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Thursday Night Owls: ’twas the night before

Night Owls, a themed open thread, appears at Daily Kos seven days a week

27 DAYS UNTIL JOE BIDEN AND KAMALA HARRIS TAKE THE OATH OF OFFICE

Scott Simon at NPR writes—’Twas The Night Before Christmas in 2020:

‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all o’er the house
Stirred the clicking — most frantic — of every mouse
All the stockings were hung by the TV with flair
But children played on apps in their rooms without care
Sneaking smart-pho

Settle down by the fire, and have yourself a merry little Christmas

It’s that time. Time to settle down in front of the virtual fire and enjoy the quiet. Here it is, the granddaddy of the televised Yule logs from 1966, on a continuous loop to keep you mesmerized for hours. Well, minutes.

YouTube Video

In case you’re wondering, it was cooked up in 1966 by Fred M. Thrower, president and chief executive officer of WPIX, Inc. who wanted New Yorkers who lived without fireplaces to be able to enjoy the spectacle.

Wait a second! Should you be recycling that Christmas wrapping?

Recycling is a good thing … as long as it’s done right. Done wrong, you’re contaminating what your local trash system is trying to send for recycling and potentially getting a lot more than your stuff rejected. Christmas is a big time for some recycling problems, since gift wrap can generate a lot that we want to recycle, a lot of which, it turns out, we just need to throw out.

You cannot recycle glittery, metallic, or flocked wrapping paper. Do not do it.

Did I ever tell you about that Christmas I spent in a homeless shelter?

My Christmases have not always been good ones; they also haven’t always been bad ones. Strangely, the Christmas I recall most fondly is a bit of both, from the holiday season I lived at the Salvation Army shelter in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, when I was 12.

My mom and I had moved to the shelter after we got kicked out of a nasty freeway motel at the very fringes of the suburbs where I’d spent my entire life.

Biden could push IRS to audit rich tax dodgers—but it would be an act of war

In The New York Times, Neil Irwin points out that there’s a straightforward way a new Biden administration could begin clawing back some of the outrageous gains made by the wealthy even if Republicans remain bent on keeping taxes on the wealthy at budget-busting new lows: enforce the existing tax laws. Identify the wealthy tax cheats who, like a certain orange-hued someone, have been abusing tax laws for years and end their cheating.

The Atlantic Daily: Our Favorite Things of 2020

Every weekday evening, our editors guide you through the biggest stories of the day, help you discover new ideas, and surprise you with moments of delight. Subscribe to get this delivered to your inbox.In a slog of a year, new releases brought structure to the calendar. (Remember the Tiger King phase of quarantine? Or the Folklore one?)But what projects stood out the most? The critics on our Culture team are busy recapping 2020’s best works.

Stand Against the Coming Tidal Wave of Deceit

President Donald Trump uses his pardon power as an instrument of personal ambition. He pardons people who have lied to protect him, and people who have expressed loyalty to him. Yesterday, he pardoned Charles Kushner, whose son is married to one of Trump’s daughters. More Trump-family pardons may soon be coming.Public-spirited citizens are understandably angry about these abuses.

The Pandemic Is Crashing Through the South and the West

Editor’s Note: The Atlantic is making vital coverage of the coronavirus available to all readers. Find the collection here. We’ll begin with the good news: In every midwestern state—and in several others—COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are declining. Elsewhere, however, the picture is mixed.

Why Britain’s Brexit Mayhem Was Worth It

No, of course the past few weeks—like the past few months, and the past few years—of Brexit drama have not made much sense. In economic terms, not a lot about Brexit ever has.Britain and the European Union have in recent days been locked in talks to conclude one of the most important trade agreements ever negotiated.

A Pandemic Pregnancy Is a More Dangerous Pregnancy

So much is still unknown about pregnancy and COVID-19. We do know that contracting the disease comes with increased risk of severe illness, and a higher risk of preterm birth. But how an infection affects a person at different stages of pregnancy? Or a developing fetus? No one knows for sure. Would vaccination help mitigate these risks? The vaccines were never tested on pregnant people.