1. It is the second Monday of the year. That means there are only 50 Mondays remaining in 2025. Don't let it slip away!Winter Sunset
Odenton, MD
January 12, 2025
2. Family NFL Report. It was a good weekend for the family teams in the playoffs. Three of the four playoff teams advanced to the Division Series, which is the best to be expected since two family teams played each other in the Wild Card Round.
Ravens defeated Steelers 28-14 to advance. They play the Bills next Saturday
Commanders defeated Buccaneers, 23-20. They face the Lions next Sunday.
Chiefs had a bye and will face the Texans next Sunday.
3. Chris and I are expecting to visit with our newest grandson today. We are very excited because we will soon return to the land of warmth and sunshine and will miss getting to know Beck.
4. Today in History. On January 13, 1129, at the Council of Troyes, Pope Honorius II grants a papal sanction to the military order known as the Knights Templar, declaring it to be an army of God. Led by the Frenchman Hughes de Payens, the Knights Templar organization was founded in 1118. Its self-imposed mission was to protect Christian pilgrims on their way to and from the Holy Land during the Crusades, the series of military expeditions aimed at defeating Muslims in Palestine. For a while, the Templars had only nine members, mostly due to their rigid rules. In addition to having noble birth, the knights were required to take strict vows of poverty, obedience and chastity. In 1127, new promotional efforts convinced many more noblemen to join the order, gradually increasing its size and influence.
Ukraine losing ground on the battlefield as Trump team pushes ceasefire - CNN
Venezuela’s Maduro starts another disputed term in office more isolated than ever - CNN
Protests turn violent in China after student falls to his death - CNN
Final draft of Gaza truce deal presented after 'breakthrough' - Reuters
Robust US economy may not need Trump's big reforms - Reuters
Trump's crowd-size obsession to be tested at inauguration after 2017 controversy - Reuters
ukraines-capture-of-north-koreans-offers-rare-insight-into-russian-alliance-says-zelenskyy - The Guardian
-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD