Kanye West apologises to Jewish community for 2022 antisemitic remarks (www.theguardian.com)
Rapper posts message in Hebrew to social media, saying he is ‘committed to making amends and promoting unity’...
‘Incompetent dumpster fire’: Michigan GOP rocked by financial turmoil and infighting (www.cnn.com)
The Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference often lures a who’s who of GOP power players to Michigan. Wealthy donors shake hands with presidential candidates, who give rousing speeches to packed audiences in hopes of winning the conference’s straw poll....
Minimum-wage workers in 22 states will be getting raises on Jan. 1 (www.mprnews.org)
Minimum-wage workers in 22 states are going to see more money in their paychecks in the new year....
‘A generational struggle’: abortion rights pioneer offers insights to the post-Roe US (www.theguardian.com)
The battle to bring back the federal right to abortion in the US hinges on much more than just the outcome of the 2024 presidential election, and winning will require proponents to be as organized and steadfast as their opponents, at least as one of the reproductive freedom movement’s most veteran voices sees it....
1st Amendment claim struck down in Project Veritas case focused on diary of Biden's daughter (abcnews.go.com)
Criminal prosecutors may soon get to see over 900 documents pertaining to the alleged theft of a diary belonging to President Joe Biden’s daughter after a judge rejected the conservative group Project Veritas’ First Amendment claim....
Medicaid fraud scandal sees Delaware’s largest hospital system pay $47 million settlement (fortune.com)
Delaware’s largest hospital system will pay more than $47 million to settle whistleblower allegations by its former compliance officer that it provided kickbacks to outside doctors in return for patient referrals, resulting in fraudulent Medicaid billing....
Texas’ statewide poverty rate declines, but several rural counties see increase in poor residents (www.texastribune.org)
An influx of highly educated people from other states helped shift the state’s economic fortune. But in many parts of Texas, residents are struggling as jobs dry up....
Pakistan deported Afghans waiting for US resettlement (www.reuters.com)
The New Family Vacation. More and more Americans are traveling with multiple generations—and, perhaps, learning who their relatives really are. (www.theatlantic.com)
The next time you’re at the airport or checking into a hotel, you might notice a traveling group that looks, at least at first glance, a little unwieldy: young kids, their parents, and their grandparents, all vacationing together regardless of age or mobility limits....
Ethiopia becomes Africa's latest sovereign default (www.reuters.com)
Hunger and poverty in the world (Sustainable Developement goals) (www.kaggle.com)
Stretched social safety net could see more strain in 2024 (www.nbcnews.com)
Funding for a variety of pandemic-era assistance programs ran out this year, leaving Americans with fewer resources to help cope with rising prices....
Blizzard expected to blast the US Plains and cause travel delays (www.cnn.com)
Blizzard warnings have been issued across the Central Plains, threatening Christmas Day travelers with delays and dangerous road conditions....
Biden orders strike on Iranian-aligned group after 3 US troops injured in drone attack in Iraq (abcnews.go.com)
Under Argentina’s New President, Fuel Is Up 60%, and Diaper Prices Have Doubled (www.nytimes.com)
nytimes.com Under Argentina’s New President, Fuel Is Up 60%, and Diaper Prices Have Doubled Daniel Politi, Lucía Cholakian Herrera ~3 minutes...
Rumors swirl that TSMC chairman Mark Liu was forced to retire over Arizona fab debacle (www.tomshardware.com)
On December 19, TSMC announced the retirement of chairman Mark Liu, but there has been increasing speculation that the chairman’s five-year tenure might have been ended forcibly (via Wealth Magazine). Taiwanese media voices theorize that Liu’s abrupt departure from the company is related to the construction delays for...
Woman missing after going under river ice trying to save her dog in Alaska (www.nbcnews.com)
A man and a woman were on a trail by the Eagle River when one of their dogs went into the water and they went in after it. The woman went under the ice, officials said....
Contrary to politicians' claims, offshore wind farms don't kill whales. Here's what to know. (apnews.com)
Unfounded claims about offshore wind threatening whales have surfaced as a flashpoint in the fight over the future of renewable energy....
Southwest Airlines cancels hundreds of flights, disrupting some holiday travelers (www.cbsnews.com)
After thousands of U.S. flights were canceled or delayed over the holidays in 2022, most holiday travelers this year are off to a cheerier start this Christmas. But a few trouble spots were emerging on Christmas Day....
FBI says it’s investigating after reports of violent threats to Colorado judges in Trump case (edition.cnn.com)
The FBI is working with law enforcement officials in Colorado in the wake of threats made against state Supreme Court justices who ruled last week to remove Donald Trump from the state’s 2024 presidential ballot....
Zelenskiy hails downing of Russian jets in upbeat Christmas message (www.theguardian.com)
In a Christmas message marking the first time Ukraine has officially observed the holiday on 25 December rather than 7 January, Zelenskiy also referred to Ukraine’s claim to have destroyed a further three Russian fighter planes on Friday.
The secret life of gift cards: Here's what happens to the billions that go unspent each year (apnews.com)
Gift cards make great stocking stuffers — just as long as you don’t stuff them in a drawer and forget about them after the holidays....
For the first time in nearly 50 years, a Pennsylvania animal shelter doesn’t have any dogs left after hundreds of adoptions (www.cnn.com)
Just two weeks ago, the Adams County, Pennsylvania, SPCA was near capacity as its kennels were filled with dogs needing homes. Now, for the first time in nearly 50 years, there are no dogs at the facility and the recent residents are spending the holidays with their new families....
Arkansas man accused of making pipe bombs, trying to flee US in kayak (thehill.com)
An Arkansas man has been arrested after being found with six homemade pipe bombs, according to court documents....
Rare and endangered okapi born at Cincinnati Zoo (www.cnn.com)
A member of a rare and endangered species related to the giraffe was recently born at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, according to zoo officials....
