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Trump's economic approval hits a new low at 36%, poll finds

(NPR) During President Trump's first term, the economy was a relative strength of his. During the 2024 presidential campaign, his promises to lower prices in a country grappling with post-COVID inflation propelled him back into office. But toward the end of his first year in office this term, just 36% of Americans approve of his handling of the economy, according to the latest NPR/PBS News/Marist poll. It's his worst mark in the six years that Marist has been asking the question.

Democrat wins Kentucky state Senate special election

(The Hill) Democrat Gary Clemons has won a special election to a fill a Kentucky state Senate seat, according to Decision Desk HQ. Clemons, president of United Steelworkers Local 1693 and an Army veteran, beat back challenges from Republican Calvin Leach, an Army veteran and former state Senate candidate, and Libertarian candidate Wendy Higdon, who founded the Louisville Tea Party in 2009. Democrats were expected to hold on to the seat, which is located in southwest Louisville and leans blue. Their victory Tuesday comes after a recent spate of special election wins that saw them flip a number of seats in conservative areas of the country.

Republicans are quiet quitting on Trump

(Salon) Donald Trump is worried that Republicans aren’t as afraid of him as they used to be. Despite his self-billing as a dealmaker, the president has only ever had one tool to control his party: fear. GOP politicians have been afraid of career damage and literal physical harm if they crossed him. Trump is not above reminding elected officials that he has unhinged followers who are known to be violent. But as his approval ratings fall and the 2026 midterm elections inch closer, it seems Republicans are slightly less worried about the president’s wrath.

Bari Weiss's CBS Erika Kirk Town Hall Falters In the Ratings, Way Behind Kirk's Fox News Appearances

(Mediaite) A town hall between CBS Editor in Chief Bari Weiss and Erika Kirk stumbled in the ratings, falling far behind Kirk’s appearances on Fox News. The heavily-promoted Saturday town hall drew 1.9 million viewers, according to Nielsen data. That represents an 11% decline for the year-to-date average for that hour of 8 pm EST. It also marked a 41% decline in the key demo of 25-54, bringing in 265,000.

Texas Democrats fill every state and federal race on 2026 ballot, a first for either party

(Texas Tribune) A Democrat is running in every state and federal race on the Texas ballot next year, the first time in modern state history that either party has fielded a full slate of candidates, according to the Texas Democratic Party. The complete field is the result of a recruitment campaign run by a network of the state’s top Democratic groups and politicians, including Texas Majority PAC, the Texas Democratic Party, former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke and former state Sen. Wendy Davis.

Wednesday's Condensed News Cartoons

CDC formally stops recommending hepatitis B vaccines for all newborns

(NBC News) Instead of recommending the hepatitis B vaccine for all newborns, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now officially advises women who test negative for the virus to consult health care providers about whether their babies should get their first doses within 24 hours of birth. The agency’s vaccine advisory committee — whose members Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appointed this year after he fired the previous ones — voted for the recommendation earlier this month, upending more than three decades of agency guidance.

Imports to Busiest US Seaport Tumble 11.5% in November as Tariffs Bite, Port Executive Says

(US News & World Report) The nation's busiest ‌seaport ​handled 11.5% less import volume in ‌November than in the year-ago month after shippers built early inventories to avoid ​President Donald Trump's tariffs on goods such as toys, auto parts and metal furniture, Gene Seroka, executive director of ‍the Port of Los Angeles, said ​on Tuesday. The Port of Los Angeles handled 406,421 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of imports in November. Exports dropped 8.4% ​to 113,706 ⁠TEUs, meanwhile, as retaliatory tariffs on U.S. agricultural products and manufactured goods as well as trade deals excluding the United States began taking hold, he said.

Miriam Adelson vows to give Trump "another $250 million" to run for unconstitutional 3rd term

(Huff Post) During a Hanukkah event on Tuesday in the White House’s East Room, a Trump megadonor encouraged the president to run for an unconstitutional third term, prompting others in the room to chant: “Four more years!” “We can do it. Think about it,” said Miriam Adelson, an Israeli-American businesswoman and physician who Trump noted had donated $250 million to his campaign. Adelson and Trump then hugged and briefly continued chatting. “She said, ‘Think about it. I'll give you another 250,’” Trump told the crowd when he returned to the mic.

Patel whines about only seeing "like, 15 percent" of his girlfriend's shows at taxpayer expense

(Daily Beast) During an appearance alongside Wilkins on Katie Miller’s podcast Tuesday, Patel dismissed the backlash over his jet rides as “nonsense” and complained that previous FBI directors never faced similar scrutiny. “No one told them not to go on vacation,” Patel whined. “And it’s ironic that they’re saying, ‘Oh, you’re going on vacation, or you’re going to see your girlfriend perform.’” “If I was actually abusing it, I would go see every one of her shows. I think I get to, like, 15 percent.”