I had some thoughts on Donald Trump’s civil rape trial verdict on the Julie Mason Show this afternoon.
A Note to Readers
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Postcard from Houston
We made a quick trip to Houston for a private tour of the Johnson Space Center, which was bustling with activity as a newly-named crew prepares for the Artemis II mission to the moon next year.
We saw the Orion capsule where astronauts are training, the human landing system which will eventually be used for traveling down to the moon surface and examples of the robots that will explore the dark side of the moon.
But the highlight was a visit to the floor of Mission Control, where flight control teams are monitoring the International Space Station around the clock. It was a great reminder of the amazing promise of space exploration.
And while in Houston, we also caught an Astros game, ate great BBQ and visited the Museum of Fine Arts.
Postcard from Nepal
As our plane made its descent into the Kathmandu airport, it suddenly and violently jerked upward as our pilot aborted the landing. We had to circle the airport and try a second time. It was quite unnerving.
It turns out there was a dog on the runway — a surprising but also appropriate welcome to Nepal.
We spent our first day sightseeing in Kathmandu before heading to the airport again for a flight to Pokhara, a popular starting point for trekking in the Himalayas. As the photo shows, the beauty of these mountains is truly unparalleled. You can’t stop looking at them.
We were blessed with extraordinary weather — it only rained at night! — as we trekked from lodge to lodge for several days. We passed through many small mountain villages with their terraced farms. It’s a very tough life.
We even stopped at a school where we helped students settle a debate over who was the best soccer player in the world. “Ronaldo or Messi?” they shouted to us. (Messi was the correct answer, of course.)
One of my absolute favorite moments was when a herder temporarily blocked our path with about a hundred adorable goats who then hiked alongside us for about a half mile.
Finally, we flew to Bharatpur for a safari in the Chitwan National Park. We saw rhinos, elephants, monkeys, wild boar, white spotted deer, peacocks and bears. We searched in vain for a Bengal Tiger, which had reportedly been in the area 30 minutes earlier. It was amazing.
As you read this, we are making our way back to New York.
Note to Readers
Just a reminder that the cadence of posts on Political Wire will likely be different than you’re used to again this week.
As you read this, I’m trekking in the Himalayas and without internet access most of the time. And when I do have access, it may be unusable.
Political Wire members always have access to the trending news page which is updated around the clock. And I’ll try to schedule a few open threads along the way for discussion.
Postcard from India
We’ve spent the last week touring India’s “golden triangle” — the cities of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. We’ve had amazing food, learned an incredible amount of history and met so many nice people.
Traveling by car is a special challenge. The lines on the road are mostly ignored, traffic lights and stop signs are virtually non-existent and cows are roaming everywhere. Our driver told us you need three things to drive in India: A good horn, good brakes and good luck.
One thing to note: The photo of the Taj Mahal above, as incredible as it is, doesn’t really do it justice. It’s a majestic building that really must be seen.
As you read this, we are making our way to Kathmandu.
Note to Readers
For the next couple of weeks, I’ll be traveling internationally across many time zones.
As a result, Political Wire‘s tempo may be a bit different than what you’re used to.
Members can always read the trending news page for the latest.
Thanks for understanding — and for reading!
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Weekend Listening
For your weekend listening, the latest episode of Trial Balloon.
We discuss how AI will disrupt the 2024 election cycle, Republicans targeting Pete Buttigieg and Democrats hitting Republicans on Social Security and Medicare.
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Weekend Listening
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