With Trump in Power, Democrats Try to Redefine Themselves as Disrupters

Since President Trump’s rise, Democrats have served as defenders of a political system many Americans believe is broken. Now the party is trying a new approach.“The Democratic Party should be leading, rather than just saying: ‘No, no, no. Status quo, status quo,’” Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan,

L Lisa Lerer

Man Shot in ICE Confrontation in Maryland, Officials Say

Federal and local officials said the man, an immigrant from Portugal, tried to flee and harm agents. He and another man were hospitalized after a vehicle they were in crashed.A shooting in Glen Burnie, Md., involving a U.S. Immigration and Customs officer left two people hospitalized. They were in s

J Jazmine Ulloa and Charlotte Dulany

Why Russia Is Likely to Reject the New US-Ukrainian Peace Plan

The first draft essentially called for Ukraine’s surrender. The revised version includes the security guarantees Kyiv wants to prevent future Russian aggression.A resident at an apartment building hit by a Russian drone during an aerial attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Tuesday.

I Ivan Nechepurenko

‘Carol of the Bells’ Once Filled the Air Here. Now It’s Only Bombs.

Mykola Leontovych, the Ukrainian composer of the famed festive song, lived in the eastern city of Pokrovsk. Months of Russian assaults have erased most tributes to his life there.A statue of the Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych outside a park in Pokrovsk, Ukraine, in August last year, a few days

C Constant Méheut and Olha Konovalova

A Million More Epstein Documents Have Been Found, Justice Dept. Says

Democratic lawmakers, who had criticized the Justice Department’s release of the material, accused the Trump administration of violating the law mandating the release of the files.An undated image of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell released by the Justice Department.

D Devlin Barrett and Michael Gold

They Were Supposed to Protect Young Workers. Instead, They Cashed In.

Profit-seekers co-opted America’s premier cultural exchange program, the J-1 visa, which brought young people to work in the United States. Some sponsors charged thousands in fees.The State Department has allowed private sponsor organizations to exercise enormous amounts of control over the J-1 visa

A Amy Julia Harris

After Suffering in Israeli Prison, a Gaza Detainee Comes Home to More Pain

Haitham Salem spent 11 months held by Israel without charge and said he endured beatings and abuse. He was released as part of the cease-fire deal, longing to return to his family.Haitham Salem, a Palestinian electrician, at a camp for displaced people in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, in December.

B Bilal Shbair and Isabel Kershner

With Airspace Closed, a Lonely Christmas for Many Venezuelans

The holidays usually bring home huge numbers from the Venezuelan diaspora. But this year, after international airlines halted almost all service, many people are spending Christmas alone and on edge.Most foreign flights into and out of Simón Bolivar International Airport, the main airport serving Ve

A Annie Correal

Coquito Was Once a Puerto Rican Secret. Now Everybody Knows.

The Puerto Rican rum and coconut drink used to be passed down within families, but now it has become a holiday party staple beyond the community.Coquito’s ingredients are straightforward, but finding the right mix is not so easy.

T Taylor Robinson and Natalie Keyssar

He Was Locked Up in a Psych Ward. It Helped Him Get His Life Together.

Lamar Brown went through a rigorous program at a New York State psychiatric hospital aimed at stopping the “revolving door” for homeless people with mental illness.Lamar Brown in Riverside Park, near his Manhattan apartment, in September. He moved to the apartment last year after a lengthy stay at a

A Andy Newman

‘Marty Supreme’ Review: Timothée Chalamet Sprints to the Top

The actor stars as a magnetic, striving table-tennis champ in Josh Safdie’s new movie, one of the most exciting movies of the year.Timothée Chalamet in “Marty Supreme,” set in 1952 New York and directed by Josh Safdie with electrifying flourish.

M Manohla Dargis

The Ping-Pong Hustler Who Inspired ‘Marty Supreme’

Volleying questions with the table tennis champ Marty Reisman, an inspiration for Timothée Chalamet’s new film, showed that he was a character in his own right.Marty Reisman won 22 major table tennis titles over the course of a colorful career.

M Matt Flegenheimer

Heavy Rains and Floods Threaten California on Christmas Day

Much of Southern California remained at risk of potentially deadly floods on Thursday and Santa Barbara Airport was closed, as heavy rains showed little sign of easing through the week.A view of Downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday. On Christmas Day.

F Francesca Regalado

The Year in News

We look back at 2025.Clockwise from top left, Pope Leo XIV; Volodymyr Zelensky and President Trump; wildfires in California; Zohran Mamdani.

L Lauren Jackson