Don’t forget this morning’s OJ. 🍊 Hello! I’m Nicole Fallato. Stay tuned for some exciting changes to the Daily Briefing newsletter starting next week.
Some of Friday’s headlines:
Supreme Court approves use of new Texas map
Texas can use a congressional map drawn to favor President Donald Trump and the Republican Party in the 2026 midterm elections, the Supreme Court announced Thursday.
background: At the request of the Trump administration, the Republican-controlled Texas Legislature drew new district lines midway through the normal once-a-decade redistricting cycle, setting up a race for states to get in on the game.
- What happened yesterday: A divided high court blocked a lower court’s ruling that the map could have diluted the voting power of Hispanic and black Texans and discriminated against racial minorities.
- But would it be to Democrats’ advantage to flip the House anyway? Democratic leaders have recently spoken increasingly optimistically about 2026, while Republicans have expressed concern that the midterm elections will be wiped out.
- 2026 Map Mania: Five other states have already adopted the new congressional maps: California, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, and Utah.
President Trump speaks of love at Christmas tree lighting ceremony
President Trump and first lady Melania Trump continued a more than 100-year-old tradition of lighting the National Christmas Tree in Washington on Thursday. Tree 2025 is a 32-foot-tall red spruce that grows in the mountains of Highland County, Virginia. In his speech, President Trump honored the two National Guard soldiers who were shot and killed earlier this month, talked about his loss in the 2020 election, and said he loved all Americans. look at the tree.
More news you need to know right now
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This is the most dangerous sport for children
At least 158 children and teens have died on dirt bikes and motocross tracks since 2000, or more than six a year, according to a USA TODAY investigation. This makes it the most dangerous sport for young people, approximately seven times more dangerous than tackle football. But the investigation found that fatal accidents follow a pattern in which safety measures are ignored.
“Permanent layoffs” make workers anxious
According to Glassdoor’s Work-Life Trends 2026 report, a weak job market with regular, small-scale layoffs rather than frequent large-scale layoffs has left employees feeling anxious and isolated from management. In job site reviews, mentions of layoffs, similar conditions, and job insecurity are higher than in March 2020. Also, although the number of job cuts in November 2025 was lower than the previous month, the number of layoffs was still higher than a year ago.
today’s speaker
Why it matters NWSL refuses to sign Trinity Rodman
The National Women’s Soccer League wants to keep Washington Spirit star Trinity Rodman in the league for years to come. However, according to The Athletic, the 23-year-old Rodman was willing to accept a multi-million dollar contract from Washington, only for NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman to veto it. USA TODAY sports columnist Nancy Armor wrote that Berman’s concerns will force Rodman, a once-in-a-generation talent, to walk.
Today’s photo: Spike!
It’s time for the NCAA Division I Volleyball Tournament to begin. Sixty-four teams will be vying for the title, with the No. 1 overall seed going to Nebraska, which is undefeated at 30-0. The Kentucky women’s team opened the tournament with spikes, sets and scores.
Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer for USA TODAY. Sign up for emails here. Want to send a note to Nicole? Email NFallert@usatoday.com.
