Georgia could be a new purple state; why time isn't real; how Hot Wheels beat inflation

Plus, why Gov. DeSantis hasn't run for president (yet) [View this email online]( [NPR]( by Suzanne Nuyen You count on this newsletter to keep you well-informed and well-connected. We are asking for your help this month. You keep the facts flowing. You bring more stories to more ears. You make a real difference with a year-end contribution to independent, trustworthy media. [Donate today](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Good morning. The government isn't shutting down today, thanks to a [one-week stopgap spending measure]( approved by the Senate. Here's what we're following today: --------------------------------------------------------------- 🥇 First up Brynn Anderson/AP Step aside, Florida and Ohio. Recent elections have [challenged Georgia's status]( as a solidly red state. But not everyone is ready to embrace its purple status. Speaking of Florida: All eyes are on Gov. DeSantis, who won his reelection campaign by a landslide and is a strong contender for the Republican presidential nomination. He [hasn't shown signs of running]( and says he's focused on being governor, but 🎧 listen for some of the [obvious signs of a stealth campaign](. This month marks 100 years since Ukraine lost a bid for independence and joined the Soviet Union. Now, the country finds itself in [another life-and-death battle with Moscow](. You can order free COVID tests again by mail. As people gather for the holidays, the federal government says [you should test often]( to try to prevent the spread of the virus. --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------- 📷 Picture show [Left: France's Olivier Giroud and Antoine Griezmann celebrate after winning a World Cup semifinal match on Wednesday, Dec. 14, in Al Khor, Qatar. Right: Argentina's Lionel Messi and Julián Álvarez celebrate after scoring during a World Cup semifinal match with Croatia on Tuesday, Dec. 13, in Lusail, Qatar.]( Francisco Seco/AP; Martin Meissner/AP Defending champion France will face soccer legend Lionel Messi and the Argentinian team this weekend in the World Cup Finals. Take a look back at [some of the biggest moments]( of the tournament so far. --------------------------------------------------------------- 🎧 Today’s listen Jun Cen for NPR Time rules everything around us. But the way we perceive and experience time is actually a social construct, and even the guardians of America's atomic clocks say time doesn't work the way we think it does. 🎧 Listen to [learn more about the timey wimey, wibbley wobbly nature of time]( or [read the story](. --------------------------------------------------------------- It all comes down to you Your financial support is the NPR Network's greatest strength. You keep the facts flowing. You bring more stories to more ears. You make a real difference when you contribute to independent, trustworthy media. [Please donate today](. --------------------------------------------------------------- 🎥 Weekend picks [Sam Worthington as Jake Sully and Zoe Saldaña as Neytiri in Avatar: The Way of Water]( Disney Check out what [our critics]( are watching, reading and listening to this weekend: Movies: It took 13 years for James Cameron's Avatar sequel, [Avatar: The Way of Water]( to get to theaters, and it's a feast for all senses. TV: Kumail Nanjiani is a delight in the Hulu miniseries [Welcome to Chippendales]( which takes us back to the '80s and the rise of the famed male revue, Chippendales. Books: We've got two [unconventional recommendations for mystery lovers]( One is genre-bending; the other features a detective who specializes in underwater investigations. Music: It took 20 people to put together [NPR's list of the best songs of 2022]( and you can stream our picks wherever you listen to music. Games: The holidays are the perfect time to take a video game break. Check out [our favorite games of the year](. --------------------------------------------------------------- 🛑 Before you go Bruce Pascal - Inflation, has hit almost every product in the U.S. But the [price of Hot Wheels]( the beloved toy, has hovered around $1 — for more than 50 years. - Several journalists were suspended from Twitter for sharing information about Elon Musk's jet, prompting [concern about future moves against journalists]( who cover the billionaire. - The U.S. Senate has unanimously approved a bill that would [ban TikTok]( from devices issued by federal agencies. - Purdue University Northwest Chancellor Thomas L. Keon made a public apology after making a [racist imitation of Asian languages]( in a commencement speech. - Jane Fonda says her cancer is in remission and she can discontinue chemotherapy. She announced her [non-Hodgkin's lymphoma]( diagnosis in September. --------------------------------------------------------------- Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. [Find a Station]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 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! You received this message because you're subscribed to Daily News emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( [NPR logo]