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As one of the final congressional acts of 2023, President Joe Biden has signed into law Congress' 2024 defense bill, an $886 billion appropriations allocation that also quietly renewed a hotly-contested federal surveillance program.

Included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) was an extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence and Surveillance Act (FISA), originally passed in

• US homicide rates dropped by 13% in 2023, according to preliminary data from law enforcement agencies.
• The record-breaking decline comes despite concerns about perceived growing crime rates.
• The historic figures mark the largest one-year drop on record.

Despite prevailing

Whatever else you can say about X, previously known as Twitter, it’s never really boring. The 17-year-old social media site that we’ve stuck around with always has something going on; in the best cases, it can be either funny or so odd that you can’t help but laugh.

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• Ukraine has hit back at Russia following its huge air attack earlier this week.
• Ukraine launched a series of strikes in southwest Russia, Tass news agency reported.
• Multiple people in Belgorod and Bryansk have died in the attacks, according to reports.

Ukraine has reportedly hit back at the huge Russian air attack on Friday by shelling cities in southwest Russia.

Multiple people, including

The first trailer for The American Society of Magical Negroes has dropped, and instead of expressing excitement for comedian-turned-writer/director Kobi Libii's debut film, many on social media were left confused.

This was not "Black Hogwarts" as many had thought based on the name and initial poster which showed a hand holding a membership card for the aforementioned Society of Magical Negroes

• Russia could need up to 10 years to replenish its army, according to UK military intelligence.
• The average daily number of Russian casualties has increased to nearly 300 per day, it said.
• Russia could face over half a million troop losses by 2025, according to projections.

It could take Russia up to 10 years to restore its military

• Paul Gibbons, 63, paid the British store Wickes $30,000 for a "high-quality" kitchen.
• But after being left unsatisfied with the job, he drove a tank-like self-propelled gun to the store.
• "I'm making a stand simply to say that it's not right," Gibbons told local news.

A customer who has been in a dispute with the British DIY store Wickes over a kitchen redesign

• Sami Schalk, a professor at UW-Madison, tweeted about her students struggling more than ever.
• She thinks students are struggling after the pandemic and many have to juggle jobs.
• Students also feel like there is no guaranteed future for them after graduation. 

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sami Schalk, an

Hoping to kick the new year off with a nice view of a meteor shower? You're sort of in luck because the night of Jan. 3 and the early morning of Jan. 4 will present a so-so opportunity to catch a glimpse of the Quadrantids. 

The brighter the moon in the sky, the less detail you're going to see, and in that sense, this year will be good but not great for Quadrantids fans. Last year, by contrast, the

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be

What do you do when the tech world mostly grinds to a halt at the end of December? You reheat your hot takes, force a narrative thread on a company's ups and downs and edit it all up for consumption. 

Yes, it's a little quiet at the end of the year (barring Apple Watch bans), but that won't stop TMA from finding something for me to talk to himself about. We’re looking at a few of the major stories