
How to socialize for the first time again after a year of isolation
CNN
This past year has been tough for everyone. With so many missed celebrations, time apart from loved ones and time spent in isolation, it can be intimidating just planning the first public encounter you have. An expert has some advice on where to start.
It has been a tough year for both of us. I'm trying to stay optimistic that we can find a way to celebrate and that the reunion isn't just a solemn reminder of all the in-person tea outings we've missed out on. I'm hoping she likes the place, since she's never been before. While she loves fruity herbal teas and I'm more a fan of black teas, I know we'll each be able to find something we like within the book-lined walls.
The US military’s strikes in Iran over the weekend prompted a swift response from across the federal government to react to any fallout, but current and former officials say the administration’s DOGE-driven cuts to a host of agencies have made it harder to grapple with the conflict and prepare for potential retaliation.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe on Wednesday said in a statement that the agency had obtained “a body of credible evidence [that] indicates Iran’s Nuclear Program has been severely damaged” by recent strikes, underscoring a broad intelligence community effort is ongoing to determine the impact of the US strikes on three of the country’s nuclear sites on Saturday.

White House’s DOGE spending cuts request runs into criticism, questions from some Senate Republicans
The head of the White House budget office on Wednesday defended the Trump administration’s push to enact sweeping cuts to federal funding, even as some Republican senators voiced concerns and raised questions about the breadth of them.