Warren Buffett will retire as Berkshire Hathaway CEO at the end of 2025, ending an era for the investment giant. More than 30 million people across the Midwest and Northeast face winter alerts as blizzard conditions and airport disruptions hit holiday travel. President Trump and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky met for more than three hours in Florida but announced no peace deal. Two helicopters collided near Hammonton, N.J., killing one pilot and prompting an NTSB investigation. Disney’s Avatar: Fire and Ash continued its strong box-office run, pushing global receipts to about $760 million.
Five Things To Know — Dec. 29: Buffett to Retire; Winter Storms Disrupt Travel; Trump–Zelensky Talks; NJ Helicopter Crash; ‘Avatar’ Box Office
A man shovels snow in Brooklyn after an overnight storm on December 27, 2025 in New York City. The New York City metro area received over 4 inches of snow, the first time the city had recorded over 4 inches since a winter storm in January 2022. - Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Warren Buffett has announced he will step down as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway at the end of 2025, closing a defining chapter in the company’s history. Here are five things to know this morning.
1. Buffett To Retire As Berkshire Hathaway CEO
Warren Buffett, long celebrated for his investment acumen and role as the public face of Berkshire Hathaway, is set to retire as CEO at the end of 2025. The move caps a decades-long career that made him one of the most influential investors in modern business.
2. Winter Storms Disrupt Travel Across Midwest And Northeast
More than 30 million people across the Midwest and Northeast are under winter weather alerts as blizzard conditions and hazardous travel make the holiday travel stretch difficult. Blizzard warnings remain in parts of Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin, where visibility has dropped to near-whiteout. Thousands of flights were delayed or canceled Sunday and more disruptions are expected; Chicago O’Hare experienced a temporary ground stop after severe weather. Sections of Interstate 35 have been closed in places where conditions are unsafe.
3. Trump And Zelensky Hold Lengthy Talks In Florida; No Deal Announced
President Donald Trump said negotiators are getting “closer” to a Ukraine peace deal after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Trump’s Florida resort for more than three hours. Both leaders acknowledged that “thorny issues” remain and did not announce a breakthrough. Their talks come after Russia launched its most sustained attack on Kyiv this year, which killed at least two people and left many without heating amid freezing temperatures.
"Avatar: Fire and Ash" - Courtesy of 20th Century Studios
4. Two Helicopters Collide Near Hammonton, New Jersey — One Dead, One Injured
Two helicopters collided midair Sunday near Hammonton Municipal Airport in southern New Jersey. Only the pilots were aboard; one pilot was killed and the other injured. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the crash, and the National Transportation Safety Board has opened an investigation and dispatched an investigator to collect flight data, maintenance records and witness statements.
5. Gaza Ceasefire Talks Continue; Trump To Meet Netanyahu
President Trump is scheduled to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago to discuss the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire plan. Washington has urged both Israel and Hamas to move toward phase two, but both sides have accused the other of violations. The U.S. says it is ready to start reconstruction in Gaza, while Israel emphasizes disarming Hamas and Gaza’s demilitarization — a key, unresolved element of any durable agreement.
Also In The News
Disney’s Avatar: Fire and Ash posted strong weekend receipts, earning about $64 million domestically and $181 million internationally, pushing its global total to roughly $760 million. Other items of interest: Starbucks appears to be pausing its aggressive urban expansion in some cities; Nick Kyrgios beat Aryna Sabalenka in a “Battle of the Sexes” exhibition that drew mixed reactions; a travel expert shared top deals for 2026; TIME’s 2025 Kid of the Year discussed using AI to protect seniors from scams; viral videos are prompting shoppers to question the value of some luxury goods; French actress Brigitte Bardot has died at 91; and footage showed a lone skier descending Italy’s Mount Etna during an eruption.
Check your local forecast for the latest weather and travel advisories.
