Today's Headlines: Trump Renews Attack on Fed as Mnuchin Tries to Calm Markets

Economy Is Strong. Leadership Is Shaky. Which Will Win Out in 2019? View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [Most Popular]( | [Video]( | Subscribe: [Digital /]( [Home Delivery]( [My Account]( [The New York Times]( Tuesday, December 25, 2018 IN THIS EMAIL: [Top News](#0) | [Editors' Picks](#2) | [World](#4) | [U.S.](#5) | [Politics](#6) | [Business](#7) | [Sports](#8) | [Arts](#9) | [New York](#10) | [Science](#11) | [Obituaries](#12) | [Op-Ed](#13) | [CUSTOMIZE »]( [] Top News [Trump Renews Attack on Fed as Mnuchin Tries to Calm Markets]( [Trump Renews Attack on Fed as Mnuchin Tries to Calm Markets]( By ALAN RAPPEPORT An attempt by Steven Mnuchin to calm jittery markets did little to stop volatility. [Economy Is Strong. Leadership Is Shaky. Which Will Win Out in 2019?]( [Economy Is Strong. Leadership Is Shaky. Which Will Win Out in 2019?]( By NEIL IRWIN Moves like Mnuchin’s phone calls to bank C.E.O.s could create a broader crisis of confidence. [It Doesn’t Matter if Ecuador Can Afford This Dam. China Still Gets Paid.]( [It Doesn’t Matter if Ecuador Can Afford This Dam. China Still Gets Paid.]( By NICHOLAS CASEY and CLIFFORD KRAUSS A giant dam was supposed to help lift Ecuador out of poverty. Instead, it’s part of a national scandal, and a future tethered to China. For more top news, go to [NYTimes.com »]( ADVERTISEMENT [Get New York Today in Your Inbox]( [Get New York Today in Your Inbox]( What you need to know to start your day in New York, including news, weather, free events and a look at the lighter side of life. [Sign up »]( [] Editors' Picks [Christmas in Lebanon: ‘Jesus Isn’t Only for the Christians’]( World | Lebanon Dispatch [Christmas in Lebanon: ‘Jesus Isn’t Only for the Christians’]( By VIVIAN YEE and HWAIDA SAAD Few seasons frame the everyday give-and-take of religious coexistence quite like Christmastime in Lebanon, where hijab-wearing women snap selfies in front of Beirut’s colossal Christmas tree. [Time for G.O.P. to Threaten to Fire Trump]( Opinion [Time for G.O.P. to Threaten to Fire Trump]( By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN Republican leaders need to mount an intervention. [] QUOTATION OF THE DAY "Is there something that Treasury knows that the rest of us don’t?" [BRIAN GARDNER]( an analyst at an investment banking firm, describing his initial reaction to the Treasury secretary’s announcement that he had called bank executives to ensure the markets were functioning properly. [] World [In Nicaragua, Ortega Was on the Ropes. Now, He Has Protesters on the Run.]( [In Nicaragua, Ortega Was on the Ropes. Now, He Has Protesters on the Run.]( By FRANCES ROBLES When huge protests demanded that he leave office, President Daniel Ortega’s days seemed numbered. But his repressive response has sent thousands into hiding and tightened his hold on power. [As Volcano Rumbles, Tsunami-Battered Indonesia Issues Beach Warning]( [As Volcano Rumbles, Tsunami-Battered Indonesia Issues Beach Warning]( By MUKTITA SUHARTONO and RICHARD C. PADDOCK Officials fear that a second tsunami may follow the one that killed at least 373 people injured more than 1,459 on Saturday. [With Early Israel Elections, Netanyahu Banks on Strengthening Support]( [With Early Israel Elections, Netanyahu Banks on Strengthening Support]( By ISABEL KERSHNER Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, facing possible bribery charges, had wanted his government to complete its term through next November. He changed his mind. For more world news, go to [NYTimes.com/World »]( ADVERTISEMENT [] U.S. [Frustrated by Shutdown, States Spend to Keep National Parks Open]( [Frustrated by Shutdown, States Spend to Keep National Parks Open]( By ALAN BLINDER A handful of states are paying the federal government to keep national parks open and clean during a shutdown with no end in sight. [Gov. Jerry Brown Commutes 131 Sentences and Orders DNA Testing in Death Row Case]( [Gov. Jerry Brown Commutes 131 Sentences and Orders DNA Testing in Death Row Case]( By THOMAS FULLER The California governor said in July that he would consider additional testing in the case of Kevin Cooper, who was convicted in 1985 of four murders and had petitioned for clemency. [How Does Your State Make Electricity?]( [How Does Your State Make Electricity?]( By NADJA POPOVICH There’s been a major shift in how America makes electricity over the past two decades. Each state has its own story. For more U.S. news, go to [NYTimes.com/US »]( ADVERTISEMENT [] Politics [Impact of Border Deployments Is Felt by Troops at Home and Away]( [Impact of Border Deployments Is Felt by Troops at Home and Away]( By THOMAS GIBBONS-NEFF and HELENE COOPER Units that have not been sent to the border must pick up the routine duties for those who have, and those that are deployed are not conducting the training needed to “fight tonight,” officials said. [Not a ‘Department of No,’ New Defense Chief Turns Trump’s Demands Into Policy]( [Not a ‘Department of No,’ New Defense Chief Turns Trump’s Demands Into Policy]( By JULIAN E. BARNES and ERIC SCHMITT Patrick M. Shanahan, the White House pick for acting defense secretary, used his experience at Boeing to navigate, and battle, the Pentagon. [Texas’ One-Stop Shopping for Judge in Health Care Case]( Sidebar [Texas’ One-Stop Shopping for Judge in Health Care Case]( By ADAM LIPTAK Courts have the power to stop plaintiffs from choosing their own judges in politically charged cases, a new article argues. For more political news, go to [NYTimes.com/Politics »]( [] Business [Renault Under Pressure as Carlos Ghosn Remains in Jail]( [Renault Under Pressure as Carlos Ghosn Remains in Jail]( By LIZ ALDERMAN and JACK EWING The French carmaker has avoided condemning Mr. Ghosn, its chief executive. But an increasingly difficult car market is forcing Renault to confront a leadership vacuum. [Sharing Data for Deals? More Like Watching It Go With a Sigh]( Advertising [Sharing Data for Deals? More Like Watching It Go With a Sigh]( By SAPNA MAHESHWARI Tech companies say consumers prefer being shown ads that are relevant to them. But a professor’s research shows they trade data for those ads not because of convenience but resignation. [The 2018 Good Tech Awards]( The Shift [The 2018 Good Tech Awards]( By KEVIN ROOSE Scandals and wrongdoing in tech rightly get a lot of attention, but there’s good — yes, really — happening elsewhere. For more business news, go to [NYTimes.com/Business »]( [] Sports [For N.F.L., Curious Results Set Up a Wild Final Weekend]( [For N.F.L., Curious Results Set Up a Wild Final Weekend]( By BEN SHPIGEL Even teams that are playoff locks suddenly face questions after a few surprises in Week 16. [For Frank Ntilikina of Knicks, a Christmas Memory Shattered]( [For Frank Ntilikina of Knicks, a Christmas Memory Shattered]( By KELLY WHITESIDE A second-year defensive whiz trying to find his way on offense grew up near the Christmas market in Strasbourg, France, where a gunman killed five on Dec. 11. [Seahawks Puff Out Their Chests and Turn Toward the Playoffs]( [Seahawks Puff Out Their Chests and Turn Toward the Playoffs]( By KURT STREETER An off-season overhaul produces a playoff team in Seattle, and Pete Carroll could not be prouder. For more sports news, go to [NYTimes.com/Sports »]( [] Arts [‘Vice’ Review: Dick Cheney and the Negative Great Man Theory of History]( [‘Vice’ Review: Dick Cheney and the Negative Great Man Theory of History]( By A.O. SCOTT The star of “The Dark Knight” and the director of “Anchorman” join forces to make a real-life supervillain biopic. [Kevin Spacey Faces Felony Charge in Misconduct Case]( [Kevin Spacey Faces Felony Charge in Misconduct Case]( By SOPAN DEB Kevin Spacey will be arraigned on Jan. 7 on a charge of indecent assault and battery, related to an accusation of misconduct in Nantucket. [‘Destroyer’ Review: A Very Good Nicole Kidman Plays a Very Bad Woman]( Critic’s Pick [‘Destroyer’ Review: A Very Good Nicole Kidman Plays a Very Bad Woman]( By MANOHLA DARGIS In the latest from Karyn Kusama (“Girlfight”), a corrupt female cop searches for a killer and possible redemption in the land of sunshine and noir. For more arts news, go to [NYTimes.com/Arts »]( [] New York [How Rampant Is Fare Evasion? At Times Square, One Rider a Minute Sneaks In]( [How Rampant Is Fare Evasion? At Times Square, One Rider a Minute Sneaks In]( By EMMA G. FITZSIMMONS and EDGAR SANDOVAL Subway officials say more people are avoiding paying. New Yorkers, many with grudges about subway service, have their reasons. [Priest Who Was Still Saying Mass After Abuse Settlements Is Suspended]( [Priest Who Was Still Saying Mass After Abuse Settlements Is Suspended]( By SHARON OTTERMAN The Rev. Donald G. Timone was told “not to exercise his ministry” pending an investigation by the Archdiocese of New York, a spokesman said. [Toys and Toiletries: Helping Needy Families Get What They Asked for This Christmas]( The Neediest Cases Fund [Toys and Toiletries: Helping Needy Families Get What They Asked for This Christmas]( By REMY TUMIN and JOHN OTIS Agencies that benefit from The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund find ways to provide holiday cheer to those who can’t afford it themselves. For more New York news, go to [NYTimes.com/NewYork »]( [] Science [It’s Intermission for the Large Hadron Collider]( [It’s Intermission for the Large Hadron Collider]( By DENNIS OVERBYE, JONATHAN CORUM, EVAN GROTHJAN, JON HUANG, YULIYA PARSHINA-KOTTAS, KARTHIK PATANJALI, GRAHAM ROBERTS and MARCELLE HOPKINS The largest machine ever built is shutting down for two years of upgrades. Take an immersive tour of the collider with AR and 360° photos. [New Office Hours Aim for Well Rested, More Productive Workers]( [New Office Hours Aim for Well Rested, More Productive Workers]( By EMILY LABER-WARREN A growing number of businesses are encouraging their employees to work when their bodies are most awake. [Apollo 8’s Earthrise: The Shot Seen Round the World]( Out There [Apollo 8’s Earthrise: The Shot Seen Round the World]( By DENNIS OVERBYE Half a century ago today, a photograph from the moon helped humans rediscover Earth. For more science news, go to [NYTimes.com/Science »]( [] Obituaries [Yuan Mu, Face of China’s Tiananmen Square Crackdown, Dies at 90]( [Yuan Mu, Face of China’s Tiananmen Square Crackdown, Dies at 90]( By MIKE IVES Mr. Yuan is remembered as the government spokesman who said that “not one person” died in the 1989 assault on protesters. Hundreds were reported killed. [Deborah Zall, 84, Dies; Depicted Extraordinary Women in Dance]( [Deborah Zall, 84, Dies; Depicted Extraordinary Women in Dance]( By MARINA HARSS After studying with Martha Graham, Ms. Zall went on to create solo works praised for their intense theatricality. For more Obituaries, go to [NYTimes.com/Obituaries »]( [] Op-Ed [The Ghost of Trump Chaos Future]( [The Ghost of Trump Chaos Future]( By PAUL KRUGMAN Sorry, investors, but there is no sanity clause. [The Sidney Awards, Part I]( [The Sidney Awards, Part I]( By DAVID BROOKS The best long-form essays on a brutal year. [The Generals Won’t Save Us]( [The Generals Won’t Save Us]( By KORI SCHAKE People who saw Jim Mattis as a check against Trump misunderstand the role of the military in a democracy. [An Adult Woman Goes Home for the Holidays]( [An Adult Woman Goes Home for the Holidays]( By ALYSSA LIMPERIS Three hundred sixty-four days of the year, I am an independent person. Then I get to my mother’s house. [In Praise of Wonder]( The Stone [In Praise of Wonder]( By ED SIMON Christmas is a reminder of the radical power of humility, amazement and embracing the Other. For more opinion, go to [NYTimes.com/Opinion »]( Follow NYTimes [Facebook] [FACEBOOK]( [Twitter] [@NYTimes]( [Pinterest] [Pinterest]( [Instagram] [Instagram]( Get more [NYTimes.com newsletters »]( | Get unlimited access to NYTimes.com and our NYTimes apps. [Subscribe »]( ABOUT THIS EMAIL This is an automated email. Please do not reply directly to this email from NYTimes.com. You received this message because you signed up for NYTimes.com's Today's Headlines newsletter. [Unsubscribe]( | [Manage Subscriptions]( | [Change Your Email]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Contact]( | [Advertise]( Copyright 2018 The New York Times Company 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018