A popular chef’s video was attacked as a jab at Mao Zedong’s dead son. But what if a recipe for egg fried rice was just a recipe for egg fried rice?

An Egg Fried Rice Recipe Shows the Absurdity of China’s Speech Limits

The militia, which has targeted ships it says are connected to Israel, has vowed not to stop until the siege in Gaza ends and claims that a new U.S.-led maritime task force cannot deter the attacks.

Amid Gaza War and Red Sea Attacks, Yemen’s Houthis Refuse to Back Down

More than 60 percent of Republicans think that if the former president wins the primary he should remain the party’s nominee — even if he is subsequently convicted of a federal crime.

Trump’s Legal Jeopardy Hasn’t Hurt His G.O.P. Support, Times/Siena Poll Finds

Karen Dannett hardly knew her father. But freeing the man imprisoned for killing him became a decades-long mission.

He Was Wrongly Convicted of Killing Her Father. She Set Out to Free Him.

The agreement was aimed at allaying pressures from the far right amid rising anti-migrant sentiment in Europe and beyond.

After Years of Wrangling, E.U. Countries Reach Major Deal on Migration

TikTok, Facebook and YouTube are transforming global migration, becoming tools of migrants and smugglers alike.

Live from the Jungle: Migrants Become Influencers on Social Media

From girl dinners to ChatGPT, a look back at the trends that broke the internet and taught us about the American economy this year.

What Social Trends Taught Us About the 2023 Economy

Investors are spending hundreds of millions of dollars on FTX bankruptcy claims, betting that the firm’s new leaders will recover the money that Sam Bankman-Fried misappropriated.

The Hot New Market in Crypto? Trading FTX’s Carcass.

Beijing is investing heavily in the modernization of Lop Nur, a sprawling military site where it long detonated atom bombs and thermonuclear warheads.

China Quietly Rebuilds Secretive Base for Nuclear Tests

Fans have been debating the McCallister family’s wealth for years. We asked the Federal Reserve for answers.

Just How Rich Were the McCallisters in ‘Home Alone’?

In 1980s Belgium, this Jewish artist dared to blur the lines between victims and villains. A bracing retrospective is now at the Drawing Center.

Stéphane Mandelbaum, Edgy Art and a Life Violently Cut Short

Buying mattresses, clothes and other goods on installment plans has propped up spending, but economists worry that such loans could put some people at risk.

Americans May Be Taking On Too Much Pay-Later ‘Phantom Debt’

The F.T.C. called for sweeping changes that could curb how social media, game and learning apps use and monetize youngsters’ data.

U.S. Regulators Propose New Online Privacy Safeguards for Children

The ruling that Donald Trump is not eligible for the ballot in Colorado is the latest election-related issue likely to land before the justices. The implications for 2024 could be profound.

Trump Cases Crashing Into Supreme Court Could Reshape 2024 Election

There are plenty of novels, memoirs, documentaries and livestreaming options sure to satiate fans of theater.

Can’t Make It to Broadway? Book and Movie Ideas for Theater Lovers.

Quotation of the Day for Wednesday, December 20, 2023.

Quotation of the Day: ‘Bond Vigilantes’ Are Back. Not Everyone Is Worried.

The transportation beat called Niraj Chokshi’s name, but it hasn’t significantly changed the way he travels.

In the Skies, on the Road and Reporting Along the Way

For many travelers and local residents who rely on tourism dollars, this year was an ‘annus horribilis,’ with disasters, upheavals and unparalleled weather events devastating top travel destinations across the globe.

Travel in 2023: 12 Months That ‘Took Chaos to a New Level’

The company, once a high-flying start-up whose services were hailed as the next big thing in personal transportation, lost much of its value as it struggled to grow.

Bird, an Electric Scooter Company, Files for Bankruptcy

A tour through five cases in which Tchaikovsky’s classical score has been taken up by jazz legends and misguided filmmakers.

How ‘The Nutcracker’ Has Been Reimagined, for Better and Worse

This buttery potato tart is topped with potato chips for crunch and caviar (if you like) for an extra pop of salt.

A Potato Lover’s Perfect Recipe for Ringing In the New Year

The late Kenny DeForest delivers an hour to remember him by, while Dina Hashem and Pete Holmes offer entertaining contrasts.

3 Great Specials to Stream Over the Holidays

The Treasury Department announced new sanctions on oil shippers and traders that have been helping Russia circumvent price restrictions.

G7 Tightens Enforcement of Oil Price Cap Amid Widespread Russian Evasion

Rondônia State officials say JBS, the world’s biggest meat producer, is buying cattle raised in an illegally deforested Amazon reserve.

Brazilian State Seeks Millions in Environmental Damages From Giant Meatpacker

The use of sea drones highlights a path forward for Ukraine in its fight with Russia that has been promoted by the White House and embraced by the Ukrainian leadership.

December 20, 2023

Headlines from December 20, 2023

An Egg Fried Rice Recipe Shows the Absurdity of China’s Speech Limits

Amid Gaza War and Red Sea Attacks, Yemen’s Houthis Refuse to Back Down

Trump’s Legal Jeopardy Hasn’t Hurt His G.O.P. Support, Times/Siena Poll Finds

He Was Wrongly Convicted of Killing Her Father. She Set Out to Free Him.

After Years of Wrangling, E.U. Countries Reach Major Deal on Migration

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Pink Friday 2

1989 (Taylor's Version)

For All The Dogs

Think Later

Christmas

Historical Context for December 20, 2023