The Spill: Pro-Democracy Win

Thanksgiving Surprise: Trump’s Secret Trip to Visit the Troops

President Donald Trump surprised American troops in Afghanistan for Thanksgiving. He secretly left the United States and showed up unannounced in Afghanistan just in time to have Thanksgiving dinner with the soldiers.

Trump spent about three hours there. He also met with Afghan president Ashraf Ghani, and then the two leaders addressed the troops to thank them for their service. Trump said, “There’s nowhere I’d rather spend Thanksgiving than with the toughest, fiercest warriors. I’m here to say Happy Thanksgiving and thank you very much.”

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The Evolution of Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate with friends and family. While eating that extra piece of pumpkin pie may be common during today’s celebration, this traditional holiday started a whole lot differently. It took centuries before Thanksgiving became a nationally celebrated day.

A group of religious separatists left Plymouth, England, in September 1620 on the small ship Mayflower, seeking a place where they could practice their faith freely. It took 66 days to arrive near the tip of Cape Cod and then another month to reach the Massachusetts Bay, where they finally began establishing a village.

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A Pro-Democracy Win In Hong Kong Election

Pro-democracy protests have been going on in Hong Kong for several months. Student demonstrations continue against new laws imposed by the central Chinese government in Beijing. Some of the protests turned violent, and the group appeared to shrink to a small group of hardcore activists. A recent election in the city has revealed, however, that the protestors have wide support.

The district council election in Hong Kong gave a landslide victory to the pro-democracy camp. This is thought to reflect public opinion on the Chinese Communist Party’s interference in the governance of the former British colony.

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Smartphone Ban and Chickenization

A group of students at New York’s Adelphi University recently got a taste of smartphone-free life. As part of a course in technology addiction, titled “Life Unplugged,” students were asked to give up their phones for seven days – the devices were stored by college security in sealed plastic bags to make sure nobody could give in to temptation.

Although the students had made emergency contact arrangements and were allowed access to computers during the period, they were nervous about giving up their smartphones.  “This is going to test how brave I am,” commented Melonie Klein. “My hands are shaking right now,” another student joked.

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