This Week's Top Five Stories

Your weekly update of the most popular content from The Federalist. Be lovers of freedom and anxious for the fray [View this email in your browser]( 1. I Turned My Coworker Into HR When She Gave Me A Christmas Card, And She Changed My Heart By Chad Felix Greene A person who gives a gift featuring his or her sacred religious iconography is reaching out, showing kindness and sharing his or her faith with others. --------------------------------------------------------------- For years I have been one of the only Jewish people at my places of employment. I am currently the only Jew who wears a kippah at my office every day. In my heavily Southern Baptist and rural town, one would think I would be quite familiar with the consequences of being such an outsider. But, as any honest minority will tell you, that singular idea of what America must be like simply is not accurate. This image often lives exclusively in the minds of those intent on viewing the world as a hostile place, filled with bigotry [Full Article]( 2. A Democratic ‘Blue Wave’ In 2018? Not So Fast By John Daniel Davidson A string of recent GOP defeats suggest a 'blue wave' in next year's midterms. It's a nice theory, but Democrats simply aren't up to the task. --------------------------------------------------------------- In the wake of Roy Moore’s loss in Alabama’s special Senate election last week, together with a Republican loss in the Virginia governor’s race last month, pundits are beginning to murmur that the GOP should brace for huge losses in the 2018 midterms. Democrats, we’re told, are poised to take control of the Senate, the House of Representatives, at least five statehouses, and maybe even a half-dozen governorships. It’s going to be a blue wave. Democrats are going to capture a new American majority. Even Texas might turn blue. This isn’t an unreasonable view to take, given Trump’s persistently dismal approval ratings and the GOP-controlled Congress’s deep unpopularity. And of course history suggests that the party of a first-term president will usually lose seats in a midterm election. [Full Article]( 3. Here’s The One Big Thing ‘The Last Jedi’ Gets Right By Todd Peperkorn “The Last Jedi” came out this past weekend, in case you are the only person in North America who didn’t notice. From a strict movie point of view, it’s a hot mess. There’s a meandering plot, gratuitous scenes, campiness galore (Porgs? Really?), an occasional foray into SJW-land, and some incredibly unsatisfying moments. Who is Snoke? And in the name of all that is holy, why can’t that giant ship catch the little one for half the movie? Despite all of this and more, this movie moved me as few movies have done in recent memory. The reason is simple. It got the one thing right that matters. [Full Article]( 4. How This Rock Star And His Televangelist Wife Influence The White House By Josh Shepherd Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain met controversial pastor Paula White by chance. Now the rock star applauds his wife's role as chaplain to President Trump. --------------------------------------------------------------- Linger at any karaoke bar worldwide, past the crooning of current hits by Bruno Mars or Beyoncé, and inevitably one will hear a signature keyboard riff. It leads into a high-tenor opening line few singers can hit, though many try: “Just a small-town girl, living in a lonely world / She took the midnight train going anywhere.” Used by political campaigns and sports teams for decades, the rock ballad “Don’t Stop Believin’” has become the most downloaded track of the twentieth century, according to iTunes. First recorded in 1981 by arena rock band Journey, co-writer Jonathan Cain says the chorus hook came when he was a struggling musician back in the 1970s. [Full Article]( 5. Four Of The Biggest Myths About The Tax Cuts And Jobs Act By Justin Haskins The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act cuts rates for most tax brackets, substantially reduces business taxes, increases the standard deduction, and eliminates many tax loopholes and deductions. --------------------------------------------------------------- Congress passed historic, far-reaching tax reform legislation this week, and President Donald Trump is expected to sign it into law soon after some technical fixes. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act cuts rates for most tax brackets, substantially reduces corporate and small business taxes, increases the standard deduction for individuals and couples, and eliminates many tax loopholes and deductions. Since Republicans first rolled out their plan to implement tax reform, liberal pundits and Democrats have created and perpetuated a number of false claims about the legislation. Some are based on earlier bills, while others were crafted out of thin air to make it as difficult as possible for Republicans and President Trump to promote their plan to help Americans keep more of their own money. [Full Article]( Copyright © 2015 The Federalist, All rights reserved. You are receiving this e-mail because you opted in to receive e-mail updates from TheFederalist.com. Our mailing address is: The Federalist 8647 Richmond Highway Suite 618 Alexandria, VA 22309 [Add us to your address book]( This email was sent to {EMAIL} [why did I get this?]( [unsubscribe from this list]( [update subscription preferences]( The Federalist · 8647 Richmond Highway · Suite 618 · Alexandria, VA 22309 · USA