The Evening: Russian troops swarm eastern Ukraine

Plus, Wall Street sees more gains ahead.

View in browser|nytimes.com December 31, 2024 By Jonathan Wolfe Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Tuesday. An uptick in Russian attacks Wall Street gains Plus, a year of sequels Myrnohrad, in eastern Ukraine, in November. Tyler Hicks/The New York Times Russian forces are swarming Ukrainian positions in the East Across hundreds of miles of the front, Ukrainian forces are waging dozens of pitched battles for patches of land no bigger than a few city blocks. The scope of Russian attacks continues to grow, despite staggering losses, and Russia is throwing greater numbers of soldiers into the assaults than it did in some earlier stages of the fighting, according to soldiers and military analysts. The Russian troops have also been using electric scooters, motorcycles and ATVs, which allow them to disperse quickly across the front, a Ukrainian official told The Times. The stepped-up attacks have heightened longstanding concerns over how Ukraine manages its military and have countered assumptions that Moscow's offensive would slow. In Russia, President Vladimir Putin used his New Year's Eve address to say the country was overcoming every challenge and moving forward. But he did not say where Russia was going, even as it suffers huge casualties in its war in Ukraine, struggles with rising inflation and absorbs diplomatic blows abroad. For more: Outnumbered and desperate, Ukraine has begun using explosives to turn cheap consumer drones into suicide drones. Justin Lane/EPA, via Shutterstock Wall Street sees more gains ahead The S&P 500 index was down slightly today, the final trading day of 2024, but it rose about 23.3 percent this year, roughly matching its gain in 2023. It was the first time the benchmark index had risen more than 20 percent in consecutive years since 1998. Investors are heading into 2025 in an optimistic mood, believing that, with the economy on firm footing and the White House in their corner, the stock market will continue to climb. More in business: Chinese companies previously sidestepped Donald Trump's tariffs by finding new channels to the U.S. market. They could do it again. Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany. Pool photo by Soeren Stache Germany's chancellor took a jab at Musk in his address In what will likely be his last New Year's Eve address, Olaf Scholz, Germany's chancellor, made an oblique reference to Elon Musk, a key adviser to President-elect Trump. Scholz condemned foreign interference in Germany's upcoming election and said that the race would "not be decided by the owners of social media channels." Musk has recently spoken out on social media and in a newspaper opinion essay in favor of the far-right Alternative for Germany party, which has neo-Nazi ties and is under surveillance by domestic intelligence for being extremist. San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico, today. Ricardo Arduengo/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Most of Puerto Rico is darkened by a blackout A sweeping blackout hit Puerto Rico early this morning, plunging most of the island into darkness on New Year's Eve. Only about 13 percent of Puerto Rico's 1.4 million utility customers had power this morning, according to Luma Energy, which supplies power to the U.S. territory. Luma said it would take 24 to 48 hours to restore power. More top news Middle East: The U.S. military said that it had carried out a series of strikes on the Houthis, the Iranian-backed group in Yemen. New York City: The woman burned alive on a Brooklyn train last week has been identified. Health: Norovirus cases are on the rise. Here's what to know. Myanmar: The country's brutal civil war has made it the capital of global crime. Virginia: The F.B.I. said that it found the largest cache of homemade explosives in the department's history at a farm outside Norfolk. Investigation: The controversial medical diagnosis of shaken baby syndrome can send parents to jail. But what if the symptoms are caused by something else? Guantánamo: The Pentagon repatriated a detainee who was brought to the military prison the day it opened, never charged and approved for transfer more than a decade ago. Olympics: The doping feud over positive tests among elite Chinese swimmers set off a dramatic power play that could cost Salt Lake City the 2034 Games. Hollywood: Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt reached a divorce settlement. TIME TO UNWIND Timothee Chalamet in "Dune: Part Two." Niko Tavernise/Warner Bros. Pictures A year of sequels A year ago, it seemed that audiences were finally hungry for fresh stories, with strong sales for films like "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer." But mass moviegoing swung back to the predictable this past year, with sequels filling nine of the top 10 slots at the North American box office. "Wicked" was the only top-10 outlier, counting as original, if only by a witchy whisker. Karsten Moran for The New York Times What will you eat in 2025? Food sociologists and other prognosticators see a year of offbeat choices that will be all about breaking rules and ignoring tradition. Among them: savory coffees made with sunchoke purée and avocado, great convenience-store cuisine borrowed from Japan, and sauces on everything, with new flavor extensions like pickle and chimichurri. Take a look at these other food predictions for 2025. Natalie Grono for The New York Times Your New Year's resolutions We asked readers to send us their most successful resolutions and how they kept them. Here's what they said: To take that trip. In early 2024, you asked readers what was the best advice they'd ever received. One lady wrote, "Book the Trip." That advice became my 2024 resolution. I booked a trip to the Great Barrier Reef, which had been on my bucket list for ages. Furthermore, I traveled solo. The entire experience was fantastic. My 2025 resolution is to keep traveling and book another trip! — Margaret Anne Breuer, Sarasota, Florida To write a gratitude letter to someone every day. I kept the resolution by turning it into a simple, daily ritual. By the end of the year, I had written 365 letters to friends, family, teachers, mentors and even people I hadn't spoken to in years. What surprised me most was how this resolution didn't just impact the people receiving the letters — it also transformed the way I saw the world. By focusing on gratitude daily, I deepened my relationships, rekindled old ones and learned to find beauty in even the smallest moments of connection. — Joelle Roth, Makati, Philippines Dinner table topics Illustration by Ben Denzer; source photographs by Paul Denzer and Daria LeGrand At-home beauty: As the science of skin care expands, some of those advances have landed directly in consumers' hands. Is that a good thing? Food tourism is dead: In an Opinion piece, a writer argues that the real cutting edge of culinary exploration is the intersection of tradition and diaspora. No laughing matter: For comics, honing jokes has taken a back seat to marketing. That's not good, our comedy critic writes. Raw water: Untreated water enthusiasts swear by natural springs. Their movement has parallels with those of raw milk drinkers and vaccine skeptics. WHAT TO DO TONIGHT Kate Sears for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini. Cook: Celebrate tonight with one of these great New Year's Eve cocktails. Read: In "You'll Never Believe Me," a sharp and very funny memoir, Kari Ferrell details going from internet notoriety to self-knowledge. Watch: Our critic walks you through a resonant scene from "All We Imagine as Light." Travel: Here's how to score a first-class upgrade on your next flight. Resolve: If you've decided to become great at meal prep, waste less food or just eat breakfast, here are tips — and dishes to set you up for success. Shop: Take a look at the most popular Wirecutter-approved home products of 2024. Play: Today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. For more, find all our games here. ONE LAST THING NASA A glowing New Year's Eve Fireworks won't be the only thing lighting up the sky during New Year celebrations tonight. A geomagnetic storm could make the northern lights visible across areas of the northern U.S., from Washington to Maine, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Another geomagnetic storm could make the lights visible again after sundown tomorrow. To properly see the pink and red streaks in the skies, experts recommend going to an area with little light pollution, away from city lights. Have a brilliant evening. Thanks for reading. We're off tomorrow for the holiday. Matthew Cullen will be here Thursday. — Jonathan Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at evening@nytimes.com. And follow The New York Times on Instagram, Threads, Facebook and TikTok at @nytimes. Writer: Matthew Cullen Editors: Carole Landry, Whet Moser, Justin Porter, Jonathan Wolfe Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for The Evening from The New York Times. 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