Wisconsin kayaker who faked his death is back in the U.S. and in custody, police say Ryan Borgwardt disappeared in August while kayaking in Wisconsin, but an investigation revealed he intended to fake his death and had fled to Europe. Police said he willingly returned to the U.S. Read more on NPR

In South Korea, insurrection charges are closing in on the president Police, prosecutors and investigators have deemed President Yoon Suk Yeol as a suspect in a rare investigation into a sitting president for possible insurrection charges. Read more on NPR

Kimberly Guilfoyle is the latest Trump family ally chosen for an ambassadorship Kimberly Guilfoyle, who got engaged to Trump’s son in 2020, is the latest appointee he’s chosen from his family tree. There’s a long and controversial history of presidents picking relatives for jobs. Read more on NPR

Albertsons sues Kroger and ends failed grocery megamerger The lawsuit over a deal to combine the two largest U.S. supermarkets came just a day after it was blocked in both federal and Washington state courts. Read more on NPR

Clues to Luigi Mangione’s ideology. And, courts halt Kroger and Albertsons megamerger Murder suspect Luigi Mangione’s digital footprint could provide clues to his ideology and possible motive. And, what’s next for Kroger and Albertsons after courts halt megamerger. Read more on NPR

With Assad regime out, Syrians grapple with what comes next Under Syria’s president, a vast jail complex in the capital Damascus was known as a place where Syrians were disappeared without trial. Now it’s crowded with with families searching for loved ones. Read more on NPR

One family thought they had left Syria forever. After Assad’s fall, they plan to return Rehab Alkadi and her husband, Feras, fled Syria’s war with their young son in 2013. They and other Syrian refugees in the U.S. are now hopeful for their country’s future, even as uncertainty remains. Read more on NPR

Trump’s withdrawn nominees latest in a long line of Cabinet members who never were Many presidents face failed Cabinet picks so when former Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew from consideration for President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet, it wasn’t unprecedented, though Trump’s style has been. Read more on NPR

Dreaming of a Black Utopia in Trump’s America In his new book, The Black Utopians, author Aaron Robinson tells the story of how Black folks have created many different versions of utopian communities throughout history — and why those communities tend to be especially meaningful during times of political tension and racial unrest. We want…

Through ‘The Loss Mother’s Stone,’ mothers share their grief from losing a child to stillbirth Through her work, photographer Nancy Borowick says she hopes to draw awareness to women’s stories, educate Americans and destigmatize the conversation that occurs between doctors and patients. Read more on NPR