Merry Christmas and thanks to socialized medicine. The U.S. spent $5 trillion on health care last year, according to new federal data. Unfortunately, the quality of care is worse than other countries that spend less. The U.S. spends about twice as much per person as other wealthy nations. Americans are less healthy than many of those countries’

“We aren’t just the media here now. We are also the government.” -Donald Trump Jr. tweeted to his 13 million MAGA followers. House Speaker Mike Johnson is in danger of losing his leadership position when the new Congress opens on Jan. 3. The Republican House rejected a Trump-endorsed Plan B to keep the government funded.

Honoring the Legacy of Dr. Kirk H. Neely “A great light has gone out of this world and is now shining in the heavens beyond. His teachings, his love, his devotion and many kindnesses will continue for so many for such a long time.” – Rabbi Yossi Liebowitz on behalf of the the Spartanburg Interfaith

MAGA nut Marjorie Taylor Greene is complaining that Liugi Mangione, the suspect in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, will spark a new “political movement” that will replace Trumpism. Mangione’s social media includes praise of former Fox News host Tucker Carlson for having “brilliant insights” and other MAGA talking points about the decline in Christianity.

Investigators found a trail of payments from Matt Gaetz, Trump’s choice for attorney general, to women who testified that he had hired them for sex including underage girls. See a map of the payments. A police report detailed an encounter in which a woman from the California Federation of Republican Women had been sexually assaulted by