By Laurie Baron
SAN DIEGO―The budget deal forged by Paul Ryan of Wisconsin and Patty Murray will end extensions of unemployment insurance for 1.3 million Americans. Since the current Congress s has passed fewer bills than any of its postwar predecessors, some deficit hawks have suggested docking the salary of its members because they haven’t been working for the past year.
President Obama shook hands with Raul Castro at Nelson Mandela’s funeral. Conservatives were outraged by the goodwill gesture. The crew and passengers on the return flight of Air Force One, however, unanimously praised Obama’s magnanimity as they stored their gift boxes of Cuban cigars in the overhead bins.
The interim agreement to ease sanctions in return for freezing the Iranian nuclear program still faces tough Congressional opposition. Though few Americans can identify who the new president of Iran is, many believe that country’s Supreme Leader is Diana Ross.
Rumanian television broadcast a Christmas Carol which contained anti-Semitic lyrics. Jesus Christ withdrew his support for the holiday in protest and plans to celebrate Chanukah in the future in solidarity with his ancestors.
In the wake of the approval of Detroit’s application for bankruptcy, Apple has offered to buy the city, open factories there, and hire all of the city’s unemployed if they will work for the same wages as their Chinese counterparts.
Baron is professor emeritus of history at San Diego State University. He may be contacted at lawrence.baron@sdjewishworld.com