Dough...

Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked President Trump in a phone call for giving him a tip that helped stop "acts of terrorism" in Russia, Reuters reported the Kremlin said.

The Kremlin added that Trump and Putin will continue working together to combat terrorism and discussed a "set of issues of mutual interest" on the call, Voice of America reported. Reuters noted that the information was sent through special services without any additional details. 

The White House did not immediately return a request for comment.

The Russian president also recently defended Trump, saying at his annual news conference earlier this month that the House's impeachment of the president was "far-fetched." 

If Trump can cooperate with Putin, the old US guards have no one to hate and can't fill their pockets with dough.

Let history take a note of this President, he is not for war, destruction, killing, creating fake imaginary enemies. 

He is for Peace and prosperity and many are not happy about it.

Dismal...

CNN’s beleaguered media show “Reliable Sources” with Brian Stelter hit an embarrassing new low on Dec. 22, when it averaged only 85,000 viewers among a key age group.

Stelter regularly touts the significance of the news demographic of adults age 25-54 but the dismal performance marked his lowest viewership of 2019 in the category.

The dismal performance from Stelter came as Fox News’ “Media Buzz,” a direct timeslot competitor, thumped CNN’s “Reliable Sources” across the board in 2019.

Stelter’s “Reliable Sources” averaged only 748,000 total viewers for the year prior to its 2019 finale on Dec. 29, while “Media Buzz” averaged 1.3 million over the same time period. In addition, CNN’s Sunday morning media show lost 12 percent of its viewers compared to 2018, while “Media Buzz” kept its audience with nearly identical year-to-year averages.

Stelter has repeatedly criticized Trump and members of his administration, often questioning Trump’s mental health and fitness for office. Back in August he was condemned for blaming technical issues for staying quiet when a guest said Trump is responsible for more deaths than brutal dictators Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong.

Incognito...

The New year just started, and some are thinking otherwise. Just a thought.

Worried...

Bike...

Threat...

The Democratic Party fears that a potential presidency for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) represents a threat to the party's establishment

Sanders and his allies have repeatedly claimed that the Democratic Party is against his nomination. These fears were exacerbated in November when former President Obama reportedly told advisers in private that he would speak up if necessary to stop Sanders from becoming the Democratic pick. 

On July 28, 2016, Wasserman Schultz resigned from her position after WikiLeaks released a collection of stolen emails indicating that Wasserman Schultz and other members of the DNC staff had exercised bias against Senator Bernie Sanders and in favor of Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic

Sanders has consistently polled near the top of the 2020 presidential primary. 

Climate...

Warren Buffett is spending billions to turn Iowa into "the wind capital of the world, the Saudi Arabia of wind," he told the Financial Times.

However, Berkshire Hathaway's billionaire boss isn't emulating Greta Thunberg - leading the charge on climate change, cutting carbon emissions at any cost. Instead, government incentives are fueling his investments in renewable energy.

"We wouldn't do [it] without the production tax credit we get," he told the newspaper.

If people want us to junk our coal plants, either our shareholders or the consumer is going to pay for it," he told the Financial Times. If consumers pay, those living in coal-reliant regions would foot the bill while others pay nothing, he added.

Public officials should oversee structural changes and mitigate their costs, Buffett argued. "The government has to play the part of modifying a market system."

Arden...

A biography of the PM has also just been published, The Story Behind an Extraordinary Leader (unauthorised, the PM did not sit for an interview with the author), with a second biography due out early next year.

Ardern has become the most internationally recognised and well-known New Zealand prime minister ever. Her global fame is a new experience for Kiwis, not used to the international spotlight, and has made her an easy target for the opposition and detractors, who frequently accuse her of focusing more on international affairs than domestic ones.

Those poor shop workers who have to return the magazines to their rightful state – what do they say?

There are reports that the #TurnArdern campaign is causing extra work for book shop workers and low-wage employees in supermarkets and newsagents, and on social media some users have reported encounters with #TurnArdern protesters.

There has been a nasty backlash against #TurnArdern, too. Since the campaign leader’s identity emerged, he has received threats – including against his life – and been trolled and vilified online.

True...

Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg hit frontrunner and former Vice President Joe Biden for his role in backing the Iraq war, which the South Bend, Ind., mayor deemed the nation's "worst foreign policy decision" of his lifetime. 

"This is an example of why years in Washington is not always the same thing as judgment," Buttigieg said.

"He supported the worst foreign policy decision made by the United States in my lifetime, which was the decision to invade Iraq."

Biden was a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when the U.S. went to war. He is the only top-tier candidate in the race who voted for the war. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) was a sitting House member at the time of the decision and vocally opposed the war. 

Hot...

In 230 years, the House has impeached only two presidents: Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998. 

There is a reason why impeachment is so rare: It is the process by which the Congress overturns the will of the people. Some 63 million Americans voted for Trump, and it is an intensely powerful action to disenfranchise them.

To do so, there must be clear evidence and due process. Last March, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi agreed: “Impeachment is so divisive to the country that unless there’s something so compelling and overwhelming and bipartisan, I don’t think we should go down that path.”

The simple truth is that after all the closed-door depositions and public hearings, none of the witnesses could establish that the president committed bribery, treason, or any high crime or misdemeanor.

Outta Here...

Still...

Erdogan said the Tripoli government of Libyan "invited" Turkey to send troops under a military cooperation agreement signed recently between the two. Ankara and Tripoli have also signed a maritime deal; both agreements have met with criticism across the region and beyond.

The fighting around Tripoli escalated in recent weeks after Hifter declared a “final” and decisive battle for the capital. Hifter is backed by the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, as well as France and Russia, while the Tripoli-based government receives aid from Turkey, Qatar and Italy.

The battle over Tripoli mirrors the scale of the 2011 conflict that  killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

Thanks to Hillary Clinton that push forward for the destruction of Libya and here are her regime change results surrounded by hundred of thousands of death and destruction. The war still going.

Impotent...

Bad behavior has been around forever, but shame has historically kept the behavior in check by operating as a warning mechanism not to transgress in the first place or, if that fails, triggering consequences for transgressing.

Part of the popularity of the shameless leader derives from the fact that there is no pretending any more – the id is unmediated and allowed free rein. There is a sense that this is the real person. All the rest of them – Obama, Blair, even Bush – spoke with a degree of civility and convention that is now missing in public life. Often that civility hides a multitude of sins. Now the sins are still there but no one is trying to hide them, and no one feels ashamed when they are challenged about these sins.

Lack of shame has also short-circuited a traditional role of the media, whose power we have realised is largely to shame public figures by exposing things.

The expectation is that the subject will feel so ashamed by the exposure that they will quit. But then if they don’t quit and the public re-elects them, the media is exposed as being impotent.

The Media itself lost its way by siding with someone over the other, elaborate of one sides story over fair representation. In the process blame others for being shameless.

Fearful...

Christmas has come early for investors, with stocks again taking out record highs as indexes continue to climb toward year-end. At last check, the Dow DJIA+0.28% was up triple digits, while both the S&P SPX+0.49% and Nasdaq COMP+0.42% were even more firmly in the black.

Warren Buffett once said that as an investor, it is wise to be “Fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful.” This statement is somewhat of a contrarian view on stock markets and relates directly to the price of an asset: when others are greedy, prices typically boil over, and one should be cautious lest they overpay for an asset that subsequently leads to anemic returns. 

When others are fearful, it may present a good value buying opportunity. 
Even at the peak of the dot-com bubble, these traders weren’t as aggressively positioned  or greedy  as they are right now

So Be fearful.

Snow...

Snow-globing” is the latest dating trend to look out for this winter — and it happens when the magic of Christmas makes a relationship seem more serious than it is.

We’ve all heard of “cuffing season,” where you find some to snuggle up with over the colder months, only to dump them when summer and your social life return. In contrast, “snow-globing” refers to a much shorter period of time, covering Christmas and New Year.

It typically happens when you meet someone just before the festive season kicks off and your dates tend to include cozy Christmas markets and ice skating. That’s not to mention the work Christmas party, and any New Year’s celebrations planned.

You better watch out — you better not cry if you find yourself the victim of "snow-globing," the latest terrible dating trend to make headlines this Christmas season.

Stand...

According to "federal campaign records reviewed by Bloomberg," the Sanders campaign shelled out $233,348.51 and the Warren campaign spent $151,240.90 on Amazon purchases "in the first nine months of 2019, mostly on office supplies." The report adds that Michael Bloomberg's campaign finance records weren't yet available because he had just entered the race in November.

The new Bloomberg article also lays out the Amazon "positions" of other Democrats running for president, as well as President Trump, and includes quotes about Amazon from the campaign trail.

"We stand in solidarity with the courageous Amazon workers engaging in a work stoppage against unconscionable working conditions," Sanders had previously said.

"Amazon crushes small companies by copying the goods they sell on the Amazon Marketplace and then selling its own branded version," Warren was on record saying.

Santa...

 “Dear Santa, last year you didn’t notice me, so I hope this year you notice me and this year I will be good.”

Also included was a list of typical items like Legos and various toys, but also ended with two unusual requests: food for his family and clothing for his family. The envelope also included a list from the boy’s 5-year-old brother.

While the letter didn’t have a return address, the young boy included his full name. After asking her coworkers, she found another carrier who recognized the name and they were able to locate the boy’s home.

Stinsman got in touch with the family and started a money pool at the post office. “We raised about $500,and people dropped off food at the post office.”

The packages were delivered to the family’s house on Christmas Eve. Before dropping off the items, Stinsman said, “I hope the kids will be distracted when I come. I want them to believe they came from Santa.”

Interference...

A company that operates ships laying sections of a new German-Russian pipeline said it is suspending the work after U.S. President signed legislation threatening sanctions.

 U.S. government argues that it will increase Europe's dependence on Russia for energy.

Construction of the pipeline is already well advanced and it wasn't immediately clear to what extent the U.S. move would hamper its completion. Nord Stream 2 spokesman Jens Mueller said in an emailed statement that “completing the project is essential for European supply security.”

The German government said it regretted the enactment of the U.S. legislation.

“The German government rejects such extraterritorial sanctions,” spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer said in a statement. “They affect German and European companies and constitute an interference in our domestic affairs.”

English...

The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which leads the Indian government, had promised in previous election manifestos to offer Indian citizenship to persecuted religious minorities from neighboring countries.^[9][10

The religious persecution of minorities such as Hindus, Sikhs and Christians has been a serious and widespread problem in Pakistan. The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which leads the Indian government, had promised in previous election manifestos to offer Indian citizenship to persecuted religious minorities from neighboring countries.

 Under the 2019 amendment, migrants who had entered India by 31 December 2014, and had suffered "religious persecution or fear of religious persecution" in their country of origin were made eligible for citizenship.^[2] 

The amendment also relaxed the residence requirement for naturalization of these migrants from eleven years to five.^[11] Immediate beneficiaries of the Bill, according to Intelligence Bureau records, will be just over 30,000 people.^[12][a]

Sitting...

Wild...

Linda Patterson Slaten was found strangled to death in her home in fall 1981.

Decades after the single mom was found sexually assaulted and murdered in her Florida home, genetic genealogy has led police to arrest her son's former football coach for the crime.

He claimed to have no knowledge of the killing.   But once the handcuffs were on him, the former coach claimed she died after "wild sex" -- but police say the evidence points to murder, not a consensual.

Joseph Mills now 58, still lives in Lakeland, according to court documents. 

Just a thought.

Profit...

Trust...

Democratic candidates were asked why their party has been unable to convince a “strong majority of Americans to support impeachment.” The moderator also asked how the candidates would “persuade more Americans that” impeachment is “right.”

Andrew Yang ripped into media outlets as a reason why Americans can’t agree on impeachment.

The media networks didn’t do us any favors by missing a reason why Donald Trump became our president in the first place,” Yang said. “If you turn on cable network news today, you would think he’s our president because of some combination of Russia, racism, Facebook, Hillary Clinton and emails all mixed together.”

“But Americans around the country know different.”

The more we act like Donald Trump is the cause of all of our problems, the more Americans lose trust that we can actually see what’s going on in our communities and solve those problems,” Yang said.

Organized...

Americans are being advised not to travel to the states of Colima, Guerrero, Michoacán, Sinaloa and Tamaulipas due to crime.

In Guerrero state, armed groups operate independently of the government in many areas and frequently maintain roadblocks and may use violence toward travelers, according to the U.S. government. Criminal organizations are operating in Sinaloa state, where violent crime is widespread. In Tamaulipas state, organized crime activity, including gun battles, murder, armed robbery, carjacking, kidnapping, has led to disappearances, extortion and sexual assault.

If Americans travel to Mexico, they are advised to keep their traveling companions and family back home informed of their travel plans, and if separated from their travel group, to send a GPS location. If taking a taxi alone, text a photo of the taxi number and license plate to a friend or family member.