NEWS OF THE WEEK

 In case you missed it, the Mayor of Los Angeles, who was out of the country when the fires started, fired the Fire Chief for not being prepared.  The Mayor can only be fired by the voters.  

Germany held a snap federal election last weekend.  They have most of the same issues that showed up in our election last Fall.  The right-leaning Conservative Christian Democratic Union won the most seats. 

NBA GOAT Michael Jordan opened his fourth health clinic in North Carolina to serve people without insurance.

Pope Francis is seriously ill; reportedly with bilateral pneumonia.  His kidneys are failing but he has hung on all week. Cardinals from around the world are moving into Rome for a probable Conclave.

Measles has broken out in Texas and other Southwestern states. It is very contagious and can be dangerous for the very young and very old.  Lots of people got it when I was a kid.  Now, nobody should get it. 

The MLS season has kicked off and FC Cincinnati is undefeated in it and the Concacaf Champions Cup without the league MVP Luciano Acosta playing midfield.  There is something strange about playing in other tournaments during the season.

A huge sex abuse trial is getting started in France.  A surgeon is charged with assaulting nearly 300 patients, mostly minors.  In the U.S., AG Pam Bondi says she is set to release files related to the Epstein Island affairs in which about about 250 minors were sexually assaulted by worldwide celebrities.  Jeffrey Epstein's cohort, Ghislaine Maxwell is already serving time (20 yrs) for her part. 

Roberta Flack passed away as did Gene Hackman.  She was 88 and he was 96.  Both true stars.

Apple announced it plans to invest more the $500 Billion in the US over the next four years.  That would include about 20,000 new jobs.  Tech degrees will continue to be money.

President Trump was told by his Secretary of State, Rubio, that he had a deal with Ukraine to receive a good amount of mineral rights in exchange for all we have given them for the war with Russia and agreement to end the war.  Not so!  Zelenskyy blew up that deal on his visit to the White House.  

Trump's DOGE continues to fire, furlough, and force out workers from various government agencies.  Federal judges have tried to put a stop to some of that but the Supreme Court says "No!".

SpaceX has sent three (3) landing craft to the Moon atop it's Falcon 9 rockets.  They are all on their way right now.  Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost is expected to land tomorrow.  The Japanese-made Resilience and Intuitive Machines Athena are on course to follow shortly.  We're about to find out a lot about our moon.

There's been little fighting, if any, in the Middle East for a while now.  This can't last forever.  

NFL teams are doing their yearly dose of ogling of perspective players available in the upcoming draft.  It is really a crapshoot.  That's gambler talk.

Major League Baseball will open their season on March 18 and 19 in Japan.  The Reds and the rest of the league will have to wait until Thursday March 27.  

Elon Musk tells Joe Rogan that their are literally thousands of  NGO's (non-government organizations) set up by the rich and government officials for supposedly charitable purposes.  Very little goes to charity, if any.  Millions goes to Senators, Representatives and their wealthy friends.  They all know it and they are all getting rich and no one is doing anything about it - - - until now.  He worries for his life.

All major stock market indices are up for the week.