Good Morning! Today’s edition is 1,144 words, a 4-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• Syria rebels take control

• ChatGPT Pro debuts at $200 per month

• Gas prices by state

First-time reader? Sign up here!

Big Story

College Football Playoff

The selection committee announced the new 12-team College Football Playoff, with undefeated Oregon earning the No. 1 overall seed.

• Oregon, No. 2 Georgia, No. 3 Boise State, and No. 4 Arizona State earned first-round byes as top-rated conference champions. Clemson won the ACC championship but was seeded No. 12 and will face No. 5 Texas. Other matchups include SMU at Penn State, Indiana at Notre Dame, and Tennessee at Ohio State.

• SMU, despite losing the ACC title game to Clemson, edged out Alabama for the final playoff spot. The selection committee debated heavily but chose SMU based on their overall season performance, which included an undefeated ACC regular season.

• Alabama’s strong schedule and key wins couldn’t outweigh their three losses, including two against lower-ranked teams.

• The quarterfinals will be played at major bowl games, including the Rose Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Peach Bowl, and Sugar Bowl on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, with the semifinals at the Orange and Cotton Bowls on Jan. 9 and 10. The championship game is set for Jan. 20 in Atlanta.

Big Story

Syrian Regime Falls

Syrian rebel groups captured Damascus on Sunday, declaring the country "free" after a swift offensive that toppled several major cities.

• The Assad regime held onto power through a brutal 14-year civil war but collapsed without significant resistance. President Bashar al-Assad fled Damascus shortly before opposition soldiers entered and has been granted asylum in Russia.

• Rebels control key locations, including Sednaya prison, where they freed hundreds of prisoners, and Damascus International Airport. Videos showed Syrian soldiers abandoning posts while celebrating civilians flooded the streets.

• The regime's fall ended 53 years of Assad family rule, starting with Hafez al-Assad's 1970 coup and transitioning to Bashar in 2000. The upheaval carries significant implications for allies like Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah, which had supported Assad.

Big Story

NYC Killer Hunt Continues

Police are still hunting for the man who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

• Though they have evidence like security footage, a backpack, and surveillance video of his movements, they still don’t know his identity or motive. The suspect paid cash for most transactions during his 10-day stay in NYC and used a likely fake ID at a Manhattan hostel.

• Surveillance cameras tracked the shooter’s movements after he ambushed Thompson outside the Hilton Midtown hotel using a 9mm pistol. He fled to Central Park on a bike, abandoning it near 85th Street, then took a taxi to a bus station and likely left the city.

• Police found a backpack they believe he carried, which contained monopoly money but no gun. Other clues, like a fingerprint from a Starbucks item and security images showing his face briefly, have not helped identify him yet.

• Detectives continue to review hours of surveillance tapes and interview people linked to the case, including Thompson’s family and coworkers. Authorities suspect he could be a disgruntled employee or client.

Quick Stories

U.S. News

• Freshman enrollment for 18-year-olds dropped by 5% this fall, according to new data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. The biggest declines, over 6%, happened at public and private four-year colleges. (More)

• President-elect Donald Trump said he plans to deport all undocumented immigrants during his term but hopes to make a deal to protect those with "Dreamers" status. He also plans to end birthright citizenship, which gives citizenship to anyone born in the US regardless of their parents' status. (More)

• Ten people were hurt when a police motorcycle crashed into bystanders during a holiday parade in Palm Springs, California. Witnesses said the officer was performing a wheelie before losing control. (More)

World

• South Korea launched a criminal investigation into President Yoon Suk Yeol over last week’s attempted martial law. Yoon beat an impeachment vote on Saturday but faces pressure from his party to step aside. His former defense minister has also been arrested. (More)

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed on Sunday that since Russia's invasion in 2022, Ukraine has lost 43,000 soldiers, and 370,000 have been wounded. It is Kyiv's first full casualty report during the war. Russia has reported 600,000 dead and injured. (More)

• Former Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama is poised to return to office after Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia conceded defeat in the presidential election. Voters expressed frustration with the government's economic management, leading to Mahama's victory. (More)

Business & Economy

• US stock markets closed mixed on Friday (S&P +0.25%, Nasdaq +0.81%, Dow -0.28%). The S&P and Nasdaq finished positive for the third consecutive week. (More)

• Omnicom Group is nearing a deal to acquire Interpublic Group in an all-stock transaction valued at $13–$14 billion. The merger would combine the world's third and fourth-largest ad buyers, likely drawing regulatory scrutiny due to its potential market impact. (More)

• The US House of Reps will vote next week on a defense bill allocating over $3 billion to help telecom companies remove Chinese-made Huawei and ZTE equipment from US wireless networks due to security concerns. (More)

Sports & Entertainment

• Disney's "Moana 2" topped the box office for a second weekend, earning $52 million. Its domestic total has reached $300 million, surpassing the original, while its global earnings hit $600 million. (More)

• McLaren clinched the 2024 Formula 1 Constructors' Championship at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. This is their first title in 26 years, with their last win coming when Mika Häkkinen and David Coulthard drove for the team. (More)

• Rapper Jay-Z was accused in a lawsuit of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl in 2000, along with Sean "Diddy" Combs. The accuser, identified as "Jane Doe," claimed the incident occurred after being taken to an MTV Video Music Awards after-party. Carter denied the allegations, calling them "idiotic." (More)

Science, Health, & Tech

• OpenAI has introduced ChatGPT Pro, a $200-per-month plan offering unlimited access to its advanced models, including the o1 “reasoning” model. The o1 model checks its work as it processes, reducing errors but taking longer to deliver solutions. (More)

• The American Museum of Natural History unveiled "Apex," one of the most complete stegosaurus skeletons ever found. Standing 11 feet tall and 20 feet long, this Jurassic plant-eater is known for its back plates and spiky tail. (More)

• Living in disadvantaged neighborhoods is linked to higher blood pressure and lower brain performance, even in people without cognitive issues. Researchers studied over 500 adults and found that poor social and economic conditions worsen health problems and harm brain function. (More)

Extra Credit

🧳 The best places to “off the beaten path” travel spots in 2025.

🏠️ Watch: Woman buys $1 Italian home and renovates it. 

👠 Dorothy’s slippers from Wizard of Oz sold for $28M at auction.

⛽️ Mapping the gas prices in each US state.