National News

Some snow is likely early Sunday in the D.C. area. How much will fall?  The Washington PostSnow is coming this weekend. Here’s what to expect  NBC4 WashingtonDC weather: Snow likely Saturday night into Sunday; region gripped by bitter cold temperatures  FOX 5 DCDC Forecast | A chilly Friday with a few random flurries dropping in  WUSA9Weekend snowstorm chances: Up to 3 inches of snow expected in DC area  WJLA

Where more record-breaking cold and snow will hit and when it will end  The Washington PostMidwest Arctic Blast With Subzero Cold In Midwest This Weekend  The Weather ChannelFIRST ALERT: Mild weekend, Arctic blast to begin next week  WMBFWill the polar vortex affect Western NC? Frigid nights are coming  The Asheville Citizen TimesStorm Team 11: Arctic chill is coming this weekend with a quick round of snow on Sunday  WJHL

US admiral leading US troops in Latin America steps down  ReutersCommander in charge of US military operations in the Caribbean retires after clashes with Hegseth over boat strikes  CNNAdmiral hands over leadership of command overseeing the Trump administration’s boat strikes  AP NewsCommander overseeing U.S. forces in Caribbean relinquishes command early amid U.S. buildup near Venezuela  CBS NewsUS admiral in charge of forces in Latin America retires  thehill.com

White House sued by historic preservation group over ballroom plans  BBCNational Trust Sues to Block Trump’s White House Ballroom Construction  The New York TimesArchitects call on Shalom Baranes Associates to decline Trump’s commission  The Architect’s NewspaperNational Trust sues to stop Trump’s ballroom construction  The Washington PostHistoric preservation group sues over Trump’s White House ballroom plans  CNN

Trump claims to pardon jailed Colorado election clerk Tina Peters, but state officials contend it’s unconstitutional  ABC NewsTrump announces pardon for Tina Peters, increasing pressure to free her though he can’t erase state charges  CNNWhy Trump Can’t Pardon Tina Peters in Election Tampering Case  Time MagazineTrump says he will pardon jailed elections clerk Tina Peters  BBCTrump pardons jailed ex-Colorado election official Tina Peters, but she was charged in state court  CBS News

DHS Ends the Abuse of the Humanitarian Parole Process and Terminates Family Reunification Parole Programs  USCIS (.gov)US ends temporary legal status for Ethiopians amid Trump crackdown  The GuardianDHS ends family reunification parole programs for Colombia, Cuba, Haiti and more  NBC 6 South FloridaThousands of Ethiopian Migrants Lose US Deportation Protections  Bloomberg Law NewsTrump Admin Ending Family Reunification Program and More TPS Protections  Newsweek

GOP health care chaos spills into battleground midterm races  PoliticoGrowing number of House Republicans sign on to effort to force vote on ACA subsidies — defying Speaker Johnson  ABC NewsHouse GOP leaders race to release health care package Friday  PoliticoThe year-end Obamacare crunch is yet another failure of America’s political system  CNNSenate rejects ACA funding and a Republican alternative with premiums set to spike  NBC News

Record Flooding Forces Rescues Across Western Washington  The New York TimesNorthwest floods offer sneak peek of hotter climate’s toll  KUOWMount Vernon floodwall holding as crest of flood passes  The Seattle TimesHere are the areas under evacuation in western Washington  KING5.comIn photos: Flooding in Western Washington state forces thousands to evacuate  NPR

Gov. JB Pritzker signs ‘right-to-die’ legislation for terminally ill people to end their lives in Illinois  Chicago Sun-TimesIllinois assisted suicide law: Gov. JB Pritzker signs bill allowing some terminally ill adults to take own lives with medical help  ABC7 ChicagoIllinois to legalize physician-assisted death after Gov. Pritzker signs bill  NBC 5 ChicagoPritzker Signs ‘Medical Aid in Dying’ Bill  WTTWIllinois is newest state to allow medical assistance in dying after Pritzker signs bill  CBS News

Trump’s approval rating on the economy hits record low 31%  AxiosTrump’s approval rating slips on the economy and immigration  AP-NORCTrump’s support is collapsing — but why?  VoxTrump’s handling of the economy is at its lowest point in AP-NORC polling  AP NewsVoters sour on Trump’s handling of the economy in new poll  Politico

Judge bars ICE from rearresting Kilmar Abrego García at check-in  The Washington PostKilmar Abrego Garcia is released from ICE custody following judge’s order  NBC NewsFederal judge issues order to prohibit immigration officials from detaining Kilmar Abrego Garcia  WTOPKilmar Abrego Garcia seen for first time since release, pledges to ‘continue to fight’ Trump admin  Fox NewsKilmar Abrego Garcia leaves ICE Field Office in Baltimore; Judge issues temporary restraining order  WBAL-TV

Sycamore beer yanked from taps and stores across the Carolinas  AxiosSycamore beer pulled from bars across North Carolina after owner accused of raping child  WBTVNC bars, grocers yank Sycamore Brewing after co-founder charged with child rape  Charlotte ObserverBrewery Owner Allegedly Broke Into Home, Raped 13-Year-Old Girl: Police  People.comFormer co-owner of Sycamore Brewing accused of statutory rape, breaking into teen girl’s home  WCNC

Live updates: Indiana Republicans defy Trump and reject his House redistricting push in the state  AP NewsThe deeply personal reasons why many Indiana Senate Republicans said no to Trump  CNNIndiana’s rejection of new voting map shows Trump’s might is not unlimited  The GuardianKey Takeaways After Indiana Lawmakers Defy Trump’s Redistricting Push  The New York TimesThe State That Handed Trump His Biggest Defeat Yet  The Atlantic

Macy’s Herald Square NYC stabbing: Tourist from California stabbed while changing baby at store bathroom  ABC7 New YorkPolice arrest Massachusetts woman in Macy’s Herald Square stabbing for attempted murder  GothamistWoman stabbed in unprovoked attack inside Macy’s in NYC, suspect arrested, police say  CBS NewsMother attacked in Herald Square Macy’s was changing baby’s diaper, police say  NBC New YorkTourist stabbed multiple times at NYC’s iconic Macy’s during holiday shopping rush  Fox News

Justice Department Sues Four Additional States and One Locality for Failure to Comply with Federal Elections Laws  Department of Justice (.gov)DOJ sues Georgia county as Trump pushes debunked 2020 election fraud claims  The Washington PostThe Justice Department has now sued 18 states in an effort to access voter data  NPRJustice Department sues four US states, one county over voting records  ReutersTrump administration sues to get Colorado voter records  Colorado Public Radio

Trump administration replaces America 250 quarters honoring abolition and women’s suffrage with Mayflower and Gettysburg designs  The ConversationKilling the penny was just the start. Trump is rewriting the rules on America’s coins  CNNTrump administration’s new quarters feature pilgrims, ditching civil rights theme  CNBCNew coins will commemorate 250th anniversary of American independence. Here’s how they’ll look  AP NewsTrump Administration Scraps Plan to Mint Quarters Featuring Abolition, Suffrage  The Wall Street Journal

How Ukraine Has Responded to Trump’s Peace Plan and Russia’s Demands for Territory  The New York TimesZelenskyy says U.S.-led peace talks wrestling with Russian demands for Ukrainian territory  Spectrum NewsUS wants ‘special economic zone’ in Ukraine’s frontline region, Zelensky says  BBCUkraine hopes to entice Trump with a ‘free economic zone’ in latest peace plan  PoliticoUS offers ‘free economic zone’ in east if Ukraine cedes Donbas, Zelenskiy says  Reuters

Capitol agenda: Johnson stares down another revolt — this time on energy permitting  PoliticoExclusive: Key Senate Democrats Oppose Permitting Bill  Heatmap NewsArticle | How Trump is complicating GOP’s permitting push  POLITICO ProGOP’s permitting overhaul has a problem. It’s Trump.  PoliticoOffshore wind foes want to drag Trump into permitting bill spat  E&E News by POLITICO

Tracking data shows oil tanker seized by US heading away from Venezuela  BBCAn American oil blockade would devastate the Venezuelan regime  The EconomistSupertanker Skipper seized by US near Venezuela is heading to Houston, sources say  ReutersSeizure of Venezuelan Oil Strikes at the Heart of Maduro’s Grip on Power  The Wall Street JournalU.S. sanctions Maduro’s 3 nephews as pressure campaign on Venezuela ratchets up  NBC News

Hayward gas line explosion: Witnesses describe seeing victims walking out of home  ABC7 San FranciscoHayward, California explosion: 6 people injured after dramatic video shows building explode, causing massive fire  ABC7 San FranciscoGas explosion in San Francisco Bay Area injures at least six people  The GuardianCalifornia home explosion caught on doorbell camera  Fox News6 injured, buildings damaged in explosion near Hayward  NBC Bay Area

Democrats think they’ve found their 2026 message — and Miami just backed it up  PoliticoOpinion | Why a Democratic upset in Miami should worry Trump  The Washington PostMiami mayor-elect Higgins vows to end ‘reality TV show’ culture at City Hall  Miami HeraldMiami Elects First Democratic Mayor in Nearly 30 Years  The New York TimesTrump Is Dragging Republicans to Crushing Defeat After Crushing Defeat  The Nation

The Justice Department can keep trying to reindict Letitia James, but is it worth the risks?  CNNA Grand Jury Again Resists Trump’s Push to Reindict Letitia James  The New York TimesThe Situation: Another Day, Another No True Bill  LawfareJustice Department again fails to indict New York Attorney General Letitia James  NBC News’Egg on their face.’ Trump’s revenge prosecution failures embarrass DOJ  USA Today

Trump’s Plan to Reorder the World  The New York TimesTrumps’ security strategy is making a hard pivot on China. Why now?  CNNDonald Trump is pursuing regime change – in Europe | Jonathan Freedland  The GuardianInside the fight for MAGA’s foreign policy  The EconomistThe week Trump turned his back on Europe  The Telegraph

Redistricting fight shifts to Wisconsin, where judicial panels may pick new maps  NBC News2 Wisconsin congressional redistricting lawsuits may not resolve by 2026 midterm election  AP NewsCapitol Notes: A brand new challenge to Wisconsin’s congressional maps  WUWMWisconsin Redistricting  Goshen NewsWisOpinion: ‘The Insiders’ discuss Wisconsin Congressional redistricting cases now before judicial panels  WisPolitics

U.S. military members fear personal legal blowback tied to boat strikes  NPRRemember the Torture Memos? The Boat Strike Memos May Be Worse.  PoliticoTrump is immune from accountability for boat strikes. What about everyone under him?  CNNBoat Strikes Aren’t Doing the US Military Any Favors  Bloomberg.comSecond Strike? All of the US Strikes in the Caribbean Are Illegal, Legal Experts Say  Zeteo | Substack