| Germany's political middle falls apart. Will Europe's center hold? Posted: 31 Oct 2018 01:29 PM PDT ![Germany's political middle falls apart. Will Europe's center hold?]( "Germany's political middle falls apart. Will Europe's center hold?") For decades, the overwhelming majority of German voters stuck loyally to the two centrist parties that have dominated political life since World War II. But familiarity has bred contempt. October regional elections in the states of Bavaria and Hesse have shown those voters coming unstuck, fanning out instead to non-traditional parties on both right and left. Voters' flight from the political middle "is a lasting trend that makes Germany similar to its neighbors in Europe," says Gero Neugebauer, who teaches politics at the Free University of Berlin.
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| For love of strangers: Behind the Jewish legacy of welcoming refugees Posted: 31 Oct 2018 12:52 PM PDT ![For love of strangers: Behind the Jewish legacy of welcoming refugees]( "For love of strangers: Behind the Jewish legacy of welcoming refugees") "We have Holocaust survivors in our congregation, and so many of us are just a generation or two removed from relatives who went through that experience or were forced to leave their country," says Maryann Rabovsky, who has served as chairwoman of the synagogue's immigration and refugee assistance committee since it was formed three years ago. More recently the group has expanded its work to assist non-Jewish refugees, and to work to help refugees around the world, wherever they are.
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| It’s alive! On Halloween, Frankenreads celebrate 200th anniversary of classic Posted: 31 Oct 2018 12:35 PM PDT ![It's alive! On Halloween, Frankenreads celebrate 200th anniversary of classic]( "It's alive! On Halloween, Frankenreads celebrate 200th anniversary of classic") Carolinn Kuebler says she found the perfect way to celebrate one of her favorite holidays. On Oct. 31, she headed to the haunted halls of … the Library of Congress. Wearing a festive sweater with a bright orange pumpkin on it, the Washington architect listens intently to "Frankenstein," a novel she herself has read several times.
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| Syria crisis: Will donor fatigue push refugees back too soon? Posted: 31 Oct 2018 12:13 PM PDT ![Syria crisis: Will donor fatigue push refugees back too soon?]( "Syria crisis: Will donor fatigue push refugees back too soon?") Yusra Ajaj is facing a life or death decision. A widowed mother of three, Ms. Ajaj is considering leaving Jordan, the country she has called home since war consumed her homeland and killed her husband in 2013. In April, the United Nations stopped her monthly cash assistance of $210, which she relied upon to pay rent.
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