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Breaking in the UK: King Charles to Speak About His Cancer in Televised Message (New York Times)
King Charles III will share a personal message about his experience with cancer in a prerecorded video message that will air on British television's Channel 4 tonight around 8 PM local time.
The king, 77, was diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer last year, and the message will be broadcast as part of a national cancer awareness campaign in Britain, Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
Hope for Dems: Landslide Win for Democratic Mayoral Candidate in Miami is Preview of 2026 (Bloomberg Opinion - Mary Ellen Klas)
Progressive Democrat Eileen Higgins' victory in Miami is a warning sign for Republicans that voters are frustrated with the GOP's approach, especially in communities with heavy immigrant populations.
Higgins defeated her Trump-endorsed rival by a 19-point margin, succeeding in a city that hasn’t elected a Democrat or a non-Cuban as mayor in 30 years.
Deportation fears played a key role in the election in part because 60% of the residents in Miami were born outside the US, and the vast majority of those rounded up by immigration authorities have not committed crimes.
Higgins, who speaks fluent Spanish and calls herself La Gringa, campaigned on building more affordable housing, improving transportation and redirecting a City Hall that has been plagued by scandal and cronyism.
MAGA Defiance: Indiana GOP Lawmakers Reject Trump’s New Political Map (New York Times)
Republican members of the Indiana Senate bucked President Trump on Thursday and joined Democrats in voting down a new congressional map that would have positioned Republicans to sweep the state’s US House seats.
The
rejection of the map in the State Senate,
where Republicans hold 40 of the 50 seats, followed months of presidential lobbying that turned increasingly pointed in recent weeks as it became clear that some holdouts were not budging. Trump had called some of them out by name on social media, openly questioning their loyalty to the party and pledging to back primary challengers against them.
Failed Retribution: Grand Jury Again Declines to Indict NY Attorney General Letitia James in Rebuke to Trump (New York Times)
Record Low: Trump’s Handling of the Economy Hits Lowest Point With Only 31% Approval (Associated Press)
President Trump’s approval on the economy and immigration has fallen substantially since March, according to a new AP-NORC poll, the latest indication that two signature issues that got him elected barely a year ago could be turning into liabilities as his party begins to gear up for the 2026 midterms.
Only 31% of US adults now approve
of how Trump is handling the economy, the poll finds. That is down from 40% in March and marks the lowest economic approval he’s registered in an AP-NORC poll in his first or second term.
Perhaps most worryingly for Trump, who’s become increasingly synonymous with his party, he’s slipped on issues that were major strengths. Just a few months ago, 53% of Americans approved of Trump’s handling of crime,
but that’s fallen to 43% in the new poll. There’s been a similar decline on immigration, from 49% approval in March to 38% now.
Ruling: Judge Orders Release of Abrego Garcia From ICE Detention, Citing ‘Unlawful’ Detention by Trump Officials (New York Times)
Peggy
Noonan: Trump May Be Losing His Touch
(Wall Street Journal - Opinion)
At the end of his 11th month, he’s surrounded by mood shifts, challenges and ominous signs, Peggy Noonan writes.
Labor Market Weakness: US Jobless Claims Jump by Most Since 2020 After Holiday Drop (Bloomberg)
Applications for US unemployment benefits rose last week by the most since the onset of the pandemic, underscoring the volatile nature of claims at this time of year.
Initial claims increased by 44,000 to 236,000 in the week ended Dec. 6, according to Labor Department data released Thursday. That was the biggest jump since March 2020 and followed the lowest level of applications in more than three years in the previous week, which included Thanksgiving. The figure exceeded all but one estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists.
Inflation Nation: 24 Million Americans Set to See Health Insurance Premiums Spike in New Year (Bloomberg)
The US Senate rejected a pair of partisan measures addressing the impending expiration of Obamacare subsidies, setting up a Jan. 1 spike in health insurance premiums for more than 20 million Americans.
Premium costs on average will more than double for people enrolled in Obamacare plans, forcing many of them to make hard choices on their health coverage and household finances.
Democrats have seized on the expiring tax credits as a way to paint Republicans as out-of-touch with the high costs voters face, part of a midterm election strategy laser-focused on affordability.
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Ukraine Latest: Zelenskiy Floats Referendum Over Territory as US Pressure Mounts (Bloomberg)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy floated the prospect of putting the issue of territorial control in the country’s east to a referendum as Kyiv comes under mounting pressure to agree to terms of an emerging peace plan to end Russia’s war.
Moscow has insisted that Ukraine withdraw its forces from the eastern Donbas, which includes areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions that the Russian military has failed to capture in its nearly four-year invasion.
Zelenskiy has engaged in talks over the latest peace proposal from President Trump’s administration, but has maintained his position that Ukraine won’t consider surrendering territory to the Kremlin.
European Union News: Ukraine Would Join EU by 2027 Under Draft Peace Plan (Financial Times)
Ukraine would be earmarked to join the EU by 2027 under a fast-tracked proposal being discussed in US-brokered negotiations to end Russia’s war, in a move that would rewrite the bloc’s accession procedures.
EU accession by Jan. 1, 2027 is specified in the latest draft
of a Ukraine peace proposal being negotiated by US and Ukrainian officials with the support of Brussels, people briefed on the document’s contents told the Financial Times.
That rapid timeline — Kyiv is yet to formally complete even one of the EU’s grueling 36 stages of accession — would upend the bloc’s “merit-based” approach to admitting new members and would force Brussels to rethink the entire process, the people added.
Gen Z Impact: Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Resigns as Crisis Hits Before Euro Entry (Bloomberg)
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov stepped down after a wave of protests, deepening political chaos just weeks before the Balkan country joins the euro area.
Zhelyazkov resigned before a vote of no confidence took place on Thursday. His move comes after tens of thousands of Bulgarians rallied for days against the parties backing his government, occasionally clashing with the police.
The decision won’t affect Bulgaria’s entry to the euro on Jan. 1. But the crisis underscores a growing sense of resentment, especially among younger Bulgarians, that years of European Union membership have failed to deliver on a promise of improved rule of law.
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Future of Self-Driving Cars: Uber Boss Sees Robotaxis in More Than 10 Markets Next Year
(Bloomberg)
Uber Technologies Inc. expects to offer robotaxi services in more than 10 markets by the end of next year, as it seeks to become a dominant force in an industry it estimates will eventually be worth at least $1 trillion.
Possible new locations include Hong Kong and Japan, Chief Executive Officer Dara Khosrowshahi said in a Bloomberg TV interview. Robotaxi services are live in the US and the Middle East and there are “lots of discussions” about starting similar services in Asia, he said.
NYC Sparkles: Stunning Holiday Lights Illuminate New York’s Iconic Landmarks (Time Out)
New York City has transformed into a magical wonderland with millions of holiday lights, from the fabulous Rockefeller Christmas Tree wrapped in more than 50,000 multi-colored LED lights to the over-the-top inflatable Santas and life-size reindeer at the Dyker Heights Christmas Lights.
Visitors can stroll through enchanting displays like Lightscape at Brooklyn Botanic Garden with more than 1 million lights, admire choreographed floating stars at The Shops at Columbus Circle, or enjoy dazzling spectacles such as Saks Fifth Avenue’s holiday light show and Shine Bright Only at Hudson Yards.
Across the city, landmarks and neighborhoods—from Bryant Park’s Winter Village and Central Park Holiday Lights to the Bronx Zoo, Radio City Music Hall, and festive hotels—create the season's most picturesque holiday light displays.
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