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Democracy Dies in Darkness

Members of Russia’s 200th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade take part in February 2021 drills for an Arctic expedition. (Sputnik/AP)

Once-feared Russian brigade decimated by months of war

The bloody fate of Russia’s 200th Motor Rifle Brigade in Ukraine is emblematic of Vladimir Putin’s derailed invasion plans.

By Greg Miller, Mary Ilyushina, Catherine Belton, Isabelle Khurshudyan and Paul Sonne

‘Massive’ missile attacks reported across Ukraine; residential building hit

Russia is destroying Ukraine’s economy, raising costs for U.S. and allies

By Jeff Stein and David L. Stern

(AP)

Elon Musk suspends journalists from Twitter, claims ‘assassination’ danger

Many of the journalists, including from The Washington Post and New York Times, had written about dramas surrounding Musk's takeover of Twitter.

MORE COVERAGE

(Tim McDonagh for The Post)

ExclusiveBuilt & Broken

Rigged: The undoing of America’s premier bodybuilding leagues

By Desmond Butler and John Sullivan

MORE COVERAGE

Listen: The journey to Qatar’s World Cup final

Play: Today’s crossword puzzles and other games

Carolyn Hax: Sister wants a baby with the married man she’s seeing

Cook: Instant Pot beef stroganoff that you can make dairy-free, too

(The Post)

Artificial intelligence can now create images out of thin air. See how it works.

Use our simulator to learn how artificial intelligence generates images from “noise.”

By Kevin Schaul, Hamza Shaban, Shelly Tan, Monique Woo and Nitasha Tiku

MORE COVERAGE

(Luke Sharrett for The Post)

‘A big bomb of viruses went off’: Why this year’s airborne bugs are especially virulent

It’s like “a big bomb of viruses went off,” said pediatrician treating kids with flu, RSV, strep and covid.

By Ariana Eunjung Cha

MORE COVERAGE

13 holiday cookie recipes to bring color and joy to the season

By Becky Krystal

MORE FROM VORACIOUSLY

On her way home, Brittney Griner says she’ll play in the WNBA this season

By Matt Bonesteel19 minutes ago

A first look at the trains that will replace Amtrak’s 50-year-old rail cars

Meghan and Harry made a fairy-tale escape. They still seem trapped.

By Monica Hesse

(Laurent Gillieron/Keystone/AP)

The seven best goals scored in this World Cup

By Ella Brockway

Today’s WorldViewAnalysis

Argentina, beset by domestic woes, sees salvation in Qatar

Soccer, likely more than any other sport, has a capacity for delivering moments of transcendence. Argentines are hoping for a reprieve.

By Ishaan Tharoor

Retropolis The Past, Rediscovered

When a murderous dictatorship hosted the World Cup

By Frederic J. Frommer

For my Moroccan American sons, this World Cup was about more than soccer

By Jackie Spinner

Happening Now

Washington Post LiveVideo

Tilda Swinton on her dual roles in ‘The Eternal Daughter’

LIVE: READER Q&A

Check your Christmas tree for a praying mantis cocoon (seriously). Hax readers share holiday stories.

By Carolyn Hax and Christine Loman30 minutes ago

Upcoming live Events

Chat with David Ignatius about the war in Ukraine and foreign affairs

Monday, December 19, at 12:00 p.m. EST

Ask Eugene Robinson about the latest news around the U.S. and world

Tuesday, December 20, at 1:00 p.m. EST

Have questions about dining out? Ask our food critic.

Wednesday, December 21, at 11:00 a.m. EST

Professional organizers offer tips for getting your house in order

Thursday, January 5, at 11:00 a.m. EST

Most Read

‘Wiped out’: War in Ukraine has decimated a once feared Russian brigade

The bloody fate of Russia's 200th Motor Rifle Brigade in Ukraine is emblematic of Vladimir Putin’s derailed invasion plans.

How to explain Trump supporters? Ask Jennifer Rubin.

Rigged: The undoing of America’s premier bodybuilding leagues

Musk suspends journalists from Twitter, claims ‘assassination’ danger

Republicans have a new version of ‘Lock her up!’

Don’t Miss

What we learned about the economy in 2022

By Washington Post Staff

The 15 best book covers of 2022

By Washington Post Staff

A newspaper vanished from the internet. Did someone pay to kill it?

What it’s like to live full-time on a 400-square-foot sailboat

By Dan Parsons

CARTEL RXFentanyl’s deadly surge

Carolyn Hax: Older sister resents younger for dodging parents’ care

Friday, December 16

Ask Damon: I can’t afford to hang out with my rich friends

By Damon YoungFriday, December 16

Miss Manners: How to deal with a loud, belligerent and wrong stranger?

Friday, December 16

Ask Amy: Girlfriend’s daughter convinced her that our relationship is wrong

Friday, December 16

For YouRecommended stories

Well+BeingNews and advice to live well every day

(The Washington Post/Alexa Juliana Ard / The Washington Post)

Facial expressions may be an unreliable way to read emotions

By Marlene Cimons

The best self-help books your favorite health experts read in 2022

Extra water, batteries, canned food – plan now to stay safe through winter

By Tara Parker-Pope

Canine influenza is spreading. Here is how to protect your pup.

By Lindsey Bever

Does exercise really help aging brains? New study raises questions.

By Gretchen Reynolds

ClimateExpanded coverage of a changing planet

A village destroyed by fire vowed to rebuild the right way. Then the fights began.

By Joshua Partlow

‘Space hurricanes’ swirling over the Earth surprise scientists

Biden wants ‘green’ economy, but talks fail to revive key aluminum plant

By Steven Mufson

U.S. will ban the sale of shark fins. Here’s why.

By Dino Grandoni

Semafor hired a climate writer. Then Chevron ran ads on his stories.

Cringe quiz: Are you fluent in Gen-Z office speak?

By Danielle Abril

Your phone is terrible at phone calls. Here’s how to fix it.

They came to TikTok for fun. They got stuck with sexualized videos

By Heather Kelly

Senate passes bill to ban TikTok on U.S. government-issued devices

Elon Musk’s role at Tesla questioned as Twitter occupies his attention

By Faiz Siddiqui and Rachel Lerman

QAnon, adrift after Trump’s defeat, finds new life in Elon Musk’s Twitter

By Drew Harwell

The beauty of friendships in parenthood

By Catherine Newman

How to remove mold and bacteria from bathroom surfaces

By Jeanne Huber

Should I advise my grown children to use the Ferber sleep method?

By Meghan Leahy

Four horses fell in a frozen pond. Neighbors raced to save them.

(Ji Stribling for The Hechinger Report)

Rural universities, already few and far between, are cutting majors

By Jon Marcus1 hour ago

Trump-appointed federal judge nixes Biden attempt to overturn ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy

By Kelsey Ables

A third of executions went wrong in 2022, watchdog says

By Kim Bellware

Fighter pilot ejects in bizarre runway crash, video shows

By Alex Horton1 hour ago

Ex-Texas police officer convicted of manslaughter for shooting Black woman

(Olivier Chassignole/AFP/Getty Images)

Apartment fire in French city kills 10, including 5 children

By Rick Noack and Claire Parker

Wary of China, Japan unveils sweeping new national security strategy

By Michelle Ye Hee Lee and Julia Mio Inuma

Malaysia landslide death toll rises to 16 as rescue efforts continue

By Andrew Jeong

For Ukrainian students, scholarships offer a lesson in American democracy

By Susan Svrluga

Chinese lock themselves down, hoard medicine over fear of new covid wave

By Christian Shepherd and Vic Chiang

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Burning questions about last night’s live ‘Beauty and the Beast’ broadcast

By María Luisa Paúl

How to improvise a wildly entertaining new Shakespeare play every night

By Zachary Pincus-Roth

5 standout revelations from Volume 2 of Netflix’s ‘Harry & Meghan’

A new Superman signals a new era for James Gunn and the DC universe

By David Betancourt

D.C., MD. & VA.

(Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post)

As Wes Moore seeks to revive Baltimore’s Red Line, project faces uncertain path

By Michael Laris and Ian Duncan

Va. parents said Youngkin’s mask-optional guidelines violated national disability law. They won.

By Hannah Natanson

D.C. officials offer tax relief to turn downtown offices into housing

By Karina Elwood

Youngkin wants to transform Va.’s struggling behavioral health system

By Jenna Portnoy

As youth shootings soar, D.C. officials vow to bolster efforts

By Emily Davies

Capital Weather Gang

D.C.-area forecast: Mainly bright skies but also chilly the next few days

By A. Camden Walker

Going Out Guide

The best things to do in the D.C. area the week of Dec. 15-21

By Fritz Hahn, Sophia Solano, Adele Chapin, Mark Jenkins, Chris Kelly and Chris Richards

(Matt Patterson, Chris Szagola and Kyusung Gong/AP)

NFL decision makers have embraced risk, with wild consequences

By Jerry Brewer

With all eyes on Alex Ovechkin, the Stars say not on their watch

By Samantha Pell

Yankees snag left-handed ace Carlos Rodón with a six-year deal

By Chelsea Janes

Warriors brace for ‘rocky ride’ after Stephen Curry’s shoulder injury

By Ben Golliver

Drew Brees returns to Purdue as assistant coach ahead of Citrus Bowl matchup against LSU

Carbon steel pans are a lighter, more responsive cast iron alternative

By Aaron Hutcherson

The new Ellington Park Bistro returns an imaginative chef to D.C.

By Tom Sietsema

In a new cocktail book, New Orleans has a Cure for what ails you

By M. Carrie Allan

Kale salad with squash and pomegranate is a feast for the eyes

By Ellie Krieger

How to do a ski trip if you don’t ski: Hot tubs, spas and sleigh rides

By Hannah Sampson16 minutes ago

How to spend a secular Christmas in NYC

By Grace Young

The secret to cheap flights? Stalk prices after booking.

By Amanda Finnegan

U.K. airports will phase out tiny liquids by 2024

By Andrea Sachs