MORNING NEWS UPDATE: DECEMBER 29, 2025
Trump Mandates Moon Landing by 2028: Just hours after Jared Isaacman was sworn in as NASA Administrator, President Trump issued an executive order mandating U.S. boots on the lunar surface by 2028 and the start of a nuclear-powered lunar outpost by 2030.
National Guard Legal Battle: The Supreme Court left in place a ruling barring the Trump administration from deploying the National Guard in Illinois, though a separate deployment of 350 troops was just announced for New Orleans to secure New Year’s and Mardi Gras events.
Medal of Honor Monday: The Pentagon is honoring Army Pfc. David Paul Nash today, a Vietnam veteran posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for saving three fellow soldiers.
Year-End Arts "War": Political tension is high as the administration continues its push to defund federal arts agencies and the Smithsonian unless they align with "patriotic" celebrations for the 2026 U.S. 250th anniversary.
Immigration Raids Impact: State leaders in Colorado and Illinois are reporting significant legal and social friction following increased ICE raids and shifts in federal immigration enforcement throughout December.
Supreme Court Year-End Report: Chief Justice John Roberts is scheduled to release his annual year-end report on the federal judiciary this Wednesday, which is expected to address the independence of the courts.
Ukraine Peace Plan: President Zelenskyy revealed the U.S. is offering a 15-year security guarantee as part of a proposed peace plan.
Tensions in the Pacific: The Chinese military staged new drills around Taiwan as a warning to "external forces" following increased diplomatic friction between the U.S. and Japan.
Mexico Train Disaster: An Interoceanic Train derailed in southern Mexico, resulting in at least 13 deaths and dozens of injuries.
Inflation Slows: New November data shows a cooling of inflationary pressures, providing a boost to the administration’s economic agenda, though market analysts remain cautious ahead of the December report.
Markets & Commodities: Gold and silver prices dipped slightly from record highs today.
2026 Hiring Freeze: Early reports for the new year suggest large employers are planning to maintain current team sizes or reduce staff in 2026 rather than expand.
The $84B AI Surge: Year-end reports show that 2025 was a record-breaking year for AI investment, with OpenAI alone raising $40 billion in a round that valued the company at $300 billion.
Archival Tech Breakthroughs: European startups are competing to launch "zero-power" archival storage systems in 2026, aiming to replace traditional data centers with high-density, low-energy solutions.
Firmware & Hardware: DJI released a major free firmware upgrade allowing the Osmo Action 6 to record 8K video, while leaks suggest the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro launch is imminent.
ADHD Research Shift: New brain scans revealed that ADHD medications work less by "sharpening focus" and more by "waking up" the brain's reward and alertness systems to make boring tasks more tolerable.
Oncology Breakthroughs: Doctors are celebrating a new "off-the-shelf" cancer vaccine (ELI-002 2P) that has shown significant promise in boosting survival rates for colorectal and pancreatic cancer patients.
Diet & Dementia: A long-term study released today suggests that high-fat cheese and cream consumption may actually be linked to a lower risk of dementia over a 25-year period.
College Basketball: No. 15 Texas Tech defeated Winthrop 87-57, extending their non-conference home winning streak to 46 games behind Christian Anderson’s 29 points.
NFL Playoff Race: As the regular season nears its end, teams are battling for final wildcard spots; the "Monday Night Football" matchup tonight carries heavy playoff implications.
Cricket: India clinched the T20 series against South Africa today after winning the fifth and final match by 30 runs.
DECEMBER 29, 2025
### Key Points
- The author decided against creating a "Top Ten" list due to time constraints, unreliable analytics, and the challenges of sorting through numerous posts.
- Stephen Fitzpatrick's conversations with students reveal the impact of AI in education.
- Andy Spears discusses disruptions in Indianapolis schools caused by anti-public education policies in Indiana.
- Steve Nuzum critiques the concept of "learning loss" and the proposed solutions to address it.
- Akil Bello examines the College Board's practices and their connection to marketing strategies.
- Sue Kingery Woltanski highlights Florida's controversial charter school co-location policies and their implications.
- Bruce Lesley critiques U.S. policymakers for decisions that negatively impact children.
- Ohio's legislature mandates free tutoring for low-performing students but fails to provide funding.
- Nancy Flanagan compiles a list of the most depressing education blogs of 2025.
- Florida Governor Ron DeSantis emerges as a vocal skeptic of AI, criticizing its potential societal impacts.
- A MAGA legislator proposes a property tax cut for people without children in schools, raising concerns about its implications for education funding.
- The post includes links to various education-related blogs and resources, encouraging readers to explore diverse perspectives on education issues.
### Key Points
- Teachers face a core dilemma of managing both academic and emotional roles in classrooms.
- A dilemma involves choosing between two or more valued options, requiring compromises and trade-offs.
- Academic roles demand social distance and objective judgment of students’ performance, while emotional roles require personal connections with students.
- Teachers must balance these roles, as personal relationships can enhance student engagement and learning.
- Some teachers manage to artfully blend academic and emotional roles, creating a classroom persona that fosters both respect and affection from students.
### Key Points
- Writers should remain independent of doctrines, theories, and politics, embracing isolation to resist oppression.
- The article discusses recent political and legal developments, including updates on the Epstein files, judicial rulings, and lawsuits related to Donald Trump.
- Crime rates in the U.S. have dropped significantly, with a 50% reduction in drug arrests since 2019, despite a decrease in overall arrests.
- Trump’s controversial Christmas Day post about Jeffrey Epstein raises questions about his knowledge of Epstein’s actions and potential future legal implications.
- The article criticizes the Department of Justice for its handling of the Epstein files, suggesting it acted more in Trump’s interest than in the public’s or victims’.
- Reflections on Trump’s presidency include his use of clemency powers, immigration policies, and alleged corruption.
- The blog connects current events to broader historical and political contexts, emphasizing the importance of informed discourse.
- Calls for accountability, social justice, and the preservation of democracy are central themes throughout the article.
### Key Points
- Larry Ferlazzo shares his favorite and most useful educational posts for December 2025, including end-of-year “best” lists.
- Suggestions for using New Year’s resolutions as a teaching tool are provided, along with related resources.
- Larry discusses Sal Khan’s surprising op-ed and moderates a panel on addressing reduced newcomer enrollment.
- Predictions for education trends in 2026 are outlined.
- Recommendations for zero-prep activities for ELL classrooms and creating music collaboratively are shared.
- A review of the Zootopia movie highlights lessons on grit and its limitations.
- Larry shares “The Best and Worst Education News of 2025” and other end-of-year reflections.
- Practical teaching resources for Social Studies, Math, Science, and ELL classrooms are highlighted, along with strategies for student motivation and parental involvement.
- Larry’s additional work, including his blog, radio show, and contributions to Education Week Teacher and The New York Times, is mentioned.
- Zohran Mamdani is set to be inaugurated as the mayor of New York City, with a vision of transforming the city beyond basic services like garbage collection and street cleaning.
- Mamdani aims for an affordable, diverse, and inclusive city where housing, safety for immigrants, and cultural values are prioritized over mere functionality.
- The article emphasizes the need for imagination and ambition in city governance, advocating for policies like free pre-K, free buses, and rent freezes, which have been implemented in other cities globally.
- A commenter highlights the challenges of housing affordability in New York, expressing frustration with the lack of effective solutions and the disappearance of the middle class.
### Key Points
- A bipartisan group of lawmakers criticizes the DOJ for excessive redactions in the Epstein files and accuses it of violating the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which mandates the release of all files by December 19, 2025.
- Representatives Ro Khanna and Tom Massie are considering legal and congressional actions, including impeachment hearings, inherent contempt of Congress, and criminal prosecution of DOJ officials for non-compliance.
- Lawmakers are in contact with survivors and their lawyers to bring them to Capitol Hill to demand the DOJ comply with the law.
- Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene emphasizes that the intent of the law was to expose corrupt elites and officials, not to protect them through redactions.
- The Democratic Coalition is sponsoring a campaign encouraging citizens to contact Congress and demand the release of the unredacted Epstein files.
- The campaign aims to reach a goal of 1,600 letters to Congress, with 829 already sent.
### Key Points
- U.S. forces killed two shipwrecked men, violating the Geneva Convention, under Trump's administration.
- The killings were justified by unproven claims of drug smuggling, reflecting a broader disregard for law and accountability.
- Military and political figures criticized the actions, highlighting the illegality of following unlawful orders under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
- The article criticizes Trump’s administration for constitutional violations, attacks on opposition leaders, and suppression of the press.
