Good Morning! Today’s edition is 917 words, a 4-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• Hamas agrees to store weapons

• Foraged mushroom poisonings

• Best Christmas movies of all time

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Big Stories

Supreme Court Weighs Presidential Power

• The Supreme Court hears arguments today on whether President Trump can fire independent agency heads at will. The case stems from Trump's firing of FTC Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter without cause, despite federal law requiring inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance for removal.

• The court will decide whether removal protections violate separation of powers and whether to overturn a 1935 precedent allowing Congress to shield agency members from presidential control. The Trump administration argues the Constitution grants the president unlimited authority over executive branch officers.

• The decision could affect over 20 agencies, including the Federal Reserve, the SEC, and the NLRB. More than 200 members of Congress warned that at-will removals would let presidents pick winners and losers in the economy.

Hamas Offers to Store Weapons

• Hamas offered Sunday to 'freeze or store' its weapons as part of the Gaza ceasefire. A senior Hamas official said the group could lay down arms under a 5-10 year truce aimed at establishing a Palestinian state.

• The proposal comes as Israel and Hamas prepare for Phase 2 of the truce, which addresses an international security force, a Gaza governing committee, Israeli troop withdrawal, and Hamas disarmament. Israel demands full disarmament, while Hamas insists it retains the 'right to resist.'

• Both sides have accused each other of ceasefire violations. Palestinian officials say over 370 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes, while Israel reports three soldiers killed in clashes with militants.

College Football Playoff Set

• The 12-team College Football Playoff field was announced Sunday, with undefeated Indiana earning the No. 1 seed for the first time in program history. Alabama and Miami were selected as the last at-large teams over Notre Dame.

• Alabama (10-3) will visit No. 8 Oklahoma on Dec. 19 despite losing 28-7 to Georgia in the SEC championship game. Miami (10-2) will face No. 7 Texas A&M, James Madison faces No. 5 Oregon, and Tulane plays No. 6 Ole Miss on Dec. 20. Ohio State, Georgia, Texas Tech, and Indiana received first-round byes as the top four seeds.

• First-round games will be played at the home stadiums of the higher seeds. Quarterfinals follow at New Year's Six bowl games, with semifinals Jan. 8-9. The national championship is Jan. 19 in Miami.

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Quick Stories

US News

• For the first time, no Pearl Harbor survivors attended Sunday's remembrance ceremony marking the 1941 attack that killed 2,300 troops and launched America into World War II. Only 12 survivors remain alive, all over 100 years old and unable to travel to Hawaii. (More)

• Heavy snow across the US caused over 4,100 flight delays, mostly at Chicago O'Hare. Meanwhile, the Pacific Northwest expects up to 12 inches of rain and flooding this week. (More)

• California told people to stop picking wild mushrooms after 21 poisonings from death caps killed one person and caused severe liver damage in others, including children. (More)

World

• Chornobyl's protective shield can no longer block radiation after a February drone strike blew a hole in it, the UN's nuclear agency said. The structure cost €1.5 billion to build. (More)

• At least 25 people died in a fire at a Goa, India nightclub after a gas cylinder exploded. Most victims were kitchen workers, but several tourists were also killed. (More)

• A Chinese military jet locked radar on Japanese fighters near Okinawa. China said Japanese planes harassed its training exercises that were announced beforehand. (More)

Business & Economy

• US stock markets closed higher on Friday (S&P +0.19%, Nasdaq +0.31%, Dow +0.22%). The S&P rose for a fourth straight day after inflation data became the latest signal that the Fed might cut interest rates next week. (More)

• Berkshire Hathaway stock trails the S&P 500 by 7 points this year after Warren Buffett announced in May he'll step down as CEO at year-end. (More)

• The Trump administration forgave Southwest Airlines' last $11 million fine from its 2022 holiday meltdown, citing the airline's $1 billion in technology investment since then. (More)

Sports & Entertainment

• Jeff Kent was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by committee vote, while Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens were rejected again. (More)

• Lionel Messi and Inter Miami won their first MLS Cup, beating Vancouver 3-1. The win completed the team’s turnaround from last place when he joined in 2023. (More)

• McLaren's Lando Norris won his first Formula 1 championship at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, finishing two points ahead of defending champion Max Verstappen. (More)

Science, Health, & Tech

• Scientists discovered a "fire amoeba" in California's Lassen Volcanic National Park that can survive and reproduce at 145 degrees Fahrenheit, setting a new temperature record for complex organisms. (More)

• Paleontologists found nearly 18,000 dinosaur tracks in Bolivia, including rare swim tracks from an ancient coastline. It's the world's largest collection of preserved dinosaur footprints. (More)

• Appendix cancer tripled in Gen X and quadrupled in Millennials compared to older Americans. Scientists think diet, plastic exposure, or chemicals might explain it, but don't know why yet. (More)

Extra Credit

Ranking the 20 best Christmas movies of all time.

Companies are trying to get rid of price tags.

How to beat the winter blues.

Ranking America’s most and least sinful cities.