Afghanistan, Algeria, Bhutan, North Korea, Libya, Mauritania, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Yemen do not recognize Christmas. When will the angelic promise of peace on earth, goodwill toward all, be fulfilled?

Human beings are emotional and hopeless romantics. The real Saint Nicholas lived in the 4th century, making the "Santa" legend over 1,700 years old, but he's immortalized in Christmas folklore, not literally alive. However, Santa's enduring magic and the following thoughtful holiday messages are now ready to share.

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"BUON ANNO"
"JOYEUX NOEL"
"VESELE VANOCE"
"MELE KALIKIMAKA"
"NODLAG SONA DHUIT"
"BLWYDDYN NEWYDD DDA"
"GOD JUL"
"FELIZ NATAL"
"BOAS FESTAS"
"FELIZ NAVIDAD"
"MERRY CHRISTMAS"
"KALA CHRISTOUGENA"
"VROLIJK KERSTFEEST"
"FROHLICHE WEIHNACHTEN"

The past year has revealed a national contradiction. Americans who claim to support diversity and free speech recoil from the consequences and disagreement. As protests over Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, immigration, and other hot-button issues spread, we call for civility, but it is no longer a shared standard. The unrest points to a deeper truth: the problem isn’t just incivility. It’s the absence of consensus on what civility even means. How will we be remembered as a society and as individuals by our family, loved ones, friends, and colleagues?
How do we make people feel, and what do we do when it matters most?
Not by our job titles, our possessions, our footprint, or our social media presence.

The times we were there when everyone else disappeared
The support we offered and the patience we had when folks were struggling
The encouragement we continued to give when they doubted themselves
Whether we listened and waited to speak
How we treated them when they were stressed, tired, down and out, etc.
Will our family remember us when we're gone?
Will our family and friends remember whether we celebrated their wins or tolerated them?
Whether we inspired integrity, and whether we lifted them.
These uncomfortable truths strip away all the things we think matter.
They reveal what actually does... And so it goes.

Will the United States split with allies? Or will the self-described peace President declare war? We heard a scathing and familiar criticism of Democrat policies, Trump celebrated his tariff policy and his immigration crackdown while announcing a “warrior dividend” of $1,776 for military service members. This as his approval rating continue to tank.

Political power rarely ends with a dramatic rupture. More often, it dissolves quietly, through lost trust, weakened narratives, and the erosion of institutional credibility. That is the phase of the Republican Party. Its leadership is steadily losing authority on the two governing pillars incumbents depend on most: economic stewardship and immigration. What looks like a polling legitimacy problem, history suggests, is more difficult to reverse.

A clear north star to adopt online. The work of democracy happens online and in person on ground, long before Election Day.

The concept of truth feels particularly bleak in 2025. Government leaders deploy up-is-down narratives at an exhausting clip. Online worlds drip with artificial intelligence-generated slop that incites rage. Chatbots answer questions with fabricated information, and the government folds it into a report card on America’s health.

Rob Reiner was a co-founder of the American Foundation for Equal Rights, which initiated the court challenge against California Proposition 8 that banned same-sex marriage in the state