This is a story about a shoplifter. And the one store he hit over and over and over. It's also a story about about drug addiction, the American scourge that turns opioid users into heavy drug abusers. And finally, it's a story about a mother and son. Michael Wilson in the NYT (Gift Article): He Was One of New York’s Busiest Shoplifters. His Mother Was a Cop. "He popped through the sliding front door, where a security guard stood posted. No sense trying to sneak in — the guards all knew him on sight. In his head, a timer was ticking, like a shot clock. Ninety seconds. That was how long it would take for the police to respond to the 911 call the security guard would be making right now. He hurried past the guard to get to the pharmacy area downstairs. The nearest route down was the escalator going up ... Andino scooped what he could into a laundry bag, seeking out the brands he knew he could easily sell. Aveeno lotion, Cetaphil cleanser, CeraVe moisturizer. Sensodyne toothpaste, Crest White Strips. Ninety seconds. He raced back up the escalator, past the guard, and back onto Greenwich Street and into the nearby Chambers Street subway station. He boarded an uptown train, and the doors closed behind him. Success. Tomorrow, he would be back again." David Andino got away with the goods. But his experience is hardly a success.

2

Seoul Proprietorship

In a move that shocked observers in the region and allies around the world, "South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in an unannounced late-night TV address on Tuesday and was met with defiance from opposition lawmakers in the National Assembly some 155 minutes later."

+ "Yoon was voted into office in May 2022, but has been a lame duck president since April when the opposition won a landslide in the country's general election. His government since then has not been able to pass the bills they wanted and have been reduced instead to vetoing bills passed by the opposition. He has also seen a fall in voter standing, having been mired in several corruption scandals - including one involving the First Lady accepting a Dior bag, and another around stock manipulation." BBC: Why South Korea's president suddenly declared martial law. These massive shifts can happen in the blink of an eye. Ultimately, the move was reversed because of opposition in the parliament and the streets. Will the US have a Congress that would oppose such moves here?

+ Here's the latest from the NYT and CNN.

+ Related: Democratic senators urge Biden to try to limit Trump's ability to use the U.S. military domestically.

3

Failed to Mention

"New research suggests that the Democrats’ struggles in communities battling fentanyl addiction had little to do with economic theory or messaging—it was, more simply, a failure of political attention." The New Yorker: Did the Opioid Epidemic Fuel Donald Trump’s Return to the White House? "New research suggests that the Democrats’ struggles in communities battling fentanyl addiction had little to do with economic theory or messaging—it was, more simply, a failure of political attention."

4

PreCheck Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself

You may have noticed what seems to be an emerging trend during your holiday travels. The PreCheck lines at the airport are almost as long as the regular lines. What gives? Well, for one thing, about 40 million people are enrolled in the program. WaPo(Gift Article): Have we reached peak PreCheck?

5

Extra, Extra

Enforce Multiplier: "Justice Gorsuch was especially vocal in opposing any enforcement mechanism beyond voluntary compliance, arguing that additional measures could undermine the court. The justices’ strength was their independence, he said, and he vowed to have no part in diminishing it." NYT (Gift Article): Inside the Supreme Court Ethics Debate: Who Judges the Justices? "In private meetings and memos, the justices made new rules for themselves — then split on whether they could, or should, be enforced."

+ Tactical Weapon Delivery: "The Biden administration is rushing assistance to Ukraine in an effort to put Kyiv 'in the strongest possible position' as Russia steps up its attacks and President Joe Biden prepares to leave office in less than two months." And you think you are worried about the upcoming transition of power in DC...

+ Delusions of Grandeur: "The organizing principle in Trump’s chaotic campaigns, the animating passion among his supporters, has been a reactionary turn against dizzying change, specifically the economic and cultural transformations of the past half century: the globalization of trade and migration, the transition from an industrial to an information economy, the growing inequality between metropolis and hinterland, the end of the traditional family, the rise of previously disenfranchised groups, the 'browning' of the American people." George Packer in The Atlantic (Gift Article): The End of Democratic Delusions.

+ Performance Anxiety: "The pressures of the American healthcare system have left some families reaching not for GoFundMe to fundraise for medical costs, but TikTok." Rolling Stone: Americans Are Turning to Tiktok to Pay Their Medical Bills.

+ On the Bright Side: "The crusade against bright headlights has picked up speed in recent years, in large part due to a couple of Reddit nerds. Could they know what’s best for the auto industry better than the auto industry itself?" Asleep at the Wheel in the Headlight Brightness Wars.

6

Bottom of the News

The other night, my daughter presented her holiday gift list. Then she clicked over to some of the gift lists created by several of her friends using the same gift list site and featuring a heavy overlap of gifts. This didn't come as much of a surprise. We are in an era of cultural sameness. In this NYT (Gift) Video, Kirby Ferguson explains why "everything looks the same, sounds the same, is the same." The Algorithm Has Been Hiding Something From You.