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The ultimate POLITICO Christmas gift guide for the cheesiest political swag

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:22:54 GMT

The holidays are a time for family, friends, and of course … politics at the dinner table. Here are the best/weirdest Christmas gifts POLITICO managed to scrounge up for that conservative aunt, the environmentally conscious cousin or that one die-hard Brussels-bubble-fanatic friend.Tis the season!Keir Starmer flip-flops: The gift that keeps on giving (and flipping)In the political arena, consistency is often a prized virtue. But Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party in the United Kingdom, is something of a master of the flip-flop — most recently, on Margaret Thatcher.  This Christmas, why not embrace that political agility and get a pair of Keir Starmer flip-flops? Just like the political leader himself, the flip-flops are adaptable to various environments. Whether for heading to a warm destination over the winter holidays or being worn in the cozy warmth of one’s own home, this versatile piece of footwear will pad any feet from the harsh floor. Sold on the Conservativ...

King Charles III’s unfiltered Christmas speech

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:22:54 GMT

BUCK PAL, London — Oh, for the love of god Camilla, must I do another one of these dreary things? What do you mean we’re “rolling”? I think I’d be able to tell if I was making some miserable sounding off-the-cuff remark live on television, thank you very much! Right, here goes…Christmas! Chrimble! Xmas! The big Deccy 2-5! But what even is it?It’s a time for family, obvz. The thoughtful gift given, the kind word said, the passable meal shared. On this day above all days, we remember and give thanks to those whose immense sacrifices have made our own happiness possible.For some, such gratitude is shown through less traditional means.Loved ones may choose to sulk in America like massive posh toddlers. They may choose to imply their family is a bunch of racist dinosaurs on Oprah. They may even insert the phrase “frostbitten penis” into a frankly over-written autobiography most people didn’t ever bother to finish. Above all, Christmas is a time to forgive and...

The guardrails that once prevented wars are failing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:22:54 GMT

Abishur Prakash is the founder of the Geopolitical Business, Inc. He is a global keynote speaker and the author of five books. His latest book is called “The World Is Vertical.”The Israel-Hamas war is an ominous message to the world: The guardrails that long stopped wars from breaking out are now effectively failing.Of course, Ukraine was the first sign of this. After Russia invaded the country, it quickly became the worst conflict in Europe since World War II. Except, at the onset, the world didn’t know what to make of it. Was this a “one-off” event or the start of something else?The latest flareup in the Middle East answers this question.The conflict between Israel and Hamas signals that a new era has begun — one where wars are no longer black-swan events that occur every decade or so. Rather, they are becoming a regular occurrence, representing the most significant transformation to global affairs since 9/11. This is a pivotal moment in history, as it signals that whatever stood ...

Police investigating Christmas Eve shooting in Dorchester

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:22:54 GMT

Boston police are investigating a shooting on Christmas Eve in Dorchester that left a man hospitalized. Officers responding to a ShotSpotter Activation in the area of 10 Ripley Road around 10 p.m. found a man suffering from a non-life-threatening gunshot wound.He was taken to a nearby hospital.No additional information was immediately available.This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.

Week 16 recap: Chicago Bears jump to a big early lead and hold on for a 27-16 win over the Arizona Cardinals

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:22:54 GMT

All the Chicago Bears needed for Christmas was to play the Arizona Cardinals.The Bears were more productive on offense Sunday at Soldier Field than they were one week earlier during a dismal collapse against the Cleveland Browns.Behind a big game on the ground, the Bears jumped to a 21-point first-half lead and held on for a 27-16 victory over the 3-12 Cardinals.The Cardinals entered the game as the 31st-ranked defense against the run, and the Bears took advantage, rushing for 250 yards. They totaled 117 rushing yards in the first half and scored two touchdowns on the ground on the way to a 21-7 halftime lead.Running back Khalil Herbert had a season-high 112 rushing yards and a touchdown, and quarterback Justin Fields rushed for 97 yards and a TD to help the Bears (6-9) wash away the sting of the 20-17 loss to the Browns in Week 15.The Cardinals still threatened the Bears in the fourth quarter after Fields’ only turnover of the game.Early in the fourth, Fields scrambled for 39...

Death toll from China earthquake rises to 149, with 2 still missing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:22:54 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — The death toll from China’s most powerful earthquake in years has risen to 149, with two people still missing after the tremor hit northwestern parts of the country last week.The 6.2-magnitude quake struck a remote mountainous area between Gansu and Qinghai provinces on Dec. 18, reducing homes to rubble and triggering heavy mudslides that inundated two villages in Qinghai province.State broadcaster CCTV said Monday the death toll in Donghai city in Qinghai has risen by one, to 32, and rescuers were still searching for two missing people. In neighboring Gansu, authorities had reported 117 dead.Nearly 1,000 were injured and more than 14,000 homes were destroyed in China’s deadliest earthquake in nine years.Primary schools in Jishishan county in Gansu resumed classes in tents on Monday, state media reported. Local authorities said they would use the upcoming winter break to repair damaged schools and erect temporary structures so that classes could resume as normal in th...

Brazil’s federal police arrest top criminal leader Zinho after negotiations

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:22:54 GMT

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil’s federal police said one of the country’s top criminal leaders surrendered Sunday after negotiations with local authorities.Luiz Antônio da Silva Braga, better known as Zinho, is the top leader of the largest militia group in the state of Rio de Janeiro. He had 12 arrest warrants issued against him, federal police said.“After the formalities due to his arrest, the inmate was taken for medical forensics and then sent to the state’s prison system, where he will remain available for our courts,” federal police said.Militias emerged in the 1990s when they originally were made up mainly of former police officers, firefighters and soldiers who wanted to combat lawlessness in their neighborhoods. They charged residents for protection and other services, and more recently moved into drug trafficking themselves.Zinho’s group dominates Rio’s west region, where several members of his gang were killed in recent years. He had been on the run ...

Chatham woman, 5 grandchildren receive early Christmas surprise thanks to CPD

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:22:54 GMT

CHICAGO — Christmas came early for a Chatham woman and the five young grandchildren she's taken guardianship of.It was all a surprise for Lisa Holmes, who has been through a lot in the past few years.Two years ago her son was murdered, leaving the care of his five children to Holmes and her husband. But only three months ago, she lost her husband too. 2 Illinois lottery players win $1 million each on new $50 scratch-off ticket Chicago police provided Holmes with a house full of surprises, holiday decorations, toys for the kids, money to pay bills, and food for Christmas dinner.Police officers escorted tow trucks carrying gifts for the family and a choir sang Christmas carols.

Suspect shot, hospitalized in Bastrop County officer-involved shooting

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:22:54 GMT

BASTROP COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- Bastrop County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a disturbance call that turned into an officer-involved shooting late Saturday, a post from the Bastrop County Sheriff's Office says. BCSO received a 911 call at 10:15 p.m. from someone inside the residence where someone fired a shot on FM 969 west of Bastrop. Deputies arrived at the area at 10:32 p.m. and left their vehicle at a neighboring home where the 911 caller sought shelter for safety, according to the sheriff's office. The sheriff's office says the suspect allegedly fired at deputies multiple times, and deputies "returned fire not knowing in the dark if the suspect was struck."The suspect, who is identified as 61-year-old Seth Robertson, was shot twice. Additional deputies arrived and approached Robertson, who was taken to the hospital and is in stable condition, BCSO said. The sheriff's office said Robertson is expected to be charged with attempted capital murder. No deputies were injured...

Search for missing St. Louis mother intensifies

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:22:54 GMT

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – A family’s desperate search continues for a missing St. Louis mother. This comes after the father of her four children was arrested in Wisconsin on Friday after the couple vanished last week.The family of Marquisha Williams spent Sunday searching for her remains in central Illinois, as St. Louis County police informed FOX 2 they had suspended their search efforts there. The frantic search for the couple has now turned into a search for just Williams.Williams, 29, was last seen dropping off her kids in north St. Louis County around 6 o’clock Wednesday morning before her 7 a.m. shift at work. But she never made it to work. Williams was with the father of her four children, Trenton Ivy, at the time. The couple was reported missing after disappearing a short time later.The couple’s 11-year-old son said he heard his parents arguing in the car that morning. Williams’ mother, Norvette Chavis, told FOX 2 that Ivy’s arrest two states away confirmed her worst fears.“My though...