Top of the Fold

• Nationwide, between July 2020 and July 2021, the population — now approximately 331.8 million — only netted 392,665 people. The year-over-year increase of 0.1% equates to “an historically slow pace of growth,” explains Census Bureau demographer Kristie Wilder. National Review further notes: “The U.S. added almost 245,000 people from international migration but just 148,000 from new births supplanting deaths, marking the first time that migration contributed more to U.S. population growth than births. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, however, new immigration fell by about half from the previous year.” COVID notwithstanding, the birth rate remedy is courage and self-sacrifice.

• Last year, Mayor Lori Lightfoot — whose city of Chicago experienced 775 homicides in 2020 — told President Donald Trump, “What we do not need, and what will certainly make our community less safe is secret, federal agents deployed to Chicago.” This week, though, with 777 homicides thus far in 2021, Lightfoot “admitted that Chicago needed the help of the federal government to halt the out-of-control violence plaguing the city,” writes Rick Moran at PJ Media. Frankly, the best resources that can be provided are a new mayor and a whole new set of aldermen. New prosecutors wouldn’t hurt either.

Government & Politics

• Trump “very appreciative” and “surprised” Biden acknowledged his administration’s COVID vaccine success (Fox News)

• We’re shocked — shocked! Nearly $100 billion in pandemic relief funds stolen, Secret Service says (Washington Examiner)

• Biden agenda setbacks rattle Democrats facing tough elections (The Hill)

• Latest Durham filing reveals new conflict-of-interest legal woes for Clinton campaign (Daily Caller)

• And the other 30% had how much to drink? Seventy percent of voters say it’s been a “bad year” (The Washington Times)

ChiCom Corruption in the Academy

• Jury finds Harvard professor guilty of concealing China ties (National Review)

• Princeton took millions from CCP-linked school and think tank head (Free Beacon)

Health

• Life expectancy fell almost two years in 2020 (The Hill)

• Army-created super vaccine effective against all COVID variants (Newsweek)

Odds & Ends

• Inquisitive minds want to know: Vaxxed and boosted Jim Cramer just got COVID — so does he still think the military should run a universal COVID vaccination program? (Not the Bee)

• “Fair share” enough for you? Elon Musk to pay over $11 billion in taxes this year (PJ Media)

Closing Arguments

• Policy: Refusing to honor its commitment to Taiwan would harm the United States (The Federalist)

• Humor: It’s official: New White House dog to be named Karl Barx (Babylon Bee)

For more of today’s editors’ choice headlines, visit Headline Report.

The Patriot Post is a certified ad-free news service, unlike third-party commercial news sites linked on this page, which may also require a paid subscription.

FROM YOUR PATRIOT POST TEAM

• Nate Jackson: Even When Biden Gets It Right He Gets It Wrong — The president made another COVID speech full of badgering and misinformation.

• Thomas Gallatin: Buckle Up for the J6 ‘Anniversary’ — The White House and congressional Dems are trying to turn January 6 into September 11.

• Emmy Griffin: The War on Family at Christmastime — The devastation of the Culture War becomes more poignant at Christmas, when family and friends are meant to gather and celebrate.

• Douglas Andrews: Yet Another Hate Crime Hoax — If there were really a plague of such crimes, why would people need to fake them?

• Michael Swartz: A Republican Battle Royale in Georgia — Heritage grades the state’s election laws highly, but that hasn’t settled the GOP dispute.

• Thomas Gallatin: Biden’s HHS Turns Docs Into Propagandists — A new Medicare rule will provide bonuses to doctors who create and implement “anti-racism” plans into their practices.

• Douglas Andrews: Crime Soars as Incarcerations Plummet — The nation’s imprisonment numbers are way down, and — shocker — crime rates are way up.

• Roger Helle: For the Love of God — This Christmas, take time to be truly thankful for all you have.