| Good morning. It's Friday, Dec. 15, and politicians have made some pretty spectacular claims this year. Our Fact Checker breaks them down here. Now let's catch up. |
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 | Ukraine took a big step toward joining the European Union yesterday. | - What happened? The E.U. agreed to open membership talks. It will be years before Ukraine can officially join the bloc, but the decision was an important sign of support.
- It's not all good news for Ukraine: E.U. leaders couldn't agree on $50 billion in funding for the country, exposing division within the 27-nation union.
- What else to know: President Vladimir Putin insisted Russia will win the war in Ukraine, speaking yesterday during a marathon news conference and call-in show.
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 | The House passed the annual defense policy bill yesterday. | - What's in it? The $886 billion bill includes a 5.2% pay raise for military personnel and funding to counter threats from Russia and China. President Biden is expected to sign it into law.
- What's not included? It was stripped of hard-line Republicans' demands targeting abortion, diversity and LGBTQ+ rights.
- Looking ahead: A partial government shutdown is possible next month. Money for some key federal programs expires on Jan. 19.
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 | The U.S. urged Israel to scale down its war in the Gaza Strip. | |
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 | Mortgage rates dropped below 7% for the first time in four months. | - The numbers: The average rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages stands at 6.95%, new data shows. Six weeks ago, it peaked at 7.8%, a high not seen since 2000.
- What it means: Borrowing costs remain more than double what they were early last year, and real estate prices remain elevated. But aspiring buyers are finally seeing some relief.
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 | An unusually strong storm will lash the East Coast this weekend. | - What to expect: The system is forecast to drop heavy rain from Florida to Maine between tomorrow and Monday. Flooding is possible along Florida's Gulf Coast.
- Be prepared: The storm is set to hit most of the East Coast's major cities, which could cause widespread travel delays, especially Sunday into Monday.
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 | Google is taking steps to protect your location data. | - How? At the moment, data on where you've gone is kept on Google servers and your devices. Soon, it will remain only on your hardware or it will be protected by encryption.
- What it means: Google won't be able to see the record of places you have visited, and your location will be inaccessible to law enforcement. The changes roll out next year.
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 | Cats can play fetch, too. | - How we know: A new study, based on a survey of the owners of 1,154 cats, found that felines play fetch — but it's not clear if they're doing it to bond with you, like dogs do.
- How to teach your cat: Begin by rewarding your cat for giving you an object. After creating the positive association, try throwing the object — and see if they bring it back.
Before you go … what to watch this weekend: "Wonka" is in theaters, but our reviewer found it a little too sweet. On Netflix: "The Crown" has reached a timely end. And finally … end your week by playing On the Record, The Post's quotable quiz. The weekend version is 10 questions, and you can risk all your points on a final bonus question. Ready to play? Click here. Or try our word game, Keyword. You're all caught up. See you Monday.  (Illustration by Katty Huertas/The Washington Post) | Do you know someone who would like this newsletter? Share it with them. Prefer push notifications? Download The Post's app to get one when The 7 publishes. |
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