For our last newsletter of 2022, we wanted to send a little warmth over the digital line to all of you huddling in, shoveling out or soaking up the winter holiday.

It has been another strange year in politics. As I write, I am preparing our report on Congressman-elect George Santos, R-N.Y., who now admits he lied about his college degree (he does not have one) and 17 properties (he owns none).

But it was also a year with surprising – and bipartisan – bills passing Congress, including reform of the antiquated Electoral Count Act, which passed just last week.

Throughout it all, you’ve brought us onto your laptops and phones and into your homes. And you’ve sent great ideas, feedback and emails back for us to read by our real or proverbial fireplaces as well. We wish we could send you all some homemade baked goods to accompany our great, ongoing conversation. 

But we tried for the next best thing. Here’s a recipe for pumpkin scones and a video of me making them at 6 a.m. one day last week.

Whether you like scones or not, we hope you and your family have a restful and joyful holiday week. And we remain grateful for you.

Love, Lisa 
@LisaDNews

On Friday evening, Judy Woodruff will step away from the PBS NewsHour anchor desk. Our departing managing editor (and North Star) will be starting a two-year project on, in part, whether today’s deep political divisions can be healed. Amna Nawaz and Geoff Bennett will take the NewsHour’s helm on Jan. 2.

Before Judy leaves to begin this exciting and essential reporting, she joined the NewsHour's Deema Zein to answer questions live on TikTok last week about her career in journalism and what comes next.
 

CORRECTION: There was an error in last week’s breakdown of the Jan. 6 committee’s final public meeting. We incorrectly reported in one bullet point that “intelligence did detect any signs pointing to left-wing violence,” but the word “not” was missing from that line. To reiterate what the panel’s executive summary said, left-wing groups were not involved “to any material extent” on Jan. 6. Many thanks to the readers who brought this to our attention.

#POLITICSTRIVIA
By Dan Cooney, @IAmDanCooney
Social Media Producer/Coordinator
 
A deceased U.S. general recently received a promotion. How, you ask? The 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, which President Joe Biden signed on Friday, posthumously promoted this person to general of the armies of the United States — the highest rank in the U.S. Army.
 
The promotion measure was introduced by Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, as well as Sen. Roy Blunt and Rep. Ann Wagner, both of Missouri.
 
Our question: Can you name the U.S. general? 
 
Send your answers to [email protected] or tweet using #PoliticsTrivia. The first correct answers will earn a shout-out next week.
 
Last week, we asked: Congress passed its longest bill ever (in page numbers) in 2021. How many pages was it?
 
The answer: 5,593 pages. Congress passed the longest bill ever — the Consolidated Appropriations Act — in 2021.
 
Congratulations to our winners: Steven Greek and Marguerite Blythe Katchen!

Thank you all for reading and watching. We’ll drop into your inbox next year.