Monday morning news: December 25, 2023

Israel / Gaza » Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem are more somber than usual this year.

Resident Christie Pavey:

PAVEY: The atmosphere this year is much different from most years. Usually there's a hive of activity with all the pilgrims that come, but this year it's very solemn because of the war.

Israeli officials say more than a dozen of their troops died from fighting in Gaza this past weekend.

The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said a Christmas Eve strike killed at least 70 Palestinians.

U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday, he said afterward he did not urge a cease-fire.

NETANYAHU: [Speaking Hebrew]

Yesterday Netanyahu said Israel would not stop its war in Gaza until it had achieved its goals. He said during the monthslong war Israel has killed, “many thousands of terrorists.”

Ukraine » Worshippers in Ukraine gather today to celebrate Christmas in a show of defiance against Russia.

Before Moscow invaded, many Ukrainian churches followed the same calendar as the Russian Orthodox Church, which observes Christmas on January 7th.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a law this summer officially moving the national Christmas holiday to December 25th, in line with the traditional Western calendar.

ZELENSKYY: [Speaking Ukrainian] Today, all Ukrainians are together. We all meet Christmas together. On the same date, as one big family, as one nation, as one united country. And today our common prayer will be stronger than ever.

On Christmas Eve, Zelenskyy told Ukrainians they were celebrating together as one family and that their common prayer would be, quote, stronger than ever..

Border Negotiations » Congressional Republicans pledge they will keep demanding stronger border security policies before they agree to supply more aid to Israel and Ukraine.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham told ABC’s This Week:

GRAHAM: The policies of the Biden administration are attracting people from all over the world. We have to change those policies to secure our border. so policy changes are the key to getting a deal to help Ukraine.

The House of Representatives is out of session for a three-week holiday break. Congress is expected to resume negotiations next month.

Trump presidential immunity » Lawyers for former President Donald Trump are telling a Washington, D.C. appeals court that their client acted within his duties as president when he questioned the integrity of the 2020 presidential election.

They filed the argument late Saturday after the Supreme Court refused on Friday to hear fast-tracked arguments in the case.

Former U.S. Attorney Bill Barr says the question of Trump’s presidential immunity is a complicated one.

BARR: My view is that they're probably going to rule, that this is one of those cases where there has to be a lot more facts developed to determine how immunity applies.

A district judge has already ruled that presidential immunity does not preclude the four federal charges Trump faces in Washington for alleged election interference.

The appeals court is set to hear arguments in the case on January 9th.

Human Trafficking Victims » More than 300 Indian airplane passengers are cleared to return home from France following a dayslong human trafficking investigation.

Authorities grounded the charter plane on Thursday after reportedly receiving a tip indicating the passengers were being trafficked by a criminal group. The plane left from the United Arab Emirates, stopped for fuel in France, and was scheduled to depart to Nicaragua.

BAKAYOKO: [Speaking French]

Lawyer Liliana Bakayoko represents Legend Airways which was carrying the passengers. She says the airline did nothing wrong and that it is cooperating with French authorities.

Gas prices » Gas prices have risen slightly. Gas prices monitor AAA says Americans on average are paying $3.12 cents per gallon of regular unleaded. That’s up from $3.06 cents per gallon a week ago.

Hawaii currently has the highest statewide average price at $4.67 cents per gallon while Mississippi currently has the lowest at $2.66 cents per gallon.

I'm Kristen Flavin.

Straight ahead: Reading the Christmas story. Plus, a famous Christmas broadcast from the moon.

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