Greetings! Happy National Eggnog Day to those celebrating.

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🇵🇸 Bethlehem’s Christmas returns under Israeli occupation’s long shadow. The Christmas tree reappeared in Manger Square after celebrations were canceled. Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa led the procession and told thousands to “be the light.” Most revelers were locals, with only a handful of foreigners. Local officials say ~80% of Bethlehem relies on tourism. Mayor Maher Nicola Canawati said unemployment jumped from 14% to 65%. Residents tie the checkpoint maze and persistent tension to ongoing Israeli apartheid, blockade, ethnic cleansing, genocide, and illegal occupation. The crowd cheered anyway, like hope was a municipal service. Editor’s Note: The polycrisis afflicting Gaza was officially considered a genocide by the United Nations (UN) and International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS), with famine declared formally by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), confirmed by UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), UNICEF, World Food Program (WFP), and World Health Organization (WHO), along with Global Sumud Flotilla eyewitnesses.

🇵🇸 Ex-aide says Netanyahu sought a blame-escape plan after Oct. 7. A former aide said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked for a strategy to avoid responsibility for the Oct. 7 failure. The claims surfaced amid a widening inquiry that has rattled Israel’s political core. The testimony paints crisis management as narrative management, not governance. Critics say Hasbara messaging amplified debunked hoaxes to harden the public mood. Activists also invoke the Hannibal doctrine debate to argue that mass firepower became policy logic. Over it all hangs Gaza’s carnage and the downstream effects of genocide. The result is a war story with a paperwork trail.

🌧️ A holiday storm turned Southern California into a slip-and-slide. An atmospheric river slammed Los Angeles County with flash floods and mudslides. The National Weather Service warned totals could hit 4-8 inches in mountains and foothills. Officials ordered evacuations for ~380 homes in burn-scar zones. Road closures stacked up as debris rolled downhill like it owned the place. Residents filmed torrents, not puddles, racing through streets. Emergency crews urged people to stay off roads and avoid canyon routes. The forecast promised more rain, because irony loves sequels.

🗃️ Justice Department asks for more time on Epstein files. The Department of Justice (DOJ) told a judge it may need “a few more weeks” past a Dec. 19 deadline. Lawyers said they are still sorting what can be released and what must be withheld. The delay lands in a trust crater already deep enough to echo. Critics say missed dates look like protection, even when they are process. Officials pointed to legal constraints, including sensitive material and review burdens. The case’s notoriety turns every calendar slip into a conspiracy accelerant. The only thing moving fast is suspicion.

🎧 Christian music keeps crashing pop’s velvet rope. Streaming data show overall new-music listens dipped, but Christian and gospel grew. Luminate’s Tatiana Cirisano said two Christian songs hit the Top 40 this year, a first in 11 years. The audience is ~60% female and ~30% millennial. Labels are packaging worship aesthetics with radio-ready hooks. Artists are crossing formats without renouncing their lanes. The business logic is simple: belief sells, and it now charts. The cultural twist is simpler: mainstream crowds are listening back. Lines blur as even secular artists get gospel Grammy nods.

⚖️ States sue over a federal move that could curb youth care. This Tuesday, a coalition of 19 states sued the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) over a new federal declaration. Plaintiffs say it could restrict youth gender-affirming care, including puberty blockers, through policy pressure and guidance. The suit frames the move as federal overreach into medicine and family decisions. Supporters call it guardrails; opponents call it a backdoor ban. The legal fight is also a data fight over outcomes, regret rates, and clinical standards. Whatever the ruling, clinics and families feel the uncertainty first. In America, the courtroom keeps writing the waiting room.

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