"Pompeo Is a True Believer in Trump’s Worldview"

By artappraiser on Tue, 03/13/2018 - 3:09pm |

Second headline: Under Pompeo, a Foreign Policy That Fits the President’s Worldview

By David E. Sanger @ NYTimes.com, 12 minutes ago

The man who is to become secretary of state opposes the nuclear deal with Iran and doubts North Korea will give up its nuclear arsenal through negotiations.

Just got a reminder from CNN right now: 4th in the line of succession to the presidency.

URL:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/13/us/politics/analysis-pompeo-foreign-policy-america-first-tillerson.html

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Huh, go figure, rather be able to do something rather than nothing? Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it?

‘Strong sense of relief’: State Department staffers react to Tillerson’s ouster

Many staffers hope that Mike Pompeo’s close relationship with the president will mean more influence with Trump.

By Nahl Toosi @ Politico.com, Updated 03/13/2018 02:00 PM EDT

State Department employees had one main reaction to Rex Tillerson’s ouster as secretary of state on Tuesday: “Good riddance.”

President Donald Trump’s decision to fire the top U.S. diplomat sent a wave of hope through a department battered by low morale under Tillerson, who dismissed the expertise of career diplomats and sought to downsize the department.

“There is strong sense of relief at State. The last year has been traumatic to put it mildly. It was as though ‘T-Rex’ stomped through Foggy Bottom devouring staff and structures,” said Brett Bruen, a former State Department official.

Several current State officials said they also hope to bid farewell to Tillerson’s top aides, including chief of staff Margaret Peterlin and policy chief Brian Hook, whom they criticize for forming a protective and secretive clique around the secretary during his nearly 14-month tenure.

“People see this as a chance for a clean sweep,” said one staffer, who like most others spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid losing his job. “This team has proven itself incapable of managing the State Department.”

Multiple Foreign and Civil Service officers struck an optimistic note about Tillerson’s chosen replacement, CIA Director Mike Pompeo. Many hope that Pompeo’s close relationship with Trump will mean that the State Department will gain more influence with a president who has often sidelined it.

But some sounded more wary, pointing out that Pompeo has a hawkish reputation and little diplomatic experience. [.....]

by artappraiser on Tue, 03/13/2018 - 3:21pm

Closer to War with Tillerson gone:

While in the House, the Kansas congressman made opposition to Barack Obama’s diplomacy with Tehran a signature issue. On the day that Pompeo was nominated for CIA director, his most recent tweet read, “I look forward to rolling back this disastrous deal with the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism.” (Till supported it) and Korea (Till supported negotiations) : Failed (Korea) negotiations at the summit level leave all parties with no other recourse for diplomacy. In which case, as Mr. Trump has said, we really will have “run out of road” on North Korea.

by NCD on Tue, 03/13/2018 - 3:49pm

Daily Beast's got the same--including Spencer Ackerman--so it's not just some ax being ground by Politico:

State Department Cries ‘Hallelujah’ Over Tillerson Downfall

Experienced U.S. diplomats and Donald Trump agree on at least one thing: Rex Tillerson sucked as secretary of state.

By Aswain Suebsaeng,Noah Schactman & Spencer Ackerman, March 13

by artappraiser on Tue, 03/13/2018 - 6:06pm

Trump just put a climate science doubter in charge of the department that leads international climate talks

By Chris Moonety @ WashingtonPost.com, March 13

Mike Pompeo’s coming elevation to secretary of state would put an official who has expressed doubts about climate science in charge of the department tasked with representing the United State at a crucial upcoming international climate summit.

President Trump on Tuesday announced Pompeo would replace the outgoing Rex Tillerson, the former ExxonMobil CEO who supported the Paris climate agreement and agreed that greenhouse gases warm the planet and cause climate change. Tillerson called climate change an “engineering problem.”

If confirmed by the Senate, Pompeo would lead the department as it participates in a key international climate meeting in Katowice, Poland, in December [.....]

by artappraiser on Tue, 03/13/2018 - 5:52pm

Tillerson's capitulation to Big Green didn't work out too well with the huge money grabbing court cases filed by the green blob against Exxon and others recently. If he stuck with the Wrmer supporting propaganda he eouldn't be representing the position of the USG. Pompeo has the right attitude and will report back on what civilization and prosperity destroying plans the Wrmers may be planning so we an act to continue reducing their power.

by Peter (not verified) on Tue, 03/13/2018 - 7:33pm

Pretty convincing argument.
Keep updating us on the actions of the nefarious Green People and their plan to destroy our lives with attempts to stop bad things that are not bad.

by moat on Tue, 03/13/2018 - 7:58pm

Don't demonize Peter The Not Verified. He has connections in the Vegetable Underground and they are to be feared ... or eaten. Anyway, there's a vast array of video food propaganda just waiting to be swallowed by needy carb-loving Neanderthals at a theater near you -

"The Carrot People Uprising digs deep into the buried, dirty world of the carrot people, giving us a glimpse of their life underground. The film surprises by scraping away commonly held stereotypes, forcing the audience to confront the raw defiance that years of vegetation can produce - watch as they turn their orange outrage into an angry root revolution. The Carrot People Uprising can be grating, even choppy at times, yet those moments add flavor and depth. The battle scenes that pit our unyielding heros against their surface dwelling, long-eared, flat-footed foes are spectacular! This is a must see!

---The Carrot People Uprising is an Elmer Fudd production."

by barefooted on Tue, 03/13/2018 - 8:41pm

You mean to say that film was a documentary?!?
I just don't know who to root for anymore.

by moat on Wed, 03/14/2018 - 7:52am

The big green blob is the industrial crony capitalists who are seeing their government gravy train derailed, which is a good thing. The little green people are just Warmers stuck in their oil phobic cult thinking they are world saving heros when they are civilization crashing zeros.

by Peter (not verified) on Wed, 03/14/2018 - 11:56am

industrial crony capitalists are seeing their government gravy train derailed

Huh? This makes no sense."Industrial crony capitalists" is a phrase that environmental activists would normally use to describe the enemy polluting the environment because of lack of regulation. If you are going to co-opt a phrase from movements you oppose, you need to explain how you are using it. Co-option when nobody has ever heard a term used that way just makes you sound like a loon.

Furthermore, if one is to use the traditional meaning, crony capitalists are so far pleased as punch with the Trump administration.

by artappraiser on Wed, 03/14/2018 - 12:37pm

Snowflakes and environuts have to project the crony capitaist brand onto others. The confusion this causes among some people helps cover the fact they are water carriers for the big green blob. The divestment from oil movement at universities was a good example how some of a $trillion was diverted into big green investments that wouldn't exist without crony capitalism mandating, tax relieving and subsidizing their use. Another little gem i found was that the co-chair of one of the IPCC's working groups was proposing CAGW remedies while also being the executive director of Blackwell's new energy investments group. This isn't coopting, collusion seems the best way to describe all these close connections.

by Peter (not verified) on Wed, 03/14/2018 - 5:13pm

Ah I see, like this:

take a thought
do a google or two
using the above, create a conspiracy to explain the thought

Conspiracies here there everywhere; explains everything, absolutely everything. Nice tidy world.

by artappraiser on Wed, 03/14/2018 - 5:39pm

He is getting his stuff from James Delingpole at Breibart. Or maybe Peter is Delingpole.

Whatever.

by moat on Wed, 03/14/2018 - 5:52pm

Oh wow, I didn't even know about this guy. Some simply amazing titles there. I imagine if I go to page 2 I will surely see stuff like War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery and Ignorance is Strength.

by artappraiser on Wed, 03/14/2018 - 6:08pm

I do not advise long periods of exposure to the stuff.
The climate change articles coin the terms Peter employs word for word.

by moat on Wed, 03/14/2018 - 6:19pm

I miss having access to Delingpole because of my old op system, he is well informed and funny. I rely on wattsupwiththat.com now, they are the largest CAGW skeptic site with over 340 million viewers in the last ten years. My 'stuff' comes from reality and not from the people who practice post-normal science for political agendas.

by Peter (not verified) on Wed, 03/14/2018 - 8:08pm

Peter does your reality travel with you when you go places, and have you ever traveled very far, like to another state?

by NCD on Wed, 03/14/2018 - 9:09pm

The snowflakes do have a harsh reality check every morning, wherever they are, seeing Trump as the one and only Hegemon in their life. A year of denial and Russian fantasies has produced nothing except more denial. Fortunately this condition leaves them powerless so MAGA can improve things for normal people.

by Peter (not verified) on Wed, 03/14/2018 - 10:28pm

Those you call snowflakes are facing reality just fine, they have the better education, get the better jobs, live in better neighborhoods with better schools for their kids. It's your people who have trouble facing reality. They're undereducated, live in depressed rural areas without jobs and hide from their reality with opioid use while lashing out impotently by voting for Trump. Still we'd like to help them but they foolishly keep voting against their own interests.

As Trump said, "I love the poorly educated." And they love him.

The poll also shows that Trump runs significantly stronger among less-educated, less-affluent voters. Trump’s support is heavily concentrated among non-college educated Republicans

by ocean-kat on Wed, 03/14/2018 - 10:52pm

When Tump said 'I love the poorly educated' he was mocking people like yourself you just reaffirmed his comment by quoting from some snowflake poll that apparently knows very little about who voted for Trump. I wonder what the snowflakes will do now that the witch-hunt is ending with no Trump/Putin collusion found? This poor overeducated underskilled mass couldn't even keep the Resistance active for more than a few months. All they have now is advanced TDS which seems to do them more harm than Trump.

by Peter (not verified) on Wed, 03/14/2018 - 11:44pm

Trump is ascared of Stormy Daniels, and ascared Putie will poison him.

by NCD on Thu, 03/15/2018 - 12:15am

Now polls are snowflakes too. rotflmao It's a CNN poll. You're supposed to say "fake news" whenever CNN comes up. Get your act together.

by ocean-kat on Thu, 03/15/2018 - 12:28am

Sometimes I think Peter Not Verified is some guy's experimental advanced algorithm learning off of our reactions, and that's why he often spits out very garbled messed up agitprop.(After all, a small group like this with regular registered users with different personalities would be an ideal place to learn to be more human.) But every once in a while he writes a comment or reply that sounds like a regular human being, so I am not sure.

by artappraiser on Thu, 03/15/2018 - 2:11am

There's certainly something bizarre about his agitprop. He's not like the trolls we've had in the past. Past trolls got kicked for insulting people too often but he can keep it within the tos. It still seems like he's just here to insult people which I find to be a weird way to spend time but he can keep it in bounds which does take a bit of creativity and control.

by ocean-kat on Thu, 03/15/2018 - 2:28am

I agree with the way you describe it and you know what, I don't mind it at all, most of the resulting banter, it's kind of fun. Your tos point is an especially good one: Peter's figured out not to insult members directly, that's what causes most problems, he just insults generic "snowflakes." Back in the old days on other sites, I remember people who reacted to group slurs like "all progressives are nuts" like it was a personal insult of their family, but most people think that's nuts in itself to react that way. And it's not so common anymore to take group slurs personally.

by artappraiser on Thu, 03/15/2018 - 2:44am

It's less the insult that pisses me off than the lack of a good argument around it. Buckley could make some very pointed gibes while debating but he was smart and made some really good arguments defending his side and arguing against the other. I can even appreciate a clever gibe in the midst of a good argument even if it hurts, sometimes especially if it hurts. I just hate it when all there is is these stupid insults coupled with stupid arguments. I wish we could get some smart well educated knowledgeable republican here. All we ever get is the fools and trolls.

by ocean-kat on Thu, 03/15/2018 - 5:16am

You pay me a backhanded compliment when you compare me to a logical AI. It will probably be an AI using a lot of fuzzy logic that looks back trying to understand what went wrong with all these humans you call regular.

by Peter (not verified) on Thu, 03/15/2018 - 8:58am

Rather than "fuzzy", I'd say "shifting" or even "shifty" logic. And/or "shitty" logic. Anyway, not highly evolved AI by any means.

by PeraclesPlease on Thu, 03/15/2018 - 11:42am

Peter...hmmmm...”environuts.” Don’t you actually live in an, um, environment?

by CVille Dem on Wed, 03/14/2018 - 5:49pm

No CD, like most people I live in a house that shelters me from the extremes of the um, environment. The environuts seem to live in camps and follow the pipeliners around the country trying to disrupt the flow of energy that allows us to live in this environment.

by Peter (not verified) on Thu, 03/15/2018 - 9:14am

I presume that these industrial crony capitalists are wealthy. When I look at Forbes' list of the wealthiest people in the energy industry, I am having trouble spotting the Green Blob.
Please advise.

by moat on Thu, 03/15/2018 - 11:10am

I don't think we will see this type of individual wealth accumulated because the product solar panels are made in China and wind generators in Europe. Most of the production profits that made oilmen rich will go to the builders not the installers. What we are seeing now is the Green Investment blob with such names as CERES, Blackrock and Bloomberg actively seeking the trillions of dollars needed to pay the Chinese and others for these products along with instillation. They are pushing the crony part of this agenda by pushing divestment from oil by state and city retirement funds, the same states and cities mandating intermittent solar and wind power. This forced conversion to unreliable power sources has already shown what the future holds under these mandates with examples from South Australia, Germany and even Ontario Canada. All these places have seen their consumer power rates nearly double, some have had large blackouts and other system integreation problems. Trump seems to have countered this trend quite effectively with his actions on the Paris accord and the CPP. All green blob sectors are down with investors worrying that the subsidity/tax gravytrain may be ending.

by Peter (not verified) on Thu, 03/15/2018 - 1:47pm

The return on investments in alternative energy is contingent upon it being able to compete directly with petroleum based sources. The capital flowing toward it is in it for the long game. If you are correct in your assessment that the industry will fail, why get your knickers in a twist? Let the market sort it out.

by moat on Fri, 03/16/2018 - 10:25am

Solar and wind have little or nothing to do with oil and won't for a long while. Every solar and wind instillation requires a dedicated gas backup plant. This adds up and with high priced spot market purchases means high costs for consumers. Comsumers have no choice in these schemes, they have to buy what is offered at whatever the failure price is. Investors know the reality of these systems but also know they can profit by mining the subsidies that come with the mandates.

by Peter (not verified) on Fri, 03/16/2018 - 11:35am

Yes, I should have said Fossil Fuels. 65% of electrical generation comes from Fossil Fuels, 20% from Nuclear Power and 15% from Renewable sources. Of that 15%, 7% comes from hydropower.
So my observations regarding the long time for a return on in investment for alternative energy still applies.

by moat on Fri, 03/16/2018 - 4:14pm

Summary of David Ignatius' op-ed @ WaPo: Tillerson’s departure removes another check on an impulsive Trump

[....] The fulcrum in foreign policy has been Mattis and Tillerson. The center-weight is now likely to shift to Trump and Pompeo. The policy process may be smoother, with a chief diplomat who knows (and shapes) the president’s mind. Pompeo could facilitate back-channel diplomacy with North Korea, Russia and other nations.

But Tillerson’s demise removes a check on the president’s sometimes impulsive behavior — something Trump resented but that helped temper his inexperience and volatility. Now, for better or worse, the White House and Foggy Bottom will be going in the same direction.

by artappraiser on Tue, 03/13/2018 - 5:57pm

Ignatius (really what the hell....kind of name...) apparently a pillar of mainstream punditry...the "sometimes impulsive behavior of Trump" ........and "Pompeo will facilitate diplomacy"......? If his column was edible we could use it instead of pepto bismal.

Igs bravest pundit moment, after 5 minutes of research, was likely admitting Bush shouldn't, as Ig supported, have invaded Iraq, although Ig qualified that remark and gave himself a pass, with "we will never know how it would have turned out" ...if.....the occupation.....was "done better."

by NCD on Tue, 03/13/2018 - 6:28pm

Ignatius is widely respected by journalists for having high level sources in the intelligence and state departments and for being straight with the information he gets from them. Everyone has a bias so his opinions and conclusions based on that information are his own but the message I've gotten is you can trust his information.

by ocean-kat on Tue, 03/13/2018 - 9:44pm

Michael Flynn without the criminal record.

by moat on Tue, 03/13/2018 - 6:35pm

Robin Wright runs through what she's hearing and what she's thinking about that: With Mike Pompeo at the State Department, Are the Über-Hawks Winning?

by artappraiser on Wed, 03/14/2018 - 7:37pm

Rand Paul vehemently against both Pompeo & Haspel appts., says he may filibuster @ Politico,March 14

[....] The libertarian-leaning GOP senator said Wednesday that Pompeo’s earlier support for the Iraq War and defense of enhanced interrogation techniques — or torture, in the view of Paul and many other senators — is disqualifying. And the Kentucky senator indicated he may be willing to filibuster the nominations of both Pompeo and CIA director pick Gina Haspel, who he says is “gleeful” in her defense of torture techniques [.....]

by artappraiser on Wed, 03/14/2018 - 10:27pm

In the News

Russia plays weak hand in Palestine
Russia plays weak hand in Palestine

submitted by PeraclesPlease 8 months ago

The intra-Palestinian meeting in Moscow has precedent

Russia's hosted such meetings in the past, most recently Feb 2019

Russia has long lamented the US' "monopolization" of the peace process & tried to carve out a niche for itself: mediating among the disunited Palestinians/2
— Hanna Notte (@HannaNotte) February 29, 2024

Read the article at https://twitter.com/HannaNotte/status/1763116222256701787

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Mother Jones is Reaching out to Alternative Party Voters
Mother Jones is Reaching out to Alternative Party Voters

submitted by HSG 9 months ago

Here's what I told them: https://halginsberg.com/vote-for-jill-stein-again/

Read the article at https://halginsberg.com/vote-for-jill-stein-again/

2 comments

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Controversial Brazil law curbing Indigenous rights comes...
Controversial Brazil law curbing Indigenous rights comes into force

submitted by artappraiser 11 months ago

Controversial Brazil law curbing Indigenous rights comes into force https://t.co/pCoDg05irX
— Gareth Harris (@garethharr) December 28, 2023

Read the article at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/dec/28/brazil-law-indigenous-land-rights-claim-time-marker?CMP=share_btn_tw

1 comment

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Security Alert: U.S. Embassy Port-au-Prince, Haiti (...
Security Alert: U.S. Embassy Port-au-Prince, Haiti (December 25, 2023)

submitted by artappraiser 11 months ago

Location: U.S. Embassy and residential compounds

Events: Heavy gunfire is occuring around the area of the U.S. Embassy and residential compounds adjacent to the Trutier area of Tabarre. All Embassy personnel have been instructed to remain indoors and shelter-in-place until further notice. All others should avoid the area.

Actions to take:

Avoid the area;

Avoid demonstrations and any large gatherings of people;

Do not attempt to drive through roadblocks; and

If you encounter a roadblock, turn around and get to a safe area.

Read the article at https://ht.usembassy.gov/security-alert-u-s-embassy-port-au-prince-haiti-december-25-2023/

3 comments

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Pakistan Is Creating the World’s Next Refugee Crisis
Pakistan Is Creating the World’s Next Refugee Crisis

submitted by artappraiser 11 months ago

By The Editorial Board @ Bloomberg.com, December 8, 2023

A mass expulsion of Afghan migrants could destabilize the region and fuel radicalization. The West should pressure Islamabad to change course.

Read the article at https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2023-12-08/pakistan-s-expulsion-of-afghan-refugees-risks-another-crisis

6 comments

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Internet shut down in Chad
Internet shut down in Chad

submitted by artappraiser 11 months ago

All eyes on #Chad right now
Chad has two internet trunks coming into the country: One from the Red Sea via Sudan; the other from Cameroon. Not possible for the totality of the country's internet network to be shut unless done centrally. A lot of rumors swirling; few facts. https://t.co/N6bDJZ2ixO

Read the article at https://x.com/_hudsonc/status/1732891968709992511?s=20

2 comments

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[Economy] where Joe's success falls short
[Economy] where Joe's success falls short

submitted by PeraclesPlease 11 months ago

Read the article at

3 comments

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[CRIME News] 3 loss-prevention employees in Macy’s across...
[CRIME News] 3 loss-prevention employees in Macy’s across the street from Philadelphia City Hall stabbed

submitted by artappraiser 11 months ago

BREAKING: Three loss prevention employees in Macy’s across the street from Philadelphia City Hall stabbed, one of them has died from stab wounds, @PhillyPolice sources tell me. Police converged on the store as the three workers were rushed to Jefferson Hospital. pic.twitter.com/4U1eKycL4W

Read the article at https://x.com/KeeleyFox29/status/1731713272942940365?s=20

38 comments

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Former U.S. Ambassador Arrested, Charged With Working As...
Former U.S. Ambassador Arrested, Charged With Working As Secret Agent For Cuba

submitted by artappraiser 11 months ago

Former US Ambassador Arrested, Charged With Working As Secret Agent For Cuba https://t.co/LDwo4ZJI1K
— HuffPost (@HuffPost) December 4, 2023

Read the article at https://www.huffpost.com/entry/manuel-rocha-ambassador-arrested-cuba_n_656d1e2ae4b028b0f3d07478

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[War in Israel, Chapter II] UNRWA under scrutiny
[War in Israel, Chapter II] UNRWA under scrutiny

submitted by artappraiser 11 months ago

[Chapter I news is HERE, Oct. 7 til today]

You don’t get it.
It’s not about an UNRWA teacher who held an Israeli kid hostage in his house.
It’s all about how for 75 years you have destroyed the future of generations of Palestinians, including my family.
My cousins in Arab countries are still not citizens - not even the… https://t.co/nv6anubGhc
— George Deek (@GeorgeDeek) December 2, 2023

Note 'Community Notes' attached to UNWRA's statement.

Read the article at https://x.com/GeorgeDeek/status/1731020551328579863?s=20

58 comments

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Maduro, Under Pressure, Holds Vote to Annex Territory From...
Maduro, Under Pressure, Holds Vote to Annex Territory From a Neighbor

submitted by artappraiser 11 months ago

Imperialism for me but not for thee?

It's wild that Venezuela is now holding a vote on whether 2/3 of Guyana actually belongs to them! Analysts suggest that Modoru may want military action to pump up his sinking popularity.

Could we have a war in South America?!?

"The people who live in Essequibo are largely… pic.twitter.com/QvMEjkkgwy

Read the article at https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/03/world/americas/maduro-vote-essequibo-guyana.html

6 comments

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[Where is the GOP headed?] Divisions leave Florida’s House...
[Where is the GOP headed?] Divisions leave Florida’s House Republicans powerless

submitted by artappraiser 11 months ago

The lack of a cohesive delegation has allowed attention-seeking lawmakers to act on their own.

McCarthy: “You have [Rep. Matt] Gaetz, who belongs in jail…”

Gaetz: “Tough words from a guy who sucker punches people in the back. The only assault I committed was against Kevin’s fragile ego.”https://t.co/LctPuz6Pcf

Read the article at https://www.politico.com/news/2023/11/29/divisions-leave-floridas-house-republicans-powerless-00129200

10 comments

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‘She got so mad at me’: book on the ‘Squad’ details AOC-...
‘She got so mad at me’: book on the ‘Squad’ details AOC-Pelosi clashes

submitted by artappraiser 11 months ago

By Martinn Pengelly in Washington DC for TheGuardian.com, Nov. 30

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tells Ryan Grim life in Congress ‘completely transformed’ after Democratic leader stepped down

Read the article at https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/nov/30/squad-book-aoc-nancy-pelosi?CMP=share_btn_tw

15 comments

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US health insurers Humana, Cigna in talks to merge -source
US health insurers Humana, Cigna in talks to merge -source

submitted by artappraiser 12 months ago

@ Reuters, Nov. 29

Read the article at https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/us-health-insurers-humana-cigna-talks-merge-wsj-2023-11-29/

3 comments

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Central Africa’s dinosaur regimes and the art of coup-...
Central Africa’s dinosaur regimes and the art of coup-proofing

submitted by artappraiser 12 months ago

"Both the AU and the intl community place more weight on whether elections are held than whether they are free and fair. Sanctions/expulsions occur when there is a coup but not necessarily when elections are rigged or if an “institutional coup” occurs." https://t.co/m9dNimJP0D
— Cameron Hudson (@_hudsonc) November 28, 2023

Read the article at https://africanarguments.org/2023/11/central-africas-dinosaur-regimes-and-the-art-of-coup-proofing/

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