In his more than 40 years in the United States Army, Austin met every challenge with extraordinary skill and profound personal decency. He is a true and tested soldier and leader. I’ve spent countless hours with him, in the field and in the White House Situation Room. I’ve sought his advice, seen his command, and admired his calm and his character. He is the definition of a patriot.

Former four stars who have served with retired Army Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III often use similar words to describe him: “quiet,” “low-key,” “introverted.” Those qualities have worked for Austin as a senior military commander. They may not serve him well if he becomes secretary of defense.

Austin is by all accounts a fine choice to lead the Pentagon. But he comes with a lot of problems that will make his nomination a difficult one once it reaches the Senate. Part of that is that, technically speaking, his appointment would be against the law… This all puts Democrats in an awkward place should Biden officially nominate Austin once in office.

California’s new, strict lockdowns are a mess of unscientific orders and excessive policing of the lives of California’s citizens. Outdoor dining and outdoor playgrounds are banned, despite the fact that there is no data to support those decisions.

California’s approach could help the state reset, with blunt measures helping to convey just how serious this latest wave of infection is. With ICU beds filling up with Covid-19 patients, it’s the only option in regions that simply have no hospital capacity to treat more sick patients.

Renewed lockdowns may be necessary, but they would be no panacea for public health, and we should not put them in place without carefully considering the human costs, which are broad and deep. It is imperative that we learn from and apply the lessons of the initial lockdowns.

…both Israelis and Americans are heading to a much better future with President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris. They will pursue a future in which meaty — rather than symbolic — negotiations can begin.

One ques­tion hang­ing over the loom­ing Biden Ad­min­is­tra­tion is whether its prin­ci­pals have learned from any of Pres­i­dent Trump’s suc­cesses. Con­sider cli­mate-en­voy-to-be John Ker­ry’s Mid­dle East views four years ago, shortly af­ter Mr. Trump’s 2016 vic­tory. Speak­ing at the Brook­ings In­sti­tu­tion, Mr. Kerry, then Sec­re­tary of State, in­sisted that Pales­tin­ian peace was a pre­con­di­tion for Is­rael to make peace with its Arab neigh­bors.

Biden could use additional deals to induce Netanyahu to take steps toward preserving the option of a two-state solution — the way Trump got Bibi to kill the annexation of the West Bank in return for his agreement with the UAE.

As apologies go, this one is scrumdiddlyumptious — a perfect concoction of corporate ingredients: Dahl’s slurs, only vaguely alluded to, are subsumed within a larger reiteration of how great Dahl’s stories are. Readers are reassured that through some fortunate miracle, his hostility toward Jews is another educational aspect of the author’s work…

“We’re sorry that the stuff Dad said hurt you, I mean, we thought he was awesome and it’s so weird to us that he thought Hitler had the right idea, because his values were overall great” isn’t the nuanced reckoning you think it is, y’all.

The family — who net £12 million a year from his estate — were contrite… his cancellation would ultimately be a terrible shame, because the true magic of his work lies is that he actually persuades children, millions of children, to read. And no amount of unsavouriness in his character — or his work — detracts from that.

Perhaps now, Beitar – which is infamous for its refusal to sign an Arab player and the anti-Arab chants of some of its hardcore fans, known as “La Familia” – can shed its racist image and become a sporting model of Jewish-Muslim teamsmanship.

A ‘peace’ agreement with a distant oil-rich Sheikhdom, brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump and ignoring the Palestinians is Benjamin Netanyahu’s crowning glory. There’s nothing ironic about Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan owning half of Beitar Jerusalem… He knows exactly what the club represents. The Emiratis are now invested in Israel’s ruling class.

[Co-owner Moshe] Hogeg said [.] that he is “not afraid of the racists” and has a plan to deal with them. “We have a strategy. This is part of the things we want to change in this club. Jerusalem is a holy place for all religions — Christians, Muslims and Jews — and we want to show that in this city we can have a football club that we can all enjoy together…”

…historical fidelity wasn’t a major area of dispute during the show’s earlier seasons, which took place in the 1950s and ’60s. What makes Season 4 different is that it’s set in the 1980s, a divisive decade in Britain that sees the royal family’s storyline inching closer to the present day.

If anything, the U.K. government’s attempt to pressure Netflix suggests that the show hit a nerve. Perhaps “The Crown” is more emotionally correct in its dramatization than some might like to admit.

The Crown is a dramatization of real-life events, but many critics and commentators in the UK have felt it presents itself as though it is factual… now it seems those concerns are being reflected by the government, largely because they fear the Netflix drama is changing public attitudes towards members of the Royal Family.