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🎧 Most of what people in Russia eat, buy, read and watch has changed since the start of the war, NPR’s Charles Maynes tells Up First. This is because it’s the world’s most sanctioned state, mostly imposed from the West. Big companies like McDonalds, Apple and Starbucks have left the country, leaving it to pivot to new markets and trade partners — often in China. Maynes says he has met people in Russia who buy into Kremlin propaganda that this is a war against fascism and that neo-Nazis run Ukraine. Others say they wish the war would end. President-elect Donald Trump's impending return to the White House has resulted in a surge of confidence in Moscow due to his suggestions that he may end military support to Ukraine. 

🎧 The 45 activists were essentially sentenced for trying to win an election, NPR’s Emily Feng says. In order to pick the most popular candidate, they held a poll. More than 600,000 people took part and the pro-democracy coalition felt they had a chance of winning a legislative seat. The Hong Kong government considered this poll a violation of Beijing’s national security law. Feng says what was once a lively, often rambunctious civil society in Hong Kong is entirely leaderless with almost all of the most influential activists now facing years behind bars.

🎧 Trump is likely to extend the big tax changes that he pushed through in 2017, NPR’s Laurel Wamsley says. Wealthy people get the most benefit from these tax cuts. Extending the law would increase the national debt by more than $4 trillion over the next 10 years. Not taxing Social Security wouldn’t impact most current retirees. But it would make things worse for those who are still years away from drawing the benefit because a large portion of those taxes go into funding the Social Security trust fund.