What's the best Christmas gift you've ever received? Was it the laughter of your children,

the love of a good friend, a smile on your partner's face? Yeah, well, we're not talking about

any of that nonsense. We're talking about actual tangible Christmas presents, that one toy

you found waiting for you under the tree and still think about from time to time.

Listen to pop culture happy hour in the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

Live from NPR News, I'm Jail Snyder.

At least for now, the U.S. Supreme Court is preventing the Trump administration from

deploying National Guard troops in Chicago.

The justices today declined an emergency request to overturn a lower court's ruling.

Today's order, not a final ruling, but it could affect other lawsuits,

challenging National Guard deployments to other Democratic-led cities.

U.S. military forces have destroyed another small boat, allegedly smuggling drugs in the Pacific.

NPR's Quill Lawrence reports that U.S. Southern Command says one man aboard was killed.

A video posted by the U.S. military shows a small boat under fire and then in flames.

The Trump administration says it is at war with drug cartels and can therefore kill suspected

traffickers even if they are unarmed.

Dozens of boats have been hit since September, killing more than 100 people.

Critics in Congress and experts on the laws of war say that's murder.

President Trump has mentioned the strikes as a way to pressure Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro,

whom he accuses of narco-trafficking. At a press event yesterday, President Trump said it would be

smart for Maduro to step down.

The U.S. has strict sanctions on Venezuela, and now the U.S. Coast Guard has begun seizing massive tankers carrying Venezuelan crude oil.

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