The Morning: What Russia got wrong

A cascade of military failures started with Vladimir Putin. [View in browser](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP4QlAWh0dHBzOi8vbWVzc2FnaW5nLWN1c3RvbS1uZXdzbGV0dGVycy5ueXRpbWVzLmNvbS90ZW1wbGF0ZS9vYWt2Mj9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD05JmVtYz1lZGl0X25uXzIwMjIxMjE4Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTgwNTI4Jm5sPXRoZS1tb3JuaW5nJnByb2R1Y3RDb2RlPU5OJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD0xMjAyMDgmdGU9MSZ1cmk9bnl0JTNBJTJGJTJGbmV3c2xldHRlciUyRmU5OTBlMDgyLTZiZjEtNWEwOC1iYTE4LWQ2YWVlYTZlODJkYiZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmOQmAefY8KcM8NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~)|[nytimes.com](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0StaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTkmZW1jPWVkaXRfbm5fMjAyMjEyMTgmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9ODA1Mjgmbmw9dGhlLW1vcm5pbmcmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTEyMDIwOCZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKY5CYB59jwpwzw1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA)[Continue reading the main story](#a11y-skip-ad-marquee) ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9ODU5MTgxJmxpPU5OJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1OTl8yMDIyMTIxOFcDbnl0QgpjkJgHn2PCnDPDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ December 18, 2022 [Author Headshot](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0S8aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vYnkvY2xhaXJlLW1vc2VzP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTkmZW1jPWVkaXRfbm5fMjAyMjEyMTgmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9ODA1Mjgmbmw9dGhlLW1vcm5pbmcmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTEyMDIwOCZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKY5CYB59jwpwzw1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) By [Claire Moses](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0S8aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vYnkvY2xhaXJlLW1vc2VzP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTkmZW1jPWVkaXRfbm5fMjAyMjEyMTgmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9ODA1Mjgmbmw9dGhlLW1vcm5pbmcmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTEyMDIwOCZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKY5CYB59jwpwzw1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) Good morning. The war in Ukraine defied the predictions of both Moscow and the West. Many of Russia’s missteps can be traced to Vladimir Putin. Vladimir Putin.Efrem Lukatsky/Associated Press One man’s war Nearly 10 months into its invasion of Ukraine, Russia has suffered great losses. Its military has faltered against a foe that, before the war, appeared much weaker. A team of Times journalists published an account this weekend of [how Russia so badly mismanaged its invasion](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0T3aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vaW50ZXJhY3RpdmUvMjAyMi8xMi8xNi93b3JsZC9ldXJvcGUvcnVzc2lhLXB1dGluLXdhci1mYWlsdXJlcy11a3JhaW5lLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMTIxOCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD04MDUyOCZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTIwMjA4JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgpjkJgHn2PCnDPDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~), based on interviews, intercepted phone calls, documents and secret battle plans. At the center of it is Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, who has been in power for more than two decades. I spoke to Anton Troianovski, the Moscow bureau chief and one of the lead reporters on the story, about how Putin came to decide to go to war. Claire: When Russia invaded Ukraine in February, experts believed that Russia would quickly conquer Ukraine. That didn’t happen. What is the main reason that the war went so badly for Russia? Anton: It was a cascade of failures, and at the top is Putin’s own misguidedness, his own isolation and his own conviction that he knew what was best. The Russian military was unprepared all the way down to a tactical level, like using Soviet-era maps. Like using their cellphones to call home, which gave away their positions and allowed them to be ambushed or attacked. There wasn’t enough food to feed the soldiers. We got hold of actual copies of some of the invasion plans that some of the Russian military units had, which showed them expecting to race toward Kyiv within hours of invading. Russian military leaders didn’t think they’d need any reinforcements. I talked to many people who knew Putin personally, and they told me that the decision to go to war was based on his gut feeling. Putin didn’t seem to think he needed advice on the wisdom of this invasion. Putin was convinced that he knew best, that he understood Ukraine and its place in history as well as his own. You report in the story that, partly because of the pandemic, Putin didn’t meet face to face with a Western leader for more than a year. How did that affect his decision to go to war? We don’t have perfect insight into what’s going on inside Putin’s inner circle; it’s still one of the world’s most secretive ruling establishments. But everyone I talked to said they didn’t believe that Putin had a single meeting before the invasion where people talked openly about the wisdom of going to war. Putin doesn’t like group discussions, he likes one-on-one discussions. One person I spoke to compared it to a social media algorithm. Putin’s aides and friends would see what got a rise out of him emotionally, and they’d bring him information that further intensified his views. Why were the predictions about the war so wrong? It’s because this war was something that nobody could really imagine. It wasn’t just Putin who miscalculated. The Russian elite largely thought there’d be no way that Putin would actually go to war. Many Ukrainians also didn’t think Putin was actually going to invade, nor did the Europeans. The U.S. did expect Russia to invade, but thought it could win in days. The war was so different from anything that has happened in recent decades that it was impossible to make informed predictions. There was a ton of miscalculation from all sides. Putin also didn’t expect the West to unite behind Ukraine the way it did, nor does he appear to have expected Europe to reorient away from Russian fossil fuels so quickly. We’ve talked a lot about what went wrong for Russia, and of course the war isn’t over. Is there anything that is going well? Putin recognizes that things haven’t gone to plan, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to fold. He is willing to accept a lot of casualties — up to 300,000, according to what one NATO member is now telling allies. The way Putin looks at it is that the Soviet Union lost 27 million people in World War II, and he’s convinced that the Russian people are prepared to suffer — more than people in the West. Something else that has gone well from the Kremlin’s point of view is the country’s propaganda machine. It helped convince many Russians that the war was not going disastrously wrong, and that it was the West that was forcing Russia to fight. In addition, sanctions haven’t derailed the Russian economy the way the West had hoped, and much of the world hasn’t turned its back on Russia they way some expected. Telling the inside history of an ongoing war is an ambitious goal. How did you all pursue this story? It was a very intense reporting effort. I was trying to get beyond what we already know about Putin and get to some of the nuances surrounding him and his decision to go to war. It is really hard, because it’s something that so few people know for sure. It took a long time and a lot of conversations. I spoke on the record to two rich Russians, one who turned against Putin and another who didn’t. It was fascinating to see how people made their decisions. There were a good amount of people who were willing to speak publicly. Often these people were prepared to talk because they want their side of the story out there. Anton Troianovski is The Times’s Moscow bureau chief. His first journalism job was as a photographer with local papers in the St. Louis area, where he grew up, and he first reported in Russia as an intern for The Associated Press in 2006. More Ukraine news - Russian soldiers entered battle relying on Wikipedia instructions for their weapons. [Read the inside story](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0T3aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vaW50ZXJhY3RpdmUvMjAyMi8xMi8xNi93b3JsZC9ldXJvcGUvcnVzc2lhLXB1dGluLXdhci1mYWlsdXJlcy11a3JhaW5lLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMTIxOCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD04MDUyOCZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTIwMjA4JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgpjkJgHn2PCnDPDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) of Russia’s historic military failures. - Putin [made a rare visit](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0ToaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8xMi8xNy93b3JsZC9ldXJvcGUvcHV0aW4tdWtyYWluZS13YXItaGVhZHF1YXJ0ZXJzLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMTIxOCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD04MDUyOCZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTIwMjA4JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgpjkJgHn2PCnDPDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) to his war headquarters and signaled a shift to more active involvement. - Congress is on track to [expand the U.S. military budget](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TraHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8xMi8xOC91cy9wb2xpdGljcy9kZWZlbnNlLWNvbnRyYWN0b3JzLXVrcmFpbmUtcnVzc2lhLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMTIxOCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD04MDUyOCZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTIwMjA4JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgpjkJgHn2PCnDPDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) in response to the war and other threats, setting up a boom for weapons makers. [Continue reading the main story](#a11y-skip-universal-0) ADVERTISEMENT ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9ODU5MTg3JmxpPU5OJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1OTl8yMDIyMTIxOFcDbnl0QgpjkJgHn2PCnDPDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ NEWS FTX - Federal prosecutors are seeking information [about political donations](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TyaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8xMi8xNy91cy9wb2xpdGljcy9zYW0tYmFua21hbi1mcmllZC1wb2xpdGljYWwtZG9uYXRpb25zLWRvai5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTkmZW1jPWVkaXRfbm5fMjAyMjEyMTgmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9ODA1Mjgmbmw9dGhlLW1vcm5pbmcmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTEyMDIwOCZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKY5CYB59jwpwzw1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) made by Sam Bankman-Fried and other FTX executives. - Bankman-Fried, in jail in the Bahamas, is expected to [agree to extradition](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TjaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8xMi8xNy9idXNpbmVzcy9zYW0tYmFua21hbi1mcmllZC1leHRyYWRpdGlvbi5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTkmZW1jPWVkaXRfbm5fMjAyMjEyMTgmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9ODA1Mjgmbmw9dGhlLW1vcm5pbmcmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTEyMDIwOCZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKY5CYB59jwpwzw1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) to the U.S. Gun Violence - A social media dispute [escalated into a shootout](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8xMi8xNy91cy9zaG9vdGluZy1hdGxhbnRhLWFwYXJ0bWVudC1jb21wbGV4Lmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMTIxOCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD04MDUyOCZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTIwMjA4JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgpjkJgHn2PCnDPDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) in Atlanta, killing two teenagers and wounding three other young people. - The T.S.A. intercepted a [record number of guns](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TTaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8xMi8xNy91cy90c2EtZmlyZWFybXMtcmVjb3JkLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMTIxOCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD04MDUyOCZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTIwMjA4JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgpjkJgHn2PCnDPDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) at airport security checkpoints this year. Other Big Stories Jamaica, Vt.Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer, via Associated Press - A [snowstorm knocked out power](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TgaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vYXJ0aWNsZS93aW50ZXItc3Rvcm0tc25vdy13ZXN0LW5vcnRoZXJuLXBsYWlucy5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTkmZW1jPWVkaXRfbm5fMjAyMjEyMTgmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9ODA1Mjgmbmw9dGhlLW1vcm5pbmcmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTEyMDIwOCZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKY5CYB59jwpwzw1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) for more than 140,000 customers in New England and upstate New York. - The Vatican [removed an anti-abortion leader](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TvaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8xMi8xOC91cy92YXRpY2FuLXJlbW92ZXMtYW50aS1hYm9ydGlvbi1sZWFkZXItcHJpZXN0aG9vZC5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTkmZW1jPWVkaXRfbm5fMjAyMjEyMTgmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9ODA1Mjgmbmw9dGhlLW1vcm5pbmcmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTEyMDIwOCZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKY5CYB59jwpwzw1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) from the priesthood. - Some child care chains are [charging over $40,000 a year](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0ThaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8xMi8xNi91cy9jaGlsZC1jYXJlLWNlbnRlcnMtcHJpdmF0ZS1lcXVpdHkuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD05JmVtYz1lZGl0X25uXzIwMjIxMjE4Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTgwNTI4Jm5sPXRoZS1tb3JuaW5nJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD0xMjAyMDgmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmOQmAefY8KcM8NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) and profiting during a shortage. - P-22, the celebrity mountain lion in Los Angeles, [was euthanized](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TcaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8xMi8xNy91cy9tb3VudGFpbi1saW9uLXAyMi1ldXRoYW5pemVkLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMTIxOCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD04MDUyOCZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTIwMjA4JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgpjkJgHn2PCnDPDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~). - The Minnesota Vikings beat the Indianapolis Colts, 39-36, in the [biggest comeback in N.F.L. history](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TvaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8xMi8xNy9zcG9ydHMvZm9vdGJhbGwvdmlraW5ncy1jb2x0cy1jb21lYmFjay1uZmwtaGlzdG9yeS5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTkmZW1jPWVkaXRfbm5fMjAyMjEyMTgmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9ODA1Mjgmbmw9dGhlLW1vcm5pbmcmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTEyMDIwOCZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKY5CYB59jwpwzw1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA). - Cecily Strong [made her last appearance](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TsaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8xMi8xOC9hcnRzL3RlbGV2aXNpb24vc25sLWF1c3Rpbi1idXRsZXItY2VjaWx5LXN0cm9uZy5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTkmZW1jPWVkaXRfbm5fMjAyMjEyMTgmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9ODA1Mjgmbmw9dGhlLW1vcm5pbmcmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTEyMDIwOCZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKY5CYB59jwpwzw1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) on “Saturday Night Live.” WORLD CUP The championship match: Argentina faces France at 10 a.m. Eastern. Each country is [trying to win](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP4QAAWh0dHBzOi8vdGhlYXRobGV0aWMuY29tL2xpdmUtYmxvZ3MvYXJnZW50aW5hLXZzLWZyYW5jZS13b3JsZC1jdXAtMjAyMi1maW5hbC1saXZlLXNjb3JlLXJlc3VsdC81dndKOUJrbmFLVUwvP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTkmZW1jPWVkaXRfbm5fMjAyMjEyMTgmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9ODA1Mjgmbmw9dGhlLW1vcm5pbmcmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTEyMDIwOCZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKY5CYB59jwpwzw1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) its third World Cup. Lionel Messi: A win for Argentina could help smooth a complicated relationship between [the star and his homeland](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TraHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8xMi8xNy93b3JsZC9hbWVyaWNhcy93b3JsZC1jdXAtZmluYWwtbWVzc2ktYXJnZW50aW5hLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMTIxOCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD04MDUyOCZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTIwMjA4JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgpjkJgHn2PCnDPDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~). Competing stars: France’s Kylian Mbappé is ready to make [Messi’s moment his own](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0T1aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8xMi8xNy9zcG9ydHMvc29jY2VyL2t5bGlhbi1tYmFwcGUtbGlvbmVsLW1lc3NpLXdvcmxkLWN1cC1maW5hbC5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTkmZW1jPWVkaXRfbm5fMjAyMjEyMTgmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9ODA1Mjgmbmw9dGhlLW1vcm5pbmcmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTEyMDIwOCZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKY5CYB59jwpwzw1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA). A magic game: Hundreds of witches are casting spells [for an Argentine victory](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TnaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8xMi8xNy93b3JsZC9hbWVyaWNhcy9hcmdlbnRpbmEtd29ybGQtY3VwLXdpdGNoZXMuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD05JmVtYz1lZGl0X25uXzIwMjIxMjE4Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTgwNTI4Jm5sPXRoZS1tb3JuaW5nJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD0xMjAyMDgmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmOQmAefY8KcM8NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~). FROM OPINION “It physically hurts to talk about it”: Caroline Edwards, a Capitol Police officer, explains why [there’s nothing final](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TUaHR0cHM6Ly9ueXRpbWVzLmNvbS8yMDIyLzEyLzE4L29waW5pb24vY2FwaXRvbC1wb2xpY2UtcmlvdC5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTkmZW1jPWVkaXRfbm5fMjAyMjEyMTgmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9ODA1Mjgmbmw9dGhlLW1vcm5pbmcmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTEyMDIwOCZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKY5CYB59jwpwzw1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) about Congress’s final report on the Jan. 6 attacks. Regulators shouldn’t let celebrities like Matt Damon and Steph Curry [off the hook](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TfaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8xMi8xNy9vcGluaW9uL2NyeXB0by1mdHgtY3Jhc2gtY2VsZWJyaXR5Lmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMTIxOCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD04MDUyOCZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTIwMjA4JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgpjkJgHn2PCnDPDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) for hawking bad cryptocurrency businesses, says John Reed Stark. If Ron DeSantis wins in 2024, the Trump era will end without the repudiation or accountability many crave. [That’s OK](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TaaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8xMi8xNy9vcGluaW9uL3RydW1wLTIwMjQtcmVwdWJsaWNhbi5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTkmZW1jPWVkaXRfbm5fMjAyMjEyMTgmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9ODA1Mjgmbmw9dGhlLW1vcm5pbmcmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTEyMDIwOCZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKY5CYB59jwpwzw1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA), Ross Douthat writes. The Sunday question: Should you leave Twitter? As Elon Musk promotes conspiracy theories and bans journalists, leaving is [an exercise in free speech](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TDaHR0cHM6Ly9wb3BlaGF0LnN1YnN0YWNrLmNvbS9wL2dvb2RieWUtdHdpdHRlcj9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD05JmVtYz1lZGl0X25uXzIwMjIxMjE4Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTgwNTI4Jm5sPXRoZS1tb3JuaW5nJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD0xMjAyMDgmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmOQmAefY8KcM8NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~), Ken White writes on Substack. But [few good alternatives exist](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TxaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL29waW5pb25zLzIwMjIvMTEvMzAvdHdpdHRlci1lbG9uLW11c2stYmxhY2std29tZW4tcmVzaXN0YW5jZS8_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMTIxOCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD04MDUyOCZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTIwMjA4JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgpjkJgHn2PCnDPDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) for marginalized people to build communities or draw attention to issues, The Washington Post’s Karen Attiah argues. Enjoy the complete Times experience today. The New York Times All Access subscription brings you full digital access to news and analysis, plus Cooking, Games, Wirecutter and The Athletic. [Subscribe today at this special rate](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TKaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vc3Vic2NyaXB0aW9uP2NhbXBhaWduSWQ9OFdMS0YmY2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMTIxOCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD04MDUyOCZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTIwMjA4JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgpjkJgHn2PCnDPDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~). [Continue reading the main story](#a11y-skip-universal-1) ADVERTISEMENT ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9ODU5MTkyJmxpPU5OJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1OTl8yMDIyMTIxOFcDbnl0QgpjkJgHn2PCnDPDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ MORNING READS A nuclear test near the Marshall Islands in 1958.Corbis, via Getty Images The Anthropocene: We may be in [the start of a new age](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TdaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8xMi8xNy9jbGltYXRlL2FudGhyb3BvY2VuZS1hZ2UtZ2VvbG9neS5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTkmZW1jPWVkaXRfbm5fMjAyMjEyMTgmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9ODA1Mjgmbmw9dGhlLW1vcm5pbmcmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTEyMDIwOCZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKY5CYB59jwpwzw1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) in human history. Christmas no-shows: Some Protestant pastors are [canceling services on Dec. 25](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TkaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8xMi8xOC91cy9jaHJpc3RtYXMtY2h1cmNoLXNlcnZpY2UtcHJvdGVzdGFudHMuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD05JmVtYz1lZGl0X25uXzIwMjIxMjE4Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTgwNTI4Jm5sPXRoZS1tb3JuaW5nJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD0xMjAyMDgmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmOQmAefY8KcM8NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~). Remember me? She pretended he knew her in a cold email — [then they got married](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TmaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8xMi8wOS9zdHlsZS9lbWlseS10b2RlYnVzaC1nYXJyZXR0LWFyd2Etd2VkZGluZy5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTkmZW1jPWVkaXRfbm5fMjAyMjEyMTgmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9ODA1Mjgmbmw9dGhlLW1vcm5pbmcmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTEyMDIwOCZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKY5CYB59jwpwzw1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA). Sunday routine: A Harlem haberdasher goes to church (but [skips the sermon](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TQaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8xMi8xNy9ueXJlZ2lvbi9kYXBwZXItZGFuLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMTIxOCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD04MDUyOCZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTIwMjA4JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgpjkJgHn2PCnDPDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~)). Wirecutter gift guide: These are the best presents for [people who work from home](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TeaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vd2lyZWN1dHRlci9naWZ0cy9naWZ0cy1mb3ItcmVtb3RlLXdvcmstZnJvbS1ob21lLz9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD05JmVtYz1lZGl0X25uXzIwMjIxMjE4Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTgwNTI4Jm5sPXRoZS1tb3JuaW5nJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD0xMjAyMDgmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmOQmAefY8KcM8NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~). BOOKS Michelle Obama in Proenza Schouler on the “Today” show.Nathan Congleton/NBC, via Getty Images Flair and flares: Michelle Obama dressed with a [new sense of freedom](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TjaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8xMi8xNC9zdHlsZS9taWNoZWxsZS1vYmFtYS1ib29rLXRvdXItZmFzaGlvbi5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTkmZW1jPWVkaXRfbm5fMjAyMjEyMTgmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9ODA1Mjgmbmw9dGhlLW1vcm5pbmcmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTEyMDIwOCZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKY5CYB59jwpwzw1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) on her book tour. By the Book: Jane Smiley is ideally [reading in her hot tub](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TbaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8xMi8xNS9ib29rcy9yZXZpZXcvamFuZS1zbWlsZXktYm9va3MuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD05JmVtYz1lZGl0X25uXzIwMjIxMjE4Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTgwNTI4Jm5sPXRoZS1tb3JuaW5nJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD0xMjAyMDgmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmOQmAefY8KcM8NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~). Our editors’ picks: “We All Want Impossible Things,” the story of a dying woman who finds humor in hospice, and [eight other books](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TsaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8xMi8xNS9ib29rcy9yZXZpZXcvOS1uZXctYm9va3Mtd2UtcmVjb21tZW5kLXRoaXMtd2Vlay5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTkmZW1jPWVkaXRfbm5fMjAyMjEyMTgmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9ODA1Mjgmbmw9dGhlLW1vcm5pbmcmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTEyMDIwOCZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKY5CYB59jwpwzw1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA). Times best sellers: “Stella Maris,” a companion volume to Cormac McCarthy’s recent novel “The Passenger,” is a [hardcover fiction best seller](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TcaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vYm9va3MvYmVzdC1zZWxsZXJzL2hhcmRjb3Zlci1maWN0aW9uLzIwMjIvMTIvMjU_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMTIxOCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD04MDUyOCZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTIwMjA4JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgpjkJgHn2PCnDPDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~). The Book Review podcast: Times critics pick their [favorite books of the year](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TtaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8xMi8wOS9ib29rcy9yZXZpZXcvdGhlLWNyaXRpY3MtcGlja3MtYS15ZWFyLWluLXJlYWRpbmcuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD05JmVtYz1lZGl0X25uXzIwMjIxMjE4Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTgwNTI4Jm5sPXRoZS1tb3JuaW5nJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD0xMjAyMDgmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmOQmAefY8KcM8NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~). THE SUNDAY TIMES MAGAZINE Darius Dugas II’s TikTok On the cover: The [children who died](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP4RfAWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm55dGltZXMuY29tL2ludGVyYWN0aXZlLzIwMjIvMTIvMTQvbWFnYXppbmUvZ3VuLXZpb2xlbmNlLWFtZXJpY2EtY2hpbGQtZGVhdGhzLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZjYW1wYWlnbl9pZD05JmVtYz1lZGl0X25uXzIwMjIxMjE4Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTgwMjI5Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTgwNTI4Jm5sPXRoZS1tb3JuaW5nJnJlZ2lfaWQ9OTYyMTY0NjQmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTExOTU5NSZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTEyMDIwOCZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9MzU2NDM0M2Q3NjJmMTQyMGMwMWQzNWU5OTQ1ZGY0YTAmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgpjkJgHn2PCnDPDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) from gun violence in 2022. Darius Dugas II: He was the youngest — [and the family cuddler](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0T2aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vaW50ZXJhY3RpdmUvMjAyMi8xMi8xNC9tYWdhemluZS9ndW4tdmlvbGVuY2UtaG91c3Rvbi1kYXJpdXMtZHVnYXMtaWkuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD05JmVtYz1lZGl0X25uXzIwMjIxMjE4Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTgwNTI4Jm5sPXRoZS1tb3JuaW5nJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD0xMjAyMDgmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmOQmAefY8KcM8NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~). Paula Tupou Bloomfield Tahi: He was a [cannonball of comic, kinetic energy](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP4QLAWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm55dGltZXMuY29tL2ludGVyYWN0aXZlLzIwMjIvMTIvMTQvbWFnYXppbmUvZ3VuLXZpb2xlbmNlLXdlc3QtdmFsbGV5LWNpdHktcGF1bGEtdHVwb3UtYmxvb21maWVsZC10YWhpLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMTIxOCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD04MDUyOCZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTIwMjA4JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgpjkJgHn2PCnDPDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~). Read [the full issue](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TXaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vaXNzdWUvbWFnYXppbmUvMjAyMi8xMi8xNi90aGUtMTIxODIyLWlzc3VlP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTkmZW1jPWVkaXRfbm5fMjAyMjEyMTgmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9ODA1Mjgmbmw9dGhlLW1vcm5pbmcmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTEyMDIwOCZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKY5CYB59jwpwzw1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA). THE WEEK AHEAD What to Watch For - Hanukkah begins tonight at sundown. - The House Jan. 6 committee plans to vote tomorrow on whether to recommend to the Justice Department that prosecutors file criminal charges against Donald Trump. - Members of the Proud Boys are set to go on trial tomorrow in Washington on seditious conspiracy charges in the Capitol attack. - Title 42, a pandemic-related order allowing the U.S. to rapidly expel migrants, is set to expire on Wednesday unless the Supreme Court intervenes. - The Jan. 6 committee is expected to release its full report of findings Wednesday. - Saturday is Christmas Eve. What to Cook This Week Linda Pugliese for The New York Times This week’s [collection of weeknight recipes](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TlaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8xMi8xNi9kaW5pbmcvdGhlLXRvcC13ZWVrbmlnaHQtcmVjaXBlcy1vZi0yMDIyLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMTIxOCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD04MDUyOCZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTIwMjA4JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgpjkJgHn2PCnDPDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) is something of a best-of list, compiled from The Times’s most popular recipes of the year. [Pasta amatriciana](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TSaHR0cHM6Ly9jb29raW5nLm55dGltZXMuY29tL3JlY2lwZXMvMTAyMzAxOC1wYXN0YS1hbWF0cmljaWFuYT9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD05JmVtYz1lZGl0X25uXzIwMjIxMjE4Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTgwNTI4Jm5sPXRoZS1tb3JuaW5nJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD0xMjAyMDgmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmOQmAefY8KcM8NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) delivers complex flavors using pantry staples; [kung pao cauliflower](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TVaHR0cHM6Ly9jb29raW5nLm55dGltZXMuY29tL3JlY2lwZXMvMTAyMjg2OS1rdW5nLXBhby1jYXVsaWZsb3dlcj9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD05JmVtYz1lZGl0X25uXzIwMjIxMjE4Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTgwNTI4Jm5sPXRoZS1tb3JuaW5nJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD0xMjAyMDgmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmOQmAefY8KcM8NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) goes well with a side of rice; and [Tajín grilled chicken](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TWaHR0cHM6Ly9jb29raW5nLm55dGltZXMuY29tL3JlY2lwZXMvMTAyMzE0NS10YWppbi1ncmlsbGVkLWNoaWNrZW4_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMTIxOCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD04MDUyOCZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTIwMjA4JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgpjkJgHn2PCnDPDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) packs a lime-chile punch. NOW TIME TO PLAY ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TNaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vY3Jvc3N3b3Jkcy9nYW1lL2RhaWx5LzIwMjIvMTIvMTg_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMTIxOCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD04MDUyOCZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTIwMjA4JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgpjkJgHn2PCnDPDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ Here’s a clue [from the Sunday crossword](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TNaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vY3Jvc3N3b3Jkcy9nYW1lL2RhaWx5LzIwMjIvMTIvMTg_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMTIxOCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD04MDUyOCZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTIwMjA4JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgpjkJgHn2PCnDPDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~): 96 Across: Québécois dish of French fries, cheese curds and gravy Take [our faces quiz](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TtaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vaW50ZXJhY3RpdmUvMjAyMi8xMi8xNS9icmllZmluZy90aGUtbW9ybmluZy1mYWNlcy1xdWl6LTIwMjIuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD05JmVtYz1lZGl0X25uXzIwMjIxMjE4Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTgwNTI4Jm5sPXRoZS1tb3JuaW5nJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD0xMjAyMDgmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmOQmAefY8KcM8NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) to see how well you remember notable people from this year. Here’s [today’s Spelling Bee](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TBaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vcHV6emxlcy9zcGVsbGluZy1iZWU_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMTIxOCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD04MDUyOCZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTIwMjA4JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgpjkJgHn2PCnDPDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~). Here’s [today’s Wordle](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TEaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vZ2FtZXMvd29yZGxlL2luZGV4Lmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMTIxOCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD04MDUyOCZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTIwMjA4JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgpjkJgHn2PCnDPDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~). Thanks for spending part of your weekend with The Times. Lauren Hard, Lauren Jackson, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Tom Wright-Piersanti and Ashley Wu contributed to The Morning. You can reach the team at themorning@nytimes.com. [Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TJaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vbmV3c2xldHRlcnMvbW9ybmluZy1icmllZmluZz9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD05JmVtYz1lZGl0X25uXzIwMjIxMjE4Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTgwNTI4Jm5sPXRoZS1tb3JuaW5nJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD0xMjAyMDgmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmOQmAefY8KcM8NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~). [Continue reading the main story](#a11y-skip-tracking_unit-2) Need help? Review our [newsletter help page](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TYaHR0cHM6Ly9oZWxwLm55dGltZXMuY29tL2hjL2VuLXVzL2FydGljbGVzLzM2MDAwMTQ4ODI2Ni1OZXdzbGV0dGVycz9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD05JmVtYz1lZGl0X25uXzIwMjIxMjE4Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTgwNTI4Jm5sPXRoZS1tb3JuaW5nJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD0xMjAyMDgmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmOQmAefY8KcM8NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) or [contact us](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TXaHR0cHM6Ly9oZWxwLm55dGltZXMuY29tL2hjL2VuLXVzL2FydGljbGVzLzExNTAxNTM4NTg4Ny1Db250YWN0LXVzP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTkmZW1jPWVkaXRfbm5fMjAyMjEyMTgmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9ODA1Mjgmbmw9dGhlLW1vcm5pbmcmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTEyMDIwOCZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKY5CYB59jwpwzw1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for the Morning newsletter from The New York Times, or as part of your New York Times account. To stop receiving these emails, [unsubscribe](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TJaHR0cHM6Ly9teWFjY291bnQubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vc2VnL3Vuc3Vic2NyaWJlL05OLzYzZjVkNGNhZmFiZTRhOTRlYWMwZjJmZTVhMDMxMjUyNGJmNjM4MmY1ZmM3NWYxNzAyZDVkMjc2ZTZiY2RjNWRmYWE0ZGRmNTFhN2U5YmRkYTg3ZjYzZmUyMDIyN2FjZT9lbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMTIxOCZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZzZW5kX2lkPTEyMDIwOCZ0ZT0xVwNueXRCCmOQmAefY8KcM8NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) or [manage your email preferences](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0SyaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vZW1haWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMTIxOCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD04MDUyOCZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTIwMjA4JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgpjkJgHn2PCnDPDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~). [Subscribe to The Times](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TKaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vc3Vic2NyaXB0aW9uP2NhbXBhaWduSWQ9OVJYNzgmY2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMTIxOCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD04MDUyOCZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTIwMjA4JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgpjkJgHn2PCnDPDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~)[Get The New York Times app](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0THaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vc2VydmljZXMvbW9iaWxlL2luZGV4Lmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMTIxOCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD04MDUyOCZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTIwMjA4JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgpjkJgHn2PCnDPDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) Connect with us on: [facebook](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0S1aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZmFjZWJvb2suY29tL255dGltZXM_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMTIxOCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD04MDUyOCZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTIwMjA4JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgpjkJgHn2PCnDPDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) [twitter](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0SwaHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9ueXRpbWVzP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTkmZW1jPWVkaXRfbm5fMjAyMjEyMTgmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9ODA1Mjgmbmw9dGhlLW1vcm5pbmcmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTEyMDIwOCZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKY5CYB59jwpwzw1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) [instagram](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0S3aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5zdGFncmFtLmNvbS9ueXRpbWVzLz9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD05JmVtYz1lZGl0X25uXzIwMjIxMjE4Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTgwNTI4Jm5sPXRoZS1tb3JuaW5nJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD0xMjAyMDgmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmOQmAefY8KcM8NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) [Change Your Email](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TBaHR0cHM6Ly9teWFjY291bnQubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vbWVtL2VtYWlsLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMTIxOCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD04MDUyOCZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTIwMjA4JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgpjkJgHn2PCnDPDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~)[Privacy Policy](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TiaHR0cDovL3d3dy5ueXRpbWVzLmNvbS9jb250ZW50L2hlbHAvcmlnaHRzL3ByaXZhY3kvcG9saWN5L3ByaXZhY3ktcG9saWN5Lmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMTIxOCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD04MDUyOCZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTIwMjA4JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgpjkJgHn2PCnDPDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~)[Contact Us](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TJaHR0cHM6Ly9teWFjY291bnQubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vbWVtYmVyY2VudGVyL2hlbHAuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD05JmVtYz1lZGl0X25uXzIwMjIxMjE4Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTgwNTI4Jm5sPXRoZS1tb3JuaW5nJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD0xMjAyMDgmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmOQmAefY8KcM8NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~)[California Notices](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0TGaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vcHJpdmFjeS9jYWxpZm9ybmlhLW5vdGljZT9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD05JmVtYz1lZGl0X25uXzIwMjIxMjE4Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTgwNTI4Jm5sPXRoZS1tb3JuaW5nJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD0xMjAyMDgmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmOQmAefY8KcM8NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) [LiveIntent Logo](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0ROaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubGl2ZWludGVudC5jb20vcG93ZXJlZC1ieT90ZT0xJm5sPXRoZS1tb3JuaW5nJmVtYz1lZGl0X25uXzIwMjIxMjE4VwNueXRCCmOQmAefY8KcM8NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~)[AdChoices Logo](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRlgYyYP0ROaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubGl2ZWludGVudC5jb20vYWQtY2hvaWNlcz90ZT0xJm5sPXRoZS1tb3JuaW5nJmVtYz1lZGl0X25uXzIwMjIxMjE4VwNueXRCCmOQmAefY8KcM8NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018