Winter Nights

(‘Sunset’ by Daisy)

The image above was painted by my ten-year=old granddaughter after I mentioned to her that the sunsets these winter nights are so dramatic and wide in the southwestern sky that it would be difficult to capture them. 

She is not one to back down from a challenge.

As for the political situation, a piece in the Guardian this morning captures how 50 percent of the electorate are feeling: ‘People feel drained’: anti-Trump Americans face temptation to tune out.

This too will pass. There are those among us who are not the types to back down from a challenge.

And the top link below describes the coming challenge succinctly: An authoritarian state.

HEADLINES:

• A Constitutional Crisis Greater Than Watergate — Trump’s nomination of Kash Patel threatens to turn the FBI into an instrument of personal presidential power. (Atlantic)

• Patel has publicly mused about targeting journalists, government officials (WP)

• Syrian rebels push towards Hama as government forces launch counterattacks (Al Jazeera)

• Rebels Seize Control Over Most of Syria’s Largest City (NYT)

• Biden Pardons Son (WP)

• Trump threat of 100% tariffs against Brics nations raises trade war fears (Guardian)

• What Trudeau told Trump at Mar-a-Lago (Politico)

• Trump selects Lebanese billionaire Massad Boulos as Middle East adviser (Financial Times)

• Russia’s plunging currency spells trouble for its war effort (Economist)

• Study shows mountain lions are changing to adapt to human recreation (WP)

• Michigan Stuns Ohio State—and a Flag-Planting Fracas Follows (WSJ)

• The earliest known ‘country’ recording has been found. The singer? A Black man. (WP)

• Scientist Explains How Climate Crisis Would Be Averted If Greta Thunberg Just Tried A Little Harder (The Onion)