The Swamp Today Timelines Change. Thursday December 21, 2023 The House Stands Adjourned Until December 22, 2023 at 9:00 AM EST (Pro Forma back January 9, 2024) The Senate Stands Adjourned Until December 22, 2023 at 8:00 AM EST (Pro Forma back January 8, 2024) Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources Richard R. Verma attends meetings and briefings at the Department of State. Acting Deputy Secretary Victoria Nuland is on travel to Jordan and Iraq from December 17-21, 2023. . . . Daily Weather Map National Centers for Environvmental Prediction, Weather Prediction Center https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/dailywxmap/ National Forecast Charts National Centers for Environmental Prediction, Weather Prediction Center https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/national_forecast/natfcst.php?Day=1 NOAA Tide Predictions - Washington DC Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/tide_predictions.html?gid=1396 NOAA Observed Water Levels - Station 8594900 Washington DC Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/stationhome.html?id=8594900&units=standard https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/stationhome.html?id=8594900&units=standard#obs The National Hurricane Center (NHC) https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ A.F. Branco Cartoon – Immanuel https://comicallyincorrect.com/a-f-branco-cartoon-immanuel/ Gary Varvel - The Hazmat Edition https://garyvarvel.substack.com/p/gary-varvel-the-hazmat-edition Margolis & Cox - Climate Change, Rudolph, Santa Claus https://margolisandcox.com/2023/12/15/friday-december-15-2023/ Margolis & Cox - Congress, Hunter Biden https://margolisandcox.com/2023/12/14/thursday-december-14-2023/ Margolis & Cox - Christmas, Joe Biden https://margolisandcox.com/2023/12/13/wednesday-december-13-2023/ Mark Parisi @OffTheMarkComic - The Wading is the Hardest Part https://www.offthemark.com/DailyCartoon?prod_id=12573 Michael Ramirez - A Gift No One Wants https://michaelramirez.substack.com/p/michael-ramirez-roasting-by-the-fire Michael Ramirez - The Order of Putin https://michaelramirez.substack.com/p/michael-ramirez-the-order-of-putin RealityBites by Broc Smith - Promises, Promises https://rofcbybroc.com/2023/12/20/promises-promises-3/ Ripley's Believe It or Not! - Daily Cartoon https://www.theepochtimes.com/epochfun/ripleys-believe-it-or-not-epoch-comics-5108164 Skscartoon @skscartoon - I think the Dems know the #scotus will overturn the #ColoradoSupremeCourt decision.... https://twitter.com/skscartoon/status/1737618104505811427 Stonetoss Comics @stone_toss - Trans Wizards https://twitter.com/stone_toss/status/1737484998880465168 Tatsuya Ishida @TatsuyaIshida9 - Let Me In 32 https://tatsuyaishida.substack.com/p/2023-12-21 Wokely Correct Comics @WokelyCorrect - Removed https://wokelycorrect.com/comic/removed/ Jumble Daily https://www.theepochtimes.com/epochfun/jumble-daily-mon-sat-4613390 Morsle https://morsle.fun/ Today in History - December 21 https://www.loc.gov/item/today-in-history/december-21 Congressional Record Most Recent Issue https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record FAA Daily Air Traffic Report https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/faa-daily-air-traffic-report FAA National Airspace System Status https://nasstatus.faa.gov/ Register to Vote Select your state or territory for information on how to get started. https://vote.gov/ Aspire: "The President's Own" at 225 - Volume 1: United States Marine Chamber Orchestra United States Marine Band https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA7no0L9zTk4vddfBGWiNqXONXrV8BpPU - Free Download https://www.marineband.marines.mil/Audio-Resources/Educational-Series/Aspire-The-Presidents-Own-at-225-Vol-1/ Aspire: "The President's Own" at 225 - Volume 2: United States Marine Chamber Orchestra United States Marine Band https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA7no0L9zTk6bsmruBKaxvLPgwljHrcpu - Free Download https://www.marineband.marines.mil/Audio-Resources/Educational-Series/Aspire-The-Presidents-Own-at-225-Vol-2/ 2023 Ursid Meteor Shower: All You Need to Know https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/ursid-meteor-shower-active-around-winter-solstice/ DECEMBER 21, 1620 The Pilgrims' Landing in America: The Exploring Party Went Ashore at Plymouth on December 21, 1620 https://www.visitplymouth.co.uk/explore/mayflower-400/the-story https://pilgrimhall.org/ap_landing_in_america.htm - Pilgrim Memorial State Park This waterfront park, home to historic Plymouth Rock and the Mayflower II museum, draws more than 1 million visitors each year. You'll also find fantastic views of Plymouth Harbor and monuments. https://plimoth.org/plan-your-visit/explore-our-sites/mayflower-ii https://www.mass.gov/locations/pilgrim-memorial-state-park DECEMBER 21, 1928 Milestone Documents: Boulder Canyon Project Act (1928) National Archives https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/boulder-canyon-project-act DECEMBER 21, 2010 Washington Journal: The Constitution and American Culture. Sanford Levinson talked about the role of the Constitution in American culture, and he responded to telephone calls and electronic communications. Professor Levinson asserts that the Constitution is the country’s civil religion. On This Day C-SPAN https://www.c-span.org/video/?297189-6/constitution-american-culture DECEMBER 21, 2019 President Trump at Turning Point USA's Student Action Summit: President Trump made remarks at Turning Point USA’s Student Action Summit 2019 in West Palm Beach, Florida. On This Day C-SPAN https://www.c-span.org/video/?467575-1/president-trump-turning-point-usas-student-action-summit DECEMBER 21, 2022 Ukrainian President Zelensky Address to Joint Meeting of Congress. “Against all odds, and doom and gloom scenarios, Ukraine didn’t fall,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as he began his remarks to a joint meeting of Congress on U.S. support for Ukraine in its war against Russia’s invasion. He thanked Congress for the United States' financial assistance, but said, “Your money is not charity. It’s an investment in the global security and democracy that we handle in the most responsible way.” On This Day C-SPAN https://www.c-span.org/video/?525000-1/ukrainian-president-zelensky-address-joint-meeting-congress - November 17, 2023 "We cannot allow Ukraine to go bankrupt, it's not an option for us. But it's not easy," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss talks between EU leaders held behind closed doors. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/senior-eu-official-channels-increasing-gloom-over-russias-war-ukraine-2023-11-17/ December 21, 2023 Crossword Puzzle Day https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/national-day/crossword-puzzle-day-december-21 December 21, 2023 5:00 AM EST Participation by Mr Philip R. Lane in a policy panel at Economics Winter Workshop organised by Central Bank of Ireland in Dublin, Ireland European Central Bank https://www.centralbank.ie/events/2023/12/21/default-calendar/economics-winter-workshop 7:00 AM EST Washington Journal: Open Phones Viewers commented on President Biden’s job performance. https://www.c-span.org/video/?532465-2/open-phones&playEvent 8:00 AM EST Washington Journal: Kevin Ring & Colleen Eren Discuss Criminal Justice Reform on the 5th Anniversary of First Step Act Criminal justice advocate Kevin Ring and Colleen Eren, author of “Reform Nation: The First Step Act and the Movement to End Mass Incarceration,” discuss criminal justice reform and the 5th year anniversary of the First Step Act. https://www.c-span.org/video/?532465-3/kevin-ring-colleen-eren-discuss-criminal-justice-reform-5th-anniversary-step-act&playEvent 8:00 AM EST Mouse Workshop: Safe Handling and Techniques National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services https://calendar.nih.gov/event/view/44508 8:30 AM EST U.S. Agriculture in Drought - Released After 8:30 a.m. ET Every Thursday National Agricultural Statistics Service and World Agricultural Outlook Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/AgInDrought.pdf 8:30 AM EST Export Sales Report Release - Weekly Export Sales Foreign Agricultural Service, Department of Agriculture https://www.fas.usda.gov/report-release-announcement/weekly-export-sales-151 9:00 AM EST Washington Journal: Open Phones Join us with your calls and comments on social media as we review the latest news headlines out of Washington. https://www.c-span.org/video/?532465-4/open-phones&playEvent 9:00 AM EST Daily U.S. Agricultural Weather Highlights - Released No Later Than 9:00 a.m. ET Every Day National Agricultural Statistics Service and World Agricultural Outlook Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/TODAYSWX.pdf 9:00 AM EST Notice of Meeting With Southern Nuclear Operating Company Nuclear Regulatory Commission https://www.nrc.gov/pmns/mtg https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?AccessionNumber=ML23276B424 9:20 AM EST Washington Journal: Steve Berg Discusses the State of Homelessness in the U.S. National Alliance to End Homelessness Chief Policy Officer Steve Berg discusses the state of homelessness in the U.S. https://www.c-span.org/video/?532465-5/steve-berg-discusses-state-homelessness-us&playEvent 9:45 AM EST Security Council Media Stakeout (Middle East (Syria); Other Matters) United Nations https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1p/k1p75ilvu8 10:00 AM EST World Basketball Day - Basketball and Peace: A Conversation with Julius "Dr. J" Erving - Erving, popularly known as Dr. J, is basketball's original skywalker with his climactic slam dunks. He is undoubtedly one of the greatest players to ever play basketball, a legendary NBA player with the Philadelphia 76ers. He is a Hall of Famer, an elegant ambassador for basketball, a true artist and original for the game and all it stands for. United Nations https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1o/k1oxivntmx 10:00 AM EST 1) Lebanon - Security Council, 9,517th meeting. 2) Cooperation between the UN and the African Union - Security Council, 9,518th meeting. 3) The situation in the Middle East - Security Council, 9,519th meeting. United Nations https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k13/k13lqzqgbv 10:00 AM EST Veterans Claims Clinics National Museum of the United States Army, Fort Belvoir, Virginia https://www.thenmusa.org/events/ 10:00 AM EST Expert Is In: Carnivorous Plants (On-site Drop-in Program) U.S. Botanic Garden https://www.usbg.gov/learn/programs-and-events https://usbg.doubleknot.com/registration/calendardetail.aspx?activitykey=3020124&orgkey=4153 10:00 AM EST The President receives the Presidential Daily Briefing The White House https://factba.se/biden/calendar/ 10:00 AM EST In-Town Pool Call Time The White House https://factba.se/biden/calendar/ 11:00 AM EST Veterans Coffee Social, Chicago, Illinois Veterans Administration https://www.va.gov/outreach-and-events/events/62366/ 11:00 AM EST Secretary Antony J. Blinken participates in a Defense Cooperation Agreement Signing Ceremony with Danish Foreign Minister Lars Rasmussen Department of State https://www.state.gov/public-schedule-december-21-2023/ https://www.youtube.com/statedept 11:10 AM EST Secretary Antony J. Blinken meets with Danish Foreign Minister Lars Rasmussen Department of State https://www.state.gov/public-schedule-december-21-2023/ 12:00 PM EST Freelancer Team Meeting National Press Club https://www.press.org/events/freelancer-team-meeting-7 12:00 PM EST Daily Press Briefing by the Spokesperson of the Secretary-General United Nations https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1m/k1m99fjxwr 12:00 PM EST Music in the Atrium: Classical Violin Performance National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services https://calendar.nih.gov/event/view/44584 1:00 PM EST Middle East Policy Advocates & Academics Discuss Israel-Hamas War Middle East policy advocates and academics discuss Israel’s military strategy in Gaza during a virtual conversation hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.c-span.org/video/?532545-1/middle-east-policy-advocates-academics-discuss-israel-hamas-war 1:00 PM EST Soldiers' Angels Military and Veteran Food Distribution - San Antonio, Texas Veterans Administration https://www.va.gov/outreach-and-events/events/52778/ 1:00 PM EST For the NRC staff to meet with stakeholders and members of the public to discuss implementation of the Very Low Safety Significance Issue Resolution (VLSSIR) process to Materials Business Lines in the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS). Nuclear Regulatory Commission https://www.nrc.gov/pmns/mtg https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?AccessionNumber=ML23341A161 1:00 PM EST December Virtual Office Hours with the Division of Integrative Organismal Systems (IOS) National Science Foundation https://new.nsf.gov/events/december-virtual-office-hours-division-integrative/2023-12-21 1:00 PM EST Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and NSC Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby James S. Brady Press Briefing Room https://www.whitehouse.gov/live/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWMinJqi244 - White House Daily Briefing White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and NSC Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby brief reporters on a range of issues. https://www.c-span.org/video/?532560-1/white-house-daily-briefing 2:00 PM EST Workforce Leadership Café #2 — Workforce Solutions Alamo The Aspen Institute https://www.aspeninstitute.org/series/workforce-leadership-cafe/ https://www.aspeninstitute.org/events/workforce-leadership-cafe-2-workforce-solutions-alamo/ 2:00 PM EST Monthly overview of International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI)'s Global Seasonal Climate Forecasts and ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation) status and forecast Climate School at Columbia University https://www.climate.columbia.edu/events/monthly-overview-iris-global-seasonal-climate-forecasts-and-enso-status-and-forecast-35 2:00 PM EST Meeting with NuScale Power, LLC on NuScale Standard Design Approval Application / Carbon Free Power Project Combined License Application Nuclear Regulatory Commission https://www.nrc.gov/pmns/mtg https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?AccessionNumber=ML23317A402 3:00 PM EST The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) will conduct a virtual draft supplemental environmental impact statement (DSEIS) meeting to gather comments necessary to prepare the final supplemental environmental impact statement (FSEIS) for the potential license renewal of the operating licenses for Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant (CPNPP), Units 1 and 2. Nuclear Regulatory Commission https://www.nrc.gov/pmns/mtg https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?AccessionNumber=ML23345A212 5:00 PM EST Washington Today Catch up on the stories of the day in Washington, DC. Hear portions of key events and interviews with journalists and policy makers who provide background and perspective. https://www.c-span.org/radio/ 6:00 PM EST Fifth Committee, 26th meeting (resumed) - General Assembly, 78th session: Closure of the work of the Fifth Committee during the main part of the seventy-eighth session of the General Assembly. United Nations https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k11/k11i10i39x 6:15 PM EST Live! at the Library: Café Concert with Seán Heely Library of Congress https://www.loc.gov/item/event-411276/live-at-the-library-cafe-concert-with-sean-heely/2023-12-21/ 6:30 PM EST Live! at the Library: "The Nightmare Before Christmas" Library of Congress https://www.loc.gov/item/event-411270/live-at-the-library-the-nightmare-before-christmas/2023-12-21/ 6:30 PM EST Washington Today Podcast Catch up on the biggest stories of the day from Washington with interviews and analysis from leading journalists. Posted weekdays at 6:30 pm ET. F https://www.c-span.org/podcasts/subpage/?series=washingtonToday Thursday C-SPAN's The Weekly Connecting today's political discourse with the past 40 years of politics. Using audio taken from C-SPAN's vast Video Library, each episode focuses on a theme tied to current events providing a unique perspective on today's news. https://www.c-span.org/podcasts/subpage/?series=theWeekly 7:25 PM EST WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART The Magic Flute — Holiday Presentation The Metropolitan Opera Free Live Audio Streams https://www.metopera.org/season/2023-24-season/the-magic-flute/ https://www.metopera.org/season/radio/free-live-audio-streams/ 7:30 PM EST Commodores, Featuring, trumpeter Sean Jones, Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University - Chicago, Illinois U.S. Navy Band https://www.navyband.navy.mil/events https://www.navyband.navy.mil/events/2023-dec-21-commodores-mccormick-place-west 7:30 PM EST White Christmas (Paramount, 1954) Library of Congress Packard Campus Theater https://www.loc.gov/item/event-411242/white-christmas-paramount-1954/2023-12-21/ 8:00 PM EST Artificial Intelligence Investment and Implementation Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI), chair of the House Committee on U.S.-China Competition, and Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall joined other government officials and tech industry leaders for a discussion on the investment and implementation of artificial intelligence during the 10th annual Reagan National Defense Forum at the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. Several topics were addressed, including the benefits AI applications offer the military, the importance of private-public partnerships in AI development, and budget needs for research and investment. They also addressed competition from adversaries, such as China, and the need to work alongside allies and partners to facilitate faster AI innovation and implementation. https://www.c-span.org/video/?532172-6/artificial-intelligence-investment-implementation 9:00 PM EST Books That Shaped America: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass In part four of Books that Shaped America, historian, author, and Howard University professor Edna Greene Medford explored the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, the first autobiography of abolitionist Frederick Douglass after his escape from slavery, published in 1845. https://www.c-span.org/video/?529912-1/books-shaped-america-narrative-life-frederick-douglass 10:27 PM EST Winter Solstice The first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere Beginning tomorrow night at 10:27 PM EST, the days start getting longer (for those of us in the northern hemisphere). >>20104319 pb https://www.almanac.com/content/first-day-winter-winter-solstice - - - December 22, 2023 7:45 AM EST Coverage of the Robotic Release of the Northrop Grumman Cygnus-19 Cargo Craft National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/nasa-tv-schedule-for-web-week-of-12-18-2023-rev-b.pdf https://plus.nasa.gov/scheduled-video/coverage-of-the-robotic-release-of-the-northrop-grumman-cygnus-19-cargo-craft/ https://www.nasa.gov/nasatv/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21X5lGlDOfg