Happy New Year, happy Epiphany, and welcome back to the Beltway Brief. Today marks the visit of the wise men — the first gentiles to worship the Lord in a stable and the first to come based on faith alone. Remember: While there’s no doubt Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds believed the little infant was the Christ child, they were all explicitly told so by the angels. The wise men, in contrast, followed the star of Bethlehem and simply seemed to know the time had come. Of course, Epiphany also caps the end of Christmas, so sadly, it’s past time to haul that pine-needle fire hazard to the curb and box up the lights and ornaments until next year.
And speaking of things that are over …
Welcome to January 6, 2025. Everything is different. From Washington to Los Angeles, prominent figures are unafraid of their associations with America’s 45th and 47th president and corporate money is once again flowing to a populist disruptor deemed anathema just one year ago.
