This week we bring you holiday tidings, warm and grim alike.
On the grim end, there’s that tax bill that looks likely to pass this week. We’ve written about that extensively (see a bunch of our pieces here), so we’ll give the last word now to cartoonist Khalil Bendib. Let’s just say it won’t be Santa bringing you this year’s Christmas gift from the GOP.
In a similar vein, Victoria Borneman looks forward to visiting family in Florida this year, but worries how many holidays she has left before the sea imperils her family home. (Already, she says, she won’t be visiting her sister in Houston.)
Meanwhile, Negin Owliaei reports on a terrible little Christmas gift from Trump’s Department of Labor: a new rule that would let employers pocket the tips people give their servers.
But there’s a lighter and warmer side, too. Jill Richardson reflects on how you can still give thoughtful gifts and have a fun holiday without, say, buying pajamas for your cat. And Jim Hightower remembers the spirit of giving embodied by simple folks like his dad.
Down south, Pedro Rios remembers the biblical story of Mary and Joseph to call for kindness for migrants and refugees. And Martha Burk imagines a wave coming next year to sweep away powerful men who prey on women.
With all that out of the way, happy holidays from me at OtherWords and all of us here at the Institute for Policy Studies. I hope the season finds you happy and safe.
(Khalil Bendib / OtherWords.org)
- When’s the Last Time I’ll Go Home for Christmas? / Victoria Borneman
By my count, I get 13 more holidays before the sea threatens to swallow my family’s home. - Remembering Joseph and Mary on the U.S.-Mexico Border / Pedro Rios
The biblical story should remind us of migrants today seeking shelter to protect themselves and their families. - Tips Should Go to Workers, Not Their Bosses / Negin Owliaei
A new federal rule would let employers pocket the tips customers leave for their servers. - After Moore, the Deluge / Martha Burk
Voting down one sex offender is fine, but rejecting the environment that produces such a person needs to start at the earliest levels. - Cat’s Pajamas and Other Signs of Holiday Endtimes / Jill Richardson
A greener holiday season doesn’t have to mean buying nothing. It does mean not buying PJs for your cat. - The Real Spirit of Giving / Jim Hightower
This time of year, I remember my dad’s motto: Everybody does better when everybody does better. - Death and Taxes / Khalil Bendib
