Today's Headlines: How Oil, Drugs and Immigration Fueled Trump’s Venezuela Campaign
Trump Promised Radical Change in His Second Term. Here’s What He’s Done So Far.
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The New York Times
Today's Headlines

December 28, 2025, 4:30 a.m. Eastern time

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How Oil, Drugs and Immigration Fueled Trump’s Venezuela Campaign

New details of deliberations show how aides with overlapping agendas drove the United States toward a militarized confrontation with Venezuela.

Trump Promised Radical Change in His Second Term. Here’s What He’s Done So Far.

President Trump has driven illegal crossings at the border to record lows, helped bring about an uneasy cease-fire in Gaza and upended the global trading system.

Russia Pummels Kyiv Before Trump-Zelensky Meeting

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said that the assault with hundreds of drones and missiles, lasting nearly 10 hours, showed that Moscow was not serious about peace.

World

In Myanmar’s Election, ‘Voting Out of Fear, Not Hope’

The voting for Parliament is almost sure to favor the ruling military junta, which is stage-managing the polls. Still, some see them as the most pragmatic way to try to improve conditions.

Families Demand Answers a Year After Deadliest Plane Crash in South Korea

Many details of the Jeju Air disaster that killed 179 people remain unclear despite multiple investigations by officials and protests by the victims’ families.

A Dancing Dictator and Bankers in Chains: The Other Venezuela Blockade

A crisis more than a century ago involved U.S. aims to assert military supremacy, a hard-partying dictator and frictions among the great powers.

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U.S.

How One Father Created an Organ Empire

The National Kidney Registry has matched thousands of kidney donors with recipients. It has also paid millions of dollars to a company owned by its founder.

Slopes Are Empty as a Labor Dispute Shuts Down a Colorado Ski Town

Now, vacationers looking to ski are wondering what to do and merchants are hoping it doesn’t last.

Dallas Considers Moving From ‘Iconic’ City Hall. Could It Be Torn Down?

Discussion of leaving the building, designed by the architect I.M. Pei, has sparked developer interest and prompted debate over the merits of its distinctive design.

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Politics

Trump Remakes America as Leader of the Brand

In attaching his name to buildings and programs while still president, Donald Trump is walking a path paved by conquerors and autocrats.

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Business

Hundreds of Flights Canceled at New York Airports, Even With a Few Inches of Snow

To avoid the ripple effects of real-time adjustments to what was predicted to be up to nine inches of snow, the major airlines said they pre-emptively canceled flights.

More Student Loan Borrowers Are Shedding Debts in Bankruptcy

A new study suggests that distressed borrowers using a simpler bankruptcy process are succeeding — and that more people like them should try.

Before Electric Vehicles Became Political, There Was the Toyota Prius

The political polarization of battery-powered cars may have started when Toyota released its first hybrid model 25 years ago.

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New York

Another Front in the Trump Immigration Crackdown: Import Warehouses

Workers at facilities that stock shipped goods say customs officers who inspect merchandise are helping immigration agents arrest migrants.

Girl, 4, Dies After Being Found Unconscious in the Bronx

An autopsy is being conducted to find the cause of death of the girl, whose name has not been released. The police have made no arrests.

New York Receives Its Heaviest Snowfall in Nearly 4 Years

Central Park got more than four inches of snow for the first time since January 2022, with higher totals outside New York City.

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Arts

Park Chan-wook and the Funny Thing About Stomach-Churning Horror

When American studios wouldn’t back his film about a laid-off manager committing gruesome murders, the director returned to Korea. Now he has a hit on his hands.

The Nazi Plunder of Church Bells Changed the Sound of Europe

As church bells chime and peal the New Year, historians say the looting of more than 150,000 bells during World War II left “a sonic gap” in the landscape.

A Second Lawsuit Accuses Tyler Perry of Sexual Assault

Mario Rodriguez, who had a role in one of Mr. Perry’s films, sued him on Thursday, months after another actor filed a similar lawsuit.

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Food

Got an Air Fryer? We Have Recipes.

Salmon fillets, chicken wings, green beans and broccoli all cook to quick perfection with these trusted air-fryer recipes.

Sesame Scallion Buns, and More Savory Bakes

Because I’m sugared out, but I still want the warmth and aroma of golden dough baking in the oven.

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Science

She Studied the Health Effects of Wildfires

Marina Vance had an E.P.A. grant to help homeowners counter the impact of wildfire smoke, until the agency deemed the research “no longer consistent” with its priorities.

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Real Estate