People in the News!

Silvio Berlusconi:  Italy’s highest court upheld his acquittal in the ‘bunga bunga’ case, in which he was accused of paying for sex with an underage Moroccan prostitute.  Right!  No way would Silvio do such a thing.

The Dalai Lama:  He has speculated that he might not be reincarnated.  Should that happen (or, more accurately, not happen) he would have outfoxed the Chinese who, it is said, want to engineer a succession so as to control the new Dalai Lama.  The Chinese are not happy about this.  “He is trampling on sacred traditions,” they say.

Jeremy Clarkson:  One day after this popular host of the TV show, “Top Gear,” was suspended by the BBC, more than half a million people had signed an online petition supporting him.  It is unclear why he was suspended.  Some say he threw a punch at his producer.  Clarkson has made a career out of being politically incorrect.  His fans (the show is watched by 350 million people in 170 countries) obviously love him.

Harper Lee:  Does she or doesn’t she really want to publish a novel she wrote more than a half-century ago?  It would be her first book since “To Kill a Mockingbird” in 1960.  Those who stand to profit from it say she’s alert, engaged and all for it.  Her protectors say she has memory problems, is often confused, and the new old book is sub-standard and will harm her reputation.  This is a case of elder abuse, they say.  She is 88 and lives in an assisted living facility.

Isaac Herzog:  The latest polls say that he is running slightly ahead of Netanyahu in Israel’s election, which will be held next week.  They also indicate that support for Netanyahu is eroding.  My humble opinion: A Herzog-led coalition would be the best news out of Israel in a long time.