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Trump’s handling of the economy is at its lowest point in AP-NORC polling President Donald Trump’s approval on the economy and immigration have fallen substantially since March, according to a new AP-NORC poll, the latest indication that two signature issues that got him elected barely a year ago could be turning into liabilities as his party begins to gear up for the 2026 midterms. Read more.

Senate rejects extension of health care subsidies as costs are set to rise for millions of Americans WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate on Thursday rejected legislation to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits, essentially guaranteeing that millions of Americans will see a steep rise in costs at the beginning of the year. https://apnews.com/article/health-care-vote-affordable-care-act-obamacare-6ffc1ea9f878c6b3da995589ef8a012c?

Kilmar Abrego Garcia freed from federal immigration detention, his attorney’s office says PHILIPSBURG, Pa. (AP) — Kilmar Abrego Garcia was freed from immigration detention on a judge’s order Thursday while he fights to stay in the U.S., handing a major victory to the immigrant whose wrongful deportation to a notorious prison in El Salvador made him a flashpoint of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. https://apnews.com/article/abrego-garcia-el-salvador-deportation-31160936c51932f74b717eb1143edd55?

👋 Good morning! We're trying something new this morning, previewing a larger interview that we'll drop in full later today. So enjoy this short AM edition, and we'll see you back here soon. In today's edition: A preview of our conversation with NCAA president Charlie Baker, Sherrone Moore fired and detained by police, Orioles land Alonso, Thunder erupt in 49-point blowout, Yahoo Fantasy Football studs, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports...   🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 🏈 Moore fired, detained: Michigan fired head coach Sherrone Moore for cause on Wednesday after an investigation found he had "engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member." Later in the day, Moore was taken into police custody as a suspect in an alleged assault. ⚾️ Alonso to Baltimore: The Orioles are signing former Mets 1B Pete Alonso to a five-year, $155 million deal, bringing one of the league's best sluggers to Baltimore on the long-term contract he tried and failed to secure last year. 🏈 NFL launching flag league: With flag football set to make its Olympic debut in 2028, the NFL has voted to launch a professional league. This move allows the NFL to enter into an agreement with a partner and invest up to $32 million. ⚽️ The "Rodman Rule": The NWSL will vote on a new roster mechanism that would allow teams to pay stars significantly above the salary cap. This comes after commissioner Jessica Berman vetoed a deal that would have paid Washington's Trinity Rodman over $1 million annually. ⚾️ Buck wins Frick Award: Joe Buck is being honored with the Baseball Hall of Fame's 2026 Ford C. Frick Award for excellence in broadcasting, following in his father's footsteps after the elder Buck won the award in 1987.   🎓 SPORTS BETTING CHARLIE BAKER INTERVIEW (TEASER) Charlie Baker at a Big East basketball event in October. (Porter Binks/Getty Images). Sports betting has consumed American culture in recent years. I spoke with NCAA President Charlie Baker about the impact it's having on college sports in a wide-ranging interview that will land in your inboxes later today. A brief preview of our conversation… Kendall Baker: According to a recent NCAA study, 36% of Division I men's basketball student-athletes reported experiencing social media abuse related to sports betting within the last year, while 29% reported having interacted with a student on campus who had placed a bet on their team. What are your immediate thoughts when you see numbers like that? Charlie Baker: After my appointment was announced in December 2022, I went out and visited about 1,000 student athletes on campuses, mostly in and around New England, which is where I was living. Basically just to sort of say, "tell me what's going on." So much of those conversations were about sports betting — and especially the abuse and harassment that came with it — that one of the first things we did when I got to the NCAA was a survey of 18 to 22 year olds on sports betting. I wanted to see if what I'd been hearing anecdotally was true; that the peer group of a lot of kids who play college sports were really betting on it in a very significant way. The answer that came back was that, yeah, a ton of people between the ages of 18 and 22 — never mind the grown ups — were betting on college sports. And these are the kids that student athletes are interacting with, going to class with, eating in the cafeteria with and all the rest. When I was in college, it would have been a very weird day if we had a game coming up and I didn't have classmates and friends asking me, "How's it gonna go tonight?" But that was just chatter. Now, it's guidance and inside information, and I think that creates a completely different dynamic for athletes, especially those playing at a big-time level. Stay tuned: My full interview with Charlie will drop later today, and we'll send it straight to your inbox. Talk then.   🌎 SNAPSHOTS THE WORLD IN PHOTOS (Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images) 🇺🇸 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma — The Thunder posted the biggest blowout of the season in Wednesday's 138-89 win over the Suns. With the victory, they advanced to the NBA Cup semifinals and matched the best 25-game start in NBA history (24-1). We're witnessing history, folks! The nightcap: The Spurs also advanced after beating the Lakers, 132-119, behind Stephon Castle's big night (30-10-6). Despite the loss, you simply must watch LeBron James posterize Luke Kornet. He turns 41 in three weeks! (Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images) 🇪🇸 Madrid, Spain — You'll never believe it, but Erling Haaland scored in Manchester City's 2-1 win over Real Madrid on Wednesday, giving him a record 51 goals through his first 50 starts in the Champions League. Elsewhere: USMNT star Weston McKennie scored a stunner in Juventus' 2-0 win over Pafos; Arsenal beat Club Brugge, 3-0, to remain undefeated in the league phase. Britta Curl-Salemme celebrates a second-period goal. (Leila Devlin/Getty Images) 🇨🇦 Edmonton, Canada — The U.S. women routed Canada, 10-4, on Wednesday to clinch their first Rivalry Series victory since 2020. They've won all three contests so far in this year's four-game series. What's next: The fourth and final game is on Saturday, after which both sides will cut their 30-player rosters to the 23 who will compete in February's Milan-Cortina Olympics. Vonn during a training session on Thursday. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images) 🇨🇭 St. Moritz, Switzerland — Lindsey Vonn, 40, is set to make her season debut at this week's World Cup event as she gears up for the Winter Olympics. Looking ahead: Vonn's comeback after her five-year retirement was largely fueled by her drive to compete in one last Olympics, specifically at Cortina, where she's had tremendous success in the past.   📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: THURSDAY, DEC. 11 The Bucs beat the Falcons in their season-opener, winning 23-20 on Emeka Egbuka's last-minute TD. (Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) 🏈 Falcons at Buccaneers Tampa Bay hosts Atlanta on "Thursday Night Football" (8:15pm ET, Prime) as the reeling Bucs (7-6) — who've lost four of five — cling to their playoff hopes against the already-eliminated Falcons (4-9). A streak and a drought: The Buccaneers, currently tied atop the division with the Panthers, are seeking to extend their NFC-best five-year postseason streak, while the Falcons already extended their NFC-worst postseason drought to eight years. 🏐 NCAA Volleyball Championship The Sweet 16 begins today after the tournament's opening weekend saw the top teams dominate, with 15 of the 16 highest seeds all reaching the third round. Today's slate: No. 2 Arizona State vs. No. 3 Creighton (1pm); No. 1 Kentucky vs. Cal Poly (3:30pm); No. 4 Minnesota vs. No. 1 Pitt (7pm); No. 2 SMU vs. No. 3 Purdue (9:30pm). … All games on ESPN2. More to watch: 🏒 NHL: Golden Knights at Flyers (7pm, ESPN); Panthers at Avalanche (9:30pm, ESPN) … Colorado (2022), Vegas (2023) and Florida (2024-25) won the past four Stanley Cups. 🏀 NCAAM: Iowa at No. 4 Iowa State (8pm, FS1) … The Cyclones have won three of the past four games in the Cy-Hawk Series.   ⚾ SLUGGERS MLB TRIVIA (Rich Storry/Getty Images) Pete Alonso — the newest Oriole — has mashed 264 home runs since debuting in 2019, third-most in the majors in that time. Question: Who are the only two players with more homers since Alonso's debut? Hint: A righty and a lefty. Answer at the bottom.   🏈 YAHOO FANTASY FANTASY FOOTBALL STUDS (Yahoo Sports) The fantasy football playoffs are upon us (for most leagues) as we enter Week 15 of the NFL season. Got any of these guys on your roster?   Trivia answer: Aaron Judge (285 HR) and Kyle Schwarber (268)

Former Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore jailed hours after his firing Former Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore was jailed on Wednesday, according to court records, hours after he was fired for what the university said was an “inappropriate relationship with a staff member.” Read more. What to know: In response to media inquiries about Moore, the Pittsfield Township Police Department issued a statement that did not mention anyone by name. According to the statement, police were called to investigate an alleged assault in Pittsfield Township, a couple of miles south of Michigan Stadium, and took a person into custody. Michigan said it fired Moore for cause after finding evidence of his relationship with the staffer, ending an up-and-down, two-year tenure that saw the Wolverines take a step back on the field after winning the national championship and getting punished by the NCAA. Moore signed a five-year contract with a base annual salary of $5.5 million last year. According to the terms of his deal, the university will not have to buy out the remaining years of Moore’s contract because he was fired for cause. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Michigan fires special teams coach JB Brown after disappointing season

Trump’s crackdown on immigration is taking a toll on child care workers Trump’s push for the largest mass deportation in history has had an outsized impact on the child care field, which is heavily reliant on immigrants and already strained by a worker shortage. Read more. What to know: Immigrant child care workers and preschool teachers, the majority of whom are working and living in the U.S. legally, say they are wracked by anxiety over possible encounters with ICE officials. Some have left the field, and others have been forced out by changes to immigration policy. Schools and child care centers were once off limits to ICE officials, in part to keep children out of harm’s way. But those rules were scrapped not long after Trump’s inauguration. Instead, ICE officials are urged to exercise “common sense.” About one-fifth of America’s child care workers were born outside the United States and one-fifth are Latino. The proportion of immigrants in some places, particularly large cities, is much higher. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Trump administration separates thousands of migrant families in the US Photos of families who set off on migration journeys and found themselves torn apart Trump administration adds militarized zone in California along southern US border

December 11, 2025 By Sam Sifton Good morning. The United States seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela yesterday, an escalation of President Trump’s campaign against the Maduro government. And the Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado appeared in Oslo hours after she was supposed to accept a Nobel Peace Prize. She had been in hiding. Before we get to that, though, I’d like to take you into the world of Andrew Tate, a social media influencer accused of rape and human trafficking, who was freed from Romania after courting Trump’s allies and family members. Mark Harris Bad boys Andrew Tate and his brother, Tristan Tate, are paragons of the manosphere — influencers who say a man’s role is to dominate women. In 2023, Romanian prosecutors said the brothers had seduced women and then pressed them into performing for the Tates’ pornography business. Andrew was also accused of rape. They were barred from leaving the country while prosecutors built their case. Earlier this year, though, Romania lifted the travel restrictions. An investigation by my colleagues Megan Twohey and Isabella Kwai found that support from Trump administration officials had played a crucial role in the decision. “We’re massively back,” a grinning Tate said in a video he posted in February as the brothers flew to Florida by private jet. For years, Megan and Isabella found, Andrew built relationships with Trump’s advisers and relatives, including Barron Trump, the president’s youngest son. They interviewed dozens of people in Romania, the United States and Britain. They reviewed hundreds of pages of court documents and private messages. Their work explains why the Tates are free again, at least for now. It can be hard to explain which defendants the Trump administration backs, and why, as my colleague Tyler Pager told me the other day. But apparently even people accused of rape can get a hand, even amid the furor over the Epstein files, if they have the right contacts. The White House said it had no knowledge of the brothers’ legal issues. The Tates deny any criminal wrongdoing. The Tates’ lawyer said The Times’s reporting on Andrew and Barron was “fake news.” Fall and rise Andrew Tate, left, and Tristan Tate. Daniel Mihailescu/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images The Tate brothers became wealthy as pornographers: They had women in Britain and, later, Romania perform live on webcams for paying customers. The business flourished on TikTok, OnlyFans and elsewhere. But they became famous as influencers, boasting to millions of followers about their mental toughness, physical discipline and entrepreneurial skill. “It’s not just about picking up girls,” Andrew said in an interview on YouTube. “It’s about converting them into really loving you enough to moving in with you and working for you and giving you all the money.” They sold courses on these subjects. One promised a Ph.D. — a “pimping hoes degree.” Between 2014 and 2022, they earned at least 21 million pounds (nearly $28 million), according to records from a British court. (A judge found that they had evaded taxes.) The brothers’ arrest in Romania made headlines around the world. Andrew didn’t shy from the news storm when it came. “He used it,” write Megan and Isabella. Andrew soon made contact with the conservative podcast host Tucker Carlson, who flew to Bucharest to interview him. Carlson didn’t press Tate on his pornography business or about his comments about women, but talked instead about their interest in what they described as a left-wing war on masculinity. Carlson at one point mischaracterized the criminal charges against Andrew, saying they had nothing to do with sexual violence or human trafficking. Tucker Carlson interviewing Andrew Tate. Megan and Isabella asked Carlson about that. He apologized for getting it wrong. “It doesn’t change my view that the Tates, whatever their personal behavior, had a message worth hearing,” he said. The Carlson interview led to more press. Charlie Kirk talked about the Tates on his podcast, agreeing that masculinity was under attack. Candace Owens, another conservative podcaster, interviewed Andrew in Bucharest. Don’t judge him for his past comments, she told her listeners. “This is how guys have fun,” she said, “the same way that girls sit around and talk about ‘Real Housewives.’” In other interviews, Andrew compared himself to President Trump, drawing parallels between the two men: pariahs on social media, unfairly targeted for prosecution, victims of political attacks. Soon, the brothers had defenders in the Trump family. Donald Trump Jr. offered support on X. “They just want to silence you,” he wrote. And Barron Trump spoke to Andrew over Zoom, the investigation found. “I’m very close to the Trump family,” Andrew said in the summer of 2024. Wheels up Then came a Romanian order that instructed prosecutors to negotiate with the Tates, Megan and Isabella write. The prime minister of Romania believed that the Trump administration would be happy with the outcome, said a person who was not authorized to discuss it. On the day the brothers left Romania for Florida, The Times asked their lawyer whether the Trump administration had aided in their release: “Do the math,” he said. “These guys are on the plane.” The Tate brothers are by no means free of trouble. They are still under investigation in Romania, Britain and, as Megan and Isabella learned, the United States. Ron DeSantis, Florida’s governor, said the Tates were not welcome in his state. They continue to bounce around. “I’m in Dubai, I’m still rich, all I do is win,” Andrew said in a video posted in April. It shows him driving away in a Bugatti. I urge you to read the entirety of Megan and Isabella’s investigation. DEFENSE BILL The House approved a $900 billion defense bill that would give U.S. troops a raise and codify much of Trump’s national security agenda. It goes next to the Senate, which is expected to approve it overwhelmingly. Here are a few interesting details from the bill: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s travel budget will fall by 25 percent unless he releases the command orders for and unedited videos of the military’s boat strikes. The U.S. will lift sanctions on Syria. Transgender women will be barred from participating in women’s athletic programs at U.S. service academies. The U.S. will supply Ukraine with $400 million in annual security assistance through 2027. The bill does not rename the Defense Department the “Department of War,” as Trump has called it. THE LATEST NEWS Venezuela María Corina Machado Jonas Been Henriksen/NTB Scanpix, via Associated Press Machado, the Nobel Peace Prize winner, appeared on a hotel balcony in Oslo in the middle of the night. Her supporters cheered for her from below. The tanker seized by the U.S. was carrying Venezuelan oil, an official said, adding that a judge recently issued a warrant for the operation because of the ship’s history smuggling oil for Iran. The ship may have been trying to conceal its whereabouts by broadcasting falsified location data, a Times analysis found. Immigration via trumpcard. gov The Trump administration debuted a website where people can apply for its “gold card” visas. They will cost more than $1 million. The Pentagon has diverted at least $2 billion from its core missions this year to support Trump’s immigration crackdown, according to a report by Democratic lawmakers. More on Politics The head of the Federal Aviation Administration had not complied with an agreement to divest from the airline he used to run, a government ethics agency said. The F.D.A. has expanded its investigation into deaths possibly linked to the Covid vaccine. International In Yemen, a separatist group has taken control of parts of the country. The group is backed by the U.A.E., and its leader said the group wants to take the capital. Mexico approved tariffs on Chinese imports after U.S. pressure. The highest rate will be 50 percent. A military group backed by Rwanda said it had captured a city in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Last week, the countries signed a peace deal alongside Trump. The Louvre heist was caught on video, investigators say. The museum’s director previously said a security camera had been facing the wrong way. Other Big Stories A judge ordered the Trump administration to end its National Guard deployment in Los Angeles, saying the government had illegally kept troops in the city long after intense protests had ended. (The administration is expected to appeal.) The Federal Reserve lowered interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point. But the vote was divided, suggesting officials might be reluctant to cut rates again in the near future. Evacuations are underway in Washington State after heavy rain. Up to 100,000 people could be affected. An Army gynecologist was charged with secretly recording more than 40 of his patients at Fort Hood in Texas. THE MORNING QUIZ This question comes from a recent edition of the newsletter. Click an answer to see if you’re right. (The link will be free.) Some restaurants in New Orleans, a city famous for its dining, are struggling to find supplies — and even to stay open. Why? New tariffs on Vietnam have slashed crawfish imports. Tourism is unexpectedly down this holiday season. Marshland erosion has killed thousands of oyster beds. Workers are staying home as immigration agents fan out across town. OPINIONS The U.S. should commit to overthrowing Nicolás Maduro, Ricardo Hausmann and Jose Morales-Arilla argue. Emily Bazelon and David French discuss this week’s Supreme Court cases. 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 Intangible riches: Yodeling in the Swiss Alps, swimming in an Icelandic pool and sitting down to a home-cooked meal in Italy are protected elements of international cultural heritage after UNESCO released an expanded list yesterday. Street food from Egypt, handmade paper from Japan and Deepavali, India’s festival of lights, also made the list. Menopause: You know menopause can cause hot flashes. But did you know it can also lead to a dry mouth, heart palpitations or urinary tract infections? Read what it does to the body. “Confessions of a Shopaholic”: Writing under the pseudonym Sophie Kinsella, Madeleine Wickham cultivated an international following for her novels about a financial journalist with a weakness for retail consumption. Wickham died at 55. TODAY’S NUMBER 58.5 — That is the number of pounds of beef, on average, that American consumers are projected to eat this year, according to forecasts by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That’s down from last year, as the cost of steak is soaring. SPORTS College football: Michigan’s former football coach Sherrone Moore was in custody after he was fired over what the school called an inappropriate relationship. M.L.B.: Pete Alonso, the Mets’ all-time leader in home runs, is leaving New York to join the Baltimore Orioles, league sources told The Athletic. RECIPE OF THE DAY Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. You’re probably not going to cook these fantastic cabbage rolls tonight. The process is a little involved for a Thursday. But read the recipe a couple of times today and, if you’re so moved, make it this weekend, when you can stretch out the preparation and cooking over a lazy afternoon. The filling is tender and lightly spiced, wrapped in cabbage leaves so smooth and pliant they might be made of pasta dough, and baked with a vibrant tomato sauce. Go wild with the dill at the end and serve with mashed potatoes. RYAN COOGLER’S POWER Ryan Coogler Ariel Fisher for The New York Times Few directors have had a better year than Ryan Coogler, writes Kyle Buchanan, our Projectionist columnist. Coogler has cemented his place in the highest tier of blockbuster filmmakers. He had already proved himself an expert steward of franchises with “Creed” and the “Black Panther” movies. Then he wrote “Sinners,” an original crowd-pleaser about twin brothers (both played by Michael B. Jordan) who open a vampire-plagued juke joint in Jim Crow-era Mississippi. It became the highest-grossing original live-action movie in 15 years. “We would talk about how this movie had to be the sexiest movie any of us had ever made because it was carnal,” Coogler told Kyle. He said he wanted “Sinners” to evoke the feeling you get when you look through family photo albums and discover that your relatives were once vigorous young people, too: “Like, yo, my granddad was hot — no wonder he had 10 kids!” More on culture Sarah Weinman, who writes about mystery novels for The New York Times Book Review, selected the best ones of 2025. Amity Gaige’s “Heartwood,” about a solo female hiker who disappears on the Appalachian Trail, made the list, as did an exciting debut by Victor Suthammanont, “Hollow Spaces.” The best film of the year, according Cahiers du Cinéma, the revered French bible of cinephiles, is “Afternoons of Solitude.” It’s a bullfighting documentary by the Spanish filmmaker Albert Serra that got only a tiny release in North America but is available on streaming platforms, including Mubi. Late night hosts tried to decipher Trump’s off-script speech about cost of living. (The Morning’s most-clicked article yesterday was about the speech.) THE MORNING RECOMMENDS Watch a genre movie. I’m thinking “Good Boy,” Ben Leonberg’s distressing supernatural thriller starring his own dog, a handsome golden retriever named Indy. Beat the winter blues with a SAD lamp. (Alternately, go to Australia, where it’s summery and bright.) Find your father a nice gift for the holidays with these smart suggestions for kindly parental units from Wirecutter. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangrams were illegality and legality. 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 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

Trump Gold Card President Trump on Wednesday officially launched his "gold card" visa, a new immigration pathway that will allow foreigners to pay $1 million to expedite their visa application, or have companies pay $2 million to sponsor a foreign worker they want to bring into the US. The visa website, trumpcard.gov, includes a link to the application and promises "U.S. residency in record time." It also previews that a "Trump Platinum Card" is coming soon and invites foreign nationals to add their names to a waiting list. For $5 million, the administration says eligible applicants will be able to "spend up to 270 days in the United States without being subject to U.S. taxes on non-U.S. income." The "Trump Gold Card" on display at the White House in September. (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post/Getty Images) ps:What a vain, greedy and pathetic man!!!!!

Trump eyes U.S. general for Gaza force The Trump administration plans to appoint an American two-star general to command the International Stabilization Force in Gaza, Axios' Barak Ravid reports. Why it matters: The appointment will further increase the U.S. responsibility for securing and rebuilding Gaza, which is turning into the biggest U.S. project in the Middle East in more than two decades. Breaking it down: The U.S. established a civil-military headquarters in Israel to monitor the ceasefire and coordinate humanitarian aid. The U.S. is leading the planning for the reconstruction of Gaza. Trump is expected to head the Gaza Board of Peace, and his top advisers will be members of an international executive board. Now, the U.S. will be in command of the enclave's security force. The other side: White House officials stress there'll be no U.S. boots on the ground in Gaza. Keep reading.

🎙️ MAGA podcast meltdown Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios MAGA's media machine is ripping itself apart, locked in a web of interpersonal feuds that have derailed its once-relentless focus on advancing President Trump's agenda, Axios' Tal Axelrod writes. Why it matters: The MAGA movement spent years perfecting the art of attacking outsiders. Now, less than a year into Trump's second term, its most prominent voices are attacking each other with a fury normally reserved for the left. 🔭 Zoom in: Tensions have simmered for months among MAGA's mercurial and conspiracy-minded personalities, particularly over the role of Israel in U.S. politics. In recent days, they've boiled over into deeply personal attacks: Candace Owens vs. Turning Point USA: Owens alleged TPUSA — where she once worked — played some role in the assassination of its founder, Charlie Kirk. TPUSA issued an aggressive denial and challenged Owens to join a Monday livestream, where it plans to rebut her allegations. Owens declined the offer after telling the group to pick the time and place for a meeting, saying it interfered with her children's homeschooling duties. Erika Kirk — launching a book tour for Charlie Kirk's final book, "STOP, in the Name of God," on Fox News' "Outnumbered" yesterday — criticized unnamed conspiracy theorists who "go after the people that I love, and you're making hundreds and thousands of dollars every single episode … And so my message to them is to stop." Tim Pool vs. Owens: The "Timcast" host has lashed out at Owens as a "vile evil scumbag" for "milking" the assassination of their mutual friend. Milo Yiannopoulos vs. Benny Johnson: Yiannopoulos, a longtime provocateur overshadowed in recent years by newer right-wing voices, made personal attacks on Johnson, who threatened to sue, posting on X: "I am duty-bound to take action to protect my family." Tucker Carlson vs. Laura Loomer: Carlson, a critic of U.S. support for Israel and other foreign entanglements, has faced months of accusations from pro-Israel Republicans that he is funded by Qatar — a claim he denies. Keep reading. ps:Well that didn't take long!!!!!

THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 11 1936 Edward VIII announces his abdication After ruling for less than one year, Edward VIII becomes the first English monarch to voluntarily abdicate the throne. He chose to abdicate after the British government, public, and the Church of England condemned his decision to marry the American divorcée Wallis Warfield Simpson. On the evening... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 1990s 1994 Russian forces enter Chechnya 1997 Kyoto Protocol first adopted in Japan 21st Century 2019 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg named Time’s Person of the Year American Revolution 1777 British delay Washington’s march to Valley Forge Arts & Entertainment 1964 Sam Cooke dies under suspicious circumstances in LA Asian History 1915 Yuan Shih-kai accepts Chinese throne Cold War 1969 Soviets declare nudity a sign of “western decadence” Crime 1963 Frank Sinatra Jr. released by kidnappers 1978 Millions stolen from JFK Airport in infamous ‘Lufthansa heist’ 2008 Billionaire conman Bernard Madoff arrested LGBTQ+ History 1973 Gay rights advocate interrupts Walter Cronkite’s news broadcast Vietnam War 1961 First U.S. helicopters arrive in South Vietnam World War II 1941 Germany declares war on the United States 1946 UNICEF founded

The Lion King will forever hold the record for best selling VHS of all time, with over 50 million copies sold. James

🏔️ Parting shot! Photo: Larry Leland A view of Lake Wenatchee in the Cascades in Washington state, captured by reader Larry Leland of Seattle.

😷 Exclusive: Where voters are persuadable on ACA subsidies Ahead of tomorrow's show votes, new GOP polling shows half of Republicans and 60% of voters overall support extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits, which expire in a few weeks. Why it matters: A clear majority likes the subsidies, but there's significant support for the GOP's desired changes, including work requirements and redirecting the funding straight to individual health spending accounts. Zoom in: About 60% of voters approved of multiple plans for dealing with the tax credits, including redirecting subsidy money into HSAs — the most popular idea on the list. This is at the heart of the Senate GOP bill and Trump's demands. About half of voters also endorsed Democrats' idea of a three-year extension with no changes, though it received the most opposition in the poll. The bottom line: Look for Republicans to double down against a "clean" extension of the credits. Overall support for extending the tax credits dropped to just 34% after respondents were presented with the GOP arguments and trade-offs. The polling was conducted on behalf of a PAC linked to Senate Republican Conference chair Tom Cotton (R-Ark.). Methodology: The survey was conducted online by Gray House between Dec. 6 and 8, involving 2,058 registered voters. There is a 2.2% margin of error. — Stef Kight

🌋 Impeachment infighting erupts One of Democrats' most fraught internal fights of the year resurfaced today after Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) introduced articles of impeachment against HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. "Enjoy your media cycle," said Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.). Why it matters: Stevens is part of a growing group of House Democrats going rogue with impeachment efforts that aren't backed by party leadership. 📣 House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told us he hasn't taken a look at Stevens' measure. "You know what I'm focused on? Making sure that the American people don't have their health care ripped away from them," he told us. Zoom in: Stevens — who's locked in a competitive Senate primary — told us she "worked closely" with the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which oversees the Department of Health and Human Services. But Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), the top Democrat on the panel, told us she "approached us about joining her, and then in the end we declined." The big picture: This is the third time this year that a House Democrat has launched a rogue impeachment effort. Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.) has introduced impeachment measures against President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) forced a vote on impeaching Trump in June, with most House Democrats joining Republicans in blocking the measure. The other side: "Look, this is something that I've gone through a real process on. This is not something I've just done fly by the night," Stevens told us. She cited congressional inquiries into HHS, efforts to reverse some of Kennedy's public health cuts and conversations with doctors and public health experts. "This is beyond political theater. ... This is what Michiganders want to see, and it's what public health experts want to see," Stevens said. "I think there's a real case here." The bottom line: "We've done this impeachment thing a lot, and it hasn't achieved anything," Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) said. "It's purely performative. ... It makes someone in your base happy, but we need to do real work." — Andrew Solender

House passes defense bill to raise troop pay and overhaul weapons purchases WASHINGTON (AP) — The House voted to pass a sweeping defense policy bill Wednesday that authorizes $900 billion in military programs, including a pay raise for troops and an overhaul of how the Department of Defense buys weapons. https://apnews.com/article/defense-bill-congress-trump-dd67d203accfb65b7604072ebb5da153? 👏 Duct-tape speaker House Speaker Mike Johnson narrowly averted another disaster this afternoon: He salvaged the $900 billion defense authorization bill after cutting last-minute deals and phoning a friend: Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Why it matters: Conservatives supplied the votes, but they are threatening to tank the next spending bill if Johnson breaks his word. "So we made a deal — and actually we talked to the secretary of state directly," Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) told us, saying Rubio vowed to shut down alleged funding from NGOs to the Taliban. Johnson also promised to "go to war" to ensure that a ban on a central bank digital currency gets attached to the next appropriations bill, due in late January. "It either happens, or a CR goes down," Luna said. "He's promised to be with us on that." 💰 Luna extracted a promise on getting a future vote to ban members of Congress from trading individual stock. Johnson was noncommittal about the timeline, and Luna is still pressing forward with her discharge petition on the issue. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said she flipped after Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) promised her bill, the Protect Children's Innocence Act, would get a floor vote next week. "I made a deal and changed my NO vote on the rule to a Yes in exchange for a floor vote next week on my bill that is one of President Trump's key campaign promises and executive orders," she wrote on X. Driving the news: The procedural vote to bring the National Defense Authorization Act to the House floor was heading for an ignominious defeat earlier today. Johnson, Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) and Conference Chair Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) worked the floor, pressing defectors including Greene and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.). Massie held firm as the lone GOP "no." Luna joined Greene — along with Reps. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) and Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) — in flipping to yes. The bottom line: Johnson kept the vote open for more than an hour — far shorter than his record-setting vote in July, when he held a vote open for seven-and-a-half hours during the "one big, beautiful bill" saga. — Kate Santaliz and Hans Nichols

✈️ DHS is buying six Boeing 737s for deportation flights in a nearly $140 million deal, The Washington Post reports. The move could reduce the agency's reliance on charter flights run by airlines like GlobalX and Avelo. Gift link. 👀 Inside Homeland Security's bitter feud Photo illustration: Maura Kearns/Axios. Photos: Getty Images The acrimony is so deep between President Trump's border czar and his homeland security secretary that the two officials barely speak to or meet with each other, insiders tell Axios' Brittany Gibson and Marc Caputo. Why it matters: Tensions reached such a fever pitch last week that the White House was swamped with rumors and news stories claiming Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem had lost Trump's favor and was on her way out. Noem's backers blamed the whisper campaign on supporters of her administration rival, border czar Tom Homan. Homan's partisans deny any involvement. 🖼️ The big picture: Neither Noem nor Homan will be booted, according to administration officials inside and outside the White House. Trump has shown no signs of wanting a change. "Kristi's doing a great job," Trump, unprompted, recently told an adviser who relayed the conversation to Axios. "Her and Tom don't get along," the president chuckled, the source said. "But they're doing great." The adviser said Trump doesn't mind the conflict: "Trump is like that. He kind of likes people competing against each other. He thinks it makes the product better." 📺 Noem, a former South Dakota governor, has spent millions of department dollars on a controversial campaign-style ad blitz that some insiders believe promotes her as much as the department's mission. Homan's appearances on Fox News have led Noem's supporters to cast him as a self-promoter without portfolio.

🌡️ Warming winters Data: Climate Central; Map: Axios Visuals Winter is warming in many cities amid climate change, Alex Fitzpatrick writes from a new Climate Central analysis. 📈 From 1970 to 2025, average winter temperatures rose in 98% of the 244 U.S. cities included. Among cities with an increase, December-February temps rose nearly 4°F on average. 🥶 Many of the cities with the most warming have traditionally cold winters, including Burlington, Vermont (+8.1°F), Milwaukee, Wisconsin (+7.3°F), and Green Bay, Wisconsin (+7°F). ⛷️ Warmer winters can be a bummer for skiers and snowboarders, and affect water supplies tied to annual snowmelt. Go deeper.

Private equity tackles college sports Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios A landmark deal could open the floodgates for private equity in college sports, Axios' Dan Primack writes. 🤝 University of Utah trustees yesterday approved the creation of a for-profit company, in partnership with PE firm Otro Capital. The new venture, Utah Brands & Entertainment, will manage a variety of UU athletic operations, including media, hospitality, licensing and finance. 💵 Otro, which declined comment, is a cornerstone equity investor — though with a minority stake — and will get a share of annual revenue. Two trends are converging here: 🏈 PE's growing interest in sports. 🏟️ College sports are becoming more like pro sports, thanks to name, image and likeness agreements and the transfer portal — plus an NCAA settlement that lets schools pay student-athletes. 📞 A source familiar with the deal: "College sports is big business, but it needs to be a better business." "Schools still are begging for money from donors, cutting non-revenue sports, borrowing from the states, and even considering borrowing from private equity." Yet questions remain about putting a for-profit structure on a taxpayer-supported, nonprofit institution. 📺 Some sports investors also have questioned whether PE can materially improve college sports finances, given that the biggest revenue stream — media rights — is negotiated at the conference level. Go deeper.

US has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, Trump says WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the United States has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela as tensions mount with the government of President Nicolás Maduro. https://apnews.com/article/trump-tanker-seized-venezuela-maduro-0a148ba01684fc6ce1a228dd276732c0? 📹 Stunning tanker takeover Video still: U.S. Attorney General's Office Footage shared by Attorney General Pam Bondi shows U.S. forces rappelling from helicopters during yesterday's seizure of a large oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela. Why it matters: President Trump's pressure campaign on Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro has now struck at the heart of Venezuela's oil-based economy, Axios' Marc Caputo writes. Bondi said the "Coast Guard, with support from the Department of War, executed a seizure warrant for a crude oil tanker used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran." Go deeper: Latest Venezuela escalation ... Watch the footage. ps:Wow this administration must be so proud of themselves! Picking on a Country that can't defend itself from the big bad bully!! From a world leader to a laughing stock of the world!!!!!!!!!! How pathetic we've become!!!!!

The White House says the midterms are all about Trump. Democrats aren’t so sure U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett and state Rep. James Talarico, both Democrats, have kicked off their Texas Senate campaigns with contrasting strategies. Crockett takes direct aim at President Donald Trump, using his insults to energize her 2026 campaign. Talarico is emphasizing economic divides rather than political ones. This split highlights a broader divide among Democrats over how much to center Trump in their campaigns. Read more. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ BREAKING: Trump says the US has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela Embracing profanity is one thing both political parties seem to agree on Federal Reserve cuts key rate but signals higher bar for future reductions Judge orders Trump to end California National Guard troop deployment in Los Angeles Justice Department can unseal records from Epstein’s 2019 sex trafficking case, judge says

Federal Reserve cuts key rate, sees healthier economy next year WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve reduced its key interest rate by a quarter-point for the third time in a row Wednesday but signaled that it may leave rates unchanged in the coming months. https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-economy-inflation-jobs-442de589de9b99bb811f76e402b00948?

Little Marco Loses It Over Big Problem of Woke Typeface in State Dept. The move is the latest in the Trump administration’s effort to undo DEI policies. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has picked a new target in the war against wokeness, insisting the State Department revert to a pre-Joe Biden-era typeface. The move undoes a 2023 directive from then-Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, who switched to a Calibri font to improve accessibility after 20 years of Times New Roman, on the recommendation of the department’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion. On Tuesday, Rubio claimed the reversion offers a return to “tradition, formality, and ceremony,” in a directive sent to diplomatic outposts around the globe. President Donald Trump’s administration has sought to undo an extensive list of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) measures introduced under and predating former President Biden. Among them were the abolition of DEI offices and the removal of diversity criteria for hiring and firing, effectively removing mandates for inclusivity in employment. It has also sought to undo various equality-oriented grants and programs, which Rubio reportedly labeled “radical,” under the loose banner of meritocracy. The New York Times has seen the “Action Request” memo sent to the department, titled “Return to Tradition: Times New Roman 14-Point Font Required for All Department Paper,” which reportedly sets out to “restore decorum and professionalism to the department’s written work.” Blinken’s switch to sans-serif typeface Calibri, which is regarded as looking less cluttered on the page, was intended to reduce barriers for readers with disabilities such as dyslexia, The Times reports. Rubio claimed the move, however, had not reduced the number of “accessibility-based document remediation cases.” His memo said, “Switching to Calibri achieved nothing except the degradation of the department’s official correspondence,” instead insisting serif typefaces are “generally perceived to connote tradition, formality and ceremony.” It also demanded that all writing be reduced from the Blinken-mandated 15-point back to its predecessor of 14-point. Rubio noted that serifs are used by the White House, the Supreme Court, on Air Force One’s livery, the State Department’s letterhead, and in other federal government departments. The newspaper reports that Rubio admitted in his memo that moving over to Calibri, “was not among the department’s most illegal, immoral, radical or wasteful instances of D.E.I.A.” A spokesperson for the State Department confirmed to the Daily Beast that the changes were being introduced, claiming they were intended to bolster credibility and dignity in official correspondence. Serif typefaces have small flicks on the ends of letters, and are used by the Daily Beast in the body of its articles, although a sans serif is used in its headlines. Rubio, whom Trump in 2016 derided as “Little Marco,” claimed sans serifs, which have no flicks at the ends of letters and are often associated with a more modern family of typefaces, are “informal.” He had already abolished the office that had recommended Blinken’s move to Calibri in the first place. https://www.thedailybeast.com/little-marco-rubio-loses-it-over-big-problem-of-woke-typeface-in-state-dept/? ps:Pathetic! Absolutely pathetic!!!!!