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Posted by Leslie Eastman on December 26, 2014 9 Comments
I got the gift of karma last night, after returning home from a wonderful Christmas dinner with the in-laws. Why karma?  Because  one of the articles about infectious diseases I missed covering noted that this year's flu shot was ineffective against the most dominant strain of the virus:
The flu vaccine may not be very effective this winter, according to U.S. health officials who worry this may lead to more serious illnesses and deaths. Flu season has begun to ramp up, and officials say the vaccine does not protect well against the dominant strain seen most commonly so far this year. That strain tends to cause more deaths and hospitalizations, especially in the elderly. Though we cannot predict what will happen the rest of this flu season, it's possible we may have a season that's more severe than most," said Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at a news conference Thursday. CDC officials think the vaccine should provide some protection and still are urging people to get vaccinated. But it probably won't be as good as if the vaccine strain was a match.
So I came down with a case of that dominant strain last night, as I had received the 2014 vaccine in September. The nausea is so awful that it cannot be described with words -- it must be experienced. We spend millions of our taxpayer dollars for professionals to asses which strains to feature in the annual vaccine mixture. Yet, once again, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fail at its primary job task.

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Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on December 26, 2014 1 Comment
This story came across my Twitter feed the other day and my eyes might have leaked a little bit. And by a little bit, I mean I cried like a baby because this story is just that kind of story. Brandon Finnigan over at Ace of Spades shared this incredible story about a hardship he and his wife endured recently. Finnigan began:

Life is Beautiful

On Twitter a few nights back, I shared a very trying experience the wife and I endured this year. I want to share it here, expand on it, and direct it, a bit, at a very specific reader.

Posted by David Gerstman on December 26, 2014 3 Comments
Prof. Jaccobson blogged yesterday about the tribulations of Israeli Member of Knesset Haneen Zoabi, who is privileged and free to serve in the legislature of the country that she reviles. But there's another Zoabi, in fact a distant cousin, who also has been in the news. Mohammad Zoabi. He's a teenager who describes himself as a "A Proud Israeli Arab Muslim Zionist." Mohammad first came to my attention when he released the video below, a plea to return Eyal Yifrach, Gil-ad Shaar and Naftali Fraenkel, in English, Hebrew and Arabic.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on December 26, 2014 7 Comments
Via The NY Daily News:
The weeping widow, her eyes spilling tears and her heart filled with anguish, stood unsteadily where her hero husband was executed. Pei Xia Chen, with her slain spouse’s parents and six other relatives, made a heartbreaking pilgrimage on Wednesday to the Brooklyn block that became a weekend killing ground. Gut-wrenching moans of disbelief broke the eerie silence in Bedford-Stuyvesant before Chen knelt at the street memorial honoring her spouse Wenjian Liu, 32, and his NYPD partner Officer Rafael Ramos, 40.
The son of Officer Rafael Ramos also spoke to the press:

Posted by William A. Jacobson on December 26, 2014 11 Comments
Ballotpedia lists the following Democrats (in alphabetical order) as potential 2016 presidential candidates: Joe Biden Hillary Clinton Andrew Cuomo Kirsten Gillibrand Amy Klobuchar Martin O'Malley Bernie Sanders Brian Schweitzer Party Mark Warner Elizabeth Warren Jim Webb My goodness.  Not much diversity there.  Actually, none. Mostly old white people, not that there's anything wrong with that, but considering the years of demagoguery from Democrats, it certainly is ironic. Republicans, by contrast have a diverse field, including four likely contenders who are "diverse" but eschew presenting themselves as hyphenated Americans or playing racial politics. Politico reports, Race and the race:
Bobby Jindal is Indian-American, but you’ll never hear him describe himself that way. Marco Rubio insists he’s an “American of Hispanic descent.” And Ted Cruz “certainly” identifies as Hispanic, but he didn’t run for office as “the Hispanic guy.” These Republican lawmakers, along with African-American conservative favorite Ben Carson, look poised to make the 2016 GOP presidential field the party’s most diverse ever. They are all mulling over White House runs as the GOP continues to struggle with minority voters and as racial tensions over police conduct have captivated the nation.

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Posted by Amy Miller on December 26, 2014 0 Comments
Former President George H.W. Bush spent Christmas this year in the hospital after experiencing shortness of breath. From the Associated Press:
Family spokesman Jim McGrath said Thursday evening that the 90-year-old Bush remained at Houston Methodist Hospital. McGrath said Bush "had another terrific day and is in great spirits." He said Bush was visited by his wife, Barbara Bush, as well as son Neil Bush. Bush was hospitalized Tuesday night in what was reported as a precaution.
President Bush spent two months in the hospital over Christmas two years ago after a nasty bout with Bronchitis, but aides are emphasizing that this stay is just a precaution:
"The Bush family certainly appreciates all your prayers, love and concern. This is not two years ago. It's a hiccup. He should come home in a few days," Jean Becker, Bush's chief of staff, said in a statement in reaction to the outpouring of concern for him.
A Parkinson's diagnosis has made him dependent on a wheelchair or scooter to get around, but that hasn't stopped him from living an active an interesting life since leaving the White House. He went skydiving at 85...

Posted by Casey Breznick on December 26, 2014 4 Comments
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas 1998. Back in 1998, there was a resurgent US economy while Europe, Japan, and emerging markets floundered. The dollar strengthened and oil prices plummeted. We also had an embattled second-term Democratic president with Republicans in control of both houses of Congress. But most reminiscent of all is what is going on with Russia. In August of 1998, Russia defaulted on its government debts after a crushing devaluation of the ruble. The 1998 Russian Financial Crisis was caused by both external shocks—the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis and plummeting oil prices—and domestic woes. Quite similarly, the ruble has halved in value this year (the worst performing currency of the year), due to the plummet in oil prices. Oil and gas account for half of the Russian state’s budget and 70% of the country’s exports. Now, with oil nowhere in sight of returning to $100+ highs, the country’s ability to repay foreign debts is coming under serious doubt. Standard & Poor’s recently said there is a 50% chance it would downgrade Russian bonds to “junk” status. Even Peru and Botswana have higher credit ratings than that. Last week the Russian Central Bank hiked its baseline rate to a whopping 17% in order to restore confidence in the Russian economy. However, the drastic move has been to no avail, as ruble sellers continue to outnumber buyers. http://youtu.be/jvEPcxVfJPs?t=18s But as history has shown, the Russian Bear, especially under the auspices of strong leaders, doesn't go down without a fight.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on December 25, 2014 5 Comments
Haneen Zoabi hates Israel. She encourages its enemies. She spews anti-Israel propaganda with reckless abandon. The kidnappers and murderers of three Israeli teens last spring were not terrorists, according to her. Haneen Zoabi also is a member of the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, as part of Arab nationalist party Balad. There have been moves to ban Zoabi from the Knesset, and her disruptive behavior within the Knesset has resulted in a temporary ban. But she's still there, and running again in the upcoming March 2015 elections. There is no such thing as a Haneen Zoabi in reverse in most countries, and certainly in Arab countries, where Zoabi would be in jail or worse. In the U.S., a Zoabi-equivalent probably wouldn't make it into Congress because of our dual-party system. No, in the U.S. a Zoabi would have to settle for an endowed professorship at Columbia, or presidency of the American Studies Association. Danny Danon, a popular "right wing" Israeli politician, knows the public doesn't like Zoabi, and is running an animated campaign ad mocking her for supporting Israeli's enemies in order to boost his own election prospects. Sorry, don't have version with English subtitles, but you probably can figure it out: Now Zoabi is suing. Seriously.

Posted by David Gerstman on December 25, 2014 3 Comments
Tzipi Livni, Israel's former peace negotiator, dropped a bombshell yesterday when she explained in an interview with New York Times columnist Roger Cohen, how Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas torpedoed the American sponsored peace process earlier this year. One would think that Abbas, who claims he wants a state for his people would try and negotiate one. Instead he took unilateral actions that alienated even the likes of Livni. For those who believe that the Palestinians would benefit from statehood, Abbas' behavior is incomprehensible. Why would Abbas pass up a chance to negotiate for a state for his people, something which conventional wisdom tells us would benefit not only the Palestinians, but the whole Middle East as well? (In fact. Abbas may be refusing to compromise with Israel because Palestinians don't want him to.) But that isn't the only recent report of Palestinian leaders putting their own concerns ahead of those of their people. Neri Zilber of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy wrote Gaza's Explosion Waiting to Happen for Politico earlier this week. The central part of Zilber's report focused on the infighting between Fatah and Hamas, that has delayed the rebuilding of Gaza. Fatah, for its part, is supposed to take control of Gaza, but as one Fatah official asked "How do you expect me to go work in the Gaza Strip 'when the Qassam Brigades [Hamas’s elite military wing] goes ahead of me in both power and weapons?'” Zilber summed up the issue:
Seven years of Hamas control over Gaza would be gradually replaced by the Fatah-dominated PA, billions of dollars in donor aid would flow in, and the Gazan people would be liberated from the continued rule of an internationally-designated terrorist organization (and the continued need for an Israeli and Egyptian blockade around the territory). Or at least that was the idea. But all these plans are on hold as Hamas and the PA engage in a game of political chicken, staring each other down , a reality confirmed to me over the past month in conversations with nearly two dozen Israeli and Palestinian officials (from both Fatah and Hamas), international diplomats and non-governmental sources based in Israel and the West Bank, some of whom requested to remain anonymous so as to speak more freely.

Posted by Amy Miller on December 25, 2014 5 Comments
Welcome to Christmas, wonderful readers! I'm guessing that right about now, your presents are unwrapped, the turkey is in the oven, and you're on your...second...third?...pot of coffee. Sounds like the perfect time for a little holiday pick-me-up! I've curated (with the help of reader Seth) some of my Christmas favorites for your listening pleasure. There's a little old, a little new, a little goofy, and even a little Mariah. Have a wonderful Christmas, everyone!

Posted by William A. Jacobson on December 24, 2014 24 Comments
The Battle of the Bulge was a turning point in World War II, when American troops turned back the final Nazi counter-offensive on the Western front. Over 100,000 Americans would be killed or wounded before it was over.
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