A short, but important, Christmas lesson

​​A bustling Christmas market, filled with the sights and sounds of the holiday season. Amidst the crowds, a young boy named Thomas walks beside his mother, his eyes wide with wonder.

As they pass a stall overflowing with delicious treats, Thomas spots a beautiful gingerbread cookie shaped like a reindeer. His heart aches for it, but he knows they can't afford any extra treats.  

Seeing the longing in her son's eyes, Thomas's mother offers to buy the cookie. However, Thomas refuses, insisting they save their money for things they truly need. He tells his mother he doesn't need anything, all he wants is for her to be happy.

Touched by his selfless act, Thomas's mother kneels down and hugs him tightly. She explains that the greatest gift of all is not something you can buy, but the love and kindness you share with others.

With tears welling in his eyes, Thomas understands. He realizes that the true meaning of Christmas lies not in the presents, but in the love and compassion we show towards one another.

​As they continue their journey through the Christmas market, Thomas no longer focuses on the things he doesn't have. Instead, he finds joy in the simple things: the twinkle of the lights, the sound of carols, and the warmth of his mother's hand in his. He knows that the most precious gift of all is the love he shares with his family and the kindness he can show to others.

A plea for more support for Ukraine

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Speaking at the Ukrainian American Community Center in Minneapolis last week, Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova described, and decried, "a barrage of missiles and drones on peaceful cities every day."

And yet, Kyiv's envoy to Washington added, "We will stay the course. We need you, our friends, to stay the course with us."

That includes Ukraine's friends in Congress, which should be every representative and senator. But what was once perceived as an unbreakable bond between Washington and Kyiv shows signs of deep strain, leading to a White House warning that U.S. funding for Ukraine's war effort is about to run out.

"I want to be clear," Shalanda D. Young, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, wrote to congressional leaders as part of the Biden administration's latest push for an additional $61.4 billion in aid. "Without congressional action, by the end of the year we will run out of resources to procure more weapons and equipment for Ukraine and to provide equipment from U.S. military stocks.

"There is no magical pot of funding available," the letter continued. "We are out of money — and nearly out of time."

Congress can't allow this to continue. It must help Ukraine defend itself from Russia's full-scale invasion, which threatens not only Ukraine but also NATO nations — and by extension, America.

"Cutting off the flow of U.S. weapons and equipment will kneecap Ukraine on the battlefield, not only putting at risk the gains Ukraine has made, but increasing the likelihood of Russian military victories," wrote Young, who correctly pointed out that "helping Ukraine defend itself and secure its future as a sovereign, democratic, independent, and prosperous nation advances our national security interests. It prevents larger conflict in the region that could involve NATO and put U.S. forces in harm's way and deters future aggression, making us all safer."

According to the administration, as of mid-November Congress had allocated about $111 billion to aid Ukraine. The Defense Department has used 97% of the $62.3 billion it has been allocated, and the State Department has used all of the $4.7 billion in military assistance it has received. About 24% has been used for economic and civilian security assistance like demining, which Young said is "just as essential to Ukraine's survival as military assistance."

In fact, she added, "If Ukraine's economy collapses, they will not be able to keep fighting, full stop. [Russian President Vladimir] Putin understands this well, which is why Russia has made destroying Ukraine's economy central to its strategy — which you can see in its attacks against Ukraine's grain exports and energy infrastructure."

Ukraine "looks to the West not just for military arms, but for day-to-day funding and functioning of the government," Thomas Hanson, a former Foreign Service officer who is now diplomat-in-residence at the University of Minnesota Duluth, told an editorial writer. "Closing off the spigot right at this juncture, as winter is settling in, would just make a very difficult situation that much more dire."

The country, Hanson added, fears falling in priority to U.S. domestic issues in an election year, as well as to other international crises like the war in the Mideast. Those are dynamics Putin may be counting on.
Putin, said Hanson, "has gambled all along that the staying power of the West would not be elastic."

Support is stronger among congressional Democrats than Republicans, as many MAGA lawmakers look to former President Donald Trump for direction. Instead, they should look to the legacy of Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, two GOP presidents, among others, who recognized the Russian (or Soviet) threat and built bipartisan consensus to curb it. For their part, Democratic lawmakers should be willing to compromise on key Republican priorities like border security. Finding common ground, Hanson suggested, could come from considering the signal that flinching from supporting Ukraine might send to China.

Among those listening to the Ukrainian ambassador last week in Minneapolis were several soldiers injured in Ukraine, some here to be fitted for prosthetics. Others, tragically, have already paid the ultimate price, and more will die defending their country.

Ukraine has not asked the U.S for forces — only assistance.

"We are out of money to support Ukraine in this fight," Young's letter concluded.

"This isn't a next year problem. The time to help a democratic Ukraine fight against Russian aggression is right now. It is time for Congress to act."

Indeed, Congress should act yet this year. Or next year's problem may be even worse.

The message the nation's ambassador brought to Minneapolis is one Congress needs to hear.

How to ID Social Security scams WHITNEY VA NDIVER

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When the Social Security Administration calls, you pick up. But between October 2022 and June 2023, more than 55,000 people who answered calls from what they thought was the government agency said they were scammed.

Allegations of Social Security scams increased 61.7% in the quarters ending in June 2022 and June 2023, according to the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General.

The most common tactic is simple: Scammers say they are with the SSA and ask for personal information or money.

Impostor scams gain victims' trust by appropriating federal agencies' authority, said Stacey Wood, the chair of psychology at Scripps College in Claremont, Calif. Some impersonate officials with fake IDs or use caller IDs that resemble government phone numbers.

Because Social Security is a significant income stream for older adults, they are often more likely to answer calls or respond to letters out of fear of missing something important, Wood says.

Seniors also tend to be more lucrative targets. "They have more assets, so it's just a better use of scammers' time to exploit older people," Wood says.

So how do you know if a scammer's calling? If they tell you any of these four stories, it's time to hang up.

1. Your Social Security number is suspended and they need your personal information to reactivate it.
Why you should hang up: The government doesn't suspend Social Security numbers.  Fraudsters are after personal information to steal your identity.


2. Your benefits are suspended and they need your Social Security number or say you need to pay a fee to get them reinstated.
Why you should hang up: Both scenarios are bogus — the SSA doesn't call and ask for your Social Security number or charge you to correct your benefits.


3. You can pay a fee to increase benefits.
Why you should hang up: This scam is commonly associated with the SSA's annual cost-of-living adjustment.  Impostors offer to apply the increase if you pay for the service. The truth? The SSA automatically applies that increase to benefits.

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4. You owe money as a penalty or a correction for overpayment.
They may threaten to suspend benefits or have you arrested if you don't pay immediately.
W hy you should hang up: Scammers often request payment through wire transfers, cryptocurrency, prepaid debit cards, gift cards or by mailing cash — none of which the Social Security Administration accepts. Scammers like these payment methods because they are practically impossible to trace.
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Vandiver writes for NerdWallet.