China Is Getting Much of What It Wants From the U.S., Including Chips

(Fri, 12 Dec 2025 05:01:06 +0000)

For China, President Trump’s moves to loosen chip controls, soften U.S. rhetoric and stay silent on tensions with Japan amount to a rare string of strategic gains.

Historic Shift Underway in China’s Economy as Investment Slump Deepens

(Fri, 12 Dec 2025 10:02:27 +0000)

Investment in manufacturing, infrastructure and property is expected to fall this year, a remarkable turn for an economy whose growth reshaped the world.

Republicans Defy Trump in Indiana, and Hundreds Quarantined in Measles Outbreak

(Fri, 12 Dec 2025 14:41:56 +0000)

Plus, your Friday news quiz.

Indiana Senate Republicans Reject Trump’s Redistricting Effort

(Fri, 12 Dec 2025 14:55:04 +0000)

Republicans hold an overwhelming majority in the Indiana Senate, but more than a dozen of them defied the president’s wishes, voting against a map aimed at adding Republicans in Congress.

Key Takeaways After Indiana Lawmakers Defy Trump’s Redistricting Push

(Fri, 12 Dec 2025 03:01:11 +0000)

President Trump’s failure to ram through a Republican-friendly House map was a new sign that his iron grip on the party has slipped, and was likely to reverberate nationally.

Republicans Undercut Johnson, Circumventing Him to Force Votes

(Fri, 12 Dec 2025 14:35:14 +0000)

The speaker has repeatedly lost his grip on the House floor thanks to a once rare parliamentary maneuver that G.O.P. members are increasingly using to force action on legislation.

U.S. Issues New Sanctions Targeting Maduro’s Family and the Oil Sector

(Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:38:33 +0000)

The United States is escalating its pressure campaign on Venezuela’s leader, Nicolás Maduro, after seizing an oil tanker off the coast.

Troops Involved in Boat Strikes Face a ‘Moral Injury’ Risk, Experts Say

(Fri, 12 Dec 2025 10:02:01 +0000)

Troops who play a part in deadly missions that they see as wrong or unjustified may suffer deep psychological harm as a result, research has shown.

A Seized Oil Tanker and the Big Business of Dark Fleet Smuggling

(Fri, 12 Dec 2025 15:08:47 +0000)

The U.S. seizure of a vessel off Venezuela is likely to squeeze the country’s government, but do little to counter the tankers that secretively move oil from sanctioned countries.

What to Know About Trump’s Seizure of an Oil Tanker Near Venezuela

(Thu, 11 Dec 2025 23:35:16 +0000)

The tanker was headed eastward and had recently carried Iranian oil. The seizure is an escalation in President Trump’s military pressure campaign against Venezuela’s leader, Nicolás Maduro.

Trump Moves to Stop States From Regulating AI With a New Executive Order

(Fri, 12 Dec 2025 04:56:05 +0000)

The order would create one federal regulatory framework for artificial intelligence, President Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

Behind the Supreme Court’s Push to Expand Presidential Power

(Fri, 12 Dec 2025 10:01:49 +0000)

For more than a decade, the Supreme Court’s conservative majority has chipped away at Congress’s power to insulate independent agencies from politics. Now, the court has signaled its willingness to expand presidential power once again.

Kids Rarely Read Whole Books Anymore. Even in English Class.

(Fri, 12 Dec 2025 10:00:17 +0000)

When teachers do assign whole books, they often choose from a stagnant list of classics.

Ukrainians, Worrying More About Power Cuts, See U.S. Peace Push as Just Noise

(Fri, 12 Dec 2025 10:02:03 +0000)

Many understand the dance their leaders must perform to appease President Trump. But that doesn’t make them any less weary of the rounds and rounds of talks.

How Power Cuts Are Affecting Ukrainians

(Fri, 12 Dec 2025 10:01:44 +0000)

Russia has been targeting energy infrastructure in Ukraine, leaving multiple cities without electricity. Kim Barker, who’s been covering the war, gives us a glimpse into the daily life of Ukrainians living with power cuts.

How Ukraine Has Responded to Trump’s Peace Plan and Russia’s Demands for Territory

(Fri, 12 Dec 2025 13:22:08 +0000)

A Ukrainian peace plan, sent this week to Washington, pushes back against President Trump’s proposal that Ukraine give up more land for peace.

Russia Sues Holder of Frozen Assets Europe Wants for Ukraine Loan

(Fri, 12 Dec 2025 14:24:03 +0000)

The lawsuit was a warning to European officials who are racing to agree to a plan to use Russian government assets in Europe to lend money to Ukraine.

Elon Musk Tests Europe’s Willingness to Enforce Its Online Laws

(Fri, 12 Dec 2025 14:00:08 +0000)

Backed by White House officials, the tech billionaire has lashed out at the European Union after his social media platform X was fined last week.

Paramount Says Money Is No Object. Warner Bros. Isn’t Convinced.

(Fri, 12 Dec 2025 14:13:19 +0000)

Larry Ellison is backstopping Paramount’s bid for Warner Brothers, but Warner Brothers is concerned that the billionaire has not provided a personal guarantee to pay.

100,000 in Washington State Ordered to Evacuate as Rivers Rise

(Fri, 12 Dec 2025 13:37:07 +0000)

Days of heavy rain pushed waterways to record flood levels in a mountainous region north of Seattle. “Do not wait,” local officials warned residents, urging them to seek higher ground.

Harold Hamm, Oklahoma Oil Tycoon, Allies With Trump to Reshape U.S. Energy

(Fri, 12 Dec 2025 15:00:03 +0000)

Harold Hamm, an Oklahoma oil tycoon, has played a central role in reshaping energy policy by allying himself with President Trump.

Soon He’ll Be Mayor Mamdani. To His Soccer Teammates, He Was Just Z.

(Fri, 12 Dec 2025 13:24:33 +0000)

Zohran Mamdani isn’t just a superfan. Until recently, he was a key player on the Talking Headers, a rec-league team in Brooklyn.

Review of Medical Cannabis Use Finds Little Evidence of Benefit

(Fri, 12 Dec 2025 10:01:42 +0000)

Researchers found a chasm between the health reasons for which the public seeks out cannabis and what gold-standard science actually shows about its effectiveness.

Our Book Critics on Their Year in Reading

(Fri, 12 Dec 2025 10:00:23 +0000)

Alexandra Jacobs, Jennifer Szalai and Dwight Garner look back at the books that, as Jacobs writes, “bonked me on the head this year.”

Does Paramount’s David Ellison Know What He’s Doing?

(Fri, 12 Dec 2025 10:02:09 +0000)

David Ellison is cozying up to Trump in his effort to save Hollywood. It’s a risky strategy for our democracy.

Why Is It So Hard to Build Big Things?

(Fri, 12 Dec 2025 12:14:23 +0000)

Today we look at the state of American inertia.

Jimmy Kimmel Takes a Swipe at Trump’s ‘Gold Card’

(Fri, 12 Dec 2025 07:39:01 +0000)

The new visa for rich foreigners had Kimmel rethinking the Statue of Liberty’s inscription: “Never mind your poor and tired. Give us a million bucks — you’re in.”

Tech Support Scammers Stole $85,000 From Him. His Bank Refused a Refund.

(Fri, 12 Dec 2025 10:01:47 +0000)

A retired lawyer lost the money in a tech support scam, a type of online fraud that is surging. Citibank said it couldn’t recover the funds, which criminals wired from inside his account.

Reddit Sues Australian Government to Block Social Media Ban

(Fri, 12 Dec 2025 07:15:23 +0000)

The company said the new law, which makes it illegal for children under 16 to have social media accounts, infringes on children’s rights.

King Charles to Speak About His Cancer in Televised Message

(Fri, 12 Dec 2025 12:38:15 +0000)

A video of the king discussing his “recovery journey” will air on Channel 4 on Friday as part of a national cancer awareness campaign in the U.K.