2024 Comes To Its End

It's now New Year's Eve, during the last few hours of 2024, and 2025 will soon be upon us.  As I've noticed year in and year out, the interesting times have kept on continuing, and each year says "hold my beer" to the previous one.

The most surprising and perhaps important event, in my opinion is the political comeback of former and future President Trump.  He succeeded despite the lawfare against him and two assassination attempts.  The first was during a campaign appearance in Butler, Pennsylvania and may have involved some security failures by the Secret Service.  The would-be assassin's bullet narrowly missed Trump's skull and hit his ear.  The second was at his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida.  A Secret Service agent noticed the muzzle of a rifle protruding through shrubbery around the course and fired at it.  The would-be assassin was arrested soon afterwards.

Incumbent President Biden dropped out of the campaign and was replaced as the Democratic nominee by Vice President Harris.  She chose Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) as her vice presidential running mate.  Trump and his running mate, Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) defeated Harris and Walz in the Electoral College by a vote of 312-226.  During the same election the Republicans narrowly kept the House of Representatives and took the Senate.  Barring unforeseen circumstances, Trump will be the second U.S. president to serve in non-consecutive terms, the other being Grover Cleveland during the 1800s.

Among the significant events of 2024 were the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore after being struck by a cargo ship, Mexico elected its first female president (something which Trump has now prevented twice for the U.S.), India held the largest election ever with 642 million people voting, art consisting of a banana duct-taped to a wall sold for $6.2 million, President Biden pardoned his son Hunter, Russia used North Korean soldiers in its invasion of Ukraine, Israel continued its war in Gaza against Hamas, Iran fired missiles at Israel, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was ousted and driven from the country, the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua took over apartment buildings in Colorado, the formerly neutral country of Sweden joined NATO, and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was freed from prison in the U.K. and returned to his native Australia.  Toward the end of this year, drones started appearing above New Jersey and other places.  For more on the year's events, go to Britannica, On This Day, The Fact Site, The Cipher Brief and Wikipedia.

Among the notable celebrities who passed away in 2024 were actors Linda Lavin, Shannen Doherty, Olivia Hussey, Teri Garr, James Earl Jones, Bob Newhart, David Soul, Chita Rivera, Carl Weathers, Donald Sutherland, Maggie Smith, Mitzi Gaynor, Shelley Duvall, M. Emmet Walsh, Dabney Coleman, John Amos and Louis Gossett Jr.; sports figures Rickey Henderson, Fernando Valenzuela, Pete Rose, Orlando Cepeda, Willie Mays, Jerry West, Bill Walton, Jim Otto, O.J. Simpson, Bud Harrelson, Dikembe Mutombo and Bobby Allison; sports announcer Greg Gumbel; musicians Phil Lesh (Grateful Dead), Kris Kristofferson, Tito Jackson (Jackson 5/Jacksons), John Mayall (Bluesbreakers), Richard Tandy (ELO), Duane Eddy, Dickey Betts (Allman Brothers Band), Toby Keith, Eric Carmen (Raspberries), Alfa Anderson (Chic), Colin Petersen (the original drummer for the Bee Gees), Paul Di'Anno (original lead singer for Iron Maiden), Cissy Houston, Sergio Mendes (Brasil '66 and Brasil '77), Richard Sherman and Mike Pinder (Moody Blues); musical producers Richard Perry and Quincy Jones; comedians Martin Mull and Joe Flaherty; satirist Richard "Kinky" Friedman; TV personalities Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Richard Simmons and Phil Donahue; congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX); political wife Ethel Kennedy; and President Jimmy Carter.  For more information on all of these people and more, go to US, USA Today, KOMO News, People and CBS News.

This year was a difficult one for me health-wise, as I spent some time in the hospital.  However, I was still able to travel to Florida, Arizona, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia.  While in Indiana, I got to see the total solar eclipse on April 8th, the second one that I've seen in person.

Naturally, I expect the interesting times to continue in 2025, especially with the second Trump administration, and the opposition thereto.  So as you hold your beer, or whatever beverage you choose to drink, may everyone who reads or stumbles upon this blog have a Happy New Year.

Tuesday Tidbits For The End Of 2024

On a mild and partly sunny Tuesday, which is the last day of 2024, here are some things going on:

From National Review, even though it's downright masochistic, let's look back on 2024.

From FrontpageMag, the Biden-Harris administration has an "insidious" reason for wishing people "Happy Kwanzaa".

From Townhall, President-elect Trump gives some smart advice to his nominees ahead of their Senate confirmation hearings.

From The Washington Free Beacon, federal judge Mark Scarsi is a nominee for Man of the Year.

From the Washington Examiner, President Biden puts up a last-ditch obstacle to Trump's plan to have oil drilling in the Ruby Mountains of Nevada.

From The Federalist, the biggest loser of 2024 is former President Obama.

From American Thinker, five New Year's resolutions for the federal government.

From NewsBusters, 10 more battles from White House press briefings in 2024.

From Canada Free Press, the New Year brings dangers for Poland.

From TeleSUR, 16 Ecuadorian soldiers are sent to preventive detention for the alleged "forced disappearance" of four children.

From TCW Defending Freedom, Reform party leader Nigel Farage addresses the U.K. from Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

From Deutsche Welle, a man steals an excavation vehicle in Grünsfeld, Germany and goes on a "rampage", thus making his last mistake.

From Polskie Radio, almost 200 people in Międzyzdroje, Poland combine to set a Guinness World Record for the largest ice swimming relay.  (This shows that the line between the "badass" and "stupid people" labels can be somewhat thin.)

From Radio Prague, Prague, Czech Republic prepares for an expected record influx of tourists on New Year's Eve.

From The Slovak Spectator, Slovaks in America and their roots.  (Yours truly is descended mainly from Slovaks who left the Austro-Hungarian Empire for the United States.)

From Daily News Hungary, starting January 1sr, bikes and dogs may be taken on certain trains in Budapest, Hungary will no longer cost ya more, pilgrim.

From Hungary Today, the Hungarian Chamber of Agriculture encourages Hungarians to eat locally produced sausages on New Year's Eve.  (If you read Hungarian, read the story at Turizmus.)

From Russia Today, the founder of the platform Telegram claims that Russians have more media freedom on it than E.U. citizens do.

From Sputnik International, Russia, China and North Korea tell the West to buzz off.

From The Moscow Times, Russian President Putin hails his country's achievements during the 25 years he has been in power.  (This shows that between the offices of president and prime minister, the one with the real power is whichever Putin is holding.  He has held both during those 25 years.)

From EuroNews, Moldova braces for an energy shortage as Russia halts gas supplies over a disputed debt.

From Romania-Insider, the BET index of the Bucharest Stock Exchange gained 8.8 percent in 2024.

From Novinite, three men are found dead on Strandzha Mountain in Bulgaria, and are believed to have entered illegally from Turkey.  (This again shows how opposing illegal migration is not racist or xenophobic, and condoning it is not compassionate, since illegal migration is often dangerous to the migrants themselves.)

From The Sofia Globe,  December 2024 in Bulgaria was wetter and warmer than usual.

From Radio Bulgaria, Bulgarians find good fortune for the New Year inside bread, walnuts or onion skins.

From Balkan Insight, how the late former U.S. President Carter secured a ceasefire in Bosnia and Herzegovina in December 1994.

From The North Africa Post, is a phone call between the foreign ministers of Morocco and Syria paving the way for a thawing of relations between the two countries?

From The New Arab, the Lebanese army deploys into the village of Shamaa after Israeli troops withdraw in accordance with a recently negotiated ceasefire.

From The Daily Mail, the Taliban send troops to the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan as the two countries exchange strikes.

From Gatestone Institute, NGOs are driving antisemitism in the U.K.

From The Stream, five "rash" and "reckless" predictions for 2025.

From The Daily Signal, 33 books worth reading in 2025.

From The American Conservative, President Javier Milei pulls off a "miracle" in Argentina.

From The Western Journal, FEMA admits that it failed to deliver on its Christmas pledge to victims of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina.

From BizPac Review, congresscritter and Senator-elect Adam Schiff (D-Cal) is raked over the figurative coals for defending Biden's mental state.

From The Daily Wire, according to Trump, Democrats "will try all sorts of tricks" to delay his cabinet nominations.

From the Daily Caller, a former pollster for Mr. Bill skewers the media for not covering Biden's health decline.

From the New York Post, men in New York City realize that dating is gonna cost ya more, pilgrim.

From Breitbart, the increase in voting by mail leads to an increase in mismatched signatures and in turn to ballot rejections.

From Newsmax, Ford will recall over 20,000 hybrid SUVs due to concerns about their batteries.

And from SFGate, a man from Santa Cruz, California rides the largest wave every to be surfed.

Monday Mania

On a sunny and mild Monday, the last one of the year, here are some things going on:

From National Review, the recently departed President Carter's good intentions were not enough to produce success.  (The article uses the phrase "the Hindenburg crashing into the Titanic" [italics in original], which I rate as one of the most interesting mixed metaphors I've ever read.  Why "Titanic" is italicized but "Hindenburg" is not, I have no idea.  Is the convention different for ships and airborne vehicles?)

From FrontpageMag, 21 congresscritters sign a letter asking President Biden to exonerate the late Marcus Garvey.

From Townhall, could there be an Acting President Grassley?  (If Senator Grassley, currently the Senate president pro tempore, were to act as the regular president, as the article suggests could happen, would he be numbered as "47" with the elected President Trump being "48"?)

From The Washington Free Beacon, I tawt I taw a putty tat get nominated for Man of the Year.

From the Washington Examiner, Speaker Johnson's (R-LA) path to keep is office remains unclear even with an endorsement from President-elect Trump.

From The Federalist, the top 10 hoaxes from the media in 2024.

From American Thinker, who the [bleep] has been running the country?

From MRCTV, actress Gal Gadot shares a powerful pro-life message after undergoing surgery to remove a blood clot from her brain and giving birth.

From NewsBusters, the media's worst in 2024, and some runners-up.

From Canada Free Press, the retail chain Costco goes woke.

From CBC News, the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador spends $300,000 on ads to promote a proposed hydroelectric power plant in the town of Churchill Falls.

From Global News, the Canadian government extends the deadline for claiming tax deductions for charitable contributions.

From CTV News, Canadian border agents seize 189 kilos of she-don't-lie found on a truck trying to enter from the U.S.

From TeleSUR, the Venezuelan Supreme Court of Justice fines the platform TikTok over "dangerous viral challenges".

From TCW Defending Freedom, as he leaves The Telegraph, columnist Fraser Nelson turns a blind eye to broken Britain.

From the Express, a shopping center in West Lothian, Scotland has been empty for 20 years.

From The Standard, scientists at the University of St. Andrews figure out which volcano erupted in 1831, which caused famines and crop failures around the world.  (The Standard was formerly known as the Evening Standard.)

From the (U.K.) Independent, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer picks a bone with the Chief Twit.

From the (Irish) Independent, the number of new electric cars bought in Ireland in 2024 decreases by 24 percent from 2023.

From the Irish Examiner, the Irish party Sinn Féin nominates six candidates for next month's Seanad election.  (The Seanad is the upper chamber of the Irish parliament, equivalent to the U.S. or Canadian Senate.)

From the NL Times, the traditional New Year's hypothermia event in Scheveningen, Netherlands is called off due to inclement weather.

From Dutch News, according to central bank chief Klaas Knot, the Dutch tax system needs to be overhauled.

From VRT NWS, a privacy watchdog in the Belgian commune of Flanders wants to ban smart cameras.

From The Brussels Times, for the last hour of 2024, Belgians will have negative electricity prices.

From EuroNews, as the result of a deal negotiated by the UAE, Russia and Ukraine exchange about 300 prisoners of war.

From ReMix, Poland is having a serious demographic crisis.  (If you read Polish, read the story at Business Insider, which is in Polish even though the name of the source is in English.)

From The North Africa Post, Libya joins the African Export-Import Bank.

From The New Arab, protesters in Beirut, Lebanon call for the release of Egyptian activist Abdel-Rahman al-Qaradawi.

From The Jerusalem Post, Syrian Jews can finally visit the 2,700-year-old synagogue in the Damascus suburb of Jobar.

From Palestinian Media Watch, according to the Palestinian Authority, Hamas uses hospitals for military interrogations.

From Gatestone Institute, the aforementioned Chief Twit is completely wrong about Taiwan.

From The Stream, the U.S. should welcome immigrants from India who are Christians or Dalits, but not the Brahmins.  (Go here for some background on how the Dalits, a.k.a. "untouchables" have been treated.)

From The Daily Signal, more on the aforementioned Speaker Johnson's effort to stay in his office.

From The American Conservative, one possible reform at the State Department is not being talked about.

From The Western Journal, during his remarks on the death of President Carter, Biden just can't help but take a swipe at Trump.

From BizPac Review, Democrats gloat because protocols for honoring Carter could overshadow Trump's upcoming second inauguration.

From The Daily Wire, a former inmate sues the prison where she was incarcerated for putting her in a cell with a trans-identifying man who allegedly harassed and assaulted her.

From the Daily Caller, Biden spent 24 percent of his last full year as president either vacationing or working remote.

From the New York Post, Hamas reportedly spent seven years gathering intelligence on Israeli guards, security cameras, and even a kindergarten.  (If you read Hebrew, read the story at Channel 12.)

From Breitbart, almost 2,800 people have been shot in Chicago during 2024.

From Newsmax, American stock exchanges will close on January 9th in observation of a national day of mourning for the late President Carter.

And from The Babylon Bee, nine places that are more positive and uplifting than social media.

Jimmy Carter 1924-2024

Former President, Georgia Governor, naval submarine officer, peanut farmer and Nobel Prize winner Jimmy Carter has died at age 100 in his home town of Plains, Georgia.  He had been under hospice care since February 2023.  He was the only U.S. president to reach his 100th birthday.

James Earl Carter Jr. was born and raised in Plains, Georgia, the first child of James Earl Carter Sr. and the former Bessie Lillian Gordy (known as Miss Lillian).  During his teen years, Jimmy was given an acre of his father's land, on which he grew and sold peanuts.  In 1941, he graduated from the 11th grade at Plains High School, which did not have a 12th grade, and then enrolled at Georgia Southwestern College.  He transferred to the Georgia Institute of Technology (a.k.a. Georgia Tech) in 1942 and then to the U.S. Naval Academy in 1943.  In 1946, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree, married his girlfriend Rosalynn Smith, and was commissioned in the Navy as an ensign.

While in the Navy, Carter worked in the then-fledgling nuclear submarine program.  He was trained at the Naval Reactors Branch of the Atomic Energy Commission and later at Union College in Schenectady, New York.  He left active duty in 1953 but stayed in the inactive Navy Reserve until 1961.  He returned to Plains with his wife and sons James (known as Chip), Jack and Jeff in 1953 and took over the family peanut-farming business.

Carter's political career started when he was elected to the Georgia state Senate in 1962.  He served from January 1963 to January 1967.  In 1966, he ran for governor in the Democratic primary, but lost to Lester Maddox.  During 1967, his last child Amy was born.  In 1970, Carter again ran for governor and won, defeating former Governor Carl Sanders.  He served as governor from January 1971 to 1975.

In 1976, Carter ran for president with Senator Walter Mondale (D-Min) as his running mate and defeated the incumbent Gerald Ford.  During his presidency, Carter granted amnesty to Vietnam War-era draft dodgers, gave the Panama Canal to Panama, signed the Salt II treaty with the Soviet Union, and signed the Camp David Accords, to establish peace between Israel and Egypt.  His presidency was marred by the Iran hostage crisis and by stagflation during its last two years.  He lost the 1980 election to former actor and California Governor Ronald Reagan (R).

After his presidency, Carter engaged in diplomacy, including meetings with North Korean leader Kim Il Sung and South African President Nelson Mandela.  He founded the Carter Center, which has the purpose of advancing human rights.  He was heavily involved with the organization Habitat for Humanity, hammering nails into wood during his 90s.

Carter was predeceased by his wife Rosalynn (1927-2023).  They are survived by their four children, 11 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren.

Read more at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, NBC News, CNN, WTVM and AP News.  His passing is also noted by the aforementioned Carter Center and Habitat for Humanity.

Sunday Stories

On a partly sunny and mild Sunday, here are some things going on:

From National Review, there should be no revisionism about the Biden presidency.

From FrontpageMag, most of the candidates for the Democratic National Committee chair are white males.

From Townhall, why some people in Seattle are refusing to tip at restaurants.

From The Washington Free Beacon, First Son Hunter Biden is yet again nominated for Man of the Year.

From the Washington Examiner, the role of bird choppers in President-elect Trump's second term.

From American Thinker, we're doomed!

From NewsBusters, the 10 most factually challenged "fact" checks of 2024.

From TCW Defending Freedom, "we Christians are exiles in a collapsing world".

From The Times Of Israel, Hamas's torture of Israeli hostages included sexual abuse.

From Gatestone Institute, the blame of civilian deaths belongs with Hamas and Hezbollah, not Israel.

From The Stream, stepping into 2025.

From The Daily Signal, PBS uses your tax dollars to host a "far-left smear machine" whose leader demonizes Trump.

From The American Conservative, will 2025 be the year of assisted suicide?

From The Western Journal, North Korean soldiers involved in Russia's invasion of Ukraine are getting picked off.

And from SFGate, a San Francisco restaurant which closed in 2020 will soon reopen.

Rainy Saturday Stuff

On a cool and rainy Saturday, here are some things going on:

From National Review, the E.U. goes after chargers for electronic devices.

From FrontpageMag, the Democrats have become so antisemitic that elected Jewish Democrats are switching parties.

From Townhall, another person is set on fire in New York City.

From The Washington Free Beacon, nominees for Men of the Year are three TWFB journalists who investigated Vice President Harris's claim that she once worked at a McDonald's.

From the Washington Examiner, President Biden's term was bookended by a "reactive" and "weak" foreign policy.

From American Thinker, relations between Ireland and Israel have deteriorated.

From NewsBusters, the National Archives releases photos showing then-Vice President Biden meeting with two of his son Hunter's Chinese business partners, about which the media say nothing.

From TCW Defending Freedom, "The Twelve Woke Days of Christmas".

From Allah's Willing Executioners, an Iraqi man in the German state of Brandenburg is arrested for allegedly planning an attack on a church in Berlin.  (If you read German, read the story at Welt.)

From Dawn, the Lahore High Court in Pakistan rules that a non-Muslim cannot inherit any share of a Muslim's estate.

From Gatestone Institute, Iran's mullahs have got to go.

From The Stream, seven ways Christians can rebuild through Christ.

From The American Conservative, the horror movie Nosferatu meets the 21st century.

From BizPac Review, former First Lady Michelle Obama is slammed for her "Happy Holidays" message.

From The Daily Wire, the Chief Twit and other allies of President-elect Trump have a heated debate over the H1-B visa program.

From the New York Post, babies born next year will be part of a new generation, which will face challenges in the future.

From Breitbart, the aforementioned debate about H1-B visas obscures the presence of many other white collar migrants.

And from LifeNews, when Maria von Trapp refused her doctor's advice to abort her baby.

Friday Phenomena

On a sunny but cool Friday, here are some things going on:

From National Review, Russia's excuses for shooting down civilian passenger jets are wearing thin.

From FrontpageMag, 42 percent of people under 15 in Germany are either foreigners or have a foreign-born parent.

From Townhall, according to an opinion column, it's time for an immigration moratorium.

From The Washington Free Beacon, one nominee for 2024 Man of the Year is Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff.

From the Washington Examiner, more on Russia reportedly shooting down a civilian airliner.

From The Federalist, China is reportedly building up its weapons and psychological warfare operations.

From American Thinker, how to start showing illegal aliens the door.

From MRCTV, in North Houston, Texas, the slogan "fight crime, shoot back" becomes reality.  (I'd add that the phrase "[bleep] around, find out" was also made real in this incident.)

From NewsBusters, when congresscritter Mike Lawler (R-NY) discusses Biden family corruption on CNN, he gets cut off.

From Canada Free Press, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's flunkies try to crash Christmas celebrations at President-elect Trump's home Mar-a-Lago.

From TeleSUR, Venezuela prosecutes an Argentine policeman for alleged involvement in terrorist activities.

From TCW Defending Freedom, Christianity has been the heart and soul of life in the West.

From Snouts in the Trough, here's the good news............

From EuroNews, according to Malian diaspora minister Mossa Ag Attaher, over 60 African migrants, including 25 from Mali, died when their boat collapsed near Spain.

From ReMix, according to Prime Minister Orbán, Hungary had to "sweat blood" to achieve a level of millitary spending expected by NATO.

From Balkan Insight, Montenegro agrees to send South Korean cryptocurrency mogul Do Kwon to the U.S.

From The North Africa Post, a U.S. drone strike sends two al-Shabaab terrorists in Somalia to their virgins.

From The New Arab, Syria's new government arrests an official from the former regime under then-President Bashar al-Assad who had issued death sentences for people held in the Sednaya prison.

From Gatestone Institute, Europe is undergoing "the fall of the Holy Renewable Empire".

From The Stream, a review of a book about Getting Married.

From The Daily Signal, President Biden "lies without consequence".

From The American Conservative, Trump advisor Vivek Ramaswamy's big plans.

From The Western Journal, does former Trump lawyer Jenna Ellis regret her plea bargain in the RICO case against him now that Fulton County, Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis have been removed?

From BizPac Review, congresscritter Thomas Massie (R-KY) wants transparency on "hush money" given to alleged victims of sexual harassment by his colleagues.

From The Daily Wire, what to expect from the Chief Twit's plans to overhaul the federal government.

From the Daily Caller, Hillary (no, not Mr. Bill's wife) switches parties.

From the New York Post, officials consider using anthropological facial reconstruction to identify the woman burned to death on the New York City subway.

From Breitbart, a New York City judge rules that an Alabama woman who alleges that she was raped by rappers Jay-Z and Sean "Diddy" Combs can proceed with her lawsuit anonymously.

From Newsmax, according to Trump, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has asked to visit him at Mar-a-Lago.

And from the Genesius Times, according to a recent college graduate, it's very difficult to find a job these days.

Some Late Items For The Feast Of Stephen

Now that I'm back home on the day when Western Christians remember the man noted for getting stoned (and I don't mean on weed), here are a few things going on:

From National Review, President-elect Trump should understand that Greenland is not for sale.

From FrontpageMag, women are allegedly "sexist" for not voting for Vice President Harris.

From Townhall, President Biden orders one last shipment of weapons to Ukraine.

From The Washington Free Beacon, one nominee for Man of the Year is a boy who called Harris a "liar".

From the Washington Examiner, according to columnist Byron York, the Democrats have "no one" to lead the opposition against Trump going into 2025.

From The Federalist, the next Congress should immediately ban "Zuckbucks" operations throughout the U.S.

From American Thinker, pretty soon, Michigan won't be itself.

From TCW Defending Freedom, the lost U.K. legions of Christmas 1914 during World War I.

From AMU, the Taliban start removing "banned books" in the Afghani province of Jawzjan.

From the Hindustan Times, Muslim organizations in India are outraged that the book The Satanic Verses is no longer banned.

From The Jerusalem Post, a double standard about the Middle East.

From Gatestone Institute, how Israeli Arab leaders betray their fellow Israeli Arabs.

From The Stream, Israel accuses Pope Francis of committing "genocidal blood libel".

From The American Conservative, the U.S. should leave Syria alone.

And from the Daily Mail, when Trump returns to the White House, so will his "Diet Coke" button.  (via the Washington Examiner)

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas, everyone.

A Few Late Items From A Traveling Sasquatch

I have arrived in Virginia to visit my extended family and celebrate Christmas.  Meanwhile, here are a few things going on:

From National Review, according to a report by the House Ethics Committee, former congresscritter Matt Gaetz (R-FL) was a bad boy.

From FrontpageMag, Congress must hold hearings on President Biden's mental competency.

From Townhall, Biden's latest round of commuting sentences doesn't go over well.

From The Washington Free Beacon, one nominee for the 2024 Man of the Year is in the mirror.

From The Federalist, voter confidence is up in 2024 because election integrity improved.

From American Thinker, the real perpetrator of genocide is not Israel.

From MRCTV, President-elect Trump dares to tell the biological truth.

From NewsBusters, has the Chief Twit created a Frankenstein?

From TCW Defending Freedom, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer provides the gaffes.

From Snouts in the Trough, are we being lied to about the Christmas market attack in Magdeburg, Germany?

From The Jerusalem Post, pro-Iran militias in Iraq announce their intention to stop against Israel.

From Sahara Reporters, a 75-year-old cleric is arrested in Zamfara, Nigeria for allegedly providing spiritual support to bandits.

From the Daily Mail, the Russian government denies reports that former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's British wife Asma is trying to divorce him.

From ILKHA, an Islamic scholar urges his fellow Muslims to not celebrate New Year's.

From Gatestone Institute, NGOs drive antisemitism in Europe and around the world.

From The Stream, the Supreme Court will hear a case which could end taxpayer funding of Planned Avoidance Of Parenthood.

From The Daily Signal, three U.S. citizens are believed to be still alive and held hostage in Gaza.

From The American Conservative, a defense of daylight savings time.

And from The Babylon Bee, accused killer Luigi Mangione will host next week's episode of Saturday Night Live.

A Sasquatch's Dozen For Sunday

On a clear but very cold Sunday, here are 12 things going on:

From Gatestone Institute, the persecution of Christians in November 2024.

From The Stream, did Christians steal December 25th from pagans?

From The American Conservative, Argentine President Javier Milei has been vindicated.

From TCW Defending Freedom, the rise and fall of science in the West.

From National Review, politicians need to retire sooner.

From FrontpageMag and the "what's wrong with this picture?" department, global warming is causing warmer winters, but cold weather deaths doubled from 1999 to 2022.

From Townhall, officials in Scranton, Pennsylvania demand that President Biden's name be removed from a prominent landmark.

From The Washington Free Beacon, a review of a book about Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

From The Washington Examiner, President-elect Trump denies that he will cede his office to the Chief Twit.

From American Thinker, deporting millions of criminal illegal aliens won't be as difficult as the left suggests.

From NewsBusters, former reporter for CNN and The Washington Post Chris Cillizza admits that he "should have pushed harder" on the decline of Biden's well-being.

And from Sp!ked, the car ramming attack in Magdeburg, Germany gets warped.

Saturday Stories For The Winter Solstice

On a cold and cloudy Saturday falling on the winter solstice, here are some things going on:

From National Review, Congress averts the latest potential government shutdown.

From FrontpageMag, the Biden administration drops its $10 million bounty on the terrorist who just took over Syria.

From Townhall, President Biden signs the bill to avert the latest potential government shutdown.

From The Washington Free Beacon, how the life of composer George Frideric Handel can be a template for the West.

From the Washington Examiner, the Biden administration spent millions of dollars for sex-change operations - on animals.

From American Thinker, is there still a presumption of innocence any more?

From NewsBusters, actress/filmmaker Justine Bateman shames The Hollywood Reporter for putting out fake news.

From TCW Defending Freedom, a judge in Delaware decides that the Chief Twit is too rich.

From Deutsche Welle, what is so far known about the suspect in the car ramming attack in Magdeburg, Germany.

From AMU, the Taliban publicly flog 52 people in one month.

From The Jerusalem Post, eight people are convicted in France in connection to the murder of a teacher who showed his class a caricature of the Islamic prophet Mohammed.

From Gatestone Institute, Israel is due a large amount of gratitude.

From The Daily Signal, almost 20 George Mason University law professors send a letter urging the school's president to crack down on pro-Hamas activity.

From The American Conservative, three visions for the American "defense industrial base".  (Is the "defense industrial base" anything like the "military industrial complex"?)

From The Daily Wire, the Biden administration withdraws a proposed change to Title IX that would force publicly-funded schools to allow males who "identify" as females onto female sports teams.

From the Daily Caller, the Biden administration faces pressure, some from its own staff, to fund left-wing causes such as "de-fund the police".

From Breitbart, EPA head Michael Regan announces that he will step down on December 31st, about three weeks before the end of Biden's term.  (Regan should not be confused with a certain son of a late president.)

And from the New York Post, Israel's war against Hamas has led to some impressive medical advancements.

Friday Fuss

On a cold and cloudy Friday with a bit of snow, here are some things going on:

From National Review, President Biden is already being talked about in the past tense.

From FrontpageMag, the false gods worshipped by leftism.

From Townhall, Republican Senators launch the "MAHA caucus" to push HHS Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy's health agenda.

From The Washington Free Beacon, a class at Indiana University requires students to determine their "dominant" and "subordinate" identities.

Form the Washington Examiner, the House panel on weaponization of government releases its report - all 17,019 pages of it.

From The Federalist, ABC News anchor (and former Mr. Bill henchman) George Stephanopoulos has always been a propagandist.

From American Thinker, the media loses its marbles and claims that the Chief Twit will be the real president, with President Trump as his puppet.

From MRCTV, the Satanic Temple's demon goat statue near New Hampshire's capitol is repeatedly vandalized, while a satanic display near Minnesota's capitol gets destroyed.

From NewsBusters, the mainstream media are "very reluctant" to report Fani getting kicked.

From Canada Free Press, is this a possible reason for all those drone sightings?

From TeleSUR, a fugitive leaves the Argentine embassy in Caracas, Venezuela and surrenders to Venezuelan authorities.

From TCW Defending Freedom, U.K. energy and climate change secretary Ed Milliband's lies come back to haunt him.

From Snouts in the Trough, has Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves's simplistic thinking created a budget disaster for the U.K.?

From EuroNews, Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini is found not guilty of kidnapping and dereliction of duty for detaining 100 migrants onboard a rescue ship when he was interior minister.

From ReMix, an effort to ban the German party AfD is unlikely to succeed in the current legislative period.  (If you read German, read the story at RegionalHeute.)

From Balkan Insight, one child is killed, and three children and two adults are injured in a knife attack at a school in Zagreb, Croatia.

From The North Africa Post, rival Libyan institutions meeting in Morocco agree to work together to hold elections.

From The New Arab, a strike by the U.S. in Syria sends ISIS leader Abu Yusif to his virgins.

From IranWire, inside Zahedon Central Prison in Iran.

From AMU, the U.N. reports a 56 percent increase in incidents interfering with humanitarian aide in Afghanistan.

From The Jerusalem Post, according to Israeli diaspora minister Amichai Chikli, the leadership of CAIR praised Hamas's attack on October 7th, 2023 and called Gaza a "concentration camp".

From OpIndia, a man in the Indian state of Maharashtra allegedly attacks his son-in-law with acid for planning to have his (and his wife's) honeymoon in the territory of Kashmir instead of Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

From Gatestone Institute, the best way for the international community to help the Palestinians.

From The Stream, in the age of the aforementioned Chief Twit, Americans have a duty to Congress accountable.

From The Daily Signal, Biden leaves a border legacy of more crime and strained cities.

From The American Conservative, the legacy of the "Axis of Evil" speech given by then-President Bush the Younger.

From The Western Journal, after the continuing resolution with massive spending crashes and burns, Musk Derangement Syndrome among Democrats hits a new level.

From BizPac Review, Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy weighs in on a report about Biden's diminished mental capacity.

From The Daily Wire, Trump files an amicus brief in a Texas court to stop the Biden administration from selling off border wall materials.

From the Daily Caller, with a federal government shutdown looming, Biden is goes into radio silence.

From the New York Post, this season's first "real" snow is expected for New York City.

From Breitbart, San Jose State University finally admits that female athletes are leaving its women's volleyball team over its inclusion of a transgender player.

From Newsmax, a driver rams his car into a group of people at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany.

And from LifeNews, Trump picks pro-life leader Brian Burch to be ambassador to the Vatican.

Thursday Tidings

On a cold and cloudy Thursday, here are some things going on:

From National Review, could President-elect Trump and Democrat congresscritters reach a deal to protect the "dreamers"?

From FrontpageMag, Politico is afraid that Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth will make the U.S. military "patriotic" again.

From Townhall, the operation that hid President Biden's mental decline from Americans.

From The Washington Free Beacon, a group led by former Chinese Communist Party officials is quietly funding U.S. government climate research.  (Meanwhile Chinese carbon dioxide production continues to be over twice that of the U.S.)

From the Washington Examiner, having learned nothing from the 2024 elections, Democrats keep turning left.

From The Federalist, the Georgia Court of Appeals kicks Fani off her case against Trump.

From American Thinker, the Chief Twit exposes the huge government spending bill.

From MRCTV, Biden's approval level sinks to its lowest ever.

From NewsBusters, co-host Whoopi Goldberg of The View claims that the aforementioned Chief Twit and Vice President-elect Vance are plotting to murder Trump.

From Canada Free Press, Canadian politicians go on holiday for seven weeks.

From TeleSUR, Venezuela exports seafood to both the U.S. and China.

From TCW Defending Freedom, when will the U.K. government see the light (or lack thereof) about electricity produced from bird choppers?

From EuroNews, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy calls for more weapons and calls a ceasefire deal proposed by Hungary "political PR".

From ReMix, three Algerians already under detention orders allegedly rape a Polish woman in a squatted apartment in Gap, France.  (Yes, there is a city in France named Gap.)

From Balkan Insight, as more Serbian students join protests demanding accountability for the Novi Sad railway station disaster, the government considers closing schools early for winter break.

From The North Africa Post, four French citizens detained in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso are released thanks to mediation by Moroccan King Mohammed VI.

From The New Arab, Israel bombs targets in Yemen after the Houthis launch missiles at Israel.

From Gatestone Institute, Venezuelan gangs with ties to Iran are invited into the U.S.

From The Stream, who's behind the failures of the American healthcare system?

From The Daily Signal, more on Fani getting kicked.

From The American Conservative, Mexico and Canada deserve to have tariffs imposed on their products sent to the U.S.

From The Western Journal, Vivek Ramaswamy rewrites the aforementioned spending bill with just 75 words that both Democrats and RINOs will hate.

From BizPac Revew, more on the reported protective "shell" used to hide Biden's aforementioned mental decline.

From The Daily Wire, the fall of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has intensified the search for American journalist Austin Tice, who has been detained for 12 years.

From the Daily Caller, White House aides reveal who really ran the country as Biden's mental state declined.

From the New York Post, the alleged killer of UnitedHealthCare CEO Brian Thompson appears in court in New York City.

From Breitbart, Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan lets reporters at a press conference know how he really feels.

From Newsmax, Senator Chris Murphy (D-Con) asks why Democrats are taking DOGE seriously.

And from SFGate, a notorious family left the house they built on a mountaintop in the San Francisco Bay area, but their dinosaur is still there.

Wednesday Whatnot

On a cool and cloudy Wednesday, after I gave myself a day off due to my running around, here are some things going on:

From National Review, congresscritter AOC (D-NY) will not be the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee.

From FrontpageMag, according to a released Israeli hostage, they "were looked at like animals".

From Townhall, the second would-be assassin of former President Trump is officially charged in Florida.

From The Washington Free Beacon, President Biden reportedly gave lavish gifts to leaders of countries which abuse human rights.

From the Washington Examiner, a 1,547-page spending bill includes funding to extend for one year a "censorship scheme" within the State Department.

From The Federalist, Speaker Johnson (R-LA) doesn't seem to understand that the Republicans won.

From American Thinker, who exactly are "the working class"?

From MRCTV, the aforementioned spending bill allows congresscritters to "opt out" of Obamacare.  (Although the question was raised years ago, it bears repeating.  If Obamacare is as great as its proponents claim, why would anyone want to opt out of it?)

From NewsBusters, the Cold War is over, but we're still fighting communism.

From Canada Free Press, federal taxes will reportedly increase in 2025 - in Canada.

From TeleSUR, according to the International Organization for Migration one in every 30 people is a migrant.

From TCW Defending Freedom, there is a "net zero chance" that the U.K. will have electric armored vehicles.

From Snouts in the Trough, will the U.K. ditch the world's winner and join its losers?

From EuroNews, according to Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, Ukraine will not be asked to join NATO.

From ReMix, according to French parliamentcritter Marine Le Pen, for President Emmanuel Marcon, "it's almost over".

From Balkan Insight, Greece proposes to deal with minors convicted of lesser offenses in a sporting manner.

From The North Africa Post, a gas-producing project in Senegalese and Mauritanian waters is 97 percent complete.

From The New Arab, according to Iraqi and Kurdish authorities, former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's brother Maher has not entered Iraq.

From MEMRI TV, an imam in Warren, Michigan defines peace in the Middle East as the nonexistence of Israel.

From The Times Of Israel, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar blasts Irish President Michael Higgins's allegation that Israel wants to establish settlements in Egypt.  (Has Higgins never learned about the Exodus, when Israel purposefully, and with the help of a Higher Power, ended their settlement in Egypt?)

From AMU, the Taliban demolish the historic Jumhuriat Market in Kabul, Afghanistan.

From OpIndia, a man in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India claims that Pampers are inscribed with the name of the Islamic prophet Mohammed.

From The Jerusalem Post, families in Gaza sue the U.S. State Department over the U.S. supporting the IDF. (Can Israelis sue these families for supporting Hamas?)

From Arutz Sheva, Islam takes over Europe and its Jews flee.  (The last six stories come via The Religion Of Peace.)

From Gatestone Institute, will South Africa become the next failed rich state?

From The Stream, Satanists set up their "first ever" display in the Minnesota State Capitol building, and archaeologists find the oldest evidence of Christianity north of the Alps.

From The Daily Signal, the 15-year-old high school shooter in Madison, Wisconsin left behind a manifesto, which documents family breakdown.

From The American Conservative, a MAGA agenda should include Puerto Rico.

From The Western Journal, according to a report, then-President Trump not only offered to have the military protect the Capitol in Washington, D.C. but he ordered them to, and was disobeyed.

From BizPac Review, the House Ethics Committee releases its report on former congresscritter Matt Gaetz (R-FL).

From The Daily Wire, "Gaetz fires back".

From the Daily Caller, congresscritter Thomas Massie (R-KY) will not support the aforementioned Speaker Johnson for another term as Speaker.

From the New York Post, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announces that she will deploy 250 more National Guard troops to the New York City subway to keep riders safe.

From the The War Zone, a military base in New Jersey confirms that drones were used to smuggle contraband into a prison within its perimeter.  (via the New York Post)

From Breitbart, the Federal Reserve cuts a key interest rate by a quarter percent.

From Newsmax, the use of vaping, alcohol and (other) drugs among U.S. teenagers remains low.

And from the Genesius Times, to atone for her white privilege, WNBA star Caitlin Clark will play in blackface.