REUTERS NEWS SCHEDULE AT 6 a.m. GMT/1 a.m. ET

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday brushed off North Korea’s warning of a “Christmas gift,” saying the United States would “deal with it very successfully,” amid U.S. concerns that Pyongyang might be preparing a long-range missile test.

CHRISTMAS-SEASON-POPE-EVE Don't let Church failings distance you from God, Pope says on Christmas Eve

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis led the world’s 1.3 billion Roman Catholics into Christmas on Tuesday, urging them not to let the Church’s failings lead them away from accepting God’s love. U.S.

USA-MARIJUANA-ILLINOIS Recreational marijuana becomes legal in Illinois on New Year's Day

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Many pot-smoking adults in Illinois will ring in the new year on a high note when recreational marijuana use becomes legal in the state on Jan. 1. COLORADO-BANKROBBER

Colorado bank robber throws cash in air, shouting 'Merry Christmas' DENVER (Reuters) - A man with a white beard was being held on $10,000 bond for allegedly robbing a Colorado bank and throwing the stolen cash into the air while shouting, “Merry Christmas” to passersby, police and local media reported on Tuesday.

BUSINESS UBER-KALANICK

Brash Uber co-founder Kalanick leaves board to focus on industrial kitchens Travis Kalanick, the pugnacious co-founder of Uber, has severed his last ties with the ride-services company, resigning from the board and selling all his shares as he turns his focus to a new venture creating “ghost kitchens” for food delivery services.

BOEING-737MAX New Boeing 737 MAX documents show 'very disturbing' employee concerns: U.S. House aide

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Boeing Co documents under review by a U.S. congressional panel appear to point to a “very disturbing” picture of commentary from the planemaker’s employees over the grounded 737 MAX aircraft, a congressional aide said on Tuesday. ENTERTAINMENT

CHRISTMAS-SEASON-KPOP-BTS K-Pop fans brave Seoul's Christmas chill to buy BTS 'merch'

SEOUL (Reuters) - In the early hours of a freezing Christmas Eve, 62-year-old Lee Myeong-sook queues up in Seoul’s ritzy Gangnam area for a chance to buy a t-shirt, or maybe even a toothbrush, branded with the logo of K-Pop boyband BTS. NETFLIX-DECADE-IN-REVIEW

The Netflix decade: How one company changed the way we watch TV In the not-so-distant past, TV viewers were forced to wait a week for the next installment of their favorite shows, parceled out by networks in half-hour or hour-long increments.

SPORTS FOOTBALL-NFL-NOTEBOOK

NFL notebook: Texans DE Watts targets return for playoffs Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt returned to practice Tuesday and said he plans to rejoin the team on the field for its playoff run.

BASKETBALL-NBA-NOTEBOOK NBA notebook: Nuggets' Malone signs extension

The Denver Nuggets and head coach Michael Malone agreed to a contract extension Tuesday. Terms were not disclosed, but ESPN reported the deal extends through the 2022-23 season.