So you can imagine how I felt when just moments ago I found a book…on the floor chewed up.  I picked it up and uncertain which book was chewed since whoever (I have a suspect) chewed it also took (and hid?) the book jacket, I opened it up and saw this very relevant inscription from Cal Ripken:

Associated Press

JUBA, South Sudan (AP) — Twenty-four people died in a battle between South Sudan’s military and rebel fighters the government believes to be supported by neighboring Sudan, while a tribe-on-tribe cattle-raiding attack elsewhere in the country killed 27 people, officials said Monday.

A battle in Jonglei state on Sunday killed 20 rebel fighters and four government troops, said Col. Philip Aguer. Aguer said the army recaptured the town of Boma, near the border with Ethiopia, from rebels led by David Yau Yau who took over the town earlier this month.

South Sudan’s military “restored law and order to Boma and chased away the rebels to the hills outside town,” he said.

Aguer said government forces found food manufactured in the East African country of Eritrea on the ground, but he said that officials don’t have evidence that Eritrea is helping the rebels.

South Sudan accuses Sudan of supporting Yau Yau’s rebellion in order to block South Sudan’s plans to build an oil pipeline through Jonglei state and Ethiopia. South Sudan must currently export its oil through pipelines owned by Sudan. It plans to build a new pipeline would reduce its dependence upon Sudan.

Sudan has repeatedly denied having any ties to Yau Yau’s rebels and has counter-accused the south of supporting rebels in Sudan’s South Kordofan and Blue Nile states.

A Swiss based research group, Small Arms Survey, said in a recent report that Sudan supplied weapons and ammunition to the rebels.

In violence elsewhere, cattle raiders suspected to be from Jonglei state killed 27 people in Upper Nile state on Saturday morning, local officials said.

Nasir County Commissioner Dak Tap said the raiders attacked the village at night when people were sleeping.

“The attackers killed 23 people on the spot and stole more than 2,000 cattle. In the morning youth in the affected village pursued the raiders and in the ensuing exchange of fire four more people, including three rebels, were killed,” said Tap.

Jonglei state, South Sudan’s largest state, has a long history of inter-communal violence mostly related to cattle-raiding. Since South Sudan declared independence from Sudan in 2011, the cattle raids have become more frequent and deadly.

Instability in Jonglei state and South Sudan as a whole is due in part to easy access to weapons. A government disarmament campaign launched in Jonglei last year ended up boosting insecurity and was accompanied by abuses against civilians, according to a United Nations report released last year.

EARLIER THIS WEEK, RUSSIAN SECURITY CLAIMED RYAN FOGLE, A THIRD SECRETARY **

HE WAS ORDERED TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY IN RESPONSE **

U.S. EMBASSY HAS REFUSED TO COMMENT ON THE CASE **

17 ISLAMIC EXTREMISTS AND THREE NIGERIAN SOLDIERS KILLED IN AN OFFENSIVE **

MILITARY SPOX SAYS ONE SOLDIER WAS ALSO MISSING **

SPOX DIDN’T SAY EXACTLY WHERE THE FIGHTING OCCURRED, BUT ADDED THAT ABOUT **

RESIDENTS OF SUBURBAN TAMPA, FL TOWN LEFT WONDERING WHO THE WINNER OF THE **

THE WINNING $590.5 MIL TICKET WAS PURCHASED AT A PUBLIX SUPERMARKET IN **

A PUBLIX SPOX SAYS RUMORS ARE SWIRLING AROUND, BUT THE SUPERMARKET COULDN’T **

WEB VIDEO SURFACES URGING EGYPTIAN GOVT TO SUBMIT TO THE DEMANDS OF CAPTORS **

IN THE VIDEO POSTED ON YOUTUBE, THE MEN ARE SHOWN BLINDFOLDED AND TIED UP, **

AN UNIDENTIFIED SECURITY OFFICIAL CONFIRMED THE CAPTIVES APPEARING IN THE **

N KOREA FIRES A PROJECTILE INTO WATERS OFF ITS EASTERN COAST, ACCORDING TO **

IT’S UNCLEAR WHETHER THE LAUNCH WAS A MISSILE OR ARTILLERY ROUND **

THIS COMES A DAY AFTER PYONGYANG TEST-FIRED THREE SHORT-RANGE MISSILES **

N KOREA IS BANNED FROM TESTING BALLISTIC MISSILES UNDER UN SECURITY COUNCIL **

PRES OBAMA PLANS TO ADDRESS HIS ADMIN’S COUNTERTERRORISM POLICIES DURING A **

WHITE HOUSE OFFICIAL SAYS THE SPEECH WILL ADDRESS THE ADMIN’S DRONE PROGRAM **

OBAMA WILL DELIVER THE SPEECH ON THURS AT THE NATL DEFENSE UNIV **

And now she is home …

Just took this pic…

Air Force One was wheels down in Atlanta at 10:13a, after a bumpy flight.

Dark skies here upon arrival, a slight drizzle.

No gaggle, as expected. Josh Earnest came back to the press cabin to say hello at the start of the flight.

POTUS exited AF1 at 10:21, to cheers from an awaiting crowd.

He was greeted by Kasim Reed, Mayor of Atlanta, John Eaves, Ph. D, Chairman, Fulton County and Jeffrey E. Turner, Chairman, Clayton County

He then walked over to the crowd gathered behind the barricade: “Hello everybody!” he said. “How’s everybody doing?” he asked making his way down the barricade.

Motorcade rolling to Morehouse College at 10:26a. 15 minute drive to our destination.

Amie Parnes

White House Correspondent

The Hill

[below is from ] ABC “THIS WEEK”

Pfeiffer

10:08:27 I frankly I think many of the republicans have been talking about this, now that they’ve seen the e-mails owe ambassador Rice an apology for the things they’ve said about ther in the wake of the attack. 10:08:35

Q: Apology for what? 10:08:36

10:08:36 for accusing her of misleading the country, for saying that she didn’t uh.. saying that somehow she was involved in some sort of political uh.. white wash of what happend there. 10:08:48 what happend. what she said is what the intelligence community believed at the time. 10:08:51and when we got further information we told the american people what that was. 10:08:54 that’s how people know what happend here. 10:08:56

Good early Sunday morning from Joint Base Andrews, where it is foggy, cloudy and 64 degrees.

POTUS has Georgia on his mind today, traveling to Atlanta for a commencement speech at Morehouse College, followed by a DSCC event.

Motorcade arrived at Andrews at 8:32a, and POTUS emerged from the presidential SUV and bounded his way up the stairs of the plane. He waved to the cameras at the top. He was followed by Denis McDonough, Valerie Jarrett and Josh Earnest.

We’re told no gaggle is expected en route.

Travel time to Atlanta is 1 hour and 35 minutes. The weather there doesn’t look much better: 50 percent chance of rain for the outdoor festivities at Morehouse.

At 8:37a, we’re rolling. Wheels up shortly.

Amie Parnes

White House Correspondent

The Hill

I already called the vet hospital this morning to see how Audrey is….she has shown improvement but they are not ready to release her.  Maybe tonight?  The doctors at the hospital are so kind.  (I call so often, they must wonder if I am nut.)  I told the doctor I will come anytime to pick her up  but I also do not want her to come home if she is not ready. After my commencement speech today, I am driving there to visit Audrey.

Note a tweet (and advice) that was just given Shannon: (and thanks for this tip!)

  Since I tend to be overprotective with the pets, I brought Audrey to the vet early this morning and I was right, she is sick.  Her first blood tests showed lots of “stuff” abnormally high or abnormally low.

As the day progressed, and with more tests, it was concluded that she has Addison’s disease.  This is a disease that can be managed but I hate that she has to spend tonight and maybe tomorrow night in the hospital.  She is on IV fluids.   But as much as it makes me sad to have her in the hospital, I am happy she is getting the care (I call every hour and check on her like a nut!)

Bottom line: I am told not to worry (but of course I do.)

====

PS – Prior to bringing her to the vet early this morning, I spent a few hours last night on line investigating her symptoms and came across Addison’s Disease being common in standard poodles (a goldendoodle is 1/2 standard poodle.)  I did not fully understand what I was reading other than that the symptoms seemed a lot like Audrey (although she was not vomiting, she shivered yesterday when it was not cold and she seemed to be drinking water more than usual.)  That is what sent me so quickly to the vet hospital today.

When I spoke to the doctor today, and I could have this all mixed up since I am not a doctor, he told me that many dogs in his opinion who have Addison’s are misdiagnosed as having kidney (?) problems and get put down because of the problem.  Dogs with Addison can be treated.    I mention this only as an alert to you if your happen to have a dog with the symptoms and a kidney diagnosis — you might want to check Addison’s.