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Princess Kate and Prince William “are extremely moved” by public response to her cancer diagnosis, palace says

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Catherine, Princess of Wales, and her husband, Prince William, “are extremely moved” by the global response to her cancer diagnosis, Kensington Palace said in a statement on behalf of the couple, and reiterated their plea for privacy right now. 

The princess, also known as Kate Middleton, announced last week that she had been diagnosed after the abdominal surgery in January that prompted her highly-scrutinized disappearance from public life.

“The Prince and Princess are both enormously touched by the kind messages from people here in the U.K., across the Commonwealth and around the world in response to Her Royal Highness’ message,” said a spokesperson for the palace on Saturday night. “They are extremely moved by the public’s warmth and support and are grateful for the understanding of their request for privacy at this time.”

The palace will not be releasing additional updates about Princess Kate this weekend, the statement added.

“We are of course happy to take technical questions but noting the need to give the family space and privacy at this time,” the spokesperson said.


World reacts to Princess Kate’s cancer diagnosis

03:06

Public figures across the globe have spoken out to voice support for the princess in the wake of the announcement. So have various members of the royal family, including King Charles III, who said in a statement released by Buckingham Palace that he was “so proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did,” and has remained in the “closest contact with his beloved daughter-in-law” in recent weeks, the Associated Press reported. The king and Queen Camilla “will continue to offer their love and support to the whole family through this difficult time,” the palace said in that statement, according to the AP.

Prince Harry and Meghan also shared a statement responding to Kate’s diagnosis.

“We wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace,” the statement said.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in a statement Kate had the “love and support of the whole country,” and Kate’s video post on Instagram has nearly 5 million likes. 

Social media and tabloid headlines had been awash in rumors and conspiracy theories about Kate’s whereabouts since the palace announced in January that she would be absent from royal duties, including public appearances, for several months while she recovered from a planned abdominal surgery

The news that King Charles was undergoing cancer treatment exacerbated an already swirling online frenzy about the princess’ health when it came to light in early February, but the rumors reached a fever pitch last week, when an image of Kate with her three children, George, Charlotte and Louis, was found to have been digitally altered before being released on Mother’s Day in the U.K. Kate later apologized and said she had edited the photo after the palace had refused to release an original.

Seemingly answering to the controversies and increasingly imaginative speculation over her well-being, it was Kate herself who announced her cancer diagnosis in a video message recorded last Wednesday at her family’s home in Windsor and released two days later. Like the king, the princess did not specify which form of cancer she has, but she said when the video was recorded that she had recently begun a preventative course of chemotherapy.

Kate said she had undergone major abdominal surgery earlier this year for a condition initially thought to be non-cancerous. She said the surgery was a success, but said that subsequent testing revealed “cancer had been present.”

“This of course came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family,” she said in the video message. “As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment. But, most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be OK.”





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Social Security Fairness Act passes U.S. Senate

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Legislation to expand Social Security benefits to millions of Americans passed the U.S. Senate early Saturday and is now headed to the desk of President Joe Biden, who is expected to sign the measure into law.

Senators voted 76-20 for the Social Security Fairness Act, which would eliminate two federal policies that prevent nearly 3 million people, including police officers, firefighters, postal workers, teachers and others with a public pension, from collecting their full Social Security benefits. The legislation has been decades in the making, as the Senate held its first hearings into the policies in 2003. 

“The Senate finally corrects a 50-year mistake,” proclaimed Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, after senators approved the legislation at 12:15 a.m. Saturday.

The bill’s passage is “a monumental victory for millions of public service workers who have been denied the full benefits they’ve rightfully earned,” said Shannon Benton, executive director for the Senior Citizens League, which advocates for retirees and which has long pushed for the expansion of Social Security benefits. “This legislation finally restores fairness to the system and ensures the hard work of teachers, first responders and countless public employees is truly recognized.”

The vote came down to the wire, as the Senate looked to wrap up its current session. Senators rejected four amendments and a budgetary point of order late Friday night that would have derailed the measure, given the small window of time left to pass it. 


Some seniors shut out of full Social Security benefits

02:20

Vice President-elect JD Vance of Ohio was among the 24 Republican senators to join 49 Democrats to advance the measure in an initial procedural vote that took place Wednesday.

“Social Security is a bedrock of our middle class. You pay into it for 40 quarters, you earned it, it should be there when you retire,” Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown, a Democrat who lost his seat in the November election, told the chamber ahead of Wednesday’s vote. “All these workers are asking for is for what they earned.” 

What is the Social Security Fairness Act?

The Social Security Fairness Act would repeal two federal policies — the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) — that reduce Social Security payments to nearly 3 million retirees. 

That includes those who also collect pensions from state and federal jobs that aren’t covered by Social Security, including teachers, police officers and U.S. postal workers. The bill would also end a second provision that reduces Social Security benefits for those workers’ surviving spouses and family members. The WEP impacts about 2 million Social Security beneficiaries and the GPO nearly 800,000 retirees.

The measure, which passed the House in November, had 62 cosponsors when it was introduced in the Senate last year. Yet the bill’s bipartisan support eroded in recent days, with some Republican lawmakers voicing doubts due to its cost. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the proposed legislation would add a projected $195 billion to federal deficits over a decade. 

Without Senate approval, the bill’s fate would have ended with the current session of Congress and would have needed to be re-introduced in the next Congress. 



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Saturday is the winter solstice and 2024’s shortest day. Here’s what to know about the official start of winter.

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The 2024 winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, happens on Saturday, Dec. 21, in the Northern Hemisphere. The celestial event signifies the first day of winter, astronomically. 

What is the winter solstice?

The winter solstice is the day each year that has the shortest period of daylight between sunrise and sunset, and therefore the longest night. It happens when the sun is directly above the Tropic of Capricorn, a line of latitude that circles the globe south of the equator, the National Weather Service explains. 

The farther north you are, the shorter the day will be, and in the Arctic Circle, the sun won’t rise at all. 

How is the day of the winter solstice determined?

The winter solstice occurs because of the Earth’s tilt as it rotates around the sun. 

When the Northern Hemisphere tilts away from the sun, the nights last longer. The longest night happens on the solstice because the hemisphere is in its furthest position from the sun. That occurs each year on Dec. 21 or 22. 

This year, it falls on Dec. 21 at 4:21 a.m ET, to be precise.

On the summer solstice, when the northern tilt is closest to the sun, we have the longest day, usually June 20 or 21.

Illustration of the Earth's tilt in different seasons
This illustration from the National Weather Service shows the tilt and rotation of the Earth on the winter and summer solstices, as well as the autumnal and vernal equinox marking the beginning of fall and spring.

National Weather Service


The solstices are not always exactly on the 21st every year because the earth’s rotation around the sun is 365.25 days, instead of 365 even. 

Will days start getting longer after the winter solstice?

Yes. Each day after the solstice, we get one minute more of sunlight. It doesn’t sound like much, but after just two months, or around 60 days, we’ll be seeing about an hour more of sunlight. 

When will winter officially be over in 2025?

The meteorological winter ends on March 20, 2025. Then, spring will last until June 20, when the summer solstice arrives. 

How is the winter solstice celebrated around the world?

Nations and cultures around the world have celebrated the solstice since ancient times with varying rituals and traditions. The influence of those solstice traditions can still be seen in our celebrations of holidays like Christmas and Hanukkah, Britannica notes.

The ancient Roman Saturnalia festival celebrated the end of the planting season and has close ties with modern-day Christmas. It honored Saturn, the god of harvest and farming. The multiple-day affair had lots of food, games and celebrations. Presents were given to children and the poor, and slaves were allowed to stop working. 

Gatherings are held every year at Stonehenge, a monumental circle of massive stones in England that dates back about 5,000 years. The origins of Stonehenge are shrouded in mystery, but it was built to align with the sun on solstice days

Winter Solstice at Stonehenge
People gather at sunrise for the winter solstice celebrations at the Stonehenge prehistoric monument on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England, on Dec. 22, 2021.

Andrew Matthews/PA Images via Getty Images


The Hopi, a Native American tribe in the northern Arizona area, celebrate the winter solstice with dancing, purification and sometimes gift-giving. A sacred ritual known as the Soyal Ceremony marks the annual milestone.

In Peru, people honor the return of the sun god on the winter solstice. The ancient tradition would be to hold sacrificial ceremonies, but today, people hold mock sacrifices to celebrate. Because Peru is in the Southern Hemisphere, their winter solstice happens in June, when the Northern Hemisphere is marking its summer solstice.

Scandinavia celebrates St. Lucia’s Day, a festival of lights. 

The “arrival of winter,” or Dong Zhi, is a Chinese festival where family gathers to celebrate the year so far. Traditional foods include tang yuan, sweet rice balls with a black sesame filling. It’s believed to have its origins in post-harvest celebrations. 

Researchers stationed in in Antarctica even have their own traditions, which may include an icy plunge into the polar waters. They celebrate “midwinter” with festive meals, movies and sometimes homemade gifts.



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