[Photo: Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images] On Jan. 6, the United States Congress will gather in a joint session to tally the votes of the Electoral College, which cast its ballots in state capitols last month. In his role as president of the Senate, Vice President Mike Pence is slated to officially announce Joe Biden as the […]
Washington (AFP) – For three years and 11 months Mike Pence has been Donald Trump’s most devoted footsoldier, but in the administration’s closing weeks the vice president faces intense pressure from his boss to thwart final certification of the election that they lost. US election law dictates that Pence preside over Wednesday’s joint session of
Pence: Man in the middle as Trump seeks unlikely miracle Read More »
USA
Los Angeles (AFP) – Former Bond actress and “That ’70s Show” star Tanya Roberts has died from a urinary tract infection at a Los Angeles hospital, her publicist said Tuesday, a day after premature reports of her passing were retracted. Roberts, 65, was best known for her role as geologist Stacey Sutton in the James
Former ‘Bond girl’ Tanya Roberts dies of infection aged 65 Read More »
Theatre, Film & Broadcast
County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, in a demonstration of bipartisanship on Tuesday, Jan. 5, yielded the ceremonial board position of chairman pro tempore to County Supervisor Joel Anderson after she was nominated to the position by Supervisor Nora Vargas, who had also successfully nominated herself for vice chair and County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher as board chair. [Donald H. Harrison]
Lawson-Remer receives major committee assignments Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County, USA
Hashem appears to be saying “I will be one with you just as you are one with the people for whom you care so much.” Five times in the parasha, Hashem tells Moses that He feels the suffering of the Israelites. Moses, too, felt a tug to connect with his people. Hashem sees this and recognizes Moses’ special quality. We learn in this week’s Torah reading a most contemporary and timely lesson: We are not to simply see the suffering of others, but to experience it fully, as if it is our own–and act to reduce that suffering. As we reduce the pain in others, we then reduce our own. [Michael Mantell, Ph.D]
Moses teaches us the need for compassion Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell
Seacrest Foundation is excited to announce that longtime supporters of Seacrest, Sharon and David Wax, have committed a beautiful matching gift of $500,000 to the Hearts of Gold gala. Sharon and David shared, “We are delighted to give this gift in honor and recognition of our dear friends and gala leadership, Cindy and Larry Bloch, Jean and Franklin Gaylis, Mary and Jon Epsten, and Esther Fischer, for their support and dedication to Seacrest.” The Waxes, who generously support many Jewish organizations and the San Diego community at large, are especially eager to help motivate the community to double their impact to support Seacrest during this time of crisis. They continued by saying “Seacrest Village residents are among the most vulnerable in our population, and it’s imperative that we provide as much support as possible to ensure their care and safety.” [Press Release]
David & Sharon Wax Contribute $500,000 in Matching Funds to Seacrest Village Read More »
Lifestyles, San Diego County
Not so long ago, the dangers posed by global warming and climate change loomed off in the future, allowing Americans to put off finding solutions. But tomorrow has arrived, and the new reality is impossible to deny. The years from 2015 through 2020 were the hottest six years on record for the planet. The past
Editorial: Joe Biden and the reality of climate change Read More »
USA
ATLANTA — On the eve of high-stakes elections for control of the U.S. Senate, President Donald Trump and President-elect Joe Biden staged dueling rallies Monday aimed directly at their most loyal supporters on the outskirts of downtown Atlanta and rocky, rural northwest Georgia. The disclosure of Trump’s extraordinary demand to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger
Trump and Biden square off in Georgia on eve of epic Senate runoffs Read More »
USA
Israel’s election is scheduled for March 23rd. And more than previous ones, it is spawning the announcement of several new parties, both to the right and the left of Bibi. They’re all united under the slogan of anyone but Bibi, but not yet united in any more tangible sense. [Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D]
New parties form to Bibi’s left and right Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
Washington (AFP) – Donald Trump made a series of unsubstantiated claims about US presidential election results from Georgia during an hour-long call with its secretary of state and other officials, rejecting the legitimacy of the vote a little more than two weeks before he is due to leave the White House. The president — who
Fact Check: Trump’s claims of Georgia election fraud Read More »
USA
Every year the president of the United States awards the Medal of Freedom to people who have made “an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.” Honoring that tradition, President Trump is conferring this honor on Devin Nunes for “unearthing the crime of the century [the Russian hoax]” and “thwarting a plot to take down a sitting United States president.” Adhering to Trump’s elastic interpretation of what constitutes a “meritorious contribution” to the above criteria, I expect the following to be named as recipients of the Medal in the coming days. [Laurie Baron, Ph.D]
Satire: The Medal of Free-Dumb Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire
A formal complaint and request for investigation of President Donald J. Trump and his telephone call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has been filed with the State Election Board of Georgia. It suggests that, during a telephone conversation yesterday, Trump may have violated one or more of the following Georgia criminal…
Complaint Filed Against Trump For Georgia Call Read More »
USA
A British judge has ruled that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange should not be extradited to the United States to confront espionage charges, citing concerns about his mental health and the prison conditions he could face there. Judge Vanessa Baraitser delivered her verdict at London’s Old Bailey court on Monday, saying she was alarmed by the
British judge denies US extradition request for WikiLeaks’ Assange Read More »
International, USA
Sworn in today (Monday, Jan. 4) as the 3rd District San Diego County Supervisor, Terra Lawson-Remer laid out an ambitious agenda for herself that included “an evidence-based” campaign against COVID-19, extending a financial “lifeline” to small businesses and workers in San Diego County; implementing a climate action plan; promoting racial justice; fighting homelessness; developing affordable housing; protecting the coastline; guarding against pollution-promoting urban sprawl; lessening the threat of wildfires; providing care for seniors, children, adults with mental or behavioral issues; assisting immigrants; and supporting the arts. [Donald H. Harrison]
Lawson-Remer tells ambitious agenda as new County Supervisor Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Middle East, San Diego County, USA