So let’s round up and chow down one last time:
* Special forces apparently working to release hostages taken by Islamists in Mali.
* Marco Rubio–you know, the Establishment darling–allows as how U.S. may need to close mosques even though “closing mosques” is not what closing mosques would be “about.”
* Chinese police kill 28 in response to September attack in largely Muslim province of Xinjiang.
* Disturbing story by Lillis and Wang of The Hill about last-minute lobbying from DHS’ Johnson and White House’s McDonough that seems to have lost Democratic voters on the refugee issue.
* Jeet Heer piece at TNR on latest burst of Trump-o-mania accompanied by really alarming photo of young woman seeming to go into religious ecstasy as The Donald touches her infant son. Yikes.
And in non-political news:
* Winter Storm Bella bringing first snow of season to Midwest.
As we break for lunch, here’s another just incredibly fun video: Buddy Guy covering Junior Kimbrough’s “Baby Please Don’t Leave Me.”
