Cale Yarborough, Hall of Fame NASCAR Driver, Dies at 84

He won the Daytona 500 four times, but his fistfight with Bobby Allison at a televised race “put NASCAR on the nationwide map.”

from NYT > Top Stories

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark to Step Down

Margrethe, the longest-serving monarch in Europe, announced during her New Year’s speech that she would abdicate her throne in January. Her eldest son, Crown Prince Frederik, will succeed her.

from NYT > Top Stories

Can Stony Brook University Balance Equity and Ambition?

Stony Brook University, one of two state schools designated as flagships, has aggressively fund-raised and recruited students.

from NYT > Top Stories

A Holiday Celebration Inspired by Old New York

The Old Stone Trade founder Melissa Ventosa Martin and the One Of designer Patricia Voto channeled the Gilded Age to fete their evening-wear collaboration.

from NYT > Top Stories

Michael Cohen Used Fake Cases Cited by A.I. to Seek an End to Court Supervision

Donald Trump’s former fixer had sought an early end to court supervision after his 2018 campaign finance conviction. He enlisted the help of Google Bard.

from NYT > Top Stories

Idaho Murders: Student House Demolished as Some Families Object

The University of Idaho moved ahead with plans to tear down an off-campus house where four students were murdered last year.

from NYT > Top Stories

Police identify man found shot in Arizona desert in 1976

The decades-old case resurfaced on Tuesday after police identified the body as that of an El Salvador man.

from BBC News - US & Canada

Why the Watermelon Emoji Is a Symbol of Support for Palestinians

The fruit has taken on new prominence since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war.

from NYT > Top Stories

National Association of Realtors Loses Its Grip on Real Estate Industry

The National Association of Realtors is facing antitrust lawsuits and sexual harassment allegations, and real estate agents are now looking for alternatives.

from NYT > Top Stories

Antony Blinken leads officials to Mexico as US seeks to stem migration

The top US diplomat meets with Mexico's president amid a surge in migration across the shared border.

from BBC News - US & Canada

Paula Murphy, Once ‘the Fastest Woman on Wheels,’ Dies at 95

She proved that women could gain fame as speed demons on land by setting records on the Bonneville Salt Flats and on the nation’s racetracks.

from NYT > Top Stories

Mongolians Are Circus Stars All Over the World, Except at Home

Contortionists and acrobats with celestial skills train in squalid conditions as the promise of a former sumo wrestler to restore the national circus to its past glory has gone mostly unfulfilled.

from NYT > Top Stories

Russia Sees a Western Hand Behind Serbian Street Protests

The accusations made by Russia’s ambassador to Serbia were the latest efforts by Moscow to thwart a diplomatic campaign to lure Serbia out of Russia’s orbit.

from NYT > Top Stories

Upper West Side Friends Remain Close After Near-Eviction

At 86, Sheila Sullivan remains the star of her own show, with Tina Dupuy as her enthusiastic sidekick.

from NYT > Top Stories

Easy No-Yeast Cinnamon Rolls, a Gift to Whoever’s in Charge of Breakfast

“Stop what you are doing and MAKE THIS.”

from NYT > Top Stories

Claudine Gay Turmoil Forces Harvard’s Secretive ‘Corporation’ Into Spotlight

Harvard’s powerful board has backed its president and said little else, yet a member privately said “generational change” may be needed.

from NYT > Top Stories

‘Ferrari’ Review: Michael Mann Puts You in the Driver’s Seat

The director’s portrait of the Italian racecar impresario roars to life on the road, but home is a torment. Adam Driver stars with Penélope Cruz and Shailene Woodley.

from NYT > Top Stories

When Social Security Becomes a Debt Collector

Every year, the agency tries to claw back billions in overpaid benefits — including from children who are unaware their parents collected money on their behalf.

from NYT > Top Stories

Sofia Boutella Talks ‘Rebel Moon’ and Madonna

Often playing a baddie in action films, she wasn’t sure she was ready to star. As a veteran dancer, she rather liked being an apprentice.

from NYT > Top Stories

Rirkrit Tiravanija’s Pad Thai Diplomacy at MoMA PS1

The artist’s midcareer survey at MoMA PS1 demonstrates the impotence of contemporary art to heal social ills.

from NYT > Top Stories

Homeless shelter raises $50k from auction of rare gold Nikes found in donation bin

The shoes, found at the bottom of a donation bin, were originally designed for director Spike Lee.

from BBC News - US & Canada

Japan to send Patriot missiles to US which may aid Ukraine

The move comes as Western powers run out of ammunition for Ukraine in its war with Russia.

from BBC News - US & Canada

Bellevue Hospital Bariatric Surgery Program Is Under NY State Scrutiny

The Health Dept. is looking into the public hospital’s use of unlicensed technicians during some bariatric surgeries.

from NYT > Top Stories

Alabama judge to rule on allowing execution by nitrogen

The state will look at the alternative execution method amid a spate of botched executions in the US.

from BBC News - US & Canada

What’s New at Texas Hill Country Hotels

Yes, megaresorts dominate the area’s lodging market. But in recent years, boutique hotels and glamping options have opened to provide visitors a different kind of Hill Country visit. Kundalini yoga, anyone?

from NYT > Top Stories

Darien Harris freed from prison after trial's key witness was found to be blind

Darien Harris was in prison for more than 10 years after the star witness said he committed murder.

from BBC News - US & Canada

Tenement Museum to Feature a Black Family’s Apartment for the First Time

The museum has shared the stories of immigrants and migrants who lived in New York City in the 19th and 20th centuries for nearly four decades. For the first time, a Black family’s apartment will be included.

from NYT > Top Stories

What Does the Red Sea Crisis Mean for Oil Prices?

Many energy and shipping firms have begun rerouting tankers, adding delays and extra costs to journeys that would put upward pressure on oil prices.

from NYT > Top Stories

New York to Consider Reparations for Descendants of Enslaved People

Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill that will create the nation’s second statewide task force to examine possible reparations for the lasting impact of slavery.

from NYT > Top Stories

Three Canapé Recipes for Your Next Holiday Party

Yann Nury shares his recipes for three festive hors d’oeuvres: caviar tater tots, grilled-cheese wedges and beef tartare bites.

from NYT > Top Stories

What 2023 Reveals About Climate

The world has been trying to tell us something for a while. In 2023 it became impossible not to hear.

from NYT > Top Stories

US Steel to be bought by Japan's Nippon in $15bn deal

The workers' union said it did not want to see a sale to a foreign buyer.

from BBC News - US & Canada

Jeff Koons Killed Her Review

The decision by an arts journal to allow the famous artist to veto a historian’s essay about his work created “a chilling effect on the critical culture,” a journalism expert said.

from NYT > Top Stories

In Puerto Rico, Finding a Way Back to ‘Perfect Beach’

On the spectacular northern coast of Puerto Rico, a writer’s favorite stretch of golden sand beckoned, but getting there legally would take some creativity.

from NYT > Top Stories

Vatican Sentences Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu to Over 5 Years for Fraud

The case raised questions about financial mismanagement at the highest levels of the church, and about Pope Francis’ power.

from NYT > Top Stories

A Shock for Many Retirees: Social Security Benefits Can Be Taxed

When older Americans earn above a certain income level, they are often taken aback to find they owe federal income taxes on their benefits.

from NYT > Top Stories

‘The Crown’ Gets One Thing About the Royal Family Exactly Right

The antics of the royal family might seem easy to dismiss. But they still wield a lot of power over us.

from NYT > Top Stories

Ask These 11 Money Questions Before Moving In With Your Partner

What would you do if you won the lottery? How do we stop having this same fight about money? And much more.

from NYT > Top Stories

Street Style at Art Basel Miami Beach and Miami Art Week

Welcome to Miami, where sidewalks seem like catwalks when the art world arrives for annual fairs in December.

from NYT > Top Stories

Evan Gershkovich: Russia and US in dialogue over jailed reporter, says Putin

The Russian president says a "difficult dialogue" over the jailed US reporter is ongoing.

from BBC News - US & Canada

Alvin Ailey Presents Premieres by Garner and Roxas-Dobrish

As part of its New York City Center season, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater presents premieres by Amy Hall Garner and Elizabeth Roxas-Dobrish.

from NYT > Top Stories

Sports Illustrated boss Ross Levinsohn fired weeks after AI scandal

The head of the magazine was fired not long after Sports Illustrated reportedly published AI-written articles.

from BBC News - US & Canada

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins Revisits His ‘Illusion of Suffering’ on Broadway

The “Appropriate” playwright has teamed up with the actors Sarah Paulson and Corey Stoll and the director Lila Neugebauer for the play’s Broadway debut. “Everybody onstage is a political statement,” he says.

from NYT > Top Stories

Rudy Giuliani may have to pay Georgia election workers millions for defamation

The defamation trial starting this week will decide how much he must pay Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss.

from BBC News - US & Canada

Cozy Retreats for a Winter Getaway

Not everyone wants to rocket down a mountain on skis. But hot chocolate by a warm fire in a snug inn is another story. Here are six hotels in snowy settings.

from NYT > Top Stories

Macy's shares surge on hopes for $5.8bn buyout

Investors have reportedly offered to buy the publicly listed firm, one of the last major department stores left.

from BBC News - US & Canada

Chicken on Bread in Sauce in a Skillet

Elemental comfort cooking.

from NYT > Top Stories

Pennsylvania Governor and Senator Denounce Antisemitism at Rally

Gov. Josh Shapiro and Senator Bob Casey joined a rally in a show of solidarity with Jews after the resignation of the University of Pennsylvania’s president.

from NYT > Top Stories

In Los Angeles, the ‘Coroner to the Stars’ Has the Last Word

There is no medical examiner’s office in the world like the one in Los Angeles County, where investigations of sudden celebrity deaths come with the territory.

from NYT > Top Stories

Migrant Children Are a Crisis for the U.S. Coast Guard

When detained by the U.S. Coast Guard at sea, even children fleeing violence have no right to asylum — and often face an uncertain fate.

from NYT > Top Stories

Tiny Electric Vehicles Pack a Bigger Climate Punch Than Cars

Two- and three-wheeled vehicles, used by billions of people, are moving away from fossil fuels to batteries faster than cars in countries that have made the energy transition a priority.

from NYT > Top Stories

Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2024 Is Peach Fuzz

Will it catch fire the way millennial pink did?

from NYT > Top Stories

Chinese garlic is a national security risk, says US senator

Rick Scott says Chinese garlic grown in sewage is unsafe and poses a threat to national security.

from BBC News - US & Canada

5 Minutes That Will Make You Love Jazz Flute

The flute is one of the more overlooked instruments in jazz, but it’s been making an impact on improvised music for more than 50 years. Let 10 experts take you on a guided tour.

from NYT > Top Stories

The Scot at the heart of the NFL's most divisive play

A Scottish rugby player has helped refine the 'brotherly shove' - a move pundits call 'undefendable'.

from BBC News - US & Canada

Zelensky Will Address U.S. Senators Before Vote on Ukraine Aid

President Volodymyr Zelensky’s briefing, via a video call, will come a day after the White House warned that aid to his country would soon run out.

from NYT > Top Stories

Cremas, Coquito and Other Holiday Rum-Based Drinks

For many in the islands, it’s not the Christmas season without cremas, coquito and other milky rum-based drinks.

from NYT > Top Stories

The Longer This Cake Soaks, the Better It Is

The faint bitterness of Thai tea gets absorbed into tres leches, checking the sweetness, so it’s just enough.

from NYT > Top Stories

We Aren’t Failing Trans Kids by Giving Them the Freedom to Choose

The panic over transgender children is driven by the fear that they’ll regret transitioning. But freedom to make mistakes is core to being human.

from NYT > Top Stories

Is Sean Combs’s Empire at Risk After Sexual Assault Suits?

The music mogul has been celebrated as a transformative force in hip-hop, but fallout from new accusations of abuse has impacted some business relationships and his legacy.

from NYT > Top Stories

The 10 Best Books of 2023

The staff of The New York Times Book Review choose the year’s standout fiction and nonfiction.

from NYT > Top Stories

Sandra Day O'Connor: A ranch girl who became 'queen of the court'

As the first woman on the Supreme Court, Justice O'Connor was a trailblazer and a powerful moderate.

from BBC News - US & Canada