I took a break over the holidays and tried to tune out current affairs as much as possible. Here are four recent stories that we may have missed:

• On January 3rd Representative-elect George Santos (R-NY) will be sworn in as a new member of Congress from Long Island. The 34-year-old now admits to lying about his claims to have graduated from Baruch College, to have worked for Citigroup and Goldman-Sachs, to owning thirteen properties, and more. He also owes $12,000 in past rent. Article I, Section 5 of the Constitution states: “Each House shall be the judge of the elections, returns and qualifications of its own members…”. Congress may choose not to seat Santos, but since skirting the truth seems to be par for the course in politics these days, I’m certain Santos will be forgiven and sworn in.

• You probably know that some Republican governors have been bussing migrants from their states to major cities, predominantly cities run by Democrats, to protest President Biden’s immigration policies. The governors’ concerns are absolutely legitimate because cities on the border are currently overwhelmed with asylum-seekers, but these migrants are being used as pawns in an unfortunate political game. On Christmas eve more than 110 migrants were dropped off in front of Vice President Kamala Harrises residence in D.C. in 15-degree weather. The group reportedly included children and adults wearing flip-flops and t-shirts. The Biden administration’s immigration policy is a disaster, but governors using human beings to score symbolic points with their bases is equally deplorable. It is time for both parties to work together to find real solutions to the immigration crisis.

• The human race’s unquenchable thirst for energy is impacting our only planet, and not in a good way. However, a couple of weeks ago American scientists announced a major breakthrough in the production of what could be clean and almost limitless energy using “nuclear fusion”, a process whereby more energy is generated than expended. This could be one of the most important scientific breakthroughs of all time, one that could literally save the planet, but limitless clean energy as a result of the breakthrough is likely decades away and will depend on investment and commitment.

• Choosing a Speaker of the House is normally automatic, with the leader of the House’s majority party being unanimously approved by that party. This year, however, the House Republican Party cannot agree to approve current House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), and the consequences could be quite interesting. As you probably know, the Republicans gained control of the House in November and members are sworn in on January 3rd. The November election gave Republicans a very slim 222/435 majority in the House, and the Speaker must win 218 votes (a simple majority) to be installed. Several far-right Republicans oppose McCarthy and say they will vote against him. At a strange time when the House Democrats are fairly united, the Republican schism could wreak havoc with the House Republican agenda, with assigning members to committees, and much more. Hang on to your hats.

• Several other important news stories are percolating, but I’m waiting to learn more about them from what I consider more “legitimate” news sources. Stay tuned.

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and will have a wonderful New Year!