GEOFF BENNETT: In the day's other headlines: The Trump administration is preparing an immigration enforcement operation that would primarily target hundreds of undocumented Somali immigrants in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St.

Paul.

According to press reports, the operation could begin within days.

The move comes as President Trump has disparaged Somalis with increasingly inflammatory rhetoric, including in today's lengthy Cabinet meeting at the White House.

The president made a point of singling out Minnesota Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, who is Somali.

DONALD TRUMP, President of the United States: We're going to go the wrong way if we keep taking in garbage into our country.

Ilhan Omar is garbage.

She's garbage.

Her friends are garbage.

We don't want them in our country.

Let them go back to where they came from and fix it.

GEOFF BENNETT: Local officials, including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, forcefully condemned both Mr.

Trump's comments and the impending operation.

Minnesota is home to the nation's largest Somali community.

Michael Dell, the billionaire founder of Dell Technologies, and his wife, have pledged more than $6 billion to the Trump administration, with the funds designated for investment accounts for children known as Trump Accounts.

MICHAEL DELL, CEO, Dell: We believe the smartest investment that we can make is an investment in children.

GEOFF BENNETT: The Dells' donation will provide $250 each to 25 million eligible children under the age of 10 who live in zip codes where the median household income falls below $150,000.

Mr.

Trump's tax bill created the accounts, which will be rolled out next summer.

Withdrawals from the accounts cannot be made until a child turns 18.

The Pentagon today held its first briefing in nearly half-a-year as it faces bipartisan backlash over that September attack on an alleged drug trafficking boat in the Caribbean.

The credentialed attendees were a host of right-wing media figures, including Laura Loomer and former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz.

Gaetz is now a host on the pro-Trump network OAN.

It follows a major overhaul of Pentagon press rules this fall that require journalists to sign a restrictive new policy.

That prompted an exodus of traditional news outlets from the building.

Millions of Americans woke up this morning to their first snow of the season, as windy, icy weather rolled across the Northeast.

The National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings across New England, where some areas have already received more than half-a-foot of snow.

Several other states will see a mix of snow and rain, like in Pennsylvania, where wet, slushy conditions led to hundreds of accidents.

The storm already hit the Midwest, creating more treacherous travel after the Thanksgiving holiday.

This pile-up in Central Missouri yesterday brought highway traffic to a standstill.

Forecasters say another storm could bring winter weather to the mid-Atlantic later this week.

Turning overseas now to Israel.

Forensics experts are examining what are believed to be the remains of one of the last two hostages inside Gaza.

Palestinian militants via the Red Cross handed over the remains, which Palestinian media said were uncovered in Northern Gaza.

Meantime, Palestinians in Khan Yunis mourned a freelance videographer who was one of at least four people killed today by Israeli fire across the territory.

Israel's military said they were fired upon because they believed they had crossed into areas that Israel controls and posed a threat.

Pope Leo XIV has completed his first trip abroad as pontiff with an appeal for peace after spending three days in Lebanon.

POPE LEO XIV, Leader of Catholic Church: The path of mutual hostility and destruction and the horror of war has been traveled too long with the deplorable results that are before everyone's eyes.

GEOFF BENNETT: He led mass along Beirut's waterfront, urging dialogue and reconciliation, as the country sees renewed fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

Earlier in the day, the pope prayed at the site of the 2020 port explosion that killed 218 people and caused billions in damages,a disaster for which no officials have ever been held accountable, and the pope called for justice.

Returning to the Vatican aboard his plane, Pope Leo also urged U.S.

leaders to refrain from threats of military action against Venezuela.

Two fashion giants are now one.

Prada has bought its longtime rival Versace for nearly $1.4 billion.

It completes a deal that's been in the work since April.

Prada says the Versace brand offers significant untapped growth potential.

Meantime, on Wall Street today, stocks bounced back to across-the-board gains.

The Dow Jones industrial average added nearly 200 points, the Nasdaq added more than half-a-percent, and the S&P 500 also closed slightly higher.

And Christmas came to Washington, D.C.

's National Mall this afternoon.

GROUP: Five, four, three, two, one.

REP.

MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): There you go.

GEOFF BENNETT: House Speaker Mike Johnson and the Nevada congressional delegation turned on the Capitol Christmas tree's nearly 6,000 LED lights, which glittered against its 23,000 handmade ornaments.

This year's red fir stands 53 feet tall and is the first ever Capitol Christmas tree harvested from Nevada.

The People's Tree, as it's called, has brightened the Capitol lawn for five decades.

Still to come on the "News Hour": why more traditional four-year colleges are offering two-year associate's degrees; a new exhibit showcases the work of Black and temporary artists from the collection of musicians Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz; and a group of elementary school journalists work to reverse falling test scores and decaying classrooms.