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👋 Good morning! Welcome back, friends. In today's edition: The CFP field is set, NFL Sunday scoreboard, Miami wins MLS Cup, Norris wins F1 title, Kent to Cooperstown, "Google me," and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports...   🏈 SELECTION SUNDAY THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF IS SET (Yahoo Sports) The 12-team College Football Playoff bracket was finalized on Sunday. Shockingly, not everyone is happy. The controversy: Notre Dame was left out of the field in favor of Miami, who had been ranked behind them for every iteration of the CFP rankings prior to Sunday. How did the Hurricanes leapfrog the Irish despite neither team playing a game? It came down to head-to-head. With BYU losing in the Big 12 title game, there was no longer a buffer between Notre Dame and Miami, allowing the committee to prioritize the Hurricanes' win over the Irish back in August. After being snubbed, Notre Dame says it won't play a bowl game. Consider it a sign of the times: it's playoff or bust for the top programs now. What they're saying: "There is no explanation that could possibly be given to explain the outcome," Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua told Yahoo Sports. "Any rankings or show prior to this last one is an absolute joke and a waste of time." In an interesting wrinkle, as part of a memorandum of understanding signed by CFP officials last spring, Notre Dame will be assured of making the playoff if it is ranked in the top 12 starting next year, Bevacqua tells Yahoo Sports. So if this year's circumstances unfolded next year, the final at-large team (Miami) would have been automatically bumped from the field for No. 11 Notre Dame. Looking ahead: Duke's win in the ACC title game opened the door for both Tulane and James Madison to make the playoff, where they'll be significant underdogs. No. 9 Alabama (-1.5) at No. 8 Oklahoma No. 10 Miami (+3.5) at No. 7 Texas A&M No. 11 Tulane (+16.5) at No. 6 Ole Miss No. 12 JMU (+21.5) at No. 5 Oregon First-round byes: No. 1 Indiana, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Georgia, No. 4 Texas Tech Good read: CFP committee sends a message by leaving Notre Dame out of the field (Dan Wolken, Yahoo Sports)   🏈 WEEK 14 NFL SUNDAY SCOREBOARD Christian Watson celebrates with fans after scoring a touchdown. (John Fisher/Getty Images) Packers 28, Bears 21 … A late INT helped Green Bay seal the win and take over first place in the NFC North. They'll meet again in Chicago in two weeks. Texans 20, Chiefs 10 … KC's streak of nine straight AFC West titles is officially over, and they're barely alive in the wild-card race. Jaguars 36, Colts 19 … Indianapolis lost its third straight game, and Daniel Jones likely needs season-ending surgery. Not great! Titans 31, Browns 29 … Shedeur Sanders (4 TD) had his breakout game, but fellow rookie Cam Ward got the victory. (Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) Steelers 27, Ravens 22 … From "Fire Tomlin" to first place in the AFC North. Amazing what a win over a rival can do. Broncos 24, Raiders 17 … A penalty as time expired led to a meaningless Raiders field goal, and a bad beat for the ages (DEN -7.5). Saints 24, Buccaneers 20 … Tampa Bay (7-6) is now tied with Carolina atop the NFC South, and they play each other twice over the next month. Rams 45, Cardinals 17 … Matthew Stafford and company put on a show in Arizona, reminding us all why they're Super Bowl favorites. (Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images) Bills 39, Bengals 34 … Joe Burrow's back-to-back INTs sunk Cincinnati in a dazzling shootout with Josh Allen in a snowstorm. Seahawks 37, Falcons 9 … With its seventh loss in eight games, Atlanta (4-9) sealed an eighth straight losing campaign. Vikings 31, Commanders 0 … Minnesota flipped the script after getting shut out last week in Seattle. Dolphins 34, Jets 10 … Miami won its fourth straight game as Tua Tagovailoa improved to 8-0 against the Jets.   📸 THROUGH THE LENS PHOTOS ACROSS AMERICA (Rich Storry/Getty Images) Fort Lauderdale, Florida — Inter Miami beat the Vancouver Whitecaps, 3-1, on Saturday to claim their first MLS championship and provide the signature moment of Lionel Messi's brief but stunningly successful career in North America's top league. More hardware: After winning league MVP for the second straight year, Messi was named MVP of the MLS Cup. He had two assists in the final to give him 15 goal contributions in the playoffs (six goals, nine assists), the most ever in a single postseason. (Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images) Washington, D.C. — The World Cup draw was held on Friday at the Kennedy Center, where Spain (+400 at BetMGM) and England (+600) emerged as the favorites, France drew a tough schedule that includes an opener against Erling Haaland's Norway, and the USMNT caught a break with a favorable draw. Mark your calendars: The Americans open play in Group D against Paraguay in Los Angeles (June 12), then take on Australia in Seattle (June 19) before returning to Los Angeles for their final group stage matchup against either Turkey, Romania, Slovakia or Kosovo (June 25). (Ian Maule/Getty Images) Las Vegas — Petr Yan stunned Merab Dvalishvili on Saturday to reclaim the UFC bantamweight title with one of the most shocking upsets in recent memory, handing the Georgian his first loss since 2018 to snap the longest win streak in bantamweight history (13 in a row). End of an era: UFC 323 marked the final pay-per-view event of the year, if not ever. The MMA promotion is moving from ESPN to Paramount+ beginning next year, with all major events included in the standard subscription rather than put behind an additional paywall.   💯 STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS (Mario Renzi/Formula 1 via Getty Images) 🏎️ 423-421 Though Max Verstappen (Red Bull) won Sunday's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Lando Norris (McLaren) finished third to eke out his first F1 championship by the slimmest of margins, snapping Verstappen's four-year title streak with a 423-421 advantage. Close calls: Norris' two-point victory was the closest since Lewis Hamilton won by a single point in 2008. Overall, in 76 seasons, there have been eight wins by one point and one win by a half-point (Niki Lauda over Alain Prost in 1984). ⚾️ 14 of 16 votes Jeff Kent was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday by the 16-member Contemporary Era Committee. Candidates needed 12 votes for election, and the five-time All-Star second baseman received 14. Who missed the cut? Carlos Delgado got the second-most votes with nine, followed by Don Mattingly and Dale Murphy with six. Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Gary Sheffield and Fernando Valenzuela all got fewer than five, which means they'll be ineligible for the next Contemporary Era ballot in 2028. 🏀 28,303 points James Harden (28,303 points) made history on Saturday when he passed Carmelo Anthony (28,289) for 10th place on the NBA's all-time scoring list. LeBron James (first) and Kevin Durant (eighth) are the only active players ahead of him. All-time rankings: Harden is second on the 3-point list (behind only Stephen Curry) and fifth on the free-throw list (Karl Malone, James, Moses Malone, Kobe Bryant). He's also 13th on the assist list — and fourth on the turnover list. (Illinois State Athletics) 🏈 +23.5 Illinois State pulled off a stunning upset over North Dakota State in the second round of the FCS playoffs on Saturday, scoring 15 points in the final three minutes to beat the top-ranked Bison, 29-28, as 23.5-point underdogs. Even that undersells the magnitude of this upset, though. North Dakota State, which came in with a 16-game win streak, hadn't lost a home playoff game since 2016 and was so good this year that they received AP poll votes! Last eight standing: The Redbirds were the only unseeded team to reach the quarterfinals, where they'll play No. 8 UC Davis. The other matchups: No. 2 Montana State vs. No. 7 Stephen F. Austin, No. 3 Montana vs. No. 11 South Dakota and No. 4 Tarleton State vs. No. 12 Villanova. 🏀 81-58 No. 10 Iowa State stormed to an 81-58 victory over No. 1 Purdue on Saturday afternoon, overwhelming the previously undefeated Boilermakers in a way nobody does at Mackey Arena. Historic blowout: The 23-point margin of victory matches the largest-ever home defeat in college basketball history by a top-ranked program. Not since Villanova beat UConn, 96-73, in 1995 has the AP poll's No. 1 team suffered such a one-sided loss. ⚽️ 4 teams left The men's College Cup (Final Four) is set, with No. 15 NC State, No. 16 Furman, Washington and Saint Louis emerging from the 48-team field of an upset-laden tournament that saw five of the top six seeds lose before the third round. Davids vs. Goliath: Saint Louis has won an NCAA men's record 10 national championships, while NC State, Furman and Washington are all seeking their first.   📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: MONDAY, DEC. 8 (Kirby Lee/Getty Images) 🏈 Eagles at Chargers Philly and Los Angeles square off tonight at SoFi Stadium (8:15pm ET, ABC/ESPN) in a matchup of 8-4 teams trending in different directions. The Eagles have lost two straight while the Chargers have won four of five. Injury report: Chargers QB Justin Herbert is questionable after undergoing surgery on his non-throwing hand. If he can't suit up, former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance will get his first start for the Bolts. ⚽️ Women's College Cup Final Top-seeded Stanford and third-seeded Florida State meet tonight in Kansas City (7pm ESPNU) for an all-ACC national championship. The Cardinal are seeking their fourth title, while the Seminoles are seeking their fifth (and third in five years). More to watch: 🏀 NBA: Suns at Timberwolves (7:30pm, Peacock) … Minnesota (15-8) has won five straight to pass Phoenix (13-10) for sixth in the West. 🏒 NHL: Lightning at Maple Leafs (7:30pm, NHL) … Tampa (16-10-2) has lost three straight but is still clinging to first place in the Atlantic.   🏈 NO PLAYOFFS NFL TRIVIA The Jets last made the playoffs in 2011. (Chris Coduto/Getty Images) The NFL's two longest active playoff droughts were extended on Sunday when the Jets (15 straight seasons) and Falcons (8 straight) were officially eliminated. Question: Which team has the third-longest active playoff drought (7 straight)? Hint: They've never won a Super Bowl (but they've appeared in two). Answer at the bottom.   🏈 "GOOGLE ME" TALKING THE TALK, WALKING THE WALK (Michael Reaves/Getty Images) On Dec. 20, 2023, Indiana's newly-hired football coach Curt Cignetti was asked how he planned to sell his vision to recruits. His response? "It's pretty simple. I win. Google me." Back then, it sounded like bravado. Two years later, it reads like prophecy. Walking the walk: Since his arrival in Bloomington, Cignetti's Hoosiers have authored one of the great turnarounds in college football history. They've gone 24-2, made back-to-back playoffs, and now they're Big Ten champions for the first time since 1967 and the No. 1 team in the land.   Trivia answer: Panthers

Trump’s Own Mortgages Match His Description of Mortgage Fraud, Records Reveal For months, the Trump administration has been accusing its political enemies of mortgage fraud for claiming more than one primary residence. https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-mortgage-fraud-florida-principal-residences? Under Former Chemical Industry Insiders, Trump EPA Nearly Doubles Amount of Formaldehyde Considered Safe to Inhale Chemical industry lobbyists have long pushed the government to adopt a less stringent approach to gauging the cancer risk from chemicals, one that would help ease regulations on companies that make or use them. https://www.propublica.org/article/epa-formaldehyde-risk-assessment?

A year after Bashar Assad fled, Syria struggles to heal Monday marks the first anniversary of the ousting of former President Bashar Assad. But as thousands take to the streets to celebrate his fall, Syrians are still struggling to heal after the repressive 50-year rule and a 14-year civil war that killed an estimated half-million people, displaced millions more and left the country battered and divided. Read more. What to know: Assad’s downfall came as a shock, even to the insurgents who unseated him. In late November 2024, groups in the country’s northwest — led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an Islamist rebel group whose then-leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, is now the country’s interim president — launched an offensive on the city of Aleppo, aiming to take it back from Assad’s forces. The economy has remained sluggish, despite the lifting of most Western sanctions. While Gulf countries have promised to invest in reconstruction projects, little has materialized on the ground. The World Bank estimates that rebuilding the country’s war-damaged areas will cost $216 billion. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Syrians celebrate a year after Bashar Assad’s fall, in photos Hamas official says the group ready to discuss ‘freezing or storing’ its weapons As tensions flare on Israel-Lebanon border, war-torn communities struggle to rebuild

Records reviewed by AP detail online monitoring, arrests in New Orleans immigration crackdown State and federal authorities are closely tracking online criticism and protests against the immigration crackdown in New Orleans, monitoring message boards around the clock for threats to agents while compiling regular updates on public “sentiment” surrounding the arrests, according to law enforcement records reviewed by The Associated Press. Read more. What to know: The intelligence gathering comes even as officials have released few details about the first arrests made last week as part of “Catahoula Crunch,” prompting calls for greater transparency from local officials who say they’ve been kept in the dark about virtually every aspect of the operation. Immigration authorities have insisted the sweeps are targeted at “criminal illegal aliens.” But the law enforcement records detail criminal histories for less than a third of the 38 people arrested in the first two days of the operation. Local leaders told the AP those numbers — which law enforcement officials were admonished not to distribute to the media — undermined the stated aim of the roundup. They also expressed concern that the online surveillance could chill free speech as authorities threaten to charge anyone interfering with immigration enforcement.

December 8, 2025 By Sam Sifton Good morning. President Trump was the host of the Kennedy Center Honors last night, an event he once shunned. China’s trade surplus officially surpassed $1 trillion, an excess of exports to imports that no country had ever reached. And Volodymyr Zelensky plans to meet with European leaders today. Let’s start there, with Ukraine, and look at how a corruption scandal is testing the government. Volodymyr Zelensky at a nuclear power plant in western Ukraine. Alex Babenko/Associated Press Corruption chaos “Is it possible to become president and not steal?” Volodymyr Zelensky asked before he became president of Ukraine in 2019. “It’s a rhetorical question, as no one has tried so far.” Now his top advisers are tangled in a graft investigation. It threatens his popularity and his government — all while Russia advances on the battlefield and President Trump pushes a peace plan that favors Moscow. A New York Times investigation details how that happened. The allegations Ukrainian investigators say that a criminal organization led by Zelensky’s former business partner embezzled $100 million from the country’s publicly owned nuclear power company, Energoatom. Even as Ukrainians endured blackouts caused by Russian bombing, members of the president’s inner circle skimmed money from Energoatom contracts. Here’s how the scheme worked: Energoatom awarded contracts to get work done. Then, a criminal group that included Energoatom employees and a former government adviser demanded that the recipients quietly give them up to 15 percent of those funds — basically after-the-fact bribes if they wanted to keep getting paid. New details When the war began, Ukraine’s Western allies wanted to figure out how to send money to Kyiv without seeing it vanish into the pockets of corrupt officials. To protect the money, they insisted that Zelensky’s government allow groups of outside experts, known as supervisory boards, to work as watchdogs. But the Ukrainian government has sabotaged that oversight, allowing corruption to flourish, the Times investigation found. Zelensky’s administration stacked the supervisory boards with loyalists, left seats empty or prevented boards from being set up at all. Leaders in Kyiv even rewrote various company charters to limit oversight, which allowed the government to spend hundreds of millions of dollars without outsiders asking questions about where that money was going. Zelensky has blamed Energoatom’s supervisory board for failing to stop the corruption. But, according to documents and interviews with officials, it was the government itself that prevented the board from doing its job. Zelensky’s role Zelensky himself has not been directly implicated in the corruption. But his policies may have enabled it. After Russia’s invasion, Zelensky relaxed anti-corruption rules in the name of boosting the war effort. He worked with political and business figures he had once called criminals, and, this summer, he tried to curtail the independence of anticorruption investigators as they pursued the case that ultimately implicated his associates. (He reversed course after Ukrainians poured into the streets in the country’s first large antigovernment protests during the war, saying that Zelensky was threatening Ukraine’s fragile democracy.) In the course of the investigation, Zelensky asked for the resignation of two ministers and his powerful chief of staff, Andriy Yermak. A backlash The scandal has thrown Zelensky’s government into chaos. Political opponents are coalescing around the first major anti-Zelensky movement since the Russian invasion began. And Yermak, now gone, had been running the country’s peace negotiations with Trump and others. It’s an awkward situation for Ukraine’s supporters abroad. They saw a smaller nation stand up to a larger bully that wants to tear it apart. It’s difficult to cast the victim as virtuous, though, when its government is engulfed in a corruption scandal. Let’s be clear: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had nothing to do with a domestic graft scandal. But the corruption does make it harder to tell a simplistic story about justice. More on Ukraine Russian troops continue to gain ground in eastern Ukraine. Vladimir Putin has ordered the Russian military to prepare for winter combat, signaling after peace talks that he is not budging from his demands. The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that radiation levels have not increased outside Chernobyl, even though a part of the complex has been malfunctioning since a Russian missile strike earlier this year. COCAINE SUPERHIGHWAY The New York Times Washington has made combating fentanyl a priority. But that has meant cocaine trafficking has surged — especially in Ecuador. People there are living in fear as violence surges and cartels battle one another and the authorities. Ecuador is now the world’s largest exporter of cocaine, even though it’s not a major producer. It’s a superhighway for the drug, my colleague Maria Abi-Habib reports. Click the video above to watch her share what she learned on her trip there. THE LATEST NEWS Asia China’s trade surplus passed $1 trillion for the first time. The country’s weak currency has helped make Chinese products attractive. Thailand launched airstrikes on Cambodian military targets as the countries continued a border dispute. Hong Kong had a near-record low in its election turnout, Reuters reports. Many people are angry about the deadly fire there. Middle East In Gaza City. Saher Alghorra for The New York Times In Gaza, the war weakened Hamas — but the group has become more powerful since Israeli troops withdrew. Many Syrians celebrated the first anniversary of the fall of the Assad regime. The country is grappling with sectarian violence and deep economic challenges. More International News Food aid in Chad. Caitlin Kelly/Associated Press The U.N. is planning to halve its 2026 emergency aid budget, a response to the drastic cuts by the U.S. and European governments to foreign aid. A big social media experiment is starting this week in Australia: A new law intended to keep kids under 16 off social media is going into effect. In Benin, some members of the military attempted a coup. Washington Democrats called for the release of the classified video of deadly boat attacks. Congress is preparing to pass a $900 billion defense bill. The Supreme Court will hear arguments today in a case that challenges the president’s ability to fire independent government officials. Immigration The Trump administration sent a plane carrying Iranian deportees to Tehran for only the second time. Hundreds of people gathered in New York to protest ICE’s separation of a 6-year-old from his father. Restaurants in New Orleans, a city known for its food, are struggling to find workers because of immigration raids. Libraries Two men stole more than a dozen works of art, including eight by Henri Matisse, from a library in São Paulo, Brazil. A water leak damaged hundreds of documents at a library in the Louvre. OPINIONS Can we agree kids don’t need Doritos at school? Lindsey Smith Taillie examines a crisis for children’s health. Here is a column by Ezra Klein on social media regulation. Morning readers: Save on the complete Times experience. Experience all of The Times, all in one subscription — all with this introductory offer. You’ll gain unlimited access to news and analysis, plus games, recipes, product reviews and more. MORNING READS Circus dogs. Amy Lombard for The New York Times Good dogs! Alexis Soloski, who reports on the arts, went backstage at the Big Apple Circus recently to meet the dogs who perform in the show. They have different abilities and different personalities, she writes: “a diva, a sweetheart, a lunatic, a star.” Some even help to shape the act. There’s a bit when a dog goes down a slide backward. “That was a canine improvisation,” Alexis writes. “So is a gag in which a dog pushes down hurdles instead of jumping over them.” Aspen of the East? A developer wants invest $3 billion to to build a new base village at the Killington ski resort in central Vermont, which has never been known for its amenities. But is Vermont ready for that? Instagram-official: Katy Perry posted photos with Justin Trudeau in Japan. People freaked out. Your pick: The Morning’s most-clicked story yesterday was a review of an air wedge, a tiny airbag that can lift an entire fridge. Metropolitan Diary: 13 dinners, 13 records. TODAY’S NUMBER 8 — That’s how many months Dario Vitale was creative director of Versace for, before the Prada Group announced that he was leaving after presenting a single collection. SPORTS N.C.A.A.: Notre Dame opted out of playing a bowl game after missing the College Football Playoff by one spot. N.F.L.: For the first time in nine seasons, the Kansas City Chiefs will not win the AFC West division. The Chiefs also could miss the postseason for the first time since 2014. RECIPE OF THE DAY David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich. Here’s an excellent recipe for pad see ew from the chef and cookbook writer Arnold Myint: stir-fried noodles dressed in a fragrant mixture of soy and oyster sauces. It’s made here with skinless, boneless chicken thighs, but you could prepare it with beef, shrimp, tofu or pork belly. To replicate the smoky char you get in the dish when it’s prepared in a restaurant — or better yet in a Bangkok food stall — use your biggest stainless steel pan, and get it ripping hot. (Turn your stove vent to high and open some windows.) Finish with prik nam som, a chile vinegar you can make yourself in just a couple of minutes. A YEAR OF ART BASELS Art Basel Paris. Dmitry Kostyukov for The New York Times Our critic Jason Farago attended all four glittery Art Basel fairs this year, in Hong Kong, Switzerland, Paris and, most recently, Miami Beach. (Hey, it’s a living.) What he discovered, beyond some terrific art: Art fairs have not brought about the death of art galleries, as for years dealers and critics complained that they would. They didn’t become Walmarts for well-heeled collectors. In fact, the Basels were filled with galleries and gallerists. And despite all the spectacle, the art came first. More on culture Cast members of “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” who are on the most stylish list. Lyvans Boolaky/Getty Images Who was the most stylish person this year? We picked 67. The list includes Pope Leo and the “West Village girl.” Our critics Jon Caramanica and Lindsay Zoladz selected the 48 best songs of 2025. It’s a delight to explore the list for validations and discovery alike. Also, there’s fantastic wordplay. Here’s Jon on “Hard Fought Hallelujah,” from Brandon Lake and Jelly Roll: “Imagine salvation were a W.W.E. match.” Great news for fans of field guides. (That’s me!) They’re having a moment, and just in time for gift-giving. You might try “Fishes of the Chicago Region” for a pal on the South Side. “California Lizards and How to Find Them” for a cousin in Indio? Definitely “Moths of Western North America” for my in-laws in Oregon! THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Watch the Philadelphia Eagles play the Los Angeles Chargers tonight. They’re both 8-4, so it could be an enjoyably tense evening. Review what the jet-setters at Wirecutter have determined, over multiple long-haul flights, to be the best travel pillow. Stay healthy this winter with our guide to symptoms of cold, flu and Covid — and how to get tested for each. Take our news quiz. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was thrilling. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Sports Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times and me. See you tomorrow. — Sam Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Host: Sam Sifton Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Brent Lewis, Lara McCoy, Karl Russell News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Editorial Director, Newsletters: Jodi Rudoren

🏠 Mapped: Where houses lost value Data: Zillow. Map: Kavya Beheraj/Axios Over half of U.S. homes (53%) lost value in the past year, Axios' Sami Sparber writes from Zillow data. Why it matters: That's the most since 2012 — but the vast majority of homeowners still "have plenty to feel good about," the real estate site says. Many homeowners bought before prices surged in the early 2020s. As of October, the median home value had jumped roughly 67% since the property was last sold. Just 4% lost value. Keep reading.

🤖 It's not hype Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios We may well be in an AI bubble. But that doesn't mean AI won't transform the way we live and work, Axios AI+ author Ina Fried writes. Why it matters: Bubble talk is everywhere. Mentions of "AI bubble" rose 880% since last quarter's investor calls, according to AlphaSense. "Some parts of AI are probably in a bubble," Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis told Mike at our AI+ Summit in San Francisco last week. But, Hassabis added, "It's not a binary." "I, more than anyone, believe that AI is the most transformative technology ever. So I think in the fullness of time, this is all going to be more than justified," he said. 🫧 Bret Taylor, OpenAI chairman and Sierra co-founder, acknowledged at our AI+ Summit that there "probably is a bubble." But he said businesses, ideas and technologies endure even after bubbles pop: "There's going to be a handful of companies that are truly generational." Such was the case with the dot-com boom. While companies like Pets.com and Webvan were washed away during the bust, Taylor noted that Amazon and Google grew from the rubble.

🚨 Part 2: The economic split Steve Bannon's fear is borne out by the data, Jim and Mike continue. While the AI sector is booming, traditional manufacturing is shedding jobs and losing business, weighed down by the administration's aggressive new tariffs — the opposite of what was supposed to happen. 🥊 Reality check: If AI were a political candidate, it would be getting clobbered. Poll after poll shows deep concern about AI, especially among young people, and particularly among those nervous about getting or keeping a job. Because Trump is the AI president, and because his views are de facto GOP orthodoxy, Republicans are the AI party, even if some like Bannon or Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) are sounding alarms about high AI risk for kids, jobs and safety. 🏛️ Between the lines: The administration has pushed away regulation by trying to block state-level AI rules. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) have pushed language to preempt state action, most recently in the annual defense bill, Axios tech policy reporters Maria Curi and Ashley Gold tell us. Congress has rejected these efforts twice now. So the administration is turning to executive action. The White House's AI action plan aims to slash red tape as part of a hands-off, pro-growth approach. 👀 The intrigue: A leaked executive order that would have made internet grants and other federal funds conditional on limiting AI regulation was put on hold but is back in play, sources tell Axios. Such a move would likely face legal battles and anger MAGA types, who view it as a giveaway to the tech industry. The bottom line: If White House AI and crypto czar David Sacks and others are right that AI juices economic growth and new jobs, Republicans will likely prosper. But if they're wrong, or the benefits come after a few years of pain, it could be politically catastrophic. That's Bannon's big concern.

Trump bets party, presidency on AI Photo illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios; Photo: Oliver Contreras/Pool/Getty Images President Trump is betting his presidency — and the future of the GOP — on lightly regulated, fast expansion of AI, Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen write in a "Behind the Curtain" column. Why it matters: Yes, Trump zigs and zags into countless political and diplomatic issues. But none comes close to his sustained, and surging, all-in alliance with tech billionaires and AI companies reshaping the U.S. economy. He won on the backs of working-class MAGA. But he governs, socializes and surrounds himself with tech swells and moguls. From his inauguration to last month's glitzy White House dinner for the Saudis, Trump basks in the support, gifts and affirmation of the most famous AI leaders and companies in the world. 🖼️ The big picture: Trump has essentially fused Silicon Valley and government in a race to both beat China to all-powerful AI and rescue an economy that's treading water outside of the AI boom. He has rolled back regulations, awarded huge contracts, and downplayed concerns about AI safety or downside risk. Trump has prioritized maintaining U.S. dominance in AI, including a Week 1 executive order, "Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence" ... in July, an AI action plan, "Winning the AI Race" ... and last month, a "Genesis Mission" to "unleash a new age of AI‑accelerated innovation and discovery that can solve the most challenging problems of this century." Tech companies have been partially shielded from some tariffs. AI companies will benefit from foreign investment promised to U.S. cities for chip plants and data centers. And Trump has helped broker deals that benefit U.S. AI companies in the Middle East and elsewhere. On a Joe Rogan podcast this past week, Nvidia co-founder and CEO Jensen Huang said Trump "saved the AI industry." Huang told us Trump responds to his texts at any hour. In Washington meetings, Huang is pushing back against national security objections to Nvidia selling its prized AI chips in China, saying restrictions haven't slowed Chinese AI. The White House argues AI will augment, not replace, workers by making them more productive — and that jobs will be created in manufacturing, construction and energy services as America builds the physical infrastructure to support galloping AI. Kevin Hassett, director of Trump's National Economic Council, said on Fox Business this past week: "The AI economy is moving much faster than the dot-com economy in the '90s. And the coaches [co-pilots] that AI is producing are going to help make a lot of productive workers a heck of a lot of money." 💥 The political risk: Trump is flooring the gas pedal at the very moment some of his most ardent MAGA backers are warning AI could destroy the working-class Americans who brought him to power. The fear is that AI and AI-powered robots will eat vital American jobs before the nation has time to prepare the U.S. workforce for sci-fi-level change. 🎙️ Steve Bannon — host of "War Room," one of the most influential MAGA podcasts — has been privately and publicly lighting up the administration, calling the new tech alliance "crony capitalism" and warning that the "technocratic elite" are building a future threatening the jobs of much of the MAGA base. Bannon told us that catering to "arrogant" Big Tech is a trap for Trump, since such policies will be a loser with his hardcore supporters. "The broligarchs are detested not simply by MAGA but America as a whole — they actually unite the populist left and right," Bannon said. "The tech bros will be the first to jump ship when the midterm fight turns ugly, as surely it will." ⬇️ Column continues below.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 08 1980 John Lennon shot John Lennon, a former member of the Beatles, the rock group that transformed popular music in the 1960s, is shot and killed by an obsessed fan in New York City. The 40-year-old artist was entering his luxury Manhattan apartment building when Mark David Chapman shot him four times at close range... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT American Revolution 1775 Americans join forces ahead of the siege of Quebec Arts & Entertainment 1894 Humorist James Thurber is born 1982 “Sophie’s Choice” premieres in Los Angeles Asian History 1949 Chinese Nationalists move capital to Taiwan Civil War 1863 President Lincoln issues Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction Cold War 1987 Superpowers agree to reduce nuclear arsenals European History 1542 Mary Queen of Scots born Inventions & Science 1942 Auto-factory architect Albert Kahn dies Natural Disasters & Environment 1794 Fire destroys much of New Orleans’ French Quarter 1881 Theater fire kills hundreds in Vienna Sports 1940 Bears beat Redskins 73-0 in NFL Championship game U.S. Presidents 1993 NAFTA signed into law Vietnam War 1969 President Nixon announces Vietnam War is ending World War I 1914 The Battle of the Falkland Islands 1919 John Maynard Keynes predicts economic chaos from the Treaty of Versailles World War II 1941 The United States declares war on Japan 1941 Jeannette Rankin casts sole vote against WWII

A Journalist Reported From Palestine. YouTube Deleted His Account Claiming He’s an Iranian Agent. In February 2024, without warning, YouTube deleted the account of independent British journalist Robert Inlakesh. https://theintercept.com/2025/12/07/youtube-deleted-journalist-israel-palestine-censorship/? Boat Strike Survivors Clung to Wreckage for Some 45 Minutes Before U.S. Military Killed Them Two survivors clung to the wreckage of a vessel attacked by the U.S. military for roughly 45 minutes before a second strike killed them on September 2. After about three quarters of an hour, Adm. Frank Bradley, then head of Joint Special Operations Command, ordered a follow-up strike — first reported by The Intercept in September — that killed the shipwrecked men, according to three government sources and a senior lawmaker. https://theintercept.com/2025/12/05/boat-strike-survivors-double-tap/? CE Denies Pepper-Spraying Rep. Adelita Grijalva in Incident Caught on Video Federal immigration agents pepper-sprayed and shot crowd suppression munitions at newly sworn-in Arizona Rep. Adelita Grijalva during a confrontation with protesters in Tucson on Friday. https://theintercept.com/2025/12/05/adelita-grijalva-pepper-spray-ice-protest/? “I’m Not Fleeing” — Alleged Antifa Cell Member Says He Was Accidentally Released From Jail For five months, Daniel Sanchez Estrada was the prisoner of a government that has branded him an “Antifa Cell operative.” He was accused of moving a box of anarchist zines from one suburb of Dallas to another after a protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. https://theintercept.com/2025/12/04/antifa-zines-accidental-release-texas-ice-protest/? Video of U.S. Military Killing Boat Strike Survivors Is Horrifying, Lawmakers Reveal Lawmakers who saw a video of a U.S. attack on wounded and helpless people clinging to the wreckage of a supposed drug boat on September 2 described the footage as deeply disturbing. https://theintercept.com/2025/12/04/boat-strike-survivors-video/? She Lost Her Job for Speaking Out About Gaza. Can It Power Her to Congress? Attorney Melat Kiros lost her job in 2023 after she wrote a post on Medium criticizing law firms, including her own, for opposing pro-Palestine protests and “chilling future lawyers’ employment prospects for criticism of the Israeli government’s actions and its legitimacy.” Now, she’s running for Congress to replace a nearly three-decade incumbent in Denver and calling to end U.S. military aid to Israel. https://theintercept.com/2025/12/04/denver-primary-melat-kiros-diana-degette-justice-democrats/? Pentagon Claims It “Absolutely” Knows Who It Killed in Boat Strikes. Prove It, Lawmaker Says. After Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson declared the War Department was certain about the identities of supposed drug smugglers killed in boat strikes, Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., had some questions about the intelligence. When Houlahan called on Wilson to appear before Congress, however, the outspoken and controversial spokesperson suddenly went silent. https://theintercept.com/2025/12/04/boat-strikes-evidence-hegseth/? Israel Revoked Palestinians’ Work Permits — Then Launched a Deadly Crackdown on Laborers For many years, Arafat Qaddous worked construction jobs in Israel. https://theintercept.com/2025/12/04/israel-palestinians-work-permits-laborers/? U.S. Citizens With Somali Roots Are Carrying Their Passports Amid Minnesota ICE Crackdown As dozens of agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement surged into Minnesota’s Twin Cities this week as part of a federal crackdown targeting the Somali diaspora, it struck fear in the hearts of community members. https://theintercept.com/2025/12/06/trump-ice-minnesota-somali/? Luigi, a Year Later: How to Build a Movement Against Parasitic Health Insurance Giants Luigi Mangione’s legal defense fund has swelled to more than $1.3 million and is still growing daily. As the December 4 Legal Committee, we created that fund — but it would mean nothing without the donations, prayers, and support of people from around the world. As corporate social media platforms censored support for Luigi, the fundraiser page became a place for people to share stories of senseless death and suffering at the hands of the for-profit health insurance industry in this country. https://theintercept.com/2025/12/04/luigi-mangione-health-care-insurance-costs/? Lethal Illusion: Understanding the Death Penalty Apparatus As of December 1, officials across the U.S. have executed 44 people in 11 states, making 2025 one of the deadliest years for state-sanctioned executions in recent history. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, three more people are scheduled for execution before the new year. https://theintercept.com/2025/12/05/malcolm-gladwell-liliana-segura-death-penalty-lethal-injection/?

See: https://atoday.org/new-bill-in-peruvian-congress-protects-sabbath-observance/

🔮 1 fun thing: A way-too-early prediction Data: Polymarket; Chart: Axios Visuals Prediction markets — which in some recent elections have been more accurate in picking winners than many polls — already are taking bets on the 2028 election. California Gov. Gavin Newsom is viewed as the runaway leader for the Democratic nomination in this way-too-early snapshot. Polymarket bettors currently see Vice President Vance as the likely GOP nominee — and think a Democrat is more likely to win the election.

👀 Shapiro's 2028 strategy Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Mark Makela/Getty Images Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has a plan that could give him an edge in the 2028 presidential primary: Engineer a blowout for his state's Democrats in next year's midterms to prove he can turn the electoral college's biggest battleground blue again. 💪 Why it matters: Shapiro has quietly and methodically tightened his grip on Pennsylvania's Democratic machine in recent months — recruiting key congressional candidates, clearing the field for them and remaking the state party. The moves, insiders say, are designed to maximize Democratic wins — and position Shapiro as the party's most electable presidential contender. Next year's election map gives Shapiro plenty of opportunities: He's up for a second term and aiming to help flip as many as four congressional seats in Pennsylvania. 💦 Between the lines: Shapiro needs to make a big splash if he decides to run for president, as virtually every top Democratic official in Pennsylvania expects. He's only at 4% in early 2028 primary polls, despite a robust national media strategy and his considerable popularity in a must-win swing state that President Trump carried last year. What they're saying: "Governor Shapiro is going to work hard to elect people who are going to fight for Pennsylvanians and defeat those who are making their lives harder," Shapiro spokesperson Manuel Bonder said. "In 2026, Pennsylvania will be at the center of putting a stop to [GOP policies] by flipping the House." Zoom in: Shapiro has been more engaged in electoral politics than in past years, shaking up a moribund state party and wading into congressional primaries. He previously kept his distance from the state's Democratic Party, which had struggled to raise money and faced intra-party accusations of incompetence. Shapiro essentially launched a rescue mission, nudging the state committee chair to step aside and encouraging an ally, former state auditor general Eugene DePasquale, to take over. Shapiro installed a longtime aide, Larry Hailsham Jr., as the state party's executive director. Behind the scenes: Shapiro also has privately shaped congressional primaries — a departure from his normally risk-averse style. He intervened after state and national Democrats grew worried this year about the party's crowded primary to take on Republican Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, a vulnerable first-term member. Shapiro encouraged firefighters union leader Bob Brooks to jump into the race against Mackenzie, according to two people familiar with their conversations, even after EMILYs List and the former Democratic congresswoman in the area backed another candidate. Shapiro also helped clear the Democratic field for former TV news anchor Janelle Stelson, who's challenging Republican Rep. Scott Perry in a rematch after coming within 1 percentage point of defeating him last year. The governor quietly has made clear that he backs Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti's run against GOP Rep. Rob Bresnahan, as well as Bucks County Commissioner Bob Harvie's challenge of Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, several sources said. Shapiro-approved candidates run across the party's ideological spectrum, from a Bernie Sanders-endorsed contender to more traditional Democrats — a notable coalition for the moderate governor ahead of 2028. The other side: Republican Stacy Garrity, who's challenging Shapiro for governor, vows to complicate the incumbent's expected glide path to reelection and likely run for president. "The political graveyard is full of candidates who have miscalculated and have tried to run for multiple offices at the same time," said John Brabender, a Garrity strategist. 🖼️ The big picture: Earlier this year, Shapiro opened up somewhat about his ambitions, saying of a presidential run: "A year ago, when someone would say that to me, I quite candidly would just laugh." But now, "I hear them say it because they're scared about what's happening in D.C." Keep reading. — Holly Otterbein

Nordic people know how to beat the winter blues. Here’s how to find light in the darkest months The Nordic countries are no strangers to the long, dark winter. The Associated Press spoke to experts in Norway, Sweden and Finland about the winter blues. Here’s how they suggest looking for light, literally and figuratively, during the darkest months of the year. Read more.

As Russia’s Africa Corps fights in Mali, witnesses describe atrocities A new Russian military unit that replaced the Wagner mercenary group is carrying out abuses including rapes and beheadings as it teams up with Mali's military to hunt down extremists, dozens of civilians who fled the fighting have told The Associated Press. Read more.

National Park Service drops free admission on MLK Day, Juneteenth while adding Trump’s birthday WASHINGTON (AP) — The National Park Service will offer free admission to U.S. residents on President Donald Trump’s birthday next year — which also happens to be Flag Day — but is eliminating the benefit for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth. https://apnews.com/article/national-parks-free-trump-birthday-juneteenth-mlk-225b10728a9df22d54407ecaec1e5e5f?

The Data Doesn’t Lie: How ProPublica Reports the Truth in an Era of False Claims Ours is a time of provably wrong claims, vociferously stated. https://www.propublica.org/article/propublica-reporters-data-immigration? Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy Once Defended Congress’ Power of the Purse. Now He Defies It. As a congressman, Duffy made an impassioned legal case against executive overreach. A decade later, judges have used those same arguments to rebuke him for withholding billions in transportation funding. https://www.propublica.org/article/sean-duffy-trump-transportation-secretary-congress-funding? What a Recorded Interview Between Police and Preachers Reveals About How a Minnesota Church Handled Sexual Abuse A roughly 40-minute conversation shows how leaders of an Old Apostolic Lutheran Church kept an open secret quiet for so long. https://www.propublica.org/article/minnesota-old-apostolic-lutheran-church-sexual-abuse-police-recording?

⚾ Hall of Fame quest Dale Murphy #3 of the Atlanta Braves during photo day in spring training in 1978. Photo: Focus on Sport/Getty Images Rick Klein, a baseball fan who also happens to be Washington bureau chief for ABC News, usually covers political campaigns. But recently he's been working on a different sort of campaign: He's trying to get his hero, Dale Murphy, elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Why it matters: Murphy played for the Braves. But his fans are everywhere, in part because media mogul Ted Turner owned the Braves and broadcast their games nationally on TBS, the "superstation." "[F]or much of the '80s, American households with cable could watch more Braves games than those of any other professional franchise," Klein, who grew up in New York, writes. "He was the all-American good guy on some pretty bad Atlanta Braves teams, a superstar on the field and off." Dale Murphy during the alumni weekend red-carpet roll call before a 2023 game at Truist Park in Atlanta. Photo: Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves via Getty Images A vote tomorrow will decide if Murphy will claim his place in the Hall of Fame. Among those rooting for him: Govs. Brian Kemp of Georgia, Spencer Cox of Utah, and Ron DeSantis of Florida, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), "House of Cards" actor Michael Kelly, rapper Killer Mike and country superstar Jason Aldean. The bottom line: "No matter what happens in the final vote, [this effort has] already resonated in a way that's deeply meaningful for Murphy's countless fans, as well as the man himself," Klein writes. More on Klein's "fan campaign for baseball immortality." ps:Not only him but also Dan Mattingly, both of these people should be in the Baseball Hall of Fame!!!!!

🌍 Europe's drone panic Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios The latest in a string of mysterious incursions into high-security European airspace: French forces responded Thursday night to unknown drones flying over a military base that hosts nuclear-armed submarines, Axios' Colin Demarest and Dave Lawler report. The big picture: The incidents have sparked suspicions of Russian hybrid warfare — but Moscow has not been directly implicated and little is known thus far about the incident in western France. 👀 Three days earlier, five large drones were spotted near Dublin Airport along the flight path of the arriving Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, according to Irish media. Drone sightings forced airspace closures in Belgium in November and in Denmark, Norway and Germany in September. Reality check: Critical infrastructure — military bases, power stations, airports and more — is largely unprepared for today's drone threat. Stateside drone mania this time last year underscored just how fragmented policy, communications and countermeasures are. Keep reading.

🌆 Sanctuary cities 2.0 Photo illustration: Allie Carl/Axios. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images Mayors and local officials aren't just criticizing ICE raids in their cities: They're making life harder for federal law enforcement, while being careful not to go over the line. Why it matters: The law forbids local leaders from impeding or interfering with federal officers. But cities are finding ways to push back on unwanted immigration enforcement by the Trump administration, Axios' Brittany Gibson writes. 🔎 Homeland Security officials are getting a cold shoulder from local leaders as they decamp to New Orleans for "Operation Catahoula Crunch." The local sheriff's office won't allow ICE into its jails to make arrests or use the space for detention. In Minneapolis, which is bracing for an ICE operation targeting Somali immigrants over visa fraud, Mayor Jacob Frey signed an executive order this week that bans law enforcement agencies "from using any City-owned parking lots, ramps, garages, or vacant lots to stage civil immigration enforcement operations." In Chicago, Mayor Brandon Johnson issued a similar ban on using city-owned space for any immigration enforcement operations. LA County officials approved an emergency declaration that will cover living expenses for people who miss work because they fear immigration raids. It started accepting requests for aid this month. Read on.

💡 Energy milestone Data: International Energy Agency. Chart: Axios Visuals More people around the world now work in producing and distributing power — making electricity from wind, solar and other sources — than in extracting and supplying fuels, like oil, gas or coal, the International Energy Agency says. Why it matters: It's a sign of what IEA calls the "age of electricity." Solar gigs in particular are rising quickly, Axios' Ben Geman reports.

RIP billable hours Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios The days of lawyers and other professionals charging by the hour might soon be over. "As AI capabilities accelerate, the fundamental logic of charging for time spent rather than value delivered is becoming increasingly untenable," Rita Gunther McGrath of Columbia Business School writes for WSJ. Catch up quick: Billable hours have been around since the '60s, but what began as a move to boost transparency has turned into a system that incentivizes people to rack up hours and maximize profits. Now, "when an AI system can review thousands of contracts in minutes rather than weeks, draft complex documents in seconds rather than hours or generate strategic analyses near-instantaneously ... the remaining human contribution shifts toward judgment, creativity and relationship management — the value of which bears little relationship to time expended." Read on (gift link).

💥 Vaccine overhaul Photo illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images President Trump ordered his top health officials last night to review all U.S. childhood vaccination recommendations and align them with the "best practices" from other developed countries, Axios' David Nather reports. Why it matters: Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his allies have gained the power to pursue sweeping changes in U.S. vaccine policies — driven by their embrace of discredited theories about vaccines' link to autism and other diseases. 💉 Trump's order is a vote of confidence in Kennedy's handpicked advisory panel on vaccines, which voted yesterday to drop the decades-old federal recommendation that all infants receive the hepatitis B vaccine at birth. The CDC panel "made a very good decision to END their Hepatitis B Vaccine Recommendation for babies, the vast majority of whom are at NO RISK of Hepatitis B," Trump wrote on Truth Social. The American Medical Association's Sandra Adamson Fryhofer said the CDC panel's vote "undermines decades of public confidence in a proven, lifesaving vaccine."