The Morning: The Year in Pictures

Plus, Lloyd Austin, Pope Francis and Christmastime in the cosmos.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story December 19, 2023 By David Leonhardt Good morning. We're covering the Year in Pictures — as well as Lloyd Austin, Pope Francis and Christmastime in the cosmos. Images of 2023 Until 1910, The New York Times never ran photographs on its front page. Until 1997, those photos were always black and white. For the last several decades, however, photography has been central to our journalism. And the internet has allowed us to show readers more photos than we ever could in print alone. Photography shapes most major parts of our report, including this newsletter. A signature part of our coverage is our Year in Pictures feature, published every December. The 2023 version is now available. As Marc Lacey, one of The Times's two managing editors, writes in an introduction: Every year, our photo editors try to capture the best photojournalism in one intense presentation. The Year in Pictures is a way to commemorate the big news events from January to December: the ones that traumatized us — and there are many of those — mixed in with some moments of bliss. Below are a selection of 10 photos from the Year in Pictures, with brief captions. Tamir Kalifa for The New York Times Evgenia Simanovich ran to her home's concrete shelter in Ashkelon, Israel, moments after a rocket siren sounded on Oct. 7. Samar Abu Elouf for The New York Times Palestinian children playing in a courtyard in Gaza City paused to look skyward at the sound of airstrikes on Oct 7. Tamir Kalifa for The New York Times Caitlyne Gonzales, 11, danced to Taylor Swift songs at the grave of her friend Jackie Cazares, who was one of the 19 students killed last year in a mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Amir Hamja/The New York Times Fans dressed in their "Renaissance" best, right down to the manicure, for the Beyoncé concert at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 30. Dave Sanders for The New York Times The Brooklyn Bridge, along with much of the Midwest and East Coast, was shrouded in reddish haze from wildfires in Quebec and Ontario on June 7. New York experienced its worst air quality on record. David Guttenfelder for The New York Times Ukrainian soldiers rested inside a destroyed building on the outskirts of Blahodatne on June 15. The newly liberated but desolate village was one of a handful that Ukraine said it had retaken during the first weeks of its counteroffensive against Russia. Damon Winter/The New York Times From left, Chris Christie, Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy were among the seven candidates who sparred in the second Republican presidential primary debate in Simi Valley, Calif., on Sept. 27. Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The New York Times Hundreds of migrants at a makeshift camp waited to be processed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection during a wind storm on May 10. Todd Heisler/The New York Times Migrants from Afghanistan passing the Statue of Liberty en route to Ellis Island to fill out asylum applications on Aug. 16. Arezo Mohammadi, at rear in a white head scarf, texted her sister, "She's very big, you can see her, she's incredible." Mette Lampcov for The New York Times Visitors admired the sunset at Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park on Nov. 1. A lake formed in the normally dry salt bed earlier this year when Tropical Storm Hilary dumped 2.2 inches of rain, the most that had ever fallen in the park in a single day. You can find the rest of the Year in Pictures here. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT THE LATEST NEWS Israel-Hamas War Lloyd Austin, left, and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant of Israel. Violeta Santos Moura/Reuters Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, visiting with Israel's leaders, urged them to protect civilians in Gaza. The C.I.A. director met with Israeli and Qatari officials to discuss restarting hostage and prisoner exchanges between Israel and Hamas. Most voters disapprove of President Biden's handling of the war, a New York Times/Siena College poll finds. And many more Americans sympathize more with Israel than with Palestinians. Global oil prices rose after BP said it had stopped sending tankers through the Red Sea. Iran-backed Yemeni rebels have been attacking ships there. Many Israelis, disenchanted with the prospect for peace following the Oct. 7 attacks, are becoming more conservative in their politics. "They looked like shadows of children": Doctors treating Israeli children freed from Hamas said that many spoke in whispers and that some regressed developmentally, The Wall Street Journal reports. Tech Google said that it would allow app developers to collect payments directly from consumers and that it would pay $700 million to settle an antitrust suit brought by a group of state attorneys general. A judge sentenced the founder of Nikola, an electric truck start-up, to four years in prison for inflating his company's value with extravagant, false claims. The E.U. is investigating X, accusing it of lax moderation of illicit content and disinformation. Apple will pause the sale of new versions of its smartwatch, after the company lost a patent dispute over technology used to detect pulse rates. More on Business U.S. Steel, formed by J.P. Morgan and Andrew Carnegie over a century ago, agreed to a sale to the Japanese company Nippon Steel. Drugs like morphine and insulin have been in short supply. American officials have discussed price floors and government manufacturing to address the shortages. A jury ordered Monsanto to pay $857 million to students and parent volunteers who were exposed to dangerous chemicals at a school in Washington State. Politics Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas signed a law that lets the police arrest migrants who cross the border from Mexico. Senators continue to negotiate over immigration policy. Chuck Schumer, the majority leader, said a deal was still far from complete. Judges rejected Mark Meadows's effort to move the Georgia election case against him to federal court. Organizers of the rally preceding the Jan. 6 attack knew that Donald Trump would urge his supporters to march to the Capitol but lied about it to federal officials, an inspector general investigation found. The Chinese government increased its efforts to influence American politics during the 2022 elections, an intelligence report said. International A view from Reykjavik. Brynjar Gunnarsson/Associated Press After weeks of warning, a volcano in southwestern Iceland began erupting. The size of the eruption was larger than expected, but it currently poses no risk to people. An earthquake in northwestern China killed at least 120 people, crumpling buildings while residents slept inside. Russia is using secretive shipping workarounds to avoid export restrictions. Abdel Fattah el-Sisi won a third term as Egypt's president. He had the advantage of his authoritarian grip on the country, and the war in Gaza also helped him. Other Big Stories Pope Francis will allow priests to bless couples in same-sex relationships, though the Roman Catholic Church still does not recognize same-sex marriages. American Catholics are split. Chimpanzees and bonobos can recall faces of other apes that they have not seen for years, a study suggests. One bonobo recognized a face after 26 years, a record for nonhuman species. A judge halted the removal of a confederate statue from Arlington National Cemetery. Opinions Henry Kissinger's critics forget that his brand of diplomacy brought results, Charles Kupchan writes. Democrats have long taken advantage of Black Americans. Instead of blaming Trump, they have to look at their own faults, Mara Gay writes. Here's a column by Paul Krugman on the economy. The Holiday Sale on Cooking ends soon. Subscribe today. 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 The Christmas Tree Galaxy Cluster. NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI. A cosmic Christmas: How astronomers find holiday cheer — and scientific wonder — in the cosmos. Late-night leftovers: Researchers say it's worth reconsidering your midnight snack. In memoriam: The first female Supreme Court justice and a convention-flouting Brazilian musician are among the notable figures who died this year. See the full list. Lives Lived: Jeanne Hoff, perhaps the first openly transgender psychiatrist, shared the experience of her transition in a documentary to encourage her patients, many of whom were also transgender, to live openly and confidently. She died at 85. SPORTS N.F.L.: The Seattle Seahawks scored in the last minute to hand a third straight loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Soccer: The National Women's Soccer League expansion draft for its two new franchises is drawing ire from stars and coaches. College football: Dylan Raiola, a top quarterback prospect, flipped his commitment from Georgia to Nebraska, where he has family history. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ARTS AND IDEAS A magazine cover. Charities Aid Foundation America Wartime satire: For two years, during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, Curt Bloch, a German Jew, lived in a tiny crawl space of a Dutch home. In addition to food and care, his helpers also provided him with pens, glue and newspapers. Bloch used the materials to create 95 issues of a satirical poetry magazine called Het Onderwater Cabaret, or The Underwater Cabaret, between August 1943 and April 1945, when he was liberated. Now, decades later, the magazine will be exhibited in a museum in Berlin. More on culture "House of Representatives or House of Gucci?": George Santos sat down for a 17-minute interview with Ziwe Fumudoh, who is known for her uncomfortable questions. Marvel Studios dropped the actor Jonathan Majors after a jury found him guilty of assault and harassment for attacking his girlfriend. The late-night hosts discuss a jury's ordering Rudy Giuliani to pay $148 million in defamation damages. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Braise chicken with white wine, mushrooms and leeks. Play the year's best video games. Grab a gift at the grocery store. GAMES Here is today's Spelling Bee. Yesterday's pangram was occupant. 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 P.S. The Republican-led House of Representatives impeached President Bill Clinton 25 years ago today. 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. 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