PLAY | Crosswords | eNewspaper

The Daily Briefing

YOUR MORNING NEWS ROUNDUP

Tue Dec 2 2025

Jane Onyanga-Omara
Audience Editor

Good morning! 👋🏾 I'm Jane, Daily Briefing author. It's Giving Tuesday. Here's how you can help those in need.

Quick look at Tuesday's news:

•	President Trump says "the whole world is watching" a special election in Tennessee.
•	Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will meet with Vladimir Putin in an attempt to end the war in Ukraine.
•	The White House Christmas decorations have been unveiled.

Tennessee congressional race draws national attention

Fresh off Democrats' domination in the off-year elections, the special election for Tennessee's 7th congressional district has become an unlikely test for whether a national blue wave is building that could produce a seismic shakeup in next year's midterm election.

The special election to fill the seat of retired Republican Rep. Mark Green was hardly on the national radar a month ago.

•	Now, the race between Democrat Aftyn Behn, a 36-year-old liberal state representative, and Republican Matt Van Epps, a combat veteran, has Democrats dreaming of an unexpected House pickup.
•	Meanwhile, top Republicans — including President Donald Trump — are circling the wagons and pumping in millions to try to stop a disaster.

Democrat Aftyn Behn (L) and Republican Matt Van Epps (R).

Nicole Hester / The Tennessean

National Guard shooting suspect served in bloody, CIA-led 'zero units'

The Afghan man accused of shooting two National Guard soldiers near the White House last week served with CIA-backed "zero units" in Afghanistan, paramilitary groups that carried out secret raids against suspected terrorists and U.S. enemies as part of the CIA's counterterrorism program. Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the 29-year-old who allegedly shot the two West Virginia National Guardsmen in downtown Washington, DC, served in the elite tactical units, according to Sami Sadat, the former commanding general of the Afghan Army's Special Operations Corps. The group worked with U.S. forces on counterterrorism operations before the Taliban takeover.

More news to know now

•	Michael Dell to pump $6 billion into "Trump accounts" for newborns.
•	"Perfectly normal." White House releases details of Trump's MRI scan.
•	U.S. Marshals warn Virginia high school football coach "may be armed."
•	Luigi Mangione back in court as attorneys seek to exclude key evidence.

What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.

Witkoff and Kushner to meet Putin to discuss an end to the Ukraine war

President Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday for talks on a possible way to end Russia's war on Ukraine. Trump has repeatedly said he wants to end the war, which his administration casts as a "bloodbath" and "a proxy war", but his efforts so far, including a summit with Putin in Alaska in August, have not yet brought peace.

US-Venezuela tensions, explained

Are United States military airstrikes on Venezuela imminent? Over the weekend, President Trump issued a warning to avoid airspace over the South American country. Trump has already signaled forthcoming land attacks in Venezuela. But speaking Sunday night on Air Force One, Trump told reporters not to read too much into the closing of the space. The move comes after Trump told U.S. troops on Thanksgiving the military operation will soon include strikes on land. Venezuela has condemned Trump's comments as a "colonialist threat" incompatible with international law.

Today's talkers

•	Inside Lane Kiffin's villainous exit from Ole Miss, hero's arrival at LSU.
•	Spotify says Spotify Wrapped 2025 is coming soon.
•	Millie Bobby Brown has a new name.
•	Tourists will have to pay to visit these popular Hawaii state parks.

The winners and losers from Monday Night Football

Time is a flat circle. The New England Patriots have one of the best quarterbacks in the league and sit atop the AFC. The dynastic days are in the rearview mirror, but a new era of Patriot hegemony could be dawning. Perhaps that's an overreaction to the Pats' 33-15 demolition of the New York Giants on "Monday Night Football." The final extended the Patriots' winning streak to 10 and did the same to the Giants' losing streak, which now stands at seven. Beyond the box score, of course, are winners and losers. USA TODAY Sports dives into it all.

Photo of the day: 'Home is Where the Heart Is' at the White House

This year's Christmas decorations at the White House, personally selected by first lady Melania Trump, aim to reflect the American spirit of generosity, patriotism and gratitude under the theme: "Home is Where the Heart Is." George Washington and Donald Trump each have Lego portraits in the Green Room, which has been decorated as a game room. The White House expects tens of thousands of people to view the decorations.

A lego portrait of President Donald Trump is seen in the Green Room during an advance tour of the 2025 White House Christmas decorations on Dec.1, 2025 in Washington, D.C.

Anna Moneymaker, Getty Images

Sign up for the Daily Briefing email here.

Reuters contributed reporting.