NEWS AND OPINION:
Lest we forget, the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge — a defining and historic event of courage and resilience in World War II — is Monday. The ever-vigilant Friends of the World War II Memorial will mark the day at the National World War II Memorial in the nation’s capital.
“The day begins at 6:00 a.m. ET with the Reading of the Names of over 6,000 heroes who gave their lives during the battle. These brave individuals are memorialized at the Ardennes, Henri-Chapelle, Luxembourg, and Netherlands American Cemeteries. Help us honor them by participating in the Reading of the Names,” the organization said in a written statement.
“At 11:00 a.m. ET, a special ceremony will honor the more than one million Allied service members who participated in the campaign and the over 22,000 Allies and civilians who were killed. World War II veterans and representatives from Allied Nations will lay wreaths at the Memorial’s Atlantic Arch in a moving tribute to their sacrifice,” it advised.
Both programs will be live-streamed on the Friends of the World War II Memorial’s Facebook page for those unable to join in person. Go to facebook.com and search for the account “WWIIMemorialFriends.”
A PIVOTAL MOMENT
The Federalist Society has named a new CEO. The organization’s board of directors announced Saturday that Sheldon Gilbert will become its second president on Jan. 2.
Mr. Gilbert — currently Walmart’s senior lead counsel for strategic initiatives — will succeed Eugene B. Meyer, who has served as executive director, CEO, and president of the Federalist Society for more than four decades.
“We are delighted to welcome Sheldon, who is joining the organization at a pivotal moment. He shares a deep commitment to our mission and purpose, to provide a forum for fair, serious, and open debate about the role of the courts in saying what the law is rather than what they wish it to be, and to the centrality of the rule of law in protecting individual freedom and traditional values,” Mr. Meyer said in a statement.
“Sheldon is a superb choice to take over as president of The Federalist Society. His boundless energy and enthusiasm and deep engagement with all segments of the legal community, including different strands of the conservative and libertarian legal movement, make him the right person to lead the Federalist Society at this time,” Steven Clabbers, co-chairman of the board of directors, in a written statement.
Leonard Leo, another co-chairman, added that “Sheldon is both a thinker and a doer. His unmatched strategic sense, entrepreneurial mindset, leadership qualities, and vision make him uniquely qualified for leading the generational change the society is poised to begin while preserving the society’s core assets and commitments.”
Find The Federalist Society at fedsoc.org.
THE TRUMP SHOP
Still looking for Christmas and holiday gifts? One noteworthy resource is the gift shop at President-elect Donald Trump’s personal website.
There are eight styles and colors of the signature Make America Great Again baseball cap. T-shirts and yard signs proclaiming support for Mr. Trump are emblazoned with such mottos as “Catholics for Trump,” “Jewish Voices for Trump,” “Believers for Trump,” “Black Americans for Trump,” “Women for Trump,” “Latino Americans for Trump” and “Gun Owners for Trump” — to name a few of the available themes.
There are also 27 different coffee mugs — along with a clear “MAGA pint glass” and, oh yes, there are two sections of the gift site that are solely devoted to the themes “fight, fight, fight” and “Never Surrender.”
Find the shop at donaldjtrump.com, and click on the Shop icon in the upper right.
‘WILL WE SEIZE THE DAY?’
Don’t fight among yourselves, some say.
“Republican and conservative unity: This is going to be tough. The Democrats and the left have been very disciplined. They don’t all get what they want, but they realize the benefit of sticking together to pass legislation, approve judges, and confirm appointments to implement their progressive left-wing agenda,” advises Saul Anuzis, former chairman of the Michigan Republican Party and current president of the 60 Plus Association.
“We have parts of the conservative/Republican coalition willing to thwart all our electoral gains by not sticking together. This is political suicide, tying the Trump Administration’s hands behind their backs before they ever begin to govern,” he said in a written statement.
President-elect Donald Trump “won a mandate that brought in a Republican House and Senate. He deserves the right and the chance to govern and hopefully do the right thing. There will be plenty of time for disagreement. We have an opportunity to change America for the better. Will we seize the day?” Mr. Anuzis wonders.
WHAT THEY WENT FOR
Here’s a brief look at famous stuff — courtesy of Julien’s Auctions, based in Beverly Hills, California, and Turner Classic Movies.
The pair conducted a four-day auction of Hollywood Memorabilia that ended Friday, selling 1,000 of “the most famous and beloved artifacts of all time representing the Golden Age of Hollywood.” Here are just a few:
One pair of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz” fetched $104,000; the blue-and-white gingham pinafore Garland wore in a 1938 wardrobe test for the film sold for $65,000. Shoes worn by Bruce Lee in “Enter the Dragon” brought $22,750 (many times the original estimate of $1,000-2,000) while a gown worn by Cher in 1977 on “The Sonny and Cher Show” weighed in at $101,600.
“We could not have been more thrilled with the results of this magnificent auction,” said Martin Nolan, executive director and co-founder of Julien’s Auctions.
POLL DU JOUR
• 14% of U.S. adults believe their personal finances will “get significantly better” in 2025.
• 30% of U.S. adults believe their personal finances will “get somewhat better” in 2025.
• 33% believe their finances will “stay about the same” in 2025.
• 13% believe their finances will get “somewhat worse” in 2025.
• 10% believe their finances will get “significantly worse” in 2025.
SOURCE: A Bankrate Financial Outlook Survey of 2,493 U.S. adults conducted online Nov. 6-8 and released Dec. 12.
• Contact Jennifer Harper at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.