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Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday responded to an interview in which Donald Trump accused him of disloyalty, saying Israel's alliance with the U.S. meant "it was important for me to congratulate the incoming president."

What they're saying: In an interview for my book “Trump’s Peace: The Abraham Accords and the Reshaping of the Middle East," Trump fumed over a video Netanyahu sent congratulating Biden for his victory. "I haven't spoken to him since," Trump said. "F**k him."

The Supreme Court on Friday said some lawsuits against Texas' anti-abortion law — the strictest in the country — can proceed.

The big picture: The court's decision is not a ruling on the merits of Texas' law — and leaves the law in place — but it paves the way for the courts to decide whether that law is constitutional.

We used to be impressed by two-day shipping, then next-day shipping. Now we want our groceries in just 15 minutes.

Why it matters: Our addiction to super-fast delivery — intensified by the pandemic — is clogging our cities, creating more low-paying jobs, and shuttering mom-and-pop stores on Main Street.

1. Health: Chief justice rejects request to block air travel mask mandate — Chris Christie says it's "undeniable" he got COVID from Trump — Nearly all U.S. cases of Omicron are mild, CDC director says.
2. Vaccines: FDA authorizes Pfizer COVID booster shots for 16- and 17-year olds — — Fauci says it's "when, not if" definition of "fully vaccinated" changes — Omicron gives a shot to boosters.
3. States: NY to impose indoor mask mandate for businesses without vaccine requirement — Nevada to impose insurance surcharge on unvaccinated state workers.
4. World: Omicron threatens to deepen global vaccine disparities — EU drug regulator backs mixing COVID vaccines — Poor global equity likely in COVID pill access.
5. Variant tracker: Where different strains are spreading.

Many early BuzzFeed employees remain unable to sell their shares, even though the company went public this past Monday.

Why it matters: BuzzFeed stock has fallen more than 40%, and so far the company has given no indication that it plans to compensate its former employees for their accelerating losses.

A potentially epic December heat wave is set to blanket much of the contiguous U.S. over the next two weeks, potentially leading several cities and states to set records for the warmest first month of winter on record.

The big picture: In a major pattern shift, the jet stream is poised to dive south toward the western U.S., bringing much-needed rains and mountain snows to a parched California and other western states. But to the east of this jet stream dip, or trough, a potentially record strong ridge of high pressure is projected to set up over the Central U.S.

The core Consumer Price Index, the measure of the price of goods and services excluding food and energy, increased 0.5% in November, according to data released Friday.

Driving the news: The headline CPI figure, which measures the price of all items, rose 6.8% over the last 12 months, marking the biggest jump in 39 years.

GameStop and AMC are shedding that unprecedented Reddit day-trader chatter and those eye-popping stock swings — two defining factors for the meme stock cohort.

Why it matters: The hype for the OG meme stocks at the center of the pandemic-era phenomenon has died out.

Companies large and small, some with longtime roots in their neighborhoods, are on the hunt for new real estate that is less prone to weather and climate extremes.

Why it matters: The corporate migration underway indicates vulnerable communities may see an exodus of large employers in the coming decades as oceans encroach. Inland areas prone to flooding or wildfires mare see similar challenges.

England's High Court on Friday overturned a British judge's decision to block the extradition of Julian Assange to the U.S., dealing a major blow to the WikiLeaks founder in his decade-long fight to avoid prosecution by the U.S. government.

Why it matters: Assange, who was arrested in Ecuador's embassy in London in 2019 after its government revoked his asylum, is wanted in the U.S. on charges of violating the Espionage Act and hacking government computers.

The mother of Austin Tice, an American journalist abducted in Syria in 2012, will meet Friday with White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan to discuss a proposal she believes could bring her son home, two people familiar with the plans tell Axios.

Why it matters: As the Arab world slowly reintegrates Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad after a decade-long civil war, Debra Tice believes now is the best opportunity in years to secure her son's release. The U.S. government operates under the assumption he’s still alive.

A tranche of blood and stool samples that have been in storage since 1984 are now helping scientists learn more about HIV and AIDS.

Why it matters: Applying modern science to these decades-old samples offers a glimpse back in time into the role gut microbes may have played in the early spread of HIV and AIDS.

A Texas law banning most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy violates the state's constitution as it permits private citizens to sue abortion providers, a judge ruled Thursday.

Why it matters: State District Court Judge David Peeples' ruling, which doesn't stop the strict law from being enforced, comes ahead of an expected U.S. Supreme Court decision on the Texas legislation.

Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu were the closest of political allies during the four years they overlapped in office, at least in public. Not anymore. "I haven’t spoken to him since," Trump said of the former Israeli prime minister. "F**k him."

What he's saying: Trump repeatedly criticized Netanyahu during two interviews for my book, “Trump’s Peace: The Abraham Accords and the Reshaping of the Middle East." The final straw for Trump was when Netanyahu congratulated President-elect Biden for his election victory while Trump was still disputing the result.

The Biden administration denounced Nicaragua on Thursday night for switching diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to China.

Why it matters: China's government has for the past several years been chipping away at Taiwan's legitimacy on the world stage and attempted to further isolate Taipei by pressuring companies and other countries to stop treating the self-governing island as a sovereign nation.

The Open Society Foundations is investing $42.5 million over five years in Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) and Muslim, Arab and South Asian (MASA) communities, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: The foundation says they are some of the largest grants given in the space. The money will be used for nonpartisan efforts, and more direct advocacy by organizations dedicated to and led by these minority communities — which have historically received little philanthropic support.

President Biden has described the global competition between the U.S. and China as a battle of democracy vs. autocracy. The reality is often murkier.

Why it matters: Addressing his Summit for Democracy on Thursday, Biden called the erosion of democracy around the world “the defining challenge of our time.” But his democracy agenda is beginning to collide with his China strategy in uncomfortable ways.

White House officials rejected speculation on Thursday that President Biden would pressure Ukraine to cede territory to Russian-backed separatists in order to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin from launching a large-scale invasion.

Driving the news: In a 90-minute phone call intended to brief Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on his discussions with Putin on Tuesday, Biden stressed that there would be "no decisions or discussions about Ukraine without Ukraine," according to a White House readout.