The world mourns Queen of Soul

[Click here for the web version of this email]( [Daily Maverick] TGIF, 17 August 2018 "Trying to grow up is hurting. You make mistakes. You try to learn from them, and when you don't, it hurts even more." Aretha Franklin Story of the Day [Washington sleeps easy: SA envoy to Venezuela calls off ‘plans’ for military action against US]( By Peter Fabricius Pretoria’s man in Caracas has retracted his offer to help Venezuela fight off a feared American invasion. While You Were Sleeping [Aretha Franklin dies at 76]( After spending several days in Hospice, the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin died on Thursday. Franklin's family thanked fans worldwide for supporting them during the singer's final days. With 18 Grammys and after inspiring countless other stars, Aretha Franklin's legendary status will endure. [#EnemyOfNone sees newspapers hit back at Trump]( A call by the Boston Globe to illustrate the value and importance of a free press has been resoundingly taken up. Over 300 newspapers around the United States have published editorials with the hashtag #EnemyOfNone. The NYT, for example, stated: "Insisting that truths you don't like are 'fake news' is dangerous to the lifeblood of democracy. And calling journalists the 'enemy of the people' is dangerous, period." [US military parade postponed]( After experiencing military penis-envy during the French Bastille Day parade, Donald Trump wanted his own such display of power and uniformed girth. Except, parades are expensive, as Trump has thankfully realised. A planned military parade for 2018 has been postponed to 2019 as preparations reached a staggering $90-million in cost. [High-meat, low-carb diets shorten your life - report]( Researchers publishing in the Lancet Medical Journal have claimed that people with a heavy meat diet with no carbs will live several years shorter than their carb-chomping counterparts. In its research, the study found that those who derived 45-55% of their total calorie intake from carbs lived several years longer than those who consumed at least 20% or less. Before you reach for the pasta, the study concluded that this carb intake was best derived from whole grain bread, vegetables and peanut butter. — Picture of the Day By EPA-EFE/TANNEN MAURY Novak Djokovic of Serbia in action against Adrian Mannarino of France in their match in the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament at the Lindner Family Tennis Centre in Mason, Ohio, US, 15 August 2018. In Numbers 16.08.1977 Elvis Presley - the King of Rock - died on this day. Forty-one years later, the Queen of Soul joined him. Facts of the Day Today in 2008 Michael Phelps wins his eighth Olympic gold medal, becoming the first person to do so. Olive oil, wine and a good dose of chocolate were the reasons attributed by Jeanne Calment for her long life (122 years old). Featured Articles [What hath Trump wrought?]( [What hath Trump wrought?]( BY J Brooks Spector [Suzuki Dzire 1.2 GL: Small sedan, big appeal]( [Suzuki Dzire 1.2 GL: Small sedan, big appeal]( BY Deon Schoeman [Sensationalising rape on TV is as dangerous as saying it doesn’t exist]( [Sensationalising rape on TV is as dangerous as saying it doesn’t exist]( BY Abigail Hatcher Ncumisa Sopazi and Mzwakhe Khumalo [Transnet’s looters on the ropes – but criminal charges need to follow swiftly]( BY Rebecca Davis [Black Mirror – where old-school horror anthology meets the terrors and fears of the digital age]( BY Tony Jackman [Lion bones and predator farming – picking on the carcass of SA tourism]( BY Ian Michler [Cops probed over missing Hout Bay fisherman]( BY Kimon De Greef [Bonile Bam’s fresh interpretation of Mandela’s roots]( BY Raymond Suttner and Thembinkosi Goniwe [Street Talk: White Privilege – White Guilt?]( BY Street Talk Opinionistas [A credible and successful SABC is well worth fighting for]( BY Stephen Grootes [Is the NPA imperilled by constitutional ambivalence?]( BY Sizwe Mbele [Land means nothing if you cannot own it]( BY Beverley Schäfer [The law must change to enable the donation of tons of food going to waste]( BY Tatjana von Bormann Weather BFN: min: 1° max: 17°, sunny CPT: min: 5° max: 14°, sunny DBN: min: 12° max: 20°, rainy EL: min: 7° max: 17°, cloudy JHB: min: 7° max: 26°, cloudy MHK min: 6° max: 27°, cloudy NLP: min: 12° max: 34°, cloudy PE: min: 7° max: 14°, rainy PMB: min: 7° max: 18°, rainy Financial Data Oil=$71.35 Gold=$1,173.85 R/$=14.75 R/€=16.75 R/£=18.74 JSE All Share= 56,562.34 DJIA= 25,597.03 BTC$=6,347 [FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO A FRIEND]( Copyright © 2018 Daily Maverick, All rights reserved. You are receiving this mail because you are awesome and on the Daily Maverick First Thing subscriber list. Interested in advertising with us? [Click here](mailto:advertise@dailymaverick.co.za?subject=Advertising%20Query%3A%20First%20Thing%20mailers) to sign the pact. [Getting too many emails from us? Manage your preferences]( | [Unsubscribe](