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President Donald Trump ordered a 鈥渢otal and complete鈥� blockade of sanctioned oil tankers coming to and from Venezuela. He declared Nicol谩s Maduro鈥檚 government a 鈥渇oreign terrorist organization,鈥� saying U.S. military pressure will continue until Venezuela returns 鈥渁ll of the Oil, Land, and other Assets鈥� he accuses them of stealing. Venezuela, which relies on overseas oil income, called the announcement a 鈥渞eckless and serious threat.鈥�

Europe launched a reparations commission to assess billions of dollars in damage, loss, and injury caused by Russia鈥檚 war on Ukraine. Backed by the European Union and Council of Europe, the International Claims Commission will review tens of thousands of claims ranging from destroyed homes to infrastructure and alleged war crimes. How compensation would be paid remains unresolved, with discussions focusing on frozen Russian assets.

The Trump administration expanded its travel restrictions. The new policy, which goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2026, brings the total number of countries facing a full travel ban to 19, with additions including South Sudan and Syria and people with Palestinian travel documents. Travel is partially restricted from 20 other countries. The move is part of a renewed crackdown on immigration following the fatal shooting of two National Guard members by an Afghan national.

The Labor Department released delayed reports showing a loss of 105,000 jobs in October, followed by a gain of 64,000 in November. The October drop came as 162,000 federal workers left their posts amid cutbacks. The unemployment rate rose to 4.6%, a four-year high that one economist said should be taken with a 鈥渓arge grain of salt鈥� given disruptions to data collection during the government shutdown.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations sued Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis after he designated it a 鈥渇oreign terrorist group.鈥� The Southern Poverty Law Center is among the groups representing CAIR, which is the largest Muslim advocacy organization in the country.聽The lawsuit said the governor鈥檚 actions are 鈥渦nconstitutional鈥� and cited the organization鈥檚 record of defending religious liberty.

Satellite internet is expanding access across聽Africa. Tech outlet Rest of World found that Starlink, which works in some of the most remote places, is now cheaper than leading internet providers in Ghana, Kenya, Zimbabwe, and other countries. That makes the internet more accessible on a continent where less than half the population is online. Yet Starlink has its critics, in part because the many satellites it uses can muddy the night sky for astronomers.

鈥淪lop鈥� is Merriam-Webster鈥檚 2025 word of the year. Used in the 18th century to describe soft mud, the word has come to mean low-quality digital content, generally created in large quantities by artificial intelligence. For some, the choice underscores a troubling facet of the new AI era. For the dictionary鈥檚 president, however, it shows people are getting better at separating the wheat from the chaff. 鈥淚t鈥檚 almost a defiant word,鈥� Greg Barlow told The Associated Press, saying people 鈥渨ant things that are real [and] genuine.鈥�

鈥� Our staff writers around the world

A large tropical island off China鈥檚 southern coast will gain independent customs status on Dec. 18 鈥� a move Chinese leaders hope will jump-start development in Hainan and pioneer new levels of openness for the rest of the country, despite the rise of protectionism.

Eye-popping prices for steaks and burgers are mostly a supply problem, exacerbated by lack of competition in the meatpacking industry. The upshot is that beef is likely to remain expensive for a while.

Teachers are grappling with how to incorporate artificial intelligence into education. A handful of schools are structuring their programs around the new technology, including a charter school in Hawaii which offers a paradigm shift around AI鈥檚 role.

Peter Rainer, the Monitor鈥檚 longtime film critic, turns the spotlight on the 10 movies that moved him over the past year. They include Richard Linklater鈥檚 鈥淏lue Moon,鈥� 鈥淭he Ballad of Wallis Island,鈥� and 鈥淭rain Dreams.鈥�

Many Americans feel buffeted by a cycle of tit-for-tat political rhetoric, whipsaw policymaking, and norms breaking. A recent poll found that 82% of voters believe the way people talk about politics contributes to violence. Only one-third say it is possible to lower the temperature on political rhetoric.

Yet, in recent weeks, more voices are calling for civic civility. They are based on a mix of political principles as well as moral and religious values. On Dec. 9, for example, two governors 鈥� a Democrat and a Republican 鈥� clasped hands after modeling respectful political dialogue at the National Cathedral in Washington.

Democrat Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Republican Spencer Cox of Utah both often share how their faith traditions imbue their public service. Speaking to The Washington Post, Mr. Cox noted, 鈥淏ridge-building is the hardest thing I鈥檝e ever done. It takes ... strong faith and strong courage.鈥�

A couple of days later, a bipartisan group of Indiana state senators voted down a bill that would have redrawn an electoral map to skew the state鈥檚 current 7-2 Republican advantage in Congress to 9-0. Several cited an ethical desire to reduce partisanship. 鈥淚 hope that this is the beginning of the country stepping back from the brink,鈥� said one Republican state senator.

Such a stance fits research that shows how the words and actions of elected officials can cue either positive or negative public sentiment. A Cornell University political scientist who has studied the campaign approach of Mr. Cox 鈥� who refuses to demonize opponents 鈥� found that it 鈥渉ad a significant [positive] effect鈥� on public views.

Americans look to political leaders for moral clarity, says Governor Shapiro. Elected officials in a few states appear to recognize this, as they decide whether to push redistricting to lock in House wins in 2026 or whether to abide by political norms.聽Texas kicked off a redistricting race mid-year, redrawing maps to favor Republican candidates. California responded with a referendum to override an independent commission and draw maps that would favor Democrats.

鈥溾�嬧�婥alifornia鈥檚 gerrymandering is not fighting back. It鈥檚 cheating,鈥� Democrat Patricia Sinay of the California Citizens Redistricting Commission said about the Proposition 50 referendum that passed in November.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not all just about getting re-elected,鈥� Kansas state Rep. Brett Fairchild, a Republican, told The New York Times. It鈥檚 also about 鈥減rinciple and ... morals and ethics.鈥�

Many Americans might now be seeking deeper values that can guide civic life. In the dialogue series that hosted Mr. Cox and Mr. Shapiro and similar events, for example, the National Cathedral has laid out one approach: 鈥淲e start with two fundamental ideas,鈥� its website notes. 鈥淔irst, every person is a beloved child of God, regardless of who they vote for. And second, Americans yearn for a better way to be in relationship with one another.鈥� Perhaps the yearning has found its voice.

Editor's note: The description of redistricting moves in Texas and California has been clarified.聽