Boeing CEO Out; Emails On Ukraine Aid; Germany’s Santa Shortage

Plus, the true cost of free shipping. by Jill Hudson First Up [Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs George Kent (left) and top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine William Taylor are sworn in before testifying before the House Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill on Wednesday.]( Andrew Harnik/AP Here's what we're following today. Dennis Muilenburg, the embattled CEO of Boeing, is resigning from his post. His dismissal follows turmoil for the airplane manufacturer that began with [the crash of two of its 737 Max jetliners](. The company’s shares have fallen more than 20% since March. This newsletter keeps you up to speed on the latest stories happening across the country and around the world. Support all the coverage you get here and more with a year-end donation to your NPR station. Your contribution will help power the critical reporting you’ll rely on in 2020. [Donate Now]( In newly released emails, the White House asked officials to keep quiet over the suspension of military aid to Ukraine. One of the emails came from an official with the Office of Management and Budget to the Pentagon shortly after the now infamous July phone call between President Trump and the leader of Ukraine. Saudi Arabia’s public prosecutor announced five people have been sentenced to death for the 2018 murder in Turkey of Jamal Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post, after a secret trial. Two senior aides to [Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman]( were exonerated. --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- The Daily Good 100 years of friendship and fun for “the three Dots.” [Dorothy Buchanan, Dorothy Murray and Dorothy Kern — who call themselves "the three Dots" — grew up in the same hometown and celebrated their 100th birthdays together this year.]( Rebecca Conley/Maine Public Radio Imagine the odds of [three girls named Dorothy]( all born in 1919, growing up in the same hometown (Auburn, Maine), graduating from the same high school in 1937 and celebrating their 100th birthdays together in 2019. The longtime friends have outlived their classmates, their husbands, siblings and even some of their children, but they still get together a couple of times a year to reminisce. Social media moments we loved in 2019. In a year of gloom and doom, disasters and disease, we sure needed a few sweet and funny moments that brightened up our days. Here’s a sampling of [the best viral videos, tweets and TikToks]( from around the world. --------------------------------------------------------------- Digging Deeper [A ULA Atlas V rocket carrying a U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center mission launched Thursday at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.]( Walter Scriptunas II/Courtesy United Launch Alliance The skinny on Trump’s Space Force. With the signing of the $738 billion [National Defense Authorization Act]( on Friday, President Trump officially created the sixth branch of the armed services, and the first new military service since the Air Force was created in 1947. The idea was widely mocked when it was first floated, providing fodder for late-night hosts, newspaper cartoonists and comedy writers. But it’s worth pointing out a few things the Space Force will not do. “It’s not about putting military service members in space, it has nothing to do with NASA, it’s not about protecting Earth from asteroids or aliens,” said said Todd Harrison, who directs the Aerospace Security Project at the Center for Strategic & International Studies. The new branch will basically reorganize what the military does in space and elevate it to a single chain of command. --------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Listens [Dressed as Santa, Tim Zander gives pointers on how to be the perfect Santa to applicants at a workshop run by Weihnachtsmann2Go (Santa2Go).]( Rob Schmitz/NPR Across Europe and North America, throngs of Santa impersonators have been busy preparing children for Christmas. But in Germany, the number of people willing to play Santa Claus has dropped precipitously, after a student union that traditionally supplied candidates stopped participating. ([Listening time, 4:31]( Free shipping has changed the way we shop and what consumers expect when shopping online, especially during the holiday season. Smaller online businesses have had to change their strategy to keep up with megaretailers such as Amazon and Walmart. Amanda Mull, a writer for The Atlantic, talks about her recent story called Stop Believing In Free Shipping. ([Listening time, 4:12]( The two creators of the new Hanukkah-themed bar saw a void in the pop-up scene. Neither is Jewish, but they did enough research to be able to serve up matzo ball soup, latkes and boozy jelly donuts. ([Listening time, 5:41]( --------------------------------------------------------------- The Picture Show [Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro trudges through high water in St. Mark's Square on Wednesday, the result of an exceptionally high tide in the scenic Italian city.]( Illustration © 2019 by Carson Ellis /Candlewick Press Author Susan Cooper knows what it is to be scared of the dark. As a child growing up in England during World War II, she remembers long, dark nights with Nazi bombers flying overhead. Now, nearly a lifetime later, Cooper’s book [The Shortest Day]( is a celebration of light gradually returning after the winter solstice, which is celebrated on Dec. 21, the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. --------------------------------------------------------------- Before You Go [A worker shovels snow from a sidewalk in the Humboldt Park neighborhood of Chicago. Forecasters expect temperatures to drop around 10 degrees by Wednesday.]( Saturday Night Live via YouTube - Superstar comedian [Eddie Murphy]( made a triumphant return to Saturday Night Live after 35 years. - Few things haunt a critic more than loving something and not being able to share it. This year, Fresh Air [critic John Powers circles back]( to Unbelievable, Atlantics, Where the Light Falls and more. - Across the country, more and more [churches are offering “Blue Christmas” services]( — setting aside the joy and tinsel of the holidays to hold a space for often unwelcome feelings. Pocket Casts App, Now Free Podcast lovers, rejoice! The Pocket Casts app delivers a simple but powerful experience for listening, search and discovery. And now it’s free. Download now at [PocketCasts.com]( or find it in the Apple App or Google Play stores. --------------------------------------------------------------- We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: [dailynewsletter@npr.org](mailto:dailynewsletter@npr.org?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback) Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can [sign up here](. Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Music, Politics, Health and more! 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