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Happy Tuesday! With Christmas only two days away, we want to wish our readers a merry, jolly, and bright holiday season. And for those of you who “find tinsel distracting,” we also wish you a Happy Festivus! We’ll be back in your inboxes on Monday.
Quick Hits: Today’s Top Stories
- A car bomb detonated in southern Moscow on Monday, killing senior Russian general Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov. The incident remains under investigation, but Russian authorities suggested that Ukraine’s Security Service could have orchestrated the bombing. Sarvarov led the Russian army’s Directorate for Operational Training, a department that plays a key role in preparing soldiers for combat. The deadly explosion, the third such attack on a top Russian general since December 2024, came amid the Trump administration’s push for a peace agreement in Ukraine. According to Russian state-run media, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Monday that Russia would sign a document stating the nation has no intention of attacking European Union or NATO member nations. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the latest U.S.-backed peace proposal “looks quite solid” and includes about “nearly 90 percent” of Ukraine’s demands, though he added that Kyiv is “not ready for” some of the draft agreement’s terms.
- President Donald Trump on Sunday announced plans to appoint Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry to the new position of White House special envoy to Greenland, praising the Republican for understanding “how essential Greenland is to our National Security.” Landry described his new job as a “volunteer position to make Greenland a part of the U.S.,” adding that it would not interfere with his gubernatorial responsibilities. In response, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen wrote in a joint statement asserting that “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders and the U.S. shall not take over Greenland.” On Monday, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen summoned the U.S. ambassador to Denmark, Ken Howery, for a meeting regarding Trump’s appointment and social media comments. Citing Danish officials, Axios reported that the Trump administration had not notified Copenhagen ahead of the president’s public announcement.
- Australian authorities on Monday said that the father and son accused of murdering 15 people in a shooting targeting a Hanukkah celebration this month had “meticulously planned” their attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach and received firearms training in the country’s New South Wales state. Officials also reported that the pair threw three pipe bombs and a tennis ball bomb in the attack, none of which detonated, and that they had previously filmed a video condemning “Zionist” acts. Law enforcement shot and killed the 50-year-old father during the attack; his 24-year-old son, who was shot and wounded, was transferred Monday from a hospital to a prison.
- Israeli officials warned the Trump administration that Iran could be using its recent missile drills as cover for an upcoming strike against Israel, Axios reported Monday. Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, the Israeli military’s chief of staff, called U.S. Central Command head Adm. Brad Cooper on Saturday to warn of a potential surprise attack and appeal for defense coordination between the two countries. A U.S. official told Axios that Washington has not picked up intelligence indicating an imminent Iranian attack on Israeli soil, and an Israeli source estimated that the chances of a strike are “less than 50 percent” but said “nobody is willing to take the risk.” On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he plans to speak to Trump about Iran’s efforts to rebuild its nuclear program during his upcoming trip to the U.S., but added that Jerusalem is not seeking another confrontation with Tehran.
- The Trump administration is removing dozens of ambassadors from their posts overseas, multiple outlets reported Monday. According to unnamed State Department officials, the recalled personnel were appointed to their current positions by former President Joe Biden but are career diplomats rather than political appointees, and have served under both Democratic and Republican administrations. In a statement to Politico, the State Department said the shakeup was “a standard process in any administration.” Former diplomats, however, have described the mass dismissal of career diplomats as unprecedented. The purge adds to existing gaps in Washington’s overseas embassy staffing; prior to the announcement, the U.S. had some 80 vacant ambassadorships worldwide.
Merry Christmas!
As we put TMD on a brief hiatus to spend quality time with our loved ones, we wanted to share a few of our favorite holiday traditions. Please share your own in the comments!
Wendy Lane Cook, Deputy Managing Editor: Growing up in Texas, the soundtrack to my family’s Christmas morning was Gene Autry’s Christmas album. Usually the first of our small collection of Christmas records my father put on the turntable as we opened presents, the album featured the Singing Cowboy’s popular rendition of “Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and a host of deeper cuts, like his duet with Rosemary Clooney on “The Night Before Christmas Song.” When technology ushered in the compact disc, we spent a brief, sad interlude without Autry’s Christmas music, having gotten rid of the turntable. That is, until I happened upon a CD titled A Gene Autry Christmas, which included most of the songs on our original album, in a random music store. My family, including my own adult kids, still enjoys listening to Autry sing songs both secular and sacred, now readily available via Apple Music and Spotify.
Alex Demas, Reporter: A relatively new holiday tradition for my family is our annual “soup off,” a competition to see who among our friends and family can prepare the best soup. The competition is the brainchild of my twin sister, Rachel, who, from mid-October to mid-March, probably consumes close to 90 percent of her daily caloric intake via some form of soup or stew. There are three voting categories—tastiest, most unique, and coziest—and I think my J. Kenji López-Alt-inspired beef stew is a shoo-in for the latter. I’ll also be responsible for whipping up this year’s “alcohol soup,” which will be D.C. cocktail bar Press Club’s cognac and sherry hot cider, the recipe for which was graciously sent to me by one of the bar’s bartenders.
Ross Anderson, TMD Editor: I love cooking, and no meal is nicer to make than Christmas dinner for my partner and me. Every year, I spend hours in the kitchen, invariably cooking far more than we need, far too much of which we then eat, and end the day feeling more stuffed than the Christmas bird. Most years, I’ve cooked a classic British Christmas dinner—bread sauce, stuffing, gammon, Brussels sprouts, honey carrots, and roasties—but this year we’re trying something different. We love Japanese cuisine, so instead, I’m making a Japanese-inspired Christmas, with tonkotsu ramen as the main, served with soy-glazed pork, gyoza dumplings, and soft-boiled eggs. It may seem like an odd choice for a Christmas meal, but the most important part of the holidays is spending time with the people you love, doing what matters to you both. For us, that means miso instead of Brussels sprouts—at least for this year.
Valerie Pavilonis, Ideas Editor: We don’t have a ton of traditions, but one treasured memory is the time my brother purchased an antique rifle for my dad, who remained on the couch cradling his present, baby-like, for the next two hours.
Peter Gattuso, TMD Reporter: Growing up, I always pressed my family to get a Christmas tree as early in the season as possible. My motivation was simple: I knew that the earlier the tree was decorated, the earlier I could set up a model train railway and Christmas village beneath it. I had a few favorite HO scale train models, ranging from 19th-century-styled locomotives to Thomas the Tank Engine and even a Washington, D.C., metro car. Over the years, the railway path reached its manifest destiny and expanded from the tree to around the adjacent couch. While the family dogs were never fans of the Christmas living room express, no tree feels complete without a train set and a winter village underneath.
Kelsey Dallas, SCOTUSblog Managing Editor: My family kept things pretty simple on Christmas Day when I was growing up. We ate a big meal, unwrapped some gifts, and then napped for part of the afternoon—well, at least my dad and uncles did. During this lull in the action, I would crack open whatever new book I had just received and start reading. I would keep reading until it was time to get out the leftovers for dinner. I believe I read an entire book on Christmas Day nearly every year from about age 8 to age 20. I’m hoping to return to that tradition again someday. For now, with two young kids, I’m lucky to finish a children’s book amid all the Christmas chaos.
Charles Hilu, Reporter: Every year since I was born, I’ve gone to my great-aunt and uncle’s house on Christmas Eve to see my mom’s side of the family, eat Polish food like pierogi and creamed herring, and participate in a talent show. This year, the couple has moved into an independent living community, so, while it will be the same group of people gathering, it will be a different location. It will feel a little strange not being at their house, but it will still be great to see that our family traditions can carry on despite times changing.
Christmas Day has traditionally been for my dad’s side of the family. But as people have grown up and gotten married, the family has gotten bigger, so it’s been more difficult to have everybody in one place on the same day. So we’ve started seeing half my dad’s side on Christmas Day and then hosting the other half for a Lebanese breakfast the day after Christmas.
James Sutton, TMD Reporter: As a Californian who will be going home for the holidays, I have to say that doing Christmas somewhere warm is supremely underrated. Nothing against white Christmases exactly, but being able to take a leisurely walk to the beach on Christmas morning, and maybe even play some tennis, is hard to beat.
Michael Reneau, Managing Editor: My wife Julie and I have always tried to maintain the Christmas traditions we grew up with for our four kids. I’ve never not been with my parents on Christmas Day, and every year, usually a few days before Christmas, we drive the two-and-a-half hours to their house so that we can wake up with them on Christmas morning and relive all the traditions I grew up with: Christmas Eve reading, Santa and presents on Christmas Day, followed by a big meal with extended family. Julie’s family has always celebrated Christmas over New Year’s, so we have often gone straight from my parents’ house to Julie’s parents’ house some three hours away to enjoy many of the same traditions with her family. It’s all joyous and fun—but has resulted in 12 or 13 days away from our own home at Christmas, which does take a toll.
But Julie, our kids, and I have begun something different. Instead of a rushed, one-night “early Christmas” before the travel begins that usually involved presents, packing for our long trip, and a late bedtime before hitting the road, these last two years we’ve taken a whole Saturday for our own traditions: a breakfast combining dishes from both Julie and my families’ traditions, readings from the gospels and Advent liturgies, presents together, and a whole day (or weekend) for just the six of us. We still hit the road to grandparents’ houses, but not before we take the time to put our own spin on traditions we’ve inherited.
Today’s Must-Read
New York’s journey to becoming the 13th state to legalize physician-assisted suicide has been a long one—but beginning this summer, New Yorkers who have been told by a doctor that they have six months or less to live will be able to request lethal prescriptions which they can self-administer at the time and place of their choosing. Bria Sandford Ramos argues that the recent decision offers anything but mercy. While New York Gov. Kathy Hochul calls the bill “compassionate,” disability advocates instead see a dangerous message: that loss of independence is a valid reason to die. In a state already plagued by caregiver shortages and collapsing home care, opponents fear doctors will now prescribe death to the vulnerable—and they’re preparing to fight back.
Toeing the Company Line
In Other News
- The Department of Homeland Security increased its “exit bonus” for illegal immigrants who leave the U.S. voluntarily from $1,000 to $3,000.
- Citing national security concerns, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced plans to suspend leases on five offshore wind projects that he described as “expensive, unreliable, [and] heavily subsidized.”
- George Conway, a conservative lawyer and co-founder of the anti-Trump Lincoln Project PAC, filed to run for Congress in New York as a Democrat in the 2026 midterm elections.
- More than a dozen Heritage Foundation staffers departed the conservative think tank and are set to join Advancing American Freedom, a conservative advocacy group founded by former Vice President Mike Pence.
- One person died in Northern California after heavy rain brought flash flooding to the area.
- A Defense Department draft report estimates that China has loaded more than 100 intercontinental ballistic missiles across three separate silo fields in the country.
- China imposed new tariffs on dairy products imported from the European Union, ranging from 21.9 percent to 42.7 percent, in response to EU dairy subsidies that Beijing said caused “substantial damage” to China’s dairy industry.
- Pakistan has reportedly agreed to sell more than $4 billion in military equipment to Libya, in apparent violation of a United Nations-imposed weapons embargo on the North African nation.
- Japan is poised to restart the world’s largest nuclear power plant, Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, which was closed after a 2011 earthquake triggered a meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant.
- Nigerian authorities announced that the remaining 130 students and staff who were kidnapped from a Catholic boarding school by gunmen last month have been freed and reunited with their families.
- Universal Studios is reportedly in the “early planning stages” of developing a new amusement park in Saudi Arabia.
- Chinese tech company Baidu plans to bring self-driving robotaxis to London in 2026 through partnerships with ridesharing companies Uber and Lyft.
- Nvidia is reportedly informing Chinese buyers that orders of its second-most advanced AI chip, the H200, are expected to begin by mid-February.
- Tech billionaire Larry Ellison agreed to personally back Paramount Skydance’s bid to purchase Warner Bros. Discovery with $40.4 billion in equity financing.
- Google’s parent company, Alphabet, reached a deal to acquire Intersect Power, a data center and energy infrastructure company, for $4.75 billion.
- Remembering the monumental figures we lost in 2025. (New York Times Magazine)
- Nate Silver explores why fewer tourists are traveling to Las Vegas. (Silver Bulletin)
- Jack Butler argues that the concept of “Heritage Americans” is distinctly un-American. (Wall Street Journal)
- The Washington Post editorial board announces Indiana as its inaugural “State of the Year.” (Washington Post)
- Tara Isabella Burton reflects on solitude. (The Lost Word)
- John G. Grove explores the lessons of liberty and responsibility that Kevin McCallister learns in the Home Alone film franchise. (Law and Liberty)
- Alex Abramovich goes on the road with 92-year-old Willie Nelson. (New Yorker)
Axios: U.S. To Build ‘Trump-Class’ Warships for ‘Golden Fleet’
Concept art depicts something reminiscent of a cruiser. It has at least one laser weapon aboard and is capable of launching missiles. A helicopter hovers overhead. And an image of Trump raising his fist is emblazoned on the back.
Wall Street Journal: They Get Wheeled on Flights and Miraculously Walk Off. Praise ‘Jetway Jesus.’
The flight attendant explained to Gomez that many able-bodied passengers request wheelchairs for “the VIP experience”—an escort down the jetway that lets them skip the lines and gives them first crack at overhead space. Once they realize at the end of the flight that they have to wait for assistance to disembark, the healing begins.
There’s typically no request for proof of a disability–passengers just need to fill out a quick form and off they roll. Sometimes there are up to 50 wheelchairs boarding a plane that seats only 130 passengers, the flight attendant told Gomez.
Washington Post: A Funeral for the Penny Draws Lincoln Impersonators and Victorian Garb
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