Sports
New Zealand Entrenched as World Cup Favorites
The All Blacks will once again finish the year as the top-ranked team in the world, and the other top teams all have improvements to make if they want to challenge them next year for the world title.Business Day
E.P.A. Wrestles With Role of Nuclear Plants in Carbon Emission Rules
The agency is trying to complete a regulation governing emissions from power sources, and a formula for how to treat nuclear plants is proving contentious.World
U.N. Set to Cut Force in Darfur as Fighting Rises
United Nations officials say their forces are routinely attacked by Sudanese forces and their proxies and that it is virtually impossible for their peacekeepers to remain without Sudan’s blessing.World
Pakistani Premier Announces Military Courts for Terrorism Cases
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced plans early Thursday to set up military courts to deal with terrorism cases after a deadly Taliban attack on a school in Peshawar last week.U.S.
Jeb Bush’s Emails as Governor of Florida Show His Agenda and Goals
Emails sent during Jeb Bush’s time in office and obtained through a public records request illustrate, hour by hour, the business of governing one of the country’s most populous states.Opinion
Strong Safety Rules for Taxis and Uber
The new companies cannot claim that they are safer than taxis when they have failed to meet basic safety standards for their drivers.Business Day
Rise in Loans Linked to Cars Is Hurting Poor
With a crackdown on payday lenders, subprime borrowers are increasingly using auto title loans, whose high interest rates can lead to repossession and financial ruin.U.S.
Law and Order Issues, Once G.O.P.’s Strength, Now Divide the Party
While some Republicans are seeking to overhaul the criminal justice system and reach out to minority voters, others are angered by protests and violence against the police.World
After Long Fight, Groups Pry Memo on Migrant Killings From Mexican Government
In a small victory for transparency advocates, Mexico released a document from the attorney general’s office that describes police complicity in the killings of migrants by drug gangs.Automobiles
Move Over Land Yachts, Compact S.U.V.s Are in Demand
Consumers are flocking to smaller S.U.V.s, fueling a boom in vehicles that handle like a car, get the mileage of a midsize sedan, and yet offer features many drivers want.The Upshot
Going Home From the South, a New Holiday Exodus
A surge of native Californians and Northeasterners who travel home from the South highlights its new role as a place to pursue the American dream.Business Day
As Ruble Falters, Russia Forces Exporters to Reduce Foreign Currency
The announcement was the first open acknowledgment that the Kremlin would use its controlling votes on the boards of directors of major companies to force economic policy decisions.Opinion
Mr. Grimm Should Go Now
Representative Michael Grimm should resign from the House immediately after pleading guilty to tax fraud.U.S.
Overdose Cited in Death of Man Who Killed 6 in Pennsylvania
Officials initially believed that Bradley Stone, who they say killed his wife and five members of her family, had died of self-inflicted stab wounds.N.Y. / Region
Cuomo and Christie Silent as Deadline for Port Authority Bill Approaches
The legislation would open all of the agency’s meetings, and require its officials to acknowledge that their duty is to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, not to the governor who appointed them.U.S.
Jerry Brown, Governor of California, Takes Second Chance to Shape Court
Gov. Brown made a series of head-snapping choices for the California Supreme Court, picking nominees who were highly respected but had no judicial experience.Sports
Transcript of Winston Hearing Reveals Accuser’s Words, and Florida State’s Complicity
Jameis Winston was cleared of violating the student code of conduct, but the woman who accused him of raping her spoke powerfully at the university hearing.N.Y. / Region
Settlement Talks Over Rikers Island Class-Action Lawsuit Are Planned
The federal prosecutor’s office, lawyers representing inmates and New York City officials will discuss four key issues, including use of force by guards.Business Day
Sony Streams ‘The Interview’ on YouTube, Google Play and Xbox
In getting behind “The Interview,” Google and Microsoft joined what had become more a campaign to defend free speech against foreign intimidation than a business initiative.U.S.
The Slow Process of Removing Rick Perry’s Footprint from Texas
It sounds a little crazy, but the governor is not usually the real power player in state government in Texas. Or was not, before Rick Perry.
Appointments and Executive Changes
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World
Oil’s Swift Fall Raises Fortunes of U.S. Abroad
A plunge in oil prices has sent tremors through the global political and economic order, helping the United States but pushing several big oil-exporting nations to the brink of financial crisis.World
Saudi to Dig Into Reserves for 2015 Budget
Saudi Arabia's Cabinet on Thursday endorsed a 2015 budget that projects a slight increase in spending and a significant drop in revenues due to sliding oil prices, resulting in a nearly $39 billion deficit.U.S.
Driver Wanted for Obama Motorcade. Novice Welcome.
People with no special training are a link in the middle of the fastest, and most high-profile, chain of vehicles in the country.
Business Day
Rise in Loans Linked to Cars Is Hurting Poor
With a crackdown on payday lenders, subprime borrowers are increasingly using auto title loans, whose high interest rates can lead to repossession and financial ruin.Magazine
Forty Portraits in Forty Years
The Brown sisters have been photographed every year since 1975. The latest image in the series is published here for the first time.Movies
On, Then Off, Now On Again
“The Interview” mainly extends the bro-com, as practiced by James Franco and Seth Rogen, into new geopolitical markets.Opinion
Tidings of Comfort
You surely haven’t heard this in the news, but 2014 was a year in which the federal government showed that it can do some important things very well.World
In Naples, Gift of Coffee to Strangers Never Seen
The Neapolitan tradition of “suspended coffee” — paying for two, drinking one and leaving the receipt for the other for a stranger — has spread around the world.Opinion
An Atheist’s Christmas Dream
A season to celebrate the golden rule and the possibility of peace.Movies
Surviving the Sea, and the Cruelties Beyond
Angelina Jolie’s “Unbroken,” adapted from Laura Hillenbrand’s best seller, recounts Louis Zamperini’s harrowing World War II experiences.Technology
Retina 5K iMac: Powerful Proof of the PC Renaissance
Defying predictions of their demise, personal computers are making a comeback, enticing a niche audience of professional users with power and beauty, and an Apple machine stands out.Sunday Review
The Year in Pictures, 2014
From Ukraine to Ferguson, from the Ebola epidemic to the chaos in Syria, the year’s most gripping photographs.U.S.
Jeb Bush’s Emails as Governor of Florida Show His Agenda and Goals
Emails sent during Jeb Bush’s time in office and obtained through a public records request illustrate, hour by hour, the business of governing one of the country’s most populous states.Technology
New Study Adds to Skepticism Among Security Experts That North Korea Was Behind Sony Hack
Security researchers are increasingly voicing doubts about the United States government assertions that North Korea was behind the attack on Sony’s computer network. A new linguistic study is likely to fuel the debate.Travel
Indian Chains in New York, Worthy of Their Flagships
It is possible to experience Indian food in its unadulterated form at four New York outposts of popular Indian restaurants.N.Y. / Region
After Killing of Police Officers, Protest Movement Is at a Crossroads
Some factions want to keep pressing for police reform, as two slain officers are mourned in New York City. Others say that might alienate the public.Business Day
Crowds Gather as ‘The Interview’ Begins Screening in 331 Theaters
The film had improbably become a symbol of free speech over the last week as hackers managed to get it withdrawn from theaters and then watched it open after all.U.S.
