Exclusive: Israeli Military Censor Bans Reporting on These 8 Subjects (theintercept.com)
The highly unusual, English-language order for the Gaza war breaks from the secretive and informal way IDF censorship normally works.###
New migrants face fear and loneliness. A town on the Great Plains has a storied support network (apnews.com)
Magdalena Simon’s only consolation after immigration officers handcuffed and led her husband away was the contents of his wallet, a few bills....
He Was Ready to Die, but Not to Surrender: Ukrainian Soldier Escapes Capture 125 Miles Behind Enemy Lines - The New York Times (Free article) (www.nytimes.com)
Once he got back to Ukraine, he signed back up for military service.
Americans are lonely and it’s killing them. How the US can combat this new epidemic. (www.usatoday.com)
America has a new epidemic. It can’t be treated using traditional therapies even though it has debilitating and even deadly consequences....
Deputy AG says GOP attacks on DOJ have contributed to an ‘unprecedented rise’ in threats (www.nbcnews.com)
Former President Donald Trump has repeatedly disparaged Lisa Monaco and other Justice Department officials involved in the various legal cases against him....
Lawmakers condemn vandalism of California Hindu temple thought to be hate crime (thehill.com)
Lawmakers are condemning a recent defacement of a Hindu temple in Newark, Calif., that local authorities are looking into as a possible hate crime....
As conflicts rage abroad, a fractured Congress tries to rally support for historic global challenges (apnews.com)
As the Senate wrapped up its work for the year, Sen. Michael Bennet took to the floor of the nearly empty chamber and made a late-night plea for Congress to redouble support for Ukraine: “Understand the stakes at this moment.”...
Inside the MAGA Plan to Attack Birth Control, Surveil Women and Ban the Abortion Pill (www.rollingstone.com)
Republicans’ Project 2025 blueprint spells out how they’ll leverage virtually every arm, tool and agency of the federal government to attack abortion....
The Race to Put Brain Implants in People Is Heating Up (www.wired.com)
In September, Elon Musk’s brain-implant company Neuralink announced the much-anticipated news that it would start recruiting volunteers for a clinical trial to test its device. Known as a brain-computer interface, or BCI, it collects electrical activity from neurons and interprets those signals into commands to control an...
New York governor vetoes bill that would make it easier for people to challenge their convictions (apnews.com)
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul vetoed a bill days before Christmas that would have made it easier for people who have pleaded guilty to crimes to challenge their convictions, a measure that was favored by criminal justice reformers but fiercely opposed by prosecutors....
Trump Attorneys: Appeals Court Should Toss D.C. Indictment On 'Immunity' Grounds (themessenger.com)
Special Counsel Jack Smith is scheduled to respond by Dec. 30, after which a three-judge panel will hear oral arguments on Trump’s ‘immunity’ appeal of his D.C. indictment on Jan. 9...
TikTok’s content on some political subjects aligns with the Chinese government, study says (www.nbcnews.com)
Most Americans trying to stay within their means as they buy gifts this holiday season — CBS News poll (www.cbsnews.com)
Tanker hit off India coast by drone from Iran, says US (www.bbc.com)
A chemical tanker was hit by a drone launched from Iran in the Indian Ocean on Saturday, the US military says....
North Dakota lawmaker made homophobic remarks to officer during DUI stop, bodycam footage shows (apnews.com)
A North Dakota lawmaker who serves on a panel that handles law enforcement legislation made homophobic and anti-migrant remarks to a police officer who arrested him on a charge of driving drunk, body camera footage shows....
New York governor vetoes bill that would ban noncompete agreements (apnews.com)
New York’s governor vetoed a bill days before Christmas that would have banned noncompete agreements, which restrict workers’ ability to leave their job for a role with a rival business....
Iowa won't participate in US food assistance program for kids this summer (apnews.com)
Iowa will not participate this summer in a federal program that gives $40 per month to each child in a low-income family to help with food costs while school is out, state officials have announced....
Ukraine Accuses Senior Defense Official of Embezzling $40 Million (www.nytimes.com)
The Ukrainian police have arrested a senior Defense Ministry official on suspicions that he embezzled nearly $40 million as part of a fraudulent purchase of artillery shells for Ukraine’s military....
‘God is under the rubble in Gaza’: Bethlehem’s subdued Christmas (www.japantimes.co.jp)
The Israel-Hamas war has cast a pall over the birthplace of Jesus.
'Leave them stranded': Rideshare drivers shut off apps at Atlanta airport, boycott for hours (www.fox5atlanta.com)
If you have company flying into Atlanta for the holidays, they may have a hard time getting a ride to your place.
Childhood vaccine exemptions are at an all-time high. Doctors worry diseases like measles could return (abcnews.go.com)
Putin could be open to a pause in fighting amid Russia-Ukraine war: Report (thehill.com)
Russian President Vladimir Putin may be open to a cease-fire in his war with Ukraine, so long as the country could still declare victory, a new report by the New York Times found....
Sniffing women’s tears reduces male aggression by 44%, study finds (newatlas.com)
NewAtlas.com
Some Catholic bishops reject Pope's stance on blessings for same-sex couples. Others are confused (apnews.com)
In an extraordinary pushback against Pope Francis, some Catholic bishops in Africa, Poland and elsewhere say they will not implement the new Vatican policy allowing blessings for same-sex couples....
When Immigrant Dairy Farm Workers Get Hurt, Most Can’t Rely on Workers’ Compensation (www.propublica.org)
Wisconsin’s exemption for small farms is one of many federal and state carve-outs that have historically left farm workers — and dairy workers in particular — with fewer rights and protections than others....
