Today in one sentence: Biden warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel was losing international support because of its “indiscriminate bombing” of Gaza and that "he has to change"; the United Nations General Assembly voted to demand an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza; Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Biden and lawmakers on Capitol Hill to make a personal appeal for more money and weapons to fight back invading Russian forces; the pace of inflation continued to slow from last year; New York’s highest court ordered the state to draw new congressional districts ahead of the 2024 elections; and former Congressman George Santos is talking to federal prosecutors about a plea deal.


1/ Biden warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel was losing international support because of its “indiscriminate bombing” of Gaza and that “he has to change.” Biden added: “This is the most conservative government in Israel’s history,” and that Netanyahu’s government “doesn’t want a two-state solution […] You cannot say there’s no Palestinian state at all in the future.” Biden’s comments come hours after Netanyahu refused to endorse a two-state solution for Palestinians and rejected Biden’s proposal to put the Palestinian Authority in charge of Gaza once the fighting ends. Biden capped his criticism of Netanyahu by saying Israel must be “careful” because “the whole world’s public opinion can shift overnight.” (Associated Press / Reuters / New York Times / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal / CNN / Washington Post)

2/ The United Nations General Assembly voted to demand an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, with 153 members in favor, 10 — including the U.S. and Israel — against, and 23 abstaining. The resolution is nonbinding and carries less weight than those made in the Security Council. Nevertheless, Israel’s representative to the United Nations called the resolution “hypocritical” and an “absurdity” that proved the “utter irrelevance” of the U.N. He added that the resolution “will not prevent Israel from defending itself.” (CNN / Washington Post / NBC News / ABC News)

3/ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Biden and lawmakers on Capitol Hill to make a personal appeal for more money and weapons to fight back invading Russian forces. The White House said it will run out of money to support Ukraine by the end of the month. And, Biden has asked Congress for more than $60 billion in aid for Ukraine as part of an aid package, which also includes funding for Israel and U.S. border operations. Republicans, however, have insisted that any money for Ukraine be linked to strict U.S.-Mexico border security reforms. Biden warned Congress that they need to pass “funding for Ukraine before they break for the holiday recess, before they give Putin the greatest Christmas gift they could possibly give him.” Mitch McConnell, however, declared that it is “practically impossible” for Congress to pass a deal this year. Meanwhile, a newly declassified U.S. intelligence assessment indicates that Russia has lost nearly 90% of its prewar army, and that two-thirds of its battle tanks have been destroyed. (NPR / Associated Press / Axios / Wall Street Journal / Washington Post / NBC News)

4/ The pace of inflation continued to slow from last year, with consumer prices rising 0.1% in November compared to October. Overall inflation increased 3.1% compared to a year earlier – down from 3.2% in October. While still higher than normal, it’s a marked improvement since the consumer price index peaked at 9.1% in June 2022. The national average for unleaded gas, meanwhile, is at the lowest it’s been in nearly a year – and 23 cents less than it was a month ago. (Axios / NPR / Politico / Washington Post / New York Times / NBC News / CNN / CNBC)

5/ New York’s highest court ordered the state to draw new congressional districts ahead of the 2024 elections. The decision gives the Democrat-controlled Legislature the opportunity to draw more favorable district lines that could shift anywhere from two to six Republican-held seats toward their party. In 2022, Republicans flipped four seats in New York, giving them a narrow majority in the House. In 2024, Democrats need to win a net of five seats to win back the House next year. (New York Times / Washington Post / Associated Press / CNN)

6/ Former Congressman George Santos is talking to federal prosecutors about a plea deal. Federal prosecutors have indicted Santos on 23 criminal counts, including wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds, identity theft, falsifying records submitted to obstruct the FEC, and making materially false statements to the House of Representatives. His trial date has been set for Sept. 9, but prosecutors had asked to advance the case to May or June. Santos was expelled from Congress on Dec. 1 after a House Ethics Committee report accused him of a “complex web of unlawful activity involving [his] campaign, personal, and business finances.” (Washington Post / ABC News)



Last year today: Day 692: "Chaos."
Four years ago today: Day 1057: Crazy.
Six years ago today: Day 327: Sexist smear.