Axios

Despite optimistic public statements, a Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal is not imminent, three Israeli officials tell Axios.

Why it matters: The U.S., Israel and the Egyptian and Qatari mediators are trying to reach a deal before President-elect Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20. While the Israeli officials say progress has been made over the past two weeks, big gaps remain.

1. Venezuelan authorities said yesterday they've released more than 530 people detained after anti-government protests that started in July.

• The government of President Nicolás Maduro has given no reason for the releases, but they come as the UN and International Criminal Court have been investigating human rights abuses by his regime.
• U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, named by U.S. President-elect Trump to be secretary of state, is also a fierce critic of Maduro's government. 

2. Ecuador and Colombia have pledged to reinforce environmental protections near the Galápagos and the marine territory on their nearby coastlines.

• The commitment, made Sunday during a high-level meeting between Presidents Daniel Noboa and Gustavo Petro, comes after the countries also announced a shared marine protected area in November.

Bees buzzing and tasting the "superfood" developed in a Colombian lab. Source: via Noticias Telemundo

Colombian scientists have developed a special food supplement they hope can protect bees as their population contends with a decline.

State of play: Bees are key pollinators for up to a third of all the world's food supply. 

• Every winter on average about 18% of colonies are lost, according to a 2020 study from 37 countries.
• The "superfood" developed by these scientists is meant to counteract the effect on bees of pesticide use, though they say initial findings suggest it can also protect them against parasites.

What they're saying: "After bees ingest (the supplement) they have slight physiological improvements that prep them so that, if they come in contact with pesticides, they can detox faster," Andre J. Riveros, a professor at Bogotá's Rosario University, tells Noticias Telemundo.

The share of Latino entrepreneurs who applied for credit grew last year, and their credit scores improved as they increasingly became boosters of the U.S. economy, a new study from McKinsey shows.

Why it matters: Latinos in the U.S. create small- and medium-sized businesses at a greater rate than other demographic groups, and they grow their revenue faster.

Some Catholic and evangelical leaders say they will unpack the Holy Family's immigration plight during Christmas services to offer hope for immigrants worried about what's coming under President-elect Trump.

Why it matters: Trump and his incoming administration are promising immigration raids — even inside churches — as part of their mass deportation plan, and church leaders say that's already prompting some immigrants to go into hiding.

Winters are rapidly warming across the Northern Hemisphere because of human emissions of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels, a new report shows.

• This is now being seen in many more days with temperatures above freezing.

SoftBank is back in the Donald Trump flattery business, pledging to invest $100 billion into U.S. companies over the next four years and to create 100,000 jobs.

Driving the news: SoftBank founder and CEO Masayoshi Son is expected meet with the president-elect later today at Mar-a-Lago, where he'll announce his firm's plans at a press conference.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is launching a preemptive strike against the isolationists in his own party, warning of the "price of American retreat" in a new essay for Foreign Affairs.

Why it matters: McConnell is putting Trump — and the entire Republican party — on notice that he plans to be an active combatant in the looming GOP civil war on foreign policy.

Officials in the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte estimate Tropical Cyclone Chido killed hundreds of people after the worst storm in 90 years struck the Indian Ocean archipelago.

The big picture: Mayotte hospital officials confirmed Tropical Cyclone Chido killed at least 11 people and wounded some 250 others on Saturday, but a top Mayotte official told local news outlet Mayotte La 1ere Sunday he expects the death toll to rise exponentially.