🇺🇸 2022 Review

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Good morning, and happy Thursday! Why is this story not on the front page of every major newspaper in the country?

Plus, these cities are expected to see the biggest real estate growth in 2023...

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📉 December 27, 2022: President Biden Job Approval: Approve 47, Disapprove 51 (Rasmussen Reports)

📉 December 26, 2022: Direction of Country: Right Direction 37, Wrong Track 57 (Rasmussen Reports)

📉 December 21, 2022: President Biden Job Approval: Approve 39, Disapprove 55 (Reuters/Ipsos)

📉 December 21, 2022: President Biden Job Approval: Approve 43, Disapprove 54 (POLITICO/Morning Consult)

TRENDING

Right: 5 Real Things More Appalling Than George Santos’ Fake Resume (The Federalist)

Right: Texas Governor Rips ‘Hypocrite-In-Chief’ Joe Biden After Busloads Of Migrants Arrive At Veep’s Residence (Daily Wire)

Right: Trump calls New York Magazine's Olivia Nuzzi an 'unattractive wack job' (The Blaze)

Left: Libs of TikTok Creator Chaya Raichik Called Ron DeSantis “Incredible” For Offering Her Refuge in Florida Governor’s Mansion (Buzzfeed News)

Left: Trump's idiotic "trading cards" are the last straw for Republicans — but in God's name, why? (Salon)

Left: Inside Donald Trump's Sad, Lonely 2024 Campaign (NY Magazine)

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QUICK CLICKS

Travel Troubles, COVID Concerns, Prayers for the Pope

US: National Guard checks homes in Buffalo for storm victims (AP)

World: Russia warns US against ‘decapitation strike’ targeting Putin (NY Post)

Travel: As Southwest flight cancellations continue, Buttigieg vows to hold airline accountable (CNN) + The world just doesn’t have enough planes as travel roars back (Straits Times)

Entertainment: Joseph 'Jo Mersa' Marley, grandson of Bob Marley, dead at 31 (Fox News)

Pandemic: China's sudden pivot on Covid restrictions sparks global jitters (France 24)

World: Pope Francis appeals for prayers for 'very ill' predecessor Benedict (BBC)

World: Remote Workers Descend on Mexico City, and Housing Prices Surge (DNYUZ)

POLITICS

2022 Review

The past 12 months have been marked by record inflation, the Ukraine-Russia war, relaxed COVID-19 rules at home and abroad, and the midterm elections, among other headlines.

Reporting from the Right: 2022's Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals of woke outrage failures (Fox News)

Reporting from the Left: Biden and his team feeling vindicated by a 2022 turnaround built on the same decades-old principles (CNN)

From The Flag: Our year in review follows our well-established formula of taking a look at perspectives from both sides. Here’s fresh commentary as we get ready to bid farewell to 2022, and say hello to a new year.

LEFT-LEANING SENTIMENT

Biden’s Big Year Leaves the GOP Badly Bruised

• Despite entering the year with low expectations, President Biden got legislation passed, and Democrats held up during the midterms.

• We learned Biden is still the best bet to defeat Trump in 2024, although Democrats have some work to do before that point.

• Several major Republican failures, such as Kari Lake and Herschel Walker, will now fade into obscurity.

“How Joe Biden Got His Groove Back in 2022” Michael A. Cohen, MSNBC Opinion: “In modern political history, few presidents have had a better second year than Biden did in 2022. When the year began, few would have imagined that these words would be written in December. Biden’s approval ratings were at 43%... Increasing inflation suggested that Democrats would be heading into the crucial midterm elections with a faltering economy and rising prices… Yet, as we near New Year’s Eve, Biden is in an envious position for a first-term president. Sure, his approval ratings remain mediocre… but Democrats just came through the midterms with one additional seat in the Senate, well below expected losses in the House, and crucial gains at the state level. Moreover… much of Biden’s legislative agenda became law — including a massive spending package that will lower prescription drug prices, strengthen former President Barack Obama's health care law, and pump close to $370 billion into the fight against climate change.”

“The real lessons of 2022 and what it means for 2024” Jim Messina, The Hill Op-ed: “Let’s be clear: Joe Biden beat Donald Trump once, and he is the best candidate positioned to win again. ... He steered the country through the pandemic and passed legislation with far-reaching impacts… such as the largest infrastructure deal in a generation, cutting child poverty by half and making a massive down payment to combat climate change. … Next, let’s stop the celebration and look at the bad news: Data indicates that the issue of crime contributed to several Democratic losses… This topic isn’t going away, in large part because Republicans overhype it as a dog whistle. … Voters didn’t trust Democrats to lead on the most important issue: the economy. A majority said the economy was their top concern, ahead of abortion and crime – and those voters favored Republicans by a 12-to-14 point margin. We must regain Americans’ trust here.”

One more opinion piece from the Left: 2022 was a bad year for MAGA Republicans: Here are the GOP's 5 biggest faceplants Amanda Marcotte, Salon

RIGHT-LEANING SENTIMENT

Democrats Lied, and People Died, But All Hope Is Not Lost

• US leaders consistently misled the public in 2022, regarding the war in Ukraine, COVID-19, and inflation.

• Biden projected weakness on the world stage, giving Putin confidence to launch the invasion of Ukraine.

• Conservatives can be happy that 2022 included some major wins, such as overturning Roe v. Wade, and fighting the trans agenda.

“Lying defined the politics of 2022” Tucker Carlson, Fox News: “If John Brennan says it, the opposite is almost certainly true… No, Russia did not blow up its own pipelines. That explosion was the work of the Biden administration. … If the Chinese military unleashed a deadly manufactured flu virus on the world, Joe Biden would blame you for it and actually, he did. People are dying of COVID, Joe Biden told us, because you have questions about an experimental mRNA shot that doesn't really work and whose long-term effects we can't know. You are the criminal here, not the Chinese government, because you're ‘unvaccinated.’ You must be punished. That was the message from the White House picked up and eagerly disseminated by Biden's equally soulless stooges in the media… So, Merry Christmas to a much-lied-to American people. At least you know who we're dealing with now.”

“2022 Was a Horrendous Year for Biden” David Keltz, The American Spectator: “Thanks to Biden’s evident mental decline, apparent weakness on the world stage, and disgraceful withdrawal from Afghanistan, Russian strongman Vladimir Putin sensed no greater opportunity to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. … Biden’s economic sanctions have done little to deter Putin’s feckless behavior… 300 days later, the war still rages on — resulting in the deaths of 6,826 Ukrainian civilians, including 428 children, and an additional 10,769 Ukrainians were reported to have been injured. As it stands, the US has now provided Ukraine with more aid ($48 billion) than all European Union countries combined. It is not entirely clear how that money has been used. But Biden appears poised to send another $45 billion in emergency relief as part of the 4,155-page boondoggle of an omnibus bill that Congress has passed despite no one having read a single word of it.”

One more opinion piece from the Right: 10 Wins in 2022 Elle Purnell, The Federalist

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A Bit of Bipartisanship

Despite our different opinions on multiple topics, there are a few areas where most Americans tend to agree with one another.

Nearly 8 in 10 feel economic sanctions should be used against Iran if the Middle Eastern country restarts its nuclear weapons program. This includes 87% of Republicans, 80% of Democrats, and 73% of Independents (Chicago Council).

Solidarity can also be found in how most Americans feel toward China. Close to 80% hold an unfavorable view of the Asian superpower, which is up from 45% in 2018 (Gallup).

FLAG FINDS

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WATERCOOLER

Wounded Knee, Doing Nothing, Amazing Math

On December 29, 1890, in one of the final chapters of America’s long Indian wars, the US Cavalry kills 146 Sioux at Wounded Knee on the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota. Pictured Above: "The opening of the fight at Wounded Knee," an engraved illustration by Frederic Remington, which appeared as an illustration in Harper's Weekly in 1891.

SELF: The Best Way to Deal With Your Most Miserable Feelings Might Be…Doing Nothing

Vox: The Cheesecake Factory knows what you want

Popular Mechanics: The Amazing Math Inside the Rubik’s Cube

Today I Learned that during the Middle Ages it was believed that ringing church bells during thunderstorms would keep lightning away. The practice was abandoned after more than 100 bell ringers were killed by lightning strikes.