Appointments and Executive Changes

• Mamdani Chooses a Veteran N.Y.C. Education Leader as Schools Chancellor - The selection of Kamar Samuels, who leads schools on the West Side of Manhattan, could help Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani craft his schools agenda.
• Katherine Maher of NPR Has Come Out on Top Despite Battles With Trump and the CPB - Katherine Maher has taken an unyielding approach to NPR’s biggest battles — which has sometimes put her at odds with her colleagues in public media.
• Why Russia Is Likely to Reject the New US-Ukrainian Peace Plan - The first draft essentially called for Ukraine’s surrender. The revised version includes the security guarantees Kyiv wants to prevent future Russian aggression.
• Trump Administration Orders Nearly 30 U.S. Ambassadors to Leave Their Posts - A union representing career diplomats said such a mass recall had never happened in the history of the U.S. Foreign Service.
• Elise Stefanik Drops Out of N.Y. Governor’s Race and Will Leave Congress - Ms. Stefanik, a Republican congresswoman and staunch ally of President Trump, abruptly ended her bid to unseat Gov. Kathy Hochul and said she would not seek another House term.
• The Putin Confidant Who Pushed Back Against Russia’s War in Ukraine - Dmitri N. Kozak had worked with President Vladimir V. Putin for three decades before quitting in September. His associates described his break with the Russian leader.
• Dan Bongino to Step Down as FBI Deputy Director - The departure of Dan Bongino had seemed inevitable since August, when the White House hired Missouri’s attorney general, Andrew Bailey, to share his job as deputy director.
• California Hires Former C.D.C. Officials Who Criticized Trump Administration - A former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and a former chief medical officer of the agency will advise the state on public health issues.
• Trump Gets to Pick a New Fed Chair but a Divided Board Still Gets a Say - President Trump wants substantially lower borrowing costs, but officials at the central bank appear ready to resist delivering further cuts if the economic backdrop does not warrant it.
• Planes, Trade and Nuclear Energy: Supreme Court Weighs Fate of Independent Regulators - The court heard arguments Monday on a case that could determine the independence of agencies like the National Transportation Safety Board and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.