LEADS

The United States is First in War, But Trailing in Crucial Aspects of Modern Civilization
https://www.counterpunch.org/2019/01/01/the-united-states-is-first-in-war-but-trailing-in-crucial-aspects-of-modern-civilization-2/

U.S. Strategic Command Helpfully Reminds World It Could Still Annihilate Everyone Before Midnight
https://gizmodo.com/u-s-strategic-command-helpfully-reminds-world-it-could-1831406501

Kim Jong-un uses New Year's address to warn North Korea could change course on denuclearisation
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/kim-jongun-uses-new-years-address-to-warn-north-korea-could-change-course-on-denuclearisation-a4027851.html

69 years after joining, Israel formally leaves UNESCO; so, too, does the US
https://www.timesofisrael.com/69-years-after-joining-israel-formally-leaves-un-cultural-body/

Pompeo says cooperation with Israel over Syria and Iran to continue
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-israel/pompeo-says-cooperation-with-israel-over-syria-and-iran-to-continue-idUSKCN1OV1MT

Trump gives about four months for Syria troop pull-out: NYT
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/01/trump-months-syria-troop-pull-nyt-190101143234181.html

New acting Defense secretary on first day: I look forward to carrying out Trump's vision at Pentagon
https://thehill.com/policy/defense/423378-new-acting-defense-secretary-on-first-day-i-look-forward-to-carrying-out

Shanahan begins as Pentagon 'CEO': 'Doesn't have the moral and ethical constraints that Mattis has'
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/dec/31/patrick-shanahan-acting-defense-secretary-succeeds/

Mattis departs as defense secretary as the Pentagon faces period of uncertainty
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/mattis-departs-as-defense-secretary-as-the-pentagon-faces-period-of-uncertainty/2018/12/31/df6137ea-0d45-11e9-92b8-6dd99e2d80e1_story.html

Air Force turns to nontraditional contracting for space technology projects
https://spacenews.com/air-force-turns-to-nontraditional-contracting-for-space-technology-projects/

'Wow': NASA startles with invitation to sanctioned Russian
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/01/01/nasa-sanctioned-russian-nationalist-1076621

China's Lunar Lander To Explore Moon's Far Side
https://www.npr.org/2019/01/01/680542096/chinas-lunar-lander-to-explore-moons-far-side

New Horizons Spacecraft Completes Flyby of Ultima Thule, the Most Distant Object Ever Visited
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/31/science/new-horizons-ultima-thule.html

New Horizons probe sends first signal from Ultima Thule
https://www.engadget.com/2019/01/01/new-horizons-ultima-thule-signal/

Brian May - New Horizons (Ultima Thule Mix) [Official Music Video]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3Jm5POCAj8

Our universe: An expanding bubble in an extra dimension
https://phys.org/news/2018-12-universe-extra-dimension.html

POLITICS and FLEAS

Democrats Try to Box In Trump With Plan to End Government Shutdown Without Wall Funding
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/31/us/politics/government-shutdown-democrats-house.html

Trump claims there’s a 10-foot wall around the Obamas’ D.C. home. He is wrong.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/12/31/trump-claims-theres-foot-wall-around-obamas-dc-home-neighbors-say-theres-not/

Trump Appeals for Border Wall in New Years Eve Fox Interview: ‘It is Not Old Fashioned,’ It’s Like the Wheel
https://www.mediaite.com/tv/trump-appeals-for-border-wall-in-new-years-eve-fox-interview-it-is-not-old-fashioned-its-like-the-wheel/

Astrologer: Trump is 'letting go,' and his intuition will give him strength
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/astrologer-trump-is-letting-go-and-his-intuition-will-give-him-strength

Trump Tweets All Caps New Year Greeting: “Just Calm Down & Enjoy The Ride”
https://deadline.com/2019/01/donald-trump-tweets-all-caps-new-year-greeting-just-calm-down-enjoy-the-ride-haters-fake-news-media-1202527686/

FOREIGN ENTANGLEMENTS

Everything You Need to Know About Brazil's New Government
https://www.americasquarterly.org/content/everything-you-need-know-about-brazils-new-government

Brazil Has an Idea to Fix Rampant Gun Violence: More Guns
https://www.wsj.com/articles/brazil-has-an-idea-to-fix-rampant-gun-violence-more-guns-11546315200

Nine injured by car ramming in Tokyo’s trendy Harajuku district on New Year’s Eve
https://www.news.com.au/world/pacific/nine-injured-by-car-ramming-in-tokyos-trendy-harajuku-district-on-new-years-eve/news-story/6550afa1986b396692e599763e0b4e80

Germany: Man deliberately drives car at pedestrians
https://www.dw.com/en/germany-man-deliberately-drives-car-at-pedestrians/a-46917056

Manchester police scour Victoria station after triple stabbing
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/dec/31/three-people-stabbed-at-manchester-victoria-railway-station

Police confirm Manchester stabbings is being treated as terror attack
https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/01/police-confirm-manchester-stabbings-treated-terror-attack-8297832/

Taliban attacks kill police in northern Afghanistan
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/01/taliban-attacks-kill-police-northern-afghanistan-190101080616507.html

PANDORA'S BOXCUTTER

Mysterious swamp cancer is killing Chincoteague ponies on Virginia island famous for them
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/12/31/swamp-cancer-ponies-horses-disease-chincoteague/2449027002/

Runaway Cow Gives Birth 2 Days After Fleeing Slaughterhouse-Bound Truck
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/cow-gives-birth-to-calf-after-fleeing-slaughterhouse-bound-truck_us_5c2aecbfe4b08aaf7a931f28

Animal advocates: Fatal zoo mauling shows need for crackdown
https://www.apnews.com/9e5a031ab80149cebf3e948ed6c223e8

THE MEDIA SCRUM

'I'm embarrassed for America': Puzzled viewers slam NBC for its 'train-wreck' New Year's Eve coverage after it failed to show the ball drop and aired Chrissy Teigen talking about 'vaginal steaming'
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6544499/Viewers-slam-NBC-train-wreck-New-Years-Eve-coverage.html

Floyd Mayweather's "Fight" With A Japanese Kickboxing Prodigy Was Dumber Than Anyone Could Have Hoped For
https://deadspin.com/floyd-mayweathers-fight-with-a-japanese-kickboxing-pr-1831403827

Audiences Aren’t Getting Dumber, They’re Just Overwhelmed — Analysis
https://www.indiewire.com/2019/01/audiences-2018-netflix-first-reformed-mandy-1202030186/

Louis CK's Politically Incorrect Comedy Didn't Change. You Did.
http://reason.com/blog/2018/12/31/louis-ck-comedy-leaked-footage-parkland

ODDS, ENDS

“I don’t want to be their real-world mistake”: People lash out at Waymo’s self-driving cars
https://qz.com/1512543/arizona-residents-lash-out-against-waymo-self-driving-cars/

Blackwater Founder Erik Prince To Launch Fund For Electric Car Metals
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-01-01/blackwater-founder-erik-prince-launch-fund-electric-car-metals

Hackers Threaten to Dump Insurance Files Related to 9/11 Attacks
https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/yw79k5/hacker-group-threatens-dump-911-insurance-files-dark-overlord

‘Q’ the end credits for the internet’s lamest conspiracy theory
https://theoutline.com/post/6883/qanon-conspiracy-theory-end-times

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