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American democracy has overcome big stress tests since the 2020 election. More challenges are ahead

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:42:08 GMT

Over the past three years, the world’s oldest democracy has been tested in ways not seen in decades. A sitting president tried to overturn an election and his supporters stormed the Capitol to stop the winner from taking power. Supporters of that attack launched a campaign against local election offices, chasing out veteran administrators and pushing conservative states to pass new laws making it harder to vote.At the same time, the past three years proved that American democracy was resilient.Former President Donald Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election results failed, blocked by the constitutional system’s checks and balances, and he now faces both federal and state charges for those efforts. Then the voters stepped in. In every presidential battleground state, they rejected all candidates who supported Trump’s stolen election lies and were running for statewide offices that had some oversight of elections.The election infrastructure in the country...

German chancellor tours flooded regions in the northwest, praises authorities and volunteers

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:42:08 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz took a helicopter flight Sunday to check the flooded regions in the northwest of the country, where rivers have swelled and overflowed homes, roads and fields after weeks of heavy rain.In recent days, hundreds of people have been evacuated from affected areas in northern and eastern Germany as a precaution.Scholz landed in the morning in the town of Verden in Lower Saxony where dikes along rivers were soaked with water and close to bursting in some parts of the state.Talking to reporters near the Aller river which has flooded parts of Verden, Scholz thanked “the police, the fire department, the federal agency for technical relief and the German Armed Forces” for their joint efforts.“It is important that we stick together,” he said.The chancellor also expressed gratitude to the “countless citizens of our country who are now sacrificing their time and putting themselves in danger to ensure safety for us all.”Thousands of volunteers hav...

Pope recalls Benedict XVI’s love and wisdom on anniversary of death, as secretary reflects on legacy

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:42:08 GMT

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Tributes were paid Sunday on the first anniversary of the death of Pope Benedict XVI, with Pope Francis praising his love and wisdom and Benedict’s private secretary expressing hope he might one day be declared a saint.Benedict, the first pope to retire in six centuries, died last Dec. 31 at the age of 95 in the Vatican monastery where he spent 10 years as a pope emeritus. He is buried in the grottoes underneath St. Peter’s Basilica.Speaking at the end of his weekly noon blessing, Francis said the faithful feel “so much love, so much gratitude, so much admiration” for Benedict. He praised the “love and wisdom” with which Benedict guided the church and asked for a round of applause from the pilgrims and tourists gathered in St. Peter’s Square.Earlier in the day, Benedict’s longtime secretary, Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, celebrated a special Mass in the basilica and then participated in an anniversary event to reflect on Benedict’s legacy.Speaking on th...

Xi says China will ‘surely be reunified’ with self-ruled Taiwan in New Year’s address

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:42:08 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping said China would “surely be reunified” with Taiwan during his televised New Year’s address, renewing Beijing’s threats to take over the self-ruled island, which it considers its own.Taiwan split from China amid civil war in 1949, but Beijing continues to regard the island of 23 million with its high-tech economy as Chinese territory and has been ramping up its threat to achieve that by military force if necessary.“China will surely be reunified, and all Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait should be bound by a common sense of purpose,” Xi said in his annual address, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.China has described Taiwan’s Jan. 13 presidential and parliamentary elections as a choice between war and peace. Beijing considers the presidential front-runner, William Lai, who currently serves as vice president from the ruling Democratic People’s Party, a “separatist” and has accused him and Taiwan’s President Ts...

Plane carrying migrants from Texas landed in Rockford, en route to Chicago

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:42:08 GMT

CHICAGO -- A plane carrying hundreds of migrants arrived overnight at Chicago Rockford International Airport and several buses are reportedly bound for Chicago.The plane carrying migrants from Texas arrived just after 1 a.m. Sunday morning in Rockford, which is not classified as a Sanctuary City.The plane can hold up to 388 passengers, but it is unclear how many migrants were on board.More busses and planes are expected to arrive in cities like Rockford due to a recently passed ordinance that requires an advanced notice for incoming buses and fines for those who don't comply. Winnebago County's sheriff, board chair and Rockford's mayor were told about the incoming plane, a statement said.The plane was expected to land Saturday night but was delayed several hours and arrived Sunday morning.Officials said once the plane landed, migrants onboard would "offload and immediately board buses to Chicago's 'landing zone.'"They stated migrants would not exit airport property at any time befor...

Top 5 misconceptions about the economy in 2023

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:42:08 GMT

(The Hill) – 2023 was a year in which many experts got a lot of things wrong about the economy. From mistaken forecasts about an impending recession to errors about falling prices and why they had risen in the first place, 2023 was a year marked by economic confusion.Even the Federal Reserve got disoriented, predicting an economic downturn at the beginning of the year and then yanking that prediction over the summer.This waffling peeved some major players in the financial industry, including JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, who called the Fed out for providing unreliable guidance and being “100 percent dead wrong.”“Central banks 18 months ago were 100 percent dead wrong. Maybe there should be humility about financial forecasting,” he said during a panel event in Saudi Arabia in October.Here's a look back at some of the biggest misconceptions about the economy of 2023.Rising interest rates are sure to cause a recessionThere was virtual certainty among economists at the end of last yea...

Ending the year with fantastic weather

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:42:08 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Happy New Year!The forecast calls for a bright and unseasonably warm afternoon as most highs reach the low 70s. A dry southwest wind will warm quickly. Today's normal high is 62°. Tonight will be mostly clear before the intrusion of scattered clouds overnight. Also tonight there will be areas of smoke from fireworks. Sun and scattered clouds are expected tomorrow with highs that won't get out of the 50s.When the clock hits 12:00 a.m. tonightWhen the clock strikes midnight tonight the sky should be mostly clear. Most temperatures will be in the upper 40s to low 50s. More mid to upper 50s will be the midnight reading in parts of our eastern counties.The first of two upper-level lows will head to the area leading to an excellent chance for rain and a few thunderstorms Tuesday with the probability of measurable precipitation up to 80%. Rain and thunderstorms will continue Tuesday night and should begin to end by sunrise Wednesday.Thursday will be mostly sunny.The secon...

Chicago Bears vs. Atlanta Falcons: Everything you need to know about the Week 17 game before kickoff

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:42:08 GMT

The 6-9 Chicago Bears will play the 7-8 Atlanta Falcons at Soldier Field in a Week 17 matchup. Here’s what you need to know before kickoff (noon, CBS).‘People put a timeline on whether they can judge guys, but I’m really just at the start’By most accounts, Justin Fields has made steps toward becoming the type of quarterback the Bears can win with.Interceptions and sacks are down since he came back from the thumb injury Nov. 19. He has closed out some wins. He has had flashes of improvement in his movement within the pocket and his willingness to pass downfield rather than always tuck and run when the pocket breaks down. And he has continued to show his unique ability — unlike few others in the NFL — to extend plays with his legs.But is that enough to convince the Bears to bet on him again? Read more here.5 things to watch in the Bears-Falcons game at Soldier Field — plus our Week 17 predictionsBears Q&A: Will coach Matt Eberflus be back ...

Zeynep Tufekci: Avert your eyes, avoid responsibility and just blame TikTok

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:42:08 GMT

We’re in a season of hand-wringing and scapegoating over social media, especially TikTok, with many Americans and politicians missing that two things can be true at once: Social media can have an outsize and sometimes pernicious influence on society, and lawmakers can unfairly use it as an excuse to deflect legitimate criticisms.Young people are overwhelmingly unhappy about U.S. policy on the war in the Gaza Strip? Must be because they get their “perspective on the world on TikTok” — at least according to Sen. John Fetterman, a Democrat who holds a strong pro-Israel stance.This attitude is shared across the aisle. “It would not be surprising that the Chinese-owned TikTok is pushing pro-Hamas content,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn said. Another Republican senator, Josh Hawley, called TikTok a “purveyor of virulent antisemitic lies.”Consumers are unhappy with the economy? Surely, that’s TikTok again, with some experts arguing that dismal consumer sentiment is a mere “vibecession” — feelings ...

The first 10 years of legal marijuana in Colorado were a wild ride. What will happen in the next decade?

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:42:08 GMT

The world’s first legal sale of recreational marijuana happened in Denver on Jan. 1, 2014. In fact, it happened twice.Mason Tvert was managing the onslaught of media that descended on the Mile High City to witness the historic moment, set in motion by the successful legalization campaign he’d led. So many camera crews and reporters showed up that morning that Tvert decided to rotate two groups through the dispensary’s sales floor — with each transaction billed as the first time anyone 21 or older could legally buy weed simply by walking into a store, showing ID and paying for it, no doctor’s note necessary.Cannabis enthusiasts also flocked to downtown Denver that day. Lines outside the new rec stores stretched down city blocks. Buyers exited with purchases in hand, holding them overhead like victory trophies. Rumors even swirled that some stores had sold out, only adding to the fervor.“It was wild,” Tvert recalls.Monday’s anniversary of the first sales ...