China Cancels Christmas: Celebration Gets Pushed out as China’s Leaders Emphasize Tradition

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By AP. It took less than 24 hours for all the Christmas trees, lights and bells to disappear from a 27-story shopping and office complex in the Chinese city of Nanyang. . .

Christmas continues to be a shopping festival across most of China, with huge trees adorning shopping malls in Shanghai and Beijing, but a growing emphasis on traditional culture by the ruling Communist Party and the systematic suppression of religion under President Xi Jinping are imperiling Santa Claus’s position.

At least four Chinese cities and one county have ordered restrictions on Christmas celebrations this year, according to official notices and interviews. Students, teachers and parents from 10 schools around China told The Associated Press that Christmas celebrations have been curtailed. (Read more from “Christmas Gets Pushed out as China’s Leaders Emphasize Tradition” HERE)

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China Cracks Down on Christmas Celebrations

By The Guardian. China is cracking down on Christmas. Several cities, schools, and government institutions have ordered citizens not to celebrate the holiday and to instead focus on promoting traditional Chinese culture.

In the northern city of Langfang in Hebei province, city officials ordered all Christmas decorations to be cleared and forbade shops from selling Christmas-themed goods. Officials said the measure was aimed at “maintaining stability” and controlling street hawkers.

In Changsha, in central Hunan province, the education bureau last week issued a directive to schools not to celebrate “western festivals” such as Christmas, including putting up decorations, posting related messages or exchanging gifts. At least four Chinese cities and one county have issued a ban on Christmas decorations, according to Associated Press.

A teacher in Huangshan in Anhui province issued a reminder on Weibo on Christmas Eve to follow a recent notice from the propaganda department not to attend Christmas parties, post related messages on the popular messaging apps WeChat or QQ, or give teachers “peace apples”, a tradition in China. The term for Christmas Eve, pinganye, or peaceful night, is similar to that of the world “apple”.

Teachers should “strengthen the education of Chinese traditional culture for students and guide students to refuse overseas festivals such as Christmas”, the teacher posted on Weibo. (Read more from “China Cracks Down on Christmas Celebrations” HERE)

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Rand Paul Sets Twitter on Fire by Trolling Everyone in Washington

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Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) ignited a firestorm on Twitter over the weekend with a series of comedic tweets trolling the government and people in Washington, D.C. . .

Here are all the tweets from Paul’s two Twitter threads, starting with the most comedic thread:

(Read more from “Rand Paul Sets Twitter on Fire by Trolling Everyone in Washington” HERE)

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Kevin Spacey Charged With ‘Indecent Assault and Battery’ for Alleged 2016 Incident

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On Monday, Cape and Islands District Attorney Michael O’Keefe announced that actor Kevin Spacey has been charged with indecent assault and battery for a crime he allegedly committed in 2016, reports the Associated Press. . .

During a press conference in November 2017, [former news anchor Heather] Unruh detailed the allegations:

It happened late night inside the Club Car restaurant and bar on Nantucket island. The victim, my son, was a star-struck, straight, 18-year-old young man who had no idea that the famous actor was an alleged sexual predator, or that he was about to become his next victim. My son was not of legal age to drink alcohol. He told Kevin Spacey that he was of legal age. But whether he was over 21 or not, Kevin Spacey had no right to sexually assault him. There was no consent. Kevin Spacey bought him drink after drink after drink, and when my son was drunk, Spacey made his move and sexually assaulted him.

…Spacey stuck his hand inside my son’s pants and grabbed his genitals. This was completely unexpected, and my son’s efforts to shift his body to remove Spacey’s hand were only momentarily successful. The violation continued. My son panicked, he froze. He was intoxicated, and Kevin Spacey was insisting that he come with him to a private, after-hours party to drink even more.

. . .

Spacey, who disappeared from the public eye approximately one year ago after a glut of allegations were made against him regarding sexual harassment and assault, released a strange video on Monday titled, “Let Me Be Frank,” in which he appears to play a hybrid of himself and his character Frank Underwood from Netflix’s “House of Cards.” (Read more from “Kevin Spacey Charged With ‘Indecent Assault and Battery’ for Alleged 2016 Incident” HERE)

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Trump Answers Christmas Eve Calls From Children Looking for Santa Claus

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By AP. Before attending Christmas Eve services at Washington National Cathedral, President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump took calls from children anxious to find out where Santa is on his gift-giving journey.

In one conversation, Trump asked a 7-year-old named Coleman, “Are you still a believer in Santa?” He listened for a moment before adding, “Because at 7, it’s marginal, right?” Trump listened again and chuckled before saying, “Well, you just enjoy yourself.”

Mrs. Trump told a caller that Santa was in the Sahara. Several minutes later, she reported that Santa was far away in Morocco but would be at the caller’s home on Christmas morning.

(Read more from “Trump Answers Christmas Eve Calls From Children Looking for Santa Claus” HERE)

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President Trump to 7-Year-Old: ‘Are You Still a Believer in Santa?’

By NPR. The setting was perfect. The fire was beautifully ablaze, the trees enormously enormous, as the first couple sat beside dainty telephone tables ready to delight young callers in search of Santa.

But what happened next could be considered less than perfect — especially for a young boy named Coleman or his family, who might have had some explaining to do after the brief phone call.

Coleman and the president had been connected through NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, which on Christmas Eve is tasked with tracking Santa’s movements as he delivers gifts around the world. (It is still operating despite the partial government shutdown.) . . .

A few seconds into the chat with Coleman, Trump asked: “You doing well in school? … What are you going to do for Christmas? … Are you still a believer in Santa?” . . .

“Because at 7 it’s marginal, right?” Trump asked the child. (Read more from “President Trump to 7-Year-Old: ‘Are You Still a Believer in Santa?'” HERE)

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NBC Promotes 11-Year-Old ‘Drag Kid’ Who Performed at Adult Gay Bar

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The mainstream media are unabashedly continuing their disturbing promotion of so-called “drag kids.” On Saturday, CNBC published a video tweet of Desmond Napoles — AKA “Desmond is Amazing” — an 11-year-old “drag kid” who, earlier this month, “performed” a dance number at a gay bar while collecting dollar bills from the adult men in the crowd.

CNBC, which is owned by NBC Universal News Group, showcased the child as an “LGBTQ youth” advocate. “This 11-year-old drag kid is using his voice to encourage LGBTQ youth to be themselves,” reads the media company’s caption to the video.

In December, the 11-year-old boy, dressed in full-drag as a Gwen Stefani-lookalike, danced on stage at a gay bar in Brooklyn, New York, called 3 Dollar Bill. As he took off his coat and revealed his outfit, he bounced around onstage to No Doubt’s “Like a Girl”; cheering grown men were handing him single dollar bills, as you might see in a strip club.

“Only in New York… a nightclub that makes you go WHOA!!!,” reads the Eventbrite promotion by 3 Dollar Bill. “FEATURING: Upcoming Legend from Television and the Runway: DESMOND IS AMAZING!!! PERFORMING LIVE! … This stage, this dance floor, this house… is ours as long as we protect it.”

Interestingly, the video was first published in August by CNBC, before there was massive backlash and understandable concern expressed by the public over young Desmond performing at such a venue. It’s obvious that CNBC made a conscious decision to republish the promotion of the clear exploitation. (Read more from “NBC Promotes 11-Year-Old ‘Drag Kid’ Who Performed at Adult Gay Bar” HERE)

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Nothing Says ‘Merry Christmas’ Like a Nativity Scene Featuring Baby Jesus in an ICE Detainment Cage

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A couple in Austin, Texas has decided to use Christmas to make their feelings about President Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration. A native scene is set up in Katie Naranjo’s yard except it’s not your traditional nativity scene. Jesus is show in inside of an immigration and customs enforcement (ICE) “detainment box” with Joseph and Mary outside of the cage.

According to the Naranjos, this is their way of protesting children separated from their families at the United States-Mexico Border, KUVE-TV reported.

“We’re living in extraordinary times. During the holidays, people spend time with their family. Right now, there are children who can’t spend time with their parents this holiday season,” Naranjo explained. “We decided to show baby Jesus in a cage because he was a refugee himself.” . . .

“People are having a hard time having discussions about issues, and so we have been taking our political beliefs and putting them into our holiday displays as a way to start those conversations with people who would otherwise not be interested or listen,” Naranjo explained. “If anyone is offended by our display, please know that we want to start this dialogue and have people thinking about why children are in cages.”

. . .

It’s no surprise though, that the Naranjos decide to show their political preferences this way though. A simple Google and Facebook search shows that Katie served as President of the College Democrats of America from 2008 to 2010. She’s worked on a number of Democratic campaigns, including Hillary Clinton’s failed presidential campaign.

(Read more from “Nothing Says ‘Merry Christmas’ Like a Nativity Scene Featuring Baby Jesus in an ICE Detainment Cage” HERE)

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Disgraced Anti-Trump Journalist May Have Embezzled Donations Meant for Syrian Orphans

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By Washington Examiner. An award-winning German journalist who was recently found to have fabricated parts of stories may be facing more trouble.

Claas Relotius, 33, is facing new accusations that he solicited donations for orphans of the war in Syria, donations that he ultimately pocketed, reported CBS.

As part of the scandal over the former CNN International’s Journalist of the Year, residents of Fergus Falls, Minn., dispelled a variety of falsehoods in his piece “ In a small town” that took aim at “the people who pray for Trump on Sundays.” Relotius is accused of making up quotes, interview subjects, and facts in potentially dozens of stories spanning years. (Read more from “Disgraced Anti-Trump Journalist May Have Embezzled Donations Meant for Syrian Orphans” HERE)

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Disgraced German Reporter May Have Embezzled Donations Intended for Syrian Orphans

By CBS News. A German journalist who who resigned in disgrace for making up information for numerous articles is suspected of embezzling donations he collected on behalf of children orphaned by the war in Syria. Influential German news weekly Der Spiegel said Sunday that its award-winning former reporter, Claas Relotius, had asked readers by email from his private account for donations to be transferred to his personal bank account.

Der Spiegel said it’s not clear how many people donated money, how much Relotius, 33, collected or what happened to the money. But the magazine said it will press charges and will work with prosecutors to find out the details.

“Der Spiegel will give all the information it collects to public prosecutors as part of a criminal complaint,” it said on its website.

The Hamburg-based magazine announced Wednesday that Relotius, who reportedly resigned, had fabricated interviews and facts in at least 14 articles in the magazine’s print and online editions.

Spiegel said concerned readers had in recent days reported Relotius’s call for donations purportedly for orphaned Syrian children living on the streets of Turkey. (Read more from “Disgraced German Reporter May Have Embezzled Donations Intended for Syrian Orphans” HERE)

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Border Patrol: Guatemalan Boy Died in Custody on Christmas

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A young boy from Guatemala died while in the custody of the federal government, U.S. immigration authorities said early Tuesday, the second death of an immigrant child under detention in December.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the 8-year-old died at Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center in New Mexico shortly after midnight on Christmas Day.

According to initial reporting, a Border Patrol agent noticed the child had “showed signs of potential illness,” and he and his father were transferred to the hospital in Alamogordo, N.M.

There, he was diagnosed with a common cold and a fever, was given prescriptions for amoxicillin and ibuprofen, and then released Monday afternoon, the agency said.

On Monday night, he returned with nausea and was vomiting, and died hours later after being admitted. (Read more from “Border Patrol: Guatemalan Boy Died in Custody on Christmas” HERE)

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Stock Market Crashes Hit Average Americans Hardest, Not the Wealthy

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Just in time for Christmas, American stock markets have plummeted. Amid debate over whether it was Trump’s trade wars or the Obama-era dovish monetary policy that paved the way to our unstable markets, everyone can agree that our markets in free fall gravely damage the country. . .

Regardless of the moral inferiority of such unabashed envy of wealthy Americans and evil of wishing them all ill, McElwee’s just dead wrong from a factual perspective. Collapsing markets hurt average people more than anyone. The public stock market tends to have regressive effects, insulating the wealthy more than anyone.

As of 2016, outstanding corporate American stock was valued at nearly $23 trillion. Retirement plans, such as IRAs and 401(k) plans, account for more than one-third of that value. A quarter of the stock market is owned by foreign investors, and another quarter is owned by individual investors or other taxable funds. . .

McElwee’s take is the kind that could only be spewed by a trust-fund baby who can rely on parents wealthy enough to qualify as private investors or someone with open disdain for economic or financial literacy. But in fact, this sort of ignorance characterizes the modern socialist, who has to ignore all history up to this point in order to embrace his discredited ideology. (Read more from “Stock Market Crashes Hit Average Americans Hardest, Not the Wealthy” HERE)

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New York Times Praises Terrorist Group Hezbollah

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The New York Times has faced backlash online for running a Christmas Eve piece that many called pro-Hezbollah propaganda.

The piece, which ran in the New York Times’ World News section, was widely criticized as a puff piece that made the Islamist terrorist organization appear sympathetic.

The article highlighted efforts by the Iranian-backed organization to bring a Christmas Santa to a shopping mall in Beirut, the capital city of Lebanon. According to the Times, the Iranian cultural attache kicked off the event by saying, “Today, we’re celebrating the birth of Christ… and also the 40th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.”

The Times went on to say that one of the speakers at the event proposed that Christians and Muslims “are one family, against corruption, with social justice, against authority, against Israel, with the Lebanese Army and with the resistance.” The article went on to describe the other Christmastime celebrations attendant to the event, and claimed that “few seasons frame the everyday give-and-take of religious coexistence quite like Christmastime in Lebanon.”

(Read more from “New York Times Praises Terrorist Group Hezbollah” HERE)

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