Uncategorized

Israel Must Finish Job In Gaza

By JOSH HAMMER For a week now, the world has watched a high-stakes, emotionally draining and dangerous game being played out in Gaza. What began as a mediated four-day “truce” and swap of 50 Israeli civilians held hostage by Hamas in exchange for 150 convicted Palestinian-Arab terrorists has now been dragged out much further. Hamas, unusually self-aware for a jihadist outfit, has savvily dangled the possibility of the release of ever-more hostages in exchange for further “truce” extensions. Israel is all but forced to go along. But as tantalizing as it is to see more hostages ...

The Real Secret to Ukraine Aid

Here is the best-kept secret about U.S. military aid to Ukraine: Most of the money is being spent here in the United States. That’s right: Funds that lawmakers approve to arm Ukraine are being used stateside to build new weapons or to replace weapons sent to Kyiv from U.S. stockpiles. Of the $68 billion in military and related assistance Congress has approved since Russia invaded Ukraine, almost 90% is going to Americans, one analysis found. But you wouldn’t know that from the actions of some U.S. lawmakers. When Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance joined a United Auto Workers picket line in ...

Shane MacGowan, Lead Singer For The Pogues, Dies At Age 65

LONDON (AP) — Shane MacGowan, the boozy, rabble-rousing singer and chief songwriter of The Pogues, who infused traditional Irish music with the energy and spirit of punk, died Thursday, his family said. He was 65. MacGowan’s songwriting and persona made him an iconic figure in contemporary Irish culture, and some of his compositions have become classics — most notably the bittersweet Christmas ballad “Fairytale of New York,” which Irish President Michael D. Higgins said “will be listened to every Christmas for the next century or more.” “It is with the deepest sorrow ...

How Hanukkah Is Celebrated Around The World

Hanukkah — also spelled Chanukah or other transliterations from Hebrew — is Judaism’s “festival of lights.” On eight consecutive nightfalls, Jews gather with family and friends to light one additional candle in the menorah — a multibranched candelabra. In Hebrew, Hanukkah means “dedication,” and the holiday marks the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in the 2nd century BC, after a small group of Jewish fighters liberated it from occupying foreign forces. With the tiny supply of ritually pure oil that they found in the temple, they lit the menorah — and it ...

In The Fullness Of Time

This first week of Advent brings us to a Biblical phrase Paul used in his letter to the church in Galatia: “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4-5) he repeats this phrase in another letter, this time to the church in Ephesus: “…as a plan for the fullness of time, to bring all things in heaven and on earth together in Christ.” (Ephesians 1:10). Paul may or may not have been ‘in the Spirit’ at the time of these ...

Tips For A Meaningful Christmas Celebration

Q: We usually travel to see relatives at Christmas, but this year we’ll be staying home as “just” our immediate household. Do you have any suggestions for making the season especially meaningful? Jim: I have a couple of ideas. First, I strongly encourage you to slow down. A common complaint about this time of year is that it’s too hectic. Parties, events, decorating, shopping -- everything can add up and pack your calendar before you even realize it. So, I suggest you block out time for quiet reflection on the meaning of the season, as a family. Reserve space for ...