This is The Poynter Report, your daily guide to the news about news. Subscribe to get it in your inbox every weekday.

The horrors continue.

This past weekend was marred by two mass shootings — one in Australia and one in the U.S.

In what Australian authorities called an act of antisemitic terrorism, at least 16 people were killed and dozens more were injured after two gunmen opened fire Sunday during a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s Bondi Beach.

One of the suspected gunmen, a 50-year-old man, was shot and killed by police. His 24-year-old son was shot by police and has been hospitalized with “critical injuries.”

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said, “What we saw yesterday was an act of pure evil, an act of antisemitism, an act of terrorism on our shores in an iconic Australian location, Bondi Beach, that is associated with joy, associated with families gathering, associated with celebrations. It is forever tarnished by what has occurred.”

In a posting on X, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote, “The United States strongly condemns the terrorist attack in Australia targeting a Jewish celebration. Antisemitism has no place in this world. Our prayers are with the victims of this horrific attack, the Jewish community, and the people of Australia.”

In another tweet, Rubio wrote, “Tonight we stand with the Australian Jewish community as we light the Hanukkah candles and honor the enduring strength of the Jewish people. Such horrific antisemitic attacks must be universally condemned.”

For more, here’s The New York Times’ Jin Yu Young with “What We Know About the Shooting at Bondi Beach.”

Dramatic video showed an unarmed civilian sneaking up and attacking one of the suspected shooters, disarming him in the process.

The Washington Post editorial board wrote, “Important questions remain. Why was an unarmed hero needed to restrain a gunman? Were Australian police adequately prepared for such an event? What has the Australian government done to rein in antisemitism? Has the country effectively screened immigrants and facilitated their assimilation? And, most importantly, what is being done to prevent this from happening again — in Australia and around the world?”

Here is some of the notable journalism from Australia:

• The Sydney Morning Herald’s Jordan Baker and Charlotte Grieve with “‘This is not the Australia I know’: How brave victims saved those around them.”
• Elias Visontay, national consumer affairs reporter for the Morning Herald, with “I was 100m away when the shots rang out. It has changed Sydney forever.”
• From Sky News Australia, Max Melzer with “‘You’ve saved my daughter’s life’: Parents relive horror moment child went missing in Bondi terror attack.”

Back in the US …

A bouquet of flowers rests on snow on Sunday on the campus of Brown University not far from where a shooting took place, in Providence, R.I. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

On Saturday, two students at Brown University were killed and nine others were wounded in a shooting on the Providence, Rhode Island, campus. A “person of interest” was being held by authorities Sunday for a short time. A motive wasn’t known as of Sunday evening. However, that person was released later Sunday night and authorities said “that evidence now points in a different direction.”

In an interesting moment, CNN’s John Berman interviewed his son, Joe, who sheltered in place on the Brown University campus during the shooting. Berman told viewers, “Joe doesn’t go to Brown, but happened to pick last night to visit one of his best friends who does go here.”

Mediaite’s Sean James has more on that interview.

Also, from The Washington Post, it’s Gaya Gupta, Todd Wallack and Joanna Slater with “What happened inside the Brown University classroom the gunman stormed.”

And one more from the Post: Daniel Wu with “She survived a school shooting in high school. It happened again at Brown.”

During a Christmas event at the White House on Sunday, President Donald Trump said, “I want to just pay my respects to the people, unfortunately, two are no longer with us, Brown University, nine injured, and two are looking down on us right now from heaven. And likewise, in Australia, that was a terrible attack — 11 dead, 29 badly wounded, and that was an antisemitic attack, obviously. And I just want to pay my respects to everybody. It was a rough day.”

One more column

Xochitl Gonzalez — a Brown graduate and a current trustee at the school — has a powerful piece in The Atlantic: “America Is Failing Its Children.”

Gonzalez writes, “Every mass shooting in America fills me with sorrow, but this particular incident has been coupled with a dose of nihilism. Across the nation this week, students will be opening emails announcing their early-decision college acceptances. For many of America’s children, it’s the culmination of the zero-sum game of elite college admissions. They have been trained from their earliest years to pass exams and write essays so that they may one day be lucky enough to study for their finals in an Ivy League classroom where, randomly, at any moment, a shooter might open fire.”

Prayers … and action

On NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday, Georgia Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock discussed the Brown University shooting with moderator Kristen Welker.

Warnock said, “I can tell you that as a pastor who has presided over many funerals, I don’t think that there’s any pain deeper than when nature is violently reversed and rather than children burying their parents, the parent has to bury the child. And so we pray for these families. But we have to pray not only with our lips, but with our actions. Any nation that tolerates this kind of violence year after year, decade after decade in random places on our college and school campuses without doing all that we can to stop it is broken and in need of moral repair.”

CBS town hall with Erika Kirk

CBS News aired a town hall Saturday night with new editor-in-chief Bari Weiss interviewing Erika Kirk, the widow of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk. It was Erika Kirk’s first non-cable interview since her husband was shot and killed at a campus event in September.

Salon’s CK Smith noted that the town hall was framed as a national conversation on political violence and antisemitism, adding, “While the town hall included moments of challenge, including references to controversial rhetoric associated with President Donald Trump, critics argue the broadcast leaned heavily into a singular ideological and religious framework. The discussion repeatedly invoked Christian faith, spiritual revival, and moral decline, language that went largely uncontextualized or unchallenged despite the program’s CBS News branding.”

Smith added, “That editorial approach has unsettled some advertisers, according to industry reporting, who expressed concern that the town hall blurred the line between journalism and advocacy. Several media critics questioned whether the format reflected traditional news standards or represented a shift toward values-driven programming under Weiss’s leadership.”

Puck’s Dylan Byers wrote last week, “Sources say Bari’s forthcoming vision for the network will put an emphasis on more town hall events and debates, which she hopes will be must-see TV.”

Maybe Saturday’s town hall with Erika Kirk is an example of that, although it should be noted that the town hall aired on a Saturday night — typically the worst night for TV ratings.

Variety’s Brian Steinberg wrote, “Big Advertisers Appear Wary of CBS News’ Bari Weiss Town Hall Format.”

Meanwhile, well before the town hall aired, The Guardian’s Justin Baragona wrote, “CBS News staffers rip ‘shallow’ Bari Weiss for moderating ‘absurd’ network town hall with Erika Kirk.”

A noticeable absence

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes clutches his knee after suffering an injury in Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)

The National Football League playoffs without the Kansas City Chiefs is like Christmas without Santa Claus. It just ain’t right.

But that’s what will happen this season. The Chiefs were eliminated from the postseason on Sunday, marking the first time in 11 years they will miss the playoffs.

And the NFL and TV networks surely are a little bummed.

Now look, the NFL is going to be just fine. It is the most popular sports league in America, by far, and easily the most-watched television programming. That won’t change.

But the Chiefs are a massive TV draw for the NFL. In the previous six seasons, they have won three Super Bowls and appeared in two others. They have, arguably, the best player in football in quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who has never missed the postseason. And, of course, there’s the Taylor Swift effect. Swift is engaged to popular Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce — who could retire after this season.

It could be the end of an era for the Chiefs, and for the NFL, which has benefited nicely from the Chiefs’ massive popularity.

Media tidbits

• The Los Angeles Times’ Stephen Battaglio with “What happens to CNN if President Trump gets his way?”
• Mediaite’s Colby Hall with “CNN Isn’t Afraid of Stephen Miller — They Just Know Bad TV When They See It.”
• The Atlantic’s Ali Breland with “I Watched 12 Hours of Nick Fuentes.”
• In what has become a common theme, the latest episode of “Saturday Night Live” was mostly a dud except for a cold open that perfectly roasted President Donald Trump. Here’s the open featuring James Austin Johnson, whose Trump impression is spot on.

Hot type

• “CBS News Sunday Morning” and correspondent David Pogue with “What makes for a great Christmas song?”
• For The Ringer, Steven Hyden writes about the iconic Bob Dylan with “The Rough and Rowdy Way of Life.”
• Finally, more bad news from the weekend. On Sunday night, it was announced that famed film director Rob Reiner and his wife were found dead inside their Brentwood, California, home from an apparent homicide. Reiner, who was 78, first became known for his role in the classic 1970s TV show “All in the Family.” Then he went on to have a fabulous career as a director, directing films such as “This is Spinal Tap,” “The Princess Bride,” “When Harry Met Sally,” “Misery,” “Stand by Me,” “The American President” and “A Few Good Men.” His father was comedy legend Carl Reiner. We’ll have more on this tragic story in the days ahead.

More resources for journalists

• Upcoming deadline: Join 650+ women leaders transformed by this leadership program since 2015. Apply by Dec. 15.
• Join a foundational career and leadership development 101 course — fully virtual for ambitious media professionals without direct reports. Apply now.
• Gain the skills to spot AI risks like bias, misinformation and hallucinations before they harm your work. Enroll now.
• Access a list of mental health reporting resources on funding, source-building and more.

Have feedback or a tip? Email Poynter senior media writer Tom Jones at tjones@poynter.org.

The Poynter Report is your daily dive into the world of media, packed with the latest news and insights. Get it delivered to your inbox Monday through Friday by signing up here. And don’t forget to tune into our biweekly podcast for even more.