December 14, 2025, 4:43 p.m. Eastern time

Hello there,

This newsletter includes coverage you might be interested in, based on what you've read. It might also include stories that are local to you.

Today's Top Pick for You

The New York Times How Did the C.I.A. Lose a Nuclear Device? A plutonium-packed generator disappeared on one of the world’s highest mountains in a covert mission that the U.S. will not talk about. Read more

From our Sunday Magazine

Audio | Why Won’t Senators Stand Up to Trump? We Asked 3 Who Called It Quits. The current and former lawmakers get candid about bipartisan politics, party leadership and the state of the Senate. 40 MIN LISTEN

This Year’s Film Performances Were So Good, We Had To Invent New Awards Best Acting in a Helmet, Best Nervous Breakdown, Craziest Charm—the film performances so good Wesley Morris had to invent his own categories.

They Answered an Ad for Surrogates, and Found Themselves in a Nightmare Eve was one of dozens of Thai women who traveled 4,000 miles — only to be trapped by the dark side of the global fertility industry.

Is It OK to Break Up With a Troubled Friend? At what point is stepping back self-protection rather than abandonment?

The Illustrated Children’s Book I’ll Never Stop Recommending to Adults James Marshall’s “George and Martha” books are witty and complex in their depictions of transformative friendship.

Tomorrow: From Opinion
Every day we'll feature stories from a different section. Check back daily.

More to discover

Opinion | Home-Schooled Kids Are Not All Right Not once, in the four and a half years I learned at home, did anyone from the state come to assess what sort of education I was receiving, or even just check on me.

My Boss Got Way Too Drunk at the Christmas Party And now I’m dealing with the consequences.

Is Times New Roman Better Than Calibri for the State Department? Type designers weigh in on the recent decision to replace Calibri with Times New Roman in official documents.

Is This the Ultimate Winter Sun Destination? Puerto Escondido, set on a stunning sweep of Mexico’s Pacific Coast, draws both big-wave surfers and starchitects.

Private Equity Finds a New Source of Profit: Volunteer Fire Departments Rural departments have long relied on cheap software solutions to keep their operations running. But fire chiefs report sharp price increases as investors have entered the market.

Take a break, play a game

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