Frank Bajak
@fbajak
Journalist with tech focus. Ex-Associated Press foreign correspondent. First AP tech editor, Andes chief. frankbajak.com fbajak(at)proton(dot)me - DM for Signal#
June 4 Xitter post from Christopher Landau, the State Dept official who calls himself “The Visa-Revoker.” (El Quitavisas).
RIP cartoonist Pat Oliphant. On politicians: “I start with the premise that there’s not a good one in the bunch,” he told The Times in 1975. “They’re all guilty until proven innocent.”
The @nytimes.com and @apnews.com differ on the first name of the Colombian slain by ICE in Maine. Johan or Joan? I’d trust the AP.
In a world Cup of amazing goalies French-born Lionel Mpasi of DR Congo is most inspiring. First against Colombia. Now England.
The new AP Stylebook is out. A colleague shared the “Gulf of Mexico” entry. A reminder that the AP won’t be bullied by a would-be tyrant into abandoning its mission.
The best-dressed man in football (soccer). Koundé is pretty classy on the field, too.
The US Justice Department has subpoenaed the WSJ seeking reporters’ source material on Trump’s decision to launch the disastrous Iran war. What about other news outlets? Trump was incensed by NYT reporting, too. NYT not yet commenting. Here’s from the WSJ story:
On ex-Twitter, Amb. Navarro says after the collapsed F-16 sale to Peru “rest assured that against anyone who negotiates in bad faith and undermines U.S. interests” he’ll use “all available tools to promote my country’s prosperity & security in the region.” A Donroe Doctrine threat.
Sánchez won nine departments concentrated in Peru’s poor, indigenous-dominated rural highlands. That’s no surprise. Most of the 50 anti-government protesters shot dead by security forces in 2022-23 were from the highlands (see Ayacucho and Juliaca massacres). www.amnestyusa.org/press-releas...
Voting chaos/disorganization reported in Peru. Voters at The University of Lima in video chant “We want to vote!” peru21.pe/lima/reporta...
Doom-scrolling palate cleanser. In an adjoining yard. Fox kits! I count seven. That’s a big litter.
Still true today? One in three Americans polled by Pew (and 66% of Republicans) from March 23-29 were very/somewhat confident he “can make good decisions” on Iran.
Ted Lieu, Chris Murphy and Elissa Slotkin all telling U.S. military commanders they WILL be prosecuted eventually if they heed Trump orders to bomb Iran “into the Stone Ages.”
NYT: Mr. Hegseth also fired Maj. Gen. William Green Jr., the Army’s top chaplain. Hmmm. Could it be race-related?
Northampton MA “No Kings” protest 3/28/26 - Sunny skies, chilly temps, warm human beings.