THE WEEK IN REVIEW: DECEMBER 11-17, 2016

TODAY IS NATIONAL DAY IN BHUTAN.

DECEMBER 18 MARKS THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ANIMATED VERSION OF DOCTOR SEUSS' HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS.

DECEMBER 18 IS ALSO REPUBLIC DAY IN NIGER & NATIONAL DAY IN QATAR.
DECEMBER 19 IS LIBERATION DAY IN GOA.

DESPITE THE WEATHER IN SOME AREAS,

DECEMBER 21 IS THE OFFICIAL START OF WINTER.

AMONGST EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD THIS PAST WEEK…

*Paolo Gentiloni is the new Prime Minister of Italy.
*Antonio Guterres is the United Nations’ new Secretary General.
*Muhammad V is the new ruler of Malaysia.
*Bill English is the new Prime Minister of New Zealand.
*After officially losing Gambia’s 2016 Presidential election, Yahya Jammeh is refusing to accept the results and may not willingly step down.
*Kyrgyzstan will soon have a new constitution for their country.
*Citizens in Venezuela are protesting the continuing economic crisis in that country, preventing them from buying even the basic necessities of life.
*Cuba and the European Union are re-establishing trade relations, while Cuba has made arrangements with Google for better Internet access.
*China and Mexico are strengthening their trade relations in reaction to President-elect Donald Trump’s trade opinions.



THE TERRORIST REPORT…
*Bombs are still the cruel terrorist weapon of choice against military and civilian targets.

PASSING PARADE…
*Bob Krasnow, a co-founder of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, is no longer with us.
*Actor Bernard Fox (Bewitched, Hogan’s Heroes, Titanic, The Mummy) has taken his last bow on life’s stage.
*Novelist E. R. Braithwaite (To Sir, With Love) has passed away.
*Actor Alan Thicke (Growing Pains) has taken his last bow on life’s stage.
*Doctor Henry Heimlich, inventor of the Heimlich maneuver.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA…
POLITICALLY…

*While the Central Intelligence Agency is still investigating the matter after finding evidence to prove their initial concerns, the Republican Party is denying any Russian influence or interference in the 2016 Presidential election, although there is proof otherwise.
*Although President-elect Donald Trump has stated he doesn’t believe in the “One China” policy (to only deal with the People’s Republic and not the Republic of China based in Taiwan), Chinese officials warn this may jeopardize America’s diplomatic relations with China.
*New potential Cabinet members of the Trump administration (pending Congressional approval) are: former Texas Governor Rick Perry as Secretary of Energy, Ryan Zinke as Secretary of the Interior, bankruptcy lawyer David Friedman as Ambassador to Israel, and current Exxon/Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State.
*One analysis on what kind of President Donald Trump will make, while Senator Bernie Sanders expresses his opinions on Trump's potential cabinet. (There are 2 different links in that last item.)
*Believe it or not, some (authoritarian) world leaders are eager to deal with President Trump!
*OPINION: Will repealing Obamacare result in a tax cut for the rich?
*Some wonder why Palantir CEO Alex Karp attended a recent Trump hosted tech summit?
*Despite being President-elect, Donald Trump must give a deposition concerning José Andrés, over a previous potential business deal between the two parties.
MEANWHILE…

*The official investigation into Russia hacking the 2016 Presidential election continues while somethe electoral college should be replaced with deciding the winner by popular vote. (There are 2 different links in that last item.)
restate their opinion that
*NBC News integrity is in question with Donald Trump still listed as an executive producer on The Celebrity Apprentice.
*China and Mexico are strengthening their trade relations in reaction to President-elect Donald Trump’s trade opinions.
*The United States and China are in negotiations for the return of an underwater drone found in the South China Sea. The drone was unarmed and only used for scientific purposes such as recording water temperatures and pollution levels.
*A Federal Judge has denied Green Party Presidential candidate Jill Stein’s request for a recount in Pennsylvania, while Wisconsin’s completed recount confirmed Donald Trump as the winner in that state.
*Just what is happening in North Carolina politically?
ELSEWHERE…
*While a judge upheld the state court order that Michigan must supply those affected by the Flint, Michigan lead contamination situation clean/alternate sources of water, Corpus Christi, Texas is now warning its citizens not to drink the water!
*Yahoo! now reports that they suffered a prior hacking attack in 2013 that left more than a billion accounts possibly in danger before the publicly known 2014 attack.
*Famous gun maker Smith & Wesson plans to change its company name to American Outdoor Brands Corp.
*CBS and Viacom have decided NOT to merge.
*A library cat versus a city councilman. Guess who won?

For more news at any time, either scroll down to our ELSEWHERE feature at the bottom of your screen or visit any other reputable news source.