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A Muslim followed the Lord. Please pray for Ahmad Al-Ahmad's recovery in an Australian hospital. A true hero!

Amen!!! He is growing! Keep him in our prayers.

There are also scholars who believe that it was dismantled in the time of Manasseh. One problem with the 2 Maccabees quote is the relationship between Jeremiah and the Ark. The Hebrews had two priestly families. One was the descendants of Eleazar, which was very Arronite. The other possibly Ithamar, but very much the family of Moses. The differences could be compared to two different denominations of the ancient YAHWHIST religion. While the ark was important in the Moses priesthoods for a while, after coming back from the Philistines it became more important to the Arronites. We talk about the "United Monarchy" of Saul, David and Solomon. But in the days of the judges the northern tribes and Judah pretty much formed into two nations. David was king of Judah for 7 years, meaning about 5 years David was king of Judah while Saul was king of Israel. Then David became king of both Judah and Israel, more of two countries sharing a king. Then after Solomon they divided. The accusations of how evil Samuel's sons were may have been more political than actual evil, since we find Samuel's descendants getting very involved with the religion and politics of the southern kingdom, and it was people of the north that complained about them. The descendants of Eleazar were the temple priests, and the ark became the center of their worship. The northern tribes became less interested in the ark. An interesting thing about the Deuteronomic History (Joshua - Kings, maybe Deuteronomy) has stories of how God blesses people, but often people turn their blessing into curses. And there are curses from God that God turns into blessings. (The prophecy that Eli's house would not have old men... an unusual number of the men in the family became prophets and Bible writers. Prophets have a tendency of not making it to become old men.) The northern tribes were based more on the Book of the Law, while the south more on Leviticus (and the book of the law got lost). When you follow the curses in the Deuteronomic history, while some had a local situations that affected say the rise of David; most of the major curses you can follow over the Deuteronomic history and most of them land on one man-- Jeremiah. Had the northern kingdom not fallen, Jeremiah would have been the high priest of the north. Hezekiah gave some room for the priests from the north for ministry. And when the book of the law was found in the temple, since Jeremiah's background was based more on the book of the law, he was the natural source for understanding it. But Jeremiah was only allowed in a section on the edge of the temple. He and his ancestors were under the curse and the rest of the temple was off limits to them under the penalty of death. The Ark did not mean much to Jeremiah. It would have been important to Ezekiel. If the story was Ezekiel took it and hid it, there could be more credibility. But for it being applied to Jeremiah would be similar to saying that Ellen White took and hid the Shroud of Turin to protect it.

All salvation comes from God's gracious attitude towards us through what Jesus did for us. At the end of time God will treat everyone the same. God will show up in all his beauty, love, glory, and overwhelming event. Some will find this event to be heaven, others will find this event to be hell. Like when the divinity flashed through Jesus when cleaning the temple (at least at the second cleaning.) People ran in two directions. The money changers were running away, while the children, poor and lame were running to him (and remember Jesus had a whip. How often do you find children running with joy to someone holding a whip? Yet, this is what happened when Jesus showed his "wrath".) Only this time there is no place to flee as God's glory fills the whole world. Everyone is born with a few things: Different levels of intelligence, cultures, environments, points in history. We all have in us two attitudes fighting. One is our deepest desire, to want to love the world on an honest basic, to be fair, to love the world as Jesus has loved it. Fighting this is a weaker, but often placed in power in our lives, a disposition to think we are for ourselves by making less of the outside world. A disposition to esteem ourselves more highly than others, to serve self, to seek the highest place, to manipulate or try to manipulate others especially through things such as criticizing, complaining, blaming, nagging, threatening, punishing, rewarding to control. We also seem to have been born with our temperaments, two out of five possible love languages, two out of five possible apology languages, and our attachment styles. The Holy Spirit works with every person, pointing them to the character ("name") of God as our personal friend (God the Son). All religions have varying amounts of truth and superstitions. People make choices of reaching out to or rejecting the character of God as our personal friend, through the two principles of somehow reaching out to what or whoever may be out there and from this to love their neighbors as themselves. The three monotheistic religions have available WITHIN their framework a looking beyond the forces of nature to the creator. The two based on the Bible have even more truth available to them, with of course the Christians open to study the Bible with the insight that God the Son came and lived among us, and additional insights from records of his life and insights from those who directly witnessed seeing him, including seeing him after the resurrection, or records of people who had direct connection to these witnesses. Protestantism has a mindset of reading the Bible and making the Bible the final authority. And Seventh-day Adventists have the great controversy philosophy (which archaeology has pointed out was a big issue for the ancient world where the Bible was written, but which we have lost sight of in culture.) Now, just because we have more information available to us does not mean that we are allowing them to affect our lives and thinking. People with less information may cherish what they understand while people with more information may ignore it. All may be drawn away by traditions and superstitions. From this I cannot say that all religions lead to God; but God and Satan both have people in all religions. The big issue is HIS CHARACTER, Who HE is, What he did for us. The Holy Spirit working on our hearts to point us in the direction of the character of God as personal friend, and from this to God being the great power and ultimate authority. Sadly, too many Christians turn the salvation through God's gracious character and who HE is, to salvation through being a Christian, salvation through the religion. The false thinking that a Jew, Muslim or other cannot be saved because they are not "Christians" That they have not said the right things about Jesus and give the history lesson about what Jesus did for us. Anwar Sadat was raised by his mother and grandmother with a simple faith of trusting in Allah. In college he got into a more complex nationalistic political form of Islam. Yet, he still had a love for God. He spent so many hours in prayer that a callus formed on his forehead. When he lost the 1973 war, he felt responsible for all the deaths. He turned his back on the more complicated political version of Islam and turned to the simple faith of his mother and grandmother. He realized that he needed to forge a peace with Israel. At Camp David, there were three men of faith and prayer, a Muslim, a Jew and a Christian. They stopped their work at prayer times and were able to work out a solution. In Psalm 23:5 it says that the Lord prepares a table in the presence of enemies. To the ancient world this means forgiveness and reconciliation. After Camp David was arranged, a table for the enemies of Egypt and Israel meet for the reconciliation meal. Now, people wondered about a personal event in this feast. Sadat and Golda Mier had totally hated each other on a personal level. They had never mentioned the other by name. Sadat would only call her "That Old Lady" and she would only call him "That Egyptian." Yes, there was the table of forgiveness for the politics of the two governments, but what about these two individuals? In the receiving line, as these two bitter enemies came face to face, Mier said "Mr. President, what took you so long? At these words Sadat just started laughing, and Mier just started laughing. The hatred they had for each other melted. (I don't remember for sure but I believe that I read/heard that they made a joke about the names they gave each other.) The table of forgiveness became not only political between states, but was also personal between these two individuals who remained friends for the rest of their lives. These actions were accepting and reflecting the character of God the Son, and coming to the power of God the Father through God as personal friend. They are saved through how they accepted the character of God the Son. (and as you look at Sadat, the impact of God upon his life, and how he decided to stand for the right even though it lead to his martyrdom, indicates that he could have well have reached what Ellen White describes as last generation perfection.) Dr. Chan was a Buddhist dentist living in Cambodia. When he heard that the Khmer Rouge came to power, he threw his glasses off his face and stomped on them on the floor, ran home got his family and moved to a part of Cambodia where no one knew who they were and they pretended to be ignorant illiterates. Eventually they were able to go to a refugee camp in Thailand. There were Baptists working in the camps to help the refugees and shared the story about Jesus. The Chan family converted from Buddhism to Christianity. Later they came to southern California where there were Seventh-day Adventists helping the refugees, and they decided to learn more about Seventh-day Adventism and decided to become Seventh-day Adventists. One Sabbath at church, one of the women who were helping the refugees noticed that Dr. Chan's body tightened and went pale. He started shaking and ran out of the church. She went after him to find out what was wrong. She found him on the lawn of the church just shaking and repeating the words "It's him! It's him..." As he was asked what was wrong, Dr. Chan replied "You may find this crazy, but as a child I knew that I had a special friend. Now, I could not see him nor hear him, yet he has always been just as real to me at my friends who I could see and hear. I believe that he helped me to remove and trample on my glasses. I believe that he lead me and my family as we looked for someplace we were unknown, and that he lead to Thailand and finally to the United States. Even though I became a Christian in Thailand, today, for the first time in my life I realize that this special, life long friend of mine is Jesus!" Religions can be a help or a hindrance, but from all religious beliefs (even secularism and so called atheism -- I have not come over this document's words anyplace else for me to absolutely say that it was by Ellen White, but I came across it in the EGW vault at Andrews, and I believe that it was written by Sister White, but this document placed "atheists" into two different groups. One was labeled, infidels. But the author also gave a second group of atheists labeled "Honest Doubters" and that heaven has room for the "Honest Doubters." Whether the writer was Mrs. White or not, I agree with that document. There is the issue of faith that transcends religions. When you read about the Norwegian revivalist Hans Nielsen Hague, or the character of World War I German ace Oswald Boelcke, and how World War I ace Manfred von Richthofen responded to Boelcke's Christlikeness. The Roman Catholic actor Bob Newheart and Jewish comedian Don Rickels were both men of faith, and they felt a special friendship based on their shared love and devotion to their family and to God. They would join each other in worshiping in both Church and Synagogue and recognizing both Christian and Jewish holidays. Herman's Hermit's lead singer Peter Noone had been a devote Catholic. He met a lady who was a devote Jew. They fell in love, and felt that a large part of their relationship was their shared love for God. They have had one of show business longest and happiest marriages. When they decided to marry, instead of just running off, Peter petitioned and received permission from the Church to marry her without her converting to Catholicism (One article I read said that he asked the Pope for permission, but I have not seen that since, only his getting permission from the church.) and they worship in both the Church and Synagogue, and they have a daughter they raised in both the church and synagogue.

December 15, 2025 By Sam Sifton Good morning and welcome to a new week, the last official one of fall. We woke up to the news that the director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, were found dead in their Los Angeles home yesterday afternoon. The police are investigating the deaths as “an apparent homicide.” Read his obituary. We have more on that below, as well as a deep look at the global fertility industry. But first, the latest from Brown University and Bondi Beach, the sites of two shootings over the weekend. In Providence, R.I. Christopher Capozziello for The New York Times At Brown University There’s been a setback in Rhode Island. The police released a person of interest they had detained after a shooter killed two people at Brown University. They said they did not have enough evidence to connect the person to the shooting. So now, the search continues. The mayor of Providence said that officials didn’t know if the attacker was still in the city. “Obviously we have a murderer out there,” the state attorney general said. The police released a video of a suspect, but footage is minimal. “There just weren’t a lot of cameras in that Brown building,” the attorney general also said. The shooting occurred during a study session for an exam in the school’s engineering and physics building. Students shared more details about their 12 hours of fear in lockdown, as hordes of law-enforcement officers descended on the Ivy League campus. Exams are canceled, and university officials told students they were free to go home. Follow updates on the search here. At Bondi Beach A memorial at Bondi Beach. Matthew Abbott for The New York Times As Australia reels from a mass shooting at its most famous beach, we’ve learned more about the suspects. A father and his son targeted Jews at a Hanukkah celebration and killed at least 15 people, Australian officials said. The older man died after being shot by officers. At least 38 people remain hospitalized from injuries. It was an act of terrorism, the authorities said. But they did not give details about the suspects’ ideology or motive. Neither gunman was known to have any history of previous criminal offenses, officials said. They plan to bring criminal charges against the surviving suspect. (See our maps and videos of how the shooting unfolded.) More on the suspects: The father had a recreational hunting license and owned a gun, the police said. He was an immigrant who came to Australia in 1998 on a student visa and stayed on other visas, officials said. It was unclear what country he was from. The son is an Australian citizen. The threat to Jews: Members of Australia’s Jewish community said they had warned the government of rising antisemitism. “We feel very let down,” said Ahron Eisman, 37, who said his next door neighbor was killed. “We’ve been saying it’s only a matter of time.” The victims: The victims’ names have not been released, but we know a Holocaust survivor, a devoted rabbi of the Bondi community and a French citizen are among the dead. Read more about them. A hero: Finally, the bystander who tackled one of the gunmen was a man named Ahmed el Ahmed, the police said. He is recovering from injuries in a hospital. “That man is a genuine hero,” one official said. “And I’ve got no doubt that there are many, many people alive tonight as a result of his bravery.” If you haven’t seen it already, watch the video of el Ahmed (The Times verified it’s real). And read the latest. Illustration by Nicole Rifkin The cost of children Nearly 200 million people every year struggle with infertility. Some estimates say it touches one in six adults. That’s a lot of potential customers for a strange global marketplace — one that often operates in legal gray areas and moves from nation to nation to dodge regulations and meet demand: If you want a baby and have enough money, almost anything is possible. As my colleague Sarah A. Topol reported from the Caucasus and elsewhere: This has led to all kinds of elaborate arrangements for the creation of children. In Georgia, intended parents from China can import Ukrainian eggs or semen from Denmark, create embryos in Tbilisi and use Thai wombs to bear and birth babies before bringing a child home to Shanghai. Sarah spent six months reporting the tale of Thai women who traveled 4,000 miles to become surrogates. They believed they’d be paid large sums. Instead, they experienced a nightmare. A last resort People who become surrogates in the global fertility industry are often in precarious financial situations. Sarah spoke to one of them, a 24-year-old Thai woman named Eve. She had worked in construction, restaurants, security and as a masseuse. She was working as a motorcycle delivery driver when her father was hospitalized and her family’s life fell apart. Pursued by loan sharks, they stopped sleeping at home. One day, Eve saw a Facebook post: I’m looking for a woman to work in Georgia. Legally. Income 500,000-530,000 baht. Age range: 20 to 35. The work, she discovered, was surrogacy, which she’d only vaguely heard of, but which sounded helpful to others. More important, she thought, it would pay well enough to clear her family’s debt. Soon Eve landed in Tbilisi. She surrendered her passport to the Chinese people who had paid for her trip and installed her in a derelict hotel. They gave her fertility medication to prepare her for an embryo transfer. It was cold. There were many house rules. The doctors wouldn’t talk to her. She learned only this: If she wanted to leave, she should pay back the cost of her travel. If she didn’t have the money to do that, she could sell her eggs. The moving market Wildly differing regulations and prices mean that intended parents are often incentivized to travel across borders. The destinations change all the time, as nations take new or different views of what’s called assisted reproductive technologies. India was the hub of commercial surrogacy until 2012, Sarah reports, when it started to regulate the practice in response to reports of abused surrogates, sick babies and mixed-up embryos. Later, the hub moved to Thailand, Mexico and Nepal — all of which experienced scandals, too. By 2016, all three countries had banned surrogacy. Illustration by Nicole Rifkin The market also evolved in Russia, where it was extremely popular with Chinese parents until Moscow shut it down. (China is a huge player on the buy side of the fertility market, Sarah reports. Between 67 and 133 million people there might make use of assisted reproductive technologies.) From Russia it moved to Ukraine and, after Russia invaded the country in 2022, to tiny Georgia. The rush on Georgia was overwhelming: The country simply did not have enough wombs, so clinics and agencies began importing them. On any night in Tbilisi, it’s possible to see clusters of heavily pregnant women — from Kenya, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Ukraine — treating themselves to a meal from their regional restaurant or going to the supermarket. Whac-a-Mole There are, in fact, ethical guidelines for commercial surrogacy. They’re meant to protect the health, autonomy and rights of aspiring parents and the people who carry their babies. There’s meant to be psychological evaluation and counseling in addition to health screenings. Also: “informed consent,” which includes letting surrogates know about all the risks; compensation regardless of what happens in the pregnancy; legal representation for the surrogates and for the people paying them; health insurance and postpartum care; compensation for lost wages; and more. Ethical surrogacy is expensive, though, and inexhaustible demand means that the market can always move to new, less-regulated countries. Today, these include Argentina, Colombia, Ghana, Nigeria and Kyrgyzstan, among other places. Industry observers even have a name for it, Sarah reports: Whac-a-Mole surrogacy. Whac-a-Mole surrogacy doesn’t bother with those ethical guidelines, and the company that brought Eve and many others to Georgia didn’t follow them. For “traveling surrogates” like Eve, there are precious few protections at all. Eve, who Sarah interviewed extensively, eventually escaped her confinement in Tbilisi with the help of a group that works with survivors of human trafficking. Please read all of Sarah’s harrowing story. THE LATEST NEWS War in Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky Odd Andersen/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Volodymyr Zelensky said he would give up hopes of joining NATO, at least for now, in exchange for security guarantees. Zelensky made the announcement before a meeting with American negotiators, who are seeking a peace deal to end the war. Negotiations are set to continue today. Jimmy Lai Jimmy Lai Lam Yik Fei for The New York Times Jimmy Lai, a pro-democracy media tycoon, was convicted by a Hong Kong court on national security charges. He could face life in prison. Lai was a refugee from mainland China and a child laborer who rose to be the owner of an apparel empire. He used his wealth to back pro-democracy protests and create a popular newspaper in Hong Kong that regularly challenged China’s ruling Communist Party. Read more about his life. More International News A conservative candidate won decisively in Chile’s presidential election. It’s a victory for the global far-right movement. In Syria, the gunman who killed three Americans was a member of Syria’s security forces slated for dismissal over his extremist views, officials said. American officials have paused a trade deal with Britain over disagreements about food safety and taxes on digital services. Politics Bill and Hillary Clinton Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images Bill and Hillary Clinton are fighting a subpoena to testify before a House committee about Jeffrey Epstein. They could face contempt proceedings if they don’t appear. Republicans in Congress have accused Washington, D.C.’s police department of lowering its crime statistics by reclassifying certain incidents as lesser charges. T.S.A. is providing the names of all air travelers to immigration agents to aid their deportation efforts. Business Roomba maker iRobot filed for bankruptcy. Investment in China slowed drastically in November, the latest indication that the country was headed for its first annual investment decline in three decades. OPINIONS Western leaders should stand up for liberal values and pressure China to free Jimmy Lai, writes Mark Clifford. Here is a column by David French on the dangers of viewing everything as a crisis. 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 Weston Wei Travel 101: Spotting these red flags in an Airbnb listing can help you avoid a vacation disaster. Work friend: My boss got too drunk at the holiday party. Help! Your pick: The Morning’s most-clicked link yesterday was about cheap holiday dinner party ideas. Metropolitan Diary: Two readers, same book. TODAY’S NUMBER 27 — That is the number of game-day balls allotted to teams in the National Football League. Twelve are denoted primary balls and 12 are kept as backup. There are three kicking balls. The N.F.L. can fine players for throwing them into the stands. For this season, the first offense is $8,114 and the second is $13,911. SPORTS N.F.L.: The Kansas City Chiefs will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2014 after a 16-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. The team’s star quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, left the game with a knee injury. College football: Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia apologized for criticizing Heisman Trophy voters after he lost the award to Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. RECIPE OF THE DAY Kelly Marshall for The New York Times There’s a spicy West African fried pepper sauce at the base of Yewande Komolafe’s lovely new recipe for one-pan spicy chicken thighs and mushrooms. But it’s not alone. There’s miso in there, too, and oil-packed anchovies. The combination delivers an explosion of umami — that deep, meaty taste beyond sweet, spicy, sour and salty — that enhances the chicken and mushrooms considerably. Add a splash of vinegar at the end to bring everything into focus and serve over rice with lots of basil. STAR POWER The New York Times We live in an era of niche culture, algorithmic bubbles and online echo chambers, writes Maya Salam, a culture reporter. In 2025, she found 10 performers who managed to rise out of the pigeonholes to become true breakout stars. Please meet them. More on culture After 25 years, Elaina Richardson is stepping down as the president of Yaddo. She increased the storied arts residency’s endowment to $38 million from $8 million and upgraded the 400-acre retreat and application process. “The days when one would be the only person of color at Yaddo are over,” the writer James Hannaham told our reporter, Elisabeth Egan. Many of America’s regional theaters are having a hard time these days. They’re putting on fewer shows, employing fewer people and running at a deficit more often than before the pandemic. But not all of them. Michael Paulson, who covers theater, reports that some are booming. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS Daniel Craig John Wilson/Netflix Watch an ensemble scene from “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.” Exercise in the cold, but be careful about it — we have some tips. Fill your stockings with these terrific small-gift ideas from the curious elves at Wirecutter. Take our news quiz. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was enviable. 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

🏈 NFL era ends Patrick Mahomes is sacked during the Kansas City Chiefs' loss to the Los Angeles Chargers yesterday. Photo: David Eulitt/Getty Images The Kansas City Chiefs — an NFL powerhouse that's won three of the last six Super Bowl titles — will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2014. It's also the first time Patrick Mahomes won't reach the AFC championship game since becoming the team's starter in 2018. 💡 Stunning stat: Only one team in NFL history — the 2009-2019 New England Patriots — has made more consecutive playoff appearances. Go deeper: Mahomes out for season (ESPN)

🚨 Antisemitism surges in Australia Data: Executive Council of Australian Jewry. Chart: Axios Visuals Jews in Australia have faced a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents over the two years before the killing of 15 people at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney yesterday. Australia has seen one of the world's biggest increases in attacks on Jews since Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks in 2023, Axios' Noah Bressner writes. There were more than 1,600 recorded antisemitic incidents in the country this year, according to data from the Executive Council of Australian Jewry. Zoom in: Antisemitic episodes in Australia's two biggest cities, Sydney and Melbourne — home to 85% of the country's Jewish population — have drawn the highest profile because they're severe, unusual and public, AP notes. In August, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese accused Iran of organizing two antisemitic attacks in Australia. It was not immediately clear if yesterday's attack on a public Hanukkah candle lighting had any connection to Iran. The Australian Security Intelligence Organization concluded that Iran directed arson attacks on a kosher food company in Sydney in October 2024 and on Melbourne's Adass Israel Synagogue two months later. Go deeper: "For Australia's Jews, Bondi shooting feels tragically inevitable" (Reuters) Students stand in front of the Van Wickle Gates at Brown University in Providence, R.I., after placing flowers yesterday. Photo: Kylie Cooper/Reuters 🎓 The person of interest detained after the Brown University shooting, which killed two students and injured nine, has been released after law enforcement determined there was no basis to keep the person in custody. The disclosure, made at a hastily convened late-night news conference, represents a dramatic setback in an investigation into the killings on Saturday in Providence, R.I., AP reports. The man had been detained at the Hampton Inn in Coventry, R.I., about 20 miles from campus. One of the nine wounded students has been released from the hospital. Seven others were in critical but stable condition. One was in critical condition. Ella Cook of Birmingham, Ala., was one of the students killed, her church announced, calling her a "bright light" in the congregation and community. She was vice president of the Brown College Republicans, the College Republicans of America said. The release of the lone person of interest leaves law enforcement without a known suspect. Officials pledged to redouble efforts in the investigation by canvassing for video surveillance. Engineering design exams were underway at the Barus & Holley building when the shooting began. The gunman opened fire inside a classroom in the engineering building, firing more than 40 rounds from a 9mm handgun, a law enforcement official told AP. Get the latest.

Trump's messianic belief President Trump speaks last week in Mount Pocono, Pa. Photo: Matt Rourke/AP President Trump and his advisers have an almost messianic belief the economy will take off in the first quarter of next year, based largely on stimulus from the "One Big Beautiful Bill" he signed in July, Axios' Marc Caputo writes. For the White House, it's an article of faith. Why it matters: Trump's bullish belief is key to understanding why he's so reluctant to say there's an "affordability crisis." He calls that talk a "hoax" and a "con job," advisers say, because the problem didn't start under him and the economy is growing steadily. "It's a conundrum," said one Trump adviser who has discussed messaging with the president. "He doesn't want to say 'affordability.' That's different than not wanting to talk about it." 🔎 Zoom in: Trump advisers are pinning their hopes on projections by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that Americans' finances and outlook will improve markedly during tax season: The "refund boom": Working Americans could see as much as $2,000 in returns from the IRS during tax filing season because of the tax-and-spending bill. It extended Trump's 2017 tax cuts and gave new write-offs to some tip earners, Social Security recipients, overtime workers and parents, Bessent said last week. Capital expenditures: Businesses can write these off, retroactive to Inauguration Day, providing more incentives to hire and raise wages. The administration says the expenditures have increased 15% since January. Independent analysts say it's closer to 8%, still strong. Stocks: Most strategists expect markets, which soared this year, to go even higher in 2026, largely because of AI giants that have Trump's hearty backing. Zoom out: Along with hoped-for reductions in inflation, lower interest rates and (continued) lower gas prices, Trump and his inner circle are counting on citizens benefiting from money-saving initiatives, from lax fuel economy standards to his prescription drug plans to sweeping deregulation. "The sky-is-falling crowd is just wrong," a Trump adviser said. The economy is "going to take off like a rocket ship," said another. 👀 Behind the scenes: Beneath the upbeat tone, some in the White House are frustrated that Trump isn't getting more credit for indicators that historically would be cause for celebration, or at least calm: Real wages (income after adjusting for inflation) are up by about 1% since Trump took office. Inflation is running around 3%, and unemployment is under 4.5%. 🥊 Reality check: Trump, a former developer and reality-show host, is a natural salesman who casts his policies in the most favorable terms — and believes in the power of positive thinking. But his tariffs have driven up some prices, which he has tried to mitigate by rolling back import levies on coffee and beef. There are plenty who are skeptical of the stability of the stock market or the impact of no tax on tips, Social Security or overtime. 🔮 What's next: Trump plans a nationwide address soon to cap off his first year in office. He'll hit the campaign trail ahead of the 2026 midterms and talk about affordability — but in his way. Another adviser said the president "is who he is, and it's why he won. ... And next year, when the economy is taking off, we're going to say we told you so."

THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 15 2011 U.S. declares an end to the war in Iraq In a ceremony held in Baghdad on December 15, 2011, the war that began in 2003 with the American-led invasion of Iraq officially comes to an end. But violence continued and in fact worsened over the subsequent years. The withdrawal of American troops had been a priority of President Barack Obama,... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 1970s 1973 Kidnapped grandson of Getty billionaire found Arts & Entertainment 1944 Legendary bandleader Glenn Miller disappears over the English Channel 1993 “Schindler’s List” opens, wins Steven Spielberg his first Oscar Cold War 1978 United States announces that it will recognize communist China Crime 1988 James Brown begins his prison sentence Holocaust 1961 Architect of the Holocaust sentenced to die Landmarks 2001 Leaning Tower of Pisa reopens LGBTQ+ History 1973 The American Psychiatric Association removes homosexuality from its list of mental illnesses Native American History 1890 Sitting Bull killed by Indian police Sports 1925 Madison Square Garden formally opens with NHL game 1973 Jockey Sandy Hawley wins record 500th race 1974 “Catfish” Hunter becomes MLB’s first free agent in modern era U.S. Constitution 1791 Bill of Rights is finally ratified World War I 1917 Russia reaches armistice with the Central Powers World War II 1945 General MacArthur orders end of Shinto as Japanese state religion

December 15, 2025 The First Stone “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” (John 8:7) The scribes and Pharisees often plotted against Jesus. They sought to use the law of Moses to trap Him in a “no win” situation. On one such occasion, He was teaching at the crowded temple, and they brought to Him a woman who’d been caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses commanded she be stoned to death. Testing Him, they demanded that Jesus advise whether or not she should be stoned. If yes, then He’d appear cruel and unmerciful; if no, then He’d be contrary to the law. But the scribes and Pharisees were dealing with the Son of God—the Savior of the world! “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” (John 3:17). Jesus answered them saying, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her” (our text). They had no counter to this surprising answer. The accusers left the scene one by one until Jesus was left alone with the woman. He said to her, “Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee?” She answered, “No man, Lord.” With merciful kindness Jesus replied, “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more” (8:11). Consider this. When Jesus said, “He that is without sin among you,” He was referring to Himself! Only He had the right to stone the woman. Only He had the right to execute judgment on her, but He set that right aside and replaced it with mercy and forgiveness. On the cross, Jesus was executed instead; the Lamb took her place. The One “that is without sin” took the full brunt of the law for her and for us. Jesus didn’t come to throw rocks at us. His goal is to save, not to condemn. MJS

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Authorities say they will release person of interest detained in Brown University shooting PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A person of interest detained after a Brown University shooting that killed two students and injured nine will be released after law enforcement authorities determined there was no basis to keep the individual in custody, officials said Sunday night. https://apnews.com/article/brown-university-shooting-suspect-search-1da03b12b2eac2b530172667d3df30c4? Brown University Shooting A gunman who targeted students at Brown University Saturday remained at large yesterday, after authorities said they would release a person of interest from custody. The gunman, who has yet to be publicly identified, killed two people and wounded nine others, with one of the wounded victims in critical condition as of this writing. See live updates here. At roughly 4 pm ET, a masked gunman entered the university's engineering building and opened fire on people in the hallway. He then entered the first-floor lecture hall, where a group of about 60 students was wrapping up an economics study session. Some students managed to escape through the room's side doors, while many were shot while hiding under desks. Law enforcement officials say the attacker fired more than 40 rounds from a 9 mm handgun before fleeing. The introductory class, Principles of Economics, has 475 registered students, of whom over 80% are freshmen. The attack follows deadly shootings this year at Kentucky State University, Utah Valley University, and Florida State University. Learn about recent college campus shootings here.

AIPAC Spent Millions to Keep Her Out of Congress. Now, She Sees an Opening. A progressive North Carolina official who lost her 2022 congressional race after the pro-Israel lobby spent almost $2.5 million against her sees a fresh opening this midterm cycle, as a public disturbed by the genocide in Gaza has turned pro-Israel spending into an increasing liability. https://theintercept.com/2025/12/11/aipac-valerie-foushee-nida-allam-nc/? Lawmakers Pave the Way to Billions in Handouts for Weapons Makers That the Pentagon Itself Opposed For the better part of a century, there was one thing even the U.S. government would not do to pad the profits of defense contractors. https://theintercept.com/2025/12/12/pentagon-defense-contractors-budget-interest-payments/? The Brand-New Pentagon Press Corps Is Gaga for Hegseth The welcome was so warm it could’ve been the first day of school for a new class of kindergarteners, and with the so-called reporters’ level of skepticism for the administration, they might as well have been. https://theintercept.com/2025/12/13/hegseth-new-pentagon-press-reporters/?

ICE Prison’s 911 Calls Overwhelm a Rural Georgia Emergency System “Male detainee needs to go out due to head trauma,” an employee at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s detention center in Georgia tells a 911 operator. https://theintercept.com/2025/12/12/stewart-911-calls-ice-ambulance-emergency/?

How Many Members Does Antifa Have? Where Is Its Headquarters? The FBI Has No Answers. A top FBI official toed the White House line about antifa as a major domestic terror threat at a House hearing on Thursday — but he struggled to answer questions about the leaderless movement. https://theintercept.com/2025/12/11/fbi-antifa-terrorist-location/?

Alabama Begs Supreme Court to Make It Easier to Execute People With Intellectual Disabilities Alabama Deputy Solicitor general Robert Overing approached the podium at the U.S. Supreme Court on a mission: to convince the justices that 55-year-old Joseph Clifton Smith should be put to death. https://theintercept.com/2025/12/14/hamm-v-smith-supreme-court-death-penalty-disability/?

White House Refuses to Rule Out Summary Executions of People on Its Secret Domestic Terrorist List President Donald Trump has shattered the limits of executive authority by ordering the summary executions of individuals he deems members of designated terrorist organizations. He has also tested the bounds of his presidential powers by creating a secret list of domestic terrorist organizations, established under National Security Presidential Memorandum 7, or NSPM-7. https://theintercept.com/2025/12/12/trump-nspm-7-domestic-terrorist-executions-antifa-boat-strikes/? Trump Administration Diverted $2 Billion in Pentagon Funds to Target Immigrants, Lawmakers Say The Trump Administration has siphoned off at least $2 billion from the Pentagon budget for anti-immigration measures, with plans to more than double that number in the coming fiscal year, according to a report released Thursday by Democratic lawmakers. https://theintercept.com/2025/12/11/pentagon-dhs-immigrants-draining-defense/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=The Intercept Newsletter “Trump Has Appointed Himself Judge, Jury, and Executioner” In September, The Intercept broke the story of the U.S. military ordering an additional strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean. https://theintercept.com/2025/12/12/venezuela-boat-strikes-video-press-coverage/?

Landslide win for Kast gives Chile its most right-wing president in decades SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Chile’s ultra-conservative former lawmaker José Antonio Kast secured a stunning victory in the presidential election Sunday, defeating the candidate of the center-left governing coalition and setting the stage for the country’s most right-wing government in 35 years of democracy. https://apnews.com/article/chile-elections-kast-jara-president-boric-trump-e9ef32b53359f3152ee80d62c106c5f6?

Jury says Johnson & Johnson owes $40 million to 2 cancer patients who used talcum powders A Los Angeles jury awarded $40 million on Friday to two women who claimed that talcum powder made by Johnson & Johnson caused their ovarian cancer. https://apnews.com/article/johnson-johnson-baby-powder-ovarian-cancer-3530102b312df155aa427e87770c952b? Son Nick arrested after Rob Reiner and his wife found dead in Los Angeles home, AP source says LOS ANGELES (AP) — Rob Reiner’s son, Nick Reiner, was in police custody Monday after deaths of the director-actor and his wife Michele, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. https://apnews.com/article/rob-reiner-home-investigation-ed88cfde7c41be55803fa0c792f55cdc?

Israel says it has killed a top Hamas commander in Gaza JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel on Saturday said it killed a top Hamas commander in Gaza after an explosive device detonated and wounded two soldiers in the territory’s south. https://apnews.com/article/gaza-israel-palestinians-hamas-war-618c7499c626af446d23788d237a85bf?

Belarus frees Nobel Prize laureate Bialiatski, opposition figure Kolesnikova as US lifts sanctions VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — Belarus freed Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, key opposition figure Maria Kolesnikova and dozens of other political prisoners on Saturday, capping two days of talks with Washington aimed at improving ties and getting crippling U.S. sanctions lifted on a key Belarusian agricultural export. https://apnews.com/article/belarus-us-sanctions-39a85ae9a4303974c8c4a23be6d6b858?

Trump pledges retaliation after 3 Americans are killed in Syria attack that the US blames on IS President Donald Trump said Saturday that “there will be very serious retaliation” after two U.S. service members and one American civilian were killed in an attack in Syria that the United States blames on the Islamic State group. The American president told reporters at the White House that Syria’s president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, was “devastated by what happened” and stressed that Syria was fighting alongside U.S. troops. Read more. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ What to know about the US military's role in Syria after deadly IS attack As Trump slams Europe over migration, most leaders toughen their stance. Spain is an exception As gerrymandering battles sweep country, supporters say partisan dominance is 'fair' Grassley built a reputation for government oversight. Has he abandoned it under Trump? Another blue wave? Meet the Democrat trying to make it happen and the Republican trying to stop her ps:Is this the same IS that was proclaimed as being finished? From his 1st term?? Wow who would've thought that they are still around!!!!!

💰 Slugglish start for Biden library Former President Biden "has raised only a small fraction of the money needed to construct a presidential library, leaving uncertainty about when a library might be built and its viability as a stand-alone project," the N.Y. Times reports. John Morgan, a longtime Democratic donor who was a top Biden bundler, said he won't give "a penny" to the library, citing poor treatment from Biden staff: "He'll be lucky to have a bookmobile." (That's today's N.Y. Times Quote of the Day.) An idea that's under serious discussion: merging the presidential library with a planned "Biden Hall" for the University of Delaware's Joseph R. Biden Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration ("The Biden School") in Newark, Del. Biden graduated from the university. Biden spokeswoman Kelly Scully tells Axios: "This last year has been about doing the research, the due diligence, and finalizing the location [Delaware] and infrastructure for the library. We've hired a development director and are building out a full fundraising team. Substantial commitments have been made, and we expect fundraising to ramp up in the new year." 🔮 What's next: Biden, 83, will greet potential library donors, along with former top officials of his administration, at a holiday reception tomorrow in Washington's Georgetown neighborhood, hosted by Elizabeth Frawley Bagley, The Times reported earlier. Go deeper.

⛪ AI Christmas Illustration: Maura Kearns/Axios Churches across the U.S. and abroad are quietly experimenting with AI-generated Christmas content, from Nativity visuals and kids' lessons to Christmas Eve sermons. Why it matters: Churches' growing reliance on AI raises questions about whether algorithms can handle faith's deepest themes, Axios' Russell Contreras writes. 🤖 Zoom in: Church Communications, a group that helps thousands of churches, published an AI guide, advising congregations to generate Nativity devotionals, Christmas graphics, Advent calendars and kids' stories with the tech. ChurchLeaders, another major ministry outlet, encourages pastors to use AI for planning Christmas services, creating sermons, scheduling volunteers and generating social media content. The other side: The dean of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco tested AI last Christmas Eve, asking ChatGPT to write jokes and a Nativity sermon, but found it "flat" and had "no heart." Todd Brewer, a New Testament scholar, asked ChatGPT to write a 1,000-word Christmas sermon based on the Nativity narrative. He said it was better than some authentic sermons he'd heard, but it still lacked empathy.