Opinion

I got an unexpected Facebook message from someone I had unfriended a couple of years back. We disagree on politics, and I just could not handle all the hateful rhetoric in their feed. So, I clicked the unfriend button. This person hopes we can be friends again. “I am more for human beings than for politicians. I’ve had enough of them,” they wrote. I agreed. I am pro-kindness and pro-humanity.

George Santos, a newly elected congressman from Long Island, New York, has been caught in a string of embarrassing lies about his background. He claimed to have received a degree from Baruch College in 2010; he didn’t. He claimed to have worked for Goldman Sachs and Citigroup; he didn’t. He claimed to own multiple properties; he doesn’t. In fact, he lives with his sister and has previously been a “deadbeat tenant” who was sued for thousands of dollars in unpaid rent and bounced checks. (He says now that he never even paid the judgment. “I completely forgot about it.”) In a lie with perhaps the most ridiculous justification, Santos told voters he was Jewish; he isn’t. His explanation? He’d heard stories that someone on his mother’s side of the family had converted from Judaism to Catholicism. “I never claimed to be Jewish,” Santos insisted. “I said I was Jew-ish.”

T ODAY’S HISTORY: In 1777, Revolutionary forces under the command of George Washington defeated the British at Princeton, New Jersey. In 1947, a session of Congress was televised for the first time to viewers in three East Coast cities.

Dear Annie: Well, here we are. It is that special time of year: The holiday season is nearly through and New Year’s is once again upon us. I got to thinking about how much I am thankful for. Hopefully, you will allow me to share a special message with your readers.

Where are Americans moving? And where, to make things more specific, have Americans been moving since the sudden onset of COVID lockdowns? Answers to these questions come from the annual Christmastime release of the Census Bureau’s estimates of the population of the 50 states and the District of Columbia as of last July.

On Christmas eve in Washington, D.C., the temperature plunged to 15 degrees Fahrenheit, the coldest on record. In our neighborhood, people were admonishing their neighbors for leaving dogs outside too long. “It’s friggin’ 15 degrees!”

Tax Refund: Not a Good Thing A friend of mine is the comptroller of a small corporation. As such, she is required to handle all aspects of that company’s finances including payroll.

Student writer submission When one thinks of the term “Hispanic”, what do they think? Could it be their intense work ethic? Maybe their religious beliefs? Is the word only a demographic to them? Hispanic life carries unforgettable life experiences. From long, hard labor to enormous families dancing to live mariachi bands, Hispanic life always provides new adventures.

Saturday, December 31, 2022 Today is the 365th day of 2022 and the 11th day of winter. TODAY’S HISTORY: In 1862, Abraham Lincoln signed a bill admitting West Virginia into the United States.

The success of a community’s economy does not happen by accident. It is done every day outside of the public eye, one company at a time and one job at a time. Economic development is about working together, doing important but quiet things that build jobs and improve lives. It is about doing the hard work that people rarely see. But every now and then, it is also about stepping into the spotlight to take those really big steps that help define and reshape our future.