Happy New Year, friends. On top of being a new year, today is also the anniversary of when I took over writing this newsletter. To that end, I wanted to celebrate this by thanking you for the privilege of your company. —Elamin THE BIG STORY
Disturbing video shows immigrant children being slapped, pushed, and dragged in an Arizona detention facility
The facility — which has now shut down — was operated by Southwest Key, a Texas-based nonprofit organization.
The surveillance videos were initially released to the Arizona Republic, and blurred to protect the identities of the children. A staffer is seen dragging a child into a room by his arms, then shoving him toward a door. The child swings his arm at the man, who then appears to slap the child.
In another incident, two staffers are seen dragging two children by their arms through a door while the children appear to refuse to move their feet or stand.
The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office initially said it found no criminal wrongdoing in the recorded incidents. Three days after the story was published and the video circulated online, the sheriff's office reversed course and decided to refer the case to prosecutors after all.
SNAPSHOTS Three people, including a police officer, were stabbed at a train station in England on New Year's Eve. Authorities said a counterterrorism investigation was underway. The victims were taken to the hospital in a "very serious condition" after the attack in Manchester. One man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
Elizabeth Warren said she's officially thinking about running for president. Warren is the first Democrat with a national profile to take concrete steps toward a run, and announced an exploratory committee yesterday. This allows her to raise money and fill staff positions ahead of a likely campaign.
Louis C.K. mocks Parkland shooting survivors, Asian men, and nonbinary teens in leaked audio. In the recent 50-minute set posted on YouTube, the comedian can also be heard speaking extensively about the word "retarded" and saying all Asian men are women.
Instagram and YouTube star Cameron Dallas was arrested after allegedly punching a man at a Colorado hotel. Police did not say what may have sparked the alleged attack. Dallas, an influencer with millions of followers, stars on the Netflix show Chasing Cameron, which follows his social media–fueled career.
How people around the world rang in the new year and said goodbye to 2018. Let us never speak of that ghoulish year again. Here are the celebrations around the world. This firework display in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, blew me away.
 FRIENDS FOR LIFE This story about someone befriending a woman who died at 101 is what we need right now In a series of tweets, journalist Felicity Hannah shared a story about her unlikely friendship with an older woman named Terri. Terri died in August at 101.
Fifteen years ago, Hannah said, Terri approached her at a bus stop to ask about the books she was reading. Hannah offered to read to her. That was where it all started.
I won't spoil it for you, but people are really touched by Hannah's tribute to her friend, and say the story's inspired them to be more open to people in 2019. It's a lovely note to start the year on.
Pause to visualize your 2019, an empty notebook you get to fill — get writing, Elamin P.S. If you like this newsletter, help keep our reporting free for all. Support BuzzFeed News by becoming a member here. (Monthly memberships are available worldwide.) BuzzFeed, Inc.
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