Axios

Adam Fox, who was convicted in August of conspiring to abduct Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2020, was sentenced to 16 years in prison by a U.S. District Court judge on Tuesday.

Why it matters: Fox and his co-defendant were accused of leading the plot to kidnap Whitmer and violently attack and overthrow the state government, though it was ultimately disrupted by the FBI.

Interviews with midterm voters show Republicans continually underperform Democrats with one of the ripest targets in politics — independents who say they don't lean toward either party.

Why it matters: The interviews, by AP VoteCast (methodology), show a critical mass of moderates aren't thrilled with Democrats — but are resistant to a MAGA-fied GOP.

Thousands more flights were canceled on Monday as the effects of winter storms and operational challenges continued to impact holiday travel.

The big picture: The Department of Transportation tweeted that it would look into the actions of Southwest, which accounted for a large amount of the more than 3,900 flight cancelations and 8,200-plus delays within, into or out of the U.S. as of late Monday, per FlightAware data.

Incoming Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) admitted in two interviews Monday to "embellishing" parts of his resume and said he intends to be sworn in at the start of the new Congress on Jan. 3.

Why it matters: Santos has been accused of fabricating his resume that formed a central part of his campaign as House Republicans prepare to take the majority by a slim margin.

President Biden approved New York's emergency declaration request in response to the destructive winter storm that's claimed at least 28 lives in the state's west, the White House said Monday night.

Threat level: Winter storm warnings were in effect until 1pm Tuesday for New York's Jefferson and Lewis counties, where up to 12 inches of snow could fall, per the National Weather Service. Additional snow accumulations of up to 7 inches were possible in the blizzard-devastated Eerie County, the NWS said.

Claudia Tristán, a volunteer with the Migrant Solidarity Mutual Aid Network, spent the wee hours of Sunday helping feed 140 migrants who were left by the roadside on Christmas Eve outside Vice President Kamala Harris' official residence, the Naval Observatory.

The big picture: Tristán and other advocates said the three buses came from Texas. An aide to Gov. Greg Abbott (R) hasn't responded to a text from Axios.

Inflation, immigration and the Supreme Court consistently held Americans' interest over the course of a year in which most news cycles — from Will Smith's Oscars slap to monkeypox to the death of Queen Elizabeth — burned hot and fast.

Why it matters: Axios' annual analysis of Google Trends data shows the rise and fall of America's attention in a year of global upheaval.

China's military deployed to areas around Taiwan 71 planes and seven ships in 24 hours, according to the Taiwanese Defense Ministry.

Driving the news: The Chinese military's biggest incursion into Taiwan's air defense zone since Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the self-governing island in August occurred as Beijing denounced the U.S. over President Joe Biden signing into law Friday a defense spending bill that included provisions for Taiwan.