Nothing About You Without You

...and other lessons from 2021

Please act naturally; he has a gub.

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Thank you.

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The Associated Press @AP

“This is the kind of fire we can’t fight head on." Authorities fear there could be deaths after a winter wildfire destroyed hundreds of homes, chewed through a shopping center and hopscotched through dumpsters and parking lots in Boulder County, Colorado.

apne.wsColorado wildfires burn hundreds of homes, force evacuations | AP NewsDENVER (AP) — An estimated 580 homes, a hotel and a shopping center have burned and tens of thousands of people were evacuated in wind-fueled wildfires outside Denver, officials said Thursday evening.

For all the latest news all the time, go to the Walking Duck.

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It is time for my annual “Out and In” list, a Wide World of News fan favorite.

Two things to know about this list:

1. It’s all objective fact.

2. I wrote it Friday morning off of the top of my head in about fifteen minutes. (truth)

Without further ado, here is The List, as we ring out 2021:

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ESSENTIAL READING

1. The Washington Post with the latest (and/but it’s inconclusive) on the projected course and cadence of omicron.

2. The New York Times readout on the Biden-Putin call, which includes this potential code breaking:

During the conversation, Mr. Putin repeatedly accused the United States and NATO nations of placing offensive weapons near Russia’s borders, imperiling the country’s security. It is a charge that Russian officials have made repeatedly in recent times, at first puzzling American officials. At first it appeared they might be referring to Javelin anti-tank weapons and other small munitions the U.S. has provided to Ukraine to deter an attack.

But over time, it has become increasingly clear that the Russians are referring to nuclear and non-nuclear “global strike” weapons, including intermediate-range nuclear missiles that were prohibited by a treaty that Moscow violated for several years, and President Trump abandoned. Some U.S. officials say that Mr. Putin’s concern may provide some basis for new negotiations with Russia — especially because there are no current plans to deploy a new generation of such weapons on European soil.