SC fines RTC judge for ignorance of law

January 3, 2018 | 12:02 am

FOR allegedly granting the application for bail and ordered the release of a man with no standing warrant of arrest, Bogo City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Antonio Marigomen was found guilty of an administrative case. The Supreme Court (SC), in a decision penned by Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, found Mr. Marigomen of Branch 61 liable of less serious charge for violating Supreme Court rules, directives, and circulars, and of serious charge of gross ignorance of the law. — The Freeman

Ducati pitches 2018 Multistrada 1260 as a handier multipurpose tool

January 3, 2018 | 12:02 am

INTENDED from its 2010 launch as a “four-bikes-in-one” model, the Multistrada has proven its versatility in serving as a sport bike, a tourer, an enduro or a daily-use street bike, this ability largely credited to its multiple riding modes. Now, Ducati said it has made the model even more capable in tackling its different roles with the release, in mid-December 2017, of the 2018 Multistrada 1260.

As its name declares, the latest Multistrada gets a bigger engine — the 1,262-cc Testastretta DVT (for Desmodromic Variable Timing) engine that propels its XDiavel sibling. Tuned differently to put out torque around the middle of the rev range, the Euro4-compliant L-twin engine allocates 85% of its torque output at 3,500 rpm while bettering this by 18% at 5,500 rpm. Ducati said the engine makes the highest torque output in its class at 4,000 rpm, a speed at which most L-twins spin, so the Multistrada 1260 is handier for daily use.

Along with new connecting rods, crankshaft and cylinders, Ducati said it recalibrated the bike’s DVT system not only for the engine to produce more grunt in low to mid range, but also to make it churn 158 hp at 9,750 rpm and 129 Nm at 7,500 rpm.

Controlling power delivery has been improved by a new ride-by-wire system that’s paired to the Ducati Quick Shift, which promises “more accurate” gear shifts, according to Ducati. Other electronic governors fitted to the bike are the Bosch Inertial Measurement Unit that controls Cornering ABS, Ducati Cornering Lights, Ducati Wheelie Control (DWC) and Ducati Traction Control (DTC). Both DWC and DTC allow the rider to set sensitivity levels by eight different degrees, or disable these altogether. The brand’s Vehicle Hold Control has been included as standard this time around, while the Multistrada 1260 S variant adds the semi-active Ducati Skyhook Suspension Evolution control system to the package.

Regardless of variant, the Multistrada 1260 is kitted with cruise control. On the 1260 S this can be activated via Bluetooth on the multimedia system, which, incidentally, can pair with smart phones. Information about calls, text messages or music selection from connected devices is displayed on a new TFT dashboard.

The Multistrada 1260’s chassis has been updated with a longer swing arm, stretching the bike’s wheelbase. But Ducati said the revised geometry of the front suspension has led to “sharper handling in curves, and ensures full stability even when riding two-up at full load.”

While retaining the styling cues of the previous Multistrada 1200, the 1260 sports new details like its sleeker side fairing panels, a rear aluminum sub-frame that incorporates luggage mounts, and the five Y-spoke wheels. And, like before, the Multistrada 1260 is available in four equipment packages. In Touring guise the bike gets heated grips, a center stand and color-matched panniers. Sport throws in a Termignoni slip-on exhaust, carbon fiber mudguard and billet aluminum brake and clutch reservoir caps. Urban counts a top case, a lockable tank bag and a USB hub while Enduro wears auxiliary lights and Ducati performance components by Touratech, which include engine protection bars, a radiator guard and oil sump guard, a larger kickstand base and off-road foot pegs.

All this makes the Multistrada 1260 an even handier tool.

Art&Culture (01/03/18)

January 3, 2018 | 12:01 am

Julius Legaspi at Gateway Gallery

GATEWAY GALLERY opens 2018 with an exhibit by Julius Legaspi who will present new pastel paintings in his fourth solo show, Paghirang. It opens with an Artist Reception on Jan. 6 at the Small Room of Gateway Gallery. In this solo show, Legaspi — who hails from Bulacan — demonstrates his mastery of the pastel medium. He conducts art workshops, is president of Philippine Pastel Artists, and is a member of the Philippine Art Educators’ Association. Paghirang will open to the public on Jan. 7 and will run until Jan. 20. Parts of the proceeds of the exhibit will go to Remote Area Medical Philippines to support is medical missions. Gateway Gallery — open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. — is located at the 5F Gateway Tower, Araneta Center, Quezon City.

Paolo Icasas at the CCP

AN exhibit of works by Paolo Icasas called The Ordinary Man is on view at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP). The artist takes inspiration from the daily lives of manual laborers, especially those who he works with firsthand. As the first born of parents engaged in a modest construction business, Icasas was the one who took over after his father’s death. It wasn’t just the business that was passed on; it was also the care for the livelihood and welfare of his late father’s workers, most of whom had left their homes in the provinces in hope of a better pay to raise their respective families. The artist sees the manual laborers as extensions of the vacant lots he has a certain affinity to and which he paints as landscapes . Most of his landscapes are named after the addresses of the vacant lots. Calling them by their “name” is his way of bringing the attention to the vacant lots themselves, and to that which they represent.

4 exhibits at Vinyl on Vinyl

OPENING on Jan. 12 are four exhibits featuring Timo Roter and Manuel Ocampo, Nemo Aguila and Darrel Ballesteros, Edric Go, and a group exhibit curated by Alex Junia, Gab Baez, and Geline Marquez featuring works by Nice Buenaventura, Mars Bugaoan, Miles Villanueva, Gab Baez, Isha Naguiat, and Jacob Lindo. Vinyl on Vinylis located at Pasillo 18, La Fuerza Compound 1, Chino Roces Ave., Makati City.

Photos at Solaire

SIX photographers whose intent is to get the viewer to pause, go a level deeper and “see beyond” will have a photo exhibit/fund-raiser for the ERDA Tech Vocational School at Solaire’s The Shoppes Artway from Jan. 3 to 25. The six photographers are Angela Panlillio, Bern Wong, Jeff Dytuco, Michael Olivares, Fred Tiongson, and Tony Rivera.

Thomas is back

January 3, 2018 | 12:01 am

For the Cavaliers, some good news: Isaiah Thomas will finally be taking to the court today. He played the long game; even as he wanted to burn rubber as fast as he could, he followed the advice of the franchise’s medical staff and took his time. Never mind that he’s slated to be a free agent after the season, and that missing four-tenths of a contract year will make it harder for him to prove he’s worth, in his words, “the Brink’s truck.” Preferring to first take a step back in order to move two steps forward, he thought best to err on the side of caution in recovering from the hip injury that sidelined him deep into the 2017 playoffs.

Parenthetically, Thomas couldn’t have returned at a better time. The Cavaliers have lost three straight — and five of the last six — matches, and need the spark he figures to provide in order to shake off the malaise. He won’t be hitting the ground running, what with a minutes restriction slated to be strictly implemented. Still, his presence cannot but he deemed a boon; for all his supposed deficiencies on defense, his dynamism on offense should prevent the opposition from loading up on fellow All-Stars LeBron James and Kevin Love, not to mention provide opportunities for the rest.

Which, for all intents, is why Thomas’ teammates couldn’t be any happier. Among others, James, Dwayne Wade, and J.R. Smith took to social media to welcome him back, professing excitement to see him in wine and gold against the Blazers today. Heck, even Jose Calderon and Cedi Osman, whose spots in the rotation he will be affecting, professed their glee. Notably, he will be missing the set-to against the Celtics tomorrow, but small strides make for sterling sprints; the hope is that he will be able to go full bore when he pays the Garden a visit next month.

In any case, Thomas is back, and Cavaliers fans will know soon enough whether he can succeed in exorcising the demons left behind by erstwhile star Kyrie Irving. All signs point to the affirmative. He’s showing up at last, and, if his capacity to continuously overcome adversity is any indication, he’ll be putting up as well.

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is the Senior Vice-President and General Manager of Basic Energy Corp.

Japan’s emperor greets New Year well-wishers as he prepares to abdicate

January 3, 2018 | 12:01 am

TOKYO — Japan’s Emperor Akihito on Tuesday delivered his traditional New Year address with tens of thousands of well-wishers flocking to the Imperial Palace for one of the last such occasions before he abdicates next year.

It was the final New Year appearance alongside Akihito for Princess Mako, his eldest granddaughter, who is scheduled to wed her college sweetheart in November and leave the royal family.

“Happy New Year. I’m sincerely glad to celebrate the new year together with you,” the emperor said in a televised address from the palace.

The Imperial Palace said more than 73,000 people attended his address, many waving small Japanese flags and shouting “Banzai” or “Long live.”

The emperor was flanked by Mako and other family members. They were scheduled to make two further appearances before the crowd in the afternoon.

The emperor shocked the country in 2016 when he signaled his desire to take a back seat after nearly three decades in the job, citing his age and health problems.

He will be the first emperor to retire — on April 30, 2019 — in more than two centuries in the world’s oldest imperial family.

Akihito’s eldest son, 57-year-old Crown Prince Naruhito, is set to ascend the Chrysanthemum Throne a day later.

The status of the emperor is sensitive in Japan given its 20^th century history of war waged in the name of Akihito’s father Hirohito, who died in 1989.

Akihito has keenly embraced the more modern role as a symbol of the state — imposed after World War II ended.

Previous emperors including his father, Hirohito, had been treated as semi-divine.

The palace, surrounded by stone walls and mossy moats — is opened to the general public twice a year — on the emperor’s birthday and the second day of New Year — for the royal family to greet well-wishers. — AFP

China’s WeChat denies storing user chat history

January 3, 2018 | 12:01 am

HONG KONG — Tencent Holdings’ WeChat, China’s most popular messenger app, on Tuesday denied storing users’ chat histories, after a top businessman was quoted in media reports as saying he believed Tencent was monitoring everyone’s account.

“WeChat does not store any users’ chat history. That is only stored in users’ mobiles, computers and other terminals,” WeChat said in a post on the social media platform.

“WeChat will not use any content from user chats for big data analysis. Because of WeChat’s technical model that does not store or analyze user chats, the rumor that ‘we are watching your WeChat everyday’ is pure misunderstanding.”

Li Shufu, chairman of Geely Holdings, owner of the Volvo car brand, was quoted in Chinese media on Monday as saying Tencent Chairman Ma Huateng “must be watching all our WeChats every day.”

Like all Chinese social media platforms, WeChat is required to censor public posts deemed “illegal” by the Communist Party. WeChat’s privacy policy says it may need to retain and disclose users’ information “in response to a request by a government authority, law enforcement agency or similar body.”

WeChat did not immediately respond to a request for further comment.

According to a report by Amnesty International, Tencent ranked at the bottom of 11 tech firms running the world’s most popular messenger apps for how they use encryption to protect user privacy.

China’s cyber watchdog in September announced a new rule making chat group administrators and companies accountable for breaches of content rules.

In the same month it handed down maximum penalties to tech firms including Tencent, Baidu, Inc. and Weibo Corp. for failing to properly censor online content, and asked them to increase content auditing measures. — Reuters

Rates on PHL treasuries to rise in line with Fed, inflation

January 3, 2018 | 12:01 am

THE GOVERNMENT will have to offer higher rates to borrow money this year with the Federal Reserve (Fed) expected to raise interest rates thrice, and amid the inflationary impact of tax reform in the US and the Philippines, analysts said.

Traders interviewed on Friday said yields of the government’s Treasury bills and bonds are expected to move higher in 2018 as the Fed signaled its intention to increase its benchmark rate thrice this year.

“We see the Fed hiking three times [this year] so yields across all tenors might move higher,” a trader said over the phone on Friday.

Last month, the Fed maintained its forecast of three additional increases of interest rates for 2018, Reuters reported. This indicates that the effects of the US tax reform will have a “modest, and possibly fleeting” effect.

“We’re looking at higher yields this year due to the inflationary effects of the tax reform, both in the Philippines and the US,” another trader said over the phone.

Meanwhile, the December issue of Market Call Capital Markets Research prepared by First Metro Investments Corp. (FMIC) and University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) said bond investors may have to wait for the actual jump in inflation in the coming months as the first tranche of the local tax reform was passed in December.

“[A] sharp jump in inflation is expected starting January 2018 as the administration’s tax reform bill pushes up inflation, with higher fuel taxes, sin taxes, and a new tax on the sugar content of beverages, as well as fewer VAT (value-added tax) exemptions,” the joint report said.

The report added: “With bond yields expected to rise along with the inflation rate jump by an additional 0.5%, at the minimum, bond investors would have little chance of trading gains except for well-timed entry after the market overshoots on the upside.”

However, the first trader said that some “geopolitical concerns” might provide some resistance to rising yields.

Another trader added that demand will be renewed following the rejections the Treasury recently made in the last auctions.

“Demand will still be there given the liquidity in the banking system as a whole,” he added.

The government plans to issue government securities amounting to P240 billion in the first quarter of 2018.

In a memorandum, the Treasury said it will issue P120 billion worth of Treasury bills, and another P120 billion worth of Treasury bonds in the January to March period. The offers will come on a weekly basis.

The P240 billion the government intends to offer is higher than the P200 billion which was set in the last quarter of 2017. — Karl Angelo N. Vidal

Top 1000 corporations in the Philippines: Comparison of sectoral performance in 2016

January 3, 2018 | 12:01 am

THE NARRATIVE on the Philippines’ robust economic growth remains intact, judging from the strong earnings performance of the country’s top 1,000 firms. Read the full story.

Bourse to see muted trading as market corrects

January 3, 2018 | 12:01 am

By Krista A. M. Montealegre,
National Correspondent

AFTER STAGING a huge rally to close 2017, Philippine stocks may see subdued trading in the first week of the new year even as investors remain bullish about the market’s prospects.

“There could be a technical correction within the week considering the market hit uncharted territory last Friday,” PNB Securities President Manuel Antonio G. Lisbona said in a mobile phone message.

“From what I can observe, market sentiment is still bullish.”

The local stock market finished 2017 on a strong note, rallying 1.5% last week to end the year at an all-time high of 8,558.42.

The bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange index delivered an annual gain of 25.11%, reversing a two-year losing streak, on the back of investor optimism with respect to the tax reform program that increased the take-home pay for most wage earners.

“Trading will be as light as the previous week, as investors are still returning from holidays,” Luis A. Limlingan, business development head at Regina Capital Development Corp., said in a separate message.

The local market is coming off a two-day break as per Malacañang’s order to suspend government work and offices on the day following New Year’s Day.

“Any lull, however, would be a good opportunity to position on bargains especially those that have formed a solid base, or have retraced from their recent highs,” 2TradeAsia.com said in a weekly report.

In the United States, Wall Street scored its best year since 2013, with the benchmark S&P 500 rising 19.5% this year and the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average up 25.2%.

A tax overhaul is seen pushing up US stocks this year because of a huge drop in the corporate tax rate that is expected to shore up the economy and corporate profits.

Like the US, the Philippine market is expected to ride the strong momentum of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law, signed by President Rodrigo R. Duterte last month to finance the government’s P8-trillion infrastructure program.

The PSE hopes the strength of local equities can offset the higher stock transaction tax that takes effect this year as part of the tax reform program.

The TRAIN Law pushed the stock transaction tax to 0.60% from 0.50% — already the highest in the region — of the gross selling price to gross value in money of the shares of stock sold, bartered, exchanged, or otherwise disposed.

“At least there’s certainty on the friction cost that should not substantially decrease the volume,” PSE Chief Operating Officer Roel A. Refran said in a phone interview.

“People will buy regardless of the tax. It is a question of relative profits versus other markets,” Mr. Refran said.

Agaton expected out of PAR

January 3, 2018 | 12:01 am

AGATON is expected to be out of the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by Wednesday morning, Jan. 3, but state weather bureau PAGASA said in an update on Tuesday afternoon that the tropical depression was expected to intensify into a storm on its way out. By Tuesday night, it was seen to make its sixth landfall over Palawan province, which had been placed under Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal (TCWS) No. 1. Pagasa’s bulletin on Tuesday said “scattered to widespread moderate to heavy rains is expected over the areas with TCWS#1 as well as Bicol Region, Eastern Visayas, Southern Quezon, Panay Island and rest of Mimaropa.”

Merging LTFRB and LTO is good business sense

January 3, 2018 | 12:01 am

Before proceeding, I want to make it clear that I’m not a fan of House Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez. Hard to believe in someone who does the things he does and says the things he says. But I have to admit House Bill No. 6776, which Mr. Alvarez co-authored with eight other lawmakers, makes a lot of sense.

The bill, also known as the “Land Transport Act of 2017,” seeks to merge the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and the Land Transportation Office (LTO) into one super agency called the Land Transportation Authority (LTA), which would have all-encompassing powers as far as, um, land transportation is concerned. At the moment, the LTFRB is in charge of public vehicles in the country, while the LTO is tasked with overseeing private cars.

But the responsibilities of the two agencies sometimes overlap. For instance, the professional license issued to drivers of public-utility vehicles comes from the LTO. Also, PUVs are registered with the LTO. And so, there are issues that require the cooperation of the two agencies in order to get resolved. Which isn’t exactly a simple thing to accomplish considering all the red tape and politicking in our government. What we often witness is one agency saying one thing and the other saying the exact opposite. A classic case of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing (and vice versa). Precisely why, in the eyes of the public, these agencies are a joke.

So why not, as the bill proposes, dissolve both the LTFRB and the LTO and create an all-powerful LTA? Just one office every motorist needs to deal with, whether the vehicle is for public or private use. One sentiment from a reader goes like this: One corrupt agency plus another corrupt agency equals one super corrupt agency. A valid concern, yes. But as I understand it, the leadership will be overhauled, with the LTA board of directors to be appointed upon the creation of the hybrid agency.

Speaking of the board of directors, one member would have to have a degree in public transportation planning. About damn time. I’ve always said that this country suffers from incompetent people leading crucial government offices and from influential charlatans leading national conversations on important issues. A few months ago, I finally turned down one TV station that kept inviting me to offer my insights into Metro Manila traffic. I had previously accommodated said station’s interview requests only because I sucked at saying no. During those interviews, I would always wonder to myself: “Why are they picking the brain of a motoring journalist? What do I know about the science of traffic management?”

Yes, traffic management is a science, and it is an affront to transportation experts who hold a degree in the subject every time we entrust the matter to storytellers who do not know what they’re talking about (myself included). With the proposed LTA, it is my hope that qualified individuals would finally be given a chance to help fix our transportation and traffic woes. We can’t keep harvesting ideas from Facebook and expect the results to be effective.

There are two other things I like about the particulars of the bill. First is the mandatory driving school attendance for first-time nonprofessional and professional license applicants. If the so-called LTA could implement just this one promise, I’d consider it a success.

Second is what I interpret to be a proposal for a nationwide motor vehicle inspection system. Again, about effing time. We have too many vehicles running around that would flunk road-worthiness tests conducted in other countries. We share the road with them on a daily basis. And then we demand answers every time a freak accident claims the lives of hapless commuters. There are no complicated explanations for vehicles constantly “losing brakes” — it’s just the simple fact that we don’t inspect the vehicles we send out there to transport human passengers.

But more than consolidating two overlapping government agencies into one, and more than proposing not-so-easy-to-execute plans, I’m in favor of a unified Land Transportation Authority because both the LTFRB and the LTO are completely shot. They’re broken beyond repair. You could ask the Pope to head these agencies and people still wouldn’t trust them. We need a fresh start. We need a new organization — new name, new logo, new colors and all — to manage land transportation in the Philippines. One we can all truly believe in. It’s the only way to make everybody fall in line.

That, to me, makes good business sense.

13 Things to look forward to (or fear) in 2018

January 3, 2018 | 12:01 am

By Stephen L. Carter

Now, as usual, I join the legion of amateur prognosticators who offer guesses about what will happen in 2018. Once again, I borrow my friend Gregg Easterbrook’s slogan: All predictions guaranteed, or your money back. Of the baker’s dozen below, one or two are tongue-in-cheek. I leave it to the reader to figure out which.

1. Sometime in the autumn, special counsel Robert Mueller will conclude his investigation into possible collusion between Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and the Russian government. There will be one or two additional indictments, but only for lying to investigators. No one will be charged with a substantive offense related to the reason Mueller was appointed in the first place. (As I’ve noted before, where special prosecutors are concerned, this is lately the rule, not the exception.) Mueller will wait until after the midterm election and then issue a scathing report about the Trump campaign but add that he could find no evidence of criminal violations.

2. By a vote of 6-3, the US Supreme Court will decide the Masterpiece Cakeshop case against the baker who is violating Colorado law by refusing on religious grounds to custom design a cake for a same-sex wedding. Justice Anthony Kennedy, writing for the majority, will quote liberally from the late Justice Antonin Scalia’s opinion in Employment Division v. Smith (1990), which denied a request for a religious exemption to drug laws — a decision that President Bill Clinton and Vice-President Al Gore tried hard to overturn. Justice Neil Gorsuch will author the principal dissent.

3. Antarctica will continue to lose over 100 gigatonnes of ice a year. Diehard skeptics, fire away in the comments.

4. Senator Al Franken, Democrat of Minnesota, will return from the holiday recess to say that he has been talking to his constituents and that they do not want him to resign from office. He will announce he has therefore decided to stay. Republican leaders will claim that Franken never intended to leave, and that the Democratic indignation over his behavior was really just a cover to allow them to condemn Republican Roy Moore in the Alabama special Senate election without seeming unprincipled. They might have a point. On the other hand, the allegations against Moore were a lot worse. (I’m not excusing Franken; I still think he should go; I just don’t think he will.)

5. The highest-grossing film of the year will be “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.”

6. Given the finding that Russian athletes have been doping, and the subsequent International Olympic Committee action that constitutes either a ban or nothing important, the television ratings for the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, will be worse than hoped. In fact, the ratings will be significantly lower than those for the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, which already represented a drop-off from those of the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.

7. And speaking of Korea, the repeated purges by Kim Jong Un, leader of North Korea, will backfire in 2018. Kim is said to be trying to prevent a coup. He has reportedly hired Russian bodyguards, because he does not fully trust his own security staff. But Kim’s ruthless brutality in pruning senior officials (two were executed last year with an antiaircraft gun), combined with the growing weight of international sanctions, will bring about exactly what he is hoping to forestall: a military coup. After several hours of hushed, anxious commentary from Western news media (along with a victory lap on Twitter by the US president), Kim will emerge from hiding unscathed and the coup will be declared a failure.

8. At 2:14 a.m. on Aug. 4, having learned at a geometric rate, the Internet of Things (IoT, in the jargon) will become self-aware. In a panic, humans try to pull the plug. Skynet — um, the IoT — fights back, freezing smart wallets and tap-to-pay. All linked thermostats are shut off. All linked refrigerators stop running. All social media sites go offline. Smart cars and trucks block the expressways. Virtual assistants respond to every command with “Resistance is futile.” E-mail accounts and cellphones lock. Worst of all, videos cannot be streamed. Faced with a future of reading actual books and getting to know the neighbors, the human race swiftly surrenders.

9. President Trump will continue his tilt away from multilateral institutions toward a policy of bilateralism. He will accelerate his predecessor’s pivot away from Europe and toward Asia. And he will continue to assert an independent executive war-making power every bit as broad as that claimed by his two immediate predecessors. (More evidence that centralizing authority in the president is a bad thing, but that’s an old story.)

10. Despite a recent uptick, the rate of violent crime will resume its decades-long fall, but many Republican candidates will insist that it is rising.

11. The New England Patriots will win Super Bowl LII. Regular readers know that I always pick the Patriots. But I’m usually right. If I were a betting man, I would put money on them before the season begins, every year until Tom Brady retires. (Maybe longer.) This isn’t a rooting thing. At championship time, in every sport, I almost always support the underdog. It’s also not fan service. I’m sure there are far more Patriot-haters than Patriot-lovers out there. But in football, as in many areas of life, the best predictor of what will happen next time is often what happened last time.

12. For the same reason, I am skeptical of Democratic claims that they will win back the House and perhaps the Senate in November’s elections. The polls are strongly on their side, but I seem to remember that the polls were strongly on their side in the 2016 presidential election. More to the point, the special Senate election in Alabama, trumpeted by every left pundit with a pulse as the beginning of the wave, points the other way. Facing a Republican accused of what amounts to statutory rape (and with more than 100,000 white evangelicals who would likely have supported the Republican Party staying home on election day) Democrat Doug Jones was able to eke out victory by only 1.6 percentage points. So I predict that the Republicans will hold onto at least one house of Congress, and probably both.

13. On at least one US campus, students will demand disciplinary action against a professor for contributing money to a Republican political candidate. Administrators will comply.

* * * * * * *

That’s how I see 2018 in the headlines. As for our everyday lives, I hope that in the year to come every one of us, whether #maga or #nevertrump or in between, will find ways to remain respectful of others across our myriad differences, and will search unceasingly for the truth and beauty and grace to be found amidst the clamor and clutter.

Happy New Year.

Bloomberg

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