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👋 Good morning! Welcome to December. In today's edition: Kiffin's disastrous exit, OKC keeps it rolling, Super Bowl favorites fall, MLS Cup Final is set, Baker's Dozen, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports...   🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 🏈 Coaching carousel: Lane Kiffin left Ole Miss for LSU (more below), Kentucky fired Mark Stoops after 13 seasons, Florida hired Jon Sumrall (Tulane), Arkansas hired Ryan Silverfield (Memphis), Auburn hired Alex Golesh (USF), Michigan State hired Pat Fitzgerald (ex-Northwestern), and more. 🏎️ Down to the wire: Red Bull's Max Verstappen won Sunday's Qatar Grand Prix to set up a season-ending three-way race for the title. McLaren's Lando Norris leads Verstappen by 12 points and teammate Oscar Piastri by 16 points entering the finale in Abu Dhabi. 🏀 NBA Cup knockouts: Group play is complete and the knockout stage is set for the in-season tournament, with the Magic, Raptors, Knicks and Heat advancing in the East and the Thunder, Lakers, Spurs and Suns advancing in the West. ⚽️ Iran boycotts draw: Iran is boycotting this week's World Cup draw in Washington, D.C., after members of its delegation were denied visas to enter the United States. Barring further action, Iran still plans to compete in next summer's World Cup. 🏀 Deadline extended again: The WNBA and players association have agreed to extend their CBA for a second time as negotiations continue, this time through January 9. The first extension was set to run out on Sunday night.   🏈 COACHING CHANGE KIFFIN'S DISASTROUS EXIT FROM OLE MISS (Amy Monks/Yahoo Sports) After weeks of public scrutiny and private consternation, Lane Kiffin finally made his decision on Sunday, ditching Ole Miss on the eve of the College Football Playoff to take the job at LSU. Behind the scenes: In his statement announcing his departure, Kiffin said he wanted to coach the Rebels in the postseason but the school wouldn't allow it. Hard to disagree with them on that one. From Yahoo Sports' Dan Wolken: Kiffin leaving the No. 7 team in the country to take a job with another SEC program before the sport's marquee event is bad for the product, and no other well-run sports league would tolerate it. While it's easy to blame "the system" or "the calendar," as you might have heard on ESPN over the weekend, this is a story of individual choices and responsibilities. It's Kiffin's choice to leave a trail of sleaze on his way out of town. And it's the choice of SEC commissioner Greg Sankey and other college sports leaders to do nothing about it, to shrug their shoulders and to rail against professionalization of college sports when making it a priority would be the best path for their business. Instead, lack of action is a strategic choice, and it's one that needs to be called for what it is: A dereliction of duty in protecting the best interests of college football. Don't you think, during all those years of the Patriots winning championships, that other NFL franchises would have liked to break up the dynasty by putting a huge pile of cash in front of Bill Belichick right before a Super Bowl run? Loyalty wasn't the reason it never happened. It's not possible because the NFL understands how bad it would be for its product and has made rules that govern when and under what circumstances coaches can change jobs when they're under contract. Without collective bargaining, college sports has often run into legal trouble when trying to regulate anything regarding compensation or movement of personnel. And yet, every time people like Sankey end up on Capitol Hill begging for some type of NCAA protection legislation, it's amazing how the focus is always on the chaos of NIL and the transfer portal while the coaching carousel never gets mentioned as a source of harm for the product and schools that pour hundreds of millions of dollars into their programs. Kiffin celebrates with Ole Miss players after winning Friday's Egg Bowl. (Justin Ford/Getty Images) A coach leaving is, by definition, traumatic and overwhelming. Players start thinking about their own futures and options. Routines get broken up. It would truly defy the odds if Ole Miss was as good of a team under these circumstances as it has been for the past three months. That's Kiffin's fault, and his reputation will pay a price across generations. The circus of the last few weeks will go down in SEC infamy, a forever stain on his already pock-marked record. But this is also the product of an ecosystem where players changing jobs on a whim or for a paycheck is a crisis that needs to be dealt with immediately and regulated through a literal act of Congress, while coaches getting paid $10 million a year wrecking their own teams gets met with a shoulder shrug. This might be the first time it's happened in college football. But in the 12-team playoff era, you can bet it won't be the last. If the leaders of college sports aren't willing to make this as much of a priority as opt-outs and portal windows while it turns their national playoff into a punch line, they've lost all sense of perspective on what's good or bad for the game.   🏀 #THUNDERUP OKC IS UNSTOPPABLE (William Purnell/Getty Images) The 2024-25 Thunder put together a historic campaign en route to a championship. So far this season, the defending champs look even better. Historic start: OKC beat Portland on Sunday to win their 12th straight game and become just the fourth team in NBA history to start a season 20-1 or better. The 1969-70 Knicks started 20-1 and went on to win the championship. The 1993-94 Rockets started 20-1 and went on to win the championship. The 2015-16 Warriors started 21-0 and went on to lose in the NBA Finals. The 2025-26 Thunder started 20-1 and [TBD]. The straw that stirs the drink: Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is putting up 33-5-7 on 67.3% true shooting, which is pretty incredible for a guy who rarely even plays in the fourth quarter and has been without his wingman, Jalen Williams, for all but two games. If not for Nikola Jokić, who is casually averaging a near 30-point triple-double, SGA would be the runaway favorite to win back-to-back MVPs. He scored 20+ points for the 93rd consecutive game on Sunday, which is the longest streak by any player not named Wilt Chamberlain (126 straight). Just how good are these guys? Well, let's see: Last year's Thunder team outscored opponents by 12.9 points per game, which broke the previous NBA record that had stood for more than half a century (12.3 by the 1971-72 Lakers). This year's Thunder squad? They're outscoring opponents by 15.5 points per game. More nights than not, they're cruising to victory. Looking ahead: What if I told you the NBA's best team could soon be adding the NBA's best prospect? The Thunder own the Clippers' 2026 first-round pick, and L.A.'s putrid 5-15 start means OKC currently has a 10% chance of landing the No. 1 pick (and a 40% chance of landing a top-four pick) in next year's draft. Something to keep an eye on as L.A.'s season spirals dangerously out of control.   🏈 WEEK 13 DOES ANYBODY WANT TO WIN THE SUPER BOWL? The Panthers took down the heavily-favored Rams on Sunday in Charlotte. (Grant Halverson/Getty Images) The Rams, Eagles, Chiefs, Seahawks and Colts entered Week 13 as the five betting favorites to win the Super Bowl. Four of those teams (all but Seattle) promptly lost and got exposed in various ways. The big picture: The final month of the regular season is upon us, and it's hard to find any reliable contenders. In the NFC, the defending champion Eagles (8-4) are flailing and the rock solid-seeming Rams (9-3) just showed they, too, are prone to a bad loss. The Bears (9-3) are the No. 1 seed, but can they really be trusted? The Seahawks (9-3), 49ers (9-4), Packers (8-3-1) and Buccaneers (7-5) are the other teams in playoff position, while the Lions (7-5), Cowboys (6-5-1) and Panthers (7-6) are all in the hunt. Meanwhile, in the AFC: The Colts (8-4) have gone from "best team in the league" to ceding control of their own division to the Jaguars (8-4). They now find themselves in the messy middle alongside the Bills (8-4), Chargers (8-4), Texans (7-5), Chiefs (6-6), Ravens (6-6) and Steelers (6-6). The Broncos (10-2) have won nine straight games to leapfrog the Patriots (10-2) for first place, but they continue to fly under the radar. Perhaps that's because they barely eked out most of those wins, with seven of the nine being decided by four or fewer points. Week 13 Scoreboard: Cowboys 31, Chiefs 28 (Thanksgiving) Packers 31, Lions 24 (Thanksgiving) Bengals 32, Ravens 14 (Thanksgiving) Bears 24, Eagles 15 (Black Friday) Texans 20, Colts 16 Panthers 31, Rams 28 Seahawks 26, Vikings 0 Broncos 27, Commanders 26 (OT) Bills 26, Steelers 7 Buccaneers 20, Cardinals 17 Jets 27, Falcons 24 Jaguars 25, Titans 3 49ers 26, Browns 8 Chargers 31, Raiders 14 Dolphins 21, Saints 17 Fantasy Focus: Underdog in your league? Week 13 showed there is always hope for an upset   🇺🇸 SNAPSHOTS PHOTOS ACROSS AMERICA (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) Fort Lauderdale, Florida — Inter Miami crushed NYC FC, 5-1, on Saturday to reach the MLS Cup Final for the first time in franchise history. Breakout star Tadeo Allende netted a hat trick, giving him eight goals across Miami's five playoff games. Meanwhile, out West: Vancouver ended top-seeded San Diego's dream debut season with a 3-1 victory, sending the Whitecaps to their first MLS Cup Final. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images) Seattle — The Seattle Torrent drew 16,014 fans to Climate Pledge Arena on Friday for their inaugural home game, breaking the attendance record for a professional women's hockey game in the U.S. On the ice: Seattle lost, 3-0, to two-time defending champion Minnesota, leaving the expansion Torrent as the only PWHL team without a win through two weeks of action. Michigan head coach Dusty May celebrates with the Wolverines. (Zach Del Bello/Players Era/Getty Images) Las Vegas — No. 7 Michigan dominated the Players Era Festival with blowout victories over No. 21 Auburn (102-72) and No. 12 Gonzaga (101-61), making the Wolverines the first team in AP poll history (since 1948) to post consecutive 30-point wins against ranked opponents. On the women's side: No. 4 Texas won the Players Era Festival after beating No. 3 UCLA and No. 2 South Carolina on consecutive days. (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) Copper Mountain, Colorado — Death, taxes, and Mikaela Shiffrin winning the slalom. Sunday's victory, which came in front of an adoring crowd on her home snow, marked the Olympian's fourth straight win in her best discipline and her record-extending 104th career World Cup win. A league of her own: How dominant was Shiffrin? The 1.57-second gap between her and the runner-up was the same as the gap between the runner-up and 11th place.   📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: MONDAY, DEC. 1 The Giants and Pats haven’t played in New England since 2019. Yes, that is Tom Brady. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) 🏈 Giants at Patriots New England hosts New York (8:15pm ET, ABC/ESPN) in just their fourth meeting since Super Bowl XLVI nearly 14 years ago. Can the last-place Giants (2-10, six straight losses) pull off another stunner against the first-place Pats (10-2, nine straight wins)? ⚽️ USWNT vs. Italy The Americans close out the year in Fort Lauderdale with another friendly against the Italians (7pm, TBS/HBO Max) just three days after beating them, 3-0, in Orlando. More to watch: 🏀 NBA: Bulls at Magic (7:30pm, Peacock); Suns at Lakers (10pm, Peacock) … The Lakers (15-4) have won seven straight games to take over second place in the West. 🏒 NHL: Penguins at Flyers (7pm, NHL) … Philly hosts the season's second Battle of Pennsylvania. The Flyers took round one in a shootout.   🏈 DUAL THREAT NFL TRIVIA (Cooper Neill/Getty Images) Josh Allen recorded his 76th career rushing touchdown on Sunday, passing Cam Newton for the most by a QB in NFL history. Question: Who ranks third on that list with 63 rushing TDs? Hint: Unlike Allen and Newton, he was not a first-round pick. Answer at the bottom.   🍿 BAKER'S DOZEN TOP PLAYS OF THE WEEKEND Treylon Burks! (Patrick Smith/Getty Images) This weekend featured some of the best catches you'll ever see on the football field. Four of them top our list, and five made the cut overall. Top 13: 🏈 Treylon Burks!!! 🏈 KJ Duff!!! 🏈 Puka Nacua!!! 🏈 Brock Bowers!!! 🏀 Pitt at the buzzer 🏀 Stanford at the buzzer ⚽️ Tyler Adams from way out 🏈 CJ Daniels!!! 🏒 Assist while injured 🏒 Ridiculous finish 🥍 No-look goal 🏈 Hardy to the house 🏀 Block → Dunk Watch all 13.   Trivia answer: Jalen Hurts

German far-right party sets up its new youth wing as thousands protest GIESSEN, Germany (AP) — A confident far-right Alternative for Germany set up its new youth organization on Saturday even as thousands of protesters converged on the western city of Giessen, where the party held its meeting, some of them clashing with police. https://apnews.com/article/germany-far-right-afd-youth-organization-protests-53265d4217f54ad0b8669be549b9731a?

Hong Kong fire probe reveals unsafe netting as public mourns and government stifles dissent HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong officials said Monday that their investigation into a deadly blaze that killed at least 151 has revealed some of the netting that covered scaffolding used in renovations was not up to fire-safety codes, as a wave of public sympathy and support was met by government moves to stifle criticism. https://apnews.com/article/hong-china-wang-fire-dissent-c0db2a85bfbeac2fdcc6003b6ee7a463?

Hundreds of children separated from families while fleeing violence in Sudan’s west Darfur Hundreds of children have arrived in a refugee camp without their families as thousands of people fled violence in the Sudanese city of el-Fasher in the past month, with more children disconnected from their families arriving every day, officials said. Read more. What to know: The U.N. said more than 100,000 people fled el-Fasher in western Darfur beginning in late October when the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces took back el-Fasher from the Sudanese army. Sheldon Yett, UNICEF’s representative in Sudan, described the children arriving in the camp as “bewildered, malnourished and dehydrated.” The latest mass displacement began when the RSF left hundreds dead in el-Fasher, which was the Sudanese army’s last stronghold. The war between the RSF and the military began in 2023, when tensions erupted between the two former allies that were meant to oversee a democratic transition after a 2019 uprising. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ An archaeologist is racing to preserve Sudan’s heritage as war threatens to erase its cultural past

December 1, 2025 Good morning, and happy December. Today I’m turning the newsletter over to some of my colleagues to answer your questions about drones. — Sam But first, the latest news: Sri Lanka: The death toll from a cyclone there rose to more than 350. Boat strikes: A top Republican joined Democrats in Congress to suggest the military might have committed a war crime in President Trump’s offensive against boats in the Caribbean. Immigration: A college student who came to the U.S. at age 7 was deported while trying to travel home to visit family in Texas for Thanksgiving. Also, it’s Cookie Week, which means the holiday baking season has officially started. We share the first recipe below. A drone during a training exercise in Louisiana. Meridith Kohut for The New York Times Your drone questions By Adam B. Kushner I’m the editor of this newsletter. Drones are already reshaping our lives — in surveillance, in photography and especially in war. One Times reporter recently described how a U.S. soldier piloted a drone into enemy territory, spotted enemy cannons and destroyed them. Another profiled a pair of former teenage drone racers who now have contracts to sell their devices to the military. We asked readers of The Morning for their questions about drones. Today, Times journalists answer. Personal use What are the laws for personal use of drones? Do they vary by state? | Ron Smith, Folly Beach, S.C. Niraj Chokshi, who covers aviation, writes: Flying a drone for fun isn’t as simple as unpacking the box and taking off. Federal rules require you take a free safety test and keep proof you passed. You also must keep the drone in your line of sight, away from manned aircraft, below 400 feet and out of controlled airspace (for example, around airports) unless you have Federal Aviation Administration approval. Drones that weigh more than a half a pound must be registered. And local governments sometimes write their own rules, too. (In New York City, you need a police permit to fly.) Can someone fly a drone above my home? How low can they fly it? Can I press charges against someone who invades my property with a drone? | Rainbow Koehl, Bellingham, Wash. Evan Gorelick, a reporter for this newsletter, writes: Yes, people can fly drones above your house. But there are limits. A drone can’t simply park outside your window and shoot a video, the same way people can’t walk up your driveway and peep into your home. (That could be considered trespassing.) You probably couldn’t sue someone for flying a drone near your property, but you could call the police and press charges for specific privacy violations, trespass and harassment if the drone activity is intrusive. Drones above Miami. Joe Raedle/Getty Images If one hovers over your property, can you shoot it down? | Dennis Payne, Columbia, Mo. Evan continues: No. The government considers drones “aircraft,” which means they have the same legal standing as commercial passenger jets. Under federal law, damaging, destroying or disabling aircraft is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Can law enforcement use drones to snoop, including through windows, without a warrant? | Lydia Sells, Austin, Texas Evan continues: It depends where you live. The Supreme Court says aerial surveillance does not always constitute an invasive search under the Fourth Amendment. But depending on the circumstances, it can. States generally get to draw that line. In Tennessee, for instance, the police can use drones to patrol a music festival without a search warrant, but they can’t surveil private property. At least 18 states have passed laws requiring officers to obtain warrants before they conduct drone surveillance. I have a small hobby drone and I love to travel, but drone laws are different in each country. Is there any type of organization that is trying to make regulations on an international level? | Kristin Montgomery, Madrid Niraj continues: It’s complicated. Countries set their own rules, but there is coordination: A United Nations aviation agency and a voluntary outside group help them align on broad principles and safety frameworks. Industry groups lobby for consistency, too, and European rules are similar to American ones. Many countries require you to take a test to ensure you understand the rules. Warfare How big are drones used in warfare, and what weapons do they carry? How far can they fly? | Jeff Wilson, Hanson, Mass. Lara Jakes, who covers weapons and conflict, writes: Military drones can be as big as a small commercial airplane or as tiny as a mosquito. Most fall somewhere in between. Some drones that carry missiles and bombs (which can weigh several hundred pounds) are as long as a school bus. Their range depends on the model, generally between several hundred and several thousand miles. Russia and Ukraine make kamikaze drones that bomb their targets. Some have 12-foot wingspans and fly several hundred miles; others are the size of a dinner plate and make 25-mile trips for close combat. And remotely-controlled boats and uncrewed ground vehicles are also considered drones. How are military drones different from consumer drones? | Sara Parks, Richmond, Va. Greg Jaffe, who covers the military, writes: They’re not really different. That opens opportunities for companies that aren’t big defense manufacturers. It also creates problems for the Pentagon: Many of the components used in drones, such as brushless motors, are made primarily in China. The biggest difference is that the military loads its drones with sensors that can spot things like heat signatures or technology that keeps the drones aloft when the enemy tries to jam their signals. The big leap will be using A.I. technology so that one person can pilot a swarm of drones. The artificial intelligence will identify potential targets and a human will then sign off on the final attack. Are there any international treaties or standards that limit the placement of weapons on drones? Are efforts underway to negotiate such limits? | Andy Fleischmann, West Hartford, Conn. Greg continues: They haven’t been negotiated yet. Drones are the future of armed conflict, and Pentagon officials say the way they’ve changed warfare is similar to the way tanks did in World War I — which was profound and hard to predict. The real question is whether nations try to regulate drones that use A.I. to identify targets. Will we let drones kill without a human first verifying the target? Right now that appears to be a red line for the U.S. military. But there could be real pressure to loosen those restrictions if potential adversaries, like China, take a more aggressive approach. Why are military drones so difficult to shoot down? | Richard Lea, Baton Rouge, La. Thomas Gibbons-Neff, a former Marine who covers gun culture and policy, writes: Big military drones, such as those used during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, are relatively easy to shoot with surface-to-air missiles, because they’re large and slow. The smaller civilian devices adapted for warfare can be the size of birds. Their speed, shape and sheer numbers make them difficult to track. With these drones, electronic jamming is the first line of defense. Then fortifications, such as nets and bunkers, act as barricades from their explosives. (See how tanks in Ukraine have adapted to this problem.) Small arms, such as shotguns, are often the last resort. THE LATEST NEWS Sri Lanka In Sri Lanka. Eranga Jayawardena/Associated Press After a cyclone flooded Sri Lanka, its president declared it the largest and most challenging natural disaster in the island’s history. Over a million people are affected as entire towns remain under water. Officials said they feared the death toll would rise significantly. Middle East Pope Leo encouraged the Turkish president to help Israel and the Palestinian territories work toward a two-state solution. Israel’s military dominance in the Middle East may be making peace more elusive, Roger Cohen writes. More International News In the presidential election in Honduras, two conservative candidates were virtually tied, a preliminary sample of votes showed. Trump endorsed one of the candidates, a former mayor. After a devastating hurricane, Jamaican hotel owners are rushing to reopen in time for the winter tourist season. Business Chinese fried chicken in Queens. Ava Pellor for The New York Times Some Chinese food and beverage chains are expanding into the U.S., and customers in New York and Los Angeles are standing in line for milk tea and fried chicken sandwiches. Many British small businesses still want access to the American market despite tariffs, and they are willing to make sacrifices for it. As pizza prices continue to rise, Americans are buying smaller pies with fewer toppings. Other Big Stories After a strike on a boat in the Caribbean, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered a follow-up strike to kill survivors, The Washington Post reported. Lawmakers from both parties said that could be a war crime. Oxford’s 2025 word of the year is “rage bait,” defined as online content meant to elicit anger. It beat out “biohack” and “aura farming.” FACE TIME Aerlice LeBlanc Madeline Cass for The New York Times When big companies like Amazon and JPMorgan announced earlier this year that they expected employees to work five days a week from the office, many younger workers bridled. They’d begun their careers working from home during the pandemic and didn’t love expensive urban real estate or crowded commutes. But new economic research shows that Gen Z is beginning to see the value of face time. Young employees who work remotely get less training and fewer chances to advance than those who come in person. In response to a Times questionnaire, those under 30 cited better mentoring and more chances for promotion as reasons to come to the office. “I got the sense there were conversations happening at work, about work things, that I wasn’t part of because I wasn’t physically there,” Aerlice LeBlanc, an IT analyst, told The Times. OPINIONS The Democratic Party was wrong to support Israel throughout its relentless assault on Gaza. Voters understand that — and want their leaders to as well, writes Ben Rhodes, a deputy national security adviser in the Obama administration. It’s OK to end a good marriage. It’s better to face the truth that wedlock no longer feels right than to wreck the relationship for good, Cathi Hanauer writes. 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 At Bergdorf Goodman in Manhattan. Vincent Alban/The New York Times Winter wonderland: Take a tour of New York City’s holiday window displays. Sci-fi sounds: Learn more about the theremin, an instrument that is played by manipulating electromagnetic fields. Your pick: The Morning’s most-clicked story yesterday was about the popularity of the quarter-zip sweater. Metropolitan Diary: Truce of the Brooklyn dogs. “Country noir” novelist: Daniel Woodrell, the author of “Winter’s Bone,” wrote about violence and poverty in rural America. He died at 72. TODAY’S NUMBER A monk seal. Loren Elliott for The New York Times Two — That’s the number of wild Hawaiian monk seals, an endangered species, that have become the first of their kind to receive vaccines for bird flu. It’s part of a new effort to protect the animals from the virus, which has been killing marine mammals. SPORTS College football: L.S.U. hired Lane Kiffin as head coach, taking him away from Ole Miss, on a wild day of hirings and firings. There were coaching changes at Auburn, Florida, Michigan State and Kentucky. N.F.L.: The Panthers shocked the Rams, the Bills dominated the Steelers and the Seahawks stifled the Vikings in Week 13 action. Read a recap. COOKIE WEEK BEGINS Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne. Prop Stylist: Megan Hedgpeth. It’s here: Cookie Week. Every December, this roundup of recipes marks the start of the holiday baking season. Up first, we have Vaughn Vreeland’s popcorn bucket cookies. They take all the fun of your favorite concession-stand snacks and bake them into a simple sugar dough. Toffee bits feature in a supporting role. A tip: If using gummy candy, be sure to save them for the top; otherwise, the cookies will spread too much as they bake. We’ll have more cookies this week — stay tuned! AMERICA’S BEST STORES M.L. Leddy’s in Fort Worth, Texas. Where is the best place to shop for clothes? Travelers, longing for a souvenir from a trip, often wonder this — and struggle to find an answer. But even locals can have a hard time discerning where to go. So our colleagues have compiled a list of the 50 best clothing stores in America. These are stores that can transport you “to a different world, if only for 10 minutes,” Steven Kurutz, a culture reporter, writes. “A great store will make you think about who you are — and may change that perspective in real time.” You can see the list here. More on culture The animated film “Zootopia 2” dominated the Thanksgiving weekend box office, giving a boost to the industry after a disappointing summer and fall. Mandy Patinkin returns to TV in the new series “The Artist,” a historical drama about murder and money in the early 20th century. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Try Strava to track your workouts. A writer says the app is one social media platform that doesn’t allow you to lie about your accomplishments. Improve your travel day with these noise-canceling headphones. Impress your guests with these beautiful steak knives. Take our news quiz — a special edition on the year in food news. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangrams were couching, coughing and hiccoughing. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Sports Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. Sam Sifton will be back tomorrow. See you then. 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

Pontiff abroad Pope Leo XIV touched down in Beirut on Sunday as part of his historic first trip abroad as pontiff. Leo's visit comes just a week after an Israeli airstrike in the Lebanese capital killed five people and injured dozens. Speaking to reporters aboard the papal plane, Leo said he had come to Lebanon and Turkey to deliver a message of peace amid heightened tensions across the Middle East. This week, the pontiff is scheduled to meet political leaders and young people, take part in an interfaith gathering and celebrate mass, along with a series of other engagements. Pope Leo XIV arrives in Beirut, Lebanon, on Sunday. (Yara Nardi/Reuters)

Boat strikes President Trump confirmed he recently spoke with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as the US ramps up strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean. While the details of the conversation remain unclear, Venezuela has accused the US of "murder" after acknowledging that some of its citizens were among the more than 80 people killed by the US strikes. Meanwhile, some Democratic and Republican lawmakers have expressed alarm about Trump's use of the military in the region. In recent days, Trump said potential land strikes in the country could be coming "very soon" and told airlines, pilots and criminal networks to avoid Venezuelan airspace. Trump favorite holds thin lead in Honduras presidential vote Preliminary and partial results showed two conservative challengers leading the race in Honduras’ presidential contest. The vote came just days after Trump intervened in a close race by endorsing candidate Nasry “Tito” Asfura and announcing that he would pardon a former president. Read more. What to know: The National Electoral Council said that Asfura of the National Party had 40.54% of votes in early counting, while Salvador Nasralla, of the conservative Liberal Party, had about 38.99%. Rixi Moncada of the democratic socialist LIBRE or Liberty and Re-foundation party trailed with 19.49%. Just days before the vote, Trump endorsed Asfura, saying he would fight “narco-communists” with the United States and was the only Honduran candidate his administration would work with. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Trump’s pardon promise offers yet another life to Honduras’ imprisoned ex-president

Winter storm Parts of the US are grappling with severe winter weather on one of the busiest travel days of the year. A new storm is now moving out of the Plains toward the Northeast, threatening widespread disruptions after a post-Thanksgiving blast dropped record November snow in Chicago, shut down highways across multiple states and triggered thousands of flight cancellations. The storm will bring another round of snow and ice to many of the same regions today, spreading into the interior Northeast by Tuesday. Heavy coastal rain is expected across the Ohio Valley, while flash flooding is possible across the South. A total of 30 states are under weather advisories, watches or warnings.

📖 1 for the road: Word of the year Image: Oxford University Press/Instagram "Rage bait" is Oxford University Press' word of the year, Axios' Rebecca Falconer writes. (n.) Online content deliberately designed to elicit anger or outrage by being frustrating, provocative, or offensive, typically posted in order to increase traffic to or engagement with a particular web page or social media account. The term has seen a "three-fold increase in usage" over the past year, according to the publisher. Keep reading.

🍿 "Zootopia 2" shatters records Nick Wilde, voiced by Jason Bateman, and Judy Hopps, voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin, in "Zootopia 2." Image: Disney via AP Disney's "Zootopia 2" brought in roughly half a billion dollars over the weekend, making it the highest global animated box office opening of all time and the biggest global debut of the year, Axios' Sara Fischer writes. Why it matters: Huge openings for "Zootopia 2" and "Wicked: For Good" have helped the domestic box office recover from what has otherwise been a slow year for big hits. "Zootopia 2" brought in $96.8 million over the weekend domestically and $400.4 million internationally, for a $497.2 million global total, Comscore estimates. Across the five-day Thanksgiving holiday weekend, the film earned $156 million domestically and $556.4 million globally. 🎬 Stunning stat: Those numbers make it the fourth-highest global movie opening of all time — after "Avengers: Endgame," "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Spider-Man: No Way Home."

⚠️ New smartphone warning Illustration: Rebecca Zisser/Axios Preteens who own smartphones are likelier to have depression, obesity and insufficient sleep than their peers, Axios' Maya Goldman writes from a new University of Pennsylvania-led study. Why it matters: Roughly half of American kids now own a smartphone by the time they turn 11. 🔬 What they found: Kids who owned a smartphone at age 12 were found to have about 30% higher odds of depression, 40% higher odds of obesity and 62% higher odds of insufficient sleep than their peers who didn't have one. Keep reading ...

💰 Wall Street's 2026 winners Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios Wall Street thinks 2026 winners will be repeats of this year: gold and Big Tech, Axios Markets author Madison Mills writes from a Goldman Sachs survey of 900+ clients. Gold has surged to record highs this year. Nearly 70% of Goldman's investors expect prices to rise more by the end of 2026. 44% say they expect tech, media, and telecom stocks to outperform in 2026 — the highest of any sector. Keep reading.

☀️ Bill Gates' dim-the-sun scenario Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios Bill Gates says he would support deploying artificial cooling technologies to lower global temperatures — but only if the planet hits so-called climate tipping points, national energy correspondent Amy Harder writes in Axios Future of Energy. Why it matters: The Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist is a major funder of research into this controversial technology. His comments in a recent interview with Axios are among his most expansive yet. 🔭 Zoom in: Gates said the world is largely on track to avoid the worst climate impacts thanks to rising clean-energy deployment. But he emphasized there's still an outlier chance of especially dire consequences driven in part by tipping points: You "would then need to reach for some other type of intervention." When asked whether that meant geoengineering, Gates replied: "Yes, I've been a funder of trying to understand geoengineering." Much of his funding isn't publicly disclosed, but what is known includes past support for Harvard University's solar geoengineering program. 💡 How it works: Solar geoengineering aims to cool the planet by reflecting sunlight. The most-discussed method involves injecting sulfuric-acid particles into the upper atmosphere, mimicking the cooling effect of volcanic eruptions.

⚡ Putin peace talks tomorrow Negotiations between the U.S. and Ukraine yesterday outside Miami focused on where the de facto border with Russia would be drawn under a peace deal, two Ukrainian officials tell Axios' Barak Ravid. They described the five-hour meeting as "difficult" and "intense" but productive. Why it matters: Russian President Vladimir Putin — who's expected to meet with President Trump's envoy tomorrow — insists Russia won't stop until it controls the entire Donbas region in eastern Ukraine. The U.S. wants Ukraine to hand over territory there to convince Putin to make peace, but that would be a painful and politically explosive concession. 🔎 Behind the scenes: The U.S. side arrived at the meeting, held at U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff's exclusive Shell Bay golf club near Miami, hoping to make progress on the territory issue, which Witkoff could then present to Putin in their meeting. Witkoff plans to depart for Moscow today. Keep reading. Ukraine peace talks The US is sending special envoy Steve Witkoff to Moscow today as President Donald Trump says a deal to end the Russia-Ukraine war could be close. Over the weekend, Trump expressed optimism about the peace talks, saying there is a "good chance" an agreement can be reached soon. However, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is sending a more cautious message. He said on Sunday that there is "more work to be done," casting the peace talks as "delicate" and "complicated." Rubio added that officials are not only working on terms to end the fighting but also on terms that will "set up Ukraine for long-term prosperity."

👀 Part 2: Watch that pendulum Image: Bruce Mehlman's "Six-Chart Sunday" This thought-provoking graphic — part of the 100th issue of strategist Bruce Mehlman's always-useful "Six-Chart Sunday" — reminds America's powerful that they and their ideas could be on the outs soon enough, Jim and Mike continue. Mehlman reminds us that so far this century, 11 of 13 U.S. elections were "change elections," in which voters tossed out the party controlling the House, Senate or White House — a volatility streak unseen since the late 1800s, during the Gilded Age. 💥 Flashback: In a column back in February, we reminded Republicans of the "payback precedent": "Copy the payback, punishments and precedent-shattering techniques practiced by the other party — if they prove effective. ... Republicans should fully expect future Democratic presidents to use and build on all [President Trump's] norm-busting moves." And back in June, Zachary Basu helped us chart the 10 "unprecedented new precedents" for presidential power that House and Senate Republicans have enabled. The bottom line: Trump might be different. But that's what first-term Trump — and Biden, Obama, Bush and Clinton — all thought, too.

Volatility vortex Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios Every president back to Bill Clinton enjoyed full party control of Congress and fantasized about lasting, durable governing dominance, Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen write in a "Behind the Curtain" column. Every president back to Bill Clinton lost it within two years. Why it matters: Nothing captures the volatility of American politics better than this win-big, lose-quick phenomenon. It's like a new law of political gravity: What the swing voter giveth, the swing voter abruptly taketh away. President Trump would need to defy gravity to avoid the same fate that hit him during his first term … and hit Joe Biden … and Barack Obama … and George W. Bush … and Bill Clinton. 🖼️ The big picture: We've been telling readers for a decade to expect whiplash political volatility for the foreseeable future. This makes business planning more difficult because the regulatory, political and economic policy environments shift so quickly and dramatically. Both parties are prisoners to three stubborn political dynamics and realities: America is roughly a 33-33-33 nation. Roughly a third of voters are die-hard Democrats, and another third are die-hard Republicans. The other third (or slightly more) are perpetually open-minded and persistently dissatisfied with the new party in power. This dynamic has held firm for most of the past 30 years and shows no obvious signs of shifting. Almost every election since Clinton has flipped control of the White House or Congress. The number of truly competitive House races is shockingly small — roughly 10% of the 435 House seats, give or take. You can thank redistricting at the state level for meticulously chopping the nation into safe havens for very partisan Republicans or Democrats. That means the most important races are often primaries, where voter turnout is low and dominated by activists. Hence, the dominance of hyperpartisans. Big new policies take years to work their way into Americans' actual lives. Trump's tax cut bill, or Biden's infrastructure and green energy laws, or Obamacare were all substantial wins for the party in power. But any benefits usually take longer for voters to feel than the time left in a two-year election cycle. So, like clockwork, a new party wins power, feels invincible, believes it'll defy gravity, obsesses about those hyperpartisans who vote in primaries — and ticks off both swing voters and the activists on the other side. And then loses again. 🏛️ What we're watching: The American electorate is so volatile that there are now scenarios in which the GOP could lose its House majority even before next year's midterms. We told you last week that rising security fears, and even death threats — along with MAGA infighting — are fueling the once-unthinkable conversation among House Republicans about quitting Congress early. In a Gallup poll out Friday, Republican approval of Congress is an atrocious 23% — halved from a pre-shutdown 54% in September, and down from 63% in March.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 01 1955 Rosa Parks ignites bus boycott In Montgomery, Alabama on December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks is jailed for refusing to give up her seat on a public bus to a white man, a violation of the city’s racial segregation laws. The successful Montgomery Bus Boycott, organized by a young Baptist minister named Martin Luther King Jr., followed... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 1950s 1958 95 die in Chicago school fire American Revolution 1779 George Washington establishes winter quarters at Morristown Arts & Entertainment 1945 Bette Midler is born in Honolulu, Hawaii Civil War 1862 Abraham Lincoln delivers State of the Union address Cold War 1959 Antarctica made a military-free continent European History 1934 Russian revolutionary Sergei Kirov murdered 1990 Chunnel makes breakthrough Inventions & Science 1913 Ford’s assembly line starts rolling

Caffeine is bad for you, fat is bad for you, sugar is bad for you. But don't worry, because worrying is bad for you too. James

Bangladesh’s ex-leader Hasina and her British lawmaker niece both found guilty of corruption DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — A court in Bangladesh’s capital sentenced ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to five years in prison and her niece, British Labour Party lawmaker Tulip Siddiq, to two years in prison on Monday for corruption involving a government land project. https://apnews.com/article/bangladesh-hasina-tulip-siddiq-1929bc5f3ef62959067a6da1f105605e?

Invisible Wounds: ADRA Highlights Global Safeguarding Needs for Children Beyond Physical Safety The Adventist Development and Relief Agency(ADRA), the humanitarian arm of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, is drawing attention to the psychological and protection risks children face amid conflict, disaster, and displacement, emphasizing that safeguarding must extend beyond preventing physical harm to include dignity, mental health, and spiritual well-being. https://adventist.news/news/invisible-wounds-adra-highlights-global-safeguarding-needs-for-children-beyond-physical-safety ADRA Steps Into Mission After Super Typhoon Fung-Wong Devastates the Philippines A week after landfall, ADRA continues its mission of relief, recovery, and hope for storm-stricken communities. https://adventist.news/news/adra-steps-into-mission-after-super-typhoon-fung-wong-devastates-the-philippines

Investigators plead for tips after 3 children, 1 adult killed in shooting at child’s birthday party STOCKTON, Calif. (AP) — Authorities in California appealed to the public for tips, cellphone video, witness accounts and even rumors as they searched Sunday for a suspect in the killing of three children and an adult during a mass shooting at a child’s birthday party. https://apnews.com/article/stockton-california-shooting-b59e32ae53716a0dfe9f28c246552607?

Grateful to be alive, residents who escaped the Hong Kong apartment blaze wonder what comes next HONG KONG (AP) — It was just after 3 p.m. when William Li received the unusual call from his wife, who was at work, saying she’d heard from a friend that their building was on fire. https://apnews.com/article/hong-kong-tai-po-wang-fuk-court-fire-fe38347d45017a803cf7c55b7a3c29ab? Hong Kong fire Hong Kong is mourning after a massive fire tore through a housing complex last week, killing at least 151 people, with dozens still missing. The inferno rapidly spread in several high-rise towers in the city's Tai Po neighborhood on Wednesday, trapping people inside. The exact cause of the blaze is not yet known, but a criminal investigation has been launched. The complex was under renovation and wrapped in bamboo scaffolding and safety netting when the fire spread. Officials are also investigating whether flammable materials, including polystyrene boards blocking several apartment windows, contributed to the disaster.

No backup plan for Milan Olympic ice hockey arena as construction goes down to the wire Construction on the arena that is set to welcome NHL players back to the Olympics for the first time in more than a decade is behind schedule. There is no backup stadium if the main ice hockey arena for the Milan Cortina Winter Games is not ready on time. Read more. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Behind the scenes of Cortina’s trailer-park Olympic Village: 400 mobile homes in an Alpine valley Racers say Milan Cortina speed skating venue feels like they’re on a lake

Suspect in National Guard attack struggled with ‘dark isolation’ as community raised concerns The Afghan man accused of shooting two National Guard members blocks from the White House had been unraveling for years, unable to hold a job and flipping between long, lightless stretches of isolation and taking sudden weekslong cross-country drives. Rahmanullah Lakanwal’s behavior deteriorated so sharply that a community advocate reached out to a refugee organization for help, fearing he was becoming suicidal. https://apnews.com/article/lakanwal-national-guard-shooting-suspect-afghan-5e5e9567d95a5d0ef806b714bb3ee3b7?

Trump says Venezuelan airspace should be viewed as closed. Maduro government slams ‘colonial threat’ President Donald Trump on Saturday said that the airspace “above and surrounding” Venezuela should be considered as “closed in its entirety,” an assertion that raised more questions about the U.S. pressure on Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. His government accused Trump of making a ”colonial threat” and seeking to undermine the South American country’s sovereignty. Read more. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Venezuelan leader Maduro may seem desperate. But his loyalty vs punishment strategy is hard to crack Trump officials and judge face off over flights to El Salvador in rare, high-stakes contempt probe Trump’s pardon of ex-Honduran president Hernández injects wild card into election