• Mon, December 9, 2024

by: Smithsonian Magazine

'Polarization' Is Merriam-Webster's Word of the Year for 2024

The winning word beat out finalists such as "demure," "pander," "totality," "fortnight," "allision" and "democracy"

by: Buffalo News

And then there were 3: Council Member Rasheed Wyatt enters Buffalo mayor's race

Wyatt becomes the third candidate to officially declare his candidacy after State Sen. Sean Ryan and former Buffalo Fire Commissioner Garnell Whitfield Jr., who both threw their hats in the ring last month.

by: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

International Institute of St. Louis' CEO is out

International Institute president and CEO Arrey Obenson's last day with the organization was Friday, according to an internal email obtained by the Post-Dispatch.

by: Detroit News

Trump has flip-flopped on abortion policy. His appointees may offer clues to what happens next

Trump's cabinet picks offer a preview of how his administration could handle abortion after he repeatedly flip-flopped on the issue on the campaign trail.

by: Yahoo

Syrian government services come to a 'complete halt' as state workers stay home after rebel takeover

Syria's prime minister said Monday that most cabinet ministers were still at work after rebels overthrew President Bashar Assad, but some state workers failed to return to their jobs, and a United Nations official said the country's public sector had come "to a complete and abrupt halt.

by: Fox News

Here is who is vying for power in Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad

The fall of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, the culmination of years of civil war, has given way to a power vacuum with different factions protecting their own interests - and vying for power in the Middle Eastern nation.

by: National Post

Liberal government survives third Conservative non-confidence vote

OTTAWA - Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's latest attempt to topple the minority Liberal government in a non-confidence vote failed on Monday, thanks to the New Democrats.

by: The New York Times

Syrian Military Officials Charged With War Crimes as Government Falls

Jamil Hassan and Abdul Salam Mahmoud ran an infamous prison in Damascus and "sought to terrify, intimidate and repress any opposition, or perceived opposition, to the regime," according to the indictment.

by: Slate

The Moment Is Ripe to Push the Middle East in the Direction of Peace. What Will Trump Do?

The Middle East seems to be on the brink of a transformation—whether toward stability or fiercer mayhem is hard to say, all the more so with Donald Trump returning to the White House in six weeks.

by: Roll Call

Republicans start making immigration plans for next year

Republican have started plotting how to use unified control of government next year to best address funding and policy needs for immigration.

by: Click2Houston

Five years since its inception, a US development agency competes with China on global projects

Since its inception in 2019, a U.S. development agency has created a portfolio of more than $50 billion worth of projects in 114 countries, including a trans-Africa railway corridor, a power plant in Sierra Leone,

by: ABC

Experts say Biden has a constitutional right to issue preemptive pardons

Experts President Biden has the constitutional right to issue preemptive pardons to people President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to seek retribution against.

by: USA Today

'Agent of transformation': GOP senators praise Donald Trump's FBI director pick, Kash Patel

Kash Patel is an agent of transformation. He'll do a great job,' Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, told USA Today.

by: The New York Times

The Fall of Assad in Syria: How It Happened and What Comes Next

The main rebel group behind Assad's ouster is Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, whose name means Organization for the Liberation of the Levant. It began to come together at the beginning of Syria's civil war, when jihadists formed the Nusra Front to fight pro-Assad forces with hundreds of insurgent and suicide attacks.

by: ABC

Gabbard's bipartisan congressional connections could be crucial to confirmation

Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard returns to the Senate this week to meet with lawmakers about her being Donald Trump's pick to be director of national intelligence.

by: USA Today

Can Trump use Jill Biden's image to sell perfume?

Trump posted a picture of himself with Jill Biden on social media Sunday to help sell a new line of perfumes and colognes.

by: MSN

Nobel Prize winners call on Senate to reject RFK Jr. nomination: report

A group of over 75 Nobel laureates on Monday submitted a letter to the US Senate, according to The New York Times, urging lawmakers to reject President-Elect Donald Trump's Department of Health and Human Services lead nominee: Robert F.

by: MSN

Trudeau Says Canada 'Will Respond' If Trump Imposes Tariffs

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada "will respond" if US President-elect Donald Trump imposes new tariffs on Canadian imports, and argued that retaliatory tariffs were successful when Trump put tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum in 2018.

by: MSN

Biden will absolutely pardon other family members before leaving office: Rep. James Comer

Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., discusses potential future Biden pardons and Elon Musk's vision for DOGE on 'Varney & Co.' Posted: December 9, 2024 | Last updated: December 9, 2024

by: MSN

Key GOP senators begin to fall in line behind Kash Patel and keep door open for Pete Hegseth

Top GOP senators on Monday signaled support for Donald Trump's plan to oust the current FBI director in favor of firebrand loyalist Kash Patel, while keeping the door open for Pete Hegseth, who faces a slate of misconduct allegations,

by: MSN

Syrian prime minister says government is still functioning but foreign and domestic challenges loom

Syria's prime minister said Monday that most cabinet ministers are still working from offices in Damascus after rebels entered the capital over the weekend and overthrew President Bashar Assad. Streams of refugees crossed back into Syria from neighboring countries,

by: MSN

Nebraska governor's priorities shift focus from spending and tax changes

Republican Gov. Jim Pillen plans to toss his party's right flank some red meat next year before addressing the harder politics of closing Nebraska's projected $432 million budget shortfall.

by: MSN

Syrian government still functioning: Prime minister

Syria's prime minister said the country's government is still functioning and most cabinet ministers are still working, even after rebels entered Damascus and President Bashar Assad fled the country.

by: MSN

Rep. Brett Guthrie wins powerful House Energy and Commerce gavel

Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) won the race to lead the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee next year, replacing retiring Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.). Why it matters: The panel's vast jurisdiction positions its chairman to play a lead role in crafting policy on an array of issues: everything from blocking China from engaging in U.

by: MSN

Senator Jon Tester highlights accomplishments, thanks legislators and staff in final floor speech

Montana Democratic Senator Jon Tester's time in Washington comes to an end this month. He made his final speech on the Senate floor on Monday.

by: MSN

Harris emerges from background and offers advice in rare post-election speech: 'Chin up'

by: MSN

Trump promises to end birthright citizenship: What is it and could he do it?

President-elect Donald Trump has promised to end birthright citizenship as soon as he gets into office to make good on campaign promises aiming to restrict immigration and redefining what it means to be American.

by: MSN

Joy, fear and confusion in Damascus as Syrians welcome life after Assad

Rapturous celebrations in the streets of the capital were tempered by trepidation over whether the city's new rebel caretakers could deliver a better future.

by: MSN

Shaken by Assad's sudden fall, Syria faces seismic turning point

The BBC's international editor Jeremy Bowen looks at the lightning offensive which is reshaping the Middle East.

by: MSN

Siding with controversial company, government scraps policy restricting Eilat oil imports

Broad coalition vows to continue fight to protect environment and Eilat corals from oil spills, notes exposure of oil infrastructure to enemy attack during ongoing war The post Siding with controversial company,

by: MSN

Federal Prison Camp in Duluth to close; inmates and staff to relocate

On Thursday, the Federal Bureau of Prisons announced multiple facility closures nationwide, including the FPC in Duluth.

by: MSN

Gas prices declining, may rise after fall of Syrian government

by: MSN

Government recklessness is swindling the taxpayer out of billions of pounds

The public pay their taxes begrudgingly or otherwise in the knowledge that it allows the state to perform essential tasks no one else can do, such as maintain public services, national defence, and so on.

by: MSN

Health care uproar sparks new legislation in Congress

A now-reversed Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield policy that would have created a time limit for coverage of anesthesia has led to a Democratic bill that would prevent such a cap in the future. Why it matters: The bill,

by: MSN

Ted Cruz: CEO-shooting person of interest's views show 'leftism is a mental disease'

Conservative Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on Monday pointed to what he called the "anti-capitalist" views of the 26-year-old man named as a person of interest in the investigation of the shooting death of a UnitedHealth executive to argue "leftism is a mental disease.

by: MSN

Clarkson and Farage are both behind the farmers...but the Left should only fear one of them - Stephen Pound

It was something of an eye-opener to see so many farmers and their friends far from the fields converging on Westminster in what was a pretty significant demonstration. Nowhere as large as the save our fox hunting march,

by: MSN

CNN's Kaitlan Collins And Donald Trump Have Been Locked In A Bitter Feud

Donald Trump isn't shy about sharing his feelings about mainstream media journalists. He has been particularly brutal in his feud with CNN's Kaitlan Collins.

by: MSN

Atlanta City Council 2025 chairs and committee appointments announced

Atlanta City Council President Doug Shipman has announced the 2025 committee chairpersons and appointments. The announcements were made at the Dec. 2 meeting, the last full council meeting of the year.

by: MSN

Lawmakers join in roundtable events addressing sexual violence, stalking, and human trafficking for 2025 West Virginia Legislative Session

The Upper Ohio Valle Sexual Assault Help Center (SAHC) recently held two impactful legislative roundtable events, focusing on sexual violence, stalking, and human trafficking in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia.

by: MSN

Does Syria's power shift raise hopes for stability and democracy?

As Syrians all over the world celebrate the fall of Bashar Assad's regime, political analysts are pondering how the geopolitical situation will be affected — and whether there could be less tension in the Middle East.

by: MSN

What is birthright citizenship, and can Trump end the right in the U.S.?

President-elect Donald Trump says he'll end birthright citizenship, after years of criticizing the constitutional right.

by: MSN

Mehmet Oz and the Medicare Advantage Dilemma

Incoming Trump administration is seen as pro-Medicare Advantage but many Republicans are concerned about the impact on insurance companies.

by: MSN

'One flag': Dutton's controversial election pledge

We are united as a country when we gather under one flag, which is what we should do on Australia Day." Mr Dutton's latest election promise came a day after Coalition Indigenous Australians spokeswoman Jacinta Nampijinpa Price said she wanted to windback Welcome to Country ceremonies because they were "commercialisation of culture".

by: MSN

COVID-19: Disturbing report released by the USA

A total of 520 pages dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic have just been published by a special sub-committee of the US Congress led by elected Republicans. Some Democrats are also said to have taken part in the drafting process.

by: MSN

Trump talks about his conversation with Zelenskyy and says he is "formulating concept" to end war

US President-elect Donald Trump has shared his conclusions from a conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Paris. They both went to attend the opening ceremony of the Notre Dame cathedral,

by: MSN

Balance of power in Mideast is shifting because Israel ignored Biden: Morgan Ortagus

Former State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus responds to Biden's claim that Iran, Hezbollah, and Russia are all weaker than when he took office on 'Varney & Co.'

by: MSN

Syrian asylum seekers in limbo as countries stop applications

Austria, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and Greece have all said they will suspend asylum decisions for now.

by: MSN

Poland says invasion of Ukraine was 'a mistake'

The war in Ukraine will end when Putin decides that the invasion was a mistake and that he won't achieve his goals at an "acceptable price", said Poland's Foreign Minister.

'Polarization' Is Merriam-Webster's Word of the Year for 2024

The winning word beat out finalists such as "demure," "pander," "totality," "fortnight," "allision" and "democracy"
Merriam-Webster has chosen "polarization" as its word of the year for 2024, reflecting the increasing division in American society. The term, which saw a significant spike in lookups, encapsulates the growing political, social, and cultural divides. Editor at large Peter Sokolowski noted that polarization is not just about political differences but also about the broader societal fragmentation, where people are increasingly isolated in their own ideological echo chambers. This choice underscores the dictionary's role in capturing the zeitgeist, highlighting how language evolves to reflect contemporary issues. The article also discusses how polarization affects various aspects of life, from media consumption to interpersonal relationships, emphasizing the need for understanding and dialogue to bridge these divides.

Read the Full Smithsonian Magazine Article at:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/polarization-is-merriam-websters-word-of-the-year-for-2024-180985610/