5 Things to know for Dec. 22: MAGA civil war, Venezuela tanker, 60 Minutes controversy, Moscow car bombing, 2028 election

A detailed tip on Reddit helped lead investigators to the gunman behind the deadly Brown University shooting. Whether the person who posted it will ever receive the $50,000 reward is unclear — partly because of the way the FBI worded the offer.

Here’s what else you need to know to get up to speed and on with your day.

1️⃣ MAGA civil war

This weekend’s gathering of young Republicans and conservative influencers in Arizona offered a glimpse into the divisions already fraying President Donald Trump’s MAGA coalition even before he is out of office. Speaking Sunday at Turning Point USA’s annual conference, Vice President JD Vance not only addressed the friction, but he also encouraged attendees to embrace it. “Would you rather lead a movement of free thinkers who sometimes disagree than a bunch of drones who take their orders from George Soros?” Vance said. At the four-day summit — the first since Turning Point’s co-founder Charlie Kirk was killed — speakers bad-mouthed one another on stage, clashed over whether to engage with conspiracy theorists and argued over who belongs in the GOP and America.

2️⃣ 2028 election

As Turning Point’s conference wrapped with Kirk’s widow Erika endorsing JD Vance, a new CNN poll found that about half of Americans say they’ve already given the 2028 presidential election some thought — although most don’t have a specific candidate in mind. Those with a candidate in mind had no clear consolidation behind a single name. Among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, 22% named Vance, 4% named Secretary of State Marco Rubio and 2% named Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Another 3% say they’d like President Trump to make another run, even though he’s barred by the Constitution. California Gov. Gavin Newsom came in at 11% among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, followed by former Vice President Kamala Harris at 5%.

3️⃣ Venezuela tanker

The US is pursuing another oil tanker in international waters near Venezuela after attempting to intercept it, a US official said. The ship, which was sailing toward Venezuela to pick up oil, is under US sanctions for links to Iranian oil. When US Coast Guard personnel attempted to board the tanker, however, the vessel kept sailing, the official said, leading to the pursuit. It was the second such operation conducted over the weekend. The interceptions mark an escalation in Washington’s efforts to squeeze Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, who President Trump has accused of flooding the US with illicit drugs and migrants.

4️⃣ 60 Minutes controversy

CBS News’ “60 Minutes” is facing a credibility crisis after it abruptly shelved a segment featuring the accounts of Venezuelan men deported by the Trump administration to a notorious maximum-security prison in El Salvador. The correspondent who reported the story, Sharyn Alfonsi, said in an internal memo that “the public will correctly identify this as corporate censorship.” According to Alfonsi and two CBS sources who spoke with CNN on condition of anonymity, the story had been fully fact-checked and legally vetted by the time the network publicized it on Friday. But CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss weighed in with questions on Saturday morning, the sources said, and Alfonsi said Weiss “spiked the story.”

5️⃣ Moscow car bombing

A Russian general has been killed in a car bombing in Moscow, with officials pointing the finger at Ukraine for the latest apparent assassination of a senior military officer. Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov, who ran the armed forces operational training department, died after an explosive device installed under the chassis of a car exploded earlier today, Russia’s investigative committee said in a statement. Several prominent Russians have been killed by explosives or shot dead in Moscow in attacks blamed on the Ukrainian security services since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Breakfast browse

Jake Paul defeated

Despite Friday night’s obvious mismatch, the YouTuber-turned-boxer said he could upset former heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua. Instead, he received a very painful reality check.

‘The Wire’ actor dies

James Ransone played the young, troubled Ziggy Sobotka in the HBO series and appeared in many other TV shows and movies. He was 46.

Jim Beam’s dry 2026

The popular Kentucky bourbon maker is pausing production at its main distillery next year. But don’t expect bourbon shelves to be empty any time soon.

Amelia Earhart statue mystery

When Elaine Traverse discovered the missing statue of the famed aviator, she thought she’d be thanked — or even given the reward. Instead, her reputation was ruined.

Teary SNL farewell

Bowen Yang ended his long run on “Saturday Night Live” this weekend. His midseason departure follows several other cast members, who have revealed they’re also leaving. ▶️ Watch: Bowen Yang’s most hilarious SNL moments

Weather

🌤️ Check your local forecast to see what you can expect.

And finally…

▶️ A surprise wedding singer

The bride and groom had asked Chris Martin to record a song, but the Coldplay frontman did one better and played at their wedding — to the surprise of all their guests.

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