Christmas Countdown

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Yes, sir its that time of the year once again. It's time for our annual Christmas Countdown. Here's an eclectic assortment of #CityImages best and most favorite Christmas news stories.

This Christian holiday honors the birth of Jesus Christ and has evolved over two millennia into a worldwide religious and secular spectacular, incorporating many pre-Christian, pagan traditions into the festivities along the way. Christmas is a time for family and friends to gather together celebrating and exchanging gifts.

American Princess

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No, it's not Malania or Ivanka. She is American born Meghan Markle, who is fixing to be a #RealAmericanPrinces. Markle was raised in a humble American family, with basic roots.

Her family is under extreme scrutiny. Meghan's 73-year-old dad is expected to walk his daughter down the aisle in May when she marries Prince Harry at Windsor Castle. Markle lives a secluded life in Mexico.

Do Americans Love the British Royal Family? Quite https://nyti.ms/2BKxuKW

She is Meghan Markle Is Everything Ivanka Trump Wishes She Could Be http://thebea.st/2jP5de0?source=twitter&via=desktop

Trump Glows in Utah

The president visits Utah and the land of Mormons with praise and protests. By signing presidential proclamations, has shrunk the size of Bears Ears National Monument by more than 80% and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument by roughly 45%, fundamentally reshaping the two large national monuments.

The proclamations split the two national monuments into smaller sections. Bears Ears is shrunk from 1.35 million acres to 228,337 acres. Grand Staircase-Escalante, a monument designated by President Bill Clinton, will be shrunk from 1.9 million acres to just about 1 million acres.

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CVSAetna

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CVS pharmacy and Health Insurance, Aetna, two industry giants have agreed to a $69B engagement. If this romantic evolution is consummated in marriage and is ultimately approved, Americans will surely feel the pinch.

CVS Health, Aetna agree to $69B merger https://upi.com/6688840t

If CVS Buys Aetna, America's Pharmacy Choices Narrow https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucejapsen/2017/12/03/if-cvs-buys-aetna-a…

Supermoon

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Tonight we have the opportunity to see the last, unique and complete supermoon of 2017.

The moon shines 16% brighter than normal and appears 7% larger than its usual size.
The supermoon will be the first in a series of three consecutive supermoons, the next two will be in January.

The question then is when is the best time to see the supermoon? Most astronomers suggest seeing the supermoon just after the sun goes down and the moon appears, as well as minutes before the sun appears the next morning.

Winter Wonderland

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Where is winter? It's already December and in most of the nation, warm temperatures are setting records. We wonder what's up with that?

The extremely active 2017 Atlantic hurricane season has finally ended, but I don't see any snow in NYC.
http://www.noaa.gov/media-release/extremely-active-2017-atlantic-hurric…

Why Is Winter So Warm Now? https://psmag.com/environment/why-is-winter-suddenly-so-warm

State of The Climate Report
https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/state-clima…

GOP Voodoo Economics

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The GOP has pissed on us, oh sorry, has passed a bill overhauling the federal tax code in wee hours this morning, following a series of last-minute handwritten changes, without any public hearings, or advice from the experts and relying on lobbyists who work for special interests. Fifty-one senators voted for the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act," with just one Republican, Bob Corker of Tenn, who voted against it. No Democrats supported this legislative disaster. This bill is political Russian roulette, which may cut social security and Medicare.

The bill differs significantly from the version the House passed on Nov. 16. of the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" by a vote of 227 to 205. Thirteen Republicans voted against the legislation, most of them from high-tax states likely to be negatively impacted by its provisions. No Democrats supported it.

The House and Senate's bills will now go to conference to be reconciled into a single piece of legislation for the President's signature. If a version of the overhaul does become law, it would be wrong, oh sorry, rewrite of the federal tax code for the first time since 1986, allowing the rich to get richer and hurting the middle class.

Here we go again. The Republican's proposed tax cuts sound and smells too much like my old boss' George H.W. Bush cliché, Voodoo Economics, that cutting tax rates will increase revenues. How many rich people in America are avoiding paying taxes and will balk at the opportunity to hire or offer salary increases? Get real people, it's a trickle down lie.

Voters Payback Time

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By a 51 Yes and 49 No vote Republicans have done to Americans what most would have thought inconceivable. The bill called H.R. 1 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act moves on to it's next and final phase. GOP Senators passed a tax bill giving corporations a massive tax cut and cutting healthcare.

Star Government Witness

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General Michael T Flynn has officially pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI over his Russian contacts. He is said to be co-operating with investigators in the #TrumpRussia probe.

During the campaign, @realDonaldTrump promised his followers that he would hire the best people and when General Flynn resigned, he defended him up until today, when he tried to distance himself from the real truth.
5 times Trump defended Flynn http://politi.co/2Aot2ky

Michael Thomas Flynn is a retired three-star Army Lieutenant General, who served for 33 years from 1981 until 2014. His military career included a key role in shaping U.S. counterterrorism strategy and dismantling insurgent networks in Afghanistan and Iraq, and he was given numerous combat arms, conventional, and special operations senior intelligence assignments. Flynn was appointed by President Barack Obama as the eighteenth director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, serving from July 2012 until August 2014.

Happy Holidaze

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Few months present as many multicultural celebrations as December. Tis the season to be jolly... Really, people... Honestly?

This holiday season, with Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Eid Al-Fitr Eid Al-Adha, Ōmisoka and others used to be a festive time of the year filled by gatherings with family and friends. But for many Americans, it is going to be a time filled with sadness, self-reflection, loneliness, and anxiety.