Biden says he considered nominating Sanders as labor secretary

Wilmington (United States) (AFP) – US President-elect Joe Biden said Friday that he had been considering nominating Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders as his labor secretary but eventually decided not to do so because it could have put the fragile  Democratic Senate majority at risk. “I did give serious consideration of nominating my friend Bernie Sanders […]

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Sen. Josh Hawley on defense in Missouri and elsewhere as election challenge fails

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Josh Hawley grabbed national headlines, cheers from supporters of President Donald Trump and effusive praise from the White House when he became the first member of the U.S. Senate to announce he would object to electoral votes of at least one state won by President-elect Joe Biden. A week later, the

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US Justice Department indicts 15 over Capitol violence

Washington (AFP) – The US Justice Department announced  that it has indicted 15 people involved in Wednesday’s assault on Congress, including one man accused of possessing bombs made to act like “homemade napalm.” The department said it had arrested several suspects, including Richard Barnett, a supporter of US President Donald Trump who invaded the office

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Biden vows to help US economy as virus spike drives job losses

Washington (AFP) – The US economy lost 140,000 jobs in December as the worsening coronavirus pandemic undermined its recovery, but President-elect Joe Biden pledged that help is on the way. The Labor Department on Friday reported the first drop in employment since April, and Biden said the data means a new economic relief package including

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An Ancient Still-Relevant Play about War’s Ravages

The Trojan Women is a superb translation and adaptation of a splendid play by Euripides (about 480 to about 406 BCE) who wrote tragedies in ancient Athens. Scholars estimate that he wrote over 90 plays, most of which have been lost during the past 2,500 years. Only about a dozen and a half survived. The Trojan Women was first performed in 415 BCE. It is based in large part upon the classic Iliad by Homer which describes the war between the Greeks and Trojans. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Theatre, Film & Broadcast

BDS Activists Happy Even If They Lose, So Long as Israel is Vilified

BDS resolutions serve a dark purpose regardless of whether or not they are successfully voted on and acted on by the respective universities. By repeating the campaign’s calumnies, libels, and historical distortions against Israel, it is thought, a universal loathing of the state will gradually evolve, an objective clearly stated by the divestment effort’s proponents. Whether or not actual divestment takes place is of secondary concern; the repeated, unrelenting, often vitriolic condemnation of Israel and Zionism is the principal goal.  [Richard L. Cravatts, Ph.D]

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Middle East, Richard L. Cravatts, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

Adam Schiff on the Attack on the Capitol

The storming of the Capitol was an act of insurrection, intended to disrupt the most fundamental act of our democracy – the peaceful transition of power. Both Houses of Congress and the Vice President gathered in a Joint Session in the Capitol to perform our duty under the 12th Amendment, to certify and count the electoral votes cast by the States. [Rep. Adam Schiff]

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Biden names final economic team picks

Washington (AFP) – US President-elect Joe Biden on Thursday unveiled his picks for commerce secretary, labor secretary and small business administrator to fill his incoming economics team. The transition named Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo, Boston Mayor Martin Walsh and former Obama official Isabel Guzman as nominees for the three positions, respectively.  “With two dozen

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Betsy DeVos resigns as secretary of education

DETROIT — Betsy DeVos, the West Michigan political force who rose to secretary of education, resigned Thursday night, saying President Donald Trump incited a mob that invaded the Capitol Wednesday. “We should be highlighting and celebrating your Administration’s many accomplishments on behalf of the American people,” DeVos wrote in a letter to the president. “Instead

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