As opposition forces took hold of Damascus on Dec. 8, Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia. This brought to an end his family's dynastic rule stretching back to 1971 and signaled the start of a life in exile. 

Russia, a key ally of Assad during Syria's civil war, is said to have coordinated with neighboring states to ensure the overthrown president could leave safely in a Russian plane. Flying below radar range and with the "aircraft's transponder switched off," said Reuters, a plane carrying Assad headed first to Russia's airbase outside the Syrian city of Latakia and then to Moscow, where his wife, Asma, and their three children were reportedly waiting. 

Where is Assad living? 
Shortly after the fall of Damascus, Russian state media reported that Assad and his immediate family were in Moscow and would be granted asylum on "humanitarian grounds," said the Daily Mail. But the Kremlin refused to confirm Assad's whereabouts or if he would receive asylum. Assad and his family are believed to have been joined by translators, drivers and security guards. Other relatives are also thought to be in Moscow, including his wife's previously London-based parents, Fawaz and Sahar Akhras.

How safe is he? 
Several members of Assad's extended family bought at least 18 luxury apartments in a Moscow complex in 2019, said the Financial Times. But while the former president and his family are also believed to have $2 billion hidden in offshore accounts, tax havens, real estate portfolios and shell corporations across the world, they are unlikely to be living in extravagance in the Russian capital, said The Guardian. Instead, they are probably "hidden away in a secluded estate" and under the "tight surveillance" of Russian security guards. 

What will Assad do now? 
The toppled leader will "maintain a very low profile, perhaps for the rest of his life," Syria expert David Lesch, who has met Assad several times, said to The Guardian. Assad is unlikely to leave Russia for any country where he faces the threat of extradition back to Syria. 

He has joined Putin's "collection of ex-dictators" and must now do "whatever is convenient for the Kremlin," said Mark Galeotti, an expert on Russian security affairs, at The Spectator. Putin seems unlikely to hand Assad back to the Syrians, but the deposed leader is a "potential bargaining chip."

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has an ambitious climate goal: Every single vehicle sold in his state in 2035 will be powered by electricity. But the state's EV mandate faces opposition from President-elect Donald Trump and the U.S. Supreme Court. 

Congress allows the federal Environmental Protection Agency to let California set its own stricter clean-air standards. But the Supreme Court last week agreed to hear a case from oil companies arguing the "federal government exceeded its authority" by allowing California's special rules, said CalMatters. Trump's EPA is also "expected to deny or try to revoke" California's standards.

California's electric vehicle "ambitions are facing a reality check," said the Los Angeles Times. Even with a state-powered push, "sales growth has stalled" for EVs. Trump is also expected to pull the federal government's tax credit for electric-powered cars. 

What did the commentators say?
California's EV mandate is "on trial," said The Wall Street Journal. Congress originally agreed to give California a carve-out on clean-air standards because its "geography and climate can exacerbate smog" in California-specific ways. But the effects of climate change are "global." That means California has "no more compelling reason" to impose standards on what kind of cars can be sold than any other state.

With Trump returning to the White House, California can "cement its reputation for consistently committing to its climate policies," said the Los Angeles Times. And the state has little choice. "Trump can do real damage by going after the states trying to deal with climate change." 

But the new administration's anti-climate agenda is "at odds with economic realities," said the Los Angeles Times. American EV sales are eight times larger than they were at the beginning of Trump's first term. "Environmentally responsible policy is still possible."

What next?
Some automakers are pushing back against California's goals, which require a third of all 2026 vehicle sales to be "zero-emission vehicles," said CNBC. That goal "looks impossible," Jack Hollis, the COO of Toyota Motor North America, said last month. "Demand isn't there." 

The EV push continues for now, said The Washington Post. The California Energy Commission this month approved a $1.4 billion plan to install 17,000 new EV charging stations across the state over the next four years. Electric vehicles, said Commissioner Patty Monahan, are "here to stay" in the Golden State.