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Five for Friday
A Weekly Digest from the George W. Bush Presidential Center
December 19, 2025
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Exhibits & Events ([link removed])
The Catalyst ([link removed])
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President Bush speaks at the Advancing Local News in Texas event on Dec. 16.
the importance of local journalism
This week, President Bush joined More Perfect ([link removed]) , Press Forward News ([link removed] ) , ([link removed]) The American Journalism Project ([link removed]) , The Texas Tribune ([link removed] ) , and The Fort Worth Report ([link removed]) at an event discussing the future of local journalism, models to replicate, and ways nonprofits can support local newspapers.

Almost 40% of all local U.S. newspapers have vanished, leaving 50 million Americans with limited or no access to a reliable source of local news. Newspapers are disappearing at the same rate as in 2024; more than 130 newspapers have shut down in the past year alone, according to Northwestern University’s Local News Initiative ([link removed]) .
The Bush Institute is proud to stand with many organizations to support local journalism and keep the news available for Americans across the country.
Read our Local Newsrooms Empower Citizens series ([link removed])
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Our country is stronger because of immigrants
Article by Laura Collins ([link removed]) , director of the Bush Institute-SMU Economic Growth Initiative
Read why immigration has always been a part of the American story ([link removed]) arrow
The fundamental freedom to worship
Article by Nicole Bibbins Sedaca ([link removed]) , the Kelly and David Pfeil fellow at the Bush Institute
Learn why Americans should protect the right to practice any and all religious faiths or none at all ([link removed])
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Pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai convicted in Hong Kong
Article by Celia Siade-Cox ([link removed]) , associate of global policy at the Bush Institute
Discover why U.S. support for Lai is essential to protect human rights from China’s violations ([link removed]) arrow
Make the Bush Museum a must-see stop for friends and family visiting this holiday season
The Bush Museum is open for regular business hours, excluding Christmas and New Years Day
Plan your visit today ([link removed]) arrow
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Countdown to America’s 250th Anniversary
Weekly Quotes from figures who have shaped our country

“I am leaving this legacy to all of you ... to bring peace, justice, equality, love and a fulfillment of what our lives should be. Without vision, the people will perish, and without courage and inspiration, dreams will die – the dream of freedom and peace.”
– Rosa Parks, A celebration in her honor, 1988

Read previous weeks’ quotes ([link removed])
In Case You Missed It
Further News, Analysis, and more from the Bush Center

Putin isn’t interested in peace – that’s the problem ([link removed])
Article by David J. Kramer ([link removed]) , executive director of the Bush Institute
Building a more inclusive economy ([link removed]) | The Catalyst: A Journal of Ideas from the Bush Institute
Article by Melissa S. Kearney, Gilbert F. Schaefer Professor of Economics at the University of Notre Dame and director of the Aspen Economic Strategy Group
The 1960s were just as disruptive as today. Here’s how America made it through ([link removed]) | The Dallas Morning News
Op-ed by Bill McKenzie ([link removed]) , senior editorial advisor at the Bush Institute
The current state of U.S. relations with North Korea ([link removed])
Interview with Victor Cha ([link removed]) , senior fellow at the Bush Institute
PLS at 10: Interview with President George H.W. Bush’s Chief of Staff Jean Becker ([link removed])
Belarusian political prisoners freed; many remain unjustly imprisoned by Lukashenka regime ([link removed])
Article by Nicole Bibbins Sedaca ([link removed]) , the Kelly and David Pfeil fellow at the Bush Institute
Volunteering: An American tradition ([link removed])
Article by Madison Matlock ([link removed]) , assistant of veterans and military families at the Bush Institute
Global Health newsletter ([link removed])
Biweekly global health update by Hannah Johnson ([link removed]) , senior program manager of global policy at the Bush Institute
The Indo-Pacific and NATO: A growing convergence ([link removed])
Article by Igor Khrestin ([link removed]) , senior advisor of global policy at the Bush Institute
Immigration newsletter ([link removed])
Monthly immigration update by Laura Collins ([link removed]) , director of the Bush Institute-SMU Economic Growth Initiative
Mark your calendars
Upcoming Engage at the Bush Center events
presented by NexPoint

A Nation Begins: A Conversation With Ken Burns and Rick Atkinson ([link removed])
Feb. 11 | 6:30 p.m. CT
Laura Bush Book Club With Author Allison Pataki ([link removed])
May 14 | 6:30 p.m. CT
Also happening at the Bush Center

Game Changer: United by Sports ([link removed])
Supported by Garry Weber
A special exhibit in which sports make history and our nation takes the field
Open now
Live Strategerist Podcast Recording With Dirk Nowitzki ([link removed])
Jan. 24, 2026 | 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Presidents Day Free Admission to the Bush Museum ([link removed])
Feb. 16, 2026 | 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT
Situation Room Presentations ([link removed])
Fridays | 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. CT
Saturdays | 11 a.m., 12 p.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m. CT
Sundays | 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. CT
Mondays | 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. CT

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About the George W. Bush Presidential Center

Located on the SMU campus in Dallas, Texas, the George W. Bush Presidential Center is a nonpartisan institution advancing the timeless values of freedom, opportunity, accountability, and compassion. The Bush Center comprises the George W. Bush Presidential Museum and the George W. Bush Institute, a solution-oriented policy organization focused on ensuring opportunity for all, strengthening democracy, and advancing free societies through policy solutions and public engagement. The Bush Center also houses the George W. Bush Presidential Library, operated by the National Archives and Records Administration, which provides access to official documents and artifacts from the George W. Bush Administration.


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George W. Bush Presidential Center
2943 SMU Boulevard
Dallas, Texas 75205

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George W. Bush Presidential Center . 2943 SMU Blvd . Dallas, TX 75205-2563 . USA