When I think of #DickCheney, I recall this haunting 2025 photo by Chris Hondros of a young girl, screaming, her hands soaked in blood, taken after her parents were shot dead by US troops in Tal Afar, Iraq. I recall other horrifying images and the war that unleashed hell courtesy of Cheney & company.

Read story. The interviewee says Trump is authoritarian. The question here is what might happen next regarding erosion of democracy and how we recover.

More photos they shared with me, showing Abdul Baset al-Sarout, a goalkeeper and icon of the revolution; the revolution flag painted over the once-ubiquitous image of Bashar Assad; a monument covered with fliers seeking info about those disappeared and missing.

Mohamed Khairullah visited a mosque where his grandfather's sermons on human rights made him a target. There, he tore an old flag off its mast.

"This regime is now behind us, and it’s a memory to us, something that we step on and we step over as we move forward. At least for me, I feel free."

Waddah Azzawi hugged a border guard.
"He was very respectful. He greeted us and said 'Welcome back.' He asked us if anyone had asked us for a bribe, because it was common practice in the old regime. He asked if anyone bothered us, and we said no. He told us, 'Welcome home. This is your country.'"

Hamid Imam reunited with his mother in Damascus, then went on a “tour of freedom" visiting places of protest & sacrifice.

"I don't recall being happier than this. There's a lot of pride and relief, but there is also sadness...Every single spot you go through, you see buildings burned & destroyed.'

Among my memories of 2024: the time Joni Mitchell sported my grandmother's signature look at the Grammys. My jidda also wore two long braids, not visible in this photo. My family and I watching Grammys all did a doubletake.

The velvet dress, braids, gold jewelry, all of it was spot on!

Syrian American families celebrate in North Jersey on Sunday the end of Assad regime & are optimistic for the future of a free Syria. What an incredible time. People here are overjoyed. After so much pain and loss, this was emotional. Story to follow.

Snapped these photos when I visited Damascus in the late 90s. I imagine these like so many other omnipresent Assad banners have been torn down.

Such an astounding turn of events. I’ve written often about Syrians in past 13 years. Today, many are celebrating.

One year ago, 3 Palestinian college students - Hisham, Tahseen & Kinnan - were shot in Burlington, VT, where they had gone to celebrate Thanksgiving. Hisham, a Brown University student, was paralyzed from the waist down. The shooting occurred amid an alarming rise in anti-Palestinian rhetoric.

Constituents, too, wondered why he split his vote. Helmy's votes were symbolic. He wanted to show support for Israel as an ally, while also calling attention to 'civilian casualties and needless destruction,' according to this statement.

Huge majorities chose Democrats in the last two presidential elections in South Paterson, but that changed in 2024. Get a breakdown of the vote here. www.northjersey.com/story/news/2...