The Evening: Trump’s winding news conference

Also, Syria's new leader called for sanctions to be lifted.

View in browser|nytimes.com December 16, 2024 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Monday. Trump's wide-ranging news conference A school shooting in Wisconsin Plus, the most "annoying" Christmas song Donald Trump at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla. Maddie McGarvey for The New York Times Trump held his first news conference as president-elect Donald Trump invited reporters to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida today for his first news conference since the election. The president-elect spent nearly half an hour jumping from one topic to another, including border security, tax cuts and the war in Ukraine, before taking questions. The event was in many ways reminiscent of Trump's first term, when he relished seizing the world's attention. Trump said Ukraine should be ready to make a deal, cited debunked data linking vaccines and autism, threatened more lawsuits against media companies and accused the Biden administration of hiding the truth about recent drone sightings. We fact-checked the event. Trump said he would consider pardoning Eric Adams, the mayor of New York City, and claimed that Elon Musk would be able to cut $2 trillion from the federal budget with "no impact on people." He also announced that SoftBank, the Japanese tech investment giant, plans to inject $100 billion in American projects, likely to be focused on the infrastructure needed to support the A.I. boom. At one point, Trump suggested that he was being treated better than last time he was elected. "The first term, everybody was fighting me," he said. "In this term, everybody wants to be my friend. I don't know — my personality changed or something." In other politics news: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump's choice for health secretary, met with senators to make his case for a spot in Trump's cabinet. Pete Hegseth, Trump's defense secretary pick, has been escorted by a security guard who left the Army after he was accused of beating a civilian during training. A tech supplier's sudden loss of undocumented workers foreshadowed the potential economic fallout of Trump's immigration plans. The Fed appears to be headed for another collision with Trump. Some Democrats fear that a constitutional convention could be coming. Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wis., after a shooting today. Morry Gash/Associated Press Two people killed in a Wisconsin school shooting A teenage student opened fire this morning at a Christian school in Madison, Wis., killing one student and one teacher, the authorities said. Six others were injured, including two students who have life-threatening injuries. The suspect — who police said had attended the school, but declined for now to release their name, age or gender — was found fatally wounded inside the school. The authorities said that they had not yet identified a motive. Here's the latest. A photograph provided by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham showing Ahmed al-Shara, the leader of the rebel coalition in Damascus, today. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham Syria's new leader called for sanctions to be lifted The leader of the rebel alliance that swept to power in Syria last week urged the U.S. and other countries to remove terrorism designations from his group and to lift sanctions that had been imposed on Bashar al-Assad's government. In an interview today, the leader, Ahmed al-Shara, said the moves would allow the new government to focus on rebuilding Syria. The group has also begun to receive diplomats from the U.N., the Middle East and Europe. In related news, al-Assad gave what appeared to be his first public remarks since fleeing Syria. He said he was evacuated by Russian forces as the rebels advanced on the capital, but that he had wanted to stay and fight. Clemens Bilan/EPA, via Shutterstock Germany's government collapsed German lawmakers voted today to dissolve Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government, placing Europe's largest economy in the hands of a caretaker government. Scholz had called for the vote last month after his three-party coalition splintered, leaving him without a parliamentary majority to pass laws or a budget. Snap elections are expected on Feb. 23. More top news Business: TikTok asked the Supreme Court to block a law that would effectively ban it in the U.S. Court: Carlos Watson, co-founder of the now-defunct company Ozy Media, received a nearly 10-year prison sentence for trying to defraud investors and lenders. Canada: Chrystia Freeland, the deputy prime minister, abruptly resigned in a stinging rebuke that raised questions about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's hold on power. East Coast: Officials have received more than 5,000 tips about drone sightings. They insist there's nothing unusual going on. New York City: Mayor Eric Adams was denied public matching funds for his re-election campaign as he faces federal corruption charges. Bangladesh: The ousted prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, orchestrated a program of mass disappearances, a preliminary government report found. Education: Black student enrollment at Harvard Law dropped by more than half. Mayotte: Officials in the French territory, off the eastern coast of Africa, fear that the death toll from Tropical Cyclone Chido could be in the hundreds. Labor: A Senate committee said that it found that senior executives at Amazon disregarded internal warnings about injuries tied to strict production quotas. Myanmar: Nearly four years into a grinding civil conflict, the economy is in ruins and professionals have been forced into sex work. Health: Seeking relief from brain injury symptoms, some veterans are going abroad for psychedelics that are illegal in the U.S. TIME TO UNWIND The breakout stars of 2024 The artists, actors and musicians who rose to the top in 2024 pushed boundaries. The Times made a list of the top 10 performers who shook up their scenes and resonated with fans this year. Our list includes Chappell Roan, who went from camp counselor last year to pop phenomenon (or "Femininomenon") this year; Richard Gadd for his award-winning Netflix show, "Baby Reindeer"; and Mikey Madison, who had a star turn in "Anora." See who else made our list. Zakir Hussain in 2022.  Piyal Adhikary/EPA, via Shutterstock Remembering Zakir Hussain, a tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain, the celebrated Indian percussionist and composer who won a Grammy this year for best global music album, died over the weekend at 73. He was a both a master of North Indian classical music and a linchpin of far-reaching world-music fusions. Maansi Srivastava/The New York Times What holiday tradition do you cherish most? For many of us, the holidays are full of traditions. There are the classics, like ice skating, and the more modern, like bingeing holiday movies with family. With the holidays on the horizon, we're asking readers: What's the tradition, old or new, that you're most looking forward to this year? To share your thoughts, fill out this form. We may contact you to include your contribution in The Evening. Thea Traff for The New York Times Dinner table topics Mikhail Baryshnikov: Is he the last of the highbrow superstars? It's not easy: Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie deliver a surprising education in opera. A deadly lure: For more than a century, subway surfing has attracted thrill seekers. Social media has compounded the problem. Our Well desk answers: Is protein powder a scam? WHAT TO DO TONIGHT Christopher Testani for The New York Times Cook: Indulge with this creamy no-bake cheesecake. Watch: "Upon Open Sky" is one of the best international movies to stream right now. Read: The author of "The Woman in Cabin 10" recommended 10 thrillers set in remote places. Listen: Check out these new Christmas albums. Plan: Juneau, Alaska, becomes a deal-seeker's paradise in the winter. Dress: Our fashion critic explored whether it's ever OK to go barefoot in public. Compete: Take this week's Flashback history quiz. Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all our games here. ONE LAST THING The songwriter Randy Brooks. Desiree Rios for The New York Times How the wackiest Christmas song became a hit On a snowy night in 1978, Randy Brooks, an aspiring songwriter, found himself stranded after a gig at a hotel near Lake Tahoe. He went back inside, where he was invited onstage to perform with a bluegrass duo. That chance encounter led to the creation of what might be the unlikeliest holiday hit: "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer." The tune — written by Brooks and released by Elmo & Patsy, the duo he met that night — hit No. 1 on a Billboard holiday chart in 1983. Decades later, listeners still can't get the song out of their heads. Have a catchy evening. Thanks for reading. I'll be back tomorrow. — Matthew Sean Kawasaki-Culligan was our photo editor today. We welcome your feedback. Write to us at evening@nytimes.com. 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. To stop receiving The Evening, 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. 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