Stop – the crazy world
On September 26, 1996, the Taliban captured Kabul. I was a junior staffer at the Afghan Ministry of Defense. My job was mainly liaising with foreign and local media, international aid organizations and the small diplomatic community in the country then. I fled with the retreating forces to my hometown in the northern Panjshir Valley,…
Many of the best new books this month ask readers to think about consequences. How can a decision one individual makes alter the course of several lives? In James McBride’s latest novel, a single act of violence sends shockwaves through a tight-knit Brooklyn community. In Kevin Nguyen’s debut, two overworked and under-appreciated employees at a…
With concerns about the novel coronavirus COVID-19 rising in the U.S., consumers are racing to stock up on cleaning products, disinfectants and hand sanitizers—to the extent that retailers like CVS are reportedly concerned about shortages. But can these products do anything to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19? “Standard cleaning products…
(SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic) — A cruise ship heading to the Dominican Republic to disembark hundreds of passengers after a 14-day tour was searching for a new port on Friday after being turned away by officials worried that eight of those aboard showed signs of possible coronavirus infection, officials announced. A joint statement by the…
Oklahoma City’s school superintendent has apologized after a cardboard photo frame emblazoned with watermelons was used at a high school’s Black History Month event celebrating soul food. The oversized frame that attendees could hold while posing for photos was used during the Feb. 20 soul food lunch at Frederick A. Douglass High School, The Oklahoman…
(TUSCALOOSA, Ala.) — An Alabama man arrested for slashing a towering protest balloon depicting President Donald Trump as a baby was ordered to attend counseling and complete community service for a chance at getting the charges dismissed. If Hoyt Hutchinson, 32, finishes the Tuscaloosa County District Attorney’s diversion program without any other infractions, the case…
Every 15 minutes, a child is born dependent on opioids — a condition known as neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). A baby born with NAS can have physical deformities and will almost certainly have developmental disabilities, which may not be obvious to a child’s guardian until that child does not walk, talk or achieve other important…
(SAN DIEGO) — A federal appeals court on Friday temporarily halted a Trump administration policy to make asylum seekers wait in Mexico while their cases wind through U.S. immigration courts. The same court decided to keep another major change on hold, one that denies asylum to anyone who enters the U.S. illegally from Mexico. A…
The novel coronavirus has an unlikely victim — one of the world’s most popular beers. Corona has become the subject of memes and videos shared on social media as the toll from the virus climbs worldwide. Reports of an increase in online searches for “corona beer virus” and “beer coronavirus” show the Mexican beer hasn’t…
On March 2, Israeli voters will head to the polls for an unprecedented third election in less than a year. It comes after Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, failed to agree on a governing coalition after two previous elections last April and September. With candidates and campaign slogans largely unchanged, ideological sticking points entrenched, and voting…