NTD News Today

Local leaders in the city of Bethlehem in the West Bank scaled back Christmas celebrations amid the war in Gaza. The birthplace of Jesus Christ, usually teeming with tourists during Christmas, had no large Christmas tree in the city center and no parades this year.

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who was reported missing, was located in a penal colony in Siberia. His spokesperson announced on X that Mr. Navalny was moved to a penal colony in Kharp, one of the most remote colonies in Russia.

A large caravan of 6,000 migrants is trekking through Mexico and heading towards the U.S. southern border. They are believed to be the largest migrant caravan in more than a year, with people coming from Central America, Venezuela, Cuba, and other countries.

New York City’s teachers union sued Mayor Eric Adams on Dec. 21 to block his plan to cut $550 million from the city’s public schools. Adams has argued that slashing city spending is necessary to offset the rising costs of New York’s illegal immigrant crisis.

Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said on Dec. 21 that the FBI has investigated more than 1,800 reports or tips of terrorism threats related to the Israel–Hamas war. The FBI is concerned about individual bad actors that could carry out an attack on their own—and foreign terrorists that could potentially have slipped across the southern border.

House Republicans have released new records that they say show President Joe Biden was complicit in his son Hunter Biden's global influence-peddling scheme. Joe Biden allegedly exchanged emails with Eric Schwerin—a business associate of Hunter Biden—over 300 times during his term as vice president.

After the Colorado Supreme Court ruled to remove former President Donald Trump from the state's primary ballot on Dec. 19, other states are considering similar options. California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis has called on the secretary of state to explore every possible legal avenue to block President Trump from the state’s presidential primary ballot.

A shooting at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, killed at least 15 people and injured dozens more. The incident happened in the city center near a popular tourist spot.

The United Nations attempted on Thursday to negotiate a new resolution on aid for Gaza. Disagreements over a cessation of hostilities and inspections of aid trucks are holding up the vote.

The Colorado Supreme Court has ruled that former President Donald Trump is ineligible to appear on the state's primary ballot. An analyst weighs in on whether the decision was justified, how Trump's appeal could look, and if other states might soon follow suit.

The IRS is dropping the failure-to-pay penalty for roughly 4.7 million taxpayers. Those who didn't receive an automated collection notice in 2020 and 2021 will have their penalties waived.

Israel and Hamas are back at the negotiating table for another hostage and cease-fire deal. Israel is proposing a week-long cease-fire in exchange for roughly 40 hostages.

An earthquake in China has killed at least 120 people and injured hundreds more, according to Chinese state media. The 5.9 magnitude tremor jolted a remote and mountainous region in the country's northwest.

The government of Iceland said Monday night's sizeable volcanic eruption poses no threat to life and that it won't affect air travel, with international flight corridors remaining open.

A federal judge is halting the removal of a Confederate statue at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. A lawsuit alleges the Department of Defense violated the National Environmental Policy Act in its attempt to remove the memorial.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is in Tel Aviv on Monday for meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the country's defense minister. Mr. Austin is vowing continued U.S. support—and especially in the mission to recover the hostages taken by the Hamas terrorist group.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) says the narrative that President Joe Biden knew nothing about his son’s business dealings is not holding up anymore.

Southwest Airlines has agreed to pay a record-breaking $140 million civil penalty over a holiday meltdown from December last year, which led to 16,900 flight cancellations and left 2 million passengers stranded.

U.S. National Security adviser Jake Sullivan met with both Israeli leadership and Palestinian Authority officials on Friday to discuss a timetable for scaling back the intense fighting currently ongoing between the IDF and the Hamas terrorist group.

A rail collision in Beijing has sent over 500 people to the hospital as heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures hit the Chinese capital.

Cartel violence in Mexico is increasing. Some Mexicans explain that they’re leaving their homes for safety reasons, saying the cartels have become too powerful.

In an unexpected move, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani is not testifying in his defamation case. Instead, his lawyers wrapped up their arguments in favor of smaller damages.

Ohio is very close to banning gender-related procedures for minors—and banning transgender athletes in single-sex sports. The Ohio State Senate passed a major bill on the issue yesterday.

Video footage is showing the aftermath of a major subway accident in Beijing. A train car broke in two while the subway was in motion.

President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, is defying a congressional subpoena for a closed-door deposition with the House Oversight and Judiciary committees.

The Education Department's Office for Civil Rights is planning to investigate six colleges for alleged discrimination, including anti-Semitic and Islamophobic discrimination.

A congressional probe has revealed that pharmacy prescription records aren't so private. The investigation found that police have been able to access the information without a warrant.

The Supreme Court has accepted Special Counsel Jack Smith's request to weigh in on his Jan. 6 case against former President Donald Trump. Mr. Smith wants to skip President Trump’s appeal process—which would argue presidential immunity—in an attempt to keep the March 4 trial date on track.

Harvard President Claudine Gay will keep her job despite her comments last week at a congressional hearing on anti-Semitism. The Harvard Corporation said Monday that Ms. Gay is the right leader for it to "address the very serious societal issues we are facing."

Expelled Republican Rep. George Santos is discussing a plea deal with federal prosecutors. The former New York Congressman appeared in court today on Long Island for a status conference.