🎄 Jill Biden’s holiday video

It’s Saturday, December 16 — people are talking about Ukraine’s possible membership in the EU, Jill Biden’s Christmas video, and more.

As always, we’ve summarized and organized the different shades of perspective, so you can see the big picture quickly. Here at Shades we believe that seeing multiple points of view is the best way to stay informed.

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- Jeff (co-founder of Shades)

🇪🇺 Should Ukraine join the EU?

The EU started accession (membership) talks with Ukraine, but should the bloc accept Ukraine into its ranks?

🇪🇺 The EU opened accession talks with Ukraine, which is a step towards potential membership. Bloomberg says Europe must commit to Ukraine in order to fend off Putin.

🇪🇺 Politico agrees: Ukraine should join the EU. Its membership will help secure long-term peace and stability in the region.

🇪🇺 But The Guardian notes that expanding EU membership may cause economic issues. Ukraine's huge grain exports could endanger the livelihoods of EU farmers.

🇪🇺 Either way, Reuters thinks the EU probably won't make the final decision on whether to accept Ukraine for years. Gaining membership is a slow process.

🎄 Jill Biden’s holiday video

First Lady Jill Biden’s holiday video split opinions: Some find it fresh and festive, while others call it tacky.

🎄 Jill Biden shared a holiday video on X/Twitter. It features a tap-dance take on the Nutcracker, from dance company Dorrance Dance.

🎄 RedState wasn't a fan. It slammed the video as a “Hunger Games at the circus” debacle.

🎄 Fox News highlighted other critiques: People thought it was “tacky” or “freaky”, and a far cry from normal Christmas vibes. And it was a big waste of taxpayer money!

🎄 But Newsweek points out that Jill Biden has her defenders, too. Fans applauded the “magic, wonder, and joy” in the video. It dazzles with dancers and decor, skipping the traditional First Lady cameo.

🎄 And @krassenstein says haters are just scraping the bottom of the barrel to find something to criticize Jill for — the video is not that big a deal.

Quick hits

📺 Mayim Bialik is no longer a host of the game show "Jeopardy!" — Ken Jennings will be the sole host going forward. (Yahoo News)

🏈 The Los Angeles Chargers fired head coach Brandon Staley and GM Tom Telesco a day after the team lost to the Raiders 21-63. (CBS Sports)

💰 A jury ruled that Rudy Giuliani must pay $148m to 2 ex-election workers in Georgia for tarnishing their reputations. (NYT)

🇮🇱 Israeli forces accidentally killed 3 hostages in Gaza. Some sources say the hostages were holding white flags. (Reuters)