Universal Health Care Delusions

Why Is the Partisan Divide on Climate Change So Substantial?

Tactics, Techniques and Procedures to Keep Deep State Bureaucrats From Obstructing Donald Trump’s Agenda

Whither Syria?

No Peace on Earth, or Goodwill

from The Mind Unleashed: In the vast, icy expanses of Greenland, a place more synonymous with desolate, arctic landscapes than with the shadows of human history, NASA scientists have stumbled upon an extraordinary anomaly. Buried beneath a hundred feet of ice lies a remnant of a bygone era, originally hidden from the world above and […]

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva underwent emergency surgery to drain a bleed on his brain. The leftist leader is recovering in an intensive care unit following the operation. According to The Guardian, he will undergo another operation to “minimize the risk of future bleeding.” President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is awake and conscious after undergoing an emergency brain surgery that adds to the delicate political moment he faces in Brazil (Translation via AP) https://t.co/dGuuBAevG5 pic.twitter.com/MQ87GFiArh — Bloomberg (@business) December 10, 2024 From The Guardian: Lula, 79, is expected to undergo the “complementary” procedure on Thursday , his medical team said on Wednesday. The minimally invasive procedure is called middle meningeal artery embolization and aims to reduce bleeding and prevent the accumulation of blood between the brain and the skull. “There is a small possibility that in the future, the small arteries of the meninges could still cause minor bleeding,” Lula’s personal doctor, Dr Roberto Kalil Filho told reporters. “So this complementary procedure to the surgical procedure is to minimise the risk of this happening in the future.” Kalil said that the “relatively simple and low risk”, non-surgery procedure would be carried out on Thursday morning and would take about an hour. Kalil reiterated that the president’s first surgery had been carried out without complications and said that the president’s recovery has been “excellent”. Brazil's President Lula to undergo a new surgery after initial procedure for brain bleed https://t.co/6iMlzFQ1qy — CTV National News (@CTVNationalNews) December 11, 2024 Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will go through another medical procedure on Thursday morning following brain surgery earlier this week, Hospital Sirio-Libanes said https://t.co/T9oYAOrdWC — Bloomberg Economics (@economics) December 11, 2024 Per NBC News: The surgery was successful, and Lula is “well” and being monitored in the intensive care unit of Sírio-Libanês hospital in Sao Paulo, in southeastern Brazil, a translation of the medical note said. He was transferred from the capital, Brasilia, where he had an MRI scan Monday, it added. Earlier this year, Lula fell at home and was left with a visible cut on the back of his head, just above his neck. Doctors believe the two incidents are linked, according to a translation of the hospital’s medical report. The earlier accident forced Lula to cancel his planned trip for the BRICS summit in Kazan, a city in southwest Russia, his office said in a statement at the time. Doctors will hold a news conference Tuesday to provide further details, the statement Tuesday said. WATCH:

President Trump welcomed the resignation of FBI Director Christopher Wray, calling it a “great day for America.” Wray told bureau employees at an internal town hall that he will resign at the end of the current administration. WATCH: JUST IN: FBI Director Chris Wray has resigned — making way for President Trump's nominee @Kash_Patel pic.twitter.com/328JgpoDlR — Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) December 11, 2024 Trump said Kash Patel, his nomination to head the bureau, is the “most qualified” nominee to lead the FBI in the agency’s history. “The resignation of Christopher Wray is a great day for America as it will end the Weaponization of what has become known as the United States Department of Injustice. I just don’t know what happened to him. We will now restore the Rule of Law for all Americans. Under the leadership of Christopher Wray, the FBI illegally raided my home, without cause, worked diligently on illegally impeaching and indicting me, and has done everything else to interfere with the success and future of America. They have used their vast powers to threaten and destroy many innocent Americans, some of which will never be able to recover from what has been done to them,” Trump said. “As everyone knows, I have great respect for the rank-and-file of the FBI, and they have great respect for me. They want to see these changes every bit as much as I do but, more importantly, the American People are demanding a strong, but fair, System of Justice. We want our FBI back, and that will now happen. I look forward to Kash Patel’s confirmation, so that the process of Making the FBI Great Again can begin,” he added. ( @realDonaldTrump – Truth Social Post )( Donald J. Trump – Dec 11, 2024, 2:51 PM ET ) The resignation of Christopher Wray is a great day for America as it will end the Weaponization of what has become known as the United States Department of Injustice. I just don’t know what… pic.twitter.com/DeFvS0DxCC — Donald J. Trump TRUTH POSTS (@TruthTrumpPosts) December 11, 2024 A closer look: Fox News reports: During a town hall on Wednesday, Wray announced his plans to resign next month. “After weeks of careful thought, I’ve decided the right thing for the bureau is for me to serve until the end of the current administration in January and then step down,” Wray said during the town hall. “My goal is to keep the focus on  our mission — the indispensable work you’re doing on behalf of the American people every day. In my view, this is the best way to avoid dragging the bureau deeper into the fray while reinforcing the values and principles that are so important to how we do our work.” The FBI director said the decision was not easy for him, adding he loves the FBI, its mission and people. Wray is seven years into his 10-year term. Trump appointed Wray in 2017 after he fired former FBI Director James Comey from the post. In a recent interview, Trump was asked if he would fire Christopher Wray. “It would sort of seem pretty obvious that if Kash gets in, he’s going to be taking somebody’s place, right? That somebody is the man you’re talking about,” Trump said. WATCH: NBC: Will you fire Christopher Wray? PRESIDENT TRUMP: "It would sort of seem pretty obvious that if @Kash_Patel gets in, he's going to be taking somebody's place, right? That somebody is the man you're talking about." pic.twitter.com/dYQwfx5l5O — Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) December 8, 2024 According to prior reports, Wray would resign before Trump took office to avoid being fired by him. Watch: Christopher Wray announces his resignation. Good riddance pic.twitter.com/AfyxbVNt46 — Based DK (@Back_2TheMiddle) December 11, 2024 Per CNN: Trump, who originally nominated Wray after firing the previous FBI director, previously announced he will nominate Kash Patel for the role, although Wray still had three years remaining on his 10-year term. Patel has been meeting with senators to build support for a confirmation vote next year. Wray had wrestled with whether or not to resign given Trump’s stated desire to replace him, sources say, and wants to facilitate an orderly transition. But some in the FBI worried his departure would normalize Trump’s penchant for replacing FBI directors he doesn’t like, as the position is supposed to straddle administrations and be insulated from politics. Wray took the helm of the agency after Trump fired Director James Comey following investigations under his watch into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Wray took office after Comey, whose FBI also investigated Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server, left the bureau in May 2017. As the incoming director, Wray was seen by many lawmakers as a solid choice to stabilize a rocky ship, but he ultimately suffered a similar fate as his predecessor, after he too oversaw an FBI that investigated Trump, probes resulting in two separate federal cases against the former president.