@15:13, , 12/30/19, REC

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1

U.S.

Joe Biden Says He Would Comply With a Senate Subpoena, Reversing Course

By Thomas Kaplan | Dec 28th 2019

Mr. Biden asserted that no “legal basis” existed for the Senate to seek his testimony in the impeachment trial, but he later told a crowd that he would comply with “any subpoena that was sent to me.”

I will vote for Elizabeth Warren if I can.

2

Opinion

Bill Barr Thinks America Is Going to Hell

By Katherine Stewart and Caroline Fredrickson | Dec 30th 2019

And he’s on a mission to use the “authority” of the executive branch to stop it.

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=GgnClrx8N2k&list=RDAMVMnrIPxlFzDi0

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=l482T0yNkeo&list=RDAMVMl482T0yNkeo

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=nrIPxlFzDi0&list=RDAMVMnrIPxlFzDi0

3

U.S.

Behind the Ukraine Aid Freeze: 84 Days of Conflict and Confusion

By Eric Lipton, Maggie Haberman and Mark Mazzetti | Dec 29th 2019

The inside story of President Trump’s demand to halt military assistance to an ally shows the price he was willing to pay to carry out his agenda.

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

4

U.S.

Inside the Biggest 2020 Advertising War Against Trump

By Jeremy W. Peters | Dec 29th 2019

Michael Bloomberg’s presidential campaign wants to flood voters with attacks on Mr. Trump before it is too late, a lesson Republican candidates learned in 2016 when they initially ignored him.

Yes but not Mike Bloomberg.

5

New York

Why Is New York City’s Skyline Always Lit Up?

By Derek M. Norman | Dec 26th 2019

The lights are dazzling. But there are several other practical reasons that they stay on all night long.

The light gives the illusion of life.

6

New York

Intruder Screamed ‘I’ll Get You’ in Attack on Jews at Rabbi’s Home

By Rebecca Liebson, Christina Goldbaum, Joseph Goldstein and Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs | Dec 29th 2019

The rampage in the New York suburbs wounded five people and traumatized the Jewish community in the region.

Insanity is a constant risk.

7

Opinion

This Has Been the Best Year Ever

By Nicholas Kristof | Dec 28th 2019

For humanity over all, life just keeps getting better.

"“We are some of the first people in history who have found ways to make progress against these problems,” says Roser, the economist. “We have changed the world. How awesome is it to be alive at a time like this?”

“Three things are true at the same time,” he added. “The world is much better, the world is awful, the world can be much better.""

8

World

How a Chase Bank Chairman Helped the Deposed Shah of Iran Enter the U.S.

By David D. Kirkpatrick | Dec 29th 2019

The fateful decision in 1979 to admit Mohammed Reza Pahlavi prompted the seizure of the American Embassy in Tehran and helped doom the Carter presidency.

The press did not do its job.

9

New York

9 Ways New York Changed That We Didn’t See Coming

By Ginia Bellafante | Dec 27th 2019

As we look back at the past decade, the city that always changes still managed to surprise us.

Hardware became a zombi.

10

Opinion

The 2010s Were the End of Normal

By Michiko Kakutani | Dec 27th 2019

How social media, the Great Recession and Donald Trump combined to bring out the ‘indigenous American berserk.’

Looting is destructive.



+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

1

U.S. Intelligence Agencies Prepare to Pull Back Officers From Africa

Julian E. Barnes at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 33 minutes ago

An expected withdrawal of military forces would lead the C.I.A. and other agencies to reduce their presence, leaving some officials and experts fearful of a gap in stopping terrorist threats.

Terrorism is the trigger of empire. 

2 

How Big Companies Won New Tax Breaks From the Trump Administration

Jesse Drucker and Jim Tankersley at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 9 hours ago

As the Treasury Department prepared to enact the 2017 Republican tax overhaul, corporate lobbyists swarmed — and won big.

The Trump administration elects for dividends now.

Depression will follow in due course.

Weaponized Keynesianism has a price.

3  

After Another Year of Trump Attacks, ‘Ominous Signs’ for the American Press

Michael M. Grynbaum at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 9 hours ago

Threats of ‘retribution,’ more accusations of ‘fake news’ and the end of the White House briefing made 2019 the darkest yet for journalists in the Trump era.

The press is not a propaganda organ.

4 

Biden Rebounds, Warren Slows, Sanders Rolls: The Latest on the 2020 Money Race

Shane Goldmacher at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 9 hours ago

An early look at fourth-quarter fund-raising shows Joseph R. Biden Jr. bouncing back, Elizabeth Warren lagging her previous benchmark and Bernie Sanders continuing to haul in cash.

Only votes count.

5 

As Trump Hails Stock Market, Democrats Point to Struggling Workers

Jeremy W. Peters and Sydney Ember at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 10 hours ago

In Iowa, Democratic candidates sought to undercut President Trump’s core message of a strong economy by making the case that it isn’t working for the right people.

Trump is concerned with looking good.

6 

John Lewis, Congressman and Civil Rights Icon, Has Pancreatic Cancer

Emily Cochrane at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 18 hours ago

Mr. Lewis said he had Stage 4 pancreatic cancer, but would return to Washington to continue work and begin treatment.

Good luck to Mr Lewis.  Nobody deserves cancer.

I thought I saw a death notice.  I do not find one.

7 

Putin Thanks Trump for Helping Russia Thwart Terrorist Attack

Andrew E. Kramer at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 21 hours ago

The Russian president called the American president to thank him for a tip about an attack said to be aimed at St. Petersburg.

Happy New Year.

8 

Behind the Ukraine Aid Freeze: 84 Days of Conflict and Confusion

Eric Lipton, Maggie Haberman and Mark Mazzetti at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 22 hours ago

The inside story of President Trump’s demand to halt military assistance to an ally shows the price he was willing to pay to carry out his agenda.

The presentation of the impeachment case will take weeks.

9 

U.S. Launches Airstrikes on Iranian-Backed Forces in Iraq and Syria

Julian E. Barnes at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 22 hours ago

The strikes were a response to a rocket attack that killed an American contractor.

This is not a road to peace.

11 

Week-end Wrap – Political Economy – December 29, 2019

Tony Wikrent at Ian Welsh - 1 day ago

Week-end Wrap – Political Economy – December 29, 2019 by Tony Wikrent Economics Action Group, North Carolina Democratic Party Progressive Caucus 99 GOOD News Stories You Probably DIDN’T Hear About In 2019 [via The Big Picture 12-23-19] A giant among us has passed William Greider – in memoriam – (1936 – 2019) Tony Wikrent, December […]

Stanford Researchers Have an Exciting Plan to Tackle The Climate Emergency Worldwide 

The problem is the world is already committed to much more warming.

Do the homework.

Our pathetically slow shift to clean energy, in five charts 

This more like the picture in my head. 

The time delay of warming is not shown.

Why Biden’s Retro Inner Circle Is Succeeding So Far 

The poles are not measuring effectively is postulated.  

Inside the Biggest 2020 Advertising War Against Trump

Jeremy W. Peters at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 1 day ago

Yes but not Bloomberg.

12

They Can’t Get Enough of ‘The West Wing’ Right Now

Sarah Lyall at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 1 day ago

President Bartlet doesn’t live in the White House, even on TV, anymore. But his fans find solace in streaming an old favorite.

There exist smart people who can run a government.

They are not there now. 

13 

In Protesting Climate Change, Jane Fonda Brings Hollywood to Washington

Elizabeth Williamson at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 2 days ago

The actress was joined by her “Grace and Frankie” co-star Lily Tomlin to headline a climate rally that offered plenty of chances to get arrested, but few takers.

Congress is not there and Trump is not listening.

14 

Joe Biden Says He Would Comply With a Senate Subpoena, Reversing Course

Thomas Kaplan at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 2 days ago

Mr. Biden asserted that no “legal basis” existed for the Senate to seek his testimony in the impeachment trial, but he later told a crowd that he would comply with “any subpoena that was sent to me.”

His name would be properly spelled.

He is trumps target.  He is not shooting at Trump.

He is not involved in the impeachment.

15  

‘Nothing Less Than a Civil War’: These White Voters on the Far Right See Doom Without Trump

Astead W. Herndon at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 2 days ago

Deeply conservative, they organize online and outside the Republican Party apparatus, engaging in more explicit versions of the chest-beating seen at the president’s rallies.

Tiny numbers.

16 

Detained for a Year, American Languishes in Russian Prison

Julian E. Barnes at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 2 days ago

Members of Congress and his family members are pushing the Trump administration to step up its efforts to pressure Moscow to release Paul Whelan.

Putin is not a friend.

Maria Butina is sufficiently spanked.  Send her home.

17 

Open Thread

Ian Welsh at Ian Welsh - 2 days ago

As usual, feel free to use the comments to discuss topics unrelated to recent posts.

Happy new year.

Sooner is better.   As soon as you can is best. 

18 

Federal Judge Backs Georgia’s Purge of Nearly 100,000 Voters

Elisha Brown at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 2 days ago

The judge said the state’s move to cancel the voter registration status of inactive voters did not violate the United States Constitution.

The Judiciary has been loaded.

19 

Joe Biden Says He’d Defy Subpoena to Testify in Trump’s Senate Trial

Thomas Kaplan at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 2 days ago

Mr. Biden said Republican demands that he testify were an effort to shift attention away from the president’s own actions.

He should take all the spotlight he can get.

20 

American Contractor Killed in Rocket Attack in Iraq

Julian E. Barnes at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 2 days ago

An attack on a base near Kirkuk also injured several American and Iraqi military personnel.

It is a zone with combat pay.


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@9:45, , 12/29/19

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1

Opinion

The Secrets of Jewish Genius

By Bret Stephens | Dec 28th 2019

All of scripture is questionable.

2

U.S.

‘Nothing Less Than a Civil War’: These White Voters on the Far Right See Doom Without Trump

By Astead W. Herndon | Dec 28th 2019

Deeply conservative, they organize online and outside the Republican Party apparatus, engaging in more explicit versions of the chest-beating seen at the president’s rallies.

This group is insane.
It is also tiny.

3

U.S.

After ICE Raids, a Reckoning in Mississippi’s Chicken Country

By Richard Fausset | Dec 28th 2019

A series of federal immigration raids swept up nearly 700 undocumented workers, creating opportunities — and some ethical concerns — for American-born residents.

Trump is not a friend to labor.

4

Opinion

A Stirring of Conscience in the Senate

By The Editorial Board | Dec 27th 2019

At least one Republican, Lisa Murkowski, wants the Trump impeachment trial to be more than a test of party loyalty. Others should follow.

The Republican whip is effective.

5

Opinion

The Media Is Broken

By David Brooks | Dec 26th 2019

And not for the reasons you think.

Reporting on systems requires an act of synthesis.

6

The Upshot

In the U.S., an Angioplasty Costs $32,000. Elsewhere? Maybe $6,400.

By Margot Sanger-Katz | Dec 27th 2019

A study of international prices finds American patients pay much more across a wide array of common services.

There is no such thing as an excess profit.

7

Opinion

Men Are Dismissing ‘Little Women.’ What a Surprise.

By Kristy Eldredge | Dec 27th 2019

The rejection of the latest screen adaptation of the beloved novel echoes a long-held sentiment toward women-centered narratives.

I will not go by myself.

8

New York

Monsey Stabbing: 5 Wounded at Rabbi’s Home in N.Y. Suburb

By Rebecca Liebson, Neil Vigdor, Michael Gold and Eliza Shapiro | Dec 29th 2019

The governor called the violence an “act of domestic terrorism” after a suspect was arrested in Harlem.

There are always some crazies.

This one did not need much help.

9

Climate

Science Under Attack: How Trump Is Sidelining Researchers and Their Work

By Brad Plumer and Coral Davenport | Dec 28th 2019

In three years, the administration has diminished the role of science in policymaking while disrupting research projects nationwide. Experts say the effects could be felt for years.

The natural world does not argue.
To know it questions must be asked.

10

New York

Racist Robocalls About Tessa Majors Are Made to Columbia Employees

By Michael Gold | Dec 27th 2019

The recorded messages from a white supremacist outlet were delivered on Christmas.

The kettle is stirred.

||

@21:50, 12/28/19, REC

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bad WIFI

1

Opinion

The Secrets of Jewish Genius

By Bret Stephens | Dec 28th 2019

It’s not about having higher I.Q.s.
 
"Take no man's word"

Y: Nullius in verba (Latin for on the word of no one or take nobodys word for it, literally of not any in words) is the motto of the Royal Society.

Nullius in verba - Put-Inzenjering

novi.putinzenjering.com › whha › gvqj

 

 All scripture is written by humans.

2

Opinion

A Stirring of Conscience in the Senate

By The Editorial Board | Dec 27th 2019

At least one Republican, Lisa Murkowski, wants the Trump impeachment trial to be more than a test of party loyalty. Others should follow.

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

3

Opinion

The Media Is Broken

By David Brooks | Dec 26th 2019

And not for the reasons you think.

Most reporters do not see systems.

People see only the systems they are shown.

4

Health

The Ganges Brims With Dangerous Bacteria

By Donald G. McNeil Jr. and Poras Chaudhary | Dec 23rd 2019

This sacred river offers clues to the spread of one of the world’s most daunting health problems: germs impervious to common medicines.

Antibiotics are insanely dangerous in India.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacteriophages

Do the research.

5

U.S.

‘Nothing Less Than a Civil War’: These White Voters on the Far Right See Doom Without Trump

By Astead W. Herndon | Dec 28th 2019

Deeply conservative, they organize online and outside the Republican Party apparatus, engaging in more explicit versions of the chest-beating seen at the president’s rallies.

Homeland Security has a problem.

6

The Upshot

In the U.S., an Angioplasty Costs $32,000. Elsewhere? Maybe $6,400.

By Margot Sanger-Katz | Dec 27th 2019

A study of international prices finds American patients pay much more across a wide array of common services.

The health care industry is abusing its position.

7

World

An Old Menstruation Taboo Killed Her. This Time, a Man Went to Jail.

By Bhadra Sharma and Jeffrey Gettleman | Dec 27th 2019

In a first for Nepal, the authorities have arrested a man who forced his sister-in-law to sleep out in a cold hut during her period.

The change will not be easy.

8

Opinion

What the Senate Does Now Will Cast a Long Shadow

By Patrick Leahy | Dec 23rd 2019

Mitch McConnell and the other 99 senators must serve the institution and the Constitution that established it, not President Trump.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impeachment#United_States

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

Know the rules.

9

Travel

The Secret Afterlife of Lost German Luggage

By Sami Emory and Andreas Meichsner | Dec 23rd 2019

Roughly 250,000 items are lost each year on the trains or platforms belonging to Deutsche Bahn. What happens to those items is decidedly German.

Not tonight.

10

Real Estate

They Wanted a Two-Bedroom on the Upper West Side, but How Many Stairs Are Too Many?

By Joyce Cohen | Dec 26th 2019

Two college friends combine their budgets to find a rental in their favorite New York neighborhood. Which of these options would you choose?

None of these.   I want a studio and eventually a house.


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@13:47, , 12/27/19, REC

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1

New York

Tessa Majors Killing: 14-Year-Old Is Released Without Charges

By Edgar Sandoval | Dec 26th 2019

He is believed to have wielded the knife that killed her, the police said.

Find another headline for a dramatic case that is developing properly.

2 

Opinion

My Jewish Sons Have a Christmas Tree, and I Need to Deal

By Hanna Ingber | Dec 24th 2019

I have always associated my identity with not having Yule decorations. Divorce has a way of changing everything.

Religions are slippery.
I will happily celebrate Saturnalia.

3

U.S.

Anguish and Anger From the Navy SEALs Who Turned In Edward Gallagher

By Dave Philipps | Dec 27th 2019

Video interviews and group texts obtained by The Times show men describing their platoon leader in grim terms.

Trump is abusing the SEALS.

4

U.S.

Why Bernie Sanders Is Tough to Beat

By Sydney Ember | Dec 26th 2019

His supporters are loyal, and in Iowa they don’t really have eyes for anyone else.

Their simple faith is hard to question.

5

Opinion

The Forgotten Story of Christmas 1918

By Mary Elisabeth Cox | Dec 25th 2019

We remember the 1914 Christmas Truce as a moment of humanity amid war. Four years later, a darker tale unfolded.

All the horrors of the past must be known and understood.

6

Opinion

The Meaning and Melodrama of an Italian-American Christmas

By Frank Bruni | Dec 24th 2019

Seven fishes, baby Jesus and the comfort of the familiar.

Tradition matters to all of humanity.
Even the stolen traditions matter.

7

Opinion

Was the Virgin Mary a Virgin? Does It Matter?

By Nicholas Kristof | Dec 21st 2019

Philip Yancey, an evangelical Christian writer, responds to my questions, and my doubts.

Charity is private and personal.  It does not stretch to all
The replacement used for required charity is entitlement.
Stinting or means testing entitlements is institutional cruelty.

8

U.S.

In Indian Country, a Crisis of Missing Women. And a New One When They’re Found.

By Jack Healy and Adriana Zehbrauskas | Dec 25th 2019

The federal government is trying to catch up with a crisis of missing Native American women. But no one is addressing the problems that arise when they’re found.

Social engineering is called for. 
It must not be evangelical.
The children must learn about the world and the universe
to deal with it as it visits.
Alcohol and other drugs must be understood without more direct exposure than the unavoidable.

The tribal police are real police.  There are no priveleged persons.

Start there.

9

World

Pentagon Eyes Africa Drawdown as First Step in Global Troop Shift

By Helene Cooper, Thomas Gibbons-Neff, Charlie Savage and Eric Schmitt | Dec 24th 2019

The deliberations stem from a push to reduce missions battling distant terrorist groups, and to instead refocus on confronting so-called Great Powers like Russia and China.

Send the military where it is wanted.
Confronting great powers is a way to confrontations.
Money is cheaper.

10

U.S.

Pentagon Warns Military Personnel Against At-Home DNA Tests

By Heather Murphy and Mihir Zaveri | Dec 24th 2019

The tests, from companies such as 23andMe and Ancestry, have become popular holiday gifts, but
 the military is warning service members of risks to their careers.

Do the homework.
One can be surprised.


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1

Christianity As A Religious Ideology

Ian Welsh at Ian Welsh - 2 hours ago

Religions are ideologies. They are little different from something like capitalism, or Marxism, or the divine right of kings, or humanism. That is to say ideologies are sets of statements about how the world and people are, and how they should be. Christianity takes humans as fallen. We are innately bad, and we must be […]

Ian Welsh is a thoughtful person.  I will need to think more.

2 

Anguish and Anger From the Navy SEALs Who Turned In Edward Gallagher

Dave Philipps at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 11 hours ago

Video interviews and group texts obtained by The Times show men describing their platoon leader in grim terms.

Trump is abusing the SEALS. 

3 

Sept. 11 Trial Judge Faults Secrecy in Guantánamo Prison Commander’s Testimony

Carol Rosenberg at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 20 hours ago

At issue is testimony by a former Army lieutenant colonel at the war court who challenged a key finding in the Senate’s Torture Report.

The treatment of these prisoners should get them unconditionally released. 

4 

In a Year of Notable Deaths, a World of Women Who Shattered Ceilings

William McDonald at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 20 hours ago

Their breakthroughs were in law, science, music and business, and, like the more famous who died this year, they left indelible legacies.

The ceilings remain shattered.

The world is changed. 

5 

With U.S. Help No Longer Assured, Saudis Try a New Strategy: Talks

Declan Walsh and Ben Hubbard at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 22 hours ago

Worried that they can no longer count on American defense, the Saudis have begun talking to their enemies to cool conflicts in the region.

Saudi knows the double game in diplomacy. 

6 

Why Bernie Sanders Is Tough to Beat

Sydney Ember at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 22 hours ago

His supporters are loyal, and in Iowa they don’t really have eyes for anyone else.

Puritans are trouble. 

7 

Peter Navarro, Trump’s Trade Warrior, Has Not Made His Peace With China

Alan Rappeport and Ana Swanson at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 1 day ago

Mr. Navarro is still looking for ways to punish China even as President Trump has embraced a deal that his top trade adviser lobbied against.

Trump is consistently wrong on trade. 

8 

A Barrier to Trump’s Border Wall: Landowners in Texas

Zolan Kanno-Youngs at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 1 day ago

Construction of President Trump’s border wall has been slow going, in part because the Texans who own the land have to be coaxed or coerced to sell it, whether they want to or not.

Waterfront is treasured in south Texas. 

9 

The ‘But I Would Vote for Joe Biden’ Republicans

Katie Glueck at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 1 day ago

For some Democrats, a key part of the former vice president’s pitch is that their moderate friends and relatives like him, too.

Surrender is popular with the aggressors. 

10 

For Trump Organization, Office Skyscrapers Make Up for Lagging Hotels

Eric Lipton and Steve Eder at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 1 day ago

Office towers in New York and San Francisco — centers of political resistance — are offsetting revenue downturns in the president’s glitzier Trump-branded hotels.

This is not a blind trust. 

11 

G.O.P. Senator ‘Disturbed’ by McConnell’s ‘Total Coordination’ with White House

Zach Montague at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 2 days ago

Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska revealed the first public qualms with Mitch McConnell’s vow to coordinate with the White House on a quick impeachment trial for President Trump.

Jury tampering is another High Crime. 

12 

Christian Post Editor Resigns Over Editorial Defending Trump

Karen Zraick and Elisha Brown at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 2 days ago

The evangelical site criticized a pro-impeachment editorial in Christianity Today.

An act of apostacy. 

13 

Merry Christmas

Ian Welsh at Ian Welsh - 2 days ago

I hope everyone has a good day. Feel free to comment below, and try to keep it kind.

The season of new promise is a joy to all.

Sooner is better.   As soon as you can is best.

Merry Christmas.

14 

Bloomberg Drops Vendor Connected to Prison Labor

Matt Stevens at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 2 days ago

Michael R. Bloomberg said that he had not been aware of the practice until he was contacted by a reporter, but that his campaign ended its relationship with the company immediately.

Looking cheap does not help. 

15 

How Bernie Sanders Learned to Love Campaigning in California

Reid J. Epstein at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 2 days ago

California is the linchpin of Mr. Sanders’s 2020 strategy, a state he hopes will turbocharge his campaign on Super Tuesday — or revive his candidacy if he underperforms in the early states.

Campaigning early and often helps. 

16 

Trump Complains About Impeachment After Christmas Eve Message to Troops

Michael D. Shear at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 3 days ago

The president lashed out at Democrats for treating him unfairly and said the Republicans who control the Senate would conduct an impeachment trial however they saw fit.

Whining did not help. 

17 

Democrats Who Flipped Seats in 2018 Have a 2020 Playbook: Focus on Drug Costs

Jennifer Steinhauer at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 3 days ago

House Democrats in key swing districts hope the debate over rising costs will give them a decisive advantage next year, especially in suburbs where President Trump remains unpopular.

An apolitical cause. 

18 

Pentagon Eyes Africa Drawdown as First Step in Global Troop Shift

Helene Cooper, Thomas Gibbons-Neff, Charlie Savage and Eric Schmitt at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 3 days ago

The deliberations stem from a push to reduce missions battling distant terrorist groups, and to instead refocus on confronting so-called Great Powers like Russia and China.

Political purity is not a profitable business. 

19 

Rudy Giuliani Says He’s ‘More of a Jew’ Than George Soros

Daniel Victor at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 3 days ago

Mr. Soros, a liberal billionaire, is a Holocaust survivor from Hungary.

No. 

20 

G.O.P. Lawmaker Had Visions of a Christian Alternative Government

Mike Baker at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 3 days ago

A Washington State legislator was accused of participating in the occupation of a federal wildlife refuge. Behind the scenes, he and right-wing activists were preparing for civil strife.

Unconstitutional.

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@21:28, , 12/26/19, REC

|

1

The Upshot

Chinese Restaurants Are Closing. That’s a Good Thing, the Owners Say.

By Amelia Nierenberg and Quoctrung Bui | Dec 24th 2019

The share of Chinese restaurants has fallen in metro areas across the country in the last five years. Many owners are glad their children won’t be taking over.

Things are changing.
Children are growing up.

2

Climate

A Trump Policy ‘Clarification’ All but Ends Punishment for Bird Deaths

By Lisa Friedman | Dec 24th 2019

In one of its first environmental acts, the Trump administration absolved businesses from responsibility for "incidental" bird deaths. Avian carnage has followed.

Birds are not important to Trump.

3

Opinion

Impeachment Hurts, and Trump Knows It

By Jamelle Bouie | Dec 20th 2019

The idea that the president thinks it will help him politically is wrong. Just listen to what he is saying.

One step at a time.
Trump will not serve a second term.

4

Opinion

What Will It Take to Beat Donald Trump?

By Bret Stephens | Dec 26th 2019

It’s not what the progressive left is talking about.

The Democratic party is working on the problem.

5

Style

The Subway Crush Who Crushed Me

By Zoe Fishman | Dec 20th 2019

We met on the train, married and had two boys who resembled him. I had no idea how much that resemblance would rebuild me.

Soon.

6

Business

The Town That Lost Its Walmart

By Michael Corkery | Dec 24th 2019

For a small town in Texas, the three-decade presence of the world’s largest retailer was a point of civic pride. Then, 18 months ago, all that changed.

People thought it would change.  It has only changed.

7

Technology

At the Edge of the World, a New Battleground for the U.S. and China

By Adam Satariano | Dec 20th 2019

The Faroe Islands have become perhaps the most unexpected place for the United States and China to tussle over the Chinese tech giant Huawei.

The customers will buy the best network available.
The U.S. must build that equipment.

8

World

Killer Slime, Dead Birds, an Expunged Map: The Dirty Secrets of European Farm Subsidies

By Matt Apuzzo, Selam Gebrekidan, Agustin Armendariz and Jin Wu | Dec 25th 2019

The E.U. has green aspirations. Its signature, $65 billion policy says otherwise.

The E.U. is not skilled at making new policy.

9

World

Putin’s Russia, Punching Above Its Weight, Keeps Adversaries Off Balance

By Andrew Higgins | Dec 23rd 2019

Its economy is sputtering and its young people are frustrated, but with America and Europe in tumult, Russia and its leader of two decades are on a roll.

Let us fix the U.S. economy.

We will not do that by following Russia.

10

U.S.

A Barrier to Trump’s Border Wall: Landowners in Texas

By Zolan Kanno-Youngs | Dec 26th 2019

Construction of President Trump’s border wall has been slow going, in part because the Texans who own the land have to be coaxed or coerced to sell it, whether they want to or not.

The Trump wall is a bad idea.

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44266/mending-wall


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