January 1, Former President: consequences from Afghanistan withdrawal will be ‘unbelievably bad’

Hello Middle America,

Former President George W. Bush called the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan a mistake and went so far as to say that the consequences will be “unbelievably bad,” especially for Afghan women. “I am afraid Afghan women and girls are going to suffer unspeakable harm,” Bush said. They are scared.” The former president launched the war in Afghanistan when he deployed US troops after the September 11th attacks. “I think about all the interpreters and people that helped not only US troops, but NATO troops and they’re just, it seems like they’re just gonna be left behind to be slaughtered by these very brutal people, and it breaks my heart,” Bush said.

The FBI made grave errors during their investigation of sexual abuse allegations against former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar. The Justice Department’s long-awaited watchdog report was spurred by allegations that the FBI failed to promptly address 2015 complaints against Nassar. Officials at USA Gymnastics, who first reported the allegations, repeatedly contacted the FBI following eight months of inactivity. When the agency did finally respond, they made “numerous and fundamental errors” and violated bureau policies. “The actions and inactions of certain FBI employees described in the Report are inexcusable and a discredit to this organization,” the agency said. Nassar is now serving decades in prison after hundreds of girls and women came forward.

Minnesota Rep. John Thompson said that he was recently pulled over for “driving while black,” but bodycam footage from the Minnesota police appears to contradict his claim. “No front plate, and the way you took off from the light back there,” the officer said when  Thompson asked him why he was pulled over. “These aren’t accusations I take lightly, so I looked into the traffic stop, watched the body worn camera footage and spoke to the sergeant,” St. Paul Police Chief Todd Axtell wrote in a Facebook post. “The driver, an elected official who does not dispute driving without a front license plate, owes our sergeant an apology.”

​​43 bodies of immigrants were found along the Arizona-Mexico border in June, according to the non-profit group Humane Borders. The organization tracks the recovery of bodies in the unforgiving Sonoran desert using data from a medical examiner’s office in Tucson. The leading cause of death is exposure. “The desert is vast and treacherous. When you cross illegally, you put yourself in incredible peril,” said sector chief patrol agent Chris T. Clem. “And our hot season is just beginning.” 127 remains have been found so far this year, which is higher than 2017’s entire total.

A federal judge has dismissed Roy Moore’s $95 million lawsuit against comedian Sacha Baron Cohen. Moore’s suit centered on his unwitting appearance on Baron Cohen’s “Who Is America?” show. Judge John Cronan ruled that Moore signed a disclosure agreement that clearly prohibited any legal claims over the appearance. “The court agrees that Judge Moore’s claims are barred by the unambiguous contractual language, which precludes the very causes of action he now brings,” Cronan wrote. “In light of the context of Judge Moore’s interview, the segment was clearly a joke and no reasonable viewer would have seen it otherwise.”

In Ohio, a patient received a new kidney that was meant for someone else. Officials at University Hospitals in Cleveland apologized for the mistake and said that two employees have been placed on administrative leave. “We have offered our sincerest apologies to these patients and their families,” hospital spokesperson George Stamatis said. “We recognize they entrusted us with their care. The situation is entirely inconsistent with our commitment to helping patients return to health and live life to the fullest.”

Be well,

Fraser Dixon

Sources

• Bush calls Afghanistan withdrawal a mistake, says consequences will be ‘unbelievably bad’
• Watchdog: FBI seriously mishandled Nassar-sexual abuse case
• Bodycam footage raises doubts about state rep’s racism claim for traffic stop: ‘Driving while Black’
• Forty-three bodies found in Arizona borderland amid brutal heat
• Judge tosses Roy Moore’s lawsuit over Baron Cohen interview
• A Patient Got A Kidney Meant For Someone Else