US & World

"Even with the most deeply held differences, treating the other person with respect and as a fellow human being is always a good first step towards greater understanding."

"Some cultures believe a long life brings wisdom. I'd like to think so. Perhaps, part of that wisdom is to recognize some of life's baffling paradoxes such as the way human beings have a huge propensity for good, and yet a capacity for evil."

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Queen Elizabeth Reflects on the Royal Family's 'Busy: as well as the births of her two great-grandchildren, Prince Louis and Lena Tindall, and Prince Charles's 70th birthday. She also called out the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, remembering her father's time in the military and honoring all of those who serve. But perhaps most impactful was the Queen's plea for kindness and respect in our modern society.
"Even with the most deeply held differences, treating the other person with respect and as a fellow human being is always a good first step towards greater understanding," she said.
"Even the power of faith which frequently inspires great generosity and self-sacrifice can fall victim to tribalism. But through the many changes I have seen over the years: faith, family, and friendship have been not only a constant for me, but a source of personal comfort and reassurance."
Queen Elizabeth's 2018 Christmas speech in full:

For many, the service of 'Nine Lessons and Carols' from King's College Cambridge is when Christmas begins. Listened to by millions of people around the world it starts with a chorister singing the first verse of "Once in Royal David’s City."  read more »

"5 vs 4000" "This pie is $4000 billion/year. $5 billion represents 5/4000 or 1/800th of this pie."
"10% vs 90%" what shuts down (less than 10%) and what keeps going (over 90%!).
graphiccreated by congressman Thomas Massie at @RepThomasMassie

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23 December 2018
politico The ‘all-I-want-for-Christmas-is-$5-billion-for-the-wall’ shutdown
All of which means that a government that spends $3.8 trillion annually is being disrupted over 0.005 percent of its annual budget.

In fact, the 2018 Christmas shutdown is starting to look a lot like 2013 — when government funding lapsed for 16 days — or 1995-96, when a partisan showdown between Bill Clinton and Newt Gingrich lasted 21 days.

25 December 2018
CBSnews It's not going to reopen until we have a wall or a fence.
Washington — As the government remains partially closed through the holidays, President Trump said the impasse in budget negotiations will continue until his $5 billion demand for border wall funding is met. He spoke to reporters in the Oval Office on Christmas morning.

"I can't tell you when the government is going to reopen," Mr. Trump said after hosting a video conference call with U.S. troops stationed overseas to thank them for their service. "I can tell you it's not going to reopen until we have a wall, a fence, whatever they'd like to call it. I'll call it whatever they want, but it's all the same thing."

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15 December 2018
Trump's surprise visit to Arlington in the rain
On Saturday, Trump arrived around 2.15pm at Arlington National Cemetery unannounced for wreath laying, which decorates the graves of fallen troops for Christmas.

19 December 2018
independent.co.uk Trump orders full and immediate withdrawal of US troops from Syria
The US has more than 2,000 troops in Syria. US officials said on Wednesday that a full withdrawal had been requested by Mr Trump. One official told Reuters that the pullout could take up to 100 days. Shortly after news of the plans emerged, the president appeared to tweet confirmation.

*update*
21 December 2018
BBC Trump to withdraw thousands of troops from Afghanistan
The Trump administration is planning to withdraw thousands of troops from Afghanistan, US media say. Reports, citing unnamed officials, say about 7,000 troops - roughly half the remaining US military presence in the country - could go home within months. The reports come a day after the president announced the country's military withdrawal from Syria.

24 December 2018  read more »

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Today in 1941, carrier-based Japanese aircraft staged a surprise attack on U.S. fleet at Pearl Harbor. The next day, the United States officially entered World War

Fat Man, the 10,300-pound atom bomb that convinced the Japanese Empire to end the war after 8/9/1945
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Photo courtesy National Air and Space Museum and @AHMalcolm

Photo courtesy @Thomas1774Paine

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Survivors' story: Jeff Evans' Home Survived Camp Fire Nov 8 2018
"I inherited 11 dogs... my world changed pretty dramatically. I can't leave with 11 dogs. So I stayed here" in the Evacuation Zone.
59-year-old Jeff Evans and his parents, who live with him, told me his house survived unscathed, but his neighbors were not so lucky.
The Camp Fire in Northern California incinerated entire towns. More than 13,000 single-family homes were destroyed in the blaze.

California Camp Fire ravages town of Paradise, destroying more than 6,500 structures
Homes destroyed by the Camp Fire in Paradise, California.
Trees survived.

Fierce winds picked up in the Sierra foothills that morning, fueling the most destructive fire in California history, which has burned nearly 10,000 homes, killed at least 71 people and left more than 1,000 unaccounted for.

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Photo courtesy NPR and Newsweek

“Poet's Pacific paradise: Pablo Neruda’s homes in Chile”

“There's a little bit of traffic”

Photo courtesy @ThisisChile.cl (via @guardian) and @ThisisChile.cl (via el_jose_patagonia | IG)