December 31, 2025

EDITORIAL NOTE | In recognition of the New Year holiday, there will be no Daily Brief edition published tomorrow, Thursday, January 1, 2026. We look forward to resuming service on Friday and wish each of you a happy and safe New Year!

MIDDLE EAST | Updates from regional conflicts:

• Israel announced yesterday that it has suspended the work of more than 30 humanitarian organizations, including Doctors Without Borders, CARE, and Oxfam Quebec, in Gaza for failing to comply with new registration rules. Reports note while Israel says the new rules are aimed at preventing Hamas and other militant groups from infiltrating the aid organizations, they also include ideological requirements such as disqualifying organizations that have called for boycotts against Israel or expressed support for any of the international court cases against Israeli soldiers or leaders. [more]
• U.S. military officials say nearly 25 Islamic State operatives have been killed or captured in Syria this month in operations following the December 13 ambush near the city of Palmyra in which two U.S. service members and an American civilian interpreter were killed. [more]

U.S. FLU | The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned yesterday of high or very high levels of flu infection in more than half of U.S. states. CDC data indicates that there have been at least 7.5 million illnesses, 81,000 hospitalizations, and 3,100 deaths from flu so far this season as of December 20 and that the rapid spread of the illness is being driven by a new flu variant known as "subclade K." [latest CDC influenza report] [more]

MINNESOTA | Deputy U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Jim O’Neill said yesterday that federal childcare funding to Minnesota will be frozen amidst investigations into a series of fraud schemes in the state and what he said was "blatant fraud that appears to be rampant in Minnesota and across the country." [more]

U.S. CONSUMER PROTECTION | In a ruling issued yesterday, U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman said the Trump administration cannot suspend funding of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and suggested that administration efforts to defund the CFPB were undertaken to get around a court injunction against mass layoffs and furloughs at the agency ahead of a February 2026 court trial. [more]

U.S. DRUG PRICES | Reuters cites data from medical industry research firm 3 Axis Advisors as showing that, amidst Trump administration pressure to lower medication costs, major pharmaceutical companies plan to raise U.S. prices on at least 350 branded medications in 2026, with a median price increase of about 4% for the affected products. [full Reuters report] [more]

U.S. PRESIDENTIAL VETOES | In the first vetoes of his second term in office, President Donald Trump yesterday declined to sign into law a funding bill for a major drinking water project in Colorado that was passed unanimously by both the House of Representatives and the Senate, and a measure providing $14 million to protect a region of Florida's Everglades National Park that is inhabited by members of the Miccosukee tribe of Native Americans. Reports say it remains unclear if Republican Congressional leaders will allow votes to override the vetoes. [more]

U.S., IRAN, AND VENEZUELA | The U.S. Treasury Department announced new sanctions yesterday against 10 individuals and businesses in Iran and Venezuela over alleged contributions to Iran's drone and ballistic missile programs and trade. [Treasury Dept. press release] [more]

UNITED NATIONS | Amidst funding pressures driven largely by U.S. cuts, the United Nations General Assembly approved a $3.45 billion regular U.N. budget for 2026 yesterday - down 7% from 2025 - and said 2,900 U.N. jobs would be cut as of January 1. [press release] [more]

THAILAND AND CAMBODIA | In compliance with the countries' latest cease-fire agreement aimed at ending months of border clashes, Thailand released 18 Cambodian prisoners of war today. Statements from both countries suggested the release was a welcome move toward peace and stability. [more]

BOLIVIA | Following a week-long series of protests against economic reforms decreed by incoming President Rodrigo Paz, demonstrators in the Bolivian administrative capital of La Paz clashed with police yesterday, with police reported to have used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse protesters around national government facilities. [more]

WEST AFRICA | Responding to the recent U.S. ban on citizens of their countries entering the United States, the West African nations of Mali and Burkina Faso announced reciprocal entry bans on U.S. citizens yesterday. [more]

PERU | At least one person was killed, and 30 others were injured, when two trains collided yesterday on the rail line that carries tourists to and from Peru's Machu Picchu archaeological site. The cause of the crash remains under investigation. [more]

BULGARIA | Furthering its E.U. integration, Bulgaria will adopt the euro tomorrow, becoming the 21st country to join the common currency union. Reports note that the transition from the country's lev currency comes amidst political instability and high inflation. [more]

INDONESIA | Following a series of volcanic earthquakes and amidst increasing seismic activity, Indonesia raised its alert level of the Mount Bur Ni Telong volcano today and urged residents and visitors to stay at least 4 kilometers away from the volcano. [more]

EUROPEAN BANKING | According to a new analysis by Morgan Stanley, adoption of artificial intelligence and increased branch closings could result in European banks cutting some 212,000 jobs – about 10% of current staffing – by 2030. [more]

R.I.P. | Actor Isiah Whitlock Jr., best known for his roles on the HBO shows "The Wire" and "Veep" and in multiple films with director Spike Lee, died yesterday at the age of 71. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1999, as part of the Torrijos–Carter Treaties, the United States officially handed over control of the Panama Canal to Panama, ending U.S. control of the canal that had been in place since 1903. [more history]