Tuesday's Headlines: Impasse continues as workers idled by shutdown worry about paying the bills

'I am all alone': An isolated Trump unleashes a storm of Yuletide gloom; The Trump administration tried to calm markets. It backfired.; Markets fall more than 650 points; Trump...

Democracy Dies in Darkness     The morning's most important stories, selected by Post editors   Impasse continues as workers idled by shutdown worry about paying the bills Few see signs that the standoff over funding for President Trump's border wall will end any time soon, meaning the partial government shutdown could last into the new year. That prospect has many furloughed government workers worried about how they will make ends meet. By Ian Shapira, Rachel Weiner and Seung Min Kim  •  Read more » The Debrief 'I am all alone': An isolated Trump unleashes a storm of Yuletide gloom Since the partial government shutdown began, the president has fired off roughly three dozen tweets — including 10 in three hours Monday that sounded like a running list of grievances. By Philip Rucker  •   Read more »   Analysis The Trump administration tried to calm markets. It backfired. Many economists warned that the president's obsession with the stock market would be a big problem. In recent days, it's become apparent why. By Heather Long  •   Read more »   Markets fall more than 650 points; Trump pins blame on the Fed The 653-point drop marked one of the worst Christmas Eves ever for U.S. stocks. President Trump tried to assign sole blame for the sell-off to the Federal Reserve, likening the central bank to a golfer who "can't putt." By Thomas Heath and Philip Rucker  •   Read more »   The Christmas gift of a fresh start In a season of hope, five stories of second chances, of people who grabbed the opportunity to begin again and found their way back from loss and isolation. By Jessica Contrera, Elise Viebeck, Michael Brice-Saddler, Steve Hendrix and Taylor Telford  •   Read more »   Power Ploys | Understanding Russia's Global Influence In Venezuela, Russia pockets key energy assets in exchange for cash bailouts Moscow has taken control of oil and gas fields and has a lien on a major share of Citgo, Venezuela's oil company in the United States. By Anthony Faiola and Karen DeYoung  •   Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT Opinions   A Christmas message: Fear not By Michael Gerson  •   Read more »   Trump is incompetent, impulsive and amoral. Heaven help us all. By Eugene Robinson  •   Read more »   The Catholic Church scandal casts a shadow over the season. But Christmas is a time for hope. By Elizabeth Bruenig  •   Read more »   Wonder how the Trump administration would handle a financial crisis? Well, now we know. By Catherine Rampell  •   Read more »   Anti-Semitism is not just another opinion. The New York Times should know better. By Richard Cohen  •   Read more »   This Christmas, remember the powerless and the light-bearers By Editorial Board  •   Read more » ADVERTISEMENT More News Sombre Christmas on Indonesia's tsunami-hit coast as death toll tops 420 More than 120 people are still missing as rain hampers rescue efforts. By Stanley Widianto and Simon Denyer  •   Read more »     U.S. judge orders North Korea to pay $500 million to parents of Otto Warmbier, who died after being detained there In a strongly worded opinion, the chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia said the large award was necessary to punish and deter North Korea after the 2017 death of the University of Virginia student. By Susan Svrluga and Rachel Weiner  •  Read more »     WorldViews | Analysis Netanyahu could soon be Israel's longest-serving prime minister — despite decades of scandals Controversies have dogged him since his first stint in power more than two decades ago. His ability to survive allegations of corruption may be his most impressive feat. By Adam Taylor  •   Read more »   Retropolis | The Past, Rediscovered A child calling Santa reached NORAD instead. Christmas Eve was never the same. The military's NORAD has been tracking Santa every Christmas Eve for 63 years. It all began when the command center's red phone rang and a kid was on the other end. By Steve Hendrix  •   Read more »   Lost at sea for 20 days, their hope was waning. Then a cruise ship appeared. Royal Caribbean's Empress of the Seas had been rerouted due to poor weather when a crew member spotted a signal light on the fishermen's vessel. By Michael Brice-Saddler  •   Read more »   Depression may be a side effect of some common drugs, including ones for acid reflux and hypertension Doctors often aren't aware of the issue. Here's what patients should know. By Consumer Reports  •   Read more »   Retropolis | The Past, Rediscovered Archaeologists release stunning photos of new Pompeii find: Horses remarkably preserved in lava A perfectly intact petrified horse was unearthed near the ancient Roman city of Pompeii, which was destroyed in 79 A.D. during the monstrous eruption of Mount Vesuvius. By Deanna Paul  •   Read more »   Post Reports | Listen Now How Ben Carson is rolling back fair-housing enforcement Tracy Jan reports on how Ben Carson's HUD cut back on investigating housing discrimination. Lori Aratani explains why airplane bathrooms keep getting smaller. Plus, Geoffrey Fowler on the ever-rising costs of Apple products. By Washington Post Staff  •   Read more »   Can you find the real Mrs. Claus in this illustration? In this ­celebration of Mrs. Claus, you'll find 24 representations of her as well as the real Mrs. Claus.  By Gus Morais  •   Read more »   Voraciously 14 essential kitchen gifts The holidays are a prime time to stock a kitchen. By Becky Krystal  •   Read more »   Style The allure of the Sharper Image, the uncle-gift emporium 40 years later, the "poor man's James Bond catalogue" is still selling us stuff we really don't need. By Karen Heller  •   Read more »   Perspective The science of giving gifts your loved ones won't want to return COLUMN | Why people ignore wish lists, and other mysteries of holiday gift-giving By Kathleen Vohs  •   Read more »         Share Today's Headlines:    Twitter     Facebook Trouble reading? Click here to view in your browser. You received this email because you signed up for Today's Headlines or because it is included in your subscription. Manage my email newsletters and alerts | Unsubscribe from Today's Headlines Privacy Policy | Help ©2018 The Washington Post  |  1301 K St NW, Washington DC 20071