The Book Report: Ron Charles' books of the year for 2025 The Washington Post book reviewer offers "Sunday Morning" viewers his picks for fiction and non-fiction titles to add to their New Year's reading lists.

President Trump recently said, when discussing plans to restart US nuclear weapons testing, that China could catch up with US nuclear capabilities within five years. FEATURED VIDEOAnalysts say it’s unlikely that China could match the estimated 3,700 warheads in the US arsenal in the foreseeable future. The construction includes major upgrades at facilities thought to design and manufacture plutonium pits — the cores of nuclear warheads — as well as plants that produce the high explosives used to trigger nuclear reactions. But satellite imagery of less-scrutinized facilities linked to warhead production indicates that China made significant upgrades across its nuclear weapons supply chain as it built the silos. “Based on all the changes that we’re seeing that show a huge investment in these locations, that altogether indicates an improved capability to produce nuclear warheads for the nuclear program,” Babiarz said.

Holiday season spending up 3.9% from last year despite rising costs Despite rising costs, new data from Mastercard shows that spending this holiday season was up 3.9% this year.

And the warehouse-club company bringing in affluent shoppers isn’t Costco. It is Walmart-owned Sam’s Club. 2 in the U.S., Sam’s Club has found a way to beat Costco: Do it in China. Sam’s Club has about 60 stores in China and counting, up from 39 three years ago, as well as a fast-growing e-commerce business. The biggest stores each generate more than $500 million in sales annually, according to Walmart.

This yield is miles higher than the 1.4% average going back to 2004, when 30-year TIPS were first introduced. This means the price of a newly issued 30-year TIPS bond is now running 46 percent below its average price and 66 percent below its highest price. In fact, these payments comprise 53.7% of the 30-year TIPS value. Yes, there is some weak evidence for mean reversion in the stock market data — high (low) stock returns arising, more often than not, after low (high) stock returns. Whether you go whole hog and walk away entirely from risky assets is, of course, your call.

President Donald Trump had to be begged not to spill the beans about a seismic change to U.S. drug policy which was made this month, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal published on Saturday. After extensive lobbying and some generous donations from major players in the marijuana industry, the president was convinced to follow through with his campaign promise to shift cannabis from a Schedule I to Schedule III substance during a meeting with Kim Rivers, the CEO of Florida-based cannabis company Trulieve, Trump confidante Howard Kessler and Florida Sheriff Gordon Smith in early December. Politics: Jordan Klepper Shares 1 Way MAGA Has Changed Since Trump's First TermEager to share the news immediately, Trump told the people in the room he planned to announce the decision on Truth Social before an executive order was even drafted. Advertisement AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementSmith remembered things getting heated as Oval Office insiders tried to stop their boss from blabbing, according to the Journal. President Donald Trump pictured after signing an executive order reclassifying marijuana as a schedule III drug on December 18, 2025.

At least 2 million people are under blizzard warnings in the Midwest, where winds could gust from 40 to 60 mph. Parts of Tazewell County in Illinois suffered significant damage to property, trees and power lines as strong thunderstorms, including a tornado, rolled through Sunday afternoon, according to Tazewell County Emergency Management. Photos show property damage and fallen trees after a tornado rips through Tazewell County, Illinois. - Tazewell County Emergency ManagementTazewell County Emergency ManagementMount Zion, a town in Macon County, Illinois, also saw tornado damage Sunday afternoon. Sunday’s weather is just the latest in what’s already been a tough travel weekend for those in the northeast.

My grandfather was a bit older and he was widowed and kind of figured he wanted to move back.”Donie O'Sullivan on camera for CNN's Devoted series. So, it’s an absolute dream to travel in the US.”There are very few people I have met who are bad, malicious people. Donie O’Sullivan first moved to New York for a job with Storyful and then moved to CNN. I honestly don’t know. I have thought about this but I don’t know the answer to it.

New York enacted a law requiring mental-health warning labels on social media platforms with features such as infinite scroll and autoplay. [1]A Washington Post report detailed internal Instagram plans to win back teens as lawsuits and oversight mount. [2]Meta Platforms shares slipped in light post-Christmas trading on Friday, with investors weighing fresh scrutiny over teen engagement and “addictive” social-media features. [10]“that charmed period is over,” Max Willens, a principal analyst at eMarketer, told the Washington Post. [16]References1. www.reuters.com, 2. www.washingtonpost.com, 3. www.washingtonpost.com, 4. www.reuters.com, 5. apnews.com, 6. www.reuters.com, 7. www.reuters.com, 8. www.governor.ny.gov, 9. www.reuters.com, 10. www.washingtonpost.com, 11. www.washingtonpost.com, 12. www.washingtonpost.com, 13. apnews.com, 14. www.newyorkfed.org, 15. www.nasdaq.com, 16. finance.yahoo.com

Before this year, the highest number of at-large arrests came in January 2023, when the Biden administration made more than 11,500. The highest number of single-day arrests by ICE took place when its officers detained more than 1,900 on June 4. (That includes both at-large arrests and arrests at jails.) Of the migrants who do have criminal convictions, nearly a quarter were traffic offenses, that data showed. The District of Columbia experienced the largest spike in arrests, with the number increasing fivefold from June through October as compared with the previous five months, the federal data showed.

Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka and Australia's Nick Kyrgios embrace at the net after the "Battle of the Sexes" tennis exhibition match in Dubai. I was nervous.”Nick Kyrgios in action against Aryna Sabalenka. Aryna Sabalenka poses with fans after exhibition tennis match against Nick Kyrgios in Dubai. Aryna Sabalenka serves against Nick Kyrgios. “I made a lot of great shots, moved a lot to the net … great drop shots, Nick, great serving.

Last week’s rain won’t be the end of Southern California’s wild weather as strong wind gusts are forecast through the area until Tuesday. “Travel could be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles,” according to an alert issued by the National Weather Service. Winds between 20 to 30 mph are expected in those areas until Sunday evening. Wind speeds are then predicted to pick up until Monday afternoon, with northeast winds of up to 40 mph and gusts of up to 65 mph. Northeast winds with speeds of up to 30 mph are expected to hit the area starting this evening, with gusts of up to 60 mph.

LOADING ERROR LOADINGNew York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani (D) challenged Elon Musk for claiming that people will “die” over his appointment of a non-firefighter as the new head of the Fire Department of New York (FDNY). You know, the workforce that addresses at least 70% of all calls coming into FDNY?” Mamdani wrote in response to Musk in an X post Saturday. Proven experience matters when lives are at stake,” Musk wrote alongside a clip of Mamdani announcing Bonsignore’s new role. Last week, Mamdani appointed Bonsignore, a FDNY veteran who helmed Emergency Medical Services Operations before retiring from the department in 2022, as FDNY commissioner. AdvertisementBonsignore is also the first woman to achieve a 4-star rank in FDNY history, Mamdani said in a separate X post celebrating her new position.

But happiness experts say there are simple habits people can practice in the morning that will that have a profound influence on how they feel throughout the day. That’s because when you reach for your phone (or tablet, or computer, or click on the TV) first thing in the morning, you’re really inviting the outside world to dictate your mood first thing, she said. Drazen_ via Getty Images Connecting with someone -- even on your phone -- in the morning can offer mood-boosting benefits that will linger throughout the day. “Many religions do a morning prayer,” said Task, who added that spending a moment doing something similar — whether you’re religious or not — can be a doable morning habit to cultivate. Just find some way to express some gratitude in the morning, because it truly can be enough to put you in a better frame of mind all day.

Walking an estimated 21 minutes a day can reduce your risk of heart disease by 30%, according to a Harvard Health special report published in 2017 that has been used often to underscore the importance of going for a walk. Advertisement“Anyone can benefit from walking,” Singh said. If you can’t fit in the recommended 21 minutes of walking a day, start small. “Even a quick one-minute jaunt pays off,” according to the report by Harvard Health. Task yourself with a minute-long walk down your driveway this afternoon, or take that 10-minute work check-in call as you walk around your block.