Global Macro / Markets / Investing:
- Russia Missing from Trump’s Top Defense Priorities, According to DoD Memo – Foreign Policy (you don’t say)
- Professor Joseph Stiglitz : Inequality is killing America, this looks like the Soviet collapse – The Guardian
- Global energy return on investment is shifting towards solar as it catches up to fossil fuels – Robert Scribbler
Americas:
- Canadian Scientists Warn U.S. Colleagues: Act Now to Protect Science under Trump – Back up data and speak out ahead of next month’s inauguration, they advise – Scientific American
- The disturbing trend of people losing Social Security benefits to student debt – WaPo
- Obama bans oil drilling in large areas of Atlantic and Arctic oceans – WaPo
-
Mexico fireworks market explosion injures dozens, kills 29 – Reuters
- Gingrich says Trump can’t be expected to follow ethics laws, so Congress should change them for him – ThinkProgress (hear that sucking sound?)
- In Donald Trump’s Washington, corruption will be utterly shameless – WaPo (I thought the swamp was going to be drained instead of dammed? woocuddanode)
Europe:
- German police believe they arrested wrong man after attack: Die Welt – Reuters
- 49 people dead in Russia after drinking bath lotion – BBC
- Berlin attack latest: Germany can expect ‘further significant attacks’ after lorry ploughs into Christmas market – Head of the federal criminal police warns Germany on ‘high alert’ – Independent
Asia/Middle East:
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- UN rights chief calls for murder investigation into Duterte claims – The Guardian
- Israel just announced it will take in wounded civilians from Aleppo – VOX
- Saudi Arabia adopts the Gregorian calendar – The Economist (maybe they’ll step into the 20th century next and stop beheading people?)
Trans-Tasman:
Other/Miscellaneous/Sciency Things:
- People who report using seven to 11 social media platforms had more than three times the risk of depression and anxiety than their peers who use zero to two platforms, even after adjusting for the total time spent on social media overall. – Futurity.org
- Americans’ belief in climate change tied to local weather: Those living in regions with recent historically high temperatures are more likely to believe in climate change – GWU
- How the ‘War on Christmas’ Controversy Was Created – NY Times (did someone say Saturnalia? Solstice? Festivus for the rest of us!)
- The Year of the Mediocre Film – The Conversation (I thought The Martian was a standout, and Rogue One book ended the year nicely. If I was 20 years younger, Deadpool would’ve been funnier…)
Non-offensive Safe Space Things:
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- What do they call fist bumps in the UK? British Pounds.
- Trump’s New CIA Director: “Jesus Christ Is The Only Solution For Our World” – HelloChristian
- Merriam-Webster names “surreal” its word of the year for 2016 – CBS News
- I hate German humour. Its the absolute wurst.
- Pakistani Airline offers black goat sacrifice for safer flights – thenews.com