The Morning: Holiday games and music

Plus, Gaza, Ukraine and boygenius.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story December 25, 2023 By David Leonhardt Good morning. We offer a selection of games and music for the holiday — as well as coverage of Gaza, Ukraine and boygenius. Fiordaliso/Getty Images A day to play My colleagues and I thought today would be a good day to remind you of some recent Times games — as well as an all-time classic — that you can play on your own or with friends and family. We'll start with our recent Faces quiz, in which we asked you to identify 52 people who made news in 2023. We are adding a bonus in today's newsletter. At the end of the Faces quiz, we asked players to name somebody who they thought should have been included on our list and was not. Below are the 12 most frequently mentioned people. We provide an answer key, with their names, at the bottom of today's newsletter. The New York Times The New York Times The New York Times If you can't get enough Faces, the 2022 and 2021 versions are still available. We also recommend you try this holiday-themed version of Flashback, The Times's history quiz. It includes Stonehenge, holly, Rudolph and Mariah Carey. Both today's Connections game and the Mini have holiday themes, too. And if you haven't yet tried the Kiki-Bouba game, it's quick and fun. As for that all-time classic: Many people are spending today with a geographically diverse mix of relatives or friends. Such a gathering can be a great place to take The Times's dialect quiz, released 10 years ago, and see what it tells you about the roots of your own speech pattern. The quiz remains one of the most widely read pieces of Times journalism in our long history. We have since developed a dialect quiz for Britain and Ireland, too. Finally, I have a music recommendation, whether you're spending the day celebrating Christmas, relaxing or working. My personal soundtrack during this time of year is the re-imagination of Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker Suite" by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn. It's a delightful background music for any activity today. You can listen to a performance by the Eric Felten Jazz Orchestra on Apple Music, Spotify or YouTube. (The Ellington-Strayhorn Nutcracker starts with the sixth track, titled "Introduction.") And here's a recent Times article by Hugh Morris on other re-imaginations of "The Nutcracker." Whatever you're doing, I hope you enjoy the day. Programming note: This week, we will be using The Morning to highlight The Times's best journalism of 2023, especially work that we think is worth revisiting. As always, The Morning will also provide you with a summary of the day's news and links to full Times coverage. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT THE LATEST NEWS Israel-Hamas War Israeli officials said they would intensify their fight against Hamas. The Gazan health ministry said dozens were killed in airstrikes in a central Gaza neighborhood. Israel's economy is expected to shrink by 2 percent this quarter, as hundreds of thousands of workers are displaced by the war or called up as reservists. The Iran-backed Houthi militia is sowing chaos in the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia would rather watch the developments from the sidelines. In the U.S., some see parallels between campus protests over Gaza and demonstrations during the Vietnam War. War in Ukraine In Kyiv. Finbarr O'Reilly for The New York Times After centuries of marking Christmas on Jan. 7, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church formally switched to celebrating on Dec. 25 with much of Europe — and not with Russia. The Ukrainian police arrested a senior defense official on suspicions that he embezzled nearly $40 million. A Ukrainian soldier escaped from an embattled steel plant and sneaked 125 miles to Ukrainian territory. Read his story. International Opposition leaders in the Democratic Republic of Congo, citing fraud accusations, called for an annulment of the recent general election results. Kashmiris are asking for an investigation into the deaths of three civilians who were taken into custody for questioning by Indian soldiers. Leaders in South Africa are pitching crackdowns on foreigners to appeal to voters. A thriving border town undercuts the nation's anti-immigrant mood. Other Big Stories In Arkansas. Rory Doyle for The New York Times Americans' increasing diet of chicken and dairy has taken a toll on underground water supplies. Ron DeSantis entered 2023 flush with cash and momentum. In the months since, internal campaign chaos and Donald Trump's indictments have sapped support. Truckers across the country are faced with a persistent issue: where to find parking. The group that runs Harvard has projected unity around its president, Claudine Gay. But behind the scenes, there are signs of tensions. An island in San Francisco Bay is for sale. It's listed for $25 million. Few in the U.S. will have a white Christmas this year. See a map of the country's snow forecasts. Opinions An author's fake-review scandal shook the book discussion site Goodreads. It's a wake-up call for Amazon to invest more in the popular forum, Maris Kreizman writes. Christians love Jesus because he empathizes with our suffering, Peter Wehner writes. It's antidemocratic to remove Trump from the ballot, Ross Douthat writes. The Holiday Sale ends today. Last chance to save on Cooking. Less mess, less stress. A Cooking subscription brings you easy recipes plus step-by-step guides, videos, photos and more. Subscribe and save 50% on your first year of Cooking. MORNING READS Juggling at a circus school. Chang W. Lee/The New York Times Circus stars: Mongolia produces some of the most coveted circus performers in the world despite a lack of training facilities and government support. Red meat: Long the epitome of holiday luxury in America, prime rib's place on the table has changed with tastes — and the economy. Ask Vanessa: What does it mean to "dress your age"? Knowing what makes you feel good, says The Times's chief fashion critic. Out of thin air: Black holes were thought to arise from the collapse of dead stars. There might be an alternative way. Metropolitan Diary: The best entry of 2023. Lives Lived: Mildred Miller was a mezzo-soprano who spent 23 years at the Metropolitan Opera. She died at 98. SPORTS Sunday Night Football: The New England Patriots upset the Denver Broncos, 26-23. Around the N.F.L.: The Detroit Lions clinched their first division title since 1993 with a win against the Minnesota Vikings. And the Miami Dolphins rallied to defeat the Dallas Cowboys, 22-20. See takeaways from Week 16. Soccer: The owners of Manchester United announced that they sold a 25 percent stake in the team to a British petrochemical billionaire. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ARTS AND IDEAS A poster for "Kaathal." Priyadarshini Ravichandran for The New York Times Beyond the glitz: Indian cinema is often equated with the glamour and noise of Bollywood, but in a nation of 1.4 billion, regional film industries are distinct as their languages. In the southern state of Kerala, home of Malayalam-language cinema, audiences are increasingly turning out for more nuanced and human-driven stories like the recent hit "Kaathal," about a gay closeted politician. More on culture It was a breakout year for the band boygenius. The Times went backstage with the supergroup. Fantasia Barrino-Taylor discussed her role playing the protagonist Celie Johnson in "The Color Purple." THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini. Whip up an easy French toast that's special enough for a holiday morning. Watch an opera from the comfort of your home. Wear gloves that allow you to use touch screens. Scrape ice with a tool that's been a Wirecutter pick for years. Take our news quiz. GAMES Here is today's Spelling Bee. Yesterday's pangrams were headpin, pinhead and pinheaded. And here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku and Connections. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. — David The answers to today's bonus Faces quiz: 1. Volodymyr Zelensky; 2. Sandra Day O'Connor; 3. Norman Lear; 4. Greta Gerwig; 5. Shane MacGowan; 6. Gavin Newsom; 7. Andre Braugher; 8. Liz Cheney; 9. Fani Willis; 10. Jimmy Buffett; 11. Kevin McCarthy; 12. Jerome Powell. P.S. If you're still looking to make end-of-year donations, please consider The New York Times Communities Fund. Your tax-deductible donation will support 10 effective organizations helping those in need. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Continue reading the main story Editor: David Leonhardt News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Lauren Jackson, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us 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 The Morning, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018