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Thursday, December 31, 2020
Joe Biden should end the US pretence over Israel’s ‘secret’ nuclear weapons | Israel | The Guardian
Joe Biden should end the US pretence over Israel’s ‘secret’ nuclear weapons | Israel | The Guardian: The cover-up has to stop – and with it the huge sums in aid, says Nobel peace laureate Desmond Tutu
The story of a divorce - How Brexit happened | Britain | The Economist
The story of a divorce - How Brexit happened | Britain | The Economist: Britain went from enthusiastic commitment to the EU to an acrimonious departure on unfavourable terms
Iran attack may be next in Trump's farewell bag of tricks – Responsible Statecraft
Iran attack may be next in Trump's farewell bag of tricks – Responsible Statecraft: Military movements and reports that Saudis and Israelis are pressuring for a U.S. strike against Iran hint at the worst.
Four Deaths in Elderly Reported From 3 Countries During First Days of Vaccine Rollout: Authorities Urge Calm
Four Deaths in Elderly Reported From 3 Countries During First Days of Vaccine Rollout: Authorities Urge Calm: In the first days of COVID-19 vaccine rollouts, at least 4 deaths from heart attacks were reported in ...
Monoclonal antibodies: Overburdened hospitals are not offering this treatment against covid-19 - The Washington Post
Monoclonal antibodies: Overburdened hospitals are not offering this treatment against covid-19 - The Washington Post: President Trump called the monoclonal antibodies he received for covid-19 "unbelievable." But hospitals are having trouble dealing with the challenges of administering the drugs.
A smoldering cauldron of foreign policy challenges awaits Joe Biden - Washington Times
A smoldering cauldron of foreign policy challenges awaits Joe Biden - Washington Times: Joe Biden will become America's 46th president on Jan. 20, 2021. After enjoying the pomp and ceremony of the inauguration, I'm sure he'll enjoy himself at a few formal balls in Washington.
Nepal slips toward anarchy as India and China seek Himalayan edge - Nikkei Asia
Nepal slips toward anarchy as India and China seek Himalayan edge - Nikkei Asia: KATHMANDU -- Nepalese Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli's sudden dissolution of parliament in mid-December has triggered nationwide protests and politica
Trump administration declassifies unconfirmed intel on Chinese bounties - Axios
Trump administration declassifies unconfirmed intel on Chinese bounties - Axios: The disclosure comes months after reports of Russian bounties and after Trump vowed to ratchet up pressure on China.
All Major Western Media Outlets Take "Private Dinners", "Sponsored Trips" From Chinese Communist Propaganda Front | ZeroHedge
All Major Western Media Outlets Take "Private Dinners", "Sponsored Trips" From Chinese Communist Propaganda Front | ZeroHedge: ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero
Benjamin Friedman on faith and American socioeconomic policy | Harvard Magazine
Benjamin Friedman on faith and American socioeconomic policy | Harvard Magazine: How faith shapes economic and social policy
UNRWA and Palestinian refugees are the next targets of normalisation deals with Israel – Middle East Monitor
UNRWA and Palestinian refugees are the next targets of normalisation deals with Israel – Middle East Monitor: When US President Donald Trump leaves office in three weeks' time, he will have laid the foundations for a further downgrading of the Palestinian struggle for freedom. It is, perhaps, little wonder ...
Hong Kong's future now lies with China | East Asia Forum
Hong Kong's future now lies with China | East Asia Forum: Hong Kong's political contestation will remain fierce through 2021 as all the protagonists strongly believe that they have right on their side, writes Tim Summers
Hunter Biden Laptop Lawsuit Gives Twitter Unpleasant Legal Choices
Hunter Biden Laptop Lawsuit Gives Twitter Unpleasant Legal Choices: The lawsuit alleges Twitter defamed the computer owner to justify its censorship of The New York Post’s story on Hunter Biden selling access to his father.
John Kerry: False Prophet of the Climate Apocalypse | RealClearEnergy
John Kerry: False Prophet of the Climate Apocalypse | RealClearEnergy: Former Secretary of State John Kerry has a long and notable track record of being a global warming alarmist and now a climate change catastrophist. He authored many failed bills in the Senate tha
Companies Are Fleeing California. Blame Bad Government.
Companies Are Fleeing California. Blame Bad Government.: (Bloomberg Opinion) -- Amid raging wildfires, rolling blackouts and a worsening coronavirus outbreak, it has not been a great year for California. Unfortunately, the state is also reeling from a manmade disaster: an exodus of thriving companies to other states.In just the past few months, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. said it was leaving for Houston. Oracle Corp. said it would decamp for Austin. Palantir Technologies Inc., Charles Schwab Corp. and McKesson Corp. are all bound for greener pastures. No less an information-age avatar than Elon Musk has had enough. He thinks regulators have grown “complacent” and “entitled” about the state’s world-class tech companies.No doubt, he has a point. Silicon Valley’s high-tech cluster has been the envy of the world for decades, but there’s nothing inevitable about its success. As many cities have found in recent years, building such agglomerations is exceedingly hard, as much art as science. Low taxes, modest regulation, sound infrastructure and good education systems all help, but aren’t always sufficient. Once squandered, moreover, such dynamism can’t easily be revived. With competition rising across the U.S., the area’s policy makers need
Censorship and bias
Censorship and bias: Hunter Biden, son of President-elect Joe Biden, is making headlines once again. Now that the election is over, however, mainstream news outlets are picking up the story as well. Mr. Biden publicly announced that his tax affairs have been under federal investigation since 2018. He is, of course, innocent until and unless proven otherwise. The investigation does not implicate the senior Mr. Biden. It does raise pertinent questions about media...
Even the Rose Bowl left California in 2020 for Texas. Can the Golden State get anything right? | Fox Business
Even the Rose Bowl left California in 2020 for Texas. Can the Golden State get anything right? | Fox Business: New Year’s Day, 2021, the 105th Annual Rose Bowl was supposed to be played in Pasadena, California. Guess what happened...
Cuba and Washington's Absurd Overuse of Sanctions | The American Conservative
Cuba and Washington's Absurd Overuse of Sanctions | The American Conservative: Imposing sanctions on states for things they aren't even doing shows how much this administration overuses and abuses sanctions.
Poisoner, Hacker, Meddler, Spy: How Russian Agents Ran Wild in 2020 - SpyTalk
Poisoner, Hacker, Meddler, Spy: How Russian Agents Ran Wild in 2020 - SpyTalk: Some wins, some loses, but overall a record to be proud of—if you’re Vladimir Putin
China Caps Bank Loans to Real Estate to Curb Systematic Risk - Bloomberg
China Caps Bank Loans to Real Estate to Curb Systematic Risk - Bloomberg: China’s regulators will impose caps on banks’ lending to the real estate sector for the first time, in their latest efforts to prevent systematic risks after a series of property curbs in recent years did little to damp buyer enthusiasm.
How Did Jon Ossoff, 33, Get Within Reach of a Senate Seat? - The New York Times
How Did Jon Ossoff, 33, Get Within Reach of a Senate Seat? - The New York Times: Some well-timed introductions and a knack for opportunity have helped Mr. Ossoff’s rise in Georgia politics. Now he is pursuing his most ambitious goal yet, a U.S. Senate seat.
Biden Can't Assume America Beats China in a Taiwan War - 19FortyFive
Biden Can't Assume America Beats China in a Taiwan War - 19FortyFive: Many want to dump the policy of “strategic ambiguity,” in favor of a declaration that the U.S. would come to the defense of Taiwan.
Covid-19: UAE rolling out Chinese vaccine to all citizens and residents | Middle East Eye
Covid-19: UAE rolling out Chinese vaccine to all citizens and residents | Middle East Eye: Emirates was one of three Arab countries that began vaccinating last week, along with Saudi Arabia and Bahrain
Argentina Kicks Off Vaccination Drive With Russia’s Sputnik - Bloomberg
Argentina Kicks Off Vaccination Drive With Russia’s Sputnik - Bloomberg: Argentina became the third country worldwide to begin inoculating its citizens against Covid-19 with the Sputnik V vaccine outside of trials, providing a boost to Russia’s attempts to push the shot into developing nations.
China promises free jabs for all as Sinopharm’s Covid-19 vaccine approved | South China Morning Post
China promises free jabs for all as Sinopharm’s Covid-19 vaccine approved | South China Morning Post: The approval comes with conditions but regulator is confident the vaccine is safe and effective.
Vaccine Nationalism Will Prolong the Pandemic | Foreign Affairs
Vaccine Nationalism Will Prolong the Pandemic | Foreign Affairs: The latest battle over coronavirus vaccines is a collective action problem that aid dollars and public-private partnerships cannot resolve on their own.
Nobody says hi in San Francisco - Noahpinion
Nobody says hi in San Francisco - Noahpinion: I moved to a great city in decline.
Mandating COVID-19 Vaccines | Infectious Diseases | JAMA | JAMA Network
Mandating COVID-19 Vaccines | Infectious Diseases | JAMA | JAMA Network: This Viewpoint discusses whether US states, businesses, health care facilities, and schools and universities can mandate vaccination against coronavirus as a condition of employment or service.
America’s Vaccine Rollout Is Already a Disaster
America’s Vaccine Rollout Is Already a Disaster: Vaccines should should bring the end of the pandemic, but the United States is bungling their distribution, just as it failed at every other pandemic response from testing to contact tracing.
Warp Speed chief: U.S. won’t get AstraZeneca vaccine until April - POLITICO
Warp Speed chief: U.S. won’t get AstraZeneca vaccine until April - POLITICO: The Trump vaccine official said there are still questions about the shot's effectiveness, even as U.K. regulators authorized it Wednesday.
Employment recovery in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic : Monthly Labor Review: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Employment recovery in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic : Monthly Labor Review: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: This article reviews recent economic research on pandemic-related job losses in the United States in order to understand the prospects for employment recovery.
Larry Wilkerson: No Evidence of Massive Russian Hack | naked capitalism
Larry Wilkerson: No Evidence of Massive Russian Hack | naked capitalism: Col. Lawrence Wilkerson says so far the anti-Russia hysteria about an alleged hack looks like the phony claims about WMD in Iraq.
America can't compete with Chinese tech by walling itself off | The Japan Times
America can't compete with Chinese tech by walling itself off | The Japan Times: As China approaches technological parity with the U.S. in a variety of high-value industries, the U.S. has acted to maintain supremacy.
Nuns arrested as Beijing turns up heat on Church in Hong Kong
Nuns arrested as Beijing turns up heat on Church in Hong Kong: Clerics see arrests as a sign China wants to shut Hong Kong’s unofficial Vatican mission, where nuns work. The diocese has also moved to curb activist voices.
The U.S. General Who Steered China Right - WSJ
The U.S. General Who Steered China Right - WSJ: Driving on the left had the mark of British imperialism—and it was bad for Detroit.
When We Teach Our Kids That Life Has No Value, This Is How They Act… | End Of The American Dream
When We Teach Our Kids That Life Has No Value, This Is How They Act… | End Of The American Dream: The endless chaos in our streets is directly related to how we have been raising our children for the past couple of decades. Bad beliefs lead to bad actions, and we have been teaching our kids values that are fundamentally flawed. In particular, our children are endlessly taught that life has no
A Pastor on the Vaccines - The Catholic Thing
A Pastor on the Vaccines - The Catholic Thing: Rev. Jerry J. Pokorsky: America’s bishops must oppose Big Pharma vaccines using aborted fetal cells and censure transgressing Catholics.
Trump Could Still Start a Last-Ditch War With Iran - The Atlantic
Trump Could Still Start a Last-Ditch War With Iran - The Atlantic: A final grand distraction before the president is forced to relinquish his office is a real danger that deserves serious attention.
Europe hurried to sign China pact to preempt Biden - Asia Times
Europe hurried to sign China pact to preempt Biden - Asia Times: Representatives of the incoming Biden Administration tried and failed to stop the European Union from signing an investment treaty with China this week.
Wednesday, December 30, 2020
Peer-reviewed report on Moderna COVID-19 vaccine publishes | National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Peer-reviewed report on Moderna COVID-19 vaccine publishes | National Institutes of Health (NIH): Data from Phase 3 clinical trial confirm vaccine is effective.
Mutated COVID strain from England confirmed in Southern California | The Sacramento Bee
Mutated COVID strain from England confirmed in Southern California | The Sacramento Bee: Gov. Gavin Newsom said the strain was confirmed early Wednesday afternoon.
Key elements of the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement
Key elements of the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement: Highlights, press releases and speeches
The Steward Of America’s Nukes Is Sending Mixed Messages About B-1 Bombers—And That’s Dangerous
The Steward Of America’s Nukes Is Sending Mixed Messages About B-1 Bombers—And That’s Dangerous: It’s a useful exercise in geopolitics to try seeing your country’s actions from the point of view of your adversaries.
NIH study uncovers blood vessel damage and inflammation in COVID-19 patients’ brains but no infection | National Institutes of Health (NIH)
NIH study uncovers blood vessel damage and inflammation in COVID-19 patients’ brains but no infection | National Institutes of Health (NIH): Results from a study of 19 deceased patients suggests brain damage is a byproduct of a patient’s illness.
Kim Jong Un faces a new year's moment of truth - Asia Times
Kim Jong Un faces a new year's moment of truth - Asia Times: Russia's Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping were pointedly slow to congratulate Joe Biden on his election victory. Their unhappiness with the outcome
Climate risks are accelerating. Here's what Duke, PG&E and 16 other utilities expect to pay. | Utility Dive
Climate risks are accelerating. Here's what Duke, PG&E and 16 other utilities expect to pay. | Utility Dive: Utility industry news and analysis for energy professionals.
Doctors discovered a new way to tell which coronavirus patients will get worse
Doctors discovered a new way to tell which coronavirus patients will get worse: Researchers at the University of Michigan analyzed data from nearly 400 coronavirus patients and developed an algorithm that can predict which patients are likely to get worse over time. The algorithm utilizes machine learning and takes into account a number of vital signs, including heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood glucose levels. The algorithm was found to be particularly accurate after accumulating 48-hours worth of patient data. If an...
Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine approved by UK regulator
Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine approved by UK regulator: The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is cheaper than others and does not need to be kept at the ultra-low temperatures required by the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
China is the Middle East's rising power. Israel must tread carefully - Israel News - Haaretz.com
China is the Middle East's rising power. Israel must tread carefully - Israel News - Haaretz.com: China can’t substitute for American support for Israel. But with Beijing fortifying its position in the Middle East, Israel must engage – or risk its future
China clamps down in hidden hunt for coronavirus origins
China clamps down in hidden hunt for coronavirus origins: MOJIANG, China (AP) — Deep in the lush mountain valleys of southern China lies the entrance to a mine shaft that once harbored bats with the closest known relative of the COVID-19 virus....
Woke Language: The Left’s New Terminology | National Review
Woke Language: The Left’s New Terminology | National Review: Words often change their meanings as the political context demands. And what was yesterday’s orthodoxy is today’s heterodoxy and tomorrow’s heresy. So here is some of the vocabulary of the woke lexicon.
The Stampede from Silicon Valley by John B. Taylor - Project Syndicate
The Stampede from Silicon Valley by John B. Taylor - Project Syndicate: By forcing knowledge workers to telecommute, the COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare many of the unnecessary tax and regulatory burdens that tech firms face simply because they are headquartered in California. State and local policymakers who want to prevent an even larger outbound stampede should take note.
Luke Letlow, Louisiana congressman-elect, dies of covid-19 at 41 years old - The Washington Post
Luke Letlow, Louisiana congressman-elect, dies of covid-19 at 41 years old - The Washington Post: Luke Letlow, 41, died of covid-19 on Tuesday, weeks after winning a run-off election to represent Louisiana's 5th Congressional District.
Boredom Is Spreading the Coronavirus | by Kendra Pierre-Louis | Dec, 2020 | Elemental
Boredom Is Spreading the Coronavirus | by Kendra Pierre-Louis | Dec, 2020 | Elemental: This past spring, as art museums across the country were shuttering to help slow the spread of Covid-19, the Ryland Museum was opening up. The socially distanced museum launched in April in the…
Our Brains Struggle to Process This Much Stress | Elemental
Our Brains Struggle to Process This Much Stress | Elemental: We are processing an inordinate amount of stress, loss, and grief over a sustained period of time. Psychologists and experts explain what this does to our brains.
Life Is Now a Game of Risk. Here’s How Your Brain Is Processing It. | by Dana G Smith | Elemental
Life Is Now a Game of Risk. Here’s How Your Brain Is Processing It. | by Dana G Smith | Elemental: When people everywhere took to the streets in early June after Minneapolis police officers murdered George Floyd, Linda Rambert told her friends to stay home. As a Black woman, and a long-time racial…
Sen. Hawley announces he will contest certification of electoral college vote - The Washington Post
Sen. Hawley announces he will contest certification of electoral college vote - The Washington Post: The move all but ensures a delay in cementing President-elect Joe Biden’s victory when Congress convenes next week.
War Has Rules: The United States Must Respect Them | The National Interest
War Has Rules: The United States Must Respect Them | The National Interest: President Trump has eroded the United States’ commitment to the agreed-upon laws of war.
China’s mission to Nepal gains traction - Indian Punchline
China’s mission to Nepal gains traction - Indian Punchline: Nepal’s Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli (R) received the vice-minister of International Department of Chinese Communist Party Central Committee Guo Yezhou (L) at Kathmandu, Dec. 27, 2020 There can be no two opinions that China has huge stakes in Nepal’s stability. The leitmotif of the visit to Kathmandu by the delegation from the Chinese … Continue reading "China’s mission to Nepal gains traction"
Breakingviews - A Biden-Xi reboot will be frosty but mostly honest | Reuters
Breakingviews - A Biden-Xi reboot will be frosty but mostly honest | Reuters: President-elect Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping won’t warm frozen ties immediately in 2021. China-bashing has become a bipartisan sport in America. Xi has let nationalist trolls take over his diplomatic corps. But with delusions about the status quo stripped away...
Investigations - Grub Street
Investigations - Grub Street: See an archive of all investigations stories published on Grub Street
It is with regret that Parliament will pass law today having no idea what it is, what it might do, and who is accountable for what
It is with regret that Parliament will pass law today having no idea what it is, what it might do, and who is accountable for what: Richard Murphy on tax, accounting and political economy
Trump border crackdown drives corruption among US agents, experts say - Business Insider
Trump border crackdown drives corruption among US agents, experts say - Business Insider: Under Trump, corruption among US Border Patrol agents has increased dramatically, experts, former officials, and cartel operatives tell Insider.
Judge Calls PG&E Power Shutoffs Flawed
Judge Calls PG&E Power Shutoffs Flawed: A scathing new report accuses PG&E of failing to address the primary cause of wildfires they’ve ignited.
Judge Calls PG&E Power Shutoffs Flawed – CBS Sacramento
Judge Calls PG&E Power Shutoffs Flawed – CBS Sacramento: A scathing new report accuses PG&E of failing to address the primary cause of wildfires they’ve ignited.
California Judge Claims PG&E Is Violating Probation | KSRO
California Judge Claims PG&E Is Violating Probation | KSRO: A California judge is calling out PG&E for failing to address the number one cause of the wildfires they've started. In a new report, the judge argues the
PG&E Judge Proposes Stricter Probation Terms After Wildfires - Bloomberg
PG&E Judge Proposes Stricter Probation Terms After Wildfires - Bloomberg: The judge overseeing PG&E Corp.’s criminal probation is looking to tighten the leash on the utility by requiring it to take into account which power lines were cleared of trees before shutting them off during windstorms.
Argentina Legalizes Abortion In Historic Senate Vote : NPR
Argentina Legalizes Abortion In Historic Senate Vote : NPR: Argentina will legalize abortion following a successful vote in the Senate early Wednesday. The decision could send shock waves throughout the heavily Roman Catholic region of Latin America.
Azerbaijan readies gas for EU as Central Asia energy hopes soar - Nikkei Asia
Azerbaijan readies gas for EU as Central Asia energy hopes soar - Nikkei Asia: ISTANBUL -- The first commercial gas flows from Azerbaijan to Europe are about to come online from the Trans Adriatic Pipeline, as the recently comple
Former Jewish American spy Jonathan Pollard lands in Israel - Israel News - Haaretz.com
Former Jewish American spy Jonathan Pollard lands in Israel - Israel News - Haaretz.com: Jonathan Pollard, who served 30 years in prison, was greeted by PM Netanyahu at Ben-Gurion International Airport and received Israeli ID card
Russia, Turkey to develop military ties despite US sanctions
Russia, Turkey to develop military ties despite US sanctions: Moscow and Ankara's military cooperation would not be deterred by US sanctions on Turkey, Russia's FM said.
Is it asking too much to hope for a return to the common good?
Is it asking too much to hope for a return to the common good?: Richard Murphy on tax, accounting and political economy
How obscure parts of the world suddenly became very important to US security in 2020 – Responsible Statecraft
How obscure parts of the world suddenly became very important to US security in 2020 – Responsible Statecraft: Recent events in central Asia and western Africa have had a major impact on world power geopolitics.
Rupert Murdoch Turns on Trump in a Scathing NY Post Attack
Rupert Murdoch Turns on Trump in a Scathing NY Post Attack: The New York Post editorial board ripped Trump on a front-page blast no doubt with owner Rupert Murdoch's approval.
U.S. State Department approves potential sale of 3,000 smart bombs to Saudi Arabia | Reuters
U.S. State Department approves potential sale of 3,000 smart bombs to Saudi Arabia | Reuters: The U.S. State Department has approved the potential sale of 3,000 precision guided munitions to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in a deal valued at up to $290 million, the Pentagon said on Tuesday.
The two-state solution: The opium of the Palestinian people | Gaza News | Al Jazeera
The two-state solution: The opium of the Palestinian people | Gaza News | Al Jazeera: It is time for the de-Osloisation of the Palestinian struggle.
The Year in which Comforting American Myths Were Ravaged – AIER
The Year in which Comforting American Myths Were Ravaged – AIER: "It is still possible that the catastrophic and pointless losses imposed by Covid crackdowns will finally awaken enough people to their growing subjugation. But the most dangerous myth is that Americans will finally become safe after they cease making any efforts to leash their rulers." ~ James...
Article: FBI: Another Fraud on the Court? | OpEdNews
Article: FBI: Another Fraud on the Court? | OpEdNews: Article: FBI: Another Fraud on the Court? - Establishment media are ignoring the latest FBI flip-flop (surprise, surprise); they are reporting instead that incoming president Joe Biden wants Christopher Wray to stay on as FBI director? What's that all about?
Tuesday, December 29, 2020
6.4 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Croatia, Killing At Least 6 : NPR
6.4 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Croatia, Killing At Least 6 : NPR: The U.S. Geological Survey said it is the largest Croatian earthquake measured on modern seismic instruments.
They did everything right. But after one at-home haircut, a husband and wife died of Covid-19
They did everything right. But after one at-home haircut, a husband and wife died of Covid-19: "Even when we thought we did everything right, we still got it," their son said.
Opinion | Hey, America, You Want a True Conservative Party?
Opinion | Hey, America, You Want a True Conservative Party?: I used to be cautious about making predictions. This is partly because history is a complex, open system and predictions almost always come to grief in some important detail. It is also hard to take seriously the Chris Matthews school of punditry: make a series of wild predictions. Supposedly, everyone will forget the clangers, but if you luck into a correct one, the
The plight of Christians in 2020: Many dark shadows and a few glimmers of light
The plight of Christians in 2020: Many dark shadows and a few glimmers of light: 2020 and violations of religious freedom
Europe Embraces Multipolar World With Nord Stream 2 and China Investment Deal — Strategic Culture
Europe Embraces Multipolar World With Nord Stream 2 and China Investment Deal — Strategic Culture: Material need usually wins out against ideological creed. Necessity over dogma. Twice this week, the European Union demonstrated that maxim in practice when it rebuffed…
Military superiority made America less safe, says expert - Vox
Military superiority made America less safe, says expert - Vox: Stephen Wertheim’s book Tomorrow, the World argues US military superiority was a post-World War II choice.
Michael Cohen predicts people Trump pardoned may testify against him | TheHill
Michael Cohen predicts people Trump pardoned may testify against him | TheHill: President Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen suggested Monday that recent recipients of presidential pardons may turn on Trump and be forced to testify against him due to their lack of Fifth Amendment protection.
Article: Snowden and Assange Deserve Pardons. So Do the Whistleblowers Trump Imprisoned. | OpEdNews
Article: Snowden and Assange Deserve Pardons. So Do the Whistleblowers Trump Imprisoned. | OpEdNews: Article: Snowden and Assange Deserve Pardons. So Do the Whistleblowers Trump Imprisoned. - Advocates of press freedom must remain disciplined as they campaign for the pardons for whistleblowers and make their arguments on the merits of press freedom. They must be careful not to indulge Trump's conspiracy theories while they lobby for the pardons.
Article: No Evidence of Massive Russian Hack - Larry Wilkerson | OpEdNews
Article: No Evidence of Massive Russian Hack - Larry Wilkerson | OpEdNews: Article: No Evidence of Massive Russian Hack - Larry Wilkerson - While corporate media is drumming up anti-Russia hysteria about an alleged hack that 'threatens national security', Col. Lawrence Wilkerson says so far it looks like the phony claims about WMD in Iraq. On theAnalysis.news podcast with Paul Jay.
Turkey, Iran, Pakistan rail link to China's Belt and Road - Nikkei Asia
Turkey, Iran, Pakistan rail link to China's Belt and Road - Nikkei Asia: KARACHI -- The governments of Turkey, Iran and Pakistan will revive a transnational rail service linking Istanbul, Tehran and Islamabad in 2021. The I
Gaza Airport: The legacy of a Palestinian dream | Gaza News | Al Jazeera
Gaza Airport: The legacy of a Palestinian dream | Gaza News | Al Jazeera: The Yasser Arafat International Airport, now in ruins, was more than a project – it was a symbol of Palestinian freedom.
2020: America’s Wake-Up Call – Patrick J. Buchanan – Official Website
2020: America’s Wake-Up Call – Patrick J. Buchanan – Official Website: Unable to stand up to a China in which they invested so many hopes, the American establishment turns to Russia — a nation with one-tenth China's population and one-tenth of its economy, and no army or navy to match Beijing's — as its adversary of choice. Who could have predicted how dreadful a year 2020…
Proclamation on 850th Anniversary of the Martyrdom of Saint Thomas Becket | The White House
Proclamation on 850th Anniversary of the Martyrdom of Saint Thomas Becket | The White House: Today is the 850th anniversary of the martyrdom of Saint Thomas Becket on December 29, 1170. Thomas Becket was a statesman, a scholar, a chancellor, a prie
Trump signs executive order expanding school choice for in-person classes due to pandemic - Washington Times
Trump signs executive order expanding school choice for in-person classes due to pandemic - Washington Times: President Trump signed an executive order Monday aimed at expanding school choice options during the COVID-19 pandemic by providing "emergency learning scholarships" for any child without access to in-person learning.
U.S. appeals court blocks NY governor's limits on religious gatherings | Reuters
U.S. appeals court blocks NY governor's limits on religious gatherings | Reuters: The federal appeals court in Manhattan on Monday blocked New York state restrictions on the size of religious gatherings put in place to combat the spread of the coronavirus.
4 crucial trends involving China that investors risk getting wrong - MarketWatch
4 crucial trends involving China that investors risk getting wrong - MarketWatch: Some political and economic shifts have been overlooked, but others are more hype than real.
For NATO, Turkey S-400 Crisis Has No Easy Solutions
For NATO, Turkey S-400 Crisis Has No Easy Solutions: The yearslong fracas over Turkey’s purchase of the S-400 missile defense system from Russia is one of the most unnecessary and bizarre diplomatic disputes in modern history. There appears to be no off-ramp to a crisis that is doing untold damage to Turkey’s relations with the U.S. and other NATO allies.
Coronavirus job loss sends Florida family into homelessness - Washington Post
Coronavirus job loss sends Florida family into homelessness - Washington Post: Even when the economy was booming, Dave and Sergine had lived in a state of near homelessness. Coronavirus made it worse.
The Unspoken Premise Of Modern Capitalism Is That The World Will Be Saved By Greedy Tech Oligarchs – Caitlin Johnstone
The Unspoken Premise Of Modern Capitalism Is That The World Will Be Saved By Greedy Tech Oligarchs – Caitlin Johnstone: Psychopathic neocon Nikki Haley is greasing the wheels for her 2024 presidential campaign by screaming that America has been taken over by socialism. “2020 was the year socialism went mainstr…
Neoliberal Champion Larry Summers Opens Mouth, Inserts Both Feet - TK News by Matt Taibbi
Neoliberal Champion Larry Summers Opens Mouth, Inserts Both Feet - TK News by Matt Taibbi: The former Harvard President and Treasury Secretary offers important thoughts on the negative consequences of aid to the less fortunate
Nantucket, One of America’s Richest Islands, Got Pummeled by COVID. Then the Warring Started.
Nantucket, One of America’s Richest Islands, Got Pummeled by COVID. Then the Warring Started.: The wealthy decamped there to escape the virus. But it arrived anyway. And now, residents are pointing the fingers at each other over who is to blame.
Opinion | Neera Tanden and Antony Blinken Personify the 'Moderate' Rot at the Top of the Democratic Party
Opinion | Neera Tanden and Antony Blinken Personify the 'Moderate' Rot at the Top of the Democratic Party: Sometimes a couple of nominations convey an incoming president’s basic mindset and worldview. That’s how it seems with Joe Biden’s choices to run the Office of Management and Budget and the State Department. | By Norman Solomon
The Threat of Authoritarianism in the U.S. is Very Real, and Has Nothing To Do With Trump - Glenn Greenwald
The Threat of Authoritarianism in the U.S. is Very Real, and Has Nothing To Do With Trump - Glenn Greenwald: The COVID-driven centralization of economic power and information control in the hands of a few corporate monopolies poses enduring threats to political freedom.
Signs of Mind - The Catholic Thing
Signs of Mind - The Catholic Thing: Hadley Arkes: Jesus was seen to live and die; His wounds could be touched. And we have the lasting testimonies of those who saw it happen.
Gerald Ford and the Perversion of Presidential Pardons | The American Conservative
Gerald Ford and the Perversion of Presidential Pardons | The American Conservative: In pardoning Nixon, the 38th president opened the floodgates to boundless executive power.
Ten years on, the Arab Spring's biggest winner is Israel - Middle East News - Haaretz.com
Ten years on, the Arab Spring's biggest winner is Israel - Middle East News - Haaretz.com: Democracy is no longer seen as a panacea for the region or even a precondition for peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors
Monday, December 28, 2020
Disinfecting Surfaces And Parcels To Fend Off The Coronavirus May Be Overkill : Shots - Health News : NPR
Disinfecting Surfaces And Parcels To Fend Off The Coronavirus May Be Overkill : Shots - Health News : NPR: Early in the pandemic, people were advised to disinfect everything they touched. But now that scientists understand more about how COVID-19 spreads, all that scrubbing down may have been overkill.
The CDC’s failed race against covid-19: A threat underestimated and a test overcomplicated - The Washington Post
The CDC’s failed race against covid-19: A threat underestimated and a test overcomplicated - The Washington Post: Thai scientists deployed a coronavirus test within hours. The CDC took 46 days to roll out a working test as the virus spread.
Novavax starts late-stage trial of Covid vaccine in the U.S.
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The Coronavirus Is Mutating. What Does That Mean for Us? - The New York Times
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To Face Down China, Should the United States Turn Away From the Middle East? – The Diplomat
To Face Down China, Should the United States Turn Away From the Middle East? – The Diplomat: It’s not that simple. Any effort to characterize China as an existential threat implies a level of conflict that will provide justification for U.S. intervention anywhere in the world.
70% of corporate Japan's leaders want Biden to ease China tensions - Nikkei Asia
70% of corporate Japan's leaders want Biden to ease China tensions - Nikkei Asia: TOKYO -- U.S. President-elect Joe Biden should relax Trump-era measures targeting China, corporate Japan's top executives agree in a new Nikkei survey
Photos: A really good way to catch COVID, for free - American Thinker
Photos: A really good way to catch COVID, for free - American Thinker: In Southern California, COVID cases are exploding, and not surprisingly, it's hit a lot of families, including mine.
So when a San Diego County contract tracer called up and advised me to wear a mask inside my home at all times, even thou...
Loujain al-Hathloul, Saudi women's rights activist, sentenced to nearly 6 years in prison
Loujain al-Hathloul, Saudi women's rights activist, sentenced to nearly 6 years in prison: One of Saudi Arabia’s most prominent women’s rights activists was sentenced to five years, eight months in prison Monday, according to a member of her family.
U.S. bolsters support for Taiwan and Tibet, angering China | Reuters
U.S. bolsters support for Taiwan and Tibet, angering China | Reuters: China expressed anger on Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump signed into law measures to further bolster support for Taiwan and Tibet, which had been included in a $2.3 trillion pandemic aid and spending package.
Omnibus Package Includes $135 Billion of Unrelated Tax Breaks | Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget
Omnibus Package Includes $135 Billion of Unrelated Tax Breaks | Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget: The omnibus package includes government funding for the rest of fiscal year 2021 and significant COVID relief, but it also contains $135 billion over ten years of tax breaks not related to either of those priorities. This cost comes from an extension of many tax extenders that have been around for several years and several poorly targeted CARES Act provisions, as well as a
Biden says Trump and his political appointees have blocked national security transition work, posing threats to the U.S. - The Washington Post
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Hezbollah says it has doubled its arsenal of guided missiles
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Guest Post by Allan Brownfeld: "The Ornament of the World": For 800 Years Muslim Spain Provided Religious Freedom to Jews and Catholics
"The Ornament of The World”: For 800 Years Muslim Spain Provided Religious Freedom to Jews and Christians
By
Allan C. Brownfeld
———————————————————————————————————————————
History often surprises those who are unfamiliar with its ever changing currents. In recent years, many have come to believe that there is an ancient enmity between Islam and Christianity and, in particular between Islam and Judaism. The conflict between Israel and Palestinians has encouraged this false view of history. A new PBS documentary, “The Ornament of the World,” explains that for the 800 years Muslims controlled Spain——a period which ended in 1492 when the Catholic monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella took power—-Spain had an openness to religious diversity which was extraordinary.
While some have argued that Muslim-Jewish enmity is a long-standing phenomenon, the historic record tells a far different story. When Jews were being harshly persecuted in Christian Europe, they often found a golden age in Muslim lands.
The title of this film is taken from the book “The Ornament of the World” by Professor Maria Rosa Menocal of Yale Unniversity. Discussing the story of Jews under Muslim rule in Spain, she writes: “Throughout much of the invigorated peninsula , Arabic was adopted as the ultimate in classiness and distinction by the communities of the other two faiths. The new Islamic polity not only allowed Jews and Christians to survive, but, following Qur’anic mandate, by and large protected them, and both the Jewish and Christian communities in al-Andalus (Arabic for Spain) became thoroughly Arabized within relatively few years of Abd al-Rahman’s arrival in Cordoba. In principle, all Islamic polities were (and are) required by Qur’anic injunction to tolerate Christians and Jews living in their midst. But beyond that fundamental prescribed posture, al-Andalus was, from these beginnings, the site of memorable and distinctive interfaith relations . Here the Jewish community rose from the ashes of an abysmal existence under the Visigoths to the point that the emir who proclaimed himself Caliph in the tenth century had a Jew as his foreign minister.``
There was no place else in Europe where the three religions lived together so freely. In the tenth century, Cordoba was the largest city in Europe. It had a unique system of sewers and running water. It was that unique medieval city which did not suffer from a bad odor. It became a major center of rabbinical learning. Living in the heart of the Arab world, Jews first served their apprenticeship in the sciences of Islamic intellectual masters and in time became their collaborators in developing the general culture of the region. A striking example of this breadth of interest was Maimonides (Rabbi Moses ben Maimonides, 1135-1204), a native of Cordoba.
Many Illustrious Jewish figures arose. Samuel Ha-Magid was born in 993 in Cordoba. He was a Talmudic scholar, grammarian, poet, philologist, warrior and statesman. For two decades he was political adviser to the Vizier of Granada. Before his death, the Vizier recommended to the Caliphs that Joseph be made the new Vizier, which he was.
Living in the heart of the Arab world, Jews first served their apprenticeship in the sciences with Islamic intellectual masters and, in time, became their collaborators in developing the general culture of the region. What chiefly characterized Jewish thought in this period was its search for unity—-the attempt to reconcile faith with reason, theology and philosophy, the acceptance of unity with freedom of inquiry. In Arab countries in the Near East and North Africa, where there existed this free intermingling of cultures, there blossomed a rich and unique Jewish intellectuality in Arabic. Beginning in the tenth century, especially in the kingdom of Cordoba under the enlightened Omayyed caliphs Abd-al-Rahman and his son Al-Hakin there appeared a galaxy of Jewish scholars, historians, philologists, grammarians, religious philosophers, mathematicians, astronomers, doctors and poets. During the 11th century, Ubn Usaibia, a Muslim scholar, listed 50 Jewish authors writing in Arabic on medical subjects alone.
As Karen Armstrong writes in “A History of God,”: “The destruction of Muslim Spain was fatal for the Jews.In March 1492, a few weeks after the conquest of Granada, the Christian monarchs gave Jews the choice of baptism or expulsion. Many of the Spanish Jews were so attached to their home that they became Christians, though some continued to practice their faith in secret...Some 150,000 Jews refused baptism and were forcibly deported from Spain. They took refuge in Turkey, the Balkans and North Africa. The Muslims of Spain had given Jews the best home they ever had in the diaspora, so the annihilation of Spanish Jewry was mourned by Jews throughout the world as the greatest disaster to have befallen their people since since the destruction of the Temple in CE 70.”
Jane S. Gerber, in her book “The Jews of Spain,” points out that, “In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries...it was the Ottoman Empire, then at the zenith of her power, that alone afforded the exiles a place where their weary feet could find rest...Her sultans—-Bayozid ll, Melmet ll, Suleiman the Magnificent—-were dynamic and enlightened rulers who were delighted to receive the talented, skilled Jewish outcasts of Europe...Bayazed ll, responding to the expulsion from Spain, reportedly exclaimed, ‘You call Ferdinand a wise king , who impoverishes his country and enriches our own.’ He not only welcomed Sephardic exiles but ordered his provincial government to assist the wanderers by opening the borders. Indeed, the refugees would find the Ottoman state to be powerful, generous and tolerant.``
Several years ago, I visited Cordoba, Seville, Granada, Toledo and other places in once Muslim Spain. I observed many of the remaining reminders of the golden age of Muslim-Jewish cooperation and amity. They serve to illustrate the lack of historical understanding of those who present the current impasse over the Israeli-Palestinian co nflict as the latest in a long history of strife between Muslims and Jews. The real story is far different and far more hopeful. It may provide us with a genuine road map for the future. PBS has performed a notable service in telling the story of Muslim Spain and the coexistence it fostered between Jews, Christians and Muslims.
How Heather Cox Richardson Became a Breakout Star on Substack - The New York Times
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The Morality of the COVID-19 Vaccines| National Catholic Register
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Governor Charlie Baker vetoes extreme pro-abortion Massachusetts bill the day after Christmas
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Israel and the UAE working together to eliminate UNRWA: Report | Middle East Eye
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Recovering the Theology of Creation - The Catholic Thing
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Biden faces uphill battle in bringing Japan and South Korea together | The Japan Times
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China GDP to grow 8.2% in 2021, the most in 10 years: Nikkei survey - Nikkei Asia
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China should join the Paris Club | The Japan Times
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Objectively the Brexit agreement is an awful deal that we’re going to long regret
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Turkey upgrades ties with Israel. This is why - Indian Punchline
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Call the Palestinian police, for the Israeli police aren't helping Arabs - Opinion - Haaretz.com
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Coronavirus CA: 0% ICU space; restrictions likely to extend | The Sacramento Bee
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Sunday, December 27, 2020
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Michael Flynn to Newsmax TV: Trump Has Options to Secure Integrity of 2020 Election | Newsmax.com
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Bill Talks with Heather Cox Richardson About 'How the South Won the Civil War' – BillMoyers.com
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The drug that gives 'instant immunity' to coronavirus? UK trials new antibody therapy | Daily Mail Online
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Ignoring the elephant in the square - Opinion - Haaretz.com
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Through a Lens Darkly: A Photographer’s Journey Through Los Angeles |
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Saturday, December 26, 2020
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What Lifted Trump Could Sink Biden by J. Bradford DeLong - Project Syndicate
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The Lives They Lived - The New York Times
The Lives They Lived - The New York Times: Remembering some of the artists, innovators and thinkers we lost in the past year.
The New York Times Magazine
December 26, 2020
Each year, The Lives They Lived honors the artists, innovators and thinkers we lost. But this was the year of the coronavirus. As the numbers of the Covid dead climbed into the thousands, and then the hundreds of thousands, they risked becoming an abstraction.
But for those left behind, each loss is deep and individual. We spent Thanksgiving with seven families who lost someone to the virus.
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The Lives They Lived
Remembering some of the artists, innovators and thinkers we lost in the past year.
By The New York Times Magazine
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The Lives They Lived
A Holiday Haunted by Loss
This was the year of the empty seat at the table. We spent Thanksgiving with seven families who lost relatives to Covid.
By Susan Dominus
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OUR END-OF-YEAR SPECIAL ISSUE
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The Lives They Lived
Chadwick Boseman Played Great Men, and Created One
He built his career portraying giants of American history. But it was a fictional character that transformed him into a kind of political figure.
By Ismail Muhammad
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The Lives They Lived
The Meme-ification of Breonna Taylor
People shared her name and image in grief and solidarity, but why didn’t it feel like enough?
By Jenna Wortham
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Associated Press
The Lives They Lived
John Thompson Was Every Black Boy’s Longed-For Coach
A stern disciplinarian with a white towel on his shoulder, he made Georgetown’s basketball team champions.
By Kiese Makeba Laymon
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Courtesy of Allison Tripp Foley
The Lives They Lived
Linda Tripp Was Cast as a Villain During the Clinton Impeachment
Recent years have been kinder to women once judged harshly. But she is unlikely to ever get redemption.
By Irina Aleksander
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Windy Rhoads
The Lives They Lived
Tad Jones Lived Alone in Nature, Until Nature Revolted
He spent decades under the redwoods. Then came this summer’s fire season.
By Michael Paterniti
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Frank Stewart
The Lives They Lived
Stanley Crouch Was a Critic Who Didn’t Hold Back Punches
He was an intellectual, a holder of court, a jazz connoisseur, a snob and a contrarian of the Black condition.
By Wesley Morris
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GAB Archive/Getty Images
The Lives They Lived
Helen Reddy Embodied Her Feminist Anthem, ‘I Am Woman’
She hit No. 1 with that song, and her own life was proof of what it took to get there.
By Rob Hoerburger
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Trevor Leighton
The Lives They Lived
Shere Hite Explained How Women Orgasm, and Was Hated for It
“The Hite Report” provoked a sexual revolution. Then came death threats and the paparazzi.
By Jazmine Hughes
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Bettmann/Getty
The Lives They Lived
Tom Seaver Was the Greatest Met Ever. The Mets Still Broke His Heart.
He put the franchise on the map — and was traded away in return.
By Devin Gordon
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Horace Cort/Associated Press
The Lives They Lived
Mimi Jones Understood the Power of Public Resistance From a Young Age
When she was 17, she leapt into a segregated Florida swimming pool — and landed on the front page.
By Maggie Jones
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Courtesy of the artist and Marian Goodman Gallery.
The Lives They Lived
James Harvey Celebrated the Pleasure of a Packed Movie Theater
No one was more passionate about the cinema, one more experience we lost this year.
By Anthony Giardina
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J. Michael Catron
The Lives They Lived
Denny O’Neil Changed the World of Superheroes
The comic-book writer took stock of a country’s turmoil and put it into his work.
By Rowan Ricardo Phillips
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Fin Costello/Redferns, via Getty Images
The Lives They Lived
Bill Withers Was a Working Man Who Became a Star
He went from manual labor to musical phenomenon in a matter of months, but his struggles were always there in the music.
By Reginald Dwayne Betts
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Richard Stacks/Baltimore Sun
The Lives They Lived
Mary J. Wilson Was Baltimore’s First Black Senior Zookeeper
She had no specialized training, but she did have a way with the fiercest and most vulnerable animals.
By Kaitlyn Greenidge
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Shari Sperling
The Lives They Lived
Sy Sperling Brought Dignity to the Bald
You didn’t need to be ashamed to join the Hair Club for Men.
By Taffy Brodesser-Akner
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Max Farago/Trunk Archive
The Lives They Lived
Cecilia Chiang Lost Everything in China, and Built It Back in California
She twice escaped war in China, and eventually landed in an America that was hungry for a new kind of Asian cuisine.
By Jade Chang
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Pako Dominguez/Alamy
The Lives They Lived
Stanley Chera Was a Mogul Who Made Covid-19 Personal for Trump
The New York real estate titan was in some ways a foil to the president — and was on his mind as he went to Walter Reed.
By Jamie Lauren Keiles
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William Colgan/CIRES/GEUS
The Lives They Lived
Konrad Steffen Was a Prophet of Climate Change, and its Victim
The very ice melt he warned would threaten the planet turned out to be his undoing.
By Mark Binelli
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Don McCullin/Camera Press/Redux
The Lives They Lived
Mike Hoare Was a Soldier for Hire Who Led a Spectacularly Failed Coup
Mad Mike was already in his 60s when he tried to overthrow the Marxist president of the Seychelles.
By Sam Dolnick
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Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images
Grant Imahara Was a Geek Before (and After) It Was Cool
His lifelong love of robotics led to a star turn on “Mythbusters.”
By Dessa
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Peter Moore / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY, Courtesy Paula Cooper Gallery, New York
The Lives They Lived
Diane di Prima Was a Rare Woman Among the Beatniks
A writer and poet who came of age before the women’s movement, she forged a path toward her own desires.
By Carina del Valle Schorske
The Source of Art and Beauty - The Catholic Thing
The Source of Art and Beauty - The Catholic Thing: John Horvat II: What attracts people to the Church is not social-justice sermons or dreary contemporary music, but beauty and truth.
The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph | National Catholic Reporter
The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph | National Catholic Reporter: It takes a village to raise a child. That's a subtle, unspoken assumption in Luke’s account of the first time Jesus entered the temple. As Luke tells his story, he depicts Joseph, Mary and all of Is...
The Case For and Against The Appointment Of A Special Counsel In The Hunter Biden Investigation – JONATHAN TURLEY
The Case For and Against The Appointment Of A Special Counsel In The Hunter Biden Investigation – JONATHAN TURLEY: Below is my column in the Hill on grounds for and against the appointment of a Special Counsel in the Hunter Biden investigation. By refusing address the underlying allegations, Joe Biden is magnifying the concerns over possible conflicts of interest and his own possible exposure. Biden is maintaining that he will not ask potential Justice…
Sino-Cuban Relations: No ‘New Cold War’ in Havana – The Diplomat
Sino-Cuban Relations: No ‘New Cold War’ in Havana – The Diplomat: If we were going to see a new Cold War in the Caribbean, it should have happened by now.
How bad are U.S. relations with Russia? Just try getting a visa for a repairman. - The Washington Post
How bad are U.S. relations with Russia? Just try getting a visa for a repairman. - The Washington Post: A “visa impasse” led the U.S. to close one consulate and suspend another when officials couldn’t obtain visas for technicians to make repairs in rapidly deteriorating buildings.
China to overtake US as world's biggest economy by 2028, report predicts | China | The Guardian
China to overtake US as world's biggest economy by 2028, report predicts | China | The Guardian: Centre for Economics and Business Research says it expects this to happen half a decade sooner than it forecast a year ago
Friday, December 25, 2020
The woke war on religion | Spectator USA
The woke war on religion | Spectator USA: The attacks on religion reflect more general efforts by the woke left to force America to accept their version of history
EDITORIAL: Trump right to criticize the 5,593-page COVID-19 relief boondoggle - Washington Times
EDITORIAL: Trump right to criticize the 5,593-page COVID-19 relief boondoggle - Washington Times: The Kennedy Center ($40 million), gender programs in Pakistan ($25 million), military assistance for Egypt ($1.3 billion), stimulus checks for the family members of illegal immigrants ($1,800 each).
Ted Cruz and Hong Kong’s Democrats - WSJ
Ted Cruz and Hong Kong’s Democrats - WSJ: The Senator blocks a bill opening America’s door to victims of China.
The Masses of Christmas
The Masses of Christmas: The Nativity of the Lord, the great feast of Christmas, holds pride of place in Catholic life and worship. Since the feast of Jesus’ birth is so important, the Church’s tradition has different masses for Christmas! Depending on which Mass you attend, the readings and prayers will vary. Here’s a brief introduction to the different Read More…
US death toll could reach 731K by April 1 if states ease mandates, latest IHME predictions show | Daily Mail Online
US death toll could reach 731K by April 1 if states ease mandates, latest IHME predictions show | Daily Mail Online: New projections from the IHME predict up to 731,000 Americans could die of COVID-19 by April 1 if states begin to ease mandates and a vaccine isn't rolled out as planned.
Opinion | Trump's Most Disgusting Pardons - The New York Times
Opinion | Trump's Most Disgusting Pardons - The New York Times: Blackwater mercenaries committed a massacre. Now they’ll go free.
Full Text of Holy Father's 2020 Urbi et Orbi Message - ZENIT - English
Full Text of Holy Father's 2020 Urbi et Orbi Message - ZENIT - English: 'The Child born of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem was born for everyone: he is the son that God has given to the entire human family'
Exult, All Christians! - The Catholic Thing
Exult, All Christians! - The Catholic Thing: St. Augustine: Truly did the Prophets announce that Christ would be born; truly did the heavens and angels announce that He had been born.
Fauci: Herd immunity could require 90 percent of country to be vaccinated | TheHill
Fauci: Herd immunity could require 90 percent of country to be vaccinated | TheHill: Achieving herd immunity against the coronavirus could require as much as 90 percent of the population to be vaccinated, Anthony Fauci said in an interview published Thursday.
Powell says White House aides won't let her help Trump | TheHill
Powell says White House aides won't let her help Trump | TheHill: Pro-Trump attorney Sidney Powell said Thursday that the president's aides are preventing her from being in contact with President Trump and coordinating his efforts to overturn election results in battleground states around the country.
Santa tracker: NORAD shares story of young girl’s call | The Sacramento Bee
Santa tracker: NORAD shares story of young girl’s call | The Sacramento Bee: The tradition has been going on since 1955.
Japan official, calling Taiwan 'red line,' urges Biden to 'be strong'
Japan official, calling Taiwan 'red line,' urges Biden to 'be strong': A top Japanese defence official on Friday urged U.S. President-elect Joe Biden to "be strong" in supporting Taiwan in the face of an aggressive China, calling the island's safety a "red line." In an interview, Nakayama, Japan's deputy defence minister, urged Biden to take a similar line on Taiwan as outgoing President Donald Trump, who has significantly boosted military sales to the Chinese-claimed island and increased engagement.
China helps evacuate sick Australian from Antarctica in five-day mission | Antarctica | The Guardian
China helps evacuate sick Australian from Antarctica in five-day mission | Antarctica | The Guardian: Ships, helicopters and planes traverse thousands of kilometres of icy continent in complex, multinational medical evacuation
Old Dogs, New Research and the Secrets of Aging - The New York Times
Old Dogs, New Research and the Secrets of Aging - The New York Times: The ways that dogs grow and age may provide potentially useful similarities with people.
Taiwan casts net for trade deals as China blocks RCEP entry - Nikkei Asia
Taiwan casts net for trade deals as China blocks RCEP entry - Nikkei Asia: TAIPEI -- Sidelined from the world's largest trading bloc, Taiwan is pinning its hopes on other free trade deals as it seeks to move further away from
Time to rethink how to build a more resilient and inclusive Asia Pacific | East Asia Forum
Time to rethink how to build a more resilient and inclusive Asia Pacific | East Asia Forum: COVID-19 has exposed inequalities in APEC member economies, and inclusive social policies are required to prevent vulnerable groups from further slipping through the cracks
What All the Secession Talk Really Means - POLITICO
What All the Secession Talk Really Means - POLITICO: It’s not about breaking away. It’s about blocking the government from within.
Democracies Don’t Start Wars. But Democrats Do — Strategic Culture
Democracies Don’t Start Wars. But Democrats Do — Strategic Culture: It may have been President Bill Clinton who once justified his wrecking of the Balkans by observing that liberal interventionism to bring about regime change…
Exult, All Christians! - The Catholic Thing
Exult, All Christians! - The Catholic Thing: St. Augustine: Truly did the Prophets announce that Christ would be born; truly did the heavens and angels announce that He had been born.
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