Random News and Notes 13 December

We kick off today’s RNN with an update about WV National Guardsman Andrew Wolfe. The hospital – MedStar Washington – released a statement about SSG Wolfe from his neurosurgeon, Jeffrey Mai and a separate statement from his family.

Mai’s statement reads:

Sixteen days ago, Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe was airlifted to MedStar Washington Hospital Center with a critical gunshot wound to the head. Thanks to the immediate response of emergency personnel and the exceptional care provided by our trauma and neurosurgery teams, he received lifesaving treatment, including emergency surgery to control bleeding and relieve pressure on his brain.

Today, we are proud to share that Staff Sgt. Wolfe has made extraordinary progress. He is now breathing on his own and can stand with assistance-important milestones that reflect his strength and determination. Based on these improvements, he is now ready to transition from acute care to inpatient rehabilitation as the next step in his recovery journey.

We extend our deepest gratitude to our dedicated physicians, nurses, and support staff who cared for him every step of the way, and to his family for their unwavering love and encouragement. While this remains an early phase of healing, his progress gives us every reason to feel hopeful about what lies ahead.

The family had this to say:

“We are so grateful to the MedStar Washington Hospital Center, the staff, doctors and nurses that have cared for Andy these first few weeks. The care has been remarkable, and they have told us Andy’s progress is miraculous.
We also want to thank the world for the prayers. We know and appreciate the power of prayer, and we see the result of God working with and through these amazing medical professionals. People around the world are praying for Andy and the presence of God was evident in his room on many occasions.
Please continue to lift Andy up in prayer as he begins a long and tough rehabilitation. We know he will continue to improve at a rapid pace and know your prayers are making the difference. Please continue as God heals Andrew and gives him the strength to return to work, the West Virginia National Guard, and his new mission of being a light into this world.
The support we’ve received from Andy’s military family, his hometown community, and people across the nation has been extraordinary. From the members of his unit to leaders at both the state and federal levels, the response has been heartfelt. President Donald Trump, Governor Patrick Morrisey, Senators Shelley Moore Capito and Jim Justice, Congresswoman Carol Miller and Congressman Riley Moore have each shown genuine care and have played an important role in ensuring Andy receives the best possible care and that his prayer request is widely known.
We love the West Virginia National Guard, and they love Andy. They have shown that day and night and in thousands of ways.”

I don’t even know with this one. An 86 year old retiree in Skegness, Lincolnshire England, was fined £250 – later reduced to £150 – for spitting out a leaf that had blown into his mouth.

. . . Parade car park when a stray leaf blew into his mouth. He spat it out, and then two men from the litter police approached him. They told him they witnessed him spitting onto the floor and fined him. He was issued with a fine of £250 – later reduced to £150 after an appeal – which he paid.

Litter police. Yeah it’s a thing in that area. The UK is such an unserious country.

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So much for Trump the peacemaker. Thailand and Cambodia are back at it despite Trump saying the two had agreed to a ceasefire.

Let me back up a bit here. I realize that a lot of you don’t follow international news the way this editor does so some background is in order. Cambodia and Thailand have been fighting over a tiny strip of land surrounding an ancient Buddhist temple -Preah Vihear- since the 1950s. Blame the French, they misdrew some maps when they were the colonial power in South East Asia. There have been occasional flareups along the contested area.

The latest ruckus started when the Thai Army killed some Cambodian troops they accused of crossing into Thailand. This was back near the beginning of the year. The tensions have been simmering ever since. Trump announced a ceasefire back in October. All well and good, but it didn’t stick. Like at all. Within days of the original announcement, the shooting started again. It has continued sporadically since then but has intensified in the past week or 10 days.

As far as yesterday’s announcement of another ceasefire, the Thais say there isn’t one and they don’t know what Trump is talking about. I’m guessing that isn’t wise, but who knows.

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