Trump’s call for ‘termination’ of Constitution draws rebukes
An extraordinary anti-democratic statement from former President Donald Trump, suggesting the “termination” of the Constitution to overturn the 2020 election, drew a degree of bipartisan condemnation over the weekend, with a flood from Democrats and a trickle from Republicans. But it did not appear to do any more than similar past actions in prompting Republican officials to rule out supporting Trump in 2024. Inaccurately describing the contents of a just-released report about Twitter’s moderation decisions during the 2020 campaign, Trump again demanded that the 2020 election be overturned or rerun, for the first time explicitly calling to set aside the supreme law of the land.
Population growth is making hurricanes more expensive
Hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean ended this past week as one of the most destructive on record. Hurricane Ian, which hit the southeastern United States in September, was the season’s worst storm and among the country’s deadliest hurricanes in recent decades. It was also among the costliest in U.S. history, causing an estimated $67 billion in privately insured property damage across five states. Hurricanes that caused more than $1 billion in damage have roughly doubled since the 1980s. Experts point to a big culprit behind rising damage costs: Americans flocking to coastal areas. This migration has added to the number of homes, businesses and other buildings in harm’s way.
North Carolina power outages caused by gunfire at substations, officials say
About 45,000 people in a central North Carolina county remained without electricity Sunday afternoon after two electric substations were damaged by gunfire the night before in what officials called an “intentional” attack. The outages across Moore County, 90 miles east of Charlotte, began just after 7 p.m. Saturday, the Moore County Sheriff’s Office said. Officials said the power could be out until as late as Thursday. At a news conference Sunday, Moore County Sheriff Ronnie Fields said the attack appeared targeted but did not provide further details on a motive or suspect. The FBI and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation were also looking into the attack, he said.
US intel chief thinking ‘optimistically’ for Ukraine forces
The head of U.S. intelligence says Russia’s war against Ukraine is running at a “reduced tempo” and suggests Ukrainian forces may have the upper hand in coming months. Avril Haines said Russian President Vladimir Putin “is becoming more informed of the challenges that the military faces in Russia.” But she said it’s unclear whether he has a “full picture” of the challenges. She said her team expects that both sides will look to refit, resupply, and reconstitute for a possible Ukrainian counter-offensive in the spring. In recent weeks, Russia’s military focus has been on striking Ukrainian infrastructure and pressing an offensive in the east, near the town of Bakhmut.
Iran morality police status unclear after ‘closure’ comment
An Iranian lawmaker has said that Iran’s government was “paying attention to the people’s real demands” a day after a top official suggested that the country’s unpopular morality police has been shut down following months of protests. The comment regarding the force’s purported suspension or abolition came after months of deadly anti-government protests. The Associated Press has been unable to confirm the current status of the religious force. The Iranian morality police was established in 2005 with the task of arresting people who violate the country’s Islamic dress code. Nationwide anti-government protests were sparked by the death of a women three days after her arrest by Iran’s morality police.
Security guarantees for Russia are ‘essential’ part of any peace talks, Macron says
An “essential point” in any peace talks on the war in Ukraine should be how to provide security “guarantees to Russia,” given Moscow’s concerns over NATO, President Emmanuel Macron of France has said. Macron’s remarks, in an interview broadcast Saturday, appeared sympathetic to the concerns of President Vladimir Putin of Russia. “We need to prepare … how we protect our allies and member states, and how to give guarantees to Russia the day it returns to the negotiating table,” Macron said. The interview with TF1, a French television network, was picked up prominently by TASS, the Russian state news agency. It prompted an angry reaction in Ukraine.
Knight, Clooney, Grant feted at Kennedy Center Honors
A heartfelt Patti LaBelle praised her lifelong friend Gladys Knight. Matt Damon playfully teased his friend George Clooney — a lot — while Sheryl Crow gave thanks and a heartfelt rendition of “Baby Baby” to her fellow singer Amy Grant. Knight, Clooney and Grant were all honored during Sunday’s Kennedy Center Honors, along with the Irish rock band U2 and groundbreaking composer and conductor Tania León. Every year the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts honors a select group of people for their artistic contributions to American culture. The show will be broadcast on Dec. 28 on CBS. President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and their respective spouses were in attendance.
By wire sources
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