Good morning, Wake Up Right fam! A new poll asked voters to rank the worst president in modern history, which they classified as the last five decades, and the man who took the seat on the porcelain throne of shame was... Joe Biden.

• 💵 Elon Musk spent over $250 million helping Trump win

• 🎅 U.S. avg. expected holiday spending rises to $1,012

• 🇫🇷 54% of French citizens want Macron to resign

• ✅ Alina Habba will serve as Counselor to the President

^{Sources: FEC, Gallup, Le Point, Truth Social}

Syria has fallen. Here’s what we know.

Syria's 50-year Assad dynasty fell this weekend as rebels captured the capitol city of Damascus as President Bashar al-Assad fled the country.

The details: In less than two weeks, the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) captured key cities, Aleppo, Hama, and Hams, before eventually arriving at Damascus, where they faced no resistance from Assad’s forces.

• Video posted on social media shows the rebels celebrating inside Assad’s former palace and emptying prisons.

Where were their allies? Assad's two long-time allies, Russia and Iran, were unable [or unwilling] to help — as both are currently bogged down in their own conflicts in Ukraine and Israel, respectively.

Where is Assad? The Kremlin revealed that Assad, known for using chemical weapons on his own people, has fled to Russia and was granted political asylum along with his family.

Let’s talk about the rebels: HTS evolved from an offshoot of al-Qaeda in Syria. It’s led by Abu Mohammad al-Jawlani, who brands himself as a moderate freedom-fighter, despite formerly working under terrorist leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The U.S. considers HTS a terrorist organization and has a $10 million bounty on Jawlani’s head.

• The flipside: Jawlani issued an edict to his Sunni Muslim rebels, ordering the protection of Christians and Shiite Muslims in Syria, saying: “In the future Syria, we believe that diversity is our strength, not a weakness." Pardon me for being suspicious of anyone who repeats the leftist mantra ‘diversity is our strength.’

Note: I’ve seen Jawlani’s name spelled three different ways in mainstream media. I’ve decided to use the WSJ’s spelling.

US and Israel strike: Following the fall of the Assad regime, the U.S. struck dozens of ISIS camps and operatives to prevent the terrorist group from seizing power. Israel conducted airstrikes on suspected chemical weapons plants in Syria.

Trump weighs in: President-elect Donald Trump reacted to the events, writing on Truth Social:

• "In any event, Syria is a mess, but is not our friend, & THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!"

[Source: WSJ]

Daniel Penny evades manslaughter charge

A Manhattan judge dismissed the manslaughter charge against Daniel Penny — a big win, although the jury will still decide on the lesser charge, negligent homicide.

Back up: Penny, a former Marine, was arrested earlier this year for choking a man on an NYC subway who was schizophrenic, high on drugs, and threatening train passengers.

The details: Judge Maxwell Wiley dismissed the manslaughter charge after the jury twice informed him they could not reach a unanimous decision.

• Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg’s office moved to dismiss the top charge, a move both Judge Wiley and Penny’s defense team acknowledged could alter the trial dynamics.

That leaves negligent homicide: This remaining charge comes with a much smaller penalty [four years maximum] but also has a much lower burden of proof.

Didn't see that coming: Even NYC Mayor Eric Adams defended Penny, recently saying: "You have someone [Penny] on that subway who was responding, doing what we should have done as a city. Those passengers were afraid.”

Big picture: While removing the manslaughter charge is a big win for Penny, it also raises the chances of a compromise verdict.

What happens next? The jury will resume deliberations today.

[Source: The National Pulse]

I’m excited about this one…

Over the past few months, I’ve been re-reading the Bible (well, listening on audiobook), and it’s re-ignited a thirst for knowledge about my own Christian faith. And just as fate would have it, yesterday, I was given an opportunity to share a free online course at Hillsdale College about Ancient Christianity with you all…

Ancient Christianity teaches the story of the earliest Christians from the birth of Christ through the fall of the Roman Empire in the West.

I enrolled myself and look forward to learning more. I hope you’ll join me.

📵 A federal appeals court ruled Friday to uphold a law that will force TikTok’s Chinese parent company to sell the platform or ban it in the U.S. Read more.

🇲🇽 After President-elect Trump vowed to impose tariffs on Mexico unless it stopped the flow of fentanyl into the U.S., Mexican authorities announced the largest bust in history. Read more.

🎄 Police in Germany have foiled yet another terrorist attack plot against a Christmas market, arresting a migrant from Iraq earlier this week. Read more.

🥛 The USDA mandated testing of the nation's milk supply due to growing concerns over bird flu. Read more.

🚨 Jay-Z has been accused of allegedly raping a 13-year-old girl with Sean “Diddy” Combs at a VMAs afterparty in New York in 2000. Read more.

🔎 The FBI has been manipulating the Suspicious Activity Report system to gain access to Americans’ financial information without warrants or probable cause, according to the House Judiciary Committee. Read more.

🇷🇴 Romania's high court (controlled by leftists) canceled the country's presidential election after it claimed Russia used TikTok to promote the leading, conservative candidate. Read more.

👠 Ruby Slippers worn by Judy Garland for The Wizard of Oz sold for a record-breaking $28 million at auction. Read more.

👏 A group of Navy SEALS and veterans plans to march in support of Trump's Defense Secretary nominee, Pete Hegseth, on the first day of his inauguration. Read more.

🏈 Sens. Mike Lee and Peter Welch urged the FTC and DOJ to investigate FanDuel and DraftKings for alleged antitrust violations, citing collusion and anti-competitive behavior. Read more.

⭕️ The FDA will decide on a ban on certain food dyes in the coming weeks after receiving a petition to review the safety of Red 3. Read more.

🎥 Call Her Daddy podcast host turns on Kamala, calls out $100k spending. Watch.

🎥 Candace Owens leaves Nick Cannon speechless during transgender debate. Watch.

🎥 Trump hits French President Macron with the ‘COME HERE, BOY’ handshake. Watch.

🎥 "Science" guy Neil DeGrasse Tyson gets crushed in a debate over transgenders. Watch.

🎥 Former radical leftist host Ana Kasparian is having her red-pill moment. Watch.

🎥 The GOAT strategist Steve Bannon explains why Matt Gaetz shouldn't have dropped out. Watch.

🎥 Drones are being spotted all over northern NJ, and citizens are being given no explanation. Watch.

🎥 Trump discusses RFK Jr. looking into the vaccine schedule for kids. Watch.

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