Recent Deaths

[Time_Traveller]

Time to bring back the Recent Deaths thread from the previous forum.

Richard R. Ernst, Nobelist Who Paved Way for M.R.I., Dies at 87

June 16, 2021

Richard R. Ernst, a Swiss chemist who won the Nobel Prize in 1991 for his work refining nuclear magnetic resonance, or N.M.R., spectroscopy, the powerful method of chemical analysis behind M.R.I. technology, died on June 4 in Winterthur, in northern Switzerland. He was 87.

The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich), where Dr. Ernst had spent almost his entire career, announced the death on its website. No cause was given.

Dr. Ernst — whose work and interests spanned chemistry, physics, math, music and art — helped develop N.M.R. from a niche, time-intensive technique into a critical scientific tool routinely used in local hospitals and undergraduate chemistry labs.

As a chemist he was pre-eminent.

“To compare him to Einstein would offend physicists,” said Jeffrey A. Reimer, an N.M.R. expert at the University of California, Berkeley. “But in terms of his impact in the discipline, Ernst is foundational.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/16/scie ... -dead.html (Has a paywall)

[caltrek]

Here is a link to the Nobel Prize site biography of Ernst:

https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemi ... nst/facts/

The nice thing about this site is that if you explore around a little in the menus you can find descriptions of all of the winners of the Nobel Prize.

[wjfox]

John McAfee: Anti-virus creator found dead in prison cell

21 minutes ago

Anti-virus software entrepreneur John McAfee has been found dead in a Barcelona prison cell, just hours after a Spanish court agreed to extradite him to the US to face tax evasion charges.

The Catalan Justice Department said prison medics tried to resuscitate him, but were not successful.

It said in a statement that "everything indicates" Mr McAfee took his own life.

A controversial figure, Mr McAfee's company released the first commercial anti-virus software.

It helped to spark a multi-billion dollar industry in the computer world.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-57589822

[caltrek]

Mike Gravel, Former U.S. Senator from Alaska, Dies at 91
June 27, 2021

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... uxbndlbing

Extract:

(AP via Politico) SEASIDE, Calif. — Mike Gravel, a former U.S. senator from Alaska who read the Pentagon Papers into the Congressional Record and confronted Barack Obama about nuclear weapons during a later presidential run, has died. He was 91.

Gravel, who represented Alaska as a Democrat in the Senate from 1969 to 1981, died Saturday, according to his daughter, Lynne Mosier. Gravel had been living in Seaside, California, and was in failing health, said Theodore W. Johnson, a former aide.

Gravel’s two terms came during tumultuous years for Alaska when construction of the trans-Alaska oil pipeline was authorized and when Congress was deciding how to settle Alaska Native land claims and whether to classify enormous amounts of federal land as parks, preserves and monuments.

…Gravel reentered national politics decades after his time in the Senate to twice run for president. Gravel, then 75, and his wife, Whitney, took public transportation in 2006 to announce he was running for president as a Democrat in the 2008 election ultimately won by Obama.
He launched his quest for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination as a critic of the Iraq war.

Democratic presidential hopeful and former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel speaks at the “Take Back America” political conference in Washington, in this June 19, 2007, file photo.
(AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)

[caltrek]

John McAfee: Anti-virus creator found dead in prison cell

More on that:

John McAfee's Widow Blames U.S. and Its 'Politically Motivated Charges' for His Death

Introduction:

(Newsweek) The widow of British-American anti-virus software entrepreneur John McAfee is blaming the U.S. and its "politically motivated charges" for his death, she said.

Janice McAfee, 38, told reporters her husband's final words to her were "I love you and I will call you in the evening," before he was found dead Wednesday at 75 in a prison cell in Spain as he was awaiting extradition to the U.S. He was imprisoned for being accused of tax evasion and Spanish authorities are maintaining it appears he committed suicide.

"I blame the U.S. authorities for this tragedy: Because of these politically motivated charges against him my husband is now dead," Janice McAfee said.
She also said her husband's last words to her were "not words of somebody who is suicidal," and is calling for a "thorough investigation" into his death.

McAfee was arrested at Barcelona's airport in October 2020 after Tennessee prosecutors put out a warrant for him based on his alleged tax evasion.
Authorities in Spain are conducting an autopsy on McAfee's body.

I mentioned before that I consider Newsweek to be a "conservative " news source. Here are versions of this same story that ran in Al Jazeera and RT:

https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2021/ ... -his-death

https://www.rt.com/usa/527646-john-mcaf ... w-suicide/

[caltrek]

Well, I guess this one is going to go into the archives of conspiracy theorists, left, right, and center, to be referred to for years to come:

John McAfee Autopsy Rules His Death a Suicide
by Dan Adler
June 29, 2021

https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2021/0 ... psy-report

Introduction:

(Vanity Fair)John McAfee, the creator of the antivirus software carrying his name, died in a Spanish prison cell last week, where he was awaiting extradition to the United States on tax evasion charges. McAfee’s lawyer, Javier Villalba, told Reuters last week that prison wardens found him hanging in his cell. As the outlet noted on Monday, the Spanish newspaper El País has now reported, citing sources familiar with the process, that an official autopsy ruled McAfee’s death a suicide. A spokesperson for the Catalonian court system overseeing the autopsy told Reuters that it didn’t have any information on the report.

Prior to his arrest McAfee had been on the run from U.S. authorities for years. He sold his famous firm in 1994, but the dramatic details of his life continued to accumulate up until his death. On Twitter in late 2019, he claimed that the U.S. government would kill him and cover it up as a suicide, also getting a tattoo that read “$WHACKD” to commemorate the hypothesis. In the days since his death, McAfee’s widow, Janice, has echoed elements of that theory, telling reporters on Friday, “His last words to me were, ‘I love you and I will call you in the evening.’” She also demanded a “thorough investigation” of his death.

McAfee’s death has caused enough conspiracy theorizing in the broader public that some news outlets had to clarify on Monday that there was no evidence he owned a unit in the Florida high-rise building that partially collapsed last week. A source told the Associated Press that McAfee had a suicide note on him when he was found. According to Villalba, Janice McAfee has requested a second, independent autopsy of her late husband.

[Yuli Ban]

Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld dead at 88

Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has died at the age of 88, according to a statement released Wednesday by his family.

“It is with deep sadness that we share the news of the passing of Donald Rumsfeld, an American statesman and devoted husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather. At 88, he was surrounded by family in his beloved Taos, New Mexico,” the statement read, without specifying when Rumsfeld died.

“History may remember him for his extraordinary accomplishments over six decades of public service, but for those who knew him best and whose lives were forever changed as a result, we will remember his unwavering love for his wife Joyce, his family and friends, and the integrity he brought to a life dedicated to country.”

[wjfox]

I just found out the Goddess Bunny died earlier this year, of COVID-19.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goddess_Bunny

(star of possibly the creepiest video I ever saw on the Internet. I won't even post it here)

R.I.P. anyway.

[wjfox]

Haiti President Jovenel Moïse killed in attack at home

13 minutes ago

Haiti's President Jovenel Moïse has been killed in an attack on his home in the nation's capital, according to the country's interim prime minister.

Claude Joseph said the president's home in Port-au-Prince was stormed by unidentified armed men at 01:00 local time (05:00 GMT).

First Lady Martine Moïse was also injured in the attack.

Mr Joseph said that "all measures had been taken to guarantee the continuance of the state".

He said the president was fatally shot in the "heinous, inhuman and barbaric act" and called for the public to remain calm.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-57750358

[Yuli Ban]

Haiti President Jovenel Moïse killed in attack at home

13 minutes ago

Haiti's President Jovenel Moïse has been killed in an attack on his home in the nation's capital, according to the country's interim prime minister.

Claude Joseph said the president's home in Port-au-Prince was stormed by unidentified armed men at 01:00 local time (05:00 GMT).

First Lady Martine Moïse was also injured in the attack.

Mr Joseph said that "all measures had been taken to guarantee the continuance of the state".

He said the president was fatally shot in the "heinous, inhuman and barbaric act" and called for the public to remain calm.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-57750358

[wjfox]

Dutch crime reporter de Vries dies from shooting

1 hour ago

The prominent Dutch crime reporter Peter R de Vries, who was shot and seriously wounded in central Amsterdam nine days ago, has died.

A statement from his relatives said "Peter fought to the end, but was unable to win the battle".

The shooting on 6 July shocked the Netherlands, familiar with Mr de Vries's investigations of mobsters and drug lords. Two suspects were arrested.

De Vries, 64, was shot in the head minutes after leaving a TV studio.

He had won critical acclaim for his reporting on the Dutch underworld - including the 1983 kidnapping of the beer millionaire Freddy Heineken.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-57853004

[Yuli Ban]

[wjfox]

Paul Johnson: Chicago house music DJ dies at 50 after catching Covid

10 hours ago

Influential Chicago house music DJ Paul Johnson has died at the age of 50 after contracting Covid-19.

Johnson, who had a global hit with Get Get Down in 1999 and was named as an influence by Daft Punk, had spent several weeks in hospital.

A statement on his Facebook page read: "Our greatness passed away this morning at 9am, the house music legend we all know as PJ aka Paul Johnson."

Fellow DJ Mike Servito said Johnson "taught us how to bounce to the beat".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-58100006

[wjfox]

Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts dies at 80

1 minute ago

Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts has died at the age of 80, his publicist has said.

"It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Charlie Watts," a statement said.

"He passed away peacefully in a London hospital earlier today surrounded by his family."

It said he was "a cherished husband, father and grandfather" and "one of the greatest drummers of his generation".

The statement added: "We kindly request that the privacy of his family, band members and close friends is respected at this difficult time."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-58316842

[wjfox]

[wjfox]

Sir Clive Sinclair: Computing pioneer dies aged 81

10 minutes ago

Inventor Sir Clive Sinclair, who popularised the home computer and invented the pocket calculator, has died at his London home aged 81.

His daughter Belinda Sinclair said he passed away on Thursday morning after having cancer for more than a decade.

Sir Clive's products included the ZX series of computers and his ill-fated C5 electric vehicle.

He was still working on his inventions last week "because that was what he loved doing", said Ms Sinclair.

"He was inventive and imaginative and for him it was exciting and an adventure, it was his passion," she added.

While his ZX Spectrum computers brought affordable personal computing to the masses - selling in their millions across the world - Sir Clive's attempt to launch an electric vehicle was not successful.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-58587521



Credit: David Levenson

[wjfox]

Colin Powell: Former US secretary of state dies of Covid complications

8 minutes ago

Former US Secretary of State Colin Powell has died aged 84 of Covid-19 complications, his family has announced.

He was a former top military officer who rose to become the first African-American secretary of state in 2001 under Republican George W Bush.

"We have lost a remarkable and loving husband, father, grandfather and a great American," a statement said.

"We want to thank the medical staff... for their caring treatment," it added.

The statement said that he had been fully vaccinated against Covid.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-58957273

[wjfox]

Minute's silence for Sir David Amess in House of Commons

The Speaker’s chaplain has led a minute’s silence in the House of Commons for Sir David Amess MP.

Tricia Hillas said of the murdered Southend West MP: “May the bright memory of his rich life ever outshine the tragic manner of his death”.

Lindsay Hoyle also paid tribute to the former Northern Ireland secretary James Brokenshire, who died on 7 October.

[wjfox]

[caltrek]

While I do believe in the wisdom of speaking kindly of the dead, there are lessons to be learned from history. The career of Colin Powell supplies plenty of such lessons. On the positive side, the development of the "Powell Doctrine." On the negative, his role in trying to facilitate the U.S. invasion of Iraq by use of what should have been perceived as dubious evidence. For further background on that second point:


Climate Cassandra: Seeing the Future When No One Believes You
by Rebecca Gordon
October 18, 2021

https://www.commondreams.org/views/2021 ... lieves-you

Extract:

(Common Dreams) In the run-up to the March 2003 invasion, figures who might be thought of as "anti-Cassandras" took center stage. Unlike the Greek seer, these unfortunates were apparently doomed to tell falsehoods—and be believed. Among them was Condoleezza Rice, President Bush's national security advisor, who, when pressed for evidence that Saddam Hussein actually possessed WMD, told CNN's Wolf Blitzer that "we don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud," implying Iraq represented a nuclear threat to this country.

Then there was secretary of State Colin Powell, who put the case for war to the United Nations General Assembly in February 2003, emphasizing the supposedly factual basis of everything he presented:

"My colleagues, every statement I make today is backed up by sources, solid sources. These are not assertions. What we're giving you are facts and
conclusions based on solid intelligence."

It wasn't true, of course, but around the world, many believed him.

And let's not leave the mainstream press out here. There's plenty of blame to go around, but perhaps the anti-Cassandra crown should go to the New York Times for its promotion of Bush administration war propaganda, especially by its reporter Judith Miller. In 2004, the Times published an extraordinary mea culpa, an apologetic note "from the editors" that said,

"[W]e have found a number of instances of coverage that was not as rigorous as it should have been. In some cases, information that was controversial then, and seems questionable now, was insufficiently qualified or allowed to stand unchallenged. Looking back, we wish we had been more aggressive in re-examining the claims as new evidence emerged—or failed to emerge."