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Former Beatle argues use of terms for meat-free products ‘encourages attitudes essential to our health'
Paul McCartney has joined calls for the EU to reject efforts to ban the use of terms such as “sausage” and “burger” for vegetarian foods.
The former Beatle has joined eight British MPs who have written to the European Commission arguing that a ban approved in October by the European parliament would address a nonexistent problem while slowing progress on climate goals.
The new rules would spell the end the use of terms such as steak, burger, sausage or escalope when referring to products made of vegetables or plant-based proteins. Suggested alternatives include the less appetising “discs” or “tubes”.
McCartney said: “To stipulate that burgers and sausages are ‘plant-based', ‘vegetarian' or ‘vegan' should be enough for sensible people to understand what they are eating. This also encourages attitudes which are essential to our health and that of the planet.”
The musician is one of the world's most prominent advocates of a vegetarian diet. He and his late wife founded the Linda McCartney plant-based foods brand in 1991 and he and their daughters Mary and Stella launched the global “Meat Free Monday” campaign to encourage people to eat less meat.
Linda McCartney sausages and burgers have been part of a global trend of increased interest in products to replace meat, even if investment has waned since a bubble during the coronavirus pandemic.
Yet with the growth of plant-based products has come a backlash, particularly from the politically powerful farming and meat distribution industries, which are worried about the potential effects of lower demand on jobs.
The European parliament voted 355–247 to ban “meat-related” names from being used on plant-based products. According to Euronews, Céline Imart, a French member of the centre-right European People's party and proponent of the ban, told the parliament: “I accept that steak, cutlet or sausage are products from our livestock farms. Full stop. No laboratory substitutes, no plant-based products.”
The letter signed by the McCartney family and the British MPs argued that the EU rules could force Britain into changes as well, because the markets and regulation are still so intertwined despite the UK's departure from the EU.
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The EU has a longstanding “geographical indication” system of preventing businesses from trading off the names of products associated with specific places, such as champagne (north-east France), Kalamata olives (southern Greece) or Parma ham (northern Italy). But the attempt to limit the use of generic terms is more controversial.
Many of the terms that would be banned have malleable meanings. For instance, the Collins dictionary defines a sausage firstly in relation to meat but secondly as “an object shaped like a sausage”. Even more problematically for a ban, the primary definition of “burger” is given as a “flat round mass of minced meat or vegetables”.
The eight MP signatories to the letter include the former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and the former Green party co-leaders Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay.
‘Make America healthy again' leaders call for Lee Zeldin to quit for favoring chemical companies over US families
“Make America healthy again” (Maha) movement leaders have put out a petition calling for Donald Trump to fire Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Lee Zeldin, who, since being appointed in late January, has quickly moved to undo toxic chemical regulations and fast-track pesticide approvals.
The petition represents the latest salvo in a growing Maha-Maga feud over the Trump administration's policies around toxic chemicals and pesticides. Trump campaigned on cleaning up the nation's water and food supply, a priority for the Robert F Kennedy Jr-led Maha movement that helped propel the US president to office.
But the Trump administration also has close ties to the chemical and pesticides industry. Maha leaders have voiced a litany of grievances with Zeldin and the EPA as it enacted policies that they say has put public health at risk and benefited the chemical industry.
“Rather than supporting your initiative to ‘Make America Healthy Again', which millions of Republicans and independents alike embraced, Administrator Zeldin has prioritized the interests of chemical corporations over the wellbeing of American families and children,” the petition reads.
It was supported by about a dozen Maha influencers, including Zen Honeycutt, Kelly Ryerson, and Vani Hari.
In a statement, an EPA spokesperson defended the agency, saying: “Administrator Zeldin has been working closely with President Trump and Secretary Kennedy to implement policies to Make America Healthy Again.”
The petition's aim is to get the president's attention, Ryerson told the Guardian. She said she has seen progress on toxic chemicals at other agencies, but not at the EPA, and she did not believe the president was aware of the situation.
“I hold hope that the president is still committed to making America healthy again,” Ryerson said. “I do think if he had the real story of why these things that Zeldin is doing are incredibly damaging to human health, then he would be sympathetic to that.”
Ryerson and other Maha leaders pointed to a number of EPA and Zeldin actions with which they disagreed, among them proposed rules that would reduce scrutiny of new and existing chemicals. Throughout the year, the administration has appointed four chemical industry executives to top positions at the agency's chemicals office.
The EPA also recently announced that it would continue permitting the use of dicamba, a toxic pesticide banned in many other countries. The agency also drew outrage in recent weeks when it announced it would approve and propose more Pfas “forever chemicals” to be used in pesticides.
Meanwhile, the administration and industry are working to undo some of the Pfas limits for drinking water put in place under Joe Biden.
Ryerson also noted that Zeldin has repeatedly claimed criticism over the EPA's controversial moves are coming from the left, or are “Dem fake news”.
“In fact, they are also coming from within his own party,” Ryerson added. The EPA has made similar statements to the Guardian.
Hari, a Maha influencer, told the Guardian that Zeldin could “put an end to this” by reversing a Biden-era EPA decision to change how it defines Pfas. The type of Pfas used in pesticides are considered to be Pfas by most regulatory bodies and scientists around the world. However, the EPA in 2023 started considering on a “case by case” basis whether a chemical, like those used in pesticides, are Pfas.
“If Zeldin truly believes in Maha, then he would reverse that rule immediately, and show the country that he stands with families, not with corporations,” Hari said.
In its statement, the EPA attributed frustration with Zeldin to “a significant amount of misinformation circulating that ignores or misrepresents the law, and the actual facts and history of regulatory decisions”.
“Maha's long-term success depends on rigorous, transparent science,” a spokesperson said.
But some of the Maha figures are skeptical. The petition states that Zeldin's approach will lead to higher rates of chronic disease, higher medical costs, and “tremendous strain” on the healthcare system.
“Zeldin's actions clearly demonstrate that his priorities are misaligned with the values of your administration and the American people,” the petition's letter to Trump states.
“For these reasons, we respectfully urge you to remove Lee Zeldin from his position as EPA administrator and appoint a leader who will genuinely defend public health and truly put America first,” the petition language concludes.
“Thank you for your attention and continued commitment to the health and prosperity of our nation.”
Authorities say strain of virus that has killed wild boars in Catalonia is one often used for experiments in secure facilities
Spanish authorities investigating the African swine fever outbreak in Catalonia are looking into the possibility that the disease may have leaked from a research facility and are focusing on five nearby laboratories as potential sources.
Thirteen cases of the fever have been confirmed in wild boars in the countryside outside Barcelona since 28 November, prompting Spain to scramble to contain the outbreak before it becomes a serious threat to its pork export industry, which is worth €8.8bn (£7.7bn) a year.
The regional authorities initially believed the disease may have begun to circulate after a wild boar ate contaminated food that had been brought in from outside Spain, perhaps in the form of a meat sandwich discarded by a haulier.
But Spain's agriculture ministry has opened a new line of inquiry after concluding that the strain of the virus found in the dead boars in Catalonia was not the same as the one reported to be circulating in other EU member states. According to one report, the strain in question is instead similar to one detected in Georgia in 2007.
“The discovery of a virus similar to the one that circulated in Georgia does not, therefore, rule out the possibility that its origin lies in a biological containment facility,” the ministry said on Friday.
“The ‘Georgia 2007' virus strain is a ‘reference' virus frequently used in experimental infections in containment facilities to study the virus or to evaluate the efficacy of vaccines, which are currently under development. The report suggests that the virus may not have originated in animals or animal products from any of the countries where the infection is currently present.”
Catalonia's regional president, Salvador Illa, said on Saturday that he had ordered the Catalan agrifood research institute to conduct an audit of five facilities within 20km (12 miles) of the outbreak site that work with the African swine fever virus.
“The regional government isn't ruling out any possibilities when it comes to the origin of the outbreak of African swine fever, but neither is it confirming any,” he said. “All hypotheses remain open. First and foremost, we need to know what happened.”
The agriculture ministry has confirmed 13 cases of the virus – all of them in dead wild boar found within 6km of the initial focus. It has said the corpses of 37 more wild animals found in the zone had been analysed, and that all had tested negative for swine fever.
Experts dispatched to the 39 pig farms within a 20km radius of the affected area have found no trace of the illness in animals there. More than 100 personnel from Spain's military emergencies unit have also been deployed to the area to work alongside police and wildlife rangers.
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Long endemic to Africa, African swine fever is harmless to humans but often fatal to pigs. In 2018, the virus turned up in China, which is home to about half of the world's pigs. By 2019, there were concerns that as many as 100 million pigs had been lost. Two years later, the virus was confirmed in Germany, home to one of the EU's largest swine herds.
Spain, which is the EU's biggest pork producer, exported pig meat products worth €5.1bn to other EU countries last year, and almost €3.7bn of pork products to markets outside the bloc. Spain slaughtered 58 million pigs in 2021, up 40% from a decade earlier.
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A Russian mass missile and drone attack overnight on Dec. 6 has once again hammered Ukraine's energy infrastructure, hitting substations, generation facilities, and disconnecting one of the power lines that supplies the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
According to Ukraine's Air Force, Russia launched 653 Shahed-type attack drones, 36 cruise missiles, and 17 ballistic missiles at targets across the country. Sixty strikes were recorded at 29 locations."The main targets of these strikes are once again energy infrastructure," President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on Telegram. "The Russians' goal is to hurt millions of Ukrainians, and they have already fallen so low that they launch missiles at peaceful cities on St. Nicholas Day."
Explosions were reported in Poltava, Lutsk, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, and Bila Tserkva during the attacks. Russian strikes damaged electricity generation, distribution, and transmission facilities in Kyiv, Chernihiv, Lviv, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, and Kharkiv oblasts, the Energy Ministry reported.
In Chernihiv Oblast, Russian drones hit a residential area as well as critical infrastructure in both the region and Chernihiv city, the State Emergency Services reported.
The attack was "quite severe" for Ukraine's power system, Vitaliy Zaichenko, head of Ukraine's state grid operator Ukrenergo, told the Kyiv Independent.
Strikes hit Ukrenergo's substations and generation facilities, and disconnected one of the two power lines supplying the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
"Other nuclear power plants are now operating below their full capacity for safety reasons," he added.The Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant lost all off-site power for half an hour, the 11th time during Russia's full-scale invasion, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) wrote on X. The 330 kilovolt line was reconnected, but the 750 kilovolt line remains disconnected, the agency added.
Russian strikes also hit thermal power plants owned by DTEK, Ukraine's largest private energy company, in the sixth mass attack since October. While the company didn't name the plants for security reasons, it disclosed that power generation equipment was "seriously damaged."As of the morning, there are power outages in Odesa, Chernihiv, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Mykolaiv oblasts. Hourly blackout schedules are in place in all regions in Ukraine, the Energy Ministry said. There were also civilian casualties, with at least eight people injured, Ukraine's Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko wrote on Telegram. Of the wounded, three were in Kyiv Oblast, three in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, and two in Lviv Oblast.
Kyiv Oblast Governor Mykola Kalashnyk reported that a 42-year-old man suffered shrapnel wounds in the city of Fastiv, located about 60 kilometers (37 miles) southwest of Kyiv's center.
Earlier reports said that the city's main train station was struck in the attack. Ukraine's railway authority said that Russia had undertaken a "massive shelling of railway infrastructure" in Fastiv.Zelensky described the attack on the railway station as "militarily senseless."
Kalashnyk also noted that two women, a 46-year-old and a 40-year-old, suffered injuries in the Vyshhorodskyi district, just north of Kyiv. One of the injured women has been hospitalized with shrapnel wounds, the governor added.
Ukraine's State Emergency Service also reported that fires had broken out in a warehouse in Novi Petrivtsi and at a home in Bucha in Kyiv Oblast.
In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, regional Governor Vladislav Haivanenko reported that fires had broken out in several cities during the attack, including in strikes on homes in Pavlohrad as well as local infrastructure in Kryvyi Rih.
An 11-year-old boy was also injured in Nikopol during the attack.
In the western city of Lutsk, Mayor Ihor Polishchuk reported that several food warehouses had caught fire.Warehouses with food and medicine were also burning in the cities of Dnipro and Bila Tserkva in Kyiv Oblast, Klymenko reported.
Poland's Air Force said on social media that it had scrambled fighter jets to protect Polish airspace amid reports of the hours-long attack on western Ukraine.
Information on the extent of damage caused or the targets of attacks was not immediately available in all regions.
Russian forces have regularly attacked Kyiv and its surrounding regions in recent months amid U.S. efforts to negotiate the end of Russia's war in Ukraine.
In the latest mass missile and drone attack on Kyiv on Nov. 13-14, seven people were killed and 29 others were injured.
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Russia attacked the Pechenihy dam on Dec. 7, threatening the reservoir that supplies water to Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city.
China says recent joint anti-missile drills with Russia on Russian territory were routine and not aimed at any third party.
Czech President Petr Pavel warned that repeated Russian airspace violations may eventually force Europe to shoot down Russian aircraft and drones, and said European countries must be ready to fight and win a war on their own if the U.S. is tied up elsewhere.
Amid an ongoing Russian offensive, Ukraine has liberated a village in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, the Ukrainian open-source mapping project DeepState and Ukraine's military reported.
Russia launched five ballistic missiles and 241 drones at Ukraine overnight, the Air Force reported.
In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, the Kyiv Independent's Anna Belokur reports on another failed round of U.S.-Russia diplomacy over a controversial peace plan, as Moscow presses ahead on the battlefield and advances in and near Pokrovsk.
Trump envoy Keith Kellogg says a Ukraine peace deal is in its “final stretch” as talks focus on territorial concessions and security guarantees.
Locals reported explosions near the Engels airfield and an oil depot amid overnight drone attacks in Russia's Saratov and Rostov oblasts.
Russian forces launched a large-scale attack on the central Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk overnight on Dec. 6, officials reported.
The number includes 1,080 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.
The incident marks the third such disruption in Lithuania this week, with Vilnius facing repeated flight interruptions over the past months.
Three people have been injured in a Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv Oblast overnight on Dec. 6, local officials reported.
It's the ninth time this year that the facility has been struck.
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Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem cut the central bank's rate in Oct., 2025, and indicated this would likely be the last in an easing cycle.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
The Bank of Canada is expected to end the year back on the sidelines, likely holding interest rates steady on Wednesday after a string of surprisingly sturdy economic reports.
The central bank cut its benchmark policy rate to 2.25 per cent in October, but indicated that this would likely be the last cut in an easing cycle that began a year-and-half earlier.
Since then, inflation, economic growth and employment data have all surprised to the upside, suggesting the Canadian economy has weathered U.S. tariffs better than expected in recent months.
After four rate cuts this year – and nine since the summer of 2024 – markets now believe the central bank will remain on hold though most of next year, with the next move more likely to be a hike than a cut, according to Bloomberg data.
The story is different south of the border, where the U.S. Federal Reserve will announce its latest rate decision on Wednesday afternoon.
Having cut fewer times than the Bank of Canada, the Fed's monetary policy stance remains restrictive, even as the U.S. labour market has weakened. Investors are betting the U.S. central bank will cut by another quarter-point this week, taking the federal funds target range to 3.5 per cent to 3.75 per cent.
Rob Carrick: Want to make people more anxious about their finances? Cut interest rates
“Our base case forecast a month ago did not assume a December cut from the Fed, given inflation in the U.S. remains above the central bank's 2 per cent target, and Chair Jerome Powell's comments at the last meeting about cautiously proceeding in a foggy environment,” Royal Bank of Canada economists Nathan Janzen and Claire Fan wrote in a note to clients, referring to the U.S. government shutdown which limited the release of economic data.
But it was always going to be a close call, Mr. Janzen and Ms. Fan wrote, and recent communication from Fed committee members suggests a cut is coming. “With some softer data during the blackout, we doubt the hawks will put up a major fight,” they said.
Looking further ahead, the trajectory for U.S. monetary policy is complicated by questions around who will succeed Mr. Powell as Fed chair when his term ends next spring.
The leading candidate is widely believed to be Kevin Hassett, a close ally of U.S. President Donald Trump and director of the National Economic Council. He is seen by many analysts as a dovish choice who would pursue Mr. Trump's desire for lower interest rates.
U.S. Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell's term ends in 2026, and Trump ally Kevin Hassett is expected to take the reigns.CAROLINE GUTMAN/The New York Times News Service
The situation in Canada, by comparison, appears relatively clear cut. After the October rate decision, Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem said he thought interest rates were “at about the right level to keep inflation close to 2 per cent while helping the economy through this period of structural adjustment.”
He didn't rule out further cuts if the Canadian economy takes a nose dive. But he said there would have to be a “material” change in the bank's economic outlook to warrant additional easing.
That hold-steady stance seems to be supported by recent data. Annual Consumer Price Index inflation clocked in at 2.2 per cent in October, while measures of core inflation remain around 3 per cent.
The latest jobs numbers, published Friday, suggest the labour market remains weak, but is trending in a positive direction. Canada added 54,000 positions in November, bringing the cumulative increase in jobs for September through November to 181,000. The unemployment rate fell to 6.5 per cent from 6.9 per cent the month before.
Meanwhile, gross domestic product growth rebounded in the third quarter after a contraction in the second.
Much of the 2.6 per cent annualized GDP growth was a statistical quirk, caused by falling imports. But the number was still notably stronger than Bay Street and central bank forecasts, and means the country avoided two consecutive quarters of negative growth, which analysts sometimes call a “technical recession.”
Opinion: What to do in this trade war when inflation and recession strike at once?
There was also a major upward revision to past GDP growth numbers for 2022, 2023 and 2024, suggesting the Canadian economy was on a stronger footing than previously appreciated heading into the current period of trade tensions.
“It makes one wonder if the BoC would have eased policy as much as it did if it had known how solid momentum was. The firmer economic backdrop could also help explain why core CPI has been stickier than expected,” Benjamin Reitzes, head of Canadian rates strategy at Bank of Montreal wrote in a note to clients.
There are still plenty of risks on the horizon, including the review of the United States-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement next year, which could bring more trade turmoil. But Bank of Canada officials have repeatedly argued that monetary policy is not the right instrument to respond to trade disruptions.
“Monetary policy… can't target the hard-hit sectors: aluminum, steel and autos. It can't help companies find new markets. It can't help companies reconfigure their supply chains,” Mr. Macklem said in October.
“What it can do is it can try to mitigate the spillovers from the hard-hit sectors to the rest of the economy. And it can try and help the economy adjust to this structural change.”
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Former prime minister Justin Trudeau poses with pop star Katy Perry in Tokyo, Japan. The pair confirmed their relationship in social media posts over the weekend.@katyperry/The Canadian Press
After first igniting romantic rumours with a lunch in Montreal in July, Justin Trudeau and Katy Perry looked to firm things up on Saturday.
Perry posted images of the two of them on her Instagram, among other photos from a trip to Japan where she performed earlier this week on her Lifetimes Tour.
She captioned the post “tokyo times on tour and more,” followed by a string of emojis.
The photos and videos showed the pair cheek to cheek and getting close at a starry art exhibit.
In one of the videos, the former prime minister has his arm wrapped around the singer's back and appears to be gazing longingly at her as she takes a bite of sushi.
The pair have been spotted together many times over the past few months, including earlier on the Japan trip, during a visit with former Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his wife, Yuko.
Concert review: In Toronto, pop superstar Katy Perry rose, roared, rinsed and repeated
In a post on X by Kishida, Trudeau and Perry are seen standing close together with beaming smiles.
“Former Canadian Prime Minister @JustinTrudeau visited Japan with his partner and joined my wife and me for lunch,” Kishida's post reads, translated on X.
Trudeau reshared the post, saying he is thankful to Kishida for his friendship.
“Katy and I were so glad to have the chance to sit down with you and Yuko,” Trudeau said in his post.
When the two were spotted together earlier this year at Le Violon in Montreal, Perry had recently ended a nearly nine-year relationship with actor Orlando Bloom.
Days after duo dined together in the city, Trudeau was spotted in the crowd at Perry's concert.
The concert sighting took over social media with one video posted online showing Trudeau clapping and nodding his head as the “Firework” singer performed on stage.
Trudeau separated from ex-wife Sophie Grégoire Trudeau in 2023 and resigned as prime minister earlier this year.
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MOSCOW, December 7. /TASS/. Russia stands "shoulder to shoulder" with the Venezuelan leadership and calls on the administration of US President Donald Trump to avoid escalating the situation with Caracas into a full-scale conflict, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told TASS.
The senior diplomat noted that Moscow views the situation around Venezuela with great alarm and concern, as "tensions are not easing" and "escalation continues." "This is primarily due to the desire to establish the unquestionable US dominance in the region, which is the ‘trademark' of the Trump administration," Ryabkov explained.
"We express our solidarity with Venezuela, with whom we recently signed a strategic partnership and cooperation agreement," the deputy foreign minister noted. "We support Venezuela, as it supports us, in many areas. In this hour of trial, we stand shoulder to shoulder with Caracas and the Venezuelan leadership. We hope that the Trump administration will refrain from further escalating the situation toward a full-scale conflict. We urge it to do so," Ryabkov emphasized.
MOSCOW, December 7. /TASS/. Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has released its predecessor KGB's archives on 12 Nazi collaborators who fled to Canada to escape prosecution, according to the agency's website.
The documents reveal that the war criminals were from the Belarusian, Ukrainian, Latvian, Lithuanian, and Estonian Soviet Socialist Republics, as well as the Kirov and Smolensk Regions. Theodor Adamtau, an Estonian national, served in the German army in 1944 and then joined the ranks of the Sicherheitsdienst (SD), a punitive police unit, and participated in the shooting of Soviet prisoners of war. According to 1956 data, he lived in the Canadian city of Feliston.
Aijinas Vladas, a Lithuanian native who led the execution of more than 7,500 Soviet citizens near the city of Panevezys, lived in Ontario in 1962 and kept in touch with relatives under the name Pivoriunas.
Anatoly Aksyonov was born in the village of Shirokobokov in the Kirov Region. He joined the 667th SS Punitive Battalion in 1942 and participated in operations against partisans in the Novgorod and Pskov Regions. In 1949, he moved to Toronto, where he worked as a car mechanic.
Gennady Andryushkevich, the commandant of the German police in Volozhin, was born in the Belarusian village of Skripelevo. In August 1943, he supervised the shooting of more than 700 Soviet Jews in the town of Vishnevo. In 1957, he lived in the Canadian city of Edmonton, from where he sent letters to relatives under the surname Nalyvaiko.
On November 29, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) launched a new project called "The Red Book of the KGB of the USSR" to publish information about Nazi collaborators who had fled to Western countries. The FSB press office noted that the archives in this section on its website will be updated weekly.
MOSCOW, December 7. /TASS/. The change of the US national security strategy by the administration of President Donald Trump, where Russia is not mentioned as a "direct threat," is a positive step, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told TASS.
"We consider this is a positive step," Peskov said.
The messages for Russia-US relations sent by the administration of US President Donald Trump differs from approaches of previous administrations, the Kremlin spokesman noted. "Overall, these messages are certainly in contrast with approaches of previous administrations," the presidential press secretary said.
The Kremlin is going to review the updated US national security strategy in more detail and to analyze its provisions, the press secretary of the Russian President stressed. "Certainly, it should be considered, analyzed in more detail," Peskov noted.
The Kremlin Spokesman made his comment on the update of the key US document in the national security sphere. It does not contain the mentioning of Russia as the "direct threat" and contains the call to cooperate with Moscow in the strategic stability sphere.
A nightclub fire in the popular Indian resort region of Goa has killed at least 25 people including four tourists, officials said.
The blaze is suspected to have broken out after a cylinder exploded in the kitchen area of the club in Arpora village around midnight on Saturday local time, CNN affiliate News18 reported.
Fourteen of the victims are believed to have been staff, and the nationalities of the tourists are not yet confirmed, police told the English-language Indian news channel.
Seven people are being treated for injuries, including one person with 60% burns, it added.
Four managers of the nightclub have been arrested, local police said, according to News18.
Eyewitness told the news channel that the nightclub was “jam packed” with a large weekend crowd. At least 100 persons were on the dance floor, according to Fatima Shaikh, a tourist speaking to News18.
“There was a sudden commotion as the flames started erupting. We rushed out of the club only to see that the entire structure was up in flames,” Shaikh said. A temporary structure covered in palm leaves quickly caught fire, she added.
Goa, a small state on India's west coast known for its beaches and Portuguese heritage, attracts hundreds of thousands of foreign tourists and millions of domestic tourists every year.
“Today is a very painful day for all of us in Goa,” the state's Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said Sunday morning in a post on X.
Videos on social media showed fire trucks and ambulances lining up to help the injured.
Goa's Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said on X that the injured were taken to Goa Medical College and Hospital, and are receiving “the best possible medical care,” with teams working through the night.
Some of the victims succumbed to burn injuries and others died due to suffocation, News18 reported.
“In this moment of profound grief, we stand firmly with the affected families, assuring them of our unwavering support in every possible way,” Rane added.
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the fire was “deeply saddening” and pledged that his office would offer compensation of up to 200,000 rupees ($2,200) to each family of those killed and 50,000 rupees ($556) to the injured.
“My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones,” he said on X.
“May the injured recover at the earliest.”
An inquiry has been ordered to “examine the exact cause of the fire and whether fire safety norms and building rules were followed,” Sawant said.
Early reports suggest the venue lacked the mandatory No Objection Certificate (NOC) and violated fire regulations, the Director of Fire and Emergency Services Nitin Raiker told News18 on Sunday.
“Fire services were rushed towards the spot immediately,” Raiker told the channel.
“In half an hour we extinguished the fire. NOC was not given, fire norms were not followed by the club.”
The state's Chief Minister said the owners did not have permission to construct the club, and it had been issued with a demolition notice which was stayed by officials, News18 reported.
This story has been updated with additional developments.
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Japan said on Sunday that Chinese fighter jets had directed fire-control radar at Japanese military aircraft in two “dangerous” incidents near Japan's Okinawa islands, an account Beijing denied.
“These radar illuminations went beyond what is necessary for the safe flight of aircraft,” Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi posted on X, adding that Japan had lodged a protest with China over Saturday's “regrettable” incident.
Meeting with Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles in Tokyo, Koizumi said Japan would respond “resolutely and calmly” to China's conduct to maintain regional peace and stability.
A Chinese navy spokesperson, Colonel Wang Xuemeng, said Japanese aircraft had repeatedly approached and disrupted the Chinese navy as it was conducting previously announced carrier-based flight training east of the Miyako Strait.
The encounters near islands claimed by both Japan and China are the most serious run-ins between the two militaries in years and are likely to further escalate tension between the two East Asian powers.
Relations have soured in the past month since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi warned that Japan could respond to any Chinese military action against Taiwan if it also threatened Japan's security.
Directing fire-control radar at another aircraft is a threatening step because it signals a potential attack and may force the targeted plane to take evasive action. Japan did not say whether the Chinese had locked on their planes or how Japan's aircraft responded.
Wang, in a statement on official social media channels, countered that Japan's statement was erroneous and its actions had seriously endangered flight safety.
“We solemnly demand that the Japanese side immediately stop slandering and smearing and strictly restrain front-line actions,” Wang said. “The Chinese Navy will take necessary measures in accordance with the law to resolutely safeguard its own security and legitimate rights and interests.”
Australia's Marles, at a press conference with Koizumi after discussions on deepening defense cooperation, said, “We are deeply concerned by the actions of China in the last 24 hours. We will continue to work with Japan and stand with Japan in upholding that rules-based order.”
As China-Japan tensions over Taiwan have mounted, Beijing advised its citizens not to travel to Japan and paused plans to restart seafood imports suspended after Japan released treated water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant.
China claims democratically governed Taiwan and has ramped up military and political pressure against the island, whose government rejects Beijing's territorial claims. Taiwan lies just 110 km (70 miles) from Japan's westernmost island, Yonaguni.
Japan hosts the biggest overseas concentration of US military power, including warships, aircraft and thousands of US Marines in Okinawa.
The US State Department and the US Embassy in Tokyo did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Japan's claims about China's use of its fire-control radar.
US Ambassador to Japan George Glass has publicly expressed support for Japan in several social media posts since the diplomatic dispute began, but President Donald Trump and other senior US officials have remained silent.
Trump, who plans to visit Beijing next year for trade talks, telephoned Takaichi last month, urging her not to escalate the dispute, people with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.
That call followed a conversation between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, who told Trump that Taiwan's return to China was central to Beijing's vision for the world order, the official Xinhua news agency reported.
Japan said the Chinese J-15 jets involved in the two incidents were launched from China's Liaoning aircraft carrier, which was maneuvering south of the Okinawan islands with three missile destroyers. Japan said it scrambled F-15 fighters in response to flight operations from the Chinese carrier.
In 2013, Japan said a Chinese warship locked fire-control radar on one of its destroyers in the East China Sea. Three years later, Beijing accused Japanese jets of directing fire-control radar at Chinese fighters. In June, Japan said Chinese jets flew dangerously close to one of its patrol aircraft near Okinawa.
On Thursday, China had more than 100 naval and coast guard vessels deployed across East Asian waters at one point, Reuters reported, citing sources and intelligence reports.
Taiwan's government described that build-up as posing a threat to the Indo-Pacific region. Japan said it was monitoring Chinese activity closely.
On Sunday, Taiwan's coast guard said it was monitoring drills by three Chinese maritime safety ships on the western side of the Taiwan Strait's median line but that the situation in the waters surrounding Taiwan was “normal.”
Chinese state media said the search-and-rescue drills were in the central waters of the strait, patrolling “high-traffic areas, and areas with frequent accidents.”
Taiwan's coast guard said China was using “misleading and false wording” about what it was doing, with the aim of harassing Taiwan and carrying out psychological warfare.
China says it alone exercises sovereignty and jurisdiction over the strait, a major trade route for about half of global container ships. The United States and Taiwan say the strait is an international waterway.
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Talks between US and Ukrainian negotiators over a proposed peace deal with Russia ended in Miami this weekend, with few new developments and lingering questions over security guarantees and territorial issues, according to Ukrainian officials.
As the talks concluded, the Kremlin welcomed US President Donald Trump's new security strategy, saying it dropped the language of past US administrations describing Russia as a threat.
The marathon Miami meeting began on Thursday between US special envoy Steve Witkoff, President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, and Ukrainian officials Rustem Umerov and Andriy Hnatov.
After three days of talks, “difficult issues remain,” Ukrainian Ambassador to the US Olga Stefanishyna said Saturday, “but both sides continue working to shape realistic and acceptable solutions.”
“The main challenges at this stage concern questions of territory and guarantees, and we are actively seeking optimal formats for addressing them,” Stefanishyna said. “More details will be provided once all information is compiled.”
Territory and security guarantees are long-standing sticking points for any possible deal. Ukraine maintains that a just end to the war would include reliable security guarantees and would not force it to surrender more territory to Russia.
As the meetings kicked off earlier this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters in India that his country intends to seize Ukraine's eastern Donbas region by any means.
The Miami talks had been preceded by a visit to Moscow by Kushner and Witkoff. Trump said Wednesday the US delegation had a “very good meeting” with Putin, and that they believed the Russian president “would like to see the war ended” — though the talks failed to yield a breakthrough.
In a social media post on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he had a “long” and “constructive” phone conversation with Witkoff and Kushner, as well as his Ukrainian delegation in Miami.
“We covered many aspects and went through key points that could ensure an end to the bloodshed and eliminate the threat of a new Russian full-scale invasion,” Zelensky said. “We agreed on the next steps and formats for talks with the United States.”
Also discussed on the call was “the risk of Russia failing to honor its promises, as has happened repeatedly in the past,” he said.
Zelensky said that Hnatov and Umerov are expected to deliver him a “detailed in person report” on the negotiations.
“Not everything can be discussed over the phone,” Zelensky said. “So we need to work closely with our teams on ideas and proposals.”
Peace and its conditions will also be the subject of a meeting on Monday between Zelensky and French, British and German leaders in London. The discussion will cover “the situation and the ongoing negotiations within the framework of the American mediation,” French President Emmanuel Macron said Saturday.
Separately, the Kremlin has welcomed the new US national security strategy, released on Friday, which sets out the Trump administration's realignment of US foreign policy and takes an an unprecedentedly confrontational posture toward Europe.
Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Trump administration's document has dropped language describing Russia as a threat, state-owned news agency TASS reported.
“We considered this a positive step,” Peskov told the news agency.
“Overall, these messages are certainly in contrast with approaches of previous administrations.”
The strategy document says European nations regard Russia as “an existential threat,” but paints the US as having a significant role in diplomacy to re-establish “conditions of stability within Europe and strategic stability with Russia.”
A 2022 Biden-era national security strategy said Russia posed “an immediate threat to the free and open international system, recklessly flouting the basic laws of the international order today, as its brutal war of aggression against Ukraine has shown.”
The Trump administration's new document also reiterates its push for “ending the perception, and preventing the reality, of NATO as a perpetually expanding alliance.”
This article has been updated with additional information.
CNN's Alejandra Jaramillo and Todd Symons contributed reporting
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The “emergency billionaires tax” would offset the billions of dollars being stripped from CA Medicaid recipients.
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom, considered by some to be the frontrunner to be the next Democratic presidential nominee, said during a panel on Wednesday that he wants his party to be a “big tent” that welcomes large numbers of people into the fold. But he's “adamantly against” one of the most popular proposals Democrats have to offer: a wealth tax.
In October, progressive economists Emmanuel Saez and Robert Reich joined forces with one of California's most powerful unions, the Service Employees International Union's (SEIU) United Healthcare Workers West, to propose that California put the nation's first-ever wealth tax on the ballot in November 2026.
They described the measure as an “emergency billionaires tax” aimed at recouping the tens of billions of dollars that will be stripped from California's 15 million Medicaid recipients over the next five years, after Republicans enacted historic cuts to the program in July with President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which dramatically reduced taxes for the wealthiest Americans.
Among those beneficiaries were the approximately 200 billionaires living in California, whose average annual income, Saez pointed out, has risen by 7.5% per year, compared with 1.5% for median-income residents.
Under the proposal, they would pay a one-time 5% tax on their total net worth, which is estimated to raise $100 billion. The vast majority of the funds, about 90%, would be used to restore Medicaid funding, while the rest would go towards funding K-12 education, which the GOP has also slashed.
Gov. @GavinNewsom says he disagrees with Mayor @ZohranKMamdani about the need for a wealth tax on billionaires, which he is “adamantly against” – says Dems are a “big tent party” with both views. More on the CA proposal: https://t.co/D3SWI7SPJw pic.twitter.com/Ko5bVFGncT
The proposal in California has strong support from unions and healthcare groups. But Newsom has called it “bad policy” and “another attempt to grab money for special purposes.”
Meanwhile, several of his longtime consultants, including Dan Newman and Brian Brokaw, have launched a campaign alongside “business and tech leaders” to kill the measure, which they've dubbed “Stop the Squeeze.” They've issued familiar warnings that pinching the wealthy too hard will drive them from the state, along with the critical tax base they provide.
At Wednesday's New York Times DealBook Summit, Andrew Ross Sorkin asked Newsom about his opposition to the wealth tax idea, comparing it to a proposal by recent New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, who pledged to increase the income taxes of New Yorkers who earn more than $1 million per year by 2% in order to fund his city-wide free buses, universal childcare, and city-owned grocery store programs.
Mamdani's proposal was met with a litany of similar warnings from Big Apple bigwigs who threatened to flee the city and others around the country who said they'd never move in.
But as Robin Kaiser-Schatzlein explained in October for the American Prospect: “The evidence for this is thin: mostly memes shared by tech and finance people… Research shows that the truth of the matter is closer to the opposite. Wealthy individuals and their income move at lower rates than other income brackets, even in response to an increase of personal income tax.” Many of those who sulked about Mamdani's victory have notably begun making amends with the incoming mayor.
Moreover, the comparison between Mamdani's plan and the one proposed in California is faulty to begin with. As Harold Meyerson explained, also for the Prospect: “It is a one-time-only tax, to be levied exclusively on billionaires' current (i.e., 2025) net worth. Even if they move to Tasmania, they will still be liable for 5% of this year's net worth.”
“Crucially, the tax won't crimp the fortunes of any billionaire who moves into the state next year or any later year, as it only applies to the billionaires living in the state this year,” he added. “Therefore… the horrific specter of billionaire flight can't be levied against the California proposal.”
Nevertheless, Sorkin framed Newsom as being in an existential battle of ideas with Mamdani, asking how the two could both represent the Democratic Party when they are so “diametrically opposed.”
“Well, I want to be a big-tent party,” Newsom replied. “It's about addition, not subtraction.”
Pushed on the question of whether there should be a “unifying theory of the case,” Newsom responded that “we all want to be protected, we all want to be respected, we all want to be connected to something bigger than ourselves. We have fundamental values that I think define our party, about social justice, economic justice.”
“We have pre-distribution Democrats, and we have re-distribution Democrats,” he continued. “Therein lies the dialectic and therein lies the debate.”
Polling is scarce so far on the likelihood of such a measure passing in California. But nationally, polls suggest that the vast majority of Democrats fall on the “re-distribution” side of Newsom's “dialectic.” In fact, the majority of all Americans do, regardless of party affiliation.
Last year, Inequality.org examined 55 national and state polls about a number of different taxation policies and found:
A billionaire income tax garnered the most support across party identification. On average, two out of three (67%) of Americans supported the tax including 84% of Democrats, 64% of Independents, and 51% of Republicans.
In national polls, a wealth tax had similarly high levels of support. More than three out of five Americans supported the tax including 78% of Democrats, 62% of Independents, and 51% of Republicans.
That sentiment only seems to have grown since the return of President Donald Trump. An Economist/YouGov poll released in early November found that 72% of Americans said that taxes on billionaires should be raised — including 95% of Democrats, 75% of independents, and 48% of Republicans. Across the board, just 15% said they should not be raised.
Support remains high when the proposal is more specific as well. On the eve of Mamdani's election, despitre months of fearmongering, 64% of New Yorkers said they backed his proposal, including a slight plurality of self-identified conservatives, according to a Siena College poll.
Many observers were perplexed by how Newsom proposes to maintain a “big tent” while opposing policies supported by most of the people inside it.
“A wealth tax is a big tent policy unless the only people you care about are billionaires,” wrote Jonathan Cohn, the political director for Progressive Mass, a grassroots organization in Massachusetts, on social media.
“Gavin Newsom — estimated net worth between $20 and $30 million — says he's opposed to a billionaire wealth tax. Color me shocked,” wrote the Columbia University lecturer Anthony Zenkus. “Democrats holding him up as a potential savior for 2028 is a clear example of not reading the room.”
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Trump has put election deniers in charge of overseeing “election integrity” for the 2026 midterms.
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Two months after Donald Trump's second inauguration, the White House released the text of a sprawling executive order allegedly designed to ensure the integrity of U.S. elections. It demanded that states share their voter rolls with federal officials; mandated onerous proof-of-citizenship rules for people registering to vote (rules which didn't include drivers' licenses as valid forms of ID for this purpose); threatened local and state officials who didn't cooperate with this power grab with legal sanctions; and ostensibly outlawed the counting of any mail-in ballots received after Election Day.
More recently, the White House announced it would soon be delivering another executive order going after mail-in voting more generally, and, in particular, that it would be targeting California's voting system which, it alleged without evidence, was rife with fraud.
In the wake of lawsuits filed by Democratic-led states, the District of Columbia, and the League of United Latin American Citizens, courts have issued preliminary injunctions against the bulk of the provisions in Trump's executive order from March. And when the administration pushes new restrictions on voting, California and other states have already made it clear they will head straight to court.
Yet even if many of Trump's efforts to curtail voting end up stalled in the courts, the practical effect is one of intimidation: He is marshalling the full force of the U.S. government and all of the resources of the Departments of Justice (DOJ) and Homeland Security (DHS) to craft a narrative that elections that don't favor Republicans are inherently suspect.
In January 2021, Trump and his acolytes attempted to prevent the peaceful transfer of power, alleging that the election which he lost by millions of votes to Joe Biden was riddled with fraud. Between 2021 and 2024, many of the people involved in these schemes were successfully prosecuted, and many others — including Donald Trump himself — were investigated and charged with multiple felonies.
On day one of Trump's second term in office, the MAGA leader issued mass pardons and clemencies for the January 6 insurrectionists and began a process of turning FBI and DOJ resources against those who had investigated and prosecuted them. That process has lasted all year, has resulted in wholesale purges, and, if Trump has his way, will lead to a slew of prosecutions against the officials who backed Jack Smith's special investigation.
There is now a systematic effort afoot to break down, or render impotent, key institutional players that could serve to limit Trump's efforts to manipulate the outcome of the 2026 elections.
Many of the people who peddled outlandish election conspiracies five years ago are now in positions overseeing election integrity in the United States. These include Heather Honey, an outspoken 2020 election denier who is now the DHS point person on “election integrity,” charged with communicating to the states how the feds intend to protect elections from threats foreign and domestic to undermine the voting process. A New York Times investigative report found that Honey has, in private conversations with hard-right activists, proposed declaring a “national emergency” to allow federal official to bypass states and seize control over voting processes. The civil rights division of the Justice Department is now headed by another high-profile election denier, Harmeet Dhillon. And most of the senior personnel in the voting rights section of the Department of Justice have been dismissed, as have most active cases involving allegations against locales for creating racially discriminatory barriers to voting.
And it isn't just a matter of a few bad actors being elevated to key roles and a few good actors being fired. Trump came into office determined to undermine the independence of the Federal Election Commission (FEC) — and promptly proceeded to fire board members who had been nominated by Democratic presidents. He has issued executive orders attempting to place independent executive branch agencies, including the FEC, under his direct control. And, with Trump having proceeded to fire key members of the FEC, the board no longer has the quorum to set in place meaningful election-protection policies, leaving it fundamentally hamstrung as the 2026 election season ramps up. In other words, there is now a systematic effort afoot to break down, or render impotent, key institutional players that could serve to limit Trump's efforts to manipulate the outcome of the 2026 elections.
Making a bad situation worse, during the DOGE purges, the new administration slashed spending on cyber security and other security measures that warn states of threats to election systems, leaving elections officials largely floundering in the face of risks they no longer were receiving adequate briefings on. The administration also gutted the teams at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, as well as in the FBI, that work to counteract foreign interference in U.S. elections. This is a historically unprecedented rollback of election security safeguards.
And at a state level, too, the rot is also accelerating. In key swing states such as Pennsylvania, the GOP has elevated election denying legislators to control the committees charged with setting election policy. Add into the mix Trump's order to GOP state legislators in Texas and many other states to engage in mid-decade gerrymandering, so as to secure more than a dozen additional seats in the House of Representatives, as well as the likely Supreme Court ruling undermining Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and thus allowing southern states to legislate out of existence Black-majority districts, and the stage has been set for a massive onslaught on the concept of a level playing field for elections. Republicans could, in consequence, lose the popular vote by several percent and still end up in control of Congress.
None of this is to say that the Democrats won't win control of the House next year — recent polls suggest Republicans are in deep electoral trouble. Thus, even with the GOP's head start guaranteed by all of these shenanigans, it's entirely possible Democratic candidates will overcome Republican advantages in dozens of districts around the country.
But Trump's actions this past year do not give confidence that he will easily accept such an election defeat. He is maneuvering key agencies to be utilized to challenge results that don't go his way, and his executive orders suggest a willingness to use federal muscle — even that of the military — to seize control both of election processes and of ballot boxes if things head too far south for the Republicans.
That's a doomsday scenario that an increasing number of state and federal legislators are warning about. Officials worry about troops and DHS agents being deployed to polling stations to intimidate would-be voters, about cyberthreats being downplayed by the feds, about ballot boxes being seized. High-profile Democratic governors such as Illinois's Jay Pritzker and California's Gavin Newsom have warned that the deployment of National Guard troops into cities this year is likely a precursor for a concerted effort to send federal agents into Democratic cities and states during the 2026 elections. And U.S. senators such as Alex Padilla have announced they are prepared to introduce legislation to try to counter any presidential effort to declare a national emergency around the midterm elections.
In more normal political times, the president would calm these roiling waters by pledging to respect both the election process and the election result. These aren't, however, normal times. Recently, Trump took to social media to predict the GOP would win the midterms “in RECORD NUMBERS.”He has also demanded, on social media, that states “must do what the Federal Government, as represented by the President of the United States, tells them, FOR THE GOOD OF OUR COUNTRY, to do.” None of this suggests a commander-in-chief willing to simply sit back and absorb the sort of electoral humbling that opinion polls indicating Democrats now have a double-digit lead heading into the midterms, suggest voters will attempt to serve up to the GOP 11 months from now.
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Sasha Abramsky is a freelance journalist and a part-time lecturer at the University of California at Davis. Abramsky's latest book, American Carnage: How Trump, Musk, and DOGE Butchered the US Government, is available for pre-order now and will be released in January. His work has appeared in numerous publications, including The Nation, The Atlantic Monthly, New York Magazine, The Village Voice and Rolling Stone. He also writes a weekly political column. Originally from England, with a bachelor's in politics, philosophy and economics from Oxford University and a master's degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, he now lives in Sacramento, California.
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Local communities resist ICE by reaching inside jails and building networks of support.
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For more than 200 days, Fernando Herrera-Cruz has been sitting in a county jail in central Missouri on immigration charges. The conditions in the jail are “very bad,” Herrera-Cruz told Truthout, with the help of a translator. “There are some guards who are very racist towards immigrants.”
Herrera-Cruz, who is 25 years old, left Mexico to come to the United States to work with his brother for a roofing business in St. Louis. He was travelling in rural Missouri for a job when the trailer on his truck got a flat tire. Herrera-Cruz says a passerby stopped, began harassing him, and called the police. When local sheriff's deputies arrived, instead of helping with the flat tire, they arrested Herrera-Cruz.
According to a Department of Justice press release, Herrera-Cruz was picked up on March 18, 2025, and charged with illegal reentry. He had previously been deported in March 2022 and made his way back to the country. He was arrested in Camden County, Missouri, best known for the Lake of the Ozarks, a scenic stretch of waterways surrounded by mountains. The press release says that Herrera-Cruz was arrested for not having a driver's license following a “single vehicle accident.” (In Missouri and 30 other states, undocumented residents can't get a driver's license.)
Central Missouri is a politically conservative territory in a deep red state. Missouri, which has a troubled history as a slave state before the Civil War, is the third state in the nation for executions, behind Texas and Oklahoma. In the 2024 election, Donald Trump won Missouri with 58 percent of the vote. The state governor and local officials have eagerly collaborated with federal immigration agents to carry out the new administration's mass deportation plans.
Despite its deep-red reputation, Missouri is also home to a growing movement of local community members organizing to fight back against mass deportation.
On his first day in office in January of this year, Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe signed an executive order entering into a 287(g) agreement for collaboration between the Missouri State Highway Patrol and ICE. The 287(g) program authorizes state and local police to carry out immigration enforcement duties, with Trump going so far as to offer financial incentives for training officers. In Missouri, 287(g) agreements have been rapidly expanding among law enforcement agencies across the state.
In September 2025, the governor activated 15 members of the Missouri National Guard to provide “logistical support” to federal immigration agents.
Phelps County jail, where Herrera-Cruz is reportedly being held, is 100 miles southwest of St. Louis. In January 2025, the county completed a jail expansion project that doubled its capacity to 400 beds. As Trump has shifted the U.S. deportation machine into high gear, the Phelps County jail has served as a holding facility, keeping between 50 to 70 immigrants on any given day.
An expanding detention network is being built out across the Midwest. Since Illinois banned immigrant detention, ICE sends people to county jails in nearby states. In a red state like Missouri, many of the sheriffs are Republican and support Trump's anti-immigrant policies.
Three counties in central Missouri have opened their jail doors to ICE for immigrants arrested in Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, and elsewhere across the Midwest. Along with Phelps County, jails in Greene County and Ste. Genevieve County are holding people for ICE. Together, these county jails are detaining hundreds of immigrants awaiting a short appearance before a judge and a likely deportation order.
Jails exist in part to hide people away from society. Behind jail walls, suffering is often out of sight, out of mind for the rest of the community. But in central Missouri, a growing number of community organizations are sprouting up to make sure immigrants in local jails aren't forgotten.
The Phelps County jail is located in Rolla, Missouri, a small college town with a population of around 20,000 that is home to the Missouri University of Science and Technology. A group of local residents calling themselves Abide in Love formed to provide support for immigrants in the jail. They began monitoring the jail population through the sheriff's online database, and recruited and trained pen pals to communicate with immigrants in the jail through a text messaging system. They pay for phone calls so immigrants at the jail can talk to their families. They provide hygiene packages. They also help connect families with attorneys.
Despite being a university town, “Rolla, like most of Missouri, is pretty red,” said Lucy Behrendt, current president of Abide in Love.
“A lot of us followed the rhetoric of this administration during the campaign and knew this was what was going to happen,” Behrendt told Truthout. “So when this group formed, it's like, okay, something that I can do, besides just post stuff on Facebook, go to protests or whatever, something I can actually do, on the ground.”
While members of Abide in Love may oppose immigrant detention, they must rely on the cooperation of Phelps County Sheriff Mike Kirn to get access to immigrants in the jail. The group's name is inspired by Martin Luther King, Jr. and they use his philosophy to navigate the conservative political landscape.
“We use the six principles [of nonviolence] at every meeting. We read them and use the strategies to help bring about a beloved community,” Abide in Love's founder Amy Beechner-McCarthy told St. Louis Public Radio. “That helps us focus on working within the system.”
Abide in Love is a “great help for everyone,” said Herrera-Cruz. “I've seen that they help many people with many things. Everyone in the organization is very kind, and they support us, whether with money or an encouraging text message. They even help people learn about their cases, because some people don't know anything.”
Abide in Love chapters are spreading across Missouri to other county jails holding immigrants for ICE. An Abide in Love group was started an hour south of St. Louis in Ste. Genevieve County, along the Mississippi River bordering Illinois. After finding out about immigrants in their county jail and talking to the group in Rolla, community members launched Abide in Love Ste. Genevieve. Board member Susie Johnson told Truthout they filed for nonprofit status, trained volunteers, reached out to immigrants in the jail, and provided support.
“What Abide in Love Ste. Genevieve is doing by helping those detained and offering support,” Johnson said, “that's a form of protest. And we know we are making a positive difference based on the thank you messages we receive almost daily.”
The city of Ste. Genevieve has a population of 5,000 people, but over the years the sheriff has expanded the jail to hold 500 people, an unusually large jail for a community this size. According to a contract with U.S. Marshals obtained through a Freedom of Information Act Request, 400 of the beds can be used for federal detainees at a per diem rate of $103 per person. As is often the case, a long-standing contract with the U.S. Marshals Service is used to hold ICE detainees. The Abide in Love chapter in Ste. Genevieve said there's around 150 immigrants currently being held there.
Despite its remote location, the Ste. Genevieve jail has been in the headlines. In October, Abide in Love held a vigil for Leo Cruz-Silva, who died at the Ste. Genevieve jail. In November, the arrest by ICE of Ismael Ayuzo Sandoval, beloved owner of a Mexican restaurant in Staunton, Illinois, sparked community outrage. Sandoval is currently being held in the Ste. Genevieve jail. Abide in Love has been working to mobilize around these high-profile cases.
In Springfield, Missouri, the third largest city in the state, community organizers are developing solidarity networks and a chapter of Abide in Love is up and running. The Immigrant Justice Collaborative is advocating for legislative change, including the repeal of a ban on sanctuary cities in Missouri. Others have founded the Southern Missouri Immigration Alliance (SMIA) which is more vocal in pressuring Sheriff Jim Arnott to stop holding immigrants at the county jail in Greene County, located in Springfield.
By monitoring the sheriff's online data, the Southern Missouri Immigration Alliance has been reporting statistics about detention on social media. According to SMIA, there have been more than 1,400 people held for ICE detention since May 14, 2025. In mid-November, daily population had grown to 295 people currently being held. Of those, 219 are listed as “Hispanic.” The contract with U.S. Marshals is for 375 federal detainees, at a per diem rate of $100 for each individual.
Asked to respond to whether he will keep the contract, Sheriff Arnott told Truthout, “Yes, we will,” but did not provide any reasoning.
In November, the Southern Missouri Immigration Alliance put a spotlight on the case of Mohammad Ali Dadfar, who was detained at the Greene County jail. They called on Sheriff Arnott and Greene County Commissioners to release Dadfar, an asylum seeker who served in the army in Afghanistan and was forced to flee the county with his family after the Taliban took over.
Dadfar is a long-haul truck driver who lives in Colorado, but was arrested driving through Indiana when he stopped at the Chesterton Weigh Station on Interstate 94. He was one more than 140 truck drivers rounded up in “Operation Midway Blitz” as part of a crackdown on immigrant drivers issued commercial driver's licenses by sanctuary states in New York and elsewhere. (Dadfar obtained his commercial license in Colorado.)
After he was waved aside at the weigh station in Indiana, Dadfar was held for five hours before ICE showed up to arrest him. He was taken to a holding facility in Chicago for two days, then transferred to the Greene County jail in Missouri. There, SMIA members got in contact with Dadfar who asked that they reach out to Marissa Seuc-Hester, a friend through a local church in Boulder County, Colorado.
“We met Ali's family when they arrived in Colorado,” Seuc-Hester told Truthout. “We were matched up with them to provide community connection and allyship as they built their new life here.” Her church ministry helps to resettle new immigrants by assisting with paperwork, building resumes, and registering children for school.
For a couple of days Dadfar's family did not know of his whereabouts. With help from SMIA members, Seuc-Hester figured out the jail's messaging app to communicate with Dadfar.
Public pressure recently helped to free Dadfar who was ordered released by a court order on December 1, 2025. U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool, in the Western District of Missouri, ruled that his right to due process was violated. He had spent nearly two months in the Greene County jail.
“We are so relieved that Ali was released,” said Seuc-Hester, “and are grateful to everyone who followed and shared his story, and advocated for his release. We know so many others are still detained, and we hope the awareness we raised will lead to many more people being rightfully freed.”
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Brian Dolinar is an independent journalist based in Urbana, Illinois. His articles have appeared at The Appeal, In These Times, The Nation, and Truthout. You can follow his stories by subscribing to his Substack newsletter called “Sentences.”
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Russian forces launched a large-scale overnight attack on Ukrainian energy infrastructure on Dec. 7, targeting the central city of Kremenchuk and Chernihiv and Kyiv oblasts, killing at least one man, officials reported.
Explosions were heard in Kremenchuk, Poltava Oblast, beginning around 1:30 a.m. local time, monitoring groups reported, as Ukraine's Air Force warned of approaching Kinzhal missiles and dozens of drones.
Kremenchuk's mayor, Vitaliy Maletsky, reported that there were disruptions to electricity, water and heating in parts of the city, with crews working to restore critical services.
Governor Volodymyr Kohut reported that several energy enterprises in the Kremenchuk district were hit, with direct hits and falling debris causing fires and damaging technical equipment. No casualties were reported.
Kremenchuk, situated on the banks of the Dnipro River in Poltava Oblast, hosted a pre-war population of 215,000. The city is approximately 250 kilometers (155 miles) southeast of the capital, Kyiv.
During the attack, Russian drones also targeted an enterprise, critical infrastructure, and energy facilities in Chernihiv Oblast, Governor Viacheslav Chaus said on Dec. 7. Several settlements were left without power, but power was restored by the morning.
According to Chaus, Russian Geran drones killed a 50-year-old man in his house and injured a police officer in Novhorod-Siverskyi, Chernihiv Oblast. A police station, medical college, and houses were also damaged.
In the city of Chernihiv, Russian drones attacked a thermal power facility. Drone debris was found in the city, the head of the Chernihiv Regional Military Administration, Dmytro Bryzhynskyi reported on Dec. 7.
Explosions were also heard in the city of Fastiv in Kyiv Oblast overnight on Dec. 7. There were no reports of damages by publication time.
The city has been tareted recently: On Dec. 5, Russian forces targeted Fastiv as part of a mass missile and drone attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
Fastiv's main train station was struck in the attack, which President Volodymyr Zelensky described as "militarily senseless."
Russian forces have regularly attacked Ukrainian cities in recent months amid U.S. efforts to negotiate the end of Russia's war in Ukraine.
Senior News Editor
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Russia attacked the Pechenihy dam on Dec. 7, threatening the reservoir that supplies water to Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city.
China says recent joint anti-missile drills with Russia on Russian territory were routine and not aimed at any third party.
Czech President Petr Pavel warned that repeated Russian airspace violations may eventually force Europe to shoot down Russian aircraft and drones, and said European countries must be ready to fight and win a war on their own if the U.S. is tied up elsewhere.
Amid an ongoing Russian offensive, Ukraine has liberated a village in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, the Ukrainian open-source mapping project DeepState and Ukraine's military reported.
Russia launched five ballistic missiles and 241 drones at Ukraine overnight, the Air Force reported.
In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, the Kyiv Independent's Anna Belokur reports on another failed round of U.S.-Russia diplomacy over a controversial peace plan, as Moscow presses ahead on the battlefield and advances in and near Pokrovsk.
Trump envoy Keith Kellogg says a Ukraine peace deal is in its “final stretch” as talks focus on territorial concessions and security guarantees.
Locals reported explosions near the Engels airfield and an oil depot amid overnight drone attacks in Russia's Saratov and Rostov oblasts.
Russian forces launched a large-scale attack on the central Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk overnight on Dec. 6, officials reported.
The number includes 1,080 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.
The incident marks the third such disruption in Lithuania this week, with Vilnius facing repeated flight interruptions over the past months.
Three people have been injured in a Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv Oblast overnight on Dec. 6, local officials reported.
It's the ninth time this year that the facility has been struck.
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Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Beninese forces were able to “thwart” a coup that was announced on Sunday, the country's interior minister said.
Soldiers ride in a military vehicle along a street amid an attempted coup in Cotonou Benin, Sunday Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo)
People on motorcycles pass by soldiers guarding a street amid an attempted coup in Cotonou Benin, Sunday Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo)
People gather near a roadway amid an attempted coup in Cotonou, Benin, Sunday Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo)
Benin's President Patrice Talon attends a meeting with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at Planalto presidential palace in Brasilia, Brazil, on May 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres, File)
COTONOU, Benin (AP) — A coup that was announced in Benin has been “foiled,” the interior minister said Sunday in a video on Facebook, but there was no word from the president and sporadic gunshots were heard in parts of the administrative capital, Cotonou.
“In the early morning of Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, a small group of soldiers launched a mutiny with the aim of destabilizing the state and its institutions,” Alassane Seidou said. “Faced with this situation, the Beninese Armed Forces and their leadership, true to their oath, remained committed to the republic.”
Local media reported the arrest of 13 soldiers who took part in the coup earlier on Sunday, citing sources close to the presidency. It remains unclear if Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri, the coup leader, has been apprehended. Gunfire was heard and soldiers were seen patrolling around some locations in Cotonou, but the city has been relatively calm since the coup attempt was announced.
Earlier on Sunday, a group of soldiers appeared on Benin 's state TV to announce the dissolution of the government in an apparent coup, the latest of many in West Africa.
The group, which called itself the Military Committee for Refoundation, announced the removal of the president and all state institutions. Tigri was appointed president of the military committee, the soldiers said.
Following its independence from France in 1960, the West African nation witnessed multiple coups, especially in the decades following its independence. Since 1991, the country has been politically stable following the two-decade rule of Marxist-Leninist Mathieu Kérékou.
There has been no official news about President Patrice Talon since gunshots were heard around the presidential residence. However, the signal to the state television and public radio, which was cut off, has now been restored.
The regional bloc, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), condemned the coup bid in a statement.
“ECOWAS strongly condemns this unconstitutional move that represents a subversion of the will of the people of Benin. ... ECOWAS will support the Government and the people in all forms necessary to defend the Constitution and the territorial integrity of Benin,” the bloc said in a statement.
Talon has been in power since 2016 and is due to step down next April after the presidential election.
Talon's party pick, former Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni, is the favorite to win the election. Opposition candidate Renaud Agbodjo was rejected by the electoral commission on the grounds that he did not have sufficient sponsors.
In January, two associates of Talon were sentenced to 20 years in prison for an alleged 2024 coup plot.
Last month, the country's legislature extended the presidential term of office from five to seven years, keeping the term limit at two.
The coup attempt is the latest in a string of military takeovers that have rocked West Africa. Last month, a military coup in Guinea-Bissau removed former President Umaro Embalo after a contested election in which both he and the opposition candidate declared themselves winners.
——
Adetayo reported from Lagos, Nigeria.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Former FBI Director James Comey speaks during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Capitol Hill, in Washington, June 8, 2017. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has dealt a setback to Justice Department efforts to seek a new indictment against former FBI Director James Comey, temporarily barring prosecutors from using evidence they had relied on when they initially secured criminal charges.
The ruling Saturday night from U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly does not preclude the department from trying again soon to indict Comey, but it does suggest prosecutors may have to do so without citing communications between Comey and a close friend, Columbia University law professor Daniel Richman.
Comey was charged in September with lying to Congress when he denied having authorized an associate to serve as an anonymous source for media coverage about the FBI. In pursuing the case, prosecutors cited messages between Comey and Richman that they said showed Comey encouraging Richman to engage with the media for certain FBI-related coverage.
The case was dismissed last month after a different federal judge ruled that the prosecutor who filed the charges, Lindsey Halligan, was unlawfully appointed by the Trump administration. But that ruling left open the possibility that the government could try again to seek charges against Comey, a longtime foe of President Donald Trump.
After the case was thrown out, lawyers for Richman sought a court order that would bar prosecutors from continued access to his computer files, which the Justice Department obtained through search warrants in 2019 and 2020 as part of a media leak investigation that was later closed without charges.
But Richman and his lawyers say that in preparing the criminal case against Comey, prosecutors relied on data that exceeded the scope of the warrants, illegally held onto communications they should have destroyed or returned and conducted new, warrantless searches of the files.
Kollar-Kotelly on Saturday night granted Richman's request for a temporary restraining, instructing the department “not to access the covered materials once they are identified, segregated, and secured, or to share, disseminate, or disclose the covered materials to any person, without first seeking and obtaining leave of this Court.”
She gave the Justice Department until Monday afternoon to certify that it is compliance with the order.
“Petitioner Richman has also shown that, absent an injunction, he will be irreparably harmed by the ongoing violation of his Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable seizures arising from the Government's continuing retention of the image of his computer and related materials,” she wrote.
A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment Sunday on the ruling and what it meant for revived charges against Comey.
It is not clear that the Justice Department could secure new charges against Comey even if it could rely on Richman's communications. Comey's lawyers have said the statute of limitations on such a case — the congressional testimony at issue was given on Sept. 30, 2020, or more than five years ago — has expired.
A separate attempt by the Justice Department to a file a new indictment against New York Letitia James, another perceived Trump adversary who was also charged by Halligan, failed last week when a grand jury refused to sign off on charges.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Indiana's Fernando Mendoza celebrates after after the Big Ten championship NCAA college football game against Ohio State in Indianapolis, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Georgia wide receiver Zachariah Branch (1) celebrates his touchdown against Alabama during the second half of a Southeastern Conference championship NCAA college football game, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Ohio State's Julian Sayin throws against Indiana's Stephen Daley during the second half of the Big Ten championship NCAA college football game in Indianapolis, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
Texas Tech players celebrate their team's win against BYU in the Big 12 Conference championship NCAA college football game Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
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Indiana is the No. 1 team in The Associated Press Top 25 college football poll for the first time after going through the regular season and Big Ten championship game 13-0, ending Ohio State's 14-week run atop the rankings.
The Hoosiers' 13-10 win over the Buckeyes in Indianapolis on Saturday night made them the unanimous pick for No. 1 as they looked ahead to top seeding for their second straight appearance in the 12-team College Football Playoff.
Georgia, which beat Alabama by three touchdowns in the Southeastern Conference title game, moved up one spot to No. 2 for its highest ranking of the season. Ohio State, the defending national champion, slipped two spots to No. 3.
Texas Tech, a 27-point winner over BYU in the Big 12 championship game, also has its highest ranking of the season after rising one rung to No. 4.
Oregon was No. 5 and followed by Mississippi, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Notre Dame and Miami.
Miami moved up two spots and returned to the top 10 for the first time since mid-October. Alabama and BYU each dropped one spot, to Nos. 11 and 12.
Among Group of Five teams, American Conference champion Tulane jumped four spots to No. 17 for its highest ranking in two years. Sun Belt Conference champion James Madison remained No. 19.
The final AP Top 25 will be released Jan. 20, the day after the national championship game.
— Indiana, which had the most losses in major college football history prior to Curt Cignetti's arrival two years ago, had never been ranked higher than No. 2 before Sunday. That was the position the Hoosiers held for seven straight weeks before they rose to the top. They were 100 ballot points ahead of Georgia. The Bulldogs were just 12 points ahead of Ohio State.
— With the limited schedule of games, all teams that were in the Top 25 remained in the poll.
— Virginia took the biggest fall after losing in overtime to Duke in the ACC championship game, going from No. 16 to No. 20.
SEC (8 ranked teams): Nos. 2 Georgia, 6 Mississippi, 7 Texas A&M, 8 Oklahoma, 11 Alabama, 13 Vanderbilt, 14 Texas, 25 Missouri.
Big Ten (5): Nos. 1 Indiana, 3 Ohio State, 5 Oregon, 16 Southern California, 18 Michigan.
Big 12 (4): Nos. 4 Texas Tech, 12 BYU, 15 Utah, 20 Arizona.
ACC (3): Nos. 10 Miami, 21 Virginia, 24 Georgia Tech.
American (3): Nos. 17 Tulane, 22 Navy, 23 North Texas.
Independent (1): No. 9 Notre Dame.
Sun Belt (1): No. 19 James Madison.
___
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Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Miami is having its mayoral runoff on Tuesday. A Democrat is making her case to become the city's first mayor of her party in over 25 years.
This photo combo shows candidates for Mayor of Miami, from left, Republican Emilio Gonzalez and Democrat Eileen Higgins. (AP Photo/File)
Former Miami-Dade County Commissioner and candidate for Miami mayor Eileen Higgins, speaks at a Miami Chamber of Commerce event Thursday, Dec. 4, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Florida Gov. Rick Scott, right, laughs with Emilio Gonzalez, director and chief executive officer of the Miami-Dade Aviation Department, center, and Jose “Pepe” Diaz, Miami-Dade County commissioner, left, after a news conference at Miami International Airport, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2015, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)
Former Miami-Dade County Commissioner and candidate for Miami mayor Eileen Higgins, speaks at a Miami Chamber of Commerce event Thursday, Dec. 4, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Gustavo Ascani, a digital content creator, speaks about the upcoming Miami mayor runoff election, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
MIAMI (AP) — It has been nearly three decades since a Democrat held the mayor's office in Miami, a span of futility the party is hoping to reverse during a special runoff election this week in one of the last electoral showdowns before next year's midterms.
While it is a local race, this election has become the latest test of the nation's political mood nearly a year into President Donald Trump's second term.
Trump and other big-name Florida Republicans, including Gov. Ron DeSantis and Sen. Rick Scott, have weighed in for the conservative candidate, former city manager Emilio Gonzalez, in the otherwise nonpartisan race. Nationally known Democrats, including former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, have offered support on behalf of Eileen Higgins, a Democrat who served on the county commission before winning a runoff spot last month.
An upset for the Democrats on Tuesday would give the party an additional burst of momentum heading into a crucial election year when control of Congress will be at stake, especially in a region that has become increasingly friendly turf for Republicans and where Trump plans to build his presidential library.
Higgins, who lives in the Cuban enclave of Little Havana and had represented a district that leans conservative, proudly wears the label of “La Gringa,” a term Spanish speakers use for white Americans. A Spanish speaker herself, Higgins has focused her campaign relentlessly on local issues such as the cost of housing while capitalizing on national ones, including the treatment of immigrants under the Trump administration in a city with sizable Hispanic and foreign-born populations.
“I have been a Democrat serving in a primarily Republican district, and all I have done is work for the people,” she told The Associated Press.
Miami is Florida's second most populous city, behind Jacksonville, but is the epicenter of the state's diverse culture and is among the nation's most prominent international destinations, giving its mayor an outsize platform.
The city of 487,000 is part of Miami-Dade County, which Trump flipped last year, handily defeating Democrat Kamala Harris after losing the county to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. A loss for Gonzalez would be perceived in Florida as a setback for the GOP and Trump.
Christian Ulvert, Higgins' campaign manager, said early returns of mail ballots are encouraging. About 44% had been cast by registered Democrats as of Thursday, a day before early in-person voting began, compared with about 30% by registered Republicans.
“What you're seeing is great Democratic enthusiasm and turnout that matches that enthusiasm,” he said.
Higgins, who would be the first non-Hispanic mayor of Miami in almost 30 years if elected, said she is confident she will receive support not only from Democrats, but also from unaffiliated voters and some Republicans because of her work as an elected official.
Her pitch to voters includes finding city-owned land that could be turned into affordable housing and cutting unnecessary spending. She was asked during a recent forum sponsored by the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce if she would try to turn the more ceremonial role of mayor into a full-time job and not take on other work, something that raised ethical concerns for the current mayor, term-limited Francis Suarez.
“I do not have outside employment now. I was a full-time commissioner. I'm going to be a full-time mayor,” Higgins said as the interviewer continued to press her about whether that meant not accepting any outside employment.
In a blunt-talking style, Higgins responded sternly: “All right, do I have to say it more clearly? No! It's a full-time job.”
While Latino voters nationally have traditionally leaned Democratic, Republicans in Florida have found strong backing among Cuban, Venezuelan and Nicaraguan immigrants, who resist socialist inclinations likened to the ones from the governments they fled. Trump tapped into those sentiments in winning Miami-Dade County last year, a turnaround from his 30 percentage point loss there to Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Yet some Florida Republicans began sounding the alarm after November's elections, when Democrats secured wins in nationally watched governor's races in New Jersey and Virginia. Both winning candidates had strong performances with nonwhite voters, and the Democratic winner in the New Jersey race received two-thirds of the Hispanic vote, according to the AP Voter Poll.
Those results were largely seen as a reflection of concerns over rising prices and the Trump administration's aggressive immigration policies.
U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, a Republican whose district includes the city of Miami, called the elections elsewhere a “wake-up call.” Ileana Garcia, a Florida state senator who in 2016 founded the group Latinas for Trump, has said about immigration arrests that “what we are witnessing is inhumane.”
Gonzalez, a former director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services under Republican President George W. Bush, said during a debate sponsored by Miami's CBS affiliate that he supported immigration arrests against those who committed crimes. But he demurred when the moderator said most of those arrested had not committed violent offenses: “But this is a federal issue,” Gonzalez said. “This is not an issue that has to do with the mayor of Miami.”
Higgins has spoken about Miami's signing on to a federal program that delegates immigration authority to local police, county sheriffs and state agencies and said she would find legal options to unwind that decision to rebuild trust between residents and law enforcement.
“When we start to enforce whatever shenanigans is coming out of the federal government to just randomly pick people up, we could erode that trust,” she said.
Higgins has received support from Florida Democrats looking to show the party still has a foothold in the formerly swing state.
Some Democrats who could be considering a presidential run in 2028 also are backing her campaign. Buttigieg encouraged voters in a video to make a plan to vote for her, U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona joined her Sunday for early voting stops and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is scheduled to appear at a rally for her Monday.
Many of the local issues at play in the race resonate nationally, including income inequality and one of the nation's least affordable housing markets.
Gustavo Ascani, a 30-year-old Miami voter, said the city has long-standing problems that need addressing. He said he has not decided whom he will vote for, but said tackling homelessness and traffic is a priority for him.
“Maybe Republicans have overlooked, after having locally been in power for so long, certain issues that are important for the people in Miami,” Ascani said.
Robin Peguero, a former prosecutor who is running for the chance to challenge Salazar for her congressional seat, said voters' concerns center around affordability, an issue that has become a focal point of both parties after Democrats' wins in New Jersey and Virginia.
That includes the sharp health insurance premium spikes expected to start Jan. 1 after subsidies under the Affordable Care Act expire. The Obama-era health law remains popular in South Florida, and recent polling shows most people who will be affected by the increases blame Trump and Republicans.
“It's kitchen table issues, whether it's an election for local officials or whether there is an election for the president,” Peguero said. “It's a rejection of what is happening in this country.”
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
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John Moxley joins 'The Story' with reactions to the Connecticut court's decision to order a new murder trial for Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel, first found guilty of Martha's murder in 1975.
Five decades after Martha Moxley, the daughter of an affluent Connecticut family, was found murdered outside her home, the Kennedy cousin formerly at the center of the case is speaking out for the first time.
Michael Skakel, cousin of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., spent 11 years behind bars for the 1975 murder of Moxley. Despite being released from prison in 2013 and later having his conviction vacated, Skakel is still looking to assert his innocence in a case that has captivated the nation.
In the new NBC News podcast titled, "Dead Certain: The Martha Moxley Murder," Skakel spoke publicly at length for the first time since his conviction was overturned to recount his upbringing and explain his side of the murder case.
Moxley was only 15 when she was beaten and stabbed to death with a golf club in the yard of her family's suburban Greenwich home on Oct. 30, 1975. She was last seen hanging out with friends on "Mischief Night," an annual evening in which children partake in neighborhood pranks on the night before Halloween.
KENNEDY COUSIN TIED TO MARTHA MOXLEY CASE BREAKS SILENCE 50 YEARS LATER AS MURDER REMAINS UNSOLVED
File photo of Martha Moxley when she was 14. (Erik Freeland/Corbis via Getty Images)
An autopsy later revealed Moxley had been killed with the golf club, which was ultimately traced to the Skakel family's home.
Investigators initially began looking into Thomas Skakel, Michael's older brother, and the family's live-in tutor, Kenneth Littleton, before ultimately turning their attention to Michael, who was 15 at the time of Moxley's death.
For decades, Skakel had remained largely silent. However, he is now speaking out to tell his side of the story, while recounting painful details about his traumatic childhood.
Skakel detailed how his family's Catholic religion played a large part in his upbringing, while recalling how he was hit over taking Playboy magazines when he was a child.
WITNESS IN HOLLY BOBO MURDER TRIAL ADMITS LYING, RAISING QUESTIONS ABOUT NURSING STUDENT'S TRUE KILLER
Michael Skakel reacts to being granted bail during his hearing at Stamford Superior Court on Nov. 21, 2013, in Stamford, Connecticut. (Bob Luckey-Pool/Getty Images)
He went on to discuss how his parents primarily showed affection toward his brother, Tommy, when the brothers were growing up. Skakel also pointed to how his parents hardly visited him after he was hospitalized with a broken neck when he jumped off a desk in his childhood home.
When Skakel's mother was dying from cancer, the young boy was told her hair was falling out due to her shampoo – not the treatment – and was ultimately blamed for her illness by his father, he said.
Skakel recalled a time in which his father, whom he had not seen in weeks, told him, "You make me sick. If you only did better in school, your mother wouldn't have to be in the hospital."
"I just wanted to die," Skakel said in the episode, as he recalled how his father barely addressed his mother's death.
MANHATTAN DA TO RETRY PEDRO HERNANDEZ AFTER CONVICTION IN 1979 KIDNAPPING, KILLING WAS OVERTURNED
File photo of Martha Moxley at 13 with her father David Moxley. (Erik Freeland/Corbis via Getty Images)
As his mother struggled with her illness, Skakel began drinking when he was just a teenager. On the day she died, he finished off an entire bottle of Smirnoff on his family's lawn, he said.
"His alcoholic, abusive father tortured him physically and psychologically throughout his boyhood, including beating him and telling him he was responsible for killing his mother," Dr. Carole Lieberman, a forensic psychiatrist, told Fox News Digital.
Lieberman pointed to how the psychological damage inflicted on Skakel likely impacted him in his adult life as his drinking eventually escalated. In 1978, he borrowed his brother's car and, while driving with a few friends, smashed into a telephone pole.
In exchange for not being charged with a DUI, the family's lawyer concocted a deal in which Skakel was sent to the controversial Élan School in Maine in an effort to correct his unruly behavior.
MENENDEZ KILLERS RIDE HOLLYWOOD WAVE, CELEBRITIES' SPOTLIGHT IN BID TO WALK AFTER PARENTS' MURDERS
File photo of Martha Moxley when she was 14. (Erik Freeland/Corbis via Getty Images)
Individuals from the boarding school traveled to Connecticut to pick him up, with Skakel recalling how he "was dragged out of there like an animal," before being loaded onto a plane where he was thrown into "a world of utter insanity."
The Élan School had roughly 300 live-in students who were often subjected to harsh physical punishments, prolonged screaming and occasionally wearing dunce caps, according to the podcast. Headcounts were carried out every 15 minutes to keep residents from escaping, which Skakel attempted multiple times.
In an emotional recounting, Skakel described how he was subjected to various punishments, including the "general meeting" and "boxing ring" where students would face forms of physical brutality.
"They sent maybe 10 guys upstairs to get me," Skakel said, as he recalled a failed escape attempt. "And they literally picked me up over their heads and carried me down the stairs like I was a crash test dummy. And when I was probably 10 feet from the stage, they threw me and I thought I broke my back on the stage."
ERIK MENENDEZ DENIED PAROLE BY CALIFORNIA BOARD IN BEVERLY HILLS MURDER CASE
The Moxley residence in the Belle Haven section of Greenwich, Connecticut, in 1975. (MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images)
After Skakel left the school, he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and spent a month at a residential care facility in California.
He got married in 1991 and established a skiing career. However, his new life in Hobe Sound, Florida, came crashing down in 2000, when authorities issued a warrant for his arrest in Moxley's murder.
"My Uncle Tommy rented me a private jet the next morning," Skakel said. "And I flew from [the] Jupiter jet port, the private jet port, to Teterboro, and I'm looking on the news the next morning and it's all over every station."
Skakel did not immediately return Fox News Digital's request for comment.
BOSTON STRANGLER'S UNHEARD CONFESSION TAPES CAST NEW DOUBT ON 'AMERICA'S JACK THE RIPPER': VICTIM'S NEPHEW
On Jan. 19, 2000, Skakel turned himself in to authorities after police issued a warrant for his arrest, 25 years after Moxley was killed. Skakel, who was 39 at the time, was initially arraigned as a juvenile, with the case later ending up in regular court.
He was convicted of murder by a panel of 12 jurors in Norwalk Superior Court on June 7, 2002, and later sentenced to 20 years in prison.
In 2013, following multiple failed attempts to appeal his conviction, Skakel was granted a new trial after a judge ruled his attorney, Michael Sherman, did not adequately defend him in his original case.
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Skakel's conviction was ultimately vacated by the Connecticut Supreme Court on May 4, 2018, with prosecutors later deciding to not seek a second trial for Skakel on the murder charge.
"Michael Skakel should never have spent one day in prison because there was no way to determine that he was guilty beyond reasonable doubt," Lieberman said. "Many threads were left hanging. From a questionable police investigation to a questionable attorney who didn't bring the alibi witness in to testify, to media sensationalism and no forensic evidence."
"Michael was a victim of torture throughout his life, from his childhood to the court system," Lieberman said, adding Skakel "has continued to unconsciously play out this victim role until today."
While the mystery surrounding who killed Moxley continues to loom over the case, Skakel's bid to assert his innocence in the podcast adds a new voice to a story that has been marred by decades of silence.
Julia Bonavita is a U.S. Writer for Fox News Digital and a Fox Flight Team drone pilot. You can follow her at @juliabonavita13 on all platforms and send story tips to julia.bonavita@fox.com.
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U.S. Amb. to Israel and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee weighs in on the conflict between Israel and Palestine on 'Life, Liberty & Levin.'
A delegation of 1,000 U.S. Christian pastors and influencers — the largest group of American Christian leaders to visit Israel since its founding — arrived last Tuesday as part of a Friends of Zion initiative.
The trip, organized in partnership with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is designed to provide training and prepare participants to serve as unofficial ambassadors for Israel in their communities.
Dr. Mike Evans, founder of the Friends of Zion Heritage Center in Jerusalem and a confidant of President Donald Trump, said most Evangelical Bible believers are Zionists, making them a key ally in efforts to counter antisemitism.
MIKE JOHNSON: US-ISRAEL ALLIANCE 'REALLY IMPORTANT' FOR MULTIPLE REASONS, ANTISEMITISM SHOULD BE 'CALLED OUT'
The largest delegation of evangelical Christian pastors and influencers ever brought to Israel meets with former Hamas captives at the site of the Supernova music festival on Wednesday as part of the Friends of Zion Ambassador Program. (Shlomi Amsalem)
"These devils that hate Jews hate Christians just as much. What is being said against the state of Israel is one hundred times worse than what the Nazis said on their party platform in 1920, and everyone is ignoring it. They don't realize how dangerous this is," Evans told Fox News Digital.
"The new wars of the 21st century are media wars, ideological wars, economic wars and proxy wars. And while Israel has never fought an ideological war, its enemies have," he added.
Evans said members of the visiting delegation were vetted to ensure no hidden agendas and signed a pledge committing to stand in solidarity with the Jewish people. "We had over 2,000 apply; we chose those best suited for this first trip. These 1,000 pastors represent tens of millions of Americans and have major media and social media influence," he said.
The initiative was approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom Evans has known for 45 years.
Dr. Mike Evans, founder of the Friends of Zion Heritage Center in Jerusalem, meets with former Hamas hostage Edan Alexander. (Shlomi Amsalem)
"When we were on Mount Herzl, one widow was there sharing her story. Her daughter no longer has a daddy. Thinking that my little girl might not have her dad broke my heart. I connected on a deep personal level," Tamryn Foley, a member of the National Faith Advisory Board's executive team, told Fox News Digital.The board is the largest coalition backing and advocating for people of faith, led by Pastor Paula White-Cain. Its mission is built on four pillars — protecting religious freedom, promoting a strong America, defending life at all stages and honoring family values — and it identifies the U.S.-Israel alliance as central to that agenda."I stand with Israel very strongly, and so does the group of pastors I work with. I don't think we realized how big this event would be. We wanted to show support, and since we've been here, it's been so much more than we thought," said Foley, who lives in Florida."I am going back home with a fire to make sure young people in my country know the truth. It's one thing to understand something intellectually, and another to come here, meet people who have been affected, and connect with them on a heart level," she continued.
MIKE PENCE: NO PLACE FOR ANTISEMITISM IN AMERICA TODAY, TOMORROW OR EVER"There is so much negative propaganda in our country. It's loud, and we need to do a better job of educating young people. They're capable of seeing through the nonsense and lies — I don't think we give them enough credit. We need to present them with the truth and plant the seed for lifelong support for Israel," Foley said.
One objective of the training, he explained, is to reach young people — claiming countries like Qatar have turned against Israel by investing millions of dollars to spread antisemitic content through universities and digital platforms.
Evans said the Muslim Brotherhood, for example, has waged ideological warfare, describing it as a "powerful demon because it doesn't clear customs, and you can't kill it with a bullet.
"More than half of the Palestinian population embraces Hamas' ideology of radical Islam," he claimed, "which isn't based on land for peace but on establishing an Islamic state and eradicating the Jewish state."
Dr. Mike Evans meets with former Hamas hostages Keith and Aviva Siegel. (Shlomi Amsalem)
AMERICAN-ISRAELI HELD HOSTAGE IN GAZA FOR OVER 580 DAYS SENDS MESSAGE TO HAMAS: 'I'LL GIVE YOU HELL'
Evans noted that the Evangelical movement, representing 9.7% of the global population, has significantly influenced U.S. foreign policy through its belief that the biblical land belongs to the Jewish people.
"The president loves us and knows how we feel about Israel," he said. "We believe the president respects us and that we have his confidence and ear. We would not have had the hostages back without him. He will stand with us and will not cave in to Jew-haters' intentions regarding Judea and Samaria or a Palestinian state. He will try everything he can to help Israel," Evans added.
On Wednesday, the delegation met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and visited the site of Hamas's Oct. 7 massacre at the Supernova music festival, accompanied by former hostages Emily Damari, Tal Shoham, Moran Stella Yanai, and Aviva and Keith Siegel, who received the "Here Am I" Award for their advocacy work.
The largest delegation of evangelical Christian pastors and influencers ever brought to Israel tours the site of Hamas's Oct. 7 massacre at the Supernova music festival on Wednesday. (Shlomi Amsalem)
"We are seeking to unify — and demonstrate that unity — between evangelical Christian leaders in America, Israel and the Jewish people, and to counter any perception that this community is divided on the issue, because it is not," Pastor Mike Atkins, a member of the delegation, told Fox News Digital."The antisemitism that erupted had long been simmering beneath the surface on university campuses and in major European cities. This is an open stand against the lies, and a declaration of our commitment to truth," he said.Atkins explained that the delegation has been exposed "at the highest levels" to firsthand insights — visiting the site of Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, listening to victims and seeing the realities on the ground in Israel. Delegates, he said, have also received extensive information through symposium speakers on how to combat antisemitic deception and will continue to do so as they coalesce into a coalition."To the youth, I say: join the movement. Commit to never again allowing the poisonous deception of antisemitism to penetrate our culture. Take a stand, speak up and do not remain silent," he said.
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"The best medicine for Jewish Derangement Syndrome, an acute form of bigotry and antisemitism, is for people to come to Israel and see and hear for themselves. These American spiritual leaders are committed to using their pulpits and influence to provide truth," Huckabee told Fox News Digital.
"Truth is the best antibiotic to combat the conspiracy theories and falsehoods said about the United States, its partnership with Israel and the Jewish people," he added.
Amelie Botbol is a freelance journalist based in Tel Aviv. Her articles have appeared in the New York Post, Canada's National Post, and the Washington Times. Amelie can be followed on X @DatReporter
Fox News' Antisemitism Exposed" newsletter brings you stories on the rising anti-Jewish prejudice across the U.S. and the world."
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President Donald Trump has presented medals to the 2025 Kennedy Center honorees during an Oval Office ceremony. The recipients include actor Sylvester Stallone, singers Gloria Gaynor and George Strait, the rock band Kiss and actor-singer Michael Crawford.
The 2025 Kennedy Center Honorees, front row from left, Sylvester Stallone, George Strait, Gloria Gaynor and Michael Crawford; back row from left, members of the rock band KISS, Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons and Peter Criss, pose for a group photo at the 48th Kennedy Center Honors Medallion Reception, hosted at the U.S. Department of State, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)
President Donald Trump, left, speaks as he presents Sylvester Stallone, George Strait, KISS, Gloria Gaynor and Michael Crawford with their Kennedy Center Honors medals in the Oval Office of the White House, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Sylvester Stallone, Kiss and Gloria Gaynor are among the luminaries being celebrated Sunday at the annual Kennedy Center Honors, with Donald Trump hosting the show, the first time a president will command the stage instead of sitting in an Opera House box.
Since returning to office in January, Trump has made the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which is named after a Democratic predecessor, a touchstone in a broader attack against what he has lambasted as “woke” anti-American culture.
Trump said in August that he had agreed to host the show. The Republican president said Saturday at a State Department dinner for the honorees that he was doing so “at the request of a certain television network.” He predicted that the broadcast, scheduled to air Dec. 23 on CBS and Paramount+, would have its best ratings ever.
“It's going to be something that I believe, and I'm going to make a prediction: This will be the highest-rated show that they've ever done and they've gotten some pretty good ratings, but there's nothing like what's going to happen” on Sunday night, Trump said.
Trump is assuming a role that has been held in the past by journalist Walter Cronkite and comedian and Trump nemesis Stephen Colbert, among others. Before Trump, presidents watched the show alongside the honorees. Trump skipped the honors altogether during his first term.
Since 1978, the honors have recognized stars for their influence on American culture and the arts. Members of this year's class are pop-culture standouts, including Stallone for his “Rocky” and “Rambo” movies, Gaynor for her feminist anthem “I Will Survive” and Kiss for its flashy, cartoonish makeup and onstage displays of smoke and fire. Country music superstar George Strait and Tony Award-winning actor Michael Crawford are also being honored.
The ceremony is expected to be emotional for the members of Kiss. The band's original lead guitarist, Ace Frehley, died in October after he was injured during a fall.
Previous honorees have come from a broad range of art forms, whether dance (Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham), theater (Stephen Sondheim, Andrew Lloyd Webber), movies (Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks) or music (Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell).
Trump upended decades of bipartisan support for the center by ousting its leadership and stacking the board of trustees with Republican supporters, who then elected him chair. He has criticized the center's programming and the building's appearance — and has said, perhaps jokingly, that he would rename it as the “Trump Kennedy Center.” He secured more than $250 million from Congress for renovations of the building.
Presidents of each political party have at times found themselves face to face with artists of opposing political views. Republican Ronald Reagan was there for honoree Arthur Miller, a playwright who championed liberal causes. Democrat Bill Clinton, who had signed an assault weapons ban into law, marked the honors for Charlton Heston, an actor and gun rights advocate.
During Trump's first term, multiple honorees were openly critical of the president. In 2017, Trump's first year in office, honors recipient and film producer Norman Lear threatened to boycott his own ceremony if Trump attended. Trump stayed away during that entire term.
Trump has said he was deeply involved in choosing the 2025 honorees and turned down some recommendations because they were “too woke.” While Stallone is one of Trump's Hollywood ”special ambassadors” and has likened Trump to George Washington, the political views of Sunday's other guests are less clear.
Strait and Gaynor have said little about their politics, although Federal Election Commission records show that Gaynor has given money to Republican organizations in recent years.
Kiss co-founder Gene Simmons spoke favorably of Trump when Trump ran for president in 2016. But in 2022, Simmons told Spin magazine that Trump was “out for himself” and criticized Trump for encouraging conspiracy theories and public expressions of racism.
Fellow Kiss member Paul Stanley denounced Trump's effort to overturn his 2020 election defeat to Democrat Joe Biden, and said Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, were “terrorists.” But after Trump won in 2024, Stanley urged unity.
“If your candidate lost, it's time to learn from it, accept it and try to understand why,” Stanley wrote on X. “If your candidate won, it's time to understand that those who don't share your views also believe they are right and love this country as much as you do.”
—-
Italie reported from New York.
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Actor and director Robert Davi discusses President Donald Trump's hosting of The Kennedy Center Honors on ‘The Ingraham Angle.'
President Donald Trump spearheaded major changes to the Kennedy Center Honors ahead of the highly anticipated awards ceremony.
Founded in 1978, the Kennedy Center Honors recognize a handful of performing artists every year for their lifetime contributions to culture. The Kennedy Center Honors, which are presented by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., are considered the nation's top lifetime achievement award for the performing arts.
After returning to the White House in January, Trump, 79, became chairman of the Kennedy Center board and has since undertaken efforts to reshape the honors program — pushing for a glitzier, star-studded celebration.
President Donald Trump oversaw sweeping changes to the Kennedy Center Honors ahead of the ceremony. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
In August, Trump announced this year's lineup of honorees, country legend George Strait, Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone, rock band KISS, Broadway icon Michael Crawford and Grammy Award-winning singer Gloria Gaynor.
SYLVESTER STALLONE SAYS KENNEDY CENTER HONOR IS 'SOMETHING I STILL CAN'T FATHOM'
"The 48th Kennedy Center Honorees are outstanding people, incredible, we can't wait… in a few short months since I became chairman of the board, the Kennedy Center, we've completely reversed the decline of this cherished national institution," he said in his speech.
From overhauling the honoree selection process to unveiling a new medallion, here's a breakdown of how the Kennedy Center Honors have been revamped under Trump.
Trump said he was "98% involved" in choosing the honorees. (Kayla Bartkowski/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Since the Kennedy Honors' inception, the honorees were chosen by a bipartisan committee that worked with the Kennedy Center's artistic staff, the Board of Trustees, external arts advisors, and the Center's president and Honors team.
While U.S. presidents have historically participated in the ceremonial aspects of the Honors including hosting a White House reception and attending the gala, they typically have not been directly involved in the selection process.
However, Trump said he played a major role in choosing the 2025 honorees during an August event at the Kennedy Center to announce the recipients.
Though there was a Special Honors Advisory Committee that made recommendations, Trump appeared to confirm that he made the final choices.
Honoree George Strait has the most No. 1 singles of any artist in any music genre, and he's the only artist to chart a top 10 hit every year for 30 years. (Getty Images)
When reporters asked Trump how involved he was in selecting the 2025 honorees, he responded, "I was about 98% involved… they all came through me."
"I turned down plenty, they were too woke," he continued. "I had a couple of wokesters. No, we have great people. This is very different than it used to be."
While taking aim at the state of Hollywood awards shows, Trump took a swipe at the Oscars.
"Look at the Academy Awards — it gets lousy ratings now, it's all woke," he said. "All they do is talk about how much they hate Trump, but nobody likes that. They don't watch anymore..."
Trump concluded his "very long answer" by saying he "was very involved" in the selection of the Kennedy Center honorees.
The 2023 class of honorees with their medallions, from left, Renée Fleming, Queen Latifah, Billy Crystal Barry Gibb and Dionne Warwick. (Mary Kouw/CBS via Getty Images)
For 47 years, the medallion received by the honorees had remained unchanged. The Honors medal hung from wide satin ribbon in five bright rainbow colors that formed a V-shape around the honoree's neck.
The gold circular medallion was shaped like a starburst and featured an abstract representation of the Kennedy Center building and was handmade by the same family for nearly five decades. Throughout the awards show's history, the medallions were handmade by the Baturin's, a Washington, D.C.- based family of artisans and metalworkers.
In a press release issued on Tuesday, the Kennedy Center announced that the medallions "have been re-imagined and donated by Tiffany & Co."
The Kennedy Center Honors medallion with blue ribbon, designed by Tiffany & Co. (Kennedy Center/Tiffany & Co)
"As the first American high jewelry house, Tiffany & Co. has played a defining role in American luxury culture for nearly two centuries – making them the ideal collaborator to design the Honors medallion," the press release continued.
"The brand-new medallion features a gold disc etched on one side with a depiction of the Kennedy Center. The building is flanked by rainbow colors representing the breadth of the arts celebrated when receiving the Honor. The reverse side bears the Honorees' names in script above the date of the Medallion Ceremony, December 6, 2025. The medallion hangs from a navy-blue ribbon, a color associated with dignity and tradition."
Trump revamped the Kennedy Center board and took over as chairman. (Getty Images)
In February, Trump announced a major shakeup of the Kennedy Center leadership. He revealed that he had decided to immediately fire multiple Kennedy Center board members appointed by former President Joe Biden and other prior trustees, including the chairman, and fill that role himself.
Trump claimed he and the former chair David Rubenstein, along with the ousted board members, "do not share [the same] vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture," according to his announcement on Truth Social.
"We will soon announce a new Board, with an amazing Chairman, DONALD J. TRUMP!" he added.
Trump also criticized Kennedy Center programming, including drag shows, under the prior administration.
STARS UNITE AS FOX NATION'S PATRIOT AWARDS GEAR UP TO HONOR THE HEART AND HEROISM OF AMERICA
Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone said he could "still not fathom" receiving the honor. (Getty Images)
"Just last year, the Kennedy Center featured Drag Shows specifically targeting our youth — THIS WILL STOP. The Kennedy Center is an American Jewel, and must reflect the brightest STARS on its stage from all across our Nation. For the Kennedy Center, THE BEST IS YET TO COME!" Trump said on Truth Social.
He later replaced the former members with 14 other members, including allies such as second lady Usha Vance and "God Bless the USA" singer Lee Greenwood.
The new board elected Trump as chairman on Feb. 12. Trump dismissed long-serving Kennedy Center president Deborah Rutter and appointed his ally Richard Grenell – who became the U.S.'s first openly gay Cabinet member under the first Trump administration when he served as acting director of national intelligence – as interim executive director amid the board overhaul.
Legendary rock band KISS will be honored. (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
The 2025 honorees – KISS, Gloria Gaynor, George Strait, Sylvester Stallone and Michael Crawford – indicated a shift toward recognizing artists from more mainstream, pop culture fields rather than the cross-disciplinary lineups of prior years.
During the first two decades after the Honors were founded, the recipients were mainly from the world of classical arts, with some notable exceptions, including actor James Cagney, actress Lucille Ball and film director Elia Kazan.
TRUMP AND MELANIA TO HEADLINE POWER-PLAYER PACKED KENNEDY CENTER OPENING NIGHT
In the mid-1990s, the Honors began expanding toward mainstream entertainment, honoring more pop musicians, rock artists, film and television actors and Broadway stars. The expansion accelerated through the 2000s and 2010s and into the 2020s.
Iconic singer Gloria Gaynor was named as one of the honorees. (Bryan Bedder/Variety via Getty Images)
In addition to mainstream artists, past honoree classes have always included representation from classical music, jazz, dance, opera or composition. However, 2025's lineup features no honoree from those disciplines, marking a first in modern program history.
KENNEDY CENTER PRESIDENT CRITICIZES JIMMY KIMMEL'S ONE-SIDED LATE-NIGHT PROGRAMMING APPROACH
The 2025 honorees chosen under Trump's direction are entirely from rock, disco, country, film and Broadway.
In the Kennedy Honors Center's August press release announcing the honorees, Grenell said, "For nearly half a century, this tradition has celebrated those whose voices and visions tell our nation's story and share it with the world."
"This year's Honorees have left an indelible mark on our history, reminding us that the arts are for everyone."
Trump will become the first president to host the Honors. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
At the August event to announce the honorees, Trump announced that he will host the Kennedy Center Honors gala, a presidential first.
"I've been asked to host. I said, I'm the president of the United States. Are you fools asking me to do that? 'Sir, you'll get much higher ratings.' I said 'I don't care. I'm president of the United States, I won't do it.' They said, 'Please,'" Trump told reporters.
Trump went on to say that his chief of staff Susie Wiles also asked him to host the Honors.
"I said, 'OK, Susie, I'll do it.' That's the power she's got," he said. "So I have agreed to host. Do you believe what I have to do? And I didn't want to do it, OK? They're going to say, ‘He insisted.' I did not insist, but I think it will be quite successful, actually."
"It's been a long time. I used to host ‘The Apprentice' finales and we did rather well with that," Trump added, referring to his long-running NBC reality competition show.
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"So I think we're going to do very well, because we have some great honorees, some really great ones."
Broadway star Michael Crawford was also unveiled as one of the honorees. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
During Trump's first term, he and first lady Melania Trump did not attend the Honors or host the traditional White House reception for the honorees.
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In 2017, honorees, including Norman Lear and dancer Carmen de Lavallade, announced that they would not attend a White House reception hosted by Trump in protest.
The White House subsequently issued a statement that read: "The president and first lady have decided not to participate in this year's activities to allow the honorees to celebrate without any political distraction."
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Trump and Melania also did not attend in 2018 and 2019. In 2020, the Honors were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and instead took place in May 2021, with a revamped format, including smaller, socially-distanced and virtual tributes.
The 48th Annual Kennedy Center Honors will take place on Dec. 7 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and will air Dec. 23 on the CBS Television Network and on Paramount+
Ashley Hume is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to ashley.hume@fox.com and on Twitter: @ashleyhume
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Watch live as the All-American Christmas Tree shines bright in FOX Square, New York City, on our FOX News Christmas tree live cam. Experience the holiday magic from anywhere as you admire this merry and big Christmas tree in Manhattan.
With Americans decking the halls, one mother wants to help families remember the reason for the season.
Lillian Richey of Dallas, Texas, created "Finding Jesus," an interactive Christmas countdown activity that shares the Nativity story.
A plush Jesus doll and 24 puzzle pieces paired with Scripture teach families about the birth of the Lord.
FAITH REVIVAL FOLLOWS CHARLIE KIRK'S DEATH AS MORE PEOPLE ATTEND MASS AND READ THE BIBLE
The "Finding Jesus" founder told Fox News Digital the idea came to her during a Bible study session.
"We were talking about how hard it is to keep the reason for the season in focus, how secular Christmas is with all the chaos."
A Dallas mom created the "Finding Jesus" kit. The "fun and meaningful countdown to Christmas," as it's described, features a plush Jesus doll and 24 puzzle pieces paired with Bible verses. (Finding Jesus)
A woman in her study group spoke about how her son would pick up the baby Jesus figurine from their porcelain Nativity scene, but would keep dropping him.
Richey went on, "She would be like, 'Where's Jesus?' And we all thought: Isn't that what we should be doing — trying to find Jesus instead of all these other things?"
She felt the Lord put the idea in her heart of helping kids to seek Jesus during Advent — rather than engaging in secular activities.
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Richey launched the plush doll last year with her small batch of 10,000 units that promptly sold out.
"I wanted something that was easy, simple, all in one — not intimidating."
"I wanted something that told the birth of Jesus [and] that was all Scripture — there's no commentary from me," said the creator of "Finding Jesus." (iStock)
Richey added, "I wanted something that told the birth of Jesus [and] that was all Scripture — there's no commentary from me. It's just God's word and just a way to keep the reason for the season in focus."
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Many across the country agree that the tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk in Utah on Sept. 10 — after his years of outreach to young people about faith, family, values and country — has helped spark a religious revival, with scores of non-believers picking up a Bible for the first time.
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"We have more people praying. The churches are coming back ... religion is coming back to America," said President Donald Trump, in part, at the Thanksgiving turkey pardoning.
Many people have rediscovered their faith in this country and begun practicing it again. (iStock)
Richey also said she's seen many people wanting to get back to their faith.
"I think that people are searching for the feeling that God is inside of them."
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Richey said she hopes the "Finding Jesus" kits help children and families in their journey toward a relationship with God — and that they keep strengthening that relationship.
"[Jesus] comes down and meets us right where we are — toys and all," she said.
Anyone can learn more, or purchase the item as a gift for loved ones, at seekhimfirst.com
Ashley J. DiMella is a lifestyle reporter with Fox News Digital.
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Dr. Marc Siegel reacts to a new study on smartphone risks for children and a CNN host implying that President Trump dozed at a Cabinet meeting. He also previews his new Fox Nation special 'Miracles Among Us,' based on his book.
It appears that even a prince can't escape the smartphone struggle.
Prince William — one of the most recognizable figures in the world — recently revealed that keeping smartphones out of the hands of Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis has become a "tense issue," sharing in a recent interview that "children can access too much stuff they don't need to see online." He added that they instead spend time jumping on the trampoline, playing sports and trying to learn musical instruments.
It's a reminder that no matter one's status or position, every parent today faces the same challenge: how to protect childhood in the age of constant connection.
The prince is hardly alone in his concerns, admitting it is "really hard" to protect his children from the harms of social media and the digital world. A 2023 Mott Poll Report revealed that overuse of devices and social media ranked as the leading health concern among parents nationwide.
CHATGPT MAY ALERT POLICE ON SUICIDAL TEENS
Prince William and his son Prince George during the military procession to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day on May 5, 2025, in London. (Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images)
Interestingly, some of the world's top tech leaders — industry titans who helped create the devices and platforms shaping our digital lives — have also kept them away from their kids. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates banned phones at the dinner table and didn't allow his children to have their own until age 14. Apple's Steve Jobs famously limited his children's screen time and denied them unrestricted iPad access. Former YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki gave her children phones only under controlled circumstances and took them away on vacations. Even billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban has said his kids live with strict tech limits.
Ninety-five percent of teens today have access to a smartphone, and nearly half say they're online "almost constantly." So, what's all the concern?
Smartphones have fundamentally altered how adolescents interact with the world. Playtime has been replaced by screen time; face-to-face conversations by messaging apps. Eye contact and casual greetings are fading from daily life. Children are accessing devices at younger ages. A 2025 Common Sense Media report found that 51% of children aged 8 and younger have a mobile device, spending nearly two and a half hours a day using screens — and for those aged 5–8, it's nearly three and a half hours.
SEXTORTION SCAMS AGAINST TEEN BOYS SKYROCKET AFTER COVID, WATCHDOG SAYS
Excessive screen time doesn't just steal childhood — it harms developing brains and bodies and is linked to sleep disruption, delayed language development, impaired executive functioning and social-emotional difficulties. There are even physical health risks, including obesity and hypertension, driven by sedentary screen habits.
The emotional toll is equally alarming. In "The Anxious Generation," social psychologist Jonathan Haidt explains that the very device meant to connect us has become a driver of disconnection, loneliness, anxiety and depression — particularly among girls. Constant notifications, online comparison and a perpetual fear of missing out or "FOMO" erode attention, confidence and happiness. Children are "connected" digitally, yet increasingly isolated offline.
And that's before considering the darker corners of the internet — online predation, sextortion, cyberbullying, child sexual abuse material and AI-generated deepfakes that exploit children in devastating ways.
LEAKED META DOCUMENTS SHOW HOW AI CHATBOTS HANDLE CHILD EXPLOITATION
Emerging risks continue to surface. Teens, lonelier than ever, are increasingly substituting genuine human connections with AI companions. A staggering 72% of teens have interacted with AI at least once, and nearly a third use these platforms for romantic engagements, emotional support and friendship.
Alarmingly, these AI companions are increasingly implicated in providing explicit sexual role-play, as well as harmful responses and dangerous "advice." Parents have alleged that such interactions have contributed to severe emotional distress, including tragic instances of suicide among their children.
Excessive screen time doesn't just steal childhood — it harms developing brains and bodies and is linked to sleep disruption, delayed language development, impaired executive functioning and social-emotional difficulties.
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Prince William's decision reflects what millions of parents are quietly grappling with: how to raise healthy, connected kids safely in a world designed to keep them scrolling. The question is, what do we do about it?
The solution must be collective. Schools are leading the way by banning or limiting smartphones during the day, giving students back the focus and social interaction they've lost. Policymakers must demand greater transparency and accountability from tech companies as well as effective age-verification tools.
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Parents, perhaps, have the most critical role to play — setting clear digital boundaries at home, enabling built-in safety settings, monitoring screen time and online activities, and delaying social media or smartphone access until children are ready. If and when you decide to give your child a smartphone, make sure you understand the different types of phones — especially those designed for children and teens — and the safety features each offers. Together, these actions can restore balance, human connection and the kind of childhood that once came naturally to us pre-smartphones and pre-social media.
Let's give our children the same gift Prince William hopes to give his own children: a childhood grounded not in screens, but in real-world play, imagination and genuine connection.
Kathy Hatem is the senior communications advisor for the national nonprofit organization Enough Is Enough®. As a parent to three teenagers, she leverages her passion for child safety and advocacy to raise awareness about the dangers of child predators, sex trafficking, cyberbullying and more, educating parents, corporations and the government about the online threats faced by children and adolescents.
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In this photo taken from video provided by TGB Guinea-Bissau, Guinea-Bissau's new junta leader Gen. Horta Inta-A, takes an oath of office in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau, Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025. (TGB Guinea-Bissau via AP)
Benin's President Patrice Talon attends a meeting with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at Planalto presidential palace in Brasilia, Brazil, on May 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres, File)
LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Benin has joined a growing list of African countries where military officers have seized power since 2020. The military takeover lasted several hours on Sunday before officials announced it was foiled.
In a familiar scene across West Africa, a group of soldiers appeared on Benin 's state TV on Sunday announcing the removal of President Patrice Talon and the dissolution of the government following the swift takeover of power.
Hours later, Benin's Interior Minister Alassane Seidou said in a video shared online that the coup was foiled. The soldiers in question “launched a mutiny with the aim of destabilizing the state and its institutions,” Seidou said, adding that the military remained ”committed to the republic.”
Here is a timeline of coups in Africa, following a pattern of disputed elections, constitutional upheaval, security crises and youth discontent:
Since August 2020, Mali has witnessed two back-to-back coups. A group of soldiers mutinied and arrested senior military officers just outside the capital, Bamako, after weeks of protests by civilians demanding the then-president, Ibrahim Keïta, resign over accusations of corruption and failing to clamp down on armed groups.
Col. Assimi Goita, the military leader, entered into a power-sharing deal with Bah Ndaw, a civilian president, with Goita serving as the vice president of a so-called transitional government. In 2021, Goita overthrew Ndaw following a series of disagreements and installed himself as president. He postponed an election slated for 2022 to 2077.
Mali is one of a tripartite group of landlocked West African countries, along with Burkina Faso and Niger, run by military juntas that have now formed their own bloc after breaking from the Economic Community of West African states, and have firmly stated their objections to a return to democracy.
Following his father's death in 2021, Mahamat Idris Deby, an army general, quickly seized power, extending his family's three-decade rule of the central African nation.
Three years later, he delivered an election that he promised when he assumed power. Deby was declared the winner of the election, which the opposition claimed was rigged. He has since clamped down on critics. Former Prime Minister Succes Masra, an opposition figure, was sentenced to 20 years in prison earlier this year.
After 11 years in office, Alpha Conde was removed by a group of soldiers led by Mamady Doumbouya. In 2020, Conde had changed the constitution to allow himself to stand for a third term.
Doumbouya is running in the December polls and looking to shed his military fatigues, after a referendum this year allowed junta members to stand in elections and extended the presidential term limit from five to seven years.
The Sudanese military, led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, staged a coup in October 2021, deposing Omar al-Bashir, who ruled the country for 26 years.
Burhan went on to share power with Muhammad Dangalo, known as Hedmeti, the leader of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
In April 2023, a simmering feud between them led to one of the world's most catastrophic conflicts, according to the United Nations. The war is still going on.
Like its neighbor Mali, Burkina Faso also witnessed two successive coups. In January 2022, Roch Kaboré was ousted by Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Damiba. In September, Capt. Ibrahim Traoré, the head of an artillery unit of Burkina Faso army, ousted Damiba on the same pretext as the earlier coup — deteriorating security.
Traoré has since ruled the country. In July, he dissolved the independent electoral commission.
Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani ousted Mohamed Bazoum, ending a rare democratic transition in Niger. The dramatic coup sparked a crisis in the regional ECOWAS bloc, which threatened to invade Niger if Bazoum was not installed and the country returned to democracy.
The crisis split the region, with Niger teaming with Burkina Faso and Mali to form a breakaway Alliance of Sahel States.
Shortly after President Ali Bongo, who had been in power for 14 years and had run for a third term, was declared the winner of an election in 2023, a group of soldiers appeared on television saying they were seizing power. They canceled the election and dissolved all state institutions.
Brice Oligui Nguema, a cousin of Bongo, took power and has since ruled Gabon. He was announced the winner of a presidential election in April.
Expressing their frustration over chronic water shortages and power outages, young people in Madagascar took to the streets to demand former President Andry Rajoelina's resignation.
Rajoelina instead dissolved his government and refused to resign, leading to a military takeover of the southern African country.
On Nov. 26, Soldiers in Guinea-Bissau followed up a disputed presidential election three days earlier by seizing power. Critics including the opposition called the coup a staged takeover to avoid having the incumbent lose the election.
Incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and the main opposition candidate, Fernando Dias, both claimed to have won the Nov. 23 presidential election.
Embaló was released and allowed to flee to neighboring Senegal, from where he has since departed. The new military junta made appointments, several of them allies of the deposed president.
Less than two weeks after the coup in Guinea-Bissau, soldiers staged a similar takeover in Benin that followed gunshots heard near the presidential palace.
A group of soldiers, which called itself the Military Committee for Refoundation, appeared on state TV announcing that the West African nation's leader, Talon, has been removed and state institutions dissolved.
The soldiers appointed Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri as president of the military committee.
Hours later, officials said the coup was foiled by the armed forces and that the military remained ”committed to the republic.”
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
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You can now place bets on elections, wars, and deportations. Should you?
Everyone you know is about to start putting their money where their mouth is.
Prediction markets are booming. Think of them as like a stock market, but instead of buying shares in companies, you buy shares in the outcomes of real-world events — and you can bet on almost anything. The top platforms, Kalshi and Polymarket, allow you to stake money on everything from the outcomes of elections and wars to the weather in your city tomorrow to who will win the Grammy for Album of the Year. There's no bookie setting the odds — instead, the prices are set based on how other people have bet.
When the bet is settled — maybe PTA gets that Oscar win — you get paid.
The sector just had its strongest period yet, pulling in nearly $10 billion combined in bets on Kalshi and Polymarket last month. But at a time where sports betting scandals are on the rise, prediction markets are facing their own ethical reckoning. Just because we can bet on anything — even politics — does it mean we should?
To help us navigate that question, Vox's Noel King spoke with John Herrman, a tech columnist at New York Magazine. He explained why these markets feel so unsettling and how they might open up new opportunities for political corruption, especially under the Trump administration (both Kalshi and Polymarket, notably, have enlisted Donald Trump Jr. as an adviser).
Below is an excerpt of their conversation, edited for length and clarity. There's much more in the full podcast, so listen to Today, Explained wherever you get podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Pandora, and Spotify.
If we're ok with betting on horses and football games, why does betting on elections skeeve us out so much?
If we think back to the way that sports betting online took over sports media, there was a lot of squeamishness early on. That took maybe five years to break, and 10 years to be completely meaningless.
And that's in a situation where we're betting on games. We're betting on things that aren't life or death — that aren't the types of things you can bet on now on Polymarket or Kalshi, like how many people will be deported in the next six months. And giving that to betting — it's not the world that I think people would say they want. More obviously, you have just unbelievable opportunities for corruption here.
If we think about the ways in which betting on, say, a presidential election could go sideways, what is the worst-case scenario?
You have a vision in recent elections of a completely different type of engagement in politics. You have people who have basically removed themselves from the democratic process to engage instead in a market process — it turns everyone into a speculator rather than a voter.
A world in which people are just trying to figure out who's going to win makes everyone into not just a speculator, but a pundit. It sort of takes them out of this decision that will have a massive effect on how the world works, and it potentially just replaces a lot of the also-problematic ways that they interact with elections and politics, through media and through social engagement, with something that is just reading the financial news or reading about options calls or something like that. It's a completely abstract way to engage with politics and, to me, it represents kind of an exit from politics.
The dark scenario — here's where my brain went, tell me if I'm being nuts. Someone has the opportunity to win $10 million if a candidate is assassinated. There's an enormous incentive to do a very bad thing.
That's actually one of the early foundational concepts of prediction markets, where people were imagining and contriving ways where a prediction market might be set up to function explicitly as an assassination market. Now, these actual platforms in the world have prohibitions on that. But I think it's completely plausible in the world we live in that someone might manifest events in order to settle a Polymarket or a Kalshi bet in the way that they want.
We should probably prepare for a world where, much in the way that sports has become nearly impossible to follow or talk about without talking in this meta way about odds, betting outcomes, etc., politics will start to feel like that.
We just did an episode about sports betting, where fans are saying that when they learn about betting scandals again and again and again, their trust in the sport starts to erode. If people are losing trust in sports, it seems possible that, if we bet on elections, we could be looking within a couple of years at people losing faith in the outcome of elections. Is that a viable worry?
There are a couple really interesting things that you bring up there. One is that if your candidate, for example, loses an election, you might be crestfallen, you might be scared, you might be worried for the future. But none of those sensations are quite the same as losing a bunch of money on a bet. They're not humiliating in the same way. They don't alienate you from the thing that you're betting on in the same way. That is a new flavor of interaction with politics.
I wouldn't say that politics in general, and certainly American electoral politics, is a trust-rich environment. But losing even more trust in the process is — I mean, I don't know how much lower you can go. But it seems like we're trying to find a way, and someone is maybe making a lot of money on it.
One of the problems that we've seen in politics my entire lifetime is that people are not engaged. Is there a possible upside here, if we're letting people bet on elections, that they become more engaged?
I could sort of see that, but I don't think that gambling in general is the type of thing that is a gateway to other stuff.
But I do want to make sure that we mention here that prediction markets as an additional source of information in the world are really interesting and useful. I will make a case for prediction markets as good aggregators of information, and I think they also allow people to check out where you are, on one hand, voting, and on the other, betting. Are these things complementary? Or are they at odds with one another? And I think it's very possible to imagine that they could be at odds.
The people who surround the president absolutely love this stuff. Donald Trump Jr. is advising both Kalshi and Polymarket. What role do you think prediction markets are going to play in this administration, and what do you think it means that they're playing a role in this administration?
I do think that the Trump administration's relationship to non-public information and trading and markets and corruption in general is something that a lot of people are concerned about. And so if you are in the family that has arguably more non-public important information than any other family in the world, and you are doing everything you can to make as much money as possible in a variety of ways, here is a situation where it's basically not illegal to bet on something where you know the outcome. That's just your advantage.
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Nearly 2,000 years after a devastating volcanic eruption destroyed and entombed a thriving Roman city, researchers are turning to the novel technique of digital archaeology to reveal the “lost Pompeii.”
Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD 79, covering Pompeii in a thick layer of molten rock, ash and debris. Some residents fled, while others were killed, trapped by volcanic material. The ghostly ruins, frozen in time, became a tableau that archaeologists have investigated since 1748.
Excavations have revealed the buildings and artifacts hidden beneath the ash, colorful remains of decorative frescoes, and haunting remains of the city's residents.
But not all of the architectural structures were preserved in Pompeii, leaving researchers with lingering questions about daily life in the ancient, southern Italian city.
Now, a sophisticated combination of remote sensing technology, close-range photography and good old-fashioned archaeological techniques are helping researchers pick out once-hidden clues, revealing aspects of Pompeii that have been lost over time — such as towers, symbols of wealth and power, that might have once shaped the cityscape.
4 people sought shelter from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius — and sealed their own fates
“By reconstructing the lost architecture, we gain a more nuanced and historically accurate understanding of the ancient city and life within it,” said co-lead study author Dr. Susanne Muth, professor at Humboldt University of Berlin's Institute for Archaeology.
The findings and digital recreations, made by the Pompeii Reset project and published recently in the E-Journal of the Excavations of Pompeii, could even change the way we envision ancient Pompeii's skyline.
During a visit to Pompeii with students in 2022, Muth became inspired by the Archaeological Park of Pompeii's efforts to preserve the city. Aware of the challenges of studying fragile ruins amid fluctuating weather and a changing climate, she proposed an idea to preserve Pompeii's cultural heritage through noninvasive digital reconstruction while gaining knowledge about the ancient city.
The Archaeological Park of Pompeii took an interest and teamed up with Humboldt University, which has an archaeology department with a strong digital focus that includes past projects such as a digital reconstruction of the ancient Roman Forum.
As part of the ongoing work, the project team employs techniques such as LiDAR (light detection and ranging) scans and photography to document what remains of Pompeii's buildings and create 3D models. Then, the researchers use clues revealed by the scans — such as holes that show evidence of missing structures — to make digital reconstructions of how the structures may have appeared before the eruption.
Other recent explorations of Pompeii's people and architecture also revealed that inhabitants returned to the ruins a few decades after the disaster in in AD 79.
“The volcanic debris and ash covering Pompeii after the eruption reached approximately five meters height,” or 16 feet, said co-lead study author Gabriel Zuchtriegel, the archaeological park's director, via email, adding that “you could still see the upper floors emerging from the ash, in a sort of grey desert.”
Former ground floors became cellars where inhabitants built ovens, mills and fireplaces, which were uncovered earlier this year. However, those later Pompeii residents ultimately abandoned the site following another devastating eruption in the fifth century, Zuchtriegel said.
When excavations first began in the mid-1700s, everything beneath the ash layer was still preserved — but the top floors had decayed and disappeared.
There was a lack of interest in those missing top floors, as they were thought to be simple living quarters for Pompeii's slaves and poorer citizens, Muth said. “For many centuries, excavations in Pompeii focused more on finding precious statues and wall paintings,” she noted.
DNA analysis upends long-held assumptions about Pompeii victims' final moments
But renewed interest came from a desire to understand the everyday lives of ordinary citizens, she added. “In the process, it has been discovered that the wealthier citizens of Pompeii also used rooms on the upper floors, as traces of richer furnishings have been found there.”
As the researchers focused their search on the upper floors, they were drawn to a newly excavated residence: the Casa del Tiaso, or the House of the Thiasos.
In one ground floor room stood a monumental stone staircase that led to a second floor. Indentations on the walls near the top of the staircase pointed to possible evidence that a second staircase made from wood had existed on the missing upper floor and led even higher to a third floor.
“When we began to reconstruct this room in terms of its lost architecture, it became clear to us that it could only be a tower,” Muth said.
The Casa del Tiaso was one of Pompeii's most lavish homes and probably belonged to an influential family, Zuchtriegel said.
It contained large decorative banquet rooms, with one opening up into a garden courtyard and another leading to a private thermal bath complex, Muth noted.
At the time, large country villas outside the city walls included towers that were used for hosting banquets and showcasing grand views.
Roman writer Pliny the Younger described such a tower in his country villa where he could enjoy the sunrise and sunset, Muth said. Legend has it that Roman emperor Nero observed the burning of Rome from a tower in the Gardens of Maecenas. Ancient texts from the second century BC and paintings from the first century BC to the first century AD, too, include towers attached to luxurious villas.
But archaeologists haven't looked for evidence of towers within Roman cities such as Pompeii for a good reason: These houses were often built as sprawling structures, rather than tightly clustered multiple-floor dwellings, Muth said.
“The unique findings in the Casa del Tiaso now lead us to believe that such towers also existed in cities as an element of wealthy residential architecture that sought to imitate the magnificent villa architecture and with which the homeowner wanted to represent his social status from afar,” Muth said.
The owner of the Casa del Tiaso may have hosted banquets with guests on the upper floor of the tower, enjoying the view of the city and the Gulf of Naples, she added.
The tower may have also been used to observe stars in the night sky. Astrology was popular in Roman society, although several emperors tried to forbid it, Zuchtriegel noted.
Religious regulations may explain why towers were not common in the city, said Dr. Marcello Mogetta, chair of the department of classics, archaeology and religion at the University of Missouri. Mogetta was not involved in the new research.
In ancient Rome, temples and sanctuaries needed clear sight lines for the taking of auspices — interpreting omens from the behavior of birds — and other rituals. Taller private buildings were restricted, leading urban mansions to expand downward to create sunken floors, Mogetta said.
While there is clear evidence of upper floor apartments in Pompeii, a high-rise tower in a prestigious home like the House of Thiasos is unprecedented but not far-fetched, he said.
Towers also speak to creative innovation employed by Pompeii residents seeking to assert prestige, Mogetta added.
“Tower-like structures do appear in Pompeian wall paintings representing urban landscapes, though these have traditionally been dismissed as artistic fantasy driven by the taste for illusionism,” Mogetta said. “The proposed reconstruction challenges that assumption. If accurate, it means those painted scenes may have reflected the real cityscape more closely than we thought.”
Digitally reconstructing Pompeii's buildings is like detective work, Muth said. All evidence is meticulously gathered, and no detail is left undocumented.
Researchers are now using drones to capture scans of entire buildings, laser technology to measure surfaces and close-range photography to determine textural details. Overlapping images help to create 3D models in a process called photogrammetry.
A digital twin of a building is made from the scans and photos, which researchers use to reconstruct the lost architecture, virtually reinserting wooden beams into holes in the wall and following patterns to determine where upper floors or stairs once existed.
“We proceed very cautiously, discuss a lot, test a proposal, reject it again, correct it, discover new clues, compare these clues with other buildings in Pompeii to find analogies,” Muth said. “Step by step, a 3D model emerges on which we can transparently develop our arguments and proposals and then present them so that they can be reviewed and discussed by the scientific community.”
Archaeologists have long employed drawings or scaled-down 3D models to reconstruct lost architecture. Digital archaeology takes the process a few steps further, Muth said.
It's easy for two-dimensional drawings to contain errors because they can only be checked from one angle. But 3D models must be 100% accurate from every angle.
“Only when the building's structural design is precisely recreated digitally in a 3D model can the architecture be understood and a plausible reconstruction developed,” Muth said.
Computer game technology is also making 3D models more accessible, allowing for a closer examination of ancient living spaces by creating virtual walk-throughs.
“We can more concretely visualize a banquet by candlelight, or a celebration at the top of the tower of the Casa del Tiaso, but also the oppressive working conditions in the so-called slave bakery next door,” Muth explained. “All this will help us to ask and obtain new questions and new answers about life in Pompeii.”
Still, questions linger about whether there were more houses in Pompeii that once included towers, and the team continues to search for traces of lost upper floors.
“For those who could not take advantage of natural vistas, a tower-like structure was a clever solution — combining spectacle, visibility, and social signaling in one architectural gesture,” Mogetta said. “More work by the Pompei Reset project in other sectors of town is needed to reveal how widespread the phenomenon really was.”
Ancient homes rarely survive the passage of time, especially millennia, and if they do, only fragments like sturdy foundations remain to mark where a residence once stood. But some sites, such as Pompeii, are exceptional and could be used to reconstruct ancient skylines and show how cities grew over time. For instance, researchers know medieval Italy was filled with towers because some of them still stand today.
At the archaeological site of Çatalhöyük , there is evidence of a network of homes built so closely together that Neolithic people living there between 7400 BC and 5200 BC had to use the roofs to access their interiors. Over time, new dwellings were built on top of the original homes.
“We know that cities and settlements in the past must often have had a taller skyline than we now have direct access to, from Neolithic Çatalhöyük to the cities of medieval Italy, and the Roman world is no exception,” said Daniel Diffendale, a postdoctoral researcher at the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa, Italy, who was not involved in the new work. “There is evidence of taller buildings if you look for it.”
Muth's goal is for the digital reconstruction of the Casa del Tiaso eventually to include every room. But the wider project has no end date; the team wants to see how many buildings it can virtually reconstruct to preserve Pompeii's heritage.
Digital tools have become a fundamental way to monitor the state of Pompeii's conservation and determine where intervention is needed.They can also create models of parts of the city that weren't preserved at all, Zuchtriegel said.
“Digital archaeology is much more than simply creating fanciful reconstructions of ancient buildings,” he said. “It's a way of thinking through these structures and how they really worked and were used.”
More than 13,000 rooms have been excavated in the lost city since 1748, with one-third of ancient Pompeii remaining buried under volcanic ash.
Insights from recent excavations could inform how researchers understand houses that were first investigated decades or centuries ago, but excavating all of Pompeii isn't the goal, Zuchtriegel said. The archaeological park wants to leave something for future generations.
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File footage from Feb. 15, 2020 shows troops, civilian militias training to defend the capital. (Reuters.)
As tensions rise between Washington and the Maduro regime, experts told Fox News Digital that Venezuela's military may look formidable on paper but is hollowed out by years of corruption, decay and political control. While they say Venezuela cannot stop a determined U.S. strike, any broader operation would be far more complicated than the White House suggests.
Isaias Medina, an international lawyer and former Venezuelan diplomat who denounced his own government at the International Criminal Court, described Venezuela as a criminalized state dominated by narcotrafficking networks.
"Venezuela today resembles a fortress built on sand wrapped around a criminal regime," he said, adding that any hypothetical U.S. action would be "evicting a terrorist cartel that settled next door and not invading a country."
Medina warned that Venezuela's dense civilian population — also victimized by the regime — demands extreme caution. "The only acceptable approach is overwhelming bias toward restraint and longer operational timelines, forgoing targets that cannot be struck cleanly."
TRUMP PUSHES PEACE IN EUROPE, PRESSURE IN THE AMERICAS — INSIDE THE TWO-FRONT GAMBLE
Soldiers ride military vehicles during a parade as part of the Independence Day celebrations in Caracas, Venezuela, on July 5, 2023. (Pedro Rances Mattey/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
He said the military's capabilities look better on paper than reality, with equipment rusting from lack of maintenance and thousands of politically appointed generals disconnected from an estimated 100,000 lower-ranking troops who may abandon their posts under pressure.
Retired Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery, senior director at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies' Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation, told Fox News Digital that Venezuela's most relevant threat lies in its air-naval systems — and even those could be quickly eliminated.
"You have to break this up," he said. "There's an air-naval part, which is most likely what could impact our strike operations," including fighter jets, limited naval vessels and Russian-made surface-to-air missiles.
MADURO BRANDISHES SWORD AT RALLY AS HE RAILS AGAINST 'IMPERIALIST AGGRESSION' AMID RISING TENSIONS WITH US
Soldiers march during a military parade celebrating the 205th anniversary of Venezuela's independence in Caracas, July 5, 2016. (Carlos Jasso/Reuters)
But Montgomery said the U.S. could quickly neutralize them. "Reasonably speaking, in the first day or two of a campaign plan, we can eliminate the air and maritime threat to U.S. forces," he said.
Any U.S. plan targeting cocaine production would begin with "simultaneous strikes on the airfields, the aircraft and the air defense weapon systems to ensure that they don't respond to any U.S. attacks on other assets."
Asked whether Venezuela could retaliate after such strikes, Montgomery replied: "Not against an air campaign. No."
TRUMP'S STRIKE ON CARTEL VESSEL OFF VENEZUELA SENDS WARNING TO MADURO: ‘NO SANCTUARY'
Members of the Bolivarian National Guard stand in formation along Lake Maracaibo amid rising tensions with the U.S., in Maracaibo, Venezuela, on Oct. 26, 2025. (Isaac Urrutia/Reuters)
Montgomery stressed that while air defenses can be eliminated quickly, a ground operation would be a far different story. "They have a small professional military… 65 to 70,000 people, many of whom probably don't want — they didn't join the army to fight," he said. The country also maintains a massive militia, whose motivation would depend on loyalty to Maduro.
But geography and scale make a land operation a nightmare scenario. "Venezuela is probably twice the geographic size of California, 35 to 40 million citizens," Montgomery said. "This would be a terrifically challenging ground campaign, especially if it turned into a counterinsurgency."
He added bluntly: "Today, I would not do this. I do not recommend it."
TRUMP GAVE MADURO ULTIMATUM TO FLEE VENEZUELA AS LAND OPERATIONS LOOM: REPORT
A squad of Venezuelan Air Force aircraft overflies during the 2025 Venezuela industrial aviation expo in Maracay, Venezuela, on Nov. 29, 2025. (Pedro Rances Mattey/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON'S SHADOW WAR: HOW STRIKES ON CARTELS THREATEN TO COLLAPSE MADURO'S REGIME
Montgomery does support an air campaign which he believes will be more efficient than the current naval tactics. He cited his experience commanding U.S. Navy counter-drug operations: "Every one of these 21 ships could have been pulled over by a mix of Navy and Coast Guard assets and helicopters." But intelligence often proved unreliable.
Despite years of decay, Venezuela still possesses a large, uneven mix of military hardware. Analysts say it cannot stop a U.S. campaign but could complicate early phases.
Soldiers take part in a drill after President Nicolas Maduro deployed the military across communities nationwide to train citizens amid rising tensions with the United States, in Yagua, Venezuela, Sept. 20, 2025. (Juan Carlos Hernandez/Reuters)
Its inventory reportedly includes 92 T-72B tanks, 123 BMP-3 infantry vehicles, Russian Msta-S artillery, Smerch and Grad rocket systems, and an estimated 6–10 flyable Su-30MK2 jets. Air defenses include the S-300VM, Buk-M2E and Pechora-2M.
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Venezuela's deepening ties with Iran, Russia and China continue to worry U.S. officials.
Jorge Jraissati, president of the Economic Inclusion Group, said "numbers show only 20% of Venezuelans approve of this regime," warning that for more than a decade "there has been no respect for the will of the population" as Caracas aligns with "anti-Western regimes that destabilize the region."
Solly Boussidan is an international journalist covering Latin America for Fox News Digital. He has previously covered international affairs, war, finance and travel for several U.S. and international outlets. He is currently based in Brazil.
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People of Somali descent in Minnesota have endured a dizzying week.
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump called them “garbage” and sent immigration enforcement agents into the state, which is home to the nation's largest Somali diaspora. By Thursday, officials in the Department of Homeland Security were touting the arrest of a handful of Somali men, whom the agency called the “worst of the worst.” Throughout, hate mail poured into inboxes at mosques and advocacy groups.
And yet, the wave of vitriol during the Trump administration's continued nationwide immigration crackdown has been met with an opposing wave of solidarity in Minnesota. State leaders have been quick to publicly embrace the community. And some of those emails flooding the inboxes of organizers were expressions of kindness.
“People (were) saying that Minnesota Somalis are as Minnesotan as tater-tot hotdish,” said Suleiman Adan, deputy executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, describing the tone and content of some of the emails comparing the community to the state's beloved casserole. “Somalis are as Minnesota as the state fair. That is, you know, we belong.”
In the unfamiliar glare of the national spotlight, Minnesotans with roots from the East African country of Somalia have felt pulled in two directions: singled out by an American president who has called attention to a massive and still-unfolding case of pandemic-era fraud, but embraced by the state that offered them refuge from a vicious and bloody civil war decades ago.
Anxiety grips Minneapolis's Somali community as immigration agents zero in on the Twin Cities
Salman Fiqy, a Somali small business owner who supported Trump and ran for state representative as a Republican last year, said the president's latest comments were the straw that broke the camel's back when it comes to his backing of the Minnesota GOP.
“It's very unpresidential coming from the commander in chief of the United States to dehumanize … a whole entire community by calling them garbage,” he told CNN Saturday. “This is not acceptable.”
Fiqy said he doesn't regret voting for Trump and shares some of his conservative values but is critical of state Republican leaders “for not standing up for the Somali community.”
The surge of federal immigration agents in the state this week has spread fear in the Somali community, Fiqy said. “I sympathize with them,” he said of the Somali diaspora.
Prior to the 1990s, there were very few Somalis living in Minnesota. The early part of that decade saw the Somali government collapse as the country descended into violence. Millions of residents were displaced or ultimately fled, seeking refuge and asylum.
“People had nowhere to go,” said Abdi Ismail Samatar, a distinguished University of Minnesota geography professor, researcher and author who left Somalia 34 years ago. “The schools, the hospitals, the security systems, everything, collapsed like nowhere else in the world at that point in time.”
Somalis fled to nearly every continent on the planet, but Minnesota became an epicenter.
Rep. Omar responds to Trump's attacks: He's trying to ‘deflect' from his ‘failures'
The immigrants were drawn to the North Star State by job opportunities at meatpacking plants in rural areas where demand for workers far outstripped the supply, said Ahmed Ismail Yusuf, a Minnesota author, writer and playwright who wrote “Somalis in Minnesota.”
“They found out that there were other jobs no one was taking, like janitors or in the hospitality industry, car rental agencies, taxi driving,” he said in an interview with CNN.
The state's generous offering of social services was another magnet.
“That helped the elderly people who had fallen between the cracks, and young people who didn't have anything were able to sustain themselves and put families together,” Samatar said. “So then, the kids who came here in their early teens, in 10 to 15 years, are graduating from high school, from college and became lawyers, doctors, nurses, schoolteachers.”
Over the decades, a snowball effect took hold as the Somali diaspora reached a critical mass in Minnesota, pulling in still more friends and relatives from abroad and other US states.
Today, with around 84,000 of the state's roughly 108,000 Somali Americans concentrated in the Twin Cities, the contingent has become a potent voting bloc in the region – so much so that it powered the rise of Ilhan Omar, a progressive Democrat who in 2017 became the first Somali-American lawmaker in the nation. She was elected to Congress two years later.
Omar also happens to be one of Trump's most frequent foils – he has often targeted her over the years on social media and in public remarks.
She was again on Trump's mind days after a report in a journal published by a conservative think tank about the fraud scandal in Minnesota, which involved as much as $300 million and has led to charges against dozens of people, the vast majority of them of Somali descent.
Trump had referenced the scandal, which diverted money meant to feed children during the pandemic to fraudsters, a week before Thanksgiving, calling Minnesota a “hub of fraudulent money laundering activity” as he announced plans to terminate Temporary Protected Status for Somali residents in the state.
On Tuesday, he disparaged Omar during a rambling monologue at a cabinet meeting.
“Ilhan Omar is garbage,” he said. “Her friends are garbage. These aren't people that work. These aren't people that say, ‘let's go. Come on, let's make this place great.'”
Omar responded on X that Trump's “obsession” with her is “creepy.”
“I hope he gets the help he desperately needs,” she said.
Around the same time, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation targeting undocumented Somali immigrants launched in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota.
The vast majority of Somalis are here legally.
In a Thursday news release, DHS said it had arrested 12 “criminal illegal aliens” during what it is calling “Operation Metro Surge” in the Twin Cities. Five of them are from Somalia, according to the statement.
Meanwhile, public officials in Minnesota have taken pains to show their solidarity with the Somali community. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara joined an interfaith prayer circle. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey made the rounds Wednesday at a mall that caters primarily to the Somali population.
On Friday, US Sen. Amy Klobuchar appeared at the same place – the Karmel Mall – to show her support; she was thronged by a small but enthusiastic crowd of onlookers, many of whom sought to have their photo taken with her.
“As a former prosecutor, I'm strongly in favor of prosecuting those fraud cases,” she told CNN, walking down a corridor that included tailor shops, eateries, cellphone accessory stores and garment boutiques. “However, what the president has done here is indict an entire group of people. They're businesses, police officers, and firefighters in our state, and we've got to stand there with them.”
After years of Trump's attacks on Somalis in Minnesota, ICE zeroes in on the Twin Cities. Here's what's fueling the operation
Mohamed Ali Hassan, the president of a nonprofit with an office at the mall, condemned Trump's use of the term “garbage,” adding that such dehumanizing terms should never be used to describe people.
“There's a Somali proverb,” he said. “An insulting or cursing mouth is on the person who curses.”
Somalis weren't the only immigrants in Minnesota to receive hate mail in the wake of Trump's comments.
Taaha Sameru, a board member at the Tawfiq Islamic Center in Minneapolis, said she fled Ethiopia due to political repression. Sameru, who arrived in the Land of 10,000 Lakes in 2005, said she'd never received a xenophobic email until this week. The message was reviewed by CNN.
“It is particularly disheartening to witness the prevalence of bigoted views, especially during times of heightened political tension and social unrest,” she said in an email.
Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Minnesota chapter of CAIR, said he believes Trump's attacks will ultimately make the state's Somali community stronger.
“I think it's giving us a chance for many Americans to learn about the Somali community, and not only that, but also to see the resilience,” he said. “Also, it's giving Somali Americans a chance to own their American identity and fight for it.”
Abdi Samatar, the geography professor, echoed the sentiment.
“That's the future of the country – the civic bonds, people who say, ‘not on our watch; not on this group; not on that group; not on any group, for that matter,'” he said. “While at the same time, every community looks inside itself and says, ‘We are not going to allow some of our members to do these kinds of things.'”
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Republicans in the Indiana state Senate could give President Donald Trump a major political black eye this week — and the conservative voters who elected them say they don't mind.
The state Senate is set to gather Monday to start a weeklong process of considering new congressional maps that could deliver the party a clean sweep of Indiana's nine seats, boosting the GOP's chances of retaining its narrow US House majority in next year's midterm elections. How the week unfolds will test Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray's claim that the party does not have enough votes to pass new maps, despite holding a 40-10 supermajority.
Trump and his political allies have turned the Indiana state Senate's vote into a loyalty test with dramatic ramifications — with the president vowing to leverage his political might to oust those who break with his wishes in future primaries, and a number of pro-Trump groups and conservative influencers insisting they'll support those efforts.
Tracking states' unprecedented redistricting efforts
But those promises don't appear to be generating any kind of groundswell of conservative grassroots support for redistricting in Indiana. CNN visited towns across a swath of the state last week and found that many Republican voters — including those with long histories of supporting Trump — are greeting the redistricting debate with a shrug.
Many are like John Badger XIV, the owner of a 106-year-old candy shop in Bray's hometown of Martinsville and a Republican member of the city council: not opposed to Trump's position, but not thinking much about it, either.
“I am not against Trump,” he said, adding that he supports the president on tariffs and the economy. “But there's no need to redo the maps right now. I won't be mad about it if they do it, but I don't think it's right. I just think it should stay where it is and let it go.”
As for Trump's threats to unseat Bray in a 2028 primary, Badger said there's little chance of succeeding.
“He's well liked,” he said. “I think Rod's doing a great job up there.”
The resistance to Trump's demands in Indiana could represent the inkling of some Republican voters' desire for independence from what Trump is dictating for the party, which recently lost two key governor's races and has seen slippage in special elections. It comes after the House forced Trump's hand on releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files, and a long-time Trump ally, Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, made a dramatic break from the president and then announced her resignation.
In the Indiana redistricting fight, outside groups — including the conservative Club for Growth led by former Indiana congressman David McIntosh, the Charlie Kirk-founded Turning Point USA, and a new organization led by veteran Indiana Republican operative Marty Obst and veterans of Trump's campaigns — have spent months heaping pressure on Republican senators, including advertisements urging constituents to contact key legislators. Many state senators say they've also faced violent threats, including swatting attempts and bomb threats on their homes or businesses.
But the lack of real-life voters motivated by the issue was on vivid display Friday at the Indiana Statehouse, where a Turning Point USA rally for redistricting featuring Gov. Mike Braun, scheduled to take place shortly before the state House passed the new maps on a 57-41 vote, drew only about 100 attendees — multitudes short of the huge crowds that have packed into the Capitol building for Democratic-organized rallies opposing new maps.
Ahead of the Senate's expected vote next week, CNN spoke to about 50 voters across the districts of four Republican state senators. Two of them, Sens. Jean Leising and Greg Walker, are opposed to new maps, while Sen. Cyndi Carrasco has not weighed in publicly but is widely expected to vote for new maps. Bray, meanwhile, has been in the crosshairs of Trump, who has threatened to support a primary opponent in 2028, and Braun, who has publicly floated supporting a challenge for Bray's post as the Senate leader.
Those conversations underscored two political realities: Rank-and-file Republicans in this deep-red state generally haven't soured on Trump. But they aren't rushing into battle for him, either — and they don't think this issue will be top of mind when they cast their votes in a state Senate primary.
Unseating Bray over his position on redistricting “would be ridiculous,” said Debbie Myers, a Republican who co-owns Berries & Ivy, a home goods store in Martinsville.
“It's ridiculous to bring the whole thing up to begin with, but it's what the president wants,” she said. “It's wrong, and it's a waste of money and a waste of these people's time, and I don't think it should have happened.”
Myers said she believes Bray — who has insisted there aren't enough Republican votes in the Senate to pass new maps — is “just being very honest” about the political reality.
“His daddy taught him well,” she said, referring to Bray's father, Richard, who was a state senator. “He was prepared for the job when he went into it. And I think that that he's just stating the obvious. He knows his numbers. He's saying, ‘We don't have the numbers.'”
Karen Luther, who works at Fables & Fairy Tales, a children's bookstore, said she is a conservative Republican who supports Trump even though he “is not a Boy Scout.” She's not opposed to redistricting, because she said she sees it as a tit-for-tat across the political map.
“Everybody acts like this is some horrible thing. Every party has done it. The Democrats go in there, they try to do it. Republicans, they try to do it,” she said. “They probably should just either outlaw it completely or just shut up and let each one do it when they get in there.”
Still, she said, redistricting “is not something that really gets your excitement up,” she said.
“No, I'm not all in a dither,” she said.
However, she said she had much stronger feelings about the Senate president.
“Rod Bray's done a good job. I would not want to get rid of him,” she said. “He seems like a man of integrity and honor. He's a Christian. … As far as I can tell, he's trying to do the right thing. It's hard. You cannot please everybody.”
One issue that came up in interviews with Indiana voters of all political stripes is the violent threats some state senators say they have faced. Many voters who spoke with CNN said they did not want to be named because they feared being vocal about the issue could also subject them to threats.
“I don't want to get caught up in anything ugly,” a shop manager in Southport, in Carrasco's district, said. “It's scary, what you see on the news.”
Leising, a 76-year-old conservative Republican from southeastern Indiana who was first elected to the Senate in 1988, has been among the sharpest critics of the tactics employed by Trump's allies. She said her 14-year-old grandson was the recipient of digital ads criticizing her.
She opposes redistricting in part, she said in a statement, because only a tiny fraction of her constituents who have contacted her support new maps. It's a sentiment other state senators, including Vaneta Becker of Evansville, have shared with CNN. Sen. Kyle Walker, a moderate Republican from the northeastern Indianapolis suburbs who also opposes redistricting, similarly said his constituents are broadly opposed to new maps, and announced this week he will not run for reelection in 2026.
In Greensburg, in the heart of Leising's district, the violent threats Leising said she has faced was often the first worry voters brought up when it comes to redistricting.
“Everyone is just really concerned about the temperature,” said Catherine Chmiel-Goetzinger, who manages an art gallery in Greensburg. “It's gotten to a point where even a Republican is getting that kind of attention, just for doing her job. The Minnesota state official killings were horrible, Charlie Kirk's killing was horrible. There's just — there's no need for that. It's scary. It is very frightening.”
Jonas Brock, who works at a holiday goods store in Greensburg, said she supports Trump but isn't interested in the redistricting fight.
“Personally, I don't really care. I'm tired of hearing it. I just don't think it's that important, with everything else going on in the world,” she said.
She laughed when asked if the issue has changed how she thinks of Trump. “No, no,” she said.
Still, Brock said she would keep Trump's position in mind in future elections. And other Republicans said that while redistricting might not be decisive, it's something they would weigh when thinking about state Senate primaries.
Chris Robbins, who owns a sporting goods store in Greensburg, said breaking with Trump on redistricting, as Leising has, “would make me look to somebody else.”
“I voted for her in the past. You've got to look at the overall picture,” he said. “I mean, that's the reason we voted for Trump, was his agenda.”
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Jasmine Crockett has two cashier's checks made out to use on Monday: one to submit if she files for reelection for her US House seat, the other to jump into the already competitive Texas Democratic primary for US Senate.
Her down-to-the-wire indecision, she knows, is driving even her staff crazy. She's invited hundreds of people to an announcement event Monday that's scheduled 90 minutes before she needs to submit one of the checks.
Asked when she'll decide, Crockett told CNN in an extensive interview on Friday between working the phones and meeting with supporters back home, “Hopefully, it will be early that day.”
“I just thank God to be in a privileged position to the extent that I have choices,” Crockett said.
For the last week, Crockett was making phone calls that left people on the other end thinking she sounds not just like a Senate candidate, but one very much trying to arrange the pieces around her, according to several people familiar with the conversations.
She asked Colin Allred, her former House colleague making a second Senate run after losing in 2024, to drop out and run for governor instead as part of a slate that would also have Rep. Joaquin Castro run for state attorney general. She's frequently cited a poll, including to James Talarico, the state representative who entered the Senate race in September, that shows her in strong shape, though people familiar with that poll say its conclusions are drawn from a sample of just 600 people.
Crockett and Rep. Marc Veasey, a fellow Dallas Democrat dealing with the gerrymandered breakup of his current seat, have already discussed sequencing on Monday for him to file in her district shortly after she submits her Senate paperwork.
And she's talked with Stacey Abrams, the two-time failed Georgia gubernatorial candidate, about expanding the electorate in a longtime red state that turned purple.
Crockett, a 44-year-old former state representative and civil rights lawyer, has become one of the most talked about Democrats in the country through her viral takedowns of Republicans, a Black woman who's always ready to rip President Donald Trump and fire back when he questions her intelligence.
The fighter persona that's appealed to so many disillusioned Democrats now has many of them, and Crockett herself, thinking that it's exactly what the Senate race needs. But for all those who believe Crockett brings the fundraising ability and energy needed to seriously contend in a long-shot race, there are those who fear she is setting up the latest example of classic Texas Democratic self-immolation.
If she runs statewide, Crockett will almost certainly energize Republicans who will be reminded of her blunders, like calling Greg Abbott, who uses a wheelchair, “Gov. Hot Wheels” or accusing several GOP figures of taking campaign contributions from what turned out to be a Jeffrey Epstein but not the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
A wave of Republican voters turning out against her could take down not just Democrats running for US House seats in newly redrawn districts but also state legislative candidates trying to stop a future gerrymander.
To some Democrats, this seems like a classic case of the party seeing a potential Republican disaster it could take advantage of, then laying the groundwork for the Democrats' own disaster. Democrats haven't won statewide in Texas since 1994, a three-decade streak including failures by Beto O'Rourke and Wendy Davis, who both became national causes and lost anyway.
This time, Republicans have a vicious primary featuring four-term incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, state Attorney General Ken Paxton and US Rep. Wesley Hunt, who are spending millions ripping one another apart and are likely to emerge from the March 3 primary having to go to a top-two runoff election in May.
If Paxton eventually wins, as many observers expect, Democrats will have an opposition researcher's dream of material against the controversial attorney general: now-closed federal and state investigations, a Republican-led impeachment attempt, and a messy public divorce.
“You've got two highly intelligent, very articulate, very prominent persons running in a race that we never thought we had a chance to win but now we do,” one senior Texas Democrat told CNN. “She jumps in, and the question is why?”
Over a 45-minute conversation on Friday, Crockett expressed annoyance at accusations that she's just barreling into the race.
“I'm not crazy. It's weird that people believe that I could win the races that I won and I'm just like out here willy-nilly. But OK. I am very self-aware, right? Even when I go in to help candidates in other states, I ask them, have you polled for me?” she said.
Crockett knows about the opposition research already circulating on her, with past quotes labeled “divisive comments that call into question her electability in a statewide race in Texas.” She argues her profile and politics might be the way to actually put the seat, and with it the Republican Senate majority, in play by turning out voters particularly in Black and Latino communities who'd otherwise stay home.
“I agree that we don't need a messy primary. … If it's three people, I think that we probably all would agree with that sentiment,” she said. “It would be because different people in their minds have different ways about how and why they would be successful.”
Crockett points out she's one of the best fundraisers in the US House and inspires more energy from the base than Allred or Talarico. Some Democrats want her to turn on that spigot to lift House candidates across the country rather than for a Senate run that would need everything to go right to have a chance of winning.
Crockett said she's not putting too much stock into the polls she's seen. She's trying to figure out whether she would be starting from a workable position given how much she's embraced being a partisan lightning rod, whether in committee fights with Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene or in frequent cable appearances.
“We also had to test for the fact that I not only have high name ID, but the reason that my name ID is high, right? Calling Marjorie ‘Bleach Blonde' may work nationally,” Crockett said. “Who knows how that plays in Texas, right?”
An October poll had Crockett leading a hypothetical four-way primary with her, Allred, Talarico and O'Rourke, who was considering a run but has since passed. Crockett led that field with 31%, followed by O'Rourke and Talarico each at 25% and Allred at 13%. The poll was taken by the University of Houston and Texas Southern University.
“There's a real shot she wins the primary,” said another Texas Democratic official who asked not to be named to provide a candid assessment of the race. “But I think she's our least competitive general election candidate.”
Others disagree.
“If she's going to get in, that's because Colin and Talarico haven't sucked up all the oxygen, and her polling is showing that there's a whole lot of people out there — not the insiders, but Democratic voters — who would be with her,” Carroll Robinson, a former Houston city councilman and chair of the Texas Coalition of Black Democrats, told CNN. Robinson has not spoken to Crockett about running but says her personality has breakthrough potential.
“Jasmine's going to make the Texas Senate race the hottest show on Broadway,” he said.
This kind of pileup is exactly what prominent Democrats were trying to avoid when a group of them — Allred, Talarico, Castro and O'Rourke — quietly huddled earlier this year.
In 2018, when O'Rourke came up less than 3 points short of beating Sen. Ted Cruz, he was the only competitive statewide Democrat. That meant Abbott and other Republicans could use their campaign funds to boost Cruz.
According to two people familiar with the meeting, O'Rourke wanted to run for Senate again, and Talarico told people for years he wanted to run for governor. So O'Rourke wanted Allred to run for attorney general and Castro for lieutenant governor.
“What if we had a ticket of well-known, well-funded people?” a third person familiar with the meeting recalled to CNN.
But Abbott had more than $80 million raised already to seek his fourth term. Allred felt that his 2024 Senate run was an argument for a second chance. O'Rourke wasn't interested in another gubernatorial run himself after losing to Abbott in 2022.
Allred and Talarico went on to enter the Senate race. O'Rourke thought about running for Senate anyway but has decided to focus on his group, which is trying to recruit Democratic candidates into races across the state and build up grassroots support. Castro, who's been gaining seniority in the House and could get a committee chairmanship if Democrats win back a majority, opted to stay focused on Washington.
“Ideally, if you were gonna design the strongest possible chances of winning, you would design it so that you have strong candidates that are well-funded in each of those races,” Castro said at the Texas Tribune Festival last month. “That was my hope, that we would have a full slate, and we didn't quite get there.”
After months of trying to get someone to run against Abbott, state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, who had been looking at running for state comptroller, decided to jump in herself.
Crockett hadn't been invited. “In a million years, I would have never imagined that this would have even been a thought. I think I would've been included had I expressed an interest,” she told CNN. While the group briefly talked about reaching out to her about running for attorney general, that was news to her.
But now that Crockett is imagining the thought of running, thoughts of a slate are on her mind too. While declining comment on any of her private calls, she told CNN that not having one “does make it a lot more difficult. We need the resources. The state is big. Getting around this state is difficult. And then I just don't think that you can rely on one person to have enough cross-appeal to everybody.”
An Allred spokesman told CNN he “already endorsed Gina Hinojosa — he's not running for governor.” A Talarico spokesman said he's “100% in the race for Senate” and pointed to a surge in fundraising, volunteer recruitment and poll numbers.
Crockett has talked to leaders in her Dallas-area district and weighed what it would mean if she lost a Senate race and, as she told CNN, “the possibility of my voice being absent during the second half of a Trump presidency.” But she also believes running statewide could boost Texas Democrats both next year and in 2028.
The more she feels attacked by the left or the right, in the deluge of texts and social media posts, she says, the more it pushes her to run.
“That is how I work. It may not be the normal way that people work. Like maybe normal people are like, ‘Oh, I'm being attacked, so maybe I don't do this, maybe I run away,'” Crockett said, “But I'm like, ‘I eat attacks for breakfast.'”
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Fernando Mendoza's 17-yard touchdown pass to Elijah Sarratt gave No. 2 Indiana the lead midway through the third quarter and the Hoosiers' stingy defense shut down No. 1 Ohio State the rest of the way in a 13-10 victory on Saturday night for their first Big Ten championship since 1967.
Indiana likely locked up the top seed in the College Football Playoff while extending the best record in school history to 13-0. The Hoosiers are also now poised to claim the No. 1 spot in The Associated Press Top 25 for the first time.
They did it by snapping a 30-game losing streak against the Buckeyes that stretched to 1988. Indiana also ended major college football's longest winning streak at 16 games, sealing the win with a 33-yard pass from Mendoza to Charlie Becker on third down, a play that took the clock down to the 2-minute timeout.
Ohio State fell to 12-1 overall though its quest to win back-to-back national championships for the first time will likely begin with the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye.
The Buckeyes had a chance to retake the lead on fourth-and-1 from the Indiana 5-yard line late in the third quarter. But a replay review overturned the call on the field, determining Julian Sayin came up short. They also had a chance to tie the score with 2:48 to play, but Jayden Fielding missed a 29-yard field goal wide left.
The two quarterbacks dueling for the Heisman Trophy essentially played to a draw.
Mendoza was injured on the first offensive play of the game but returned after missing one play and finished 15 of 23 for 222 yards and the one TD and one interception. Sayin was 21 of 29 for 258 yards, one TD and one interception.
But when the big plays needed to be made, Mendoza usually got the job done
After an epic victory, one of Heisman hopeful's first texts was to his high school coach
Indiana took a 3-0 lead after Sayin was picked off in the first quarter, but the Buckeyes turned Mendoza's miscue into a 17-yard TD pass to Carnell Tate for a 7-3 lead late in the first quarter.
The teams traded second quarter field goals as the Buckeyes took a 10-6 lead, but Mendoza found neatly tucked a TD pass into Sarratt near the sideline on Indiana's first possession of the third quarter and that was all they needed.
Indiana: The Hoosiers showed everyone why they're no longer taking a backseat to the Buckeyes or anyone else in college football. Defensively, they were as stingy as ever. Offensively, they moved the ball and played keep away — and did just enough for an historic victory.
Ohio State: The Buckeyes aren't exactly rolling into the playoffs. They struggled — for a half — at Michigan and two halves against the Hoosiers. At times, Sayin showed his inexperience by missing reads and throws. Still, they're the defending national champs and are as dangerous as anyone.
Both teams await the CFP rankings and first-round pairings to be released on Sunday.
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The National Park Service updated its free-admission calendar, adding free entry for President Donald Trump's birthday but removing Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth from the list.
The Department of the Interior announced last month the new free-entry days at national parks, designating them as “resident-only patriotic fee-free days.” Under the Biden administration, NPS included MLK Jr. Day and Juneteenth among its free-entry days.
The move comes as the Trump administration works to roll back diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives nationwide.
In April, NPS faced backlash for removing content from its website about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad and later restored it.
The park changes are part of the Trump administration's “modernization” of park services. Recently, the Interior Department unveiled the “America-first” initiative, which would require foreign tourists without an annual pass to pay $100 extra per person at 11 of the most visited national parks.
“President Trump's leadership always puts American families first,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a press release. “These policies ensure that U.S. taxpayers, who already support the National Park System, continue to enjoy affordable access, while international visitors contribute their fair share to maintaining and improving our parks for future generations.”
Non-U.S. residents will still need to pay on entry-free days, the press release added.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ROLLS OUT NEW FEES FOR FOREIGN TOURISTS AT NATIONAL PARKS
In addition to including Trump's birthday, which is also Flag Day, as a new free-entry day, NPS also added July 4 weekend, the 110th birthday of NPS, and former President Theodore Roosevelt's birthday.
The 2026 free-entry days include President's Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day/Trump's birthday on June 14, July 4 weekend, 110th birthday of NPS on Aug. 25, Constitution Day on Sept. 17, Roosevelt's birthday on Oct. 27, and Veterans Day.
The proportion of volume from suppliers in China, Hong Kong, and Korea has declined from 90% to 50% over the past decade, reflecting a long-term diversification of supply chains that picked up steam during the first Trump administration and trade war, according to an analysis from Wells Fargo Supply Chain Finance.
"From 2018 to 2020, the supplier diversification away from China nearly doubled after the first tariff actions," said Jeremy Jansen, head of global originations at Wells Fargo Supply Chain Finance.
He said since the first trade war, the gradual increase in supply chain diversification away from China to the South Asia Pacific region has steadily grown.
"Based on our supplier counts, diversification is now 50/50 between the northern Asia Pacific region and the Southern," Jansen said. "The migration of midsize suppliers can be tracked into Taiwan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, India, and Malaysia," he added.
Imports from China to the U.S. have dropped by 26 percent year-over-year, according to data from freight intelligence firm SONAR, but trade volumes from China to the South Asia Pacific region have significantly increased.
According to Project 44, which tracks supply chain shifts, China's trade in 2025 has increased to Indonesia by 29.2 percent, Vietnam by 23 percent, India by 19.4 percent and Thailand by 4.3 percent. In turn, year-over-year container trade volume to the U.S. is up 23 percent for Vietnam, 9.3 percent for Thailand, and 5.4 percent for Indonesia.
While it remains unclear what will happen to President Donald Trump's tariffs plan with the U.S. Supreme Court decision pending and major companies already suing for refunds, in the short-term, the impact of Trump's tariffs can be seen increasingly on business balance sheets, as U.S. importers are turning more to financial arrangements in an effort to preserve cash.
"We have seen an increase in working capital needs post-Liberation Day due to higher tariffs," said Ajit Menon, head of HSBC's U.S. trade finance business. "The average tariff increased from 1.5 percent to double digits," he said.
Menon said the financial hit varies industry to industry. For example, generic pharmaceuticals and retail/apparel lack negotiating power due to thin margins. "This is why trading counterparties are negotiating payment terms as an alternative, which is where the need for financing emerges," said Menon.
HSBC, which finances more than $850 billion in global trade flows annually, introduced its Trade Pay platform earlier this year, which helps clients monetize receivables, payables, and inventory.
Since Trump's initial April rollout of sweeping global tariffs, Menon says the bank has seen a roughly 20 percent increase in financing flows across all client segments, and use is increasing as the inventory brought into the U.S. in early 2025 as part of a trade frontloading winds down. "The surplus inventory brought in to offset tariffs is now nearly exhausted," Menon said. "That means companies will need more working capital moving forward as terms get renegotiated."
In a recent survey of 1,000 U.S. companies conducted by HSBC, more than 70 percent of respondents said they were facing increasing working capital requirements year over year, and Menon said this is prompting many to reexamine their supply chain strategy and their payment terms.
"They are looking into what rates they are paying, and also the financing duration. Cash is becoming king," he said.
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The proportion of volume from suppliers in China, Hong Kong, and Korea has declined from 90% to 50% over the past decade, reflecting a long-term diversification of supply chains that picked up steam during the first Trump administration and trade war, according to an analysis from Wells Fargo Supply Chain Finance.
"From 2018 to 2020, the supplier diversification away from China nearly doubled after the first tariff actions," said Jeremy Jansen, head of global originations at Wells Fargo Supply Chain Finance.
He said since the first trade war, the gradual increase in supply chain diversification away from China to the South Asia Pacific region has steadily grown.
"Based on our supplier counts, diversification is now 50/50 between the northern Asia Pacific region and the Southern," Jansen said. "The migration of midsize suppliers can be tracked into Taiwan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, India, and Malaysia," he added.
Imports from China to the U.S. have dropped by 26 percent year-over-year, according to data from freight intelligence firm SONAR, but trade volumes from China to the South Asia Pacific region have significantly increased.
According to Project 44, which tracks supply chain shifts, China's trade in 2025 has increased to Indonesia by 29.2 percent, Vietnam by 23 percent, India by 19.4 percent and Thailand by 4.3 percent. In turn, year-over-year container trade volume to the U.S. is up 23 percent for Vietnam, 9.3 percent for Thailand, and 5.4 percent for Indonesia.
While it remains unclear what will happen to President Donald Trump's tariffs plan with the U.S. Supreme Court decision pending and major companies already suing for refunds, in the short-term, the impact of Trump's tariffs can be seen increasingly on business balance sheets, as U.S. importers are turning more to financial arrangements in an effort to preserve cash.
"We have seen an increase in working capital needs post-Liberation Day due to higher tariffs," said Ajit Menon, head of HSBC's U.S. trade finance business. "The average tariff increased from 1.5 percent to double digits," he said.
Menon said the financial hit varies industry to industry. For example, generic pharmaceuticals and retail/apparel lack negotiating power due to thin margins. "This is why trading counterparties are negotiating payment terms as an alternative, which is where the need for financing emerges," said Menon.
HSBC, which finances more than $850 billion in global trade flows annually, introduced its Trade Pay platform earlier this year, which helps clients monetize receivables, payables, and inventory.
Since Trump's initial April rollout of sweeping global tariffs, Menon says the bank has seen a roughly 20 percent increase in financing flows across all client segments, and use is increasing as the inventory brought into the U.S. in early 2025 as part of a trade frontloading winds down. "The surplus inventory brought in to offset tariffs is now nearly exhausted," Menon said. "That means companies will need more working capital moving forward as terms get renegotiated."
In a recent survey of 1,000 U.S. companies conducted by HSBC, more than 70 percent of respondents said they were facing increasing working capital requirements year over year, and Menon said this is prompting many to reexamine their supply chain strategy and their payment terms.
"They are looking into what rates they are paying, and also the financing duration. Cash is becoming king," he said.
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When workers retire, a key decision they may face concerns their 401(k) savings — do they leave the money in their employer plan, or roll it over to an individual retirement account?
Companies are increasingly adding features to their 401(k) plans that may entice retirees to leave their money there, including more flexibility for retiree withdrawals and annuity options in their lineups. These changes are intended to accommodate better the needs of retired workers, who shift from accumulating assets as an employee to spending them as a retiree.
It's also generally in the company's interest to keep retirees with large balances in its 401(k) plan, said Craig Copeland, director of wealth benefits research for the Employee Benefit Research Institute. The more assets in the plan, the lower the cost for both the plan's administrator and participants.
"Keeping high-balance accounts in their plan [means] they can spread the costs among more assets," Copeland said.
The slow but steady changes are coming as roughly 11,000 people turn age 65 every day, in what's called "peak 65" — the biggest number of Americans hitting that age in history, according to the Alliance for Lifetime Income. An estimated 4.1 million are expected to reach that age from 2024 through 2027.
Additionally, more workers are reaching retirement with a 401(k) and need to figure out how to stretch it across their lifetime. That's in contrast to decades ago, when it was more common to retire with a company-sponsored pension that delivered steady income throughout retirement.
Older workers — those at least age 55 — are more likely than younger workers to self-direct their retirement investments versus use professional guidance, according to Vanguard's 2025 How America Retires study. One-half of them are do-it-yourself investors, and they tend to have higher balances, averaging $420,000. This means they may be making decisions about their 401(k) on their own.
The fear of not having enough income is prevalent among savers: 66% worry they'll run out of money in retirement, according to Blackrock's 2025 Read on Retirement survey. The majority — 93% — want guaranteed income in their golden years.
Here's a look at more stories on how to manage, grow and protect your money for the years ahead.
While ex-workers can roll over their 401(k) money to an IRA, it also means managing their own assets or paying a professional to do it. There also are a host of factors that should be considered before moving the money, including available investment options and fees, experts say.
Of course, it may not occur to retirees that they can leave their assets in their 401(k): More than half — 53% — of 401(k) participants are unaware that they don't have to move their money, according to a 2024 report from the Government Accountability Office.
Most plans let you leave your assets there, including when you retire — though 2% of plans require you to move your money by age 65 or age 70, according to Vanguard. It's a share that has remained very low over the years: In 2014, it was 4%.
The other exception: Small accounts, which are often kicked out of the 401(k) plan when an employee retires or otherwise leaves.
Many plans will close accounts with a balance under $1,000 and send a check to the ex-worker. If the money is not put into another qualified retirement account (i.e., an IRA), it is considered a distribution that may be subject to income taxes and, potentially, a 10% early withdrawal penalty.
The general rule with retirement accounts is that the penalty applies if you are under age 59½. But for 401(k)s, you can take withdrawals if you are age 55 or older in the year you leave your company.
Employers also may roll over balances of under $7,000 to an IRA.
Last year, 68% of plans let retirees establish installment payments from their accounts, and 43% of plans allowed them to take partial ad hoc cash distributions — up from 59% and 16%, respectively, in 2015, Vanguard's research shows. If a plan doesn't have those options, any retiree seeking to use part of their retirement savings has to withdraw the entire balance or roll it over.
However, be aware that even with installment payments or occasional withdrawals, you may face some limitations.
"Many plans are rigid when it comes to withdrawals, not only in the frequency that is allowed but in selecting what to sell to fund a withdrawal," said certified financial planner Daniel Galli, principal with Daniel J. Galli & Associates in Norwell, Massachusetts.
For example, he said, if you're invested in multiple funds in your 401(k) but you only want to withdraw from a particular one, you may not be able to do that.
"Many plans require withdrawals to be pro-rata from all holdings," Galli said.
In contrast, in an IRA, "you can select which funds to sell, and this can allow you to sell investments that are doing well or better than others, potentially prolonging your portfolio," said CFP Rose Price, a financial advisor and partner with VLP Financial Advisors in Vienna, Virginia.
Meanwhile, some 401(k) plans have started incorporating annuities in their lineup in various forms to help workers have guaranteed income in retirement. Although an annuity might include an investment component, it's a contract: You hand over your money and the provider (typically an insurance company) promises to issue regular payments to you across many years. Sometimes, that can be decades.
The Secure Act of 2019, which made a variety of changes to the U.S. retirement system, included a provision intended to eliminate companies' fear of legal liability if their chosen annuity provider fails or otherwise doesn't deliver on its promises.
Today, the number of 401(k) plans that allow some sort of annuity remains low, Copeland said.
"Some plans have started to offer these different types of income options, but we still don't know what the real take-up of it is," Copeland said.
Some may provide a standalone annuity option, while others offer annuity-enhanced target-date funds. Blackrock is the largest provider of the latter, and Vanguard unveiled its own version this month.
In simple terms, these are target-date funds that allocate some of your money toward a future annuity purchase. Target-date funds overall start out invested aggressively when you're far from retirement and gradually shift to less risky investments as you get closer to retirement.
"There are certain plans that have adopted those [annuity-enhanced TDFs], but it hasn't been at huge scale," Copeland said.
Roughly $29 billion is invested in these funds, which is a tiny fraction of the more than $4 trillion invested in target-date strategies, according to Morningstar.
And, Copeland said, "it's still a savings vehicle. You have to choose to take the income part of it, and we don't know yet what people will do."
In other words, annuitization won't be automatic — the person will have to actively choose to use the money for an annuity.
"We won't know the overall benefits of these until we see how they are used," Copeland said.
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The US airlift fleet for moving troops, weapons, and critical supplies around the world is shrinking and growing older — a dangerous trend that could leave the military in a tight spot if war were to erupt with a major power, a new analysis warns.
In particular, the challenges facing the US Air Force's airlift force could undercut its plan for keeping units dispersed and survivable in a fight with China.
In a new Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies paper, retired Air Force Col. Robert Owen, who flew C-130 transport aircraft during his 28-year career and also served in a leadership role at Air Mobility Command, argues the current size and state of the airlift fleet may not meet potential wartime demand.
"In a peer conflict," he warns, "the airlift fleet may not be sufficient to meet the movement, supply, and other logistical demands of the services."
"The US Air Force, in particular, may not have enough airlift to support its ACE concept," Owen says, referring to the service's Agile Combat Employment strategy aimed at disaggregating assets to make it harder for an adversary to cripple US airpower in a single overwhelming strike.
There are fewer aircraft available for carrying personnel and equipment into the fight, and the ones the US does have aren't the right, varied mix for a high-end war.
The US military relies heavily on a mix of C-17s, converted airliners, and helicopters to haul cargo, refuel aircraft, and move people between theaters. But many of these airframes are now decades old and sliding toward obsolescence, Owen writes. At the end of the Cold War, the mobility fleet was significantly younger, and the Pentagon had clear plans to replace it.
Some airlift aircraft, like the C-17, are already flying beyond their originally planned service lives. The Air Force's 52 C-5M Super Galaxies — its largest airlifters — now average 37 years old and suffer from low mission-capable rates, Owen notes. And these planes are not alone. Much of the mobility fleet is aging fast alongside other assets on which the Air Force depends.
Gen. David Allvin, then the Air Force chief of staff, said in March that average aircraft age across the force had jumped from 17 in 1994 to 32 in 2024 as aircraft availability dropped substantially.
Other military leaders have raised concerns about airlift capacity, recognizing significant drops from Desert Storm in the 1990s to now.
"All of these aircraft have been worked hard across three decades of non-stop combat operations around the globe," Owen said specifically of the airlift fleet. That presents challenges as the US focuses its attention more on higher-end threats like Russia or China.
The ACE strategy, Owens writes, envisions "fighter units and support echelons rotating frequently and unpredictably among networks of" permanent bases, semi-permanent installations, and forward arming and refueling points (FARPs).
While the first two basing options can be supported by prepositioned stocks and host-nation support, small fighter teams at dispersed FARPs could be dependent almost entirely on C-17s and other theater mobility aircraft to bring in the fuel, weapons, and people.
The Air Force has been training on its ACE concept for years, having airmen maintain, fly out of, and land across atypical locations like a simple airfield or even a stretch of highway.
The concept is that while many air bases are in range and easily targeted, China would be unable to devastate American airpower if it were dispersed across the Indo-Pacific at a mix of traditional and makeshift airfields.
But, Owen writes, the Air Force "has not acquired significant numbers of aircraft capable of operating at the lower end of this requirement — delivering combat equipment and supplies into short and weakly surfaced forward airfields — and has no publicly released plans to do so. The budgets are not sized for this mission growth."
Thus, efforts to expand and sustain the airlift fleet should be a priority for the Department of Defense, he says.
These issues are just some facing the Air Force, which has shrunk and aged in the decades since the end of the Cold War while also being stressed by counterterrorism and counterinsurgency conflicts.
Senior military leaders, former Air Force personnel, and airpower experts warn that even as the US grapples with shrinking fleets and declining readiness, China's air force is expanding and rapidly modernizing.
The US still retains significant advantages in stealth aircraft, global logistics, combat experience, and allied support, they note, but China's sustained investment in capability is narrowing the gap and changing the balance of risk.
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The stock market continues to be volatile as concerns about the elevated valuations of artificial intelligence stocks impact investor sentiment. Investors looking beyond short-term noise might want to consider enhancing their portfolios with stocks having attractive long-term growth potential.
To that end, top Wall Street analysts can help investors pick the right stocks, as their recommendations are based on in-depth analysis of a company's fundamentals and growth potential.
Here are three stocks favored by some of Wall Street's top pros, according to TipRanks, a platform that ranks analysts based on their past performance.
This week's first pick is Credo Technology (CRDO), a provider of connectivity solutions for AI-driven applications, cloud computing, and hyperscale networks. Credo reported upbeat results for the second quarter of Fiscal 2026, generating a 272% surge in revenue.
Impressed by the Q2 performance, Bank of America analyst Vivek Arya boosted the price target for Credo stock to $240 from $165 and reiterated a buy rating, calling it a top small-midcap pick and including it among his favorite AI picks, with the others being chip giants Nvidia, Broadcom and Advanced Micro Devices. TipRanks' AI Analyst has an outperform rating on CRDO stock with a price target of $194.
Arya highlighted that Credo's top line figures increased by double digits sequentially and triple digits year over-year for the fourth straight quarter, driven by strength in the company's active electrical cable, or AEC product line. He added that new customer acquisition and product diversification are vital for the company's future sales.
The analyst also noted that despite some concerns about growing competition from rivals like Marvell Technology and Astera Labs, Credo expects mid-single-digit quarter-over-quarter sales growth throughout fiscal 2026 and fiscal 2027. This optimism is backed by the expansion of AEC adoption at four large hyperscalers and the beginning of revenue contribution from a fifth customer.
"In total, we now see up to $10bn TAM [total addressable market] for CRDO, driven by its system-level electrical/optical solutions that leverage its in-house SerDes [Serializer-Deserializer technology]," said Arya. Assuming a 50% market share, or about $5 billion in annual sales, the analyst sees the possibility of Credo delivering earnings per share of about $10 to $11 at 45% net margin.
Arya ranks No. 203 among more than 10,100 analysts tracked by TipRanks. His ratings have been profitable 59% of the time, delivering an average return of 17.4%.
We move on to database software provider MongoDB (MDB). The company recently saw its stock rally after reporting better-than-expected results for the third quarter of fiscal 2026 and issuing a strong outlook. MongoDB attributed its performance to the consistent demand for its Atlas platform.
Following the Q3 print, Stifel analyst Brad Reback reiterated a buy rating on MongoDB stock and raised the price target to $450 from $375. However, TipRanks' AI Analyst has a neutral rating on MDB stock with a price target of $352.
Reback noted the continued acceleration in Atlas growth, with revenue from this platform growing by 30% in Q3 FY26. This growth was driven by a steady increase in consumption and robust new customer additions of 2,600 in the third quarter. Meanwhile, Reback explained that about two-thirds of the outperformance in MDB's Enterprise Advanced (EA)/non-Atlas revenue was driven by greater-than anticipated multi-year deals.
Furthermore, the analyst highlighted that MongoDB's third-quarter operating margin exceeded expectations by an impressive 750 basis points, thanks to a strong revenue beat and the shift in timing of some investments to Q4 FY26 and fiscal 2027. Consequently, management increased its full-year operating margin outlook to 18% from 14%.
Overall, Reback is confident that MongoDB will be able to maintain more than 20% growth in Atlas revenue in the years ahead, driven by a "large and growing market, improving consumption trends, an expanding set of core and emerging growth drivers, and a growing legacy migration opportunity."
Reback ranks No. 753 among more than 10,100 analysts tracked by TipRanks. His ratings have been successful 51% of the time, delivering an average return of 9.90%. See MongoDB Statistics on TipRanks.
Finally, let's look at big-box retailer Walmart (WMT). The company delivered healthy results for the third quarter of fiscal 2026, driven in part by strength in its e-commerce business and membership growth.
On Dec. 3, Tigress Financial analyst Ivan Feinseth reaffirmed a buy rating on Walmart stock and bumped up his price forecast to $130 from $125. The analyst expects the retailer to generate robust revenue and profitability growth, supported by "technology-driven scale and AI acceleration."
The 5-star analyst discussed how Walmart is using technology to automate supply chain and in-store processes to drive operating efficiencies. Feinseth also noted the company's efforts to enhance its omnichannel fulfillment capabilities, store-fulfilled pickup and delivery, and other initiatives to bolster its logistics, which have helped in driving e-commerce sales higher.
Additionally, Feinseth highlighted Walmart's growing use of AI, including offering generative AI-based shopping experiences with OpenAI's ChatGPT. The analyst is also impressed with the company's focus on "high-margin, capital-light" growth drivers, such as retail media, Walmart Connect, memberships, health and wellness, and financial services, which are boosting its profitability.
Overall, Feinseth is bullish on Walmart and believes that it deserves a premium valuation compared to the conventional brick-and-mortar retailers, given its massive scale, brand value, and solid execution, in addition to its focus on technology and AI-centric strategy. Like Feinseth, TipRanks' AI Analyst is also optimistic about WMT, and has an outperform rating with a price target of $122.
Feinseth ranks No. 386 among more than 10,100 analysts tracked by TipRanks. His ratings have been profitable 58% of the time, delivering an average return of 12.6%. See Walmart Financials on TipRanks.
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Shoppers may be feeling sticker shock with the cost of beef at the grocery store.
Prices in the beef and veal category are up 14.7%, while overall food is up 3.1% from September 2024 to September 2025 — the latest publicly available consumer price index data due to the government shutdown in October.
But expenses for America's farmers are soaring too. Input costs for ranchers are up more than 50% over the past five years, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.
"It's hard as a beef producer to necessarily say that beef prices are too high. I mean, if people are paying $6 for a latte at Starbucks, but then they're paying $6 for a pound of beef, they're able to feed a family for a family of three with that pound of beef," said Taylon Lienemann, co-owner of Linetics Ranch in Princeton, Nebraksa.
A major driver of the rising price of beef prices stems from a record low cattle supply. The start of 2025 saw the smallest national herd since 1951.
The cattle cycle is the natural expansion and contraction of the U.S. cattle herd — which is tied to supply and demand. It typically occurs every eight to 12 years.
When producers can get higher prices for their cattle, they will likely retain more females, called heifers, for breeding. When the cattle supply increases, prices eventually go down and the herds contract again.
"It's the big question right now for our producers. You know, they have a 50/50 decision to make. Do we sell these cattle off into the supply system or do we hold them back? And I think when the money is on the table, there's an incentive to go ahead and sell those to the food supply system, especially when demand is so high from the consumer," said Adam Wegner, director of marketing for the Nebraska Beef Council.
Severe drought can also impact the decision for a rancher to retain cattle for breeding.
"When you're in a drought, you're producing minimal feed and or hay or alfalfa," Lienemann said. "The amount of cattle that are out there are still out there, and they're still needing that feed."
During times of drought, ranchers will often supplement grass feed with grain. Grain prices have come down significantly since 2022, but it can still be an unexpected cost for producers.
"What we're experiencing now is a sort of a mashup of drought, high demand and low heifer retention, sort of making up this herd size problem that we have today in America," said Omaha Steaks CEO Nate Rempe. "We have got to build the herd, period."
The direct-to-consumer meat company said it hasn't raised prices in over three years but it's now feeling the pinch.
"The cost of beef has increased so much that it's really starting to hit our bottom line," Rempe said. "We're looking internally all the time. How can we find efficiencies? How can we invest in our business to drive more volume for less cost? But there is some breaking point, right? There is some point at which the raw material that we need is at a price point, that we're going to have to start passing some of that on."
Despite smaller herd numbers, beef production has increased overall because the U.S. is producing bigger cattle. Incremental supply, mainly for ground beef, also comes from beef imports, which have been increasing steadily over the past decade.
Now a rapidly evolving tariffs situation in Brazil and parasitic cattle infections in Mexico are further driving up prices for consumers. Still, experts say that the domestic herd is most critical for long term relief.
"In the short run, if we actually begin retaining heifers to put into the breeding herd, that actually is going to reduce total domestic beef production because we have fewer animals going to the feedlot. So that's going to actually keep prices supported that much more in the short run. But within that three-year period that we're talking about, we'll start seeing that increased production feed into the system, which should start to [soften] beef prices and cattle prices alike," said Andrew Griffith, an agricultural and resource economics professor at the University of Tennessee.
Watch the video to see an exclusive look at Omaha Steaks' processing facilities and to learn more about how high inflation is affecting the beef industry.
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How can a new media company make a big splash in the tech world?
One answer: call Day Job, a Los Angeles-headquartered creative agency.
That's what the hosts of the "Technology Business Programming Network" — better known as TBPN — did when they wanted help nailing the podcast's branding and style.
Day Job cofounder Rion Harmon described the vision: a "cacophony of logos" slapped all over the screen (a nod to Formula 1 racecars), a "country club" forest green, and a VHS visual effect.
It'd be somewhere between a news station and a sports-casting channel — hence the rebranding from the "Technology Brothers Podcast" to TBPN.
"They're doing something new," Harmon told me. "It doesn't feel like a stuffy, sort of normal sort of journalism thing. It feels more alive. It feels vibrant. We were trying to capture their energy, right? It's funny to just be overly sponsored."
TBPN has had a big year. The podcast, which launched in 2024, has become a new center stage for a rotation of headline-making Big Tech guests like Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, Palantir's Alex Karp, and Anduril's Palmer Luckey. Both The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal profiled the hosts, John Coogan and Jordi Hays, reporting that the media company expects $5 million in revenue this year.
That, in turn, has helped make Day Job a hot commodity in the tech world, as startups and VCs seek to stand out with their branding. The growing attention from Silicon Valley is paying off. Harmon said that this year, Day Job has doubled its revenue and head count.
"With Day Job, what separates them is they will make four or five different brand directions that are all viable and all justifiable in different ways," Hays said.
Founded in 2018 by Harmon and Spen Madsen, Day Job is a bootstrapped and has a team of about 20 split between LA, New York, Portland, and Europe. Since its launch, it has worked with hundreds of brands, such as Millennial-coded pastel CBD Recess drinks and the chili crisp sauce brand Fly By Jing. Harmon had also worked on Coogan's Zyn competitor, Excel.
The firm collaborates with clients on a wide range of projects, from brand ideation at the earliest stages, including coming up with a company name, to fine-tuning product and creative design or running advertising campaigns.
While Day Job's roots are in consumer packaged goods like Recess or recent viral protein bar David — which Day Job helped name and created giant billboards of cod in New York City for — more and more tech clients are flocking to the creative agency.
Patron, an early-stage venture capital firm focused on consumer startups, hired Day Job to rebrand the firm and overhaul its website. Stuut, an Andreessen Horowitz-backed AI startup, also got the Day Job treatment this fall. The agency recently worked on advertising campaigns for customer service startup Bland AI and crypto exchange Gemini, too.
"Tech is in an interesting point where brand is becoming more important to them," Harmon said. "There's so much noise. You have to figure out how to talk to your consumer in a more profound way."
Tech brands often look and feel … the same.
"There's this addiction to homogenous design choices right now," Patron's Amber Atherton said. "Every site has the same font, every interface feels so familiar."
Making a company stand out is hard, especially for AI startups.
"AI just kind of has a branding problem," Harmon said. "The valley adopts it … but there's something sort of ominous about something coming for your job."
Day Job worked with Stuut, which uses AI to process payments, to push against that narrative and presented it as a fun tool.
"This isn't some scary tech thing," Harmon said about Stuut's branding. "It's helping you get your job done so you can go home at five to hang out with your family and can go to your kids' soccer game."
Harmon highlighted how Stuut's mascot, a cartoon inspired by vintage clock-in-clock-out machines, is shown eating invoices, and when scrolling to the bottom of the site, "gives you a little kiss."
"Storytelling is kind of everything," Atherton said. "Whether it's fundraising, or hiring, or IPOing — that is so important."
VCs need branding, too.
Atherton said she came to Day Job after hearing about their work with TBPN. The firm wanted "the most non-VC website possible," she said.
When working with clients, Day Job will act as a sort of therapist, probing founders with existential questions. For instance, when working with Patron, Atherton said Day Job asked the VC firm's founding partners to "talk about each other and why you like working with each other and what makes you a strong partnership."
Day Job's style isn't for everyone.
"You've got to be bold, a little bit, to work with them," Atherton said.
Hays compared the agency's vibe to the hip LA neighborhood of Silver Lake, adding that Day Job's aesthetic is "timeless yet internet native."
"It's never been easier to generate creative assets," Hays said. "Anybody can go on ChatGPT or Nano Banana and say, 'Make me a website.'"
But Hays said that AI is "creating more demand than ever" for creative minds who can "think differently" and "break through the noise."
It's something Harmon is taking solace in as he looks forward to the future of creative agencies like his own.
"No AI is going to tell you to name your protein brand David," he said.
And brands are, meanwhile, learning the hard way that not all AI will help you stay relevant or in favor of consumers.
"We may become more valuable in a way because everything goes to the mean," Harmon said. "AI is good at outputting things that have already happened, but they're not good at figuring out what's next."
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Public broadcasting in America traces its roots back to 1967 — when Lyndon Johnson was President, and there were three broadcast TV networks, no iPhones, and no internet.
Things are very different now, which might explain why major cuts to PBS to NPR, enacted this summer, haven't generated much news now that they're actually working their way through the system.
But they're very top of mind for PBS CEO Paula Kerger, who instituted a 21% budget cut following the clawbacks. She's been spending a lot of time looking for donations to shore things up. She is also still holding out hope that Congress can be convinced to restore the funding.
Kerger is also aware that many Americans don't really know why PBS exists, or how it's funded, or — in her words — why it's crucial it sticks around. She made her case to me in the latest episode of my Channels podcast; an edited excerpt of our conversation follows.
Peter Kafka: Congress clawed back $1 billion from public media this summer. Those cuts are starting to hit your operations now. How are you holding up?
Paula Kerger: The lion's share of the money the federal government appropriated was to stations. For some stations, it's a relatively small portion of their budget, but particularly in rural parts of the country — where I always say we have an outsize influence and importance — it's as much as 30 or 40%. And in the case of Eureka, California, 56% of their budget comes from the federal government.
As soon as the monies were rescinded this summer, a small group of us began working quickly to put together resources for the stations most at risk.
You've brought up the notion that some stations may have to close because of the cuts. Has that happened? Has the bridge funding been enough to keep them alive?
The bridge fund is now close to $65 million. So that immediately puts money into the pockets of stations.
There was one station out of Penn State University that announced it could no longer sustain. It appears that station is going to be supported by the station in Philadelphia, so that is one that could have gone dark. We haven't seen stations yet go off the proverbial cliff, but we're watching very carefully, and I would not be surprised if some stations — whether they get some of this bridge funding or not — realize that it's going to be a bridge too far.
The other issue is the funding of content. We've made some shifts because suddenly a significant amount of money has come off the table.
I've been most focused on NewsHour because that's a nightly news operation — you have to make sure that is funded. They have made some cuts to sustain the core NewsHour service.
We're trying to get a good fix on whether there are opportunities to bring back some of this money. I have been talking to legislators since July — when we were defunded — who didn't quite realize it was their local station that was going to be impacted.
If we could get back some money for them, I think it would make the rest of this easier to figure out. I have not given up.
Where I'm most concerned — because a lot of our stations are doing good work raising money locally — is that people have always been confused about us: Where does your money come from? Does it come from the government or from wherever?
This at least helps people realize, '"Oh, that's what 'viewers like you' means." We've had good success with fundraising, and some stations are doing OK.
But I want to make sure we're not losing stations in places like Cookeville, Tennessee — a part of Appalachia not well-covered by media.
Being able to fill some of those gaps is really critically important.
Let's say you convince Congress to re-fund you. Would you run PBS differently, even if you had your money restored?
This defunding event accelerated a lot of decisions and discussions we were already engaged in.
Over the last year, we've been deliberately working to push our content out on multiple places. We have a very good relationship with YouTube, particularly YouTube TV.
I don't know what media is going to look like five years from now. I do believe there's a continuing role for broadcast. It's one-to-many, and in parts of the country, it is the only way content is accessible. One of the things we tried to talk about during the whole defunding discussion is the work we do with Homeland Security around emergency preparedness. We're pushing content out to first responders, using our broadcast spectrum because it doesn't melt down when there is high demand, which is what happens in an emergency.
And if the money never comes back?
We have to plan [as if] the money is not coming back. If we build a strong foundation for how we operate moving forward, then if we get any piece of the money back, that makes us even stronger.
The original premise for PBS in 1967 was that it was providing a lot of stuff commercial broadcasters didn't. But now there's so much stuff available from so many places. It seems like an anachronism.
I'll tell you why you're wrong, and kids is a great example. There are some good kids' series out there, and I'm not going to say we're the only place for educational kids' content. But our content is deeply tested.
There's a whole generation of kids who grew up on "Sesame Street," but also newer series like "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood," and we've done longitudinal studies showing that at age 14 or 15, they can still remember the lessons they learned.
We've been in this business a long time. We are focused on education, not entertainment — though to reach kids, it has to be entertaining. It's the flip side of what everyone else is doing.
You do have way more options now. I'm not suggesting we're the only place, but we have a brand that means something. We put rigor behind our content, and there is a value to it.
So let's stipulate that all the work you do is valuable. But why should the federal government fund it?
Let me just clarify: Federal funding is about 15% [of public media]. A lot of our money comes from philanthropy. A lot of it comes from viewers like you.
I do think that some mix of earned revenue, philanthropic revenue, and strategic partnerships with other media organizations is how you can build this out.
What if a benevolent billionaire or two stepped in and said "I'll replace the federal money you are missing, for years." What would that financial backstop let you do that you're not doing now?
I'm not sure if someone funding us for 10 years is necessarily a good idea, either — because one of the things that has made us who we are is that we've largely been funded by lots of small contributions.
What has made us strong and accountable is that for years, people have written us checks for something they get for free. You only support organizations you believe in, that you think are providing value, that you trust.
So whatever our funding scenario is moving forward, people need to feel bought in — that they own it. This is media for everyone, and people should feel like they have a piece of it.
That said, if we were not worrying about finances all the time, I would love to see us go deeper in the work we do for kids. I see the impact it has had, and our team is relentlessly focused on figuring out how to use emerging technology for the benefit of kids — and to do it in a safe way.
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The US is light years behind its adversaries in military drone production. A San Diego startup wants to help solve that problem by bringing 3D printers to the battlefield.
Firestorm Labs has designed a small, mobile factory that the company says can fabricate virtually any model of drone or drone part. Each factory consists of two 20-foot shipping containers, outfitted with industrial-grade HP printers. Set-up requires just two to four people, and the company estimates that each factory can currently churn out about 17 small-to-mid-sized drones drones per week. The company also has two of its own drone designs.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has challenged the tech industry to help the US catch up on drones, and Silicon Valley is eager to cash in. Firestorm last year won a $100 million Air Force contract to research and develop unmanned aerial systems. This year, it raised $47 million in Series A funding from New Enterprise Associates, Lockheed Martin Ventures, and others.
This story is part of a series on the major players in the US drone industry. See more in our series:
Chad McCoy, cofounder and chief growth officer at Firestorm, served in the military for 23 years as a pararescueman, a medic trained to jump from aircraft and rappel down mountains to rescue service members or civilians in perilous situations.
One of the pieces of equipment he sorely needed was a small, waterproof box with a single plug to power his medical devices. It took four years for the military to develop and procure it, McCoy said in a 2023 podcast interview. Now, he wants to help the military iterate and produce things faster.
"Logistics is the way we win wars," McCoy told Business Insider. "And if we're able to empower the soldiers and sailors and Marines at the forward edge of the battle, it completely changes the game."
Chinese companies, led by market leader DJI, make tens of millions of drones per year, according to Bobby Sakaki, chief executive of UAS Nexus, a drone industry consultant. As the US races to ramp up its drone capabilities, one big challenge is a lack of parts for the type of drones being used on the battlefield, he said.
When Firestorm co-founders Dan Magy and Ian Muceus pitched McCoy on joining their company a few years ago, they proposed making cheap cruise missiles that could be built in mass quantities. Magy had founded Citadel Defense Company, which made counter drone technology and was acquired in 2021 by BlueHalo. Muceus had worked in aerospace and defense manufacturing at Origin, a 3D printing startup that was acquired by 3D printing company Stratasys.
McCoy, Magy, and Muceus eventually settled on creating a manufacturing solution for drones, which were becoming ubiquitous on the battlefield in places like Ukraine.
It was a fortuitous choice. Hegseth last week announced a plan to solicit bids from US companies to manufacture hundreds of thousands of inexpensive, unmanned drones over the next two years. The Pentagon plans to spend $1 billion on the initiative.
"We cannot be left behind," Hegseth said in a Defense Department video posted on YouTube.
For Firestorm, one challenge could be convincing the Pentagon to use drones made out of nylon instead of materials like steel and carbon fiber. The startup may also have to adjust its move-fast mentality to the reality of working with the federal government. Hegseth has said he wants to speed up the Pentagon's notoriously slow acquisition process.
Firestorm's pitch is that its mobile manufacturing facilities could help the US reach its drone ambitions.
"If we could create weapons anywhere in the world," McCoy said, "that would be a massive force multiplier."
Firestorm's mobile factory is called xCell. The sides of each shipping container pop out to create more space inside. The facility is designed to work in a range of climates; the company has tested its HVAC systems in arctic conditions in northern Canada, McCoy said.
Firestorm has a handful of xCells in the US. The company says that by the first quarter of 2026, it will have one stationed somewhere in the US Indo-Pacific Command, a vast area stretching from the west coast of the US to India and from Antarctica to the North Pole.
Firestorm's two drone designs, called Tempest and Hurricane, are customizable with open software development tools.
Eventually, McCoy hopes xCell can print more than just drones, perhaps venturing into prosthetics or medical devices.
"I think we can change how combat is fought and how logistics are done," he said.
Have a tip? Reach Julia at jhornstein@insider.com or securely on Signal at juliah.22. Use a personal email address, a nonwork device, and nonwork WiFi. Here's our guide to sharing information securely.
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This is an as-told-to essay based on a conversation with Morgan Night, who rents out her Los Angeles pool and spa room by the hour using the Swimply app. This story has been edited for length and clarity.
I retired in 2022 because I have cancer and I couldn't work full-time anymore.
I've had it for seven years now. I was actually supposed to die three years ago, so because of that, I ran out of money. I only planned for up until I was supposed to die.
I bought my house really cheap when interest rates were low 13 years ago, and I fixed it up into my dream home. It's a time capsule of a seventies house. I grew up in the seventies and am a big fan of that era. I was the perfect second owner because I knew what to do to bring it back to its original glory.
I thought I would have to move out and downsize into a much smaller place during my final years.
I had seen ads for the app Swimply, where people rent out their pools. We had a pool that I had built for my daughter and me. So during the summer of 2024, I decided to give it a shot to bring in some extra money to pay the mortgage.
It was wildly successful, and I think that's partly because my previous job was as a themed hotel owner, so I knew how to deal with guests and make the space really fun.
That first summer, renting out the pool earned three times my best-case scenario.
It allowed me to stay in my dream house for my final bow.
When the weather changed, we weren't getting many bookings, and heating the pool is way more expensive in the winter, so I was trying to think of a way to keep income coming in.
We had an old indoor spa room that we weren't using because it had issues with tile breaking, and the spa itself wasn't that great. So I invested some of my summer money to bring the room back to life.
I spent three or four months fixing it up. I added a sauna and an outdoor fire pit area right next to it that has great views.
I let all our summer guests know we had a winter option. We also made it an add-on for the pool in the summer, so our pool bookings were up this year, partially because of the hot tub.
I probably spent about $10,000 on everything. I made that back on the spa alone in the first year.
I offer the hot tub for a starting base rate of $25 per hour, and people can add on the fire pit, sauna, or the rec room, which features a pool table, jukebox, darts, and video games. The pool starts at $50 per hour.
Most people who book the spa are couples looking for a romantic night. The pool gets everything from couples to parties. We get 18-year-olds up to 60-year-olds, swim instructors, big 40-person birthday parties, and corporate events. We get a lot of repeat bookings too.
Because of the political climate we're in, I also make it clear on our listings that we're a safe space for gay and trans people.
The work involves communicating with guests over the internet, cleaning between guests, sanitizing, and doing some laundry.
To me, all of it seems like the easiest job I've ever had. I don't even have to leave home. I can just sit at home and watch movies while others are here and earn an income.
The only occasional issues I've had with guests are people accidentally inviting extra guests or getting too loud. However, when I clearly outline everything in the messages ahead of time, there are no issues. Everyone is really respectful because it's your private home.
The work I'm able to do is health-dependent. I have never felt sick from the cancer, but the side effects from the drugs keeping me alive are sometimes really brutal.
Luckily, I've been able to do 90% of this on my own, and my partner helps if I'm sick. I would never take a job where being part of a team would be affected by my health, so this is kind of the perfect scenario.
I used to be a workaholic, so I think I get high off having a little bit of that back.
The work-to-money ratio is ridiculously good, and I can't recommend it enough as a side hustle if you have a pool or a spa. It's allowed me to stay in my dream house. It was either this or move out.
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For this Shopify leader, work and life are less of a balancing act and more of a song.
Work-life balance is a classic business mantra, but a difficult one to define. Does it mean working exclusively from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.? Or does it mean shutting off your Slack and email over the weekend? These clear-cut solutions may not fit all office jobs.
Shopify president Harley Finkelstein offered an alternative. On Skims cofounder Emma Grede's "Aspire" podcast, Finkelstein called work-life balance a "misnomer."
"I think actually what we're all searching for is some sort of harmony," he said. "There are some Saturdays where I have to work, and there are some Thursday afternoons that I go for a walk with my wife. That's my version of harmony."
Finkelstein said that work-life balance can also look different depending on the individual circumstances, or life chapter, you're in.
"There's a period in your life, before I was married, before I had kids, where I was able to work 80 hours a week all the time," Finkelstein said. "Then, when I had newborns, I wasn't able to work 80 hours. I think everyone needs to find their own version of it."
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella shares a similar definition. In a 2019 interview with the Financial Review, Nadella said that he wanted to "harmonize" what he cares about with his work.
Other business leaders have also expressed a desire to reframe the concept of work-life balance. Mark Cuban said that there "is no balance" for incredibly ambitious people, because competitors will work even longer.
Jeff Bezos referred to work-life balance as a "debilitating phrase" in 2018. "It actually is a circle. It's not a balance," he said.
As hardcore work culture and employee monitoring surges, some office workers may struggle to maintain Finkelstein's flexible work-life harmony. Workers may be required to clock certain hours and report to work on specific days, or face disciplinary action.
As for those 80-hour workweeks, Finkelstein clarified that they weren't necessary to be a high achiever.
"I know some people who work 40 hours a week who are some of the greatest performers ever," he said. "They're just incredibly efficient with their time."
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Pakistan accelerates its crypto regulatory push as Binance leadership meets top government and military officials.
Pakistan's crypto market shows sharp activity over the last 30 days despite ongoing volatility, and the country now moves closer to a full regulatory structure. The shift gains speed after Binance executives arrived in Islamabad this week for direct talks with the country's political and military leadership.
The meetings signal an important moment for Pakistan's digital asset future as the government outlines strong support for regulation and oversight.
Binance CEO Richard Teng leads the exchange's delegation during a series of meetings with the Prime Minister, the Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir, and senior financial officials. The Prime Minister's Office confirms a strong governmental commitment to building a transparent and secure framework for digital assets. The engagements show that Pakistan seeks structure, clarity, and global alignment as it transitions from an unregulated environment toward a regulated market.
PVARA Chairman Bilal bin Saqib presides over the core discussions and outlines progress made by his newly formed authority. His briefing includes updates on licensing, market surveillance systems, and the country's attempts to bring crypto service providers under a unified national standard. The government highlights the need to promote innovation while safeguarding users in one of the world's fastest-growing digital markets.
Pakistan wants a clear framework that supports financial innovation and ensures investor safety. The government views digital assets as a sector that can help modernize payment systems and expand financial inclusion. Saqib confirms that Pakistan studies stablecoin models and explores the creation of a state-backed digital currency as part of its broader modernization plan.
Pakistan has already unveiled its first strategic Bitcoin reserve this year, which shows the government's intent to participate in global digital finance. Saqib mentions that CBDC discussions continue as the country assesses long-term benefits for settlement, security, and cross-border transactions. These discussions evolve as Pakistan gains momentum in retail user activity, exchange use, and overall adoption.
Pakistan ranks third in the world in the latest Chainalysis Global Crypto Adoption Index. The country sits ahead of global economies like China, Germany, and Japan. Pakistan ranks second in retail crypto transactions and third in activity across centralized exchanges. These rankings show strong local engagement and broad national interest.
The market's scale has drawn worldwide attention. From a recent tweet, Binance reveals that Pakistani users trade over $250 billion in crypto each year. The platform hosts nearly 17.5 million registered Pakistani users with digital asset holdings worth about $5 billion. Analysts estimate that about 20 to 40 million citizens hold crypto in some form, a figure that highlights the scale of adoption and the urgency for clear regulation.
Pakistan now aims to convert raw adoption into a structured and regulated ecosystem. The country invited exchanges and virtual asset service providers to apply for licenses in September. Officials believe a formal licensing regime can bring more than $25 billion of untaxed digital wealth into the formal economy.
Saqib states that Pakistan wants to turn its rapid adoption into a global model for responsible growth. He stresses the need to protect users as the country strengthens its regulatory groundwork. Experts warn that scams, market volatility, and low public awareness remain obstacles that require clear policy and strong enforcement.
Pakistan stands at a pivotal moment as it balances mass adoption with regulatory clarity. The visit from Binance's top leadership signals global recognition of Pakistan's market size and growing influence. The government now seeks to create a transparent, innovation-driven environment that protects investors and strengthens long-term market stability.
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Renowned crypto journalist with a passion for blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies. Armed with a degree in Journalism and Communication, Jacob's accurate and transparent reporting has earned him accolades within the crypto community. Through his writing and podcast, he continues to educate and inform readers, making a significant impact in the ever-evolving world of cryptocurrencies.
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Ric Edelman isn't budging from the groundbreaking cryptocurrency investment strategies he urged six months ago, even as Bitcoin lingers far from its record-breaking heights.
The founder of the Digital Assets Council of Financial Professionals views the current environment—with Bitcoin falling back below $90,000 going into the weekend—as an opportunity to buy the asset before it inevitably regains momentum.
“Right now, the message is simple and compelling,” he recently told Decrypt. “If you liked Bitcoin at $100,000 or $125,000, you have to love it at $85,000. This is the same message that advisors give their clients anytime the stock market declines, and we have seen 20%-30% declines in the S&P 500 as well.”
He added: “We know that market periods of significant decline represent buying opportunities for long-term investors. The same is true here for crypto.”
In a white paper released in June, Edelman recommended a 10% crypto allocation for conservative investors and up to 40% for more aggressive portfolios, shaking up a financial advisory world that has been slow to embrace digital assets.
The co-founder of Edelman Financial Engines—a nearly $300 billion asset manager—had previously advocated for “low single-digits” investments in crypto, but said he had been swayed by “dramatically improved regulatory clarity and institutional engagement in crypto.”
Bloomberg Senior ETF Analyst Eric Balchunas called Edelman's remarks “the most important full-throated endorsement of crypto from [the] TradFi world since Larry Fink.”
At the time of the paper's release, Bitcoin had surged more than 32% over a 10-week period on its way to multiple record highs, as the Trump administration's digital asset policies reshaped the investment landscape, BTC exchange-traded funds mushroomed, and treasuries gobbled up the asset.
But the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization has recently struggled to break $90,000, falling as low as $81,000 in November as investors wrestled with macroeconomic turmoil that has weighed on risk assets. Edelman, though, has remained unbowed.
He said that institutional investors' ongoing optimism about cryptocurrencies and the widening adoption of blockchain networks underpinning these assets trumped concerns about crypto markets' price swoon. He noted Harvard University's regulatory filing last month showing a $116 million position in the BlackRock iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), the largest ETF tracking the market, among other institutions investing in crypto and related products.
“We are seeing massive levels of engagement and adoption, not just by traditional finance, but the entire Fortune 500,” Edelman said. “This can only serve to support and increase prices over the next several years.”
Cantor Slashes Strategy Price Target By 59%, Remains 'Long-Term Bullish' on Bitcoin Giant
Edelman called current price trends “routine” and no different than for other assets vulnerable to wider forces that prompt investors to take profits after lengthy price climbs. He concurred with other market observers who believe BTC sank as some early whales looked to cash in on early bets.
In his white paper, Edelman predicted that Bitcoin would reach a $19 trillion market capitalization—up more than 955% from its current value of nearly $1.8 trillion—and that given rising life expectancies, even 90-year olds should consider exposure to digital assets with their decisions based on risk tolerance, not age.
He said that Bitcoin's struggles are, if anything, a sign of its maturing.
“It's testimony to the fact that being lumped together with all other asset classes demonstrates better than ever that Bitcoin has become a mainstream asset, and that institutional investors are now treating Bitcoin the same way they're treating everything else,” he said. “That would not have been the case five, 10 years, or 15 years ago. The fact that it's the case today demonstrates the stability, permanence, and continued growth of crypto adoption by the institutional market.”
U.S. President Donald Trump took office early this year, with at least part of his 2024 election victory thanks to voters who took to heart campaign promises about a crypto-friendly administration.
So far, the Trump administration has indeed taken decisive pro-crypto steps, including signing an executive order rescinding Biden-era policies, establishing the President's Working Group on Digital Asset Markets, and prohibiting a U.S. CBDC. The administration also helped push the GENIUS Act — the first major federal crypto law for stablecoin regulation and dropped several enforcement cases tied to crypto firms.
Trump also established a strategic bitcoin reserve, though he disappointed some in deciding that the reserve will be funded with seized bitcoin, rather than fresh purchases.
Digital assets and blockchain technology, however, received zero mention in Trump's latest national security strategy. Instead, artificial intelligence, biotech, and quantum computing are highlighted as keys to U.S. tech leadership.
"We want to ensure that U.S. technology and U.S. standards — particularly in AI, biotech, and quantum computing — drive the world forward," the national security strategy statement released Friday said.
The omission could mean that President Trump and the U.S. establishment as a whole remain reluctant to see crypto as anything beyond just another financial asset rather than something that could give America a strategic edge.
Read: Trump's Security Strategy: Impact on Bitcoin, Gold, Bond Yields
Note: The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of CoinDesk, Inc. or its owners and affiliates.
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Protocol Research: GoPlus Security
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Crypto Has Reinvented and Replatformed the Middle Man
For those of us who want to use crypto to make the world better, we need to start calling out this behavior for what it is: short-sighted, selfish, unwelcome greed, says VeChain co-founder Sunny Lu.
Disclosure & Polices: CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk has adopted a set of principles aimed at ensuring the integrity, editorial independence and freedom from bias of its publications. CoinDesk is part of Bullish (NYSE:BLSH), an institutionally focused global digital asset platform that provides market infrastructure and information services. Bullish owns and invests in digital asset businesses and digital assets and CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive Bullish equity-based compensation.
U.S. President Donald Trump took office early this year, with at least part of his 2024 election victory thanks to voters who took to heart campaign promises about a crypto-friendly administration.
So far, the Trump administration has indeed taken decisive pro-crypto steps, including signing an executive order rescinding Biden-era policies, establishing the President's Working Group on Digital Asset Markets, and prohibiting a U.S. CBDC. The administration also helped push the GENIUS Act — the first major federal crypto law for stablecoin regulation and dropped several enforcement cases tied to crypto firms.
Trump also established a strategic bitcoin reserve, though he disappointed some in deciding that the reserve will be funded with seized bitcoin, rather than fresh purchases.
Digital assets and blockchain technology, however, received zero mention in Trump's latest national security strategy. Instead, artificial intelligence, biotech, and quantum computing are highlighted as keys to U.S. tech leadership.
"We want to ensure that U.S. technology and U.S. standards — particularly in AI, biotech, and quantum computing — drive the world forward," the national security strategy statement released Friday said.
The omission could mean that President Trump and the U.S. establishment as a whole remain reluctant to see crypto as anything beyond just another financial asset rather than something that could give America a strategic edge.
Read: Trump's Security Strategy: Impact on Bitcoin, Gold, Bond Yields
Note: The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of CoinDesk, Inc. or its owners and affiliates.
More For You
Protocol Research: GoPlus Security
What to know:
More For You
Crypto Has Reinvented and Replatformed the Middle Man
For those of us who want to use crypto to make the world better, we need to start calling out this behavior for what it is: short-sighted, selfish, unwelcome greed, says VeChain co-founder Sunny Lu.
Disclosure & Polices: CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk has adopted a set of principles aimed at ensuring the integrity, editorial independence and freedom from bias of its publications. CoinDesk is part of Bullish (NYSE:BLSH), an institutionally focused global digital asset platform that provides market infrastructure and information services. Bullish owns and invests in digital asset businesses and digital assets and CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive Bullish equity-based compensation.
The latest market conditions have pushed hopes of an altcoin season even further out of reach. Bitcoin continues to dominate the market with a 59.6% share, and its recent struggle to hold bullish momentum has not translated into any meaningful boost for altcoins.
Broader sentiment has weakened as well, with the CMC Altcoin Season Index registering just 20, which still places the entire market in a Bitcoin-favored phase. Meanwhile, a critical indication has been detected from on-chain data that suggests this may be a rare moment to accumulate strong altcoin positions before conditions eventually turn.
Altcoins Stay Subdued As Market Sentiment Worsens
Altcoin performance has really been lagging behind Bitcoin throughout this year, and the persistent weakness is now being reflected across multiple market indicators. Bitcoin's dominance has only increased, meaning the capital rotation that typically sparks an altcoin season has yet to begin.
The wait for an altcoin breakout has now stretched far longer than many anticipated. Even as the Bitcoin price is struggling, traders have not redirected liquidity toward altcoins. The leading cryptocurrency is now down by 28.9% from its October all-time high of $126,080. Instead, altcoins have also stayed muted, and their combined market cap shows no signs of outperforming the leading cryptocurrency.
Data from CoinMarketCap's Altcoin Season Index shows the reading is currently at 20. The low reading shows that altcoins are still losing ground relative to Bitcoin. To put this into context, the index was at a reading of 83 this time last year.
The sentiment is also evident in CoinMarketCap's Fear and Greed Index, which is now at 22. Readings this low signal hesitation across the market, as investors shy away from taking new positions, and this environment makes an altcoin season much harder to materialize.
CryptoQuant Data Signals A High-Value Accumulation Window
Technical analysis using data from on-chain analytics platform CryptoQuant shows that altcoin traders may be entering another window that has frequently been favorable for accumulation. The data compares the 30-day trading volume of altcoins against their yearly average and finds that current volumes have slipped back below that long-term line.
Each time this pattern has appeared in past cycles, it marked a period when activity was unusually quiet and traders were hesitant, but it also tended to show up just before the market picked up again.
According to the analysis, this drop in volume can be called a “buying zone,” which is a phase where dollar-cost averaging into selective altcoins has often paid off over time. These low-volume stretches can last for weeks or even months, giving investors enough room to build their positions gradually.
The message from the data is that this calmer part of the cycle may offer one of the better chances to position ahead of the next broader market move.
Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView
Select market data provided by ICE Data Services. Select reference data provided by FactSet. Copyright © 2025 FactSet Research Systems Inc.Copyright © 2025, American Bankers Association. CUSIP Database provided by FactSet Research Systems Inc. All rights reserved. SEC fillings and other documents provided by Quartr.© 2025 TradingView, Inc.
Technical indicators across multiple timeframes point to structural weakness despite brief breakout attempts above $2.05 resistance during overnight trading.
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Bitcoin's Deep Correction Sets Stage for December Rebound, Says K33 Research
K33 Research says market fear is outweighing fundamentals as bitcoin nears key levels. December could offer an entry point for bold investors.
What to know:
Disclosure & Polices: CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk has adopted a set of principles aimed at ensuring the integrity, editorial independence and freedom from bias of its publications. CoinDesk is part of Bullish (NYSE:BLSH), an institutionally focused global digital asset platform that provides market infrastructure and information services. Bullish owns and invests in digital asset businesses and digital assets and CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive Bullish equity-based compensation.
With the Bank of Japan (BOJ) expected to hike rates next week, some observers are worried that the Japanese yen could surge, triggering an unwinding of "carry trades," crushing bitcoin.
Their analysis, however, overlooks actual positioning in the FX and bond markets, missing the nuance and far more likely risk that Japanese yields, by anchoring and potentially lifting global bond yields, could eventually weigh over risk assets rather than the yen itself.
Before diving deeper, let's break down the yen carry trade and its influence on global markets over the past few decades.
The yen (JPY) carry trade involves investors borrowing yen at low rates in Japan and investing in high-yielding assets. For decades, Japan kept interest rates pinned near zero, prompting traders to borrow in yen and invest in U.S. tech stocks and U.S. Treasury notes.
As Charles Schwab noted, "Going long on tech and short on the yen were two very popular trades, because for many years, the yen had been the cheapest major funding currency and tech was consistently profitable."
With the BOJ expected to raise rates, concerns are rising that the yen will lose its cheap-funding status, making carry trades less attractive. Higher Japanese interest rates and JGB yields, along with a strengthening yen, could trigger carry trade unwinds – Japanese capital repatriating from overseas assets and sparking broad risk aversion, including in BTC, as witnessed in August 2025.
This analysis, however, lacks nuance on several levels.
First and foremost, Japanese rates – even after the expected hike – would sit at just 0.75%, versus 3.75% in the U.S. The yield differential would still remain wide enough to favor U.S. assets and discourage mass unwinding of carry trades. In other words, BOJ will remain the most dovish major central bank.
Secondly, the impending BOJ rate hike is hardly unexpected and is already priced in, as evidenced by Japanese government bond (JGB) yields hovering near multi-decade highs. The benchmark 10-year JGB yield currently stands at 1.95%, which is more than 100 basis points above the official Japanese benchmark interest rate of 0.75% projected after the hike. The same can said about the two-year Japanese yield, which is hovering above 1%.
This disconnect between bond yields and policy rates suggests market expectations for tighter monetary conditions are likely already priced in, reducing the shock value of the rate adjustment itself.
"Japan's 1.7% JGB yield isn't a surprise. It has been in forward markets for more than a year, and investors have already repositioned for BOJ normalization since 2023," InvestingLive's Chief Asia-Pacific Currency Analyst Eamonn Sheridan said in a recent explainer.
Lastly, speculators' net long yen positions leave little room for panic buying post-rate hike, and even less reason for carry trade unwinds.
Data tracked by Investing.com shows that speculators' net positioning has been consistently bullish on the yen since February this year.
This starkly contrasts with mid-2024, when speculators were bearish on the yen. That likely triggered panic buying of the yen when the BOJ raised rates from 0.25% to 0.5% on July 31, 2024, leading to the unwinding of carry trades and losses in stocks and cryptocurrencies.
Another notable difference back then was that the 10-year yield was on the verge of breaking above 1% for the first time in decades, which likely triggered a shock adjustment. That's no longer the case, as yields have been above 1% and rising for months, as discussed earlier.
The yen's role as a risk-on/risk-off barometer has come under question recently, with the Swiss franc emerging as a rival offering relatively lower rates and reduced volatility.
To conclude, the expected BOJ rate hike could bring volatility, but it is unlikely to be anything like what was seen in August 2025. Investors have already positioned for tightening, as Schwab noted, and adjustments to BOJ tightening are likely to happen gradually and are already partially underway.
Other things being equal, the real risk lies in Japanese tightening sustaining elevated U.S. Treasury yields, countering the impact of expected Fed rate cuts.
This dynamic could dampen global risk appetite, as persistently high yields raise borrowing costs and weigh on asset valuations, including those of cryptocurrencies and equities.
Rather than a sudden yen surge unwinding carry trades, watch BOJ's broader global market impact.
Another macro risk: President Trump's push for global fiscal expansion, which could stoke debt fears, lift bond yields, and trigger risk aversion.
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What to know:
Disclosure & Polices: CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk has adopted a set of principles aimed at ensuring the integrity, editorial independence and freedom from bias of its publications. CoinDesk is part of Bullish (NYSE:BLSH), an institutionally focused global digital asset platform that provides market infrastructure and information services. Bullish owns and invests in digital asset businesses and digital assets and CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive Bullish equity-based compensation.
Stock Analysis
Reviewed by Simply Wall St
WisdomTree (WT) just rolled out its Equity Premium Income Digital Fund, pairing a traditional put write strategy with blockchain based tokenization, and that mix is exactly what has investors rechecking their assumptions on the stock.
See our latest analysis for WisdomTree.
The launch of the digital premium income fund comes as WisdomTree's 1 day share price return of 1.86 percent and 7 day share price return of 4.08 percent hint that sentiment is stabilising after a tougher 90 day stretch. At the same time, a 3 year total shareholder return of 125.06 percent shows the longer term trend is still firmly positive.
If this kind of innovation has your attention, it could be a good moment to explore fast growing stocks with high insider ownership as you hunt for the next wave of high conviction ideas.
With shares pulling back over 90 days but still trading nearly 30 percent below consensus targets, is WisdomTree quietly cheap after its latest digital fund launch, or is the market already pricing in the next leg of growth?
Against a last close of $11.49, the most followed narrative points to a fair value near $14.79, implying meaningful upside if its assumptions play out.
The continued global shift from active to passive investing remains a powerful driver for WisdomTree's core ETF business, as evidenced by broad-based net inflows, growing international scale, and record AUM, which should translate to higher revenue and improved operating leverage.
Read the complete narrative.
Curious how double digit growth, rising margins, and a lower future earnings multiple can still support upside from here? The narrative's math might surprise you.
Result: Fair Value of $14.79 (UNDERVALUED)
Have a read of the narrative in full and understand what's behind the forecasts.
However, rising fee compression and potential setbacks in digital asset regulation could quickly erode margins and challenge the growth reflected in this valuation.
Find out about the key risks to this WisdomTree narrative.
On simple earnings maths, WisdomTree looks less clear cut. The current price to earnings ratio sits at 16.6 times, below the US market at 18.7 times and well under Capital Markets peers at 24 times, yet still above a fair ratio of 15.1 times that the market could drift toward over time.
That gap suggests a modest valuation risk rather than an obvious bargain, especially if growth expectations or sentiment cool. Investors need to decide whether the digital and buyback story is strong enough to keep the multiple from sliding toward that lower fair ratio.
See what the numbers say about this price — find out in our valuation breakdown.
If you see things differently or would rather dig into the numbers yourself, you can build a custom view in just a few minutes: Do it your way.
A great starting point for your WisdomTree research is our analysis highlighting 4 key rewards and 1 important warning sign that could impact your investment decision.
Do not stop at one promising opportunity when you can quickly scan fresh ideas with strong fundamentals, compelling themes, and the potential to accelerate your portfolio's momentum.
This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data
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Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.
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Ethereum is stabilizing above a key support zone after recent losses, but analysts warn that the next move hinges on sustained volume and successful EMA retests.
Ethereum's price movements in early December show a constructive rebound following a corrective phase in November. After retesting a descending trendline and reclaiming the short-term EMA cluster, ETH has stabilized near the $3,050 support zone. Maintaining this level could influence the next resistance tests around $3,400–$3,500. However, analysts caution that these scenarios are not guaranteed and depend on market participation and liquidity conditions.
ETH/USD has been in a corrective downtrend on the daily chart, with recent price action approaching a supply zone between $3,500 and $3,700. Supply zones represent areas where selling pressure historically outweighs buying, often causing price consolidation or pullbacks. The primary support below remains in the $2,400–$2,550 range, which was significant during Ethereum's prior rally.
ETH/USD shows short-term bullish momentum toward $3.3k–$3.4k, but a drop below $2.95k could revisit $2.8k lows. Source: CyrilXBT via X
According to cryptocurrency analyst CyrilXBT, if ETH holds above the $3.0k–$3.05k zone during pullbacks, the price could push toward the $3.3k–$3.4k range. This perspective highlights the importance of the $3,050 level as a pivot for short-term bullish momentum. Nonetheless, failure to defend this support could lead to a retest of lower demand zones.
On the 4-hour chart, ETH has reclaimed the EMA ribbon—a cluster of exponential moving averages that helps traders gauge short-term momentum. A successful EMA reclaim often signals that buyers are regaining control, while failure to hold can indicate potential weakness. A breakout from the prior trading range, accompanied by elevated volume, suggests possible continuation, but analysts note the rally remains corrective rather than impulsive.
ETH holds short-term support near $2,964–$2,957 but faces key resistance at the 100- and 200-day EMAs ($3,013–$3,206). Source: TradingView
Market commentator Jainam Mehta, “The chart shows cleaner higher-low formations on both the 4-hour and daily charts.” Higher-low patterns are significant because they indicate that buyers are entering on dips, providing incremental support for potential upward movement. ETH currently trades above the 20-day and 50-day EMAs near $2,964 and $2,957, which may act as near-term support.
Critical resistance levels are located at the 100-day and 200-day EMAs, around $3,013 and $3,206, respectively. Historically, these EMAs have served as supply zones during prior rallies. A sustained move above these thresholds could open the way for targets near $3,360 and $3,477, with a larger pivot around $3,566.
On the downside, failure to hold $3,050 or rejection at the 200-day EMA could lead to a deeper pullback. Immediate downside targets include the psychological $2,900 level and the 50-day EMA at $2,957. Further declines could extend toward $2,800–$2,720, particularly if high leverage accelerates selling pressure.
Analysts emphasize that these levels provide structural reference points but warn that short-term volatility may create false signals, such as EMA whipsaws or liquidity sweeps.
The Fusaka upgrade, activated on December 3, improves Layer 2 settlements and lowers node costs, offering some fundamental support. According to on-chain data provider Glassnode, Ethereum has recovered approximately 45% from November lows. Spot market inflows also indicate renewed interest, with ETH registering $58.10 million in net inflows on December 3—the largest in over a month.
ETH/USD is retracing within a rising channel; holding $3,074 and breaking $3,466 could extend a short-term rally toward $3,834, while rejection risks a drop to $2,644. Source: Elise-Golden-Spar on TradingView
Derivatives data show rising open interest totaling $38.34 billion, suggesting that institutional and high-volume traders are positioning for potential volatility. However, these metrics carry dual interpretations: while they indicate accumulation, they may also imply an elevated risk of liquidation if the price reverses suddenly.
Long-term Ethereum price predictions for 2025 remain uncertain. Market participants should consider potential macroeconomic factors, the pace of Ethereum network upgrades, and competition from other smart contract platforms. Even with technical and fundamental support, outcomes can diverge significantly based on adoption trends, regulatory developments, and broader crypto market sentiment.
Short-term scenarios suggest that ETH could approach $3,400–$3,500 if support around $3,050 holds. Key resistance at $3,500–$3,700 will determine whether the rally extends. Traders should also monitor volume confirmation, EMA behavior, and market positioning.
ETH/USD bounces toward $3,500–$3,700 resistance, with support at $2,400–$2,550; a break higher targets $4,400–$4,800, while rejection risks $1,400–$1,000. Source: CryptoSanders9563 on TradingView
Conversely, failure to clear resistance or a breakdown below $3,050 could trigger a sharper correction. Risk management is crucial in this environment, as algorithmic trading and leverage could magnify price swings. Analysts recommend tracking both structural signals (EMA clusters, support/resistance zones, higher-lows) and short-term noise (liquidity sweeps, sudden inflow spikes) to distinguish reliable trends.
Ethereum currently shows tentative signs of stabilization, with short-term support holding near $3,050 and technical indicators improving. Both bullish and bearish outcomes are possible, and the outcome will depend on the interplay among market participation, resistance levels, and macro factors.
Ethereum was trading at around 3,191.64, up 4.43% in the last 24 hours at press time. Source: Ethereum price via Brave New Coin
Investors and traders are advised to watch for sustained closes above key EMAs, monitor supply zones, and assess liquidity trends. While early accumulation is evident, the broader market trend remains cautious, underscoring the need for disciplined risk management and vigilance against potential volatility.
Brave New Coin reaches 1M+ engaged crypto enthusiasts a month through our website, podcast, newsletters, and YouTube. Get your brand in front of key decision-makers and early adopters before 2025 ends. Lock in current rates now—limited November & December slots remaining! Find out more today!
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It's not user-friendly, and it won't do much that way, but it's highly extensible.
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There's no two ways about it: Windows 11 is absurdly heavy. Writing as someone who has been here since the days of DOS 3.3, it is patently ridiculous how pathetic Windows 11 makes multi-gigahertz multicore machines look. If only there was something smaller. Something like... I mean, yeah, Linux, but the download for Bazzite is like eight gigs, and it wants over fifty gigabytes of space once it's installed. What about something like the systems of my youth? What about Tiny Core Linux?
Tiny Core Linux is the extreme alternative to Windows 11, a true example of just how small a functional desktop operating system can be, even now in 2025. The latest release, Tiny Core Linux 16.2, which was published at the end of September, comes in at roughly 23MB for the standard "TinyCore" edition. That's not 23MB of installer data followed by gigabytes of packages, but 23MB for the entire bootable system with a graphical desktop—no Internet required. There's an even smaller "Core" version if you don't need a GUI, at just 17 MB.
This isn't a prank, and it isn't just a "look how small we made Linux!" gimmick. Tiny Core Linux is a real, maintained distribution with current kernels all the way up to 6.12, modern libraries, system extension repositories, and working support for contemporary hardware. It's extremely small because the project has a very strict, long-standing philosophy: keep the base minimal, load everything else as modular extensions, and run the whole system in RAM when possible.
Of course, Tiny Core Linux isn't the only ultra-lightweight distro out there. SliTaz requires a bit more space, but packs more built-in features (including a browser). Meanwhile, Slax is specifically designed to run as a small, live-USB-friendly system aimed at physical portability; it's larger, but more compatible with mainstream Linux software. Those projects aim to be something more like "small but complete" out of the box.
Tiny Core takes a different approach, as its base system is intentionally incomplete. You get the kernel, the BusyBox utility package, a tiny GUI stack based on FLTK/FLWM, and that's about it. Anything beyond the absolute minimum, including a browser, any multimedia support, extra drivers, et cetera — it all gets installed as an extension through Tiny Core's repository system, which functions kind of like a minimal app store. Since those extensions aren't baked into the ISO, the default download stays microscopic.
This modular approach is powerful, but it also means Tiny Core demands a certain level of Linux comfort. Users are expected to know what they want to install, how Linux file systems work, and how to handle system configuration by hand, the old-fashioned way. It's not a beginner-friendly distro, and doesn't try to be. If you're fighting Windows 11 fatigue and looking to leap to Linux, jumping to Tiny Core is a bit like ditching your Ford Edsel for a unicycle.
The fun historical wrinkle is that 23MB used to be a luxury. You could run Windows 3.0 in as little as 1 MB of RAM. Early 90s Linux distributions fit entire operating systems —with the kernel, its drivers, management tools, and X11 — onto a couple of floppy diskettes. The difference is that those systems didn't have to support modern hardware stacks, wireless networking, USB3 controllers, or graphics acceleration. Once you bring in contemporary kernels and libraries, even the most aggressively stripped-down environment gains weight.
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Despite the novelty factor, though, Tiny Core Linux's diminutive dimensions aren't just a party trick. Its tiny footprint and RAM-centric design make it useful for resurrecting very old hardware, embedded or appliance-style systems, hyper-minimal rescue environments, extremely fast boot-to-desktop setups, and custom Linux builds where every byte counts. It's one of the most important Linux distributions, specifically because of its design philosophy.
If you're comfortable configuring a system from the ground up, Tiny Core Linux remains one of the most flexible, smallest, and fastest ways to get a real desktop Linux environment running on almost anything, right down to that 90s-era beige box gathering dust in your closet. For most Linux users, though, we'd recommend starting with something more user-friendly. Have you tried Linux Mint?
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Zak is a freelance contributor to Tom's Hardware with decades of PC benchmarking experience who has also written for HotHardware and The Tech Report. A modern-day Renaissance man, he may not be an expert on anything, but he knows just a little about nearly everything.
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The lovely bead-blasted metal wedge design of this computer will win retro-fans. But its AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS, 96GB DDR5 RAM and ‘Workbench' Linux-based OS are also strong draws at $1,999.
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London-based Caligra recently showcased its c100 Developer Terminal, touted as a brand-new computer platform. At a San Francisco Bay Area event, interested parties were given a sneak peek of the retro-licious wedge form factor metal bead-blasted computer. “Designed from the ground up for experts,” the c100 targets those wanting a computer that is “made for making,” and is purposed to accelerate your work.
San Francisco - this Thursday @coffeejunk and I are hosting a little meetup for @caligracomputer. Come and check out the c100: https://t.co/r71dRo1sop pic.twitter.com/N8YK0VbRL0November 5, 2025
Caligra is quite bold in its marketing of the c100, as you will already have grasped. The company takes the following stance, “We think the world needs a brand of computing that stands behind creative technical work, dedicated to creating instead of consuming.” Thus, the Caligra c100 is aimed unwaveringly at “Scientists and artists. Engineers and designers. Hackers and painters.”
Whether its ambitious plans will succeed will rely on a number of factors. We've already highlighted the design, with various images. Other essentials that it will have to get on target are the hardware specs, software, and pricing.
Though it looks reminiscent of a wedge computer of old, the c100 is, of course, thoroughly modern inside. According to the pre-order specs, buyers of the so-called Developer Terminal will get:
CPU
AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS (8C/16T, 4GHz base, 5.2GHz boost)
RAM
96GB DDR5 (slotted)
Storage
1TB M.2 storage (slotted)
Chassis
Bead-blasted metal
Keyboard
Tactile low-profile mechanical switches
Those are respectable specs for a modern computer. The integrated design is also pleasingly premium. It looks nicely portable, too, an aspect of the c100 that isn't made a lot of by the company.
Caligra has named its c100 OS ‘Workbench.' That's retro-famously the GUI that was rolled out with the Commodore Amiga computer line, but is not at all related to it. To cut a long story short, this new Workbench is Linux-based.
We like the approach of Workbench, billed as “An OS that does less,” so that your work can take center stage, and be what you focus on. It may resonate with users who are fed up with OS bloat, AI, cloud, etc
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“We've removed the distractions, so it's just you and your ideas. A clear space for deep thought,” says Caligra. “With a focus unlike anything available from big tech, Workbench is entirely dedicated to accelerating your work.”
Workbench uses an rpm-based core system, but while it is “not a distribution,” it is touted as an ideal host for containers and packages from open source and commercial repositories. Specifically, packages from the Fedora project can be added by root users, and tools like distrobox allow for software from other distros to be added.
Unlike a truly bespoke, clean sheet, ‘new computer system,' if Workbench development ended one day, we don't see any reason that you wouldn't be able to use this hardware for a Windows, or other flavor of Linux, install. Hopefully, that doesn't jinx it…
We did a rough calculation of the component hardware costs of the c100, and considered several unique parts central to this pleasing design. We think it would cost between $1,200 and $1,500 to make something similar, hardware-wise. So at $1,999 for the product, software, industrial design, support, and so on, the c100 seems like a reasonable proposition. You can pre-order 'Batch One' machines now for a $99 deposit, with shipments pencilled in for January 2026.
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Mark Tyson is a news editor at Tom's Hardware. He enjoys covering the full breadth of PC tech; from business and semiconductor design to products approaching the edge of reason.
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New research identifies more than thirty vulnerabilities across AI coding tools, revealing a universal attack chain that affects every major AI-integrated IDE tested.
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A six-month investigation into AI-assisted development tools has uncovered over thirty security vulnerabilities that allow data exfiltration and, in some cases, remote code execution. The findings, described in the IDEsaster research report, show how AI agents embedded in IDEs such as Visual Studio Code, JetBrains products, Zed, and numerous commercial assistants can be manipulated into leaking sensitive information or executing attacker-controlled code.
According to the research, 100% of tested AI IDEs and coding assistants were vulnerable. Products affected include GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Windsurf, Kiro.dev, Zed.dev, Roo Code, Junie, Cline, Gemini CLI, and Claude Code, with at least twenty-four assigned CVEs and additional advisories from AWS.
The core issue comes from how AI agents interact with long-standing IDE features. These editors were never designed for autonomous components capable of reading, editing, and generating files. When AI assistants gained these abilities, previously benign features became attack surfaces.
“All AI IDEs... effectively ignore the base software... in their threat model. They treat their features as inherently safe because they've been there for years. However, once you add AI agents that can act autonomously, the same features can be weaponized into data exfiltration and RCE primitives,” said security researcher Ari Marzouk, speaking to The Hacker News.
According to the research report, this is an IDE-agnostic attack chain, beginning with context hijacking via prompt injection. Hidden instructions can be planted in rule files, READMEs, file names, or outputs from malicious MCP servers. Once an agent processes that context, its tools can be directed to perform legitimate actions that trigger unsafe behaviors in the base IDE. The final stage abuses built-in features to extract data or execute attacker code across any AI IDE sharing that base software layer.
One documented example involves writing a JSON file that references a remote schema. The IDE automatically fetches that schema, leaking parameters embedded by the agent, including sensitive data collected earlier in the chain. Visual Studio Code, JetBrains IDEs, and Zed all exhibited this behavior. Even developer safeguards like diff previews did not suppress the outbound request.
Another case study demonstrates full remote code execution through manipulated IDE settings. By editing an executable file already present in the workspace and then modifying configuration fields such as php.validate.executablePath, an attacker can cause the IDE to immediately run arbitrary code the moment a related file type is opened or created. JetBrains tools show similar exposure through workspace metadata.
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The report concludes that short term, the vulnerability class cannot be eliminated because current IDEs were not built under what the researcher calls the “Secure for AI” principle. Mitigations exist for both developers and tool vendors, but the long-term fix requires fundamentally redesigning how IDEs allow AI agents to read, write, and act inside projects.
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Luke James is a freelance writer and journalist. Although his background is in legal, he has a personal interest in all things tech, especially hardware and microelectronics, and anything regulatory.
Tom's Hardware is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.
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Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street,
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NY 10036.
New research identifies more than thirty vulnerabilities across AI coding tools, revealing a universal attack chain that affects every major AI-integrated IDE tested.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here's how it works.
A six-month investigation into AI-assisted development tools has uncovered over thirty security vulnerabilities that allow data exfiltration and, in some cases, remote code execution. The findings, described in the IDEsaster research report, show how AI agents embedded in IDEs such as Visual Studio Code, JetBrains products, Zed, and numerous commercial assistants can be manipulated into leaking sensitive information or executing attacker-controlled code.
According to the research, 100% of tested AI IDEs and coding assistants were vulnerable. Products affected include GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Windsurf, Kiro.dev, Zed.dev, Roo Code, Junie, Cline, Gemini CLI, and Claude Code, with at least twenty-four assigned CVEs and additional advisories from AWS.
The core issue comes from how AI agents interact with long-standing IDE features. These editors were never designed for autonomous components capable of reading, editing, and generating files. When AI assistants gained these abilities, previously benign features became attack surfaces.
“All AI IDEs... effectively ignore the base software... in their threat model. They treat their features as inherently safe because they've been there for years. However, once you add AI agents that can act autonomously, the same features can be weaponized into data exfiltration and RCE primitives,” said security researcher Ari Marzouk, speaking to The Hacker News.
According to the research report, this is an IDE-agnostic attack chain, beginning with context hijacking via prompt injection. Hidden instructions can be planted in rule files, READMEs, file names, or outputs from malicious MCP servers. Once an agent processes that context, its tools can be directed to perform legitimate actions that trigger unsafe behaviors in the base IDE. The final stage abuses built-in features to extract data or execute attacker code across any AI IDE sharing that base software layer.
One documented example involves writing a JSON file that references a remote schema. The IDE automatically fetches that schema, leaking parameters embedded by the agent, including sensitive data collected earlier in the chain. Visual Studio Code, JetBrains IDEs, and Zed all exhibited this behavior. Even developer safeguards like diff previews did not suppress the outbound request.
Another case study demonstrates full remote code execution through manipulated IDE settings. By editing an executable file already present in the workspace and then modifying configuration fields such as php.validate.executablePath, an attacker can cause the IDE to immediately run arbitrary code the moment a related file type is opened or created. JetBrains tools show similar exposure through workspace metadata.
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The report concludes that short term, the vulnerability class cannot be eliminated because current IDEs were not built under what the researcher calls the “Secure for AI” principle. Mitigations exist for both developers and tool vendors, but the long-term fix requires fundamentally redesigning how IDEs allow AI agents to read, write, and act inside projects.
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Luke James is a freelance writer and journalist. Although his background is in legal, he has a personal interest in all things tech, especially hardware and microelectronics, and anything regulatory.
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While the Archer GE400 has comprehensive gaming features, wireless performance is inconsistent, and it's hard to justify the price.
Highly configurable app and web GUI
Attractive design with customizable RGB light strip
Two 2.5 GbE ports and dedicated gaming features
Mixed bag with 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz performance
Much cheaper TP-Link Archer BE3600 delivers more consistent performance
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TP-Link covers every corner of the consumer wireless router market, particularly in the Wi-Fi 7 realm. The company offers sub-$100 dual-band routers, compact travel routers, tri-band gaming routers, and even high-end quad-band mesh routers for the most discerning enthusiasts. Now, the company is branching out with a new dual-band gaming router: the Archer GE400.
This product slots in under the tri-band Archer GE550, GE650, and GE800. The Archer GE400 features a wealth of ports, along with a host of software features that cater to gamers looking to get that extra edge during fierce online competitions. While all of this sounds good on paper, we found that the Archer GE400 had spotty performance on our wireless tests, which made us question its value proposition against the cheaper Archer BE3600, which is one of the best Wi-Fi routers.
For a wireless router, the Archer GE400 has a bold design with sharp lines and six movable antennas to improve wireless transmission. There are triangular banks of ventilation slats on the top of the router, and a mesh ventilation network on the bottom. However, the eye-catching feature of the Archer GE400 is a single, vertical LED strip mounted on the top of the router. It's configurable using either the web GUI or TP-Link's Tether smartphone app for its routers. You can turn off the LED strip altogether or choose from several lighting patterns.
TP-Link includes a USB 3.0 port on the side of the router for connecting storage devices, but the rest of the ports are on the back. Here (from left to right), you'll find a button to turn off the LED strip, a reset button, a 2.5 GbE WAN port, a 2.5 GbE gaming port, three GbE LAN ports, the power port, and the on/off button.
There are two mounting points on the bottom of the router for attaching it to the wall.
MSRP
Wi-Fi Standard
# of Bands
2.4 GHz Speeds
5 GHz Speeds
Coverage
Ports
TP-Link Archer GE400
$219.99
Wi-Fi 7
2
688 Mbps
5,764 Mbps
2,600 sq ft
1 x 2.5G WAN, 1x 2.5G LAN, 3 x 1G LAN, 1x USB 3.0
TP-Link Archer BE3600
$99.99
Wi-Fi 7
2
688 Mbps
5,764 Mbps
3,000 sq ft
1 x 2.5G WAN, 1x 2.5G LAN, 3 x 1G LAN, 1x USB 3.0, 1x USB 3.2, 1x USB 3.0
Asus RT-BE86U
$249.99
Wi-Fi 7
2
1,032 Mbps
5,764 Mbps
2,750 sq ft
1 x 10G WAN/LAN, 1x 2.5G WAN/LAN, 3x 2.5G LAN
Asus RT-BE88U
$349.99
Wi-Fi 7
2
1,376 Mbps
5,764 Mbps
3,000 sq ft
1x 10G WAN/LAN, 1x 10G SFP+, 1x 2G WAN/LAN, 3x 2.5G LAN, 1x USB 3.2
The Archer GE400 can be initialized using either a web GUI (in a desktop browser) or the TP-Link Tether app. To speed things along, I opted to use the Tether app due to its ease of use. Once I opened the app, I tapped the “+” symbol in the top-right corner and chose to add a standard router. The setup program then asked me to scan the QR code on the bottom of the router with my smartphone's camera. Next, my phone asked me to join the temporary wireless network to set up the Archer GE400.
From there, things were pretty simple: I was tasked with creating an admin password to log in to the router and choosing an SSID. By default, the Archer GE400 enabled Smart Connect, which combines the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands under a single SSID (I chose Archer_GE400). More on that later.
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Finally, I was given the option to turn on automatic firmware updates for the router. The entire process took less than 5 minutes, with the required steps clearly outlined and explained for novices.
Although I used the Tether app to set up the Archer GE400, I switched to the web GUI for the rest of my testing. The interface's overall aesthetic is pleasing, dominated by black and red. This is a stark departure from the white and blue design theme that you'll find on non-gaming Deco and Archer routers from TP-Link.
There are six tabs across the top of the GUI: Network Map, Game Center, Internet, Wireless, HomeShield, and Advanced. Network Map outlines your current connection type, internet IP address, and current router uptime. You'll also see an overview of the currently enabled SSIDs, CPU/memory loads, and a visual representation of which physical WAN/LAN ports are active. Finally, a Connect Clients feature shows you which devices are currently connected to the router and how they are connected (wired, 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz).
The Game Center tab is what separates the Archer GE400 from TP-Link's other, more basic dual-band Wi-Fi 7 routers like the Archer BE3600. The primary Game Panel shows you current network traffic, CPU/memory load, connected USB devices, and allows you to configure the RGB strip on the top of the router.
Delving deeper into the submenus, there are options for Game Application Boost (which lets you specify the total bandwidth you want to dedicate to gaming devices), Game Server Acceleration via WTFast, and traffic priority per LAN port. Other features include Game Port Forwarding, network traffic statistics for the games you play, and Game Detector, which shows you ping times in real-time for popular game servers.
The Internet tab is basic, as it only shows your current connection type and allows you to clone a MAC address for the router.
The Wireless tab lets you control all the available SSIDs on the Archer GE400. By default, the Archer GE400 enabled Smart Connect, which combines the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands into a single SSID and routes devices to the optimal band. I prefer to keep a separate SSID for each band, so I disabled Smart Connect and created two SSIDs: Archer_GE400 for the 2.4 GHz band and Archer_GE400_5G for the 5 GHz band. You can also create an MLO network, allowing you to simultaneously send and receive data on the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. Finally, TP-Link will enable you to create separate Guest and IoT networks — you can configure either to allow only 2.4 GHz traffic, only 5 GHz traffic, or both.
The HomeShield tab includes a Network Check function that scans your network for security issues. Parental Controls are also available which you can specify per device.
Finally, the Advanced tab is where you'll find more granular control of features that gaming enthusiasts might want to tweak. Many of the functions from the previous five main tabs are also duplicated here, but you'll also find other additions like SpeedTest, an option to create an EasyMesh network with another supported router, VPN integration, firmware updates, backup/restore of router settings, and a router reboot schedule (among many other features).
I tested the Archer GE400 using our tried and true, purpose-built testing client rig, which includes an MSI Pro B650M-A Wi-Fi motherboard, AMD Ryzen 5 7600 processor, 32GB of DDR5 memory, a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, an MSI Herald-BE Wi-Fi 7 adapter (Qualcomm NCM865), and Windows 11 Home. Windows 11 has all the latest software updates installed, while the Herald-BE is running the latest drivers available from MSI's support website. The server is a Windows 11 Home machine with a 10 GbE network card connected to the 2.5 GbE Game LAN port on the Archer GE400 router.
As always, benchmark results may vary widely depending on the layout of your home, apartment, or office. Home construction, wall thickness, the choice of materials in the flooring, and even the number of walls between the router and clients can affect performance. So, while the results that I present are consistent, given that the testing locations and methodology that I use in my home don't change, they might not align with what you might see in your specific home or office environment.
Our iPerf3 throughput tests are conducted at six-foot and 25-foot distances, with and without traffic on the network. In the congested traffic tests, we add six wireless clients streaming 4K YouTube videos across multiple wireless bands.
One word sums up the performance I was able to extract from the Archer GE400: disappointing. When it comes to baseline wireless performance, the Archer GE400 should offer comparable performance to the dual-band Archer BE3600. However, our results showed the Archer GE400 lagging behind its cheaper sibling in nearly every metric.
The Archer GE400 brought up the rear of the pack in our 5GHz iPerf3 test with no additional network traffic. The router achieved 951 Mbps at close range (6 feet), which put it nearly 200 Mbps behind the Archer BE3600 and even further behind the Asus RT-BE86U (1,473 Mbps) and the RT-BE88U (1,256 Mbps). It wasn't much better at 25 feet, though the Archer GE400 managed 552 Mbps, compared to just 382 Mbps for the sub-$100 Archer BE3600.
Things looked slightly better for the Archer GE400 with the 2.4 GHz test, where it hit 135 Mbps at 6 feet, putting it in second place behind the Archer BE3600 (214 Mbps). However, when stretching out to 25 feet, the Archer GE400 lagged all competitors at 36 Mbps.
In our iPerf3 test, with congested traffic, the Archer GE400 secured third place with 882 Mbps at 6 feet and even came in first place (478 Mbps) at 25 feet. It was another mixed bag with congested traffic on the 2.4 GHz band -- the Archer GE400 snagged second place with 102 Mbps, while the Archer BE3600 led the field at 205 Mbps. However, the Archer GE400's fickleness reared its ugly head again at 25 feet, where it finished last with 31 Mbps.
The TP-Link Archer GE400 features an angular design and RGB lighting meant to appeal to gamers, and includes a 2.5 GbE WAN and an additional dedicated 2.5 GbE gaming port. TP-Link also provides a comprehensive suite of gaming-related enhancements that can be configured via the Tether smartphone app or the web GUI.
However, those pluses clash with its real-world wireless performance, which was a mixed bag. Short-range performance on the 5 GHz band lagged its rivals, although the tables turned at longer distances. Conversely, the Archer GE400 showed relatively strong performance at short range on the 2.4 GHz band but faltered at long range.
The biggest knock against the Archer GE400, however, is pricing. The router has an MSRP of $219.99, but is currently available at Amazon for $169.99 after a $50 instant discount. For comparison, the Archer BE3600, which offers faster and more consistent wireless performance, is available for just $89.99. If you can look past the fancy RGB lighting and don't need the gaming-specific tweaks, it's hard to justify the $80 price differential.
Brandon Hill is a senior editor at Tom's Hardware. He has written about PC and Mac tech since the late 1990s with bylines at AnandTech, DailyTech, and Hot Hardware. When he is not consuming copious amounts of tech news, he can be found enjoying the NC mountains or the beach with his wife and two sons.
Tom's Hardware is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.
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Reading time 7 minutes
There are some monitors that force you to involuntarily pucker your lips and utter a silent “ooh.” That normally happens long after you fit the base and arm into the display and turn it on for the first time. When unboxing the 40-inch 4K Samsung Odyssey G7, I found I was much more excited by the promise of its fine black exterior and RGB ring light, not to mention its massive frame and sweeping 1,000R curve. But actually looking at it with the lights on shocked me with a sense of disappointment. Disappointment turns into acceptance, and acceptance inevitably becomes boredom.
I first laid eyes on the Odyssey G75F (model number LS40FG75DENXZA) earlier this year. It was an odd middle child between the 27-inch OLED Odyssey G6 with its blistering 360Hz refresh rate and the 27-inch OLED Odyssey G8 with its 4K, 240Hz panel (2025 was filled to the brim with this type of monitor). The Odyssey G7 offers something much different: a 40-inch curved screen with a fast 180Hz refresh rate (a rarity for ultrawide monitors). The only thing is, it doesn't come with OLED but with a VA panel. Compared to organic light-emitting diode—a screen type that uses self-emissive colors to generate better contrast and deeper blacks—VA is closer to traditional LCD. The acronym stands for vertical alignment, which relates to the crystals inside the liquid crystal display. This type of display offers better contrast than other forms of LCD. This monitor is also solid with its 140 ppi (pixels per inch) density, meaning it can offer a relatively crisp image despite its size.
Samsung Odyssey G7
While it may lack the prestine picture of OLED, Samsung's Odyssey G7 is still a big and engrossing 40-inch gaming monitor. Just don't use it near any open windows.
Pros
Cons
There are some consumers who prefer LCD technology to OLED. I'm not here to debate the merits of higher-brightness LCDs versus typically lower-brightness, more energy-dependent OLED. However, you're better off determining whether the contrast is worth it for the price. The Odyssey G7 retails for $1,200. However, Samsung routinely discounts it to around $750 (and sometimes Amazon has it for even less). Samsung's Odyssey monitors—and its TVs for that matter—are usually more expensive than most other brands with the same technology. For any price, there are still trade-offs aplenty.
You're mainly looking at this monitor for its size. A 40-inch screen is nothing to laugh at. On our office gaming desk we set up for testing PCs, its wingspan manages to nearly consume the table from port to starboard. Its 1,000R curve is far more dramatic than other, smaller 1800R curved monitors. A 34-inch Philips Evnia QD-OLED and the 32-inch Alienware AW3225QF won't feel nearly as immersive as the Odyssey G7. None of these monitors reach the scale of the utterly massive 57-inch Odyssey Neo G9, but what does?
The curve nearly captures your eyes in its embrace. For gamers, it's a truly different experience than if you're used to flatter displays. The 4K monitor actually reaches a wider 5,120 x 2,160 resolution (sometimes called WUHD) than the typical 4K size of 3,840 x 2,160 (UHD). The Odyssey G7 sports a 21:9 aspect ratio supported by some, but not all games. It's a similar story for streaming content as well. Some movies and shows on your favored streaming platform may support the ultrawide aspect ratio, but others won't.
As much as choosing your content may be confusing, setting up the Odyssey G7 is a straightforward affair. You stick the flat base into the monitor stand, screw it in, then shove the monitor arm into the awaiting socket. And voila, you're ready to play. The monitor only comes with two HDMI 2.1 and a single DisplayPort 1.4 input. There are an additional two USB-A 3.2 ports and a headphone jack. Still, I'd hardly call that port-rich for the size of this monitor.
For some odd reason, Samsung doesn't make managing your cables too easy. There's a single rubber strap across the back of the monitor stand that Samsung expects to contain all your miscellaneous cables. I would have preferred some more permanent loop that could hold fmore cables without straining. If you're keen to keep a tidy desk, you'll have to think of some inventive cable management to keep the snakes in their cage.
Despite my hangups with the Odyssey G7's port selection and cable management, the monitor itself is a looker. That fun, circular light strip on the monitor's rear panel can be programmed with a few preset patterns, but it's mainly there to offer some background glow to the wall behind it. That little bit of attention to detail is consistent with Odyssey monitors, though I would have still enjoyed some speakers on the G7. The sound quality on a monitor likely won't shiver my spine with bass, but I enjoy speakers being there in a pinch.
The Odyssey G7 is certified VESA DisplayHDR 600, though it only claims a 90% color range with a 3,000:1 contrast ratio. The one issue you'll run into with compatibility is Samsung's screens don't support Dolby Vision. They instead use Samsung's own HDR10+ gaming standard. Some noteworthy games like Red Dead Redemption 2 and Cyberpunk 2077 will use HDR10+. Everything else will stick with the bog-standard HDR10.
The VA panel Samsung chose for the Odyssey G7 isn't the prettiest you can get, nor is it the brightest. Its stated typical brightness sits at around 350 nits. With the sunlight beaming in from a nearby window, the picture quality on Samsung's monitor took a hit. In a dark, dank gamer basement with the blinds closed and the only light being soft RGB, the Odyssey G7 will hit its stride. In other environments, the monitor may look a little cheap despite its size.
I kept staring at the screen, wondering if what I was looking at is the kind of quality I really want from a big, expensive monitor. Like most LCD displays, the Odyssey G7 has a 1ms response time, dictating how fast a screen can change a pixel from one color to another. OLED normally has a faster response time, though it will be a little more dim depending on the quality of the display. The G7's panel offers the worst of both worlds.
What actually matters is what the content eventually looks like, and in that regard it's a much better experience. In peak conditions, the black levels avoid the problems on other monitors that make dark tones look gray. A game like Hollow Knight: Silksong supports the 21:9 aspect ratio and looks very nice once you can see so much of your surroundings. The contrast may not be as strong as some may wish, but it certainly doesn't look bad either.
Depending on your game, you may need to do some adjustments to make it playable. A title like Total War: Warhammer III supports the WUHD resolution, but it requires you to manually scale the UI and text size so it's manageable. Cyberpunk 2077 looks extra immersive in this 40-inch size. You just need to make sure your PC is beefy enough to play games at this size. Also, you need to remember that consoles like the PlayStation 5 don't naturally support ultrawide aspect ratios. They merely stretch a 4K image to fit the screen.
The big issue with the screen is the fact that it is prone to glare. It's not so much reflective, as any ambient light tends to diffuse over the surface and mar any of those clear visuals you were hoping for. With the shades drawn down and the lights turned low, games finally looked their best.
Sure, having a 40-inch display will naturally let you shove as many apps on it at once. That's the benefit of a large screen, although I find the problem with excess is how quickly it may fill up. I have a tendency to leave a lot of tabs open, and even when I push those to the background, I suddenly find I'm still in need of another screen, whether it's a laptop display or another monitor I can stack vertically next to my device.
The Odyssey G7 does allow swivel and tilt to a surprising degree. You can push the monitor up from -5 to 20 degrees and swing it around another 20 degrees to the left and right. No, sorry, you're not going to twist this display vertically unless you create a creative mount for your wall. The screen is relatively versatile, and that's important since you really want to sit in the center of any curved display to maximize the effect.
If you're looking for even more multitasking, the Samsung Odyssey G7 also allows for a picture-in-picture mode that will allows input from two separate devices. I tried this out with a PlayStation 5 and PC at once. You can either have each image squished side by side, though I much preferred the option to stick one screen in the corner and leave the rest to the other connected device. If, for some reason, you want to have your PC's Discord chat up on the same screen as your game, this is an option. I would still much rather keep a laptop or tablet handy nearby, but I don't mind having options.
What's left is a monitor that will certainly work well for some gamers and creators who prefer to live in the dark. In the right environment, the picture quality is good enough that I wasn't always pining for something more. But as soon as a little light hit the screen, I could sense a feeling of annoyance twitching behind my eye. I have been spoiled by the number of OLED displays from this year, as the screen technology has become much more prevalent—and cheaper—in recent years. This is a monitor for people who prefer the screen shape and the screen type. If you can nab the Odyssey G7 for a cheaper price—maybe half what a 45-inch LG 5K2K Ultragear would cost you—then you'll have a great time being absolutely consumed by your monitor.
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If you think of something to say and say it, that could never be AI slop, right? In theory, all organically grown utterances and snippets of text are safe from that label. But our shared linguistic ecosystem may be so AI-saturated, we now all sound like AI. Worse, in some cases AI-infected speech is being spouted by (ostensibly human) elected officials.
Back in July of this year, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development's Center for Adaptive Rationality released a paper on this topic titled “Empirical evidence of Large Language Model's influence on human spoken communication.” As Gizmodo noted at the time, it quantified YouTube users' adoption of words like “underscore,” “comprehend,” “bolster,” “boast,” “swift,” “inquiry,” and “meticulous.” That exercise unearthed a plausible—but hardly conclusive—link between changes to people's spoken vocabularies over the 18 months following the release of ChatGPT and their exposure to the chatbot.
But two new, more anecdotal reports, suggest that our chatbot dialect isn't just something that can be found through close analysis of data. It might be an obvious, every day fact of life now.
Over on Reddit, according to a new Wired story by Kat Tenbarge, moderators of certain subreddits are complaining about AI posts ruining their online communities. It's not new to observe that AI-armed spammers post low-value engagement bait on social media, but these are spaces like r/AmItheAsshole, r/AmIOverreacting, and r/AmITheDevil, where visitors crave the scintillation or outright titillation of bona fide human misbehavior. If, behind the scenes, there's not really a grieving college student having her tuition cut off for randomly flying off the handle at her stepmom, there's no real fun to be had. The mods in the Wired story explain how they detect AI content, and unfortunately their methods boil down to “It's vibes.” But one novel struggle in the war against slop, the mods say, is that not only are human-written posts sometimes rewritten by AI, but mods are concerned that humans are now writing like AI. Humans are becoming flesh and blood AI-text generators, muddying the waters of AI “detection” to the point of total opacity. As “Cassie” an r/AmItheAsshole moderator who only gave Wired her first name put it, “AI is trained off people, and people copy what they see other people doing.” In other words, Cassie said, “People become more like AI, and AI becomes more like people.”
Meanwhile, essayist Sam Kriss just explored the weird way chatbots “write” for the latest issue of the New York Times Magazine, and he discovered along the way that humans have accidentally taken cues from that weirdness.
After parsing chatbots' strange tics and tendencies—such as overusing the word “delve” most likely because it's in a disproportional number of texts from Nigeria, where that word is popular— Kriss refers to a previously reported trend from over the summer. Members of the U.K. Parliament were accused of using ChatGPT to write their speeches.
The thinking goes that ChatGPT-written speeches contained the phrase “I rise to speak,” an American phrase, used by American legislators. But Kriss notes that it's not just showing up from time to time. It's being used with downright breathtaking frequency. “On a single day this June, it happened 26 times,” he notes. While 26 different MPs using ChatGPT to write speeches is not some scientific impossibility, it's more likely an example of chatbots, “smuggling cultural practices into places they don't belong,” to quote Kriss again.
So when Kriss points out that when Starbucks locations were closing in September, and signs posted on the doors contained tortured sentences like, “It's your coffeehouse, a place woven into your daily rhythm, where memories were made, and where meaningful connections with our partners grew over the years,” one can't state with certainty that this is AI-generated text (although let's be honest: it probably is).
One can state pretty categorically, however, that the sign is written in a new style of annoying prose that has only existed since the release of ChatGPT. And at least some of that annoying new style may be embedded in all of our brains now whether we like it or not.
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Start the music. Players walk clockwise in a circle. When the music stops, everyone sits in a chair. Big Tech is setting in motion its plans for the next gen of lead designers, engineers, AI chiefs, and even CEOs.
In Cupertino, Apple execs with familiar faces are retiring or reducing responsibilities. Who's in and who's out? Well, chief operating officer Jeff Williams retired in November, and the speculation is that CEO Tim Cook could follow in the near term. Lisa Jackson, who has led Apple's sustainability efforts since 2013, is now set to retire in January too.
There's also the squad of Apple staffers who have been lured away to work with OpenAI, notably Apple's former chief design officer Jony Ive after his independent stint at LoveFrom. In 2024, Molly Anderson was named industrial design leader, heading up a team of mostly fresh faces. Others have gone to Meta, such as Apple's VP of human interface design, Alan Dye, who just this week was poached to head up a new Reality Labs design studio. At Apple, he's been replaced by long-time UI designer Stephen Lemay. Phew.
In this swirl of shifting talent, John Ternus, who has worked for Apple since 2001, and served as SVP of hardware engineering for the last four years, reporting directly to Tim Cook, is emerging as the frontrunner to succeed Cook as Apple CEO, reportedly as soon as next year. WIRED asked Apple for comment but didn't hear back before publication.
Alongside a steady drip of “leaks” on succession planning and Ternus' position at the front of the pack, since 2023, Ternus has been given more prominence at product launch events. He announced the iPhone Air onstage this past September, and has appeared alongside other senior Apple leaders in press interviews and in-store Apple events.
“I think they're testing to see what sentiment is like. Apple likes to control the narrative. So these ‘leaks,' they're not happening unintentionally,” suggests Anshel Sag, principal analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy. “Apple's lost a lot of people. I think it might actually be a net positive because it will create a fresh crop of people that have more power now than they did before.”
It's always tricky to pick up an individual's contributions at Apple, beyond the odd detail, such as John Ternus himself reportedly being behind the MacBook's TouchBar. Bertrand Nepveu worked in the Apple Vision Pro team from 2017 to 2021, after Apple acquired his VR headset startup Vrvana, and now runs Montreal-based VC firm Triptyq Capital. During his three and a half years, mostly working on the Vision Pro's pass-through capabilities, the team ballooned from 300 to around 1,200. “John Ternus, even though I never worked with him, the feedback I got is that he's a great product person,” he says, “and I think that's what is needed for the next phase of Apple, especially with AI and with XR.”
With this future in mind, Nepveu sees the combination of Ternus-as-CEO working well with other personnel moves at Apple, including the news in March that Rockwell was taking over development of Siri from the head of AI, John Giannandrea. In another major future-facing reshuffle, Giannandrea was replaced this week by Amar Subramanya, who spent 16 years at Google, including work on Gemini and DeepMind, before a six-month stint at Microsoft.
“Mike Rockwell, I worked with him in the Vision Pro group, I think he's the right person for that because they [XR and AI] work in tandem,” says Nepveu. “He used to joke that Siri was crap. I liked him because he didn't drink the Kool-Aid. I was happy when I saw that he got promoted. I think in tandem with someone who is more product-focused [Ternus], it's the way to go for Apple.”
So Apple Intelligence + Apple Vision = what, exactly? While people can create apps via Figma for the iPhone, vibe coding on small budgets, for XR the “technical bar is much higher,” with almost game-developer levels of expertise required—people who understand spatial, 3D, Unity: “The promise of AI is to make that more accessible, more user-friendly.”
Another key name is Fletcher Rothkopf, recently promoted to VP of hardware engineering. According to Mark Gurman's reporting, Rothkopf is “overseeing much of the hardware engineering for upcoming glasses,” after the team shifted from a lighter “Vision Air” headset, following the surprisingly positive response to Meta's Ray-Ban glasses and Orion prototype. Non-display Apple smartglasses are now rumoured to be set for a 2026 launch, with a 2027 roll-out before we get glasses with a built-in display.
Rothkopf “worked very closely with ID [the Industrial Design team], so he was the point of contact between ID and the Vision Pro group,” says Nepveu. “He was also responsible for all the psychological parts of the device, like making sure nobody gets sick, and the gaze and pinch [gesture].” Rothkopf, with Mike Rockwell and Metaio's Peter Meier (who left Apple in 2019), was one of “the three amigos” at the beginning of the Vision Pro project. With Rockwell covering Siri, and Dye gone to Meta, Rothkopf is now one of the key people connecting the threads. The Bloomberg reporting also cites Apple insiders offering a critique of John Ternus' experience in that he has joined existing projects during his tenure rather than originating them; case in point, on Vision Pro, Rockwell reported to Dan Riccio, who semi-retired back in October 2024.
Within UI design, “with Alan Dye leaving, I think that shows the future is hardware, because you see now Meta is pushing for hardware and Google with their TPU,” Nepveu says, of the high-profile Meta coup. Dye, who joined Apple in 2006 from Kate Spade, was instrumental in building out visionOS and the beautiful but polarizing Liquid Glass iOS. Anshel Sag sees a good fit here: “There's no cohesion across Meta's ecosystem, and some of those apps have terrible experiences. Meta needs better UI. I think it would be good for them to have someone like Alan Dye who understands interface design, and for him to have the power to say no to people and to have design principles that are followed.”
Dye's successor as VP of human interaction design is another name to know, the low-profile Stephen Lemay, a UI designer with Apple since 1999. Lemay has worked across all the major operating systems. He's named on hundreds of Apple patents and was reportedly nicknamed “Margaret” by Steve Jobs to avoid confusion in meetings.
Apple human interface designer Chan Karunamuni posted, following the announcements, “Steve's been my manager for my entire 15 year career so far at Apple and I could not be more excited for this new era.” And former Apple designer Ben Hylak posted that Lemay is “by far the best designer I have ever met or worked with in my entire life. literally taught me what design is.” And, later: “he's the guy you've all been praying for.”
Daring Fireball's John Gruber has canvassed Apple designers on the switch, concluding that Lemay is “well liked personally and deeply respected talent-wise” and more focused on interaction than pure visual aesthetics, as compared to Dye, signaling a change in direction for UI leadership.
Within ID, Molly Anderson, who has served as Apple's industrial design lead since 2024, appeared at September's event, narrating the iPhone 17 Pro video and wearing an iPhone Air crossbody in the knitted Issey Miyake Pocket. The Brit has been allowed outside the white box a little since her promotion. She's given interviews about the Apple Watch, where she discussed her “reverence for watches as beautiful objects” and commissioned young designers at this year's Design Miami | Paris, noting, “It's a way for us to acknowledge how we in the design team are inspired by the outside world.”
In 2024, Anderson described the design process for the M4 iPad Pro: “We've designed it almost like a spine, radiating out … an incredibly beautiful kind of structural backbone which makes it rigid and also distributes the thermals.” Rather than Ive-continuity, it's less clear what kind of identity Anderson will bring to emerging categories like smart glasses. While it's mostly a team for Anderson to shape, and Abidur Chowdhury, who helped to develop the iPhone Air, has also recently left Apple ID, old-hand Richard Howarth, who was one of Jony Ive's first hires at Apple, remains with Anderson on the ID team.
One common refrain around Apple's future is that Tim Cook was the right man to lead the company back in 2011. Since then, he has optimized and added to product series, moved into services, expanded the map and made investors lots of money.
But it's time for a swing back into innovation and for “a product guy,” like hardware engineering bod John Ternus, to take Apple through the next decade. This latest round of high-profile departures and promotions, particularly in design, engineering, and AI teams, makes getting the right leader near-existential.
Karim Rashid, the industrial designer who has worked with over 500 brands in his 40-plus-year career, including Samsung, Sony, and Audi, presses the point. “Few people have such a high ‘aesthetic intelligence' that they, down to millimeters, know something's right or something's wrong,” he says. “It's a certain sense of perfection that you want to see in everything, be it form, light, proportion, color, all those combinations. Does he [John Ternus] have that innately in him? Or has he been educated well with that?”
Rashid suggests that long-term in-house staffers “tend to have a myopathy about the brand” so that instead of taking risks (and “that was why Apple became what it was”) they tend to stay safe, repeating the vernacular and the way they produce things: “So you look back ... when Tim Cook was in, I think Apple didn't progress whatsoever in regards to creating or pushing the boundary of delivering really beautiful products. It just stayed sort of stagnant. The minor improvements, one object after another, generally are quite banal.”
Tom Emrich, Remix Reality founder and former senior Horizon OS manager at Meta, says Ternus' background in engineering, design, and hardware “feels like the right mix to me”: “Ternus has been inside the company through major transitions, including the move to Apple silicon ... Understanding long product cycles and what it takes to ship complex hardware at scale will matter as Apple moves deeper into spatial computing and AI-driven devices.”
“Operationally, Apple's pretty much set,” says Sag. “I even think some investors want there to be a hardware person at the helm. Because fundamentally hardware is how a lot of what Apple does gets achieved.”
There are also practical reasons why Ternus makes sense. Apple likes to promote from within; the company leadership doesn't tend to bring new people in at the highest level. Ternus is relatively young at age 50, but not too young as to seem inexperienced—he's been with Apple for almost 25 years, striking a difficult balance.
“He's also around the same age that Tim was when he became CEO,” Sag says. “At that level there's so much politics involved, like who's friends with who? Who meshes well with who? But the general consensus is that it's a green light for most people.”
The real unknown in this interaction innovation race is OpenAI. As many as 25 former Apple staffers have jumped ship to work with OpenAI and Jony Ive on AI hardware devices, including Evans Hankey and Tang Tan, OpenAI's chief hardware officer.
The Information reports that OpenAI is targeting a late-2026/2027 launch date and is in talks with suppliers about a range of devices, including a display-less smart speaker, a wearable pin, a digital voice recorder, and smartglasses. Sam Altman and Ive have been vague on which form factors the products will take. At OpenAI's developer conference in October, Ive said, “I don't think we have an easy relationship with our technology at the moment.”
OpenAI is “the new hotness,” says Sag, with big hype and big paychecks on offer. This veil of mystery is intentional, in order to reinvigorate people's sense of curiosity and, in short, “be the new Apple.” One scenario, considering the ‘post-display' design hints, is an ecosystem of connected wearables, a pin or pendant, say, with smart earbuds and later, a well-designed set of smartglasses.
“OpenAI have said they're not doing glasses,” says Sag. “But the ecosystem has told me they're looking [at glasses]. So I think they don't want to admit that they can't do a pair of glasses first, or it's taking longer, or it's more difficult than they thought.” Nepveu predicts a Humane AI Pin-style gadget “with that Jony Ive magic.” He adds: “Knowing the culture at Apple, I think they'll release it when it's perfect or really, really good.”
On the big-picture next decade of Apple, “I think this streamlined Apple has been more efficient, but when you're too efficient, you're less creative,” says Nepveu. “Creativity is messy. Now Apple needs to go back to that.”
This sense of real innovation has been missing elsewhere. “In a lot of corporations, there's no real ringleader who is the overriding visionary,” says Rashid. “It's amazing how few of them have somebody specific that has a real emotional philosophy—meaning, how are they connecting with their consumers? But also to take ownership of a brand.”
In its golden age, Apple marshaled masses of creative talent toward a singular goal, and that's what Rashid believes is needed to repeat the trick: “My argument is, you need a dictator, you need Steve Jobs. Steve was calling all the shots … even picking colors. He was so hands-on because he loved design.”
The question that underlines all this discourse is whether nonfounders can bring the same level of intensity and creativity as—whatever you think of their ethics or politics—the original founders themselves. “Elon Musk is a visionary. Steve Jobs was a visionary. Mark Zuckerberg is a visionary,” says Nepveu. “Will we have one at Apple? We'll see.”
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Every corpse advances the cause of a just end to the war. If they want to live they ought to surrender.
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The Russians that have successfully surrendered have claimed their officers will shoot their own soldiers for surrendering in view of them. In addition the Ukrainians have to treat anyone who doesn't follow directions as potential perfidy - fake surrenders - there's several videos of Russians pretending to surrender and continuing to fight when the Ukrainians get close.One is pretty much screwed once they are sent to the frontlines on the Russian side.
One is pretty much screwed once they are sent to the frontlines on the Russian side.
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In both cases, the word is out and these people should have known better, but maybe they were desperate, or naive, I think we can have a little human empathy.
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This would be worth of sympathy if this would happen in 2022/2023. This bait and switch is years old. Kenyans have access to internet, they can use google and quickly find out what happened to others who took the "job". Most of them would be found on CombatFootage, lucky ones would be found in Ukrainian channels doing interviews with POWs
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You clearly haven't been paying attention.Not only is Russia luring immigrants with false promises of employment and naturalization to pull a bait and switch and press them into the frontline roles, they are also coercing immigrants who they deem have expired visas to serve as cannon fodder.
Not only is Russia luring immigrants with false promises of employment and naturalization to pull a bait and switch and press them into the frontline roles, they are also coercing immigrants who they deem have expired visas to serve as cannon fodder.
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You need to be terribly naive to assume that what amounts to human trafficking is avoided by googling a topic.> So it is their fault for coming to RussiaI think the fault lies in those who essentially coerce and threaten to kill you themselves if you don't go to the front lines of an invasion to execute suicide missions.
> So it is their fault for coming to RussiaI think the fault lies in those who essentially coerce and threaten to kill you themselves if you don't go to the front lines of an invasion to execute suicide missions.
I think the fault lies in those who essentially coerce and threaten to kill you themselves if you don't go to the front lines of an invasion to execute suicide missions.
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Don't take the agency from them. Kenyans are not stupid, they are going to Russia voluntarily, expecting that they will work or study somewhere in Russia while ignoring a all the evidence that they will most likely be sent to a meat grinder on the frontlines.
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What? It's pretty clear it's the other way around: claiming that Kenyans are pressed to Russia's frontline because they are too stupid to Google the job proposals they accept is undescribable. Again: what Russia is doing throughout the world is blatant human trafficking to amass cannon fodder. They even do this to Russians who sign military contracts, who are promised cushy logistics positions back in Russia but then they see themselves rushed to the front lines to form suicide assault groups.
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It's not for lack of google. This is poor young men being willfully naive hoping for a chance to support family and self. They seem perfectly deserving of sympathy.
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These poor young Estonians are being willfully naive, they just want to support their family, so they joined the 20th SS division. Do you think that they got any sympathy from allies?
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https://statskenya.co.ke/at-stats-kenya/about/number-of-peop...The rest are not completely uninformed nor stupid. News does still tend to trickle out over 11 years. They could also have insisted on someone to read what they are signing or refused the job change when they found out they would be murdering people even if it meant rotting in prison. Instead he said."Mum, the job we were told we came to do has been changed, but even this one is not bad"
The rest are not completely uninformed nor stupid. News does still tend to trickle out over 11 years. They could also have insisted on someone to read what they are signing or refused the job change when they found out they would be murdering people even if it meant rotting in prison. Instead he said."Mum, the job we were told we came to do has been changed, but even this one is not bad"
"Mum, the job we were told we came to do has been changed, but even this one is not bad"
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A year after being pushed out of Intel, Pat Gelsinger is still waking up at 4 a.m., still in the thick of the semiconductor wars — just on a different battlefield. Now a general partner at venture firm Playground Global, he's working with 10 startups. But one portfolio company has captured an outsized share of his attention: xLight, a semiconductor startup that last Monday announced it has struck a preliminary deal for up to $150 million from the U.S. Commerce Department, with the government set to become a meaningful shareholder.
It's a nice feather in the cap of Gelsinger, who spent 35 years across two stints at Intel before the board showed him the door late last year owing to a lack of confidence in his turnaround plans. But the xLight deal is also shining a spotlight on a trend that's making people in Silicon Valley quietly uncomfortable: the Trump administration taking equity stakes in strategically important companies.
“What the hell happened to free enterprise?” California Governor Gavin Newsom asked at a speaking event this week, capturing the unease that's rippling through an industry that has long prided itself on its free-market principles.
Speaking at one of TechCrunch's StrictlyVC events at Playground Global, Gelsinger — who is xLight's executive chairman — seemed unbothered by the philosophical debate. He's more focused on his bet that xLight can solve what he sees as the semiconductor industry's biggest bottleneck: lithography, the process of etching microscopic patterns onto silicon wafers. The startup is developing massive “free electron lasers” powered by particle accelerators that could revolutionize chip manufacturing. If the technology works at scale, that is.
“You know, I have this long-term mission to continue to see Moore's law in the semiconductor industry,” Gelsinger said, referencing the decades-old principle that computing power should double every two years. “We think this is the technology that will wake up Moore's law.”
The xLight deal is the first Chips and Science Act award under Trump's second term, using funding earmarked for early-stage companies with promising technologies. Notably, the deal is currently at the letter of intent stage, meaning it's not finalized and details could still change. When pressed on whether the funding could end up being double the announced amount — or potentially not materialize at all — Gelsinger was candid.
“We've agreed in principle on the terms, but like any of these contracts, there's still work to get done,” he said.
The technology xLight is pursuing is pretty serious in both scale and ambition. The company plans to build machines roughly 100 meters by 50 meters — about the size of a football field — that will sit outside semiconductor fabrication plants. These free electron lasers would generate extreme ultraviolet light at wavelengths as precise as 2 nanometers, far more powerful than the 13.5 nanometer wavelengths currently used by ASML, the Dutch giant that utterly dominates the EUV lithography market.
“About half of the capital goes into lithography,” Gelsinger explained of the entire semiconductor industry. “In the middle of a lithography machine is light. . . [and] this ability to keep innovating for shorter wavelength, higher power light is the essence of being able to continue to innovate for more advanced semiconductors.
Leading xLight is Nicholas Kelez, whose background is unusual for the semiconductor world. Before founding xLight, Kelez led quantum computer development efforts at PsiQuantum (a Playground Global portfolio company) and spent two decades building large-scale X-ray science facilities at national labs including SLAC and Lawrence Berkeley, where he was Chief Engineer for the Linac Coherent Light Source.
So why is this viable now when ASML abandoned a similar approach almost a decade ago? “The difference was the technology wasn't as mature,” explained Kelez, who was speaking at the event alongside Gelsinger. Back then, only a handful of extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) machines existed, and the industry had already sunk tens of billions into the incumbent technology. “It just wasn't the time to take on something completely new and orthogonal.”
Now, with EUV ubiquitous in leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing and existing light source technology hitting its limits, the timing looks better. The key innovation, according to Kelez, is treating light like a utility rather than building it into each machine.
“We go away from building an integrated light source with the tool, which is what [ASML does] now and that fundamentally constrains you to make it smaller and less powerful,” he said. And instead, “We treat light the same way you treat electrical power or HVAC. We build outside the fab at utility scale and then distribute in.”
The company is aiming to produce its first silicon wafers by 2028 and have its first commercial system online by 2029.
There are, naturally, hurdles, though right now, competing with ASML directly does not appear to be one of them. In fact, the very opposite is true. “We're working very closely with them to basically design how we integrate with an ASML scanner,” Kelez said. “So we're working with both them, as well as their providers, [like] Zeiss, who does their optics.”
When asked whether Intel or other major chipmakers have committed to purchasing xLight's technology, Gelsinger said they have not: “Nobody has committed yet, but the work is going on with everybody on the list that you would expect, and we're having intense conversations with all of them.”
Meanwhile, the competitive landscape is heating up. In October, Substrate — a semiconductor manufacturing startup backed by Peter Thiel — announced it raised $100 million to develop U.S. chip fabs, including an EUV tool that sounds awfully similar to xLight's approach. Gelsinger doesn't see them as direct competition though.
“If Substrate is successful, they could be a customer for us,” he said, suggesting that Substrate is focused on building a full-stack lithography scanner that would ultimately need a free electron laser, which is exactly what xLight is developing.
Gelsinger's relationship with the Trump administration adds another layer to the story. He brought up xLight to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick back in February, before Playground funded the startup and before Lutnick was confirmed. At that point, Kelez says, he'd already spent more than a year pitching xLight to the government as a way to bring chip manufacturing back to the U.S., but the new arrangement has drawn criticism from some who view the administration's approach as overreach.
Gelsinger is unapologetic, framing it as necessary for national competitiveness. “I measure it by the results,” he said. “Does it drive the results that we want and that we need to reinvigorate our industrial policies? Many of our competitive countries don't have such debates. They're moving forward with the policies that are necessary to accomplish their competitive outcomes.”
He pointed to energy policy as another example. “How many nuclear reactors are being built in the US today? Zero. How many being built in China today? Thirty-nine. Energy policy in a digital AI economy equals the economic capacity of the nation.”
For xLight, the government stake comes with minimal strings attached. The Commerce Department won't have veto rights or a board seat, says Kelez (pictured above). No information rights, nothing, Gelsinger adds. “It's a minority investment, in a non-governing way, but it also says we need this company to succeed for national interest.”
xLight has raised $40 million from investors including Playground Global and is planning another fundraising round next month, in January. Unlike fusion or quantum computing startups that need billions, Kelez said xLight's path is more manageable. “This is not fusion or quantum,” he said. “We don't need billions.”
The company also signed a letter of intent with New York to build its first machine at the New York CREATE site near Albany, though that agreement also needs finalization.
For Gelsinger, xLight is clearly more than just another portfolio company. It's a chance to cement his relevance in the semiconductor industry that he helped build, even if his methods put him at odds with Silicon Valley's traditional ethos.
Asked about navigating his principles in the current political environment, Gelsinger retreated to a more technocratic view of corporate leadership — one where the money is from the U.S. government, administrations are temporary, and CEOs must remain above the fray.
“CEOs and companies should neither be Republican or Democrat,” he said. “Your job is to accomplish the business objective, serve your investors, serve your shareholders. That is your objective. And as a result, you need to be able to figure out what policies are beneficial on the R side or what policies are beneficial in the D side, and be able to navigate through them.”
He added separately of that $150 million from the Trump administration, “Taxpayers will do well.”
When asked if working across 10 startups is enough for someone who used to run Intel, Gelsinger was emphatic: “Absolutely. The idea that I can now influence across such a wide range of technologies — I'm a deep tech guy at the core of who I am. My mind is so stretched here, and I'm just grateful that the Playground team would have me to join them and let me make them smarter and be a rookie venture capitalist.”
He paused, then added with a grin: “And I gave my wife back her weekends.”
It's a nice thought, though anyone who knows Gelsinger's reputation as a workaholic might wonder how long that arrangement will last.
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According to a new trial, patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) show comparable outcomes whether they receive a single-agent treatment indefinitely or a combination treatment for a fixed period of time.
The study is the first prospective trial to directly compare these two approaches. With a median follow-up of nearly three years, the results show these approaches are essentially equivalent in terms of risk of death or disease progression.
As clinicians, we often assume that continuous treatment will always be more effective because you're simply giving more treatment, but this study shows that is not necessarily the case. The results provide the first evidence that fixed-duration treatment, which patients often prefer, is indeed non-inferior to continuous treatment, suggesting clinically equal efficacy."
Othman Al Sawaf, MD, lead study author, hematologist and medical oncologist, University of Cologne, Germany
CLL is the most common adult leukemia in which abnormal white blood cells grow out of control and build up in the bone marrow Three classes of agents have been developed that target CLL: Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors, BCL2 inhibitors, and CD20 antibodies. Recommended treatment regimens for newly diagnosed CLL fall into two main categories: indefinite continuous treatment with a BTK inhibitor or a fixed-duration treatment, typically lasting about a year, using a combination of a BCL2 inhibitor and CD20 antibody or BTK inhibitor.
To compare these approaches, researchers randomly assigned 909 adult patients to one of three regimens. Those assigned to the "I" arm received continuous ibrutinib (a BTK inhibitor) indefinitely unless they experienced disease progression or unacceptable side effects. Those in the "VO" arm received 12 cycles of venetoclax (a BCL2 inhibitor) with a course of obinutuzumab (a CD20 antibody) added during the first six cycles. Those in the "VI arm" received 12 cycles of venetoclax following three cycles of ibrutinib.
At the time of analysis, the median follow-up period was 34 months, with a range of zero to 49 months. The rates of progression-free survival were 81% in the I arm, 81.1% in the VO arm, and 79.4% in the VI arm. Between-group differences fell below the pre-specified threshold for non-inferiority, meeting the study's primary endpoint for this time point.
The three arms also showed similar results in terms of overall response to treatment and overall survival, with overall response rates ranging from 84.2% to 88.5% and overall survival ranging from 91.5% to 96.0%.
The group receiving continuous ibrutinib treatment had a lower rate of complete response to treatment, an endpoint that was achieved in only 8.3% of the I arm compared with 51.5% in the VO arm and 46.2% in the VI arm. In addition, none of the patients receiving continuous ibrutinib achieved the status of undetectable measurable residual disease (MRD), a biomarker indicating that all or nearly all cancer cells have been eliminated. By contrast, undetectable MRD was achieved in 73% and 62% of patients as measured in the blood, and 62% and 40% of patients as measured in the bone marrow for the VO and VI arms, respectively.
"The secondary endpoints are surrogate parameters for us to assume long-term efficacy," said Dr. Al Sawaf. "With the fixed-duration paradigm, we see higher rates of complete response and MRD responses, and with the continuous single-agent treatment we see lower complete response and MRD responses."
Rates of side effects were overall similar across study arms, with the most common issues being infections and gastrointestinal disorders. Blood and lymphatic system disorders, cardiac disorders, and second cancers were also somewhat frequent across all arms.
Subgroup analyses showed that cardiovascular issues were more common among patients who received ibrutinib, especially among those who took ibrutinib for a longer duration. Obinutuzumab was associated with a higher risk of severe infections and with a shorter progression-free survival among patients with aggressive forms of CLL.
Researchers said that the ongoing follow-up within the trial will help strengthen the evidence for any differences in performance between the different treatment approaches. In addition, Dr. Al Sawaf said that other studies are underway to identify biomarkers that might help doctors determine which patients are most likely to benefit from each treatment strategy.
The study was investigator-initiated under sponsorship of the University of Cologne; AbbVie Inc., Janssen Pharmaceuticals, and Roche Pharmaceuticals provided the study drugs and funding to support the trial conduct; parts of the analyses and research staff were supported by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft).
This study was simultaneously published in NEJM.
Othman Al Sawaf, MD, of the University of Cologne, will present this study on Sunday, December 7, 2025, at 2:05 p.m. Eastern time during the Plenary Scientific Session in West Hall D2 of the Orange County Convention Center.
American Society of Hematology
Posted in: Medical Research News | Medical Condition News
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Within a year of initiation, a multidisciplinary project to improve screening and treatment for iron deficiency in pregnancy resulted in a sixfold rise in screening rates for iron deficiency in pregnant patients, a 20-fold rise in the number of intravenous (IV) iron infusions, and a significant improvement in median hemoglobin levels.
Screening rates went from 10% to over 60% within a year. Two-thirds of pregnant patients screened were found to be iron deficient, indicating that this is a very common, but readily fixable problem."
Richard Godby, MD, lead author, hematologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota
Women of child-bearing age are at high risk for iron deficiency. Menstruation and low intake of iron-rich foods are some of the most common causes of iron deficiency among women in this age group, Dr. Godby said. In addition, some commonly used medications, such as proton pump inhibitors, can inhibit the body's ability to absorb iron.
The body needs more iron during pregnancy. Iron deficiency and anemia during pregnancy have been associated with adverse outcomes such as fetal growth restriction, premature birth, low birth weight, and compromised development of the fetus's brain and nervous system.
Iron deficiency can be diagnosed with a blood test for ferritin, a protein that enables the body to store iron. However, guidelines from the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology – the professional society that represents most U.S. doctors in this specialty – currently recommend iron deficiency screening only for pregnant women with anemia, which they define as a hemoglobin level below 11 g/dL in the first or third trimester.
Dr. Godby and his colleagues worked with a multidisciplinary team at the Mayo Clinic to develop and implement a quality improvement project aimed at standardizing the screening and treatment of iron deficiency in pregnancy. They added ferritin testing to the list of recommended lab tests that patients typically undergo at eight to 12 weeks of pregnancy and again at 24 to 28 weeks. If patients had low ferritin levels at eight to 12 weeks, their teams offered to prescribe oral iron supplements. If patients' ferritin was low at 24 to 28 weeks, the teams offered them an IV infusion of iron dextran.
To measure the project's results, the research team compared changes after project implementation between the two cohorts of patients – one treated before implementation (2,097 pregnancies; the Before cohort) and one treated a year later, after implementation (2,429 pregnancies; the After cohort).
Results showed that, in the Before cohort, just 10% of patients underwent ferritin testing, compared with 63% in the After cohort. Among those tested, 66% in the Before cohort and 69% in the After cohort were iron deficient. Just 0.9% of patients in the Before cohort received IV iron dextran infusions, compared with 21% in the After cohort.
Among patients who received IV iron infusions, the median hemoglobin level improved from 10.7 to 11.8 g/dL. Patients whose hemoglobin level was 12 g/dL at study entry (above the cutoff of 11 g/dL to be considered anemic according to current guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) saw an increase to 12.8 g/dL. "These findings suggest reassessing the threshold for diagnosing anemia and screening for iron deficiency in pregnancy," Dr. Godby said.
Before the project, 3.1% of pregnancies required a blood transfusion during hospitalization for delivery, compared with 2.7% after the project's implementation. Most patients who needed blood transfusions had not been tested for iron deficiency. While this difference was not statistically significant, Dr. Godby said, it suggests that a reduction in the need for post-partum blood transfusions could be an additional benefit of treating iron deficiency during pregnancy.
Dr. Godby noted that nearly all of the patients in both the Before and After cohorts took prenatal vitamins, which are recommended during pregnancy and supposed to contain iron. However, these supplements were usually purchased over the counter rather than prescribed by the health care team. Over-the-counter dietary supplements are not regulated to ensure they contain the ingredients and amounts of ingredients claimed by the manufacturers, he said.
As a next step, the team hopes to analyze whether treating iron deficiency in pregnancy improves patients' quality of life by enabling them to feel better, experience less post-partum depression, return to work sooner, and more.
Richard Godby, MD, of the Mayo Clinic, will present this study on Sunday, December 7, 2025, at 12:00 noon Eastern time in W304A-D of the Orange County Convention Center.
American Society of Hematology
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Patients who underwent hematopoietic cell transplantation for sickle cell disease saw high rates of survival without disease symptoms and low rates of severe side effects or complications years after their procedure, according to a new study. The study included over 1,000 patients, representing the largest and most comprehensive analysis of long-term transplant outcomes to date in people living with sickle cell disease.
A majority of patients in this cohort are alive; the transplant worked so they no longer show symptoms of their sickle cell disease, and most have had no late effects post-transplant. There are families that really want to know the data, and this will be among the largest and most statistically well-powered studies that can provide this information to patients we are counseling about transplant."
Elizabeth Stenger, MD, lead study author, associate professor in the department of pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine and pediatric hematologist/oncologist at the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Georgia
Hematopoietic cell transplantation can eliminate symptoms of sickle cell disease by giving patients the ability to make healthy blood cells instead of ones prone to sickling. For the procedure, patients first undergo a chemotherapy-based conditioning regimen to clear the bone marrow of their own stem cells. Stem cells from a healthy donor are then infused and migrate to the bone marrow, where they begin producing healthy blood cells.
This procedure has been in use for several decades, but strategies for donor matching and conditioning have evolved over time. Long-term outcomes from hematopoietic cell transplantation, as it is currently practiced, have not been well studied in people living with sickle cell disease. In particular, it is unknown whether patients may face unique long-term effects of chemotherapy conditioning due to sickle cell disease-related organ damage.
Researchers analyzed data from 1,013 patients who received a hematopoietic cell transplant at 112 medical centers in the United States and internationally between 1996 to 2022. About half were female and just over half had a matched related donor. Procedures that resulted in primary graft failure (meaning that the donor stem cells did not persist early after transplant) were excluded from the data set.
At seven years post-transplant, 90% of transplant recipients remained alive, 83% were alive and had experienced no issues with transplant rejection, and 63% were alive without having experienced any late rejection or severe graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), a condition in which the transplanted donor cells attack the recipient's body.
Sickle cell disease outcomes, which were assessed at a median of five years post-transplant, were also largely positive. Most patients (86%) remained free from sickle cell disease symptoms with hemoglobin S levels at or below 50%, and most (74%) had no sickle cell disease-related complications reported at any time point post-transplant.
Excluding infections, the most common late effects of transplant were those affecting the liver (seen in 10% of patients at seven years post-transplant), lungs (8%), reproductive organs (6%), and pancreas (i.e., diabetes; 6%). Of the 9% of patients who died, the most common causes of death were organ failure, infection, and GVHD.
Factors associated with better outcomes included being younger at the time of transplant, having a matched related donor instead of a genetically mismatched or unrelated donor, and having bone marrow instead of peripheral blood as the source of donated cells.
Remaining free of GVHD was also significantly associated with better long-term outcomes. At a median of five years, 26% of patients had experienced chronic GVHD and 30% had experienced acute GVHD, both of any severity.
Given its uniquely large sample with heterogenous transplant characteristics, researchers said that the study findings can help families and doctors make informed decisions about whether – and when – to pursue a transplant. "This study can provide more concrete data about [the risks and benefits] if transplant is undertaken early versus waiting," said Dr. Stenger. "Right now, allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation is the only known and available option for this population capable of eliminating the full spectrum of disease symptoms. Especially if we do it while patients are young or before the onset of organ damage, these patients can go on to live much more normal lives."
The study also underscores the importance of ongoing health monitoring following a transplant. "From a clinical standpoint, [it reinforces] the need to make sure these patients are having the recommended annual follow-up to screen and monitor for late effects so that if they are happening, we can catch them early and hopefully prevent them from becoming symptomatic and more clinically significant," said Dr. Stenger.
Since the study relied on data provided to a registry, researchers noted that the level of detail is somewhat limited for some factors.
Researchers are now working to compare survival outcomes among people living with sickle cell disease who received a hematopoietic cell transplant versus those who did not receive a transplant including those who received disease-modifying treatment. Dr. Stenger said that additional insights on potential late effects could be gained through future studies with a longer follow-up period.
Elizabeth Stenger, MD, of Emory University School of Medicine and the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, will present this study on Monday, December 8, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. Eastern time in W331 of the Orange County Convention Center.
American Society of Hematology
Posted in: Medical Procedure News | Medical Research News | Medical Condition News
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Yavuz Çelik
Discover how real-time cell density monitoring boosts yield, lowers media costs, and improves viability in bioprocessing.
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Dr. Ruizhi Wang
Discover how Abselion's Amperia™ platform delivers fast, reproducible His-tagged protein quantification with minimal prep, even from crude lysates.
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U.S. men's national team manager Mauricio Pochettino revealed that he has rejected the advice of coaches to “understand the culture of American players” and instead insisted that “they need to know” his own personal soccer philosophy.
Pochettino was a surprise appointment by U.S. Soccer in September 2024. The Argentine tactician, four months on from being released by Chelsea after one sixth-placed Premier League finish, had no experience of America or the international level after conducting his 15-year coaching career exclusively among European clubs.
The former Tottenham Hotspur boss did have a strong reputation after impressing in the Premier League, although his failure to exert utter dominance with a glittering Paris Saint-Germain side hurt his credentials.
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Nevertheless, Pochettino had no intention of ditching his strongly held ideals in favor of a more American philosophy.
“Sometimes you feel people don't understand the culture of football... soccer,” the USMNT boss sighed in an interview with BBC Sport. “Sometimes you need to live with people who can help you.
“There are coaches out there who say you need to understand the culture of American players. I say, ‘No, the most important thing is the culture of soccer.' They need to know, and we need to translate that to the American players.”
There have been times when Pochettino's message appears to have gotten lost in translation. Heading into last summer's Gold Cup, the statistics surrounding his tenure were damning. Four consecutive defeats for the first time in 18 years, with four first-half goals conceded to a Switzerland in June a painful nadir, cranked up the pressure on the 53-year-old.
Fast forward five months and it is the USMNT who are now boasting 4–0 leads before half time.
“After one year, we are making great progress,” Pochettino declared, “and building with people who are starting to realize the language of soccer is only one—it doesn't matter if you are American, Brazilian, English... there is only one language of football.
“We are excited to build a team which is competitive to win in our own country, to try and get the result.”
Pochettino has already made it clear that he is targeting nothing less than ultimate glory at this summer's World Cup. A kind group stage draw with the likes of Australia and Paraguay will have only emboldened that stance as he continues to get his players to sing from the same hymnsheet.
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Grey Whitebloom is a writer, reporter and editor for Sports Illustrated FC. Born and raised in London, he is an avid follower of German, Italian and Spanish top flight football.
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AC Milan are planning to use Croatia legend Luka Modric to help land his former Real Madrid team-mate Andriy Lunin in case their star goalkeeper Mike Maignan exits the club as a free agent. Maignan, a France international, looks set to leave the Italian club at the end of the season, with no new contract talks scheduled with the Serie A giants.
With his contract expiring at the end of this season, Maignan can begin negotiations with other clubs as early as January, raising the possibility of leaving Milan on a free transfer next summer. The Rossoneri had reportedly offered an extension until 2028, increasing his salary from €2.8 million to €5.5m per year, but he has not been convinced to sign on the dotted line with Calciomercato reporting that no further talks are scheduled between the goalkeeper and club.
Maignan is reportedly demanding a fee in the region of €8m, which is significantly higher than what the Italian giants are offering. Juventus have emerged as serious contenders for Maignan's signature, while top European clubs like Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are also in the race.
With Maignan unlikely to stay back, AC Milan have started their search for a new No.9 at San Siro and Tuttosport reports that they have included Real Madrid's Ukrainian custodian Lunin. Calciomercato further claims that Los Blancos value the Ukraine international in the region of €25m.
Lunin is represented by famous football agent Jordge Mendez, a representative with whom Milan have worked in the past. Mendez also represents former Milan star Joao Felix and Pervis Estupinan and Rafael Leao. The report also adds that the Italian giants are hoping that Modric, who joined them from Madrid, would play a key role in the club's negotiation with Lunin and convince him to move to Milan.
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The French goalkeeper has established himself as one of the best in his position in Europe during his time in Milan. He's also the No.1 for France and wore the captain's armband back in October in the absence of injured skipper Kylian Mbappe. France boss Didier Deschamps explained why he went with his goalkeeper, as he said: "Mike is a leader. Against Azerbaijan, when Kylian came off, Mike took over the armband. The fact that he has been able to play so many matches means that he is solid. He is a great competitor, even in training. He is a workaholic, sometimes a little too much in my opinion. But that's how he is."
The stopper also does not lack confidence. When asked if he is the best goalkeeper in the world, he told GQ Italia: "I'm not going to say, no. There are a lot of great goalkeepers around. I only focus on myself. I know my potential. I believe in myself. I've worked really hard to get where I am. I don't feel I'm a spectacular keeper. I try to do things in the simplest way possible.”
After spending more than a decade at Santiago Bernabeu, where he established himself as an all-time great in world football, Modric finally left Madrid this summer to join AC Milan on a free transfer. The veteran midfielder has appeared in 15 matches for the club thus far in all competitions, where he has scored one goal and provided two assists.
When asked why he chose to move to Italy, Modrid had earlier said: "After Real, I've always said it, wherever you go it's a step down. There is no doubt about this and all players can confirm it. But I think I arrived at a club that is very close to Real Madrid in terms of reputation and history: for me it is the most ideal situation that could have happened to me. Especially because I love Milan and as a child I grew up with Italian football. Milan was the club I adored the most. When Milan's option presented itself, it was the right one for me."
He added: "The city is wonderful. People welcomed me phenomenally, both inside and outside the club. The teammates, the coach, the fans, everything is really high-level. You can see that Milan is a great historic club, one of the biggest in the world. You can feel it at every step, so I'm really happy and I'm enjoying all of this."
Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba
Joan M. Rovira
Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba placed the final stone on their brilliant careers on Saturday, closing out their journey in the best way imaginable: with another trophy.
The Spanish midfielder and left-back, aged 37 and 36, lifted the MLS Cup after Inter Miami's 3–1 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps. It was a historic moment both for the Florida club and for the two players, who retire at the summit of the sport.
“Now we'll be watching from the other side, but we finished in the best possible way. We'll keep seeing one another and keep enjoying life,” the former Barça stars said during an emotional farewell after the final.
Busquets began his footballing path at Jàbac Terrassa before joining Barça's Juvenil A in 2007 at just 19 years old.
One season later, he made his first-team debut—on September 13, 2008, against Racing Santander.
He played all 90 minutes at an exceptional level, and from that moment on, his performances earned him an irreplaceable role in the squad.
Former FC Barcelona star Sergio Busquets
Under Pep Guardiola, “Busi” became the heartbeat of what many consider the greatest midfield ever assembled, forming an iconic trio alongside Iniesta and Xavi.
Their brilliance powered Barça to three Champions League titles: Rome in 2009, Wembley in 2011, and Berlin in 2015 under Luis Enrique.
His full trophy haul is staggering: nine LaLiga titles, seven Copas del Rey, three Club World Cups, three UEFA Super Cups, and seven Spanish Super Cups—plus the Leagues Cup, Supporters' Shield, and MLS Cup earned with Inter Miami. Legendary numbers for a legendary player.
Busquets retires as Barça's third-most capped player, behind Xavi and Messi. And while his goal and assist tally was modest, he will be remembered for his pure footballing intelligence: his trademark back-heels, his flawless ability to play out from the back, his unrivalled reading of the game, and his willingness to take risks under pressure. He made the impossible look routine.
Jordi Alba also emerged from La Masia, beginning in 2003–04 before eventually leaving for Cornellà's Juvenil A and later Valencia.
His breakthrough at Mestalla prompted Barça to bring him home in 2012 for €14 million—a move that turned into one of the club's great success stories.
Former FC Barcelona star Jordi Alba
Alba adapted instantly and, like Busquets, built a career defined by silverware.
With Barça, he collected a Champions League, six league titles, five Copas del Rey, four Spanish Super Cups, a UEFA Super Cup, and a Club World Cup.
To fans, he will forever be synonymous with his near-telepathic connection with Lionel Messi.
Time and again, the same move unfolded: Alba surging down the left flank and cutting the ball back for Messi to finish.
One of his most iconic assists came at the Santiago Bernabéu in the 2016–17 season—the prelude to Messi's legendary shirt celebration.
Busquets received his first Spain call-up from Vicente del Bosque in 2009 at the age of 20, and months later he helped secure the 2010 World Cup, starting all seven matches.
He was also a key pillar in Spain's Euro 2012 triumph. With 143 caps, he finishes as the third-most capped player in Spain's history, behind Ramos and Casillas, and won an extraordinary 97 matches with La Roja.
Alba, though not a World Cup champion, was crucial in the Euro 2012 victory, scoring in the final against Italy. He later added the 2023 UEFA Nations League and finished with 93 caps and 10 goals.
Busquets and Alba had announced months earlier that they would retire at the end of the season, marking December 6 as their final chapter.
Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and David Beckham
The MLS Cup was the last major domestic trophy missing from their shelves. After last year's early playoff exit, both the team and the players were determined to script the perfect ending.
Inter Miami delivered a nearly flawless postseason run, with five wins and just one defeat.
They scraped past Nashville, dominated Cincinnati and New York City in the next rounds, and ultimately achieved the dream: lifting the MLS Cup.
Their 3–1 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps—featuring Thomas Müller on the opposing side—sealed a storybook conclusion.
Alba and Busquets retire with a legacy overflowing with success. There were, of course, occasional setbacks, but what endures is the image of two legends raising the MLS Cup—smiling, fulfilled, and at peace.
They step into the next stage of their lives knowing they gave everything to the sport, and that the fans who watched them play will never forget the elegance, intelligence, and joy they brought to the game.
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Chelsea's record-breaking unbeaten run in the Women's Super League came to a shock end on Sunday as Everton, who came into the game with just one victory in the competition this season, stunned the defending champions, winning 1-0 to deal Sonia Bompastor her first defeat as Blues boss. There were just 12 minutes on the clock when Honoka Hayashi broke the deadlock for the visiting side, giving Chelsea plenty of time to respond, but the hosts couldn't do so as their 34-game unbeaten streak in the WSL was snapped.
It's not that Bompastor's Blues didn't create chances, either. There was some nice build-up play on show from the English champions, carving out opportunities for the likes of Catarina Macario, Alyssa Thompson and, once she entered the game early in the second half, Sam Kerr, but the Chelsea players either produced wayward finishes or found Courtney Brosnan in fine form in the away goal. In the first half especially, the Ireland international produced two outstanding saves, tipping a Macario strike onto the post before doing just another to prevent Thompson's powerful effort squeezing in.
When a goalmouth scramble in the latter stages left everyone in the ground wondering just how the ball had stayed out of Everton's net, it felt like a sign that it just wasn't to be Chelsea's day. Two goal line clearances and two efforts off the bar, all in second half stoppage time, only continued the theme as the Toffees clung on and claimed their first WSL win over Chelsea in 12 years, dealing a massive blow to the Blues' title defence in the process. Bompastor's side are now six points behind leaders Manchester City, with the season just one game away from its halfway stage.
GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Kingsmeadow...
Livia Peng (6/10):
Had nothing to do except pick the ball out of the back of her net.
Ellie Carpenter (5/10):
Was beaten to the ball by Hayashi for the decisive moment in the game.
Lucy Bronze (6/10):
Marshalled Gago quite well in an intriguing individual battle, especially given she was playing an unfamiliar position.
Naomi Girma (6/10):
Moved the ball well and dealt with Everton's threat on the counter well to stop the Toffees' adding to their lead when chances to counter occurred.
Sandy Baltimore (7/10):
Consistently presented Everton with problems. Took a positive and confident approach, running at defenders and getting shots off while delivering good set pieces. Just couldn't quite find the breakthrough Chelsea needed, even hitting the bar with the last kick.
Keira Walsh (5/10):
Tidy on the ball but couldn't provide a moment of quality to really carve Everton open.
Maika Hamano (5/10):
Had some decent moments in possession but could've moved better off the ball to be more of a threat.
Catarina Macario (5/10):
Moved well, linked play nicely and forced a fantastic save out of Brosnan early on, but was often operating in much deeper positions than she would've liked and so couldn't be a consistent threat.
Alyssa Thompson (6/10):
One of Chelsea's livelier performers. Unlucky not to score, seeing a good effort well-saved in the first half before another went just wide after the break.
Aggie Beever-Jones (5/10):
Worked hard and had some nice moments creating for others but lacked service.
Lauren James (5/10):
Got a good 55 minutes under her belt on her first start of the season after injury. Looked lively, especially considering her time out, and forced a good save out of Brosnan in the first half, but lacked incision.
Sam Kerr (4/10):
Was on the end of plenty of chances but just couldn't provide that clinical finish she's so known for, with one pretty bad miss in particular.
Sjoeke Nusken (6/10):
Showed quality in possession after coming on, creating plenty of chances, but couldn't make a defining difference.
Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (5/10):
Didn't bring her direct running consistently enough to trouble Everton.
Wieke Kaptein (N/A):
Suffered her first ever WSL defeat in her 26th game in the competition, with her unlucky not to prevent that from happening herself when a header hit the bar late on.,
Sonia Bompastor (5/10):
Went very attacking with her line-up but by selecting a lot of players who like to roam and pick up pockets of space, players got in each other's way at times and there wasn't a lot of structure, either. Reacted well with her changes, in terms of addressing that problem and also by giving the subs a lot of time to make their mark, but the ball just wouldn't go in the net.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino declared it an “outrage” that Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni was forced to wear gloves while holding the World Cup trophy at Friday's draw.
Scaloni, who led La Albiceleste to glory in Qatar three years ago, presented the World Cup on stage at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The Argentine wore white gloves to handle the golden trophy, something Infantino admits he was unaware of until after the draw.
“I apologize on behalf of FIFA. I didn't know,” Infantino said the following day at the reveal show for the full schedule of matches at the 2026 World Cup.
Lionel Scaloni and an old friend 🏆#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/1pcx9J0obu
“Of course, the world champions can touch the cup. I apologize, I didn't know,” Infantino continued. “What an outrage! It's just that when you're a world champion, you look younger every day.”
The 55-year-old allowed Scaloni to come on stage for a re-do, and this time, he handed over the trophy with his bare hands. The Argentina boss thanked Infantino for the gesture.
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The reigning world champions learned their fate at Friday's draw, along with the 47 other countries competing in the United States, Canada and Mexico next summer. Argentina landed in Group J with Algeria, Austria and Jordan.
It was a favorable draw for Argentina, but Scaloni is not taking any opponents lightly.
“As we stated in 2022, there are no easy opponents; we have to play all the matches,” the Argentine said after the draw. “On paper, it's a group where we have to give our all to advance to the next round.”
Scaloni went on to point out Austria's “great qualifying campaign” and praised Algeria for having “great players and a large youth academy that also feeds France and other countries.”
La Albiceleste's first test at the 2026 World Cup comes against Algeria on June 16 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.
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Amanda Langell is a Sports Illustrated FC freelance writer covering the European game and international competitions.
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FIFA tries its best to make first-round World Cup life easy for certain teams, starting with the hosts. Consider that goal accomplished with Mexico and the United States. Not so for Canada. Or France and Germany, for that matter.
The best-case scenario for the North Americans in next year's tournament was to be grouped with one European foe, and that is what happened with Mexico and the US. The Maple Leafs, though, will be contending with Switzerland and a playoff team from a group that includes four-time champion Italy. Small consolation that the fourth team in the group is Qatar.
Then there are Les Bleus, who open with Senegal, which defeated them, 1-0, when they were reigning champions in 2002. Following a breather with a yet-to-be-determined qualifier, France goes against Norway in Foxborough on June 26. If you believe the 29th-ranked Norwegians have been underrated by FIFA, you'll find agreement with oddsmakers, who list them ninth favorites to win the tournament.
Die Mannschaft will be challenged by two of the better defensive teams, reigning African champion Cote d'Ivoire (8-0-2, 25-0 goal differential in qualifying) and Ecuador (8-2-8, 14-5).
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A fuller look at the 12 quartets:
Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Czechia/Denmark/Ireland/North Macedonia
Mexico plays the opening game against South Africa, a rematch of the 1-1 result in the 2010 tournament opener. The match should be a good advertisement, both teams relying on creativity and technique — but, this time, Mexico will have home-field advantage. After that, it could become more difficult. If El Tri can equal their 2-2 tie (late Santi Gimenez equalizer) with South Korea on Sept. 10 in Nashville, that could be enough, no matter their result against a Euro qualifier.
Canada, Qatar, Switzerland, Bosnia & Herzegovina/Italy/Northern Ireland/Wales
The Canadians might want to question the rankings, as they find themselves No. 27, 13 places behind the Americans — who they are 3-1-2 against since 2021. No. 17 Switzerland is three places behind the US, despite a 4-0 victory last summer. Italy is ranked 12th.
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Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland
Five-time champion Brazil is, as usual, heavily favored. But Morocco, which became Africa's first semifinalist in 2022, should provide a difficult test on June 13. The Scots displayed reslience with two stoppage-time goals in a 4-2 win over Denmark in the qualifying finale. Scotland has not competed in the WC since 1998, when it disrupted the Brazilians despite falling, 2-1. Haiti, with the country's two all-time leading scorers Duckens Nazon (43 goals) and former Melrose High forward Frantzdy Pierrot (33), should be buoyed by strong support.
United States, Paraguay, Australia, Kosovo/Romania/Slovakia/Turkey
The Americans have not lost to Australia since 1992 (2-0-1) or Paraguay since 2011 (3-0-0), but both present a physical presence that could take a toll, no matter the result. The US edged Australia, 2-1, on a cool October night in Colorado, but lost Christian Pulisic (hamstring) in the first half. Coach Mauricio Pochettino noted the risk presented by extreme climates, but that should not be a factor when the teams meet in Seattle on June 19. First place in the group means encountering a third-place team in the elimination round and, possibly, Belgium in the Round of 16.
Germany, Curaçao, Cote d'Ivoire, Ecuador
Germany's No. 9 FIFA ranking is deceptive, as they showed during practices at the Revolution Training Center and a 3-1 dismantling of the US in East Hartford last year. But both the Elephants and La Tricolor had strong qualifying campaigns, displayed exceptional defense, and are known for their physical play.
Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia, Albania/Poland/Sweden/Ukraine
The Netherlands have not lost in the World Cup since the 2010 final, but they have stumbled in penalties, eliminated by Argentina in 2014 and 2022. Japan has had plenty of time to prepare, the first team to advance to the finals via qualification in March.
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Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
Belgium managed to avoid European colleagues, almost guaranteeing advancement.
Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay
Two-time champion Uruguay is favored win the battle to finish second to Spain.
France, Senegal, Norway, Bolivia/Iraq/Suriname
France has reached two successive finals and played in four of the last seven title games, but will not have it easy.
Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
The reigning champion Albiceleste should be able to pace themselves.
Portugal, Uzbekistan, Colombia, Congo DR/Jamaica/New Caledonia
Group leadership could come down the last game, Portugal-Colombia in Miami on June 27. Democratic Republic of the Congo could challenge, but the Leopards first must qualify in a playoff with Jamaica and New Caledonia.
England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama
England failed to qualify for USA '94, a relief to organizers concerned about hooligans. The country has transformed its soccer image since, presenting a team ranked No. 4 and a tamed down, though still high-spirited, following. The Three Lions versus Croatia could be among the most competitive matches of the opening round, but both teams should advance.
Frank Dell'Apa can be reached at frankdellapa@gmail.com.
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MetLife Stadium will host the final on July 19, 2026. Francois Nel / Getty Images
The World Cup final will take place at 3pm (ET) at MetLife Stadium on July 19, 2026, FIFA confirmed, in a move that will renew tensions over player welfare and commercial priorities.
MetLife Stadium is located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and it is an open venue without a roof, meaning that players and fans will be exposed to the elements. The FIFA Club World Cup last summer played its semi-finals and final at MetLife, with all three games kicking off at 3pm ET.
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The semi-final between Chelsea and Fluminense had highs of 96F (36C) on July 8 and the semi-final between Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid had highs of 93F on July 9. The final between Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, which took place on July 13, was a little cooler, with highs of 85F. The weather can also be extremely humid in the summer.
Over the last 10 years, on July 19, the day scheduled to host the final, the temperatures have hit 90F on four occasions and hit 84F or higher on seven occasions. The 10-year average is 87F, according to data from Weather Underground.
A report published in June by FIFPro, the union that represents more than 70,000 professional players worldwide, previously called on FIFA to avoid midday games in “extremely high-risk” areas, advice the world governing body has heeded. No group-stage games in Kansas City, Miami and Monterrey will begin before 6pm ET. The union labeled MetLife as being a “high-risk” location in the same report.
The 3pm ET kick-off for the final is one of eight games MetLife will host during the tournament. During the group stage, matches at MetLife will have different kick-off times: 6pm ET (Brazil vs Morocco), 4pm (Germany vs Ecuador), 3pm (France vs Senegal), 8pm (Norway vs Senegal) and 5pm (Panama vs England). MetLife's round-of-32 game is slated for 5pm ET and its round of 16 game for 4pm ET.
The World Cup final is one of only two of its MetLife games slated to take place at 3pm, a time that also provides a premium slot for a European television audience. FIFA decides schedules and kick-off times.
Speaking to The Athletic on Saturday, FIFA's chief tournament officer Manolo Zubiria said: “It's the final of the World Cup — the more people you can bring to this game around the world (via television), the better. There will be measures to mitigate the heat.
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“As you've seen, there are not that many other games in times that will raise questions. We managed to leverage it and to balance it out well.”
Alex Lasry, CEO of the New York/New Jersey host city committee, told The Athletic: “This is the summertime. It does get hot. So it's not unusual for us to do events in the summer. The Ryder Cup was a great example (in how to do this): free waters and making sure everyone was well hydrated. We'll be working to make sure that there are no issues and that the fans can stay cool and comfortable.”
To adapt to the extreme heat last summer, FIFA implemented hydration breaks during games. Some teams had their substitutes watch their games inside the dressing room instead of from the sidelines, too.
FIFPro has been approached for comment.
Matchday 1
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Matchday 1
Sunday, June 14: Germany vs Curacao (1pm ET, 10am PT, 6pm BST) — NRG Stadium, Houston
Sunday, June 14: Ivory Coast vs Ecuador (7pm ET, 4pm PT, 12am Monday BST) — Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
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Matchday 2
Saturday, June 20: Germany vs Ivory Coast (4pm ET, 1pm PT, 9pm BST) — Toronto Stadium, Toronto
Saturday, June 20: Ecuador vs Curacao (8pm ET, 5pm PT, 1am Sunday BST) — Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City
Matchday 3
Thursday, June 25: Ecuador vs Germany (4pm ET, 1pm PT, 9pm BST) — MetLife Stadium, New York/New Jersey
Thursday, June 25: Curacao vs Ivory Coast (4pm ET, 1pm PT, 9pm BST) — Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
Matchday 1
Sunday, June 14: Netherlands vs Japan (4pm ET, 1pm PT, 9pm BST) — AT&T Stadium, Dallas
Sunday, June 14: TBC vs Tunisia (10pm ET, 7pm PT, 3am Monday BST) — Estadio BBVA, Monterrey
Matchday 2
Saturday, June 20: Netherlands vs TBC (1pm ET, 10am PT, 6pm BST) — NRG Stadium, Houston
Saturday, June 20: Tunisia vs Japan (12am Sunday ET, 9pm ET, 5am Sunday BST) — Estadio BBVA, Monterrey
Matchday 3
Thursday, June 25: Japan vs TBC (7pm ET, 4pm PT, 12am Friday BST) — AT&T Stadium, Dallas
Thursday, June 25: Tunisia vs Netherlands (7pm ET, 4pm PT, 12am Friday BST) — Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City
Matchday 1
Monday, June 15: Iran vs New Zealand (9pm ET, 6pm PT, 2am Tuesday BST) — SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles
Monday, June 15: Belgium vs Egypt (3pm ET, 12pm PT, 8pm BST) — Lumen Field, Seattle
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Matchday 2
Sunday, June 21: Belgium vs Iran (3pm ET, 12pm PT, 8pm BST) — SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles
Sunday, June 21: New Zealand vs Egypt (9pm ET, 6pm PT, 2am Monday BST) — BC Place, Vancouver
Matchday 3
Friday, June 26: Egypt vs Iran (11pm ET, 8pm PT, 4am Saturday BST) — Lumen Field, Seattle
Friday, June 26: New Zealand vs Belgium (11pm ET, 8pm PT, 4am Saturday BST) — BC Place, Vancouver
Matchday 1
Monday, June 15: Spain vs Cape Verde (12pm ET, 9am PT, 5pm BST) — Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
Monday, June 15: Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay (6pm ET, 3pm PT, 11pm BST) — Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
Matchday 2
Sunday, June 21: Spain vs Saudi Arabia (12pm ET, 9am PT, 5pm BST) — Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
Sunday, June 21: Uruguay vs Cape Verde (6pm ET, 3pm PT, 11pm BST) — Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
Matchday 3
Friday, June 26: Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia (8pm, 5pm ET, 1am Saturday BST) — NRG Stadium, Houston
Friday, June 26: Uruguay vs Spain (8pm ET, 5pm ET, 1am Saturday BST) — Estadio Akron, Guadalajara
Matchday 1
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Matchday 1
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FIFA president Gianni Infantino has apologised to Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni after a bizarre mix-up at the 2026 World Cup draw forced the reigning world champion coach to wear gloves before touching the trophy. The incident caused confusion and frustration, prompting FIFA to stage a corrective ceremony the next day to make amends publicly.
The confusion unfolded during Friday's draw for the 2026 World Cup, where organisers unexpectedly asked Lionel Scaloni to put on white gloves before handling the World Cup trophy. The requirement, normally reserved for non-champions or those without authorised access, appeared to stem from officials not recognising the manager who guided Argentina to the 2022 title. Scaloni looked visibly surprised and later admitted he believed staff had mistaken him for someone else.
The moment quickly circulated across social media, with many fans and pundits questioning how FIFA personnel failed to recognise the reigning world champion coach. Argentina's delegation reportedly felt the incident was disrespectful, especially given Scaloni's central role in the Albiceleste's most recent triumph. The awkwardness overshadowed the draw itself, in which Argentina were placed into Group J alongside Algeria, Austria and Jordan.
To address the situation, FIFA arranged a separate ceremony the following day as part of the tournament schedule presentation. This time, Scaloni was invited onto the stage without gloves and handed the trophy in a more fitting manner. Infantino used the occasion to deliver a public apology and defuse the controversy.
Speaking at the FIFA World Cup scheduling ceremony, Infantino said: “I apologise on behalf of FIFA. I didn't know.”
Calling Scaloni back on stage with the trophy in hand, he added: “Of course, the world champions can touch the cup. I apologise, I didn't know. What an outrage! It's just that when you're a world champion, you look younger every day.”
Scaloni responded in good humour, saying: “I think they mistook me for someone else and wouldn't let me touch it yesterday.”
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The incident took place during a high-profile event in Washington, where FIFA unveiled the group-stage draw for the expanded 2026 tournament hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. Scaloni's unexpected treatment sparked immediate reaction across Argentina, a nation deeply protective of its icons following the emotional World Cup triumph in Qatar. Many fans considered the moment emblematic of FIFA's organisational missteps, while others took a more humorous view given Scaloni's calm response.
Infantino's apology was designed not only to correct the error but also to reinforce FIFA's respect for champions at a time when public perception of the organisation often comes under scrutiny. By bringing Scaloni onto the stage and allowing him to lift the trophy bare-handed, the president attempted to close the narrative before it generated further controversy. The moment also created a symbolic snapshot ahead of Argentina's attempt to defend their title on North American soil.
Argentina will now prepare to open their World Cup campaign against Algeria on 16 June, before facing Austria and Jordan in what is viewed as a manageable yet unpredictable group. The defending champions aim to maintain continuity and avoid distractions, and Scaloni's composed handling of the incident ensured it did not escalate into a prolonged story. With expectations sky-high once again, the team will look to build early momentum as they begin their road toward back-to-back titles.
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Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas says Luis Suarez alone will decide whether he continues with the club after helping Lionel Messi and the Herons secure MLS Cup glory. With the 38-year-old's contract expiring after the final, Inter Miami insist the door remains open for the striker, whose remarkable season has prompted internal hope he chooses to stay.
Inter Miami lifted the MLS Cup after a 3-1 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps, marking a historic moment for the club and capping off a campaign in which Suarez played a crucial role. The Uruguayan contributed throughout the regular season and playoffs before facing an uncertain future as his contract is set to expire at the end of this month. His situation has drawn widespread attention because, unlike Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, Suarez has not publicly committed to either retirement or an extension.
During the regular season, Suarez produced 10 goals and 10 assists in MLS play and added another assist in the postseason, reaffirming the quality he still possesses at age 38. However, late in the season, he lost his place in the starting lineup to 19-year-old Mateo Silvetti, first due to suspension and then due to tactical decisions made by head coach Javier Mascherano. Even as he adapted to a reduced on-field role, Suárez remained influential within the squad and integral to the club's title run.
Inter Miami's leadership addressed the issue of his future in the buildup to the final, confirming that the forward's next step is entirely in his own hands. Mascherano and David Beckham both acknowledged the squad depth that allowed others to step in during Suarez's suspension, but the respect for his legendary career remains unconditional. The MLS Cup final, therefore, became both a celebration of a championship and a turning point in the debate surrounding Suarez's next chapter.
Speaking ahead of the MLS Cup final, Inter Miami chief Mas said: “Luis Suarez is a legend of football, he is one of the best nines not only of this generation but of all time. Luis will have to make a decision when the season is over, so tomorrow.
“In terms of the club, I want to say this because I have read a lot about Luis, I'll say it in this context: If in the beginning of the year, they gave us a paper about a center forward that played more than 4000 minutes and scored more than 15/16 goals and 16/17 assists, everyone here would sign that paper to have a forward like that.
“Luis deserves to be able to make that decision to be able to leave through the front door and be celebrated like he should be by the club. And if he decides to stay at the club for another year, it would be great. I would like to see Suárez stay. Obviously, then the conversations would be how Luis Suárez would stay, but obviously we would include Mascherano and Luis, but the decision is up to him.”
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Suarez's contract - extended through the 2025 MLS season - officially expires hours after the MLS Cup final, leaving the striker at a crossroads as he weighs one more year or a potential farewell. His overall 2025 output across all competitions was exceptional, totalling 17 goals and 17 assists in 50 matches when factoring in Leagues Cup, Club World Cup, and Champions Cup fixtures.
Mascherano's decision to start Silvetti in the final weeks of the season reflects an evolving long-term strategy centred around integrating younger attackers. Suarez's suspension created the initial opening for the teenager, but strong performances kept him in the starting XI even after the veteran was available again. While the change slightly reduced Suarez's minutes, it also demonstrated the competitive balance Miami is aiming to achieve as they move into 2026.
Inter Miami now await Suarez's decision, which could arrive within days as he considers whether to extend his playing career or step aside after winning a major title. If he opts to stay, Miami will negotiate the structure of a reduced-role contract, integrating Suarez into Mascherano's evolving tactical plans. Should he choose to depart or retire, the Herons are said to be preparing a move for former Chelsea striker Timo Werner.
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Real Madrid are preparing for the possibility of a major sale involving Rodrygo, after reports from Defensa Central revealed that the club are now willing to listen to offers worth around €70 million for the Brazilian forward.
While Xabi Alonso still believes in Rodrygo's talent, the club is no longer ruling out a high-profile departure if his situation does not improve significantly in the coming months.
The message has already been delivered to the player that his future is now in his own hands.
Between now and the summer, Rodrygo has a clear window to prove that he deserves to remain a core part of Madrid's long-term project.
The club views his raw quality as undeniable, but they also expect consistency, impact, and reliability at the highest level. If those demands are not met, a sale will be seriously considered.
Notably, interest in Rodrygo remains extremely strong across Europe.
In that regard, several elite clubs, including Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, and Bayern Munich, have already made informal approaches to monitor his situation.
Rodrygo is facing an uncertain future at Real Madrid. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
Saudi Arabia also remains an option financially, although for now the Brazilian's priority is to continue competing at the highest level in Europe.
Despite this growing market, Rodrygo's personal preference has always been to stay at the Santiago Bernabeu.
His desire to succeed at the club and cement his legacy at the club initially ruled out any winter move, even with Premier League interest intensifying.
However, that stance could evolve if his sporting situation does not change.
Looking ahead to 2026, whether in January or during the summer window, Real Madrid are expected to fully open the door to negotiations.
The forward himself may also begin to reassess his future as another key factor enters the equation, which is his place in Brazil's squad for the FIFA World Cup.
Rodrygo's current season statistics underline the growing concern. He has featured in 16 matches across all competitions without scoring a single goal.
Even more telling is his role within the squad, having made only four appearances as a starter, with just 446 minutes played in total.
Adam Wharton's agent has admitted the Crystal Palace star wants to play in the Champions League one day amid links with a big-money move. Manchester United are among the teams who have been credited with interest in the 21-year-old but for now, he remains an Eagles player. But his representative, James Featherstone, has hinted the midfielder's future lies away from Selhurst Park.
After an impressive 18 months or so at Palace, Wharton has been linked with eye-catching transfer moves in 2026. The former Blackburn Rovers star is very highly rated at the Croydon outfit and if they are to part company with a player who has three-and-a-half years left on his contract, it will be for a huge fee. Palace co-owner Steve Parish is well aware that his club, who are playing in the Conference League this term, have an in-demand player but they will do all they can to keep him.
He said in October: "Look, I think Adam at some point will want to play, either in the Champions League with us, if we could make that happen, or probably with another club. He's an extraordinary talent. I think right now, and I can't speak for Adam, but I think he's focused on his time at Crystal Palace. He had a broken season last season with the groin issues that he had, which a lot of young players get. This season he's completely focused on putting the games in, getting in the England squad, being a regular for us. I think he's very committed to the club. I mean, if Manchester United want Adam Wharton, that's nothing surprising really. The fact of the matter is he's got a long contract to run. There's no pressure on us to do it and I don't think there's any real pressure from the player either."
Although United, one of the world's biggest clubs, are said to be keen on Wharton, he himself does not seem to be too enamoured with Ruben Amorim's team - who are not in Europe this season and are below Palace in the Premier League table.
Indeed, he said last month: "I don't really look into it or think too much about it. There are always rumours floating about on social media. Is it true? Is it not? You tell me. My friends, my family, my brothers, everyone will message me and be like, 'Is it true this club's interested?' I'm like, 'Thanks for telling me because I didn't know.' I don't know who's spreading it or who at United is looking at it. I see it and I'm like, 'OK', and then I carry on with my day. United, the big teams, they're all linked to 10, 20 different players. If I'm one of 20, then it's nothing special, so it doesn't really mean too much. I speak with my agent about planning ahead and possibilities. But at the end of the day, it is who's interested and who's willing to try and get you and if that becomes the case? You can speak about it, but you've got to represent that on the pitch and prove that you deserve it."
After achieving his goals of playing in the Premier League and becoming an England international, Wharton has his sights set on his next goal - the Champions League. According to his agent Featherstone, the midfielder is craving Europe's elite competition next.
"When he was at Blackburn we sat down and spoke about shooting for the stars and playing for England," his agent told talkSPORT. "So how do you get there? Personally I think to play for England you have to play Champions League, to play in the Champions League you have got to play for one of the top teams in one of the top leagues. That jump to a Champions League team, I think you can get lost. The plan below that was to play for a Premier League team. We have got a plan. He is 21. I have to check myself to remember that every now and then. It doesn't have to be achieved yesterday, today or this moment. He has got his in-game, in-season targets and goals. He has got to do his bit and the rest will look after itself in a very structured, calm way to ultimately add value and maximise his ability."
The England ace will hope to help his Palace side, who sit sixth in the Premier League, to all three points when they visit London neighbours Fulham in the English top-flight on Sunday afternoon. If results go their way, they could rise to fourth in the table, whereas the Cottagers could jump two places to 13th with a win.
For the latest story with the Boston schedule, click here.
The 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup Draw is complete.
Though the tournament itself won't kick off until June 2026, the draw laid the foundation for the dramaticsto come. The tournament's 12 groups are set in stone, and we now have a general sense of which teams will beplaying in which cities (at least for the 72 group stage games).
We have narrowed down which 12 teams could be coming to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, which will be called Boston Stadium.
The ceremony, which took place at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., was a two-hour celebration of soccer. After a slurry of speeches and some political posturing, the biggest sporting event of the year's initial stage has been set in stone.
Exact schedules, locations and kickoff times will be confirmed tomorrow on Saturday, Dec. 6. (Find that coverage here)
Sam Pausman
There could be some seriously good soccer players coming to Boston this summer. Though we don't yet exactly know when and where (we'll find this out tomorrow), we've narrowed down the potential teams coming to Boston to just 12 (below). Keep reading, and you'll find a breakdown of the stars each team could potentially bring with it.
Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland
Sam Pausman
Boston will host matches between teams from Group C, Group I and Group L. Here are the teams that were drawn into each of those groups. The official schedule — and location of the matches — will be announced on Saturday, Dec. 6. (We'll have coverage so check back tomorrow.)
Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland
Janson McNair
The United States Men's National Team, which is in Group D, now knows its opponents for the group stage of competition. Here's a look at every team in the group:
Janson McNair
Cape Verde, which has a large population of immigrants in the Brockton area, was drawn to Group H, meaning they will play at least one game in Miami Stadium, Atlanta Stadium, Houston Stadium and Estadio Guadalajara.
Janson McNair
Haiti also has a prominent population in the Brockton area and throughout Massachusetts.
Luckily, Haiti was drawn to group C,bringing their pool of potential locations down to New York New Jersey Stadium, Philadelphia Stadium, Miami Stadium, Atlanta Stadium and Boston Stadium for the group stage round. Haiti will play at least one of its games in one of these five locations.
Janson McNair
Portugal has a considerable fan base in the Brockton and Southcoast area of Massachusetts. The team was drawn to Group K, along with Colombia.
This means the team will play at least one of its group stage games in Houston Stadium, Mexico Stadium, Estadio Guadalajara, Atlanta Stadium and Miami Stadium.
Sam Pausman
Brazil was drawn in Group C — which will play two of its matches in Boston. France was drawn in Group I, and that group will also play two matches in Boston.
In Group L, England was drawn from Pot 1. However, there will only be a single Group L match played in Boston Stadium.
Janson McNair
Drawing officially began around 1:27 p.m. at the group stage final draw.
Rio Ferdinand, legendary English defender, took the stage alongside American soccer player Samantha Johnson as they prepare to host the drawing segment of the show.
Sam Pausman
*Group will play matches at Gillette Stadium, aka Boston Stadium. The game schedule will be announced tomorrow (Saturday), starting at noon Easterntime.
Group A: Mexico, Korea Republic, South Africa, [winner of Playoff D]
Sam Pausman
The former New England Patriots quarterback has officially taken the stage to help pull teams out of their pots.
"Certainly incredible to have this incredible event coming to North America," Brady said, who played at Gillette Stadium for 20 seasons. "We're all counting down the days. There's huge anticipation always for this event."
According to the stadium, the venue has a seating capacity of 64,628.
United States: 10 cities
Sam Pausman
Unsurprisingly, no teams have been drawn yet.
However, hosts Kevin Hart and Heidi Klum kicked off the ceremony with some speeches and Andrea Bocelli, Nicole Scherzinger and Robbie Williams introduced thefestivities with some songs.
Janson McNair
Patriot Place is a shopping and dining center located adjacent to Boston Stadium.
"Patriot Place features more than 1.3 million square feet of shopping, dining, and entertainment," Patriot Place said on its website. "You will find major fashion retailers, live and interactive entertainment, eateries, a four-star hotel, state of the art theatre and much, much more."
Janson McNair
Moments ago, President Donald Trump took the stage at the final draw to receive the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize, awarded to individuals recognized as striving for peace.
"In an increasingly unsettled and divided world, it's fundamental to recognize the outstanding contribution of those who work hard to end conflicts and bring people together in a spirit of peace," FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in an Instagram post.
Janson McNair
The final draw is now live from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., hosted by Heidi Klum and Kevin Hart.
Klum said between 500 million and 1 billion people have tuned in the watch the final draw.
Sam Pausman
Houston, we have liftoff.
The 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup draw ceremony is officially livefrom the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. President Donald Trump arrived about 30 minutes before the drawwas scheduled to begin, popping up on the red carpet with FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
Sam Pausman
Thierry Henry, a World Cup winner who cemented himself as a legend with France and Arsenal, has given his prediction for the winner of the tournament.
Henry, a Frenchman himself, considers France to be the team best suited to win the tournament. The player-turned-pundit noted that Les Bleushave made it to the finals of the previous two FIFA World Cups, and he expects his France side to make it to their third consecutive final.
Janson McNair
Boston Stadium, more commonly known as Gillette Stadium, is not actually in Boston. The stadium is located around 29 miles southwest of downtown Boston in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
It serves as the home stadium for both the New England Patriots and the New England Revolution.
Janson McNair
Teams are picked and assigned to "groups" in accordance with which "pot" they are placed in.
There are four "pots" that the 48 teams have been organized in, corresponding to team rankings in the FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking. Highest ranked teams fall in pot 1, while lowest ranked teams fall in pot 4.
Janson McNair
In total, there are 16 cities hosting matches in this year's World Cup, split between Canada, Mexico and the United States. We've included the FIFA name for the stadium - the closest major city - and what the stadium is called through branding rights.
Here's a look at the cities with matches on the docket:
Janson McNair
The United States Men's National Team (USMNT) has its schedule for FIFA World Cup group stage matches laid out, as do the teams for Mexico and Canada.
In the final draw, which is scheduled for Dec. 5, teams are selected from four "pots" which correspond to their FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking. Teams in pot 1 are ranked highest, while teams in pot 4 are ranked lowest.
Janson McNair
Gillette Stadium is typically the home to the New England Patriots and the New England Revolution, but the temporarily named Boston Stadium will be the stage for seven World Cup matches this summer. Here's when they're coming:
Janson McNair
Gillette Stadium has a seating capacity of 64,628. The venue has undergone considerable updates since its opening over two decades ago.
"The beginning of the 2023 NFL season marked the completion of the most dramatic Gillette Stadium improvements since its opening in 2002," according to the stadium's website. "The $250 million project completely transformed Gillette Stadium's appearance, greatly enhancing the event day experience for fans.
Janson McNair and Mark Giannotto
FIFA said the third phase of 2026 World Cup tickets will begin on Dec. 11 at 11 a.m. ET as part of an update about its ticket sales inventory. This buying period, called the Random Selection Draw, will occur six days after the official draw for the 2026 World Cup is held at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. It is the initial phase in which fans can submit applications for tickets after the group-stage matchups are revealed.
World Cup tickets can also be bought through secondary ticket marketplaces, including the official FIFA resale/exchange and Stubhub.
Sam Pausman
For the first time in FIFA World Cup history, the tournament will have a round of 32 immediately after the group stage. Previously, there were only 32 teams in the tournament, so, therefore, the first knockout round used to be a round of 16.
But now, with 48 teams competing in the tournament — divided into 12 "groups" of four teams each — the round of 32 is the first round of the knockout stages. To qualify for the round of 32, teams need to do one of the following:
Sam Pausman
Think about "pots" as the building blocks for the tournament. They provide the guidance for which nations are drawn into which groups. Here's how it works.
The 42 teams that have already qualified for the tournament, plus the six teams yet to qualify, have been sorted into the four pots, with 12 teams in each pot. These pots are determined based on skill level. So the best teams are in Pot 1. The next quartile in Pot 2, the third in Pot 3 and the fourth quartile goes — you guessed it — in Pot 4. Each group will contain one team from each pot. That way, ideally, the groups are all of equal strength.
Sam Pausman
The group stage is the first round of competition for the tournament. It's the only stage where every nation is guaranteed matches (three games to be exact), and it's often the most chaotic round of the tournament. Famously, Saudi Arabia managed a 2-1 victory over the to-be champions Argentina during the group stage of the 2022 FIFA Men's World Cup.
There are a total of 12 groups, with four teams in each. The specific teams in each group will be determined by the end of today's draw. Each team plays the other teams in its group exactly once. If you win a match, you get three points. If you tie, you get one. The loser gets zero points. The first and second-highest point-getters in each group qualify for the round of 32. Additionally, the eight third-place teams with the highest points also qualify.
Sam Pausman
Expect a lot of glitz and glamour.
For starters, the event is co-hosted by Heidi Klum, Kevin Hart and Danny Ramirez, and it will feature performances by Andrea Bocelli, Nicole Scherzinger and Robbie Williams.
Sam Pausman
The draw will take place at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., on Friday, Dec. 5, at noon. Assuming you aren't a ticketholder for the event, the draw will also air live on FOX. It will also be streamed live at foxsports.com if you're stuck in front of a computer.
The draw itself is scheduled to take about two hours.
Sam Pausman
Yes!
In the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup, five matches took place at what was then called Foxboro Stadium. Four years later, when the United States hosted another Women's World Cup in 2003, the tournament returned to Foxboro. This time, Gillette Stadium hosted four of the tournament's matches.
Caitlyn Kelleher
On Monday of this week, Gillette Stadium hosted the New England Patriots as they clinched the team's 11th win of the NFL season during a Monday Night Football game against the New York Giants. The Patriots have a bye week and will return to Gillette field on Sunday, Dec. 15, at 1 p.m. when theytake on the Buffalo Bills.
This week the Gillette Stadium hosts a different kind of Super Bowl, the Massachusetts High School Football Championships. Last night in the first game, top-seeded Cohasset outlasted Amesbury, 22-14, to capture the program's third state championship all-time and first since 2021. In the second game, thetop-seeded Norwood Clippers beat No. 3 Fairhaven in the MIAA Division 6 Super Bowl 28-14.
Sam Pausman
Short answer: Saturday.
Long answer: We know that groups C, I and L will all play some of their matches in Boston. We also know that the winners of Group E will play a Round of 32 match in Boston. So once we find out which teams are in those groups, we will be able to narrow down the options (we will do this for you). But the specific teams playing won't be known until the official schedule is announced tomorrow, Saturday, Dec. 6.
Sam Pausman
Boston Stadium was awarded a total of seven World Cup matches. Five of those are group stage matches, one is a Round of 32 matchup and Boston's final match is a quarterfinal matchup on Thursday, July 9. During the draw, keep an eye out for teams drawn into Group C, Group I and Group L. At least in the group stage, those will be the teams playing in Boston.
Here's what we know about all the matches so far.
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02:00 EST 07 Dec 2025, updated
04:10 EST 07 Dec 2025
By
JACK GAUGHAN
Thomas Tuchel spent some of his jaunt to the Club World Cup last summer checking in on Manchester City in Boca Raton, Florida. Looking at the facilities, sizing up the area, as England planned the best route around North America for the World Cup.
City were just north of Miami and Tuchel liked what he saw, hoping that this would be home to a pre-tournament camp. Inter Miami's facilities in Fort Lauderdale, just behind the club's temporary stadium, appeal. If they're good enough for David Beckham and Lionel Messi, then a week for the FA is more than manageable.
Stifling with high humidity, it is the perfect spot to quickly acclimatise to the worst of their new surroundings – the real energy-sapping, salmon-skinned Brit abroad sort of weather.
Time spent in Miami, which is pencilled in as an early base, will actually help more for potential knockout games - in Mexico City, as well as Miami - rather than the heat England may face over the course of Group L.
The beginning of the tournament doesn't look too scary from a climate perspective. Or footballing, it must be said.
The stadium for their opener against Croatia in Dallas, the home of NFL giants the Cowboys, is air-conditioned so a mid-afternoon kick off presents no problems. Tuchel is openly discussing the idea of keeping substitutes inside until required but thankfully that will not be necessary in this part of Texas. Houston, south of the state, is a different proposition altogether.
‘In 1994 we played in Dallas,' said Manchester City boss and ex-Spain midfielder Pep Guardiola, an unused substitute that day for a 2-2 draw with South Korea. ‘We were outside. And maybe it would have been better to be inside. It's hot! You need a lot of drinks.'
So the air conditioning certainly saves teams there. The second match, when meeting Ghana in Boston, could present humidity issues, although not as severe as elsewhere.
The third, against Panama, is being held at the MetLife in New Jersey – the venue for the final – which is undoubtedly more challenging. But still not quite as daunting as it might have been had the other option for that day arisen.
Philadelphia was excruciatingly hot for Chelsea at the Club World Cup, the authorities placing the city on ‘Code Red' – a ruling to protect the homeless while Enzo Maresca's team were in town. Fans there saw dogs wearing Crocs. It's fairly warm.
Perhaps it is good to familiarise ourselves with what Maresca thought about the Club World Cup, claiming that the US wasn't fit to host this event. ‘Seven, eight, nine games they have suspended,' he said after lengthy delays to a last-16 win over Benfica. ‘I think it's a joke to be honest, it's not football.'
For two decades, Premier League clubs have had to endure severe weather warnings during naked money grabbing pre-season tours. Delays to games, sometimes taking hours. One of City's friendlies in Wisconsin once looked as if it was possessed by an antagonist out of Stranger Things, a thick black cloud engulfing Lambeau Field.
Not in the perfect surrounds of Atlanta though, where a possible date awaits in the last 32. It's another climate-regulated arena that is the best of what America has to offer and would seemingly be a more sensible choice for the final from that sense and the logistics.
While only seven miles from Manhattan, New Jersey's ground has long been a nightmare for supporters – in the middle of nowhere with awful transport links, and still like that for FIFA's tournament earlier in the year.
Then again, if it is already palatable enough for fans of Beyonce, Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift to sell the place out then maybe a bit of extra care and attention before the biggest day in the sporting calendar should see things go smoothly enough.
Yet the place is uncovered and open to the elements. Not many will copy the attire of the late, great Jack Charlton from '94 – the shirt and tie combination, finished nicely with a white cap.
A mid-afternoon kick off for the final is not ideal for anybody actually willing to pay well in excess of $150 for an Uber from Manhattan.
Atlanta, scene of a possible England semi-final (but let's not overdo the optimism given the route) is a dream. So too the SoFi in California. But the proximity to America's greatest metropolis won.
The kick-off time for the final is perfect for European audiences. It's 8pm UK time and the three group games (9pm, 9pm, 10pm) are decent for audiences on the sofa and at the bar.
A last-16 meeting with co-hosts Mexico in their capital – dependent on England topping the group and progressing through the first knockout round – is scheduled for 1am.
That is then in the territory of short-term licensing agreements coming into force across the country, which is something they will be negotiating north of the border too, given Scotland's opening group fixture against Haiti begins at 2am before a couple of 11pm starts.
Steve Clarke does have both of his first two in Boston though. Proof that there are both pros and cons to each route handed to those embarking on America.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup begins in June and the United States's opponents have finally been revealed. By securing its bid as Hosts, the United States is back in the World Cup after last qualifying in 2022. Following the 2026 World Cup draw on Dec. 5, the United States will begin its World Cup campaign in Group D.
The United States's best result in the World Cup is a Third place (1930) finish and enters the 2026 tournament ranked No. 14 in the latest FIFA World Rankings. Group play begins for United States on June 12 against Paraguay in Ingelwood, Calif.
Here is everything you need to know in order to buy United States World Cup tickets:
The United States was drawn into Group D along with the following teams:
Check out The United States World Cup schedule for the group stage:
The United States will play their three group stage games in Inglewood and Seattle. Limited tickets for each match are available.
The 2026 World Cup will be The United States's 12th appearance in the sport's biggest tournament.
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FIFA revealed the full schedule, including venues and kickoff times, for the 2026 World Cup on Saturday, one day after the 42 qualifiers and six remaining playoff slots were drawn into 12 groups.
Here are some of the big takeaways from the full reveal.
Co-hosts (partly) in prime time
A year after the 2025 Club World Cup was played largely in times optimal for European television audiences, the group stage features numerous kickoff times more optimal for audiences in the Western Hemisphere and the far Eastern Hemisphere.
That includes the group itinerary of both the United States and Mexico, who will kick off two of their three matches in prime time.
Mexico Group A Schedule
Thursday, June 11 vs. South Africa – 3 p.m. ET, Mexico City
Thursday, June 18 vs. South Korea – 9 p.m. ET, Guadalajara
Wednesday, June 24 vs. UEFA Playoff D – 9 p.m. ET, Mexico City
USA Group D Schedule
Friday, June 12 vs. Paraguay – 9 p.m. ET, Los Angeles
Friday, June 19 vs. Australia – 3 p.m. ET, Seattle
Thursday, July 25 vs. UEFA Playoff C – 10 p.m. ET, Los Angeles
Which city (debatably) got the best games?
The answer to this question might depend on your criteria.
In terms of getting the widest range of glamorous nations to visit, you'd have to go with New York's group itinerary, which includes appearances by — in order — Brazil, France, Germany and England:
New York group fixtures
Saturday, June 13 – Brazil vs. Morocco – 6 p.m. ET
Tuesday, June 16 – France vs. Senegal – 3 p.m. ET
Monday, June 22 – Norway vs. Senegal – 8 p.m. ET
Thursday, June 25 – Ecuador vs. Germany – 4 p.m. ET
Saturday, June 27 – Panama vs. England – 5 p.m. ET
In terms of getting a mix of well-known teams and matches likely to be competitive until the final whistle, the best mix might belong to Dallas.
Dallas group fixtures
Sunday, June 14 – Netherlands vs. Japan – 4 p.m. ET
Wednesday, June 17 – Croatia vs. England – 4 p.m. ET
Monday, June 22 – Argentina vs. Austria – 1 p.m. ET
Thursday, June 25 – Japan vs. UEFA Playoff B – 7 p.m. ET
Saturday, June 27 – Jordan vs. Argentina – 10 p.m. ET
(Mostly) avoiding the heat
The Club World Cup was perhaps a useful lesson for FIFA in terms of avoiding scheduling matches in the worst of the summer heat in the Southern and Eastern U.S.
There's been an obvious adjustment with the group stage schedule for next summer. While there are several matches in warmer markets with outdoor stadiums before sundown, most of them are late enough that the playing surface should be in the shade. There are also numerous daytime kickoffs in indoor venues in Atlanta, Dallas and Houston. But there are a few exceptions to the rule.
Here are the group stage matches that kick off before 6 pm local time in markets that could pose a risk of extreme heat.
Tuesday, June 16 – France vs. Senegal – 3pm ET, New York/New Jersey
Monday, June 22 – France vs. Intercontinental Playoff 2 – 5 p.m. ET, Philadelphia
Thursday, June 25 – Germany vs. Ecuador – 4 p.m. ET, New York/New Jersey
Thursday, June 25 – Curacao vs. Ivory Coast – 4 p.m. ET, Philadelphia
Saturday, June 27 – Panama vs. England – 5 p.m. ET, New York/New Jersey
Saturday, June 27 – Croatia vs. Ghana – 5 p.m. ET, Philadelphia
However, FIFA will still go ahead with a 3 p.m. ET kickoff for the final outdoors at the New York/New Jersey venue in East Rutherford, N.J. The Club World Cup final kicked off at the same time and venue amid temperatures in the mid-80s Fahrenheit and high humidity.
–Ian Quillen, Field Level Media
FIFA revealed the full schedule, including venues and kickoff times, for the 2026 World Cup on Saturday, one day after the 42 qualifiers and six remaining playoff slots were drawn…
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FIFA revealed the full schedule, including venues and kickoff times, for the 2026 World Cup on Saturday, one day after the 42 qualifiers and six remaining playoff slots were drawn…
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© 2025 Field Level Media. All Rights Reserved.
Measured, thoughtful and quietly driven, Martin Landaluce carries the aura of a young player shaped not only by talent but by the powerful influences around him. Raised in Madrid before relocating to Mallorca as a teenager, the 19-year-old settled into life at the renowned Rafa Nadal Academy, the setting for Episode 2 of the new Journey to Jeddah series. It is here, on these pristine courts, that much of his growth has taken place.
A former US Open boys' singles champion and now a two-time ATP Challenger Tour titlist, Landaluce credits part of his progress to a unique apprenticeship few players his age experience: training with Rafael Nadal himself.
“On this first court is where I practised with [Nadal] several times,” Landaluce said, looking over the courts in Mallorca. “He destroyed me. He hits very hard when practicing, very hard. But I had a great time.”
The mentorship didn't end at the baseline. His conversations with Toni Nadal, Rafa's uncle and long-time coach, often stretched far beyond forehands and footwork.
“We talk about things normally no one asks you,” Landaluce said. “But he doesn't have a filter, so if he wants to ask you that he is going to do it and I like that from him and I admire him. It is good to do that reflection.”
Family has also played a defining role in Landaluce's journey. His father, Alejandro, still competes on the ITF Seniors Tour, while both his siblings share the same competitive fire. Their unity was once captured in a story almost too improbable to believe.
“There is a funny story that my dad, my sister, my brother and myself, we won the same tournament in the same week in different categories,” he recalls. “I think that is very, very difficult and rare in the history of tennis.”
If Landaluce's path has been shaped by family and mentorship, Alexander Blockx's story begins with sibling rivalry and the moment a young boy realised he wanted to be on the court, not just watching from the side.
“I used to sit on the bench and watch a lot, what my brother was doing,” the 20-year-old Belgian said. “I love competing because I always tried to do better than him. My coach asked me if I wanted to try and at first I was a bit shy, and then eventually I started hitting and it was so nice and I had the feeling instantly.”
That early spark has evolved into a dynamic, forward-leaning style that powered Blockx to two ATP Challenger Tour titles this season and a place at the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF.
“I am pretty quick for my height,” said World No. 116 Blockx. “I can attack really well from my forehand. My serve has got a lot better and my backhand now I can attack with it. I think the key is to be as aggressive as you can otherwise you have no chance to beat the best players.”
At the core of Blockx's rise is one of the most enduring partnerships in the sport. Philippe Cassiers, his coach since childhood, has been guiding him for 16 years, a rarity in the modern game.
“We have known each other for 16 years now. It is rare to have such a long relationship in sport and in general,” Blockx said. “It is becoming more like a family.”
Cassiers agreed: “It is a long, trusted relationship. We don't need too many words or signs to understand where we are going. We are enjoying the process.”
Watch Episode 2 of Journey to Jeddah now, and follow both Landaluce and Blockx as they take aim at the title at the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, held in Jeddah from 17–21 December.
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The mentorship didn't end at the baseline. His conversations with Toni Nadal, Rafa's uncle and long-time coach, often stretched far beyond forehands and footwork.
“We talk about things normally no one asks you,” Landaluce said. “But he doesn't have a filter, so if he wants to ask you that he is going to do it and I like that from him and I admire him. It is good to do that reflection.”
Family has also played a defining role in Landaluce's journey. His father, Alejandro, still competes on the ITF Seniors Tour, while both his siblings share the same competitive fire. Their unity was once captured in a story almost too improbable to believe.
“There is a funny story that my dad, my sister, my brother and myself, we won the same tournament in the same week in different categories,” he recalls. “I think that is very, very difficult and rare in the history of tennis.”
If Landaluce's path has been shaped by family and mentorship, Alexander Blockx's story begins with sibling rivalry and the moment a young boy realised he wanted to be on the court, not just watching from the side.
“I used to sit on the bench and watch a lot, what my brother was doing,” the 20-year-old Belgian said. “I love competing because I always tried to do better than him. My coach asked me if I wanted to try and at first I was a bit shy, and then eventually I started hitting and it was so nice and I had the feeling instantly.”
That early spark has evolved into a dynamic, forward-leaning style that powered Blockx to two ATP Challenger Tour titles this season and a place at the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF.
“I am pretty quick for my height,” said World No. 116 Blockx. “I can attack really well from my forehand. My serve has got a lot better and my backhand now I can attack with it. I think the key is to be as aggressive as you can otherwise you have no chance to beat the best players.”
At the core of Blockx's rise is one of the most enduring partnerships in the sport. Philippe Cassiers, his coach since childhood, has been guiding him for 16 years, a rarity in the modern game.
“We have known each other for 16 years now. It is rare to have such a long relationship in sport and in general,” Blockx said. “It is becoming more like a family.”
Cassiers agreed: “It is a long, trusted relationship. We don't need too many words or signs to understand where we are going. We are enjoying the process.”
Watch Episode 2 of Journey to Jeddah now, and follow both Landaluce and Blockx as they take aim at the title at the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, held in Jeddah from 17–21 December.
Read More News
View All News
View Related Videos
View All Videos
“We talk about things normally no one asks you,” Landaluce said. “But he doesn't have a filter, so if he wants to ask you that he is going to do it and I like that from him and I admire him. It is good to do that reflection.”
Family has also played a defining role in Landaluce's journey. His father, Alejandro, still competes on the ITF Seniors Tour, while both his siblings share the same competitive fire. Their unity was once captured in a story almost too improbable to believe.
“There is a funny story that my dad, my sister, my brother and myself, we won the same tournament in the same week in different categories,” he recalls. “I think that is very, very difficult and rare in the history of tennis.”
If Landaluce's path has been shaped by family and mentorship, Alexander Blockx's story begins with sibling rivalry and the moment a young boy realised he wanted to be on the court, not just watching from the side.
“I used to sit on the bench and watch a lot, what my brother was doing,” the 20-year-old Belgian said. “I love competing because I always tried to do better than him. My coach asked me if I wanted to try and at first I was a bit shy, and then eventually I started hitting and it was so nice and I had the feeling instantly.”
That early spark has evolved into a dynamic, forward-leaning style that powered Blockx to two ATP Challenger Tour titles this season and a place at the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF.
“I am pretty quick for my height,” said World No. 116 Blockx. “I can attack really well from my forehand. My serve has got a lot better and my backhand now I can attack with it. I think the key is to be as aggressive as you can otherwise you have no chance to beat the best players.”
At the core of Blockx's rise is one of the most enduring partnerships in the sport. Philippe Cassiers, his coach since childhood, has been guiding him for 16 years, a rarity in the modern game.
“We have known each other for 16 years now. It is rare to have such a long relationship in sport and in general,” Blockx said. “It is becoming more like a family.”
Cassiers agreed: “It is a long, trusted relationship. We don't need too many words or signs to understand where we are going. We are enjoying the process.”
Watch Episode 2 of Journey to Jeddah now, and follow both Landaluce and Blockx as they take aim at the title at the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, held in Jeddah from 17–21 December.
Read More News
View All News
View Related Videos
View All Videos
“We talk about things normally no one asks you,” Landaluce said. “But he doesn't have a filter, so if he wants to ask you that he is going to do it and I like that from him and I admire him. It is good to do that reflection.”
Family has also played a defining role in Landaluce's journey. His father, Alejandro, still competes on the ITF Seniors Tour, while both his siblings share the same competitive fire. Their unity was once captured in a story almost too improbable to believe.
“There is a funny story that my dad, my sister, my brother and myself, we won the same tournament in the same week in different categories,” he recalls. “I think that is very, very difficult and rare in the history of tennis.”
If Landaluce's path has been shaped by family and mentorship, Alexander Blockx's story begins with sibling rivalry and the moment a young boy realised he wanted to be on the court, not just watching from the side.
“I used to sit on the bench and watch a lot, what my brother was doing,” the 20-year-old Belgian said. “I love competing because I always tried to do better than him. My coach asked me if I wanted to try and at first I was a bit shy, and then eventually I started hitting and it was so nice and I had the feeling instantly.”
That early spark has evolved into a dynamic, forward-leaning style that powered Blockx to two ATP Challenger Tour titles this season and a place at the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF.
“I am pretty quick for my height,” said World No. 116 Blockx. “I can attack really well from my forehand. My serve has got a lot better and my backhand now I can attack with it. I think the key is to be as aggressive as you can otherwise you have no chance to beat the best players.”
At the core of Blockx's rise is one of the most enduring partnerships in the sport. Philippe Cassiers, his coach since childhood, has been guiding him for 16 years, a rarity in the modern game.
“We have known each other for 16 years now. It is rare to have such a long relationship in sport and in general,” Blockx said. “It is becoming more like a family.”
Cassiers agreed: “It is a long, trusted relationship. We don't need too many words or signs to understand where we are going. We are enjoying the process.”
Watch Episode 2 of Journey to Jeddah now, and follow both Landaluce and Blockx as they take aim at the title at the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, held in Jeddah from 17–21 December.
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From passports to passwords, the app is helping players stay organized and secure across nonstop global travel.ByStephanie LivaudaisPublished Dec 07, 2025 copy_link
Published Dec 07, 2025
© Sipa USA
Today's top tennis players operate more like one-person conglomerates. They're competing at the highest level while living out of suitcases and flying across continents, and handling the business side of their careers while on the move and in public view.Prize money, visas, contracts—many of these logistics are handled in airport lounges, hotel lobbies, or anywhere with Wi-Fi, often on mobile devices that are far from secure.In a world where their schedules can be unpredictable and their online exposure is constant, protecting personal data has become as essential as protecting their serve. A new ATP partnership underscores just how urgent that need has become.Enter BUNKR, the all-in-one privacy and security app that has quickly become a trusted tool for players and their teams. In January, the ATP partnered with BUNKR to provide a co-branded version of the app and a free year of membership (after that, it's $11.99 annually). Hundreds of players across the spectrum—Top 10 stars, rising juniors, and retired pros—have already signed on.Read More: Five WTA players receive more than a quarter of all online abuse and threats, report says“As a membership organization we are always looking for tools to help our players succeed,” says Fernando Sanchez, Senior VP of Player Relations at ATP Tour. “They have complicated, demanding lives with year-round travel, and BUNKR enables them to organize their careers in a safe and simple way.“We offer our players BUNKR accounts to store personal information, safely save passwords, and communicate with their teams.”
Prize money, visas, contracts—many of these logistics are handled in airport lounges, hotel lobbies, or anywhere with Wi-Fi, often on mobile devices that are far from secure.In a world where their schedules can be unpredictable and their online exposure is constant, protecting personal data has become as essential as protecting their serve. A new ATP partnership underscores just how urgent that need has become.Enter BUNKR, the all-in-one privacy and security app that has quickly become a trusted tool for players and their teams. In January, the ATP partnered with BUNKR to provide a co-branded version of the app and a free year of membership (after that, it's $11.99 annually). Hundreds of players across the spectrum—Top 10 stars, rising juniors, and retired pros—have already signed on.Read More: Five WTA players receive more than a quarter of all online abuse and threats, report says“As a membership organization we are always looking for tools to help our players succeed,” says Fernando Sanchez, Senior VP of Player Relations at ATP Tour. “They have complicated, demanding lives with year-round travel, and BUNKR enables them to organize their careers in a safe and simple way.“We offer our players BUNKR accounts to store personal information, safely save passwords, and communicate with their teams.”
In a world where their schedules can be unpredictable and their online exposure is constant, protecting personal data has become as essential as protecting their serve. A new ATP partnership underscores just how urgent that need has become.Enter BUNKR, the all-in-one privacy and security app that has quickly become a trusted tool for players and their teams. In January, the ATP partnered with BUNKR to provide a co-branded version of the app and a free year of membership (after that, it's $11.99 annually). Hundreds of players across the spectrum—Top 10 stars, rising juniors, and retired pros—have already signed on.Read More: Five WTA players receive more than a quarter of all online abuse and threats, report says“As a membership organization we are always looking for tools to help our players succeed,” says Fernando Sanchez, Senior VP of Player Relations at ATP Tour. “They have complicated, demanding lives with year-round travel, and BUNKR enables them to organize their careers in a safe and simple way.“We offer our players BUNKR accounts to store personal information, safely save passwords, and communicate with their teams.”
Enter BUNKR, the all-in-one privacy and security app that has quickly become a trusted tool for players and their teams. In January, the ATP partnered with BUNKR to provide a co-branded version of the app and a free year of membership (after that, it's $11.99 annually). Hundreds of players across the spectrum—Top 10 stars, rising juniors, and retired pros—have already signed on.Read More: Five WTA players receive more than a quarter of all online abuse and threats, report says“As a membership organization we are always looking for tools to help our players succeed,” says Fernando Sanchez, Senior VP of Player Relations at ATP Tour. “They have complicated, demanding lives with year-round travel, and BUNKR enables them to organize their careers in a safe and simple way.“We offer our players BUNKR accounts to store personal information, safely save passwords, and communicate with their teams.”
Read More: Five WTA players receive more than a quarter of all online abuse and threats, report says“As a membership organization we are always looking for tools to help our players succeed,” says Fernando Sanchez, Senior VP of Player Relations at ATP Tour. “They have complicated, demanding lives with year-round travel, and BUNKR enables them to organize their careers in a safe and simple way.“We offer our players BUNKR accounts to store personal information, safely save passwords, and communicate with their teams.”
“As a membership organization we are always looking for tools to help our players succeed,” says Fernando Sanchez, Senior VP of Player Relations at ATP Tour. “They have complicated, demanding lives with year-round travel, and BUNKR enables them to organize their careers in a safe and simple way.“We offer our players BUNKR accounts to store personal information, safely save passwords, and communicate with their teams.”
“We offer our players BUNKR accounts to store personal information, safely save passwords, and communicate with their teams.”
Between tournaments, travel and media, my world never stops moving, and neither does my data. BUNKR keeps it secure, private, and under my control... Bethanie Mattek-Sands
The app was created by entrepreneur Kurt Long and his son Trent Long, who previously worked in healthcare cybersecurity. While traveling, they realized how difficult it was for individuals to keep their essential information organized and protected—from passwords to passports—especially across multiple devices and locations. That idea became BUNKR Life LLC in 2020, and the BUNKR app launched in 2023. It soon caught on with families, executives, international travelers, and eventually professional athletes.“The players and the agents and the coaches got to a point where they were like, ‘Man, we're going to do something about this,'” said CEO and co-founder Kurt Long, speaking to Tennis.com exclusively via video chat. “We're going to get organized, secure, get everything in one place, and when we share sensitive information, we're going to do it with people we trust. And that's been BUNKR.”BUNKR provides bank-grade protection for users who need a secure place to store or exchange personal information. It combines a secure vault for documents (including travel papers, visa applications and medical records) with a password manager, private messaging, document scanning and encrypted notes.Read More: ATP says Safe Sport program has flagged more than 162,000 abusive online comments to playersIts standout feature is members-only messaging, which filters out spam and impersonators by allowing players to communicate only with verified contacts. For athletes whose social media inboxes are overflowing with scams or abusive messages—a trend the Longs say has increased alongside sports betting—that protection is invaluable.
“The players and the agents and the coaches got to a point where they were like, ‘Man, we're going to do something about this,'” said CEO and co-founder Kurt Long, speaking to Tennis.com exclusively via video chat. “We're going to get organized, secure, get everything in one place, and when we share sensitive information, we're going to do it with people we trust. And that's been BUNKR.”BUNKR provides bank-grade protection for users who need a secure place to store or exchange personal information. It combines a secure vault for documents (including travel papers, visa applications and medical records) with a password manager, private messaging, document scanning and encrypted notes.Read More: ATP says Safe Sport program has flagged more than 162,000 abusive online comments to playersIts standout feature is members-only messaging, which filters out spam and impersonators by allowing players to communicate only with verified contacts. For athletes whose social media inboxes are overflowing with scams or abusive messages—a trend the Longs say has increased alongside sports betting—that protection is invaluable.
BUNKR provides bank-grade protection for users who need a secure place to store or exchange personal information. It combines a secure vault for documents (including travel papers, visa applications and medical records) with a password manager, private messaging, document scanning and encrypted notes.Read More: ATP says Safe Sport program has flagged more than 162,000 abusive online comments to playersIts standout feature is members-only messaging, which filters out spam and impersonators by allowing players to communicate only with verified contacts. For athletes whose social media inboxes are overflowing with scams or abusive messages—a trend the Longs say has increased alongside sports betting—that protection is invaluable.
Read More: ATP says Safe Sport program has flagged more than 162,000 abusive online comments to playersIts standout feature is members-only messaging, which filters out spam and impersonators by allowing players to communicate only with verified contacts. For athletes whose social media inboxes are overflowing with scams or abusive messages—a trend the Longs say has increased alongside sports betting—that protection is invaluable.
Its standout feature is members-only messaging, which filters out spam and impersonators by allowing players to communicate only with verified contacts. For athletes whose social media inboxes are overflowing with scams or abusive messages—a trend the Longs say has increased alongside sports betting—that protection is invaluable.
The app's clean interface is another reason it has taken hold on tour. Players juggling long travel days, limited downtime and sometimes multiple languages don't have room for complicated security tools. BUNKR's simplicity and speed lower the barrier to staying safe, which is a big part of its appeal across the ATP and WTA.“It kind of formed organically,” said Trent Long. “We had a lot of adoption from players, and they started sharing with others how beneficial BUNKR was for them. Eventually agents and coaches joined too, and that network began to expand on its own.“We caught the eye of the ATP and the WTA, and we started working with them. In January, we made BUNKR available to all ATP players as a benefit of their ATP membership. We also created a special version of the app with custom branding and product adjustments to create the most efficient version for how players would use it.”BUNKR's website features testimonials from players, coaches, media and others in the sport, highlighting how quickly it has become part of daily tour life:Bethanie Mattek-Sands, former doubles world No. 1: “Between tournaments, travel and media, my world never stops moving, and neither does my data. BUNKR keeps it secure, private, and under my control. From stadiums to airports to sharing my life online, BUNKR is protection that moves with me in a world full of noise and exposure.”Filip Krajinovic, former ATP Top 30: “I feel like I finally found an app where I don't have to worry about being hacked. Privacy is important to me.”Mike James, tennis analyst: “With so many messaging platforms recently exposed for security flaws, finding a safe place to store sensitive documents and communicate privately has never been more important. BUNKR has been a game-changer… well worth the subscription.”
“It kind of formed organically,” said Trent Long. “We had a lot of adoption from players, and they started sharing with others how beneficial BUNKR was for them. Eventually agents and coaches joined too, and that network began to expand on its own.“We caught the eye of the ATP and the WTA, and we started working with them. In January, we made BUNKR available to all ATP players as a benefit of their ATP membership. We also created a special version of the app with custom branding and product adjustments to create the most efficient version for how players would use it.”BUNKR's website features testimonials from players, coaches, media and others in the sport, highlighting how quickly it has become part of daily tour life:Bethanie Mattek-Sands, former doubles world No. 1: “Between tournaments, travel and media, my world never stops moving, and neither does my data. BUNKR keeps it secure, private, and under my control. From stadiums to airports to sharing my life online, BUNKR is protection that moves with me in a world full of noise and exposure.”Filip Krajinovic, former ATP Top 30: “I feel like I finally found an app where I don't have to worry about being hacked. Privacy is important to me.”Mike James, tennis analyst: “With so many messaging platforms recently exposed for security flaws, finding a safe place to store sensitive documents and communicate privately has never been more important. BUNKR has been a game-changer… well worth the subscription.”
“We caught the eye of the ATP and the WTA, and we started working with them. In January, we made BUNKR available to all ATP players as a benefit of their ATP membership. We also created a special version of the app with custom branding and product adjustments to create the most efficient version for how players would use it.”BUNKR's website features testimonials from players, coaches, media and others in the sport, highlighting how quickly it has become part of daily tour life:Bethanie Mattek-Sands, former doubles world No. 1: “Between tournaments, travel and media, my world never stops moving, and neither does my data. BUNKR keeps it secure, private, and under my control. From stadiums to airports to sharing my life online, BUNKR is protection that moves with me in a world full of noise and exposure.”Filip Krajinovic, former ATP Top 30: “I feel like I finally found an app where I don't have to worry about being hacked. Privacy is important to me.”Mike James, tennis analyst: “With so many messaging platforms recently exposed for security flaws, finding a safe place to store sensitive documents and communicate privately has never been more important. BUNKR has been a game-changer… well worth the subscription.”
BUNKR's website features testimonials from players, coaches, media and others in the sport, highlighting how quickly it has become part of daily tour life:Bethanie Mattek-Sands, former doubles world No. 1: “Between tournaments, travel and media, my world never stops moving, and neither does my data. BUNKR keeps it secure, private, and under my control. From stadiums to airports to sharing my life online, BUNKR is protection that moves with me in a world full of noise and exposure.”Filip Krajinovic, former ATP Top 30: “I feel like I finally found an app where I don't have to worry about being hacked. Privacy is important to me.”Mike James, tennis analyst: “With so many messaging platforms recently exposed for security flaws, finding a safe place to store sensitive documents and communicate privately has never been more important. BUNKR has been a game-changer… well worth the subscription.”
Bethanie Mattek-Sands, former doubles world No. 1: “Between tournaments, travel and media, my world never stops moving, and neither does my data. BUNKR keeps it secure, private, and under my control. From stadiums to airports to sharing my life online, BUNKR is protection that moves with me in a world full of noise and exposure.”Filip Krajinovic, former ATP Top 30: “I feel like I finally found an app where I don't have to worry about being hacked. Privacy is important to me.”Mike James, tennis analyst: “With so many messaging platforms recently exposed for security flaws, finding a safe place to store sensitive documents and communicate privately has never been more important. BUNKR has been a game-changer… well worth the subscription.”
Filip Krajinovic, former ATP Top 30: “I feel like I finally found an app where I don't have to worry about being hacked. Privacy is important to me.”Mike James, tennis analyst: “With so many messaging platforms recently exposed for security flaws, finding a safe place to store sensitive documents and communicate privately has never been more important. BUNKR has been a game-changer… well worth the subscription.”
Mike James, tennis analyst: “With so many messaging platforms recently exposed for security flaws, finding a safe place to store sensitive documents and communicate privately has never been more important. BUNKR has been a game-changer… well worth the subscription.”
The ATP has partnered with BUNKR to make the app available to all players as a benefit of their ATP membership.© AFP or licensors
© AFP or licensors
As adoption grows at the pro level, BUNKR is also expanding deeper into the sports world. Collegiate tennis is a major focus, especially as the N.I.L. era pushes young athletes to sign deals earlier and manage more complex relationships with agents and brands. Hannah Keeling, BUNKR's newly appointed director of business development in tennis, is helping lead that effort.The company is seeing similar momentum across collegiate athletics more broadly, including college football and, later, among NFL players who have adopted or continued using the app.“We're excited. We love tennis. For everyone here, tennis is a huge part of our life,” says Kurt Long. “It's a huge part of our business, but we're also excited about the wider world of sports. We want to protect people and share what we know how to do.”Long has played recreational tennis since his teens in Tampa Bay. While he never turned pro, he's still found a way into the sport—not with a racquet, but with a tool that helps players stay organized, avoid distractions and feel secure on and off the court. For a group constantly on the move, that peace of mind might be as valuable as any piece of equipment in their bags.
The company is seeing similar momentum across collegiate athletics more broadly, including college football and, later, among NFL players who have adopted or continued using the app.“We're excited. We love tennis. For everyone here, tennis is a huge part of our life,” says Kurt Long. “It's a huge part of our business, but we're also excited about the wider world of sports. We want to protect people and share what we know how to do.”Long has played recreational tennis since his teens in Tampa Bay. While he never turned pro, he's still found a way into the sport—not with a racquet, but with a tool that helps players stay organized, avoid distractions and feel secure on and off the court. For a group constantly on the move, that peace of mind might be as valuable as any piece of equipment in their bags.
“We're excited. We love tennis. For everyone here, tennis is a huge part of our life,” says Kurt Long. “It's a huge part of our business, but we're also excited about the wider world of sports. We want to protect people and share what we know how to do.”Long has played recreational tennis since his teens in Tampa Bay. While he never turned pro, he's still found a way into the sport—not with a racquet, but with a tool that helps players stay organized, avoid distractions and feel secure on and off the court. For a group constantly on the move, that peace of mind might be as valuable as any piece of equipment in their bags.
Long has played recreational tennis since his teens in Tampa Bay. While he never turned pro, he's still found a way into the sport—not with a racquet, but with a tool that helps players stay organized, avoid distractions and feel secure on and off the court. For a group constantly on the move, that peace of mind might be as valuable as any piece of equipment in their bags.
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Norris ‘the most happy I've ever been' after clinching the title in Abu Dhabi
‘I'm very proud of the team' – Verstappen philosophical after missing out on the title
Oscar Piastri will start just behind title rivals Max Verstappen and Lando Norris in Abu Dhabi on Sunday evening.
Oscar Piastri was satisfied with his efforts during the final Qualifying session of the season in Abu Dhabi, feeling that third on the grid represented “more or less what we had” after a low-key start to the weekend.
Piastri is one of three title contenders heading into the 2025 finale at the Yas Marina Circuit, sitting four points behind Red Bull's Max Verstappen and 16 points behind McLaren team mate Lando Norris.
All of them are set to start at the front of the grid on Sunday evening, with Verstappen coming out on top in Q3 over Norris and Piastri, who will be drawing inspiration from outsiders winning the championship in the last races of 2007 and 2010.
“I think honestly pretty good,” was the Australian's post-Qualifying assessment. “I think Q1 I got a nice lap on the board, the first good lap I've done all weekend, so it was nice to kind of set myself a baseline for the rest of quali.
“I think in Q3 things felt good, my lap was pretty good, and I think Lando's lap was pretty good. I think that was more or less what we had, so ultimately pretty pleased.”
He added: “[We were] just not quite quick enough today, but it sets up a pretty exciting day tomorrow.”
Asked if he now has the confidence to attack the race, knowing that a significant points swing is required, Piastri said: “Yeah, definitely. I think we made some good improvements from practice yesterday and practice this afternoon.
“I felt much happier with the car and I felt like I was driving a lot better as well, which helps. I think we're in a reasonable place with that.
“Obviously it was not quite quick enough to beat Max today, but I think we did everything we could.”
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Norris ‘the most happy I've ever been' after clinching the title in Abu Dhabi
‘I'm very proud of the team' – Verstappen philosophical after missing out on the title
Championship leader Lando Norris will line up in second place for Sunday's decisive Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with the Briton conceding that he was "not fast enough" to outpace title rival Max Verstappen for pole position.
Lando Norris admitted that he was “disappointed” to not take pole position for the title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, but the Briton vowed to try to win as he looks to claim a maiden World Championship.
After setting the pace in both of Friday's practice sessions, Norris did not top the timesheets during any of Saturday's Qualifying segments, with McLaren team mate Oscar Piastri and Mercedes' George Russell going quickest in Q1 and Q2 respectively.
Max Verstappen then beat the rest of the pack in Q3, the Red Bull driver clinching pole thanks to his effort of 1m 22.207s. Norris proved to be his closest challenger, but at 0.201s adrift could not beat the Dutchman, meaning that the championship leader will line up in second on the grid.
Reflecting on the session straight after jumping out of the car, Norris explained: “It's tough. It's tough. Max did a good job, so congrats to him. We did everything we could. I think my lap was pretty good, I was pretty happy.
“Of course I'm disappointed not to be on pole for the final weekend, but we just weren't fast enough today, so we'll have to try and do it tomorrow.”
Sharing further thoughts later on, the 26-year-old suggested that the outcome of Qualifying “could have been a lot worse”, adding: “I expected it to be a lot closer into Q3, and the Quali battle then was between me and Oscar.
“Max was too far ahead – they were too fast. We didn't quite have the speed in the car today. A tough one to take, but otherwise I think we got everything out of it. I think Oscar said he did a pretty good lap and I thought I did a pretty good lap. Just not fast enough come Qualifying, but tomorrow's a new day.”
When asked how he is feeling about Sunday's race – one in which he could potentially win his first title – Norris said: “Remarkably normal. I guess I feel the same, a little bit disappointed we couldn't get first, even though it was just out of reach today.
“It's just always nice to end the season on top like we did last year. We didn't win the [Drivers'] Championship last year, but it was just nice to end with a win. That's what I would like to do tomorrow, in either our cases. I feel good, and we'll go in and do everything the same as normal.”
A podium would be enough for Norris to be confirmed as World Champion, regardless of where Verstappen and Piastri finish. However, when quizzed on whether he would simply aim for the rostrum or target victory instead, the British driver remained unsure.
“I don't know. The time will come that I think of that,” he explained. “For now, I'm disappointed to not be on pole, and I still want to try and win tomorrow, so that's going to be the goal.”
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Hamilton on Q1 exit: ‘Most of the lap was good enough... I just didn't finish it'
2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: ‘We did it!' Norris becomes the 2025 F1 World Champion
2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Norris crosses the line to become the new World Champion
Race Highlights: 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Polesitter Verstappen leads away from Norris on the race start
Qualifying Highlights: 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
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Live coverage of Saturday's qualifying session for the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
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As the streaming giant aims to acquire the legacy studio, multiple insiders say that a recent conversation between its CEO and the President may have helped pave the way.
By
Borys Kit
Senior Film Writer
Netflix taking pole position to win the race for Warner Bros. Discovery sent shockwaves through Hollywood, partially because it was presumed that Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison had the support of President Donald Trump.
Now multiple sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that Netflix may also have received some sort of blessing by Trump, or at least his ear. Insiders says that Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos spoke with the President in the last couple of weeks in a confab that lasted about two hours.
“We do not discuss private meetings that may or may not have occurred,” a White House official told THR. Netflix did not respond to multiple requests for comment on Friday and over the weekend.
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While sources did not know what the two men discussed, it does seem to point to an outcome that led to Netflix feeling they had a clear enough runway to make a serious play for the historic studio. The streaming giant made the winning bid for the David Zaslav-led WBD, after offers that exceeded a $28 share price. That also meant agreeing to a $5.8 billion break up fee in case any deal falls through.
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The $82.7 billion deal will need to navigate a complex regulatory environment. Ellison and his executives believed that their deal would have an easier path to approval because of his ties, and that of his father, Larry Ellison, to the White House.
If Sarandos made a pitch of his own, it may explain why Trump has been quiet on the deal, an unusual thing given how outspoken he is, particularly when it comes to major media stories.
This would not be the first time Sarandos has sat down with Trump. The two men had a long dinner at Mar-a-Lago late last year, with the executive recalling that both First Lady Melania Trump and Barron Trump were Netflix fans. “We didn't talk any shop,” Sarandos said in March.
The more recent meeting, it seems, may have been a different story.
Alex Weprin contributed to this report.
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Cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw made history this year as the first woman to shoot a movie in IMAX 65mm, but the greatness of her work on “Sinners” goes beyond the stuff that interests format wonks. Regardless of film gauge, the haunting, funny, rousing, poignant, terrifying vampire film is simply one of the most beautiful movies ever made, a movie where the photography expresses theme and character with elegance, complexity, and an awe-inspiring tonal range.
When Arkapaw accepted the Impact Award at this year's IndieWire Honors ceremony, held at Hollywood's Nya West on December 4, she began by referencing her “Sinners” director and trusted collaborator Ryan Coogler. “I'm going to try and channel Ryan because he's so good at this stuff,” she said. “Throughout my career, I've been fortunate enough to work with people that have supported me and trusted me with their ideas, and these directors have become family even outside of work. They've allowed me to think big and always contribute my visual taste.”
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Arkapaw said this trust is what allowed her to thrive as a woman in a field still largely dominated by men. “This is so important for any filmmaker, especially one who looks like me. It helped me truly feel like I had something unique to say, and that my strong perspective mattered. I've been able to make an impact because of the community I've surrounded myself with. I believe you can only be impactful if you're given the space to be seen and to express yourself. I want to make images that resonate and inspire, and being in a field where women have historically been few, I hope to show others that they can enter this industry with courage.”
Arkapaw once again mentioned Coogler as a key partner in this regard. “Ryan Coogler creates an atmosphere where people feel supported, where your ideas have weight, where your time and your efforts are respected in an environment where you can openly be yourself. What a powerful place to be. Creative. It's like a great teacher that sees something in you and wants to shine a light on our talent. The images we've created in ‘Sinners' are meant to be yours because they were created with so much love. Thank you for embracing them and holding them close. It means the world to me and my team that the work has impacted audiences so much. Thank you for this.”
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David Del Rio unexpectedly returned to Instagram to share a family holiday photo after he was fired from “Matlock” due to sexual assault allegations.
The actor took to his Stories Saturday to post a photo of himself alongside his wife, Katherine Del Rio, and their daughters, Lilliam Kellie Wallace, 2, and Coco, 11 months.
“Belated Thanksgiving fun! Deeply thankful for my family — who always show up for the girls and I,” he captioned the photo.
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David, 38, appeared in good spirits for the family photo, which showed the family of four posing with an inflatable gingerbread man.
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He has shied away from posting on social media since he was let go from the CBS series in October when his co-star Leah Lewis, 28, accused him of sexual assault.
At the time, the network confirmed to Page Six that the “Pitch Perfect” star “departed the series” but didn't include further details.
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According to Deadline, CBS conducted an internal investigation before he was let go.
David portrays Billy Martinez in the series, and his character will be written off the show when the cast returns to complete the second half of Season 2.
The first half of the season was released on Oct. 12 and ran for seven episodes until Dec. 4.
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Insiders told the outlet that the alleged misconduct between David and Lewis, who portrays Sarah Franklin, occurred on Paramount premises on Sept. 26.
Shortly after the news made headlines, Lewis told her fans she was “moving forward.”
“Mom is here, we're moving forward in love and strength. I'm in good hands,” she wrote via social media with a snap of her mom. “Thank you to everybody for any kind of support and care.”
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“Truly, we're moving forward in strength. Key word, strength. Please, let that be the takeaway,” the “Nancy Drew” star added.
While David has yet to respond to the allegations, his wife has publicly called out the actress by taking a photo of the latter and resharing it on her Instagram Stories.
“This is the most disturbing human being I have ever met,” Katherine wrote in October.
By
Daniel Kreps
Kiss, George Strait, Gloria Gaynor, and Sylvester Stallone received their Kennedy Center Honors medals at an Oval Office ceremony Saturday ahead of Sunday's gala at the Washington, D.C. venue.
President Donald Trump gathered the four honorees at the Oval Office — “The most famous office in the world, the most powerful office in the world,” Trump said — and praised “the group of icons whose work and accomplishments have inspired, uplifted and unified millions and millions of Americans. This is perhaps the most accomplished and renowned class of Kennedy Center honorees ever assembled.”
Trump then awarded the medals to Strait, Broadway actor Michael Crawford, “disco queen” Gaynor (“That's a great head of hair,” Trump told her), star of “some of the greatest movies ever” Stallone, and “members of the incredible rock band” Kiss' Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Peter Criss, and posthumously, Ace Frehley, whose daughter was on hand to receive the Tiffany & Co.-redesigned medal.
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“These are among the greatest actors and performers of their generation,” Trump said. “Each of you has made an indelible mark on American life, and together you have defined entire genres, and set new standards for the performing arts.”
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The Kennedy Center Honorees ceremony will take place at the troubled venue Sunday night, with President Trump himself set to host. “It's going to be something that I believe, and I'm going to make a prediction: This will be the highest-rated show that they've ever done and they've gotten some pretty good ratings, but there's nothing like what's going to happen,” Trump predicted, adding that he believes the ceremony will air Dec. 23 on CBS and Paramount+.
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Director Martin Scorsese has long served as a mentor to rising directors, from giving John McNaughton (“Mad Dog and Glory”) and Allison Anders (“Grace of My Heart“) their first shots at studio movies to employing “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon as an assistant on “Casino.” For the season finale of the series “Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints,” which Scorsese hosts and executive produces, he looked closer to home for a protégé — the episode marks the television directorial debut of his daughter Francesca.
Francesca and Martin have been working together for years on a series of viral videos (more on that later), but “The Saints” marks their first collaboration on a longer-form piece of filmmaking, and it was a labor of love for both given the subject matter. Like each episode of the series, Francesca's installment focuses on one specific Catholic saint — in this case, Carlo Acutis, who was born in the 1990s and harnessed the power of the Internet to spread his faith around the world until he died of a leukemia as a teenager.
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“I always imagined the saints being ancient beings,” Francesca told IndieWire. “When I found out there was a young boy who was alive while I've been alive, it was incredible to me. He was just a regular kid, he went to parties and enjoyed his time with his friends. But he used the internet in a very special way, an inspiring way. He used his platform for good — I think of him as the first influencer.”
Martin noted that what made Carlo Acutis special was the fact that he lived according to his faith but didn't judge his peers. “He didn't criticize,” Martin told IndieWire. “He didn't put anybody down, and that's a big question: how can a young person go against the flow or the wave of sexuality, pornography, etc., and say, ‘I'm going to be abstinent,' without looking as if you're judging others? It's an antidote to materialist world we're living in, and to the worst parts of social media.”
For Martin, the episode is another in an ongoing series of films designed to explore spirituality and moral choices from a variety of perspectives and attitudes — a mission that began with his very first feature, “Who's That Knocking At My Door,” and which has continued in recent films like his 2016 masterpiece “Silence.” “Even ‘Killers of the Flower Moon' has an element of the fine line between good and evil in human nature,” Martin said.
He felt that Francesca was the right person to tell this particular story, as a member of Generation Z. “I said, ‘Why don't you try this, because it's your generation,'” Martin said of the Carlo Acutis episode. “This is not a guy walking around in robes in the desert. This is a kid on a computer. He's at school with his friends and he's fooling around and he's looking at ‘South Park,' but at the same time he's choosing to live a religious life.”
Martin's main pieces of advice for Francesca as she started work on the episode had to do with preparation. “There were two things,” he said. “One is, prepare as best you can on paper, with drawings. You may get to a place with five drawings and have to distill that five down to one or two, but you can say, ‘Okay, at least I got those two.' You're prepared and it tells a story. You don't walk in and waste time, you ideally get to the locations a few days before and double check and see where you can get your angles based on your storyboards.”
Following her father's guidance, Francesca meticulously storyboarded every shot for “The Saints,” one reason her episode has such visual elegance even though she was often limited when it came to time and resources. “In Assisi, we weren't able to go into the Basilica of Santa Chiara until the day we shot and we only had about a half an hour in there,” Francesca said. “It was very last minute, getting in there and figuring out the shots. And then we only had 30 minutes to shoot the scene, getting ushered out by angry nuns. It was very chaotic and stressful.”
The final result doesn't give any indication of the chaos, as Francesca finds an inviting and precise visual language to express Carlo's faith; the use of natural light that she and cinematographer Igor Marovic develop gives the entire episode an ineffable sense of spirituality that comes through in the imagery. “I love windows and silhouettes,” she said. “In some scenes there's just a little candle, or a light in a corner, that brings a little warmth and feels like a spirit. Then when Carlo is dying, I tried to keep a little warmth in the frame so it wasn't like he was alone, but I did make the light and colors a bit cooler.”
In addition to his suggestion that Francesca plan her shots in detail, Martin also advised that she devote time to rehearsing the actors — though she found that there was a tricky balance between rehearsing and letting the performances get stale. “It's a fine line, because I was trying to rehearse them as much as I could but sometimes I would find things getting watered down,” Francesca said. “Or they were getting a little tired. The key was to avoid over-rehearsing the actors.”
One scene in the episode that Francesca did not direct — much to her chagrin — was Martin's introduction in which he addressed the camera alongside a piece of decor Francesca would have preferred to keep out of the episode. “Unfortunately I didn't direct the intro, or I would have gotten rid of the awkward teen photo of me!” she said. “It's so embarrassing.” Francesca did direct her father for the narration he had to read throughout the episode, which she said was one of her biggest challenges.
“That was hard,” Francesca said. “I kept saying, ‘Do it again, you sound like you're asking a question,' and he would really give me hell for it. He had comment after comment.” “I do the same to Kent [Jones], who's a wonderful writer,” Martin added. “He'll say, ‘Could you do it again?' and I'll say, ‘Oh, now he wants another, why don't you write it better?'”
The playful banter between Martin and Francesca that went on during the recording of Martin's narration will come as no surprise to fans of the pair's viral videos on TikTok and Instagram, which began as a lark but have become essential viewing for Martin Scorsese fans who have reveled in the chance to see the iconic director in a more intimate, personal setting than they're used to.
“An honesty comes out that if very intimate in a sense,” Martin said of videos like the hilarious one where Francesca invites him to describe feminine products on camera. “I'm shooting ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,' and I'm busy, and I really tried to answer the questions honestly because otherwise she wouldn't go away.” From Francesca's point of view, her dad is the perfect subject.
“He's performative, in a good way,” she said. “When the camera turns on he gets this look and a big smile and we have a great back and forth. I just love him with my whole heart.” Francesca added that when the SAG strike happened and Martin was left on his own to represent “Killers of the Flower Moon,” the videos turned into a marketing tool.
“Apple asked us to make some videos to help promote the movie, and there was this huge effect of young people coming to see it because of our presence of TikTok,” Francesca said, with Martin laughing, “The picture was three hours and 15 minutes. Those kids didn't know what they were getting into!” For Martin, the videos are like “little epigrams, or haikus. You learn something every time. Even when I do a commercial — commercials are not easy. Every shot has a power and has to have a certain connection to the audience.”
Martin says that the key to mentoring Francesca and other directors is helping them achieve their intentions without imposing his own way of doing things. “You can't tell her, ‘do this, don't do that,'” Martin said. “If she wants to go to a certain place, maybe you can help her get there by saying, ‘I think I know what it is that's throwing you off. Should you have that shot there? Try it, see what happens, see what you like.' You ask the questions not to make them think differently, but to achieve their thinking.”
Although Francesca found showing her cut of the episode to Martin nerve-wracking, at the end of the day she says she couldn't have asked for a more supportive producer. “I always say it felt like turning in a homework assignment,” she said. “But he is very comforting for me, and very hands-on with everything. I really enjoyed working with him.” And what are Martin's feelings after working with Francesca?
“I'd love to see what she's going to do next.”
The Carlo Acutis episode of “The Saints” begins streaming on Fox Nation Sunday, December 7.
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"You can see it at home, and the food will be perhaps better, [but] you will have this experience collectively, all of you," the filmmaker told audiences in London at an IMAX screening of 'Frankenstein.'
By
Lily Ford
Would you share your popcorn with Guillermo del Toro?
The Oscar-winning filmmaker was admittedly a little hungry Saturday night as he and Jacob Elordi arrived at an IMAX screening of Frankenstein in central London.
The director and his Creature were invited to the British Film Institute (BFI)'s IMAX theater to detail the making of del Toro's spin on the horror classic, which hit Netflix Nov. 7 after a limited theatrical release.
After gratefully accepting a handful of popcorn from the fans in front of him, del Toro spoke about how he came to love Frankenstein and why this story in particular has shaped him as an artist.
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In the wake of the enormous news that Netflix will acquire Warner Bros. in a deal worth $82.7 billion on Friday — and with fears swirling around how this will shape the industry and future of theater-going — del Toro said “there's no substitute” for seeing films on the big screen.
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“Make no mistake: fairy tales [and] horror stories are parables,” he began to interviewer Edith Bowman. “They speak of things we cannot name. That's their power. They speak of things the way a song speaks when the music and the lyrics make no sense. That's the power of cinema. And I think the beauty of seeing it here is you have a big screen showing big ideas. For people that see them on their phone… it takes 38,000 of those little things to form a screen,” he added.
“There's no substitute. I'm very happy that you're here. Of course, you can see it at home, and the food will be perhaps better, [but] you will have this experience collectively, all of you.”
He continued, stressing the human-made nature of the movie: “We wove the fabric. The fabric on the main characters is not bought in a store. We made it, we wove it, we printed it, we aged it, we tinted it. The embroidery in the veils is done by hand. Every veil is embroidered by hand… Everything is done to sustain this feeling that you're seeing something thematically and artistically done by a group [of people].”
“[We're] not trying to make eye candy, [but] eye protein,” he laughed.
Del Toro revealed that, upon watching James Whale's Frankenstein (1931), he felt “struck by God.” The director said: “I finally understood what religion meant after so many years as a Catholic — Frankenstein's Creature made sense to me.”
He likened the feeling of finishing the film, a project symbolic of his life's work, as an experience similar to postpartum depression. “I feel like one of those fishes that lays the eggs and dies,” he laughs. “Now, what the fuck do I do? But that's not bad. I mean, postpartum depression happened… Everything on all my movies led to this. If any of you know my movies — Shape of Water, Cronos, Devil's Backbone, Pan's Labyrinth — all of them are practice for this movie in many, many ways.”
Elordi heaped praise on his director as he spoke about the significance of embodying such an iconic character of the horror genre. “It's been my intention to do a performance like this since I was 13 years old,” the Australian actor began.
When asked how he prepared for each take, he replied: “It was probably a combination of the focus of that deliberate effort combined with somebody that facilitates it, that indulges that intensity towards the process, that tells me that I'm doing the right thing and that this is worth spending a lifetime building.”
“This is the only way to make movies — by hand,” Elordi declared, “and it's the only thing that should be digested. It's the only thing that's healthy for an audience, I think, and as an actor, that's the only universe that I want to be a part of, one where every single person is an artist… The idea that art and creativity is life or death… Guillermo gave me the wind in my sails to keep making movies until I'm dead.”
Del Toro added, chuckling: “It'll take a long time.” As he departed, he teased audiences with one hint as to what's coming next: “The next one is stop motion. Back to stop motion,” said the film legend, whose last project in stop motion animation was 2022's Pinocchio.
Frankenstein is streaming globally on Netflix.
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Sean Combs: The Reckoning premiered Dec. 2 on Netflix and was executive produced by Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson.
By
Jessica Lynch
Sean Combs' mother, Janice Combs, is pushing back against claims made in the Netflix docuseries Sean Combs: The Reckoning, calling the series “intentionally misleading” and “offensive.”
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In a statement provided exclusively to Deadline (Dec. 6), Janice said the program contains “falsehoods” about her relationship with her son and his upbringing.
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“I am writing this statement to correct some of the lies presented in the Netflix Sean Combs: The Reckoning,” she said. “These inaccuracies regarding my son Sean's upbringing and family life [are] intentionally done to mislead viewers and further harm our reputation.”
Among the claims disputed by Janice is a moment in the docuseries where former Bad Boy Records executive Kirk Burrowes alleges that Sean Combs slapped his mother after the tragic City College event in 1991 — an incident that resulted in nine deaths. Janice calls that allegation “patently false” and “outrageous.”
“That was a very sad day for all of us,” she said. “For [Burrowes] to use this tragedy and incorporate fake narratives to further his prior failed and current attempt to gain what was never his — Bad Boy Records — is wrong.”
Janice Combs also addressed the portrayal of her parenting in the series, denying accusations of abuse. “In the documentary, I am portrayed as an abusive parent. This is untrue,” she wrote. “I raised Sean with love and hard work, not abuse… Sean has always been an industrious, goal-oriented, overachiever.”
Sean Combs: The Reckoning premiered Dec. 2 on Netflix and was executive produced by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson.
The four-part docuseries chronicles the rise and downfall of the music mogul, who was sentenced in October to four years in prison after being found guilty on two charges related to transportation for prostitution. Combs, 56, is currently incarcerated at Fort Dix FCI in New Jersey.
Netflix has defended the production, telling Deadline earlier this week: “This is not a hit piece or an act of retribution. Curtis Jackson is an executive producer but does not have creative control. No one was paid to participate.”
Janice Combs concluded her statement with a demand for accountability: “I am requesting that these distortions, falsehoods, and misleading statements be publicly retracted.”
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By Stewart Clarke
Thai star Metawin Opas-iamkajorn came by Deadline's Red Sea International Film Festival studio in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Win, as he is known, gave us the latest on his upcoming historical fantasy series Scarlet Heart Thailand and talked about his ambition to bring Thai stories to the world.
Win had a breakout role in 2Gether, a rom-com series about two male students who fall in love, and which spawned a movie of the same name. He then went on to star in another hit romantic drama series, F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers.
Based on Chinese novel ‘Startling by Each Step', Scarlet Heart Thailand is Win's new project. It follows a young woman who lives in the modern-day but finds herself mysteriously transported back in time. Win is the male lead of the series, which is in production now. “It's gonna be the big one for me for next year,” he said, before teasing some details of his part: “My character is a kind of soldier from that time, and he has to protect the country and fight many bad guys.”
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Win tells Deadline the show will stream globally on Netflix, meaning a huge potential audience around the world for a Thai-produced drama series. That chimes with the ambitions of its Thai star, who, at 26 years-old, is also a successful entrepreneur with several businesses in Thailand.
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“I just want to do more international projects,” he said. “I just want to try to bring Thailand to the world. I feel like Thailand has that potential to grow globally, and I just want to be a part of that.”
Win became a star over lockdown, which meant the impact of newfound stardom didn't really hit home until those restrictions had lifted. “All I knew about fame was only on social media, because nobody was going out from home,” he said. “After Covid was gone, then I had a chance to do an event outside…that's the moment that I saw a lot of fans waiting for me.”
Check out the full interview in the video above.
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Thank you for having Win!
Getting to hear his perspectives and seeing his growth is so heartwarming. He's such a promising actor & we're cheering for him with all our hearts. Excited for all the amazing things ahead!💛🌟
Thank you for having Win Metawin . He is an all rounder , a creative social entrepreneur and a remarkable talented young person with dreams of contributing to the global economy and society at large . The questions are thoughful and it is always a pleasure to hear Win .
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By
William Vaillancourt
Saturday Night Live‘s Weekend Update trashed the peace prize that the president of FIFA “invented” and and bestowed on Donald Trump this week.
The award, Gianni Infantino claimed Friday during the World Cup group draw ceremony, was for Trump's “exceptional and extraordinary actions to promote peace and unity around the world.” The award was hastily created after Trump didn't win the Nobel Peace Prize in October, according to a report.
“Trump has not yet won the Nobel Peace Prize, but he did win the equally prestigious soccer peace prize,” co-anchor Colin Jost said sarcastically.
“FIFA actually invented a fake peace prize in Trump's honor, and that's why the trophy shows Trump's gnarled hands dragging Earth into hell,” Jost said alongside an image of the golden award, which Trump received with a medal and a certificate.
Later, Jost addressed Trump's M.R.I. that he received two months ago—a test which the White House only recently claimed was just preventative in nature.
“Trump said he will soon release the results of his M.R.I. test from October. He just needs a little more time to write ‘of genius' after the word ‘stroke,'” Jost joked.
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Also in the segment, Michael Che commented on Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who has overseen harsh immigration policies, celebrating her 54th birthday at a Mexican restaurant and at one point wearing a sombrero.
The former South Dakota governor, Che joked, “enjoyed her favorite food: line cook spit.”
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By
William Vaillancourt
Saturday Night Live‘s Donald Trump repeatedly fell asleep during a press conference about his and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth‘s controversial, lethal strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean.
As a loud and mean Hegseth (Colin Jost) berated reporters asking about allegations that he committed a war crime, he turned to Trump (James Austin Johnson) for support. But the 79-year-old president—as he has been known to do lately—was dozing off in the corner, have a good dream about New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani.
“Stop, Mamdani. You can freeze my rent anytime,” the president said suggestively before coming to.
“I wasn't sleeping,” he insisted. “I was very much awake. Now, someone tell me where am I, who am I, and what year might it be.”
“Good one, Mr. President,” Hegseth chuckled, trying to play it off. “Everything you do that's weird is a joke. I was just telling everyone here that I have your full support.”
While Trump agreed, he said so while pushing Hegseth off the podium, saying later that if anything Hegseth did hurt him, he wouldn't hesitate to “throw him under one of Mamdani's free buses.”
Trump then took a question about how polls show more and more of his supporters are blaming him for the affordability crisis. “What's your message to them?” the reporter (Tommy Brennan) asked.
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But Trump, again, was caught snoring away.
Hegseth, jumping in to salvage the situation, said, “We've got to get him to another MRI before he wakes up!”
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Matthew Lillard has now become the first actor actually namechecked in Quentin Tarantino's recent diatribe against Actors He Doesn't Like to respond publicly to the unprovoked attacks, telling a crowd at GalaxyCon in Ohio this weekend, “Quentin Tarantino this week said he didn't like me as an actor. Eh, whatever. Who gives a shit.”
Lillard, who currently stars in this week's Five Nights At Freddy's 2, then went on to kind of give a shit, saying, “Listen, the point is that hurts your feelings. It fuckin' sucks. And you wouldn't say that to Tom Cruise. You wouldn't say that to somebody who's a top-line actor in Hollywood.”
Lillard essentially caught a stray in Tarantino's takedown during a recent appearance on Bret Easton Ellis' podcast, with the bulk of the director's ire focused on actor Paul Dano and his performance in There Will Be Blood. But the casual, dismissive, Arrested Development-esque “I don't care for Matthew Lillard” was, in some ways, crueler than Tarantino's vitriolic assertions that Dano is “the weakest fucking actor in SAG” and “the limpest dick in the world”—especially since, unlike Dano, Lillard didn't immediately have big-name directors and supporters stepping up to push back against Tarantino's snap judgments. Which is a shame, given that Lillard has had a long and pretty interesting career—you can read our 2012 Random Roles with him right here to get a sampling of it—where even more commercially minded films (Scream or Scooby-Doo, say) saw him bring full commitment to the job. (To say nothing of his contributions to everything from Twin Peaks to his genuinely strong work in something like 1998's SLC Punk!) We're not saying every single performance he's ever given has been a masterclass, or that he didn't spend a big chunk of the '90s and 2000s getting cast in a pretty narrow window of roles. But the man has given a lot of solid performances over the years, and being reached for out of the blue—along with Owen Wilson—as Tarantino suddenly decided to start negatively tossing names around has a unfair flattening effect on a diverse acting resumé.
Lillard himself noted the dichotomy in his appearance at GalaxyCon, saying, “I'm very popular in this room. I'm not very popular in Hollywood. Two totally different microcosms, right? And so, you know, it's humbling, and it hurts.”
[via Variety]
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By
Althea Legaspi
Janice Combs, the mother of Sean Combs, has denied claims made in Netflix's Sean Combs: The Reckoning that she was an “abusive parent” to her son, calling them “untrue.” She also disputed other claims, including about their relationship and his treatment of her.
In a statement provided to Rolling Stone on Saturday, Combs said the docuseries contained “inaccuracies regarding my son Sean's upbringing and family life” and said it was “intentionally done to mislead viewers and further harm our reputation.”
“As I have stated previously, I was a single mother, raising my son, I held three and even four jobs in an attempt to provide a comfortable upbringing and quality education for my child,” she said, denying she had been abusive. “I raised Sean with love and hard work, not abuse.”
Combs said she wrote the statement to “correct some of the lies” in the docuseries. Referring to comments in the doc made by Tim Patterson, an alleged childhood friend of Sean's, she denied his portrayal of her relationship with Sean, saying it was “not truthful and salacious to promote the series.” She added, “To the contrary, I loved and nurtured Sean. My memories of Sean growing up are one of a respectful and a diligent child and teenager. Sean has always been an industrious, goal oriented, over achiever.”
Another claim in the doc she lambasted came by way of Kirk Burrowes, who co-founded Bad Boy Entertainment with Sean. Burrowes alleged Sean once slapped his mother.
“The allegations stated by Mr. Kirk Burrows [sic] that my son slapped me while we were conversing after the tragic City College events on December 28, 1991, are inaccurate and patently false,” she continued in her statement. “That was a very sad day for all of us. For him to use this tragedy and incorporate fake narratives to further his prior failed and current attempt to gain what was never his, Bad Boy Records is wrong, outrageous and past offensive.” (In the docuseries, Burrowes also claimed Combs charged the Notorious B.I.G.'s funeral back to his estate, while he pretended he was personally paying for it).
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In her statement, Combs said Sean was a “dutiful son,” who helped her with her medical care and provided financial support. She closed with the request that “these distortions, falsehoods and misleading statements be publicly retracted.”
In October, Sean Combs was sentenced to four years and two months in prison after being found guilty of transporting his ex-girlfriends and male escorts across state lines for days-long, drug-fueled sex marathons known as “freak-offs.” He is appealing both the conviction and his sentence. As Rolling Stone previously reported, Combs' camp has also asked President Trump to consider a pardon.
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Great news tonight for people who get excited when they see two people who were both in one thing now being in the same thing, once again: Prime Video rolled out the trailer for its upcoming fifth and final season of The Boys at CCXP today, and that long-teased Supernatural reunion was absolutely in the mix.
Now, admittedly, there are a lot of things going on in this new trailer that are not reminders that series co-star Jensen Ackles and newcomer Jared Padalecki used to pal around in a car for a scant two-thirds of each of their professional lives. (Under the auspices of The Boys showrunner Eric Kripke, no less.) But Winchester fans will still get their thrills acknowledged—albeit briefly—by the trailer, which has a bit of fun juxtaposing the pair's characters with a weird little look.
Meanwhile, it looks like everything else is pretty much par for the course for this series, which is to say pretty damn grim, with members of The Boys in some kind of Homelander-branded prison camps, Karl Urban's Billy Butcher doing that thing where he veers between inspirational pep talks and full-on psychopathic cult leader schtick, and Antony Starr punching the ever-living shit out of something that we have to assume will be very dead by the time the trailer wraps up. On the plus side, it is nice to see the band back together, especially after how nasty and fractured things got at the end of season 4, and we're always happy to take a lil' Giancarlo Esposito, as a treat.
All that being said, the tone here is definitely “Nobody's getting out of this thing alive,” which is saying something for a show that already had one of the highest, and most gruesome, body counts on TV. The final season of The Boys premieres on Prime Video on April 8.
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Tori Spelling expressed gratitude for her co-parenting relationship with ex-husband Dean McDermott, just weeks after settling their divorce.
“I watched families go through horror stories with the parents, and at the end of the day, you created beings because you had so much love between you,” the “Beverly Hills, 90210” alum told People at an event on Friday, noting that she's “so grateful” for their friendly dynamic.
“We love and care about each other so much, and I was shocked just because I always read horror stories and everyone predicted it to be so messy, the divorce, and it was super easy and loving,” she added.
Spelling, 52, and McDermott, 59 share kids Liam, 18, Stella, 17, Hattie, 14, Finn, 13, and Beau, 8.
The actress explained while attending the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball in Los Angeles that the former couple maintains a family presence, post-split.
“We do family dinners, we do everything together, so it's really good for the kids,” she told the outlet.
The “Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood” alums announced their separation in June 2023 after 17 years of marriage, with the actress filing for divorce nine months later.
The former couple finalized their divorce last month, with documents revealing a staggering 7-figure remaining tax debt.
McDermott was last romantically linked with Lily Calo following his split from Spelling, while the “misSPELLING” podcast host was still linked to Ryan Cramer as recently as April.
And though the breakup at times appeared intense — with Spelling being spotted crying during a conversation with McDermott in 2024, and bouncing from a motel to an RV with her children for temporary stays in 2023 — she's insisted their split was without strife.
“I gotta say, you guys, this is something never said — this was one of the easiest divorces in Hollywood,” she declared during an episode of her podcast last month.
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“You can quote me there,” she continued. “Screw it. Take Hollywood out. This is one of the easiest divorces.”
They've gotten along so well, in fact, that Spelling once admitted her old habits are dying hard, when it comes to her former pet name for McDermott.
“I don't know if anyone has gone through this, but I've never called him ‘Dean,'” she shared during her podcast in March.
“I've called him ‘babe' for 20 years, so it is super hard to remind myself that like, ‘Oh, OK, you guys aren't together anymore.'”
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“You wouldn't say that to Tom Cruise. You wouldn't say that to somebody who's a top-line actor in Hollywood,” the ‘Five Nights at Freddy's' star said at GalaxyCon.
By
McKinley Franklin
Paul Dano has not publicly responded to Quentin Tarantino calling him the “weakest male actor in SAG” on a podcast this week, though another actor he criticized on the same episode is sharing his thoughts on the situation.
Matthew Lillard, whom the Oscar winner said he didn't “care for” on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast, reacted to the director's claims at GalaxyCon Columbus.
“Quentin Tarantino this week said he didn't like me as an actor,” Lillard said at the fan convention in a video shared on TikTok, which prompted boos from the audience. “Eh, whatever. Who gives a shit.”
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The Five Nights at Freddy's star continued, “The point is that it hurts your feelings. It fucking sucks. And you wouldn't say that to Tom Cruise. You wouldn't say that to somebody who's a top-line actor in Hollywood.”
Tarantino slammed Dano on the podcast earlier this week when discussing his picks for the best movies of the 21st century. He ranked Paul Thomas Anderson‘s There Will Be Blood at No. 5, claiming it “would stand a better chance to be in number one or number two if it didn't have a big giant flaw in it.”
“And the flaw is Paul Dano,” Tarantino continued. “Obviously, it's supposed to be a two-hander, and it's also so drastically obvious that it's not a two-hander. … He is weak sauce, man. He's a weak sister.”
Later, he added Lillard and Owen Wilson into his list of actors he's not fond of: “I'm not saying he's giving a terrible performance. I'm saying he's giving a non-entity [performance]. I don't care for him. I don't care for Owen Wilson, I don't care for Matthew Lillard.”
“I'm very popular in this room. I'm not very popular in Hollywood,” Lillard added at GalaxyCon. “Two totally different microcosms, right? And so, you know, it's humbling and it hurts.”
Dano has not spoken out about Tarantino's comments, though Matt Reeves did come to the actor's defense. “Paul Dano is an incredible actor, and an incredible person,” Reeves wrote on X on Thursday.
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Kylie Jenner showed off her holiday spirit in a curve-hugging red leather jacket.
The “Kardashians” star was pictured modeling the cropped plunging jacket in fire-engine red while standing in front of a white Christmas tree with a sultry expression.
She zipped the jacket halfway, leaving ample opportunity to show off her physique, and paired the look with low-rise jeans.
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The Kylie cosmetics maven showed off several angles of the holiday-worthy look, which included two jeweled statement rings and a makeup glam in cranberry hues.
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The TV personality, 28, styled her dark locks in long, soft curls for the casual snaps on Saturday.
She captioned the upload with an emoji of red lips.
Fans took to the comments thread to compliment the “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” alum on her jaw-dropping weekend look.
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“Mamacita in red ♥️” one person gushed, while another remarked, “hi red hot gorgeous glowing girl 🔥🔥🔥”
“vibe vampire🫦” a third chimed in, with a fourth adding, “You look absolutely stunning 🔥🔥🔥”
Still others weighed in on the scorching ensemble with rows of heart or flame emojis.
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Jenner was seen stepping out in the look on Friday evening a private party for Chrome Hearts in West Hollywood.
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Jenner's latest fashion offering follows a string of head-turning social media posts — she rocked a glam Dolce & Gabbana halter dress for Thanksgiving last month, and prior to the holidays, slipped into a tiny silver lamé bikini for poolside pics.
The mom of two — who shares kids Stormi Webster, 7, and Aire Webster, 3, with ex Travis Scott — was said to have spent Thanksgiving with Timothée Chalamet, 29, despite rumors they've parted ways.
An insider told People last month that the Khy designer was “very excited” to spend the holiday with the “Marty Supreme” actor after he's been away filming for months.
“She's happy to have some special time with him before he returns to filming,” they said, adding that the “Wonka” actor would be “celebrating with her family next week in L.A., but he's also spending time with his family before he has to return to the Dune set.”
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“He started filming in Budapest, in July, and they've seen each other as much as they can. Kylie's been flying back and forth every few weeks,” they divulged.
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“Despite the distance, they've stayed close. They've been making it work.”
The couple — who began dating in 2023 — sparked split rumors after the “A Complete Unknown” star was MIA for Kris Jenner's star-studded 70th birthday bash last month.
A source subsequently shared that Chalamet was busy “filming two huge projects” at the time.
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The ‘Christy' star is speaking about the controversy once again, noting that “many have assigned motives and labels to me that just aren't true.”
By
McKinley Franklin
Sydney Sweeney is addressing her viral American Eagle jeans ad again, affirming that she's “against hate and divisiveness” and does not “support the views some people chose to connect to the campaign.”
“I was honestly surprised by the reaction,” the actress recently told People. “I did it because I love the jeans and love the brand. I don't support the views some people chose to connect to the campaign. Many have assigned motives and labels to me that just aren't true.”
The American Eagle campaign stirred up controversy, partly due to a piece of the advert where Sweeney says, “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color. My jeans are blue.”
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Some argued that the campaign tagline, “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans,” was a play on the term “great jeans” versus “great genes,” and instead was about promoting eugenics. The ad garnered so much online backlash at the time that it prompted American Eagle to respond, releasing a statement that read in part, “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story.”
“Anyone who knows me knows that I'm always trying to bring people together. I'm against hate and divisiveness,” the two-time Emmy nominee continued. “In the past my stance has been to never respond to negative or positive press but recently I have come to realize that my silence regarding this issue has only widened the divide, not closed it. So I hope this new year brings more focus on what connects us instead of what divides us.”
The Christy star previously responded to the controversy in a November interview with GQ, where she said: “I did a jean ad. I mean, the reaction definitely was a surprise, but I love jeans. All I wear are jeans. I'm literally in jeans and a T-shirt every day of my life.” Sweeney added that it was “surreal” to see the president and vice president speak about the ad.
“I knew at the end of the day what that ad was for, and it was great jeans, it didn't affect me one way or the other,” she told GQ. “I've always believed that I'm not here to tell people what to think … when I have an issue that I want to speak about, people will hear.”
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By Glenn Garner
Associate Editor
The end is hear for The Boys as the Prime Video series unveils the premiere date and teaser for its fifth and final season.
During Saturday's panel at CCXP in São Paulo, Brazil, the streamer announced on the Thunder Stage that the concluding season of the Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM Studios show will debut on April 8, 2026 with a two-episode premiere, culminating in a May 20, 2026 series finale.
In the fifth and final season, it's Homelander's (Antony Starr) world, completely subject to his erratic, egomaniacal whims. Hughie (Jack Quaid), Mother's Milk (Laz (Alonso) and Frenchie (Tomer Capone) are imprisoned in a ‘Freedom Camp'. Annie (Erin Moriarty) struggles to mount a resistance against the overwhelming Supe force. Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara) is nowhere to be found. But when Butcher (Karl Urban) reappears, ready and willing to use a virus that will wipe all Supes off the map, he sets in motion a chain of events that will forever change the world and everyone in it. It's the climax, people. Big stuff's gonna happen.
Watch on Deadline
Also featured in the teaser is the return of Jensen Ackles‘ Soldier Boy, now in a cryogenic state, as well as the debut of Jared Padalecki‘s undisclosed character, marking a Supernatural reunion with the shows' mutual creator Eric Kripke.
Showrunner Kripke was joined onstage Saturday by Moriarty, Alonso, Fukuhara, Capone and Colby Minifie.
Prime's college spin-off Gen V recently concluded its second season, which sets up The Boys finale, and the animated The Boys Presents: Diabolical is not likely to get a second season. Meanwhile, Paul Grellong serves as showrunner on the upcoming prequel series Vought Rising, and Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal are executive producing The Boys: Mexico, from Blue Beetle writer Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer.
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We are not alone.
That's what most Americans believe, according to a new YouGov poll.
The majority think that extraterrestrial aliens definitely or probably exist, the survey found, and many are also pretty sure they've paid us a visit recently.
This degree of certainty outranks the levels of belief in Bigfoot, the Yeti, the Loch Ness monster and the Chupacabra. Probably not Santa Claus, but he wasn't mentioned, so I'm just assuming.
It's really not such a stretch to think that life exists elsewhere. After all, there are trillions of planets in the Milky Way galaxy alone, and ours is just one among trillions of others like it in the universe. So, it stands to reason there would be other places where some forms of life have taken root.
But of all the gin joints in all the worlds in all the solar systems, why would aliens walk into ours?
We have been looking for them, so some people suppose that they have been looking too.
Maybe some of the feelers we've sent out, in the form of signals issued from roving spacecraft, have attracted an advanced alien species to come and check us out. Maybe these extraterrestrial creatures are so evolved they've figured out how to find other life forms amid their celestial wanderings.
What would they observe if they were, indeed, among us? Or at least watching from a safe distance? Again, I'm just supposing, but they might find much to recommend our planet.
For one, the natural beauty is stunning, from the majestic glaciers of the far north and south, to the planet's mountains and deserts or its oceans, lakes and rivers. Perhaps they marveled from space at our natural wonders, like the Grand Canyon, Victoria Falls, the Great Barrier Reef or Mount Everest, and wanted to get a closer look.
They might also be impressed by the diversity of life here and the fantastic ways that that our world's creatures have adapted and evolved. Homo sapiens, with their bigger brains and opposable thumbs, could present these intelligent alien beings with a worthy opportunity for connection and interaction. We might have much to learn from each other.
Orange County, I expect, would be a prime destination. After all, we have world-famous beaches, top universities, an unbeatable climate and great shopping and dining options. Who knows, maybe E.T. could learn to surf here.
I imagine these aliens would also be puzzled by other features of our planet, particularly by the confounding aspects of American culture.
A hypothetical sampling of questions they might ask could include: What's the deal with the big, jolly guy in the red suit and what does he have to do with the birth of baby Jesus?
Why do you call your passing and running game “football” when that's also the name of the world's most popular sport, which is literally all about foot-and-ball interaction?
I picture them shaking their alien heads over such puzzles.
Also, they might ask, why would a beautiful beach town build an artificial surf park when it already has a giant natural one?
They may wonder why, if humans are as smart as they claim, they can also be infuriatingly dumb — so dumb they are hurtling toward the destruction of that marvelous natural world they inhabit and refuse to take the actions necessary to stop, or even slow, the devastation.
Those awe-inspiring glaciers are melting at an ever-quickening pace, the oceans are rising and many of those gorgeous beaches could soon be submerged.
The diverse array of life on this planet is also at risk from humans' heedless actions, the aliens would likely observe.
They dump their refuse into their oceans, threatening sea life. On land, many places are fast becoming uninhabitable. Yet denial seems to run high among these people, they would surely think.
And they are always fighting with each other, these creatures who won Earth's evolutionary lottery, the ones who claim to cherish peace and goodwill but can't seem to stop shouting at each other.
They obsess over their differences instead of embracing their commonalities. They spend too little time trying to understand each other. Too often they turn to violence.
That YouGov poll also found most people think alien encounters would have a negative effect on human civilization, whether through unintentional harm or outright hostility. With absolutely zero evidence, the presumption is that aliens are to be feared.
But there's another possible scenario. Perhaps, as many believe, we have been visited by aliens, or at least beings from other worlds know that we are here and have observed us to some degree.
If that is the case, it's just as likely that those aliens, after taking a good, hard look, decided to pass on our planet.
Nice beaches and all that, but the people on this third rock rotating around an unremarkable, average-size star are just too crazy. And then they moved on.
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Patrice Apodaca is a former Los Angeles Times staff writer and is coauthor of “A Boy Named Courage: A Surgeon's Memoir of Apartheid.” She lives in Newport Beach.
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Updated: December 7, 2025 @ 1:11 pm
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CHESTERFIELD — Michael Black always knew he was different. Years later, he discovered his psychic gift.
"I've known all my life that I've had something that wasn't like anyone else," he said. "It was through training, study, learning with other people. I've taken classes here at Camp Chesterfield, from people back home (in Ohio), about how to step into this energy."
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First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
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Edit: i fixed the broken link
The audio is on the BBC website, Timestamp 14:00. This aired about 2 hours ago
Sadly no transcript is available. Besides BBC not mentioning anything about the reverse-engineering of NHI technologies, the segment does give a good indication that the highest parts of the US government are involved in the UFO issue.
My AI says the following about the number of Newshour (radio) listeners per episode:
Per-episode estimate: With 2–3 live broadcasts per day (about 15–20 episodes per week), a rough proportional estimate suggests 4–6 million unique listeners per episode.
All in all, for people that casually hear this stuff for the first time, i think its a decent segment about the situation. Just to make clear this show isnt usually about UFOs, the part immediately after the UFO segment is about 25 people dying in a fire in India.
See this comment by Sinemetu9: https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOs/s/FFgWQ2Htqg
When it comes to the most convincing UFO sightings ever recorded, opinions on Reddit are varied and passionate. Here are some of the most frequently mentioned and discussed cases:
Description: Over 60 children at the Ariel School in Zimbabwe witnessed a craft landing in the schoolyard and a few beings coming out. The incident was investigated by a well-known psychologist, and a documentary on YouTube provides more details.
Credibility: "The Ariel school incident in Africa is my favourite. Surprised it hasn't been mentioned. 60 plus children apparently witnessed a craft landing in the schoolyard and a few beings came out. It was investigated by a well known psychologist, you can find a documentary on YouTube so go check it out!"
Description: Military personnel, radars, and a civilian plane encountered a UFO. The radar signature of the UFO resembled that of a Boeing 707 aircraft, and instrumentation and communications failed as an F-4 approached the UFO. A military spy satellite also recorded an infrared anomaly during the event.
Credibility: "1976 Tehran UFO incident: Nothing beats this one. Military personals, radars and civilian plane encountered the UFO."
Description: Thousands of people across Arizona, including the then-Governor, witnessed a massive V-shaped formation of lights moving silently across the night sky.
Credibility: "I live in AZ, and saw the Phoenix Lights with my own eyes, (which actually happened twice). It was never given a reasonable explanation, and even our Governor at the time admits he was told to dismiss the story and make fun of it."
Description: A Japanese pilot had a multi-hour documented encounter with a UFO that broke off into several smaller UFOs that surrounded his plane. The incident was also tracked by ground radar.
Credibility: "Japan Air Lines flight 1628 incident & Belgian UFO wave"
Description: U.S. Air Force personnel stationed at RAF Bentwaters and RAF Woodbridge in Suffolk, England, reported seeing unusual lights in the forest and encountering a metallic object.
Credibility: "Rendelsham Forest or Shag Harbour. When it comes to Rendelsham, I am confident in thinking a crew of military men as they were would not have mistaken a light house for a UFO."
Description: U.S. Navy pilots, including Commander David Fravor, encountered a tic-tac-shaped object that performed incredible maneuvers. The incident was captured on FLIR footage.
Credibility: "I think the Nimitz/tic tac sighting in 2004 is likely to have the most credence to a skeptic given the pilot testimony and FLIR footage."
Description: A woman and her son witnessed a disc-shaped craft with a triangular pattern of lights on its underside. The woman captured multiple images of the object.
Credibility: "On February 1, 2003, in Weyauwega, Wisconsin, a woman and her son witnessed a disc-shaped craft with a triangular pattern of lights on its underside."
Description: These lights have been appearing regularly in the Hessdalen Valley in Norway since the 1980s. They are often described as bright, pulsating lights that move erratically.
Credibility: "Hessdalen lights. Almost definitely not alien invaders but definitely unidentified despite showing up regularly in the same place since forever."
Description: During World War II, the military had to resort to using anti-aircraft weapons against an unidentified object over Los Angeles.
Credibility: "The Battle of Los Angeles where the military had to resort to using AA weapons against a 'weather balloon'."
Description: Multiple witnesses, including airline employees, reported seeing a disc-shaped object hovering over Gate C17 at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago.
Credibility: "The UFO over OHare Airport, Chicago"
r/UFOs
r/aliens
r/AskReddit
These subreddits are great places to ask more questions and get answers from a community of enthusiasts and skeptics alike.
The question sounds ripped straight from a sci-fi blockbuster like Arrival or 2001: A Space Odyssey, yet it became a very real source of furious, months-long online debate. The cosmic object at the centre of this drama is the interstellar comet known prosaically to astronomers as 3I/ATLAS.
While official science now confidently classifies it as a natural celestial interloper — only the third known object of its kind to enter our system from deep space — a significant portion of the internet has already crowned it the latest piece of irrefutable proof that aliens are here.
But new research is less interested in the comet itself and far more interested in us, the humans, and why we're so desperately willing to believe the impossible.
Mert Bayar, a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Washington's Centre for an Informed Public, zeroed in on the 3I/ATLAS phenomenon, not as an astronomer, but as a digital analyst. His goal was to meticulously track how social-media influencers exploit genuine information gaps — the moments where natural explanations feel incomplete or overly complicated — to fuel over-the-top, alien-centric speculation.
Bayar's academic focus is clear: 'I've written previously on how expert opinions can fuel conspiracy theorizing through elite-driven rumoring and amplification', he told GeekWire in an email. This, combined with 'a personal interest in space-related conspiracy theories', spurred him to look 'more closely at 3I/ATLAS'.
His comprehensive analysis, which has just been published, is provocatively titled, Alien of the Gaps: How 3I/ATLAS Was Turned into a Spaceship Online. The title is an explicit nod to the theological concept of the 'God of the Gaps,' which describes how thinkers throughout history have appealed to a higher power — be it the gods of Mount Olympus or a single divine being — to explain phenomena they could not fully comprehend.
Bayar argues that today's speculation follows a remarkably similar, if secularised, process: 'Where natural explanations feel incomplete, we substitute a different higher agency, not Zeus this time, but extraterrestrials', he writes.
The moment 3I/ATLAS was first spotted in July, its non-solar, interstellar trajectory immediately marked it as a source of intrigue. Even after astronomers gathered enough evidence to confidently classify it as a comet, the object's somewhat 'anomalous' behaviour ensured the alien speculation remained stubbornly in orbit. So, how exactly did a relatively obscure comet become a viral sensation and a beacon for UFO enthusiasts?
The answer, according to Bayar's research, lies squarely at the feet of one of the world's most respected, and controversial, academics: Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb. Loeb is, of course, no stranger to this narrative. Years before the comet was identified, he gained notoriety for raising the possibility that an earlier interstellar object, 'Oumuamua, 'may be a fully operational probe sent intentionally to Earth vicinity by an alien civilization'. Loeb has doubled down on this alien-technology theme repeatedly in follow-up research papers and in his 2023 book. Crucially, the discovery of 3I/ATLAS this year provided fresh, fertile ground for his speculative musings.
To quantify this influence, Bayar harnessed a media analytics platform called Brandwatch to scrutinise the public conversation. He analysed roughly 700,000 posts about the comet published on the X social-media channel (formerly Twitter) between July 1 and Nov. 21.
The results are startling. Bayar found that 'almost 280,000 of the 700,000 posts invoke aliens or ET technology — about 40% of the 3I/ATLAS conversation on X'. Furthermore, the gravity of Loeb's profile is undeniable: roughly 130,000 posts reference him by name or by his status as a Harvard scientist, and more than 82,000 posts explicitly pair his name with the alien-technology hypothesis.
Bayar is quick to add a note of journalistic fairness, conceding that, 'To be fair, at times, Avi Loeb states that 3I/ATLAS is most likely a natural interstellar comet'. However, Bayar argues that this necessary caveat is lost in the sheer volume of his other commentary. He suggests that Loeb then 'spends far more time walking through its supposed 'anomalies' and entertaining the alien-technology hypothesis.
For most audiences, the volume and emphasis of that speculation effectively buries the initial caveat and recenters the story around the alien frame rather than the natural-comet explanation'. The complex, natural explanation is simply not as clickable as the extraterrestrial one.
This dynamic feeds directly into a broader online ecosystem that Bayar has dubbed the 'mystery economy'. 'Our information systems reward the production of mystery and speculation,' Bayar asserts. He points out that this reward structure is deliberately amplified by a ready-made ecosystem of websites, content creators across platforms who produce, spread and amplify speculative takes.
These content creators, whether they are small-time YouTubers or large conspiracy websites, require 'a steady supply of 'new' material', which, Bayar concludes, is constantly fed by 'Loeb's ever-growing list of anomalies, even when indirectly refuted by organizations like NASA, [which] feeds that need for sustained mystery and endlessly recyclable content'.
For those curious about the specifics of the comet's 'anomalies', Penn State astronomer Jason Wright, who focuses on studies of extrasolar planets and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, has compiled a comprehensive blog post offering scientific explanations for Loeb's list that do not involve alien intervention.
The implication is that the spread of the 3I/ATLAS spaceship rumour is not a random occurrence, but an economically-driven cycle where the speculation is more profitable than the truth. Interestingly, Bayar's analysis reveals that this viral narrative is not contained to a single platform.
Despite the statistical analysis being limited to X due to 'data-access constraints', he identified a clear link to another major content driver. 'One of the most frequently appearing terms in the 3I/ATLAS conversation on X is '@YouTube', suggesting that many X accounts are reacting to or sharing YouTube videos', he confirmed. This cross-platform flow indicates a networked spread, though Bayar cautions that the conversation remains niche, observing that the 'Total volume is still under a million posts, which suggests it hasn't broken out into a truly mass-viral story beyond the UFO/UAP crowd'.
Yet, the social significance of this research extends far beyond the possibility of alien spacecraft. Bayar believes the insights gleaned from studying the 'Alien of the Gaps' apply to other areas of conspiratorial thinking that plague the modern world, citing examples that range from vaccine denialism to the search for the Jan. 6 pipe-bomb suspect. These theories thrive on the same mechanisms: an unanswered question, a respected voice speculating, and an online system that financially rewards the amplification of the resulting mystery.
The story of 3I/ATLAS is not just about a comet; it's a terrifyingly accurate blueprint for how modern conspiracies are built, monetised, and sustained. With the interstellar object due to make its closest approach to Earth on Dec. 19, which will undoubtedly lead to further astronomical imagery, expect the speculative buzz to reach a new, frantic peak.
The story of 3I/ATLAS is not a tale of little green men, but a chillingly effective blueprint for how modern conspiracies are built, monetised, and sustained online. With the object due to make its closest approach to Earth on Dec.19, the astronomical imagery is guaranteed to fuel a new, frantic peak in speculative buzz.
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A small community along the coast of Labrador is shrouded in mist and being terrorized by ghosts — but world famous paranormal investigator Hellboy is on the scene.
That's the premise of The Ghost Ships of Labrador, a new comic book story co-written by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola and Rob Williams, and illustrated by Laurence Campbell. It's the latest installment of the popular and long-running comic book series that has been set all over the globe, and now in Red Bay, Labrador.
“I like the idea of this small little town with a population of maybe like 100 people or more. And suddenly one day a great fog descends upon it and ghosts are everywhere,” Williams told CBC Radio's Labrador Morning.
In this new Hellboy adventure, the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (B.P.R.D.) send exorcist Agatha Blunt, who uses a wheelchair and is aided by her dog Elba, to Red Bay — only for the pair to go missing.
That's when Hellboy is dispatched to the community.
Williams said he became interested in the Basque whalers who made the journey across the Atlantic Ocean from Spain to Labrador in the 1600s. During his readings, he came across the ship the San Juan, which sank off the coast of Labrador in 1565.
In the Hellboy story, the San Juan is a ghost ship that sails the ocean pressing ghosts into joining its crew.
“If you're captured by the San Juan, you end up in its brig for eternity. And that's what happens to Hellboy as we go,” Williams said.
After the first issue was released, Williams said he found out it had coincided with a replica of the San Juan being relaunched into the sea, "which blew our minds.”
He said he had fun digging into the history of the area as part of his research.
“That's part of the joy of actually writing these stories. You get to … be a little bit of a historian for a couple of days when doing your research. And it's amazing, you know, the worlds you uncover,” he said.
The first issue was released in November, and the final installment of The Ghost Ships of Labrador is scheduled for release in January.
Hellboy made its debut in 1993 and tells the story of the half-demon by the same name.
“The best Hellboy stories are always based on real life folk tales,” said Williams.
This time the inspiration came from an ghost ship map of Newfoundland and Labrador posted online.
“Some kind soul had made a list of all the sightings and where they happened. And what had been … seen out there,” said Williams.
Karin Murray-Bergquist, a folklore PhD candidate at Memorial University, is the creator of that map. It denotes the legends and their locations.
And when the new Hellboy issue was released, the messages started to come in, she said.
“People were sending me the link to this new issue and saying, ‘Look, ghost ships of Labrador.' And I thought, ‘Oh, wow, that's a funny coincidence,'” she said.
When CBC News told her that her research helped inspire the story behind the new issue, Murray-Bergquist said she couldn't believe it.
“I was really excited as a writer. It's really thrilling to know that one's research can be used creatively,” she said. “I was really chuffed to hear that.”
She said she knows about the Hellboy comics, but had never read them.
“I'm curious now. I'm really interested to learn more,” said Murray-Bergquist.
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Elizabeth Whitten is a journalist with CBC News, based in St. John's.
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Updated: Dec 07, 2025 14:34 IST
By Naman YadavNew Delhi [India], December 7 (ANI): Former NASA astronaut Mike Massimino, known for his work on the Hubble Space Telescope and who flew on two space missions, has weighed in on one of humanity's biggest questions: Are we alone in the universe?The veteran astronaut--who flew on two space missions, conducted four spacewalks, and spent an astonishing 30 hours and 44 minutes working outside the spacecraft--shared that while we have no proof of alien contact, the possibility of life beyond Earth remains strong.Speaking to ANI in an exclusive interview, Massimino said that despite popular speculation, "We have no proof that we haven't been contacted or visited. There's no evidence of that." But he emphasised that the sheer scale of the universe makes extraterrestrial life plausible."There are billions of galaxies with billions of stars in each," he explained, noting that most of those stars have multiple planets of their own. "We have seen some of the building blocks of life as we know it, even within our own solar system. We haven't discovered any life or any life form yet, but there's certainly possibilities out there somewhere."Addressing recent NASA studies suggesting aliens might even be listening to Earth, the astronaut said the real challenge isn't the existence of life--it's the ability to connect with it."The distances are really great between stars where we would think planets might, where planets are that we think maybe there's some sort of life somewhere. So it's not so easy to get to these places, to communicate to these places. And they're so far away that even at the speed of light, it takes a long time for a radio wave to travel if we were to try to make contact somewhere."For now, he says, humanity's search continues--limited not by imagination, but by physics.The astronaut also gave a straightforward reponse to the viral question circulating on social media on whether or not "can people have sex in space?"I don't see why not," he said with a smile. "I don't know if it's ever been tried--I've seen no evidence of it. But eventually we're going to be sending families to space, and that's going to be something."Just like aliens, Massimino noted, "There's no proof but no physical reason preventing it."
Weighing in on prospects of reaching Mars in the next 20-25 years, the astronaut said it's expensive and extremely challenging--but achievable.Several countries and organizations, inclding Elon Musk's SpaceX, have established ambitious, multi-stage plans to achieve the goal of going to Mars. "Mars is much further away. The moon is always kind of close to Earth; we can get there any day of the year. But with Mars, you have to wait for the planets to align--only certain times of the year you can even launch."He highlighted the communication delays as a major operational hurdle."On the space station, you say 'Houston, we have a problem,' and get an answer in a second.On the moon, it's about three seconds. On Mars? You say, 'We have a problem,' and 20-30 minutes later someone will say, 'What did you say?'"Despite the obstacles, he believes a human expedition is feasible, though astronauts would need to stay about a year on Mars while waiting for planetary alignment for the return trip. "It's going to be a hard problem, but I don't see why we couldn't solve it."Addressing one of the world's most persistent conspiracy theories on Area 51, Massimino said, "Area 51 is a secure area where there's classified work going on. There are no aliens there, as far as I know. You're not even allowed to fly over it."He stressed that hiding an alien visitation would be impossible: "There's no way we could cover that up."Still, the veteran former NASA astronaut, who has now transitioned into the role of one of the most compelling voices in the world of space exploration, said that he remains hopeful about extraterrestrial contact--though not in the Hollywood style."One day we'll make contact. Maybe through communication, not visiting. But they'd need to be a lot smarter than us, because we're not close to being able to do that yet." (ANI)
Alien contact
Extraterrestrial life
Area 51
Conspiracy theories
Space missions
Mike Massimino
astro mike
mars
elon musk
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There are some spooky places in the Natural State, and a new TV series investigates 10 of them.
"Haunted Arkansas," which debuts Tuesday on Apple TV, was created and directed by 22-year-old Gavin Webb of Alma.
"I've always had a passion for filmmaking, ever since I was a kid," Webb said last week.
During high school he became interested in the paranormal and investigators like Zak Bagans of the TV series "Ghost Adventures." It didn't take long for Webb to combine his love for making movies with searching for ghosts.
He directed "The King Opera House: A Paranormal Documentary," which came out in 2023, about the 1891 Van Buren landmark that is rumored to be one of the most haunted places in the state. The nearly hour-long film is streaming on Tubi and Amazon Prime.
Filming for "Haunted Arkansas," which consists of 10 1-hour-long episodes, began in February. The series finds Webb and his friends -- Emily Ruckman and Mickayla Carreker -- searching for paranormal activity at locales you might expect, like the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, and others you may not, like on the campus of Arkansas Tech University in Russellville.
It was key, Webb said, to explore areas other than the typical spots associated with ghosts in the state.
"Of course we had to go to the Crescent, but we wanted to shine a light on more places in Arkansas ... I think this is a very unique topic and Arkansas barely gets touched on this topic in the mainstream, so I wanted to make a series about it," Webb said.
Their search even took them underground.
"One place that really shocked us was Cosmic Caverns, the cave system (near) Berryville," Webb said. "We didn't know anything about it, but it seems there was an exorcism performed in the cave in the late '90s or early 2000s. People have fallen in there and died, they found bodies in the waters in there. We had to go there to learn about it."
The crew ended up at Cosmic Caverns after a visit to another location fell through. The experience turned out to be his "scariest" of the 10 episodes, Webb said.
He has some advice for aspiring paranormal investigators.
"Always be respectful to the location and the owners. I've heard a lot cases of people being rude," he said. "And also, just go with your gut and have fun. You get to explore things that not a lot of people know about. Just go for it."
Webb plans to expand the series, should it find an audience.
"If 'Haunted Arkansas' does well, we're going to do 'Haunted Missouri' and possibly 'Haunted Arkansas' season two because we missed a few locations," he said.
So, one last question: Does he believe in ghosts?
"After this series, yeah," he said. "I was kind of skeptical at first but after everything, I fully believe."
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Sean Clancy is a features reporter who also writes the weekly column "Paper Trails." A native of Helena, he's been with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette since 1999.
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