memeorandum: Rep. Andy Barr announces death of longtime campaign manager, Tatum Dale (Courier-Journal)

8:30 PM ET, December 25, 2025

Top Items:

Francesca Regalado / New York Times:

Kennedy Center's Christmas Eve Jazz Show Canceled After Trump Name Added to Building — Chuck Redd, a jazz musician, said he canceled his annual concert after President Trump's name was affixed to the Washington building's facade. — An annual Christmas Eve jazz concert scheduled for Wednesday …

Discussion: Deadline, TMZ.com, RedState, New York Post, Showbiz411 and NewsMax.com

Steven Nelson / New York Post:

Trump fans blast musician who canceled holiday concert to protest Kennedy Center rebrand: ‘Super bad TDS’ — WASHINGTON — President Trump's supporters are attacking jazz musician Chuck Redd for abruptly canceling an annual Christmas Eve concert in protest of the recently rebranded Trump-Kennedy Center …

Discussion: Fox News, NewsMax.com, The Hill, Rolling Stone, Mediaite, Los Angeles Times and KIFI-TV

Rebecca Falconer / Axios:

19 states sue to block Kennedy's plan to curb trans care — Nineteen states and D.C. sued Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his health department to block the Trump administration's plan to curb young people's gender-affirming care. … - He said the Department of Health and Human Services' move …

Discussion: New York Sun, Raw Story, Truthout, doj.state.or.us, NewsNation, WTTG-TV, Advocate, Washington Examiner, MS NOW and New York Times

Motoko Rich / New York Times:

Pope Leo Makes Christmas Call for Dialogue to Address World's Conflicts — Leo XIV's Christmas address was his first since being elected pontiff and was scrutinized for comparisons with those of his predecessor, Francis. — Pope Leo XIV on Thursday used his first Christmas message as pontiff to call for …

Discussion: Chicago Tribune, Agence France-Presse and CBS News

Joshua McElwee / Reuters:
Pope Leo, on Christmas Eve, says denying help to poor is rejecting God

Discussion: Associated Press, Washington Times, New York Times, Letters from Leo and NewsMax.com

Peter Nicholas / NBC News:

Trump rings in Christmas Day with a flurry of posts denouncing perceived foes and casting doubt on the 2020 election — The president posted on Truth Social over 100 times overnight, also touting his own economic policies and efforts to end foreign wars. — Christmas Eve found President Donald Trump …

Discussion: Forbes, Salon, Meidas+, Breitbart, Axios and The Hill

Aishvarya Kavi / New York Times:

Judge Blocks Detention of British Researcher Who Scrutinizes Online Hate — Imran Ahmed, who runs an organization that chronicles disinformation, was among five Europeans the State Department had barred, claiming they promote censorship. — A federal judge in New York on Thursday temporarily blocked …

Discussion: Reuters, The Forward and Breitbart, more at Mediagazer »

Sarah Fortinsky / The Hill:

2 hospitalized after ICE officers shoot driver during operation in Maryland — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers on Wednesday shot a migrant who drove a van toward them while fleeing an immigration enforcement operation, resulting in a crash that injured his passenger …

Discussion: Breitbart, Mediaite, RedState, CNN, Al Jazeera, Fox News, NewsMax.com, The Gateway Pundit, New York Times, Washington Times, The Post Millennial, Washington Examiner and New York Post

Rebecca Falconer / Axios:

U.S. forces strike ISIS targets in Nigeria, Trump says — U.S. forces “launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS” in Nigeria's northwest on Christmas Day, President Trump said Thursday. … - He continued: “I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop …

NBC News:

All in the family: In 2026, a surge of politicians' kids are running for office — As voters clamor for change, a new generation of Pelosis, Kennedys, Kings and other powerful families are stepping up to keep their political legacies alive. — Listen to this article with a free account

Discussion: NewsMax.com

Meryl Kornfield / Washington Post:

Federal government's charity drive doing far worse under Trump — Donations are down by more than 40 percent after a year when federal workers faced major agency downsizing and a lengthy government shutdown. — The federal workers' charity drive, the largest of its kind in the country …

Discussion: Raw Story and The Independent

Amanda Chu / Politico:

The ultraprocessed food makers have an answer for RFK Jr. … In late October, major industry trade groups and food companies, including Kraft Heinz as well as frozen-pizza-maker Nestle, and PepsiCo, which along with its signature drink makes all-American favorites Doritos and Cheetos …

Gary Fineout / Politico:

After 20 years of Florida's gift ban, some would like to make a return … A spokesperson for the commission did not acknowledge if legal concerns led to the decision to gather up the swag bags. — But the incident suggests that knowledge about the law known informally as the “gift ban” …

Politico:

Why RFK Jr.'s plan to follow Europe on vaccines is getting panned … “If [Kennedy] would like to get us universal health care, then maybe we can have a conversation about having the schedule adjusted,” Demetre Daskalakis, who led the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center …

ABC:

Police investigate fire attack on ‘Happy Chanukah’ car in St Kilda East — In short: — Police are investigating the apparent firebombing of a car adorned with Jewish symbols in Melbourne overnight. — A nearby family was evacuated as a precaution, but no injuries were reported.

Discussion: Metro.co.uk, Breitbart, The Times of Israel, VINnews and COLlive