TOP STORIES
AS CHINA RELATIONS TAKE A TURN, A NEW ERA OF U.S. RESPONSE President-elect Donald Trump tweeted over the weekendthat China should just “keep” an underwater U.S. drone the country boldly seized from the U.S. Navy. [Reuters]
ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTE TODAY Here’s what you should expectfrom the proceedings. [Ryan Grim, HuffPost]
ALEPPO EVACUATIONS RESUME After days of deadly delays. [Reuters]
‘INSURANCE POLICIES ON SLAVES: NEW YORK LIFE’S COMPLICATED PAST’ “In its 19th-century beginnings, New York Life Insurance sold 508 policies covering slaves. Their descendants are grappling with it.” [NYT]
ONE DEAD, FIVE INJURED AFTER TREE FALLS ON WEDDING PARTY One of the injured is a 4-year-old. [WaPo]
ZSA ZSA GABOR HAS DIED Tributes are pouring in for the actress and glamour icon, who was 99. Check out her best quotes on love and marriage ― after all, she was married quite a few times. [HuffPost]
‘A MURDER IN KURDISTAN’ “As Iraqi Kurdistan slides toward autocracy, U.S. leaders ignore journalists’ deaths and suffering refugees.” [Akbar Shahid Ahmed, HuffPost]
WHAT’S BREWING
UN TO HOLD MAJOR MEETING ON TUBERCULOSIS, WORLD’S TOP INFECTIOUS KILLER This will be only the fifth UN high-level meeting on a health issue. [HuffPost]
HOW TO TRACK SANTA THROUGH NORAD CHRISTMAS EVE Be warned, the author of The Morning Email’s youngest sister once insisted on sleeping in her room with several nightlights on and the door locked after feeling like Santa might kidnap her after watching these videos, but that’s probably an isolated incident. Probably. [HuffPost]
YOU HAVE TO LOVE THIS WHITE HOUSE SNOWMAN PRANK All of the Frosty photobombs in the West Wing. [Mashable]
BAD NEWS FOR ROB KARDASHIAN Based on social media, it appears Blac Chyna has left Rob Kardashian and taken their 1-month-old with her. [HuffPost]
OF COURSE ‘ROGUE ONE’ DESTROYED THE BOX OFFICE Are you surprised? [Reuters]
BECAUSE THE STORY OF ‘THE JINX’ COULDN’T GET ANY CRAZIER Robert Durst is saying he was high on meth the whole time. [HuffPost]
BEFORE YOU GO
~ How this sexual predator kept coaching gymnastics.
~ Thankfully, Diane Lockhart is coming back into our lives next year. Here’s the first trailer for “The Good Wife” spinoff, “The Good Fight.”
~ All of the holiday recipes, none of the stress.
~ Meet the new Miss World (and check out her crown).
~ Of course Beyonce’s Christmas decorations are better than all of ours put together.
~ The Minnesota football team has ended its boycott over teammates’ sexual assault suspensions.
~ We have so many thoughts about this first look at Michael Phelps’ wedding video, but you all should draw your own conclusions.
~ It’s all right internet ― CeeLo Green is OK after that phone exploding video.
~ Michael Sheen says he’ll be dedicating more time to fighting the alt-right.
~ Folks aren’t happy about the latest Mac update ― some are alleging it’s to conceal shorter battery life in the latest Macbook Pro.
~ And we haven’t stopped laughing from this SNL Hillary Clinton “Love Actually” skit.
The Huffington Post’s Morning Email team aims to get you the top news, along with entertainment, lifestyle stories and other absurdity that you need to get through your workday — all with a dash of signature Morning Email snark.
Like The Morning Email? Send it to a friend! Does somebody keep forwarding you this newsletter? Get your own copy. It’s free! Sign up here.
Check out HuffPost Politics and HuffPost Breaking News newsletters for more of the good stuff.