In this covid epidemic, we're like in the midst of the roughest part of a storm at sea right now. Some of us are on yachts; some, cruise ships; some, ____ _____. We're not all having the same experience--we're not all in this together. (inflatable boats, 2 words) --Seattle area doctor --NPR's "Morning Edition", 12/14/20
Satirist publication "The Onion" headline, 12/11/20: "Literary Scholars Discover First Draft of 'A Christmas Carol' Where All 4 Ghosts Show Up At Once And Just Beat the Shit Out of _______" (last name)
On the __; on the sly (abbrev.)
Social safety net program (abbrev.)
In 1861, 11 senators & 3 representatives were expelled for supporting the insurrection & not recognizing Abraham _______'s win. (last name) --Suzette Sommer, FB, 12/15/20
"It's the first of December
And winter is here
So many reminders that Christmas is near
I love streets at night ablaze with light
The cities all a glow
But there's one thing I love the most
How I love those Christmas songs everyone can sing along
Those words and melodies I learned by heart so long ago
I love Christmas on my _____ (Ooh ooh)" (medium) --Olivia Newton-John song
December, 14, 2020, biggest news day of the year so far? (1) Electors officially name Biden President-Elect; (2) first covid vaccine shots administered as (3) new _____ reach all-time one-day total of 300,000+; (4) AG Barr resigns; (5) President reverses earlier announcement that WH staff will wait their turn rather than be among the first to get vaccinated. (positive tests)
--Rachel Maddow, MSNBC
Represented by Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar in the US Senate (abbrev.)
First responder (initials)
"Warming up by the fire, as the night is slowly fading And it all feels right, after all the time we waited Yeah, it comes and it goes, in the blink of an eye
Oh, ________ 20
Oh, ________ 20
Oh, ________ 25" (month)
--Francesca Battistelli song
Excerpts from rap song summarizing the Trump Presidency in 3:33 minutes: "Over 200 days on the golf course, With nothing to show but a useless Space Force . . . Amy Coney Barrett was pushed through, Melania said she hates Christmas too . . . Rose Garden had a superspread, Mike Pence had a fly on his head . . . Anthony Fauci disappeared, Trump sure holds a Bible _____ . . . ." (bizarre, rhymes with "disappeared") --James Corden, youtube.com/watch?v=iFUGv6pdoVQ
Negligent, neglectful --lexicol.com
Hospital unit whose staffers are among the first to get the vaccine. (initials)
Trump in his final days proposes reductions in social security __________ benefits--raise the age at which education and work experience are considered in determining eligibility from 50 to 55; if can work 30 hrs per week instead of 40, you don't qualify. (handicap) --rawstory.com/2020/12/trump-launches-last-minute-on-social-security-with-rule-aiming-to-restrict-disability-benefits/
--12/14/20
Satirist publication "Babylon Bee", headline 12/14/20: "Man Chokes In Restaurant, __. Jill Biden Springs Into Action To Deliver Educational Lecture" (appellation, abbrev.)
Network, matrix --lexico.com
Nuclear engineer on a submarine, state senator, governor, president, ceded the Panama Canal to its nation, Nobel Peace Prize winner, builds houses for Habitat for Humanity (name, 2 words) --FB, 12/04/20
Actresses Thompson, Stone or Watson
Fox is losing Trump viewers to ________ TV. (cable news channel) --pressrun.media/p/why-fox-news-ratings-are-tanking?fbclid=IwAR1TqxS58TjfJnVsrY1pyq5q-FHee7MnvNtIEYcLOzRx12O-Cxqc5tUPCgI
Satirist Andy Borowitz,"New Yorker," 12/11/20: "White House Offers Curbside Pickup of _______. The new option will accommodate the surging number of stooges and lackeys who have been shopping for _______ this holiday season." (releases)
Across the table from Britian negotiating Brexit (org, initials)
"According to my chocolate Advent Calendar, there's only three days til _________." (holiday) --FB poster, 12/10/20
Bishop Talbert Swan (Church of God in Christ, a predominantly Africa-American fellowship of 6.5M members in the U.S.) tweet to Trump, " All your life you've gotten your way. You failed up by being a privileged white man from a wealthy family. You have no idea how to handle it when people you can't bribe, fire or ____, tell you 'NO'". (sexual assault) --FB, 10/12/20
Gary ______: Brit, George Smiley in John le Carre's "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" (2011), Winston Churchill in "Darkest Hour" (2017), and the lead in "Mank" (2020) (last name) --Wikipedia
The 2020 "Christmas Star" peaking Dec. 21 is a melding of the images of Saturn and _______ from the vantage point of Earth. Last time this happened was 400 years ago. (largest planet) --11alive.com/article/tech/science/science-behind-christmas-star-december-21-2020-saturn-jupiter-conjunction/83-d2b85510-e848-4d0f-81ff-650581b0e6f3#:~:text=%E2%80%94%20You've%20likely%20seen%20this,It's%20called%20a%20great%20conjunction.
“In America, politicians don’t take _____-- people grant _____ to them.” (authority) --Joe Biden --heathercoxrichardson.substack.com, 12/14/20
Data --thesaurus.yourdictionary.com
Satirist publication "The Onion" headline, 12/09/20: "Aspiring ________ Gets Foot in Door As State Senator"
(private interests advocate)
France to Turkey direction (abbrev.) --google.com/maps
"Nothing ever seems too bad, too hard, or too sad when you've got a Christmas ____ in the living room." (evergreen) --Nora Roberts, countryliving.com/life/g2819/christmas-quotes/
Satirist Andy Borowtiz, "New Yorker," 12/09/20: "Trump Attempts to ____ Amy Coney Barrett.
'I hired you to get a job done, and you didn’t get it done,' Trump angrily informed Barrett." (terminate)
Merry, enjoyable --wordhippo.com