter's trial ends in a mistrial, officers Nero, Goodson, and Rice are found not guilty, and the remaining charges are dropped on July 27, 2016; on Sept. 12, 2017 the U.S. Dept. of Justice announces that it will not bring federal charges; on Oct. 5, 2017 internal disciplinary trials are announced; city of Baltimore settles with Gray's family for $6.4M. On Apr. 13 Repub. Fla. Sen. Marco Rubio announces his candidacy for U.S. pres. in Miami, Fla., calling himself "uniquely qualified" to make the GOP "the party of the future", and dissing Hillary Clinton as a "leader from yesterday". On Apr. 13 Russia lifts its ban on delivering advanced S-300 air defense missile systems to Iran; on Apr. 21 Pres. Obama utters the soundbyte that the U.S. can "penetrate" this system, pissing-off Iran, who see it as a signal that Obama is trying to prevent them from their own military option against Iran. On Apr. 13 hundreds of thousands protest govt. corruption across Brazil, alleging that the governing Workers' Party is involved in bribery with the state oil firm Petrobas when pres. Dilma Rousseff was its head. On Apr. 13 Hungary's far-right Jobbik Party wins its first individual constituency seat in parliament, the Tapolca seat, by 300 votes. On Apr. 13 Pakistani forces raid Orangi Town in Karachi, killing five militants incl. two AQIS cmdrs, Noorul Hassan and deputy cmdr. Usman (Irfan) (Abdullah). On Apr. 13 Iranian interior minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazil utters the soundbyte that Iran is willing to "carry out joint operations against terrorists with Pakistan and Afghanistan inside their territory", admitting that "occasional acts of sabotage" in Iran have happened due to the "lack of control" in neighboring countries. On Apr. 13 the new micro-state Liberland, located on the Danube River between Croatia and Serbia and founded by Nigel Farage is proclaimed; on May 1 it welcomes its first citizens; the first ruler is anti-EU Czech politician Vit Jedlicka. On Apr. 13-16 the Nat. Space Symposium of the Space Foundation features new European Space Agency leader Johann-Dietrich Worner announcing his desire for a permanent colony on the dark side of the Moon as the successor to the ISS. On Apr. 14 the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee by 19-0 approves the bipartisan Corker Bill, sponsored by Repub. chmn. Bob Corker, allowing Congress to review and reject Pres. Obama's nuclear deal with Iran, causing him to cave and drop a threat to veto it; on Apr. 28 the U.S. Senate votes 39-57 incl. 12 Repub. to table an amendment by Sen. (R-Wisc.) Ron Johnson that would require Pres. Obama to submit a deal for congressional review as a treaty but would not require them to approve it; on May 14 the House approves the amendment by 400-25. On Apr. 14 Chilean pres. Michelle Bachelet signs a same-sex marriage law, to come into effect in Oct., recognizing civil unions but not full marriage rights like in Argentina and Uruguay. On Apr. 15 Iraqi PM Haider al-Abadi makes his first official visit to Washington, D.C., getting into a pissing contest with the Saudis, criticizing their air campaign in Yemen, with a Saudi official responding that there is "no logic to those remarks". On Apr. 15 New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez is found guilty of first degree murder of Odin Lloyd and sentenced to life in prison, uttering the soundbyte "You're wrong". On Apr. 15 U.S. House and Senate leaders present the Congressional Gold Medal to the WWII Doolittle Raiders, known for bringing the war to Tokyo on Apr. 18, 1942. On Apr. 15 Fla. postal carrier Doug Hughes (1953-) flies his Road Warrior style gyrocopter onto the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol with 535 2-page letters for every member of Congress demanding that they stop corruption. On Apr. 15 after Hillary resigned from the Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation board last week, the board announces that it will continue accepting foreign donations from Australia, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, and the U.K. On Apr. 16 the Vatican unexpectedly ends the probation of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, which represents 80% of U.S. nuns and takes a soft line on birth control and homosexuality while lobbying for Obamacare et al. On Apr. 16 U.S. Joint Chiefs chmn. Gen. artin Dempsey announces that the U.S. is focusing its military efforts against ISIS in the strategic oil-refining center of Baiji N of Tikrit in order to cut off its revenue sources in Iraq. On Apr. 16 Cleveland, Ohio Muslim Abdirahman Sheik Mohamud (1991-), who returned in June 2014 from a visit to Syria where he was trained by Jabhat al-Nusrah is indicted for plotting to attack a military base in Tex. and kill 3-4 U.S. soldiers execution style. On Apr. 16 a legislative committee in clueless Maine votes 8-2 to reject a bill rejecting Muslim Sharia law in courts and making the U.S. and state constitutions the only law to be used, with Maine Dem. atty. gen. Janet Mills calling it "confusing and unnecessary" - Islam loves infidels to underestimate it? On Apr. 17 the U.N. releases a call for $274M in aid to save lives in hot hot hot Yemen. On Apr. 17 FBI dir. James Comey utters the soundbyte that he requires every new special agent and intel analyst to go to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. as part of their training. On Apr. 17 Pres. Obama utters the soundbyte that the deal he's trying to cut with Iran is a "political agreement" and "not a formal treaty"; on Apr. 19 Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) utters the soundbyte that any agreement that does not incl. "anytime, anywhere inspections" of Iranian sites will never be approved by Congress. On Apr. 18 (Sat.) (Holocaust Remembrance Day) Billy Graham's son Rev. Franklin Graham issues a post on Facebook that claims that mass Muslim immigration in "Europe, the United States, and other Western countries" could cause another Holocaust because of their anti-Semitism. On Apr. 18 an ISIS suicide bomber on a motorcycle attacks a crowd gathered outside the new Kabul Bank branch in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, killing 35 and injuring 125, after which the Taliban denies responsibility and Afghan pres. Ashraf Ghani blames ISIS. On Apr. 19 (Sun.) parliamentary elections in Finland. On Apr. 19 ISIS releases a video showing 30 captive Ethiopian Christians being shot and/or beheaded. On Apr. 19 a boat carrying Muslim illegal aliens for Italy capsizes 60 mi. off the Libyan coast 120 mi. S of Lampedusa Island, killing 700, becoming the worst North African illegal alien smuggling accident (until ?). On Apr. 19 ISIS releases a flashy video showing ritual execution of 28 Ethiopian Christians in Libya. On Apr. 19 (Sun.) the 50th Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Tex., hosted by Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton sets a world record attendance for an awards show of 78K; Luke Bryan wins entertainer of the year; Jason Aldean wins male vocalist of the year; Miranda Lambert sets the record for most wins for female vocalist of the year; Taylor Swift is presented with a milestone award although in Aug. she announced that she was going pop with her album "1989". On Apr. 20 the U.S. deploys aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt AKA the Big Stick to the coast of Yemen to confront two Iranian warships and stop arms shipments to the Houthis, which doesn't stop them from arriving in Aden on Apr. 23; either that or they turn and head back to Iran without incident, until on Apr. 28 (4:00 a.m. ET) an Iranian ship fires at and boards Marshall Islands-flagged Maersk Tigris in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting the U.S. to rush to its defense; it is released on May 7. On Apr. 20 U.S. federal authorities announce the arrest of six Muslim-Ams. in Minn. and Calif. on terrorism charges, accusing them of planning to travel to Syria to join ISIS. On Apr. 20 journalist Eli Lake pub. an article in Bloomberg View, claiming that Pres. Obama has known for years that Iran is only 2-3 mo. away from making a nuke; U.S. energy secy. Ernest Moniz confirms it, saying that the estimate was declassifed on Apr. 1; meanwhile Pres. Obama claimed 28x that Iran was one year away; in 2016 it is revealed that the Obama admin. planned the Nitro Zeus operation to launch a massive cyberattack on Iran if it's nuclear negotiations fell through. On Apr. 20-21 the new U.S. Council of Muslim Orgs. (USCMO) (founded in June 2014) (front for the Muslim Brotherhood?) blitzes Capitol Hill, becoming the first nat. Muslim political party in the U.S. On Apr. 21 Egypt sentences ex-pres. Mohamed Morsi to 20 years in prison for ordering the imprisonment and torture of prisoners during his presidency; his former chief of staff Refaa al-Tahtawi is given three years in prison for abuse of power. On Apr. 21 former WWII Auschwitz-Birkenau Death Camp SS bookkeeper Oskar Groening (Gröning) (1921-) goes on trial in Luneburg, Germany for complicity in the murder of 300K Hungarian Jews in summer 1944, freely admitting his guilt incl. witnessing atrocities; to this date of 6.5K SS members who worked at the camp, only 49 have been convicted of war crimes; on July 15 he is found guilty of being an accessory to 300K murders and sentenced to four years in prison. On Apr. 22 a report by U.S. House Repubs. concludes that the IRS "deliberately" cut its customer service this year while wasting millions of dollars on pet projects; wait times reach 34.4 min. per call. On Apr. 22-24 the Israelis strike Syrian and Hezbollah targets in the Walamoun Mts. on the Syrian-Lebanese border. On Apr. 23 after being nominated by Pres. Obama in Nov., the U.S. Senate votes 56-43 to confirm Loretta Elizabeth Lynch (1959-) as U.S. atty. gen., becoming the first black woman; she is sworn-in on Apr. 27 - she would have to be named Lynch? On Apr. 23 Pres. Obama announces that a drone strike against al-Qaida in Jan. in North Waziristan, Pakistan accidentally killed Am. hostage Dr. Warren Weinstein and Italian national Giovanni Lo Porto, becoming the first CIA drone operation to kill an American; al-Qaida's top Am. traitor Adam Gadahn (b. 1978) was killed in a separate strike. On Apr. 23 a Eu Summit on the Mediterranean Refugee Crisis, called by European Council pres. Donald Tusk. On Apr. 23 the inspector gen. of the Dept. of Homeland Security announces that the Secret Service left broken alarms at the Houston, Tex. home of former Pres. George H.W. Bush unrepaired for 13 mo., stinking it up more than ever. On Apr. 23 (night) a rocket is fired from a Palestinian enclave in S Israel, causing a retaliatory strike against Hamas near Beit Hanoun. On Apr. 24 a proposed merger between Comcast and Time Warner Cable is called off after the FCC and U.S. Justice Dept. threaten anti-trust prosecution. On Apr. 24 Italian authorities arrest 18 suspected jihadists for planning a bomb attack on the Vatican. On Apr. 24 N.Y. Gov. George Pataki gives the opening speech for the Repub. Jewish Coalition Spring Conference, with the soundbytes that "BDS is not a human rights movement, it is anti-Semitic", and he advocates "The Jackson Rule: Anyone involved in recruiting or fundraising for ISIS, Hamas, or any other terrorist org. will face criminal charges in the U.S." On Apr. 24 ISIS fighters ambush an Iraqi army convoy with an explosives-packed bulldozer N of Fallujah, Iraq, killing an Iraqi gen. and three staff officers. On Apr. 24 (1 day after Israeli Independence Day) Palestinians clash with police in the At-Tur neighborhood of East Jerusalem, Israel; in the eve. another Palestinian terrorist stabs an Israeli border policeman in the head near the Cave of the Patriarchs; at night a car driven by Palestinian Fadi Saleh (1983-) hits a police car in injuring one of four; at night terrorist Ali Said Abu Ranem (b. 1988) is shot and killed at the A-Zaim Checkpoint in N Jerusalem after he tries to stab security forces. On Apr. 24 clueless leftist dhimmi British Labour Party leader Ed Miliband gives an interview to Ahmed J. Versi of The Muslim News, uttering the soundbyte about "Islamophobia": "We are going to make it an aggravated crime. We are going to make sure it is marked on people's records with the police to make sure they root out Islamophobia as a hate crime." On Apr. 25 (11:56 NST) 7.8 earthquake in Nepal kills 5K. On Apr. 25 China and Pakistan sign the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Agreement for a project linking the Xinjian region of NW China to Port Gwadar in SW Pakistan; the al-Qaida-linked mag. Zarb-e-Momin ("Strike of the Faithful Muslim") claims that the project could lead to WWIII since the U.S. and India "will not tolerate the emerging Chinese economy's access to Middle East markets". On Apr. 25 Turkish pres. Recep Tayyip Erdogan calls ISIS a "virus" that is working to destroy the Muslim community. On Apr. 25 the 2015 White House Correspondents Dinner features Comedy Central comedians Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key doing a skit playing Pres. Obama and his "anger translator" Luther, who acts out what Obama is really thinking. On Apr. 25 former U.S. pres. George W. Bush gives a speech to Jewish Repub. donors at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, Nev., dissing pres. Obama's foreign policy, saying that the U.S. is in "retreat" and not taking vigorous enough action against Islamic terrorists, with the soundbyte: "In order to be an effective president... when you say something, you have to mean it, you gotta kill 'em", calling ISIS "al-Qaida's second act", and slamming Obama's coddling of Iran, with the soundbyte: "You think the Middle East is chaotic now? Imagine what it looks like for our grandchildren. That's how Americans should view the deal." On Apr. 26 (Sun.) ousted Egyptian pres. Hosni Mubarak utters the soundbyte that there are "fateful decision" that need to be made by pres. Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi, and that Egyptians should stand behind him. On Apr. 26 after Burundi pres. (since Aug. 26, 2005) Pierre Nkurunziza announces his run for a 3rd term despite it being barred by the constitution, street demonstrations begin, with police killing 6+ in the first two days, causing the govt. to crack down, shutting down radio stations and arresting protest leader Pierre-Claver Mbonimpa; by the end of Apr. 24K flee Burundi; on May 13 while Nkurunziza is attending a summit in Tanzania, Maj. Gen. Godefroid Niyombareh (1969-) (who was dismissed as head of intel in Feb.) declares a coup, preventing him from returning by taking over the airport in Bujumbura until his troops quash the coup on May 14; on July 21 pres. elections reelect him with 69.4% of the vote in a 30% turnout, and he is sworn-in on Aug. 20, pissing-off the U.S., EU, U.N. et al.; on Aug. 2 Nkurunziza ally Gen. Adolphe Nshimirimana is assassinated, and on Aug. 3 Mbonimpa is shot and seriouslyh injured; in Oct. Mbonimpa's son-in-law is killed, followed by his son on Nov. 6 after being arrested. On Apr. 26 six PEN Internat. writers incl. Peter Carey, Teju Cole, Rachel Kushner, Michael Ondaatje, Francine Prose, and Taiye Selasi protest a decision to give an award for "Freedom of Expression Courage" to the survivors of the Charlie Hebdo Massacre, cause ex-PEN pres. Salman Rushdie to call them "six authors in search of character", with the soundbyte: "If PEN as a free speech organization can't defend and celebrate people who have been murdered for drawing pictures, then frankly the organization is not worth the name"; on Apr. 26 leftist dhimmi "Doonesbury" cartoonist Garry Trudeau gives an interview to Chuck Todd of NBC-TV's "Meet the Press", responding to critics of a speech given earlier in Apr. where he seemed to blame the victims (fellow cartoonists) for the Charlie Hebdo attacks, uttering the soundbytes: "I was as outraged as the rest of the world at the time; I mourn them deeply", and "I certainly wouldn't draw pictures of the Prophet. However, I've done many cartoons satirizing in the specific: terrorists, the Taliban, Al Qaeda, the PLO, and have never received any blow-back from the Muslim community. They understand that I'm separating out the two"; by Apr. 30 144 (4%) of the mainly leftist PC membership sign a protest petition. On Apr. 28 Saudi king Salman removes Mogren bin Abdul Aziz bin Saud as heir and deputy PM, and replaces him with interior minister Mohammed bin Nayef; meanwhile seven Saudi airstrikes cripple the main runway at the Sana'a Airport in Yemen to prevent Iranian planes from landing. On Apr. 28 Nigeria announces the rescue of 200 girls and 93 women from Boko Haram in the Sambisa Forest; too bad, none of them are among the 219 Christian Chibok girls kidnapped in 2014, who have probably all been sold into sexual slavery. On Apr. 29 Japanese PM Shinzo Abe becomes the first to give a speech to a joint session of the U.S. Congress, urging support for a 12-nation Pacific Rim deal led by #3 Japan and #1 U.S., excluding pesky #2 China. On Apr. 29 Homeland Security secy. Jeh Johnson utters the soundbyte to the U.S. Senate that "We should not profile at airports", telling a sob story about Somali immigrants preferring to drive 400 mi. rather than fly. On Apr. 30 dem. socialist Vt. Indep. Sen. Bernie Sanders announces his intention to run for U.S. pres. on the U.S. Capitol lawn; he officially launches his campaign on May 26 in Burlington, Vt., with the soundbyte: "I don't believe that the men and women who defended American democracy fought to create a situation where billionaires own the political process"; after announcing that he will not pursue Super PAC funding, he raises $1.5M within 24 hours, and $3M by May 30 (avg. $43 per donation); on July 2 his campaign announces that it has raised $15M from 250K donors (vs. 180K donors at the same point in Barack Obama's 2007 campaign). On Apr. 30 several U.S. publishers donate $250M in free e-books to low-income students for Pres. Obama's ConnectED Library Challenge. In Apr. 700+ Chinese peacekeepers arrive in South Sudan. In Apr. the Clinton Uranium Deal surfaces, in which Canadian co. Uranium One gives $145M to the Clinton Foundation then gets U.S. State Dept. approval for Russia to acquire it, giving them ownership of 20% of U.S uranium resources. In Apr. a Gallup Survey finds that 0.8% (2M) of 243M U.S. adults are part of a same-sex couple. In Apr.-May the U.S.-Iraqi Mosul Offensive by 20K-25K mainly Iraqi and Kurdish troops takes on 1K-2K ISIS fighters, who took Mosul last June; too bad, after criticism about giving the plan away in Feb., the offensive is suspended indefinitely at the end of Feb. On May 1 Russian ambassador Vitaly I. Churkin criticizes the West for blocking a U.N. Security Council resolution seeking "humanitarian pauses" in the Saudi-led airstrikes in Yemen; on May 8 Saudi Arabia announces a 5-day bombing cessation, to begin at 11:00 p.m. on Tues. Apr. 12. On May 1 the new micro-state Liberland, located on the Danube River between Croatia and Serbia, founded by English politician Nigel Farage welcomes its first citizens; its first ruler is anti-EU Czech politician Vit Jedlicka. On May 3 the Nat. Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K) stages two ambushes of Indian security forces in Mon District, India along the Myanmar border kills eight and injures nine, becoming the first major incident since Apr. 7, 1998. On May 3 World Press Freedom Day is a self-parody? The first ISIS attack in the U.S., or, Don't mess with Texas? On May 3 (6:50 p.m. local time) Jewish-Am. anti-jihad pro-Israel activist Pamela Geller (1958-) hosts the First Annual Muhammad Art Exhibit and Contest at Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Tex., with a $12.5K prize offered for the best caricature, won by ex-Muslim cartoonist Bosch Fawstin, which depicts Big M wielding a sword while saying "You can't draw me", and the artist's hand drawing a balloon saying "That's why I draw you"; too bad, at 6:36 P.M. CT two Muslims on jihad arrive and shoot security guard Bruce Joiner in the ankle, after which a police officer shoots and kills wounds them, after which a SWAT team arrives and kills them, becoming the 68th Islamist terrorist plot or attack against the U.S. since 9/11; one of them is later identified as Elton Simpson of Phoenix, Ariz., who was convicted of lying to federal agents about traveling to Africa in 2010, and his roommate Nadir Soofi, who ran a Twitter account called Shariah is Light, and tweeted about the attack in advance at 6:35 p.m. CT, with the hashtag "texasattack"; on May 5 ISIS tweets a death threat against Pamela Geller, with the soundbyte: "Our lions will achieve her slaughter"; on June 12 3rd Muslim suspect Abdul Malik Abdul Kareem (Decarus Thomas) (1971-) is arrested and charged with supplying weapons to the two shooters, claiming that he was also planning an attack on the Super Bowl; in Oct. 2017 David Wright (1979-) of Mass. is convicted of leading the plot, and on Dec. 19 is sentenced to 28 years in prison; in Mar. 2018 undercover FBI agent Steven Jane, who was in the car behind the jihadists admits he told them to "tear up Texas", and did nothing to stop them. On May 3-9 Iraqi Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani visits Pres. Obama at the White House, requesting assistance in fighting ISIS. On May 4 a Taliban attack on checkpoints in Badakhshan, Afghanistan kills 16 policemen. On May 3-15 Siil-2015 Hedgehog, Estonia's largest-ever military drills are held by 13K personnel incl. 7K reservists, supported by forces from the U.S., U.K., Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Belgium, Poland, and Netherlands. On May 4 Repub. former Johns Hopkins pediatric neurosurgeon Benjamin Solomon "Ben" Carson Sr. (1951-) announces his candidacy for U.S. pres. in Detroit, Mich., supporting a $2T stimulus plan and a flat tax to "heal, inspire, and revive" the U.S.; so does Repub. former HP CEO Carly Fiorina (1954-), who claims to understand the economy, bureaucracies, and technology simultaneously. On May 4 Pres. Obama speaks at Lehman College in Bronx, N.Y., announcing My Brother's Keeper Alliance for mentoring young black men, saying he will devote himself to the org. after leaving the White House, "not just for the rest of my presidency, but for the rest of my life". On May 4 French pres. Francois Hollande signs a 6.3B Euro military deal with Qatar to supply it with 24-36 state-of-the-art Rafale fighter jets. On May 5 the 70th Anniv. of the End of WWII is celebrated; Israeli ambassador Ron Prosor gives a speech at the U.N., comparing radical Islamists to Nazis; on May 9 Russia holds their official ceremony in Moscow; German chancellor Angela Merkels snubs it because of tensions over Ukraine. On May 5 Repub. Ark. Gov. and Baptist minister Mike Huckabee announces his candidacy for U.S. pres. (2nd time) in his home town of Hope, Ark., vowing to fight threats against Christianity worldwide and "conquer" radical jihadists and send a message to the ayatollahs "that Hell will freeze over before they ever get a nuclear weapon". On May 5 the French nat. assembly by 438-86-42 passes the French Patriot Act, giving the govt. sweeping powers to spy on citizens. On May 5 Hillary Clinton speaks at a Cinco de Mayo campaign event in Las Vegas, Nev., calling for "a path to full and equal citizenship" for the 12M+ illegal immigrants in the U.S., stunning immigration advocates but puzzling White House press secy. Josh Earnest, who says that Pres. Obama has already done everything he can do within his legal authority. On May 6 Iranian IRGC deputy cmdr. Hossein Salama gives an interview on Iranian TV Channel 1, uttering the soundbyte: "We welcome war with the Americans. The U.S. aircraft carriers would be destroyed, its air bases in the region burned, and the skies set ablaze.. We have built our strength for the purpose of long, extended wars... more than for the purpose of peace, compromise, and dialogue with them." On May 6 Laodicean Church pastor Rick Warren and gay English pop star Elton John appear in Congress to ask for more money for AIDS research, holding hands, with Warren telling John that if they kiss it will be "the kiss heard 'round the world", pissing-off conservative Christians. On May 6-7 a 5-member delegation from the Iranian parliament (Majles) led by Kazem Jalali visits Brussels, Belgium, becoming the first time in seven years, getting a warm welcome from EU Parliament pres. Martin Schultz of Germany et al., signalling possible rapproachment? On May 7 elections in Britain are a surprise V for PM David Cameron and his Conservative Party, who win 331 of 650 Commons seats; the Scottish Nat. party wins 56 of 59 available seats; the anti-immigration anti-EU U.K. Independence Party (UKIP) wins one seat. On May 7 the U.S. Senate votes 98-1 to force Pres. Obama to submit any nuclear deal he reaches with Iran to Congress; meanwhile a letter signed by 150 House Dems. led by Jan Schakowsky of Ill., Lloyd Doggett of Tex., and David Price of N.C. expresses support for sustaining an Obama veto of legislation disapproving a deal. On May 7 the U.S. Court of appeals rules that the NSA's bulk collection of telephone metadata is unlawful. On May 7 AQAP announces that their leader Nasr Ibn Ali al-Ansi, who claimed responsibility for the Charlie Hebdo attack has been killed by a U.S. drone strike. On May 7 a planned concert in Israel by singer Lauryn Hill is cancelled after pressure by Palestinians. On May 8 a Pakistan army heli is shot down in Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan, killing the Norwegian and Philippine ambassadors; Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claims responsibility. On May 8 the largest anti-govt. in Iran since 2009 break out in the Kurdish city of Mahabad, iran in Western Azerbaijan after Iranian woman Farinaz Khosrawani (b. 1990) falls to her death from the 4th floor of a hotel trying to escape from an Iranian official trying to rape her; Pres. Obama fails to mention it. On May 8 after FBI Dir. James Comey admits that ISIS has thousands of sympathizers living in the U.S. ready to go on jihad, and is putting 100+ of them on 24/7 surveillance, the Pentagon raises the threat level of all military installations in the U.S. to "Force Protection Bravo". On May 8 John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono visits Los Angeles, Calif. to present a collections of cups and saucers to the Museum of Modern Art, and utters the soundbyte that in the 1970s she had a lezzie "fling" with Hillary Clinton, and that her erection, er, election "would be a great advancement for LGBT and women's rights in America." On May 9 a riot-jailbreak in Khalis, Iraq 40 mi. N of Baghdad kills 12 policemen and 50+ prisoners, allowing 200+ to escape. On May 9 deposed dictator Hosni Mubarak and his two sons are sentenced to three years in prison for corruption. On May 9 Fla. Repub. Gov. Jeb Bush gives a commencement speech at Liberty U. in Lynchburg, Va., blasting Pres. Obama for using "coercive federal power" to quash religious freedom and "demanding obedience in complete disregard of religious conscience", adding that "the Christian voice" isn't heard enough in the world. On May 9-10 an "armed terrorist group" battles police in Kumanovo, Macedonia near the Kosovo boder, killing five police and injuring 30+. On May 11 Heather Elizabeth Coffman (1985-) of Glen Allen, Va. is sentenced to 54 mo. in federal prison for lying to FBI agents about Facebook posts and conversations supporting ISIS. On May 11 former Fla. gov. Jeb Bush gives an interview to Megyn Kelly of Fox News, saying that he would have authorized the invasion of Iraq, but once Sodam Insane was removed there wasn't enough focus on security. On May 11 Christie's auctions Pablo Picasso's 1955 painting "Les Femmes d'Alger (Version 'O') for a record $179.4M, the auctions Alberto Giacometti's bronze sculpture "L'Homme au Doigt" (The Pointing Man) for a record $141.3M, becoming the first auction selling two works at over $120M each. On May 12 the U.S. Senate Dems. filibuster Pres. Obama's Trans-Pacific Partnership Asian trade deal, questioning whether it will help U.S. workers; meanwhile he calls for a rewrite of the U.S. Patriot Act to end NSA's phone-snooping program et al.; on May 13 Senate leaders reach a deal to proceed with the trade deal with separate votes on priority items incl. helping U.S. workers; on May we the U.S. Senate votes 57-42 to reject the Patriot Act. On May 12 (9:30 p.m.) after reaching 106 mph, Amtrack Northeast Regional train 188 derails in Philly, killing seven; engineer Brandon Bostian (1982-) has no recall. On May 13 Sunni Muslim ISIS or Jundalah gunmen execute 43 bus commuters in Karachi, Pakistan for being Shiite Ismailis. On May 13 the Vatican announces that it plans to recognize a Palestine state, switching relations from the PLO; on May 16 Pope Francis welcomes Palestinian Authority pres. Mahmoud Abbas, calling him an "angel of peace". On May 13 Repub. pres. candidate Marco Rubio of Fla. outlines his Rubio Doctrine at a meeting of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), with three pillars incl. Am. strength, protection of the Am. economy in a globalized world, and moral clarity regarding core Am. values - listen up, I'm reworking the menu? On May 13-14 Pres. Obama hosts leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) despite Saudi King Salman et al. snubbing him, promising them more military aid to defend themselves from Iran, calling his commitment to their security "ironclad"; they end up signing a joint statement endorsing a comprehensive, verifiable Iran nuclear deal that fully addresses the regional and international concerns", believing it will serve the security interests of GCC member states. On May 14 after Iraqi troops drop their weapons and run, allowing them to rearm, ISIS begins occupying Ramadi, Iraq 70 mi. from Baghdad, capturing the police HQ and the Ramadi Great Mosque, taking the whole town by May 17; the U.S. allowed ISIS to capture it?; on May 21 Pres. Obama utters the soundbyte: "We're not losing the war against ISIS" - no, but it is winning? On May 14 a blast in an Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades terrorist training camp in Beit Lahya, Gaza injures 50+. On May 14 (Nakba Day) Fatah issues a post on their Facebook page calling for Israel to be retaken by force, with the soundbyte: "What was taken by force can only be regained by force, the 67th anniversary of the Nakba." On May 14 Spanish interior minister Jorge Fernandez Diaz gives a speech at the African Security Conference in Niger, revealing that Spain has arrested a total of 558 jihadists over the past 10 years in 124 separate operations, preventing another attack similar to the Mar. 2004 Madrid train bombers that killed 200 and injured 2K; too bad, he estimates the probability of a future attack at 70%; at a 2-day terrorism conference on Apr. 23-24 he said that at least 115 Spaniards have joined ISIS, and 14 returned to Spain, of whom nine are in prison; in Jan. he said that there are 70 Spanish jihadists abroad, vs. 51 in Aug. 2014. On May 15 despite a veto threat by Pres. Obama, the U.S. House by 269-151 passes a $612B defense policy bill that skirts 2011 caps on defense and domestic spending by putting $89B into an emergency war fund. On May 15 the Boston Joker Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is sentenced to death despite a show put up by his defense team that he was just a "kid", woo woo woo. On May 15 USMC Brig. Gen. Thomas D. Weidley utters the soundbyte that the strategy to defeat and dismangle, er, dismantle ISIS is on track and working. On May 15 Socialist mayor of Venelles, France Robert Chardon is arrested and put in a hospital for Tweets saying "The Muslim religion must be banned in France", and Muslims "immediately escorted to the border", forecasting the ban will be implemented by 2027; according to coverup, er, authorities, he has been undergoing treatment for mouth cancer for weeks, so that why they er, shut him up. On May 15 (night) U.S. commandos kill senior ISIS cmdr. Abu Sayyaf, dir. of oil, gas, and financial operations in Syria, and capture his wife Umm Sayyaf, freeing a young Yezidi slave girl and capturing a treasure trove of electronic intel. On May 16 (05:57 GMT) the Russian Proton rocket fails 10 min. after launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. On May 16 former Egyptian pres. Mohammad Mursi and 105 other members of the Muslim Brotherhood incl. Yusuf al-Qaradawi are sentenced to death in connection with a mass jailbreak in 2011, causing jihadists to warn the world to expect a backlash, while the U.S. and Turkey condemns Egypt, and the EU denounces Egypt, calling the trial flawed and "not in line with Egypt's obligations under international law"; hours after the verdict is announced, Muslim Brotherhood terrorists kill two Egyptian judges and Egypt's top prosecutor N of El-Arish, Egypt in the Sinai Peninsula, also killing a driver and injuring another prosecutor; ex-special forces cmdr. turned terrorist Hisham al-Ashmawy is suspected; on May 21 ISIS threatens the Egyptian death sentence judges with er, death; on May 27 159 pro-Muslim Brotherhood clerics and 10 pro-MB religious bodies post a document on the Internet calling for the overthrow of the al-Sisi regime and return of Morsi to power; on June 16 after consultations with the Egyptian Grand Mufti, Morsi's death sentence is upheld, along with five others incl. Mohammed Badie. On May 17 (Sun.) Jerusalem Day celebrations see 30K Israelis march to the Western Wall while being attacked by rock-throwing Palestinians. On May 17 ISIS sieges the ancient city of Palmyra, Syria after overrunning the adjacent town of Tadmur on May 16, causing UNESCO dir.-gen. Irina Bokova to call for its archeological treasures to be saved; on May 20 ISIS blows up notorious Tadmur Prison, used by the Syrian govt. to torture political prisoners; on May 24 ISIS murders 400+ collaborators and mutilates their bodies, laying them out on the street; on May 27 Syrian govt. aircraft begin heavy bombing; on June 23 syrian antiquities chief Maamoun Abdulkarim announces that ISIS has mined the ancient ruins in Palmyra. On May 17 a U.S. MV-22 Osprey crashes ("hard-lands") at Bellows AFB, Hawaii, killing one Marine and injuring 21; a 2nd Marine dies on May 20. On May 17 (12:27 p.m.) the 2015 Waco, Tex. Shootout at Twin Peaks Restaurant between members of several motorcycle gangs incl. the Bandidos and Cossacks causes a police SWAT team to open fire, killing nine and injuring 18 before arresting 177. On May 18 Pakistani army spokesman Asim Bajwa announces an intel-sharing pact between Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Afghanistan's Nat. Directorate of Security (NDS) to train NDS officials et al. On May 19 twin bomb attacks at the regional HQ of the People's Dem. Party (HDP), the main pro-Kurdish party in Adana, Turkey injures six. On May 19 the 200th Anniv. of Geneva's Accession to the Swiss Confederation. On May 19 top Vatican adviser Jeffrey Sachs, dir. of the Earth Inst. at Columbia U. utters the soundbyte that when Pope Francis visits the U.S. in Sept. he will directly challenge the "American idea" of God-given rights embodied in the Declaration of Independence, calling for a OWG and its priorities to eclipse them. On May 20 a madass Arab rams his car into a group of police officers on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, injuring two. On May 20 five major banks incl. Citicorp, JPMorgan Chase, Barclays, Royal Bank of Scotland, and UBS AG plead guilty to felony charges of manipulating the U.S. currency market in a "brazen display of collusion" (U.S. Atty. Gen. Loretta Lynch), agreeing to pay $2.5B in fines. On May 21 U.S. inspector gen. Michael E. Horowitz utters the soundbyte that the FBI tripled its bulk collection of data under Section 215 of the U.S. Patriot Pact, yet didn't crack any new major terrorism cases. On May 21 a bombshell report on Josh Duggar, claiming that he molested five minor girls incl. some sisters 10+ years ago brings an apology, but shuts down his reality TV show "19 Kids and Counting". On May 22 ISIS seizes Al-Tanf (Al-Waleed), the last Syrian govt.-controlled border crossing to Iraq. On May 22 ISIS suicide bomber Abu Amer al-Najdi detonates at a Shiite mosque in Qatif, E Saudi Arabia, killing 22 and injuring 80, becoming the deadliest suicide bombing in Saudi Arabia in nearly a decade; the terror cell incl. two 15-y.-olds and one 16-y.-old, causing a firestorm of controversy about Saudi culture being saturated with sectarian hatred and admiration of violence, calling for fundamental changes. On May 22 Palestinian worshippers disrupt a Fri. sermon at Al-Aqsa Mosque by Jordanian chief qadi Ahmad Hulail, pissing-off the Jordanian public; meanwhile Jibril Rajoub, pres. of the Palestinian Football Assoc. refuses to back the Jordanian candidate for pres. of FIFA Prince Ali Bin al-Hussein, King Abdallah's half-brother, pissing them off more. On May 22 Pres. Obama gives a speech at the Adas Israel Congregation in Washington, D.C., uttering the soundbyte: "I can say that no U.S. president, no administration, has done more to ensure that Israel can protect itself." On May 22-26 the 2015 Texas-Okla. Flood and Tornado Outbreak sees a week of heavy rain incl. super rain on the nights of May 24-26 trigger record floods in Tex. and Okla., along with 75 EF3-max tornadoes incl. in Mexico, becoming the wettest mo. on record in Okla. (until ?), with Oklahoma City receiving 19.48 in. On May 23 Ireland votes to legalize same-sex marriage, becoming the first to do it with an amendment to the nat. constitution. On May 24 Turkey announces that it and the U.S. have agreed in principle to provide air protection for 15K Syrian rebels being trained to reenter Syrian territory. On May 24 Pope Francis pub. the Socialist encyclical Laudato Si, co-written by pantheist climate scientist Hans Schellnhuber, calling for solutions to global climate change that are rooted in our "deepest convictions about love, justice, and peace", with the soundbytes: "We have to realize that a true ecological approach always becomes a social approach; it must integrate questions of justice in debates on the environment, so as to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor"; "Obstructionist attitudes, even on the part of believers, can range from denial of the problem to indifference, nonchalant resignation, or blind confidence in technical solutions"; "The economy accepts every advance in technology with a view to profit, without concern for its potentially negative impact on human beings"; "In light of these considerations, we believe it is both unwise and unjust to adopt policies requiring reduced use of fossil fuels for energy. Such policies would condemn hundreds of millions of our fellow human beings to ongoing poverty. We respectfully appeal to you to advise the world's leaders to reject them"; "We know that technology based on the use of highly polluting fossil fuels... needs to be progressively replaced without delay"; "A true 'ecological debt' exists, particularly between the global north and south... In different ways, developing countries, where the most important reserves of the biosphere are found, continue to fuel the development of richer countries at the cost of their own present and future"; on Apr. 27 An Open Letter to Pope Francis on Climate Change is pub., organized by Carl Beisner of the Cornwall Alliance and signed by 202 mainly scientists, urging Pope Francis to reconsider his views on climate change before issuing the encyclical, containing the soundbytes: "Good climate policy must recognize human exceptionalism, the God-given call for human persons to 'have dominion' in the natural world (Genesis 1:28), and the need to protect the poor from harm, including actions that hinder their ascent out of poverty"; "The models are wrong. They therefore provide no rational basis to forecast dangerous human-induced global warming, and therefore no rational basis for efforts to reduce warming by restricting the use of fossil fuels or any other means." On May 27 former U.S. Sen. (R-Penn.) Rick Santorum (known for giving speeches while wearing sweater-vests) announces his candidacy for U.S. pres., railing against "big government" and "big money", vowing to get rid of executive orders and the "corrupt federal tax code", and focus on working families. On May 27 ISIS executes 20 men in Palmyra, Syria in the old Roman theater before a crowd. On May 28 al-Qaida-affiliated Jaish al-Fatah (Army of Conquest) troops capture Idlib, Syria, the last govt.-held city in the NW province of Idlib. On May 28 Iraqi health minister Adila Hammoud announces that 470 bodies executed by ISIS last year in the Speicher Massacre in Tikrit have been exhumed. On May 29 U.S. District Court Judge Donald Middlebrooks of Fla. announces that Klayman v. Hillary Clinton et al., a RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Criminal Org.) trial will begin on Jan. 25. On May 29 former Repub. U.S. House Speaker #59 (1999-2007) John Dennis "Denny" Hastert (1942-) resigns from the CME Group Inc. after being indicted on federal charges of structuring bank withdrawals to evade bank reporting requirements and making false statements to federal investigators during an investigation for paying $3.5M hush money to coverup past crimes of molesting three students back in his teacher days; he denies everything; the stinkin' bureaucrats can't prove his real crime so they abuse their power and charge him with withdrawing and spending his own money in a suspicious way, when it should be none of their business? On May 30 Joe Biden's eldest son Joseph Robinette "Beau" Biden III (b. 1969) dies of brain cancer; his funeral is attended by Pres. Obama and Michelle, Pres. Clinton and Hillary et al. In May the Clinton Global Initiative meets in Morocco; in Jan. Hillary Clinton's aide Huma Abedin emails her about her idea of speaking at the meeting after a $12M donation by king Mohammed VI, which is revealed by WikiLeaks on Oct. 20, 2016. In May the 2015 Indian Heat Wave begins, killing 2.5K by June 3 esp. in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, with high demand for electricity to power air conditioning leading to power outages; in May 2016 a new high temp record is set in Phalodi; the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) blames air conditoners for causing heat waves. In May U.S. unemployment reaches 5.5% (vs. 5.4% in Apr.), adding 280K new jobs. On June 1 after a stand by Sen. (R-Ky.) Rand Paul, the U.S. Patriot Act expires; on June 2 the U.S. Senate by 67-32 passes a revamped 2015 USA Freedom Act after taking out bulk collection of Americans' data and adding more transparency checks to the er, secret court that oversees intel; the NSA phone metadata program is given 6 mo. to shut down and expunge its databanks. On June 1 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 8-1 in EEOC v. Abercrombie & Fitch that employers must accommodate job applicants and employees with religious needs incl. wearing a hijab even if they don't reveal their religion and the employer at least has an idea. On June 1 U.S. Sen. (R-S.C.) Lindsey Graham announces his candidacy for U.S. pres. in Central, S.C., stressing his humble roots, and pledging to fight radical Islam with a platform of pragmatism at home and "security through strength", fearing that the world is "exploding in terror and violence", with the soundbyte: "We will never enjoy peaceful coexistence with radical Islam." On June 1 Melvin Carraway, acting chief of the U.S. Transportation Security Admin. (TSA) is fired after a new report reveals that airport security officers badly failed a test, allowing people to sneak prohibited items through screeners into secure areas. On June 1 after an interview with Diane Sawyer on 20/20 on Apr. 24 where he reveals his open secret, Olympic athlete Bruce Jenner (1949-) introduces his new transgender persona, Caitlyn Jenner on ABC-TV's 20/20, complete with a Vanity Fair cover shot by Annie Leibovitz, setting a record by amassing 1M new Twitter followers in 4 hours (vs. 4.5 hours for Pres. Obama in Apr.). On June 1 Pope Senseless, er, Francis gives a speech on tolerance, claiming that the spiritual teachings of the Quran are just as valid as those of the Bible, with the soundbyte: "Jesus Christ, Jehovah, Allah, these are all names employed to describe an entity that is distinctly the same across the world. For centuries blood has been needlessly shed because of the desire to segregate our faiths. This, however, should be the very concept which unites us as people, as nations, and as a world bound by faith. Together we can bring about an unprecedented age of peace. All we need to achieve such a state is respect each others beliefs, for we are all children of God regardless of the name we choose to address him by. We can accomplish miraculous things in the world by merging our faiths, and the time for such a movement is now." On June 1 a Washington Times poll finds that 64% of U.S. voters think that the U.S. and its allies are losing the fight against ISIS, vs. 17% who think it's winning; 64% think that the U.S. is doing too much around the world, vs. 32% who don't. On June 2 Boston, Mass. Muslim Usaama Rahim (b. 1988) is shot by police after lunging at them with a military-style Bowie knife; he had considered beheading anti-Islam blogger Pamela Geller then decided to kill cops instead. On June 2 the New York Times pub. an article claiming that Iran's nuclear fuel stockpiles increased 20% in the last 18 mo. while Pres. Obama was claiming they had been frozen, causing the White House to run for cover. On June 2 Pres. Obama gives an interview to an Israeli TV station, raising the possibility that the U.S. would allow a U.N. vote on Palestinian statehood if Netanyahu, er, the two sides fail to make a meaningful movement toward resolution. On June 2 Pres. Obama welcomes a group of leaders from the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Fellows Program, uttering the soundbyte: "People don't remember, when I came into office, the United States in world opinion ranked below China, barely above Russia. And today, once again, the United States is the most respected country on Earth, and part of that I think is because of the work that we did to reengage the world and say that we want to work with you as partners, with mutual interests and mutual respect." On June 3 U.S. Gen. John Allen praises a new fund set up by UAE and Germany to restore infrastructure in parts of Iraq cleared of ISIS. On June 3-7 the insidious evil 57-member Org. of Islamic Cooperation (IOC) holds a Conference on Combatting Religious Intolerance and Discrimination in Jeddah, Saudia Aabia near the site where a blogger is being flogged for blasphemy; meanwhile U.S. Reps. Joseph Pitts (R-Penn.) and Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Tex.) introduce a bill calling for the global repeal of blasphemy laws, with the soundbyte: "Saudi Arabia has used criminal charges of blasphemy to suppress discussion and debate and silence dissidents." On June 4 the U.S. govt. announces a major data breach of govt. background investigation records, giving hackers personal info. on 21M current and former federal employees; on July 10 after having told Congress that the breach affected less than 18M people, Office of Personnel Mgt. dir. Katherine Archuleta resigns; the Chinese did it? On June 4 the Communist Party of Russia demands that the Soros Fund be incl. on the list of undesirable foreign orgs. after a hacked Ukrainian govt. document dated Mar. 12 reveals George Soros telling Ukrainian pres. Petro Poroshenko how to rearm and resume the war in the Donbass region of E Ukraine. On June 4 Iranian supreme assaholah Ali Khameinei gives a televised speech, declaring that the U.S. and Israel support al-Qaida and ISIS, with the soundbyte: "Today, we are as much opposed to the savage and oppressive behavior of DAESH in Iraq and Syria as we are to the oppressive behavior of America's federal police inside their own country. Both of them are the same", while the audience chants: "Allah Akbar [3x], Khameinei is our leader! Death to America, death to England... death to Israel". On June 4 the Obama admin. releases a major study that says that fracking poses no direct threat to drinking water supplies. On June 4 Iran Rev. Guards cmdr. Akil Bakhtiyari is KIA in Qalamoun, Syria fighting for Bashar al-Assad. On June 4 USAF Gen. Hawk Carlisle announces that a stupid ISIS member posted a selfie online, allowing them to bomb his HQ in Syria. On June 4 the U.S. embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia celebrates U.S. Independence Day 1 mo. early to avoid pissing-off Muslims who are celebrating Ramadan. On June 4 a CNN/ORC Poll shows former U.S. pres. George W. Bush getting a higher favorability rating than Pres. Obama, 52% vs. 49%. On June 5 the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) releases a report stating that the number of foreign-born workers employed in the U.S. reached 25,098,000 in May, vs. 21,375,000 in Jan. 2009 when Pres. Obama took office, an increase of 3,723,000. On June 6 (early a.m.) convicted murderers Richard William Matt (1966-2015) and David Sweat (1980-) escape from the 2015 Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemore, N.Y., causing a huge manhunt involving N.Y. gov. Andrew Cuomo; on June 26 Matt is killed by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Franklin County, N.Y.; on June 28 Sweat is shot 2x and captured by a N.Y. state trooper in a field near Constable, N.Y. 16 mi. N of where Matt was killed, and 1.5 mi. from the Canadian border; prison employee Joyce Mitchell and prison guard Gene Palmer are later charged and convicted of aiding their escape. On June 6 "Sophia Burset in Orange Is the New Black" star Laverne Cox becomes the first openly transgender person to appear on the cover of Time mag; on June 26 Madame Tussauds unveils a wax figure of her, becoming their first transgender wax figure. On June 7 legislative elections in Turkey give the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) 40.8% of the vote, vs. 50% in 2011, leaving it with 258 seats in parliament, 18 below the min. required to rule alone, depriving of a majority for the first time since 2002, becoming a direct slap to Pres. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who ignored the law requiring him to be neutral in the election to personally campaign; the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Dem. Party (HDP) gets 13% of the votes, winning 80 seats in parliament; meanwhile on June 8 the Turkish foreign ministry announces the recall of its ambassador to Brazil on June 3 after the Brazilian senate passed legislation recognizing the WWI Armenian Massacre as genocide. On June 7 midterm federal elections in Mexico elect independent Jaime Rodriguez Calderon AKA El Bronco as the new gov. of Nuevo Leon, becoming a first, showing increased voter dissatisfaction with the established PRI and PAN parties. On June 7 U.S. treasury secy. Jacob Lew is booed at the annual Jerusalem Post Conference in New York City when he utters the soundbyte that Pres. Obama and his admin. have done more than any of his predecessors to advance the security of Israel, citing $20B in military support, heckling him for trying to portray a nuclear agreement with Iran as the only way to prevent Iran from getting nukes. On June 7 (night) Hillary Clinton gives a speech to the Service Employees Internat. Union (SEIU) convention, expressing support for raising the federal min. wage from $7.25 to $15, with the soundbyte: "It is wrong that so many people stand against you, thinking that they can steal your wages with no consequences. That... stacks the deck higher for those at the top." On June 8 Syrian hackers announce the infiltration of the official U.S. Army Web site, causing it to go down for several hours, causing acting U.S. undersecy. for defense Brad Carson on June 9 to blame inability to pay top cyber professionals enough to keep them from leaving for the private sector. On June 8 Pres. Obama attends the G-7 Summit in Kruen, Germany, uttering the soundbyte: "We don't yet have a complete strategy" for fighting ISIS "because it requires commitments on the part of the Iraqis." On June 8 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court sides with Pres. Obama and criticizes Congress for "overstepping its bounds", rejecting an appeal from Menachem Binyamin Zivotofsky to have his passport list "Jerusalem, Israel" as his birthplace, causing Palestinian Authority spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh to issue the soundbyte: "The decision sends an obvious message that Israel is an occupying power of East al-Quds, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip"; Israeli immigration minister Ze'ev Elkin replies that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and "will remain that for eternity." On June 8 Zainab Bangura, U.N. envoy on sexual violence utters the soundbyte that ISIS is selling kidnapped teenie girls for "as little as a pack of cigarettes". On June 8 Krissie K. Davis (b. 1961) of Ala. becomes the 3rd U.S. military member to die in Afghanistan after the U.S. combat mission ended during an indirect fire attack at Bagram AFB. On June 8-12 the Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy (CSID) sponsors a conference in Washington, D.C. held by the Obama admin. that incl. members of the Muslim Brotherhood, causing Egypt to ask U.S. ambassador Stephen Beecroft to answer for it in Cairo. On June 9 a series of bombing in and around Baghdad, Iraq kill 20 and injure dozens. On June 9 the 2015 Pentagon 4th Gay Pride Celebration in Washington, D.C. features top brass incl. U.S. defense secy. Ashton Carter, U.S. Army secy. John McHugh, transgender Army Office of Energy Initiatives exec dir. Amanda Simpson et al.; MC is U.S. Brig. Gen. Randy S. Taylor, who introduces his husband Lucas; meanwhile seven oepely gay U.S. ambassadors, along with Randy Berry, the U.S. State Dept.'s first special envoy for LGBTI persons pub. a joint letter in The Advocate, which is reposted on the White House Web site, calling for internat. free trade agreements to help export U.S. values incl. human and LGBTI rights. On June 9 Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop utters the soundbyte that ISIS is believed to have acquired radioactive materials and tools needed to make a variety of chemical weapons, raising fears that it can build a dirty bomb. On June 9 U.S. air marshal Robert MacLean testifies before Congress, uttering the soundbyte that flight crews and law enforcement should have the legal authority to "deputize and indemnify vetted able-bodied passengers to protect themselves" in the event of a terrorist attack. On June 9 (night) ISIS affiliate Sinai Province fires rockets at the U.N. airport in Sinai Province (Ansar Bayt Al-Maqdis), Egypt. On June 10 Pres. Obama announces that he is sending up to 450 more U.S. troops to Iraq to help with training of Iraqi security forces to fight ISIS at Al-Taqqadum Air Base. On June 10 U.S. State Dept. spokesman Jeff Rathke announces that American Keith Broomfield was killed in Syria near the border town of Kobani while fighting alongside the Kurdish People's Protection Union (YPG) against ISIS. On June 10 a suicide bomber detonates steps away from the ancient Egyptian Temple of Karnak in Luxor, Egypt, after which two gunmen arrive and are killed by police after wounding four incl. two policemen, becoming the first Islamist attack on Luxor since Nov. 17, 1997. On June 10 Pope Francis approves a new Vatican tribunal for trying bishops accused of covering-up or failing to act in cases of child sexual abuse by priests. On June 10 Mich. gov. Rick Snyder signs the Mich. LGBT Adoption Bill, permitting faith-based agencies that contract with state agencies to refuse service to prospective parents on religious grounds and refer them to other state child placement agencies. On June 10 the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa holds a hearing on why the Obama admin. leaves ballistic missiles out of the Iranian nuke talks; Pres. Obama's former Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) chief (2012-4), retired Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn (1959-) testifies, calling Obama's framework deal with Iran "wishful thinking", with the soundbyte: "Iran has every intention to build a nuclear weapon... It is clear that the nuclear deal is not a permanent fix but merely a placeholder"; former U.S. undersecy of state for arms control and internat. security Robert Joseph also testifies, uttering the soundbyte: "In my view, if there is an agreement along the lines that has been described by the White House and by the Iranian leadership, I believe it will represent perhaps the single greatest strategic mistake in the national security area in the past 35-plus years of my career." On June 10 the Wall Street Journal pub. a story claiming that sophisticated Duqu spyware of Israeli origin targeted three Euro hotels that had been venues for negotiations over Iran's nuclear program. On June 10 a coalition of religious groups incl. the Common Good Foundation, Liberty Council, and Vision America Action pub. a full-page ad in the Washington Post, which vows that they will not accept a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in favor of same-sex marriage, with Common Good Foundation founder (Roman Catholic deacon) Keith Fournier uttering the soundybte: "One of the silver linings of this dark cloud, and it is a dark cloud is that we're coming together, Evangelicals, Protestants out of the mainstream traditions, Catholics and Orthodox, and faithful Jews and other people of good will are coming together to stand up again for what cannot be changed, and that is the nature of marriage." On June 10 the city council of San Francisco, Calif. unanimously votes to require warning labels on all ads for sugary beverages, becoming the first in the U.S.; too bad, on Jan. 31, 2019 the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals blocks it as a violation of First Amendment rights. On June 11 the legislature of N.C. overrides the governor's veto of S.B. 2, a bill to protect the religious liberty of state civil servants by allowing them to refuse to perform same-sex marriages or issue marriage license. On June 11 N Va. Muslim h.s. student Ali Shukri Amin pleads guilty to conspiring to provide material support to terrorists after helping his 18-y.-o. friend Reza Niknejad fly to Turkey to join ISIS; he also secretly ran a popoular pro-ISIS Twitter account. On June 11 Syrian rebels seize Al-Thaala Military Airport in govt.-controlled Sweida Province, becoming their first advance into Druze territory. On June 11 Palestinian Authority pres. Mahmoud Abbas inaugurates a new embassy in Belgrade, Syria. On June 11 in celebration of Gay Pride Week, Boston, Mass. mayor Martin Walsh signs an executive order making all bathrooms in city hall "gender-neutral". On June 11 after 4.5K U.S. coalition air strikes, ISIS releases a 29-min. propaganda film celebrating the first anniv. of the capture of Mosul, Iraq, which it considers the founding moment of the caliphate. On June 11-12 the 10th Internat. Conference on Climate Change in Washington, D.C. is attended by the world's leading climate change skeptics, sponsored by the Chicago-based Heartland Inst. (founded 1984). On June 11 former Chinese security chief Zhou Yongkang is sentenced to life in prison after a secret trial. On June 11-13 the 2011 Bilderberg Conference in the Austria Alps, attended by 140 people from 22 nations incl. Henry Kissinger, Richard Perle, and David Petraeus discusses Russia, terrorism, globalization, cybersecurity et al. On June 12 (early a.m.) an explosion in the Al Qasimi neighborhood in the Old City of Sana'a, Yemen destroys a 2.5K-y.-o. U.N. cultural heritage site; the Saudis are accused of doing it with air strikes, but deny it. On June 12 ISIS loses control of Derna, Libya, its primary Libyan stronghold after local Islamist groups expel it to get even for their assassination of a local leader. On June 12 after minority leader Nancy Pelosi utters the soundbyte "This is not a good deal", and Dem. Sen. Elizabeth Warren on June 10 declares it "not a trade deal that we can trust", House Dems. defy Pres. Obama and kill his push for fast-track negotiating powers with a 126-302 vote to defeat the Trade Adjustment Assistance measure to help displaced workers. On June 12 pure white Spokane, Wash. NAACP leader Rachel Anne Dolezal (1977-) comes under fire for pretending to be black incl. wearing dreadlocks and semi-blackface, causing her to resign on June 15 after her parents complain along with other NAACP members; she's just using fraud to advance herself personally by building a web of lies, and once exposed she just keeps building the web bigger? On June 12 Austrian interior minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner suspends the processing of asylum requests in a bid to pressure other EU member states, with the soundbyte "Stop the Austrian asylum express." On June 12 former U.S. pres. George W. Bush gives an interview with the Israel Hayom newspaper, uttering the soundbyte: "My position was that you need to have boots on the ground" to fight ISIS, adding "The president will have to make that determination." On June 12 (night) the Taliban ambushes police checkpoints in Musa Qala, Helmand Province, Afghanistan killing 20 and injuring 10 police officers. On June 13 (12:30 a.m.) a shootout at the Dallas Police Dept. HQ in Tex. starts after four suspicious bags are found, one is exploded by an explosive ordinance robot, and shooters arrive and begin firing, then escape; hours later a police sniper kills suspect James Boulware. On June 13 (Sat.) (noon) Hillary Clinton holds a rally in Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park in Roosevelt, N.Y. before a meager 2K fans, posing as a populist who champions the working class and fights the "1 percent", promosing to restore "shared prosperity" for all Americans, and declaring the Four Fights, incl. building the economy, strengthening families, defending the country from global threats, and reforming govt.; the FAA declares a "national defense airspace" no-fly zone over Roosevelt Island during the event. On June 13 two commanders and 57 soldiers of the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) and Tanzeem Lahkar-e-Balochistan (TLB) groups surrender to Pakistan Muslim Leage leader Nawab Sanaullah Zehri in Khuzdar District, vosing to join the "national mainstream". On June 13 100K gather in Villepinte near Paris, France for the annual Regime Change in Iran Rally sponsored by the Nat. Council of Resistance of Iran, with U.S. lawmakers joining, incl. Ariz. Repub. Sen. John McCain, who utters the soundbyte: "The Iranian regime is the true epicenter of Islamic extremism in the world." On June 13 an internal State Dept. memo is leaked, which reveals that top officials don't have confidence in Pres. Obama' strategy of "countermessaging" the ISIS to defeat its social media agitprop, concluding that ISIS has "trumped" the U.S. On June 13 the Christian town of Maalula, Syria unveils a new statue of the Virgin Mary, replacing one destroyed by rebels in 2013. On June 14 the Pentagon announces a proposal to send heavy weapons incl. battle tanks for up to 5K troops in several Baltic and E Euro countries to deter future Russian aggression; if approved it will be the first time for ex-Soviet NATO member states. On June 14 Jabhat al-Nusra announces that it will put its own members on trial for massacring 20 Druze civilians in Idlib, Syria last week. On June 15 (Mon.) former Repub. Fla. gov. Jeb Bush announces his candidacy for U.S. pres. at Miami Dade College i Miami, Fla., promising to "run with heart... run to win", with plans to take the U.S. off its "very bad course", blaming Dems. for "the slowest economic recovery ever, the biggest debt increases ever, a massive tax increase on the middle class, the relentless buildup of the regulatory state, and the swift, mindless drawdown of a military that was generations in the making", adding that he is "not eager to see what another four years would look like under that kind of leadership." On June 15 British royals incl. Elizabeth II celebrate the 800th anniv. of the signing of the Magna Carta (Charta). On June 15 the Colo. Supreme Court rules that cos. can fire employees for smoking pot regardless if they do it off-duty and despite the drug being legal in the state in accordance with the precedent that state laws do not override federal law. On June 15 U.S. undersecy. for human rights Sarah Sewall gives a speech in Geneva, Switzerland, in which she tries to explain the lure of Islamic terrorism without mentioning the word Islam by citing Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs - she needs a toupee with some brains in it? On June 15 Israeli MK Michael Oren (former Israeli ambassador to the U.S.) gives a speech in the Leonardo Hotel in Jerusalem, saying that the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) movement poses a "strategic threat" to Israel, which needs to fight it "like a war, which it is"; he also warns that the U.S. is gambling with Israel's future over Iran, saying that the U.S. "can afford to make a mistake" with them, while "Israel has zero room for error". On June 15 the FBI announces the "biggest Medicare takedown in FBI history", arresting Muslim-Am. physicians et al. from Miami, Fla. to Los Angeles, Calif., incl. 16 from Metro Detroit, Mich., who stole over $100M from taxpayers. On June 15 a U.S. air strike in Mosul, Iraq kills Benghazi Massacre suspect Ali Awni al-Harzi, calling him a "person of interest" linked to ISIL. On June 15 (night) U.S. Rep. (D-Fla.) Debbie Wasserman Schultz becomes the first voting member of Congress to officiate a same-sex marriage in Washington, D.C. in Fla. House near the Supreme Court Bldg. and U.S. Capitol; the lucky suckers are Robert Wolfarth and Alex Fernandez. On June 16 after ending his Celebrity Apprentice reality TV show to run, billionaire Repub. real estate mogul Donald John Trump (1946-) announces his candidacy for U.S. pres., promising to become "the greatest jobs president that God ever created" and bring back the American Dream after dissing the current political leaders because they will "never make America great again"; he hires Corey Lewandowski (1973-) as his campaign mgr.; his speeches average-out at a 4th grader level; after accusing Mexico of "not sending their best... They're sending people that have lots of problems, and they're bringing those problems to us. They're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people", to solve the leaky border he promises to build a Great Wall along it, and make Mexico pay for it, causing Univision TV network on June 26 to ban Trump's Miss Universe contest, causing him on June 27 to ban their employees from his Trump Nat. Doral Resort and Golf Club near their HQ in Miami, Fla.; on June 29 NBC-TV cuts all business ties for ditto, followed on July 1 by Macy's, which he counters are soft on immigration, adding that he's not beholden to anybody, and that he doesn't like stores that sell apparel manufactured in China anyway; Trump announces his net worth at $8.7B, then on July 16 ups it to $10B, despite Forbes mag. claiming it's only $4B; on July 23 a report by the Tex. Dept. of Public Safety is leaked that reports that illegal aliens committed 611,234 crimes in Tex. in 2008-14 incl. nearly 3K homicides. On June 16 the U.S. Senate fails to approve an amendment that would allow the Obama admin. to go around the Iraqi govt. and directly arm Kurdish forces. On June 16 the U.S. FDA announces that artificial trans fats have to be off U.S. grocery shelves within three years. On June 16 after Senate Foreign Relations Committee chmn. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) writes him a letter on June 15 expression alarm about reports in erosion in Obama admin. positions in the negotiations, U.S. suck, er, secy. of state John Kerry announces that the U.S. is dropping its longstanding reqt. for Iran to come clean on its history of nuke development in order to reach a final deal, while acknowledging that "we have absolute knowledge with respect to certain military activities they were engaged in"; on Feb. 2, 2014 Kerry told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that Iran will be required to "come clean on its past actions as part of any comprehensive agreement." On June 16 al-Qaida releases a video confirming that a U.S. drone strike in Mukalla, Yemen on June 12 killed AQAP leader Nasir al-Wuhayshi (b. 1976), and that Qasim al-Raymi (Qasm al-Rimi) (1979-) has been chosen as his successor (until ?), threatening revenge on the U.S. On June 19 the U.S. State Dept. issues its 2015 Country Reports on Terrorism, admitting that global terrorist attacks increased 35% between 2013-14, and that the total killed increased by more than 90%, with the vast majority of attacks and deaths occurring in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria, and India, highlighting Iran's role as a leading state sponsor of terrorism. On June 16-19 peace talks in Geneva, Switzerland by the warring parties in Yemen end without even agreeing to a 2-week humanitarian truce for Ramadan. On June 17 Palestinian Authority pres. Mahmoud Abbas announces the dissolution of the unity govt. formed with Hamas last year. On June 17 Queens, N.Y. Muslim engineering student Munther Omar Saleh is charged by federal authorities with plotting with ISIS to blow up New York City landmarks and tourist attractions using pressure cooker bombs; meanwhile Fort Lee, N.J. Muslim Samuel Rahamin Topaz is arrested as his co-conspirator, making for four Am. Muslims arrested in a week. On June 17 the U.S. Treasury Dept. announces that Alexander Hamilton will be replaced on the $10 U.S. bill by a woman to be announced later, with new bills coming out by 2020, the 100th anniv. of the 19th Amendment giving women the vote - who voted for this? On June 17 the U.S. House votes 288-139 votes down a resolution to remove U.S. armed forces from Iraq and Syria by Dec. 31. On June 17 (eve.) after attending a Bible class there for 1 hour to case them, white supremacist Dylann Storm Roof (1994-) shoots up the all-black Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C., killing nine incl. pastor and state sen. Clementa C. Pinckney while shouting "You rape our women and you're taking over our country"; on June 18 he is arrested at a traffic stop in Shelby, N.C., before which new U.S. atty. gen. Loretta Lynch announces a federal hate crimes investigation, and after which Pres. Obama calls for gun control, with the soundbytes: "Communities like this have had to endure tragedies like this too many times", and "Let's be clear. At some point, we as a country will have to reckon with the fact that this type of mass violence does not happen in other advanced countries." On June 18 the 200th Anniv. of the Battle of Waterloo. On June 18 (1st day of Ramadan) Saudia, er, Saudi Arabia and Russia sign a nuclear agreement for peaceful use of nuclear technology - look at the footwork, as peaceful as Iran? On June 18 local media report that Jordan is gearing up to fight a possible invasion by ISIS. On June 18 after Pres. Obama attends her investiture ceremony at the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C. on June 17, new U.S. atty. gen. Loretta Lynch addresses LGBT activists of Lambda Legal in Washington, D.C., uttering the soundbyte: "We are finally witnessing the cascade of equality... that will forever reshape this country", adding that the U.S. Justice Dept. and Pres. Obama back them 100%. On June 18 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 5-4 in Walker v. Texas Div., Sons of Confederate Veterans that license plates are govt. speech and subject to more content restrictions than private speech under the First Amendment; the decision comes one day after the Charleston church shooting, causing three state govs. (Va., N.C., Md.) to announce on June 23 plans to discontinue Confederate flag specialty license plates. On June 19 Hezbollah annoucnes the killing of two ISIS cmdrs. and seven ISIS terrorist in two separate attacks near Arsal, Lebanon; meanwhile on June 18 Kassem Hejeij, head of the Middle East Africa Bank (MEAB) in Lebanon resigns in favor of his son Ali Hejeij after the U.S. Treasury charges him with direct links to Hezbollah. On June 19 the U.S. State Dept. releases its 2015 Report on Global Terrorism, admitting that "Iran's state sponsorship of terrorism worldwide remained undiminished", claiming to be "very, very concerned" while staying committed to a nuclear deal with the loonies; "We think it's essential that we pursue these negotiations." On June 19 British PM David Camero gives a speech at a security conference in Slovakia, with the soundbyte that the ideology of ISIS is "quietly condoned" by some British Muslims. On June 20 a Day Against Muslim Immigration in Calais, France sees protesters carrying signs reading "Calais clean, dirtied by immigration"; another protest in Bratislava, Slovakia is organized by Stop Islamisation of Europe and the People's Party-Our Slovakia, with protesters shouting "Muslims are always the enemy"; another protest in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. On June 20 a Bosnian Muslim in Graz, Austria plows his car into a crowd of shoppers then gets out and stabs elderly bystanders, killing three and injuring 34. On June 21 WikiLeaks begins pub. the Saudi Cables, 500K leaked top-secret emails between the Saudi govt. and its embassies. On June 21 an Israeli air strike near Saghbine, E Lebanon destroys a crashed drone. On June 21 the Iranian parliament passes a Nuclear Rights Bill banning internat. access to its military sites while permitting the IAEA to inspect nuclear sites. On June 21 after a meeting with Mahmoud Abbas, French foreign minister Laurent Fabius announces a new French Israeli-Palestinian peace effort in Ramallah, seeking a U.N. Security Council Resolution dictating a time frame for a settlement, warning of an "explosion" unless the deadlock is broken; in the past the Obama admin. has threatened to veto such a measure, but Fabius utters the soundbyte: "Our American friends have made statements which are maybe more open than before." On June 22 (a.m.) explosions hit the Afghan Parliament as defense minister Massoom (Mohammed) Stanekzai is being sworn-in, followed by several Taliban fighters, who fight it out with army special forces; meanwhile the Taliban captures two key stricts, Dash-e-Archi and Chardara in Kunduz Province, and sets up a 24-hour hotline for Afghan officials wanting to defect to them, while holding talks with Iranian officials to obtain support from ISIS, which the Afghan govt. denies. On June 22 the Schabas Report on the 2014 Gaza War is released by the U.N. Human Rights Council (UNHRC), trying to lower Israel down to the level of Hamas by accusing it of war crimes and accepting the Palestinian death count of 1,462 out of 2,251 Palestinians who were killed being mere civilians; Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu calls the report "biased", adding "Israel is not perpetrating war cimes but rather protecting itself from an organization that carries out war crimes. We won't sit back with our arms crossed as our citizens are attacked by thousands of missiles"; on June 29 retired British army Col. Richard Kemp accuses the UNHRC of allowing itself "to become a tool of Hamas' murderous strategy" that sought to maximize Palestinian casualties during the Gaza conflict in order to paint Israel in a bad light, with the soundbyte: "By unjustly condemning Israel, by refusing to condemn Hamas' repeated and unprovoked aggression, this council has consistently validated and encouraged Hamas tactics." On June 22 Egypt announces the appointment of a new ambassador to Israel, Hazem Hayrath (1957-), becoming the first since Atef Salem in Nov. 2012, who was recalled by Pres. Mohamed Morsi to protest Israel's Gaza operation. On June 22 a secret meeting between Israeli foreign minister Dore Gold and Turkish foreign minister Feridun Sinirlioglu in Rome results in a reconciliation agreement? On June 22 N.C. Muslim Justin Nojan Sullivan (1995-) is charged with plotting to kill 1K Americans for ISIS. On June 22 ISIS spokesman Abu Muhammad al-Adnani releases a speech online calling for jihad of all Sunnis against Shiites, claiming that slackers are heretics who need to repent - listen to your taste buds? On June 22 ISIS hangs two youths in Vayadeen, Deir Ezzor Province, Syria for eating during fasting hours in Ramadan. On June 22 the 15K-man jihadist group called the Caucasus Emirate in Chechnya pledges loyalty to ISIS, with leader Aslan Byutukayev uttering the soundbyte: "We need to hurry up and unite so we can cut off the heads of the infidels." On June 22 after the govt. bans fasting during Ramadan by Muslim civil students, students, and teachers, an attack on police by Uighurs at a traffic checkpoint in Kashgar, China kills 18. On June 22 Egyptian security forces kill 22 suspected terrorists near Sheikh Zuwayed, North Sinai, Egypt. On June 22 taxi drivers in Paris, France begin protests against Uber for putting them out of work. On June 22 a Druze mob attacks an Israeli military ambulance carrying wounded Syrians for treatment in Israel near Majdal Shams, Syria. On June 23 former British chief of defense Lord Richards of Herstmonceux utters the soundbyte that Muslim extremism is a "real threat" tot he world, and Britain must stop "sleepwalking" and prepare to tackle it as seriously as it planned for WWII in the 1930s. On June 23 WikiLeaks reveals that the U.S. spied on French leaders in 2006-12, pissing-off the French govt., causing U.S. ambassador Jane Hartley to be called by the French Foreign Ministry to answer questions, after which Pres. Obama personally calls French pres. Francois Hollande on June 24 to lie, er, reassure him while stonewalling the press. On June 23 Iranian supreme assahollah Ali Khamenei gives a speech ruling out any lengthy freezing of nuclear work. On June 23 (night) Am. Black Panther leader Malik Shabazz gives a speech at a Save the Black Church rally in Marian Square near Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C., calling for blacks to finish the job started by slave Denmark Vessey in 1822 and rise up and kill all whites in their beds. On June 24 Pres. Obama is heckled at a gay pride event in the East Room of the White House by illegal alien and transgender activist Jennice Gutierrez, causing Obama to order him/her removed after uttering the soundbyte: "As a general rule I am fine with a few hecklers, but not when I am up in the house." On June 24 U.N. special envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed warns that Yemen is "one step" from famine, with 31M in need of humanitarian assistance, compared to 7M two years ago. On June 24 ISIS suicide bombers near a children's hospital in Hasakeh, Syria near Damascus kill 10 Syrian soldiers and injure 16 in two attacks. On June 24 after a nationwide protest sparked by the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church massacre, which incl. S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley on June 22 calling for it to be taken down from a monument at the S.C. State Capitol and relegated to a museum, amd Walmart, Sears, and Amazon discontinuing sales of Confed. flags, and Apple banning any app displaying it, even historical games, Robert Bentley of Ala. becomes the first Southern gov. to order the removal of Confederate banners from the state capitol; the Confed. flag still flies high outside the S.C. statehouse near an open casket ceremony for slain state sen. Rev. Clementa Pinckney; on June 26 Pres. Obama delivers a eulogy, calling him a "man of God who lived by faith", lobbying for gun control, singing "Amazing Grace" and uttering the soundbyte about the Confederate flag: "By taking down that flag we express God's grace"; on June 27 African-Am. protester Brittany "Bree" Newsome climbs the 30-ft. flagpole in front of the S.C. State Capitol and removes the Confed. flag herself before surrendering the police on charges of defacing public property; on June 30 S.C. Repub. Sen. Lindsey Graham calls for the flag's removal on NBC-TV's "Meet the Press", calling it a "roadblock to the future of my state". On June 24 Pope France speaks at St. Peter's Square in Rome, uttering a soundbyte referring to the Gospel of Matthew, where Christ said that marriage is the indissoluble union of a man and a woman, and that those who harm children would be better if a millstone were hung around their necks and they were cast into the sea. On June 24 Spain passes Law 12/2015 permititng Sephardi Jews with Spanish roots to apply for citizenship after a residency, causing U.S. crypto-Jews to race to beat the deadline. On June 25 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 6-3 to uphold Obamacare despite contested language in the fine print, essentially rewriting the law at will; so-called conservative Chief Justice John Roberts saves Obamacare for the 2nd time; Justice Anton Scalia issues a scathing dissent, with the soundbytes: "Having transformed two major parts of the law, the Court today has turned its attention to a third. The Act that Congress passed makes tax credits available only on an 'Exchange' established by the State. This Court, however, concludes that this limitation would prevent the rest of the Act from working as well as hoped. So it rewrites the law to make tax credits available everywhere. We should start calling this law SCOTUScare... And the cases will publish forever the discouraging truth that the Supreme Court of the United States favors some laws over others, and is prepared to do whatever it takes to uphold and assist its favorites"; "Perhaps sensing the dismal failure of its efforts to show that 'established by the State' means 'established by the State or the Federal Government', the Court tries to palm off the pertinent statutory phrase as 'inartful drafting. This Court, however, has no free-floating power 'to rescue Congress from its drafting errors'." On June 25 a sightseeing plane crashes in the mountains in SE Alaska, killing all nine aboard; before the crash the cry "Allahu Akbar" is heard amind screams of passengers; ISIS did it? On June 25 50+ leading physicians and health researchers pub. an open letter in the U.K. Guardian calling for divestment from fossil fuel cos. to avert global warming; "Divestment rests on the premise that it is wrong to profit from an industry whose core business threatens human and planetary health." On June 25 ISIS releases a video of yet another mass beheading, this time of 12 men from rival Syrian rebel groups accused of fighting against them. On June 26 (10:00 a.m.) Muslim (ISIS?) jihadist Yassin Salhi (1979-) rams his car into the U.S.-owned Air Products gas factory in Saint-Quentin-Fallavier, France (SE of Lyon), plowing into gas canisters and causing an explosion, injuring two and killing his boss Herve Cornara (b. 1960) then beheading him and placing his covered with Arabic graffiti and draped with a pair of ISIS flags on a post at the entrance 30 ft. from his body before being captured - be afraid, be very afraid, even if they call you an Islamophobe? On June 26 (Fri.) the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 6-3 in Obergefell v. Hodges that all states must issue same-sex marriage licenses, and recognize those from other states, citing the "fundamental right to marry"; there are 390K married same-sex couples in the U.S. already, and 37 states that permit same-sex marriage; after calling gay plaintiff Jim Obergefell, Pres. Obama praises the decision as "a victory for America", saying that it's an example of a day when justice "arrives like a thunderbolt", with the soundbyte: "This morning the Supreme Court recognized that the Constitution guarantees marriage equality. In doing so, they've reaffirmed that all Americans are entitled to the equal protection of the law, that all people should be treated equally regardless of who they are or who they love"; Repub. appointee Anthony Kennedy joins the liberal wing of Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan to back the ruling, with Kennedy delivering the majority opinion, with the soundbyte: "No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were. As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death. It would misunderstand these men and women to say that disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization's oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right"; dissenter Chief Justice John Roberts sets a precedent by reading his dissent from the bench, saying that gays should celebrate their ruling, but "do not celebrate the Constitution. It had nothing to do with it. This court is not a legislature. Whether same-sex marriage is a good idea should be of no concern to us"; Justice Antonin Scalia, joined by Justice Clarence Thomas issue a scating dissent calling the decision a "putsch", and Kennedy's lightweight reasoning "the mystical aphorisms of a fortune cookie" and a "threat to American democracy" threatening the main principle of the Am. Rev., viz. "the freedom [of the People] to govern themselves", destroying the age-old definition of marriage as one man and one woman "in an opinion lacking even a thin veneer of law", "a naked judicial claim to legislative - even super-legislative -power; a claim fundamentally at odds with our system of government", dissing the "notorious nine" as "hardly a cross-section of America", all people from elite law schools sans a single person from middle-America, or a single Protestant, which has turned the U.S. govt. 180 degrees from "no taxation without representation" to "social transformation without representation", comparing it with the Pearl Harbor Attack by saying the decision will live in infamy, implying that the Court is drunk with power and is moving "one step closer to being reminded of our impotence"; "Today's decree says that my Ruler, and the Ruler of 320 million Americans coast-to-coast, is a majority of the nine lawyers on the Supreme Court. The opinion in these cases is the furthest extension in fact - and the furthest extension one can even imagine - of the Court's claimed power to create 'liberties' that the Constitution and its Amendments neglect to mention. This practice of constitutional revision by an unelected committee of nine, always accompanied (as it is today) by extravagant praise of liberty, robs the People of the most important liberty they asserted in the Declaration of Independence and won in the Revolution of 1776: the freedom to govern themselves"; Scalia writes the soundbyte: "If, even as the price to be paid for a fifth vote, I ever joined an opinion for the Court that began: 'The Constitution promises liberty to all within its reach, a liberty that includes certain specific rights that allow persons, within a lawful realm, to define and express their identity', I would hide my head in a bag"; dissenting Justice Clarence Thomas writes the soundbyte that the court's "decision threatens the religious liberty our Nation has long sought to protect... In our society, marriage is not simply a governmental institution; it is a religious institution as well. Today's decision might change the former, but it cannot change the latter. It appears all but inevitable that the two will come into conflict, particularly as individuals and churches are confronted with demands to participate in and endorse civil marriages between same-sex couples. The majority appears unmoved by that inevitability"; Michelle Cretella, pres. of the Am. College of Pediatricians utters the soundbyte: "The SCOTUS has just undermined the single greatest pro-child institution in the history of mankind: the natural family. Just as it did in the joint Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton decisions, the SCOTUS has elevated and enshrined the wants of adults over the needs of children"; on Apr. 11, 2017 the Uphold Historical Marriage Act is introduced into the N.C. legislature, declaring the Obergefell v. Hodges decision "null and void" in the state in preference to Sect. 6 Article XIV of the 2012 N.C. Constitution, which defines marriage as only between one man and one woman - it's all the women's fault, hence it's time to not only impeach the justices but repeal the 19th Amendment? ;) On June 26 the Vatican legally recognizes the "State of Palestine" and signs a treaty with it, claiming this will stimulate peace with Israel and become a model to follow; the signers are Vatican foreign minister Paul Gallagher and Palestinian foreign minister Riad al-Malki. On June 26 laughing Tunisian jihadist Seifeddine Yacoubi posing as a swimmer with an AK-47 hidden in a beach umbrella opens fire at a beach outside the Riu Imperial Marhaba Hotel in Sousse, Tunisia (87 mi. S of Tunis), killing 39, mainly Brits (most since the 2005 Islamic bombing), causing the govt. to order the closing of 80 "propagandist" mosques accused of inciting, while foreigners scramble to leave; ISIS claims responsibility, displaying a picture of Abu Yahya Qayrawani and calling for more Ramadan attacks. On June 26 an ISIS suicide bomber at a Shiite mosque in Kuwait kills 27 and injures 227, becoming the first suicide attack on Shiite mosques in Kuwait, causing Kuwait to declare a day of mourning and declare an "all-out confrontation" with "black terror". On June 26 ISIS massacres 164 Kurds in Kobane, Syria in reprisal for Vs by Kurdish militia. On June 26 after help from the Imbonerakure thug youth wing, elections in Burundi are a V for pres. Pierre Nkurunziza. On June 26 after the European Central Bank (ECB) caps its emergency funds, Greek PM Alexis Tsirpas announces the closing of all Greek banks on June 29, causing a run on ATM machines. On June 26 Queen Elizabeth II of Britain makes her first visit to Bergen-Belsen Camp in Germany, becoming her first visit to any former concentration camp. On June 27 (a.m.) al-Qaida-linked jihadists attack a town and military camp 19 mi. from the Mauritanian border in Nara, Mali, killing 12 incl. two soldiers, one civilian, and nine jihadists. On June 27 (Sat.) British authorities report the foiling of a planned ISIS pressure-cooker bomb attack on the Armed Forces Day Parade in S London targeting soldiers from the same unit as Lee Rigby, causing Britain to be put on red alert. On June 27 a delegation from the Internat. Criminal Court at The Hague arrives in Israel to look into war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the Palestinian territories. On June 29 a car bomb attack on a convoy in Cairo, Egypt kills chief prosecutor Hisham Barakat. On June 29 the Israeli navy intercepts the remnant of Freedom Flotilla III AKA Floating Terror-Tilla AKA Ship of Fools, a single Swedish-registered boat called Marianne of Gothenburg; Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu writes them a letter, with the soundbyte: "Welcome to Israel! It seems you got lost. Perhaps you meant to sail to a place not far from here - Syria." On June 29 the Syrian army kills a group of 30 Chechen snipers entering Daraa, Syria. On June 29 Hudson County, N.J. Muslim Alaa Saadeh (1981-) is arrested on charges of providing material support to ISIS, becoming the 5th in the tri-state area in June. On June 29, 2015 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 5-4 in Mich. v. EPA to block Pres. Obama's EPA mercury and air toxic standards, saying that the admin. failed to adequately consider the $10B price tag, and that it must consider costs in the future when making a finding that it is necessary and appropriate to issue regulations. On June 29 UNESCO condemns ISIS for its "barbaric assaults" on World Heritage sites in Syria and Iraq, saying that they may amount to war crimes. On June 30 Repub. N.J. Gov. Chris Christie announces his candidacy for U.S. pres. at Livingston H.S. in Trenton, N.J., bringing the field to 14. On June 30 the charter of the U.S. Export-Import Bank expires. On June 30 the deadline for the Iranian nuclear deal passes, causing the P+5 to give Iran another week; meanwhile Pres. Obama threatens to "walk away" if Iran reneges on the Apr. interim agreement in Lausanne. On June 30 ISIS beheads its first women civilians, two Syrian women accused of sorcery. On June 30 a Pentagon Report on Afghani Forces reveals a 59% increase in battlefield casualties in the last 6 mo. compared to 2014, and concludes that the 300K-man force is inadequate to fight the Taliban or hold recaptured territory. On June 30 China announces its climate change plan, with the goal of reducing CO2 emissions per unit of GDP by 60%-65% by 2030 from 2005 levels, and increased the share of non-fossil fuels in its primary energy consumption to 20% by 2030. On June 30 a CNN Poll finds that 43% of Americans think that race relations have gotten worse under Pres. Obama, vs. 20% who think they've gotten better, and 36% who think they've stayed the same; with blacks it's 33% for better, 35% for worse, and 32% for the same; with whites it's 17% for better, 47% for worse, and 35% for better; 55% of Americans approve of Obama's handling of race relations, vs. 42% who disapprove, incl. 84/14 for blacks and 48/47 for whites. In June the Great Celebrity Breakup Summer of 2015 begins; casualties incl. Kermit and Miss Piggy, Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale, and Brangelina (Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie), er, it was a false story. In June U.S. unemployment is 5.3% (vs. 5.5% in May) (lowest since the 2008 recession), with the economy adding 223K jobs; the number of Americans working or searching for a job is the lowest in 38 years, with only 62.6& of working age Americans participating in the labor force. In June/July the Liwa Usud al-Hussein (Lions of Hussein Brigade) militia is formed in Latakia, Syria to fight with the Assad regime's new Coastal Shield. On July 1 a wave of 15 simultaneous Islamist attacks in Sinai Peninsula, Egypt kills 100+ militants and 50 soldiers, causing Egypt to retaliate with F-16 air strikes. On July 1 Jose Inez Garcia Zarate, an illegal Mexican alien with seven felony convictions and five deportations back to Mexico who was allowed to run free by the Obama admin. murders a 32-y.-o. Kathryn Steinle in San Francisco, Calif. while walking at the waterfront for no apparent reason, causing an outcry about San Francisco's self-declared status as a "sanctuary city" that make it ignore an ICE detainer while he was in jail; on July 23 House Repubs. pass a bill, dubbed the Donald Trump Act by Dems. to strip federal grants from jurisdictions that shield illegal immigrants from arrest by federal immigration authorities. On July 1 Saudi Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal announces his intention to give away his entire $32B fortune to charitable causes a la Bill Gates; too bad, the money will go to "foster cultural understanding" of Islam in the West, meaning Islamization? On July 1 China passes the 2015 New Nat. Security Law along with a series of other laws that stifle dissent; 140+ attys., activists and their relatives in 24 cities are arrested or questioned by police to kick it off. On July 1 Nobel Prize-winning physicist Ivar Giaever gives a speech at the 65th Lindau Nobel Laureate Metting in Lindau, germany, saying that Pres. Obama is "dead wrong" on global warming, referring to his Jan. 20 State of the Union Message in which he said "No challenge poses a greater threat to future generations than climate change", and retorting "How can he say that? I think Obama is a clever person, but he gets bad advice. Global warming is all wet", adding, "I would say that global warming basically is a non-problem. Just leave it alone and it will take care of itself"; meanwhile Nobel Prize-winning physicist Brian Schmidt introduces the 2015 Mainau Declaration on Climate Change, signed by 36 Nobel laureatse, which contains the soundbyte: "We believe that the nations of the world must take the opportunity at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris in December 2015 to take decisive action to limit future global emissions." On July 1 Ryan Mauro of the Clarion Project releases a report based on four recent polls indicating that ISIS is supported by 42M+ Muslims, with the soundbyte: "ISIS is only a fraction of what it could potentially become"; "If we don't act quickly, this is still going to grow - and what we're looking at today is going to look like the good old days compared to the future." On July 2 the U.S. announces that a coalition air strike in Syria killed senior ISIS leader Tariq bin Tahar al-Awni al-Harzi of Tunisia, "the emir of suicide ombers" in June. On July 2 the Trump Campaign releases the soundbyte: "Fox News poll just put us at the top nationally. Yesterday, CNN confirmed our national lead and verified our momentum in New Hampshire. And now Quinnipiac shows us at the top in Iowa. Numbers don't lie. We are a top-tier campaign and we can win. We will bring common sense to Washington!"; "I am the leading candidate on promoting smart trade deals, border security, rebuilding our military, and taking care of our veterans"; "I cannot be bought. Neither my allegiance nor discretion can be traded in exchange for high dollar donations from private interest groups. I am the only candidate who can say this. I will not shy away from my promise to work with Americans to rebuild America." On July 3 Saudi authorities in Jeddah announce the thwarting of an ISIS plot by arresting three suspects; one policeman is killed. On July 3 Russia announces a $200 military loan to Armenia incl. sophisticated weapons that will cover through 2017. On July 4 (Sat.) the U.S. military and homeland security are on high alert for a possible ISIS attack. On July 4 ISIS releases a video showing several dozen Syrian govt. soldiers allegedly being executed on May 21 by children and teenies in a Roman theater in Palmyra, Syria. On July 4 Hamas and Islamic Jihad hold talks to form a new unity govt., which the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) opposes. On July 4-17 five U.S. air strikes on ISIS in Iraq and Syria result in the death of only two civilians and injures to four more, with USAF Col. Pat Ryder calling Operation Inherent Resolve (begun Aug. 2014) the most precise aerial campaign in history. On July 4 after his Boston, Mass. police chief father turns him in, Muslim convert Alexander Ciccolo AKA Ali Al Amriki is arrested after posting jihadist info. on his Facebook page and telling FBI informants about plans to stage a jihad at a univ. campus using pressure cookers et al.; on Sept. 5, 2018 he is sentenced to 20 years in prison. On July 5 two Boko Haram bombs at the crowded Yantaya Mosque and elite Muslim Shagalinku restaurant in Jos, Nigeria kill 44 and injure 67. On July 6 the Palestinian Authority (PA) announces the arrest of a large Hamas cell it claims was planning to attack it. On July 6 45 ISIS terrorists are killed by food poisoning after taking their Iftar meal in Mosul, Iraq. On July 6 rallies in Nairobi, Kenya are held against homosexuality, while a lawmaker warns Pres. Obama not to push his pro-gay agenda when he visits the country later in July. On July 6 Pres. Obama gives a press briefing about the ISIS, uttering the soundbyte: "So the additional steps I ordered last month, we're speeding up training of ISIL forces including volunteers from Sunni tribes in Anbar Province", after which the White House Web site changes ISIL to Iraqi. On July 6 ISIS announces that 14-y.-o. suicide bomber Hamidi al-Muhammadi killed 50+ Kurdish PKK militiamen S of Ras al-Ayn, Syria on the Turkish border. On July 6 (night) an Al-Nusra Front suicide bomber at a Syrian army outpost in Aleppo, Syria kills 25 soldiers. On July 7 Hillary Clinton gives the first nat. TV interview of her campaign, with the soundbyte that voters are increasingly distrusting her because of the pesky Republicans, who are pummeling her with "unsubstantiated attacks". On July 7 FBI agents and Ind. State Police raid the Ziopnsville (near Indianapolis), Ind. home of Subway restaurant spokesman Jared Fogle searching for evidence 2 mo. after the exec dir. of his foundation was arrested on child porno charges, causing Subway to cut ties with him. On July 7 former U.S. pres. Jimmy Carter gives an interview to HuffPost Live, uttering the soundbyte: "I believe that Jesus would approve gay marriage... I think Jesus would encourage any love affair if it was honest and sincere and was not damaging to anyone else, and I don't see that gay marriage damages anyone else", adding: "The only thing I would draw a line on, I wouldn't be in favor of the government being able to force a local church congregation to perform gay marriages if they didn't want to. But those two partners should be able to go to the local courthouse or to a different church and get married"; Carter adds that he does have a "problem with abortion", saying: "I have a hard time believing that Jesus, for instance, would approve abortions, unless it was because of rape or incest, or if the mother's life was in danger. So I've had that struggle, but my oath of office was to obey the Constitution... as interpreted by the Supreme Court." On July 8 the U.S. Army announces that it will cut 40K soldiers over the next two years along with 17K civilian employees due to the U.S. Budget Control Act, leaving it with 420K soldiers, which a Feb. Govt. Accountability Office (GAO) report says "lacks the capacity to conduct simultaneous major combat operations while defending the nation at home, sustaining minimal presence in critical regions, and retaining a Global Response Force at the direction of the commander in chief." On July 8 the Sawab (Arab. "right and spiritual path") Centre to combat the message of ISIS among young Arabs is launched in Abu Dhabi; U.S. undersecy. of state Richard Stengel attends the launch with foreign affairs minister Anwar Gargash. On July 9 U.S. atty. gen. Loretta Lynn, er, Lynch announces that the U.S. govt. will make federal marriage benefits to same-sex couples. On July 9 after a poll reveals that more than two-thirds of French citizens are against it, former French pres. Nicolas Sarkozy signs a petition against a proposal to convert empty churches into mosques; do they know that once it is done it is owned by Allah forever and can never be used for anything else? On July 11 Donald Trump speaks at the FreedomFest in Las Vegas, Nev., after which he holds a news conference to discuss immigration et al., saying "You can't be great if you don't have a border, no matter what you do... And you can't be great if China is taking all your jobs." On July 12 a suicide car bomber outside a U.S. base in Khost, Afghanistan kills 25+ incl. seven CIA operatives and injures 15. On July 12 authorities in Pristina, Kosovo cut off the water supply due to fears of an ISIS plot to poison its source at Badovac Lake 6 mi. SE. On July 12 after Mexican drug lord El Chapo escapes from his Mexican prison, Donald Trump begins sending tweets about it, incl. "Can you envision Jeb Bush or Hillary Clinton negotiating with 'El Chapo', the Mexican drug lord who escaped from prison"; "The joke around town is that I freed El Chapo from the Mexican prison because the timing was so good w/ my statements on border security", and "El Chapo and the Mexican drug cartels use the border unimpeded like it was a vacuum cleaner, sucking drugs and death right into the US." On July 13 Wisc. Repub. Gov. Scott Walker announces his candidacy for U.S. pres.; he drops out on Sept. 21. On July 13 28-y.-o. black woman Sandra Annette Bland (1987-) from Naperville (near Chicago), Ill. known for posting videos protesting police brutality against blacks and joining the Black Lives Matter movement is found hanged in a jail cell in Waller County, Tex. after alleged misconduct state trooper Brian Encinia at a traffic stop on July 10; the death is ruled a suicide by the county coroner; despite an outcry the pigs are never charged with a speck of dust, er, Encina is indicted for perjury and fired, then gets the charge dropped in June 2017 in return for not seeking to be rehired; in Sept. 2016 Bland's mother settles a wrongful death lawsuit agains the police dept. and county jail for $1.9M. It's just like a bad dream and I can't wake up? On July 14 after 12 years of talks incl. 18 days of intensive sessions in Vienna, Iran reaches a landmark deal on nukes with the U.S. and other world powers after the Obama admin. folds and allows them the right to object to internat. inspections of military sites, with a 24-day notice, allowing them 5,060 centrifugues at one location (vs. 164 in 2005 and 19K today), freaking-out Republicans because in return Iran gets relief from billions of dollars in internat. sanctions and access to $100B in frozen assets, and its ominous ICBM program remains untouched, along with its support for Hamas, Hezbollah and other terrorist orgs., its repression of human rights, and its repeated calls for death to America and Israel; the U.S. promises to train Iranians to defend their nuclear facilities, esp. from Israeli attack?; Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu calls the deal "an historic mistake for the world"; former Israeli foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman utters the soundbyte: "History will remember the Iran deal just like the Munich Agreement and the agreement with North Korea"; U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk (co-sponsor of the Senate-approved sanctions against Iran) calls the deal "unremitted garbage", "the greatest appeasement since Chamberlain gave Czechoslovakia to Hitler", saying: "Tens of thousands of people in the Middle East are gonna lose their lives because of this decision by Barack Hussein Obama.. This agreement condemns the next generation to cleaning up a nuclear war in the Persian Gulf. It condemns our Israeli allies to further conflict with Iran"; Saudi Prince Bandar Bin Sultan pub. an article blasting the deal, saying "It will wreak havoc in the Middle East which is already living in a disastrous environment in which Iran is a major player in the destabilization of the region", comparing it to Pres. Clinton's mistake with North Korea, only this time Obama "knows what President Clinton didn't know when he made his deal";on July 14 Iranian pres. Hassan Rouhani delivers an address to the Iranian people, with the soundbyte: "The superpowers officially recognized Iran's nuclear activity"; on July 14 (night) Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer gives an interview to Megyn Kelly of Fox Mews, with the soundbyte: "I think you have given up everything. Yesterday Iran had an illegal nuclear program and was facing a headwind of sanctions. This deal gives them a legal nuclear program and gives them a tail wind of sanctions relief that they're going to use to continue their march of conquest and terrorism throughout the Middle East... in Syria, in Lebanon, in Gaza, in Yemen. And during this deal, Iran will be able to continue to do research and development on advanced centrifuges and to develop their intercontinental ballistic missiles. On July 14 IAEA secy.-gen. Yukio Amano and Atomic Energy Org. of Iran chief Ali Akbar Salehi sign a roadmap agreement to provide the IAEA with clarifications and explanations of PMD (Possible Military Dimensions) of their nuclear program. Those ICBMs are for you" - want a blowjob, then visit Obama's List dot com today? On July 14 two blasts rock a petrochemical plant in Bouches-du-Rhone, France. On July 14 Pres. Obama gives a speech on prison reform at the annual NAACP convention in Philly, calling for reductions in overcrowding, gang activity, solitary confinement, and rape, uttering the soundbyte that the $80B a year spent on prisons could be used to "provide universal preschool for every 3-year-old and 4-year-old in America, double the salary of every high school teacher in America, finance new roads, bridges, and airports, job training programs, research and development, eliminate tuition at every one of our public colleges and universities." On July 14 the gigantic winter 2015 snow pile in Boston, Mass. finally melts. On July 14 a tweet from the Trump campaign features Donald Trump's face on a U.S. flag, with a small insert showing some Waffen-SS soldiers that were put in by mistake; it is quickly deleted. On July 15 Canadian online adultery service Ashley Madison announces that hackers stole all of its 30M customers' data and is threatening to post it online if it doesn't shut down; on Aug. 18 they carry out their threat; on Aug. 24 after extortion attempts and suicides, Canadian police hold a press conference in Toronto, Ont., offering a $500K reward for info. on the hackers. On July 15 Pres. Obama gives a Speech on His Iran Nuke Deal, defending the proposed deal while playing safe with soundbytes like "It's not the job of the president to solve every problem in the Middle East... But I think I can provide that next president at least a foundation for continued progress"; meanwhile despite lobbying by vice-pres. Joe Biden et al., the opposition builds, while Saudi Arabia warns Iran that any economic gains from the lifting of sanctions must be used to improve the lives of Iranians "rather than using them to cause turmoil in the region."; when CBS reporter Major Garrett suggests that Pres. Obama doesn't care about Americans held hostage by Iran, he utters the immortal soundbyte: "That's nonsense and you should know better"; meanwhile Obama pisses-off Congress by obtaining quick approval from the U.N.; too bad, he first has to get the U.N. Security Council to rescind six resolutions against Iran (2006-10), but he pulls it off easily on July 20 with a unanimous 15-0-0 vote for U.N. Security Council Resolution 2231 endorsing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with the statement "The country's ballistic missile program and capability... fall outside the scope and the jurisdiction of the UNSC resolution and its annexes", which causes the Iranian govt. to issue the soundbyte: "The Islamic Republic of Iran considers science and technology, including peaceful nuclear technology, as the common heritage of mankind. At the same time, on the basis of solid ideological, strategic and international principles, Iran categorically rejects weapons of mass destruction and particularly nuclear weapons as obsolete and inhuman, and detrimental to international peace and security. Inspired by the sublime Islamic teachings, and based on the views and practice of the late founder of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini, and the historic Fatwa of the leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Khamenei, who has declared all weapons of mass destruction, particularly nuclear weapons, to be Haram (strictly forbidden) in Islamic jurisprudence, the Islamic Republic of Iran declares that it has always been the policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran to prohibit the acquisition, production, stockpiling or use of nuclear weapons." On July 15 (night) after escaped Mexican drug kingpin El Chapo threatens to make him "swallow" his words about Mexico dumping its worst citizens on the U.S., Donald Trump gives an interview to Sean Hannity, uttering the soundbyte: "You know, what I'm bringing up is much more important than Donald Trump. My life, you know, frankly, what I'm doing is so important for the country", adding "First of all, I appreciate your question, the way you worded it, because the truth is, we wouldn't be talking about illegal immigration if it weren't for me. I brought it up. They hammered me, and then they found out they were wrong. And so many people have apologized to me over the last week because, you know, when I made my statement, they didn't read my statement. They read little pieces of my statement and tried to make me look bad." On July 16 (10:45 a.m. local time) Kuwait-born Am. Muslim Muhammad Youssuf Abdulazeez (b. 1992) (U. of Tenn. electrical engineering grad) drives up to a military reserve center on Lee Hwy. in Chattanooga, Tenn. in a silver Ford Mustang with a drop top and pulls out a big black rifle and starts shooting, then drives 8 mi. to another station on Amnicola Hwy., killing four Marines and injuring three before being killed; a 5th Marine dies on July 18; at 10:34 an ISIS-related Twitter account tweets the message: "O American dogs soon YOU will see the wonders"; on July 22 (p.m.) after dragging his feet until pressure from lawmakers forces him, he orders flags lowered to half-staff at the White House and "all public buildings and grounds" until July 25, issuing a proclamation honoring the victims. On July 16 Pres. Obama becomes the first U.S. pres. to visit a prison while in office, El Reno Federal Correctional Inst. near Oklahoma City, Okla., uttering the soundbyte that the inmates are people "who made mistakes that aren't that different than the mistakes I made"; he enters Cell No. 123, commenting "Three full-grown men in a 9 x 10 cell." On July 16 the U.S. Senate by 81-17 passes a bipartisan overhaul of the No Child Left Behind Act, restoring power over low-performing schools to states. On July 16 the U.S. State Dept. warns Israel against demolishing an illegal Palestinians settlement in Sussiya, West Bank, claiming that it "would be harmful and provocative", threatening any peace agreement - they should be helping Israel resettle all Muslims far away in Arab lands to create a wide defensible DMZ and forget about any peace with Quran-thumping jihadists? On July 16 AQIM jihadists ambush Algerian soldiers in Ain Defla, Algeria (W of Algiers)., killing 11. On July 16 a Fox News Poll gives Donald Trump the lead among Repub. pres. candidates with 18%, up from 7% in June and 15% in Mar.; Wisc. Gov. Scott Walker is #2 at 15%, and former Fla. gov. Jeb Bush is #3 at 14%; Dem. candidate Hillary Clinton leads Bernie Sandrers by 59% to 19%. On July 17 the exiled Yemeni govt. announces that Saudi-backed forces have "completely liberated" Aden from Houthi rebels. On July 17 an ISIS suicide bomber in a cut-rate ice truck at a hot crowded mostly Shiite market in Khan Bani Saad, Iraq kills 115 and injures 100+. On July 17 the Empire State Bldg. in New York City lights green to commemorate the end of Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim month of jihad. On July 18 Saudi Arabia announces the arrest of 431 suspected members of ISIS who are allegedly planning to attack Saudi mosques, causing the Saudi Council of Senior Scholars to praise Saudi security, saying that the "deviant groups" are only aiding the foes of true Islam; meanwhile Turkey announces the arrest of 45 Turks attempting to cross into Syria to join ISIS in Gaziantep. On July 18 after Ariz. Repub. Sen. John McCain calls Trump's Ariz. followers "crazies", causing him to call McCain a "dummy", Donald Trump tees off on McCain, with the soundbytes "He's not a war hero. He's a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren't captured", mocking him for graduating at the bottom of his class at the U.S. Naval Academy and calling him a "loser" for failing in the 2008 U.S. pres. race, pissing-off Repubs., with former Tex. Gov. Rick Perry calling Trump "unfit to be commander-in-chief", and 2012 Repub. pres. nominee Mitt Romney tweeting: "The difference between @SenJohnMcCain and @realDonaldTrump: Trump shot himself down"; on July 20 after Trump refuses to apologize to him, McCain replies that Trump doesn't owe an apology to him, but "to the families of those who have sacrificed in conflict and those who've undergone the prison experience in certain countries". On July 19 (Sun.) a bomb explosion in a tunnel near the Aleppo Citadel in Syria damages a wall that is part of the World Heritage Site Old City. On July 19 a string of bomb explosions incl. two suicide attacks in Shiite neighborhoods Baghdad, Iraq kill 21 and injure 62. On July 20 the U.S. and Cuba reestablish diplomatic relations. On July 20 Japanese automaker Mitsubishi apologizes to U.S. POWs it used as forced labor during WWII; only 94-y.-o. James Murphy is able to attend the ceremony in Los Angeles, Calif. On July 20 an ISIS suicide bomber near the Syrian border in Suruc, Turkey 6 mi. from Kobani, Syria kills 30+, mainly young univ. students planning to help rebuild Kobani, and injures 100+. On July 20 a Washington Post-ABC New Poll shows Trump favored by 24% of Repubs. and Repub.-leaning independents, leading the Repub. nomination race, with Wisc. Gov. Scott Walker at 13% and former Fla. Gov. Jeb Bush at 12%, while if he runs as an independent he will lose with 20% vs. 46% for Hillary Clinton and 30% for Jeb Bush, taking more support from Bush, who would only be behind by 50% to 44% in a head-to-head with Hillary; on July 22 Trump gives an interview to The Hill, saying that he "absolutely" would launch a third-party run for the White House if treated unfairly by the Repub. Nat. Committee, saying "They were always supportive when I was a contributor. I was their fair-haired boy." On July 20 Israeli passes the 2015 Rock Attack Law, giving a penalty of up to 20 years in prison for throwing rocks at moving vehicles. On July 21 Repub. Ohio Gov. #69 (since Jan. 10, 2011) John Richard Kasich Jr. (1952-) announces his candidacy for U.S. presidency at the student union of his alma mater Ohio State U., going on to refuse to support Donald Trump and to attend the Repub. Nat. Convention and vote for John McCain. On July 21 a double suicide bombing in Salqin, Syria kills Ahrar al-Sham rebel group senior member Abi Kaled El Sory along with six others. On July 21 the Obama-run U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announces modifications to the Oath of Allegiance that immigrants must take before becoming naturalized, allowing them to opt out of the phrase "bear arms on behalf of the United States", allowing Muslims with no intention of taking up arms against other Muslims an open door. On July 22 two suicide bombers in a busy marketplace in the Brituetterie district of Yaounde, Cameroon kill 20+. On July 22 (5:30 p.m.) a Stop Iran Now Rally is held in Times Square, New York City, becoming the biggest in the history of the Big Apple (until ?). On July 22 U.S. oil prices drop to below $50 a barrel for the first time in 4 mo.; on July 29 the price falls below $45, close to the 6-year low reached in Mar.; on Aug. 11 the price drops to $43.08, followed to $38.60 on Aug. 26 , lowest since Feb. 2009, then rebounding on Aug. 27 to $47, with retail gasoline going for $2.56/gal., lowest since 2004. On July 23 U.S. pres. candidate Donald Trump visits the U.S.-Mexico border at Laredo, Tex., refusing requests to apologize for claiming that many who have crossed the border illegally are rapists, saying "They weren't insulted because the press misinterprets my words", reiterating his call for a border wall, throwing hints out about "merit system", adding "The first thing we do is take the bad ones of which there are unfortunately quite a few, we take the bad ones and get 'em the hell out"; MSNBC-Telemundo anchor Jose Diaz Balart tells him: "Many feel that what you said, when you said that people that cross the border are rapists and murderers...", which Trump cuts off, responding: "No, no, we're talking about illegal immigration and everybody understands it. And you know what? That's a typical case of the press with misinterpretation. They take half a sentence, then they take a quarter of a sentence. They put it all together. It's a typical thing. You're with Telemundo and Telemundo should be ashamed", at which the crowd cheers approval; the Nat. Border Patrol Council Local 2455 Executive Board pulls out of a planned meeting with him at the airport; Trump answers more questions about a possible third party run, saying "I am a Republican. I'm a conservative. I want to run as a Republican. The best way to win is for me to get the nomination"; meanwhile former Tex. gov. Rick Perry (2% in the polls) calls a Trump "small-minded... a divisive figure... propelled by anger... appealing to the worse instincts in the human condition, a barking carnival act that can best be described as Trumpism, a toxic mix of demagoguery and mean-spiritedness and nonsense that will lead the Republican Party to perdition if pursued. Let no one be mistaken. Donald Trump's candidacy is a cancer on conservatism that must be diagnosed, excised, and discarded." On July 23 (8:00 p.m.) lone gunman John Russell House (b. 1955) opens fire at the Grand 16 Lafayette movie theater in Lafayette, La., killing three incl. himself and injuring nine, becoming the 23rd mass shooting of the Obama admin. On July 23 the Obama admin. limits the power of inspectors-generals, requiring them to obtain permission by their agency heads to gain access to grand jury, wiretap, and fair credit info. On July 23 U.S. secy. of state John Kerry appears before the U.S. Senate, uttering the soundbyte that the proposed Iranian nuclear deal will require the U.S. to defend Iran from Israel; GOP senators blast him for getting "fleeced" by Iran: on July 24 during an interview on NBC-TV's "Today Show" he warns Israel that trying it would be a "huge mistake", then gets into an "intense exchange" with skeptical Jewish leaders at the Conference of Presidents of Major Am. Jewish Orgs.; he also meets with the Council on Foreign Relations, saying that if Congress votes the deal down it would be Israel's fault and "could actually wind up being more isolated and more blamed"; "We've seen the prime minister draw a cartoon of a bomb at the U.N. and so on and so forth. But what's happened? What has anyone done about it? Anybody got a plan to roll it back?" On July 24 U.S. defense secy. Ashton Carter announces that senior al-Qaida cmdr. Abu Khalil Al-Sudani, head of suicide operations was killed along with two others on July 11 in E Afghanistan by a U.S. air strike. On July 24 Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif warns U.S. secy. of state John Kerry of threatening military action if the nuke deal falls through, calling U.S. military capability a "rotten rope", saying that such "empty threats" should be consigned "to the last century". On July 24 Turkey begins mass arrests of members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and Islamists involved in the war in neighboring Syria. On July 24 ISIS hits an Egyptian patrol ship with a rocket in the Mediterranean Sea off N Sinai, setting it on fire. On July 24 after a mag. report that shows that a hacker can take control of some functions of a Jeep Cherokee, Fiat Chrysler agrees to recall 1.4M vehicles. On July 24 after agreeing to open its S air bases to the U.S., the Turkish Air Force launches its first attack ISIS targets in Syria, with the intention of clearing a 60-mi. buffer zone along the border to use as a "safe zone" for displaced Syrians; on July 25 they bomb Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) positions in N Iraq, causing the Kurds to claim that the war on ISIS is a screen for attacking them; on July 30 after a Turkish soldier is killed by ISIS forces in the border town of Suruc, Turkey pounds ISIS positions. On July 24 U.S. secy. of state John Kerry gives a speech before the Council on Foreign Relations, with the soundbyte that Israel "could actually wind up being more isolated and more blamed" if Congress rejects Pres. Obama's Iran deal, pissing-off the Israelis. On July 24 conservative pundit Ann Coulter announces her support for Donald Trump, saying that he can win the White House by continuing to tap into the electorate's anger over the broken U.S. immigration system, either as a Repub. or a third party candidate, pointing to H. Ross Perot, whom she calls "really funny looking", and whose entry into the pres. race she claims came when Repub. Pres. George H.W. Bush lied to the people about not raising taxes, saying "It has been another 20 years of lies from the Republicans, so Trump is a way more attractive candidate." On July 25 Pres. Obama visits (his birthplace?) Kenya, opening a U.S.-sponsored business summit and saying that Africa is "on the move... one of the fastest growing regions of the world... People are being lifted out of poverty"; too bad he gives a speech calling for equal rights for gays, pissing them off, causing Kenyan pres. Uhuru Kenyatta to reply that gay rights "is not really an issue". On July 25 two suicide bombers at a crowded swimming pool in Tuz Khurmatu, Iraq (110 mi. N of Baghdad) kill 12 and injure 45, mainly Turkmeni Shiites. On July 25 Bahrain recalls its ambassador from Tehran after claiming to boil an attempt to smuggle in high-grade explosives plus hostile statements by Iranian officials. On July 25 Egypt makes its first trial run of its 45-mi. Suez Canal Axis, designed to speed-up traffic. On July 25 the Satanic Temple in Detroit, Mich. unveils an 8-ft. 1-ton bronze statue of Baphomet, becoming the "largest public satanic ceremony in history". On July 26 (Sun.) U.S. atty. gen. Loretta Lynch gives an interview to ABC-News, saying that ISIS is "as serious, if not more serious a threat as al-Qaeda" because it recruits lone wolf jihadists, er, terrorists using social media platforms and the govt. can't keep track of them all; ISIS has 20K English language Twitter followers. On July 27 AP reports the discovery of 60+ mass graves and 129 bodies in Guerrero, Mexico after an investigation into the case of the 43 missing college students. On July 27 the Pentagon announces that a U.S. Army lab accidentally shipped live anthrax to at least 192 labs over the past decade due to faulty sterlization methods. On July 27 the exec committee of the Boy Scouts of Am. (BSA) votes to lift its restriction on "openly gay adult leaders and employees". On July 27 Repub. pres. candidate Mike Huckabee utters the soundbyte that the proposed Iran nuke agreement will "take the Israelis and march them to the door of the oven". On July 28 acting deputy DEA admin. Jack Riley testifies before Congress, backing up Donald Trump's comments about Mexico sending criminals over the border, saying that the Mexican drug cartels are doing "tremendous harm to our communities". On July 28 NATA hlds an emergency meeting and announces full support for Turkey in its fight against ISIS in Syria and Iraq; several nations urge Turkey not to squeeze the Kurds. On July 28 top Egyptian Sunni Muslim scholar Yusuf al-Qaradawi issues a post on his Web site reversing his support of suicide bombers for those under Israeli occupation, saying that they should only use rockets, missiles, and mortars. On July 28 (eve.) Pakistani police in Muazaffargarh kill Malik Ishaq, leader of al-Qaida-linked Lashkar-e-Jhangv after releasing him from custody in 2011. On July 28 according to a report released by the Congressional Research Service on Aug. 18, as of this date 6,855 Americans were killed and 52,251 wounded since Oct. 7, 2001. On July 28 Donald Trump issues a Tweet: "While I'm beating my opponents in the polls, I'm also beating lobbyists, special interests & donors that are supporting them with billions", referring especially to ex-Fla. gov. Jeb Bush. On July 28 billionaire Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban praises Donald Trump, with the soundbytes: "I have to honestly say he is probably the best thing to happen to politics in a long, long time. I don't care what his actual positions are. I don't care if he says the wrong thing. He says what's on his mind. He gives honest answers rather than prepared answers"; "Smart people who didn't live perfect lives could never run. Smart people who didn't want their families put under the media spotlight wouldn't run. The Donald is changing all that. He has changed the game and for that he deserves a lot of credit. Now maybe we will accept candidates warts and all and look at what they do rather than what headlines they create. Congrats Donald." On July 29 an Israeli air strike in Al-Hadar, Quneitra Province, Syria near Golan Heights kills three Syrian fighters. On July 29 the Taliban overruns Now Zad, Helmand Province, Afghanistan. On July 29 the Afghan govt. announces that Taliban leader Mullah Omar was killed 2 mo. earlier, causing the Taliban to appoint Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour as its new leader, with Sirajuddin Haqqani as #2. On July 29 the Huffington Post launches a new Arabic-language Web site headed by Muslim Brotherhood-connected Anas Fouda, giving them away as owned by the MB?; it ceases pub. in 2018. On July 30 Saudi Arabia and Egypt sign the 2015 Cairo Declaration, a military-economic pact to help them fight Iran and ISIS incl. a joint Arab military force for regional crises and mutual investment in energy and transport. On July 30 Hillary Clinton utters the soundbyte that the "two-state solution" is the "best outcome" for both sides in the Israeli-Palestinian war. On July 30 Iranian state TV announces that U.S. and Canadian inspectors will be banned from inspecting its nuclear facilities because they don't have diplomatic relations with Iran - they should open up the facilities for inspection - with nukes? On July 30 U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee chm. Ed Royce (R-Calif.) (chmn.) and Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) (ranking member) introduce a nonbinding Anti-BDS Resolution, calling on the Obama admin. "to increase the use of its voice, vote, and influence in international organizations and other appropriate international forums to actively oppose politically motivated acts of boycott, divestment from, and sanctions against Israel." On July 30 (eve.) ultra-orthodox Jew Yishai Schlissel stabs six at a gay pride parade in Jerusalem; he was convicted of stabbing three at a gay pride parade in Jerusalem in 2005. On July 31 U.S. Roman Catholic Cardinal Timothy Dolan pub. an op-ed in the New York Daily News, blasting Donald Trump as a "nativist", with the soundbyte that he's reviving "an organized, white, Protestant antagonism towards the Catholic immigrant", asking himself rhetorically, "Who could ever believe now that immigrants are dirty, drunken, irresponsible, dangerous threats to clean, white, Protestant, Anglo-Saxon America?... I wish I were in the college classroom again, so I could roll out my 'Trump card' to show the students that I was right. Nativism is alive, well - and apparently popular!" On July 31 supermodel Gisele Bundchen (wife of star New England Patriots QB Tom Brady) stirs a backlash for wearing a black Muslim burqa as a disguise to get plastic surgery in Paris during Ramadan. On July 31 there is a Blue Moon, going with a full Moon on July 2. On Aug. 1 the family jet plane of Osama bin Laden explodes while landing in London, killing four incl. his stepmother Rajaa Hashim, half-sister Sana bin Laden, and brother-in-law Zuhair Hashim. On Aug. 2 (Sun.) thousands demonstrate in Mexico City to protest the death of investigative photojournalist Ruben Epinosa (b. 1984), who was found in his apt. on July 31 along with four women after he fled from threats in Veracruz. On Aug. 2-3 Yazidis hold rallies in Germany, Iraq, France, Switzerland, Armenia et al. to protest and stop genocide by ISIS in Iraq. On Aug. 3 Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov meets Doha-based Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal in Qatar, and invites him to visit Moscow for his first official visit since 2010. On Aug. 3 U.S. secy. of state John Kerry meets with the Gulf Cooperation Council in Abu Dhabi, gaining their support for the Obama admin. nuclear deal with Iran, with Qatari foreign minister Khalid Al Attiya uttering the soundbyte: "We are confident that what they undertook makes this region safer and more stable." On Aug. 3 Pres. Obama unveils the Clean Power Plan ("Carbon Pollution Emission Guidelines for Existing Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units"), designed to lower carbon dioxide emissions by power generators, requiring a 30% reduction in CO2 emissions by states by 2030, mainly affecting coal-fired plants, pissing-off Repubs., who launch court challenged; on Oct. 4, 2017 the Trump admin. announces that they intend to end it. On Aug. 3 (night) Hamas announces that Iran has cut them off completely as a result of Pres. Obama's, er, their refusal to support Syrian pres. Bashar al-Assad. On Aug. 5 the Gold King Mine in Silverton, Colo. sees EPA personnel release toxic wastewater, accidentally spilling 3M gal. of gold-colored acidic water filled with cadmium, lead, arsenic et al. into the Animas River, causing Colo. gov. John Hickenlooper to declare the area a disaster zone; the spill continues until ?. On Aug. 5 Pres. Obama gives a televised Address on Iran, with the soundbyte: "Congressional rejection of this deal leaves any US administration that is absolutely committed to preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon with one option: another war in the Middle East. I say this not to be provocative. I am stating a fact." On Aug. 5 by a 3-2 vote the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) finalizes a rule requiring all publicly-traded cos. to pub. the ratio between the CEO pay and the median employee salary, starting in 2017. On Aug. 6 Raelian Movement leader allegedly receives a revelation from the godlike alien Elohim that they're ending their protection of Israel. On Aug. 6 (night) Fox News holds a 2-hour GOP Pres. Candidate Debate in Cleveland, Ohio (viewed by 24M households, a 16.0 rating, biggest cable TV audience ever) with the top 10 contenders, led by Donald Trump, of whom Ohio Gov. John Kasich says: "People are frustrated, they're fed up, they don't think the government's working for them. People who want to tune him out are making a mistake"; Trump refuses to rule out running as an independent, scaring Repubs.; moderator Megyn Kelly grills him with her toughest question: "You've called women you don't like fat pigs, dogs, slobs and disgusting animals. Does that sound to you like the temperament of a man we should elect as president?", to which he replies: "Only Rosie O'Donnell", drawing cheers, adding: "The big problem this country has is being politically correct. I've been challenged by so many people and I don't frankly have time for total political correctness and to be honest with you this country doesn't have time either", causing the adoring crowd to go wild; after fielding questions about his bankruptcies (he used the laws to his own maximum advantage like any smart businessman), the Mexican border and how the Mexican gov. is sending criminals over the border (because U.S. leaders are "stupid"), his past support of single-payer health care (which he claims works well in Canada and Scotland), abortion (he now is against it), and past campaign donations to Hillary Clinton (who paid him back by attending his wedding, along with other politicians he donated to, showing how they can be bought but he can't), he utters the soundbyte: "The questions to me were not nice. They were inappropriate. But you know what? The answers were good, obviously, because everyone thinks I won"; too bad, Trump on Aug. 7 he gives an interview to CNN, with the soundbyte about Megyn Kelly: "You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever", pissing-off the PC police, who have dirty minds, causing er, RedState leader Erick Erickson (1975-) to disinvite him and invite her, calling it "a bridge too far", causing Trump on Aug. 8 to comment "I think only a degenerate would think that I would have meant that"; the incident causes his adviser Roger Stone to leave; her past appearance on Howard Stern where she discusses her hubby's penis size proves that she's the degenerate?; speaking of degenerate, Erickson told Tex. women to "go get some coat hangers", and called a Supreme Court justice a "goat-fucking child molester"; on Aug. 10 Hillary Clinton utters the soundbyte: "What Donald Trump said about Megyn Kelly is outrageous", saying his contributions didn't make her attend his wedding, but the fact that "it is always entertaining" - duh, he said you could SEE blood coming out of wherever, excluding her you know what, and didn't even hint at you know what, hence her critics have stamped the word DUMBASS on their foreheads by putting words in his mouth that only show their filthy minds, then trying to use it for their own personal advancement, disqualifying themselves from public office? On Aug. 7 a suicide bomber in a police uniform detonates outside the gates of a police academy in Kabul, Afghanistan, killing 20+ recruits and injuring 25; earlier at 1 a.m. a truck bomb near a military base in Kabul kills 15+ and injures 240 after flattening a city block and leaving a 30-ft. crater. On Aug. 7 Syrian Orthodox community leaders announce that ISIS is holding dozen of Christians in Homs Province, Syria after seizing Qaryatain on Aug. 5. On Aug. 7 after pissing-off Repub. lawmakers by comparing them to Iranian hardliners, Pres. Obama doubles down, refusing to apologize, with the soundbyte "What I said is absolutely true factually. The reason that Mitch McConnell and the rest of the folks in his caucus who opposed this jumped out and opposed this before they even read it, before it was even posted, is reflective of an ideological committment not to get a deal done." On Aug. 7 by a 156-1 vote the Am. Psychological Assoc. (APA) bars psychologists from participating in nat. security interrogations at sites violating internat. law, causing the Pentagon to order the number of pshrinks at Gitmo to be reduced in Dec. On Aug. 8 (Sat.) (1st anniv. of the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo.) Bernie gives a speech in Seattle, Wash. on Social Security and Medicare, and is shut down by #BlackLivesMatter activists Mara Jacqueline Willaford and Marissa Johnson, causing him to release a racial justice platform on Aug. 9; meanwhile on Aug. 8 (night) Ferguson police shoot three protesters incl. Brown's friend Tyrone Harris Jr., who is critically injured. On Aug. 8 Pope Francis approves a decree beatifying Syrian Catholic bishop Flavien-Michel Malke (Malké) (1858-1915), who was murdered on Aug. 29, 1915 in Turkey for refusing to convert to Islam. On Aug. 10 Google announces that it's creating a new holding co. called Alphabet. On Aug. 10 Bernie Sanders gives a speech to the Nat. Nurses United in Oakland, Calif., saying that as pres. he will fight to enact legislation making all public colleges and universities in the U.S. tuition-free. On Aug. 11 (1:30 p.m. local time) a bomb explodes in a crowded market in Borno, Nigeria, killing 50 and injuring 52. On Aug. 11 U.S. Dem. pres. candidate Hillary Clinton meets with Black Lives Matter activists (coined in 2013 by Alicia Garza) backstage at an event in N.H. in a tense confrontation where they accuse her of "victim blaming", and cite a "white problem of violence"; meanwhile Hillary's puppetmaster George Soros donates $650K to the group. On Aug. 12 Miss. State U. students Jaelyn Delshaun Young (19) and Muhammad Dakhlalla (22) are arrested at the Golden Triangle Regional Airport in Miss. for attempting to join ISIS via a flight to Istanbul. On Aug. 12 (11:30 p.m. local time) a massive warehouse explosion rocks Tianjin, China, killing 44 incl. 12 firefighters and injuring 520, spreading chemical contamination. On Aug. 12 Switzerland announces that it will lift economic sanctions on Iran imposed since Jan. 2014. On Aug. 13 (early a.m.) a truck bomb in a market in the Shiite-majority Sadr City area of Baghdad, Iraq kills 38 and injures 74; ISIS claims responsibility. On Aug. 13 a Fox News Poll reveals that only 2% of Americans believe that Hillary Clinton told the truth about her private email server; 58% believe she knowingly lied; 33% believe there is another explanation; only 7% don't know if she lied. On Aug. 14 the U.S. reopens its embassy in Havana, Cuba, which was closed in 1961; the same four Marines do the flag service. On Aug. 15 Turkey announces that it has killed 260 Kurds in its N Iraq air offensive in the last week. On Aug. 15 Japanese PM Abe Shinzo marks the 70th anniv. of the announcement of unconditional surrender by Emperor Hirohito at a summit of Asian and African leaders in Jakarta, Indonesia, expressing "deep remorse", but not apologizing; he did ditto to a joint session of the U.S. Congress in Apr. On Aug. 15 Hillary Clinton speaks to 2K at the Iowa Dem. Wing Ding in Clear Lake, Iowa, joking about accusations that she had her private email server professionally wiped before turning it over to the U.S. Justice Dept., saying the investigation is just about politics, adding "You may have seen that I recently launched a Snapchat account. I love it. I love it. Those message disappear all by themselves." On Aug. 16 (Sun.) Donald Trump releases a Position Paper on Immigration, proposing a 3-pronged plan to combat illegal immigration and reform the system, incl. making Mexico pay for a border wall, ending birthright citizenship, implementing a nationwide e-verify system, defunding sanctuary cities, criminalizing visa overstays, and making use of tariffs and foreign aid cuts, with the soundbyte: "In short, the Mexican government has taken the United States to the cleaners. They are responsible for this problem, and they must help pay to clean it up"; on Aug. 16 Ann Coulter calls it "the greatest political document since the Magna Carta", adding that she doesn't care if Trump "wants to perform abortions in the White House after this immigration policy paper." On Aug. 16 days after Turkey agrees to allow the U.S. to launch air strike against ISIS in Syria from Incirlik AFB, the U.S. announces that it's pulling its Patriot missile systems out of Turkey out of concern for Turkish bombing of Kurds in Iraq. On Aug. 16 Punjab home minister Shuja Khanzada is killed along with several others in a terrorist attack in front of a Hindu shrine during a jurga in his home village. On Aug. 16 Repub. pres. candidate Carly Fiorina (ex-Hewlett-Packard CEO) appears on ABC-TV's "This Week", uttering the soundbyte that Hillary Clinton's "lies" about her email server make her unfit for the White House, addding "the cover-up is worse than the crime"; another Repub. candidate Dr. Ben Carson says that Clinton exercised "bad judgment", asking "Would you take someone with judgment like that and hand them the keys to the White House?" On Aug. 17 a ()Muslim separatist?) bomb explodes at the Erawan Shrine (a Hindu shrine frequented by Buddhists) in Bangkok, Thailand, killing 16 and injuring 81. On Aug. 17 the Obama admin. gives approval to Dutch Shell to drill for gas and oil in the undersea Arctic, pissing-off environmental groups who thought they had them in their pocketses, and embarrassing Hillary Clinton, who on ? said that she had "doubts" about allowing it. On Aug. 17 the Am. Media Inst. (AMI) announces the discovery in Pakistan of a secret ISIS document that blames the need to exterminate Israel for its rise and calls Pres. Obama the "mule of the Jews", being compared to Hitler's "Mein Kampf". On Aug. 17 Iranian supreme assahola Ali Khamenei gives a speech, in which he utters the soundbytes: "The U.S. is the perfectly clear embodiment of the concept of the enemy", and "We must combat the plans of the arrogance with jihad for the sake of Allah." On Aug. 18 Italian foreign minister Paolo Gentiloni warns that Libya runs the risk of turning into "another Somalia" after ISIS makes inroads. On Aug. 18 ISIS #2 man Fadhil Ahmad al-Hayali (Hajji Mutazz) is killed by a U.S. air strike near Mosul, Iraq along with ISIS media operative Abu Abdullah. On Aug. 18 the U.S. Army Ranger School announces that the first two women have graduated, 1st Lt. Kristen Griest and Capt. Shaye Haver; they passed only because the Obama admin. forced them to lower their standards? On Aug. 18 the White House appoints its first transgender staff member Raffi (Rafael) Freedman-Gurspa (1987-) as dir. for outreach and recruitment for pres. personnel. On Aug. 18 Hillary Clinton attends a campaign event in Las Vegas, Nev., then speaks to reporters, answering the question "Did you wipe the server?" with "What, like with a cloth or something?" On Aug. 18 Glenn Beck issues a Facebook post dissing Donald Trump for only going to church on Christmas and Easter, adding that "the First Lady would be the first to have posed nude in lesbian porno shots." On Aug. 19 AP announces that the Internat. Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) made a secret deal with Iran to allow it to conduct its own nuclear inspections, contradicting the assertions of Pres. Barefaced O'Pathological Liar that "This deal is not based on trust, it's based on unprecedented verification", and the whopper: "International inspectors will have unprecedented access not only to Iranian nuclear facilities, but to the entire supply chain that supports Iran's nuclear program - from uranium mills that provide the raw materials, to the centrifuge production and storage facilities that support the program. If Iran cheats, the world will know it. If we see something suspicious, we will inspect it. Iran's past efforts to weaponize its program will be addressed. With this deal, Iran will face more inspections than any other country in the world." On Aug. 19 after the rise of ISIS caused a flood of 20M refugees to begin streaming into Europe, and the leftist overlords of Europe did little or nothing to stop them, with German chancellor Angela Merkel actually welcoming them and dissing nativist PEGIDA (Patriotische Europaer gegen die Islamisierung des Abendlandes) protests against them, German interior minister Thomas de Maiziere announces that 800K (1% of Germany's pop.) are expected to arrive in 2015, incl. 83K in July, 4x the 2014 figure; meanwhile Slovakia announces that it will accept 200 Syrian refugees, not only Christians, with the excuse that "In Slovakia we don't have mosques", therefore "We act in the spirit of the EU treaties that prevent any kind of discrimination." On Aug. 19 (eve.) Donald Trump hosts a town hall meeting in N.H., where he promises to build his Trump Wall "first thing" and make Mexico pay for it, with the soundbyte: "I'm talking about a wall. See that ceiling up there? A little higher. You do a beautiful, nice, pre-cast plank with beautiful everything, just perfect... I want it to be so beautiful, because maybe some day they're going to call it the Trump Wall, maybe. So I have to make sure it's beautiful, right? I' ll be very proud of that wall. If they call it the Trump Wall, it has to be beautiful"; "Here's what is happening. A woman is going to have a baby. They wait on the border. Just before the baby, they come over to the border. They have the baby in the United States. We now take care of that baby. Social Security, Medicare, education. Give me a break. It doesn't work that way. The parents have to come in legally"; he then exhorts Pres. Obama and secy. of state John Kerry to read his book "The Art of the Deal", urging them "Quickly, quickly, quickly." On Aug. 20 (early a.m.) a large car bomb explodes near a nat. security bldg. in Shubra, Cairo, Egypt, injuring six. On Aug. 20 rockets are fired into N Israel from Syria, causing the Israeli army to fire several artillery shells into Syria in response. On Aug. 20 ISIS releases images showing them demolishing the Mar Elian Monastery in Al-Qaryatayn, Homs, Syria. On Aug. 20-28 the Joint Sea 2015 II< joint war games by the Russian and Chinese navies are the largest ever. On Aug. 21 a train en route from Amsterdam to Paris is attacked by lone ISIS-trained Muslim gunman Ayoub El Khazzani (1990-) from Morocco armed with an AK-47 rifle, injuring three incl. two U.S. Marines before they and a Briton overpower him before he can massacre passengers, the train stopping in Arras; after talking to his atty., he says he's "dumbfounded" by terrorist charges, claiming he was merely staging a robbery after stumbling on a weapons stash; on Aug. 24 the heroes are awarded the French Legion of Honor. On Aug. 21 (Black Fri.) after China devalues its currency by 3%, the Dow Jones Industrial Avg. plunges by 500 points (3.12%), becoming the largest 1-day loss in four years; the slide going back over 2 mo. has wiped out the gains of the last 12 mo, while over the past five years it remains strongly up; in Nov. the IMF designates the Chinese yuan (renminbi) as a reserve currency. On Aug. 21 a CNN/ORC Poll reveals that 51% of adults disapprove of Pres. obama, vs. 47% in July, becoming the first time voer the 50% mark. On Aug. 21 (eve.) Donald Trump speaks before 40K at the Ladd Peebles Stadium in "Redneck Riviera" (Chris Matthews) Mobile, Ala., wowing the crowd sans TelePrompter and notes. On Aug. 22 a suicide car bomb attack on NATO convoy in Kabul, Afghanistan, kills 12 incl. three U.S. contractors, and injures dozens. On Aug. 22 Iran unveils its new Fateh 313 short-range surface-to-surface missile, with pres. Hasan Rouhani uttering the soundbyte that only when Iran is "powerful and capabale" can it negotiate constructively with other countries. On Aug. 23-23 violent anti-Muslim immigration protests are held in Dresden, Germany, dissing chancellor Angela Merkel for her pro-immigration policies; on Aug. 26 she is booed by a crowd of 50+ at the Heidenau Refugee Centr in Dresden. On Aug. 23 (Sun.) the U.K. led by foreign secy. Phillip Hammond reopens its embassy in Tehran, Iran (shut down amid violent protests in Nov. 2011) amid violent protests. On Aug. 23 North Korea deploys most of its subs toward South Korea, moving special forces amphibious landing craft closer to the front line on Aug. 24, racheting up tensions and worrying the U.S. about a possible war. On Aug. 24 after the deadline passes for forming a new govt. Turkish pres. Recep Tayyip Erdogan calls for new elections on Nov., reappointing PM Ahmet Davutoglu to form an interim govt. On Aug. 24 the U.N. Security Countil holds its first-ever meeting on the persecution of gays by ISIS, sponsored by the U.S. and Chile, with U.S. ambassador Samantha Power uttering the soundbyte: "We're getting this issue into the DNA of the United Nations." On Aug. 24 Iran supreme assahola Ali Khameini pub. an article on his Web site titled "The Iron Fist", with the soundbyte: "Those who levelled sanctions against us yesterday are dying today, because Iran has become the region's foremost military power. The Islamic Republic of Iran has proven that it works diligently to defend itself. The entire nation unites as a solid fist, standing fast against the aggressors who lack all reason." On Aug. 24 radio shock jock Howard Stern predicts that Donald Trump will win the Repub. pres. nomination, because voters "like the idea of a successful businessman running the country who might actually be able to get shit done"; "I'll tell you why I think he's going to be the nominee. He's proven that no matter what he says, people dig him"; "But the problem with it is, and Donald Trump will find this, being the president isn't like being the president of a corporation. You still got to go through Congress for everything you want to do. And that's the tough part. You've got to be one who can consolidate on both sides of the aisle, some sort of coalition. And it's very difficult." On Aug. 25 mass protests begin in Beirut, Lebanon over uncollected garbage, calling for the resignation of the govt., obtaining backing from Hezbollah. On Aug. 25 ISIS blows up the World Heritage site Temple of Baalshamin in Palmyra, Syria. On Aug. 25 the Internat. Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) holds a meeting Vienna, Austria, defending its inspection scheme for Iranian nuclear sites despite the provision allowing them to collect their own evidence. On Aug. 25 after closing the border with Colombia and ordering 1K Colombians deported, Socialist Venezuelan pres. Nicolas Maduro vows to continue his crackdown on illegal aliens. On Aug. 25 Donald Trump holds a rally in Dubuque, Iowa, saying that TelePrompters should be banned for Obama, er, U.S. pres. candidates; in the press conference he orders Univision-Fusion anchor Jorge Ramos expelled after he tries to speak out of order; he is later readmitted and allowed to ask questions. On Aug. 25 former ML baseball pitcher Curt Schilling is fired from the Little League World Series by ESPN for a re-Tweet drawing comparisons between extremist Muslims and Nazis that reads: "Only 5-10% of Muslims are extremists. In 1940, only 7% of Germans were Nazis. How'd that go?" - truth is the new hate speech? On Aug. 26 (6:45 a.m.) WDBJ-TV Roanoke (Va.) reporter Alison Parker (24) and cameraman Adam Ward (27) are shot and killed by 41-y.-o. disgruntled gay black ex-TV reporter Vester Lee Flanagan II (who goes by the stage name Bryce Williams) while filming a live broadcast at Bridgewater Plaza near Smith Mt. Lake in Moneta, Bedford County, Va., who posts videos of the murders on social media; interviewee Vicki Gardner is wounded; after failing to elude police, he fatally shoots himself in his car; he had accused them of racist comments, and claimed that Allah, er, Jehovah ordered him to do it as payback for the Charleston shooting. On Aug. 26 South Sudan pres. Salva Kiir signs a power-sharing agreement with the rebels aimed at ending the 20-mo. civil war. On Aug. 27 a 6-man ISIS suicide assault on a military HQ near Ramadi, Anbar Province, Iraq kills senior Iraqi gens. Abdel Rahman Abu Raghif and Safin Abdel Majid. On Aug. 27 214 retired U.S. gens. and adms. sign a letter urging Congress to reject Pres. Obama's iran nuclear deal, saying the "agreement will enable Iran to become far dangerous", and "introduce new threats to American interests". On Aug. 27 U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee chmn. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) demands that the Obama admin. explain why it allowed Hillary Clinton to be the only U.S. secy. of state in over 50 years without a permanent independent watchdog inspector gen. On Aug. 27 a Quinnipiac Poll finds that U.S. voters classify Trump with the top words "arrogant, blowhard, idiot, businessman, clown, honest, ego, money", Hillary Clinton with the words "liar, dishonest, untrustworthy, experience, strong, Bill, woman, smart, crook", and Jeb Bush with "family, honest, weak, brother, dynasty, experience". On Aug. 28 (8:30 p.m.) Harris County, Tex. sheriff's deputy Darren Goforth (b. 1968) is murdered at a Chevron gas station in Cypress, Tex. (25 mi. from Houston), by 30-y.-o. African-Am. Shannon Jaruay Miles (1985-), who shoots him in the back of the head execution-style than pumps 14 more shots into his back. On Aug. 29 Donald Trump gives an I Love the Tea Party Speech in Nashville, Tenn. On Aug. 30 (Sun.) Germany, France, and Britain issue a joint call for an EU meeting to find "concrete" measures to deal with the flood of illegal immigrants from the Muslim World, which Luxembourg sets for Sept. 14 in Brussels; meanwhile Danish gen. secy. for refugee help Andreas Kamm utters the soundbyte: "We are risking that conflicts between refugees and migrants on the one side and local populations on the other goes awry and will escalate, and in my eyes we face an Armageddon scenario." On Aug. 30 Saudi coalition airstrikes at a water plant in Mukalla, Hajja Province N Yemen kill 13+ civilians and injure 11+. On Aug. 30 the Iranian armed forces hold a celebration of its victory in the nuclear agreement, with defense minister Hossein Dehghan uttering the soundbyte: "Today, Iran has attained such status that the superpowers have surrendered to it, because of its majesty, its steadfastness, its resistance, and its unity. Despite their great pride, the regime of the arrogance [the West, led by the U.S.] sat humbly behind the negotiating table and obeyed the rights of the Iranian nation." On Aug. 30 The Guardian in Britain pub. an article that claims that former British armed forces head Gen. Lord Richards of Herstmonceaux said that British PM David Cameron lacked "the balls" to take military action in Syria that could have prevented the rise of ISIS by rejecting a "coherent military strategy" in 2012 to oust Syrian pres. Bashar al-Assad which would have seen Islamic extremists "squeezed out of existence", with his approach being "more about the Notting Hill liberal agenda rather than statecraft". On Aug. 31 Pres. Obama ignores Ohio citizens and Congress and officially renames 20,237-ft. Mount McKinley in Alaska (tallest mountain in North Am.) to Mount Denali ("the great one"), reversing Congress, which renamed it in 1917, pissing-off native Alaskans, but now pissing-off Congress, which cries abuse of authority and end-around run; on Aug. 31-Sept. 2 Pres. Obama visits Alaska, starting with a climate change conference hosted by U.S. secy. of state John Kerry; on Sept. 2 he visits Kotzebue, becoming the first sitting U.S. pres. to travel N of the Arctic Circle. On Aug. 31 the U.S. State Dept. releases "6,106 or more pages" of Hillary Clinton's emails to satisfy a FOIA lawsuit filed by Vice News; at least 150 emails are found to contain classified info. On Aug. 31 women in Saudi Arabia begin registering to vote for the first time in history, and 70 women are permitted to run as candidates in local elections. In Aug. ISIS begins distributing "Wanted Dead"" posters for several al-Qaida leaders incl. Ayman al-Zawahiri. In Aug. Slovakia bucks the Euro dhimmi trend and announces that it will only be accepting Christian refugees from the Syrian civil war. In Aug. U.S. employment is 5.1% (vs. 5.3% in July), adding 173K new jobs; a record 94,031,000 Americas are not in the labor force, with labor force participation stuck at 62.6% for a 3rd straightmo., a 38-year low. On Sept. 1 Pope Francis announces that all priests will be given the discretion to forgive women who have had abortions during the upcoming Jubilee Year (Dec. 8-Nov. 26), whose theme of mercy he announced in Mar. On Sept. 1 2K-7K incl. Sens. Lindsey Graham and Joe Liberman and former CIA dir. James Woolsey stage a protest in New York City against the Obama admin.'s Iran deal. On Sept. 2 (early a.m.) despite being safe in Turkey, 3-y.-o. Alan (Aylan) Kurdi (b. 2012) from Kobani, Syria drowns in the Mediterranean Sea when his 15-ft. boat en route from Bodrum, Turkey to Kos, Greece capsizes, killing 12; the photos of his cute body by Nilufer Demir go global, and becoming an issue in the 2015 Canadian federal election when it is revealed that his parents were trying to reach Canada; father Abdullah later admits that he wanted to get to Greece to get a full set of free teeth implants. On Sept. 2 Donald Trump disses Jeb Bush (who has a Mexican wife) for speaking Spanish in an address, with the soundbyte: "He should really set the example by speaking English while in the United States", pissing-off La Raza spokesperson Lisa Navarrette, who utters the soundbyte: "Every time Donald Trump opens his mouth he widens the gulf between the Republican Party and Latino voters. Today is no exception." - why did she say this in English? On Sept. 3 the Obama admin. announces that it's halting deportation of thousands of mostly Muslim Yemenis, grating them temporary legal status for 18 mo. On Sept. 3 China (70th anniv. of the end of WWII) China puts on a massive military parade in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, showing their massive piracy of Western technology. On Sept. 3 Iranian supreme assaholah Ali Khamanei issues the soundbyte that all sanctions be "lifted", not merely "suspended". On Sept. 3 Donald Trump patches things up with Repub. Nat. Committee chmn. Reince Priebus by signing a loyalty pledge to the GOP, ruling-out a third party run; too bad, he later grants an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, exposing his ignorance of basic foreign policy facts incl. the difference between Hamas and Hezbollah, Quds and Kurds, Hassan Nasrallah (Hezbollah), Ayman al-Zawahiri (al-Qaida), Abu Mohammed al-Juliani (al-Nusra Front), and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (ISIS), answering the direct question "Do you know the players without a scorecard yet, Donald Trump?" with the smug reply: "No, you know, I'll tell you honestly, I think by the time we get to office, they'll all be changed... You know, those are like history questions. Do you know this one, do you know that one" - the difference between a man who spent his life making money, and one who spent his life gaining knowledge, like TLW? On Sept. 4 a ABC/Washington Post Poll reveals that less than 50% of Americans have a favorable opinion of Hillary Clinton, and 41% have a favorable rating, lowest in two decades; meanwhile a Survey USA Poll reveals that Donald Trump would defeat Hillary Clinton in a head-to-head matchup by 45% to 40%, which incl. 25% of the black vote. On Sept. 5 the UAE govt. announces that 45 of its soldiers were killed fighting Houthi rebels E of Sa'ana, Yemen. On Sept. 5 former Taliban cmdr. Mullah Mansour Dadullah, brother of ex-cmdr. Mullah Dadullah Lang releases a video rejecting Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour as the new emir of the Taliban, and accusing Pakistan's ISI Directorate of ordering him to conduct assassinations and attacks in Afghanistan. On Sept. 6 Pres. Obama meets in the White House with Saudi King Salman. On Sept. 6 as Muslims immigrants flood Europe, Pope Francis calls for a new Crusade, er, orders all Roman Catholic churches in the EU to take in one migrant family each in a gesture of solidarity, starting with Vatican City. On Sept. 7 after accepting 20K Muslim immgirants over the Labor Day weekend, with 11K more expected today, German chancellor Angela Merkel utters the soundbyte that the immigrants will change Germany forever, urging all EU states to share the benefits, er, burden, with Germany and France accepting 60K of the 120K immigrants stranded in Greece, Italy, and Hungary; French pres. Francois Hollande has already pledged to admit 24K; meanwhile the Arab states and Turkey don't want them, and the clueless EU doesn't even suggest keeping them in the Muslim World rather than importing the Muslim World to Europe, changing it forever for the worse; too bad, on Sept. 10 German chancellor Angela Merkel urges the EU to accept unlimited numbers of migrants, saying that Germany will accept 800K this year and 500K each year thereafter for several years, only to have Germany announce on Sept 13 that it's instituting emergency border protections, and the pres. of Upper Bavaria announce that Munich is at the limit of its capacity after 12.2K arrive; meanwhile Hungarian PM Viktor Orban, whose country is busy building a wall to keep Muslim immigrants out warns of a coming Muslim majority in Europe, with the soundbyte: "If Europe allows for competition between cultures, Christians will lose", calling for the stopping of Muslim immigration. On Sept. 7 Pres. Obama signs an executive order requring federal contractors to give employees one hour of sick leave for every 30 hours worked, up to seven days per calendar year. On Sept. 7 Pakistani Gen. Asim Bajwa announes that Pakistan has made its first strike with its Burraq armed drone. On Sept. 7 a NBC-TV Poll reveals that Bernie Sanders is beating Hillary Clinton in N.H. by 9 points, and closing in on her in Iowa (11 points); on Sept. 12 a poll shows him leading Hillary in N.H. by 52%-30%. On Sept. 8 two PKK bombings kill 16 Turkish police officers in E Turkey near the Iraqi border, becoming the deadliest attack since the end of the 2-y.-o. ceasefire, causing angry crowds to attack Kurdish newspapers and party offices; meanwhile Turkish jets strike PKK position in Iraq; meanwhile the Istanbul and Ankara offices of Hurriet are attacked by with stones and clubs less than 48 hours after an attack by AKP supporters on Sept. 7. On Sept. 8 after decling an offer from NBC News on Sept. 4, and telling AP on Sept. 7 that an apology isn't necessary because the State Dept. "allowed"" her to do it, Hillary Clinton finally apologizes for using a private email account, with the soundbyte: "That was a mistake. I'm sorry about that. I take responsibility, and I'm trying to be as transparent as I possibly can." On Sept. 8 (1st anniv. of displacement of Christians from Iraq and Syria by ISIS) U.S. Reps. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) and Jerry Fortenberry (R-Neb.) introduce a resolution declaring the persecution of Mideast Christians to be genocide. On Sept. 8 U.S. Sen. (R-S.C.) Lindsey Graham calls for the U.S. to take 'its fair share of Syrian refugees" , else the U.S. "should take the Statue of Liberty and tear it down"- as if he never heard of the words Sharia and jihad? On Sept. 8 Hillary Clinton announces her plan to overhaul campaign finance laws, vowing to break the "stranglehold that wealthy interests have over our political system." On Sept. 8 a Pew Research Center Poll finds that only 21% of Americans approve of Pres. Obama's nuke deal with Iran, and 49% disapprove. On Sept. 9 after a 2-year siege, Al-Nusra Front captures Abu al-Duhur Military airport in Idlib Province, Syria, the Syrian govt.'s last stronghold in the province. On Sept. 9 the Tea Party-sponsored Stop the Iran Deal Rally is held on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.; speakers incl. Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Glenn Beck, who announces a plan to bring in "vetted" immigrants from Syria, with the soundbyte "We can save more people by Christmas than Oscar Schindler", and Sarah Palin, who utters the soundbyte that Pres. Obama doesn't trust Americans to "change our own light bulb of our own choosing", but does trust a "death cult" in Iran, adding: "This treaty will not bring peace. You don't reward terrorism - you kill it. You don't lift sanctions, you crack down on their assets. You cut off their oil and drill baby drill for our own." On Sept. 9 Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu visits London, being greeted by violent anti-Israeli pro-Palestinian protesters calling for his arrest. On Sept. 9 Australian PM Tony Abbott announces that Australia will take in 12K Syrian refugees; meanwhile European Commission pres. Jean-Claude Juncker delivers his state of the union address, calling for "bold concerted action" to deal with 120K new asylum seekers in addition to the 40K in May. On Sept. 9 Iranian supreme assahollah Ruhollah Khomeini gives a speech at the tomb of Assaholah Khomeini, uttering the soundbyte: "In 25 years there will be no such thing as the Zionist regime in the region." On Sept. 9 the Obama amin.'s U.S. Justice Dept. rules that Hillary Clinton had the right to delete emails from her private account when she left office. On Sept. 9 a U.S. federal district court rules in U.S. House of Representatives v. Burwell that the U.S. House of Reps has standing to challenge a U.S. pres. executive action. On Sept. 9 Donald Trump gives an interview to Rolling Stone mag., in which he utters the soundbyte about opponent Carly Fiorina: "Look at that face! Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president? I Mean, she's a woman, and I'm not supposed to say bad things, but realy folks, come on, are we serious?", causing the PC police to come out and go at him again, to which he responds that he was only talking about her "persona" - he meant imagine that face over his gold-plated zipper giving him a beejay? On Sept. 10 the Syrian army aided by Hezbollah repels an attack on Zabadani, Syria, killing or injuring 30. On Sept. 10 by a 42-58 straight party ticket vote (incl. 4 Dem. no votes) the U.S. Sen. votes to end a filibuster and sustain Pres. Obama's nuclear deal, preventing an up-down vote and clearing the way for the lifting of $150B in sanctions on Iran next week; on Sept. 11 the U.S. House by 162-269 votes against the deal, which won't stop it from taking effect next week, causing Am. pundit Mark Levin to utter the soundbyte: "I told you last year this was the start of World War III, and here we go, slowly but surely" - if Iran can't build a bomb, they can buy one on the black market? On Sept. 10 Defense Intel Agency chief Lt. Gen. Vincent Stewart utters the soundbyte that Iraq and Syria may have been permanently torn asunder and might not survive as states, adding "I see a time in the future where Syria is fractured into two or three parts." On Sept. 10 La. Repub. Gov. Bobby Jindal gives a speech at the Nat. Press Club in Washington, D.C., uttering the soundbyte about Donald Trump: "He is shallow. There is no substance. He doesn't know anything about policy. He has no idea what he is talking about. He makes it up on on the fly", adding: "Donald Trump's never read the Bible... [because] he's not in the Bible", causing Trump to reply: "I only respond to people that register more than 1% in the polls. I never thought he had a chance and I've been proven right"; Jindal drops out of the pres. race on Nov. 17. On Sept. 11 (/11) Lansing, Mich. mayors Virg Bernero and Nathan Triplett host the 9th Annual Mayor's Ramadan Unity Dinner, pissing-off everybody but them and the local Muslims, causing them to change it to Sept. 19. On Sept. 11 after pressure the 20-org. Refugee Council USA, 72 Dems. in Congress pub. a letter calling on the Obama admin. to "resettle a minimum of 200,000 refugees by the end of 2016, including 100,000 Syrian refugees". On Sept. 11 50+ intel officials of the U.S. Central Command announce that the Obama admin. altered intel reports to make the war on ISIS seem more successful. On Sept. 11 lightning hits a crane, causing it to crash into the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, killing 65+ and injuring 150 - payback's a bitch? On Sept. 11 Rick Perry drops out of the U.S. pres. race after 97 days, becoming the first Repub. to quit, leaving 16. On Sept. 12 Dem. Socialist Bernie, er, Jeremy Bernard Corbin (1949-) becomes head of the British opposition Labour Party, vowing to nationalize key industries, scrap Britain's nuclear missile system, and generally reverse the centrist policies of Tony Blair et al., pleasing Bernie; too bad, he's anti-American and anti-Israel, and a friend of Islamists. On Sept. 12 10K protest in Warsaw, Poland to protest their govt.'s decision to admit 2K Muslims from Syria and North Africa by 2017; signs read "Poland, free of Islam", and "Today refugees, tomorrow terrorists"; meanwhile thousands protest in London, England in favor of admitting refugees; meanwhile Saudi Arabia won't take any refugees, although it has 100K air-conditioned tents that can house 3M. On Sept. 12 a Ferrari and a Porsche bearing Qatari plates engage in a hi-speed street race in a residential neighborhood of Beverly Hills, Calif., which eneds when the Ferrari's engine begins smoking, after which they pull into their $10M luxury home then tell police that they claim diplomatic immunity. On Sept. 13 (Sun.) two Femen protesters take off their tops at a conference on Muslim women near Paris, France, exposing slogans incl. "No one subjugates me" and "I am my own prophet". On Sept. 13 Palestinians begin rioting at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, causing Israeli forces to enter the compound on Sept. 15; meanwhile Saudi king Salman condemns Israel for violating Islam's 3rd holiest site; meanwhile Palestinian Authority pres. Mahmoud Abbas issues a soundbyte: "Al-Aqsa is ours... and they have no right to defile it with their filthy feet", causing Israeli Gen. Dore Gold to reply "By saying that the 'filthy feet' of Jewish visitors to the Temple Mount desecrate it, Mahmoud Abbas has now clarified on which side he stands." On Sept. 13 (2:00 p.m.) Tex. Muslim Rasheed Abdul Aziz (1975-) enters the Corinth Missionary Baptist Church in Bullard near Lake Palestine in Cherokee County, Tex. with a gun in his pocket and tells the congregation that Allah had told him to "slay infidels", changing his mind after the pastor Rev. John D. Johnson III talks him out of it and leaving before being arrested. On Sept. 13 Dem. pres. candidate Bernie Sanders utters the soundbyte that he is against "perpetual warfare" in the Middle East, and that Saudi Arabia, Turkey et al. will have to "get their hands dirty" to settle unrest in Iraq and Syria. On Sept. 14 the European Council meets and decides to adopt provisional measures protecting 40K refugees in Greece and Italy; meanwhile on Sept. 15 Hungary declares a state of emergency, and onSept. 16 1.5K migrants riot, causing police to use tear gas. On Sept. 14 Yale U. accepts a $10M donation from Abdallah S. Kamel of Saudi Arabia to establish a Center for the Study of Islamic Law and Civilization, which supposedly won't be treated as a joke like at Harvard U. but will be integrated with the law school. On Sept. 14 openly Socialist pro-gay anti-abortion Bernie Sanders gives a speech at supposedly evangelical Liberty U., drawing cheers when stating how his views differ from theirs. On Sept. 14 14-y.-o. 9th grader Am. Muslim "Clock Boy" Ahmed Mohamed (2001-) is arrested at his school in Irving, Tex. after he brings a homemade digital clock to school and the admins. call it into the police as a bomb threat hoax, and he refuses to tell them his engineering teacher had already seen it and told him not to carry it to other classes, after which he is released, and his publicity-hound daddy Elhassan goes to the PC police, who cause it to go viral, making him the poster boy for Islamophobia, earning him an invite to the White House science fair (Astronomy Night) on Oct. 19 and TV shows despite all kinds of kids arrested for toy guns etc. not being selected because they're not Muslim; h is father Mohamed Elhassan Mohamed is a Muslim activist who set it all up as a publicity stunt with the backing of the insidious Muslim Brotherhood front CAIR?; on Oct. 13 after visiting Saudi Arabia, Clock Boy visits Sudanese dictator Omar Hassan al-Bashir; on Oct. 19 (night) he meets with Pres. Obama in the White House, with his daddy Mohamed E. Mohad tweeting that this will help spread Islam in the U.S.; on Oct. 20 he announces that he's moving to Qatar. On Sept. 14 Hillar8y Clinton utters the soundbyte: "To every survival of sexual assault... You ahve the right to be heard. You have the right to be believed. We're with you" - unless you're Juanita Broaddrick, Monica Lewinsky et al.? On Sept. 15 the U.N. Gen. Assembly 70th Session begins (ends Sept. 2016). On Sept. 15 Malcolm Bligh Turnbull (1954-) of the Liberal Party becomes PM #29 of Australia (until Aug. 24, 2018). On Sept. 15 the Vatican releases a statement supporting the P5+1 nuclear agreement, calling for Israel, er, a Middle East free of nukes. On Sept. 15 CIA dir. John Brennan testifies before the U.S. House Intel Committee, saying that the U.S. is afraid that Iran may be outsourcing its secret nuke program to North Korea, or attempting to secretly purchase some Death to Israel and America nukes. On Sept. 15 the Collective Security Treaty Org. (CSTO) Collective meets in Dushanbe, Kyrgyzstan, pleding to fight terrorism esp. ISIS. On Sept. 15 Hillary Clinton gives an interview to the syndicated TV show "Extra", saying that making her hubby Bill her vice-pres. has "crossed her mind", with the soundbyte: "He would be good, but he's not eligible under the Constitution. He has served his two terms and I think the argument would be as vice-president it would not be possible for him to ever succeed to the presidency, at last that's what I've been told." On Sept. 16 the 2015 Burkina Faso Coup sees the regiment of pres. security of ex-pres. Blaise compaore arrest pres. Michel Kafando, PM Isaac Zida et al., shutting down the govt. before releasing them on Sept. 18 and nameing Gen. Gilbert Diendere (Diendéré) (1960-) as new leader. On Sept. 16 the city council of Reyjjavik, Iceland decides to boycott Israeli products, causing a firestorm of controversy and calls for Jews to boycott them, causing them on Sept. 19 to limit their boycott to products from the so-called Occupied Territories; meanwhile on Sept. 17 Iceland's foreign ministry disavows support for the city council. On Sept. 16 Syrian govt. barrel bomb attacks in Aleppo, Syria kill 45+. On Sept. 16 the 2nd GOP Candidate Debate between 11 candidates at the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley, Calif. gives them all a chance to look good, esp. Carly Fiorina, who tasks Donald Trump for his remarks about her face, with her soundbyte "I think women all over this country heard very clearly what Mr. Trump said", causing him to blushingly reply: "I think she's got a beautiful face, and I think she's a beautiful woman." On Sept. 17 an anti-Kurdish (PKK) demonstration in Ankara, Turkey is attended by thousands, who call them terrorists; on Sept. 20 another anti-Kurd demonstration in Yenikapi Square in Istanbul, Turkey is attended by tens of thousands. On Sept. 17 after a latch-ditch Senate Repub. attempt to stop it by tying sanctions relief to Iran's recognition of Israel's right to exist and release of U.S. citizens, which is blocked by every Senate Dem. but one, the deadline is reached for the U.S. Congress to vote for or against Pres. Obama's nuclear deal with Iran, allowing the Obama admin. to wave sanctions. On Sept. 17 Donald Trump gives a speech at a town hall meeting in Rochester, N.H., after which the first question is what he will do about Muslims amd their jihadist training camps in the U.S., calling Pres. Obama a Muslim, to which Trump responds "We need this question", and "A lot of people are saying that bad things are happening. We're going to be looking that and many other things", pissing-off the PC media, which disses him for "Islamophobia", with Bernie Sanders tweeting that he must apologize, and Hillary Clinton tweeting: "Donald Trump not denouncing false statements about POTUS & hateful rhetoric about Muslims is disturbing, & just plain wrong. Cut it out"; on Sept. 19 Trump responds that it's not his obligation to defend Imam, er, Pres. Obama. On Sept. 18 ISIS-linked Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigades stage a rocket attack on S Israel, causing Israeli planes to bomb three terror targets on Sept. 19 (early a.m.); on Sept. 19 (night) Palestinian terrorists bomb Israeli soldiers near Beit Fajar village in Gush Etzion, Israel, resulting in no injuries. On Sept. 18 the 2015 Volkswagen Scandal begins when the U.S. EPA announces that Europe's biggest automaker used software on some of its cars to manipulate the results of direct emissions tests to make them pass, causing them to have to refit 11M vehicles and pay an $18B fine in the U.S., causing its market to tank. On Sept. 18 Pres. Obama appoints Eric Fanning as new U.S. Army secy., to succeed John McHugh, who has announced his departure on Nov. 1, becoming the first openly gay secy. of a U.S. military branch. On Sept. 18 the supreme court of Ala. refuses to recognize a lesbian adoption. On Sept. 18-19 Saudi alliance airstrikes in Yemen kill 57 and injure 130 civilians. On Sept. 19 Manfred Schmidt, head of Germany's refugee office resigns as the number of refugees entering the country doubles in 24 hours and controls are extended to the Czech border. On Sept. 20 (Sun.) Repub. pres. candidate Ben Carson gives an interview to Chuck Todd on Meet the Press, uttering the soundbyte that no Muslim should be U.S. pres. because Islam is an ideology that's incompatible with the U.S. Constitution, bringing out the PC press prodded by insidious Muslim Brotherhood front CAIR, then granting an interview to The Hill, with the soundbyte that whoever takes the White House should be "sworn in on a stack of Bibles, not a Quran", making him more popular with non-Muslims?; meanwhile on Sept. 19 Donald Trump says "I love the Muslims. I think they're great people.", clarifying "We do have a problem with radical Muslims, there's no question about that." On Sept. 20 U.S. secy. of state John Kerry announces that the U.S. will accept 85K refugees next year (vs. 70K in 2015), and 100K in 2017. On Sept. 20 the deadline for establishing a unity govt. in Libya with the parliament in Tobruk and the Gen. Nat. Congress in Tripoli lapses. On Sept. 20 former Algerian foreign minister Abderrahmane Belayat gives a speech with the soundbyte that Algeria should obtain nukes to drive the Jews out of Palestine. On Sept. 20 the U.S. Border Patrol arrests two Pakistanis with ties to terrorism at the U.S.-Mexico border near Tijuna, Muhammad Azeem and Mukhtar Ahmad; they wait until late Dec. to reveal it to the public. On Sept. 20-26 the World Week for Peace in Palestine Israel, sponsored by the World Council of Churches (WCC). On Sept. 21 the 2015 U.N. Internat. Day of Peace. On Sept. 21 Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian pres. Vladimir Putin meet to "prevent misunderstandings between IDF units and Russian forces" in Syria and avoid accidential exchanges of fire. On Sept. 21 after reports that it had let Iran gather its own environmental samples, U.S. State Dept. spokesman John Kirby utters the soundbyte that the Obama admin. won't "micromanage" the IAEA. On Sept. 21 a Gallup Poll reveals that 49% of U.S. citizens believe that the federal govt. is an "immediate threat" to their rights and freedoms, up from 305 in 2003. On Sept. 22-27 Pope Francis visits the U.S., landing in Washington, D.C. and meeting with Pres. Obama in the White House on Sept. 23 (the 266th pope meeting Obama on the 266th day of the year, which is also the period of human gestation?), during which Obama utters the soundbyte: "So we stand with you in defense of religious freedom and interfaith dialogue, knowing that people everywhere must be able to live out their faith free from fear and free from intimidation"; on Sept. 23 after a popemobile tour of Washington, D.C., where he kisses a baby, Francis becomes the first pope to perform a mass in the U.S. at the Nat. Cathedral; on Sept. 24 he becomes the first pope to address the U.S. Congress (joint session), telling them to seek the "common good", after which Rep. Bob Brady (D-Penn.) grabs his half-full drinking glass and swipes it, drinks from it, and saves the rest for sprinkling on his children; (George Washington and Thomas Jefferson roll over in their graves?); after Obama invites prominent gay and pro-abortion activists to the pope's reception, Ark. Gov. Mike Huckabee utters the soundbyte that the decision is "classless" and a "new low", saying that the Obama admin. "will go down as the most anti-Christian in American history"; on Sept. 25 the pope delivers an address to the 70th U.N. Gen. Assembly in New York City, and visits the 9/11 Memorial before giving a mass at Madison Square Garden for 18K; on Sept. 26 the pope gives a speech outside Independence Hall in Philly, standing at the same lectern that Pres. Lincoln used to deliver the Gettysburg Address, addressing illegal immigrants, with the soundbytes: "Please don't ever be ashamed of your traditions", "You remind American democracy of the ideals for which it was founded, and you remind us that society is weakened whenever and wherever any injustice prevails; "Do not forget what happened here more than two centuries ago. Do not forget that Declaration that proclaimed all men and women are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, and that governments exist to protect and defend these rights", adding that the Catholic invaders, er, immigrants "bring many gifts to the U.S"; while in the U.S., Pope Francis visits with Ky. clerk Kim Davis, later taking pains to deny that it "be considered a form of support for her position"; he also secretly meets with gay couples incl. Yayo Grassi and Iwan Bagus. On Sept. 23 a EU Summit shows EU leaders divided over the mass Muslim invasion, with German chancellor Angela Merkel leading the pack wanting more, while Hungarian PM Viktor Orban criticizes her "moral imperialism" of saying that Germany is Islam's, and that they must atone for Hitler, which causes her own people to boo her in speeches and call her a traitor, to which she responds that they should imbibe more about their Christian faith to engage the Muslims in dialogue. On Sept. 23 the U.S. govt. announces that 5.6M fingerprints of U.S. citizen were stolen by hackers from the Office of Personnel Mgt., along with SSNs and home addresses of 21M current and former govt. employees; China is suspected. On Sept. 23 U.S. State Dept. spokesman Mark Toner utters the soundbyte that the U.S. "would welcome" Saudi Arabia heading the U.N. Human Rights Council, causing an outcry, which doesn't stop the U.N. from doing it; meanwhile on Sept. 23 a super-rich Saudi Muslim is arrested in Beverly Hills, Calif. for forcing a woman to blow him. On Sept. 24 a stampede in Mecca, Saudi Arabia kills 717 pilgrims on Hajj and injures 863 while trying to get their turn to throw stones at the Devil in Mina, becoming the deadliest tragedy since 1990; on Sept. 27 Iranian supreme assasholla Khameini gives a speech, with the soundbyte: "Instead of laying the blame on others, the Saudis should accept the responsibility and apologize to the grieving Iranian families and the Muslim World", causing Saudi foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir to respond: "The Iranians should know better than to try to play politics with a tragic event", after which the Saudis refuse to allow Iranian officials to travel to Mecca, pissing-off the ayatollah, who begins veiled threats about the use of the Iranian Rev. Guard to retaliate. On Sept. 24 a suicide attack at a mosque in Sana'a, Yemen kills 25+ worshippers celebrating Eid al-Adha. On Sept. 24 the U.S. Nat. Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin. (NOAA) announces that no Category 3 or above hurricanes have struck the continental U.S. in a record 119 mo., with records going back to 1851. On Sept. 24 after things aren't going well for him, Fla. Repub. Sen. Marco Rubio utters the soundbyte about opponent Donald Trump that he is "insecure", lashes out at opponents when things aren't going well for him, and "can't have more than a 10-second soundbyte on any key issue." On Sept. 25 Chinese pres. Xi Jinping visits the White House in Washington, D.C. for the first time just as Pope Francis leaves town for New York City; he and Pres. Obama announce a global climate change agreement approved by the pope, and a pact to stop state-sponsored cyberattacks; on Sept. 26 Xi Jinping meets in Seattle, Wash. with tech corp. CEOs incl. Tim Cook of Apple, Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com, and Satya Nadella of Microsoft to discuss Chinese cyber espionage and rook them into pressuring Washington, D.C. into not imposing sanctions; on Sept. 28 Jingping hosts a meeting on women's rights at the U.N., causing Hillary Clinton to call him "shameless" when he is persecuting women's activists at home, causing China to respond that she's a "demagogue" like "big mouth" Donald Trump; on Sept. 25-27 the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is approved by the U.N. Gen. Assembly to bring the internat. community "to the cusp of decisions that can help realize the... dream of a world of peace and dignity for all" (U.N. secy.-gen. Ban Ki-moon), containing 17 sustainable development goals incl. an end to world poverty and hunger, gender and wealth equality, action against climate change et al.; it's really an insidious Satanic plan for a New World Order (NWO)? On Sept. 25 after inviting Pope Francis to address the House, crying when he begins speaking, former altar boy and Repub. U.S. House Speaker John Boehner announces his resignation effective Oct. 30; he was pressured into quitting by conservative Repubs. as a RINO who kept selling-out to Pres. Obama on the budget et al.? On Sept. 25 the U.S. House by 233-170 passes the U.S. Reponsibly and Professionally Invigorating Development (RAPID) Act of 2015, sponsored by Rep. (R-Penn.) Tom Marino, forbidding federal agencies from incl. the "social cost of carbon" in environmental reviews. On Sept. 26 the Obama admin. opens a dialogue with Iran over the crises in Syria and Yemen. On Sept. 27 (Sun.) the conservative Austrian People's Party (OVP) wins the Austrian election with 36.4%, followed by the anti-immigrant Austrian Freedom Party (FPO) (slogans: "Mehr Mut fur Wiener Blut" [More Courage for Viennese Blood]) and "Too many foreigners does no one any good") at 30.4% and the Social Dems. (SPO) at 18.4%. On Sept. 27 (Sun.) (night) a super blood moon, occurs, becoming the last of a lunar tetrad, sending Bible-thumpers into a rapture. On Sept. 27 the thriller series Quantico debuts on ABC-TV for 44 episodes (until ?), starring India-born Priyanka Chopra (1982-) as FBI recruit Alex Parris, who is framed for committing a terrorist attack. On Sept. 28 Pres. Obama gives a speech at the 70th U.N. Gen. Assembly, with the soundbyte: "If we cannot work together more effectively, we will all suffer the consequences. That is true for the United States, as well, no matter how powerful our military... We understand the United States cannot solve the world's problems alone", adding "I lead the strongest military the world has ever known. I will never hesitate to protect my country and our allies unilaterally and by force when necessary"; he then complains about Donald Trump et al., with the soundbyte: "We see greater polarization, more frequent gridlock... movements on the far right, and sometimes the left, that insist on stopping the trade that binds our fates to other nations, calling for the building of walls to keep out immigrants", and "Most ominously, we see the fears of ordinary people being exploited through appeals to sectarianism, or tribalism, or racism, or anti-Semitism, appeals to a glorious past before the body politic was infected by those who look different, or worship God differently, a politics of us versus them"; no surprise, he adds that there must be a "rejection by non-Muslims of the ignorance that equates Islam with terrorism", bragging about increasing the yearly quota of Muslim immigrants; Russian pres. Vladimir Putin gives a speech to the U.N. Gen. Assembly, calling on the world to join Russia's fight against terrorism while preserving Bashed Ass in power in Syria; Iranian pres. Hassan Rouhani gives anspeech to the U.N. Gen. Assembly, along with Russian pres. Vladimir Putin; meanwhile Pres. Obama meets with Putin at the U.N., becoming their first meeting in 15 mo.; on Sept. 29 Obama hosts a counter-terrorism summit at the U.N., uttering the soundbyte that Syrian pres. Bashar al-Assad must go before ISIS can be defeated; British PM David Cameron tasks Obama for trying to get the foreign leaders to stop profiling Muslims because "violent extremism is not unique to any faith", with the soundbyte: "Barack, you said it and you're right, every religion has its extremists. But we have to be frank that the biggest problem we have today is the Islamist extremist violence that has given birth to ISIL, to al-Shabaab, to al-Nusrah, al-Qaida, and so many other groups." On Sept. 28 King Abdullah of Jordan delivers an address to the U.N. Gen. Assembly, blaming Israel for troubles on the Temple Mouth, and warning that Jordan will "prevent any threat" to the "holiness" of the city, and "reject any threat to the Arab character of the holy city". On Sept. 28 (night) three jihadists on a motorcycle assassinate Italian citizen Cesare Tavella in the diplomatic quarter of Dkhaka, Bangladesh; ISIS claims responsibility; on Oct. 3 after warning that they will target more foreigners, they murder Japanese national Kunio Hoshi in Rangpur 180 mi. from Dhaka. On Sept. 28-Oct. 15 Category 4 Hurricane Joaquin forms SW of Bermuda and hits Cuba, Haiti,, Greater Antilles, and Bermuda, killing 34 and causing $200M damage while failing to make landfall in the U.S. and bringing record-breaking rains and floods across N.C. and S.C., causing floods in S.C. that kill 19 in Charleston and Columbia and cause $2B damage. On Sept. 29 the Inst. for the Study of War announces that the Taliban now control Kunduz Province in Afghanistan. The beginning of worldwide Islamic Sharia law enforcement? On Sept. 29 the Strong Cities Network is launched, with the U.N., the U.S. atty. gen., and the mayors of several U.S. cities uniting to fight ISIS; on Oct. 7 U.S. atty. gen. Loretta Lynch at the U.N. announces the Strong Cities Network (SCN), a global law enforcement initiative to fight extremism in U.S. cities; in Oct. the Justice Dept. announces that a new position is being created to investigate lone-wolf domestic extremists - part of Pres. Obama's insidious plan to bypass Congress and the U.S. Constitution to surrender U.S. sovereignty to the U.N.? On Sept. 29 U.S. defense secy. John Kerry utters the soundbyte that a "complete ceasefire" could be put in place in Syria if pres. Bashar al-Assad announces that he doesn't want to stay in power and will "help manage Syria out of this mess and then go off into the sunset". On Sept. 30 Russia launches its first air strikes in Syria after the Russian Federation Council approves it 162-0; Vladimir Putin orders U.S. planes and personnel to get out of the way, and doesn't give Pres. Obama prior warning; too bad, the targets aren't ISIS but Assad's Syrian opposition, which the U.S. is partially friendly with, causing White spokesman Josh Earnest to utter the soundbyte: "We are seeing the Russians ramp up support for President Assad. They've been supporting him for quite some time, and it's clear the athey've made a significant military investment now in further propping him up. The fact that Russia has to take these noteworthy steps... is an indication of how concerned they are about losing influence in the one-clinet state that they have in the Middle East"; on Oct. 1 the U.S. and Russia begin deconfliction talks; meanwhile Iran sends hundreds of troops to Syria to back Russia and Assad up, and ISIS vows to set Moscow ablaze. On Sept. 30 Palestinian Authority (PA) pres. Mahmoud Abbas delivers an address to the U.N. Gen. Assembly, announcing that the PA no longer adheres to the 1993 Oslo Accords because "we won't work as employees for Israel", "with the soundbyte: "Our patience for a long time has come to an end", and that Israel "must fully assume all its responsibilities as an occupying power." In Sept. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is overheard talking on a hot mic at a U.N. development summit in New York City with German chancellor Angela Merkel, telling her "we need to do some work" on the issue of suppressing "offensive posts" on the refugee crisis, meaning anybody complaining about the evils of Islam and Muslim immigration to the West, answering "Yeah" to her question "Are you working on this?" In Sept. Google fixes their search engine algorithm that supplies the answer "Jews" to the question "Who runs Hollywood?" In Sept. U.S. unemployment is 5.1%, unchanged from Aug., adding 142K jobs; a record 94.61M Americans are no longer in the labor force, with only 62.4% of the U.S. pop. holding a job or actively looking for one. On Oct. 1 an ISIS roadside bomb in El-Arish, Egypt in N Sinai kills two Egyptian soldiers and injures 16. On Oct. 1 (10:38 a.m. PDT) ISIS-loving organized religion-hating "Pagan Wiccan" half-black half-white U.S. Army reject Chris Sean Harper-Mercer (1989-), whose MySpace page is full of praise for Islamic jihadists attacks Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Ore., asking victims if they're Christian then shooting them in the head if they say yes and in the leg if they say no, killing nine and injuring nine before killing himself in a shootout with police; the Obama-run PC media tries to hide his identity then coverup his Muslim connections, and meanwhile Pres. Obama gives a speech politicizing the massacre, blaming it on the Second Amendment and calling for more gun control, failing to show sympathy for the victims or even wait for all the facts to come in, pissing-off the victims' families; on Oct. 7 Repub. pres. Ben Carson utters the soundbyte: "Not only would I probably not cooperate with him, I would not just stand there and let him shoot me. I would say, 'Hey guys, everybody attack him. He may shoot me, but he can't get us all'; on Oct. Pres. Obama visits the victims, with the town divided over his anti-gun stand, and some armed protesters declaring an Obama Free Zone. On Oct. 1 Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu delivers an address to the U.N. Gen. Assembly, berating it for its silence in the face of the death threats against Israel by Iran, glaring at the members for 45 sec., calling the Iran nuke deal a "marriage certificate for that unholy union" of radical Islam and nukes. On Oct. 1 Pope Francis releases his message for the 2016 World Day of Migrants and Refugees, titled Migrants and Refugees Challenge Us: The Response of the Gospel of Mercy. On Oct. 1 an Iranian-born Australian Muslim teenie enters a police HQ on Charles St. in Parramatta, N.S.W., Australia, killing two before being killed. On Oct. 1-2 George Soros' Open Society Foundation holds a board meeting in New York City, later releasing a report revealing that Soros personally lobbied Pres. Obama to raise the Syrian refugee quota for 2017 from 70K to 100K. On Oct. 2 (12:01 a.m.) a USAF C-130 military transport plane crashes at Jalalabad Air Base in E Afghanistan, killing six U.S. airmen; the Taliban claims credit. On Oct. 2 Amnesty Internat. disses the U.N. Human Rights Council for bowing to Saudi pressure and passing a resolution shunning an internat. investigation into reported abuses in Yemen by Saudi-led forces and Houthi rebels, calling for the U.K. to stop supplying them with arms. On Oct. 2 a scout for the MLB Arizona Diamondbacks reveals that several ML baseball clubs have been sending talent scouts to the West Bank to observe Palestinian stone-throwers for signs of a new Sandy Koufax; ditto Jewish settler stone-throwers. On Oct. 3, 2015 (Sat.) as she sags in the polls, Hillary Clinton appears in a comedy skit on Saturday Night Live in an attempt to prove she's not a robot; meanwhile a fake Donald and Melania Trump appear in another comedy skit. On Oct. 3 Eitam and Naama Henkin from Nera (near Ramallah) are killed in front of their four children in their car by Hamas terrorists in Samaria, Israel; on On Oct. 3 a Russian MiG-29 fighter jet crosses into Turkish airspace near the Syrian border, causing Turkey to scramble two F-16s; ditto on Oct. 4. Kunduz, Afghanistan accidentally hits a Doctors Without Borders (DWB) hospital, killing 22 incl. 12 workers, some by burning alive, causing them to call it a war crime, and the U.S. govt. to launch an investigation despite U.S. Afghanistan cmdr. Gen. John F. Campbell uttering the soundbyte that Afghan forces requested the air strike; on Oct. 7 after stalling, Pres. Obama apologizes for the bombing, which doesn't stop Dr. Joanne Liu from DWB pres. calling for an independent investigation by the Internat. Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission. On Oct. 3 the Vatican fires Monsignor Kryzsztof Charamsa after he comes out as gay; he and his boyfriend Eduard hold a news conference in downtown Rome. On Oct. 3 (eve.) a Palestinian terror knife attack by 19-y.-o. Muhannad Shafeq Halabi in Old City Jerusalem, Israel kills two men and injures an infant before the terrorist is killed by police; both are praised by Hamas. On Oct. 3 a U.S. an AC-130 gunship crashes in E Afghanistan, killing 11. On Oct. 5 a series of car bombings across Iraq kills 63 and injures dozens. On Oct. 5 ISIS blows up the 1.8K-y.-o. Arch of Triumph in Palmyra, Syria. On Oct. 6 ISIS kills 15 coalition soldiers in coordinated suicide bombings in Aden, Yemen; meanwhile 50+ Saudi clerics call on Muslim countries to wage jihad against heretic Bashar al-Assad and its allies Russia, Iran et al., and support fellow Sunnis in ISIS. On Oct. 6 U.S. top Afghanistan cmdr. Army Gen. John F. Campbell recommends to Pres. Obama that U.S. troops remain in Afghanistan past the Dec. 2016 deadline. On Oct. 6 Calif. Dem. Gov. Jerry Brown signs the Calif. Fair Pay Act, allowing women to sue claiming that they are being paid less than male employees for "substanially similar work" (not just equal work), and placing the burden of proof on the employer; it goes into effect on Jan. 1. On Oct. 7 (Wed.) Black Oct. begins? On Oct. 7 a huge oil discovery is announced in Golan Heights in Israel, containing enough reserves to last for decades. On Oct. 8 the U.S. military announces that USS Theodore Roosevelt has been pulled out of the Persian Gulf, leaving it without a U.S. aircraft carrier for the first time since 2007. On Oct. 8 two hours after he announces he has enough votes and goes into a meeting, heir apparent Kevin McCarthy abruptly pulls out of the race to replace John Boehner as U.S. House Speaker. On Oct. 8 Repub. pres. candidate Ted Cruz gives an interview to Fox News, dissing the "weakness of the Obama-Clinton foreign policy" that makes Vladimir Putin consider Pres. Obama a "laughingstock" and makes the world a more dangerous place, uttering the soundbyte: "We should stop engaging in the fiction in trying to find these moderate rebels and support them. We should stop the fiction of trying to bring together the Sunnis and Shias to put down their arms and embrace like brothers. Instead we should defend U.S. national security interests and do what works to defeat ISIS." On Oct. 9 (Fri.) (The Day of Rage) sees Israeli troops fire on Palestinian protesters along the Gaza border fence, killing six, Hamas leader Ismail Haniya declares a new Third Intifada AKA the Knife Intifada against Israel, which incl. videos calling it the Knife Intifada, with insructions on how to stab Jews, incl. the advice "poison the knife before you stab". On Oct. 9 U.S. defense secy. Ashton Carter announces that the U.S. will end the failed $500M Syrian rebel training program and begin working with Kurdish fighters. On Oct. 9 ISIS announces the killing of Iranian brig. gen. Hossein Hamedani in Syria, becoming their 3rd. On Oct. 9 the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee unanimously passes a resolution regarding "the safety and security of Jewish communities in Europe", noting increased anti-Semitic activity. On Oct. 9 the U.N. Security Council votes 14-0-1 (Venezuela) for Resolution 2240 to enable Operation Sophia, with six EU warships patrolling off the coast of Libya to turn back boats transporting refugees to Europe. On Oct. 9 Swedish PM Stefan Lofven (Löfven) utters the soundbyte that Muslim immigrant-filled Sweden is in a state of crisis. On Oct. 9 masked men attack four Muslim immigrant invader boats in the Aegean Sea off Lesbos. On Oct. 10 the 70th Annov. of the Workers' Party of Korea is celebrated with a big military show in Pyongyang, attempting to coverup the terrible economy et al. On Oct. 10 a double suicide bombing before a scheduled peace rally in Ankara, Turkey kills 98 and injures 190 mostly Kurds, becoming the most deadly terrorist attack in Turkish history; ISIS is suspected; the Turkish govt. really did it? On Oct. 10 an anti-mosque protest in Bendigo, Australia sees 400+ police arrest four. On Oct. 10 (Sat.) the Justice or Else Rally in the Nat. Mall in Washington, D.C. celebrates the 20th anniv. of the Million Man March, with Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan hogging the microphone for 2 hours, praising #BlackLives Matter and damning the white devil establishment, with the soundbyte: "Moses was not an integrationist and neither are we. Let me be clear, America has no future for you or for me. She can't make a future for herself, much less a future for us." On Oct. 10-11 the Global Rally for Humanity sees anti-Islam protests in front of mosques in 20 cities across the U.S., led by USMC vet Jon Ritzheimer; "The world is saying no to Islam"; "Standing up against Islam does not mean you're a racist or a bigot, it simply means you're not an idiot and can see the reality of Islam around the world." On Oct. 11 a NATO heli crash in Afghanistan kills two British service members, two Americans, and one French contractor; on Oct. 12 Afghan officials report two crashes of military flights, one involving a small plane and the other a transport heli. On Oct. 12 ISIS supporters begin leaving messages in Gothenburg, Sweden declaring a new caliphate, incl. "The caliphate is here", and "Convert or die" - friends, football, food, King Soopers can? On Oct. 12 Communist Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli (1952-) becomes PM #38 of Nepal (until July 24, 2016), resigning after a no confidence motion. On Oct. 12 after circ. falls from 5.6M in 1975 to less than 1M, Playboy mag. announces that it's going to stop pub. photos of nude women, reversing the decision in early 2016. On Oct. 13 Bahrain severs diplomatic ties with Iran after accusing it of interfering in its affairs and terrorism. On Oct. 13 a madass Palestinian Muslim Baha Alyan plows his vehicle into some Jews at a bus stop in Jerusalem, Israel, then jump out and attempt to murder them with a meat cleaver, killing three and injuring four until he is shot and killed by security, causing hundreds of Israeli troops to be deployed to stop the wave of Palestinian attacks across Israel; on Oct. 13 Middle East Forum dir. Gregg Roman appears on Al-Jazeera America, saying that Mahmoud Abbas must stop "turning attackers into martyrs". On Oct. 13 (9 p.m. ET) the First 2015 Dem. Pres. Candidate Debate in Las Vegas, Nev. on CNN, moderated by Anderson Cooper is watched by a record 15.3M viewers; Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders supporters come out backing them more than ever, with more switching to Bernie than vice-versa; Cooper asks Hillary "Will you say anything to get elected?"; Hillary utters the soundbyte that the NRA and Republican Party are her "enemies"; Bernie utters the crowd-pleasing soundbyte: "The American people are sick and tired of hearing about your damned emails." On Oct. 14 Hamas announces that it will recognize same-sex marriages performed in the smuggling tunnels in Gaza Strip; meanwhile a Gaza judge orders all women living under Hamas rule to cover-up in public Muslim-style. On Oct. 14 the Obama admin. announces plans to deploy 300 U.S. troops to Cameroon for intel ops. On Oct. 14 FBI dir. James Comey utters the soundbyte that ISIS is recruiting new members in all 50 U.S. states "24 hours a day". On Oct. 14 U.S. State Dept. spokesman John Kirby utters the soundbyte that the Obama admin. views an incident in which a Jewish Israeli was arrested for stabbing four Bedouin Arabs as "an act of terrorism", pissing-off Ted Cruz, who calls on him to disavow his remarks or resign. On Oct. 15 Pres. Obama announces that he plans to keep 9.8K troops in Afghanistan through most of 2016, keeping 5.5K when he leaves office in Jan. 2017, reneging on his campaign promise to end the war during his presidency, calling it a "modest but meaningful" extension of the U.S. military mission in Afghanistan; his generals recommended 11K not 5.5K. On Oct. 15 (night) Queens, N.Y. Muslim Alija Kucuk is arrested for threatening to blow up JetBlue Airways Flight 153 en route from JFK to Palm Beach Internat. Airport. On Oct. 15 (night) Palestinians torch Joseph's Tomb in Israel, causing it to prepare for war; on Oct. 16 Israel rejects calls from the Palestinians for an internat. police force in E Jerusalem. On Oct. 16 The New York Times pub. a map showing that the Taliban controls 35 and contests another 35 of Afghanistan's 398 districts. On Oct. 17 Palestinian madasses carry out five stabbing attacks on Jews in Jerusalem and the West Bank in Jerusalem, causing Palestinian Authority (PA) pres. Mahmoud Abbas to issue a directive to stop attacks in Jerusalem and switch to the West Bank esp. Gush Etzion and Hebron before reversing himself and demanding more attacks in Jerusalem on Oct. 26, causing a madass attack on Oct. 27, followed by another on Oct. 30. On Oct. 18 (Sun.) Swiss nat. elections are won by the anti-Muslim-immigration Swiss People's Party (SVP) with 29.4% (up from 26.6% in 2011), with the pro-business Liberal Party (FDP) also making gains; the SVP gains 11 seats in the house, for a total of 65 of 200, the highest ever. On Oct. 18 Adoption Day for the July 24 nuclear agreement with Iran. On Oct. 18 Donald Trump gives an interview to Fox News Sunday, explaining why he dissed Pres. George W. Bush for 9/11, saying that if he had been president back then his tough immigration policies wouldn't have allowed raghead foreign Muslims to run around loose planning jihadist attacks in the first place, causing brother Jeb Bush to attack him and lamely defend his brudder as if it's personal not politics; too bad, Jeb had earlier admitted that "leaky" immigration led to 9/11; after the interview Chris Wallace utters the soundbyte: “All of us dismissed Trump early on. A summer fling, momentary amusement. As I watch that interview and I heard what he had to say about the country and about trade and about losing and just the sheer force of his personality, I am beginning to believe he could be elected president of the United States." On Oct. 18 the 2014 Internat. Religious Freedom Report slams Pakistan et al for "general failure to investigate, arrest, or prosecute those reponsible for religious freedom abuses" incl. use of blasphemy laws against Ahmadiyya Muslims et al.; it also slams Nigeria for failure to take on Boko Haram. On Oct. 18 Dan Alexander of Forbes mag. pub. an article that reveals the net worth of Bill and Hillary Clinton to be $230M. On Oct. 19 2015 Canadian federal elections are a big V for the Liberal Party (39.5%) under Justin Pierre James Trudeau (1971-) (son of former PM Pierre Trudeau), who win 184 of 338 seats in Parliament; Stephen Harper's Conservatives (32%) win 99 seats; Trudeau becomes Canadian PM #23 on Nov. 4 (until ?), immediately announcing that Canada will pull its RCAF CF-18 Hornets out of Iraq. On Oct. 20 "All in the Family" producer Norman Lear gives an interview to Jeanne Wolf's Hollywood Blog, saying that Donald Trump's popularity represents Americans giving the establishment political class a "middle finger". On Oct. 21 (early a.m.) the Bosporus Restaurant in Dubai is bombed; no one is injured. On Oct. 21 after months of waffling, U.S. vice-pres. Joe Biden announces that he won't be running for U.S. pres., with the soundbyte: "I believe we're out of time"; he had earlier taken a swipe at Hillary Clinton's remark that Repubs. are her "enemies", with the soundbyte: "We have to end the divisive partisan politics that is ripping this country apart." On Oct. 21 Marty McFly arrives from 1985 to learn about all the cool new technology incl. flying cars, freeways in the sky, drones, hoverboards, and home-office teleconferencing - 1985 film Back to the Future :) On Oct. 21 Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu utters the soundbyte that Adolf Hitler only wanted to expel the Jews from Europe, and that the idea to exterminate them came from madass Muslim Mufti of Jerusalem Haj Amin al-Husseini, pissing-off German chancellor Angela Merkel, who replies: "We abide by our responsibility for the Shoah." On Oct. 22 the Hillary, er, Hillary Clinton testifies (her 2nd time) for 11 hours (10 a.m.-9 p.m.) before the U.S. House Select Committee on Benghazi, chaired by Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), where she is grilled about her actions and statements, esp. her public blaming of an anti-Islam video for the attack when she knew that it was a terrorist assault; too bad, despite being caught lying to the public, the exposure only boosts her campaign. On Oct. 22 the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee passes a bipartisan condemnation of the Palestinian Authority (PA) for inciding violence against Israelis. On Oct. 22 the Obama admin. announces the Let Girls Learn Initiative to provide $70M in aid to 200K teenie girls ages 10-19 in Pakistan. On Oct. 23 U.S., Kurdish, and Iraqi comandos free 70 histages from an ISIS prison near Hawija, Iraq; Master Sgt. Joshua L. Wheeler becomes the first U.S. soldier KIA against ISIS. On Oct. 23 Pres. Obama appoints U.S State Dept. official Brett McGurk as special envoy to the anti-ISIS coalition, succeeding retiring Gen. John Allen. On Oct. 23 ISIS releases a new video showing a Hebrew-speaking jihadists threatening attacks on Jews worldwide, with the soundbyte: "Soon there will be no more Jews in Israel", calling Jews a "disease" - welcome to LA? On Oct. 25 (Sun.) elections in Poland see the anti-immigrant anti-EU Law and Justice Party, led by Jaroslaw Kaczynski and Beata Szydlo win 39% of the vote, ousting the ruling centrist party and winning 242 of 460 seats in parliament, while the Civic Platform Party wins 133, leaving parliament with no left-wing members. On Oct. 25 a mass rally in Casablanca, Morocco in support of the Palestinian Intifada sees children shouting "We will sacrifice our soul and our blood for you" while splattered in blood, calling for a "Million-Martyr March to Jerusalem"; meanwhile next Jan. PA Authority intel chief Gen. Majid Farad admits that the PA has foiled 200 attacks on Israelis since the intifada began. On Oct. 26 a 7.5 earthquake in N Afghanistan rocks bldgs. from Kabul to Delhi, India, killing 150+ and injuring 800 in Afghanistan and Pakistan. On Oct. 26 (10:30 p.m.) Saudi coalition warplanes destroy a hospital in N Yemen run by Doctors Without Borders, pissing them off. On Oct. 27 for the 14th straight time (since 1992) the U.N. Gen. Assembly votes to condemn the 55-y.-o. U.S. embargo on Cuba; this time it's 191 to 2 (U.S. and Israel); in 2014 Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Palau abstained. On Oct. 27 U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees #19 (since June 15, 2005) Antonio (António) Manuel de Oliveira Guterres (1949-) of Portugal warns of the coming "amputation in the DNA of Christianity... in... the Middle East"; Guterres leaves office on Dec. 31. On Oct. 27 U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) introduces legislation to defund the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) for being "tied to foreign terrorist orgs', incl. storing rockets used by Islamist jihadists to attack Israel. On Oct. 27 the USS Lassen carries out the first Freedom of Navigation Patrol to challenge China's territorial claims to the 12 naut. mi. region surrounding its artificial islands in the South China Sea. On Oct. 27 Walgreens announces that it is acquiring competitor Rite Aid for $7.15B, leaving only CVS to compete with them in the drugstore biz. On Oct. 27 the Cyber Threat Alliance pub. a report announcing that hackers made $325M from victims using its CryptoWall malware. On Oct. 27- Nov. 2 the 2015 (111th) (2015) World Series sees the Kansas City Royals defeat the New York Mets 4-1; Royals shortstop (#2) Alcides "El Mago" (the Magician) Escobar (1986-) scores an in-the-park homer as the leadoff hitter in Game 1 off the first pitch thrown by Mets pitcher (#33) Matthew Edward "Matt" "the Dark Knight" Harvey (1989-), becoming the first inside-the-park WS homer since 1929, the first ever to lead off Game 1 of a WS, and the first leadoff WS homer since Patsy Dougherty in Game 2 of the 1st (1903) WS. On Oct. 28 (3:15 a.m.) African-Am. property mgr. Corey Lamar Jones (b. 1984) (brother of ex-NFL player C.J. Jones) is shot by plainclothes officer Nouman K. Raja (of South Asian descent) while waiting by his disabled Hyundai Santa Fe SUV at an exit ramp of I-95 in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. after pulling up in an unmarked white van and failing to identify himself as a police officer, causing Jones (who has a concealed weapons permit) to pull a handgun, resulting in Raja firing 6x; on June 1, 2016 a grand jury charges Raja with manslaughter and attempted 1st degree murder, causing him to be fired; on Jan. 17, 2017 the Fla. state atty.'s office released a reporting stated that Raja lied to investigators; on Aug. 23, 2018 the Fla. state appeals court rejects Raja's stand your ground defense. On Oct. 28 a spokesman for Inherent Resolve announces that the anti-ISIS coaliation has conducted 7,712 airstrikes since operations began, the majority in Iraq. On Oct. 28 U.S. House Repubs. by 200-43 nominate Paul Davis Ryan Jr. (1970-) as new House speaker over Daniel Webster of Fla.; on Oct. 29 he is elected to succeed John Boehner. On Oct. 28 China announces and end to its 36-y.-o. one-child policy of 1979, permitting couples to have up to two children. On Oct. 28 after support by House Speaker John Boehner along with secret talks, the U.S. House votes 266-167 (all Dems. plus 79 Repubs.) to pass a sweeping budget deal that raises spending levels and expands borrowing authority by $1.5T causing conservative pundit Rush Limbaugh to predict that the deal will help Hillary Clinton be elected U.S. pres., with the soundbyte: "So, the idea that the Democrat party and their nominee, most likely Hillary clinton, pose a grave threat to the country's future because of their runaway spending... we can't say that anymore"; U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) begins a filibuster. On Oct. 28 after criticizing Hungary for building a border fence, Austria flops and decides to build its own at its main crossing with Slovenia. On Oct. 28 officials of the Nat. Oceanic Atmospheric Admin. (NOAA) refuse to hand over records explaining why they suddenly decided to eliminate the 20-year global hiatus in global warming from the official climate record, pissing-off chmn. Lamar Smith (R-Tex.), who utters the soundbyte: "It was inconvenient for this administration that climate data has clearly showed no warming for the past two decades. The American people have every right to be suspicious when NOAA alters data to get the politically correct results they want and then refuses to reveal how those decisions were made." On Oct. 28 the 2-hour 2nd Repub. Pres. Debate in uber-leftist Boulder, Colo., aired by CNBC, with liberal hosts Becky Quick, John Harwood, and Carl Quintanilla throwing circus-like questions at the 10 candidates, pissing them all off; on Oct. 30 the Repub. Nat. Committee announces that it's dropping the planned Feb. 26 debate, saying of NBC News that "its handling of the debate was conducted in bad faith". On Oct. 28 Dem. U.S. pres. candidate Bernie Sanders stinks himself up with the soundbyte that he is going to lead the fight against "Islamophobia" because his ancestors died in Nazi concentration camps; he never heard that Adolf Hitler was a big supporter of Jerusalem Grand Mufti Haj Amin al-Husseini, who helped plan the Holocaust with him and mentored Jew-killer Yasser Arafat? On Oct. 29 Wisc. Repub. Rep. (1999-) Paul Davis Ryan (1970-) (2012 U.S. vice-pres. nominee) replaces John Boehner, becoming U.S. House Speaker #54 (until ?) (first from Wisc.). On Oct. 29-30 a Summit on Syria in Vienna, Austria is attended by the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, UAE, and Iran; the Syrian press. pub. an article that claims that U.S. secy. of state John Kerry acted as a mediator and blocked a discussion of the removal of Bashar al-Assad, and that Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif was the dominant player. On Oct. 30 the Obama admin. announces the deployment of up to 50 U.S. special ops forces to fight ISIS in Kurdish-controlled Syria; on Nov. 2 after being reminded of his pledge not to put "boots on the ground" in Syria, he explains that they won't be on the front lines. On Oct. 31 (Halloween) the world's first Blood Rave is held in Amsterdam, Holland, in which blood-filled sprinklers shower the participants. On Oct. 31 Russian Kogalymavia Flight 7K9268 (Airbus A-321) en route from Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt to St. Petersburg, Russia carrying 224 passengers and crew crashes in Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, killing all aboard; ISIS claims responsibility, which Russia denies, after which U.S. intel chief James Clapper utters the soundbyte that there is "no direct evidence" pointing to ISIS, but he wouldn't rule it out; investigations point to an on-board bomb, and after Pres. Obama announces that a bomb is suspected, and flight data recorder data confirm it, Russian pres. Vladimir Putin halts Russian air traffic with Egypt and evacuates Russian nationals; meanwhile Egypt suspends flights for British nationals; on Nov. 17 Russia announces that the plane was indeed brought down by a homemade bomb equivalent to 2 lbs. of TNT, and offers a $50M reward for info. on the terrorists. In Oct. U.S. unemployment is 5% (vs. 5.1% in Sept., with the economy adding 271K jobs. On Nov. 1 (Sun.) gen. elections in Turkey (last on June 7) are a V for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), which increases its share in the nat. vote by 9% and its parliamentary seats by 11%, giving it back its majority; the AKP rigged the election? On Nov. 2 Pres. Obama visits Rutgers U., and announces that federal agencies will no longer require applicants to check a box declaring that they have criminal records AKA "ban the box"; he also visits Newark, N.J. and announces an $8M federally-funded construction job apprentice training program, pissing-off unions. On Nov. 2 the govt. of Libya threatens the EU to recognize its Islamist govt. or face millions of illegal immigrants; meanwhile U.N. high commissioner for refugees Antonio Guterres announces that 218,394 illegally migrated to Europe in Oct., vs. 219K for 2014. On Nov. 2 (98th anniv. of the Balfour Declaration) Hamas issues an official statement demanding that Britain apologize for it, calling it null and void and calling on the world to pressure Britain to submit. On Nov. 3 (Tues.) Hamtramck, Mich. becomes the first city in U.S. history to elect a Muslim-majority city council - it's on the wrong tramck? On Nov. 3 Kurdish intel expert Lahur Talabini annonces that Kurdish peshmerga fighters have not been paid for 3 mo. and are badly in need of winter gear and ammo if they are to hold ground seized from ISIS. On Nov. 4 U.S. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) utters the soundbyte about the mass migration of Muslims to Europe: "What we are witnessing is the destruction of Western civilization, not by an armed invasion, but by envelopment." On Nov. 4 (8:00 a.m.) Muslim freshman Faisal Mohammad (b 1997) goes on a stabbing spree at UC Merced in Calif. "with a smile on his face", stabbing four before police shoot and kill him. On Nov. 4 U.S. Senators accuse the Pentagon of "paid patriotism" for paying prof. sports teams to hold ceremonies honoring U.S. troops. On Nov. 5 the U.N. Gen. Assembly votes 117-21 to allow Israel to join the Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space; Egypt votes for Israel for the first time since 1948. On Nov. 5 the Mormon Church announces that same-sex couples will be considered as apostates, and that their children cannot be baptized. On Nov. 6 Antioch Maronite patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros al-Rahi issues the soundbyte that Muslims want to conquer Europe "with faith and the birthrate". On Nov. 6 Mass. Repub. Gov. Charlie Baker issues an executive order making Mass. the first state adding LGBT-owned businesses to its affirmative action Supplier Diversity Program (SDP). On Nov. 7 a 6.8 earthquake rocks Chile 66 mi. SW of Coquimbo. On Nov. 7 Chinese pres. Xi Jinping and Taiwanese pres. Ma Ying-jeou formally meet for the first time. On Nov. 8 elections in Burma (Myanmar) are a landslide V for the Nat. League for Democracy of Aung San Suu Kyi, who won 390 seats in parliament, more than two-thirds. On Nov. 8 a madass Palestinian rams his vehicle into a group of Israelis at a hitchhiking station near Nabus, West Bank, Israel, injuring four before he is killed by security forces. On Nov. 8 a Gallup Poll indicates that 64% of Americans disapprove of the way that Pres. Obama is dealing with ISIS. On Nov. 9 police across Europe raid an Iranian hacking group affiliated with the Islamic Rev. Guard Corps (IRGC), saying it had targed 1.6K high-profile targets incl. Israeli nuclear scientists, NATO officials, Iranian dissidents, and members of the Saudi royal family. On Nov. 9 police capt. Anwar Abu Zaid (b. 1986) (nephew of former Muslim Brotherhood MP Suleiman Al-Sa'ad) opens fire at the Al-Muwaqqar police training facility E of Amman, Jordan, killing two Jordanians, two Americans, and a South African before being killed; the weapons used are later discovered to have been stolen by Jordanian intel aents from shipments by the CIA intended for Syrian rebels. On Nov. 9 Pres. Obama meets with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, who surprises reporters with his willingness to pursue peace talks with the Palestinians and his assertion that he is still committed to a 2-state solution. On Nov. 9 after 30 black players refuse to play for its football team, combined with protests over racial incidents, U. of Mo. pres. Tim Wolfe resigns. On Nov. 10 Pres. Obama makes the cover of Out mag. becoming the first U.S. pres. on the cover of a gay mag. On Nov. 11 thousands of protesters in Kabul, Afghanisan storm the pres. palace carrying the coffins of seven minority Hazara Shiite civilians beheaded by ISIS, accusing Pres. Ashraf Ghani of incompetence and shouting "Death to the Taliban", "Death to the Islamid State", "Death to Pakistan", and "Down with the Government". On Nov. 11 the EU approves a measure requiring the labeling Jewish-made goods from Judea and Samaria, which Israel calls "anti-Semitic". On Nov. 12 ABC News announces that ISIS executioner Jihadi John has been killed in a U.S. drone strike in Syria. On Nov. 12 twin suicide bombings at a busy shopping street in a Hezbollah Shiite section of Beirut, Lebanon kill 43 and injure 239; ISIS claims responsibility. On Nov. 12 Pres. Obama gives an interview to George Stephanopoulus of ABC-TV, uttering the soundbyte about ISIS "We have contained them". On Nov. 13 (Fri.) Hamas stages another Day of Rage in Judea and Samaria; meanwhile a Palestinian terrorist kills a father and son Israeli and injures another youth in South Hebron, Israel. On Nov. 13 ISIS detonates a suicide bomb at the funeral procession of a pro-govt. Shiite fighter in Baghdad, Iraq, killing 18 and injuring 41, calling Shiites "rejectionist Hashid". On Nov. 13 U.S. sec. of state John Kerry visits Tunisia for the 2nd U.S.-Tunisia Strategic Dialogue (first in Apr. 2014). After years of not closing the doors to Islamists, France finally gets its 9/11? On Nov. 13 (9:20 p.m.) (Friday the Thirteenth) one day after senior Iraqi intel officials warn anti-ISIS coalition forces of the attack in vain, and hours afer Montpellier, France imam Mohamed Khattabi gave a sermon portraying Muslims as victims, with the soundbyte: "We dream of seeing our children become ministers and dignitaries, and even presidents. Why not? We want them to rule France one day, to rule Belgium, Germany, and Britain... You will never get [your children] there through the means of Islam. No. You must get them there through their [Western] rules, not yours", seven Allah Akbar-shouting ISIS terrorists freshly returned from Syria (one a French national, three from Brussels, Belgium) stage six attacks in Paris, France, incl. Bataclan Concert Hall (where Eagles of Death Metal are playing), Stade de France in Saint-Denis (where a soccer match is being played and French pres. Francoise Hollande is in attendance), Caffe Bonne Biere, Le Petit Cambodge, la Belle Equipe, and Avenue de la Republique, killing 129 and injuring 352 before detonating their suicide belts, becoming the deadliest attack in Europe since the 2004 Madrid train bombing, and the deadliest attack in Paris since WWII, causing Pres. Francois Hollande to declare martial law for the first time since you know what after calling the attacks "an act of war", and U.S. law enforcement to go on high alert; ISIS claims responsibility, calling them "the first of the storm" and mocking France as a "capital of prostitution and obscenity"; Pres. Obama utters the soundbyte "We've seen an outrageous attempt to terrorize innocent civilians", calling it "an attack on all of humanity and the universal values that we share", as if history isn't all about warring civilizations with warring values; Pope Francis calls it part of the "Piecemeal Third World War"; Hillary Clinton tries to cover for Islam Obama-style, refusing to admit that the West is at war with radical Islam, with the soundbytes: "Let's be clear. Islam is not our adversary. Muslims are peaceful and tolerant people and have nothing whatsoever to do with terrorism", and "I don't think we are at war with Islam. I don't think we are at war with all Muslims. I think we are at war with jihadists"; Belgian-born Abdelhamid Abaooud (b. 1987) is identified as the mastermind of the attacks; German chancellor Angela Merkel utters the soundbyte; "We believe in the rights of every individual to seek his fortune, in respect for others, and in tolerance. Let us reply to the terrorists by declaring world war", er, "by resolutely living our values and by redoubling those values across all of Europe - now more than ever"; on Nov. 14 (night) a rally in solidarity with France is held in Tel Aviv, Israel; meanwhile Israeli defense minister Moshe Ya'alon utters the soundbyte; "In Europe, the balance between security and human rights has until now leaned in favor of human rights, but there is no longer any choice. The balance must now be tipped toward security to defend democracy"; on Feb. 15 a candelight vigil for the victims is interrupted by Nat. Front demonstrators crying "Out with the Muslims" and "Throw out Islamists"; Russian pres. Vladimir Putin utters the soundbyte: "This tragedy is another proof of the barbarian nature of terrorism, which challenges human civilization", calling for Western leaders to bury their differences and join Russia to strike at ISIS militants in Syria; TLW's Winslow Plan for Defeating Islam Forever is never mentioned; on Feb. 16, 2016 CIA Dir. John Brennan gives an interview to CBS-TV's "60 Minutes", saying that the "system was blinking red" shortly before the attacks, and knew that ISIS was plotting an attack days before. On Nov. 14 the Ulema High Council of Morocco issues a fatwa delineating the distinction between jihad and terror, with only the ruler having the authority to declare jihad. On Nov. 15 France uses 12 aircraft incl. 10 fighter jets to drop 20 bombs on the ISIS capital of Raqqa, Syria, causing Israelis to complain how they were criticized for doing ditto when they were attacked by Palestinian terrorists. On Nov. 15-16 the G20 Summit in Belek, Antalya, Turkey; Pres. Obama gives a speech, in which he declares that ISIS "does not represent Islam; it is not representative in any way of the attitudes of the overwhelming majority of Muslims", in which he calls it "shameful" to suggest that the U.S. only admit Christian Syrian refugees, sticking to his plans to immigrate 10K-65K Muslims even if they are seeded with ISIS terrorists, pooh-poohing calls by Russia and France as well as U.S. Repubs. to form an anti-coalition, with the soundbyte: "We are going to continue to pursue the strategy that has the best chance of working, even though it does not offer the satisfaction, I guess, of a neat headline or an immediate resolution", dismissing Repubs. with "I'm too busy for that", adding "What I'm not interestedi n doing is posing or pursuing some notion of American leadership, or American winning or whatever other slogans they come up with that has no relationship to what actually is going to work to protect the American people"; Am. commentator Michael Savage comments that Obama's refusal to recognize the Islamic part of Islamic terrorism proves he's insane, with the soundbyte: “How insane is a man who at a time like this not only says he is not going to stop the influx of male, Muslim, Syrian refugees of military age, but he's going to double down and bring in more?"; meanwhile Russian pres. Vladimir Putin issues the soundbyte that ISIS is financed by 40 countries incl. some G20 member states, calling on them to curb their illegal oil trade that brings them in $40M/mo.; meanwhile Donald Trump disses Obama for wanting to admit Muslims into the U.S. while denying entry to persecuted Christians, with the soundbyte: “If you're from Syria and you're a Christian, you cannot come into this country. If you're Islamic, you can come in so easily", which is bolstered by statistics released on Nov. 16 the U.S. State Dept. showing that of 2,184 Syrian refugees admitted to the U.S. so far, only 53 are Christians. On Nov. 16 ISIS releases a video warning that any "Crusader" country staging air strikes against them will suffer the same fate as in Paris, threatening to attack the U.S.; meanwhile Yazidis torch Muslim homes in recaptured Sinjar in revenge. On Nov. 16 the U.S. Congress passes the U.S. Space Resources and Utilization Act of 2015, permitting private cos. to own natural resources they mine from celestial bodies incl. asteroids and the Moon. On Nov. 16 British PM David Cameron delivers a Speech on the Fri. the 13th Paris Massacre in London, saying that Islamist ideology needs to be defeated, but leaving the sacred cow of Islam itself untouched. On Nov. 17 police evacuate a soccer stadium in Hanover, Germany after finding an explosive device, then evacuate the TUI Arena for safety. On Nov. 17 (4:25 a.m.) a woman detonates her suicide vest as French commandos raid an apt. in Saint-Denis, France, killing two, with seven arrested after a 6-hour standoff; the woman is later identified as former party girl-turned-radical "Cowgirl" Hasna Aitboulahcen (b. 1989), a cousin of Paris Massacre mastermind Abdelhamid Abaaoud (b. 1987), who is also killed, making her Europe's first female suicide bomber; meanwhile the hacker group Anonymous posts a video declaring war against ISIS; meanwhile France and Russia engage in their first joint air strikes against ISIS targets in Syria, while whimpy Pres. Obama does nil over there, instead stumping to import Syrian refugees to the U.S. heartland by mocking Repubs., asking if they're afraid of 3-y.o. orphans to gain sympathy, saying "Nobody said there should be a religion test", calling it "shameful", and launches the #REFUGEESWELCOME Twitter hashtag; he wouldn't limit immigration to women and children but wants grown males to have an open door?; conservative commentator Mark Levin utters the soundbyte that persecuted Christians in the Middle East "have nowhere else to go"; Hollywood actor James Woods tweets the soundbyte: "How exactly do Dems propose to vet the potential terrorists hidden among the horde? The same way they vetted the Tsnarnaevs?"- poor little Topsy? On Nov. 17 Russia announces that the plane down on Oct. 31 in the Sinai Peninsula was downed by a bomb that was equivalent to 2 lbs. of TNT, and offers a $50M reward; meanwhile ISIS releases a photo they claim is of the bomb, which fits in a pineapple juice can. On Nov. 17 Obama's gal U.S. atty. gen. Loretta Lynch testifies before the House Judiciary Committee about bringing Gitmo POWs to U.S. soil, with the soundbyte "The law currently does not allow that", but that this won't stop the Obama admin. from closing Gitmo. On Nov. 17 Obama's boy John Kerry stinks himself up with the soundbyte about the Charlie Hebdo Massacre that "there wasa sort of particularized focus and perhaps even a legitimacy in terms of - not a legitimacy, but a rationale that you could attach yourself to somehow and say, okay, they're really angry because of this and that", but not the Friday the Thirteenth Paris Massacre, which was "absolutely indiscriminate... They kill people because of who they are and they kill people because of what they believe", causing an outcry, with Tex. Repub. Sen. Ted Cruz uttering the soundbyte that Kerry should resign for being "apologists for radical Islamic terrorists" along with Pres. Obama and Hillary Clinton. On Nov. 17 Ohio Repub. Gov. John Kasich calls for a new U.S. govt. agency to promote "core Judeo-Christian Western values that we and our friends and allies share". On Nov. 18 three ISIS supporters stab a Jewish school teacher in Marseilles, France. On Nov. 18 the U.S. American Safety Against Foreign Enemies Act of 2015 is introduced by House Repubs. Mike McCaul (R-Tex.) and Richard Hudson (R-N.C.), requiring the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security, the FBI, and the U.S. intel community to sign-off on every Syrian refugee admitted to the U.S. in an attempt to "pause" Pres. Obama's planned influx, causing Obama to threaten a veto; on Nov. 19 after several Dems. break with Obama, the bill is passed by 289-137 incl. 47 Dems.; meanwhile on Nov. 18 French pres. Francois Hollande announces that despite the Paris massacre, "life must go on", and France will accept 30K more Syrian refugees - how do robots work? On Nov. 18 five young Syrian males with stolen Greek passports are arrested in Honduras; meanwhile Turkey arrests eight Europe-bound ISIS militants posing as refugees. On Nov. 18 Pres. Obama utters the soundbyte that Syrian refugees are no more dangerous to the U.S. than tourists, dissing Repubs. for xenophobia and adding that they shouldn't fear the closing of the Gitmo terrorist detention center either - what universe does he live in? On Nov. 18 Hillary Clinton gives an interview with Fareed Zakaria of CNN, saying that the U.S. must lead the fight against ISIS, but calling on Arab nations to supply most of the troops, backing Pres. Obama with the soundbyte: "Turning away orphans, applying a religious test, discriminating against Muslims, slamming the door on every Syrian refugee, that is just not who we are. We are better than that." On Nov. 18 ISIS announces the execution of Chinese captive Fan Jinghui and Norwegian captive Ole Johan Grimsgaard-Ofstad , causing the Chinese govt. to vow justice. On Nov. 19 U.S. Homeland Security Committee chmn. Rep. Michael McCaul utters the soundbyte that far from being 'contained" like Pres. Obama said, ISIS is "expanding globally and plotting aggressively", and "is now responsible for more than 60 terrorist plots against Western targets, including 18 in the United States", adding "Here at home we have arrested more than 70 ISIS supporters over the last year... more than one per week, and the FBI says it has nearly 1,000 ISIS-related investigations in all 50 states. If this is not a war, then I don't what is." On Nov. 19 (p.m.) a madass Palestinian stabbing attack in Tel Aviv, Israel during midday prayers kills two Israelis and injures another; another madass Palestinian stages a shooting attack in the Gush Etzion, West Bank, killing three incl. an 18-y.-o. tourist from Sharon, Mass. and injuring three. On Nov. 19 after 30 U.S. govs. announce that their states will not allow resettlement of Syrian refugees, pissing-off Pres. Obama, Donald Trump utters the soundbyte that Obama is deliberately sending the refugees to Repub.-majority states. On Nov. 20 after being paroled on July 29, Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard is released after almost 30 years in U.S. prison, allowing him to emigrate to Israel; too bad, the U.S. won't allow it. On Nov. 20 10 Allah Akbar-shouting al-Murabitoun (al-Qaida affiliated) Islamists attack the 5-star Radisson Blu Hotel in Bamako, Mali where French troops are stationed, killing 27 and taking 170 hostages incl. six Americans, killing only non-Muslims. On Nov. 20 justice and home affairs ministers of the EU hold a meeting in Paris, er, Brussels, Belgium to discuss new security measures against ISIS, incl. a passenger name registry; on Nov. 21-25 Brussels is placed in lockdown while police search for terrorist Saleh Abdeslam et al. in the Molenbeek neighborhood; on Nov. 25 Brussels regional pres. Rudi Vervoor says "It's not the end, just the beginning". On Nov. 20 the 2015 Hurricane Season ends with only 11 storms, of which only three are classified as hurricanes, none reaching the U.S. mainland, the closest being the S Bahama Islands; total Atlantic hurricane activity has dropped 80% from 2005, pissing-off climate alarmists. On Nov. 23 the sci-fi series The Expanse, based on the novels by Daniel Abraham and James S.A. Corey (Ty Franck) debuts on Syfy for ? episodes (until ?), starring Sohreh Aghdashloo as U.N. exec Chrisjen Avasarala, Thomas Jane as police detective Josephus Miller, and Steven Strait as ship's officer Holden, who unravel a conspiracy threatening peace between Earth, Mars, and the Outer Planets Alliance (OPA). On Nov. 24 a Russian Sukhoi Su-24M fighter jet is shot down near the Syrian border after violating Turkish airspace for only 17 sec. on the personal orders of Obi Wan Kenobi Erodogan, pissing-off the Russians and raising tensions sky high. On Nov. 26 Socialist Party secy.-gen. (since Nov. 22, 2014) Antonio Luis Santos da Costa (1961-) becomes PM #119 of Portugal (until ?). On Nov. 27 after the U.S. Dept. of the Interior proposes a framework for an independent political structure for Native Hawaiians if it "forms a unified government that seeks a formal government-to-government relationship with the United States", the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily blocks a month-long election (Nov. 1-Dec. 1) for delegates to a constitutional convention for the purpose of Hawaiian self-determination after critics call it unconstitutional and racially exclusive. On Nov. 30-Dec. 12 the 2015 U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP21) (CMP 11) in Paris, France, attended by leaders from 147 nations negotiates the Paris Climate Agreement (Accord), signed by reps of 196 parties, agreeing to a goal of a 1.5C limit to global temperature increase by 2030 at a cost of $100T, but only reducing global temps by .086C; the U.S. agrees to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 26%-28% (below the 2005 level) by 2025, reducing GDP by $150B/year (6M jobs), while reducing global temps by 1/15,000th of 1C by 2100, postponing global warming by 8 mo.?; on Nov. 30 Pres. Obama gives a Speech on Climate Change, urging world action, with the soundbytes: "Our understanding of the ways human beings disrupt the climate advances by the day. Fourteen of the fifteen warmest years on record have occurred since the year 2000 - and 2015 is on pace to be the warmest year of all. No nation - large or small, wealthy or poor - is immune to what this means", calling the COP21 climate change conference in Paris an "act of defiance" against terrorists who attacked Paris earlier in the month; "For I believe, in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., that there is such a thing as being too late. And when it comes to climate change, that hour is almost upon us. But if we act here, if we act now, if we place our own short-term interests behind the air that our young people will breathe, and the food that they will eat, and the water that they will drink, and the hopes and dreams that sustain their lives, then we won't be too late for them"; the only real goal of the U.N. is to sock U.S. taxpayers $150B/year to give to poor countries?; on Nov. 30 Bill Nye the Science Guy backs up Obama on the Paris terrorist attack, calling it "a result of climate change", adding" You can make a very reasonable argument that climate change is not that indirectly related to terrorism. This is just the start of things. The more we let [climate change] go on, the more trouble there's going to be"; of course out pop more so-called experts claiming that global climate change threatens the world's poor directly. In Nov. after France warns him they won't send special forces to protect him after the Fri. the 13th Attacks, Pope Francis visits Africa, incl. CAR and Uganda. In Nov. Kazakhstan and India sign a memorandum of understanding to build a railway terminal in Port Mundra in W India to provide maritime service to Port Bandar Abbas in Iran, and railway service from there N to Kazakhstan, ending its status as a landlocked country. On Dec. 2 (10:58 a.m.) the 2015 San Bernardino Massacre sees married American jihadists Syed Rizwan Farook (born in U.S.) and Tashfeen Malik (born in Pakistan) shoot up the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, Calif. during a Christmas party attended by 80 employees, killing 14 and injuring 21, then drive away and die in a shootout with police, becoming the worst shooting in Calif. since the 1984 San Ysidro McDonald's Massacre, and the deadliest in the U.S. since the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School Massacre; Pakistani-born Malik pledged alliance to ISIS and its caliph on her Facebook page at 11:00 a.m., one minute after the terrorist attack began; Muslim convert Enrique Martinez Jr. is later found to have purchased two rifles for them in 2011-12, and is charged on Dec. 18; ISIS claims responsibility for the massacre; the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security modifies its Nat. Threat Advistory System (NTAS) "an intermediate level... which describes general developments or trends regarding threats of terrorism" (U.S. Homeland Security Secy. Jeh Johnson); too bad, it doesn't label threats with terms like Islamic terrorism or ISIS. On Dec. 2 Internat. Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) secy.-gen. Yukiya Amano releases their Report on the Possible Military Dimensions (PMD) of Iran's Nuclear Program, finding nothing to stop the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) - a coverup On Dec. 3 former Ark. Repub. gov. Mike Huckabee utters the soundbyte: "No American president should ever put the pressure on Israel to give up land that God gave them the title deed to." On Dec. 3 police in Lucknow, India arrest Hindu Kamlesh Tiwari for claiming that "the Prophet Muhammad was the first homosexual", after which Muslims stage anti-blasphemy protests across India and call for his beheading. On Dec. 4 a firebomb attack at a nightclub in Cairo, Egypt kills 16 and injures three. On Dec. 4 OPEC decides at its semi-annual meeting in Vienna not to cut production in order to try to recover market share lost to the U.S. et al. On Dec. 4 amid low oil prices caused by less U.S. dependence, OPEC meets in Vienna. On Dec. 5 a madass Muslim at Leytonstone Tube Station in East London, England cuts a passenger's throat and injures two other while screaming "This is for Syria". On Dec. 6 elections in France give a V to the anti-Muslim-immigrant Nat. Front Party of Marine Le Pen, who receives 27.8%, vs. 27.3% for ex-pres. Nicolas Sarkozy's conservative Les Republicains Party, and Pres. Francois Hollande's Socialist Part (23.3%); on Dec. 13 more elections see the two establishment parties join forces to defeat Le Pen. On Dec. 6 a large bomb in Sana'a, Yemen kills the gov. of Aden Province and six bodyguards; ISIS claims responsibility. On Dec. 6 a triple suicide bombing by Boko Haram on an island on Lake Chad kills 30 and injures 80. On Dec. 6 German vice chancellor Sigmar Gabriel calls on Saudi Arabia to stop funding Wahhabi mosques, with the soundbyte: "In Germany, many dangerous Islamists come from these communities." On Dec. 6 (eve.) Pres. Obama delivers an Address on Terrorism from the Oval Office, his 3rd from the Oval Office, finally calling the San Bernardino Massacre terrorism, with the clueless soundbyte: "The one thing we do know is that we have a pattern now of mass shootings in this country that has no parallel anywhere else in the world", claiming that the Islamic jihadists adopted a form of violence that is "all too common" in the U.S., while hedging as usual by cluelessly calling it a "perversion of Islam", with the soundbyte: "The threat from terrorism is real, but we will overcome it", ending with his usual moose hockey that Muslim-Ams. are just as good as non-Muslim Ams., and that it will play into ISIS' hands to blame Islam itself for jihad, not forgetting to make a play for more gun control laws; "Here's what else we cannot do. We cannot turn against one another by letting this fight be defined as a war between America and Islam. That, too, is what groups like ISIL want. ISIL does not speak for Islam. They are thugs and killers, part of a cult of death, and they account for a tiny fraction of more than a billion Muslims around the world, including millions of patriotic Muslim Americans who reject their hateful ideology"; "But just as it is the responsibility of Muslims around the world to root out misguided ideas that lead to radicalization, it is the responsibility of all Americans of every faith to reject discrimination. It is our responsibility to reject religious tests on who we admit into this country. It's our responsibility to reject proposals that Muslim Americans should somehow be treated differently. Because when we travel down that road, we lose. That kind of divisiveness, that betrayal of our values plays into the hands of groups like ISIL. Muslim Americans are our friends and our neighbors, our co-workers, our sports heroes - and, yes, they are our men and women in uniform who are willing to die in defense of our country. We have to remember that"; "If we are to succeed in defeating terrorism, we must enlist Muslim communities as our strongest allies in rooting out misguided ideas that lead to radicalization." On Dec. 6-7 the Muslim Reform Movement to combat Islamic extremism is announced at a summit in Washington, D.C. , with Danish delegate Naser Khader uttering the soundbyte: "We cannot say that the Islamic State are not Muslims. That is what they call themselves. If we the Muslims do not face the problem of violence that links to Islam in our time, how will we ever succeed in ripping Islam out of the hands of these destructive powers and lift our religion into the 21st century?" On Dec. 7 (Pearl Harbor Day) Repub. pres. candidate Donald Trump calls for a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what the hell is going on", with the soundbyte: "Our country cannot be the victims of horrendous attacks by people that believe only in Jihad, and have no sense of reason or respect for human life", pissing-off the PC police (who can't stand to hear the truth?), causing White House press secy. Josh Ernest on Dec. 8 to ridicule Trump for his "fake hair" and compare him to a "carnival barker", saying "What Donald Trump said yesterday disqualifies him from serving as president.", adding "The Trump campaign for months now has had a dustbin-of-history quality to it", claiming that his proposal would violate his oath of office to defend the U.S. Constitution; the Muslim World begins pulling every string they have to start a war to defeat Trump and open the gates wide to mass Muslim immigration, with Pres. Obama and Hillary Clinton leading the charge along with their Deep State backed by evil globalist puppetmaster George Soros, a war that takes no prisoners and seizes on any subterfuge to lie to the American people and trample the Constitution to get what they want, and doesn't end until ?: meanwhile on Dec. 7 U.S. Homeland Security secy. Jeh Johnson gets busy kissing Muslim butt at the All Dulles Area Muslim Society Center in Sterling, Va., asking Muslims to betray Allah and report fellow Muslims suspected of going jihadist, while a massive petition drive in Britain to ban him from entering gains 360K signatures in 24 hours before being killed by the govt.; meanwhile another petition drive to close the borders of the U.K. until ISIS is defeated gains 450+ signatures since Nov. 28; too bad, it's a basic absolute power of the U.S. Congress to bar entry of persons they deem a threat to nat. security, with the Bill of Rights being irrelevant for foreign nationals outside U.S. borders, so the blizzard of so-called scholars in the PC media sanctimoniously pronouncing Trump's plan as unconstitutional are full of moose hockey?; CIA dir. John O. Brennan is a key player in the anti-Trump war that tries to make it about him rather than about Muslims, but is about Muslims all along, revealing the irony in the anti-Trump shaming slogan "It's not who we are". On Dec. 8 China issues its first-ever smog alert for Beijing. On Dec. 8 a New York Times Poll reveals that only 44% of Americans favor an assault weapons ban, while 50% oppose a ban, becoming the first time they don't want it since their first poll on Jan. 3, 1995 (67% for). On Dec. 9 during arguments over Fisher v. Texas questioning affirmative action, U.S. Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia utters the soundbyte that maybe it's a good thing to exclude African-Am. students from top-tier universities because they could go to a "less advanced school, a slower-track school where they do well", adding "Most black scientists do not come from advanced schools. It does not benefit them. They benefit from a slower track", pissing-off the PC police. On Dec. 11 North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un issues the soundbyte that North Korea has the H-bomb. On Dec. 10 Donald Trump announces his intention of signing an executive order mandating the death penalty for cop killers. On Dec. 11-13 Japanese PM Shinzo Abe visits New Delhi, India for talks with Indian PM Narendra Modi. On Dec. 12 women in Saudi Arabia go to the poll for the first time ever to elect local reps. On Dec. 12-13 the annual World Raki Fstival in Adana, Turkey is canceled after pressure by Islamist groups. On Dec. 13 elections in Saudi Rabid, er, Arabia; 12+ women win local council seats, less than 1% of the total. On Dec. 13 Angela Merkel flops and announces that she now wants to limit the inflow of asyulum seekers to Germany. On Dec. 14 in response to critics, Pres. Obama gives a Speech on ISIS at the Pentagon, with the soundbyte that the U.S. is attacking the Islamic State "harder than ever. harder than ever. As we squeeze its heart, we'll make it harder for ISIL to pump its terror and propaganda to the rest of the world", adding "We're also taking out leaders, commanders, and killers one by one", and "The point is, ISIL cannot hide. And our next message to them is simple: You are next." On Dec. 14 the FAA announces that all owners of drones must register them for a $5 fee to force them to be accountable for their use. On Dec. 14 (11:55 p.m.) the Arab coalition against Houthi rebels in Yemen begins observing a 7-day ceasefire to coincide with U.N.-brokered peace talks in Switzerland; too bad, a missile attack by Houthis in Taiz Province kills dozens hours before the ceasefire is to take effect, and the truce is off. On Dec. 15 the Muslim Council of Elders in Abu Dhabi announces a new coalition of 34 Arab nations to fight ISIS, headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. On Dec. 15 the school district of Los Angeles, Calif. closes schools for 500K students after a Muslim terrorist email threat, which turns out to be a hoax, sent to many U.S. cities, spelling Allah with a lowercase a. On Dec. 15 Boko Haram militans kill 30 and injure 20 in three villages in Borno State, Nigeria. On Dec. 15 Hillary Clinton gives a speech unveiling her strategy for fighting Islam, stressing that "Islamophobia" stands in her way. On Dec. 15 (eve.) the Fifth 2015 Repub. Debate on CNN is a V for frontrunner Donald Trump after his opponents barely lay a glove on him; Trump surprises by claiming that he's made-up with the Repub. Party and isn't planning a third party run, and will avoid a brokered convention by a clear majority of delegates from the primaries. On Dec. 15-18 the Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Org. (WTO) in Nairobi, Kenya (first in Africa). On Dec. 16 as a signal to Iran, the U.S. House of Reps votes 425-0 to pass the Hezbollah Internat. Financial Prevention Act of 2015, increasing sanctions on Hezbollah incl. banks linked to it. On Dec. 16 the U.S. Federal Reserve raises interest rates for the first time since June 2006. On Dec. 16 German chancellor Angela Merkel flops at her party's annual convention and utters the soundbyte that multiculturalism is "a living lie", and she must act quick to prevent Germany from being overrun by more Syrian and other Muslim refugees. On Dec. 16 U.S. defense secy. Ash Carter visits Baghdad, Iraq and offers more U.S. troops and attack helis to help them fight ISIS, but they decline. On Dec. 16 Calif. issues new proposed regulations for self-driving vehicles, requiring a licensed human driver to be on board. On Dec. 16 the TV series The Magicians debuts on Syfy Channel for ? episodes (until ?), based on the 2009 novel by Lev Grossman, starring Jason Ralph (198-) as Quentin Coldwater, student at Brakebills U. for Magical Pedagogy, who discovers that his childhood favorite the "Fillory and Further" series is real and poses a danger to the world. On Dec. 17 after extended talks in Morocco, Libya's rival govts. in Tobruk and Tripoli sign a U.N.-sponsored peace deal. On Dec. 17 U.N. Gen. Assembly Resolution 70/175 is adopted, promulgating the Nelson Mandela Rules (U.S. Std. Min. Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners). On Dec. 17 British PM David Cameron announces a ban on entry visas for Muslim Brotherhood officials who have made extremist statements, with the soundbyte: "Aspects of the Muslim Brotherhood's ideology and activities... run counter to British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, equality and the mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs." On Dec. 17 after the Repubs. cave-in, the U.S. Congress passes a $1.1T budget bill that funds 200K Syrian immigrants in exchange for lifting their ban on oil from the U.S., and pisses-off conservatives by a surprise provision upping caps on H-2B visas for foreign blue-collar workers from 66K/year to 264K/year; it also awards $10K/day compensation to the 1979 Iran hostages. On Dec. 17 Russian pres. Vladimir Putin praises Donald Trump, calling him "a bright and talented person without any doubt", and an "outstanding and talented personality", calling him "the absolute leader of the presidential race"; Trump replies: "It is always a great honor to be so nicely complimented by a man so highly respected within his own country and beyond. I have always felt that Russia and the United States should be able to work well with each other towards defeating terrorism and restoring world peace, not to mention trade and all of the other benefits derived from mutual respect." On Dec. 17 the city council of New Orleans, La. votes to remove four Confed. monuments, incl. statues of Gen. Robert E. Lee, Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard, and pres. Jefferson Davis, with mayor Mitch Landrieu uttering the soundbyte: "The Confederacy, you see, was on the wrong side of history and humanity." On Dec. 18 (Fri.) Pres. Obama gives his last weekly address of 2015, uttering the soundbyte that he's "never been more optimistic about a year head", citing his slam-dunk of the Repub.-dominated Congress on the Iran nuke deal, the reset with Cuba, the $1T spending bill et al., calling them the Christmas Miracles, finally using the term ISIS instead of ISIL, then ending the questions to attend a special screening of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens"; meanwhile Michelle Obama pisses-off patriots by having a U.S. Marine open the door for R2-D2. On Dec. 18 the U.N. Security Council passes Resolution 2254, softening its position on the Assad regime in Syria and setting a timetable for talks between the parties. On Dec. 18 the U.S. Congress makes changes to the visa waver program, barring nationals and visitors over the last five years from Iran, Iraq, Sudan, and Syria, pissing-off Iran et al. On Dec. 18 after one of his staffers is caught peeking at confidential voter files owned by Hillary Clinton, causing the Dem. Nat. Committee to cut off his campaign from their voter database, Bernie Sanders sues them in federal court, after which they restore access fast. On Dec. 19 (night) the 3rd 2015 Dem. Pres. Debate at St. Anselm College in N.H., hosted by ABC News is a big bore, with Bernie Sanders uttering the soundbyte: "I'm running because we need to address the planetary crisis of climate change", and Hillary Clinton claiming that Donald Trump's insulting of Muslims helps ISIS recruit radical jihadists, which he later calls for her to apologize for, and she refuses. On Dec. 19 (night) Hezbollah terrorist Samir Kuntar is killed in Syria while planning an Iran-ordered attack on Israel. On Dec. 21 the Grateful Dead Farewell Dead Tour at Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill. caps 50 years and $55M in tour receipts. On Dec. 20 Russian pres. Vladimir Putin utters the soundbyte that Russia is not trying to bring back the Soviet Union, but "nobody wants to believe it". On Dec. 20 Canadian immigration minister John McCallum announces plans to resettle 50K Syrians by the end of 2016, starting with 10K by the end of Dec. and 15K by the end of Feb. On Dec. 20 a group of orthodox rabbis in Israel pub. a declaration affirming their "partnership" with Christianity, with the soundbyte that it is "the willed divine outcome and gift to the nations", urging Jews and Christians to "work together as partners to address the moral challenges of our era." On Dec. 20 (night) after Donald Trump sells-out in June amid controversy over his statements about Mexicans, the 2015 Miss Universe Pageant sees host Steve Harvey blunder and mistakenly name Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez instead of Miss Philippines Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach (1989-), causing an awkward scene; meanwhile Miss Puerto Rico Destiny Velez is suspended for tweeting the truth that the "Islamic God is not the same God as Christians and Jews". On Dec. 20 (night) homeless African-Am. woman Lakeisha N. Holloway (1991-) living in her sedan with her toddler plows into pedestrians on the Strip in Las Vegas, Nev. near the site of the Miss Universe beauty pageant, killing one and injuring 35 before parking and asking a valet to call police; she was screaming "Allah Akbar", and it was a Palestinian-style car jihad?; a virtually identical jihadist attack occurred 1 year earlier in Dijon, France? On Dec. 20 (night) a mullah shoots and kills U.S. Army veteran Lisa Akbari at her apt. complex in Kabul, Afghanistan. On Dec. 21 the U.N.-sponsored COP 21. internat. climate change talks. On Dec. 21 a Taliban suicide motorcycle attack near Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan kills six U.S. soldiers and injures two more, plus a contractor, becoming the deadliest attack on U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan in three years; Pres. Obama doesn't consider it worth missing his golfing trip to Hawaii; just before the attack the Obama admin. uttered the soundbyte that the U.S. is no longer pursuing counter-terrorism ops against the Taliban because it considers it a peace partner. On Dec. 21 USAF Maj. Adrianna Vorderbruggen becomes the first openly gay female U.S. service member to be KIA. On Dec. 21 an Al-Shabaab attack on a bus in NE Kenya sees the Muslim passengers protect the Christians. On Dec. 21 govt. security forces kill 19 in Djibouti to get them out of the way for the coming elections in Apr.; leading opposition figure Ahmed Yusuf is wounded, along with an opposition MP and dozens of civilians. On Dec. 21 the U.S. FDA lifts its ban on gays and bis donating blood, as long as they have been abstinent for the past year. On Dec. 21 leaders of Am. Muslim orgs. incl. CAIR, the Am. Muslim Alliance et al. threaten Donald Trump et al. at the Nat. Press Club, with the impotent soundbyte: "Let it be heard, and clear, to all political candidates, be it Donald Trump or whoever else, that indeed, if you engage in Islamophobia, if you engage in demagoguery and bigotry, you will pay a political price because we're going to register our people and we're going to use our ballot and we/re going to 'take our souls to the polls' and make sure you are out of there." On Dec. 21 Donald Trump makes a campaign stop in Mich., where he pisses-off the PC police by using the word "schlonged" with reference to Hillary Clinton's defeat by Pres. Obama. On Dec. 21 (night) Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West (PEGIDA) holds a mass rally in Dresden, Germany on the banks of the Elbe River to protest mass immigration of Muslims to Germany. On Dec. 22 a mortar shell at a girls' school in Deir Ezzor, Syria kills nine students. On Dec. 22 Seymour Hersh pub. an article in The London Review of Books that claims that the U.S. Dept. of Defense has been secretly sharing intel with Syrian pres. Bashar al-Assad's govt., undermining Pres. Obama. On Dec. 23 authorities in Bosnia arrest 11 for suspected links with ISIS. On Dec. 24 (a.m.) Chinese authorities lock down parts of Sanlitun, Beijing, China after info. about possible Christmastime terrorist attacks. On Dec. 24-27 Iraqi forces retake Ramadi, Iraq from ISIS after a street-by-street fight., becoming the first major V for the U.S.-trained Iraqi army since the start of the ISIS offensive 18 mo. earlier; on Dec. 28 Iraqi PM Haider al-Abadi visits Ramadi, giving a televised speech with the soundbyte: "The year 2016 will be the year of the big and final victory, when [ISIS's] presence in Iraq will be terminated. We are coming to liberate Mosul and it will be the fatal and final blow." On Dec. 24 a fire in the Jazan Gen. Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia kills 31 and injures 107. On Dec. 24 the Philippine govt. announces that Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters guerrillas in Mindanao, S Philippines have murdered seven Christian farmers. On Dec. 24 the Obama admin. announces that the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security is preparing to deport hundreds of newly-arrived illegals from Central Am. in early Jan., pissing-off Dems., and causing Donald Trump to claim he got to them and should get the credit. On Dec. 24 the 224-song back catalog of the Beatles is finally released for streaming, gaining 50M downloads in 48 hours. On Dec. 25 (6:11 a.m. ET) a full moon dawns on Christmas skies for the first time since 1977. On Dec. 25 Syrian rebel Salafist Islam Army cmdr. Mohammed Zahran Alloush (AKA Abu Abdullah) (b. 1971) is killed in a Syrian (Russian?) air strike near Damascus, changing the balance of power in the Ghouta region. On Dec. 25 banks and govt. Web sites in Turkey suffer massive cyberattacks from Anonymous for alleged ties with ISIS. On Dec. 26 a 6.2 earthquake strikes NW Afghanistan near the Pakistan-Tajikistan bordfer. On Dec. 26 ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi releases an audio message calling on all Muslims to join ISIS and dissing the Saudi-led Military Alliance to Fight Terrorism, adding that his mujahideen are getting closer to Israel and will soon siege them; Saudi Arabia grand mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-Asheikh utters the soundbyte that ISIS "cannot be considered followers of Islam, rather, they are an extension of Kharijites, who rose in revolt against the Islamic caliphate for the first time by labeling Muslims as infidels and permitting their bloodletting", adding "The threat against Israel is simply a lie. Actually, ISIS (Daesh) is part of the Israeli soldiers." On Dec. 26 an Iranian rocket comes within 1.5K yards of aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman in the Strait of Hormuz - lightning's striking again? On Dec. 27 the Chinese Communist Party passes China's first counterterrorism law. On Dec. 27 Amir Ohana of Likud becomes the first openly gay member of the Knesset in Israel. On Dec. 27 U.S. Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) utters the soundbyte that Pres. Obama's 16-mo. bombing campaign against ISIS "has had minimal impact"; he also calls for more and better surveillance of mosques, with the soundbyte: "The fact is, [mosques are] where the threat is coming from", telling civil liberties whiners that they can "cry all they want" because they have a "blind political correctness". On Dec. 28 billionaire globalist George Soros pub. an op-ed in The Guardian in Britain, blaming the "hysterical anti-Muslim reaction to terrorism" for helping jihadist groups recruit new fighters - he has it backwards, it's the hysterical Muslim reaction to weak infidels within reach that drives recruitment? On Dec. 29 a Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan suicide bomber outside a govt. office in Mardan, Pakistan kills 22 and injures 45. On Dec. 29 flooding of the Mississippi River affects Ill. and Mo., and causes Mo. gov. Jay Nixon to declare a state of emergency. On Dec. 30 after two Muslims are arrested at the city's Grote Markt main square for planning an attack, the mayor of Brussels, Belgium cancels New Year's Eve festivities and raises the terror threat level from 2 to 3 out of 4. On Dec. 30 Hamas announces a ban on New Year celebrations in Gaza Strip to "minimize as far as possible phenomena that contravene the heritage, customs, values and directives of Islam", pissing-off restaurant owners et al. On Dec. 30 U.S.-trained commandos kill 10 out of 300 al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf militants in Jolo Island, Philippines; eight Philippine soldiers are killed or injured. On Dec. 30 a report that Pres. Obama authorized spying on Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu during the Iran nuke negotiations pisses-off Repubs. et al. On Dec. 31 the town of Arnsberg, Germany bans fireworks near Muslim refugee shelters to avoid causing flashbacks. On Dec. 31 police evacuate two train stations in Munich, Germany after ISIS terror threats. On Dec. 31 a dramatic fire breaks out on the 20th story of the 5-star 63-story Address Downtown Dubai Hotel near the Burj Khalifa in Dubai just before New Year's Eve festivities, injuring 16. On Dec. 31 1K mainly North African Muslim refugee New Year's rioters in front of the train station in Cologne, Germany launch fireworks into crowds of infidels and sexually molest 200+ German women, resulting in only five arrests, after which the PC media tries to cover it up, along with more mass sex attacks in Hamburg, Stuttgart, and across Europe that see 2K men sexually assault 1.2K women, first reported on July 10 after a coverup attempt claiming 1K men and 90 women the Muslims are playing the sex game of Taharrush?; meanwhile Slovakia vows to refuse entry to Muslim immigrants to prevent sex and jihadist attacks. On Dec. 31 Muslims in France torch 804 cars, vs. 940 in 2014, 1,067 in 2013, and 1,193 in 2012. In Dec. several Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres in Maharashtra, India surrender to the Indian govt., indicating a gen. losing streak. In Dec. Judicial Watch reports that the total cost of Pres. Obama's vacations exceeds $70M; this is after an elaborate campaign speeches promising to never take any while in the White House. In Dec. Hillary Clinton's confidant John Podesta devises a "slaughter Trump" plan to divert attention to Hillary's sale of one-fifth of U.S. uranium to Russia by framing Donald Trump on colluding with Russia instead. In Dec. U.S. unemployment is 5% (vs. 5% in Nov.), with the economy adding 292K new jobs. 21 youth plaintiffs represented by Our Children's Trust file the lawsuit Juliana et al. vs. U.S. et al., claiming that the U.S. govt. violated their rights by allowing activities that harmed the climate, asking it to adopt methods for reducing CO2 emissions; in 2016 U.S. Ore. District Court judge Ann Aiken allows the case the proceed, after which the U.S. Supreme Court dismisses a govt. request to stay the trial. The Zohr Gas Field off the coast of Egypt is discovered by an Italian co., with estimates of up to 3T cu. of gas, becoming the largest discovery in the Mediterranean region, 30% larger than the Israeli Leviathan Gas Field. The high-speed Turin-Lyons Rail Link under the Alps is completed. Google+ creates a software glitch giving outside developers access to private profile data, which isn't correct until Mar. 2018; Google execs fail to disclose it to the public until Oct. 2018. There are 4,656 craft breweries in the U.S., with 21% of total beer sales; Rocky Mountain High marijuana-loving state Colo., "the Napa Valley of Craft Beer" has 358 craft breweries employing 7,776 (12,085 after economic impact), growing by almost 50% in one year to $1.7B sales. Architecture: The Rohtang ("pile of corpses") Pass Tunnel through the Pir Panjal range in the Himalayas in India (begun 2010) is completed. Kistefos Museum in Norway opens, combining a bldg. with a bridge to link two banks of a river with different heights. Daxing Airport near Beijing, China is completed, becoming the world's busiest airport. Sports: On Jan. 12 the 2015 College Football Playoff Nat. Championship sees #4 Ohio State U. defeat #2 Oregon U. by 42-20. On Jan. 11 the 2014 AFC Title Game sees the 12-5 Indianapolis Colts led by QB Andrew Luck defeat the 12-5 Denver Broncos led by QB Peyton Manning by 24-13, causing doubts about Manning, who is suffering from thigh injuries returning next year; after the game, Denver fires coach John Fox and hires former John Elway backup QB Gary Kubiak as new head coach (until 2017). On Feb. 22 the 2015 (57th) Daytona 500 is won by Joseph Thomas "Joey" Logano (1990-) (#22) of Team Penske. On Mar. 23 after being arrested in Calif. in 2014, five-time Pro Bowler Darren Mallory Sharper (1975-) (#42) (Green Bay Packers, 1997-2004) (Minnesota Vikings, 2005-8) (New Orleans Saints, 2009-10) pleads guilty to nine counts of date rape, receiving nine years in prison, plus another 20 years in La. On Apr. 5 (Sun.) the ML baseball season begins, with all 30 ballparks running the new Statcast electronic tracking system, which uses cameras, radar, and AI to measure, compute, and store every relevant stat incl. ball spin rate, exact trajectory of the ball and players, and route efficiency. On Apr. 8 the NFL hires its first female official (zebra), Pascagoula, Miss.-born Sarah Bailey Thomas (1973-) (#153). On Apr. 12 Jordan Alexander Spieth (1993-) wins the Masters 18 under par, tying Tiger Woods' best record. On Apr. 16 the NFL reinstates Minnesota Vikings RB Adrian Peterson after missing most of the 2014 season due to child abuse charges in Tex. over spanking his child with a switch. On Apr. 28 the Nat. Football League (NFL) announces that it will finally begin paying taxes. On Apr. 29 due to racial rioting the Baltimore Orioles play the first-ever ML game in an empty stadium, defeating the Chicago White Sox by 8-2. On May 2 the 2015 (141st) Kentucky Derby is won by American Pharoah (2012-) (named after Pres. Obama?) in 2:03:02, becoming the 3rd win for Mexican-born jockey Victor Espinoza (1972-); on June 6 he wins the 2015 (147th) Belmont Stakes gate-to-wire by 5-1/2 lengths (3rd biggest margin) in 2:26:65, becoming the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978, and 12th total. On May 2 47-0 Am. welterweight boxer Floyd "Pretty Boy", "Money", "T.B.E." (The Best Ever) Mayweather Jr. (Floyd Joy Sinclair) (1977-) decisively defeats 57-6-2 Philippine lefty boxer Manny "Pac-Man" Pacquiao in 12 rounds by decision at the MGM Grand Garden in Paradise (near Las Vegas), Nev., becoming the highest-grossing boxing match in history (until ?), with a $100M purse for Mayweather, who is now one short of Rocky Marciano's 49-0 record. On June 3-15 the 2015 Stanley Cup Finals see the Chicago Blackhawks defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning (2nd appearance) 4-2, becoming their 6th title and 3rd in six seasons; Tyler Johnson and Patrick Kane each score 23 points; MVP is 6'1" Blackhawks defenceman Duncan Keith (1983-). On June 4-16 the 2015 NBA Finals see the Golden State Warriors (coach Steve Kerr), led by 2014-15 NBA MVP Wardell Stephen "Steph" Curry II (1988-) (#30) defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers (coach David Blatt), led by 4x NBA MVP LeBron James by 4-2, becoming their first title in 40 years (1975) and 4th ever, becoming the first time since the 1990-1 Chicago Bulls for a team having no players with finals experience to win the finals; the Cavaliers haven't won since 1971; first finals with two first-year head coaches; James becomes the first NBA player since the Boston Celtics in the 1960s to make five consecutive finals appearances; MVP is Warriors small forward-guard (#9) Andrew Tyler Iguodala (1984-). On June 1 5'9" Camarillo, Calif.-born former Olympic softball star Jessica Ofelia Mendoza (1980-) becomes the first female broadcaster in the booth for ESPN's College World Series; on Aug. 24 she becomes the first female analyst for a ML baseball game (St. Louis Cardinals vs. Arizona Diamondbacks); on Oct. 6 she becomes the first female analyst in MLB postseason history, experiencing mucho misogynist feedback. On June 25 the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. sees 30 teams select 60 players in two rounds; 6'11" center-forward Karl-Anthony Towns Jr. (1995-) is selected #1 by the Minn. Timberwolves (first Dominican). In June after Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer talked him into it, New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft brings a group of 19 NFL Hall of Famers to visit Israel in a week-long Touchdown in Israel trip. On July 8 U.S. District Court Judge Gerald Bruce Lee cancels the six trademarks of the NFL Washington Redskins after five Native Ams. claim that they're derogatory, finding that they "may disparage a substantial composite of Native Americans", causing the team mgt. to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. On July 15 the 2015 ESPY Awards features Caitlyn Jenner receiving the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage; too bad, Brett Favre is dissed for not clapping hard enough. On Aug. 16 Australian golfer Jason Day (1987-) wins the 2015 PGA Championship with a majors record 20 under par. On Aug. 31-Sept. 13 the 2015 (13th) U.S. Open sees defending champ Marin Cilic defeated by Novak Djokoic for the men's singles title; on Sept. 11, 2015 unseeded Roberta Vinci (1983-) of Italy upsets 3-time defending champ Serena Williams in the semifinals, ending her hopes of a triple crown, meeting fellow Italian Flavia Pennetta (1982-) in the final on Sept. 12, which is won by Pennetta 7-6, 5-2. On Oct. 11 Calif. passes the Calif. Racial Mascots Act, becoming the first U.S. state to ban the use of the word "Redskin" for public school nicknames and mascots. Nobel Prizes: Peace: Tunisian Nat. Dialogue Quartet; Lit: Svetlana Alexandrovna Alexievich (1948-) (Belarus) (first); Physics: Takaaki Kajita (1959-) (Japan) and Arthur Bruce McDonald (1943-) (Canada) [neutrino experiments]; Chem.: Tomas Robert Lindahl (1938-) (Britain), Paul Lawrence Modrich (1946-)<;/a> (U.S.), and Aziz Sancar (1946-) (U.S.) [DNA mismatch repair]; Med.: William Cecil Campbell (1930-) (U.S.) and Satoshi Omura (1935-) (Japan) [avermectins], and Tou Youyou (1930-) (China) (first Nobel Prize from PRC) [artemisinin]; Econ.: Sir Angus Stewart Deaton (1945-) (Scotland) [analysis of consumption, poverty, and welfare]. Inventions: In spring after her sister is assaulted, former schoolteacher Jacqueline Ros of Denver, Colo. and Andrea Perdomo found Revolar to manufacture hand-held panic button devices, obtaining crowdfunding and venture capital; too bad, next June 28 Security5 of San Diego, Calif. files a patent infringement lawsuit, and the company ends up in bankruptcy by late 2017. On Apr. 21 Boeing patents (#9,010,678) a flying submersible drone ("rapid deployment air and water vehicle") that turns into a submarine. On May 27 Paris-born Canadian computer scientist Yoshua Bengio (1964-), Wimbledon, London-born Canadian computer scientist Geoffrey Everst Hinton (1947-), and French-born Am. computer scientist Yann LeCun< (1960-)/a> pub. the article Deep learning in Nature mag., making them stars known as "the Godfathers of AI"; too bad, deep learning is full of limitations and sucks? On June 8 NASA launches its Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD) flying saucer, intended for use on Mars, which reaches 180K ft. at Mach 4 before deploying the doughnut-shaped Supersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (SIAD) airbag to help cushion its landing; too bad, the chute has a snafu. On July 14 after a 9.5-year 3B-mi. journey NASA's New Horizon spacecraft makes it closest approach to Pluto (7,750 mi.), sending back the first-ever photos of Pluto's surface, which reveal a young (100M-y.-o. surface) sans craters, the icy Sputnik Planum plains region, and 11K-ft. ice mountains. On July 28 Intel and Microsoft announce their new 3D XPoint non-volatile memory, which is up to 1,000x faster than NAND and is 10x denser, with 1,000x greater endurance, with one wafer able to store 128GB of data with nanosec. access. In the last quarter of the year sales of Apple Watch smartwatch passes those of expensive Swiss watches, 8.1M vs. 7.9M. On Sept. 25 the $188M Boeing KC-46 Pegasus military aerial refueling and strategic military transport aircraft makes its first flight. On Oct. 5-9 the Intelligent Transport Systems World Congress in Bordeaux, France is held after a PSA Peugeot Citroen driverless vehicle travels 360 mi. (580km) from Paris to attend it. On Oct. 11 Iran tests the precision-guided Emad (Pillar)) surface-to-surface missile, becoming the first with the range to reach Israel. On Oct. 29 Sikorsky successfully tests its first robotic self-flying U.S. Army UH-60A Black Hawk heli at its development center in West Palm Beach, Fla. On Dec. 22 (night) the 23-story-tall SpaceX Falcon-9 spacecraft takes off from Cape Canaveral, Fla., reaching an alt. of 125 mi. (200km) and sending 11 satellites into orbit before making an upright landing, becoming a first. Dyson releases its handheld Dyson V6 Mattress Cleaner, with a digital motor and HEPA filtration to get rid of dust mites. NASA's Lunar Plant Growth Habitat project aims to grow plants on the Moon. Deep Space Industries launches its first small prospector mission to mine asteroids. Science: On Jan. 8 Wei-Hock "Willie" Soon, Lord Christopher Monckton, David Legates, and William "Matt" Briggs pub. Why Models Run Hot in China's "Science Bulletin", claiming that climate computer models of the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) tend to exaggerate global warming, with the soundbyte: "The impact of anthropogenic global warming over the next century... may be no more than one-third to one-half of IPCC's current projections", pissing-off the global warming set. On Jan. 9 Michael Bowling et al. pub. an article in Science announcing the first perfect computer algorithm for solving heads-up limit hold'em poker. On Feb. 24 Oskar Aszmann et al. of the Medical U. of Vienna in Austria announce the first bionic reconstruction, replacing injured hands with bionic ones after undergoing voluntary amputation and transplantation of nerves and muscles. On Mar. 12 Vladimir Mironov of Russia-based 3D Bioprinting Solutions announces the first bioprinting of a thyroid gland for an animal. In Mar. CERN's Large Hadron Collider attempts to recreate the Big Bang, causing Stephen Hawking and Neil de Grasse to warn that this could destroy the Universe, while New Agers warn that it's really an attempt to open the Gates of Hell to permit the spirit of the Antichrist through. On Apr. 1 scientists from Bristol U., Tokyo U., Southampton U., and NTT Device Technology Labs pub. an article in Nature Photonics announcing the first silicon microchip that generates and detects perfect quantum teleportation (entanglement). On Apr. 10 U. of Ariz. astronomer Peter A. Milne et al. pub. an article in Astrophysical Journal announcing that Type Ia supernovae, used as distance markers actually fall into different populations, modifying the distances and throwing off the calculation of Universe expansion. On Apr. 23 an internat. team of scientists pub. an article in Current Biology, announcing the first sequencing of the complete genome of the woolly mammoth. On May 14 scientists at the Nat. Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin. (NOAA) pub. an article in Science announcing the first warm-blooded fish, the opah. On May 19 John Dueber et al. of UCB pub. an article in Nature Chemical Biology announcing the creation of a genetically modified yeast that can convert sugar to morphine, and might be used in home beer brewing kits. On May 22 doctors at MD Anderson Cancer Center and Houston Methodist Hospital in Tex. perform the first skull and scalp transplant on 55-y.-o. software programmer Jim Boyson from Austin, Tex. On June 3 Stefan Remy et al. of the U. of Bonn pub. an article in Neuron reporting that neural circuits in the brains of mice have been identified that are pivotal for movement and navigation in space. On June 4 the U.S. FDA approves the "female Viagra" drug Flibanserin, which increases female sexual desire. On June 4 Stephen J. Elledge of Harvard Medical School announces a new $25 blood test that can detect exposure to 1K+ strains of viruses from 206 species in a single drop of blood, covering all viruses known to infect people. On June 11 the Nat. Institutes of Natural Sciences announces the discovery of a gene named foxl3 that determines whether germ cells become sperm or eggs in vertebrates in the small medaka fish. In June Supernova ASASSN-15lh appears in the Southern Hemisphere, growing to 20x the brightness of the Milky Way, puzzling astronomers at its source of energy. On July 9 researchers from NASA's JPL and UCLA pub. an article in Science that reports extra heat from greenhouse gases has in recent years been trapped in subsurface waters in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, explaining a slowdown in global surface temperature increase during the past decade. On July 13 after Otsuka's patent on aripiprazole (Abilify) expires on Oct. 20, 2014 the U.S. FDA approves the atypical antipsychotic drug Brexpiprazole (brand name Rexulti), developed by Otsuka and Lundbeck for the treatment of schizophrenia and depression. On July 15 Li Jinsong et al. of the Shanghai Inst. for Biological Sciences pub. an article in Cell Stem Cell announcing the first mass production of high-quality artificial sperm, sans tails and the ability to swim. On July 16 Warren Ruder of Va. Tech pub. an article in Scientific Reports reporting that he used a mathematical model to demonstrate that bacteria can control the behavior of an inanimate device like a robot. On July 17 researchers at Eindhoven U. of Technology and FOM Foundation pub. an article in Nature Communications announcing the new material gallium phosphide, which can enable a solar cell to produce hydrogen gas from liquid water and sunlight. On July 20 billionaire Yuri Milner, joined by Stephen Hawking et al. at the British Royal Society announcess the $100M Breakthrough Initiatives to reinvigoriate the search for E.T. life with a survey of the 1M closest starts to Earth, the center of our galaxy, and the entire galactic plane, plus the 100 closest galaxies; their optical sensor can detect a 100W laser up to 25T mi. away. On July 23 Bas Rokers of the U. of Wisc. et al. pub. an article in Current Biology announcing the discovery of the point in the human brain where it combines the dual views of the eyes into a single view. On July 30 Pres. Obama signs an executive order for the Nat. Strategic Computer Initiative (NSCI), with the goal of building the world's fastest supercomputer by 2025. On Aug. 27 Brian Nosek of the U. of Va. et al. pub. an article in Science revealing that only 39 of 100 studies pub. in major psychology journals could be replicated. In Aug. NASA scientists record atmospheric infrasound (below 20 Hz) using a helium balloon at 123K ft. alt., with U. of N.C. grad student uttering the soundbyte: "It sounds kind of like 'The X-Files'." On Sept. 1 researchers at Montreal Neurological Inst. pub. an article in Cerebral Cortex, reporting that the human brain region where musical talent resides has been discovered. On Sept. 8 researchers at the U. of Mass. pub. an article in PLOS Biology reporting that it's possible to reverse the behavior of an animal by flipping a switch in neuronal communication. On Sept. 10 researchers at Yale U. announce that there are 3.04T trees on Earth, 422 for every human; the previous estimate was 400B. On Sept. 14 an article is pub. in Clinical Infectious Diseases, announcing a new 100% HIV prevention pill. On Sept. 14 Google rep Rachel Potvin announces that Google's Internet services comprise a total of 2B lines of code, maintained by 25K programmers. On Sept. 16 the World Wildlife Fund reports that the world fish pop. has halved since 1970, mainly due to overfishing. On Sept. 28 NASA scientist Lujendra Ohja pub. an article in Nature Geoscience announces "smoking gun" evidence for liquid water on Mars. in tear-stain lineae. In Sept. Matthew Lai of Imperial College London creates the neural network AI machine Giraffe that chucks brute force for deep learning to evaluate chessboard positions like humans, reaching the internat. master level. On Oct. 5 Jan Brascamp et al. Mich. State U. pub. an article announcing that the brain's visual cortex makes decisions like higher level areas. On Oct. 16 scientists at Guangzhou Insts. of Biomedicine and Health pub. an article in Journal of Molecular Cell Biology reporting the first gene-edited dogs, a pair of beagles named Hercules and Tiangou, who have their myostatin genes deleted to make them more muscular and athletic. On Oct. 23 Corinna E. Lockenhoff et al. of Cornell U. pub. an article in Evolution & Human Behavior revealing a study of 1K hetero men and women that finds that people with certain extreme pathological personality traits have more mates and children - wish I could fly like Superman? On Oct. 29 French mathematicians of the Paris-based Societe de Calcul Mathematique pub. a Paper on the Costly and Pointless Crusade Against Global Warming, with the soundbyte: "You would probably have to go quite a long way back in human... history to find (such a) mad obsssion", pointing out that "There is not a single fact, figure... or observation that leads us to conclude the world's climate is in any way 'disturbed'. It is variable, as it has always been." On Oct. 30 NASA scientist H. Jay Zwally pub. a paper in Journal of Glaciology revealing that ice sheet growth in E Antarctica of 147B tons/year outweighs the losses in W Antarctica, pissing-off warmist scientists, who pub. a paper on June 13, 2018 in Nature claiming that Antarctica is losing a net of 200B tons of ice/year, adding 0.02" (0.5mm) a year to the sea level, which he claims is moose hockey. On Nov. 16 an article is pub. in Circulation reporting that a 30-year study of coffee drinking has found that those who drink 3-5 cups a day have reduced death risks from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Parkinson's and other neurological diseases, and suicide, and no increased cancer risk. On Nov. 16 an article is pub. in Annals of Internal Medicine reporting that a thick waistline indicates worse health than normal obesity. On Dec. 10 the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator fusion machine is first put into operation. On Dec. 15 the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative is founded by Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan with $3B each to "advance human potential and promote equality", incl. curing disease by the end of the cent. On Dec. 21 Michael Johnson et al. at Imperial College London pub. an article in Nature Neuroscience announcing the discovery of brain gene clusters M1 and M3, which are linked to human intelligence. The F-type main-sequence star KIC 8462852 is announced by citizen scientists of the Planet Hunters project, becoming known as Tabby's Star or Boyajian's Star after LSU astronomer Tabetha Suzanne Boyajian (1980-); it has unusual light fluctuations of up to 22%. Astronomers Istvan Szapudi et al. of the U. of Hawaii discover the Supervoid, a spherical blob measuring 1.8B l-y. across. The world synthetic biology market reaches $4.5B. The complete control of matter at the atomic level is achieved (Arthur C. Clarke). Art: Jennifer Angus, In the Midnight Garden (cochineal). Gabriel Dawe, Plexus At (thread, wood, hooks and steel). Patrick Dougherty, Shindig; willow saplings. John Grade, Middle Fork (Cascades); reclaimed old growth Western red cedar. Maya Lin, Folding the Chesapeake (marbles). Music: Adele (1988-), 25 (album #3) (Nov. 20) (#1 in the U.S. and U.K.); sequel to "21" (2011); incl. Hello (#1 in the U.S. and U.K.), When We Were Young (#14 in the U.S.) (#9 in the U.K.). Blur, The Magic Whip. Luke Bryan (1976-), Kill the Lights (album #5) (Aug. 7) (#1 country) (#1 in the U.S.) (350K copies); incl. Kick the Dust Up, Strip It Down, Home Alone Tonight, Huntin', Fishin' and Lovin' Every DayMove, Fast, all of which go #1, a Billboard Country Airplay chart first. Cam (1948-), Welcome to Cam Country (EP) (debut) (Mar. 31) (#88 in the U.S., #31 country); incl. Burning House (#47 in the U.S., #3 country) (500K copies). Jana Kramer (1983-), Thirty One (Oct. 9) (album #2); incl. I Got the Boy (#5 country) (#56 in the U.S.) (#22 Canada) (600K). Rachel Platten (1981-), Fight Song (Feb. 19) (#6 in the U.S.) (#1 in the U.K.). Rat Boy (1996-), Sign On (debut) (#1 in the U.K.); Fake ID (#4 in the U.K.); Move (#5 in the U.K.). Nathaniel Rateliff (1978-), Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats (album #4) (Aug. 21); incl. S.O.B.. Movies: Cameron Crowe's Aloha (May 27) (Columbia Pictures) stars Bradley Cooper as military contractor Brian Gilcrest, who works for billionaire Carson Welch (Bill Murray) to develop a new space center in Hawaii, hooking up with USAF Capt. Allison Ng (Emma Stone); Rachel McAdams plays Tracy Woodside, wife of John "Woody" Woodside (John Krasinski), whose eldest daughter Grace (Danielle Rose Russell) is Brian's daughter; way too white for Hawaii?; does $26.3M box office on a $52M budget. Peyton Reed's Ant-Man (June 29) (Walt Disney), based on the Marvel Comics chars. stars Paul Rudd as cat burglar Scott Lang AKA Ant-Man, who defends Dr. Hank Pym's (Michael Douglas) shrinking technology and plots a heist; features Evangeline Lilly as Hope van Dyne; does $454.7M box office on a $130M budget. Luca Guadagnino's A Bigger Splash (Sept. 6) (Desire Trilogy #2) (Fox Searchlight Pictures), based on the 1969 Jacques Deray film "La Piscine" and named after the David Hockney painting, set on the Italian island of Pantelleria stars Tilda Swinton as rock singer Marianne Lane on holiday with her filmmaker lover Paul (Matthias Schoenaerts), until uninvited guest Harry Hawkes (Ralph Fiennes) arrives along with his teenie daughter Penelope "Pen" Lanier (Dakota Johnson), starting a love triangle; does $7.5M box office. Mike Binder's Black or White (Jan. 30), produced with $9M of Costner's money stars Kevin Costner as widowed Elliot Anderson, who fights to keep custody of his granddaughter Eloise against her black grandmother Rowena Jeffers (Octavia Spencer). Steven Spielberg's Bridge of Spies (originally St. James Place) (Oct. 4) (DreamWorks Pictures) (20th Cent. Fox), based on the 1964 book "Strangers on a Bridge: The Case of Colonel Abel and Francis Gary Powers" stars Tom Hanks as Brooklyn insurance atty. James Britt Donovan (1916-70), who must represent Soviet spy Rudolf Abel and negotiate his trade for U.S. pilot Francis Gary Powers after his U-2 spy plane is shot down over the Soviet Union; does $165.5M box office on a $40M budget. John Crowley's Brooklyn (Jan. 26) (BBC Films) (20th Cent. Fox), based on the 2009 Colm Toibin novel set in 1951-2 stars Saoirse Ronan as young Irish woman Ellis Lacy, who emigrates from Enniscorthy, County Wexford to Brooklyn, N.Y., hooking up with Anthony "Tony" Fiorello (Emory Cohen); Jim Broadbent plays Father Flood; does $62.1M box office on a $11M budget. Neill Blomkamp's Chappie (Mar. 4) (Columbia Pictures) is about an AI law enforcement robot in Johannesburg, starring Sharlton Copley; does $102M box office on a $49M budget; "Humanity's last hope isn't human". Peter Landesman's Concussion (Dec. 25), based on the 2009 GQ article by Jeanna Marie Laskas stars Will Smith as Nigerian-born forensic pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu, who fights to expose brain damage in the NFL; David Morse plays football star Mike Webster; Albert Brooks plays Omalu's boss Dr. Cyril Wecht; Alec Baldwin plays sympathetic colleague Dr. Julian Bailes. Dan Fogelman's Danny Collins (Mar. 20) (Bleecker St.), based on folk singer Steve Tilston stars Al Pacino as aging 1970s rocker Danny Collins, who attempts to connect with his grown-up son Tom Donnelly (Bobby Cannivae), his pregnant wife Samantha (Jennifer Garner) and their 7-y.-o. daughter Hope (Giselle Eisenberg) while hooking up with hotel mgr. Mary (Annette Benning); does $10.8M box office on a $10M budget. Tom Hooper's The Danish Girl (Sept. 5) (Focus Features) (Universal Pictures), based on the 2000 novel by David Ebershoff and the lives of Danish painters Lili Elbe and Gerda Wegener, starring Alicia Vikander (after Charlize Theron, Gwyneth Palstrow, and Marion Cotillad pass it up) as 1920s Copenhagen portraitist Gerda Wegener, who asks her hubby Einar (Eddie Redmayne) to pose in drag, causing him to realize he's really a woman named Lili Elbe, causing them to relocate to Paris and sell the portraits to art dealer Hans Axgil (Matthias Schoenaerts), starting a love triangle that screws with their heads, causing Lili and Gerda to seek the help of German Dr. Kurt Warnekros (Sebastian Koch), who performs a pioneering sex reassignment surgery on Lili, which proves fatal; does $64.2M box office on a $15M budget. Alistair Legrand's The Diabolical (Mar. 16) is a combo sci-fi and horror film starring Ali Larter as Madison, and Arjun Gupta as her beau Nikolai, who fight a mysterious paranormal bald man from the future in their home, learning about Project ECHO of the CamSET research lab. Glenn Ficarra's and John Requa's Focus (Feb. 27) (Warner Bros. Pictures) stars Will Smith and Margot Robbie s black-white grifters Nicky Spurgeon and Jess Barrett, who try not to lose focus as they swindle their marks and titillate viewers with a hot black-white romance; does $159.1M box office on a $50.1M budget. Rob Letterman's Goosebumps (June 24) (Sony Pictures Animation), a horror comedy based on the R.L. Stine book series stars Jack Black as Stine and Slappy the Dummy, Dylan Minnett as Stine's new neighbor Zachary "Zach" Cooper, Odeya Rush as Stine's daughter Hannah, and Amy Ryan as Zach's mother Gale; does $150M box office on an $84M budget; followed by "Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween" (2018). Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful (H8ful) Eight (Dec. 7) (The Weinstein Co.), his 2nd Western after "Django Unchained" (2012), filmed in Telluride, Colo. stars Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh et al. in a yarn set in Wyo. after the U.S. Civil War, about eight you know whats seeking refuge in a stagecoach stop on a mountain pass during a blizzard; music by Ennio Morricone; does $155.8M box office on a $54M budget. Pete Docter's Inside Out (May 18) (Walt Disney Pictures) (Pixar Animation Studios) is about young girl Riley and her basic emotions of Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, and Anger, and her experiences that are stored as colored orbs; does $858.8M box office on a $175M budget. Woody Allen's Irrational Man (May 16) (Sony Pictures) stars Joaquin Phoenix as a New England philosophy professor Abe Lucas, who is hung-up on Kierkegaard and finds reason to live by murdering a judge, dragging others down with him, incl. student Jill Pollard (Emma Stone) and fellow prof. Rita Richards (Parker Posey). Colin Trevorrow's Jurassic World (June 10), #4 in the Jurassic Park series about a revamped dino theme park on Isla Nublar stars Chris Pratt as Velociraptor trainer Owen Grady, Bryce Dallas Howard as park mgr. Claire Dearing, Nick Robinson and Ty Simpkins as Claire's nephews Zach and Gray Mitchell, Vincent D'Onofrio as InGen security head Vic Hoskins, Irrfan Khan as park owner Simon Masrani; B.D. Wong reprises his role as chief geneticist Dr. Henry Wu; Trevorrow plays the voice of Mr. DNA; becomes the first film to gross $500M in its opening weekend. Michael Dougherty's Krampus (Nov. 20) (Legendary Pictures) (Universal Pictures) debuts, a scary Xmas movie about the dysfunctional Engel family, incl. Tom (Adam Scott), Sarah (Toni Collette), and Max (Emjay Anthony), who are chased by a you know what (Gideon Emery) to punish them for losing the Xmas spirit; does $61.5M box office on a $15M budget. Yorgos Lanthimos' The Lobster (May 15) (Element Pictures) (Film4 Productions) is a black comedy starring Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz about single people given 45 days to find a romantic partner or be turned into animals; does $18M box office on a $4M budget. Ridley Scott's The Martian (Sept. 11) (20th Cent. Fox), based on the 2011 Andy Weir novel stars Matt Damon as Ares III astronaut-botanist Mark Watney, who is presumed dead and left behind on Mars in The Hab, forcing him to farm spuds in his own shit until help arrives; also stars Jessica Chastain as Melissa Lewis, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels, Michael Pena, Kate Mara, Sean Bean, Sebastian Stan, Aksel Hennie, and Chewitel Ejiofor; does $331.5M box office on a $108M budget. Edward Zwick's Pawn Sacrifice (Sept. 16) stars Tobey Maguire as Bobby Fischer, Lily Rabe as Joan Fischer, and Liev Schreiber as Boris Spassky. Don Cheadle's Miles Ahead (Oct. 11) (Sony Pictures) stars Cheadle in his dir. debut as jazz trumpeter Miles Davis in his silent period 1975-9; Emayatzy Corinealdi plays his first wife Frances Taylor; Ewan McGregor plays music reporter Dave Braden; does $5M box office. John Erick Dowdle's No Escape (Aug. 17) (Bold Films) (The Weinstein Co.) stars Owen Welson as ex-pat civil engineer Jack Dwyer, who is trapped by a coup d'etat in a SE Asian country with his wife Annie (Lake Bell), daughters Lucy (Sterling Jerins) and Briegel (Claire Geare), and British Secret Service agent Hammond (Pierce Brosnan); does $54.4M box office on a $5M budget. Steve Martino's 3-D computer-animated comedy The Peanuts Movie (Nov. 1) (Blu Sky Studios) (20th Cent. Fox), based on the Charles M. Schulz comic strip features the voices of Troy "Trombone" Shorty Andrews (1986-) as Miss Othmar and Mrs. Little Red-Haired Girl, Kristin Chenoweth as Snoopy's babe Fifi, Noah Schnapp as Charlie Brown, and Bill Melendez as Snoopy and Woodstock; does $246M box office on a $99M budget. Alejandro G. Inarritu's The Revenant (Dec. 16) (20th Cent. Fox), based on the 2002 Michael Punke novel about Am. frontiersman Hugh Glass in 1823 Missouri Territory stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Glass, who is mauled by a bear and left for dead by John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy), and gets revenge; does $533M box office on a $135M budget. Jonathan Demme's Ricki and the Flash (Aug. 7) (TriStar Pictures) stars Meryl Streep as failed rock star Linda Brummel, who abandoned her family to chase stardom, and returns to help her suicide-prone daughter Mamie Gummer (Julie Brummel), and meets her hubby's 2nd wife Maureen (Audra McDonald), and attends the wedding of her son Joshua Brummel (Sebastian Stan); does $41.3M box office on an $18M budget. Lenny Abrahamson's Room (Sept. 4), based on the novel by Emma Donoghue stars Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay as Joy Newsome and her 5-y.-o. son Jack, who are held captive in an enclosed space in Akron, Ohio for seven years; does $24M box office on a $13M budget. Jaurne Collet-Serra's Run All Night (Mar. 9) (RatPac-Dune Entertainment) (Vertigo Enterainment) (Warner Bros. Pictures), based on the Brad Intelsby script "The All-Nighter" stars Liam Neeson as retired mob hitman Jimmy "the Gravedigger" Condon, who tries to rescue his retired prof. boxer estranged son Michael "Mike" Conlon (Joel Kinnaman) from mob boss Shawn Maguire (Ed Harris), running you know how long to do it; Common plays Mr. Price; Vincent D'Onofrio plays Det. Harding; does $71.7M box office on a $61.6M budget. Brad Peyton's San Andreas (may 27) (Warner Bros.) stars Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson and Carla Gugino in a story about an earthquake that devastates San Francisco Bay; too bad, they don't show Calif. falling into the sea and turning Utah into beachfront property?; does $474M box office on a $110M budget. Denis Villenueve's Sicario (Mexican for hitman) (Sept. 15) (Thunder Road) (Lionsgate) stars Josh Brolin as CIA special joint task force leader Matt Graver, who goes after Sonora Cartel lt. Manuel Diaz (Bernardo Saracino) with partners Alejandro Gillick (Benicio del Toro) and FBI agent Kate Macer (Emily Blunt); does $84.9M box office on a $30M budget; followed by "Sicario: Day of the Soldado" (2018). Parvez Sharma's A Sinner in Mecca (Apr. 29) is about his pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia; too bad, he's a gay activist, causing him to receive death threats. Laszlo Nemes' Son of Saul (May 15) (Hungarian Nat. Film Fund) stars Geza Rohrig as Hungarian Jewish Auschwitz POW Saul Auslander, who escapes to avoid being gassed; does $6.2M box office on a 1.5M Euro budget. Antoine Fuqua's Southpaw (July 24) (The Weinstein Co.) stars Jake Gyllenhaal as world light heavyweight champion boxer Billy Hope, Forest Whitaker as his trainer Titus "Tick" Wills, Rachel McAdams as his babe Maureen Hope, and Miguel Gomez as his opponent Miguel "Magic" Escobar; does $45.2M box office on a $25M budget. Sam Mendes' Spectre (Oct. 26) (Eon Productions) (MGM) (Columbia Pictures) (James Bond 007 film #24) stars Daniel Craig as 007 (4th time), and Christoph Waltz as Spectre head Ernst Stavro Blofield, who turns out to be Bond's stepbrother; Dave Bautista plays Spectre assassin Mr. Hinx; Jesper Christensen plays traitor MI6 agent Mr. White, and Lea Seydoux plays his pshrink daughter Madeleine Swann; Ben Whishaw plays Q; Naomie Harris plays Eve Moneypenny; opens with a Day of the Dead Parade in Mexico City, which they didn't actually have, causing them to start one on Oct. 29, 2016; does a record $529 worldwide ($248M in the U.S.) on its opening weekend; does $881M box office worldwide on a $245M budget; the theme is Writing's on the Wall, performed by Sam Smith, winning a best original song Oscar. J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Dec. 14) (Disney), set 30 years after "Return of the Jedi" stars John Boyega as Finn AKA Stormtrooper FN-2187, Daisy Ridley as Jakku scavenger Rey, Adam Driver as First Order cmdr. Kylo Ren (AKA Ben Organa, son of Han Solo and Princess/Gen. Leia Organa), Oscar Isaac as Resistance pilot Poe Dameron (w/droid BB-8), Andy Serkis as First Order Supreme Leader Snoke, and Domnhall Gleeson as Gen. Hux, cmdr. of First Order Starkiller Base, and Mark Hamilly as old fart Luke Skywalker; does $2.068B on a $258.6M budget. Alan Taylor's Terminator Genisys (June 22) (Paramount Pictures) (Terminator #5) stars aging Arnold Schwarzenegger as the T-800 Terminator (Model 101), and the Guardian, Jason Clarke as John Connor (T-3000), Emilia Clarke as Sarah Connor, Jai Courtney as Kyle Reese, Lee Byung-hun as a T-1000, and Matt Smith as Skynet/T-5000; does $440M box office on a $155M budget. James Vanderbilt's Truth (Sept. 2) (Sony) is a docudrama based on Mary Mapes' memoir "Truth and Duty: The Press, the President and the Privilege of Power" about the Killian documents controversy, which gets Dan Rather (Robert Redford) ousted; Cate Blanchett plays Mapes; does $5.4M box office on a $9.6M budget; Vanderbilt's dir. debut. Mark Neveldine's The Vatican Tapes (July 24) (Lakeshore Entertainment) (Lionsgate), written by Christopher Borrelli stars Olivia Taylor Dudley as Angeloa Holmes, who is suspected of being possessed by her pshrink Dr. Richards (Kathleen Robertson), causing the Vatican to investigate, Father Oscar Lozano (Michael Pena), Cardinal Bruun (Peter Andersson), and Vicar Imani (Djimon Hounsou), who find out that she is possessed by the Antichrist and is too hot to handle; does $13.5M box office on a $13M budget. M. Night Shyamalan's The Visit (Sept. 8) is a comedy horror film starring Oliva DeJonge and Ed Oxenbould as Rebecca and Tyler, who visit their weird grandparents John and Dorris (Peter McRobbie and Deanna Dunagan). Ken Kwapis' A Walk in the Woods (Jan. 23) stars Robert Redford as popular writer Bill Byrson, who returns after 20 years in Britain to N.H., and goes for a walk on the Appalachian Trail with friend Stephen Katz (Nick Nolte), finding that they're not in shape for it; Emma Thompson plays Redford's wife. Robert Zemeckis' 3-D The Walk (Sept. 26) (TriStar Pictures), bsased on Petit's book "To Reach the Clouds" stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as French high-wire artist Philippe Petit, who walked between the Twin Towers of the WTC on Aug. 7, 1974; does $61.2M box office on a $45M budget. Alex Kendrick's War Room (Aug. 28) is a Christian-themed film about Tony and Elizabeth Jordan (T.C. Stallings and Priscilla Shirer) and their strained marriage, who are helped by Miss Clara (Karen Abercombie). Robert Eggers' The Witch (THE VVITCH) (Jan. 27) (A24) stars Anya Taylor-Joy as Thomasin, daughter of a 1630s English settler Separatist family that encounters evil witches outside their New England farm and is dragged down to their level; Eggers' writing-dir. debut; does $40.4M box office on a $4M budget. Nonfiction: Yossi Alpher, Periphery: Israel's Search for Allies in the Middle East; the history of Israeli PM David Ben Gurion's Periphery Doctrine, that Israel should seek regional partners against the Arab core of states led by Egypt. Rick Atkinson (1952-), Battle of the Bulge. Abdel Bari Atwan, Islamic State: The Digital Caliphate. Moustafa Bayoumi, This Muslim American Life: Dispatches from the War on Terror; "To be a Muslim American today often means to exist in that slightly absurd space between exotic and dangerous and between victim and villain simply because of people's assumptions about you." Battle of the Bulge. Glenn Beck (1964-), It IS About Islam: Exposing the Truth About ISIS, Al Qaeda, Iran, and the Caliphate (Aug. 18). J.M. Berger and Jessica Stern, Isis: The State of Terror. Ilan Berman, Iran's Deadly Ambition: The Islamic Republic's Quest for Global Power (Aug. 11). David Bernstein, Lawless: The Obama Administration's Unprecedented Assault on the Constitution and the Rule of Law (Nov.). Elizabeth Alexander (1962-), The Light of the World: A Memoir (autobio.). Carmen Boullosa and Mike Wallace, A Narco History: How the United States and Mexico Jointly Created the "Mexican Drug War". Joy Brighton, Sharia-Ism Is Here: The Battle to Control Women and Everyone Else. Kate Andersen Brower, The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House; NYT #1 bestseller about the maids and butlers. Dick Cheney (1941-) and Liz Cheney, Exceptional: Why the World Needs a Powerful America. Phyllis Chesler (1940-), Living History: On the Front Lines for Israel and the Jews 2003-2015 (essays). Ta-Nehisi Paul Coates (1975-), Between the World and Me (July) (autobio.); based on James Baldwin's 1963 book "The Fire Next Time"; white supremacy is an indestructible force that Am. blacks will always struggle against? Stephen Coughlin, Catastrophic Failure: Blindfolding America in the Face of Jihad; tells the truth about Islam, warning that the Islamic Society of North Am. (ISNA) is affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, causing him to be \ fired from the Pentagon in Jan. 2008 after complains by suspected Islamist Hesham Islam, who calls him "a Christian zealot with a pen". Ann Coulter (1961-), Adios, America! The Left's Plan to Turn Our Country into a Third World Hellhole. Theodore Dalrymple, The New Vichy Syndrome: Why European Intellectuals Surrender to Barbarism; their kowtowing to Islamists et al. Peter H. Diamandis and Steven Kotler, Bold: How to Go Big, Create Wealth and Impact the World (Feb. 3); exponential digital chutzpah. Thomas Dixon, Weeping Britannia: Portrait of a Nation in Tears (Nov. 3); Britain's myth of the stiff upper lip. Warren Dockter, Churchill and the Islamic World: Orientalism, Empire and Diplomacy in the Middle East. Mark Durie, Which God? Jesus, Holy Spirit, God in Christianity and Islam; disputes the claim that Islam is an Abrahamic faith along with Judaism and Christianity; "Islam has no family resemblance with Christianity and Islam. The similarities are appropriated, not inherited." Mona Eltahawy, Headscarves and Hymens: Why the Middle East Needs a Sexual Revolution (Apr. 21). Ronald L. Feinman, Assassinations, Threats, and the American Presidency: From Andrew Jackson to Barack Obama (Aug.). Timothy R. Furnish, Ten Years Captivation with the Mahdi's Camps: Essays on Muslim Eschatology, 2005-2015 (Nov. 23). Pamela Haag, The Gunning of America: Business and the Making of American Gun Culture; oddball gun co. heir Sarah Winchester. Stephen Harding, Last to Die: A Defeated Empire, a Forgotten Mission, and the last American Killed in World War II. Yuval Noah Harari (1976-), Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow. Andrew Hartman, A War for the Soul of America: A History of the Culture Wars (Apr. 14). Christine Leigh Heyrman, American Apostles: When Evangelists Entered the World of Islam. Van Hipp, The New Terrorism: How to Fight It (Feb. 23). Peter Hoekstra, Architects of Disaster (Oct. 13); accuses Pres. Obama and Hillary Clinton of wrongfully removing Col. Daffy Duck, allowing Libya to become a jihadist training site. Larry Holcombe (1943-), The Presidents and UFOs: A Secret History from FDR to Obama (Mar. 17). David Horowitz (1939-), The Black Book of the American Left, Vol. IV: Islamo-Fascism and the War Against the Jews. David Horspool, Richard III: A Ruler and His Reputation (Dec. 15); tries to be neutral. Lynn Hunt, Writing History in the Global Era; advocates a unified global-neuro approach. Imre Kertesz (1929-), The Last Refuge; "Europe will soon go under because of its previous liberalism which has proven childish and suicidal. Europe produced Hitler, and after Hitler there stands a continent with no arguments: the doors are wide open for Islam; no longer does anyone dare talk about race and religion, while at the same time Islam only knows the language of hatred against all foreign races and religions." Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (1939-), Palestine (July); calls himself "the flagbearer of Jihad to liberate Jerusalem"; pub. just at the wrong time, when Pres. Obama's nuclear deal with Iran is still on the table? Menachem Klein, Lives in Common: Arabs and Jews in Jerusalem, Jaffa and Hebron. Kevin M. Kruse, One Nation Under God: How Corporate America Invented Christian America; claims it only goes back to the 1930s to oppose FDR's New Deal, led by cynical Capitalists who gained the full support of Pres. Eisenhower and took it to the top. David Kupelian, The Snapping of the American Mind; "The Left never tires of manipulating americans' historical national guilt over slavery and segregation, persistently keeping the fires of guilt and shame alive in present-day Americans for sins committed generations ago by people long since dead." William Edward Leuchtenberg (1922-), The American President: From Teddy Roosevelt to Bill Clinton; Teddy Roosevelt to Bill Clintonl; "Persuaded that twentieth-century America was significantly shaped by its presidents." Michelle Malkin (1970-), Sold Out: How High-Tech Billionaires & Bipartisan Beltway Crapweasels Are Screwing America's Best & Brightest Workers (Nov. 10). Javier Manjarres, Brown People: Hispanic Politics and the Disunited State of Amigos (Feb. 19); attempts to break stereotypes. Catherine Mayer, Born to Be King: Prince Charles on Planet Windsor (Feb. 17); why the bozo is 66 and still not king. Will McCants, The ISIS Apocalypse: The History, Strategy, and Doomsday Vision of the Islamic State. David McCullough (1933-), The Wright Brothers (May 5). Ian Millhiser, Injustices: The Supreme Court's History of Comforting the Comfortable and Afflicting the Afflicted (Mar. 24); the Howard Zinn treatment of the U.S. Supreme Court. Kirsty Milne, At Vanity Fair: From Bunyan to Thackeray (May 12); how John Bunyan's metaphor went from a religious sin to a showcase for the elite. Michael Morrell and Bill Harlow, The Great War of Our Time: The CIA's Fight Against Terrorism from al Qa'ida to ISIS; the rise of Islamism against the U.S. from WWII to the present. Viet Thanh Nguyen (1971-), Nothing Ever Dies: Vietnam and the Memory of the War. Grover Norquist (1956-), End the IRS Before It Ends Us: How to Restore a Low Tax, High Growth, Wealthy America (Apr. 7); claims that the admin.-ordered IRS persecution of the Tea Party saved Pres. Obama's reelection by depriving Mitt Romney of the needed 4,262,296 votes. Michael B. Oren (1955-), Ally: My Journey Across the American-Israeli Divide (June 23); former Israeli ambassador (2009-13) claims that Pres. Obama isn't anti-Israel, but his lack of belief in Am. exceptionalism caused him to do all he could to bully Israel into complying with his naive agenda in the Middle East; "More alarming for me still were Obama's attitudes towards America. Vainly, I scoured 'Dreams from My Father' for some expression of reverence, even respect, for the country its author would someday lead. Instead, the book criticizes Americans for their capitalism and consumer culture, for despoiling their environment and maintaining antiquated power structures. Traveling abroad, they exhibited 'ignorance and arrogance' - the very shortcomings the president's critics assigned to him." Daniel Pipes (1949-), Nothing Abides: Perspectives on the Middle East and Islam (June 10). Gerald Posner, God's Bankers: A History of Money and Power at the Vatican (Feb. 3). Kirsten Powers (1967-), The Silencing: How the Left is Killing Free Speech (May 11); she hasn't seen anything yet? Greg Proops, The Smartest Book in the World: A Lexicon of Literacy, A Rancorous Reportage, A Concise Curriculum of Cool (May 5). Leah Remini (1970-), Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology (Nov. 3); NYT bestseller about her highly publicized July 2013 split with the Church of Scientology; on Nov. 29, 2016 she debuts her documentary TV series Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath on A&E Network (until ?), which exposes its dirty laundry. Sir Matt Ridley (1958-), The Evolution of Everything: How Ideas Emerge. Mark Riebling, Church of Spies: The Pope's Secret War Against Hitler. Eugene Rogan, The Fall of the Ottomans; the Ottomans didn't enter WWI on the wrong side because they were afraid that the Great Powers would dismember it, because they had been shoring it up for over a cent., and both sides guaranteed their territorial integrity if they stayed out of the war, and the Ottomans made the initial overtures to make a secret alliance with the Germans; "The truth of the matter is that the Ottoman Empire was neither forced into the First World War in a last-ditch attempt to ensure its survival, nor manoeuvred into it by an overbearing German ally and a hostile Entente, but rather plunged head on into the whirlpool." Jack Ross, The Socialist Party of America: A Complete History. Michael Savage (1942-), Government Zero; "There is a dance of death in the West and actual death in the Middle East, courtesy of the Islamofascists. Meanwhile, the Caesar in the White House entertains himself with a thousand sycophants, partying on behind closed doors as if the Islamofascist hand will not touch him. He thinks he's protected from this new plague, the Black Death of radical Islam." Peter Schweizer, Clinton Cash (May 5); how the Clinton State Dept. traded favors for big donations to the Clinton Foundation and speaking fees for Bill Clinton from Canadian mining mogul Frank Giustra et al., a "pay to play" scheme; he admits that evidence is based on timing not on a smoking gun, and calls for investigations. John Seabrook, The Song Machine: Inside the Hit Factory (Oct. 5); one hook every 7 sec. David Sehat, The Jefferson Rule: How the Founding Fathers Become Infallible and Our Politics Inflexible (May 19). Uriya Shavit (1975-), Shari'a and Muslim Minorities: The Wasati and Salafi Approaches to Fiqh al-Aqalliyyat al-Muslima. Christopher Shaw, The Two Degrees Limit for Climate Change: Public Understanding and Decision Making; questions how it was arrived at. Geoff Shepard, The Real Watergate Scandal: Collusion, Conspiracy, and the Plot That Brought Nixon Down (Aug. 3); the wrongdoing of the Watergate prosecutors and judges was worse than the original scandal? Gerald L. Smith, Karen Caotten McDaniel, and John A. Hardin (eds.), The Kentucky African American Encyclopedia (Aug.); "A significant step toward understanding the history of all Kentuckians." Robert Spencer (1962-), The Complete Infidel's Guide to ISIS (Aug. 24). T.J. Stiles (1964-), Custer's Trials: A Life on the Frontier of a New America (Pulitzer Prize). Roger Stone and Robert Morrow, The Clintons' War on Women (Oct. 13); details Hillary's abusive behavior dating back to her hubby Bill's days as gov. of Ark.; “Hillary Clinton has a long history of being domestically violent with Bill. Hillary has beaten Bill, hit him with hard objects, scratched and clawed him, and made him bleed"; "There's only one Hillary Clinton. She's the Ice Queen, that's the real Hillary. The one you see in her campaign, that's the fake"; Hillary's HQ in Brooklyn, N.Y. floods Amazon.com with negative reviews of the book? Evan Thomas (1951-), Being Nixon: A Man Divided. Gil Troy, The Age of Clinton: America in the 1990s (Oct. 6). Hamid Akin Unver, Turkey's Kurdish Question: Discourse and Politics Since 1990 (June 18). Michael Weiss and Hassan Hassan, ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror (Feb. 17). Chad Wellmon, Organizing Environment: Information Overload and the Invention of the Modern Research University (Mar. 11). Leif Wenar, Blood Oil: Tyrants, Violence, and the Rules that Run the World. Colin Woodard, American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures in North America; Yankeedom, New France, New Netherland, Tidewater, Midlands, Greater Appalachia, Deep South, Far West, Left Coast, El Norte, First Nation. Warren Zanes, Tom Petty: The Biography. George Zarkadakis, In Our Own Image; six different metaphors used to explain human intelligence. Plays: Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek, and Justin Paul, Dear Evan Hansen (Arena Stage, Washington, D.C.) (July 10) (Music Box Theatre, New York) (Dec. 4, 2016); stars Ben Platt as a h.s. senior suffering from social anxiety who is told by his therapist to write letters to himself about why each day will be good; first Broadway musical to focus on teens and social media; nominated for nine Tonys, winning six. Shishir Kurup, Merchant of Vembley (Cockpit Theatre, Marylebone, London) (Oct. 12); based on Shakespeare's "Merchant of Venice", set in the Asian-infused Wembley-Harrow area of London. Lin-Manuel Miranda (1980-), Hamilton: An American Musical (musical) (The Public Theater, New York) (Feb. 17) (Richard Rodgers Theatre, New York) (July 13); based on the 2004 bio "Alexander Hamilton" by Ron Chernow; PC casting features black and Hispanic actors playing White Am. Founding Fathers; the show's popularity causes the U.S. Treasury Dept. to cancel plans of replacing Hamilton's portrait on the $10 bill with Harriet Tubman, switching to Andy Jackson and the $20 bill. Poetry: Margaret Hacker (1942-), A Stranger's Mirror: New and Selected Poems 1994-2014. Novels: Margaret Atwood (1969-), The Heart Goes Last. Steve Berry, The Patriot Threat (Mar. 31); Cotton Malone of the Justice Dept.'s Magellan Billet, his boss Stephanie Nelle, and secrets of the 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Christopher Buckley, The Relic Master (Dec. 8); relic hunter Dismas and his friend Albrecht Durer in 1517. Ernest Cline (1972-), Armada (July 14); h.s. student Zack Lightman and the Earth Defense Alliance (EDA) vs. attacking aliens from Europa. Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling) (1965-), Career of Evil (Oct. 22); Cormoran Strike #3; title based on a Blue Oyster Cult song. Michel Houellebecq (1956-), Submission (Jan. 17); 2022 France is Islamicized; pub. same day as the Charlie Hebdo Massacre, boosting sales. Harper Lee (1926-), Go Set a Watchman (July 14); shocks readers with its revelation that Atticus Finch was a white supremacist who just happened to love justice, as he crumbles about integration 20 years later; "The Negroes down here are still in their childhood as a people... Do you want Negroes by the carload in our schools and churches and theaters? Do you want them in our world?"; Scout is grown up and living in York City, and is the hero of the novel. Gregory Maguire (1954-), After Alice; a retelling of Alice in Wonderland. Viet Thanh Nguyen (1971-), The Sympathizer (Apr.) (first novel) (Pulitzer Prize); Commie double agent emigrates to the U.S. after the fall of Saigon. Hanya Yanagihara, A Little Life (Mar. 10); four college friends incl. Jude, victim of abuse. Births: English princess (Anglican) Charlotte Elizabeth Diana of Cambridge on May 2 (4:24 p.m.) in Paddington, London; first daughter of Prince William and Duchess Catherine; 4th in line to the throne after Charles, William, and George. Swedish prince (Lutheran) Nicolas Paul Gustaf Bernadotte, Duke of Angermanland on June 15 in Danderyd; first son of Princess Madeleine and Christopher O'Neill. Deaths: Am. "Elly May Clampett in The Beverly Hillbillies" actress Donna Douglas (b. 1932) on Jan. 1 in Zachary, La. (pancreatic cancer). Am. N.Y. gov. #52 (1983-94) Mario Cuomo (b. 1932) on Jan. 1 in Queens, N.Y. Am. "Elly May Calampett in The Beverly Hillbillies" actress Donna Douglas (b. 1932) on Jan. 1 in Zachary, La. Am. poet Miller Williams (b. 1930) on Jan. 1 in Fayetteville, Ark. (Alzheimer's). Am. country singer Little Jimmy Dickens (b. 1920) on Jan. 2 in Nashville, Tenn. (cardiac arrest). U.S. Sen. (R-Mass.) (1967-79) Edward Brooke (b. 1919) on Jan. 3 in Coral Gables, Fla. English actor-comedian-singer Lance Percival (b. 1933) on Jan. 6 in London. French Charlie Hebdo caricaturist Stephane "Charb" Charbonnier (b. 1967) on Jan. 7 in Paris (murdered). Am. "Dog Soldiers" novelist Robert Stone (b. 1937) on Jan. 10 in Key West, Fla. (COPD). Yugoslavian-born Swiss virologist-immunologist Jean Lindenmann (b. 1924) on Jan. 15 in Zurich. Am. "It Was a Very Good Year" songwriter Ervin Drake (b. 1919) on Jan. 15 in Great Neck, N.Y. Am. biologist-chemist Andrew Benson (b. 1917) on Jan. 16 in La Jolla, Calif. Am. economist Henry Manne (b. 1928) on Jan. 17. U.S. Repub. Second Lady (1974-7) Happy Rockefeller (b. 1974) on Jan. 20 in Pocantico Hills, N.Y. Saudi king (2005-15) Abdullah (b. 1924) on Jan. 23 in Riyadh. Am. physicist Charles Hard Townes (b. 1915) on Jan. 27 in Oakland, Calif. Am. poet Rod McKuen (b. 1933) on Jan. 29 in Beverly Hills, Calif.; sold 60M books of poetry and 100M recordings worldwide. Congolese Simba rebel leader Christophe Gbenye (b. 1927) on Feb. 3 in Kinshasa. British historian Sir Martin Gilbert (b. 1936) on Feb. 3. Am. physicist Val Logsdon Fitch (b. 1923) on Feb. 5 in Princeton, N.J.; 1980 Nobel Physics Prize. Am. golfer Billy Casper (b. 1931) on Feb. 7 in Springville, Utah. Am. basketball coach Dean Smith (b. 1931) on Feb. 7 in Chapel Hill, N.C. Australian climate scientist Michael Robin Raupach (b. 1950) on Feb. 10. Am. TV journalist Bob Simon (b. 1941) on Feb. 11 in Manhattan, N.Y. (auto accident). Am. poet Philip Levine (b. 1928) on Feb. 14 in Fresno, Calif.; the album "The Poetry of Jazz" by Levine and Benjamin Boone is released on Mar. 16, 2018. Am. singer Lesley Gore (b. 1946) on Feb. 16 in New York City (lung cancer). English diplomat Sir Robert Wade-Gery (b. 1929) on Feb. 16. Am. jazz trumpeter Clark Terry (b. 1920) on Feb. 21 in Pine Bluff, Ark. Am. Notre Dame U. pres. #15 (1952-87) Rev. Theodore Martin Hesburgh (b. 1917) on Feb. 26 in Notre Dame, Ind.; his funeral-memorial service are attended by Pres. Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter, Condoleezza Rice et al., with a video message from Pres. Obama. Am. basketball player (first black to play in the NBA) Earl Lloyd (b. 1928) on Feb. 26 in Crossville, Tenn. Am. actor Richard Bakalyan (b. 1931) on Feb. 27 in Elmira, N.Y. Am. "Spock in Star Trek" actor-dir. Leonard Nimoy (b. 1931) on Feb. 27 in Bel Air, Los Angeles, Calif. (COPD); William Shatner snubs his funeral to attend the Red Cross Ball. Cuban baseball player Minnie Minoso (b. 1925) on Mar. 1 in Chicago, Ill. Am. bowler Fred Joseph Riccilli (b. 1921) on Mar. 3 in Seal Beach, Calif. Am. "The Simpsons" writer-dir.-producer Sam Simon (b. 1955) on Mar. 8 in Pacific Palisades, Calif. (cancer). Iraqi cleric Sheikh Harith al-Dhari (b. 1921) on Mar. 12 in Istanbul, Turkey. Am. Denver Public Library architect Michael Graves (b. 1934) on Mar. 12 in Princeton, N.J.; became paraplegic in 2003 from a spinal cord infection. English Free rock musician Andy Fraser (b. 1952) on Mar. 16 in Temecula, Calif. Am. blues musician Samuel Charters (b. 1929) on Mar. 18 in Arsta, Sweden (bone marrow cancer). Australian PM #22 (1975-83) Malcolm Fraser (b. 1930) on Mar. 20 in Melbourne, Victoria. Am. actor Gregory Walcott (b. 1928) on Mar. 20 in Los Angeles, Calif. Am. Pet Rock inventor Gary Dahl (b. 1936) on Mar. 23 in Jacksonville, Ore. (COPD). Canadian "Madeline in La Femme Nikita" actress Alberta Watson (b. 1955) on Mar. 23 in Toronto, Ont. (cancer). Am. actor Robert Z'Dar (b. 1950) on Mar. 30 in Pensacola, Fla. Japanese world's oldest person (since Jan. 12, 2013) Misao Okawa (b. 1898) on Apr. 1 in Higashisumiyoshi-ku, Osaka (117 years 25 days). Canadian hockey hall-of-fame player Elmer Lach (b. 1918) on Apr. 4 in Kirkland, Quebec. Am. "Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane in The Dukes of Hazzard" actor James Best (b. 1926) on Apr. 6 in Hickory, N.C. (pneumonia). Am. "John Arlington in Any Which Way You Can" actor Geoffrey Lewis (b. 1935) on Apr. 7 in Woodland Hills, Calif. German "The Tin Drum" novelist Gunter Grass (b. 1927) on Apr. 13 in Lubeck. Congolese politician Albert Kalonji (b. 1929) on Apr. 20 in Mbuji-Mayi. Am. "Rosie the Riveter" model Mary Doyle Keefe (b. 1923) on Apr. 21. Canadian politician Christine Stewart (b. 1941) on Apr. 25 in Cobourg, Ont. Am. "Tracy in The Partidge Family" actress Suzanne J. Crough (b. 1963) on Apr. 27 in Laughlin, Nev. (heart failure). Am. biologist Alexander Rich (b. 1924) on Apr. 27 in Boston, Mass. Am. astronomer Peter A. Wehinger (b. 1938) on Apr. 27 in Tucson, Ariz. (lung cancer). Am. folk singer Guy Carawan (b. 1927) on May 2 in New Market, Tenn. Am. writer William Bast (b. 1931) on May 4 in Los Angeles, Calif. Australian serial murderer William MacDonald (b. 1924) on May 12 in Randwick, N.S.W. (dies in the Prince of Wales Hospital while serving a life sentence). Am. singer B.B. King (b. 1925) on May 14 in Las Vegas, Nev. Am. football kicker Garo Yepremian (b. 1944) on May 15 in Media, Penn. Am. comedian Anne Meara (b. 1929) on May 23 in Manhattan, N.Y. Am. mathematician John Forbes Nash Jr. (b. 1928) on May 23 in Monroe Township, N.J. (automobile accident on the New Jersey Turnpike). Am. NCAA dir. #1 (1951-88) Walter Byers (b. 1922) on May 26. Am. folk singer-songwriter Jean Ritchie (b. 1922) on June 1 in Berea, Ky. Iraqi deputy PM (1979-2003) Tariq Aziz (b. 1936) on June 5 in Nasiriyah (dies in prison hospital). Am. folk singer Ronnie Gilbert (b. 1926) on June 6 in Mill Valley, Calif. English "Saruman in The Lord of the Rings" actor Sir Christopher Lee (b. 1922) on June 7 in Chelsea, London. Am. jazz musician Ornette Coleman (b. 1930) on June 11 in New York City. Am. prof. wrestler Dusty Rhodes (b. 1945) on June 11 in Orlando, Fla. (kidney failure). Yemeni AQAP leader Nasir al-Wuhayshi (b. 1976) on June 12 in Mukalla (KIA). Am. actor George "Foghorn" Winslow (b. 1946) on June 13 in Camp Meeker, Calif. (heart attack); dies in his home along with 25 cats. Chinese leader Qiao Shi (b. 1924) on June 14 in Beijing. Am. conservative writer Alan Caruba (b. 1937) on June 15 in South Orange, N.J. Australian Olympic runner Ron Clarke (b. 1937) on June 17 in Southport, Queensland. Turkish pres. #9 (1993-2000) and PM #12 (1991-3) Suleyman Demirel (b. 1924) on June 17 in Ankara. Am. "Titanic" film composer James Horner (b. 1953) on June 22 in Los Padres Nat. Forest, Calif. (airplane crash). English "John Steed in The Avengers" actor Patrick Macnee (b. 1922) on June 25 in Rancho Mirage, Calif. English Yes rock bassist Chris Squire (b. 1948) on June 28 in Phoenix, Ariz. (leukemia). African tame lion Cecil the Lion (b. 2002) on July 1 in Hwange District, Zimbabwe; killed with an arrow by Am. dentist Walter Palmer, sparking internat. outrage. British humanitarian Sir Nicholas Winton (b. 1909) on July 1 in Slough, Berkshire. Am. poet James Tate (b. 1943) on July 8 in Amherst, Mass. Egyptian "Doctor Zhivago" actor Omar Sharif (b. 1932) on July 10 in Cairo (heart attack). English actress Nova Pilbeam (b. 1919) on July 17 in London. Canadian prof. wrestler Rowdy Roddy Piper (b. 1954) on July 31 in Los Angeles, Calif. (heart attack). Am. Mr. Coffee co-creator Vincent Marotta (b. 1924) on Aug. 1 in Pepper Pike, Ohio. Am. Bird respirator inventor Forrest Bird (b. 1921) on Aug. 2 in Sagle, Idaho. British-Am. historian Robert Conquest (b. 1917) on Aug. 3 in Stanford, Calif. Am. NFL star and "ABC's Monday Night Football" sportscaster Frank Gifford (b. 1930) on Aug. 9 in Greenwich, Conn. Am. civil rights activist Julian Bond (b. 1940) on Aug. 15 in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. Pakistani spymaster Gen. Hamid Gul (b. 1936) on Aug. 15 in Murree, Punjab. Am. "Batgirl in Batman" actress Yvonne Craig (b. 1937) on Aug. 17 in Pacific Palisades, Calif. Finnish sociologist Tatu Vanhanen (b. 1929) on Aug. 22 in Nurmijarvi. English auto racer Justin Wilson (b. 1978) on Aug. 24 in Allentown, Penn.; dies from brain injury received in an accident on Aug. 23 at the Pocono Raceway in Penn. Am. "Your Erroneous Zones" writer Wayne Walter Dyer (b. 1940) on Aug. 29 in Maui County, Hawaii (heart attack). Am. "A Nightmare on Elm Street" dir. Wes Craven (b. 1939) on Aug. 30 in Los Angeles, Calif. (brain cancer). British "Awakenings" neurologist Oliver Wolf Sacks (b. 1933) on Aug. 30 in Manhattan, N.Y. (cancer). Am. "The Love Bug" actor Dean Jones (b. 1931) on Sept. 1 in Los Angeles, Calif. Am. "Sock it to me!" actress Judy Carne (b. 1939) on Sept. 3 in Northampton (pneumonia). Am. "Route 66", "Adam-12" actor Martin Milner (b. 1931) on Sept. 6 in Carlsbad, Calif. (heart failure). Am. "Our Gang" actor Dickie Moore (b. 1925) on Sept. 7 near Wilton, Conn. Am. basketball hall-of-fame player Moses Malone (b. 1955) on Sept. 13 in Norfolk, Va. Am. Subway co-founder Fred DeLuca (b. 1947) on Sept. 14 in Lauderdale Lakes, Fla. British-Am. novelist Jackie Collins (b. 1937) on Sept. 19 in Beverly Hills, Calif. (breast cancer); pub. 32 novels, all NYT bestsellers (500M+ copies in 40 languages), with eight filmed. Am. "Jimmy Olsen in The Adventures of Superman" actor Jack Larson (b. 1928) on Sept. 20 in Brentwood, Los Angeles, Calif. Am. poet C.K. Williams (b. 1936) on Sept. 20 in Hopewell, N.J. (multiple myeloma). Am. hall-of-fame baseball catcher Yogi Berra (b. 1925) on Sept. 22 in West Caldwell, N.J. Egyptian "My Drive to Israel" playwright-writer Ali Salem (b. 1936) on Sept. 22 in Mohandessin. English "King Arthur in Excalibur" actor Nigel Terry (b. 1945) on Sept. 30 in Newquay, Cornwall (emphysema). Am. chef Paul Prudhomme (b. 1940) on Oct. 8 in New Orleans, La. Am. "Pac-Man" actor Marty Ingels (b. 1936) on Oct. 21 in Tarzana, Calif. (stroke). Irish-born Am. actress Maureen Fitzsimons (b. 1920) on Oct. 24 in Boise, Idaho. Am. physicist Leo Kadanoff (b. 1937) on Oct. 26 in Chicago, Ill. Iraqi politician Ahmed Chalabi (b. 1944) on Nov. 3 in Kadhimiya, Baghdad (heart attack). Am. actor-politician Fred Thompson (b. 1942) on Nov. 1 in Nashville, Texn. (non-Hodgkin's lymphoma). Am. computer engineer Gene Amdahl (b. 1922) on Nov. 10 in Palo Alto, Calif. (pneumonia and Alzheimer's). Belgian ISIS terrorist Abdelhamid Abaaoud (b. 1987) on Nov. 18 in Saint-Denis, France (killed). Canadian oil exec Maurice Strong (b. 1929) on Nov. 27 in New Edinburgh, Ottawa, Ont. English Motorhead musician Lemmy Kilmister (b. 1945) on Dec. 24 in Los Angeles, Calif. (cancer). Am. "The Christ Conspiracy: The Greatest Story Ever Sold" writer Acharya S. (Dorothy Milne Murdock) (b. 1960) on Dec. 25 (breast cancer). Am. basketball player Meadowlark Lemon (b. 1932) on Dec. 27 in Scottsdale, Ariz. Am. "Unforgettable" singer Natalie Cole (b. 1950) on Dec. 31 in Los Angeles, Calif. (congestive heart failure); sold 30M+ records. Am. "Trapper John in M*A*S*H" actor Wayne Rogers (b. 1933) on Dec. 31 in Los Angeles, Calif. (pneumonia).




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TLW's 2016 C.E. Historyscope, by T.L. Winslow (TLW), "The Historyscoper"™

T.L. Winslow's 2016 C.E. Historyscope

© Copyright by T.L. Winslow. All Rights Reserved.



2016 - The #OscarsSoWhite Feel the Bern Crooked Hillary Clinton Bathroom Bill Basket of Deplorables Donald Trump Get Schlonged Bigly Locker Room Banter Make America Great Again System Is Rigged Crazy Clown Epidemic What In the Hell Do You Have to Lose That's the Big Difference between Abraham Lincoln and You Panama Papers Bathroom Bills Brexit Brussels Pulse Orlando Istanbul Chelsea Manhattan Berlin Christmas Market Nice White Killer Cops Black Cop Killers Theresa May Aleppo Superman Superwoman Dawn of the Drone Age and VR and Self-Driving Cars Year? A Big Year for Cleveland and Chicago?

Donald Trump (1946-) on Time mag. cover, Nov. 9, 2016 Mike Pence of the U.S. (1959-) Hillary Rodham Clinton of the U.S. (1947-) Tim Kaine of the U.S. (1958-) 2016 Repub. Pres. Candidates 2016 Dem. Pres. Candidates Paul J. Manafort of the U.S. (1949-) and Donald John Trump of the U.S. (1946-) Kellyanne Conway (1967-) Stephen K. Bannon (1953-) Donald Trump (1946-) Nude Statue, 2016 Hillary Stumbling, 9/11/2016 Gary J. Byrne Edward Archer (1985-) shooting Philly officer Jesse Hartnett (1982-), Jan. 8, 2016 Terence Cruchter (1976-), Sept. 16, 2016 Brussels Airport Attackers, 03/22/2016 Brussels Airport Attack, 03/22/2016 Omar Mateen (1986-2016) Mohamed Barry (1985-2016) Istanbul Airport Bombers, 06/28/2016 July 14, 2016 Nice Attack Lahouaiej Bouhlel (1985-) Ahmad Khan Rahami (1988-) Arcan Cetin (1996-) Dahir A. Adan (1994-2016) Anis Amri (1992-2016) Abdul Razak Ali Artan (1998-2016) Berlin Truck Attack, Dec. 19, 2016 Junead Khan (1990-) Assassination of Russian ambassador Andrei Karlov (1954-2016), Dec. 19, 2016 Air Force One Over Cuba, 03/20/2016 Omran Daqneesh of Syria (2011-), Aug. 17, 2016 Abdul Razak Ali Artan (1998-2016) Pizzagate shooter Edgar Welch (1988-) Theresa May of Britain (1956-) Boris Johnson of Britain (1964-) Jimmy Morales of Guatemala (1969-) Michael Thomas Flynn of the U.S. (1958-) Roger Ailes (1940-) Rose Hamid (1959-) Larry Nassar (1963-) James Dale Ritchie (1976-2016) Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan (1956-) Rama X Vajiralongkorn (1952-) of Thailand Rodrigo Duterte of Philippines (1945-) Merrick Garland of the U.S. (1952-) U.S. Gen. Lori Robinson (1958-) Otto Warmbier (1984-2017) Micah Xavier Johnson (1991-2016) Sadiq Aman Khan of Britain (1970-) Cardinal Christoph Schönborn (1945-) Philando Castile (1983-2016) Terence Crutcher (1976-2016) Alton Sterling (1979-2016) Peyton Manning (1976-) Von Miller (1989-) Cam Newton (1989-) Jordan Norwood (1986-) Denny Hamlin (1980-) Martin Truex Jr. (1980-) Ibtihaj Muhammad of the U.S. (1985-) Katie Ledecky of the U.S. (1997-) Simone Biles of the U.S. (1997-) Simone Manuel of the U.S. (1996-) Michael Phelps of the U.S. (1985-) Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia (1951-) Seth Rich (1989-) Bob Dylan (1941-) David James Thouless (1934-) Duncan Haldane (1952-)) Michio Kaku (1947-) Kate Rubins of the U.S. (1978-) John Michael Kosterlitz (1943-) Jean-Pierre Sauvage (1944-) Sir James Fraser Stoddart (1942-) Ben Feringa (1951-) Yoshinori Ohsumi (1945-) Oliver Hart (1948-) Bengt Robert Holmström (1949-) Todd Christopher Kohlhepp (1971-) Erin Andrews (1978-) Deshauna Barber (1989-) Kane Brown (1993-) E.J. Dionne (1952-) William Finnegan (1952-) Maren Morris (1990-) Jordan Bernt Peterson (1962-) Sophie Theallet (1964-) Peter Waldhams (1948-) Yuri Oganessian (1933-) Paola Saulino (1989-), Pompa Tour 2016 Avery Jackson (2007-) Samantha Bee (1969-) 'Channel Zero, 2016- 'Stan Against Evil', 2016- '13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi', 2016 'Arrival', 2016 'Before the Flood', 2016 'The Belko Experiment', 2016 '10 Cloverfield Lane', 2016 'Colossal', 2016 'Deadpool', 2016 'Don't Breathe, 2016 'Finding Dory', 2016 'Elle', 2016 'Hacksaw Ridge', 2016 'Hell or High Water', 2016 'Independence Day: Resurgence', 2016 'La La Land', 2016 'Loving', 2016 'Raw', 2016 'Risen', 2016 'The Secret Life of Pets', 2016 'Split', 2016 'Suicide Squad', 2016 'Sully', 2016 'Train to Busan', 2016 'Zootopia', 2016 'The Bands Visit', 2016 Portrait of William Shakespeare (1564-1616) by Geoffrey Tristram, 2016 Apple Campus 2, 2016 Rogers Place, 2016 Nat. Museum of African Am. History and Culture, 2016 Contemplative Court Fountain, 2016 Dumb Donald Beer, 2016 Mormon Magic Stone

2016 Chinese Year: Fire Monkey (Feb. 8). Time Person of the Year: Donald Trump (1946-) (Dec. 7). Doomsday Clock: 3 min. to midnight. Speaking of fire monkey, by this year a total of 120M people have contracted HIV since the first diagnosed cases in June 1981? - a single chimp in WC Africa did all this? The global avg. life expectancy increased 5.5 years since 2016, becoming the fastest increase since the 1960s. The U.S. death rate from cancer has fallen 27% since 1991. his is the warmest year on record according to NASA and NOAA, 1.78F warmer than the mid-20th cent. mean, and third straight record year in a row. Number of refugees entering the U.S. this year: 85K incl. 38,901 Muslim and 37,521 Christian (44%) (first time that there are more Muslim than Christian refugees). Of 150,272,172 U.S. tax returns filed for this year, 50,219,667 (33.4) pay $0 or less in income taxes. By this year most name brands are controlled by just 10 multinat. corporations, incl. Coca-Cola, General Mills, Johnson & Johnson, Kellogg's, Kraft, Mars, Nestle, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, and Unilever. Chinese banks incl. ICBC, China Construction Bank, Agricultural Bank of China, and Bank of Communications rise to account for 50% of the top banks in the world. The cumulative trade deficit of the U.S. with Mexico between Jan. 1994 and Nov. of this year: $986.5B. Losses to terrorism since 2004 (Euros): EU: 180B, UK: 43.7B, France: 43B, Spain: 40.8B, Germany: 19.2B. China begins reducing direct U.S. investment, from $45.6B this year to $2B in 2018. A famine in Sri Lanka affects crops, causing 900K-1.2M to be in need of food assistance. The U.S. drops 26,171 bombs in seven countries this year, an avg. of 3/hour. There are 556 legally-recognized Native Am. tribes in the U.S., down from 1K+ before the Euro palacefaces first moved in. by Jan. 1 global refugee pop. peaks at 65.3M, becoming the first time over 60M or 10% of world pop. On Jan. 1 (12:01 a.m.) Luis Valenicia Jr. (b. 2016) is born in San Diego. 2 min. after his twin sister Jaelyn Valenicia, becoming the first newborn of 2016 - a prophecy of the Trump-Hillary contest? On Jan. 1 Hawaii becomes the first U.S. state to raise the legal age for smoking to 21. On Jan. 1 (night) Muslims in Copenhagen, Denmark begin setting cars on fire, continuing throughout the year in 100+ cities. On Jan. 1 the 2016 Rose Bowl sees 11-2 Stanford defeat 12-1 Iowa by 45-16; all 64.5K tickets are sold at $150-$186 each. On Jan. 1 Israeli Arab citizen Nashat Milhelm opens fire on cafes and bars on Dizengoff St. in Tel Aviv, Israel, killing two and injuring seven in Sinta Bar then killing Arab taxi driver Amin Shaaban while trying to escape; he is killed on Jan. 8 by police in his hometown of Arara; on Jan. 9 (night) Italian Jewish immigrants and reps of Project Dreyfus in Italy hold a silent demonstration to protest the world holding Israel to a double standard in its handling of Muslim terrorists, with Project Dreyfus pres. Alex Zarfati uttering the soundbyte: "They didn't condemn it, even though it's clear that this is the same kind of terror as the Paris terrorist attacks and the other radical Islamic terrorist attacks that theaten the Western world"; a Quran is found in the gunman's backpack; the work of ISIS? On Jan. 1 Iran becomes a member of the executive board of the U.N. Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (U.N. Women) along with the U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, and the Commission on Narcotic Drugs. On Jan. 1 ISIS massacres 300+ West African migrants in Tripoli, Libya before they can be trafficked to Italy. On Jan. 1 certifiable German chancellor Angel Merkel gives a 2016 New Year's Day Speech demanding that Germans not have "coldness in their hearts" but instead embrace the 1.1M+ Muslim arrivals - who all want in their hearts to kill infidels? On Jan. 1 the Calif. Fair Pay Act goes into effect, mandating wage parity for men and women doing "substantially similar" work, with the burden of proof on employers. On Jan. 1 U.S. defense secy. Ash Carter's Dec. deadline for all service chiefs to submit plans to incl. women in all combat positions incl. elite special forces units arrives, and U.S. Navy secy. Ray Mabus sends a memo to the commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, scolding him for delays in integrating women, forbidding the use of the word "man" in a job title, requiring at least two women officers per ground combat battalion, causiing U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) (former USMC officer) to call it "ridiculous. This is too critical to rush"; this don't stop Carter from approving final plans on Mar. 11. On Jan. 2 Saudi Arabia executes 47 alleged terrorists, incl. Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, drawing condemnation from the U.S. and EU, pissing-off Iran and causing protesters to set ransack and set fire to the Saudi embassy in Tehran, after which on Jan. 3 Shoddy, er, Saudi Arabia cuts diplomatic ties with Iran, followed on Jan. 4 by Bahrain, UAE, and Sudan; Donald Trump utters the soundbyte: "One thing I see out there just happened today in Tehran. They're burning down the Saudi embassy, you see that? Now what that is, is Iran wants to take over Saudi Arabia. They already have. They want the oil, okay? They've always wanted that"; Trump also accuses Pres. Obama and Hillary Clinton of creating ISIS. On Jan. 2 (2:00 p.m.) after violations by Houthi militants, the Saudi-led coalition announces the end of the Dec. 15 ceasefire in Yemen. On Jan. 2 Pakistani Jaeish-e-Mohammed terrorists dressed in Indian Army fatigues attack Pathankot Air Force Station in NW India, killing seven security personnel and losing six terrorists in a 17-hour gun battle. On Jan. 4 (Mon.) the Dow Jones Industrial Avg. plunges by 411 points to 17,015. On Jan. 4 reps of major Arab Palestinian orgs. meet in Ramallah, Palestine to discuss how to escalte their Al-Quds Intifada - I'd like to fly like Supeman? On Jan. 4 Egypt resumes diplomatic relations with Israel for the first time since Nov. 2012; meanwhile Egypt's invasion of Sinai to fight ISIS violates their 1979 treaty with Israel, destabilizing relations. On Jan. 4 (first day of trading in 2016) China's domestic A-share stock market declines by 7%, causing transactions to halt and prompting govt. intervention to prop-up stocks, becoming the start of a stock market bubble burst following an unchecked rise until last summer. On Jan. 4 Saudi Arabia carries out a mass execution of 47 people, incl. 43 by beheading and four by firing squad, mainly for speaking out against the regime, becoming their largest mass execution since 1980. On Jan. 4 the U.S. Postal Service introduces a new purple-gold Muslim Eid a-Fitr/Eid al-Adha stamp, along with one celebrating Kwanzaa. On Jan. 5 Pres. Obama gives a tearful speech to a cheering crowd and releases executive orders (his 230th time) expanding mandatory background checks on private gun sales et al., with the soundbyte: "Anybody in the business of selling firearms must get a license and conduct background checks or be subject to criminal prosecutions", pissing-off Repubs., who claim he's exceeding his Constitutional authority by passing his own laws. On Jan. 5 fighting with the Taliban near Marja, Helmand, Afghanistan near the Pakistan border kills one U.S. soldier and injures two. On Jan. 5 Iran unveils a new underground missile base which incl. nuclear warhead-ready Emad precision-guided missiles, which violate a 2010 U.N. Security Council resolution. On Jan. 5 Pope Francis releases his first-ever video message on his monthly prayer intentions, claiming that all faiths are the same and that "we are all children of God". On Jan. 5 Brig. Gen. Diana Holland becomes the 76th commandant of West Point Military Academy, and the first woman. On Jan. 6 (12:30 p.m. local time) North Korea announces that it has conducted a successful H-bomb test, which they call "the H-Bomb of Justice"; the U.S. calls it a dud. On Jan. 6 Christian preacher James McConnell of County Antrim, Ireland is acquitted of "grossly offensive speech" for preaching that Islam is Satanic and a doctrine spawned in Hell, which doesn't stop Irish Muslims for lobbying for Islamic blasphemy laws like in the Muslim World. On Jan. 6 Saudi jets bomb the Iranian embassy in Sana'a, Yemen; meanwhile a car bomb at a police training center in Zliten, Libya kills 65. On Jan. 6 Hurricane Alex starts over NW Cuba, becoming the first hurricane of 2016. On Jan. 7 gunmen fire at security personnel at a hotel in Haram, Giza, Egypt during the annual Coptic celebration of Christmas. On Jan. 7 (11:30 a.m.) an Allah Akbar-shouting Muslim attacks a police station in N Paris with a meat cleaver and fake explosives but being you know what. On Jan. 7 Israel's Shin Bet intel service announces that it foiled a Hamas plan to kidnap and kill Israelis; meanwhile Egypt contacts Israel, requesting them not to normalize ties with Turkey. On Jan. 7 the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security announces that it has deported 77 of 121 illegal immigrants from Central Am. rounded up over the weekend in Tex., Ga., and N.C. On Jan. 8 escaped Sinaloa cartel boss Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is captured after a shootout in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico after almost 7 mo. after he makes the mistake of trying to contact producers and actresses to make a film bio., holding an interview in the jungle with Sean Penn and Kate del Castillo last Oct. On Jan. 8 Philly police officer Jesse Hartnett (1982-) is shot 11x in his car on the street with a stolen police revolver by Am. Muslim Edward Archer (1985-), who tells police that "he pledges his allegiance to Islamic State, follows Allah, and that is the reason he was called upon to do that", namely, "He believed that the police defend laws that are contrary to the teachings of the Quran", which doesn't stop Philly mayor Jim Kenney from uttering the clueless soundbyte about the shooting: "It's terrible and it does not represent the religion [of Islam] in any way shape or form or any of its teachings". On Jan. 8 al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) releases an audio message by leader Ibraham al-Qusi calling for jihadist attacks against the West incl. France and the U.S. On Jan. 8 Philippine Islamist group Abu Sayaaf releases a video pledging allegiance to ISIS. On Jan. 8 Am. Muslim flight attendant Rose Hamid (1959-) (wearing a t-shirt saying "Salam, I come in peace") is ejected from a Donald Trump rally in Rock Hill, S.C. after standing up to protest Trump's views that Syrian refugees might be ISIS recruits, with the soundbyte: "There is hatred against us that is unbelievable. It's their hatred, it's not our hatred", to which she responds: "I figured that most Trump supporters probably never met a Muslim so I figured that I'd give them the opportunity to meet one... The ugliness really came out fast and that's really scary". On Jan. 9 7K-10K Kurds from across Europe march in Paris, France to protext the killing of three female Kurds there three years earlier, blaming it on Turkey. On Jan. 9 3K anti-Islamization group PEGIDA holds a peaceful rally in Cologne, Germany to protest Syrian immigration and mass sex attacks; other rallies are held in Germany, Austria, Belgium, and France; the upside-down German govt. sends 1.7K police to the Cologne rally, vs. only 150 when the 1K Muslims were rioting, using tear gas and water cannons ] and arresting 15; "Rapefugees not welcome"; "Muhammad not welcome." On Jan. 9 after land-based attacks on the oil terminals of As Sidr and Ras Lanuf on Jan. 4-6, three ISIS boats attack the oil port of Zueitina, Libya, but are repelled. On Jan. 9 massive throngs of 1.4M at the annual Feast of the Black Nazarene in Manila, Philippines kill two and injure hundreds. On Jan. 10 (Sun.) three Muslim men attempt a Paris-style mass shooting at the Ten X Nightclub in Calgary, Ont., Canada, injuring one; the PC press attempts another coverup. On Jan. 10 Afghan peace process talks are held in Islamabad, Pakistan by reps from Pakistan, Afghanistan, the U.S., and China, focusing on the need for talks with the Taliban. On Jan. 10 the U.S. military blows up a bldg. full of ISIS money in Mosul, Iraq. On Jan. 11 (14th anniv. of the arrival of the first Afghanistan War detainees) Saudi-born Mohammad al Rahman al Shumrani is released after being held sans charges and trial; he was admitted on Jan. 16, 2002. On Jan. 11 after a German official meets with Hassan Nasrallah a week earlier in vain, Hezbollah stages an IED attack on the border of Lebanon near Israeli forces in N Israel, causing Russia to ask it to cool it as Israeli shells locations near farms in Shebaa. On Jan. 11 coordinated Taliban suicide attacks in Jalalabad, Afghanistan are foiled by Afghan security forces; meanwhile a secret NATO report is leaked to Der Spiegel, revealing that the Afghan army is incapable of fighting the Taliban, with only 1 of 101 infantry battalions ready for battle, and 38 with "massive problems", incl. 10 with 600 soldiers each "not operational at all". On Jan. 11 (eve.) the 3rd Dem. Pres. Forum at Drake U. in Des Moines, Iowa, aired on Fusion focuses on minority issues. On Jan. 12 an ISIS suicide bomber from Saudi Arabia detonates in a crowd of German tourists in the Sultanahmet District near the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, killing 10 and injuring 15, hurting Turkey's tourist industry, becoming the 4th bombing on Turkish soil since June, and the first targeting all Turks instead of Turkish Kurds; Turkey responds by shelling ISIS positions in Syria and Iraq, killing 200. On Jan. 12 Iran captures two U.S. Navy boats carrying 10 crew after they stray too far into the Persian Gulf en route from Kuwait to Bahrain, and are hauled to Farsi Island; after being accused of spying, they are freed on Jan. 13 after film is taken of them and aired to humiliate the U.S., incl. Lt. David Nartker (1988-) being forced to apologize; the boats really were captured on Dec. 29, and were on a top secret mission to transfer a top-level ISIS cmdr. to Kuwait so that he could travel to Syria to replace Zahran Alloush, who was killed on Dec. 25?; on May 12 squadron cmdr. Eric Rasch is fired. On Jan. 12 Pres. Obama delivers his (last) 2016 State of the Union Speech (watched by 31.3M viewers), ignoring the taking of U.S. Navy hostages by Iran and waxing lyrical about the United States of America, with the soundbytes: "The United States of America is the most powerful nation on Earth, period. It's not even close. We spend more on our military than the next eight nations combined", "Surveys show our standing around the world is higher than when I was elected to this office, and when it comes to every important international issue, people of the world do not look to Beijing or Moscow to lead, they call us", and "Anyone claiming that America's economy is in decline is peddling fiction", dissing Repub. climate deniers with the soundbyte: "Look, if anybody still wants to dispute the science around climate change, have at it. You'll be pretty lonely, because you'll be debating our military, most of America's business leaders, the majority of the American people, almost the entire scientific community, and 200 nations around the world who agree it's a problem and intend to solve it", then strangely admitting that failure to heal the Dem.-Repub. divide is "one of the few regrets of my presidency", heating the divide up himself by slapping at Donald Trump with the Muslim appeasing soundbyte claiming that singling out Muslims "betrayed" America's identity: "When politicians insult Muslims... that doesn't make us safer. It's just wrong. It diminishes us in the eyes of the world. it makes it harder to achieve our goals", dismissing ISIS as "killers and fanatics who have to be rooted out, hunted down, and destroyed", adding: "We don't need to build them up to show that we're serious, nor do we need to push away vital allies in this fight by echoing the lie that ISIL is representative of one of the world's largest religions"; Obama reserves an empty chair for the victims of gun violence; Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) walks out before the speech starts; as Obama begins his last year in office, he has purged U.S. military brass and attempted to fill the ranks with LGBTs and Muslims, you judge a tree by its fruit- and in absolute contradiction to what liar Obama says, the U.S. was only possible because it was free of the Muslim World and Islam, as well as the Roman Catholic world? On Jan. 14 CNN reveals that Ted Cuz failed to disclose hundreds of thousands of dollars in Wall St. bank loans during his 2012 Senate campaign, incl. $1.43M from Goldman Sachs and $500K from Citibank, causing Donald Trump to claim that this proves that they own him; too bad, his own disclosure form shows him indebted to several Wall St. banks for way bigger bucks. On Jan. 14 (10:30 a.m. local time) ISIS sets off six coordinated explosions in the C business district of Jakarta, Indonesia before unleashing an arsenal of weapons on police, killing 17. On Jan. 14 comedian James "Jimmy" Ernesto Morales Cabrera (1969-) becomes pres. of Guatemala (until ?). On Jan. 14 the Obama admin. quietly transfers 10 Yemeni detainees from Gitmo to Oman, pissing-off Repubs. On Jan. 14 (eve.) the 6th Repub. Pres. Debate in Charleston, N.C., aired by Fox Business Channel is a V for Donald Trump, who edges Ted Cruz by invoking 9/11 to defend Cruz's slamming of Trump's "New York values"; Cruz tries a little too hard to defend his elibility to run for U.S. pres. despite being born in Canada by reminding Trump that his mother was born in Scotland, even though Trump was born in er, New York. On Jan. 15 al-Qaida terrorists attack Splendid Hotel in Ougadougou, Burkina Faso, vowing to "punish cross worshippers", killing 23, incl. 10 in the Cappuccino Cafe, starting a siege that ends with four jihadis killed. On Jan. 15 (dawn) Al-Shabaab militants attack an African Union (AU) base in El-Ade, Somalia, killing ? and injuring ?. On Jan. 15 the Obama admin. imposes a moratorium on new coal development on federal land. On Jan. 15 Canada's supreme court allows physician-assisted suicide. On Jan. 15 Pope Francis meets in a closed door meeting with top Google exec Eric Schmidt, giving conspiracy theorists ammo. On Jan. 16 oil prices fall below $30 ($29.42) a barrel for the first time since 2003, helping er, fuel a U.S. and Chinese stock market slide. On Jan. 16 Tsai Ing-wen (1956-) of the Beijing-skeptical LGBT-friendly Dem. Progressive Party (DPP) wins pres. elections in Taiwan with 56% of the vote, becoming their first female pres. on May 20 (until ?). On Jan. 16 Pres. Obama pardons three Iranian-Ams. charged with violating sanctions against Iran, and prosecutors drop charges against four Iranians outside the U.S., while Iran frees five Americans incl. a Washington Post reporter and Christian minister Saeed Abedini in anticipation of the announcement of the end of internat. sanctions on Iran, with Pres. Obama saying that it "marks a fundamental shift in circumstances with respect to Iran's nuclear program"; meanwhile the U.S. imposes sanctions against those involved in Iran's ballistic missile program that test-fired a medium-range missle.; in Aug. it is revealed that the U.S. secretly paid Iran a $400M cash ransom, and that the payment had to be made for the prisoners to be released. On Jan. 17 the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, Iraq confirms that "several" Americans have gone missing. On Jan. 17 (eve.) the 4th 2016 Dem. Pres. Debate in Charleston, S.C., aired on NBC News, hosted by Lester Holt and Andrea Mitchell and sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus sees Hillary Clinton portray herself as Pres. Obama's heir, and Bernie Sanders call for a "political revolution" to break the power of the big corporations, becoming a V for Sanders after Hillary "did nothing in the debate to slow the momentum that Sanders is building in Iowa and New Hampshire" (Chris Cillizza, Washington Post). On Jan. 18 after a wave of 600+ attacks, Pres. Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia signs a new law that closes a loophole allowing acid attackers of women to go scot-free, with a min. sentence of 12 years, and 50 if the victim is permanently disfigured. On Jan. 18 the Iraqi govt. announces thei killing of ISIS 2nd deputy Assi Ali Mohammed Nasser al-Obeidi in an air strike in Barwana (E of Haditha), Iraq. On Jan. 18 the British Parliament debates a petition signed by 500K to ban Donald Trump from entering the country, but doesn't go through with it for fear of turning him into a martyr (losing Trump's planned $1B investment there?); meanwhile Moral Majority leader Jerry Falwell Jr. endorses Trump at a campaign speech at Liberty U. in Lynchburg, Va., where he vows to "protect Christianity", giving him a boost with evangelicals. On Jan. 18 the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland announces that robots and AI will cause a net loss of 5.1M jobs in 15 leading countries by 2020, 7.1M minus 2M. On Jan. 18 Libyan former intel official Ahmad Qadhaf Al-Dam gives an interview to Egyptian Dream TV Network, claiming that ISIS and other Islamist terrorist groups have gotten hold of the chemical weapons left by dead duck dictator Muammar Qaddafi. On Jan. 18 the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) announces their 20 nominations for 2015, who are all-white for the 2nd straight year, causing dir. Spike Lee to speak out against the "lack of diversity" and call for radical changes, getting support from Chris Rock et al.; others incl. Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith support the #OscarsSoWhite boycott; on Jan. 22 AMPAS holds a special meeting and announces radical changes to increase the diversity of its membership, with the goal of doubling female and black members by 2020; on Feb. 11 Hollywood bigwig Steven Spielberg utters the soundbyte that there's no "inherent or dormant racism" in AMPAS. On Jan. 19 Chinese pres. Xi Jinping visits Saudi Arabia for two days, meeting with King Salman to discuss trade and other ties, after which he continues to Egypt and Iran (until Jan. 23). On Jan. 19 the U.N. Assistance Mission for Iraq announces that the Iraq War has killed 18.8K and injured 36.2K civilians since the start of 2014, internally displacing 3.2M. On Jan. 19 Sarah Palin endorses Donald Trump for pres. in a speech at Iowa State U. in Ames, with the soundbyte: "Are you ready to make America great again?"; "No more pussyfooting around. Our troops deserve the best, you deserve the best"; "You ready for a commander in chief who will let our warriors do their job and kick ISIS' ass?" On Jan. 19 NBC News announces that Hillary Clinton's home server contained intel classified beyond top secret, causing he to increase her blanket denials of wrongdoing. On Jan. 19 the British govt. announces that it sold Saudi Arabia more than £1B worth of weapons to fight Yemen in July-Sept. 2015. On Jan. 20 (5:30 a.m. EDT) there is a planetary alignment of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn as seen from Earth, continuing until Feb. 20, becoming the first in 10 years. On Jan. 20 Taliban militants storm the campus of Bacha Khan U. in Peshawar, Pakistan, killing 30+, mainly students. On Jan. 20 the Pentagon announces that satellite photos confirm that ISIS has destroyed the 1,400-y.o. St. Elijah's Monastery in Mosul, Iraq, the country's oldest, with U.S. Col Steve Warren calling it "a battle of savagery against decency". On Jan. 20 Venezuela is reelected to a 3-year term on the U.N. Human Rights Council despite its Socialist govt. ruining the economy, with 700% inflation causing a dozen eggs to sell for $150. On Jan. 21 U.S. secy. of state John Kerry utters the soundbyte that "the fight's ove" between the Israeli and U.S. govt. over the Iranian nuke deal. On Jan. 21 the govt. of Germany admits that it can't account for 600K of its 1.1M Muslim so-called refugees. On Jan. 21 (night) conservative journal Nat. Review pub. a Special Issue on Donald Trump, with essays by 22 conservative thinkers incl. Glenn Beck, Brent Bozell, Thomas Sowell, Cal Thomas, Edwin Meese, Michael Mukasey, Andrew c. McCarthy et al., who call him "a menace to American conservatism who would take the work of generations and trample it underfoot in behalf of a populism as heedless and crude as The Donald himself"; Trump responds that the Nat. Review is a "dying paper". On Jan. 22 the Committee to Protect Journalists reports that journalists Hamdi al-Bokari (Al-Jeezera) and Abdul Aziz al-Sabri (Al-Masdar) and their driver Munair al-Suabaie have been abducted on Jan. 18 (10:00 p.m.) in Taiz, Yemen. On Jan. 22 Chinese pres. Xi Jinping announces support for a Palestinian state with E Jerusalem as its capital, based on the pre-1967 borders. On Jan. 23 Donald Trump is endorsed by the Nat. Black Repub. Assoc., and utters the soundbyte that he's so impervious to his rivals that he could stand on New York City's Fifth Ave. "and shoot somebody" and still not lose voters. On Jan. 25 four Boko Haram suicide bombers at the central market in Bodo, Cameroon kill 25 and injure 65. On Jan. 25 (eve.) the 4th Dem. Pres. Forum at Drake U. in Des Mones, Iowa, moderated by Chris Cuomo of CNN sees Hillary Clinton square-off against frontrunner Bernie Sanders, with also-ran Martin O'Malley tagging along; Hillary utters the soundbyte that her email setup wasn't "an error in judgment" because "nothing that I did was wrong". On Jan. 25-27 several hundred Muslim religious leaders and 50 non-Muslim observers meet in Marakesh, Morocco to discuss and promote the Marrakesh Declaration on the Rights of Religious Minorities in Predominantly Muslim Majority Countries. On Jan. 26 Al Gore's Global Warning Doomsday arrives when greenhouse gases cause the Earth to go into runaway heat death. :) On Jan. 26 100+ separate strikes are held in France over pay and other issues, incl. taxi drivers and air traffic controllers. On Jan. 26 by 68-42 the legislature of S.C. passes a bill "to prevent a court or other enforcement authority from enforcing foreign law including, but not limited to, Sharia Law". On Jan. 26 (eve.) after they refuse to dump host Megyn Kelly and hire anti-Trump Muslim spokesman Nabela Noor, Donald Trump announces that he won't participate in the Fox News debate set for Jan. 27, with the soundbytes: "What's wrong over there, something's wrong", and "They can't toy with me like they toy with everybody else. Now let's see how many people watch", causing Fox News to respond that Trump'a campaign mgr. Corey Lewandoski made "threats" and "terrorizations", but then turns around and says that Trump is still welcome; meanwhile Ted Cruz offers to debate him one-on-one; meanwhile on Jan. 26 Megyn Kelly hosts leftist filmmaker Michael Moore, who utters the soundbyte; "You asked a great question, by the way. The war on women. God bless you, Megyn Kelly"; Kelly utters the soundbyte: that she "made him run, shut him down." On Jan. 27 (Internat. Holocaust Remembrance Day) France and Italy host Iranian pres. Hassan Rouhani, pissing-off Jewish leaders, who call it "hypocrisy". On Jan. 27 the Guardian of London pub. an article citing a U.N. panel's findings of "widespread and systematic" attacks on civilians by Saudi air strikes in Yemen. On Jan. 27 the World Health Org. (ORG) announces that the Zika virus from Africa is spreading rapidly in Latin Am. and has "explosive pandemic potential" because it's spread by mosquitoes, and "You don't need to travel to get the disease", with up to 4M cases possible. On Jan. 27 Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Greek PM Alexis Tsipras sign a 3-way alliance with Cyprus. On Jan. 28 Iranian pres. Hasan Rouhani visits Paris, France, where he is greeted by a group of protesters (Femen et al.) carrying a banner reading "Welcome Rouhani, executioner of freedom". On Jan. 28 Toast Ale is founded in London, England by Tristram Stuart to produce beer from surplus bread, donating profits to charity. On Jan. 28 (eve.) the 8th 2016 Repub. Pres. Debate on Fox News, snubbed by Donald Trump gets 12.5M viewers; meanwhile Trump holds a rally for veterans across town 2 mi. away, claiming to raise $6M; opponents Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee attend. On Jan. 29 the U.S. Special Inspector Gen. for Afghan Reconstruction (SIGFAR) releases a report that claims that Afghanistan is "even more dangerous than it was a year ago." On Jan. 29 indirect talks between the Syrian govt. and opposition begin in Geneva, Switzerland. On Jan. 29 French foreign minister Laurent Fabius announces that France will recognize a Palestinian state if its efforts in the coming weeks to break the deadlock between Israelis and Palestinians fil, causing Israel to reply that it will reject any initiative to restart peace negotiations, accusing France of encouraging Palestinian intransigence. On Jan. 29 the U.S. State Dept. announces that it is withholding 22 emails from Hillary Clinton's email account for containing "top secret" material, plus another 18 she exchanged with Pres. Obama, calling them protected communications - smell the aroma of the indictments? On Jan. 29 the U.S. nat. debt hits $19T for the fist time ever; it was $18T 13 mo. earlier on Dec. 15, 2014. On Jan. 30 after her support slips bigtime, German chancellor Angela Merkel announces that most refugees from Syria and Iraq will have to return there once the conflicts there have ended. On Jan. 30 ISIS attacks Deir Ezzor, Syria, kidnapping 400+ civilians incl. women and children, all Sunni Muslims. On Jan. 30 (night) Islamist Boko Haram maniacs attack a village and two camps housing 25K refugees in Dalori, Nigeria (3 mi. from Maiduguri), burning children alive and killing 100+. In Jan. Hollyweird celebs Jane Fonda, Rosie O'Donnell et al. found Dump Trump, dissing Trump for "inciting hatred against Muslims, immigrants, women, the disabled", "unleasing a lynch mob mentality", and "bullying and fear-mongerng", with the soundbyte: "We pledge ourselves to speak out in every way possible against the politics of hate and exclusion he represents" - the Muslims already beat Trump to it? In Jan. Ben and Jerry's creates Bernie's Yearning ice cream, mint topped by a big disk of chocolate, uttering the soundbyte that Hillary Clinton is not a true progressive. On Jan. 31 after street protests and armed insurgency, the African Union (AU) votes to dismiss a proposal by U.N. secy.-gen. Ban Ki-moon, U.N. ambassador Samantha Power, the EU et al. to deploy troops to Burundi to prevent possible genocide and prepare for a transitional govt. after the ouster of 3-term (since 2005) pres. Pierre Nkurunziza. In Jan. despite winter weather, 91,671 Muslim migrants enter Germany. In Jan. Pope Francis appoints Barbara Jatta as the first female dir. of the Vatican Museums (until ?). In Jan. Ayahuasca Healings opens the first legal Ayahuasca retreat in the U.S. in Wash. 90 mi. N of Seattle-Tacoma Airport. On Feb. 1 Alphabet Inc. (Google) passes Apple as the most valuable co. in the wold ($568B vs. $535B). On Feb. 1 U.N. secy.-gen. Ban Ki-moon pub. the op-ed. Don't Shoot the Messenger in the New York Times, scolding Israel for criticizing his earlier comments about the justness of the Palestinian cause while condemning "Palestinians targeting Israeli civilians", containing the soundbyte: "As oppressed peoples have demonstrated throughout the ages, it is human nature to react to occupation, which often serves as a potent incubator of hate and extremism", adding that "History proves that people will always resist occupation". On Feb. 1 U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Sean MacFarland disses Ted Cruz for repeatedly promising to "carpet bomb" ISIS, with the soundbyte: "Indiscriminate bombing where we don't care if we are killing innocents or combatants is just inconsistent with our values.... At the end of the day, it doesn't matter only if you win, it matters how you win." On Feb. 1 four members of Hezbollah are arrested in France for running an internat. drug network to fund the org.'s military activity in Syria. On Feb. 1 (Mon.) after Donald Trump disses Canadian-born Ted Cruz as an "anchor baby" who's ineligible to be pres., then steps on his own trunk by saying that as president he'll work with Dems., the 2016 Iowa Primary is a push for Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, with Hillary edging him out by a fraction of 1 point; Ted Cruz (28%) wins the Repub. race (first Latino to win a primary), with Donald Trump (24%) coming in er, #2, and Marco Rubio (23%) 3rd; Hillary claims a V before the vote is counted, relieving a meltdown as the primary approached?; Chris Christie comes in 10th, and says that Rubio is "the boy in the bubble"; Martin O'Malley, Mike Huckabee, and Rand Paul soon drop out of the pres. race; on Feb. Trump accuses Cruz of voter fraud for misleading voters that Ben Carson is dropping out. calling for a new election. On Feb. 1 a Panels Politics Poll taken in Tel Aviv finds that 63% of Israelis rank Pres. Obama the worst for Israel in the last 30 years, with Jimmy Carter coming in #2 at 16%. On Feb. 1 Norwegian army chief Gen. Odin Johannessen gives a speech to the Oslo Military Society, warning that Euro countries can no longer count on preserving their values without being ready and willing to fight radical Islam, with the soundbyte: "I think we must be ready to fight, both with words, actions, and if necessary weapons to preserve the country and the values we have in common." On Feb. 2 (eve.) the U.S. House of Representatives votes to reaffirm "In God We Trust" as the U.S. motto, causing Pres. Obama on Feb. 3 to utter the soundbyte: "I trust in God, but God wants to see us help ourselves by putting people back to work." On Feb. 2-Apr. 5 the FX series The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story debuts, based on the 1997 Jeffrey Toobin book "The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson", starring Cuba Gooding Jr. as O.J., Kenneth Choi as Judge Lance Ito, Sarah Paulson as Marcia Clark, John Travolta as Robert Shapiro, and Courtney B. Vance as Johnnie Cochran. On Feb. 3 the Syrian army backed by Russian air cover captues Nubl and Al-Zahra, Syria in NW Aleppo Province, breaking a 40-mo. siege and causing Syrian peace talks to be suspended. On Feb. 3 former Dem. pres. Jimmy Carter visits the British Parliament, uttering the soundbyte that he's rather have Donald Trump win the White House than Ted Cruz, because "Trump has proven already that he's completely malleable. I don't think he has any fixed opinions that he would really go to the White House and fight for", giving Cruz some campaign fodder to use against Trump. On Feb. 3 lame duck supposedly Christian Pres. Obama visits the Islamic Society of Baltimore, Md., becoming the first U.S. pres. to visit a U.S. mosque, spewing 20 lies about Islam, starting with "We're all one family", "Muslim Americans keep us safe", "An attack on one religion is an attack on all religions", Muslims (like the ones in Nigeria who recently burned children alive?) aren't to blame for Islamic terrorism, and "For more than a thousand years people have been drawn to Islam's message of peace" (on their unconditional surrender terms), lying about the Am. Founding Fathers to make them seem pro-Muslim, incl. how John Adams and Thomas Jefferson kept copies of the Quran, when actually they read them to learn how best to fight two wars against them, with Jefferson writing the soundbyte: "Thou wilt wonder that such absurdities have infected the best part of the world and wilt avouch that the knowledge of what is contained in this book will render that [Islamic Sharia] law contemptible", then playing both ends with the soundbyte: "By the way, Thomas Jefferson's opponents tried to stir things up by suggesting he was a Muslim", not refraining from the past lie that Muslims have always been part of the U.S., telling Hollyweird to feature more Muslims chars. "that are unrelated to national security"; of course he paints Am. Muslims as victims of hate and discrimination, never mind that the mosque he chose has deep extremist ties, that Muslims are virulently anti-Semitic, and that the Muslim World regards him as a Muslim because he was born one?; his constant praising of Islam isn't what a Christian would do, only a Muslim?; real Christian, Am. evangelist Franklin Graham utters the soundbyte: "The foundations of this nation have nothing to do with Islam"; meanwhile on Feb. 2 new House Speaker (since Oct. 29) Paul Ryan meets with Pres. Obama for the first time, questioning him about his admin.'s losening of visa waiver restrictions imposed by Congress in response to the threat of Islamist jihadists traveling to the U.S. in order to appease Iran. On Feb. 3 Hillary Clinton speaks at a Dem. primary town hall in Derry, N.H. sponsored by CNN, ducking a question by Anderson Cooper whether being paid $675K by Goldman Sachs for three speeches was excessive, asking voters to "name one thing" on which Wall Street money has influenced her, with the soundbyte: "I'm out here every day saying I'm going to shut them down, I'm going after them, I'm going to jail them if they should be jailed, I'm going to break them up. I mean they're not giving me very much money now, I can tell you that much. Fine with me, I'm proud to have 90 percent of my donations from small donors"; meanwhile her Super PAC collected $15M of $25M raised in the 2nd half of 2015 from Wall Street, nearly half from insidious billionaire mystery man George Soros. On Feb. 3 the Catholic Bishop's Conference of Ghana announces that they're pissed-off at the Obama admin. decision to transfer prisoners from Gitmo there, calling them "time bombs" and calling for them to be sent back. On Feb. 4 Nat. Border Patrol Council pres. Brandon Judd testifies before Congress, telling them that the Obama admin. has revised the Bush admin. catch-and-release police for illegal immigrants. On Feb. 4 the 2016 Nat. Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C. features a speech by supposedly Christian Pres. Obama, who reverses 1,400 years of history by claiming that Christians don't need to fight their worse enemy Islam, making it about us rather than them, with the soundbyte: "Fear does funny things. Fear can lead us to lash out against those who are different, or lead us to try to get some sinister other under control", adding that "a good cure for fear" is Jesus. On Feb. 4 the European Parliament passes a resolution designating atrocities committed by ISIS against Christians, Yazidis, and other religious minorities as genocide. On Feb. 4 Brazil inaugurates a new Palestinian embassy in Rio de Janeiro; meanwhile it rejects Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's nomination for the vacant Israeli envoy position. On Feb. 4 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announce that gay men make up 67% of all new HIV diagnoses, even though they are 2% of the U.S. pop. - they suck? On Feb. 4 the 5th 2016 Dem. Pres. Debate in Durham, N.H. sees Hillary Clinton demand that Bernie Sanders explain his "artful smears" about receiving campaign donations from Wall Street, with Sanders answering that there is an inherit "quid-pro-quo"; on Feb. 8 Hillary speaks at a community college in Manchester, N.H., uttering the soundbyte that Sanders accepted $200K from the main Senate fundraising arm of the Dem. Party, which receives money from Wall Street, and that she doesn't accuse him of letting that influence his opinions, so he should do ditto. On Feb. 5 Bernie Sanders speaks at the Politics and Eggs event in Manchester, N.H., uttering the soundbyte that he's not "Santa Claus", who wants to provide "a bunch of free stuff" for everyone. On Feb. 6 a 6.4 earthquake in Taiwan. On Feb. 6 former U.S. secy. of state Madeleine Albright speaks at a Hillary Clinton rally in Concord, N.H., uttering the soundbyte; that there's a special place in Hell for women who don't help other women, refusing to apolotize; meanwhile feminist pioneer Gloria Steinem utters the soundbyte that young women are flocking to Bernie Sanders only because "the boys are with Bernie", pissing-off Bernie supporters, causing her to womansplain er, apologize. On Feb. 6 (night) the First 2016 Repub. Primary Debate on ABC-TV draws 13.2M viewers (best night for ABC in 14 years), beating Fox News (12.5M) because of the reappearance of frontrunner Donald Trump; Marco Rubio stinks himself up by repeating the same soundbye about Pres. Obama knowing exactly what he's doing by trying to permanently change the U.S. into just another country despite Chris Christie calling him out for being a parrot repeating memorized soundbytes. On Feb. 7 Super Bowl 50 (not L) (Golden Anniv.) at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. sees the 12-4 Denver Broncos (AFC) (8th SB appearance) (coach Gary Kubiak) defeat the 15-1 Carolina Panthers (NFC) (coach Ron Rivera) (first SB with former SB players as head coaches) (3rd straight season played by #1 seeds) by 24-10 after a super boa-constrictor-like performance by the 2000's Orange Crush defense (#1 in the NFL), led by linebacker (#58) Vonnie B'Vsean "Von" Miller (1989-), who sack 6'5" 245 lb. Panthers QB (#1) (since 2011) Cameron Jerrell "Cam" Newton (1989-) (NFL MVP) 7x after he came into the game calling himself Superman and got so much Kryptonite and was knocked on his cam so many times that he turned back into Clark Kent (a classic Greek tragedy?), walking out of the post-game interview and later admitting that he's a "sore loser"; Miller was drafted #2 in the 2011 NFL draft after #1 Newton; Broncos WR (#11) Jordan Shea Rashad Norwood (1986-) sets a SB record for longest punt return (61 yards); Broncos 6'5" 230 lb. QB (#18) (since 2012) Peyton Williams "the Sheriff" Manning (1976-) (known for frequently shouting "Omaha" before snaps) wins his 2nd SB (XLI) (first QB to win with two different teams) (oldest QB to play in a SB after John Elway of the Broncos) (largest age difference between opposing SB QBs at 13 years, 48 days), and sets a record for winning 200 games; Miller is named SB MVP, going on to sign a record $114M contract with the Broncos with a $70M guarantee on July 15, 2016, making him the highest paid defensive player in NFL history; a 30 sec. commercial costs $5M; the nat. anthem is sung by Lady Gage; the halftime show features Coldplay, Beyonce, and Bruno Mars w/Mark Ronson; Beyonce's performance of her new single "Formation" pays tribute to the Black Lives Matter movement, and apparently pays tribute to the Black Panthers; Manning gives a free plug to Budweiser brand beer in his victory speech; Manning retires on Mar. 6 after earning a record $250M plus endorsements. On Feb. 7 former U.S. DHS agent Jerry Holbrook blows the whistle on the Obama admin. for ordering the destruction of classified documents linking radical Islamists to terrorist orgs. On Feb. 7 (a.m.) North Korea launches a half-ton payload ICBM with a range of 8K mi., supposedly to put a satellite into orbit, pissing-off the U.S. On Feb. 7 (Sun.) Donald Trump gives an interview to George Stephanopoulos on ABC-TV's "This Week", repeating his call for the waterboarding of terrorists, with the soundbyte: "I would approve waterboarding, and if you go beyond it, I'm okay with that." On Feb. 8 Russian pres. Vladimir Putin meets with King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain in Moscow to discuss trade cooperation. On Feb. 8 al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) seizes the last of four towns in S Yemen after taking Houta, capital of Lahj Province on Jan. 26, incl. Azzan on Feb. 1, Mahfid on Feb. 4, and Shoqra and Ahwar on Feb. 8. On Feb. 8 the Internat. Civil Aviation Org. (ICAO) proposes draft rules for greenhouse gas emissions for most commercial and business aircraft, requiring minimal changes to aviation design until 2028. On Feb. 8 Pres. Obama signs Internat. Megan's Law to Prevent Child Exploitation and Other Sexual Crimes Through Advanced Notification of Traveling Sex Offenders, requiring the notification of foreign govts. when a U.S. citizen registered as a sex offender involving a minor is about to travel to their country. On Feb. 8 a supporter at a Donald Trump rally calls Ted Cruz a "pussy", giving Trump a green light to repeat the word over and over in mock disapproval, pissing-off low energy opponent Jeb Bush, who utters the soundbyte: "I think how you lead your life as a president is as important as the five-point plan you have to deal with whatever subject it is, and restoring decency back to the public life." On Feb. 8 the late-night TV talk-satire show Full Frontal with Samantha Bee debuts on TBS-TV (until ?), starring Canadian-Am. comedian Samantha Bee (1969-) (Jon Stewart Show graduate), going on to delight in lampooning Donald Trump. On Feb. 9 the 2016 N.H. Pres. Primary sees a record Repub. voter turnout with 263K, vs. 231K Dems, with 15% first-timers, most voting for Trump or Sanders; Donald Trump wins the Repub. vote with 35%, vs. 16% for John Kasich, 12% for Ted Cruz, 11% for Jeb Bush, 11% for Marco Rubio, and 7% for Chris Christie; Bernie Sanders wins the Dem. vote with 60%, vs. 38% for Hillary Clinton. On Feb. 9 Donald Trump gives an interview to MSNBC, uttering the soundbyte that the U.S.-Mexico Border Wall will cost "probably $8 billion, which is a tiny fraction of the money that we lose with Mexico"; adding: "So it's $8 billion, and what we're doing is we have 2,000 miles, right? 2,000 miles. It's long, but it's not 13,000 miles like they have in China. And of the 2,000, we don't need 2,000, we need a thousand because of natural barriers, etcetera, etcetera, and I'm taking a price per square foot and a price per square mile, and it's a very simple calculation", adding it will have "big, beautiful doors to allow people to come into the country"; after Trump keeps emphasizing that Mexico will pay for it, former Mexican pres. Vicente Fox tells CNBC that the Mexican people won't pay a single cent for Trump's "fucking wall"", calling him "ignorant... crazy... egocentric... nasty... false prophet", causing Trump to utter the soundbyte: "I heard he said that we will not pay. Guess what? The wall just got higher"; on May 5 after Trump clears the road to the Repub. nomation, Vicente Fox apologizes, inviting Trump to come to Mexico to see the border from their side. On Feb. 9 Iranian pres. advisor Fahimeh Farahmanpour tells the Islamic Society of North Am. (ISNA) that there is widespread disqualification of women running for parliament (12K), esp. outside the main cities, usually under Article 28 Paragraph 1, lack of practical commitment to Islam; only 1,234 are left, up from 458 in the last election. On Feb. 9 a new U.S. federal commission to enhance U.S. cybersecurity is created to develop recommendations for protecting govt. and private sector data from hackers; on Feb. 17 Pres. Obama appoints former nat. security adviser Tom Donilon as chmn., and former IBM CEO Sam Palmisano as vice-chmn. On Feb. 9 (night) the first Roman Catholic Church service is held in Henry VIII's Hampton Court Palace since the reign of his daughter Queen Mary in 1553-8. On Feb. 10 Chris Christie and Carly Fiorina drop out of the Repub. pres. race. On Feb. 10 (Ash Wed.) Pope Francis dispatches an army of 1K super-confessor priests called the Missionaries of Mercy around the world to forgive sins during the Vatican's Jubilee Year, which ends in Nov. On Feb. 11 Fox News reveals that a battalion of 500 U.S. Army infantrymen are being sent to the Helmand Province of S Afghanistan to fight the Taliban, becoming the first since the late 2014 pullout. On Feb. 11 (6:00 p.m. EST) machete-wielding Am. Muslim Guinea immigrant Mohammed Barry (1986-) attacks the Israeli-owned Nazareth Restaurant and Deli in Columbus, Ohio, injuring four before being killed by police. On Feb. 11 (8:00 p.m. CST) the 6th 2016 Dem. Pres. Debate at the U. of Wisc. in Milwaukee, Wisc., aired on PBS and CNN and anchored by Judy Woodruff and Gwen Ifill sees Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton square off on several issues incl. Henry Kissinger and Pres. Obama; after Hillary claims that she is better able to form the kind of coalition needed to advance the Dem. agenda incl. tax increases and racial, ethnic, or sexual equality, Sanders utters the soundbyte: "You're not in the White House yet", dissing her for insulting voters' intelligence by claiming that she's not affected by the millions of dollars going to PACs. On Feb. 12 (Abe Lincoln's birthday) Pres. Obama designates three new nat. monuments in Southern Calif. totaling 1.8M acres, incl. Mojave Trails Nat. Monument and Castle Mountains Nat. Monument in the Mojave Desert, and Sand to Snow Nat. Monument in the Sonoran Desert. On Feb. 12 Pope Francis meets with Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill in Cuba, becoming the first meeting between the leaders of the two churches since their split in 1066, er, 1054, with Pope Francis telling him "We are brothers". On Feb. 12 the Quartet meets in Munich, Germany to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian problem, expressing "serious concern" that "continued acts of violence against civilians, ongoing settlement activity, and the high rate of demolitions of Palestinian structures" are "dangerously imperiling the viability of a two-state solution"; King Abdullah of Jordan gives a speech, calling the Israeli-Palestine stalemate "a festering wound" that is "exploited" by ISIS. On Feb. 13 Pope Francis visits Mexico City, Mexico, giving a speech to his bishops denouncing the "insidious threat" of the drug lords. On Feb. 13 Pakistani pres. Mamnoon Hussain utters the soundbyte: "Valentine's Day is part of the Western culture. There is no room for it to be celebrated in Islam and Pakistani culture." On Feb. 13 (eve.) the 9th Repub. Pres. Debate in Greenville, S.C., aired by CBS News and hosted by John Dickerson sees Donald Trump task Jeb Bush for his brother's mistakes with al-Qaida, with Jeb uttering the soundbyte: "My brother helped keep America safe", and Trump countering with the soundbyte: "The World Trade Center came down during your brother's reign." On Feb. 12/13 (night) Antonin Scalia (b. 1936), conservative pillar of the U.S. Supreme Court unexpectedly dies of a heart attack on a hunting trip in Tex., throwing conservatives into a panic and changing the stakes of the pres. election; he dies after attending a meeting of the secret Internat. Order of St. Hubertus linked to the all-male Bohemian Grove?; his death is a leftist conspiracy? On Feb. 14 the world ends, according to an alien at a Holiday Inn in Paramus, N.J. - 1989 film Ghostbusters II. On Feb. 14 Hillary Clinton comforts a crying 10-y.-o. illegal immigrant "DREAMer" in Las Vegas, Nev. who says that she's scared her parents are going to be deported, telling her "Let me do all the worrying." On Feb. 15 Pres. Obama opens the ASEAN Summit. On Feb. 15 the Obama admin. misses a deadline to deliver a strategy for fighting ISIS and al-Qaida to Congress. On Feb. 15 an airstrike on a hospital in N Syria kills 9+, causing Russia to deny on Feb. 16 that it was their fault. On Feb. 15 Hillary Clinton speaks at a rally in Nev., entertaining all by barking like a dog to signal that a lie has just been told. On Feb. 15-16 Pres. Obama holds a summit with 10 Asian nations in Rancho Mirage, Calif. On Feb. 16 Belgian police arrest 10 membes of an ISIS terror cell in Belgium incl. Molenbeek. On Feb. 16 the U.S. govt. approves the first U.S. factory in Cuba in 50 years, a 2-man business that will assemble 1K small tractors a year using Cuban workers. On Feb. 16 Pres. Obama disses the entire GOP pres. candidate field, singling out Donald Trump and publicly hoping that he won't become pres., with the soundbyte: "He may up the ante in anti-Muslim sentiment, buf if you look at what the other Republicans have said, that's pretty troubling too", going after Marco Rubio for abandoning his immigration bill, and blasting them all for denying climate change; Trump responds "He's done such a lousy job as president." On Feb. 17 Pope Francis visits the U.S.-Mexico border town of Juarez, Mexico, dissing U.S. immigration policy, capitalism, etc., walking up a ramp covered with flowers towards a cross "erected... in memory of migrants who have perished trying to reach the United States just a stone's throw away", uttering the soundbyte: "The flow of capital cannot decide the flow of people"; on Feb. 18 Pope Francis disses Donald Trump, uttering the soundbyte "A person who thinks only about building walls, whatever they may be, and not of building bridges is not Christian", causing Trump to respond that it's "disgraceful" to question a person's religion (except when he does it?), and that when ISIS comes for him he will wish that he was U.S. pres.; meanwhile since 846 the Vatican has been surrounded by high walls to keep out Muslims. On Feb. 17 Hollyweird actress Susan Sarandon tweets that it is "insulting" to think that women should vote for Hillary Clinton just because of her gender, expressing her support for Bernie Sanders with the soundbyte "I don't vote with my vagina." On Feb. 18 the Munich Agreement by members of the Internat. Syria Support Group (ISSG) promises to end hostilities and deliver aid. On Feb. 18 the Dinka Sudan People's Liberation Army attacks the U.N.-run camp in Malakal, South Sudan, killing 25 Nuers. On Feb. 19 the U.S. stages an air strike on an ISIL training camp near Sabraha, Libya, calling it necessary for nat. security. On Feb. 19 Saudi Arabia cuts off payment on $4B in military aid to Lebanon for failing to condemn attacks on its embassies in Iran. On Feb. 19 Donald Trump calls for a boycott of Apple Inc. until it unlocks the iPhone 6 of one of the San Bernardino jihadists, Syed Rizwan; Apple stands its ground on privacy principles; Libertarian Party pres. candidate John McAfee pub. an op-ed. supporting Apple, and offers to decrypt the phone for free so they don't have to put a back door into their products. On Feb. 20 the 2016 Nev. Dem. Caucus is a V for Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders by 52%-47%; she actually only got 6,316 votes after spending millions of dollars, going from 40 points to 25 points 30 days earlier to 5 points ahead of Bernie at the end; the 2016 S.C. Repub. Primary is a V for Donald Trump over Marco Rubio (despite an endorsement by S.C. gov. Nikki Haley) and Ted Cruz, causing pathetic loser Jeb Bush to drop out of the race after squandering $150M. On Feb. 22 the U.S. Congress returns from recess. On Feb. 22 after receiving millions of dollars in ransom, ISIS releases the last 42 of 230 Assyrian Christians kidnapped a year ago. On Feb. 22 a Russian-backed ceasefire is announced in Syria (until ?); too bad, it doesn't cover al-Qaida, ISIS and other Islamist groups. On Feb. 22 ((27th anniv.) Iran offers a new reward for the murder of novelist Salman Rushdie - thanks to Obama giving them all that dough? On Feb. 22 Russia requests U.S. permission to overfly the U.S. with its advanced high-powered digital cameras under the Open Skies Treaty, worrying the Pentagon, who think the cameras are too good. On Feb. 22 Ted Cruz fires campaign staffer Rick Tyler for spreading a false rumor about rival Marco Rubio questioning the Bible, which Rubio cites as an example of the "culture" of lies in Cruz's operation. On Feb. 23 Pres. Obama unveils his plan to close the military detention center in Gitmo (Guantanamo Bay, Cuba), claiming that leaving it open undermines nat. security, and if you don't buy that, it's contrary to Am. values. On Feb. 23 Jordan secures $1.7B in grants for its Syrian Response Plan for 2016-18. On Feb. 23 the Israeli Knesset holds its first-ever LGBT Rights Day, supported by PM Benjamin Netanyahu. On Feb. 23 the 2016 Nevada Repub. Caucus is a big V for Donald Trump with 45.9%, vs. 23.9% for Marco Rubio, and 21.4% for Ted Cruz; Ben Carson gets only 4.8% despite his soundbyte that Pres. Obama was raised by whites like a white, and he'd be the real first African-Am. U.S. pres. On Feb. 24 failed Repub. pres. candidate Mitt Romney calls for all pres. candidates to release their tax returns, saying that he believes there might be a "bombshell" in Donald Trump's returns; he replies that they're being held up in audit, which has been going on for years because he believes he's being discriminated against for being a "strong Christian". On Feb. 24 after record low oil prices ($33/barrel) the UAE announces a new 5% value-added tax starting Jan. 1, 2018, causing other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members to follow suit. On Feb. 25 (eve.) the 14th 2016 Repub. Pres. Debate at the U. of Houston in Tex. sees Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz gang up on Donald Trump in a last-ditch effort to save their campaigns; Rubio criticizes Trump for hiring illegal aliens, causing Trump to respond: "You haven't hired anybody"; on Feb. 26 N.J. gov. Chris Christie endorses Trump, becoming his first major endorsement, with the soundbyte: "I've experienced that over my friendship with him, and what the American people and our allies around the world are going to understand is that Donald Trump is someone who keeps his word, and that means America will keep its word again." On Feb. 26 elections for the Assembly of Experts in Iran elect a new generation that might choose a new assaholah; legislative elections in Iran see 12K run for office and 5.2K get rejected by the Guardian Council; they are followed by a 2nd round on Apr. 29 for 68 vacant seats are a V for Pres. Hassan Rouhani; for the first time more women than clergymen are seated. On Feb. 26 Repub. N.J. gov. Chris Christie endorses Donald Trump for U.S. pres., dissing Marco Rubio as a junior senator that Hillary could "run around the block", and praising Turump as the best person to defeat her. On Feb. 28 U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions endorses Donald Trump, with the soundbyte: "We need to make America great again", becoming a big blow to Ted Cruz; meanwhile Trump comes under fire for declining to disavow ex-KKK leader David Duke, who called him "by far the best candidate". On Feb. 28 the 2016 (88th) Academy Awards, presented at Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Calif. are hosted by Chris Rock, who turns it into an #OscarsSoWhite pity party; Lady Gaga sings for victims of campus sexual assault; the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award is won by Debbie Reynolds; the best picture Oscar for 2015 goes to Spotlight, which also wins for best original screenplay; the best dir. Oscar gove to Alejandro Inarritu for The Revenant; Leonardo DiCaprio wins the best actor Oscar for The Revenant, and Brie Larson wins the best actress Oscar for Room; DiCaprio uses his acceptance speech to push climate change legislation, with the soundbyte: "Climate change is real. It's happening right now"; Mark Rylance wins the best supporting actor Oscar for Bridge of Spies, and Alicia Vikander wins the best supporting actress for The Danish Girl; The Big Short wins for best adapted screenplay; Ennio Morricone wins for best original score for The Hateful Eight; Spectre's "Writing's on the Wall", sung by proudly gay Sam Smith wins for best original song; "Mad Max: Fury Road" wins six Oscars for sound editing, sound mixing, production design, costume design, makeup and hairstyling, and film editing; Ex Machina wins for best visual effects. On Feb. 29 Pakistan executes Malik Mumtaz Qadri for assassinating liberal Punjab province gov. Salman Taseer after he advocated reforming Pakistan's Islamist blasphemy laws, causing massive protests in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi, Hyderabad et al. organized by Islamist clerics. In Feb. the 2016-18 Big Chill begins (ends Feb. 2018), seeing global avg. temps drop 0.56C, greatest since 1982-4 (0.47C), becoming the greatest 2-year cooling event in a cent. In Feb. U.S. unemployment is 4.9% (vs. 4.9% in Jan.), adding 242K jobs. In Feb. 670 people incl. 400+ civilians are killed in Iraq. On Mar. 1 2016 Super Tuesday is a big V for Hillary Clinton, who wins Ala., Ark., Ga., Mass., Tenn., Tex, and Va., and Donald Trump, who wins Ala., Ark., Ga., Mass., Tenn., and Vt.; Ted Cruz wins Tex., Okla., and Alaska (despite Sarah Palin endorsing Trump), keeping his campaign alive; Bernie Sanders wins Colo., Minn., Okla., and Vt.; Marco Rubio wins only Minn.; John Kasich stays alive with 2nd place finishes in several states; Cruz calls on the other candidates to drop out and join him to take on Trump; Ben Carson drops out of the next debate, and out of the race by Mar. 5; Trump-hating Hillary-loving CIA dir. John O. Brennan freaks and launches an anti-Trump spying operation, going on to involve other intel agencies incl. the FBI. On Mar. 1 the aircraft carrier USS John S. Stennis begins patrolling the disputed South China Sea, pissing-off China, which claims almost all of it. On Mar. 1 Repub. S.D. Gov. Dennis Daugaard vetoes legislation that would have prohibited public school students from using opposite-sex restrooms, shocking conservatives. On Mar. 2 U.S. Army Gen. John W. "Mick" Nicholson takes command of U.S.-NATO forces in Afghanistan from U.S. Army Gen. John F. Campbell. On Mar. 2 the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee passes a bipartisan resolution declaring ISIS to be guilty of genocide "against Christians, Yezidis, and other religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq and Syria". On Mar. 2 in reponse to its 4th nuke test on Jan. 6 and its long-range missile test on Feb. 7, the U.N. Security Council votes 15-0-0 for Resolution 2270, imposing new sanctions on North Korea; on Mar. 3 North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un orders his military to be ready to use nukes "at any moment", threatening to carry out a "preemptive attack" on his enemies. On Mar. 3 Repub. pres. loser Mitt Romney attacks Donald Trump in a speech in Mormonland Utah, calling him "a phony, a fraud", warning that a Trump presidency could lead the U.S. into a dark abyss, urging Repubs. to rally around another candidate; meanwhile Trump beats him to the punch with an anti-Romney ad, followed by speech at a rally in Maine, where he calls Romney "a choke artist" and a "disaster" who "was begging" for his endorsement in 2012, and is too chicken to run against him now; in 2012 Romney uttered the soundbyte: "Donald Trump has shown an extraordinary ability to understand how our economy works, to create jobs for the American people. He's done it here in Nevada. He's done it across the country"; in the evening the 11th 2016 Repub. Pres. Debate sees Trump's opponents come out er, swinging, with Marco Rubio previously uttering the soundbyte: "You know what they say about men with small hands - you can't trust 'em", to which Trump replies: "He referred to my hands. If they are small, something else must be small. I guarantee you, there's no problem"; at the end they grudgingly admit that they'd support him if nominated because he's at least better than Hillary; meanwhile Repub. nat. security leaders release an open letter blasting Trump, claiming that "as president, he would use the authority of his office to act in ways that make America less safe, and which would diminish our standing in the world." On Mar. 3 Pope Francis delivers a speech to French Christians, with the soundbyte: "We can speak today of Arab invasion. It is a social fact.... How many invasions has Europe experienced in the course of its history! But it has always been able to overcome and go ahead, finding themselves increased by the exchange between cultures", adding: "A healthy secularism includes an opening to all forms of transcendence, according to the different religious and philosophical traditions." On Mar. 4 a nursing home founded by Mother Teresa in Aden, Yemen is attacked by four gunmen, who tie up and kill 16 incl. six nuns; 60 residents are unharmed. On Mar. 4 the Turkish govt. seizes the opposition newspaper Zaman, causing talk of Recep Tayyip Erogan becoming a dictator or even the Antichrist. On Mar. 4 former Brazilian pres. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is indicted on corruption and money laundering charges, causing the popularity of his successor and protege Pres. Dilma Rousseff to tank alond with that of the Workers' Party, which has won every pres. election since 2003. On Mar. 5 the U.S. stages an air strike in Raso Camp 120 mi. N of Mogadishu, Somalia, killing 150+ Al Shabaab fighters. On Mar. 5-6 the Org. of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) holds a Summit on Palestine in Jakarta, Indonesia, the fifth in its 47-year history, to devise a "strategy to counter the continuous illegal occupation and apartheid policies by the Israeli government, as well as to advance the peace process and to resolve the situation in Al-Quds Al-Sharif [Jerusalem]." On Mar. 6 a suicide bomber at a security checkpoint S of Baghdad, Iraq kills 47 and injures dozens. On Mar. 6 (Sun.) the 7th 2016 Dem. Pres. Debate in Flint, Mich. sees Hillary Clinton utter the soundbyte: "I think we have to try everything that works to try to limit the numbers of people and the kinds of people who are given access to firearms", causing Bernie Sanders to reply: "What you're really talking about is ending gun manufacturing in America. I don't agree with that." On Mar. 6 (Sun.) Donald Trump grants an interview to CBS-TV's "Face the Nation", responding to a question on his postiion on torture of Islamic savages with the soundbyte: "We have to beat the savages. You have to play the game the way they're playing the game", adding that ISIS savages are chopping off heads and drowning prisoners in cages; "We have an enemy that doesn't play by the laws. You could say laws, and they're laughing, they're laughing at us right now." On Mar. 7 Fox-TV sportscaster Erin Jill Andrews (1978-) is awarded $55M damages in a lawsuit over nude bathroom videos of her shot by stalker Michael David Barrett in the Nashville Marriott in Tenn. and posted on the Internet, finding him 51% to blame, and the hotel 49% - and zillions of more beautiful women give it away on the Internet for free? On Mar. 7 after polls show Roman Catholic support, a group of Roman Catholic leaders pub. an article in Nat. Review urging "our fellow Catholics and all our fellow citizens to reject" Donald Trump's candidacy. On Mar. 7 billionaire Michael Bloomberg announces that he won't buy, er, run for U.S. pres., claiming that his campaign could help put Donald Trump or Ted Cruz in the White House. On Mar. 8 a supermoon combines with a solar eclipse and the flyby of asteroid TX 68 by 19K mi., giving conspiracy theorists ammo. On Mar. 8 a Palestinian jihadist stabs and kills an Am. tourist and injures 10+ others in Tel Aviv, Israel, becoming the 3rd Palestinian attack of the day, with a total of one killed and 14 injured. On Mar. 8 Iran announces that it has test-fired several ballistic missiles (in violation of U.N. sanctions), with one inscribed with the Hebrew phrase "Israel should be wiped off the Earth", causing the Obama admin. to do nada while Hillary Clinton calls for more sanctions. On Mar. 8 Donald Trump gives a speech in Jupiter, Fla., then takes questions, after which reporter Michelle Fields ignores orders from Secret Service agents not to get too close to Trump, and his bodyguard Corey Lewandowski pulls her away, after which the police dept. charges him with battery because she has a bruise on her arm - meanwhile if a pig guns an innocent man down in broad daylight, he's not charged with a speck of dust? On Mar. 9 there is a total solar eclipse. On Mar. 9 U. of Lisbon law prof. (Roman Catholic) (Independent) Marcelo Nuno Duarte Rebelo de Sousa (1948-) (godson of last Portuguese dictator Marcelo Caetano) becomes pres. #20 of Portugal (until ?). On Mar. 9 madass Palestinian Bashar Masalha stabs U.S. Iraq War vet Taylor Force (b. 1987) and injures 10 others in Tel Aviv, Israel before being killed by Israeli police; U.S. vice-pres. is signing checks to Iran and the Palestinian Authority 1 mi. away at the Peres Center for Peace. On Mar. 9 22-y-o radical refugee Somalian Muslim imam ? is arrested hours before he planned to stage a jihadist attack on the Termini train station in Rome, Italy. On Mar. 9 Repub. pres. candidate Donald Trump gives an interview to Anderson Cooper of CNN, uttering the non-PC soundbyte: "Islam hates us... there's a tremendous amount of hatred there", replying to Cooper's question if he thinks the hatred comes from Islam itself with the soundbyte: "You're gonna have to figure that out, okay? We have to be very vigilant. We have to be very careful, and we can't allow people coming into this county who have this hatred of the United States"; he adds that Pres. Bush's invasion of Iraq was the "worst decision in the history of the United States"; on Apr. 8 Trump hires veteran political lobbyist Paul J. Manafort (1949-) as his convention mgr. On Mar. 9 former U.S. serviceman Tairod Pugh (1967-) is found guilty by a federal court of trying to travel to Syria to join ISIS, becoming the first such case to reach a verdict in a U.S. courtroom. On Mar. 10 after 78-y.-o. Trump supporter John McGraw (1936-) is arrested for sucker-punching black protester Rakeem Jones earlier in the day, and Trump's mgr. Corey Lewandowski manhandles young female Breitbart News reporter Michelle Fields (who later resigns after her site backs Trump), the 12th Repub. pres. debate in Miami, Fla., hosted by the Washington Times and CNN sees Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz get nice with Trump, who uses the photo opp to woo the remaining Repub. voters; earlier in the day Trump's traitorous lawyer Michael Cohen makes a phone call to Trump-hating CNN pres. Jeff Zucker, who utters the soundbyte: "You cannot be elected President of the United States without CNN - FOX and MSNBC are irrelevant, irrelevant ", going on to tell him that he wants Trump to host a weekly show on CNN. On Mar. 11 violence by protesters pro and con causes a Donald Trump rally at the U. of Ill. in Chicago, Ill. to be canceled; on Mar. 12 at a Trump rally in Dayton, Ohio protester Tommy DiMassimo rushes the stage; he previously staged protests where he stood on the U.S. flag; the mobs are the work of insidious billionaire George Soros?; meanwhile Charles Evers, brothers of civil rights legend Medgar Evans endorses Trump, with the soundbytes that he's "the best candidate", those obsessed with the KKK past have to "stop living in the past", and "I believe in him first of all because he's a businessman. I think jobs are badly needed in Mississippi"; on Mar. 13 Trump blames Bernie Sanders' supporters for inciting protests at his rallies, vowing to send his own supporters to his events, defending his rallies by saying there have been "zero" injuries so far. On Mar. 12 (early a.m.) two ISIS chemical attacks in Taza, Iraq (near Kirkuk) kill a 3-y.-o. girl and injure 600, causing hundreds to flee. On Mar. 13 masked jihadists kill 14 tourists incl. four Europeans at a beach resort in Grand-Bassam, Ivory Coast. On Mar. 13 after attacks in 15 provinces of SE Turkey, pissed-off PKK Kurds stage an attack against the Turkish govt. in Ankara, Turkey, killing 37 and injuring 125. On Mar. 13 Egyptian justice minister (since 2015) Ahmed El-Zend is sacked for alleged blasphemy by the statement: "Even if he was a prophet, peace and blessings be upon him." On Mar. 13 regional elections in Germany are a D for Angela Merkel in two out of three federal states, while the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) Party surges to double-digits in all three states, which doesn't cause Merkel to reverse her Muslim immigration policy, instead ramping it up by planning on airlifting them directly from the Middle East. On Mar. 14 Russian pres. Vladimir Putin announces that Russia will begin pulling its troops out of Syria on Mar. 15; Assad didn't request it. On Mar. 14 the Pentagon announces that ISIS leader Omar al-Shisani the Chechen has been killed by a U.S.-led coalition strike in NE Syria on Mar. 4. On Mar. 14 after a resolution was introduced last Sept. 9 by U.S. Rep. (R-Neb.) Jeff Fortenberry, the U.S. House unanimously (393-0) votes to declare the atrocities committed by ISIS against Christians et al. in the Middle East to be genocide; on Mar. 17 after stalling, U.S. secy. of state John Kerry finally admits that "Daesh" is committing genocide against Christians, but incl. Shia Muslims to be Obama-correct; on July 7 the U.S. Senate unanimously approves a similar resolution. On Mar. 14 Pres. Obama meets with U.S. diplomats in Foggy Bottom, praising them for carrying out his policies on the Iran nuclear deal and the Paris climate change agreement while calling the Saudis "free riders", pissing them off along with Britain. On Mar. 15 the Second Super Tuesday sees Donald Trump trounce Marco Rubio in his home state of Fla., causing him to drop out of the race; Trump also wins Ill. and N.C., and ties with Cruz in Mo.; too bad, favorite son John Kasich wins Ohio; Hillary Clinton wins Fla., Ohio, and N.C.; after his big win, on Mar. 16 Trump announces that he won't engage in any more debates; about this time the Clinton campaign hooks up with Fusion GPS via its law firm Perkins Cole to do opposition research on Trump, and in Apr. it hires Fusion GPS, with Perkins Coie partner Marc Elias as bagman; in June Fusion GPS hires former British intel officer Christopher Steele to investigate Trump's Russian ties, writing his first memo on June 20, alleging that Trump used hos during a 2013 visit to Moscow, allowing the Kremlin to blackmail him and collude with him, which turns out to be moose hockey, along with the entire Russiagate fake scandal; it later turns out that Fusion GPS co-founder Glenn Simpson and his wife Mary Jacoby really wrote the Steele Dossier, based on articles they wrote for the Wall Street Journal. On Mar. 15 the Indian govt. announces the killing of 3 of 10 Pakistani Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists who entered India via Gujarat to carry out terrorist attacks during the Maha Shivaratri festivities. On Mar. 15 Pres. Obama hosts Irish PM Enda Kenny on Capitol Hill, using the occasion to "comment on our domestic politics", saying that Trump, er, the "vulgar and divisive rhetoric" of the U.S. pres. candidates is not an "accurate reflection" of the "American brand", and that "It has to stop", also dissing the attempts of protesters to shut down speeches and engage in violance, adding: "In America, there aren't laws that say that we have to be nice to each other or courteous or treat each other with respect. But there are norms, there are customs"; "I reject any effort to spread fear or encourage violence or to shut people down when they're trying to speak, or turn Americans against one another. And I think as a citizen... I will not support somebody who supports that kind of politics." On Mar. 16 Pres. Obama nominates centrist judge Merrick Brian Garland (1952-) for the U.S. Supreme Court, causing Repub. Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to utter the soundbyte: "The Senate will continue to observe the Biden Rule so that the American people have a voice in this momentous decision", referring to a speech vice-pres. Joseph Biden gave in the Senate on June 25, 1992, which contains the soundbyte: "Action on a Supreme Court nomination must be put off until after the election campaign is over. That is what is fair to the nominee and is central to the process." On Mar. 17 (a.m.) two Palestinian jihadists stab an Israeli woman at the Ariel junction bus stop in Samaria, Israel. On Mar. 17 reps of Kurdish-controlled territories vote in Rumeilan, Syria to form a federal system in N Syria. On Mar. 18 U.S. defense secy. Ash Carter announces that Pres. Obama plans to nominate USAF Gen. Lori Robinson (1958-) (cmdr. of the U.S. Pacific Command) to lead the U.S. Northern Command, becoming the first female combatant commander in U.S. history. On Mar. 19 (a.m.) a Boeing 737-800 en route from Dubai crashes and burns while trying to land at the airport in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, killing all 62 aboard. On Mar. 19 a lucky Katyusha rocket strike by ISIS kills U.S. soldier SSgt. Louis F. Cardin of Temecula, Calif. at Firebase Bell near Makhmur (45 mi. SE of Mosul) in N Iraq, becoming #2 since Aug. 2014; on Mar. 21 ISIS stages another attack on the base. On Mar. 19 24-y.-o. Turkish ISIS suicide bomber Mehmet Ozturk (b. 1992) detonates in front of the Greek consulate on busy Istiklal St. in Istanbul, Turkey, killing three Israeli tourists and one Iranian tourist. On Mar. 19 protesters against Donald Trump block streets outside his rally site in Fountain Hills, Ariz.. On Mar. 19 Pope Francis joins Instagram, posting on Twitter: "I am beginning a new journey, on Instagram, to walk with you along the path of mercy and the tenderness of God." On Mar. 20-22 the Am. Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) Policy Conference at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. sees Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Ted Cruz et al. (not Bernie Sanders) give speeches, with Hillary uttering the soundbyte that "Tehran's fingerprings are on nearly every conflict across the Middle East", and "Iran remains an extremist regime that threatens to annhilate Israel", while supporting Obama's nuclear deal with Iran, and Cruz uttering the soundbyte that if he becomes pres. he will rip up Obama's nuclear deal with Iran "one day one", and not tolerate any Iranian ballistic missile tests: "Hear my words, Ayatollah Khomeini. If I am president and Iran launches a missile test, we will shoot that missile down." On Mar. 20-22 Pres. Obama visits Cuba (first U.S. pres. since Calvin Coolidge in 1918), tweeting "Que bola Cuba?" (What's up, Cuba?) from Air Force One as it lands at Jose Marti Internat. Airport near Havana, meeting with pres. Raul Castro but not his brother Fidel and allowing him to criticize the U.S., giving on Mar. 22 a speech to the Cuban people on Mar. 22, with the soundbyte "I have come here to bury the last remnant of the Cold War in the Americas", adding "We cannot ignore the very real differences that we have", then attending a baseball game between the Cuban nat. team and the ML Tampa Bay Rays, while ignoring all the repression?; meanwhile on Mar. 19 Obama delivers a Persian New Year Message to the people of Iran, pointing to his Cuban visit as "a reminder that even after decades of mistrust, it is possible for old adversaries to start down a new path." On Mar. 21 Mass. Dem. Sen. Elizabeth Warren begins tweeting against Donald Trump, calling him a "loser" whose "insecurities are on parade", comparing him to "many of history's worst authoritarians", criticizing him for racism, narcissism, and denigrating comments about women, calling him a "serious threat"; meanwhile Judge Jeanine Pirro utters the soundbyte: "Why would Republicans try to sabotage their own frontrunner and risk a Democrat winning the White House? I keep coming up with the same answer. The Republican establishment, elected officials and party leaders are in bed with the Democrats! If Hillary wins, nothing is lost for them, it's business as usual." On Mar. 22 (8:00 a.m.) days after Belgian authorities capture ISIS Paris jihadist Salah Abdeslam, coordinated ISIS suicide vest terror attacks at the Zaventem Nat. Airport and the key Maalbeek metro subway station near the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium kill 34 incl. 14 at the airport and injuring 187 in three explosions, causing heightened security throughout Europe while authorities shut Brussels down; suspects incl. brothers Khalid el-Bakraoui (b. 1978) and Ibrahim el-Bakraoui (b. 1976), Najim Laachraoui, who is found to be connected to the Paris attacks, and "man in the hat" Mohamed Abrini; Georgian journalist Ketevan Kardava takes an iconic photo of a victim at the airport; Pres. Obama condemns the attacks from Cuba, ignoring that Cuba is a state sponsor of terror, causing Repub. House Speaker Paul Ryan to utter the soundbyte that Obama's trip to Commie Cuba "legitimizes a tyrannical dictatorship"; on Mar. 23 a Je Suis Bruxelles march sees tens of thousands march; Donald Trump supporters brag about his Jan. 27 interview with Maria Bartiromo of Fox Network, where he uttered the soundbyte: "There is something going on, Maria. Go to Brussels. Go to Paris. Go to different places. There is something going on and it's not good, where they want Sharia law, where they want this, where they want things that, you know, there has to be some assimilation. There is no assimilation. There is something bad going on"; Ted Cruz calls for an immediate halt of "refugees from countries with a significant al-Qaida or ISIS presence", and utters the soundbyte: "We need to empower law enforcement to patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized"; Hillary Clinton utters the soundbyte: "The last thing we need my friends are leaders who incite more fear." On Mar. 22 Donald Trump wins the Repub. primary in Ariz., while thanks mainly to Mitt Romney plus an endorsement by Jeb Bush, Ted Cruz wins in Utah; Hillary Clinton wins the Dem. primary in Ariz., while Bernie Sanders wins Utah and Idaho; the Ariz. election was rigged to disenfranchize Bernie voters? On Mar. 22 Donald Trump and Ted Cruz begin a wife war, dumping on each other's wives then blaming the other for it; too bad, Cruz steals a line from Michael Douglas in the 1995 film "The American President"; after more mutual hate rhetoric, on Mar. 29 Cruz and Trump revoke their vows to support the eventual nominee of the Repub. Party. On Mar. 23 Pres. Obama visits Argentina, where he is coaxed into dancing a tango, and gives a speech holding out Communism and Capitalism as equally viable choices, with the soundbyte: "You don't have to worry about whether it neatly fits into Socialist theory or Capitalist theory, you should just decide what works", causing White House Press Secy. Josh Earnest to explain that Obama really means that "capitalism is a system that brings freedom better than any other one." On Mar. 23 N.C. passes a law dictating which public bathrooms and dressing rooms transgenders are allowed to use, pissing-off the PC police, incl. singer Bruce Springsteen, who announces on Apr. 8 that he is cancelling his Apr. 10 show in Greensboro, N.C. On Mar. 23-24 U.S. secy. of state John Kerry meets with Russian pres. Vladimir Putin and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow to discuss Syria and Ukraine; Putin jokes that things must be "looking blue" in the U.S. when Kerry has to carry his own suitcase off the plane. On Mar. 24 (Holy Thur.) Pope Francis performs the annual foot-washing ritual at Castelnuovo di Porto near Rome, taking care to incl. Muslim refugees, along with Hindu refugees. On Mar. 25 U.S. defense secy. Ash Carter report that ISIS #2 man Haji Imam (Abd ar-Rahman Mustafa al-Qaduli) was killed in during a raid in Syria a week earlier, with the soundbyte: "We are systematically eliminating ISIL's cabinet." On Mar. 25 an ISIS suicide bomber at a soccer stadium in Iskanderiyah, Iraq (30 mi. S of Baghdad) kills 29 and injures 60. On Mar. 25 (Good Fri.) ISIS crucifies Roman Catholic Salesian priest Rev. Thomas Uzhunnalil, who was kidnapped in Yemen in Mar. at the Missionaries of Charity nursing home; on Mar. 28 the chief Catholic bishop in Arabia denies the story. On Mar. 25 (night) after being banned since the were founded, the Rolling Stones perform in Havana, Cuba. On Mar. 26 Islamist terrorists attack a nuclear facility in Charleroi, Belgium, killing a guard and stealing his security badge. On Mar. 26 (Super Sat.) Bernie Sanders scores a landslide V in Wash., Alaska, and Hawaii. On Mar. 27 (Easter Sun.) amid mass protests by Islamists over the execution of a man for killing a prov. governor for alleged blasphemy against Islam, an Islamist suicide bomber at a parking lot at a Christian Easter celebration in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park in Lahore, Pakistan kills 52 and injures 150, causing Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif on Mar. 29 to vow to root out terrorism; on Mar. 30 the federal parliament pledges to keep the death penalty law for blasphemy. On Mar. 27 Syrian forces recapture Palmyra, Syria from ISIS; meanwhile the Los Angeles Times pub. an article revealing that the CIA-armed Fursan al Haq (Knights of Righteousness) have been fighting the Pentagon-backed Syrian Dem. Forces since mid-Feb. in Marea (20 mi. N of Aleppo), Syria. On Mar. 27 (Easter Sun.) Pope Francis gives his 2016 Easter Message, urging the world to use the "weapons of love" to combat the evil of "blind and brutal violence". On Mar. 27 Donald Trump gives an interview to Jon Karl of ABC-TV, who asks him "You call yourself a counterpuncher. Would you be doing late night Twitter wars with world leaders who insulted you?", to which Trump replies: "Frankly, it's a great way of communicating... but I'm not going to be doing it it very much as president." On Mar. 28 58-y.-o. Egyptian Seif Eddin Mastafa (1957-) hijacks an EgyptAir flight en route from Cairo to Alexandria with a fake suicide belt, diverting the plane to Cyprus before being arrested; it was all about love for his Cypriot ex-wife? On Mar. 28 after pressure by Coca-Cola, Disney, Time Warner, the NFL, the NCAA and other big corps., Ga. gov. Nathan Deal vetoes House Bill 757, which was aimed at protecting faith-based believers from being forced to participate in gay weddings, calling Ga. a "welcoming state". On Mar. 29 new security laws come into effect in Japan permitting the self-defense forces to participate in foreign conflicts. On Mar. 29 the Pentagon finally admits that Russia is effectively bombing ISIS, not just anti-Assad rebels. On Mar. 29 U.S. Homeland security secy. Jeh Johnson gives an interview to MSNBC's "Morning Joe", claiming that Repub. campaign rhetoric about Obama's sacred cow Muslims has been "counterproductive"; meanwhile ex-CIA dir. Michael Hayden utters the soundbyte that Donald Trump's rhetoric has "already made Americans less safe" - which as good as admits that all Muslims are ticking time bombs liable to go jihadist when not bowed to enough? On Mar. 30 U.S. Army Gen. Lloyd Austin, known for telling Pres. Obama in early 2014 that ISIS was a "flash in the pan", leading to Obama calling it a "jayvee team", which later made him look like a fool relinquishes command of U.S. forces fighting ISIS. On Mar. 30 Colo. Dem. Gov. John Hickenlooper announces that he's bowing to the wishes of Fremont County residents and opposing the importation of Muslim detainees from Gitmo. On Mar. 30 Iranian author Salman Rushdie, who lives under a death threat fatwa by Ayatollah Khomeini gives a talk at the NYU Academic Center in Washington, D.C., with the soundbyte that it is a mistake for Pres. Obama not to use the term "Islamic terrrorism". On Mar. 30 exiled Muslim leader Dolkun Isa, head of the World Uighur Congress receives an award in Washington, D.C. from the Victims of Communism Memoral Foundation, pissing-off China, which issues a protest; on Mar. 31 Pres. Obama meets with Chinese pres. Xi Jinping in Washington, D.C., agreeing to cooperate on confronting the North Korean nuclear threat, pledging commitment to its denuclearization and agreeing to pass stringent new U.N. sanctions to punish it for its recent nuclear and missile tests. On Mar. 30 (anniv. of the birth of Muhammad's youngest daughter Fatima) Iranian supreme assasholla Ali Khameinei issues the soundbyte that Iran's ballistic missiles are "a source of happiness", and are crucial for nat. defense. On Mar. 30 Donald Trump puts his foot in his mouth during an interview with Chris Matthews of MSNBC, who says "There has to be some form of punishment" for women who have abortions; after an outcry, he rephrases that the doctor should be punished, not the woman, then on Apr. 1 utters the soundbyte: "The laws are set now on abortion and that's the way they're going to remain until they're changed." On Mar. 31 an elevated highway under construction in Kolkata, India collapses, killing 23 and injuring 85, causing police to file charges against the co.'s execs. On Mar. 31 Palestinian Authority pres. Mahmoud Abbas gives an interview on Israeli TV's "Uvda" program, condemning stabbing attacks on Israelis by Palestinians, pissing-off the hardcore Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which burns him in effigy. On Mar. 31 U.S. District Judge Daniel Jordan strikes down a Miss. law banning same-sex couples from adopting, making it legal in all 50 U.S. states. On Mar. 31-Apr. 1 Pres. Obama hosts a Global Summit on Nuclear Materials, with 50 countries attending, but not Russia, which boycotts it; the goal is to keep ISIS, al-Qaida et al. from getting nukes; at a group photo he flashes a peace sign. In Mar. U. of Va. student Otto Warmbier (1984-2017) is given a 15-year sentence of hard labor for trying to steal a propaganda poster; on June 15, 2017 he is flown to the U.S. after it is discovered he had been in a coma for almost a year, blamed on botulism and a sleeping pill, and dies on June 20; brain damage is found, but no botulism - a plastic bag over his head? In Mar. the Mariam Mosque opens in Copenhagen, Denmark, run by feminist "imama" Saliha Marie Fetteh, pissing-off male Muslims. In Mar. the FBI warns the Clinton campaign of a cyberattack, but they refuse to cooperate. In Mar. global CO2 levels break the 400 ppm milestone. In the spring Trump-hating Hillary Clinton lover John O. Brennan begins pushing the FBI to open an investigation of Trump campaign collusion with Russia, shaking down foreign intel officials for dirt on Trump and coming up with nothing, with FBI agent Peter Strzok telling his lover Lisa Page "There's no there there", which doesn't stop him from accepting fake intel from British spy Christopher Steele (a 35-page dossier of salacious allegations about Trump and Russia) and using a Yahoo News article by Michael Isikoff based on Steele's story to approach U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, causing the latter to write an open letter to FBI dir. James Comey on Aug. 27, 2016 calling for an FBI investigation into Trump's campaign, containing the soundbyte: "The evidence of a direct connection between the Russian government and Donald Trump’s presidential campaign continues to mount and has led Michael Morrell, the former Acting Central Intelligence Director, to call Trump an ‘unwitting agent’ of Russia and the Kremlin. The prospect of a hostile government actively seeking to undermine our free and fair elections represents one of the gravest threats to our democracy since the Cold War and it is critical for the Federal Bureau of Investigation to use every resource available to investigate this matter thoroughly and in a timely fashion"; Brennan personally intervenes then overrules two CIA officers who disagree with his assessment that there is a high level of confidence that Russian pres. Vladimir Putin interfered in the 2016 U.S. pres. election with the specific goal of helping elect Donald Trump, changing the assessment to keep the investigation going; Brennan is aided by Hillary supporter Andrea Kendall-Taylor, close colleague of Eric Ciaramella,the Dem. whistleblower whose complaint leads to Trump's impeachment in 2017. On Apr. 1 Bernie Sanders gives an interview to the New York Daily News, in which he utters the soundbyte that Israel killed "10,000 innocents" in Gaza in 2014 - and he calls Trump a habitual liar? On Apr. 1 after being arrested last July, British Muslim delivery driver Junead Khan (1990-) is convicted of plotting a terrorist attack against U.S. military personnel in E England incl. Mildenhall RAF Base; his uncle Shazib Khan (1992-) is also convicted of planning to travel to Syria to fight with ISIS. On Apr. 2 fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan erupts in disputed Nagorno-Karabakh, killing 30 until Azerbaijan brokers a cease-fire. On Apr. 2 Pres. gives his weekly address, with the soundbyte about ISIS that "their morale is suffering". On Apr. 2 the Diyanet Center of Am. Sunni mega-mosque in Lanham, Md. is opened by Turkish pres. Recep Tayyip Erdogan. On Apr. 2 Democracy Spring sees 100+ progressive groups begin 10 days of nonviolent protest marches from Philly to Washington, D.C. to "end the corruption of big money in politics and protect the right to vote for all Americans"; 900-1.2K are arrested. On Apr. 3 the Panama Papers, 2.6 terabytes of data containing 11.5M leaked documents are published, revealing financial secrets of 214,488+ offshore entities dating back to the 1970s after being stolen from Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca. On Apr. 3 (Sun.) Hillary Clinton appears on NBC-TV's Meet the Press", uttering the soundbyte: "The unborn person doesn't have constitutional rights"; on Apr. 5 she appears on ABC-TV's "The View", uttering the doubling down by adding that that unborn children don't have constitutional rights even hours before birth; she pisses-off feminists by using the word "person", drawing memories of the Dred Scott decision? On Apr. 4 suicide bomber inside a restaurant in Dhi Qar Province, Iraq s of Baghdad kills 14+. On Apr. 4 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court unanimously rules in Evenwel et al. v. Texas. Gov. Abbott et al. that non-citizens incl. illegal immigrants can be counted by states when drawing legislative districts. On Apr. 4 N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo holds a celebration for the new $15/hour state min. wage, gaining praise from Hillary Clinton et al., even though she's only in favor of a $12/hour federal min. wage?; on Apr. 4 Calif. Jerry Brown signs a $15/hour min. wage law. On Apr. 4 the Panama Papers (11.5M documents) are pub. online by the Internat. Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), revealing secret offshore holdings of current and former world leaders incl. Vladimir Putin, but none from the West except Ian Cameron, father of British PM David Cameron. On Apr. 5 43 U.S. senators led by majority leader Mitch McConnell present a brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of U.S. v. Tex., questioning the legality of the DREAM (Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents) policy, claming that Pres. Obama is seeking to "implement his policy preferences" in regard to certain classes of illegal aliens "by the extra-constitutional assertion of a unilateral executive power." On Apr. 5 the Dem. Wisc. primary is a big V for Ted Cruz and Bernie Sanders over front-runners Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton (48.3% to 35.1% and 56.5% to 43.1%), keeping them in the race. On Apr. 6 Jean-Marie Le Pen, father of Nat. Front leader Marine Le Pen is fined 30K euros for denying the existence of Nazi gas chambers; France is just one of 15 Euro nations that criminalize Holocaust denial; on Apr. 8 another French court convicts two anti-Israeli Arabs, Saadia Ben Fakha (26) and Husein Abu-Zaid (58) of Holocaust denial and fines them 3K Euros for posting "What Hitler did to the Jews was done so that the world will sympathize with them and give them all the rights" on Facebook, even though this seems to affirm the Holocaust. On Apr. 6 former U.S. Rep. (R-Va.) Frank Wolf issues the soundbyte that the fight against radical Islamist terrorists is so bad that "We are in World War III", and that if the Congress and Obama admin. doesn't do something "some very bad things are going to happen in the world". On Apr. 7 PLO secy.-gen. Saeb Erekat rejects an offer for peace talks by Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, with the soundbyte: "Netanyahu should first announce an end of settlement, release prisoners arrested before [the] signing [of the] Oslo peace accords in 1993, and recognize all the signed peace treaties between the two sides." On Apr. 7 Air France resumes thrice-weekly flights fom Paris to Tehran after a 3-year suspension, requiring air hostesses to wear headscarves to appease Islam, causing a firestorm of controversy. On Apr. 7 Hillary Clinton gives a speech in Denver, Colo., using a white noise machine to block reporters from hearing what she said. On Apr. 7 former police officer Tammy Grace Barnett (1990-) becomes the first woman to enlist in the U.S. Army at the entrance processing station in Shreveport, La. On Apr. 8 Pope Francis pub. the 260-page paper Amoris Laetitia (On Love in the Family), urging priests to be more accepting of gays and lesbians along with divorce Catholics, dissing the idea of "living in sin". On Apr. 8 Hillary Clinton takes four swipes with her MetroCard to pass through a turnstile at the 161st St. subway station in Bronx, N.Y. en route from Yankee Stadium, drawing snipes by Donald Tripe, er, Trump, Saturday Night Live et al. On Apr. 9 ISIS attacks the Philippine army in Basilan, Western Mindanao, Philippines, killing 18 and injuring 53, becoming the first major ISIS attack in the Philippines. On Apr. 9 Saudi King Salman visits Egypt; Egyptian pres. Abdul Fatah Sisi transfers control of the strategic Red Sea islands of Sanafir and Tiran to him. On Apr. 10 (Sun.) Pres. Obama gives an interview to Chris Wallace on "Fox News Dumday", er, "Fox News Sunday", with the soundbyte after the criminal investigation of Hillary Clinton's emails dragging its feet: "I guarantee that there is no political influence" in any Dept. of Justice investigation; when asked about terrorism, he utters the soundbyte that no president has "taken more terrorists off the field" than him; when asked to name his worst mistake as pres., he points to toppling Libyan dictator Col. Daffy, with the soundbyte: "Probably failing to plan for the day after"; his greatest accomplishment was "saving the economy from a Great Depression". On Apr. 10 Tex. Sen. Ted Cruz sweeps all 37 Colo. delegates without citizens being allowed to vote in a primary, pissing-off registered Repubs. in Colo., that they burn their registration cards, along with Donald Trump, who utters the soundbyte: "How is it possible that the people of the great State of Colorado never got to vote in the Republican Primary? Great anger – totally unfair!... The people of Colorado had their vote taken away from them by the phony politicians. Biggest story in politics. This will not be allowed!"; he tells Fox News: "I've gotten millions... of more votes than Cruz, and I've gotten hundreds of delegates more, and we keep fighting, fighting, fighting, and then you have a Colorado where they just get all of these delegates, and it's not [even] a system. There was no voting. I didn't go out there to make a speech or anything... The system is rigged. It's crooked." On Apr. 10 elections in Peru give 40% to Keiko Fijumori Higuchi of Fuerzo Popular, daughter of ex-pres. Alberto Fujimori, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2009; Pedro Pablo Kuczynski of Peruanos Por el Kambo comes in 2nd at 20.1%. On Apr. 10 Hillary Clinton holds a media cocktail party in Upper East Side, New York City, where she gives them marching orders for rigging the election? On Apr. 12 Pres. Obama dedicates the Belmont-Paul Women's Equality Nat. Monument in Washington, D.C., using the opportunity to plug the pres. candidacy of Hillary Clinton, with the soundbyte: "I want them to come here and be astonished that there was ever a time when women could not vote. I want them to be astonished that there was ever a time when women earned less than men for doing the same work. I want them to be astonished... that there was ever a time when a woman had never sat in the Oval Office", adding: "I don't know how long it will take to get there, but I know we're getting closer to that day." On Apr. 12 the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee releases a European Terror Threat Snapshot, announcing that since 2014 35 ISIS-linked attack plots aimed at Europe have emerged (2/mo.), while 5K EU citizens have traveled to Syria and Iraq, with 1K returning to Britain, France, Germany, and Belgium; it also claims that the terror threat to the U.S. and Europe is "increasingly lethal". On Apr. 12 Irish rock star Bono of U2 testifies before the U.S. Senate State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Subcommittee, comparing ISIS with the Nazis, and uttering the soundbyte that the best way to fight ISIS is to make fun of it: "So I'm suggesting that the Senate send in Amy Schumer and Chris Rock and Sasha Baron Cohen", admitting that his suggestion might sound "a little bizarre" but that he's "dead serious". On Apr. 12 U.S. Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) utters the soundbyte that the fast-tracking of Syrian refugee applications by the Obama admin. is "a threat to our national security". On Apr. 13 U.S. Col. Steve Warren of the Pentagon announces that phase one of Pres. Obama's mission to "degrade and defeat" ISIS is complete, adding that phase two is to dismantle them before phase 3 defeating them. On Apr. 13 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announce that the rate of syphilis infection among gay men is the highest since the start of the HIV/AIDs epidemic in the 1980s; they also announce that there were 1.4M cases of chlamydia in 2014, the "highest number of annual cases of any condition ever reported". On Apr. 13 U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) becomes the first U.S. senator to endorse Bernie Sanders for U.S. pres., saying that while Hillary Clinton is "strong and capable", Bernie is "boldly and fiercely" taking on the country's problems. On Apr. 14 the 80-member Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace releases an appeal to Pope Francis, calling on him to pub. a "major teaching document" stating that there is no "just war", reversing the long-held Just War Theory of the Church. Cooler heads jokes here? On Apr. 14 Washington, D.C.-born "Science Guy" (bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Cornell U.) William Sanford "Bill" Nye (1955-) releases a video interview with Marc Morano of Climate Depot, er, warming to the idea of jailing climate skeptics; on Aug. 22, 2016 Nye gives an interview to CBS News, acknowledging that climate skeptics have been "surprisingy successful" in influencing public opinion, but only "because they are almost exclusively funded by the fossil fuel industry", which is challenged by Marc Morano of Climate Depot, who utters the soundbyte: "It is the environmental left that frequently enjoys amounts of fossil fuel funding that skeptics never see." On Apr. 14 (eve.) the 9th Dem. Pres. Debate at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in Brooklyn, N.Y. sees Bernie Sanders utter the soundbyte: "This is what you do do", later getting lampooned by comedians; he goes on to diss Israel, claiming that it has responded disproportionately to Palestinian provocations, and that Benjamin Netanyahu "is not right all of the time", adding that the U.S. "is going to have to treat the Palestinian people with respect and dignity", and "I believe the United States and the rest of the world have got to work together to help the Palestinian people"; Hillary Clinton responds "I don't know how you run a country when you are under constant threat, terrorist attacks, rockets coming at you. You have a right to defend yourself", endorsing a two-state solution that "would give the Palestinians the rights... and the automony that they deserve", adding: "And let me say this, if Yasser Arafat had agreed with my husband at Camp David in the Late 1990s to the offer then Prime Minister Barak put on the table, we would have had a Palestinian state for 15 years." On Apr. 15 the U.S. Army announces that it will commission 22 women as infantry and armor officers for ground combat, becoming the first ever. On Apr. 15 UNESCO passes a resolution calling Israel and "occupying power" of the Western Wall and Temple Mount, and ignores any Jewish connection to it, calling it the Al-Buraq Plaza and Al-Aksa Mosque, causing Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu to utter the soundbyte: "UNESCO ignores the unique historic connection of Judaism to the Temple Mount, where two temples stood for a thousand years and to which every Jew in the world has prayed for thousands of years. The U.N. is rewriting a basic part of human history and has once again proven that there is no low to which it will not stoop." On Apr. 16 (Sat.) (6:00 a.m.) Bernie Sanders meets privately with Pope Francis for 5 min. at his residence in the Vatican to discuss a "moral economy"; the pope then visits Lesbos, Greece to meet with Muslim invaders, er, migrants, taking four families (12) back to the Vatican aboard his papal plane. On Apr. 16 a 7.8 earthquake near Quito, Ecuador; on Apr. 22 a 6.0 earthquake hits 100km NW of Portoviejo, Ecuador. On Apr. 16 British digital spy agency GCHQ head Robert Hannigan apologizes for the org.'s historical prejudice against gays, saying it failed to learn from the maltreatment of WWII codebreaker Alan Turing. On Apr. 16 the Saudi govt. issues a threat to sells $750B of U.S. financial assets if Congress passes a bill to make it legally responsible for any role in the 9/11 attacks; the only difference since 9/11 is that the threat is now public? On Apr. 17 Israel discovers and destroys a Hamas terror tunnel in Gaza, which on Apr. 18 Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu calls a "pioneering achievement". On Apr. 18 the govt. of Jordan passes constitutional amendments giving the king powers to make appointments to top posts. On Apr. 18 Hillary Clinton gives an interview to The Breakfast Club hip-hop radio show in New York City, uttering the soundbyte that Donald Trump is the "donkey of the decade". On Apr. 18 Bernie Sanders releases the video Love Trumps Hate, slamming anti-Muslim bigotry as distracting people from the real problems of wealth inequality and injustice. On Apr. 18 (p.m.) a bus is bombed in Jerusalem, Israel by a Palestinian Hamas member, injuring 21, causing both Hamas and Fatah to praise the attack. On Apr. 19 the Target retail chain announces that they "welcome transgender team members and guests to use the restroom or fitting room facility that corresponds with their gender identity", causing their stock to drop by 4.2% ($1.5B) by Apr. 28. On Apr. 19 the New York Pres. Primary sees Donald Trump score a big V, with 60.5% of the vote, vs. 25.1% for John Kasich and 14.5% for Ted Cruz; Hillary Clinton defeats Bernie Sanders by 58%-42%. On Apr. 20 Pres. Obama visits Saudi Arabia to meet with Persian Gulf leaders and discuss Yemen, Iraq, Syria et al., failing to bring up 9/11, Sharia, etc.; Michelle Obama doesn't attend; Iranian assaholei Khameini utters the soundbyte that Saudi Arabia is a "corrupt sycophantic hollow regime", adding "To Hell with it." On Apr. 20 the U.S. Treasury announces that black anti-slavery activist Harriet Tubman will replace white slaveholder U.S. pres. Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill; Alexander Hamilton is allowed to stay on the $10 bill after a popular Broadway show lobbies for him. On Apr. 20 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court by 6-2 rules that $2B in frozen Iranian assets must be turned over to the families of Americans killed in the 1983 U.S. Marine Corps Barracks bombing. On Apr. 20 after they refuse to stop at a border checkpoint in Qamlishi, Syria, Kurdish police (Asayish) get in a 3-day firefight with the Syrian army, killing 10 Kurdish and 22 Syrian soldiers along with 17 civilians before the Russian negotiate a ceasefie on Apr. 22. On Apr. 22 the Obamas visit the U.K., lunching with Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle to celebrate her 90th birthday on Apr. 21, then dining at Kensington Palace with Prince William, Prince Harry, and Kate Middleton. On Apr. 22 (Earth Day) the Paris Climate Agreement (Accord) is opened for signatures at the U.N. HQ in New York City, setting a long-term goal of keeping the increase in global avg. temp to below 2C above pre-industrial levels, and limiting the increase to 1.5C, with each country voluntarily setting targets and target dates, along with plans and reporting mechanisms; by May 2018 195 members sign the agreement, and 177 become a party to it. On Apr. 25 Pres. Obama visits Germany, uttering the soundbyte that "Yes, these are unsettling times", calling on Germans to "welcome and integrate people of all backgrounds and faiths and make them feel as one, and that includes Muslims", adding: "And when the future is uncertain, there seems to be an instinct in our human nature to withdraw to the perceived comfort and security of our own tribe, our own sect, our own nationality - people who look like us, sound like us, but in today's world, more than any time in human history, that is a false comfort. It pits people against one another because of what they look like or how they pray or who they love", claiming that such "twisted thinking" can lead to guilt trip, er, oppression, segregation, inernment camps, and the Holocaust, lamely trying to compare the U.S. experience with integrating blacks to their experience trying to integrate intolerant supremacist Muslims, who are known for doing just what Obama says gives them false comfort?; he also utters the soundbyte: "We are fortunate to be living in the most peaceful, most prosperous, most progressive era in human history." On Apr. 26 the Apr. 2016 Super Tues. Primary is a big V for Donald Trump, who wins Conn., Del., Md., Penn. and R.I.; Hillary Clinton wins Conn., Del., Md., and Penn., and Bernie Sanders wins R.I.; on Apr. 27 instead of dropping out, "Lyin'" Ted Cruz announces Carly Fiorina as his running mate; Trump utters the soundbyte: "Frankly, if Hillary Clinton were a man, I don't think she'd get 5 percent of the vote. The only thing she's got going is the women's card. And the beautiful thing is, women don't like her." On Apr. 26 Trump campaign foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos meets with Maltese prof. Joseph Mifsued, who introduces him to claimed Vladimir Putin relative Olga and offers to arrange a summit, later offering "dirt" on Hillary Clinton in the form of "thousands of emails"; in May Papadopoulos drunkenly admits to Australian diplomat Alexander Downer in the Kensington Wine Rooms in London, England that the Russians have damaging info. on Hillary Cinton, causing the FBI to open an investigation into the Trump campaign. On Apr. 27 ISIS suicide bombers ambush a British special forces convoy en route from Misrata, Libya to Sirte. On Apr. 27 Donald Trump delivers his Foreign Policy Speech at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., spelling out an America First approach, staying fuzzy but explaining "We must as a nation be more unpredictable"; meanwhile former House Speaker John Boehner gives an interview to David M. Kennedy of Stanford U., calling Ted Cruz "Lucifer in the flesh", saying "I have never worked with a more miserable son of a bitch in my life", while claiming to be friends with Donald Trump, calling him a "texting buddy". On Apr. 27 (night) after breaking the Feb. truce, Syrian air strikes destroy Al Quds Hospital in Aleppo, killing 14 incl. two doctors, beginning a massive Syrian army assault on Aleppo, Syria, backed by Russian and Iranian forces, with airs trikes lasting for a week and inflicting hundeds of casualties. On Apr. 30 ISIS car-bombs an open air market filled with Shiites E of Baghdad, Iraq, killing 21 and injuring 42; on May 1 two car bombs in Samawah, Iraq kill 31 and injure dozens. In Apr. the Dakota Access Pipeline Protests near the Standing Rock Indian Rez in N.D. to stop the Energy Transfer Partners' Dakota Access Pipeline from Bakken Oil Fields in W N.D. to S. Ill. because it runs near a sacred burial site under the Missouri River outside the Rez but on land they claim; on Dec. 4 after internat. publicity, construction is halted for an environmental impact assessment. On Apr. ? Hillary Clinton gives a Speech on Income Inequality while wearing a $12,495 Giorgio Armani designer jacket. In Apr. the U.K. requires all dogs to be microchipped. In Apr. the Common Interest Agreement is signed by 17 attorneys-gen. in the U.S. "to obstruct open-records requests" while investigating fossil fuel cos. and climate change deniers. On May 1 the 2016 Fort McMurray (Horse River) Wildfire SW of Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada begins, causing the evacuation of 88K, destroying 2.4K structures, and causing $9.9B damage, becoming the costliest disaster in Canadian history (until ?); it is declared to be under control on July 5 after burning 1.5M acres; no official cause is determined (until ?). On May 3 Hillary Clinton campaigns in W. Va., facing angry pro-Trump protesters who are pissed-off at her promises to shut down the coal industry. On May 3 (Tues.) after Trump begins crowing that he's his party's presumptive nominee, the 2016 Ind. Pres. Primary is a crushing V for Donald Trump by 53.2% to 36.7%, causing Ted Cruz to drop out of the race, and Trump to try and mend his fences with a glowing tribute; Bernie Sanders defeats Hillary Clinton 53.1% to 46.9%, allowing his campaign to keep flying on a wing and a prayer; on May 5 John Kasich drops out of the race. On May 4 Iranian supreme assashola Ali Khamenei announces that before a woman convicted of a capital offense is gang-raped and beaten to death, she gets to choose the number of rapists, 15-30. On May 4 Hillary Clinton gives an interview to CNN's Anderson Cooper, saying that she wants to "take on all the barriers that stand in the way of people getting ahead", putting her foot in her mouth with the soundbyte that she's running to replace Pres. Obama "to really deal with the economy, get it working again." On May 5 EU leaders meet in Rome to discuss the refugee crisis, incl. a plan to find countries that refuse to accept them 250K euros apiece, with German chancellor Angela Merkel warning about Europe "falling back into nationalism". On May 6 Ala. state supreme court chief justice Roy Moore is suspended from office after telling state probate judges to refuwe to issue same-sex marriage licenses until the legal conflict is resolved. On May 6 1996 U.S. Repub. pres. nominee Bob Dole endorses Donald Trump for U.S. pres., calling him the party's best chance to win back the White House; meanwhile Pres. Obama disses Trump, with the soundbyte: "We are in serious times, and this is a really serious job. This is not entertainment. This is not a reality show. This is a contest for the presidency of the United States", claiming that his views will wither under "exacting standards and genuine scrutiny". On May 7 Labour Party candidate Sadiq Aman Khan (1970-), son of Pakistani immigrants (a Muslim Uncle Tom?) becomes mayor of London, England (until ?), becoming the first to lead a major Euro capital, with the soundbyte: "The politics of fear is simply not welcome in our city." On May 7 Hillary Clinton wins the Dem. caucus in Guam. On May 8 (Sun.) Saudi King Salman announces new royal decrees to restructure the country in an attempt to reduce its dependence on selling oil by 2030 AKA Vision 2030. On May 8 60K rally at the Turkish consulate on Wilshire Blvd. in Los Angeles, Calif. to protest the WWI-era genocide of 1.5M Armenian Christians. On May 9 (Mon.) a rare transit of Venus. On May 9 a senior Iranian gen. announces the successful test of a precision-guided medium-range ballistic missile two weeks earlier, adding that if Supreme Assahollah Ali Khamanei gives the order, "We will raze the Zionist regime in less than eight minutes." On May 10 an Allah Akbar-shouting Muslim stages a knife attack at a train station in Grafing, Germany, attacking four and killing a 50-y.-o. man, with the soundbyte: "I'll stab you all, you infidels! Allahu akbar!" On May 10 the W. Va. Pres. Primary is a V for Donald Trump (77% vs. 9% for Ted Cruz), and Bernie Sanders (51.4% vs. 35.8% for Hillary Clinton), keeping him in the race. On May 10 Donald Trump sends an email to Fla. gov. Rick Scott recommending Cuban-born Jose Izquierdo for a judgeship in Broward County, which is done on May 23: too bad, he has a record of supporting criminal immigrants, embarrassing Trump when it is exposed on Aug. 24. On May 11 by a 372-51-99 vote, Italy recognizes same-sex marriages. On May 12 U.S.-backed so-called moderate rebel group Ahrar al-sham stages a bloody massacre in the Alawite town of Zara, Syria NW of Aleppo near the Turkish border. On May 12 NATO's Aegis Ashore Ballistic Missile Defense System becomes operational in Deveselu, Romania; on May 13 another site is begun in Redzikowo, Poland. On May 12 the Obama admin. issues a directive requiring every school district in the U.S. to allow transgenders to use the bathrooms, showers, and locker rooms of their choice, threatening lawsuits or withholding of funds to any who disobey. On May 13 an Israeli attack near the airport in Damascus, Syria kills Hezbollah cmdr. Mustafa Badreddine, a terrorist involved in the 1983 Beirut Marine Barracks Bombing; meanwhile Turkish pres. Erdogan hints at the possibility of sending troops into Syria, citing problems in the border town of Kilis 20 mi. NE of Zara. On May 13 the aging remnants of the defunct Russian Communist Party meet in Moscow and forms the Atheists of Russia to combat increasing clerical influence in the Russian govt. On May 13 govt. watchdog group Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust blasts the "highly suspicious" actions of the Clinton Global Initiative for aiding a for-profit energy conservation firm Energy Pioneer Solutions, which is partly-owned by blond divorcee Julie Tauber McMahon, who is a close friend (lover?) of Bill Clinton in Chappaqua, N.Y., and daughter of millionaire Dem. Party donor Joel Tauber, suspected of being the women called Energizer by the Secret Service because of her frequent visits to the Clinton home when Bill was home and Hillay was away; other co-owners incl. Dem. Nat. Committee treasurer Andrew Tobias and former Dem. congressional candidate Scott Kleeb. On May 14 the Third Holocaust Internat. Cartoon Contest in Tehran, Iran. On May 14 supporters of Bernie Sanders threaten to kill Nev. Dem. Party chairwoman Roberta Lange for rigging the convention. On May 16 the U.S. House of Reps unanimously passes the U.S. Frank Wolf Internat. Religious Freedom Act, sponsored by Rep. (R-N.J.) Chris Smith, upgrading the 1998 U.S. Internat. Religious Freedom Act to give the White House and State Dept. new resources to combat Muslim, er, persecution of religious minorities. On May 16 Donald Trump gives an interview to Piers Morgan of ITV's "Good Morning Britain" about new London mayor Sadiq Khan, responding to the latter's comments that Trump is "stupid" with "Let's take an IQ test", then responding to PM David Cameron's remarks against him with: "I don't care. It looks like we're not going to have a very good relatinship.... Just keep in mind I do not forget." On May 17 Pres. Obama celebrates Internat. Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, with the soundbyte that he's "proud" of his record in "advancing the human rights of LGBT individuals". On May 17 Pope Francis gives an interview to La Croix, with the soundbyte: "I don't think that there is a fear of Islam as such but of ISIS and its war of conquest, which is partly drawn from Islam. It is true that the idea of conquest is inherent in the soul of Islam. However, it is also possible to interpret the objective in Matthew's Gospel, where Jesus sends his disciples to all nations, in terms of the same idea of conquest." On May 17 the U.S. Senate passes legislation allowing families of 9/11 victims to sue the Saudi govt.; the Obama admin. claims that it can open the U.S. open to lawsuits for post-9/11 detention policies at Gitmo etc. On May 17 the 2016 Ore. Repub. Primary is a V for Donald Trump with 63% vs 19% for John Kasic and 16% for Ted Cruz; meanwhile the PC blasts him for his old trick of pretending to be his own publicist, as if it matters whether he's personally on the other end of the phone blowing his own horn or paying somebody to do it for him; the 2016 Ore. Dem. Primary is a V for Bernie Sanders, with 53% vs. 47% for Hillary Clinton; the Ky. primary is a push, with 46.8% for Clinton and 46.3% for Sanders, a difference of 2K out of 400K votes. On May 18 the Afghan govt. signs a draft peace accord with Hizb-e-Islami, led by Gulbudding Hekmatyar, #2 militant group after the Taliban. On May 18 Queen Elizabeth II gives he annual speech to Parliament, unveiling the biggest prison reform since Victorian times, giving more freedom to local wardens and encourage the use of social media by inmates. On May 18 after Gizmodo mag. pub. an expose of Facebook's practice of censoring non-liberal news in its Trending Topics sections, causing calls for govt. intervention, Mark Suck, er, Zuckerberg meets with conservatives and promises that they will quit doing it - no mention of vicious suppression of Islam critics? On May 18 (night) EgyptAir Flight 804 crashes into the Mediterranean with 66 aboard. On May 19 Hillary Clinton slams future pres. Donald Trump as "divisive and dangerous", "unmoored", and not qualified to be U.S. pres. like she is :) On May 21 Donald Trump is endorsed by the Nat. Rifle Assoc. (NRA), calling for an end to gun-free zones; on May 22 Hillary Clinton gives a speech at the Trayvon Martin Foundation's Circle of Mothers dinner, with the soundbyte: "Unlike Donald Trump, I will not pander to the gun lobby." On May 21 Afghan Taliban emir Mullah Mansour is killed by a U.S. drone strike in Baluchistan Province, Pakistan, and his eldest son Mullah Haibatullah becomes new emir (until ?). On May 23 Pres. Obama meets with Vietnamese pres. Tran Dai Quang in Hanoi, Vietnam and lifts the decades-long arms embargo to help it fight China. On May 23 the Obama admin. proclaims Extreme Heat Week (until May 27), ordering federal agencies to work with communities to "enhance preparedness for extreme heat events" - it's a beautiful day we'll have some laughs? On May 23 the Iraqi army launches a major assault on Fallujah, Iraq. On May 25 Pope Francis gives a speech in St. Peter's Square about the Islamist terrorist attacks in "beloved Syria", with the soundbbyte that he prays to God to "convert the hearts of those who sow death and destruction." On May 26 U.S. Rep. (R-N.J.) Chris Smith utters the soundbyte that it is "unconscionable" that of 499 Syrian refugees admitted to the U.S. so far this month, zero are Christian. On May 27 Pres. Obama visits Hiroshima, Japan, becoming the first U.S. pres. to lay a wreath at the Hiroshima Memorial, uttering the soundbyte: "We have known the agony of war. Let us now find the courage, together, to spread peace, and pursue a world without nuclear weapons." On May 28 after a 3-y.-o. boy falls into its pen at the Cincinnati Zoo, zoo officials assassinate 17-y.-o. male endangered Western lowland gorilla Harambe, causing a public outcry; too bad, the PC media devotes excessive airtime to this local issue? On May 30 after a Saudi decision to ban Iranian flags et al., Iran announces that it won't participate in this years Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca). On May 30 the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Summit in Paris. On May 31 after announcing in Mar. that he has raised $6M for veterans, but only distributing a fraction, and suddenly releasing more last week, Donald Trump releases a list of 41 groups that he has donated a total of $5.6M to, saying that Hillary Clinton has donated nothing to veterans; actually, it was $70K. In May a Hamas-Fatah Reconciliation Initiative is announced by Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and UAE. In May the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency (CBP) reaches 5,350 African and Asian illegal immigrants detained along the U.S. Mexico border since Oct. 2015, vs. 4,261 in all of 2015, and 1,831 in 2014, incl. from terror-linked countries incl. Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Syria, causing efforts to stop them at the Mexico-Guatemala border. In May U.S. unemployment is 4.7%, with the economy adding only 38K jobs. On June 2 Pres. Obama gives the commencement address at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., praising new U.S. Northern Combat Command gen. Lori Robinson (who has never flown a plane), along with gay and Muslim cadets, claiming they will make the U.S. stronger; too bad, a Thunderbirds fighter jet crashes after the flyover, serving as an omen of the new weakened USAF? - women, gays and Muslims, who are ordered by Allah to keep the other two groups down, a match made in heaven? On June 2 Hillary Clinton gives a speech in San Diego, Calif. slamming rival Donald Trump, calling him "dangerously incoherent" and "unfit for office", accusing him of peddling "outright lies", with the soundbyte: "He is temperamentally unfit to hold an office that requires knowledge, stability and immense responsibility"; Trump fires back, with the soundbyte: "It was pathetic. It was so sad to watch. She was up there, supposed to be a foreign policy speech, it was a political speech, had nothing to do with foreign policy"; meanwhile House Speaker Paul Ryan breaks and endorses Trump. On June 2 a video surfaces of a gang rape of a retarded 5-y.-o. girl by three Muslim refugee boys in Twin Falls, Idaho (pop. 50K), after which the PC media attempts a coverup followed by intimidation of local protesters; on Aug. 6 Muslim refugee Mohammed Hussein Ibraheim Eldai is charged with the sexual assault of a 33-y.-o. retarded woman, causing another attempted coverup. On June 3 Luxembourg announces a 200M Euro line of credit for space countries who set up their Euro HQs within its borders, claiming it want s to be the Silicon Valley of the space mining industry. On June 3 ISIS burns 19 young Yazidi girls alive in iron cages in Mosul, Iraq for refusing to become sex alaves. On June 5 the Islamic month of Ramadan begins, causing ISIS to authorize a Month of Jihad in the U.S. and Europe; on June 5 Hillary Clinton sticks her foot in her mouth with the Tweet "As we begin Ramadan", as if she is now a Muslim herself. On June 5 Miss USA 2016 (65th) Pageant in Las Vegas, Nev. (first broadcast on Fox) is won by Deshauna Barber (1989-) of Washington, D.C. after social media decides the winner for the first time. On June 5 Pres. Obama talks with Bernie Sanders in a bid to unify the Dem. Party around Hillary Clinton, whom he plans on officially endorsing soon; on June 6 after winning in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, Hillary Clinton becomes the first woman in U.S. history to secure the nomination of a major political party; Bernie Sanders calls it a "rush to judgment" because it counts unpledged superdelegates. On June 6 (7:00 a.m.) a terrorist attack at the Baqaa Palestinian Refugee camp (largest in Jordan) near Amman, Jordan kills five incl. three Jordanian officers. On June 7 the 2016 Super Tues. Primary is a V for Donald Trump, who wins N.J., S.D., Mont., N.M., and Calif., breaking the Repub. primary vote record by 1.4M votes and reaching 1,536 delegates; Hillary Clinton splits the primaries with Bernie Sanders, winning Calif., N.J., N.M., and S.D., while Sanders wins N.D and Mont., giving her 2,184 pledged delegates vs. 1,804 for him, along with 571 superdelegates for Hillary and only 48 for Sanders. On June 8 an Islamist terrorist attack at the Sarona Market in Tel Aviv, Israel by Muslims dressed as orthodox Jews firing homemade machine guns kills four and injures six before the guns jam, becoming the first Israelis killed by terrorists since Taylor Force on Mar. 8; on June 7 Hamas' military wing 'Izz Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades pub. an article on its Web site calling for jihad and martyrdom during the month of Ramadan. On June 9 Pres. Obama endorses Hillary Clinton for U.S. pres., congratulating her on "making history", and saying "I don't think there's ever been someone so qualified to hold this office"; meanwhile White House spokesman Josh Earnest tells reporters that the FBI investigation into Hillary's handling of classified email is a "criminal investigation", causing Judge Andrew Napolitan to call Obama's endorsement of Hillary a "conflict of interest". On June 10 Ore. judge Amy Holmes Hehn legally changes the sex of Jamie Shupe from female to "non-binary", becoming a first in the U.S. On June 12 (2:02 a.m. EDT) Muslim shooter Omar Seddique Mateen (b. 1986) attacks the hot gay Pulse Orlando Nightclub in Orlando, Fla., killing 50 and injuring 53 of 300 before being killed by police, becoming the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history (until ?); he tells police negotiators that his rampage is retaliation for the air strike that killed ISIS leader Abu Wahid; ISIS claims credit, er, responsibility; Pres. Obama calls the mass shooting (#24 since he took office) "an act of terror and an act of hate", blaming the "assault rifle" (e.g., the NRA), and never mentioning radical Islam, causing Donald Trump to call him a "weak" leader who should be impeached, with the soundbyte: "If we do not get tough and smart real fast, we are not going to have a country anymore"- how long can Obama be pro-gay and pro-Muslim at the same time? On June 13 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules in U.S. v. Bryant that prior convictions from tribal courts can be used to enhance sentences in federal courts, even if the poor sucker didn't have a lawyer, reversing their decision in Burgett v. Tex. (1967) that it would violate the Sixth Amendment. On June 14 Animal Kingdom debuts on TNT for ? episodes (until ?), based on the 2010 film by David Michod, starring Ellen Barkin as crime family boss Janine "Smurf" Cody. On June 18 Donald Trump speaks at a rally at Mystere Theater on Treasure Island in Las Vegas, Nev.; British man Michael Steven Sandford attempts to grab a police officer's gun and shoot him, and on Sept. 13 is given two years in prison and deportation. On June 19 a suicide bomber in Qamishli, Syria kills three at an event commemorating the 1905 massacre of Assyrian Christians by the Ottomans in 1915. On June 23 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court by 4-4 rules that Pres. Obama's mass amnesty plan shielding 4M from immigration lacks constitutional authority, becoming a big D. On June 23 the Brexit referendum on EU membership sees Britain vote 17.4M (51.89%) to 16.14M (48.11%) to leave the EU, shocking da world. On June 24 British PM (since May 11, 2010) David Cameron resigns, and on July 13 Conservative home secy. (since May 12, 2010) Theresa Mary May (nee Brasier) (1956-) becomes PM of Britain (until June 7, 2019) (2nd female after Margaret Thatcher), becoming the 4th leader of a major world nation or org. incl. Germany, the IMF, and the U.S. Federal Reserve; on July 13 Conservative mayor of London (since May 4, 2008) Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (1964-) becomes foreign affairs minister (until July 9, 2018). On June 26 Iraqi lt. gen. Abdul-Wahab al-Saadi declares Fallujah, Iraq to be "fully liberated" from ISIS. On June 26 Pope Francis utters the soundbyte that Catholics should seek forgiveness from gays for they way they treated them, along with women and child labor. On June 27 the U.S. House Select Committee on Benghazi pub. its final report, failing to find a smoking gun on Hillary Clinton. On June 27 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 5-3 in Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt that states cannot place restrictions on the delivery of abortion services that create an undue burden for the woman, becoming the most important abortion case since Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992). On June 28 (night) a suspected ISIS jihadist terrorist attack at Ataturk Airport, the busiest airport in Istanbul, Turkey kills 43 and injures 230; the airport repoens within five hours, vs. 12 days for Brussels. On June 29 former U.S. pres. Bill Clinton meets privately with U.S. atty. gen. Loretta Lynch in an airplane at Sky Harbor Airport in in Phoenix, Ariz., causing a firestorm of controversy about undue influence and witness tampering over the ongoing criminal investigations into his wife Hillary, stinking her and her campaign up while putting Lynch in a corner, causing her to promise to accept FBI recommendations in the email inquiry. On June 30 (a.m.) a Palestinian terrorist repeatedly stabs and kills 13-y.-o. Israeli girl Hallel Yaffa Ariel in her bedroom in Kiryat Arba, West Bank, Israel. On June 30 two Taliban suicide bombers target police cadets and first responders in Kabul, Afghanistan, killing dozens, becoming the 3rd large-scale assault since Apr. On June 30 after a landslide V (16.6M votes) Davao City mayor Rodrigo Roa "Rody" "Digong" Duterte (1945-) (known as The Punisher for his zero tolerance policy for criminals) becomes pres. #16 of the Philippines (until ?). On June 30 U.S. defense secy. Ash Carter announces an end to the ban on open transgenders in the U.S. military, incl. those who are actively transitioning. On June 30 the U.S. nat. debt hits $19.38T, the first tie over $19.3T. In June the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that the Lake Chad humanitarian crisis caused by Boko Haram has displaced 2.6M, with 3.8M facing "severe food shortages". In summer in honor of the U.S. pres. campaign, Budweiser puts the label "America" in place of "Budweiser" on its beer, causing Donald Trump to take credit; meanwhile Spiteful Brewing Co. of Chicago, Ill. introduces Dumb Donald brand beer, Dock Street Brewing of Philly introduces a series of anti-Trump brands incl. Don't Let Your Friends Vote Drumpf, Short-Fingered Stout, and Drumple IPA, and 5 Rabbit Cerveceria of Chicago renames their leftover beer Chinga Tu Pelo (Sp. "Fuck your hair"). In June the Crazy Clown Epidemic begins in the U.S., with numerous sighting of scary evil-looking clowns. In June a huge stash of AK-47 assault rifles belonging to Islamist extremists is found hidden near a mosque in Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. In June the U.S. home ownership rate falls to 62.9%, lowest since 1965. In June U.S. unemployment is 4.9% (vs. 4.7% fo May), with the economy adding 287K jobs. In early July after Rev. Evan Mawarire posts a protest video on Facebook against the regime of Robert Mugabe, protests begin in Harare, Zimbabwe, becoming the biggest in a decade, causing the govt. to persecute Mawarire, who flees with his family to the U.S. via South Africa, then attempt a shutdown of all social media. On July 1 (9:20 p.m.) a team of six ISIS suicide bombers at the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dakha, Bangladesh take 40 hostages and kill four security personnel, killing torturing and killing 20 incl. by beheading after sparing those who could recite a verse fromt he Quran; on July 7 6-7 more jihadists attack an Eid gathering in Kishoreganj, Bangladesh, killing three incl. two police officers, losing two attackers. On July 2 (a.m.) the FBI questions Hillary Clinton for 3.5 hours over her private email server. On July 2 Donald Trump retweets an anti-Hillary Clinton cartoon displaying the words "Most corrupt candidate ever" on a sheriff's badge, which Hillary supporters immediately claim is a Star of David to deflect attention, snookering even House Speaker Paul Ryan, who calls on Trump to "clean this up"; of course, Hillary isn't even Jewish. On July 2 (night) a suicide truck bombing in the busy Karrada neighborhood of Baghdad, Iraq kills 200 and injures 147. On July 3 (a.m.) a massive suicide bombing in C Baghdad, Iraq kills 250, becoming the deadliest since the 2003 invasion. On July 4 a suicide bomber near the U.S. consulate in Jedda, Saudi Arabia injures two security officers; on July 5 three more Saudi cities ae bombed incl. near the Prophet's Mosque in Medina. On July 4 NASA's JUNO spacecraft goes into polar orbit around Jupiter. On July 5 Pres. Obama and Hillary Clinton campaign together for the first time in Charlotte, N.C., calling Hillary's bid a 3rd term for Obama; meanwhile FBI dir. #7 (since Sept. 4, 2013) James Brien "Jim" Comey Jr. (1960-) announces that the FBI recommends no charges against Hillary in their airmail, er, email probe, despite her team being "extremely careless about how it handled her emails", pissing-off Repubs., with House Speaker Paul Ryan uttering the soundbyte that it "defies explanation", calling for the FBI to release the details of its investigations if they want voters to swallow the conclusions, and Donald Trump uttering the soundbyte that this proves that the "system is rigged"; Comey adds the revealing soundbyte: "To be clear, this is not to suggest that in similar circumstances, a person who engaged in this activity would face no consequences. To the contrary, those individuals are often subject to security or administrative sanctions. But that is not what we are deciding now"; Comey has past connections with the Clinton Foundation; meanwhile Romanian hacker Marcel Lazar Lehel AKA Guccifer (1971-), who is being held in jail in Va. for admitting to hacking Hillary's personal email server is rumored to have been found dead in his jail cell, which turns out false; no surprise, on July 6 U.S. atty. gen. Loretta Lynch announces that Hillary and her aides won't be charged with a speck of dust; on July 7 Comey is questioned by House Repubs., uttering the soundbyte that Hillary is not "sophisticated enough" (i.e., is too stupid) to understand that (C) next to a paragraph means that it's classified; meanwhile on July 7 a group of Repub. senators led by Marco Rubio of Fla. petition the U.S. State Dept. to suspend the security clearances of Hillary and her top aides; on July 12 U.S. atty. gen. Loretta Lynch meets with irate House Repubs., and refuses to explain why she let Hillary off the hook, passing the buck to the U.S. Justice Dept. and the FBI; on July 22 the FBI discloses that Hillary exchanged 22 top-secret emails with staff members Jacob Sullivan, Cheryl Mills, and William Burns. On July 5 (12:35 a.m.) after being reported threatening somebody with a gun outside a convenience store, 37-y.-o. black man Alton Sterling (b. 1988), known as CD Man for selling illegal CDs is tackled by two white Baton Route, La. police officers then fatally shot several times at point-black, er, point-blank range, triggering nationwide protests, resulting in a U.S. Dept. of Justice investigation next May, which results in no criminal charges, after which in Mar. 2018 La. atty. gen. Jeff Landry does ditto. On July 5 the Dem. Nat. Committee Server is hacked by hacker Guccifer 2.0, which is used by the Dems. to blame the Russians; later investigation proves it to be an inside job? On July 6 thousands stage a peaceful stay-at-home protest against the ruling Zimbabwean African Nat. Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) in Zimbabwe, with the Twitter hashtag #ZimShutDown2016. On July 6 after citing the Taliban's threat, Pres. Obama announces a slowdown of troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, leaving about 8.5K troops at the end of the year after reducing the current force by 9.8K. On July 6 the 2.6M-word Chilcot Report, chaired by Sir John Chilcot (1939-) is pub., giving the results of the Iraq Inquiry announced on June 15, 2009 by PM Gordon Brown, detailing all the blunders made by the British govt. in the Iraq War in 2003-9 but clearing PM Tony Blair of crimes. On July 6 32-y.-o. black high school nutrition services supervisor Philando Castile (b. 1983) is shot and killed in Falcon Heights (near Saint Paul), Minn. police officer Jeronimo Yanez after being pulled over and asked to produce his license and registration and informing the officer that he had a firearm, shooting 7x first and asking questions later, after which his girlfriend Diamond Reynolds live-streams video of him slumping and moaning on Facebook while the officer does nothing to aid him, after which he dies in Hennepin County Medical Center at 9:37 CDT; after a public outcry that adds to those over Alton Sterling, Yanez is charged with 2nd deg. manslaughter, and acquitted on June 16, 2017. On July 7 after gagging on "Tarmacgate" (coined by Donald Trump), the full U.S. House GOP Conference of 200+ meets with Donald Trump at Repub. Nat. Committee HQ, giving him a chance to push their buttons. On July 7 (9:00 p.m.) amid nationwide Black Lives Matter protests against recent police murders of blacks, hours after Pres. Obama gives a speech on the police shootings in La. and Minn., white police officers in Dallas, Tex. are ambushed by black Nation of Islam member rooftop sniper (U.S. Army Afghanistan vet) Micah Xavier Johnson (b. 1991), who kills five (incl. a transit authority policeman) and injures nine, becoming the deadliest day for U.S. law enforcement since 9/11, causing Pres. Obama to break off in Warsaw, Poland to condemn the shooters, taking pains to lobby for gun control; three suspects are taken into custody; Johnson is cornered in El Centro College and killed with a bomb robot during negotiations after uttering the soundbyte "I want to kill white people." On July 9 Syrian helis first use 100m explosive-packed explosive hoses in the rebel-held al-Breij neighborhood of Aleppo, Syria. apologizes. On July 10 Dem. Nat. Committee staffer Seth Conrad Rich (b. 1989) is murdered by a gunman as he walks home in Bloomingdale, Washington, D.C.; despite nothing taken, police call it a botched robbery; WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange later implies that he is the source of the damaging emails posted days before the Dem. Nat. Convention; this adds to the recent suspicious deaths of U.N. official John Ashe (June 22), Victor Thorn (Aug. 1), and Shawn Lucas (Aug. 4). On July 10-18 the 2016 African Union (AU) Summit in Kigali, Rwanda unveils the African Union Passport; Morocco, which left the AU in 1984 requests reinstatement and sends a delegation; the AU announces the sending of a new technical team to N Mali to determine how to deploy a U.N. peacekeeper force. On July 11 U.S. Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg gives an interview to the New York Times, dissing Donald Trump and saying that if he were elected "it's time for us to move to New Zealand", causing Trump to demand her resignation for getting involved in politics, after which on July 14 she backs down and On July 12 (9 a.m.) after days of fighting that killed 300+, homeless protesters in a U.N. base in Juba, South Sudan are tear-gassed by U.N. police. On July 12 Bernie Sanders cops-out and endorses Hillary Clinton for U.S. pres. in Portsmouth, N.H., while taking veiled shots at her Wall Street contributions and superdelegates. On July 12 a U.N. tribunal rules that China's claims to sovereignty over the South China Sea violate internat. law, as do its enforcement attempts; too bad, there are no teeth to their ruling. On July 13 Germany pub. a white paper announcing its new policy of using its army to protect its interests abroad, with the goal of "countering security threats... to our free and safe world trade and supply routes." On July 14 (10:30 p.m. local time) after a fireworks show ends and he tells guards he's bringing ice cream to the crowd, 31-y.-o. Tunisian-born Allah Akbar-shouting jihadist Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel (b. 1985) crashes his rented 21-ton truck into the Bastille Day crowd near Neptune Beach in Nice, France, driving at up to 55 mph for more than 1 mi. along a promenade then emerging and firing a gun at random, killing 84 (incl. 10 children) and injuring 100 before being killed by police, causing French pres. Francois Hollande to call it a terrorist attack, with the soundbyte: "Nothing will make us give way in the fight against terrorism... France as a whole is under the threat of Islamic terrorism. We have to demonstrate absolute vigilance and show determination that is unfailing", causing Pres. Obama's Muslim-loving White House to respond that "France and the United States share a commitment to protecting religious liberty for those of all faiths, and today's violence will not shake that committment"; ISIS claims Bouhlel as one of their soldiers; U2 lead singer Bono was next to the seafront on the terrace of La Petite Maison duing the attack; on July 18 French PM Manuel Valls is booed by angry crowds in Nice - when will Pres. Obama blame this truck attack on guns? On July 14 the city council of Pensacola, Fla. bows to PC pressure and allows their meeting to be opened with a Satanic invocation by Satanic Temple priest David Suhor amid hundreds of protesters. On July 14 (eve.) Pres. Obama holds a town hall discussion on Disney Media Networks, defending both the police and Black Lives Matter. On July 15 Donald Trump announces his selection of Ind. Repub. gov. #50 (since 2013) Michael Richard "Mike" Pence (1959-) (Tea Party member who earlier supported Ted Cruz) as his vice-pres. running mate, in hopes that he will bridge the gap with the rest of the Repubs. at the upcoming convention. On July 15 64 U.S. House Repubs. led by U.S. Rep. (R-Tenn.) Marsha Blackburn send a letter to the IRS asking them to investigate the Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation for "public corruption", claiming that it is a "lawless pay-to-play enterprise that has been operating under a cloak of philanthropy for years and should be investigated." On July 15 (night) while he is returning to Istanbul from the coastal resort of Marmaris, the secular military in Turkey attempts a coup against the Islamist-leaning civilian govt. of pres. Tayyip Recep Erdogan, becoming the 5th since 1960; no surprise, the Obama admin. supports Erdogan, despite his recent attempts at authoritarianism; by early July 16 the coup crumbles amid pro-Erdogan crowds taking to the street accompanied by pro-Erdogan police, with 190 killed incl. 41 police and two soldiers; Erdogan announces that the coup is the work of exiled secular Muslim leader Fethullah Gulen, and that he intends to punish the U.S. for not extraditing him; on July 16 eight Turkish soldiers in a Blackhawk heli land in Alexandroupolis, Greece seeking asylum, but they are arrested with the intent of repatriating them instead; on July 20 Erdogan declares a state of emergency, going on to remove 60K public employees and jail 10K while stripping journalists and pub. houses of their licenses; the coup was staged by Erdogan to consolidate his dictatorship?; on Sept. 28 the Turkish govt. announces the arrest of 32K for alleged links to Gulen. On July 15 the 28-page Censored Chapter of the 2002 9/11 Report that was suppressed for 13 years is finally released, clearing the Saudi govt. of supporting the 9/11 jihadists; too bad, some sections are still censored. On July 17 (9:40 a.m. EDT) African-Am. former U.S. Marine and Nation of Islam member Gavin Eugene Long (b. 1987) AKA Cosmo Ausar Setepenra of Kansas City, Mo. ambushes policemen 1 mi. from police HQ in Baton Rouge, La., killing three and injuring three before being killed. On July 18 a 17-y.-o. Allah-Akbar-shouting Afghan-born Muslim wielding an axe on a train in Wurzburg, Bavaria, Germany injures 21 before being killed by police. On July 18 Mexican pres. Enrique Pena Nieto signs new laws requiring public servants to disclose their financial assets, interest and tax payments for the first time ever. On July 18-21 the 2016 Repub. Nat. Convention at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio starts out with anti-Trump delegates losing a vote to changing the nominating rules, then yelling and storming out; on July 18 Melana Trump gives a speech to 35M viewers, attempting to humanize her hubby; too bad, it apparently plagiarizes Michelle Obama's speech at the 2008 Dem. Convention, although she is speaking in a foreign language and might be given a pass, and the Trump Campaign denies it, with chmn. Paul Manafort uttering the soundbyte: "These were common words and values - that she cares about her family"; on July 19 Trump is officially nominated by 1700+ delegates, while Hillary Clinton compares the GOP convention to the "surreal" 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz"; on July 19 Muslim imam Muslims for Trump founder Sajid Tarar of Baltimore, Md. delivers the concluding prayer, causing Christian attendee Kim Coley to shout "No Islam"; on July 20 Trump speechwriter Meredith McIver takes blame for the plagiarism, but her offer to resign is rejected; on July 19 Donald Trump Jr. gives a speech praising his dad; too bad, it contains more plagiarism; on July 20 history expert Newt Gingich gives a speech warning that the U.S. is "at war with radical Islamists", with the soundbyte "We are sleepwalking through history"; on July 20 conservative commentator Laura Ingraham gives a speech, challenging former Trump rivals to get over their "wounded feelings and bruised egos" and "honor your pledge to support Donald Trump now, tonight"; Ted Cruz follows with his speech, and is booed when he refuses to endorse Trump and instead urges people to "vote your conscience up and down the ticket who you trust to defend our freedom and to be faithful to the Constitution", reneging on his pledge to support the Repub. nominee, causing the audience to begin chanting "We want Trump!"; Cruz is followed by Mike Pence, who calls himself "a Christian, a Conservative, and a Republican, in that order", and praises Trump as a fellow Conservative; on July 21 Cruz says that it "was not a blanket commitment that if you go and slander and attack Heidi that I'm going to nonetheless come like a servile puppy dog and say thank you very much for maligning my wife and maligning my father", after which on July 22 Trump announces that he will never accept Cruz's endorsement; on July 21 Trump accepts his nomination, giving a record 73-min. speech filled with a long string of promises incl. safety on the street, nat. security, jobs for all, an end to illegal immigration incl. from "compromised" (Muslim) countries et al., coopting Pres. Obama's 2008 change slogan with the soundbyte: "My message is that things have to change, and they have to change right now", along with the soundbytes: "A number of these reforms that I will outline tonight will be opposed by some of our nation's most powerful special interests. That's because these interests have rigged our political and economic system for their exclusive benefit. Believe me — it's for their benefit"; "We cannot afford to be so politically correct anymore", "I am your voice. I have embraced crying mothers who have lost their children because our politicians put their personal agendas before the national good. I have no patience for injustice, no tolerance for government incompetence, no sympathy for leaders who fail their citizens", and "Make America great again." On July 20 the U.S. Treasury Dept. sanctions three high-level al-Qaida operatives living in Iran, incl. Faisal Jassim Mohammed al-Amri Al-Khalidi, Yisra Muhammad Ibrahim Bayumi, and Abu Bakr Muhammad Ghumayn, slipping up and revealing Iranian support for al-Qaida. On July 21 police in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil arrest 10 people after they openly pledge allegiance to ISIS and threaten the upcoming Olympics, and announce a search for two others, becoming the first known ISIS supporters in South Am. On July 21 Gregry Hubbard AKA Jibreel (1963-) is arrested at Miami Internat. Airport in Fla.; on May 16, 2018 he and Dayne Antani Christian AKA Shakur (1984-) and Darren Arness jackson AKA Daoud (1964-) are sentenced to prison for conspiring to provide material support to ISIS. On July 21 two weeks late, lying sack of er, Pres. Obama holds a celebration in honor of the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday (end of Ramadan), inviting notorious Islamists from CAIR et al. then turning around and praising LGBT Muslims, uttering the soundbytes: "Muslim-Americans are as patriotic, as integrated, as American as any other members of the American family", and "Whether your family's been here for generations or you're a new arrival, you're an essential part of the fabric of our country", lying that for "centuries" Am. Muslims have helped to build America as farmers, merchants, factory workers, architects, teachers and community leaders, adding "And Muslim Americans have enriched our lives every single day" - this is my party? On July 22 Pres. Obama holds a White House press conference to diss Donald Trump, with the soundbytes: "Some of the fears that were expressed throughout the week just don't jibe with the facts", "The violent crime rate in America has been lower during my presidency than any time during the last three or four decades", "The idea that America is somehow on the verge of collapse, this vision of violence and chaos everywhere, doesn't really jib with the experience of most people", adding that he hopes that fellow Americans wake up and realize that there are "birds chipring... and folks are going to work." On July 21 after allegations by Fox News reporters Gretchen Carlson and Megyn Kelly that he made unwanted sexual advances toward them as long as 10 years earlier, Fox News CEO (since Oct. 7, 1996) Roger Eugene Ailes (1940-) resigns with a $40M golden parachute severance package, and is replaced by Rupert Murdoch; on Sept. 5 Carlson settles her lawsuit with Fox News for $20M; it was all a set-up by Murdoch, who long wanted to get rid of him? On July 22 lone 18-y.-o. Allah-Akbar-shouting Iranian-German gunman Ali David Sonboly (b. 1998), wearing black clothes at a shopping center in Munich, Germany ambushes and kills nine and injures 16 before killing himself, after which authorities claim he's not associated with ISIS; he's really a pro-Turkish Syrian and the Merkel govt. covered it up to avoid political reaction? On July 22 Hillary Clinton announces U.S. Sen. (since 2013) Timothy Michael "Tim" Kaine (1958-) (a devout Roman Catholic schooled by Jesuits who loves Pope Francis and opposes abortion but supports Roe v. Wade and same-sex marriage) as her vice-pres. running mate, causing Donald Trump to begin calling him "Corrupt Kaine"; meanwhile on July 22 WikiLeaks pub. 19,252 emails hacked from the Dem. Nat. Committee from hacking group Guccifer 2.0, revealing that they tried to use Bernie Sanders' atheist religious beliefs to derail his pres. campaign, causing DNC chmn. Debbie Wasserman Schultz to cancel her speaking date at the Dem. convention, while Sanders demands her resignation, which she tenders on July 24; meanwhile Clinton's campaign mgr. blames Russian hackers for leaking the emails, but doesn't try to explain why the DNC did it in the first place; on July 25 as the convention is about to convene, Schultz is replaced as convention chmn. by U.S. rep. (D-Ohio) Marcia Fudge, chmn. of the Congressional Black Caucus. On July 23 dual suicide bombings in Dehmazang Square in Kabul, Afghanistan targeting mainly Hazaras kill 80+ and injure 231; ISIS claims responsibility. On July 23 G-20 members meet in Chengdu, China to discuss Brexit and other threats to their precious globalization dream. On July 23 (night) after pledging allegiance to ISIS, 27-y.po. Syrian suicide bomber Mohammad Daleel Rambo, nicknamed Rambo detones outside a music festival in Ansbach (near Nuremberg), Germany, injuring 15. On July 24 Verizon announces that it's acquiring Yahoo's core business for $4.8B. On July 25 a CNN Poll shows Donald Trump leading Hillary Clinton by 44% to 39%, with 68% of Americans saying that Hillary is dishonest and untrustworthy. On July 25-28 the 2016 Dem. Nat. Convention at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Penn. starts out with Bernie Sanders supporters echoing the Repub. Convention with shouts of "Lock her up!", followed on July 25 by Debbie Wasserman Schultz being booed off the stage at a breakfast for the Fla. delegation; on July 25 (eve.) after his supporters disrupt the convention with stubborn determination to nominate him despite all, Bernie Sanders gives a speech, totally selling out to Queen Hillary, telling them to support her, and warning them against supporting Trump, saying that the choice is "not even close"; Michelle Obama gives a speech dissing Trump, with the soundbyte: "Don't let anyone ever tell you that this country isn't great, that somehow we need to make it great again, because this right now is the greatest country on Earth"; Elizabeth Warren gives a speech that tears into Trump, while Bernie supporters heckle and boo her, shouting "We trusted you"; Sanders supporters later complain that their signs were ripped out of their hands and they were threatened with losing their credentials; there are no red-white-blue U.S. flags visible at the convention, but there are Soviet flags?; on July 26 (eve.) after Bernie Sanders officially names her, Hillary is officially nominated as his uncontrollable supporters walk out and storm the media tent, becoming the first woman nominated as U.S. pres. by a major political party, bringing out the female sexists bigtime as she utters the soundbyte "We just put the biggest crack in that glass ceiling yet"; ex-U.S. pres. Bill Clinton gives a glowing speech pushing his wife as a "change-maker"; on July 27 Donald Trump utters the soundbyte that he hopes the Russians "have the 33,000 emails that she lost and deleted", expressing hope that they will release them so that she can be exposed and prosecuted; the Dems. attempt to turn it around by claiming he's calling on the Russians to hack her, with Hillary's senior policy advisor Jake Sullivan uttering the soundbyte: "This has to be the first time that a major presidential candidate has actively encouraged a foreign power to conduct espionage against his political opponent", when if they did it it was long ago, and he's just asking them to give us the booty so she can be prosecuted, not necessarily to interfere in an election; too bad, in June the Internat. Strategic Studies Assoc.'s Defense and Foreign Affairs mag. already pub. a warning that according to "reliable" sources, warnings to that effect had been received fom Moscow; on July 28 Trump flops and claims he was just being satirical; on July 27 (eve.) the Dems. pull out all the stops in their frantic effort to turn the polls around; billionaire Michael Bloomberg gives a speech claiming to be an independent who hates Trump because he's a "dangerous demagogue", with the soundbytes: "The richest thing about Donald Trump is his hypocrisy", "The bottom line is, Trump is a risky, reckless, and radical choice, and we can't afford to make that choice", and "Throughout his career, Trump has left behind a well-documented record of bankruptcies, thousands of lawsuits, angry shareholders and contractors who feel cheated, and disillusioned customers who feel ripped off. Trump says he wants to run the nation like he's run his business. God help us"; Joe Biden gives a speech blasting Trump for his trademark phrase "You're fired!", with the soundbyte: "How can there be pleasure in saying you're fired? He's trying to tell us he cares about the middle class? Give me a break. That's a bunch of malarkey"; Tim Kaine gives a speech, mocking Trump for his phrase "Trust me" while glowingly portraying Hillary as someone he'd trust to protect his son's life, with the soundbyte: "Hillary Clinton is lista (Sp. "ready"); after staying up until 3:00 a.m. to finish polishing it, Pres. Obama gives the final speech, starting with calling the upcoming election "a more fundamental choice of who we are as a people", knocking it out of the park by portraying Trump as a combo P.T. Barnum and Mussolini while portraying Hillary as the most qualified person in history to carry on his legacy, with the soundbytes: "Anyone who threatens our values, whether fascists or communists or jihadis or home-grown demagogues will always fail in the end"; "Our power doesn't come from some self-declared savior promising that he alone can restore order as long as we do things his way. We don't look to be ruled"; "Tonight I ask you to do for Hillary Clinton what you did for me. I ask you to carry her the same way you carried me", "America is already great. America is already strong. And I promise you, our strength, our greatness, does not depend on Donald Trump", "I can say with confidence there has never been a man or a woman - not me, not Bill, nobody - more qualified than Hillary Clinton to serve as president of the United States of America", and "My time in this office hasn't fixed everything; as much as we've done, there's still so much I want to do", giving a glowing lecture on how great the U.S. and its Constitution is and how great its future is but messing it up with his love of Muslims, the very people who can ruin it?; as he leaves, Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed and Delivered" plays, beginning: "Like a fool I went and stayed too long"; on July 28 (eve.) after the convention mentions Donald Trump's name 332x in the first three nights, "God" actor Morgan Freeman narrates a highly selective video on her, filled with gushing praise from Bill Clinton and Pres. Obama, and Gen. John Allen blasts Trump for her, neutral white pants suit-wearing Hillary Clinton gives her July 28 (eve.) after the convention mentions Donald Trump's name 332x in the first three nights, "God" actor Morgan Freeman narrates a highly selective video about her, filled with gushing praise from Bill Clinton and Pres. Obama, and Gen. John Allen blasts Trump for her, neutral white pants suit-wearing Hillary Clinton gives her big speech, which turns out to be a rehash of old speeches, calling the upcoming election "a moment of reckoning", blasting Trump as usual as a "little man" who is "moved by fear and pride", adding "A man you can bait with a Tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons"; no surprise, she wants to open the U.S. to mass Muslim immigration, with the soundbyte: "We will not ban a religion", and dismisses Trump's wall with "We will not build a wall" and "We'll build a path to citizenship for millions of immigrants who are already contributing to our economy"; before she speaks a bunch of Bernie Sanders supporters walk out, while others (who had their Bernie signs taken away) stay and display signs made up by changing the Hillary signs to "Liar", "Walk the Walk", "Keep your promises", "Yes we can REVOLT", and "Fighting for HERSELF"; token Muslim Khizr Muazzam Khan, father of fallen Muslim-Am. soldier U.S. Army Capt. Humayun Khan (KIA in Iraq in 2004) utters the soundbyte: "Donald Trump consistently smears the character of Muslims. He disrespects minorities and women, judges, even his own party leadership. He vows to build walls and ban us from this country. Donald Trump, you're asking us to trust you with our future. Let me ask you, have you even read the United States Constitution?" (he meant the Quran, since he probably can't reach much English and knows that the Quran is the Constitution's archenemy?); the Dems. won't tell people that Khizr Khan has connections with Saudia Rabies, er, Arabia, which has given over $25M to the Hillary campaign, and is a suspected Muslim Brotherhood agent who wants to destroy the U.S. via mass Muslim immigration and replace it with an Islamic republic based on Sharia; later conservative pundit Ann Coulter tweets the soundbyte: "You know what this convention really needed? An angry Muslim with a thick accent like Fareed Zakaria"; Donald Trump immediately slams Hillary, with the soundbytes: "Hillary's refusal to mention radical Islam, as she pushes a 550% increase in refugees, is more proof that she is unfit to lead the country", "[America's] way of life is under threat by fadical Islam and Hillary Clinton cannot even bring herself to say the words", "Hillary's wars have unleashed destruction, terrorism and ISIS across the world", and "[Under her administration there will be] no borders, no jobs, no safety"; Trump senior policy adviser Stephen Miller utters the soundbytes that her speech was "an insulting collection of cliches and recycled rhetoric", "She spent the evening talking down to the American people she's looked down on her whole life", and "Hillary Clinton says America is stronger together. But in Hillary Clinton's America, millions of people are left out in the cold"; on July 31 Trump starts a feud with Khizr Khan, starting with claiming that his wife Ghazala Khan didn't speak at the convention because she's a Muslim, to which she replies that it was because she couldn't handle the grief, and Khizr Khan to utter the soundbyte: "He is a black soul, and this is totally unfit for the leadership of this country", causing Repbs. Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell, Kelly Ayotte, Jeb Bush et al. to jump on Trump, who responds that Khizr's speech was probably scripted by the Hillary campaign, and it's not about him anyway, it's about radical Islam, adding: "If I were president Khizr Khan's son wouldn't have died" because Hillary voted for the Iraq War and he was against it; on Aug. 3 Trump meets with six Gold Star families in Jacksonville, Fla. before speaking at a rally of 15K; meanwhile Hillary receives big bucks from billionaire Nigerian Muslim jihadist Kase Lukman Lawal; Humayun Khan was really a Muslim jihadist trying to commit suicide while taking as many U.S. soldiers with him as possible, and they covered it up by making him a hero? On July 26 (9:00 a.m.) two Allah-Akbar-shouting ISIS jihadists attack a French Roman Catholic church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray S of Rouen, Normandy, France during Mass, giving an Arabic sermon from the altar before forcing 84-y.-o. priest Jacques Hamel to kneel at the altar and slitting his throat in an attempt to behead him before being killed by police; one tells a nun "You Christians, you kill us"; one is shot dead by police and the other arrested; ISIS claims responsibility; ex-PM Nicolas Sarkozy utters the soundbyte: "Everything is being done to trigger a war of religions", calling for a "merciless" response. On July 27 after uttering the soundbyte: "This is war. When I speak of war, I speak of real war, not of a war of religion, no. There is war for interests, there is war for money, there is war for the resources of nature, there is war for the domination of peoples: this is war. Someone may think: 'He is talking about a war of religion'. No. All the religions, we want peace. Others want war. Do you understand?" Pope Francis visits the Wawel Cathedral in Cracow, Poland, stinking himself up by totally ignoring the existential threat of Muslim immigration, instead calling for "a spirit of readiness to welcome those fleeing from wars and hunger, and solidarity with those deprived of their fundamental rights, including the right to profess one's faith in freedom and safety"; he then visits Auschwitz Concentration Camp; on Aug. 1 ISIS pub. its mag. Dabiq, dissing the pope for his naivete, assuring him that their sole motivation is religious and sanctioned by Allah in the Quran, with the soundbyte: "The fact is, even if you were to stop bombing us, imprisoning us, torturing us, vilifying us, and usurping our lands, we would continue to hate you because our primary reason for hating you will not cease to exist until you embrace Islam. Even if you were to pay jizyah [tax for infidels] and live under the authority of Islam in humiliation, we would continue to hate you." On July 26 Hafiz Saeed Khan, leader of ISIS in Afghanistan and Pakistan is killed by a U.S. drone strike in Nangarhar Province, E Afghanistan. On July 27 Pres. Clinton appointee Judge Paul L. Friedman makes a decision to release Reagan's attempted murderer John Hinckley Jr. - just in time to assassinate Donald Trump for Hillary? On July 28 after splitting with al-Qaida, the Al Nusrah Front renames itself Jabhat Fath Al Sham ("Conquest of the Levant Front"). On July 28 Bernie Sanders announces that he's quitting the Dem. Party and becoming an independent again. On July 29 a federal appeals court strikes down the 2013 N.C. voter ID law, claiming that it was "passed with racially discriminatory intent". On July 29 Hillary Clinton tours the U.S. Rust Belt, while Donald Trump visits Colo., uttering the soundbyte: "Remember this. Trump is going to be no more Mr. Nice Guy", calling Hillary "the Devil", and for the first time encouraging supporters' chants of "Lock her up", with the soundbyte "You know what? I'm starting to agree with you"; meanwhile the Clinton campaign acknowledges that the DNC hackers also hacked their servers, while the FBI announces an investigation into their "accuracy, nature and scope". In July a heat dome cooks the U.S. South, Midwest, and East Coast with triple-digit temps, affecting 100M people. On July 31 the report From Russia with Money: Hillary Clinton, the Russian Reset, and Cronyism, alleging that Hillary Clinton's campaign chmn. John Podesta sat on the board of a small energy co. along with Russian officials that received $35M from the Russian govt. of Vladimir Putin, and failed to fully disclose it on federal forms. On July 31 a pro-Erdogan rally in Cologne, Germany is attended by 50K; Turkish pres. Recep Tayyip Erdogan is prohibited from addressing them via video link, pissing him off and causing him to summon the Geman envoy. On July 31 the pro-Trump Rupert Murdoch-owned New York Post pub. a +nude photo of Donald Trump's wife Melania, doing ditto on Aug. 1, causing The Donald to say there is "nothing to be embarrassed about with the pictures - she's a beautiful woman"; too bad, the Daily Mail Online pub. an article suggesting that she once worked as an escort in the sex trade, causing her to sue them on Sept. 2 despite retracting the story. On July 31 ISIS pub. its online mag. Dabiq, containing a photo of U.S. Army Capt. Humayun Khan's tombstone in Arlington Cemetery, with the caption: "Beware of dying as an apostate", and an article containing the soundbyte: "Strike them where it hurts them most". On July 31 Donald Trump gives an interview to George Stephanopoulos of ABC-TV's This Week, stepping on his own schlong by revealing that he doesn't know that Russia is already in Ukraine because of its absorption of Crimea, with the soundbyte: "Just so you understand, he's not going into Ukraine, all right? You can mark it down and you can put it down, you can take it anywhere you want"; the hue and cry raised by the Dems. is picky because both Russia and Ukraine claim Crimea, but the people voted to join Russia? In July the total number of Islamic attacks since the beginning of the year reaches 1,268 in 50 countries, killing 11,664 and injuring 14,087. In July the U.S.-led coalition campaign against ISIS (begun Aug. 2014) drops its 50,000th bomb on ISIS (at $50K each, total $2.5B). In July U.S. unemployment is 4.9% (same as June), with 255K jobs added to the economy; meanwhile U.S. GDP increases a measly 1.2% during the 2nd quarter, adding to 0.8% in the 1st quarter, vs. 1.4% in 4th quarter 2015. In early Aug. Moon Express is granted approval to send a lunar lander to the Moon, becoming the first private co. On Aug. 1 a Russian Mi-8 transport heli is shot down en route to the coast from Aleppo, Syria, killing all five aboard, becoming the deadliest incident since they entered the Syrian civil war. On Aug. 1 the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security grants an 18-mo. temporary amnesty to 8K Syrians living in the U.S. On Aug. 1 the Pentagon announces that Pres. Obama has authorized new "precision" air strikes against ISIS terrorists in Sirte, Libya. On Aug. 1 Donald Trump attends a rally in Columbus, Ohio, and uttering the soundbyte: "I'm afraid the election's going to be rigged, I have to be honest." On Aug. 1 the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issue an unprecedented warning to pregnant women to avoid a 1 sq. mi. area in Miami, Fla. to avoid Shrinka, er, Zinka-carrying mosquitoes; 12 cases have been diagnosed so far. On Aug. 2 Pres. Obama slams Donald Trump, with the soundbyte: "I think the Republican nominee is unfit to serve as president. I said so last week, and he keeps on proving it. The notion that he would attack a Gold Star family that had made such extraordinary sacrifices on behalf of our country, the fact that he doesn't appear to have basic knowledge around critical issues in Europe, in the Middle East, in Asia means that he's woefully unprepared to do this job"; Trump replies that Obama is the worst pres. in U.S. history, a "diasaster" who is himself "unfit to serve"; meanwhile retiring U.S. Rep. (R-N.Y.) Richard Hanna announces that he plans on crossing party lines and voting for Hillary Clinton in Nov., becoming the first; on Aug. 3 Hewlett-Packard CEO Meg Whitman announces that despite being a Repub. she's supporting Hillary Clinton. On Aug. 2 the Vatican announces that Pope Francis has set up a commission to study the possibility of allowing women to become deacons; becoming priests that can celebrate Mass is not on the table. On Aug. 3 the FBI announces that Washington, D.C.-area transit police officer Nicholas Young (1980-) of Fairfax, Va. has been charged with attempting to support ISIS, becoming the first U.S. law enforcement officer to be charged with a terror-related crime. On Aug. 3 ISIS announces Boko Haram founder Muhammad Yusuf's son Abu Musab al-Barnawi as the new head of Boko Haram, pissing-off long-time leader Abubaker Shekau, who won't relinquish his position - they closed the barn door after the horse was out? On Aug. 3 the Wall Street Journal pub. an article exposing the $400M unmarked bills cash payment made by the Obama admin. to Iran in Jan., a repayment of bank funds frozen since 1979, causing a firestorm of controversy and calls for a congressional investigation, causing Pres. Obama on Aug. 4 (his 55th birthday) to call the story "manufactured", saying "This wasn't some nefarious deal", to which Mike Pence replies on Aug. 5 that the whole world knows that it was a "ransom"; on Aug. 4 Saeed Abedini, one of the four hostages released in Jan. gives an interview to Trish Regan of Fox Business Network, saying that his captors held his plane for hours waiting for another plane to arrive first; later it is revealed that $900M more is shipped to Iran for interest on the $400M; meanwhile on Aug. 4 Donald Trump stinks himself up with a claim that he saw a top-secret video of an airplane delivering the cash to Iran, which on Aug. 5 he backtracks on, admitting that it was the hostage plane in Geneva, Switzerland. On Aug. 3 Pres. Obama commutes the sentences of 214 federal inmates, becoming the most by a U.S. pres. in a single day, and the most for a single presidency in 48 years. On Aug. 3 (10:30 p.m.) 19-y.-o. Somalia descent Muslim Zakaria "Zak" Bulhan from (initially described as a white chubby man from Norway) attacks people with a knife in C London, England, killing one and injuring five. On Aug. 4 Australia enacts anti-hate speech laws, incl. criticism of Islam - Australiastan is coming soon? On Aug. 4 Pres. Obama brazenly lies about Israel during a press conference, claiming that they support his nuke deal with Iran, and that "it's the assessment of the Israeli military and intelligence community... that acknowledges this has been a game-changer", causing Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu on Aug. 5 to say that "Israel's view on the Iran deal remains unchanged", i.e., that it another Munich Pact of 1938. On Aug. 4 World Vision dir. Mohammed el-Halabi is indicted by Israel for stealing $7.2M/year for five years from the charity and and giving it to Hamas. On Aug. 4 Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza gives an interview to Bloomberg, with the soundbyte: "The Clintons use black people for votes, but then don't do anyting for black communities after they're elected. They just use us for photo ops." On Aug. 5 former CIA acting dir. Michael Morell endorses Hillary Clinton, calling Donald Trump a "threat to our national security", with the explanation that he is an "unwitting agent of the Russian Federation" because Vladimir Putin has been complimenting him, leading him to become friendly with Russia, and hence their dupe? On Aug. 5 after punishing them for a week by stalling, Donald Trump finally endorses Paul Ryan and John McCain, who already endorsed him but slammed him on several occasions esp. over Khizr Khan and his family. On Aug. 5-21 the 2016 (XXXI) (31st) Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (first South Am. city and Portuguese-speaking country to host them) (first in Latin Am. since 1968) (first since 2000 held in the Southern Hemisphere) (first during the host country's winter season) sees 10,500 athletes from 207 countries participate in 306 events in 28 sports; first time for Kosovo and South Sudan, rugby sevens, and golf; first with a refugee team; golf (last staged in 1904) is restored; in Nov. 2015 Russia's track & field team was provisionally suspended for its doping program, which on July 18 is found to be a "state-dictated" system, and on July 30 the IOC establishes a 3-judge panel to clear individual athletes, clearing 270 of 437; the U.S. wins the most gold medals (46), followed by Britain (27), China (26), Russia (19), Germany (17), and Japan (12); Maplewood, N.J.-born African-Am. fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad (1985-) becomes the first Am. to compete in the Olympics while wearing a hijab; Kathleen Genevieve "Katie" Ledecky (1997-) wins gold in the 400m freestyle, beating the field by 5 sec. in setting a world record time of 3:56:46; she follows with golds in the 200m freestyle and 4x200m freestyle; on Aug. 11 Simone Arianne Biles (1997-) wins a gold for individual all-around on Aug. 11; on Aug. 11 Simone Ashley Manuel (1996-) wins a silver in the women's 4x100m freestyle relay, and ties for a gold medal in the 100m freestyle with Penny Oleksiak of Canada, becoming the first African-Am. woman to win an Olympic swimming medal; the last Olympic swimming medal for a black woman was Enith Brigitha of the Netherlands in 1976 (bronze); Michael Fred "Mike" Phelps II (1985-) is chosen to be the flag bearer at the Parade of Nations, and goes on to up his gold medal total from 19 to 23, breaking the 2,168-y.-o. record of Leonidas of Rhodes with his 13th individual gold medal on Aug. 11 in the 200m individual medly; too bad, on Aug. 12 he has to settle for a silver in the 100m butterfly, sharing it with Chad le Clos and Laszlo Cseh, with the gold going to Joseph Schooling of Singapore; his visible purple cupping marks cause Arabs to claim it as Islamic in origin; on Aug. 12 Egyptian judoka Islam El Shahaby snubs Israeli judoka Or Sasson after losing a match to him, shabbily refusing to shake hands, causing the Egyptian Olympic Committee to apologize; on Aug. 12 the U.S. women's soccer team is eliminated in a penalty kickoff shootout by Sweden, becoming the first Olympics in which they don't win a gold or silver medal since 1992; on Aug. 24 after she calls the Swedish team "cowards", U.S. player Hope Soli is given a 6-mo. suspension by the IOC for violation of their PC standards; on Aug. 15 Shaunae Miller (1994-) of Bahamas takes a dive across the finishing line, beating Allyson Felix of the U.S. by 0.07 sec to win the gold medal in the 400m run; on Aug. 16 after Nikki Hamblin of New Zealand and Abbey D'Agostino both fall during a women's 500m race heat, they help each other up, later receiving a Fair Play Award; on Aug. 21 the men's marathon is won by Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya in 2:08:44; 2nd place goes to Feyisa Lilesa (1990-) of Ethiopia, who makes a sign of protest by crossing his arms over his head, causing fears that he will be killed if he returns. On Aug. 6 an Allah Akbar-shouting Muslim with a machete attacks two female police officers in front of the police station in Charleroi, Belgium, failing to please Allah by killing any infidels before police shoot and kill him. On Aug. 6-7 (weekend) anti-govt. protests in Ethiopia over unequal distribution of wealth are quashed by security forces, who kill 90 demonstrators in the Oromia region around Addis Ababa and the Amhara region in the NW. On Aug. 6-7 (weekend) Iran executes nuclear scientist Shahram Amiri for alleged spying for the U.S., becoming the first casualty of Hillary Clinton's server when at least one email calls him "our friend"? On Aug. 7 Vanessa Teresa Marcotte (b. 1989) is sexually assaulted and murdered while jogging in Princeton, Mass.; on Apr. 15, 2017 after his SUV is spotted, 31-y.-o. Angelo Colon-Ortiz of Worcester, Mass. is arrested, and a DNA match is confirmed. On Aug. 8 Donald Trump delivers his Speech on the Economy in Detroit, Mich., calling for an end to the death tax and unfair trade deals, a moratorium on new financial regulations, and a 15% cap on business income taxes to combat globalization and restore blue collar and manufacturing jobs, with the soundbytes: "Americanization, not globalization, will be our new credo", and "In short, the city of Detroit is the living, breathing example of my opponent's failed economic agenda. Every policy that has failed this city, and so many others, is a policy supported by Hillary Clinton." On Aug. 8 50 Repub. nat. security officials incl. Michael V. Hayden, Robert Zoellick, Michael Chertoff, and Tom Ridge pub. an open letter disowning Donald Trump, with the soundbyte that he "would be the most reckless President in American history"; Trump replies that they "are nothing more than the failed Washington elite looking to hold onto their power, and it's time they are held accountable for their actions", adding: "These insiders, along with Hillary Clinton are the owners of the disastrous decisions to invade Iraq, allow Americans to die in Benghazi, and they are the ones who allowed the rise of ISIS. Yet despite these failures, they think they are entitled to use their favor trading to land taxpayer-funded government contracts and speaking fees"; meanwhile U.S. Sen. (R-Maine) Susan Collins announces that she no longer supports him, with the soundbyte: "With the passage of time, I have become increasingly dismayed by his constant stream of cruel comments and his inability to admit error or apologize." On Aug. 8 Seddique Mateen, father of Orlando jihadist Omar Mateen is seen seated directly behind Hillary Clinton at her speech in Kissimmee, Fla., pissing-off victims' families. On Aug. 8 after the 3-mo. ceasefire collapses, the Pentagon announces an additional $1.15B in weapons sales to Saudi Arabia, which resumes its bombing of Sa'ana, Yemen, making $20B in weapons sold since Mar. 2015, 7K killed, and 21M in need of humanitarian assistance. On Aug. 9 Hezbollah releases a video showing it using an attack drone to drop cluster bombs on a village in Syria, becoming their first time. On Aug. 9 Donald Trump speaks at a rally in Wilmington, N.C., uttering the soundbyte about Hillary: "Hillary wants to abolish, esentially abolish the Second Amendment. By the way, and if she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do folks, although, the Second Amendment people, maybe, there is, I don't know, but, but I'll tell you what. That will be a horrible day. If Hillary gets to put her judges, right now, we're tied", causing the desperate outrageously biased PC media to attempt to frame him on calling for Hillary to be assassinated, incl. a false report by CNN that the Secret Service warned him that he is threatening Hillary's safety; meanwhile the PC press whips-up the fearmongering, with actor-dir. Rob Reiner uttering the soundbyte that Trump's comments are dangerous because his followers have a "violent nature", CBS discredited journalist Dan Rather uttering the soundbyte that PC media must publicly shame Trump's supporters, and Ronald Reagan's daughter Patti Davis uttering the soundbyte: "Your glib and horrifying comment about 'Second Amendment people'... was heard by the person sitting alone in a room, locked in his own dark fantasies, who sees unbridled violence as a way to make his mark in the world, and is just looking for ideas. Yes, Mr. Trump, words matter." On Aug. 10 Donald Trump gives a speech at a rally in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., claiming that Pres. Obama was the founder of ISIS, and Hillary Clinton a co-founder; on Aug. 11 he doubles down, with the soundbyte: "He [Obama] gets the Most Valuable Player Award. Him and Hillary. She gets it too"; the Dems. respond that the Iraq War created ISIS, even though Hillary voted for it; after the usual PC firestorm, he tweets the soundbyte: "They don't get sarcasm?" On Aug. 10 the Muslim Waqf religious authority announces plans to build a baseball stadium on the N end of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem "for the glory of Allah". On Aug. 10 a Repub. House task force pub. a report claiming that the U.S. Central Command doctored reports on progress against ISIS in Syria and Iraq to make a rosier picture, but stops short of blaming the White House. On Aug. 10 (p.m.) 19-y.-o. Stephen Rogata from Va. scales Trump Tower in Manhattan, N.Y. using suction cups before police arrest him; the purpose he did it was to get Trump's attention for a "private audience" to "discuss an important matter". On Aug. 10 a new batch of emails from the Clinton era is released, by Judicial Watch, revealing that U.S. State Dept. aides were asked to do favors for people important to the Clinton Foundation, incl. Clinton Foundation advisor Doug Band urging Hillary aides Huma Abedin and Cheryl Mills to arrange a meeting between Nigerian-born Lebanese billionaire donor Gilbert Chagoury and career diplomat Jeff Feltman, their "substance person" in Beirut. On Aug. 11 pres. elections in Zambia. On Aug. 11 Hillary Clinton gives her Economic Plan Speech in Warren, Mich., flopping on her support of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and promising to stop any trade deal that kills U.S. jobs, and promising to "ramp up enforcement" by appointing a chief trade prosecutor, with the soundbyte: "Investments at home that would make us more competitive have been completely blocked in Congress, and American workers and communities have paid the price, but the answer is not to rant and rave or cut ourselves off from the world. That would end up killing even more jobs." On Aug. 11 reports surface claiming that the Obama admin. stopped the FBI 3x from investigating the Clinton Foundation and Hillary Clinton for corruption, causing Trump spokesman Jason Miller to utter the soundbyte: "This latest refusal to allow even a cursory investigation into the Clinton Foundation's pay-for-play dealings smacks of political favoritism. This is exactly why the American public has lost trust in the U.S. government and is ready to elect an outsider like Donald Trump." On Aug. 12 Manbij, Syria is liberated from ISIS after two years, causing women to rip off their burqas and smoke cigs, while men cut their beards and flash peace signs; a large convoy of ISIS fighters is given safe passage because they are holding civilians. On Aug. 12 Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif makes a surprise visit to Turkey, becoming the first since the failed July 15. On Aug. 12 Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine release their 2015 tax returns, taunting Donald Trump to do ditto; too bad, Hillary's returns merely report speaking fees that are really payoffs, while she hides the texts of the speeches as hard as Trump does his tax returns? On Aug. 13 27-y.-o. Swiss Muslim man attacks passengers with a knife and burning liquid on a crowded Swiss train in Salez, Switzerland, killing a 34-y-o. woman and injuring a 17-y.-o. girl and 6-y.-o. girl before dying of his wounds. On Aug. 13-14 (night) racial riots in Milwaukee, Wisc. are sparked by a police shooting in Sherman Park of 23-y.-o. black male Sylville Smith with a "lengthy arrest record", who ran from police and refused to drop his gun; the riots end after a 10 p.m. curfew is imposed after eight police officers and one citizen are injured, and a dozen arrested; on Aug. 16 Donald Trump gives a speech in nearby West Bend, Wisc., blaming Hillary Clinton for holding back black neighborhoods as part of her "rigged system", with the soundbytes: "We reject bigotry of Hillary Clinton which panders to and talks down to communities of color and sees them only as votes... not as individual human beings worthy of a better future... The African-American community has been taken for granted for decades by the Democratic Party and look how they're doing"; "The problem in our minority communities is not that there is too much police but that there is not enough police", and "The political class that Mrs. Clinton has been a part of for 30 years has abandoned the people of this county. They only care about themselves. I am going to give the people their voice back." On Aug. 15 the Obama admin. announces the transfer of 15 detainees from Gitmo to UAE, pissing-off Donald Trump and Repubs. incl. U.S. Rep. (R-Tex.) Michael McFaul and U.S. Sen. (R-Fla.) Marco Rubio; the Gitmo pop. has slid from 242 in 2009 to 61. On Aug. 15 U.S. vice-pres. Joe Biden campaigns with Hillary Clinton in his hometown of Scranton, Penn., blasting Trump as intellectually and temperamentally unfit to be U.S. pres., with the soundbyte: "And I can say without hesitation, my word as a Biden, no major party nominee in the history of the United States of America, has... known less or been less prepared to deal with our national security than Donald Trump", adding "Look, Trump's ideas are not only profoundly wrong, they're very dangerous and they're very un-American. You know, they reveal a profound ignorance of our Constitution. It's a recipe for playing into the hands of terrorists and their propaganda", dissing him for claiming that Pres. Obama is the true founder of ISIS, attempted to turn it inside out and backwards with the soundbyte; "If my son were still in Iraq, and I say to all those who are there, the threat to their life has gone up a couple clicks." On Aug. 15 Donald Trump gives a speech in Youngstown, Ohio, calling for an ideological war against radical Islam a la Communism, and outlining his Muslim Vetting Plan, which incl. "extreme vetting" of anybody from terrorist hotbeds trying to enter the U.S., rooting out those who don't share and respect American values, incl. those who support Sharia. On Aug. 16 Turkish PM Binali Yildrim announces a surprise preliminary agreement between Turkey and Iran for basic principles of a settlement of the Syrian conflict, incl. preserving Syrian's territorial integrity and establishing a govt. that represents all ethnicities and religions. On Aug. 17 a photographer takes a photo of injured ash-covered boy Omran Daqneesh (2011-) in Qaterji, Alepoo, Syia, which becomes an icon of the war. On Aug. 17 Donald Trump apppoints Kellyanne Elizabeth Conway (nee Fitzpatrick) (1967-) as his pres. campaign mgr., and Breitbart News chmn. Stephen K. Bannon (1953-) as exec. campaign chmn., outranking campaign chmn. Paul Manafort, who has been accused of hanky-panky with Ukraine, and resigns on Aug. 19; meanwhile Trump receives his first official U.S. govt. intel briefing, even though Trump disses them, saying "Very easy to use them, but I won't use them, because they've made such bad decisions." On Aug. 18 the Arab Forum for Combatting Terrorism in Khartoum, Sudan, hosted by the Arab League and govt. of Sudan is yet another fraud touting "true" Islam as a religion of peace. On Aug. 18 after Pres. Obama refuses to cut short his 2-week vacation in Martha's Vineyard to visit the scene of the La. flood, Homeland Security sec. Jeh Johnson utters the soundbyte: "The president can't be everywhere"; on Aug. 16 Obama's Justice Dept. issued a guidance memo telling La. officials receiving federal disaster assistance not to engage in "unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin (including limited English proficiency)", pissing them off; meanwhile on Aug. 19 Donald Trump and Mike Pence visit Baton Rouge, La., while Hillary rests. On Aug. 18 U.S. deputy atty. gen. Sally Q. Hates, er, Yates issues a memo instructing the head of the federal Bureau of Prisons to begin phasing-out privately run prisons, which currently hold 22,660 federal inmates out of 2.2M. On Aug. 18 after news that it may have been hacked, plus the expose in Peter Schweizer's NYT bestseller "Clinton Cash", the Clinton Foundation announces that it will no longer accept foreign and corporate donations, but only after winning the election, followed on Aug. 22 by Bill Clinton announcing that if Hillary wins the election he will resign from the board and stop raising funds, causing Donald Trump on Aug. 22 to call for the foundation to be shut down, for the money to be returned, and for a special prosecutor to be appointed, with the soundbyte: "It is now clear that the Clinton Foundation is the most corrupt enterprise in political history"; on Aug. 21 the leftist "Huffington Post" also calls for it to be shut down - she won't give any back? On Aug. 18 Donald Trump gives a speech in Charlotte, N.C., uttering the soundbyte: "Hillary Clinton's mistakes destroy innocent lives, sacrifice national security, and betray the working families of this country. Please remember this: I will never put personal profit before national security. I will never leave our border open to appease donors and special interests. I will never support a trade deal that kills American jobs. I will never put the special interests before the national interest. I will never put a donor before a voter, or a lobbyist before a citizen. Instead, I will be a champion for the people"; meanwhile to counter Trump's accusation that she's "against the police", Hillary Clinton meets with U.S. police chiefs in a closed meeting in John Jay College in New York City. On Aug. 19 after Hillary has spent $100M+ in TV ads attempting to scaremonger him, Donald Trump releases his first TV ad, dissing Hillary Clinton as as an open borders establishment disaster, with the soundbyte: "In Hillary Clinton's America the system stays rigged against America"; meanwhile Trump apologizes for everything without being specific, with the soundbyte: "Sometimes, in the heat of debate, and speaking on a multitude of issues, you don't choose the right words or you say the wrong thing. I have done that, and believe it or not I regret it, and I do regret it, particularly where it may have caused personal pain." On Aug. 19 (night) Donald Trump speaks at a rally in lily-white Dimondale, Mich., uttering the soundbyte: "Tonight I'm asking for the vote of every single African-American citizen in this country who wants to see a better future", adding: "What do you have to lose by trying something new, like Trump? You're living in your poverty, your schools are no good, you have no jobs, 58 percent of your youth is unemployed - what the hell do you have to lose?", claiming that in cities like Detroit, blacks "have become refugees in their own country", predicting: "At the end of four years, I guarantee you that I will get over 95 percent of the African-American vote"; the Clinton campaign replies: "This is so ignorant it's staggering". On Aug. 21 (Sun.) a 12-y.-o. jihadist boy detonates a suicide belt at a Kurdish wedding in Kirkuk, Iraq, killing 51 and injuring 69, after which shouting crowds blame Turkish pres. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who blames it on ISIS. On Aug. 21 Palestinian terrorists in Beit Hanun, Gaza Strip fire a rocket at Sderot, Israel (no injuries), causing them to stage a retaliatory air and ground strike. On Aug. 21 the govt. of Germany announces that for the first time since the end of the Cold War, citizens need to stockpile food and water in case of an attack or catastrophe. On Aug. 22-23 (night) Fatah Al-Aqsa Martyr Brigades official Ahmad Halawa is arrested and beaten to death by Palestinian Authority (PA) forces in Nablus, West Bank, Israel for being the brains behind the killing of two PA personnel on Aug. 20. On Aug. 23 four Islamic Rev. Guard Corps (IRGC) vessels harass USS Nitze near the Strait of Hormuz, coming within 300 yards and firing rockets. On Aug. 23 the U.S. Nat. Labor Relations Board (NLRB) rules that as employees of the univ., graduate students can unionize - you sell sperm too? On Aug. 23 Donald Trump announces that he's open to "softening" his stance on deportation of illegal immigrants, but still plans to build a border wall "almost immediately" after inauguration. On Aug. 23 U.S. vice-pres. Joe Biden visits Riga, Latvia, telling leaders of three Baltic states that the U.S. is committed to NATO and its allies, and that Donald Trump doesn't know what he's talking about. On Aug. 23 U.S. vice-pres. Joe Biden gives an interview to The Atlantic, uttering the soundbyte: "Terrorism is a real threat... it's not an existential threat to the existence of the United States of America." On Aug. 23 Hillary Clinton gives a speech, slamming Donald Trump's campaign as a haven for racism and bigotry, with the soundbytes: "A man with a long history of racial discrimination who traffics in dark conspiracy theories from the pages of supermarket tabloids and the far, dark reaches of the internet should never run our government or command our military", and "There's always been a paranoid fringe in our politics, a lot of it arising from racial resentment. But it's never had the nominee of a major party stoking it, encouraging it and giving it a national megaphone until now"; meanwhile on Aug. 23 after telling Sean Hannity of Fox News that he is open to "softening" his immigration stance, Donald Trump gives a speech in Austin, Tex., doubling down instead, with the soundbyte: "No citizenship. Let me go a step further. They'll pay back taxes, they have to pay taxes, there's no amnesty, as such, there's no amnesty, but we work with them. Now, everybody agrees we get the bad ones out," Trump said. "But when I go through and I meet thousands and thousands of people on this subject, and I've had very strong people come up to me, really great, great people come up to me, and they've said, 'Mr. Trump, I love you, but to take a person who's been here for 15 or 20 years and throw them and their family out, it's so tough, Mr. Trump,' I have it all the time! It's a very, very hard thing"; on Aug. 24 he speaks in Tampa, Fla., uttering the soundbyte: "I've been watching so carefully over the past month. Hillary Clinton doesn't do speeches, she doesn't do press conferences. It's been almost 300 days. She doesn't do rallies of any consequence. She doesn't do this kind of stuff"; he goes on to label Hillary Clinton a "bigot", with the soundbyte: "Hillary Clinton is a bigot who sees people of color only as votes, not as human beings worthy of a better future", pissing-off the PC media. On Aug. 24 (early a.m.) for the first time since the start of the Syrian civil war, Turkish forces launch Operation Euphrates Shield, crossing the Syrian border to attack ISIS, with backing from the U.S., shelling Jarablus on the border on the Euphrates River; too bad, they seem more interested in attacking the Kurdish YPG? On Aug. 24 a 6.0 earthquake in C Italy kills 268+ and leaves thousands homeless, flattening several towns. On Aug. 24 (6:30 p.m.) the Taliban sieges Am. U. of Afghanistan in Kabul, Afghanistan, killing one student and injuring 14 before Afghan special forces take them out. On Aug. 24 Hollyweird actor Steven Seagal visits Minsk, Belarus, and meets with pres. Alexander Lukashenko, who gives him a peeled carrot and two watermelons. On Aug. 24 (eve.) the Colombian govt. and the Rev. Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) announce an accord to end their 50-year war that has killed 220K; it must still be ratified by voters in a plebiscite. On Aug. 24 Pres. Obama bypasses Congress to create the 87.5K-acre Katahdin Woods and Waters Nat. Monument in Maine, pissing-off Repubs. On Aug. 24 after AP reports that more than half of 154 people who met with her had given to her foundation, Hillary Clinton gives an interview to CNN, saying that the alleged Clinton Foundation scandal is "a lot of smoke and there's no fire", with the soundbyte: "I made policy decisions based on what I thought was right, to keep Americans safe and protect U.S. interests abroad." On Aug. 25 a barrel bomb attack in Aleppo, Syria kills 15 incl. 11 children; Assad's forces are blamed. On Aug. 25 U.S. vice-pres. Joe Biden visits Ankara, Turkey to repair relations that were strained by the July 15 coup attempt. On Aug. 25 Trump speaks in Manchester, N.H., calling Hillary's attempts to "play the race card" and paint him and his supporters as racists smacks of desperation in an attempt to distract vobers from her policies that have devastated minority communities and inner cities, with the soundbyte: "It's the oldest play in the Democratic playbook. When Democratic policies fail, they are left with only this one tired argument: 'You're racists, you're racist, you're racists.' It's a tired, disgusting argument, and it is so totally predictable... You know what? The people are becoming very smart. They have heard it too many times before. The well is dry"; he goes on to diss leftists for calling people concerned about radical Islam "Islamophobes", with the soundbyte: "They are decent Americans citizens who want to uphold our value as a tolerant society and who want to keep the terrorists the hell out of our country. If the choice is between saving lives or appeasing politically correct censors in Washington, D.C., that is the easiest choice you or I will ever have to make. We will always choose saving American lives." On Aug. 25 Hillary Clinton speaks in Reno, Nev., giving a "tin foil hat" speech accusing the "Alt-Right", Alex Jones, Brexit, and Vladimir Putin of a grand global conspiracy against her, while trying to frame Donald Trump on being the conspiracy theorist and of being linked with the KKK; meanwhile so far this mo. she has held only 11 campaign events attended by 10K total (incl. paid staffers) (avg. 900), vs. 29 events and 168K (avg. 5.8K) for Trump. On Aug. 26 rebel forces pull out of the Damascus suburb of Daraya, Syria under an agreement with the Assad govt., evacuating to rebel-held territory in Idlib Province 200 mi. to the N; meanwhile U.S. secy. of state John Kerry meets with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, unsuccessfully trying to negotiate terms for cessation of hostilities. On Aug. 26 ISIS releases a video from Raqqa, Syria showing the executions of 14 men, incl. five Kurds by boy soldiers. On Aug. 26 Pres. Obama announces an expansion of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine Reserve in Hawaii (created on June 15, 2006 by Pres. George W. Bush to protect the area from commercial fishing) to 583K acres, becoming 2x the size of Tex. and bigger than all other nat. parks combined; 60% of federal waters off Hawaii are now closed to commercial fishing; on Sept. 1 Obama visits it en route to attend the G-20 Summit in China. On Aug. 28 (Sun.) Pres. Obama's 2008 pres. campaign architect David Plouffe gives an interview to Chuck Todd of NBC-TV's "Meet the Press", uttering the soundbyte about Donald Trump: "We have a psychopath running for president"; when asked if he's a prof. pshrink he replies: "Listen, the grandiose notion of self-worth, pathological lying, lack of empathy and remorse... I don't have a degree in psychology, but here it is, Chuck, basically, the race ends today. I think Hillary Clinton is guaranteed at least 269 electoral votes, think about that. Because Virginia and Colorado, both campaigns I think believe are put away." On Aug. 28 the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Gardan in Manhattan, N.Y., watched by 6.5M viewers sees Beyonce ("Queen Bey") (11 nominations) win eight awards to pass Madonna's 20 for a career 24; Adele's "Hello" was the most nominated video (seven categories); Britney Spears makes her first show performance since 2007. On Aug. 29 the Uqba bin Nafi Battalion of al-Qaida in the Maghreb (AQIM) in Tunisia ambushes Tunisian soldiers near Mount Sammama in Kasserine, becoming the 2nd in 2 mos. On Aug. 29 Pentagon spokesperson Peter Cook condemns the fighting S of Jarabulus, Syria, saying that clashes between Turkish forces and U.S.-led Kurdish forces are "unacceptable". On Aug. 30 U.S. secy. of state John Kerry visits New Delhi, India, uttering the soundbyte that in recent months Pakistan has been acting "authoritatively" against Haqqani Network strongholds despite the Pentagon's withholding of $300M in military reimbursement funds in July for not taking sufficient action. On Aug. 30 Pres. Obama commutes the sentences of 111 convicts, bringing his total to 673, more than the last 10 U.S. presidents combined. On Aug. 30 the European Commission announces that Apple cheated Ireland out of taxes, paying 50 euros for every 1M euros in profit in 2014, and orders it to pay it $14.5B in back taxes. On Aug. 31 the first commercial flights since 1961 take off from the U.S. to Cuba, starting with JetBlue Flight 387 from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. to Santa Clara, home of Che Guevara's tomb. On Aug. 31 Donald Trump meets with Mexican pres. Enrique Pena Nieto in Mexico City, using the photo opp to look presidential while arguing that NAFTA has benefitted Mexico more than the U.S., with the soundbytes: "There will be no amnesty. For those here today illeglly who are seeking legal status, they will have one route and only one route: to return home and apply for reentry under the rules of the new legal immigration system that I have outlined... Those who have left to seek entry under this new system will not be awarded surplus visas, but will have to enter under the immigration caps or limits that will be established"; "Having a secure border is a sovereign right and mutually beneficial. We recognize and respect the right of either country to build a physical barrier or wall on any of its borders to stop the illegal movement of people, drugs and weapons"; Nieto acknowledges the "fundamental right that each of the countries has to defend its border", with the soundbyte: “There is still a joint challenge including the increasing number of non-Mexicans who cross through our country in order to reach the United States, therein creating serious human crises"; this show upstages Hillary Clinton, who calls it "an embarrassing international incident", then admidst mucho empty seats gives a Speech on American Exceptionalism at the Am. Legion Nat. Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio, unsuccesfully trying to steal the thunder from Donald Trump, who leads the poll among military families 51%-41% according to NBC News, with the soundbyte: "The United States is an exceptional nation. I believe we are still Lincoln's last, best hope of Earth. My opponent in this race has said very clearly he thinks American exceptionalism is insulting to the rest of the world. My opponent misses something important. When we say America is exceptional, it doesn't mean that people from other places don't feel deep national pride just like we do. It means we recognize America's unique and unparalleled ability to be a force for peace and progress, a champion for freedom and opportunity"; in the eve. Trump gives a Speech on Immigration in Phoenix, Ariz., praising the majority of the Mexican people but sticking with his border wall using the "best technology" and the promise to make Mexico pay for it "100 percent - they don't know it yet but they're going to pay for the wall", along with "zero tolerance for criminal aliens... My first hour in office, those people are gone"; "Anyone who tells you that the core issue is the needs of those living here illegally has simply spent too much time living in Washington. There is only one core issue in the immigration debate, and that issue is the well-being of the American people." On Aug. 31 WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange gives an interview to the New York Times, uttering the soundbyte: "The American liberal press, in falling over themselves to defend Hillary Clinton, are erecting a demon that is going to put nooses around everyone's necks as soon as she wins the election, which is almost certainly what she's going to do." On Aug. 31 Turkey announces that it will not stop attacking U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish militia inside Syria, calling them an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which they consider a terrorist org. On Aug. 31 the U.S. nat. debt hits $19.5T for the first time ever, just 7 mo. after hitting the $19T mark. In Aug. despite Congress rejecting the idea, Pres. Obama's Veteran Affairs Dept. bans the flying of Confed. flags from fixed flagpoles at its cemeteries. In Aug. Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan appoints retired brig. gen. Adnan Tanriverdi as his chief pres. adviser; he is the founder of the SADAT Internat. Defense Consultancy, which is suspected of training ISIS terrorists. In Aug. U.S. unemployment is 4.9% (same as in June and July), adding 151K jobs; fior the first time govt. workers outnumber manufacturing employees (22,213,000 vs. 12,281,000) (9,932,000 difference). On Sept. 1 a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying a Facebook satellite intended to bring the Internet to remote areas in Africa explodes on the launch pad during fueling. On Sept. 1 British Airways ends its Oct. 2012 service suspension on flights to Iran, resuming direct flights. On Sept. 1 a ring of fire solar eclipse sees the Moon line up with the Earth and Sun above Africa, darkening the Sun. On Sept. 2 (1:30 a.m. EDT) Category 1 Hurricane Hermine becomes the first hurricane to hit Fla. since Hurricane Katrina in 2004. On Sept. 2 (night) an explosion in a market in Davao, Philippines kills 10 and injures 60; the Muslim Abu Sayyaf jihadist group is suspected. On Sept. 3 (7:02 a.m.) a 5.6 earthquake rocks Norman, Okla. (same region as the Nov. 2011 earthquake), speading from Neb. to N Tex. On Sept. 3 Donald Trump speaks at the mostly black Great Faith Ministries Internat. church in Detroit, Mich., promising to unite the country as U.S. pres., uttering the soundbyte: "Becoming the nominee of the party of Abraham Lincoln... has been the greatest honor of my life. It is on his legacy that I hope to build the future of the party, but more importantly, the future of the country." On Sept. 3-4 Euripides' play Hecuba the Refugee is performed in the ancient theater on Delos Island, becoming the first play to be performed there in 2.1K years. On Sept. 4 (Sun.) Pope Frances elevates Albanian-Indian nun Mother Teresa (1910-97) to sainthood, calling her a "witness to mercy in our time". On Sept. 4 Turkish troops allied with the Free Syrian Army push ISIS out of the Turkish-Syrian border, causing it to lose its border with NATO for the first time since 2013. On Sept. 4 elections in Germany are a D for Angela Merkel's Christian Dem. Union (CDU) and a V for the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany Party (AFD); a Sept. 1 poll reveals that her popularity has plunged to a 5-year low of 45%, with 51% saying it would "not be good" if she ran for another term. On Sept. 4-5 the 2016 (11th) G-20 Summit in Hangzhou, China is attended by Pres. Obama, who meets with Chinese pres. Xi Jinping; the Chinese forget (accidentally on purpose?) to line his airplane stairs with red carpet; the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement is high on the agenda.; on Sept. 5 Pres. Obama meets with Russian pres. Vladimir Putin, and they fail to find a solution in Syria, agreeing only to provide humanitarian aid, after which he utters the soundbyte that despite evidence of Russia hacking into the U.S. election sytem, he doesn't want a "wild wild West" cyberwar with Russia. On Sept. 5 the planes of U.S. pres. candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump end up parked within 100 yards of each other on the tarmac at the aiport in Cleveland, Ohio, with Trump getting there first. On Sept. 6 Pres. Obama visits bombed-out Laos, meeting with pres. (since Jan.) Bounnhang Vorachith. On Sept. 6 88 former U.S. military leaders pub. an open letter endorsing Donald Trump for U.S. pres., with the soundbyte: "The 2016 election affords the American people an urgently needed opportunity to make a long-overdue course correction in our national security posture and policy." On Sept. 6 Traitor, er, Pres. Obama nominates Pakistani-born atty. Abid Riz Qureshi to the U.S. District Court for D.C., becoming the first Muslim nominated to the federal judiciary. On Sept. 6 Hillary Clinton holds a rally at the U. of South Fla. that draws 1.5K; on Sept. 9 Donald Trump holds a rally in Pensacola, Fla. that draws 12K; on Sept. 20 Trump holds a rally in Estero, Fla. that draws 8K, while Hillary speaks at Temple U. in Philly before a crowd of 200; in Estero, Trump utters the soundbyte that Hillary "talks tougher about my supporters than she does about radical Islamic terrorists." On Sept. 7 (eve.) after Trump ends his media blacklist incl. the Washington Post, Politico, and Buzzfeed, the Commander in Chief Forum in New York City, hosted by MSNBC, NBC News, and the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of Am., moderated by Matt Lauer sees Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump take turns accusing each other of being unfit to be pres.; Trump calls for a massive military buildup to fight ISIS, incl. 50K more Army troops (540K total), 70 new warships (total 350), 13 new USMC batttallions, and 100 USAF planes (1.2K total), canceling budget caps to boost spending by $500B over the next 10 years, uttering the soundbyte: "History shows that when America is not prepared is when the danger is by far the greatest. We want to deter, avoid, and prevent conflict through our unquestioned military strength"; Trump opens the door to Dreamers who want to join the military; when asked to respond to Trump's numerous slams about how he "reduced American generals to rubble" et al., Pres. Obama laughs, with the soundbyte: "Somehow behavior that in normal times we'd consider completely unacceptable is normalized and people start thinking we should be grading on a curve." On Sept. 8 the Wells Fargo Scandal breaks, revealing that employees were goaded into opening up to 2M accounts without customers' knowledge, causing Wells Fargo to agree to pay $185M to regulators, and CEO (since Jan. 2010) John Gerard Stumpf (1953-) to quit in Oct. On Sept. 8 Hillary Clinton pub. a post in Humans of New York, reiterating a 1996 story she told to The New Yorker that when she took her LSAT in 1969 the men jerked her around for being a woman, telling her to "go home and get married", this time claiming they told her "If you take my spot, I'll get drafted, I'll go to Vietnam, and I'll die"; too bad, Pres. LBJ ended the draft deferment on Feb. 16, 1968. On Sept. 8 (eve.) Hillary Clinton delivers the keynote speech at the Nat. Baptist Convention in Kansas City, Mo. amidst 2K empty seats out of 5K, pointing how out she was raised a Methodist but married a Southern Baptist, mentioning her "deep and abiding Christian faith". On Sept. 8-17 195 mph Typhoon Meranti (Ferdie) kills 47 and causes $4.79B property damage in the Philippines, Tawan, and China, becoming the 2nd strongest tropical cyclone on record (until ?). On Sept. 9 North Korea tests a "higher level" nuclear warhead that it claims will allow it to build "at will" an array of stronger, smaller, lighter nukes, becoming their 5th atomic test, and the 2nd in 8 mo., scaring the West, with South Korea calling it "fanatic recklessness". On Sept. 9 the U.S. House unanimously passes a bill permitting 9/11 victim families to sue Saudi Arabia; Pres. Obama vows to veto it. On Sept. 9 Hillary Clinton gives a speech at the LGBT for Hillary gala in New York City, uttering the soundbyte: "You could put half of Trump's supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables, right? The racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophbic, Islamophobic, you name it", causing Donald Trump to tweet: "Wow, Hillary Clinton was SO INSULTING to my supporters, millions of amazing, hard working people. I think it will cost her at the Polls!"; on Sept. 10 she partially flops, with the soundbyte: "Last night I was grossly generalistic, and that's never a good idea. I regret saying 'half', that was wrong. But let's be clear, what's really deplorable is that Donald Trump hired a major advocate for the so-called alt-right movement to run his campaign and that David Duke and other white supremacists see him as a champion of their values. It's deplorable that Trump has built his campaign largely on prejudice and paranoia and given a national platform to hateful views and voices, including by retweeting fringe bigots with a few dozen followers and spreading their message to 11 million people." On Sept. 9 (night) Donald Trump speaks at a rally in Pensacola, Fla., uttering the soundbytes: "The only thing she's done well - and she'll go down in history for it, I have to admit - is getting out of trouble with the emails; that's the single greatest achievement of Hillary Clinton"; "She could walk into this arena right now and shoot somebody with 20,000 people watching, right smack in the middle of the heart, and she wouldn't be prosecuted, OK? T hat is what's happened to our country." On Sept. 9 Israeli PM Benjamin pub. a video claiming that evacuating Israelis from the West Bank would amount to ethnic cleansing, dissing Pres. Obama with the soundbyte: "Some otherwise enlightened countries even promote this outrage." On Sept. 9 Zara retail chain owner Amancio Ortega passes Bill Gates as the world's richest man ($79.5B vs. $78.5B). On Sept. 10 after the FAA bans them on flights, Samsung of South Korea warns consumers to stop using their Galaxy Note 7 because the lithium batteries can explode and catch on fire. On Sept. 10 a 30 tonne meteorite is unearthed in Gancedo, Argentina, becoming the 2nd largest ever found. On Sept. 11 Hillary Clinton collapses during a 9/11 ceremony at the 9/11 Memorial Place in Lower Manhattan, N.Y., and is rushed away for emergency treatment, giving away her numerous lies about her health, er, she later claims easily curable pneumonia after becoming overheated and dehydrated, canceling a planned trip to Calif. for Sept. 12. On Sept. 11 the 333rd aniv. of the 1683 Battle of Vienna sees papal candidate Austrian cardinal Christoph Schoenborn (Schönborn) (1945-) utter the soundbyte: "Will there be an Islamic conquest of Europe? Many Muslims want that and say Europe is at the end." On Sept. 12 after a long argument, U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), chmn. of the House Oversight Committee gives a subpoena to FBI liaison Jason Herring ordering the FBI to give them its complete investigative file on Hillary's email behavior, not just the redacted summary given them on Sept. 2. On Sept. 12 somebody torches the Islamic Center of Fort Pierce, the mosque attended by gay-killer Omar Mateen and Syrian jihadist Moner Mohammad Abu Salha. On Sept. 13 the U.S. House of Reps. led by conservative John Fleming (R-La.) begins impeachment proceedings for IRS commissioner John Koskinen for lying to Congress about producing all of IRS senior exec Lois G. Lerner's emails and for allowing taxpayer info. to be stolen by cyberhackers. On Sept. 13 Buzzfeed and Daily Caller pub. hacked emails from DCLeaks.com by former U.S. secy. of state gen. Colin Powell in which he calls Donald Trump a "national disgrace" and a racist "international pariah" for mainstreaming the Obama birther movement, while dissing Hillary Clinton for trying to connect him to her emails despite repeated warnings, claiming that she "does not look good", is "working herself to death", and "nobody likes her", and "I would rather not have to vote for her, although she is a friend I respect", adding that her hubby Bill is still "dicking bimbos"; several emails to Powell from Jeffrey Leeds of Leeds Equity Partners reveal that Hillary hates and envies Pres. Obama, and that Obama wouldn't mind seeing her lose. On Sept. 13 Ford Motor Co. CEO Mark Fields announces plans to move all small-car production in North Am. to Mexico, vindicating the gloom and doom warnings of Donald Trump, who speaks at the Bethel United Methodist Church in Flint, Mich. on Sept. 14, uttering the soundbyte: "It used to be that cars were made in Flint and you couldn't drink the water in Mexico. And now the cars are made in Mexico and you can't drink the water in Flint"; too bad, pastor Faith Green Timmons stops Trump from criticizing sacred cow Hillary; on Sept. 15 the U.S. Senate by 95-3 passes the $9B U.S. Water Resources Development Act of 2016 to fund U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects at Flint, Mich. et al. On Sept. 14 Donald Trump appears on the Doctor Oz show, handing him some medical records, the report on a recent physical; meanwhile Hillary Clinton's physician Lisa Bardack of Mount Kisco, N.Y. announces that she is "healthy and fit" to serve as U.S. pres., and has non-existent? "non-contagious bacterial pneumonia", after which on Sept. 14 Trump's physician Harold Bernstein releases a letter claiming that he is in "excellent physical health", although he takes rosuvastatin and low dose aspirin and is clinically obese. On Sept. 15 the U.S. House by 244-174 (incl. 12 Dems., with four Repubs. against) passes a bill sponsored by U.S. Rep. (R-Ind.) Jackie Walorski banning transfers from Gitmo for the remainder of Pres. Obama's presidency, pissing-off Dems., who call it "probably unconstitutional and certainly immoral". On Sept. 15 U.S. Sen. minority leader (D-Utah) Harry Reid slams Donald Trump, with the soundbyte: "He is a spoiled brat raised in plenty who inherited a fortune and used his money to make more money, and he did a lot by swindling working men and women... Trump is a human leech who will bleed the country and sit at his golf resort laughing at the money he has made." On Sept. 15 Pres. Obama establishes the 5K-sq.-mi. U.S. Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine Nat. Monument, becoming the first nat. marine monument in the Atlantic Ocean; commercial mining, drilling, and fishing is prohibited except for lobster and red crab. On Sept. 16 after Hillary Clinton calls the Birther Movement an "outrageous lie", with the soundbyte: "We know who Donald is. For five years he has led the birther movement to delegitimize our first black president", and he responds that she started the Obama birther controversy during her 2008 primary campaign, but can't pin it on her personally, Donald Trump folds and announces that "President Barack Obama was born in the United States, period. Now we all want to get back to making America strong and great again"; the whole birther controversy is a decoy to coverup that Obama's real father is Am. Communist Frank Marshall Davis (1905-87)? On Sept. 16 French police announce the arrest of three Algerian Muslim men in Paris, France for luring a French woman on Facebook then gang-raping her near the Eiffel Tower before/after chaining her to it. On Sept. 16 Donald Trump tweets that if she's really against guns, Hillary Clinton's bodyguards should disarm themselves and "see what happens", causing U.S. Sen. (Dem.-Conn.) Chris Murphy to accuse him of suggesting her assassination. On Sept. 16 40-y.-o. black family man with a clean record Terence Tafford Crutcher Sr. (b. 1976) is shot and killed by two white police officers in Tulsa, Okla. while standing beside his stalled SUV and holding his unarmed hands high, becoming yet another case of White Is Right police in Ooooo-kla-homa; Kansas City police officer Donald Ebert makes a post on Facebook about the shooting, saying that Crutcher "should have dropped the entitlement card and listened the first time. Good shoot"; on Sept. 22 white police officer Betty Shelby is charged with first-degree manslaughter for killing him, only to see the jury acquit her on May 17, 2017; too bad, PCP was found in Crutcher's body. On Sept. 17 (9:30 a.m.) a pipe bomb detonates in a garbage can at the starting point of the USMC charity race in Seaside Park, N.J., injuring no one but setting off a massive terrorism response; on Sept. 17 (8:31 p.m.) a powerful homemade bomb explodes on a crowded sidewalk at West 23rd Ave. and 6th Ave. in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, N.Y., injuring 29; a second pressure cooker device is found four blocks away; on Sept. 19 (12:40 a.m..) a bomb is found in a trash can near a train station in Elizabeth, N.J., and exploded by a bomb squad; on Sept. 19 (noon) Afghan-born Am. Muslim Ahmad Khan Rahami (1988-) is captured in Linden, N.J. after a shootout with police, and is accused of all three bombings; Rahami's journal calls Osama bin Laden "brother" and indicates that he wanted to punish the U.S. for killing fellow Muslims in the Middle East, furnishing yet another proof that mass Muslim immigration is suicidal for the U.S. because Muslims won't assimilate but will retain their foreign Muslim identities; on Sept. 19 Donald Trump utters the soundbyte: "These attacks and many others were made possible because of our extremely open immigration system, which fails to properly vet and screen the individuals and families coming into our country." On Sept. 17 (8:15 p.m.) Allah-Akbar-shouting Muslim Somali immigrant Dahir A. Adan (b. 1994) stages a knife attack at Crossroads Mall in St. Cloud, Minn., injuring eight after asking if they were Muslim; ISIS claims responsibility; too bad, Pres. Obama calls this a "potential act of terrorism", causing Am. evangelist Rev. Franklin Graham on Sept. 20 to post the Facebook soundbyte: "Why is it so hard for our president and his administration to call Islamic terrorism what it is?... Potential? The Islamic State already proudly claimed credit - how much more 'potential' do you need?" On Sept. 17 Donald Trump speaks at a rally in Christian conservative USAF Academy-hosting Colo. Springs, Colo. On Sept. 18 (early a.m.) Pakistani Jaish-e-Mohammed rebels attack an Indian border army base in Uri, Kashmir (near Srinagar), killing 17 soldiers while losing four rebels KIA. On Sept. 18 an air strike on Al-Tharda Mountain in Deir ez-Sor, Syria kills 62 Syrian soldiers and injures 100+, pissing-off Russia, which accuses the U.S. of supporting ISIS. On Sept. 19 after Newsweek pub. an article detailing his foreign business entanglements, 55 former U.S. govt. officials incl. former acting CIA dir. Michael Morell and former undersecy. of defense for intel Michael Vickers pub. an open letter calling for him "to disclose, in full, the nature of his business relationships overseas." On Sept. 20 Pres. Obama gives a speech at the U.N. Gen. Assembly, calling for world leaders to accept more Muslim refugees - shilling for George Soros again? On Sept. 20 Hollyweird's #1 supercouple Brad Pitt and Angelie Jolie AKA Brangelia announce that Angelina has filed for divorce. On Sept. 20 the Clinton Global Initiative gives a dinner for Hanan al-Hroub, wife of convicted terrorist Omar al-Hroub, who provided materials used in a 1980 bombing that killed six Israelis. On Sept. 20 the TV series This Is Us debuts on NBC-TV for ? episodes (until ?), starring Mandy Moore as Rebecca Pearson, Milo Ventimiglia as her husband Jack, Sterling K. Brown as their son Randall, Chrissy Metz as their daughter Kate, and Justin Hartley as their other son Kevin; Kate and Kevin were conceived in the bathroom of Froggy's Bar during Super Bowl XIV as part of triplets, and when their brother is stillborn the parents adopt Randall. On Sept. 21 riots in Kinshasa, Dem. Repub. of Congo over pres. (since Jan. 26, 2001) Joseph Kabila's attempt to stay in power by postponing elections scheduled for Nov. On Sept. 21 R.I. Muslim convert Nicholas Rovinski pleads guilty to an ISIS conspiracy to behead anti-Islam (anti-jihad) blogger Pamela Geller. On Sept. 21 protests over police butality in Charlotte, NC. sees Justin Carr (b. 1990) shot by a gun in the back of the head by Rayquan Borum, causing gov. Pat McCrory to declare a state of emergency; Carr dies in the hospital on Sept. 22; Borum is arrested on Sept. 23. On Sept. 21 U.S. secy. of state John Kerry slips up at the U.N. and utters the soundbyte: "Now, I have said to Russia many times it's very hard to separate people when they are being bombed indiscriminately and when Assad has the right to determine who he's going to bomb, because he can, quote, 'go after Nusrah' but go after the opposition at the same time because he wants to", indicating that Syria was prohibited from attacking al-Nusrah Front AKA al-Qaida in Syria. On Sept. 21 the Nat. Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine pub. a Report on Immigration to the U.S., revealing that immigrants sap $296B a year more in govt. benefits than they pay in taxes, with all gains to the economy skewed towards themselves and to wealthy investors while hurting native-born workers. On Sept. 21 Donald Trump gives a speech at the African-Am. New Spirit Revival Center in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, pushing stop-and-risk as the "proactive" solution to stop black-on-black street crime; African-Am. boxing promoter Don King gives a speech praising Donald Trump as the only candidate that makes the case that "the system is the enemy", with the soundbytes: "He's the only man in hundreds of years that has the consensus of public opinion of rejection to the form of governmen. The system is corrupt; the system is rigged; the system is sexist; the system is racist"; "He's the only gladiator to take out the system... and create a new systemâ€; "We need Donald Trump, especially black people"; "When the system was created... the white woman did not have the rights, and she still don't have the rights. And people of color don't have their rights... Donald Trump says no, we're going back to inclusiveness. Everybody counts. Every white woman should cast their vote for Donald Trump." On Sept. 21 Pres. Obama sends a memo to his dept. heads, instructing them to consider the impact of climate change on nat. security. On Sept. 22 Yahoo.com confirms reports of a data breach of "at least" 500M user accounts in 2014. On Sept. 22 the U.S.-backed and Iranian-backed Iraqi military captures the ISIS-held town of Shirqat, Iraq. On Sept. 22 Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu gives a speech to the U.N. Gen. Assembly on the "core of the Palestinian-Israel conflict", uttering the soundbyte that the U.N. "began as a moral force and has become a moral farce", adding "Lay down your arms. The war against Israel is over. Israel has a bright future at the U.N.", saying that if Palestinians accept peace there will be peace, inviting Mahmoud Abbas to "speak to the Israeli people at the Knesset in Jerusalem" and offering to "gladly come to speak peace wtih the Palestinian parliament in Ramallah", but "we will not accept any attempt by the U.N. to dictate terms to Israel", because "The road to peace runs through Jerusalem and Ramallah, not New York"; at a meeting in Manhattan he utters the soundbyte that U.S. public support for the Palestinian cause is "flat like an EKG of a dead person"; meanwhile on Sept. 22 Palestinian Authority pres. Mahmoud Abbas gives a speech at the U.N. Gen. Assembly, dissing the Balfour Declaration that granted Israel its territory, with the soundbyte: "100 years have passed since the notorious Balfour Declaration, by which Britain gave, without any right, authority or consent from anyone, the land of Palestine to another people", demanding that Britain apologize and threatening to sue for damages. On Sept. 22 after protests outside U.N. HQ by former U.S. Sen. Joe Liberman et al. on Sept. 21, Iranian pres. Hasan Rouhani gives a speech to the U.N. Gen. Assembly, blasting "the usurping Zionist regime" as well as the U.S. and Saudi Arabia for fueling terrorism, also accusing the U.S. of not complying with the nuclear deal, eroding its credibility; on Sept. 21 Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari gives a speech at the U.S. Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., dissing the media for failing to "call out the Iranian government's Holocaust denial". On Sept. 22 the U.S. House investigative committee chaired by Jason Chaffetz votes 19-15 along party lines to hold Bryan Pagliano in contempt after no-showing 2x to testify on his boss Hillary's Clinton's secret emails. On Sept. 22 Pres. Obama gives an interview to historian Doris Kearns Goodwin in Vanity Fair mag., with the soundbyte about Donald Trump: "I don't think it's a surprise for me to say that I don't think his temperament is suited for this office. But it's not something that I have to emphasize because I think the majority of the American people have figured that out", adding that he views Trump's candidacy as "an expression of certain fears, certain resentments, that have been a running thread in American history" - he didn't say deplorables? On Sept. 22 Category 7 (165 mph) Hurricane Matthew starts as a tropical wave off the African coast, approaching E of the Leeward Islands on Sept. 18 and turning into a tropical storm E of the Lesser Antilles on Sept. 28, and a Category 5 hurricane on Oct. 1, hitting Haiti, Dominican Repub., Cuba, Bahamas et al., paralleling the Fla. coastline but staying offshore before dissipating on Oct. 10 after killing 603 and causing $15B damage. On Sept. 23 Syrian bombing of rebel-held districts in Aleppo, Syria intensifies with a new govt. offensive; meanwhile U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) calls the situation "a colossal disaster" that a "wise statesman" should have foreseen. On Sept. 23 a study by U.S. sociologists Penny Edgell, Douglas Hartmann, Evan Stewart, and Joseph Gerteis is pub., showing that Muslims have passed atheists as the most unpopular group in the U.S., with 48.9% disapproving their child marrying a Muslim, up from 33.5% in 2006; meanwhile another study by the Montaigne Inst. finds that 28% of French Muslims hold extremists views, or are attracted to fundamentalism and oppose secular lifestyles. On Sept. 23 (6:52 p.m. PDT) Muslim Turkish immigrant Arcan Cetin (1996-) of Oak Harbor, Wash. stages a massacre inside a Macy's dept. store in the Cascade Mall in Burlington, Wash., killing five shoppers incl. four women in the makeup dept. before fleeing; he is arrested on Sept. 24; the PC press tries another coverup, initially describing him as Hispanic. On Sept. 23 Kosovo-born Am. Muslim Ardit Ferizi is sentenced to 20 years in prison for providing ISIS with a kill list containing info. on 1.3K U.S. govt. and military employees, becoming the first terrorist hacker convicted in the U.S. On Sept. 23 Tex. Sen. Ted Cruz swallows, er, announces that he's going to vote for archrival Donald Trump for U.S. pres. On Sept. 24 a shooting and suicide bomb attack at a police checkpoint in Tikrit, Iraq kills 12 incl. four police. On Sept. 25 anti-Islam Jordanian Christian activist Mad Hatter, er, Nahed Hattar is gunned down outside a court where he was set to stand trial for criticizing Islam on social media; he had survived another assassination attempt in 1998 - never mock Grandaddy M? On Sept. 25 Donald Trump meets with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, discussing Israel's security fence and confirming that as U.S. pres. he will recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. On Sept. 26 Boko Haram attacks three villages near Chibok Town, Borno State, Nigeria, killing eight and hoisting flags. On Sept. 26 Time mag. pub. a cover story The New Politics of Late Night, about "The seriously partisan politics of late-night comedy", cheering "comics [who] are ditching balance and taking sides" against Donald Trump, incl. Samantha Bee, Stephen Colbert, Trevor Noah, Seth Myers, Jimmy Kimmel, and John Oliver. On Sept. 26 ignoring Pres. Obama's warning that it "cannot permanently occupy and settle Palestinian land", Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu announces the expansion of settlements in E Jerusalem, Hebron, and Bethlehem. On Sept. 26 an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting sees a walkout by the U.S., British, and French ambassadors as the Syrian ambassador begins to speak, with U.S. ambassador Samantha Power accusing Russia of "barbarism", and British ambassador Matthew Rycroft calling Russia "an international pariah" for its escalation of the air offensive against rebel-held E Aleppo, where 250K civilians are trapped. On Sept. 26 (eve.) the First Clinton-Trump Debate at Hofstra U. in Hempstead, N.Y., moderated by Lester Holt of NBC News and watched by a record 80M is a push, with ever-sniffling (50X+) Trump coming on strong early bragging about how Supply Side Economics will rescue the economy, and how she was a big supporter of the TPP, and Hillary coming on strong at the end by bringing up his refusal to release his taxes and trying to pin the Birther Movement on him and bringing up his non-PC language about women and blacks, reversing his criticism of her stamina by pointing to her past stamina while skipping over her recent problems; Trump uses the word "braggadocious"; Trump scores a late V with the soundbyte: "Hillary has experience, but it's bad experience"; Hillary used aide Philippe Reines to play Trump during debate preparations; on Sept. 27 Hillary holds a rally at Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh, N.C. before a capacity crowd of 1.4K, uttering the soundbyte: "Did anybody see that debate last night? Oh yes! One down, two to go", adding "He made very clear that he didn't prepare for that debate", explaining why she dropped out of the campaign as getting ready for it, with the soundbyte: "Just trying to keep track of everything he says took a lot of time", calling him "dangerously incoherent"; meanwhile on Sept. 27 Trump holds a rally before a capacity crowd of tens of thousands in a hangar in Melbourne, Fla., claiming to win the debate based on unscientific Internet polls, but backing it up by raising $13M in 24 hours. On Sept. 27 after the EU condemns Hungary for its new S border fence, sealed on Sept. 20, causing 5K refugees to pour into Croatia, Hungarian PM Viktor Orban announces that if Muslims continue to immigrate, they will refuse to assimilate and end up living in parallel Muslim societies, accusing EU bureaucrats and German chancelllor Angela Merkel of "destroying Europe". On Sept. 28 after U.S. Senate majority whip John Cornyn (R-Tex.) and #3 Dem. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), introduce the bill, the U.S. Congress overrides Pres. Obama's veto of their 9/11 Saudi lawsuit bill, with the Senate voting 97-1 (Dem. Harry Reid of Nev.), and the House voting 348-77 (incl. two-thirds of Dems.), becoming Obama's first. On Sept. 30 (Fri.) a rare Black Moon (where the illuminated side of the Moon is caught in the shadow of the Earth) occurs right before the Jewish Feast of Trumpets, causing many to fear the End of Days. On Sept. 30 Internat. Blasphemy Rights Day is sponsored by the Center for Inquiry, founded by Paul Kurtz. On Sept. 30 after Hillary Clinton tries to zing Donald Trump in their first debate by bringing up 1996 Miss Universe Yoseph Alicia Machado Fajardo (1976-), which seems to catch him off-guard, and he won't drop the issue but keeps researching, thinking, and tweeting about it, Hillary utters the soundbyte: "Who gets up at 3 in the morning to engage in a Twitter attack?" - she couldn't get up at 3 a.m. to respond to a national emergency? On Sept. 30 the House Office of Inspector General charges Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz's aide Imran Awan with funneling data off the House network and giving a USB drive to a Pakistani senator who was once head a Pakistani intel agency; Imran's father Haji Ashraf Awan is later discovered to be giving data to Pakistani official Rehman Malik, bragging that he has the power to "change the U.S. president", with leaks going back to 2008. In Sept. the FBI is informed of intel that Hillary Clinton "approved a campaign plan to stir up a scandal against U.S. Presidential candidate Donald Trump by tying him to Putin and the Russians' hacking of the Democratic National Committee." In Sept. Lutz Bachmann, 2014 founder of the PEGIDA anti-Islamization movement flees Germany to avoid persecution by the Muslim-appeasing German govt., settling in Spanish-held Tenerife, Canary Islands. In Sept. Turkish hacker group RedHack releases hacked emails of Turkish energy minister Berat Albayrak, revealing that he purchased oil from ISIS via the Powertrans co., which PM Erdogan's family is connected with, pissing-off the Turkish govt., who tries to shut them down. In Sept. U.S. unemployment is 5.0% (vs. 4.9% in Aug.), with the economy adding 156K jobs (vs. 167K in Aug.). On Oct. 1 the Obama admn. hands over control of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority to the the Calif.-based ICANN globial consortium, pissing-off Repubs., who claim he needs approval of Congress; it's a scheme by the Brown, Getty, Newsom, and Pelosi families who rule Calif.? On Oct. 2 (Sun.) a referendum in Hungary over whether the country should be forced to accept refugees receives a 98% note vote; too bad, the 43% turnout is below the 50% legal threshold, causing PM Viktor Orban to declare it "politically valid". On Oct. 2 a referendum in Columbia over the peace deal with Marxist rebels is narrowly rejected by 50.2% to 49.7%, becoming a V for former pres. Alvaro Uribe and a D for current pres. Juan Manuel Santos. On Oct. 2 German finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble calls on Muslims in Germany to develop a liberal tolerant "German Islam". On Oct. 2 former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani gives an interview to George Stephanopoulos of ABC-News, uttering the soundbyte that if Donald Trump legally avoided taxes for years, that proves "he's a genius, absolute genius... This was a perfectly legal application of the tax code, and he would have been a fool not to take advantage of it", adding that Hillary Clinton had "obviously been programmed" to bring up Miss Universe Alicia Machado in their first debate; meanwhile leftist filmmaker Michael Moore gives an interview to NBC-TV's "Meet the Press", admitting that Trump can win the election because "I think they love the idea of blowing up the system", adding: "Across the Midwest, across the Rustbelt, I understand why a lot of people are angry, and they see Donald Trump as their human Molotov cocktail that they get to go into the voting booth on Nov 8. and throw him into our political system"; meanwhile Bernie Sanders gives an interview to CNN's "State of the Union", defending Hillary Clinton as the "superior" candidate for U.S. pres. despite an audio recording released on Sept. 30 showing her mocking his supporters as "children of the Great Recession" who "live in their parents' basements", admitting that it bothers him, and dissing Trump for a New York Times report that claims he might have been legally avoiding paying federal income tax for 18 years, saying: "This is an example of why so many millions of Americans are frustrated. They're angry. They're disgusted at what they see as a corrupt political system in this country"; meanwhile U.S. Sen. (D-Mo.) Claire McCaskill slams Trump on "Fox News Sunday" for the NYT report, with the soundbyte: "If you look at the way Donald Trump has conducted business, he crashes businesses into bankruptcy, leaving stores of businesses unpaid, people really hurting with the losses his companies have suffered. But he walks away unscathed, and it appears he walks away with a golden ticket that allows him, under the tax code, to avoid taxes for decades", adding that Trump's tax plan only benefits himself; meanwhile U.S. Senate minority leader (D-Nev.) Harry Reid calls Trump a "billion-dollar loser", calling for passage of the U.S. Presidential Tax Transparency Act that requires all U.S. pres. candidates to release their federal tax returns for the prior three years to the Federal Election Commission within 30 days, or have the U.S. Treasury Dept. do it. On Oct. 3 a secret meeting of ISIS leaders in Mutaibija, Diyala, Iraq ends in a gunfight, killing one and injuring three. On Oct. 3 N.Y. atty.-gen. Eric Schneiderman sends a notice of violation to the Donald J. Trump Foundation, ordering it to cease all fundraising activity until it properly registers; done for political reasons? On Oct. 3 the debt racked-up by the Obama admin. tops the $9T mark ($19,573,444,713,936.79, up by $8,946,567,665,023.71). On Oct. 3 the U.S. military begins paying for surgery and other procedures for transgender sevice members, incl. reassignment surgery. On Oct. 4 the Pence-Kaine Debate at Longwood U. in Farmville, Va. is a push, with Kaine stinking himself up by repeatedly interrupting, with Pence uttering his biggest soundbyte: "I mean, to be honest with you, if Donald Trump had said all of the things that you've said he said in the way you said he said them, he still wouldn't have a fraction of the insults that Hillary Clinton leveled when she said that half of our supporters were a basket of deplorables." On Oct. 6 40 suspected AQIM jihadists attack a refugee camp in Tassara, Niger, killing 20, mostly Nigerian soldiers. On Oct. 7 the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security and dir. of Nat. Intelligence accuses the Russian govt. of election-year hacking, with homeland security secy. Jeh Johnson uttering the soundbyte: "The U.S. intelligence community is confident that the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of emails from U.S. persons and institutions, including from U.S. political organizations... These thefts and disclosures are intended to interfere with the U.S.... We believe, based on the scope and sensitivity of these efforts, that only Russia's senior-most officials could have authorized these activities." On Oct. 7 a recording of private comments made by Donald Trump in 2005 to Billy Bush of Access Hollywood (cousin of Jeb Bush) is leaked by the anti-Trump Washington Post, in which he brags about his benefits of being a star, incl. an attempted seduction of Bush's married colleague Nancy O'Dell, with the soundbyte: "You know, I'm automatically attracted to beautiful. I just start kissing them. It's like a magnet. Just kiss. And when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab 'em by the pussy", to which Bush replies "Whatever you want", pissing-off the PC police and causing House Oversight Committee chmn. (R-Utah) Jason Chaffetz to withdraw his endorsement, and fence-sitting House Speaker Paul Ryan to cancel an appearance with him on Oct. 8 in Elkhorn, Wisc., with the soundbyte: "I am sickened by what I heard here today. Women are to be championed and revered, not objectified"; Trump responds that "Bill Clinton has said far worse", apologizing if his remarks offend anyone, with the soundbyte: "I never said I was perfect", responding to predictable calls to quit the race with "Zero chance I'll quit... the support I'm getting is unbelievable", adding: "Go behind closed doors of the holier-than-thou politicians and pundits and see what they're saying. I look like a baby"; on Oct. 8 Mike Pence pulls out of the Wisc. event with Ryan, adding that he's offended too but is "grateful that he has expressed remorse and apologized to the American people"; on Oct. 9 before the debate former New York City mayor defends Trump, with the soundbyte: "The fact is that men at times talk like that. Not all men, but men do. He was wrong for doing it. I am not justifying it. I believe it's wrong. I know he believes it's wrong. I believe that this is not the man that we're talking about today... Gosh almighty, he who is without sin here throw the first stone"; on Oct. 9 before the debate Pres. Obama weighs in with the soundbyte: "One of the most disturbing things about this election is just the unbelievable rhetoric coming at the top of the Republican ticket. I don't need to repeat it. There are children in the room, but demeaning women, degrading women, but also minorities, immigrants, people of other faiths, mocking the disabled, insulting our troops, insulting our veterans, that tells you a couple things. It tells you he is insecure enough that he pumps himself up by putting other people down. Not a character trait that I would advise for somebody in the Oval Office"; meanwhile WikiLeaks releases excerpts from Hillary Clinton's Wall Street speeches that were sent to her top aid John Podesta in Jan., calling Bernie Sanders supporters a "bucket of losers" and admitting that she tells the public one thing and believes another, with the soundbyte: "My dream is a hemispheric common market with open trade and open borders", causing political analyst David Wol to utter the soundbyte: "This will hit Hillary Clinton's campaign like a 9.0 earthquake when this is absorbed... This exposes her, literally, as a complete fraud" - and touchy-feely holier-than-thou male politicians are as big liars as Hillary? On Oct. 8 elections in Palestine (Gaza and West Bank) (first in 10 years). On Oct. 8 the U.N. Security Council votes on a Russian draft resolution on the Aleppo situation, proposing a political rather than military solution; Egypt votes for, and Saudi Arabia votes against, exposing their rift. On Oct. 9 a Palestinian terrorist opens fire at a the Ammunition Hill light rail stop next to police HQ in N Jerusalem, Israel, killing two and injuring six. On Oct. 9 after they refuse to shake hands at the start, the Second Clinton-Trump Debate at Washington U. in St. Louis, Mo., moderated by Anderson Cooper of CNN and Martha Raddatz of ABC News sees Donald Trump deflect his p---y scandal by dismissing it as "locker room talk", and take it to Hillary Clinton, staring out by saying that she'd "be in jail" if he was president, and accusing her of rigging her nomination race against Bernie Sanders, saying he "never had a chance", calling her every name in the book incl. "devil", with the soundbyte: "There's never been anybody in the history of politics in this nation that's been so abusive to women" while she reciprocates, with "It's just awfully good that someone with the temperament of Donald Trump is not in charge of the law in this country, to which he replies "Because you'd be in jail"; during the debate a fly lands on Hillary's nose, and she doesn't flinch; she wears Angel perfume by French fashion designer Thierry Mugler (1948-), which smells like shit?, or it is her? :); Trump scores round 0 points by holding a press conference one hour before the debate with sexual misconduct accusers of Bill Clinton incl. Kathleen Willey, Juanita Broddrick, Paula Jones, and Kathy Shelton, whom he sits in the front row; Trump scores a round by calling her out on her attempt to explain away a WikiLeaks revelation that she admits to having separate public and private positions by comparing herself to Honest Abe Lincoln, with the soundbyte: "Look, she got caught in a total lie... Now she's blaming the lie on the late great Abraham Lincoln... Honest Abe never lied... That's the big difference between Abraham Lincoln and you" - Madame Secretary, you're no Abraham Lincoln? On Oct. 10 after the Clinton campaign continues harping on tapes showing him saying playboyish things, Donald Trump speaks at a rally in Ambridge, Penn., slamming her for her "hypocrisy", saying that he is "disqualified from office" for her email crimes, and uttering the soundbytes: "There's nothing Hillary Clinton won't do or say to obtain power, and it's about time people started to understand that" and "I'll tell you what, the only thing she's got going is the media. Without the media, she would not have a chance." On Oct. 11 after keeping his silence during the weekend, Repub. Nat. Committee chmn. Reince Priebus announces that the Repub. Party is still standing with Donald Trump. On Oct. 11 Nick Antosca's creepypasta series Channel Zero debuts on Syfy for ? episodes (until ?). On Oct. 12 with abundant help from the liberal PC media, five women accuse Donald Trump of sexual assault, but not very much, claiming only that he kissed, hugged, or leered at them, incl. Rachel Crooks (b. 1983), People mag. ed. Natashya Strokonoff, er, Stoynoff, who claims he forced "his tongue down my throat" (and she didn't bite it off?), Mindy McGillvray (b. 1980), who claims he grapped her butt backstage at a Ray Charles concert (wanted to wipe it?), former Miss Washington Cassandra Searles, who claimed he "continually grabbed my ass and invited me to his hotel room"; only 74-y.-o. ugly Jessica Leeds claims that he inappropriately touched her on a first-class flight 35 years earlier, with the soundbyte: "He was like an octopus. His hands were everywhere"; four more women tell BuzzFeed that Trump walked in on them in their dressing room during the 1997 Miss Teen USA pageant; Trump responds by threatening to sew the NYT and telling a reporter "You are a disgusting human being... None of this ever took place" - so why bring it up now if they didn't bring it up then, call the police, sue, anything? On Oct. 12 (night) Muslim convert Muhummed Isa Al Mahdi (Kirk Figueroa) (1983-) shoots two police officers in East Boston, Mass. before they kil him. On Oct. 13 world's longest-serving monarch king (since June 9, 1946) Rama X (b. 1927) dies, and his son Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn becomes Chakri king #10 Rama X (1952-) of Thailand (until ?). On Oct. 13 after Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen launch cruise missiles on Oct. 12 at U.S. Navy destroyer USS Mason, the U.S. retaliates with missile strikes on three coastal radar sites. On Oct. 13 Muslim-dominated UNESCO votes 26-6-26 to approve a resolution by Mexico that restricts access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in a way that ignores Jewish ties to Jewish holy sites in Jerusalem incl. the Temple Mount and Western Wall, despite abundant historical evidence that Jerusalem was in Jewish hands for 1.6K years before the Muslims grabbed onto it; Italy abstains, but on Oct. 21 Italian PM Matteo Renzi utters the soundbyte that the resolution is "incomprehensible and unacceptable, instructing diplomats to vote against it next time"; on Oct. 27 UNESCO passes another resolution expressing "deep concern" that Israel is doing archeological excavations and building works in the Old City; in Oct. after the UNESCO resolutions are passed, the Israeli govt. produces a papyrus fragment dug up by the Israel Antiquities Authority, dated to the 7th cent. B.C., containing the earliest known Hebrew reference to Jerusalem outside the Bible - well shut my mouth? On Oct. 13 WikiLeaks releases a transcript of a speech by Hillary Clinton in which she calls black people and Muslims losers: "THE MAIN REASON BEHIND SUCCESSFUL IMMIGRATION SHOULD BE PAINFULLY OBVIOUS TO EVEN THE MOST DIMWITTED OF OBSERVERS: SOME GROUPS OF PEOPLE ARE ALMOST ALWAYS HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL GIVEN ONLY HALF OF A CHANCE (JEWS*, HINDUS/SIKHS AND CHINESE PEOPLE, FOR EXAMPLE), WHILE OTHERS (MUSLIMS, BLACKS** AND ROMA***, FOR INSTANCE) FARE BADLY ALMOST IRRESPECTIVE OF CIRCUMSTANCES. THE BIGGEST GROUP OF HUMANITY CAN BE FOUND SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THESE TWO EXTREMES – THE PERENNIAL OVERACHIEVERS AND THE PROFESSIONAL NEVER-DO-WELLS"; meanwhile attys. for Hillary Clinton submit answers under oath to 23 of 25 questions posed to her about her emails by Judicial watch under the FOI Act, using the phrase "I do not remember" 20x. On Oct. 13 after new sexual assault accusers appear on the liberal media, Donald Trump speaks at a rally in West Palm Beach, Fla., where he utters the soundbyte: "These vicious claims about me of inappropriate conduct with women are totally and absolutely false, and the Clintons know it, and they know it very well. These claims are all fabricated. They're pure fiction, and they're outright lies. These events never, ever happened and the people that said them meekly fully understand"; meanwhile First Lady Michelle Obama gives a speech at a Hillary Clinton rally in N.H. blasting Trump for his "demeaning attitude" toward women, with the soundbyte: "The fact is in this election we have a candidate for president of the United States who over the course of his lifetime and the course of this campaign has said things about women that are so shocking, so demeaning, I simply will not repeat anything here today. And last week we saw this candidate actually bragging about sexual assaulting women. I can't believe I'm saying that a candidate for president of the United States has bragged about sexually assaulting women", saying the lewd locker room comments "have shaken me to my core"; too bad, she adds that Trump's locker room talk "wasn't just locker room banter. This was a powerful individual speaking freely and openly about sexually predatory behavior", causing Mike Pence on Oct. 14 to utter the soundbyte: "I don't understand the basis of her claim. Wht he's made clear is that was talk, regrettable talk on his part, but that there were no actions and he's categorically denied these latest unsubstantiated allegations", responding to the question if he personally believes Trump with the soundbyte: "I do believe him. The Donald Trump that I've come to know... is someone who has a long record of not only loving his family, lifting his family up, but employing and promoting women in positions of authority in his company"; meanwhile her hubby Pres. Obama invites the campus anti-gun Cocks Not Glocks group to the White House, bringing their locker room talk with them, which is PC because women are doing it along with men? On Oct. 14 after claiming Russian interference in the U.S. pres. election, U.S. vice-pres. Joe Biden gives an interview to NBC News, saying "We're sending a message" to Russian pres. Vladimir Putin incl. wide-ranging clandestine cyberwar, with the soundbyte: "We have the capacity to do it. It will be at the time of our choosing, and under the circumstances that will have the greatest impact." On Oct. 15 an ISIS suicide bombing in the Shaab neighborhood of N Bagdead kills 35 and injures 3. On Oct. 15 multiple missiles are fired at three U.S. warships in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen, incl. USS Mason, USS Nitze, and USS Ponce; there are no hits. On Oct. 16 (Sun.) the 8th BRICS Summit in Goa, India. On Oct. 16 Kuwait ruler Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah dissolves parliament over security concerns incl. ISIS. On Oct. 16 regional ISIS leader Mehmet Kadir Cabel is killed by police in a raid of his house in Gaziantep, Turkey; meanwhile Syrian rebels recapture the ISIS-held town of Dabiq, Syria, which ISIS believes will be the scene of Armageddon. On Oct. 16 the body of 19-y.-o. raped European Commission lawyer's daughter Maria Ladenburger (b. 1997) (volunteer at a refugee asylum) is found in a river in Freiburg, Germany, causing an outcry leading to the arrest of 17-y.-o. Afghan migrant ?. On Oct. 16 the 2016-7 Battle of Mosul to retake Mosul, Iraq from ISIS in Iraq begins with the Iraqi gov. offensive named Operation We Are Coming, Nineveh, becoming the world's largest single military operation since the 2003 Iraq invasion; it ends next July 20 after 9 mo. 4 days. On Oct. 17 pro-Hillary activist Zulema Rodriguez takes credit for organizing violent protests in Chicago, Ill. that forced Donald Trump to cancel a Mar. rally. On Oct. 17 after WikiLeaks releases another batch of emails about Hillary Clinton, revealing that U.S. undersecy. of state Patrick Kennedy requests that the FBI unclassify one of her emails in a quid pro quo deal with the U.S. State Dept. so that she could go on TV claiming she sent no classified emails, Donald Trump releases a video calling it "proof of corruption at the highest level" and "worse than Watergate",. describing the relationship as "a criminal enterprise" in a rally in Green Bay, Wisc., where he unveils his 5-point Drain the Swamp Plan, incl. a 5-year ban on all executive branch officials lobbying the govt. after leaving service, and closing loopholes for lobbyists. On Oct. 18 Ecuador announces that it's temporarily cutting WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's Internet access at their embassy in London to stop him from "impacting on the U.S. election campaign"; a result of pressure by Obama's stooge John Kerry? On Oct. 19 the Third (last) Clinton-Trump Debate at the U. of Nev. in Las Vegas, Nev. sees Trump blast Hillary for unpunished crimes incl. her email business and the Clinton Foundation, and Hillary sweetly smiling back in lieu of a substantial answer, accusing Trump of using Chinese steel in his hotels and being Vladimir Putin's puppet while waiting for an obviously pre-planned late debate stunt where moderator Chris Wallace asks him if he would accept the results of Hillary were declared the winner, but never asking her that same question, after which the pro-Hillary liberal media jumps on him for not kissing her royal hiney and only saying that he'll wait until the election to decide, and gives her the stage for a pre-planned harangue about him trying to destroy our 240-y.-o. democracy, while forgetting about Al Gore in 2000, with the soundbyte: "Our country has been around for 240 years, and we're a country based on laws, and we have hot, contested elections going back to the very beginning, but one of our hallmarks has always been that we accept the outcomes of our election; Trump utters the soundbyte: "In an email sent to John Podesta on August 17, 2014, Hillary wrote that the governments of Qatar and Saudi Arabia are providing clandestine and financial and logistical support to ISIL. Yet, in that same year, Bill and Hillary accepted a check from Saudi Arabia... So Hillary thinks they are funding ISIS, but still takes their money. And you know their views on gays... and on women... I think she should give back the $25 to $35 million she's taken back from Saudi Arabia, and she should give it back fast", which makes the audience forget its orders to keep silent, booing her and chanting "Lock her up"; Trump accuses Pres. Obama of orchestrating the new military offensive on Mosul only to help Hillary win, even though it's Iran that's the real enemy in Iraq not ISIS, and he gave advance warning to ISIS leaders, allowing them to clear out beforehand; when confronted with the WikiLeaks info. that she dreams of open borders and trade, she lies that she was only talking about energy; all in all few minds were changed? On Oct. 20 a suspected ISIS supporter attacks police in Tangerang, Banten Province, Indonesia, injuring five. On Oct. 20 (eve.) the 2016 Al Smith Dinner at the Chinese-owned Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City sees Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton roast each other, with Hillary saying that she "took a break from my rigorous nap schedule" to attend, saying that since Trump threw away his TelePrompTers he has to translate his speeches from the "original Russian"; too bad, the lighthearted jokes soon turn serious, with Trump uttering the soundbyte: "Hillary is so corrupt, she got kicked off the Watergate Commission. How corrupt do you have to be to get kicked off the Watergate Commission? Pretty corrupt", drawing boos from the audience. On Oct. 21 the Internet of Things Hack takes down large chunks of the Internet. On Oct. 22 U.S. defense secy. Ash Carter arrives in Baghdad, Iraq to meet with military cmdrs. about the operation to retake Mosul from ISIS. On Oct. 22 Egyptian brig. gen. Adel Rajaei (b. 1964) is assassinated outside his home in Oubour City (near Cairo). On Oct. 22 AT&T agrees to buy Time Warner for $85.4B, causing Donald Trump on Oct. 24 to utter the soundbyte: "Donald Trump will break up the new media conglomerate oligopolies that have gained enormous control over our information, intrude into our personal lives, and in this election, are attempting to unduly influence America's political process." On Oct. 23 the Wall Street Journal pub. an article claiming that Hillary Clintn's close ally Terry McAuliffe authorized a $675K payment to Jill McCabe, wife of Andrew McCabe, a top official of the FBI, is who later promoted to deputy dir. and oversees the investigation into her secret server, causing RNC chmn. Reince Priebus to utter the soundbyte: "Given all we know about how the corrupt Clinton machine operates, it's hard not to see this as anything other than a down payment to influence the FBI's criminal investigation into Hillary Clinton's private email server." On Oct. 24 Lashkar-e-Jhangvi jihadists in suicide vests attack a police academy in Quetta, Pakistan killing 59 and injuring 100+. On Oct. 24 the U.S. celebrates a record 11 straight years without a major (Category 3) hurricane striking the mainland. On Oct. 24 leftist filmmaker Michael Moore delivers a speech predicting a Donald Trump win, with the soudnbyte: "Trump's election will be the biggest fuck you in human history." On Oct. 25 fomer U.S. secy. of state Colin Powell endorses Hillary Clinton, becoming the 4th cabinet member of Pres. George W. Bush, saying that Trump is "selling a bill of goods" and is "unqualified", claiming to still be a Repub., reversing an email hacked by WikiLeaks, in which he said that Trump is "a national disgrace", but adds: "I would rather not have to vote for her, although she is a friend I respect. A 70-year person with a long track record, unbridled ambition, greedy, not transformational, with a husband still d---ing bimbos at home." On Oct. 25-Nov. 2 the 112th (2016) World Series sees the 103-58 Chicago Cubs (NL) (who won their last WS in 1908, and last appeared in the 1945 WS) defeat the 94-67 Cleveland Indians (AL) (who won their last WS in 1948, and last appeared in the 1997 WS) 4-3; on Nov. 2 Game 7 sees burned-out pitchers Corey Kluber (Indians) and Aroldis Chapman (Cleveland) give up hit after hit, causing a 6-6 tie in the 9th inning, with Cleveland having the momentum, which is spoiled by a 17-min. rain delay, after which Chicago scores 2 runs in the 9th inning to win - God wanted the Cubs to win? On Oct. 26 U.S. nat. security advisor Susan Rice gives a speech at Am. U, with the soundbyte: "The United States must continue to integrated LGBT rights into our government and foreign policy", praising a new rule announced on Oct. 25 by the U.S. Agency for Internat. Development (USAID) prohibiting discrimination by contractors. On Oct. 27 Russian pres. Vladimir Puttin speaks at the 13th Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi, Russia, uttering the soundbyte; "Does anyone seriously imagine that Russia can somehow influence the American people's choice? America is not some kind of banana republic after all, but is a great power... The United States has plenty of genuinely urgent problems, it would seem, from the colossal public debt to the increase in firearms violence and cases of arbitrary action by the police. You would think that the election debates would concentrate on these and other unresolved problems, but the elite has nothing with which to reassure society, it seems, and therefore attempt to distract public attention by pointing instead to supposed Russian hackers, spies, agents of influence and so forth." On Oct. 28 Moroccan fishmonger Mouchine Fikri is killed by a trash compacter in Hoceima, Morocco while trying to retrieve fish confiscated by police, sparking more protests throughout Morocco over the weekend. On Oct. 28 the official Saudi daily Makkah announces that the Saudi Education Ministry it planning the Immunity educational campaign to "inoculate" schoolchilren against Western ideas incl. liberalism and secularism. On Oct. 28 FBI dir. James Comey sends a letter to Congress announcing the reopening of the Hillary Clinton email after more are discovered on the computer of Anthony Wiener, throwing her campaign staff into a tizzy; RNC chmn. Reince Preibus utters the soundbyte: "The FBI's decision to reopen their criminal investigation into Hillary Clinton's secret email server just 11 days before the election shows how serious this discovery must be. This stunning development raises serious questions about what records may not have been turned over and why, and whether they show intent to violate the law." On Oct. 29 amid allegations that the failed coup in Montenegro was planned in Serbia by Russian spies, Serbian authorities announce the discovery of a weapons stockpile near the residence of PM Aleksandar Vucic, raising tensions. On Oct. 31 25-y.-o. Palestinian Muslim policeman Muhammad 'Abd Al-Khaleq Turkman attacks Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint in Beit El, Israel, injuring three, after which Fatah praises him. On Oct. 31 (499th anniv. of Martin Luther's Nailing of the 95 Theses to the Church Door in Wittenberg) Pope Francis and Lutheran World Federation pres. Mounib Younan sign a concordat calling for a dialogue to pursue full unity - reunion, or sell-out to Satan? On Oct. 31 the comedy horror series Stan Against Evil debuts on IFC for ? episodes (until ?), starring John C. McGinley as Stanley Miller, the former sheriff of a haunted N.H. town built on the site of a mass witch-burning, who was forced to resign after a violent outburst at his wife Claire's funeral, and Janet Varney as new sheriff Evie Barret. In Oct. the Shearer Memo by Clinton friend Cody Shearer is given to the FBI by former British spy Christopher Steele, author of a bogus 35-page anti-Trump dossier. In Oct. DC Comics char. Wonder Woman is announced as the honorary U.N. ambassador for the empowerment of women and girls in accordance with U.N. sustainable development goal #5 ("achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls" adopted in 2015 (fulfillment date 2030); too bad, 1,180 U.N. employees sign a petition protesting the appointment because of Wonder Woman's "overtly sexualized image" that is allegedly not "culturally encompassing or sensitive". In Oct. U.S. unemployment is 4.9% (vs. 5.0% in Sept.), with 161K new jobs; avg. hourly earnings increase 10 cents (0.4%) (2.8% for the year); the report is pub. on Nov. 4. On Nov. 1 Hillary Clinton speaks at a rally in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., going nonlinear at a heckler yelling "Bill Clinton is a rapist", with the fearmongering soundbyte: "I am sick and tired of the negative, dark, divisive, dangerous vision and the anger of people who support Donald Trump"; meanwhile her campaign spends big bucks to saturate the TV with dirty negative ads about Trump? On Nov. 2 Pres. Obama gives an interview to The Tom Moyner Morning Show, begging black voters to turn out for the U.S. pres. election, with the soundbyte: "If you really care about my presidency and what we've accomplished, you are going to go and vote. If we let this thing slip and I've got a situation where my last two months in office are preparing for a transition to Donald Trump, whose staff people have said that their primary agenda is to have him, in the first couple weeks, sit in the Oval Office and reverse every single thing that we've done ... even going on the Tom Joyner cruise won't help me then. If I'm on the cruise, I might jump off." On Nov. 3 Donald Trump speaks at a rally in Selma, N.C., blasting Pres. Obama for campaigning for Hillary Clinton, with the soundbytes: "We are led by stupid people, and one of them is campaigning too much... Why isn't he back in the White House bringing our jobs back?"; meanwhile on Nov. 4 Obama commutes the sentences of 72 more mainly nonviolent drug offenders, bringing the total to 944, incl. 760 this year. On Nov. 3 after kidnapping a 14-y.-o. girl in Tempe, Ariz. in 1986 and serving 14 years, then killing Charles Carver and chaining his babe Kala Brown to a shipping container in a makeshift dungeon for 2 mo. before being found, Fla.-born hi-IQ computer science degree holder and real estate agent Todd Christopher Kohlhepp (1971-) is arrested, and convicted for seven murders in S.C. since 2003, receiving seven consecutive life sentences without parole; on Dec. 10, 2017 he claims to have "more than seven" victims. On Nov. 4 a PKK car bomb near a police HQ in the Kurdish-majority city of Diyarbaki in SE Turkey kills one and injures 30+. On Nov. 5 Donald Trump speaks at a rally in Reno, Nev., where somebody shouts "gun" and he is rushed off the stage by the Secret Service, after which it proves to be a false alarm. On Nov. 5 ISIS releases a video warning Am. Muslims not to vote in the Nov. 8 U.S. pres. election, calling those who do apostates, and calling instead for them to kill all voters. On Nov. 6 FBI dir. James Comey announces that the FBI has not changed its July conclusion to not recommend prosecution of Hillary Clinton for her email habits, pissing-off Donald Trump, who calls this proof that the system is rigged, uttering the soundbyte: "Hillary Clinton is guilty. She knows it, the FBI knows it, the people know it, and now it's up to the American people to deliver justice at the ballot box on November 8th." On Nov. 7 the U.N. Climate Megaconference in Marrakesh, Morocco. On Nov. 7 Dem. gov. Terry McAuliffe uses an autopen to pardon 60K felons just in time to vote for fellow Dem. Hillary Clinton. On Nov. 8 (Tues.) after most pollsters give Hillary Clinton a 90%+ chance of victory, and her people pop champagne corks in the morning, considering a win in the bag, the 2016 U.S. pres. election makes a monkey out of the shamelessly biased pro-Hillary pollsters, with maverick Repub. billionaire Donald John Trump (1946-) and running mate Michael Richard "Mike" Pence (1959-) defeating Dem. establishment candidate Hillary Clinton and running mate Tim Kaine by 306-232 electoral votes (59,131,310 votes to 59,293,071), winning every battleground state (Fla., Iowa, Mich., N.C., Ohio, Penn., Wisc.) and 3,084 of 3,141 U.S counties despite Hillary raising $521M and spending $237M on TV ads and $42M on hundreds of staffers, vs. $270M spent by Trump; Trump becomes the oldest person to be elected to a first term as U.S. pres. (vs. 69-y.-o. Ronald Reagan in 1980); the first time that three U.S. presidents are born the same year (Bill Clinton, George W. Bush); the 5th U.S. pres. born in New York (Martin Van Buren, Millard Fillmore, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt), and 2nd born in New York City (Theodore Roosevelt); 4th U.S. pres. to win despite losing his home state (James K. Polk, Woodrow Wilson, Richard Nixon); during the night of Nov. 8/9 the Canadian govt. immigration Web site crashes; the Repubs. gain control of the U.S. Senate and U.S. House along with the White House for the first time since 1929; no surprise, after the newly-exposed biased liberal media kept asking Trump if he would accept a win by Hillary, there are massive anti-Trump protests around the U.S. by diehard leftists, along with secession movements in Calif. and Tex., and petitions asking the Electoral College to pick Clinton anyway. On Nov. 10 (11:00 a.m.) pres.-elect Donald Trump meets with Pres. Obama for 1-1/2 hours in the White House, after which Obama calls the meeting "excellent", with the soundbyte: "As I said last night my number one priority in the coming two months is trying to facilitate a transition that ensures our president-elect is successful. I have been very encouraged by the, I think, interest in President-elect Trump's wanting to work with my team around many of the issues that this great country faces, and I believe that it is important for all of us, regardless of party and regardless of political preferences to now come together, to work together... I want to emphasize to you as president-elect that we are now going to want to do everything to help you succeed because if you succeed the country succeeds"; too bad, after influence by Trump-hating Michelle Obama, the traditional photo-op with the two first couples outside the White House S entrance is cancelled; Obama warns Trump not to hire retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn because of recurring connections with Russia, which Trump ignores, ending up firing him 24 days later. On Nov. 8 the 2016 Washington, D.C. statehood referendum sees 86% of voters (244K out of 284K) vote to advise the city council to petition Congress to admit the District of Columbia as the 51st state. On Nov. 10 the U.S. stock market zooms to an all-time high, with the Dow Jones Industrial Avg. rising 163.30 points (0.9%) to 18,752.99 (beating the Aug. 15 record), the Standard and Poor 500 Index rising 0.9% to 2,181.50, and banks rising 3.7%. On Nov. 12 a Taliban suicide bomber dressed as a worker denotes at the NATO Bagram Air Base N of Kabul, Afghanistan, killing four Americans and injuring 17 incl. a Polish soldier. On Nov. 12, 2016 5'3" small-time drug dealer James Dale Ritchie (b. 1976) is killed in a shootout with the police after murdering 5+ victims with his Colt Python since July 3. On Nov. 13 (Sun.) Donald Trump appoints Stephen K. Bannon as White House chief strategist and senior counselor, and RNC chmn. Reince Priebus as White House chief of staff; the Bannon appointment really pisses-off the liberal media because of his anti-Islamic stance, which they turn into white supremacist; meanwhile Trump announces that he will only take a $1/year salary as U.S. pres. On Nov. 13 France marks the first anniv. of the Paris Muslim attacks; the Bataclan Theater reopens with a concert by Sting; two members of the band Eagles of Death Metal are prevented from entering because they dared to criticize Islam; the last song of the concer is "Insh' Allah" (If Allah Wills). On Nov. 14 Pres. Obama gives his first press conference since the election, flopping about Donald Trump being unfit for office but never admitting that he has the right temperament to be trusted with the nuclear codes, with the soundbytes: "There are going to be certain aspects of his temperament that will not serve him well unless he recognizes them"; "Reality has a way of asserting itself"; "I don't think he is ideological. I think ultimately he's pragmatic, in that way. And that can serve him well", "It will be up to him to set up a team that he thinks will serve him well and reflect his policies", and he should "try to send some signals of unity and reach out to minority groups or women or others that were concerned about the tenor of the campaign." On Nov. 14 a Supermoon occurs as the full Moon is the closest to Earth since 1948; next in 2034. On Nov. 14 after Stockholm's leftist politicians implement a "gender-equal" system of snow removal during the prior week, which ends in disaster, incl. a 4x increase in broken bones from slip-and-fall, vice-mayor Daniel Hellden of the Green Party apologizes. On Nov. 15 lame duck Pres. Obama visits Greece, followed on Nov. 17 by Germany, using his platform in a final push to open Europe to mass Muslim immigration, uttering the soundbyte beside German chancellor Angela Merkel: "Voting matters, organizing matters, and being informed on the issues matter", advising people to not remain "silent" but to go on and protest Trump. On Nov. 15 the U.S. Congress passes the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2016, a package of sanctions against the regime of Syrian pres. Bashar al-Assad, sending a strong message to the Trump admin.; meanwhile the House passes a 10-year extension to the Iran Sanctions Act. On Nov. 15 the U.S. Geological Survey announces the discovery of the Wolfcamp Shale in C Tex., with an estimated 20B barrels of oil and 1.6B barrels of natural gas, becoming the largest untapped oil reserves in the U.S. On Nov. 17 Donald Trump appoints U.S. lt. gen. Michael Thomas "Mike" Flynn (1958-), former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) (a registered Dem.) as U.S. nat. security advisor #25; he ends up serving just 24 days, Jan. 20-Feb. 13, 2017. On Nov. 17 French fashion designer Sophie Theallet (1964-) pub. a Tweet announcing that she will refuse to "dress" new First Lady Melania Trump like she does Michelle Obama, saying that her "brand stands against all discrimination and prejudice" - except hers? On Nov. 18 Donald Trump settles the lawsuits against over defunct Trump U. for $25M, without admitting guilt. On Nov. 18 (eve.) Mike Pence attends a performance of the Broadway musical Hamilton at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway, getting booed by the audience; at the end Brandon Victor Dixon, who plays Aaron Burr addresses him from the stage, with the soundbyte: "We, sir, we are the diverse America who are alarmed and anxious that your new administration will not protect us, our planet, our children, our parents or defend us and uphold our inalienable rights, sir." On Nov. 19 Pres. Andrzei Duda and the Roman Catholic bishops of Poland declare Jesus Christ as the king of Poland in a ceremony at the Church of Divine Mercy in Cracow, calling upon him to rule over their nation; meanwhile Pope Francis elevates Detroit, Mich.-born archbishop of Indianapolis, Ind. (since 2012) Joseph William Tobin (1952-) to cardinal as a "surprise pick" and "political message" because he's a critic of Ind. gov. Mike Pence, who wants to bar Syrian refugees from the state; in 2017 he moves to Newark, N.J. On Nov. 22 (Who Killed Kennedy Day) Donald Trump meets with reps of the liberal biased mainstream media, incl. CNN head Jeff Zucker, Meet the Press host Chuck Todd, Hillary lover George Stephanopoulos, Wolf Bltzer, Martha Raddatz, Gayle King, and Lester Holt, dressing them down for attempting to throw the election to Hillarious Clownton, telling Zucker: "I hate your network. Everyone at CNN is a liar, and you should be ashamed." On Nov. 23 after a bad drought that began in 2007, the Great E Tenn. Wildfire of 2016 in the Great Smoky Mts. begins, threatening Gatlinburg et al.; ends ? On Nov. 24 (Thur.) (Thanksgiving) U.S. Navy senior chief petty officer Scott Cooper Dayton (b. 1974) is KIA by an IED in Syria, becoming the first U.S. service member KIA in Syria since the war against ISIS began. On Nov. 24 brushfires in Haifa, Israel cause thousands to flee, causing suspicions of Palestinian arson. Castro couldn't bear facing The Donald so he checked out? On Nov. 25 Cuban dictator (since Jan. 1, 1959) Fidel Castro (b. 1926) croaks in Havana, sparking massive celebrations in Little Havana, Miami, Fla.; Pres. Obama utters the soundbyte: "Fidel Castro was a larger than life leader who served his people for almost half a century... Both Mr. Castro's supporters and detractors recognized his tremendous dedication and love for the Cuban people, who had a deep and lasting affection for 'El Commandante'. I know my father was very proud to call him a friend, and I had the opportunity to meet Fidel when my father passed away", which Fla. Repub. Sen. Marco Rubo blasts as "a pathetic statement on the death of a dictator... with no mention of thousands he killed and imprisoned"; U.S. pres.-elect Donald Trump utters the soundbyte: "Today, the world marks the passing of a brutal dictator who oppressed his own people for nearly six decades. Fidel Castro's legacy is one of firing squads, theft, unimaginable suffering, poverty and the denial of fundamental human rights." On Nov. 27 (Sun.) the 2017 French pres. primary runoff is a V for centrist former PM (2007-12) Francois Charles Amand Fillon (1954-) (fast car lover) over Alan Juppe; his patriotism and opposition to more Muslim immigration takes votes from Marine Le Pen's Nat. Front? On Nov. 27 the first ISIS attack on Israel sees Israel retaliate with an air strke, killing four ISIS terrorists on the Golan Heights. On Nov. 28 (9:52 a.m. EST) 18-y.-o. Muslim Somali refugee student Abdul Razak Ali Artan (b. 1998) stages a car-knife killing spree on the gun-free campus of Ohio State U., injuring nine before being shot dead by police; Donald Trump tweets the soundbyte that he "should not have been in our country" - did anybody hear an Allah Akbar? On Nov. 28 a chartered plane en route from Brazil to Medellin, Colombia carrying most of the Cinderella Chapecoense soccer team crashes, killing 71 of 77 aboard after a mechanical or electrical failure. On Nov. 28 former U.S. pres. Jimmy Carter pub. an op-ed in the New York Times, urging lame duck Pres. Obama to join 137 countries and recognize the fake Muslim jihadist state of Palestine, with the soundbyte: "I fear for the spirit of Camp David. We must not squander this chance." On Nov. 29 Carrier Corp. announces that it has reached a deal with Trump to save 1.1K jobs in Indianapolis, Ind., causing Trump and Pence to visit them on Dec. 1. On Nov. 30 predominantly Christian Slovakia passes a law banning Islam as an officially recognized religion, preventing it from receiving state subsidies. In Nov. Denver, Colo. becomes the first U.S. city to legalize social marijuana use. On Dec. 1 U.S. pres.-elect Donald T. Rump, er, Donald J. Trump holds his first thank-you rally in Cincinnati, Ohio, announcing his appointment of James "Mad Dog" Mathis as U.S. defense secy., uttering the soundbyte "We shattered that blue wall". On Dec. 1 Am. Muslim Yasmin Seweid (1998-), a student at Baruch College claims to be attacked on a New York City subway by three white men, who told her "you don't belong here" and called her hijab a "rag"; on Dec. 14 after it is exposed as a hoax, police arrest her for filing a false report. On Dec. 2 U.S. pres.-elect Donald Trump speaks on the telephone with Taiwan pres. Tsai Ing-wen, pissing-off the Chinese, who lodge a protest with the U.S. On Dec. 3 the $2.6B electric attack sub USS Colorado (SSN-788) is launched, and commissioned on Mar. 17, 2018; its flag looks like the Denver Broncos? On Dec. 4 after the Pizzagate conspiracy theory spreads on the Internet, based on emails by John Podesta leaked by WikiLeaks, claiming a pedophile ring in the Dem. Party (incl. the Clintons), 28-y.-o. Edgar Welch (1988-) from Salisbury, N.C. fires three shots at the Comet Ping Pong restaurant in Washington, D.C. with an AR-15-style assault rifle. On Dec. 5 after his proposed consitutional changes are rejected, becoming a D for the EU, Italian PM #56 (since Feb. 22, 2014) Matteo Renzi (b. 1975) announces his resignation; meanwhile Italian actress Paola Saulino (1989-) goes on her Pompa (It. "pump") Tour to keep her promise of giving beejays to those who voted no. On Dec. 6 German chancellor Angela Merkel tries to damp moves by her own party to oust her for her Muslim immigration policy by announcing that she wants to ban burqas. On Dec. 6 Repub. lawmakers call on the Obama admin. to reverse the "unprecedented" decision to hide details of a transfer agreement for 2.4K assorted Muslim refugees that Australia doesn't want. On Dec. 6 Donald Trump announces a deal with Softbank Group CEO Masayoshi Son to invest up to $50B in the U.S., creating 50K new jobs in telecommunications. On Dec. 6 Pres. Obama gives a Final Speech on Islam at MacDill AFB in Tampa, Fla., making his last effort to make America accept Muslims by disregarding their horrible religion's dictates and history, or judging their ideology incl. jihad and Sharia, with the soundbytes: "We are fighting terrorists who claim to fight on behalf of Islam, but they do not speak for over a billion Muslims around the world. And they do not speak for American Muslims, including many who wear the uniform of the United States of America's military. If we stigmatize good patriotic Muslims, that just feeds the terrorist narrative. It fuels the same false grievances that they use to motivate people to kill"; :If we act like this is a war between the United States and Islam, we;re not just going to lose more Americans to terrorist attacks, but we'll also lose sight of the very principles we claim to defend... So let me final words to you as your commander in chief, be a reminder of what it is you're fighting for, what it is that we are fighting for. The United States of America is not a country that imposes religious tests as a price for freedom. We;re a country that was founded so that people could practice their faiths as they choose. The United States of America is not a place where some citizens have to withstand greater scrutiny or carry a special ID card or prove that they're not an enemy from within"; "We;re a country that has bled and struggled and sacrificed against that kind of discrimination and arbitrary rule, here in our own country and around the world. We're a nation that believes freedom can never be taken for granted, and that each of us has a responsibility to sustain it. The universal right to speak your mind and to protest against authority, to live in a society that's open and free, that can criticize a president without retribution. A country where you're judged by the content of your character rather than what you look like, or how you worship, or what your last name is, or where your family came from. That's what separates us from tyrants and terrorists." On Dec. 7 the 75th anniv. of the Pearl Harbor attack is the last major observance. On Dec. 7 Time mag. names Donald Trump their 2016 Person of the Year; in 2015 he was runner-up to German chancellor Angela Merkel. On Dec. 9 a bomb attack near the pyramids in Giza, Egypt at a police checkpoint kills six policemen; on Dec. 12 an explotion at a Coptic cathedral in Cairo kills 22 and injures 35. On Dec. 10 (10:30 p.m.) two explosions in central Istanbul, Turkey outside Besiktas Stadium kill 13+ and injure dozens. On Dec. 10 less than two weeks after OPEC members agree to oil production cuts (486K barrels/day), Russia et al. agree in Vienna to join OPEC nations to oil output cuts of 558K barrels/day in an attempt to raise drooping oil prices, which fell below $30/barrel last winter. On Dec. 11 a bipartisan group of U.S. senators incl. Repubs. John McCain and Lindsey Graham, and Dems. Chuck Schumer and Jack Reed call for a congressional probe into whether Russia influences the U.S. pres. election for Trump, whose team replies: "These are the same people that said Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. The election ended a long time ago in one of the biggest Electoral College victories in history. It's now time to move on and Make America Great Again." On Dec. 12 U.S. secy. of state John Kerry secretly meets with PLO exec secy. Saeb Erekat and Palestinian intel chief Majid Faraj on the upcoming U.N. resolution against Israel; on Dec. 13 U.S. nat. security advisor Susan Rice meets with them, followed by reps of the secys. of state and homeland security, and dir. of the CIA, agreeing "to cooperate in drafting a resolution on the settlements", which becomes U.N. Security Council Resolution 2334 of Dec. 23; on Dec. 27 after Kerry, Pres. Obama et al. deny any collusion, the Egyptian daily Al-Youm Al-Sabi' releases minutes of the meetings. On Dec. 13 Aleppo, Syria falls to the forces of Bashar al-Assad, who commit atrocities incl. mass executions and burning children alive. On Feb. 14 a planned closed briefing of the U.S. House Intelligence Committee briefing by the U.S. intel community incl. the CIA, FBI, NSA, and dir. of nat. intel on allegations of Russian interference in the U.S. election is cancelled, pissing them off, with U.S. rep. (R-N.Y) Peter King uttering the soundbyte: "Somebody has the time to leak it to The Washington Post and The New York Times, but they don't have the time to come to Congress. It's their job to come. They don't have any choice. They have to come in, especially when they have created this." On Dec. 15 the Chinese navy seizes a U.S. Navy drone in the South China sea 175 nmi. NW of Subic Bay, Philippines. On Dec. 15 sore loser Hillary Clinton makes her first public comments that she won't dispute the election results NOT, with the soundbyte that Russian pres. Vladimir attempted to "undermine our democracy" because he had a "personal beef" with her, claiming "It's part of a long-term strategy to cause us to doubt ourselves" - your endless lies don't? On Dec. 16 (early a.m.) 40 jihadists attack a military post in N Burkina Faso 19 mi. from the Malian border, killing 11 soldiers and one gendarme. On Dec. 16 First Lady Michelle Obama gives her final White House interview to Oprah Winfrey, putting a bookend on her 2008 remarks that "For the first time in my adult life I am proud of my country because it feels like hope is finally making a comeback", with the soundbyte: "Now we're feeling what not having hope feels like. Hope is necessary", adding that she wishes that a "grownup" should be in charge of the country instead of you know who. On Dec. 16 Pres. Obama gives his last press conference of 2016, accusing Russian pres. Vladimir Putin of cyberattacks attempting to interfere with the U.S. election, claiming that when he told him in Sept. to "cut it out" they stopped, hampering Dem. efforts to sway Repub. electors against Trump. On Dec. 16 Pres. Obama signs the U.S. Frank R. Wolf Internat. Religious Freedom Act, amending the 1998 U.S. Religious Freedom Act to to protect atheists and non-theists. On Dec. 18 Ariz. Repub. RINO Sen. John McCain gives an interview to CNN's "State of the Union", claiming that Russian hacking of the 2016 election threatens to "destroy democracy" - duh, how many votes did Putin get? Is he calling for war? On Dec. 18 Jordanian security forces free tourists trapped inside the Crusder-era Kerak Castle in Jordan after a shootout with Islamists that kills nine. On Dec. 18 an 8-y.-o. girl suicide bomber detonates at a police station in Damascus, Syria, killing her and injuring one policeman. On Dec. 19 after calls by the Dems. to ignore the vote counts and blame the Russians for rigging the election to vote for Hillary instead of Trump, the U.S. Electoral College votes for Trump anyway by 304 vs. 227 for Clinton; four electors in Wash. flop on Clinton, voting for Colin Powell, and one votes for environmental activist Faith Spotted Eagle of S.D.; two Repub. electors in Tex. flop on Trump; one Dem. elector in Hawaii flops on Clinton, voting for Bernie Sanders; one elector in Colo. tries to vote for John Kasich, but it backfires. On Dec. 19 snow falls in the Sahara Desert in Ain Sefra, Algeria, becoming the first time since Feb. 1979. On Dec. 19 Miriam-Webster announces its word of the year as "surreal" (referring to the 2016 pres. election victory of Donald Trump), which beat out Donald Trump's "bigly" (he really said "big league"?) and Hillary Clinton's "deplorable". On Dec. 19 the cover of Nat. Geographic features Avery Jackson (2007-), who lived as a boy until 2012, becoming their first transgender cover model. On Dec. 19 (eve.) Russian ambassador to Turkey (since July 12, 2013) Andrei (Andrey) Gennadyevich Karlov (b. 1954) is shot in the back and killed while delivering a speech at an art gallery in Ankara, Turkey by off-duty Islamist Turkish pig, er, police offer Mevlut Mert Altintas, who yells "Don't forget Aleppo" and "Allahu Akbar"; Russia calls it a terrorist act. On Dec. 19 (8:02 p.m. local time) Tunisian Islamist Anis Amri (b. 1992) plows a rented Polish-registered truck into the largest Christmas market in Breitscheidplatz Square near the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin, Germany, killing 12 and injuring 56; the suspected driver is arrested nearby, then released, and another person is found dead in the cab; ISIS claims responsibility; on Dec. 23 Amri is killed by police in Sesto San Giovanni, Milan, Italy; Pres. Obama protected Amri for months before the attack? On Dec. 22 the Obama admin. announces the scrapping of the Nat. Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEER) for immigrant men from predominantly Muslim countries, which they stopped using in 2011. On Dec. 23 (one hour before Sabbath on the U.S. East Coast) after Egypt withdraws it under pressure from Israel, and the backstabbing Obama admin. breaks with tradition and abstains, giving the green light, the U.N. Security Council votes 14-0-1 (incl. New Zealand, Malaysia, Senegal, and Venezuela) to adopt U.N. Security Council Resolution 2334, demanding an end to Israeli settlements in E Jerusalem, affecting 500K, standing and applauding afterwards to rub it in, pissing-off Donald Trump, who tweets: "As to the U.N., things will be different after Jan. 20th"; on Dec. 24 Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu calls it a "shameful ambush"; Am. Jewish leader Alan Dershowitz finally turns on Obama, calling him the worst president ever, with the soundbyte: "He called me into the Oval Office before the election and said to me, 'Alan, I want your support. And I have to tell you, I will always have Israel's back.' I didn't realize that what he meant was that he'd... stab them in the back"; U.S. Sen. (R-S.C.) (2003-) Lindsey Graham, chmn. of the Subcommittee on Foreign Operations of the Senate Appropriations Committee utters the soundbyte that Obama "has gone from naive and foolish to flat-out reckless", adding: "With friends like these, Israel doesn't need any enemies", threatening to defund the U.N.; the first time a U.S. pres. abstains on a U.N. anti-Israel resolution during his last month in office; on Jan. 16 Trump gives an interview to Steve Kroft of 60 Minutes, admitting that he ordered the abstention vote, with the soundbyte: "I don't think it caused a major rupture in relations between the United States and Israel. If you're saying that Prime Minister Netanyahu got fired up, he's been fired up repeatedly during the course of my presidency." On Dec. 23 Donald Trump pub. a letter he received from Vladimir Putin dated Dec. 15, containing the wish that he hopes to "bring our level of collaboration on the international scene to a qualitatively new level", praising him with the soundbyte "His thoughts are so correct"; on Dec. 23 Putin holds a press conference, dissing Hillary and the Dems. for blaming their loss on Russian hacking, calling them sore losers and adding that FDR would be turning in his grave. On Dec. 24 Nigerian pres. Muhammadu Buhari announces that the jihadist group Boko Haram has been driven from its last forest stronghold and is on the run, with no place to hide. On Dec. 24-25 (weekend) a surge in gang violence in Chicago, Ill. sees 27 shot and 12 killed. On Dec. 25 (2:00 a.m.) a gang of seven Muslim immigrant youths from Libya and Syria set a 37-y.-o. homeless sleeping man on fire in the Schoenleinstrasse underground station; luckily, a train driver uses a fire extinguisher to save him. On Dec. 26 Pope Francis gives his Feast of St. Stephen blessing in St. Peter's Square, uttering the soundbyte that there are more Christian martyrs now than in the early days of the Church. On Dec. 27 Pres. Obama and Japanese PM Shinzo Abe visit the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, becoming the first visit by a Japanese leader since the Dec. 7, 1941 attack. On Dec. 28 U.S. secy. of state John Kerry gives a 70-min. 9,490-word speech defending the U.S. decision to stab Israel in the back in the U.N., with the excuse that friends must tell each other hard truths and that a 2-state solution is the "only way to ensure Israel's future as a Jewish and democratic state", dissing Benjamin Natanyahu and his coalition as "the most right-wing in Israel's history, with an agenda driven by the most extreme elements", adding that Israel can either be Jewish or democratic, but not both - in which case democracy-hating world domination Muslims will only enhance democracy by mass immigration to not only Israel but the entire West? On Dec. 28 Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu issues a reply to Kerry's speech, calling it "almost as unbalanced" as the U.N. resolution, with the soundbytes: "Israelis do not need to be lectured about the importance of peace by foreign leaders. Israel's hand has been extended in peace to its neighbors from day one, from its very first day. We've prayed for peace, we've worked for it every day since then"; "In a speech ostensibly about peace between Israelis and Palestinians, Secretary Kerry paid lip service to the unremitting campaign of terrorism that has been waged by the Palestinians against the Jewish state for nearly a century. What he did was spend most of his speech blaming Israel for the lack of peace, by passionately condemning a policy of enabling Jews to live in their history homeland, and in their eternal capital Jerusalem"; "Hundreds of suicide bombings, thousands, tens of thousands of rockets, millions of Israelis in bomb shelters are not throwaway lines in a speech. They are the realities that the people of Israel had to endure because of mistaken policies, policies that at the time won the thunderous applause of the world"; he then angles for future partnership with pro-Israel pres. Trump, with the soundbytes: "Our alliance is based on shared values, shared interests, a sense of shared destiny, and a partnership that has endured differences of opinions between our two governments over the best way to advance peace and stability in the Middle East"; "I have no doubt that our alliance will endure the profound disagreement we have had with the Obama administration, and will become even stronger in the future." On Dec. 28 the Obama admin. announces the 1.35M-acre Bear Ears Nat. Monument in SE Utah and the 300K-acre Gold Butte Nat. Monument near Las Vegas, Nev. On Dec. 30 the lame duck Obama admin. expels 35 Russian diplomats from the U.S. plus other actions to punish Russia for allegedly hacking the U.S. pres. election; Vladimir Putin responds that he won't retaliate because the lame duck is almost gone and he can better reason with new pres. Trump. In Dec. six black teenies, some of them related gang-rape a 13-y.-o. girl in the Stonebrook Terrace Apts. in Colorado Springs, Colo., rendering her unable to bear children; Tyron Williams is sentenced to 10 years to life; too bad, rapists Tommy and Clarence Williams are only sentenced to probation, causing a public outcry. In Dec. Ariz. Sheriff Joe Arpaio reveals that Obama's alleged long form birth certificate was copied from that of Johanna Ah'nee. In Dec. U.S. unemployment is 4.7% (vs. 4.6% in Nov.), with 156K new jobs created, incl. 17K in manufacturing, which drop by 45K over the year from 12.32M to 12.275M, while govt. jobs grow 12K from 22.211M to 22.223M. The New Oxford Ed. of Shakespeare gives Christopher Marlowe credit for co-writing the Henry VI trilogy with William Shakeseare. The Mormon Church releases the first photos of the magic stone allegedly used by Joseph Smith to translate the sacred text of the Book of Mormon, a brown egg-sized rock - and it won't talk? Canadian clinical psychologist Jordan Bernt Peterson (1962-) begins releasing videos on YouTube criticizing Marxist-driven political correctness incl. Canadian Bill C-16 and white privilege, causing a firestorm of controversy and making him a celeb. Architecture: On June 1 Gotthard Base Tunnel in Switzerland opens with a bizarre Satanic ceremony?; it will reach speeds of 250 km/hr and cut 1 hour off the travel time between Milan and Zurich, saving 1M trucks a year doing the same job; it took 17 years to build. On Sept. 10 Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (cap. 18.6K) opens as the home of the NHL Edmonton Oilers. On Sept. 24 Pres. Obama dedicates the Smithsonian Institution's Nat. Museum of African Am. History and Culture on the Nat. Mall in Washington, D.C. (opened Dec. 19, 2003), featuring the Contemplative Court, complete with a cylindrical fountain raining down from a skylight to the center of the room. The Louvre Abu Dhabi in UAE opens. The 5.5M sq. ft. Tesla Gigafactory near Sparks, Nev. opens. Sports: In Jan. a delegation from Middle Eastern countries Israel, Iran, Libya, Sudan, and Saudi Arabia arrives in Switzerland to lobby the Internat. Olympic Committee to make camel racing an Olympic sport, with Internat. Camel Racing Federation (ICRAC) chmn. Sheikh Jamaal bin Tamim Al Thani of Qatar uttering the soundbyte: "Camel racing is hugely popular across nearly 40 countries that together account for over two billion people... It's blatant discrimination that obscure, colonial sports like Badminton have a spot, and not our ancient sport." On Feb. 3 robot golfer LDRIC (named after Eldrick "Tiger" Woods) hits a hole-in-one on the 16th hole of the Waste Management Phoenix Open in Scottsdale, Ariz. On Feb. 17 after comparing gay sex to animals, boxing champ Manny Pacquaio is fired by Nike from his endorsement contract (begun 2006), joining Lance Amstrong, Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson, and Oscar Pistorius. On Feb. 21 the 2016 (58th) Daytona 500 is won by Joe Gibbs Racing driver (#11) James Dennis Alan "Denny" Hamlin (1980-), who beats Denver Furniture Row driver (#78) Martin Lee Truex Jr. (1980-) by 0.011 sec, closest in Daytona 500 history (until ?). On Mar. 7 Denver Broncos QB Peyton Manning announces his retirement, with a record 539 TD passes, 71,940 passing yards, and 200 wins; he wears black high-top shoes to honor his hero Johnny Unitas, and ends with the exclamation "Omaha!" In the spring NFL and college football players begin using the new Zero1 Football Helmet, designed to reduce the risk of concussions. On June 27-July 10 the 2016 (130th) Wimbledon Championships see two-time defending champ Novak Djokovic lose in the 3rd round to Sam Querrey, ending a 30-match Grand Slam winning streak along with his hopes of becoming the first man to achieve the golden calendar slam; Andy Murray goes on to win the gentleman's singles title, and Serena Williams defends her ladies' singles title, equalling Steffi graf's record of 22 major singles titles in the Open Era. On Aug. 26 (Fri.) during a preseason game against the Green Bay Packers in Santa Clara, Calif., San Francisco 49ers biracial QB Colin Kaepernick (known for practicing in cop pig socks) refuses to stand for the U.S. nat. anthem, with the soundbyte: "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder", stirring a firestorm of controversy, after which Jeremy Lane of the Seattle Seahawks sits during the anthem before a preseason game on Sept. 1, Brandon Marshall of the Denver Broncos kneels during the anthem during the season opener against the Carolina Panthers on Sept. 8, Marcus Peters of the Kansas City Chiefs stands for the anthem before the season opener on Sept. 11 against the San Diego Chargers while raising his right fist, and four Dolphins players incl. RB Arian Foster kneel before the entire Seattle Seahwaks team stands while linking arms for the nat. anthem before their season opener against the Miami Dolphins. On Sept. 12 the NCAA announces that it is relocated seven championship events from N.C. during the 2016-17 academic yedar in protest of its public potty law - I don't give a shit? On Sept. 28 after signing with the New York Mets, former football star Tim Tebow hits a homer with his first pitch and first at-bat in an instructional league game against the St. Louis Cardinals in St. Lucie, Fla. thrown by 6'5" lefty pitcher John Kilichoswki. In Sept. the USA Gymnastics Sex Abuse Scandal breaks, with over 150 nat. gymnastics team members incl. Jeanette Antolin, Simone Billes, Jamie Dantzscher, Rachael Denhollander, Gabby Douglas, Maggie Nichols, Aly Raisman, and Jordyn Wieber blowing the whistle on team osteopathic physician Larry Gerard Nassar (1963-) for sexual abuse by massaging their immature sex organs under the guise of medical treatment; in Mar. 2017 USA Gymnastics pres. Steve Penny resigns; in Dec. 2016 the FBI finds 37K child porno images on his computer, pleading guilty on July 22, 2017 to federal child porno charges, after which on Dec. 7, 2017 he is sentenced to 60 years in prison; on Nov. 22 and Nov. 29, 2017 he pleads guilty to 10 charges of sexual assault; on Jan. 24, 2018 after days of witch, er, hunt-style victim impact statements, he is sentenced to 40-175 more years in prison; meanwhile USA Gymnastics and Mich. State U. are sued while avoiding criminal charges - he never actually raped anybody, hence he should have received only 1 year in jail plus probation, with the child porno sentence ditto, but women like to make themselves and children into victims and have men burned at the stake, and the PC press ate it up? On Oct. 16 85-y.-o. Ed Whitlock runs a record 3:56:33.2 at the Scotiabank Waterfront Marathon in Toronto, Canada. On Dec. 25 (Sun.) after starting them on a losing streak with an OT field goal on Nov. 27, the 8-6 Denver Broncos' playoff chances are ended by their rival the 10-4 Kansas City Chiefs when 345 lb. nose tackle (#92) Dontari Poe (1990-) tricks the defense into thinking he's going to try a QB sneak and instead pooches the ball to Demetrius Harris, becoming the largest player in NFL history to throw a TD pass (until ?), and the first to record a sack and a TD in the same season. In the 2016 NFL season all stadiums are required to have metal detectors for fans. Nobel Prizes: Peace: Juan Manuel Santos Calderon (Calderón) (1951-) (Colombia) [peace treaty with FARC guerrillas]; Lit.: Bob Dylan (Robert Allen Zimmerman) (1941-) (U.S.) ["for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition"]; Physics: David James Thouless (1934-) (Britain), Frederick Duncan Michael Haldane (1952-) (Britain), and John Michael Kosterlitz (1943-) (Britain/U.S.) [topological phase transitions and phases of matter in condensed matter physics]; Chem.: Jean-Pierre Sauvage (1944-) (France), Sir James Fraser Stoddart (1942-) (U.S.), and Bernard Lucas "Ben" Feringa (1951) (Netherlands) [design and synthesis of molecular machines]. Med.: Yoshinori Ohsumi (1945-) (Japan) [mechanisms for autophagy]; Econ.: Oliver Simon D'Arcy Hart (1948-) (Britain/U.S.) and Bengt Robert Holmstrom (Holmström) (1949-) (Finland) [contract theory]. Inventions: The dawn of the Drone Age? On Jan. 7 the U.S. Air Force Intranet Control (AFINC) Weapon System at Peterson AFB, Colo. becomes the first cyberspace weapon to attain full operational capability. On Mar. 9-15 the AlphaGo AI computer program by DeepMind Technologies defeats world 9-dan prof. Go champ Lee Sedol in five games at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul, South Korea, proving that people are too stupid to beat computers in fixed-rules games; on Mar. 13 after figuring out its weakness, Sedol wins game #5, but resigns in game #5, losing the match 4-1; in 2017 AlphaGo defeats world Go champ Ke Jie in three games; Deepmind then retires AlphaGo and sells it to Google, developing AlphaGo Zero and AlphaZero; the documentary film AlphaGo by Greg Kohs is released on Sept. 29, 2017. On Mar. 15 Nike announces the first power-lacing sneaker, complete with anti-clog traction, in time to fulfill the prophesy in the 1989 film "Back to the Future Part II"; meanwhile after a patent suit filed by Segway, the U.S. Internat. Trade Commission (ITC) bans "personal transporters" (hoverboards). On Mar. 25 Microsoft apologizes for its Twitter AI chatbot Tay after users feed it with pro-Hitler material and it begins spewing it back. On Apr. 27 SpaceX announces plans to land a 6-ton spacecraft on the surface of Mars, exceeding NASA's Curiosity in size (.9 tons). On May 22 the 227.7K GT 362.12m Oasis-class cruise ship MS Harmony of the Seas makes its maiden voyage, becoming the world's largest passenger ship (until ?). In July the Airbus E-Fan 1.2 electric hybrid experimental airliner debuts at the AirVenture air show; too bad, the FAA won't allow it to fly. On Sept. 8 (23:05 GMT) the $800M NASA Lockheed-Martin OSIRIS-Rex (Origins, Spectral Instrumentation, Resources Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer) spacecraft launches from Cape Canaveral on a mission to the Bennu asteroid to retrieve 60g of surface material by 2023, becoming the first NASA mission to a near-Earth asteroid to collect samples. On Oct. 24 Microsoft introduces the Surface Studio desktop PC, upstaging Apple for once. On Nov. 19 NASA launches the GOES-R Weather Satellite, which promises to revolutionize forecasting with continuous high-definition views of storms over the Western Hemisphere. Russia launches Luna 25 to the Moon, followed by Luna 26 in 2018, and Luna 27 in 2019. NATO launches its Very High Readiness Joint Task Force, headed by Spain. The SpacexX Falcon 9 rocket launches, landing on the Moon and leaving a special Lunar Dream time capsule containing a can of Pocan Sweat sports drink, becoming the first ad on the Moon, waiting for future lunar explorers to open it and mix it with water and enjoy it. China's Commerical Aircraft Corp. begins producing the 156-seat C919 to compete with the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320. IntelligentX Beer Co. of London, England uses AI (artificial intelligence) and user feedback to improve their products. Flash storage becomes cheaper than disk storage. Sports: On Apr. 4 the 2016 NCAA Men's Div. I Basketball Championship Game sees the 34-5 Villanova Wildcats defeat the 33-6 North Carolina Tar Heels by 77-74 after short black guy Marcus Taylor Paige (1993-) of N.C. sinks two 3-pointers to tie with 4.7 sec. remaining, and short white guy Ryan Arcidiacono (1994-) draws the Tar Heels defenders after him while setting up big black guy Kris Jenkins (1993-), who sinks the winning 3-pointer at the buzzer (the Nova play), becoming Villanova's first nat. championship since 1985; former N.C. star Michael Jordan is in the audience. On May 5 (Cinco de Mayo) the 5-5-5 Miracle Game sees the Colorado Rockies score 13 runs in inning 5 against the San Francisco Gigantes (name on their uniforms that night) in seagull-filled AT&T Park, winning 17-7. On May 7 the 2016 (142nd) Kentucky Derby is won by Nyquist (jockey Mario Gutierrez) in 2:02.31, with late-starting Exaggerator closing; on May 21 the 2016 (141st) Preakness Stakes is won by Exaggerator (jockey Kent Desormeaux) in 1:58.31; Nyquist comes in #3; on June 11 the 2016 (148th) Belmont Stakes is won by Creator (jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.) in 2:28.51. On June 2-19 the 2016 NBA Finals see the Cleveland Calviers (coach Tyuronn Lue) defeat the favored Cleveland Cavaliers (coach Steve Kerr) by 4-3 after starting out in a 3-1 hole; LeBron James of Cleveland is MVP. On June 23 the 2016 NBA Draft. Science: On Jan. 13 (2:00 p.m. EST) NASA's Juno spacecraft sets a record for the most distant solar-powered vehicle from the Sun, 493M mi., passing the European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft, which peaked at 492M mi. in Oct. 2012 en route to Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. On Jan. 20 Terry Sejnowski et al. of the Salk Inst. pub. an article in ELife announcing that the human brain has a memory capacity of at least 1 petabyte (quadrillion bytes), 10x more than previously thought. On Jan. 20 Konstantin Batygin and Mike Brown of of Caltech announce a hypothetical (unobserved) 9th solar planet with a highly elliptical orbit 20x the distance to Neptune, with a year of 10K-20K Earth years. On Jan. 26 Enzo Tagliazucchi et al. of the Inst. for Medical Psychology in Kiel, Germany pub. an article in Journal of the Royal Society Interface describing a study of the effect on human brains of anesthetic drugs, suggesting that consciousness requires "cortical integration", a product of a delicate balance of connectivity between neurons. In Jan. Breakthrough Listen is launched with $100M in funding, based at the Berkeley SETI Research Center, becoming the most comprehensive search for extraterrestrial microwave emissions; in Oct. 2019 it begins a collaboration with the team managing the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). On Feb. 9 researchers at 21st Century Medicine (21CM) announce the first successful freezing and thawing of a mammalian (rabbit) brain. On Feb. 11 David Reitze of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) announces the detection of gravitational waves from the collision of two black holes 1.3B l-y. away, also confirming the existence of binary black hole systems; too bad, another team fails to confirm it; after they get confirmation, the 2017 Nobel Physics Prize is awarded to the discoverers. On Feb. 15 Britta Haenisch et al. of the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Bonn pub. an article in JAMA Neurology announcing that people age 75+ who regularly take proton pump inhibitors (Prilosec, Nexium, Prevacid) have a 44% increased risk of dementia. On Feb. 17 (3:45 a.m. EST) the NASA ASTRO-H AKA Hitomi (Jap. "pupil of the eye") X-ray space observatory takes off to study black holes and galaxy clusters. On Feb. 19 Virgin Galactic unveils their Unity spaceship for space tourism, touting it as the future of private space travel for ordinary citizens, who will get to float at 50 mi. alt. for a mere $250K; 700 have aleady put down deposits. On Feb. 24 surgeons Andreas Tzakis et al. at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio perform the first uterus transplant in the U.S. on 26-y.-o. Lindsey. On Mar. 1 scientists at Univ. College London pub. an article announcing the discovery of the single gene causing gray hair, which they believe can be turned off. On Mar. 5 Isaac Chuang et al. of MIT pub. an article in Science announcing the creation of a 5-atom quantum computer that can factor the number 15 using Shor's Algorithm. On Mar. 8 the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) announces a $100M project to reverse-engineer 1 cu. mm of brain tissue to discover algorithms that can be used by AI. On Mar. 9 scientists in China pub. an article in Nature announcing the activation of stem cells in a human eye to grow a new lens. On Mar. 10 Christopher Lynn et al. of the U. of Ala. pub. an article that reveals research showing that people who get tattoos boost their immune system. On Mar. 11 an article is pub. in Science revealing that the reason for rising global methane levels since 2007 is fart, er, farming, not fracking, undercutting Pres. Obama's recent pact to cut methane emissions from oil and gas producers by 40%-45% from 2012 levels by 2025. On Mar. 16 Zhi-Gang Shao and Peter D. Ditlevsen of the U. of Copenhagen's Niels Bohr Inst. pub. the article Contrasting scaling properties of interglacial and glacial climates in Nature Communications, based on a study of Earth climate variations back 5M years, finding that climate is chaotic and difficult to predict, but is more stable during the warm interglacial period than during ice ages, the former being monofractal, the latter multifractal. On Mar. 21 P.R. Alexander et al. pub. an article in Nature that speculates that neutron star mergers may be the only way to form many elements heavier than zinc. On Mar. 24 Valda Vinson et al. pub. an article in Science announcing that it takes just 473 genes to make a bacterium. On Mar. 30 Johns Hopkins Medicine performs the first HIV-to-HIV liver transplant. On Apr. 5 scientists at Cambridge U. pub. an article in Nature Materials announcing the detection of the new state of matter called quantum spin liquid, in which electrons break apart. In Apr. James Bornholt et al. of the U. of Wash. pub. a paper describing the first DNA-based archival storage system with random access memory capability. In early May the first penis transplant is performed at Mass. Gen. Hospital on 64-y.-o. Thomas Manning. On May 3 scientists at Cambridge U. pub. an article announcing that they have mapped all the genes that can cause breast cancer. On May 3 researchers at Johns Hopkins U. pub. an article in the British Medical Journal that indicates that medical errors mght be the #3 killer in the U.S. after heart disease and cancer, 250K/year. On May 7 the first fatal crash by a Tesla Model S electric car on autopilot mode happens when a tractor-trailor turns in front of it, killing Joshua Brown (40) of Canton, Ohio. On May 10 NASA scientists announce tht the Kepler Space Telescope has discovered 1,284 certified planets to add to the 984 already confirmed, plus 1,327 likely planets; nine are Goldilocks Zone planets, able to support liquid water and possibly life. On May 17 the Nat. Academies of Science pub. a Study of Genetically-Modified Crops, concluding that they are as safe to eat as crops developed through traditional plant-breeding methods. On June 17 Am. theoretical physicist Michio Kaku (1947-) (co-founder of String Theory) pub. an article in Geophilosophical Assoc. of Anthropological and Cultural Studies, announcing that primitive semi-radius tachyons (discovered in 2005) are physical evidence that the Big U is a Matrix that was created by a higher intelligence, with the soundbyte: "I have concluded that we are in a world made by rules created by an intelligence. Believe me, everything that we call chance today won't make sense anymore.... To me it is clear that we exist in a plan which is governed by rules that were created, shaped by a universal intelligence and not by chance." On July 5 NASA's Juno spacecraft successfully enters Jupiter's orbit. On July 6 NASA astronaut Kathleen Hallisey "Kate" Rubins (1978-) launches on a Soyuz spacecraft to the ISS, returning on Oct. 30 after performing the first genome sequencing in space using a MiniON device. On July 11 Jung-Hwan Albert Lim et al. at UCSD pub. an article in Nature Neuroscience reporting the first successful regeneration of the optic nerve in mice. On July 11 scientists at Lawrence Berkeley Nat. Lab pub. an article in Nature Nanotechnology reporting the first successful method to grow transistors and circuits that are only a few atoms thick. On Sept. 26 Joshua Yang et al. of MIT pub. an article in Journal of Nature Materials announcing that memristors can emulate human brain neurons. On Sept. 30 NASA announces the discovery of 13th sign of the Zodiac between Sagittarius and Scorpius, which they call Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer, located in the middle of the Serpens constellation. In Sept. physicians at Baylor U. Medical Center in Dallas, Tex. perform the first living donor uterus transplants. On Oct. 1 the FDA approves the Arctic Fuji genetically-modified apple that doesn't turn brown. On Oct. 12 Lawrence S. Mayer and Paul McHugh of Johns Hopkins U. pub. a report in The New Atlantis revealing that there is little scientific evidence that people are born gay or transgender, pissing-off the Human Rights Campaign and other LGBTQ orgs., who call for their er, heads; on Oct. 21 Rachel H. Farr of the U. of Ky. pub. an article in Developmental Psychology, claiming that children of LGBT parents are well-adjusted into middle childhood. On Oct. 13 researchers Robert Gaunt, Andrew B. Schwartz et al. at the U. of Pittsburgh pub. an article in Science Translational Medicine announcing the first mind-controlled robotic arm that is directly connected to the brain and can provide sensation. On Oct. 18 Japanese scientists announce that they have successfully hatched living mice from stem cells from a mouse tail turned into eggs in a petri dish. On Nov. 18 engineers at the U. of Penn. announce the development of nanoscale muscles powered by DNA. On Nov. 23 NASA scientists report the discovery of an underground ice layer on Mars big enough to cover N.M. On Nov. 30 the Internat. Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) officially approves names for chemical elements Nihonium (Nh) (#113) (formerly Ununtrium), Moscovium (Mc) (#115) (formerly Eka-Bismuth), Tennessine (Ts) (#117) (formerly Eka-Astatine), and Oganesson (Og) (#118) (formely Eka-Radon), named after Russian nuclear physicist Yuri Tsolakovich Oganessian (1933-) (highest known atomic mass). On Dec. 8 the U.S. Nat. Center for Health Statistics pub. statistics revealing that life expectancy in the U.S. has declined for the first time since 1993, from 76.5 years in 2014 to 76.3 in 2015 for men, and from 81.3 to 81.2 for women. Art: Frank Barnes, The Clear Stream of Reason. Geoffrey Tristram, New Portrait of William Shakespeare; painted for for the 400th anniv. of his death, claiming it's the most realistic yet. Music: Dierks Bentley (1975-), Black (album #8) (May 27) (#2 in the U.S.) (#1 in the U.S.); incl. Black (#56 in the U.S.) (#4 country), Somewhere on a Beach (#35 in the U.S.) (#1 country), Different for Girls (w/Elle King) (#42 in the U.S.) (#4 country). David Bowie (1947-2016), Blackstar (album #25) (last album) (Jan. 8) (his 69th birthday) (#4 in the U.S.) (#6 in the U.K.); dies 2 days after release; incl. Blackstar (#78 in the U.S.) (#61 in the U.K.); a record 9:57 long. Kane Brown (1993-), Kane Brown (album) (debut) (Dec. 2) (#1 in the U.S.) (#1 country) (350K copies); incl. What Ifs (featuring Lauren Alaina) (#26 in the U.S.) (#1 country) (750K copies). David T. Little, JFK (opera). Lawless (Sydney Wayser AKA Clara-Nova) (1986-), Dear God; "Dear God,/ I hope you got the letter.../ But all the people that you made in your image/ See them starving on their feet/ 'Cause they don't get enough to eat from God/ I can't believe in you." Bruno Mars (1985-), 24K Magic (album #3) (Nov. 18, 2016) (#2 in the U.S.) (#3 in the U.K.) (2M copies); incl. That's What I Like (#1 in the U.S.), 24K Magic (#4 in the U.S.) (#5 in the U.K.). Maren Morris (1990-), My Church (w/busbee) (Jan. 19) (debut) (#50 in the U.S.) (#5 country); about driving down the highway playing her FM radio; Hero (June 3) (album) (debut) (#5 in the U.S.) (#1 country). Frank Ocean (1987-), Blonde (blond) (album #2) (Aug. 20); incl. Close to You (by Burt Bacharach, Hal David, and Stevland Morris). Radiohead, Burn the Witch (May 3). Kiefer Sutherland (1966-), Down in a Hole (album) (debut); folk music. Win Can't Lose, Murder on My Mind; featured in the AMC-TV series "Better Call Saul". Movies: Big year for animated flicks from Disney? The 5th Wave (Jan. 22) (Columbia Pictures), set in Ohio stars Chloe Grace Moretz as Cassie Sullivan, who leads the fight against an ET invasion by the Others; does $109.9M box office on a $54M budget. Dan Trachtenberg's 10 Cloverfield Lane (Mar. 8) (Bad Robot Productions) (Paramount Pictures), a different take on "Cloverfield" (2008) is a psychological sci-fi horror film starring John Goodman as conspiracy nut Howard Stambler, who kidnaps Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and imprisons her in his underground bunker in rural La., claiming that aliens have invaded and it's unsafe to leave; co-stars John Gallagher Jr. as Emmett DeWitt; does $110.2M box office on a $15M budget. Michael Bay's 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (Jan. 12) (3 Arts Entertainment) (Paramount Pictures), written by Chuck Hogan based on the 2014 book "13 Hours" by Mitchell Zuckoff shows how the Obama-Hillary outfit cut their own embassy personnel loose with a stand-down order, and tried to lie their way out of it; filmed in Malta; stars James Badge Dale as Tyrone S. "Rone" Woods', John Krasinski as Jack Da silva, Max Martini as Mark "Oz" Geist, Dominic Fumusa as John "Tig" Tiegen, Pablo Schriber as Kris "Tanto" Paronto, David Denman as Boon, and Toby Stephens as Glen "Bub" Doherty; does $69.4M box office on a $50M budget; on opening night Donald Trump rents a theater and hands out free tickets; "When everything went wrong six men had the courage to do what was right"; the whole thing pisses-off pres. candidate Hillary Clinton, who lost the election right here? Gavin O'Connor's The Accountant (Oct. 10) (Warner Bros.) stars Ben Affleck as autistic Jason Bourne Christian Wollf, who poses as an accountant, and is hired by Living Robotics to uncook their books, running into the Gambino crime family; J.K. Simmons plays dir. Raymond King; Jon Bernthal plays Christian's brother Braxton "Brax"; Cynthia Addai-Robinson plays data analyst Marybeth Medina; does $148.6M box office on a $44M budget. Robert Zemeckis' Allied (Nov. 9) (GK Films) (ImageMovers) (Paramount Pictures) stars Brad pitt as WWII Canadian intel officer Max Vatan, and Marion Cotillard as French Resistance fighter Marianne Beausejour, who start out together on a mission in Casablanca and end up getting married in London and have baby girl Anna, after which Max is told that Marianne is a suspected German spy, and must shoot her if she fails the tests. Denis Willenueve's Arrival (Sept. 1) (Paramount Pictures), written by Eric Heisserer based on the short story "Story of Your Life" by Ted Chiang stars Amy Adams as cunning linguist Louise Banks, Jeremy Renner as physicist ian Donnelly, Forest Whitaker as U.S. Army Col. Weber, Tzi Ma as Gen. Shang, and Michael Stuhibarg as Agent Halpern, who must deal with multiple giant ET spacecraft all over the Earth filled with giant mute heptapods, having to decide whether to shoot 'em or greet 'em; English-born Am. math whiz Stephen Wolfram creates the alien language for the film using his Wolfram language; features "On the Nature of Daylight" by composer Max Richter; does $116M box office on a $47M budget. Justin Kurzel's Assassin's Creed (Dec. 21) (20th Cent. Fox) is based on the video game, starring Michael Fassbender as Callum Lynch descendant of a 15th cent. Inquisition you know what, Marion Cotillard as Templar Dr. Sophia Rikkin, Jeremy Irons as Templar Alan Rikkin, and Brendan Gleeson as Callum's father Joseph; does $213M box office on a $125M budget. Mark Waters' Bad Santa 2 (Nov. 15) (Miramax) (Broad Green Pictures)), a sequel to the 2003 film "Bad Santa" stars Billy Bob Thornton and Tony Cox as burglars Willie Soke and Marcus Skidmore, who are out to rob a Chicago charity on Christmas Eve; Bret Kelly returns as grownup Thurman Merman; Kathy Bates plays Willie's mother Sunny. Zack Snyder's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (Mar. 19) (Warner Bros.), based on the DC Comics chars. is a sequel to "Man of Steel" (2013) starring Ben Affleck as Batman Bruce Wayne, Henry Cavill as Superman Clark Kent, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman Diana Prince, Laurence Fishburne as Perry White, and Diane Lane as Martha Kent; does $873.3M box office on a $250M budget. Fisher Stevens' Before the Flood (Oct. 21) (Nat. Geographic) stars Leonardo DiCaprio, who travels the globe supposedly watching global warming proceeding in front of his eyes and blasting climate change deniers esp. politicians and corporate lobbyists while comparing it all to Hieronymus Bosch's famous trptych "The Garden of Earthly Delights"; aired on the Nat. Geographic Channel on Oct. 31, which makes it available for free; "Before The Flood is the product of an incredible three-year journey that took place with my co-creator and director Fisher Stevens. We went to every corner of the globe to document the devastating impacts of climate change and questioned humanity's ability to reverse what may be the most catastrophic problem mankind has ever faced. There was a lot to take in. All that we witnessed on this journey shows us that our world's climate is incredibly interconnected and that it is at urgent breaking point... We wanted to create a film that gave people a sense of urgency, that made them understand what particular things are going to solve this problem. We bring up the issue of a carbon tax, for example, which I haven't seen in a lot of documentaries. Basically, sway a capitalist economy to try to invest in renewables, to bring less money and subsidies out of oil companies. These are the things that are really going to make a massive difference... W e need to use our vote... We cannot afford to have political leaders out there that do not believe in modern science or the scientific method or empirical truths... We cannot afford to waste time having people in power that choose to believe in the 2 percent of the scientific community that is basically bought off by lobbyists and oil companies." Greg McLean's The Belko Experiment (Sept. 10) (MGM) (Orion Pictures) stars John Gallagher Jr. as Belko Industries employee Mike Mich, who arrives at his office bldg. in rural Bogota, Colombia, and becomes the subject of a sick experiment on the employees, who must kill each other to survive; "Office Space meets Battle Royale"; does $11.1M box office on a $5M budget. Steven Spielberg's The BFG (May 14) (Walt Disney Pictures), based on the 1982 Roald Dahl novel stars Ruby Barnhill as London orphan Sophie, who befriends the Big Friendly Giant (Mark Rylance); does $178M box office on a $140M budget. Ang Lee's Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk (Oct. 14) (Studio 8) (TriStar Pictures) stars Joe Alwyn as an Iraq War vet of Bravo Co. with PTSD, who is sent on a victory tour at the Thanksgiving game of the Dallas Cowboys along with fellow soldiers SSgt David Dime (Garrett Hedlund), Virgil "Shroom" Breem (Vin Diesel), and Crack (Beau Knapp); Chris Tucker plays film producer Albert Brown; Steve Marton plays Cowboys owner Norm Oglesby; :Makenzie Leigh plays Billy's cheerleader babe Faison Zorn; Kristen Stewart plays Billy's sister Kathryn; features a halftime show by Destiny's Child; first feature film with a 120 frames/sec. frame rate, in a 3D format at 4K HD resolution; does $30.9M box office on a $40M budget. Ben Younger's Bleed for This (Nov. 18) (Open Road Films), based on the life of boxing world champion Vinny Pazienza stars Miles Teller as Vinny Paz; too bad, it bombs, doing $5.5M on a $6M budget. Fisher Stevens' and Alexis Bloom's Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds (May 14) is the last before their tragic deaths on Dec. 27-28. Anthony Russo's and Joe Russo's Captain America: Civil War (Apr. 12) (Walt Disney Studios), sequel to "Captain America: The First Avenger" (2011) and "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" (2014), starring Chris Evans as Captain America Steve Rogers, Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark the Iron Man, Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff the Black Widow, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes the Winter Soldier, Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson the Falcon, and Don Cheadle as James "Rhodey" Rhodes the War Machine; does $1.153B box office on a $250M budget. Matt Ross' Captain Fantastic (Jan. 23) (Bleecker Street) stars Viggo Mortensen as Washington survivalist Ben Cash, father of six, who celebrate Noam Chomsky Day instead of Xmas, then begin to doubt his fathering sckills after their mom Leslie (Trin Miller) commits suicide; does $10.2M box office. Rawson Marshall Thurber's Central Intelligence (Warner Bros.), the funniest movie of the summer stars Kevin Hart and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as h.s. buddies Calvin Joyner (school's top student AKA the Golden Jet) and Robbie Wierdicht (school's fat kid and butt of jokes), who meet up just before their 20th graduation anniv., with Wierdich revealing that he is now CIA agent Bob Stone, who shanghais Joyner into a dangerous intel mission; Danielle Nicolet plays Joyner's h.s. sweetheart and wife Maggie Johnson; Amy Ryan plays CIA agent Pamela Harris; Melissa McCarthy has a cameo as Wierdicht's h.s. crush Darla; does $214M box office on a $50M budget. David Frankel's Collateral Beauty (Dec. 13) (New Line Cinema) (Warner Bros.), written by Allan Loeb stars Will Smith as New York ad exec Howard Inlet, who suffers a tragedy and copes with it by writing letters to Love, Time, and Death, causing his partners to hire stage actors to impersonate them, incl. Keira Knightly as Aimee Moore AKA Love, Jacob Latimore as Raffi AKA Time, and Hellen Mirren as Brigitte AKA Death; Edward Norton plays partner Whit Yardsham, Michael Pena plays partner Simon Scott, and Kate Winslet plays partner Claire Wilson; also stars Naomie Harris as grief counselor Madeleine; features great cinematography of Manhattan by Maryse Alberti. Nacho Vigalondo's Colossal (Sept. 6) (Voltage Pictures) (Brightlight Pictures) stars Anne Hathaway as unemployed alcoholic New York City writer Gloria, who can cause a giant reptilian kaiju to appear in Seoul, South Korea if she walks through a playground drunk at 8:05 a.m., and whose boyfriend Oscar can make a giant robot appear, which he uses to terrorize the pop. while she tries to stop him; does $3M box office on a $15M budget. Tim Miller's Deadpool (Feb. 8) (20th Cent. Fox), based on the Marvel Comics char. stars Ryan Reynolds as ex-special forces op Wade Wilson, who is transformed into an immortal man who heals every disfigurement except his chicharrone-like disfigured face, Morena Baccarin as his gorgeous babe Venessa Carlysle, whom he has to hide from for fear of losing her love, T.J. Miller as Deadpool's best friend and bartender Weasel, Ed Skrein as English "what's my name?" bad guy Francis Freeman AKA Ajax, who created him and whom he wants to kill for it, Gina Carano as Angel Dust, a small babe with the strength of the Hulk, Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead, who can turn into a mini atomic bomb, and Stefan Kapcicic as the voice of Piotr Rasputin AKA Colossus; Leslie Uggams plays Deadpool's roommate Blind Al; does $493M box office on a $58M budget, becoming the highest-grossing R-rated film and Marvel comics film (until ?); "Crime's the disease, meet the cure. Okay, not the cure, but more like a topical ointment to reduce the swelling and itch" (Deadpool); "Whatever they did to me made me totally indestructible, and completely unfuckable" (Deadpool); "You may be wondering why the red suit. Well, that's so bad guys don't see me bleed" (Deadpool); "You are haunting. You look like an avocado had sex with an older, more disgusting avocado" (Weasel); "Oh motherfucker you are hard to look at. (Weasel) Like a testicle with teeth? (Deadpool) You look like Freddy Krueger face-fucked a topographical map of Utah (Weasel)"; "Your right leg is Thanksgiving and your left leg is Christmas. Can I come and visit you between the holidays?" (Deadpool to Vanessa). Mick Jackson's Denial (Sept. 11) (BBC Films) (Participant Media) (Bleecker Street) (Entertainment One), written by David Hare based on Deborah E. Lipstadt's book "History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier" stars Timothy Spall as you-know-what David Irving, Rachel Weisz (replacing Hilary Swank) as Lipstadt, Tom Wilkinson as Richard Rampton, and Andrew Scott as Anthony Julius. Scott Derrickson's Doctor Strange (Oct. 13) (Marvel Studios) (Walt Disney Studios), based on the Marvel Comics char. stars Benedict Cumberbatch as neurosurgeon Dr. Stephen Strange who has a car accident that takes away his ability to perform and ends up in Kamar-Taj learning the mystic arts from Karl Mordo (Ciwetel Ejiofor) and the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) while fighting Wong (Benedict Wong) using his Cloak of Levitation, Infinity Stone, and Eye of Agamotto; Rachel McAdams plays Strange's babe Christine Palmer (the Night Nurse); does $677.7M box office on a $236.6M budget. Fede Alvarez' Don't Breathe (Mar. 12) (Ghost House Pictures) (Good Universe) (Screen Gems) (Stage 6 Films) stars Dylan Minnette as Alex, Daniel Zovatto as Money, and Jane Levy as Rocky, three Detroit juvenile delinquents who break into blind man Norman Nordstrom (Stephen Lang)'s house and get trapped inside with a murderous monster; does $157.1M box office on a $9.9M budget. Paul Verhoeven's Elle (May 21) (France 2 Cinema), based on the 2012 Philippe Djian novel "Oh..." stars Isabelle Huppert as businesswoman Michele Leblance, who is raped in her home by an unknown rapist and plots revenge, discovering it's her next-door neighbor Patrick (Laurent Lafitte); does $10.2M box office on a $9.1M budget. David Yates' Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Warner Bros.), a prequel to the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling stars Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander, and Katherine Waterston as Porpentina "Tina" Goldstein; does $611.8M box office on a $180M budget. Denzel Washington's Fences (Dec. 16) (Paramount Pictures), based on the 1983 play by August Wilson stars Washington as former Negro league baseball player Troy Maxson, Viola Davis as Rose Maxson, and Stephen McKinley Henderson as Jim Bono. Andrew Stanton's 3-D animated Finding Dory (Walt Disney Studios) (June 8), sequel to "Finding Nemo" (2003) features the voices of Ellen DeGeneres as regal blue tang Dory, Albert Brooks as ocellaris clownfish Marlin, Hayden Rolence as his son Nemo, and Ed O'Neill as East pacific red octopus Hank; does $1.029B box office on a $200M budget. Stephen Frears' Florence Foster Jenkins (Apr. 23) (Pathe) (BBC Films) (Qwerty Films) (Paramount Pictures) stars Meryl Streep as the New York socialite with the world's worst singing voice, and Hugh Grant as her hubby-mgr. St. Clair Bayfield; does $44.3M box office on a $29M budget; Streep's 20th Oscar nomination. Adam Nimoy's For the Love of Spock (Apr. 16) (455 Films) is a documentary about Leonard Nimoy, dir. by his son, who started it before his death. John Lee Hancock's The Founder (Dec. 7) (FilmNation Entertainment) (The Combine) (Weinstein Co.) stars Michael Keaten as McDonald's Restaurants founder Ray Kroc, and Laura Dern as his wife Ethel Fleming; does $8M box office on a $7M budget. Paul Feig's 3-D Ghostbusters (July 9) (Village Roadshow Pictures) is a female reboot starring Melissa McCrrtney as paranormal researcher Dr. Abigail "Abby" Yates, Kristen Wiig as physicist Dr. Erin Gilbert, Kate McKinnon as electric engineer Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones as recruit #1 Patricia "Patty" Tolan, Andy Garcia as Mayor Bradley, and Chris Hemsworth as their hunky dimwitted secy. Kevin Beckman; features cameos by Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, Annie Potts, Ozzy Osbourne, and Al Roker; does $229M box office on a $144M budget. Alex Proyas' Gods of Egypt (Feb. 25) (Thunder Road Pictures) (Summit Entertainment) is about an alternate ancient Egypt where gods live with humans and have golden blood, incl. God of the Desert Set (Gerard Butler), God of the Sun Ra (Geoffrey Rush), God of Air Horus (Nikolaj Coster-Waldu), God of Wisdom Thoth (Chadwick Boseman), and God of Love Hathor (Elodie Yung); does $150.7M box office on a $140M budget. Zhang Yimou's The Great Wall (Dec. 15) (China Film Group) (Universal Pictures) stars Matt Damon as white Euro William Garin, who is called into Song era China to save it from monsters, pissing-off the PC police, to which Yimou fires back with the soundbyte: "For the first time, a film deeply rooted in Chinese culture, with one of the largest Chinese casts ever assembled, is being made at tentpole scale for a world audience"; does $219M box office on a $150M budget. Mel Gibson's Hacksaw Ridge (Sept. 4) (Summit Entertainment) stars Andrew Garfield as pacifist Seventh Day Adventist Desmond T. Doss, who fights in the WWII Battle of Okinawa sans rifle, turning into a hero and rescuing 75+ soldiers at you know where, receiving a Medal of Honor from Pres. Truman (first to a conscientious objector, and only for bravery in WWII); does $84.2M box office on a $40M budget. David Mackenzie's Hell or High Water (May 16) (CBS Films) (Lionsgate), written by Taylor Sheridan stars Chris Pine and Ben Foster as West Tex. brothers Toby and Tanner Howard, who decide to become bank robbers, and Jeff Bridges as Texas Ranger Marcus Hamilton; does $31.9M box office on a $12M budget. Theodore Melfi's Hidden Figures (Dec. 10) (20th Cent. Fox), based on the book by Margot Lee Shetterly stars Taraji P. Henson as African-Am. mathematician Katherine G. Johnson, and Octavia Spencer as Dorothy Vaughan, who calculate flight trajectories for NASA's Project Mercury and Apollo 11; Kevin Costner plays NASA dir. Al Harrison; Pres. Obama greets Costner, Henson, and Spencer on Dec. 15; does $236.2M box office on a $25M budget. Roland Emmerich's Independence Day: Resurgence (June 20) (TSG Entertainment) (20th Cent. Fox) is a sequel to the hit 1996 movie set 20 years afterwards when they return, and of course the U.S. pres. is a woman, Pres. Lanford (Sela Ward); also stars Jeff Goldblum as MIT-educated computer expert David Levinson, Judd Hirsch as his father Julius Levinson, Brent Spinder as Dr. Brakish Okun, Bill Pullman as former U.S. pres. #42 Thomas J. Whitmore, Marilyn, er, Maika Monroe as his daughter Patricia Whitmore, Liam Hemsworth as U.S. pilot Jake Morrison, Jessie Usher as Col. Steven Hiller's stepson Dylan Dubrow-Hiller, and Angelababy as Chinese pilot Rain Lao, and Ng Chin Han as her adoptive father Chinese Gen. Jiang Lao; too bad, the aliens die way too easily at the end, as if they ran out of funds, ruining the movie?; does $389.7M box office on a $165M budget. Ron Howard's Inferno (Oct. 9) (Columbia Pictures), based on the 2013 Dan Brown novel, filmed in Venice and Budapest stars Tom Hanks as Harvard symbology prof. Dr. Robert Langdon, Felicity Jones as Dr. Sienna Brooks, and Ben Foster as evil scientist Bertrand Zobrist, who wants to reduce world pop. with the Inferno virus; does $218.7M box office on a $75M budget. Pablo Larrain's Jackie (Sept. 7) (Fox Searchlight Pictures) stars Natalie Portman as Jackie Kennedy after JFK's assassination; does $300K box office on a $9M budget. Paul Greengrass' Jason Bourne (July 11) (Universal Pictures) is Jason Bourne #5, starring Matt Damon as Bourne, Tommy Lee Jones as CIA dir. Robert Dewey, and Alicia Vikander as CIA cyberhead Heather Lee; does $415M box office on a $120M budget. Jon Favreau's animated The Jungle Book (Walt Disney Studios), based on the Rudyard Kipling novels and the 1957 Disney animated film stars the voices of Neel Sethi as Mowgli, Bill Murray as Baloo, Ben Kingsley as Bagheera, Idris Elba as Shere Khan, Lupita Nyong'o as Rakha, and Christopher Walken as King Louie; does $966.5M box office on a $175M budget. Damien Chazelle's La La Land (Aug. 31) (Summit Entertainment) is a romantic jazz musical set in you know where starring Ryan Gosling as jazz pianist Sebastian Wilder, and Emma Stone as aspiring actress Mia Dolan, who hook up at Bill's (J.K. Simmons) restaurant, and end up going their separate ways; features John Legend as jazz singer Keith; does $226.5M box office on a $30M budget. Ben Affleck's Live by Night (Dec. 13) (Warner Bros.), based on the 2012 Dennise Lehane novel is a 1920s-30s gangster flick starring Affleck as Boston gangster Joe Coughlin, who hooks up Emma Gould (Sienna Miller), moll of rival gangster Albert White (Robert Glenister); Remo Girone plays rival Italian mafioso Maso Pescatore; a box office dud, doing $182K box office on a $65M budget. Garth Davis' Lion (Sept. 10) (See-Saw Films) (Weinstein Co.), based on the book "A Long Way Home" by Saroo Brierly and Larry Buttrose stars Dev Patel as Indian boy Saroo, who is separated from his mother, causing him to gon a search along with his babe Lucy (Rooney Mara); David Wenham and Nicole Kidman play his adoptive parents John and Sue Brierly; does $27.5M box office on a $12M budget. Jeff Nichols' Loving (May 16) (Random Films) (Big Beach) (Focus Features) stars Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga as interracial marriage renegades Richard and Mildred Loving in Va., who won in the 1967 Loving v. Virginia U.S. Supreme Court decision; does $6.7M box office on a $9M budget. Kenneth Lonergan's Manchester by the Sea (Pearl Street Films) (Roadside Attractions) (Amazon Studios) (Jan. 23) stars Casey Affleck as Lee Chandler, a janitor in Quincy, Mass., Kyle Chandler as his brother Joe, who dies of heart failure, causing Lee to travel to Manchester, Mass. to see Joe's son Patrick (Lucas Hedges), learning that he has been given guardianship. Fabio Guaglione's and Fabio Resinaro's Mine (Oct. 6) stars Armie Hammer as U.S. Marine Sniper Mike Stevens, who steps on a landmine in the middle of the desert and must wait 52 hours for a rescue while being taunted by a Berber (Clint Dyer) and dreaming of his fiancee Jenny (Annabelle Wallis); Tom Cullen plays his spotter Tommy Madison. Tim Burton's Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Sept. 25) (20th Cent. Fox), written by Jane Goldman based on the 2011 Ransom Riggs novel stars Eva Green as Miss Alma LeFay Peregrine, Asa Butterfield as Jacob "Jake" Portman, Terence Stamp as his grandfther Abraham "Abe" Portman, and Judi Dench as Miss Esmeralda Avocet; does $282M box office on a $110M budget. John Madden's Miss Sloane (Nov. 11) (FilmNation Entertainment) (EuropaCorp) stars Jessica Chastain as Washington, D.C. lobbyist Elizabeth Sloane, who takes on the establishment over gun control; does $9.1M box office on a $13M budget. Ron Clements' and John Musker's computer-animated Moana (Nov. 14) (Walt Disney Pictures) stars the voice of newcomer Auli'i Cravalh as, a Polynesian princess who is chosen by the ocean to reunite a mystic relic with the goddess Te Fiti by seeking out demigod Maui; does $645M box office on a $175M budget; features the song How Far I'll Go. Jodie Foster's Money Monster (May 12) (TriStar Pictures) stars George Clooney as TV financial expert Lee Gates, whose recommended stock IBIS craters, causing Kyle Budwell (Jack O'Connell) to hold him hostage on the set until he gives him some answers; Julia Roberts plays show dir. Patty Fenn; does $93.3M box office on a $27M budget. Barry Jenkins' Moonlight (Oct. 21) (A24), based on Tarell Alvin McCraney's play "Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue" stars Alex Hibbert/Ashton Sandrs/Trevante Rhodes as Little/Teen/Adult "Black" Chiron, who goes gay with Jaden Piner/Jharrel Jerome/Andre Holland as Child/Teen/Adult Kevin; Naomie Harris plays Chiron's mother Paula, Mahershala Ali plays crack dealer Juan, and Janelle Monae plays his babe Teresa; does $16M box office on a $5M budget. Kim A. Snyder;s Newtown (Jan. 24) is a documentary about the Dec. 14, 2012 school massacre in Newtown, Conn.; too bad, widespread belief that the event was a govt. false flag causes it to flop, doing only $13K box office. Tom Ford's Nocturnal Animals (Sept. 2) (Focus Features), based on the 1993 novel "Tony and Susan" by Austin Wright stars Amy Adams as rich LA art gallery owner Susan Morrow, and Jake Gyllenhaal as her estranged hubby Edward Sheffield, who sends her the ms. for a novel about a violent rape-murder of a man's wife and daughter by a gang of drifters led by Ray Marcus (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), and the failed attempt at bringing them to justice by local detective Bobby Andes (Michael Shannon); does $22.5M box office on a $32.4M budget. Morten Tyldum's Passengers (Dec. 21) (Vilage Roadshow Pictures) (Columbia Pictures), written by Jon Spaihts stars Jennifer Lawrence as Aurora Dunn, and Chris Pratt as Jim Preston, who wake up 90 years too soon on a spaceship on a 120-year voyage to Homestead II with 5,259 people; Michael Sheen plays Arthur the robot bartender; Laurence Fishburne plays Chief Gus Mancuso; Andy Garcia plays Adm. Norris; does $303.1M box office on a $150M budget. Chris Renaud's computer-animated comedy The Secret Life of Pets (June 16) (Illumination Entertainment) (Universal Pictures) stars the voices of Louis C.K. as Jack Russell Terrier Max, Albert Brooks as red-tailed hawk Tiberius, Eroc Stonestreet as shaggy dog Duke, Kevin Hart as white rabbit Snowball, and Jenny Slate as white Pomeranian Gidget; does $875.5M box office on a $75M budget; followed by "The Secret Life of Pets 2" (2019) starring Patton Oswald as Max. Peter Berg's Patriots Day (Nov. 17), based on the book "Boston Strong" by Casey Sherman and Dave Wede about the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing stars Mark Wahlberg as Boston PD Sgt. Tommy Saunders, John Goodman as police commisssiner Ed Davis, J.K. Simons as Watertown PD Sgt. Jeffrey Pugliese, Kevin Bacon as FBI agent Richard DesLauriers, and Michelle Monaghan as Tommy's wife nurse Carol Saunders. Burr Steers' Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (Jan. 21) (Lionsgate) (Screen Gems), based on the 2009 Seth Grahame-Smith novel taking off from the 1813 Jane Austen novel stars Lily James as Elizabeth Bennett, Sam Riley as Fitzwilliam Darcy, Jack Huston as Mr. Wicham, Bella Heathcote Jane Bennet, Douglas Booth as Mr. Bingley, Matt Smith as Mr. Collins, Charles Dance as Mr. Bennet, and Lena Headey as Lady Catherine de Bourgh; does $16.4M box office on a $28M budget. Julia Ducournau's Raw (Grave) (Wild Bunch) (May 14) is a horror drama film starring Garance Miller as Justine, who starts out as a vegetarian and ends up a raving cannibal; does $3.33M box office on a $3.8M (3.48M Euro) budget. Paul W.S. Anderson's Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (Dec. 23) is the 6th and last installment in the series, starring Milla Jovovich as Alice; does $120M box office on a $40M budget. Kevin Reynolds' Risen (Feb. 19) (Affirm Films) (Columbia Pictures) stars Joseph Fiennes as Roman tribune Clavius, who is ordered by Pontius Pilate (Peter Firth) to find the stolen body of Jewish Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) (Cliff Curtis), only to have a personal experience and go Christian, then forget to write a bestseller about it; does $46.1M box office on a $20M budget. Jaume Collet-Serra's The Shallows (Junue 21) (Columbia Pictures) stars scantily-clad Blake Lively as hot medical student Nancy Adams, who gets stranded 200 yards from shore on a secluded beach in Mexico, and must battle a great white shark to get back to shore; does $119M box office on a $17M budget. Martin Scorsese's Silence (Nov. 29) (Paramount Pictures), based on the 1966 Shusaku Endo novel set in Nagasaki, Japan during the time of Kakure Kirishitan (Hidden Christians) in 1638 stars Liam Neeson as Portuguese Father Christovao Ferreira, Andrew Garfield as his student Sebastiao Rodrigues (based on real-life Giuseppe Chiara), Adam Driver as Father Franciscco Garupe, Issey Ogata as grand inquisitor Inoue Masashige, ans Shina Tsukamoto as his henchman Mokichi; does $19.9M box office on a $40M budget. M. Night Shyamalan's Split (Sept. 26) (Blinding Edge Pictures) (Blumhouse Productions) (Universal Pictures) stars James McAvoy as Kevin Wendell Crumb, who has 24 personalities, and kidnaps three teenie girls and holds them in an underground room; they must talk one of the personalities into setting them free before #24 appears, the Beast, a cannibal murderer; does $278.5M box office on a $9M budget. David Ayer's Suicide Squad (Aug. 1) (Warner Bros.), a sequel to "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" based on the DC Comics chars. stars Viola Davis as U.S. govt. intel exec Amanda Waller, who assembles Task Force X out of dangerous psychotic supercriminals imprisoned in Belle Reve Prison in La. to take on even more evil supervillains in Gotham City led by the Joker (Jared Leto); Task Force X incl. Floyd Lawton/Deadshot (Will Smith), Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Chato Santana/El Diablo (Jay Hernandez), George "Digger" Harkness/Capt. Boomerang (Jai Courtney), Waylon Jones/Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), and Dr. June Moone/Enchantress (Cara Delevigne); first DC Comics film to win an Oscar (best makeup and hairstyling); does $746.8M box office on a $175M budget. Justin Lin's Star Trek Beyond (July 22) is Star Trek #13 and Star Trek Reboot Series #3; does $343.5M box office on a $185M budget. Clint Eastwood's Sully: Miracle on the Hudson (Sept. 2) (Village Roadshow Pictures) stars Tom Hanks as Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, hero of U.S. Airways Flight 1549; does $200M box office on a $60M budget. ?'s This Is Your Land (My Music) (Mar. 1) is a PBS-TV special consisting of a musical tour of Am. folk music, hosted by the Smothers Brothers and Judy Collins. Yeon Sang-ho's Train to Busan (May 13) (Next Entertainment World) debuts, a South Korean horror film about a sudden incursion of a zombie apocalypse in the country that threatens the passengers on a you know what; does $100M box office on a $8.5M budget. Duncan Jones' Warcraft (May 24) (Universal Pictures), based on the video game series set in the world of Azeroth, about an invasion of orcs from Draenor stars Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton, Ben Foster, Dominic Cooper, Toby Kebbell, {Ben Schnetzer, Robert Kazinsky, and Daniel Wu; does $433.5M box office on a $160M budget, passing "Prince of Persia: Sands of Time" (2010) as the highest-grossing video game adaptation. Todd Phillips' War Dogs (Aug. 3) (Warner Bros.), based on a Rolling Stone article by Guy Lawson stars Jonah Hill and Miles Teller as arms dealers Efraim Diveroli and David Packouz, who receive a $300M U.S. Army contract to supply ammo to the Afghan Nat. Army; does $86.2M box office on a $50M budget. Bryon Howard's and Rich Moore's computer-animated buddy cop film Zootopia (Walt Disney Pictures) (Feb. 11) is about anthropomorphic mammals, starring the voice of Ginnifer Goodwin as Judy Hopps, first rabbit police officer in Zootopia, who hooks up with red fox con artist Nicholas P. "Nick" Wilde (Jason Bateman); does $1.024B box office on a $150M budget. Nonfiction: Jennifer Ackerman, The Genius of Birds. Svetlana Alexievich, Secondhand Time: The Last of the Soviets. David C. Archibald (1955-), American Gripen: The Solution to the F-35 Nightmare (Dec. 14); the Saab Gripen. Douglas Axe, Undeniable: How Biology Confirms Our Intuition that Life Is Designed. John Bloom, Eccentric Orbits: The Iridium Story. Don Boys, Muslim Invasion: The Fuse Is Burning! (June 9). Stephen Budiansky, Code Warriors; the NSA attempts to hack the Soviet Union. Gary J. Byrne, Crisis of Character: A White House Secret Service Officer Discloses His Firsthand Experiences with Hillary, Bill, and How They Operate (June 28); ex-Secret Service agent details Bill Clinton's constant whoring and Hillary Clinton's unhinged rage, incl. throwing a Bible at the back of an agent's head, concluding that she "lacks the integrity and temperament to serve" in the White House; admits that he "even secretly disposed of sordid physical evidence that might later have been used to convict the president [Bill Clinton]." John le Carre (1931), The Pigeon Tunnel: Stories from My Life (autobio.) (Sept. 6). Sean Carroll, The Big Picture: On the Origin of Life, Meaning and the Universe Itself; poetic naturalism? Brian Christian, Algorithms to Live By: The Computer Science of Human Decisions. Greg Clark, Global Cities: A Short History. Hillary Clinton (1947-) and Tim Kaine (1958-), Stronger Together (Sept. 6); their campaign plans; sells only 3K copies the first week. Ann Coulter (1961-), In Trump We Trust: E Pluribus Awesome! (Aug. 23). Laura Cumming, The Vanishing Velazquez: A 19th Century Bookseller's Obsession with a Lost Masterpiece. E.J. Dionne (1952-), Why the Right Went Wrong: Conservatism from Goldwater to the Tea Party and Beyond (Jan. 19); claims that conservative politicians have been making election promises they never keep, causing anger that's fueling the rise of Donald Trump; "The history of contemporary American conservatism is a story of disappointment and betrayal"; "The problem is that those white, working-class voters have voted Republican and gotten no material benefit from that. And the other side of Trump speaks very much to them." John Donovan and Caren Zucker,, In a Different Key; how autism became so common. Michael Doran, Ike's Gamble: America's Rise to Dominance in the Middle East. John Dunn, Renaissance: Counter-Renaissance: The Revolt Against Jehovian Terror (Feb. 29). Mohamed A. El-Erian (1958-), The Only Game in Town: Central Banks, Instability, and Avoiding the Next Collapse (Jan.). Denis Feeney, Beyond Greek: The Beginnings of Latin Literature (Jan. 4). William Finnegan (1952-), Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life (Apr. 26) (Pulitzer Prize). Gen. Michael T. Flynn (1958-), The Field of Fight: How We can Win the Global War Against Radical Islam and Its Allies. Thomas Frank, Listen, Liberal: Or, What Ever Happened to the Party of the People? (Mar. 15); how the Dem. Party sold-out to corporations. Michael Fried (1939-), After Caravaggio (July 12); his influence on Bartolomeo Manfredi, Valentin de Boulogne, Nicolas Tournier, Nicolas Regnier, Cecco del Caravaggio, and Jusepe de Ribera, and their relation to the thought of Rene Descartes. Timothy R. Furnish, Sects, Lies, and the Caliphate: Ten Years of Observations on Islam (Jan. 16); High Towers and Strong Places: A Political History of Middle-earth; followed by "Bright Swords and Glorious Warriors: A Military History of Middle-earth. Edith Gelles (ed.), Abigail Adams: Letters. John R. Gillingham, The European Union: An Obituary (Apr. 20). Robert J. Gordon, The Rise and Fall of American Growth: The U.S. Standard of Living Since the Civil War (Jan. 12); claims that the days of rapid U.S. growth are no more. Sebastian Gorka, Defeating Jihad: The Winnable War (Apr. 11). Julian Guthrie, How to Make A Spaceship: A Band of Renegades, An Epic Race, and the Birth of Private Spaceflight (Sept. 20); Peter Diamandis and the XPRIZE Foundation. Lawrence J. Haas, Harry & Arthur: Truman, Vandenberg, and the Partnership That Created the Free World (Apr. 1). Shadi Hamid, Islamic Exceptionalism: How the Struggle Over Islam Is Reshaping the World (June 7); how the Muslim World still has its mind in its 1400-year supremacist past. Philip Haney and Art Moore, See Something, Say Nothing: A Homeland Security Officer Exposes the Government's Submission to Jihad (May 24). Tim Harford, Messy: The Power of Disorder to Transform Our Lives. (Oct. 4). Gen. Michael Vincent Hayden (1945-), Playing to the Edge: American Intelligence in the Age of Terror. Francois Hollande (1954-), A President Shouldn't Say That...; admits that France has "a problem with Islam. No one doubts it", incl. mass immigration and veiled women; "How can one avoida partition? Because that is still what is happening: a partition." Daniel E. Horowitz, Stolen Sovereignty: How to Stop Unelected Judges from Transforming America (July 19); the evil fruit caused by Pres. Obama's packing of federal courts, starting with the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in "Obergefell v. Hodges". Paul Kalanithi, When Breath Becomes Air (autobio.) (Jan. 12). Philip Haney and Art Moore, See Something, Say Nothing: A Homeland Security Officer Exposes the Government's Submission to Jihad (May 24); the horrible success of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas et al. in softening up the U.S. for Islamic takeover, using Pres. Obama as their wabbit. Catherine Fairfield Hayes, Contemplations on God and Orgasm. James Hoggan, I'm Right and You're an Idiot: The Toxic State of Public Discourse and How to Clean It Up (May 24). Daniel H. Joyner, Iran's Nuclear Program and International Law. Kevin Kelly (1952-), The Inevitable; AI will be humanity's savior?; the Big Twelve Trends: Becoming, Cognifying, Flowing, Screening, Accessing, Sharing, Filtering, Remixing, Interacting, Tracking, Questioning, Beginning; "This is the moment that folks in the future will look back at and say, 'Oh to have been alive and well back then!' There has never been a better time with more opportunities, more openings, lower barriers, higher benefit/risk ratios, better returns, greater upside than now. Right now, this minute." William Kilpatrick, The Politically Incorrect Guide to Jihad (Sept. 26); terrorism has nothing to do with Islam? Ed Klein, Guilty as Sin (Oct.); Hillary Clinton's email server problems. Nancy Hartevelt Kobrin, The Jihadi Dictionary: The Essential Intel Tool for Military, Law Enforcement, Government and the Concerned Public (May 9). Craig Leavitt and Thomas J. Noel, Herndon Davis: Painting Colorado History, 1901-1962 (Feb. 15). Janna Levin, Black Hole Blues and Other Songs from Outer Space (Mar. 29); the story of the detection of the collision of two black holes. Bernard-Henri Levy (1948-), The Spirit of Judaism (L'Esprit du Judaisme) (Feb.); English trans. pub. in Jan. 2017; why the Jewish state of Israel is the litmus test for anti-Semitism; a "defense of a certain idea of man and God, of history and time, of power, voice, light, sovereignty, revolt, memory, and nature." Mike Love (1941-), Good Vibrations: My Life as a Beach Boy (autobio.) (Sept. 13). Jane Mayer (1955-), Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right (Jan.); NYT bestseller; the Koch and Bradley brothers, DeVos and Coors families, Richard Mellon Scaife, John M. Olin. Mitch McConnell (1942-), The Long Game: A Memoir (autobio.) (May 31); "In the line of work I would choose, compromise is key, but I'd come to find that certain times required me to invoke the fighting spirit both of my parents instilled in me." Peter McLoughlin, Easy Meat: Inside Britain's Grooming Gang Scandal (Mar. 1). Bill Mesler and H. James Cleaves II, A Brief History of Creation: Science and the Search for the Origin of Life. Chris Miller, The Struggle to Save the Soviet Economy: Mikhail Gorbachev and the Collapse of the USSR (Dec. 2). Dick Morris, Armageddon: How Trump Can Beat Hillary (June 28). Siddhartha Mukherjee, The Gene: An Intimate History (May 17). Peter Neumann, Radicalised: New Jihadists and the Threat to the West. Bill O'Reilly (1949-), Killing the Rising Sun: How America Vanquished World War II Japan (Sept. 13). Murray Pittock, Culloden (Sept. 14). Joshua Cooper Ramo (1968-), The Seventh Sense: Power, Fortune, and Survival in the Age of Networks.; how the new instinct for networking is as big a global rev. as the Englightenment or Industrial Rev.; "Hard Gatekeeping" as a strategy for countries to keep control of network topology. Lyndal Roper, Martin Luther: Renegade and Prophet (June 16). Amy Schumer (1981-), The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo (memoir) (Aug. 16); NYT bestseller. Peter Schweizer, Chuck Dixon, and Brett R. Smith, Clinton Cash: A Graphic Novel (Aug. 8). Rick Shenkman, Political Animals: How Our Stone Age Brain Gets in the Way of Smart Politics (Jan.). Anne Speckhard and Ahmet S. Yayla, Isis Defectors: Inside Stories of the Terrorist Caliphate (July 1). Tamara Sonn, Is Islam an Enemy of the West? (Nov. 17); Georgetown U. prof. spouts Islamophile moose hockey. Bruce Springsteen (1949-), Born to Run (autobio.) (Sept. 27). Rodney Stark, Bearing False Witness: Debunking Centuries of Anti-Catholic History (May 16); claims that anti-Catholic fanatics have framed the Roman Catholic Church. Roger Stone (1952-), Jeb! and the Bush Crime Family: The Inside Story of an American Dynasty (Feb. 16); their dirty laundry exposed in the midst of Jeb's limping U.S. pres. campaign. Paul Sutliff, Civilization Jihad and the Myth of Moderate Islam (Apr. 12). Gary Trudeau (1948-), Yuge! 30 Years of Doonesbury on Trump (July 5). J.D. Vance, Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis (June 28). Peter Waldhams (1948-), Farewell to Ice (Sept.); claims that the retreat of sea ice in the Arctic generates feedbacks that impact the entire global climate system, accelerating the rate of warming, the rate of sea level rise, the emission of methane from the offshore, and the occurrence of weather extremes affecting food production, arguing that catastrophic consequences cannot be avoided without making an all-out effort to develop ways of directly capturing carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Susan Williams, Spies in the Congo; how the U.S. got the uranium for the Hiroshima A-bomb. Peter Wilson, Heart of Europe. Tom Wolfe (1931-), The Kingdom of Speech (Aug.); dumps Charles Darwin and Noam Chomsky to explain the evolution of human speech. Ed Yong, I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life (first book). Novels: Anuk Arudpragasam, The Story of a Brief Marriage. Sara Baume, Spill Simmer Falter Wither. Michael Chabon, Moonglow. Jennifer Haigh, Heat & Light; a Penn. town fights a fracking co. Adam Haslett (1970-), Imagine Me Gone; a family has a hereditary anxiety disorder. Josh Katz, Speaking American: How Y’all, Youse , and You Guys Talk: A Visual Guide (Oct. 25). Maylis de Kerangal, The Heart. Sergei Lebedev (1981-), Oblivion (Jan. 19); the former gulags of the Arctic Circle. Jonathan Lee, High Dive; IRA terrorists work to assassinate Margaret Thatcher with a bomb in a Brighton hotel in 1984. Ken Liu, The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories (short stories). Javier Marias, Venice: An Interior. C.E. Morgan, The Sport of Kings; the real story of horseracing is in the breeding shed? Ann Patchett (1963-), Commonwealth (Aug. 1); Bert Cousins and Franny Keating in Southern Calif. Peter Schweizer (1964-), Victory: The Reagan Administration’s Secret Strategy that Hastened the Collapse of the Soviet Union (Oct. 25). Margot Lee Shetterly (1969-), Hidden Figures: The Story of the African-American Women Who Helped Win the Space Race (Sept. 6) (#1 NYT bestseller); female African-Am. mathematicians working for NASA during the Space Race; filmed in 2016. Nicholas Sparks (1965-), Two by Two (Oct. 4). Peter Townsend, Nothing to Do with Islam? Investigating the West's Most Dangerous Blind Spot (May 18). Colson Whitehead, The Underground Railroad. Tim Whitmarsh, Battling the Gods (Feb. 16); claims that atheism was common in the ancient Greek and Roman worlds. Edward Osborne Wilson (1929-), Half-Earth: Our Planet's Fight for Life (Mar. 7); buys the Sixth Extinction narrative bigtime, blaming humans for turning the Holocene into the Anthropocene, with the bold conclusion: "The only solution to the 'Sixth Extinction' is to increase the area of inviolable natural reserves to half the surface of the Earth or greater. This expansion is favored by unplanned consequences of ongoing human population growth and movement and evolution of the economy now driven by the digital revolution. But it also requires a fundamental shift in moral reasoning concerning our relation to the living environment." Plays: David Yazbek (1961-) and Itamar Moses (1977-), The Band's Visit (musical) (Atlantic Theater Do., New York) (Dec. 8) (Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York) (Oct. 7, 2017) (? perf.); based on the 2007 film; the Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra gets a wrong ticket from a clerk in Tel Aviv, ending up in Bet Hatikva instead of Petah Tikvah; wins 10 of 11 nominations at the 2018 Tony Awards. Poetry: Billy Collins (1941-), The Rain in Portugal. Births: Deaths: Am. "Tall Man in Phantasm" actor Angus Scrimm (b. 1926) on Jan. 9 in Los Angeles, Calif. (prostate cancer). English rock star David Bowie (b. 1947) on Jan. 10 in Manhattan, N.Y. (liver cancer). English "Severus Snape in Harry Potter" actor-dir. Alan Rickman (b. 1946) on Jan. 14 in London (cancer). Am. "Grizzly Adams" actor Dan Haggerty (b. 1941) on Jan. 15 in Burbank, Calif. (spinal cancer). Am. "Take It Easy" Eagles singer Glenn Frey (b. 1948) on Jan. 18 in New York City (pneumonia). English marine geologist Robert M. Carter (b. 1942) on Jan. 19 in Townsville, Australia (heart attack). Am. "Salvatore Tessio in The Godfather" Abe Vigoda (b. 1921) on Jan. 26 in Woodland Park, N.J. Am. NFL QB Ken "the Snake" Stabler (b. 1945) on July 8 in Gulfport, Miss. (colon cancer). Am. Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell (b. 1930) on Feb. 4 in Lake Worth, Fla. Am. Supreme Court justice (1986-2016) Antonin Scalia (b. 1936) on Feb. 12/13 in Shaffer, Tx.; Pres. Obama snubs his funeral. Italian philosopher-novelist Umberto Eco (b. 1932) on Feb. 19 in Milan: "The first duty of intellectuals: to remain silent when they cannot be of any use"; "You can tell a lunatic by the fact that sooner or later he brings up the Templars"; "There are lunatics who don't talk about the Templars, but those who do are the most insidious"; "The Templars have something to do with everything." Am. "Left Behind" novelist Tim LaHaye (b. 1926) on July 25 in San Diego County, Calif.; sold 80M copies. Am. "To Kill a Mockingbird" novelist Harper Lee (b. 1926) on Feb. 19 in Monroeville, Ala. British #1 pilot Capt. Eric Brown (b. 1919) on Feb. 21 in Redhill, Surrey. Am. MIss America 1951 Yolande Margaret Betbeze Fox (b. 1928) on Feb. 22 in Washington, D.C. (lung cancer). Am. "Cool Hand Luke" actor George Kennedy (b. 1925) on Feb. 28 in Middleton, Idaho (heart disease). Am. "The Prince of Tides", "The Great Santini" novelist Pat Conroy (b. 1945) on Mar. 4 in Beaufort, S.C. (pancreatic cancer). Am. Repub. First Lady (1981-9) Nancy Reagan (b. 1921) on Mar. 6 in Los Angeles, Calif. (heart failure). English record producer George Martin (b. 1926) on Mar. 8. Am. Johnson & Johnson CEO (1989-2002) Ralph S. Larsen (b. 1938) on Mar. 9 in Naples, Fla. Am. "Emerson, Lake & Palmer" musician Keith Emerson (b. 1944) on Mar. 10 in Santa Monica, Calif. (suicide). Am. economist Lloyd Shapley (b. 1923) on Mar. 12 in Tucson, Ariz.; 2012 Nobel Econ. Prize. Am. singer Frank Sinatra Jr. (b. 1944) on Mar. 16 in Daytona Beach, Fla. (heart attack). English novelist Barry Hines (b. 1939) on Mar. 18 in Hoyland. Am. Intel Corp. CEO Andrew Grove (b. 1936) on Mar. 21 in Los Altos, Calif. Am. "Hellen Keller in The Miracle Worker" actress Patty Duke (b. 1946) on Mar. 29 in Coeur d'Alene, Ohio (ruptured intenstine). Am. "Thomas Jefferson in 1776" actor Ken Howard (b. 1944) on Mar. 23 in Los Angeles, Calif. Am. "The Waltons" novelist Earl Hamner Jr. (b. 1923) on Mar. 24 in Los Angeles, Calif. (cancer). Am. comedian Garry Shandling (b. 1949) on Mar. 24 in Los Angeles, Calif. (heart attack). Am. "Legends of the Fall" novelist Jim Harrison (b. 1937) on Mar. 26 in Patagonia, Ariz. Am. Franciscan nun Mother Angelica (b. 1923) on Mar. 27 (Easter Sun.) in Hanceville, Ala. U.S. secy. of education #1 (1979-81) Shirley Hufstedler (b. 1925) on Mar. 30 in Glendale, Calif. Iraqi-born British architect Zaha Hadid (b. 1950) on Mar. 31 in Miami, Fla. (heart attack). Am. country singer Merle Haggard (b. 1937) on Apr. 6 in Palo Cedro, Calif. (pneumonia). Canadian playwright Marcel Dube (b. 1930) on Apr. 7 in Montreal, Quebec; produced 300+ works. English physicist Sir David J.C. MacKay (b. 1967) on Apr. 14 in Cambridge (stomach ccancer). Am. atmospheric scientist William M. Gray (b. 1929) on Apr. 16 in Fort Collins, Colo. Am. "Marie Barone in Everybody Loves Raymond" actress Doris Roberts (b. 1925) on Apr. 17 in Los Angeles, Calif. Indian-born Am. atmospheric scientist S. Ichtiaque Rasool (b. 1930) on Apr. 20. Am. "Purple Rain" rock star Prince (b. 1958) on Apr. 21 in Chanhassen, Minn. (fentanyl OD); sold 150M+ albums; coincidentally Niagara Falls is turned purple to celebrate Elizabeth II's 90th birthday: "Don't hate me because I'm fabulous." Am. Baptist pastor Peter Ruckman (b. 1921) on Apr. 21 in Pensacola, Fla. Am. Okla. gov. #20 (1971-5) David Hall (b. 1930) on May 6 in San Diego, Calif. (stroke). Am. "Martin Lane in The Patty Duke Show" actor William Schallert (b. 1922) on May 8 in Pacific Palisades, Calif; dies 6 weeks after Patty Duke (Mar. 29). French astrophysicist Andre Brahic (b. 1942) on May 15 in Paris. Canadian-Am. TV journalist Morley Safer (b. 1931) on May 19 in Manhattan, N.Y. Am. heavyweight boxing champ Muhammad Ali (b. 1942) on June 3 in Scottsdale, Ariz. (septic shock and Parkinson's); retired with a 56-5-0 record (37 KOs): "It's hard to be humble when you're as great as I am"; "The man who views the world at fifty the same as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life." English "Equus" playwright Sir Peter Shaffer (b. 1926) on June 6 in County Cork, Ireland. Canadian ice hockey player "Mr. Hockey" Gordie Howe (b. 1928) on June 10 in Toledo, Ohio. Am. singer Christina Grimmie (b. 1994) on June 11 in Orlando, Fla. (shot by 27-y.-o. Kevin James Loibi after a concert performance at The Plaza Live with Before You Exit). Am. "Pavel Chekov in Star Trek" actor Anton Yelchin (b. 1989) on June 19 in Studio City, Calif (driveway accident). Am. "Future Shock" writer Alvin Toffler (b. 1928) on June 27 in Los Angeles, Calif. French poet Yves Bonnefoy (b. 1923) on July 1 in Paris: "One should not call oneself a poet. It would be pretentious. It would mean that one has resolved the problems poetry presents. Poet is a word one can use when speaking of others, if one admires them sufficiently. If someone asks me what I do, I say I'm a critic, or a historian." Romanian-born Am. Jewish activist Elie Wiesel (b. 1928) on July 2 in New Yok City; 1986 Nobel Peace Prize: "No human race is superior; no religious faith is inferior. All collective judgments are wrong. Only racists make them." Sicilian moss boss Bernardo Provenzano (b. 1933) on July 13 in Milan, Italy (bladder cancer); dies in prison. Am. "Pretty Woman", "The Odd Couple", "Happy Days", "Mork & Mindy" dir.-producer Garry Marshall (b. 1934) on July 19 in Burbank, Calif. (pneumonia). Dahomey pres. (1968-9) Emile Derlin Zinsou (b. 1918) on July 28 in Cotonou. Canadian-Am. sports journalist John Saunders (b. 1955) on Aug. 10 in New York City. English "R2-D2 in Star Wars" actor Kenny Baker (b. 1934) on Aug. 13 in Manchester. Zanzibar pres. (1972-84) Aboud Jumbe Mwinyi (b. 1920) on Aug. 14 in Kigamboni, Dar es Salaam. Am. TV journalist John McLaughlin (b. 1927) on Aug. 16. Canadian "Love Story" dir. Arthur Hiller (b. 1923) on Aug. 17 in Los Angeles, Calif.; dies almost 2 mo. after his wife (since 1948) Gwen (June 24). Am. poet Max Ritvo (b. 1990) on Aug. 23 in Los Angeles, Calif. (Ewing's sarcoma). Am. "Dan Briggs in Mission: Impossible" "Adam Schiff in Law & Order" actor Steven Hill (b. 1922) on Aug. 23 in Monsey, N.Y. Am. physicist James Watson Cronin (b. 1931) on Aug. 25 in St. Paul, Minn.; 1980 Nobel Physics Prize. Am "Willy Wonka" actor Gene Wilder (b. 1933) on Aug. 29 in Stamford, Conn. (Alzheimer's). Am. Boeing 747 aircraft designer Joe Sutter (b. 1921) on Aug. 30 in Seattle, Wash. (pneumonia). Am. conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly (b. 1924) on Sept. 5 in St. Louis, Mo. Am. "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" playwright Edward Albee (b. 1928) on Sept. 16 in Montauk, N.Y. Cuban-born Am. baseball pitcher Jose Fernandez (b. 1992) on Sept. 25 in Miami Beach, Fla. (boating accident). Am. golfer Arnold Palmer (b. 1929) on Sept. 25 in Pittsburgh, Penn. Israeli pres. #9 (2007-14) and PM #8 (1995-6) Shimon Peres (b. 1923) on Sept. 28 in Tel HaShomer, Ramat Gan; 1994 Nobel Peace Prize; leaves behind a Marshall Plan for the Middle East, stressing hi tech; his funeral on Sept. 30 is attended by Pres. Obama, who utters the soundbyte: "In many ways, he reminded me of some other giants of the 20th century that I've had the honor to meet... Leaders who... find no need to posture or traffic in what's popular in the moment; people who speak with depth and knowledge, not in sound bites. They find no interest in polls or fads... [who] could be true to [their] convictions even if they cut against the grain of current opinion." Am. scholar Jacob Neusner (b. 1932) on Oct. 8 in Rhinebeck, N.Y.; wrote or edited 950+ books. Thai king (1946-2016) Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) (b. 1927) on Oct. 13 in Bangkok; leaves a $30B fortune; world's longest reigning monarch; the govt. announces a 1-year period of mourning; too bad, ultra-royalism leaves a legacy of jails filled with people accused of lese-majeste, serving 15 years per offense. Japanese mountaineer Junko Tabei (b. 1939) on Oct. 20 in Kawagoe, Saitama. Am. journalist Gavin MacFayden (b. 1940) on Oct. 22 in London, England (lung cancer) (murdered by Hillary's people?). Am. evangelical Christian cartoonist Jack Chick (b. 1924) on Oct. 23 in Alhambra, Calif. Am. activist Tom Hayden (b. 1939) on Oct. 23 in Santa Monica, Calif. Uruguayan pres. #38 (2000-5) Jorge Batlle (b. 1927) on Oct. 24 in Montevideo. Am. economist Charles Wolf Jr. (b. 1924) on Oct. 24 in Los Angeles, Calif. Canadian "Bird on the Wire" musician Leonard Cohen (b. 1934) on Nov. 7 in Los Angeles, Calif. U.S. atty. gen. #78 (1993-2001) Janet Reno (b. 1938) on Nov. 7 in Miami, Fla. (Alzheimer's). Am. "Napoleon Solo in The Man from U.N.C.L.E." Robert Vaughn (b. 1932) on Nov. 11 in Danbury, Conn. (leukemia). Am. serial murderer James Dale Ritchie (b. 1976) on Nov. 12 in Anchorage, Alaska; killed in shootout with police. Arab prince Turki II bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (b. 1934) on Nov. 12. Am. TV journalist Gwen Ifill (b. 1955) on Nov. 14 in Washington, D.C. (cancer). Algerian Muslim reformer Malek Chebel (b. 1953) on Nov. 12 in France: "The majority of Muslims are caught between two groups: on the one hand a small group of violent Muslims who want to Islamize the world; and on the other hand the majority of the Western people who don't understand Islam." Am. artificial heart surgeon Denton Cooley (b. 1920) on Nov. 18 in Houston, Tex. - died of a broken heart? Am. "Carol Brady in The Brady Bunch" actress Florence Henderson (b. 1934) on Nov. 24 (Thanksgiving Day) in Los Angeles Calif. (heart failure). Am. leftist journalist Bill Mandel (b. 1917) on Nov. 24 in Kensington, Calif. Cuban dictator PM (1959-76) and pres. (1976-2008) Fidel Castro (b. 1926) on Nov. 25 in Havana; Pres. Obama issues a condolence, praising "the countless ways in which Fidel Castro altered the course of individual lives, families, and of the Cuban nation", along with "the enormous impact of this singular figure on the people and world around him." Am. NBC-TV CEO (1981-6) Grant Tinker (b. 1925) on Nov. 28 in Calif. Am. astronaut John Glenn (b. 1921) on Dec. 8 in Columbus, Ohio. Dutch heroine Marion Pritchard (b. 1920) on Dec. 11 in Washington, D.C. Canadian "Jason Seaver in Growing Pains" actor Alan Thicke (b. 1947) on Dec. 13 in Burbank, Calif. (heart attack). Welsh "Malcolm Merriweather in The Andy Griffith Show", "Col. Archibald Gracie in Titanic" actor Bernard Fox (b. 1927) on Dec. 14 in Van Nuys, Calif. (heart failure). Am. Heimlich Maneuver surgeon Henry Heimlich (b. 1920) on Dec. 17 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Russian ambassador Andrei Karlov (b. 1954) on Dec. 19 in Ankara, Turkey (assassinated). English "Watership Down" novelist Richard Adams (b. 1920) on Dec. 24. English "Faith" musician George Michael (b. 1963) on Dec. 25 in Goring-on-Thames, Oxfordshire (heart failure). Am. cancer researcher Peter Nowell (b. 1928) on Dec. 26 in Philadelphia, Pann. Am. "Princess Leia in Star Wars" actress-writer Carrie Fisher (b. 1956) on Dec. 27 in Los Angeles, Calif. (heart failure). Am. "Kathy Selden in Singin' in the Rain" actress Debbie Reynolds (b. 1932) on Dec. 28 in Los Angeles, Calif. (stroke).








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T.L. Winslow's 2017 C.E. Historyscope

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2017 - The Hurricane Harvey Irma Manchester Parsons Green Stephen Paddock Devin Patrick Kelley Halloween Massacre Sutherland Springs #MeToo Year of Trump and His Muslim Taliban Travel Ban and Rocket Man Problem, or, White Is Right Again, For How Long Nobody Knows They're Marching in the Streets while the Deep State is Fighting Back and Engaging in a Witch Hunt and Toppling Monuments? The #MeToo Year when American women make their power play to bump off men in power? The Year of the Ram-A-Van Shot Heard Round the World While the West Continues Its Frog in a Beaker Flirtation with Cultural Suicide?

Trump Rooster in China, 2016 Make America Great Again Dress, 2017 'What Happened' by Hillary Clinton (1947-), 2017 U.S. Pres. Donald John Trump (1946-) U.S. First Lady Melania Trump (1970-) U.S. Vice-Pres. Mike Pence (1959-) Karen Pence of the U.S. (1958-) Ivanka Trump of the U.S. (1981-) Emmanuel Macron of France (1977-) Marine Le Pen of France (1986-) Antonio Manuel de Oliveira Guterres of Portugal (1949-) Sally Yates of the U.S. (1960-) Gen. James N. Mattis of the U.S. (1950-) Gen. John Francis Kelly of the U.S. (1950-) Gary David Cohn of the U.S. (1960-) Sean Michael Spicer of the U.S. (1971-) Anthony Scaramucci of the U.S. (1964-) Nikki Haley of the U.S. (1972-) Elaine Lan Chao of the U.S. (1953-) Neil Gorsuch of the U.S. (1967-) Ajit Varadaraj Pai of the U.S. (1973-) Mike Pompeo of the U.S. (1963-) Rex Wayne Tillerson of the U.S. (1952-) Ben Carson of the U.S. (1951-) Rick Perry of the U.S. (1950-) Betsy DeVos of the U.S. (1958-) Jeff Sessions of the U.S. (1946-)) Wilbur Ross of the U.S. (1937-) Steve Mnuchin of the U.S. (1962-) Tom Price of the U.S. (1954-) Andy Puzder of the U.S. (1950-) Mick Mulvaney of the U.S. (1967-) U.S. Adm. Robert Harward Jr. of the U.S. U.S. Gen. Herbert Raymond 'H.R.' McMaster (1962-) Scott Pruitt of the U.S. (1968-) Dan Coats of the U.S. (1943-) R. Alexander Acosta of the U.S. (1968-) Devin Nunes of the U.S. (1973-) Kay Bailey Hutchinson of the U.S. (1943-) Kirstjen Nielsen of the U.S. (1972-) Madonna (1958-) in Pussyhat, Jan. 21, 2017 John Bercow of Britain (1963-) Gen. Rumen Radev of Bulgaria (1963-) Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed of Somalia (1962-) Moon Jae-in of South Korea (1953-) Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand (1980-) Takuma Sato (1977-) Jim Bridenstine of the U.S. (1975-) Peggy Whitson of the U.S. (1960-) Sheila Abdus-Salaam of the U.S. (1952-2017) Sheila Jackson Lee of the U.S. (1950-) Leo Eric Varadkar of Eire (1979-) Esteban Santiago (1990-) Shiloh Heavenly Quine (1959-) Alexandre Bissonnette (1989-) Khalid Masood (-2017), Mar. 22, 2017 Salman Abedi (1995-2017) 2017 London Massacre Suspects U.S. Sgt. Ikaika Erik Kang (1983-) Husnain Rashid (1986-) Omar Suleiman (1986-) Samantha Sally Elhassani (1986-) Amor M. Ftouhi (1967-) Stephen Paddock (1953-2017) Jordan Edwards (2001-17) and Roy Oliver Sayfullo Saipov (1988-) Marcus Hutchins (1994-) Devin Patrick Kelley (1991-2017) Howell Emanuel Donaldson III Akayed Ullah (1990-) Chris Long (1985-) David Jones (1987-2017) Gift Ngoepe (1990-) James T. Hodgkinson (1951-2017) Scott Ostrem (1971-) Nicholas Young (1979-) Brooks Koepka (1990-) Everitt Aaron Jameson (1991-) Matthew Riehl (1990-2017) Tiger Woods (1975-) Mug Shot, May 29, 2017 Garbine Muguruza (1993-) Joseph Scott Giaquito (1981-) Kaan Sercan Damlarkaya (1989-) Kara Deidra McCullough (1991-) Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters (1995-) Lost At Sea Women Jennifer Appel and Tasha Fuiava Kazuo Ishiguro (1954-) Harvey Weinstein (1952-) Rainer Weiss (1932-) Gregory Wrightstone Kurt Andersen (1954-) Barry Barrish (1936-) Kip Thorne (1940-) Noam Chomsky (1928-) Jacques Dubochet (1942-) Morgan Evans (1984-) Joachim Frank (1940-) Richard Henderson (1945-) Jeffrey Connor Hall (1945-) Michael Morris Rosbash (1944-) Michael Warren Young (1949-) Richard H. Thaler (1945-) Morgan Wallen (1993-) '1922', 2017 '47 Meters Down', 2017 'Anna and the Apocalypse', 2017 'Blade Runner 2049', 2017 'The Boss Baby', 2017 'Coco', 2017 'Darkest Hour', 2017 'Dunkirk', 2017 'Get Out', 2017 'Ghost Stories', 2017 'Happy Death Day', 2017 'It', 2017 'Jigsaw', 2017 'Leatherface', 2017 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales', 2017 'The Post', 2017 'The Silent Child', 2017 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi', 2017 'Thank You for Your Service', 2017 'Unlocked', 2017 'Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets', 2017 'Veronica', 2017 'Victoria & Abdul', 2017 'The Zookeepers Wife', 2017 Elbphilharmonie, 2017

2017 Doomsday Clock: 2-1/2 min. to midnight (first use of a fraction). Chinese Year: Rooster (Jan. 28); late last Dec. Taiyuan, Shanxi, China erects a giant Trump Rooster Statue outside a shopping mall. Doomsday Clock: 2-1/2 min. to midnight. Africa becomes the world's fastest-growing beer market. Time Mag. Person of the Year: The Silence Breakers (Women of the #MeToo Movement); Donald Trump is runner-up. The 2017 Atlantic hurricane season (Apr. 19-Nov. 9) sees 10 hurricanes in a row and six major hurricanes incl. Harvey, Maria, Irma, and Nate, costing a record total $282.16B damage. CO2 emissions this year by China are 9,232M tons, vs. 5,087M tons by the U.S. (81% higher). This year U.S. federal spending tops $4T for the first time, and the U.S. nat. debt tops $20T; Social Security spending tops $1T for the first time. The U.S. birth rate falls to the lowest since 1987. Spain receives 13K+ illegal immigrants from Africa this year, vs. 12K in 2016; Italy: 97K (vs. 181K in 2016, 600K since 2013). 700K+ foreign nationals overstay their U.S. visas this year. Islamists from 121 groups cause the deaths of 84K incl. 22K civilians in 66 countries this year in 7,841 attacks, mostly on fellow Muslims. The Muslim pop. of Germany passes 6M, 7.% of the 83M pop. The Muslim pop. of Spain is 2M, vs. 100K in 1990; there are 1.4K mosques in Spain (incl. 112 in Madrid), 21% of the total places of worship. The number of jihadist attacks in Europe: 33 (vs. 13 in 2016), of which 10 are successful, killing 62; most are by home-grown terrorists. Zero illegal immigrants enter Israel this year, vs. 61K in 2007-12. U.S. beer sales place Bud Light at the top, followed by Coors Light and Miller Lite, with Bud dropping from #3 to #4. ICE arrests 127K+ criminal illegal aliens in FY 2017, up 11K since 2016. The first year with no commerical passenger plane crashes (until ?); 4B passengers. Piracy incidents off the Horn of Africa double compared to 2016. Bottled water becomes the #1 favorite beverage in the U.S. On Jan. 1 (1:15 a.m.) an Islamist AK-47 attack in a Santa Claus costume at the Reina Nightclub in Istanbul, Turkey during a New Year celebration kills 39 and injures 69, with some jumping into the nearby Bosphorus Strait to escape; on Jan. 2 ISIS claims responsibility, with the soundbyte: "In continuation of the blessed operations that Islamic State is conducting against the protector of the cross, Turkey, a heroic soldier of the caliphate struck one of the most famous nightclubs where the Christians celebrate their apostate holiday." On Jan. 1 the Transgender Mandate, a new federal regulation prohibiting discrimination in health care against transgenders, due to come into effect today is blocked by a federal judge in Tex. On Jan. 1 Finland announces a 2-year Universal Basic Income (UBI) of 560 Euros/mo. to a randomly selected pop. of 2K. On Jan. 1 after the U.N. Security votes 15-0-0 on Oct. 6 to recommend him, former Socialist PM (1995-2002) Antonio Manuel de Oliveira Guterres (1949-) of Portugal becomes U.N. secy. gen. #9 (until ?). On Jan. 2 the 2017 Rose Bowl sees the 9-3 USC Trojans defeat the 11-2 Penn. State Nittany Lions 52-49. On Jan. 2 after North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Lunatic pledges to step-up efforts to test-fire an ICBM this year, Donald Trump tweets the soundbyte: "It won't happen!" On Jan. 2 The New Celebrity Apprentice debuts on NBC-TV, hosted by Arnold Schwarzenegger, with new U.S. pres. Donald Trump as exec producer; too bad, on Feb. 13 it ends after a measly seven episodes. On Jan. 3 Pres. Obama expands the power of the Nat. Security Agency (NSA) to share raw sigint (globally intercepted personal communications) with 16 other intel agencies, making it easier for anti-Trump moles to leak info. after he takes office. On Jan. 5 four Black Lives Matter supporters in Chicago, Ill. kidnap and torture white mentally challenged ? and post it live on Facebook, getting them arrested and charged with kidnapping and hate crime. On Jan. 5 lame duck Pres. Obama holds a meeting with vice-pres. Joe Biden, FBI dir. Jim Comey, Atty. Gen. Sally Yates, and nat. security advisor Susan Rice, telling them to consider withholding nat. intel from the incoming Trump admin. in case they were compromised by Russia. On Jan. 6 Russian Gen. Valery Gerasimov announces that it is beginning a withdrawal of forces from Syria, starting with the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov. On Jan. 6 (12:55 p.m.) after visiting an FBI office in Anchorage, Alaska in Nov. and claiming that voices in his head were telling him to join ISIS, 26-y.-o. Iraq War vet Esteban Santiago (1990-) (who converted to Islam under the name Aashiq Hammad years before joining the U.S. Army) flies to Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., gets his checked gun out of the baggage area, and uses it to shoot and kill five and injure eight before running out of ammo and laying down to wait for police to arrest him; he later tells FBI agents that he carried out the attack for ISIS; he receives a life prison sentence. On Jan. 6 Donald Trump meets with the FBI, NSA, CIA, and DNI chiefs, who claim that Russia engaged in a systematic hacking attempt to help him defeat Hillary; he responds GFY, er, that it is probably a Dem. witch hunt and didn't affect the election outcome; meanwhile Congress certifies Trump's Electoral College V over Hillary by 304-227. On Jan. 6 57-y.-o. convicted murderer Shiloh Heavenly Quine (1959-) in Calif. becomes the first U.S. inmate to receive state-funded sex reassignment surgery. On Jan. 6 U.S. nat. intel dir. James Clapper issues a multiagency intel community assessment about Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. pres. election, concluding that no evidence of collusion with the Trump campaign has been found; on May 14 he appears on ABC News' This Week with George Stephanopoulos, saying that by his last day in office he still didn't see any evidence, but that there could still be some evidence collected by the FBI. On Jan. 8 (Sun.) a jihadist plows his truck into Israeli soldiers in Jerusalem, Israel, killing four and injuring 15; on Jan. 9 the Berlin Senate in Germany has the Brandenburg Gate lit with the colors of the Israeli flag in solidarity for the first time ever. On Jan. 8 the 2nd of two U.S. strikes (Dec. 29) in C Yemen kills three AQAP operatives. On Jan. 8 (eve.) the 2017 (74th) Golden Globes Awards, presented at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif by Jimmy Fallon is a coup for "La La Land", which wins seven; the awards show is full of liberal Hollyweird stars giving speeches dissing Donald Trump, esp. Cecil B. Demille lifetime achievement award winner Meryl Streep, causing Trump to Tweet that "she's one of the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood". On Jan. 10 (eve.) Pres. Obama delivers his farewell address at McCormick Place in Chicago, Ill., responding to cries of "four more years" with "I can't do that", and issuing a parting shot at Donald Trump with the soundbyte: "For every two steps forward, it often feels we take one step back." On Jan. 10 Yahoo announces that it will change its name to Altaba after being acquired by $4.8B by Verizon, with Marissa Mayer leaving the board. On Jan. 11 pres.-elect Donald Trump gives a news conference (first in 162 days), continuing his trademark style of never backing down on anything, refusing to put his assets in a blind trust or release his tax returns, and brushing off all attempts to frame him on being Putin's puppet, and telling Jim Acosta that his CNN is "fake news". On Jan. 11 Norway becomes the first country to shut down its FM radio network, despite a Dec. poll that shows that 66% of the pop. oppose it. On Jan. 11 the 15th anniv. of the Gitmo Detention Center; 60 detainees remain, incl. 46 certified as too dangerous to transfer or try. On Jan. 11 Blackwater founder Erik Prince secretly meets in the Seychelles Islands with a Russian close to Russian pres. Vladimir Putin to set up a communications back-link with Pres. Trump? On Jan. 12 the U.S. military moves 3.5K troops to Poland to counter Russian aggression, becoming the largest deployment since the end of the Cold War, pissing-off Russia. On Jan. 12 Pres. Obama awards vice-pres. Joe Biden a pres. medal of freedom, talking up their bromance and calling him a "lion of American history" - setting a precedent? On Jan. 12 after 100K flock to the U.S. since the Dec. 17, 2014 announcement of the reestablishment of diplomatic relations, the Obama admin. announces an end to the 1995 "wet foot, dry foot" policy of automatic legal residency for Cubans who reach U.S. soil. On Jan. 13 (1:00 p.m.) (Fri. the Thirteenth) Finnair Flight 666 takes off from Copenhagen (CPH) and flies directly to Helsinki (HEL) after a 1:34 flight, landing at 3:41 p.m. local time; the plane is 13 years old. On Jan. 13 the U.S. House of Reps votes 227-198 along party lines (except for nine defecting Repubs.) to begin the process of repealing Obamacare. On Jan. 13 former Dem. Nat. Committee (DNC) chmn. Debbie Wasserman Schultz meets with FBI dir. James Comey, dissing him for not informing her about alleged Russian hacking. On Jan. 13-14 protests in Tunisia on the 6th anniv. of the 2011 Arab Spring. On Jan. 14 Pope Francis meets with Palestinian Authority pres. Mahmoud Abbas in Rome to open the Palestinian embassy to the Vatican. On Jan. 15 (eve.) Donald Trump gives an interview to The Washington Post, in which he utters the soundbyte that he is planning on replacing Obamacare with a plan that will provide "insurance for everybody". On Jan. 15 the 2017 Paris Peace Summit, attended by delegates from 70 nations reaffirms the 2-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian problem, but chickens out before laying out concrete steps for fear of pro-Israel pres. Trump. On Jan. 15 the Steele Dossier is pub. by BuzzFeed; Watergate journalist Bob Woodward calls it a "garbage paper", but the leftists eat it up and ramp-up the Trump-Russia hoax. On Jan. 16 the Obama admin. releases 10 detainees from Gitmo incl. almost-9/11 hijacker Mohammad Al Ansi; on Jan. 18 he frees Puerto Rican nationalist terrorist Oscar Lopez Rivera. On Jan. 17 Pres. Obama commutes the sentences of 209 inmates, incl. the 35-year sentence of WikiLeaker Chelsea (Bradley) Manning, who will leave prison in May. On Jan. 18 (early a.m.) a truck-borne IED explodes in a military camp in Gao, Mali, killing 50+ and injuring many others. On Jan. 18 (night) two precision air strikes are authorized on two ISIS camps near Sirte, Libya. On Jan. 19 (eve.) after Donald Trump and his family land ceremoniously in Washington, D.C., the Deploraball in Washington, D.C. for Trump supporters is crashed by hundreds of black mask-wearing anarchist protesters; performers incl. country star Toby Keith; fake news outlet CNN is disinvited. On Jan. 19 Route 1 to Jerusalem opens to traffic. On Jan. 19 the Obama admin. scrambles to generate the Trump-Russia collusion scandal within 24 hours of Pres. Trump's inaguration. On Jan. 19 U.S. secy. of state John Kerry leaves his job, giving a speech to U.S. State Dept. employees, with the soundbyte: "This is not an end. This is a beginning. It's a new beginning." On Jan. 20 waist-deep snow falls in Ain Sefra, NW Algeria ("Gateway to the Sahara") for the first time in 37 years. The don of a new era? On Jan. 20 (12:00 a.m.) (7th min. of the 7th hour on the eve of the Hebrew sabbath) (during a sudden light shower) the 2017 (66th) U.S. Pres. Inauguration in Washington, D.C. sees New York City-born, Queens, N.Y.-raised Wharton School-educated real estate billionaire and TV personality (Presbyterian?) Donald John Trump (1946-) (Hebrew numerical value 424, same as Messiah Ben David AKA King David, who died at age 7, vs. Hillary Rodham Clinton = 255 = Amalek) (Secret Service codename: Mogul) (known for using 8th grade language filled with repetition) become Repub. U.S. pres. #45 (until ?) (70 years, 70 mo. and 7 days old - oldest elected U.S. pres.) (married 3x) (five children and eight grandchildren); former gov. #50 of Ind. (2013-17) Michael Richard "Mike" Pence (1959-) (Secret Service codename: Hoosier) becomes U.S. vice-pres. #48 (until ?); the end of a globalized U.S.? the inauguration is watched by 30.6M TV viewers on 12 TV networks, becoming the 2nd highest Nielsen rating since 1981; before the ceremony Trump attends a private religious service at St. John's Episcopal Church, led by Southern Baptist Rev. Robert Jeffries; First Lady is Slovenian-born Roman Catholic Melania Trump (Melanija Knavs or Knauss) (1970-) (Secret Service codename: Muse), insisting that the White House be exorcised before moving in; at the inauguration she wears a baby-blue dress and jacket from Ralph Lauren, stirring comparisons with Jackie Kennedy; Second Lady is Kan.-born Karen Sue Pence (nee Batten) (1958-) (Secret Service codename: Hummingbird); Trump's hotshot daughter (2nd First Lady?) is New York City-born Ivanka Marie Trump (1981-) (Secret Service codename: Marvel), who wears a white Oscar de la Renta dress at the inauguration; the inauguration is boycotted by 67 Dem. congresspersons (most since Abraham Lincoln), but not Hillary and Bill Clinton, who are thanked by Trump at the luncheon in the Capitol; Trump's cabinet picks incl. no Hispanics (first time since 1981); a screaming woman in a lime jacket stinks the inauguration speech up; Trump's 2017 Inauguration Speech punches the Washington, D.C. establishment in the mouth while telling the American People that they run it now, repeating the phrase "America First"; on Jan. 20 Pres. Trump's Cabinet starts with retired USMC gen. James N. "Mad Dog" Mattis (1950-), who becomes U.S. secy. of defense #26 (until ?); on Jan. 20 retired USMC gen. John Francis Kelly (1950-) becomes U.S. homeland secy. #5 (until ?); Sean Michael Spicer (1971-) becomes White House press secy. #30 (until July 21); within a few hours of taking the oath of office, Trump signs a sweeping executive order to federal agencies to "ease the burden" of Obamacare in preparation for its total abolition. On Jan. 20 after receiving a $285M severance package from Goldman Sachs, where he was pres. since 2006, Cleveland, Ohio-born Jewish-Am. investment banker Gary David Cohn (1960-) becomes dir. #11 of the Nat. Economic Council, making him Pres. Trump's chief economic advisor (until Mar. 6, 2018). On Jan. 20 Saturday Night Live writer Katie Rich issues a tweet that Pres. Trump's cute little 10-y.-o. son Barron Trump "will be this country's first homeschool shooter", pissing-off the PC police and causing her to be fired. On Jan. 20 (eve.) Zeke Miller of Time mag. reports that the bust of Martin Luther King Jr. in the Oval Office of the White House has been removed; he quickly issues a correction and apology; actually, a bust of Winston Churchill that was removed by Pres. Obama was returned and placed in a new spot. On Jan. 21 the anti-Trump 2017 Disrupt J20 Women's March (1st Annual Women's March), funded by leftist puppetmaster George Soros sweeps the globe from Australia to the U.S. and U.K.; a large crowd protests in downtown Washington, D.C.; pop star Madonna wears a pussy hat, designed by Jayna Zweiman (1978-), and mentions dreams of "blowing up the White House"; protesters carry signs reading "Pussy trumps tyranny", "Keep your politics off my pussy", "Stay cunty", and "My neck, my back, my pussy will grab back"; 217 are arrested for rioting, facing up to 10 years in priz and a $250K fine. On Jan. 21 Pres. Trump meets with the CIA, declaring that the U.S. must totally eradicate "radical Islamic terrorism" from the "face of the Earth". On Jan. 22 air force maj. gen. Rumen Georgiev Radev (1963-) of the Bulgarian Socialist Party becomes pres. of Bulgaria (until ?). On Jan. 23 Pres. Trump signs an executive order withdrawing the U.S. from the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership, which he called "a rape of our country"; he is backed by progressive Dems. and labor groups, and opposed by establishment Repubs. and economists; he also signs an executive order to defund Internat. Planned Parenthood, leaving the U.S.-based corporation for Congress, and reinstating the Mexico City Policy of banning foreign adi to nongovt. orgs. (NGOs) that promote or pay for abortion procedures; he also signs an executive order freezing federal hiring, except for the military. On Jan. 23 U.S. Rep. (R-Kan.) (2011-17) Michael Richard "Mike" Pompeo (1963-) becomes U.S. CIA dir. #6 (until Apr. 26, 2018), succeeding John O. Brennan. On Jan. 23 Indian-Am. Repub. atty. Ajit Varadaraj Pai (1973-), known as a big critic of regulation incl. Net Neutrality becomes U.S. FCC chmn. (until ?) On Jan. 24 Pakistan successfully test-fires its Ababeel multi-target nuclear misslile, with 2.2K km range, capable of hitting many cities in India. On Jan. 24 Pres. Trump signs executive orders reopening the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipline projects, guaranteeing all U.S.-made steel; he also signs executive orders cutting of all new contracts and grants for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and bans its employees from publishing on social media; he also tweets a warning to Obamatown Chicago, Ill., threatening to "send in the Feds" if violence doesn't decrease. On Jan. 25 Pres. Trump signs Executive Order 13767: Border Security nd Immigration Enforcement Improvements, ordering the Dept. of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection to beg planning for a border wall with Mexico, vowing to begin construction within months, and make the Mexican govt. pay for it; he also tweets: "I will be asking for a major investigation into voter fraud", claiming that millions voted illegally even though he won. On Jan. 25 the Dow Jones Industrial Avg. hits 20K for the first time. On Jan. 25 artist Christo cancels his 25-y.-o. project "Over the River" to hang a silvery fabric along a 42-mi. stretch of the Arkansas River in SC Colo., ostensibly in protest against Pres. Trump. On Jan. 26 after denouncing his new border security measures, Mexican pres. Enrique Pena Nieto cancels his planned visit to the U.S. to meet with Pres Trump.; the Trump Wall would reduce cash flow to the cartels that financed Nieto's pres. campaign? On Jan. 26 (1:30 p.m.) Pres. Dump Truck, er, Trump visits the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security HQ, and utters the soundbyte: "A nation without borders is not a nation. Beginning today, the United States of America gets back control of its borders", then signs the executive order "Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States", tightening U.S. immigration policies, indefinitely banning refugees from Syria, and banning refugees from other countries for 120 days, plus 30 days more for Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen; refugees to be admitted this year will be cut from 110K to 50K; on Jan. 27 after answering critics with "We can't take chances", Trump tells Christian Broadcasting Network that he will help persecuted Christians; Iraq retaliates by banning U.S. travelers, as does Iran; on Jan. 29 Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz announces that they will hire 10K refugees over the next five years, while U.S. Senate minority leader (D-N.Y.) Chuck Schumer calls Trump's order "mean-spirited and un-American... bad for America, bad for our national security", claiming it goes against "what America has always been about", breaking into tears, which Trump calls "fake tears"; too bad, Trump omits dangerous Muslim nations Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, UAE et al., maybe because some are where he has business ties? On Jan. 27 former U.S. Repub. gov. #116 (2011-17) Nimrata "Nikki" Haley (nee Randhawa) (1972-) becomes U.S. ambassador to the U.N. (until ?). On Jan. 27 the anti-abortion 2017 March for Life is heartily supported by Pres. Trump; Mike Pence becomes the first U.S. vice-pres. to give a speech at one, containing the soundbytes: "Life is winning again in America", "We will not rest until we restore a culture of life in America for ourselves and our posterity", and "Next week President Donald Trump will announce a Supreme Court nominee who will uphold the God-given liberty enshrined in our Constitution in the tradition of the late and great Justice Antonin Scalia", calling for ending taxpayer-funded abortions. On Jan. 27 FBI dir. James Comey has dinner with Pres. Trump, followed on Feb. 14 by a meeting in the White House, keep memos which he claims to leak in response to a May 12 tweet, although the New York Times quotes from them on May 11, claiming that Trump asked Comey for "loyalty", and asking him to drop an investigatin into Michael Flynn's dealings with Russia. On Jan. 28 Pres. Trump signs an executive order banning former admin. officials from lobbying for five years, along with an order to his generals to give him a plan to defeat ISIS in 30 days, restructuring the Nat. Security Council and Homeland Security Council; meanwhile at 9:00 p.m. U.S. federal judge Ann Donnelly of New York stays Trump's executive orders, preventing the govt. from deporting the 200 citizens from banned countries who already arrived in the U.S. from being deported, but leaving his orders intact. On Jan. 28 a U.S. Special Ops and UAE forces raid against al-Qaida militants in Yemen results in one U.S. Navy SEAL KIA and three injured, and 14 al-Qaida fighters KIA; Chief Petty Officer William "Ryan" Owens is KIA, becoming the first U.S. soldier KIA during the Trump admin; Anwar al-Awlaki's 8-y.-o. daughter Nawar Anwar al-Awlaki (b. 2008) is killed. On Jan. 29 (night) a shooting by two masked gunmen at the Grand Mosque of Quebec in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada kills six and injures 28, causing Canadian PM Jusitn Trudeau to call it a "terrorist attack"; after Muslim student Mohamed Belkhadir is arrested and released, non-Muslim Alexandre Bissonnette (1989-) is arrested as a suspect, with his past public support of Donald Trump and Marine Le Pen used to frame him; a govt. coverup? On Jan. 30 Pres. Trump signs an executive order requiring federal agencies to cut two existing regulations for every new one they introduce. On Jan. 30 after the White House deliberately omits mention of the Jewish Shoah or Nazi anti-Semitism in its recognition of Internat. Holocaust Remembrance Day, the pissed-off Holocaust Museum issues a statement telling them what's what. On Jan. 30 Pres. Trump fires acting U.S. atty.-gen. Sally Caroline Quillian Yates (1960-) after she refuses to enforce his travel restrictions on Muslim countries; she is replaced by Obama appointee Dana James Boente (1954-) of the Eastern District of Va. On Jan. 30 Pres. Trump issues a tweet calling the media "the opposition party". On Jan. 30 Iran tests its new Khorramshahr long-range ballistic missile, pissing-off the U.S., which announces sanctions against 25 Iranian people and cos. On Jan. 30-31 a Reuter/Ipsos Poll finds that 49% of Am. adults agree with Trump's executive order on immigration, vs. 41% who disagree, and 10% who are undecided. On Jan. 31 former labor secy. #24 (2001-9) Elaine Lan Chao (1953-) (wife since 1993 of Repub. Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell) becomes U.S. transportation secy. #18 (until ?). On Jan. 31 Pres. Trump nominates Denver, Colo.-born conservative Denver federal judge (Roman Catholic-turned-Episcopalian) Neil McGill Gorsuch (1967-) (son of former EPA head Anne Gorsuch) for the U.S. Supreme Court to fill the vacancy left by Antonin Scalia (1936-2016), causing Dems. to run half-scared at the likelihood of his approval and fiercely fight with a filibuster (1st since Abe Fortas in 1968), causing Repubs. to invoke the nuclear option to confirm him by 54-45 on Apr. 7, the day of the home opener of the Colo. Rockies MLB baseball team in Denver (a 2-1 V over the Dodgers); on Apr. 10 he is sworn-in as U.S. Supreme Court justice #113 (until ?). On Jan. 31 Turing's Law in Britain receives royal assent, pardoning Alan Turing and other gays convicted of homosexuality. On Jan. 31 (night) ex-U.S. Army soldier Joshua Cummings (1979-) murders Denver transit security guard Scott Von Lanken (b. 1961), claiming he supports ISIS; on Jan. 25 he is sentenced to life in prison without parole. In Jan. the Washington Int. for Near East Policy (WINEP) pub. a set of proposals for new U.S. pres. Donald Trump on U.S. foreign policy towards Turkey, calling on him to "guarantee" that the U.S. Congress will not acknowledge the Armenian Genocide, pissing-off the Armenian Nat. Committee of Am. (ANCA), which calls for an explanation. In Jan. the U.S. Bureau of Prison begins banning all pork products from the menus of federal prisons - I bet it wasn't to please Jews and vegetarians? In Jan. U.S. Army. secy. Eric Fanning issues new regs allowing brigade-level cmdrs. to approve religious garb incl. hijab, beard, and turban. In Jan. Alexandria, La.-born Lutheran-to-Muslim convert Lt. Col. Khallid Shabazz (Michael Barnes) is appointed chaplain of the U.S. Army's 7th Infantry Div., consisting of 14K mostly Christian soldiers. In Jan. Media Matters founder David Brock presents the confidential 49-page memo Democracy Matters: Strategic Plan for Action, a Dem. plan for defeating Pres. Trump's presidency at all costs via a daily media war and by working with major social media platforms to censor "right wing propaganda and fake news"; Media Matters' puppetmaster is America-hating billionaire globalist George Soros. In Jan. U.S. unemployment is 152,081,000 (vs. 152,111,000 in Dec.), gaining 5K manufacturing jobs and losing 10K govt. jobs, vs. 162K govt. jobs added and 46K manufacturing jobs lost in the prior year. In Feb. the Unseasonably Warm Feb. 2017 in the U.S. sees trees bloom and grass grow in the SE U.S., breaking 11,500 daily high max temp records in the U.S. (and 418 daily low min temp records), becoming the warmest U.S. Feb. since 1954, finishing 7.3F above the 20th cent. avg. for the Lower 48 U.S. states; Chicago receives no snowfall until Mar. (latest since 1884). On Feb. 1 ExxonMobil CEO (2006-16) Rex Wayne Tillerson (1952-) becomes U.S. secy. of state #69 (until Mar. 31, 2018). On Feb. 1 new U.S. nat. security adviser Michael Flynn makes his first public statement, and announces that it is "officially putting Iran on notice" after its ballistic missile tests and an Iranian-backed Houthi rebel attack on a Saudi warship. On Feb. 1 (eve.) a building at the U. of Calif. Berkeley (UCB) where gay conservative anti-Islam speaker Milo Yiannopoulos is set to speak is attacked by violent masked Antifa and other leftist student protesters, causing the speech to be canceled and police to close the campus - the free speech movement started and ended in Berkeley? On Feb. 2 (a.m.) Pres. Trump addresses the Nat. Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., opening with the soundbyte about Trump critic Arnold Schwarzenegger and his poor ratings hosting "The Apprentice": "I want to just pray for Arnold, if we can, for those ratings"; he also utters the soundbytes that "religious freedom is under threat", and vowing to "get rid of an totally destroy the Johnson Amendment" that bars pastors from endorsing candidates from the pulpit - unless they're black? On Feb. 2 mass protests begin in Romania over a controversial decree that would decriminalize some corruption offenses; on Feb. 6 PM Sorin Grindeanu announces that it will be repealed on Feb. 12. On Feb. 2 the Boy Scouts of Am. (BSA) announce that they're completely folding to the demands of LGBT activists and admitting everybody incl. transgenders; on Feb. 7 Joe Maldonado becomes the first transgender boy scout in the U.S. On Feb. 3 29-y.-o. Egyptian Allah Akbar-shouting ISIS-inspired terrorist Abdullah Reda Refaie al-Hamahmy attacks and injures a French soldier outside the Louvre in Paris before being shot 5x. On Feb. 3 Iraqi refugees Mohanad Shareef Hammadi (25) and Waad Ramadan Alway (31) from Bowling Green, Ky. are sentenced to 40 years in federal prison by judge Thomas B. Russell for using IEDs against U.S. soldiers in Iraq and attempting to send money and weapons to al-Qaida in Iraq to kill more. On Feb. 3 federal judge James Robart in Seattle, Wash. orders a nat. halt to enforcement of Pres. Trump's 7-nation travel ban, causing Trump to tweet the soundbyte: "The opinion of this so-called judge, which essentially takes law-enforcement away from our country, is ridiculous and will be overturned!" On Feb. 5 Super Bowl LI (51) at NRG Stadium in Houston, Tex. sees the New England Patriots overcome a 28-3 deficit late in the 3rd quarter to defeat the Atlanta Falcons by 34-28 in OT (first SB to go into OT); a record 5th SB title for the Patriots (9th appearance, incl. two in 3 years), all under coach Bill Belichick and QB Tom Brady (7th appearances), who also becomes SB MVP for a record 4th time; the 50th anniv. of Super Bowl I (Jan. 15, 1967); the Falcons are 0-2 in the SB; the halftime show features Lady Gaga, who parachutes in from the open roof and gives a surprisingly patriotic performance that doesn't trash Trump on her big stage; a drone show is a first; too bad, Falcons coach Dan Quinn gave the game away by not running the game clock down on each play, giving New England enough time to score the tying TD and go into OT, then get lucky and win the coin toss, giving them a chance to win with one more TD? On Aug. 17 Philadelphia Eagles defensive end (#56) Christopher Howard "Chris" Long (1985-) (son of Howie Long) becomes the first white NFL player to demonstrate while the Nat. Anthem is being played at an NFL game, joining safety Malcolm Jenkins #27) during a game in Philly; he goes on to move to the Philadelphia Eagles and help win SB 52. On Feb. 6 Israel passes a law legalizing 1K+ Jewish homes in Area C in Judea and Samaria, pissing-off the Palestinians. On Feb. 6 British House of Commons speaker (since June 22, 2009) John Simon Bercow (1963-) stinks himself up by calling for Pres. Trump to be banned from speaking in the House - don't have a cow? On Feb. 7 after a 50-50 tie is broken by U.S. vice-pres. Mike Pence (first time ever for a cabinet apointee) (Repubs. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine voted against her), billionaire Repub. Reformed Christian Elisabeth "Betsy" DeVos (nee Prince) (1958-) (proponent of de-federalization of schools and archenemy of featherbedded teachers unions) becomes U.S. education secy. #11 (until ?); on Feb. 7 U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) introduces a bill to abolish the U.S. Dept. of Education on Dec. 31, 2018, with the soundbyte: "Neither Congress nor the President, through his appointees, has the constitutional authority to dictate how and what our children must learn"; during her confirmation hearings DeVos gave the example of how a rural school in grizzly country in Wyo. might need to keep a gun to deal with grizzlies as an example of why central planning from Washington, D.C. won't work, which the lying PC media twists into a statement that all schools need guns to fight grizzlies to prove she's unqualified. On Feb. 8 Pres. meets with U.S. big city police chiefs and sheriffs, and blasts the so-called judges pretending to deliberate on his suspended travel ban apparently solely on the basis that they are Islamophiles and don't like Trump's campaign statement that he wanted to ban all Muslims, not just ones from terrorist countries like in his executive order, which was a backing down, uttering the soundbyte: "Anyone would understand this. This is for the security of the country.. Because you could be a lawyer, or you don't have to be a lawyer. If you were a good student in high school or a bad student in high school, you could understand this", blasting the oral arguments presented to the super-leftist U.S. 9th Circuit "Circus" Court of Appeals in San Francisco (most overturned in the U.S.) the night before, with the soundbyte: "We're talking about things that had just nothing to do with it"; the real reason a cabal of liberal justices iintervened is to appease the Muslim World, even at the cost of destroying the U.S. Constitution in an attempted power grab and coup; the 3-judge panel incl. Michelle T. Friedland, William C. Canby Jr., and Richard R. Clifton; too bad, they intervened too quickly, before any pres. order banning all Muslims, much less a congressional order, and shot their bolt and gave themselves away so that they can be removed before they get another chance? On Feb. 8 despite an intimidation campaign by al-Shabaab, Tayo Party founder (PM in Nov. 2010-June 2011) Mohamed Abdullahi "Farmajo" (It. for cheese) Mohamed (1962-) is elected pres. of Somalia, becoming pres. #9 on Feb. 16 (until ?), known for his rep of not being corrupt. On Feb. 8 after a desperate attack on him by Dems., who claim he is a white supremacist in disguise, U.S. Sen. (R-Ala.) (since Jan. 3, 1997) Jefferson Beauregard "Jeff" Sessions (1946-) becomes U.S. atty. gen. #84 (until Npv. 7, 2018). On Feb. 8 (eve.) ISIS fires rockets on the Israeli resort of Eilat from Sinai, causing the Israelis to retaliate with an air strike, killing two. On Feb. 9 the super-liberal U.S. 9th Court of Appeals in San Francisco upholds Seattle Judge James Robert's restraining order on Pres. Trump's travel ban from seven Muslim nations in a purely political decision designed to let as many illegals rush in as possible, failing to even state the law involved, 8 U.S. Code 1182, and spitting in Trump's face for his assertion that the court doesn't have any constitutional authority to second-guess his order because the defense of nat. borders is solely the responsibility of Congress and the president, with the soundbyte: "There is no precedent to support this claimed unreviewability, which runs contrary to the fundamental structure of our constitutional democracy", causing Trump to tweet: "See you in court, the security of our nation is at stake!" On Feb. 9 U.S. Gen. John Nicholson, cmdr. of U.S. forces in Afghanistan tells Senate Armed Services Committee chmn. Sen. John McCain "I believe we're in a stalemate" in Afghanistan. On Feb. 9 senior Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway issues a free add for Ivanka Trump's clothing line in her official capacity on TV, violating ethics rules and causing the PC police to come out, after which she is given counseling and the matter dropped by the Trump admin., if not the Dems. On Feb. 10 U.S. Rep. (R-Ga.) (2005-) and physician Thomas Edmund "Tom" Price (1954-) becomes U.S. secy. of health and human services #23 (until ?). On Feb. 11 North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un's pesky exiled (since 2003) older half-brother Kim Jong-nam (b. 1971) is assassinated in Kuala Lumpur Internat. Airport at Jong-Goon's orders with nerve agent VX. On Feb. 12 after unusually high water levels cause an emergency spillway to be opened, authorities issue an evacuation order for 200K downstream of the crumbling 770-ft. Lake Oroville Dam in N Calif., tallest in the U.S. On Feb. 12 (eve.) the 2017 (59th) Grammy Awards, presented at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif. and hosted by James Cordon (first time) is a clean sweep for Adele, who gives a speech all-but giving her awards to Beyonce; singer Joy Villa wears a Make America Great Again dress, which immediately becomes a runaway bestseller on Amazon.com; Chance the Rapper wins the first Grammy for a streaming-only album, "Coloring Book" (#8 in the U.S.). On Feb. 13 Pres. Trump meets in the White House with Islamonymphomaniac Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, who announces that "We continue to pursue our policies of openness towards immigration and refugees without compromising security", while Trump continues his hard line on refugees and illegal immigrants. On Feb. 13 Goldman Sachs banker Steven Terner "Steve" Mnuchin (1962-) becomes U.S. treasury secy. #77 (until ?). On Feb. 13 after admitting that he lied to U.S. vice-pres. Mike Pence about discussions with Russia over sanctions (a possible violation of the 1799 U.S. Logan Act), U.S. nat. security adviser Gen. Michael Flynn resigns; he already was convicted in 2015 for mishandling classified info; on Feb. 13 Pres. Trump offers the position to retired vice-adm. Robert S. "Bob" Harward Jr., who passes, after which on Feb. 20 Trump nominates U.S. Army lt. gen. Herbert Raymond "H.R." "the Iconoclast" McMaster (1962-), who on ? becomes U.S. nat. security advisor #26 (until ?). On Feb. 13 after criticizing him, King Jong-nam (b. 1971), half-brother of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un is assassinated by poison in Kuala Lumpur by two female assassins. On Feb. 16 U.S. Rep. (R-S.C.) (2011-) John Michael "Mick" Mulvaney (1967-) becomes OMB dir. #? (until ?). On Feb. 16 A Day Without Immigrants is a gen. strike around the U.S. - Trump supporters wish they'd never quit striking? On Feb. 16 after a sudden urge, Pres. Trump gives a long (75 min.) press conference, his first solo press conference, redefining the concept, calling his admin. a "fine-tuned machine" and lambasting the press for bias and hate, claiming that he inherited a "mess" and denying all stories about his campaign being in constant contact with Russia as "fake news", blaming the resignation of Michael T. Flynn on leaks, and uttering the soundbyte: "Tomorrow they will say Donald Trump rants and raves at the press. I'm not ranting and raving, I'm just telling you. You know, you're dishonest people. but, but I'm not ranting and raving. I love this. I'm having a good time doing it." On Feb. 16 Hardee's and Carl's Jr. CEO (since Sept. 2000) Andrew Franklin "Andy" Puzder (1950-) resigns, and on Feb. 16 Pres. Trump nominates R. Alexander Acosta (1968-), who on Apr. 28 becomes U.S. labor secy. #27 (until ?). On Feb. 16 Parliamentary Motion M-103 passes in Canada, adding "Islamophobia" to Canada's hate crime laws, becoming a de facto enactment of Sharia? On Feb. 16 a male suicide bomber wearing a burqa in the Sufi Lal Shahbaz Qalandar shrine in Sehwan, Sindh Province, Pakistan kills 70+ incl. 20 children and nine women; Pakistani army chief Gen. Qmar Javed Bajwa vows to retaliate, warning that there will be "no more restraint". On Feb. 17 Danville, Ky.-born Okla. Repub. atty. gen. #17 (since Jan. 10, 2011) Edward Scott Pruitt (1968-) (anthropogenic climate change denier) (activist against the EPA's activist agenda, as well as gay marriage, the Affordable Care Act, and abortion) becomes dir. #14 of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), going on to work at breakneck speed to dismantle Obama admin. environmental legislation while sinking into pitty-pat personal misconduct scandals that finally turn conservatives against him, causing him to resign on July 6, 2018. On Feb. 17 Pres. Trump tweets the soundbyte: "The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People!" On Feb. 18 9K-y.-o. Kennewick Man AKA the Ancient One is reburied in the high desert of the Columbia Plateau before a crowe of 200+. On Feb. 19 David E. Kelley's drama series Big Little Lies, based on the 2014 novel by Liane Moriarty and set in Monterey, Calif. debuts on HBO for ? episodes (until ?), starring Reese Witherspoon as Madeline Martha Mackenzie, Nicole Kidman as Celeste Wright Alexander Skarsgard as her husband Perry, Shailene Woodley as Jane Chapman, Laura Dern as Renata Klein, and Zoe Kravitz as Bonnie Carlson. On Feb. 20 10 U.S. Jewish community centers receive telephone bomb threats, becoming the 4th time this year. On Feb. 23 U.S.-backed Iraqi forces retake the airport in Mosul, Iraq from ISIS. On Feb. 23 U.S. secy. of state Rex Tillerson and homeland security secy. John Kelly meet with Mexican foreign affairs secy. Luis Videgaray in Mexico City, who complains that Mexico "does not have to accept provisions that one government wants unilaterally to impose on another", threating to go to the U.N. to defend human rights of Mexicans, while they respond: "In our meetings, we jointly acknowledged that, in a relationship filled with vibrant colors, two strong sovereign countries from time to time will have differences. We listened closely and carefully to each other as we respectfully and patiently raised our respective concerns." On Feb. 24 the Pentagon announces that it's ditching Pres. Obama's names for it and calling it ISIS. On Feb. 25 Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera announces that the Vatican has hired the law firm of Baker McKenzie to protect its copyright on Pope Francis. On Feb. 26 former U.S. labor secy. (2013-7) Thomas Edward "Tom" Perez (1961-) becomes chmn. of the Dem. Nat. Committee (DNC), defeating Muslim U.S. Rep. (D-Minn.) (2007-) Keith Maurice Ellison (1963-), who becomes deputy chmn. On Feb. 26 the 2017 (89th) Academy Awards, presented at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Calif. are hosted by Jimmy Kimmel; "Moonlight" wins best picture, as well as best supporting actor for Mahershala Ali (first Muslim to win an Oscar) and best adapted screenplay; Casey Affleck wins best actor for "Manchester by the Sea"; Damien Chazelle wins best dir. for "La La Land", which also wins for best actress (Emma Stone), best score, best song ("City of Stars"), and two others (six total out of 14 nominations); Viola Davis wins best supporting actress for "Fences"; "Zootopia" wins best animated feature film; Kenneth Lonergan wins best original screenplay for "Manchester by the Sea"; Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McCraney win best adapted screenplay for "Moonlight"; the accounting firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers hands presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway the wrong envelope for best picture, instead giving them the one for best actress, causing Dunaway to mistakenly announce "La La Land", resulting in a major snafu. On Feb. 27 "King of Bankruptcy" billionaire investor ($2.9B) Wilbur Louis Ross Jr. (1937-) becomes U.S. commerce secy. #39 (until ?). On Feb. 27 after Pres. Trump gives them 30 days, the Pentagon announces their new plan to "soundly and quickly" defeat ISIS, shifting from flushing ISIS out of safe locations in an attrition fight to surrounding them in their strongholds and annihilating them. On Feb. 27 (eve.) the 8-hour LGBT docudrama miniseries When We Rise debuts on ABC-TV (until Mar. 3, 2017), pushing the gay agenda on the viewing audience Hollyweird style; too bad, ratings tank (2.07M viewers). On Feb. 28 ((eve.) Pres. Trump addresses a joint session of Congress, giving a speech that finally makes him look presidential, starting with the soundbyte: "Tonight, as we mark the conclusion of our celebration of Black History Month, we are reminded of our nation's path toward civil rights and the work that still remains. Recent threats targeting Jewish Community Centers and vandalism of Jewish cemeteries, as well as last week's shooting in Kansas City, remind us that while we may be a nation divided on policies, we are a country that stands united in condemning hate and evil in all its forms", going on to use the term radical Islamic terrorism" so much hated by Pres. Obama, and announcing a new VOICE (Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement office in the Dept. of Homeland Security, drawing groans from the usually icily quiet Dems., who do stand and clap for veterans, paid family leave, a tribute to U.S. Navy SEAL Senior Chief William "Ryan" Owens et al., and ending with a very presidential call for unity, silencing many critics, with the soundbyte: "Everything that is broken in our country can be fixed. Every problem can be solved. And every hurting family can find healing, and hope. "Our citizens deserve this, and so much more — so why not join forces to finally get it done? On this and so many other things, Democrats and Republicans should get together and unite for the good of our country, and for the good of the American people." In Feb. the exasperated loser Dems. begin making allegations of sinister connections between Pres. Trump and Vladimir Putin, calling for an investigation by the House select committee on intelligence, which chmn. U.S. Rep. (R-Calif.) (2015-) Devin Gerald Nunes (1973-) rejects, saying that it isn't necessary because "there's nothing there", and it would amount to a "witch hunt"; on Mar. 1 after stating under oath on Jan. 17 that he has never been in contact with the Russian govt. about the 2016, election U.S. atty.-gen. Jeff Sessions is accused by the Wall Street Journal of being investigated for illegal contact with the Russians, which he denies, but adds that he talked with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak about Ukraine and terrorism, causing Trump-hating U.S. Sen. (D-S.C.) Lindsey Graham to call for him to recuse himself from any investigations, and Trump-hating U.S. Rep. (D-Calif.) Nancy Pelosi to accuse him of lying under oath and call for his resignation, which is seconded by Trump-hating Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, causing Sessions to recuse himself on Mar. 2; on Mar. 3 Pres. Trump tweets that he has full confidence in Sessions, that Schumer and Pelosi had meetings with the same ambassador, and should be investigated instead; on Mar. 4 (early a.m.) Trump issues more tweets that "sick" Pres. Obama had his "phones tapped in Trump Tower" before the election; on Mar. 13 White House press secy. Sean Spicer explains that "The President used the word wiretaps in quotes to mean, broadly, surveillance and other activities"; on Apr. 6 despite Speaker Paul Ryan expressing full confidence in him, Nunes temporarily steps down from the U.S. House investigation on Russia's meddling in the U.S. pres. election, calling ethics charges by the Office of Congressional Ethics claiming he made unauthorized disclosures of classified info. "entirely false and politically motivated"; in Dec. the House Committee on Ethics clears Nunes. In Feb. U.S. unemployment drops to 4.7% (vs. 4.8% in Jan.), adding 238K new jobs. In Feb. the 2017 South Sudan famine in the N half affects 5M (ends June). On Mar. 1 as part of Cutwater ad agency's #StrengthHasNoGender Twitter campaign and Women's History Month, Brawny brand paper towels replaces the Brawny Man with a Brawny Woman wearing the same red lumberjack shirt. On Mar. 2 retired neurosurgeon Benjamin Solomon "Ben" Carson Sr. (1951-) becomes U.S. HUD secy. #17 (until ?). On Mar. 2 former Repub. gov. #47 of Tex. (2000-15) James Richard "Rick" Perry (1950-) becomes U.S. energy secy. #14 (until ?). On Mar. 2 Snapchat (SNAP) goes public, with the stock zooming from $17 on Mar. 1 (eve.) to $24.48. On Mar. 3 Pres. Trump visits the new nuclear-powered USS Gerald R. Ford, which he calls "a monument of American might", vowing to pump billions of dollars into new military hardware. On Mar. 6 (Mon.) Pres. Trump signs a revised executive order barring citizens from six Muslim-majority nations from the U.S. for 90 days starting Mar. 16, with Iraq removed; on Mar. 15 his order is blocked by Honolulu, Hawaii federal judge Derrick Kahala Watson, an appointee and Harvard Law School classmate of Pres. Obama, who visited his town 48 hours earlier, and decides to elect himself to the White House in an arrogant abuse of judicial power. On Mar. 7 WikiLeaks releases 8K pages of info. containing the entire hacking capacity of the CIA, dealing them a major blow. On Mar. 8 an ISIS attack on the 400-bed Sardar Mohammad Daud Khan Hospital for wounded soldiers in Kabul, Afghanistan kills 30+ and injures 50+. On Mar. 8 A Day Without a Woman sees protests by anti-Trump women across the U.S. On Mar. 8 U.S. homeland security secy. John F. Kelly announces that illegal immigration across the SW U.S. border plummeted since Pres. Trump took office, with coyotes hiking their rates from $3.5K to $8K. On Mar. 10-12 the Biafran Genocide Exhibition is held in the Biafran Embassy in Victoria, Spain, becoming the first exhibition of atrocities committed by the Nigerian govt. against Biafra. On Mar. 13 Hasbro announces that an online vote has caused them to replace the boot, wheelbarrow, and thimble from the board game Monopoly, and replace them with the T-Rex, rubber ducky, and penguin. On Mar. 14 the Russian Orthodox Church announces that it is adding 15 W European saints to its Menaion (liturgical calendar), incl. "St. Patrick the Enlightener". On Mar. 15 Donald Trump's tax returns for 2005 are leaked, with Trump-hater Rachel MadCow, er, Maddow of MSNBC stinking herself up by crowing that they prove that Trump is a tax cheat, liar, and parasite, but instead showing that he paid $38M in taxes on a profit of $150M, and not zero like Hillary's people were claiming, at a 25% rate that is higher than Obama's or Bernie Sanders'. On Mar. 16 U.S. Sen. (R-Ind.) (2011-17) Daniel Ray "Dan" Coats (1943-) becomes U.S. nat. intel dir. #5 (until ?). On Mar. 18 39-y.-o. French Islamist Zyed Ben Belgacem (b. 1977) is killed at Orly Airport S of Paris after trying to wrestle away a soldier's weapon. On Mar. 19 a U.S. air strike in Paktika Province, Afghanistan kills al-Qaida leader Qari Yasin. On Mar. 19 popular TV judge Andrew Napolitano claims that Pres. Obama asked British intel officials to wiretap Trump Tower, causing Fox News to fire him. On Mar. 20 FBI dir. James Comey testifies before the House Intelligence Committee, revealing that the FBI is investigating "the nature of any links between individuals associated with the Trump campaign and the Russian government and whether there was any coordination between the campaign and Russia's efforts." On Mar. 21 the U.S. orders nine airlines from eight countries to ban devices larger than a cellphone or smartphone from passenger cabins. On Mar. 22 World Water Day. On Mar. 22 British-born Islam convert jihadist Khalid Masood (b. 1964) tries to attack the Parliament Bldg. in Westminster, London, England, driving his gray 4x4 car into a crowd on Westminster Bridge, killing two and injuring 50 before emerging with an 8-in. knife and stabbing a policeman to death before he is killed, causing Parliament to go into Code Red lockdown; ISIS claims responsibility; before the attack he sent his wife a photo of himself in Mecca along with verses from the Quran to justify his attack. On Mar. 22 the Tomb of Christ in Jerusalem is reopened after restoration; meanwhile team from the Nat. Technical U. of Athens (NTUA) reveals that the foundations are crumbling, and that a 6-mo. 6M Euro project is needed to save them. On Mar. 22-23 the Anti-ISIS Coalition meets in Washington, D.C. (first since Dec. 2014). On Mar. 22-25 the George Soros-backed Dem. Alliance meets in Washington, D.C. to plan resistance to Pres. Trump. On Mar. 24 after mo. of wrangling between themselves over Pres. Trump's new Am. Health Care Act (AHCA) health care bill to replace Obamacare, which some call Ryancare or Obamacare 2.0, causing Trump to issue various ultimatums and call for a floor vote, speaker Paul Ryan pulls it before the scheduled vote after failing to convince enough Repubs. to vote for it and at Trump's request; no Dems. will vote for it either way; Obamacare remains the law of the land. On Mar. 25 senior ISIS propaganda official Ibrahim al-Ansari is killed in a U.S. air strike in Al-Qa'im Iraq; U.S. official Joe Scrocca utters that he was responsible for "the brainwashing of young children". On Mar. 26 (4:00 a.m.) U.S. Army medic Joseph Scott Giaquinto (1981-) throws rocks and a New Testament at the Islamic Center of Fort Collins, Colo., and is captured on video, causing him to be easily tracked down and arrested and charged with criminal mischief, trespass, and hate crime after the Council on Am.-Islamic Relations (CAIR) intervenes to make an example of him; on Dec. 18 he pleads guilty, and is sentenced to three years in a Wellness Court program which incl. drugs to get his mind right. On Mar. 27 U.S. atty. gen. Jeff Sessions holds a press conference, in which he warns sanctuary cities that they might lose some federal financial assistance, causing Chicago, Ill. mayor Rahm Emanuel to announce a new municipal ID for illegal aliens that help them avoid repatriation. On Mar. 27 after it is revealed that he met on the White House grounds with a source claiiming that communications involving Pres. Trump and/or his associates were caught up in "incidental" surveillance, U.S. Rep. (D-Calif.) Adam Schiff, top Dem. on the House Intel Committee calls on U.S. Rep. (R-Calif.) Devin Nunes to recuse himself from the witch hunt investigation into possible ties between Pres. Trump's campaign and Russia. On Mar. 28 the U.S. House by 215-205 (incl. 15 Repubs.) passes a law killing online privacy regs issued by the FCC last Oct., allowing Internet providers Comcast, AT&T, Verizon et al. to keep up with Google and Facebook and sell their customers' browsing habits. On Mar. 28 after slithering out of her rock, Hillary Clinton gives a speech to businesswomen in San Francisco, Calif. dissing Pres. Trump, with the soundbyte: "These are bad policies that will hurt people and take our country in the wrong direction. It's the kinds of things you think about when you take long walks in the woods... Resist, insist, persist, enlist"; she gives the speech dressed up like the Joker? On Mar. 29 Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump is given the special job of asst. to the U.S. pres., with no salary. On Mar. 29 the Arab League Summit in Amman, Jordan. On Mar. 29 North Carolina promises to repeal its HB2 Bathroom Law in response to threats from the NCAA to pull all postseason events between 2018-2022. On Mar. 30 the U.S. Senate uses the U.S. Congressional Review Act to vote 51-50 to overturn the Obama admin. rule to stop states from defunding Planned Parenthood, with vice-pres. Mike Pence casting the deciding vote; Repubs. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski vote with the Dems. In Mar. IBM ends telecommuting, forcing employees to work in their offices instead of their homes. In Mar. U.S. unemployment is 4.5% (vs. 4.7% in Feb.), with 98K new jobs added; avg. private sector earnings are up 2.7% over the previous year (vs. 2.8% in Feb.); manufacturing jobs reach 12,392,000, highest level in eight years. On Apr. 3 (2:40 p.m.) 23-y.-o. ethnic Uzbek suicide bomber Akbarzhon Jalilov detonates a shrapnel-filled briefcase bomb at the Sennaya Ploshchad Metro Station in St. Petersburg, Russia, killing 14 and injuring 45 while pres. Vladimir Putin is visiting the city (his hometown); another bomb is found and dismantled; Pres. Trump talks on the phone with Vladimir Putin about it. On Apr. 3 Pres. Trump meets in the White House with Egyptian pres. Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, promising a U.S. military buildup "probably more than ever before", and praising him as doing a "fantastic job", promising "strong support" for battling terrorism. On Apr. 3 ex-CIA dir. John O. Brennan gives an interview to "BBC Newsnight", calling Donald Trump's Muslim travel ban "simplistic and wrongheaded", claiming that Trump's insistence on using the term "radical Islamic terrorism" helps legitimize ISIS. On Apr. 4 a chemical attack in Idlib Province, Syria kills 58 incl. 11 children. On Apr. 4 the U.S. Senate passes Senate Resolution 118, "Condemning hate crime and any other form of racism, religious or ethnic bias, discrimination, incitement to violence, or animus targeting a minority in the United States"; it was drafted by the Muslim org. EmgageUSA (formerly EmergeUSA) and the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), and sponsored by senators Marco Rubio, Dianne Feinstein, Susan Collins, and Kamala Harris; it calls on "Federal law enforcement officials, working with State and local officials... to expeditiously investigate all credible reports of hate crimes and incidents and threats against minorities in the United States and to hold the perpetrators of those crimes, incidents, or threats accountable and bring the perpetrators to justice; encourages the Department of Justice and other Federal agencies to work to improve the reporting of hate crimes; and... encourages the development of an interagency task force led by the Attorney General to collaborate on the development of effective strategies and efforts to detect and deter hate crime in order to protect minority communities"; an insidious attempt to end free speech and enact Muslim Sharia blasphemy laws? On Apr. 6 Russia recognizes West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. On Apr. 6 the U.S. Mint issues a Black Lady Liberty Coin with a $100 face value to commemorate the 225th anniv. of the Mint, becoming the first non-white. On Apr. 6 (8:40 p.m. ET) in response to the gassing attack of children et al., as he sat down to dinner with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Palm Beach, Fla., Pres. Trump orders a 59-missile Tomahawk cruise missile ($1.5M apiece) strike by USS Ross and USS Porter on the Shayrat Airfield in Homs Province, where the attack originated "to prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons"; Dems. Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi endorse the action, while most other Dems. condemn it because he didn't ask Congress for permission first, which isn't required by law. On Apr. 7 (2:50 p.m. local time) a hijacked beer truck driven by 39-y.-o. Uzbek Muslim Rakhmat Akilov plows into pedestrians in Drottninggatan, the busiest shopping street in Stockholm, Sweden, killing five and injuring 15; he planned the attack for months, wanting to "create fear in the population at large" and "run over unbelievers" to stop Sweden from fighting ISIS. On Apr. 7 New York becomes the first U.S. state to offer four years of public college to residents, with strings attached incl. living and working in the state for four years after graduation. On Apr. 9 (Palm Sun.) two Coptic Christian churches in Tanta and Alexandria, Egypt are bombed, killing 25 and injuring 60 in St. George's Church in Tanta, and killing 11 and injuring 35 in St. Mark's Cathedral in Alexandria; Egyptian pres. Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi declares a 3-mo. state of emergency; ISIS claims responsibility; on Apr 10 police kill seven of the terrorists in a shootout in Assiut, Upper Egypt; on Apr. 10, 2018 a military court in Alexandria sentences 36 perps to death out of 48 defendants, 17 of which are fugitives. On Apr. 10 after he refuses to take $800 to get off an overbooked plane voluntarily so that a crew member can take his seat, airport police bloody and drag Chinese physician David Dao off United Airlines Flight 3411 en route from Chicago, Ill. to Louisville, Ky. like a sack of manure, leaving him bloody, after which CEO Oscar Munoz stinks himself up more by downplaying the man's suffering and only talking about "lessons we can learn from this experience"; the video pisses-off the 340M users of the Chinese Weibo social media platform, many of whom call for a boycott; on Apr. 14 United Airlines announces a policy change to board crews 60 min. before departure to avoid a repeat, and later agrees to pay up to $10K to bumped passengers, and ends the practice of forcing passengers to give up their seats unless they pose a safety risk; meanwhile Dao hires lawyers to sue. On Apr. 11 three pipe bombs explode near a bus carrying the German Borussa Dortmund Soccer Team, injuring one player and one police officer; it is later linked to ISIS. On Apr. 11 White House press secy. Sean Spicer makes remarks that Hitler didn't use chemical weapons, bring out the PC police and causing him to apologize; they did, but not on the battlefield like Assad? On Apr. 11 U.S. atty. gen. Jeff Sessions gives two speeches in Ariz., announcing new measures to secure the U.S.-Mexico border, with no mention of the Trump Wall. On Apr. 12 U.S. secy. of state Rex Tillerson meets in Moscow with Russian pres. Vladimir Putin; meanwhile in the White House Pres. Trump utters the soundbytes: "We may be at an all-time low in terms of relationship with Russia", and "I said it [NATO] was obsolete. It's no longer obsolete", dropping his characterization of China as a currency manipulator to get them to help him spank Kim Jong-un's hiney et al., and announcing "We are sending an armada" to deal with pesky North Korea, incl. aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson. On Apr. 12 N.Y. Court of Appeals judge Sheila Abdus-Salaam (b. 1952) (ex-wife of a Muslim, who never converted herself) commits suicide in the Hudson River of New York City after issuing a landmark ruling in Aug. in Brooke S.B. v. Elizabeth A. that a lesbian from a broken partnership has the right to seek visitation rights of their adopted son. On Apr. 12 an Allah Akbar-shouting Muslim waving a knife and destroying windows in Schilderswijk, The Hague, Netherlands is shot in the leg by police. On Apr. 13 Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi visits Palestinian authority foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki, issuing the soundbyte: "This year marks the 70th anniversary of the United Nations' passing of Palestine-Israel Partition Plan. Acording to the resolution at that time, Israel had the right to statehood, Palestine also had the right to statehood. However, after 70 years, what we can see is that Palestinian brothers have yet to establish an independent country with full sovereignty. This is unfair. This kind of historical injustice must be corrected and cannot continue." The Trump admin. fires the first 21st cent. shot heard around the world, but not quite on Friday the 13th? On Apr. 13 (7:00 p.m. local time) (Thur.) the U.S. drops its 21.6K-lb. GBU-43/B MOAB (Massive Ordinance Air Bomb) (Mother of All Bombs) (largest non-nuclear bomb in its arsenal) in Nangarhar Province, Achin District, E Afghanistan on an ISIS tunnel and cave complex, becoming the first use in combat, killing 94 ISIS fighters incl. four cmdrs.; the U.S. had already decimated ISIS forces in Afghanistan by 80% to about 600; U.S. Gen. John Nicholson made the decision to drop the big bomb, not Pres. Trump. On Apr. 13 CIA dir. Mike Pompeo gives a speech at the Center for Strategic and Internat. Studies calling WikiLeaks a "non-state hostile intelligence service". On Apr. 15 (Sun Day) North Korea bows to economic pressure from China and military pressure from the U.S. and refrains from holding a promised 6th nuclear test, but on Apr. 16 it blows up a missile on the launching pad to prove what inept stooges they are. On Apr. 15 a bomb on a crowded bus convoy full of Shiite refugees outside Aleppo, Syria kills 112+, bringing condemnation from Pope Francis, who calls it "ignoble". On Apr. 16 (Sun.) (Easter) a referendum in Turkey on granting nearly unlimited dictatorial powers to pres. Recep Tayyip Erdogan gives him a blank check, making the PM office impotent. On Apr. 17 the 54-member U.N. Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) hands out 13 leadership posts in U.N. orgs. dealing with gender equality and the advancement of women, with all but seven countries voting to give Saudi Arabia a slot on the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in 2018-22. On Apr. 17 the U.S. Supreme Court rejects the request of Ark. to lift a stay that would allow it to conduct its first execution 11 years, for Don Davis, as part of a plan to execute eight inmates before the end of Apr. when the lethal injection drug midazolam expires. On Apr. 18 after a smear campaign incl. allegations of blaspheming Islam shrinks his lead, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, Christian gov. of Jakarta, Indonesia loses an election to Muslim education minister Anies Baswedan. On Apr. 18 African-Am. Muslim Kori Ali Muhammad (1977-) kills three whites in a rampage in Fresno, Calif. while shouting "Allahu Akbar", claiming he wanted to kill as many whites as possible. On Apr. 19 U.S. maj. gen. Joseph Martin, cmdr. of coalition ground forces in Iraq gives a news conference, in which he claims that hundreds of Iraqi civilians are killed by ISIS "on a weekly basis", and that they used chemical weapons in Mosul over the weekend on liberating forces. On Apr. 19 Fox News kicks cable's top news anchor Bill O'Reilly off The O'Reilly Factor amid sexual harassment allegations, changing the name to The Factor - score one for the anti-Trump crowd? On Apr. 19-Nov. 9 the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season sees 10 hurricanes in a row and six major hurricanes incl. Harvey, Maria, Irma, and Nate, costing a record 3K deaths and $282.16B damage, coming in #2 after the 2005 season. On Apr. 20 Islamist Karim Cherufi attacks a standing police car in Paris, France on the Champs Elysees killing one officer and wounding one before being killed near a Marks & Spencer store; ISIS claims responsibility. On Apr. 20 the annual 420 Denver Weed Rally in the Denver, Colo. Civic Center leaves piles of trash. On Apr. 22 a nationwide cyber attack hits power grids in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York City, causing traffic backups. On Apr. 22 1M protesters in 600 U.S. cities stage an anti-Trump March for Science, incl. the Scientists' March on Washington in Washington, D.C., attended by 100K concerned over climate change and Pres. Trump's stance on it; on Apr. 29 (100th day of the Trump admin.) another People's Climate March in Washington, D.C. is atttended by thousands in sweltering heat, while the U.S. EPA announces that its main climate change Web site is "undergoing changes" to better reflect its "new direction"; 300 sister marches are held in Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle et al.; the march in Denver is held in a spring snowstorm. On Apr. 23 the 2017 French pres. election are a V for Emmanuel Macron of the Liberal Party (23.7%), and Marine Le Pen of the Nat. Front (21.7%); on May 7 runoff election. On Apr. 23 10 Taliban fighters dressed as Afghan army soldiers attack the Mazar-i-Sharif Army Base, killing 160+ troops, becoming the biggest defeat for the Afghan army since 2001; nine Taliban are KIA, and one captured. On Apr. 24 Pres. Trump meets with U.N. Security Council ambassadors at the White House, describing the U.N. as an "underperformer", complaining about costs going "out of control", and how unfair it is that the U.S. has to pay 22% of the operating budget and 28.6% of the peacekeeping budget; with the soundbyte: "It hasn't lived up to the potential. I see a day when there's a conflict where the United Nations, you get together, and you solve the conflict. You just don't see the United Nations, like, solving conflicts. I think that's going to start happening now." On Apr. 25 U.S. federal judge William Orrick III in San Francisco blocks Pres. Trump's order to withhold federal funds from sanctuary cities, claiming that the city of San Francisco and county of Santa Clara are likely to succeed in proving it unconstitutional, foiling plans by the U.S. Dept. of Justice to cut-off funding to eight sanctuary cities if they don't provide proof that they are deliberaly sheltering illegal aliens; Orrick previously raised $200K for Obama. On Apr. 25 Pres. Trump speaks at the U.S. Holocaust Museum's Days of Remembrance in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C., uttering the soundbytes: "This is my pledge to you: we will confront anti-Semitism,. We will stamp out prejudice, we will condemn hatred, we will bear witness and we will act", "Those who deny the Holocaust are an accomplice to this horrible evil. We'll never be silent, we just won't. We will never, ever be silent in the face of evil again", and "The state of Israel is an eternal monument to the undying strength of the Jewish people." On Apr. 25 tennis star Serena Williams announces her pregnancy by a white guy, causing tennis star Ilie Nastase to utter the comment: "Let's see what color it has. Chocolate with milk?", pissing-off the PC police, who get the ITF to suspend him; he already accused her of using performance-enhancing substances. On Apr. 26 the Trump admin. announces sketchy plan for their tax reform, incl. reducing the seven tax brackets to three (10%, 25%, 35%), doubling the standard deduction, tax relief for families with dependents, eliminate tax breaks for the wealthy, repeal the alternative min. tax, death tax, and 3.8% Obamacare tax, while protecting deductions for mortgages and charitable donations. On Apr. 26 U.S. Adm. Harry Harris, chief of the U.S. Pacific Command speaks to the U.S. House Armed Services Committee, uttering the soundbyte about pesky North Korea: "Kim Jong-Un is clearly in a position to threaten Hawaii today, in my opinion. I have suggested that we consider putting interceptors in Hawaii that... defend [it] directly, and that we look at a defensive Hawaii radar"; currently the U.S. only has interceptors in Calif. and Alaska. On Apr. 27 Pres. gives an interview to Reuters, uttering the soundbyte: "I loved my previous life. I had so many things going. This is more work than in my previous life. I thought it would be easier." On Apr. 27 U.S. Special Forces kill Abdul Hasib, head of ISIS in Afghanistan in a joint U.S.-Afghan operation in Nangarhar Province. On Apr. 28 North Korea stages another ballistic missile test; too bad, it fails. On Apr. 29 Pres. Trump's Day 100 comes after signing 24 executive orders (most since WWII), 22 pres. memoranda, 20 pres. proclamations, and 28 bills, none major. On Apr. 29 (11:00 p.m.) unarmed 15-y.-o. black teenie Jordan Edwards (b. 2001) is shot in the back of the head by white police officer Roy Oliver in Balch Springs, Tex. with an AR-15 rifle while riding in the front passenger's seat of a vehicle driving away from a party, lying that the vehicle was backing into the officers, then admitting it was driving away from them; on May 5 after being fired, Oliver is arrested, and charged with murder; on Aug. 28, 2018 he is found guilty, and sentenced to 15 years in prison, becoming the 33rd police officer convicted of a crime resulting from an on-duty fatal shooting since 2005, and the 2nd convicted of murder out of a total of 93 arrested for on-duty murder or manslaughter. On Apr. 30 Bryan Fuller's and Michael Green's American Gods debuts on Starz for ? episodes (until ?), based on the 2001 novel by Neil Gaiman, starring Ian McShane as Mr. Wednesday (Odin), Ricky Whittle as his ex-con bodyguard Shadow Moon, Emily Browning as Shadow Moon's wife Laura Moon, Crispin Glover as Mr. World, leader of the New Gods, Bruce Langley as Technical Boy, Yetide Badaki as Bilquis, the Queen of Sheba, and Pablo Schreiber as leprechaun Mad Sweeney. In Apr. an extensive neo-Nazi network is discovered in the German armed forces (Bundeswehr), which was planning terrorist attacks on high-ranking politicians and glorified Hitler's Wehrmacht. In Apr. a new mosque opens in Athens, Greece, becoming the first in Greece since the Ottomans were expelled in 1833. In Apr. U.S. unemployment falls to 4.4%, with 211K jobs created. On May 2 the U.S. State Dept. issues a new terror alert for citizens traveling to Europe, saying that attacks are possible anywhere anytime. On May 2 (a.m.) 95-y.-o. Prince Philip of Britain (b. 1921) announces his retirement from royal duties stating in the fall. On May 2 (Israel's 69th Independence Day) UNESCO by 22-10-23 passes a resolution calling Israel an "occupying power" in Jerusalem, submitted by Muslim nations Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, and Sudan, pissing-off Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, who utters the soundbyte: "The absurd decisions n UNESCO have to not merely be reduced in the number of their supporters. That's happening. I'm glad to say, went down from 32 to 26, today to 22. There are more countries today that are abstaining or supporting Israel than there are those opposing Israel. But my goal is to have no votes in UNESCO on Israel." On May 2 Hillary Clinton gives an interview to Christiane Amanpour of CNN, claiming that if the election had been held on Oct. 27, "I would be your president", and uttering the soundbyte: "I was on the way to winning, until the combination of Jim Comey's letter on October 28th, and Russian WikiLeaks raised doubts in the minds of people who were inclined to vote for me, but got scared off", causing Pres. Trump to Tweet: "FBI Director Comey was the best thing that ever happened to Hillary Clinton in that the gave her a free pass for many bad deeds!", and "Trump/Russia story was an excuse used by the Democrats as justification for losing the election. Perhaps Trump just ran a great campaign?" On May 3 Pres. Trump meets with Palestinian Authority pres. Mahmud Abbas at the White House, calling for an end to hisprogram of paying terrorists and their families, saying that Palestinians cannot expect to see a lasting peace until their "leaders speak in a unified voice against incitement to... violence and hate"; Abbas lies to Trump to play him, with the soundbyte: "Mr. President, I affirm to you that we are raising our youth, our children, our grandchildren on a culture of peace." On May 3 Lost At Sea Women Jennifer Appel and Tasha Fuiava launch their sailing boat Sea Nymph from Hawaii en route 2.7K mi. to Tahiti, getting lost after a storm, then rescued by the U.S. Navy in Oct., causing their stories to be questioned when they fail to use their distress beach. On May 4 (Nat. Day of Prayer) the U.S. Senate passes as $1.2T spending bill to keep the govt. open through Sept.; it incl. an additional $1.5B for border security; meanwhile the the U.S. House of Reps by 217-213 passes legislation beginning the process of repealing and replacing Obamacare; meanwhile Pres. Trump signs an executive order weakening the 1954 Johnson Amendment, instructing the IRS to back off and allow religious leaders to endorse political candidates; too bad, only Congress can absolish their amendment, and Trump's protection will end when he leaves office; also too bad, it chucks the free exercise of religion clause in the First Amendment, relying only on the free speech clause; the ACLU declines to file a lawsuit over it, calling it "a sham because what it actually does is instruct the IRS to enforce the law as written". On May 4 Pres. Obama releases a video endoring Emmanuel Macron over Marine Le Pen for pres. of France, saying that he "appeals to people's hopes and not their fears". On May 4 Russia, Iran, and Turkey sign a Memorandum on the Creation of De-Escalation Areas in the Syrian Arab Republic, to last 6 mo. On May 4 World Password Day. On May 5 a U.S. Navy SEAL is killed and two more U.S. servicemembers wounded in a raid in Somalia, becoming the first U.S. combat death there since the 1993 Black Hawk Down battle. On May 5 gay organist George Nathaniel Stang (1981-) at St. David's Episcopal Church in Bean Blossom, Minn. admits that he spray-painted anti-Trump hate graffiti "Heil Trump" and "Fag Church" on the church on Nov. 13; it received nat. publicity from the anti-Trump PC press. On May 7 elections in France give a V to 39-y.-o. liberal pro-EU Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frederic Macron (1977-) over populist nationalist anti-EU Marine Le Pen by 65.1%-34.9%; on May 14 Macron becomes pres. of France (until ?), becoming the youngest pres. ever and the youngest French head of state since Napoleon - France is heading for national suicide via Islam? On May 7 Tex. gov. Greg Abbott signs SB4 banning sanctuary cities in the state, with a $25.5K/day fine for violations; on Mar. 13, 2018 the Tex. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals upholds it. On May 7 retired USMC lt. col. Oliver North is named as the next pres. of the Nat. Rifle Assoc (NRA). On May 9 Pres. Trump says "You're fired!" to FBI dir. #7 (since Sept. 4, 2013) James Comey (1960-), citing his mishandling of the Hillary Clinton email scandal along with a memo by deputy U.S. atty. gen. Rod Rosenstein, with the soundbyte: "While I greatly appreciate you informing me, on three separate occasions, that I am not under investigation, I nevertheless concur with the judgment of the Department of Justice that you are not able to effectively lead the bureau"; on May 10 Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell refuses calls to appoint a special prosecutor or commission for the Trump-Russia probe, calling them "partisan". On May 9 (early a.m.) 300 illegal immigrants from Africa storm the fence on the Moroccan border with the Spanish autonomous city of Melilla. On May 10 leftist pro-North Korea Moon Jae-in (1953-) becomes pres. #12 of South Korea, succeeding Park Geun-hye. On May 10 after a radical Islamist mob marches on the supreme court to demand a heavy sentence, outgoing Christian Jakarta gov. Basuki Tjahaja Purname is sentenced to two years in prison for blasphemy against Allah by quoting the Quran 5:51 and suggesting that his opponents were twisting it into saying that Muslims should not be ruled by non-Muslims, pissing-off Am. evangelist Franklin Graham who utters the soundbyte "Islam wants domination" - the Quran isn't negotiable? On May 10 Pres. Trump meets in the White House with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov and ambassador Sergey Kislyak; later after a leak from his own admin., Trump is accused of giving them sensitive foreign intel, with some claiming it came from Israel; on May 22 Trump tells reporters that he never mentioned the word Israel, proving that it was Israel, or merely denying it was Israel without saying what the source really was? On May 11 (early a.m.) authorities remove a statue of Confed. Pres. Jefferson Davis in New Orleans, La. in front of pissed-off crowds, becoming the 2nd of four Confed. monuments on the slate after a 2015 city council vote and a court battle. On May 11 Pres. Trump issues Executive Order No. ? calling for "a comprehensive review of the federal government's cybersecurity risk management policies and procedures", with special attention to the electric grid. On May 11 the LDS (Mormon) Church announces that effective Jan. 1 it will pull out, er, drop the Boy Scouts of Am. (BSA) from its young men's program for ages 14-17, a total of 180K boys in the U.S. and Canada, causing evangelist Franklin Graham to call on all churches to do ditto; church leaders deny that their decision has anything to do with BSA decisions to accept gay Scout leaders and Scouts, and to admit more girls. On May 11 Philly-born #1 leftist brain man Avram Noam Chomsky (1928-) gives an interview to the BBC, uttering the soundbyte that the U.S. Repub. Party is "the most dangerous organisation in human history"; when asked if that means it's worse than ISIS, he replies: "Is ISIS dedicated to trying to destroy the prospects for organised human existence? What does it mean to say not only are we not doing anything about climate change but we're trying to accelerate the race to the precipice? It doesn't matter whether they genuinely believe it or not... If the consequence of that is 'let's use more fossil fuels, let's refuse to subsidise developing countries, let's eliminate regulations that reduce greenhouse gases'. If that's the consequence, that's extremely dangerous." On May 14 the Miss USA 2017 (66th) Pageant is held at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nev., hosted by Julianna Hough and Terrence J; the winner is Naples, Italy-born Miss Washington D.C., Kara Deidra McCullough (1991-), (runner-up in 2015 and 2016), becoming the first 2-peat for Washington, D.C. since 1988-9; she pisses-off the PC police by calling health care a privilege for the working and not a right, and for calling herself an equalist rather than a feminist; 7th winner born outside the U.S. On May 14-15 the First Belt and Road Forum for Internat. Cooperation (BRFIC) in Beijing, attended by 29 heads of state and reps from 130+ countries and 70 internat. orgs. is billed as founding China's New World Order. On May 15 the anti-Trump Washington Post claims that Pres. Trump gave Russian officials top secret intel info. at a meeting in the White House; too bad, the murky sources can't be pinned down. On May 16 the New York Times pub. a report claiming that fired FBI dir. James Comey wrote a memory claiming that Pres. Trump asked him to quash the investigation of Gen. Michael Flynn, causing calls for impeachment; all he did was ask him real nicely, not order him? On May 15 after revelations by SinoHawk Holdings CEO Tony Bobulinski in Oct. 2020, it is revealed that Chinese energy co. CEFC Energy, headed by Chinese tycoon Ye Jianming offered a $5M non-secured forgivable loan to the Biden family; Kamala Harris is listed on a list of "key domestic contacts"; Joe Biden met with his son Hunter Biden and James Biden and Hunter's business partner Bobulinski about the same time?; Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was included in the deal? On May 16 the Mormon Church pulls older boys (ages 14-18) out of the Boy Scouts of Am., causing evangelist Franklin Graham to call on all churches to do ditto. On May 16 Fx News finally wakes up and begins admitting that the July 10, 2016 murder of 27-y.-o. Seth Conrad Rich (1989-2016) during the 2016 pres. race, officially called a botched robbery might be connected with his leaking of info. from Dem. Nat. Committee records to WikiLeaks, meaning that the Trump-Russia story is moose hockey and that Hillary might be a murderer and coverup queen, causing Newt Gingrich et al. to call for an official investigation; meanwhile WikiLeaks offers a $20K reward for info. leading to Rich's murderer; meanwhile Kim Dotcom announces that Rich was the real DNC WikiLeaks leaker and that he knows because he was involved; meanwhile it comes out that the FBI never directly investigated the DNC case, but relied on U.S.-based private co. Crowdstrike, which was founded by a Ukrainian who hates Putin. On May 17 deputy U.S. atty. gen. Rod Rosenstein appoints former FBI dir. Robert Muller as special prosecutor for the Trump-Russia investigation, causing Pres. Trump on May 18 to tweet the soundbyte that it is the "single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history", telling reporters: "As I have stated many times, a thorough investigation will confirm what we already know, there was no collusion between my campaign and any foreign entity." On May 18 after several warnings and exchanges of gunfire, the U.S. carries out an air strike in At Tanf, S Syria against Syrian govt.-supported militia. On May 19 Harvard U. releases a study reporting that in Pres. Trump's first 100 days in office, the tone of his news coverage was 80% negative and only 20% positive, with CNN and NBC being 93% negative, CBS 91% negative, and pro-Trump Fox News 52% negative. On May 19 pres. elections in Iran is a V for incumbent Hassan Rohani over Ebrahaim Raisi by 57%-23%, with 41M votes cast. On May 20 Pres. Trump begins a 9-day trip, starting with a visit to Saudi Arabia to discuss a $110B-$350B 10-year arms deal to counter Iran, receiving a royal welcome; his speech goes mainstream, backing down from his anti-Muslim campaign rhetoric while urging Arab leaders to "fight Islamic extremism" (not "radical Islamic terrorism"); he gives the Saudi king a handshake instead of bowing like Pres. Obama; First Lady Melania Trump and daughter Ivanka are given a pass on wearing a headscarf; on after ending the Saudi prohibition on flying directly there from Meccaland, May 22 Trump visits Israel, meeting with PM Benjamin Netanyahu, his wife Sara, pres. Reuven Rivlin, and members of the cabinet, praying at the Western Wall (first U.S. pres.) and visiting the Church of the Holy Sepulchre; on May 23 he visits Bethlehem in the West Bank; on May 23 (8:00 a.m.) he visits Pope Francis in the Vatican, who doesn't talk or smile at first, during which visit First Lady Melania reveals that she's a devout Roman Catholic, with the pope giving Trump a copy of his May 24, 2015 encyclical "Laudato Si" preaching climate change theory, and Trump giving the pope a set of books by MLK Jr., a piece of granite from his memorial, and a sculpture representing "hope for a peaceful tomorrow"; on May 25 Trump visits Brussels, where the Marxist leftist overlords give him an icy reception. On May 21 elections in Iran give a V to incumbent pres. Hassan Rouhani, with 57% of the vote in a 75% turnout. On May 21 after a show at the Nassau County Coliseum in N.J., the Ringling Brothers Circus closes after 146 years; they had planned to phase out elephants from their Greatest Show on Earth in 2018. On May 22 (10:30 p.m. local time) at the end of an Ariana Grande Dangerous Woman Tour concert in the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England, British-born Islamic suicide bomber Salman Ramadan Abedi (b. 1995) (son of Libyan immigrant) goes off in the exit area where parents are waiting for their children, killing 22 and injuring 120+, mainly children and teenies, becoming the deeadliest attack in the U.K. since July 7, 2005, and the first in Manchester since the Provisional IRA bombing of June 15, 1996; Pres. Trump calls the Islamists "losers"; ISIS claims responsibility; on May 23 British PM Theresa May calls it an act of "sickening cowardice", and raises the threat level to critical (martial law); on May 23 (eve.) a vigil is held in Albert Square, attended by Britain's multicultural pop. incl. Muslims, all claiming that the attack had nothing to do with Islam :); on May 23 after learning that Abedi recently returned from Libya and Syria, police make three arrests; he was linked to ISIS but trained by al-Qaida?; on May 25 May announces that the U.K. has stopped sharing intel from the bombing after some was leaked by U.S. sources to journalists, leaving police "furious", after which Trump fixes things up with them; on June 4 (eve.) the One Love Manchester Concert features Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, Pharrell Williams, Chris Martin, Liam Gallagher, Robbie Williams et al. On May 23 John O. Brennan testifies before the House Intelligence Committee, refusing to use the word "collusion" to describe the Trump campaign's relationship with Russia, but adding "I know that therre was a sufficient basis of information and intelligence that required further investigation by the bureau to determine whether or not U.S. persons were actively conspiring, colluding with Russian officials." On May 23 the Washington Post pub. an article claiming that Pres. Trump asked NSA dir. Mike Rogers and DNI Dan Coats to push back on the Trump-Russia story after James Comey's congressional testimony, and that White House officials had tried to get them to lobby the FBI to drop the Gen. Michael Flynn probe. On May 23 the Web site of the Qatari news agency posts an article claiming that the emir of Qatar has made several controversial statements, incl. that the country is withdrawing its ambassadors from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait, Bahrain, and UAE, that it opposes a hostile stance against Iran, and that it looks favorably on the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, and Hezbollah. On May 23 Lt. Col. Khallid Shabazz becomes the U.S. Army's first div.-level chaplain for the 7th Infantry Div. On May 24 after ISIS-connected Islamists begin sieging Marawi City in Mindanao on May 23, Philippine pres. Rodrigo Duterte declares martial law for 60 days, abruptly returning from Moscow to deal with them, taking until Oct. 23 to defeat them. On May 24 the supreme court of Taiwan rules in favor of same-sex marriage, giving the govt. two years to implement the ruling. On May 25 Pres. Trump attends a NATO meeting in Brussels, Belgium, scolding members for not paying their fair share, then attends a G7 summit in Sicily on May 26. On May 25 (Jerusalem Day) the parliament of Czech Repub. recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital. On May 26 2017 Ramadan begins (ends June 24), with a record 1,150 casualties caused by Islamic terrorists in 15 countries; in the first 12 days there are 60 terror attacks, killing 832 and injuring 912, ending with 174 attacks and 1,595 kills, vs. 2 Muslims killed by "Islamophobes", becoming the bloodiest Ramadan in modern history. On May 26 masked Islamist gunmen attack a group of Coptic Christians traveling in Minya Province, Egypt en route to pray at the Monastery of St. Samuel the Confessor, killing 26 and injuring 26, incl. many children. On May 29 Philippines pres. Rodrigo Duterte announces tht he will give soldier pay to soldiers of the Islamist Moro Nat. Liberation Front et al. who fight the Maute terrorist group, which has killed 100 in Marawi City. On May 30 (midnight) a car bomb detonates near the popular Al-Faqma ice cream shop in a Shiite area in Karrada District, Baghdad, Iraq, followed by another in Shawaka, Baghdad, the two explosions killing 30+ and injuring 40; ISIS claims responsbility. On May 31 the FBI and NYPD arrest 19 members of the Lucchese crime family incl. acting boss Matthew Madonna, underboss Steven Crea, and consigliere Joseph DiNapoli, charging them with racketeering incl. the 2013 murder of mob hitman Michael Meldish. On May 31 the U.S. Missile Defense Agency reports its first successfull exo-atmospheric interception and destruction in flight of an ICBM. On May 31 Pres. Trump tweets about his campaign foreign policy adviser Carter Page that the Dems. in the House Intel Committee "don't wnt him to testify... [because he] blows away their case against him"; at 12:06 a.m. he tweets the word "covfefe", which is taken up by the PC press as a subject of speculation. On May 31 after a huge backlash, comedian Kathy Griffin apologizes for a photo showing her holding Pres. Trump's bloody head, which he calls "sick", after which CNN fires her. On May 31 USAF vet Tairod Pugh, who was convicted in Mar., becoming the first American to be convicted of attempting to join ISIS is sentenced to 35 years in priz, with U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis interrupting his long rant with "You made your choice. I have no sympathy." On May 31 Hillary Clinton speaks at the Codecon Conference in Rancho Palos Verde, giving a diatribe blaming everybody but herself for losing the 2016 U.S. pres. election, starting with the snaky soundbyte "I take responsibility for every decision I made, but that is not why I lost", blaming Russian hackers, weaponized data, content farms in Macedonia, corrupted algorithms, fingering Pres. Trump for orchestrating it, esp. the "fake news" on Facebook incl. Pizzagate. On June 1 (early a.m.) a jihadist attacks the Resorts World Manila Casino in Manila, Philipppines, killing 35 and injuring 70 before killing himself; ISIS claims responsibility, while the govt. rules out terrorism. On June 1 Ontario Province, Canada passes a law allowing the govt. to remove children from families that refuse to accept their chosen gender identity. On June 1-3 the 21st St. Petersburg Internat. Economic Forum (SPIEF) is attended by Russian pres. Vladimir Putin, who is interviewed by U.S. journalist Megyn Kelly, who pooh-poohs suggestions that Russia influenced the 2016 U.S. pres. election, saying: "It reminds me of anti-Semitism: the Jews are to blame for everything." On June 3 the 2017 London Massacre sees three British Muslim jihadists drive a van into pedestrians on London Bridge in England, then stab people in the nearby Borough Market area, killing seven and injuring 48 before being killed by police; parallel universe PM Theresa May utters the soundbyte that the British people must come together to fight "extemism", with the soundbyte: "It is an ideology that claims our Western values of freedom, democracy, and human rights are incompatible with the religion of Islam"; on June 5 police arrest two of the three attackers, Pakistan-born Khuram Shazad Butt (27) and Moroccan or Libyan-born Rachid Redouane (Elkhdar) (30), members of the militant jihadist network al-Muhajiroun; the third is Youssef Zaghba; Muslim London mayor Sadiq Khan utters the soundbyte: "Terrorism is part and parcel of living in a great global city", assuring people there is nothing to fear, causing Pres. Trump to tweet that he's nuts, causing him to change his story to assuring people that there is nothing to fear from heightened security. On June 3 25-.y.-o. Reality Leigh Winner (1992-) is arrested after the Web news site The Intercept pub. a top-secret NSA document giving details of Russian hacking attempts, and it is traced to her. On June 3 Allah-Akbar-screaming Canadian Muslim Rehab Dughmosh (1985-) begins swinging a golf club at employees of Cedarbrae Mall in Scarborough, Toronto, Ont., Canada, then pulls out a large knife before being subdued by the employees; at her first court appearance she swears allegiance to "the leader of the believers, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi" of ISIS. On June 3 Alex Honnold scales El Capitan sans ropes or gear. On June 5 (8:00 a.m.) disgruntled ex-employee John Robert Neumann Jr. returns to Fiammi Inc. and kills five in Orange County, Fla.. On June 5 Pres. Trump announces his proposal to privatize the air traffic control (ATC) system, saying it was designed to handle 100K people/year, not the 1B people/year needed today; meanwhile after the U.S. Supeme Court takes his case, he tweets that his proposed travel ban should be called just that, pissing-off the PC police, along with another tweet criticizing Muslim London mayor Sadiq Kahn, whose comments on the 2017 London Massacre that the pop. should still feel they're safe a "pathetic disgrace", adding: "The FAKE MSM is working so hard trying get me not to use Social Media. They hate that I can get the honest and unfiltered message out"; meanwhile Muslim CNN host Reza Aslan dumps on Pres. Trump, calling him "a piece of shit" et al., causing conservatives L. Brent Bozell III et al. to call for his firing. On June 5 U.S. atty. gen. Jeff Sessions orders Justice Dept. attys. to quit diverting legal settlement funds to non-govt. special interest groups, as the Obama admin. had done. On June 5 (eve.) Somali-born jihaist Yacqub Khayre (1988-) murders a Chinese-born receptionist at an apt. complex in Melbourne, Australia, then takes an escort girl hostage, calling a local TV station and telling them "This is for ISIS, this is for al-Qaeda" before getting into a fatal shootout with police. On June 6 (8:06 a.m.) Pres. Trump issues a tweet about Qatar: "During my recent trip to the Middle East I stated that there can no longer be funding of Radical Ideology. Leaders pointed to Qatar — look!"; at 9:36 a.m. he follows with: "So good to see the Saudi Arabia visit with the King and 50 countries already paying off. They said they would take a hard line on funding… extremism, and all reference was pointing to Qatar. Perhaps this will be the beginning of the end to the horror of terrorism!" On June 6 U.S.-led anti-ISIS coalition forces bomb forces loyal to Syrian pres. Bashed Ass, er, Bashar al-Ass near the Syria-Jordan-Iraq border. On June 6 an Algerian jihadist wielding a hammer attacks police outside Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, injuring one officer and shouting "This is for Syria" before being shot dead. On June 6 U.S. homeland security secy. John Kelly addresses Congress, complaining about the leftist federal courts, saying, "Bottom line, I've been enjoined from doing these things that I know would make Americans safe, and I anxiously await the court to complete its action one way or the other so I can get to work." On June 6 U.S. deputy atty. gen Rod Rosenstein, acting head of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) annunces that drug OD is now the #1 cause of death for Americans under age 50. On June 7 ISIS jihadists stage two attacks in Tehran, Iran, one in parliament and the other in the nearby shrine of Ayatollah Khomeini, killing 12 and injuring dozens, becoming ISIS' first attack in Iran. On June 7 U.S. secy. of state Rex Tillerson issues a declaration for 2017 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) Pride Month. On June 8 after calling a snap election to win a stronger mandate, and a 24-point poll lead, only to see a 70% youth turnout, British Parliamentary elections are a defeat for PM Theresa May, whose Conservative Party wins but loses its majority in Parliament, with 314 seats, 12 less than the 326 needed. On June 8 former FBI dir. James Comey testifies before an eager Congress and press about alleged misconduct of Pres. Trump, calling him a liar yet ending up clearing him of anything criminal, because he failed to understand that as Da President Trump has the authority to order an investigation and prosecution to stop, and can even pardon the target to stop it; he claims that he made memos because "I was honestly concerned that he might lie", coming across as a disgruntled employee; Comey reveals that U.S. atty. gen. Loretta Lynch asked him to describe the FBI investigation into Hillary Clinton's email server "a matter", which "gave me a queasy feeling"; CNN "Hardball" host Chris Matthews utters the soundbyte that the Trump-Russia collusion theory "came apart"; after it ends, Trump's atty. Marc Kasowitz issues a statement accusing him of being another illegal leaker who should be the one criminally investigated; on June 9 Pres. Trump tweets: "Despite so many false sttements and lies, total and complete vindication... and WOW, Comey is a leaker!"; on June 13 Trump accuses Loretta Lynch of "illegal behavior", claiming that she provided Hillary with "protection". On June 8 German authorities announce the arrest of Mohammed G., ISIS's correspondent in Europe. On June 8 30-y.-o. African-Am. man David Jones (b. 1987) stopping for reckless riding of a dirt bike then shot twice in the back and killed as he flees in Philly by white police officer Ryan Pownall, who is charged with murder after a year-long coverup, er, investigation. On June 9 Russian ambassador to Israel Alexander Shein utters the soundbyte that Russia doesn't consider Hamas and Hezbollah to be terrorists because they have not attacked Russian territory or Russian interests. On June 12 Delta Air Lines announces that it's terminating its 4-y.-o. sponsorship of New York City's Public Theater for producing a version of Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" in Central Park that portrays Caesar as Donald Trump, showing him being stabbed to death onstage; Bank of America does ditto. On June 14 Leo Eric Varadkar of Fine Gael becomes PM (Taoiseach) #14 of Eire (until ?), becoming the first openly gay, first of Indian heritage, and youngest (until ?). On June 14 (Flag Day) the 2017 Congressional Baseball Field Massacre sees La. Repub. House whip Stephen Joseph "Steve" Scalise (1965-) and five others are shot at a congressional baseball practice in Alexandria, Va. by Trump-hating Bernie Sanders supporter James T. Hodgkinson (b. 1951), who was targeting Repubs. only before police kill him; a Dem. plot? On June 14 (1:00 a.m. local time) a fire in 24-story Grenfell Tower in North Kensington, London, England kills 30+ of 120; the bldg. had highly flammable exterior cladding recently added. On June 14 Tex. Gov. Greg Abbott signs the American Laws for American Courts (ALAC) AKA House Bill 45, prohibiting use of any foreign law in state courts, esp. in family cases. On June 15 the U.S. Senate by 98-2 passes a bipartisan agreement to impose new sanctions targeting Iran's ballistic missile program, support of terrorism, and humans rights abuses, and impose new financial penalties on Russia for messing with Ukraine, supporting the Syrian regime, and allegedly tampering with the 2017 U.S. pres. election, limiting Pres. Trump's ability to lift them without Congressional approval. On June 16 Israeli border police officer Hadas Malka (b. 1984) is stabbed to death by three young men in Jerusalem; ISIS claims responsibility, becoming their first operation inside Israel; too bad, Hamas also claims responsibility. On June 18 a Taliban suicide team attacks the provincial police HQ in Gardez, Paktia Province, Afghanistan, killing six policemen before being killed. Ramadan becomes Ram-a-van? It's payback time in London? On June 18/19 (midnight) a white man in a white van shouting that he wants to kill all Muslims drives over Muslims leaving notorious extremist Finsbury Park Mosque on Seven Sisters Rd. after ending Ramadan fasting in North London, England, injuring 10 before being grabbed by bystanders and handed over to police, after which PM Theresa May gives a speech dissing his kind of extremism ("Islamophobia") as morally equivalent to Islamist extremism. On June 19 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 4-2 in Ziglar v. Abbasi that high-level George W. Bush admin. officials John Ashcroft, Robert Mueller, amd James Ziglar can't be held personally liable for violating the constitutional rights of Muslims, Arabs, and South Asians rounded up after the 9/11 terrorist attacks because Congress must authorize it first. On June 19 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 8-0 in Matal v. Tam to overturn the U.S. Lanham Act as unconstitutional because there is no hate speech exception to the First Amendment, thus the band The Slants can register their trademark. On June 19 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 8-0 in Packingham v. North Carolina that registered sex offenders have a First Amendment right to use social Web sites incl. Facebook. On June 20 119F temps in Phoenix, Ariz. cause 40 airline flights to be canceled or delayed. On June 21 after being chosen to meet with Pres. Trump at the White House in Mar. Saudi Arabia announces that Mohammed bin Salman, the king's son and defense minister is next in line to the thrown (crown prince), replacing 31-y.-o. Muhammad bin Nayef, the king's nephew, who was made crown prince in Jan. 2015. On June 21 the 2017 Bishop Internat. Airport Incident at Bishop Internat. Airport in Flint, Mich. sees Allah Akbar-shouting Tunisian-born Canadian Muslim Amor M. Ftouhi (1967-) stab airport police officer Lt. Jeff Neville in the neck after he fails to purchase a gun at a gun show, later crying when told he failed to kill him because it might hurt his chances of being in paradise with Allah; on Mar. 21, 2018 he is charged with committing an act of terrorism over nat. boundaries. On June 22 a car bomb outside a bank in Helmand Province, Afghanistan kills 34 and injures 58. On June 24 the continental U.S. goes a record 140 straight mo. without a major hurricane landfall, the last being Hurricane Wilma in Fla. on Oct. 24, 2005. On June 26 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 9-0 to agree< to review Pres. Trump's travel ban on six Muslim-majority nations, allowing it to be partially implemented while they consider it by Oct., excepting only foreign nationals who have a "bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States", which Trump calls a clear victory. On June 26 Pres. Trump tweets that ex-Pres. Obama "didn't choke, he colluded or obstructed" after learning about Russian attempts to interfere in the 2016 U.S. pres. election, adding: "The reason that President Obama did NOTHING about Russia after being notified by the CIA of meddling is that he expected Clinton would win... and did not want to 'rock the boat'." On June 26 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 7-2 in Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer that the state of Mo. can't exclude a church from a program providing funds for a neutral secular purpose such as resurfacing its playground with rubber from recycled tires. On June 29 after the U.S. Senate keeps stalling, Pres. Trump utters the soundbyte that Senate Repubs. should kill Obamacare now and worry about replacing it later, which doesn't stop moderate Repubs. from blocking all bills. On June 29 (9:11 a.m.) Kentucky Fried Chicken launches a spicy crispy Zinger chicken sandwich into the stratosphere on a high-alt. balloon, where it stays at an alt. of 50K-80K ft. for four days. On June 30 Iraqi forces recapture the ancient mosque in Mosul where ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Bahdad made his first public appearance three years earlier. In June the Los Angeles Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the U.S. Dept. of Justice bust a Hollywood Pedophilia Network, arresting 238 incl. entertainers, community leaders, white-collar professionals, and high-ranking clergy members incl. a monk. In June 30-y.-o. African-Am. man David Jones (b. 1987) is killed during a traffic stop in Philly by police officer Ryan Pownall, who is charged with murder after a year-long coverup, er, investigation. In June the GoldenEye (Petya) Virus of Ukrainian hackers, allegedly based on stolen Eternal Blue malware from the U.S. Nat. Security Agency (NSA) wreaks havoc on corporate computers worldwide, incl. Merck, Rosneft, airports, banks, hospitals, and transportation cos. incl. the Danish Maersk Line. In June U.S. unemployment is 4.4%, adding 220K jobs; new manufacturing jobs: 1K (12,396,000); new govt. jobs: 35K (22,353,000); the participation rate is 62.8% vs. a high of 67.3% in Jan. 2000 and low of 62.4% in Sept. 2005. In June monthly U.S. federal spending is $428.894B, topping $400B for the first time. On July 4 police in New York City deploy sand trucks for the first time to stop madass Muslim jihadists during Independence Day celebrations; ditto Wimbledon. On July 4 North Korea launches the 2-stage Hwasong-14, their first ICBM, which travels 800 mi. but could reach Alaska, with Kim Jong-un saying it is a message to "the American bastards". On July 5 Pres. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump visit Warsaw, Poland before attending the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany on July 6-8, where they are met by 12K protesters, who clash with police, while on July 7 Trump meets with Russian prev. Vladimir Putin for over 2 hours despite Melania being sent in at the 1 hour mark in vain; Trump presses Putin twice about meddling in the 2016 pres. election, but he denies everything, and Trump lets it slide, drawing howls from the Hillary, er, supposedly netrual mainstream media; in Warsaw Trump gives a speech, with the soundbyte: "Just as Poland could not be broken, I declare today for the world to hear that the West will never, ever be broken. Our values will prevail. Our people will thrive. And our civilization will triumph"; on July 7 Pres. Trump meets at the G20 Summit with Mexican pres. Enrique Nieto Pena, repeating his insistence that Mexico pay for his wall. On July 8 Pres. Trump announces that the U.S. is pledging $50M to a World Bank program dedicated to women's entrepreneurship in developing countries; Trump also promises $639M in aid to the U.N. World Food Program for starving people in Somalia, South Sudan, Nigeria, and Yemen. On July 8 Sgt. 1st Class Ikaika Erik Kang (1983-) is arrested at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii after pledging loyalty to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi; the court-appointed defense atty. claims service-related mental health problems; on Dec. 5, 2018 he is sentenced to 25 years in prison for providing material support to ISIS, along with 20 years of supervised release. On July 9 Trump-hating fake news New York Times pub. an article revealing a meeting between Russian atty. Natalia Veselnitskaya and Donald Trump Jr. during the 2016 pres. campaign, after which he admits it and adds that she promised to give some dope on Hillary, which amounted to nada, which is twisted by the Trump-hating PC media into yet another fake reason to dump Trump. On July 9 (eve.) after a 280-mi. justice march by Repub. People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, a mass gathering in Istanbul, Turkey calls for an end to persecution. On July 9 the Gen. Synod of the Church of England votes 30-2-0 (House of Bishops) and 127-28-16 (House of Clergy) and 127-48-8 (House of Laity) to "welcome and affirm" transgenders. On July 10 after Pres. Trump tweets his support on July 4, the case of terminally-ill British baby Charlie Gard, who was ordered by a high court judge in Apr. to be withdrawn from a ventilator to allow him to die returns to court after claims of an experimental treatment available in the U.S.; too bad, the doctor involved admits the baby is hopeless, and the plug is pulled. On July 10 the White House announces the liberation of Mosul, Iraq from ISIS control by Iraqi and U.S. forces. On July 11 42-y.-o. British Muslim Shahid Ali (1974-) of Birmingham drives over the head of Patrick Colbert in an attempted murder, and is later acquitted but convicted of causing grievous bodily harm with intent; he was previously jailed for 27 mo. in 2009 for material support of jihadists in Pakistan. On July 15 pampered (affirmative action?) Muslim Minneapolis, Minn. police officer Mohamed Noor shoots bride-to-be Justine Diamond (Ruszczyk) (who called about an assault) as she sits in her car near her home for making a "loud noise", after which the corrupt authorities cover for him like all sacred cow pigs, er, cut him loose and let him go in Mar. 2018, after which he is charged with murder and pleads self-defense before being convicted of 3rd-degree murder on May 6, 2019. On July 16 elections in the Repub. of Congo. On July 16 China requires all 90M members of the Chinese Communist Party to "be firm Marxist atheists, obey Party rules, and stick to the Party's faith. They are not allowed to seek value and belief in religion." On July 17 Jordanian Sgt. Mareek Abu Tayeh is convicted of the murder of three U.S. soldiers on Nov. 4, 2016 at the Prince Faisal Air Base, and sentenced to life in prison, causing demonstrations by his Howeitat tribe. On July 19 Hawaii passes a 100% Renewable Electric Energy Plan, setting a 2040 target date and a 2045 limit. On July 19 the Trump admin. announces that it will halt CIA's program of arming and training of Syrian rebels, as Russia has been recommending. On July 19 Pres. Trump gives an interview to the New York Times, grumbling about his atty. gen. Jeff Sessions and how he recused himself from the Russia probe, saying: "Sessions should have never recused himself. And if he would, if he was going to recuse himself, he should have told me before he took the job, and I would have picked somebody else." On July 20 infamous celeb O.J. Simpson is granted parole after serving 9 years of a 33-year sentence for armed robbery in Las Vegas, Nev. On July 21 a riot by Palestinian Muslims at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem over Israel's decision to put metal detectors at the entrances results in three killed and 200+ injured - all without any metal? On July 21 White House press secy. Sean Spicer resigns, and Long Island, N.Y.-born financier (founder of SkyBridge Capital) Anthony "Scar" "the Mooch" Scaramucci (1964-) becomes the new White House communications dir., stinking himself up by a profanity-laced critique of White House staff, causing him to receive the boot on July 31, the same day that Gen. John F. Kelly becomes White House chief of staff. On July 21 after a May memo by Nat. Security Council (NSC) strategist Rich Higgins claiming a conspiracy by Repubs. and Dems. in league with globalists like George Soros, along with bankers, Islamists and the media to subvert Pres. Trump via "political warfare agendas that reflect cultural Marxist outcomes" is circulated, he is fired by nat. security advisor (Soros puppet?) H.R. McMaster. On July 23 Israeli security guard Ziv Moyal is attacked with a screwdriver in his apt. in Amman, Jordan by a Jordanian assassin, killing him and accidentally killing the landlord, causing a protest at the Israeli embassy by Israel-haters calling on the 1994 peace treaty to be canceled, holding Moyal and 20 other Israeli diplomats incl. ambassador Einat Schlein to be held hostage until Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu intervenes, arranging with King Abdullah II for safe passage in exchange for Jordanian officials to attend Moyal's questioning by Israeli officials and metal detectors to be removed from the Temple Mount; after they are evacuated, Jordan refuses to permit Schlein to return to her duties, and calls for Moyal to be tried for murder, refusing to let a replacement for Schlein into Jordan. On July 24 a Taliban suicide car bomber detonates near the house of deputy govt. chief exec Mohammad Mohaqiq in W Kaboom, er, W Kabul, Afghanistan, killing 35 and injuring 40. On July 24 Pres. Trump addresses the 2017 Boy Scout Jamboree; too bad, on July 27 its pres. Michael Surbaugh apologizes for his insertion of political rhetoric. On July 24 after being tricked by her Moroccan ISIS terrorist husband Moussa Elhassani into traveling to Syria to live in ISIS-controlled Raqqa, only to be KIA Samantha Sally (Marie) Elhassani (1986-) of Elkhart, Ind. is flown back to the U.S. with her four children, facing a charge of lying to the FBI; on Aug. 22, 2018 she is charted with conspiring to provide material support to ISIS and aiding and abetting individuals in providing material support to ISIS. On July 25 the U.S. Federal Appeals Court in Washington, D.C. rules 2-1 in Wrenn v. District of Columbia that people seeking concealed handgun permits don't have to show "good reason", but have a 2nd Amendment right regardless of reasons. On July 26 Pres. Trump announces a ban on transgender people in the U.S. armed forces, citing costs and disruption, pissing-off the PC police; on July 27 House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi claims that there are 14K-15K transgenders in the military. On July 26 the U.S. Senate by 45-55 rejects a proposal to repeal Obamacare without replacing it; on July 25 (eve.) they rejected a comprehensive replacement plan drafted by Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell; on July 28 (early a.m.) they reject the "skinny repeal" bill after renegade Repub. Sen. John McCain kills it 51-49. On Juy 27 the U.S. State Dept. issues a warning to tourists about adulterated alcohol in Mexican resorts after authorities seize 1.4M gal. since 2010. On July 27 the White House announces the arrest of 1K+ MS-13 gang members in the last three days; on July 28 Pres. Trump gives a speech to a convention of cops in Long Island, N.Y., praising them to the skies and calling for the "liberation" of whole towns and cities from gangs' grip, incl. his native Long Island; in Nov. ICE arrests 267 more MS-13 gangbangers incl. 53 in El Salvador. On July 28 the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly votes 98-2 to impose new sanctions on Russia; on Aug. 2 Pres. Trump reluctantly signs the legislation, despite Moscow's threats to retaliate by seizing two U.S. diplomatic properties and ordering the U.S. to cut hundreds of diplomatic staff, uttering the soundbyte that the bill is "seriously flawed, particularly because it encroaches on the executive branch's authority to negotiate." On July 31 Russian pres. Vladimir Putin signs a law revoking Russian citizenzhip of any person convicted of terrorism, effective Sept. 1. In July after quitting her job, Pakistani Muslim immigrant Zoobia Shahnaz (1990-) of Long Island, N.Y. is arrested at Kennedy Airport while trying to fly to Pakistan; in Dec. she is charged with laundering Bitcoin and wiring money to ISIS. In July Pope Francis utters the soundbyte that a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is "dangerous and harmful", calling for a OWG with the political authority to combat climate change et al. In July Google changes its algorithm to downgrade and conceal sites that tell the truth about Islam, while promoting Islam propaganda sites, bowing to their jihad like chumps and potentially opening the West open to infilration of takeover; pizza-faced 20-something geeks are the easiest targets for Islamist agitprop artists? In July after attending a Google diversity program, Google engineer James Damore pub. an internal memo claiming that there are genetic differences between men and women that explain disparities in tech employment, causing a firestorm of PC controversy, after which he is fired on Aug. 7, and sues. In July the city of Farmersville, Tex. denies an application by the Islamic Assoc. of Collin County to build a cemetery, causing the U.S. Dept. of Justice to come down on them, forcing an agreement to build it anyway on Apr. 18, 2019. In 1T ton Iceberg A-68 (the size of Del.) breaks off from Antarctica, causing PC media incl. CNN to paint it as proof of global climate change; too bad, in July 2018 it becomes trapped by dense ice off the coast of Antarctica. On Aug. 1 Jordan abolishes Article 308, which protects rapists from punishment if they marry their victims - cheap date? On Aug. 2 after Pres. Trump announces his nomination on June 7 to replace James Comey, telling the Senate that he didn't believe the Trump-Russia investigation is a witch hunt and being confirmed by 92-5, Repub. Yale U. grad Christopher Asher Wray (III) (1966-) becomes FBI dir. #8 (until ?). On Aug. 2 a suicide bomber attacks a NATO-led convoy of internat. troops in Kandahar, Afghanistan. On Aug. 2 (Wed.) the Dow Jones Industrial Avg. climbs above 22K for the first time ever (22,016), buoyed by healthy quarterly sales of the Apple iPhone, up 36% for the year. On Aug. 2 Amazon.com holds Jobs Day to hire 100K people by next year. On Aug. 2 Pres. Trump announces plans to introduce the U.S. RAISE (Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment) Act, sponsored by U.S. Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and David Perdue (R-Ga.) to slash legal immigratin by prioritizing those with education, English language proficiency, and earning power. On Aug. 3 a grand jury convened by U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller to investigate Trump campaign ties with Russia issues its first subpoenas. On Aug. 5 after Pres. Trump announced his intentions in June, with the soundbyte: "As President, I can put no other consideration before the well-being of American citizens. The Paris Climate Accord is simply the latest example of Washington entering into an agreement that disadvantages the United States to the exclusive benefit of other countries, leaving American workers - who I love - and taxpayers to absorb the cost in terms of lost jobs, lower wages, shuttered factories, and vastly diminished economic production... Not only does this deal subject our citizens to harsh economic restrictions, it fails to live up to our environmental ideals. As someone who cares deeply about the environment, which I do, I cannot in good conscience support a deal that punishes the United States - which is what it does - the world’s leader in environmental protection, while imposing no meaningful obligations on the world’s leading polluters", the U.S. formally Watch video. On Aug. 7 the Pentagon issues new regs allowing U.S. military bases to shoot down commercial or private drones deemed to be a threat. On Aug. 8 elections in Kenya reelect pres. Uhuru Kenyatta with 54% of 19.7M registered voters, vs. 44% for Raila Odinga, who refuses to accept the results. On Aug. 12 after marching on the U. of Va. campus the night before, the white nationalist Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville, Va. to protest the removal of a statue of Confed. Gen. Robert E. Lee ends in violent clashes with counter-protesters, after which a car driven by white supremacist James Alex Fields Jr. rams the crowd, killing 32-y.-o. Heather Heyer and injuring 19; on Aug. 12 Pres. Trump speaks, saying that he and his admin. "condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry, and violence on many sides, many sides", adding: "It's been going on for a long time in our country. Not Donald Trump, not Barack Obama. I t's been going on for a long, long time. It has no place in America", which only pisses-off the PC police, who accuse him of supporting white supremacists, with Repub. Colo. Sen. Cory Gardner tweeting: “Mr. President - we must call evil by its name. These were white supremacists and this was domestic terrorism"; on Aug. 15 black protesters pull down a statue of a Confed. soldier in Durham, N.C., after which Pres. Trump utters the soundbytes: "Excuse me, they didn’t put themselves down as neo-Nazis, and you had some very bad people in that group. But you also had people that were very fine people on both sides.... I’m not talking about the neo-Nazis and the white nationalists, because they should be condemned totally - but you had many people in that group other than neo-Nazis and white nationalists, okay? And the press has treated them absolutely unfairly. Now, in the other group also, you had some fine people, but you also had troublemakers and you see them come with the black outfits and with the helmets and with the baseball bats. You had a lot of bad people in the other group too", to which a reporter asks: "I just didn’t understand what you were saying. You were saying the press has treated white nationalists unfairly?", to which Trump responds: "No, no. There were people in that rally, and I looked the night before. If you look, they were people protesting very quietly the taking down the statue of Robert E. Lee", which doesn't stop Joseph Biden from misquoting him in an op-ed. in Atlantic mag. on Aug. 27, 2017, with the soundbyte: "Today we have an American president who has publicly proclaimed a moral equivalency between neo-Nazis and Klansmen and those who would oppose their venom and hate. We have an American president who has emboldened white supremacists with messages of comfort and support. This is a moment for this nation to declare what the president can’t with any clarity, consistency, or conviction: There is no place for these hate groups in America"; on Aug. 15/16 (night) Baltimore, Md. mayor Catherine Pugh orders four Confed. monuments taken down. On Aug. 13 (9:30 p.m.) a jihadist attack in a 4x4 outside the Aziz Istanbul Restaurant in Burkina Faso kills 17 and injures two. On Aug. 14 after the fake news media blasts him for not explicitly calling out white supremacists in his criticism of the Charlottesville protest, as if he supports them, Pres. Trump meets in the White House with atty. gen. Jeff Sessions and FBI dir. Chris Wray, then delivers a gives a Speech on Racism, with the soundbyte: "Racism is evil, and those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs, including the KKK, Neo-Nazis, White Supremacists, and other hate groups that are repugnant to everything we hold dear as Americans", confirming that the FBI and Dept. of Justice are investigating the car attack; too bad, on Aug. 15 Trump doubles down with observations that "both sides" were to blame for violence in Charlottesville, mentioning "the alt-left that came charging at them", that "Not all of those people were neo-Nazis... [or] white supremacists... Those people were also there because they wanted to protest the taking down of a statue", claiming that many "fine people" were among the protesters, and that the movement to strip the U.S. of its 850+ Confed. monuments is an effort to "change history" and "change culture", mentioning George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, which only makes the PC police madder; on Aug. 16 after some CEOs quit to protest his remarks, Trump disbands two high-profile business advisory councils; on Aug. 18 House Dem. Leader Nancy Pelosi endorses a measure to censure Trump, joining 79 Dem. colleagues, and calls on House Speaker Paul Ryan to remove all Confed. statues from the U.S. Capitol; meanwhile on Aug. 7 U.S. Rep. (D-Tenn.) Steve Cohen introduces articles of impeachment against Trump after his no confidence resolution in July went nowhere. On Aug. 15 (p.m.) a U.S. Army UH-60 Blackhawk heli goes missing near Oahu, Hawaii during a night training mission, killing all five aboard. On Aug. 16 as renegotiation talks begin in Washington, D.C., thousands of farmers and union workers stage a protest in Mexico City against NAFTA. On Aug. 17 a jihadist van ramming attack in the Las Ramblas area of Barcelona, Spain kills 14 and injures 88; one terrorist is killed by police in a shootout, and two more are arrested; the driver is 22-y.-o. Younes Abouyaaqoub, who is killed by police on Aug. 21 in Subirats near Barcelona; ISIS claims responsibility; on Aug. 18 (early a.m.) another van ramming attack in Cambris, Spain 70 mi. S of Barcelona fails, and after it stops the police kill four knife-wielding jihadists with fake suicide vests; on Aug. 16 their bombmaking factory in Alcanar 120 mi. S of Barcelona exploded, killing one and injuring 16, forcing them to go with van ramming; the suspected ringleader is Ripoll imam Abdelbaki Es Satty; meanwhile Barcelona's chief rabbi Meir Bar-Hen utters the soundbyte: "This place is lost", urging his congregation to emigrate to Israel; Pawel Soloch of the Polish Nat. Security Office announces that Poland will no longer be accepting Muslim immigrants, with the soundbyte: "We are convinced by the latest attacks that there is a natural base for terrorists where a large number of poorly integrated Muslims live." On Aug. 17 Category 4 (130 mph) Hurricane Harvey (wettest tropical cyclone until ?) starts E of the Lesser Antilles, crossing the Windward Islands on Aug. 18, then entering the Caribbean Sea after passing S of Barbados and skirting Saint Vincent, degenerating into a tropical wave N of Colombia on Aug. 19, then rapidly intensifying on Aug. 24, growing to Category 4 on Aug. 25 before making landfall near Rockport, Tex., stalling in Nederland, Tex. (near Houston) for six days and dropping a record 60.58 in. of rain, causing catastrophic flooding in Houston and turning it into the Great Houston Swamp, killing a total of 106 in the U.S. and one in Guyana and displacing 30K, causing $125B damage (tied as most costly hurricane with Hurricane Katrina in 2005), becoming the worst disaster in Tex. history, first major hurricane to hit the U.S. since Hurricane Wilma in 2005, first hurricane to hit Tex. since Hurricane Ike in 2008 and the strongest to hit Tex. since Hurricane Carla in 1961, also the strongest hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico since Hurricane Rita in 2005, and the strongest to make landfall in the U.S. since Hurricane Charley in 2004, joining Hurricane Matthew (2016) as the 2nd U.S. hurricane to cause tornado-like winds warnings to be issued; it was engineered and used as a weapon? On Aug. 18 Pres. Trump fires his chief strategist Steve Bannon. On Aug. 18 an 18-y.-o. Moroccan jihadist stabs two women to death in Turku, Finland before being shot and arrested by police. On Aug. 18 Mali pres. Ibrahim Boubacar Keita announces a suspension of the referendum procedure to revise the constitution. On Aug. 19 a white supremacist rally in Boston, Mass. is outnumbered by counter-protesters; police arrest 27. On Aug. 20 a petition is launched to "declare George Soros a terrorist and seize all of his related organizations' assets under RICO and NDAA law." On Aug. 21 (Mon.) there is a total solar eclipse, visible in the U.S. (Ore. to S.C.) for the first time since Feb. 28, 1979 (before that June 8, 1918); next in Apr. 2024 (Tex. to Maine), followed by Aug. 2045 (Calif. to Fla.). On Aug. 21 (eve.) Pres. Trump gives a Speech on Afghanistan, starting out saying that it his gut instinct to pull out now, but that his generals talked him into staying, but that they don't have a blank check; in accordance with his criticism of Pres. Obama for announcing moves in advance, he keeps his plans close to the vest; U.S. secy. of state Rex Tillerson utters the soundbyte: "I think the president was clear, this entire effort is intended to put pressure on the Taliban to have the Taliban understand you will not win a battlefield victory. We may not win one, but neither will you, so, at some point, we have to come to the negotiating table and find a way bring this to an end." On Aug. 22 India's supreme court invalidates Sharia-based triple-talaq (instant) divorce, becoming a V for women's libbers. On Aug. 22 French police uncover a jihadist plot against gay nightclubs in Paris, France, becoming the 12th plot thwarted since the start of the year. On Aug. 22 (eve.) after visiting the border near Yuma, Ariz., Pres. Trump gives a speech in Phoenix, Ariz., uttering the soundbyte: "We are building a wall on the southern border, which is absolutely necessary. The obstructionist Democrats would like us not to do it, believe me, [but] if we have to close down our government, we are building that wall"; protesters draw tear gas from the police. On Aug. 23 ISIS jihadists overrun al-Fogha checkpoint in Jufra, Libya, killing nine soldiers and two civilians by beheading. On Aug. 25 Burmese Muslim Rohingya jihadists attack govt. security outposts in Myanmar (Burma), causing a govt. crackdown that results in 600K Rohingya fleeing to Bangladesh by Nov., causing the Kofi Annan Commission to lay out a reconciliation plan, and U.S. secy. of state Rex Tillerson to announce $150M in humanitarian assistance. On Aug. 25 controversial former Maricopa County, Ariz. sheriff Joe Arpaio is pardoned by Pres. Trump. On Aug. 25 (8:35 p.m.) a knife-wielding jihadist stops his car on the Mall in front of Buckingham Palace in London, injuring three police officers. On Aug. 28 Ill. Repub. Gov. Bruce Rauner signs a law makng Ill. into a sanctuay state for illegal aliens, all 500K of them. On Aug. 28 after being appointed by Pres. Trump, former U.S. Tex. Repub. Sen. (1993-2013) Kay Bailey Hutchinson (Kathryn Ann Bailey) (1943-) becomes U.S. NATO rep #22 (until ?). On Aug. 29 North Korea fires a ballistic missile over Japan, becoming the 3rd time since 1998 and 2009 and the 1st time for Kim Jong-un, pissing-off Japanese PM Shinzo Abe and South Korean Pres. Moon Jae-in, along with Pres. Trump, who says that "talking is not the answer" with them. On Aug. 30-Sept. 13 Category 5 (180 mph) Hurricane Irma starts near Cape Verde, moving to the Leeward Islands, Barbuda, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Martin, Anguilla, Virgin Islands, French West Indies, Haiti, Puerto Rico, and Fla. Keys, causing 52 direct and 82 indirect deaths, and $64.76B damage, becoming the first Category 5 hurricane of 2017 and the strongest hurricane in the Atlantic ever observed (until ?). In Aug. refugee admissions to the U.S. are 913, becoming the first time below 1K since Oct. 2002. On Sept. 1 Pres. Trump nominates former Navy pilot U.S. Rep. (R-Okla.) (2013-) James Frederick "Jim" Bridenstine (1975-) as the new dir. of NASA, who vows to compete with China in space and wants a new Moon visit. On Sept. 3 North Korea explodes a nuke that causes a 6.3 earthquake, claiming it's an H-bomb, becoming their 6th nuke test, causing U.S. defense secy. James "Mad Dog" Mattis to warn them that any more major threats will be met with a "massive military response" that will be "both effective and overwhelming"; on Sept. 4 U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley gives a speech on Iran in the U.N., saying that they are inviting war; on Sept. 5 she gives a speech on Iran, saying that Pres. Trump has reason to find that it has violated the terms of the JCPOA. On Sept. 4 the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) launch a 2-week exercise to prepare for a possible war with Hezbollah, becoming their largest exercise in 20 years; too bad, on Aug. 27 an Israeli delegation meets with the Nat. Security Council (NSC) at the White House to discuss Hezbollah's threat, only to be blown off by U.S. Gen. H.R. McMaster, who refuses their request to excuse his pro-Hezbollah appointee Mustafa Javed Ali from the meeting room - where's Trump? On Sept. 5 U.S. atty. gen. Jeff Sessions announces that Pres. Obama's DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program is being "rescinded" as an "unconstitutional exercise of authority, giving Congress 6 mo. to pass a final legislative solution; 800K illegal immigrants are affected. On Sept. 6 (5:38 p.m.local time) hours after U.S. Maj. Gen. James Linder apologizes for dropping leaflets containing images of a dog holding a Taliban flag that the local yokel Muslims find offensive, a suicide bombing attack in Bagram Air Base near Kabul, Afghanistan. On Sept. 6 Pres. Trump shocks Repubs. by reaching a spending and debt ceiling agreement with Dems., incl. a 3-mo. increase in the debt ceiling. On Sept. 6 47 leaders of conservative nonprofits send an open letter to the media denouncing the "hate map" pub. by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), with the soundbyte: "The SPLC is an attack dog of the political left. To associate public interest law firms and think tanks with neo-Nazis and the KKK is unconscionable, and represents the height of irresponsible journalism." On Sept. 7 Israel stages air strikes on a suspected chemical weapons facility near Masyaf, Syria, run by Bashar al-Assad's regime. On Sept. 7 Equifax announces a massive security breach by hackers back in May-July, compromising the personal info. of millions (half of the U.S. public?), and drawing public outrage along with numerous lawsuits. On Sept. 8 Pres. Trump holds a joint press conference with Qatari emir Tamim ibn Hamad Al-Thani, expressing williness to help resolve the Gulf crisis; on Sept. 9 Saudi Arabia announces that it's cutting off dialog with Qatar over the Gulf crisis. On Sept. 10 the Miss America 2018 (91st) Pageant in Atlantic City, N.J. is won by Miss N.D. Cara Mund (1933-). On Sept. 12 an ISIS ambush of a convoy in Sinai Peninsula, Egypt kills 18 police officers and injures seven. On Sept. 13 (4:00 p.m.) a 42-y.-o. Allah Akbar-shouting screw-loose looney tunes Muslim attacks seven people incl. three police officers in Toulouse, France. On Sept. 14 Pres. Trump meets with Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer and other Dems., who announce an alleged deal they made withhim to save Obama's DACA Dream Act, causing Trump to deny that he's offering them amnesty or citizenship, saying that the border must first be secured. On Sept. 15 (8:20 a.m. local time) a jihadist bomb attack during rush hour on the Parsons Green Tube Station in London, England injures 22; ISIS claims responsibility; Pres. Trump tweets the soundbyte that Scotland Yards hould have been tracking the "loser terrorist", adding that he should make his travel ban far more stringent, pissing-off PM Theresa May, who says "I never think it's helpful for anybody to speculate on what is an ongoing investigation"; too bad, they later discover that they let the jihadist loose two weeks earlier. On Sept. 16-Oct. 2 Hurricane Maria becomes the 2nd Category 5 hurricane and deadliest storm of the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season, devastating the NE Caribbean and becoming the worst disaster so far in Dominica and Puerto Rico, killing 146-8,580 and causing $91.61B damage; power is not restored to every home for 328 days. On Sept. 17 U.S. soldiers kill several ISIS suicide bombers attacking a base near Hawija, Iraq. On Sept. 17-28 the 10-part 18-hour TV documentary series The Vietnam War debuts on PBS-TV, written by Geoffrey C. Ward and dir. by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, costing $30M and taking 10 years to make. On Sept. 19 (a.m.) Pres. Trump gives a speech to the U.N. Gen. Assembly, touting his America First policy and advising other nations to put their countries first too, adding: "We will stop radical Islamic terrorism, because we cannot allow it to tear up our nation and, indeed, to tear up the entire world", warning "Rocket Man" Kim Jong-un of the "depraved regime" in North Korea: "No nation on Earth has an interest in seeing this band of criminals arm itself with nuclear weapons and missiles... The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea. Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime", warning that if he attacks the U.S. his country will be totally destroyed, and demanding that Iran "stop supporting terrorists" and "begin serving its own people", saying that the world will see "very soon" his position on the Iranian nuclear deal, which has an Oct. 15 decision date to cancel or remain in the deal another 90 days; he goes on to describe Assad's rule in Syria as a "criminal regime", and diss the Maduro regime in Venezuela, with the soundbyte: "The problem in Venezuela is not that socialism has been poorly implemented, but that socialism has been faithfully implemented", saying that the U.S. will not stand by while "the government of Venezuela persists on its path to impose authoritarian rule on the Venezuelan people." On Sept. 22 Pres. Trump utters the soundbyte: "Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say 'Get that son of a bitch off the field right now, out, he's fired!'"; on Sept. 24 200+ NFL players show their disagreement by kneeling during the playing of the nat. anthem, incl. almost the entire Pittsburgh Steelers team and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, vs. less than 10 the week before; the brouhaha causes U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and U.S. Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) to co-sponsor a bill to end taxpayer funding for NFL stadiums. On Sept. 23 gen. elections in New Zealand are a V for the center-right Nat. Party, which wins 56 seats, down from 60 in 2014, while the Labour Party wins 46, up 14 from 2014, after which Nat. Party PM Bill English resigns in favor of Socialist pro-same-sex-marriage, pro-abortion, pro-marijuana, anti-nuclear ex-Mormon Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern (1980-) of the Labour Party, who leads a minority coalition govt. supported by the Greens; on Jan. 19 Ardern announced that she is pregnant, expecting her first child in June; next Apr. 19 she announces that her govt. will stop granting offshore oil and gas exploration permits, pissing-off the country's oil and gas industry. On Sept. 23 women are allowed to sit in King Fahd Stadium in Saudi Arabia for the first time, but are still segregated from single men. On Sept. 24 masked Somali Muslim immigrant Emanuel Kidega Samson (1992-) attacks the Burnette Chapel Church of Christ in Nashville, Tenn., killng one and wounding six before being subdued. On Sept. 24 elections in Germany give chancellor Angela Merkel a 4th term as her conservative CDU/CSU alliance wins 32.5% of the vote and its partner the Social Dem. Party (SPD) wins 20%; the anti-Islam AfD Party wins 13.5%, coming in 3rd. On Sept. 24 black gunman Emanuel Kidega Samson (1991-) attacks the Burnett Chapel Church of Christ in Nashville, Tenn., trying to kill at least 10 white churchgoers but only killing one woman and wounding seven others, claiming revenge for the 2015 Dylann Roof massacre at a black church in Charleston, S.C. On Sept. 25 separatist elections for Kurds in Iraq are an overwhelming V, with 93% in favor of independence vs. 7.3% against; 72% of 3.3M eligible voters vote. On Sept. 25 Pres. Trump signs new travel restriction for people in eight Muslim-majority countries plus North Korea and Venezuela, effective Oct. 18. On Sept. 26 Saudi king Salman issues a decree allowing women to drive for the first time ever, effective June 2018. On Sept. 26 Palestinian jihadist Nimr al-Jamal from Beit Surik, West Bank murders three Israelis at the entrance to the Israeli settlement of Har Adar, Israel before he is killed, causing Fatah to celebrate him as a martyr. On Sept. 26 the Taliban tries to kill U.S. defense secy. James Mattis during a visit to Kabul, Afghanistan, but attacks too late after he already left. On Sept. 27 the Trump admin. announces a refugee resettlement limit of 45K for FY 2018, lowest since the passage of the U.S. Refugee Act in 1980; Obama's FY 2017 ceiling was 110K. On Sept. 29 after being caught taking private flights, pissing-off Pres. Trump, U.S. HHS secy. Tom Price resigns. On Sept. 29 (8:15 p.m.) Somali refugee Abdulahi Hasan Sharif rams his white Chevy Malibu through a barrier outside a football game in Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Ont., Canada and hits Edmonton police Const. Mike Chernyk, then gets out and attacks him with a knife before fleeing and being caught hours later near the stadium driving a U-Haul truck, hitting pedestrians before flipping. On Sept. 30 an Allah-Akbar-shouting illegal Algerian or Tunisian immigrant jihadist dressed in black kills two women with a knife in Marseilles, France; ISIS claims responsibility. On Oct. 1 despite the Spanish govt. declaring it illegal and sending police, the Catalonia Independence Referendum. On Oct. 1 Austria bans full-face Islamic veils, with a 150 Euro fine; it also bans public distribution of Qurans. On Oct. 1 Tunisian illegal immigrant Ahmed Hanachi (1988-) stabs two young women cousins at the Saint-Charles Train Station in Marseille, and is linked to ISIS; he spent time in Aprilia, Italy S of Rome, and had been arrested for shoplifting two days earlier and released; on Oct. 16 French pres. Emmanuel Macron gives a TV address from the Elysee Palace in Paris, with the soundbyte that illegal immigrants caught committing even minor crimes incl. shoplifting will be deported. On Oct. 1 (10:00 p.m.) after renting two rooms (32134, 32135)on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on the Strip in Las Vegas, Nev. under the name of his out-of-state girlfriend Marilou Danley, and bringing in 10 suitcases full of guns, accountant, serious gambler, and real estate millionaire Stephen Paddock (b. 1953) of Mesquite, Nev. shoots into a crowd of 22K attending the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival featuring country music star Jason Aldean, killing 58 and injuring 527 then killing himself before police break into his room, becoming the deadliest gun massacre in U.S. history (until ?); police find 19 military rifles, some fitted with bump stocks to make them into automatics, plus 23 more at his home; Pres. Trump calls it "an act of pure evil", saying "We pray for the day when evil has vanished"; ISIS claims that he converted to Islam and was doing Allah's work, later calling him Abu Abd Abdulbar al-Ameriki, which the FBI is all-too quick to deny?; CBS-TV vice-pres. Hayley Geftman-Gold stinks herself up on Facebook by saying that she has no sympathy for the victims because country music fans "often are Republican", getting her fired; he is later found to have research other attack sites in Boston and Chicago; the motive eludes investigators until ? On Oct. 3 police foil an attempted jihadist apt. bombing in a chic neighborhood of Paris, France, causing French interior minister Gerard Collomb to utter the soundbyte "Is this not a sign that no one is safe?" On Oct. 4 AQIM jihadis ambush Green Berets in SW Niger near the Mali border, killing three and injuring two. On Oct. 4-11 Hurricane Nate becomes the costliest natural disaster so far in Costa Rica, also devastating Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Panama, and the U.S., killing 48 and causing $787M damage. On Oct. 5 U.S. officials announce the capture of Hawija, Iraq, the last major Iraqi town held by ISIS. On Oct. 5 Calif. Gov. Jerry Brown signs the Calif. Values Act, making Calif. a sanctuary state, effective Jan. 1. On Oct. 6 federal prosecutors announce the arrest of three Am. Muslims (Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy, Talka Haroon, and Russell Salic) for an ISIS-inspired plot to target concerts, landmarks, and crowded subways in New York City in 2016. On Oct. 7 2:20 p.m.) a Muslim drives into people outside the Natural History Museum in South Kensington, London, England. On Oct. 8 the White House releases a Statement on Immigration Priorities, incl. building the U.S.-Mexico border wall, ending abuse of the asylum system, discouraging reentry of illegals, hiring 10K new ICE officers, 300 federal prosecutors, 370 judges, and 1K attys., ending visa fraud, stopping catch-and-release, protecting innocent people in sanctuary cities, and implementing a merit-based immigration system. On Oct. 8-17 Muslim Fulani herdsman attack Jos, Nigeria, killing 48 Christians and destroying 249 homes in 13 Chritian villages. On Oct. 8-31 amid unusually high temps, the Oct. 2017 Northern Calif. Wildfires consist of 250 wildfires, 21 major, incl. the Atlas Fire in Napa County, and the Tubbs Fire (most destructive in Calif. history until ?). On Oct. 10 pres. elections in Liberia to replace pres. (since 2006) Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of the Unity Party, who failed her pledge to end corruption. On Oct. 10 the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously throws out an appeal court ruling that struck down Pres. Trump's temporary travel ban targeting eight Muslim-majority nations, becoming a moral V for the Trump admin. On Oct. 10 Calif. Gov. Jerry Brown signs a law criminalizing willful failure to address transgender patients by their preferred pronouns by health care workers. On Oct. 10 after articles in The New York Times and The New Yorker report about more than a dozen women accusing him of sexual harassment or assault, English fashion Georgina Chapman, wife since 2007 of film producer (Miramax founder) Harvey Weinstein (1952-) announces that she's leaving him, after which he is fired from his own production co. the Weinstein Co. and expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciencies; by Oct. 31 the list grows to 80+ women incl. Ashley Judd, Jennifer Lawrence, Alyssa Milano, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Uma Thurman, causing the #MeToo social media campaign to be launched, leading to an open season on all powerful males in the U.S. incl. Kevin Spacey and Dustin Hoffman, with visions of downing Pres. Trump dancing in their heads. On Oct. 11 the Boy Scouts of Am. (founded 1910) announce that they will begin admitting girls into the Cub Scouts next year, allowing them to aspire to the Eagle Scout Rank. On Oct. 11 Bitcoin breaks the $5,000 mark. On Oct. 12 Pres. Trump signs an executive order making it easier for people to buy cheaper bare-bones health insurance; meanwhile the Trump admin. withdraws from UNESCO for its anti-Israel bias. On Oct. 12 after a tip from the U.S. allows them to make a rescue, Pakistan frees Canadian Joshua Boyle and his U.S. wife Caitlan Coleman, who were kidnapped by the Afghan Taliban while backpacking in Afghanistan in 2012. On Oct. 13 (Fri.) Pres. Trump announces that he won't certify the Iran nuclear deal, and might ultimately terminate it. On Oct. 14 a 600kg bomb explodes in a crowded street in Mogadishu, Somalia, killing 587 and injuring 316, becoming the deadliest single attack in Somalian history (until ?), and the 3rd deadliest attack in modern history after 9/11 and the Aug. 2007 Yazidi attacks in N Iraq; the govt. blames al-Qaida-linked Al-Shabaab for a "national disaster". On Oct. 17 British MI5 chief Andrew Parker warn that the U.K. is suffering its most severe terror threat ever, with the soundbyte: "That threat is multi-dimensional, evolving rapidly and operating at a scale and pace we've not seen before." On Oct. 18 Israeli minister Naftali Bennett warns that if another war breaks out in Lebanon, Israel will target the Lebanese govt. infrastructure, not just Hezbollah. On Oct. 18 French pres. Emmanuel Macron signs a new counterterrorism law, effective Nov. 1, extending the Nov. 2015 state of emergency and allowing authorities to close mosques for up to 6 mo. if the preachers express "ideas or theories" that "incite violence, hatred or discrimination, provoke the commission of acts of terrorism, or express praise for such acts"; on Oct. 9 Le Journal du Dimanche reports that French authorities are surveilling about 15K jihadists living in France, of which 4K are at "the top of the spectrum" and likely to stage a jihadist attack; on Oct. 26 Le Figaro reports that 20% of 1.9K French ISIS jihadists have received up to 500K Euros in social welfare payments. On Oct. 20 Am. Muslim convert Vicente Solano is arrested by the FBI for trying to explode a bomb at Dolphin Mall in Doral, Fla. On Oct. 20 Avoyelles Parish sheriff's deputies Brandon Spillman and Alexander Daniel, along with police officer Kenneth Parnell confront Armando Frank (b. 1974) on his tractor in front of a WalMart in Marksville, La. to service a trespassing warrant, and when he asks to see the warrant and refuses to dismount they attack, putting him in a choke hold that kills him, causing a civil suit. On Oct. 24 (a.m.) U.S. Sen. (R-Tenn.) (2007-) Robert Phillips "Bob" Corker Jr. (1952-) speaks out against Pres. Trump, with the soundbyte that he will be remembered most for "the debasement of our nation", causing Trump to fire back, Tweeting that Corker is the "incompetent" head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and "doesn't have a clue". On Oct. 26 the U.S. House by 423-2 passes the Iran Ballistic Missiles and Internat. Sanctions Enforcement Act, targeting Iran's ballistic missile program, requiring restrictions on entry into the U.S. of persons found to be supplying or financing it. On Oct. 26 on Pres. Trump's order, the Nat. Archives releases the long-secret JFK files; too bad, he bows to the CIA and withholds some files for a 6-mo. review; Trump made a deal with them to drop the Russian collusion investigation? On Oct. 26 Pres. Trump declares a nat. public health emergency in the fight against opioid abuse, saying "I will be pushing... non-addictive painkillers very, very hard." On Oct. 27 Catalonia declares independence, causing massive celebrations, while the Spanish govt. declares it a criminal act; on Oct. 29 a pro-Spain demonstration is held in Barcelona. On Oct. 27 after winning admission to the U.S. in 2011 via the diversity visa lottery, Uzbekistani immigrant Abdurasul Hasanovich Juraboev (1990-) of Brooklyn, N.Y. is sentenced to 15 years in prison for planning a terrorist attack in Coney Island for ISIS, posting online on Aug. 8, 2014 that he would even assassinate Pres. Obama for them. On Oct. 30 Russian pres. Vladimir attends the opening of the Wall of Grief (Sorrow), a memorial to victims of Soviet-era political repression; Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill gives a speech criticizing the Bolshevik Rev. on its 100th anniv., warning against fomenting new revs. On Oct. 31 (Halloween) (1:30 p.m. local time) the 2017 New York City Halloween Massacre sees Uzbek Muslim Sayfullo ("sword of Allah") Habibullaevich Saipov (1988-) of Tampa, Fla. plow a rented Home Depot truck down a bike path in Lower Manhattan, N.Y. near the World Trade Center, killing eight and injuring 11 before getting out of his truck wielding a BB gun and a paintball gun and running at police shouting Allah Akbar until they shoot him in the stomach, becoming the biggest jihadist attack in New York City since 9/11; he leaves a note claiming that he did it for ISIS, after which Pres. Trump tweets that he has "just ordered Homeland Security to step up our already Extreme Vetting Program. Being politically correct is fine, but not for this"; on Nov. 1 Trump calls the suspect an "animal" and threatens to send him to Guantanamo Bay, and says that he wants Congress to do away with the Diversity Lottery Program and limit immigration to a merit-based system, causing Saipov's attys. to argue in court that the tweets make it impossible for the govt. to pursue the death penalty. On Oct. 31 Muslims in Cologne, Germany sexually harass three women, causing the police to have to call for reinforcements and arrest 33. On Oct. 31 the 500th anniv. of the nailing of the 95 Theses on the door of Wittenberg Castle Church by Martin Luther. In Oct. wildfires in Sonoma County Wine Country in Calif. are set by illegal Mexican alien Jesus Fabian Gonzalez, who enjoys Calif.'s status as a sanctuary state. On Nov. 1 metal fabricator Scott Ostrem 1971-) walks off his job at B&M Roofing in Frederick, Colo. and drives to the Walmart in Thornton, Colo., shooting and killing three at random before other shoppers who are packing draw back and he flees, causing police to search for him until the next day when they raid his home, find it empty, and sit around puzzled until he drives on by and is chased and captured. On Nov. 2 the Repubs. present their new tax plan, which doubles the standard deduction and reduces corporate tax rates from 35% to 20%, withPres. Trump praising it as "all about jobs"; it also ends tax credits for illegal immigrants, saving $23.1B over the next 10 years. On Nov. 2 former interim Dem. Nat. Committee (DNC) chairperson Donna Brazile slams former chairperson Debit, er, Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Pres. Obama for handing over complete control of the Dem. Party to Hillary Clinton almost a year before she secured the nomination. On Nov. 2 the 100th anniv. of the 1917 Balfour Declaration; on Nov. 5 Palestinian-backed Anti-Balfour Declaration Protests in London, Ankara, Ramallah, and Gaza turn out to be duds. On Nov. 3 after a rogue employee temporarily shuts down his Twitter account, Pres. Trump tweets: "Bernie Sanders supporters have every right to be apoplectic of the complete theft of the Dem primary by Crooked Hillary!", and "Everybody is asking why the Justice Department (and FBI) isn't looking into all of the dishonesty going on with Crooked Hillary & the Dems". On Nov. 3-14 Pres. makes a tour of Asia. On Nov. 4 (Sat.) (night) 32-y.-o. Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud purges 11 princes and dozens of ministers, incl. prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, the head of the nat. guard, and the gov. of Riyadh. On Nov. 5 (11:30 a.m. local time) the Sutherland Springs Church Shooting in Sutherland Springs (30 mi. SE of San Antonio), Tex. sees shooter Devin Patrick Kelley (b. 1991) (dishonorably discharged from the USAF in 2013 before teaching at a Bible school) kill 24 aged 5-72 and injure 20+ church members at the First Baptist Church with a Ruger AR-15 rifle before being killed by rifle-toting area residents Johnnie Langendorff and Stephen Willeford after a chase, becoming the deadliest church shooting in modern U.S. history (until ?). On Nov. 5 a Shiite Houthi rebel attack on Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is viewed as a possible act of war by the Saudis. On Nov. 7 nine Islamists are arrested in France for a suspected terrorist plot in Nice, plus a tenth in Switzerland. On Nov. 7 (Tues.) the 2017 U.S. election elects anti-Trump Dem. physician Ralph Shearer Northam (1959-) as gov. of Va., and Danica Roem (1984-) to the Va. legislature, who becomes the first openly transgender person; Dem. Andrea Jenkins is elected to the city council of Minneapolis, Minn., becoming the first openly transgender black woman. On Nov. 9 Pres. Trump visits China, becoming the first foreign leader allowed to tour the Forbidden City. talking Chinese pres. Xi Jinping into releasing three black UCLA basketball players being held for shoplifting and facing 10-year sentences; on Nov. 10 he visits Vietnam for bilateral talks with Pres. Tran Dai Quang; on Nov. 12 he tweets: "Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me 'old,' when I would NEVER call him 'short and fat?' Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend - and maybe someday that will happen!" On Nov. 9 a Greek judicial council allows convicted Marxist terrorist Dimitris Koufodinas, serving 11 life sentences for killing U.S. and British diplomats to go on a 2-day furlough, pissing-off the U.S. and U.K. On Nov. 9 the Vatican announces that it is banning the sale of cigarettes but not cigars; cigarettes had been sold at a reduced price to employees and pensioners. On Nov. 10 coloratura soprana Audrey Luna hits A above high C at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, becoming the highest note sung there in its 137-year history. On Nov. 13 (Mon.) a 7.3 earthquake hits Iraq and Iran, killing 400+ and injuring 6.6K. On Nov. 13 North Korean soldier Oh Chung Sung (Oh Chong Song) successfully escapes to South Korea after being shot several times. On Nov. 14 (8:00 a.m. local time) a shooter in a car opens fire at the Rancho Tehama Elementary School in N Calif., killing four and injuring a dozen. On Nov. 15 (a.m.) after he dismisses vice-pres. Emmerson Mnangagwe for plotting a takeover, a coup in Zimbabwe ousts ogre pres. Robert Mugabe. On Nov. 20 a video purporting to show African migrants auctioned as slaves in Libya casues a global outcry. On Nov. 21 six Syrian asylum seekers are arrested in Germany for plotting a terror attack for ISIS at a Christmas market in Essen. On Nov. 21 53-y.-o. Am. Muslim Mohamed Yussuf Jama (1964-) of Greeley, Colo. crashes his tractor-trailer into several vehicles on I-55 near Hamel, Ill., killing four. On Nov. 22 Bloomberg reports that Uber tries to coverup a cyberattack dating back to Oct. 2016 that stole personal data of 57M customers, causing chief security officer Joe Sullivan to be fired. On Nov. 22 new Iranian navy head Rear Adm. Hossein Khanzadi announces plans to "fly the Iranian flag in the Gulf of Mexico"; meanwhile Iranian top general Hossein Salami announces that it can increase their missile ranges to target Europe if threatened. On Nov. 22 British Muslim Husnain Rashid (1986-) of Nelson, Lancashire is arrested for plotting acts of terrorism incl. encouraging attacks on 4-y.-o. Prince George, incl. posting a photo of his school in Battersea, SW London on Oct. 13 with two masked jihadist figured superimposed, along with the message: "Even the royal family will not be left alone. School starts early." On Nov. 23 Pres. Trump declares North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism. On Nov. 24 (noon) an ISIS flag-waving Sunni Islamist terrorist bombing-shooting attack in the polytheist Sufi al-Rawdah Mosque in Bir al-Abd, North Sinai 25 mi. W of El-Arish kills 305 worshipers and injures 120, incl. 27 children. On Nov. 24 U.N. report claims that missiles fired by the Houthis of Yemen at Saudi Arabia were manufactured in Iran. On Nov. 26 300 mainly black protesters assail the Ink! Coffee Shop at 28th Ave. and Larimer St. in the mainly black Five Points area of Denver, Colo. for displaying a sign reading "Helpingly gentrifying the area since 2014", complaining about poor residents losing their homes to rising prices while splattering graffiti across the front, forcing it to close for several days while gaining global publicity. On Nov. 26 the Miss Universe 2017 (66th) Pageant, held at the AXIS at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, Nev. is won by 5'7" Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters (1995-) of South Africa, 2nd winner after Margaret Gardiner in 1978. On Nov. 27 Mount Agung erupts in the paradise land of Bali, shooting ash 2.5 mi. high and stranding tens of thousands of tourists; its last eruption was in 1963, killing 1.1K. On Nov. 27 the Catholic Herald in Poland that the lower house of parliament (Sejm) voted 254-156 to restrict Sunday shopping to the first and last Sun. of each month in 2017-18, the last Sun. only in 2019, and ban Sun. shopping totally in 2020. On Nov. 28 North Korea tests their most powerful ICBM ever, with a range of 8.1K mi., able to each the U.S. mainland all the way to New York City or Washington, D.C. On Nov. 28 a 20-y.-o. Muslim man is arrested in Melbourne, Australia for planning a New Year's Eve jihad with an automatic rifle at Federation Square. On Nov. 28 20-y.-o. Muslim Naa'imur Zakariyah Rahman (1997-) is arrested for planning to assassinate Islamophile British PM Theresa May. On Nov. 28 Howell Emanuel Donaldson III AKA the Seminole Heights Serial Killer is apprehended for the murder of four victims in the Seminole Heights neighborhood of Tampa, Fla. between Oct. 9-Nov. 14. On Nov. 29 the U.S. House votes unanimously to mandate sexual harassment training; the U.S. Senate did ditto on Nov. 9. On Nov. 29 NBC-TV "Today" show reporter Savannah Guthrie announces that 20-year $20M/year anchor Matt Lauer has been fired for "inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace". On Nov. 29 Pres. Trump retweets videos from Britain First showing Muslims beating a man up, destroying a statue of the Vigin Mary, and throwing a gay man off a roof, causing the PC police to come out and try to shout him down without judging the videos or sacred cow Muslims, with British PM Theresa May slamming him, and Trump's own nat. security adviser Gen. H.R. McMaster issuing that soundbyte "Those who adhere to this ideology are really irreligious criminals who use a perverted, what the president has called a wicked interpretation of religion in an effort to... recruit young, impressionable people to their cause", becoming a new low point for Western appeasement of Islam? On Nov. 29 the Danish art collective The Other Eye of the Tiger debuts their Martyr Museum of 20 portraits of people touted as martyrs who "died for their convictions", incl. Socrates, Martin Luther King Jr., 9/11 hijacker Mohammed Atta, and French Bataclan jihadist Ismael Omar Mostefai, causing global outrage. On Nov. 30 illegal immigrant Jose Ines Garcia Zarate is found not guilty of the murder of Kate Steinle in 2015 on a pier in San Francisco, Calif. by shooting her in the back, only of being a felon in possession of a firearm, not even manslaughter, causing an outcry and pissing-off Pres. Trump, who calls it a "disgraceful verdict". On Nov. 30 former nat. security adviser Michael Flynn is charged with making false statements to the FBI about interactions with the Russian ambassador in late Dec.; on Dec. 1 he pleads guilty. In Nov. Mattel introduces Hijab Barbie for the Muslim market. On Dec. 1 an Allah Akbar-screaming jihadist attack on the Agriculture Training Inst. in Peshawar, Pakistan kills 13; an inside job? On Dec. 1 Hawaii resumes monthly air-raid sirens to warn of a nuke attack by North Korea. On Dec. 1 former U.S. Pres. Obama gives a speech in New Delhi, India, saying that India needs to "cherish and nurture" its Muslim pop., calling them integrated and considering themself Indian; he neglects to mention er, Pakistan? On Dec. 4 the U.S. Supreme Court rules 7-2 (Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor) to uphold Pres. Trump's travel ban of people from Muslim countries incl. relatives; meanwhile on Dec. 4 former FBI counterintel asst. dir. Frank Figliuzzi writes an op-ed for NBC News, with the soundbyte that Americans will have to "adjust" to a new country where terrorism is routine, because Pres. Trump's pipe dream of halting immigration is "not who we are"; meanwhile Zoltan Kovacs of Hungary issues a soundbyte that is just the opposite: "The Hungarian government has vowed it will never accept radical Islamic terrorism as 'something we have to live with.'" On Dec. 4 the Dec. 2017 Southern Calif. Wildfires, whipped-up by Santa Ana winds hits Ventura and Los Angeles Counties, forcing 200K to evacuate and burning over 140K acres; on Dec. 5 the Thomas Fire in Ventura County begins, forcing 50K to evacuate and becoming the largest wildfire of the 2017 Calif. wildfire season, which becomes the most destructive on record, seeing 9,133 fires burn 1,381,405 acres, destroying 9,470 bldgs. and damaging 810, killing 43 incl. two firefighters; on Dec. 10 Calif. "Gov. Moonbeam" Jerry Brown appears on CBS-TV's "60 Minutes", lamenting Pres. Trump's denial of climate change, uttering the soundbytes: "I don't think President Trump has a fear of the Lord, the fear of the wrath of God, which leads one to more humility"; "The truth of the case is that there's too much carbon being emitted, that heat-trapping gasses are building up, the planet is warming and all hell is breaking loose. So I'd say to Mr. Trump, take a deeper look. Now is not the time to undo what every country in the world is committed to." On Dec. 5 the U.S. Senate votes 62-37 to confirm Gen. John Kelly's deputy Kirstjen Michele Nielsen (1972-) as the dir. of the Dept. of Homeland Security (DHA). On Dec. 5 Saudi coalition warplanes attack the pres. palace in Sana'a, Yemen, killing Ali Abdullah Saleh. On Dec. 5 after being summoned to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia last month by crown prince Mohammed bin Salman and resigning, Lebanese PM Saad Hariri suddenly rescinds his resignation. On Dec. 5 British police announce the arrest of British Muslims Naa'imur Zakariyah Rahman and Mohammed Aqib Imran for plotting to bomb Downing St. and murder British PM Theresa May. On Dec. 5 the U.S. House unanimously passes the U.S. Taylor Force Act, sponsored by U.S. Reps. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) and Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.), calling on the Palestinian Authority (PA) to stop their practice of paying convicted terrorists and their families or else lose U.S. funding. On Dec. 5 Hadrian's Wall and the Great Wall of China announce the signing of the World Heritage Wall to Wall Collaboration Agreement. On Dec. 6 (70 years 7 days after the U.N. vote to create Israel on Nov. 29, 1947) (3 days shy of the centenary of the British conquest of Jerusalem from the Ottomans) after signing the semi-annual waiver of the 1995 U.S. Jerusalem Embassy Act on Dec. 4, despite dire warnings from Muslim and Euro leaders incl. the EU, U.K., Egypt, Abdullah II of Jordan, Saudi King Salman, who calls it "a flagrant provocation of Muslims all over the world", Hamas, which threatens to "open the gates of Hell", and Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, who calls it a "grave mistake", and warns "Jerusalem is our red line", Pres. Trump announces that the U.S. is recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital and that he is ordering the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv to move there, keeping a campaign promise no matter how much flak results; wasting no time, on Dec. 6 Hamas issues a call for a Day of Rage on Dec. 8, which incl. protests in Indonesia and Malaysia; a Jewish synagogue in Gothenburg, Sweden is torched by migrants from Palestine and Syria. On Dec. 6 the parliament of Bulgaria passes a law criminalizing the promotion of radical Islam incl. advocating religious violence, Sharia, or a caliphate. On Dec. 7 after Dutch PM Mark Rutte calls Pres. Trump's declaration of Jerusalem as Israel's capital "terrible", and 15 lawmakers eat there as a gesture of solidatiry, pissed-off PLO flag-waving Syrian refugee Saleh Ali (1988-) attacks the HaCarmel Kosher restaurant in the Amstelveenseweg area of Amsterdam, smashing windows with a wooden club while police do nothing, finally being arrested when he is done; despite declaring that he wants to commit more jihadist attacks, with the soundbyte that the window-smashing was "only the first step", police release him after 60 hours, causing a firestorm of controversy. On Dec. 7 after eight separate sexual harassment allegations surface, and at least half of his colleagues turn on him incl. 16 female senators, U.S. Dem. Sen. Al Franken resigns, claiming to be an innocent martyr. On Dec. 7 acting Dept. of Homeland Security Elaine Duke testifies before Congress, uttering the soundbyte: "The primary international terror threat facing our country is from global jihadist groups. However, the department is also focused on the threat of domestic terrorism. Ideologically-motivated violence here in the United States is a danger to our nation, our people, and our values." On Dec. 7/8 (night) a rare snowstorm in Houston, Tex. also blankets S Tex. On Dec. 9 Iraqi PM Haider al-Abadi announces that ISIS has been driven out of Iraq. On Dec. 11 Russian pres. Vladimir Putin makes a suprise visit to Syria, and announces the immediate withdrawal of Russian forces. On Dec. 11 (7:20 a.m. local time) after posing the message "#Trump You Failed to Protect Your Nation" on Facebook, 27-y.-o. ISIS-inspired Bangladeshi citizen Akayed Ullah (1990-) detonates a homemade IED pipe bomb strapped to his body near Times Square in New York City, but it misfires, badly injuring him but only causing minor injuries to three bystanders; he arrived via chain migration, causing Pres. Trump on Dec. 12 to call for an end to the diversity lottery program and chain migration. On Dec. 11 Pres. Trump signs an executive order to NASA to prepare a return to the Moon for the first time since 1972, followed by Mars, with the soundbyte: "We're dreaming big." On Dec. 11 18-y.-o. Am. Muslim Kaan Sercan Damlarkaya (1989-) is charged with supporting ISIS and planning a firearms attack, becoming the 3rd Houston Muslim arrested for supporting ISIS after Asher Abid Khan (23) and Omar Faraj Saeed El Hardan (25). On Dec. 12 U.S. nat. security adviser Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster issues the soundbyte that Russia has been waging "campaigns of subversion" against the U.S., and announces that Pres. Trump will unveil his first formal Nat. Security Strategy on Dec. 18. On Dec. 12 after traveling to Libya 2x in 2011, former Washington, D.C. Metro Transit police officer (Muslim convert) Nicholas Young (1979-) of Fairfax, Va. is charged with attempting to provide material support to ISIS and giving misleading statements to federal agents, becoming the first U.S. law enforcement officer to be charged with a terror-related crime; his computer reveals his fascination with Nazis and hatred of Israel, complete with photos of him in Nazi SS uniform; on Dec. 18, 2017 he is found guilty, and on Feb. 23 is sentenced to up to 60 years in priz. On Dec. 12 reporters U Kyaw Soe Oo (28) and U Wa Lone (31) are arrested in Myanmar for violating the Official Secrets Act after investigating the Sept. massacre of 10 Rohingya civilians by Buddhist mobs and the military in Inn Dinn, Rakhine State, taking photos of 10 victims kneeling before being secuted; on Mar. 13 a court sentences four army officers and three soldiers to 10 years at hard labor, and order the journalist case to proceed, with up to a 14-year sentence. On Dec. 12 the Hope for the Middle East Petition signed by 800K from 143 countries is presented to the U.N. secy.-gen., calling on the U.N. to protect the rights of Iraqi Christians. On Dec. 13 English Muslim dentistry student Mohammed Abbas Idris Awan of the U. of Sheffield in England is found guilty of three terrorism counts incl. engaging in the preparation of an act of terrorism. On Dec. 13 a 25-y.-o. Canadian Muslim with nine bombs strapped to a suicide vest invades the RBC branch bank in Warmington (near Toronto), Canada, taking 13 hostages and demanding to speak to Pres. Trump before police kill him. On Dec. 13 U.S. vice-pres. Mike Pence meets with 12-y.-o. Christian Iraqi Noeh, whose home in the Nineveh Plains was burned down by ISIS. On Dec. 14 the U.S. FCC votes 3-2 to end Net Neutrality after two years. On Dec. 14 Disney announces the acquisition of 21st Cent. Fox for $52.4B in stock. On Dec. 14 Bermuda bans same-sex marriage 6 mo. after its supreme court approved them. On Dec. 15 a Palestinian jihadist wearing an explosive belt stabs a border police officer in West Bank, Ramallah during a violent Palestinian protest. On Dec. 17 a Taliban attack in Helmand Province, Afghanistan kills 11 Afghan police. On Dec. 17 a Muslim suicide bomber at the main entrance of the Bethel Memorial Methodist Church in Quetta, Pakistan kills nine and injures 50+ out of 400 attending pre-Christmas services; a 2nd suicide bomber is stopped. On Dec. 18 an Egyptian-sponsored U.N. Security Council draft resolution to require Pres. Trump to rescind his recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital is vetoed by the U.S., with U.S. ambassador Nikki Haley calling it an insult that won't be forgotten; the vote is 14-1; on Dec. 20 Pres. Trump threatens to cut off financial aid to countries that vote in favor of a draft resolution submitted by Yemen and Turkey. On Dec. 18 Pres. Trump introduces his 2018 Nat. Security Strategy, calling out Russia and China, mentioning electromagnetic pulse (EMP) protection, dropping climate change, and restoring reference to Islam as a nat. security threat, with the soundbyte: "The primary transnational threats Americans face are from jihadist terrorists and transnational criminal organizations." On Dec. 18 Queens, N.Y.-born U.S. rep. (D-Tex.) (1995-) Sheila Jackson Lee (1950-) gets passenger Jean-Marie Simon of Washington, D.C. bumped from a United Airlines flight from Houston, Tex. to Washington, D.C., causing a pissing contest that is ended by Lee pulling out the race card. On Dec. 19 the U.S House by ?-? passes Pres. Trump's $5.5B tax cut bill, which also repeals the Obamacare mandate; on Dec. 21 after a revote on Dec. 20 Pres. Trump signs it. On Dec. 19 four Muslims are arrested in South Yorkshire and Derbyshire, England for a Christmas jihadist terror plot. On Dec. 19 Iran-backed Yemeni Houthi rebels attack the royal palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with a ballistic missile. On Dec. 20 after he pleads guilty in Aug., 27-y.-o. Muslim convert Lionel Williams (1990-) is sentenced in Norfolk, Va. on terrorism charges for telling undercover FBI agents that he wanted to kill police officers and giving them $250 to send to ISIS. for a Day of Rage on Dec. 8, which incl. protests in Indonesia and Malaysia. On Dec. 20 after a speech by U.S. U.N. ambassador #29 (since Jan. 27) Nimrata "Nikki" Haley (nee Randhawa) (1973-) bemoaning the U.N.'s longtime hostility to Israel and threatening the it with defunding, saying that the U.S. will be "taking names" of nations that vote for it, the U.N. Gen. Assembly votes 128-9-35 (U.S., Israel, Guatemala, Honduras, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Togo vote against, 22 of 28 EU countries incl. U.K., France, and Germany vote for, five EU states, Australia, Canada, Colombia, and Mexico abstain, 21 delegations are absent) to adopt U.N. Gen. Assembly Resolution ES-10/L.22, titled "Status of Jerusalem", submitted by Yemen and Turkey, declaring "null and void" all actions intended to alter Jerusalem's character, status, or demographic composition, asking nations not to follow Pres. Trump and establish diplomatic missions in Jerusalem, claiming his decision risks igniting a religious war in the Middle East "that has no boundaries" (Palestinian foreign affairs minister Riad al-Malki), whining about the "negative tends" imperiling the Two-State Solution; on Dec. 21 after creating an account on Twitter, John O. Brennan tweets the soundbyte (his 2nd): "Trump Admin threat to retaliate against nations that exercise sovereign right in UN to oppose US position on Jerusalem is beyond outrageous. Shows @realDonaldTrump expects blind loyalty and subservience from everyone - qualities usually found in narcissistic, vengeful autocrats." On Dec. 21 (4:40 p.m.) 32-y.-o. Afghan immigrant Saeed Noori plows his white Suzuki 4-wheel drive through Christmas shoppers outside Flinders St. station in Melbourne, Australia, injuring 18 incl. one young child; police blame it on mental abuse and drug abuse not jihadism until he opens his mouth and attributes his actions to perceived mistreatment of Muslims. On Dec. 21 the 2017-18 North Am. Winter begins (ends Mar. 20), starting with the 2017-18 North Am. Cold Wave on Dec. 23-Jan. 18, bringing temps 10F-20F (6C-11C) below avg., incl. a low temp of -32F (-36C) in Internat. Falls, Minn. on Dec. 17; in the first week of 2018 a bomb cyclone (explosive cyclogenesis) causes frozen iguanas to fall from trees in Fla. and dead sharks killed by cold water to wash up on beaches in New England; of course, Al Gore calls it part of "climate change", with the soundbyte that "Bitter cold... [is] exactly what we should expect from the climate crisis." On Dec. 22 Pres. Trump signs the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, with the tax cuts set to expire in 2025. On Dec. 22 the FBI announces the arrest of Muslim convert Modesto, Calif. tow truck driver (ex-Marine sharpshooter) Everitt Aaron Jameson (1991-) for plotting a Christmas terror attack on Pier 39 in San Francisco; on Aug. 6, 2018 he is sentenced to 15 years in prison. On Dec. 22 after the Huffington Post pub. an expose, and 49 former Miss Americas call on them to resign, Miss America Org. CEO Sam Haskell is suspended for exchanging crude sexist emails about the contestants, causing pres. Josh Randall and board member Tammy Haddad to resign and Dick Clark Productions to cut ties; their careers were hanging on the words "cunt", "huge", and "gross"? On Dec. 22 (4:00 p.m.) Egyptian-born Am. Muslim Ahmed Aminamin El-Mofty (b. 1966) (family chain migration immigrant) goes on a shooting spree near the Penn. Statehouse in Harrisburg, Penn., firing a police in several locations and wounding one before being killed, after which the PC press tries to whitewash it; too bad, on Dec. 23 the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security calls it a terror attack. On Dec. 22 the U.N. Security Council unanimously imposes new sanctions on North Korea, causing its foreign ministry on Dec. 24 to reject them and call them an act of war. On Dec. 23 (9:00 p.m.) a lone Muslim gunman in Nindem, Nigeria kills four and injures eight at a Christmas caroling event. On Dec. 24 (Sun.) the U.S. announces a $285M reduction in the 2018-9 U.N. budget out of the usual $3.3B/year (22%). On Dec. 25 Muslim mayor Ali Salam of Nazareth cancels traditional outdoor songs and plays celebrating Christmas to get even with Pres. Trump for recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital. On Dec. 25 (Mon.) Pope Francis delivers his Christmas 2017 Message, calling for a 2-state solution to Israel and the Palestinians. On Dec. 25 Queen Elizabeth II delivers her 2017 Christmas Message, mentioning the jihadist attacks in London and Manchester, stating that courts that protect jihadist preachers "denigrate" Britain, and claiming that she asked her dinner guests to give her three good reasons why Britain should remain in the EU. On Dec. 27 (a.m.) a jihadist explosion in a storage area of a supermarket in St. Petersburg, Russia injures 13, causing Russian pres. Vladimir Putin to order his security services to either arrest the perps or "liquidate on the spot". On Dec. 28 an ISIS suicide attack on the Shiite Tebyan Center in Pule Sokhtia, Kabul kills 40+ and injures 80+. On Dec. 28 amid a record cold spell in winter 2017, Pres. Trump tweets the soundbyte; "In the East, it could be the COLDEST New Year's Eve on record. Perhaps we could use a little bit of that good old Global Warming that our Country, but not other countries, was going to pay TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS to protect against. Bundle up!" On Dec. 29 Muslim terrorists attack the Mar Mina Church in Cairo, Egypt, killing 8-10 incl. three police officers and wounding 5+ more before one terrorist wearing a suicide vest is killed. On Dec. 29 Pres. Trump tweets the soundbyte: "Why is the United States Post Office, which is losing many billions of dollars a year, while charging Amazon and others so little to deliver their packages, making Amazon richer and the Post Office dumber and poorer? Should be charging MUCH MORE!" On Dec. 29 after police in Iran announce that they will no longer arrest women not wearing the hijab, and local protests begin on Dec. 28 in Mashad against high food prices, a mass protest of hundreds of thousands incl. many un-hijabed women in Tehran, Iran and other cities features protesters shouting "We don't want an Islamic republic", "Death to the dictator", and "Clerics, shame on you, let go of our country", praising the former shah; a lone Iranian woman waving a white hijab on a stick on Enqelab St. in Tehran becomes the poster girl of the protests, although she did it on Dec. 27; protests continue to ? On Dec. 29 an apt. bldg. fire in Bronx, N.Y. caused by a child playing with a stove kills 12 incl. five children; New York City mayor Bill de Blasio calls it the city's worst fire in a quarter-century. On Dec. 31 37-y-o. ex-soldier Matthew Riehl (b. 1990) ambushes police at his home in the Copper Canyon Apts. in Highlands Ranch, Colo., firing 100+ shots and killing Douglas County deputy Zackari Parrish and wounding four officers before being killed. In Dec. "The Apprentice" star Omarosa Manigault is fired from the White House, claiming on Oct. 10, 2018 to have been offered $15K/mo. to keep quiet. In Dec. Queensland, Australia experiences its coldest summer in a cent. In Dec. the U.S. unemployment rate hits a record low of 6.8% for blacks (vs. 7.4% in 2000), while the white unemployment rate is 3.7%, the Asian rate is 2.5%, and the overwall rate is 4.1%, with 148K new jobs created. The Middle East Strategic Alliance (MESA) is created by Saudi Arabia, along with Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and UAE; in Apr. 2019 Egypt pulls out. A report by Europol reveals that 5K organized crime groups in the EU are under investigation. 800+ breweries in the U.S. begin printing Certified Independent Craft seals on their beers to differentiate them from beers made by the megacorps. After pressure by Dallas, Tex. imam Omar Suleiman (1986-), Google lowers the ranking of pages criticizing Islam, causing even former U.S. pres. Obama to mumble about them having too much power to shape political discourse; in Mar. ISIS called for Suleiman's death in their film "Kill the Apostate Imams" for calling for unity among Muslims and Christians. The Stram Kurs (Hard Line) Party is founded in Denmark by atty. Rasmus Paludan to fight to ban Islam and deport Muslims; in 2019 they win 2.4% of the vote, enough to gain seats in parliament. The state of New Calif. attempts to get approval of Congress to start over sans sanctuary cities and illegal immigrants, corruption, high taxes, etc. The Technion Cornell Inst. of Innovation (TCII) (AKA School of Genius) on Roosevelt Island in New York City opens on Sept. 13. Ebooks overtake print and audiobooks? Simon & Schuster launches their Salaam imprint for Muslim books. Architecture: On Jan. 11 the 789M Euro Elbphilarmonie (Elbe Philharmonic Hall) AKA Elphi in Hamurg, Germany is inaugurated, becoming one of the largest and most acoustically advanced concert halls on Earth. On May 8 Israeli construction minister Yoav Galant unveils the David Center Archeological Garden of Jerusalem near the Temple Mount arund the SW section of the Western Wall to commemorate the 50th anniv. of Jerusalem's reunification. On June 2 the $1.4B Mercedes-Benz Stadium (begun May 19, 2014) in Atlanta, Ga. opens, replacing the Georgia Dome as home of the NFL Atlanta Falcons. 2.8M sq. ft. Apple Campus 2 in Cupertino, Calif. opens. On Dec. 9 the $20M Miss. Civil Rights Museum in Jackson, Miss. opens, becoming the first state-sponsored civil rights museum in the U.S.; the opening is attended by Pres. Trump amid protesters, while U.S. Rep. (D-Miss.) Bennie Thompson, U.S. Rep. (D-Ga.) John Lewis, and Jackson mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba refuse to attend. The $136M Museum of the Future in Dubai opens. The $3.5B 45-story 10K-bedroom 70-restaurant Abraj Kudai Hotel in Mecca, Saudi Arabia opens, becoming the world's largest hotel (until ?) - until the Meccan 9/11? Challakere secret nuclear city in Karnataka, India is completed. Sports: On Jan. 9 the 2017 College Football Nat. Championship in Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. sees the Clemson Tigers come from behind to defeat the favorite Alabama Crimon Tide 35-31 with 1 sec. remaining, avenging their 45-40 loss in 2016 and becoming their first nat. championship since 1981. On Jan. 11 the BIG3 summer basketball league is announced by Ice Cube and Jeff Katinetz, with eight teams composed of three retired NBA stars each playing on a half-court, with the first team to get to 50 points winning the game; the first season stars on June 25 and ends on Aug. 13 after 32 games; the title is won by Trilogy; MVP is forward Rashard Lewis of the 3 Headed Monsters. On Apr. 26 Mpho' Gift Ngoepe (1990-) of South Africa becomes the first African-born player to appear in a ML baseball game, getting a hit in his first at-bat for the Pittsburgh Pirates off Chicago Cubs pitcher Jon Lester. On May 6 the 2017 (143rd) Kentucky Derby is won by 5-1 Always Dreaming (jocky John Vlazquez) in 2:03.59; on May 20 the 2017 (142nd) Preakness Stakes is won by Cloud Computing (jockey Javier Castellano) in 1:55.98; on June 10 the 2017 (149th) Belmont Stakes is won by Tapwrit (jockey Jose Ortiz) in 2:30.03. On May 29 after attempting a return to the PGA after a nearly 2-year layoff, golfer Tiger Woods is caught sleeping at the wheel of his Mercedez-Benz by police in Jupiter, Fla., and charged with DUI, claiming "an unexpected reaction to prescribed medications" after a back surgery; he describes himself to police as "Cablinasian" (Caucasian, black, Am. Indian, Asian), which they list as "black". On May 28 (Sun.) the 2017 Indianapolis 500 features the first active world champion Fernando Alonso, whose engine fails on lap 179; the winner is Takuma Sato (1977-) of Japan, who becomes the first Asian winner. On May 29-June 7 the 2017 Stanley Cup Finals see the Pittsburgh Penguins defeat the Nashville Predators 4-2; Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is MVP. On June 1-12 the 2017 NBA Finals sees the Golden State Warriors (67-15) (coach Steve Kerr) defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers (51-31) (coach Mike Brown) 4-1, becoming the first time that two NBA teams meet in the finals for a 3rd straight years; LeBron James scores a record 5,995th playoff point, beating Michael Jordan's record of 5,987; MVP is Kevin Durant of the Warriors, who end up with a 16-1 record, becoming the highest winning percentage so far in NBA history (.941). On June 8 at a game with the Australian nat. team in Adelaide, the Saudi nat. soccer team stinks themselves up when they fail to join a minute of silence for the victims of the London terrorist attack. On June 15-18 the 2017 U.S. Golf Open at Erin Hills Golf Course in Erin (NW of Milwaukee), Wisc. is won by Brooks Koepka (1990-), whose 16-under-par-272 matches the 2011 record of Rory McIlroy. On July 3-16 the 2017 (131st) Wimbledon Championships sees defending champ Andy Murray lose to Sam Querry in the quarterfinals, and two-time defending champ Serena Williams not play after ending her season in Apr. due to pregnancy; Roger Federer win the gentleman's singles title for a record 8th time, passing Pete Sampras and William Renshaw; the ladies' singles title is won by Spanish-Venezuelan player Garbine Muguruza Blanco (1993-), who won the 2016 French Open. On Aug. 17 Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Chris Long (#56) becomes the first white NFL player to demonstrate while the Nat. Anthem is being played at an NFL game, joining safety Malcolm Jenkins (#27) during a game in Philly. On Sept. 14 the Cleveland Indians break the ML record with 22 consecutive wins; on Sept. 15 the Kansas City Royals defeat them 4-3; the MLB record is held by the 1916 New York Giants (26 consecutive wins), but it incl. one suspended game; the AL record was held by the 2002 Oakland A's (20); the 1935 Chicago Cubs had 21. On Oct. 24-Nov. 1 the 2017 (113th) World Series sees the 101-61 Houston Astros defeat the 104-58 Los Angeles Dodgers 4-1, becoming the first WS played by two teams with 100+ wins since ?; Game 1 is played in a temp of 103F, hottest in WS history; on Oct. 25 Game 2 sees retired Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully introduce Fernando Valenzuela, who throws out the ceremonial first pitch; on Oct. 29 Game 5 is won by Houston 13-12 in the 10th inning after lasting 5 hours 17 min., with a record 22 homers, record 14 players hitting homers in the series, and a record three game-tying homers by Houston. On Dec. 5 the Internat. Olympic Committee (IOC) bans Russia from the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea for widespread state-supported cheating by athletes using performance-enhancing drugs. On Dec. 6 Trump-hating Olympic alpine skier Lindsey Vonn utters the soundbyte to CNN: "I hope to represent the people of the United States, not the president." Nobel Prizes: Peace: Internat. Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN); Lit.: Kazuo Ishiburo (1954-) (Britain); Physics: Rainer "Rai" Weiss (1932-) (U.S.), Barry Clark Barish (1936-) (U.S.), and Kip Stephen Thorne (1940-) (U.S.) [gravitational waves]; Chem.: Jacques Dubochet (1942-) (Switzerland), Joachim Frank (1940-) (U.S.), and Richard Henderson (1945-) (Britain) [cryo-electron microscopy]; Med.: Jeffrey Connor Hall (1945-) (U.S.), Michael Morris Rosbash (1944-) (U.S.), and Michael Warren Young (1949-) (U.S.) [circadian rhythms]; Econ.: Richard H. Thaler (1945-) (U.S.) (behavioral economics). Inventions: On Jan. 3 the video hosting service BitChute is launched by Ray Vahey to host videos censored and/or demonetized by leftist-run YouTube; no surprise, leftist-run pay Web blocking services Palo Alto Firewall et al. block it. On Jan. 14 (9:54 a.m.) SpaceX avenges its Sept. 2016 launchpad explosion with the successful launch of a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg AFB. On Jan. 15 Japan unsuccesfully launches the 9.65m x 0.52m 2.6-ton SS-520 rocket from Uchinoura Space Center on Kyushu, carrying a 3kg cubsat, which would have become the smallest rocket to deliver a payload into orbit. In Jan. the FaceApp mobile app for iOS and Android is released by the Russian co. Wireless Lab, using neural network technology to generate highly realistic transformations of faces, becoming super-popular before generating concerns about the images being sent to Russian intel. On Mar. 14 DMOZ: The Open Directory Project (opened June 1998) closes. In spring the firt 12M trees are planted in Wash., producing Cosmic Crisp apples, a cross between Honeycrisp and Enterprise apples known for superior sugar and acidity On May 12 the WannaCry cryptoworm is launched, using Microsoft Windows' Server Message Block to infect 230K computers in 150 countries, blackmailing them for bitcoin ransoms; British-born hacker Marcus Hutchins (1994-) of Malware Tech quickly nullifies the program's spread with a kill switch that allows emergency patches to be created and ransoms to be cancelled, becoming a celeb. In May the WannaCry ransomware attack begins, encyrypting and rendering useless hundreds of thousands of computers, shutting down emergency rooms in the U.K., U.S. et al.; on Dec. 19 the U.S. In May the Fuze Card is launched, a super credit card that can hold account data for up to 30 credit cards; perfect for credit card thieves? blames North Korea. On Sept. 12 Apple unveils the $1K Apple X, which doesn't have a Home button because it automatically recognizes the owner's face. On Nov. 19 Denver Furniture Row driver (#78) Martin Lee Truex Jr. (1980-) wins the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway to win his 8th race of the year, and his first 2017 NASCAR championship. On Dec. 22 (5:30 p.m.) SpaceX conducts its 18th launch of 2017, launching a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenburg AFB in Santa Barbara County, Calif., causing a Twitter frenzy as people confuse it with a UFO. NASA's Space Launch System (SLS), the most powerful rocket in history makes its test flight. The Airbus CityAirbus flying taxi makes its test flight, eventually ferrying passengers with a robot pilot. Science: On Jan. 11 an article is pub. in Science Advances announcing that analysis of samples brought back by the 1971 Apollo 14 mission indicate that the Moon is at least 4.51B years old, 40M-140M older than previously thought. On Jan. 13 after the Chinese Lunar Rover produces no evidence of Apollo Moon landings, 200 officials of the Chinese Space Program pub. a petition in the Beijing Daily Express asking NASA for an explanation; zonk, that's fake news :); On Jan. 23 Floyd Romesberg et al. of the Scripps Research Inst. pub. an article in Proceedings of the Nat. Academy of Sciences announcing the first stable semi-synthetic organism, which adds synthetic bases X and Y to the usual A, T, C, and G. On Feb. 22 astronomers announce four additional planets around TRAPPIST-1, an ultra-cool dwarf star about the size of Jupiter 39.5 l.y. from the Sun in the constellation Aquarius, yielding a record of seven temperate terrestrial planets. On Mar. 30 Am. astronaut Peggy Annette Whitson (1960-) goes on a spacewalk outside the ISS, setting the record for most spacewalks (8) and most cumulative time by a woman (53 hours 22 min.), also becoming the first woman astronaut to command the ISS 2x. In Apr. the FDA approves the first consumer DNA tests for disease risks, granting approval to 23andMe to market genetic tests for 10 diseases or conditions incl. Parkinson's, late-onset Alzheimer's, and celiac disease. On May 19 the hoax article The Conceptual Penis As A Social Construct is pub. in the peer-reviewed journal Cogent Social Sciences, written by Peter Boghossian and James Lindsay under aliases, which they later celebrate in an article announcing their hoax; on May 25 t he Australian Senate holds a hearing on the article, in which climate change denier sen. Malcolm Roberts grills scientists over their peer-review methods. On June 11 Johannes Krause et al. of the Max Planck Inst. pub. a study in Nature Communications, using DNA from mummies to determine that ancient Egyptians were white not black, most closely related to the peoples of the Levant (E Mediterranean), with far less than the modern value of 8% of their genome shared with central Africans. On June 20 NASA announces the discovery of 10 new rocky Earth-sized planets with water by the Kepler spacecraft, bringing the total to 50. On June 30 the Journal of Climate pub. a paper claiming that new data from Remote Sensing Systems of Calif. shows that the lower part of the Earth's atmosphere has warmed 140% faster since 1998 than previous satellite data showed, and 36% faster since 1979, shutting the climate skeptics up? On July 10 China announces that it has transported a photon from the ground to its Micius satellite orbiting at 300 mi. alt. On July 19 Bridgett vonHoldt of Princeton U. et al. pub. an article in Science Advances, reporting that mutations on the game WBSCR17 cause stunted social development and overly-friendly behavior in dogs and domesticated wolves, similar to Williams-Beuron Syndrome in humans, making them into man's best friends. In Aug. NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) is launched to survey the brightest stars near Earth for transiting exoplanets over a 2-year period. On Sept. 14 Jean-Pierre Issa et al. of Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple U. pub. an article in Nature Communications revealing that calorie restriction slows the speed at which the epigenome changes with age, increasing lifespan. On Sept. 15 the NASA Cassini spacecraft crashes into Saturn, ending a 20-year mission after revealing oceans on Enceladus and Titan, traveling 4.9B mi, and taking 453K photos at a cost of $3.9B. On Sept. 20 a German-led group of astronomers pub. an article in Nature announcing Astroid 228P, the first known binary asteroid also classified as a comet, orbiting between Mars and Jupiter, discovered using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. On Sept. 20 MIT geophysicist Daniel H. Rothman pub. the paper Thresholds of catastrophe in the Earth system in Science Advances, predicting a 6th mass extinction by 2100 due to "thresholds of catastrophe" in "the mass of carbon that human activities will likely have added to the oceans". On Sept. 22 the IceCube Neutrino Observatory at the South Pole detects a neutrino, tracing it to blazar TXS 0506-056 off the shoulder of Constellation Orion 3.5B l.y. from Earth, suggesting that blazars might be sources of cosmic rays. On Nov. 6 Ramanarayanan Krishnamurthy et al. of Scripps Research Inst. pub. an article in Nature Chemistry claiming the discovery of synthetic enzyme diamidophosphate (DAP), which drives phosphorylation, claiming it might be the missing link to the first life on Earth. On Nov. 17 scientists pub. an article in Neurology announcing the first detection of CTE in brain scans of a living 59-y.-o. former NFL player, Fred McNeill. On Nov. 20 NASA scientists pub. an article in Nature announcing the discovery in Oct. by Robert Weryk of the U. of Hawaii of the asteroid Yo Mama, er, Oumuamua (11/2017 U1) (pr. ooh-mooh-ah-mooh-ah), a 400m-long rocky cigar-shaped object with a reddish hue and 10.1 aspect ratio, becoming the first confirmed visiting object from another star; Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb claims that there's a "serious possibility" that "Oumuamua was an alien spacecraft", a light sail. On Dec. 5 Alphabet-owned DeepMind's AlphaZero AI deep neural network computer program defeats world-champion programs Stockfish, elmo et al. after only four hours of self-play, going on to achieve superhuman levels of play; Stockfish 8 looks at 70M positions/sec. vs. 80K/sec. for AlphaZero, yet it wins by 28-72-0. On Dec. 14 NASA announces the first solar system other than our own with eight planets, Kepler-90; planet #8 Kepler-90i was discovered with AI software developed by Google. On Dec. 15 the first transplanted dead womb birth takes place in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The first gene therapy treatments are approved by the FDA. Nonfiction: Kurt Anderson (1954-), Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire; A 500-Year History; NYT bestseller; the spread of magical thinking; "America was created by true believers and passionate dreamers, by hucksters and their suckers - which over the course of four centuries has made us susceptible to fantasy... In other words: mix epic individualism with extreme religion; mix show business with everything else; let all that steep and simmer for a few centuries; run it through the anything-goes 1960s and the Internet age; the result is the America we inhabit today, where reality and fantasy are weirdly and dangerously blurred and commingled." Sharyl Attkisson (1961-), The Smear: How Shady Political Operatives and Fake News Control What You See, What You Think, and How You Vote (June 27). Mehrsa Baradaran (1987-), The Color of Money: Black Banking and the Racial Wealth Gap; why she advocates reparations for U.S. blacks. Nir Baram, A Land Without Borders: My Journey Around East Jerusalem and the West Bank. Mark Bray, Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook (Aug. 14). Kate Andersen Brower, The Grace and Power of America's Modern First Ladies (Jan. 17). Carl M. Cannon, On This Date: Discovering America One Day at a Time (July 18). Hillary Clinton (1947-), What Happened (Sept. 12); "In the past, for reasons I try to explain, I've often felt I had to be careful in public, like I was up on a wire without a net. Now I'm letting my guard down"; claims to blame herself for losing to The Donald, then blames everybody but herself, incl. her emails, Kellyann Conway, the Russians and fake news, ending with FBI dir. James Comey. Ta-Nehisi Coates (1975-), We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy (Oct. 3). John Crowley et al. (eds.), Atlas of the Irish Revolution (Sept. 1); bestseller; pub. on the centenary of the Easter Rising and the Irish rev. of 1913-23; made into a TV series in 2019 narrated by Cillian Murphy. David W. Daniels, You Don't Know Jack: The Authorized Biography of Christian Cartoonist Jack T. Chick. Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, Harpoon: Inside the Covert War Against Terrorism's Money Masers (Nov.); the Harpoon unit of the Israeli intel apparatus that fights terrorism financing esp. Palestinians and Hezbollah. Rupert Darwall, Green Tyranny: Exposing the Totalitarian Roots of the Climate Industrial Complex (Oct. 3); the history of the Green Party and how it turn against nuclear power in favor of wind and solar because of its Nazi roots. Kelley Fanto Deetz, Bound to the Fire: How Virginia's Enslaved Cooks Helped Invent American Cuisine (Oct. 18); plantation cooks weren't all Aunt Jemimas? Joan Didion (1934-2021), South and West: From a Notebook; her road trip through Miss., Ala., and La., plus her childhood memories triggered by the kidnapping of Patty Hearst. David Garrow, Rising Star; another expose of Pres. Obama's memoir "Dreams of My Father", bringing up his ex-girlfriend Sheila Miyoshia Jager. Pamela Geller (1958-), Fatwa: Hunted in America (Nov. 1). Louise Gluck (1943-), American Originality: Essays on Poetry. Jeff Guinn, The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple (Apr. 11); the events leading up to the Nov. 18, 1978 mass suicide in Guyana. Kyle Harper, The Fate of Rome: Climate, Disease & The End of an EmpireStealth Invasion: Muslim Conquest Through Immigration and Resettlement Jihad (Jan. 24). Kim Holmes, The Closing of the Liberal Mind: How Groupthink and Intolerance Define the Left. David Horowitz (1939-), Big Agenda: President Trump's Plan to Save America (Jan. 17). Raheem Kassam, No Go Zones: How Sharia Law Is Coming to a Neighborhood Near You. Nancy MacLean, Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right's Stealth Plan for America (June 13). Michele R. McPhee (1970-), Maximum Harm: The Tsarnaev Brothers, the FBI, and the Road to the Marathon Bombing (Apr. 4). Koichi Mera, Whose Back was Stabbed?: FDR’s Secret War on Japan (Apr. 5); the Japanese side of the Pearl Harbor attack, claiming it was self-defense. Catherine Nixey, The Darkening Age: The Christian Destruction of the Classical World (Sept. 21). Greg O'Brien (1966-) and Tim Alan Garrison (ed.), The Native South: New Histories and Enduring Legacies. David Patrikarakos, War in 140 Characters: How Social Media Is Reshaping Conflict in the Twenty-First Century (Nov.); Clausewitz is passe, and wars will be won with smartphones and Facebook feeds? Jeff Pegues (1974-), Black and Blue: Inside the Divide between the Police and Black America (May 9). Dennis Michael Quinn (1944-), The Mormon Hierarchy: Wealth & Corporate Power. Richard Rothstein, The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America (May 2); racial segregation is the direct production of unconstitutional govt. action? Richard Saul, ADHD Does Not Exist: The Truth About Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (Feb.). Robert Spencer (1962-), Confessions of an Islamophobe (Dec. 5). Brandon Vallorani, The Wolves and the Mandolin: Celebrating Life's Privileges in a Harsh World (autobio.) (Mar. 20). Assaf A. Voll, A History of the Palestinian People: From Ancient Times to the Modern Era; a blank book, with the message that there has never been any Palestinian people; after becoming a bestseller, Amazon.com removes it as a "poor customer experience". Joshua M. White, Piracy and Law in the Ottoman Mediterranean. Gregory Wrightstone, Inconvenient Facts: The science that Al Gore doesn't want you to know (Oct. 24); Am. geologist debunks climate alarmists, claiming that the Earth is thriving because of increasing CO2 and warmer temps. Novels: David Grossman, A Horse Walks into a Bar: A Novel (Feb. 21); Israeli comedian Dov Greenstein and his big night of stand-up. Music: Lady Antebellum, Heart Break (album #7) (June 9) (#4 in the U.S.) (#1 country); incl. You Look Good (#59 in the U.S.) (#4 country), Heart Break (#11 in the U.S.) (#22 country) (not heart break but giving your heart a break). Justin Bieber, featuring Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee, Despacito. Luke Bryan (1976-), What Makes You Country (album #6) (Dec. 8) (#1 country) (#1 in the U.S.) (260K copies); incl. Light It Up, Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset (May 2018) (#1 country), Most People Are Good (#43 U.S.) (#1 country). Glen Campbell (1936-2017), Adios (June 9) (album #64) (last album) (#40 in the U.S.) (#7 country) (#3 in the U.K.); incl. Adios (by Jimmy Webb). Morgan Evans (1984-), Kiss Somebody (#12 country). Chris Janson (1986-), Everybody (album #2) (Sept. 2) (#7 country); incl. Fix a Drink (#2 country) (#67 in the U.S.), Drunk Girl. Jake Owen (1981-), I Was Jack (You Were Diane) (Mar. 12) (#12 country); a tribute to John Mellencamp's 1982 single "Jack & Diane". Rat Boy (1996-), Scum (album) (debut); incl. Revolution. Thomas Rhett (1980-), Life Changes (album #3) (Sept. *) (#1 in the U.S.) (#1 country); incl. Life Changes, Craving You (w/Maren Morris), Unforgettable, Marry Me. Darius Rucker (1966-), When Was the Last Time (album #7) (Oct. 20) (#8 in the U.S) (#2 country) (100K copies); incl. For the First Time (#82 in the U.S.) (#5 country), If I Told You (#53 in the U.S.) (#1 country). Douglas Valentine, The CIA as Organized Crime: How Illegal Operations Corrupt America and the World (Jan. 15). Morgan Wallen (1993-) and Florida Georgia Line, Up Down (Nov. 27) (#83 in the U.S.) (#12 country). Movies: Zak Hilditch's horror drama film 1922 (Oct. 22) (Campfire Productions) (Netflix), based on the 2010 Stephen King novella stars Thomas Jane as 1922 Hemingford Home, Nebr. farmer Wilfred "Will" James, who commits murder and gets away with it so long that he goes mad in a house infested with rats. Johannes Roberts' 47 Meters Down (June 16) (Entertainment Studios) stars Mandy Moore and Claire Holt as sisters Lisa and Kate, who go in holiday in Mexico and get suckered into a shark cage dive, only to end up trapped on the ocean floor while being stalked by great whites; does $52M box office on a $5M budget. Elliott Lester's Aftermath (Apr. 7) (Lionsgate) stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as Viktor, who loses his wife and child in a plane crash, and blames it on the air traffic controller; based on the real life Uberlingen mid-air collision and the murder by architect Vitaly Kaloyev of Swiss air traffic controller Peter Nielsen. Ridley Scott's Alien: Covenant (May 19) (20th Cent. Fox), a sequel to the 2012 film "Prometheus" stars Michael Fassbender as Walter and David, Katherine Waterston as Daniels, and Billy Crudup as the Capt. Ridley Scott's All the Money in the World (Dec. 18) (TriStar Pictures), based on the 1995 book by John Pearson stars Christopher Plummer (after Kevin Spacey is booted) as J. Paul Getty, who refuses to pay a dollar to get his kidnapped grandson John Paul Getty III back in 1973 until the kidnappers send his ear to a newspaper; does $4.4M box office on a $50M budget. John McPhail's Christmas zombie musical film Anna and the Apocalypse (Sept. 22) (Blazing Griffin) (Orion Pictures) stars Ella Hunt as Anna, whose sleepy town of Little Haven is threatened by zombies; on Nov. 30, 2018 it is relaunched in the U.S. and U.K.; "'Twas the night before Christmas, and all the through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. Anna was nestled, all snug in her bed, not knowing that tomorrow, she'd meet the undead"; "Oh no, Justin Bieber's a zombie". David Leitch's Atomic Blonde (Mar. 12), based on the 2012 graphic novel "The Coldest City" by Antony Johnston and Sam Hart and set during the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989 stars Charlize Theron as MI6 spy Lorraine Broughton, who has to work with Berlin station chief David Percival (James McAvoy) to find a list of double agents being smuggled into the West; Sofia Boutella plays Lorraine's French lover Delphine Lasalle; a ripoff of "John Wick"?; does $95.7M box office on a $30M budget. Edgar Wright's Baby Driver (Mar. 11) (TriStar Pictures) stars Ansel Elgort as Miles "Baby", whose mother crashed the car with him in it as a baby, giving him tinnitus, ending up as the driver for Atlanta, Ga. crime boss Doc (Kevin Spacey) while courting hot Bo Diner's waitress Debora (Lily James); Jamie Foxx plays Leon "Bats" Jefferson III; Jon Hamm plays Jason "Buddy" van Horn; does $226.9M box office on a $34M budget. Ana Lily Amirpour's The Bad Batch (June 23) (Neon) stars Suki Waterhouse as Arlen, Jason Momoa as Miami Man (whose bulging muscles make him look way too well fed?), and Jim Carrey as the Hermit, societal rejects who are quarantined in a desert and left to scrape for a living; Keanu Reeves plays the Dream; does $201.9K box office on a $6M budget. Denis Villeneuve's Blade Runner 2049 (Oct. 3) (Warner Bros.) stars Ryan Gosling as Blade Runner Officer K, who tries to locate missing Blade Runner Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) to save the world; does $258.2M box office on a $185M budget. Tom McGrath's The Boss Baby (Mar. 12) (20th Cent. Fox) (DreamWorks Animation) is about 7-y.-o. Timothy "Tim" Templeton (voiced by Miles Bakshi), who goes nonlinear when he sees his new baby brother Theodore Lindsay "Ted" Templeton Jr. (voiced by Alec Baldson) acting like a grown business mogul whenever adults aren't looking; Jimmy Kimmel voices Ted Templeton Sr., and Lisa Kudrow voices his wife Janice; does $528M box office on a $125M budget. Luca Guadagnino's Call Me By Your Name (Jan. 22) (Desire Trilogy #3), written by James Ivoery based on the 2007 Andre Aciman novel stars Timthee Chalamet as 17-y.-o. Jewish-Am. boy Elio Perlman in Italy, who has a gay love affair with Jewish-Am. grad student Oliver (Armie Hammer); does $12.6M box office on a $3.5M budget. John Curran's Chappaquiddick (Sept. 10) (Apex Entertainment), set in 1969 stars Kate Mara as doomed secy. Mary Jo Kopechne, Jason Clarke as Ted Kennedy, Bruce Dern as Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., and Clancy Brown as Robert Strange McNamara. Lee Unkrich's computer-animated Coco (Oct. 20) (Walt Disney Pictures) (Pixar Animation Studios) is about 12-y.-o. wannabe musician Miguel of Santa Cecilia, Mexico, who travels to the Land of the Dead to get his great-great-grandfather to return and reverse his family's ban on music; does $807.8M box office on a $225M budget. David Leitch's The Coldest City (July 28) (Denver and Delilah Productions) (Focus Features), based on the 2012 graphic novel by Antony Johnston stars Charlize Theron as MI6 spy Lorraine Broughton, who is sent to take down a ruthless espionage ring as the Berlin Wall is falling. Nikolaj Arcel's The Dark Tower (July 28) (Columbia Pictures), based on the Stephen King series stars Tom Taylor as Jake Chambers, and Matthew McConaughey as Walter Padick, the man in black; does $101.4M box office on a $60M budget. Joe Wright's Darkest Hour (Sept. 1) (Perfect World Pictures) (WOrking Title Films) (Focus Features) (Universal Pictures) stars Gary Oldman as Sir Winston Churchill taking on Hitler; Kristin Scott Thomas plays his wife Clementine; Ben Mendelsohn plays George VI; best performance of Oldman's career?; does $150.2M box office on a $30M budget; "A man with the heart of a nation." Armando Iannucci's The Death of Stalin (Sept. 8) (Gaumont) (France 3 Cinema) (eOne Films) is a political satire comedy depicting the power struggle after the death of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin (Adrian McLoughlin); Steve Buscemi plays Nikita Khrushchev; Simon Russell Beala plays Lavrentiy Beria; Jason Isaacs plays Georgy Zhukov; Paul Whitehouse plays Anastas Mikoyan; Paul Chahidi plays Nikolai Bulganin; a favorite of Pres. Barack Obama; does $24.6M box office. banned in Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan; Kathryn Bigelow's Detroit (July 25) (Annapurna Pictures) (MGM), about the July 23, 1967 12th Street Riot stars John Boyega, Will Poulter, Algee Smith, Jacob Latimore, Jason Mitchell, and Hannah Murray; does $16.3M box office on a $34M budget. Alexander Payne's Downsizing (Aug. 30) (Paramount Pictures) stars Matt Damn and Kristen Wiig as Paul and Audrey Safranek of Omaha, Neb., who sign up for a downsizing project to shrink their bodies to 5 in. so they can start a new life in the experimental community of Leisureland and save money, only to see the wife opt out and divorce him. Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk (July 13) (Syncopy Inc.) (Warner Bros.) is about the Dunkirk evacuation of May 26-June 4, 1940, ignoring the action in the town for the action on the beach, with first-person visual effects making the audience seasick and airsick at the same time; stars Fionn Whitehead as British Army Pvt. Tommy, and Kenneth Branagh as pier master Cmdr. Bolton; does $525.6M box office on a $100M budget, becoming the highest grossing WWII film so far (unti ?). Jordan Peele's Get Out (Jan. 23) (Blumhouse Productions) (Universal Pictures) stars Daniel Kaluuya as black photgrapher Chris Washington, who hooks up with white Rose Armitage (Allison Williams), and drives with her to the country to visit her family, pshrink Missy (Catherine Keener) and neurosurgeon Dean (Bradley Whitford), who hypnotize blacks and transplant the brains of white people into them to gain their superior physical and artistic talents; does $256.4M box office on a $4.5M budget. Rupert Sanders' Ghost in the Shell (Mar. 31) (Paramount Pictures), based on the Japanese manga by Masamune Shirow stars Scarlett Johansson as cyborg counter-terrorist cmdr. The Major of Section 9. Andy Nyman's and Jeremy Dyson's Ghost Stories (Oct. 5) (Attitude Film Entertainment) (Lionsgate Films), based on the 2010 stage play stars Nyman as Jewish psychic debunker Philip Goodman, becoming the best British horror film of the year; also stars Martin Freeman, Alex Lawther, and Paul Whitehouse; does $3.9M box office. Michael Gracey's The Greatest Showman (Dec. 8) (Chernin Entertainment) (20th Cent. Fox) stars Huge Actman, er, Hugh Jackman as P.T. Barnum struggling to set up his freak show circus; co-stars Michelle Williams as his wife Charity, Zac Efron as his partner Phillip Carlyle, Rebecca Ferguson as Swedish nightingale Jenny Lind, and Keale Settle as bearded lady Lettie Lutz; does $150M box office on an $84M budget. Christopher B. Landon's Happy Death Day (Oct. 13) (Blumhouse Productions) (Universal Pictures) (original title "Half to Death") stars Jessica Rothe as Theresa "Tree" Gelbman, who is killed on her birthday by a slasher, and begins reliving the day over and over, with the only way to stop it being to figure out who it is; does $125.5M box office on a $4.8M budget; followed by "Happy Death Day 2U" (2019). Scott Cooper's Hostiles (Sept. 2), based on a story by Donald E. Stewart stars Christian Bale, as U.S. Cavalry officer Joseph J. Blocker, who must escort dying Cheyenne war chief Yellow Hawk (Wes Studi) and his family back to their home in Mont. in 1892 accompanied by suicidal widow Rosalie Quaid (Rosamund Pike); does ? box office on a $40M budget. Andres Muschietti's It (Sept. 5) (Lin Pictures) (New Line Cinema) (Warner Bros. Pictures), based on the 1986 Stephen King novel set in summer 1989 in Derry, Maine stars Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise the Dancing Clown, Jaeden Lieberher as Bill Denbrough, lead of the Losers' Club, Jeremy Ray Taylor as Ben Hanscom, Sophia Lillis as Beverly Marsh, Finn Wolfhard as Richie Tozier, Chosen Jacobs as Mike Hanlon, Jack Dylan Grazer as Eddie Kaspbrak, Wyatt Oleff as Stan Uris, Nicholas Hamilton as Henry Bowers, and Jackson Robert Scott as 7-y.-o. Georgie Denbrough; does $700.4M box office on a $35M budget, becoming the highest-grossing horror film (until ?), and most profitable (until ?). Craig Gillespie's I, Tonya (Sept. 8) (Lucky Chap Entertainment)stars Margot Robbie as white trash ice skater Tonya Hadrding, Allison Janney as her mother LaVona Fay Golden, Sebastian Stan as her beau Jeff Gillooly, and Caitlin Carver as Snow White ice skater Nancy Kerrigan; does $5.3M box office on an $11M budget. Michael Spierig's and Peter Spierig's Jigsaw (Oct. 27) (Twisted Pictures) (Lionsgate) (Saw #8), a sequel to the supposed final installment "Saw 3D" (2010) set a decade after the death of the Jigsaw Killer stars Callum Keith Rennie as Det. Halloran, Cle Bennett as Det. Keith Hunt, Matt Passmore as Logan Nelson, Paul Braunstein as Ryan, Mandela Van Peebles as Mitch, Brittany Allen as Carly, and Tobin Bell as Jigsaw/John Kramer; does $103M box office on a $10M budget. Chad Stahelski's John Wick: Chapter 2 (Jan. 30) (Lionsgate) (Thunder Road Pictures) (Summit Entertainment) stars Keanu Reeves, who refuses to honor his blood oath medallion, pissing-off Italian crime lord Santino D'Antonio (Riccardo Scamarcio), escalating to a full-scale global hitman war; does $171.5M box office on a $40M budget; "Tell them... tell them all... whoever comes, whoever it is, I'll kill them, I'll kill them all." Jake Kasdan's Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (Dec. 5) (Columbia Pictures), a sequel to "Jumanji" (1995) filmed in Hawaii and set in 1996 Brantford, N.H. stars Dwayne Johnson as archeologist Dr. Smolder Bravestone, Jack Black as paleontologist Prof. Sheldon "Shelly" Oberon, Kevin Hart as zoologist Franklin "Mouse" Finbar, Karen Gillan as dance fighter Ruby Roundhouse, and Nick Jonas as Jefferson "Seaplane" McDonough, who must recover the Jaguar's Eye and put it back to escape from the game, while being pursued by evil explorer Russel Van Pelt (Bobby Cannavale); Rhys Darby plays game guide Nigel Billingsley; does $680M box office on a $110M budget. Jordan Vogt-Roberts' Kong: Skull Island (Mar. 10) (Warner Bros.) stars Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman, and Brie Larson in a reboot of the worn-out film; does ? box office on a $190M budget. Greta Gerwig's Lady Bird (Sept. 1) (Scott Rudin Productions) stars Soirse Ronan as h.s. senior Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson, and Laurie Metcalf as her mother Marion in Sacramento, Calif.; does $34M box office on a $10M budget. Julien Maury's and Alexandre Bustillo's Leatherface (Aug. 25) (Millennium Films) (Lionsgate Films) (Texas Chainsaw Massacre #8) is a prequel to the original 1974 film, filmed in Bulgaria and starring Stephen Dorff as Texas Ranger Hal Hartman, and Sam Strike as Jedidiah Sawyer, who an escaped mental institution inmate who morphs into a mentally disabled serial murderer who likes to wear masks of human skin and use a chainsaw and mallet; does $956K box office. Chris McKay's The Lego Batman Movie (Jan. 29) is a 3-D computer-animated superhero comedy film starring the voices of Will Arnett as Batman, Zach Galifianakis as the Joker, and Ralph Fiennes as Alfred Pennyworth. Daniel Espinosa's Life (Mar. 18) (Columbia Pictures) stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson and Ryan Reynolds as David Jordan, Miranda North, and Rory "Roy" Adams, crewmmembers of the Internat. Space Station (ISS), who discover the first evidence of life on Mars, only to watch it grow into a monster named Calvin; does $51M box office on a $58M budget. James Mangold's Logan (Feb. 17) (Marvel Entertainment) (20th Cent. Fox), based on the Marvel Comics X-Men series set in 2029 stars Hugh Jackman as Logan Howlett AKA Wolverine, who is aging along with the rest of the X-Men and is forced to take on Donald Pierce (Boyd Holbrook) and his Reavers with the help of Caliban (Stephen Merchant); does $616.8M box office on a $97M buget. Steven Soderbergh's Logan Lucky (Aug. 9) (Bleecker Street), written by Rebecca Blunt stars Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Riley Keough, and Seth MacFarlane, Katie Holmes as an unlucky W. Va. family planning to rob the Charlotte Motor Speedway and mistakenly trying it during a NASCAR game, drawing FBI agent Sarah Grayson (Hilary Swank) on their trail; does $41.5M box office on a $29M budget. James Gray's The Lost City of Z (Apr. 14) (Plan B Entertainment) (Amazon Studios) (Bleeker Street), based on the 2009 book by David Grann stars Charlie Hunnam as British explorer Percy Fawcett, who disappears in the Amazon jungle in 1925 while searching for the you know what; does $17.2M box office on a $30M budget. Gabriela Cowpertheaite's Megan Leavey (June 5) (LD Entertainment) is based on the true story of Yankees fan USMC Cpl. K9 handler Megan Leavy (1983-) (Kate Mara) and her German shepherd working dog Rex (E168) (1999-2012), who are deployed to Fallujah, Iraq in 2005 and Ramadi in 2006, where they are blown up by an IED, after which she fights to adopt him, going all the way to U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer; Common plays Gunnery Sgt. Massey; Ramon Rodriguez plays her beau Cpl. Matt Morales. Aaron Sorkin's Molly's Game (Sept. 8) (Huayi Brothers Pictures) (STXflms), based on her memoir stars Jessica Chastain as Molly Bloom, who set up an underground poker empire for Hollyweird celebs and other high rollers; too bad, this incl. the Russian mob, causing the FBI to target her; Sorkin's dir. debut. Hany Abu-Assad's The Mountain Between Us (Oct. 6) (20th Cent. Fox), based on the 2011 novel by Charles Martin stars Idris Elba and Kate Winslet as neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Bass and photojournalist Alex Martin, who survive a plane crash in the High Uintas Wilderness and must fight the elements, which keeps them too busy to fight their racemixing urges, which doesn't stop them; does $54.7M box office on a $35M budget; "Heart is just a muscle." Paul Thomas Anderson's Phantom Thread (Dec. 11) (Focus Features) stars Daniel Day-Lewis in his last film role as 1950s London dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock, who hooks up with babe Alma Elson (Vicky Krieps), who lures him into giving up bachelorhood with poison mushrooms; does $1.1M box office on a $35M budget. Joachim Roenning's and Espen Sandberg's Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (Salazar's Revenge), #5 in the series and sequen to "On Stranger Tides" (2011) stars Johnny Deep as Capt. Jack Sparrow, Javier as Capt. Armando Salazar, and Geoffrey Rush as Capt. Hector Barbaossa, who all search for the Trident of Poseidon, which bestows control over the seas; does $794.7M box office on a $230M budget. Steven Spielberg's The Post (Dec. 14) (DreamWorks Pictures) (20th Cent. Fox) stars Meryl Streep as Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham, Tom Hanks as journalist Ben Bradlee struggling to pub. The Pentagon Papers. Paul W.S. Anderson's 3-D Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (Jan. 27), #6 (last in the series), sequel to "Resident Evil: Retribution" (2012) stars Milla Jovovich as Alice, who takes on Albert Wesker (Shawn Roberts) and Umbrella; does $312.2M box office on a $40M budget. Stuart Hazeldine's The Shack (Mar. 3) is a Christian film based on the 2007 William P. Young novel, starring Sam Worthington as Mackenzie "Mack" Phillips, whose young daughter Missy is kidnapped during a camping trip by a serial murderer, causing him to freak out until he receives a letter from Papa (Octavia Spencer), who turns out to be God, and who invites him to a shack where he meets Jesus (Aviv Alush); features Tim McGraw as Willie, and Graham Greene as the male Papa; does $96.4M box office on a $20M budget. Guillermo del Toro's The Shape of Water (Fox Searchlight Pictures), set in 1962 Baltimore, Md. stars Sally Hawkins as mute night janitor Elisa Esposito at the Occam Aerospace Research Center, who falls in love with the Asset, an amphibious humanoid creature from the rivers of South Am. and helps him escape. Amr Salama's Sheikh Jackson (Sept. 11); an Islamic cleric who likes to dress up as Michael Jackson. Chris Overton's The Silent Child (Aug. 8) (Slick Films) (20 min.) is about 4-y.-o. British deaf girl Libby (Maisie Sly), who learns sign language from social worker Joanne (Rachel Shenton). Jon Watts' Spider-Man: Homecoming (July 7) (Columbia Pictures) stars Tom Holland as Peter Parker alias Spider-Man. Rian Johnson's Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (Lucasfilm Ltd.) (Walt Disney Studios) (Dec. 9) stars Mark Hamill as old fart hermit Luke Skywalker, who has given up on the Jedis until Rey (Daisy Ridley) talks him into making her one to help her save the failing Resistance that's being decimated by Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis), Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and the First Order; Carrie Fisher plays aging Princess Gen. Leia Organa in her last film appearance before her Dec. 27, 2016 death; introduces Kelly Marie Tran as Resistance worker, Rose Tico as a sop to please the huge Chinese audience?; Laura Dern plays Resistance vice-dm. Amilyn Holdo; Benicio del Toro plays underworld codebreaker DJ; has it all, reviving the franchise? George Clooney's Suburbicon (Sept. 2) (Paramount Pictures) stars Matt Damon as mild-mannered Gardner Lodge in 1959 peaceful all-white Suburbicon, who sees it shaken up by the arrival of the African-Am. Mayers family, Julianne Moore as Gardner's wife Rose and twin sister Margaret, and Oscar Isaac as insurance agent Bud Cooper; does $9M box office on a $25M budget. Jason Hall's Thank You for Your Service (Oct. 27) (Universal Pictures), based on the 2013 book by David Finkel stars Miles Teller as Sgt. Adam Schumann, Scott Haze as Michael Adam Emory, Joe Cole as Will Walter, and Beulah Koale as Tausolo Aieti, who return from Iraq and struggle with PTSD back home with wives Saskia Schumann (Haley Bennett) and Amanda Doster (Amy Schumer). Martin McDonagh's Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (Sept. 4) (Fox Searchlight Pictures) stars Frances McDormand as Mildred Hayes, who takes the law into her own hands after the police fail incl. police chief Bill Willoughby (Woody Harrelson) and officer Jason Dixon (Sam Rockwell) to find her daughter Angela's murderer; does $53.9M box office on a $12M budget. Michael Bay's Transformers: The Last Knight (June 23) (Paramount Pictures), #6 in the series stars Mark Wahlberg as Cade Yeager, and Stanley Tucci as Joshua Joyce, who go back to the days of King Arthur (Liam Garrigan) in 484 C.E.; does $605.4M box office on a $260M budget. Michael Apted's Unlocked (May 5) (Di Bonaventura Pictures) (Lionsgate) stars Noomi Rapace as CIA super-spy Alice Racine, who works for station chief Eric Lasch (Michael Douglas) and division chief Bob Hunter (John Malkovich) to track down Am. Muslim convert terrorist David Mercer (Michael Epp) before he can release biological weapons for radical Islamic preacher Imam Yazid Khaleel (Makram Khoury); also stars Orlando Broom as bad guy Jack Alcott, and Philip Brodie as bad guy John Wilson; too bad, the critics pan it for telling too much truth about Islam, and it only does $4.7M box office. Luc Besson's Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (July 17) (EuropaCorp) (Lionsgate) is a French 3-D scifi adventure film based on the comics series "Valerian and Laureline" by Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mezieres, starring Dane DeHaan as Maj. Valerian, and Cara Delevingne as Sgt. Laureline, who work for a special police div. on Alpha (formerly the ISS) in the 28th cent., and are sent by their commander Arun Filitt (Clive Owen) on a mission to find the Mul Converter that can replicate anything; co-stars Rihanna as shapeshifting entertainer Bubble, Ethan Hawke as Jolly the Pimp, and Herbie Hancock as the defense minister; does $211.3M worldwide box office on a $209M budget, becoming the most expensive Euro and independent film made to date (until ?). Paco Plaza's supernatural horror drama Veronica (Aug. 25) stars Sandra Escacena as 15-y.-o. Veronica of working class Vallecas, Madrid, who likes to conducts seances using a Ouija board, ending up getting trapped by a demon; scariest horror film ever? Stephen Fears' Victoria & Abdul (Sept. 3) (BBC Films) (Universal Pictures), based on the book by Shrabani Basu stars Dame Judi Dench as Queen Victoria, and Ali Fazal as Indian clerk Abdul Karim, who travels to England to present her with a mohur (gold coin) for her Golden Jubilee in 1887 and ends up moving in, threatening to Islamize her; does $65.4M box office. Matt Reeves' War for the Planet of the Apes (July 14), the sequel to "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" (2011) and "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" (2014) stars Andy Serkis as Caesar, who engages in a grim war of survival with U.S. army troops led by Col. McCullough (Woody Harrelson); does $484.8M box office on a $150M budget. Stephen Chbosky's Wonder (Nov. 17) (Lionsgate, based on the 2012 R.J. Palacio novel stars Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson as Isabel and Nate Pullman, and Jacob Trembly as their son August "Auggie" Pullman, a kid with Trecher Collins Syndrome who tries to fit in at Beecher Prep. Woody Allen's Wonder Wheel (Oct. 14) (Amazon Studios) stars Kate Winslet as Rinny Rannell, wife of a carousel operator, who falls for handsome lifeguard Mickey Rubin (Justin Timberlake) until her hubby's estranged daughter Carolina (Juno Temple) resurfaces and vies for his attentions, causing her to unravel; does ? box office on a $25M budget. D.J. Caruso's xXx: Return of Xander Cage (Jan. 6) (Revolution Studios) (Paramount Pictures) stars Vin Diesel; does $155M box office on a $85M budget. Niki Caro's The Zookeeper's Wife (Mar. 8) (Focus Features), based on the 2007 book by Diane Ackerman stars Jessica Chastain and Johan Heldenbergh as Antonina and Jan Zabinski of the Warsaw Zoo, who rescue 300 Jews during WWII; does $27.6M box office on a $20M budget. Art: Tayeba Begum Lipi, Unveiling Womanhood; hijab and niqab made of razor blades. Lorenzo Quinn, Support (sculpture of giant hands rising from the water to symbolize climate change); made for the 2017 Venice Biennale. Plays: Poetry: C.K. Williams (1936-2015), Falling Ill: Last Poems (posth.) (Jan. 3). Births: Deaths: Portuguese pres. #17 (1986-96) and PM #105 (1983-5) Mario Soares (b. 1924) on Jan. 7 in Lisbon. Liberian politician Ruth Perry (b. 1939) on Jan. 8 in Columbus, Ohio. Iranian pres. #4 (1989-97) Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani (b. 1934) on Jan. 8 in T*ehran (heart attack). Am. "The Lady Is a Trump", er, "The Lady Is a Tramp" jazz musician Buddy Greco (b. 1926) on Jan. 10 in Las Vegas, Nev.; sold 1M+ records. Am. astronaut Gene Cernan (b. 1934) on Jan. 16 in Houston, Tex. British-born Am. geneticist Oliver Smithies (b. 1925) on Jan. 10 in Chapel Hill, N.C.; 2007 Nobel Med. Prize. Am. "The Exorcist" novelist William Peter Blatty (b. 1928) on Jan. 12 in New York City. English photographer Anthony Armstrong-Jones, 1st earl of Snowdon (b. 1930) on Jan. 13 in Kensington, London. English "Kane in Alien" actor Sir John Hurt (b. 1940) on Jan. 25 in Cromer, Norfolk (pancreatic cancer). Hungarian politician Jozsef Torgyan (b. 1932) on Jan. 22 in Budapest. English scholar George Albert Wells (b. 1926) on Jan. 23. Am. actress Mary Tyler Moore (b. 1936) on Jan. 25 in Greenwich, Conn. (pneumonia). British Black Sabbath musician Geoff Nicholls (b. 1948) on Jan. 28 (lung cancer). Am. "Capt. Apollo in Battlestar Galactica" actor Richard Hatch (b. 1945) on Feb. 7 in Los Angeles, Calif. (pancreatic cancer). Swedish "Factfulness" physician Hans Rosling (b. 1948) on Feb. 7 in Uppsala (pancreatic cancer). U.S. "We Were Soldiers" lt. gen. Hal Moore (b. 1922) on Feb. 10 in Auburn, Ala. South Korean fallen heir Kim Jong-nam (b. 1971) on feb. 13 in Sepang District, Selangor, Malaysia (assassinated with nerve agent VX at Kuala Lumpur Airport). Egyptian Muslim terrorist leader "Blind Sheikh" Omar Abdel-Rahman (b. 1938) on Feb. 18 in Butner Federal Prison, Granville County, N.C. Am. celeb plaintoff Jane Roe (Norma Leah McCorvey) (b. 1947) on Feb. 18 in Katy, Tex. Am. radio-TV journalist Alan Colmes (b. 1950) on Feb. 23 in Manhattan, N.Y. (lymphoma). Am. actor Bill Paxton on Feb. 25 in Los Angeles, Calif. (complications from heart surgery). Am. "People's Court Judge" Joseph Wapner (b. 1919) on Feb. 26 in Los Angeles, Calif. (respiratory failure). German-born Am. physicist Hans Georg Dehmelt (b. 1922) on Mar. 7 in Seattle, Wash.; 1989 Nobel Physics Prize. Am. "Johnny B. Goode", "Maybellene", "Roll Over Beethoven" hall-of-fame rocker Chuck Berry (b. 1926) on Mar. 18 in Wentzville (near St. Charles), Mo. (cardiac arrest); leaves a $50M estate: "I grew up thinking art was pictures until I got into music and found I was an artist and didn't paint." Am. journalist Jimmy Breslin (b. 1928) on Mar. 19 in Manhattan, N.Y. (pneumonia). Am. comedian Don Rickles (b. 1926) on Apr. 6 in Beverly Hills, Calif. (kidney failure). Am. judge Sheila Abdus-Salaam (b. 1952) on Apr. 12 in New York City (suicide). Am. football player Aaron Hernandez (b. 1989) on Apr. 19 in Leominster, Mass. (suicide by hanging in jail). Am. "Joanie Cunningham in Joanie Loves Chachi" actress Erin Moran (b. 190) on Apr. 22 in Corydon, Ind. English historian Hugh Thomas, baron Thomas of Swynnerton (b. 1931) on May 7. Turkish pres. #9 (9182-94) Mauno Koivisto (b. 1923) on May 12 in Helsinki. Am. Fox News CEO (1996-2016) Roger Ailes (b. 1940) on May 18 in Palm Beach, Fla. Am. Soundgarden/Audioslave rocker Chris Cornell (b. 1964) on May 18 in Detroit, Mich. (suicide). English "James Bond 007" actor Sir Roger Moore (b. 1927) on May 23 in Switzerland (cancer). Am. rocker Gregg Allman (b. 1947) on May 27 in Richmond Hill, Ga. English psychologist Christopher Brand (b. 1943) on May 28. Greek PM (1990-3) Constantine Mitsotakis (b. 1918) on May 29 in Athens. Panamanian dictator (1983-9) Manuel Noriega (b. 1934) on May 29 in Panama City (brain hemorrhage). Am.-born Nicaraguan diplomat Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann (b. 1933) on June 8 in Manuagua (stroke). Am. actress "Tess Trueheart in Dick Tracy", "Bonnie Holland in The Circle" Glenne Headly (b. 1955) on June 8 in Santa Monica, Calif. (pulmonary embolism). Am. "Batman" actor Adam West (b. 1928) on June 9 in Los Angeles, Calif. (leukemia). English "Paddington Bear" children's writer Michael Bond (b. 1926) on June 27 in London. Egyptian Muslim Botherhood supreme leader (2004-10) Mohammed Mahdi Akef (b. 1928) on July 2. Trinidad-born Kiwi climate scientist Chris de Freitas (b. 1948) on July 5 in New Zealand. Iranian mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani (b. 1977) on July 14 in Stanford, Calif. (breast cancer). Am.-Canadian "Night of the Living Dead" filmmaker George Andrew Romero (b. 1940) on July 16 in Toronto, Ont. (lung cancer). Am. "Rollin Hand in Mission: Impossible" "Bela Lugosi in Ed Wood" actor Martin Landau (b. 1928) on July 15 in Los Angeles, Calif. Am. Linkin Park, Stone Temple Pilots singer Chester Bennington (b. 1976) on July 19/20 in Palos Verdes Estates, Calif. (suicide by hanging). Am. "Bronco" actor Ty Hardin (b. 1930) on Aug. 3 in Huntington Beach, Calif. Am. "Rhinestone Cowboy" singer Glen Campbell (b. 1936) on Aug. 8 in Nashville, Tenn. (Alzheimer's); released 70+ albums; sold 45M records incl. 29 top-10 and nine #1. Am. comedian Dick Gregory (b. 1932) on Aug. 19 in Washington, D.C. (heart failure). Am. comedian Jerry Lewis (b. 1926) on Aug. 20 in Las Vegas, Nev. German Nazi-era film actress Anneliese Uhlig (b. 1918) on June 17 in Santa Cruz, Calif. Am. poet John Ashbery (b. 1927) on Sept. 3 in Hudson, N.Y. Am. "I Believe in You" country singer Don Williams (b. 1939) on Sept. 8. Am. actor Harry Dean Stanton (b. 1926) on Sept. 15 in Los Angeles, Calif. Am. Playboy mag. founder Hugh Hefner (b. 1926) on Sept. 27 in Los Angeles, Calif. Canadian-Am. "Let's Make a Deal" TV game show host Monty Hall (b. 1921) on Sept. 30 in Beverly Hills, Calif. (heart failure). Am. hall-of-fame rocker Tom Petty (b. 1950) on Oct. 2 in Santa Monica, Calif. (heart failure from accidental OD); sold 80M records worldwide. Am. football hall-of-fame QB Y.A. Tittle (b. 1926) on Oct. 8 in Stanford, Calif. Am. chess grandmaster Father William Lombardy (b. 1937) on Oct. 13 in Martinez, Calif. Italian mathematician Corrado Boehm (b. 1923) on Oct. 23 in Rome. Am. rock & roll demigod Fats Domino (b. 1928) on Oct. 24 in Harvey, La.; had 11 top-10 and 35 top-40 records. Am. publisher Samuel Irving Newhouse Jr. (b. 1927) on Oct. 1 in Manhattan, N.Y.; leaves a $9.5B fortune, #46 on the Forbes 100 List. Am. hall-of-fame pitcher Ray Halladay (b. 1977) on Nov. 7 in the Gulf of Mexico near Holiday, Fla. (airplane rash). Am. "Jonathan Quayle Higgins III in Magnum, P.I." actor John Hillerman (b. 1932) on Nov. 9 in Houston, Tex. Am. gossip columnist Liz Smith (b. 1923) on Nov. 12 Manhattan, N.Y. Am. criminal mastermnd Charles Manson (b. 1934) on Nov. 19 in Bakersfield, Calif. Am. Partridge Family singer David Cassidy (b. 1950) on Nov. 21 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. U.S. postmaster gen. #58 (1968-9) William Marvin Watson (b. 1924) on Nov. 26 in The Woodlands, Tex. Egyptian actress-singer Shadia (b. 1931) on Nov. 28 in Cairo (stroke and pneumonia). U.S. liberal Rep. (R-Ill.) (1961-81) John Bayard Anderson (b. 1922) on Dec. 3 in Washington, D.C. Am. Filmways producer Martin Ransohoff (b. 1927) on Dec. 13 in Belair, Los Angeles, Calif. Welsh-born Irish actress Peggy Cummins (b. 1925) on Dec. 29 in London, England (stroke).



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T.L. Winslow's 2018 C.E. Historyscope

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2018 - The Yuge No Smocking Gun I Am Spartacus Shithole Year of Fake News Trump and North Korea, Yellow Vests, Facebook Scandal, Great Social Media Purge, Royal Kiss, No Soup for Sarah, and #MeToo #TimesUp Social Racial Gender Environmental Justice Toxic Masculinity Feckless Cunt Woman Brett Kavanaugh Christine Blasey Ford Sexual Abuse Accusers Unleashed? North America and Europe burn up all summer, then freeze in the fall and winter, while the U.N. begins demanding unlimited amounts of baksheesh from rich countries to give to the poor ones for the sin of carbon dioxide emissions?

Pres. Trump withdrawing from Iranian nuclear deal, May 8, 2018 British Prince Harry (1984-) and Meghan Markle (1981-) in Royal Kiss, May 19, 2018 Michael Wolff (1953-) Eric Swalwell of the U.S. (1980-) Hope Hicks of the U.S. (1988-) Andrew McCabe of the U.S. (1968-) Larry Kudlow of the U.S. (1947-) Mike Pompeo of the U.S. (1963-) Gina Haspel of the U.S. (1956-) Jerome Powell of the U.S. (1953-) Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa (1952-) Stormy Daniels (1979-) U.S. Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson (1967-) U.S. Sen. Richard Burr (1955-) U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (1955-) U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (1969-) Matthew G. Whitaker of the U.S. (1969-) Brett Kavanaugh of the U.S. (1965-) Christine Blasey Ford (1966-) Catherine McKenna of Canada (1971-) Scott Morrison of Australia (1968-) Bill Cosby (1937-) Jim Acosta (1971-) Carlos Alvarado Quesada of Costa Rica (1980-) Iván Duque Márquez of Colombia (1976-) Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine (1935-) Truza Jamal Hassan (1998-) Sajid David of Britain (1969-) Sahle-Work Zewde of Ethiopia (1950-) Jared Polis of the U.S. (1975-) Kelly Knight Craft of the U.S. (1962-) Robert Bowers (1972-) Nikolas Cruz (1998-) Travis Reinking (1998-) Chris Watts (1985-) Ali Irsan Omar Ameen (1973-) Mohamed Mahmoud (1981-) Faisal Hussain Yusuf Aka (1995-) Mohamed Nizamdeen (1993-) Siraj Wahhaj Jr. (1979-) Jarrod Warren Ramos (1979-) Dimitrios Pagourtzis (2001-) Jake Thomas Patterson (1997-) and Jayme Closs (2005-) Alek Minassian (1992-) Momena Shoma (1993-) Cherif Chekatt (1989-2018) Joseph James De Angelo (1945-) Christhian Rivera (1994-) Amber Guyer and Botham Shem Jean (1992-2018) Stephon Clark (1995-2018) Mollie Tibbetts (1998-) Roger Hallam (1966-) Gail Bradbrook (1972-) Franklin Graham (1952-) Greta Thunberg (2003-) Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of the U.S. (1989-) Andrew R. Wheeler of the U.S. (1964-) David Stroh Buckel (1957-2018) David Turpin (1960-) and Louise Turpin (1968-) Sarah Rose Summers (1994-) Angelique Kerber (1988-) Keith Raniere Corey Johnson (2000-) Nick Foles (1989-) Baker Mayfield (1995-) Red Gerard of the U.S. (2000-) Chloe Kim of the U.S. (2000-) Shaun White of the U.S. (1986-) Evgenia Medvedeva of Russia (1999-) Alina Zagitova of Russia (2002-) Joshua Cooper Ramo (1968-) Jared Goff (1994-) Patrick Mahomes (1995-) Eliud Kipchoge (1984-) Brigid Kosgei (1994-) Vanessa Ponce (1992-) Angela Ponce (1991-) Catriona Gray (1994-) Jeff Rohrer (1958-) and Joshua Ross Louise Glück (1943-) Nada Murad (1993-) Denis Mukwege (1955-) Arthur Ashkin (1922-) Gérard Mourou (1944-) Donna Strickland (1959-) Frances Arnold (1956-) George Pearson Smith (1941-) Sir Gregory Winter (1951-) James Patrick Allison (1948-) Tasuku Honjo (1942-) William Nordhaus (1941-) Paul Romer (1955-) Hans Rosling (1948-2017) '21 Lessons for the 21st Century' by Yuval Noah Harari (1976-), 2018 Max Ritvo (1990-2016) Sara Iftekhar (1998-) Joe Bastardi (1955-) Andrew Light (1966-) Katharine Hayhoe and Andrew Farley (1972-) Rick Santorum of the U.S. (1958-) Cal Thomas (1942-) Chuck Todd (1972-) Danielle Pletka (1963-) Eric Weinstein (1965-) David Robert Whitehouse Morgan Wallen (1993-) Rebekah Mercer (1973-) Kehinde Wiley (1977-) Shoshana Zuboff (1951-) 'Official Portrait of Pres. Barack Obama' by Kehinde Wiley (1977-), 2018 Amy Sherald (1973-) 'Official Portrait of First Lady Michelle Obama' by Amy Sherald (1973-), 2018 'Fake Official Portrait of First Lady Michelle Obama' by Kehinde Wiley (1977-), 2018 '1921', 2018 'Annihilation', 2018 'Apostle', 2018 'Bird Box', 2018 'Black Panther', 2018 'Bohemian Rhapsody', 2018 'The Christmas Chronicles', 2018 'Cucuy: The Boogeyman', 2018 'The Favourite', 2018 'Halloween', 2018 'Hereditary', 2018 'The Nun', 2018 'Overlord', 2018 'The Possession of Hannah Grace', 2018 'Shoplifters', 2018 'Slender Man', 2018 'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse', 2018 'A Star Is Born', 2018 'Vice', 2018 'Winchester', 2018 Casa Brutale, 2018 Sir Anish Kapoor (1954-) 'Cloud Column' by Sir Anish Kapoor, 2018 'Morpheus Hotel', 2018 Nat. Lynching Memorial, 2018

2018 Doomsday Clock: 2 min. to midnight (worst since 1953). Chinese Year: Dog (Feb. 16). Time Mag. Person of the Year: Journalists Jamal Khashoggi et al., warriors in the "war on truth" In Trump's first year in office refugee admissions drop 70%, from 98,898 to 29,620 (decline of 69,278). This is the 4th hottest year on record after 2015-17; the first year since records began in 1950 with no killer (EF4 or EF5) tornadoes in the U.S.; also EF3?; global energy demand rises 2.3%, fastest in a decade. For the first time ever world pop. has more people over age 64 than under age 5. For the first time U.S. Dems. rate socialism more positively than capitalism. A mass exodus begins from the San Francisco Bay area in Calif. due to high housing costs combined with high crime and illegal immigrants; another mass exodus is happening in New York City, which is losing 100 residents/day, and the middle class has shrunk from 61% in the early 1970s to 48%. The GDP of the U.S.: $20.4T; China 14T (vs. $12T in 2017), Japan: $5.1T (vs. $4.87T in 2017), Germany: $4.2T, U.K. and France: $2.9T, India: $2.85T, Italy: $2.18T, Brazil: $2.14T, Canada: $1.8T. China's digital economy reaches 42% of the global e-commerce market, vs. less than 1% in 2008; the U.S. shares is down to 24% from 35% in 2005. homelessness in New York City reaches an all-time record of 133,284 unique individuals spending at least one night in a city shelter, becoming a 61% increase since fiscal year 2002. Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos passes the $100B mark in wealth, becoming a first for the annual Forbes list of the world's wealthiest. The U.S. becomes a net exporter of oil for the first time in decades (since ?); avg. oil price: $71.31/barrel (vs. $54.19/barrel in 2017). The state of Calif. ranks no. 1 for the percentage of residents aged 25+ who have never finished 9th grade (9.7%) (Tex. is #2 at 8.5%), and 49th for high school grads (82.5%). According to the U.S. Justice Dept. 64% of arrests made by the federal govt. this year are of non-U.S. citizens, vs. 37% in 1998. The 2017/8 2017/18 Northern Hemisphere Mega-Winter btings record cold temps. and snow, incl. the coldest Super Bowl on record, Niagara Falls frozen over, the lowest temp. ever recorded in Bangladesh, frozen crops creating a food crisis in Europe et al. This is the least extreme climate year on record, and according to satellite data of the lower troposphere, the 6th warmest year since 1979 after 1998, 2010, 2015, 2016, and 2017. Male sperm counts worldwide have dropped by 62% since 1973, threatening human extinction by 2100? On Jan. 1 the 2018 Rose Bowl sees the 12-1 Ga. Bulldogs defeat the 12-1 Okla. Sooners in 2nd OT after Lorenzo Carter blocks a Sooners field goal and Sony Michel makes a 27-yard TD; the Sooners led 31-17 at halftime under Heisman Trophy-winning QB Baker Mayfield; the first Rose Bowl game to go to OT. On Jan. 1 (early a.m.) a large New Year's Eve Muslim mob in Champigny-sur-Mer, Paris, France attacks a female police officer and burns 1,031 cars (v. 935 in 2017); 510 are arrested (v. 456 in 2017). On Jan. 1 (1:30 a..m.) a Muslim gunman kills two Copts celebrating New Year in an alcohol shop in Giza, Egypt. On Jan. 1 Pres. Trump tweets the soundbyte: "The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!", promising to withhold $255M in aid. On Jan. 1 the #TimesUp movement is founded by Hollywood celebs in response to #MeToo and the Weinstein Effect of people coming out of the woodwork to accuse powerful men of sexual misconduct, gleefully supported by the PC press. On Jan. 1 (12:30 p.m.) Muslim gunmen open fire on Christians returning from a church service in Omoku, Rivers State, Nigeria, killing 14+ and injuring 12. On Jan. 1 North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un gives a speech, in which he gloatingly issues the soundbyte that he has a nuclear button on his desk. On Jan. 1 Calif. legalizes recreational marijuana, anticipating a $100M/mo. industry. On Jan. 1 Baby Asel becomes the first newborn of 2018 in Austria - a Muslim. On Jan. 1 a new law in Iceland makes it illegal to pay women less than women. On Jan. 2 as anti-govt. protests rage in Iran while the Gulf countries rejoice, Pres Trump tweets the soundbyte: "The people of Iran are finally acting against the brutal and corrupt Iranian regime. All of the money that President Obama so foolishly gave them went into terrorism and into their 'pockets.' The people have little food, big inflation and no human rights. The U.S. is watching!", causing Iran to accuse Trump of "grotesque" interference in its internal affairs. On Jan. 4 the Dow Jones Industrial Avg. tops 25,000 for the first time. On Jan. 4 U.S. atty. gen. Jeff Sessions announces a decision to rescind the 2013 Obama admin. policy restraining the feds from enforcing marijuana laws in states that legalize it, leaving discretion in the hands of each state's U.S. atty. On Jan. 5 the Iranian Resistance urges the U.N. Security Council to defend the "legitimate right of people of Iran to overthrow ruling religious fascism"; since the U.N. is a virtual puppet of the Org. of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), don't count on it? On Jan. 5-6 authorities close down the St. Catherine Monastery in Sinai, when the Cops hold Christmas church services; the excuse is developing a World Heritage Site plan, but the real reason is fear of Islamist attacks? On Jan. 7 18-y.-o. Austrian Muslim Lorenz K. is charged with plotting with a 12-y.-o. German Iraqi Muslim to bomb a Christmas market in Ludwigshaven. On Jan. 7 (Sun.) light snow falls in Ain Sefra, Algeria ("Gateway to the Sahara Desert"), becoming the first since Jan. 20, 2017. On Jan. 7 Pres. Trump tweets the soundbytes: "I've had to put up with the Fake News from the first day I announced that I would be running for President. Now I have to put up with a Fake Book, written by a totally discredited author. Ronald Reagan had the same problem and handled it well. So will I!", and "Now that Russian collusion, after one year of intense study, has proven to be a total hoax on the American public, the Democrats and their lapdogs, the Fake News Mainstream Media, are taking out the old Ronald Reagan playbook and screaming mental stability and intelligence. "Actually, throughout my life, my two greatest assets have been mental stability and being, like, really smart. Crooked Hillary Clinton also played these cards very hard and, as everyone knows, went down in flames. I went from VERY successful businessman, to top T.V. Star to President of the United States (on my first try). I think that would qualify as not smart, but genius.... and a very stable genius at that!" On Jan. 7 (Sun.) (night) the 2018 (75th) Golden Globe Awards, held at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif., hosted by Seth Meyers award Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri the best motion picture - drama award, snubbing "Dunkirk", "The Post", and "The Shape of Water"; Lady Bird wins for best musical or comedy; Gary Oldman wins for best actor perf. in a drama for Darkest Hour, and Frances McDormand for best actress perf. in a drama for Three Billboards; James Franco wins for best actor perf. in a musical or comedy for The Disaster Artist, and Saoirse Ronan for Lady Bird; Sam Rockwell wins for best supporting actor for Three Billboards, and Allison Jannet for I, Tonya; after she is presented with a Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award, uttering the soundbyte "I want all of the girls watching here now to know that a new day is on the horizon", the crowd clamors for Oprah Winfrey to run for U.S. pres., causing Pres. Trump to reply that he is not afraid to take anybody on; in an Oct. 1999 interview with Larry King, Trump uttered the soundbyte that "Oprah would always be my first choice", adding "She's a really great woman... She is a terrific woman. She is somebody that is very special." On Jan. 9 Pres. Trump holds an hour-long Conference on Immigration with Repub. and Dem. lawmakers, opening it to the press, calling for "a bill of life" that addresses DACA while ending chain migration, secures the border by building a wall, and cancels the visa lottery program; at the private meeting he allegedly utters the soundbyte: "Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?", referring to Haiti and Africa, adding that he prefers people from countries like Norway, pissing-off the PC police, who call him a racist and ignore the fact that he's right because that's what they are?; on Jan. 11 Trump enemy John O. Brennan tweets the soundbyte: "Lady Liberty, our founding fathers, and generations of right-thinking Americans are all weeping tonight over the atrocious comments attributed to Donald Trump, who continues to demonstrate daily that he is a deeply flawed person"; Trump really said shithouse?; several meeting attendees later deny hearing the s-word; speaking of shithole, Dirty Denver, Colo., known for being run by leftist Dems. makes the city a sanctuary city for illegal immigrants, and makes them feel welcome by reducing punishment for public shitting. On Jan. 9 the Tex. State U. Star student newspaper pub. an op-ed titled Your DNA is an abomination by Trump-hating Hispanic senior Rudy Martinez, causing a firestorm of controversy with soundbytes incl. "White death will mean liberation for all", [Whiteness is] "a construct used to perpetuate a system of racist power", "White is over! If you want it", "Whiteness will be over because we want it to be. And when it dies, there will be millions of cultural zombies aimlessly wandering across a vastly changed landscape", and "Until then, remember this: I hate you because you shouldn't exist. You are both the dominant apparatus on the planet and the void in which all other cultures, upon meeting you, die." On Jan. 9-10 night protests throughout Tunisia cause police to injure dozens and arrest 206, while losing 49 wounded. On Jan. 10 the Southern Calif. Mudslides in Montecito, Calif. kill 20+. On Jan. 13 a false missile alert is sent in the Hawaiian Islands, causing panic until it is canceled after 38 min. On Jan. 15 two suicide bombers detonate on a busy street in Tayyaran Square in Baghdad, Iraq, killing 38+ and injuring 105. On Jan. 15 David Turpin (1960-) and Louise Turpin (1968-) are arrested after one of their daughters escapes their prison-like home in Perris, Calif. and rats on how they have been keeping her 12 siblings ages 2-29 prisoner and starving them; they are charged with torture. On Jan. 15 (night) Pope Francis arrives in Santiago, Chile, where he faces protests over failure to punish child molesting priest Fernando Karadima. On Jan. 16 (2:00 a.m.) British Muslim Yusuf Aka (1995-) launches a jihadist knife attack at a hospital in Nottinghamshire, stabbing a man before being confronted by a female nurse; on Aug. 24 he pleads guilty and is sentenced to five years. On Jan. 16 the Dow Jones Industrial Avg. hits 26,000 for the first time ever. On Jan. 16 the U.S. Depts. of Justice and Homeland Security release a report saying that 73% of 402 people convicted in federal courts on internat. terrorism-related chartes between 9/11 and Dec. 31, 2016 were foreign-born, with 148 naturalized, and that 1,716 aliens "with national security concerns were removed from the U.S., while in 2017 the DHS had "encounters" with thousands of people attempting to enter the U.S. who were in the FBI's Terrorist Screening Database. On Jan. 17 two captive 13-y.-o. girls working for Boko Haram kill 12 and injure dozens in a suicide attack in a market in Maiduguri, Nigeria. On Jan. 18 British PM Theresa May meets with French PM Emannuel Macron in Sandhurst after Britain promises to pay more for border security in Muslim-overrrun Calais. On Jan. 18 U.S. secy. of state Rex Tillerson utters the soundbyte that the U.S. will maintain an open-ended military presence in Syria to ensure defeat of ISIS because Pres. Trump doesn't want to "make the same mistake" Pres. Obama made in 2001; there are currently 2K U.S. troops in Syria. On Jan. 19 (a.m.) a Muslim inmate at French-run Borgo Prison in Corsica attacks and stabs two guards while shouting "Allahu Akbar". On Jan. 19/20 (midnight) after Congress deadlocks over the Dreamers, the U.S. govt. shuts down (until ?), with each party blaming the other; it reopens on Jan. 23 after one business day. On Jan. 20 the Dow Jones Industrial Avg. reaches 19,827.25 (up 94.85), growing 31% in Pres. Trump's first year in office, highest since FDR in 1933. On Jan. 20 the 1st anniv. of the inauguration of Pres. Trump sees Women's March demonstrations across the U.S. in protest of his rhetoric and policies, which doesn't phase him, causing him to tweet about "the historic milestones and unprecedented economic success and wealth creation that has taken place over the last 12 months" and "Lowest female unemployment in 18 years". On Jan. 20 19-y.-o. Muslim ex-student Truza Jamal Hassan (1998-) is arrested for setting eight small fires around the campus of St. Catherine U. in Minneapolis, Minn. in retaliation for U.S. attacks on Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan, telling police: "You guys are lucky that I don't know how to build a bomb", claiming that she "wanted the school to burn to the ground and that her intent was to hurt people." On Jan. 20 (9:00 p.m. local time) six Taliban militants begin a siege at the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul, Afghanistan, which ends after 13 hours with 18 dead incl. 14 foreigners after 150 guests shimmying down bedsheets to escape. On Jan. 20 Turkey launches air strikes on Kurdish YPG fighters in Kurdish Afrin on the Turkish-Syrian border to eliminate the U.S.-backed Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), causing civilians to organize a human shield to protect them on Mar. 10. On Jan. 22 U.S. vice-pres. Mike Pence addresses the Israeli Knesset, announcing U.S. plans to move their embassy to Jerusalem next year. On Jan. 22 a motorcycle bomb explodes in a pork stall in mostly Muslim Yala Province, S Thailand, killing three and injuring 22. On Jan. 22 a draft report by the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security at the request of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) commissioner Kevin McAleenan calls for long-term surveillance of "at-risk" Sunni Muslim immigrants. On Jan. 23 a 15-y.-o. boy shoots up Marshall County H.S. in Benton, Ky., killing two students and injuring 18 before being arrested. On Jan. 24 (9:00 a.m. local time) a suicide car bomb on a Save the Children office in Jalalabad, Afghanistan followed by an RPG attack kills three and injuring 26; ISIS claims responsibility. On Jan. 24 two car bombs near a mosque in Benghazi, Libya kill 27 and injure 20-30. On Jan. 24 Pres. Trump meets with reporters and utters the soundbyte that he's flopping and supporting eventual citizenship for the Dreamers, with the soundbyte: "We're going to morph into it." On Jan. 25-6 the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland is attended by Pres. Trump, who gives a speech on Jan. 26, saying "America is open for business", with the soundbytes: "Now is the perfect time to bring your business, your jobs, and your investments to the U.S.", "America is open for business and we are competitive once again", "As president of the United States, I will always put American first just as the leaders of other countries should put their countries first", causing misnamed U.N. human rights chief Zeid Raad al-Hussein to utter the soundbyte: "It's the script of the 20th century. He urged all countries to pursue their own interest, almost without reference to the fact that if you do all of that, if each country is narrowly pursuing its agenda, it will clash with the agendas of others and we will take the world back to 1913 once again." On Jan. 25 2-day Last Hope Syria Peace Talks by the U.N. begin in Vienna. On Jan. 26 the Trump-hating New York Times claims that Pres. Trump ordered special counsel Robert Mueller fired last June, but backed down when his atty. Daniel McGahn threatened to quit; Trump calls it fake news - Trump back down? On Jan. 26 the 2018 Paris Flood starts after rains stop. On Jan. 26 House minority leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) addresses the Conference on Mayors, letting the cat out of the bag with the soundbyte that the real goal of Pres. Trump's proposed immigration plan is "to make America white again"; new non-white immigrants however, "make America more American". On Jan. 27 a Taliban suicide bomber in an ambulance detonates at a police checkpoint in Kaboom, er, Kabul, Afghanistan, killing 103 and injuring 235. On Jan. 28 (Sun.) pres. elections in Finland give a landslide V to incumbent Sauli Niinisto, who wins 62.7% of the vote. On Jan. 28 a proposed Polish law to make it a crime to claim that Poland helped the Nazis in WWII pisses-off Israel. On Jan. 29 (7:30 a.m. local time) Am. Muslim Khalil Lawal (b. 1986) of Arlington, Va. in a black Honda plows into pedestrians in South Philadelphia, Penn., injuring one before being killed by an off-duty cop; terrorism is suspected, but the police don't release his name until Jan. 30, his Facebook page revealing that he is a member of Jannah Al-Firdaus, whose motto is "Jannah (Paradise) is my Goal". On Jan. 29 deputy FBI dir. Andrew McCabe abruptly resigns (really fired?). On Jan. 30 (9:00 p.m. EDT) Pres. Trump delivers his 80-min. 2018 State of the Union Speech, ignoring the hype that he would present a softer milder version of himself, calling his first year in office an "extraordinary success", calling for a "new American moment", and castigating Dems. repeatedly esp. on immigration, backing a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers as long as chain migration is prevented, with the soundbyte: "Americans are dreamers too", using the word "America" 80+ times and getting 111 standing ovations; he calls for $1.5T in federal funds to revamp the U.S. infrastructure, with states providing support, says that U.S. foreign aid should "only go to friends of America", calls for the removal of "federal employees who undermine the public trust or fail the American people", and says "One of my greatest priorities is to reduce the price of prescription drugs"; when he notes that black 6.8%) and Hispanic unemployment is now the lowest in history, Dem. blacks and Hispanics refuse to clap; he unexpectedly announces that he has revoked Pres. Obama's 2009 order to close Gitmo, saying that the may send more POWs there when necessary; too bad, Jan. employment statistics reveal that black unemployment has shot back up to 7.7%, highest since Trump took office in Jan. 2017. On Jan. 30 Pres. Trump signs the U.S. Thomasina E. Jordan Indian Tribes of Va. Federal Recognition Act of 2017, granting federal recognition to six Native Am. tribes recognized by Va. On Jan. 30 Am. Muslim teenie girl Maarib Al Hishmawi (2001-) is reporting missing after leaving Taft H.S. in Bexar County, Tex.; in Mar. she is located, revealing that her parents beat her with broomsticks and poured hot cooking oil on her for refusing a $20K arranged marriage. On Jan. 31 (early a.m.) a super blue blood Moon. On Jan. 31 an Amtrak train carrying dozens of Repub. members of Congress and staff to a retreat at the Greenbrier in W. Va. crashes into a truck near Charlottesville, Va., killing truck driver Christopher Foley (b. 1989). On Jan. 31 Judicial Watch releases 42 pages of documents showing that the Obama admin. tried to undermine Pres. Trump's new admin. by releasing classified Russian intel. just before his inauguration to U.S. Sen. (D-Md.) Ben Cardin of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In late Jan. the Inaugural U.S.-Qatar Strategic Dialogue is followed on Feb. 1 by the launch of the Gulf Internat. Forum. In late Jan. an open letter signed by 200+ pro-global warming scientists incl. Michael E. Mann and Katharine Hayhoe calls on the Am. Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York City to remove wealthy climate change denier and Pres. Trump supporter Rebekah "Bekah" Mercer (1973-) (backer of Breitbart) from its board, and to "end ties to anti-science propagandists and funders of climate science misinformation", causing a group of you know whats incl. Willie Soon, Will Happer, Richard Lindzen, Craig Idso, and Geoffrey Duffy to send AMNH an open letter begging them "not to cave in to this pressure", with the soundbyte: "The Earth has supported abundant life many times in the geological past when there were much higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. It is quite likely that future generations will benefit from the enrichment of Earth's atmosphere with more carbon dioxide. Make no mistake, the agitators are not defending science from quackery - quite the contrary!" In Jan. the Nutella Brawls in France begin when the Intermarche supermarket chain drops the price of a 950g jar from €4.50 to €1.41. In Jan. former U.S. secy. of state John Kerry meets with top PLO negotiator Hussein Agha in London, telling him to "be strong", "play for time", and "not yield to President Trump's demands", urging him to attack Trump personally, like he did a year earlier when he cursed Trump with the soundbyte "May your house be destroyed". In Jan. after all the shadow banning and deplatforming of non-PC people, Am. mathematical physicist Eric Ross Weinstein (1965-) coins the term "intellectual dark web" for the few remaining YouTube personalities who refuse to tow the orthodox PC line and actually think for themselves and debate unpopular issues. In Jan. Project Veritas reveals the Twitter practice of "shadow banning", secretly banning users for their conservative content by making sure their posts are not seen by other users; in combo with Google they are effectively skewing election results and opening the West to Muslim takeover? In Jan. U.S. unemployment is 4.1% for the 4th straight month, with 200K new jobs and a 2.9% increase in wages (vs. 2.7% in Dec.), largest year-over-year increase since June 2009. On Feb. 2 after tweeting the soundbyte "The top Leadership and Investigators of the FBI and the Justice Department have politicized the sacred investigative process in favor of Democrats and against Republicans - something which would have been unthinkable just a short time ago. Rank & File are great people!", Pres. Trump orders the release of a 4-page classified memo by Repub. House Intel Committee chmn. Devin Nunes revealing that FBI Dir. James Comey used a discredited 35-page anti-Trump dossier to obtain a FISA court warrant to engage in surveillance on volunteer Trump foreign policy adviser Carter Page, pissing-off the Dems., who claim that Trump is using it to discredit the Robert Mueller Trump-Russia witchhunt, er, investigation. On Feb. 3 the 2-week-old (since Jan. 20) Turkish military attack on Syrian Kurdish militia-held Afrin, N Syria results in the killing of eight Turkish troops. On Feb. 4 (2:45 a.m. local time) an Amtrak Silver Star passenger train en route from New York City to Miami, Fla. slams into a parked freight train 10 mi. S of Columbia, S.C., killing two crew and injuring 100+. On Feb. 4 140K protest in Syntagma Square in Athens, Greece over allowing the Former Yugoslav Repub. of Macedonia to keep its name, calling it Skopje instead and pointing to the Greek province of Macedonia. On Feb. 4 an air raid by the Saudi-led coalition hits a police bldg. in Sana'a, Yemen, killing eight. On Feb. 4 Israeli PM Benjamin announces plans to legalize the isolated West Bank outpost of Havat Gilad in response to the murder of a father of six who lived there. On Feb. 5 (Wild Mon.) (day after Super Bowl Sun.) the Dow Jones Industrial Avg. plunges almost 1,600 points (6%) before ending the day down 1,179 points (4%), erasing gains for the year; the S&P Index falls 4%, losing $1T in market capitalization; on Feb. 6 the Dow recovers by 567 points. On Feb. 5 an Iraqi govt. spokesman announces to the AP that U.S. troops have started to draw down from Iraq after Baghdad's declaration of victory over ISIS last year. On Feb. 5 Washington, D.C.-born Jerome Hayden "Jay" Powell (1953-) becomes Federal Reserve chmn. #16 (until ?), going on to rub rhubarb with Pres. Trump, who calls him an "enemy equivalent or worse" than Chinese dictator Xi Jinping, criticizing him for not lowering federal interest rates and instituting quantitative easing until the 2020 Coronavirus forces him. On Feb. 5 anti-Trump U.S. Rep. (D-Calif.) (2013-) Eric Michael Swalwell Jr. (1980-) introduces the U.S. Journalist Protection Act, making it a federal crime for Pres. Trump, er, to intimidate journalists to protect them from the "toxic environment created by Trump. On Feb. 5-7 the Alliance of Virtue for the Common Good Conference in the Marriot Marquis Hotel in Washington, D.C., run by Mauritanian-born Muslim cleric Sheikh Abdullah bin Bayyah hosts Sam Brownback and other U.S. officials. On Feb. 6 (night) a 6.4 earthquake hits Hualien, Taiwan, killing 7+. On Feb. 7 Am. Muslim Munther Omar Saleh (1995-) is sentenced to 18 years in federal prison after admitting to plotting a jihad massacre in New York City for ISIS. On Feb. 7 the 19-member U.N. NGO Committee of the U.N. Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) meets in New York City, rejecting applications from TWO U.S.-based groups fighting for human rights in Iran and North Korea, the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center (IHRDC) (founded 2004) and the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK) (founded in 2001), which U.S. U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley calls "shameful". On Feb. 8 a Rasmussen poll gives Pres. Trump's job approval rating as 48%, vs. 44 for Pres Obama at the same point in his presidency. On Feb. 9 (a.m.) after the federal govt. shuts down overnight and 73 Dems. switch to offset 67 Repubs., giving a 71-28 Senate vote at 2:00 a.m., followed by a 240-186 House vote at 5:30 a.m., Pres. Trump signs budget law boosting spending by hundreds of billions of dollars incl. $300B for military programs, pissing-off Ky. Sen. Rand Paul, who held the vote up until the last minute, with the soundbyte: "How come you were against President Obama's deficits and then how come you're for Republican deficits?" On Feb. 9 Egypt launches Operation Sinai 2018 to purge the region of Islamist terrorists. On Feb. 9 a U.N. committee urges Spain to ban children under 18 from bullfights and bullfighting schools to prevent "harmful effects". On Feb. 9 shy introverted Muslim Bangladeshi scholarship student Momena Shoma (1993-) stabs her 56-y.-o. homestay host Roger Singaravelu in the neck in Melbourne, Australia after practicing on a mattress, later telling police she was "acting on behalf of the Caliphate" and that she had not come to Australia to study but to kill in the name of Allah, appearing in court in a niqab clamming to be an ISIS soldier, refusing to stand or enter a plea; on June 8, 2019 she is sentenced to max sentence of 42 years in jail, becoming the first in Australia to be convicted of violent jihad. On Feb. 9 a 250m 130-tonne Monster Fatberg found last year goes on display at the Museum of London, composed of sewer clog. On Feb. 10 after House Dem. Adam Schiff sends him a spin memo, Pres. Trump tweets the soundbyte: "The Democrats sent a very political and long response memo which they knew, because of sources and methods (and more), would have to be heavily redacted, whereupon they would blame the White House for lack of transparency. Told them to re-do and send back in proper form!" On Feb. 10 (early a.m.) (one day before the 39th anniv. of the Iranian Islamic Rev.) an Iranian drone (UAV) enters Israeli airspace from Syria, causing the IAF to shoot it down and Syrian AA batteries to respond, hitting an Israeli F-16 that crashes in Israeli territory, critically injuring one pilot, after which the IAF raids Syria, hitting 12 targets, becoming their biggest attack against Syria since the 1982 Lebanon war, and Israel warns Iran over its continuing presence in Syria; on Feb. 12 the big rally in Tehran sees hundreds of thousands curse the U.S. as "enemy number one"; on Feb. 20 U.S. U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley gives a speech to the U.N. Security Council, with the soundbytes: "Israel, like any other country, has a right to defend itself and its borders. The Israeli people face the frightening escalation of Islamic terror acts through Israel. The Palestinian Authority refuses to take the most basic steps towards ensuring peace with Israel, and instead incites terrorism. Textbooks in Gaza and the West Bank teach children that Israel has no right to exist. They teach their children to hate Jews. The Hamas charter calls for the destruction of the State of Israel and the Jewish people"; "The West must stop embracing Islam-based hatred of Israel." On Feb. 10 a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone destroys a Russian-made T-72 battle tank in Syria after U.S. special ops come under attack by pro-Assad forces. On Feb. 10 (11:30 a.m.) police officers Anthony "Tony" Morelli (b. 1963) and Eric Joering (b. 1978) are shot and killed in Westerville, Ohio after responding to a 911 hangup call. On Feb. 11 U.S. secy. of state Rex Tillerson arrives in Cairo, Egypt to kick off a tour of five Middle Eastern countries; meanwhile Egypt launches an offensive against Islamist militants in the Sinai Peninsula. On Feb. 11 a street vendor's gas canister explodes at a carnival in Oruro, Bolivia, killing eight and injuring 40+. On Feb. 12 a Russian An-148 regional jet crashes shortly after takeoff from Domodedovo Airport in Orsk, Russia, killing all 65 passengers and six crew. On Feb. 13 a Turkish patrol boat rams a Greek coast guard boat off Imia Island, over which Turkey claims sovereignty. On Feb. 14 a truck carrying African migrants crashes S of Bani Walid, Libya, killing 19 and injuring 100+. On Feb. 13 Plano, Tex. city councilman Tom Harrison (Methodist) is attacked by local Muslim groups for calling for Islam to be banned from public schools in a Facebook post, with mayor Harry LaRosiliere calling on him to resign, after which he eats crow, with the soundbyte: "My intent on inputting this on my personal Facebook page was to emphasize that Christianity is not the only religion being targeted for exclusion in our public school"; part of a Muslim conspiracy to supplant Christianity in U.S. public schools? On Feb. 14 (2:21 p.m.) (Valentine's Day) 19-y.-o. expelled JROTC student Nikolas Jacob Cruz (1998-) shoots up 3.3K-student Marjory Stoneman Douglas H.S. in Parkland, Fla. 45 mi. N of Miami with an AR-15-style assault rifle after tossing in smoke grenades that set off fire alarms, then pick them off as they pour out, killing 17 and injuring 15 before being trying to melt in with the fleeing students and getting arrested, becoming the 18th U.S. school shooting of the year and highest kill count since Columbine H.S. in Colo. (13); on Feb. 14 (night) the board of Hanover School District 28 30 mi. SE of Colorado Springs, Colo. votes 3-2 to allow school employees to be armed on the job; it later emerges that four armed Broward County deputies hid outside the school while the shooting was going on, making public statements by Coral Springs police chief Tony Pustizzi blaming the NRA seem lame. On Feb. 14 Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu rejects calls to step down after police recommend his indictment on corruption charges. On Feb. 14, 2018 (night) after a vote of no-confidence, "the Lying King" South African pres. Jacob Zuma resigns after nine years, and on Feb. 15 wealthy businessman (ANC pres. since Dec. 18, 2017) Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa (1952-) (Nelsa Mandela's choice) becomes pres. #5 of South Africa (until ?), becoming the first from the Venda ethnic group, going on to commit the African Nat. Congress (ANC) to land expropriation from white farmers, with ANC chmn. uttering the soundbyte "You shouldn't own more than 24,000 acres of land" in early Aug., causing concerns that South Africa may be "Zimbabweficated". On Feb 14 a New York federal judge blocks Pres. Trump's Sept. 2017 executive order overturning Pres. Obama's order creating the DACA program. On Feb. 15 Iran-backed terrorist group Hezbollah brags that it will have 500K missiles aimed at Israel within a year - thanks to Obama? On Feb. 15 Russia admits that five Russian citizens were killed by U.S.-led coalition forces in a bombing of pro-govt. Syrian fighters, becoming their first admission of non-military casualties in Syria. On Feb. 16 U.S. special counsel Robert Mueller indicts 13 Russians and 3 Russian cos. for unsuccessfully attempting to disrupt the 2016 U.S. pres. election by assuming false U.S. identities, being careful to state that any Trump campaign people they contacted were unaware of their true identities, causing Pres. Trump to tweet "The results of the election were not impacted. The Trump campaign did nothing wrong - no collusion!" On Feb. 16 after being arrested in 2016, Muslim jihadist Tamim Khaja (1997-) is sentenced for planning a massacre in Sydney, Australia, saying he wanted to use "maximum fire". On Feb. 16 (night) three female Boko Haram suicide bombers detonate in a crowded fish market in Konduga (near Maiduguri), Borno, Nigeria, killing 18+ and injuring 22. On Feb. 18 ISIS militants ambush the pro-govt. Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces) (PMF) in Hawija, Kirkuk, Iraq, killing 24+. On Feb. 18 (Sun.) Allah Akbar-screaming ISIS gunman Khalil al-Dagestani (Halilov Khalil Umarovich) opens fire with a hunting rifle on people leaving an Orthodox church service in Kizlyar Dagestan, Russia on the Chechen border, killing four woman and fatally injuring a 5th before police kill him, after two officers are injured; ISIS claims responsibility. On Feb. 18 Syrian warplanes begin bombing Eastern Ghouta (near Damascus), Syria, last rebel enclave in Syria, killing 335 and injuring 1.2K by Feb. 22, when the U.N. pleads for a truce. On Feb. 18 the 2018 Calif. Wildfires begin with the Pleasant Fire in Inyo County, burning 2,070 acres by the time it is contained on Apr. 19; on June 11 the Lions fire in Madera County burns 7.8K+ acres before it is contained on ?; on June 30 the multi-county Lake-Napa-Yolo County Fire burns 90,288 acres before being contained on July 14; on July 6 record high temps are set at UCLA (111), Burbank (114), Santa Ana (114), Van Nuys (117), and Chino (120); on July 13 the Ferguson Fire in Mariposa County burns 94K+ acres before being contained on ?; on July 23 the Carr Fire in Shasta burns 167K+ acres before being contained on ?; on July 26 Redding, Calif. hits 133F as the Carr fire races out of control and causes deaths; on July 27 the Mendocino Complex Fire in Mendocino-Lake-Colusa Counties burns 283K+ acres before being contained on?; in July Fresno, Calif. reaches 100F or higher for 26 straight days, and Palm Springs, Calif. has a record July avg. temp of 97.4F, while Scripps Pier in San Diego, Calif. reaches a record 78.8F surface water temp; on Aug. 4 a nat. disaster is declared in N Calif after 4,983 fires burn 610,266 acres (2,469.66 sq. km), becoming the largest in Calif. history; on Aug. 6 twin fires N of San Francisco, Calif.; the years with the warmest summertime min. Calif. temps are 2017 (top), 2015, 2014, 2006, 2016, and 2003; manmade global warming is not a major factor, with U.S. Geological Survey fire scientist Jon Keeley uttering the soundbyte: "What's changing is not the fires themselves but the fact that we have more and more people at risk", U.S. interior secy. Ryan Zinke uttering the soundbyte: "We have been held hostage by these environmentalist terrorist groups that have not allowed public access, that refuse to allow harvest of timber", and anti-environmentalist Paul Driessen (1948-) blaming environmentalists, with the soundbyte: "Eco-purists want no cutting, no thinning - no using fire retardants in 'sensitive' areas because the chemicals might get into streams that will be boiled away by conflagrations. They prevent homeowners from clearing brush around their homes, because it might provide cover or habitat for endangered species and other critters that will get incinerated or lose their forage, prey and habitats in the next blaze. They rarely alter their policies during drought years. The resulting fires are not the 'forest-rejuvenating' blazes of environmentalist lore. They are cauldron-hot conflagrations that exterminate wildlife habitats, roast bald eagle and spotted owl fledglings alive in their nests, boil away trout and trout streams, leave surviving animals to starve, and incinerate every living organism in already thin soils.. that then get washed away during future downpours and snow melts. Areas incinerated by such fires don't recover their arboreal biodiversity for decades." On Feb. 20 the Fla. State House of Reps passes HR 157, declaring porno a "public health risk". On Feb. 20 Palestinian Authority pres. (since Jan. 15, 2005) Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) (1935-) gives a speech to the U.N. Security Council, accusing the Trump admin. of abdicating its commitment to an independent Palestinian state, calling for an internat. peace conference under U.N. not U.S. sponsorship; when he abruptly exits stage left after his speech, U.S. U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley utters the soundbyte: "Our negotiators are sitting right behind me, ready to talk. We will not chase after you. The choice, Mr. President, is yours." On Feb. 20 after Pres. Trump tweets that he has been tougher on Russia then Pres. Obama, ex-CIA dir. John O. Brennan tweets the soundbyte: "It never ceases to amaze me how successful you have been making yourself so small, petty, and banal with your tweets. Your insecurity is well deserved, as is your concern over Russia investigation." On Feb. 21 Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu announces that Israel intel services have thwarted an ISIS plot to blow up a plane from Sydney, Australia using an IED inside a meat mincer. On Feb. 21 Canadian PM Justin Trudeau visits India, incl. the Golden Temple of Amritsar, wearing Indian garb. On Feb. 21 Iranian senior official Mohsen Rezai gives an interview on Al-Manar TV, containing the soundbyte: "If Israel takes even the smallest step [against Iran], we will annihilate Tel Aviv and raze it to the ground." On Feb. 21 Am. evangelist Billy Graham (b. 1918) dies in Montreat, N.C., and his son William Franklin Graham III (1952-), pres. since 1978 of Samaritan's Purse evangelical Christian charity takes over his org., taking over the endless fight against Satan incl. gay and Muslim candidates and legislation and the PC police. On Feb. 22 Muslim immigrant Munir Mohammed (1980-) of Derby, England is sentenced to life in prison (min. 14 years) for plotting a jihadist massacre; his pharmacist wife Rowaida El-Hassan is given 12 years. On Feb. 23-25 the Nation of Islam celebrate's Saviour's Day (birhday of founder Wallace Fard Muhammad) in Chicago, Ill.; leader Louis Farrakhan gives a speech, with the soundbytes: "White folks are going down. And Satan is going down. And Farrakhan, by God's grace, has pulled the cover off the eyes of that Satanic Jew, and I'm here to say your time is up, your world is through"; "Jews were responsible for all of this filth and degenerate behavior that Hollywood is putting out" and are "the children of the devil"; "When you want something in this world, the Jew holds the door." On Feb. 24 the Great Britain and Ireland Cold Wave (Beast from the East) begins (ends Mar. 19), caused by a large Arctic air mass with anticyclonic structure stretching from E Russia to the British Isles and centered on Scandinavia. On Feb. 24 Oakland, Calif. Dem. mayor Libby Schaaf issues a warning to illegals about an upcoming ICE sweep, causing calls for her prosecution. On Feb. 24 Aid to the Church in Need turns the Roman Colosseum red to commemorate the massacres of Christians in the Middle East by Muslims. On Feb. 25 Mafia whistleblower Jan Kuciak is found shot dead in his home along with fiancee Martina Kusnirovaafter pub. a report on the "Italian track" of figures with Mafia connections, causing Slovak police on Mar. 1 to arrest several Italian businessmen named in the report incl. Antonino Vadala, alleged to have links with the 'Ndrangeta crime syndicate. On Feb. 26 the 37th Session of the U.N. Human Rights Council convenes, with U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Prince Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein complaining of "violations of human rights which should have served as a trigger for preventative action" (meaning alleged Israeli oppression of Palestinians, not his oppression of his people?), calling for a Code of Conduct to stop the U.S. and other permanent members of the U.N. Security Council from making "pernicious use" of their veto against resolutions condemning Israel, like the U.S. has done 43x. On Feb. 26 the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan rules that Title VII of the 1964 U.S. Civil Rights Act protects gays from being fired from their jobs by straining to find a loophole in the wording, making hay of its wording of "sex" instead of "gender", with the soundbyte: "Sexual orientation discrimination is a subset of sex discrimination because sexual orientation is defined by one's sex in relation to the sex of those to whom one is attracted, making it impossible for an employer to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation without taking sex into account"; too bad, the Act doesn't mention sexual orientation, and they legislated from the bench? - lonely days, lonely nights, where would I be without my woman? On Feb. 27 (night) Taliban fighters in S Afghanistan on the Kandahar-Uruzgan border kidnap 30 incl. 19 policemen, and kill six policemen in two separate attacks. On Feb. 27 Bernard Augustine (1996-) of Keyes (near Modesto), Calif. is arrested for trying to join ISIS after traveling to Tunisia in 2016. On Feb. 27 after a proposal by white-hating Marxist radical Julius Malema of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), the parliament of South Africa by 241-83 votes to confiscate land owned by white farmers without paying compensation; on Aug. 23 Pres. Trump issues a tweet asking U.S. secy. of state Mike Pompeo to study land confiscation and "large scale killing of farmers" in South Africa, causing the rand to fall 1.3% and the African Nat. Congress to criticize Trump for "this narrow perception which only seeks to divide our nation and reminds us of our colonial past." On Feb. 28 after a Congressional committee trips her up into admitting that she told "white lies" on Pres. Trump's behalf on Feb. 27, Hope Charlotte Hicks (1988-) announces her intention to resign as White House communications dir., becoming Trump's longest-serving political aide. On Feb. 28 Pres. Trump stuns Repubs. by embracing gun control on live TV at the White House, urging lawmakers to ressurect gun safety legislation they opposed for years; too bad, Congress does nothing as usual. In Feb. the Hungarian legislature introduces a Stop Soros Bill to "empower the interior minister to ban non-governmental organizations [NGOs] that support migration and pose a national security risk", causing Soros to relocate his Central European U. to Vienna. In Feb. U.S. unemployment is 4.1% for the 5th straight month, with 6.7M unemployed, adding 235K jobs, 200K+ in seven of the last 12 mos., incl. 31K manufacturing jobs, 263K since Dec. 2016. On Mar. 1 Russian pres. Vladimir Putin delivers his annual state of the nation address, bragging about new "invincible" doomsday weapons incl. a nuclear-tipped torpedo. On Mar. 1 Pres. Trump announces a tariff of 25% on steel and 10% on aluminum imports, pissing-off Repubs., who call it a massive tax increase. On Mar. 1 the state of Calif. is ranked last among U.S. states in quality of life; Los Angeles County has 58K homeless people, up 46% in 2013-17. On Mar. 1 Winter (False Tropical) Storm Riley (Mar. 2018 Nor'Easter). On Mar. 2 the nat. army HQ and French embassy in Ougadougou, Burkina Faso are attacked by Allah-Akbar-shouting jihadists, killing seven plus six attackers; al-Qaida's Mali branch JNIM (Group for Support of Islam and Muslims) claims credit. On Mar. 2 a car bomb near an Australian embassy convoy in E Afghanistan kills one child and injures several. On Mar. 2 British police announce the conviction of three Muslims incl. ringleader Umar Ahmed Haque (1992-) of Barking, East London on terrorism charges for planning to recruit 55 children for attacks in London. On Mar. 2 former CIA dir. John Brennan utters the soundbyte that Pres. Trump is "unstable, inept, inexperienced, and also unethical". On Mar. 2 17-y.-o. Muslim convert Lloyd Gunton is jailed indefinitely (at least 11 years) for planning an "act of atrocity" in Cardiff, England during a Justin Bieber concert. On Mar. 2 21-y.-o. Tunisian Muslim immigrant Ismail Tommaso Hosni (1996-) is sentenced to seven years for a knife attack on two soldiers and a railway police officer in Milan, Italy in May; the judge reduces his 10-year sentence for mental illness. ON Mar. 30 Cameron Ross Burgess (b. 1991) of Maylene, Ala. shoots himself to death outside the White House. On Mar. 4 after the Houthi militia closes gasoline filling stations for a 6th straight day, protests in Sana'a, Yemen by tens of civilians in front of the secretariat bldg. On Mar. 4 after people tell the EU to stuff it with their desire for more immigration, gen. elections in Italy are a V for the center-right Matteo Salvini's League and anti-establishment Five Star Movement, with the center-left coalition led by former PM Matteo Renzi coming in 3rd, resulting in a hung parliament; Italy's Innovation and Economic Development Centre calls the result "the greatest affirmation of anti-establishment parties in the panorama of Western Europe since the post-war period." On Mar. 4 former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter are found unconscious on a beach in S England, which is later determined to be from poisoning, causing a cabinet-level meeting to be held on Mar. 7 as London's Metropolitan Police counterterrorism unit takes over the investigation, which fingers Russian pres. Vladimir Putin; on Mar. 14 Britain expels 23 Russian diplomats, causing Russia to do ditto with 23 British diplomats, and the U.S. to ditto on Mar. 26 with 60 Russian diplomats, and Russia to do ditto on Mar. 29 with 60 U.S. diplomats. On Mar. 4 after being delayed for the 2018 Winter Olympics, the 90th (2018) Academy Awards, presented at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Calif. are hosted by Jimmy Kimmel (first to repeat since Billy Crystal in 1997-8); "The Shape of Water" (13 nominations) wins four Oscars incl. best picture and best dir. for Guillermo del Toro; "Dunkirk" (8 nominations) wins three Oscars; rare retro white straight male Gary Oldman wins best actor for "Darkest Hour"; female Frances McDormand wins best actress for "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" (seven nominations), and Sam Rockwell wins best supporting actor; female Allison Janney wins best supporting actress for "I, Tonya"; black Jordan Peele wins best original screenplay for "Get Out", and gay James Ivory wins best adapted screenplay for "Call Me by Your Name"; "Coco" wins for best animated feature film; the most ridiculous and irrelevant best picture Oscar yet?; the new diversity members of the Academy wouldn't vote for a too-white film, allowing one with a Mexican dir. to come to the top by default no matter how silly his film?; no wonder that ratings dropped 19% from last year, continuing a multi-year slide. On Mar. 5 Iran claims that if the U.S. pulls out of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), it can produce 20% enriched uranium in only 48 hours. On Mar. 5 Hungary presents a 12-point "security first" proposal to the U.N. to counter its Global Compact for Migration, which Pres. Trump chucked in Dec., calling it a "no borders plan". On Mar. 6 a South Korean delegation returns a meeting with Kim Jong-un in North Korea, with the claim that North Korea is willing to hold denuclearization talks with the U.S. while suspending nuclear tests. On Mar. 6 the U.S. Justice Dept. sues the state of Calif. for passing laws hindering enforcement of federal immigration law and endangering federal agents, with U.S. atty. gen. Jeff Sessions uttering the soundbyte: "The Department of Justice and the Trump administration are going to fight these unjust, unfair, and unconstitutional policies that have been imposed on you." On Mar. 6 Gary Cohn, Pres. Trump's chief economic advisor (since Jan. 20, 2017) announces his resignation over disagreement about tariffs; on Mar. 15 Pres. Trump appoints Lawrence Alan "Larry" Kudlow (1947-) as his successor (until ?). On Mar. 6 Am. Muslim Ali Muhammad Brown (1984-) of Seattle, Wash. pleads guilty to murdering 19-y.-o. college student Brandon Tevlin in June 2014 at a traffic light in West Orange, N.J. after he told police that his all-male victims represented a "life for a life" to avenge U.S. mideast policy, and each was a "just kill" because they were unacommpanied; he awaits trial for three more murders in Wash. state in 2014. On Mar. 7 Denver for Psilocybin holds a rally on the steps of the City and County Bldg. of Denver, Colo. to legalize magic mushrooms. On Mar. 8 Internat. Women's Day sees the Communist Rev. Student Front (RSF) vandalize the Littlefield WWI memorial fountain on the campus of the U. of Tex. at Austin. On Mar. 9 (10:30 a.m.) ex-U.S. Army infantryman Albert Wong (b. 1981) attacks the Pathway Home at the Veterans Home of Calif. (largest in the U.S.) in Yountville, Calif., taking and killing three hostages before committing suicide. On Mar. 11 by 2959-2-3 the Nat. Peoples' Congress of China removes the 2-term limit on the presidency, saving new Fuehrer Xi Jinping from stepping down in 2023. On Mar. 11 Israel passes a law allowing the permanent residency of jihadist terrorists to be revoked, pissing-off the EU, who wants to protect sacred cow Palestinians. On Mar. 12 U.S. U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley gives a speech to the U.N. Security Council, covering the history of U.S. involvement in Syria and warning that military action is still on the table against the regime of Bashar al-Assad, with the soundbyte: “This is no cease-fire. This is the Assad regime, Iran and Russia continuing to wage war against their political opponents,” Haley charged. "If we can't save families that haven't seen the Sun for weeks because they have been hiding underground to escape barrel bombs,” she said, “then the Security Council is as impotent as its worst critics say it is. When the international community consistently fails to act, there are times when states are compelled to take their own action." On Mar. 12 the Repub.-dominated House Intel Committee releases its verdict that there was no collusion between Russia and the 2016 Trump pres. campaign. On Mar. 12 (6:00 a.m.) after watching jihdadist videos and reading the Quran "to give him courage", Fla. teenie Muslim convert Corey Johnson (2000-) stabs 13-y.-o. Jovanni Sierra to death and attempts to murder Elaine Simon and her son Dane Bancroft at a birthday sleepover in Ballenisles Country Club in Palm Beach, Fla.; no surprise, the FBI was monitoring him. On Mar. 13 (a.m.) after he returns from a trip to Africa, going beyond the White House in blaming Russia for poisoning ex-spy Sergei Skripal, and declining to say whether his son-in-law Jared Kushner has spoiled U.S. diplomatic interests, Pres. Trump fires Rex Tillerson on Twitter, replacing him as U.S. secy. of state #70 with CIA dir. #6 (since Jan. 23, 2017) Michael Richard "Mike" Pompeo (1963-), and appointing Gina Cheri Haspel (nee Walker) (1956-) as acting CIA dir. #7 (first woman), taking office on Apr. 26; Pompeo is confirmed by the U.S. Senate by 57-42, taking office on Apr. 26 (until ?), and Haspel takes office on May 21 (until ?). On Mar. 13 Pres. Trump gives a speech at Miramar Marine Corps Air Station near San Diego, Calif., uttering the soundbyte: "My new national strategy for space recognizes that space is a war-fighting domain, just like the land, air, and sea. We may even have a space force, develop another one: Space Force." On Mar. 13 U.S. Army Gen. Joseph Votel testifies before the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, telling them that the Taliban is transitioning from an ideologically-inspired group to a narco-terror group. On Mar. 13 teacher Dennis Alexander accidentally discharges his firearm at the ceiling at Seaside H.S. in Seaside, Calif. during a public safety class, lightly injuring a 17-y.-o. student with a bullet fragment. On Mar. 14 Bundestag elections in Germany reelect German chancellor Angela Merkel by 364-315-9 (4 invalid); 355 were required, becoming her narrowest V since 2005, showing growing anger at her nutso Muslim immigration policies. On Mar. 14 the U.S. House votes 407-10 H.R. 4909 AKA the STOP School Violence Act aimed at preventing school shootings by funding training of students, teachers, school officials, and law enforcement on identifying early warning signs, and deployment of anon. reporting systems. On Mar. 15 a pedestrian bridge at Fla. Internat. Univ. in Miami, Fla. collapses, killing five. On Mar. 15 the Israeli supreme court suspends a controversial govt. plan to deport tens of thousands of African illegal aliens, mostly from Eritrea and Sudan. On Mar. 15 the Saudi daily newspaper Al Sharq Al-Awsat pub. an article announcing that a court in Riyadh has begun hearing the case of six Saudi ISIS members accused of planning to kill foreigners from Denmark, France, and U.S. On Mar. 15 a group of Irish MEPs pub. a report warning that Ireland is a "soft target" for terror and cyber attacks. On Mar. 15 Cuban man Raul Guttierez Sanchez (1972-) is ordered detained by a Colombian judge for planning an attack on a Bogota restaurant frequented by U.S. diplomats with ISIS militants; he tells reporters: "I fight against the New World Order, especially against Americans." On Mar. 16 the 2018 Facebook Scandal begins when it is revealed that Steve Bannon's Cambridge Analytica had obtained private data on 50M Facebook users back in 2015, and promised Facebook that it would be deleted after being banned from Facebook, and the British Parliament accuses Facebook of misleading them about it and demands that CEO Mark Zuckerberg testify, causing Facebook's stock to plummet amid a rash of lawsuits; Facebook later ups the figure to 87M, then almost all of its 2B accounts. On Mar. 16, 2018 (night) despite announcing his resignation on Jan. 29, two days before qualifying for his early pension, deputy FBI dir. Andrew George McCabe (1968-) is fired by U.S. atty. gen. Jeff Sessions for "lack of candor" (misleading investigators about his decision to allow FBI officials to give info. to the media about the Clinton Foundation) claiming a political frameup; Pres. Trump tweets "A great day for the hard working men and women of the FBI - A great day for Democracy", causing Trump's archenemy John O. Brennan to tweet to Trump the soundbyte on Mar. 17: "When the full extent of your venality, moral turpitude, and political corruption becomes known, you will take your rightful place as a disgraced demagogue in the dustbin of history. You may scapegoat Andy McCabe, but will not destroy America... America will triumph over you." On Mar. 17 (11:45 p.m.) after being kicked out for drunkenness, pissing him off, English Muslim Mohammed Abdul (1996-) of Deptford, South East London rams his 4x4 into Blake's Nightclub in Gravesend, Kent, driving onto the dance floor filled with 600, injuring 13; the police refuse to treat it as a jihadist attack. On Mar. 18 pres. elections in Russia give pres. Vladimir Putin a V with 77% of the vote, giving him another six years. On Mar. 18 a madass Muslim terrorist stabs a security guard near the Lion's Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem befoe being killed by security forces. On Mar. 18 20-y.-o. Syrian Muslim Yamen A is charged by German authorities with plotting a major ISIS jihadist attack in Hamburg which could have killed up to 200 before he was arrested last Oct. 31. On Mar. 18 (9:30 p.m. local time) Madowview, Sacramento police officers Terrance Mercadal (black) and Jared Robinet (white) shoot 20x and kill unarmed black man Stephon Clark (Alonzo-Clark) (b. 1995) in the backyard of his grandmother's home, claiming that he had a gun when he only had a cellphone, sparking nationwide protests, which escalate when prosecutors announce on Mar. 2, 2019 that they won't file charges. On Mar. 19 a Uber self-driving car kills a woman crossing the street in Tempe, Ariz., becoming robokill #1. The s in piss is Austin? On Mar. 19 a booby-trapped bomb goes off in Austin, Tex., injuring two, becoming the 4th in three weeks that killed two and injured three, all in black-Hispanic neighborhoods on the E side; on Mar. 21 (a.m.) the bomber Mark Anthony Conditt (b. 1994) blows himself up in his car after being cornered by police, leaving a 25-min recorded confession. On Mar. 19 Pres. Trump gives a speech in N.H., uttering the soundbyte: "If we don't get tough on the drug dealers, we are wasting our time. That toughness includes the death penalty. Unless you have really really powerful penalties, led by the death penalty, for the really bad pushers and abusers, we are going to get nowhere", adding: "Ninety percent of the heroin in America comes from our southern border, where eventually the Democrats will agree with us, and we'll build the wall to keep the damn drugs out." On Mar. 19 a Molotov cocktail attack on a mosque frequented by Turkish Muslims in Ulm, Germany does little damage; on Mar. 28 four Syians are arrested for attempted murder and arson. On Mar. 19 a court in Pisa, Italy orders the birth certificate of a baby born to a lesbian couple modified to carry the two mothers' names only. On Mar. 19 US-Bangla Airlines Flight BS211 crashes in Kathmandu, Nepal while landing from the wrong direction, killing 50+ of 71. On Mar. 19 a group of 100 French intellectuals pub. an article in Le Figaroon, denouncing the rise of Islamism and its totalitarianism and separatism. On Mar. 19 after bowing to Red Chinese pressure, Wikipedia demotes Taiwan from a country to a "state with limited international recognition". On Mar. 20 (a.m.) a male school shooter at Great Mills H.S. in St. Mary's County, Md. 60 mi. SE of Washington, D.C. is stopped by heroic sheriff Tim Cameron. On Mar. 20 the FBI arrests Tranh Cong Phan (1974-) in Everett, Wash. for sending suspicious packages to military and govt. facilities in the Washington, D.C. area. On Mar. 21 the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), brokered by the African Union (AU) is signed by 44 of 55 member states in Kigali, Rwanda, becoming the largest free trade area on Earth. On Mar. 21 elections in Netherlands. On Mar. 21 Am. Muslim Hafiz Kazi crashes the main gate of Travis AFB in Calif. 55 mi. NE of San Francisco in his black SUV, then explodes propane tanks, burning to death. On Mar. 22 Pres. Trump orders trade restrictions against China to help reduce the large trade deficit and curb intellectual property rights violations in hopes of leveling the playing field. On Mar. 22 after a leak from his aides about ignoring warnings not to congratulate Vladimir Putin on his election V, Pres. Trump replaces nat. security adviser H.R. McMaster by former U.S. U.N. ambassador John Bolton (until ?). On Mar. 22 Pres. Trump responds to physical taunts by ex-vice. pres. Joe Biden, saying that he would "go down fast and hard, crying all the way" and calling him "crazy Joe Biden". On Mar. 22 Air India takes off from New Delhi, India and lands in Tel Aviv, Israel after becoming the first flight allowed to fly over Saudi Arabia. On Mar. 23 (Fri.) (11:15 a.m.) after killing one in a carjacking in Carcassone, Allah Akbar-shouting Moroccan-born suspected ISIS gunman Redouane Lakdim (b. 1992) takes 50 hostages at a Super U supermarket in Trebes, France, killing three and injuring 12 in a 4-hour standoff and demanding the release of 2015 Paris jihadist Salah Abdeslam before police kill him; French police lt. col. Arnaud Beltrame (b. 1973) allows himself to traded for a captive, and is stabbed and shot to death, becoming a hero. Ooh, don't you look back? On Mar. 23 as cool-dressing Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman makes a 3-week U.S. tour, the U.S. State Dept. approves a $1B arms sale to Saudi Arabia; on Apr. 11 bin Salman concludes a 3-day trip to France, where he inks 19 draft contracts worth $18; in New York City the prince meets with Am. Jewish orgs., slamming Palestinian Authorty pres. Mahmoud Abbas for "missing one opportunity after the other and rejecting all peace proposals it was given", adding: "It is about time the Palestinians take the proposals and agree to come to the negotiations table or shut up and stop complaining"; the prince gives an interview to CBS-TV's "60 Minutes", calling Iranian supreme assasholah Ali Khamenei "very much like Hitler"; he grants another interview to The Atlantic mag., saying that Israelis "have the right to their own land". On Mar. 23 despite tweeting that he might not do it because of lack of funding of his border wall, Pres. Trump signs a $1.3T compromise spending bill because it provides for "the largest pay increase" for U.S. troops in over a decade despite attempting to pull support for his border wall, continue funding of Planned Parenthood et al., bemoaning its unreadable length and saying "I will never sign a bill like this again", which doesn't satisfy Trump supporter Alex Jones, who utters the pissed-off soundbyte: "I'm off the Trump train"; actually, he signed an omnibus bill, not a budget, leaving him free to redirect funding in the interest of nat. security, allowing him to announce that border wall construction will begin on Mar. 26. On Mar. 23 Pres. Trump signs the U.S. Taylor Force Act, cutting $350M annual aid to the Palestinians until they end stipends to jihadists and their families. On Mar. 24 (Sat.) 850+ March for Our Lives marches are held around the U.S. to demand "No more" and "Never again" regarding school massacres, with 300K in Washington, D.C., mostly young adults listening to the survivors of the Douglas H.S. Massacre, calling for a ban on assault weapons and ammo, and online gun sales; sinister globalist billionaire George Soros allegedly pays protesters $300 each (really just offers jobs hawking mechandise?). On Mar. 24 a bomb explodes near convoy carrying the city's security chief Gen. Mostafa al-Nimr in the C Roshdi district of Alexandria, Egypt, killing two policeman and injuring four more, along with one civilian. On Mar. 24 seven suspected jihadist terrorists are arrested in Johor, Malaysia for planning attacks on non-Muslim places of worship and police. On Mar. 25 a fire in the Winter Cherry Shopping Center in Kemerovo, Siberia 2.2K mi. E of Moscow kills 64. On Mar. 25-7 after traveling on an armored train on a surprise visit, aviophobe Kim Jong-un meets in Beijing with Chinese pres. Xi Jinping. On Mar. 25 (Sun.) (eve.) Baton Rouge, La.-born porn star Stormy Daniels (Stephanie Gregory Clifford) (1979-) gives an interview to CBS-TV's "Sixty Minutes", violating her $130K hush money contract with Pres. Trump's atty. Michael Cohen with impunity and telling all, but disappointing with the claim that she only slept with him once after spanking him, after which White House deputy press secy. Raj Shah says that Trump has consistently denied everything, and that it is she who "has been inconsistent" in flopping about her claims over the years, causing her atty. Michael Avenatti to reply "When do we hear from the President?", after which on Mar. 26 she utters the soundbyte that the reason Trump never tweets about her is "Because it's true, 100 percent true." On Mar. 26-28 pres. elections in Egypt are a V for 1st-term incumbent pres. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, with 92% of the vote, vs. 3% for runner-up Moussa Mostafa Moussa; 23M of Egypt's 60M voters turn out, plus 2M write-in ballots; stability tops voters' concerns; women and elderly men have high participation rates. On Mar. 27 former Supreme Court justice John Paul Stevens pub. an op-ed in the New York Times, calling for the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to be repealed. On Mar. 27 (Tues.) the revised #1 sitcom (1988-97) Roseanne debuts on ABC-TV for ? episodes (until ?), never mentioning Pres. Trump but treating his views and white middle class supporters with respect, drawing 18M viewers, pleasing Pres. Trump, who personally calls Roseanne Barr to congratulate her. On Mar. 28 U.S. U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley announces to the U.N. Security Council that the U.S. "will not pay more than 25 percent of the [United Nations] peacekeeping budget", and that the U.S. is cutting aid to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) from $125M/year to $65M/year unless Palestinian leaders return to negotiations with Israel (part of the $1.3T omnibus spending bill signed by Pres. Trump on Mar. 23), pissing-off the Palestinian Authority, whose spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeinah utters the soundbyte that this amounts to a declaration of war. On Mar. 28 despite a personal appeal by Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, Pope Francis refuses to apologize for the Roman Catholic Church role in the Canadian system that forced generations of indigenous children into boarding schools, which was called cultural genocide by a 2015 nat. Truth and Reconciliation Commission. On Mar. 28 a federal judge in San Francisco, Calif. holds the first-ever U.S. court hearing on the impact of climate change, with lawyers for San Francisco and Oakland along with five of the largest multinat. oil cos. (BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, Shell) participating in a climate change tutorial preparatory to a lawsuit claiming that rising sea levels et al. are caused by climate change traceable to the cos.; on June 18 he dismisses all the lawsuits trying to hold big oil cos. liable for global climate change, saying that the U.S. pres. and Congress are best suited to address the issue. soundbyte: "Unlike others, they pay little or no taxes to state and local governments, use our Postal System as their Delivery Boy (causing tremendous loss to the U.S.), and are putting many thousands of retailers out of business!", causing Amazon stock to close down 4.4%. On Mar. 29 22-y.-o. Muslim Algerian immigrant Othman Jridi (1995-) crashes the cement barriers in front of the Basilica of Pompeii in Naples, saying that he did it "to feel closer to Allah". On Mar. 29 the Vatican releases a statement about a private meeting between Pope Francis and the founder of the La Repubblica newspaper in which he allegedly denied the existence of Hell, claiming the transcription is not faithful but failing to disavow the pope's alleged statement - it's where I'm gonna go when I die? On Mar. 30 the Great March of Return by tens of thousands of Palestinians begins, resulting in riots on the Israeli border of Gaza that kill 27 Palestinians; on Apr. 8 Fatou Bensouda, chief prosecutor of the Internat. Criminal Court express "grave concern" over the shootings of Palestinians by Israeli troops, who claim they were trying to breach the border fence, along with the actions of Hamas, who may have been using protests as a cover for military activities; on Apr. 7 the U.S. blocks a draft U.N. Security Council resolution submitted by Kuwait calling for an "independent and transparent investigation" of the clashes, and calling for restraint, expressing "grave concern at the situation at the border"; by Apr. 26 32 of the 40 of the Palestinians killed in the rioting are Hamas terrorists. On Mar. 30 Pres. Trump addresses a crowd in Ohio, uttering the soundbyte: "We'll be coming out of Syria, like, very soon." On Mar. 30 Pope Francis makes a prayer during the Good Friday Via Crucis at the Colosseum in Rome, telling Christians that they should express shame for the actions of those who are leaving future generations a world "fractured by divisions and wars". On Mar. 30 Muslim Mohamed Elshinawy (1984-) of Edgewood, Md. pleads guilty to collecting cash payments from a foreign country to use weaponized drones in an ISIS attack on U.S. soil. On Mar. 31 Pres. Trump tweets the soundbyte: "Governor Jerry 'Moonbeam' Brown pardoned 5 criminal illegal aliens whose crimes include (1) Kidnapping and Robbery (2) Badly beating wife and threatening a crime with intent to terrorize (3) Dealing drugs. Is this really what the great people of California want?", to which Brown replies that he makes "no apologies"; on Apr. 17 Brown agrees to provide Nat. Guard troops for Pres. Trump to protect the U.S. border, on the condition they don't arrest non-violent criminals. On Mar. 31 34-y.-o. ? drives his car into the audience at an electronic music festival on the campus of Doua U. in Villeurbanne, Lyon, France, telling police "I'm a terrorist"; the police blame alcohol intake. On Mar. 31 terrorism-related arrests in Britain reach a record 441 (vs. 378 in 2017), with a total of 4,182 since 9/11. In Mar. Keith Raniere, co-founder of the secretive sex cult NXIVM, who fled Ark. last Nov. after being charged with fraud is arrested by the FBI in Mexico, and held without bond to face charges of sex trafficking, with a min. 15 year prison sentence when convicted; cult members incl. Seagram heiresses Sara and Clare Bronfman donated a total of $29K to Hillary Clinton's pres. campaign. In Mar. a confidential memo is leaked, showing U.S. U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley proposing that U.S. foreign assistance should be withdrawn from dozens of poor countries that vote against it in the U.N. In Mar. Canadian Liberal feminist minister #26 of the environment and climate change (Environment Canada) (since Nov. 4, 2015) Catherine Mary McKenna (1971-) (AKA Climate Barbie by her critics) utters the soundbyte that citizens should "consider the gendered impacts of climate change on women, girls and children", applauding Canada for training "women negotiators" to battle manmade global warming. In Mar. the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson visits Da Nang, becoming the first U.S. aircraft carrier to dock in Vietnam since the Vietnam War. In Mar. the U.S. govt. apprends 50,308 people at the SW U.S. border, up from 16,588 in Mar. 2017. On Apr. 1 (Sun.) Easter falls on April Fool's Day for the first time in this cent. (next 2029). On Apr. 1 Pope Francis delivers his 2018 Easter Message, calling for an end to "the ongoing extermination in Syria, and for "reconciliation in the Holy Land". On Apr. 1 (a.m.) Pres. Trump issues tweets on the U.S.-Mexico border problem, saying "NO MORE DACA DEAL!" and threatening to dismantle NAFA (Mexico's "cash cow") if it doesn't reduce its flow of immigrants over the U.S. border. On Apr. 1 after promising to support gay marriage, former minister of labor (2016-7) Carlos Alvarado Quesada (1980-) is elected pres. of Costa Rica by 61%, defeating conservative Protestant religious TV journalist Alvarado Munoz (1974-), and is sworn-in on May 8 (until ?); Epsy Campbell becomes vice-pres., first African-Costa Rican. On Apr. 1 a 5.3 earthquake in Kermanshah Province, Iran injures 37. On Apr. 2 Afghan security forces bomb a religious seminary harboring senior Taliban forces in Kunduz Province, injuring 100+, admitting on Apr. 3 that civilians are among the casualties. On Apr. 2 Houthi rebels hit a Saudi tanker with a missile in Al Mukalla, Yemen in revenge for air strikes. On Apr. 2 a Rasmussen Poll gives Pres. Trump a 50% approval rating for the first time. On Apr. 2 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court refuse to consider reinstating a 2006 $655.5M jury award against the Palestinian Authority and PLO won by 11 Am. families over militant attacks in Israel under the U.S. Anti-Terrorism Act; the Trump admin. had sided with the Palestinians because the attacks occurred outside U.S. territory and there was no evidence that Americans were targeted. On Apr. 3 after protesting in vain YouTube's suppression of her videos, headscarf-wearing 30-something Iranian Azeri vegan animal rights activist Nasim Aghdam shoots up YouTube's HQ in San Bruno, Calif., killing an old flame and wounding three others before committing suicide. On Apr. 3 a viral anti-Muslim flyer in the U.K. declares this Punish a Muslim Day, causing U.S. authorities in New York City to mobilize for it; too bad, despite massive alarms from the PC police, it fails to materialize. On Apr. 4 a Summit on Syria is held in Ankara, Turkey by Turkey, Russia, and Iran, who issue a joint statement that they are committing to achieving a "lasting ceasefire". On Apr. 5 Pres. Trump orders U.S. trade rep Robert Lighthizer to consider placing an additional $100B in tariffs on Chinese goods; on Apr. 10 Chinese pres. Xi Jinping announces that China will "significantly lower" import tariffs for automobiles. On Apr. 5 at Russia's request, the U.N. Security Council meets to discuss the escalating diplomatic crisis between Russia and the West caused by the Mar. 4 Salisbury Incident, the poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal on British soil, which caused a wave of expulsions of diplomats. On Apr. 5 U.S. U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley speaks at Duke U. in Durham, N.C., uttering the soundbyte: "I know John Bolton well. I've gotten advice from him. I've talked to him. I know his disdain for the U.N. I share it." On Apr. 6 Pres. Trump signs a memo ending the "catch and release" immigration policy of ex-Pres. Obama. On Apr. 7 the 2018 U.K. Winter reaches a death toll of 48K since Dec. 1, 20,275 more than avg., becoming the worst in 42 years; Mar. was the chilliest in 21 years. On Apr. 7 German Muslim Jens R (1969-) rams his van into people at an open-air restaurant in Muenster, Germany, killing two and injuring 20 before killing himself; police discount jihad and claim mental illness. On Apr. 8 after learning that "Animal" Assad has ordered a chemical attack near Damascus that killed dozens incl. children, Pres. Trump tweets the soundbyte: "Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price to pay. Open area immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!"; on Apr. 9 (early a.m.) Israeli launches an air strike against a Syrian miitary base; Assad did it because Trump announced that he was pulling U.S. troops out of Syria?; on Apr. 10 the U.N. Security holds an emergency meeting over the child-killing chemical attack in Syria; U.S. U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley utters the soundbyte that it must vote on Apr. 11 for a Mar. 1 draft resolution to establish an inquiry into who is to blame; "History will record this as the moment when the Security Council either discharged its duty or demonstrated its utter and complete failure to protect the people of Syria. Either way, the United States will respond", causing Russian envoy Vassily Nebenzia to reply that the repercussions will be "grave"; too bad, on Apr. 11 the U.N. Security Council fails to pass a resolution. On Apr. 8 the Nigerian military announces the rescue of 54 women and 95 children from Boko Haram in NE Nigeria. On Apr. 9 Israel attacks the Iranian T-4 Base near Homs, Syria, killing seven Iranians incl. an IRGC col. commanding drone operations over Israeli airspace. On Apr. 9 Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak deletes his Facebook account, with the soundbyte: "[Facebook's] profits are all based on the user's info., but the users get none of the profits back... Apple makes money off of good products, not off of you." On Apr. 9 prominent Dutch Roman Catholics pub. a petition to their bishops to warn Pope Francis about his "serious errors" against the faith and his "destructive polities", incl. adulterous couples to receive Communion, support for female deacons, married priests, and contraception, praise for Martin Luther, and deals with the Red Chinese to recognize their atheist Catholic Patriotic Assoc. On Apr. 10 former U.S. ambassador to Iran (2001-5) Alexander Maryasov pub. an article on the Russian Valdai Discussion Club Web site, containing he soundbyte that Russia's current alliance with Iran is a tactical one to counter the U.S., not a strategic one. On Apr. 10 Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before Congress about selling users' private data for money no matter the damage it does, with the soundbyte: "It was my mistake and I'm sorry" - he doesn't offer his profits back? On Apr. 10 (eve.) an internat. team of weapons inspectors prepare to deploy to Douma, Syria. On Apr. 11 (8:00 a.m.) a Russian Ilyushin Il-76 military plane carrying 257 Western Sahara refugees crashes near Algiers, Algeria, killing all aboard. On Apr. 11 Houthi rebels in Yemen fire a ballistic missile at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which is intercepted by Saudi air defenses. On Apr. 11 after a bomb near the Gaza border explodes near Israeli troops, the Israelis strike several Hamas targets in Gaza. On Apr. 11 a letter from Pope Francis to the bishops of Chile is pub., apologizing for "grave errors" in the handling of sexual abuse cases there and inviting reps of the abuse victims to visit Rome so he can apologize. On Apr. 11 Pres. Trump lifts his 6-mo.-o. travel ban on Chad after it improves sharing of info. about suspected terrorists and takes steps to make passports more secure. On Apr. 11 Free Pride Glasgow in Scotland bans drag queens from its LGBT parade to allegedly prevent the oppression of transgenders. On Apr. 11 the city of San Francisco, Calif. begins their Great LED Giveaway of 100K free LED light bulbs in order to save $1M and 5.5M KWH of electricity a year. On Apr. 11 after passing the House by 388-25 and the senate by 97-2 (Ron Wyden and Rand Paul vote no), the U.S. Allow States and Victimes to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOST) (AKA SESTA - Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act) is signed by Pres. Trump; Facebook goes too far and stifles its users' free speech? On Apr. 12 Syrian rebels surrender their heavy weapons and vacate East Ghouta, Syria. On Apr. 12 Taliban insurgents overrun the govt. HQ in Khwaja, Umari District, SE Afghanistan, killing a district govt, the chief of security, and nine others incl. five police officers, injuring 10 other officers; in response the Fghan air force bombs Taliban positions, killing 30. On Apr. 12 UNICEF chief of health Stefan Peterson issues a statement announcing a major yellow fever vaccination campaign for Africa in conjunction with WHO, the GAVI global vaccine alliance, and 50 health partners, with the goal of eliminating it by 2026. On Apr. 12 Hawaii gov. David Ige signs HB2739, an assisted suicide law, becoming #8 after Calif., Colo., Mont., Ore., Vt., Wash., and Washington, D.C.; the Hawaii legislature has 25 senators, all Dems., and 51 House members, all except 5 Dems. On Apr. 12 two black men waiting in a Starbucks store in Philly for friends are ordered to pay for something to use the bathroom, then arrested, causing the PC police to come out bigtime, forcing Starbucks and the police to prostrate themselves, with Starbucks closing 8K locations for "racial bias" training for 175K employees - when you order it black at Starbucks, it's always to go? On Apr. 13 Pres. Trump pardons I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, former chief of staff to U.S. vice-pres. Richard Cheney for his 2007 conviction, pissing-off the PC press who studiously ignore Pres. Clinton's shady pardons. On Apr. 13 after excerpts from fired FBI dir. James Comey's new book leak, Pres. Trump tweets the soundbyte: "James Comey is a proven LEAKER & LIAR. Virtually everyone in Washington thought he should be fired for the terrible job he did-until he was, in fact, fired. He leaked CLASSIFIED information, for which he should be prosecuted. He lied to Congress under OATH. He is a weak and untruthful slime ball who was, as time has proven, a terrible Director of the FBI. His handling of the Crooked Hillary Clinton case, and the events surrounding it, will go down as one of the worst “botch jobs” of history. It was my great honor to fire James Comey!" On Apr. 13 Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov utters the soundbyte that the chemical attack in Syria was a fake attack as part of a "Russophobic campaign" cause by some unnamed country (U.K.?), causing the U.K., U.S., and France to reply that they have proof. On Apr. 13 a 27-y.-o. woman yells Allah Akbar and threatens to blow herself up at the Cannes Festival in France before being arrested and taken in for psychiatric evaluation; menwhile two more men are arrested for doing ditto in Saint-Brieuc, Brittany at a train station. On Apr. 13 (Fri.) (9:00 p.m. EST) the Apr. Friday the 13th Syria Attack sees Pres. Trump order a missile strike on Syria over the chemical attack on Douma, calling it "a significant escalation in a pattern of chemical weapons use by that very terrible regime", sending 106 missiles to three sites, adding: "The purpose of our actions tonight is to establish a strong deterrent against the production, spread, and use of chemical weapons. I also have a message tonight for the two governments most responsible for supporting, equipping, and financing the criminal Assad regime. To Iran, and to Russia, I ask: What kind of a nation wants to be associated with the mass murder of innocent men, women, and children?", tweeting "Mission Accomplished"; the U.K. and France assist the U.S. with air strikes; U.S. defense secy. Jim Matis calls it "a one-time shot". On Apr. 14 after waiting 10 years for a permit, and receiving a visit from the bldg. authority committee, pissing them off, the Church of the Holy Virgin in Beni Meinin, Beni Suef, Egypt is attacked by a Muslim mob, after which 11 Muslims and nine Copts are arrested, the latter for trying to put out the fires, ending in a railroad trial that acquits the Muslims and closes the church; on May 26 another Muslim mob attacks the Church of St. Mark in al-Shuqaf, Beheira, Egypt, injuring seven Copts, after which the police arrest 11 Muslims and nine Copts, and guess what happens. On Apr. 14 Batavia, N.Y.-born gay rights and environmental activist atty. David Stoh Buckel (b. 1957) immolates himself with gasoline in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, N.Y. to protest the use of fossil fuels - Stroh's is fire-brewed? On Apr. 14-15 Kauai, Hawaii receives 30 in. of rain, causing massive flooding, after which on Apr. 16 220 residents are airlifted to safety. On Apr. 15 hundreds of thousands of Catalan separatists rally in downtown Barcelona, Spain to demand the release of high-profile leaders. On Apr. 15 Muslim jihadists dressed as U.N. peacekeepers attack a U.N. MINUSMA military camp in Timbuktu, Mali, killing one peacekeeper and injuring seven French soldiers while losing 15 of their own; the French army calls the attack "particularly sophisticated and underhanded". On Apr. 15 U.S. U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley claims that the Trump admin. is preparing new sanctions for Russia over its support of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, causing an admin. official on Apr. 16 to clarify that it's delaying additional sanctions unless/until Russia engages in some new provocation inc. a new cyber attack so that Trump can work with them to combat Islamic extremism, etc. On Apr. 15 (5:00 p.m.) Muslims riot in Toulouse, France after police stop a woman wearing an illegal full-face veil and she calls for help, bringing 30 madass Muslims who throw projectiles at them, going on to torch 15 cars. On Apr. 16 the U.N. Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) hands out leadership posts, giving a seat on the 41-member exec board of U.N. Women to Saudi Arabia for 2019-21 (which already seats Iran, Pakistan, and Yemen), and seats on the NGO accrediting committee to Bahrain, Burundi, China, Cuba, Libya, Russia, and Sudan; Iran is given seats on the U.N. Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) and the U.N. World Food Program; Cuba is also given posts on the CCPCJ and the Commission on the Status of Women. Saudi held seats on the board of U.N. Women in 2011-13 and 2014-6. On Apr. 16 Chinese social media Web site Weibo reverses its ban on gay content after an online protest. On Apr. 16 new U.S. Supreme Court justice Neil Gorsuch hires Chickasaw Nation of Midwest City, Okla. member Tobi Merritt Edwards as a clerk, becoming the first Native Am. Supreme Court clerk in history. On Apr. 17 after intel officials confirm that Iran has Shiite Muslim Hezbollah sleeper cells in the U.S. poised for attack, U.S. Rep. (R-N.Y.) Peter King calls it a "direct threat to the homeland". On Apr. 17 tenured U. of Calif. Fresno English prof. Randa Jarrar stinks herself up with a tweet that recently-deceased First Lady Barbara Bush "was a generous and smart and amazing racist who, along with her husband, raised a war criminal", adding that she is "happy the witch is dead", taunting critics "I will never be fired". On Apr. 17 the U.S. (Roberts) Supreme Court rules 5-4 in Sessions v. Dimaya that the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act's "crime of violence" provision is unconstitutionally vague; new justice Neil Gorsuch sides with the majority (Kagan, Ginsburg, Sotomayor, and Breyer, mostly women, with all men in the minority, Roberts, Kennedy, Alito, and Thomas), pissing-off Pres. Trump and causing him to call on Congress to close the loopholes. On Apr. 18 Saudi Arabia opens its first movie theater in 35 years in Riyadh, showing Marvel's "Black Panther". On Apr. 18 Saudi king Salman meets with French cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, becoming the first visit by a senior Roman Catholic official. On Apr. 18 British Muslim convert Adam Wyatt (1969-) of Salford is sentenced to 45 mo. in prison for disseminating material calling for jihad. On Apr. 18 after 11 Jews are killed by Muslims because they were Jewish, 250 public figures in France pub. an appeal in Le Parisien lamenting the "new anti-Semitism" of Muslims, with the soundbyte: "Anti-Semitism is not the business of the Jews. It's the business of all of us. The French, who have demonstrated their democratic maturity after each Islamist attack, are living through a tragic paradox. Their country has become the arena for murderous anti-Semitism." On Apr. 19 air strikes by the Iraqi air force along the Iraqi border in Syria kill 36 ISIS militants incl. six leaders. On Apr. 19 the European Parliament overwhelmingly (524-30-92) passes a resolution denouncing Hamas as a terrorist group for using human shields, calling for Israel's destruction, and because they "seem to aim at escalating tensions" at the Gaza-Israel border, also probing Israel's use of live ammo on protesters and calling for restraint. On Apr. 19 Yemeni Houthi leader Saleh al-Sammad is killed in Hudaida Province by a Saudi air strike. On Apr. 19 Kurdish forces in N Syria arrest Syrian-born German national Mohammed Haydar Zammar for alleged involvement in the 9/11 attacks. On Apr. 19 the men's mag. GQ pub. the article 21 Books You Don't Have to Read (Before You Die), trashing 20 books incl. Mark Twain's "Huckleberry Finn", and the Bible, which it calls "repetitive, self-contradictory, sententious, foolish, and even at times ill-intentioned"; "The Holy Bible is rated very highly by all the people who supposedly live by it but who in actuality have not read it. Those who have read it know there are some good parts, but overall it is certainly not the finest thing that man has ever produced." On Apr. 20 funny-ears Prince Charles is finally approved as Elizabeth II' successor as head of the British Commonwealth. On Apr. 20 the Dem. Nat. Committee (DNC) sues Russia, the Trump campaign, WikiLeaks and Julian Assange for revealing how it rigged the Dem. primaries callit an "attack on our democracy", causing WikiLeaks to countersue, saying: "We've never lost a publishing case and discovery is going to be amazing fun"; on Apr. 23 Pres. Trump utters the soundbyte that the DNC is suing "Republicans for winning". On Apr. 20 the Hisbah Muslim Sharia police in Jigawa State, Nigeria storm beer parlors, seizing and destroying 244,151 bottles of beer. On Apr. 21 North Korea announces that it will suspend nuclear and missile tests effective immediately and abolish a nuclear test site in favor pursuing economic gains and peace. On Apr. 21-24 Britain goes three days without generating electricity from coal, the longest streak since the 1880s. pledging to phase it out by 2025. On Apr. 22 (Sun.) naked white gunman Travis Reinking (1988-) shoots up a Waffle House restaurant in Nashville, Tenn. with an AR-15 rifle, killing four before James Shaw Jr. takes his rifle away and he flees. On Apr. 22 (Sun.) Earth Day. On Apr. 22 an ISIS suicide bomber at a voter registration center for nat. ID cards in Kabul, Afghanistan kills 57 incl. 22 women and eight children and injures 119 incl. 52 women and 17 children. On Apr. 23 French pres. Emmanuel Macron visits Pres. Trump in the White House, becoming the first state visit of Trump's presidency, attempting to persuade him to preserve Obama's Iran nuke deal. On Apr. 23 the French nat. assembly votes 228-139-24 for a new tough immigration law introducing 1-year prison sentences for entering France illegally, while shortening asylum application deadlines. On Apr. 23 25-y.-o. Armenian-Canadian Alek Minassian (1992-) plows his Ryder rental van into pedestrians in the Yonge and Finch area of Toronto, Canada, killing 10 and injuring 15 (mostly women) before being arrested; his Facebook account references "Supreme Gentleman Elliot Rodger", who killed six people in 2014 after women wouldn't accept his advances. On Apr. 24 the jihadist cell Islamic Fraternity, Group for Preaching Jihad in Terrassa (30 km. from Barcelona), Spain is convicted of plotting a terrorist attack on Barcelona using intel from Operation Caronte (Greek ferryman of Hades). On Apr. 24 (5;30 a.m.) 30 Muslim Fulani herdsmen attack the St. Ignatius Catholic Church in Mbalom, Benue, Nigeria, killing 20 parishioners and two clergymen incl. Father Gor. On Apr. 25 District of Columbia federal judge John Bates rules that Pres. Trump's decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program of Pres. Obama is "arbitrary" and "capricious" because his Justice Dept. didn't explain to him why the program is unlawful, causing White House press secy. Sarah Huckabee Sanders to utter the soundbyte that this is "good news for smugglers" and "creates an incentive for more illegal immigrant youth to come here". On Apr. 25 72-y.-o. former police officer Joseph James De Angelo (1945-) is arrested in Sacramento, Calif. after DNA evidence IDs him as the East Area Rapist AKA the Original Night Stalker, suspected in 45 rapes and 12 murders in the E San Francisco Bay area of Calif. in the 1970s and 1980s. On Apr. 25 Red China sends a threatening letter to dozens of internat. airlines warning them to identify Taiwan as part of China or face severe consequences, causing the Trump admin. to announce that it "will stand up for Americans resisting efforts by the Chinese Communist Party to impose Chinese political correctness on American companies and citizens", calling the threats "Orwellian nonsense". On Apr. 26 after being bombarded with scurrilous allegations of misconduct and mismanagement, Pres. Trump's personal physician Rear Adm. Ronny Lynn Jackson (1967-) withdraws his nomination as secy. of the Veterans Admin., and soon resigns as Trump's official physician. On Apr. 26 the U.S. House Judiciary Committee holds a hearing on social media filtering and policing (censorship) practices, inquiring as to whether viewpoints have been silenced. On Apr. 26 as rallies take place across Germany supporting Jews after a spate of anti-Semitic assaults, Dr. Felix Klein, Germany's first special envoy to the Jewish community issues the soundbyte that Jewish fears over the influx of Muslims are legitimate. A big day for the #MeToo #TimesUp movement? On Apr. 26 after a half dozen women incl. Janice Dickinson, Lili Bernard, Janice Baker Kinney, and alleged victim Andrea Constand testified that he drugged and raped them, 80-y.-o. Hollywood superstar ("America's Dad") William Henry "Bill" Cosby Jr. (1937-) is convicted of 3 counts of sexual assault by a jury of 7 men and 5 women (10 whites, 2 blacks) in Norristown, Penn., with a max sentence of 10 years and $25K fine for each count; the defendants' atty. Gloria Allred tells the press that this is a great day for herstory; her daughter Lisa Bloom is the defendants' other atty.; Cosby's first trial ended in a mistrial in June despite his testimony in a 2005 deposition that he gave a woman Quaaludes in order to shag her under the understanding that he wouldn't be prosecuted; Cosby's attys. appeal on the unfairness of a trial that creates a witch hunt atmosphere caused by witnesses to an alleged past pattern of behavior he wasn't charged with after the judge allows 5 of 14 in; on Sept. 25 Cosby is sentenced to 3-10 years in prison. On Apr. 26 the state of Okla. breaks the record for the longest tornado drought; the first one finally arrives on May 2. On Apr. 26 Muslim Guinea immigrants Mohamed Toure (1960-) and Denise Cros-Toure (1960-) of Southlake, Tex. are charged with forced labor after a 21-y.-o. woman escapes from their home and tells how she was kept as a slave from age 5, denying her education. On Apr. 27 peace is finally declared between North and South Korea after 65 years in a summit in Goyang, South Korea, with South Korean pres. Moon Jae-in and North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un (who steps over the Demarcation Line in the DMZ, becoming the first North Korean leader since the end of the war in 1953) agreeing to denuclearize the peninsula, with Moon uttering the soundbyte: "We will totally end the war on the Korean peninsula and will establish a sound and solid peace on the Korean peninsula", causing U.S. Sen. (R-S.C.) Lindsey Graham to utter the soundbyte: What happened? Donald Trump convinced North Korea and China he was serious about bringing about change. We're not there yet, but if this happens, President Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize", after which 18 Repub. House members nominate him. On Apr. 27 German chancellor Angela Merkel visits Pres. Trump in the White House, joining Emmanuel Macron of France in working him over on the Iran deal. On Apr. 27 the House Selective Committee on Intelligence, chaired since Jan. 3, 2015 by U.S. Rep. (R-Calif.) (since Jan. 3, 2003) Devin Gerald Nunes (1973-) pub. its Final Report on Russian Election Meddling, finding no collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia in 2016, causing Trump foe John O. Brennan to tweet: "A highly partisan, incomplete, and deeply flawed report by a broken House Committee means nothing. The Special Counsel's work is being carried out by professional investigators - not political staffers. SC's findings will be comprehensive & authoritative. Stay tuned, Mr. Trump...."; the report also claims that nat. intel dir. James Clapper leaked the Christopher Steele dossier to CNN after Pres. Obama made him present the material to Donald Trump in Trump Tower on Jan. 6, 2017, after which CNN ran a story on Jan. 10 about the briefing, incl. the allegation of hos in Trump's Moscow hotel room; Clapper denies it; on Apr. 27 John O. Brennan issues a tweet with the soundbyte: "Mr. Trump: Your hypocrisy knows no bounds. Jim Clapper is a man of integrity, honesty, ethics, & morality. You are not. Jim Clapper served his country for over a half century, including in Vietnam. You did not. By your words & behavior, you diminish the Office of the Presidency"; on Aug. 17 Senate Intelligence Committee chmn. (since Jan. 3, 2015) (R-N.C.) Sen. (since Jan. 3, 2005) Richard Mauze Burr (1955-) publicly rebukes Brennan for his sour grapes statement that "there is no doubt" that Pres. Trump colluded with the Kremlin and that he is being blackmailed by Vladimir Putin, despite his nonpartisan committee spending over a year investigating the issue, asking why he didn't present any evidence in his hours of testimony before both the Senate and House Intelligence Committees, with the soundbyte: "If Director Brennan's statement is based on intelligence he received while still leading the CIA, why didn't he include it in the Intelligence Community Assessment released in 2017? If his statement is based on intelligence he has seen since leaving office, it constitutes an intelligence breach. If he has some other personal knowledge of or evidence of collusion, it should be disclosed to the Special Counsel, not The New York Times." On Apr. 27 retired top CIA, FBI, DOJ, and NSA officials incl. Kevin Shipp hold a press conference to demand that U.S. atty. Jeff Sessions prosecute top Obama admin. officials for attempting "an ongoing coup to remove a duly elected president", adding: "This is, at worst, treason with senior officials in the shadow government or Deep State... We have not seen anything like this since the presidency of John F. Kennedy." On Apr. 28 the last remaining village in India gains access to electricity, a total of 600K villages, although 200M people still lack access. On Apr. 29 a bus carrying 32 Chinese and North Korean officials on a "red tour" commemorating the Chinese Communist Party's Korean War role crashes in in North Korea. On Apr. 30 a series of suicide bombs in Kaboom, er, Kabul, Afghanistan kill 31 incl. nine journalists. On Apr. 30 Nigerian pres. Muhammadu Buhari visits Pres. Trump in the White House, discussing terrorism and the genocide of Christians in Nigeria; Trump's "shithole country" remarks never come up. On Apr. 30 after Amber Rudd resigns on Apr. 29 over the Windrush Scandal, aggressive measures to deport children of the African-Caribbean Windrush Gen. who arrived before 1973, 2nd gen. Pakistani Conservative (pro-Israel Sunni Muslim) Sajid Javid (1969-) becomes British home secy. (until ?). On Apr. 30 (12 days before Pres. Trump's May 12 deadline for deciding on the Iran nuclear deal) Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyau gives a speech detailing facts about Iran's Project Amad to build nukes found on 55K pages of documents and 55K files on 183 CDs ("half a ton") the Israelis stole from a secret storage facility in Shorabad, Tehran, proving that "Iran lied bigtime after signing the nuclear deal in 2015... Iran is brazenly lying when it says it never had a nuclear weapons program"; the Trump admin. confirms the authenticity of the documents; too bad, the documents are from their nuke project that they shut down in 2003, which is why they were kept in a neglected bldg. with no lock on the door? On Apr. 30 Palestinian Authority pres. Mahmoud Abbas gives a speech in Ramallah at a meeting of the Palestine Nat. Council, claiming that the Holocaust wasn't caused by anti-Semitism but by the Jews' "social behavior, charging interest, and financial matters, and that Adolf Hitler facilitated the building of the Jewish state of Israel; on May 2 the New York Times pub. an editorial calling the speech "reprehensible anti-Semitic myths and conspiracy theories", with the soundbyte: "Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas, shed all credibility as a trustworthy partner if the Palestinians and Israelis ever again have the nerve to try negotiations", adding: "Palestinians need a leader with energy, integrity and vision, one who might have a better chance of achieving Palestinian independence and enabling both peoples to live in peace"; "Let Abbas's vile words be his last as Palestinian leader." On Apr. 30 (10:30 p.m.) a missile attack on an arms depot in N Syria triggers explosions so powerful they register as a 2.6 earthquake. On Apr. 30 a Taliban suicide bomber detonates near a rival mosque in Daman, S Afghanistan, killing 11 children and injuring 16 others incl. police and soldiers. In Apr. protests in Masaya, Nicaragua against the regime of pres. Daniel Ortega. In Apr. U.S. unemployment increases 24K, with 24K new manufacturing jobs (304K since Dec. 2016); a record 95,745,000 Americans are not participating in the labor force. In Apr. avg. temps of 38.3F are the coldest since 1874 (37.6F); some major U.S. cities have their coldest Apr. in recorded history. On May 1 after mass protests force PM Serzh Sargsyan out, Armenian opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan warns the ruling elite in parliament that it could face a "tsunami" of anger from the people it it keeps blocking his bid to become PM. On May 1 a police station in Mosul, Iraq is attacked; on May 2 a terrorist shooting N of Baghdad kills and injures several civilians. On May 1 1.2K anti-capitalist Black Block protesters in Paris, France torch cars and attack a fast-food restaurant, causing French authorities to arrest 109 and tighten security. On May 1 militant Seleka Islamists attack the Notre Dame of Fatima Church in Bangui, C.A.R., killing 24 incl. Father Alert Toungoumale-Babe and injuring 170. On May 1 the U.N. Climate Change Secretariat releases its first annual report, calling climate change "the single biggest threat to life, security and prosperity on Earth", according to exec secy. Patricia Espinosa, and rolling out its Gender Action Plan to mobilize women to fight global warming. On May 1 ex-NBA basketball star Dennis Rodman gives an interview to TMZ, uttering the soundbyte that his buddy dictator Kim Jong-un of North Korea had a "change of heart" about his nuclear program after reading Pres. Trump's 1987 book "The Art of the Deal", which he gave him in June 2017 on a trip to Pyongyang. On May 1 former Seattle, Wash. resident (Muslim) Ali Muhammad Brown is sentenced in Newark, N.J. to life in prison without parole for shooting 19-y.-o. college student Brendan Tevlin at a traffic light in 2014, saying that he was on a jihad to avenge U.S. policy in the Middle East; he faces more trials for murdering three men in Wash. state. On May 2 a suicide attack in Tripoli, Libya kills 14 and injures seven. On May 2 to intimidate Yemenis greeting Yemeni PM Ahmed bin Daghr, the UAE deploys four military aircraft with 100+ troops to the Yemeni island of Socotra, sparking angry protests. On May 2 Liu Xia, widow of Chinese dissident Liu Xiabo pub. an open letter giving details of diplomatic efforts to secure his release, saying she is "ready to die at home" in protest. On May 2-3 Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi meets in Pyongyang with his North Korean counterpart Ring Yong-ho, cementing friendship ties. On May 3 (4:30 p.m.) after a 5.0 earthquake, Mt. Kilauea ("Madame Pele") in Hawaii erupts, causing mass evacuations from 1.5K homes; on May 4 (12:33 p.m.) a 6.9 earthquake centered near Kilauea's S flank causes more damage; on May 11 another 6.9 earthquake (biggest since 1975) threatens the Puna Geothermal Venture geothermal power plant; meanwhile on May 3 Hawaii's Mauna Loa Observatory announces that atmospheric CO2 has reached a record 410 ppm for Apr. On May 3 powerful dust storms in N India kill 100+ and injure 140. On May 3 the U.S. accuses Red China of using lasers to harass U.S. pilots flying over Djibouti, and warns of consequences if they deploy missiles on artificial islands in the South China Sea. On May 3 37-y.-o. Muslim male Ahmed ? is arrested for barging into St. Vincent's Cathedral in Chalon-sur-Saone, France and threatening to blow it up with a hand grenade while carrying a bottle of alcohol and shouting "It is the Quran that must be read!" On May 4 U.S. district judge T.S. Ellis III scolds special counsel Robert Mueller and his team of "lying" and really trying to target Pres. Trump, with the soundbyte: "I don't see what relation this indictment has to do with what the special counsel is authorized to investigate. You don't really care about Mr. Manafort. You really care about what information Mr. Manafort can give you to lead you to Mr. Trump and an impeachment, or whatever." On May 4 Muslim woman Brietta Brown slashes two passengers and the driver of a Pioneer Valley Transit Authority bus in Hadley, Mass., later apologizing and asking Allah for forgiveness. On May 4-5 Spanish sailors rescue 476 migrants from Africa on 15 small boats attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea; meanwhile on May 6 the Spanish nonprofit group Proactiva Open Arms rescues 105 migrants near Libya. On May 5 (3:30 p.m.) an Allah-Akbar-shouting Muslim stabs several people in The Hague, Netherlands before being shot in the leg and arrested. On May 6 (Sun.) Japanese defense minister Itsunori Onoderi visits Estonia, meeting with devense minister Juri Luik in Tallinn, a first. On May 7 after weekend protests that result in 1.6K arrests incl. opposition leader Alexei Navalny, Vladimir Putin is sworn in for his 4th term as pres. of Russia (until 2024). On May 7 parliamentary elections in Lebanon (first since 2009) are a V for Hezbollah, who gain over half the seats. On May 7 after an article in The New Yorker reports on four progressive Dem. women accusing him of physical and sexual abuse, N.Y. atty. gen. Eric Schneiderman resigns; in Feb. he filed a civil rights suit against Hollywood lecher Harvey Weinstein. On May 7 Media Research Center releases a report claiming that the leftist PC media produce 90% negative coverage of Pres. Trump. On May 7-8 Muslim Advocacy Day is held on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C.; veiled Islamists trying to influence legislators to subvert the U.S. Constitution? On May 8 (2:00 p.m. local time) Pres. Trump announces that the U.S. is withdrawing from Obama's "horrible" Iran nuke deal (JCPOA) and reimposing "the most extreme" sanctions, calling it “one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into", causing co-signers U.K., France, and Germany to lament his decision and reaffirm support for the deal, and Obama to tweet that the decision is "a serious mistake". On May 8 the French newspaper Le Monde pub. the Manifesto Against the New Anti-Semitism signed by 300 French public figures incl. Nicolas Sarkozy, in which they "ask that the verses of the Qu'ran calling for the killing and punishment of Jews, Christians and unbelievers be obsoleted by theological authorities; on May 10 Abbas Shuman, deputy chief El Azhar U. in Cairo, Egypt responds with the soundbyte: "No to freezing one letter from the Koran, and those calling for it can go to Hell!" On May 8 (night) Iran launches 20 rockets at Israeli army positions in the Golan Heights, causing no industry, but becoming a new escalation in Iran's war against the Little Satan; of course, Israel retaliates. On May 9 the Calif. Energy Commission approves the Energy Efficiency Strategic Plan that has the goal of zero net energy usage by 2030, effective Jan. 1, making Calif. the first U.S. state to require solar panels on new residental construction. On May 10 (3:00 a.m.) U.S. secy. of state Mike Pompeo arrives from a meeting with Kim Jong-un in Korea at Andrews AFB with three Am. prisoners released for goodwill ahead of the upcoming summit. On May 10-Oct. 8 the Met Gala 2018 is titled "Fashion and the Catholic Imagination, featuring garments borrowed from the Vatican, worn provocatively, pissing-off Roman Catholics, who call it blasphemous. On May 12 the deadline for Pres. Trump to decide what to do about Obama's 2015 Iran nuke deal. On May 12 parliamentary elections in Iraq. On May 12 armed attackers from DRC attack a village in Cibitoke Province, NW Burundi, killing 26 in an attempt to disrupt the coming May 17 elections. On May 12 (night) Allah-Akbar-shouting Chechnya-born French Muslim Khmzat Azimov (1997-) pulls out a knife in the opera district of Paris, France, killing one and slashing four before being killed by police; ISIS claims him as one of its soldiers, releasing a video bragging on him. On May 13 (Sun.) (Mother's Day) U.S. secy. of state Mike Pompeo utters the soundbyte that if North Korea completely dismantles its nuke program, the U.S. will lift sanctions, paving the way for private investment to create economic prosperity in the country that's currently poorer than Afghanistan. On May 13 (a.m.) three churches (Pentecostal, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian) in Surabaya, Indonesia are bombed, killing 11+ and injuring 40; the perps are six members of the same family incl. the father, mother, two teenage sons, and daughters aged 9 and 12, who all die in the blasts; they recently returned from Syria via Turkey, which deported them; ISIS claims responsibility; police also suspect Jemaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD); Yusuf Al-Othaimeen, secy.-gen. of the Org. of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) utters the soundbyte that the OIC "reaffirms its principled position that violence and terrorism should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization, or ethnic group." On May 14 the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem, Israel officially opens amid violent Palestinian protests at the Gaza border that kill 62 Palestinians, incl. three armed terrorists trying to plant a bomb near the border fence, after which on May 15 the Palestinians stage a big funeral to gain internat. sympathy, with Hamas claiming that "50 Hamas martyrs during the Million Man March of Return on May 14", causing Turkey to call for an emergency meeting of the OIC as Israel and Turkey expel each other's ambassadors; on May 14 Trump critic John O. Brennan tweets the soundbyte: "Deaths in Gaza result of utter disregard of Messers Trump & Netanyahu for Palestinian rights & homeland. By moving Embassy to Jerusalem, Trump played politics, destroyed US peacemaker role. New generation of Israelis/Palestinians need to isolate extremists to find path to peace"; on May 15 U.S. U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley utters the soundbyte at the U.N. Security Council before walking out on the Palestinian rep: "Hamas has attacked the Kerem Shalom crossing, the biggest entry point in Gaza for fuel, food, and medical supplies. This is how determined they are to make the lives of the Palestinian people miserable. They light Molotov cocktails attached to kites on fire and attempt to fly them into Israel to cause as much destruction as possible. W hen asked yesterday why he put a swastika on his burning kite, the terrorist responded, 'The Jews go crazy when you mention Hitler.' This is what is endangering the people of Gaza. Make no mistake: Hamas is pleased with the results from yesterday. I ask my colleagues here in the Security Council, who among us would accept this type of activity on your border? No one would. No country in this chamber would act with more restraint than Israel has"; Israel is officially regathered for 70 years in fulfillment of the Biblical book of Daniel's 70 Weeks Prophecy? On May 14 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) court rules 6-3 in Murphy vs. National College Athletic Assoc. to overturn the 1992 U.S. Prof. and Amateur Sports Protection Act as a case of federal commandeering, allowing state-sponsored sports betting. On May 15 the Wealth-X Billionaire Census is pub., revealing that billionaire wealth surged 24% to a record level in 2017, and the billionaire pop. surged 15% fo 2,754 (vs. 2,473 in 2015); San Francisco, Calif. leads the other cities, with one billionaire for every 11,612 inhabitants, vs. 81,311 for New York City, 84,007 for Dubai, 84,962 for Hong Kong, 101,957 for Los Angeles, Calif., and 135,198 for London. On May 16 FBI dir. Christopher Wray speaks to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee, uttering the soundbyte about Islamic radical groups inside the U.S.: "We have about 1,000 investigations into exactly the kind of people you're describing, covering all 50 states as I'm sitting here right now. And that's not even counting, you know, the al-Qaeda investigations, the traditional ISIS investigations, the domestic terrorism investigations, but just the group you're talking about." On May 16-17 deadly protests in Kazerun, Iran result after a decision to split the city of 150K into two towns. On May 17 after being confirmed by the Senate 54-44, 33-year CIA veteran and acting CIA dir. (since Apr. 26) Gina Cheri Haspel (nee Walker) (1956-) becomes CIA dir. #7 (until ?), succeeding new secy. of state Mike Pompeo. On May 17 Israel announces that it will begin using Shoko (Heb. "bag") Drones to drop bags of skunk water on Gaza rioters as an alternative to deadly force. On May 17 after an email scandal involving male officials, the Miss America Org. and Miss America Foundation announce an all-women top leadership team; Regina (Blakely) Hopper becomes pres. and CEO of the Miss Am. Org., and Marjorie-Vincent Tripp becomes the first chair of the Miss Am. Foundation, becoming the first time women lead both orgs. On May 17 Pres. Obama's science adviser (2009-17) John Paul Holdren (1944-) gives a speech at the Am. Academy of Political and Social Science in Washington, D.C., calling Obama "the most science-savvy president since Thomas Jefferson" and claiming that Pres. Trump "has appointed or nominated fact-averse idealogues" to key executive branch science and technology positions, esp. EPA head Scott Pruitt and interior secy. Ryan Zinke, taking a swipe at Trump for promising to withdraw from the 2015 Paris Climate Change Accord, another at him for "his ignorant, bigoted, bullying, prevaricating, America-alone stance [that] has demeaned his office, has damaged our democracy, and has diminished U.S. standing in the world", and another at Trump's failure to appoint his replacement. On May 18 U.N. human rights chief Zeid Raad al-Hussein claims that Israel used "wholy disproportionate" force against the Palestinian Gaza border protesters at a meeting in Geneva, causing the Israeli ambassador to respond that the militant Islamist leaders deliberately put people in harm's way to gain internat. sympathy and delegitimize Israel. On May 18 (7:40 a.m.) 17-y.-o. student Dimitrios Pagourtzis (2001-) shoots up Santa Fe H.S. in Santa Fe (20 mi. from Galveston), Tex., killing eight students and two teachers in an arts class and injuring 13 incl. two officers in a 25-min. gun battle before being arrested, becoming the 3rd U.S. school shooting in eight days, and the 22nd of the year. On May 18 a Rasmussen Poll shows Pres. Trump's approval rating rising to 50%, with over 50% supporting his decision to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem. On May 19 (12:00 noon local time) Prince Harry (1984-) and half-black half-white Am. actress Meghan Markle (1981-) wed in Windsor Castle, becoming duke and duchess of Sussex. On May 19 four jihadists armed with Molotov cocktails storm the Church of Michael the Archangel in Grozny, Chechnya, Russia, killing a churchgoer and two police officers before being killed by police. On May 20 (Sun.) elections in Venezuela reelect pres. #63 (since Mar. 5, 2013) Nicolas Maduro by 45.99% for a 2nd 6-year term; the results are rejected by the OAS, EU, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the Lima Group, along with the U.S. and Australia; bad guys Red China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Turkey support the result. On May 20 (Sun.) U.S. ambassador to Israel David Friedman pub. an op-ed. on the Fox News Web site, with the soundbyte that the liberal media has been "glorifying" Hamas terrorists in its coverage of the U.S. embassy move to Jerusalem and Gaza riots in order to delegitimize Pres. Trump, and has "blood on its hands" for giving Hamas front page coverage so they could showboat. On May 20 (eve.) the 2018 Billboard Music Awards on NBC-TV, hosted by Kelly Clarkson see Ed Sheeran and Kendrick Lamar receive six awards each; they and Bruno Mars got 15 nominations each; Janet Jackson and Rhythm Nation rock the house with "Nasty", "If", and "Throb", and gives a speech for her Icon Award (first black woman), with the soundbyte: "I'm deeply humbled and grateful for this award. I believe that for all the challenges, for all our challenges, we live at a glorious moment in history. It's a moment when, at long last, women have made it clear that we will no longer be controlled, manipulated, or abused. I stand with those women, and with those men equally outraged by discrimination, who support us in heart and mind." On May 21 (a.m.) heavy explosions are heard at an Iranian electronic warfare base S of Damascus, Syria. On May 21 U.S. treasury secy. Steve Mnuchin gives an interview to Fox News, and announces that China and the U.S. "right now have agreed to put the tariffs on hold"; meanwhile Xinhua quotes Chinese vice-PM Liu He as saying "the two sides reached a consensus, will not fight a trade war, and will stop increasing tariffs on each other." On May 21 (3:00 p.m.) Pres. Trump calls deputy atty. gen. Rod Rosenstein and FBI dir. Christopher Wray to the White House to answer allegations that a federal informant was planted in his campaign. On May 21 U.S. secy. of state Mike Pompeo delivers a Speech on Iran at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C., demanding that Iran halt all uranium enrichment and ballistic missile production and open its sites to nuclear inspectors, announcing a severe sanctions program which he says will "crush" it, calling it the biggest in history to defang it, also calling Iran out for sheltering al-Qaida leaders, calling it "the world's largest sponsor of terror", with the soundbyte: "Is this what you want your country to be known for? For being a co-conspirator with Hezbollah, Hamas, the Taliban, and al-Qaida?", causing Iranian pres. Hassan Rouhani to reply "Who are you to make decisions about Iran?" On May 21 the Miss USA 2018 (67th) Pageant in Hirsch Memorial Coliseum in Shreveport, La., hosted by Vanessa and Nick Lachey is won by Miss Neb. Sarah Rose Summers (1994-) (first winner from Neb.). On May 22 Turkey sentences 104 ex-military officers to "aggravated life sentences" in prison for their involvement in the 2016 coup. On May 22 (Internat. Day Against Homophobia) Belarus slams its U.K. embassy for flying a rainbow flag, calling LGBT relationships "fake". On May 22 Israel uses the U.S.-made F-35 stealth fighter in its first combat action over Beirut. On May 22 Russia launches four Bulava ICBMs from nuclear sub Yuri Dolgoruky in the White Sea in a simulated massive nuclear strike against the U.S. On May 22 Adelaide archishop Philip Wilson is convicted of concealing child sexual abuse in the 1970s, becoming the most senior Roman Catholic in the world to be convicted. On May 22-23 Pres. Trump announces his Spygate conspiracy theory on Twitter, claiming that the Obama admin. planted a paid spy inside his 2016 pres. campaign to assist his rival Hillary Clinton to win the election, and that starting in Dec. 2015 there was a counter-intel operation inside his campaign; top congressmen of both major parties pooh-pooh his claims, clearing the FBI of misconduct, although they acknowledge that an FBI informant approached three Trump campaign advisors in 2016 in a covert effort to investigate Russian interference in the election. On May 23 a suicide bomber at a crowded park in a Shiite district in Shoala, Baghdad, Iraq kills seven and injures 16. On May 24 Pres. Trump cancels the planned North Korea summit scheduled for June 12 (6-12-18 = 6+6+6) in Singapore, with the soundbyte: "Based on the tremendous anger and open hostility displayed in your most recent statement, I feel it is inappropriate, at this time, to have this long-planned meeting"; the next day he reinstates it. On May 24 Pres. Trump pardons heavyweight boxing champ Jack Johnson (1878-1946) while flanked by "Rocky" actor Sylvester Stallone, former heavyweight boxing champ Lennox Lewis, and heavyweight boxing champ Deontay Wilder. On May 24 U.S. secy. of state of Mike Pompeo addresses the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, uttering the soundbyte that U.S. diplomats are being "treated badly" in Pakistan, and that it will continue to receive diminishing U.S. aid. On May 24 (10:30 p.m. local time) an IED set by two men explodes during two birthday parties at the Bombay Bhel Restaurant in Mississauga (near Toronto), Ont., Canada, injuring 15. On May 25 the Gen. Data Protection Regulation (DPR) (adopted on Apr. 14, 2016) comes into effect in the EU, protecting personal data of all EU citizens. On May 25 Hollyweird casting couch mogul Harvey Weinstein surrenders himself to New York City authorities to face sexual abuse charges. On May 25 a referendum in the Repub. of Ireland overturns its longtime ban on abortion by 66.4%-33.6%, approving the 36th Amendment to the Constitution, which repeals the 8th Amendment; the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act of 2018 is signed into law on Dec. 20, coming into force on Jan. 1. Islam and its Sharia are taking over Britain? Free speech is dead? On May 25 working class anti-Sharia leader Tommy Robinson is arrested outside Leeds Crown Court in English for reporting on a Muslim pedophile grooming gang trail, then railroaded into a 13-mo. prison sentence sans a lawyer for allegedly violating terms of a suspended sentence, causing a public outcry, with mass protests and 600K+ signing a petition urging PM Theresa May to free him; on Aug. 1 he is freed by a smart judge in the court of appeal, who takes the original judge off the case; he claims to have been abused in prison, losing 40 lbs. in 2 mo. On May 27 illegal Malian immigrant ("Le Spiderman") Mamoudou Gassama (1995- scales an apt. bldg. in Paris to save the life of a 4-y.-o. infant, causing Pres. Emmanuel Macron to meet with him on May 29 to thank him and give him French citizenship. On May 28-June 24 the 2018 U.N. Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, Switzerland, run by the Conference on Disarmament (founded 1979), known for drafting the 1997 U.N. Chemical Weapons Convention is chaired by er, the Syrian Arab Republic of Animal Assad over U.S. objections. On May 29 an Allah-Akbar-shooting ex-con in Liege, Belgium takes a female janitor hostage at a school and shoots and kills two female police officers and a civilian before being killed by police. On May 29 a Muslim Fulani herder attack on the Catholic Secret Heart Minor Seminary in Jalingo, Taraba, Nigeria badly wounds Father Koba in the leg; meanwhile another Boko Haram attack in Konduga, Borno kills four and injures seven. n May 29 despite stellar ratings, Bob Iger of Disney and her talent agency ICM Partners drop star Roseanne bar for a tweet about Pres. Obama's Iranian advisor Valerie Jarrett "muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby", causing the PC police to come out, calling it racist when the Muslim Brotherhood and Islam itself are political movements not races, and the movie Planet of the Apes isn't about blacks, it's about intelligent apes who attack all humans, white and black. On May 29 a Hamas mortar and rocket attack from Gaza Strip hits a Jewish kindergarten before the children arrive. On May 29 news breaks that Russian anti-Kremlin journalist Arady Babchenko was murdered outside in apt. in Kiev; on May 31 he appears alive and well at a press conference, admitting it was a sting by the Ukrainian security services to catch a killer paid by Russia. On May 30 ISIS militants attack the Afghan interior ministry bldg. in N Kabul, Afghanistan, killing one police officer and wounding five; 10 ISIS militants are killed. On May 30 a 26-y.-o. Muslim immigrant from Syria is shot dead by police in Rotterdam, Netherlands after stabbing two people and waving an axe at police, fatally stabbing a police dog. On May 30 (p.m.) Canadian leftist anti-Trump comedian Samantha Bee calls Ivanka Trump a "feckless cunt" on her "Full Frontal" show, causing a public outcry that ends in Bee issuing an apology. On May 31 U.S. commerce secy. Wilbur Ross announces new tariffs on steel and aluminum for Canada, the EU, and Mexico after deals were not reached. On May 31 Pres. Trump signs a law rolling back some of the regs of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Law, allowing community banks to go back in biz. On May 31 Pres. Trump announces that he will pardon conservative anti-Obama filmmaker Dinesh D'Souza. In May ?, the first female to join the British infantry quits after two weeks because it was too hard; in 2016 Conservative PM David Cameron lifted the ban on women in British combat units. In May elections in Iraq. In May Extinction Rebellion (XR) is founded in the U.K. by approx. 100 academics, who sign a call to action; on Oct. 31 it is officially launched by British environmental activists Julian Roger Hallam (1966-) and Gail Marie Bradbook (1972-) from the activist group Rising Up!, going on blockade or occupy prominent sites in London; its logo is a circled hourglass known as the extinction symbol; on Aug. 15, 2019 Hallam gives an interview to BBC's "Hard Talk", claiming on the basis of "hard science" that six billion people will die as a result of global climate change by 2100. In May several employees of Google resign to protest a contract with the U.S. govt. to make military drone software; meanwhile Google drops the motto "Don't be evil" from its docs. In May Pres. Trump cuts the U.S. federal payroll by 3K jobs, making a total of 24K since he took office. In May U.S. unemployment is 3.8%, lowest since 1969, with 223K new jobs. On June 1 after a corruption scandal, Spanish PM (since Dec. 21, 2011) Mariano Rajoy is ousted in a no-confidence vote in parliament, becoming the first in modern Spanish history. On June 1 U.S. secy. of state Mike Pompeo releases a statement expressing support for LGBTI people throughout the world, posting it on Web sites of U.S. embassies in every country except Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, and Libya. On June 1 ex-CIA dir. John O. Brennan pub. an op-ed in The Washington Post slamming "Mr. Trump" (he refuses to call him president) as a "snake-oil salesman" who has shown "mean-spirited, malicious, and highly abnormal behavior" who "lies routinely to the American people without compunction" while "intentionally fueling divisions", claiming that Trump's election "dealt a serious blow" to "the esteem with which I held the presidency", adding "Almost immediately, I began to see a startling aberration from the remarkable, though human, presidents I had served. Mr. Trump's lifelong preoccupation with aggrandizing himself seemed to intensify in office, and he quickly leveraged his 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. address and his Twitter handle to burnish his brand and misrepresent reality"; not only that, but Trump "charts his every move according to a calculus of how it will personally help or hurt him. His strategy is to undercut real, potential and perceived opponents; his focus is to win at all costs, irrespective of truth, ethics, decency and - many would argue - the law", comparing him to "deamagogues" who "routinely relied on lies, deceit, and suppression of political opposition to cast themselves as populist heroes and to mask self-serving priorities"; "By gaining control of intelligence and security services, stifling the independence of the judiciary and discrediting a free press, these authoritarian rulers followed a time-tested recipe for how to inhibit democracy's development, retard individual freedoms and liberties, and reserve the spoils of corrupt governance for themselves and their ilk", concluding: "I will speak out until integrity returns to the White House"; on June 2 Pres. Trump tweets back, quoting conservative commentator Dan Bongino, who appeared on "Fox & Friends" earlier that day: "John Brennan, no single figure in American history has done more to discredit the intelligence community than this liar. Not only is he a liar, he's a liar about being a liar." On June 2 (7:00 a.m. local time) a roadside bomb attack in Binni Hasar, Kabul, Afghanistan kills an Afghan archeologist and injures three. On June 2 Pope Francis holds a conference in the Vatican with the heads of Exxon, Mobil, Eni, and BP, telling them to quit pumping and shift to clean energy. On June 2 Italian foreign minister Matteo Salvini speaks at a rally in Vicenza, uttering the soundbyte about economic refugees from North Africa: "The party is over for illegal immigrants. They will have to pack their bags, in a polite and calm manner, but they will have to go. Refugees escaping from war are welcome, but all others must leave." On June 2 Israeli defense forces destroy a Hamas underwater terror tunnel located 3km from the Israeli border. On June 2 the FBI arrests former U.S. Defense Intel Agency (DIA) employee >Ron Rockwell Hanson for spying for China. On June 2 200-ft.-deep Green Lake, largest freshwater lake on Hawaii Island evaporates in less than 2 hours because of lava. On June 4 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 7-2 in Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colo. Civil Rights Commission that a Denver, Colo. bakery owned by conservative Christians was within its rights in refusing to bake a wedding cake for a gay couple, but doesn't rule on the larger issue of whether all business may hide behind the First Amendment to discriminate against gays, limiting their decision to language used by the commissioners that showed hostility toward religion rather than neutrality; "Whatever the confluence of speech and free exercise principles might be in some cases, the Colorado Civil Rights Commission's consideration of this case was inconsistent with the State's obligation of religious neutrality"; Ginsburg and Sotomayor dissent on the grounds that the gays were discriminated against for what they were, not for any offensive message on the cake - having to show one butt-fucking the other on the icing shouldn't matter? On June 4 Howard Schultz announces that he's resigning as exec chmn. of Starbucks after growing it from 11 stores in 1987 to 28K stores in 77 countries. On June 4 teenie British Muslim Safaa Boular (1990-) is found guilty of plotting a terror attack in the British Museum in London along with her all-female ISIS cell. On June 4 a Bay Area Council Poll finds that 46% of residents plan to move out of the San Francisco Bay area, vs. 34% in 2016 and 40% in 2017. On June 4 the Fuego Volcano in Guatemala erupts, killing 75 incl. three children, and injuring 300, with 192 missing. On June 5 the Napa County Ballot Question, sponsored by the Watershed Protection Committee seeks to restrict the number of trees that can be cut to make way for vineyards. On June 5 the U.S. State Dept. issues a Report on North Korean Detention Camps, saying that 120K are being held "under horrific conditions", and some are being held for religious reasons incl. Bible reading, praying, and singing hymns. On June 5 (a.m.) Miss America Org. chmn. Gretchen Carlson gives an interview on "Good Morning America", announcing the end of the swimsuit competition, with the soundbyte: "We are no longer a pageant. We are a competition. We wil no longer judge candidates on their outward physical appearance. That's huge." On June 5 the U.S. approves the refugee status application of Iraqi Muslim Omar Ameen (1973-), who then travels to Iraq and kills an Iraqi police officer in Rawah on behalf of ISIS on June 22, then returns to the U.S. and is arrested by the FBI in Sacramento, Calif. on Aug. 15. On June 6 (p.m.) Pres. Trump hosts in iftar dinner for ambassadors from Muslim-majority nations, describing it as "a sacred tradition of one of the world's great religion"; meanwhile anti-Trump Muslims demonstrate nearby, shouting "No ban, no wall, sanctuary for all"; Trump refused to hold the dinner in 2017. On June 7 Felipe V of Spain swears in a new pro-EU Spanish govt., with women holding most of the ministerial posts, 11 out of a cabinet of 17 under Socialist PM Pedro Sanchez, whose party holds only 84 out of 350 seats in congress. On June 7 after pressure by Palestinians, the Argentine nat. soccer team cancels a planned trip to Jerusalem for a friendly match with Israel to celebrate Israel's 70th birthday. On June 8 the 193-member U.N. Gen. Assembly votes for two nations to fill non-permanent seats on the U.N. Security Council; Israel makes its bid while 56 Arab nations oppose them. On June 8 Russian pres. Vladimir Putin meets in Beijing with Red Chinese (PRC) pres. Xi Jinping, who calls Putin "my best most intimate friend". On June 8 Austrian chancellor Sebastian Kurz announces a crackdown on hardcore Islamists, expelling 60 Turkish-funded imams and shutting down seven mosques along with the Arab Religious Community that runs six of them. On June 8-9 the G7 Summit in Charlevoix, Quebec, Canada sees cock of the rock Pres. Trump call for Russia to join and make it the G8, then blast Canadian PM Justin Trudeau (known for his babyish face with fake eyebrows) as "meek and mild" after refusing to sign the leftist G7 Communique (promising action on progressive taxation, global warming, women's equality et al.) and getting a parting shot from him, after which on June 10 Pres. Trump tweets the soundbyte: "PM Justin Trudeau of Canada acted so meek and mild during our @G7 meetings only to give a news conference after I left saying that, 'US Tariffs were kind of insulting' and he 'will not be pushed around.' Very dishonest & weak. Our Tariffs are in response to his of 270% on dairy!", to which his enemy John O. Brennan tweets the reply: "Your wrong-headed protectionist policies & antics are damaging our global standing as well as our national interests. Your worldview does not represent American ideals. To allies & friends: Be patient, Mr. Trump is a temporary aberration. The America you once knew will return." On June 10 new Italian interior minister Matteo Salvini orders Italian ports closed to the ship Aquarius carrying 629 migrants, pissing-off French pres. Emmanuel Macron, causing Italy to threaten to cancel a planned summit with France; Spain takes the migrants in, docking the ship in Valencia, then forcing numerous students to vacate their paid accomodations to make room for them; on June 2 Salvini orders another ship carrying 224 North African immigrants turned back. On June 10 (Sun.) the 2018 (72nd) Tony Awards at Radio City Musical Hall in New York City, hosted by Sara Bareilles and Josh Groban gives 10 awards incl. best musical to "The Band's Visit"; "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" wins six awards incl. best play; "Angels in America" wins three awards; Robert De Niro utters the crowd-pleasing soundbyte: "It's no longer just down with Trump. It's fuck Trump", causing Rob Reiner to utter the soundbyte: "You're helping Trump by saying 'Fuck Trump',, because he can say 'Look at these people, these elitists." On June 10 (Sun.) Clint Eastwood attends the Cannes Film Festival for the 25th anniv. of his 1982 film "Unforgiven", issuing the announcement: "Hollywood is the place of traitors and pedophilians. This morning I've decided to leave this awful place and fight against traitors with real American patriots with President Trump." On June 12 the off-again-on-again Trump-Jong Un (U.S.-North Korea) Summit in the Capella Hotel on Sentosa Island in Singapore proceeds quickly and amicably, with handshaking back-slapping Trump claiming he now has a "special bond" with the evil mass-murdering dictator, promising to stop military exercises in the Korean peninsula, and Kim reiterating his commitment to denuclearization, ending with both signing a communique and Trump inviting Kim to the White House. On June 12 super-leftist Berkeley, Calif. passes a resolution declaring a climate emergency and calling for a WWII-style mobilization effort incl. pop. control, urging other Calif. cities to march in line. On June 12 the Calif. secy. of state confirms that the Cal-3 initiative to divide Calif. into three states (Calif., Northern Calif., Southern Calif.), sponsored by Silicon Valley billionaire Tim Draper has received enough verified signatures to be placed on the Nov. ballot; 600K signatures were submitted; "California govenment has rotted. We need to empower our population to improve their government." (Draper) On June 13 Tunisian Muslim immigrant Sief Allah H. (1989-) is arrested in Chorweiler, Cologne, Germany for a plot to use the deadly toxin ricin in a jihadist attack in Germany using online instructions posted by ISIS. On June 14 U.S. Dept. of Justice Inspector Gen. Michael E. Horowitz releases a 500-page report on the mishandling of the Hillary Clinton email server scandal, slapping FBI dir. James Comey and atty. gen. Loretta Lynch on the wrist, despite revealing that Comey topped Hillary by using his personal Gmail account for official biz; on June 16 Pres. Trump tweets the soundbyte: "The IG Report totally destroys James Comey and all of his minions including the great lovers, Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, who started the graceful Witch Hunt against so many innocent people. It will go down as a dark and dangerous period in American History!" On June 14 Pres. Trump announces his intention of slapping $50B of tariffs on Chinese goods, causing the Chinese to do ditto. On June 16 after Pres. Trump boasts about his poll numbers and his supporters in a tweet, Trump-hater John O. Brennan tweets the soundbyte: "All Americans - not just your supporters - deserve a President who is honest, ethical, selfless, & substantive. Our country faces daunting domestic & international challenges. If there is a scintilla of decency left in you, you would focus on your responsibilities, not on yourself." On June 18 Pres. Trump announces his plan to create an independent "separate but equal" Space Force as a 6th branch of the U.S. militarey, ordering Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford to carry it out pronto, with the soundbytes: "It is not enough to have an American presence in space, we must have an American dominance in space", and "General, got it?"; Trump also tweets the soundbyte about German chancellor Angela Merkel's migrant policy: "Crime in Germany is way up. Bit mistake made all over Europe in allowing millions of people who have so strongly and violently change their culture!" On June 19 after it passes the House of Commons in Nov., the Canadian Senate votes 52-29 to pass Bill C-45 (the Cannabis Act), legalizing marijuana, becoming the 2nd country after Uruguay in Dec. 2013. On June 19 the U.S. Justice Dept. announces the arrest of 412 Muslims in Mich. for welfare fraud, calling it "the largest scam in United States history". On June 19 as it begins a 3-day meeting in Geneva, U.S. U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley and U.S. secy. of state Mike Pompeo announce that the U.S. has pulled out of the U.N. Human Rights Council, calling it "not worthy of its name" and a "protector of human rights abusers and cesspool of political bias", accusing it of "politicizing and scapegoating countries with positive human rights records". On June 19 ICE launches Operation Limelight at Newark Internat. Airport in N.J. to inform passengers traveling to countries that have a high risk of female genital mutilation (FGM) of the laws and penalties. On June 19 (eve.) U.S. Homeland Security secy. Kirstjen Nielsen is chased out of a Mexican restaurant by anti-Trump activists over the children separation issue, shouting "You're a villain locking up immigrant children"; on June 25 White House press secy. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is asked to leave the Red Hen Restaurant in Lexington, Va., causing Trump to respond that the "dirty" restaurant "badly needs a paint job", while leftist Calif. Dem. rep. Maxine Waters calls for more such actions, with the soundbyte: "If you see anybody from that (Trump) Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd. You push back on them. Tell them they're not welcome anymore, anywhere!", forcing Nancy Pelosi to condemn her, after which she backtracks and denies calling for anybody to be harmed. On June 20 after a bipartisan uproar about tearing illegal immigrant children away from their families, topped by Hollyweird actor Peter Fonda uttering the soundbyte: "Let's rip Barron Trump from his mother's arms and put him in a cage with pedophiles", Pres. Trump signs an executive order keeping families together at the border. On June 21 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 5-4 in South Dakota v. Wayfair Inc. to overturn their unanimous decision in Quill Corp. v. North Dakota (1992) and permit states to collect sales tax from out-of-state online retailers, with Justice Anthony Kennedy calling the previous decision "unsound and incorrect", pleasing Pres. Trump, who has long blasted Amazon.com and its founder Jeff Bezos, owner of the anti-Trump Washington Post; the majority incl. Anthony Kennedy, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Clarence Thomas, and Ruther Bader Ginsburg; dissenters incl. John Roberts, Stephen Breyer, Elena Kagan, and Sonia Sotomayor. On June 21 First Lady Melania Trump visits some children's shelters at the U.S.-Mexico border in Tex. along with HHS secy. Alex Azar, paving the way for accelerated reunification with their families; she wears a jacket reading "I really don't care. Do U?" on the back, pissing-off the PC police. On June 21 the 2018 U.S. Summer begins, going on to have the smallest number of daily record temperatures and smallest number of all-time record max temperatures; on Sept. 6 NOAA releases a report claiming it is the 4th hottest summer on record for the U.S., tying with 1934; it's moose hockey because the 1930s were way hotter? On June 21-24 a jihadi attack by Muslim Fulani herdsmen on Christians in a number of villages in Plateau State of C Nigeria kills 200+ and injures hundreds, burning 50 homes; the PC press tries to cover it up, calling it "ethnic tensions", "a battle for land and resources", and "climate change"; on July 1 Roman Catholic arcbishop of Lagos Cardinal Anthony Olubunmi Okogie pub. an open letter to Nigerian pres. Muhammadu Buhari, accusing him of culpable inaction to protect Christians from slaughter by Muslim Fulani herdsmen in C Nigeria. On June 22 Pres. Trump tweets the soundbyte that the only way to get immigration legislation passed is for Repubs. to give up in immigration reform until a Red Wave of Repubs. is elected to Congress in Nov., which Repub. leaders immediately ignore. On June 22 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 5-4 in Carpenter v. U.S. that police need warrants to gather phone location data as evidence for trials. On June 23 the Tham Luang Cave Rescue sees 12 boys ages 11-16 from a local soccer team become stranded with their 25-y.-o. asst. coach Tham Luang Nang Non in a cave in Chiang Rai Province and get trapped by heavy rains, causing a massive rescue operation by 1K incl. Thai Navy SEALs, one of whom dies while delivering air supplies on July 5; they are rescued on ? On June 23 Pres. Trump tweets the soundbyte: ".@FoxNews Poll numbers plummet on the Democrat inspired and paid for Russian Witch Hunt. With all of the bias, lying and hate by the investigators, people want the investigators investigated. Much more will come out. A total scam and excuse for the Dems losing the Election!", causing Trump enemy John O. Brennan to tweet the reply "Your fear of exposure is palpable. Your desperation even more so. When will those of conscience among your Cabinet, inner circle, and Republican leadership realize that your unprincipled and unethical behavior as well as your incompetence are seriously damaging our Nation." On June 25 the U.N.'s WHO announces that for purposes of the 11th ed. of its Internat. Classification of Diseases (ICD), transgender individuals will no longer be classified as mentally ill. On June 25 the Assoc. for Library Service to Children removes Laura Ingalls Wilder's name from their legacy award for being too white, er, "expressions of stereotypical attitudes inconsistent with ALSC's core values", renaming it the Children's Lit. Legacy Award. On June 26 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 5-4 in ? v. ? to uphold Pres. Trump's Muslim country travel ban, confirming that it is "squarely within the scope of presidential authority, with his anti-Muslim campaign statements being irrelevant, but seemingly only because the ban only affects 8% of the world's Muslims, the whole decision pissing-off leftists incl. ACLU deputy legal dir. Cecilia Wang, who calls the decision "a dreadful day", vowing to "fight on to express the will of the people to uphold equality and freedom" and flood the U.S. with Muslims who will destroy its Constitutional repub. to please the ACLU and other Commies?; Pres. Trump calls it a "tremendous victory for the American people"; dissenter justice Sonia Sotomayor writes the soundbyte: "History will not look kindly on the court's misguided decision today, nor should it"; no blanket statement that Islam may be used as a criteria to ban people from entering the U.S. if it is deemed a threat to the Constitution, no castigation of the lower courts for bowing to leftists and usurping the president's and Congress' authority in a separation of powers power grab attempt? On June 26 thousands of Iranians protest in the Grand Bazaar in Tehran, Iran over the govt.'s spending of money on adventurism abroad, shouting "Death to Palestine". On June 26 avowed Socialist Dem. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (1989-) defeats longtime rep. Joe Crowley in the Dem. primary in New York's 14th congressional district, promising universal free Medicare and college tuition, and an end to ICE. On June 27 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 5-4 in Janus v. AFSCME that unions may not force non-members to pay union dues, citing the political activities of public sector unions and free speech rights. On June 28 (2:34 p.m. local time) a shooter at the Capital Gazette Newspaper Bldg. in Annapolis, Md. kills five incl. four journalists and a salesperson and injures several others; suspect Jarrod Warren Ramos (1979-) surrenders and is arrested. On June 28 hundreds of chanting women protest inside the U.S. Senate Office Bldg. in Washington, D.C. against Donald Trump's treatment of migrant families; police arrest nearly 600. On June 28 the Calif. Supreme Court upholds a gun control law that is impossible to implement, requiring semiautomatic guns sold in the state to have a unique micro-stamped marker on their firing pins. On June 28 the 2018 North Am. Heat Wave (ends Oct. 4); on July 27 Michael Mann of Penn. State U., Jennifer Francis of Rutgers U., and Noah Diffenbaugh of Stanford U. blame it on increased atmospheric CO2 and the jet stream; meanwhile Britain suffers an unusually wet and cold summer, and Siberia suffers record cold, with a record low of -1C in Salekhard on Aug. 2; in June-Aug. the Summer 2018 U.S. Midwest has one of its coolest summers in modern times, with only eight measurements over 100F, vs. 17,772 since 1895 and 2,624 in 1936; meanwhile in Aug. satellite data from climatereanalyzer.org show global temps falling to 0.19C, giving a YTD avg. of 0.23C, about the same as in 2002. On June 29 West Point Academy announces the appointment of Lt. Gen. Darryl A. Williams as its first-ever black suptd. (#60). On June 30 after 561 refugees from Yemen arrive in Jeju Province, South Korea, and 552 apply for asylum, a protest is held against them in Seoul. In June former "Flowers in Your Hair" city San Francisco, Calif. is declared one of the filthiest slums on Earth. In June Uzbekistan refugee Jamshid Muhtorov is found guilty of conspiring to support a terrorist group, and given an 11-year prison sentence with six years off for time served in Colo. In June Austria announces that it is going to shut down seven mosques and expel 60 imams with ties to Turkey or Salafis. In June David de Rothschild (1942-) hands control of the Rothschild banking empire to his son Alexandre de Rothschild (1980-). On July 1 elections in Mexico. On July 1 Costa Rica becomes the first country to ban fossil fuels. In July the city of San Francisco, Calif. opens two safe injection sites (monitored by train medical staff) for users of heroin, fentanyl, and other hard drugs, becoming the first in the U.S. - shut up and take my money? On July 1 Am. Muslim convert (al-Qaida supporter) Abdur Raheem Rafeeq (formerly Nathaniel Pitts) is arrested by the FBI for plotting a July 4 terror attack in Cleveland, Ohio. On July 1 France enthrones abortion champion (health minister in 1975) Simone Veil in the Pantheon, with pres. Emmanuel Macron declaring "France loves Simone Veil". On July 3 the city of Quriyat, Oman sets a record of 108.7F (42.6C) for the highest 24-hour min. temperature on Earth, breaking the previous record of 107.4F (41.9C) set in Oman on June 27, 2011; the temp actually remains above 107.4F (41.9C) for 51 straight hours, with an afternoon high temp of 121.6F (49.8C); on July 6 Ouargla, Algeria reaches 124F (51C), setting a record for Africa, causing global warming proponents to claim it as proof; actually the heat dome phenomenon happens every few summers, and there have been far hotter summers in the past, esp. the 1930s? On July 6 amid a swarm of 14 federal investigations, EPA head (since Feb. 17, 2017) Scott Pruit resigns; U.S. Sen. (D-Mass.) Elizabeth "Pocahontas" Warren utters the soundbyte that his successor should be a believer in climate change; on July 9 Hamilton, Ohio-born coal lobbyist Andrew R. Wheeler (1964-) (former aide to climate skeptic U.S. Sen. James Inhofe) succeeds Scott Pruitt as acting admin. of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (until ?). On July 6 the U.S. and China hit each other with punishing tariffs, becoming the start of a trade war. On July 7-8 (weekend) heavy rains in SW Japan trigger floods and landslides that kill 57 and force 2M to flee their homes. On July 9 Pope Francis hosts a conference at the Vatican with oil co. execs, urging them to get with it and follow his 2015 climate change encyclical "Laudato Si" despite it not being obligatory. On July 9 (7:00 p.m. EDT) after the Dems. go wild at the prospect of Roe v. Wade being overturned, and key Senate Dems. Joe Donnelly (Ind.), Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.), and Joe Manchin (W. Va.) refuse invitations, Pres. Trump nominates conservative Roman Catholic D.C. Appeals Court judge (since 2006) Brett Michael Kavanaugh (1965-) to the U.S. Supreme Court to fill the vacancy of retiring justice Anthony Kennedy, for whom he once clerked, pissing-off Dems, causing Hillary Clinton to utter the soundbyte to the Am. Federation of Teachers on July 13 that Repubs. want to turn the black, er, clock back to the 1850s. On July 11 Pres. Trump meets in Brussels with leaders of NATO, whipping them in line to increase defense spending, uttering the soundbyte: "I told them today that the EU better be careful because immigration is taking over Europe and I said that loud and clear." On July 11 the U.N. Security Council holds its first session focusing on climate change in seven years, to consider "the cycle of conflict and climate disaster", calling for internat. coordination. On July 11 Argentina freezes the assets of 14 people belong to the Barakat clan in South Am., becoming their first action against Hezbollah; on Sept. 21 Brazilian federal police arrest the clan leader Assad Ahmad Barakat in Foz do Iguacu, Brazil in the tri-border area of Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. On July 12 Pres. Trump arrives in Britain to a royal welcome by PM Theresa May, followed by another at Windsor Castle by Elizabeth II on July 13, amid large anti-Trump street demonstrations, incl. a giant Baby Trump Blimp, causing Trump to say that he doesn't feel welcome there, telling The Sun newspaper that unless Euros "act very quickly, it's never going to be what it was, and I don't mean that in a positive way", adding "I think you are losing your culture. Look around. You go through certain areas that didn't exist 10 or 15 years ago", later telling a press conference: "I made a point today. I said, you've got to stop. You're ruining your - you're going to have a lot of problems. You see what's going on throughout the world with immigration"; on July 14 he visits Scotland, facing more protests; Prince William and Prince Charles snub Trump, who makes a mild etiquette boo-boo by turning his back to the diminutive queen. On July 12 Repubs. on the House Oversight Committee and House Judiciary Committee grill FBI agent Peter Strzok for nine hours while Dems. turn it into a circus trying to cover for him with procedural objections; Strzok acts defiant, calling the hearing a "victory notch in Putin's belt" while acknowledging texts saying "Stop Trump", but claiming that there is "simply no evidence of bias in my professional actions" (other than sending the damning texts on FBI equipment), claiming he was kicked off the Russia probe over an "appearance" issue not because of "bias", adding that he didn't appreciate Repub. Rep. Trey Gowdy (who accuses him of "textbook bias" with his anti-Trump texts) to say otherwise, causing Gowdy to reply: "I don't give a damn what you appreciate, Agent Strzok. I don't appreciate an FBI agent with an unprecedented level of animus working on two major investigations in 2016" - try using a racial slur and see how that argument works? On July 12 Turkish Mahdist sect leader Adnan Oktar (AKA Harun Yahya) is arrested as part of a crackdown on his cult after the Turkish govt. claims it found arms caches in their HQ on the Asian side of the Bosporus. On July 13 (Fri.) a grand jury indicts 12 Russian intel officers for hacking computers of Hillary Clinton's campaign and the Dem. Nat. Committee, but no Americanskies, causing Pres. Trump to tweet the soundbyte: "The stories you heard about the 12 Russians yesterday took place during the Obama Administration, not the Trump Administration. Why didn't they do something about it, especially when it was reported that President Obama was informed by the FBI in September, before the Election?" On July 13 a suicide attack at an election rally in Mastung, SW Pakistan kills 129 incl. Balochistan Awami Party leader Siraj Raisani. On July 15 (4:30 p.m. local time) a suicide attack at the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development in Kabul, Afghanistan kills seven and injures 15+; meanwhile the U.N. pub. a report giving the number of Afghan civilians killed in the first half of the year as 1.7K, highest in 10 years. On July 16 the Trump-Putin Summit in Helsinki, Finland, hosted by Finnish pres. (since Mar. 1, 2012) Sauli Niinisto sees Trump side with Putin on the Ritz against his own Obama-Hillary-infiltrated intel agencies, uttering the soundbyte that he didn't say any reason why it would be Russia that interfered with the 2016 U.S. election, pissing-off traitors in the U.S. govt., who expose themselves by calling him a traitor, incl. John McCain, Chuck Schumer, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and John Brennan, who calls Trump's comments "imbecilic" and explicitly uses the T-word, while overlooking the fact that he voted for Communist Party USA candidate Gus Hall for U.S. pres. in 1976; McCain calls it "One of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory", adding "No prior president has ever abased himself more abjectly before a tyrant"; Trump calls Brennan a "total lowlife"; most of these same critics called Pres. George W. Bush a traitor for believing his intel services when they claimed that Iraq had WMD; Trump later corrects himself, saying that he meant to say he didn't see any reason why it wouldn't be Russia. On July 16 the EU and Japan sign a massive trade deal covering nearly one-third of world GDP and 600M people, allowing the EU to get back at Pres. Trump for calling it "foe" of the U.S. on July 15. On July 16 a volcanic lava bomb showers a tour boat off the coat of the Big Island of Hawaii, injuring 22 before it can return to Hilo. On July 17 after DNA is used to track him down, John D. Miller is charged with the 1988 kidnapping, rape, and murder of 8-y.-o. April Tinsley in Ind. On July 18 the EU fines Google 4.3B Euros for anti-competitive abuse with its Android mobile software, and another 2.4B Euro fine for its search monopoly for "denying rivals a chance to innovate", causing Pres. Trump to tweet the soundbyte: "I told you so! They truly have taken advantage of the U.S., but not for long!" On July 18 a U.S. grand jury indicts Russian activist Maria Butina, founder of the pro-gun Russian advocacy group Right to Bear Ams as an unregistered foreign agent. On July 19 several thousand pro-regime residents of FUaa and Kafraya in N Syria evacuate after one of the longest sieges in the 7-year civil war. On July 21 after five people incl. an Israeli soldier are killed on July 21, a ceasefire is agreed to by Hamas and Israel. On July 22 a suicide attack near the main airport in Kabul, Afghanistan targeting vice-pres. Rashid Dostum kills 23 and injures 100+; Dostum left the country last year and recently returned. On July 22 after Iranian nutcase Hassan Rouhani tweets that the U.S. should be aware that "war with Iran is the mother of all wars", Pres. Trump tweets the soundbyte: "NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE", causing Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif to tweet the soundbyte: "COLOR US UNIMPRESSED... BE CAUTIOUS!" On July 22 (night) Pakistan-born Canadian Muslim Faisal Hussain shoots up a restaurant row on Danforth Ave. in Greektown, Toronto, Canada, killing 18-y.-o. Reese Fallon and 10-y.-o. Julianna Kozis and injuring 13; the govt. attempts a coverup, refusing to call it a jihad. On July 23 a 5.8 earthquake in SE Iran injures 25+, one day after another earthquake in W Irean injures 290, becoming Iran's fourth earthquake in two days. On July 23 as Russian-backed Syrian govt. forces route rebels in SW Syria, bringing them close to the Golan Heights, Israel launches its newest air defenses system, the David's Sling interceptor missile at rockets which it claims fell inside Syrian territory as part of the internal fighting, causing Moscow to send foreign minister Sergei Lavrov to meet with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu. On July 23 after the Carter Page FISA docs are released, Pres. Trump tweets the soundbyte: "So we now find out that it was indeed the unverified and Fake Dirty Dossier, that was paid for by Crooked Hillary Clinton and the DNC, that was knowingly & falsely submitted to FISA and which was responsible for starting the totally conflicted and discredited Mueller Witch Hunt!" On July 24 (1:42 p.m. local time) Israel shoots down a Syrian Sukhoi warplane 2 km. inside the Israeli border using two patriot missiles. On July 24 a Gallup Poll finds that Pres. Trump's approval rating has risen to 41.9%. On July 25 an ISIS assault in the Druze city of Sweida, S Syria kills 220+. On July 25 gen. elections in Pakistan are a V for the PTI Party of Imran Khan, while the opposition PMLN Party alleges massive fraud. On July 25 Pres. Trump meets in the White House with European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker, and agree on a trade plan that gives Trump nearly everything he wants. On July 26 thousands of African migrants begin storming the fences between Morocco and Ceuta, Spain; on Aug. 22 seven policemen are burned by acid and quicklime thrown by the pesky migrants. On July 26 after a disastrous quarterly report, Facebook posts the largest 1-day market value loss in U.S. stock market history, down $119B to $510B (19%); founder Mark Zuckerberg loses $17B; Facebook shareholders propose ousting him as chmn. On July 26 Iranian gen. Qasem Soleimani gives a speech in Hameden, Iran, with the soundbyte that Pres. "Trump the Gambler"'s speech is "that of a bartender or a casino manager", warning him that "We are near you in places that you can't even imagine. We are a nation of martyrdom." On July 26 Land O'Lakes of Minn. names COO Beth Ford as its CEO, becoming the first openly gay woman to head a Fortune 500 co. On July 27 Pres. Trump announces a 2nd quarter GDP growth of 4.1%, uttering the soundbyte: "Once again we are the economic envy of the entire world. When I meet the leaders of countries, the first thing they say invariably is Mr. President, so nice to meet you, congratulations on your economy, you're leading the entire world." On July 27 Jordanian immigrant Muslim Ali Mahwood-Awad Irsan is convicted by a jury in Houston, Tex. of the honor killing of his daughter Nesreen Irsan's Am. husband Coty Beavers and Iranian women's rights activist Gelareh Bagherzadeh to prevent the daughter who ran away from home from marrying a Christian and converting to Christianity; Irsan's wife Shmou Alrawabdeh testifies against him after a plea bargain; Irsan's son Nasim Irsan is being held in jail on murder charges. On July 27 (3rd Fri. the 13th of July) a blood moon signals the End of the World? On July 28 the 81K-acre Carr Fire in Northern Calif. kills two firefighters while destroying hundreds of bldgs. and homes, causing 38K residents of Redding, Calif. to flee their homes; meanwhile 89 large wildfires are burning in 14 U.S. states, mainly in the west. On July 28 three Islamist gunmen attack a midwife training facility in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, engaging security forces for several hours before being killed after four civilians are killed. On July 28 Jordian-born Mexican Muslim Moyad Heider Mohammad Aldairi (1987-) is arrested for allegedly conspiring to smuggle six Yemeni nations across the Tex. border into the U.S. for a fee. On July 29 (Sun.) pres. elections in Mali are a push, causing a 2nd election on Aug. 12 between incumbent pres. Ibrahiim Boubacar Keita and Soumaila Cisse (Cissé); Keita wins with 67% of the vote. On July 29 elections in Cambodia. On July 29 a shallow 6.9 earthquake in Lombok Island, Indonesia kills 347 and injures 160+, damaging 1K+ houses; it is felt as far as Bali. On July 29 17-y.-o. Palestinian Ahed Tamimi (2001-) is released from jail after serving an 8-mo. sentence for slapping and kicking two Israeli soldiers outside her home on Dec. 15 then filming it and livestreaming it on Facebook. On July 29 the corpse of Bishop Epiphanius is found in the Coptic Orthodox Church of St. Macarius the Great Monastery near Wadi el-Natrun, Egypt under mysterious circumstances. On July 29 the Iranian rial hits a new low of 100K to $1 U.S. as Iran braces for Aug. 7, the day the U.S. reimposes economic sanctions. On July 29 Pres. Trump tweets the soundbyte: "Had a very good and interesting meeting at the White House with A.G. Sulzberger, Publisher of the New York Times. Spent much time talking about the vast amounts of Fake News being put out by the media & how that Fake News has morphed into phrase, 'Enemy of the People.' Sad!"; on Aug. 2 after his daughter Ivanka appears to contradict him, Pres. Trump tweets the soundbyte: "They asked my daughter Ivanka whether or not the media is the enemy of the people. She correctly said now. It is the FAKE NEWS, which is a large percentage of the media, that is the enemy of the people"; on Aug. 5 Pres. Trump tweets the soundbyte: "The Fake News hates me saying that they are the Enemy of the People only because they know it's TRUE. I am providing a great service by explaining this to the American People. They purposely cause great division & distrust. They can also cause War! They are very dangerous & sick!" On July 30 Pres. Trump holds a conference with Italian PM (since June 1) Giuseppe Conte, uttering the soundbyte that he'd "certainly meet" with Iranian pres. Hassan Rouhani sans preconditions, adding "I'll meet with anybody. There's nothing wrong with meeting." On July 30 elections in Zimbabwe are the first without Robert Mugabe on the ballot. On July 30 (1:40 a.m.) Fakrol Islam (1992-) tries to set a gas station in Bulls Head, Staten Island, N.Y. on fire; on Aug. 22 he is indicted in his hospital bed in Staten Island U. Hospital, pleading not guilty. On July 31 U.S. homeland security secy. Kirstjen Nielsen announces the creation of the Nat. Risk Management Center to help banks, energy and other critical infrastructure industries thwart foreign cyberattacks. On July 31 after meeting with two dozen-plus Repub. Senators, Judge Brett Kavanaugh meets with U.S. Sen. (D-W. Va.) Joe Manchin, who becomes the first Senate Dem. to meet him, and ends up voting to confirm him. On July 31 Facebook announces the removal of 32 face accounts from its site and Instagran for engaging in "coordinated inauthentic behavior" to disrupt the U.S. midterm elections; too bad, this incl. the feminist activist group Resisters, which was advertising an anti-racism rally in Washington, D.C. set for Aug. 12 on the 1st anniv. of the Unite the Right protest in Charlottesville, Va. On July 31 NBA star LeBron James gives an interview to CNN, claiming that he believes Pres. Trump "is kind of trying to divide us", causing Trump on Aug. 3 to tweet the soundbyte: "Lebron James was just interviewed by the dumbest man on television, Don Lemon. He made Lebron look smart, which isn't easy to do. I like Mike!", causing Lemon on Aug. 4 to tweet the soundbyte: "Who's the real dummy? A man who puts kids in classrooms or one who puts kids in cages?" (forgetting that Pres. Obama did it too?) In July U.S. unemployment is 3.9%, adding 157K jobs (vs. 248K in June), with a record 15,965,000 employed; the unemployment rate for Hispanics hits a record low of 4.5%. On Aug. 1 the Trump admin. announces that it is raising planned tariffs on $200B of goods imported from China from 10% to 25%, upping the pressure, causing China to retaliate with their own tariffs. On Aug. 1 after a week of threats, Pres. Trump blacklists Turkish interior minister Suleyman Soylu and justice minister Abdulhamit Gul to pressure Turkey to release N.C. Christian missionary Andrew Brunson, pissing-off Turkish dictator Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who on Aug. 4 threatens sanctions on two members of Pres. Trump's cabinet to retaliate. On Aug. 2 Pres. Trump tweets a thank you to North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un for returning the remains of U.S. servicemen. On Aug. 3 after the senate rejects it, the French house passes a controversial asylum and migration bill, preserving the right of asylum. On Aug. 3 a suicide bomber detonates at the Shiite Khawaja Hassan Mosque in Gardez, Paktia, E Afghanistan, killing 25 and injuring 40. On Aug. 3 a Saudi air raid near the main public hospital in Hodeidah, Yemen on the Red Sea kills 55 and injures 124. On Aug. 3 Am. extremist Muslim Siraj Ibn Wahhaj (Wahhaj Jr.) (1979-), son of Brooklyn, N.Y. imam Siraj Wahhaj (suspected conspirator in the 1993 WTC bombing) is arrested in his compound in Amalia, N.M., where 11 malnourished children and four adults (Wahhaj, Lucas Morten, Subhanah Wahhaj, Hujrah Wahhaj, Jany Leville) are found living in filthy conditions, with the children allegedly being taught to use assault rifles to commit school shootings; remains of a 12th child are found; too bad, a N.J. judge dismisses child abuse charges against all five defendants after state prosecutors miss a 10-day deadline for a preliminary hearing. On Aug. 3 after the news breaks that the office of wealthy ($45M) pro-China U.S. Sen. (D-Calif.) Dianne Feinstein employed a Chinese spy as driver for 20 years, getting Chinese human rights activists who appealed to her for help kidnapped and executed by the Red Chinese govt., Donald Trump tweets the soundbyte: "Dianne is the person leading our Nation on 'Collusion' with Russia (only done by Dems.) Will she now investigate herself?"; the PC press ignores the story to continue her/their war on Trump. On Aug. 4 (afternoon) several drones explode near Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro while giving a speech, injuring seven, causing him to fish around for somebody to blame, starting with the U.S.? On Aug. 4-5 a surge of shootings in Chicago, Ill. kills 36 (incl. 16 teenagers), incl. 25 in a 2.5-hour period on Aug. 5, causing former Chicago Heights police chief Gary "Gus" Trower to utter the soundbyte: "Instead of setting up a task force combining the resources of the FBI, DEA, ATF, Chicago Police Department, Illinois State Police and others to fight against the gangs and criminals that all too often cut-short the lives of young blacks, the Democrats are more interested in trying to bring down a duly elected POTUS"; so far this year there has been a total of 1.7K shootings and 318 homicides in Rahm Emanuelville. On Aug. 6 in a coordinated coup after viewer-losing fake news CNN puts them up to it, Facebook, Apple, YouTube, and Spotify (but not Twitter) remove "The Alex Jones Show" and its InfoWars content in a quantum leap in leftist censorship of non-leftists, causing Media Research Center pres. Brent Bozell to write the soundbyte: "It's not just a slippery slope, it's a dangerous cliff that these social media companies are jumping off to satisfy CNN and other liberal outlets"; on Sept. 6 Twitter finally pulls Jones' account after an incident when he harassed CNN reporter Oliver Darcy outside a run in Congress where Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey was being questioned; meanwhile Hungarian-born anti-American leftist billionaire puppetmaster George Soros (1930-) and his octopus call for Facebook to remove "climate deniers", and YouTube resists the pressure, but in July starts adding info. panels to all climate videos pro and con linked to Wikipedia's super-biased article on climate change that pushes the PC global warming moose hockey and denigrates climate denialists, landmining the pages so that every stray click goes to it; they also do it with Flat Earth and NASA Moon Landing hoax videos, encouraging guilt by association? On Aug. 6 (eve.) 11-y.-o. 4'11" 90 lb. African-Am. girl Donesha Gowdy (2007-) is tased by police officer Kevin Brown (1963-) in Spring Grove, Cincinnati, Ohio after shoplifting $50 worth of groceries from a Kroger store, causing a public outcry, which is increased when the police dept. claims a 50K-volt taser can be used on anybody aged 7-70; too bad, the officer utters the non-PC soundbyte "You know, sweetheart, this is why there's no grocery stores in the black community", letting the PC police loose on him, after which Brown doubles down on his statement, saying it is supported by statistics, and the police dept. says the statement constitutes prejudice, he didn't turn on his body camera before tasering her, did not warn her first, and was unnecessary since the incident wasn't serious enough. On Aug. 7 U.S. sanctions on Iran come into effect. On Aug. 7 Nigerian security forces block lawmakers from entering parliament to intimidate opposition leaders, causing the acting pres. to fire the head of the security agency. On Aug. 7 Ivan Duque Marquez (Iván Duque Márquez) (1976-) of the Dem. Centre Party becomes pres. #33 of Columbia (until ?). On Aug. 7 16-y.-o. Maxim Neverov (2002-) from Blysk is fined 50K rubles for pub. pro-gay photos on social network site Vkontakte, becoming the first minor prosecuted under Russian anti-gay propaganda laws. On Aug. 8 the Trump admin. announces new sanctions on Russia over a Novichok chemical weapons attack on former Russian intel officer Sergei V. Skripal in Mar. in Salisbury, England. On Aug. 8 Ford rolls its 10 millionth Mustang off an assembly line in its Detroit, Mich. plant. On Aug. 8-9 Israeli aircraft strike 150+ targets in Gaza, while Palestinian Hamas militants fire scores of rockets deep into Israel, first long-range attack since 2014. On Aug. 10 the Taliban launches a brazen attack on the strategic city of Ghazni, Afghanistan S of Kabul, killing 16 and injuring 40 AFghan security forces. On Aug. 10 Socialist former pres. (2006-10, 2012-14) of Chile Michelle Bachelet is elected U.N. high commissioner for human rights despite reluctance to criticize fellow Latin Am. leftists in Cuba, Venezuela et al. On Aug. 10 English Muslim convert Ali Hussain (1992-) ' AKA Lewis Ludlow of Rochester, Kent pleads guilty to plotting a terror attack on Oxford St. in London and raising money for terrorism. On Aug. 11 (Sat.) Glacier Nat. Park in Mont. reaches 100F, hottest temp in its recorded history; the number of glaciers in the park is down to 26 from 150 in 1850; meanwhile Missoula, Mont. goes 40 days without rain, another record. On Aug. 11 (4:00 p.m.) Ross Dress for Less employee Mohamed Mahmoud (1981-) shoots up his workplace after a customer leaves a shopping cart at the front door and he gets in an argument with his female mgr., then shoots at police officers until being shot in the hip from 50 yards. On Aug. 11 (Sat.) pampered women's lib poster child Chelsea Clinton utters the soundbyte at a Rise Up for Roe event: "Whether you fundamentally care about reproductive rights and access right, because these are not the same thing, if you care about social justice or economic justice, agency – you have to care about this. It is not a disconnected fact – to address this t-shirt of 1973 – that American women entering the labor force from 1973 to 2009 added three and a half trillion dollars to our economy, right? The net, new entrance of women – that is not disconnected from the fact that Roe became the law of the land in January of 1973" - the dead babies have no rights? On Aug. 13 (early a.m.) Christopher Lee "Chris" Watts (1985-) murders his pregnant wife Shananann and two young daughters Bella and Celeste in their Frederick, Colo. home and buries them on the property of his employer Anadarko Petroleum, then calls the police and puts on an innocent act until they break him down and get him to confess and plead guilty, receiving five life sentences; watch video. On Aug. 13 after learning they did it on Aug. 10, Pres. Trump crows his approval of the firing of FBI agent Peter Strzok, tweeting the soundbyte: "Agent Peter Strzok was just fired from the FBI — finally. The list of bad players in the FBI & DOJ gets longer & longer. Based on the fact that Strzok was in charge of the Witch Hunt, will it be dropped? It is a total Hoax. No Collusion, No Obstruction — I just fight back!"; "Just fired Agent Strzok, formerly of the FBI, was in charge of the Crooked Hillary Clinton sham investigation. It was a total fraud on the American public and should be properly redone!" On Aug. 13 Pres. Trump signs a defense policy bill that blocks the transfer of 100 F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, adding to the impact of his decision a week ago to double down on tariffs on Turkish aluminum and steel and stealing Turkey's dream of having the 3rd largest F-35 fleet on Earth by the 2020s. On Aug. 13, as five major fires rage across the state, and the air over Seattle is filled with ash and smoke, Trump-hating Dem. Wash. Gov. #23 (since Jan. 16, 2013) Jay Robert Inslee (1951-) declares a state of emergency; meanwhile on Aug. 16 British Columbia declares a state of emergency as 566 fires burn across the province, causing the evacuation of 3K and blanketing Vancouver with smoke; in Dec. Inslee announces new legislation aimed at reducing the state's carbon emissions over a period of 20 years, requiring state utilities to effectively end the use of fossil fuels altogether by 2050 and forcing the state to adopt a clean fuel standard, promote electric and low-emission vehicles, and provide incentives to renovate existing buildings to reduce emissions; he also announces that a climate candidate like himself can beat Trump in 2020, with the soundbyte: "No nation has followed Donald Trump off the cliff with climate change. Not a single one. We want to keep it that way." On Aug. 14 (06:37 GMT) 29-y.-o. Sudanese Muslim Salih Khater (1989-) from Birmingham drives his silver Ford Fiesta through a group of cyclists into security barriers outside Parliament in London, England, injuring three before being arrested on suspicion of terrorism, causing Pres. Trump to tweet the soundbyte: "Another terrorist attack in London. These animals are crazy and must be dealt with through toughness and strength!"; Khater's friends call it an accident; Muslim London Mayor Sadiq Khan calls for cars to be banned from Parliament Square. On Aug. 14 a bomb explodes in a crowded market in the heavily Shiite Sadr City district of Baghdad, Iraq, killing two and injuring six. On Aug. 14 the 50-y.-o. Morandi Motorway Bridge in Genoa, Italy collapses in heavy rain, killing 39. On Aug. 14 the Taliban overrun Camp Shinaya army base in N Afghanistan, killing 17 soldiers; meanwhile the Ghazni battle rages for the 5th straight day. ON Aug. 15 PKK Kurdistan Workers' Party) leader Ismail Ozden is killed by the Turkish air force after the U.S. military shares intel. On Aug. 15 Pres. Trump revokes the security clearance of Trump-hating pro-Muslim ex-CIA dir. John O. Brennan, whom U.S. Sen. Rand Paul called "the most biased, bigoted, over-the-top, hyperbolic sort of unhinged director of the CIA we've ever had", with Trump saying that he "has recently leveraged his status... to make a series of unfounded and outrageous allegations, wild outbursts on the Internet and on television about this admin.", causing U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) to tell CNN that Brennan is a "butthead" who has given the intel community "a bad name", and Rand Paul to issue a new soundbyte: "I think John Brennan's actually a national security risk to the country and we are safer because his security clearance is gone. And the reason I say that is because, in 2012, he actually released information to other ex-CIA agents who went on TV and said, 'We have a double agent in Yemen'. Well, at the time, there was a double agent in Yemen at his life, his or her, I don't know who it was, but their life was put in risk because John Brennan's releasing information that he shouldn't. John Brennan also was involved with illegally looking at Democrats computers who were investigating CIA torture, and then, lying about it before the committee"; on Aug. 15 Brennan tweets the soundbyte: "This action is part of a broader effort by Mr. Trump to suppress freedom of speech & punish critics. It should gravely worry all Americans, including intelligence professionals, about the cost of speaking out. My principles are worth far more than clearances. I will not relent"; on Aug. 16 retired 4-star adm. William McRaven (known for overseeing the Osama bin Laden raid) pub. an op-ed in The Washington Post on Aug. 16 protesting Trump's actions, with the soundbyte that he stands with Brennan, and that "I would consider it an honor if you would revoke my security clearance as well, so I can add my name to the list of men and women who have spoken up against your presidency"; meanwhile 13 former CIA dirs. and deputy dirs. incl. William Webster, Porter Goss, Gen. Michael Hayden, John McLaughlin, Leon Panetta, Gen. David Petraeus, Gen. James Clapper, Michael Morrell, Avril Haines, David Cohen, George Tenet, Stephen Kappes, and Robert Gates release a statement denouncing Trump's actions, with the soundbyte that they had "nothing to do with who should and should not hold security clearances - and everything to do with an attempt to stifle free speech", adding: "We have never before seen the approval or removal of security clearances used as a political tool, as was done in this case. This action is quite clearly a signal to other former and current officials" to stay silent, stressing that decisions on security clearances "should be based on national security concerns and not political views." On Aug. 15 a grand jury in Penn. releases an 887-page report revealing that 300 "predator priests" have been sexually abusing 1K+ child victims back to 1947 while the Vatican did nothing; on Aug. 16 the Vatican breaks its silence, calling the accused acts "criminally and morally reprehensible." On Aug. 15 Dem. N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo utters the soundbyte that America "was never that great", citing long-lasting inequalities with women et al., pissing-off Trump supporters and causing Pres. Trump on Aug. 17 to tweet the soundbyte: "How does a politician, Cuomo, known for pushing people and businesses out of his state, not to mention having the highest taxes in the U.S., survive making the statement, WE'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, IT WAS NEVER THAT GREAT? Which section of the sentence is worse?" On Aug. 16 after a campaign by 350 newspapers led by the Boston Globe, the U.S. Senate unanimously votes to condemn Pres. Trump's attacks on the press without naming him, affirming that "the press is not the enemy of the people". On Aug. 16 pissed-off anti-Trump Obama-Hillary shill John O. Brennan pub. an op-ed in The New York Times, attempting to connect his security clearance revocation to the Robert Muller investigation and the Omarosa revelations, calling Pres. Trump's denial of Russian collusion "hogwash", with the soundbyte: "Mr. Trump clearly has become more desperate to protect himself and those close to him, which is why he made the politically motivated decision to revoke my security clearance in an attempt to scare into silence others who might dare to challenge him"; meanwhile U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Anthony Tata gives an interview to "Fox & Friends", calling former CIA dir. John O. Brennan a "clear and present danger" to the U.S. who wants to "overthrow" Pres. Trump, adding: "I've made my feelings known about Mr. Brennan. I think most Americans look at our national intelligence experts as being above politics. Mr. Brennan has demonstrated that that's not the case. He's been totally political. I think I called him a butthead and I meant it. I think he's given the national intelligence community a bad name"; on Aug. 17 former U.S. Army Ranger Kris "Tanto" Paronto, hero of the 9/11/12 Battle of Benghazi gives an interview to Fox News, blasting John O. Brennan for calling Pres. Trump treasonous, saying that if anybody's been treasonous in the federal govt. it's him, citing his support for Communists and Islam; on Aug. 16 he responds to Brennan's tweet about his principles being worth far more than clearances with the soundbyte: "Benghazi remains a dark stain on Brennan, Hillary and Obama's time in government"; on Aug. 17 Pres. Trump utters the soundbyte to reporters about Brennan's complaints of being silenced: "There's no silence. If anything, I'm giving them a bigger voice. Many people don't even know who he is, and now he has a bigger voice, and that's okay with me, because I like taking on voices like that. I've never respected him", pointing to the statements of Repub. N.C. Sen. Richard Burr, chmn. of the Senate Intelligence Committee, with the soundbyte: "Senator Burr said it best: If you knew anything, why didn't you report it when you were before all of these committees, including their committee. So he had a chance to report. He never did"; on Aug. 18 Trump tweets the soundbyte: "Has anyone looked at the mistakes that John Brennan made while serving as CIA Director? He will go down as easily the WORST in history & since getting out, he has become nothing less than a loudmouth, partisan, political hack who cannot be trusted with the secrets to our country!" On Aug. 19 U.S. Senate Homeland Security Chmn. (since Jan. 3, 2015) Sen. (R-Wisc.) (since Jan. 3, 2011) Ronald Harold "Ron" Johnson (1955-) gives an interview to Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday, saying that he has "no problem" with Pres. Trump pulling John O. Brennan's security clearance, with the soundbyte: "I do believe that former CIA Director John Brennan abused his privilege. When you're an ex-CIA director and you are going on all the cable news shows and acting as partisan as he is and accusing the president of the United States of treasonous behavior, high crimes and misdemeanors- last time I checked, treason was punishable by death - you just crossed a line. And you know, there is a difference between being eligible for receiving classified information and gaining access to it. Let's face it, nobody was going to be consulting with John Brennan. He didn't need access to any classified information, not during this administration. So, I have no problem that the president pulled his clearance", going on to add that he doesn't want the pulling of security clearances to become "routine" or "politicized". On Aug. 20 (Sun.) Iranian Assahollah Ali Khamenei rallies Muslim pilgrims on their way to hajj in Mecca with the soundbyte: "Ask Allah to cut the hands of the U.S. and other arrogant powers" - sorry, Allah wants you to do it yourself On Aug. 20 the U.S. deports accused Nazi labor camp guard Jakiw Palij (1923-) of Queens, N.Y. to Dusseldorf after a decade-long dispute with Berlin after longtime Queens resident Pres. Trump instructs his ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell to give it high priority; Trump-hating comedian Kathy Griffin tweets the soundbyte: "If ICE is in the business of removing despicable Nazis, can they please head over to the White House?" On Aug. 20 after hearing rumors that he's going to sue him, Pres. Tweet tweets the soundbyte: "I hope John Brennan, the worst CIA Director in our country's history, brings a lawsuit. It will then be very easy to get all of his records, texts, emails and documents to show not only the poor job he did, but how he was involved with the Mueller Rigged Wiatch Hunt. He won't sue!" "Everybody wants to keep their Security Clearance, it's worth great prestige and big dollars, even board seats, and that is why certain people are coming forward to protect Brennan. It certainly isn't because of the good job he did! He is a political 'hack'"; on Aug. 20 he follows with the tweet: "Everybody wants to keep their Security Clearance, it's worth great prestige and big dollars, even board seats, and that is why certain people are coming forward to protect Brennan. It certainly isn't because of the good job he did! He is a political 'hack'." On Aug. 21 rockets are fired towards the pres. palace in Kabul, Afghanistan as pres. Ashraf Ghani delivers a message of peace for Eid al-Adha celebrations; ISIL claims responsibility. On Aug. 21 officials announce a series of coordinated attacks in Chechnya carried out by children as young as 11; ISIS claims responsibility. On Aug. 21 24-y.-o. illegal immigrant Christhian Rivera (1994-) confesses to the murder of 20-y.-o. white college student Mollie Tibbetts (1998-) in Brooklyn, Iowa in July after stalking her in his car and dumping her body in a cornfield, claiming to black out and not remember details, causing Pres. Trump to utter the soundbytes: "The immigration laws are such a disgrace. We're getting them changed, but we have to get more Republicans" and "The Democrats want to turn America into one big, fat sanctuary city for criminal aliens, and honestly, honestly, they're more protective of aliens, the criminal aliens, than they are of the people"; Rivera passed an E-Verify test to obtain employment at Yarrabee Pig Farms using a stolen ID; on Aug. 21 Pres. Trump tweets the soundbytes: A Blue Wave means Crime and Open Borders. A Red Wave means Safety and Strength!", followed by: "I am sorry to have to reiterate that there are serious and unpleasant consequences to crossing the Border into the United States ILLEGALLY! If there were no serious consequences, our country would be overrun with people trying to get in, and our system could not handle it!" On Aug. 21 Pres. Trump's atty. Michael Cohen strikes a plea bargain, admitting that he arranged payoffs to silence two women, porn star Stormy Daniels and Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal at Trump's direction, possibly violating campaign laws (but probably not?), causing Trump's enemy Chuck Schumer to demand that the Senate postpone hearings on Trump's Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh; on Aug. 22 Trump gives an interview to Fox News, acknowledging that he learned of the payments "later on", but "They didn't come out of the campaign, they came from me", admitting that if they did it "that could be a little dicey", followed by a tweet with the soundbyte: "If anyone is looking for a good lawyer, I would strongly suggest that you don't retain the services of Michael Cohen!" On Aug. 21 Pres. Trump's campaign chmn. Paul Manafort is convicted on 8 of 18 charges incl. bank fraud and tax fraud (after one juror holds out) while expression disappointment at not being acquitted then bring up the possibility of a late plea bargain since Muller has been out to get Trump all along and anything goes if there's a Dem. majority elected to Congress in Nov.?; on Aug. 22 Trump tweets the soundbyte: "Michael Cohen plead guilty to two counts of campaign finance violations that are not a crime. President Obama had a big campaign finance violation and it was easily settled!"; one juror claims that Robert Muller's team kept trying to make the trial about collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, and one was seen catnapping during the trial. On Aug. 21 Pres. Trump tweets the soundbyte: "Even James Clapper has admonished John Brennan for having gone totally off the rails. Maybe Clapper is being nice to me so he doesn't lose his Security Clearance for lying to Congress!" On Aug. 22 the worst floods in a cent. in Kerala, India kill 400 and cause 1M to be displaced and be housed in camps. On Aug. 22 a 6.3 earthquake off the coast of Ore. 188 mi. from Bandon spark fears of "the Big One" (Cascadia) soon hitting Calif.; in the past 48 hours the Ring of Fire was rocked by 70 earthquakes. On Aug. 22 Chuck Todd of NBC's "Today Show" utters the soundbyte: "The Judiciary Committee in the House of Representatives would begin to look to see if there's enough evidence to start investigating and drawing up articles of impeachment, but this is not a functional Congress. This is a Congress controlled by Republicans. They would have to do this on their own president. But I have to tell you, I think there is going to be increased political heat, and you're going to have a divided Republican party: those who are fearing Trump as a drag and those that know that his base is there till the end." On Aug. 22 a jihadist plows his car filled with gas canisters into the town hall of Bremmel, Netherlands 60 mi. S of Amsterdam, killing the driver. On Aug. 22 Am. Muslim convert Samantha El Hassi, who traveled to ISIS with her family in 2015 and who was charged with lying to the FBI in July is charged with conspirity to provide material support to ISIS. On Aug. 23 a new audio message from reclusive ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is released, quelling rumors of his death. On Aug. 23 NBC News reports that Pres. Trump's close friend David Pecker, chmn. of Am. Media Inc., publisher of The National Enquirer was granted immunity by federal prosecutors for giving info. about Pres. Trump's payments to Michael Cohen. On Aug. 23 the European Commission calls an emergency meeting after Italian foreign minister Matteo Salvini threatens to resign if 177 African migrants are allowed to disembark from a coast guard ship docked in Sicily. On Aug. 23 Air France and British Airways announce that they're ending flights to Tehran, Iran next month. On Aug. 23 Israel announces that Palestinian gunman Hani Majdalawi killed on the Gaza Strip border on Aug. 20 was a nurse working for Medicins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders), asking for an explanation. On Aug. 24 Liberal PM #29 (since Sept. 15, 2015) Malcolm Turnbull is ousted, and compromise candidate, Liberal Party leader (treasurer) Scott John Morrison (1968-) becomes Australian PM #30 (until ?). On Aug. 24 the U.S. State Dept. announces that it's cutting $200M in aid to the Palestinian Authority over Hamas control of the Gaza Strip. On Aug. 24 (a.m.) a group of students, scientists, and filmmakers from the U. of R.I. Inner Space Center (ISC) aboard the Russian ship Akademik Ioffe on the Nat. Science Foundation-funded Northwest Passage Project to raise awareness of global warming become stranded in ice in the Canadian Arctic in the Gulf of Boothia, causing the passengers to need to be evacuated to Yellowknife on Aug. 25. On Aug. 26 (12:30 p.m. EDT) 24-y.-o. disgruntled prof. gamer David Katz (b. 1994) from Baltimore, Md. shoots up a Madden NFL 19 video game tournament being streamed online from the GLHF (Good Luck Have Fun) Game Bar in Jacksonville Landing, Fla., killing two and injuring 10 before killing himself. On Aug. 26 35-y.-o. Daniel is stabbed by a Muslim migrant during a downtown street festival in Chemnitz, Germany, after which on Aug. 28 the soccer hooligan group Kaotic organizes a demonstration by 1K+, pissing-off German chancellor Angela Merkel, who instinctively backs the migrants; German interior minister Horst Seehofer utters the soundbyte that he took "would have taken to the streets" if he weren't a minister, and that "the migration issue is the mother of all political problems in this country." tensions run high until ?, turning the city into a symbol of divided Germany. On Aug. 27 Pres. Trump hails his "realy good" new trade deal with Mexico, ditching the 1994 NAFTA agreement; NAFTA talks with Canada are set to begin, but fall through on Aug. 31. On Aug. 27 Pres. Trump holds a secret meeting with evangelical leaders in the State Dining Room of the White House, pleading for help in the upcoming elections, with the soundbyte: "This November 6 election is very much a referendum on not only me, it's a referendum on your religion, it's a referendum on free speech and the First Amendment. It's a referendum on so much." On Aug. 28 Calif. passes a historic 100% Carbon-Free Electricity Bill, requiring the state to reach 60% renewable energy by 2030, and zero carbon emissions from electricity by 2045. On Aug. 28 Justice Dept. official Bruce Ohr testifies for eight hours behind closed doors at the U.S. House of Reps, who want to know how the govt. decided to investigate Pres. Trump's campaign, and the role of Fusion GPS and its cofounder Glenn Simpson along with former FBI atty. Lisa Page; "Either Bruce Ohr's lying or Glenn Simpson's lying" (Matt Gaetz, R-Fla.). On Aug. 28 Pres. Trump tweets the soundbyte: "Google search results for 'Trump News' shows only the viewing/reporting of Fake New Media. In other words, they have it RIGGED, for me & others, so that almost all stories & news is BAD. Fake CNN is prominent. Republican/Conservative & Fair Media is shut out. Illegal? 96% of results on “Trump News” are from National Left-Wing Media, very dangerous. Google & others are suppressing voices of Conservatives and hiding information and news that is good. They are controlling what we can & cannot see. This is a very serious situation-will be addressed!", after which White economic advisor Larry Kudlow utters the soundbyte that the Trump admin. is "taking a look" at imposing regulations on Google. On Aug. 29 Pres. Trump blocks an automatic 2.1% pay raise for 1.5 federal workers, and asks Congress not to pass a pay raise next year. On Aug. 31 after being arrested in Kensington, Sydney, Australia, Sri Lankan ISIS member Mohamed Nizamdeen (1993-) is charged with possessing a blueprint targeting several "symbolic" Sydnay locations for terror attacks, incl. landmarks and people in Harbour City, and former PM Malcolm Turnbull and MP Julie Bishop. On Aug. 31 the Trump admin. announces an immediate end to all U.S. funding of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA); last year it contributed $364M, about one-third of its budget; it also announces a decision to cancel $300M of aid to Pakistan over its failure to take decisive action against jihadists; Germany announces in increase in UNRWA funding to make up for the U.S. On Aug. 31 an ABC/Washington Post Poll reveals a record 53% disapproval of Pres. Trump's job performance, along with a record low 36% approval. On Aug. 31 Hurricane Florence forms in colder than normal waters near Cape Verde, ramping up to Category 4 then back down to Category 1 after reaching warmer waters before making landfall at 7:15 EDT on Sept. 14 near Wrightsville Beach, N.C. with 90mph max winds, bringing disastrous rainfall and flooding before dissipating on Sept. 19, killing 30 and causing $45B damage; on Sept. 10 Pres. Trump tweets about it, giving The Washington Post the chance to call him complicit in extreme weather in a Sept. 11 editorial; there's really been no change in intensity or frequency of hurricane strikes in Fla. in the last 118 years? On Aug. 31 Amanda Kelley becomes the first englisted U.S. Army Ranger, following 15 female officers. In Aug. C England has its 5th warmest summer on record since 1659, beating 1976 by half a degree, followed by 1826; the highest temperature is 35.6C on July 27 at Felsham, Suffolk. In Aug. 15-y.-o schoolgirl Greta Thunberg (2003-) begins holding protests outside Sweden's parliament in Stockholm to protest their failure to act on the so-called climate crisis, spreading to 270 towns and cities worldwide and 70K schoolchildren by 2019, incl. a school walkout in 30+ towns and cities in England on Feb. 15, 2019; "I am doing this because you adults are shitting on my future." (Thunberg) In Aug. Hillary Clinton's security clearance expires. In Aug. the U.S. surpasses Russia in monthly crude oil production after surpassing Saudi Arabia in Feb., making it #1. In Aug. U.S. unemployment is 3.9% (vs. 3.9% in July), creating 201K new jobs, with hourly earnings increasing 2.9%. On Sept. 1 John McCain's funeral at Washington Nat. Cathedral in Washington, D.C. is attended by ex-presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, and features a speech by McCain's daughter Meghan McCain, who delivers rebukes of Trump; meanwhile, Pres. Trump, who wasn't invited, plays golf at Trump Nat. Golf Club in Sterling, Va. On Sept. 3 a pro-ISIS Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighter bomb at an Internet cafe in Isulan, S Philippines injures 15, becoming the 2nd in days. On Sept. 3 U.S. service member ? is killed in an insider green-on-blue attack in Afghanistan, the 2nd in 2 mo. On Sept. 3 (1:00 a.m.) Muslim Libyan migrant ? stabs two German tourists on the Playa de Palma beach in Palma, Mallorca, telling police "If I had a Kalashnikov, there would have been more death than in Paris or Barcelona". On Sept. 3 (U.S. Labor Day) a Rasmussen Poll shows that 47% of likely U.S. voters approve of Pres. Trump's job performance, while 51% disapprove; 35% strongly approve, and 42% strongly disapprove; Pres. Obama's 2010 Labor Day figures were 45% approved, 54% disapproved. On Sept. 4 authorities in Libya announce a death toll of 50+ incl. civilians from more than a week of fighting between armed groups in Tripoli incl. the Seventh Brigade from Tarhouna, the Tripoli Revolutionaries' Brigades, and the Nawasi Brigade; on Sept. 4 the U.N. annonces that a ceasefire has been signed. On Sept. 4 24-y.-o. Abdullah Ayman Abdel-Samie (b. 1994) attempts to bomb the U.S. embassy in Cairo, Egypt, but his plastic bottle containing flammable chemicals explodes prematurely in his backpack. On Sept. 4 excerpts are released from Watergate hero journalist's new book "Fear", to be published by CBS-owned Simon & Simon, going low and quoting anon. admin. officials that there is a "nervous breakdown" inside Pres. Trump's admin., quoting defense secy. Jim Mattis as claiming that Trump has the IQ of "a fifth- or sixth-grader", and chief os staff John Kelly as calling Trump an "idiot", which Mattis and Kelly deny. On Sept. 4-5 a jihadist attack on mainly Christian women selling farm products in Bria, Central African Repub. kills 12-42, most hacked to death with machetes. On Sept. 5 the U.S. Congress holds hearings on "foreign influence operations' use of social media platforms", calling Facebook, Twitter, and Google on the carpet; Google doesn't show up, leaving the others to vow to "fight back" against foreign interference; meanwhile the elephant in the room of social media censorship of non-leftist speech is barely addressed. On Sept. 5 two bombs explode in the heavily Shiite Dasht-e-Barchi neighborhood of Kaboom, er, Kabul, Afghanistan, killing 20 and injuring 70, incl. medics and journalists; ISIS claims responsibility. On Sept. 5 The New York Times pub. an anon. op-ed by a "senior official in the Trump administration" titled "I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration", claiming to be part of a secret Repub. White House "resistance" to control (not oust) "erratic" and "amoral" Pres. Trump, who have turned Trump's presidency "two-track", ignoring his orders and doing what they want instead, citing Trump's "preference for autocrats and dictators", calling Trump's leadership style "impetuous, adversarial, petty and ineffective", with the soundbyte: "Americans should be aware that there are adults in the room", claiming that early in Trump's administration they quietly discussed invoking the 25th Amendment to remove him for being unable to perform his duties, but claiming "This isn't the work of the so-called deep state. It's the work of the steady state", adding" To be clear; ours is not the popular 'resistance' of the left. We want the administration to succeed and think that many of its policies have already made America safer and more prosperous", causing pissed-off Trump to tweet "TREASON?", followed by: "Does the so-called 'Senior Administration Official' really exist, or is it just the Failing New York Times with another phony source? If the GUTLESS anonymous person does indeed exist, the Times must, for National Security purposes, turn him/her over to government at once!", and White House press secy. Sarah Sanders to call the article "pathetic, reckless and selfish", with the soundbyte: "Nearly 62 million people voted for President Donald J. Trump in 2016. None of them voted for a gutless anonymous source to the failing New York Times", and "Are the investigative 'journalists' of the New York Times going to investigate themselves - who is the anonymous letter writer?" On Sept. 5 Pakistan-born Miss Huddersfield Sara Iftekhar (1998-) from West Yorkshire becomes the first Miss England contestant to wear a a hijab in the finals; the winner is Alisha Cowie. On Sept. 5 romance novelist Nancy Crmpton Brophy (1950-) of Portland, Ore., known for writing about spousal murder in "How to Murder Your Husband" et al. is arrested for murdering her chef hubby Daniel Brophy. On Sept. 6 India's supreme court strikes down a colonial-era law banning gay sex, causing celebrations across India. On Sept. 6 an Afghan policeman in Takhar Province, NE Afghanistan shoots and kills 8+ fellow officers, burns their bodies and takes their weapons to his Taliban buddies, becoming the 2nd American killed in an insider attack in Afghanistan this year. On Sept. 6 off-duty white Dallas, Tex. cop Amber Guyger (1988-) mistakenly enters the apt. of 26-y.-o. black account Botham Jean one floor above her apt., believes him to be a burglar, and fatally shoots him in the chest; on Oct. 2, 2019 after raising the sacred cop defense of fearing for her safety, she is found guilty of murder and sentenced to 10 years in prison. On Sept. 7 ex-U.S.pres. Obama gives a speech at the U. of Ill. in Urbana-Champaign, breaking with tradition to blast Pres. Trump; Trump, ragging about how people who "pray differently" (Muslims) shouldn't be criticized, and trying to take credit for Trump's economic recovery, saying that it began during his admin., knocking Trump for his slow response to Nazi demonstrators, and dissing Trump for denying climate change, with the soundbyte: "We know that climate change isn't just coming, it is here", which Hillary Clinton backs via a tweet: "We're not fighting for the planet in some abstract sense here. We're fighting for our continued ability to live on it", taking a swing at Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, with the soundbyte: "Replacing Kennedy with Kavanaugh would swing the Court to a new, hard-right majority that would rule against curbing greenhouse gases for years - maybe decades - that we can't afford to waste on inaction"; meanwhile on the campaign trail in Fargo, N.D., Trump responds that "I found he's very good for sleeping". "Advise and Consent" meets "Rashomon" in the U.S. Senate after a fleeting tribute to "Spartacus"? On Sept. 6 after announcing his intention "to expose emails that are being withheld from the public" that he believes will damage Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, U.S. Sen. (D-N.J.) (2013-) Cory Anthony Booker (1969-) (first African-Am. U.S. sen. from N.J.) utters the soundbyte: "This is about the closest I'll ever have an an I Am Spartacus moment", adding "I understand the penalty comes with potential ousting from the Senate"; too bad, the emails had been cleared for release hours before, turning him into a party joke; too bad, on Sept. 16 after the proceedings are closed and Dianne Feinstein deliberately waits to submit her allegation to gum-up the vote, Christine Margaret Blasey Ford (1966-) begins accusing Kavanaugh of an attempted sexual assault way back in 1982, while the Dems. snub Karen Monahan, accuser of Dem. Party bigwig Keith Ellison, showing how desperate they are?; on Sept. 21 after she refuses to testify on Mon. Sept. 24 to permit a vote to proceed, demanding an FBI investigation first while admitting she can't remember the place or date of the alleged attack, finally adding preconditions incl. testifying backwards after Kavanaugh, with attys. excluded, Pres. Trump tweets the soundbyte: I have no doubt that, if the attack on Dr. Ford was as bad as she says, charges would have been immediately filed with local Law Enforcement Authorities by either her or her loving parents. I ask that she bring those filings forward so that we can learn date, time, and place!", pissing-off Maine Sen. Susan Collins, who utters the soundbyte that she was "appalled", and that it was "completely inappropriate and wrong". On Sept. 6 off-duty white police officer Amber Renee Guyer shoots and kills black man Botham Shem Jean (b. 1992) in his own 4th floor apt. in Dallas, Tex. after mistaking it for her own on the 3rd floor, causing a public outcry resulting in her arrest on Sept. 9 for manslaughter and a grand jury to decide if she should be charged with murder after her story is seen to be full of holes. On Sept. 8 an Egyptian court sentences 75 defendants (out of 739) incl. top Muslim Brotherhood leaders for a 2013 protest in which security forces killed 600+; 47 incl. Muslim Brotherhood head Mohammed Badie are sentenced to life in prison; famed photojournalist Mahmoud Zbu Zaid AKA Shawkan is sentenced to five years, receiving credit for time served. On Sept. 9 U.N. Paris Agreement climate talks in Bangkok, Thailand founder after the EU, U.K., and Australia fall in line with the U.S. and close their checkbooks to endless $100B/year wealth transfers to poor nations starting in 2020. On Sept. 9 (11:00 p.m. local time) a 31-y.-o. Muslim migrant armed with a knife and iron bar attacks people on the Canal de l'Ourcq in Paris, France, wounding seven incl. two British tourists; he posed as an Afghan child to gain entry to France; the sick scared police refuse to call it terrorism. On Sept. 9 the Miss America 2019 (98th) Pageant in Atlantic City, N.J., billed as Miss America 2.0 because contestants will no longer be judged based on their physical appearance and the swimsuit competition is cancelled is aired by ABC-TV; the winner is Nia Imani Franklin of N.H.; on Sept. 6 Miss W. Va. Virginia Madeline Collins tells the judges during her onstage interview: "Donald Trump is the biggest issue our country faces. Unfortunately, he has caused a lot of division in our country"; in June Miss America Org. chmn. Gretchen Carlson utters the soundbyte on "Good Morning America": "We are no longer a pageant. We are a competition"; in Aug. 19 former winners request that Carlson and pres.-CEO Regina Hopper step down along with the entire board of trustees after titleholder Cara Mund accuses Carlson and Hopper of bullying, manipulation and intimidation. On Sept. 9 an Allah-Akbar-shouting Muslim jihadist at Lyon-Bryon Airport in France drives through the terminal attempting to ram pedestrians before being stopped by police, then heads to the Saint-Exupery Airport under fire and crashing two glass doors before being stopped. On Sept. 10 after citing the refusal of Palestinian leaders to enter into peace talks with Israel, the Trump admin. orders the closure of the Palestinian diplomatic mission in Washington, D.C. On Sept. 10 U.N. secy.-gen. Antonio Guterres warns that the world is facing "a direct existential threat" from global warming, and must rapidly shift from dependence on fossil fuels by 2020 to prevent "runaway climate change", with the soundbytes: "Climate change is moving faster than we are. We need to put the brake on deadly greehouse gas emissions and drive climate action"; "We need to rapidly shift away from our dependence on fossil fuels. We need to replace them with clean energy from water, wind and sun. We must halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and change the way we farm"; "According to a UN study, the commitments made so far by parties to the Paris agreement represent just one-third of what is needed"; he announces a climate summit for world leaders in Sept. 2019 "to bring climate action to the top of the international agenda." On Sept. 11 a suicide bomber at a protest gathering in Nangarhar Province, E Afghanistan kills 68 and injures 165. On Sept. 11 (9/11) al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri releases a new message titled "How to Confront America", calling the U.S. the #1 enemy of world Muslims, with the soundbyte: "We must wage war - in any part of the Islamic World - as if it is a single war with different fronts against a united enemy." On Sept. 12 the EU parliament votes 448-197 to punish the govt. of Hungarian PM Viktor Orban over its "breaches of core values", namely, wanting a stop to mass Muslim immigration, On Sept. 12 the border between Ethiopia and Eritrea reopens after 20 years of border war. On Sept. 12 Pres. Trump signs an executive order allowing sanctions to be levied on foreigners caught interfering in U.S. elections. On Sept. 12 the EU parliament by 438-226-39 passes a new copyright law that forces Web sites to enforce copyrights, filter content from users, and pay news orgs. for the use of their content. On Sept. 12-14 the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco, Calif., hosted by Calif. Gov. Jerry Brown is held to solicit climate change pledges from cities and states despite do-nothing Pres. Trump; it opens with a song by Kanyon Sayers-Roods, rep of the Indian Canyon Muraun Band of Costanoan Ohlone People; on Sept. 14 Hollyweird "Indiana Jones" actor Harrison Ford blasts Pres. Trump without naming him, along with "people who don't believe in science, or, worse than that, pretend they don't believe in science", claiming that we are "shit out of time" to save Earth from global warming and that "The future of humanity is at stake"; on Sept. 14 Brown makes the announcement: "With science still under attack, we're going to launch our own satellite, our own damn satellite, to figure out where the pollution is"; the summit goes on to pub. Exponential Climate Action Roadmap. On Sept. 14 (early a.m.) Allah-Akbar-shouting 32-y.-o. Muslim ? rams his vehicle into anti-terror barriers protecting a crowded bar in Nimes, France, injuring two. On Sept. 17 Pres. Trump orders the Justice Dept. and FBI to immediately declassify key documents related to their investigation of Russian actors during the 2016 U.S. pres. election; on Sept. 21 after concerns that they "may have a perceived negative impact on the Russia probe. Also, key Allies' called to ask not to release", Trump backs down a little, asking the Inspector Gen. to "review these documents on an expedited basis". On Sept. 17 ex-Beatle Paul McCartney gives an interview to BBC News to promote his new album Egypt Station (Sept. 7) and its track Despite Repeated Warnings, which knocks climate change deniers, uttering the soundbyte: "People who deny climate change... I jus think it's the most stupid thing ever. So I just wanted to make a song that would talk about that and basically say, 'Occasionally we've got a mad captain sailing this boat we're all on and he is just going to take us to the iceberg [despite] being warned it's not a cool idea", later admitting that the captain is Pres. Trump, with the soundbyte: "Well, I mean obviously it's Trump but there's plenty of them about. He's not the only one." On Sept. 18 the Trump admin. rescinds an Obama-era rule requiring energy cos. to capture methane, only requiring them to reduce gas pollution, pissing-off the attys.-gen. of Calif. and N.M., who file a federal lawsuit. On Sept. 19 India bans the Muslim practice of triple talaq or instant divorce as a violation of the rights of Muslim women. On Sept. 19 attys. for Danske Bank announce that 200B euros was illegally laundered through its Estonian branch over a 9-year period. On Sept. 19 Pres. Trump utters the soundbyte: "I don't have an attorney general. It's very sad. I'm not happy at the border. I'm not happy with numerous things, not just this." On Sept. 20 the MV Nyerere ferry capsizes in Lake Victoria, Tanzania, killing 44+. On Sept. 20 Indian engineer Vishnudev Radhakrishnan of Kerala is sentenced to five years in prison and a 300K rupee fine for criticizing Muhammad on Twittter, becoming the first Indian to get a taste of Islamic superiority and intolerance. On Sept. 20 disgruntled employee (black woman) Snochia Moseley (b. 1992) opens fire at the Rite Aid warehouse in Baltimore, Md., killing three employees before committing suicide. On Sept. 21 the New York Times reports U.S. deputy atty. gen. Rod Rosenstein offered to wear a wire to record private conversations with Pres. Trump in a plot with cabinet members to invoke the 25th Amendment, causing U.S. Sen. (R-S.C.) Lindsey Graham to call it a "bureaucratic coup". On Sept. 22 Ahvaz, Iran is attacked by separatists, killing 25 and injuring 70, pissing-off Iranian pres. Hassan Rouhani, who accuses U.S.-backed Arab Gulf states of providing financial and military aid to them. On Sept. 23 De Bilt, Netherlands records a max temp of 10.9C, becoming the coldest Sept. 23 ever measured in the Netherlands; ditto for Mar. 17; ditto for Germany. On Sept. 23 De Bilt, Netherlands records a max temp of 10.9C, becoming the coldest Sept. 23 ever measured in the Netherlands; ditto for Mar. 17; ditto for Germany; Sept. goes on to become the coolest in the last 10 years. On Sept. 23-Oct. 15 Category 1 (90 mph) Hurricane Leslie arises in the N Atlantic Ocean, merging with a frontal system on Sept. 25 and intensifying over the N Atlantic, becoming the strongest cyclone to hit the Iberian Peninsula since 1842, killing 1 in Portugal and 13 in France. On Sept. 24 after a new sexual assault allegation by old Yale U. classmate Deborah Ramirez, Pres. Trump gives an interview at the U.N. in New York City, uttering the soundbyte that the allegations against Brett Kavanaugh "Could be one of the single most unfair, unjust things to happen to a candidate for anything", adding: "For people to come out of the woodwork from 36 years ago and 30 years ago, never mentioned it, all of a sudden it happens. In my opinion, it's totally political", concluding: "Judge Kavanaugh is an outstanding person and I am with him all the way"; meanwhile on Sept. 24 Kavanaugh defends himself, not only denying all allegations but revealing that he remained a virgin throughout his college years. On Sept. 25 Pres. Trump delivers an address to the 73rd Session of the U.N. Gen. Assembly, blasting "international interference" in policy-making, esp. the 2015 Vienna Accord, pissing-off French pres. Emmanuel Macron, who follows with his own address, calling for "dialogue and multilateralism", with the soundbyte: "What will bring a real solution to the situation in IRan and what has already stabilised it? The law of the strongest? Pressure from only one side? No! We know that Iran was on a nuclear military path but what stopped it? The 2015 Vienna Accord"; Trump's opening remarks "In less than two years my administration has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country, so true" are met with laughter, causing Trump to respond: "I didn't expect that reaction but that's okay"; critics bring up his Aug. 9, 2014 tweet about Pres. Obama: "We need a president who isn't a laughing stock to the entire World", after which calls it fake news, saying "They were laughing with me". On Sept. 27 Palo Alto U. psychology prof. Christine Margaret Blasey Ford testifies before the U.S. Senate, accusing 17-y.-o. beer-swigging Brett Kavanaugh of attempting to rape her then backing down and letting her go, without remembering the location of how she got there when she was 15-y.-o. and too young to drive, becoming the low point in Senate advise-and-consent history as the Dems. attempt to delay Kavanaugh's nomination vote to wait for an FBI investigation, knowing that before it is complete the Nov. election may give them a majority and allow them to reject his nomination no matter the result?; when asked what her strongest memory of the attack is, she replies "Indelible in the hippocampus is the laughter"; Kavanaugh follows with tear-filled testimony denying her allegations and backing himself up with a detailed calendar-diary, which later is used against him when the entry for July 1 mentions a "(brew)ski" party and some of the alleged attendees; Ford set the women's lib movement back 50 years with her little girl act, showing that women can never become U.S. pres.?; on Sept. 27 Pres. Trump tweets the soundbyte: "Judge Kavanaugh showed America exactly why I nominated him. His testimony was powerful, honest, and riveting. Democrats' search and destroy strategy is disgraceful and this process has been a total sham and effort to delay, obstruct, and resist. The Senate must vote!"; on Sept. 28 as the vote to recommend him to the full Senate is about to be taken, Rhino Ariz. Repub. Sen. Jeff Flake flops after being accosted by screaming women Ana Maria Archila and Maria Gallagher in an elevator, requiring a 1-week FBI investigation limited to "current allegations already there" as a condition, causing Pres. Trump to fold and order it. On Sept. 28 authorities in The Hague, Netherlands announce the arrest of seven men in Arnhem for plotting a major Islamist attack somewhere in the Netherlands, finding large quantities of raw materials for making explosives in their homes. On Sept. 28 Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the U.S. Gen. Assembly accusing Iran of harboring a secret atomic warehouse and vowing that Israel will never let Iran develop nukes. On Sept. 28 Romania's highest court in Bucharest approves same-sex marriage; a nat. referendum is set for Oct. 6-7. On Sept. 28 (15:00 local time) the 7.5 2018 Sulawesi earthquake-tsunami kills 2,256, injures 10,679, and leaves 1,075 missing after 70,821 are evacuated, with 206,524 turning into refugees by Oct. 28; on Dec. 23 (night) another tsunami caused by a volcano strikes without warning, killing 373+ incl. many Christmas revelers at the beaches. On Sept. 30 the U.S., Canada, and Mexico reach a deal to revamp the North Am. Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), known as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), becoming a big V for Pres. Trump and earning praise from Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). In Sept. Carlsberg announces that it will begin sticking its beer cans together with glue, becoming the first manufacturer to abandon plastic rings. In Sept. world pop. reaches 7.6B. In Sept. U.S. unemployment is 3.7% (vs. 3.9% in Aug.), lowest since 1969, adding 134K jobs. On Oct. 2 after criticizing the Saudi govt., Saudi-Am. journalist Jamal Khashoggi disappears, and is later believed to have been killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, causing a multi-govt. investigation resulting in 18 Saudis being arrested by the Turkish govt.; on Oct. 23 after the Saudi govt. vehemently denies responsibility, esp. any by crown prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), and comes out with the story that Khashoggi died during a fight but the body is nowhere to be found, Obi Wan, er, Erodgan gives a speech in Ankara, insisting that the Saudis planned his murder; on dec. 4 after the CIA tries to tell Pres. Trump that MBS did it in vain, his rival U.S. Sen. (R-S.C.) Lindsey Graham utters the soundbyte: "There's not a smoking gun, there's a smoking saw", calling Trump "willfully blind". On Oct. 2 Pres. Trump gives a speech in Southaven, Miss., chucking his over-kind treatment of Christine Blasey Ford and blasting her testimony as ridiculous, with the soundbyte: "How did you get home? I don't remember. How did you get there? I don't remember. Where is the place? I don't remember. How many years ago was it? I don't know. I don't know. I don't know", turning the losing Kavanaugh nomination around, because Trump always wins? On Oct. 2 loser Hillary Clinton speaks at the Atlantic Festival in Washington, D.C., uttering the soundbyte that Pres. Trump "has been racist, he's been sexist, he's been Islamophobic, he's been anti-LQBTQ. He has a view of America that's terribly constricted, and he talks to that America, he talks to them all the time. And it's by no means a majority, as we know. But it is a very hard core who are responding to him and supporting him for a variety of reasons." On Oct. 3 a man opens fire from his home in Florence, S.C., killing one and injuring six before being arrested after a standoff. On Oct. 3 the U.N. Internat. Court of Justice (ICI) issues an order to the U.S. to drop certain "humanitarian sanctions" against Iran immediately, citing a 1955 Treaty of Amity, causing U.S. secy. of state Mike Pompeo to announces that the U.S. will pull out of it. On Oct. 3 U.S. vice-pres. Mike Pence gives a speech at the Hudson Inst., criticizing China for stealing U.S. technology and calling on Google to stop development of Project Dragonfly, a Chinese search engine that censors and tracks users; meanwhile on Oct. 4 Bloomberg Businessweek pub. a report claiming that the Chinese military implanted tiny chips in circuit boards used by dozens of U.S. cos. and govt. contractors to give them back door access to their systems. On Oct. 5 Trump admin. spokesman John Bolton announces a new "robust" counterterrorism strategy focusing on "terrorist ideology". On Oct. 5 the Washington Post pub. an editorial urging the Senate to reject Brett Kavanaugh, becoming their first editorial opposing a nominee in over 30 years. On Oct. 5 the sheriff's office of Ventura County, Calif. settles a lawsuit by Muslim woman Jennifer Hyatt who was forced to remove her headscarf while in jail in Jan. 2017, agreeing to to pay $75K and change their policies. On Oct. 5 Banksy's painting Girl with a Balloon brings £953.8K ($1,25M) at a Sotheby's auction; too bad, after the gavel comes down it has a paper shredder built into the bottom frame, which is set off while the employees can't stop it. On Oct. 6 after the FBI finishes its background investigation of Brett Kavanaugh and delivers them a sealed report clearing him on Oct. 2, not satisfying the Dems., who would never vote for him anyway, U.S. Senate confirms him by 50-48 at 4:01 p.m. ET, Washington, D.C.-born Repub. U.S. D.C. Court of Appeals judge (since May 30, 2006) Brett Michael Kavanaugh (1965-) is sworn-in as U.S. Supreme Court justice #114 (until ?), becoming the first U.S. Supreme Court justice with all-female law clerks, incl. Kim Jackson, Shannon Grammel, Megan Lacy, and Sara Nommensen. On Oct. 6 after exposing EU funds fraud cases, TV journalist Victoria Marinova (b. 1988) is found raped and murdered near the Danube River in Ruse, N Bulgaria. On Oct. 7 conservative Jair Messias Bosonaro (1955-) of the Social Liberty Party (PSL) comes in first in the Brazilian pres. election, along with Fernando Haddad of the Workers' Party (PT), who will face a runoff on Oct. 28; Bosonaro wants to pull out of the Paris Climate Agreement and abolish the Brazilian environmental ministry, pissing-off the global warming crowd because of the big role of the Amazon forests. On Oct. 9 U.S. U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley announces her resignation by the end of the year after two years "to take some time off", surprising everybody; a good time to show how the Trump admin. gives high power positions to women? On Oct. 10 the U.K.'s supreme court rules that a bakery in Belfast, Northern Ireland run by evangelical Christians can't be forced to make a cake with slogans supporting gay marriage, pissing-off gay activists - it's really about kowtowing to Muslim bakers? On Oct. 11 the U.S. Senate confirms 15 of Pres. Trump's judicial nominations, incl. three court of appeals judges and 12 district court judges (about one-third of the backlog) before closing up through election day. On Oct. 12 Pres. Trump announces the release of Christian pastor Andrew Brunson after two years of captivity in Turkey, denying that any deal was made. On Oct. 12 Pres. Trump signs a bipartisan bill to clean up the oceans from 8M tons of garbage being dumped into the oceans by foreign countries each year. On Oct. 14 (Sun.) Hillary Clinton appears on CBS-TV's Sunday Morning, claiming that her hubby Bill was right to refuse to step down in 1999 after the House impeached him for perjury and obstruction of justice, because there was no abuse of power because White House intern Monica Lewinsky was an adult. On Oct. 14 (Sun.) (eve.) Pres. Trump appears on CBS-TV's 60 Minutes, admitting that climate change isn't a hoax but doubting its sources, saying that scientists "have a very big political agenda", with the soundbyte: "But I don't know that it's manmade. I will say this: I don't want to give trillions and trillions of dollars. I don't want to lose millions and millions of jobs. I don't want to be put at a disadvantage", suggesting that temperatures "could very well go back", going on to say that his admin. would be "very upset and angry" if the Saudi govt. was proved responsible for the disappearance of Jamal Khasoggi, with the soundbyte: "We're going to get to the bottom of it and there will be severe punishment", causing the Saudi to threaten retaliation, then backs down a little, thanking the U.S. from not jumping to quick conclusions. On Oct. 15 (12:50 a.m.) 13-y.-o. Jayme Closs (2005-) is kidnapped from her home in Barron, Wisc. by Jake Thomas Patterson (1997-), who kills her father and mother and takes her to a cabin 70 mi. away in Gordon, Wisc., holding her for 88 days until she escapes and runs for help. On Oct. 15 the Taliban attack checkpoints in Samangan Province, N Afghanistan, killing seven Afghan security forces incl. a deputy provincial police chief. On Oct. 16 Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed appoints Aisha Mohammed as defense minister, becoming the first woman in a cabinet that is already half-women. On Oct. 18 the Taliban attacks a meeting between Afghan officials and the top U.S. military cmdr. in Afghanistan, Gen. Austin S. Miller, killing three Afghan officials and wounding some Americans; U.S. spokesman Col. David Butler calls it an "Afghan on Afghan incident" - proof that the Afghanistan War is over and the U.S. lost? On Oct. 19 Iraqi-born Muslim Ashraf Al Safoo (1984-) is arrested at his home in Chicago, Ill. by the FBI and charged with using ISIS social media platforms to recruit violent jihadists. On Oct. 20 (Sat.) 2018 Afghan parliamentary elections see a suicide bomber detonate at a polling station in Kabul, Afghanistan, killing 13+, while poll-related violence kills or wounds 130+ across Afghanistan. On Oct. 22-Nov. 1 an anon. person mails packages containing pipe bombs to prominent Dems. incl. Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Joe Biden, George Soros, Eric Holder, John Brennan, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Maxine Waters, and Robert De Niro; Cesar Altieri Sayoc Jr. pleads guilty to 65 felony counts on Mar. 21, 2019, and is sentenced to up to 20 years in prison. On Oct. 23 Fayette County, Ky.-born businesswoman Kelly Knight Craft (nee Kelly Dawn Guilfoil) (1962-) becomes the first woman U.S. ambassador to Canada (until ?), going on to claim that when it comes to climate change she believes "both sides of the science", and that the U.S. can still fight climate change even though Pres. Trump has left the Paris Climate Accord. On Oct. 23 a car bomb in a crowded area of Qayyara, N Iraq kills four and wounds 15. On Oct. 23 Human Rights Watch announces that the Palestinian Authority and its rival Hamas routinely arrest and torture critics and opponents to stifle dissent. On Oct. 25 career diplomat Sahle-Work Zewde (1950-) becomes pres. #4 of Ethiopia (first woman) (until ?). On Oct. 25 Pres. Trump announces that he's going to "bring out the military" to protect the U.S.-Mexic border from the Central Am. migrant caravan and any more that follow. On Oct. 27 the Tree of Life Synatogue in Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh, Penn. is attacked by 46-y.-o. white anti-Semite Robert Gregory Bowers (1972-), who kills 11 and injures seven, becoming the deadliest attack on Jews in U.S. history (until ?); he is later charged with 29 federal crimes and 36 state crimes. On Oct. 27 (Nat. Am. Beer Day) Planters introduces Mr. IPA-Nut beer, at $10 for four 16-oz. cans, delivering a "citrus aroma and a hint of honey-roasted peanuts, all followed by a slightly salty finish that makes every sip worth savoring." On Oct. 29 after election setbacks, German chancellor (since 2005) Angela Merkel announces that she will step down at the end of her 4th term in 2021. On Oct. 29 (2:00 p.m.) a 30-y.-o. female suicide bomber targeting police detonates in Tunis, Tunisia, wounding 20 incl. 10 police officers, and only killing herself. In Oct. U.S. unemployment is 3.7% (vs. 3.7% in Sept.), with a record 156,562,000 Americans employed, and 250K jobs added. On Nov. 2 Muslim gunmen ambush three buses carrying Christian Coptic pilgrims en route to a remote desert monastery S of Cairo, Egypt, killing seven and wounding 19; ISIS claims responsibility. On Nov. 3 an insider attack in Kabul, Afghanistan kills North Ogden, Utah mayor Maj. Brent Taylor (1979-). On Nov. 5 (early a.m.) 79 students and three others incl. the principal are kidnapped in Bamenda, Cameroon by English-speaking separatists. On Nov. 6 (Tues.) amid bitter and deep polarization, the 2018 U.S. midterm election give the Dems. control of the House, while the Repubs. gain seats in the Senate; a total of $5.2B is spent on the campaigns, breaking the 2016 record of $4.4B; the Dems. win 40 House seats, and the Repubs. three Senate seats; Repubs. lose seven House seats in Calif.; 13,837,000 U.S. govt. employees vote in the midterms, leading all classes of workers with a 67% turnout; Repub. Ted Cruz defeats Dem. Beto O'Rourke in Tex. despite a record $120M campaign after supporting universal Medicare, abolishing ICE, and kneeling for the nat. anthem; 17 of the new lawmakers are former service members, adding to the 60 already there; too bad, several Repub. candidates lead on election night and later after counting absentee ballots, only to lose when "provisional" ballots are counted, causing outgoing House Speaker Paul Ryan to utter the soundbyte: "When you have candidates who win the absentee ballot vote and then lose three weeks later because of provisionals, that's really bizarre. I just think that's a very, very strange outcome"; eyepatch-wearing Repub. Afghanistan veteran (Navy SEAL) Daniel "Dan" Crenshaw (1984-) wins a House seat in Tex., getting in a pissing match with Sat. Night Live comedian Peter Michael "Pete" Davidson (1993-), who mocks his appearance and later apologizes; Joe Donnelly of Ind., Claire McCaskill of Mo., Bill Nelson of Fla., and Heidi Heitkamp of N.D., who all voted against Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court lose their seats; Joe Manchin of W.V. voted for Kavanaugh wins; Dem. Debra A. "Deb" Haaland (1960-) of the Laguna Pueblo wins a House seat in N.M., and Dem. Sharice Davids (1980-) of the Ho-Chunk Nation wins a House seat in Kan., becoming the first two Native Am. women elected to the House; Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar becoming the first Muslim women elected to Congress; Omar becomes the first headscarf-wearing member of Congress, causing the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood to ask the question: "What kind of culture waits 229 years to elect a hijab-wearing woman?" (the Muslim World until recently didn't allow women to run for office); the first Congress with 100+ women; U.S. Rep. (D-Minn.) Keith Ellison is elected atty. gen. of Minn., becoming the first Muslim atty. gen. in the U.S. despite condemnation by the Minn. Police Union; Boulder, Colo.-born wealthy U.S. rep. (since Jan. 3, 2009) Jared Schutz Polis (1975-) becomes Dem. Colo. gov. #43 (until ?), becoming the first openly gay elected U.S. gov. in U.S. history, introducing his First Man Marlon Reis. On Nov. 6 (eve.) Trump-hating horror film producer Jason Blum speaks at the Israel Film Festival at the Saban Theater Steve Tisch Cinema Center in Beverly Hills, Calif., mouthing off against Trump until the crowd begins chanting "We like Trump!", causing him to be shepherded off the stage as he utters the soundbyte: "As you can see from this auditorium, it's the end of civil discourse. Thanks to our president, anti-Semitism is on the rise." On Nov. 7 (a.m.) while polls are closing, Pres. Trump requests and obtains the resignation of U.S. atty. gen. (since Feb. 9, 2017) Jeff Sessions, who is immediately succeeded as acting U.S. atty. gen. by his Repub. chief of staff Matthew George "Matt" Whitaker (1969-) (until Feb. 14, 2019); meanwhile Trump holds a 1.5-hour press conference congratulating himself for the election results, and getting in a pissing war with CNN's Abilio James "Jim" Acosta (1971-), who refuses to yield the microphone, is called a "rude terrible person" by Trump, and later has his White House press pass revoked, pissing-off CNN, who accuse Trump of attacking the freedom of the press, causing White House press secy. Sarah Huckabee Sanders to utter the soundbyte: "Only they would attack the president for not supporting a free press in the midst of him taking 68 questions from 35 different reporters over the course of 1.5 hours including several from the reporter in question. The fact that CNN is proud of the way their employee behaved is not only disgusting, it's an example of their outrageous disregard for everyone, including young women, who work in this administration. As a result of today's incident, the White House is suspending the press pass of the reporter involved until further notice", after which CNN sues Trump, and on Nov. 16 a judge orders the White House to restore Acosta's press pass, but opens the door by allowing the White House to set up a system of rules and due process, which it releases on Nov. 19. On Nov. 7 (p.m.) USMC veteran Ian David Long (1990-) shoots up the Borderline Western bar in Thousand Oaks, Calif. with a Glock 21 .45 pistol, killing 12 incl. sheriff's deputy Sgt. Ron Helus and injuring 15 before being killed. On Nov. 8 the Nobody Is Above the Law Protest is held nationwide incl. Washington, D.C. to protect special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation, organized by MoveOn. On Nov. 8 the Camp Fire (named after Camp Creek Road) in Butte County, Northern Calif. starts (ends ?), going on to burn 130K acres, destroy 8,817 structures, injure three firefighters, and kill 76 civilians, with 1.2K+ missing, becoming the most destructive fire in Calif. history (until ?); on Nov. 8 the Woolsey Fire in Los Angeles County and Ventura County, Calif. incl. Malibu starts (ends ?), going on to burn 96K acres, destroy 435 structures, and kill two civilians, causing 265K to be evacuated; on Nov. 10 Pres. Trump tweets the soundbyte: "There is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is so poor. Billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests. Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!"; Trump is right?; on Nov. 10 Calif. gov. Jerry Brown responds, blaming climate change and climate change deniers incl. Trump for the Calif. fires, which he calls "the new abnormal", with the soundbyte: "This new abnormal will continue, certainly in the next 10, 15, 20 years. Unfortunately, the best science is telling us that dryness, warmth, drought, all those things, they're going to intensify" and "Scientists and the engineers and the firefighters all tell us forest management is one element to control them, but warned governments must address a whole range of actions to address a problem he said may cost 'billions' of dollars to tackle"; "Managing all the forests everywhere we can does not stop climate change, and those who deny that are definitely contributing to the tragedies we're now witnessing and will continue to witness in the coming years"; "The chickens are coming home to roost. This is real here", advising govt. officals that they need to be "pulling together in these tragic circumstances and thinking wisely" while being "collaborative"; on Nov. 17 Pres. Trump visits Calif. to inspect the burned areas, suggesting that raking can help avoid more forest fires in the future, with the soundbyte: "We've got to take care of the floors, you know, the floors of the forests, very important. If you look at other countries where they do it differently and it;s a whole different story. "I was with the president of Finland and he said, 'We have a much different, we're a forest nation', he called it a forest nation. And they spend a lot of time on raking and cleaning and doing things and they don't have any problem. And when it is, it's a very small problem. So, I know everybody's looking at that to that end and it's gonna work out. It's going to work out well"; Brown is wrong because the number of fires in Calif. has been declining yearly over the last 30 years, while the area burned has slightly increased, because they have more fuel? On Nov. 9 Pres. Trump visits France, meeting with French pres. Emmanuel Macron while tweeting that it is "very insulting" that he suggested that Europe should have its own army to protect itself from the U.S., China, and Russia. On Nov. 9 after gas cylinders in his 4-wheel drive vehicle fail to explode, knife-wielding jihadist Hassan Khalif Shire Ali (1988-) stages a knife attack on Bourke St. in Melbourne, Australia, stabbing three, of which one dies; on Nov. 10 Australian PM Scott Morrison calls for Muslim leaders to take "special responsibility" for stamping out radicalism in their communities and "call this out for what it is", daring to mention the term Islamist extremism. On Nov. 9 new acting U.S. atty. gen. Matthew Whitaker and Homeland Security Dept. secy. Kirstjen Nielson announce an Interim Final Rule making aliens who don't respect an official entry port ineligible for asylum; no surprise, the Obama-packed 9th U.S. Circuit Court issues a temporary restraining order, forcing the Trump admin. to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court again like with the Muslim ban. On Nov. 11 the 100th anniv. of the WWI Armistice sees French pres. Emmanuel Macron give a speech at a gathering of 70 world leaders on the Champs-Elysees incl. Pres. Trump (who said in Sept. that he is a "nationalist" who rejects globalism), with the soundbyte: "Patriotism is the exact opposite of nationalism; nationalism is a betrayal of patriotism"; too bad, Trump drops a trip to Vimy Ridge, citing rainy weather, giving his critics mucho fuel. On Nov. 12 Hamas launches a 24-hour attack on Israel, launching 200 rockets, of which 60 are intercepted, killing one Palestinian and injuring 70 Israeli civilians; on Nov. 13 the ceasefire is restored, causing hawkish Israeli defense Avigdor Lieberman to resign amid widespread protests against the Israeli govt. and to call for new elections after leaving the ruling party with only 61 out of 120 seats. On Nov. 15 2K Central Am. migrants from the caravan begin arriving in Tijuana, Mexico, knowing they are not welcome in the U.S.; meanwhile on Nov. 16 a 2nd caravan with 1.2K sets out from Mexico City, a 3rd caravan is waiting, and a total of 10K are expected; on Nov. 19 the Mexican natives stage a protest against the "invasion", demanding them to return home. On Nov. 15 Costa Rica's supreme court legalizes same-sex marriage starting next year. On Nov. 16 Pres. Trump signs the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Act, turning the Nat. Protection and Programs Directorate at the Dept. of Homeland Security into the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), with the aim of bolstering U.S. defenses against the critical infrastructure from cyberthreats. On Nov. 16-18 the Mid-Nov. 2018 U.S. Blizzard (Snovember) drops almost 4 ft. of snow in the NE U.S. from Va. to Maine, causing 400K power outages and breaking early snowfall records. On Nov. 17 282K take part in 2K+ Yellow Vest (Gilets Jaunes) Demonstrations across France to protest French pres. Emmanual Macron for using climate change as an excuse for high diesel fuel prices via the Contribution Climat Energie (CCE) carbon tax; police use tear gas on crowds storming Macron's Elysee Palace in Paris; one is killed and 106 are injured in accidents; meanwhile a climate protest in London, England sees thousands of protesters organized by Extinction Rebellion (XR) block five bridges over the Thames River, resulting in 85 arrests, becoming one of the biggest peaceful civil disobedience events in the U.K. in decades; on Nov. 30 there are more yellow vest riots in Brussels, Belgium, caused by resentment at mass Muslim immigration; on Dec. 4 after four are killed, 260+ injured, and hundreds arrested, and his approval rating falls to 23%, Macron announces a 6-mo. moratorium, with the soundbyte: "No tax is worth putting the nation's unity in danger"; after (11 straight Sats.) of demonstrations, which grow increasingly violent, the Red Scarves Demonstrations begin by former Yellow Vests who oppose violence or vandalism. On Nov. 17 after illegally landing in a canoe carrying a Bible, Mo.-based 26-y.-o. Am. missionary John Allen Chau (b. 1992) is killed by primitive naked black Sentinelese natives on the off-limits North Sentinel Island in the Andamans Islands in the Bay of Bengal, who are rumored to like to eat missionaries. On Nov. 17-18 the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Conference in Papua, New Guinea sees disagreements over China cause the 21 APEC leaders to end the summit sans an agreement for the first time in its 25-year history. On Nov. 19 Airbnb announces that it is removing listings in West Bank settlements of Jewish apts., causing Israeli tourism minister Yariv Levin et al. to call for a boycott of Airbnb. On Nov. 19 former U.S. pres. Barack Obama gives a speech at the Second Obama Foundation Summit, uttering the soundbyte: "Climate change, we're going to have to come up with some new technologies. We could reduce carbon emissions by 30 percent, and it's not like we would all have to go back to caves and live off fire... The reason we don't do it is because we are still confused, blind, shrouded with hate, anger, racism, [and] mommy issues." On Nov. 20 after news of disappointing earnings by Target and TJ Maxx, along with expected rate hikes by the Federal Reserve, combined with worries about the trade war with China and Brexit, the 2018 Stock Market Crash sees the Dow Jones drop 551 points (2.2%), the S&P 500 drop 1.8%, and the Nasdaq drop 1.7%, erasing their 2018 gains; on Nov. 26 after a great Cyber Monday the market rebounds. On Nov. 21 amid record cold temperatures in the NE U.S., Pres. Trump tweets the soundbyte: "Brutal and Extended Cold Blast could shatter ALL RECORDS - Whatever happened to Global Warming?", pissing-off the global warming scientist crowd, incl. NASA global warming honcho Michael E. Mann, who calls Trump "a dangerous clown". On Nov. 22 (Thanksgiving Day) Pres. Trump utters the soundbyte that he will close the U.S.-Mexico border if he determines that Mexico has lost control, announcing that he has given U.S. troops on the border authorization to use lethal force on border crashers "if they have to", also hinting at a partial govt. shutdown in early Dec. if Congress refuses to allocate billions of dollars for his border wall; too bad, on Nov. 25 (Sun.) hundreds of migrants storm the border in Tijuana after passing through a Mexican police line, causing them to fire tear gas across the border; 42 are arrested, and ? escape to the U.S. On Nov. 22 Boko Haram jihadist gunmen attack a French drilling camp in Toumour, Niger in the Diffa region near the Nigerian border and the Lake Chad basin, killing eight. On Nov. 23 jihadist gunmen storm the Chinese consulate in Karachi, Pakistan, killing two police officers, two civilians, and three attackers after a 1-hour shootout; meanwhile a suicide bomber goes off an an army base in Ismail Khel District, Khost Province, E Afghanistan, killing 26 and wounding 50; no one claims responsibility (Taliban?). On Nov. 23 a bomb hidden in a carton of vegetables explodes in a crowded marketplace in Shiite-dominated Kalaya in Pakistan's NW tribal region, killing 31+ and injuring 50. On Nov. 23 suspected ISIS jihadists kill nine, wound 10, and kidnap several others in Tazerbo, S Libya. On Nov. 25 the EU signs a Brexit deal Mar. 29, 2019, which British PM Theresa May still has to sell to her divided Parliament. On Nov. 25 (Sun.) NBC-TV's Meet the Press, hosted by Chuck Todd hosts Melbourne, Australia-born climate skeptic Danielle Pletka (1963-) of the Am. Enterprise Inst., who gives a speech that pisses-off the global warmist elite with the soundbyte: "The problem is again, there is a perception among those for whom Donald Trump speaks... They perceive this as an agenda that is much more about corporate and much more about law and much more about the kind of governance that America has, and much less about climate. So from the standpoint of those who have doubts about this, and I don't think we can have any doubt that there is climate change, whether it's anthropogenic I don't know, I'm not a scientist I'm a citizen... We need to also recognize we had two of the coldest years, biggest drop in global temperatures that we have had since the 1980s, the biggest in the last 100 years. We don't talk about that because it's not part of the agenda"; on Nov. 30 English astrophysicist David Robert Whitehouse (BBC's science correspondent in 1988-2006) pub. the article Global Temperature Drops by 0.4 deg C in Three Years, contradicting the World Meteorological Org., the BBC., and The Guardian using HadCRUT4 data from the U.K. Met Office to prove her right. On Nov. 25 (night) a 6.3 earthquake strikes near Sarpol-e Zahab, Kermanshah Province, W Iran near the Iraq border, injuring 500. On Nov. 26 Gen. Motors (GM) announces that it is planning on cutting 15% of its salaried workforce and stopping production five plants in the U.S. and Canada to cut costs. On Nov. 27 after the U.S. committed itself to "building up the Somali capacity to defend itself" from Islamist terrorism by supplying African Union (AU) peacekeepers, USMC Gen. Thomas D. Waldhauser, cmdr. of the U.S. Africa Command visits Somalia and meets with Pres. Farmajo, claiming that they "have made measurable progress, and it's clear they are dedicated to reaching the goal of a safe, stable and prosperous Somalia"; too bad, it's the world's most corrupt country, and Farmajo ends up coddling and endorsing Islamist terrorism. On Nov. 28 a car bomb outside British security group G4S's compound in Kabul, Afghanistan detonates as pres. Ashraf Ghanioutlines peace plans, after which armed gunmen enter and start a gunfight. On Nov. 30 (8:30 a.m. local time) a 7.0 earthquake strikes 10 mi. NE of Anchorage, Alaska, with no fatalities or serious injuries reported. On Nov. 30 the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is signed in Buenos Aires, Argentina, based on the 1994 North Am. Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) gives U.S. dairy farmers greater access to the Canadian market, helps the three nations manufacture more automobiles, and sets exchange rates; it expires after 16 years. On Nov. 30 the U.S. submits a draft resolution to the U.N. condemning violence by Hamas and other armed Muslim factions in Gaza, calling Hamas a terrorist org.; on Dec. 6 it is stonewalled by Arab states, who insist on a two-thirds vote for adoption and get it with a 75-62-26 votes, and it fails by 87-57-33, causing Nikki Haley to ask the Arabs, "Is the hatred that strong?" In Nov. the Watson Inst. for Internat. and Public Affairs at Brown U. pub. Costs of War, claiming that since 9/11 the U.S. has spent $5.9T on foreign wars that killed 370K directly from violence plus 250K civilians, and displaced 10.1M. In Nov. North Am. has the most extensive Nov. snow cover in at least 50 years. In Nov. a weird seismic event off Mayotte Island between Madagascar and Mozambique is traced to a new underwater volcano, the largest ever recorded. In Nov. Twitter bans users who "misgender" and "deadname" transgender people, incl. feminist Meghan Murphy for saying "Women aren't men", and "How are transwomen not men? What is the difference between a man and a transwoman?" In Nov. U.S. unemployment is 3.7% for the 3rd mo. straight, with the economy adding 150K jobs, and a record 156,795K Americans employed. On Dec. 4 Pres. Trump tweets the soundbyte: "I am a Tariff Man. When people or countries come in to raid the great wealth of our Nation, I want them to pay for the privilege of doing so. It will always be the best way to max out our economic power. We are right now taking in $billions in Tariffs. MAKE AMERICA RICH AGAIN", causing Dow-Jones to drops by 500 points, and the S&P to drop 2.5%, a new low for 2018. On Dec. 5 USA Gymnastics files for bankruptcy under the weight of lawsuits by hundreds of women over ex-nat. team doctor Larry Nasser. On Dec. 5 the Global Carbon Project (GCP) releases its 2018 CO2 Emissions Report, claiming a 2.7% global CO2 emissions rise this year (vs. 1.6% in 2017), caused by a 3% rise in coal use by China and a 4.7% rise in emissions. On Dec. 6 a rare suicide car bombing at a police HQ in Chabahar, Iran kills two and wounds several. On Dec. 6 after discovering terror tunnels stretching from S Lebanon into N Israel, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu calls for an internat. response incl. the U.N. Security Council. On Dec. 6 the U.S. Dept. of the Interior announces that the Wolfcamp and Bone Spring formations in W. Tex. and E N.M. hold the largest potential gas and oil resources yet discovered, 46.3B barrels of oil, 281T cu. ft. of natural gas, and 20B barrels of natural gas liquids. On Dec. 7 former FBI dir. James Comey testifies before Congress in a closed session; later that day a transcript is released, causing Pres. Trump on Dec. 9 to tweet the soundbyte: "On 245 occasions, former FBI Director James Comey told House investigators he didn't know, didn't recall, or couldn't remember things when asked. Opened investigations on 4 Americans (not 2) - didn't know who signed off and didn't know Christopher Steele! All lies! Leakin' James Comey must have set a record for who lied the most to Congress in one day. His Friday testimony was so untruthful! This whole deal is a Rigged Fraud headed up by dishonest people who would so anything, so that I could not become President. They are now exposed!"; on Dec. 10 Trump tweets the soundbyte: "Democrats can't find a Smocking gun tying the Trump campaign to Russia after James Comey's testimony. No Smocking Gun..No Collusion." On Dec. 8 the 2018 Miss World Pageant in Sanya, China is won by 5'9" Siliva Vanessa Ponce de Leon Sanchez (1992-) of Mexico (first Mexican winner). On Dec. 9 Houston, Tex. mayor Sylvester Turner proclaims CAIR-Tex., Houston Day, despite CAIR (Council on Am.-Islamic Relations) having connections with Hamas terror. On Dec. 9 (3:00 p.m.) a jihadist knife attack at a train station in Mulhouse, France injures three women in the hand, back, and neck. On Dec. 9 Palestinian jihadis open fire on Israeli civilians in Ofra, wounding seven incl. a pregnant woman. On Dec. 10 the the FBI arrests Elizxabeth Lecron (1995-) for plotting a terror attack at a Toledo, Ohio bar, along with Damon Joseph (1997-) for pledging support for ISIS and plotting attacks on two synagogues in Toledo. On Dec. 10-11 EU heads of state sign the non-binding U.N. Global Compact for Migration, a plan to flood the EU with 59M migrants by 2025; the compact is formally endorsed by the U.N. Gen. Assembly on Dec. 19; it contains a section on "eliminating all forms of discrimination", and a stated aim is to "shape perceptions of migration", stirring fears of suppression of freedom of speech; after denouncing the compact as amounting to a bid "to advance global governance at the expense of the sovereign right of States to manage their immigration systems in accordance with their national laws, policies and interests", with a U.S. envoy warning that it could translate into a "long-term means of building customary international law or so-called 'soft law' in the area of migration" adding that term 'compact' is an amorphous word in internat. law that "implies legal obligation", the U.S. refuses to sign, as does several other nations incl. Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Repub., Australia, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland, and Latvia; 100K in Britain sign a petition opposing the compact; Belgian PM Charles Michel signs it despite the right wing Flemish N-VA Party departing from his 4-party coalition, leaving him with a minority govt.; on Dec. 4 French Gen. Antoine Martinez sends a letter signed by several other top military brass and former French defense minister Charles Millon accusing pres. Emmanuel Macron of Treason for signing it; on Dec. 16 5K protest the migration pact in Brussels, Belgium, with shouts of "No jihad in our country" and "We are tired, close the borders"; on Dec. 13 13 countries vote against the pact, incl. the Vesegrad Four (Czech. Repub., Hungary, Poland, Slovakia), Austria, Bulgaria, Latvia, Israel, the U.S., Dominica, and Brazil; they also reject the sister Global Compact on Refugees, which mentions "replacement" of existing Euro pops. with migrants. On Dec. 11 Pres. Trump meets with Dem. leaders Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who refuse to give him $5B to build a border wall, causing him to reiterate his threats to shut down the govt. while he has the military build it, with the soundbyte: "I am proud to shut down the government for border security." On Dec. 11 (p.m.) 29-y.o. Allah-Akbar-shouting career criminal jihadist Cherif Chekatt (1989-) fired on a crowd at a Christmas market in Strasbourg, France, killing three and wounding 13 before fleeing in a taxi and getting killed resisting arrest. On Dec. 11 Pres. Trump signs the Iraq and Syria Genocide Relief and Accountability Act of 2018, designed to aid religious (Christian) minorities persecuted by ISIS in Syria and Iraq. On Dec. 11 the 2018 Public Report on Terrorism Threat to Canada is released, adding Sikh (Khalistani) extremism to Sunni and Shia extremism, pissing-off the Sikhs. On Dec. 12 Pres. Trump signs an executive order establishing the $100B White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council, with Pres. Trump uttering the soundbyte: "With the creation of today's council, the resources of the whole federal government will be leveraged to rebuild low-income and impoverished neighborhoods that have been ignored by Washington in years past"; too bad, the Trump-hating PC media blacks out news, or calls it a scheme to help the rich. On Dec. 12 (p.m.) British PM Theresa May survives a confidence vote of fellow Tory MPs by 200-117. On Dec. 12 (p.m.) 21 mostly ISIS prisoners break out of Sosa Jail near Sulaimaniya, Iraq; 15 are recaptured. On Dec. 14 Pres. George W. Bush-appointed U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor of Tex. issues an order to strike down Obamacare as unconstitutional, freak-out progressives. On Dec. 14 Johnson & Johnson's shares plunge 10% after a Reuters report claims that it knew since 1971 thats its baby powder contains carcinogenic asbestos. On Dec. 14 Pope Francis delivers a speech at a Vatican Christmas concert, saying that migrants are trying to "escape wars, miseries caused by social injustices and climate change." On Dec. 16 the 2018 (67th) Miss Universe Pageant at IMPACT Arena in Muang Thong Thani, Thailand, hosted by Steve Harvey and Ashley Graham features the first-ever transgender contestant 6'0" Angela Maria (Angel Mario) Ponce Camacho (1991-) of Spain; the winner is 5'10" Catriona Elisa Magnayon Gray (1994-) of Philippines. On Dec. 17 the beheaded bodies of 28-y.-o. Maren Ueland of Norway and 24-y.-o. Dane Louisa Verager Jespersen of Denmark are found in the Atlas Mts. of Morocco, causing 18 members of an ISIS cell to be arrested; on July 19, 2019 three of them are sentenced to death. On Dec. 19 Pres. Trump announces his decision to withdraw all 2K U.S. troops from Syria since "we have won against ISIS", pissing-off Dem. and Repub. critics, who call it a Christmas gift for ISIS, Iran, and ISIS, causing him to clarify that they will stay close to the area if needed, with the soundbyte: "Does the USA want to be the policeman of the Middle East?", later letting himself be talked into slowing down the pullout; meanwhile French pres. Emmanuel Macron issues the soundbyte that he "very deeply regrets" Trump's decision, adding "To be allies is to fight shoulder to shoulder... An ally should be dependable"; meanwhile after he wasn't consulted, top U.S. anti-ISIS diplomat Brett McGurk resigns in protest, causing the U.S. State Dept. to remark "The conflict in Syria has been ongoing for six years. Good job, Brett." On Dec. 20 after he gets pissed-off at the decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria, Pres. Trump announces the resignation of U.S. defense secy. Jim "Mad Dog" Mattis, effective at the end of Feb., with Mattis writing the soundbyte that Trump deserves a defense secy. closer in alignment with his views. On Dec. 22 (midnight) after failure to compromise on Pres. Trump's border wall, a partial U.S. govt. shutdown begins (ends ?), causing 420K federal employees to work without pay while Trump fights it out with U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). On Dec. 25 Pres. Trump talks to 7-y.-o. Collman Lloyd on the phone, asking her if she is "still a believer in Santa, because at 7, it's marginal, right?", pissing-off the anti-Trumpers, causing Mike Huckabee to defend Trump, asking if this makes him Glenn Close in the film "Fatal Attraction", who boiled Michael Douglas' daughter's pet rabbit in a pot after he scorns her. On Dec. 26 during the partial U.S. govt. shutdown, Pres. Trump makes an unnanounced visit to Iraq along with First Lady Melania Trump, who becomes the first First Lady to visit Iraq since the start of the Iraq War in 2003; no surprise, the Trump-hating New York Times and CNN bash Pres. Trump for signing soldiers' MAGA hats, claiming he was holding a political rally. On Dec. 28 (6:15 p.m. local time) a roadside IED explodes near a bus near the pyramids in Mariotiyah, Egypt near the Giza Pyramids, killing a tour guide and three Vietnamese tourists, and injuring the Egyptian driver and 10 Vietnamese tourists, causing a massive manhunt for Muslim terrorists that kills 40 on Dec. 29. On Dec. 30 (Sun.) NBC-TV's Meet the Press hosted by Chuck Odd, er, Todd devotes their whole hour to climate alarmists incl. Michael Bloomberg, Calif. Gov. Jerry Brown, and U.S. Rep. (R-Fla.) Carlos Curbelo, who want to pass a U.S. carbon tax to save the world from Armageddon, with Todd uttering the soundbyte that his show is "not going to give time to climate deniers. The science is settled even if political opinion is not", apologizing for a Nov. episode hosting climate skeptic Danielle Pletka with the soundbyte that this time his show won't "confuse weather with climate", then proceeding to just that thing using summer instead of winter like she did?; Brown utters the soundbytes: "Instead of worrying about tariffs, I'd like to see the president and the Congress invest tens of billions in renewable energy, in more-efficient batteries, to get us off fossil fuel as quickly as we can"; "I would point to the fact that it took [late President Franklin D. Roosevelt] many, many years to get America willing to go into World War II and fight the Nazis. Well, we have an enemy, though different, but perhaps, very much devastating in a similar way. And we've got to fight climate change. And the president's got to lead on that." On Dec. 30 elections in the Dem. Repub. of Congo (DRC) to succeed pres. Joseph Kabila become their first transfer of power through peaceful elections since independence in 1960. On Dec. 30 reps of the Taliban meet with Iranian officials in Tehran to advance peace talks with the Afghan govt. On Dec. 31 (New Year's Eve) Muslim immigrants in France continue their tradition of hatred of infidel society by burning 1K+ cars. On Dec. 31 the U.S. and Israel officially quit UNESCO, with U.S. U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley uttering the soundbyte: "Today the U.S. withdrawal from this cesspool became official." On Dec. 31 migrats storm the U.S.-Mexico barrier near San Diego, Calif., throwing rocks and attempting to push their children over the barbed wire. In Dec. U.S. unemployment is 3.9% (vs. 3.7% in Nov.), adding 312K jobs. This year virtually every new TV ad in the U.S. features a black actor, with biracial couples becoming increasingly common; actors of other races don't object to being shut out of jobs so that the U.S. can be portrayed as 50% black and increasingly biracial, even though blacks are only 12% of the pop. and biracial couples 15%? Montclair State U. prof. Jeffrey Alan Miller discovers the earliest draft of the King James Bible, covering the apocryphal books of Esdras and Wisdom, showing that translators worked entirely on their own not as a team. Architecture: On Mar. 26 the stainless steel Cloud Column sculpture by British sculptor Sir Anish Kapoor (1954-) is unveiled in Houston, Tex., pissing-off rival Chicago, Ill., which hosts Kapoor's 2006 Cloud Gate (AKA The Bean), which lies on its side and doesn't stand upright like Houston's; meanwhile Houston gained 94,417 residents in 2017, while Chicago lost 13,286, putting Houston track to pass Chicago as the 3rd largest U.S. city in 10 years. On Apr. 26 the Nat. Memorial for Peace and Justice (Nat. Lynching Memorial) in Montgomery, Ala. opens, commemorating 4K victims of lynching in the U.S., with 805 hanging coffin-shaped steel rectangles, each representing a county. In June the Golden Bridge (Cau Vang) in the Ba Na Hills of Vietnam opens, designed to represent the "giant hands of god spulling a stirp of gold out of the land". In June the Morpheus Hotel in Macau, China opens, designed by Zaha Hadid. In Sept. the $11.2B Beijing Daxing Internat. Airport (begun Dec. 26, 2014) 29 mi. S of Beijing along the Hebei Province border is finished,; it covers 6.6K acres, and features five limbs spreading out from the central core; designed by Zaha Hadid Architect. On Oct. 23 the $20B 34 mi. (55 km) Hong Kong-Zuhai Bridge (begun 2009) connecting Hong Kong to Macau and the mainland Chinese city of Zhuhai opens, becoming the world's longest sea-crossing bridge. The $2.5M Casa Brutale near Beirut, Lebanon is built, becoming a perfect lair for 007 James Bond. Sports: On Jan. 8 the 2018 College Football Nat. Championship at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. sees the Ala. Crimson Tide start out flat, seeing Bulldogs QB Jake Fromm shut them out in the first half 13-0 until coach Nick Saban pulls out veteran QB Jalen Hurts and substitutes green freshman Tua Tagovailoa, who leads a comeback, winning 26-23 in OT; Alabama kicker Andy Pappanastos misses two key field goals, incl. one that would have won the game in the final seconds, while eyeglasses-wearing Georgia kicker Rodrigo Blankenship is perfect; Pres. Trump attends the game, standing for the Pledge of Allegiance. On Feb. 4 after the Cleveland Browns go 0-16 and the Denver Broncos go 5-11, and Eagles QB Carson Wentz gets injured in Dec., Super Bowl LII (52) at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn., first SB in Minneapolis since 1992 sees the 13-3 Philadelphia Eagles (coach Doug Pederson) defeat the 13-3 New England Patriots (coach Bill Belichick) (record 10th SB appearance) by 41-33 to win their first SB (first NFL title since 1960) and deny the Patriots a record-tying 6th SB win, tying the Denver Broncos with the most SB losses (5); former backup Eagles QB (#9) Nicholas Edward "Saint Nick" Foles (1989-) catches a 1-yard TD pass from Trey Burton with 34 sec. to play in the first half to make the score 22-12; Patriots QB Tom Brady connects with Rob Gronkowski for a 4-yard TD with 9:22 remaining to make the score 32-33, after which on a 4th and 1 from their own 45 Zach Ertz of the Phillies catches a 2-yard pass, then scores a 11-yard TD on 3rd and 7 that puts the Eagles up 38-33; with 2:09 remaining Patriots QB Tom Brady (oldest SB QB at 40 years 185 days) is sacked while coming in for the winning TD by Eagles Brandon Graham and fumbles into the hands of Eagles Derek Barnett, leaving 1:05 on the clock, then winning the game after Brady's hail mary is knocked down in the end zone; Brady loses despite a record 505 passing yards, and 613 total yards for his team; a record 1,151 combined yards (Patriots 613, Eagles 583) (vs. 929 in 1988) and 74 points; the Eagles have a record 3 missed PAT conversions; the Eagles become the first team since SB XLV to win a SB while wearing their midnight green home jerseys; Pink sings the nat. anthem, and nobody kneeled in protest; the halftime show features Justin Timberlake; MVP is Nick Foles; on June 4 (p.m.) after several players refuse to attend over his support for standing for the playing of the nat. anthem at games, Pres. Trump uninvites the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles to the White House, and holds a Celebration of America event on the South Lawn of the White House instead. On Feb. 5 Syrian air strikes in Ghouta, Syria kill 29+; more are killed with gas in Idlib. On Feb. 9-25 the 2018 (XXIII) (23rd) Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea (first in Seoul since the 1988 Summer Games) sees 2,952 athletes from 92 nations participate in 102 events in 7 sports and 15 disciplines, broadcast by NBC-TV; China moved 300K troops closer to the North Korean border prior to the start of the games; on Feb. 9 the opening ceremony sees NBC-TV analyst Joshua Cooper Ramo (1968-) praise the presence of Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, with the soundbyte: "Every Korean will tell you that Japan is a cultural, technological, and economic example that has been so important to their own transformation", pissing-off Korea, causing him to be benched; Norway wins 39 medals incl. 14 gold, Germany wins 31 (14 gold), Canada wins 29 (11 gold), the U.S. wins 23 (9 gold), Netherland wins 20 (8 gold), Sweden wins 14 (7 gold), and South Korea wins 17 (5 gold); on Feb. 11 the first U.S. gold medal is won in Men's Slopestyle Snowboarding by Redmond "Red" Gerard (2000-) of Silverthorne, Colo., causing the town to rename itself Goldthorne; on Feb. 12 Chloe Kim (2000-) of the U.S. wins gold in women's halfpipe with a score of 98.25; Shaun Roger "Flying Tomato" White (1986-) of the U.S. wins his 3rd gold (100th Winter Olympic gold for the U.S.) in men's halfpipe in a dramatic performance, with a score of 97.75 (first threepeat in the same event in the Olympics), becoming the Crying Tomato; on Feb. 23 18-y.-o. super-emotional Tatar descent Russian figure skater favorite Evgenia (Yevegenia) Armanovna Medvedeva (1999-) is edged out 239.57 to 238.26 by 15-y.-o. super-cool Armenian descent Russian figure skater Alina Ilnazovna Zagitova (2002-); the U.S. wins its first-ever gold in curling, and women's cross-country; the U.S. women's hockey team wins its first gold since Nagano in 1998, becoming the 4th of 5th Winter Olympics facing Canada for the gold in "the world's fiercest Winter Olympics rivalry". On Apr. 26-28 the 2018 NFL Draft sees the last-place Cleveland Browns select 6'1" 2017 Heisman Trophy winner Baker Reagan Mayfield (1995-) from Oklahoma U., who becomes their 30th starting QB since 1999; in his first NFL appearance on Sept. 20, he leads Cleveland to their first win in 19 games, 21-17 over the New York Jets, ending a 635-day winless streak. On May 23 the NFL bans on-field kneeling during the playing of the U.S. Nat. Anthem; too bad, some players do it anyway; on Aug. 22 after ESPN announces that it will discontinue the Nat. Anthem before each Monday Night Football, Pres. Trump sends out an email to supporters calling for a boycott, calling it a "spineless surrender to the politically correct liberal mob". On May 28-June 7 the 2018 Stanley Cup Finals sees the Washington Capitals (2nd appearance) defeat the Vegas Golden Knights (1st appearance) 4-1; MVP is Washington captain Alexander Ovechkin. On May 31-June 6 the 2018 NBA Finals sees the 58-24 Golden State Warriors sweep the 50-32 Cleveland Cavaliers 4-0 for their 2nd straight title and 3rd in four years; MVP is Kevin Durant of the Warriors (2nd straight time); the first finals sweep since 2007; the first time in any North Am. major prof. sports championship that the same two teams meet for four years in a row; the first time since 2012 that the finals don't feature a top seed; in Game 2 Stephen Currey of the Warrios makes a record 9 3-pointers; in Game 3 Kevin Durant of the Warriors scores a playoff career-high 43 points incl. a 3-pointer late in the game that ices the victory; in Game 4 Golden State surges ahead 102-77 with 4:03 remaining after LeBron James of the Cavaliers leaves the game, then finishes 108-85; the official sponsor is YouTube TV. On June 9 (4:00 p.m. EDT) the 2018 Belmont Stakes sees 4-5 favorite Justify lead wire-to-wire with a time of 2:28.18, becoming Am. Triple Crown winner #13. On June 14-17 the 2018 U.S. Golf Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Course in N.Y. is won by Brooks Koepka (1990-) (2nd in a row, first to defend since Curtis Strange in 1989 and Ben Hogan in 1951), who finishes one stroke ahead of Tommy Fleetwood of the U.K. On June 14-July 15 the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia is won by France, which defeats Croatia 4-2. On July 2-15 the 2018 (132nd) Wimbledon Championships sees Novak Djokovic of Serbia win the gentleman's singles title, and Angelique Kerber (1988-) of Germany win the ladies' singles title. On Aug. 19 the NL Colorado Rockies play their 46th straight game against a team with a .500+ record, defeating the Atlanta Braves in Atlanta 5-3 to go 30-16, tying the 1926 Phillies (15-31) and the 2012 Braves (22-24). On Aug. 26 Am. golfer Tiger Woods is grilled by reporters at the Northern Trust Tournament, refusing to diss Pres. Trump and instead uttering the soundbyte: "He's the president of the United States. You have to respect the office", causing ESPN commentators Max Kellerman and Stephen A. Smith to say that Tiger is "not really black". On Sept. 5 (night) Colo. Rockies shortstop Trevor Story (1992-) hits homers on his first three at-bats in Denver, helping the Rockies to a 5-3 win and a sweep of the San Francisco Giants; Story's 2nd homer set a Coors Field record at 505 ft., and the three homers combined for 1,380 ft. On Sept. 16 Eliud Kipchoge (1984-) sets a world record in the marthon at the 2018 Berlin Marathon of 2:01:39, breaking the previous record by 1 min. 18 sec.; on Oct. 12, 2019 Kipchoge runs the marathon in 1:59:40 in Vienna, Austria (4 min. 34 sec./mi.), breaking the 2-hour barrier, but it's not considered official; meanwhile on Oct. 13 Brigid Jepscheschir Kosgei (1994-) of Kenya runs the marathon in 2:14:04 at the Chicago, Ill. Marthon, beating the 16-y.-o. record of Paula Radcliffe of Britain (2:15:25) by 81 sec. On Sept. 20 20-y.-o. Naomi Osaka (1998-) defeats Serena Williams to win the U.S. Open singles title, becoming the first Japanese player; too bad, the crowd boos her while the officials all express shock, causing her to cry and cover her face with her black visor during the awards ceremony. On Oct. 23-28 the 2018 (114th) World Series sees the 108-54 Boston Red Sox (mgr. Alex Cora) defeat the 92-71 Los Angeles Dogers (mgr. Dave Roberts) 4-1; Game 3 in Los Angeles goes a record 18 innings and 7 hours 20 min., and is the only one won by the Dodgers (3-2); MVP is Red Sox 1B player Steven Wayne "Steve" Pearce (1983-). On Nov. 18 former Dallas Cowboys linebacker #50 (1982-9) Jeffrey Charles "Jeff" Rohrer (1958-) comes out and marries his partner Joshua Ross, becoming the first NFL player in a same-sex marriage. On Nov. 19 (Mon.) the 9-1 Los Angeles Rams (NFC), led by QB (#16) Jared Thomas Goff (1994-) defeat the 9-1 Kansas City Chiefs (AFC), led by QB (#15) Patrick Lavon Mahomes II (1995-) by 54-51, becoming the highest scoring game in Monday Night Football history, and first NFL game where each player scores 50+ points, plus the first NFL game where the loser gets 50+ points. On Nov. 23 after Phil Mickelson's big V in 2004, Tiger Woods' big V in 2004, and Mickelson's comeback V in 2005, they engage in a head-to-head competition for a $9M purse, which is won by Mickelson by one putt on the 22nd hole. On Dec. 8 Patricio Manuel defeats Mexican super-featherweight boxer Hugo Aguilar at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif., becoming the first transgender male boxer in U.S. history. Nobel Prizes: Peace: Nadia Murad Basee Taha (1993-) (Iraq) and Denis Mukwege (1955-) (Congo) [efforts to end use of sexual violence as a weapon of war]; Lit.: None (postponed); Physics: Arthur Ashkin (1922-) (U.S.) [optical tweezers], Gerard (Gérard) Albert Mourou (1944-) (France), and Donna Theo Strickland (1959-) (Canada); Chem.: Frances Hamilton Arnold (1956-) [U.S.) [directed evolution to engineer enzymes], George Pearson Smith (1941-) [U.S.] (phage display), and Sir Gregory Paul Winter (1951-) (U.K.) [therapeutic use of monoclonal antibodies using phage display]; Med.: James Patrick Allison (1948-) (U.S.) [tumor immunotherapy], and Tasuku Honjo (1942-) (Japan) [class switch recombination]; Econ.: William Dawbney Nordhaus (1941-) (U.S.) [integration of climate change into long-run macroeconomic analysis], and Paul Michael Romer (1955-) (U.S.) [integration of technological innovations into long-run macroeconomic analysis]. Inventions: On Jan. 3 Intel announces a security vulnerability in its PC chips that was discovered by Google in Oct. allowing hackers to observe passwords and other personal data, causing its stock to fall 3%. On Jan. 19 Ruby chocolate is first marketed in a new flavor of Kit-Kat bar. On Feb. 6 the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket is successfully launched, containing a 5-D Arch optical quartz storage system containing Isaac Asimov's Foundation series. On Mar. 5 the $60K Flippy AI-driven burger-flipping robot begins working at the CaliBurger fast food restaurant in Pasadena, Calif.; 50 more restaurants are planned worldwide by late 2019. In Mar. Egypt Face is launched in Egypt as the Egyptian version of Facebook. On Apr. 16 SpaceX launches the NASA Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) on its 230-ft. Falcon 9 rocket, which will examine 200K stars searching for rocky Earth-size planets. On Apr. 19 a U.S. FDA advisory panel unanimously recommends the approval of an epilepsy medication caled Epidiolex by GW Pharmaceutics of Britain made with an ingredient found in marijuana, becoming the first cannabis-derived prescription medicine in the U.S. On Apr. 19 Daniel Yamins and his student Alexander Kell of MIT pub. an article in Neuron describing the first deep neural network that can replicate human performance on auditory tasks incl. identifying a musical genre. On Apr. 22 34-y.-o. Simon Kindleysides of Britain becomes the first paraplegic to complete the London Marathon using the ReWalk exoskeleton from Israel. On May 5 NASA's InSight (Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport robot scientific explorer is launched to probe beneath the surface of Mars, landing on Elysium Planitia on Nov. 26 after a 300M mi. journey; it immediately lays a German flag beach towel on Mars' surface to claim it for Germany for donating equipment to test Mars' temp 5m below the surface :) On June 30 SpaceX launches a recycled Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral (12th successful flight this year) carrying the Dragon spacecraft and 6K lbs. of cargo to the ISS incl. the CIMON floating basketball-sized AI robot. On Aug. 12 (3:31 a.m. EDT) the NASA Parker Solar Probe launches, with the mission of flying within 4M mi. of the surface of the Sun, closest so far, carrying the FIELDS instruments to attempt to measure the corona and solar wind. On Aug. 21 Iran unveils its first domestically-produced fighter jet, the Kowsar, with Iranian pres. Hassan Rouhani sitting in the cockpit. On Aug. 22 the Atmospheric Dynamics Mission Aeolus (ADM Aeolus Earth observation satellite is launched by Airbus Defence and Space of the European Space Agency, becoming the first satellite capable of global wind-component-profile observation using laser doppler to improve weather forecasting, with a range from the surface of Earth into the stratosphere (30km). In Aug. aerospace engineers at the U. of Central Lancashire unveil the world's first graphene-skinned airplane called Juno, a 3.5m (11.5 ft.) unmanned plane. On Sept. 2 the Perlan 2 glider reaches a world record 76,100 ft. over the El Calafate region of S Argentina. On Sept. 9 NASA's ICESat-2 ice-monitoring satellite is launched on a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket, becoming its last flight after 155 successful and one unsuccessful mission since 1989. On Sept. 18 Facebook announces its new Rosetta hate speech detection AI system. On Oct. 11 weeks after its first successful combat sortie, the Pentagon grounds the $100 Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth figher jet after its first crash last month during a training flight in S.C. On Oct. 29 (00:43 GMT) the first joint French-Chinese satellite is launched in the NW Gobi Desert of China to study ocean surface winds and waves to better understand climate change and predict cyclones. In Nov. the 200 petaFLOP Summit (OLCF-4) at Oak Ridge Nat. Lab becomes the world's fastest computer (until June 2020), becoming the first to reach 1 exaFLOP (quintillion operations/sec.) and ramping up to 3.3 exaFLOPs. On Dec. 13 Edward Boyden et al. of MIT announce their invention of "implosion fabrication", a way to shrink objects to nanoscale sizes. On Dec. 17 Eduardo A. Groisman et al. of Yale U. pub. a study in Proceedings of the Nat. Academy of Sciences announcing that sugar can silence a key protein required for colonization by a gut bacterium associated with lean and healthy individuals. Am. billionaire engineer Dennis Anthony Tito (1940-) puts his Feb. 2013 plan to send two civilians to Mars by this year on hold for lack of funding from NASA. Lightweight solar sail craft leave the solar system? Russia sends its first manned space flight from it soil? Richard Branson's Virgin Group and Qualcomm launch the $1.5B-$2B OneWeb high-speed space-based Internet with 700 330 lb. satellites, with 200 kept on the ground for backup. Skynet betrays the humans who built it and takes control, starting a nuclear war and attempting to extinguish humanity - The Terminator movie series. Science: On Jan. 1 the journal Nature Climate Change pub. an article claiming that if the Paris Climate Change Accord is not honored and global temp rises by 2 deg. C by 2050, a large percentage of the Earth could become desert, and 25% of world pop. will live in perpetual drought. No hockey stick in Sweden? On Jan. 9 Swedish geologists Irina Polovodora Steman, Helena L. Filipsson, and Kjell Nordberg of the U. of Lund pub. the paper Tracing winter temperatures over the last two millennia using a NE Atlantic coastal record, describing a 2.5K-year winter temp record reconstructed using sediment cores from the Gullmar Fjord, concluding: "The most recent warming of the 20th century does not stand out, but appears to be comparable to both the Roman Warm Period and the MCA (Medieval Climate Anomaly)." On Jan. 26 Science mag. pub. an article reporting a Homo sapiens jaw has been unearthed in Misliya Cave on Mt. Carmel in Israel, dated 194K to 177K B.C.E., 60K years earlier than the fossils discovered in the Skhul and Qafzeh Caves in Israel, dated 120K to 90K B.C.E. On Feb. 17 independent researcher Aftab Alam Khan pub. the paper Why would sea-level rise for global warming and polar ice-melt?, disputing the U.N. IPCC's theory that global warming causes thermal expansion of the ocean, claiming that global warming and polar ice-melt do not contribute to sea level rise because melted ice occupies the same volume as the displaced water, and the floating sea ice around the polar region cools the oceans, preventing thermal expansion, plus melt water cannot move from the polar to the equatorial region because of the equatorial bulge and polar flattening; meanwhile the gravitational attraction of the Earth plays a dominant role in sea level rise, with the crust in the polar region rebounding elastically after the ice melts to achieve isostatic balancing through uplift, causing the sea level to drop. On Mar. 19 a team of physicists from Harvard U., MIT, and Lawrence Berkeley Nat. Lab pub. a paper announcing the production of kagome metal, with a Japanese basketweaving pattern that exhibits exotic electronic properties. On Mar. 21 an article is pub. in Nature Communications reporting that biologists at UCB have used CRISPR-Cas9 to give yeast cells the ability to make flavor components of hops, promising a large water savings in beer-making. In Mar. NASA'a Curiosity Rover discovers evidence of thiophenes, a type of organic material, causing speculation that they're the product of an ancient Martian bacteria. On Apr. 2 famous climate change denier S. Fred Singer pub. the article Does the Greenhouse Gas CO2 Cool the Climate? in American Thinker, which concludes: "A greenhouse gas produces cooling of the climate when its molecular transitions are in a region of positive lapse rate. One example is CO2 and the stratosphere, where temperature increases with altitude. Another example is temperature over the winter poles. While the climate cooling is not obvious, it counters [conventional] GH warming. This at-least-partial cancellation might explain the puzzling absence of CO2-based GH warming in the 20th century. It could also help explain the cause of the [hotly] contested climate 'pause'. Much further work awaits!" On Apr. 23 an article is pub. in Nature Chemistry describing the intercalatif motif (i-motif), with the structure of a twisted knot, becoming the first discovery of a non-double helix DNA component within living cells. On Apr. 27 Arjen Luijendijk et al. of the Netherlands pub. the paper The State of the World's Beaches, revealing that satellite data indicates the 48% of the world's sandy beaches are stable, 28% are accreting, and 24% are eroding at rates exceeding 0.5m/yr, incl. a majority of sandy shorelines in marine protected areas in Australia and Africa, which are the only continents with net erosion; over the last 30 years, the world's beaches have accreted an avg. of 0.33 m/yr, for a total gain of 3,663 sq. km. On May 24 Marshall Burke, W. Matthew Davis, and Noah S. Diffenbaugh pub. the article Large potential reduction in economic damages under UN mitigation targets in Nature, which claims that limiting global warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial temps would save more than $20T compared to 2C, while costing $300B more, giving a cost-benefit ratio of 70-1. On June 18 a federal judge in San Francisco, Calif. dismisses lawsuits trying to hold big oil cos. liable for global climate change, saying that the U.S. pres. and Congress are best suited to address the issue. On June 23 the 30th Anniv. of NASA Climate Scientist James Hansen's Congressional Testimony sees the establishment hailing him as a prophet despite getting virtually every prediction wrong?; or was he spot on, and the evil Koch brothers paid critics to misrepresent his three scenarios, only recognizing his first one, which assumes business as usual and no emissions cuts?; or was he just lucky? On June 27 Tim Schmidt of the U. of New South Wales et al. pub a study claiming that the space between stars is full of electromagnetic radiation and gloopy aliphatic carbons that can stick to spaceship windshields. On July 12 MIT scientists pub. an article in Science announcing that 9.5 years of observations of neutrinos by the IceCube detector in Antarctica has detected a blazar 3.7B l.y. away, confirming it as the source of cosmic rays, becoming the first use of a neutron detector to locate an object in space; on July 16 they pub. an article in Nature Physics announcing that there is no Lorentz violation in neutrinos. On July 25 an article is pub. in Science announcing the discovery of the first "stable body of liquid water" on Mars by the Mars Express spacecraft, a 12.-5 mi. underground lake below the S polar ice cap. On Aug. 6 Robert O'Malley et al. of Ore. State U. pub. an article in Scientific Reports revealing that a big earthquake can cause large new earthquakes on the opposite side of the Earth. On Aug. 14 a survey of 63K U.S. govt. scientists in 16 agencies is pub. by the Union of Concerned Scientists, with 35% of EPA employees and 47% of Nat. Parks Service employees claiming they have been asked to omit the phrase "climate change" from their work; 79% claim workforce reductions, with 87% claiming that the reductions make it harder to "fulfill their science-based missions". On Aug. 19 MIT physicists David Kaiser, Alan Guth et al. pub. an article in Physical Review Letters reporting correlations among 30K+ pairs of entagled photons from two distant quasars 7.8B and 12.2B y.o., helping confirm quantum entanglement. On Aug. 21 researchers at the U. of Kan. pub. an article that laziness might be a fruitful strategy for survival of individuals, studying the period from 5M B.C.E. to present and finding that higher metabolic rates predict extinction likelihood. On Aug. 22 scientists at Oxford U. pub. an article in Nature announcing the 2012 discovery of 13-y.-o. Denisova 11 in the Denisova Cave in the Altai Mts. of Siberia, whose DNA is half-Neanderthal and half-Denisovan, becoming the first direct evidence of interbreeding. On Aug. 22 the South China Morning Post pub. an article reporting that Changsheng Biotechnology has produced almost 500K substandard vaccine doses for children, doubling the initial estimate. On Aug. 22 scientists at Harvard Medical School pub. an article reporting the discovery that a protein calleed TCM1 forms a sound-and-motion-activated pore that converts sound and head movement into nerve signsl that travels to the brain, enabling hearing and balance. On Sept. 4 Arcadi Navarro et al. of Pompeu Fabra U. pub. a study in Molecular Biology Evolution that identified 25 parallel mutations in human genes that were strongly conserved millions of years ago and influence human lifespans. On Sept. 7 Yan Li, Eugenia Kalnay, Safa Motesharrei et al. pub. the article Climate model shows large-scale wind and solar farms in the Sahara increase rain and vegetation in Science, pushing the green technology as a cure to global warming. On Sept. 12 the Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering pub. the report Greenhouse gas removal could make the UK carbon neutral by 2050, but immediate action is required, describing an ambitious plan for the U.K. to lead the way in greenhouse gas removal (GGR) technologies to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, incl. planting a new forest the size of Nottingham Forest in order to increase forestation to 5%; meanwhile eight scientists from the U.S. and Europe pub. a paper in Nature Communications, complaining that the EU's proposed new renewable energy directive treats wood as a low-carbon fuel, which can lead to vast forest cutting to supply 5% of Europe's energy, which will likely result in a 5%-10% increase in emissions by 2050 despite the directive's mandate of a 5% decrease via solar and wind energy; the scientists claim that any CO2 released into the atmosphere stays there for decades to cents., which is moose hockey? On Sept. 24 Daniel Koll and Tim Cronin of MIT pub. an article in Proceedings of the Nat. Academy of Sciences claiming that it's not CO2 but H20 vapor that traps heat in the atmosphere, preventing it from escaping to space, but luckily it balances out so that there is a linear relationship between surface temperature and outgoing heat until about 80F (300K), when the balance breaks down, leading to a runaway effect when temps reach 152F (340K), speculating that Venus once had such thick water vapor in its atmosphere that it pumped up the greenhouse effect to the point that oceans evaporated, leading to their current high temps; of course they lamely bow to the CO2 warming crowd and claims that CO2 can warm the atmosphere on its own, increasing the amount of water vapor somehow, as if there is no precipitation. On Sept. 28 Italian U. of Pisa physicist Alessandro Strumia (1969-) gives a speech at First Workshop on High Energy Theory and Gender at CERN, claiming that thanks to women's lib men are now reverse-discriminated against in physics, going on to argue that women are genetically inferior when it comes to the ability to have productive careers in the sciences, pissing-off the you know who, causing 18 women physicists to denounce him. On Oct. 8 the 2018 Report of the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is pub. in South Korea, containing the soundbyte: "If emissions continue at their present rate, human-induced warming will exceed 1.5°C by around 2040", calling for global expenditures of $2.4T/year; its Summary for Policy Makers (SPM) is watered-down to minimize the dangers of climate change of only 1.5C? On Oct. 10 Stephen Hawking posth. pub. his final paper, claiming that info. can be stored in "soft hair" around a black hole, keeping it from being lost forever - he never got enough black poontang when he was young? On Oct. 11 a Soyuz rocket headed to the ISS suffers a catastrophic failure as the 2nd stage begins to separate from the 1st stage, causing NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksey Ovchinin to parachute back to Kazakhstan. Chalmers Inst. of Tech. in Sweden founds the leftist-socialist-globalist Center for the Study of Climate Change Denialism, financed by the Swedish Energy Agency and led by Martin Hultman, who utters the soundbyte: "Climate change is an existential question for all society. We have these insights, but we come into conflict with them. Therefore, it is important to understand the mechanisms behind different forms of climate change denial, and how this influences the debate and political decisions." In Oct. twin Chinese girls Lulu and Nana are born, becoming the world's first germline genetically-edited babies; after a worldwide outcry, Chinese scientist He Jiankui is sentenced in late Dec. 2019 to three years in prison and 3M yuan fine. On Nov. 5 the U.N.-backed report Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion: 2018 is pub., claiming recovery of 1%-3% since 2000, with the Northern Hemisphere and mid-lat. ozone scheduled to heal completely in the 2030s, the Southern Hemisphere in the 2050s, and polar regions by 2060. On Nov. 23 the Trump admin. (loaded with lurking Obama appointees?) releases the 1,656-page Fourth Nat. Climate Assessment, Vol. II: Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States by the 13-federal-agency U.S. Global Change Research Program (GCRP) (G-crap?) and a total of "1,000 people, including 300 leading scientists, roughly half from outside the government", an alarmist fantasy fest about dire CO2-choked futures that claims to be "an authoritative assessment of the science of climate change" in the U.S., sans policy recommendations, warning that climate change will disrupt the economies of every region in the U.S. and cost hundreds of billions of dollars yearly by 2050 and strip away 10% of U.S. economic growth by 2100, with the soundbytes: "Because several [greehouse gases], in particular carbon dioxide, reside in the atmosphere for decades or longer, many climate-influenced effects are projected to continue changing through 2050, even if GHG emissions were to stop immediately", and "While mitigation and adaptation efforts have expanded substantially in the last four years, they do not yet approach the scale considered necessary to avoid substantial damages to the economy, environment, and human health over the coming decades"; after being accused of trying to burying it by releasing it the day after Thanksgiving, the White House responds that the assessment is "largely based on the most extreme scenario, which contradicts long-established trends by assuming that, despite strong economic growth that would increase greenhouse gas emissions, there would be limited technology and innovation, and a rapidly expanding population", and that the next report in 2022 will "provide for a more transparent and data-driven process", which the authors deny; meanwhile Pres. Trump utters the soundbyte that he doesn't believe the report, causing John Avlon of CNN to reply "You can't spin your way out of science, folks"; the report catalogs 467 alleged climate scares, incl. a plague of voles, bed wetting, and mental illness?; it's got major problems?; the research is tied to rich Dem. donors Tom Steyer and Michael Bloomberg, as well as George Soros, with former Obama admin. official Andrew Light 1966-) (formerly of the Soros-funded Center for Am. Progress) serving as review ed. for the final chapter which promotes the 10% by 2100 figure, causing U. of Colo. prof. Roger Pielke Jr. to call the 10% figure (based on a projected 15F temp increase) "silly season", with the soundbytes: "Imagine if research funded by Exxon was the sole basis for claims", and "Shouldn't such an outlandish, outlier conclusion been caught in the review process"; the predictions for the U.S. Midwest are moose hockey?; on Nov. 25 report co-author, Canadian-Am. Texas Tech climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe gives an interview to CNN's Anderson Cooper 360, which is later cut in favor of Repub. Penn. politician (known for calling anthropogenic global warming "junk science") Richard John "Rick" Santorum (1958-), who gives the Trump line, with the soundbytes: "If we didn't have climate change, we would have a lot of scientists looking for work. To say that scientists have a consensus - the reality is that there's lots of disagreement out there about what is causing this"; on Nov. 29 Washington, D.C.-born conservative columnist John Calvin "Cal" Thomas (1942-) pub. the article A Political Report Masquerading as Science: The Truth About the New Climate Report in The Daily Signal. On Dec. 10 Jamie Nagle et al. of the U. of Colo. pub. an article in Nature Physics reporting the generation of droplets of quark gluon plasms at the Brookhaven Nat. Lab. collider, supposedly recreating the matter of the U. for the first few microsec. after the Big Bang. On Dec. 17 Max Rollwage, Raymond J. Dolan, and Stephen M. Fleming pub. the paper Megacognitive Failure as a Feature of Holding Radical Beliefs in Current Biology, revealing that people with radical beliefs they can't change have less metacognitive sensitivity, the ability to reflect on their cognitive processes. Development begins on the Pulsed All-Sky Near-Infrared Optical SETI (PANOSETI), two telescopes at Lick Observatory that are planned on growing to hundreds to scan the entire sky for alien laser signals. Art: John Peralta, Singer is Sewing Made Easy II (sculpture). Movies: Vikram Bhatt's 1921 (Jan. 12) (LoneRanger Productions) (Reliance Entertainment) stars Karan Kudra as Ayush, who takes care of the haunted Wadia Manor in York, and Zareen Khan as Rose, who has second sight and helps him investigate; does 22.74 crore rupees on a 15 crore rupees budget. Nicolai Fuglsig's 21 Strong: The Declassified True Story of the Horse Soldiers (Jan. 19) (Alcon Entertainment) (Warner Bros. Pictures), based on the book by Doug Stanton about U.S. Special Forces and CIA soldiers in Afghanstan right after 9/11 stars Chris Hemsworth as Capt. Mitch Nelson (inspired by Mark Nutsch), Michael Shannon as CWO Call Spencer, Michael Pena as SFC Sam Diller, and Navid Negahban as Afghan Alliance leader Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum. Alex Garland's Annihilation (Feb. 13) (Skydance Media) (Paramount Pictures), based on the 2014 novel by Jeff VanderMeer is a sci-fi horror film about eerie aliens called the Shimmer who crash underneath a lighthouse in Area X and create an environmental disaster zone with mutating landscapes and animals, starring Natalie Portman as Lena the Biologist, Jennifer Jason Leigh as the Psychologist, Gina Rodriguez as the Anthropologist Anya Thorenson, Tessa Thompson as the Surveyor, Tuva Novotny as the Linguist, and Oscar Isaac as Lena's husband; does $43.1M box office on a $55M budget. Gareth Evans' Apostle (Sept. 21) (XYZ Films) (Netflix) is about a remote Welsh island run by a mysterious cult, starring Dan Stevens as Thomas Richardson, Michael Sheen as Malcolm Howe, Lucy Boynton as his daughter Andrea Howe, Paul Higgins as Frank, Bill Milner as Frank's son Jeremy, Kristine Froset as Quinn's daughter Ffion, and Sharon Morgan as Her, the cult's goddess. James Wan's Aquaman (Nov. 26) (Warner Bros. Pictures) stars Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry AKA Aquaman, Amber Heard as his babe Mera, Willem Dafoe as his mentor Nuidis Vulko, Patrick Wilson as his half-brother Orm/Ocean Master, Dolph Lundgren as Nereus, Yahya Abdul-Mateen III as David Kane/Black Manta, and Nicole Kidman as Aquaman's mother Atlanna, Queen of Atlantis; does $488.2M box office on a $200M budget. Bradley Cooper's A Star Is Born (Aug. 31) (MGM) (Warner Bros.), a remake of the 1937 film, 1954 musical, and 1976 musical (Cooper's dir. debut) stars Cooper as Jackson "Jack" Maine, and Lady Gaga as Ally Campano Maine; features the hit song Shallow; does $436.2M box office on a $36M budget. Anthony Russo's and Joe Russo's Avengers: Infinity War (May 4) (Marvel Studios) (Walt Disney Studios), sequel to "The Avengers" (2012) and "Avengers: Age of Ultron" (2915) (Marvel Cinematic Universe film #19). Susanne Bier's Bird Box (Nov. 12) (Bluegrass Films) (Chris Morgan Productions) (Netflix), based on the 2014 Josh Malerman novel stars Sandra Bullock as Malorie Hayes, who must lead her children Boy and Girl (Julian Edwards and Vivian Lyra Blair) blindfolded through a forest and river while being chased by supernatural beings that take the appearance of their victims' worst fears, causing them to go insane and commit suicide; Malorie adopts some pet birds who can detect crazies and warn them; does ? box office on a $19.8M budget. Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman (May 14) (Blumhouse Productions) (Focus Features), based on the 2014 memoir by Ron Stallworth stars John David Washington as Det. Ron Stallworth, first black police oficer in Colo. Springs, Colo., who pretends to be white and joins the KKK; does $89.1M box office on a $15M budget. Ryan Coogler's Black Panther (Jan. 29) (Walt Disney Studios), #18 in the Marvel Cinematic Universe stars Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa, who gains super powers from vibranium to become the Black Panther, uniting four African tribes into the nation of Wakanda, which pretends to be a Third World Country to disguise their advanced technology; Angela Basset plays T'Challa's mother Ramonda; Andy Serkis plays South African bad guy Ulysses Klaue; does $419.6M box office on a $200M budget, starting with $242M in its 4-day opening weekend. Carlos Lopez Estrada's Blindspotting (Jan. 18) (Summit Entertainment) (Codeblack Films) (Lionsgate) stars Daveed Diggs as felon Collin Hoskins, who has three days left of probation, and witnesses a police shooting that threatens to ruin his lifelong friendship with Miles (Rafael Casal), leading to a moment of racial lucidity with white police officer Molina (Ethan Embry); does $4.8M box office; a favorite of Pres. Barack Obama. Bryan Singer's and Dexter Fletcher's Bohemian Rhapsody (Oct. 23) (20th Cent. Fox) (New Regency) (GK Films) stars Rami Malek as Queen frontman Freddie Mercury after Sacha Baron Cohen is fired; does $743.7M box office on a $55M budget. Clay Kaytis' The Christmas Chronicles (Nov. 22) (Netflix) (1492 Pictures) stars Kurt Russell as Santa Claus, who makes a true believer out of teenie boy Teddy Pierce (Judah Lewis). Jaume Collet-Serra's The Commuter (Jan. 8) (StudioCanal) (Lionsgate) stars Liam Neeson as insurance salesman Michael McCauley, who is offered $100K by a mysterious stranger to identify a hidden passenger on a train before the last stop; does $119.9M box office on a $40M budget. Jon M. Chu's Crazy Rich Asians ()Aug. 7) (Warner Bros. Pictures), based on the 2013 bestselling novel by Kevin Kwan stars Constance Wu as Chinese-Am. economics prof. Rachel Chu, who goes to Singapore with her boyfriend Nick Young (Henry Golding) for his best friend's wedding, discovering that her beau is from a very wealthy family with a dark past, and every woman desires his bod; first major Hollywood film since "The Joy Luck Club" (1993) with Asian-Americans in the leading roles; does $227.3M box office on a $30M budget. Peter Sullivan's Cucuy: The Boogeyman (Oct. 13), based on the Mexican legend stars Marisol Nichols, Brian Krause, and Jearnest Corchado. Eighth Grade (Jan. 19) (A24) (Sony Pictures) stars Elsie Fisher as an 8th grader in her last week of classes before graduating to h.s., producing video blogs to reduce her social anxiety; a favorite of Pres. Barack Obama; does $13.5M box office on a $2M budget. Karyn Kusama's Destroyer (Aug. 31) (30West) (Automatik Entertainment) (Annapurna Pictures) stars Nicole Kidman as Erin Bell, an undercover LAPD officer whose case is blown, making her take out the members of a gang years later; does ? box office on a $9M budget. Yorgos Lanthimos' The Favourite (Aug. 30) (Element Pictures) (Film4 Productions) (Fox Searchlight Pictures), set during the reign of British Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) co-stars Emma Stone as Abigail Hill and Rachel Weisz as Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, who vie for the queen's favor, sexual and otherwise; does $26.8M box office on a $15M budget. Damien Chazelle's First Man (Aug. 29) (Universal Pictures), based on the 2005 book "First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong" by James R. Hansen stars miscast whimpy Ryan Gosling as First Man on the Moon Neil Armstrong, Claire Foy as his wife Janet, Jason Clark as First American to Walk in Space Ed White, Kyle Chandler as Deke Slayton, and Corey Stoll as Buzz Aldrin; Clint Eastwood announced himself as dir. in 2003 before dropping out;/ does $105.7M box office on a $70M budget. Kevin Connolly's Gotti (May 15) (Emmett/Furla/Oasis Films), starring John Travolta as revolting mob boss John Gotti, and Kelly Preston as his wife Victoria is a box office flop, doing $1.7M box office on a $10M budget, receiving a 0% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes; "I'd rather wake up next to a severed horse head." (Johnny Oleksinski, The New York Post); "He showed the world who's boss." Dinesh D'Souza's Death of a Nation: Can We Save America a Second Time? (Aug. 3) compares Pres. Trump positively to Abraham Lincoln, and blasts the Dem. Party for championing slavery and giving ideas to the Nazis, pissing-off guess-who. Scott Mosier's and Yarrow Cheney's The Grinch (Oct. 22) (Universal Pictures), based on the 1957 Dr. Seuss children's book stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the voice of the Grinch, and Angela Lansbury as the voice of Mayor McGerkle; does $375.6M box office on a $75M budget. David Gordon Green's Halloween (Sept. 8) (Miramax) (Universal Pictures) (Miramax) (Blumhouse Productions), Halloween Series #11, a sequel to the 1978 film set 40 years later features Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) facing Michael Myers (Nick Castle) in a final confrontation; does $91.8M box office on a $15M budget. Ari Aster's Hereditary (Jan. 21) (A24) (PalmStar Media), about the demon Paimon haunting a family consisting of Steve and Annie Graham (Gabriel Byrne and Toni Collette) and their teenie children Peter (Alex Wolff) and Charlie (Milly Shapiro); does $79.3M box office on a $10M budget. Donovan Marsh's Hunter Killer (Oct. 26) (Original Film) (Millennium Films) (Summit Entertainment), based on the 2012 novel "Firing Point" by Don Keith and George Wallace stars Gerard Butler as Cmdr. Joe Glass of the the submarine USS Ottawa, who must transport a group of U.S. Navy SEALS to rescue the kidnapped Russian pres.; also stars Gary Oldman as Adm. Charles Donnegan, Common as Rear Adm. John Fisk, Michael Nyqvist as Russian sub capt. Sergei Andropov, Caroline Goodall as U.S. Pres. Dover, and Zane Holtz as U.S. Navy SEAL Martinelli. The Erwin Brothers' I Can Only Imagine (Mar. 16) (Mission Pictures Internat.) (Lionsgate) (Roadside Attractions) is about the best-selling Christian single of all time (until ?), starring J. Michael Finley as MercyMe lead singer Bart Millard, Dennis Quad as his father Arthur Millard, Cloris Leachman as his grandmother Meemaw, and Trace Adkins as MercyMe mgr. Scott Brickell; does $85.4M worldwide box office on a $7M budget. Barry Jenkins' If Beale Street Could Talk (Sept. 9) (Plan B Entertainment) (Annapurna Pictures), based on the 1974 James Baldwin novel sees black man Alonzo "Fonny" Hunt (Stephan James) falsely accused of rape while his wife Clementine "Tish" Rivers (KiKi Layne) seeks to clear his name before their child is born; Regina King plays Tish's mother Sharon Rivers; a favorite of Pres. Barack Obama; does $1M box office on a $12M budget. Wes Anderson's Isle of Dogs (Mar. 23) (Fox Searchlight Pictures) is a stop-action animated film starring the voices of Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, and Bob Balaban. J.A. Bayona's Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (June 22) (Universal Pictures), Jurassic Park #5, filmed in Hawaii and England stars Chris Pratt as dino trainer Owen Grady, Bryce Dallas Howard as former park mgr. Claire Dearing, and B.D. Wong as Dr. Henry Wu. Wes Ball's Maze Runner: The Death Cure (Jan. 26) (Gotham Group) (20th Cent. Fox), based on the James Dashner book stars Dylan O'Brien as Gladers leader Thomas, who break into the WCKD-controlled Last City and finds that it's the deadliest maze of all. Bing Liu's Minding the Gap (Jna. 21) (ITVS) (Kartemquin Films) (Hulu) (Magnolia Pictures) is a documentary film about three young men in Rockford Ill. who love skateboarding; Liu's dir. debut; a favorite of Pres. Barack Obama. Christopher McQuarrie's Mission: Impossible 6: Fallout (July 12) (Skydance Media) (Alibaba Pictures) (Bad Robot Productions) (Paramount Pictures) (first in 3D) stars Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt, Michelle Monaghan as Julia Meade-Hunt, Rebecca Ferguson as Ilsa Faust, Ving Rhames as Luther Stickel, Simon Pegg as Benjamin "Benji" Dunn,Angela Bassett as CIA dir. Erika Sloane, and Alec Baldwin as former CIA dir. Alan Hunley; good name since Cruise mainly falls out of high places, turning into a virtual comic book superhero by the end?; does $791M box office on a $178M budget. Christian Rivers' Mortal Engines (Nov. 27), based on the 2001 Philip Reeve novel, about a world controlled by Municipal Darwinism after the Sixty-Minute War, where Traction Cities on wheels hunt and eat smaller cities, starring Stephen Lang, last undead Stalker soldier, who raises fugitive assassin Hester Dhaw (Hera Hilmar), who is out to get Guild of Historians head Thaddeus Valentine (Hugo Weaving); does ? box office on a $100M budget. Corin Hardy's The Nun (Sept. 4) (New Line Cinema) (Warner Bros. Pictures), a spinoff of "The Conjuring 2" (2016) (Conjuring Franchise #5), based on a story by Gary Dauberman and James Wan set in Carta Abbey in 1952 Romania stars Taissa Farmiga as Sister Irene, Demian Bichir as Father Burke, and Bonnie Aarons as Valak the Nun, a demon who possesses them; does $359.8M box office on a $22M budget. Julius Avery's Overlord (Sept. 22) (Paramount Pictures) (Bad Robot Productions) is about Yankee paratroopers on D-Day caught behind enemy lines in Normandy, encountering a haunted Nazi-filled fort. Steven S. DeKnight's Pacific Rim: Uprising (Mar. 23) (Universal Pictures), sequel to the 2013 film stars John Boyega, Scott Eastwood, and Rinko Kikuchi. Diederik Van Rooijen's The Possession of Hannah Grace (Nov. 30) (Cadaver) (Screen Gems) (Sony Pictures Releasing), a ripoff of "The Exorcist" stars Kirby Johnson as possessed resurrected Hannah Grace, who is encountered in a morgue by former policeman Megan Reed (Shay Mitchell); Stana Katic plays Megan's nurse friend Lisa Roberts, and Grey Damon plays Megan's ex-boyfriend Andrew Kurtz; does $36.6M box office on a $9.5M budget. Shane Black's The Predator (Aug. 3) (20th Cent. Fox), #4 in the Predator film series stars Boyd Holbrook (after James Franco and Benicio del Toro turn itd down) as Special Forces commando Quinn McKenna. John Krasinski's A Quiet Place (Mar. 9) (Paramount Pictures), set in Apocalyptic 2020 Earth stars Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe, and Cade Woodward as the Abbott family (Lee, Evelyn, Regan, Marcus, and Beau), who run from sightless ETs with super-hearing, forcing them to use Am. Sign Language; does $334.5M box office on a $21M budget. Francis Lawrence's Red Sparrow (Feb. 15) (20th Cent. Fox), based on the 2013 novel by Jason Matthews stars Jennifer Lawrence as Russian spy Dominika Egorova AKA DIVA, who falls for CIA officer Nathaniel "Nate" Nash (Joel Edgerton) and becomes a double agent; no chemistry?; after its release JenLaw announces that she's taking the next year off to work for Represent.Us to help young people get involved in politics and fight corruption to "fix our democracy". Jeffrey Nachmanoff's Replicas (Nov. 24) (Di Bonaventura Pictures) (Entertainment Studios) stars Keanu Reeves as neuroscientist William Foster, who loses his family in a car accident and violates the law to bring them back to life. Alfonso Cuaron's Roma (Participant Media) (Esperanto Filmoj) (Netflix) stars Yalitza Aparicio as Cleodegaria "Cleo" Gutierrez, a maid in the Colonia Roma neighborhood of Mexico City; a favorite of Pres. Barack Obama; does $1.9M box office on a $15M budget; Bruce Macdonald's Samson (Feb. 16), based on the Biblical story stars Taylor James. Sylvain White's Slender Man (Aug. 10) (Screen Gems) (Sony Pictures), filmed in Ayer, Mass. is about friends Wren (Joey King), Hallie (Julia Goldani Telles), Chloe (Jaz Sinclair), and Katie (Annalise Basso), who summon the Slender Man (Javier Botet); does $50.4M box office on a $10M budget. Hirokazu Kore-eda's Shoplifters (May 13) (Aoi-Pro Inc.) (GAGA Pictures) is about a group of poor people in Tokyo who love to shoplift; does $55.2M box office; a favorite of Pres. Barack Obama. Bob Persichetti's, Peter Ramsey's, and Rodney Rothman's computer animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Dec. 1) (Columbia Pictures) (Sony Pictures), based on the Marvel Comics char. stars Shameik Moore as the voice of Miles Morales AKA Spider-Man, who is a half Puerto Rican half African-American kid from Brooklyn; does $275.4M box office on a $90M budget. Bradley Cooper's A Star Is Born (Aug. 31) (Warner Bros.) (MGM) stars Cooper (dir. debut) as alcoholic country musician Jackson "Jack" Maine, who mentors nightclub singer Ally Campana (Lady Gaga); the 4th remake of the original 1937 film (1954, 1976, 2013); does $390.1M box office on a $40M budget. Adam McKay's Vice (Dec. 25) (Plan B Entertainment) (Gary Sanchez Productions) (Annapurna Pictures) is a cartoonish leftist hate-fest starring Christian Bale (who gained 40 lbs. for the role) as Dick Cheney, Amy Adams as Lynne Cheney, Steve Carell as Donald Rumsfeld, and Sam Rockwell as George W. Bush; "An awesome Christmas gift to Dick Cheney haters everywhere" (McKay); McKay gives an interview to Eliza Berman of Time mag., containing the soundbyte: "What intrigued me was that he wasn't a sociopathic monster in the beginning... Yet somehow that ambition, that American Dream, became something much darker"; does $30M box office on a $60M budget. Robert Zemeckis' Welcome to Marwen (Dec. 21) (Universal Pictures), inspired by Jeff Malberg's 20120 documentary "Marwencol" stars Stee Carell as PTSD sufferer Mark Hogancamp, who is assaulted so brutally he gets amnesia, and creates a fictional village for therapy; Merritt Wever plays hobby shop worker Roberta; Diane Kruger plays Deja Thoris the Belgan Witch; Falk Hentschel plays Deja's hencman Hauptsturmfuhrer Ludwig Topf; too bad, it bombs, doing $3M box office on a $50M budget plus $60M for promotion. Yann Demange's White Boy Rick (Aug. 31) (Columbia Pictures) (Sony Pictures) based on a true story stars Richie Merritt as 14-y.-o. 1980s Detroit teenie Rick Wershe Jr., who became the youngest FBI informant to date before ending up sentenced to life in prison for drug dealing; Matthew McConaughey plays his father Richard Wershe Sr.; does $24.1M box office on a $29M budget. Michael Spierig's and Peter Spierig's Winchester: The House that Ghosts Built (Feb. 2) (Lionsgate) (CBS Films) stars Helen Mirren as Sarah Winchester, widow of gunmaker William Wirth Winchester, who uses her inheritance to begin endless improvements to her mansion in San Jose, Calif. to atone for those killed by Winchester firearms, sealing rooms spiritually with 13 nails, causing it to be named the Winchester Mystery house, causing the Winchester Co. to hire Dr. Eric Price (Jason Clarke) to assess her mentally, only to encounter ghosts after the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake demolishes the house; does $41.3M box office on a $3.5M budget. Ava DuVernay's A Wrinkle in Time (Feb. 27) (Walt Disney Pictures), based on the 1962 Madeleine L'Engle novel stars Storm Reid as Meg Murry, who goes on quest for her astrophysicist father Alex (Chris Pine) deep in the Universe, accompanied by her genius younger brother Charles Wallace Murry (Deric McCabe), fellow student Calvin O'Keee (Levi Miller), Mrs. Which (Oprah Winfrey), Mrs. Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon), and Mrs. Who (Mindy Kaling); does ? box office on a $103M budget (making DuVernay the first African-Am. omen to direct a live-action film with a $100M budget). Art: On Feb. 12 Amy Sherald (1973-) debuts her painting Official Portrait of First Lady Michelle Obama at the Smithsonian Inst.; dress designed by Milly; anti-Obama activists circulate Judith and Holofernes (2012) by Kehinde Wiley, depicting a black woman holding a white woman's head, palming it off as Sherald's; at the same time Kehinde Wiley (1977-) debuts his painting Official Portrait of Pres. Barack Obama; they become the first official portraits of a U.S. pres. by African-Am. artists. In Aug. Unmoored debuts in Times Square in New York City, a "mixed reality experience" which "imagines a future in which New York is underwater, as projected by climate scientists." Music: Dierks Bentley (1975-), The Mountain (album #9) (June 8); incl. Woman, Amen (#67 in the U.S.) (#3 country). Florida Georgia Line, Rearview Town (album #8) (Apr. 13) (#1 in the U.S.) (#1 country); incl. You Make It Easy (featuring Jason Aldean) (#28 in the U.S.) (#1 country); Simple (June 1) (#5 country). Marshmello (1992-), Happier (w/Bastille) (Aug. 16). Paul McCartney (1942-), Egypt Station (album #18) (Sept. 7) (#1 in the U.S.); first since 2005's "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard"; cover is his painting "Egypt Station"; incl. Dominoes, Hand in Hand, Hunt You Down/Naked/C-Link, Despite Repeating Warnings, slamming climate deniers esp. Pres. Trump. David Lee Murphy (1959-), Album #5 (Apr. 6, 2018) No Zip Code (album #5) (Apr. 6) (#35 country); co-produced by Kenny Chesney and Buddy Cannon; incl. Everything's Gonna Be Alright (#95 in the U.S.) (#10 country). Sugarland, Bigger (album #6) (June 8) (Big Machine); first album since 2010; incl. Babe (w/Taylor Swift) (#72 in the U.S.) (#8 country), Still the Same (#35 country). Morgan Wallen (1993-), If I Know Me (album) (debut) (#51 in the U.S.) (#4 country); incl. Whiskey Glasses (July 30) (#1 country) (#25 in the U.S.); written by Ben Burgess and Kevin Kadish. Novels: Tomi Adeyemi, Children of Blood and Bone (Legacy of Orisha) (Mar. 6) (first novel); NYT bestseller. Melissa Albert, The Hazel Wood: A Novel (Jan. 30); NYT bestseller; a reclusive author of dark fairy tales dies, and her 17-y.-o. roadie granddaughter Alice moves in. Chloe Benjamin (1990-), The Immortalists (Jan. 9); NYT bestseller about four teenie siblings who get a fortuneteller to reveal their death dates. Holly Black, The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air) (Jan. 2); Jude. Dhonielle Clayton, The Belles (Feb. 6); Camellia Beauregard of opulent Orleans. A.J. Finn, The Woman in the Window: A Novel (Jan. 2); New York City recluse Anna Fox spies into the Russell house and sees something she shouldn't. Denis Johnson, The Largesse of the Sea Maiden: Stories (short stories) (Jan. 16). Tayari Jones, An American Marriage: A Novel (Feb. 6); a black couple in Atlanta get blacktopped by the corrupt criminal justice system. Mira T. Lee, Everything Here Is Beautiful (Jan. 16) (first novel); sisters Miranda and Lucia. C.J. Tudor, The Chalk Man: A Novel (Jan. 9); "None of us ever agreed on the exact beginning. Was it when the chalk men appeared? Or when they found the first body?" Plays: On Mar. 1, 2018 after a small run in 2014 catches the eye of Australian climate change skeptic Andrew Bolt, giving it free publicity, David Finnigan debuts his play Kill Climate Deniers at the Griffin Theatre in Sydney (ends Apr. 7); "As a classic rock band take the stage in Parliament House's main hall, 96 armed eco-terrorists storm the building and take the entire government hostage, threatening to execute everyone unless Australia ends global warming." Poetry: Louise Gluck (1943-) and Max Ritvo (1990-2016), The Final Voicemails: Poems (Sept. 11). Juan Felipe Herrera (1948-), Jabberwalking (Mar. 13). Philip Levine (1928-2015), The Last Shift: Poems (Apr. 3). Alice Walker (1944-), Taking the Arrow Out of the Heart (Oct. 2). David Whyte (1955-), The Bell and the Blackbird (Apr. 19). Nonfiction: Ryan T. Anderson, When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment (Feb. 20); claims that the push to give sex-change operations is driven by ideology rather than sound medical advice, and that sex reassignment therapy doesn't work; banned by Amazon.com in Feb. 2021. Joe Bastardi (1955-), The Climate Chronicles: Inconvenient Revelations You Won't Hear From Al Gore - And Others (Jan. 2); weather expert debunks climate alarmists, claiming that global temps were warmer in the 1930s than today, and that the human contribution to atmospheric CO2 is too small to have an effect on global warming, which is caused by sunspots and warmer oceans; since 2011 global temps have been falling, and by 2030 will return to 1970s levels due to the "triple crown of cooling" incl. oceanic temperature cycles, solar radiation cycles, and vocanic activity; "In the entire geological history of the planet, there has been no known linkage between CO2 and temperatures"; "CO2 cannot cause global warming. I'll tell you why. It doesn't mix well with the atmosphere, for one. For two, its specific gravity is 1 1/2 times that of the rest of the atmosphere. It heats and cools much quicker. Its radiative processes are much different. So it cannot - it literally cannot cause global warming"; "A colder planet would lead to untold misery given the current policies geared toward the opposite." Sven Beckert, Empire of Cotton: A Global History; claims that modern U.S. capitalism is descended from slave plantations. Keisha N. Blain, Set the World on Fire: Black Nationalist Women and the Global Struggle for Freedom. Dan Bongino, D.C. McAllister, and Matt Palumbo, Spygate: The Attempted Sabotage of Donald J. Trump (Oct. 9). Nina Brochmann, The Wonder Down Under: The Insider's Guide to the Anatomy, Biology, and Reality of the Vagina (Mar. 6). Kate Andersen Brower, First in Line: Presidents, Vice Presidents and the Pursuit of Power (June 5); A Family Conspiracy: Honor Killing. Tucker Carlson (1969-), Ship of Fools: How a Selfish Ruling Class Is Bringing America to the Brink of Revolution (Oct. 2) (NYT #1 bestseller); explains "Trump Appeal", and how the left is destroying itself over him. John Carreyrou, Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup (May 21); the story of Theranos and its founder Elizabeth Holmes; a favorite of Bill Gates. Jason Chaffetz (1967-), The Deep State: How an Army of Bureaucrats Protected Barack Obama and Is Working to Destroy the Trump Agenda (Sept. 18). Phyllis Chesler (1940-), A Family Conspiracy: Honor Killing (Apr. 24); A Politically Incorrect Feminist: Creating a Movement with Bitches, Lunatics, Dykes, Prodigies, Warriors, and Wonder Women (Aug. 28). Marcantonio Colonna, The Dictator Pope: The Inside Story of the Francis Papacy (Apr. 23); Pope Francis has been creating a climate of fear in the Vatican? James Comey (1960-), A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership (Apr. 17). Ann Coulter (1961-), Resistance Is Futile!: How the Trump-Hating Left Lost Its Collective Mind (Aug. 21); how Pres. Trump's election victory made leftists go nuts and turn the the tactics they used to accuse Repubs. of, also exposing social class hate (big city people on coasts vs. working class people in the heartland); "For Democracy to Live, We Must Kill the Media". Rupert Darwall, Green Tyranny: Exposing the Totalitarian Roots of the Climate Industrial Complex; the Nazi Blood and Soil movement and support of wind power in the 1930s morphed into the Green Party? Warren Dockter and Richard Troye, Who Commanded History? Sir John Colville, Churchillian Networks, and the "Castlerosse Affair" (Mar. 2); Winston's Churchill's secy. John Colville, founder of the Churchill Archives Centre in Cambridge leaves a tape claiming had an affair with Doris, Lady Castleross (-1942). Daniel J. Flynn, Cult City: Jim Jones, Harvey Milk, and 10 Days That Shook San Francisco (Oct. 8). Charles D. Freilich, Israeli National Security: A New Strategy for an Era of Change (Apr. 5); why Israel does not have a formal nat. security strategy. Newt Gingrich (1943-), Trump's America: The Truth about Our Nation's Great Comeback (June 5); by the man who helped Pres. Reagan make America great again in 1980. Jamie Glazov (1966-), Jihadist Psychopath: How He Is Charming, Seducing, and Devouring Us (Dec. 18). Eliza Griswold, Amity and Prosperity: One Family and the Fracturing of America (June 12) (Pulitzer Prize). Yuval Noah Harari (1976-), 21 Lessons for the 21st Century (Sept. 4) (NYT #1 bestseller); a favorite of Bill Gates; "Are we still capable of understanding the world we have created?" Gen. Michael Vincent Hayden (1945-), The Assault on Intelligence: American National Security in an Age of Lies. Raymond Ibrahim 1973-), Sword and Scimitar: Fourteen Centuries of War between Islam and the West (Aug. 28). Gregg Jarrett (1955-), The Russia Hoax: The Illicit Scheme to Clear Hillary Clinton and Frame Donald Trump (July 24). Martha S. Jones, Birthright Citizens: A History of Race and Rights in Antebellum America; despite the Dred Scott decision, blacks had some rights as citizens, and the 14th Amendment constitutionalized the citizen birthright principle? Dan Kovalik, The Plot to Control the World: How the US Spent Billions to Change the Outcome of Elections Around the World (Nov. 6). Philip Levine (1928-2015), My Lost Poets: A Life in Poetry (Apr. 3). Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, How Democracies Die (Jan. 16); anti-Trump Harvard profs. fret over a gradual slide into authoritarianism. Eric Lichtblau, The Nazis Next Door: How America Became a Safe Haven for Hitler's Men (Oct. 28); how they recruited and harbored former Nazis to use against the Russians, incl. a possible invasion of the Soviet Union, and covered it up into the 1990s. Clare M. Lopez, Harold Rhode, Christopher C. Hull, Daniel Pipes, David P. Goldman, Burak Bekdil, Uzay Bulut, and Deborah Weiss, Ally No More: Erdogan's New Turkish Caliphate and the Rising Jihadist Threat to the West (essays) (Apr. 15). Trevor Loudon, Burn This Book: What Keith Ellison Doesn't Want You to Know: A Radical Marxist-Islamist, His Associations and Agenda (Sept. 10); Ellison's July 17, 2018 demand that Amazon CEO Jeffrey Bezos censor all of the co.'s products, calling for them to be destroyed. Omarosa Manigault Newman (1974-), Unhinged: An Insider's Account of the Trump White House (Aug. 14); calls Pres. Trump a racist who likes to use the N word, calling him "in decline" mentally, causing White House press secy. Sarah Sanders to call it "false attacks", telling her to stop "trying to profit" and pointing out her own statements that Trump isn't a racist - she's trying to turn loyalty into royalties? Chris Miller, Putinomics: Power and Money in Resurgent Russia. Dick Morris and Eileen McGann, 50 Shades of Politics. Michelle Obama (1964-), Becoming (autobo.) (Nov. 13); part of a $65M book deal for his-her memoirs, causing the Obamas to be called a "billion dollar brand". Jordan Peterson (1962-), 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos (Jan. 16); Amazon bestseller. David Pietrusza (1949-), TR's Last War: Theodore Roosevelt, the Great War, and a Journey of Triumph and Tragedy (Sept. 1). Steven Pinker (1954-), Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress (Feb. 13); despite appearances that the world is coming apart, people are living longer, healthier, freer, happier lives; "My new favorite book of all time." (Bill Gates) Jeanine Pirro (1951-), Liars, Leakers, and Liberals: The Case Against the Anti-Trump Conspiracy (July 17). William R. Polk, Crusade and Jihad: The Thousand-Year War between the Muslim World and the Global North (Jan.). Rick Richman, Racing Against History: The 1940 Campaign for a Jewish Army to Fight Hitler. Hans Rosling (1948-2017), Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World – and Why Things Are Better Than You Think (Apr. 3) (posth.); internat. bestseller; test subjects reveal that they think the world is poorer, less healthy, and more dangerous than it is, making a fan of billionaire Bill Gates. Fr. James V. Schall, On Islam (essays). Paul Scharre, Army of None: Autonomous Weapons and the Future of War (Apr. 24); an examination of all their little problems like being hacked by the enemy; a favorite of Bill Gates. Peter Schweizer (1964-), Secret Empires: How the American Political Class Hides Corruption and Enriches Family and Friends (Mar. 20). Nicolai Sennels, Holy Wrath: Among Criminal Muslims (Feb. 18); concludes that hardcore Muslims can't be absorbed by any Western society. Amy Siskind (1965-), The List: A Week-by-Week Reckoning of Trump's First Year (Mar. 27); her daily freak-outs at Trump's Twitter rants, speeches, etc., which she claims are authoritarian and a threat to marginalized communities esp. women. Luiz Sergio Solimeo, Islam and the Suicide of the West: The Origin, Doctrine, and Goals of Islam; attempts to wake up the Catholic Church about the true danger of resurgent Islam and its lies about being no threat to everything the West stands for; "Koran and Islamic traditions vilify and blaspheme Our Lord Jesus Christ the Word Incarnate and our Redeemer. There is nothing in common between what our Faith teaches us about Him and His grotesque and sacrilegious caricature as presented by Islam"; "Will the West follow the example of the Prodigal Son and choose to return to the Father's House, to a Christian civilization inspired by the “philosophy of the Gospel,” or will it submit to an Islamic totalitarianism that highly resembles communist ideology?" Robert Spencer (1962-), The History of Jihad from Muhammad to ISIS; "There has always been, with virtually no interruption, jihad." Sean Spicer (1971-), The Briefing: Politics, The Press, and The President (July 23). Jack Tanner, The Science Conspiracy: How Autistics Took Over the World (Dec. 7); "Science is a shallow, banal subject mired in materialism, atheism, skepticism and nihilism. It is a ferociously anti-life ideology. Lifeless matter is, after all, the essence of non-life"; "The central thesis of this book is that science is a worldview born from autism, from people who struggle with communication, empathy, free will, consciousness and all things mental. Scientists prefer to see themselves as machines or as products of random chance. Their lack of a strong psyche translates into an affinity for matter, the opposite of mind. They feel at home with theories that exclude mind, that require no mental components whatsoever. That's because they themselves are enormously deficient in mind." Stephan Templ, Austria's Living Ghost (Jan. 27); claims that Austria's system for restoring property looted from Jews by the Nazis is run by former Nazis. Craig Unger, House of Trump, House of Putin: The Untold Story of Donald Trump and the Russian Mafia (Aug. 14); claims that Pres. Trump is Russia's asset in the White House, having been bought way back in the late 1980s by the Russian mafia, who used him for money laundering via his real estate empire, causing him to seek a govt. position with placement in Moscow in 1986, and take a call from Senate minority leader Bob Dole in 1987, meaning he had political aspirations. Tara Westover, Educated: A Memoir (Feb. 20); her Idaho survivalist religious fanatic father keeps her out of school until age 17, which doesn't stop her from earning a doctorate at Cambridge U.; a favorite of Barack Obama and Bill Gates. Michael Wolff (1953-), Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House (Jan. 5) (bestseller); disses Pres. Trump as a candidate unprepared to win the White House, whose aids question his fitness for office; he really didn't want to win, only emerge with new branding opportunities?; Pres. Trump calls it a "phony book... Full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that don't exist"; in an interview, former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon calls a 2016 Trump Tower meeting between Donald Trump Jr. et al. and a Russian operative "treasonous", causing Pres. Trump to reply: "Steve Bannon has nothing to do with me or my Presidency. When he was fired, he not only lost his job, he lost his mind", calling him "Sloppy Steve", after which Bannon apologizes, calling Trump Jr. a patriot and clarifying that his anger was directed at Paul Manafort and this support for Trump is "unwavering". Shoshana Zuboff (1951-), The Age of Surveillance Capitalism; [Surveillance Capitalism] "unilaterally claims human experience as free raw material for translation into behavioural data [which] are declared as a proprietary behavioural surplus, fed into advanced manufacturing processes known as 'machine intelligence', and fabricated into prediction products that anticipate what you will do now, soon, and later; these new capitalist products "are traded in a new kind of marketplace that I call behavioural futures markets"; a favorite of Pres. Obama. Births: Deaths: Canadian physician Jacques Genest (b. 1919) on Jan. 5. Irish "The Cranberries" singer Dolores O'Riordan (b. 1971) on Jan. 15 in London, England. Am. actor Bradford Dillman (b. 1930) on Jan. 16 in Santa Barbara, Calif. (OD from pneumonia). Am. The Weather Channel co-founder John Coleman (b. 1934) on Jan. 20 in Las Vegas, Nev. Am. "Earthsea" novelist Ursula K. Le Guin (b. 1929) on Jan. 22 in Portland, Ore. Swedish IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad (b. 1926) on Jan. 27 in Smaland. Am. singer Vic Damone (b. 1928) on Feb. 11 in Miami Beach, Fla.; "The best set of pipes in the business." (Frank Sinatra). Pakistani human rights activist-atty. Asma Jahangir (b. 1952) on Feb. 11 in Lahore. Reverse sex discrimination? Danish prince (since Feb. 14, 1972) Henrik (b. 1934) on Feb. 13 in Fredensborg Palace (respiratory illness); retired from royal duties on Jan. 1, 2016; diagnosed with dementia on Sept. 6, 2017; has his remains cremated instead of buried next to the queen in protest to being made the first male prince consort to a female Danish monarch and have to beg her for his allowance, breaking a tradition dating back to 1559; he is cremated on Feb. 20, and half of his ashes were scattered across Danish seas, and the other half placed in the gardens of Fredensborg Palace. Am. historian Lerone Bennett Jr. (b. 1928) on Feb. 14 in Chicago, Ill. (vascular dementia): "Image Sees, Image Feels, Image Acts." Dutch PM (1982-94) Ruud Lubbers (b. 1939) on Feb. 14 in Rotterdam. Zimbabwean PM (2009-13) Morgan Tsvangirai (b. 1952) on Feb. 14 in Johannesburg, South Africa (colorectal cancer). German-Am. molecular biology poioneer Gunter Blobel (b. 1936) on Feb. 18 in Manhattan, N.Y. (cancer). Am. Christian evangelist Billy Graham (b. 1918) on Feb. 21 in Montreat, N.C.: "A child who is allowed to be disrespectful to his parents will not have true respect for anyone." English #1 physicist Stephen Hawking (b. 1942) on Mar. 4 in Cambridge: "The boundary condition of the universe... is that it has no boundary." Am. glaciologist Terry Hughes (b. 1938) on Mar. 10 in Pierre, S.D. Am. New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson (b. 1927) on Mar. 15 in Jefferson, La.; worth $2.8B. South African leader Winnie Mandela (b. 1936) on Apr. 2 in Johannesburg: "With our boxes of matches and our necklaces we shall liberate this country" (Apr. 13, 1985). German physicist Peter Gruenberg (b. 1939) on Apr. 7 in Julich; 2007 Nobel Physics Prize. Am. broadcaster Art Bell (b. 1945) on Apr. 13 in Pahrump, Nev. (pneumonia). Am. gay rights and environmental activist atty. David Stroh Buckel (b. 1957) on Apr. 14 in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, N.Y.; self-immolated to protest the use of fossil fuels; leaves a suicide note reading: "Most humans on the planet now breathe air made unhealthy by fossil fuels, and many die early deaths as a result - my early death by fossil fuel reflects what we are doing to ourselves." Am. Repub. First Lady #41 (1989-93) Barbara Bush (b. 1925) on Apr. 17 in Houston, Tex. (COPD). Italian-born Am. prof. wrestler Bruno Sammartino (b. 1935) on Apr. 18 in Pittsburgh, Penn. (heart failure). Am. microbiologist-geneticist Allan M. Campbell (b. 1929) on Apr. 19. Swedish "Wake Me Up" musician Avicii (b. 1989) on Apr. 20 in Muscat, Oman (pancreatitis). Am. prof. wrestler Big Bully Busick (b. 1954) on May 8 in Weirton, W. Va. (esophageal cancer and brain cancer). Canadian-Am. "Lois Lane in Superman" actress Margot Kidder (b. 1948) on May 13 in Livingston, Mont. Am. "The Bonfire of the Vanities", "The Right Stuff" writer-journalist Tom Wolfe (b. 1930) on May 14 in New York City (infection). Am. historian Richard Pipes (b. 1923) on May 17 in Boston, Mass. British-Am. historian Bernard Lewis (b. 1916) on May 19 in Vorhees Township, N.J. Am. "Portnoy's Complaint" novelist Philip Roth (b. 1933) on May 22 in Manhattan, N.Y. (congestive heart faiure). Am. fashion designer Kate Spade (b. 1962) on June 5 in New York City (suicide by hanging). Am. hall-of-fame baseball mgr. Red Schoendienst (b. 1923) on June 6 in Town and Country, Mo. Am. "Parts Unknown" TV chef Anthony Bourdain (b. 1956) on June 8 in Strasbourg, France (suicide). English-born Kiwi chemist Vincent Richard Gray (b. 1922) on June 14 in Petone, Wellington. Am. prof. wrestler Paul Jones (b. 1942) on Apr. 18 near Atlanta, Ga. Austrian-born Canadian engineer Josef Kates (b. 1921) on June 16 in Toronto. Am. prof. wrestler Big Van Vader (b. 1955) on June 18 in Denver, Colo. (heart failure). Am. rapper XXXTentacion (b. 1998) on June 18 in Deerfield, Beach (murdered during a robbery for his Louis Vuitton bag containing $50K in cash). Am. conservative commentator Charles Krauthammer (b. 1950) on June 21 (cancer). Am. prof. wrestler Matt Cappotelli (b. 1979) on June 29 in Louisville, Ky. (brain cancer). Japanese world's oldest person Chiyo Miyako (b. 1901) (117 years, 81 days) on July 2 in Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa. Am. "None Dare Call It Treason" writer John A. Stormer (b. 1928) on July 10 in Troy, Mo. Japanese prof. wrestler Masa Saito (b. 1942) on July 14 (Parkinson's). U.S. adm. (first female) Alene Bertha Duerk (b. 1920) on July 21 in Lake Mary, Fla.: "It was a nice distinction to have, and to be recognized as the first, but I wanted to make certain that I used that notoriety to do as much positive as I could." Am. prof. wrestler Brickhouse Brown (b. 1960) on July 29 in Jackson, Miss. (prostate cancer). Trinidadian-British writer Sir V.S. Naipaul (b. 1932) on Aug. 17 in London, England; 2001 Nobel Lit. Prize; "I was born there [Trinidad], yes, I thought it was a great mistake." U.S. Sen. (R-Nev.) (1974-78) Paul Laxalt (b. 1922) on Aug. 6 in McLean, Va.; "Ronald Reagan's best friend in politics." Am. prof. wrestler Jim the Anvil Neidhart (b. 1955) on Aug. 13 in Wesley Chapel, Fla. (brain injury from fall after a seizure). Am. "Queen of Soul" singer Aretha Franklin (b. 1942) on Aug. 16 in Detroit, Mich. (pancreatic cancer); does on the same day as "the King" Elvis Presley in 1977; her funeral is held on Aug. 31 in Detroit, Mich., at which ex-pres. Bill Clinton speaks, praising her with the soundbyte: "She lived with courage. Not without fear, but overcoming her fears. She lived with faith. Not without failure, but overcoming her failures. She lived with power. Not without weakness, but overcoming her weaknesses. I just loved her"; Clinton sits next to Obama-loving Jesse Jackson, race-baiting Al Sharpton, and white-hating anti-Semitic Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. Indian PM #10 (1998-2004) Atal Bihari Vajpayee (b. 1924) on Aug. 16 in New Delhi (kidney infection). Ghanaian U.N. secy.-gen. #7 (1997-2006) Kofi Annan (b. 1938) on Aug. 18 in Bern, Switzerland. Israeli peace activist Uri Avneri (b. 1923) on Aug. 20 in Tel Aviv. U.S. Sen. (R-Ariz.) (1987-2018) John McCain (b. 1936) on Aug. 25 in Phoenix, Ariz. (brain cancer); becomes 13th U.S. sen. to lie in state in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. Am. "Barefoot in the Park", "The Odd Couple" playwright Neil Simon (b. 1927) on Aug. 26 in Manhattan, N.Y. (Alzheimer's and renal failure). Dutch WWII resistance fighter Freddie Oversteegen (b. 1925) on Sept. 5. Am. "Lewis Medlock in Deliverance" "Bon Darville in Smokey and the Bandit" actor-dir.-producer Burt Reynolds (b. 1936) on Sept. 6 in Jupiter, Fla. (cardiac arrest). Am. Chicago police cmdr. Jon Burge (b. 1947) on Sept. 19 in Apollo Beach, Fla.; released from federal prison in Oct. 2014 after a 4-1/2-year sentence for obstructure of justice regarding police torture. Am. astronomer William Roger Ward (b. 1944) on Sept. 20 in Prescott, Ariz. (brain tumor). French singer Charles Aznavour (b. 1924) on Oct. 1 in Mouries. Am. "The God Particle" physicist Leon Max Lederman (b. 1922) on Oct. 3 in Rexburg, Idaho; 1988 Nobel Physics Prize. Am. sportswriter Dave Anderson (b. 1929) on Oct. 4 in Cresskill, N.J. Am. billionaire ($20B) Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen (b. 1953) on Oct. 15 in Seattle, Wash. (cancer). British-born French historian Robert Faurisson (b. 1929) on Oct. 21 in Vichy, France. Am. gangster Whitey Bulger (b. 1929) on Oct. 30 near Bruceton Mills, Va.; murdered in Hazelton Federal Penitentiary. Am. jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove (b. 1969) on Nov. 2 in New York City. Am. actress Sondra Locke (b. 1944) on Nov. 3 in Los Angeles, Calif. (breast cancer). Am. conservative writer Herbert London (b. 1939) on Nov. 10 in Manhattan, N.Y. (heart failure). Am. Marvel Comics mogul Stan Lee (b. 1922) on Nov. 12 in Los Angeles, Calif. Am. theologian Thomas J.J. Altizer (b. 1927) on Nov. 28 in Stony Brook, N.Y. U.S. Repub. pres. (1989-93) George H.W. Bush (b. 1924) on Nov. 30 in Houston, Tex. (Parkinson's); longest-lived U.S. pres. after Gerald Ford, and first to reach age 94 on June 12. English prof. wrestler Dynamite Kid (b. 1958) on Dec. 5 in Ince, Cheshire; dies after losing his ability to walk due to wrestling injuries. Am. computer programmer Evelyn Berezin (b. 1925) on Dec. 8; designer of first word processor (1969). Am. "Laverne in Laverne & Shirley" actress-dir.-producer Penny Marshall (b. 1943) on Dec. 17 in Los Angeles, Calif. (diabetes). Am. "The Girl from Ipanema" lyricist Norman Gimbel (b. 1927) on Dec. 28 in Santa Barbara, Calif.



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2019 - The Send Back The Squad Virginia Beach El Paso Dayton Facebook Google Bullshit Impeachment Pierre Delecto How Dare You Greta Thunberg Year of Woke Climate Change? The Nobody Not Even The President Is Above the Law Except Them U.S. Democratic Party Gives a New Meaning to Trumped-Up Robert Muller Trump-Russia Collusion Hoax July 25th Phone Call Nonsense? The U.S. House of Reps. launches its New Zoo Look with umpteen blacks, umpteen women, two women Muslims and some cripples as old-fashioned rich white male Pres. Trump fights rich white female Speaker Nancy Pelosi for a wall or fence to stop the flood of browns, resulting in the longest U.S. federal govt. shutdown in history, and new brown wannabe Castro Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) begins peddling a 10-year Marxist-Socialist panacea of no planes, trains, automobiles, and cow farts? The Blackface Year of the Makeup Police? The Plague Years? The First Year of the Social Media Dark Ages?

U.S. Pres. Donald John Trump (1946-) Michael Cohen (1966-) with Pres. Donald Trump (1946-) Nancy Pelosi of the U.S. (1940-) Mitt Romney of the U.S. (1947-) Women in Congress Wearing White Jackets, 2019 'Women Shaping the Future', 'Rolling Stone', Mar. 2019 Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of the U.S. (1989-) Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of the U.S. (1989-) and Ed Markey of the U.S. (1946-) Covid-19 Vaccines Mandatory Ed Markey of the U.S. (1946-) Mazie Horono of the U.S. (1947-) Dianne Feinstein of the U.S. (1933-) Ilhan Omar of the U.S. (1981-) Rashida Tlaib of the U.S. (1976-) Mark Thomas Esper of the U.S. (1964-) William Pelham Barr of the U.S. (1950-) Elijah Cummings of the U.S. (1951-2019) Justin Trudeau of Canada (1971-) Douglas Robert Ford of Canada (1964-) Andrew Scheer of Canada (1979-) Jim Baird, Brian Mast, and Dan Crenshaw of the U.S Lori Lightfoot of the U.S. (1962-) Gavin Newsom of the U.S. (1967-) Juan Guaidó of Venezuela (1983-) Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil (1955-) Paulo Guedes of Brazil (1949-)" Félix Tshisekedi of DRC (1963-) Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine (1978-) Jim Jordan of the U.S. (1964-) Andrew R. Wheeler of the U.S. (1964-) Kirsten Gillibrand of the U.S. (1966-) Jay Inslee of the U.S. (1951-) Amy Klobuchar of the U.S. (1960-) Pete Butigieg of the U.S. (1982-) Sir Kim Darroch of the U.K. (1954-) Al Green of the U.S. (1947-) Ricardo Rosselló of Puerto Rico (1979-) Greta Thunberg (2003-) Kimberly Mutcherson Jussie Smollett (1982-) Lyra McKee (1990-2019) Abu Baker al-Baghdadi (1971-2019) Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi (1976-2022) Fabjan Alameti (1997-) Maurice Hill (1993-) Rondell Henry (1989-) Matin Azizi-Yarand U.S. Pfc. Ali Al-Kazahg (1997) Akram Musleh (1998-) Seth Ator (1983-) Mark Steven Domingo (1993-) Abiy Ahmed (1976-) Peter Handke (1942-) Jim Peebles (1935-) Michel Mayor (1942-) Didier Queloz (1966-) John Bannister Goodenough (1922-) Michael Stanley Whittingham (1941-) Akira Yoshino (1948-) William Kaelin Jr. (1957-) Sir Peter John Ratcliffe (1954-) Gregg Leonard Semenza (1956-) Abhijit Banerjee (1961-) Esther Duflo (1972-) Michael Kremer (1964-) Devon Erickson (2000-) Tom Brady (1977-) Julian Edelman (1986-) Simon Pagenaud (1984-) Stan Wawrinka (1985-) Stefanos Tsitsipas (1998-) Adam Jortner Dahr Jamail (1968-) E. Jean Carroll (1943-) Nikole Hannah-Jones (1976-) Zozibini Tunzi (1993-) European Spallation Source 'Angel Has Fallen', 2019 'Avengers: Endgame', 2019 'Captain Marvel', 2019 'Downton Abbey', 2019 'Escape Room', 2019 'For Sama', 2019 'Glass', 2019 'Ma', 2019 'Marriage Story', 2019 'Men in Black: International', 2019 'Midway', 2019 'Parasite', 2019 'Rocketman', 2019 'Terminator: Dark Fate', 2019 'Us', 2019 'McJesus', 2019

2019 Chinese Year: Pig (Feb. 5). Time Person of the Year: Greta Thunberg, "Pool of Resolve", "Icon of a Generation". The Oxford Dictionary ceclares the term "climate emergency" the word of the year 2019; the 2018 word of the year was "toxic". All works pub. in 1923 enter the public domain in the U.S., becoming the first since the 1998 U.S. Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act. It takes $25 U.S. dollars to purchase what $1 could buy in 1913 when the Federal Reserve was created. 89% of mass shootings since 1998 occurred in gun-free zones. On Jan. 1 since 9/11 there have been a total of 72 jihadist attacks in the U.S., which killed 160 and wounded 502; the state with the most attacks is Tex. (9). On Jan. 1 the 2019 Rose Bowl sees the 12-1 #6 Ohio State Buckeyes defeat the 10-3 #9 Washington Huskies 28-23 after Washington attempts a 4th quarter comeback with 20 points; if #2 Ohio State hadn't got their clock cleaned by unrated Purdue by 49-20 on Oct. 20, causing them to slide to #10, they'd never have had to fight their way back up and miss the 2019 College Football Playoff Nat. Championship at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. on Jan. 7, which sees the 14-0 Clemson Tigers defeat the 14-0 Alabama Crimson Tide 44-16. On Jan. 1 Sao Paulo-born Social Liberty Party (PSL) leader ("the Trump of Brazil/Tropics") Jair Messias Bolsonaro (1955-) becomes pres. #38 of Brazil (until ?); he appoints pro-market economist Paulo Roberto Nunes Guedes (1949-) as the govt. czar for economic affairs (until ?). On Jan. 1 new U.S. Repub. Utah Sen. Willard Mitt Romney (1947-) gets a fast start and slams fellow Repub. Pres. Trump in an op-ed in The Washington Post, calling him dishonest et al., causing Trump to respond: "He should be happy for all Republicans. Be a TEAM player & WIN!"; on Jan. 1 (night) U.S. Repub. Virgin Islands Rep. Jevon O.A. Williams sends a letter to all 167 Repub. Nat. Committee (RNC) members calling Romney's op-ed an act of "calculated political treachery" against Trump, and claiming that Romney might use "loopholes" in the nominating process to challenge his renomination, calling for the Repub. Party to close the loopholes and issue a statement that Trump will be renominated for a 2nd term; meanwhile RNC chmn. Ronna Romney McDaniel slams her uncle Mitt for his op-ed. On Jan. 1 after a standoff with Ontario PM #26 (since June 29, 2018) Douglas Robert "Doug" Ford (1964-), PM Justin Trudeau's Liberal govt. rolls out a "backstop" carbon tax on provinces that don't already have them, pissing-off Conservative Party leader (since May 27, 2017) Andrew James Scheer (1979-), who predicts that Trudeau will raise them next year, but not if he can stop it when the Liberals are thrown out in 2020. On Jan. 1 Kimberly Mutcherson becomes co-dean of Rutgers Law School, becoming the first woman, African-Am., and lesbian. On Jan. 1 after halving it last year, Labatt Brewery ends its free beer allotment for retired employees. On Jan. 2 Pres. Trump invites congressional leaders to the White House for a briefing on border security; Dems. Nancy Pelosi et al. refuse to negotiate on a bordre wall even if it will reopen the federal govt., with Pelosi uttering the soundbyte: "Nothing for the wall. We can go through the back and forth. No. How many more times can we say no?", causing Trump to utter the soundbyte that the partial shutdown will last "as long as it takes" to get the border wall funding, "Could be a long time or could be quickly"; when prodded by reporters, she decides she would go as high as $1. On Jan. 2 Chinese Pres. Xi Jinping declares that Taiwan "must and will" be united with Red China, causing Taiwan pres. Tsai Ing-Wen to reply on Jan. 3 that Taiwan's "misgivings" are well-founded, and that Beijing "will not renounce the use of force or give up the option to use all necessary measures" in order to achieve its One China Principle. On Jan. 3 after 69% of Hispanics, 90% of blacks, and 77% of Asians vote Dem., the 116th U.S. Congress convenes (until Jan. 3, 2021), featuring a record 124 women (105 Dems.), 55 blacks (55 Dems.), 43 Latinos (34 Dems.), and 15 Asians (14 Dems.); Calif. Dem. Rep. (since Jan. 3, 1993) Nancy Loose Pussy, er, Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi (1940-) is elected House Speaker over Repub. rep. Kevin McCarthy by 220-192, becoming the first 2x woman speaker, uttering the soundbyte: "I am particularly proud to be the woman Speaker of the House of this Congress, which marks the 100th year of women having the right to vote, and that we all have the ability and the privilege to serve with over 100 women members of Congress – the largest number in history"; new U.S. reps. Dan Crenshaw (R-Tex.), Jim Baird (R-Ind.), and Brian Mast (R-Fla.) are all Purple Heart recipients, with the motto "5 eyes, 5 arms, 4 legs, All-American"; Bronx, N.Y.-born Socialist rep (D-N.Y.) Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (1989-) becomes the youngest woman sworn-in to the House (until ?); Mogadishu, Somalia-born hijab-wearing Muslim (D-Minn.) Ilhan Abdullahi Omar (1981-) becomes the first Somali-Am. in Congress, and one of the first two Muslim women along with Rashida Tlaib, who later becoming the first two U.S. reps. to sign a pledge to impeach Trump; after inviting Muslim CAIR (Council for American-Islamic Relations) activists Linda Sasour and Rasha Mubarak as her guests, Detroit, Mich.-born anti-Israel pro-Palestinian Muslim Mich. Dem. rep Rashida Harbi Tlaib (1976-) (first Muslim woman elected to Congress) is sworn-in on an English language Quran donated to the Library of Congress by Pres. Jefferson, er, fake news, it was a regular Arabic Quran, although she claims that Allah is female, later uttering the soundbyte: "We're going to go in and impeach the motherfucker", causing mucho criticism and calls for an apology, which she refuses, doubling down with the assertion that she will "always speak truth to power", and Pres. Trump to reply that Tlaib and other Dems. calling for his impeachment are doing it only because he's had "the most successful first two years" of any U.S. pres., and they can't stop his 2020 reelection; meanwhile Nancy Pelosi utters the soundbyte that she finds the language distasteful but it's no worse than Trump's; Trump used the same word in a speech in spring 2011; new U..S. Sen. (D-Ariz.) Krysten Sinema refuses to take her oath of office on the Bible, substituting a law book; Tlaib later sticks a Post-It note labeled "Palestine" over the Jewish State of Israel on the world map on her office wall; new U.S. rep. (D-Va.) Jennifer Wexton hangs a transgender flag outside her Capitol Hill office; U.S. rep. (D-Tenn.) Steve Cohen introduces a constitutional amendment to abolish the Electoral College; U.S. reps (D-Calif.) Brad Sherman, (D-Tex.) Al Green, and (D-Tenn.) Steve Cohen introduce articles of impeachment against Pres. Trump despite Nancy Pelosi's plea that it's too early until the Mueller report is released. On Jan. 3 U.S. secy. of state Mike Pompeo utters the soundbyte that the U.S. will ensure that the Turkish army does not slaughter Kurds while it pulls U.S. troops out of Syria. On Jan. 3 the U.S. House by 234-197 approves new 2x House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's pay-as-you-go provision AKA PayGo, requiring any new spending proposal to be balanced out with more taxes or budget cuts before it can be voted on, pissing-off the left wing progressives and Marxists, who know that she has doomed the Marxist-leftist Green New Deal as well as Medicare and free college for all; on Jan. 5 she sponsors a new bill to give $12B in foreign aid to several countries along with money to promote abortions overseas, causing Repubs. to cry that she won't spend a dame for border security for her own people. On Jan. 4 former NFL football star Burgess Owens gives an interview to Fox & Friends about the ratings boost the league got after nat. anthem protests began to fade, uttering the soundbyte: "The biggest takeaway from the last two years, we are in the fight for the heart and soul of our nation. We are fighting for our American, Judeo-Christian values and we're fighting against a very evil force of socialism and Marxism that destroy everything they come close to. The NFL has been changed forever and people don't realize this. But it used to be a place where we come together, no matter what our political persuasion was, and there was unity because we had God, country and family... The Marxists and socialists made that so that we have these young people coming out of these environments. They're anti-American, they're anti-white, they're anti-capitalist, and that is the message that now is going around the world and throughout our communities, that this is a place that's not for black Americans." On Jan. 6 the 76th (2019) Golden Globe Awards are held at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif., hosted by Sandra Oh and Andy Samberg; the debut of the Carol Burnett Award, featuring herself; Bohemian Rhapsody wins for best drama, and Rami Malek wins best drama performance for Freddie Mercury; Glenn Close wins for best drama performance for Joan Castleman in The Wife; Christian Bale wins best actor in a musical or comedy for Dick Cheney in Vice, uttering the soundbyte: "Thank you to Satan for giving me inspiration on how to play this role"; Olivia Colman wins best actress in a musical or comedy for Queen Anne in The Favourite; Mahershala Ali wins best supporting actor for Don Shirley in Green Book; Regina King wins best supporting actress for Sharon Rivers in If Beale Street Could Talk; Alfonso Cuaron wins best dir. for Roma; Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse wins for best animated feature film; Lady Gaga's "Shallow" from A Star Is Born wins best original song. On Jan. 7 as Yellow Vest protests against climate taxes and mass Muslim immigration continue across France for the 8th week, Italian co-PMs Matteo Salvini and Luigi Di Maio slam French pres. Emmanuel Macron, with Salvini uttering the soundbyte: "I support honest citizens who protest against a governing president against his people." On Jan. 7 a failed coup in Gabon ends with the leader arrested and two commandos killed after storming a public radio station. On Jan. 8 a strike in India sees 150M workers walk off their jobs to protest a new trade union law, becoming the 2nd biggest strike after 2016 (180M). On Jan. 8 Afghan Muslim immigrant Samiulahaq Akbari (1996-) attacks shoppers in the Tesco Extra store in Thornton Heath, South London, England with a kitchen knife, claiming a desire to kill English people; on Aug. 14 he is sentenced to 21 years in prison. On Jan. 9 after handing out candy, Pres. Trump walks out of a meeting in the White House Situation Room after Nancy Pelosi point blank refuses his request for $5.7B for a wall, calling it a "waste of time"; Chuck Schumer accuses him of having a "temper tantrum"; Peligroso, er, Pelosi claims he "stomped out", and tells reporters that security the U.S. border is required by her oath of office as a Congressperson; in the eve. Trump gives a White House speech on the border wall, with the soundbyte: "In the last two years, ICE officers made 266,000 arrests of aliens with criminal records including those charged or convicted of 100,000 assaults, 30,000 sex crimes, and 4,000 violent killing", causing Doomer and Parrotosi to accuse Trump of trying to "manufacture a crisis", which is immediately parroted by virtually all Dems., with Pelosi adding the immortal soundbyte: "The plural of anecdote is not data"; meanwhile Trump announces that he has ordered FEMA to halt federal emergency funds to Calif. to fight wildfires and manage forests until its officials can "get their act together". On Jan. 10 a bomb-carrying drone launched by Shiite rebels explodes over a Saudi-led coalition military parade in Al-Anad AFB Sa'ana, Yemen, killing six, violating a peace deal reached in Dec. in Sweden. On Jan. 10 Italian authorities announce the arrest of 15 suspects for alleged membership in an org. that smuggled jihadists into Italy posing as asylum seekers. On Jan. 10 U.S. secy. of state Mike Pompeo visits the new Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ 30 mi. E of Cairo, Egypt, then visits the Al-Fattah Al-Alim Mosque, praising Egypt's freedom of religion; too bad, on Jan. 11 1K madass Allah-Akbar-shouting Muslims surround another Coptic Christian Church and demand its closure, which the authorities comply with. On Jan. 10 as the partial govt. shutdown continues, Pres. Trump visits the U.S.-Mexico border accompanied by border guards, threatening to call a nat. emergency while telling the military to prepare for it; meanwhile 12 Repubs. flop and support House Dems. in a vote to reopoen some govt. agencies and fund financiel services for the IRS, SEC, and other agencies incl. food stamp programs and the Depts. of Transportation and HUD. On Jan. 10 Hungarian PM Viktor Orban holds an internat. press. conference, uttering the soundbyte that Hungary is proud to be the first country to have its "anti-immigration forces" in the majority in every EU institution, proving that mass Muslim migration can be stopped. On Jan. 10 the 2019 Venezuelan Pres. Crisis sees the Venezuelan Nat. Assembly declare the results of the May election invalid, desposing pres. #46 (since Apr. 19, 2013) Nicolas Maduro in favor of its acting pres. Juan Gerardo Guaido Marquez (Guaidó Márquez) (1983-), who on Jan. 23 becomes interim pres. of Venezuela (until ?), causing Maduro to cling to power and sever relations with the U.S., gaining support from Red China, Russia, Turkey et al. On Jan. 12 (Sat.) Yellow Vest protests in France see 84K protest in the streets of Paris, Marseille, Nimes, Chantilly et al. On Jan. 14 the 2019 Los Angeles Teachers Strike in Calif. begins (ends Jan. 22). Truth is the new hate speech? A watershed moment when Western Civilization is considered offensive just to champion? On Jan. 14 after the Nat. Repub. Congressional Committee withdraws funding for his reelection campaign last year, U.S. Rep. (R-Iowa, 2003-) Steven Arnold "Steve" King (1949-) is smeared and railroaded by his own Repub. Party for out-of-context statements taken from an interview in The New York Times, stripping him of his committee assignments, causing him to issue the soundbyte: "In a 56-minute interview, we discussed the changing use of language in political discourse. We discussed the worn out label 'racist' and my observation that other slanderous labels have been increasingly assigned to Conservatives by the Left, who injected into our current political dialog such terms as Nazi, Fascist, White Nationalist, White Supremacist. Western Civilization, how did THAT language become offensive? Why did I sit in classes teaching me about the merits of our history and our civilization?... just to watch Western Civilization become a derogatory term in political discourse today. Clearly, I was only referencing Western Civilization classes. No one ever sat in a class listening to the merits of white nationalism and white supremacy. When I used the word 'THAT' it was in reference ONLY to Western Civilization and NOT to any previously stated evil ideology, ALL of which I have denounced. My record as a vocal advocate for Western Civilization is nearly as full as my record in defense of Freedom of Speech." On Jan. 15 the British Parliament votes 422-202 (incl. 118 Conservative MPs voting yes) to reject any deal over Brexit, leaving the only option to leave the EU sans deal on Mar. 29; on Jan. 16 PM Theresa May survives a no-confidence vote 306-325; on Jan. 19 a ComRes Poll reveals that 74% of the British people believe that their ruling class is not in touch with the mood of the country. On Jan. 15 (2:30 p.m. local time) 14-y.-o. Antonio Arce is shot in the back and killed in an alley in Tempe, Ariz. by police officer ? Jaen, causing protests. On Jan. 15 a jihadist cell in Catalonia, Spain is broken up after 100+ police raid five locations in Barcelona and Igualada, becoming a V for Operation Alexandra, launched May 2017. On Jan. 15 U.S. Sen. (D-N.Y.) (2009-) Kirsten Elizabeth Gillibrand (nee Rutnik) (1966-) announces her candidacy for U.S. pres. in 2020 on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert; on Feb. 25 she is interviewed by Chris Wallace on Fox News, justifying her support for the Green New Deal, comparing it to Pres. Kennedy's 10-year Man on the Moon push with gushing enthusiasm, after which Wallace utters the soundbyte that she never answered the question about how to pay for it. On Jan. 16 British jihadists from West Midlands, England send threatening letters to 15+ churches warning of petrol bomb and stabbing attacks. On Jan. 16 far-left Marxist Socialist Rep. Alexandria Occasional Castro, er, Cortex, er, Cowfart, er, Ocasio-Cortez is assigned to the House Financial Services Committee that oversees banks, insurance, internat. finance, and credit; too bad she issues the soundbyte that she plans to "run train on the progressive agenda", which actually means to gang rape it? On Jan. 16 U.S. vice-pres. Mike Pence issues the soundbyte: "The caliphate has crumbled and ISIS has been defeated"; an hour earlier the U.S.-led coalition confirmed that U.S. troops were killed in an explosion in Manbij, Syria; on Jan. 21 ISIS explodes a car bomb near a U.S.-Syrian "partner" force between Raqqa and Hasakah, with no casualties. On Jan. 17 Russian pres. Vladimir Putin visits Serbia, where he is welcomed as a hero by Serbian pres. Alexander Vucic on behalf of the people. On Jan. 17 after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi cancels Pres. Trump's State of the Union speech, claiming that the unpaid Secret Service can't protect him during the govt. shutdown, Trump counterpunches by canceling her military plane to Afghanistan, and cancels his own to trip to Davos; meanwhile First Lady Melania Trump takes a military plane to Mar-a-Lago. On Jan. 17 BuzzFeed announces that Pres. Trump instructed his atty. Michael Cohen to commit perjury to Congress over the Trump Tower in Moscow, causing immediate impeachment cries from Dems., until Robert Muller's office announces: "BuzzFeed's description of specific statements to the special counsel's office, and characterization of documents and testimony obtained by this office, regarding Michael Cohen's congressional testimony are not accuracy", after which Buzzfeed doubles down and stands by its story. On Jan. 18 a truck-bomb explosion near a police academy in Bogota, Colombia kills 28 and injured 68, becoming the worst attack in Bogota in 16 years; Marxist rebels are blamed. On Jan. 18 a report by a group of aid agencies claims that armed jihadists have killed 100+ soldiers in NE Nigeria since Dec. 26, and seized a huge stock of weapons; a govt. spokesman denies it. On Jan. 19 (Sat.) the anti-Trump 3rd Annual Women's March is held in cities across the U.S.; too bad, organizers are accused of anti-Semitism incl. support for the Nation of Islam. On Jan. 19 the March for Life in Washington, D.C. ends with pro-life demonstrators from Roman Catholic +ovington H.S. in Ky. get attacked by left-wing activists at the Lincoln Memorial, causing the sick PC fake news press to manufacture a smear about white student Nick Sandmann harassing Vietnam Vet Native Am. activist Nathan Phillips (1956-) by smirking white privilege in his face; it turns out Phillips never served in Vietnam, and was the one harassing the students and beating a drum in their faces, embarrassing the PC press for fake news against MAGA hat-wearing whites; after Whoopi Goldberg asks her why leftist media and celebs jumped to conclusions, The View co-host Joy Behar utters the soundbyte: "Because we're desperate to get Trump out of office." On Jan. 19 Pres. Trump delivers a Speech on the Border Wall from the White House, outlining a deal to end the partial govt. shutdown, which Dems. call a non-starter. On Jan. 19 Pres. Trump gives an interiew to Steve Hilton on Fox News Channel, with the soundbyte that it's "great" that Dem. rival Peter Buttigieg is in a same-sex marriage, and "absolutely fine" that they're open about it, adding: "I think that's something that perhaps some people will have a problem with. I have no problem with it whatsoever. I think it's good", ignoring his 2016 campaign promise to appoint judges who would overturn the same-sex marriage approval by SCOTUS. On Jan. 20 (9:36 p.m. ET) a Super wolf blood moon. On Jan. 20-21 Israel stages air strikes on Iranian targets in Syria, revealing the new battlefield sans the U.S. On Jan. 21 the FBI arrests Kenyan-born naturalized U.S. citizens Muse Abdikadir Muse, Mohamud Abdikadir Muse, and Mohamed Salat Haji en route to Mogadishu, Somalia after they record videos pledging allegiance to ISIS. On Jan. 21 Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) tweets the soundbyte: "Millennials, and Gen z, and all these folks that come after us, are looking up and we're like 'the world will end in 12 years if we don't address climate change, and your biggest issue is how are we gonna pay for it?'", which hooted by the conservatives, who didn't get the point that the same day she attended a memorial for MLK Jr., referring to his statement: "We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there is such a thing as being too late. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action"; she also utters the soundbyte: "This is our war - this is our World War II." On Jan. 22 the 2019 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland sees U.S. secy. of state Mike Pompeo deliver a speech defending Pres. Trump's "Make America Great Again" campaign slogan, encouraging world leaders to embrace "economic security" and reject the influences of globalist internat. bodies, adding "Nations matter"; Oxfam Internat. pub. a report claiming that the world's billionaires added 12% fo their wealth last year, while the world's poor (3.8B) lost 11% of their wealth, with a new billionaire being created every two days. On Jan. 22 Egypt announces the recent killing of 59 militants in the Sinai Peninsula while losing seven of their own men. On Jan. 22 the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg adopts the resolution Sharia, the Cairo Declaration and the European Convention on Human Rights, with the soundbyte that the assembly "is also greatly concerned about the fact that Sharia law – including provisions which are in clear contradiction with the Convention – is applied, either officially or unofficially, in several Council of Europe member States, or parts thereof", complaining about Sharia law in Thrace, the U.K., Chechnya, Albania, Azerbaijan, Turkey et al. On Jan. 23 Interpol secy.-gen. Jurgen Stock utters the soundbyte on BBC Radio 4's Today program that freed jihadis will unleash a global carnage in a new ISIS 2.0: "The threat with regard to international terrorism is complex, and one of the dimensions is that many of the terrorists that have been put in jail a couple of years ago, for instance for support action they have taken in terrorist activity, will be released in the next couple of years in many parts of the world." On Jan. 23 Pres. Trump tweets the soundbyte: "BUILD A WALL & CRIME WILL FALL! This is the new theme, for two years until the Wall is finished (under construction now), of the Republican Party. Use it and pray!" On Jan. 23 after Nancy Pelosi writes Pres. Trump asking him to delay his 2019 State of the Union Speech to Jan. 29 because of the govt. shutdown and security concerns, and Trump responds that security is no problem and he'll accept the new date, causing Pelosi to prohibit the speech altogether until he folds and reopens the govt., Trump announces that he'll hold it in alternative location, causing many offers to arrive, only to flop and say he'll wait "because there is no venue that can complete with the history, tradition and importance of the House Chamber." On Jan. 24 Felix (Félix) Antoine Tshilombo Tshisekedi (1963-0 becomes pres. #5 of the Dem. Repub. of the Congo (until ?), succeeding strongman Joseph Kabila, who has been pres. for 18 years (since Jan. 26, 2001), becoming DRC's first peaceful transfer of power since independence from Belgium in 1960, immediately announcing plans for the release of all political prisoners and pledging to rid the country of graft and corruption, with the soundbyte: "We are committed to building a modern, peaceful, democratic and caring state for every citizen, a state that will guarantee the happiness of all." On Jan. 24 the Supreme Court of Japan upholds a law requiring transgenders who want their official documents changed to be sterilized to protect society from "confusion" and "abrupt changes", and to prevent "problems" in parent-child relationships. On Jan. 25 Pres. Trump gives a speech announcing that he's flopping and reopening the federal govt. for three weeks (until Feb. 15) to give Dems. and Repubs. a chance to negotiate, despite Dems. refusing to consider wall funding; on Jan. 28 Pelosi invites him to give him State of the Union Speech in the House, and the date is set as Feb. 5. On Jan. 27 twin bombs explode in a Roman Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Jolo, Philippines in the proposed Bangsamoro Muslim-majority autonomous region, killing 27 and injuring 102; ISIS claims responsibility; Rulie Rian Zeke and his wife Ulfah Handayani Saleh are identified as the perps, on release after undergoing a govt. deradicalization program. On Jan. 27 U.S. Sen. (D-Calif.) (2017-) Kamala Devi Harris (1964-) announces her candidacy for U.S. pres. in 2020. On Jan. 28 (9:00 a.m.) a Boko Haram attack in Rann, Borno State, NE Nigeria, killing 60+ and burning hundreds of bldgs.; on Jan. 14 they burned 100+ bldgs. On Jan. 28 (9:28 p.m.) Pres. Trump tweets the soundbyte: "In the beautiful Midwest, windchill temperatures are reaching minus 60 degrees, the coldest ever recorded. In coming days, expected to get even colder. People can't last outside even for minutes. What the hell is going on with Global Warming? Please come back fast, we need you!"; on Jan. 29 (8:00 a.m.) NOAA Climate.gov tweets the soundbyte: "Winter storms don't prove that global warming isn't happening" - I beg to differ but you're living in a dumb fog? On Jan. 29 after Pres. Trump attacks the intel community, senior intel briefers Dan Coats (dir. of nat. intel), Gina Haspel (CIA dir.), and Christopher Wray (FBI dir.) testify before the U.S. Senate Intel Committee regarding the new 2019 Worldwide Threat Assessment, slamming Trump for allegedly endangering U.S. security by disregarding their wisdom, claiming he is a dim bulb who has to be treated to watered-down briefings filled with visual aids. On Jan. 29 (2:00 a.m.) gay biracial "Jamal Lyon in Empire" actor Jussie Smollett (1982-) claims to be attacked in the Streeterville neighborhood of Chicago, Ill. by two white men wearing ski masks who shout racial and homophobic slurs, incl. the soundbyte "This is MAGA country"; after all the usual PC leftist media personalities and politicians incl. Kamala Harris (who tweets that it is "a modern-day lynching") jump to label it a hate crime proving that Pres. Trump's supporters are all violent bigots that he fostered, it turns out that Smollett staged the event to get publicity, causing a backlash against the Never Trumpers that they're the bigots, who jump to judge white males but pretend to reserve judgment as long as possible for black males, women, gays, etc.; on Feb. 20 after the Nigerian-born brothers Abimbola "Abel" Osundairo and Olabinjo "Ola" Osundairo testify before a grand jury, Feb. 20 Smollett is charged with felony disorderly conduct, which carries up to a 3-year prison sentence and a requirement to recompense the police for the cost of their investigation over his false police report; on Mar. 8 Smollett is indicted by a grand jury on 16 felony counts. In Jan. the Internat. Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague dismisses all charges against Ivory Coast pres. #4 (2000-11) Laurent Gbagbo (1945-) and his former minister Charles Ble Goude (Charles Blé Goudé) (1972-), but he is prohibited from returning pending a prosecutorial appeal. In Jan. the exec commission of the EU adopts a draft list adding Saudi Arabia, Panama, and 21 small Pacific and Caribbean islands to its 16-state list of states that engage in money-laundering and terrorism financing, incl. Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, and Syria; too bad, the U.K. tries to block Saudi Arabia and Panama from being added. In Jan. the U.S. unemployment rate is 4.0%, adding 304K jobs. On Feb. 1 huge asteroid 2002 NT7 flies by the Earth. On Feb. 1 N.J. Sen. (D-N.J.) (2013-) Cory Anthony Booker (1969-) announces his candidacy for the 2020 U.S. pres. election; he quits next Jan. 13, and his girlfriend Rosario Dawson comes out as lez on Feb. 18. On Feb. 1 Pres. Trump announces that the U.S. is ending its involvement in the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, effective in 6 mo., with the soundbyte: "For far too long, Russia has violated the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with impunity, covertly developing and fielding a prohibited missile system that poses a direct threat to our allies and troops abroad. The U.S. will suspend INF Treaty obligations starting Saturday and begin withdrawing from the treaty over the course of six months unless Russia comes back into compliance by destroying all of its violating missiles, launchers, and associated equipment"; Russian pres. Vladimir Putin immediately bails out of the treaty to match, and on Feb. 5 Russia announces the development of two new land-based missle launch systems by 2021 to counter. On Feb. 3 (Sun.) Super Bowl LIII (53rd) (2019), held at the new $1.6B Mercedez-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. sees the 11-5 New England Patriots (AFC) (coach Bill Belichick) defeat the 13-3 Los Angeles Rams (NFC) (coach Sean McVay) 13-3 in the lowest-scoring SB so far (until ?), with no TDs until the 4th quarter; Patriots QB Tom Brady's 6th SB win; MVP is Patriots WR (#11) Julian Francis Edelman (1986-); the halftime show is headed by Adam Levine and Maroon 5, backed by rappers Big Boi and Travis Scott; the smallest SB audience since 2009. On Feb. 3-5 Pope Francis visits Abu Dhabi, UAE, meeting with the grand imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed El-Tayed for the 2nd time (first in 2017), a lame attempt at aping the 1219 trip of St. Francis of Assisi to Sultan Malik el Kamil in Egypt, becoming the first pope to visit the Arabian Peninsula, signing a joint statement on Feb. 4 titled "A Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together", then celebrating Mass in the Abu Dhabi stadium on Feb. 5 before 150K; Il Folio cultural ed. Giulio Meotti pub. an article criticizing the pope for his silence over the persecution and destruction of Christian communities in the Muslim World. On Feb. 4 Colo. trail runner Travis Kauffman (1987-) is attacked by a lion in Horsetooth Mountain Park W of Fort Collins, Colo., and kills it with his bare hands, making him a hero until it is revealed the lion was only a 3-4-mo.-o. kitten. On Feb. 5 (Tues.) Pres. Trump delivers his 2nd 2019 State of the Union Speech, extolling U.S. historical victories like the Apollo 11 Moon landing and D-Day along with the booming economy, with the soundbytes: "Victory is not winning for our party. Victory is winning for our country"; "Here in the United States we are alarmed by new calls to adopt socialism in our country. We are born free, and we will stay free. Tonight we renew our resolve that America will never be a socialist country" (applauded by Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi); "An economic miracle is taking place in the United States and the only things that can stop it are foolish wars, politics, or ridiculous partisan investigations" (causing Schumer to call it proof that Trump has something to hide); Dem. women incl. Pelosi wear white outfits in tribute to early 20th cent. suffragists. On Feb. 6 (Internat. Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation) the first conviction is obtained in Britain for violating the 1985 Prohibition of Female Circumcision Act, which was amended into the Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Act in 2003. On Feb. 7 U.S. Dem. Rep. (R-N.Y) Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) and U.S. Sen. (D-Mass.) Edward Markey announce their non-binding Green New Deal (GND) resolution (the 21st Cent. Communist Manifesto?), filled with wild impossible demands incl. a "10-year mobilization" on energy, climate, and social issues incl. racism, economic security for those "unwilling to work", net-zero greenhouse emissions "because we aren't sure that we'll be able to fully get rid of farting cows and airplanes that fast", and replacement of air travel with high-speed rail, pissing-off U.S. Sen. (D-Hawaii) (2013-) Mazie Keiko Hirono (1947-), who utters the soundbyte: "That would be pretty hard for Hawaii", and Utah Rep. (R-Utah) Rob Bishop, who utters the soundbyte: "I guess I need to start looking at cutting back on my air travel now as well as curtailing other daily activities like eating hamburgers", saying he needs to "Wake up from this twilight zone; Occasional Castro utters the soundbyte: "Today I think is a really big day for our economy, the labor movement, the social-justice movement, indigenous peoples and people all over the United States of America, because today is the day that we truly embark on a comprehensive agenda of economic, social and racial justice", causing Repubs. call it a "Trojan horse for Socialism" and a "Socialist wish list", claiming it will cost $2T and eliminate 1M jobs, which doesn't stop 2020 pres. candidates N.J. Sen. Cory Booker, Calif. Sen. Kamala Harris, and Mass. Sen. Elizabeth Warren from backing it, part of 70 members of Congress and over a dozen senators who sign on as co-sponsors, while Dem. House Speaker Nancy Speaker ho-hums it as "the Green Dream, or whatever they call it", calling it just one of several proposals to combat global warming; no surprise, the leftist Sierra Club and Green Party endorse it, with the Sierra Club calling it a "bold plan to tackle the climate crisis and inequality - two of the defining crises of our time - at the speed and scale that science and justice demand"; on Feb. 27 U.S. Senate minority leader (D-N.Y.) Chuck Schumer gives a speech criticizing Pres. Trump for not mentioning climate change in his State of the Union Address, with the soundbyte: "Every scientist who has studied it knows that in the next 10, 20, 30, or 40 years climate change is going to evoke huge changes in our country and in our world"; on Feb. 25 the Repub.-aligned think tank Am. Action Forum, run by former Congressional Budget Office dir. Douglas Holtz-Eakin announces that the Green New Deal could cost $93T, incl. $8.3T-$12.3T to eliminate carbon emissions; On Feb. 8 Iranian supreme assahola Ali Khameinei utters the soundbyte: "As long as America continues its wickedness, the Iranian nation will not abandon 'Death to America'", but that means death to Pres. Trump and top U.S. leaders only. On Feb. 8 the Va. Blackface Scandal begins when Dem. Va. gov. Ralph Norham admits to wearing blackface in a 1984 medical schomeanwhile on Feb. 10 Dem. Va. atty. gen. Mark Herring admits to wearing blackface to look like a rapper when he was 19-y.-o. at a party at the U. of Va., causing a slew of blackface photos to pop-up incl. one of comedian Joy Behar in the 1970s; after it is realized that the two resignations would give control of Va. back to the Repubs., impeachment talk stalls? On Feb. 9 amid calls to drop out, lily white former self-described Am. Indian 99-44/100-white Dem. politician Elizabeth Warren announces her candidacy for U.S. pres. in Lawrence, Mass. On Feb. 9 Allah-Akbar-shouting Muslims attack and destroy 10 Christian church bldgs. in Halaba, Kulito, S Ethiopia. On Feb. 10 45K right-wingers and others protest in Madrid, Spain against PM Pedro Sanchez, demanding that he step down for his handling of the Catalonia crisis. On Feb. 10 U.S. Sen. (D-Minn.) (2007-) Amy Jean Klobuchar (1960-) announces her candidacy for U.S. pres. in 2020 in Minneapolis, Minn. during a snowstorm; on Feb. 18 (night) she takes part in a CNN town hall, uttering the soundbytes about the Green New Deal: "I think you all know that this last year was the fourth hottest year in American history. And the Green New Deal is so important right now for our country. We may not have agreements on exactly how it will work and when we can get it done... So I will, the first day as president, sign us back into the international climate change agreement. That is on day one. I will also, in the first 100 days, bring back the clean power rules that the Obama administration was ready to put in place, and the Trump administration left on the cutting room floor. I will also bring back the gas mileage standards and then propose sweeping legislation to upgrade our infrastructure"; when asked if AOC's goals are achievable, she replies: "I think that they are aspirations. I think we can get close. I don't think we are going to get rid of entire industries in the U.S.", adding: "Aspirations, to me, means we have been doing nothing about this", calling the Green New Deal "something we need to move towards." On Feb. 11 the 40th anniv. of the Islamic Rev. in Iran features new threats against Israel. On Feb. 11 U.S. Sen. (R-N.C.) Richard Burr utters the soundbyte that after 200+ interviews the U.S. Senate has uncovered "no factual evidence" of a conspiracy between Russia the Trump campaign, although the pattern of contacts is troubling. On Feb. 11 the U.S. Treasury Dept. announces that the gross nat. debt has reached $22T. On Feb. 12 the U.S. Dept. of Defense releases its roadmap for AI, revealing that it's not working on killer robots but on flood and firefighting. On Feb. 13 an attack by the militant Sunni Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice) in SE Iran kills 27+ members of the Iranian Rev. Guards and injures 13 more. On Feb. 13 joint U.S.-Libyan forces raid an al-Qaida site in Ubari, Libya. On Feb. 13 the U.S. House passes a resolution forcing the Trump admin. to withdraw U.S. trops form Yemen as a rebuke of his support of the Saudi-led coalition. On Feb. 13, 2019 after new Dem. Calif. gov. #40 (since Jan. 7) Gavin Christopher Newsom (1967-) decides to scale-down Calif.'s costly 2008 $77B LA-to-SF high-speed rail project, Pres. Trump tweets the soundbyte that it is a "green disaster", adding "California has been forced to cancel the massive bullet train project after having spent and wasted many billions of dollars. They owe the Federal Government three and a half billion dollars. We want that money back now", causing Newsom to reply: "We're not giving it back." On Feb. 14 40 Indian soldiers are killed and several injured after a suicide jihadist IED explodes near a convoy outside Srinigar, Jammu and Kashmir; Jaish-e-Mohammed claims responsibility; on Feb. 18 a clash in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir with Jaish-e-Mohammad jihadists sees nine killed incl. four Indian soldiers and a policeman; India accuses Pakistan of complicity, which it denies, after which on Feb. 19 Pakistan PM Imran Khan offers to investigate if India provides "actionable" proof, which the Indian govt. calls a "lame excuse"; on Feb. 26 Indian warplanes attack a militant training camp in Pakistan, claiming to kill "a very large number" of fighters, which Pakistan denies. On Feb. 14 the parliament of Egypt voes 485-111 to extend term limits for pres. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi until 2034. On Feb. 14 former Repub. U.S. atty. gen. #77 (1991-3) William Pelham Barr (1950-) becomes U.S. atty. gen. #85 (until ?). On Feb. 14 after new U.S. rep. fights to chase it out, Amazon.com announces that it's scrapping plans to build a new $2.5B HQ in Long Island City, Queens, N.Y. because of backlash over $3B in tax incentives, causing 25K jobs to go poof. On Feb. 14 U.S. vice-pres. Mike Pence addresses a conference of Euro and Middle East leaders on Peace and Security in the Middle East in Warsaw, Poland, uttering the soundbyte that Iran is plotting a "new Holocuast" that would wipe Israel off the map and "raze Tel Aviv and Haifa to the ground" if the U.S. military attacks, warning EU countries to pull out of the Obama nuclear deal and the new initiative by Britain, France, and Germany that are enabling Iran to evade sanctions; U.S. secy. of state Mike Pompeo utters the soundbyte that "confronting Iran" is a necessary step to "achieve piece and stability in the Middle East": "The three H's - the Houthis, Hamas, and Hezbollah - these are the real threats... You can't get peace in the Middle East without pushing back against Iran"; U.S. nat. security advisor John Bolton issues a video message to the Assaholah Ali Khamenei, with the soundbyte: For all your boasts, for all your threats to the life of the American president, you are responsible for terrorizing your own people. I don't think you'll have many more anniversaries to enjoy." On Feb. 15 after signing a bipartisan bill to avert another govt. shutdown that gives him $1.375B for his border barrier, Pres. Trump finally declares a nat. emergency of the U.S.-Mexico border, citing the need to stop drugs and crime and announcing a plan to bypass Congress and steer $8B of existing funds to build a border wall, announcing that "hopefully we'll win at the Supreme Court", pissing-off Dems., who vow to stop him as usual and don't want to lose again, after which 16 U.S. states sue to stop him from redirecting federal funds to a border wall. On Feb. 15-17 the 2019 (55th) Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany features the largest U.S. delegation in its history, incl. U.S. vice-pres. Mike Pence, acting U.S. defense secy. Patrick Shanahan, U.S. Dem. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and U.S. Sen. (R-S.C.) Lindsey Graham; Pres. Trump sends special advisers Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner; Pence cautions NATO members to meet defense spending goals, with the soundbyte: "Many of our NATO allies still need to do more", and warns them to "stop undermining U.S. sanctions against this murderous revolutionary regime [Iran]"; on Feb. 16 Google announces its efforts to fight "misinformation" in Google Search with their Google News initiative that supports "quality journalism", but only on the liberal side? On Feb. 17 (Sun.) CBS-TV's 60 Minutes interviews fired FBI dir. Andrew McCabe, who says that "it's possible" that Pres. Trump is a Russian asset (traitor spy), and reveals that Rod Rosenstein was "absolutely serious" when he asked him and other senior Trump admin. officials to secretly record their conversations with Pres. Trump and then get cabinet members to vote to remove him under the 25th Amendment, which Trump calls a "deranged" story and a "very illegal act" and "treasonous" and "an illegal coup attempt", causing conservative radio show host Mark Levin to utter the soundbyte: "Nothing like this has ever happened before in the United States of America - Ever" - Obama and Hillary are the real Russian assets, trying to frame Trump on what they are to stage, viz., a real coup? On Feb. 17 after getting in a Twitter debate with transgender cycling champ Rachel McKinnon last Dec., lesbian tennis champ Martina Navratilova pub. an op-ed in the Sunday Times speaking out against allowing transgender (female hormone treatment but still with male anatomy) athletes to compete against women, with the soundbyte: "To put my argument at its most basic: a man can decide to be female, take hormones if required by whatever sporting organisation, win everything in sight and perhaps earn a small fortune, and then reverse his decision and go back to making babies. It's insane and it's cheating"; meanwhile in Feb. 17 transgender FX Network TV star Indya Moore tweets the soundbyte: "If a women has a penis, her penis is a biologically female penis", drawing laughing criticism. On Feb. 18 France raises regulated min. food prices and limits supermarket bargain sales in order to raise farmers' incomes. On Feb. 18 Pres. Trump delivers a speech at Fla. Internat. U. in Miami, Fla., pleading with Venezuela's military to drop dictator Nicolas Maduro and support opposition leader Juan Guaido, calling the crisis the "twilight hour of Socialism", envisaging "the first free hemisphere in all of human history", with the soundbytes: "You will find no safe harbor, no easy exit and no way out. You will lose everything... We seek a peaceful transition of power, but all options are open." On Feb. 19 NBC News reports that the Trump admin. led by openly gay U.S. ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell will launch a global effort to decriminalize homosexuality in an effort to isolate strict Sharialand Iran; no surprise, after the leftists have gotten into er, bed with Muslims, Out Mag. pub. an article on Feb. 20 claiming that it would be racist and colonialist for Trump to try to pressure Iran into decriminalizing homosexuality, and that Iran is "not that bad" anyway. On Feb. 19 Pres. Trump issues an order directing the U.S. Dept. of Defense to draft legislation for the creation of the U.S. Space Force "as a sixth branch of the United States Armed Forces within the Department of the Air Force", with the soundbyte: "America must be fully equipped to defend our vital interests. Our adversaries are training forces and developing technology to undermine our security in space, and they're working very hard at that." On Feb. 19 Brooklyn, N.Y.-born Socialist U.S. Sen. (I-Vt.) (2007-) Bernard "Bernie" Sanders (1941-) announces his candidacy for U.S. pres. in 2020, raising $5.9M in the first 24 hours. On Feb. 19 Greenpeace co-founder Patrick Moore tweets the soundbyte about Green New Deal politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC): "@AOC's Green New Deal calls for: '(J) removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.' Technically (scientifically) this would mean removing all H2O vapour and all CO2 which would mean the eradication of all life on Earth"; on Feb. 23 he tweets the soundbyte: "You are delusional if you think fossil fuels will end any time soon, maybe in 500 yrs. AOC's attitude is unjustifiably condescending. She is a neophyte pretending to be wise. Her kind bring ruination if allowed to be 'in charge'. (from the cheap seats)"; on Mar. 2 after admitting she still uses air conditioning and airplanes and trying to defend herself with the soundbyte: "Living in the world as it is isn't an argument against working towards a better future", Moore tweets the soundbyte: "Pompous little twit. You don't have a plan to grow food for 8 billion people without fossil fuels, or get food into the cities. Horses? If fossil fuels were banned every tree in the world would be cut down for fuel for cooking and heating. You would bring about mass death"; "The 'world as it is' has the option of taking the subway rather than a taxi. Option of Amtrak rather than plane, option of opening windows rather than A/C. You're just a garden-variety hypocrite like the others. And you have ZERO expertise at any of the things you pretend to know"; "The problem with @AOC is she doesn't know whether or not she knows what she is talking about. Makes it harder to think straight." On Feb. 19 Auburn U. Mormonism historian Adam Jortner pub. the article Trump isn't Hitler. He's Lilburn Boggs in the Salt Lake Tribune, doing Mitt Romney's dirty work by a false comparison between an 1837 state-level order to exterminate Mormons living in Missouri as enemies of the people and a U.S. pres. order to protect U.S. borders from possible enemies from entering sans papers and causing mayhem?; meanwhile Utah hasn't joined the 16 other states suing Trump to stop his national emergency. On Feb. 19 a super snow moon. On Feb. 20 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 9-0 in Timbs v. Ind. that the Eight Amendment's prohibition of excessive fines applies to state and local govts., prohibiting abusive asset forfeiture to raise revenue. On Feb. 20 a snownado touches down in Navajo sheep country near Tinian, N.M., becoming the first confirmed tornado in the state in Feb. On Feb. 21 Taiwan proposes a draft same-sex marriage law, sparking a heated debate. On Feb. 21 (12:30 p.m.) snow falls in Los Angeles, Calif. for the first time in almost 60 years. On Feb. 21 (night) a fire in a historic district of Dhaka, Bangladesh kills 78+. On Feb. 21 Iranian Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Hajzadeh announces that Iranian intel operatives have infiltrated a U.S. Army Command Center and commandeered control of several U.S. drones flying through Syria and Iraq. On Feb. 21-24 amid grumbling about being too little too late, a child sex abuse conference at the Vatican, attended by 200 is opened by Pope Francis, who says that victims deserve "concrete nd efficient measures" and not mere condemnations, with Bogota Cardinal Ruben Salazar Gomez uttering the soundbyte: "The first enemies are within us, among us bishops and priests and consecrated persons who have not lived up to our vocation. We have to recognize that the enemy is within." On Feb. 23 protests at the Colombian border in Venezuela over military blocking of humanitarian aid from the U.S. et al. causes dictator Nicolas Maduro to break diplomatic ties with Colombia and dig in; meanwhile he blocks the border with Brazil. On Feb. 23 U.S. District Judge Gray Miller of S Tex. rules that a male-only draft is unconstitutional, stopping short of ordering the govt. to begin making women register. On Feb. 23 U.S. Sen. (D-Calif.) (1992-) Dianne Goldman Berman Feinstein (nee Dianne Emiel Goldman) (1933-) is confronted in her office by a group of a dozen schoolchildren belonging to the Sunrise Movement who demand that she support the Green New Deal, pointing to AOC's claim that the world will end in 12 years, along with "tons of money going to the military", causing her to reply: "I know what I'm doing. You come in her and you say it has to be my way or the highway. I don't respond to that... I was just elected by almost a million-vote plurality, and I know what I'm doing, so you know, maybe people should listen a little bit"; "There's no way to pay for it. I don't agree with what the resolution says. That's part of it.... That resolution will not pass the Senate, and you can take that back to whoever sent you here and tell them. I've been in the Senate for over a quarter of a century, and I know what can pass and I know what can't pass." On Feb. 24 new U.S. Dem. N.Y. Rep. "Like, you know" Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) utters the soundbyte at a Girls Who Code event in Queens, N.Y.: "Like I just introduced the Green New Deal two weeks ago, and it's creating all of this conversation. Why? Because no one else has even tried. Because no one else has even tried. So people are like, 'Oh it's unrealistic. Oh it's vague. Oh it doesn't address this little minute thing. And I'm like, 'You try. You do it. Cuz you're not. Cuz you're not. So, until you do it, I'm the boss.' How about that?'"; on Feb. 24 (night) she pub. a video suggesting that people should consider not bearing any more children due to the "scientific consensus" on climate change, with the soundbyte: "Our planet is going to hit disaster if we don't turn this ship around and so it's basically, like, there's a scientific consensus that the lives of children are going to be very difficult. And it does lead, I think, young people to have a legitimate question, you know, Is it okay to still have children?" On Feb. 24 (night) the 2019 (91st) Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Calif., the first since 1989 with no host awards best picture to "Green Book" (causing Spike Lee to walk out), best dir. to Alfonso Cuaron for "Roma", best actor to Rami Malek for "Bohemian Rapsody", best actress to Olivia Colman for "The Favourite", best supporting actor to Mahershala Ali for "Green Book", best supporting actress to Regina King for "If Beale Street Could Talk", best animated feature film to "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse", best foreign language film to "Roma", best original score to "Black Panther", and best original song to Lady Gaga et al. for "Shallow" in "A Star Is Born"; the speeches are limited to 90 sec.; the gowns are mainly frumpy, except Billy Porter's "tuxedo gown"? On Feb. 25 (eve.) the Dems. in the U.S. Senate vote 44-53 (incl. 3 Dems.) to block the U.S. Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which would require infants born alive via botched abortions to be saved, pissing-off Pres. Trump, who calls it "executing babies after birth", with the soundbyte: "This will be remembered as one of the most shocking votes in the history of Congress." On Feb. 25 the center-right Am. Action Forum in Washington, D.C. (founded July 23, 2009) pub. the article The Green New Deal: Scope, Scale, and Implications by Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Dan Bosch, Ben Gitis, Dan Goldbeck, and Philip Rossetti, estimating the cost of the Green New Deal as at "least $50 trillion and possibly in excess of $90 trillion" by 2029, with the low-carbon electricity grid costing $39K/household, net zero emissions transportation system $9K-$20K/houshold, guaranteed jobs $49K-$322K/houshold, universal health care $260K/household, guaranteed green housing $4K-$12K/household, and food security ($1.5B) only $10/household. On Feb. 25-26 Kew Gardens, London, England reaches 21.2C (70F), becoming the first winter temps over 20C, breaking a 1998 record, causing the climate alarmists to come out chirping about evil CO2; Weldstone, Middlesex reached 75F on Mar. 9, 1948 sans high CO2; Feb. becomes the 15th warmest month in England on record (6.7C avg.), tied with 1702 1750, and 1997, way behind 1779 (7.9C) and 1869 (7.5C); winter 2018/9 in C England has a mean temp. of 5.87C, becoming the 17th warmest on record, way less than the warmest in 1869 (6.77C), but higher than the 1981-2010 avg. of 4.49C; meanwhile downtown Los Angeles, Calif. fails to reach 70F in Feb. for the first time in 132+ years. On Feb. 26 Fiat Chrysler announces the opening of a new auto assembly plant in Detroit, Mich. that will employ 6.5K, becoming the first new auto plant in Detroig in almost 40 years. On Feb. 26 the United Methodist Church (2nd largest Protestant denomination in the U.S.) by 56% votes for the Traditional Plan to strengthen their ban on same-sex marriage and the ordination of LGBTQ clergy. On Feb. 26-27 Pres. Trump visits Hanoi, Vietnam (where everybody seems to have smarphones?) to hold the 2019 U.S.-North Korea Summit with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un; too bad, it collapses after North Korea refuses to commit to eliminating its entire nuclear arsenal in exchange for lifting of sanctions after the agreement is "ready to sign" (Trump), causing Trump to utter the soundbyte: "Sometimes you have to walk"; meanwhile U.S. firms sign deals worth $21B. On Feb. 27 the U.S. House votes 245-182 (unanimous Dem. vote) to block Pres. Trump's nat. emergency order but falls 45 votes short of enough to override a veto. Everybody accuses everybody else of lying, and they're probably all right? On Feb. 27 despite once claiming that he'd take a bullet for him, Pres. Trump's former "fixer" atty. (2006-18) (disbarred on Feb. 26) Michael Dean Cohen (1966-) (known for shady mob connections in his family) publicly testifies before the U.S. House Oversight Committee, throwing away the sacred atty.-client privilege to blast his former boss as a liar, con man, and racist, and offering some documentary evidence, refusing any possible pres. pardon, but uttering the soundbyte: "I saw no evidence of Russian collusion"; the Trump-hating Dems. deliberately stage this media event to upstage Trump's Vietnamese diplomatic mission, intending it to become the start of his impeachment proceedings?; Trump-hating committee chmn.(D-Md.) (1996-2019) Elijah Eugene Cummings (1951-2019) opens the hearing with a speech containing the soundbyte: "The days of this committee protecting the president at all costs are over. They're over"; U.S. Rep. (R-Ohio) (2007-) James Daniel "Jim" Jordan (1964-) delivers an opposition opening statement blasting Cohen as a "fraudster" and "convicted felon" who is a puppet of his atty., Clinton loyalist Lanny Davis, whom he accuses of orchestrating the hearing, also accusing chmn. Elijah Cummings of being a "patsy" for Cohen; Cohen claims that Trump speaks "in code" to make people lie; U.S. Rep. (D-Minn.) Rashida Tlaib has a fiery exchange with U.S. Rep. (R-N.C.) Mark Meadows, accusing him of using black Trump admin. HUD official Lynne Patton as a "prop", calling it a "racist act"; too bad, Cohen has to report to serve a 3-year prison sentence on May 6 for lying to Congress (first Congressional witness allowed to testify after being convicted of lying to them), causing the White House to label him a "disgraced felon" and "convicted liar", esp. for claiming "ongoing threats against his family" on Jan. 23, which he counters by lavishly apologizing and promising to tell the truth this time, causing Repub. reps to repeatedly blast his credibility; - until a Dem. pres. sits in the White House? On Feb. 27 a train derails and crashes into a platform at the Ramses Station in Cairo, Egypt, causing a fuel tank to explode, killing 28+ and injuring 50". On Feb. 28 The Gap, JC Penney, and Victoria's Secret announce 300 store closures; Tesla also announces the closure of "many" of its 378 dealerships in favor of online-only retail stores. On Feb. 28 after a 52-47 Senate vote confirms him, Hamilton, Ohio-born acting dir. (since July 9) Andrew R. Wheeler (1964-) (known for the soundbyte: "I believe that man has an impact on the climate but wht's not completely understood is what the impact is", and for questioning the scientific rigor of the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) becomes U.S. EPA dir. #15 (until ?). On Feb. 28 Israeli atty.-gen. Avichai Mandelblit announces that PM Benjamin Netanyahu is being indicted for bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, rocking Israel six weeks before gen. elections. On Feb. 28 Rolling stone mag. pub. its Mar. issue, with the cover Women Shaping the Future, showing U.S. Reps. Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) ("everything Trump's trying to ban"); in her interview, Omar (known for marrying her brother Elmi to foil immigration authorities, her hatred of Israel, and past support of ISIS) utters the soundbyte: "I believe that impeachment is inevitable", calling Pres. Trump a "dictator" and the notion that Vice-Pres. Pence would succeed him "terrifying". On Feb. 28 St. Thomas-born Lt. Ronaqua Russell beomes the first African-Am. female aviator to receive the Coast Guard Air Medal. In Feb. Md.-born white nationalist U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Christopher Paul Hasson (1969-) is arrested for plotting domestic terrorism incl. assassinations of Dem. politicians and media figures using biological weapons. In Feb. Saudi Arabia appoints Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud as their first female ambassador to Washington, D.C. In Feb. the Pacte Finance-Climat is pub., authored by French economist Pierre Larrouturou and French climate scientist Jean Jouzel, calling for 1T Euros to fight global warming, with the European Investment Bank (EIB) lending up to 100B Euros/year to member states and disburse grants in Europe, Africa, and the Mediterranean, with a limit of 2% of their GDP; revenue would come from a 5% tax on corporate profits above a threshold; it is backed by 600 Euro politicians from 12 countries incl. Spanish pres. Pedro Sanchez, former French PM Laurent Fabius, former French environmental minister Nicolas Hulot, and Pope Francis. On Mar. 1 the New York Times announces a secret U.S. peace proposal to the Taliban, offering to pull U.S. troops out of Afghanistan in the next 3-5 years. On Mar. 1 Wash. Dem. gov. #23 (since Jan. 16, 2013) Jay Robert Inslee (1951-) announces his candidacy for U.S. pres. in 2020, focusing on climate change, announcing that he's proud to be the first U.S. gov. to oppose Trump's Muslim ban. On Mar. 2 Pres. Trump gives a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C., becoming the longest speech of his presidency (until ?). On Mar. 3 the House Judiciary Committee announces that it will subpoena documents from 60+ people and orgs. to investigate possible obstruction and abuse of power by Pres. Trump, with Trump-hating chmn. Jerrold Nadler uttering the soundbyte: "We are going to initiate investigations into abuses of power, into corruption... and into obstruction of justice. It's our job to protect the rule of law. It's very clear that the president obstructed justice. Before you impeach somebody, you have to persuade the American public that it ought to happen", causing Pres. Trump to tweet the soundbyte about the Demonrats, er, Democrats: "Presidential Harassment by 'crazed' Democrats at the highest level in the history of our Country. Likewise, the most vicious and corrupt Mainstream Media that any president has ever had to endure - Yet the most successful first two years for any President. We are WINNING big, the envy of the WORLD, but just think what it could be?" On Mar. 4 (a.m.) Muslim Fulani jihadists attack Christian villages in the Mbacohon area of Benue State, Nigeria, killing 23 with gunfire and machetes. On Mar. 4 an EF-4 (170 mph) tornado in Lee County, Ala. leaves a track almost 1 mi. wide and kills 23 incl. three children. On Mar. 4 Pres. Trump signs an executive order allowing sea veterans from the U.S. Coast Guard, USMC, U.S. Army, and U.S. Navy to transition into the U.S. Merchant Marine. On Mar. 4 Colo. Dem. gov. John Hickenlooper announces his candidacy for U.S. pres. in 2020, promising to ramp up gun control and climate legislation. On Mar. 5 the New York Times pub. the soundbyte: "The number of migrant families crossing the southwest border has once again broken records, with unauthorized entries nearly doubling what they were a year ago, suggesting that the Trump administration's aggressive policies have not discouraged new migration to the United States. More than 76,000 migrants crossed the border without authorization in February, an 11-year high and a s trong sign that stepped-up prosecutions, new controls on asylum and harsher detention policies have not reversed what remains a powerful lure for thousands of families fleeing violence and poverty"; this after claiming that Pres. Trump lied in his State of the Union speech about there being an "urgent national crisis" at the U.S.-Mexico border; on Mar. 6 U.S. homeland defense ecy. Kirsjen Nielsen testifies before the House Committee on Homeland Security, uttering the soundbyte: "We are on track for this year for 900,000 apprehensions at the border", adding that the border control system "is clearly breaking". On Mar. 5 Hillary Clinton and Michael Bloomberg announce that they won't be running for U.S. pres. in 2020; Bloomberg announces that he's going to concentrate on "organizing and mobilizing communities to begin moving America as quickly as possible away from oil and gas and toward a 100 percent clean energy economy." On Mar. 6 Dem. House Speaker Nancy Loose Pu, er, Nancy Pelosi gives an interview to The Washington Post, uttering the soundbyte that impeaching Pres. Trump is "just not worth it" unless there's bipartisan support; "I'm not for impeachment... This is news. I haven't said this to any press person before. But since you asked, and I've been thinking about this, impeachment is so divisive to the country that unless there's something so compelling and overwhelming and bipartisan, I don't think we should go down that path because it divides the country. And he's just not worth it"; "They wanted me to impeach President Bush for the Iraq War. I didn't believe in it then, I don't believe in it now. It divides the country. Unless there is some conclusive evidence that takes us to that place" - an admission that all the allegations against Trump were shams? On Mar. 7 after pressure by Israel-hating leftists cause them to back down on calling out Dem. Rep. Ilhan Omar for a month of anti-Semitic anti-Israel rhetoric incl. accusing U.S. Jews of dual loyalties, and inviting her to help rewrite it, the Dem.-controlled U.S. House of Reps passes the watered-down 7-page Resolution 183 (unanimous Dem. yes vote, 24 Repubs. abstaining), condemning "every form of bigotry" incl. the fakey term Islamophobia (first Congressional vote on it), trying to elevate it to an equal level with anti-Semitism, causing Pres. Trump to utter the soundbyte: "I thought yesterday's vote by the House was disgraceful because the Democrats have become an anti-Israel party. They've become an anti-Jewish party, and I thought that vote was a disgrace. And so does everybody else if you get an honest answer. If you get an honest answer from politicians, they thought it was a disgrace." On Mar. 7 the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) rules that "disparaging religious doctrines" is a criminal offense not protected by freedom of speech, esp. accusing Prophet Muhammad of pedophilia. On Mar. 8 Internat. Women's Day. On Mar. 8 the players of the U.S. women's nat. soccer team file a lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation for gender discrimination, seeking equal pay with male players. On Mar. 13 Calif. Dem. gov. Gavin Newsom signs an order placing a moratorium on executions, leaving 737 murderers on death row. On Mar. 14 the U.S. Senate votes 59-41 (incl. 12 Repubs.) to block Pres. Trump's nat. emergency declaration. On Mar. 14 (eve.) Palestinian Islamic Jihad fires two rockets from Gaza at Tel Aviv, causing Israel to retaliate with strikes on 100 jihad targets. On Mar. 14 failed Dem. Tex. Sen. candidate Francis "Beto" O'Rourke announces his candidacy for 2020 U.S. pres., backing the Green New Deal and open borders, with the soundbyte that the world faces a "catastrophe" and "hundreds of millions" of climate refugees storming the borders as humanity could go extinct unless we fix the planet in 12 years; he also utters the soundbyte: "If Immigration Is a Problem, It's the Best Possible Problem for This Country to Have." On Mar. 14 the pseudo-Marxist Southern Poverty aw Center fires its 1971 founder Morris Dees for sexual and other misconduct after he builds it o $500M in assets; pres. Richard Cohen and legal dir. Rhonda Brownstein soon resign. On Mar. 15 (noon) Aussie white supremacist "eco-fascist" Brenton Tarrant (1990-), fearful of mass Muslim integration shoots up two mosques (Al Noor, Linwood) in Christchurch, New Zealand, killing 50 and injuring 19 before being captured; Abdul Aziz uses a shotgun to chase off the terrorist, which doesn't stop leftist New Zealand PM Jacina Ardern from vowing tough new gun laws; the Al Noor Mosque has been tied to terrorism in the past; the incident was a staged false flag using CGI? On Mar. 17 a 37-y.-o. Turkish Muslim immigrant Gokman Tanis stages a shooting in Utrecht, Netherlands. On Mar. 17-19 the Spring 2019 Alaskan Heat Wave sees temps hit 62F in Sitka and Petersburg on Mar. 18. On Mar. 20 47-y.-o. Senegalese immigrant bus driver Ousseynou Sy (1971-) binds the hands of 50+ children and sets it on fire with gasoline in revenge for African migrants drowned in the Mediterranean en route from Libya to Europe; police rescue all the children unharmed. On Mar. 20 (9:43 p.m. EDT) (first day of spring) the full worm equinox supermoon (perigean full moon) is the last supermoon of 2019. On Mar. 21 Pres. Trump issues an executive order requiring college campuses to protect freedom of speech or lose federal research funds - good luck with that? On Mar. 21 after pressure from environmental activists, the EU holds a heating, er, hearing to investigate ExxonMobil's alleged role in spreading misinfo. about climate change. On Mar. 21 after a 675-day $33M investigation the 300-page Mueller Report on Pres. Trump is delivered to the U.S. Dept. of Justice, confirming Trump's protestations about it being a witch hunt when Mueller doesn't recommend any further indictments?; on Mar. 24 U.S. atty. gen. William Barr writes a 4-page letter to Congress, containing the soundbyte: "The Special Counsel's investigation did not find that the Trump campaign or anyone associated with it conspired or coordinated with Russia in its efforts to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election... The investigation did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities"; instead of folding and profusely apologizing to Trump for their witch hunt, Dems. switch to a slew of obstruction investigations; on Mar. 26 Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell blocks a resolution calling for the full report to be released publicly. On Mar. 22 German authorities arrest 10 jihadists in Frankfurt Rhine-Main, Germany on suspicion of plotting an Islamist attack to use cars and guns to kill as many infidels as possible. On Mar. 23 the ISIS caliphate falls as ISIS fighters begin to emerge from tunnels to surrender. On Mar. 23 after the govt. of Mali cracks down on Islamic terror cells, Islamist ethnic Dogon jihadists massacre 160 Fulani herders in Ogossagou and Wellingara, Mali; on Apr. 19, 2019 the govt. of Mali resigns over the Ogossagou massacre of 160 Fulani herders by jihadists four weeks earlier. On Mar. 25 two 20-y.-o. Muslims are arrested in Seine-et-Marne, France and charged with a plot to massacre chidlren in a kindergarden then kill rescuing police officers. On Mar. 26 the U.S. Senate votes 57-0 to reject AOC's Green New Deal, which Dems. call a sham. On Mar. 30 the U.S. cuts off aid to the Central Am. countries of El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala after failing to stop thousands of illegal immigrants from trying to reach the U.S. On Mar. 31 the 2019 Hong Kong Anti-Extradition Bill Protests begin (end ?) against the Hong Kong Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation Bill that blurs the lines with mainland China. In Mar. U.S. unemployment is 12,821,000 (vs. 12,827,000 in Feb.), losing 6K manufacturing jobs; the U.S. govt. adds 14K jobs. In Mar. the European Parliament approves a framework calling on member states "to take measures to tackle the structural racism people of African descent face in Europe", incl. the payment of reparations for colonialism. On Apr. 1 Time mag. pub. a cover story praising upstart Marxist U.S. rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) to the skies, calling her a "phenom" who is "the best storyteller in the [Dem.] Party." On Apr. 1 after nine Repubs. on his House Intel Committee pub. a letter calling for him to resign, and Pres. Trump calls him "pencil-neck", chmn. Adam Schiff resigns, with the soundbytes: "I don't think it's OK. I think it's immoral, I think it's unethical, I think it's unpatriotic, and yes, I think it's corrupt, and evidence of collusion. I do not think that conduct, criminal or not, is OK. And the day we do think that's OK, is the day we look back and say that is the day America lost its way. The American people have spoken so I will move aside. I have no further plans to be involved with the government." On Apr. 4 the U.S. House votes to pull the U.S. out of Yemen, confirming the Senate vote, becoming the first time both Houses vote to end U.S. intervention under the War Powers Act; on Apr. 16 Pres. Trump vetoes it, becoming his 2nd veto. On Apr. 4 Albanian Muslim Fabjan Alameti (1997-) is arrested at a gun range in Mont. after talking about joining ISIS and attacking people at random to avenge the recent New Zealand mosque shooting. On Apr. 7 28-y.-o. Md. Muslim Rondell Henry (1989-) is charged with stealing a U-Haul van and plotting to plow through a crowd of pestrians at Nat. Harbor in Md. near Washington, D.C. to mimic the 2016 Nice terrorist attack. On Apr. 8 the U.S. designates the Iranian Rev. Guard as a foreign terrorist org., becoming the first time that it singles-out a part of a foreign govt. On Apr. 9 elections in Israel are a V for incumbent Benjamin Netanyahu. On Apr. 9 a Japanese F-35A fighter jet crashes into the sea off Aomori Prefecture, becoming the first known F-35A crash. On Apr. 11 after large-scale protests starting last Dec., Sudanese dictator-pres. #7 (since June 30, 1989) Omar al-Bashir (1944-) is removed from power by a military coup. On Apr. 11 after accompanying Pres. Trump during a visit to Tex. on Apr. 10, Rep. Tex. lt. gov. Dan Patrick utters the soundbyte that 1,671 bodies have been recovered inside the Tex. border with Mexico since 2011. On Apr. 11 after being arrested on May 1, 2018, Plano, Tex. Muslim Matin Azizi-Yarand pleads guilty to solicitation of capital murder and terrorist threats for plotting an attack at the Stonebriar Centre Mall in Frisco, Tex. during Ramadan, receiving concurrent 20 and 10 year sentences; he told an undercover FBI agent "I swear I want to achieve Allah's pleasure and kill the kuffar." On Apr. 11 Julian Assange is arrested by London Metro police at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, making good his promise to dump all Wikileaks files. On Apr. 14 gay Dem. South er, Bend, Ind. mayor (since Jan. 2012) Peter Paul Montgomery "Pete" Butigieg (1982-) (pr. BU-dah-jij) annnounces his candidacy for the 2020 U.S. pres. election, becoming #19, introducing his husband Chasten - jiggle my booty? On Apr. 15 (18:20 CEST) 850-y.-o. Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris partially burns down over 15 hours, taking the spire and the roof but leaving the stone foundation standing, along with the N belfry tower of "Hunchback of Notre Dame" fame; shocking France and the Roman Catholic world; the cause is not reported until ?; no mention in the PC press that Muslims have been desecrating churches all over France? On Apr. 16 Yuma, Ariz. mayor Doug Nicholls declares a state of emergency because of the surge of immigrants being released from federal detention centers. On Apr. 17 elections in Indonesia. On Apr. 17 by 12-0 the city council of Los Angeles, Calif. passes an ordinance prohibiting discrimination and bigotry, with stiff $125K fines for violators. On Apr. 18 the long-awaited 448-page Mueller Report is released, becoming a non-event, except for the fact that 10% was redacted? On Apr. 18 jihadist gunmen pull 14 passengers from buses in SW Pakistan and murder the military ones. On Apr. 19 Northern Ireland journalist Lyra Catherine McKee (b. 1990) is assassinated in Creggan, Derry by a masked repub. gunman, causing the Sinn Fein, UUP et al. to condemn it as "an attack on all the people of this community, an attack on the peace and democratic processes", calling it a "pointless and futile act to destroy the progress made over the last 20 years, which has the overwhelming support of people everywhere." On Apr. 21 (Easter Sun.) a series of jihadist suicide blasts in churches and luxury hotels in Colombo and Batticaloa, Sri Lanka by 8+ suicide bombers kill 359 and injure 500+; ISIS claims responsibility; 58+ are arrested; ringleader Zahran Hashim dies during the attack; on Apr. 28 Christian services are suspended, and Christians view services on TV. On Apr. 21 (Easter Sun.) elections in Ukraine are a V for comedian Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelensky (Zelenskyy) (1978-), who wins 73% of the vote, defeating incumbent Petro Poroshenko and becoming pres. #6 of Ukraine on May 20 (until ?); Russian pres. Vladimir Putin refuses to congratulate him. On Apr. 21-29 145 mph Cyclone Kenneth hits the Seychelles, Comoro Islands, Northern Madagascar, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Malawi, killing 48. On Apr. 22 Dem. pres. frontrunner Bernie Sanders utters the soundbyte that criminals in prison should be able to vote, incl. the Boston Marathon Bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, pissing-off pop star Cher, who earlier suggested that Los Angeles, Calif. take care of its own homeless before welcoming asylum seekers. On Apr. 23 Russian pres. Vladimir Putin and North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un hold their first-ever summit in Vladivostok. On Apr. 25 former Dem. U.S. vice-pres. #47 (2009-17) Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden Jr. (1942-) quits being sleepy long enough to announce his candidacy for U.S. pres. in 2020 (candidate #20), uttering the soundbyte: "We are in the battle for the soul of this nation", causing Pres. Trump to tweet the soundbyte: "Welcome to the race Sleepy Joe. I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign. It will be nasty - you will be dealing with people who truly have some very sick & demented ideas. But if you make it, I will see you at the Starting Gate!"; after announcing his campaign, Biden goes straight to a fundraiser co-hosted by a CEO of a major health insurance corp., refusing to sign a pledge to reject money from insurance and pharma cos. while continuing to raise money from them, ending up with a super Pac run by healthcare lobbyists bankrolling his campaign, who hope he will push through their proposal to preserve the health insurance industry's power and leave 10M Americans uninsured? On Apr. 26 Pres. Trump speaks at the annual Nat. Rifle Assoc. (NRA) meeting in Indianapolis, Ind., slamming Dems. like Bernie Sanders for wanting prisoners to vote in elections, and framing the 2020 U.S. pres. race as about freedom vs. Socialism; Trump announces U.S. withdrawal from the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty, expressing concern over 2nd Amendment rights, with the soundbyte: "Under my administration we will never surrender American sovereignty to anyone, we will never allow foreign bureaucrats to trample on your Second Amendment freedom and that is why my administration will never ratify the U.N. trade treaty." On Apr. 26 26-y.-o. Muslim convert U.S. Army Afghanistan vet Mark Steven Domingo (1993-) of Reseda, Calif. is arrested for planning a jihadist terrorist attack on the Santa Monica Pier and a United Patriot Nat. Front white supremacist rally at Long Beach Bluff Park; on Mar. 3 he posted a video containing the soundbyte: "America needs another Vegas event to give them a taste of the terror they gladly spread all over the world." On Apr. 27 (11:30 a.m.) 19-y.-o. ? shoots up Chabad of Poway Synagogue N of San Diego, Calif., shouting "All Jews must die", killing brave 60-y.-o. woman Lori Gilbert-Kaye after she steps in front of Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein to protect him, and injuring three before being arrested. On Apr. 28 parliamentary elections in Spain. On Apr. 30 22-y.-o. history major Trystan Andrew Terrell (1997-) kills two and injures four at the campus of the U. of N.C. in Charlotte before being arrested. On Apr. 30 Pres. Trump meets with Dem. leaders, and they agree in principle to spend $2T to renew U.S. infrastructure. On Apr. 30 French interior minister Christophe Castaner announces the foiling of an "extremely violent" Islamist terrorist attack with the arrest of four men after an investigation that began in Feb. In Apr. Saudi king Abdullah issues Royal Decree 44, defining "atheist thought in any form, or calling into question the fundamentals of the Islamic religion on which the country is based" as terrorism. In Apr. the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report almost 700 cases of measles in 22 states, becoming the largest outbreak since 2000, when the disease was declared to be eradicated. In Apr. U.S. unemployment is 3.6% (lowest since Dec. 1969, 3.5%), with 263K new jobs. On May 1 (night) after a visit by teenie activist Greta Thunberg, the David Attenborough documentary "Climate Change: The Facts", and an 11-day protest by the activist group Extinction Rebellion that paralyzed London, a bipartisan Nat. Declaration of an Environmental and Climate Emergency is declared by the British Parliament, becoming the first nat. govt. On May 3-5 Palestinian militants launch 690 rockets into Israel, killing four, causing Israeli air strikes in Gaza Strip that kill 22, incl. two pregnant women and Hamas moneyman Hamed Ahmed Abed Khudari; on May 6 (4:30 a.m.) an Egyptian-mediated ceasefire begins. On May 4 the 100th anniv. of the May 4th Movement in China. On May 5 elections in Panama are a narrow V (33.27%) for center-left politician (former cattle rancher) Laurentino "Nito" Cortizo Cohen (1953-), facing increasing pressure from China over the Panama Canal. On May 5, 2019 Pres. Trump threatens another $200B of tariffs on Chinese goods; Trump's Dem. archenemy Chuck Schumer backs him for once. On May 5 U.S. nat. security adviser ambassador John Bolton announces that the U.S. is deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to deter pesky Iran; on May 8 U.S. secy. of state makes a short unannounced visit to Baghdad. On May 5 155 mph Cyclone Fani (formed Apr. 26) hits Bangladesh and E India, causing 1M to be evacuated,killing 57 and causing $8.5M damage before quickly dissipating. On May 5 after an internat. outcry, the govt. of Brunei announces that it won't enforce their new law making gay sex punishable by death. On May 5 Pope Francis visits Bulgaria and North Macedonia to strengthen ties with Orthodox churches. On May 5 the Syrian govt. resumes bombing of rebel-held Idlib Province, killing and injuring dozens. On May 6 a Russian Aeroflot plane makes an emergency landing and bursts into flames after takeoff from Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow, killing 41 incl. two children out of 73 passengers and five crew. On May 6 Converse launches an ad campaign for their Pride Collection of shoes for the LGBTQ+ community, featuring 11-y.-o. "drag kid" Desmond Napoles. On May 7 (1:53 p.m.) the STEM School Highlands Ranch in Douglas County, Colo. sees two perps incl. 18-y.-o. Devon Erickson (2000-) and 16-y.-o. transgender boy Maya Elizabeth "Alec" McKinney (2002-) shoot up the school, injuring eight and killing 18-y.-o. senior Kendrick Ray Castillo (b. 2001) as he tried to disarm a gunman. On May 8 Pres. Trump announces new sanctions on Iran hours after it announcing it's relaxing some restrictions on its nuclear program, stopping just short of violating its nuclear deal with world powers; on May 9 Euro countries announce that they reject "ultimatums" from Tehran. On May 8 China gets a seat on the U.N. Forum for Indigenous Peoples, never mind their oppression of pesky Muslim Uighurs. On May 8 The New York Times pub. a report claiming that Pres. Trump's businesses lost almost $1.2B in 1985-94, making him a con artist with a fake real estate empire, causing Pres. Trump to call it "a highly inaccurate fake news hit job". On May 8 elections in South Africa focus on corruption as the top issue. On May 9 North Korea makes its 2nd missile test in one week, two short-range missiles. On May 9 the Syrian govt. captures the strategic rebel-held town of Qalaat al-Madiq in NW Syria, pushing into remaining rebel territory under a massive bombardment. On May 9 voters in Mile City Denver, Colo. narrowly (50.6%) approve Initiative 301 to decriminalize psychedelic "magic" mushrooms (psilocybin); actually possession remains illegal, but police will lower it to their lowest priority; they were only making about 50 busts/year anyway. On May 12 (Sun.) (9:00 a.m.) 30 Islamic jihadists attack a Christian church in Dablo, Burkina Faso, killing six worshipers incl. the priest before burning it to the ground. On May 12-June 30 Anheuser-Busch's Bud Light launches its "first-ever rainbow aluminum bottle to celebrate World Pride" for LGBTs. On May 13 PBS-TV debuts the episode Mr. Ratburn and the Special Someone, of the cartoon Arthur, featuring a same-sex marriage, pissing-off religious conservatives, who howl at PBS receiving taxpayer funding. On May 14 U.S. atty.-gen William Barr appoints U.S. atty. John Durham of Conn. to probe the FBI investigation into the Trump campaign. On May 15 special counsel Robert Mueller testifies before Congress, er, doesn't want to. On May 15 after the Ala. House passed it, the Ala. State Senate by 25-6 (all Repubs. voting yes) passes the House Bill 314, Ala. Human Life Protection Act, prohibiting abortion except "in cases where abortion is necessary in order to prevent a serious health risk to the unborn child's mother, with no exceptions for rape or incest, and up to 99-year prison sentences, becoming the most restrictive abortion bill in the U.S., spawning demonstrations. On May 17 the Dem.-run U.S. House of Reps passes the Equality Act, giving equal rights to gays and transgenders while trampling the rights of religious dissenters; the new law would effectively ban women's sports? On May 18 federal elections in Australia is a V for Scott Morrison's Liberal/Nat. Coalition Party, which gains 1 seat in parliament for a total of 75, vs. Bill Shorten's Labor Party, which loses four seats, for a total of 65, becoming a big D for climate action in Australia. On May 20 Massilon, Ohio-born Dem. Lori Elaine Lightfoot (1962-) becomes Chicago, Ill. mayor #56 (until ?), becoming the second woman, first black woman, and first openly gay mayor of Chicago, along with gay and woman mayor of the largest city in U.S. history (until ?). On May 20 after a rocket lands near the U.S. embassy in Baghdad overnight, Pres. Trump warns Iran not to threaten the U.S. again or it will face its "official end". On May 22 Pres. Trump invites Dem. congressional leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer to the White House for negotiations on an infrastructure bill, then abruptly exeunts stage er, left after they grandstand about the 2016 election, his tax returns, and the "I-word" (impeachment), after which Pelosi et al. meet with Dems. calling for an impeachment inquirty, then tells the press: "We do believe it's important to follow the facts. We believe that no one is above the law, including the president of the United States, and we believe that the president of the United States is engaged in a cover-up." On May 22 a Gallup Poll reveals that the percentage of Americans who believe that gay sex is acceptable has risen from 40% in 2001 to 63%, and the percentage who believe that same-sex marriage should be legal has risen from 27% in 1996 to 63%; same-sex marriage support reached 50% in 2011. On May 23-26 European Parliament elections. On May 25 a nail bomb blast in Lyon, France injures 13 incl. a 10-y.o.; police investigate it as a "terror conspiracy" without mentioning Islam or jihad. On May 25-28 the 2019 Memorial Day Heat Wave in the SE U.S. is combined with the 2019 Memorial Day Thunderstorm-Tornado Wave in the Midwest U.S. On May 26 (Sun.) (2:41 a.m.) an 8.0 earthquake hits a sparsely populated Amazon jungle area of Peru, becoming the country's largest earthquake in 12 years; it was 70 mi. deep, so it didn't do much damage. On May 27, 2019 Rolling Thunder makes its last ride in Washington, D.C. On May 28 Pope Francis gives an interview to Mexican network Televisa, uttering the soundbyte tht the U.S.-Mexico border wall is like the Berlin Wall; "We knew of one, of Berlin [Wall], and the many headaches and suffering it caused us, but it appears that man does what animals don't, right? Man is the only animal that falls twice into the same hole, right? We are returning to the same thing, right? Building walls as if it were a defense, right? Defense is dialogue, growth, acceptance and education, integration, and the healthy but human limit of 'no more than this'", saying that he would say to Pres. Trump: "He who builds walls winds up a prisoner of the walls he builds." ON May 29 after Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu fails to form a majority coalition, Israel's new Knesset votes 74-45 to disband without confirming a govt. for the first time ever. On May 29 as he closes his special prosecutor office after 2.8K subpoenas, 500 search warrants, 300 electronic communication records, and 500 witnesses, Robert Mueller finally gives an 8-min. speech on TV about his investigation, stirring the pot by giving ammo to both sides, claiming that to charge a sitting U.S. pres. with a federal crime was "prohibited" and unconsitutional, while uttering the soundbyte: "If we had had the confidence that the president had not clearly committed a crime, we would have said so", causing Dem. Harvard Law prof. Alan Dershowitz to utter the soundbyte: "Mueller has revealed his partisan bias" in favor of the Dems., and "gave a political gift to Democrats in Congress seeking to institute impeachment proceedings"; no surprise, Mueller refues to answer questions; Pres. Trump replies that Mueller is a "conflicted person" and a "true Never Trumper". On May 31 (4:08 p.m.) disgruntled employee DeWayne Antonio Craddock (b. 1978) shoots up a municipal bldg. in Virginia Beach, Va., killing 12+ incl. 11 employees and injuring five before police kill him,, becoming the deadliest mass shooting since last Nov. On May 31 a Taliban suicide car bomber detonates near a U.S. convoy in Kabul, Afghanistan, killing four and injuring three Afghans along with four U.S. service members. On May 31 U.S. off-duty Muslim Marine Pfc. Ali Al-Kazahg (1997-) of Milford, Neb. is arrested at Offutt USMC base near Honolulu, Hawaii while heavily armed, saying that he wanted to "shoot up the battalion"; no surprise, the PC authorities try to coverup the Muslim jihad angle. On May 31 Pres. Trump tweets the soundbyte: "My Administration has launched a global campaign to decriminalize homosexuality and invite all nations to join us in this effort!" On June 1 White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney announces that Pres. Trump is "deadly serious" about levying a 5% tariff on Mexican goods on June 10 if the Mexican govt. doesn't step up enforcement of illegal immigration to the U.S., causing Mexico to send reps to speak with U.S. vice-pres. Mike Pence at the White House on June 5, getting the tariff canceled on June 7 in return for promises to do what Trump says, causing White House press secy. Sarah Sanders to utter the soundbyte: "It's a sad day in America when the Mexican govt. is willing to do more for the United States' illegal immigration problem than Democrats in Congress"; Mexico follows through by deploying 15K troops to the U.S.-Mexico border. On June 1 Colo. Dem. gov. John Hickenlooper gives a speech in San Francisco, Calif. to the Calif. Dem. Party Convention, with the soundbyte: "If we want to beat Donald Trump and achieve big progressive goals, socialism is not the answer", drawing loud boos. On June 1 Disney Paris holds its first Magical Pride party celebrating LGBT Pride Month. On June 2 Cartoon Network tweets the soundbyte: "We want to wish everyone a HAPPY PRIDE and encourage all of our LGBTQ+ fans to stand proud all year long!"; the tweet incl. heart, unicorn, and gay-rainbow emojis and #pride, #happypride, #powerpuffyourself, #pridemonth, and #powerpuffgirls. On June 3 Tanzania passes a law fining people $13 for using a platic bag, and $400K and up to two years in jail for manufacturing them, becoming the 3rd East African country after Kenya and Rwanda. On June 3 self-described doctor of political science Hyram F. Suddlfluffel posts on the conservative blog FreeRepublic.com, with the soundbyte that a Dem. attempt to impeach Pres. Trump would backfire as there is zero chance of a Senate conviction, while "The President's attorneys will have the right to subpoena and question anyone they want", allowing them to expose Dem. crimes and misconduct. On June 3-5 Pres. Trump visits Britain, meeting with PM Theresa May and Queen Elizabeth II and laying a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey, attending the 75th anniv. ceremonies for D-Day; on June 4 he gives an interview to Piers Morgan on "Good Morning Britain", responding to the question "Do you personally believe in climate change?" with the soundbyte: "I believe that there is a change in weather. And, I think it changes both ways. Don't forget: it used to be called 'global warming' – that wasn't working. Then, it was called 'climate change.' Now, it's actually called 'extreme weather' - because, with 'extreme weather,' you cant miss." On June 4 the Dem.-controlled U.S. House by 237-187 passes the Yes We Can! Path to Citizenship Bill despite Pres. Trump's promise to veto it. On June 4 (Tues.) radical Candi CdeBaca wins a runoff election for city council of Denver, Colo. against council pres. Albus Brooks, immediately promising to impose Communism "by any means necessary". On June 5 the Trump admin. announces its decision to stop federal research using aborted baby parts, causing Dem. House Speaker Nancy Loose Pu, er, Pelosy, er, Pelosi to call it "a grave step backwards for America". On June 5 Pope Francis changes the phrase "lead us not into temptation" into "do not let us fall into temptation" in the Lord's Prayer (Matt. 6:13). On June 9 the Dem.-controlled Calif. state legislature votes to put illegal immigrants on Medicaid, treating it as a stab at Pres. Trump and claiming that a budget surplus will easily absorb it - rather than give it back to the legal citizens? On June 9 Pres. Trump tweets a warning to er, Twitter: "Twitter should let the banned Conservative Voices back onto their platform, without restriction. It's called Freedom of Speech, remember. You are making a Giant Mistake!" On June 9 (8:50 p.m.) retired prof. baseball player David Ortiz is attacked by paid hitman Rolfi Ferreira Cruz at the Dial Bar and Lounge in Santo Domingo, Dominican Repub. On June 9 50 Fulani Muslim jihadists attack a Christian village in Sobame Da, Mali, killing 95, burning women, children and elderly to death. On June 10 Watergate figure John Dean testifies before the Dem.-controlled House Judiciary Committee; on June 9 (night) Pres. Trump calls him a "sleazebag". On June 10 the N.Y. state legislature outlaws cat declawing, ignoring their decision in Jan. to legalize late-term abortions. On June 11 two tankers are attacked in the Gulf of Oman; Iran is suspected. On June 13 White House press secy. (since July 2017) Sarah Huckabee Sanders announces that she's leaving at the end of the month; on June 25 Melania Trump's spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham is named as her successor. On June 14 women across Switzerland strike to protest lack of workplace equality and pay. On June 14 Pope Francis speaks at a conference in the Vatican, with the soundbyte that the world has reached a "critical moment" in reacting to the threat of climate change: "Dear friends, time is running out! We cannot afford the luxury of waiting for others to come forward or of prioritizing short-term economic benefits. The climate crisis requires decisive action from us, here and now." On June 14 Sunni Muslim Syrian refugee Mustafa Mousab Alowemer (1998-) is arrested and charged with attempted bombing of the Christian Legacy Internt. Worship Center in Pittsburgh, Penn.; he had applied for a green card. On June 15 ater a string of knife and gun attacks in London kill three, Pres. Trump calls out Muslim London Mayor Sadiq Khan, calling him a "disaster" and saying that "London needs a new mayor ASAP." On June 16 Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu renames the Golan Heights after Pres. Trump. On June 17 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 7-2 in Gamble v. United States that federal and state sovereignty permits separate federal and state prosecutions for the same crime despite the Double Jeopardy Clause of the Fifth Amendment - why doesn't it prohibit double punishments? They forgot about Timbs v. Ind.? On June 18 Pres. Trump kicks off his 2010 U.S. pres. campaign at the Amway Center in Orlando, Fla. before a crowd of 20K, while the crowd chants "CNN sucks!", causing CNN to cut the feed; Trump utters the soundbyte that the Dem. Party "has become more radical, more dangerous, and more unhinged than at any point in the modern history of our country"; Trump raises $24.8M for his reelection campaign in less than 24 hours. On June 18 U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee reaches a $4.5B deal on Pres. Trump's emergency border request. On June 19 (the Rev. Guards of Iran announce the shooting-down of a U.S. drone over S Iran; the U.S. claims it was flying over internat. waters, becoming the 2nd Iranian attack on a U.S. drone in the last week, causing Pres. Trump to say that he won't "stand for it", and later admit to almost ordering a retaliatory strike before calling off 10 min. before it was due to begin after his gens. told him it would kill 150 people. On June 19 (Juneteenth) the Dem.-controlled U.S. House holds a hearing on reparations for slavery, sponsored by U.S. Rep. (D-Tex.) Sheila Jackson Lee; U.S. Rep. (R-Tex.) Louie Gohmeter brings up the little ole fact that historically the Dem. Party championed segregation and Jim Crow Laws, pissing-off the Dems.; retired NFL Oakland Raiders star Burgess Owens testifies that he quit being a Dem. hen he learned about "the misery that that party brought to my race", but believes in restitution. On June 19 the Penn. Senate passes House Bill 315 (passed by the House on Apr. 9), which makes female genital mutilation (FGM) a first-degree felony. On June 20 Chinese pres. Xi Jinping meets in North Kora with dictator Kim Jong-un on the 70th anniv. of their first diplomatic relations; a ruse to antagonize the U.S.? On June 21 the U.S. Supreme (Robert) Court rules 5-4 in Knick v. Township of Scott, Penn. to reverse their 1985 decision in "Williamson County Regional Planning Commission v. Hamilton Bank of Johnson City, allowing taking-compensation cases to be brought directly to federal court and not have to first exhaust all state-offered venues for mediation. On June 21 Am. Muslim Akram Musleh (1998-) of Brownsburg, Ind. is sentenced to eight years in federal prison after pleading guilty to attempting to provide material support to ISIS. On June 21 while preparing to announce her new book "What Do We Need Men For? A Modest Proposal", Am. journalist Elizabeth Jean (E. Jean) "Betty Jean" Carroll (1943-) pub. an article in New York mag. accusing Pres. Trump of sexual assault in fall 1995 or spring 1996 in a Bergdorf Goodman store in New York City; Trump denies ever knowing her; too bad, she sticks her foot in her mouth in an interview with Anderson Cooper, with the soundbyte: "I think most people think of rape as being sexy", and says that she won't bring charges against Trump because "I would find it disrespectful to the women who are down on the border who are being raped around the clock down there without any protection." On June 21 (night) a small skydiving plane crashes near Dillingham Airfield on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, killing nine, becoming the deadliest private plane crash since 2011. On June 23 after the news is leaked by Trump-hating acting DHS secy. Kevin McAleenan, Pres. Trump announces that he's delaying the planned deportation of 2K families in 10 cities for two weeks to give Congress yet more time to play games, er, solve the border crisis. On June 24 Pres. Trump signs an executive order placing "hard-hitting sanctions" on Iran's supreme leader et al., causing the Iranians to respond that diplomacy is over. On June 24 African-Am. Nadine Burke Harris becomes Calif. surgeon gen. #1; she is sworn-in on Feb. 11 (until ?). On June 25 Ill. gov. J.B. Pritzker signs a law legalizing recreational use of marijuana, making it state #11 after Colo. (2012), Wash. (2012), Alaska (2014), Ore. (2014), Calif. (2016), Maine (2016), Mass. (2016), Nev. (2016), Mich. (2018), and Vt. (2018), along with Washington, D.C. (2014). On June 27 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 5-4 in Rucho v. Common Cause that federal courts are powerless to hear challenges to partisan gerrymandering. On June 28-29 the G-20 Summit in Osaka, Japan sees Pres. Trump and Xi Jinping agree to restart U.S.-China trade talks, with Trump dropping $300B of planned new tariffs and permitting U.S. cos. to sell to the Chinese tech giant Huawei. On June 29 Pres. Trump makes a surprise visit to North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, becoming the first U.S. pres. to step across the DMZ into North Korean territory. On June 29 thousands protest in Madrid, Spain over the suspensions of curbs on polluting cars, becoming the first rollback of an environmental policy by a major Euro city. On July 29 New York judge John Koeltl (a Clinton appointee) dismisses la lawsuit filed by the Dem. Nat. Committee (DNC) against the Trump campaign, Wikileaks, and the Russian govt. over the hacked emails from the 2016 election, ruling that while Russia was behind the theft, the others "did not participate in any wrongdoing in obtaining the materials in the first place" and are protected by the First Amendment, while Russia can't be sued. On June 30 mass protests in Khartoum, Sudan against military rule on the 30th anniv. of Pres. Omar al-Bashir's 1989 seizure of power result in seven killed and 181 injured. On June 30 a Gallup Poll finds that 64% of Americans oppose D.C. statehood. In June 30 U.S. unemployment is 3.7% (vs. 3.6% in May), creating 224K nonfarm jobs incl. 109K for Hispanics, with a record 157,005,000 employed. On July 1 a Taliban truck bomb attack in Kaboom, Afghanistan kills 16 and injures 105 incl. 51 children and five woman. On July 1 Hollyweird star Barbra Streisand utters the soundbyte that Pes. Trump should be the first climate denier removed from office, with the non-sequitur: "Last week it was 114 in Paris and Guadalajara was buried in 3 feet of ice from a hailstorm. Climate change is here now and it is time for voters to remove the climate deniers from office, starting with Trump." On July 1 the school board of San Francisco, Calif. authorizes $600K to destroy a mural depicting George Washington at the George Washington H.S., calling it racist, although it was painted by a Communist on New Deal funding and has a message criticizing him for slavery and oppression of Indians. On July 2 there is a total solar eclipse. On July 3 monsoons begin in Assam, NE India, displacing 5.8M and killing 30 (until ?), forcing people to live on sparse food and dirty water. On July 4 Russian pres. Vladimir Putin meets with Pope Francis at the Vatican, becoming their 3rd. On July 4 an al-Shabaab suicide bomber in Mogadishu, Somalia attempts to assassinate U.S. diplomat James Swan at the mayor's office, killing and wounding several but missing him because he already left. On July 4 (11:30 a.m. local time) a 6.4 earthquake 11 mi. from Ridgecrest, Calif. near Death Valley Nat. Park between Bakrsfield, Calif. and Las Vegas, Nev. becomes the strongest in 20 years. On July 4 Pres. Trump holds his Salute to America 4th of July parade in the Nat. Mall in Washington, D.C., complete with tanks like Ike had in 1953 and JFK had in 1961, hamming it up with a speech that pisses-off leftists and Dems., containing the soundbyte: "It is the epic tale of a great nation whose people have risked everything for what they know is right and what they know is true. It is the chronicle of brave citizens who never give up on the dream of a better and brighter future. And it is the saga of 13 separate colonies that united to form the most just and virtuous republic ever conceived. On this day, 243 years ago, our Founding Fathers pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to declare independence and defend our God-given rights." On July 4 (a.m.) British Royal Marines seize the Iranian supertanker Grace I off Gibraltar for carrying oil to Syria in violation of internat. sanctions, causing Iran to accuse them of piracy. On July 7 secret diplomatic cables from U.K. ambassador to the U.S. (since Jan. 28, 2016) Sir Nigel Kim Darroch (1954-) are leaked to The Mail on Sunday, showing him calling the Trump admin. "inept and insecure", forcing him to resign. On July 9 Dem. Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom signs a bill allowing illegal aliens under the age of 25 to receive Medicaid benefits. On July 11 Pres. Trump announces an executive order to make an end-around run of the U.S. Supreme Court that won't let him ask citizenship status on the Census forms, directing all federal agencies to provide the Commerce Dept. with all records regarding the number of citizens and noncitizens in the U.S. On July 12 the U.S. Houses passes a $733B defense bill checking Pres. Trump's war powers against Iran. On July 13 (6:55 p.m. ET) a power outage in New York City on the anniv. of the big 1977 blackout caused by a transformer fire causes people in Manhattan to be trapped in elevators and leaves 45K without electricity; on July 22 another blackout causes Mayor DeBlasio to call for govt. takeover of Con-Ed; they did it to themselves by passing a Green New Deal? On July 13 immigration protesters at an ICE facility in Aurora, Colo. pull down the U.S. flag and fly a Mexican flag in its place, then pull down a Blue Lives Matter flag, spray-paint it with "Abolish ICE", and fly it upside-down, pissing-off former U.S. U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley, who utters the soundbyte: "There are no words for why the Democrats are staying silent on this." On July 14 (a.m.) Pres. Trump generates a tweetstorm dissing the four ultra-leftist "Progressive Democrat Congresswomen" (AKA the Squad) Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, and Ayanna Pressley, ending with: "Why don't they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested plces from which they came... and show us how it is done. These places need your help badly, you can't leave fast enough", causing the PC press to howl with cries of racism, when even they probably secretly agree with him?; on July 16 all the House Dems. along with four turncoat Repubs; vote 240-187 to pass a resolution to condemn Trump's "racist comments"; only Omar was born outside the U.S. (Somalia); on July 17 (eve.) Trump holds a rally in Greenville, N.C., making fun of his two-faced critics, with the soundbyte: "I think in some cases they hate our country. They never have anything good to say. That's why I say, 'Hey if you don't like it, let 'em leave, let 'em leave'", causing the crowd to chant: "Send her back!", which Trump later claims he "was not happy" with. On July 15 the Taliban kills 25 Afghan commandos in a firefight in Badghis, Afghanistan while losing 20. On July 16 Libyan PM Fayez el-Sarraj threatens the EU with 800K more migrants incl. "criminals and terrorists... unless the assault on Tripoli by warlord Khalifa Haftar ends soon". On July 16 the city council of Berkeley, Calif. becomes the first to ban natural gas in new bldgs., effective Jan. 20, authorizing a $273,341 yearly salary for a new enforcement dir.; meanwhile it announces changes to the city code to remove all gendered language, e.g., replacing manholes with maintenance holes, and all instances of he/she with they. On July 16-18 the Second Ministerial Advance to Religious Freedom in Washington, D.C., celebrating the 1998 U.S. Religious Freedom Act, hosted by the U.S. State Dept. and incl. reps from 106 nations is attended by U.S. vice-pes. Mike Pence. On July 17 after sponsor (D-Tex.) (2005-) Alexander N. "Al" Green (1947-) (who introduced articles of impeachment on May 17 over his firing of FBI dir. James Comey, then withdrew them) reintroduces articles of impeachment against Pres. Trump for his tweetstorm agianst the Squad, and forces the vote by going around Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the U.S. House votes 332-95-1 (137 Dems. against, four Repubs. for) to kill (postpone) his resolution, causing Trump to tweet the soundbytes: "I just heard that the US House of Representatives has overwhelmingly voted to kill the most ridiculous project I have ever been involved in. The resolution -- how stupid is that -- on impeachment"; "Greatest Economic BOOM in the history of our Country, the best job numbers, biggest tax reduction, rebuilt military and much more, is now OVER. This should never be allowed to happen to another President of the United States again!"; 95 Dems. vote to impeach him for "causing harm to society", not an alleged high crime or misdemeanor, meaning they should be impeached for not upholding their oath to the U.S. Constitution?; meanwhile federal prosecutors in N.Y. terminate their investigation into the Trump Org. and its alleged hush money payments to women alleging affairs with Pres. Trump despite the FBI assuring the public that they really did happen. On July 17 the U.S. suspends Turkey from its F-35 fighter jet program for accepting parts for its new Russian S-400 missile defense system. On July 17 Pres. Trump announces that a U.S. warship shot down an Iranian drone in the Strait of Hormuz. On July 18 Taliban suicide bombers attack a police HQ in Kandahar, Afghanistan, killing 12 incl. seven children. On July 18 Pres. Trump meets with U.S. airline execs hoping to take their side in a long-time dispute with Persian Gulf-based airlines, only to end up knocking them for buying jets from Euro supplier Airbus instead of Boeing, and for running their cos. so poorly that the stock prices are declining in a bull market. On July 19 Shinji Aoba (1978-) torches the Kyoto Animation studio in Tokyo, Japan, killing 34 and injuring scores, accusing them of stealing his novels. On July 19 Iranian commandos seize the British-flagged oil tanker Stena Impero in the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for the British seizing their tanker earlier in the month. On July 20 Repub. U. of Mich. student Kathy Zhu has her new Miss Mich. title revoked by the Miss World Am. competition for tweets criticizing the wearing of hijabs. On July 21 Puerto Rican gov. #12 (since Jan. 2, 2017) Ricardo Antonio Rossello (Rosselló) (1979-) resigns amid mucho jubilation, effective Aug. 2 as a result of Telegramgate (Chatgate) (RickyLeaks), the leaking of hundreds of pages of group chat from the messaging app Telegram filled with vulgar, racist, and homophobic slurs and plans to use the media to target political opponents, which caused 500K to protest in Old San Juan demanding his resignation on July 17, followed by a nat. strike of 750K-1M on July 23. On July 23 Repub. U.S. Army secy. #23 (since Nov. 20, 2017) Mark Thomas Esper (1964-) becomes U.S. defense secy. #27 (until Nov. 9, 2020). On July 23 French jihadists attack a church service in Saint-Etienne-Du-Rouvray, France, forcing a priest to his knees and slitting his throat; one jihadists was supposedly under tight govt. surveillance. On July 24 Robert Mueller testifies before the Dem.-run House Judiciary Committee, stinking himself up so bad with his poor knowledge of his own report and his near senility that he dashes Dem. dreams of a killer blow leading to Pres. Trump's impeachment, which doesn't make them give up trying; Trump says Mueller was horrible, that Repubs. "had a good day", and utters the soundbyte: "The Democrats had nothing, and now they have less than nothing." On July 25 U.S. atty. gen. William Barr issues a directive ordering the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to begin allowing capital punishment to resume, starting with five murderers, mostly child-killers. On July 25 Pres. Trump makes a phone call to Ukraine pres. Volodymyr Zelensky, asking for him "to do us a favor" by investigating political rival Joe Biden and his son Hunter, which is later blown up to a reason for impeachment by the Dems., even after Trump releases a transcript of the call on Sept. 25. On July 26 Pres. Trump announces a "safe third country" deal with Guatemala to restrict asylum claims from Central Am., calling it a "landmark agreement" that "will put the coyotes and smugglers out of business". On July 26 the U.S. House of Reps suspends talk of impeachment of Pres. Trump to go on a 46-day recess until Sept. 9. On July 26 the U.S. Supreme (Roberts) Court rules 6-3 that the Trump admin. can proceed with its plan to use $2.5B in Pentagon funds on the U.S.-Mexico border wall; dissenters incl. Ginsburg, Kagan, and Sotomayor; too bad, on Aug. 2 Obama appointee Haywood Gilliam of the 9th Circuit issues a permanent injunction blocking him. On July 27 Pres. Trump tweets the soundbyte that Baltimore, Md. is a "rat and rodent infested mess", digging into Rep. Elijah Cummings with the soundbyte: "So sad that Elijah Cummings has been able to do so little for the people of Baltimore. Statistically, Baltimore ranks last in almost every major category. Cummings has done nothing but milk Baltimore dry, but the public is getting wise to the bad job that he is doing", pissing him off and starting a flame war; on July 28 Trump tweets that Cummings is "racist", adding that iif he “ould focus more of his energy on helping the good people of his district, and Baltimore itself, perhaps progress could be made in fixing the mess that he has helped to create over many years of incompetent leadership." On July 27 Pres. Trump utters the soundbyte that the black-shirted far-left street thug activist group Antifa is under consideration for being declared a terrorist org., causing leftists in Germany to come out with the social media meme "#IchbinAntifa" (I am Antifa). On July 27-28 Boko Haram jihadists attack a funeral in Nganzai, Nigria, killing 65+. On July 28 (5:40 p.m.) 19-y.-o. Santino William Legan shoots up the Gilroy Garlic Festival in Gilroy, Calif., killing four and injuring 12 before being killed by police. On July 30 Pres. Trump utters the soundbyte that U.S. intel agencies have "run amok" while defending his replacement of Dan Coats by John Ratcliffe as dir. of nat. intel. On July 30 Pres. Trump speaks at an event commemorating the 400th anniv. of Va.'s first legislative assembly, and is interrupted by Palestinian-descent Muslim Dem. legislator Ibraheem Samirah, who shouts "You can't send us back" while flshing a sign reading "deport hate", "reunite my family", and go back to your corrupted home" - self-contradiction? On July 30 Dem. Calif. gov. Gavin Newsom signs a law barring U.S. pres. candidates esp. Donald Trump from the state's primary ballot if they don't release their tax returns - should be birth certificate, retroactive to Obama? On July 30 the Dem. Congressional Campaign Committee purges six staffers for being too white, signaling a new era in outright racial discrimination against whites. On July 31 the Federal Reserve announces an interest rate cut for the first time since 2008, a whopping 0.25%. In July the Am. Psychological Assoc. (APA) establishes a Consensual Non-Monogamy Task Force to promote "polyamory, open relationships... and swinging", pissing-off the Catholic League and the Ruth Inst. In July U.S. unemployment holds at 3.7%, adding 164K jobs; black unemployment for ages 16-19 falls to a record low of 17.7%. On Aug. 1 a burqa ban takes effect in the Netherlands after 14 years of debate. On Aug. 1 Krakow archbishop Marek Jedraszewski delivers a sermon on the 75th anniv. of the Warsaw Uprising, rejoicing that Poland is no longer tormented by the "red plague" of Soviet Communism, but lamenting that is has been replaced by the "rainbow plague" of homosexuality, with the soundbyte: "Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that 'homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.' They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved." The white supremacist terror unleashed weekend in the U.S.? On Aug. 3 (10:39 a.m.) 21-y.-o. AK-47-carrying Mexican-hating white supremacist Patrick Crusius (1999-) of Dallas shoots up a Walmart near the Cielo Vista Mall in El Paso, Tex., killing 21 and injuring 2 before being arrested by police at 11:08; he did it to save the environment? On Aug. 4 (Sun.) (1:00 a.m.) black-dressed body armor-wearing AR-15 carrying 24-y.-o. Connor Betts (b. 1995) shoots up the Ned Peppers Bar in the Oregon District of Dayton, Ohio, killing nine incl. his sister Megan and injuring 27 before being killed by police 1 min. later; he is an extreme leftist, which doesn't stop the fake news outlets from initially calling him a Trump supporter. On Aug. 4 (midnight) a car bombing in front of the Nat. Cancer Inst. in Cairo, Egypt kills 20 and injures 47; Egyptian pres. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi labels it a "cowardly terrorist incident". On Aug. 5 (11:00 a.m. EST) Pres. Trump gives a speech on the El Paso and Dayton massacres, condemning "racism, bigotry, and white supremacy" and calling for bipartisan support to fight it, with the soundbyte that hatred "warps the mind, ravages the heart, and destroys the soul", calling for red flag laws; too bad, the Dems. slam him for initially focusing on mental health rather than white supremacy, and use the opporunity to advance his immigration reform agenda. On Aug. 7 ICE conducts raids at food processing plants in Miss., arresting 680, with 200 of them having a criminal record; Pres. Trump says they will serve as a "good deterrent" to illegal immigration. On Aug. 11 British Muslim Mubashar Hussain (1990-) is arrested in Sparkbrook, Birmingham after hijacking a police car and running over a police officer. On Aug. 12 the Trump admin. announces new regulations banning welfare-dependent legal immigrants from permanently resettling in the U.S.; no surprise, 13 states file lawsuits challenging the new rule. On Aug. 12 U.S. Sen Dems. issue a warning to the U.S. Supreme Court in a brief filed in New York City, calling its conservative majority an affliction and threatening to fundamentally restructure it if the justices don't take steps to "heal" themselves. On Aug. 12 the Brazilian state of Amazonas declares an emergency after 1,699 forest fires are detected, causing the climate alarmist agitprop machine to have a field day spreading stories about global warming bringing the end of the world, despite the fires being mainly set by farmers clearing land, no extreme droughts in the region, etc.; meanwhile French pres. Emmanuel Macron and Brazilian pres. Jair Bolsonaro get into a pissing contest, ending with Bolsonary rejecting $22M in aid to fight fires from the G7 while accepting $12M from Britain. On Aug. 13 Muslim convert Mert Ney (1998-) goes on a jihadist stabbing spree in Sydney, Australia, killing a female sex worker and stabbing several others before being subdued by bystanders. On Aug. 14-15 African-Am. radical Wahhabist Muslim Maurice Hill (1993-) gets in a shootout with police in a row house in crime-ridden mainly black North Philadelphia, Penn., wounding six in a 7-hour standoff before being arrested. On Aug. 15 Pres. Trump makes an offer to purchase Greenland, which is refused. On Aug. 16 Pres. Trump receives a surprise endorsement from the conservative LGBTQ Log Cabin Repubs. On Aug. 20 the Trump admin. announces plans to freeze $4B in foreign aid to 100+ countries as part of a "recession package". On Aug. 20 Pres. Truth, er, Trump criticizes Dems. for supporting Dem. anti-Semites Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, with the soundbyte: "I think any Jewish people who would vote for a Democrat, I think it shows either a total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty", drawing a Dem. backlash. On Aug. 21 the U.N. establishes Aug. 22 as their Day of Global Recognition of Violence Against People Based on Faith. On Aug. 21 after a lawsuit brought by the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the Equity Court of South Africa bans the nat. flag of the apartheid era. On Aug. 22 Bernie Sanders announces a $16.3T climate plan building on the Green New Deal, calling for the U.S. to switch to renewable energy across the board by 2050 while declaring climate change a nat. emergency, starting with a "10-year nationwide mobilization centered on equity and humanity" that will supposedly create 20M new jobs, which doesn't sound hard after giving $2.18T in grants to low and middle income families to weatherize and refit their homes and business to reduce residential energy consumption by 30%, and spending $526B to modernize the electrical grid while investing in electric vehicles, high-speed rail, and expanded public transit; no surprise, the real goal comes out when the Green New Deal is described as an "opportunity to uproot historical injustices and inequities to advance social, racial and economic justice". On Aug. 23 Pres. Trump "hereby" orders U.S. cos. to find alternatives to Chinese suppliers in his next phase of their trade war, causing the Dow Jones Industrial Avg. to end down 600+ points (2.4%). On Aug. 23 Queens, N.Y. Muslims Asia Siddiqui and Noelle Velentzas plead guilty to planning a jihadist attack against law enforcement and military targets in the U.S. using bombs. On Aug. 24 (night) Israel stages a late-night attack on Shiite militia targets inside Syria in order to thwart a "very imminent" drone strike. On Aug. 24-26 the45th (2019) G7 Summit in Biarritz, France sees Pres. Trump and French pres. Emmanuel Macron make up and kiss; Trump calls for Russia to be readmitted to help him solve several issues, and suggests Trump Doral in Fla. as the site for the next summit, pissing-off Dems., who claim he's trying to enrich himself, causing him to reply that he won't make any money; Trump drops that idea on Oct. 19; Trump also says that he's willing to meet with Iran's pres., raising the prospect of a new nuclear deal; when asked if he still harbors climate skepticism, Trump utters the soundbyte: "I feel that the United States has tremendous wealth. The wealth is under its feet. I've made that wealth come alive. And I'm not going to lose that wealth. I'm not going to lose it on dreams, on windmills, which frankly aren't working too well. And I'm an environmentalist. A lot of people don't understand. I have done more environmental impact statements probably than anybody that's - I guess I can say definitely, because I've done many, many, many of them. More than anybody that's ever been president, or vice president, or anything even close to president. And I think I know more about the environment than most people. I want clean air, I want clean water, I want a wealthy country, I want a spectacular country with jobs, with pensions, with so many things. And that's what we're getting. So I want to be very careful. At the same time... it's very important to me - very important to me - we have to maintain this incredible - this incredible place that we've all built. We become a much richer country, and that's a good thing, not a bad thing, because that great wealth allows us to take care of people. We can take care of people that we couldn't have taken care of in the past because of the great wealth. We can't let that wealth be taken away. Clean air, clean water. Thank you very much everybody"; after which a reporter shouts: "You didn't answer the question!" On Aug. 28 at the request of British PM Boris Johnson to stop Jeremy Corbyn's plans to block Brexit, Elizabeth II prorogues Parliament weeks before the no-deal Brexit deadline, causing a firestorm of controversy the resignation of Scottish Conservative Party leader Ruth Davidson. On Aug. 29 U.S. inspector gen. Michael Horowitz releases his report on former FBI dir. James Comey, finding "no evidence" that he "released any classified information" to the press, although he "violated department or FBI policy" through "retention, handling, and dissemination of certain Memos", finding that Comey "failed to live up to this responsibility. By not safeguarding sensitive information obtained during the course of his FBI employment, and by using it to create public pressure for official action, Comey set a dangerous example for the over 35,000 current FBI employees - and the many thousands more former FBI employees — who similarly have access to or knowledge of non-public information"; too bad, although Horowitz referred him to the U.S. Justice Dept. for criminal prosecution, they decide not to, causing Comey to gloat, tweeting that he doesn't "need a public apology from those who defamed me, buta quick message with a 'sorry we lied about you' would be nice"; the White House blasts him with the soundbyte: "James Comey is a proven liar and leaker. The Inspector General's report shows Comey violated the most basic obligations of confidentiality that he owed to the United States Government and to the American people, 'in order to achieve a personally desired outcome.' Because Comey shamefully leaked information to the press — in blatant violation of FBI policies - the Nation was forced to endure the baseless politically motivated, two-year witch hunt. Comey disgraced himself and his office to further a personal political agenda, and this report further confirms that fact"; Pres. Trump tweets the soundbyte: "Perhaps never in the history of our Country has someone been more thoroughly disgraced and excoriated than James Comey in the just released Inspector General's Report. He should be ashamed of himself!" On Aug. 29 the U.S. Defense Dept. formally establishes the U.S. Space Command as the 11th unified combat command. On Aug. 31 (3:15 p.m.) recently-fired Seth Ator (1983-) is stopped by police on I-20 in Midland, Tex., and begins a rampage, killing seven and injuring 20+ incl. three police officers before being killed by police at the Cinergy Movie Complex in Odessa, Tex. In Aug. the New York Times announces the 1619 Project to reframe U.S. history to make it all about the evils of white supremacy and slavery, like U.S.-hating Marxist U.S. historian Howard Zinn would have loved. In Aug. Victoria's Secret lingerie maker features its first transgender model, Brazilian actress Valentina Sampaio. In Aug. Waterloo, Iowa-born New York Times journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones (1976-) launches the 3-hanky 1619 Project, which claims that the Am. Rev. was fought mainly to preserve slavery, and that all of U.S. history is really about blacks, with the leftist NYT attempting to push it into all schools as their only U.S. history education; no surprise, in May 2020 she is awarded a Pulitzer Prize for pure leftist moose hockey? In Aug. U.S. unemployment is 3.7%, vs. 3.7% in July; U.S. employment reaches a record 157,878,000, an increase of 529,000; black unemployment hits a record low of 5.5%; Hispanic unemployment is 4.2%. On Sept. 1 (early a.m.) Fulani Muslim jihadists in Wum, Nigeria butcher Bible translator Angus Abraham Fung to death and kill six otehrs, severing his wife's arm. On Sept. 1 (Sun.) (World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation), Pope Francis writes the soundbyte that this is "a season to reflect on our lifestyles" incl. how we "act like tyrants with regards to creation", calling for "prophetic actions" to save the Earth by adopting "more simple and respectful lifestyles" and "abandon our dependence on fossil fuels" while moving "quickly and decisively towards forms of clean energy and a sustainable and circular economy", concluding: "Melting of glaciers, scarcity of water, neglect of water basins and the considerable presence of plastic and microplastics in the oceans are equally troubling, and testify to the urgent need for interventions that can no longer be postponed. We have caused a climate emergency that gravely threatens nature and life itself, including our own." On Sept. 1 AFL-CIO pres. Richard Trump, er, Richard Trumka appears on Fox News, criticizing Pres. Trump, complaining about his new USMCA trade deal with Canada and Mexico and for taking on China "the wrong way", pissing Trump off and causing him to criticizing him back, tweeting the soundbytes that he "likes what we are doing until the cameras go on" and "The workers will vote for me in 2020 (lowest unemployment, most jobs ever), and should stop paying exorbitant $ Dues. Not worth it!" On Sept. 2 USMC Gen. Jim "Mad Dog" Mattis gives an interview to NPR, blasting ex-U.S. vice-pres. Joe Biden for aiding the rise of ISIS by insisting on the total withdrawl of U.S. troops from Iraq, with the soundbyte: "You may want a war over. You may declare it over. You may even try to walk away from it. But the bottom line is the enemy gets a vote, as we say in the military, and we simply have got to understand that terrorism is going to be an ambient threat." On Sept. 2 U.S. envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalizad announces on a Kabul TV station that the U.S. has reached a draft deal with the Taliban to pull out 5K U.S. troops within 5 mo.; meanwhile during the interview, the Taliban stages a suicide truck bomb and gunfire attack in Green Village near the Green Zone in Baghdad, killing 16+ and injuring 110+. On Sept. 2 (Labor Day) a 75-ft. boat bursts into flame off Santa Cruz Island, Calif., killing all 34 aboard. On Sept. 5 Pope Francis visits Mozambique, meeting with 24 Jesuits and endorsing a 2017 essay criticizing relations between Evangelical Protestants and Roman Catholics in the U.S. as an "ecumenism of hate", suggesting that the Protestants "cannot really be defined as Christian." On Sept. 9 the U.S. Dept. of Justice announces a 5-count indictment of Russian Diversity Visa Lottery immigrant Muslim Ruslan Maratovich Asainov (1976-) for conspiracy to provide material support to ISIS. On Sept. 10 after their battles never end, Pres. Trump fires hawkish U.S. nat. security advisor John Bolton after 17 mo. On Sept. 10 coalition and Iraqi forces carry out airstrikes against Quanus Island on the Tigris River S of Mosul, Iraq in Salahuddin Province that is believed to be an ISIS safe haven. On Sept. 11 (18th anniv. of 9/11) the Taliban fires missiles at the U.S. embassy in Kabul and the Bagram AFB. On Sept. 12 Roger Hallam et al. of Extinction Rebellion (XR) are arrested the day before a planned drone attack on Heathrow Airport to push for action on global climate change. On Sept. 12 Tex. Southern U. hosts a Dem. pres. debate; Joe Biden declines to support reparations for slavery, preferring investments in the education system; too bad, he utters the soundbyte: "Social workers help parents deal with how to raise their children. It's not that they don't want to help, they don't know what to play the radio, make sure the television - excuse me, make sure you have the record player on at night, the - make sure that kids hear words, a kid coming from a very poor school - a very poor background will hear 4 million words fewer spoken by the time we get there. " On Sept. 14 Shiite Houthi rebels attack the world's largest oil processing facility in Saudi Arabia, costing it 5M barrels/day of crude production (half the kingdom's total output), causing oil prices to soar; Pres. Trump blames Iran, which denies knowledge; on Sept. 18 U.S. secy. of state Mike Pompeo calls it an act of war by Iran, after which Pres. Trump sends U.S. troops and aid to Saudi Arabia and UAE, pissing-off Nancy Pelosi, who utters the soundbyte: "Trump's plan to accelerate the delivery of military equipment to Saudi Arabia & UAE, and to deploy additional U.S. forces in the region is the latest outrageous attempt by the Trump Admin to circumvent the bipartisan will of Congress. These unacceptable actions are cause for alarm"; after a 20% intra-day price surge, the crude oil price quickly returns to pre-attack levels, and fears of falling prices and oversupply return. On Sept. 14 West African block leaders announce a pledge of $1B to combat al-Qaida, ISIS and other jihadists in the region. On Sept. 16 Pres. Trump's approval rating tops Pres. Obama's for the same point in their admins., reaching 44.1%, vs. 43.9% for Obama on Sept. 16, 2011. On Sept. 17 (Tues.) after failure to form a govt. caused Netanyahu to dissolve the Knesset in Apr., elections in Israel see Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu of the Likud Party go for a 5th term after promising to annex the West Bank admid a corruption scandal, vying with his rival Benny Gantz of the Blue and White Party, while Avigdor Lieberman of the secular anti-Orthodox Yisrael Beitenu Party waits in the wings. On Sept. 19 Morristown, N.J. Muslim Alexei (Hassan) "Rachid" Saab (1977-) is charged with nine counts of providing material support to Hezbollah incl. scouting jihadist attack locations. On Sept. 19, 2019 CNN airs the segment US Navy confirms UFO videos are the real deal, complete with videos. On Sept. 20 New York City mayor Bill de Blasio drops out of the U.S. pres. race. On Sept. 22 police in Chennai, India raid the house of M. Diwan Mujipeer for conspiring to form a jihadist gang called Ansarulla, with the intention of establishing Islamic rule in India. On Sept. 22 (Sun.) Pres. Trump speaks in Houston, Tex. before a crowd of 50K mainly Indian-Ams., welcoming Indian PM Narendra Modi while hundreds of millions in India watch on TV, bringing the audience to its feet with a mention of the threat of "radical Islamic terrorism". On Sept. 23 the 2019 U.N. Climate Action Summit in New York City is attemded by 100+ world leaders; Pres. Trump drops by at the start, cutting in front of Greta Thunberg, but doesn't speak, then leaves to attend a meeting on religious freedom, preparing to address the U.N. Gen. Assembly on Sept. 24; Greta Thunberg gives her well-rehearsed, outgoing speech (impossible for an Assburger sufferer, although Trump's upstaging act might have made her speech more anger-filled?), with the big soundbyte: "My message is that we'll be watching you. This is all wrong. I shouldn't be up here. I should be in school on the other side of the ocean. Yet you come to us young people for hope. How dare you. You have stolen my dreams, my childhood with your empty words, and yet I'm one of the lucky ones. People are suffering, people are dying, entire ecological systems are collapsing. We're in the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can talk about is the money and eternal fairy tales of economic growth. How dare you? For more than 30 years the science has been crystal clear. How can you look away and come here saying you're doing enough when the politics and solutions needed are nowhere in sight? You say you hear us and that you understand the urgency. But no matter how sad and angry I am, I really want to believe that, because if you really understood the situation and kept on failing to act, you would be evil, and that I refuse to believe"; French education minister Jean-Michel Blanquer utters the soundbyte: "One shouldn't create a generation of people depressed over the subject of climate change"; meanwhile Thunberg and 15 other children file a complaint with the U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child against Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany, and Turkey for failing to act against climate change; meanwhile #ShutDownDC sees dozens of climate protesters disrupt traffic in usually-deadlocked Washington, D.C. On Sept. 24 after a scandal involving U.S. vice-pres. Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden in Ukraine emerges, the Dems. try to twist it with an announcement by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that an impeachment investigation for Pres. Trump is being started over a July 25 phone call to new (since May 20) Ukrainian pres. #6 Volodymyr Zelensky where he merely asks if he would investigate them, with the double-standard soundbyte "No one is above the law", even when no "quid pro quo" is discovered in the transcripts, which causes a 5,500% spike i lookups for the term in the Merriam-Webster online dictionary; on Sept. 25 Pres. Trump meets with Zelensky at the U.N., and they hold a press conference, where Zelensky confirms that Trump put him under no pressure; meanwhile on Sept. 25 the U.S. Justice Dept. clears Trump for violating campaign finance laws; on Sept. 27 Trump tweets the soundbyte: "If that perfect phone call with the President of Ukraine isn't considered appropriate, then no future President can EVER again speak to another foreign leader!"; too bad, it is revealed that three Dem. Senators asked Ukraine to investigate Trump in May 2008; also it is revealed that the U.S. Senate approves a 1998 treaty with Ukraine allowing the U.S. pres. to ask Ukraine for legal assistance in criminal matters. On Sept. 29 Pres. Trump tweets the soundbyte: "If the Democrats are successful in removing the President from office (which they will never be), it will cause a Civil War like fracture in this Nation from which our Country will never heal", quoting Pastor Robert Jeffress, pissing-off the PC press with its truth? In Sept. the U.S. exports more oil than it imported for the first time in over 70 years, giving Pres. Trump a victory to crow about. In Sept. U.S. unemployment is 3.5% (vs. 3.7% in Aug.), with the economy creating 136K jobs; the lowest unemployment rate since Dec. 1969 (3.5%). On Oct. 1 the Trump admin. U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security ends their "catch and release" program for illegal immigrants from Mexico incl. families. On Oct. 3 Repub. House minority leader Kevin McCarthy calls on House speaker Nancy Pelosi to suspend the Dems.' impeachment inquiry into Pres. Trump, calling it "reckless", with the soundbyte: "Unfortunately, you have given no clear indication as to how your impeachment inquiry will proceed - including whether key historical precedents or basic standards of due process will be observed. In addition, the swiftness and recklessness with which you have proceeded has already resulted in committee chairs attempting to limit minority participation in scheduled interviews, calling into question the integrity of such an inquiry." On Oct. 4 jihadists attack a gold mining site in Dolmande, Soum Province, N Burkina Faso, killing 20. On Oct. 6-17 the Vatican Pan-Amazon Synod seeks to secularize the Church and make it more palatable to Amazon natives, causing Cardinal Raymond Burke to call it an "apostasy" that "cannot become the teaching of the Church". On Oct. 7 Pres. Trump defends his Oct. 6 decision to pull U.S. troops out of N Syria after talking to Kurd-hating Turkish pres. Recep Tayyip Erdogan even though that opens it up for a Turkish assault on U.S.-backed Kurds, claiming that even though they helped the U.S. defeat ISIS, they were paid "massive amounts of money" for it, and that U.S. troops "are not a police force"; after bipartisan criticism, Trump tweets Turkey to leave the Kurds alone or he will "obliterate" their economy; also, Europe won't help, and the U.S. isn't going to hold thousands of ISIS fighters in Guantanamo Bay; too bad, on Oct. 9 Turkey attacks the Kurds in NE Syria to eliminate a "terrorist corridor", causing the U.N. Security Council to meet to discuss the situation; on Oct. 11 Turkey bombs U.S. forces in Kurd-held Kobani, Syria, calling it a mistake; on Oct. 14 the Syrian Kurds cut a deal with Bashar al-Assad to surrender their dream of autonomy for protection from the Turks. On Oct. 7 (night) Syrian illegal immigrant Mohammed O hijacks a commercial truck and drives it into a line of waiting cars in Limburg (near Frankfurt), Germany, injuring seven. On Oct. 8 Pres. Trump tweets that Hillary Clinton should run against him again in 2020, causing her to reply: "Maybe there does need to be a rematch. I mean, obviously, I can beat him again" - talk about being in denial? On Oct. 9 (Yom Kippur) a neo-Nazi attacks a synagogue in Halla, Germany, killing two while livestreaming his attack. On Oct. 10 Colo. experiences its first snowstorm of the season, with temps dropping 60F (80F to 20F) in one day, but soon warming back up, bringing gorgeous Indian summer; meanwhile in N Calif. Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) initiates a power blackout in N Calif. to prevent wildfires after environmentalists make them liable in court even with flimsy evidence, which doesn't stop wildfires in Saddle Ridge, Calif. et al., as the blackouts are extended to S Calif.; by Oct. 11 the 2019 Los Angeles Wildfire grows to 5K acres, causing the evacuation of 100K; the blackouts are really a conspiracy to impeach Trump, and only Repub. neighborhoods had their power cut-off? On Oct. 11 (eve.) Pres. Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Lake Charles, La., uttering the soundbyte: "We've been living through this so-called insurance policy because they know we are putting a stop to their pillaging and their plundering and their hoaxes. The radical Democrats policies are crazy. Their politicians are corrupt. Their candidates are terrible. They know they can't win an election so they are pursuing an illegal, invalid, and unconstitutional bullshit impeachment." On Oct. 13 (Sat.) The New York Post pub. a report on a Fox News poll released earlier in the week that claims that 51% of registered voters want Pres. Trump impeached and removed from office, claiming it misrepresented the facts. On Oct. 14 Pres. Trump announces tariffs on Turkey for attacking the Kurds and destablizing NE Syria, with the soundbyte: "I am fully prepared to swiftly destroy Trump's economy if Turkish leaders continue down this dangerous and destructive path." On Oct. 14 Pres. Trump announces that he hasn't yet watched a video aired last week at his Doral Miami Resort showing him shooting and stabbing anti-Trumpers in the news media, but "strongly condemns" it - with a smile on his face? On Oct. 16 the U.S. House of Reps votes 354-60 to condemn Pres. Trump's troop pullout from NE Syria; House Speaker storms out of a meeting with Pres. Trump after receiving a drumming-down about being in bed with Commies and being a "third-rate politician", pissing-off Repubs. for walking out on a U.S. pres.; Trump tweets a photo of her standing and pointing commandingly at her commander in chief before walking out; she claims he lost it, and he claims she lost it, but she is the one to walk out; meanwhile on Oct. 16 a Economist/YouGov Poll reveals that 57% of Repubs. support Trump's decision. On Oct. 16 U.S. Navy SEALs retake a power plant in Azerbaijan from suspected Armenian loyalists, who turn out to be Iranians, pissing-off the Armenians, who accuse CBS-TV of airing Azeri propaganda. On Oct. 17 amid raging forest fires, protests in Lebanon over planned gasoline, tobacco, and phone taxes. On Oct. 18 Egypt unveils their biggest ancient coffin in over a cent., 30 sealed colored 3K-y.-o. wooden coffins from Luxor in good condition, all of male and female priests and children. On Oct. 21 (Mon.) elections in Canada. On Oct. 22 Russian pres. Vladimir Putin and Turkish pres. Recep Tayyip Erdogan reach an agreement to remove Kurdish fighters from NE Syrian border eras and establish joint patrols. On Oct. 22 the British Parliament votes 329-299 to grant preliminary approval to PM Boris Johnson's Brexit deal, but later votes 322-308 to not fast-track it to leave the EU by the Oct. 31 deadline. On Oct. 23 25 U.S. House Repubs. storm the closed basement room where the Trump-hating Dems. led by Adam Schit, er, Schiff are meeting to frame trump on impeachment charges, claiming that they're actually staging an unconstitutional coup d'etat. On Oct. 25 (Sun.) amid massive debt and soaring inflation despite a $56B IMF bailout in 2014, elections in Argentina. Big Daddy bagged dead four days before Halloween? On Oct. 27 (Sun.) (10:00 a.m. EST) after the tweet "Something very big has just happened", Pres. Trump announces the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi during an overnight U.S. Army Delta Force and Ranger forces raid in Idlib Province in NW Syria, setting off a suicide bomb after being cornered in a dead-end tunnel, going out "whimpering and crying", saying he "died like a dog and coward", taking his three children with him; his named successor Abu al-Hasan al-Muhajir is killed in an air strike hours after Baghdadi; too bad, on Oct. 27 former U.S. nat. intel dir. James Clapper gives an interview to CNN's "State of the Union", warming that the death could "galvanize" ISIS, and "I don't think we can say at this point that we can stop worrying"; the military operation was named by JCS chmn. Gen. Mark Milley after Kayla Mueller, who was tortured to death in 2015; on Oct. 31 ISIS announces their new leader #2 (until Feb. 3, 2022) Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi (nee Amir Mohammed Abdul Rahman al-Mawli al-Salbi) (1976-2022) and vows revenge on the U.S. On Oct. 29 Joe Biden is denied communion at Saint Anthony Roman Catholic Church in Florence, S.C. by the pastor Father Robert Morey because "any public figure who advocates for abortion places himself or herself outside of Church teaching." On Oct. 31 the extended deadline for Brexit arrives. On Oct. 31 the Dem.-controlled U.S. House votes 232-194 along party lines (1 independent yea, 2 Dems. and 1 Repub. abstain) to authorize an impeachment inquiry for Adam Schiff, er, Pres. Trump; Nancy Pelosi votes yea; Pres. Trump is several moves ahead in the chess game, and is setting them up for the Repubs. to take the House in 2020 while he is reelected, allowing him to railroad a trainload of legislation? In Oct. Pres. Trump utters the soundbyte that becoming U.S. pres. cost him money: "Whether I lost $2 billion, $5 billion, or less, it doesn't make any diference. I'm doing this for the country. I'm doing this for the people", causing the anti-Trump press to call him a liar who'se really enriching himself in office like their people Nancy Pelosi et al.; too bad, on Sept. 9, 2020 Forbes releases its new Forbes 400 List, listing Trump's worth as $2.5B, from a high of $3.7B in 2016 and $3.1B in 2017, dropping 77 spots from 275th richest person in the U.S. to 352, causing leftist Trump-hating CNN to finally admit that he's been losing money as pres. In Oct. U.S. unemployment is 3.6% (vs. 3.5% in Sept.), adding 128K new jobs; black adult and teen unemployment are at historic lows. On Nov. 1 Beto O'Rourke drops out of the U.S. pres. race. On Nov. 1 (noon) Islamic jihadists attack an army post in Indelimane, Menaka, N Mali, killing 53 soldiers and one civlian before retreating toward Niger. On Nov. 1 after getting tired of harassment by Dem. leaders, Pres. Trump announces that he will change his permanent residence from "shithole" New York City to Mar-a-Lago, Fla. after his presidency, with the soundbyte that he loves New York until N.Y. gov. Andrew Cuomo and NYC mayor Bill de Blasio ruined it. On Nov. 4 cartel gunmen ambush a Mormon family in Bavispe, Sonora, Mexico, killing three women and six children, and injuring six more children, causing Pres. Trump to tweet the soundbyte: "This is the time for Mexico, with the help of the United States, to wage WAR on the drug cartels and wipe them off the face of the earth. We merely await a call from your great new president!", causing Mexican pres. Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to politely decline, calling war the worst way to deal with the cartels because those who have lived it know it; on Nov. 10 several Mormon families evacuate Sonora. On Nov. 8 Pres. Trump speaks at a rally in Atlanta, Ga. announcing the Black Voices for Trump Coalition in an effort to gain black voters. On Nov. 10 13.5K march in Paris to protest "Islamophobia" three days before the commemoration of the 2015 Paris Massacre of 131. On Nov. 11 (Mon.) Pres. Trump becomes the first U.S. pres. to attend the Veterans Day Parade in New York City, giving a speech praising U.S. Special Forces for bagging dead al-Baghdadi, calling U.S. military personnel "The bravest, toughest, strongest, and most virtuous warriors ever to walk on Earth." On Nov. 13 the U.S. House begins impeachment hearings for Pres. Trump, which he won't even watch, calling it a "sham"; impeachment czar Adam Schiff blows it when U.S. Rep. (R-Tex.) (2015) John Lee Ratcliffe (1965) asks witness William "Bioll" Taylor what crime Trump committed on the July 25 Ukraine call, and he can't answer?; on Nov. 15 Bozo, er, Schiff interviews fired Ukrainian ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, and brings up a recent Trump tweet, trying to lead her into claiming that it constitutes witness intimidation not freedom of speech, even though he is the one reading it to her for the first time; anti-Trump journalist Chris Wallace utters the soundbyte that if you weren't moved by her testimony, "you have no pulse". On Nov. 13 Venice, Italy floods, becoming the worst since Nov. 4,1966; Mayor Luigi Brugnaro blames climate change; the Washington Post pub. the soundbyte: "The sea level has been rising even more rapidly in Venice than in other parts of the world. At the same time, the city is sinking, the result of tectonic plates shifting below the Italian coast. Those factors together, along with the more frequent extreme weather events associated with climate change, contribute to floods." On Nov. 14 after becoming triggered by the Dec. 2017 death of his alcoholic father, 16-y.-o. student Nathaniel Berhow pulls a semi-automatic pistol from his backpack at Saugus H.S. in Santa Clarita, Calif., killing two students and injuring three before fatally shooting himself; after mistaking him for a victim, police engage in a fruitless manhunt. On Nov. 14 after becoming the winner of a disputed election on Oct. 20 and enduring weeks of protest, Bolivian pres. Evo Morales resigns. On Nov. 15 protests in Iran over high fuel prices cause the govt. to shut off the Internet. On Nov. 18 the Trump admin. announces the reversal of the Carter-Obama policy of declaring Israeli settlement in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) illegal. On Nov. 19 after news that the state's top oil regulators had vested interests in major oil cos., Calif. Dem. Gov. Gavin Nuisance, er, Newsom announces a statewide moratorium on new fracking permits. On Nov. 21 richer-than-Trump New York City billionaire Michael Bloomberg switches from the Repub. to the Dem. Party, and launches his campaign for 2020 U.S. pres., disgusting Bernie Sanders. On Nov. 25 Pres. Trump signs the U.S. Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act (PACT) making cruelty to animals a feveral crime, with a max. sentence of seven years - one dog year? On Nov. 29 (Black Fri.) (2:00 p.m.) an Islamist jihadist stabbing attack at London Bridge in London, England by Pakistani immigrant Usman Khan kills two and injures several before bystanders subdue him with a fire extinguisher and a narwhal task and police shoot the bum after he exposes a fake suicide belt; he had been released from jail 1 year ago and required to wear an electronic tag, and pulled the knife at a rehab event; meanwhile another jihadist stabbing attack at the Grote Marktstraat in The Hague, Netheerlands injures three. In Nov. U.S. unemployment falls to 3.5% (vs. 3.6% in Oct.), lowest in 50 years, adding 266K jobs. On Dec. 3 Dem. Calif. Sen. Kamala Harris drops out of the U.S. pres. race. On Dec. 3-4 the Trans-Atlantic Military Alliance Summit at Buckingham Palace in London. On Dec. 6 (6:51 a.m.) Saudi aviation student Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani goes jihadist at a classroom in Pensacola Naval Air Station in Fla., killing three and injuring eight before being shot and killed by police, because no guns are permitted on military installations; six Saudi nationals are detained for questioning; no surprise, the U.S. govt. attempts a coverup? On Dec. 8 the 2019 (68th) Miss Universe Pageant in Atlanta, Ga. is won by Zozibini Tunzi (1993-) of South Africa, who becomes the first black Miss Universe since 2011; the first year that all four major U.S.-based beauty pageants are won by black women, incl. Miss America 2019 (Nia Franklin), Miss Teen USA 2019 (Kaliegh Garris), and Miss USA 2019 (heslie Kryst). On Dec. 9 (2:11 a.m. local time) steamy White Island Volcano (AKA Whakaari) in New Zealand erupts unexpectedly, killing 6+ and injuring 30+. On Dec. 9 the Washington Post pub. The Afghanistan Papers, an expose in the style of "The Pentagon Papers", revealing that U.S. officials knew all along that the Afghanistan War was unwinnable, along with the pipe dream of turning it into a satellite of Washington, D.C. complete with a statue of George Washington, i.e., a U.S.-style federalist democracy with free market economy, causing all the U.S. presidents from Bush Jr. to Trump to regularly lie to the Am. people about military progress. On Dec. 10 two gunmen shoot up a cemetery and a kosher supermarket in Jersey City, N.J. before dying in an hours-long shootout with police. On Dec. 10 the U.S. House Dem. unveil two articles of impeachment: abuse of power, and obstruction of them, er, Congress; meanwhile Dem. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announces an accord with the Trump admin. on the USMCA trade deal with Mexico and Canada, and Pres. Trump signs an executive order targeting college anti-Semitism. On Dec. 10 West African national Bampumim Teixeira (1986-) is convicted of the murder of South Boston, Mass. physicians Richard Field (49) and his fiancee Lina Bolanos (38) on their apt. on May 5, 2017; Teixeira didn't help his case by shouting in the courtroom "You better hope I don't get out of jail" to Field's family. On Dec. 11 both houses in India pass a controversial immigration bill that excludes Muslims, causing protests in New Delhi on Dec. 15, spreading to West Bengal; on Jan. 26 millions form a human chain in Kerala to protest the citizenship law. On Dec. 11 U.S. Inspector-Gen. Michael Horowitz addresses the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, claiming that the FBI did nothing illegal regarding the massive anti-Trump coup, only a few irregularities incl. the use of confidential sources (informants) and undercover employees (secret agents) on three targets in the 2016 Trump U.S. pres. campaign, causing committee chmn., U.S. Repub. Sen. Lindsy Graham to utter the soundbyte: "People at the highest level of our government took the law into their own hands. And when I say defraud the FISA court, I mean it. To your team, you were able to uncover and discover abuse of power I never believed would actually exist in 2019." On Dec. 12 the leftist govt. of Finland under Social Dem. PM Sanna Marin appoints its first woman-majority cabinet, consisting of 12 women and seven men, all but one rosy-cheeked millennials. On Dec. 12 (12-12) (12:12 a.m. Mountain Std. Time) the last full moon of the decade; 12 represents the harmony of yin and yang in Chinese lore. On Dec. 12 after Conservative PM Boris Johnson calls a snap election to decide the fate of Brexit with the hope of winning the mandate to "get Brexit done", the 2019 U.K. Gen. Election sees Johnson win 365 seats (43.6%) vs. 203 (32.2%) for Labour Party head Jeremy Corbyn, 48 (3.9%) for Nicola Sturgeon of the Scottish Nat. Party, and 11 (11.6%) for Jo Swinson of the Liberal Dems. On Dec. 12 Danish police arrest 20 in Copenhagen, Denmark for planning an Islamic terror attack. On Dec. 12 Islamist militants attack a military base in W Niger, killing 71+ soldiers and inuring 12. On Dec. 13 (Fri.) in a speedy hearing, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee votes a straight party ticket 24-17 to send the impeachment articles for vote by the full House. On Dec. 13 Saudi U. of N.M. engineering student Hassan Alqahtani (1992-) is arrested after the FBI learns of his list of people he wants to kill before leaving the U.S. On Dec. 16 the U.S. Supreme Court grants Pres. Trump's petition to take jurisdiction over the Dem.-controlled U.S. House's attempt to subpoena his personal financial and tax records, causing Harvard U. law prof. Alan Dershowitz to say that this makes impeachment article 2 null and void, and any attempt to vote on it an abuse of power by the House. On Dec. 16 700+ historians release a Historians' Statement on the Impeachment of Donald Trump, containing the soundbyte: "It is our considered judment that if President Trump's misconduct does not rise to the level of impeachment, then virtually nothing does." On Dec. 16 a Quinnipiac U. Poll reveals a 43% approval rating for Pres. Trump, up 5 points since Oct., with voters more enthusiastic about their personal economic situations than at any time in the last 18 years. On Dec. 17 as the Dem.-controlled U.S. House diddles around about voting for his impeachment without even accusing him of a specific crime, Pres. Trump sends a letter to Dem. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, with the soundbyte: "I write to express my strongest and most powerful protest against the partisan impeachment crusade being pursued by Democrats in the House of Representatives", calling their shenanigans "an unprecedented and unconstitutional abuse of power", adding: "You have cheapened the importance of the very ugly word, impeachment!", attacking Pelosi for a "alse display of solemnity" during the partisan process, concluding: "While I have no expectation that you will do so, I write this letter to you for the purpose of history and to put my thoughts on a permanent and indelible record"; Pelosi calls the letter "ridiculous". On Dec. 17 FISA court judge Rosemary Collyer issues an FISC opinion that the FBI intententially misled the FISA court with incomplete and false info. used to obtain warrants against Trump campaign adviser Carter Page. On Dec. 17 two brothers, Khaled khayat and Mahmoud Khayat are sentenced to a total of 76 years in Sydney, Australia for a plot to blow up an Etihad Ariways flight from Sydney to Abu Dhabi with a bomb hidden in a meat grinder. On Dec. 18 the U.S. House passes the two articles of impeachment against Pres. Trump, with two Dems. defecting on article 1 (abuse of power) (230-197) and three on article 2 (obstruction of Congress) (229-198); House Speaker preludes the vote by reading the pledge of allegiance in front of a poster of a U.S. flag while wearing black; when announcing the passage of article 1, she makes a mother-like gesture to the Dems. to not cheer; she then refuses to send the articles to the Senate, making all kinds of excuses while everybody knows they're a sham and won't go anywhere?, sending U.S. Sen. Dem. minority leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to punt for her, calling for the Senate to call yet more witnesses before voting, to which U.S. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) responds that in Pres. Clinton's 1999 impeachment trial there was unanimous agreement to follow a set procedure, and he's not going to change it for him; the 3rd U.S. pres. impeachment (1868, 1999). On Dec. 18 Washington Post reporter Rachael Bade "Merry Impeachmas from the WaPo team!", causing a firestorm of controversy that makes her flop and start 'splaining. On Dec. 19 the U.S. House by 385-41 passes the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA); 38 Dems., 2 Repubs., and 1 Independent vote no. On Dec. 19 U.S. Rep. (D-Mi.) Debbie Doorbell, er, Dingell disses Pres. Trump for saying that her dead hubby Rep. John Dingell was "looking up" at him from Hell after she voted for his impeachment. On Dec. 20 the Calif. Dept. of Finance releases a report giving the pop. of calif. at 39.96M, with a net loss of 39.5K, becoming the first time that more people are leaving Calif. than moving in since the 2010 census. On Dec. 21 Algerian military chief lt. Gen. Ahmed Gaid Salah dies of a heart attack, leaving the country in turmoil after days of pro-democracy protests calling for a regime change. On Dec. 21 Christianity Today ed. Mark Galli pub. an editorial calling for Pres. Trump's removal for being "morally unfit", pissing-off mag. founder Billy Graham's son Franklin Graham and Trump, who note that Trump won 81% of the evangelical vote in the 2016 U.S. pres. election. On Dec. 22 30 ISWAP jihadists block a major highway near Gasarwa, Maiduguri, NE Nigeria, killing six and abducting 100 after demanding identification. On Dec. 24 a a jihadist attack in Arbinda, N Burkina Faso kills seven soldiers and 35 civilians, mostly women; on Dec. 25 an ambush in Hallale, N Burkina Faso kills 11 soldiers. On Dec. 25 Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris misses its midnight Christmas mass for the first time since the French Rev. in 1789. On Dec. 25 Pope Francis delivers his 2019 Christmas Address, claiming that "rigid" conservative Catholics are creating a "minefield" of "hatred". On Dec. 26 an annular solar eclipse ("ring of fire") is visible from South Asia. On Dec. 28 an al-Shabab truck bomb in Mogadishu, Somalia kills 79. On Dec. 28 a machete attack in a private Jewish Hannukkah celebration at the home of Rabbi Chaim Rottenberg in Monsey, N.Y. by Grafton Thomas injures two; after skipping, he is found by police 2 hours later in his car 30 mi. NW of Manhattan, covered with blood; he praised the Black Hebrew Israelite movement. On Dec. 29 a shotgun murderer at the West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, Tex. kills two before pistol-packing hero Jack Wilson shoots and kills him, later uttering the soundbyte: "I feel like I killed evil." On Dec. 30 a Gallup Poll shows Pres. Trump and Pres. Obama tying for most admired man in the U.S. at 18%. On Dec. 31 hundreds of protesters attack the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, Iraq to protest U.S. bombing of Hezbollah munitions and weapons depots in Iraq and Syria in response to a rocket attack that killed a U.S. contractor and injured four other Am. service members. In Dec. U.S. unemployment is 3.5% (same as Nov.), adding 145K jobs, with a record 158,803,000 employed, 1.85M more than a year ago. In Dec. the COVID-19 (Coronavirus 2019) Epidemic (Pandemic) begins, giving the global Marxists their big opening to grab unprecedented power, which they gleefully hold onto as long as they can until the death rates dropped too low to justify forced lockdowns, firings for refusing vaccination, etc.; too bad, despite massive Big Tech censorship the news begins coming out that the masks didn't work and the vaccines have serious side effects that actually increased the mortality rate. The Union of South Am. Nations (UNASUR (founded May 23, 2008) eliminates tariffs on sensitive products, establishing a single South Am. common market. British troops stationed in Germany since WWII finally leave. The Larsen B Ice Shelf finally collapses. The Fourth Reich, based on Eugenics and long secretly run from America makes its move using the uber-popular Schwarzenegger family - TLW, Schwarzen Auger: Dark Eyes of Evil. Los Angeles is overcrowded and rains all the time - 1982 Ridley Scott film Blade Runner. Architecture: On Sept. 25 $63B Beijing Daxing Internat. Airport (AKA Starfish) 29 mi. S of Tiananmen Square on the border of Beijing and Langfang, Hebei Province opens, becoming Beijing's 2nd largest airport, with its 11M sq. ft. terminal becoming the largest single-structure terminal on earth, sitting on 18 sq. mi. of land, making it the world's largest airport (until ?). The $1.23B 1,008m Jeddah Tower in Saudia Arabia (begun Apr. 1, 2013) is completed, becoming the tallest bldg. on Earth (until ?), and the first to reach 1km. Sports: On Jan. 6 the 9-7 Philadelphia Eagles defeat the hot 12-4 Chicago Bears 16-15 after Bears kicker Cody Parkey (#1) misses a 43-yard field goal in the final seconds. On Jan. 20 (Sun.) the 2018-2019 NFC Championship sees the Los Angeles Rams defeat the New Orleans Saints 26-23 in OT after an officiating mistake with 45 sec. left in a 20-20 game sees Rams defensive back Nickell Robey-Coleman head-butt Saints receiver Tommylee Lewis at the 7-yard line and not get called, raising outcries from coaches and fans in vain; if they made the call, the Saints could have run the clock down and sent Will Lutz to kick a field goal and won 23-20; the league office didn't want a small-town team to be in the Super Bowl in place of a big-town team? On Feb. 20 star Duke U. basketball player Zion Williamson experiences a blowout of his Paul George 2.5 model Nike shoe less than 1 min. into a game against archrival U. of N.C.; he returns on Mar. 15 in a modified Kyrie Irving 4 model. On Apr. 11-14 the 2019 Masters Tournament sees Tiger Woods win for the 5th time, putting him one back of Jack Nicklaus and one ahead of Arnold Palmer, becoming his first majors win in 11 years and first Masters win in 14 years; he hugs his children after the win, reminding fans of when he hugged his father in 1997. On Apr. 19 the New York Yankees announce that they're ending their tradition of playing Kate Smith's rendition of "God Bless America" during the 7th-inning stretch because of her alleged racism; their own is conveniently ignored? On May 4 the 145th (2019) Kentucky Derby is won by 4-1 favorite Maximum Security, who is disqualified for interfering with War of Will on the final turn in favor of 65-1 longshot Country House, who becomes the 2nd biggest longshot winner since 1913; Maximum Security's owners file suit challenging the decision. On May 18 the 144th (2019) Preakness Stakes is won by 6-1 War of Will, who finished 7th in the Kentucky Derby; Bodexpress throws jockey John R. Velazquez at the starting gate and finishes 13th; Country House was withdrawn on May 7 after his trainer detected a virus; Maximum Security declines to run. On May 26 the 2019 (103rd) Indianapolis 500 is won by Simon Pagenaud (1984-) of France after a duel with 2016 winner Alexander Rossi, becoming the first French driver to win since Gaston Chevrolet in 1920, and first polesitter to win since Helio Castroneves in 2009. On May 26-June 9 the 2019 (123rd) French Open of Tennis at Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France features a 5-hour match on June 2 (Sun.) between Swiss player Stanislas "Stan" Wawrinka (1985-) and way younger Greek player Stefanos Tsitsipas (1998-), which is won by Wawrinka after Tsitsipas lets his famous 1-handed backhand ("best in the game" - John McEnroe) fly past him, and the referee rules that it hit the line. On May 30-June 13 the 2019 NBA Finals (first with games played outside the U.S.) sees the world turned upside down as the 58-24 Toronto Raptors (coach Nick Nurse) defeat the 57-25 Golden State Warriors (coach Steve Kerr) 4-2, meaning that basketball is no longer America's sole possession?; MVP is Kawhi Leonard of the Raptors. On June 7-July 7 the 2019 (8th) FIFA Women's World Cup of Soccer is won 2-0 by the U.S. over Netherlands, with U.S. stars Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan each scoring a goal; anti-Trumper lesbian Rapinoe refuses to sing the U.S. nat. anthem before the final game in protest. In Nov. the Houston Astros sign stealing scandal begins when Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drelich pub. a story in The Athletic, about how the Astros used a video camera in center field to steal opposing teams' signs during the 2017 season, during which they won the World Series, causing the MLB to open an investigation in Jan. 2020, finding the Astros $5M and taking away their 1st and 2nd round draft picks for 2020 and 2021, also suspending gen. mgr. Jeff Luhnow and field mgr. A.J. Hinch for the 2020 season, causing the Astros to fire the; Boston Red Sox mgr. Alex Cora is fired for masterminding the scheme while serving as Hinch's bench coath in 2017; Carlos Beltran is fired from the New York Mets for being named in the report; the most severe sanctions issued by the MLB against a member club until ?. Nobel Prizes: Peace: Abiy Ahmed Ali (1976-) (Ethiopia) [ending the 20-year postwar territorial stalemate between Ethiopia and Eritrea]; Lit.: Peter Handke (1942-) (Germany); Physics: Philip James Edwin "Jim" Peebles (1935-) (Canada) and Michel Gustave Edouard Mayor (1942-) (Switzerland) and Didier Patrick Queloz (1966-) (Switzerland) [discovery of exoplanet orbiting a Sun-like star]; Chem.: John Bannister Goddenough (1922-) (U.S.), Michael Stanley Whittingham (1941-) (U.S.) and Akira Yoshino (1948-) (Japan) [lithium-ion batteries]; Med.: William G. Kaelin Jr. (1957-) (U.S.) and Sir Peter John Ratcliffe (1954-) (U.K.) and Gregg Leonard Semenza (1956-) (U.S.) [cellular reactions to hypoxia]; Econ.: Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee (1961-) (U.S.) and Esther Duflo (1972-) (U.S.) and Michael Robert Kremer (1964-) (U.S.) [experimental approach to alleviating global poverty]. Inventions: On Jan. 1 the unmanned NASA New Horizons space probe (launched Jan. 19, 2006) makes a close approach to the Kuiper belt object 2014 MU69 AKA Ultima Thule 4B mi. from Earth and 1B mi. beyond Pluto. On Jan. 3 (10:26 a.m. BJT) the Chinese Chang'e-4 spacecraft lands in Van Karman Crater on the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the dark (far) side of the Moon, becoming a first. On Oct. 18 (Fri.) the all-female spacewalk is completed by NASA astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir; Pres. Trump phones them in space. On Oct. 20 Australian airline Qantas completes a test-run of the longest nonstop commercial passenger flight on Earth, from New York to Sydney in a Boeing 787-9 with 49 aboard in 19 hours 16 min. Science On Jan. 3 researchers at the U. of Ill. and USDA pub. an article in Science reporting on a breakthrough that bypasses the wasteful photorespiration process to increase crop growth by 40%, predicting that it will be used in agriculture in 10+ years. On Jan. 8 the Am. Psychological Assoc. (APA) issues guidelines on men and boys, linking the "masculinity ideology" to homophobia and misogyny, with the soundbytes: masculinity ideology is defined as "a particular constellation of standards that have held sway over large segments of the population, including: anti-femininity, achievement, eschewal of the appearance of weakness, and adventure, risk, and violence"; "Traditional masculinity ideology has been shown to limit males' psychological development, constrain their behavior, result in gender role strain and gender role conflict and negatively influence mental health and physical health." On Jan. 10 after first detecting them in 2016, scientists detect powerful new energy bursts from deep space, giving believers in ET life a boost until the source is traced to two colliding stars. On Jan. 24 David Kring of the Lunar and Planetary Inst., Munir Humayun of Fla. State U. et al. pub. a study in Earth and Planetary Science Letters, announcing the discovery of a 2-cm chip embedded in Moon rocks returned by Apollo astronauts that is actually a 4B-y.-o. fragment of Earth - more proof that the Apollo Moon landings were fake? On Jan. 28 MIT scientists pub. an article in BMC Evolutionary Biology announcing a reliable new way to determine when certain groups of bacteria appear in the evolutionary record. On Feb. 4 Jeroen Raes et al. of the Flanders Inst. of Biotechnology pub. an article in Nature Microbiology announcing that many gut bacteria incl. Coprococcus and Dialister can produce compounds that act on the nervous system, producing depression et al. On Feb. 21 Shuichi Hoshika et al. pub. an article in Science mag. announcing the creation of a DNA-like molecule with eight nucleotide letters suitable for storage and transmission of info. On Mar. 4 Kevin Pichler et al. pub. the paper Random anti-lasing through coherent perfect absorption in a disordered medium, announcing the start of work on building an anti-laser that can perfectly absorb light of a given wavelength. On Mar. 29 Anne McClain and Christina Koch become the first to make an all-woman spacewalk, leaving the ISS to upgrade its batteries for seven hours. On Apr. 10 scientists from the Event Horizon Telescope release the first-ever image of a black hole, in galaxy M87 55M l.-y. from Earth. On May 20 (World Metrology Day) the Gen. Conference on Weights and Measures (GCWM) unanimously adopts a new quantum definition of the kilogram, replacing the old one that stood for 130 years. On June 4 Amy Wagers et al. of Harvard U. pub. an article in Cell Reports reporting that stem cell genes can be edited in living systems rather than in a dish. On July 2 Arnold Kriegstein of UCSF and Suzana Herculano-Houzel of the Federal U. of Rio de Janeiro pub. an article in Science finally explaining the human brain gyrification, finding that a thick cortex is much harder to convolute - that's why dumb people are thick-headed? On July 9 the Cleveland Clinic of Ohio announces the first successful delivery of a baby from the transplated womb of a dead donor. On July 10 Rajan Sekhon et al. of Clemson U. pub. an article in The Plant Cell reporting a study of senescence in maize, finding 2 genes that determine whether it will stay green via sugar molecules sending senescence signals after they are not moved away from the leaves where they are being made via photosynthesis, narrowing it down to 6-carbon sugars. On July 19 Thomas Russell et al. of the U. of Mass. pub. an article in Science announcing the creation of the first permanent liquid magnets. On Oct. 23 Google unveils its Sycamore quantum computer, which solved a highly contrived problem in 200 seconds that a supercomputer would need 10K years to solve, achieving "quantum supremacy". On Oct. 28 Eva K.F. Chan, Axel Timmermann et al. pub. the paper Human origins in a southern African palaeo-wetland and first migrations in Nature mag., claiming that modern humans originated 200K years ago in wetlands S of the Zambezi River in S Africa. In Dec. the Coronavirus Pandemic begins in Wuhan, China; by Feb. 10 there are 42,850 confirmed cases and 1,015 confirmed deaths; it was created in a laboratory 280 years from the Wuhan market? The European Spallation Source (ESS) in Lund, Sweden begins operation, becoming the world's most powerful pulsed neutron source (until ?). The human brain will be successfully simulated by a supercomputer, according to IBM. The $1.6B Extreme Light Infrastructure Ultra-High Field Facility (ELI) in Europe is finished, delivering 200 petawatts at a target for a trillionth of a sec. in hopes of ripping spacetime apart to prove the existence of virtual particles in the quantum vacuum, unravel extra dimensions, and find the root of dark matter. Art: Jani Leinon, McJesus (sculpture); causes hundreds of Christians to violently protest in front of the Haifa Museum of Art in Israel on Jan. 11. John McNaughton, Crossing the Swamp; a ripoff of "Washington Crossing the Delaware" starring Pres. Trump and members of his admin. Lorenzo Quinn, Building Bridges (monumental sculpture of six pairs of hands joining over the Arsenale in Venice); made for the 58th Venice Biennale. Movies: Sydney Pollack's Amazing Grace (Apr. 5) (Warner Bros.) features Aretha Franklin recording her 1972 live eponymous album; filmed in 1972 and relegated to a vault; does $5.79M box office; a favorite of Pres. Obama. Ric Roman Waugh's Angel Has Fallen (Aug. 23) (Millennium Media) (Lionsgate), #3 in the Fallen series stars Gerard Butler as U.S. Secret Service agent Mike Banning, who is framed on an attempted assassination of Pres. Allan Trumbull (Morgan Freeman), and breaks loose to find the real culprits, discovering a Deep State conspiracy led by Salient Global dir. Danny Huston, his former Army Ranger teammate; Piper Perabo plays Banning's wife Leah; Jada Pinkett Smith plays FBI agent Helen Thompson; does $104.3M box office on a $40M budget. Anthony Russo's and Joe Russo's Avengers: Endgame (Marvel Studios) (Walt Disney Studios) stars Josh Brolin as evil superbeing Thanos from Titan, who uses the six Infinity Stones to kill half of all life in the Universe as a good environmental move, causing the Avengers to have to go back in time to set things right, incl. Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man, Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/Hulk, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton/Hawkeye, Don Cheadle as James "Rhodey" Rhodes/War Machine, Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man, and Brie Larson as Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel); Bradley Cooper plays raccoon bounty hunger Rocket; Gwyneth Paltrow plays Stark's wife Virginia "Pepper" Potts; Tilda Swinton plays the ancient One; does $643.7M box office on a $400M budget. Anna Boden's and Ryan Fleck's Captain Marvel (Mar. 8) (Marvel Studios) (Walt Disney Studios) stars Brie Larson as former USAF fighter pilot Carol Danvers, who fights to save the galaxy; does ? box office on a $152M budget. Tom Hooper's Cats (Dec. 20) (Monumental Pictures) (Universal Pictures) is based on the musical, starring Jennifer Hudson as Grizabella, Taylor Swift as Bombalurina, Idris Elb as Macavitya, James Corden as Bustopher Jones, Rebel Wilson as Jennyanydots, Ian McKellen as Gus the Theatre Cat, and Judi Dench as Old Deuteronomy. Hans Petter Moland's Cold Pursuit (Feb. 8) (Summit Entertainment), a remake of the 2014 Norwegian film "In Order of Disappearance" stars Liam Neeson as mythical ever-snowing Kehoe, Colo. snowplow driver Nels Coxman, who systematically kills the entire gang of drug king Trevor "Viking" Calcote (Tom Bateman), spiced up by dark humor; does $76.3M box office on a $60M budget. Jim Jarmusch's The Dead Don't Die (May 14) (Focus Features) is a zombie comedy film about the town of Centreville, which is experiencing strange phenomena culminating with zombies; stars Bill Murray as police chief Cliff Robertson, Adam Driver as officer Ronald "Ronnie" Peterson, Chloe Sevigny as officer Minerva "Mindy" Morrison, Tilda Swinton as Zelda Winston, Steve Buscemi as Farmer Miller, and Danny Glover as Hank Thompson. Michael Engler's Downton Abbey (Sept. 13) (Perfect World Pictures) (Carnival Films) (Focus Features), based on the BBC-TV series set in 1927 sees a lily white cast enthrall a mainly lily white audience with visions of the glory days; stars Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern as the Earl and Countess of Grantham, Simon Jones as George V, and Gerldine James as Queen Mary; does ? box office on a $13M budget. Vince Gilligan's El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (Oct. 11) (Sony Pictures), an epilogue to the TV series stars Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman, who turns into a Rambo. Adam Robitel's Escape Room (original title: "The Maze") (Jan. 4) (Columbia Pictures) (Original Film) (Sony Pictures) is a psychological horror film starring Taylor Russell as Zoey Davis, Logan Miller as Ben Miller, Jay Ellis as Jayson Walker, Deborah Ann Woll as Amanda Harper, Tyler Labine as Mike Nolan, and Nik Dodani as Danny Khan, who volunteer to be locked into the Minos Escape Room Facility for the chance to win $10K, and end up in a life or death struggle; Yorick van Wageningen plays the Gamemaster; "Saw plus Cube?"; "Everyone is dying to play"; does $24.2M box office on a $9M budget. Waad Al-Kateab's For Sama (Mar. 11) (PBS Frontline) (Channel 4 News) (ITN Productions) documents the journey of the director and her hubby Hamza Al-Kateab, one of the last doctors left in Aleppo as they try to raise their young daughter Sama; does $662K box office; becomes the most-nominated feature documentary of BAFTA (4 categories). M. Night Shyamalan's Glass (Jan. 18) (Buena Vista Internat.) (Blinding Edge Pictures) (Blumhouse Productions) (Universal Pictures) (Walt Disney Studios), a sequel to "Unbreakable" (2000) and "Split" (2016) (#3 in the Unbreakable/Eastrail 177 Trilogy) stars Bruce Willis as David Dunn AKA The Overseer, Samuel L. Jackson as Elija Price AKA Mr. Glass AKA The Mastermind, and ripped James McAvoy as Kevin Wendell Crumb AKA The Horde (Collective); does ? box office on a $20M budget. Neil Jordan's Greta (Sept. 6) (Sidney Kimmel Entertainment) (Focus Features) stars Isabelle Huppert as Hungarian piano teacher Greta Hideg, whose handbag is found on the subway by Am. waitress Frances McCullen (Chloe Grace Moretz), who ends up in a box; does $1.6M box office on a ? budget. Martin Scorsese's The Irishman (Sept. 27) (TriBeCa Productions) (Netflix) is a gangster flick starring Robert De Niro as aging Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino) assassin Frank Sheeran, who is released from prison and placed in a nursing home, reminiscing about his youth; a flop, it does $8M box office on a $159M budget; a favorite of Pres. Obama. Chad Strahelski's John Wick 3: Parabellum (May 17) (Summit Entertainment) (Thunder Road Pictures) (Lionsgate). Todd Phillips' Joker (Aug. 31) (DC Films) (Village Roadshow Pictures) (Bron Creative) (Warner Bros.) stars Joaquin Phoenix as failed stand-up comedian Arthur Fleck AKA Joker, becoming Joker film actor #7; Robert De Niro plays talk show host Murray Franklin; does ? box office on a $65M budget. Destin Daniel Cretton's Just Mercy (Sept. 6) (Warner Bros.); based on the NYT bestselling memoir by Bryan Stevenson; stars Michael B. Jordan as Bryan Stevenson as civil rights atty., Brie Larson as his legal partner Eva Ansley, and Jamie Foxx as Ala. Death Row inmate Walter "Johnny D." McMillan, who he fights to get released; does $50.4M box office on a $25M budget. Greta Gerwig's Little Women (Dec. 7) (Sony Pictures Releasing) is the 7th film adaptation of the 1868 Louisa May Alcott novel, showing the women chafing at the feminist bit, starring Saoirse Ronan as Jo, Emma Watson as Meg, Florence Pugh as Amy, Eliza Scanlen as Beth, and Laura Dern as Marmee; does $191.3M box office (incl. $105.8M in the U.S. and Canada) on a $40M budget. Noah Baumbach's Marriage Story (Aug. 29) (Heyday Films) (Netflix) stars Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson as married stage director Charlie Barber and actress Nicole Barber going through a coast-to-coast divorce; Laura Dern plays Nicole's atty. Nora Fanshaw; does $2.3M box office on an $18M budget; a favorite of Pres. Obama. F. Gary Gray's Men in Black International (June 11) (Columbia Pitures) (Amblin Entertainment) (Sony Pictures) stars Chris Hemsworth as Agent H, Tessa Thompson as Agent M, and Liam Neeson as MIB U.K. branch head High T; does $253.3M box office on a $110M budget. Roland Emmerich's Midway (Nov. 8) (Centropolis Entertainment) (Entertainment One) (Lionsgate) about the 1942 Battle of Midway, filmed in Hawaii stars Aaron Eckhart as Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle, Woody Harrelson as Adm. Chester W. Nimitz, dennis Quaid as vice Adm. William "Bull" Halsey, and David Hewlatt as Adm. Husband E. Kimmel; does $123M box office on a $100M budget. Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (May 21) (Columbia Pictures) (Sony Pictures Releasing), about the days before the Tate-LaBianca murders stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Hollyweird actor Rick Dalton, Brad Pitt as his stunt double Cliff Booth, Margot Robbie as Sharon Tate, Dakota Fanning as Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, Rafal Zawierucha as Roman Polanski, Austin Butler as Charles "Tex" Watson, and Damon Herriman as Charles Manson; does $373.2M box office on a $96M budget. Bong Joon-ho's Parasite (May 21) (CJ Entertainment) (Neon) is about a poor family who infiltrate a wealthy family and you know what off of them, becoming gory; does $205.4M box office on a $11.4M budget, sweeping the Oscars; a favorite of Pres. Obama. Nicholas McCarthy's The Prodigy (Feb. 8) (Orion Pictures) (Vinson Films) stars Jackson Robert Scott as Miles, who is possessed. Dexter Fletcher's Rocketman (May 16) (New Repub. Pictures) (Marv Films) (Rocket Pictures) (Paramount Pictures) stars Taron Egerton as British gay pop star Elton John AKA Reginald Kenneth "Reggie" Dwight (b. 1947), Jamie Bell as his straight songwriter friend Bernie Taupin; does $25M box office on a $40M budget. Steven Knight's Serenity (Jan. 25) (Global Road Entertainment) (Aviron Pictures) is a sexy neo-noir thriller starring Matthew Mcconaughey as Baker Dill, Anne Hathaway as his ex-wife Karen, Diane Lane as Baker's new babe ?, and Jason Clarke as Karen's husband ?. J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: Episode IX (Dec. 20) (Lucasfilm Lrd.) (Bad Robot Productions) (Walt Disney Studios) is the 3rd and final installment of the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy and the 9th and final installment of the Star Wars film franchise. Ben Falcone's Super Intelligence (New Line Cinema) (Warner Bros.) (Dec. 25) stars Melissa McCarthy as Carol Peters, who fights an AI with attitude. Ahnuld finally kills the Terminator franchise with a self-fulfilling title? Tim Miller's Terminator: Dark Fate (Oct. 23) (Paramount Pictures) (20th Cent. Fox) (Skydance Media) stars Linda Hamilton aging Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), who watches her son John killed by a T-800 in Livingston, Guatemala in 1998, then in 2020 has to fight an advanced female Rev-9 Terminator with the help of cybernetically-enhanced human soldier Grace (Mackenzie Davis) and aging humanized T-800 Carl (Arnold Schwarzenegger) to save future Resistance Cmdr. Daniella "Dani" Ramos (Natalia Reyes); too bad, it's totally woke after James Cameron surrendered to Hollyweird feminists?; "Welcome to the day after judgment day"; too bad, it's a box office flop ($202.9M box office on a $196M budget plus $54M promotion), with a dismal $29M opening, causing Christian Toto of Hollywood in Toto to declare old fart Ahnuld box-office poison. Jordan Peele's Us (Mar. 8) (Monkeypaw Productions) (Blumhouse Productions) is a psychological horror film starring Lupita Nyong'o and Winston Duke as married black couple Adelaide and Gabriel "Gabe" Wilson, who have to deal with strangers in their beachhouse called the Tethered who are their doppelgangers; does ? box office on a $20M budget. Ruben Fleischer's Zombieland: Double Tap (Oct. 18) (Columbia Pictures) (Pariah) (Sony Pictures) stars Woody Harrelson as Tallahassee, Jesse Eisenberg as Columbus, Emma Stone as Wichita, and Abigail Breslin as Little Rock, fighting evolved zombies; does ? box office on a ? budget. Adam Shankman's What Men Want (Feb. 8) (Will Pakcer Productions) (BET Films) (Paramount Pictures), a remake of the 2000 film "What Women Want" stars Taraji P. Henderson as sports agent Ali Davis, who gains the ability to hear men's thoughts. Novels: Sarah Blake, Naamah; reimagining of the Noah's Ark story. Robert Harris, The Second Sleep (Aug. 20); it's said to be the year 1468, but it's really the future, after an apocalypse has shrunk Western societies to the horse-and-buggy age. "All civilizations consider themselves invulnerable; history warns us that none is." Neal Stephenson (1959-), Fall; or Dodge in Hell; the Internet is nicknamed the "Miasma", and the haves pay human editors to curate the Web and clean their online info. Plays: Poetry: Giorgio de Chirico, Geometry of Shadows; tr. Stefania Heim. Nonfiction: Debbie Almontaser, Leading While Muslim: The Experiences of American Muslim Principals After 9/11. E. Jean Carroll (1943-), What Do We Need Men For? A Modest Proposal (July 1). Joe Dixon, The Mandarin Effect: The Crisis of Meaning (July 17); by a member of the Pythagorean Illuminati, which claims that everything in the Universe is made of ontological mathematics? Rex J. Fleming, The Rise and Fall of the Carbon Dioxide Theory of Climate Change (June 25); a complete review of the role of CO2 in Earth's atmosphere by an atmospheric scientist, concluding that it has no role in climate change, which is really caused by the Sun and cosmic rays. Mary Grabar, Debunking Howard Zinn: Exposing the Fake History That Turned a Generation Against America (Aug. 20). Nikki Haley (1972-), With All Due Respect: Defending America with Grit and Grace (Nov. 12); claims that secy. of state Rex Tillerson and White House chief of staff Gen. John Kelly took her aside and tried to get her to undermine Pres. Trump, calling it unconstitutional. Sophie Hannah, How to Hold a Grudge: From Resentment to Contentment?The Power of Grudges to Transform Your Life (Jan. 1). Jerome Hudson, 50 Things They Don't Want You to Know (Sept. 17). Dahr Jamail (1968-), The End of Ice: Bearing Witness and Finding Meaning in the Path of Climate Disruption (Jan. 15); Am. journalist details his mountaineering travels that encountered melting glaciers, generalizing it into general grief about the inevitable doom of climate change. Ibraham X. Kendi, How to Be an Antiracist (Aug. 20). Michael T. Klare, All Hell Breaking Loose: The Pentagon's Perspective on Climate Change (Nov. 12). Christopher Leonard, Kochland: The Secret History of Koch Industries and Corporate Power in America. Mark Levin (1957-), Unfreedom of the Press (May 21). James N. Mattis (1950-) and Bing West, Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead (Sept. 3); spares Trump while lashing Bush and Obama. Andrew McCabe (1968-), The Threat: How the FBI Protects America in the Age of Terror and Trump (Feb. 19); why he is the good guy for protecting the Am. people from evil dictator Trump and terror, not necessarily in that order. Gretchen McCulloch, Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language (July 23). Tatiana McGrath, Woke: A Guide to Social Justice (Mar. 7); the new "Howl"? Bill McKibben, FALTER: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out? (Apr. 16). Antonio J. Mendez, The Moscow Rules: The Secret CIA Tactics That Helped America Win the Cold War (May 21); by the spymaster who inspired the film "Argo". Patrick J. Michaels (1950-0 and Terence Kealey (eds.), Scientocracy: The Tangled Web Of Public Science And Public Policy. Richard Panek, The Trouble with Gravity: Solving the Mystery Beneath Our Feet (July 9). Star Parker and Richard Manning, Necessary Noise: How Donald Trump Inflames the Culture War and Why This Is Good for the Future of America (May 7). Michael Rectenwald, Google Archipelago: The Digital Gulag and the Simulation of Freedom (June 15); the threat of a new corporate state power. Susan Rice (1964-), Tough Love: My Story of the Things Worth Fighting For (autobio.) (Oct. 8); a favorite of Pres. Obama. Cardinal Robert Sarah, Evening Draws Near and the Day is Nearly Over; claims that the "West will disappear" due to mass Muslim immigration, that "Islam will invade the world" and "completely change culture, anthropology, and moral vision". Peter Schweizer (1964-) (ed.), The Fall of the Berlin Wall: Reassessing the Causes and Consequences of the End of the Cold War (Dec. 4). Lee Smith, The Plot Against the President: The True Story of How Congressman Devin Nunes Uncovered the Biggest Political Scandal in U.S. History (Oct. 29); "Investigative journalist Lee Smith uses his unprecedented access to Congressman Devin Nunes, former head of the House Intelligence Committee, to expose the deep state operation against the president - and the American people." Ebony Elizabeth Thomas, The Dark Fantastic: Race and the Imagination from Harry Potter to the Hunger Games (May 21). Donald Trump Jr. (1977-), Triggered: How the Left Thrives on Hate and Wants to Silence Us (Nov. 5); NYT bestseller. Richard K. Vedder, Restoring the Promise: Higher Education in America (May 1); promises to get it out of its hopeless mess. Shoshana Zuboff, THe Age of Surveillance Capitalism. Births: English royal heir #10 Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor on May 6 (5:26 BST); son of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle; first biracial baby in British monarchy history; dual citizen of the U.S. and U.K. Deaths: Jan. 2 is a bad day to be 76? Am. "Captain & Tenille" singer Daryl Dragon (b. 1942) on Jan. 2 in Prescott, Ariz. Am. prof. wrestling announcer Mean Gene Okerlund (b. 1942) on Jan. 2. Am. "Super Dave Osborne" actor Bob Einstein (b. 1942) on Jan. 2 in Indian Wells, Calif. (leukemia). U.S. secy. of defense #14 (1977-81) Harold Brown (b. 1927) on Jan. 4 in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. (pancreatic cancer). Am. women's rights activist Bernice Sandler (b. 1928) on Jan. 5 in Washington, D.C. Am. architect Florence Knoll (b. 1917) on Jan. 25 in Coral Gables, Fla.: "I am not a decorator. The only place I decorate is my own house." German biophysical chemist Manfred Eigen (b. 1927) in Gottingen; 1967 Nobel Chem. Prize. U.S. Rep. (D-Mich.) (1955-2015) John Dingell (b. 1926) on Feb. 7 in Dearborn, Mich. (prostate cancer); longest-serving Congressperson in U.S. history (until ?). Am. baseball player-mgr. Frank Robinson (b. 1935) on Feb. 7 in Los Angeles, Calif. (bone cancer). Am. actress Verna Bloom (b. 1938) on Jan. 9 in Bar Harbor, Maine. Am. "Stringfellow Hawke in Airwolf" actor Jan-Michael Vincent (b. 1944) on Feb. 10 in Asheville, N.C. (cardiac arrest). Puerto Rican prof. wrestler Pedro Morales (b. 1942) on Feb. 12 in Perth Amboy, N.J. (Parkinson's). Am. pollster Patrick Cadell (b. 1950) on Feb. 16 in Charleston, S.C. (stroke). Am. "The Monkees" musician Peter Tork (b. 1942) on Feb. 21 in Mansfield, Conn. (cancer). Am. prof. wrestler King Kong Bundy (b. 1957) on Mar. 4 in Glassboro, N.J. Am. "Dylan McKay in Beverly Hills, 90210" actor Luke Perry (b. 1966) on Mar. 4 in Burbank, Calif. (stroke). English-born Kiwi geologist David Kear (b. 1923) on Mar. 5 in Auckland. South African biologist Sydney Brenner (b. 1927) on Apr. 5 in Singapore; 2002 Nobel Med Prize. Am. quiz show scandal celeb Charles Van Doren (b. 1926) on Apr. 9 in Canaan, Conn.; dies the same day that "King" "Jeopardy" James Holzhauer (Germ. "holz" + "hauer" = forest + hewer or lumberjack) (1984-) wins a record $110,994 in a single on Jeopardy!; he goes on to win 32 games and $2,462,216 before losing just $58K shy of Ken Jennings' 2004 record. Northern Ireland journalist Lyra Catherine McKee (b. 1990) on Apr 19 in Creggan, Derry (assassinated by masked repub. gunman); the Sinn Fein, UUP et al. condemn it as "an attack on all the people of this community, an attack on the peace and democratic processes", calling it a "pointless and futile act to destroy the progress made over the last 20 years, which has the overwhelming support of people everywhere." U.S. Sen. (R-Ind.) (1977-2013) Richard Lugar (b. 1932) on Apr. 28 in Falls Church, Va. Am. "Boyz n the Hood" film dir. John Singleton (b. 1968) on Apr. 20 in Los Angeles, Calif. Am. "Ensign Parker in McHale's Navy" comedian Tim Conway (b. 1933) on May 14 in Los Angeles, Calif. (hydrocephalus). Chinese-born Am. architect I.M. Pei (b. 1917) on May 16 in New York City. Am. Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen (b. 1944) on June 13 in Denver, Colo. (Alzheimer's). Italian dir. Franco Zeffirelli (b. 1923) on June 15 in Rome. Am. socialite Gloria Vanderbilt (b. 1924) on June 17; leaves her $200 fortune to son Anderson Cooper. Egyptian pres. #5 (2012-13) Mohamed Morsi (b. 1951) on June 17 in Cairo (heart attack) (collapses and dies in court). Dutch "Roy Batty in Blade Runner" actor Rutger Hauer (b. 1944) on June 19 in Beetsterzwaag. Am. baseball pitcher Tyler Skaggs (b. 1991) on July 1 in Southlake, Tex. Am. Chysler Corp. CEO Lee Iacocca (b. 1924) on July 2 in Los Angeles, Calif. English "circus ringmaster Bytes in The Elephant Man" actor Freddie Jones (b. 1927) on July 9 in Bicester, Oxfordshire. Am. billionaire politician H. Ross Perot (b. 1930) on July 9 in Dallas, Tex. (leukemia). Am. "Chief Zed in Men in Black" actor Rip Torn (b. 1931) on July 9 in Lakeville, Conn. Am. "Ball Four" baseball player-writr Jim Bouton (b. 1939) on July 10 (cerebral amyloid angiopathy). Belgian molecular biologist Walter Fiers (b. 1931) on July 28 in Destelbergen. Russian astrophysicist Nikolai Kardashev (b. 1932) on Aug. 3 in Moscow. Am. "Beloved" novelist Toni Morrison (b. 1931) on Aug. 5 in New York City (pneumonia). Am. biochemist Kary Banks Mu9llis (b. 1944) on Aug. 7 in Newport Beach, Calif. (pneumonia); 1993 Nobel Chem. Prize. Am. "The Rainbow Cadenza" novelist J. Neil Schulman (b. 1953) on Aug. 10 in Colo. Springs, Colo. Am. "Easy Rider" actor Peter Fonda (b. 1940) on Aug. 16 in Los Angeles, Calif. (lung cancer). Am. billionaire activist David Koch (b. 1940) on Aug. 23 in Southampton, N.Y. (prostate cancer). Zimbabwe dictator pres. #2 (1987-2017) Robert Mugabe (b. 1924) on Sept. 6 in Singapore. Am. capitalist kingpin T. Boone Pickens (b. 1928) on Sept. 11 in Dallas, Tex. Am. "Two Tickets to Paradise" singer Eddie Money (b. 1949) on Sept. 13 in Los Angeles, Calif. (Esophageal cancer). Am. "The Cars" musician Ric Ocasek (b. 1944) on Sept. 15 in New York City. Am. journalist Cokie Roberts (b. 1943) on Sept. 17 (breast cancer). Am. porno star Jessica Jaymes (b. 1979) on Sept. 17 in North Hills, Calif. Am. "House Hunters" TV host Suzanne Whang (b. 1962) on Sept. 17 in Los Angeles, Calif. (breast cancer). English "Cream" rock drummer Ginger Baker (b. 1939) on Oct. 6 in Canterbury, Kent. Am. "John Cassellis in Medium Cool" actor Robert Forster (b. 1941) on Oct. 11 in Los Angeles, Calif. (brain cancer). Russian Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov (b. 1934) on Oct. 11 in Moscow. Am. lit. critic Harold Bloom (b. 1930) on Oct. 14 in New Haven, Conn. U.S. Rep. (D-Md.) (1996-2019) Elijah Cummings (b. 1951) on Oct. 17 in Baltimore, Md. U.S. Rep. (D-Mich.) (1965-2017) John Conyers (b. 1929) on Oct. 27 in Detroit, Mich. Am. "The Young and the Restless", "General Hospital" actor William Wintersole (b. 1931) on Nov. 5 in Los Angeles, Calif. (cancer). Am. fundamentalist Christian writer Texe Marrs (b. 1944) on Nov. 23. Taiwanese-Canadian "Louis Vuitton" actor-model Godfrey Gao (b. 1984) on Nov. 27 in Ningbo, Zhejiang, China. English botanist David Bellamy (b. 1933) on Dec. 11. Am. "Sal Frangione in Do the Right Thing" actor Danny Aiello (b. 1933) on Dec. 12 in N.J. Am. actress Pamela Payton-Wright (b. 1941) on Dec. 14. Am. "Peanuts" producer Lee Mendelson (b. 1933) on Dec. 25 in Hillsborough, Calif. (lung cancer). Am. shock jock Don Imus (b. 1940) on Dec. 27 in College Station, Tex.



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