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👋 Good morning! Just nine more sleeps until Christmas. In today's edition: Washington wins NCAA men's soccer title, Steelers top Dolphins on MNF, Mendoza leads 2025 AP All-Americans, the perils of an 18-game NFL season, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports...   🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 🏈 Arch to return: Arch Manning will return to Texas for his junior year rather than declare for the NFL draft. After a rough start to the season, he ended up leading the Longhorns to a 9-3 record that nearly got them into the College Football Playoff. 🏀 Flagg makes history: Cooper Flagg scored a career-high 42 points in the Mavericks' overtime loss to the Jazz, breaking LeBron James' record for the most points ever scored in a game by an 18-year-old. He turns 19 this Sunday. ⛳️ Scottie named POY again: Scottie Scheffler was named the PGA Tour's Player of the Year again, joining Tiger Woods as the only golfers to win the award in four consecutive seasons. 🏀 AP polls: Arizona (men) and UConn (women) remain atop their respective AP Top 25 polls, which featured little change after a week devoid of notable upsets. ⚽️ Red Bulls hire Bradley: Former USMNT captain Michael Bradley has been named head coach of the New York Red Bulls, taking over a job his father, Bob, held two decades ago. Bradley led the club's MLS Next Pro squad to a title last month.   ⚽️ NCAA SOCCER HUSKIES COMPLETE EPIC RUN TO TITLE (Ryan Hunt/Getty Images) Washington was unseeded entering the NCAA men's soccer tournament. Four weeks later, they're national champs. Cinderella run: The Huskies beat NC State, 3-2, in Monday's title game to win their first national championship and become the first team to win six matches away from home in the tournament — taking down five seeded teams along the way. First Round: Washington 3, Oregon State 2 (OT) Second Round: Washington 1, SMU 0 Sweet Sixteen: Washington 1, Stanford 0 Elite Eight: Washington 3, Maryland 1 Semifinal: Washington 3, Furman 1 Final: Washington 3, NC State 2 (OT) Golden goal: Washington blew a two-goal lead in the second half, but Harrison Bertos scored 1:54 into overtime for the walk-off championship victory. What they're saying: "That was a heck of a game and all 10,000 people in attendance got to witness a spectacle," said Huskies head coach Jamie Clark. "And it was a spectacle because NC State didn't hang their head down 2-0 and they pushed us right to the limit."   💯 STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS (Michael Owens/Getty Images) 🏈 23rd straight win The Steelers beat the Dolphins, 28-15, last night to win their 23rd consecutive home game on Monday Night Football, the longest such streak since MNF began in 1970. Speaking of streaks: This was Miami's 14th straight loss (including playoffs) in games colder than 40 degrees. 🏀 7 undefeated teams No. 1 Arizona (9-0) is one of seven undefeated teams remaining in men's DI hoops, along with No. 2 Michigan (10-0), No. 3 Duke (10-0), No. 4 Iowa State (10-0), No. 13 Vanderbilt (10-0), No. 15 Nebraska (11-0) and Miami-Ohio (10-0). Historic start: The top-ranked Wildcats are the first team in the history of the AP poll (since 1948) with five wins over ranked opponents in their first nine games. They've earned their undefeated start. (Carl Recine/Getty Images) ⚽️ 277 goal involvements Mohamed Salah was involved in his 277th goal for Liverpool on Saturday, breaking the record for most goal involvements (goals and assists) for a single club in Premier League history. Whose record did he break? The Egyptian has 188 goals and 89 assists for Liverpool in England's top flight, overtaking Wayne Rooney's tally of 276 goal involvements (183 goals, 93 assists) for Manchester United. 🏈 27 years With the Chiefs eliminated from playoff contention, the upcoming NFL postseason will be the first in 27 years (since 1998) without either Peyton Manning, Tom Brady or Patrick Mahomes. Who were the QBs in 1998? John Elway (Broncos), Brett Favre (Packers), Steve Young (49ers), Dan Marino (Dolphins), Drew Bledsoe (Patriots), Randall Cunningham (Vikings), Elvis Grbac (Chiefs), Kordell Stewart (Steelers), Mark Brunell (Jaguars), Trent Dilfer (Buccaneers), Danny Kanell (Giants), Scott Mitchell (Lions).   🏈 BEST OF THE BEST 2025 AP ALL-AMERICANS (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) Indiana's Heisman-winning QB Fernando Mendoza headlined the AP All-America first team, which was released on Monday alongside the second and third teams. Notes: By conference: The Big Ten (10) had by far the most players on the 27-man first team, followed by the SEC (6), Big 12 (3), C-USA (2), ACC (1), American (1) and MWC (1), plus three independents. By school: Ohio State led the way with four first-team players, including three from their FBS-best defensive unit. Notre Dame, USC, Iowa, Texas A&M and Texas Tech were the only other schools with multiple first-team players. By class: Seniors (14) and juniors (10) comprised almost the entire first team, with just three underclassmen making the cut: sophomores Jeremiah Smith, Ahmad Hardy and Leonard Moore. Sign of the times: Nearly half of the first-team players (12 of 27) didn't begin their careers at their current schools, which has become the norm in the transfer portal era. 100 years later… This year marked the 100th anniversary of the inaugural AP All-America team selected back in 1925. To celebrate, the AP named its all-time All-Americans back in August, with guys like Tim Tebow, Barry Sanders and Dick Butkus leading the 25-player first team and Archie Griffin, Lawrence Taylor and Champ Bailey leading the second.   🏈 INJURY REPORT THE PERILS OF AN 18-GAME NFL SEASON (Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) From Yahoo Sports' Jay Busbee: If football is good, more football is better, right? If NFL Sundays are the finest of Sundays, why not create another one? More football means more revenue for the league and broadcast partners, more opportunity for fantasy and gambling for fans, more of everything that makes football great. Who wouldn't want the NFL season to add an 18th game? "I'm not a big fan of it," one NFL player said back in July when asked about the possibility of the NFL season moving to 18 games. "You've seen the amount of injuries that have kind of piled up there at the end of seasons, and you want to have the best players playing in the biggest games." That player was Patrick Mahomes, who is now lost for the season thanks to a Week 15 ACL tear. Also gone for 2025: Green Bay's Micah Parsons, who tore his ACL around the same time Mahomes did. Every play in the NFL is a roulette-wheel spin that carries with it the possibility of a catastrophic injury. And every extra game means another 40 or 50 spins of that wheel. For Mahomes and Parsons, the wheel came up double-zeroes on Sunday. Asking who's next — wondering whose season is about to be derailed by injury — is a grim endeavor, but a necessary one if we're talking about adding yet another game.   📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: TUESDAY, DEC. 16 Wanna know just how tall Wemby is? His teammate here, Dylan Harper, is 6-foot-5. (Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) 🏀 NBA Cup Final The Spurs and Knicks face off tonight in Las Vegas (8:30pm ET, Prime), where a champion will be crowned in the third annual in-season tournament. Prize money: Each player on the winning team will earn $530,933, while each player on the runner-up will take home $212,373. That may be a drop in the bucket for the NBA's biggest stars, but it's a substantial prize for those on league-minimum deals. 🏒 NHL on TNT Sidney Crosby and the Penguins host Connor McDavid and the Oilers in the first leg of the doubleheader (7:30pm), while the Kraken host the league-leading Avalanche in the nightcap (10pm). Alone at the top: Colorado (23-2-7) doesn't just have the best record in the NHL, their +54 goal differential is more than twice as high as the next best mark (Stars, +25). More to watch: 🏀 NCAAM: No. 11 Louisville at No. 20 Tennessee (7pm, ESPN); DePaul at No. 22 St. John's (7pm, Peacock); Butler at No. 5 UConn (8:30pm, Peacock) 🏈 NCAAF: Troy vs. Jacksonville State (9pm, ESPN) … The Salute to Veterans Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama.   🏈 2K CLUB NFL TRIVIA Simpson in action on Dec. 16, 1973, against the Jets at Shea Stadium. (Bettmann Archive/Getty Images) 52 years ago today, O.J. Simpson became the first of nine players in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season. Question: How many of the other eight can you name? Answer at the bottom.   📸 THROUGH THE LENS PHOTO FINISH (Federico Modica/NordicFocus/Getty Images) 🇨🇭 Davos, Switzerland — Italy's Davide Graz competes in a cross-country World Cup event. What a shot.   Trivia answer: Eric Dickerson (2,105 yards in 1984); Adrian Peterson (2,097 yards in 2012); Jamal Lewis (2,066 yards in 2003); Barry Sanders (2,053 yards in 1997); Derrick Henry (2,027 yards in 2020); Terrell Davis (2,008 yards in 1998); Chris Johnson (2,006 yards in 2009); Saquon Barkley (2,005 yards in 2024)

December 16, 2025 By Sam Sifton Good morning. Lots of violence today. The gunmen in the Bondi Beach shooting were motivated by ISIS, the Australian prime minister said. The suspects had recently traveled to the southern Philippines, where ISIS is still active. In Rhode Island, the police are still searching for the shooter in the killing of two students at Brown University. They have released new footage of a suspect. The police arrested the son of the director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, after they were found stabbed to death. Let’s start in Bondi Beach. At Bondi Beach. Matthew Abbott for The New York Times Gun control Australia vowed yesterday to enact even stricter gun laws as it began mourning the victims of its worst mass shooting in almost 30 years. The police accused a father and a son of killing 15 people at a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s famed Bondi Beach. The Australian response to mass shootings stands in contrast to America’s reaction. In Australia, consensus forms quickly. That’s one reason its rate of gun violence is so low. A different outlook Australia’s approach first took shape after a deadly shootout between rival motorcycle gangs in New South Wales in 1984. In response, Parliament required that anyone applying for a firearm license have a “good reason” for requesting one. But the nation’s most aggressive move against guns came after the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, when a gunman attacked a tourist town in the state of Tasmania, killing 35 people. It was the deadliest attack in modern Australian history. It took the government just 12 days to ban semiautomatic weapons, to start a mandatory buyback program that took a fifth of firearms from public circulation and to introduce licenses that would stop people considered unfit from buying weapons. As a result, Australia has one of the lowest gun homicide rates per capita in the world. Other restrictions followed. In 2002, after a student killed two peers at Monash University in Victoria with pistols he’d gotten as a member of a shooting club, the government introduced the National Handgun Agreement, which led to mandatory buybacks for semiautomatic and large-caliber handguns. In 2014, after a gunman held customers and employees of a cafe in Sydney hostage with an illegal shotgun, the premier of New South Wales announced a tightening of laws governing their possession. The coming clampdown Still, the number of guns held legally in Australia has risen steadily for more than two decades. At four million guns, it now exceeds the number before the 1996 crackdown, according to the Australia Institute. And despite tougher laws and stricter enforcement, the police say the older suspect in the Bondi Beach attack had held a firearm license since 2015, along with six legally registered weapons. If there were flags on him, they do not appear to have been red. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his cabinet had agreed to strengthen gun laws and work on a national firearm register. They’ll look at the number of weapons permitted by gun licenses and how long those permits remain valid. “People’s circumstances can change,” Albanese told reporters. “People can be radicalized over a period of time. Licenses should not be in perpetuity.” You can read the latest updates here. Now, let's see what else is happening in the world. THE REINER FAMILY Rob and Nick Reiner. Laura Cavanaugh/FilmMagic, via Getty Images The police arrested Nick Reiner, the son of the director Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, on suspicion of murdering his parents. They were found stabbed to death in their Los Angeles home. Charges could come today. Follow the latest updates. The night before the Reiners were found, Rob and his son went to a holiday party hosted by Conan O’Brien. An attendee reported seeing them shouting at each other. Nick, 32, had struggled with drug addiction since he was a teenager and once estimated he had been in treatment 18 times. Rob Reiner’s career spanned decades and gave us some of the most memorable films of the late 20th century, including “When Harry Met Sally … ” and “The Princess Bride.” He was unusually active in politics, even for Hollywood, and was an outspoken critic of President Trump. Trump mocked the news of his death yesterday, writing on social media that Reiner had died “due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME.” His comments prompted a rare backlash from some MAGA-aligned Republicans. Late night hosts also discussed his comments. The Times’s critics wrote about Reiner’s career: Alissa Wilkinson on the devotion Reiner showed to causes he believed in, as seen in his courtroom drama “A Few Good Men.” James Poniewozik on Reiner’s breakout role as an actor on “All in the Family,” and what it got right about the political direction of the country. THE LATEST NEWS Brown University Shooting Officers went door to door in Providence, R.I., searching for footage of a suspect in the Brown shooting. They released several new video clips last night. See them here. With no information about the killer’s motives or whereabouts, some schools in the Providence area have canceled classes. The victims were Ella Cook, 19, from Alabama, a gifted pianist; and MukhammadAziz Umurzokov, 18, an immigrant from Uzbekistan who dreamed of becoming a neurosurgeon. Ukraine Peace Talks The U.S., Ukraine and Europe agreed to guarantee the future security of Ukraine. They’re revising a peace proposal to end the war. The question of where to draw a new Ukraine-Russia border, though, remains unresolved. More International News Jimmy Lai Lam Yik Fei for The New York Times Jimmy Lai spent decades criticizing China’s rulers. After a court convicted him of national security crimes, some say his case is a reflection of what Hong Kong has become. The White House says it is trying to curb drug trafficking from Venezuela. But behind the scenes, it’s trying to gain access to the country’s vast oil reserves. The family of a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Narges Mohammadi, says that the Iranian authorities severely beat her recently. The E.U. is providing humanitarian supplies to Sudan, but aid groups are blocked from delivering it to those most in need. Politics A boat in the Pacific. U.S. Southern Command The United States struck three more boats it said were smuggling drugs in the Pacific, killing eight people. Trump sued the BBC for $10 billion over a documentary about the Jan. 6 riot. The BBC has apologized for certain edits in the film, and two top executives resigned over the controversy last month. A Times investigation into Jeffrey Epstein reveals that much of his wealth came from scams, theft and lies. The U.S. plans to deport a Chinese citizen who recorded rare evidence of the mass detention of Uyghurs. Trump Family Donald Trump Jr. and Bettina Anderson Doug Mills/The New York Times Trump told attendees at a White House holiday party that his eldest son, Donald Jr., was engaged to Bettina Anderson, a Palm Beach socialite. The private equity firm led by Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, said it was withdrawing from a Trump-branded real estate deal in Serbia. Hours before, four Serbian officials were charged with corruption in connection with the deal. Auto Industry Ford said it would scale back electric-vehicle production plans. Volkswagen, under pressure from U.S. tariffs, will close a plant in Germany for the first time in company history. OPINIONS Times Opinion shares 13 strange, unusual and moving gift ideas that cost (almost) nothing. “We’ve been let down”: Members of Gen Z discuss the military, America’s place in the world and their generation. The Times Sale starts now: Our best rate for readers of The Morning. Save now with our best offer on unlimited news and analysis as part of the complete Times experience: $1/week for your first year. MORNING READS Luke and Laura on “General Hospital.” ABC Photo Archives/Disney A daytime superstar: Anthony Geary, the actor best known for portraying Luke Spencer on the popular soap opera “General Hospital,” has died at 78. In the early 1980s, when his character married Laura Webber (Genie Francis), it became the most-watched episode of a daytime drama in history. (I cut class to see it.) What gives you hope? Cynicism is spreading. As we head into 2026, we want to know what makes you think the future can improve. Tell us here. Your pick: The Morning’s most-clicked link yesterday was to a video of the bystander who tackled one of the Bondi Beach shooters. TODAY’S NUMBER 7,252 — That is the soaring number of admissions for drug withdrawals in Philadelphia in the first nine months of this year. A new form of fentanyl mixed with medetomidine, a veterinary sedative, is helping drive the surge. The drug leaves some patients mute, appearing unaware as they defecate on the floor or vomit on nurses. SPORTS N.F.L.: The future of the Chiefs star Travis Kelce is in question. Will he retire after this season? College soccer: Washington won the N.C.A.A. men’s championship over N.C. State in overtime. RECIPE OF THE DAY Julia Gartland for The New York Times I like these holiday citrus shortbread cookies for a number of reasons, and perhaps mostly because the dough benefits from a long chill in the refrigerator. That means you can make it tonight, allow the flavors to meld and then bake the cookies off for decorating tomorrow or the next day, or the day after that — the dough will last in the fridge, tightly wrapped, for about a week. The results are super buttery, with a floral orange-zest sparkle, and benefit from a glossy lemon glaze. Roll out thick for tender cookies, or thin for crisp. They’re not too sweet! A SEMIQUINCENTENNIAL Jane Austen Jane Austen’s House, Chawton, England Jane Austen was born on this day in 1775, the seventh of eight children of a British clergyman and his wife. She read voraciously, wrote inexhaustibly, never married and died at age 41. Her six novels changed the face of literature. To mark her 250th birthday, the Austen-industrial complex has roared into high production, with festivals, parades, museum exhibitions, concerts and all manner of merchandise for sale. The Book Review examined film adaptations of Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” to ask: Who is the definitive Mr. Darcy? And they put together a quiz to test your knowledge of all things Austen. More on culture The New York Times Our critics picked the best albums of 2025. Click the video above to watch them discuss their choices. Holiday music almost invariably looks backward, so new standards are rare. (The last was Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” in 1994, and it didn’t top the charts until 25 years later.) Still, artists from every corner of the pop-music ecosystem continue to try to break through. This year’s music offerings include tracks from Luke Bryan, Kylie Minogue, Brad Paisley, Gwen Stefani and … Tyra Banks. Explore them. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS Michael B. Jordan, left, and David Letterman on “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction.” Courtesy of Netflix Watch David Letterman’s “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction” tonight on Netflix. The actor Michael B. Jordan, who most recently starred in “Sinners,” helps kick off the show’s sixth season. Stick to your workout routine while you’re traveling with these tips. Give yourself the gift of great carry-on luggage, with recommendations from Wirecutter’s champions of the overhead bin. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was guffawing. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Sports Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times and me. See you tomorrow. — Sam Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Host: Sam Sifton Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Brent Lewis, Lara McCoy, Karl Russell News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Editorial Director, Newsletters: Jodi Rudoren

📦 Mapped: America's migration magnets Data: Atlas Van Lines. Map: Axios Visuals Arkansas, Idaho and North Carolina drew the most new arrivals this year, Axios' Sami Sparber writes from an analysis of interstate moves by Atlas Van Lines. Why it matters: High housing costs are keeping many people in place. But some are still moving, often for lower prices, jobs, climate resilience, or to be closer to family. Roughly 2 in 5 people moving into Arkansas landed in Bentonville, home to Walmart's corporate headquarters (Home Office). Other popular destinations include Hawaii, D.C., Tennessee, Washington state and Alabama. The other side: Louisiana recorded the highest share of outbound moves for the second year in a row, followed by West Virginia and Wyoming. Departures eased in high-cost California, Illinois and New York, even as they continued to outnumber arrivals.

🤖 Trump builds AI "Tech Force" Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios The White House unveiled a new AI-focused "Tech Force" yesterday to tap employees from the nation's biggest tech firms to modernize the federal government, Axios' Emily Peck and Maria Curi write. Why it matters: The White House appears to be trying to pick up the pieces after Elon Musk's DOGE wiped out significant existing tech expertise. Big tech firms will be able to lend their workers for two-year stints before they return to their employer. The administration is attempting to recruit 1,000 employees at salaries between $135,000 and $195,000 a year. Tech Force home page ... Keep reading.

💥 Trump's new Venezuela phase Photo illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios; Photo: Brandon Bell and Jesus Vargas/Getty Images The U.S. is preparing to seize more sanctioned oil tankers off Venezuela as the Trump administration opens a new phase of its pressure campaign on Nicolas Maduro's regime, officials tell Axios' Marc Caputo. That new phase also could soon include "land strikes on Venezuela," President Trump said Friday. Why it matters: Impounding more tankers would threaten to further impoverish the already struggling oil-rich nation as Trump tries to force Maduro to leave office. Trump last week authorized U.S. forces to conduct a first-of-its-kind seizure of a tanker with Venezuelan oil, the Skipper, in international waters. "The president has many tools in the toolbox, and this is a big one," a Trump adviser told Axios. The unprecedented U.S. armada offshore can effectively blockade Venezuela or form the launchpad of an invasion, which Trump so far hasn't authorized. 🔭 Zoom in: As many as 18 sanctioned oil-laden ships are in Venezuela's waters now. Eight are classified as "Very Large Cargo Container ships" like Skipper, which can carry nearly 2 million barrels of Venezuelan crude, according to Samir Madani, co-founder of the firm Tanker Trackers, which monitors global shipping. "It's quite a buffet for the U.S. to choose from," Madani said. So far, Trump doesn't want to move into Venezuelan waters to seize ships. "We have to wait for them to move. They're sitting at the dock. Once they move, we'll go to court, get a warrant and then get them," the Trump adviser told Axios. "But if they make us wait too long, we might get a warrant to get them there," in Venezuelan waters. ⚡ Inside the room: Aides repeatedly have presented Trump with options to escalate military action inside Venezuela by striking alleged drug labs in the jungle, drug warehouses and anti-aircraft military installations. Keep reading.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 16 1773 The Boston Tea Party In Boston Harbor, a group of Massachusetts colonists disguised as Mohawk Indians board three tea ships and dump 342 chests of tea into the harbor. The midnight raid, popularly known as the “Boston Tea Party,” was in protest of the British Parliament’s Tea Act of 1773, a bill designed to save the... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 1960s 1960 Two airplanes collide over New York City Arts & Entertainment 1775 Jane Austen is born 1893 Antonin Dvorak’s “New World Symphony” receives its world premiere in New York City 2009 Blockbuster sci-fi film “Avatar” has its U.S. premiere Crime 1989 A terrorist bomber begins his deadly rampage Sports 1973 OJ Simpson rushes record 2,000 yards in a season U.S. Presidents 1950 President Truman declares state of emergency over Korean War 1998 U.S. House of Representatives recommends impeaching Clinton 1998 President Clinton orders air attack on Iraq World War I 1914 Germans bombard English ports of Hartlepool and Scarborough World War II 1938 Hitler establishes Mother’s Cross to encourage German women to procreate 1944 Battle of the Bulge begins

“Synesthesia” is a neurological condition that can cause a person to see, smell and taste music. James

Where do inventors come from? Adults raised in Minnesota are the most likely in the US to file a patent. https://usafacts.org/articles/where-do-inventors-come-from/? Are Americans spending more during the holidays than ever before? Retail spending in December 2024 was the highest ever recorded — over $600 billion, or around $1,766 per person. https://usafacts.org/articles/holiday-retail-spending/? One last fact US Border Patrol detected about 8,400 attempted crossings in September 2025, 84.4% fewer than in September the year prior. These attempted crossings, sometimes called “encounters,” are instances in which the Border Patrol apprehended or expelled someone attempting to illegally enter the US between official entry ports. This number does not represent individual people, as someone may be counted multiple times if they try to cross the border several times.

❄️ Winter wonderland Photo: Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images Central Park is blanketed after heavy snowfall in Manhattan yesterday.

😤 Cruz pressures Thune Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) (L) supports Christina Stovall (R) who lost her son Michael "Mikey" Bret Stovall, during a press conference with other bereaved families from the January 29, 2025 DCA plane crash. Photo: Heather Diehl/Getty Images Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) voted "no" tonight on a procedural vote for the National Defense Authorization Act to protest House-passed language on air traffic safety, he told us. Why it matters: Cruz is putting Senate Majority Leader John Thune on notice — both for the NDAA, but also for a government funding bill that Congress must pass next. "We need to strike this section," Cruz said about a provision the House included in the NDAA. "It does not belong in the bill, and I'm gonna press very hard to strike okay." He also hinted that he's going to use an appropriations bill next month to try and force Congress to adopt his approach to improving communication between military and civilian aircraft. Driving the news: Last week, the House included language in the NDAA that would relax the current rules for military aircraft flying around Ronald Reagan National Airport, according to National Transportation Safety Board chair Jennifer Homendy, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Cruz. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy had issued new regulations in response to the Jan. 29, 2025 collision between a U.S. Army helicopter and an American Airlines jet above the capital that killed 67 people. "This is shameful," Homendy said last week about the new language. Zoom in: Cruz and Cantwell were holding out hope that the Rotor Act, which creates new rules on sending and receiving flight information around major metropolitan airports, would be included in the NDAA. Not only was it not included, but the new DOT rules were modified. Cruz is talking with Thune about including an amendment on the Senate floor to strike the House-passed NDAA language, but it's highly unlikely to be included in this week's vote. The amendment, if it passed, would require the House to revote on the NDAA and accept the Senate's modifications. The bottom line: Cruz isn't directly threatening to vote against the next government funding bill if he doesn't get his way on air safety. But he's clearly contemplating it. "Eleven months ago, 67 souls perished in a collision over DCA that was imminently preventable," he said. "We have an obligation to the flying public, to all our families, to do everything we can to prevent another fatal accident from happening." — Hans Nichols

⚡️ Primary the leader First it was Zohran Mamdani ally Chi Ossé flirting with — then skipping — a primary challenge against Jeffries. Now it's Jonathan Paz mounting a left-wing primary challenge against House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.). Why it matters: Clark is the highest-ranking Democrat to face an active intra-party threat to her reelection at a time when progressives across the country are trying to unseat establishment incumbents. Dozens of House Democrats face anti-establishment primary challenges from insurgents who say they will do a better job of taking on President Trump. "Listen, everybody is entitled to run, and we look forward to a vigorous campaign," Clark told us about a Paz challenge. The bottom line: Paz will have an uphill battle. Clark reported having $1.8 million in campaign funds going into October of this year. — Andrew Solender

The Most Divisive Way (Alex Wong / Getty)   View in browser The president is the only person in the United States with the megaphone to speak to the nation and guide them through moments of tragedy. This morning, Donald Trump used that megaphone to hijack the apparent murder of the director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, in service of his political grievances. “A very sad thing happened last night in Hollywood. Rob Reiner, a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director and comedy star, has passed away, together with his wife, Michele, reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME, sometimes referred to as TDS,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “He was known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump.” He then closed, incongruously, “May Rob and Michele rest in peace!” The post was nauseating even by Trump’s standards. Though Reiner was an outspoken Trump critic and longtime progressive activist, no serious reports have tied the deaths to his politics. Police have arrested the Reiners’ younger son, who had spoken publicly about struggling with addiction and homelessness. This makes Trump’s post seem even stranger. Did he invent this idea in the hope that a Trump supporter had killed the Reiners? Was his post intended as a threat to other anti-Trump people, warning that speaking out might get them killed? Is he simply extraordinarily cruel? Looking for a considered meaning in Trump’s words might be a wild-goose chase, though. The simplest reason Trump posted this is the same reason he posts anything: The man cannot resist making everything about himself, even if it’s the heartbreaking murder of a beloved artist in an alleged domestic dispute. If “TDS” is the tendency to become irrationally obsessed with Donald Trump and project that obsession onto everyone else, then somebody is indeed deranged, and it wasn’t Rob Reiner. Trump’s post creates some pungent ironies. “You won’t see people on the right celebrating the horrific murder of Rob Reiner and his wife,” the Trump ally and conspiracy theorist Jack Posobiec wrote on X last night. “Compare to the Left’s reaction to Charlie Kirk’s murder,” Posobiec added. That’s an illuminating comparison. When Kirk critics brought up his more inflammatory rhetoric after his assassination in September, some prominent figures on the right, including the attorney general, accused them of hate speech, and scores were fired from their jobs. (This came at the same time that many right-wing pundits were celebrating Kirk as a champion of free speech.) Evidently the same standards don’t apply to Trump—though the replies to his post on Truth Social suggest some revulsion even among the kind of devoted fans who hang out on his personal social network. Trump has never shined in moments that call for dignity and restraint. Yesterday, discussing the mass shooting at Brown University on Saturday, the president seemed cold: “Things can happen,” he said. Empathy does not come naturally to him, even when it would be politically beneficial. Visiting Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria during his first term, Trump gave us the indelible image of tossing paper-towel rolls to beleaguered survivors. This is what makes Trump’s post about the Reiners not just despicable and cruel but also bad for the country. In moments of national mourning or trauma, a president can seek to bring people together: Think of Ronald Reagan’s remarks after the Challenger disaster, George W. Bush’s speech atop the rubble at Ground Zero, or Barack Obama’s eulogy at the memorial for victims of the Mother Emanuel massacre. Absent these presidents’ genuine ability and instinct to inspire unity, a leader can fake it, offering at least a boilerplate statement. If nothing else, they can just keep quiet. But not Trump. He finds the most divisive way to insert himself. The president began this year with another lowlight: After an air crash over the Potomac River in Washington, Trump was quick to point fingers (DEI was, absurdly, one of the supposed culprits) and slow to console. His choices deny the country a chance to mourn, and they take moments that could be unifying—surely Americans of all political views can agree on the greatness of When Harry Met Sally and The Princess Bride—and turn them into opportunities for anger. Which is, in effect, Trump’s political project. As James Mattis, Trump’s first defense secretary, said in June 2020, “Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people—does not even pretend to try. Instead, he tries to divide us.” Some signs have emerged of Americans rejecting this attitude, including huge “No Kings” protests and Trump’s sinking approval rating. But by other measures, Trump has been successful. The country is sad, anagry, and divided—coming to resemble its president more all the time. Related: Trump seizes back the spotlight. Adam Serwer: The cruelty is the point. (From 2018)

Is there a bubble in AI? AI investment is surging. Companies are spending huge sums in infrastructure, and investors are paying increasingly elevated valuations. But will AI actually deliver on these massive investments? Read the report from Goldman Sachs Research.

The two Army soldiers killed by a gunman in Syria over the weekend were identified as members of the Iowa National Guard — Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, and Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25. "We are grateful for their service and deeply mourn their loss," Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) said. Keep reading.

Joe Baltas claimed prison officials denied him religious freedom, basic hygiene, and due process while in solitary. A federal appeals court upheld the dismissal of his case on qualified immunity grounds. Joe Baltas spent 47 days in a restricted housing […] The post Inmate’s 47 Days in Isolation Sparked a Constitutional Lawsuit — But the 2nd Circuit Said the Law Wasn’t Clear Enough appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

Search for the Brown University shooter continues as questions swirl about campus security PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Authorities knocked on doors and scoured yards Monday in search of any video or other evidence that might lead them to the Brown University gunman, whose face was covered or not visible in footage captured before and after the weekend attack that killed two students and wounded nine others. https://apnews.com/article/brown-university-shooting-investigation-b08f1fdf5e71542f6e93bbba05fa043c?

Girls and women fleeing Mali describe sexual violence by Russian forces Women and girls from Mali are alleging rape and sexual assault by Russian fighters with Africa Corps, a new military unit under Moscow's control. People have been sexually assaulted by all sides as Mali's military and Russian allies fight militants affiliated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. Russia’s Defense Ministry did not respond to questions. Read more. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ PHOTO ESSAY: Refugees flee Mali as region is the world's deadliest for extremism Takeaways from AP report on sexual violence in Mali

Trump administration says it needs to fight SNAP fraud, but the extent of the problem is unclear Accusations of widespread fraud are at the heart of the Trump administration's policies on SNAP. Officials looking at the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program from a law enforcement view see it as a huge problem, costing taxpayers billions a year taken by both organized crime and people who receive benefits. Some advocates warn that measures intended to thwart fraud could also make it harder for qualified people to access benefits. Read more. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ US officials say Washington has agreed to give Ukraine security guarantees in peace talks JetBlue flight near Venezuela avoids ‘midair collision’ with US Air Force tanker US Army names 2 Iowa Guard members killed in attack in Syria Supreme Court will hear appeal of Black death row inmate over racial bias in Mississippi jury makeup US tariffs are having an uneven effect on holiday prices and purchases 🇮🇱 The White House told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that this weekend's killing of a top Hamas commander violated the ceasefire agreement brokered by President Trump, Axios' Barak Ravid scoops. Trump sues BBC for $10 billion, accusing it of defamation over editing of president’s Jan. 6 speech WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump filed a lawsuit Monday seeking $10 billion in damages from the BBC, accusing the British broadcaster of defamation as well as deceptive and unfair trade practices. https://apnews.com/article/trump-bbc-lawsuit-defamation-a9fd196c4f242decd8f28e8d0ce74442?

Climate Change Is Forcing Polar Bears to Rewrite Their DNA A new study suggests polar bears are adapting to climate change to survive. A new study suggests polar bears may be genetically adapting to survive a rapidly warming Arctic—in what researchers describe as a “glimmer of hope” for the endangered species. Researchers at the University of East Anglia analyzed blood samples from polar bears in northeast and southeast Greenland and found evidence of genetic changes linked to diet and metabolism, NBC reported. As global temperatures rise, Arctic sea ice is shrinking, leaving bears without the frozen platforms they rely on to hunt seals. The study’s lead author, Alice Godden, told NBC News that prolonged food scarcity appears to be driving biological shifts that allow some bears to better process plant-based and lower-fat diets when prey is unavailable. While the adaptation doesn’t mean polar bears are suddenly thriving, researchers say it suggests the species may have more resilience than previously understood. Godden says the bears were projected to go extinct by the end of the century, but hopes that with these new findings we are able to reduce our carbon emissions to buy the bears enough time to adapt to their changing environment. The findings highlight both the urgency of climate action, and the remarkable lengths wildlife may go to survive it. https://www.thedailybeast.com/climate-change-is-forcing-polar-bears-to-rewrite-their-dna/?

Americans Say They Can’t Afford Holiday Gifts Under Billionaire Trump More Americans are spending less on presents this year. Higher prices are forcing Americans to cut back on holiday presents this year, a new poll has found. A total of 41 percent of Americans plan to spend less on presents this year, CNBC reported. That’s a six-point jump compared to 2024 and the most significant increase since the 2022 inflation surge, according to the new CNBC All-America Economic Survey, Of those who reported they would be spending less, 46 percent said the reason was the “high cost of goods,” a 10-percent increase from last year’s survey. The survey results come as almost half of Americans say the cost-of-living crisis is the worst they’ve ever seen, with voters increasingly blaming President Donald Trump’s policies. Only 16 percent of respondents in the CNBC poll said they planned to spend more, but even then, it wasn’t because they were earning more or because they thought the economy was in good shape. In a new twist, among those spending more this year, 36 percent pointed to high prices as the reason for their increase, an 11-point jump compared to 2024, according to CNBC. This is the first year that higher prices were found to contribute meaningfully to both increased and decreased spending, CNBC reported. The survey found that 60 percent of the public was pessimistic about the current state of the economy, the highest level since 2023. Even a majority of Republicans, or 53 percent, now rate the economy as just fair or poor. Trump, however, appears in denial about the problem even as his approval ratings have cratered over his administration’s failure to rein in the cost of living. The president has insisted that the affordability crisis is a “hoax” and a “con job.” A new AP-NORC poll released last week found that Trump’s approval rating on the economy was just 31 percent, with his overall approval rating hovering at 36 percent. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal published over the weekend, the president blamed voters for not yet understanding that he had “created the greatest economy in history.” “It may take people a while to figure all these things out,” he said. The White House is convinced the economy will take off next year thanks to the “big beautiful” budget bill Trump signed over the summer. In the meantime, the president has launched a national tour to try to convince voters his economic policies are working, though he’s struggled to stay on message. “You can give up certain products,” he told supporters in Pennsylvania last week. “You don’t need 37 dolls for your daughter. Two or three is nice, but you don’t need 37 dolls.” In a statement to the Daily Beast, White House spokesperson Kush Desai blamed former President Joe Biden for the cost-of-living crisis and said that bringing down prices has “informed nearly every action the Trump administration has taken since Day One.” “Much work remains, and every member of the Trump administration continues to focus on recreating the historic job, wage, and economic growth that Americans enjoyed during President Trump’s first term,” he said. https://www.thedailybeast.com/americans-say-they-cant-afford-holiday-gifts-under-billionaire-donald-trump/?

Genesis 3:1 - Now the Serpent was more subtle/crafty than any beast of the field with the Lord God had made. Beast of the Field = Man/Woman Genesis 4:15 - And the Lord set a Mark upon Cain Genesis 4:24 - "If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold" Revelation 13:18 - And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six. To Understand where the understanding of the "Mark of the beast" begins one must start by seeking the understanding the of first and second marks to gain wisdom. Proverbs 9:10 - The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: And the knowledge of the holy is understanding. So, in order for wisdom to begin unfolding to anyone who seeks to know the mysteries of God must first learn how to apply the method/technique of fearing the Lord God. Begin...... Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of the Lord.

Trump Rages at Dumpster Fire Economy Ratings With Image of Literal Dumpster Fire The president has finally admitted voters are having a hard time, but he’s made clear he won’t take responsibility for it. President Donald Trump is rage-posting through a devastating downward turn in the polls by clogging up his feed with dubious assurances it’s all the Democratic Party’s fault. In a series of reposts on Truth Social on Monday, he appeared to rely on weeks-old posts from random social media users to prop up his own alternative reality. “President Trump is trying his damndest to clean up this country,” read one post from an account named WomenForTrump, shared to the president’s timeline on Truth Social. “The Democrats are trying their damnedest to stop him.” “The Biden/Harris regime spent four years carpet bombing American consumers with inflation,” another shared post said. “Now, in a BIG Lie layup ahead of the midterms, Democrats and their Leftmedia publicists are blame-shifting the ‘affordability’ issue to Trump.” A third post simply featured a rendering of a literal dumpster fire with the year 2020 emblazoned on the side.By almost all metrics, the economy is not doing well under the second MAGA administration. GDP growth has almost halved against 2024 amid the president’s trade war with enemy and ally alike, with the labor market taking repeated poundings as unemployment rises to 4.3 percent nationwide.With the consumer price index at 3 percent, inflation remains persistently high, with the soaring cost of essentials like energy, utilities and groceries understood to be hitting lower- and middle-income families hardest.Almost half of Americans believe the current cost-of-living crisis is the worst they’ve ever seen, according to the latest polls, with one survey in November suggesting as many as 60 percent of respondents disapprove of the president’s economic leadership.Trump, for the most part, has responded to these concerns by shrugging them off as nothing more than a Democratic “hoax.” In a rare moment of candidness, however, he did concede in a Sunday interview with The Wall Street Journal that voters appear to be having a hard time buying into his claim that he “created the greatest economy in history.” But even then, he suggested his economic prowess was just too sophisticated for ordinary voters to understand. “It may take people a while to figure all these things out,” he said. “All this money that’s pouring into our country is building things right now—car plants, AI, lots of stuff,” he went on. “I cannot tell you how that’s going to equate to the voter, all I can do is do my job.” https://www.thedailybeast.com/president-donald-trump-rages-at-dumpster-fire-economy-ratings-with-image-of-literal-dumpster-fire/?

Trump Posts Psychotic ‘TDS’ Insult to Murdered Rob Reiner The president’s shocking post came hours after the director and his wife were found slain in their home. President Donald Trump has sought to blame Robert Reiner for his own grisly death, suggesting the Hollywood director was killed due to his own “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” Hours after Reiner, 78, and his wife, Michele Reiner, 68, were murdered at their Los Angeles home, Trump took to Truth Social to slam the slain director as a “struggling” man with “obvious paranoia” who may have brought his death upon himself. “A very sad thing happened last night in Hollywood. Rob Reiner, a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director and comedy star, has passed away, together with his wife, Michele, reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME, sometimes referred to as TDS,” Trump wrote.“He was known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump, with his obvious paranoia reaching new heights as the Trump Administration surpassed all goals and expectations of greatness, and with the Golden Age of America upon us, perhaps like never before. May Rob and Michele rest in peace!” “Trump Derangement Syndrome” is a term often used by Trump and his supporters to dismiss criticism of him as irrational or hysterical. The president’s jaw-dropping comments came as tributes poured in from Hollywood and across the nation following the news of the couple’s death. The Los Angeles Police Department said it was investigating “an apparent homicide” after the pair was found in their home in the upscale Brentwood neighborhood on Sunday afternoon. The Reiner family confirmed the deaths through a spokesman. Reiner’s son, Nick Reiner, 32, was taken into custody on Sunday night on unspecified charges and is being held on $4 million bail. But the President’s post was met with swift condemnation on Monday, with critics and supporters variously describing it as “despicable” and “heartless ”—even by the president’s norm-busting standards. “This is both disgusting and expected. The Scumbag-in-Chief,” said former Republican Ron Filipkoswki, now the editor of MeidasTouch News. Trump ally turned critic Marjorie Taylor Greene alleged the pair were “tragically killed at the hands of their own son, who reportedly had drug addiction and other issues, and their remaining children are left in serious mourning and heartbreak.” “This is a family tragedy, not about politics or political enemies,” said the MAGA Congresswoman. The Blacklist founder Frank Leonard noted: “Every single time I see something this far beyond the pale, my first thought is “yes he’s terrible but that can’t possibly be real. And every time I’m wrong. Every. Damn. Time.” Even some of Trump’s loyal base was angered by the president’s remarks. “Terrible post and I am a big Trump supporter,” wrote one person in response to the Truth Social Post. “Take it down!” “I respect you so much but this was heartless and uncalled for,” said another. Robert Reiner was a popular sitcom actor before he shifted to directing films, overseeing classics such as “When Harry Met Sally,” “Stand By Me,” and “The Princess Bride.” He went on to become a notable figure in Democratic politics, using his fame to advocate for issues such as gay marriage and gun reform. He was also a longtime critic of Trump, describing the president in a 2017 Vanity Fair interview as “mentally unfit” to be president. His wife was a photographer - who captured the original image of Trump’s bestseller “The Art of the Deal” - and later a producer. The pair married in 1989 and have three children: Nick, Jake, and Romy. But news of their death shocked the political and entertainment world on Sunday. The Los Angeles Police Department said that officers responded to reports of deaths at a home around 3:40 p.m. on Sunday. Police identified it as Reiner’s residence and said that officers discovered two bodies inside. According to TMZ, the pair were the victims of a knife attack and had been found with their throats slit. Their son Nick was arrested, according to online records from the LA Sheriff’s Department. Former President Barack Obama said that he and his wife, Michelle, were “heartbroken” to hear the news, while Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement: “This is a devastating loss for our city and our country.” “Rob Reiner’s contributions reverberate throughout American culture and society, and he has improved countless lives through his creative work and advocacy fighting for social and economic justice,” she said. Hollywood tributes also poured in. Actor Josh Gad described Reiner as “one of the greatest directors of our time.” “He was a friend. He was simply a beautiful person. Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle were two of the most kind and caring souls you could ever imagine. He cared so much for those who had no voices. This loss is devastating. I cannot express how much this hurts,” he said. https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-posts-jaw-dropping-insult-to-murdered-rob-reiner/?

Rob Reiner remembered for beloved films, iconic performances Rob Reiner, the son of a comedy giant who became one himself with movies such as "The Princess Bride," "When Harry Met Sally…" and "This is Spinal Tap," is being remembered for his iconic contributions to entertainment following the shocking news of his death. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rob-reiner-dies-beloved-films-iconic-performances/