Upshot: Toughest Spelling Bee words of 2025
Also: Flying taxis and best movies
The Upshot
December 18, 2025

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WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS FROM UPSHOT FRIENDS

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Qilai Shen for The New York Times

Flying Taxis? China Has Them. And Drone Lunch Deliveries, Too.

China’s experiments in clean energy can feel like living in the future. Even when things don’t quite work.

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The Best Movies of 2025: You Decide

The critics have had their say. Now it’s your turn. What movies released in 2025 do you consider the best?

By The New York Times

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

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The New York Times

President Trump’s Approval Rating: Latest Polls

Track the latest approval rating and polls on Americans’ approval of President Trump.

By Annie Daniel, Jon Huang, Ruth Igielnik, Jasmine C. Lee, Alex Lemonides, Jonah Smith, Albert Sun and Rumsey Taylor

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The New York Times

2026 Midterm Primary Election Calendar

See the state-by-state schedule for every primary leading up to the midterm election.

By Alex Lemonides and Lily Boyce

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