Russian forces fired more than 150 missiles and drones into cities across Ukraine today, hitting factories, hospitals and schools in what Ukrainian officials said was the largest air assault since they began tracking them last year.
At least 30 people were killed, more than 160 were wounded and critical infrastructure was damaged, the authorities said.
The barrage included hypersonic and cruise missiles that were designed to overwhelm and confuse Ukrainian air defenses, which have successfully shot down a vast majority of attacks in recent months. Today, however, more than 40 missiles and drones hit their marks.
One Russian rocket also traveled through a Polish border area near Ukraine for three minutes, briefly violating NATO airspace, Poland’s military said. But unlike the Russian drones that crashed in September in Romania, the rocket did not hit anything on the ground in Poland.
Russia’s assault echoed last year’s winter campaign, which plunged many areas into cold and darkness. Ukrainian authorities have warned for months that Russia was stockpiling high-precision missiles to pound Ukrainian cities when cold weather began to bite.
In Russia, a sweeping censorship law has ensnared thousands of residents for even mild antiwar statements.
Trump’s rivals criticize efforts to remove him from ballots
Debate over Donald Trump’s eligibility to run for president again flared up last night when Maine became the second state to remove him from its primary ballots and California declined to take a similar step. The decisions are tied to interpretations of a section of the 14th Amendment that bars insurrectionists from holding office.
The Supreme Court is all but certain to decide whether Trump can run nationwide, and my colleague Adam Liptak explored how it might rule. But the former president’s Republican rivals, who are trailing him by substantial margins in recent polls, denounced the attempts to remove him from ballots. “It should be up to voters to decide who gets elected,” Nikki Haley’s campaign said.
Ohio’s governor blocked a ban on transition care for minors
Mike DeWine, the Republican governor of Ohio, vetoed a bill today that would have barred transgender minors from receiving puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgeries. DeWine said that parents, not the state, should make a child’s medical decisions.
It was a rare rejection in what has been a concerted effort by the Republican Party to mobilize cultural conservatives around transgender issues for the 2024 primaries. The bill had also sought to prohibit transgender girls and women from playing on high school and college sports teams that correspond with their gender identity.
Murders and other violent crimes fell sharply this year
In 2020, as the pandemic took hold and protests convulsed the nation, the U.S. experienced the largest increase in murders ever recorded. Now, as 2023 comes to a close, the country is likely to see one of the largest yearly declines in homicides, according to recent F.B.I. data and statistics collected by independent criminologists and researchers.
Homicides still remain above prepandemic levels, but cities like Detroit and Baltimore are on track to record the fewest murders in many years. Homicides are down by 13 percent in Chicago and by 11 percent in New York.
More top news
Weather: Residents of the West Coast braced for a powerful storm system to bring rain, coastal flooding and waves as tall as 30 feet.
Gaza: An airstrike hit a house in Rafah in southern Gaza, killing at least 18 people, according to staff at a nearby hospital.
Nepal: A Yeti Airlines crash that killed 72 people in January was caused by a pilot who pulled the incorrect levers while trying to land.
A.I.: For months, some of the biggest players in the U.S. news industry have been in confidential talks with OpenAI about licensing their content to the company.
Court: Michael Cohen said that a legal filing his lawyer submitted to a judge included bogus citations generated by an A.I. program Cohen had used.
Business: Hong Kong stocks plunged to losses for the fourth straight year, driven by fears about China’s economy.
China: Adm. Dong Jun was appointed as the minister of defense, filling a monthslong vacancy created by the unexplained disappearance of the previous minister.
Crime: The police in Colorado Springs are searching for Kimberlee Singler, a 35-year-old woman charged with murdering two of her children and injuring a third.
Health: Britain’s fragmented system of geriatric care is straining under an aging population. “Integrated care” could help.
Investigation: This is how the Rikers Island jail became New York’s largest mental institution.
TIME TO UNWIND
The places that shaped Verdi
More than a century after his death, Giuseppe Verdi’s operas still shape the genre and enchant listeners like our critic Anthony Tommasini. To trace Verdi’s influences, Tommasini went on a pilgrimage to northern Italy, visiting the sites the composer knew best.
The highlight of the trip was the hamlet of Sant’Agata, where Verdi lived for his last 50 years. There, at what is now known as Villa Verdi, he oversaw every aspect of the farm — the crops and livestock, a slaughterhouse for pigs, an irrigation system he devised, the work of his tenants — even as he kept writing operas that appeared on the world’s grandest stages.
Start the new year off right
The best New Year’s resolutions are both achievable and potentially life-changing. Readers wrote in to share resolutions that worked for them and that could perhaps inspire you.
Those looking for an invigorating start to 2024 can sign up for our six-day energy challenge. For the first week of the year, my colleagues on the Well desk will share evidence-based tips and inspiration so you can feel more awake throughout the day.
UNWIND DURING THE HOLIDAYS
We asked readers to share tips.
“I am a quilter and have found quilting to be a wonderful way to calm down. Sewing fabric, either by hand or machine, takes concentration and is a great distraction from work, family and other stress-inducing things.” — Deborah Smith from Bennington, Vt.
Dinner table topics
An unfulfilled dream: Kara and Joe Youssef sold almost everything they owned to go on a three-year cruise. Then it all unraveled.
Spill your guts: This year’s pop music hits were full of longing — the kind that comes from badly wanting something seemingly just out of reach.
“New collar” workers: A growing class of jobs requires advanced skills but not necessarily advanced degrees.
Up next: “Doctor Who” welcomed its 15th doctor. Here’s how he stacks up.
WHAT TO DO THIS WEEKEND
Cook: These anchovy-stuffed fried dough rounds are a simple yet addictive snack.
Watch: For a low-commitment show, our critic recommends “Would I Lie to You?”
Read: Here are 18 new books to look out for in January.
Behold: Check out these space-related images from the past month.
Protect: Wirecutter has advice on what to look for in a home security system.
Compete: Take this week’s news quiz.
Play: Here are today’s Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all our games here.
ONE LAST THING
Count down to 2024 at any time
Rather than staying up until midnight and counting down the seconds until the calendar officially turns to 2024, the Children’s Museum of Manhattan is one of several institutions that will be hosting midday celebrations.
The tack — faking the start of a new year, or simply partying early — is one that will be used this year by parents and others who simply like to go to bed early. And it’s effective: By Sunday, it will be the new year somewhere. And that’s reason enough to cheer.
“I think we have about five more years where we can get away with this,” one parent of young children said.
Have a joyous evening, and a happy New Year.
Thanks for reading. We’ll be off on New Year’s Day. I’ll be back on Tuesday. — Matthew
We welcome your feedback. Write to us at evening@nytimes.com.