Two men feared missing in sea off Devon beach on Christmas Day

Emergency services launched major search at Budleigh Salterton after reports of people in difficulty in the water

Gold’s rise and the new global arms race

News Items is a daily newsletter founded by longtime newsman John Ellis years ago. It is the “first read” for many because its 15-20 items cover the news waterfront and include links to the stories from dozens of news platforms as well as specialized journals. It’s a bracing bucket of cold water most mornings.

Rescue helicopter crashes on Tanzania's Mount Kilimanjaro, killing all 5 on board

December 25, 2025 / 9:22 AM EST / CBS/AP

Kennedy Center Christmas Eve jazz concert canceled after Trump name added to building

December 24, 2025 / 10:00 PM EST / CBS/AP

The Case for the Newspapers

“An experience of many years has taught me that the standard of honesty, in the editorial department of newspapers at any rate, will compare favorably with that in any profession in the world.”

The Epstein Files Only Get Worse

This particularly cursed holiday week kicked off in earnest last night when my father turned his iPad in my direction. On its screen was a terribly disturbing post on X containing two images. In the first, Jeffrey Epstein was hugging and kissing a little girl. In the second, that girl was bound and gagged on a bed.