Anyone heard about the crisis in South Sudan?

[True Dough]

If so, it's because you read news coverage or listen to newscasts that have some global depth. If not, it's because of this:





Cartoon by the talented Michael de Adder

[frazzled]

1. I read a long article today about the crisis in Nigeria

(several week-old New Yorker issue that I'd put aside for lack of so-called time). Well, actually, it's about the crisis in African migrants trying to escape poverty, famine, drought, violence, etc. by crossing the Mediterranean to get to Europe, via Libya. The largest number are from Nigeria. The article was about the attendant issue of sex trafficking and enslavement on the long trip through the desert ... either to die in a rubber raft en route to the final destination, or if you get there, more sex work required to pay off the debt to the traffickers. The whole thing was gut wrenching.

But you're right. We're all following DT's latest tweet.

My recommendation is to go cold turkey on cable "news" (read: distracting chatter) and read newspapers and high-quality magazines instead. Or watch PBS NewsHour for the television dose: they often cover far more critical world events than any other.

And oh: delete your Twitter account.

[democrank]

2. Kicked and recommended in spite of our disgraceful lack of interest.

The famine and suffering in South Sudan is beyond heartbreaking.

[frazzled]

3. PBS NewsHour did an in-depth segment tonight on South Sudanese refugees in Uganda

I'd say that the NewsHour is probably one of the few "real" news programs on television, in that it covers international affairs in addition to national ones and politics, as well as arts and the sciences. Rather quaint, isn't it.

[True Dough]

4. I'm glad there's still funding for that

but one has to wonder if PBS's federal funding will be cut under Drumpf in the coming years. Hopefully public donations will be enough to keep it alive, but that's asking an awful lot.